Take 2 with Jerry & Debbie

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.

It’s so easy to take for granted the wonderful things that happen to us in life. Especially in today’s “hurry up” world. We can lose sight of the fact that God brought us the most awesome spouse, helped our child gain a full scholarship, gave you the grace to ace the bar exam, led you to complete your flying lessons and become a licensed pilot, that you overcame a major illness or injury, or any number of other incredible things. What would you say to complete the sentence, “I still can’t believe…” Share your inspiring take with Jerry and Debbie – and the world – on Monday!

Friday’s show is our Unscripted for June. Unscripted is just that, an informal show with no set topic just what is on your heart.  So please ask us anything, make suggestions or comment on past shows.  This is a great time for us to get to know one another a little bit better and also to keep the conversation going.  We want Take 2 to be a part of your life, so your participation is key to the success of this mission.  Call in 1-800-585-9396.

We promised to post some resources for Julie, who wishes to mentor a fellow teacher who has little or no faith and is concerned because people have told her she is going to hell because she is not baptized. Here are a few that we recommend:

Why Be Catholic? by Patrick Madrid – https://store.patrickmadrid.com/why-be-catholic/

Rediscover Jesus by Matthew Kelly – http://dynamiccatholic.com/rediscoverjesus/

Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day With Passion and Purpose by Matthew Kelly – https://cart.dynamiccatholic.com/Rhythm-of-life-Matthew-Kelly-p/rol-hc.htm

We also mentioned to Peter the “spiritual communion” prayer for those who desire to receive Jesus in the Eucharist but are unable for various reasons. This is taken from the EWTN website:

Everyone needs to love and to be loved. Without love, life would be unnatural and incomplete. One form of love is romantic, or marital, love. If you feel called to that vocation it must seem only right that by a certain point in your life you will have met that perfect person and settled down. Yet, many people pass through their twenties, their thirties and even later in life and still have not “found” Mr. or Mrs. Right. Does that mean the saying is false that “there’s someone for everyone,” or does it mean you have to keep being patient? Are you someone who feels that love has passed you by, that your “window of opportunity” is now closed? Let’s talk about this Thursday at 800-585-9396.

On Wednesday, join Jerry and Debbie and share your take on what your kids are up to this summer. A lot of children run around aimlessly when school is out. Others are provided with choices by their parents. Let’s discuss positive and healthy activities that kids are involved in this summer. Things like faith or Bible camps, part-time jobs, etc. Other parents will learn a lot of great new ideas from what you share on the program. And don’t forget you can now watch the show on EWTN’s Facebook page and YouTube channel!

In years gone by people might have saved their important files and documents – typically in paper form – for a few years, after which they would shred them or get rid of them in some similar fashion. Today, with so much storage space available on computers, external hard drives and “in the cloud,” we not only don’t think of downsizing our electronic collection of photos, documents and other files, but it has created a new mindset along the lines of, “I’m sure I’ll need this someday. And it’s so easy to store on my computer or in the cloud.” It’s time for a little honesty: do you “keep” everything you ever handle electronically? Do you think that one day this or that file or photo will come in handy? Do you have a ton of files that you haven’t handled in, say, years? Share your experience with Jerry and Debbie on Tuesday.

Just about everyone has a fear of something. For some it might be heights. Others might cringe at the thought of touching a spider or a snake. Many people have a fear of flying in airplanes. Are these phobias rational or might they be the product of something we have experienced in our lives? Share your take on Monday with Jerry and Debbie at 800-585-9396.

RESOURCES:
Understanding Scrupulosity by Fr Santa

NCR: 6 Tools for the Scrupulous

There are occasions in life when we are out in public and we see people who could use a hand-up. They could be homeless or just someone you discern could use a helping hand. Maybe you secretly told your waiter or waitress that you would pick up the check for a family at a restaurant. Perhaps someone in the grocery line in front of you was a couple bucks short of what they needed and were going to have to go home and scrounge up enough money to make a return trip to the store. Share with Jerry and Debbie on Friday when you have offered a random act of kindness.