In this episode, we reflect on what it means to cultivate peace–as a fruit that grows from communion with God. The cultivation of peace is not something we control. It comes from learning to rest in God's presence, even amid life's storms. We talk practically about how to tend the soil of our hearts, so that peace can take root and grow into a fruit that becomes a visible witness to others. We also discuss how Jesus, the Prince of Peace, invites us to make room for His presence, allowing His breath to bring healing where fear and sin have disrupted our peace.

Heather's One Thing - Triumph of the Heart is now streaming!

Sister Miriam's One Thing - Healed by Love: Contemplation as a Path of Healing according to St. John of the Cross by Daniel Chowning, OCD

Michelle's One Thing - Feast: A Men's Devotional for Advent by Paul George

Journal Questions:

• What places of my heart are filled with anxiety or despair?
• Where am I seeking to be fixed instead of seeking communion with the Lord?
• What sins am I justifying that are robbing me of peace?
• What lies am I trying to talk myself into?
• Who or what are you trying to fix in your life that you need to surrender to the Lord?

Discussion Questions:

• How are you trying to control your life and heart rather than cultivating?
• What things motivate you to operate out of fear or mistrust?
• How can you internally cultivate peace?
• How can you externally cultivate peace?

Quote to Ponder:

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

(St. Teresa of Avila)

Scripture for Lectio:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7)

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Chapters:

00:00 BeeStill Design

01:08 Intro

01:59 Welcome

04:11 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder

06:31 Planting Peace in the Soil of Our Hearts

08:34 Cultivating vs Controlling

11:08 Fertilizing the Soil Around Us

13:56 The Breath of Peace

16:25 When We Feel Afraid

18:51 Communion Brings Healing

21:23 Wanting Peace for Those Around Us

23:26 Sin Disrupts Our Peace

27:52 Practical Tips for Cultivating Peace

32:55 Prayer

34:49 One Things

In this episode, we talk about what it means to weather the storms of life well. Everyone experiences difficult moments throughout their lives and these storms come in all shapes and sizes. In each one, we have the opportunity to respond from a place of truth and peace instead of fear. We share practical ways we've learned to weather the storms in our own lives, from simplifying life to immersing ourselves in Scripture. We also explore how pain, though difficult, can lead us into deeper healing and communion with God. No matter what you're facing, you are not alone—He is near, and so are we.

Heather's One Thing - Strengthen Yourself in the Lord by Bill Johnson

Heather's Other One Thing - Same God (feat Jonsal Barriente) from Elevation Worship

Sister Miriam's One Thing - Pints with Aquinas | What to Do When Marriage Gets Hard (Jason and Crystalina Evert)

Michelle's One Thing - Healed and Restored Nonprofit

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Carmelite Sisters of The Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles
• Searching for and Maintaining Peace book study
• Be Transformed book study

Journal Questions:

• How have I been making decisions out of fear and overwhelm?
• What do I believe about God, myself, or another person within the context of my storm?
• When do I feel the most emotionally dysregulated?
• What coping mechanisms am I turning to instead of going to the Lord?
• What good is God doing within me in my suffering?

Discussion Questions:

• What storms are you experiencing in this season?
• When has the Lord revealed His Presence to you from within a storm?
• Are you relying on the Lord or on yourself in the midst of your storm?
• What fruit has been born from suffering in your life?

Quotes to Ponder:

"Remain in me. This is the word of Jesus. It is not only a call but a promise of strength, peace, and fruitfulness." (St. Elizabeth of the Trinity)

"Let us live with Him as with a friend. Through all the storms, He remains." (St. Elizabeth of the Trinity)

Scripture for Lectio:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

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Chapters:

00:00 Our Holy Home

01:16 Intro

02:06 Welcome

04:33 Guiding Quote and Scripture Verse

08:12 How the Enemy Tries to Amplify Storms

09:45 Slowing Down is Essential

12:08 When Prayer Becomes Dry

14:23 Turmoil Can Feel Like Its Our Fault

16:43 Remembering God's Faithfulness

18:37 Pain Causes Us to Make A Change

20:48 Distractions Will Never Fulfil Us

22:44 Maturing is A Decision We Make

24:15 Weathering Storms In Community

26:54 Spiritual Practices

28:55 One Things

In this episode, Dr. Shane Owens, a scholar of St. Augustine, joins us to discuss the power of memory. Together, we explore how memory is a place to where we withdraw to understand our identity, shape our whole self, and begin to see God working in our lives. Memory exists for the purpose of hope and we not only talk about how the Scriptures and Eucharist bear the memories of the Church, but also how our sorrowful memories can become sources of hope.

Heather's One Thing - Pope Leo XIV: Son of St. Augustine (A conversation with Fr. Dave Pivonka and Dr. Shane Owens)

Heather's Other One Thing - Franciscan University's Festival of Praise

Sister Miriam's One Thing - The Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia

Michelle's One Thing - Return to the Heart: The Biblical Spirituality of St. Augustine's Confessions by Dr. Shane Owens

Michelle's Other One Thing - Heaven for Me! by St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Dr. Shane Owens' One Thing - Bible Across America from the St. Paul Center

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Return to the Heart: The Biblical Spirituality of St. Augustine's Confessions by Dr. Shane Owens
• Bible Across America

Journal Questions:

• Am I savoring or swallowing the gifts God has given me?
• What core memories of my life have been rewritten by God?
• What sorrowful mysteries of my life feel too complicated to ponder?
• Where in your memory do you need to ask Jesus where He was present in it?

Discussion Questions:

• How can you hone your spiritual palate to be present to the good that God is doing in your life?
• When have you experienced the living power of memories?
• How have your memories been a source of hope?
• How are you being invited to slow down and ponder?

Quote to Ponder:

"The heart is the dwelling-place where I am, where I live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place "to which I withdraw." The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant." (CCC 2563)

Scripture for Lectio:

"But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

Sponsor - Hallow:

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Chapters:

00:00 Hallow

01:00 Intro

01:50 Welcome

05:35 Scripture Verse and Guiding Quote

07:07 Who is St. Augustine?

09:30 What Inspired this Book?

11:18 Entering into Our Memories

13:20 How We Write Our Own Stories

15:34 Scripture and the Eucharist Help Us Understand Our Own Story

17:37 Chewing the Cud

20:47 Wondering vs Pondering

24:30 Hope in Our Sorrowful Mysteries

30:30 Finding Jesus in Painful Memories

38:59 Setting Aside Time to Hope

43:46 One Things