Catholic Evangelista, Sonja Corbitt

Ever wake up disturbed by a dream and wonder, What does this say about me—or my faith? The Church has an answer, and it’s wiser than you think. From Aquinas to Augustine, from Joseph the Dreamer to Pope Francis, Catholic tradition teaches that dreams are involuntary, symbolic, and morally neutral—not sins, not prophecies on demand, but invitations to understanding. “Interpretation belongs to God” (Gen 40:8). Long before modern psychology, Scripture knew what science is now confirming: dreams speak in symbols because some truths can’t be reached by logic alone. Jung called them archetypal. Tolkien called them mythic. The Church calls them meaningful—when measured against Church teachings and discerned with Scripture. In this conversation, we explore: • Why disturbing dreams don’t equal moral failure • How Scripture itself trains us to read symbols • Where psychology helps—and where it must stop • Why superstition is condemned, but dreams are not Dreams are not divine commands. They are subtle communications—“this is God’s way,” as Pope Francis says—asking for silence, prayer, and wise interpretation. If you’ve ever questioned or feared your dreams, this is for you.👇 Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Nancy R; Cynthia C; and Michael G, for loving and lifting me. Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our next Monthly Meetup Bible study on the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Write down the last dream you can remember and those between now and the next episode. Save them for the next show, where we'll talk about specific symbols. What were the main emotions you felt? Have you asked the Holy Spirit for insight into their meaning? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) St. Joseph, Patron of Dreams, with the Holy Spirit, guard and illumine the contents of my sleep, I pray, so I that I may hear God speak as you did.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

If you’re already in spiraling self-medication mode, this episode is your rescue plan. Continually confessing “I drank too much," "I yelled,” or “I ate the whole pie” will never fix what’s really broken. Using real-life examples and Scripture, I'll walk you straight past the surface symptoms to the root your holiday triggers are screaming about: wounded love showing up in fear, control, unforgiveness, worthlessness, pride. You’ll discover: why the same sins keep showing up every Christmas, the exact questions to ask yourself before you step into the confessional, and why “name & number” confession is good…but why confessing the root changes everything. Advent is a penitential season for a reason. Stop band-aiding symptoms. Get to the root with confession and walk into the new year lighter than you’ve felt in years. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Nancy R; Cynthia C; and Michael G, for loving and lifting me. Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our next Monthly Meetup Bible study on the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) When's the last time you went to Confession? Isn't it time? Advent is a penitential season, the time to get to the wounded love at the root of your self-medication, and let God love and heal you there. V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential, the glory for which I was created.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-15:00 – addictions and abstinence; not a counseling session; name and number Minutes 15:01-30:00 – finding the predominant fault, the root; guilt and shame; stages of purification and healing Minutes 30:01-60:00 – "sin will have no dominion over you"; the open door; applying the right medicine to the right place in the soul Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

If the mere thought of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s gatherings already has your stomach in knots, your heart racing, or your temper flaring weeks in advance—this episode is your lifeline. We're kicking off a brand-new holiday survival series, Tis the Season, with the one thing that actually works when family triggers, old wounds, and impossible expectations threaten to steal your peace: boundaries. Whether you’re bracing for difficult parents, in-laws, divorced-family logistics, grief anniversaries, or the annual political/religion blow-up at the dinner table—the holidays don’t have to wreck you. You can love your family, honor your vocation, and still protect the gift of peace God died to give you. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show for loving and lifting me. Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our next Monthly Meetup Bible study on the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)   O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) What's one new boundary you can put in place to add peace to your holidays for yourself and your family this year? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential, the glory for which I was created.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-15:00 – Great Expectations; what is "abuse"?; inappropriate behaviors  Minutes 15:01-30:00 – fight or flight; recognizing trauma bonds; guilt associated with boundaries Minutes 30:01-60:00 – 6 P's: Predict, Plan, Priorities, Prepare, Protect, Peace Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

What if He *made* you to do the stuff that feels the most like play to you? What’s holding you back from "playing" - living fully alive? In this series finale, we wrap up Free Indeed with the ultimate freedom: play as God’s child. From Peter’s recommissioning, to pop quizzes, to healing from fear, discover how God's divine judgment isn’t wrath—it’s gentle transformation. Break free from scruples, sin, and the fear of death, purgatory, or deprivation. Step into the joy Jesus restored; love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and learn to play again. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Kimberly P; Kim L; Gary K; Christine C; Louie M; Elizabeth M-K; Denise E; and Jeanne K, for loving and lifting me. Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our next Monthly Meetup Bible study on the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)   O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) In my work with people one-on-one, I have found that most have no idea what even feels like play to them anymore. They have no idea what they like; they have few or no hobbies. Life is all WORK!  Spend some time talking to God about creativity, hobbies, the stuff you LIKE to do and desire to do. What if that's also what He made you for and *wants* you to do more of? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential, the glory for which I was created.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-15:00 – glory of God is man fully alive; freedom from scruples, indecision, sin, and a few of the Four Last Things Minutes 15:01-30:00 – Peter's judgment, and our judgment; it happens NOW Minutes 30:01-60:00 – Catholic Morality is ultimately "happiness" Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

Wondering how to turn life’s dry seasons into growth? Through Sonja’s story of (what seemed like) a shattered ministry promise, church splits, and learning to rest amid fear, discover how pop quizzes expose the roots of your fear, how to silence complaints and multiply provision with thanksgiving, and why “God is late on purpose” in a crisis of faith. This seventh episode of Free Indeed: "Thrive in the Desert" reveals the desert as God’s classroom— where deprivation after deprivation builds unshakeable faith in His provision and perfect timing. Building on the series’ journey to Christian freedom, begin the process of learning to be free of the fear of trials. This episode unpacks the Exodus template: God’s ways of the desert, repetition, and daily Word (Hebrews 3-4). Reflect daily on His Word, surrender your anxiety, and watch your desert bloom into the Promised Land of peace. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Kimberly P; Kim L; Gary K; Christine C; Louie M; Elizabeth M-K; Denise E; and Jeanne K, for loving and lifting me. Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our next Monthly Meetup Bible study on the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)   O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Deprivations cause a crisis of faith, where we are challenged to believe God will provide and is good despite what looks like contrary evidence. Where in your life are you experiencing deprivations that provoke fear in you? What are the roots of that fear?  V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential, the glory for which I was created.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-15:00 – Just Rest book; two Baptist church splits; Heb 3-4 Minutes 15:01-30:00 – God's "ways": desert, repetition, Word Minutes 30:01-60:00 – Pop quizzes in the Exodus Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

Is purgatory a place or a Person? Afraid of suffering and purification? Be free from the fear of God's punishment and delve into the mysteries of sanctification with me in this episode of our series on Christian freedom. Discover purgatory not as a fiery torture chamber of punishment, but as God's purifying love, as I share how our Heavenly Father healed me from a rage-fueled father wound in this truth. Explore what the Bible calls God's "consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29) -- from Genesis' covenant torch to the Holy Spirit's descent -- distinguishing eternal/temporal punishment and mortal/venial sin. Unpack particular judgment as a loving revelation, not wrath, and sanctification as a state of the soul in divine mercy (1 Cor 3:15). Embrace purification, recognize suffering as personal growth, and find freedom from the fear of it. Reflect on God's tenderness, cooperate with His healing, and step into His grace. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show. Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our next Monthly Meetup Bible study on the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)   O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Does this view on purgatory clear up any fear associated with it for you? What do you want to say to the Holy Spirit about that? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-15:00 – OT types of God as "fire" Minutes 15:01-30:00 – What the Church says about purgatory Minutes 30:01-45:00 – Heaven, hell, and purgatory as states of the soul in God; Thomas Aquinas on purgatory as a Person Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

Should we fear death? Why do we? "Memento Mori" is the ancient practice of remembering death, and how Christ’s resurrection turns it into a hopeful transition (Phil 1:21, "to die is gain"). Probe the mystery of Jesus’ descent to the dead, the Church’s teachings on near-death experiences, reincarnation, pre-existing souls, and a cautious perspective on psychedelics, marrying centuries of timeless wisdom from the Church Fathers and Catechism with modern insights. Learn to embrace the Holy Spirit's divine illumination, and prepare for eternity in love and peace. Whether you’re pondering the resurrection, mourning a loved one, or are just curious about the soul’s eternal journey, this episode offers a roadmap to freedom from the fear of death. Weigh the mysteries of death and learn to anticipate a new frontier of wonder with me. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show. Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us Monday the 22nd for our Monthly Meetup Bible study as we finish up the Gospel of John, and begin to study the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Does death seem exciting to you at all? What do you need to do to prepare better for the inevitability of your death? What do you want to say to God about that? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-15:00 – Christ's death and "Harrowing of Hell" Minutes 15:01-30:00 – Thomas Aquinas' eight articles on death Minutes 30:01-45:00 – near-death experiences, reincarnation, pre-existing souls Minutes 45:01-60:00 – the Church Fathers on death  Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

Does God want to scare us?  Death. Judgment. Hell. My own or someone else's. This is what most Christians fear the most. But fear of God and The Last Things is about punishment. And the Bible says there is no punishment in love. What does it mean to "fear" God, if "there is no fear in love" (1 Jn 4:18)?Unpack the shift from fear to love, exploring death, judgment, heaven, and purgatory as a journey of purifying love. Embrace the Holy Spirit's grace, dare to be transparent with God, and step into hope. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Gina S; Theresa VP; Denise H; Colette G; Angela C; Noel N; Sharon T; Estelle C; Carolyn McG*; and Katy P, for loving and lifting me! (*special thank you ;) Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us Monday the 22nd for our Monthly Meetup Bible study as we finish up the Gospel of John, and begin to study the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Were you convicted of something in this episode that you need to bring to God for discussion and illumination? Ask Him, now, to bring anything to mind that He might want you to know. V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-15:00 – The Four Last Things; explanation of eternal life Minutes 15:01-30:00 – definition of "wrath"; why wrath "abides on the ungodly" Minutes 30:01-45:00 – death, judgment, heaven, & hell are all "a development of premises set by people in this life" (JPII) Minutes 45:01-60:00 – wrath for the unrepentant, mercy for the children  Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

If you're confessing the same sin over and over, you probably feel like you're never going to be free of it. But that's a lie of the enemy, meant to keep you enslaved. Let's strategize with St. Augustine’s three stages of sin (suggestion, pleasure, consent) and Sonja's proven 4-step STOP method, and get you free in Jesus!Conquer addictions like porn, anxiety, or overeating. Learn to walk in the Spirit, rewire your brain, and shatter shame’s chains with practical tools. From personal battles to biblical wisdom, this episode and series equips you to live "free indeed"! Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Gina S; Theresa VP; Denise H; Colette G; Angela C; Noel N; Sharon T; Estelle C; Carolyn McG*; and Katy P, for loving and lifting me! (*special thank you ;) Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study as we finish up the Gospel of John, and begin to study the Sacred Holy Trinity! LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Take a few moments to strategize what you will do to battle your usual tempting thoughts the next time they arise. What will you distract yourself with? With what will you replace the usual behavior? For instance, when I battle self-medication, I make a cup of my favorite tea rather than reaching for the usual "thing." Typically, in the time it takes, and the almost-ceremonial process of making tea, the temptation has subsided enough that I can resist it. What will your new "replacement strategy" be? What do you want to say to the Holy Spirit about that? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – what is "sin," exactly?; is my body evil?  Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Augustine's stages of sin; suggestion Minutes 24:01-36:00 – second and third stages of sin; learning to STOP   Minutes 36:01-48:00 – S-sin not; T-tell God; O-Offer the right sacrifice; P-put your trust in God Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

How do I make godly decisions when my needs or preferences clash with someone else's, especially someone who is important to me, such as my spouse or parents? Using the principle of edification over gratification from 1 Corinthians 8, we learn when to put others’ spiritual growth (e.g., avoiding scandal with meat offered to idols) above self-interest, and when to LEAN IN to self-interest (e.g., doom scrolling). Sonja shares her contraception dilemma, balancing freedom and legalism when faced with her husband’s salvation, guided by prayer and the Catechism’s call to dignity (1738). Discover how to set boundaries (e.g., skipping family Christmas) and use Ignatius’ discernment rules for mature Christian liberty.  Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Gina S; Theresa VP; Denise H; Colette G; Angela C; Noel N; Sharon T; Estelle C; Carolyn McG*; and Katy P, for loving and lifting me! (*special thank you ;) Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) In what situation has the Holy Spirit spoken to you through this episode about choosing between edification and gratification? What do you want to say to Him about that? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Spirit vs flesh; others over self  Minutes 12:01-24:00 – social media scrolling?; meat on Fridays? Minutes 24:01-36:00 – when your boundaries offend; parents; contraception   Minutes 36:01-48:00 – Catholics and non-Catholics in decision making; evaluating Christian witness  Transcript Transcripts and CC are now provided automatically within both the audio and video players.

What’s okay to eat and drink? Can I EVER eat cake if I’m diabetic, or drink alcohol if I struggle with temperance? Should I veil or not? Charismatic or traditional? TLM or Novus Ordo? How does a Christian make godly decisions in specific situations when the Bible and the church are unclear, or such "rules" are imposed by others?  If you’re stuck in your own or someone else’s spiritual minutiae of “you should or you have to or you must do this or that” to be a REAL Christian or a GOOD Catholic, it’s likely because you’re following imposed rules rather than living in the Christian freedom Jesus died to give you. Living in freedom is Christian maturity. It’s an art of love. The good news is…There is a right answer. Paul said “For freedom Christ has set you free! Do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Learn biblical principles for Christian freedom, and you will know when to keep the rules and when to break them. Today we’re talking about the purpose of Christian freedom. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Karin S, Mary M, and Antonia R for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study! What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.)  O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) What's that "castle" of idealism you've built in your mind? How does it enslave you to arbitrary and unrealistic expectations and rules that God has not imposed? What are the demands such ideas make on your personality and temperament that are unnatural for you?   V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, with the Holy Spirit your Beloved Spouse, lend me your wisdom and illumine my heart and mind so I may become free to glorify God by reaching my full potential.  Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Moses and the Exodus from Egyptian slavery; whacking the rock  Minutes 12:01-24:00 – the glory of God; a painful tyrannical childhood  Minutes 24:01-36:00 – Eden's trees; irrational expectations  Minutes 36:01-48:00 – the purpose of freedom in Christ  Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  There’s a word for that Jesus-confusion you’re feeling that's keeping you stuck: it’s called spiritual bypassing. It's pretty rare to see or hear about spiritual bypassing in Catholic clerical or professional circles. It’s often completely unheard of and/or misunderstood by those of us with faith who are trying to heal, and this is part of why we get stuck and confused in trying to make sense of what is love and what is not, when to erect a boundary and when to just "offer it up." It's also sometimes called over-spiritualizing. Spiritual bypassing is a very real issue that prevents change when we refuse to work through natural causes that we can actually do something about. “Offer it up!” can be a major spiritual bypass: used this way, it dismisses your own and others feelings and experiences. The whole idea of redemptive suffering can be, and is often, twisted to mean God wants you to suffer because it’s good for you! or the Kingdom, or someone else.  So what is spiritual bypassing, why does it happen, and how we can navigate it using insights from Scripture, Psychology, and Catholic teaching? Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Karin S, Mary M, and Antonia R for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) What are you not facing? Where is the area of your life that you have begged God to fix without also looking for what He might want you to do or stop doing? How is this spiritual bypassing? What does He want you to do next? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear Your word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – new series; what is spiritual bypassing?  Minutes 12:01-24:00 – why do we spiritually bypass  Minutes 24:01-36:00 – consequences of spiritual bypassing  Minutes 36:01-48:00 – examples of spiritual bypassing; steps to detect and avoid spiritual bypassing  Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  These stages of prayer and faith can save your sanity throughout your spiritual life. When you feel lost in darkness and dryness and like God has suddenly "left the building" after an extended time of fruitful prayer; when you don't understand your neighbor's rude rigid faith and she is criticizing your Christian freedom; when you wonder how the road looks up ahead, the Stages of Prayer and Stages of Faith will help you find secure footing and understand others better throughout the rest of your spiritual life. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Karin S, Mary M, and Antonia R for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Can you discern which stage of prayer and which stage of faith you might be in? Does having a general road map for the spiritual path give you a little more peace?  V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear Your word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Parable of the Talents Minutes 12:01-24:00 – Purgative Way, Night of the Senses, Illuminative Way Minutes 24:01-36:00 – Dark Night of the Soul, Unitive Way; Primal, Intuitive-Projective, Mythic-Literal, and Synthetic-Conventional Stages  Minutes 36:01-48:00 – Individual-Reflective, Conjunctive, and Universalizing Stages Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  Benedict XVI said healing is the entire content of redemption. John Paul the Great told us, "In treating the human person as a psychological and physical 'whole', the Old Testament often links 'moral' sufferings with the pain of specific parts of the body: the bones, kidneys, liver, viscera, heart. In fact one cannot deny that moral sufferings have a 'physical' or somatic element, and that they are often reflected in the state of the entire organism" (Redemptive Suffering, II.6). In order to love God with all our strength, we learn to love ourselves and our neighbor in an ordered way. Learning to accept ourselves and our bodies as intrinsically good helps heal "moral sufferings" - dark emotions and disordered thoughts (stress); outdated coping mechanisms; and subconscious projections and conflicts that affect and accumulate in our bodies. Thoughts and emotions are energy - signals that trigger cascading effects across bodily systems. Managing them consciously heals heart, soul, mind, and body! Prayer, thanksgiving, practicing the present moment (as St. Francis DeSales taught), and daily LOVE the Word can regulate emotions and reframe thoughts, reducing negative physical effects. Physical activity, healthy diet, and adequate sleep support emotional resilience and bodily health. Social connections and expressive outlets (music, journaling, art) help process emotions, preventing somatic buildup. But if dark thoughts and emotions are not processed and able to flow freely through us, they accumulate. And where they accumulate in the body is the message in our pain. Here are some specific illnesses and parts of the body and how they can express pain. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Deborah E for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Choose one physical symptom and place your attention on that part of your body. Without judgment, notice how it feels. If it could speak, what would the symptom say? What is it trying to communicate to you about your thoughts and emotions? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear Your word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – redemptive suffering; inherent goodness; "the body will be full of light" Minutes 12:01-24:00 – the lamp of the body is the eye; fully alive, fully authentic Minutes 24:01-36:00 – top to bottom: head and face problems Minutes 36:01-48:00 – issues from the neck to the toes Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  Notice the word "think" in the title?  Your mind is the battlefield, and if you don't fight the lies you came to believe about yourself in your suffering - if they reign unchallenged - God will let you keep them. Yes, He is that respectful of your free will. Your mind is the battlefield, and if you don't fight, the lies win. You will never have peace. Your body cannot heal in a mental soup of distorted thinking, in a disease-ridden cockroach nest of lies. If you think God has abandoned you, He is not Lord of your mind; the enemy is. The truth is: Jesus bore all your abandonment on the Cross and says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Why are we so deaf to the truth of God's love for us? Because we do not know and believe (live from) God’s Word. In commenting on the deaf man's healing, the Church Fathers say that listening to and speaking evil makes one deaf and mute; a deaf person cannot hear the words of God nor open his mouth to speak them.  But let us not assume “evil” is merely some form of malice or occult practice, although they’re certainly evil. Rather, Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8 that their root evil was lies, and that the “father of lies” had captured their minds. Throughout the Old and New Testaments we learn that “evil” is ultimately a “heart of unbelief.” As long as we cannot or will not, whether out of ignorance or laziness, hear or speak God’s word of truth into our lives and live from it in faith, we remain tyrannized by lies and a lack of belief in God’s love. The lies we come to believe about ourselves often take root early in our development. “The purification of our hearts has to do with paternal and maternal images,” (CCC 2779). It is these accusations that we probe with the Holy Spirit in the “mind” part of our pop quizzes: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind…” Satan is called the accuser of the brethren who accuses them day and night (Rev 12:10). Accusations and lies are the enemy’s primary tool against us. When we listen to his accusations and lies, we live in agreement with him. God forbid! Rewiring the brain out of distorted thought patterns (lies) takes time, but here's the most effective, scientifically proven cognitive technique for anxiety and fear, depression, insomnia, anorexia, PTSD, OCD, perfectionism - a whole nest of cockroaches that scavenges and breeds from lies in the mind. This is how to love the Lord your God with all your mind. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Marguerite E for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) With the Holy Spirit and in His presence, ask Him, "What is the earliest lie I came to believe about myself in my suffering?"  V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear You word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – why we don't feel God's love; deaf to truth; a nest of cockroaches Minutes 12:01-24:00 – thoughts> emotions> behavior> illness; what is Cognitive Behavior Therapy and why does it work? Minutes 24:01-36:00 – how CBT rewires the brain; slow and steady Minutes 36:01-48:00 – the better CBT: living and powerful Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  In Love Heals I state, "You don't need to be fixed; you just need to be healed." What's the difference? Freedom. Gentleness. Patience. Peace. Love. Don't you need that? It seems too obvious to state, but machines and organisms differ fundamentally. We don’t “heal” machines, we “fix” them. Living things heal according to their nature; “healing” is organic. Take a look at some of these differences, and notice how inherently mechanical, forced, rushed, and harsh our modern ideas and methods for healing are. 1. Nature of Healing Organisms: Healing in living things is a biological process, involving inter-related systems. In humans, healing involves spiritual and emotional processes and systems as well as biology. Machines: Machines don’t heal; they are “fixed” or repaired. Repair is an external process requiring outside intervention, such as replacing parts. A broken gear in a machine doesn’t "grow back" but must be manually fixed or replaced. 2. Autonomy Organisms: Healing is autonomous and intrinsic. The body detects damage and initiates repair without external instructions, using systems such as the immune system or stem cells. For instance, living things are designed to maintain homeostasis, a dynamic process that enables living organisms to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.  Machines: Repair is not autonomous. It relies on outside intervention, not organic self-regulation such as homeostasis. 3. Energy and Resources Organisms: Healing uses living internal resources (e.g., nutrients, energy from metabolism) to rebuild living tissues. For example, a plant may redirect sap to damaged areas; a human body uses proteins to repair muscles. Machines: Repair requires external resources, like spare parts, fuel, or electricity. A car with a flat tire needs a new tire or patch kit applied by a mechanic, not its own "energy reserves." 4. Complexity and Adaptability Organisms: Healing is adaptive and context-dependent. The body can adjust its response based on the injury’s severity or environment (e.g., scarring vs. full regeneration in some animals like starfish). Organisms can also adapt to prevent future damage, like callus formation on skin. Machines: Repair is typically rigid and predetermined. A machine lacks the flexibility to adapt beyond its programming. Damage outside a machine’s design parameters often requires entirely new external solutions. 5. Time and Process Organisms: Healing is often gradual, involving complex biological stages (e.g., inflammation, proliferation, remodeling in wound healing). It can take days to months, depending on the organism and injury. Machines: Repair time depends on the availability of parts and expertise. Simple fixes (e.g., rebooting a computer) can be instant, while complex repairs (e.g., rebuilding an engine) may take longer than organic healing. Unlike organisms, machines don’t have a phased, self-regulating process. 6. Outcome Organisms: Healing often aims to restore function, sometimes with imperfections (e.g., scars). In some cases, organisms can fully regenerate (e.g., a lizard regrowing a tail). Machines: Repairs aim to restore original function, but the outcome depends on the quality of both the old and new parts and the skill of the mechanic. Unlike organisms, machines don’t form "scars" or adaptively regenerate; they either return to original specs or remain compromised. Healing is not mechanical. You do not need to be fixed like a machine; you need to be healed. And healing involves the autonomous, adaptive complexity of innumerable inter-related systems within both you and your neighbor. The "fixing" mentality is degrading: disrespectful of life, individuality, and personhood itself. You're not a machine, and neither is your neighbor. You are a living, organic group of inter-related processes, and so is your neighbor. There's no magic "fix"; no finding just THE right new part, piece, or diagnosis; no supernatural "key," prayer, or pill that will suddenly make healing fast, non-cooperative, unnatural, and painless. You CAN stop bouncing from one thing to another. By all means, pray for a miracle, since God's in the "business." But also stop "fixing" and start respecting living things, God's goodness in their createdness, and their organic dignity, and both you and your neighbor WILL grow and heal! Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Carrie F; Martina Mac D; and Crystal P, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Name one small change you can make today in your pursuit of healing that respects the organic nature of healing, rather than trying to "fix" yourself or someone else.    V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear You word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Christian freedom; "for freedom Christ has set us free"; life in the Holy Spirit; why Confession won't make judgments disappear Minutes 12:01-24:00 – "a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Tim 3:5); following a judgment all the way to action in love Minutes 24:01-36:00 – sin as destruction; organisms and machines; setting a little boundary with someone who won't do what he's "supposed" to do  Minutes 36:01-48:00 – there's FREEDOM in a healing strategy Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  If 80-90% of all physical issues have emotional and spiritual roots as research indicates, then it's imperative to address those in healing the whole person. Besides unforgiveness, judgments are - in my opinion - the biggest block to healing, because they blind us to inherent contradictory truths in ourselves and others that need acceptance and illumination. They lead to hypocrisy and can make us forfeit heaven altogether, as the Pharisees illustrate. Projections block healing by distorting reality and preventing us from addressing our true emotions, thoughts, or experiences. Psychologically, projection is a defense mechanism where someone attributes their own unwanted feelings, traits, or impulses to another person or external situation, often unconsciously. Every human being projects, but judgments hinder healing in several ways: Avoiding Self-Awareness: By projecting negative emotions (like anger, shame, or fear) onto others, we avoid confronting these feelings within ourselves. Healing requires self-reflection and acknowledgment of one's inner contradictions, but projection shifts the focus outward, delaying or preventing this process. Distorting Relationships: Projections strain relationships by creating misunderstandings or misplaced blame. For example, someone who feels unworthy might project this onto others, perceiving rejection where none exists. This can lead to isolation or conflict, which obstructs the supportive connections often vital for healing. Reinforcing Negative Patterns: Projection keeps individuals stuck in cycles of denial or avoidance. For instance, blaming external circumstances for personal dissatisfaction prevents addressing root causes like unresolved trauma or unhealthy coping mechanisms. Blocking Emotional Processing: Healing involves processing painful emotions, but projection externalizes these feelings, preventing the individual from fully experiencing and working through them. This can prolong emotional wounds or exacerbate issues like anxiety or depression. Blocking Spiritual Processing: Projection is outward-directed rather than inward integration. Outward focus blocks growth by keeping individuals disconnected from their authentic selves and God.  Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Christine C; Kathleen D; Donna H; Vivian Van V; Cecilia S; Lisa D; and Kathleen W, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) What was the last instance in which you felt judgmental toward another person? Perhaps you'd like to ask the Holy Spirit to help you probe the condemnation and accusation as a projection of something within yourself.    V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear You word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – the "fear factor" of Judgment Day; judgment is for the unrepentant; "Jesus paid it all"; "there is no fear in love"; not punishment, but healing; unforgiveness Minutes 12:01-24:00 –  probing judgments rather than condemning them; Matthew 7 and the Garden of Eden; fig leaves; there is no judgment for His children; the difference between judgment and evaluation Minutes 24:01-36:00 – illumination; why pop quizzes are your best healing info; boundaries and justice; grace builds on nature  Minutes 36:01-48:00 – the fire of love; why healing is painful; the parable of the talents is about love Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  Ever wonder what your purgatory and heaven will be like, assuming you'll get there? Where we end here limits and determines our "there..." (Eccl 11:3). Bracing against and ignoring pain does not protect you from it. It simply delays and compounds the inevitable confrontation and makes the struggle more difficult. In the meantime, we stay trapped in hurt and fear, missing most everything Christ suffered and died to give us and limiting our heaven. Healing isn’t an abstract application—it’s about living lighter, loving and being loved deeply, and experiencing true joy and freedom.  A listener asked why anyone would want to undertake more healing if it only involves more suffering? It's such an excellent question I'm dedicating an episode to inspiring you to "take up the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord" so that your purgatory is as painless as possible and your heaven is maximized. Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friends of the Show, Molly M; Denise S; Lynn B; Jerilyn M; Marilyn P; Heather C*; Kimberly Y; Jennifer C; Jean C*; and Karen C, for loving and lifting me! [*An extra thank you for your generosity.] Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) What was the most surprising thing you heard in today's episode? Is it comforting, or daunting, to know "healing" is inevitable?  V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear You word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Book club in the Community; just more punches and knocks; "healing is the entire content of redemption" (BXVI); attachments; sin and woundedness Minutes 12:01-24:00 –  fear vs. fear of the Lord; holiness as transparency; "you will pay the last penny"; what "residue of sin" looks like  Minutes 24:01-36:00 – now or later?; purgatory and sanctification; the love artery Minutes 36:01-48:00 – Eccl 11:3 and the finality of our choices; purification is individual, generational, timeless, and collective Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  We're talking about emotions, especially for those of us who tend to push them down or ignore them. As Catholics, we know that God gave us our hearts and our emotions for a reason. But what do we do when those dark, negative feelings bubble up, especially in a pop quiz when they're super strong?.Eruptions? Vomit? Pretending? How do we really feel our emotions and process them in healthy ways so they don't accumulate in our bodies and make us sick over time, or explode all over other people?.We're exploring the six main emotions, how to spot them in our bodies, and how to process them well through a Catholic lens so they don't wear us down over time.   Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Beth L, and Trish F for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) What was the most surprising thing you learned about your emotions and emotional state in this episode? Do you feel comfortable with the full range of human emotion? Why or why not? V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear You word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – why we suppress emotions; the importance of processing in healthy ways; six core emotions Minutes 12:01-24:00 –  emotions are neutral; Thomas Aquinas and passions Minutes 24:01-36:00 – learning to discern emotion in the body; the barometer of relationships; observe, befriend, discern, and process Minutes 36:01-48:00 – name it; don't run; move; what's the message? Transcript Friends of the Show, sign in first to download a transcript of this episode: Protected Content. Click Here to sign in

Get your copy of Love Heals here and participate with us in the Book Club.  Feelings and thoughts are energy that affect the body and vice versa. When confronted with difficult emotions, most people employ maladaptive ways for coping with undesirable feelings, such as self-medicating or denial.  Although maladaptive coping mechanisms offer relief in the moment, they lead to illness; they do not facilitate the long-term improvement of addressing the actual source of discomfort. What if, instead, we leaned into these unpleasant feelings as messages between our bodies and our spirits? Allowing undesirable emotions to exist, rather than banishing or denying them, prevents them from accumulating in the body. They are allowed to flow through us harmlessly. The body becomes "full of light" (Matt 6:22-23). Here's how love heals the mind and body.  Thank you with all my heart to my newest Friend of the Show, Theresa Ann DeB; Diana Von G; Amira B; Jennifer D; Wendy McC; Elizabeth K; Theresa M; Rochelle P; and Deborah W, for loving and lifting me! Friends of the Show get all Premium Content and access to our monthly Bible study!  What are you waiting for? Come join us for our Monthly Meetup Bible study in the Gospel of John!  LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary’s own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on Sonja’s method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.   L | Listen (Receive the Word via audio or video.) O | Observe (Connect the passage to your life and recent events.) Think back to your most recent pop quiz, and allow yourself to re-feel the undesirable emotions, think the dark thoughts, and entertain the ugly judgments. Notice in your body where you feel increasing or decreasing activity. What do you feel in your body as you re-remember your pop quiz? Do you have reoccurring physical issues in these areas?  Turn your attention to an area in your body where you do have reoccurring issues. Ask the symptom what it might be trying to tell you.  V | Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.) Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin. E | Entrust (Rest in the Word.) Dearest Jesus, illumine my eye, speak to my ear, that I may see and hear You word, and be healed. Amen + Love Heals. Learn More. Connect Join me (click here) in the Sacred Healing community for our Masterclass and Consultation Group coaching calls, healing prayer livestreams, monthly Bible studies, LOVE the Word® takeaways, a healing masterclass and other courses, a dynamic phone app, and a flourishing community to help you find help, support, and experience deeper healing.  What We Discussed | Show Notes Overview: Minutes 00:00-12:00 – Parable of the Talents; cockroaches; anxiety, fear, and negativity Minutes 12:01-24:00 –  lies; worthlessness; a demon with a proper name Minutes 24:01-36:00 – "the eye is the lamp of the body" Minutes 36:01-48:00 – physical symptoms and what they might be communicating