The Storytellers with Tony Agnesi

Catholic author and self-described “recovering worrier” Gary Zimak combines practical spirituality, daily scripture readings, and simple action steps to help you kick the worry habit as part of your Lenten renewal. He shows you how to let go of the anxiety-producing areas of life in order to find the lasting peace that comes from trusting God. During the season of Lent, Catholics and other Christians frequently give up something they enjoy as a measure of penance or self-discipline—and often fall back into old habits at the first “Alleluia!” In  Give Up Worry for Lent!,  Zimak offers fellow worriers practical, scripture-centered advice on how to relinquish the need to control the uncontrollable—not just for Lent but for good—and how to find peace in Christ. From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, Zimak guides you to ponder a scripture passage and to apply it to your own life by following four simple steps: read reflect respond pray As you continue to meditate on scrip

Marc Cardaronella author of the book, Keep Your Kids Catholic: Sharing Your Faith and Making It Stick will join me on this edition of The Storytellers. Many Catholic parents are tempted to leave the religious education and spiritual formation of their children up to their parish or Catholic school. Professional catechist, popular blogger, and father of two, Marc Cardaronella has a passionate plea for those parents: be your child’s primary educator in the faith by what you do and say. This practical guide gives parents what they need to be a bigger partner in handing on the faith to their children by creating a faith-nurturing environment at home.

On this edition of The Storytellers,  Tony is joined by Danielle Bean, author of the book, Your Are Enough:What Women of the Bible Teach You about Mission and Worth. In a world where everything feels fleeting and temporary, we are made for everlasting life; we are meant to experience God’s abiding love.  You Are Enough  uses the timeless tales of the Bible to clarify that truth for modern women. Danielle Bean is the brand manager for CatholicMom.com. She is the former publisher and editor-in-chief of Catholic Digest. She is creator and host of The Gist, a weekly Catholic women's television talk show in its seventh season on CatholicTV. Danielle is author of several books for women including Small Steps for Catholic Moms, Momnipotent, and You're Worth It!. She is also creator and host of the popular Girlfriends podcast and a popular speaker on a variety of subjects related to Catholic family life, parenting, marriage, and the spirituality of motherhood.

Broken Brain, Fortified Faith  is the story of one family's journey through schizophrenia, navigating the uncharted waters of mental illness to find help for their daughter, Amber, and support for their family. This memoir is an honest look at the stress, anger, education, and finally, hope experienced through eyes of a mother. Along the way, she questions her trust in God as their family encounters setbacks, inadequate treatments, and additional family health crises, but with the help of trusted family, friends, education, and support groups, author Virginia Pillars learns to rely on her faith as she faces the challenges that often accompany mental illness. Virginia Pillars lives on a farm, along with her husband of forty-three years. She is the mother of four, one of whom suffered from a mental illness, and a grandmother of four with a passion for reaching out to families who are also affected. She volunteers both as an educator and support group leader for the National Alli