On Monday, we’ll present an encore episode of Take 2 With Jerry and Debbie. It features listeners’ takes on how they are currently (or previously) employed in a field completely different from the area they studied in college or elsewhere. It made for a lively discussion the first time around, so be sure you make a little time on Labor Day to revisit this with us!

We believe in the power of prayer!  Tell us who or what you are praying for. We will try to take as many calls as we can possibly handle.  We will enter your prayer intentions in our prayer-book.  Then, at the end of the show, we will offer a prayer lifting up all your requests to God.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Our Take 2 family is committed to prayer and will remember you in their Rosaries, Adoration and at Mass.  This will be a fast-paced show with many calls all dialing 1-800-585-9396.

Just like in nature, life comes complete with a lot of storms. Some are rockier than others. What have you had to overcome to be the person you are today? An illness? An injury? A lost relationship? Losing your personal possessions in a fire or natural disaster? Going through difficulties helps us build our emotional and psychological muscles. But it sure isn’t fun at times. On Thursday, let’s talk about growing in strength and faith through the inevitable adversities of life.

It’s often said that opposites attract. Some spouses are the epitome of opposites. One is tall, the other is short. One is outgoing, the other is an introvert. One may have come from a large family of siblings, the other may have been an only child. What attracted you to each other? Do you ever ponder the differences between the two of you?  How do you celebrate the uniqueness of your marriage?  Share with us what makes your marriage not only unique but special.  Call in to 1-800-585-9396 and tell the world precisely what makes your marriage incredible.  This will be a fast hour of calls so don’t hesitate, call in early.

Most of us get in touch with our faith several times a day. Perhaps you offer morning prayers to God as you put your feet on the floor. You likely say a prayer before each meal. Maybe you go to daily Mass and/or pray the Rosary each day. Those are the more obvious ways in which the faith is part of our everyday lives. But today we want your take on how your faith informs every area of your life. When you’re at work. When you’re driving on the freeway. When you’re helping your children with their homework or changing a dirty diaper. When you’re mowing the grass or taking out the garbage. When you’re recreating in some manner. How do you keep your mind focused on the Lord throughout the day? Is there a sort of overarching “sense” of being connected to God that permeates your entire life? Share your take with us, and in the process you’ll provide insights that others may not have thought about.

It may not appear to be related to the spiritual life, but how we save money when we can is a very significant thing. It’s a different concept than how we contribute money to charitable causes. Making the effort to save money in every area of our lives is a way of honoring the gifts God has given us and proving that we are good stewards of his generosity. There are countless ways to do this. From clipping grocery coupons, to bundling your home entertainment services. From comparing prices at the store, to not running your heat or air conditioning as much as you might like. Maybe you make a conscious effort to eat out less frequently. Or you could be a parent who convinces your children that they don’t need the latest and greatest fashions or gadgets that many of their friends are wearing and using. Let’s have a creative and beneficial conversation about this. Can you list your top three money-saving strategies? Have you taken notice of how much you’re saving (or just not spending)? Has the money you’ve saved afforded you the opportunity to do other fruitful things in your personal or family life? Has it made it possible for you to give more to the Church or your favorite charity? Maybe it has made you more grateful for every penny the Lord gives you. Enlighten and inspire the rest of us with your take on Monday.

Call in and share anything that is on your heart.  Suggest a future topic. Comment on a past show. Ask a question about the Faith. Unscripted is the open forum platform just for you. We never know how this show will turn out and that is the beauty in it.  We ask the Holy Spirit and your openness to the Spirit to guide this show.  So if you if the “nudge” to call in, please don’t hesitate. 1-800-585-9396.

You’re in an elevator at the hotel where you’re staying on vacation or on a work trip. You’re wearing a crucifix or other obvious religious symbol. The person in the elevator with you asks if you’re a Christian. You have from the ground floor to the 17th floor to share your “elevator speech” testimony with them. We’re not going to time you, but see what you can come up with that would possibly change that other person’s life in a matter of seconds. You might share that you were born and raised Catholic. Maybe you’d want them to know that you became a Christian after living an unfulfilled life far away from God for many years. It could be the Eucharist that you focus on. Share your take on how you would witness to the power of Jesus in your life in a very short elevator ride to your hotel floor.

We’re all familiar with the crucifix. We may have many of them in our homes. They’re obviously in all of our Catholic churches. Perhaps we wear them around our necks or wrists. They’re depicted in religious art the world over. This is all great. But it can contribute to our taking the crucifix for granted. Take a moment and reflect on what it is that you “see” when you gaze upon Christ on the cross. Are you most moved by the total sacrifice He made for you? Perhaps you’re impacted by the pain He must have experienced in his head by the crown of thorns. You may relate most easily to the nails in His wrists or feet. There’s a saying that it was Jesus’ love that held Him to the cross, not the nails. How do you feel His love when you meditate upon the crucifix? Are you able to see your sins nailed to the cross? Does that give you the freedom to let go of them? When you look at Jesus on the cross are you inclined to unite your trials and sufferings to His? Do you believe that there is power in such a spiritual union of your heart with His? Your take today could make it a little easier for someone who is suffering to see the crucifix as the answer to their pain.