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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Parenting is not a clean-cut, simple process for those who like to follow the rules. Family life is messy and unpredictable, but it is the greatest adventure you will ever have. We are Mike and Alicia Hernon, parents of 10 children ranging from 10 to 27 and we would like to invite you into some of the conversations we have had with each other about marriage, parenting, and Catholic family life. Our hope is that our conversation sparks a dialogue between you and your spouse that leads to greater unity and intentional Christian parenting in your home. Listen in to our podcast and start the conversation as we seek to lead our families to heaven. Visit us at https:///www/MessyFamilyProject.org for resources, guides, links and show notes.
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Now displaying: January, 2025
Jan 27, 2025

Families don’t just have a mission, they ARE a mission! 

 

Summary

When we hear “missionary” many of us automatically think of a single person serving in a third world country.  Then we think, “not me!”  But the reality is that all Catholics are called by their baptism to spread the good news of Jesus throughout the world.  We do that first and foremost in our homes, through the pastoral care of our spouse and children, but there are other ways we can spread the Good News to the world. In this podcast, we interview Tim and Maggie Glemkowski, parents with a heart for mission.  Tim most recently led the National Eucharistic Congress and continues to serve as the executive director of Amazing Parish.  He and Maggie share their story of the struggles they have gone through with their calling and the faithfulness of God through it all.  Their understanding of how to be a family on mission for others is inspiring and encouraging.  Listen in! 

 

Links:

Interested in taking your family on a mission trip?  Contact the Family Mission Experience at www.soltfme.org

Jan 20, 2025

Summary

Since 2018 we have been doing surveys of our listeners to find out who you are, how we can serve you more, and what your needs are.  We have never shared this information with our listeners until now!  Over the years we have had thousands of listeners take this survey and it's interesting to see what has remained the same and what has changed.  We thought it would be encouraging to you to hear that you are not alone!  The struggles that you have told us about are shared by other moms and dads too.  Listen in as we talk about the make-up of most of our listeners, what they told us, and what plans are for the future.  There were also some questions that came up in the survey that we responded to as well.   

 

Links

Last call for the survey!  Closing Jan 31, 2025  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T59LDRY

 

UK Tour - if you are interested in joining us for any events check out our page here!  

www.messyfamilyproject.org/uk-tour-2025

 

Jan 13, 2025

“Catholic parenting is above all a work of grace” - Fr. Carter Griffin

We often say there is no manual for being a parent, but this book comes pretty close!  In this podcast, we interview the author of Forming Families, Forming Saints Fr. Carter Griffin.  Fr. Griffin has worked for years forming young men into priests in the seminary setting.  In doing so, he saw many similarities between what he was doing with young men and what parents were doing at home.  The four pillars of formation in the seminary - human, intellectual, spiritual, and apostolic - can be applied in the family as well! In both settings, ultimately God is the one who does the transforming in people’s lives, but He does choose to use us in the process. We believe this book is a valuable resource for parents that they will be able to refer to again and again.  

 

Key Concepts

  • Parents are proxies. God is the ultimate shaper of their hearts and minds, but He chooses to use us in the lives of our children

  • In the past decade or so there has been an emphasis on the importance of childhood and parenting on a person’s life.  This knowledge is good, but it also has put an incredible amount of pressure on parents to “do it right”. 

  • The four pillars of seminary formation - Human, Spiritual, Intellectual, and Apostolic can be applied for parents forming children within the home.  

  • The most successful parents create an environment of trust in the home through continual dialogue with their children while sending the message that they don’t just love their kids, but they like them too! 

  • Parents need to know they are not alone! There are many other families working alongside you and we have a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on. 

Couple Discussion

  1. Consider the four pillars that Fr. Griffith describes.  How is our child doing in each of these?  Can we make a goal for them in each area? 

  2. Are we overwhelmed by the responsibility of parenting?  How can we rely on God more for the grace that we need and for the grace that our children need?  

Resources

Father’s book:  Forming Families, Forming Saints: https://stpaulcenter.com/product/forming-families-forming-saints/

Find out more about our UK tour in March - https://messyfamilyproject.org/uk-tour-2025/

Event in New Jersey with Array of Hope - Beloved https://arrayofhope.regfox.com/beloved

Jan 7, 2025

At the beginning of 2025 we want to challenge parents to step back and reassess their approach to family life by diving into 10 Things to Stop Doing in 2025.  Are you focusing too much on your kids? Caught up in the frantic pace of life? Trying to "fix" your spouse or juggle it all? Let us give you some heartfelt encouragement to let go of habits that create stress, disconnection, and overwhelm. We guarantee this episode is packed with insights that will inspire you to parent with purpose and peace. Let’s start the year by simplifying, slowing down, and focusing on what really matters!  Listen in and get ready to share and bookmark this episode to listen to again and again!  


Free Family Board Meeting Webinar: https://messyfamilyproject.org/fbm-webinar/

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