I am noticing a trend in my life. One week I’ll listen to several podcasts- following three or four shows specifically and leaving feedback. Then life gets busy, I don’t listen as often, and the new episodes begin to back up.

The last group of (relatively new) podcasts I’ve listened to and left feedback for were Catholic Vitamins, Catholic Pilot, Catholic Casa, and Catholic Foodie. I’ve discovered that leaving feedback (or comments on blogs) gives me a feeling of participation, that sense of community that Lisa and I trace back to the CNMC this past June.

After winning a drawing for the Zatarain’s Jambalaya Throwdown offered by Catholic Foodie, I started a friendly email conversation with Jeff about our jambalaya recipes. (And I know I still owe you a post with the recipe I submitted.) Now, listening to his show is like hearing a friend chat about food, faith, and friends. So when he asked for feedback about our favorite coffee, I called to tell him about Lola Savannah. When I was shopping the next day, it felt perfectly natural to pick up a few single-serving samples and drop them in the mail. Monday, I refreshed my podcasts and was really surprised to hear Jeff open the package live during CF Episode 39 Java Cafe.

Another new podcast is Catholic Casa by David and Valerie Calvillo in McAllen, Texas. We’ve blogged about meeting them at the CNMC and their ministry Real Men Pray the Rosary. They’re still figuring out their show, and I’ve really enjoyed following them. As a show of support I answered their first trivia question and won a RMPTR t-shirt, which turned a number of heads when I wore it at the mall this weekend.

Last night while cooking dinner I turned on the latest Catholic Casa #5 A Dios Le Pido. About halfway through, I was completely stunned to hear them mention this blog. I confess their kind words brought tears to my eyes. I know we don’t write for any recognition; we write because we have something we want to say. In the six months or so since we started, we’ve evolved and hopefully are settling in and finding our voice. One of the things they said is that we seem to be very happy people and sisters who actually get along. I do think that writing this blog together has brought us closer. We’re on a journey together, even without knowing our specific destination, and we’re supporting each other in new ways

The purpose of this post is two-fold; first to say thank you to those who have read our blog, befriended us at CNMC, left comments here, or mentioned us in the last month; and second to encourage others to leave feedback on blogs or with podcasts. It can be a very positive, rewarding way to develop new connections and make new friends. We feel very blessed to be on this journey with you.