Hope for Right Now: A Walking with Purpose Podcast

Episode 43: Sharon Sisbarro

Join Lisa and Laura for the next Real Women, Real Stories interview. Today you are in for some serious FIRE. Our guest Sharon Sisbarro, a retired Marine and ACTS XXIX board member, has a unique and powerful way of looking at the spiritual battle. Her story of deep hurt, despair, and fighting her way out of the pit is an inspiration and witness to the power of God. We cannot wait to share her wisdom with you. There isn’t a single soul who cannot benefit from the gold in this episode! 

Open your Heart to our key Scripture. 
Exodus 14:14: The Lord will fight for you; you have only to keep still.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
1 Timothy 6:12: Fight the good fight of the faith.
Job 1:21: The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare not evil, to give you a hope and a future.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Use the journaling worksheet, Estimate of the Situation, in adoration or any place you can get quiet and wrestle with it. Join our Facebook group to share your thoughts and questions. 

Show mentions.
Prepare your heart for Advent and Christmas with our beautiful digital download, House of Gold: A Walking with Purpose Advent Reflection. ⁠Daily throughout Advent and the Octave of Christmas, you'll meditate on a title of our Blessed Mother. You’ll be drawn deeper into her beautiful and holy, yet profoundly simple, life through carefully selected Scripture, beautiful reflections , journal questions, and guided prayer.⁠⁠ With your end-of-year donation to our apostolate, you'll receive this exclusive digital download as a thank you. ⁠

Our presenting sponsor is CB Jewelry. Faith is beautiful—and it's your best accessory. If you are looking for stunning and stylish pieces that communicate your faith, look no further! CB Jewelry is known for its modern and beautiful pieces that are sure to start conversations wherever you go. Whether you're searching for a meaningful gift or a new way to express your faith, CB Jewelry has you covered. Use the code Hopefornow, (all one word at checkout) for free shipping and a portion of your purchase will go to Walking with Purpose. Offer ends November 30, 2024! Shop CB Jewelry today at cbjewelryfaith.com.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

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Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
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Episode 42: JoAnn Crouse, Part 2

In today’s episode, Lisa and Laura sit down to continue their conversation with their dear friend, JoAnn Crouse. (If you haven’t heard JoAnn’s incredible story, be sure to go back and listen to episode 30.) JoAnn dives deeper into her story and talks about the stuff so many of us struggle with but are too ashamed to bring to the light: things like what happens to your identity when you find yourself suddenly single and what true forgiveness requires. Time spent listening to JoAnn is never wasted time. Her open heart and vulnerability are gifts. So go on and grab a cup of coffee and settle in; you will be grateful you did.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Ephesians 1:4–5: In love, (God) destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Is there a person in your life you need to forgive? What measuring stick are you holding? How are you loving others well?

Show mentions.
Comunità Cenacolo America, https://www.hopereborn.org
Mallory Smyth, Walking with Purpose, Reclaiming Friendship
Catholic Psychotherapy Association
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Walking with Purpose, Living in the Father’s Love
Four Phases of Forgiveness (for complete descriptions, see Lesson 5 in Living in the Father’s Love):

Uncovering: You face the reality that you’ve been hurt and are angry.
Decision: Will you do this your way or God’s way?
Work: Just as its name implies, this phase often requires a lot of effort. This is where we put God’s way into action.
Deepening: In this phase, we choose mercy. 

Our presenting sponsor is CB Jewelry. Faith is beautiful—and it's your best accessory. If you are looking for stunning and stylish pieces that communicate your faith, look no further! CB Jewelry is known for its modern and beautiful pieces that are sure to start conversations wherever you go. Whether you're searching for a meaningful gift or a new way to express your faith, CB Jewelry has you covered. Use the code Hopefornow, (all one word at checkout) for free shipping and a portion of your purchase will go to Walking with Purpose. Offer ends November 30, 2024! Shop CB Jewelry today at cbjewelryfaith.com 

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
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Episode 41: To the Heights

On today’s final episode of Ordering Your Priorities, Lisa and Laura discuss Talk 2: To the Heights. Notice that in this study and discussion we didn’t give a time management system to help you get every single priority done all the time. Why? Because we can’t get it all done! There will always be more expected of us than we are able to give, but now, we’ve hopefully got some new principles that we can apply to all sorts of different situations, ensuring that in the end, our time is given where it matters most. So grab your coffee and your study guide, and let’s dive in!

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Colossians 3:2: Set your minds on things that are above.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
1 Timothy 5:6: For she that liveth in pleasures, is dead while she is living (Douay-Rheims).
She who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives (RSVCE).
Matthew 6:24: You cannot serve God and serve mammon.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.

1. Make a commitment—your non-negotiables or you might call it your “rule of life” or “plan of love.” Write out the commitment and keep it in your Bible or prayer journal.
2. Ask the Lord for the grace and strength you need to fulfill your commitment.
3. Tell a friend (a holy friend) what you are doing and ask her to hold you accountable. 

Show mentions.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Josemaría Escrivá, The Way
Norbertines of St. Michael's Abbey, The Great Fast
St. Francis de Sales, “The enemy nevertheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast.”
Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, 33 Days to Merciful Love

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our Shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Episode 40: Priority 6: The World Outside

In today’s episode, Lisa and Laura discuss Lesson 7 of Ordering Your Priorities, Priority 6: The World Outside. After we have given attention to God, our heart, our spouse, our kids, and our homes, we are left with all those other priorities: people and commitments. For some of us, prioritizing is easy, but for others, not so much. Do you struggle with people-pleasing, setting boundaries, or maintaining a healthy work-life rhythm? If so, there is a way to cultivate a heart and home saturated with the peace that comes from ordering your priorities. 

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
2 Corinthians 5:20: So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Genesis 2:24: Man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. (NASB)
Exodus 20:12: Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (NIV)

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Who or what got most of your time this week? Who or what got your leftovers? Make a list of your non-negotiables and stay accountable. 

Show mentions.
Dr. Henry Cloud, Boundaries
Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
Timothy Keller, Gospel in Life Podcast, Work and Family episode
Fr. John Riccardo, The Rescue Project
Prepare for the next week’s episode by watching Talk 2: To the Heights.
Using code OYPBOGO, purchase one Ordering Your Priorities and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends October 31, 2024.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our Shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Episode 39: Priority 5: Your Home

In today’s episode, Lisa and Laura discuss Lesson 6 of Ordering Your Priorities, Priority 5: Your Home. Home means something different to each of us, but as Lisa and Laura dive into today’s priority, one thing is clear: we all ache for a place to call home. In the words of Maya Angelou, “The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” Today’s conversation dives into more than wraparound porches and fresh flowers on the kitchen island. It’s about the feeling we all long to create. So get cozy, friends; put on some coffee, grab a cozy blanket, click play, and make yourself at home.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Song of Solomon 2:15: Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
2 Corinthians 4:7: We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Look at your home and what it feels like to be there. What’s one thing you’re learning right now? What are you learning about what is important to you? What are you learning about what you need to change? What are you learning about the needs of the people who are within your house or crossing your threshold?

Show mentions.
Liz Bell Young. Let There Be Havens: An Invitation to Gentle Hospitality
Dan and Stephanie Burke, Divine Intimacy Retreat

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our Shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Episode 38: Priority 4: Your Children

In today’s episode, Lisa and Laura discuss Lesson 5 of Ordering Your Priorities, Priority 4: Your Children. If you’re confused because it was your understanding that children come first, you are in good company—most of us feel that way. All the more reason to grab some coffee and settle in…this truly is a conversation you don’t want to miss. Lisa and Laura get honest about the stress parents are under, misguided goals for our children, and challenges we are facing in today's world. Whether you have children or not, there is an important takeaway for you today!

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Philippians 1:6: And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Luke 1:37: For with God nothing will be impossible.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Ask yourself, “What’s my number one goal for my children? Is it to make them happy or is it to have a relationship with the Lord?” 

How am I modeling an authentic Christian life to my children?

Show mentions.
U.S. Surgeon General, Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents, August 28, 2024, https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/08/28/us-surgeon-general-issues-advisory-mental-health-well-being-parents.html
Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation
Margaret Munzer Loeb and Eden Wurmfeld, Chasing Childhood, https://chasingchildhooddoc.com/
Dr. Becky Kennedy, author
Walking with Purpose, “I Declares”
Using code OYPBOGO, purchase one Ordering Your Priorities and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends October 31, 2024.

Today’s sponsor: Follow My Camino
Follow My Camino is excited to offer women-only Camino experiences along the historic Camino de Santiago, The Way of St. James. Through daily walking and prayer, you'll discover a unique path to address life's challenges. As St. Augustine said, “It is solved by walking.” Caminos include opportunities for morning and evening prayer, quiet reflection, and Mass along the way, culminating at the Cathedral in Santiago. Learn more at https://www.followmycamino.com.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our Shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Episode 37: Priority 3: Your Marriage, Part 2

On today’s episode, Lisa and Laura sit down with their husbands—Leo Brenninkmeyer and Nick Phelps—to continue the discussion on Lesson 4 of Ordering Your Priorities, Priority 3: Your Marriage. Hear what the men in their lives have to say about marriage, as the couples dive right into topics like faith, suffering, the five love languages, and more. These men have no problem talking, getting vulnerable, and making their wives laugh. Who knows, maybe they will be inspired to start their own podcast! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the episode.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Ephesians 5:33: However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
If you’re married, think about the biggest challenge your spouse may be facing. In the next week, what could you do, with God’s help, to support your spouse in that challenge?

If you’re not married, think about the biggest challenge someone close to you may be facing. In the next week, what could you do, with God’s help, to support this person in that challenge?

Show mentions.
Matt Haig, The Comfort Book
Dan and Stephanie Burke, Divine Intimacy Retreat
The Five Love Languages
Using code OYPBOGO, purchase one Ordering Your Priorities and get a second one at 50% off. Limit one use per customer. This offer ends October 31, 2024.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our Shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Feast Day of Saint Therese of Lisieux

Today is a special day for Walking with Purpose. It's the Feast Day of Saint Therese of Lisieux, our patron saint! And at WWP, we are all about getting women into Scripture so they can encounter Christ personally and apply it to their everyday lives. This is why St. Therese is our perfect guide: she spent countless hours studying Scripture and sharing a simple way for us to experience God’s Word that is personal and transforming. Today on the podcast, Laura Phelps honors the Little Flower as she shares three not-so-typical reasons why she loves Saint Therese and calls her a friend. 

Open your Heart to our key Scripture. 
2 Corinthians 12:9–11: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Proverbs 9:4: Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me. (Douay-Rheims)
Matthew 11:28–30: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Jeremiah 17:7: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
Joshua 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Psalm 116:6: The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.

What character trait do you believe disqualifies you from becoming a great saint? 

Does the idea of being little and depending on God frighten you? What staircase are you trying to climb alone?

Do you write letters? Maybe today is a good day to start.

Show mentions.
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
Pope Pius VII, “She rediscovered the Gospel itself, the very heart of the Gospel.”
St. Therese of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul
Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, 33 Days to Merciful Love
Henri Nouwen, quote
Flourish: The Art of Being Human. Register here.

Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

Want to keep the conversation going? Join our private Facebook community.

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.

Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our Shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.