From Abortion to Mission: January Donovan’s Story of Redemption
What if God is so powerful that he can take your biggest mistakes and deepest wounds and turn them into your greatest strengths!? Good news: He really IS that powerful.
That is what today’s story is all about. In this episode, I sit down with January Donovan, founder of The Women’s School, international life coach, and most importantly, mom. Her whole mission to bless women flows from her deepest wound: walking through the pain of abortion and letting God transform her life into a testimony of HOPE and FREEDOM!
January’s story is proof that God doesn’t waste a single wound. What should have been the most painful, destructive part of her life became the very place He poured out His mercy and power. And out of that healing, He didn’t just restore her, He gave her a mission. The brokenness that could have defined her became the catalyst for a new chapter in her story that is now lifting up thousands of women.
Timestamps:
00:00 What if your biggest wound became your greatest gift?
8:35 From poverty to living with a billionaire
20:50 The day January’s abortion nearly crushed her life at 16
23:29 How your wound can become your greatest contribution
26:36 From shame to mission: how God turned it all around
33:49 Why beautiful marriages save the world
37:58 Training in discipleship with Sister Elaina
45:22 Letting your wounds become the compass to other courage
52:10 Can you be a world-changer AND a mom?
56:18 The lie that keeps women stuck (and how to break it)
1:04:13 Why healed women change the world
1:11:03 Study the desires God puts on your heart and then pursue it
1:12:22 Be a student of your husband
The Women's School: https://thewomanschool.com/januarydonovan
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Franciscan University Steubenville: https://franciscan.edu/
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1:22:17
A Response to Charlie Kirk's Assassination
Where do we go from here?
Even in the darkest of times, Christ remains our hope and there is a path forward.
I offer my reflections on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and some suggestions for a Christian response to the violence and hatred that are engulfing our country.
Please continue to pray for all the victims and families affected by these recent tragedies. Lord have mercy.
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20:26
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How the Cross Rewrites Today’s Headlines | Charlie Kirk Assassination, 9/11, Arena Zerutska
What if I told you the Cross, the most brutal symbol of defeat in history, is actually the greatest sign of victory the world has ever seen?
In this episode, I’m unpacking the Triumph of the Cross and what it means for YOUR life right now. From the assassination of Charlie Kirk, to 9/11, to violence filling our headlines, we’ll see how the Cross rewrites every story of death with hope and glory.
What You’ll Discover:
Why death dominates today’s headlines—and why it doesn’t win
The shocking truth behind the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
How Jesus turned Rome’s weapon of humiliation into victory
St. Patrick’s kidnapping and slavery—and how God used it for glory
Why your suffering might be the very thing God is using to bless others
The hope that outshouts even the darkest news
The Cross doesn’t mean you won’t suffer. It means your suffering isn’t wasted. God flips the script. He turns pain into power, tragedy into triumph, defeat into victory. That’s why we can face the darkest headlines and our own daily crosses, with HOPE.
Come on a pilgrimage and retreat with me in Assisi! https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/
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Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20
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Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/
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13:59
Inside the Monastery: Life Advice from a Monk
Ever wonder what really happens behind the walls of a monastery?
In this week’s episode, I welcome back our favorite Benedictine monk with a surfboard, Fr. Augustine Wetta. We’re stepping into a hidden world that’s been quietly defying the noise and chaos of modern life for over 1,500 years with silence, prayer, community, and a whole lot of humility.
But don’t expect some dreamy fairy tale. This is real life behind the habit: petty arguments over pens, broken irons held together with the wrong glue, and golf cart joy rides. It’s raw, funny, and surprisingly relatable. Turns out, becoming a monk doesn’t make you perfect; it just means you’ve committed to growing in love.
00:00 Intro
6:24 Why Fr. Augustine became a monk
12:11 What Fr. Augustine discovered about himself in his 1st years as a monk
13:24 Why silence isn’t scary; it’s clarifying
14:44 The monastic trick to handling distractions during prayer
17:49 The unexpected joys of Monastic life
19:22 And... the surprisingly holy story of a broken iron (short)
22:00 What monks fight about (spoiler: it’s hilariously petty and deeply human)
28:07 Why doing the dishes for someone who annoys you can be sanctifying
28:37 The power of apologizing even when you think you're right (short)
32:22 Settlers of Catan and golf carts in the monastery!?
35:51 Three simple ways to make your house more monastic (yes, even with kids running around)
36:26 Deliberately lose your next argument
This episode reminded me that monastic life isn’t about escape, it’s about living with radical intentionality. And that’s something every one of us is called to, whether you’re in a habit or a hoodie.
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Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20
........
Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/
........
The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/
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Hate your mom?! What Jesus really meant & what it means for YOU
Did Jesus really say, “Hate your mother”? It sounds more like a death-metal lyric, right? Nope…those are Jesus’ words in Luke 14.
So what’s up with that? Was He telling us to literally despise our parents? Of course not. But He was making one of the boldest, most shocking points He ever made: our love and loyalty to Him must be so much greater, so much higher, that even your deepest family bond looks like hate in comparison.
In this episode, I dive into this hard of Jesus and explain why love is free but costs you everything. What You’ll Discover:
What “hate your mom” really means (and doesn’t mean)
Why following Jesus will cost you everything and why that's GOOD news.
Why cheap grace can destroy faith and what costly grace really means.
Why you can’t call Jesus a “good teacher” He is either a Lord, a lunatic, or a liar.
The saints that went all in and never looked back
How putting God first doesn’t take away your life, but gives it back to you in fullness.
Jesus’s love is free, but it’ll cost you everything. And when you give Him everything, you discover the only life worth living.
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Come on a pilgrimage and retreat with me in Assisi! https://reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages/
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Sign up for the Daily Anchor for FREE and receive daily reflections, updates, and encouragement from Chris Stefanick to help you live with the joy you were made for: https://mailchi.mp/reallifecatholic/daily-anchor-landing-page-20
....
Help us transform hearts for Jesus! Join the mission and become a monthly donor (A Missionary of JOY!): https://moj.reallifecatholic.com/
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Research links:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/31/are-religious-people-happier-healthier-our-new-global-study-explores-this-question/
https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/religion-and-divorce
https://www.aau.edu/research-scholarship/featured-research-topics/people-religious-affiliations-live-longer-study-shows
The world says the Catholic Faith is boring. And too often, we act like we believe it. Ready to live your Faith like an adventure instead? Chris Stefanick wants to help you live the JOY God created you for, right here and now. Hit Play and get rolling!
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