Mamas in Spirit

“So many times transitions involve pain and tears.” Mary Dolan has remained deeply engaged in her relationship with Christ throughout times of change in her life. Recently, Mary faced retirement and wondered, “Does one truly retire from loving and serving the Lord? In this series, “Women of Wisdom,” Mary explores the v

 “My whole life burned down to the ground.” When she was six, Joelle Maryn narrowly escaped a house fire. That day, she lost her beloved sister. Adding to her sorrow, Joelle also felt as though she had lost her parents to the heartbreak of losing their child.  Joelle became an actress and model, attempting to rebuild h

The year Maria Morera Johnson turned 49 almost did her in. Maria faced intense stress in every aspect of her life. The lowest point was when she had a stroke.  “I was an absolute physical, emotional, and spiritual mess.” Maria survived and went home carrying a lot in her heart to reflect on. She decided to attend a spi

Jonna Schuster aimed for picture-perfect faith. Until everything started to fall apart. Jonna’s perfectionist tendencies left her drained and unhappy—she even started having health problems.  When Jonna attended a silent retreat with Passionist Nuns in Kentucky, everything changed. While a blizzard raged outside the ch

Jill Simons lay on her bedroom floor, surrounded by nine rejection letters from top MFA programs. After a childhood marked by remarkable achievements, Jill realized she could no longer rely on her accomplishments as the source of her identity. Jill needed some healing. Over six months, Jill regularly attended Adoration

In her 30s, Allison Gingras was invited to her first Bible study by a friend. Initially, she attended primarily for the snacks.  But then, Allison fell in love with the Word of God.  As Holy Scripture touched her heart, Allison began to live her faith.  Allison has embraced God's call to follow Christ, even when it has