Abiding Together

In this episode, we reflect on how Pentecost is more than just an event of the past, but can be an ongoing outpouring of God's love and grace in our lives today. We discuss how the Holy Spirit helps heal our wounds, restores communion with God, and teaches us how to live with power and boldness, even in the places where we feel unable to love the Lord. As we prepare our hearts for Pentecost, we talk practically about cultivating a posture of receptivity, learning to invite the Holy Spirit more deeply into our hearts, and how to allow His fire to illuminate our identity and transform us from within. The Holy Spirit is alive within us, able to enter even the locked places of our hearts, and desires to help us bear much fruit in our lives.
 
Heather's One Thing - Pentecost | Holy Spirit Rest on Us Playlist
Heather's Other One Thing - Wild Goose Series with Fr. Dave Pivonka
Sister Miriam's One Thing - The Discerning Hearts Podcast App
Michelle's One Thing - College Graduations

 
Other Resources Mentioned:
Be Transformed Book Study
 
Journal Questions:
How can I make myself more open to encounter the Holy Spirit pirit this Pentecost?
Where in my life do I feel powerless?
Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to make me more like Jesus?
How am I rationing the boldness of the Holy Spirit?
Where do I need to unlock the doors of my heart?
 
Discussion Questions:
How can you welcome the Holy Spirit into your life in a deeper way? 
What does it look like to experience the Holy Spirit in community?
What gifts of the Holy Spirit do you desire to empower your work of building the Kingdom of God?
How will you celebrate Pentecost?
 
Quotes to Ponder:
"If there be among the gifts of God none greater than love, and there is no greater gift of God than the Holy Spirit, what follows more naturally than that He is Himself love…." (Saint Augustine)
 
"This great mystical tradition . . . shows how prayer can progress, as a genuine dialogue of love, to the point of rendering the person wholly possessed by the divine Beloved, vibrating at the Spirit's touch, resting filially within the Father's heart." (Pope Saint John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, Paragraph 33)
 
"A noble and delicate soul ... follows faithfully the faintest breath of the Holy Spirit; it rejoices in this Spiritual Guest and holds onto Him like a child to its mother." (The Diary of St. Faustina, Entry 148)



Scripture for Lectio:
"On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight." (Acts 1:4-9)
 
Sponsor - Mary's Meals:
Every mother knows what it's like to want to protect their child and provide for them, to make sure there's food on the table, to make sure her child is safe, cared for, and able to grow into who God created them to be. But for millions of mothers around the world, hunger stands in the way of that hope. Their children walk to school carrying empty bowls, wondering if today they'll have anything to eat. And that's where Mary's Meals steps in.
Mary's Meals provides one daily meal in a place of education for children living in some of the world's poorest communities. And that simple meal becomes the reason a child comes to school. Once they're there, everything can begin to change. Education can become a pathway out of poverty. 
So a child who is hungry can focus. 
A child who is vulnerable can dream. 
And a mother who felt helpless can begin to hope again. 
What we love most about Mary's Meals is how ordinary people get to become a part of that story.
We don't have to solve global hunger. We simply have to feed one child. And here's the beautiful thing. It only costs $25.20 to feed a child for an entire school year. 
That's one child sitting in a classroom instead of sitting at home hungry.
One mother experiencing relief instead of worry. 
One life changed through a simple act of love.
So if your hearts are moved to help, we invite you to join us in supporting Mary's Meals. You can head over to their website marysmealsusa.org (or marysmeals.ca for Canada) and together we can offer hope, dignity and a daily meal to a child who needs it most. 
 
Timestamps:
00:00 Mary's Meals
01:39 Introduction
02:26 Welcome
03:24 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder
04:39 Preparing Our Hearts
07:34 Healing the Wound of Powerlessness 
09:26 The Holy Spirit Enables Us to Love
11:04 Inviting the Holy Spirit into Our Hearts
12:50 Our Advocate and the Forgiveness of Sins
15:10 "It is Better that I Go"
17:14 Baptized with Fire
19:15 Bearing Fruit in Our Lives
20:57 When We Restrict the Holy Spirit
22:50 Receiving the Holy Spirit within Community
28:08 Being Inspired by the Holy Spirit
31:04 One Things

In this episode, we reflect on the sacred wounds of Jesus, the reality of our own woundedness, and Jesus' invitation to make us well. We talk about how our wounds, so often hidden in shame or self-protection, when transformed, can actually become places of communion and grace. We also share about our personal experiences of facing fear or disappointment and how the slow, often painful, process of healing reminds us that God's ways are not our own. Jesus tenderly meets us in every broken place within our hearts and ardently desires to make all things new.
 
Heather's One Thing - Worship Session with Kory Miller
Sister Miriam's One Thing - Life Transitions Part One and Part Two with Chris Benzinger
Michelle's One Thing - The Kentucky Derby
 
Other Resources Mentioned:
Glory: Women's Gathering
The Restore the Glory Podcast
The Anatomy of a Wound Series Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
 
Journal Questions:
Where am I self-protecting instead of bringing my wounds before the Lord?
Do I think Jesus can make me well?
How have my wounds impacted my outlook on life and perspectives on painful situations in my life?
When have my own expectations of what Jesus should do gotten in the way of my own healing?
 
Discussion Questions:
Are there areas that you have grown accustomed to your own pain?
How have you equated healing with fixing?
What has the Holy Spirit taught you about yourself through the healing journey?
How has disappointment affected your trust in Jesus and His goodness?
 
Quotes to Ponder:
"Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not, 'How can we hide our wounds?' so we don't have to be embarrassed, but 'How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?' When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers." (Henri Nouwen) 
 
"Our brokenness reveals not a failure but a doorway through which God's healing can enter." (Henri Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love)

 
Scripture for Lectio:
"Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool, called in Hebrew Bethesda, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"  The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me." Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk." (John 5:2-9)
 
Sponsor - Seton Home Study School:
Since 1982, families have entrusted their students to Seton Home Study School.  Seton is thoroughly Catholic, academically rigorous, and fully accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Seton high school graduates have been admitted, and excelled, at virtually every college and university in the United States, including Ivy League Universities and military academies.
A Seton enrollment includes thoroughly Catholic books, detailed lesson plans, grading services, transcripts, and there is no extra charge for telephone counseling.  Parents love Seton's "open and go" approach – everything you need is provided and can be trusted.  You can even customize the program at no extra charge, enrolling a fourth grader in fifth grade reading, for example. For more information, visit their website.
Parents of students with special needs can find help to develop a curriculum and workload suited to each individual child. Learn about Seton's special services department here.  
In addition to books and lesson plans, high school students enjoy a host of other benefits and services. Click here to learn more.
Enrolled teens and Seton alumni can also join Catholic Harbor, a safe, online student-moderated community.  There they can engage in debates, spiritual discussions, and discuss hobbies and other interests.  For more information visit their website here. 
 Seton hosts a podcast directed at homeschooling moms.  Podcasts hosts, Mary Ellen Barrett and Ginny Seuffert, both with decades of experience, offer practical tips and ideas to make home education accessible to all.  
 
Timestamps:

00:00 Seton Home Study School
01:29 Intro
02:15 Welcome
05:32 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder
06:50 "Do You Want to Be Made Well?"
10:22 Jesus is Drawn to Our Wounds
12:30 Exposed Wounds are Places of Grace
15:21 Awareness is Half the Battle
19:09 The Lord Knows what Our Healing Journey Should Look Like
24:09 All We Can Do is Take the Next Small Step
26:20 Suffering in Communion
29:12 Transforming Our Relationship with Our Wounds
32:37 The Parts of Us that don't Trust God
34:46 One Things

In this episode, we reflect on the beauty and call of women to prophetic motherhood. We talk about how Our Lady models for us a motherhood that speaks life and calls forth goodness to all those she encounters. We also ponder what it means to be a spiritual mother, how Mary can help heal our wounded experiences of motherhood, and the difference between affirmations and prophetic words. As Pentecost draws near, we invite you to ask for Our Lady's intercession to prepare your heart for a fresh outpouring of grace and to help you become a woman who brings life wherever she goes.

 
Heather's One Thing - A 24 Hour Time of Worship at Franciscan University
Heather's Other One Thing - St. Anne's Women's Conference in Dallas, TX and the WWP Flourish Conference in St. Louis
Sister Miriam's One Thing - Everyone Getting Married this Summer
Sister Miriam's Other One Thing - Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with the JPII Healing Center
Michelle's One Thing - NFL Draft
Michelle's Other One Thing - Franklin, TN and St. Philip's Parish
Michelle's Other Other One Thing - College Kids at NC State and Fr. Josh
 
Other Resources Mentioned:
The Identity of a Woman Series
The Place We Find Ourselves Podcast
Make Sense of Your Story by Adam Young
 
Journal Questions:
What does it mean for me to live into prophetic motherhood?
What holds me back from speaking life into the people around me?
When have I felt threatened or hurt by other women?
What ache in your heart is God inviting you to bring before Mary?
How can I offer prophetic motherhood to those in my life?
How can I receive prophetic motherhood from those in my life?
 
Discussion Questions:
When have you been prophetically mothered by another woman? How were you impacted by that experience?
How do we cultivate a culture of women speaking life within our own community?
How do you desire a different story of motherhood and femininity from what you have experienced in the past?
How is God inviting you to embody hope right now?
Who is in the periphery of my life that God is inviting me to offer my maternity to?
 
Quote to Ponder:
"She is the poetess and prophetess of redemption, and we hear from her pure lips the strongest and most original hymn ever uttered - the "Magnificat"! She reveals the transforming design of the Christian economy, the historical and social result that still draws its origin and strength from Christianity…At this point a second way is opened for us by Our Lady, so that we may reach our salvation in the Lord Christ: it is her protection. She is our ally, our advocate. She is the confidence of the poor, of the lowly, of the suffering. She is even the "refuge of sinners." She has a mission of pity, goodness, and intercession for all. She consoles every grief of ours. She teaches us to be good, to be strong, and to be compassionate toward all. She is the queen of peace. She is the Mother of the Church." (Pope St. Paul VI, Homily, April 24, 1970)


 
Scripture for Lectio:
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." (Proverbs 18:21)
 
Sponsor - Life Teen:
Life Teen is offering something really special this summer, especially if you are a parent of a teenager.
Years ago, Michelle and her husband Chris, began their ministry career working with Life Teen, and it has had a lasting impact on their lives as well as so many other families. Life Teen helps teens encounter Christ in a real and personal way, and it continues to bear fruit long after those experiences end.
This summer, they are launching their very first Parent / Teen Camp, called Frontier.
A frontier is the edge of what is known, where things are still being discovered and formed. If you are a parent of a teen, you know that is exactly what the teenage years feel like. A season that is constantly changing, where relationships are shifting, independence is growing, and both parents and teens are learning how to navigate something new together.
Life Teen Parent / Teen Camp is a six-day experience where you and your teen step away from the noise of everyday life and experience camp together.
It is a shared week of adventure and connection. You will experience things like ropes courses, hiking through the mountains, and white water rafting on the Chattooga River. But just as important as the adventure is what happens in the space between it all.
Time to talk.
Time to slow down.
Time to be present with each other.
And time to invite Christ into your relationship in a real and personal way.
Everything is rooted in the Catholic faith, with daily Mass, the Sacraments, and intentional moments built in to pause, reflect, and listen.
This experience is offered as a Mother and Daughter or Father and Son camp in Clayton,
Georgia. It is designed specifically for families in the middle of the teenage years who want to strengthen their relationship, deepen trust, and create meaningful memories during a season that often moves quickly.
This is not just a camp week. It is an intentional opportunity to invest in one of the most
important relationships in your life. If this sounds like something you have been needing, I would encourage you to take a closer look. Full details are available online, and an informational webinar is offered for those who want a closer look. The Life Teen team is also glad to walk with you as you discern whether this experience is right for your family.
This may be one of the most meaningful weeks you share with your teen during these years.
 
Timestamps:
00:00 Life Teen
01:32 Intro
02:19 Welcome
04:12 Scripture Verse and Guiding Quote
05:45 The Prophetic Nature of Motherhood
08:05 Affirmations vs Prophetic Words
12:08 Calling Out the Goodness of Others
14:23 Wounds From A Mother
17:40 Embodying Hope
20:04 Mary Understands What You are Going Through
22:04 Having A Relationship with Our Mother Mary
25:09 Preparing to Receive the Holy Spirit
27:03 Motherhood is Not A Competition
30:20 One Things

In this episode, we welcome Arthur and Ester Brooks to talk about marriage, suffering, and the path to lasting love. Arthur and Ester share what it's like to minister together, revealing both the grace needed and the hard work it takes to love each other faithfully over decades. We also reflect on suffering as an invitation for growth, why pain is fruitful, and how the hardest places in life are where love is purified. Whether you are married, single, or in religious life, intimacy with God is our source of strength for every situation we encounter in life. 
 
Heather's One Thing - Franciscan's Resurrection Party!
Heather's Other One Thing -  10 Day Pentecost Audio Prayer Plan
Sister Miriam's One Thing - Heather's Easter Spotify Playlist 
Michelle's One Thing - Everyone who just came into the Catholic Church!
Ester's One Thing - Her husband Arthur!
Ester's Other One Thing - Professional Cycling
Arthur's One Thing - Opportunities to witness to the Catholic faith during The Meaning of Your Life book launch
 
Other Resources Mentioned:
Arthur Brooks' Website 
Ester Brooks' Instagram
The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness by Arthur Brooks
Other Books by Arthur Brooks
 
Journal Questions:
What does it look like to fight well?
How have I witnessed or experienced a marriage that is an antenna to God?
What suffering in my life am I resisting?
What are the discomforts and sufferings I have experienced today that I can thank God for?
 
Discussion Questions:
When are you tempted to be led by your feelings?
When have you had to let go of resisting suffering in the past?
Where in your life, marriage, or relationships do you feel stalled?
How is God inviting you to prioritize Him over your marriage, relationships, and responsibilities?
 
Quotes to Ponder:
"It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal." (Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day, Rome, 2000)
 
Scripture for Lectio:
"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer." (Romans 12:9-12)
 
Sponsor - The Inspired Living:
The Inspired Living is your one-stop shop for Mother's Day and Sacrament season! Whether you're shopping for the mother who inspired your faith, the child whose love for the Eucharist is flourishing, or the bride who is curating her Catholic home, we've sourced the best Catholic home decor, books, toys, and gifts to lift souls to God and inspire our hearts to ponder Heaven. Our unique array of handcrafted goods are made by artisans not only in the United States, but around the world who are committed to bringing eternal beauty into the home.
Abiding Together Listeners get an exclusive 20% off discount using the code ABIDE2026.
The Inspired living - bringing eternal beauty to the home 
 
Timestamps:

00:00 The Inspired Living
00:44 Intro
01:54 Scripture Verse
06:06 Ministering as A Married Couple
10:03 How to Fight and Bring About Deeper Union
15:23 Suffering Helps Us Grow
26:12 Committing to A Prayer Life
32:22 Making Space to Become
36:06 Putting God First and Your Spouse Second
38:10 The Science of Being Happy
41:44 One Things

Happy Easter! In this episode, we conclude our Lenten book study on "The Way of Trust and Love" and focus on Chapter 6: Enduring Trials. We talk about how even in the light of Easter, we may still experience suffering and how we can choose to rejoice in God's goodness when His ways remain hidden. We also reflect on why trials are not signs of God's absence, how we learn to recognize God at work in the present moment, and how to embrace suffering as a necessary path to share in the fullness of Easter. Friends, in this Easter octave, we invite you to reflect on how God has transformed your heart this past Lent. Let us enter into this Easter season with renewed hope, gratitude, and a deeper surrender to God's unfailing love. We will see you in two weeks!
 
Heather's One Thing - Fire 50 Challenge with Many Parts Ministries. It's a free 50-day spiritual journey designed to deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit!
Sister Miriam's One Thing - The Divine Mercy Novena and Divine Mercy Sunday
Michelle's One Thing - Join us in praying The Divine Mercy Chaplet
 
Resurrection Power
By: Michelle Benzinger

A crucible is the place where the refiner's fire is not your enemy, but your tender witness of integration. 
 
It is where certainty melts,
where control dissolves,
where the identities you once clung to
lose their shape in the flame.
 
The crucible is where faith stops being an idea and melts into surrender,
where you no longer hold God at a distance,
but find Him somehow
in the very fire you once feared.
 
It is a holy undoing that makes space for a deeper yes.
 
It is an invitation into the Paschal Mystery. 
It is the Holy Spirit's invitation into the Resurrection power. 
 
Journal Questions:
Where do I turn in my trials and disappointments?
Where in my life have I been avoiding the fullness of the Paschal Mystery (suffering, waiting, and resurrection)?
What renunciations and declarations do I need to make today?
What are the questions on my heart? Do I absolutely need the answer to do God's Will today?
 
Discussion Questions:
What has God revealed to you in your current trials?
How are you choosing to intentionally feast during these 50 days?
How has God called you to a mature and adult faith in this season of life?
What does Resurrection power and glory look like in your life?
 
Quotes to Ponder:
"They" (her friends the saints) "want to see how far I am going to push my trust." (St. Thérèse of Lisieux) 
 
"When we realize that's happening—that we're going round and round and getting nowhere, that our questions aren't producing light but only bitterness and blame—we must have the courage to put those questions aside and ask ourselves another. It's the only essential one, after all, and it will always be answered: What attitude does God want me to have toward this situation? The point is to move from "Why?" to "How?" The real question isn't "Why is this happening to me?" but "How should I live through these things?" How am I called to face this situation? What call to growth is being made to me through this? That question will always get an answer." (Father Jacques Philippe, The Way of Trust and Love, Page 129)
 
Scripture for Lectio:
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10) 
 
Sponsor - Glory: Women's Gathering:
If you're ready to intentionally embrace a spirit of Resurrection in your life this year, we invite you to register for the Glory: Women's Gathering hosted by Steubenville Conferences in partnership with Heather Khym. 
Join Heather, Michelle, and our dear friends Debbie Herbeck, Sarah Kaczmarek, Monica Richards, and Fr. Dave Pivonka TOR this coming June 5-7 in Steubenville, Ohio, as we gather with women across generations and seek God's restoration and healing. This gathering will include talks, worship, prayer experiences, and the opportunity to interact with fellow Abiding Together listeners and new friends from all over who will be flying in. 
Heather and Michelle would absolutely love to meet you. Whether you come with your Abiding Together small group, with a close friend, or on your own, we can't wait to gather in fellowship with you.
Registration is still open for the Glory: Women's Gathering. Ticket prices go up after April 16 - grab your ticket today! Visit steubenvilleconferences.com/events/glory for more information or to register!
 
Timestamps:

00:00 Glory: Women's Gathering
01:23 Intro
02:09 Welcome
02:41 Scripture Verse and Guiding Quote
03:18 Trusting Through Suffering
05:57 Trials of Faith, Hope, and Love
07:49 Will We Run to God?
08:46 Living the Resurrection as Women
11:34 Feeling Panic in the Trial
14:05 Declaring Our Belief
15:36 Setting Aside Our need for an Answer to "Why"
17:28 Resurrection Power
20:07 Trials Have the Power to Make Us More of Our True Selves
24:40 Help Me in My Unbelief
27:00 What Has God Done this Lent?
28:41 One Things