Not Lukewarm Podcast with Deanna Bartalini

In this episode, we talk about Chapter 4, Talk it Out, from the book, Habits of Freedom: 5 Ignatian tools for Clearing your Mind and Resting Daily in the Lord by Fr. Christopher J. Collins, SJ. Deacon John and I had similar yet different takeaways from this chapter. First, the idea or rather, the reality […] The post Take Time to Talk appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Continuing with Habits of Freedom by Christopher S. Collins, SJ Chapter 3, Reject the Lie Jesus' identity was rooted in God the Father. He knew He was God's beloved Son. We see that right after His baptism, Jesus is tempted in the desert by the evil one. Let's not quickly dismiss Jesus' ability to withstand […] The post Toward the Good or Evil Spirit appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

What is our true identity? “We cannot be truly happy until we are truly free, and we to know who it is that we truly are if we are to be truly free.” Habits of Freedom, pg 20 Eve As in adam and Eve, she engages in a ‘what if ‘ conversation with the snake. […] The post Where does our True Identity come from? appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

We are continuing our series of Habits of Freedom: 5 Ignatian Tools for Calming Your Mind and Resting in the Lord by Christopher S. Collins, SJ. God often calls us out of our usual to get our attention. In the scripture, we see him call people to the desert, recall the Israelites in the desert […] The post Habits of Freedom; Holy Indifference appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Normal We want our life to go back to normal. And what exactly does normal mean? I think, instead, let's consider grounding ourselves in Christ. When we are with him, life will be on a more even keel. When we begin with him, Jesus helps us get through life. A Series The next few episodes […] The post Habits of Freedom, Introduction appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Do you pray for yourself? I have met many people who don’t think to pray for themselves. Some think it is selfish; others, maybe a bit burdensome to God, who already has enough to concern himself with. But I think we are to pray for ourselves. Jesus prayed for Himself In scripture, we see many […] The post Pray for Yourself appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Gratitude is an Answer Often times we don’t think about our blessings and daily life as gifts, but they are. It’s not good luck or being in the right place at the right time. When we feel mired down in problems, turn to gratitude. Shift your focus. Praying the Psalms Here is a list of […] The post Psalms and Gratitude appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

New Book about Our Blessed Mother I have always known we have a generous and loving Mother in Heaven. But Mary also comes to people here on earth to guide and give a message of hope or words of exhortation when needed. In 1859, this is what happened in Door County, Wisconsin to a girl […] The post America's Mary: The Story of Our Lady of Good Help appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Decisions to be made How often do we wonder, is this what I should do? What will be the best decision? We think and pray and ask a few or twenty-five, people, what they think, instead of going to the Holy Spirit. Or maybe you do go to the Holy Spirit but still, ask questions. […] The post Ask the Holy Spirit for Help appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

What is my purpose? “Each one of us has been called from all eternity to fulfil a divine vocation. God the Father brought us into life (no one has been born by accident). He created our soul. He drew us into his intimate life through the Sacrament of Baptism. By means of this sacrament God […] The post Called by God appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

A New Book It is always a pleasure when I talk with an author and doubly so when she is a friend! You’ve met Allison Gingras before, but today it’s all about her own new book, Encountering SIgns of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints and the Abundant Grace of God. What’s it […] The post A New Book: Encountering Signs of Faith appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

We all do it Or at least it seems so to me. Worry that is, looking forward or back, wondering what we could have or should have or ought to do better or differently. The preoccupation with the possibilities instead of what is does not help us. Scripture “I am the God of your faither, […] The post Stop Worrying; Focus on Now appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Fine Line There is a fine line between true, good, and holy desires and grasping for more. Our world tells us that we are not enough or maybe too much; that we need to do more, be more, and have more. Always striving for an ideal that is beyond reach. That is not of God. […] The post You are Enough appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Learning to Wait Not my strong suit. Same as being still, not always easy, as I said in the last episode! But there is beauty in stillness; it builds trust, trust in God. And God will always come through for you. Trust in the Slow Work of God Above all, trust in the slow work […] The post Trust in the Slow Work of God appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

What to do when you don’t know what to do Often times our inclination is to do something. And that may be the wrong answer. We may be doing something that is not within our scope of influence or concern. We may be getting in God’s way! So what is the answer? The LORD will […] The post What to do appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

How did this book come about? One day, Isabel went to camp and was made fun of for wearing a medal of Mary, Our Blessed Mother. She was broken-hearted, and neither her mother or aunt (Alyssa Bormes) could console her. She she and her aunt wrote a letter to a priest friend, Fr. Paul Murray. […] The post The Mother of Jesus is Wonderfully Real appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

What does trust mean? What does the word trust mean? “A firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something.” We have belief in God.  He is reliable. He is truth. His ability is above all, as is His strength. We can trust Him. Yet we falter at times. The Word […] The post We can trust God! appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

A few weeks ago I interviewed Rachel Balducci about her new book, No Such Thing as Ordinary and we talked about how oftentimes, we are waiting to do something big and important for God and miss what is in front of us. Reminder from God I have lots of insomnia lately and so the middle […] The post Simple & Ordinary appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Suscipe or Surrender Prayer Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my will, all that I have and cherish you have given to me; I surrender it all to be guided by your will. Your grace and strength are wealth enough for me. I ask for this and nothing more. […] The post A Prayer of Surrender appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

How to Be Happy as You Age There are 7 indicators, based on a Harvard Study that indicate how happy and well you will be later in life. A full explanation is here. Briefly, the 7 are: Don’t smoke Do not abuse alcohol Maintain healthy body weight Exercise Adaptive coping style Education Stable, long-term relationships […] The post The Value of Friendship as We Age appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

A New Book It’s always a treat to interview authors whose books I’ve read. Rachel Balducci is a speaker, writer and co-host of The Gist on Catholic TV. She teaches journalism at Augusta University and is married to Paul. They have five sons and one daughter. Her latest book, No Such Thing as Ordinary: Unlocking Your […] The post Meet Rachel Balducci, Author of No Such Thing As Ordinary appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Scripture He entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” […] The post Are you participating in your faith life? appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

What is Spiritual Direction? “It is the guidance of a person into a life truly under the dominion of the Holy Sprit, who is the primary director.” from Seeking Spiritual Direction by Thomas Dubay, S.J. “Spiritual direction is concerned with helping a person directly with his or her realtionship with God…the most fundamental issue is […] The post Is Spiritual Direction for you? appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Catholics having a revival Yes, we are, starting on June 19, 2022, until July 17, 2024. That is two years to unpack the riches of the Eucharist, grow individually in your personal relationship with the Lord, and change the world! Take a look here at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Eucharistic Revival […] The post A Eucharistic Revival appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Thoughts from St. Hildegard “But the Father is revealed through the Son, the Son through the beginning of created things, and the Holy Spirit through the incarnate Son. How is this? It is the Father who before time engendered the Son; it is the Son through whom all things were created by the Father at […] The post The Trinity-A Mystery to Embrace appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Come, Holy Spirit The Feast of Pentecost is a theophany, a manifestation of God! Luke, the writer of Acts, uses the retelling as a way to remind us that the Jews also celebrated Pentecost. For them, it was the celebration of Moses receiving the Torah from God on Mt. Sinai. The same wind and fire […] The post The Feast of Pentecost appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Our soul needs care just as our body does. This week, I’m offering 5 suggestions that help me be the Christian witness I want to be and live notlukewarm! Five Ways Start your day with a prayer. Read scripture. Spend time in nature, noticing the beauty of God’s creation. Sit in silence for a short […] The post 5 ways to Care for your Soul appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

About Catherine Catherine of Siena was born in Siena, Italy in 1347. She was a twin but her sister died shortly after birth. The following year the Black Death entered Siena. She had a vision of Jesus as a young child and from then knew she wanted to give her life to God and renew […] The post The Courage of St. Catherine of Siena appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

A new book! Maria Gallagher has written, Joyful Encounters with Mary: A Woman’s Guide to Living the Mysteries of the Rosary, a wonderful way to learn more about the joyful mysteries, virtues and the saints while living out your faith every day! 5 Joyful Mysteries The 5 joyful mysteries are the Annunciation, the Visitation, the […] The post A New Book: Joyful Encounters with Mary appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Happy Easter I hope that if you pull this up on Good Friday, you wait for another day to listen. This is a resurrection meditation! Filled with the good news of Jesus’ triumph over death. A Fresh Hope Each year we celebrate Easter to remind ourselves, yet again, that Jesus gave us our salvation. The […] The post Faith at the Empty Tomb appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Who are they? Saints Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, and Therese of Lisieux are the four women Doctors of the Church! Why are they called Doctors? In honoring these women with this title, the Chuch is recognizing that the work and contributions each of these saints made has withstood the test […] The post The Four Women Church Doctors appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Scripture “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.” John 5:30 Reflection If Jesus, who is the one speaking, makes the point that he cannot do anything on his […] The post Ask God for the Plan appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Begin with Scripture “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom […] The post 10 Reasons to Study Scripture appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Life can be heavy All of us in this world has both good and bad things going on. There are moments of joy and despair, all intermingled, sometimes in the same moments. And where we focus often determines our attitude. Scripture “Then all who trust in you will be glad and forever shout for joy. […] The post Ditch the Heaviness of Life appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Teaching Prayer Teaching a person to pray using Ignatian Contemplative Prayer is not an easy task. It takes time and repetition to learn. The other point to consider when teaching someone is that you want the person to enter into the prayer based on their needs, not the person teaching. In his new book, Imagine […] The post Imagine You Walked with Jesus, A Guide to Ignatian Contemplative Prayer. appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Asceticism – not a word you use every day Lent is approaching and I’ve been considering the idea of asceticism. Which is different from minimalism.  But rather than my words, let’s look a the definition from A Concise Dictionary of Theology. “Asceticism is the ways and mean sdopted by Christians under the action of the  […] The post Asceticism appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

A Saint and some Scripture We are reading The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila with the LiveNotLukewarm community.  The book is filled with wisdom, which is why she is a Doctor of the Church! This struck me: “May our Lord assist me in everything that I shall do, that all things may […] The post With the Lord’s Help appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Author Introduction I had a fun conversation with Claire McGarry, the author of Grace in Tension: Discover Peace with Martha and Mary, published by Our Sunday Visitor. Her website is Shifting my Perspective and you can find links to her books and recent writing there. Instagram                   […] The post Grace in Tension: Discover Peace with Martha and Mary appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Back home I’m back home after two weeks away to finish my spiritual direction certificate. I graduated on January 30, 2022, and received my Spiritual Direction Certificate from the Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spiritual Direction in association with the Franciscan University of Steubenville. It was a grace-filled time with lots […] The post The Father’s Love appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Let’s talk That phrase could be the answer to “how to strike fear in the heart of my husband?” But it isn’t. Honest. Dating your spouse and keeping your marriage at the forefront of your life can be difficult. What you might need is to take a look at this book from Dana Nygaard for […] The post 365 Dates to Renew your Christian Marriage appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

What does ‘not lukewarm’ mean? To me, it means being all in, first with my spiritual life so then, the rest of life will follow. Life will never be perfect, but when grounded in faith, especially prayer and scripture, we all stand a better chance of dealing with life. Scripture points “but showing love down […] The post All in with your spiritual life appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

It’s easy to get sucked in New Year’s resolutions, goals, plans — good, especially if they work for you. What’s not good is coming away with the thought that you have to change because you are not enough or not quite up to the world’s standards. We are bombarded with messages of do it this […] The post You are valuable appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

A New Year Each year we have the opportunity to begin something new. And while many people take stock of their life in the new year, it can be done at any time. This episode is a fun one as my husband joins me in a conversation about our word for the year and goals. […] The post Prioritize, 2022 appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

We begin with scripture “Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give” (Mark 10:8b). Gratitude. Humility. Thankful. Sacrifice. Share.  These are all words that come to my mind as I read those verses, Mark 10:6-8. And I ponder what I have received without cost. And then it hits me, everything I have […] The post What does it cost? appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Mary’s Yes “Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 And at that moment the Incarnation began. Mary did not hesitate. In The Reed of God, Caryll Houselander describes that trust of Mary’s yes. We too can have that trust which […] The post Say Yes, Don’t Hesitate with God appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Catherine of Siena “Start being brave about everything, driving out darkness and spreading light as well. Don’t look at your weakness, but realize that in Christ crucified you can do everything.”  Shift your focus It’s so easy when we are feeling all of our weaknesses that we dwell there and go down a rabbit hole […] The post Be Brave, Spread Light appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

This post and podcast was done in collaboration with my husband, Deacon John; hope you enjoy it. God the Father in heaven sent His Son to us here on earth as a manifestation of His merciful love for us. By the Holy Spirit, Jesus was incarnate of the Virgin Mary. He left actual footprints where […] The post Does God have footprints? appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Meet Christy Wilkens She is a wife and mother of six, is a speaker and writer who lives outside Austin, TX. She blogs at FaithfulNotSuccessful.com about disability, faith, doubt, suffering, community, and good reads. Her first book, Awakening at Lourdes: How an Unanswered Prayer Healed Our Family and Restored Our Faith, a memoir about a […] The post Awakening at Lourdes: How an Unanswered Prayer Healed our Family and Restored our Faith appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

No one likes struggles However, in our world they are inevitable. I do believe they can help us tough, in becoming the person God created. If we learn from our struggles, we have confidence that God will be there with us the next time. God’s Word “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, […] The post The Struggle is Good appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Who do you listen to? There are many voices in the world who clamor for our attention and think they can guide us on the best path. Ultimately, though, only God wants what is best for us and will be with us always. In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus calls Simon (Peter) to follow him. But first, […] The post At Your Command appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Courage! Do we have courage or are we more like the Cowardly Lion? I’d say there are many times when I am like him and other times not. Life can be difficult and courage helps us stand up for what we believe, overcome mental, emotional and physical pain. Scripture Of course, I’d rather God inform […] The post Take Courage appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.