Mary, Our Spiritual Mother, and Scrupulosity
Dear Souls and Hearts Community Members,
Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception to you all! This is the day we celebrate our Lady, our Mother, the Immaculate. She is is spiritual mother, our primary mother. And I have special devotion to her as the mother of all of our Souls and Hearts members, especially in that she heals mother wounds, the inevitable emotional and relational injuries that happen to us over time in our fallen world from our imperfect mother figures.
On...
Inner Pre-Evangelization: A Focus on Internal Trust
By Peter Malinoski, Ph.D.
I don’t trust myself.
Have you said, “I don’t trust myself” to yourself? If you haven’t, it’s a pretty good bet that you know someone who has. Depending on our impulses, temptations and circumstances, we might not trust ourselves in our speech, our drinking behaviors, our humor, our eating patterns, our internet use, or in the grocery store. That can be a whole range of situations in which we don’t...
On Vaccine Mandates, Contempt, Families and Thanksgiving…
By Peter Malinoski, Ph.D.
Happy upcoming Thanksgiving to you! We at Souls and Hearts are very thankful that you are with us, supporting us and engaging with us and what we offer. So thank you.
Let’s talk about family and Thanksgiving. And families getting together – or not getting together because of the COVID vaccine. Considerable ink has been spilled on how the debate about COVID vaccines has split families – and all the repercussions of that for the holidays. I’ve...
A Chink in the Armor: Refortifying Ourselves Against Pornography during COVID-19
Take me to the "Restoring Your Marriage After Pornography" course!
by John J. Vizza, MDIV, MCL, JCL, MS
A recent November 2020 study from the International Journal of Impotence Research (of all things!) showed that traffic on pornography websites has significantly increased. Not only that but searches for COVID-related pornographic themes had been sought out, on one website, more than a million times in just one month.
While the US, at least according to this study, remained relatively...
The Importance of Positive Thinking
by Kate Walsh Soucheray, Ed.D., M.A.T., M.A., LMFT
In this unprecedented time, we must remember to hold fast to positive thinking that leads us and sustains us. Our thoughts are fundamental to our sense of well-being, and as we participate in the living presence of the Holy Spirit, we will be blessed and supported in our efforts to remain positive and hopeful.
According to psychologists at the Mayo Clinic, maintaining a positive attitude is one of the most important thing human beings...
The Sacramental Life of A Catholic Christian
by Kate Walsh Soucheray, Ed.D., M.A.T., M.A., LMFT
The sacramental life of a Catholic Christian is so fundamental to our faith that we likely do not notice how it molds and shapes us to become the people of God each and every day. The life we live is simple and profound. As Catholics, we find a rhythm in life through the sacraments, by celebrating these sacred, transitional moments with family members and other special people in our lives. The sacraments are moments of grace that help us...
Shift Activities to Avoid the Holiday Blues
I want more details! Show me Episode 56 of Be With the Word"
By Gerry Crete, PhD
It’s that time of year again. The commercialization machine starts up earlier and earlier, instilling a sense of urgency to shop, buy, plan, give, and celebrate. The anticipation, preparation and stress of family gatherings begins, made even more complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic this year. Individuals suffering from isolation, anxiety, depression, and seasonal affective disorders may have more...
Revise Your Advent Preparation
by Kate Walsh Soucheray, Ed.D., M.A.T., M.A., LMFT
We are now into the season of Advent, and with all that has happened with COVID-19 and the election, we may not have attended to our normal preparation for this lovely season.
Instead, we may have been concerned about who is coming to dinner for holiday celebrations, whether we will be safe, and if the gifts we ordered online will arrive on time. While all those considerations are important and valuable, they can distract us from the...
Philippians 4 as a Remedy for Anxiety
Dr. Mario Sacasa, LMFT
Anxiety is a curious thing. The human brain is a powerhouse of activity, constantly processing and directing thoughts, emotions, and actions. The vast majority of this activity is beneath our awareness, but the thoughts that tend to get us in trouble are those associated with responses to threats. When those get out-of-whack, we call that anxiety. Yes, fear certainly has its place; it is needed to keep us alive, yet, the powerful human brain can create threats in all...
Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart
Take me to the "Coronavirus Crisis: Carpe Diem" podcast!
by Kate Walsh Soucheray, Ed.D., M.A.T., M.A., LMFT
It is so easy to feel hopeless or discouraged at this time. We may have thought the coronavirus would be over by now, or that we would have a vaccine that lets us get back to normal. And yet, we are facing the holidays and we have been stuck in this state of confusion and chaos for several months and there is no guarantee it will end anytime soon. All we know for sure is that we...