They’ve existed seemingly forever. Short, pithy statements often intended to convey some sort of inspirational or motivational message. Things like:

“Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

“Self-care is not selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

“Be loyal to those who are not present. In doing so, you will earn the trust of those who are present.”

“Don’t downgrade your dream just to fit your reality. Upgrade your conviction to match your destiny.”

“If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.”

These are just five examples from literally thousands (millions?) of maxims that have been put forth over the centuries. Do you have one that has held special meaning for you? Share it with Jerry and Debbie on Wednesday, and let’s explore how our go-to maxims relate to our faith and spiritual lives.

We live in a world that’s vastly different than it was just a generation or two ago. So many things have changed – some for the better, some for the worse – it’s hard to keep up with it all. One thing that should never go out of style is people treating others with common courtesy. Thanking those who help you. Holding the door for someone. Letting another driver merge into the lane in front of you. The examples and instances are endless. What is your experience of this? Do you think our culture is less courteous than it once was? Perhaps you see common courtesy exhibited all the time. Let’s have a conversation about this on Tuesday, and we’ll all come away a little bit better for it.

On Monday, Jerry and Debbie invite you to take part in what should be a very impactful discussion. Many people today are burdened simply by life. God wants us to have abundant lives. But sometimes human nature, painful experiences, bad choices and so forth get in the way of that, to the point where we are tempted to think, “How much more can I endure?” Again, while this is not the ideal type of life, it is a fact that a lot of people are facing. Do you ever feel like the burdens or baggage of your life are just too heavy? Maybe talking it through briefly on the air – and securing the prayers of your fellow listeners in the process – will help to make things just a little lighter for you!

AUDIO ARCHIVE: 

Let’s face it. We all agree that babies are precious. Toddlers are cute. Children are fun.  But teenagers can be out of control. Ugh. Sometimes a parents’ nightmare. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Every individual, including our youngsters, have a unique personality, and need to be “handled with care.” If you’re the parent of teenage kids, call in Thursday and share how you manage to keep some level of control over them, while allowing them to spread their wings and establish their independence. Are you finding them to be responsible as they grow up? Or, do you feel that you have a huge chore on your hands? As always, what you share on the show will educate and inspire countless people!

None of us is perfect. In fact, we’re often very imperfect in the way we live our lives. But that’s part of human nature, fallen human nature, that is. We might look at others and think of how much we admire them for living a holy, virtuous life. But we don’t always tend to see ourselves in the same light. Which can easily translate into a perception of how God looks at us, a perception that may be radically flawed by our own self-perception. We may know intellectually that God sees everyone the same way, from St. Teresa of Calcutta to St. John Paul II, from The Little Flower to me. Let’s talk on Tuesday about how we can better convince our hearts of this awesome reality, and come to a better understanding of how we’re viewed by God.

RESOURCES:
Blessed Bartolo Longo

AUDIO:

On Wednesday, Jerry and Debbie invite you to reminisce and share some reflections on the time you spent in high school. All high schools have classes, i.e. the academic kind. But most, if not all, have “classes,” or “cliques,” that the students invariably fall into. Some are “jocks” (the athletic type). Others are “nerds” (those who seem only interested in passing their classes). Still others are “stoners” (primarily interested in getting high between classes). And, of course, there are those who are viewed as “teachers pets.” Was this how things were when you went to high school? Did you find yourself identifying with any of those or other categories? Perhaps more than one? Share your take on Wednesday.

There are many times in life when we think to ourselves, “Oh, my, do I have to go to that function?” Or, “Why did I commit to that phone call?” We had great intentions when we added it to our calendar. But we plan a lot of things that way, including sometimes just committing to something in order to end a correspondence or conversation with someone. You know, the old, “Hey, let’s get caught up by phone sometime.” However, when the appointed time comes, we have so many other things we need to tend to. Nevertheless, we honor the commitment we made, attend the function (whether it’s a wedding, a friend’s birthday celebration, a monthly meeting of a social organization we belong to) and have our lives changed in a beautiful way. Looking back, we often say, “I wouldn’t have missed that for the world.” When has this happened to you? Share your take with Jerry and Debbie on Monday.

On Friday, Jerry and Debbie want to hear your takes on how you “unplug” from the fast-paced world we live in. Sure, it can be things like taking a few minutes of quiet time in the morning, at lunch or in the evening. Or immersing yourself in a good book. Or going to the gym. Those will all be fine. But we invite you to share how you may at times choose to go even deeper in getting away from it all. Do you love the great outdoors? Do you like to escape on a hunting, camping or fishing trip? Perhaps you make regular retreats or pilgrimages. Whatever it is that helps you recharge your physical and spiritual batteries, we want to hear about it and be inspired!

The ultimate sign of love, as Jesus said in the Bible, is for one “to lay down his life for a friend.” Some people are literally given that opportunity in life. Others wish they could take the place of a sick or dying person. Have you ever known someone with whom you would trade places? Maybe it was a dying spouse, sibling or friend. Maybe it was a stranger you knew had “more to live for” than you felt you did. Of course, we usually can’t take someone’s place in such a situation. But the desire to do so is very noble. Let’s talk about this impactful topic on Wednesday.