Elevate Ordinary
Hosted by JonMarc & Teresa Grodi
Find a renewed vision of how the seemingly small, common aspects of our day-to-day lives and vocations are in reality the raw material out of which God wants to raise up saints.
JonMarc & Teresa Grodi
Teresa Grodi
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Teresa is a member of the Body of Christ, a wife, and a mother of five. She was born, raised, and resides in the Diocese of Toledo, OH. Teresa received her B.A. and M.A. in History at Bowling Green State University, where she met her husband JonMarc. She has been involved in ministry in many capacities and currently organizes pilgrimages for Catholic Faith Journeys. Teresa and JonMarc love to take walks and to discuss faith, philosophy, culture, food, the Domestic Church, the Feminine Genius, and the C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy, among other things.
JonMarc Grodi
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JonMarc is the Chief Operating Officer of the Coming Home Network International and has been interviewed on EWTN programs such as Life on the Rock and The Journey Home, as well as various radio programs. A graduate student of philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville, JonMarc resides in Perrysburg, OH, with his wife and five young children. Some of his favorite topics for discussion & writing are the nature of religious faith, aesthetics, Catholic Social Teaching, the writings of G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and various intersections of philosophy and theology in family life. You can connect with JonMarc via the Coming Home Network, on social media, or where he occasionally writes at www.RestatementOfTheObvious.com.
Ep70. Am I Rationalizing? | What’s the Difference Between Rationalization & Prudential Judgement?
JonMarc and Teresa Grodi go in-depth in examining feelings-based decision-making versus intellectual openness. How can I tell if I’m rationalizing? What are the hallmarks of prudential reasoning?
Ep69. How Do You REACT to Your Own Sin?
Sinning sucks. We all do it. So what does a Saint do when they sin? JonMarc and Teresa discuss different ways that a sinner reacts to their own sin and what trajectory those reactions have. What it means to live in fear and what it means to live as a Son or Daughter of the King.
Ep68. That’s Not How Novenas Work…
JonMarc and Teresa Grodi share thoughts about the experience of prayer they’ve had over the course of their lives. Some mistaken ideas and practices and some hacks.
Ep67. Aliens, UFOs, and the Catholic Church with Dr. Paul Thigpen
Should Catholics be afraid of looking for the truth in aliens and UFOs? Are accounts of aliens a trick of the devil? JonMarc and Teresa Grodi welcome Dr. Paul Thigpen, former editor of TAN publishing, author of “Manual For Spiritual Warfare” and “Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Catholic Faith: Are We Alone in the Universe with God and the Angels?”, to discuss the long history of Church dialogue on the subject of extraterrestrial intelligent life.
Ep66. Cleaning & Theology of the Body | Cleaning motivation
JonMarc and Teresa Grodi discuss Mother Teresa, Theology of the Body, Josef Pieper, and the ultimate cleaning motivation for the Christian.
Ep65. Board Games | PRACTICAL TOOLS for Building Marriage & Family
Stable families take more than one generation. Are you undercutting families and the Church by your generational divides? JonMarc and Teresa discuss parish politics and Catholic trends in light of how they are effecting the Church’s potency in the world.
Ep64. Stable Families Take More Than One Generation
Stable families take more than one generation. Are you undercutting families and the Church by your generational divides? JonMarc and Teresa discuss parish politics and Catholic trends in light of how they are effecting the Church’s potency in the world.
Ep63. PENDULUMS - How to Stop Swinging Like a Pendulum and Become STABLE
Do you find yourself scrolling to find out what Catholic influencers tell you what you should care about today? Are you looking for the next list of things from a perfect influencer that will make your Catholic life perfect? Does it ever feel like you are just swinging on a pendulum, rather than rooted in Christ? JonMarc and Teresa discuss how the virtues make you a stable person who can jump off that pendulum and build something stable for the Kingdom.
Ep62. Catholic Homeschooling Family of 8 - Part 3: Q & A
JonMarc and Teresa finish their conversation on Homeschooling. After soliciting questions on social media, we offer practical advice and answer your questions! Please be sure to check out the two previous parts of this series on Homeschooling.
Ep61. Catholic Homeschooling Family of 8 - Part 2: Three Things for a Successful Homeschool
Even if you don’t plan to homeschool, this episode is for anyone who wants to think through their own relationship with education. This Part 2 of a 3-Part homeschooling series, JonMarc and Teresa discuss three steps for a successful homeschool: 1) Learning your child, 2) Learning yourself, 3) Learning your environment.
Ep60. Catholic Homeschooling Family of 8 - Part 1: Mindset Outside the System
What does homeschooling look like for our family? How does our family culture effect the education of our kids? Teresa and JonMarc discuss the philosophy and logistics of homeschooling their 6 children.
Ep 59. Leadership and Managing Up
What’s your responsibility in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church? Do you wait around for someone to “manage” you or do you “manage up”? JonMarc and Teresa discuss how to help those above and below you be the best version of themselves.
Ep 58. Common Courtesy and Practicing the Presence of God (and Others)
Does taking manners and courtesy seriously mean that we are taking OURSELVES too seriously? What if common acts of courtesy are the way to practice and renew our recognition of the most important reality: that we are persons in relationship with other persons? JonMarc and Teresa discuss manners, being present, objectifying vs personifying other people, and how all this connects with our ability to pray and practice the presence of God.
Ep 57. Bl. Solanus Casey and Intercessory Prayer
YOU are in a story — God’s story, and He invites you to participate in the story by your decisions, actions, and prayers. In this episode JonMarc and Teresa discuss the power of prayer but also the battle of faith and trust that is involved. Do I view my prayer as magic? As a wild gamble? As something pious, but impotent? Or do I see prayer as my heroic “yes” to God’s invitation to join in and be part of his plot to save souls?
Ep 56. Attachment, Family Dynamics, and Learning How to be a TEAM w/ Adam Lane Smith
JonMarc and Teresa invite Attachment Specialist, Adam Lane Smith to discuss family relationships, building a self-correcting family system, the connections between human relationships and our relationship with God, and ways to deal with stress & anxiety so that husbands and wives can better “show up” for each other and their kids.
Ep 55. The Good, Better, Best of Success | Mindset Matters
Life is one big experiment! We have a lot of goals for ourselves and our families, but true success is not what you think it is. It's important to have big dreams while recognizing that reality often looks different. JonMarc and Teresa discuss how to practically implement the ideals of Christ and the Catholic Church in your daily moments, particularly the difficult ones, and why mindset matters!
Ep 54. Finding Community | The Struggle of Building Solid Friendships
Ladies, when it comes to forming friendships as wives and mothers the struggle is REAL. Let's talk about finding support and building community with other women! Teresa gets fired up discussing finding ways to connect with other people, real hospitality, and being okay with the mess.
Ep 53. Food, Sex, and Savoring the Present Moment
JonMarc and Teresa are back talking about the virtue of Prudence with regards to the “social sin” of eating too fast. Featuring special guest 3-month-old Mary Prudence, breastfeeding during half the episode.….Right on topic, M.P. 😜 🙌
Ep 52. Babies and Postpartum | How We Survived
JonMarc and Teresa spent 3 episodes giving you pregnancy and postpartum advice. So how did that advice pan out post-baby? The Grodis debrief their last postpartum period after the birth of their sixth child.
Ep 51. Creating a Healthy Happy Home with Your Spouse Feat. Haley Stewart
Do you want your family to THRIVE? Is there a way to share the burdens of daily life with your spouse without keeping score? Guest Haley Stewart returns to the show to discuss how couples can learn to work as a team and create a happy healthy home life together.