The Lila Rose Show

In today's episode my dear friend Stephanie Gray Connors—renowned pro-life apologist and global speaker—joins me to share the behind-the-scenes story of how she found love at 40 (yes, I played matchmaker!).

Stephanie gets real about the heartache of waiting, the tension between her calling and her longing for marriage, and the unexpected ways God showed up—through deep friendship, purpose-driven work, and eventually, a saintly husband.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late for your dreams, this conversation will remind you: God’s timing is perfect.

Stephanie’s website: https://loveunleasheslife.com/about

NEW: Join our exclusive Rose Report community! https://lilaroseshow.supercast.com - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, monthly AMA, and early access to our upcoming guests.

A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:37 - Stephanie’s background

00:10:48 - Cozy Earth

00:11:44 - Career vs Family

00:22:15 - Good Ranchers

00:23:30 - Career vs Family Pt II

00:27:30 - I would cry myself to sleep

00:34:39 - EveryLife

00:35:49 - Friendship and the best moments in my life

00:42:00 - Common Needs

00:44:08 - Being loved vs being recognized

00:45:49 - Singleness in 30s

00:51:01 - 50 y/o who got married

00:55:17 - We idolize many things

01:01:00 - Mad at God

01:03:00 - Holy people get overlooked

01:19:05 - Would you go through it again?

01:20:48 - Are women too picky?

01:22:57 - Stephanie’s book on IVF

Josh Hammer—lawyer, foreign policy expert, and editor-at-large at Newsweek—joins the show to break down the latest escalation in the Middle East, including the U.S. striking Iranian nuclear sites with bunker-busting bombs.

We get into it: U.S. foreign policy, non-interventionism, and the bigger picture Americans need to understand right now. Josh pushes back on the isolationist take—and his arguments are worth hearing.

He also shares a personal account of fleeing Israel with his family as tensions exploded on the ground.

We can't afford to stay uninformed—let’s keep the conversation going.

Josh’s X: https://x.com/josh_hammer?lang=en

Check Out Our Sponsors:

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-EveryLife: https://www.everylife.com Buy diapers from an amazing pro-life diaper company and use code LILA and get 10% off!

-Crowd Health: https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ The new alternative to health insurance - sign up and use the code "LILA" for a special deal of $99 for your first 3 months!

When Jesus introduced the new blueprint for marriage—no divorce, total monogamy—it stunned the Apostles. His vision was bold, uncompromising, and utterly countercultural. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, it’s not only possible—it’s transformational.

Enter Father Josiah Trenham: Orthodox pastor, husband of 37 years, and father of ten. In this episode, he unpacks the divine design for marriage—why it’s essential for civilization and for sanctifying your soul. You’ll walk away challenged, inspired, and ready to see marriage as a holy mission with eternal impact.

Marriage Conference: https://www.themarriageconference.com/

Patristic Nectar Website/App: https://patristicnectar.org/

Patristic Nectar YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatristicNectarFilmsNEW:

Join our exclusive Rose Report community! https://lilaroseshow.supercast.com - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, monthly AMA, and early access to our upcoming guests.

A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/

Check out our Sponsors:

-Seven Weeks Coffee: https://www.sevenweekscoffee.com Buy your pro-life coffee with code LILA and get up to 25% off!

-We Heart Nutrition: https://www.weheartnutrition.com/ Get high quality vitamin supplements for 20% off using the code LILA.

-Hallow: https://www.hallow.com/lila Enter into prayer more deeply this season with the Hallow App, get 3 months free by using this link to sign up!

00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:40 - Why Focus on Love and Marriage?

00:09:57 - Seven Weeks Coffee

00:10:40 - What is St John Chrysostom’s vision of marriage?

00:18:43 - Jesus establishing the importance of marriage

00:21:55 - Marriage got completely mangled

00:22:48 - Hallow

00:23:38 - (‘No such thing as Judeo-Christian ethic’

00:30:45 - What did early Christians think about marriage?

00:32:25 - Why was sexual revolution so ‘effective’?

00:42:14 - What about single people?

00:47:39 - The role of contraception in demise of sexual morality

00:52:18 - No Fault Divorce

00:55:06 - Pastoring LGBT people

00:59:03 - Theological understanding of marriage

01:07:44 - Honoring Children

01:09:11 - Eros and Sexual Attraction

01:10:07 - Why should couples have children?

01:22:00 - Be fruitful and multiply

01:24:14 - Natural Family Planning

01:28:40 - Sexual Fasting

What should you really be looking for in a partner—and what’s keeping so many from meeting and marrying the right one? Are we too picky? Can chemistry grow over time? And does early physical contact cloud judgment more than we realize?

Joining Lila for this unfiltered dating roundtable are:

-Alessandra Conti, celebrity matchmaker and co-founder of Matchmakers in the City: https://instagram.com/matchmakeralessandraconti/

-Ryan Bethea, host and producer of The Exorcist Files podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thebethea

-Franco Fernandez, Catholic influencer and editor: https://instagram.com/thefrancotv

Together, they tackle the biggest dating pitfalls, what men and women often get wrong, and how faith, personality, and even physical touch play into it all. Plus, Lila shares a glimpse into her own love story—was there instant chemistry, or something deeper?

If you're single—or know someone who is (so, everyone)—this episode is full of insight, laughter, and hard truths you won’t want to miss.

NEW: Join our exclusive Rose Report community! https://lilaroseshow.supercast.com - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, monthly AMA, and early access to our upcoming guests.

A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/

Check out our Sponsors:

-Nimi Skincare: The best skincare—and it aligns with your values. Use code LILA for 15% off! https://www.nimiskincare.com/discount/LILA?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-products

-We Heart Nutrition: https://www.weheartnutrition.com/ Get high quality vitamin supplements for 20% off using the code LILA.

-Cozy Earth: Better Sleep, Brighter Days - Get the highest quality sleep essentials for 40% OFF at https://cozyearth.com/lila!

00:00:00 - Intro

00:07:49 - The Problems with Dating: Ryan’s Perspective

00:10:04 - Nimi Skincare

00:11:11 - Effects of P*rnography

00:14:30 - Paradox of choice

00:16:41 - People are self-sabotaging

00:19:09 - What professions do women want?

00:21:58 - Cozy Earth

00:22:55 - Culture worships youth

00:23:42 - Dating someone different than you

00:32:57 - We Heart Nutrition

00:33:55 - Roles of men and women in dating

00:39:40 - Dating apps…traumatic

00:44:05 - Probably wouldn’t have swiped…

00:48:27 - Lila’s first impressions of her husband

00:53:49 - Chaste dating

00:55:31 - Waiting til marriage to kiss

00:58:44 - Oxytocin

01:04:31 - Boundaries

01:16:28 - Pros/Cons of Cuddling

01:23:40 - Enemy hates marriage

01:28:29 - We follow a single, celibate man

You’ve seen Read Choi’s viral videos—over 10M on TikTok and Instagram—calling out the Devil, breaking down suffering, and making us laugh through it all. But behind the boldness is a story he’s never told—until now.

For the first time, Read reveals the abuse he survived as a child—including nights spent sleeping on the street as punishment—and how pain shaped his faith, humor, and message.

He also shares the wild moment God told him to adopt a schizophrenic homeless woman—and the backlash that followed.

This episode is raw, honest, and full of hope. Read is redefining what faith looks like in the digital age—and paving the way for a new kind of witness.

Read's website: https://readchoi.com

Read’s IG: https://instagram.com/readchoi

Read’s TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@readchoiNEW:

Join our exclusive Rose Report community! https://lilaroseshow.supercast.com - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, monthly AMA, and early access to our upcoming guests.

A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/

Check out our Sponsors:

-Seven Weeks Coffee: https://www.sevenweekscoffee.com Buy your pro-life coffee with code LILA and get up to 25% off!

-Good Ranchers: https://go.goodranchers.com/lila Purchase your American Meat Delivered subscription today and get a free add-on of beef, chicken, or salmon! Use code LILA for $40 off!

-Cozy Earth: Better Sleep, Brighter Days - Get the highest quality sleep essentials for 40% OFF at https://cozyearth.com/lila!

00:00:00 - Intro

00:05:58 - UC Berkley and Writing

00:09:45 - Seven Weeks Coffee

00:10:27 - Did you have faith growing up?

00:11:39 - Homelessness

00:17:59 Have you talked to your parents about this?

00:20:32 - Good Ranchers

00:21:47 - How did you come to faith?

00:30:37 - CozyEarth

00:31:35 - Darkness and Comedy

00:34:16 - Helping the homeless woman

00:40:17 - Angelic encounters

00:46:56 - When did you decide to start TikTok?

00:50:02 - How do you decide what to create?

00:54:02 - Watching Read’s TikToks

01:00:55 - Current Christian content community:

01:04:06 - What to say or not to say online?

01:05:56 - What things does Lila keep private?

01:08:45 - Advice for young women on internet

01:12:32 - Future of content and media

01:15:52 - Gen Alpha

Naomi Best enrolled in Santa Clara University’s Counseling Psychology MA to help people. But when she began the required Human Sexuality course, she was stunned: graphic BDSM videos, public discussions of intimate sexual history, and an 8-page paper detailing her own experiences—including masturbation.

Naomi refused to complete the coursework on moral and religious grounds. Despite requesting a religious exemption—granted to Muslim women—the university denied her appeal.

In this episode, we uncover the radical ideology behind this curriculum and how critical theory is being used to hijack psychology—reshaping therapy into a tool for social reengineering and tearing down the moral foundations of society.

This isn’t education—it’s ideological coercion that borders on sexual harassment. Watch the full episode to hear Naomi’s courageous stand—and learn how you can speak up against this disturbing trend infecting universities across the country.

Naomi’s Substack: http://clinicallyincorrect.substack.com

--

NEW: Join our exclusive Rose Report community! https://lilaroseshow.supercast.com - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, monthly AMA, and early access to our upcoming guests.

A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/

Check out our Sponsors:

-Nimi Skincare: The best skincare—and it aligns with your values. Use code LILA for 15% off! https://www.nimiskincare.com/discount/LILA?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-products

-EveryLife: https://www.everylife.com Buy diapers from an amazing pro-life diaper company and use code LILA and get 10% off!

-Covenant Eyes: http://covenanteyes.sjv.io/Kjngb9 Sign up to grow in purity and gain traction over sexual addiction: use code “LILA” for a free month!

He’s written over 40 books. He’s been on Oprah, Good Morning America, and even the cover of Time Magazine. Dr. Bill Sears is the man who made breastfeeding and attachment parenting mainstream—when no one else dared to say it mattered. But today, he’s here with a warning.

Our kids are facing a health crisis unlike anything we’ve seen before—chronic illnesses once reserved for the elderly are now striking children. And Dr. Bill says it’s no accident. In this episode, he reveals the five foolproof, science-backed habits every parent needs to know—practical steps that could mean the difference between thriving and just surviving. Don’t miss this conversation—your child’s future health may depend on what you hear today.

Dr Bill’s website: https://www.askdrsears.com/

NEW: Join our exclusive Rose Report community! https://lilaroseshow.supercast.com - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, monthly AMA, and early access to our upcoming guests.

A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/

Check out our Sponsors:

-Seven Weeks Coffee: https://www.sevenweekscoffee.com Buy your pro-life coffee with code LILA and get up to 25% off!

-Cozy Earth: Better Sleep, Brighter Days - Get the highest quality sleep essentials for 40% OFF at https://cozyearth.com/lila!

-We Heart Nutrition: https://www.weheartnutrition.com/ Get high quality vitamin supplements for 20% off using the code LILA.

00:00 - Start

01:43 - Who is Dr Bill Sears?

06:44 - Children’s Health epidemic in America

09:39 - Seven Weeks Coffee

10:20 - ADHD and Autism

12:51 - Toxicity in the world

14:22 - Top Toxic ingredients?

16:35 - #1 food on planet

20:08 - Cozy Earth

21:04 - Epigenetics and Shaping How Genes Operate

23:16 - Organic foods?

24:33 - We have a pharmacy inside ourselves

27:22 - We Heart Nutrition

28:24 - This won the Nobel Prize:

37:42 - Sleep

42:49 - Brain Problems

47:28 - Give me a tool I can use fast:

48:19 - Religious People Are Happier

53:24 - Friendship and Sharing Well

56:55 - 7 Tools of Attachment Parenting

Judy escaped an abusive marriage and was finally rebuilding her life with her two kids—until Greg entered the picture. Charming. Convincing. Dangerous.

What began as a promise of love turned into a nightmare. One day, Judy found herself at the scene of a murder—and then behind bars, sentenced to life in prison for a crime she didn’t commit.

But that wasn’t the end of her story. In the darkest place, Judy found light. This is the gripping true story of betrayal, injustice, and redemption—a powerful reminder that not even prison can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35).

Find Judy's book: https://amzn.to/3Zpgp5F

NEW: Join our exclusive Rose Report community! https://lilaroseshow.supercast.com - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, monthly AMA, and early access to our upcoming guests.

A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/

Check out our Sponsors:

-Nimi Skincare: The best skincare—and it aligns with your values. Use code LILA for 15% off! https://www.nimiskincare.com/discount/LILA?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-products

-EveryLife: https://www.everylife.com Buy diapers from an amazing pro-life diaper company and use code LILA and get 10% off!

-Covenant Eyes: http://covenanteyes.sjv.io/Kjngb9 Sign up to grow in purity and gain traction over sexual addiction: use code “LILA” for a free month!

00:00:00 - Intro

00:07:09 - Nimi Skincare

00:08:19 - Childhood wounds and struggles

00:24:07 - When things started turning south…

00:13:53 - EveryLife

00:14:53 - Trying to build a new life

00:23:02 - Covenant Eyes

00:24:06 - First red flag

00:28:03 - How the murder happened

00:31:51 - Hitman and aftermath

00:40:53 - Life sentence in prison

00:53:58 - Are there failsafes today against this corruption?

00:56:27 - Is death penalty moral?

00:57:42 - Mothering Behind Bars

01:01:09 - First time to see kids after prison:

01:03:56 - Solitary confinement

01:04:55 - 35 Years

01:07:02 - How did you become free

01:11:49 - First day of freedom

Katie Coblentz grew up a tomboy—Spider-Man, catch with dad, boys’ clothes. As a teen, she felt like a misfit and found fleeting belonging in the LGBT community. In college, YouTube videos of joyful ‘trans men’ promised freedom from her anxiety and pain.

She transitioned—testosterone, surgery, a new name. The illusion worked. Until one day, she looked in the mirror… and saw a woman.

That moment unraveled everything.

Katie began the hard road of detransition and now speaks out against the trans ideology that nearly destroyed her. Her story is a warning—and a call to truth.

NEW: Join our exclusive Rose Report community! https://lilaroseshow.supercast.com - We'll have BTS footage, ad-free episodes, monthly AMA, and early access to our upcoming guests.

A big thanks to our partner, EWTN, the world’s leading Catholic network! Discover news, entertainment and more at https://www.ewtn.com/

Check out our Sponsors:

-EveryLife: https://www.everylife.com Buy diapers from an amazing pro-life diaper company and use code LILA and get 10% off!

-Hallow: https://www.hallow.com/lila Enter into prayer more deeply this season with the Hallow App, get 3 months free by using this link to sign up!

-Good Ranchers: https://go.goodranchers.com/lila Purchase your American Meat Delivered subscription today and get a free add-on of beef, chicken, or salmon! Use code LILA for $40 off!

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:32 - Who is Katie?

00:04:36 - Being a Tomboy

00:11:12 - EveryLife

00:12:04 - What was your relationship to sexuality at this point?

00:17:55 - At what point did you think you were transgender?

00:20:59 - Good Ranchers

00:21:58 - Experience at gender clinic

00:28:57 - What was it like being on testosterone?

00:31:27 - Hallow

00:32:17 - Any negative effects from testosterone?

00:36:41 - What was it like living as a man?

00:38:53 - How did it feel to ‘pass’ as a man?

00:40:40 - Bottom Surgery?

00:43:04 - What did your parents think?

00:47:26 - The effect on Katie’s sister

00:48:59 - Where did detransition come from?

00:51:30 - Why she didn’t like LGBT support groups

00:56:12 - Did you have any faith life then?

01:05:19 - So easy to transition; so hard to de-transition

01:09:05 - How did you react to breasts not growing back?

01:14:51 - The only thing keeping her going in life:

01:26:07 - How should pastors handle the LGBT questions?

01:30:41 - How should parents handle transgender question

01:35:54 - Advice for grandparents

01:46:03 - Are you comfortable as a woman now?

01:49:01 - Marriage

01:58:51 - Final thoughts on how to help people

Clearing Misconceptions about Adriana Smith Case w/ Fr Tad Pacholczyk