As we prepare to step into the New Year, Ann and Cassandra take a look back on our theme for 2025, “Your Marriage has a Mission,” and dig into our new theme for 2026, “Take It to Heart.”
We’ll talk about:
– the witness of our marriages on the path of infertility
– how we can embrace big missions, but also those smaller, everyday, but still beautiful missions in this season
– how we’re inviting this community to take God’s infinite love to heart in the New Year
Thank you so much for listening and for your continuing support. It is an honor to walk with you!
Links
Blessed Christmas Eve to all! As we await our Savior’s birth this Christmas, we’re welcoming Fr. Joseph Aytona, CPM of the Fathers of Mercy to the podcast.
Fr. Aytona shares about the Spiritual Motherhood Sodality and helps us to better understand a topic that, while so important, can also be hard to wrestle with on the path of infertility.
We’ll talk to Fr. Aytona about:
We hope you’ll find Fr. Aytona’s message of grace, hope and mercy to be a comfort to you this Christmas!
Links:
How can we find fulfillment when we can’t conceive? Today we’re welcoming Leigh Snead, Fellow of the Catholic Association and co-host of Conversations with Consequences, back to the pod to preview her upcoming book, Infertile but Fruitful: Finding Fulfillment When You Can't Conceive (Sophia Institute Press, 2026).
We’ll talk with Leigh about:
– why it was important to include different infertility perspectives in her book.
– the continually changing infertility conversation.
– her advice for Catholic brides who are really struggling with the experience of infertility.
Links:
Infertile but Fruitful (Sophia Institute Press)
Have you ever felt tired of waiting in a season of infertility or loss?
Today we welcome our dear friend Lisa Martinez back to the podcast for an honest talk that is perfect for Advent. She shares from the heart about:
–How we should think about frustrations and obstacles on the path of infertility.
–The parallels we can draw between waiting for Christ's birth and waiting for a baby.
–Why we should make an offering to God of everything that we're going through.
This Advent, remember that God loves you so much, and so do we!
Links:
Seven Sorrows Chaplet Gift Set
Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence
At the Altar | Elevation Rhythm
How can we live this Advent with purpose so that God can bring about conversion and transformation in our lives? How is God asking us to say “yes” to Him today?
Today we’re welcoming Lindy Wynne from Mamas in Spirit to the podcast as we enter, as a Church, into the “season of waiting” of Advent. Lindy tells her story of marriage, adoption, and the ways she has been given the grace to say “yes” to God in different seasons.
We’ll talk about:
Links:
Sometimes in a season of infertility/loss, we find ourselves dealing with insensitive comments or needing to establish a boundary with family members or friends.
Balancing self-care and charity can be difficult, so we wanted to have this conversation with Edward before the holidays!
In this episode, we'll talk about:
Remember, we are here with you this holiday season!
Links:
Why is it important for us to prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas? How can we experience the “fullness of time” of this season as we prepare for the incarnate Lord to come into the world?
In this episode, Ann speaks with Fr. Paul about the Psalms as we get ready to pray the Psalter together this Advent as a community. They’ll discuss:
Psalter Links:
Fr. Paul's pick: The Psalter (Pocket Edition)
Alissa's pick: A Psalter for Prayer
Ann's pick: Songs of Praise: A Psalter Devotional for Orthodox Women
Krissy Hamilton, director of Calvary Cemetery in Tulsa, OK, joins us on the podcast today to tell us about Calvary’s Infant Burial Ministry.
For couples in eastern Oklahoma, this beautiful ministry is able to donate the burial space and opening and closing the grave to grieving parents who are burying their child.
In this episode, Krissy gives us:
As we remember the souls of the faithful departed this November, we are here with you.
Links:
How are you dealing with infertility grief? Have you been able to come to a place where that grief can be acknowledged?
In this episode, Ann and Cassandra explore the unique grief of infertility. We'll talk about:
Springs in the Desert offers peer-based support to those struggling with infertility and pregnancy loss. It does not provide medical services, psychological counseling, or therapy. This information should not replace professional medical and psychological services. Find trusted grief coaches, counselors, and spiritual directors on our website.
As we wrap up Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we're bringing Margalita Poletunow, LPC on the podcast for an encouraging episode that will touch your heart.
No matter where you are on the path of infertility/loss, you'll take away from this episode:
Please share this episode with anyone who needs that reminder on the path of infertility!
Links:
Where Grief Meets Grace: Grief Coaching w/ Margalita Poletunow, LPC
Happy feast day of Pope St. John Paul II!
To celebrate, we have two very special guests on the podcast today: Peter and Theresa Martin of the Wojtyła Community & Institute, authors of The Rule: St. John Paul II's Rule for a Joy-filled Marriage of Divine Love.
In this episode, we'll chat about:
Links:
Starting a Married Couple Group
The Rule: St. John Paul II's Rule for a Joy-filled Marriage of Divine Love
Jocelyn and Pat, the mom & daughter team behind We Carry You Still, join us on the podcast today to talk about:
It is our honor to walk with you this Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Links:
It is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and so today we're having a tough but important conversation with Chaney from Heaven's Gain Ministries.
We'll be talking about:
If you have suffered the traumatic loss of your baby during pregnancy: "Your grief is valid, your story is valid, and we want to be here for you."
God loves you, and so do we.
Links:
Happy feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux! This episode is a "rose" to take with you today as we reflect on this great saint and her "little way" of growing closer to Jesus.
St. Thérèse received particular graces from God in her life that helped her reach an incredible level of holiness. Even though she lived within the walls of a Carmelite convent, she is the patron saint of missionaries and is even a Doctor of the Church. Her sanctity, sweetness, simplicity, virginity, and vocation to the religious life may make it hard to relate to St. Thérèse at first – especially when we're feeling the weight of the cross of infertility and its effect on our marriages. But there is so much we can learn from this saint even though our lives may look very different from hers.
Will you let St. Thérèse send you a "rose" today?
Links:
"The Hidden Gift of Hidden Suffering" blog post
I Believe in Love (personal retreat book)
Aleteia article on married saints
Have you ever felt called to be a homemaker, but feel like you can't because of your family size, financial situation, or concern about judgment from others? This episode is for you!
Two old and dear friends of the ministry, Andrea and Allie, join Cassandra on the podcast today to talk about:
Links:
Visitation of Hearts Spiritual Direction (with Andrea)
Embracing Homemaking in Infertility (by Allie)
Participating (Sharing) in Mary’s Spiritual Motherhood and Spiritual Children
Have you ever wished that there was a Catholic small group for infertility accompaniment in your area? Well, this podcast episode is for you!
Our Small Groups Coordinator, Cadie Krivoniak, joins Cassandra on the pod to talk about her experience participating in Springs' very first pilot small group.
Cadie talks about how you can start a small group in your area, and what to do if you would love to participate in a small group but don't feel up to facilitating yourself.
It is our honor to walk with our small groups facilitators and participants!
Links:
Happy Birthday Springs! Our founders Ann and Kimberly join Cassandra on the podcast today to tell the story of how Springs came to be and how much it has grown.
God has blessed this ministry so abundantly! By His grace, here are the resources we are able to offer today:
If you would like to support our work with a Founding Day gift, please visit our website!
Kenn Cramer, Director of Family and Respect Life for the Diocese of Manchester, NH, joins Cassandra on the pod this week.
Kenn shares about the experience of planning a clergy workshop focused on the sensitive topics of infertility and loss.
He also gives an impactful overview of the importance of ministering to men, and what priests – and wives – should know about how husbands experience infertility grief.
If you are a diocesan family life director, Springs in the Desert is here for you! Contact us about scheduling a workshop for priests, deacons, and/or seminarians today.
Links:
Ministries, Counseling, & Spiritual Direction
"What do we do if we don't have children?"
If this is a question you've wondered about in a season of infertility, this episode is for you! Springs contributors Ellie and Trey Weaver join Cassandra for another great episode on our theme, "Your Marriage Has a Mission."
The Weavers used to feel like they weren't sure about the mission of their marriage – but today they have come to embrace the abundant opportunities that God has put in their path!
This episode is filled with encouragement on embracing God's invitation to give life in a season of infertility. Infertility is not the mission of your marriage, and it does not define you! Your gifts are necessary for the Church. How will you use them to give life today?
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This week Ann welcomes very special guest Keith, her bestfriend and husband of 14 years. Ann and Keith talk about their experience of infertility early in marriage, how things have changed since then, and the ways God is calling them to be fruitful in surprising and fulfilling ways.
Keith is the “behind-the-scenes” support for Ann in ministry, but this isn’t his first appearance on the podcast! Dive into the archives and go way back to 2020 to hear how Keith, Ann, and the Springs Team shared about navigating infertility in all of our relationships.
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