Back by popular demand, enjoy Draw Near's "dad joke" challenge. We have a rematch between Fred Shellabarger and Phillip Grothus, with Kara as the judge. Who do you think will take the title this time?

We are back! (Again)! We are back in the studio TOGETHER with a new episode! Here we share some updates on our lives, where we are and what God has been doing in our hearts and in our lives over the last month and a half. Very much the fruit of prayer, in this episode, we return to our Lectio Divina series and reflect on Genesis 16, the story of Hagar, and what we can be sure of in our relationship with God during dark, difficult and dry seasons.

Once again, Fred invites you into his morning routine. The obligatory coffee and a reflection on the call to holiness and mission, the purpose for which we were created, and how God desires to work in our lives. Drawing on the words of Pope Benedict XVI, Scripture, the Catechism, and the lives and teachings of the saints, we pray this reflection will help you to begin your day, the right way! Listen to find out what that means! :)

As we have mentioned in the past, Fred's favorite Scripture passage... Literally, the Book of Philippians. We have teased posting a simple recording, reading the Philippians. So, as he sipped his coffee this morning, and prepared for the day, Fred thought, "Why not today!" So, we hope you enjoy! Take some time to reflect on the wisdom the Lord offers us through St Paul; four simple chapters on living the Christian life well. And a great way to start the day.

In this at times humorous, but always heartfelt (and honest) reflection, Fred brings our "Hearing God's Voice" series to a close by sharing some insights from the story of Balaam and his talking... @$$... er... eh... donkey. What can we learn about the Christian life, hearing the Lord's voice and the importance of relationships? Listen to find out!

Why are so many uncomfortable with silence? We live in a world where there is always noise. There's always something to consume. We are never without entertainment. However, God is found in the silence; the still small voice. Why is this both scary and amazing? How can we set aside silence in our lives?

What has this past year held for Fred, Kara, and their families? How has God worked and How has he spoken?

This episode serves as a companion and follow up to our "Does God Speak to Me?" episode. Here we are joined by Julie Storr, from Lectio the Liturgy. Julie presented at our recent Draw Near Retreat in which the theme was, "Hearing God's Voice." Julie offers some great practical steps for not only hearing the Lord's voice, but also building a lifestyle in which a relationship with God characterized by talking with your loving Father is not just a wish, but an actual lived experience, rooted in prayer, in Scripture, and in the life of the Holy Spirit.

This shorty serves as a follow-up to the episode, "Does God Speak to Me?" Here, Kara offers two practical tips for your spiritual life to grow in your ability to hear God's voice and familiarity with his voice.

We are back!!! In this episode, we reflect on our experiences coming back from our summer "break", unplanned home renovations and being a sheep. In all these things, the Lord was speaking! But what do we mean by the Lord was "speaking?" What does it mean to hear the Lord's voice? Is hearing the Lord's voice something we all can do? What does this have to do with sheep and our identity? These are the questions we seek to answer in the first of a series on "Hearing the Lord's Voice." Hearing the Lord's voice is not a privilege to be earned, but rather an inheritance, a promise from our loving Father. As such, we hope this series will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord, and hear the voice of our Shepherd.

Why don't Catholics believe in sola scriptura (Scripture alone) as the authority of faith? This is a common question posed to Catholics, but are we prepared to answer it? In this episode of Draw Near, Fred and Kara take up this question of authority pulling from Scripture itself.

Continuing our series of lectio discussions, in this episode we look at one of Fred's favorite passages in all of Scripture: Phil 4:4-9. Paul's words to the Philippians are packed full of encouragement and guidance in how we are to follow Christ. Can we rejoice? More importantly, can we rejoice... always? Even in the midst of difficult circumstances? St Paul wrote to Timothy, "Follow me as I follow Christ." In many ways, those words are for us too! But what does that look like? How do we balance the "being" with the "doing"? Furthermore, in the face of negativity, discouragement, division, and so much in the world that can be troubling to our minds and hearts, how do we maintain our hope? How do we guard our hearts and minds to avoid temptation, fear, anxiety, and despair? The answers to these questions all form the core of our lectio discussion this week!

In what is likely the most deeply personal, vulnerable, and passionate Draw Near discussion we have ever offered listeners, we decided to share exactly what is at the heart of what we do. What has the Lord put on our hearts? How does it shape our ministry together? The lives of our families? What do we see as our vision and goals? For the past three years we have talked about these things in passing, but never in a meaningful way. We decided its time to do just that!

In this episode we continue our Lenten lectio divina Scripture reflections by taking a look at the account of the Lame Beggar at the Beautiful Gate. Here we see Peter and John look at him intently, though they could not offer him the money he was asking for, it did not prevent their fixed and loving attention on him. What they offer the man was something even greater than he asked for. Prayer. Jesus Christ. Healing! The man asked with expectancy; that his needs would be met. But the Lord provided even greater things. Peter and John offered prayer, and expected that that prayer would bear fruit. What are the many things we can learn from this passage? In what ways can we relate to this beggar? In what ways are we called to follow the example of Peter and John? What does all of this have to do with hope? Listen to find out!

In this episode, we take a different approach than usual, by doing a Lectio Divina together on Matthew 11:28-30. What we offer in this episode is a much deeper, personal and more vulnerable reflection on our walk with Christ and how He is working in our lives during this season; in and through the launch of our full time apostolate work, and especially during Lent. We discuss the things that are weighing on our hearts as well how the Lord is calling us to rest and trust in Him. We pray this conversation will be a blessing in your own lenten journey.

In this episode we are joined by our friend Julie Storr, from Lectio the Liturgy! We discuss lectio devina, meditative prayer and especially the Mass! Catholics recognize the Mass as the highest form of public prayer in the Church, the Roman Missal as our official prayerbook. The liturgy that we celebrate and the words that we hear, and pray in the Liturgy, even the simplest of words, are packed with meaning that can help us grow in our relationship with Christ and His Church. What better time than this Lent! Julie Storr offers us some guidance in how to prepare our hearts to encounter Christ in the Liturgy.

In this "shortie" episode, Fred offers a reflection on the readings for the day: in particular, the words, “Return to me with your whole heart…” What do these words mean? What is the Lord calling us to and reminding us of? What can we learn from our tendencies in our human relationships? How do we avoid growing cold in our love and taking our beloved for granted? The answers to these questions are found in this reflection. As you begin your Lenten journey, we encourage you to listen and take up the challenge that Fred offers here…

At times the world of sports can seem to run headlong into conflict with the world of faith. Studies and lived world experience seem to reveal that at least in the hearts and minds of many, participation in and consumption of sports entertainment take the priority over matters of faith and worship on any given Sunday. This can be found even in the pressures placed upon young people. What is this the cause of this seeming divide? What does the Church (and Scripture) have to say about the relationship between faith and sports? What value is there in athletics in terms of informing our faith and helping us to grow in virtue? In this episode we are joined by coach and teacher, Kelley Grothus and Fr Patrick Behm as we discuss the answers to these questions and more.

In this episode we are joined by our friends Danny and Ashley Swalve as we discuss their journey of coming to a deeper faith in Christ and how that has shaped their marriage and helped them to find great hope even through otherwise overwhelmingly difficult circumstances. At the heart of their testimony is their story of surrender and trust in God's will for their lives; a desire to be used by Him to help bring healing to others who have faced similar challenges.

We have a new podcast coming out on **January 24th,** 2023! This weekly, year-long show is called, "My Lord & My God," based on the words of St. Thomas. Be sure to subscribe/follow on your favorite podcast platform to catch all the new episodes. In the meantime, enjoy this preview of episode 1 in which we reflect on the inspiration for this show, "Doubting Thomas," and those beautiful words of encounter, "My Lord and My God."