Marriages can be strained by many things. These are often friendships or relationships between one spouse and someone outside the marriage. This could involve a family member, a best friend, a drinking buddy, or, worst of all, an outside romantic interest. But there are times when one spouse is on fire for the faith, while the other spouse is not in the same place spiritually. Unfortunately, this can at times lead to the less devout spouse resenting the time the other spouse spends in Church, at prayer meetings, volunteering at the parish, etc. Have you experienced this in your marriage? If so, let’s have a conversation about on Wednesday, with a view to finding a way to help others avoid similar conflicts.

For every one who ever lives, there will be adjustments that will have to be made in the way we live. It could be moving out of the house for the first time, when you get married, the death of a spouse or loved one, finally just the two of you again in an “empty nest,” etc. Some adjustments can be much more difficult and painful than others, which can seem kind of routine. But as you look back over your life, what particular major adjustment(s) can you point out as having been pivotal for you? Let’s talk about this on Tuesday.

According to an article on Wikipedia, between 960,000 and 3,000,000 incidents of domestic violence are reported each year, while many other incidents go unreported. It is estimated that more than ten million people experience domestic violence in just the alone U.S. each year. It can be experienced by men, women and children. Domestic violence may include verbal, emotional, economic, physical and sexual abuse. All forms of domestic abuse have one purpose: to gain and maintain control over the victim. Abusers use many tactics to exert this power over their victims. On Wednesday, we’re going to talk about this, and invite those who are comfortable doing so to call and share their experience of being a victim of domestic abuse, and, God-willing, finding a way out of that and into healing and peace. This is another topic that was suggested by a listener, in this case Stand Tall Carol in Wisconsin.

National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1−800−799−SAFE (7233)

Today we are inviting listeners to call in who at one time seriously discerned the priesthood or religious life! Listen and call in if this is you!

1-833-288-EWTN

On Monday’s show, Jerry will be solo on the air – with you, that is! And, remember, you always drive the show with your takes, your insights, your wisdom, your lived experiences and your support and suggestions for other Take 2 Family members. Today’s topic was suggested by a listener who has never married. We’ve done shows on being single, but those have focused more on people who were still “looking for love” in the form of a spouse. But a growing percentage of people – including Jerry – seem to be content serving God while choosing not to marry. For each person who has remained unmarried, there could be a lot of factors that played into that decision. A bad example by your parents made you determined never to set yourself up for that. Perhaps your professional life was so busy and fulfilling that you never met the right person who could accommodate that challenging way of life. It could be that after making several unseuccessful runs at matrimony you simply decided to slow down a little and enjoy the unmarried life. We all learn from you inspiring takes, so be sure you share why you have remained unmarried up to this point in your life, and if you envision that ever changing.

RESOURCE: Single and Catholic Finding Meaning in Your State of Life

It’s not easy growing up or raising children in any age. But one would be hard-pressed to argue that today’s generation of young people face threats that few ever did before. On Thursday, join Jerry and Debbie and share your take on just how bad you think things have become. The “usual suspects” like gangs, drinking, drugs, sexually transmitted diseases (the list could go on and on), have now been joined by frightening new dangers like gender ideology, one parent trying to convince her child he is really a girl, schools barring the teaching that there are such things as boys and girls (sadly, this list could also go on and on). We look forward to hearing from you with your input and wisdom on Thursday.

The recent week of broadcasts will be tough to top, so incredible were your takes all week. But we’ll kick off Monday with another great topic – what really frustrates you? It’s nearly impossible to avoid things that rub us the wrong way. The question is, how are we going to react? What will we do in response to those things (or people) that get under our skin? The ideal is to respond like Jesus would. In actuality, that doesn’t always happen. So, call early with your take on this important conversation.