It’s been said that, “Into every life a little rain must fall.” Similarly, no one can make it through life without shedding some tears. For some of us, that means many tears. Tears of sadness. Tears of grief. Tears of pain. Tears of joy. Tears of gratitude. Many studies have pointed to the cleansing power of crying tears. If there’s been a time in your life – maybe more than one time – when you found yourself shedding multitudes of tears, are you now able to look back and say that those difficult periods brought cleansing to your soul? Let’s talk about this on Wednesday.

On Monday, Jerry and Debbie will welcome calls from the men who listen to the show. We want to talk about “manly spirituality,” what types of things you do to thrive in your Christian faith and your overall relationship with God. It could be things like prayer, works of mercy, volunteering, being the best husband and father you can be, etc. It all goes into being a dependable and holy man of God. We’re not asking you to brag on yourself. We want you to share your high’s and low’s, up’s and down’s, so you can educate and inspire other men who will be listening!

Much like we’re not born and don’t instantly become adults, so in our professional lives we have to “pay dues” in order to reach the career dreams and goals we have when we’re young. To do that often requires us to take whatever job(s) we can when we’re getting started, work our hardest, take on extra duties and shifts, etc. In today’s world, it seems that a large number of young people expect to climb the corporate ladder in little or no time. Let’s have a conversation about this on Friday, and share with us how you may have had very humble beginnings to what eventually became a very fruitful working life.

Thursday is Valentine’s Day. Of course, we celebrate the memory of a great Catholic saint. But the world has made it about flowers, candy, cards and jewelry. But love is still the dominant theme. And we will be asking you to call and share the most beautiful thing about someone you love, whether it’s your spouse, a son or daughter, a sibling, your best friend. It can be his or her physical appearance, or something deeper than that. Lines will fill up fast, and will remain full for the entire show. So, be sure to call early and join the discussion!

It might have been a physical handicap. Perhaps you weren’t the brightest student in your class. Maybe you used to be really shy and afraid to appear or speak in public. Things change in life, and often what were once liabilities for us become great strengths. Has this happened to you? If so, by all means, call and share your experience on Tuesday’s show. As always, what you share will surely inspire and bless many others who are listening, including some who may feel right now that something is hindering them from being the best they can be. They may learn from you how to turn that into one of their greatest assets.

Resources suggested by listeners from the show on 2/6/2019- What Does Your Soul Like to “Eat?”

Lift Up Your Heart: A Guide to Spiritual Peace by Fulton J. Sheen

Perfectly Yourself by Matthew Kelly

Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly

Mystical City of God by Mary of Agreda

Interior Freedom by Fr. Jacques Philippe

Time for God by Fr. Jacques Philippe

33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitley

Prayers and Heavenly Promises by Joan Carroll Cruz

Are you often away from your loved ones for things like work travel? It’s a fact of life for many of us. In the beginning, it might not be all that difficult. But over time it can grow old, and the constant goodbye’s can become more challenging. You likely remember the John Denver song, “Goodbye Again,” in which he poignantly describes his life on the road, and how he had to so often say goodbye to the one he loved at home. If you’re a road warrior, or simply have to travel a lot for a variety of reasons, and your heart is sorry to have to say goodbye, and frequently misses someone back home, how do you handle it all? There are certainly more technological ways to stay in touch with the people back home than ever before. But does that make hitting the road any easier for you? Has your life on the road perhaps cost you the love of someone you frequently left behind? Let’s talk about this on Monday’s show.

We’re all carrying spiritual, psychological and emotional burdens. While we’re not experts in any of those fields, we’ve experienced the same challenges you have. Maybe one of your children died, and you have taken the blame for it. Perhaps your kids are away from the faith, and you think you could have done more to keep them grounded in it. It might have been a relationship that didn’t work out, and you can’t stop beating yourself up over it. This kind of baggage fills each of our lives. But Jesus wants us to be free of these burdens. On Friday, let’s try to provide hope to one another about how we can start to be free of these burdens.

P.S. On Thursday’s show about spiritual reading, a caller mentioned Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling, a work that both Jerry and Debbie mentioned they had made use of and further recommended. Our understanding of the book is that it is the author’s attempt to create a daily devotional that will inspire her readers with words she could imagine were coming from Jesus. A member of the Take 2 Family e-mailed us expressing some concerns about that book. Upon further research, we discovered this helpful review by EWTN’s Johnnette Williams of Women of Grace. We provide it for your instruction and benefit, and assure you that it is our intention to ensure that we only present and recommend resources on our show (and any EWTN show, for that matter) that are considered entirely solid and dependable. Thanks!

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