The human heart plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps. -Proverbs 16:9 I WROTE A BOOK! Introducing Adventure Awaits: How to Interpret Your Desires and Hear God’s Voice publishing soon and available for preorder NOW with Ave Maria Press. Learn how to find the deepest desires of your heart, how they intersect with God’s desire for you, and how to hear his voice. Have you ever struggled with the timing of a dream and wondered why God isn’t giving you the good desires in your heart? I’m no stranger to that. In 2020 I longed to write a book, but the circumstances weren’t working out. This is the story of how surrendering my dream to God made it work out SO MUCH BETTER than I could have planned. Thank you so much to everyone who has preordered it already and for all the encouragement- I SO appreciate your kind comments! Resources Preorder Adventure Awaits here! Watch episode on YouTube here Watch The Sisterhood: Becoming Nuns Reality Docuseries 10-year Cast Reunion Find tons of other discernment resources and contact Stacey for press interviews here.

If you're like me, you've read headlines the last 5 years and thought, "How in the WORLD did we get here?" Rising depression and anxiety, gender confusion en masse, and Marxist ideology on college campuses characterize American culture today. This episode will take you on a tour of the philosophers who laid the groundwork, and how we can pull out of the mess we're in. Bobby Angel, author of The Postmodern Predicament, returns to Called and Caffeinated. We discuss: Rarely-taught ideals of the Medieval Period that can resurrect and restore a God-centered culture Do "cottagecore aesthetic" and women wearing prairie dresses indicate that Gen Z is hungry for a return to tradition? Deconstructionism: What is it and how do we fight it? Resources PREORDER MY BOOK! Adventure Awaits: How to Interpret Your Desires and Hear God's Voice Read about my latest pregnancy adventure and near-miraculous healing  Order The Postmodern Predicament: And a Roadmap for Restoration and Recovery by Bobby Angel  Your support means so much to me- please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE! Find tons of FREE resources on my website. Follow me on Instagram: @staceysumereau Watch this video on YouTube Shop my handmade beeswax candle collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content.   

“God didn’t come to be our personal assistant; he came to save us and bring us into communion with him, so that we might have access to his divine life and power and live from the truth that we are children of a good and capable Father.” Are you ready for the best Advent ever?? As a lifelong Catholic, I feel like I've done ALL the Catholic things. Yet I still fear surrendering to God, I still care what other people think too much, I still struggle to get off my phone, and a million other things. Why? Because there are parts of me that haven't met Jesus yet.  I know you'll love Heather Khym's insights from her new book Encountering Emmanuel that will make this your best Advent ever! Achievable hospitality: How doing life together engenders authenticity and vulnerability A peek into Heather’s experience of God speaking and her personal prayer routine The ONLY thing you need to focus on in busy seasons (especially Advent!) Does Jesus truly want to satisfy our desires, or want us to sacrifice them? Making God the Lord of your life, not your personal assistant What is God up to when it feels like he’s giving you the “silent treatment”? Identifying the parts of yourself that haven’t met Jesus yet Resources Buy Encountering Emmanuel by Heather Khym God’s “tone of voice” How God’s voice “Sounds” Thank you to today's sponsor, CWCNFP (Catholic Women and Couples Natural Family Planning.) They offer FREE virtual NFP courses in the Billings ovulation method. English and Spanish courses offered! Find CWCNFP on Instagram @cwcnfp and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cwcnfp   Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content. Check out my full line of handmade beeswax candles in partnership with the Catholic All Year Marketplace! Thank you to everyone who supports my ministry with the purchase of a candle. I'm so grateful!

“God did not create you so that you could work to acquire more possessions and then be a slave to them.” Your space tells a story about you. Do you like the story it's telling? If not, how do you start (and persevere) in clearing clutter to reclaim your space? If you’re tired of giving too much space and time to clutter (or it drains your energy but you don't know what to do about it,) then this episode will make a huge difference in your life. Best of all, this episode will equip you to spend MORE time and energy on your God-given purpose. Settle in with a cup of coffee and get motivated! Topics Discussed 3 rules of an orderly home Hidden costs of clutter: Space, time, energy and money Stewardship rather than ownership: What it means and how it’s practically lived out How to get started decluttering to avoid overwhelm, exhaustion and burnout How to streamline and rework decluttering processes Decluttering and setting boundaries around your technology use Resources Find Jennifer here Shop Jennifer's book Make Room Thank you to today's sponsor, CWCNFP (Catholic Women and Couples Natural Family Planning.) They offer FREE virtual NFP courses in the Billings ovulation method. English and Spanish courses offered! Find CWCNFP on Instagram @cwcnfp and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cwcnfp Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content.

HANG OUT WITH ME ON YOUTUBE! “God’s voice is a voice that has a horizon, whereas the voice of the evil leads you to a wall- it backs you into a corner.” If God spoke to you, how would his “tone of voice” sound? In a little concise teaching from Pope Francis, here four different hallmarks unique to God’s tone of voice. I love how this teaching both meshed perfectly with the writings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. Faustina, and also expanded and universalized them!  If you've ever mistaken God's voice for the worst voice in your head (or wonder whether you're discerning it correctly,) you'll love this episode! Resources Come drop me a line and let me know what resonated with you in this episode! Are you daunted by the costs and options involved in learning Natural Family Planning? Connect with Catholic Women and Couples Natural Family Planning for FREE NFP training and personalized instruction in either English or Spanish! Also find them on Instagram @cwcnfp and Facebook here  Check out my full line of handmade beeswax candles in partnership with the Catholic All Year Marketplace, including my new scented Advent taper candles and fir tree scented Christmas tapers! You can also see the new Assisi candle in honor of Sts. Francis and Clare. Read the full text of Pope Francis's teaching on the characteristics of God's voice on the Vatican website.  

Spinning your wheels and overwhelmed? Erin Ingold is here to help! She reminded me every action starts in our thoughts. Managing our minds means we can heal the root of problems, decide well and confidently, and develop lasting habits of virtue. In this episode we cover: The importance of curiosity in change and healing How to stop making harmful snap judgements How to move forward when you're overwhelmed  The core GOOD desires that motivate every action- even sins! How to move from self-judgement to self empathy and ultimately freedom I love Metanoia's ideology and method so much that I'm joining their next training and becoming a certified Catholic life coach as of Spring 2025! I know you'll be helped by Erin's wisdom, as I have. Resources Catholic Coaching Program- Deadline to sign up is September 21st! Get all the info and sign up here FREE Webinar "Our Favorite Coaching Strategy Revealed"  Thank you to today's sponsor, CWCNFP (Catholic Women and Couples Natural Family Planning.) They offer FREE virtual NFP courses in the Billings ovulation method. English and Spanish courses offered! Find CWCNFP on Instagram @cwcnfp and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cwcnfp Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my ministry with the purchase of one of my beeswax candles! See my new Assisi candle and my whole collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace here. Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE   Father Timothy Gallagher OMV is one of the top experts on Ignatian Discernment. He was a part of the God's Adventure Awaits Summit back in the Summer of 2020 and I am so excited to have him back on now! Father Timothy shares his priestly discernment story with me and together we talk about the role of desire in discernment. He also goes over the process of discernment, gaining counsel, judging, and executing a decision with peace and in relationship with Christ. We talk about what should be discerned, little every day decisions vs. big decisions. Also discussed is what true peace is and how to know the difference. Join us as we talk about how what God wants for you is to uncover the deepest layers of what you want, so that He can show you what his will is through those desires.   Topics Discussed What is worth discerning? Vocational Discernment and the importance of Come & Sees The Ignatian Spiritual Exercises 30 day silent retreat using meditations on the life of Christ to draw you deeper in to make decisions with Christ. The importance of desire and attraction in discernment Does God really want what we want? Why we need to trust in God's will for us, even if we are experiencing fear in Discernment. The Colloquy, a conversation with Christ as a friend to a friend. What prayer is, how to dispose ourselves properly to it, and who is the primary actor in it. Spiritual Consolation and Desolation and how to respond to both. How to use the virtue of prudence in your life for natural/non spiritual matters. How to discern peace correctly. It's more than a good feeling. Resources St. Ignatius of Loyola Venerable Bruno Lanteri Book on Ignatian Discernment Book on Prayer Book on Rule #2 Podcasts-Discerning Hearts Father Gregory Pine episode on Prudence Seekdirection.app Spiritualdirection.com Lanteri Center for Ignatian Spirituality What am I to do? Series on daily decisions.  Website: www.frtimothygallagher.org Facebook: Fr. Timothy Gallagher For a film on Venerable Bruno: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTmqtQv7SbM   Sponsors: CWCNFP-Catholic Women and Couples Natural Family Planning Free virtual NFP courses using the Billings method. English and Spanish courses offered. Website: www.cwcnfp.org Instagram: @cwcnfp  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cwcnfp   Metanoia Catholic-Matt & Erin Ingold The Catholic Coaching Podcast Catholic Coaching Program- Deadline to sign up is September 20th, only 10 spots left! Free "What type of coach are you?" Discernment Quiz: https://metanoiacatholic.typeform.com/coach-type Metanoia Catholic Coaching Brochure: https://www.metanoiacatholic.com/catholic-coaching-certification   Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my ministry with the purchase of one of my beeswax candles! See my full collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace here. Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content.

JOIN THE FREE SURRENDER NOVENA CHALLENGE HERE!  We start May 30 until June 7! Show Notes Do you feel like it’s hard to be totally real with God? Do you have trouble calming your mind and letting go of your to do list to pray? Do you feel frustrated with yourself and wish you could just be better? Enter the Colloquy, a fancy word for “conversation” in St. Ignatius of Loyola’s formula. It’s a simple formula- literally 3 quick steps- anyone can use to have an authentic connection to the Lord. In the first few minutes I explain how to make a colloquy, then I move onto my own experience of making a colloquy. Jesus’s love is unreal. In reading The Interior Castle I’ve had the good (hard) realization of how far I have to go before I’m ready for sainthood. Honesty is good, but I’ve felt so frustrated with myself lately. Jesus totally changed my heart and my outlook with his response. I hope my testimony gives you hope and encourages you to try making a colloquy Topics Discussed Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises Sharing 3 of My Visions… What It’s Like to Experience Visions  How Does God’s Voice Actually “Sound”? St. Teresa’s Rules for Discerning Whether Voices Come From God, Our Imagination, or the Devil  Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my ministry with the purchase of one of my beeswax candles! See my full collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace here- my newest candle is called Ex Cathedra, based on St. Peter’s Bascillica. With scents of lily, jasmine & seasalt, it’s perfect as we head into summer! Come on over to my website for more resources for your spiritual life. Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content. 

Join the FREE Surrender Novena + Stretch Challenge here- we start May 30! Kick off your day with something good for your body and for your soul!   ADULT THEMES DISCUSSED! Morgan Swartz is my podcast guest today, folks! She was a participant on my True North Discernment group that I led back in the Fall of 2020 with people who wanted some extra discernment guidance after The God’s Adventure Awaits Summit. Morgan is a bold and joyful woman for the Lord! She and I talk about being free in order to choose well and to really be able to seek the voice of God. We also discuss dating, listening to God/the Holy Spirit’s inspirations in prayer, and what it means to trust God even in our struggle with brokenness and addictions. Morgan has a ministry called JoyinHope and a book called Out of Darkness, Into Light about her struggle with pornography and masturbation. Grab your new favorite brew and brace yourself for some deep, honest discussion about what it’s like to go through addiction and healing, and hearing God’s voice call you to do great things!   WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE   Topics Discussed Online dating Developing a relationship with each person of the Blessed Trinity: How the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit heal us by showing us who we are Morgan’s story of becoming addicted to porn and masturbation + her healing process from sin, shame and lies of the enemy Physical boundaries in dating The vital importance of an accountability partner and daily rosary Gaining bravery to share your story-even and ESPECIALLY the hard parts Resources Book: Out of Darkness, Into Light by Morgan Swartz Movie: The Shack Prayer: “God, show me who I am to You” Mini Lesson: Pope Francis’ Discerning the Voice of God Morgan’s Ministry: JoyinHope Morgan’s Youtube: JoyinHope Morgan’s YouTube Healing Playlist Our Lady of Fatima Ascension Presents: Mari Pablo   Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my ministry with the purchase of one of my beeswax candles! See my full collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace here- my newest candle is called Ex Cathedra, based on St. Peter’s Basilica. With scents of lily, jasmine & sea salt, it’s perfect as we head into summer! Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content.

Hi Friends! God wants to speak to you, each of you. Because each of you are special to Him. Today I'm going to share a few of my experiences in prayer so that you know what is possible! I really hope that you enjoy my bold vulnerability in this episode in sharing a glimpse into some moments with the Lord where He was very clear with me (Because I need Him to be!) I hope this helps you to listen with expectation that Jesus will speak to you! Get all settled in with your favorite new mug and get ready to learn more about how God can speak to you! BUY THE PAINTING BY MY HUSBAND REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE HERE WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE Topics Discussed Rediscovering boldness in faith by our expectations of how God will speak to us in prayer. Saint friends: How they pray and what we can learn from them. How the Mercy of God meets us in prayer and helps us heal. Prayer visions and what they can look like. Growth through suffering: Why it's a gain! Resources St. Faustina St. Paul-Acts Ch. 9 Hebrews 13:5 St. Teresa of Avila Father Ripperger Last episode on God’s Voice John's Painting in the YouTube Video-at 4:20 Nora 7 Sorrows of Mary Ephesians 6:12 Sacred Heart Our Lady Undoer of Knots Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my ministry with the purchase of one of my beeswax candles! See my full collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace here- my newest candle is called Ex Cathedra, based on St. Peter’s Bascillica. With scents of lily, jasmine & seasalt, it’s perfect as we head into summer! Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content.

Topics Discussed How to hear God when He speaks to us and what He "sounds" like (it may surprise you!) What are locutions? Where/who locutions come from: imagination, God or the devil 5 reasons from St. Teresa of Avila to know that a locution is an authentic communication from God Resources Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila Father Chad Ripperger Mike Creavey Episode Depression Episode Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my ministry with the purchase of one of my beeswax candles! See my full collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace here- may I recommend an Alleluia candle for Easter? Lemon and lily of the valley mingle to make your home smell like pure joy! Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content.

Psalm 34: “Trust in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” January Donovan is a force of nature and walking proof of what we can accomplish when we undertake God’s invitation to a massive dream. She’s the founder of the highly successful Woman School and Wholeness School, wife, and mom of eight kids. She was so impactful that in the week since we recorded, I’m seeing enormous fruits in my life: I finally got motivated to hire an assistant so I can put out more content regularly, I’m cranking out a huge and exciting project (that’ll be announced in the coming months) with zero self-doubt, AND I’m running my household with more discipline. All that from just one conversation, and I can’t wait to hear the effects of our conversation in your life! Whether you consider yourself a dreamer or a practical person, you’ll gain irreplaceable wisdom from January.   Topics Discussed: January’s daily routine as a mom of 8 and CEO How God calls us through OUR action The #1 qualities single women should look for in a man How to form the desires of your heart and find your dream for this season Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset Resources The Woman School website Carol Dweck: Fixed vs. growth mindset Thank you so much to everyone who has supported my ministry with the purchase of one of my beeswax candles! See my full collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace here- may I recommend an Alleluia candle for Easter? Lemon and lily of the valley mingle to make your home smell like pure joy! Need a community? Come join my Patreon community for monthly video chats with Catholics from around the USA, and other perks! Your support starting at just $5/mo will help support the continued provision of my unique discernment content.

"Why doesn't God help me in my suffering? Why does he feel farther away right at the time when I need to feel him closest? Why is he rejecting me?" These are the questions I found myself asking in 2023 when beset by my son's extended health crisis: I barely slept more than an hour at a time for FIVE MONTHS. I quickly discovered why sleep deprivation has been used as a form of torture! In this difficult season I wrestled with big questions about what God's provision through hardship means. I hope this episode can support and encourage anyone who needs it today. Most of the content I produce is totally free of charge. If you'd like to help support my ministry and family, please consider one of the following:  Purchase a candle from my collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace- they make great Valentine's Day gifts as enhancing your Lent and Easter prayer! Join my Patreon Community for monthly video chats with me and a great community of Catholics from around the USA! Visit my YouTube channel (where I have free full-length workout videos) and subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss an episode! Share this episode with a friend and leave me a review on Apple Podcasts :)

Thanks for tuning in! Today I have 6 strategies you can implement right now to help you quit the win/lose mentality with other women.  Please consider supporting my work either by joining my Patreon community (starting at just $5/month with great perks!) ... ...and purchasing handmade beeswax candles from my collection with the Catholic All Year Marketplace. They make fantastic gifts for Lent, Easter, and Valentine's Day!

How do you handle the emotional rollercoaster when God appears to open and then almost immediately shut a door? Mary Clare had this question and I was so glad she asked! In this episode I'll be sharing how I handle the ups and downs, as well as the perfect parenting principle God uses on us, for our good. (Because TBH I need to be parented :) ) Find all episodes of my show as well as full-length Scripture-inspired workout videos on my website. I hope you enjoy the episode! You can watch it ON YOUTUBE HERE. (and if you susbcribe, like and share while you're at it you'll make my day!)   Thanks for considering purchasing one of my handmade beeswax candles. They smell amazing and the jars are gorgeous! Check out my line of products available on the Catholic All Year Marketplace here!   Do you need a community of like-minded Christians? Join my Patreon community- pledges start at just $5/month! You'll also be supporting ongoing provision of my unique discernment content. Thanks so much for considering!

I've not yet talked about homeschooling on my show yet, but today's the day! I'm not a veteran homeschool mom by any means, but I've done enough to make a plan to tackle my 3 biggest pain points in homeschooling. They are: Keeping patience when things get frustrating What to do with your littles while you're doing schoolwork with your bigs Keeping a tidy (enough) house to stay sane when everyone is home all day I hope you enjoy the episode! You can watch it ON YOUTUBE HERE. (and if you susbcribe, like and share while you're at it you'll make my day!) Thanks for considering purchasing one of my handmade beeswax candles. They smell amazing and the jars are gorgeous! Check out my line of products available on the Catholic All Year Marketplace here! Do you need a community of like-minded Christians? Join my Patreon community- pledges start at just $5/month! You'll also be supporting ongoing provision of my unique discernment content. Thanks so much for considering!

Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe and share with anyone you know who needs to hear this episode. In this episode, Shannon and I detail our eating disorders and how scripture and understanding how God sees us freed us from our underlying self-image issues. Packed with practical tips and support for anyone struggling to love themselves. Resources Buy Shannon's Book See Yourself As God Does Hear Dr. Andrew Whitmore's episode on Called and Caffeinated Join Stacey's Patreon Community here! Buy Stacey's handmade beeswax prayer candles. They make amazing gifts.

Thank you so much for tuning in! Do you feel like you're stuck in a rut? Can't get out of the same old bad habits (and you're sick of thinking about how you can't just kick them once and for all?) My good friend Dr. Andrew Whitmore will spell out strategies from his new book that are sure to give you tons of motivation and immediate progress. If you listen to my show regularly you know I love actionable strategies, and Dr. Whitmore will not disappoint. Resources Buy Dr. Whitmore's Book, Saintly Habits, here! Stacey's Called and Caffeinated interview with Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. on the virtue of prudence Check out Stacey's handmade prayer candles and tallow lotion bars for sale on the Catholic All Year Marketplace here! They make wonderful gifts as well as companions for your prayer time to elevate your heart and soul. Want to chat with Stacey and fellow wonderful Catholics from around the country? Join Stacey's Patreon community. Your pledge supports this channel and gains you access to twice-monthly chats to support you in your walk with God. Click here to learn more!

Happy Feast Day of St. Joseph!! I have a newfound devotion to this incredible Saint and, since I have promised to spread awareness of his amazingness, I'm keeping that promise today. It's been an extremely eventful year for the Sumereau family, and one other Saint has also been instrumental for us. Yes God does answer prayers, and he loves to do it in a way that will blow your mind! Also in this episode is a concept that's been buzzing around in my brain for YEARS that I've never yet been able to articulate. When we're discerning something we often want to rush to an answer. However, the Lord may want to HEAL us first. How to begin understanding that, getting to the root of the problem, and re-framing our understanding of discernment so we can approach it correctly? Listen to find out. (My 2-month-old son was a very noisy sleeper in this episode, so my apologies for some background "extras"! If I wait for perfection, nothing will happen these days!) Resources Amber VanVickle's article A Mother Finds Love at the Foot of the Cross  St. Joseph's Cloak Novena St. Therese of Lisieux Novena

In my years in discernment ministry, I’ve noticed that most people look for God’s voice in two specific ways: A voice in one’s head, or a sign. As my spiritual life has matured, I’ve mostly stopped asking God for a sign in discernment. Why? I have four reasons: Signs can be ambivelent: How do you know what the sign means? God may not want to tell you because he may want you to choose Signs are limiting: God often wants to work far more creatively! Asking for a sign can make you hyper-focused on the sign when discernment is rather a relationship So how should we pray in discernment? There are many ways, and I’ll finish the episode with four very practical ways to help you get unstuck and pray well. Two are from St. Ignatius “The Man” of Loyola. Enjoy! Resources Get the Prayer of Surrender mentioned in this episode when you subscribe to https://www.staceysumereau.com . You’ll instantly get a packet called “How to Make the Right Choice” and inside that is the Prayer. Leah Darrow’s episode on Called and Caffeinated Fr. Gregory Pine O.P.’s episode on Called and Caffeinated Thank you to everyone who has purchased on of my handmade prayer candles! Check out the whole line here! To join my Patreon Community for lively discussions and prayer twice a month! Pledges start at just $5/month and support the ongoing provision of this unique discernment content. Thank you for your support!