This week on the For Her, With Love Podcast, we had the privilege of sitting down with Christa Johnston, a fellow hormone coach who has dedicated so much of her ministry to walking alongside women struggling with infertility. Christa has also been a passionate advocate for raising awareness about LUFs (luteinized unruptured follicles), a condition that still needs greater understanding and attention. Known affectionately as “CJ,” she is also an incredible writer who has contributed to Springs in the Desert, a Catholic infertility ministry and also writes on Substack. Her tender heart, profound wisdom, and the vulnerability she brought to this conversation deeply touched us, and we hope they touch your hearts, too. We also want to acknowledge that the journey through infertility can be an incredibly complicated and heavy cross to carry. Out of love and sensitivity for those who may be in a particularly tender season, we want to share that CJ has received the beautiful gift of new life and is currently expecting her first child. We recognize that this news may make this episode especially difficult for some to listen to right now, and we want you to feel free to honour whatever you need in this season. Please know that you are seen, you are loved, and you are not alone. We are holding you in prayer. This conversation touches on raw and vulnerable realities, but our hope is that it serves two purposes: to open the eyes and hearts of those who have never experienced infertility, and to bring comfort, understanding, and hope to those who are living through it. May it help us become more compassionate companions to our sisters who carry this cross, learning to walk alongside them with greater tenderness and love. Throughout our conversation, CJ so beautifully reminds us of the deep connection between womanhood and motherhood. Every woman is called to the gift of motherhood, woven intentionally into the fabric of our feminine genius, even when that motherhood unfolds differently than we once imagined. As St. Edith Stein so beautifully expressed: A woman’s soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls may unfold. May these words remind us of the many ways a woman’s life can become a place of love, nurture, and flourishing—and may we continue learning how to hold one another with the compassion and tenderness that each of our stories deserves. Here are some of CJ's favourite resources: Springs in the Desert: https://springsinthedesert.org/ The Fruitful Hollow: https://www.thefruitfulhollow.com/ Mary Bruno: https://marygbruno.com/ (especially her book Twelve Stripes Deep, her memoir, gently covers topics like spiritual motherhood, adoption, IVF, resentment, etc.) Holding Space for Joy: a Prayer Companion for Catholic Women Struggling with Infertility @catholicinfertilitycoaching on instagram Her Substack: dignityempowered.substack.com The article she wrote for Springs in the Desert: https://springsinthedesert.org/my-vocation-is-not-amputated/ Also, she is happy to connect with anyone who wants to talk! info@dignityempowered.com
