OK, so parents never stop loving their children or being proud of them. At least, they shouldn’t. But how many moms and dads suffer the heartache of a son or daughter almost ruining their life? It happens all the time. Kids can cause parents a great deal of deep disappointment. It’s as old as the human race. Making bad choices that lead to addiction, incarceration, failed marriages, families disgraced and torn apart. As a parent, you may have spent decades praying for the return of one of your children to sanity and respect. Thankfully, many of our kids have come to their senses and completely turned their lives around. There can be few feelings of relief and gratitude like when this happens. What has been your experience of a son or daughter regaining your respect after a period of wasting their gifts and talents? Share your take Tuesday on this very impactful subject.

Many of us can remember the days of putting a dime in the phone booth in order to be able to call home when we were on the road. What today would seem like such an incredible nuisance was a joyful act on the part of spouses, parents and loved ones in order to stay connected with the ones they love when traveling. Maybe we could call from a hotel room or the front desk. Today, we have the great blessing of cell phones, the Internet, “face time,” Skype and so many other means that make it virtually unthinkable that we wouldn’t be in regular communication with those “back home.” What are your preferred methods of sending your love from long distance? Share your take Monday with Jerry and Debbie.

Which side are you on?  What if your core beliefs conflict with paragraph 2267 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church?  Can you still be for the death penalty and a “good” Catholic? What if a friend or family member was the victim of a heinous crime, would your view of capital punishment change when it becomes personal?  Many people struggle with this issue, so it is worthy of discussion.  Please call in and share your “take” on this subject and maybe change a heart at the same time.  1-800-585-9396.

RESOURCES:
The Church and Capital Punihsment – Tim Staples 

As Christians, we’re called to love everyone. We know that. But we also know there are those we love deeply, and those we love in a more general sense. Spouses, family members, close friends fall into the former category. Neighbors and co-workers might be a good example of the latter category. Still others we find it difficult to even tolerate, let alone “love.” How do you balance these different forms of respecting and loving all of God’s children? Share your take with Jerry and Debbie on Thursday.

The last few decades have seen an incredible surge in the “victim mentality.” Lawsuits. Hurt feelings. Bullying. Insults. Denying my “rights.” Everyone has an excuse to self-identify as a “victim.” Let’s be honest. There are real victims in every age. People who are truly abused and taken advantage of. But are you a “victim” if another driver cuts you off on the freeway or if you spill your own hot coffee on your lap? Most importantly, what has the victim mentality done to us as humans and especially as Christians? Where does “turn the other cheek” fit in? One of the worst sins a person can commit is self-pity. If we wallow in that we can completely shut ourselves off from the genuine growth that God wants for us. What’s your take on this important subject? Share it Wednesday with Jerry and Debbie (Tuesday’s show will be pre-recorded for Independence Day).

We read in the second chapter of The Letter to the Hebrews:

¹⁴ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.

Notice that we as sinners are subject to lifelong bondage “through fear of death.” Fear takes many forms and sizes in our lives. It’s a part of human nature, even though we are exhorted many times in the Bible to “be not afraid.” One of the worst kinds of fear is that which more or less stops us in our tracks and makes simply living daily life an immense chore. This is often referred to as “paralyzing fear.” Have you experienced it? Does it still assail you? What have you done to manage or overcome it. Your take could change countless lives Monday with Jerry and Debbie.

The stigmata, bilocation, reading hearts, prophecy, levitation, sweet fragrance and incorruptibility are just some of the gifts God has given holy men and women during their lifetime.  Padre Pio is one saint that manifested many spiritual gifts bestowed by God.  Not all of the gifts are pleasurable, some actually are physically painful. So what does this tell us about the road to sainthood?  Are these gifts an indication of the closeness of God?  What could be the purpose of these gifts?  Are these mystical realities, that defy science and nature, a sign from God that He desires a deep relationship with us? Let’s unlock the keys to this supernatural phenomena by discussing it on Friday’s Take 2 with Jerry and Debbie.  1-800-585-9396

So many times we plan and take a vacation with little thought about going to church, praying or focusing on God.  Somehow we think that a vacation means time away from God.  This is a very misguided thought process with potentially a missed opportunity for profound spiritual growth.  God is the refresher of our souls.  He is the giver of all gifts and vacations can be considered a gift.  Why not recharge our batteries, rest and relax all while growing in faith and receiving the blessings of God for taking Him on vacation.  Give us your take on this by calling, 1-800-585-9396.

As Jesus replied to Satan when He was tempted in the desert: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Throughout human history, mankind has pushed the limits of what is possible, never shrinking from the next great immortal challenge. Today, there are activities like skydiving, bungee jumping, running with bulls, swimming with sharks or alligators, even many thrill rides at amusement parks. Are we “testing” God when we do these things? Or are we simply being “human” and seeing how far our natural gifts and abilities will take us? If you had a choice and the opportunity what daredevil thing would you do? Share your take on Wednesday with Jerry and Debbie at 800-585-9396.

As Christians, perhaps especially Catholics, we have a fully developed sense of “redemptive suffering.” In a nutshell, that means that every bit of discomfort and suffering we experience can be handed over to Jesus for Him to do great things with it. No suffering should ever be wasted. But does that mean we have to be happy with our sufferings, to eagerly welcome them, to do nothing to remove them? Fleeing from suffering is a very natural, human reaction. And the Church would be the first to say that we in no way have to think of our pain in a masochistic way, nor that we should do nothing to alleviate it. Do you sometimes have a problem in your conscience if you do seek to get out of suffering at virtually any cost? Does that give you the feeling that you are not doing the right thing and “offering up” your suffering? Let’s drill deeply into this topic on Tuesday.