Draw Near

I See a Movement

April 19th, 2023  |  43 mins 52 secs

catholic, i see a movement, renewal of the church, vision

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!

It is or deepest prayer and desire that this episode, more than anything else, would inspire you to allow the Holy Spirit to move upon the waters of your heart, to enkindle the fire of God's love in your heart, so that you would be moved to renew the world around you through the joy of the Gospel! Even the greatest fire begins with but a spark!

The Eucharist: Ch. 9 - I Believe in Love

December 30th, 2022  |  24 mins 11 secs

book study, catholic, chapter 9, i believe in love, the eucharist

Week 9 discussion on "The Eucharist" from the I Believe in Love book study led by Fred Shellabarger and Kara Kardell from the Draw Near podcast!!
This book is a personal retreat based on the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux written by: Book by Fr Jean C J D'Elbee

The Cross: Ch. 8 - I Believe in Love

December 30th, 2022  |  28 mins 25 secs

book study, catholic, conference 8, draw near, i believe in love, the cross

Week 8 discussion on "The Cross" from the I Believe in Love book study led by Fred Shellabarger and Kara Kardell from the Draw Near podcast!!
This book is a personal retreat based on the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux written by: Book by Fr Jean C J D'Elbee

Fraternal Charity: Ch. 6 - I Believe in Love

December 26th, 2022  |  29 mins 37 secs

book study, catholic, conference 6, fraternal charity, i believe in love

Week 6 discussion on "Fraternal Charity" from the I Believe in Love book study led by Fred Shellabarger and Kara Kardell from the [Draw Near](drawnear.me) podcast!!
This book is a personal retreat based on the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux written by: Book by Fr Jean C J D'Elbee

There's Something About Mary

December 7th, 2022  |  1 hr 1 min

blessed mother, catholic, catholic teaching, conversion, december 8, encouragement, full of grace, healing, identity, immaculate conception, mary, scripture, trauma

In the deeply personal first half of this episode, Fred and Kara reflect on their relationship with Mary, and how that has changed and grown over the years. Fred shares more of his testimony about converting to Catholicism and the role Mary played in that process. He also reflects on issues such as identity, childhood trauma, mistrust, and difficult family experiences and how these can effect our relationship with God; as well as with Mary. He shares the story of his relationship with Mary, and how she has helped him to find healing. In the second half, we return to Kara's teaching on the Immaculate Conception, which we celebrate on December 8. Kara dives into a scriptural study of key texts that point to Mary’s Immaculate Conception with hopes that each listener would be drawn deeper into the celebration of this Holy Day of Obligation.

Why Can't Women Be Priests?

November 21st, 2022  |  53 mins 22 secs

catholic, cremation, godparent, ordination, priests, sexism, weddings, women

In this episode, we are joined by our good friend, Fr Patrick Behm. We ask him a number of questions we have received from listeners. In particular, Fr Behm spends some time carefully walking through the Church's teaching on the priesthood, and why women cannot be ordained. He also makes the case for why Jesus clearly was not, and cannot be, sexist. Additionally we talk being a godparent, cremation and whether or not we can donate our bodies to science. We also spend some time on Heaven, homilies about hell, and the value of our prayers for those who have died. We briefly discuss mental health and suicide. We wrap up with weddings outside of the Church and participation in non-Catholic weddings, online ordination, why the Catholic "Our Father" is in some ways different from the Protestant version, and finally, the hardest parts about being a priest and the greatest joys.

***** TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE *****
If you are struggling with suicidal crisis or emotional distress, free and confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
Call: 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit them online at: https://988lifeline.org/

I Never Thought I'd Be a Yelling Mom

November 9th, 2022  |  45 mins 38 secs

catholic, draw near podcast, faith at home, fred and kara, guilt, healing, marriage, miscarriage, motherhood, noelle garcia, wives

"They never told you in marriage preparation that some days, you won't like each other very much." Continuing our series on marriage and family life, Kara is joined by speaker, musician, podcaster, wife and mom, Noelle Garcia! Sharing from the heart and the "realness" of daily life as Catholic wives and moms, Kara and Noelle discuss the hardest and the greatest things about marriage and motherhood. What advice is there for those who struggle with mom guilt (or guilt in general)? How do you handle different parenting styles and different approaches to home life between spouses? What are the biggest challenges and joys of motherhood and how do we approach these and maintain joy? All of these questions are answered in this episode!

Trigger Warning: Noelle also shares her testimony of faith in the midst of the grief of a miscarriage.

Wives and Wine

October 12th, 2022  |  45 mins 39 secs

catholic, draw near podcast, fred and kara, marriage, motherhood, recipes, wives

The ladies had to get their 2 cents in on this family series! If you enjoyed the husband/dad episodes, you'll love this one more. Tune in to hear Kara chat with her good friend (and Fred's wife) Krystal Shellabarger about marriage and motherhood.

Fatherhood: Baptism by Fire (Wives and Whiskey)

September 28th, 2022  |  1 hr 8 mins

being a dad, catholic, dad, family, family life, fatherhood

Kara is back in this episode!!! We are continuing the series on family life, and joined by none other than Kara's husband Beej, as well as our friend Taylor Schroll. In this episode three dads share from their own experience and offer some perspective on the struggles and the joys of being a father. Complete with a few sports analogies, whiskey sipping, and Kara poking fun (in love of course), we hope you enjoy this lighthearted discussion on fatherhood.

Embracing Fatherhood

September 28th, 2022  |  48 mins 2 secs

being a dad, catholic, dad, family, family life, fatherhood, silas, take up your cross

Becoming a father, and the reality of being a father in the day to days of life can be both stressful, terrifying and joyfully rewarding all at once! Phillip Grothus joins us once again for an authentic, reflective, but lighthearted look at being a dad. Sharing both the highs and the lows, Fred and Phillip share from their own experience, how their relationship with Christ and the faith they profess shapes the kind of fathers they strive to be. They also discuss perceptions, experiences, and cultural norms that tend to make being a father a challenge some times and offer some advice on overcoming these obstacles.