The Charism of Journeys Revealed Ministries
“It is to you . . . that I come to confide the story of my soul. . . . It is for you alone I am writing the story of the little flower gathered by Jesus. I will talk freely and without any worries as to the numerous digressions I will make. . . . The flower about to tell her story rejoices at having to publish the totally gratuitous gifts of Jesus. She knows that nothing in herself was capable of attracting the divine glances, and His mercy alone brought about everything that is good in her.”
– St. Thérèse of Lisieux
To learn more about who we are and what we are here to do, check out this 5-part series published in 2023 in “The World Is Noisy – God Whispers” Blog titled “Understanding the Charism of JRM.” In this series you’ll learn more about JRM’s mission and how the Lord is at work in our ministry.
Mission
To spread the love of Jesus by sharing the stories of our souls, one intimate moment at a time.
Vision
To become the home of the spiritual journal.
Journeys Revealed Ministries is a team of authors, speakers, and spiritual companions committed to walking with others on their spiritual journeys so as to help them grow and develop lives of deep prayer and intimacy with Christ. We give witness to God by sharing our personal experiences. We are authors, radio show hosts, contributors on social media, bloggers, podcasters, public speakers, retreat leaders, and spiritual companions.
Our Humble Beginnings
In the spring of 2013, after years of growing in her own spiritual journey, founder Julia Monnin picked up a pen to journal for the first time in her adult life. Though she had no idea at the time what was in store, years later (in November of 2017) the first 191 entries she wrote in that journal were published as her first book. In the year that followed, she came to realize that publishing her book, The World Is Noisy – God Whispers: Volume I, My Wanderings was just the beginning.
Though getting its non-official start in the spring of 2017, the nonprofit Journeys Revealed Ministries was officially formed in January of 2019. In the years that followed, the board worked steadily to build a solid foundation by clarifying the Journeys Revealed Ministries mission and purpose and by ministering to others in the written and spoken word through the publication of another book, as well as through the production of several podcasts and by speaking at numerous events.
The ministry continued to grow during those first few years, so much so that office space became needed. So, in September of 2020, Julia and Kecia (the group’s first official employee) moved into and began working out of space in downtown Botkins, OH. Since the move, more and more men and women have reached out about sharing their story, a new podcast and blog was produced and released by JRM, and people of all ages from a wider area began reaching out for one-on-one spiritual companionship meetings. Now, with great confidence in our Almighty Father, we entrust the future of this apostolate (as we have the past and present) into His hands. May our good and gracious Lord continue to unfold this work of His, how and when He wills, for the praise and glory of His Name, for our good, and the good of all His Holy Church.
In February of 2020, JRM became officially recognized as a Private Association of the Faithful in a decree signed by Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Meet the Patron Saints of Journeys Revealed Ministries
Journeys Revealed Ministries:
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Writing Ministry of JRM:
St. Teresa of Avila
In the opening of her masterpiece The Way of Perfection, St. Teresa of Avila writes the following: “All my longing was and still is that since He has so many enemies and so few friends that these few friends be good ones.” It was because of these words and her own inspiration for picking up her pen to write that book (which was to instruct and guide the 12—that’s right only 12!—sisters living with her in her community) that we chose St. Teresa of Avila to be the patron of the writing aspect of our ministry. We don’t expect our writers to become bestselling authors whose books can’t be kept on the shelves. Our goal isn’t to produce spiritual masterpieces that will soar to the top of the bestselling lists. (That wasn’t St. Teresa’s goal for writing either.) Our goal instead is to print books that are so real, so relatable, and so raw that they expose the very depths of our beings in the hopes that doing so will point others to Christ.
Speaking Ministry of JRM:
St. Anthony of Padua
“The Lord manifests Himself to those who stop for some time in peace and humility of heart. If you look in murky and turbulent waters, you cannot see the reflection of your face. If you want to see the face of Christ, stop and collect your thoughts in silence, and close the door of your soul to the noise of external things.”
These are the words of St. Anthony of Padua, the patron of the speaking ministry of our apostolate. Much could be said about why we chose him as this patron, but all that we really need to say is this: Did you know that St. Anthony had such a gift for speaking and teaching that his tongue is actually incorrupt?
Oh, and by the way, he—like all of our patrons—was as humble as they come. He never flaunted his gift of speaking and actually only shared it with his community for the first time when he was asked to sub-in for another preacher at the last minute. No one in his community was expecting powerful, gifted preaching from him that day, but that’s exactly what they got!
Spiritual Companionship Ministry of JRM:
St. Francis de Sales
Outreach and Stewardship Needs of JRM:
St. Teresa of Calcutta
What can’t we say about the many gifts of St. Teresa of Calcutta! She is a model of humility, service, and (of course) poverty, and we look to her to remind us that our work here is NOT to point others to ourselves but to Christ. As she says, we are simply “pencils in His hand”; pencils who cannot (and should not) take any of the credit for our good works as any and all credit belongs solely to God. This is why we selected St. Teresa of Calcutta as the patron of our outreach, especially our online outreach. After all, we all know how tempting it is to seek fame and “Likes” on social media! She reminds us to steer clear of this temptation and to keep our attention on the Lord.
Additionally, St. Teresa of Calcutta is the patron of the stewardship needs of our nonprofit. St. Teresa took very seriously her vow of poverty as she served “the poorest of the poor.” We, too, as a nonprofit have taken a promise of poverty of our own. Our firm intention as a group is to never extend ourselves (financially speaking) beyond what is absolutely needed to fulfill the needs of our ministry. We say often in our office that “we can do very much with very little” and our hope and prayer is that St. Teresa’s intercession will help us to never forget that fact.
Retreats/Days of Recollection hosted by JRM:
St. Joseph
Saint Joseph has no shortage of titles invoking his powerful intercession: “Renowned Offspring of David,” “Spouse of the Mother of God,” “Foster Father of the Son of God,” “Mirror of Patience,” and “Terror of Demons” are among them. We chose St. Joseph as the patron of our retreats and days of recollection under the title “Man of Silence” in particular. Here’s why . . .
St. Joseph was a man who knew the value of silence. But, let’s be clear about what this silence of his really was. You see, his silence was not one of “emptiness” or simply one of “silence for the sake of silence.” Instead, it was intentional silence meant to create the space needed to encounter God. In short, St. Joseph’s silence allowed him to listen to God. And, it is in this silence that we, too, acknowledge our own poverty and come to God as we open ourselves up to receive and embrace His love and mercy. Putting it that way, it is probably no surprise to you why we chose St. Joseph under the title “Man of Silence” as the patron of our retreats and days of recollection. After all, these extended times of prayer and recollection are meant to provide you with a designated time (and a designated space) for silence so, like St. Joseph, you can listen to God who is always speaking to you in the depths of your heart.
All you Holy Men and Women, Saints of God, Pray for Us!
Meet the JRM Board of Directors
Julia Monnin, OCDS
Director of Apostolic Works
President of the Board
Julia is the Founder of Journeys Revealed Ministries and is currently serving as the President of the Board. She is also our Director of Apostolic Works.
As Director and one of our writers and speakers herself, she knows from experience how difficult this process can be and is here, therefore, to not only help the author make it through to the finish line but to go through the entire publication process rooted in the presence of God and mindful of the Lord’s grace and continuous workings of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, she serves as a Spiritual Companion on the JRM team, sitting down with others one-on-one who are in need of a listening ear and a loving, understanding presence as they make their walk with Christ.
Julia published her first book, The World Is Noisy – God Whispers: Volume I in 2017 and her second, The World Is Noisy – God Whispers: The Daily Devotional in 2019. Her third book, Volume II, was released in January of 2023 followed quickly by the release of her fourth book, The Second Daily Devotional in November of 2023. She also hosts The World Is Noisy – God Whispers® Podcast.
Kecia Flaute
Creative Director
Vice President of the Board
Kecia is the Creative Director of Journeys Revealed Ministries and is also serving as the Vice President of the Board. She joined the JRM team after spending 14 years working in design and marketing in the business world. Kecia has a love for helping others share their personal stories of God’s presence in their lives and is excited to be able to help do this by designing beautiful books (inside and out) that reveal these powerful messages of witness.
Kecia also leads the outreach efforts of JRM. She is responsible for creating and maintaining the Journeys Revealed Ministries brand and website as well as designing content for print and social media. In her words, “I really love that I get to take what I have learned from my years of experience in the ‘real world’ and apply it to something I am very passionate about: supporting God’s disciples.”
Laura Maurer
Secretary & Treasurer of the Board
Laura is currently serving as both the Secretary and Treasurer of the Board at Journeys Revealed Ministries. She has been a part of the JRM team from our beginning and has years of experience in business management and bookkeeping. You’ll also see Laura out and about with us at retreats and speaking engagements every now and then, too, as she helps, as needed, with JRM event planning and organization.
Fr. Sean Wilson
Chaplain to the Board
Fr. Sean is a diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He was ordained in 2016 and is currently serving as the pastor of four parishes.
As the Chaplain to the Board, Fr. Sean focuses on serving the spiritual needs of the board which involves counsel, guidance, and formation. Additionally, though he is not a deputed censor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Fr. Sean attempts to ensure that all publications produced and distributed by JRM communicate the authentic Catholic faith. Lastly, Fr. Sean helps JRM navigate the Catholic world in regards to canonical issues, working with neighboring parishes, and collaborating with other apostolates.
Meet More of Our Team
Valerie Christman
Coordinator of Apostolic Works
Valerie has been working as the Coordinator of Apostolic Works at Journeys Revealed Ministries since January of 2023. She helps with the day-to-day happenings in the JRM office as well as with event coordination, social media outreach, and book sales fulfillment. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies in 2021 and is currently in graduate school for Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Valerie is also the co-host of the Red Sunflowers Podcast, a JRM produced podcast that highlights the conversations between her and her “best pal” Grace.
Theresa Jenkins
Spiritual Companion
Upon completing college in North Carolina and receiving a degree in special education, Theresa met her future husband, moved back to Ohio, and the rest, as they say, is history! She enjoys daily Mass, milking the family milk cow, and being in the kitchen. She has always loved the Blessed Mother and strives to live by the motto “Fiat Voluntas Tua,” which is translated “Thy Will be Done.” While Theresa will admit that she is, and will continue to be, a work in progress, her yearning to seek the Lord and draw closer to Him is the desire and longing of her heart. Theresa is originally from New Bremen and currently resides in Anna with her husband and three children where she has been a stay-at-home mom for the last eighteen years. Theresa is also a fully professed secular member of the Discalced Carmelites (OCDS). She made her Definitive Promises in December of 2023.