Walk Boldly With Jesus

I have two witnesses for you today. The first is a member of the Big Life Mentoring Group. The leader, Pamela Crim, gave us a PDF that helps us write our God story. It is great because every one of us has had God working in our lives and yet we don't know how to talk about it. This PDF gives us a structure to use to get our story written down. Today's first witness talks about how different her life was 15 years ago to 1 week ago. The second witness is from a member of my prayer group. He sent a prayer request from his brother-in-law. I have included the prayer request and the results of our prayers. Let's begin with the first witness. 15 years ago, I committed suicide- I say I succeeded because I was found by a first responder without life but was resuscitated. Too much pain; I just could not go on another day. 13 years ago I watched my daughter be consumed by Heroin and give premature birth to a baby boy who quickly passed. 12 years ago, knowing I would probably lose my daughter to overdose, I turned her life over to God and stopped interfering with his plan for her. I knew my next contact would be from the police telling me they found her body. This is where it gets crazy! 10 years ago I married the first responder who literally helped revive me through CPR on that night I was found lifeless. He is the best man my kids and I could have ever wished for. 9 years ago, my daughter found recovery through jail, but hey, any recovery is amazing. She was left with a confirmed diagnosis of Hepatitis C, multiple times by multiple doctors, that was likely not anything we could ever afford to treat. I was just grateful she was alive. 8 years ago my daughter gave birth to an amazing, beautiful, healthy girl. The pediatric Hepatologist was on site for the birth, knowing they would have to treat baby and mom. Baby and mom were retested, and no signs that Hep C had ever existed. Drs said it was unexplainable. 1 week ago I sat with my daughter, 9 years recovered, with my newest granddaughter on my lap, watching my 8-year-old granddaughter play softball. None of us should have been sitting there. None of us should be alive, but God kept his promise and created beauty from the ashes. I'm blown away by his love for us and treasure every single day! This is no normal story… It's a great story, and it's a God story. Here is the second witness: I received a text message from my friend John. The message said, “Please pray for my brother-in-law, Alex. He climbed on a ladder to wash the second-floor windows, but the ladder moved because of the water and fell to the ground. He broke his arm and fractured his chin. He is at the hospital right now and would really appreciate some prayers. I sent the prayer request out to the whole prayer group. The next day I received this text message back from John. This message is to let you know the good miracle news of the great power of our lord and the power of intercessional prayer. After a few X-rays and all that the doctors did for my brother-in-law, they determined that the chin fracture wasn't there anymore, and he only needs some kind of Braces to fix his bottom teeth. The arm fracture, they said, is minor, and he is gonna be in a sling for a month. It's all black-and-blue bruises in his body, and he's going home tomorrow!!! Yeeeahhh … PRAISE The Lord. Please share this testimony like the holy Bible says. Thank you very much, and I love you guys mucho! Thank you both for sharing your testimony. When we share the amazing things God is doing in our lives, other people may start to see how God is working in theirs. When we hear of God doing miraculous things, it builds our faith. We all need that. We live in a world where you need to see it to believe it. So, the more we can hear about the supernatural happening, the more it builds our trust and faith that it could happen for us. We believe; Lord, help our unbelief! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Don't Waste The Struggle James 1:2-4 “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” I love how God works. Sometimes, I just laugh at how he orchestrates everything and how He just knows what we need to hear. It's like He keeps telling you something in a bunch of different ways until we get it. If you have been listening to this podcast for any amount of time, you probably know how much I love talking about healing. I love praying for people for healing. I believe with my whole being that God can heal everyone, and I will pray with anyone who will let me for God to heal them. As you can probably imagine, not everyone I pray with for healing is healed. This confuses me as I don't understand why this is. I know that God's ways are higher than our ways and that God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I know that God knows infinitely more than we do and that He sees the whole picture when we only see a tiny part of the picture. I know that He knows the future and that He knows what He is doing. I know all of this, and yet I still don't understand why some people have healed on this side of heaven, and some are not. I don't understand why some people are healed instantly, and some take months or years. God and I chat about this often, and He keeps trying to explain it to me, and I don't seem to be getting it. The theme for mentoring one month was the dark night of the soul. If you are unfamiliar with this, the "Dark Night of the Soul" refers to a spiritual crisis or period of deep inner struggle and desolation, where a person feels distant from God or disconnected from their sense of purpose and meaning. It often involves intense feelings of doubt, confusion, and loss, but is ultimately seen as a necessary stage in spiritual growth or transformation. The term originates from the writings of the 16th-century mystic St. John of the Cross, who described it as a painful yet purifying experience that leads to a closer union with God. I had heard of this before. However, I did not know much about it. However, this is what a few people in mentoring wanted me to cover, so I did some research and learned a lot about it. Then, I decided to get an audiobook by Thomas Moore called “Dark Nights of the Soul: A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life's Ordeals.” In this book, Thomas Moore talks about how we are always trying to end difficult times quickly. If we are sick, we want to be healed immediately. If we are struggling emotionally, we want the struggle to end quickly. If we are uncomfortable in any way, we want to do whatever we need to do to get comfortable as quickly as we can. Thomas said in his book that we are doing ourselves a disservice when we do this. Instead of trying to escape our misery, what if we approached it with curiosity? What if we tried to understand it and what it was trying to teach us? This seemed to stand out to me because I was just talking to a friend the other day about how I just wanted her trouble to end. She was saying that she could see how she would be so much stronger when she was on the other side of this, and I was just thinking, God, can you stop these bad dreams now? Why wait? Why keep struggling? Now, to be clear, although God could stop these bad dreams now, He hasn't chosen to do so. It is not as if she hasn't prayed for them to stop. It's not as if plenty of people haven't prayed for them to stop. So, it got me thinking maybe Thomas Moore is on to something here. Maybe I am just in a rush to have God heal these people because then they will be more comfortable or out of pain or misery, and yet God knows that the uncomfortable feelings that they feel now are nothing compared to the glory they will feel if they just hold out a little longer. I have been talking to the Lord for a long time now to try to understand why He does what He does, especially with regard to healing. When I heard this explanation from Thomas Moore, I felt like the Lord was talking directly to me. Then I went to a meeting at Encounter last night where about 16 of my graduating class got together. We try to do this once a month. The topic for last night was a renewal of the mind. We all asked Jesus to show us one place where He would like to renew our minds. This is what I felt like I heard the Lord say, “I would like to renew your mind around healing. Not every person needs to be healed. Sometimes, I do work within the illness I will highlight those I want to be prayed over.” Next, I asked Jesus how He wanted me to think about this mindset. This is what I thought I heard, “I want you to think like I do, I want you to know I have my own ways of thinking and reasons for healing that have nothing to do with your ability to pray over people. You are not doing anything wrong, and you are not the reason they are not healed. Then, I turned to James in the Bible to look for a verse, as I recently heard someone recommend James as a great place to start if you are new to reading the Bible. I thought I would check it out and see why James was a good place to start. Then, the very first line I read confirmed what God has been telling me lately. I know that was a roundabout way of explaining how I got to this verse and why I thought it was special, but that is what I felt led to share. I think what this verse is telling us and what God has been trying to tell me is that we can learn from the hard times we are going through. God doesn't make us sick. He doesn't hurt us or break our hearts. He doesn't make us lose our jobs or lose our loved ones. God is not the cause of our pain, and yet He can use our pain for our good. He can use this difficult time you are going through to form you into a stronger, more resilient person. I know suffering is uncomfortable. I know life can throw some pretty crappy things at us, and we just want to escape all of it. We want to be comfortable and skate through life with minimal issues. I get this, and it makes sense. What I feel the Lord is trying to teach me is that God knows how long we need to be in something before it has sufficiently changed us. If we leave a situation too early, we may not have reaped the full benefit from it. Do you know what is even worse than having to go through years of agony? Having to go through years of agony and not reaping any benefits from it. God knows what we need. He knows our future, He knows our past, He knows our innermost being. He knows how much we can handle, and He knows the perfect time to take us out of the fire so we are pure gold with no more impurities. He has also made it clear to me that this doesn't mean we need to stop asking for the healing or the relief of the situation. He tells us over and over again in the Bible to be persistent and that He rewards persistence. What He is telling us is that while we are waiting on His perfect timing, we don't have to be frustrated and discouraged. As this verse says, we can “consider it a sheer gift” when life's challenges come upon us. It is giving us a chance to grow more into the person God is calling us to be. Our challenges help us to become more mature in our faith. I pray that the Lord continues to renew my mind in this area. I pray He shows me how to be patient in the wait. I pray He shows me how to approach my struggles with curiosity and allows me to have the strength to sit in my struggles without trying to wish them away before they are done doing good work in me. I pray He gives you a renewal of mind also! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode today. Lord, you are amazing, and we find it so hard to understand how you work sometimes. We don't understand why you do the things you do, and so we are asking for a renewal of the mind, Lord. Renew our minds and help us think more like you think. Help us to understand a bit more about how you work and why you do the things you do. Help us to see our struggles as building blocks to becoming the person you made us to be. Give us the strength to hold out when we feel like we can't hold out any longer. Be with us, Lord, every step of the way! We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I would like to invite each one of you into my mentoring community. This is a new month, and the topic this month is “Created for a Purpose: Discovering God's Plan for Your Life. Week 1 — You Were Created on Purpose, Week 2 — What Is My Purpose?, Week 3 — What Happens When Life Doesn't Go According to Plan? and Week 4 — Walking in God's Plan One Step at a Time. Is this the month you give mentoring a try? Is this the month where you decide to grow closer to the Lord with a small community of individuals who also want to grow closer to the Lord? There is a link in the show notes. Or you can go to my website, walkboldlywithjesus.com, and click on the mentoring tab. I hope you will join us! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in February 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Tomorrow's a new place. A place you've never been or will ever be again. Each carries me. Join me! Feel the joyful vibrations, the holy and the Divine.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Who Are You Becoming Like? Proverbs 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.” Who you hang around with and spend your time with is so important. I know I have talked about this topic before, and yet I feel it is so important for us all to truly think about it, so I am going to talk about it again. I remember several years ago I told Tony that we needed more Catholic friends. He jokingly made a comment about how we should be accepting of everyone and not limit our circle to Catholic friends. I say jokingly because he knew I wasn't saying we can only be friends with people who are Catholic. I will ask you what I asked him. If you want to be a really good tennis player, do you think it would be more helpful to hang out with other tennis players, or to hang out with soccer players? It would be more helpful to hang out with tennis players because they know what it takes to be good at tennis. Both groups of people are good people. You can learn a lot from both soccer players and tennis players. I am sure soccer players could help you learn discipline, sportsmanship, and lots of other great things. However, they will not be as much help becoming great at tennis as tennis players would. Do you see where I am going with this? I don't think everyone should surround themselves with people just like them. I don't think you should only have one type of friend. I do think you should surround yourself with people who you look up to. I think you should spend the most time with those who have the same beliefs as you do. I think you should hang out with those who have similar values as you do. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Who you spend time with matters. There is another quote that says, “Show me your friends, and I will show you your future.” They both tell us the same thing: who we surround ourselves with is an important factor in who we become. Why is this? Why is it so important to be intentional about who we spend time with? This is so important because we become like those we spend time with. When you hang out with people for long enough, you start to talk like them, and you start to act like them. If you are Christian and all of your friends are not, then you will probably start to compromise your beliefs to fit in. You may not even do it consciously. It will probably start off small. For instance, you will not mention something amazing that happened because you don't want to mention God in front of the others. Or maybe you do mention something that happened, but you don't attribute it to God; you casually say it was a coincidence, or you got lucky. It seems when we are Christians, and our friends are not, we go out of our way not to offend anyone. We don't want to mention God because that may make them feel uncomfortable. I am so grateful I have several Christian friends, and so I can talk openly about my faith and not have to worry about offending anyone. However, I also have friends who are not Christian. I still love to hang out with them; we just keep it neutral when it comes to religion. The verse above says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.” Have you ever heard the saying You want to buy the cheapest house in the most expensive neighborhood? I have heard something similar when it comes to choosing your friends. I have heard that if you are the smartest person in the room, you need to find a better room. We want to be surrounded by people that make us want to be better people. People who make us want to grow and learn. We will live up to or down to the expectations given to us. If we surround ourselves with people who don't believe in us, we won't think we can do very much. If everyone around us is perfectly content with staying where they are and they don't want to grow, then growth will not be important to us either. If you are listening to this podcast, it means you want to grow; you want to learn. That is awesome. Growth is so important. By starting your day off listening to me each morning, you are inviting me into your circle of influence. I am so grateful I get to be one of the people you spend time with. Who else do you spend time with? Are they helping you reach your goals? Are they helping you grow in your faith, or are they pulling you away from it? God continually told His people in the Old Testament that He set them apart from everyone else. He set them apart and told them they could not marry people who weren't Israelites because God knows how hard it is to be surrounded by people who are different than you and to not join in their ways. Do you remember Solomon? He was one of the wisest men in the history of the Bible. God blessed him with Wisdom so he could rule the country. God had told his people they must not intermarry because they would surely turn their hearts toward other Gods. Solomon was very wise, and yet He continued to take wives from other religions. Solomon had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. If Solomon, who was given an abundance of wisdom straight from God, couldn't resist the pull of his wives, what hope do we have? If you want to grow in your faith, and you want to challenge yourself, then you need to carefully select who you spend the most time with. Some of us have family members that challenge our faith, or maybe make us feel we can't do all we want to do. If this is the case, I am not saying you can never spend time with those family members. I do, however, think you should limit your time with anyone who doesn't bring out the best in you. While it is true we don't get to choose family, we do get to choose how much time we spend with them. We do get to choose how much influence those members of our family have on our lives. Set some boundaries if you need to. Protect what you are building. Protect your beliefs from those who wish to change them. How we live in this world determines how we spend eternity. Surround yourself with people who will help you live in a way that will help you spend an eternity it the presence of God. It will be worth it, I promise! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask you to help us surround ourselves with those people who will help us grow in our faith. Help us to set boundaries for those who wish to change us. The enemy is always sending people into our lives; please help us to spot them and not let them change our beliefs. Help us to follow you always. Help us to be a good influence on those in our lives and help us to help bring others close to Christ. We love you Lord, you are truly amazing. We are grateful for all you do for us. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I would like to invite each one of you into my mentoring community. This is a new month, and the topic this month is “Created for a Purpose: Discovering God's Plan for Your Life. Week 1 — You Were Created on Purpose, Week 2 — What Is My Purpose?, Week 3 — What Happens When Life Doesn't Go According to Plan? and Week 4 — Walking in God's Plan One Step at a Time. Is this the month you give mentoring a try? Is this the month where you decide to grow closer to the Lord with a small community of individuals who also want to grow closer to the Lord. There is a link in the show notes. I hope you will join us! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in February 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Hold my hand so you, in turn, can hold me, and I will proclaim that you are mine. Hold all that is dear to you and entrust it to me, for I will protect it, I will enrich it, I will give it back to you. Hold my hand, never doubt my love for you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

What Gifts of the Holy Spirit Are Available to You? 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” I wanted to go over this scripture today because someone brought it up in my mentoring group. I think it's something we should talk about. I don't have all the answers. I am not an expert on theology or on the Bible. So what I'm going to give you right now is what I've learned over the past several years. Yes, there are different kinds of gifts from the Holy Spirit. We just went over some of them in this verse. There's wisdom, the gift of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the gift of miraculous powers, the gift of prophecy, another distinguishing between spirits, and another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and also the interpretation of tongues. So these are all gifts that are given by the same Holy Spirit. The question in my mentoring group is: this says the Spirit is given to each one for the common good. To one is given this gift and to one is given that gift. Meaning that some of us are given certain gifts, but that we don't all have the same gifts. And what I've learned over the last few years is that, yes, it's true. The Holy Spirit gives each person different gifts. So somebody might be really good at healing. They might have a charism of healing, or they might be really good at prophecy, or they might be really good at messages of wisdom or messages of knowledge. And that's amazing. And also, just because you weren't given, or don't feel like you were given, a special gift for healing, it doesn't mean you can't become amazing at that gift. It doesn't mean that God can't give you more of that gift. And I think that that is actually proven in this scripture where it says, all these are the work of one and the same Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us these gifts. And every single one of us has the Holy Spirit living inside of us. That means every single one of us has access to every single one of these gifts. I was listening to Mary Healy one time at a HOPE conference, who was saying that even though some people are given a charism of healing, if you want the gift of healing, ask God for the gift of healing every single day. Practice praying for people for healing. Read books on healing. Dive all into healing if that's a gift that means a lot to you or that you want to develop. And the analogy I feel like the Lord gave me last night was that everybody is born with innate talents. Some people are really good at sports. And then there are other people who weren't blessed with the gift of sports at all. Let's take basketball as an example. Did you know that Michael Jordan did not make the varsity basketball high school team at first? That prompted him to practice more, and now some people say he is the best of all time. There is a woman I heard speak at a conference who was a runner but wanted to do triathlons. She didn't know how to even swim. Two years later, she is winning a medal at the Olympics. Just because they weren't born being really good at it doesn't mean they couldn't develop the skill. Again, they're gifts, so they come from the Holy Spirit. However, you can develop those gifts by asking the Lord for them, by practicing praying for them or praying over people for them. That's what the Encounter School of Ministry was all about. It was teaching us about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and then activating us in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Not just one, but in all of them. We practiced asking God for a word and then releasing it. And was every single word that we released perfect and straight from God? Absolutely not. But when we released the word, we asked for feedback. We asked, did that resonate with you? Did that make sense? Did you feel like that was from the Lord? And sometimes they'd say yes, and we would grow because we'd know, what did it feel like when we heard that? What did our body react to when we heard that word? And then if they say no, that's not a bad thing either because we grow from that as well. We learn from that feedback. Yeah, I really didn't feel strongly about it, but I released it in faith that it might be from the Lord. And the Lord is going to bless our efforts. He's going to bless our desires and our wants. So if we want to develop one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit or multiple gifts of the Holy Spirit, all we have to do is call upon the Holy Spirit because the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living inside of each and every one of us. And that is amazing. That changes everything. When you know that, when you really know that through the depths of your soul, that changes everything. You can become invincible because you know that the Holy Spirit is inside of you and that he's protecting you and that he's leading you and that he's supporting you in all the ways that you want to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. So yes, it is true that the Holy Spirit, as the Bible says, gives certain gifts to certain people. And it is also true that each one of us has the Holy Spirit living inside of us. So if we hear about a gift we would like to develop, we need to ask the Holy Spirit for it, learn about it, practice it, and maybe find a mentor who is especially gifted in that gift. And then they can mentor us, and the Holy Spirit will reward our efforts and our desires. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each and every person listening to this episode today. Lord, I want to thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit, Jesus. I want to thank you for dying on the cross and then going up to be with the Father so that we could all have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Lord, I ask that you increase our desires for the Holy Spirit, that you show us which gifts we have, which ones we've already been blessed with, and also give us the courage to ask for the ones we want and to practice and learn about the ones that we want that we may not feel like we have. I ask that you help us really embrace the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Help us to know what that means for each one of us. We love you so much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus'holy name, amen. Thank you so much for... Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I. Have a blessed day. Today's word from the Lord was received in February 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email catholiccharismaticprayergroup@gmail.com. Today's word from the Lord is, “Open and see my glory. Open and see how you can help others. Open to me for infinity.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

If you would like to share your witness with me you can email me at Catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Expectant Faith Doesn't Have a Timeline Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” I heard this verse on the Elevation Podcast this morning. It was not this week's sermon; it was from May 4, 2025. The episode was titled, “All You've Got To Do Is Don't.” It was a really great sermon, and I invite you to check it out. There were a lot of things that he covered today, but one of them, especially this verse, spoke to my heart and answered a question that I had just been talking to God about while I was at Eucharistic Adoration. I was sitting there talking to the Lord about my disappointment when prayers aren't answered when I think they should be. This is something I think we all deal with. Yet, I am not sure we all know it is ok to be disappointed. I am going to share my struggle with you this morning in case anyone else has been struggling with a similar issue. I have spent a long time getting to know God and learning about all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I have spent a long time trying to understand what it means to have the Holy Spirit living inside of me. Trying to understand how to use the power that God sent to us with the Holy Spirit.  I have been learning about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how to use them for at least 7 years now in the Charismatic Renewal. I have just spent 2 years becoming equipped and activated to use those gifts through the Encounter School of Ministry, Boston Campus. I tell you all of this to say that I have come to know God well over the last 8 years. I have come to know how much He loves us and how he wants us all whole and healed. He doesn't want any of His children to suffer. He doesn't want a single one of us to be lost or separated from Him. I know all of this, and so when I pray with someone for healing or for something else, and I don't see results, I get confused. This may seem prideful, and this may seem like I am trying to take credit for the healing. I am not sure what this says about me. I am just being honest with you and letting you know how I feel. Here is what I wrote in my journal this morning when I was coming to the Lord for answers. “Lord, why do I get so upset waiting for your timing? Why do some people have to wait so long for relief? Why does my friend still need to have nightmares, and why is my other friend still blind? Why lord? What am I missing? I feel we do believe. I feel we are coming to you in expectant faith. We are asking in Jesus' name. So why the delayed answers? Why isn't everyone healed? Am I doing something wrong? Am I not doing something I should be? Is something else getting in the way? Please help me to understand.” Here is what I felt like the Lord said back to me. "My dearest daughter, it is not you. You are not the one healing. I am. I can heal through imperfect people. I can heal even if you don't say or do the right thing. I can use you even though you weren't perfect.” I replied in my journal, “What about when Jesus ' apostles couldn't get the demon out of that man's son, and Jesus said Oh, faithless generation, how long will I be with you? This is confusing to me because it does seem like it was the disciples' fault, almost. It seems like Jesus was saying that they didn't have enough faith or they didn't pray enough. What am I missing, Lord? Please help me to understand this better.” I also wrote down two verses from this section. Mark 9:23 “Jesus said to him, ‘If I can! Everything is possible to one who has faith.'” and Mark 9:24 “The boy's father said, ‘I do believe, help my unbelief.” This is when my hour of adoration ended, and I needed to get home to wake Ryan up for school. I figured I would talk to the Lord about this later, as I was still not sure what I was missing. Then I heard this verse on my way home; I felt like the Lord was speaking it directly to me. Here is the verse again, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” The words that the Lord highlighted for me were IN DUE SEASON. I felt like the Lord was telling me that only He knows when it is the right time for something to happen. I know his timing is best. I know He knows all, and that He can do all. I know all of this, and yet when I am praying for someone, I am expecting immediate results because I know God wants everyone healed. I know He doesn't want to see His children suffer. I know all of this, and that is why I get so confused. I don't understand why He won't just take this from them. I know He can use it for good, and yet I also know He can do anything, so He could teach them what He wants to teach them in a different way. I just don't want to see people suffering. I want God to take this from them. I feel the Holy Spirit putting on my heart that this is the same in my own life. I want to take the suffering away from my kids or my loved ones, and yet sometimes that is not what they need. Sometimes they need to go through it to get to the other side. Sometimes, when we keep people from suffering, we are robbing them of the lessons and the blessings they will gain by going through the suffering. God doesn't need my friend to have the nightmares in order for her to learn a lesson or gain the blessings, yet this might be better than the alternative. Or the blessings might be greater than if she didn't go through this. For instance, maybe He will use this experience to help her be a more powerful intercessor for others who are tortured in this way. My friend doesn't need to be blind in order for God to accomplish what He is doing, and yet God has a plan, and as much as I don't understand it, it is much better than my plan, and it will all make sense one day. Let's look at the verse again. "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Let us not grow weary of doing good. This is something that Steven Furtick addressed in the sermon he gave, and it really spoke to me. What he said can help us not to grow weary and not to give up. He said it is not the work, or the doing good, that makes us weary. It is the expectations. Man, this hit me right in the heart. Praying for people does not make me weary. My expectations of the outcome of those prayers can sometimes make me weary. I feel as though the Lord was speaking to me about expectant faith this morning with this message. I mentioned in my journal entry that my friends I mentioned above and I are coming to the Lord with expectant faith, we know God can heal them, and we are asking in Jesus' name, so why aren't they being healed? First, as I wrote, I realized that they are being healed in so many ways, just not the way I thought they should be healed. He is working on so many things with them. They feel His presence so much more than they did before all the prayer. He is working. Second, I feel the Lord was convicting me that expectant faith isn't attached to a timeline. For instance, expectant faith doesn't mean that I wake up expecting to be healed today. Expectant faith is knowing that my healing, or their healing, is coming in due season. Knowing that we have asked for it, and when we ask, God answers. I feel as though the Lord was convicting me this morning that expectant faith is knowing that God will heal them or me at the right time, and that until that healing comes, He will continue to give me all I need to make it through this difficult time. Expectant faith is knowing that God has this all under control, and although I want it to be over today, I know that God's plan is better than my plan.   I feel strongly that God is telling me that my expectations of time are what I need to let go of. God's ways are higher than my ways, and I won't understand them, and I don't need to understand them. I feel as though He is telling me to let go of my expectations of time. I feel He is telling me that expectant faith is praising him for the healing, even though I don't see it yet. Praise Him for delivering my friend from her nightmares, even though she hasn't been delivered yet. Not because I see proof of that delivery. Not because I see proof of that healing. Praise Him because of my expectant faith that the healing and the deliverance are coming on His timeline and that if we don't give up, if we don't grow weary, we will reap the harvest. I pray this is for someone else besides me this morning. I pray that if you are waiting for answers to your prayers, this will bring you some comfort. I pray you will join me in releasing the expectations of “when” and start praising the unseen answers. I pray you will start praising the Lord with expectant faith that He will answer your prayers, in due season, and that you will eventually reap the harvest of all those prayers and all that expectant faith! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, please help us to have expectant faith and to release our expectations of timelines. Lord, help us to know that your time is better than our time and your plan is better than our plan. Help us to be humble and to release our expectations of when and how. Lord, let us praise you for answering our prayers in any way you want. Let us not grow weary of doing good, and let us not give up. Let us trust that you will give us whatever it is we need to get through this hard time. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in the name of Jesus! Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in October 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, open your mind, heart, and soul to me. Open it fully so that you can receive all I want to give you. There's so much that I want to share, but you must be open.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Great Is Your Faith! Matthew 15:28 “Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.” I have heard this story in the Bible many times and I am sure you have too.  Right before this verse is the story of the woman who was asking Jesus to heal her daughter. Here is the story found in Matthew 15:21-28 “Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”  But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”  He answered, “It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly. I have heard several sermons on this story.  The focus always seems to be on why Jesus spoke to her the way that He did and why He said the things that He said.  I think those are important things to discuss because it sounds like He is being very rude.  If you have not heard any sermons or any explanations of why Jesus said the things He said, I recommend you look them up as it is very interesting.  However, what the Holy Spirit highlighted for me today is the very last line in this story.  Jesus said, “‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.' And her daughter was healed instantly.” This came right after the woman said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.” What the Holy Spirit told me is that we don't have to be perfect to receive healing. This woman was not one of the chosen people and yet she believed that even the crumbs left over after the chosen people had been healed would have enough power to heal her daughter.  She knew she wasn't one of the chosen people.  She knew she didn't have a right, so to speak, to be asking Jesus for anything, let alone a miracle, and yet she was brave enough to ask anyway.   It's interesting, when I read the words, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table,” I heard the Holy Spirit say, you are like the crumbs.  I had no idea what he meant by this.  Then I felt like he was saying, we think we need to be perfect to either ask for healing or pray for others for healing.  The Holy Spirit was telling me we don't have to be perfect.  This woman was not perfect and yet she knew she needed a miracle and although she didn't really know Jesus, she believed in His power and knew He could heal her daughter.  She knew, without a doubt that He could heal her daughter.  She even said when she called out, “Lord, son of David.” Even his apostles were struggling to see who He truly was and yet this woman could see.   If we want to be used by the Holy Spirit to pray for others then we don't need to be perfect, we just need to be willing and humble.  This woman humbled herself and knelt before Jesus.  She begged Him to heal her daughter.  She did not get caught up in what she should or shouldn't do.  She didn't get caught up in what He was saying or how He was saying it.  She needed Him to heal her daughter and she kept asking and persisting until He did.  We can all learn a lot from this woman.  Her faith was so powerful it saved her child.   Whom do you know that could use some prayers like this?  This woman knew she had nothing to lose and everything to gain by begging Jesus to heal her daughter.  Are we playing it too safe with our prayers?  Are we holding back when we ask Jesus for healing or not even asking Him to heal our loved ones because we don't want to bother Him or we don't feel we are worthy?  Are we asking for things, but not the big things, not the things we really want because we are afraid we won't get them?  Are we protecting ourselves from the letdown of our prayers not being answered so we don't ever ask?   I know this is for someone today because it is very strong in my thoughts right now.  God wants me to tell you to stop holding back and stop playing it small with your prayers.  God has some amazing blessings for you and yet He is waiting for you to ask.  He is waiting for you to trust that He will answer your prayers, even if they seem a bit impossible, even if they seem extremely impossible.  God is telling us to ask Him anyway! I feel as though He really wants us to understand that we are not bothering Him with our prayers.  We honor Him when we pray to Him and ask Him for help, especially when we ask Him for big, bold, audacious things.  That is not a word I use often, but I felt that was the word I was supposed to use there.   Wouldn't it be great one day to be sitting there, or standing there with Jesus, and then He turns to us and says, “Woman, or man, great is your faith!” I long for that day.  That image, that vision is enough for me to do all I can to increase my faith.  The image of Jesus saying that to me gives me the strength and fortitude to pray the litany of trust and the litany of humility often.  That image gives me the strength to call on the Lord whenever I need Him.  The woman in the verse today had great faith.  She believed He was who He said He was, she believed in His power and she wasn't afraid to ask Him for help. How about us? Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless each and every person listening to this episode.  Lord, we want to have great faith, please help us.  We want to come to you when we are in need.  We want to ask you the big, bold, audacious prayers.  We believe Lord, help our unbelief.  We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.   I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day. www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Your Prayers Will Be Answered! James 5:16: "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” The Big Life Devotional Podcast has an excellent episode yesterday titled “Praying in Circles.”  What I loved most about this episode is that it gave us an action we can do to pray for our children, or really anything we are praying for.  The idea of praying in circles comes from a book called The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.  This is an amazing book that talks about praying circles around our problems.  Mark starts his book off by telling us the legend of Honi the Circle Maker—a man bold enough to draw a circle in the sand and not budge from inside it until God answered his prayers for his people. Honi was a man of God.   I am not sure if He was a prophet, or just a prayer warrior, or what.  It had not rained in a very long time and the people in the village came to Honi and begged him to pray to God for rain.  Honi agreed and he drew a circle in the dirt and prayed to God for rain.  He told God he would not step foot out of that circle until it rained.  He prayed and he prayed.  Eventually, it started to sprinkle.  When he saw this he could have stopped praying.  He could have said thank you, Lord, I truly appreciate this little rain that you sent us.  However, He didn't.  He said thank you Lord and also, this is not the rain I am praying for, I am praying for more rain.  He continued to pray and praise the Lord.  Finally, it was raining down so hard it was starting to flood the area, and all those that were standing around watching him pray were running for shelter.   What the Lord just put on my heart as I was typing is that we stop praying too early sometimes.  At the first sign of our prayers being answered we stop praying and accept that small offering as the answer when God actually has so much more to give us.  It is not that we don't want more it is that we think we will be bothering God, or we will be greedy if we expect more.  God wants you to know that is not true.  He has so much more for you and He is just waiting for you to be open to receiving it.  God wants us to expect big things, amazing things. For instance, when we have partial healing, yes, absolutely thank God for that, and also let Him know you are expecting full healing.  Keep asking for what you want.  Don't shy away because you are afraid you are asking for too much. I heard a phrase once and I love it.  It reminds us why we ask for a lot.  The phrase is “I'm not greedy, I'm just needy.” We aren't asking God for more because we are being greedy, we are asking God because we know that we can't do anything on our own and yet through Him, we can do all things.   The verse above says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Do you know what earnest means?  The definition of earnest is “resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction."  What are you praying for right now?  What is that prayer that you keep asking God about?  That one prayer that you wonder if it will ever be answered?  Are you praying earnestly for it?  The Bible verses we read are talking to us directly.  Each one of us and they are promised by God.  Today's verse tells us that the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.  You can take this to the bank.  This is a factual statement that you can rely on.  If this is true, why haven't some of our prayers been answered? There are a couple of reasons for this.  First and foremost is explained in Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God is sovereign.  He has a plan and it is better than our plan, even though we tend to think our plan and our timing is better.  God knows what He is doing and so sometimes our prayers take longer than we would like or are answered differently than we would like because God has a better plan than we do. However, I think sometimes our prayers take longer to be answered because of things we do or don't do.  Are we praying earnestly?  Are we asking every single day?  Are we asking for enough or are we settling for scraps?  God doesn't want to give you crumbs from the table.  He wants to give you the whole cake.  Why aren't we asking for the cake?  We will not be bothering God by asking Him for big, bold prayers.  We will be honoring Him.  Have you ever been asked to do something at work or in your personal life and the thing you were being asked to do was really difficult?  How did you feel when someone asked you to do it?  Did you feel honored that they thought you were capable of doing it?  Yes, you might have been nervous, as it was a difficult thing or even just a new thing, and yet you felt honored that someone thought you could handle it or you could be good at it. I remember each time the ladies in my prayer group asked to do a new thing.  For instance when they asked me to be on the discernment team, or they asked me to be on the prayer team.  I was so honored.  It felt amazing to know they thought I was capable of doing those things.  In a similar way, we honor God when we ask really big, bold prayers.  We show Him we know how amazing He is.  We show Him that we know He can do the impossible and that nothing is too big for Him. We are not asking God for too much, we are asking too little of Him.   It talks about persistence in the circle maker too.  Mark Batterson talks about how we give up too soon sometimes when we are praying.  We assume it is not God's will if He takes too long to answer and yet maybe God is just waiting to see how badly we want it.  What we are willing to do for it.  For instance what if Honi, drew that circle in the sand and stood there for 5 hours and then gave up and yet God was going to make it rain after the 6th hour?  We don't know God's timing, we just need to keep asking.  Is there anything you want so badly you would be willing to draw a circle in the sand around that prayer?  It doesn't have to be standing in a circle in the sand until you get it, but maybe you could pray for 5 minutes every single day about that one thing until you get an answer.  Maybe you could sit in a church every day for a few minutes until it is answered.  Maybe you could commit to going to daily mass until it is answered.  It doesn't matter what you commit to as much as it matters that you are willing to commit to something.   I think you will see more answers to prayers if you do this because you will be more focused on your prayers.  You will be searching for that answer because you are expecting it to come.  It is as if you know it will be answered and so you are waiting expectantly.  I wonder if that is the problem.  I wonder if we are praying expectantly or not.  Do you honestly expect God to answer your prayers?  Are you on the lookout for the answers?  Maybe that is why Honi's prayer we answered so quickly.  Actually, I have no idea how long he was standing in that circle, but I know it wasn't months.  He knew God would answer His prayer and He was willing to stand there in a circle, looking foolish, until God did.  He put his pride aside and was willing to look foolish to wait on God.  When we do this, when we step out in faith and put all of our trust in God, He never lets us down.  There was no way God was going to not show up for Honi.  Honi was honoring God by showing everyone in that town that God is the one to turn to when we need something.  When you step out in faith, trusting God, He will always show up.  He will not leave you hanging.   Pray big, bold prayers, and watch how the Lord shows up for you.  Pray earnestly and watch the amazing results.  I just looked up in The Circle Maker Book, to see how long Honi prayed for and it said as his prayers went up the rain came down.  So I guess his prayer was anwered pretty quickly. Batterson said Honi's prayer was resolute yet humble, confident yet meek, expectant yet unassuming.  I think we can all learn a lot from that statement.  How can we follow Honi's example of how to pray? Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we want to pray earnestly, show us how.  We want to step out in faith and demonstrate your awesomeness to all those around us, give us the holy boldness we need.  Give us the persistence and the fortitude we need to continue to pray those prayers that don't seem to be answered.  Don't let us give up Lord, help us keep asking.  Show us, put on our hearts what it is you want us to do. If you want us to commit to doing something while we wait, put that on our hearts, let us know, and then give us the strength to do it.  We love you, Lord, you are truly amazing.  We thank you for always showing up.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.   I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

We have all seen God working in our lives, however, we might not all be aware it is God who is working in our lives.  This is why it is so important we start talking about it more.  The more we share our experiences the more people understand how God works and how much He truly loves us.  If you would be willing to share any experience you have had of how God has worked or is working your life, please email me at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or just click here.  It won't take up much of your time and your story could be just the story that someone needs to hear today.  Prayerfully consider sharing.  Everyone has a story and the world needs to hear them.  I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow and I will have another witness for you next Wednesday.  Remember Jesus loves you and so do I. Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

The Lord Is Close To The Brokenhearted Psalm 34:17-19 “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” Yesterday I talked about how the Lord is with us to deliver us.  If you are going through a hard time this can be hard to hear. You might want to believe it and yet you find it hard to see in your own life, especially if you have been struggling for a long time.  Maybe you have witnessed God delivering your friends from their situations while you still struggle with yours.  This can make it really difficult to believe that God is with you or that He will deliver you.  Sometimes we can be delivered from a situation quickly.  For instance, we pray for our child's fever to go down, and it does.  However, sometimes it can take a long time to be delivered and sometimes the way we are delivered is not the way we wanted to be delivered.   I know how hard it is to hear that God will deliver you if you are stuck in a place you feel you have been for a very long time.  I struggled with parenting my children and in my marriage for over 10 years.  It was a very long uphill battle.  It was one where you get so excited because something you are doing is working, you are moving forward 2 steps and then the next day you are back 3 steps.  I know that is extremely frustrating.  I get it.  If this is you right now, maybe not the same situation or trouble, but the same feeling of 2 steps forward and 3 steps back I want you to know you are not alone.  I have been there and so many others are right there with you right now.  If this is you, this verse is for you also. “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.” The Lord hears you when you call Him for help.  He hears you when you cry out that you are angry with Him.  He hears that you are worried and anxious about many things.  He hears that you are praying for healing for a loved one.  He hears that you want the perfect house.  He hears that you want the perfect wedding.  He hears that you are struggling and He rescues you from all your troubles.  The Lord will rescue you.  Even if you don't believe that He will.  Even if you don't understand how He will.  If you need proof that the Lord will come to rescue you, sit down with a paper and a pen and ask the Lord to show you where He has rescued you in the past.  The Lord is the same today, yesterday, and forever.  If He has rescued you in the past, He will rescue you again.   The next line says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” I love the imagery of this line.  “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”  I just picture sitting on the Lord's lap as I once sat on my dad's lap.  I picture us as little children, going to our heavenly father with a broken heart.  I picture Him scooping us up onto his lap and pulling us in close for a hug.  Close your eyes and see if you can picture your head on His chest, just listening to His heartbeat. Just be there in His loving embrace.  Can you feel the warmth of His body and the strength of His arms that are holding you tight? Can you imagine how safe you feel in His arms?   This verse is talking about you.  You are the “brokenhearted.” God is talking to you. No matter what you are going through, God is near you.  He never leaves your side.  The next time you feel alone, the next time you feel like God has abandoned you, sit down and imagine Him right there with you.  I imagine you are sitting on His lap and He is holding you. The other day at prayer group one of the ladies and a vision of herself sitting on the Father's lap.  She said she was filled with love and then she felt the need to get down so that she wasn't taking up all His time.  She wanted to make room for someone else and He told her to stay.  He said something like, “Stay my daughter, do not worry.  Right now I am holding all my children to my heart.”  God is holding you, even when you can't feel Him. The second part of that line says, “He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”  Are you spirits crushed right now?  Were you hoping for something and it didn't happen?  Were you praying and you can't seem to find any answers to those prayers?  Were you sure God would rescue you and yet He does not appear to be rescuing you?  If so, this verse is for you.  God rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  It doesn't say those who believe He will.  It doesn't say God rescues those who never gave up hope.  It doesn't say those who weren't angry with Him.  It says God rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  If this is you, know that God is with you and that He will rescue you.  The Bible doesn't lie and there are no exceptions.  God is not talking to some of us and not all of us through the Bible.  The passages in the Bible apply to each and every one of us.  The Lord is speaking directly to you through His Word in the Bible. The last line in this verse is, “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” We talked about this a bit yesterday and here it is again.  This verse is telling us that even if we are a really good person.  Even if we are doing all the right things, and following God's law, we will still face many troubles.  Life is not going to be easy just because we follow the Lord.  We will face trouble.  The difference between us and someone who is not following the Lord is that we don't have to face that trouble alone.  The Lord is with us each step of the way.  An image just came to mind of a child standing there with our heavenly Father standing right next to the child.  He was holding the child's hand and the sense I got was that we are like that child.  As we go through life, as we face the many challenges we will face, our heavenly Father is right there with us holding our hand.   I don't know about you, but I love the idea of my heavenly Father holding my hand as I walk through life.  I love the idea of Him being right there next to me.  I feel safer knowing if I wanted to run toward danger, He would be able to hold me back because He is that close to me.  God is that close to you too! He is right there.  If you can't see Him, if you can't feel Him, that's ok.  Can you believe He is there? Can you talk to Him?  Can you listen and see what He has to say to you?  God is there, there is not a doubt in my mind about that.  I know He is there because I have seen Him so often in my life.  However, even if I had never seen Him in my life, I would know He is right here with me because it says it so often in scripture and the Word of God is factual. This verse is true. “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.” The last timeline is important to remember.  It doesn't say the Lord comes to the rescue sometimes.  It says, “The Lord comes to the rescue each time.”  Yes, He is coming this time too! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we thank you for always rescuing us.  We thank you for staying close to us even when we push you away.  Thank you for never leaving our side Lord.  Thanks for being a good, good Father to each of us.  Lord, we ask that you help us see how you have rescued us in the past.  Lord, we ask you to show us where you are now in our situation.  We ask you to give us renewed hope that you will in fact rescue us from whatever it is we are struggling with.  We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow with three witnesses.  All three things happened at the Encounter School of Ministry Boston Campus' Summer Intensive, and they are all wonderful.  Remember Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

The Lord Bless You and Keep You Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Friday was my birthday, and a great friend of mine sent me this blessing, and I wanted to share it with all of you. There is so much variety in what we find in Scripture. We find stories, parables, wisdom, promises, blessings, and guidance about how God calls us to live. This verse is a blessing. It is a beautiful blessing that I pray over each one of you listening to this episode. When I looked up the meaning of this blessing in the Enduring Word Commentary, it mentions that we often think of blessings as happiness, wealth, or comfort. We think if God is blessing our life, then life will be easy and comfortable. If our life is difficult, we think God is not blessing it. However, this is not the case. God does not promise us an easy life with no complications. He promises that He will be with us in those complications and difficulties. Blessings come from God, and only He knows exactly what blessings we need. We can ask Him for all the things that we think we need, but only He knows the plan of what we actually need. God's plan is for our highest and greatest good. Our plan only considers what we think would be good. But as we know from listening to our children's plans, we may not even be able to imagine the good God has in store for us. We only see our limited abilities; God knows our potential and our true abilities. We might settle for less than God wants to give us. The first line of this verse says, “The Lord bless you and keep you.” I really liked what the Enduring Word Commentary had to say about the “keep you” part. It was something I hadn't really thought of before. It said, “To be kept by the LORD is blessing indeed. Some are kept by their own sin and desire, some are kept by idolatry and greed, and others are kept by their own bitterness and anger. But to be kept by the LORD ensures life, peace, and success.” I love this! I looked up online what it means to be kept. It said, “To be kept generally means to be preserved, guarded, or maintained, often in a context of protection or care.” So, when the quote above says some are kept by their own sin, desires, idolatry, greed, bitterness, or anger, it means those are the things they rely on for protection. I think we have all been there. We have relied on unforgiveness or bitterness to protect us from getting hurt again. We put up walls so that no one can ever hurt us again. We have also been fooled into believing that greed and idolatry can protect. Instead of being kept by God and relying on Him to protect us, we put more and more money away for retirement. We try to rely on our own strength and our own means to protect ourselves. We look to our own sin and our own desires to protect us and help us live the life we want, instead of counting on the Lord to keep us and give us the amazing life we don't deserve but that He wants to give us. The next part of that verse says, “the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.” Imagine the Lord's face shining upon you. How amazing would that be? Again, the Enduring Word Commentary states this, “To have the glorious, pleased face of God shining upon a man is the greatest gift he could have. To know that as God looks upon you, He is well pleased – not because of who you are, or what you have done, but because you are in Jesus Christ – there is no greater source of peace and power in life.” I think many of us have a hard time believing that God is pleased with us. Especially if we think of all the ways we feel we have let Him down. We know our sins, we know our history. We know how unfaithful to the Lord we have been. However, God doesn't love us just when we are faithful. He loves us always, even when we are not. I love where it says that God is not pleased with you because of who you are or what you have done, but because you are in Jesus Christ. Can you believe that God is pleased with you? He is. He may not like every single thing you do, but He is not constantly disappointed with you, as we imagine. We often get disappointed in others because they do things we don't expect. God knows us; He knows the world we live in, and He knows the human condition. There isn't anything that we do that surprises Him. Therefore, we are not constantly letting Him down. He is pleased with our efforts. The last line says, “The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” In the Enduring Word Commentary, they quote David Wenham, a British Bible Scholar. Wenham said, “To lift up one's eyes or face means to pay attention, and to look favorably towards. “When God smiles on his people, they can be sure that he will be gracious to them; that is, he will deliver them from all their troubles. He will answer their prayers and save them from their enemies.” How amazing is that? We can rest assured that God will answer our prayers and save us from our enemies. Hopefully we all knew that God does this, but if we didn't, now we do. If we already knew this, then this verse is further proof to keep in our arsenal, so when the enemy starts in with all his lies, we have this verse to remember. We can remind ourselves that God smiles upon us, delivers us from our troubles, and answers our prayers. The verse ends with peace. Peace is something we could all use. This is probably what people ask me to pray for most. Even if I am praying for healing, I am praying for the Peace of Christ to come over the people so they don't worry. This world is so anxious. Everyone is so full of fear and anxiety. Peace seems to be something that we all struggle to find. Peace is possible, even in difficult situations. I have had peace in situations where people told me I shouldn't have peace. My son was in rehab, and yet I had peace because I knew in my heart that God was taking care of everything. My kids have struggled with a lot over the years, yet I have been able to be full of peace in very chaotic situations because I know that God is in control. I know that no matter what things look like, nothing is impossible for God. It could look like the end is near, and yet if God wants to change it, He can. God has done so many incredible miracles in my life and in my family's life. I don't have to blindly trust that God works miracles, as I have been blessed to witness so many. I bet if you look back at your life, you will see plenty of ways God has been working. You may not consider them miracles, but He has been touching your life and answering your prayers. I guarantee it. That is a great exercise to do regularly. Sit down and look back over your life. Look at all the various times you have called upon God and look at the ways He has come through. If you look for God in your life, I promise you won't come up empty-handed. Ask God to highlight the miracles in your life and He will. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, we thank you for all the miracles you have done in our lives. We thank you for all the times you have shown up in unexpected ways. We thank you for blessing us and keeping us. You are amazing, and we are truly blessed. Lord, help us to truly believe that you are looking down upon us and that you are pleased with us. We love you so much, and we ask this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I am away camping this week. I plan to keep posting, but if I miss a day, don't worry; all is good. I just didn't have wifi that day. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in February 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Come, my children. Come and feel my tender love. Come and know that I will never reject you. I am always welcoming.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Start With Love Psalm 63:1 “O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” When I read this verse, I thought it did a great job explaining our yearning for God.  We all need God in our lives.  We are desperate to have him in our lives.  This verse shows this in a way I don't think I could.  It also helps me realize how much I need God.  Have you ever read something and then realized that was exactly how you felt, and you didn't really know it before you read it?  I knew I loved God, and I knew I longed for God.  However, I couldn't describe it until I read this verse.  My soul thirsts for Him.  My flesh faints for Him as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  There is no water if God is not in my life.  My life is a dry and weary land when I don't call upon God.   Carrie Underwood has a song called “What I Never Knew I Always Wanted.”  I have not heard this song before, and yet I found it today while looking up something.  This song was not written about Jesus.  I believe it was written about her child, judging from the other words.  However, the chorus speaks to how many of us feel about Jesus.  The chorus says: I finally found what I never knew I always wanted I couldn't see; I was blind 'til my eyes were opened I didn't know there was a hole Something missing in my soul 'Til you filled it up with your love I think so many people are walking around this world right now, and they don't know God is what they have always wanted.  They know they have a hole; they know something is missing in their soul, and yet they don't know what it is.  I like the line; I couldn't see; I was blind 'til my eyes were opened.  How can we help them open their eyes?  The next line in this chorus might be giving us the answer to that very question.  I didn't know there was a hole, something missing in my soul, ‘till you filled it up with your love.  What if we worked on filling people up with love?  What if we showed people so much love that they realized that it was what they had been missing in their lives?   We can't fill them up with our love, though.  Our love is broken and judgmental.  Our love is not perfect love; it is flawed, and it can hurt others, even when we don't want to.  However, if we filled them up with God's Love, the love of Jesus, they would feel an unconditional love that would fill the hole in their soul.  I know you are already asking yourself, how do I do that?  How do I love with Jesus' love and not my own love? I know you are asking this because I am asking this, too.  We are all called to be a reflection of Jesus.  We are called to love like He loved.  How did Jesus love?  We can't be expected to love like Jesus if we don't know how He loved.  The best way to know this is to look back at scripture.   Jesus Christ set a perfect example of kindness and love. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus showed His love for others by blessing and serving the poor, the sick, and the distressed.  Jesus did not run away from the leapers as most people did at the time.  He touched them, and He healed them.  He did not turn away anyone who needed help.  How can we show Jesus' love to others like this?  How can we bless and serve the poor, the sick, and the distressed?  Some people listening to this can go out and volunteer at a soup kitchen or a food pantry.  Maybe you would rather volunteer at a hospital or somewhere you can help out with people who are sick.  Maybe you would like to be a hospice volunteer and sit with those that are dying and have no one to be with them.  However, others are listening, and you are thinking your days of helping the poor or the sick are over because you can't get out of the house to volunteer anywhere.  I assure you, your days of helping are not over. They have just changed.  Now, instead of going and doing the volunteer work by hand, you can pray for those in need, and you can pray for people to answer God's call to go and help.  St. Terese of Lisieux is the patron saint of missions, even though she was never healthy enough to go on one.  She didn't let her health stop her from praying for everyone who could go on missions.   Jesus also showed his love for others by not making people feel bad for their actions or who they were.  God didn't condemn the tax collectors or the Roman soldiers.  He didn't condemn the woman who was caught in adultery or the woman at the well who had been married several times and was living with a man she was not married to.  In the beginning, the Love Jesus had for everyone brought people to Christianity.  People found a love they had not known before when they found Jesus.  They were used to rules and judgment.  They were used to following God, which required so much of them.  They found this new religion fascinating.  A religion where God just wanted to love you and to be loved.  He did not require much on your part. People could come as they were.  They were not expected to be perfect because Jesus set the bar when he said in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”   The apostles were not going out and only talking to the Jewish people who knew God and were already following the laws.  They were talking to everyone who would listen, and they were preaching about God's love.  Who doesn't want to be loved?  Who doesn't want to be accepted?  I think we have lost this idea of talking about God's love somewhere along the way.  Somewhere along the way, we started talking more about the legalistic side of Christianity, especially Catholicism, than we do about the love Jesus had for everyone.  Yes, there is a right and a wrong way to live.  God tells us what the right and wrong way is in His Scripture.  However, we will never get a chance to show people the benefit of living God's way if we don't start loving them right where they are at first.  People want to be accepted for who they are, and they want to be met where they are at.  Jesus didn't tell the tax collectors He would have dinner with them when they changed their lifestyle.  He loved them while they were sinners and told them He had so much more for them.   If people feel loved and accepted, they will be open to hearing what you have to say.  We want people to know all the things Jesus says.  We want people to live according to God's ways, and we want this because we care about their souls.  This is a great thing.  I am not saying we are wrong to care about the way people are living their lives.  I am saying if we want to save their soul, we need to start with loving them just as they are.  The way to get people to want to save their own souls, which is the only way anything will change, is by being a reflection of God's love.  Love them as Jesus does.  Love them in all their imperfections and all their messiness of life.  Do not continually tell them they need to change who they are; shower them with so much love, tell them about Jesus and how much He loves them, just as they are, and pray for them.  Your prayers will do so much more than your nagging will.  If people feel judged, they will not ask questions; they will not be open to hearing anything we have to say.  I believe what God needs most from us is not us judging others and trying to talk them into changing their behaviors.  What He needs most from us is our loving others like Jesus did.  He needs us to love them so much they ask themselves, “How can I love as much as that person does?  How can I love so unconditionally?  How can I be so accepting of people?  How can I love so freely?”  When they ask those questions, then they will be open to hearing about the Gospel and about a God who loves them completely.  Can we do that?  Can we love others like Jesus did?  Can we lead with love first? Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we long for you just as the verse says. Our souls thirst for you as one would thirst for water in a dry land.  Lord, we love you, and we want to bring others into a personal relationship with you.  Help us do this.  Please help us to understand how to love others as you did.  Show us where in our lives we are falling short of this, Lord.  Give us the strength to hold our tongue and to not nag our loved ones to do what we want them to do.  We are coming from a loving place, Lord; we want to save their souls.  Yet we know you are the only one to do that, Lord. Help us to learn to say less to the person and pray more to you. Help us to truly turn them over to your loving care, Lord.  You care more about their souls than we ever could.  Help us, Lord; we are trying.  We are so grateful for all you do.  You give light to our lamps, and you brighten the darkness about us.  You are the word of God, and you are the word of life.  We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen.   Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Help! My Heart And Mind Are Fighting Each Other! Psalm 25:16-17 “Look at me and help me! I'm all alone and in big trouble. My heart and mind are fighting each other; Call a truce to this civil war.” Today, it was hard to pick a verse. I thought I would be writing about Isaiah 35, as my friend wrote to me last week and asked me if I take requests for the podcast. She had read Isaiah 35, and it was really hitting her. She was feeling all the feels, and she wanted to see what I thought about that chapter. I was honored, as that was the first time someone had asked me what I thought of a passage in the Bible. When I looked at the chapter, I realized I had already done an episode on that chapter, so I sent it to her. It was episode number 611, “A Way Through The Wilderness,” in case you wanted to check it out. After that, I tried to find a verse for today, and I was struggling. Today's verse reminds us that we can turn to the Lord when we are in trouble, even when we are in big trouble. This is important to remember, and I don't think we can ever say it enough. Nothing is too big for God. There is nothing in this world that He can't fix for us. There are all sorts of reasons why we may not turn to Him and ask for help when we are in big trouble. We don't see how He could help. We don't want to bother Him. We don't feel we deserve His help, and so on. I am sure you have thought up very good reasons why you shouldn't go to the Lord for help when you are in big trouble. One that just popped into my mind is, “I got myself into this mess; I need to get myself out.” This is definitely a human way of thinking, but it is not how God thinks. He has gotten us out of plenty of messes that we got ourselves into. When we get ourselves into big trouble, all we have to do is be humble and turn back to the Lord. Repent and admit what we have done. Ask for His help, and He will help you. I feel as though I can't stress this enough. God wants us to ask for help when we need it. Yes, I know He knows when we need help, probably even before we do, and yet He is a perfect Father, and He respects our free will. If we don't want Him to step in, if we want to do it all ourselves, He will allow us to do that, even if it hurts his heart to watch us struggle. When in trouble, stop and ask the Lord for help. His plan will be much better than any plan we can come up with on our own! I also liked this verse because of the next line, “My heart and mind are fighting with each other; Call a truce to this civil war.” Has this ever happened to you? It happens to me all the time. My heart wants to do something, and my brain convinces me that I don't really want to do it, and then they fight over it. It is frustrating because I know what the right thing to do is, and yet my brain tries to convince me to do the opposite. I think the voice of God is in my heart, and yet, at times, the enemy tries to invade my brain, so they argue. I wish I could say I always choose the right thing to do, but that is not always the case. Sometimes I lose out to slothfulness and gluttony. This past year or two, I feel like they have won more than I care to talk about. What do we do when this happens? What do we do when our hearts and our minds are fighting with each other? When this happens, we can turn to the Lord, just as it says in this verse. We can ask the Lord to call a truce. We can ask the Lord to give us the wisdom to know what we should do and the courage to do what is right. Our brains are trying to keep us comfortable, so when we try to do uncomfortable things, our brains complain and try to convince us that we don't want to do the uncomfortable thing. The problem with this is that we won't grow if we don't ever do something that is uncomfortable. We grow when we are outside of our comfort zone. This is true with all things, not just our jobs. When we step outside our comfort zone and try something new with our spirituality or our prayer life, we grow closer to the Lord. When we step outside our comfort zone and try something new with our families, it can help us grow closer. Our brain is not bad; it is trying to save us from uncomfortable feelings. It is trying to help us. However, we all know what happens when we are saved from all uncomfortable feelings. Have you ever seen a child who was protected from all uncomfortable things? Actually, I feel as though I have been doing this to my kids recently. The kids had a pretty challenging childhood. Mostly because of their behaviors, but that doesn't change the fact that it was rough. They were very unkind to each other, and it took a long time for Tony and me to figure out how to parent them in an effective way. So, I would try to shield them from uncomfortable situations because I felt like they had enough to go through. However, doing this robbed them of building up the resiliency and tenacity that comes along with doing uncomfortable things. I now have two young adults and a 15-year-old, and in some ways, they are so resilient. Then there are all the things they struggle with because I was trying to protect them from the pain. The same will be true with you and me if we continue to let our brains tell our hearts what to do. That still small voice in our hearts is the Holy Spirit. We need to start listening to that voice more than the louder voice in our minds. The voice that, although it is trying to protect us, does not really know what we need.  We need to pray for the strength and courage to listen to and follow our hearts more. We need to pray that the Lord will help us with discernment. We need to pray that the Lord opens our ears to hear what our hearts are telling us to do. We need to ask the Lord to call a truce! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening and their families. Lord, help us to listen to your voice in our hearts. Help us to do what is right, what is necessary, not what is comfortable. Lord, we pray you give us the gifts of discernment, courage, & strength so that we can do the things you want us to do. We love you, Lord, and we ask that you call a truce and help bring our hearts and our minds into one with your will. We ask you all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I have a mission for you. My mission is to love. Every person that you meet today and every day of your life they are sent to you for you to pour my love out upon them. Forgive them, have mercy on them, and do not judge them. I love them, and I want you to love them too.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

We have all seen God working in our lives. However, maybe not everyone is aware that it is God who is working within us. That's why it's so important for us to start talking more about it. The more we share our experiences, the more people will understand how God acts and how much He truly loves us. If you're willing to share an experience of how God has worked or is working in your life, please send me an email at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or click here. It won't take much of your time, and your story could be just what someone needs to hear today. Consider praying and sharing. We all have a story, and the world needs to hear it. www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Which Path To Choose? Isaiah 30:21 “And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Do you ever wonder why you ask the Lord what you should do and you don't hear a clear answer?  I was talking with my spiritual advisor one time, and I told her I was going to pray about the two choices I had to choose from and see which one God wanted me to do.  She told me not to be surprised if God wasn't super specific or if He didn't tell me which one to pick.  She said He doesn't always tell us what to do.  Sometimes He lets us pick.  Then we talked about how there might not be just one path God wants you to walk down.  We talked about how we don't have to worry that there is one right answer and all the rest are wrong. I didn't know there was scripture to back this up; it was more of a feeling. I truly felt if God wanted you to do one specific thing, he would let you know.  He would place the desire to pick that one thing directly in your head.  You would know what God wants you to do.  Then there are the times when you really don't know which to pick.  You feel you could be happy doing either job, or you could be happy living in either place.  It is in these times, I believe, the decision about which to do is left up to us because God is ok with both of them.  Yesterday I was listening to another elevation church podcast, and I heard Pastor Steven Furtick read this verse, so I wanted to share it with all of you because I know many of you have been in a situation where you were praying for God to guide you one way or the other.   The verse above says, “And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.  God will be with you no matter which you choose.  We know God is always with us; however, that doesn't mean He always supports our choices.  When we are about to do something that goes against God or something God knows will lead us down a wrong path, He will let us know.  Think back to all the times you made a decision that ended badly.  Did you have a feeling it might?  Did you feel as if God was urging you not to do it?  That's the thing: we always have a choice.  Even when God knows the path won't end well, he will warn us against it, but He will not prevent us from doing it.  God honors our free will. I think sometimes we want God to tell us which way to go so we don't have to make the decision.  If we let God choose, then we can blame Him when things go wrong, when they don't turn out like we expected they would.  Another reason we would like God to make the decisions is that there are so many decisions we have to make all throughout the day, and it can be overwhelming.  Then there are also so many choices for each of those decisions.  Have you ever heard the term analysis paralysis?  Analysis paralysis is an inability to make a decision due to overthinking a problem. An individual or a group can have too much data. The result is endless wrangling over the upsides and downsides of each option, and an inability to pick one.  This used to happen to me every time the kids would bring home a sheet from their teacher asking for donations for something.  The list would have 50 things we could donate.  I would look at them, and they all seemed easy enough.  However, there were so many to choose from that I would usually end up frustrated and not get any.  I loved the teachers who would just send home a note telling me what to bring, no choice involved.   With all the technology we have at our fingertips these days, the choices and amount of information can be overwhelming.  For instance, if you are throwing a party, instead of going to the local party store and seeing what they have in stock, you can Google how to throw a party, or you can look up different themes, decorations, table pieces, and more.  Pinterest is also a big thing.  This is a website and an app where people post photos of things they have done, all the decorations they've made, all the parties they've had.  If you go on Pinterest, you will probably get lost in your search and spend hours there, just looking at all they have to offer, and yet you will probably make very few decisions.  Because of this, I am thankful to have found this verse.  I am thankful to know that sometimes God is ok with us picking any path. I want to do what God wants me to do.  I want to follow His will.  This is why I get frustrated sometimes when I don't know what He wants me to do.  However, what I take from this verse is that He hasn't just set up one path for us.  He hasn't just planned our every move; He allows us to decide what we want to do.  The verse goes on to say, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” No matter which path you decide to go down, God will be there to guide you.  You just need to listen to the voice you hear in your ears.  God will tell you when it is time to pivot to a new job, a new house, or whatever the next step is.  I watched a video about this very topic by Father Mike Schmidt.  He said we tend to look for God to reassure us with every step we take.  Our intentions are good; we want to know we are doing the right thing.  We want to please God and to do His will.  Father Mike said when God wants us to move, or to change something, he will tell us.  If God is not saying something, then you are good to keep doing what you are doing.  Why is it we need that constant assurance from God?  We want Him to cheer on our every step.  We want Him to keep telling us we are headed in the right direction.   One thing Pastor Furtick said that I think is so powerful is, “The important thing is not which road you take to get there; the important thing is how you walk on that path.”  Sometimes we might have to choose between two things, and we don't really feel God is leading us one way or another.  That might be because He is ok with either path.  They both could be good, and they both could be bad.  Your success isn't dependent on the path you picked; it is dependent on how you walk that path.  Are you staying close to God?  Are you close enough to hear that voice the verse is talking about?  Are you checking in with God regularly to see if He is still ok with the path you are on, or does He want you to make a turn down a different road?  How are you walking on your path?  The verse says there will be a voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”  Are you listening to that voice?  Are you following the directions it is giving you?  If the Lord is not giving you directions, just continue going forward in the direction you are going, and when it is time to make a change, God will let you know.   Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to hear your voice.  Help us to listen to your voice.  Help us to make difficult decisions and help us to know you will be with us no matter what decision we make.  Lord, we ask you to lead us down the path you want us to go, and we ask you to help us to walk uprightly down that path.  Give us wisdom and discernment, Lord, so when we need to make a decision, we can make it swiftly and without too much anxiety.  Lord, we ask you to help us sift through all the information and all the choices and just focus in on you, Lord.  We love you, Lord.  You are so great!  You are the almighty one.  You are the Light of the World.  We adore you, and we are so grateful for all you do for us.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus!  I look forward to spending time with you on Monday!  Have a blessed weekend.   www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Tiny Steps of Trust Psalm 56:3-4 “But in the day that I'm afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart. What harm could a man bring to me? With God on my side, I will not be afraid of what comes.” Today, I decided to read from the Jesus Calling Devotional. I have not done that in a while; I am unsure why. For those of you who don't know, this is a devotional book written as if God is speaking to you each day. It is really good and often says exactly what you need to hear for that day. Today's spoke right to me. It reminded me how important it is to trust God in all times with all things. It is just as important to trust Him with the small things as it is to trust Him with the big things. I will read today's devotional for you, as I think it will speak to you just as much as it spoke to me. “TRUST ME with every fiber of your being! What I can accomplish in and through you is proportional to how much you depend on me. One aspect of this is the degree to which you trust me in a crisis or major decision. Some people fail miserably here, while others are at their best in tough times. Another aspect is even more telling: the consistency of your trust in me. People who rely on me in the midst of adversity may forget about me when life is flowing smoothly. Difficult times can jolt you into awareness of your need for me, whereas smooth sailing can lull you into a stupor of self-sufficiency. I care as much about your tiny trust-steps through daily life as about your daily dramatic leaps of faith. You may think that no one else notices, but the One who is always beside you sees everything — and rejoices. Consistently trusting in me is vital to flourishing in my presence.” Do you see what I mean when I say it often says exactly what you need to hear for the day? I love that it is written as if God is saying it directly to you. This is truly how God talks to us. I am not sure how many of you listening have taken the time to sit and listen to what God has to say to you. If you have not, give it a try today. God wants to talk to each one of us, and yet the world around us is so noisy it is hard to hear him. However, if we sit down and take the time to listen, we will hear what He wants to tell us. This can take time and also practice. The more time you put into trying to hear God talking to you, the more clearly you will hear Him. The more you will begin to recognize what He sounds like to you. I have a journal, and I try to write in it as often as I can. In 2020, I changed the way I write in my prayer journal. I used to just write God about my day and what was going on in my life. I still do this, but I don't just do this. Now, I try to stop and take the time to listen to what God has to say back to me. This has been amazing. I have spent a lot of time listening and have given the Lord time to speak into my life, and it has been life-changing. You would be surprised what the Lord wants to say to you if you only gave Him the time to say it. He is so gentle and affirming. Sometimes, we think we wouldn't want to hear what the Lord has to say because we feel we aren't doing a very good job, and He probably wouldn't have anything nice to say to us. This is not true. That is what the enemy wants you to think so that you don't stop and give the Lord time to speak love, light, and truth into your life. When you give Him the time and you listen, you will be surprised at how nicely He talks to you. You will be surprised at how much He loves you. Even in our brokenness, even in our sin, He still speaks so much love into us. It is truly amazing. This is why I started ending each episode with the Word from the Lord that He gave to our prayer group. The more we all start hearing the way He talks to us, the more we will start to recognize it when we hear Him talking in our own lives. Here is what I do when I write to the Lord. I write Him a letter, and then I ask Him to answer me using my pen, and then I start to write a letter back to myself. I don't question what comes to mind; I don't overthink it; I just write everything that comes to mind. Does that mean that every single thing I write down is from the Lord? No, probably not. However, I asked Him to answer me, and when we ask, He answers, so I trust that what I am writing down is from Him. After you are done writing it down, you can re-read it and see what you wrote and how it makes you feel. If you wrote anything down that makes you feel bad, shameful, or guilty, that is probably not from the Lord. That is not how He talks to us. Sometimes He will convict us of something if we are doing something wrong. However, He doesn't use shame and guilt to do it. God does not condemn us. He lovingly points us in another direction and then gives us the strength to go in that other direction. Anything you are not sure of, you can take to discernment. You can ask the Lord to clarify; you can ask the Lord to explain more, and you can always go deeper with what you got in the letter. If you do this often enough, you will recognize patterns. You will see that He tends to say the same things over and over again because we tend not to listen. Yet, He keeps saying them until we do listen. The verse above says, “But in the day that I'm afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart. What harm could a man bring to me? With God on my side, I will not be afraid of what comes.” This is a good verse for today because I know a lot of people who are staring down some pretty big fears. Whether they are worried about losing their job, getting sick, or finding a new job, it is all scary. Several people I know are also sick and are worried they won't be healed. This can be very scary to think you will have to live with this illness for the rest of your life. This is why today's verse is so important. Today's verse says that I lay all my fears before you and trust you with all my heart. I hope we are all doing this. I hope when something scary comes our way, our first instinct is to turn it over to the Lord. Give Him our cares, and He will help us carry them. He will even carry them for us if we can be brave enough to let go and let Him carry them for us. Often we want to pick them back up again. But if we can fully let go, He will take care of them for us. If we can trust Him to do this, our worries and cares become so much lighter. My favorite part of the devotional from Jesus Calling is, “Another aspect is even more telling: the consistency of your trust in me.” I also love, “I care as much about your tiny trust-steps through daily life as about your daily dramatic leaps of faith.” These both remind us that although it is important to have trust in the Lord when things are going wrong in our lives, it is just as important to trust Him when things are calm and there isn't a crisis. Do we do this? Do we trust that God is taking care of all the things, or just the big things? When things are going well, do we still turn to the Lord, or do we try to fix those things on our own? I think this devotional gives us something to think about. What could we be doing differently? Do we need to be more consistent with our trust in the Lord? What are those tiny trust-steps in our daily life that God is talking about? What if you took 20 minutes sometime today and sat down and asked God these questions and then wrote down whatever you think you hear Him say back to you? Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we want to trust you. We want to trust you not only with the big things but the small things too. Please show us how; please guide us. Help us learn how to take those tiny trust-steps into our daily life. Lord, we ask that you help us hear your voice in our heads. We ask you to open our spiritual ears so we can hear you more. Lord, I ask you for a special blessing for each person. I ask that you bless them and their families. I ask that you bless their jobs, their ministries, whatever it is they do. We love you so much, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Remember, Jesus really does love you, yes, you, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am the crucified Christ. My blood has freed you. I have washed you clean in my blood. Block your ears to the evil one. He is jealous of my children. His mission is to destroy. I surround my children with my all-consuming love. Love that doesn't skip a beat, and he knows it. Stay strong, stay focused on me.”   www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Your Jordan River Will Part Joshua 3:13 “When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the waters of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a single heap.” This is a story that I don't remember from the Bible. I have gone through the Bible in a year twice with Father Mike, so I am sure I have heard it; I don't remember it, so I thought we would take a look at it today, especially because I know a lot of people who need some reassurance that miracles do happen. God will take care of you no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. God is not surprised you are in these circumstances. He knew you would be in them, and He has prepared you for them. He has a plan to help you through them. Trust Him. This verse is taking place when Joshua is trying to get the Israelites to cross the Jordon River to go into the promised land. Let me read to you this part of the story so you can see how it all unfolded. Remember, Moses led the people out of Egypt but was not able to live to lead them into the promised land. This was left to Joshua, as He was faithful and trusted that God could conquer the people who occupied that land currently. I will read you Joshua 3:7-17: “Then the Lord said to Joshua: Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  Now command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, “When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, there take your stand.”  So Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord, your God.”  He continued: “By this you will know that there is a living God in your midst: he will certainly dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. The ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth will cross the Jordan before you.  Now choose twelve men, one from each of the tribes of Israel. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the Lord, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the waters of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a single heap.” The people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of them. When those bearing the ark came to the Jordan and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were immersed in the waters of the Jordan—which overflows all its banks during the entire season of the harvest— the waters flowing from upstream halted, standing up in a single heap for a very great distance indeed, from Adam, a city in the direction of Zarethan; those flowing downstream toward the Salt Sea of the Arabah disappeared entirely. Thus the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the Jordan riverbed while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the whole nation had completed the crossing of the Jordan.” Wow, the Israelites crossed on dry ground again! Remember, these are the ancestors of those who crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. These people were not actually there, but I am sure they heard all about it. So, why do you think God needed to show them again? Why do you think God parted the Jordan River for them to cross? It says above that it was to show the people that God was with Joshua the same way that He was with Moses. This miracle, like many others, is a testament to the power and faithfulness of our God.  It amazes me how often we can see signs and wonders and yet still doubt the Lord will come through. The Israelites had seen miracle after miracle while they were in the desert. Their food miraculously showed up each morning. When they complained about not having meat to eat, Quail miraculously showed up. They walked across the Red Sea on dry land, and this is to name a few of the big ones. So, why would they need to see another miracle? I think it is because we sometimes think it is the person doing the miracle instead of God doing the miracle through those people. God knew the Israelites knew God was with Moses because He was the face of most of the miracles they had received. However, God also knew they weren't sure if God was with Joshua. He was young and new to leading them. God understood that these people would need a sign to show them that He was with Joshua. How many times have we been like this? How many times has God called us to cross our own Jordan Rivers, and we have been hesitant because we don't know that He is with us? How many times has He given us a sign, and yet we require another one? If we look back upon our lives, I bet we can all see how the Lord has been right here with us in each of the hard times. If we can see this, why do we still doubt He will be with us in this hard time? I am sure we have all seen miracles in our lives. If we haven't, then we are not looking hard enough because the Lord is working in each of our lives. The news doesn't like to talk about the good stuff going on in the world, as that doesn't sell as much as the bad stuff. However, you don't have to look too far to find the good things going on in this world if you want to. You can find articles and videos on the internet. We can actually be a beacon of light to those around us. If you see someone you know struggling, you can give them hope and peace in Jesus Christ. If someone you know needs a miracle right now, relay this one to them. Relay other ones from the Bible. Look on YouTube for testimonies from others who have been healed from what they have or gone through what they have gone through. Sometimes, seeing is believing, so pray for God to show them a miracle. Pray for a miracle in your life. Miracles are not reserved for certain people. They are not reserved for perfect people, people who pray a lot, or those whom God loves the best. Miracles come to those who ask for them, those who seek them, and those who believe they will happen. We believe, Lord. Help our unbelief. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening today. Lord, we love you, and we know you are there with us in the hard times. We are sorry we sometimes forget. We ask you to be with all those struggling in a special way today. We ask you to give each one of us a renewed sense of awe and wonder. We ask that you give us renewed faith and belief that miracles are not only possible will happen in our lives. Open our eyes to the miracles that are happening in our lives every day! We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name; amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “There is no more time for looking back. Look only to what is ahead. Look up, and you'll see the glory of God.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Redeeming the Time  Ephesians 5:15-16 “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” I really liked this verse and wanted to talk to you about it today because I am not sure we realize how important time is.  It matters how we spend our time.  The first part of this verse talks about how we need to make sure we are walking circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.  Circumspectly is a fancy way to say we need to think carefully before we act.  This is hard for us sometimes.  I feel like I say this a lot, but I think it is so important that we all become aware of it.  We go through life on autopilot.  There is so much of our day we spend just going through the motions.  We aren't actually making a lot of the decisions as we go through our day.  We have all formed habits, good ones and bad ones, and those habits are what make a lot of the decisions for us.   It sounds like this is not a new problem.  I think from the beginning of time this was a problem.  We tend to default to whatever we have done in the past.  It is not easy to always walk circumspectly.  It requires us to pause and think before we do something.  This is contrary to how we live out our day-to-day moments.  Do you stop and think before you eat your breakfast?  Do you stop to think if whatever you're about to eat is actually the best thing for you to eat?  Is it something that will nourish your body, or is it something you are just in the habit of eating?  What about how you spend your time in the mornings?  Are you spending this precious time in a way that is going to set your day up for success, or are you looking at your phone and then reacting to whatever you saw on your phone?   It is important that we look at how we are spending our time and try to stop and think before we do anything.  I have been much more aware of how I am spending my time lately.  I am trying to be more focused and stay on task better.  I am trying to spend my time more wisely.  However, I am finding it is very hard.  I find myself slipping into old habits throughout the day.  For instance, I will pick up my phone and check my email so many times throughout the day.  I do not have a ton of important emails coming in throughout the day.  I could easily spend 15-30 min at the end of the day and go through all my emails and be good for the day.  However, I am in the habit of checking them, so I do.  This is something I am working on changing.   I read something one time that said we all think our time is our own.  However, it is a gift from God and one day He is going to want us to give a full account of how we spent His gift.  I don't know about you, but I thought this was pretty powerful.  If you knew one day you would have to answer for how you spent your time, would you spend it differently?  Would you spend as much time on that video game, or watching those Facebook or YouTube videos?  Would you still binge-watch all 8 seasons of that TV show during work hours if you knew you would have to explain your actions to God someday?  I ask that question in a loving way.  I don't picture God asking us in a very condemning way.  I can picture Him asking us in a loving way. More of a response to us asking why we didn't get to do all the things we wanted to do.  God has amazing plans for each one of us, and no matter where we are on this journey of life, it is important to take a minute and think about how we are spending this precious time that God has given us.  There is a song I love, and it talks about this very topic.  It is called “Spend a Life” By David Dunn.  I will put a link to this song in the show notes, and I highly recommend you take a minute and listen to this awesome song.  I am going to take a minute to read you the lyrics, no, not sing them, don't worry.  I think you all need to hear them, and I know we are all busy, so most of you probably won't listen to the song.   Spend a Life  by David Dunn Everybody's got a balance But no one knows how much There's no way to run the numbers No way to count it up And we're pouring out our fortunes In the moments Both the big and the small Yeah we gotta spend it all All I have is what You gave Watching seconds turn to days I was made for more then just to watch it fly A few more turns around the sun Could be hundreds, could be one Show me how to spend the treasure of my time Show me how to spend a life, yeah Show me how to spend a life I have never seen a tombstone Say I didn't work enough, nah Nobody ever heard a father say I held my kids too much God I wanna run after What really matters So remind me when I fall How a good man spends it all Don't let me waste it Don't let lose it Don't let me steal it for myself No, no I know it's precious I know it's priceless I know my time is flying by Show me how to spend a life 'Cause all I have is what You gave Watching seconds turn to days I was made for more then just to watch it fly A few more turns around the sun Could be hundreds, could be one Show me how to spend the treasure of my time, yeah Show me how to spend a life, yeah Wow, did that hit you as it hit me?  I got teary-eyed just thinking about all this song talks about.  None of us know how much time we have.  I love when the song talks about trips around the sun, and he says, could be hundreds, could be one.  This is so true, and as much as I don't think it is helpful to constantly be thinking about our death, I do think it is healthy to occasionally look at how we are living our lives and ask ourselves, would we be proud of how we lived our lives if we were to die tomorrow?  Sometimes we put things off, and we say we just need to do x, y, or z, and then we will do the things we really want to do.  We know in our hearts we aren't prioritizing this correctly, and yet we tell ourselves we only have to do this for a few more years, just until we get that promotion, just until we make more money, just until…But we aren't guaranteed anything.  What if we lived our lives with the realization that tomorrow is not a given?  What if we woke up each day grateful that God blessed us with another day and then lived it as the gift it really is?  What if we thought about how we are spending our time and consciously chose how we wanted to spend it?  What if we realized we only get a finite amount of time and so we live each moment as if it is a precious gift?  What if we stopped putting things off and did them right when we wanted to?  Would your life be any different if you started walking into your days circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise?  How can you redeem the time you have been given?   Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to notice how we are spending our time.  Help us to take back control of our time.  Lord, I know I really struggle with wasting time, and I know I can't be the only one who struggles with this; please help us, Lord.  We ask the Holy Spirit to nudge us when we are wasting time and help to bring us back on track.  We ask you to help us realize how important our time is.  We ask you to help us realize how finite our time is, but not in an anxious way where we stress out.  We ask you to help us see it in a helpful way so we can take advantage of every minute you have given to us.  Help us to be grateful for each and every precious second you give us, Lord.  You are truly amazing, and we are so grateful for you.  You are the light of the world, and the word made flesh.  You are so kind to give us so many wonderful days; help us appreciate them more.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen. Thank you for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow.  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Today's witnesses are from Matthew West's website, called popwe.org. If you don't know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose testimonies from the Healing Category. Often, we can hear our own story in someone else's story. When we listen to others tell their story, it helps us see that we are not alone. When we hear how God worked in their situation, it gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray that when you hear these testimonies, you get the faith and hope to believe that miracles can happen in your situation, too. I pray you know that God is there with you, and if you invite Him into your situation, He can help. I hope you enjoy these testimonies. Hi, I'm Janet, and I am a mom and teacher! I love my life and glorify God every day! Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer! I had excellent specialists and doctors. But the scans definitely showed cancer growths! I was on many prayer lists and trusted God completely! But the family conversations were very tough and heartbreaking! Surgery day arrived.  In the operating room, I asked to pray aloud with the team of surgeons. Four hours later I woke up to two surgeons sitting next to me. They told me they could not find the growths at all. They were gone!  However, they had removed a section of my intestines just as a precautionary measure.  Oncology tested twice and found nothing! God healed me completely! After a long recovery, my life was restored, and I'm praising God every day for His mighty and loving hand over my life. I dedicate myself to complete surrender and complete obedience daily, so I belong to my Lord Jesus now and forever! Melissa: In February 2024, on my 36th birthday, I got super sick. I had Crohn's. I was in the hospital one month and in rehab for another month. I had to do home health care for two months once I returned home. While in rehab I had to learn how to walk, stand, and sit again. I also lost my voice for two months and had to learn to talk again. I also temporarily lost my hair while losing 90 lbs. I had to learn how to chew and eat again. God stayed with me! And after 6 months of the onset of my sickness, which was only two weeks after my home care ended, I was able to go back to work. All glory to God for getting me through. Laurie: I was diagnosed with ductal cell carcinoma in July following my yearly mammogram. After two biopsies, two tags, and a postponed and then canceled surgery due to my surgeon having a boating accident, frustration set in. I was downright mad at the world. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I reached out to God in my darkest hour and asked, “Why me, God?” I just wanted the cancer gone. I didn't know what to do. I wondered if I should wait for the surgeon to heal or see a new surgeon an hour from my home and move forward.  I decided to go with a new surgeon.  I'm happy to report that after a 4-hour surgery, my cancer surgeon and plastic surgeon were able to remove all the cancer and do reconstructive surgery on September 25th. I am healing well and will be starting radiation treatments soon. I am so grateful for all the prayers I received from my family and friends! I am following the plan God has for me; He's not done with me yet! Sean: On December 29th, 2023, during my first routine colonoscopy, I was told I had Colon Cancer. Something inside me said, “Ok, now what?” Not scared, I believed that knowing that with Jesus and my family fighting for me, I'd be “ok. “ I had my surgery to remove 10 inches of my colon on Jan 30th, and all went well. There were no signs of spreading.  I was back doing everything as normal, including playing softball again. Nothing short of a God-placed miracle. My next colonoscopy in January 2025 went well, and I was still all clear.  This news really made my faith journey grow. Two weeks later, I had a CT scan, and my world changed forever. Stage 4 metastatic colon cancer spread to my liver and lungs. I can't lie; my first reaction was to ask why He would allow this after healing me a year prior. I went home and started looking at survival rates of my situation. Everyone on the internet, including all the main cancer sites, said a 12% 5-year survival rate. I hear the words “they say….” so much it drives me nuts. Who are “they” and what makes them an expert on me? They say they know, but they don't know my King!! I started writing down how I was feeling.  During this whole process, I was hearing God speak through music from a few artists, namely Matthew West and Anne Wilson. I was listening to songs like “Truth Be Told” and “Strong.” I had 5 Chemo sessions to try to shrink the tumor in my liver to make it operable, and it worked.  I went in to have a lung tumor removed, and they prepped me for surgery and brought me into radiology to do a process where they use a biopsy-type needle to mark the tumor for the surgeon. After 20 minutes of a lot of commotion while I lay in the CT machine, they took me out and said they couldn't explain it, but the tumor was practically gone. A small speck showing that was too small to even mark, let alone try to cut out. Surgery was canceled! God is good!! On June 9, I went in for the open liver surgery.   Moving on to liver surgery. The surgeon opened me up and saw damage to my liver and stopped the surgery. He was afraid of the liver not growing after surgery, causing liver failure. Again, I asked why He saved my lung, but let this happen. I went back a couple of weeks later for a procedure where they put a clot in the vein going to the left side of my liver to make the right side think it was gone.  The goal was to see if it would grow again. Again, God showed up as always. God is Good! My liver was growing, given the “ok” to have the second surgery. I already had plans for the end of July, as my wife and I volunteer at Kingdom Bound at Darien Lake, NY each year. This year would be special for me with you and Anne both performing. During your concert, I wrote down a request for a prayer card for your prayer wall. Thank you for that!! As usual, God was saying, “Have faith!” My surgery had been scheduled for Aug 5th, which was one week after you performed. It went successfully. I can't thank you enough for your inspiration and prayers.  You have been a big part of my daily story through your music.  Keep spreading His light! Thank you all for sharing your stories with us! It is not always easy to be vulnerable and share your story, and yet when you do, it helps so many other people. May God bless you and keep you and your loved ones healthy.   www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

You Already Have the Power 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? This is a question I think often when I am talking to people.  Whenever I talk to someone who doubts their abilities or their capabilities, I want to ask them this question.  I want to ask most people this question as I think a lot of us don't know this.  I have heard people talk a lot about our body being a temple when they talk bout how we take care of our body.  I have heard people mention “our body is a temple” when they are wanting you to do their workout program, or their nutrition program.  I have also heard people talk about how our body is a temple when they are talking about sexual sin or trying to convince you not to use your body in a negative way.   I do think it is important to think of your body as a temple, not just any temple, but God's temple.  Knowing I am God's temple is quite a responsibility.  Currently, I am not acting as if I know my body is a temple.  Right now I am acting as if my body is a waste station and I am throwing all the junk I can find into it.  I seem to be struggling with self-control when it comes to eating and exercising these days.  This is somewhat new to me, as I have done really well over the past several years to gain lots of self-control when it comes to eating and exercising.  I know I don't need to base my eating and my working out on my feelings.  I know if I get into a good routine, I can work out even when I don't want to.  I know I don't have to eat the ice cream just because I want to.   Even though I know these things, I am still struggling.  Have you ever had this happen to you?  You know what you need to do, and you still can't seem to do it?  I think this happens to all of us.  Right now, for me, I think it is the enemy making my desires stronger than my willpower.  I believe God is calling me to so much more in life, and the enemy doesn't want me to hear this call.  He doesn't want me to live up to my purpose, so he is distracting me with social media and other things on the computer.  He is tempting me with all sorts of food that is not all that healthy, and he is loving every single time I give in to his distractions.  He has me saying things like, “I just can't resist, or I can't overcome my desires to not work out.”  The devil is a liar. I can resist.  It is not easy, but it is possible.  We have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us.  I don't think we realize how much power we have living inside of us.  Romans 8:11 is a very powerful scripture to write down and read often.  It is a great scripture to remind yourself of every time you feel like you can't do something.  Romans 8:11 says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”  The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead.  Remember when Jesus died on the cross for our sins and then three days later rose again?  The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead.  That same Holy Spirit is now living in you and me; that's remarkable to me.   I forget this often.  I often rely on my own willpower, my own mind, thoughts, talents, abilities, and so on.  I know God is always there to help me, but I forget the Holy Spirit lives inside of me.  I forget how powerful the Holy Spirit is.  Well, actually, I don't forget how powerful he is, but I do forget that power is living inside of me.  When I pray for people, I pray the Lord sends the Holy Spirit down to be in the situation I am praying for.  I forget the Holy Spirit doesn't need to come down to be in the situation because He lives here on earth in each one of us.  He is right here inside of us to give us the power we need.  All we need to do is call upon that power. Are we doing that?  Are we remembering to call upon the power of the Holy Spirit?  I know I'm not.  I have been complaining a lot about my lack of willpower.  I have not been running like I want to, and I have been gaining weight because I am not really being careful about what I eat.  I get frustrated, and I wonder why I was so good before, and now I am not.  I was talking with a friend the other day, and she helped me figure it out.  When I first moved to MA, home life was pretty out of control.  I was struggling big time with behaviors from my kids, with just having moved to a new community where I didn't know anyone, trying to work when I kept getting called by the schools, struggling with my marriage.  Everything seemed pretty out of control.  I think I was so good about exercising and watching what I ate because it was the one thing I felt I had control over.  I couldn't control a lot in my life at that time, but I could control what I ate and when I worked out.   I think I was also better at remembering to call on the Holy Spirit because I needed his power daily, hourly, sometimes minute by minute.  People who knew me when I was going through the worst of it would comment how strong I was.  I was quick to tell them, it's not me, it's God.  He is the one holding me up right now.  The Holy Spirit was my go-to because it was obvious I was out of my depth.  The things that were going on in my life were so far out of my control.  I am grateful I had God to lean on and I am beyond grateful He gave us the Holy Spirit.  They say a mother's love is so strong you can do anything you need to do to protect your kids.  I don't disagree that a mother's love is strong, and also I don't think it is her love alone.  I think it is our desperate need to protect our children that gives us the courage to call out to the Holy Spirit.  The strength comes from Him.   I am grateful things have calmed down now.  I am grateful God answered my years of prayers.  I am grateful he provided our family with a miraculous restoration. I love my life, and I am so grateful to God for loving me enough to answer my prayers.  I also want to make sure I am not taking these answered prayers for granted.  I think my perceived lack of willpower right now is because I am forgetting to call upon the Holy Spirit.  I am thinking I need to do it all on my own, and I don't.  I am trying to will myself into doing the things I want, and I am forgetting to reach out and ask for help.  I have reached out to friends and asked for accountability partners.  I have reached out and asked people to call and check in with me, ask me if I have done it.  I have asked God to help me, but I am not sure I have invited the Holy Spirit into this struggle.  I have been keeping the struggle separate from God.  Telling myself things like, “God doesn't care if I eat this cookie.”  God may not care if I eat that cookie; however, he does care if I feel bad about eating that cookie.  He does care if I am mindlessly giving in to temptations.  He does care about all the little things, and He does want to be invited into all the parts of our lives, especially the ones we are struggling with.   I am grateful I read this scripture verse today.  I am grateful God showed me this small yet powerful reminder this morning.  Today I am going to invite the Holy Spirit into my struggle.  Today I am going to write this verse on a sticky note and place it up somewhere I will see it often.  Today I invite you to do the same.  Invite the Holy Spirit into whatever you are struggling with the most.  Actually invite the Holy Spirit into all aspects of your life, the good and the bad.  Who couldn't use more power in their life?  Wouldn't you like the good to be even better and the bad to get better?  The Holy Spirit has incredible power to make things better in your life.  I am living proof of that.  Our family went from an angry and somewhat violent family to a loving and calm family.  Things are not perfect, and I am not sure they will ever be as we live in a broken world. However, they are so good, and I am so grateful.  Whatever you are struggling with, please believe me when I say the Holy Spirit has the power to change it.  Remember Romans 8:11: The power of the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.  What could be more powerful? Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Holy Spirit, we invite you into our lives and give you permission to intercede as you wish.  We give you free rein, as we know your ways are higher than our ways.  We are sorry we keep relying on our own power, and we will try to remember to call upon your power.  We are so grateful for all you do for us.  Lord, we are so grateful you sent the Holy Spirit to come live within and to guide us.  Please help us remember to call upon the Holy Spirit more in our lives.  Help us to remember we don't have to do anything on our own; He is always with us.  He is just waiting for us to ask.  Lord, help us to remember our bodies are a temple and the Holy Spirit is living inside that temple.  Help us to treat our bodies like a temple.  Lord, you are so amazing.  You are my joy, you are my life, you are Emmanuel, God with us.  We love you, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I thought the Holy Spirit would be a great topic for Today's Devotional because the theme for mentoring this month is Loved and Led by the Holy Spirit. The last two months we looked at the love of the Father and the love of the Son. Now we look at the love of the Holy Spirit. CLICK HERE if you want to learn more about mentoring or if you want to join our community to learn more about the power and love you have living inside of you! I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in February 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, let my goodness flow and overflow in you. Let it spread to all those you meet. I am the Lord of goodness. I am the Lord of kindness. Open your hearts more fully to me so that you can know how to share it with those you meet.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Three Steps to Break Your Chains Acts 12:6-8 “The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, ‘Quick! Get up!' and the chains fell off his wrists.  Then, the angel told him, ‘Get dressed and put on your sandals.'  And he did. ‘Now put on your coat and follow me,' the angel ordered.” In this passage, God is telling us three steps we can take to break our own chains.  I know some of you may be saying that this is great for some people, but my chains are too strong for such a simple solution. Although this may seem simple, I am not saying it was easy. Peter was asked to get up while he was still wearing the chains. His chains did not come off before he was told to stand. His getting up while he was still chained took courage and trust. He needed to trust that God was telling him to get up for a reason. We all have some responsibility in getting out of our chains. Peter did not know what was coming next. He just knew that he had first to get up before anything else could happen. Can you do this step? Can you get up and get out of bed even if you don't know what is coming next or what the next step is? Can you trust that God is there with you and that if you get up, he will take the chains off of you? Next, the angel told Peter to get dressed and put on his sandals. When we are in the midst of a challenge, this may be the hardest step. It may take all our energy to get up out of bed, and getting dressed is another step that may seem impossible. This is when we need to rely on God. He is there for us, and He is there to give us the strength to get up when we don't feel like we can. Why is it important to get dressed? Getting dressed means that we are ready to go somewhere. We are ready for God to take us to a new place, a new situation. We need to be ready for anything to happen. Just the act of getting dressed can help change our mood. Even if we accomplish nothing else the entire day, we at least accomplished that. Also, depending on what you wear, it can change your mood as well. Are you getting dressed in clothes that tell your body that you are ready to go for the day, or are you dressing in clothes that tell your body to go back to bed? I have heard many people say that we should dress like we want to feel, not as we do feel. If you want to feel beautiful, then do not wear your yoga pants that are worn and have lots of holes; dress as if you already feel beautiful, and that is how you will start to feel. The last step the angel said is to follow me (God). We may not know how we can get out of our chains or what we can do to get out of the current situation. This is when it is important to be still and listen. Sometimes it is easier to hear God than other times. I have had times in the past when I rarely took the time to stop and spend quiet time listening to God. I talked an awful lot to him, but I struggled with the being still and just listening part. I have worked on this and grown in this area over the last several years. Oftentimes we know what God is telling us by the little voice inside our head that tells us what we should do. Are you listening to that voice on a regular basis, or are you shutting it down? I often do not listen to that voice and then always regret it, as it usually knows the right choice. Once you are ready to go, stop and listen and see if you can follow God. Where is he leading you? What does he want you to do next? If we ask God to direct us and lead us, He will. Listen and see what step he is leading you to take. No matter how small that step is, if we take one step after another, we will break free from our chains. There were many instances in the Bible when people had to act first before seeing the results. At the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11), they ran out of wine. Jesus told the stewards to fill up the wine jugs with water. Then, he asked them to take it to the chief steward. They had to act in faith before they were sure of the miracle. They had to take this cup of what they thought was water to their boss and ask him to taste it. This required their action and their faith. In John 5:2-9, Jesus met a man at a pool, waiting for someone to help him into the healing waters.  He had been an invalid for 38 years.  Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed. This required the man to answer. Then he told the man to rise up and take up his mat. This man had not been able to walk for a long time. Before he was healed, he was told to rise and take up his mat. He needed to trust that when he tried to stand, he would be able to. His faith and action were required before the miracle took place. God does amazing things every single day. Yes, God could save you without requiring anything from you, and sometimes he does. Sometimes, He saves people who do not even know they need saving. However, oftentimes, God is asking us to take some responsibility for our own situation. What can you do to save yourself from this current situation that you are in? What is one small action you can take to show God that you are willing to help yourself? Absolutely, pray to God and ask him to help you in any situation you are in, especially the really difficult ones. I am not saying that we need to save ourselves from everything. What I am saying is that we should pray and have faith that God will save us and then act on that faith and take a step in the direction we want to go. I will end with one of my favorite quotes. “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” ~Saint Augustine Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to the episode today. Lord, we want to follow you; please show us how. Please show us the way.  We want to get up and get dressed, and yet some of us are in circumstances that make that really hard.  Please give us the strength to get out of bed and get dressed. Give us the strength to have faith that things will get better. Give us the faith to take that one step, that one small action, so that you know we want to help ourselves; we want to help you. We love you, Lord, and we need you; please help us! We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I invite you all to join me in mentoring. So far this year, we have learned about God's reckless love, God's forgiveness, Praying without ceasing, prayer journaling, our identity, setting intentions for the year, praise and worship, and replacing the lies we tell ourselves with the truth from God. When you sign up, you will have access to all the recordings for these previous sessions. If you have any questions, let me know. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

When Hope Hurts Mark 9:21-27 “Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.  It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.”  Jesus said to him, “If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.”  Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.”  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand.” Jesus is asking just how long this has been happening to the boy?  We also find out that the spirit has not just cast the boy down onto the ground, but it has often cast him into fire and into water so that he might die.  I think everyone listening can sympathize with all this boy has had to go through and how his father is at the point where he would do anything for his son.  I can't imagine watching anyone's child go through life with this happening to them.  It must have been heartbreaking for the father to see this happening and not be able to do anything about it.   The father says, “if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.”  Jesus picks right up on the man's hesitation and says back to him, “If you are able!- All things can be done for the ones who believe.”  I love how the father of the boy doesn't miss a beat.  He immediately cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief.”  Imagine the level of faith the father must have had to believe that Jesus could save his son.  Also, I love that the man was not too proud to say, I believe; help my unbelief.  He wasn't too proud to acknowledge that there might be some doubt.  His son had been sick ever since he was a young boy.  When we suffer, or when we see our children suffer for a long time, we start to think we or they always will.  It can be easy to have hope at first that something will make them better.  We have hope in God, in the doctors, in the medicine.  But what about when that relief doesn't come?  What about when we continue to suffer or see our children suffer year after year with no relief?  What do we do then? Where does our hope go? I can see how the father might have struggled to believe that someone could cure his son. That his son might not have to suffer anymore.  It is almost like it was too good to be true, and so it makes sense that he may have been a bit hesitant to believe.  I think something we don't talk about enough is how scary it can be to hope sometimes.  How painful it can be to hope.  When we don't talk about it, and we don't acknowledge it, we are doing everyone a disservice.  I didn't understand this before.  I kept telling my friend she needed to keep hoping for what she wanted.  She needed to keep believing that God gave her the desires in her heart and so He was going to fulfill them.  What I wasn't understanding was how much it hurt her to keep hoping and then be let down each time when it didn't happen.  I do believe that God gave us our desires and that He will fulfill them.  However, I don't know this for sure.  I am definitely not an expert on God.  I don't know if any of us will ever be.  He is so complex, and just when you think you have Him all figured out, you realize that you have only scratched the surface.   I can understand how if you keep expecting something to happen and it doesn't, you could get tired of expecting it to happen. I can see how it would be painful to have hope and then feel like you are being let down over and over again.  I think this happens more often than we are aware of, and I think it is something we should acknowledge and start talking about more.  I think we don't talk about it because we don't want people to know that we struggle to have hope or we struggle to believe in the impossible.  We live in an age where most people strive to portray the best side of their life.  We like to brag about the good things that are going on and gloss over the bad things.  We act as though we are fine, even though we are really struggling.  We don't want people to know we are struggling; we don't want people to know we need help; we feel sad; we feel angry; we know we should be grateful, and yet we just don't feel it.  I know people who look like they are having the time of their lives.  They are killing it as moms, wives, daughters; they seem like all is going so well.  Then when I talk to them, they feel like they are failures, they feel depressed, they feel no excitement, or they feel overwhelmed.  We need to start being honest.  Not with everyone you meet on every street corner, but with someone, with those you love and trust.   We all struggle to believe things will get better sometimes.  We all feel overwhelmed with our problems at times.  Instead of me telling my friend she needed to keep having hope that her desires would come true, I told her that I would have hope for her.  Did you know we could do this?  Sometimes we get to a point where we can't hope, or where we can't pray.  Sometimes we are so depressed, or have been sick for so long, we just can't even pray.  When this happens, your brothers and sisters in Christ can pray for you.  We are a community of believers; we are not alone.  If we are struggling, we can ask others to pray for us or to have hope for us.  In the Bible, a group of friends carried their friend on a mat to see Jesus.  Their friend couldn't walk, and they thought if they could see Jesus, He would heal him.  However, the house Jesus was in was too crowded, so they went up to the roof, made a hole in the roof, and lowered him down right in front of Jesus.  Jesus did heal the man, and he looked up at his friends and told them that their faith healed him.  Don't get discouraged if your loved ones don't believe that they will be healed or that their dreams will come true.  Faith is a gift, and if you have faith that it will happen, that is enough.  Keep believing for them, keep praying for them, keep hoping for them.  If you are having trouble hoping for something or having trouble believing things will get better, ask someone to pray for you, to have hope for you.  Don't be afraid to talk about your fears, as it is only when you bring them to light that they lose their power over you.  Jesus healed this boy after many years of being possessed.  Just because you haven't received your healing yet doesn't mean it is not coming.  Keep hoping, keep believing or have someone else do it for you. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we believe; help our unbelief.  Lord, help us to have the courage to talk to someone if we are struggling with hope or with believing you will help us.  Help us not to be ashamed of these feelings.  Help us to know that the feeling of shame does not come from you.  You are a loving Father who always forgives when we repent.  We love you, Lord, so much!  It is truly amazing how you work, and even though we don't understand it all the time, we admire it and are in awe of it.  We are so grateful for all you do for us.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, just as you are, and so do I!  Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Do not forget where you come from, where your help comes from. When you are discouraged, fearful, angry, confused, or misunderstood, don't forget. I am the I am. I am your I am. Trust, believe, and move.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Today's witnesses are from Matthew West's website, called popwe.org. If you don't know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose three testimonies from the Marriage/Family Category. Satan is attacking our families, and I think it can help us to see that God is looking out for us. Satan wants to destroy families, but God wants to preserve them. Often, we can hear our own story in someone else's story. When we listen to others tell their story, it helps us see that we are not alone. When we hear how God worked in their situation, it gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray that when you hear these testimonies, you get the faith and hope to believe that miracles can happen in your situation, also. I pray you know that God wants to be there with you, and if you invite Him into your family issues, He can help. First up is Alice. It was pitch black and pouring rain on the night of Alice and her sons' escape. Alice's husband had become violently abusive, and Alice had put up with his beatings for a long time. Initially, Alice thought it was best to have her two sons raised by both parents, but she began to grow fearful of the safety of her children. One day, she finally gathered the courage to leave her abusive household behind. On the stormy night of the escape, Alice and her sons were led by a series of phone calls from Alice's father. Each call directed them to another location, which ultimately led to a shelter for the night. The next day, the rain stopped, and Alice and her sons stepped into the sunshine to take a walk. For the first time, they felt free. Matthew was so inspired by this story, that he wrote a song about it called, Into the Light. It is Matthew's hope that Alice's story and this song will encourage anyone else secretly trying to cope with an abusive spouse to speak up, get help, and step into the light. Further, Matthew hopes that Into the Light can be a metaphor for any storyteller to step out of the darkness and tell their story, because our God is the Light of the World! Next we have Julie's story. Three and a half years ago, Julie was broken. The world as she knew it was crashing down around her when she found out her husband cheated on her, and her marriage consequently failed. Julie was devastated and thought she would never find a spouse again. But then, God answered her prayers and brought a new man into her life. Soon, Julie was swept away by her new love and knew that this man would finally be her fairytale marriage that would last forever. Then, it happened. Julie learned that her new husband committed adultery. Her heart was pierced with a hurt so bad that it was hard for her to breathe. She was filled with so many emotions and thoughts. She couldn't believe that this would happen to her again. She thought to herself, “Just leave! You did it before, and it was an easy way out, and it won't hurt as bad.” But instead of leaving, Julie got on her knees and prayed to the Healer, the only One who could get her through this. As she prayed, she felt God's arms wrap around her. He quickly reminded her that her husband's sinful act was not from Him, but from the evil one. Comforted by God's love and healing, Julie decided that she would stay and fight for her marriage. Julie found strength in Ephesians 6 and put on the full armor of God. She was tirelessly on her knees praying and reading His Word. Even though her husband lost his church job because of this sin, and every day was a struggle for them to get through, Julie was determined that Satan was not going to win. The battle was easier to fight with Christ back in the center of their marriage. Julie learned that with God, marriage is never too far-gone. Today, the enemy no longer has a stronghold over Julie's marriage. The Lord was with Julie through all of this and lavished her with peace and strength. Her marriage is stronger than it has ever been, and all of the glory goes to God! And last but not least, we have Joe. Joe was unfaithful to his wife by having an affair with another woman. Resigned to believe that the grass would really be greener on the other side, and feeling like too much damage had already been done to repair what was broken, Joe packed his things to leave for good when the phone rang. On the phone was an old friend pleading with Joe to stop and think twice before he made the choice to throw everything away. Joe reluctantly went to meet with his friend. His friend helped redirect Joe's heart and reminded him of the “Joe” he used to know. Joe realized what he needed to do. He raced back home, hoping for the chance to beg for forgiveness from his best friend. He expected to find a cold shoulder or a door slammed in his face, and knew he would deserve it, but was willing to do anything to get his marriage back. Instead of finding a cold shoulder, Joe returned home to find his wife running to meet him in the driveway, wrapping him in an embrace he would never forget. Matthew, moved by Joe's story of redemption, wrote the song Restored. Although Joe walked away from the riches of God's blessing of marriage, God's grace stepped in nonetheless. With God's help, Joe's wife found the strength to forgive Joe and was able to trust that God would restore a marriage that the enemy tried to destroy. I am very grateful to Matthew West and his father for giving people a space where they can tell their story. People's testimonies are so important because it not only gives glory to God, but it also shows us that we are not alone. Other people are going through stuff too. If God can help them through it, He can help us through it too. I invite you to consider sharing your story, or a story of a time in your life when God came through, even though it felt like he might not. You may feel like it is not that important of a story, but I guarantee that someone needs to hear it today. Please think about it. www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Have You Asked God for Wisdom? Wisdom 7:7  “Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.” We have talked about King Solomon before and how, on the night before He became King, God told Solomon that He would give Him whatever He asked for.  King Solomon could have asked for anything, and do you remember what he asked for?  Did he ask for riches and wealth?  Did he ask for all his enemies to be delivered into his hands?  Did he ask for all the fame and power that can come with being a king?  No, he didn't ask for any of that.  He asked for Wisdom so that he could be a just and fair ruler over his kingdom.  When I just searched how old Solomon was when he became king, it said he was 12.  Can you imagine becoming king at 12 years old?  That must have been so much responsibility for such a young man.  He was just a boy.  Even though he was just a young boy, he knew enough to pray for wisdom. I find that amazing. I talked a few days ago about how we don't think as God thinks.  I talked about how His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  One way to help us understand God's plan a little more is to pray for wisdom.  When we are praying for wisdom, we are praying that God will help us to make the right decisions.  We are praying that He will show us what we need to do and how we can do it.  We are praying that God reveals to us the next step, the next right thing that we should do.  We need God's guidance in what is right and wrong.  We need God to give us the gift of wisdom. One way that God teaches us wisdom is through His Word.  When we read His Word, we can see what He has taught those who came before us.  We can see what they have done in the past, and we can learn from them.  There is so much wisdom in the Bible.  I mean, there is a whole book of the Bible called Wisdom.  This is not the only book that is full of wisdom, though.  Proverbs and Sirach are two others that are full of wisdom.  If there is a certain subject or topic that you are looking for wisdom about, you can search the Bible.  Actually, you can search the internet, and it will search the Bible for you if you are not sure where to look.  You can just type a question into the search bar, and it will search the Bible for you.  For instance, you can type, “What does the bible say about gossip?”  The internet search will provide you with bible verses about gossip as well as articles that people have written about that subject.  Give it a try; I think you will be surprised with all that you can learn.   Another way God teaches us wisdom is through our experiences.  This one can be difficult at times, as it is usually through our mistakes that we learn our best lessons.  We can learn through our successes and our failures; however, our failures usually lead us to our successes.  Well, they do if we let them.  Sometimes we don't learn our lesson through our mistakes, and then we repeat the same mistakes over and over again.  Proverbs 26:11 says, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly.”  This is not a very pretty picture, but I think it is an accurate picture to prove this point. It makes no sense that a dog would return to eat its own vomit.  Whatever it was that came up obviously didn't sit well with them the first time around; why would they want to try it again?  The same is true for us when we do something that we already know will not work.  Why do we keep trying the same thing over and over again when it's not working?  Albert Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Why do we do this?  Why is it so hard for us to learn from our mistakes sometimes?  I feel as though with some things we learn pretty quickly.  For instance, if we touch a hot stove, we learn pretty quickly that we do not want to do that again.  However, when it comes to other things, we repeat the same mistakes over and over again.  For instance, I know that if I sit down to watch “one quick episode” before I do the thing I am supposed to be doing, I will get sucked in and watch several episodes and then won't have time to do the important thing I was supposed to do.  I know this about myself and recently have gotten a lot better about it.  However, for years I would tell myself that I would just watch “one quick episode” while I ate my breakfast.  It kills me to think how many hundreds of hours I have wasted watching TV when I knew better.  How about you?  Are there some lessons that God is trying to teach you, and no matter how many times it goes wrong, you still keep doing it?  When will we learn?  When will we decide that enough is enough and learn the lesson already? Another great way that we can gain wisdom is mentioned in the verse above.  “Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.”  This seems so simple and yet is so profound.  We know that when we ask, God answers, so why don't we think that we will get wisdom just by asking?  Maybe you do know this.  Maybe it is just me who struggles with this.  Actually, as I said yesterday, we are never alone.  Some of you may already know this, but I know some of you are in the same boat as me.  I tend to feel like I have to earn whatever it is I am asking for.  Do you ever feel like this?  This is something that God has really been talking to me about a lot lately.  I ask God for wisdom, and then I try to see what prayers I should be saying or what things I should be doing.  I try to take it upon myself to gain the wisdom that I am seeking.  Why don't I know that just asking God for it is enough?  It says right here in the verse, “I prayed, and understanding was given to me; I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.” It's that simple.  Why do I try to make it harder?  Why am I not trusting that He will answer my call and grant me the gift of wisdom?  When I was praying on this the other day, the story of the centurion came to mind.  This story can be found in Matthew 8:5-10.  “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”  Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”   The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,' and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,' and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” When I hear this story, I am in awe of this centurion.  He trusted that if Jesus said his servant would be healed, then He would be healed.  He didn't need Jesus to come lay hands on the servant; he didn't need Him to say a particular prayer.  All the centurion needed was for Jesus to say that his servant would be healed, and he believed it would happen.  If we ask God for wisdom, He will give it to us.  We don't have to earn it; we don't have to do anything other than ask.  God has told us this over and over again in the Bible: ask, and it will be given; seek, and you will find.  I am hoping that this time around I am ready to learn this lesson and I will actually stop trying to figure it out on my own and trust that because I have asked God for wisdom, He will deliver.   Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we pray to you for wisdom.  We ask that you help us find the wisdom in your scriptures.  We pray that you help us to learn from our mistakes and not be like fools returning to our folly.  We know you are the only one who can help us learn those lessons, Lord.  Help us to trust that because we ask, you will answer.  Help us to trust that there is nothing else we need to do.  Your gifts are freely given and do not need to be earned; they just need to be sought after.  We love you so much, Lord; you are truly amazing.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  This month in the Walk Boldly with Jesus Mentoring Group, we have been talking about the love of Jesus—how He sees us, comes close to us, and loves us exactly where we are. If you have been longing to know His love more deeply, I would love to invite you to join us. You do not have to have everything figured out, and you do not have to feel “holy enough.” You can simply come as you are. We meet Tuesday evenings on Zoom, and replays are available if you cannot attend live. CLICK HERE to learn more and join us. Let Jesus remind you just how deeply you are loved. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Move in my steps and in my way, and you will see my glory. You will help bring others closer to me. But you must take that first step.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Mercy Sets You Free 1 Peter 2:23 “When he was insulted, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” I think today's scripture is a great reminder that just because someone did something to us doesn't mean we need to do it back to them. This is something my kids seem to struggle with. If someone does something to them, they want “payback.” One of my sons especially. If someone cuts him off, he will go out of his way to cut that person off. If he feels like they were unkind to him, then he wants to be unkind right back. I know he is not alone. This is the society we live in. We are so quick to take offense at everything that everyone says. If a co-worker is unkind to us, we take offense and want to retaliate. We have all heard people say that we should retaliate because the Bible says, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” (Exodus 21:24) However, do you know what else it says in the Bible? Matthew 5:38-42 says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” We are so quick to take offense and so quick to want revenge. We live in a world where we are told we can't be weak. We can't let people walk all over us. We should think about ourselves first. We need to take what we want. I think we have gone too far in one direction. I do think it is important not to let people walk all over you and to stand up for yourself. I do not think we always have to take revenge. Scripture tells us over and over again in the Bible that we are to love our neighbor. It even tells us to love our enemy. Scripture also tells us over and over again to forgive our neighbor and our enemy. What if we led our lives with forgiveness? What if we stopped taking offense and realized that most everything that other people do has nothing to do with us and everything to do with them. People do not cut us off in traffic because they are trying to be mean to us. They are cutting us off in traffic because they are so focused on where they are going that they aren't paying attention to the other cars. If people are being unkind to us, it is usually because they are having a bad day, or something is going on in their life, and they are taking it out on us. I am not saying those things are ok for other people to do. I just don't think responding in the same manner is going to make us feel any better. Jesus consistently chose mercy instead. Again and again, He was misunderstood, mocked, falsely accused, betrayed, and treated unjustly. And yet, He did not respond the way we expect power to respond. He didn't rush to defend Himself. He didn't demand vindication. He didn't strike back. Instead, He trusted the Father. Today's Scripture tells us that “When he was insulted, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” That last phrase matters deeply. Jesus didn't ignore injustice — He entrusted it. Mercy, for Jesus, wasn't passive. It was an active decision to place justice in the Father's hands rather than carrying it Himself. Mercy Is Not Excusing Wrong — It's Choosing Freedom One of the reasons mercy feels so hard is because we confuse it with excusing behavior. We think: If I show mercy, I'm saying what they did was okay. If I don't retaliate, I'm letting them win. But Jesus shows us something different. Mercy is not about denying that harm occurred. Mercy is about refusing to let another person's sin control our inner life. When we retaliate — even internally — we stay emotionally tied to the offense. Our peace becomes dependent on apology, acknowledgment, or change. Mercy breaks that tie. It says, “What you did matters, but it will not rule me.” Jesus models this most clearly from the cross. In Luke 23:34, while being crucified unjustly, Jesus says: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” This is not weakness. This is strength rooted in absolute trust. Jesus did not need to retaliate to prove injustice existed. He didn't need to punish to validate His pain. He trusted the Father to see fully and judge rightly. Choosing mercy over retaliation always feels risky because retaliation gives us a sense of control. Mercy requires surrender. Jesus shows us that true righteousness is not about reacting quickly — it's about trusting deeply. Romans 12:19 tells us: “Do not avenge yourselves… but leave room for the wrath of God.” That verse doesn't tell us injustice doesn't matter. It tells us we don't have to carry the burden of making things right. Mercy frees us from the exhausting work of holding onto offense. What This Means for Us Practically Following Jesus' example doesn't mean: staying in unsafe situations removing healthy boundaries pretending harm didn't happen It means this:
we stop letting someone else's wrongdoing determine our peace, posture, or identity. Mercy is choosing to remain free even when someone else remains wrong. I have done many episodes about forgiveness. This is because I don't think we all understand how important forgiveness is. We think that our anger and unforgiveness, our need for revenge, is not hurting anyone. We are wrong. It is hurting us in more ways than we know. It hurts our relationship with God. It blocks healing; it blocks mercy and grace. It keeps us stuck where we are. It holds us captive, like prisoners, to the thoughts and events surrounding that anger and unforgiveness. I invite you to sit with this verse today, or sometime this week. I invite you to bring it to the Lord and ask Him what He wants you to do with it. Ask Him to highlight the ways in which you are holding onto anger and unforgiveness instead of entrusting it to him. When we release anger, we are not giving power away — we are taking it back. We are choosing: peace over reactivity identity over insecurity freedom over control In John 8:36, Jesus says: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” That freedom includes freedom from being ruled by offense. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode today. Lord, you are amazing! You are our one true God, and we love you. Lord, help us to see where in our lives we are being held captive by anger or unforgiveness. Help us to see any patterns of offense that we might have and help us break free from them. Help us to be more forgiving and more loving to all those we meet. Help us not to seek revenge or retaliation, but instead help us to stop and say a quick prayer for that person instead. Not because that person deserves the prayer, but because we deserve the freedom that comes from not holding onto anger and unforgiveness. Please help us, Lord! We love you, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you are struggling with your job, with your family or friends, or just with life in general. I want to invite you into my mentoring community. It is a place where you can learn to lean more into the Lord and build your relationship with him, one block at a time. Also, you will be with an amazing group of individuals who are warm and welcoming and struggling just like we all are. There are no perfect people in mentoring. Just those of us who are trying to love God better and to live our lives more in alignment with Him instead of the world. Click on the link below for more info, or sign up today, and you could be joining us on Zoom tomorrow. Remember, Jesus love you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Take my hand, my children, and I will guide you to where you should go. Do not doubt where I bring you. It may be a place that you do not like, but I know what is best for you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Why Are You Holding Onto What God Has Forgotten? Isaiah 43:25 “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” This was the topic of one of our sessions at my Encounter School of Ministry class last night.  The topic was dead to sin.  We talked about how, because Jesus died on the cross for us and because we are baptized, we are dead to sin.  When we are born, we have a fallen nature.  This is because of original sin.  However, when Jesus died on the cross, he took our sin with Him.  Therefore, we no longer have a fallen nature; we have a sinless nature.  In Romans 6:11 it says, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Do you consider yourself dead to sin?  I wasn't sure what to say when asked this question.  I wasn't sure what this question even meant.  Then we were asked another question that gave me a little more clarity.  Do you consider yourself a sinner who does the right thing now and then, or do you consider yourself a saint who sins sometimes?  This is all about a mindset.  We have to live into our baptism promises.  We need to believe that Jesus died for our sins, and when he did, he removed our sinful nature.  Our identity matters.  You may think this is a little thing and it doesn't really matter.  You may think the above question is just a matter of semantics.  I assure you it isn't.  What you tell yourself matters.   We are saints who sin sometimes.  It is important that we understand this because the enemy wants us to focus on our sins.  He wants us to think we are unredeemable.  He wants us to feel like we are our sins.  The enemy wants us to take on our sins as if they are our identity.  For instance, I lied to someone; therefore, I am a liar.  I stole a piece of candy from a friend; therefore, I am a thief.  You are not your actions; you are not your sins.  You are a redeemed child of God; that is your identity.  Your sins are things you do and they can be forgiven and forgotten.   Did you know that Jesus doesn't remember our sins once we confess them?  He forgives and forgets them.  It says this in the verse above.  Jesus is saying he blots out our transgressions and he does not remember our sins.  One of the saints, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the nun responsible for the spread of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, was once asked by her spiritual advisor to ask God what her last mortal sin was.  He wanted to make sure her visions about the Sacred Heart were truly from God.  Who better to know our last mortal sin than God, who knows everything?  The next time she was having prayer time, she asked the Lord what her last mortal sin was, and do you know what he said?  I don't remember.  With this response, her spiritual advisor knew her visions were from God. Can you believe this response?  I thought this was a great verse to bring to all of you today because I don't remember ever hearing this verse before.  I have read through the entire Bible three times, and I have done several Bible studies, and yet I don't remember ever hearing this verse before.  We tend to think of God as someone who is writing down all of our sins in a book and keeping track of them so He can show them to us at the end of our lives and ask us to explain them.  However, this verse says He forgives and forgets our sins.  How amazing is that?  Another things a lot of us think is that we need to work really hard to make up for our sins.  We don't.  Jesus did that when he took our sins to the cross with Him.  All we have to do is admit our sins, confess them to God, and they will be forgiven and forgotten.  Our teacher explained it like this, “Jesus just wants you to admit that you took the cookie from the cookie jar.”  God wants you to come before Him as a child and admit what you have done.   The enemy wants you to hold onto what you have done.  He wants you to accept your sin as your identity, and he wants you to be too ashamed to share it with the Father.  The devil wants to convince you that God couldn't possibly forgive you for this thing you have done.  He convinces you that this thing is different; yes, God forgives sin, but not sins like this, not sins this bad.  The devil is a liar.  He is telling you this because he knows your deepest fear is not being forgiven or accepted by God.  There isn't anything you can do that is unforgivable.  And it is not hard to be forgiven.  All you have to do is admit what you have done and then accept the forgiveness God gives to you. This last part is hard for many of us.  We are willing to confess our sins, and yet we have a hard time accepting the forgiveness God is offering us.  We have a hard time believing we are worthy of this forgiveness.  Let me set one thing straight: we aren't worthy of God's forgiveness or His Grace.  We aren't worthy, and yet He gives them to us freely.  Through His death on the cross and through our baptism, we are redeemed from our sinful nature, and therefore our sins are forgiven and forgotten.  It is incredible and yes, hard to believe.   If we look at this through our worldly eyes, we find it hard to believe God would forgive and forget.  Forgiving and forgetting is something we really struggle with.  If we are struggling with identifying as a saint who sins sometimes and instead think of ourselves as sinners who sometimes do the right thing, we can take this to God during our prayer time.  This week, while we are praying, we can ask God to show us how to transform our thinking.  We can ask God to help renew our minds so we can understand this truth.   We can ask God to show us how to adopt this identity of a saint as our own.  If God forgets our sins, why are we holding onto them?  Why do we take these sins and make them our identity?  Our true identity is a redeemed son or daughter of Christ.  Our true identity is a saint who sometimes sins.   Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to truly believe we are saints who sometimes sin and not sinners who sometimes get it right.  Lord, help us to believe you forgive our sins when we confess them, and then you forget about them. Help us to believe you are not sitting up there in heaven keeping a stick account of every sin we have ever done.  We love you, Lord.  It is amazing to us how you forgive and forget even though we aren't worthy.  We are so very grateful, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  If you would like to give a witness for Witness Wednesday, there is still time; just contact me today. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I!  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Don't Give Up—God Is Still Working Jeremiah 30:7 “Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be rescued from it.” What a great promise from the Lord!  Our God is so amazing.  He acknowledges that it was a time of great distress for Jacob, and yet He says Jacob will be rescued from it.  How many of you really need to hear that right now?  How many of you could really use this promise from God right now in your lives?  I know several people who are suffering.  I know they could really use this promise right now.  They could use the promise that they will be rescued from the situation they are in.  They need to know the pain, hurt, and anger they feel won't last forever. It is important to remember God didn't just make these promises to the people living at the time this was written.  He is making this promise to all of us.  You can take the promises you find in Scripture and apply them to your own life.  God is talking to you just as much as He is talking to the people in the Bible, just as much as He is talking to me, just as much as He is talking to any of us.  Yes, you are in a terrible situation right now, and yet you will be rescued from it. Maybe you have recently lost someone close to you.  If this has happened to you, I imagine you are feeling a whole range of emotions.  I also imagine your emotions can switch at the drop of a hat.  One minute you are sad, and you really miss them, and the next minute you are angry they are gone.  Sometimes you can be feeling two competing emotions at the same time.  For instance, you can be really sad you don't get to see them anymore and yet be happy they get to be with Jesus and celebrate the fact they are whole again and no longer suffering.  Whatever you are feeling, let yourself feel it.  Sometimes we can make the situation worse because we tell ourselves we “should” be feeling this way or we “shouldn't” be feeling that way.  You have a right to feel however you feel.  Allow yourself that grace.  This pain you are feeling won't last forever.  God will rescue you from it.   Maybe you are having family issues.  Maybe you're worried about your children.  You aren't sure what their future looks like.  You aren't sure if they are safe.  You know they are making bad choices, and yet you can't save them from themselves.  This is really hard.  Trust me, I have been through this.  I have had lots of family issues over the years.  I had a marriage that was falling apart.  I had kids that were making bad choices, getting in trouble, and it seemed I couldn't help them.  I was doing all I could, and nothing was really changing.  I continued to pray; this was the one thing that did make a difference.  I also didn't give up hope that things would get better.  I knew God was working, and yet I didn't know how he was working, and I certainly didn't know when it would be over, when things would finally get better.  If you are in this situation right now, don't give up.  Keep praying, keep hoping.  I know hope can hurt sometimes.  Hope hurts because it feels as though we are leaving ourselves open to get hurt if it doesn't happen.  Try to still hope anyway.  God never leaves us hanging.  He will come through; it just won't be in our time; it will be in His.  I struggled for over 15 years.  I definitely had times when I thought things weren't ever going to get better.  I had lots of times when I wondered why it had to take this long.  I never got those answers, but I can finally say, after all those years, that I am doing well.  Our family is doing well.  It still feels strange to say because we struggled for so long.  However, I am so very grateful I didn't give up praying and hoping, and I smile every time someone asks how things are now.  I used to say, “I'm surviving.”  That was the best I could say; now, everything is really good.  Praise God!! I went to an event on Friday sponsored by American Needs Fatima.  It was where a replica of the Fatima statue comes and visits a house.  The custodian brings the statue to the house and then takes time to explain all about Fatima and what happened, what Mary asked us to do, what Mary promised us, and answers any questions we had.  During his talk, the custodian of the statue mentioned St. Monica, and I felt as though I was supposed to remind all of you about St. Monica.  St. Monica was a very devout Catholic, and her son, Augustine, wanted nothing to do with her faith.  She did not approve of his lifestyle, and Augustine moved to Rome one night without telling his mom where he was going.  She tried to follow him, and he had already moved on to Milan by the time she got to Rome.  She finally found him, and she prayed unceasingly for his conversion.  Finally, he did get baptized into the faith, along with his best friend and his son, whom he had with a woman he loved but never married.  St. Monica prayed for her son for a very long time.  Augustine was 32 when he finally became a Catholic.  She prayed and cried for at least 17 years before she saw a change.  God will rescue you; don't give up hope! God hears your prayers.  Sometimes it seems like God is not working in our lives.  It seems like He does not hear our prayers.  If you have been praying for something for a while now and it hasn't happened yet, I am sorry.  If you have had unanswered prayers for quite some time now, I know how hard it can be and how easy it is to get frustrated.  I know how painful it is to watch others get their prayers answered and yet yours seem to go unanswered.  I know all of this is hard.  I know it can get harder and harder to believe God hears you.  I assure you, He does.  He has not left you alone; He has not abandoned you.  He is working diligently on rescuing you.  Remember God's timing isn't our time.  What is a year to us could be a blink of an eye to God.  Don't stop praying, don't stop hoping, don't give up. God will rescue you just as He rescued Jacob and countless other people before Him.   Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this podcast today.  Lord, we want to believe you hear all of our prayers; please help us.  Lord, some people listening have been waiting on some answers to some pretty big prayers; please help them continue to wait without giving up hope and without giving in to despair.  Fill them with a renewed sense of hope and encouragement that you are working on the situation and help them truly believe you will answer their prayers.  Lord, you are amazing!  You are the resurrection and the life; you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are our Savior, Lord, and we are so very grateful.  We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I wanted to share some exciting news with all of you who might not already know.  Last year I published a 31-day devotional book called Walk Boldly With Jesus Devotional: Who I Am: Discovering God's Truth About Me.  If you are enjoying these podcasts, then you will love the book. It is basically 31 episodes about who God says you are. However, in the book I give you journaling questions and a place to journal right there in the book. I hope you will check it out. You can find it on Amazon, or you can buy an autographed copy on my website. I will write a personal message and mail it to you. My website is WalkboldlywithJesus.com. I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I.  Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “If you give me your hearts, I pour my love into you, and you can do things far differently, far better, far greater than you ever dreamed. Not because you are wonderful, but because I love each of you and all of my children. And because you give me your heart, I give mine to you, and I use you as my conduit of grace and mercy. ”   www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

This morning I want to share some witnesses of healing with you. Before I share them, I want to talk with you about how important it is to enlist others to pray with you and for you as well. I am on several prayer chains. In case you aren't sure what that means, let me explain. It is a group of people who offer to intercede on your behalf. A lot of churches have a prayer line where you can call in or email in a prayer request, and then whoever is in charge will email it out to all who volunteered to help pray. Also, it may be the members of a prayer group, or another group that has a group chat. I am in three different WhatsApp groups, and we send prayer requests when we have them, and then everyone on the chat prays for the person requesting prayer. If your church does not have a prayer line, consider starting one. It is as easy as setting up an email address where people can send in requests. For instance, I started one at St. J's collaborative in MA. So I went on Gmail and created an email account name that is St.Jsprayerline@gmail.com. Then I put an announcement in the bulletin looking for people who would be willing to pray for any requests that came in. There are 42 people who volunteered to be on that email list. Now, people send in prayer requests, and at least 42 other people are praying for them. For the various WhatsApp groups, there are different numbers of people in each group. There are a lot of reasons why we may not want to ask for prayers. We may not want people to know we are struggling. We may not want to worry people. We may not think our struggle is important enough to bother people with. We may think God has more important prayers to answer. We may think other people are too busy to pray for us. Whatever it is that we might be thinking, the truth is, no one is too busy to say a quick prayer. Another truth is that there is so much power in asking people to pray for you. There is so much power in multiple people interceding on your behalf. You do not have to suffer in silence. You do not have to just deal. Ask people to pray. Also, we get graces every time we pray. So asking others to pray is actually helping them out too!   Here are a few prayer requests and responses from the various prayer groups. This woman had asked for prayers because she had to go to the eye doctor. The pressure was high in her eyes, and they said she needed to come back for a follow-up. If it was still high, they were going to need to do surgery. The doctor seemed pretty sure that they were going to need to do surgery. Here was her text the next day. “Good evening, Prayer Warriors. JESUS DID IT AGAIN! The test for my eyes was normal - the pressure was low, under 20! YES - HE DID IT AGAIN - what a wonderful GOD we serve. Thank you for your prayer this morning. God bless you all.”   Next is a woman whose uncle has been refusing to eat. He was having dreams of his wife who had passed away telling him not to eat, so he wasn't. We prayed at our prayer meeting that he would start eating, and here is her text message afterward. “Good morning, Watchmen.  My uncle just asked for food. Thank you for your intercession. May God continue to bless all of you, and may He answer your prayers speedily!”   Next, I have the specific prayer request and the text message reply. Dear Sisters, I ask for your prayers for my friend. He is young, in his late 40s. Tomorrow morning he is having a very complicated open-heart surgery to replace one of the valves. This is his third surgery, and it's a complicated one because of complications from an enlarged heart/aorta. Her reply after the surgery? “I wanted to update you that my friend has come through his open heart surgery successfully yesterday and is in the ICU. Thank you for your prayers and intentions. God bless you all.”   Here is the next prayer request and answer. “Good morning, watchmen. Please keep me in your prayers. The director of the agency that I work for has recommended me for a promotion at the agency's headquarters. There are two other candidates, but the director just told me she would rather have me in that position due to my work ethic. Good morning, beautiful people of God. God has done it! The prophecy came to pass.  I got the promotion!!! Please help me praise God for his divine mercy and provision.  May God do unto you all the marvelous things he has done for me.” This woman did not even know there was a promotion available. She did not seek it out; her boss came to her, told her about it, and told her to apply. She not only got this promotion, but she got a second job that she had been looking for! God is so good! This same woman was in prayer group one morning and mentioned her daughter was sick. Her daughter had been experiencing intense ear pain for the previous 8 hours or so. She was going to have to take her to the doctors. We took time to pray over her daughter. After prayer, her daughter said it felt a little better. Later that day I got a text from the mom saying her daughter felt so much better she wanted to go to school that day.   Here is a prayer request from another group. “Healing for my niece Kathy who broke her back 2 months ago. She is in a lot of pain, and can't be treated until some healing can happen. Please pray for healing.” Here is the text we received a few months later: “Regarding my niece Kathy who broke her back in February, I asked for her because there was no hope the surgeons could restore anything. The sutures finally came out today; she will start Physical Therapy soon and will hopefully go back to work in August. A miracle thank you for your prayers!!!” Here is another prayer request: “Please pray for Ann, who is in the hospital and having surgery on her back to repair chipped bones to help lessen her back pain. Thanks” And the text afterward: “Update- Ann's surgery went well. She might come home today. Thanks for the prayers.”   Here is another one: “Prayer request for Tom having cardiac ablation tomorrow at 12:30 pm. Thank you, everyone.” The reply: “Thank you, everyone, for your prayers. Tom had his heart procedure; so far, he is doing well and needs to be careful. 5 days of being careful, then back to normal! Praise God” These are just a few of the many prayer requests that come in. As you can see, some of them are really big, and some might not feel so big. There is no criterion for when we should ask for prayers and when we shouldn't. If you ask me, you always should; what could it hurt to get extra prayers? I remember in my Encounter Ministries classes Deacon Joe would always say it doesn't matter if we are praying for a healing of cancer or a healing of a hangnail. God cares just the same about both and can heal them both. He doesn't have to pick. When we are praying to God about the things we might think are small, it doesn't take anything away from other people's prayers. God can hear all of our prayers. He is not limited in any way. I pray this episode of Witness Wednesday does three things for you. First, I pray in encourages you to ask others to pray for you whenever you have a prayer request. Second, I hope you search out a prayer line or prayer chain you can join so you can start interceding more for others. And finally, that when you do ask people to pray for you, you update them on how the situation turned out. When we tell others about how God answered our prayers, it builds their faith in God and also reinforces that prayer does work! I love you all, and I want you to know that even though I may not know you, I am praying for you and your families. Please pray for others, it is so important!! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Are You Spending Your Life on What Matters? Ephesians 5:15-16 “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” I really liked this verse and wanted to talk to you about it today because I am not sure we realize how important time is.  It matters how we spend our time.  The first part of this verse talks about how we need to make sure we are walking circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.  Circumspectly is a fancy way to say we need to think carefully before we act.  This is hard for us sometimes.  I feel like I say this a lot, but I think it is so important that we all become aware of it.  We go through life on autopilot.  There is so much of our day we spend just going through the motions.  We aren't actually making a lot of the decisions as we go through our day.  We have all formed habits, good ones and bad ones, and those habits are what make a lot of the decisions for us.   It sounds like this is not a new problem.  I think from the beginning of time this was a problem.  We tend to default to whatever we have done in the past.  It is not easy to always walk circumspectly.  It requires us to pause and think before we do something.  This is contrary to how we live out our day-to-day moments.  Do you stop and think before you eat your breakfast?  Do you stop to think if whatever you're about to eat is actually the best thing for you to eat?  Is it something that will nourish your body, or is it something you are just in the habit of eating?  What about how you spend your time in the mornings?  Are you spending this precious time in a way that is going to set your day up for success, or are you looking at your phone and then reacting to whatever you saw on your phone?   It is important that we look at how we are spending our time and try to stop and think before we do anything.  I have been much more aware of how I am spending my time lately.  I am trying to be more focused and stay on task better.  I am trying to spend my time more wisely.  However, I am finding it is very hard.  I find myself slipping into old habits throughout the day.  For instance, I will pick up my phone and check my email so many times throughout the day.  I do not have a ton of important emails coming in throughout the day.  I could easily spend 15-30 min at the end of the day and go through all my emails and be good for the day.  However, I am in the habit of checking them, so I do.  This is something I am working on changing.   I read something one time that said we all think our time is our own.  However, it is a gift from God and one day He is going to want us to give a full account of how we spent His gift.  I don't know about you, but I thought this was pretty powerful.  If you knew one day you would have to answer for how you spent your time, would you spend it differently?  Would you spend as much time on that video game, or watching those Facebook or YouTube videos?  Would you still binge-watch all 8 seasons of that TV show during work hours if you knew you would have to explain your actions to God someday?  I ask that question in a loving way.  I don't picture God asking us in a very condemning way.  I can picture Him asking us in a loving way. More of a response to us asking why we didn't get to do all the things we wanted to do.  God has amazing plans for each one of us, and no matter where we are on this journey of life, it is important to take a minute and think about how we are spending this precious time that God has given us.  There is a song I love, and it talks about this very topic.  It is called “Spend a Life” By David Dunn. (CLICK HERE) I will put a link to this song in the show notes, and I highly recommend you take a minute and listen to this awesome song.  I am going to take a minute to read you the lyrics, no, not sing them, don't worry.  I think you all need to hear them, and I know we are all busy, so most of you probably won't listen to the song.   Spend a Life  by David Dunn Everybody's got a balance But no one knows how much There's no way to run the numbers No way to count it up And we're pouring out our fortunes In the moments Both the big and the small Yeah we gotta spend it all All I have is what You gave Watching seconds turn to days I was made for more then just to watch it fly A few more turns around the sun Could be hundreds, could be one Show me how to spend the treasure of my time Show me how to spend a life, yeah Show me how to spend a life I have never seen a tombstone Say I didn't work enough, nah Nobody ever heard a father say I held my kids too much God I wanna run after What really matters So remind me when I fall How a good man spends it all Don't let me waste it Don't let lose it Don't let me steal it for myself No, no I know it's precious I know it's priceless I know my time is flying by Show me how to spend a life 'Cause all I have is what You gave Watching seconds turn to days I was made for more then just to watch it fly A few more turns around the sun Could be hundreds, could be one Show me how to spend the treasure of my time, yeah Show me how to spend a life, yeah Wow, did that hit you as it hit me?  I got teary-eyed just thinking about all this song talks about.  None of us know how much time we have.  I love when the song talks about trips around the sun, and he says, could be hundreds, could be one.  This is so true, and as much as I don't think it is helpful to constantly be thinking about our death, I do think it is healthy to occasionally look at how we are living our lives and ask ourselves, would we be proud of how we lived our lives if we were to die tomorrow?  Sometimes we put things off, and we say we just need to do x, y, or z, and then we will do the things we really want to do.  We know in our hearts we aren't prioritizing this correctly, and yet we tell ourselves we only have to do this for a few more years, just until we get that promotion, just until we make more money, just until…But we aren't guaranteed anything.  What if we lived our lives with the realization that tomorrow is not a given?  What if we woke up each day grateful God blessed us with another day and then lived it as the gift it really is?  What if we thought about how we are spending our time and consciously chose how we wanted to spend it?  What if we realized we only get a finite amount of time and so we live each moment as if it is a precious gift?  What if we stopped putting things off and did them right when we wanted to?  Would your life be any different if you started walking into your days circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise?  How can you redeem the time you have been given?   Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to notice how we are spending our time.  Help us to take back control of our time.  Lord, I know I really struggle with wasting time, and I know I can't be the only one who struggles with this; please help us, Lord.  We ask the Holy Spirit to nudge us when we are wasting time and help to bring us back on track.  We ask you to help us realize how important our time is.  We ask you to help us realize how finite our time is, but not in an anxious way where we stress out.  We ask you to help us see it in a helpful way so we can take advantage of every minute you have given to us.  Help us to be grateful for each and every precious second you give us, Lord.  You are truly amazing, and we are so grateful for you.  You are the light of the world, and the word made flesh.  You are so kind to give us so many wonderful days; help us appreciate them more.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen. Thank you for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Share: Who is one person God is placing on your heart right now? Send this episode to them and let Him do the rest. I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow.  Remember Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “What I want from you is hearts purposed for love. Love is not easy, but love is the greatest gift that you and I can give to the world.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

You Are More Forgiven Than You Think Romans 3:22-24 “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” I love these verses because they remind us that everybody sins. Most of us tend to be hard on ourselves, thinking we are unworthy because we are not perfect and fall short of who we think God is calling us to be. These verses remind us that we all fall short of the glory of God. Let's start at the beginning of these verses. They begin, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” The verse before this was telling us that righteousness is apart from the law. Our righteousness does not come from the deeds of the law. We can not earn our own righteousness. Our righteousness comes through our faith in Jesus Christ. It doesn't say by our faith; it says through our faith. We do not earn righteousness by our faith. We receive righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Next, it says, “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.” There is no difference between Jew and Gentile. We are not separate. We are one body of Christ. This was a big deal back in the early days of Christianity. The Jewish people had been God's chosen people for so long, and now Jews and Gentiles alike were being baptized and believing in Jesus. I am sure it was hard for the Jewish people to just accept others in and not feel like they were closer to God in some way. I say it was a big deal back in the day, but I think remembering that we are all one body of Christ is something we need to keep in mind even today. Back in the day, you were either Jewish or a gentile. You either believed in Christ or you didn't. Today, there are 45,000 different denominations of Christianity. It is important for us all to remember that there is one Jesus, and He died for all of our sins. God does not like some of us better than others. God loves us all; we are all one body. Next, it says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” We all think we are the only ones who sin. Or the opposite: we see the sins of others and don't look at our own sins. The verse reminds us that we all sin. None of us is getting it all right. The enemy likes to make us think that Jesus died for everyone else's sins, but not ours. Ours are too bad. No one else has sinned as badly as we have sinned. We should just hold onto our sins. This is a lie. There is nothing you can do that is bigger than Jesus's sacrifice on that cross. Also, your sins are not worse than anyone else's. When looking up these verses on the EnduringWord.com commentary, I found this quote from Leon Morris, who was quoting Handley Moule: “The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are short of it; but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of an Alp; but you are as little able to touch the stars as they.” Everyone falls short, but everyone can be justified freely by His grace. I think the second part of this verse is just as important as the first part, and I think sometimes we stop before we get to the second part. We think about how we all fall short, and then we think to ourselves, “What's the point of even trying. If we are all going to get it wrong, then why should we try to be good? Why should we try to do the right thing?” This is the part that can get stuck in our heads. Especially if we decide that we are going to try to do better than we have been. All of a sudden, our mind tells us it is not worth the effort. It tells us we will just fail. It tells us not to bother. When this happens to us, not if, but when, we can remember the second half of this verse. “All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” We may all sin, but we are also all forgiven by the Grace of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. We don't have to do anything to deserve our forgiveness. Jesus did that for us when He died on the cross. What we are doing when we are trying our best to live the way God wants us to is we are saying, thank you, Jesus, I know what you did, and I am so grateful. We are not trying to earn our forgiveness; it is already ours. But we can try to show Jesus we are grateful. We can try to show Jesus that His sacrifice was not in vain, and we are trying to live as God wants us to live. There are three things I want you to take away from today's episode. First, we are the same, Gentile or Jew. There is no difference. God loves us all. This applies to all 45,000 denominations of Christianity as well. There is no difference; God loves us all. Even if you don't believe in Christ or believe in God, He still loves you! Second, we all sin. It is a fact. There are no perfect people in this world. Even if people look perfect on their social media accounts, there is no one who is perfect this side of heaven. We all sin! And last, but not least, Jesus died on the cross to make up for our sins. Yours and mine. All of them. His sacrifice was enough to cover anything we might have done. There is nothing that we have to do to earn freedom from our sins. It was freely given by the Father through His only Son. Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we wouldn't have to. Thank you, Jesus!! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode. Lord, you are amazing. Thank you so much for asking Jesus to take our sins to the cross. Thank you, Jesus, for taking our sins to the cross. Lord, it is hard to fathom that kind of love. Please help us to understand it. Please help us to feel that love with our whole bodies. Lord, please help us take it to heart that we are forgiven. Help us to really believe that our sins are forgiven. Help us to bring our sins to you and not hide them from you. Help us to stop believing the voice in our head that tells us we won't be forgiven. Help us, Lord! We love you, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I wanted to take a minute today to explain a little more about what happens during our Tuesday night mentoring sessions. When you are able to attend the live Zoom meetings, I truly encourage you to come. We are building a beautiful community where people can grow in faith, share honestly, and feel a little less alone. But even if you cannot attend live, mentoring can still be incredibly valuable. Every session is recorded, so you can watch the replay whenever it works for you. Each month, we focus on one central topic, and every week, we take a 30-minute deep dive that helps us understand it more fully and apply it to our everyday lives and relationship with the Lord. Maybe you have been considering mentoring, but the idea of joining a Zoom call makes you feel nervous or uncomfortable. You are welcome to join and begin by simply watching the replays. There is no pressure to participate before you are ready. My prayer is that mentoring will help you grow closer to the Lord, understand His love more deeply, and learn how to walk with Him through whatever you are facing. Pray about it, and when you are ready to take your relationship with the Lord to a deeper level, CLICK HERE to learn more and join us. I look forward to seeing you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as ou are and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, you can tremble before my majesty, my greatness, my wisdom, my power, my magnificence, but never fear me.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

If We Don't Talk About Jesus, Who Will? Romans 10:14-17 "But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God! But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: “Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?” The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.” We are all called to evangelization.  What does evangelization even mean? According to the Diocese of Trenton, “Evangelization means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself.” This could look different for each one of us.  I have a friend who feels called to share the Psalms with those he meets.  When he does, people are often moved to tears, and it opens doors for him to talk about other parts of the Bible.  I have another friend who likes to spend time mentoring women in all that Jesus wants for them.  She meets people right where they are and uses the scriptures to show how they can live their lives in a big way.  Some people like to go out onto the streets and talk to the homeless people about God and Jesus.  Other people like to go door to door asking if they can share the Good News of Jesus with all those they meet.   There isn't one special way that you have to evangelize.  There also isn't a set rule on whom you have to evangelize to.  Sometimes we might feel more comfortable talking about Jesus within our family.  We might talk about Jesus to our siblings, our parents, or even our children.  Other people might feel uncomfortable talking about Jesus with their family, but they are perfectly fine talking about him to strangers or to their friends.  Whatever feels best for you is a great place to start.  I say a great place to start because sometimes it is good to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. It's great if you start by talking about Jesus with those you feel more comfortable doing so with, but then over time, as you become more and more comfortable talking about Jesus, you can branch out and start talking to others about Him.   The verse above says, "But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?”  We live in a world where there is so much noise and so many distractions.  We don't know who to listen to these days.  This verse is saying: how can we call for help when we don't know who we can trust?  And how can people know they can trust Jesus if we aren't talking about Him?  If they don't know who He is?  It is our job, each and every one of us, to teach the world who Jesus really is and that they can trust Him.  Even if you just start with your spouse or your children, tell them about Jesus.  Tell them about all of God's promises that Jesus came to fulfill.  Tell them they can trust Jesus.  God is our comfort, our shield, and our protector.  If you didn't already know that, wouldn't you want to?  I am not talking about going out and forcing your beliefs on others.  I am talking about sharing the Good News with those willing to listen.   Next, the verse says, “That's why Scripture exclaims, A sight to take your breath away! Grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!” How great would it be if we were all talking about God?  The verse is saying that it would be so beautiful, it would take our breath away if we saw grand processions of people telling all the good things of God!  Doesn't that sound like something you want to be a part of?  Doesn't that sound exciting?  Can you picture it?  Instead of being afraid to talk about your faith because you don't want to offend anyone, you freely walk down the streets proclaiming the Good News of Christ Jesus.  When I picture that, I think of a time when we used to vacation at this military place called “Fourth Cliffs.”  We would go camping there over the Fourth of July weekend.  Every 4th of July, they would have a little parade.  This parade consisted of a pickup truck with an American Flag attached to it.  Anyone who wanted to participate in the parade walked behind the truck shouting “Happy Birthday America!” and “Happy 4th of July.”  It was so much fun.  When I hear the part of this verse that says “a grand procession,” I picture a whole bunch of people out in the streets talking about how amazing Jesus is! The verse also says, “But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act.”  We can't do anything about those who are not ready to see, hear or act.  That is a job for God.  God needs to soften their hearts, open their eyes and ears.  We are not responsible for the fruit of our labor.  It is not our job to make sure everyone we talk to hears what we are saying.  It is only our job to say it.  We don't have to put pressure on ourselves to say the right thing to everyone all the time.  We don't have to stress about not knowing what to say.  If we just follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, God will take care of the rest.  God will make sure what we say takes root in the people we are talking to.  We don't have to worry about that.  God is so good! Next, the verse says, “Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: “Does anyone care, God? ' " Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?” I like how this says, we all ask at one time or another.  I think this is so true.  Especially if we have children.  We teach them the ways of God, we tell them about Jesus and how much He loves them, and yet we often have no idea if they are hearing what we are saying.  Do they believe all that we are saying? Do they believe any of it?  What about our friends and family members?  Do they believe what we are saying?  Are they even listening?   The verse ends with, “The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.” This brings us back to the beginning.  It is not our job to make sure everything we say is heard or understood; that is God's job.  Our job is just to get the information out there.  Before anyone can trust, they need to listen, and if we aren't talking about Jesus, then there isn't anything for them to listen to.  Take a moment and think about how many people you meet throughout your day.  Think about how you could incorporate Jesus into the conversation.  Maybe come up with a few one-liners about Jesus or God that could fit into most conversations. Or, practice listening to the Holy Spirit, so you can know when He is prompting you to share the Good News of Jesus with someone.  Think of how you can share Jesus with your friends and family.  One great way is to love them.  Sometimes we teach people more with our actions than we ever could with our words.  Especially if we are talking about Jesus, and yet we are not loving people and treating them with respect.  In that case, our actions will be much louder than our words, and they won't hear anything we are saying.  We are all called to share the Good News of Jesus.  How you do that is up to you and God.  Ask Him how He wants you to share, and He will tell you.   Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we don't want to keep you to ourselves; we want to share you with others. Please help us.  Show us how you want each one of us to share with those around us.  Give us the courage to share even when we're nervous or scared.  Help reassure us that you will guide us in what to say if we ask, and if we listen to you guiding us.  Lord, we love you, and we want everyone to love you.  Please help us tell about all the amazing things that make you so incredible.  You are the almighty one.  You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  We are so very grateful for all you do for us, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus holy name, Amen.   Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  You can find both my books on my website, walkboldlywithjesus.com, or on Amazon.  Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace  and Walk Boldly With Jesus Devotionals. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!   www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

I'd Do It Again! Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I love this verse. I may have done an episode on it before. I am not sure. But I heard a song this morning on my way to adoration, and it really spoke to me. This verse is such a great reminder that Christ didn't wait until we stopped sinning before He died for us. He died while we were still sinners. He died for us just as we were. He didn't put any conditions on it. He didn't tell us that He would die when we got it all together or when we started putting God first in our lives. He didn't die thinking we would be so appreciative of His sacrifice that we would suddenly stop sinning. He knows us. He knows the human condition. He did not die on that cross for us because He thought we would change our ways. He died on that cross for us so that He could take the punishment that we deserve so that we could finally be reconciled with the Lord. When Adam and Eve sinned, they put a separation between God and us, and God did not like that. He is a just God and needed to carry out the consequences of their sin, but He didn't want to be separated from us forever, so He sent His only Son to save us. The song I heard this morning is called I'd Do It Again, and it is by Andrew Ripp. I won't write out all the lyrics as it is not my song. However, it talks about how Jesus remembers everything that happened the night he was crucified. But after each description of the terrible things that happened that night, he says, “But, child, if I had to, I'd do it again.” This really hit me. I don't know if I had ever thought of this before. I have heard people say that although Jesus died for everyone's sins, even if you were the only person, He still would have chosen the cross. That is something wild to think about. If I were the only person on the earth, Jesus would still have died on the cross to reconcile me with the Father. Can you believe that? Can you believe that if you were the only one on Earth, Jesus would have still chosen to go through all of that, just for you? Even if we can't fathom it, I think we all know down deep inside that it is true. When I hear this song by Andrew Ripp, I knew what He is saying is true also. If Jesus had to do it all again, just for us, He would. I can't fathom the pain and suffering Jesus went through that night. The betrayal, the beating, the crown of thorns, the mocking, the weight of the cross, the nails being driven into his hands, the spear in his side. I can't begin to imagine the pain, agony and heartbreak. It's too much to bear if we really sit and think about all He went through. This is why this song hits my heart so much because I know if Jesus had to go through all of that again, He would. I know so many people struggle to feel loved these days. The world is often an unkind place. It is full of broken people who do not know how to love as Jesus loved. We don't know how to love unconditionally. We get caught up in the world's judgment, and we want people to look, believe, or love a certain way so we can love them. I understand how it would be hard to gain the love of those around us when it is conditional. However, Jesus loves us unconditionally all the time. We think God is judging us. We think He is keeping track of every time we mess up just so He can hold us accountable one day. Did you know that Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” God purposefully forgets our sins. Did you also know that Psalm 103:12 says “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” We are so focused on our sins, but God isn't. He is focused on who we are becoming and on his love for us. This song reminds us of that love. Jesus literally went to Hell and back again for us. He suffered the worst pain imaginable, not because He had to, but because he wanted to, and He would do it again. The chorus says,  “‘Cause there's no distance too far, no pain too great. " There's no grave too dark, no hell I won't pay.” There is nothing Jesus wouldn't do for us. For you. It is easy to read the words of the Bible or hear the words in these songs and fully believe them for other people. However, it can be hard to take them in and believe that they are talking to us personally. I want you to hear this loud and clear this morning. Jesus died on the cross for you. If He had to, He would do it all over again for you! Jesus loves you, and there is nothing He won't do to save you and bring you home. Nothing! Let that sink in. Take time to think about all Jesus went through the night and day leading to the crucifixion, and then remember He did that just for you. That is how much He loves you. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode. Lord, we thank you for all you do for us. We can't thank you enough for sending your only Son to die on a cross for us. Lord, please help each of us who hears this today to truly take it in. Please help us see that He didn't just die for everyone's sins but for our sins personally. Even if I were the only person, He still would have done it. That is so powerful, Lord, that you love us that much. Please help each one of us realize how much you love us! Please let us sit with the thought that if Jesus had to do it again, He would. That is how much you love us. That is so incredible, and we don't deserve it, Lord!! We love you, and we ask all of the in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I would love to invite each one of you to share this episode with anyone who could use a reminder that they are deeply loved. If you are enjoying this podcast and you have not hit that subscribe or follow button, would you do that for me today? It only takes a second and really helps me out. I look forward to seeing you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in November 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Today is a new day, my people. Today is the day I renew all my mercies and my graces, and I pour them out freely on each one of you, on your families and your friends and your co-workers and your churches and all the world. ” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Witness Wednesday #216 Beth B. Today's Witness Wednesday testimony is from a woman I met through the Big Life mentoring group. I had put a post in the group asking if some of them would be willing to read my book and then leave an honest comment on Amazon afterward. A few of them decided it would be fun to all read it together, so they started a Facebook group to do a book study for my daily devotional book called Walk Boldly With Jesus Devotional. Who I Am: Discovering God's Truth About Me. Beth made a post in that group asking for prayers, as she had been having some pain in her abdomen, and when she went for a CT scan, they found a different problem. I do not know Beth very well, so I didn't have her phone number or any way of contacting her other than Facebook. So, I decided to just type a prayer in the chat. This is something I like to do when people ask for prayers. This way, they know someone is praying for them, and many times, even just reading a prayer from someone can bring peace in a difficult situation. Luckily, Beth got more than just peace from the Lord. I will let her tell you what happened next. Take it away, Beth! I have been having left upper quadrant pain since May 5th. I have been in constant pain since May 5th. I was rushed to the ER on May 14th. They did a CT of my abdomen, which they also got some of my lungs. On that CT scan, they found out that I had three lung nodules, five at the lower base of the left lung, seven at the middle lobe, and almost 10 at the upper lobe of the left lung. And I also had a hole in the middle of my two lungs, of my right and left lung, literally right in the middle. There was a little pinhole, well, a little hole. Anyways, so I had a follow-up visit on May 29th from the ER visit with my doctor. I didn't get to see the doctor. I saw the nurse practitioner. Anyways, she went line by line through every test. I mean, I was there for eight hours at the ER trying to find an answer why I'm having abdominal pain. No one can find out. But anyways, so she went line by line trying to find out all these scans and testing that I did. So she was really concerned because I do have an extensive history of cancer. In 21, I had six cancers. So I don't smoke and I don't vape. So the fact that I had three lung nodules, she was highly concerned that it may have been cancerous. And I also was concerned about that too. So I'm in the prayer group. I'm in the group with Catherine about walkability with Jesus. Okay. And I have really been trying to keep this in. I don't want to tell people. I don't want to be like, you know, like, woe is me. It's not woe is me. I told Catherine and the group on June 12th about the lung nodules that I just wanted some prayers. This is Catherine's prayer. And this prayer is very important for what I'm going to tell you. Dear Heavenly Father, we ask that you heal Beth, that you are the great physician, you are the miracle worker, and a way maker. We know that you can heal these nodules and allow her to breathe easily once again. We believe, Lord, help our unbelief. Lord, we ask in the name of Jesus that you heal these nodules before she goes to the lung specialist. It can also be once, it can be all at once or quietly over the next few weeks. Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus that you heal Beth and that she starts to breathe better and better every day. Lord, I ask that you give her new lungs just as you did for the father in Bobby Dawkins' book. His daughter cried out to him and asking for a brand new lungs. Lord, we ask for that for Beth too. We ask, we thank you for answering our prayers. You tell us over and over in the Bible that when we ask and we are asking, we are confident you will answer. We are confident that you will hear us and that you're taking care of Beth. Thank you, Lord. We love you so much. You're the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You're the Almighty. We ask all this in the abundant name of the Lord Jesus. Amen. Okay. So I had another specialist appointment again for the abdominal pain. They sent me back again for another CT scan. So I went to see the pulmonologist on the 30th. Okay. So when I went into the pulmonologist on the 30th to find out why I have these nodules, he says, Bethann, you were at the ER on the 14th. I said, yes. He showed me my scan. He showed me my lungs. He says, these are your lungs. These are your three nodules. This is your hole. And I said, yes. He's like, so I was preparing for this exam on Monday and I was 100% fully ready to send you for biopsies, like extensive testing to figure out the why. You had a CT scan yesterday. I said, yes. And he says, well, when I was preparing for my, because I was the first patient after lunch, he says, during my lunch, I reviewed my afternoon charts and your CT scan came in from yesterday. And I don't know if you were praying for a miracle. I don't know if you were expecting a miracle, but you got a miracle. You have new lungs and you have young lungs. And he showed me my, my CT scan from the 29th. He says, you literally have new lungs. They are young lungs. I said, young. I said, I'm 54. And he says, well, you would not, I would not know that you were 54 looking at these young lungs. I'm like, Oh my gosh. Like that is exactly what Catherine prayed for. She prayed for new lungs, new lungs. And I've added on the young lungs just because I want younger ones. So that was my praise. Like I am like, like, and then when I came out of the pulmonologist, there's not even a church, like locally, like around it, but there were church bells ringing, like for no rhyme or reason. Like, there are literally church bells ringing. I was like, Oh, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. And I like fell to the knees, and people are looking at me, and I'm like, you don't understand. I just received the miracle. So that's my miracle. That's my shout out. Can you believe it? New lungs. God is so good! Thank you so much, Beth, for sharing your story with us and for giving God all the Glory. When we share the miracles that God is doing in our lives, it builds the faith of all those around us, and then they start to believe that if God can do it for you, then maybe He will do it for them too! We look forward to hearing more miracle stories from you in the future! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

You're Not Falling Apart—You're Becoming Today, I felt led to start with this poem I read the other day because it beautifully demonstrates that we don't always understand what God is doing. We think we are a mess, we feel like we are falling apart, we feel like God has abandoned us, and yet God is ALWAYS right there in the middle of it all! He knows exactly what He is doing and wants us to trust Him in the process. This poem gives us some insight into that process.  I feel it makes it a little easier to trust when we have a bit of understanding. This conversation is between someone and God. Me: Hey God. God: Hello..... Me: I'm falling apart. Can you put me back together? God: I would rather not. Me: Why? God: Because you aren't a puzzle. Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground? God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell off for a reason. Take some time and decide if you need any of those pieces back. Me: You don't understand! I'm breaking down! God: No - you don't understand. You are breaking through. What you are feeling are just growing pains. You are shedding the things and the people in your life that are holding you back. You aren't falling apart. You are falling into place. Relax. Take some deep breaths and allow those things you don't need anymore to fall off of you. Quit holding onto the pieces that don't fit you anymore. Let them fall off. Let them go. Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me? God: Only the very best pieces of you. Me: I'm scared of changing. God: I keep telling you - YOU AREN'T CHANGING!! YOU ARE BECOMING! Me: Becoming who? God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have decided to adorn yourself with that you cling to with such greed and fear. Let those things fall off of you. I love you! Don't change! ... Become! Become! Become who I made you to be. I'm going to keep telling you this until you remember it. Me: There goes another piece. God: Yep. Let it be. Me: So ... I'm not broken? God: Of course Not! - but you are breaking like the dawn. It's a new day. Become!!! ~Author John Roedel   I know many of you are struggling right now. Whether it is with health issues, money issues, or in the process of losing old friends and making new friends, I think this poem shows us that God can use these hard times to help us step into the person we are meant to be. The person He knows we are capable of being. There are several things I love about this poem. The first is the gentleness of God. He is so good. I think this poem demonstrates the love that God has for us. He didn't say no when she asked if God would put her back together. He said He would rather not. He then went on to explain why He felt that way. Notice how He didn't get short with her. He didn't seem irritated or annoyed with her. We often imagine God feels that way about us. We tell ourselves that He is tired of us coming and asking the same thing. We imagine He wondering why we can't seem to get it together already. If we are honest, we have felt that way about our loved ones before. God is not us. He doesn't have to wonder why we can't get it together. He knows. He made us. He knows everything we have ever done and everything we will ever do. I also love that God doesn't tell her never again to pick up the pieces that fell off. He tells her to take some time and decide whether she needs them. Maybe you are going through this shedding process right now. Maybe you are losing friends, workers, loved ones, or even material things. God isn't telling you that they are gone forever. He is saying take some time and see if you need them. Do they bring joy into your life? Do they make you a better person? Do they help you grow closer to the Lord? Are they helping you on your journey to heaven? If the answer to some of these questions are yes, maybe you can pick them back up again. Take the time to ask questions. Pay attention to the answers. Don't pick them back up again because it is hard without them. Don't pick them up again because it is easier with them or you miss them. It is normal to want to. When you are tempted to pick back up the ones that are not good for you, remember what the poem said, “What you are feeling are just growing pains. You are shedding the things and the people in your life that are holding you back. You aren't falling apart. You are falling into place. Relax. Take some deep breaths and allow those things you don't need anymore to fall off of you. Quit holding onto the pieces that don't fit you anymore. Let them fall off. Let them go. The last part that I want to draw your attention to is what the poem says about changing. Listen to that part again. “Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me? God: Only the very best pieces of you. Me: I'm scared of changing. God: I keep telling you - YOU AREN'T CHANGING!! YOU ARE BECOMING! Me: Becoming who? God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have decided to adorn yourself with that you cling to with such greed and fear. Let those things fall off of you. I love you! Don't change! ... Become! Become! Become who I made you to be. I'm going to keep telling you this until you remember it.” Isn't that just like God? He keeps telling us something until we believe Him. And for most of us, He has to tell us a lot. God is telling you, yes you, right now that He is with you in this. He tells you that He sees you, not for who you think you are, but who you really are. He sees the you that He created you to be even if you aren't there yet. He knows your journey and isn't frustrated that you aren't there yet because He knows exactly when you will arrive there. He knows exactly what obstacles you are struggling with. We actually had a word or prophecy at my Thursday morning prayer group in June 2024.  God assured us, “I am there among your trials and your joys. I am the God who loves you, who cares. I am never displeased or impatient with you. I place my hope in you.” This message is not just for my prayer group. This is a message for all of His children. This is something I believe he really wants us to know. We get impatient with our children. We get disappointed with them. God is telling us He is not like that. He knows our innermost thoughts. He knows everything we are going through. He knows our hearts. He knows how badly we want to do the right thing, and yet we tend to do the wrong thing. This is not unique to you. That is all of us. If Paul, who is credited with writing about half of the New Testament books, can admit to this, we can be sure we all struggle with this problem. In Romans 7:19-20, Paul said, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.” God knows we are broken. He knows we struggle. He doesn't get disappointed. Instead, He celebrates every time we don't give in to temptation. Every time we mess up, we can bring that to God with the assurance that He welcomes us with open arms and celebrates because we came home instead of being upset that we messed up. Dear Heavenly Father, we ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode. Dad, we thank you so much for loving us so much, for always being there for us, for helping us become who you created us to be, for your patience with us as we become that person, and for forgiving us again and again. You are so wonderful. You are our perfect father, and we are so grateful for all you do for us! Dad, could you give us the strength not to pick up those pieces that have fallen that we don't need? It is hard to leave them there when our life seemed easier with them. Give us the strength to keep moving forward without them. Dad, could you also fill us up to the tippy top with hope that things will be ok because it doesn't always feel like it will be. Help us to feel you right because of us. Maybe hold our hands as we walk side by side. That way, we know you are there. We love you, Dad, and we ask all of this in Jesus's mighty name. Amen!! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If this podcast has blessed you in some way, would you consider sending it to others? Also, check out the link below for my mentoring group. I would love to see your face on Zoom this evening. There is no commitment. You can try it out for a month, and if you decide it is not for you, you can simply cancel. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend! Today's Word from the Lord was received in November 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I draw you into the blazing heart of my love. All of you. You are connected to those who have gone before you through the gate of death. You are connected to your ancestors. You are connected to your loved ones. You are connected to your enemies. For if you are aware of your chosenness, then when you look at each other, see the chosenness in them also. You are one in me.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Your Prayers Are Never Wasted 1 John 5:14–15 “And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.” I love this verse because God is reminding us that we can trust Him. He reminds us that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. If we know that He hears us, then we know we have obtained the requests we made of Him. I don't know about you, but I can get caught up in the words "according to His will." I have asked the Lord for many things that I don't think He has given me. It can be frustrating when we pray for someone or ask for something we believe is good, and it seems like God isn't listening. I know God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are greater than our thoughts, but that doesn't always make it easier to understand. If you've ever struggled with this, let me share what has helped me. Have you ever had a child, niece, nephew, or friend's child ask for something they were convinced they needed? They had thought it through and believed it was the best thing for them, but you could see it wasn't because you knew where that choice would lead. For example, imagine a teenager begging to drop out of school because they're tired of the work and already have a job lined up. They think it's the best decision, but you know it will limit so many opportunities in the future. Because you love them, you say no. I think this is often how God answers our prayers. Good thing He doesn't give us everything we ask for because, just like children, we sometimes ask for things that aren't truly good for us. We think we know what we want, but God sees the whole picture. We may pray for a new job, only to later discover that job would have required constant travel or an unhealthy work environment. God protects us from countless things we never even know about because He is a good Father. I heard a song on the way to Adoration this morning—and you know how much I love songs. It's called "Somebody Prayed" by Crowder. The song is all about the power of prayer and reminds us that many of the blessings we experience today are the result of someone faithfully praying for us. It also reminds us that God hears every prayer, even when we don't immediately see the results. The song begins: Every night there by your bed You fold your hands and bow your head Throwing out another prayer in faith When you're wondering if He's hearing you Look at me, I'm living proof I'm only right where I am today Because somebody prayed These lyrics remind us that when we pray and do not see results, we can look at those around us and be confident that if God answers their prayers, He will answer ours, too. I think it is vital to remember that the answers to our prayers may not look like we want them to and may not come in the timing we want them to. I like how Crowder can realize that the reason he is where he is today is because his mom prayed for him a lot. So I hit my knees 'cause I've Seen all Heaven move (don't matter if you hit rock bottom My God pick you up when you call Him.) I pray, "Father, please" 'cause I've Seen what He can do (don't matter if the storm cloud coming My God come through when you call Him) I love this verse too because it says that it doesn't matter if you hit rock bottom because God will pick you up when you call Him. This reminds us that we are never too far down for God to pick us back up again. It also says it doesn't matter if the storm cloud is coming because God will come through when we call Him. Crowder says he has seen all heaven move, and he has seen what our heavenly Father can do. You might be in a storm right now, or you might be at your lowest point yet. Either way, you can rest assured that when you call on the Lord, He is going to answer that call. He is going to lift you up out of that pit or get you safely through that storm. That is just who He is. If you wonder if this is true, look around you at all the people you know who are struggling, or the ones who were struggling and have made it through to the other side.  They were not alone. God helped them, and if he helped them, he can help you too! These hands have no power There ain't an hour He don't come through That's why when mountains move, I say "Looks like somebody prayed” This verse is reminding us that we can do nothing without God. He is our source of power. He is our Savior. This is why, when something amazing happens in our lives, we should automatically know that someone was praying for us. Our default should be to thank God and to thank whoever was praying for us. Sometimes we think that because we didn't pray, then it wasn't God who helped us. However, there are so many people praying all the time. There were many saints who would send up prayers for anyone who needed them. Or they would pray for those who had no one else to pray for them. You might have a whole army of people praying for you, and yet you might not even know it. For instance, when someone asks me for prayer I usually ask my parents to also pray for them because I know my parents are mighty prayer warriors. I also ask my prayer group to pray, my Encounter Ministry fellow students, and the prayer line at my church. Then sometimes I would also add their request to these three online prayer requests websites, one of which is the Lourdes website. Do you see how someone could have a whole army of people praying for them and not even know it? For the child of God that's far from home The one who thinks they're too far gone I'm throwing out another prayer in faith (prayer in faith) Worn-out altars, tear-stained pews Still I won't give up on you I believe that anything can change When somebody prays I love this verse because he is talking to anyone who feels like they are far from home. Anyone who feels like they are too far gone. Then he tells them that he is praying for them. We all need to be praying for those who are far from home and think they are too far gone. There is no too far gone with the Lord. He is always willing to take us back. He is always waiting for us to realize that and to come home. I love it when he says he won't give up on us because he believes that anything can change when somebody prays. This is an important thing for us all to believe. It is so true. Anything can change when somebody prays. The enemy often tries to make us believe that our situation is too bad and that there is no solution. He tries to convince us that we don't need to pray because there isn't anything God can do for anyone. There isn't anything anyone can do. This is ridiculous! God can do anything! We might not see a way out, we might not think things can get better, but God can always make a way, even when we can't see how. It is always worth it to say a prayer. It can make all the difference in the world. Sometimes God is just waiting for you to ask. He is waiting for you to invite Him into it all. Why wouldn't we want God to be in all of it? I've seen miracles come from feeble words I've seen hospital rooms turned into cathedrals I've seen freedom come to the prisoner You can't tell me that prayer don't work The first line says, “I've seen miracles come from feeble words.” Do you know why I love this? I love it because it reminds us that we don't have to know what to say. We don't have to pray these long, eloquent prayers. We don't have to ask for the exact thing or say the exact right words in order for our prayers to be answered. It's not like in all those movies about making a wish on a genie in a bottle. If you don't get the wording perfectly, then something bad happens. God is not like that. We don't have to know the perfect thing to say. We just have to call upon his name and ask him for what we want. It goes on to say, “I've seen hospital rooms turned into cathedrals.” I think what he means by this is that hospital rooms can be a powerful place for prayer. Sitting by a loved one's bedside can prompt people to pray more. It can also help us to be bold and ask for more from the Lord. Desperation to save our loved ones can be a powerful motivator. He also says, I've seen freedom come to the prisoner.  This is another great result of prayer. You might know someone who is stuck in their past. They may be an actual prisoner in jail, or they may be a prisoner to guilt, shame, and unforgiveness. Either way, prayers can free them from their prison. I have seen it happen many times!! The song ends with: So every night there by your bed When you fold your hands and bow your head Not a single word you've ever said in vain 'Cause He hears everything I like this verse too because it reminds us that not a single word you've ever said is in vain. When we pray to God, He hears us. We can be confident in this, just as the scripture verse for today reminds us. God hears it all, whether you are in church praying or you are crying out to him in your car. Wherever you are, no matter how far gone you think you are, He always hears every word of it, and none of it was said in vain. He hears you, and He will answer your prayers according to his will and according to His timing. www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

You Can't Miss God's Plan for Your Life Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” I thought today's verse went well with yesterday's episode. Yesterday's verse talked about being guided by the Holy Spirit. Today, we are being told that we may have many plans in our hearts, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. What does that mean? Does that mean that it doesn't matter what we want because we just have to do what God wants us to do? No, that is not what this verse is saying. This verse lets us know that God has a purpose for our lives and that it will prevail. How we get there is up to us. However, if we want to get there the quickest and most effective way, then we will let the Holy Spirit guide us there. Oftentimes, we don't stop and ask God what he thinks we should do. We just go about our day doing what we want to do or what feels good to us. When we have a big decision to make, sometimes we do stop and take time to think about it, maybe even pray about it, but after we pray about it, do we listen to see what the Lord has to say about it? Do we pay attention to the feelings in our body and see if the small voice inside of us is telling us to lean one way or the other? I love that this verse assures us that the Lord's purpose will prevail. I find great comfort in that fact. I have seen and heard evidence of this when I read stories or hear people's testimonies about how they went down the wrong path for a long time, but in the end God brought them back to where they were supposed to be. I have been told that if it is God's plan, no one can take it away from you. I think this is true. However, I do think things we can do and things others can do to us can delay that plan or that purpose from taking place. A great example of this is the story of Jonah in the Bible. God had a great plan for Jonah. It says in Jonah 1:1-2, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.'” God wanted Jonah to let Nineveh know that God saw their wickedness and that if they didn't repent, then in 40 days Nineveh would be overthrown. Jonah actually heard the word of the Lord. He was tasked with this important job. What did Jonah do? He ran away. He got on a ship going in the opposite direction. Now, here is where we can see that God's plan will prevail. God created a storm for the ship to run into. Jonah was thrown overboard and swallowed by a whale, and then a few days later was spat out on shore and went to Nineveh. So, yes, God's plan did prevail. However, can you see how this is a good example of doing what we are told or asked to do the first time around, instead of trying to do things our way? Can you see how Jonah not only delayed the fulfillment of God's purpose for him, but also made it much worse for himself? The same things happen to us. We feel like we are supposed to do something, but we don't want to, so we go in the opposite direction. Many of us, even if we don't know that God is talking to us, still know when He wants us to do something. We all have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. So, if you feel a nudge to call someone you haven't talked to in a while, that is probably the Holy Spirit nudging you. If you take the time to call that person, you will see why you had that nudge. Sometimes we do something and get this feeling inside that what we are doing isn't right, yet we ignore it. Then something happens, and it can prolong our purpose from God. For instance, you are with someone, and you know inside they are not the person you should be with. However, you stay anyway. This could delay God's plan for you and the person you are supposed to be with. Oftentimes God asks us to do something, and we don't understand why. It doesn't make sense to us, and so we don't do it. That can also take us down the wrong path or make us miss the path altogether, forcing us to take a really long detour to get back to where we were. I bet we can all think of a time in our lives when we took a wrong turn, and we had to take a detour to get back on track. One example I heard the other day was a young adult who got his degree in engineering because that is what his parents wanted him to do. He knew his heart wasn't in it, but he did it anyway. Then, when he graduated, he earned his Master's degree in counseling, became a licensed mental health counselor, and is now living the purpose God had for his life. Would he have gotten there sooner if he had listened to his inner voice sooner instead of outside influences? Maybe, but the important thing is not how long it takes us to get there, but that we do get there. I think what the Lord wants us to hear this morning is that his purpose prevails. Some of us are worried about doing anything because we are worried it is not what God wants. We want Him to reassure us every step of the way that we are still going the right way. That has not been my experience. In fact, I saw a YouTube video from Father Mike Schmitz, and he said that we want constant reassurance, but if God is not telling you to stop doing what you're doing, then keep going forward. God will tell you when to make a change, when to stop something you are doing, or when to start doing something else. If you aren't hearing or feeling anything, then you are probably fine to keep doing what you are doing. In the end, God's purpose will prevail! We just need the Holy Spirit to guide us! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we want to thank you for guiding us. We are sorry for all the times we didn't listen and for all the wrong turns that we took. We ask that you help us to listen to you more. We ask that you talk louder when we act as though we can't hear you. We thank you that your purpose prevails. We thank you for always being so faithful. We love you so much, Lord. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Will you help me reach the people who need this message? Share this episode today with someone who could use encouragement. It really helps me out when you share this podcast. I look forward to seeing you here again on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in November 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Do you love me, my children? Do you call me often, my children? Do you hear my love flowing in every fiber of your body, crying out? Come to me. Come to me. I have given you a gift, spirit to spirit. You use it less and less. I want you to be strong in my love. Use your gifts. Call on me. Spirit to spirit needs to be strong. It will not be strong until you use it.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Are You Letting the Holy Spirit Guide You? Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” I love any verses that talk about the Holy Spirit because I don't think any of us realize the power that we have living inside of us. The Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in each one of us. That is amazing. That is something that we should think about more often than we do. When was the last time you thought about how amazing it is that you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you? When was the last time you thought about the Holy Spirit at all? The first half of this verse says, “If we live by the Spirit…” So, before we move on from that, we should ask ourselves, “Do I live by the Spirit?” When I looked up this same verse in the Message translation, it provided a bit more detail, so I want to read it to you now. “Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and the other worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.” I love the beginning part of this verse in this translation for a couple of reasons. First, it reminds us that we have a choice. Did you know you have a choice? Some of us may have grown up Catholic, or Protestant, or this denomination or that, and our hearts may not be in it, but we choose to stay because that is all we know. This is ok, but it is important to remember that you have chosen the life you have. This is important because we can often blame things on the life that we have. We can forget that we make choices every single day, and that the life we are living is directly related to those choices. So now that we know we have a choice, are we choosing things that will give us the life we want? Are we choosing joy over anger? Are we choosing kindness over judgment? Are we choosing love over hate? Our choices are very important. Two people can have the same job, make the same amount of money, be married, and yet live very different lives. One could be saving for retirement and have money to go on vacations. The other could be living paycheck to paycheck. One could love going to work, and the other could hate their job. What makes the difference? The choices they make and what they decide to focus on. The next important thing, I think, that the translation of the verse says is, “That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and the other worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.” Comparison is the thief of joy. We all know this. We have all said this. Yet, we still can't help but compare ourselves to others. We look at social media and see others living the life we want to live. We see their car, house, kids, and marriage, and we want what they have. I love how the Message translation says, “Each of us is an original.” God did not create you to be me, and he did not create me to be you. You are not supposed to be your neighbor, sister, brother, or best friend. You were created to be exactly who you are. Nothing more and nothing less. When we choose to live in the Spirit, this is what we get to do. We get to live authentically, trusting that God has a plan and that he is orchestrating our lives to fit into his plan. The second half of today's verse says, “Let us also be guided by the Spirit.” Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us? Are we pausing before we make a big decision to see what the Holy Spirit thinks we should do? Are we taking the time to listen to the Lord's voice on a daily basis so that when He does have something important to tell us, we will recognize his voice? I want to share with you something that I didn't realize until I started taking the Encounter School of Ministry classes. You can actually ask God questions, and then if you listen, He will answer them. I don't know why it took me so long to realize you can have a back-and-forth conversation with God. I don't think it is something many of us know or believe. It is true, though, and it is amazing! When I think of this part of the verse, “Let us also be guided by the Spirit,” I think of a retreat I went to several years ago. I was really struggling in my marriage and with parenting, and God told me I wasn't coming to Him. I didn't think this was true, as I prayed to Him about it all the time. He told me that although it was true that I prayed for help, I didn't actually sit and listen to what He thought I should do about it. I felt like He told me I was always turning to others, books, or podcasts for my answers instead of turning to Him. What about you? Are you searching everywhere for your answers? Are you going to everyone except the one who has all the answers? Why do we do this? I think it is because we don't know that God is talking to us. We don't know that God will give us the answers if we ask. Also, it takes patience to wait on God as He doesn't always give us the answer right away. Sometimes it takes a bit, and we are a very impatient people as a whole. Today is our chance to change that. Today is our chance to come to God first and let the Holy Spirit guide us. Before we make a big decision, we can pause and ask God what He wants us to do. We usually get a gut feeling one way or another. I have a friend who always asks God for some sort of confirmation when making a big or important decision.  She will ask Him to show her something specific, and if she sees it, she knows that it is the right decision. God wants to be in our lives. He wants us to come to Him with our problems, with our joys, with our sorrows. He wants us to rely on Him, including asking for advice when we don't know what to do. Or asking for confirmation when we think we know what to do but want to just make sure. If we choose to live by the Spirit, then the Spirit will guide us. We just have to let Him! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, we thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit. We thank you for leading us and guiding us. Lord, help us to make time as we go throughout our day to listen to you. Help us to pause and ask what you think we should do before we make any big decisions. Help us to allow ourselves to be guided by you. Lord, we love you so much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen!! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I want to invite you to join my mentoring group. This mentoring group is a safe, judgment-free space to grow in your relationship with God. If you've been looking for that, this is the place for you. This month we are talking about the love of the Son, and last night's session was great. It reminded us all that Jesus accepts us right where we are. He isn't scared of the real us, he actually moves in closer to the real us. There is a link in the show notes if you want to check out all the details for mentoring. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in November 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I know your interior struggles. I know every single thought that the devil feeds you in order to make you curse yourself and burn yourself. I love you, my precious ones. Stay strong. Keep trying. Keep moving forward. I will let nothing hold you from me or your purpose. I kiss each of you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

God Is Holding Your Hand Acts 18:9-10 “One night, the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid. Continue with your preaching, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack you or try to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” I always get a bit jealous when I hear verses that say the Lord appeared to so-and-so in a dream or that they were visited by an angel.  Then I remember that, although I am not being visited by an angel that I am aware of, if you listened to the episode on angels, you know we aren't always aware when we are visited by an angel.  Although I am not aware of any visits from angels or the Lord in my sleep, the Lord does show up and talk to us each and every Thursday during prayer group.  He also talks to me during my prayer time, so I really have no reason to be jealous.  I don't know if you ever felt like I did.  Have you ever been jealous that some people seem to hear the word of the Lord and you can't?  If this is the case, I want to assure you that He wants to talk to you.  God is always talking to His people; we just struggle to listen sometimes.   If you are struggling to hear the Lord.  If you wish, you could ask Him a question and really hear an answer. I want you to know you can.  It is possible.  If you cannot hear Him, it is not because He is mad at you or because He is punishing you.  There could be a number of reasons why you can't hear Him.  Maybe you are harboring unforgiveness toward others, which can block all kinds of graces.  Maybe you don't believe you can hear Him, so you are afraid to sit in the silence and give Him time to talk?  Maybe you don't have any quiet time in your day?  Think about how hard it is to hear someone you are intentionally trying to hear in a crowded restaurant or on a subway train.  Look through your day.  If someone were following you around trying to talk to you all day, would there be any times when you would hear them?   The world we live in is busy and noisy.  It is not often that we sit and listen to the Word of God.  This can change.  If you want to start hearing from God, all you have to do is listen.  He is already talking to you.  I know that this may sound weird to some of you, and yet I think it is important to tell you.  I often talk with the Lord.  I write Him a letter, and then I write one back to myself and let the Holy Spirit lead what I write in the one back to myself.  I feel the Lord is constantly telling me, “Thank you for listening; not many do.”  God is not mad, He is not punishing you, He is patiently waiting for you to come to Him and ask Him what He thinks.  He is waiting to tell you how much He loves you until you take a minute to listen.  Can you give God 5 minutes of your time today to just listen?  If you are quiet, if you are asking the Lord to talk and you can't hear anything, then you can command the spirit of deaf ears to leave immediately.  You can command your spiritual ears to open.  You can ask God again and expect that He will answer as He always does! I am not sure that it had a lot, or anything, to do with the verse, and yet when I feel led by the Holy Spirit, I just agree and go along for the ride.  Back to the verse.  It says, “One night, the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid. Continue with your preaching, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack you or try to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.”  I think this verse is a testament to God's love for Paul.  He knew He was afraid, and He came to talk to him and to reassure him.  It sounds like Paul wanted to leave the place where he was.  Paul was in Corinth, and that was not a nice town.  Its nickname is “Sin City.”  I have heard Father Mike liken it to parts of Las Vegas.  Paul was preaching at the synagogue to the Jews & the Greeks, but they didn't really want to hear what he had to say. When they started to oppose him and hurl insults at him, he decided to leave the synagogue and search out the Gentiles.  In case anyone listening is like me, and you are not sure who the Gentiles were or what that word means, let me explain.  You were considered a gentile if you were not Jewish.  It is not a particular race or tribe; it was all people who were not Jewish.  God came to Paul in his dreams and told him not to be afraid, that He was with him and that he would not be attacked or harmed. God is saying this to us, too!  He is with each one of us, and He is protecting us from all evil.  I was typing up the minutes for my prayer group, and we had several prophecies that seemed to confirm this.  There were two that I thought were especially good to go with this verse. The first one says, “I watch over you, my children. All of you are my children. I break the sword of the enemy who would come against you. You have nothing to fear, for I am there for each and every one of you in each and every trial. I will never forsake my children or leave my children. I will defend you in battle. I have sent you the power of the Spirit, and He will give you all that you need to do what you have been called to do.”  Isn't that amazing?  God is telling us that He is here for us.  He will defend us in battle and any other situation.  You may be thinking you are not in a battle, but you are not in the military.  Each one of us is in a battle, whether we know it or not.  Each one of us is in a spiritual battle, and sometimes the enemy can take it out on our family members.  We need to stand firm and hold onto this word from God and all the other words He has given us.  God will not let the enemy win.  He will protect us.  All we need to do is turn to Him.   The second word I thought went along with this verse says, “My children, take my hand. Realize that I am with you. Go into the world without fear. I am holding onto your hand. There is no need to fear, I am your God. I will protect you; I will defend you. Smile, for you are mine. Smile, my children. I am with you till the end of time. Come closer, my children, come closer, that I can reveal my mysteries to you, so you, in turn, can share them with the world. I am your Lord, I am your God, and I am all-powerful. I hold onto your hand. Move forward, move forward with joy, for you are mine.” I love how gentle God can be.  He is talking about protecting us, and He is doing it in this last verse as any Father would.  Think back to when you were little.  When you were walking with your dad, you were probably holding his hand.  If you weren't holding it all the time, you at least know it is there if you need it.  God is giving us this visual of walking with Him through life and asking us to take His hand and walk side by side with Him. What an amazing visual that is for me. Yes, please, Lord, I would love to walk side by side with you! I would love to hold your hand so you can protect me and defend me against this crazy world.  I also like how he ended the word with “Move forward with joy, for you are mine.” We are His children; isn't that amazing!! God is so good! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to protect and bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we are so grateful you are protecting us!  We are so grateful you are a loving Father who wants to hold our hands and walk through this life with us.  Lord, we ask that you help us to be able to hear you when you are talking to us.  We are asking that you open your spiritual ears and allow us to have conversations with you.  I ask that everyone listening to this episode be able to hear your words just as they do in the prayer group meeting.  Lord, we thank you for the words above, and we ask that you help them take root in our hearts.  If anyone listening to this episode had a difficult relationship with their father, I ask that you let these two messages go deep down in your heart and take root.  You are a good and loving Father to all your children! We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus!  I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

15 Promises to those who say the rosary. Today's episode is a bit different. Today, there is no scripture verse. Instead, I am going to explain what the rosary is and then list the 15 promises given to those who pray it regularly. There is a lot that is going on in the world right now.  In our country and all around the world. Our country is pretty divided. We are kicking God out of this country one decision at a time. During this truly difficult time, I look to strengthen my faith and lean into God's grace, strength, and protection.  Who couldn't use a little more grace and strength right now? I have found a number of structured prayers that have really helped strengthen my faith.  The first of these is the rosary.  When I moved to New Jersey, one of the wives in Tony's squadron had started a home rosary group.  I did not know what that even meant, but I had just moved to a new place, and I did not know anyone.  I thought it would be nice to get out of the house and meet some new people.  I also knew I needed something more, as I had a newborn baby and was just learning how to be a mom.  A home rosary group is a group of people who gather at someone's home and say the rosary together.  One person leads either the whole rosary, or you can switch leaders each decade, whichever you prefer.  Whoever is leading the rosary says the first half of the prayer, and then everyone else says the second half of the prayer.  It was so nice to be gathered with a group of women who all wanted to say the rosary each week.  The rosary is a group of prayers that you say, usually using a set of rosary beads.  I knew there were many benefits to saying the rosary.  I have read them before.  There was a time, probably after I first read these promises, that I was saying them every day.  However, the enemy has a way of putting things in the way so that you are suddenly “too busy” to say the rosary, or he convinces you that if you can't do it perfectly, then you shouldn't bother.  Remember that the enemy is a master at half-truths and lies.  He does not want us saying the rosary because he knows how powerful it can be.  As soon as you begin to say the rosary faithfully, you will notice that things will begin to come up during the time you set aside for the rosary, or you will find yourself forgetting about the commitment.  I decided to talk with you about the Rosary today because I came upon the promises that Mary gave to us, and I remembered why I was saying the Rosary every day. I know the rosary is a longer prayer than most of us might be used to, but it is only 20-30 minutes out of your day.  If you get a full 8 hours of sleep at night, that means you are still awake for 16 hours.  That is 960 minutes in your day.  The rosary takes 20-30 minutes. The Blessed Virgin Mary promised to Saint Dominic and to all who follow that “Whatever you ask in the Rosary will be granted.”  She left for all Christians Fifteen Promises to those who recite the Holy Rosary.  They were imparted to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan. 1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces. 2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.  3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.  4. The Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.  5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.  6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice; he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.  7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.  8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.  9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.  10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.  11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.  12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.  13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.  14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of my only Son Jesus Christ.  15. The devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination. I cannot believe all that is promised to us if we say the rosary.  I read through those this morning and just kept saying to myself, yup, I need that too.  Who couldn't use help destroying vices, or for their good works and virtue to flourish?  Mary, the Mother of Jesus, promised special protection and the greatest graces to those who say the rosary.  I don't know about you, but I could definitely use some special protection and all the graces I can get.  I know that I probably won't start saying the rosary every day without fail, because I am human and I often fail.  I have been reminded today what a blessing it is to say the rosary, and I am going to do my best to incorporate it into my daily routine.  After all, 20 minutes a day is less than the time it takes me to watch one episode on TV.  I have the time; I am just using it to do other things.  You do not have to say the rosary every day, even if you say it once a week, or once a month, or one decade a day, I bet you would see a change in your life.  Give it a try. What do you have to lose? Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we love you, and we ask you to help us in our time of need. We ask you to put in our hearts a desire to say the rosary. Lord, help us to see the importance of it. Help us to understand the importance of Mary in your plan for redemption. Help us to find time in our schedules to set aside to say the rosary. Thank you, Lord. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you would like to join me for mentoring this month, there is a link below if you would like to sign up for mentoring or get more information. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you and so do I! Have a blessed day, and may the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you! Today's Word from the Lord was received in February 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My beloved ones, your desire for me unlocks my heart of bounties for you. Your desire overcomes your weakness. I am delighted in your desire for union with me. Feed that desire for me.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Today's Witness Wednesday is about my recent trip to Austin, Texas, with my youngest son, Ryan. I wanted to do a family trip this summer since Ryan just graduated from high school and all of the kids are now 18. However, we couldn't agree on where to go, and I couldn't get everyone on board. So I decided to do individual one-on-one trips with the boys this summer, which I felt could work better because we would get more one-on-one time together. And also, if someone doesn't want to do something, it doesn't ruin it for the other boys. So I started with my son, Ryan, and we went to Austin, Texas, because his favorite band, Once More, was playing two shows in a row, Friday and Saturday night. And they were also playing with some other bands he really liked, all small bands. So we got on the plane very early Thursday morning. We got to Philadelphia and boarded our connecting flight with no problem. And then there was a navigational problem with the navigational system. And so we waited on the plane for two hours, and then we had to get off the plane. And then they kept delaying by 30 minutes for the next four hours. And then they just said, we're going to get a new plane, and you can leave at 5 p.m. We were supposed to leave at 8 a.m. And now we're leaving at 5 p.m. So Thursday, instead of spending the day around Austin, we spent it at the airport. However, even at the airport, I could tell the Lord was at work because Ryan hates to wait, and he did well. He didn't love it, but he didn't complain a lot. He just slept in the chair wherever we were and did well. I'm grateful that the Lord was there with us in that. Then we finally landed, and we got to our hotel, and we slept well that night.   And then the next day, we got up, and we did some things around Austin. And then he had his concert that night and the concert was at a small venue. So there weren't a lot of people there, and there were several bands there. And so he got to actually talk to somebody from his favorite band. And then later that night, he was texting with people from the band, and they just couldn't believe that he flew all the way from Boston, Massachusetts, to Austin, Texas, just to see them. So they said they would put him on the VIP list so that he wouldn't have to pay to get in the next day. And they just had a really nice conversation, and Ryan was so excited. And then the next day, we went to this famous record store in Austin called Waterloo Records. And Ryan loved the store. It was cool to see him looking through all the CDs like I did when I was younger, because you don't really see CDs anymore. Everybody streams music. So it was just nice to see kids in a store looking through CDs and records. Then, as we were walking out of the record shop, Ryan ran into the singer and the bassist of his favorite band. And it was really cool. They recognized him. They gave him a high five. They asked if he was coming to the show tonight, and they said they were looking forward to seeing him there. Ryan was so excited. And it was also cool for the band because they're from San Antonio, and yet they're just walking around Austin, Texas, and they see somebody wearing their band t-shirts, and it was so surreal for them as well. So I feel like God definitely orchestrated that whole thing, and it was amazing. And then Ryan went to their concert that night, and the singer of his favorite band wrote down their set playlist, the six songs they were gonna sing that night, and then had all of the band members sign it, and then gave that set list to Ryan after they played. He was so excited. We went to Walmart immediately afterward so he could buy a frame for it. And it is now his favorite prized possession. He's so honored that they would have given it to him because you only have one set list, and they gave it to him, and they had everybody sign it. And so it was just an awesome weekend. He had a really great time, and I'm really grateful to the Lord that he allowed that weekend to happen, that he allowed things to go so well, and that he orchestrated so many amazing moments for Ryan throughout the trip we had. We went back to that record store several times. Ryan really liked the record store and looking through all the CDs. And we also got Texas barbecue one day. We went to see the Texas State Capitol building. Everything worked well. The rental car went smoothly, and I am just so grateful. For all that the Lord did for us that weekend. www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Where Does Your Help Come From? Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” I heard this verse while I was listening to the Big Life Devotional by Pamela Crim yesterday, and I instantly thought of this song. The song is called Shoulders by For King and Country. I will place a link to the song in the show notes if you want to give it a listen. It is a really good song, so I do recommend checking it out. For King and Country is a great group of artists. They moved to this country from Australia in 1991 when their dad accepted a job here. I love this song because it reminds us where our help comes from. It also reminds us of various ways that God helps us. It also says the words from this verse. They both start the same way. I look up to the mountains Does my strength come from the mountains? No, my strength comes from God Who made heaven and earth, and the mountains   When we are struggling and suffering, we look around for strength anywhere we can find it. We look to TV for distractions, we look to food for comfort, and we sometimes turn to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain. We look everywhere for something that will take away the pain or help us get through it in some way. As long as we keep searching everywhere but where God is, then we will never find what we are looking for. God is our strength. He is the one who can get us through the hard times. We just need to turn to Him and ask Him. We just need to seek Him out instead of all the other things that we turn to when we are struggling.   When confusion's my companion And despair holds me for ransom I will feel no fear I know that You are near   Think about what it is we do when we are confused and the feelings of despair set in. Do we turn to the Lord, or do we turn away? Do we have hope that the Lord will bring us out of this despair? I love the line that says, and despair holds me for ransom. That is such an accurate visual of despair. You feel like you can't do anything but sit in it. This verse ends with I will feel no fear. I know that You are near. My prayer is that we can all say this. My prayer for each of us is that we can look to the Lord when we feel confused and full of despair. We can look to the Lord and not be afraid because we know that our strength comes from Him. The one who made the heavens and the earth. If He can create all of that out of nothing, think about what He can do in your current situation!   When I'm caught deep in the valley With chaos for my company I'll find my comfort here 'Cause I know that You are near   How many of us are in a deep valley right now? How many of us feel like we have been in this valley for a long time, and we see no end in sight? I love that it says with chaos for my company. Have you ever had chaos in your company? I am one of 11 children. Chaos and I are old friends. However, how often have we had comfort and chaos at the same time? This verse says I'll find comfort here because I know You are near. When we find ourselves in a valley and we are surrounded by chaos, it helps to remember that the Lord is always near. We are never alone, even when it feels like we are.   My help comes from You You're right here, pulling me through You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness All on your shoulders Your shoulders   Our help comes from the Lord. It can be easy to forget this because sometimes He uses human means to help us. For instance, we may think our help comes from the person giving us the things we need. For instance, help came from my neighbor when I was younger, and my dad needed a car. Yes, the neighbor did help us out, and yet even he acknowledges the Lord led Him to do so. He had no way of knowing my dad needed a car, except that my dad prayed for a car, and God worked it out for him.  I like the image of this verse. You're right here, pulling me through. Have you ever felt like God was pulling you through? Like, you for sure wouldn't have made it if He wasn't pulling you through. You didn't have the energy or will to walk or even get out of bed, and yet you felt something pulling you out of bed and pushing you to keep going. The next line is great, too, because it reminds us that we are not carrying our load along. It says you carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness all on your shoulders. God has some pretty broad shoulders. He can handle our weakness, sickness, and brokenness. We don't have to carry it on our own. That is just something the enemy tries to get us to believe.  We can give these things to the Lord, and He will carry them for us. All we need to do is ask.   My help comes from You You are my rest, my rescue I don't have to see to believe that You're lifting me up on Your shoulders Your shoulders   The Lord is our rest. We can just sit and rest in him. Whenever we want, whether we are weary and we need to rest, or whether we just want to rest in His love, mercy, and forgiveness. We can always rest in Him. He is also our rescue. He will rescue us from our circumstances, or He will give us the strength to get through them. I don't have to see to believe that you're lifting me up on Your shoulders. This is an important thing to remember. We don't have to see it to believe it. We often worry because we can't see the outcome ahead of time. We can't see a way for the Lord to work things out. We don't have to see it. We just have to trust that He can and will work things out. He is a Way-maker. He can make a way where there is no way.   You mend what once was shattered And You turn my tears to laughter Your forgiveness is my fortress Oh, Your mercy is relentless   This verse talks to us about some of the things God does for us. He mends what was shattered. Can you think back to a time when you thought all was lost and things felt so broken you thought they would never go back together again? I know I can. A few years ago, my family and my marriage felt so broken I couldn't see how it could be fixed. However, I never gave up on the Lord, and He came in and fixed what was once shattered. Our family is whole again, not perfect, but whole. God can definitely turn tears into laughter. I have seen Him do this many times. Especially when I go to visit my college roommate Kath. We spend the whole time laughing and crying. The next line, I am actually surprised, is in here, as the verse I was going to use today talked about God's mercy and forgiveness, and I didn't use it as I had already used that verse in an earlier episode. This song verse says that God's forgiveness is my fortress. Take a moment to think about that. What is the point of a fortress? It is to protect you and to give you a safe place to be. When I looked up the definition, it also said it was a place of defense and protection against attacks. Isn't it interesting that the song says your forgiveness is my fortress? Did you know that God's forgiveness can be your fortress? It can provide you with protection against attacks from the enemy. The enemy wants you to believe that you are the sum of each and every one of your mistakes. However, if we rely on God's forgiveness, we know this is not true. We know that He forgives everything when we turn back to Him and repent. Also, I want to restate what the song says: that God's mercy is relentless. He will chase you down just to give you that mercy!! That is such a great song. I pray you all take the time to go and listen to the song. This song does a great job of reminding us of where our strength comes from and why we need it. Our strength comes from God! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we know our strength comes from you. Please remind us when we forget. Lord, we thank you for all you do for us. We ask you to help us remember all the ways you are there for us. We ask you to pull us through all the hard times. We ask you to pull us out of the valley of despair. We ask you to be with us every step of the way! We love you, Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I want to remind everyone that I am starting a group coaching program in January. If you have ever desired to know the Lord more intimately, to go deeper into your relationship with the Lord, or to walk more boldly in your faith, this is the right program for you! I will help you get to know the Lord better, develop daily routines that help you grow closer to the Lord, and teach you to step out more boldly in your faith. We will learn all of that while having fun and getting to know each other. I pray you will join me on that adventure, too! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's word of prophecy from my prayer group is, “There is no demon who can touch you. There is no one who can steal my children from Me. You are ALL My children. I have given you a package of seeds. Those seeds will be scattered by each of My children. Some in small ways, some in big ways but not one seed sown is insignificant. It is all part of My forever plan. I am a part of you. Rest in My love and My peace. You are a chosen people. Chosen for me from the beginning of time. I cannot for the times. I cannot. You are whole in Me.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Keep asking! Nothing Is Too Big or Too Small! 1 Samuel 9:16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have seen the suffering of my people because their outcry has come to me.” What stood out to me when I read this verse was the very last line. In this verse, God is talking to Samuel right before Saul shows up. God said that He will save His people from the hands of the Philistines because He has seen the suffering and because their outcry has come to Him. That is the part that stood out to me. He heard their outcry. I have been encountering more and more people who don't pray for what they need unless it is a huge deal. If they don't need a miracle, they aren't asking God for anything. I understand this sentiment. I mean, God is busy; He is doing important things, and we don't want to waste His time with our small issues. When we do this, we are saying that God has a finite amount of power. We are assuming that He won't have enough time or enough power to deal with the bigger issues and our smaller issues. God's time and power are infinite. There are no limits to time or power for God. We never have to worry that our request will take God away from someone else. He is with each one of us 100% of the time. Not only can God take care of the little things, but He also wants to. He cares about every aspect of our lives. When we ask Him to help us, to take care of things, we are showing Him that we trust Him. We are showing Him that we want Him in all aspects of our lives. There are so many areas where I see people suffering, and they aren't asking God for help. I understand and believe that redemptive suffering is a thing. I believe that our prayers can be more powerful when we are in the midst of great suffering. I believe that if we can offer our suffering up for others, that is a powerful and beautiful thing. I don't believe that God wants us to suffer for the rest of our lives. I don't believe that if we have asked God for healing once or twice and it hasn't happened, then that means that God isn't going to heal us. I don't know why some people have chronic pain and have been suffering for a very long time. I don't know why it seems like God heals some people, and yet it seems like He doesn't heal others. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I do believe God wants us to ask for healing. I do believe He wants to hear the words come out of our mouths. God believes in free will. If we aren't asking Him for healing, He is probably not going to be healing it. From all that I have learned, God wants us to be actively engaged in our relationship with Him. He doesn't just want us to sit back and have a hands-off relationship with Him. I don't believe He wants us to hold anything back from Him. I don't believe He thinks anything is too big or too small for Him. We have been told in our Encounter Ministries class that God cares just as much about our hangnail as He does about someone else's cancer. It is not one or the other with God. It is everything. At the Encounter summer intensive, there was a woman who was saying that she had pain and stiffness in her hips. When she sits for any length of time, she has a hard time getting back up and a hard time walking afterward. For a year now, she hasn't been able to wear shoes with laces because of the stiffness in her hips. She couldn't bend down to tie them. She was prayed over at the end of the healing night for the summer intensive, and the next day she could bend down and tie her shoes again. Do you see? God even cares about what kind of shoes you want to wear. In the verse above, God sent Saul to save His people from the Philistines. He did this because He heard them crying out. Are you crying out? Are you asking God for help? I am not saying that we need to just sit around and cry out to the Lord all the time. I am not saying we should be complaining about our pain or our circumstances either. What I am saying is that we don't have to be afraid to ask God for something. We don't have to feel like we are bothering Him. When we don't ask Him, we are depriving Him of the opportunity to help us. Think about how good you feel when you help someone out of a difficult situation. Think about the satisfaction and the joy you get when you help others. Now, think about how God might feel when He gets to be your savior and when He gets to save you from whatever it is you are going through, big or small. If you have chronic pain, you may be praying to God all the time, and yet you are not seeing healing. If this is the case, I am so sorry. I wish we could understand why God does what He does. However, if you are in chronic pain and you used to ask God to heal you and now you have given up asking, I ask you to start again. I don't know why He hasn't healed you yet. I don't know what His plan is or when He wants to heal you. I do believe with all my heart that He does want to heal you. I do believe He wants you to keep asking for the healing. I believe he wants you to keep believing that healing is possible, that you are deserving of healing, and that He loves you more than anything else in this whole world. I am not sure I believed healing of chronic pain was possible. I mean, I think I truly believed it in my heart, and yet there was still doubt. I mean, if He wanted it healed, He would have done it already, right? Then I prayed with my aunt. She had pain in her legs for over 5 years. She couldn't walk without pain. It had gotten so bad that she had to quit her job 9 months earlier, and she was basically bedridden, as when she walked, her pain was level 11. I told her we could pray together and that I believed God wanted to heal her. This was true, and yet I didn't know what it would be like. I mean, she has had pain for so long. Surely if God wanted to heal her, He would have. We prayed, and she saw no change. We kept praying for a while. She didn't have much change that night or the next day. However, a few days later, she got out of bed and was completely pain-free.  How amazing is God? Yes, he could have healed her at any time, and yet He chose that specific day. We don't know why, and we may never know why this side of heaven. We are just happy that my aunt kept asking Him and didn't give up and just accept that as her fate. She could have said no to my praying with her. She could have thought there was no point. But she said yes, and God came through for her. He can do this for you too! Please don't stop asking. Please don't think things are too big or too little for God. Please don't feel like anything you ask would ever be an inconvenience to God or that you would bother Him. I don't think anything makes Him happier than when we turn to Him, and when we show Him, we trust Him by entrusting our petition to Him. Another important piece to this, which I won't go into but I do want to mention, is that we should not just ask God for things, but we should praise Him daily as well. Thank Him for all that He has done and continues to do for you. Show God you are thankful for what He has done, and He will continue to do more. God loves you. He wants to be there for you. Trust Him and share everything with Him. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we want to bring things to you. Please help us. Help us get rid of our feeling of not enough and our feeling that we would be bothering you with our requests. Please help us to see that you are there for us in the big and the small ways. Please help us to see that you care about all the details of our lives, even the little ones. Lord, give us the strength and the courage to keep asking, even if it is something that we have asked for many times before. Help us to keep asking, Lord. We love you, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

You Don't Have To Be Strong All The Time  2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.” I love this verse.  When I hear this verse, I remember that we don't always have to be strong.  We don't always have to be perfect.  We don't always have to get it right.  When I hear this verse, I am reminded that God's power is made perfect in our weakness, not in our strength. I don't know about you, but I find that awfully comforting.  We tend to feel like we have to be strong for everyone else around us.  Whether we are a parent, a spouse, or a friend, we want to be the strong ones for those around us.    Do you ever feel like that?  Do you ever get tired of feeling like you have to be strong?  This verse gives you permission to not be the strong one all the time.   I have kiddos who struggle with their mental health at times.  When they are struggling, it feels like we have to be strong as they need us to be there for them. They need us to be the safe place that they can land.  They need us not to fall apart because they are already falling apart, and they need us to hold them together.  This isn't just kids, either.  Maybe you have a spouse or a friend who struggles with mental illness.  When they are falling apart, you feel you need to be strong to help hold them together.  Is this you?  Do you feel like if you fall apart, everything will fall apart? I get it, I understand how that feels.  This is why I love this verse.  We may have to be strong with others and for others, and yet we don't have to be strong for God or when we are with God. When we are with God, we can let it all go.  We can be weak. We can cry, we can yell, we can fall apart.  The beauty of it all is that when we are weak with God, He actually makes us stronger.  I just thought of an analogy, and I don't know if it's an exact fit, but it came to my mind, so I am trusting the Holy Spirit wants me to share it with you. The analogy I just thought of was something my son mentioned the other day.  He was talking about how when we work out, our muscles are broken down, and then when they heal, they are stronger.  This is what came to mind when thinking of being stronger when we are weak with the Lord.  God said His power is made perfect in our weakness.  When we are weak with God, we are strong. Why is this? One reason for this is that when we allow ourselves to be weak, we make more room for the Lord.  We finally admit that we can't do it all ourselves and that we need help.  We turn to Him, and we ask him to help us.  Actually, at this point, we usually beg Him to help us.  When we finally decide to be weak, it's because we have done all that we could do and it didn't work.  When we are finally ready to admit we need God, we are so desperate, and we would do anything for our prayers to be answered.  This is when God can help us the most.  This is when we are the most ready for His help. God is just waiting for us to realize that we need His help. He is such a good Father that He waits for us to ask for help.  He does not try to force himself on us.  He is patient too!  He will sit by patiently watching us make the same mistakes over and over again until we finally realize that we don't have to do it by ourselves. I imagine it must be frustrating for Him to sit there and watch us make the same mistakes time and time again.   I heard this story at Christmas Eve Mass once, and I have never forgotten it. It just popped into my head when I was thinking about how patiently God waits for us. It's called The Man and the Birds, a Christmas story made popular by Paul Harvey.  (CLICK HERE to read the whole story) The story is about a kind man who didn't believe that God would become human. One snowy Christmas Eve, while his family was at church, he noticed birds repeatedly flying into his window because they were desperately trying to escape the storm. Wanting to help them, he opened his barn, turned on the lights, and even scattered breadcrumbs to lead them inside. No matter what he did, the birds were terrified of him and wouldn't follow him to the safety of the warm barn. Finally, he realized that if he could somehow become a bird, they would trust him. Then he could tell them not to be afraid and show them the way to safety. At that very moment, the church bells began ringing, and he suddenly understood why Jesus came to earth. God became one of us so we could know Him, trust Him, and follow Him. I just love that story. To me, it shows how much compassion God has for us. He isn't watching us from Heaven, judging us or wondering why we don't get it. He sees us struggling, just like the man saw those frightened birds struggling in the snow. God knows our lives would be easier if we trusted Him and listened to Him. He isn't angry with us; He is patiently waiting for us to stop trying to do everything on our own and let Him help us. When we finally come to Him in our weakness, I imagine Him smiling and saying, "Finally, my child. How can I help you?" I just love that story.  In the story, the man finally understood why God sent His only Son to save us. To me, it also shows how frustrating it must be for God to watch us live our lives.  This man wasn't angry at the birds; he was full of compassion and just wanted to help them.  I believe this is how God looks at us, too.  I think he watches us live our lives, and He knows things would be easier if we listened to Him.  He knows we wouldn't be suffering as much if we lived in this world but were not of this world.  He is not up there judging us and thinking we are stupid and wondering why we just don't get it.  I think he looks at us with compassion and is just waiting for us to stop trying to do it ourselves and finally turn to Him.  When we do, he is ready to jump in and help us.  I think when we are weak, when we finally give in and ask for help, God smiles and says, “Finally, my child, how can I help you!” You may feel you have to be strong with others, but you do not have to be strong with God.  Let him shoulder your problems.  Hand Him your worry, your cares, and your deepest desires, and let him carry them for you.  In your weakness, His power is made perfect. Wouldn't it be great to have more of God's power in your life?  I know I could definitely use more. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we want to be weak with you; show us how.  We want your power to be made perfect in us.  We love you, Lord, and we know your grace is sufficient for us.  We know this, and we also forget it when times get tough. Please remind us, Lord.  Remind us that we don't have to always be strong.  Remind us that your power is made perfect in weakness.  Remind us that we can be ourselves with you.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  Being a parent is hard, and raising kids who struggle with mental illness, and let's be honest, there aren't many that don't struggle with something these days, is even harder.  If you have a child struggling, please know you are not alone.  You are doing a great job.  You are a good parent, even when it feels like you are failing.  The unkind things they say when they are struggling are not true.  They love you, even if they can't show it at the moment.  I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Do Not Despise Small Beginnings Zachariah 4:10 “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand.” I heard this verse in a sermon I was listening to on the Elevation Podcast.  The sermon was given by Jabin Chavez.  This verse was a small part of his sermon and yet when he said it something inside me said that someone listening to this episode needs this verse right now.  Someone needed to hear that is it ok that things aren't going as fast as you wanted or happening as big as you wanted.  Someone needed to hear that we don't have to be discouraged with our small beginnings.  I know this verse is for me, and yet I felt as though I was not the only one who needed to hear it.  This verse is telling us not to despise small beginnings as this is often how our prayers are answered.  Are you looking around and thinking this does not look like you thought it would?  You thought you would be further along at this point in your life.  You thought you business would be more successful.  You thought you would be married, or you thought you would have kids.  You thought it would look different. The “it” is different for each one of us and yet many of us share this common disappointment.  Why is this?  Why do we wish we were further along instead of enjoying the ride to get to where we are going?  I think we want to be further along because that is what the world seems to care about and we often get caught up in the world instead of what God wants.  The world tells us that we are defined by what we have.  We strive to have the biggest car, the biggest house, the best job, the most stuff.  We think this makes us worthy because that is what society tells us.  This is not what God tells us.  God tells us in Matthew 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”   God does not look at our lives the way society does.  He is not looking to see who has the most stuff, the biggest house, or the best job.  God is looking to see, “Did you help out those in need?” “Did you love your neighbor as yourself?” “Did you follow His ways and put Him first?” These are the things God is judging.   Even when we know this, even when we know the things God is calling us to, we can still feel discouraged because, “we haven't helped enough people yet,” or “we haven't loved well enough yet.”  Whether it is in our regular life, or our spiritual life, we can often tend to be discouraged with our progress.  How many of us have said, "I should be praying more,” “I should trust more,” or “I should rely on God more?” We all have times when we aren't happy with our progress and this verse is the perfect verse to remember when we start to have these thoughts.   Many of us can get the idea in our heads that God is up there, sitting on His thrown, looking down on us and judging us because He is not pleased with our progress.  We picture Him just shaking His head and saying, “Really, again?” or “I can't believe they haven't learned that yet.”  I think this verse is telling us that we are wrong.  God isn't up there judging our progress and being disappointed.  He is up there watching and smiling at every small step in the right direction that we take.  He is reassuring us not to worry if are beginnings are small because at least we are beginning.   Pastor Chavez was saying that often times the answers to our prayers come in seed form.  We want God to just give us the answer with all the details all worked our perfectly and yet that is not often how it works.  It does happen like that sometimes and we Praise God every time it does. Often we will pray about something and God will give us an idea and then we need to take that idea and cultivate it.  This takes time.  It takes time and lots of listening to God to figure our what He is calling us to do with our lives.  However, even when we know what our calling is, it is often revealed in stages.  I am not sure anyone gets handed a roadmap for their whole life's mission all at one time.  We often feel called to one thing, which then leads to another thing, which leads to another thing and so on.  I am sure this is intentional because we get the skills to do the next level of things while we are learning to do the first level.  I can imagine it is also intentional because if we knew where our 40 years of hard work was going to lead us, we might not say yes to that first step.   If I knew that saying yes to attending a retreat when I was in college would lead me to having a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit, which would lead me to help start a whole revivial of the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church, would I still go to that retreat, or would I be overwhelmed with that much responsibility.  Honestly I don't know. I am grateful for those who attended the retreat that is now known as the Duquesne Weekend and has marked the beginning of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.  I am sure their lives changed immensely on that weekend and they helped lead the Charismatic Renewal one step at a time.  I can imagine they wanted it to spread quicker because once you know the power of the Holy Spirit you want everyone else to have that experience too.  However, they went at the pace God took them and I am sure God was happy with their small beginnings.  I will actually put a link for a description of the Duquesne Weekend in the show notes as it was an incredible experience for all involved and is really interesting to read about. (Click Here for article) You might be looking at your life and thinking you are not where you wanted to be or where you thought you would be and yet God is looking at your life and saying, “You are right where I want you to be.”  Most of the time we have no idea of the amazing things God has planned for our lives.  It's when we do have some idea that we get impatient and we want those amazing things now.  God's timing is perfect.  If we want something now and God has not given it to us yet, there is a reason.  Most likely, we are not ready for it yet.  God knows our hearts.  He knows what we will do with what we are given.  God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  We do not understand a lot of the things God does.  We often can't understand His timing.  This is because we are looking at a very tiny piece of the puzzle and God gets to see the whole picture.   I think what God is telling us with this verse is “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” He doesn't want us to despise the small beginnings because He gave us those small beginnings.  Also, we shouldn't judge our ending on the small beginnings because we don't know what these small beginnings will grow into.  One saying the pastor said in his sermon that I really liked was that you can cut open an apple and count the number of seeds in it.  However, you have no idea how many apples are in one seed.  Only God can make your endeavors fruitful.  We won't know how much fruit will come from each seed, each idea you have, until it is fully grown.  Keep nurturing your ideas, keep working at them,  don't get discouraged if you aren't where you thought you would be, God will get you there in His perfect timing. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who listen to this episode today.  Lord, help us to be content, happy, even joyous over our small beginnings, knowing your timing is perfect.  Help us to be patient as we wait for the amazing things you have called us to come to fruition.  Help us to see clearly what you are calling us to and how we get there.  We love you, Lord, we want what you want.  We want our wills to be aligned with your will. Please help us.  We are so grateful for all the desire you placed in our hearts.  Please help us cultivate those desires and be patient while we wait for your perfect timing.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus!  I am so glad to be back with all of you this week.  II just want to remind you that you can pick up an autographed copy of my book on my website.  You can also sign up for my newsletter there.  walkbodlywithjesus.com I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I!  Have a blessed day. www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Witness Wednesday #122 More PopWe Stories (Anxiety/Depression) Today's witnesses are from Matthew West's website called popwe.org. If you don't know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose three testimonies from the Anxiety/Depression Category. I know so many people who are struggling with anxiety and depression right now. Suicide seems like it is increasing as well. Often, we can hear our own story in someone else's story. When we listen to others tell their story, it helps us see that we are not alone. When we hear how God worked in their situation, it gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray when you hear these testimonies, you get the faith and hope to believe that miracles can happen in your situation also. I pray you know that God is there with you, and if you invite Him into your anxiety and depression, He can help. Jenna: I grew up in a Christian family. We went to church every Sunday and Wednesday and were a part of almost everything; Awana, Elevate teen group, and even school there. Two and a half years ago, I lost someone who I was close to because she felt the need to commit suicide. I was heartbroken and I felt like I lost everything. 2022 was a challenging year for me. I had daily panic attacks and felt like I was worthless. My eating habits went down significantly, and I was stressed all the time. As exams neared, I was super stressed and ended up passing out. Months passed and I still felt worthless. I planned to commit suicide when I got a text from a friend, and it was like a text from God. She said she heard I was going to camp and hoped to see me there. I thought if I waited til after camp, and then committed suicide it would be okay. So I went to camp and it changed my life. I met so many new people and was able to share my hurt with my church and they told me that I was not alone. Camp was my blue couch moment as I sat there in service Thursday night, I realized that I needed God in my life more than ever. I had already been saved, but I realized I hadn't been living like Christ wanted me to. Around late February early March, my friend introduced me to someone…we immediately hit it off and became great friends. A month or two later, it was revealed that he liked me. We started dating in June and have been together ever since. I tell you that little story because sometimes when you need it most, God has someone in mind who will help you grow in faith and support you through it all. They can also help you overcome the hardships in your life. I still deal with anxiety and eating habits, but they have gotten so much better since camp and I am so thankful for all that my church has done for me. Also, I have my three closest friends with me right by my side and the Lord has blessed me with an amazing boyfriend who I love and who has helped me through a lot. GOD'S NOT DONE WITH YOU OR YOUR STORY! HE STILL CARES A LOT AND WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE – TURN TO GOD TO FIND THAT PURPOSE AND YOU WILL BE FOUND. Brianna: From the age of 10, I was stuck with the label “child prodigy,” winning piano competitions, featured in local newspapers, and recognized as a passionate, fiery recitalist. Yet, even as a youth, I was severely depressed. I was insecure, seeking affection, and perpetually in pursuit of attaining “good enough.” Right before my 16th birthday, my world suddenly turned upside down. In an unexpected turn of events, I faced a close encounter with death, had my innocence taken, and watched helplessly as my mother's health began to rapidly fail. Too ashamed to ask for help and blaming myself for the situation, I despairingly turned to self-harm, eating disorders, and eventually, planned my own suicide. One day, I heard the song ‘Broken Pieces', and I found something onto which I could cling to – Truth, even when I could not feel it and it failed to make sense. Through involvement with an organization called Csehy Summer School of Music, I came to personally know Christ. For the first time in my life, I experienced peace, hope, and true joy. Dedicating my life to God, I went back home with a different perspective. My life was still intense – balancing high school and conservatory studies, living between home and the hospital, while being a full-time caretaker for my undiagnosed mother. By the grace of God, I managed to graduate as Salutatorian and get accepted into music school. However, shortly before college began, my mother passed away. I started my B.A. in piano at Charleston Southern University, using every spare moment to pour my heart out into the keys as a wordless prayer. Yet, a lingering pain in my right hand soon became constant. A few months after my mother's funeral, I was diagnosed with severe damage in my right hand, incited by the physical strains from being a caretaker. The only option left was surgery, followed by excruciating therapy, without guarantee of returning to the keys. My doctor strongly advised me to quit and choose a different career path. But I fought back. Over the next several years, I fought through recovery – from both surgical and emotional scars. I realized that though I had given my life to Christ, I hadn't fully “surrendered” it. In those precious years of undergrad, I experienced the freedom found in surrendering to the grace of God, the beauty of vulnerability, and the power of learning to fly again. Then, nearly four years to the day the doctor said it was over, I found myself sitting onstage, performing at Carnegie Hall. When I turned to the audience to see a standing ovation, I burst into tears, because I remembered the words, “With You I can attack a barrier, and with my God I can leap over a wall.”-Psalm 18:29 Today, despite the formalities infused in classical music, I get to use the concert stage as a platform to share my story and encourage others to seek help and experience the peace of God. I perform and travel internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, frequently being sought after to premiere avant-garde piano works, and I am actively involved in youth and collegiate ministry. Although healing is an ongoing process, by the hand of God's work in my life, the label of “Victim” has been replaced with “Victorious,” “Hopeless” has been covered by “Confidence,” and what was “Impossible” is now a living, breathing, walking “Miracle.” Bubby: Hey, I just wanted to thank Matthew for his book, “Hello My Name Is” and for all he does for us! I've met him a handful of times and he is such an awesome child of God. On page 58, I believe, he talks about the story of the 11-year-old who asked for the hug and shared about his anxiety. It took me back to my childhood. I didn't come to faith until I was 14. A man!! (Lol. I thought…) But I can remember being 5-10 and suffering through anxiety and panic issues every night and throughout the day. I won't go into it, but it was messed up. Family life was messed up. When I read how this little boy thinking of God holding him when listening to Matt's song, it brought tears to my eyes. I'm 58 and still have memories of my childhood that can hurt if I dwell in them, but I very seldom do…only when things like reading or seeing or hearing someone else's experiences. I looked back at how God was there for me all along even though I was not His child yet. His love is so totally encompassing!! It fills every void in my soul. At 12 I was prescribed some medicine that helped, but it was addictive, and when my mom took me off them abruptly, I turned to drinking and drugging heavier then I had already started a year or so earlier. It was a long road I went through, but thank God, I will have 19 years of sobriety this month. My name is “Saved,” in so many ways. Thank you all for sharing your stories with the world. It can be hard to be vulnerable and talk about the hard things we have gone through.Yet when you are brave and do it even when its hard then we help others who are suffering know that it is ok for them to talk about it too! I am so grateful God saved each of you and thank you again for sharing your story! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

God, How Can I Help You Today? Ezekiel 37:7 “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.” I like this verse for many reasons. First, I love that it shows Ezekiel's obedience to God. God wasn't asking him to do something easy. He was asking him to prophesy over dry bones and make them live again. Let me read the whole section: Ezekiel 37:1-6 says, “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and lo, they were very dry. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, ‘O Lord God, thou knowest.' Again he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.'” Take a minute and put yourself in Ezekiel's shoes. God asks you to speak to a valley full of dry bones and tell them to come back to life. I wonder what Ezekiel was thinking. Did he know it would work? Did he have a moment of doubt? What must it have felt like when he obeyed and suddenly heard the rattling of bones coming together all around him? It must have been incredible. Another reason I love this passage is because it shows that God likes to use us to do His work. God could have raised those bones Himself, but He chose to involve Ezekiel. Did you know God wants to use you too? I know many of you immediately counted yourselves out when I said that. Maybe you think you're too old, too young, too shy, too busy, or not holy enough. Maybe you think you're not bold enough or not qualified enough. Those are lies from the enemy. God calls us exactly where we are. He may not be calling all of us to raise the dead or travel the world preaching the Gospel, but He does have a role for each one of us in His plan. What if we started asking God every morning: “God, what can I do for you today?” How do you think your life would change if you started each day that way? God usually doesn't begin by asking us to do huge things. He often starts with small acts of obedience. As we become faithful in the small things, He entrusts us with more. Sometimes we're afraid to ask God what He wants because we're worried He'll ask us to do something uncomfortable. The truth is, He probably will ask us to step outside our comfort zone from time to time. That's how we grow. But God also knows us better than we know ourselves. He isn't trying to set us up for failure. He loves us. And if we miss it sometimes, that's okay. We can try again next time. In our prayer group, we spend time in silence listening to the Lord. Over the years we've noticed that if someone feels prompted to share a word but is too nervous to do it, God often gives that same word to someone else. I find that comforting. It takes some of the pressure off. However, I don't think we should use that as an excuse not to step out when we feel God calling us. I was reminded of a story this weekend that illustrates this perfectly. A girl was at church camp when a pastor shared a story about his daughter. One day she felt God telling her to do a handstand next to the soda machine at a gas station. She didn't want to do it. It seemed ridiculous. But the feeling wouldn't go away. Finally, she drove to the gas station. She walked in, saw only one employee behind the counter, awkwardly waved, walked over to the soda machine, and did a handstand. As she was leaving, the employee stopped her and asked, “Why did you do that?” She replied, “I felt like God told me to do a handstand by the soda machine.” The man stared at her for a moment, pulled a gun from beneath the counter, and placed it on top. He said, “Today after work I was planning to kill myself. I prayed and asked God that if He was real, He should send a girl to do a handstand by the soda machine.” Every time I hear that story, I get emotional. She had no idea why God was asking her to do something so strange. She only knew He was asking. Sometimes God calls us to do things and we never find out why. Other times He lets us see the impact. I don't know why God doesn't always tell us the reason ahead of time. Maybe part of it is building our trust and faith. What I do know is that God wants to use you. He wants to speak to you. He wants you to be part of His plan. What if, after listening to this episode, you took a minute and asked Him: “God, how can I help You today?” Don't worry if you don't hear perfectly. None of us do. Don't worry if you don't always have the courage to do everything He asks. God doesn't stop loving you. He simply invites you to try again. Being part of God's plan isn't a burden. It's an honor. And it is an invitation He freely offers to each of us. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we love you so much, and we can't believe you invite us into your plan. Help us to say yes. Give us courage, boldness, and trust. Help us make time each day to listen for your voice. Help us ask how we can help you and then give us the grace to respond. We are so grateful for your love. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.   If you've been feeling distant from God lately, but you're not sure why, I created a free quiz called "What's Quietly Blocking Your Connection With God?" In just a few minutes, you'll discover one of four common obstacles that may be affecting your relationship with God. At the end, you'll receive a personalized result, a short podcast episode, and a mentoring replay chosen specifically for your result. CLICK HERE for the quiz. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in November 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I know your interior struggles. I know every single thought that the devil feeds you in order to make you curse yourself and burn yourself. I love you, my precious ones. Stay strong. Keep trying. Keep moving forward. I will let nothing hold you from me or your purpose. I kiss each of you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Are You Listening to God? Zechariah 7:8-14 “And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty said: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.'” This is more verses than I usually cover in one day, but I wanted to include the whole passage because the context is important. What stood out to me most was the beginning: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” There are two reasons this struck me. The first is because of a retirement ceremony I attended for my husband Tony's boss. Several people spoke about him, and one phrase came up repeatedly: “Sometimes you just need to give a little grace.” That phrase has stayed with Tony for years. I think we need more of that today. We are often quick to become offended, angry, or frustrated. Someone cuts us off in traffic, speaks sharply to us, or has a bad day, and we let it affect us for hours. I'm not saying bad behavior is okay. I'm saying that we all have bad moments. We all need grace sometimes. Think about the last time you got upset. If you had stopped and given that person a little grace, would it have changed the situation? The second reason this passage stood out to me is because of what God specifically tells us: “Show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” This is not a political statement. It is a biblical one. No matter where we stand politically, we should ask ourselves: Am I being compassionate? Am I showing mercy? Am I treating others the way God asks me to treat them? God does not tell us to show compassion only to people who think like us, vote like us, look like us, or agree with us. He tells us to show compassion to those who need it. One phrase that stands out to me is “the foreigner.” We don't know people's stories. We don't know what they have escaped, what they have endured, or what burdens they carry. It can be frustrating when communication is difficult, but imagine living every day struggling to understand and be understood. God calls us to compassion. The passage then continues: “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen.” That part convicted me. Are we listening to God? Or are we allowing social media, news, culture, and our own opinions to shape us more than Scripture? God's Word has not changed. Yet sometimes we harden our hearts little by little until we stop hearing what He is saying. I think many of us struggle to make time for God and then wonder why we feel distant from Him. The people in this passage refused to listen to the Lord. As a result, the passage says: “When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen.” That verse stopped me in my tracks. Does this mean God sometimes ignores our prayers? I wanted to be careful before answering that question, so I did some research. The answer I found was essentially this: Persistent, willful rejection of God's voice creates a barrier in our relationship with Him. Not because God stops loving us, but because we are turning away from Him. The barrier is built by us, not by Him. This passage is not meant to create fear. It is meant to invite conversion. God is constantly calling us back to Himself. The Catechism teaches that authentic prayer flows from a converted heart. The saints repeatedly taught that how we live affects how we pray and whether our prayers bear fruit. This does not mean that every time we sin, God stops listening to us. If that were true, none of us would have hope. I believe this passage is talking about a persistent hardening of the heart—a repeated refusal to listen to God and live according to His ways. That should cause all of us to pause and ask: How am I treating the widow? How am I treating the fatherless? How am I treating the foreigner? How am I treating the poor? Am I listening when God calls me to show compassion? I want to leave you with one final question: In what area of your life might God be calling you to listen—and are you giving Him the silence He needs to speak? Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode today. Lord, help us recognize anything that may be creating a barrier between us and you. Help us show compassion to the widow, the fatherless, the foreigner, and the poor. Help us give people a little grace. Help us listen when you speak. Soften our hearts and make them more like yours. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you've been feeling distant from God lately, but you're not sure why, I created a free quiz called "What's Quietly Blocking Your Connection With God?" In just a few minutes, you'll discover one of four common obstacles that may be affecting your relationship with God. CLICK HERE. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in November 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Look at them, I say to you, my father. See them, father? They try hard, Father. They see them all through their obstacles. They put their own needs on the shelf to be there for others. I am so proud.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

God Can Give You a New Heart Ezekiel 36:26-28 “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.  You shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” When I read this verse, I was instantly in love.  I think there is so much in this short verse.  “A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”  The Lord will give us a new heart and a new spirit.  That is amazing to me.  Do you understand how amazing that is?  This is saying that nothing is too much for the Lord.  Sometimes we think that our past is too much, and so when the Lord is talking about loving us, He is talking about loving others, but not us.  When He is asking us to love Him, He is talking to other people.  He knows that I could never love Him because I could never love anyone. I wonder if we all know and realize that God knows all we have been through?  God knows about your childhood.  God knows about the parent or spouse who abused you.  He still loves you!  He knows about the sins of our past.  He still loves us!  He knows about the terrible way we treated others over the years, but he still loves us.  He knows about that thing that you did that one time that you think no one knows about.  He knows, and He still loves you.  He knows about drinking and drugs.  He still loves you!  He knows about that unforgivable thing that you did that you would do anything to take back, but you can't.  He still loves you!  I know I may sound like a broken record because I give you this message often.  It is because it is the foundation of everything.  If you know that God loves you just as you are, sins and all, then you can love God.  If you can't accept that God loves you, then I am not sure if you can love God. I have heard it said before that we can only love God as much as we love ourselves.   I don't know if this is true or not.  Honestly, I hope it is not because I know a lot of people who don't love themselves very much, and it makes me sad to think that they might not be able to love the Lord.  Also, it makes us wonder if they can feel the Lord's love.  If we do not think that we are worthy of love, then how can we believe that the Lord loves us?  This is why I love this verse!  The Lord can give us a new heart. Maybe our hearts have been broken too many times.  Maybe our hearts have too much baggage, and we just can't seem to let go of it.  Maybe our hearts are full of unforgiveness.  We may have been hurt so much in the past that we don't want to forgive.  We can't see a way to forgive the horrible things that have happened.  We don't have to; the Lord can give us a new heart.  It says right in the verse that He will take out the heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh.  Do you feel like He is talking to you?  Do you feel like you have been hurt one too many times, and it is too difficult for you to love anyone?  Have you asked the Lord for help?  Have you asked Him for a new spirit or a new heart?  Maybe this had never occurred to you.  I know I never knew this verse before.  But now that I do, I know that all we need to do is turn to the Lord, and he will give us a new heart and a new spirit.  How amazing is that? The next part of the verse is one that I need to remind myself of often.  “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.”  The Lord will put his spirit in us and cause us to walk in His statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances.  I am constantly thinking that I have to do this all on my own.  I turn to God, and I ask Him for help.  We talk often.  And yet, when it comes down to it, I try to be perfect for Him.  I am hard on myself if I am not doing what I think He wants me to do.  I wonder whether I am praying the right way, should I be fasting, should I be doing more?  I wonder if the Lord is pleased with what I am doing, and I wonder if He thinks I am not doing enough.  I know that He loves me and that He doesn't need anything from me.  Then I act like I need to do everything on my own.   I like this part of the verse because God is telling us that He will put His Spirit within me and He will cause me to walk in His statutes.  I don't have to do it all on my own.  God is not saying that He will help me.  He is saying He will do it for me.  Why don't I rest in the promise?  Why do I strive to be perfect when I know the Lord doesn't need my perfection?  All He needs is my yes.  All He wants is for us to be a willing vessel and then for us to let Him do His work.  I worry that I don't have enough faith.  Then the Holy Spirit tells me that faith is a gift from the Lord.  If I want more, all I have to do is ask.  I worry that I won't walk in His footsteps, and yet this verse is saying He will give His Spirit so that I will.  I worry that my prayers are not fruitful, and the Holy Spirit tells me that He alone can make them fruitful.  All God needs from us is our YES!  Yes, I am willing.  Yes, I am your vessel, fill me up.  Yes, I want my will to be your will.  Yes, I believe, help my unbelief.  All we need to do is give God permission, and He will take care of the rest.  Can you do that? The last line of the verse says, “You shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”  We shall be His people, and He will be our God! I want to leave you with the words of God from our Prayer Group March 2021 because they go so well with this verse and because they are so powerful. “Listen to your heartbeat. I want to be fully one with you.  Draw closer. The Father and I are one, and you are one with me, so you are one with the Father as well. I will pour down my grace upon your heart, your will, your very soul. You will look like me. Trust in me.  Follow me. Take time to listen to me, to know my will. Fear nothing. Have confidence in me. I am your Lord and God. I died for you to grow ever closer to me.” Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to the podcast today.  I ask that you put a new heart in us and a new spirit.  Lord, take our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh.  Lord, the world can be cruel, and we need a new heart and spirit.  Lord, help all those who don't believe they are worthy of your love.  Help them to feel your love and to love you right back.  Lord, help us to walk in your ways.  We say yes to your spirit, causing us to dwell in your ways, and we thank you for being so gracious.  Walking in your ways is not always easy, and we appreciate all the help we can get.  Lord, we are grateful that we are yours and you are ours.  We love you so much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on the journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  If you've been feeling distant from God lately but aren't sure why, I created a free quiz called "What's Quietly Blocking Your Connection With God?" In just a few minutes, you'll discover one of four common obstacles that may be affecting your relationship with God. At the end, you'll receive a personalized result, a short podcast episode, and a mentoring replay chosen specifically for your result. CLICK HERE for the quiz. I look forward to spending time with you on Monday.  Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend! Today's Word from the Lord was received in November 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Each of you is more precious to me than anything else I have created. And I love my creations in all their forms. But each of you are my crowning glory.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

The Holy Spirit Is Speaking to You John 16:13-15 "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” This verse talks about the Holy Spirit, the gift the Lord sent us when Jesus went to heaven. It tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and that He will guide us into all truth. This is important because it reminds us that we can trust what we hear from the Holy Spirit. He is not speaking on His own; He is sharing what He hears from the Father. The verse also says He will declare to us the things that are to come. This doesn't mean we will know everything that happens in our future. It means the Holy Spirit can prepare us for what is coming if we make time to listen to Him. We need to pay attention to what He says and not just hear it and let it go. Our prayer group sets aside time each week to listen quietly for the words of the Holy Spirit. We record these words and later discern what we believe the Lord is saying to our community. We then create a bookmark so everyone can remember the words and apply them to their lives. This is our most recent bookmark: “My call to each one of you is very personal. It is not a message for everyone. It is intimate, personal, all-loving, and all-consuming. From the beginning, I spoke, and my Word created new life. I speak again today through my holy Word to each of your hearts. I create new life. I renew, replenish, and fill you with grace and mercy that I wish you to share with others. I watch over you, my children. I break the sword of the enemy who would come against you. I will defend you in battle. I have sent you the power of the Spirit, and he will give you all that you need to do what you have been called to do. You are the anointing I send to the world. Be not afraid. I am with you. My Spirit will speak through you the words that I wish to say. When I say you can, don't tell me you can't. Smile that I sent you today.” These words were spoken over the course of a month. We receive many words each week, so the discernment team helps identify the key themes the Lord wants us to remember. There are four categories we look for: call, proclamation, promise, and directive. First, we look for the call. What is the Holy Spirit calling us to do? God has a plan for each of us, and the Holy Spirit often reveals that plan little by little. Are you taking time to listen to what God may be calling you to do? Next is proclamation. These are often "I am" statements where God tells us who He is and what He is doing. In the bookmark above, the Lord reminds us that He creates new life, renews us, replenishes us, and fills us with grace and mercy to share with others. The third category is promise. God still reminds us of His promises today. In this bookmark, He promises to watch over us, defend us in battle, break the sword of the enemy, and give us everything we need to fulfill our calling. We are not on our own. The Holy Spirit is with us. The final category is directive. What is God asking us to do? In the bookmark above, the Lord tells us not to be afraid. He reminds us that His Spirit will speak through us and give us the words we need. He also says something that really convicts me: “When I say you can, don't tell me you can't.” Isn't that exactly what we do sometimes? I know I do. When I feel the Lord calling me to do something outside my comfort zone, my first response is often, "I can't." Yet God created me. He knows me better than I know myself. Who am I to tell Him what I can and cannot do? Instead, I should be saying, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The reason I wanted to share our discernment process today is because I hope it helps you recognize when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. Now that you know some of the ways He communicates, maybe you will start recognizing His voice more often. Hearing the voice of the Lord is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Like any relationship, it grows when we spend time together. When we make time to listen, God speaks. I encourage you to write down what you hear from the Lord. I often look back through my prayer journals and am amazed at what God has said. Every time I do, I wonder why I don't do it more often. I hope this episode encourages you to pay a little more attention to the Holy Spirit's voice and the different ways He may be speaking to you. He is speaking, and His words come straight from the heart of the Father. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we pray that we can all hear your voice. We pray that it brings fruit into our lives. Help us not only hear what you are saying but remember it and put it into action. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you've been feeling distant from God lately, but you're not sure why, I created a free quiz called "What's Quietly Blocking Your Connection With God?" In just a few minutes, you'll discover one of four common obstacles that may be affecting your relationship with God. At the end, you'll receive a personalized result, a short podcast episode, and a mentoring replay chosen specifically for your result. CLICK HERE to take the quiz. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day Today's Word from the Lord is, “I planned ahead of your coming into this world. I saw every tear you ever shed. I have a picture of every time you laughed. I have a scrapbook for each of you. Yet, yet, you worry and fret. And though you come to me, you still wonder if I hear or see or know or care. My children, do you care for your children?”  www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

(Click Here) for Encounter School Boston YouTube Page.  We will be posting more testimonies on this YouTube page each week.  We have all seen God working in our lives; however, we might not all be aware that it is God who is working in our lives.  This is why it is so important we start talking about it more.  The more we share our experiences, the more people understand how God works and how much He truly loves us.  If you would be willing to share any experience you have had of how God has worked or is working in your life, please email me at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or just click here.  It won't take up much of your time, and your story could be just the story that someone needs to hear today.  Prayerfully consider sharing.  Everyone has a story, and the world needs to hear them.  I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow, and I will have another witness for you next Wednesday.  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace