loader from loading.io

S18 E5 - Entering the Desert

Abiding Together

Release Date: 02/16/2026

S18 E14 - Prophetic Motherhood show art S18 E14 - Prophetic Motherhood

Abiding Together

In this episode, we reflect on the beautiful call of women to prophetic motherhood. We talk about how Our Lady models for us a motherhood that speaks life and calls forth goodness to all those she encounters. We also ponder what it means to be a spiritual mother, how Mary can help heal our wounded experiences of motherhood, and the difference between affirmations and prophetic words. As Pentecost draws near, we invite you to ask for Our Lady’s intercession to prepare your heart for a fresh outpouring of grace and to help you become a woman who brings life wherever she goes.  ...

info_outline
S18 E13 - Marriage and Meaning with Special Guests Arthur and Ester Brooks show art S18 E13 - Marriage and Meaning with Special Guests Arthur and Ester Brooks

Abiding Together

In this episode, we welcome Arthur and Ester Brooks to talk about marriage, suffering, and the path to lasting love. Arthur and Ester share what it’s like to minister together, revealing both the grace needed and the hard work it takes to love each other faithfully over decades. We also reflect on suffering as an invitation for growth, why pain is fruitful, and how the hardest places in life are where love is purified. Whether you are married, single, or in religious life, intimacy with God is our source of strength for every situation we encounter in life.    Heather’s One Thing...

info_outline
S18 E12 - The Way of Trust and Love: Enduring Trials show art S18 E12 - The Way of Trust and Love: Enduring Trials

Abiding Together

Happy Easter! In this episode, we conclude our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 6: Enduring Trials. We talk about how even in the light of Easter, we may still experience suffering and how we can choose to rejoice in God’s goodness when His ways remain hidden. We also reflect on why trials are not signs of God’s absence, how we learn to recognize God at work in the present moment, and how to embrace suffering as a necessary path to share in the fullness of Easter. Friends, in this Easter octave, we invite you to reflect on how God has transformed your heart this past Lent....

info_outline
S18 E11 - The Way of Trust and Love: God’s Infinite Mercy show art S18 E11 - The Way of Trust and Love: God’s Infinite Mercy

Abiding Together

In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 5: God’s Infinite Mercy. We reflect on the paradox of true strength—how becoming little, dependent, and surrendered before the Lord is the very place where His strength takes root in us. We also talk about what it means to live with a pure heart, not by striving harder, but by bringing every part of ourselves into honest communion with Christ and allowing His kindness to call us higher. This week, as we wrestle with fear, worry, and the temptation to rely on ourselves, we encourage you to be reminded that it...

info_outline
S18 E10 - The Way of Trust and Love: Trusting More and More show art S18 E10 - The Way of Trust and Love: Trusting More and More

Abiding Together

In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 4: Trusting More and More. We reflect on the tender places where our trust in the Father has been wounded—especially in the disappointments we carry with ourselves, our children, and the circumstances in our lives—and how God gently invites us to bring those disappointments to Him. We also talk about the lies that quietly erode our trust in God, the temptation to carry life’s burdens alone, and the way simple rhythms of prayer allow God to personally reveal to us His goodness. This week, we invite you to...

info_outline
S18 E9 - The Way of Trust and Love: Being Reconciled to Our Weakness show art S18 E9 - The Way of Trust and Love: Being Reconciled to Our Weakness

Abiding Together

In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 3: Being Reconciled to Our Weakness. We talk about how our struggles with ourselves often spill over into our relationships with others and how learning to accept our own weakness can soften our hearts towards the weakness we see in those around us. We also reflect on the tension between accepting our littleness and desiring real conversion, how we become more aware of our imperfections as we draw closer to the Lord, and the gift of community in helping us clearly see our lives. This week, we invite you to...

info_outline
S18 E8 - The Way of Trust and Love: An Elevator for Small Children show art S18 E8 - The Way of Trust and Love: An Elevator for Small Children

Abiding Together

In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 2: An Elevator for Small Children. We talk about the quiet places of discouragement, and self-reliance that keep us striving instead of surrendering. We also reflect about how radical dependence on God is not laziness, the subtle ways we resist being little before a loving Father, and how our poverty is a doorway into deeper trust. This week, we invite you to fall into the Father’s arms, allow Him to pick you up, and rest in the One who delights in you.   Heather’s One Thing - The Prince of Egypt...

info_outline
S18 E7 - The Way of Trust and Love: A Completely New Way show art S18 E7 - The Way of Trust and Love: A Completely New Way

Abiding Together

In this episode, we continue our Lenten book study on “” and focus on Chapter 1: A Completely New Way. We reflect on the “little way” of St. Thérèse, the invitation to become spiritual children before the Father, and how weakness becomes the very place where Christ comes to meet us. We also talk about the difference between being childish and childlike, why true maturity in faith begins with admitting our own poverty, and how small acts of courage open the door to deep healing. This week, we invite you to name the desires stirring in your heart and let the Holy Spirit awaken a new...

info_outline
S18 E6 - The Way of Trust and Love: Introduction show art S18 E6 - The Way of Trust and Love: Introduction

Abiding Together

In this episode, we begin our Lenten book study on “” and focus on the Introduction. We talk about how St. Thérèse’s “little way” offers hope to weary hearts who feel small, fragile, or poor. We discuss how the Lord can transform our lives in a moment, how to boast in our poverty instead of bemoaning it, and the power of a listening heart. This Lent, we invite you into a gentler, deeper journey—one rooted not in striving, but in trust and love.    Heather’s One Thing - and everyone who put together this experience Sister Miriam’s One Thing -   Michelle’s One...

info_outline
S18 E5 - Entering the Desert show art S18 E5 - Entering the Desert

Abiding Together

In this episode, we reflect on Lent as a Holy Spirit led journey through the desert to bring us into a deeper union with God. We talk about the resistance many of us feel to fasting, why Lent is not a self-improvement project, and the importance of discerning our Lenten practices. We also discuss how, through Lent, our true identity as beloved daughters is revealed, tested, and healed. Before Lent begins on Wednesday, we invite you to notice where your heart may feel numb, distracted, or defensive, and ask the Holy Spirit what He desires to restore. Our Lenten book study “” will begin next...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

In this episode, we reflect on Lent as a Holy Spirit led journey through the desert to bring us into a deeper union with God. We talk about the resistance many of us feel to fasting, why Lent is not a self-improvement project, and the importance of discerning our Lenten practices. We also discuss how, through Lent, our true identity as beloved daughters is revealed, tested, and healed. Before Lent begins on Wednesday, we invite you to notice where your heart may feel numb, distracted, or defensive, and ask the Holy Spirit what He desires to restore.

Our Lenten book study “The Way of Trust and Love” will begin next week! We look forward to journeying with you.

 

Heather’s One Thing - Her Lenten Playlist “Songs in the Desert

Sister Miriam’s One Thing - You’re Gonna Be OK by Jen Johnson and Bethel Music

Michelle’s One Thing - Nazareth Organics

 

Announcement:

Our 2026 Lenten book study will be “The Way of Trust and Love” by Fr. Jacques Philippe. Scepter Publishers has offered 15% off with the code ABIDE15. They also offer an ebook version as well. We will announce more information about the study in the coming weeks!

 

Journal Questions:

  • Where is the Holy Spirit inviting me this Lent?
  • In the past, how have I turned to self-reliance throughout Lent?
  • Where is my heart not rooted in my true identity?
  • Is there something in the way of me drawing close to the Lord?
  • Where am I performing instead of depending?
  • Where am I controlling instead of trusting?
  • Where am I grasping for love instead of securely attached?
  • Where am I prideful instead of obedient?

 

Discussion Questions:

  • Where do you need springtime in your personal life?
  • How will you respond to your own shortcomings and self-reliance this Lent?
  • How does the Lord want to bring you deeper into your identity?
  • How is the Lord inviting you to live into your Word of the Year deeper this Lent?

 

Quote to Ponder:

“Lent is a time of going very deeply into ourselves… What is it that stands between us and God? Between us and our brothers and sisters? Between us and life, the life of the Spirit? Whatever it is, let us relentlessly tear it out, without a moment’s hesitation.” (Catherine Doherty)

 

Scripture for Lectio:

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tested by the devil.” (Luke 4:1-2)

 

Sponsor - COR Expeditions:

Are you experiencing the Lord’s invitation to draw closer to Him? We encourage you to consider a life-changing course with COR Expeditions this summer.

COR Expeditions exists to transform the hearts of Catholics of all ages. COR - short for Catholic Outdoor Renewal and meaning “heart” in Latin - offers an invitation not often heard in our modern world: step away from technology, noise, and constant distraction, and step forward with the Lord into the wilderness, just as so many prophets and saints have done before us.

By choosing a course with COR, you are saying yes to being physically, emotionally, and spiritually challenged - in the best possible ways. Our culture often tells women to seek comfort, avoid risk, and doubt their own strength. At the same time, the voice of the enemy quietly whispers that we are not enough. COR offers something radically different: a place of freedom, encouragement, and truth. In the wilderness, you are reminded of your identity as a beloved daughter of God, created with courage, resilience, and deep capacity for joy.

COR courses take place in some of the most breathtaking locations of the Rocky Mountain West. Participants carry backpacks, hike miles into the backcountry, and live simply for the duration of the course. While this may sound intimidating at first, you are never on the journey alone. Our experienced instructors provide guidance, training, and support every step of the way. You do not need to be an elite athlete or an experienced backpacker—only willing to show up, try, and trust the Lord to meet you where you are.

In the silence of the mountains, away from screens and schedules, many women encounter God in a new and personal way. The physical challenge opens space for prayer. The simplicity brings clarity. The shared experience fosters deep community. What remains is peace, confidence, and a renewed ability to hear the Lord’s voice.

If you’re longing for deeper faith, meaningful challenge, and an experience that will stay with you long after summer ends, COR Expeditions may be the invitation your heart has been waiting for.

Learn more and take the next step at corexpeditions.org. Listeners of Abiding Together, use code ABIDE10 to get 10% off any one US-based open enrollment course this summer! 

 

Timestamps:

00:00 COR Expeditions

01:31 Intro

02:17 Welcome

04:42 Guiding Quote and Scripture Verse

05:24 Where is the Holy Spirit Inviting Us Into Deeper Union

10:49 Testing Our Identity

15:41 God Speaks Tenderly to Us in the Desert

18:48 How to Discern What We Should do for Lent

25:16 One Things