Episode 59: Embracing God’s Design: A Conversation with Christina Valenzuela

n this episode of The NFP Podcast, hosts Amy and Emily sit down with Christina Valenzuela, the owner and creative director of Pearl & Thistle, LLC. Christina brings a powerful combination of theological depth and scientific insight to the conversation as she shares her passion for body literacy rooted in faith. A certified Boston Cross Check™ instructor since 2013, Christina has spent over a decade equipping Catholics of all ages with the tools to understand their bodies through the lens of both faith and reason. Her new book, The Language of Your Body: Embracing God's Design for Your Cycle, published by Our Sunday Visitor, invites readers to deepen their understanding of the female cycle as something good, meaningful, and divinely designed. Together, Amy, Emily, and Christina explore what comprehensive NFP education can look like for the whole Church—children, teens, young adults, engaged couples, married couples, and even those in religious life. They also reflect on their personal journeys as educators and women of faith navigating the call to live and teach the Church’s vision of fertility with truth, beauty, and love. Whether you're a parent, a catechist, a curious Catholic, or someone simply wanting to better understand your body and God’s plan for it, this episode will inspire and encourage you. Resources: Website: pearlandthistle.com Instagram: instagram.com/pearlandthistle/ Book Information: pearlandthistle.com/language-of-your-body/ Monthly general newsletter: https://pearlandthistle.kit.com/6bc9755a22 Weekly "Body Lit Library" newsletter: https://pearlandthistle.kit.com/f58b4e8db0 Book links: https://pearlandthistle.com/language-of-your-body/ https://pearlandthistle.com/cycle-charting-for-girls/ https://pearlandthistle.com/cycle-charting-for-single-women/ All courses: https://pearlandthistle.podia.com/a/zjhqb For NFP instructors and cycle educators: https://pearlandthistle.com/for-educators/ Just the Charts: https://pearlandthistle.podia.com/printable-teen-charting-pdfs/zjhqb Quick Guide: Basic Cycle Changes During Perimenopause: https://pearlandthistle.podia.com/perimenopause-basics/zjhqb Mother-Daughter Prep Package: https://pearlandthistle.podia.com/mother-daughter-prep-package/zjhqb Cycle Prep: First Period Course for Girls: https://pearlandthistle.podia.com/cycle-prep-first-period-course-for-girls/zjhqb