“Jesus himself drew near.” (Lk 24:15)
God takes the initiative to draw near to us out of a deep and personal love for each one of us. This movement asks each of us for a response. There are so many beautiful ways we can respond to the work of God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. This is a journey we share together, drawing near to Christ as we draw near to one another. This shared journey toward Christ, rooted in the Catholic faith, is the focus of our podcast. Our goal is to be authentic, honest, humble, faithful, loving, passionate, real and vulnerable in each episode. We also like to keep it lighthearted. We are two best friends, sharing life together with our families. We invite you to join us as we Draw Near. Let's grow towards sainthood together!
Listen below to the most RECENT EPISODE:
Prayer: Intimate Friendship with God
The spiritual IS the practical. Nothing in our spiritual lives (or lives in general) is more integral than a prayer life. This is where we grow in friendship with God! Listen for more on this topic, biblical examples and teachings, and tips to overcoming obstacles in prayer.
Why are you Catholic?
There are many questions we may never intentionally reflect on. In this episode, we ask each other a couple of these questions and share parts of our testimonies. What led Fred to convert to Catholicism? What impacted Kara's faith in a dramatic way?
Come Follow Me
"'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed him." Mt 4:19-20
Redemptive Suffering
In this short episode, we welcome a friend and well-known Catholic speaker, Matthew Leonard. We had a great conversation with him about love, prayer, the interior life, and suffering. As a follow-up to our "Willingness to Suffer" episode, we wanted to share the audio from the short portion of our discussion regarding suffering. We hope you enjoy!
Willingness to Suffer
Jesus tells us narrow and difficult is the path that leads to life. Does this mean we will naturally experience hardships and suffering?
What is the cause of suffering? Why do bad things happen to good people? Does God even ASK us to suffering? Find out...
The Invisible World: Spiritual Warfare
The devil and his evil ones tempt us and try to do all they can to draw us away from God... to steal our lives. Listen to find out how to combat spiritual warfare!
St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
The Invisible World: Demons
Continuing the series on the Invisible World, demons are quite real. Evil wants to remain hidden, because it can do so much more damage in the dark. Listen to this episode to bring evil and the attempts to drag you away from God into the light!
(Note: God is all powerful and has dominion over good AND evil. There is no fight. The fight is already won when we run to God.)
The Invisible World: Angels part 2
Continuing the "Invisible World" series, we provide practical tips to increase devotion to guardian angels and allow them to work more in our lives. The invisible world works in the visible world... in your life!
The Invisible World: Angels Part 1
90% of God's creation is INVISIBLE! In this "Invisible World" series, Fred and Kara talk about angels and demons. This first episode will answer the questions: What are angels? How do they interact in the visible world? How can we invite them into our lives?
Why Draw Near?
Thank you for listening to Draw Near. Before beginning, start with this short "trailer" of what Draw Near is about, why Fred and Kara chose this name, and the goal of this podcast.
Let's grow together.