Send us a textAs we prepare to celebrate Christmas, please join us in this conversation about Canadian author and children's book illustrator Carissa Douglas: It is a story of how turned a family tragedy into a calling to become a mother of a large family. How did Carissa embrace this noble vocation that's shrouded in much mystery, and sometimes confusion or derision from an anti-Christian world?Start with a "Yes" and watch your world widen. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with children’s author, illustrator, and homeschooling mom Carissa Douglas, whose fifteen children (and Carissa lets us in on a surprise in this conversation!) aren’t just a headline but a living testimony to courage, vocation, and trust. We explore how a childhood loss formed a family rooted in hope, how Mother Mary’s Fiat reframes modern fears around motherhood, and how creative work can flourish right in the middle of family life without sacrificing presence.Carissa shares the origin of "The Little Douglings," a series designed to help children build a real friendship with Jesus in the Eucharist from an early age. As culture grows louder, she chose formation over panic: teaching kids to go directly to Christ so they can withstand the pressures of the culture to abandon faith. We talk about the creative process with toddlers underfoot, the surprising grace of detachment when a Sharpie hits a finished illustration, and how digital tools opened new ways to write and draw while staying close to her kids.We also lean into big questions many families carry: Is a large family too expensive, too chaotic, too hard? Carissa answers with lived wisdom how it's all rooted in God's grace and His Divine Providence —prudence, a mentality of sharing God's blessings, generosity from our neighbours, and God’s quiet provision that shows up right on time. Beyond logistics, a large family becomes a school of virtue where generosity, work ethic, and other-centeredness take root. For teens, faith becomes adventure, not afterthought, with saints like Padre Pio guiding stories that rival any superhero arc and direct young hearts toward purpose.If you’re discerning marriage, craving deeper meaning in motherhood, or searching for a way to form children who can withstand the cultural headwinds, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help more listeners find these stories of faith, family, and fearless yes.Are you in search of faith-filled, Christian books for your teens, tweens or littel ones? You can find Carissa's books filled with beautiful illustrations that she designed and a story that was crafted from her lived experience in her family of 18 here on this website: https://littledouglings.comThey are also available at Sunrise Marianhttps://sunrisemarian.comhttps://scepterpublishers.org/products/copy-of-little-douglings-series?srsltid=AfmBOoqCZGzZ-PhSAHiQN0oOWHIQ7Wt3bb0ljrqiu7mnDH1FU8UqrkmPWishing you and your family a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year! Please join us next time for the continuation of the conversation with Carissa Douglas about how to pass on the faith to our children, and continued exploration of the feminine genius of Support the showTo reach Veil + Armour, please visit:https://veilandarmour.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@veilandarmourhttps://www.x.com/@sheilanonatohttps://www.sheilanonato.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/@veilandarmourWhat resonated with you the most about this episode? Feel free to email us and let us know!Email: [email protected] our podcast helped you in some way, or could help someone else, kindly share our podcast with a friend!