Hope for Right Now: A Walking with Purpose Podcast

Hope for Right Now Podcast – Desert Bloom, A Lenten Journey: Jesus Thirsts for You

Laura Phelps welcomes guest Caitlin Bean to the Hope for Right Now podcast for a seven-week series: Desert Bloom, A Lenten Journey.

Lent is a time of sacrifice, preparation, and spiritual waiting—a time to prepare our hearts for Easter through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. For many of us, it has become about exterior performance, a “holy checklist” we begin on Ash Wednesday and struggle to sustain for 40 days. And preparation? Who has time for that? We are exhausted—after all, it was just Christmas!

If this is how your heart feels at the start of Lent, this series is for you—offering practical encouragement, Scripture reflections, and simple ways to experience a more meaningful, peace-filled Lent.

In today’s episode, Laura and Caitlin walk us into a new phase, the rainfall, and vulnerably share the empty wells they have run to in order to find the love that only God can give.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Hosea 6:3 Let us press on to know the Lord; his going forth is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
John 4:1–42: The Woman at the Well
Exodus 2:15–21
Genesis 24:14–19
Genesis 19:1–9
Romans 8:26: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself interceded for us with sighs too deep for words.
Hosea 10:12: Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain salvation upon you.
Matthew 13:7: Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Jeremiah 4:3: For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your uncultivated ground, and do not sow among thorns.” (NASB)
Proverbs 28:13: He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
What empty wells do you continue to go to, looking to quench a thirst that only God can satisfy?

Ask the Lord to plow your heart; give Him permission to remove the rocks and thorns and to reveal to you the unsurrendered areas of your heart.

Challenge: go to confession!

Show mentions.
Flourish 2026: Spiritual Motherhood, The Transforming Power of the Feminine Genius, St. Louis, MO, April 17-19, 2026. Register here.
Caitlin Bean and Laura Phelps, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2560
Transform hearts with us this Lent! Your gift to Walking with Purpose fuels our mission to bring life-changing transformation to Catholic women and girls. Donate now.
Joseph Langford, M.C., I Thirst: 40 days with Mother Teresa
Brant Pitri, Catholic Productions

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

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Hope for Right Now Podcast–Desert Bloom, A Lenten Journey: Love Hurts

While Walking with Purpose Founder Lisa takes time to write our next women’s Bible study, Laura Phelps welcomes guest Caitlin Bean to the Hope for Right Now podcast for a seven-week series: Desert Bloom, A Lenten Journey.

Lent is a time of sacrifice, preparation, and spiritual waiting—a time to prepare our hearts for Easter through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. For many of us, it has become about exterior performance, a “holy checklist” we begin on Ash Wednesday and struggle to sustain for 40 days. And preparation? Who has time for that? We are exhausted—after all, it was just Christmas!

If this is how your heart feels at the start of Lent, this series is for you—offering practical encouragement, Scripture reflections, and simple ways to experience a more meaningful, peace-filled Lent.

In today’s episode, Laura and Caitlin talk about waiting in dormancy and why God’s timing is perfect, despite circumstances screaming the opposite.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Romans 5:8: But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Mark 9:43–48: If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”
1 Corinthians 10:31: So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
Isaiah 60:22: I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it.
Deuteronomy 32:4: The Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are justice.
Galatians 6:9: Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.
Romans 4:20–21: No distrust made him waver concerning the promises of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
Genesis 37:29: When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes.
Job 1:20: Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground and worshiped.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Where does dormancy find you today? Are you fighting against the darkness, trying to busy yourself to keep the frustration of slow progress at bay? Or are you learning to lean into it, yielding to the season of the soul?

Show mentions.
For a limited time, get 15% off our Easter gift collection by using the code EASTER15. Hop on over to our shop. Sale ends March 19, 2026.
Nazareth, “Love Hurts”
Caitlin Bean and Laura Phelps, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness
Laura Douglass, @lauramdoug
Matthew R. Please, The Definitive Guide to Fasting and Abstinence
Dan and Stephanie Burke, Avila Institute
Alli Koscal, Substack, “Finding Havens”
Bible Hub, Topical Encyclopedia

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

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

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

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

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

Hope for Right Now Podcast–Desert Bloom, A Lenten Journey: Activity vs. Receptivity

While Walking with Purpose Founder Lisa takes time to write our next women’s Bible study, Laura Phelps welcomes guest Caitlin Bean to the Hope for Right Now podcast for a seven-week series: Desert Bloom, A Lenten Journey.

Lent is a time of sacrifice, preparation, and spiritual waiting—a time to prepare our hearts for Easter through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. For many of us, it has become about exterior performance, a “holy checklist” we begin on Ash Wednesday and struggle to sustain for 40 days. And preparation? Who has time for that? We are exhausted—after all, it was just Christmas!

If this is how your heart feels at the start of Lent, this series is for you—offering practical encouragement, Scripture reflections, and simple ways to experience a more meaningful, peace-filled Lent.

In today’s episode, Laura and Caitlin talk about receptivity, an aspect of the feminine genius, and why losing distractions is necessary for interior transformation.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Matthew 6:2–4: Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
John 6:10: Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”
1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be watchful; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Psalm 22:1–2: The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing. He hath set me in a place of pasture. (Douay-Rheims)
John 5:17: My Father is working still, and I am working.

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
Are we too busy to receive because of our ungodly need to achieve? Let’s not forget that spiritual transformation depends on receptivity, not activity. We can rest, because God is always at work.

Is there something in your life that you have called a failure that is actually the Lord setting you in a place of pasture?

Show mentions.
Walking with Purpose App. Now you can access all your favorite WWP resources—training videos, podcasts, and more—right from your phone or computer. Same great content. Brand-new convenience.

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Caitlin Bean and Laura Phelps, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness
Grant Herbel, Substack, “The Spiritual Danger of Turning Everything into Content”
Pope Saint John Paul II, Apostolic Letters, Mulieris Dignitatem and Letter to Women
Dan and Stephanie Burke, Avila Institute
Luke Burgis, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life
Mary Oliver, “Sometimes” (Red Bird, 2008)
Danielle Bean, Substack
Monsignor Charles Pope, SpiritualDirection.com
Edith Stein, quote
Alice von Hildebrand, The Privilege of Being a Woman
Flourish 2026: Spiritual Motherhood, The Transforming Power of the Feminine Genius, St. Louis, MO, April 17-19, 2026. Register here.

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

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

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

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

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

Hope for Right Now Podcast – Desert Bloom, A Lenten Journey: Let Yourself Be Loved

While Walking with Purpose Founder Lisa takes time to write our next women’s Bible study, Laura Phelps welcomes guest Caitlin Bean to the Hope for Right Now podcast for a seven-week series: Desert Bloom, A Lenten Journey.

Lent is a time of sacrifice, preparation, and spiritual waiting—a time to prepare our hearts for Easter through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. For many of us, it has become about exterior performance, a “holy checklist” we begin on Ash Wednesday and struggle to sustain for 40 days. And preparation? Who has time for that? We are exhausted—after all, it was just Christmas!

If this is how your heart feels at the start of Lent, this series is for you—offering practical encouragement, Scripture reflections, and simple ways to experience a more meaningful, peace-filled Lent.

In today’s episode, Laura and Caitlin talk about our new Lenten devotional, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness, and share their personal Lenten fails and the idols they need to lose, while uncovering the fear behind letting go of achieving God’s love in exchange for simply receiving it.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture.
Hebrews 12:2: For the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross.

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Philippians 3:13–14: One thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 43:18–19: Remember not the former things, or consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Deuteronomy 2:7: For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands; he knows you are going through this great wilderness; these forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.
Exodus 16:2–3: And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
What is your idol? What do you want more than God?
Do you approach Lent like a spiritual performance review?
How is the Lord inviting you to undo the production narrative you’ve been telling yourself? 

Show mentions.
Caitlin Bean and Laura Phelps, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness
Michelle Benzinger, Abiding Together Podcast
Saint John of the Cross, “The Lord measures out perfection neither by the multitude nor the magnitude of our deeds, but by the manner in which we perform them.”

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

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

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

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

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

Hope for Right Now Podcast – Encore Episode 4: He Satisfies the Deeper Longing

There’s an old Latin proverb that says, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” With that in mind, we are revisiting four of your favorite Hope for Right Now podcast episodes. Our prayer is that you would take some time to look back, and reflect on the ways you’ve grown in your relationship with God. We will return on February 23, 2026, with a new series based on our brand new Lenten devotional, Desert Bloom: Discovering Unexpected Joy in the Wilderness.

Today’s last encore episode is a real throw back—all the way back to episode 1! This top fan favorite is the first conversation on our podcast. The series is Encountering Jesus Personally, and the episode is He Satisfies the Deeper Longing. We all hunger, but quick solutions and overnight fixes are not going to help or satisfy. The remedy we need, the only One who satisfies, is Jesus, the Bread of Life. Truly, this is a conversation that will never grow old. 

This is a special Encore Episode originally released in January 2024.

In this week's episode, Lisa and Laura dive into the Gospel of John, focusing on the famous I AM statement, “I am the bread of life.” Each time we find Jesus saying, “I am,” He is giving us a glimpse into what He’s like. He’s revealing something about His character. If you’re struggling to find purpose and meaning or are weary from disappointment or heartache, listen and be encouraged as Lisa and Laura unpack today’s Scripture and apply it to our daily lives.

Open your Heart to our key Scripture. 

John 6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”

Open your Bible to other Scriptures referenced in this episode.
Exodus 3:14: God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”
John 6:15: Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by himself.
John 6:26–27: And when Jesus encountered the crowd He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you.”
John 6:48–51: He said, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live for ever, and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
John 6:52–56: The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”

Invite Him in with this episode’s questions for reflection.
What’s the end goal? Psychological health or spiritual maturity? 

Show mentions.
N.T. Wright, Theologian
Fulton J. Sheen, Life of Christ
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Walking with Purpose, Opening Your Heart
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Walking with Purpose, Touching the Divine
Father John Bartunek, Choosing the Better Part
Peter Kwasniewski, The Holy Bread of Eternal Life
CCC 129, "The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.”

Our presenting sponsor is Hallow. Hallow is the number one prayer and meditation app dedicated to helping you grow closer to God and find peace with thousands of guided prayers and meditations. As Lent approaches, Hallow invites you to join Pray40: The Return, a 40-day Lenten journey rooted in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, inviting you into deeper conversion and a renewed return to the Father. Visit hallow.com/walkingwithpurpose to get 3 months of Hallow free. Come home this Lent. 

Let’s stay connected.

Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform. 

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

Stay in the know. Connect with us today. 

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

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