Girlfriends (A Podcast for Catholic Women)

Exclusive for paid subscribers: Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS episode!How do you find grace when your baby is in the NICU?This week on Grace Unfiltered, I’m joined by my friend Stacey Sumereau—author, speaker, podcaster, and mom of five—for a raw and deeply moving conversation about what it means to parent a child with special needs.Stacey shares the dramatic story of her daughter Nora’s birth, a terrifying medical crisis that led to multiple surgeries, months in the NICU, and a lifelong disability diagnosis. With honesty and courage, she opens up about the trauma, the loneliness, and the daily battles, but also the unexpected gifts of grace, resilience, and joy that God has brought through her daughter’s life.In this conversation, we talk about:* Facing fear, trauma, and isolation during a long NICU stay—especially during COVID lockdowns* Learning to surrender control when parenting looks completely different than you imagined* The hidden struggles of navigating the medical system as a special needs parent* Finding community and healing in unexpected places* The gift of seeing God’s love and strength revealed through Nora’s determination and joy💙 Stacey’s story is both heartbreaking and hope-filled. If you’ve ever wrestled with surrender, struggled to trust God in suffering, or wondered where He is in the middle of your hardest moments, you’ll find so much encouragement and light here.Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Exclusive for paid subscribers: Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS episode!How do you save your marriage when you aren’t sure what a healthy marriage looks like?This week on Grace Unfiltered, I’m joined by writer, speaker, and dear friend Roxane Salonen. Roxane shares her powerful testimony of God’s redeeming grace in the midst of family brokenness, addiction, and the struggles of marriage.From growing up in a dysfunctional home to bringing her own wounds into marriage, Roxane opens up about the very real challenges she and her husband faced—seasons of doubt, conflict, and even despair. And yet, through prayer, surrender, and God’s faithful presence, their story is one of redemption, healing, and unexpected grace.We talk about:* What it’s like to grow up without a healthy model of marriage and how that affects your own family life* The ways God shows up in the darkest, most broken places when we surrender to Him* How the Surrender Novena, Eucharistic adoration, and the Litany of Trust became lifelines in her marriage* Why it’s never too late for God to bring new life and hope into your family story💙 Roxane’s story is honest, raw, and deeply encouraging. If you’ve ever felt powerless in your relationships or wondered if God could really bring healing out of hurt, you’ll find so much hope here.Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Exclusive for paid subscribers: Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS episode!What do you do when life falls apart—again and again?In this heartfelt conversation, Sarah Christmyer shares her story of walking with God through repeated storms: financial collapse, faith crises, the pain of addiction, raising a child with a life-threatening illness, and eventually, the loss of her husband to cancer.Sarah speaks vulnerably about loneliness, disappointment, and fear—and how God has met her each time with unexpected peace. From clinging to scripture verses in her early marriage to discovering the Sacred Heart devotion in her sixties, she shows us what it looks like to keep trusting when the waves don’t stop.In this episode, you’ll hear:* The practice of gratitude that shifted Sarah’s perspective in desperate times* How praise—even in sorrow—can lift our hearts to God* What her husband taught her about “looking through the door” to heaven as he neared death* Why remembering God’s past faithfulness matters in today’s struggles* Simple practices that can anchor us in God’s presence when storms rage💙 Sarah’s story is honest, tender, and full of hard-won hope. If you’ve ever felt lost in a storm, her witness will remind you that Christ is in the boat with you—bringing peace that surpasses understanding.Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Exclusive for paid subscribers: Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS episode!Is it sometimes harmful to keep the peace?In this candid and deeply honest conversation, Laura Phelps opens up about the quiet healing work God is doing in her life right now. Together we talk about the hidden struggles behind codependency, the temptation to “spackle” over wounds instead of addressing them, and what it really means to let go of control.Laura shares stories from her own childhood, her battle with an eating disorder, the ups and downs of nearly three decades of marriage, and yes—even what chickens have taught her about slowing down, paying attention, and letting God work.If you’ve ever struggled with perfectionism, keeping the peace at all costs, or defining yourself by productivity, this episode will resonate with you. Laura’s unfiltered witness is full of humor, vulnerability, and hard-won wisdom that reminds us we’re never alone in the mess.What you’ll hear in this episode:* The surprising spiritual lessons Laura has learned from raising backyard chickens * How childhood coping mechanisms can quietly shape adult relationships* Why “keeping the peace” isn’t always the loving choice* The role of codependency in so many of our hidden struggles* What nearly three decades of marriage has taught her about love, respect, and letting God lead* The prayer practice that’s grounding Laura’s healing journey today💙 Laura’s story is unfiltered, vulnerable, and full of grace. If you’ve ever wrestled with control, codependency, or the pressure to keep everything “just fine,” her witness will remind you that God meets us in the mess and gently leads us toward healing and freedom.Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

Exclusive for paid subscribers: Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS epsiode!What does it mean to get back up when life knocks you flat?In this episode of Grace Unfiltered, I sit down with my dear friend Mary Lenaburg—wife, mom, speaker, and author—whose life has been shaped by both tremendous sorrow and unexpected grace. Mary shares the story of raising her daughter Courtney, who lived with profound disabilities for 22 years, and how that journey changed everything about her faith, her marriage, and her understanding of resilience.We talk about:* What resilience really means (hint: it’s not doing it on your own)* How to find God’s presence in suffering and grief* The cultural lies that discourage women from leaning on Him* Why nothing is wasted with God—even our biggest mistakes* Practical habits that help Mary stay rooted in hope💙 Mary’s story is raw, real, and filled with hope. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep trusting God when you don’t have the answers—or how to love right where you are—you’ll find encouragement here.Download the Grace Unfiltered companion journalPublishing tomorrow: My personal takeaways from this episode. Stay tuned for this BONUS epsiode!Subscribe now at daniellebean.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit daniellebean.substack.comDo you ever feel like peace is just out of reach—buried under all the pressure to do it right and hold it all together? In this (bonus podcast!) Girlfriends Live session for paid susbcribers, we got honest about how perfectionism steals our joy, and how God invites us into something better: His peace that “guards our hearts and minds” (Phil 4:6–7). Free subscribers can listen to a short clip. Paid susbcribers get access to the whole recording. Subscribe here --> daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe

What does adoption teach us about the way God loves? How can the Eucharist draw us closer to heaven even while we’re still on earth? In this week’s episode of Girlfriends, I’m joined by Jamie McAleer—wife, mom, grandmother, and author of I Will Come to You: A Story of Adoption and the Relentless Love of God.Jamie shares her powerful conversion story, beginning with her very first Mass as a college student, and how God used that moment to plant seeds of faith that would grow over decades. She also opens up about the journey to adopt her son from Russia, the challenges and joys of raising a child through adoption, and the way that experience deepened her understanding of our own adoption as children of God.We also talk about:* The connection between the Eucharist and Heaven* How Mary interceded for Jamie’s family in a time of great need* What it’s like to be a grandmother to fifteen grandchildren* Practical ways busy moms can deepen their Eucharistic devotion* Why sharing your personal story can open the door for others to share theirsLinks and Resources:* I Will Come to You * Learn more about Jamie’s work in media: 4pmmedia.com* Subscribe to the Girlfriends newsletterIf you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and leave a review wherever you listen. Your support helps more women discover the hope, joy, and encouragement they need to live their faith in the middle of real life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellebean.substack.com/subscribe