Last week, we attended the SENT “Build Like Saints” Summit in Fort Worth, TX, and were encouraged by all the stories of fellow Catholics following God’s call to mission. During one fascinating panel, Alex, a successful entrepreneur and co-founder of Hallow, the #1 prayer app, recounted a moment of intense doubt.
“I didn’t know what the Lord was trying to tell me,” he said, referring to a moment a number of years ago when it seemed almost certain that investors would not step forward to fund the concept of a prayer app. With little in the bank, he had just finished his 70th pitch meeting—out of 75 planned—and had heard one no after another.
As he pondered his situation, he arrived at a new moment with the Lord in prayer. “If this succeeds,” he prayed, “all the glory is Yours. And if it’s fails, that’s on You too.” You could have heard a pin drop in the room of entrepreneurs, business owners, and nonprofit leaders.
As he prayed this new prayer at the end of his strength and resources, Alex described feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. The next day, investors began to say yes. And the rest is history. Hallow is inspiring and blessing millions of people every day.
In the second week of the month, we turn our focus with you to Level 2 of your Trinity House, Person & Relationships, where we deepen our communion with healthy people and relationships. And yes, this deepening of communion requires each of us—like Alex—to come to a moment of surrender with the personal mission that God has entrusted to us.
As Alex then recounted, “Jesus doesn’t ask us to feed the crowd. He asks us to bring our loaves and fishes. Work hard, pursue excellence, give the best you can to Jesus, and then surrender the outcomes to God.” Amen.
So where are you vis-à-vis the special mission God has entrusted to you? Inspired by Alex and other leaders—here’s a LinkedIn post with 12 further insights that Soren jotted down—we are thinking about the practical ways we can move further into mission. Consider taking time in the coming week to:
- Ask the Lord to renew your zeal for the mission He has entrusted to you. Invite the Holy Spirit into this time of prayer.
- Reflect on how you can more peacefully and consistently bring Him your loaves and fishes, and “surrender the outcomes” to Him.
- Try praying words similar to Alex’s to convey that you are going to attribute the credit and glory of your work to God. Tell Him that you are content with whatever outcome He provides.
- Ask your spouse, family, or close friends, “How can I better support you in the mission God has entrusted to you?”
In another panel discussion last week, we heard entrepreneur Geoff Gentile say, “God never stops asking us to risk more. It’s the underpinning of the Gospels.” This reminded us of something a former pastor of ours once said: “Jesus did not say, ‘Take up your pillow and follow me.’”
As you come before the Lord to further respond to the unique call He has given you, take heart. He only asks you to do your best. And then to risk a little more, for Him. To bring Him your loaves and fishes. To surrender the outcomes. And yes, to take up your cross, knowing that His burden is easy, and His yoke is light.
> 8.2K YouTube views in just 8 days! We’re excited to see the Sep. EWTN piece on Trinity House Café + Market blessing so many. Post it and share it widely! Here’s a behind-the-scenes moment: Austin and Katherine, the couple who were featured on the front porch holding their adorable son, met at the café and are now one of at least three “Trinity House” marriages we know of! Thank you Austin & Katherine!
> Speaking of Surrender… Here is the Surrender novena prayer that we love so much as a couple and as a family.
> In “Confirmation: What is Your Mission” (Catholic News Agency), Brian Pizzalato reminds us that in Confirmation, we are “anointed for a special mission…. We are supposed to move further away from sin, and closer and closer to the Most Holy Trinity, while becoming witnesses of what it means to live an authentically Christian life.”
> Will you take one or two minutes to rank—or write a quick review—of our Heaven in Your Home Letters & Guide on Amazon? You can leave your review here. Thank you! These reviews truly help us to share this transformative message with more and more families.
> For women in northern Virginia, you are invited to hear Ever give a talk on “Our Hearts’ Desire: Deepening Communion with God and Family” on Thursday, September 19, at the Wine & Wisdom series sponsored by the Women’s Council of St. Francis de Sales (Purcellville), 5-7 pm, Bluemont Vineyard, Bluemont, VA. Learn more here.
> Ever will share her insights on service and hospitality at the annual Walking with Purpose tea at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Chantilly, VA, on Sat., Oct. 12, from 2-4 p.m. To RSVP, contact Marsha Jacobeen at bjacobeen@aol.com.
>Mark your calendars and bring your entire family to enjoy one of the upcoming Trinity House Community Gatherings, including: 6:30 PM, Sat. Sept. 28th, St. John the Apostle in Leesburg (learn more here).
> Bring your family and join us in celebration of the 10th anniversaryof Trinity House Cafe + Market on Sat., October 19th!
> Book a meeting with our team here to chat about starting a Trinity House Community Group at your parish. In addition to 12 subscribing parishes in the Diocese of Arlington, we’re thrilled to be currently partnering with 13 additional parishes in 8 states (MD, MA, NH, MI, CO, IN, FL, TX) and Puerto Rico.
> Plan now to launch your own parish’s Trinity House Community Group this September or later this fall! Learn more here and schedule a 15-minute call/zoom with our team here. For just $499 ($399 for a limited time only), your parish can access all the tools needed to host 5 transformative “Heaven in Your Home Gatherings” for families, including videos, discussion questions, marketing templates, catechetical resources, ongoing support, and more. Dioceses can also take advantage of three subscriptions for just $899. Ready to subscribe and launch a Group at your parish? Here’s where you can take the first step.
“Soren and Ever have hit on something very special here. Heaven in Your Home Letters & Guide is not a self-help book. What this book offers is something far richer and more organic. Rather than selling a new technique for living, the Johnsons encourage you to wake up to the life you already have as a family and live in it.”
-Calvin Smith, Director of Religious Education, St. Bridget’s, Berryville, VA (from his Amazon review)
