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!

https://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=16470

As Christians, we are exhorted to read and pray over the Sacred Scriptures. That is one of the most fruitful and important things we can do to grow spiritually. But God speaks to us in many other ways. One of those ways is when we read books and other writings by the saints and other holy men and women. Do you have any favorites that have helped you along your path to heaven? If so, share them with the world on Thursday’s show. The spiritual reading that has benefited you could well become the “food” for the souls of many other people looking to grow closer to God.

How has fasting helped you grow in your faith life? Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights, so it is clear fasting has profound spiritual effects. We are coming up on the beginning of Lent, March 6th. This may just be the perfect time to learn how fasting has helped others in their faith life. Let’s learn from one another. This way our Lenten journey can become much more meaningful. 

LINK: Fast & Abstinence

It seems to many people like the world is falling apart. Either their own personal worlds, or the entire world is crumbling. We know that Jesus is still Lord, and that His Church is still the means He established for attaining salvation. For that reason, we should train ourselves daily to turn to Him with our needs and petitions. We do that each month on the program, and Friday is your next chance to get our global listening audience to pray for whatever is on your heart. We include prayer requests that you call in, that come via e-mail and social media, as well as text messages. We get to as many as we can, then bring them all together in a short prayer at the end of the broadcast. Let us know what we can pray with you for!

The only moment we really “have,” or “possess,” or can “make use of” is right now. What’s happened in the past cannot be changed. What remains to unfold in the future is largely unknown. So, why is it that we so often have such a hard time living life “right now,” without looking back or ahead? Too often, we get pulled down by the past. Or, we get anxious about what’s going to happen going forward. Recalling the past, or reflecting on the future, are not necessarily wrong or bad. Each can be fruitful if done in the right manner. But how can we better focus on where are right now, and handle to the best of our ability what we’ve been called by God to do right now, without the burden of the past or a fear of the future getting in the way? Call and share your take on Thursday’s show.

Friday is our monthly Unscripted show. You know the drill. Phone lines are open for you to weigh in on anything that’s on your mind or in your heart. There is not shortage of significant issues to discuss this time around. We look forward to you sharing your take on the next program.

The days are long gone when television ads had to meet certain standards of decency before they could be approved for airing. Oh, sure, there are still a number of do’s and don’ts that advertisers have to follow. But many of those are more for politically correct reasons, rather than for the sake of preserving the innocence of viewers. Modern technology has made it possible to steer clear of objectionable commercial content in a variety of ways, including changing the channel, muting the TV, taping shows and fast forwarding through the ads, and so on. Is this even a concern in your home? If so, do you have any practices in place that help to ensure that your hearts and minds – and, especially, those of your young loved ones – are protected from the frequent moments when they could be violated in some way? Jerry and Debbie have Friday off, as EWTN will have day-long coverage of the March for Life from Washington, D.C. So, share your take on this topic on Monday.