Walk Boldly With Jesus

What's Your Story?Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”The Lord is my strength and my shield.  This is something that I am not sure we always realize.  I think most of the time, we know that the Lord is our strength.  Or, at least we know that we can ask Him for strength and He will give it to us.  I think when we think of the Lord, we most often think of Him as our strength vs. our shield.  But, did you know that He is your shield as well.  This is the part of the job that probably goes most unseen and most unrecognized.  If we are weak and God gives us strength, we can usually tell.  We are usually aware that He is helping us.  But, what about the times when He shields us from things that we didn't even know about?  This is when we don't know how to thank Him because we didn't even know that He did anything.  I think about this when I get stuck in traffic or hit a red light when I am running late.  I wonder what God is protecting me from.  I wonder what would have happened if I had left 5 minutes earlier that day.  I'm not saying that every time you get stuck in traffic, God is shielding you from something, but sometimes He might be.  Have you ever had a morning when no matter what you did, you could not leave the house on time?  Have you ever had a series of strange things happen that caused you to switch up your routine?These could be times when God is shielding you from something.  The next time that you have an experience where everything seems to be going wrong and you don't know why, try thanking God for it.  I know that may sound weird, but you will be surprised how much better you feel.  Having a day or even just part of a day when everything is going wrong is very frustrating.  We can get into a really bad mood, dwelling on the fact that nothing is going right for us. Our mood can start to spiral downward quickly.  However, if you view this terrible start to the day as a gift from God, your mood will change.  Instead of thinking that everything is going wrong and the world is conspiring against you, you can thank God for protecting you from something worse happening.You probably will never know whether God was protecting you from something or not.  However, the mindset change will be great. Most of the time, our mindset is based on our view of things.  There is a saying that we view things not as they are, but as we are.  This means that we view everything through our own lens.  This lens is made up of our past experiences.  Everything that you have been through up until this point is what makes up how you view the world.  Two people with different experiences in life can go through the same experience and yet view it very differently.  My husband and I often encounter that.  We have different views on life and different experiences.  We can both be experiencing something at the same time, and yet we feel very differently towards it.  For instance, we can both be in the same car, stuck in traffic.  He can be angry and frustrated, and I can be happy and grateful, same situation, different mindset.  Also, we can both be sitting at the same football game, and he can be happy and cheerful, and I can be bored and frustrated.  What we are feeling in any given situation is based on the thoughts that we are telling ourselves about that situation. I am not sure what you think of all of this.  Maybe it makes sense to you, and maybe it doesn't.  I know when I learned about it, I was slow to believe it.  However, the more I read about it, the more it made sense.  Also, the more I read, the more I paid attention to my feelings and my thoughts.  I played around with my thoughts and observed whether they affected my feelings or not.  How about you give it a try and see what you think.  Think about a circumstance where you recently got upset.  Think about why you were upset.  What were the thoughts in your head when you were upset?  Can you remember the story you were telling yourself?  Let's use the example of traffic for me to try to explain what I would like you to do.  I would think about the last time I was upset.  It would be when I was stuck in traffic.  I was upset because I was going to be late for work.  The thoughts in my head were: I should have left earlier.  I shouldn't have taken that extra-long shower.  My boss is going to be so mad at me.  How stupid I am for leaving late for work.  I might get fired for being late.  I think you can get the gist of my thoughts.  The story I was telling myself was that I was wrong for taking a long shower, and now I was going to lose my job.  Can you tell how this story was driving my feelings?  Can you see how these thoughts would inevitably lead to upset feelings?Now, what about if I changed my thoughts?  What if, when I saw traffic, I told myself a different story?  What if I told myself that this was the perfect time to get caught up on that podcast I loved?  What if I told myself that the traffic was a small price to pay for the happiness that a longer shower brought me?  What if I reminded myself that I am always on time to work and that being late one day is not the end of the world?  I could change my story to one where I give myself grace for being late and enjoying a longer shower.  Do you think this story and these thoughts would make me feel differently towards the traffic? What about your situation that made you upset recently?  Can you change those thoughts and that story to feel better about it?  The thing about the stories we tell ourselves is that we make them up, and we have control over them.  Most of the time, these stories are not something we are consciously thinking about.  Our stories tend to default to whatever we are used to thinking or what our past experiences have taught us about a certain circumstance.  However, when you become aware that your stories are controlling your emotions, then you can pay attention and consciously choose to change your stories.  It is not easy, but it is so great when you are able to do this.  One reason knowing this is so powerful is that a lot of times, we can't change our circumstances.  When you are stuck in traffic, you can't change that. Most of the time, you can't do anything about the traffic except wait it out.  Your attitude and emotions while you wait it out can make all the difference in the world.  If you had a choice, would you rather wait in traffic, be upset, or be happy?  Would you rather spend the time thinking about how much you hate traffic or how much you love the song on the radio?   Once you realize that your emotions are a choice, a whole new life opens up to you.  One where you are in charge of your emotions instead of your emotions being in charge of you.  It is an awesome feeling!!I was not intending to talk about this when I started writing this episode.  I thought this episode was going to be about Joy, which I love talking about.  However, it's funny what happens when you let the Holy Spirit take over.  I will address the second half of this verse in tomorrow's episode.  For today, take some time and think about your emotions, the story you are telling yourself, and how you can change that story to one that better serves you.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode today. I ask that you fill us with love today. We ask that you help us to recognize the stories we are telling ourselves that are unhelpful and not serving us. Lord, we ask that you help us replace those stories with better stories. We ask that you help us change our mindset and outlook on life. Help us to see the ways in which you are our strength and our shield. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the million ways that you protect us every single day that we don't even know about. Lord, we know that you are amazing, and we're so very thankful for all that you do for us. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus ' holy name, amen. 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 is from the Encounter Ministries Website. Patrick Reis and Father Mathias Thelen of the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, founded Encounter Ministries (www.encounterministries.us). They say the ministry's purpose is “to unleash the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in the world through teaching, equipping, and activating disciples to demonstrate the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Its work has been endorsed by many bishops in the U.S. and elsewhere. The ministry offers a two-year training program, the Encounter School of Ministry (www.encounterschool.org). I graduated from this program in May of 2024. It was an amazing 2 years of life. The people teaching my class and my classmates were amazing. I learned so much in two years and have been able to put what I learned into practice. That is one of the most amazing things about the Encounter School of Ministry: they teach you something new each week, but then you immediately put it into practice with something they call activations.Encounter Ministries' healing services are like nothing I have ever been to before. They start with praise and worship for a good hour before the service. Then they have a Gospel teaching about healing and give some real-life examples. Next, they have the team come up and give words of knowledge. This means that the team asks the Lord for what He wants to heal that night, and anyone who hears something goes up and shares it. Oftentimes, people are healed just by the word of knowledge. They hear that God wants to heal them, and they are healed. It can be that simple. Next, they do corporate healing. This means that the leader names a part of the body, and anyone suffering from that raises their hand. Those sitting around this person pray over the person. The leader tells them what to say, and the whole audience repeats it. There are so many healings that occur during this section of the healing service, which is amazing because it is just regular, everyday people praying over them. It is not people with special training, it is not people who are super holy and pray all the time. It is just whoever happened to sit next to that person for the service. It is such a good reminder that we are not the ones doing the healing; the Lord is. It is also a good reminder that God can use anyone.The healing services usually end with individual prayer for those who were not healed earlier in the service. These healing services are so powerful, and they even host them on Zoom sometimes. The witness for today, Gabriella, is from their website. Gabby suffered from Lupus, Endometriosis, and Ulcerative Colitis. She happened to be attending an Encounter Conference online when she heard Father call out the words of knowledge for her particular body parts that she was struggling with, and she knew she would be cured. Here is her story. I will put a link to the original testimony in the show notes. Click Here to watch the orignial video of Gabby's testimony.  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 Rejoices When You Repent!Luke 15:7 “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”The topic for tonight's mentoring session is God's joy over repentance. This verse is an excellent example of how much God loves us and how happy He is when we repent. Many of us think God is just waiting for us to mess up so he can say, “I told you so,” and then punish us. The truth is that God is waiting there for us with open arms, just waiting for us to repent. When we do, He rejoices.The verse says there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. I think it is essential to know this because we tend to put righteous people on a pedestal. We look at people who seem to be doing it all right and think that God likes them more than us. We believe they are highly favored, and we are not. We could never compare to them, so why bother trying to be as good as they are?This verse is telling us that this is not true. It tells us that God rejoices more over us sinners who repent and turn back to Him than He does over the 99 that didn't need to repent. God loves you in the middle of all of your mess. He loves you even when you mess up. He loves you even when you don't feel lovable. He loves you even when you are sure you finally did it this time. You finally did something that is so bad, He will never be able to forgive you. He loves you even then and is just waiting for you to repent so he can forgive you, pick you up in His arms, and give you a big hug. God loves all of his children, even those of us who mess up and sin. Even if we mess up and sin a lot, He still loves us.This is such an important thing for us all to know. Actually, not just know, but to fully embrace. The enemy loves to take up space in our heads. Did you know another name for the devil is the accuser? Revelations 12:10 says, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” Satan is constantly telling God how bad we are and accusing us of all the things he thinks are so terrible that God shouldn't forgive us. Even satan doesn't understand the Lord. He doesn't understand why the Lord would forgive us. It makes no sense to him. And I kinda get it. I mean, we can be pretty awful to the Lord sometimes. We can say and do some pretty mean things, especially when we are mad.I mean, think about how we feel when our kids do unkind things to us. My sister and I were just talking yesterday about how we don't understand how kids can go from being so sweet one minute to saying the most cruel things the next. This can be us with God sometimes. When things aren't going our way, when we are stressed out, when we are frustrated, or when we feel like we are at the bottom of a deep, dark pit, we may lash out at the Lord and say very unkind things. We don't usually mean them, but in that moment, we say them anyway.We can also hurt the Lord when things are going well. We do this by taking credit for all the good in our lives. We do this by thinking we can do things by ourselves and that we don't need God. We only call upon him when we need him and forget about Him when things are going good. I am sure this is also painful to the Lord. I know it is painful to me when my kids only come to me when they need something. He wants to be there celebrating with us in the good times, too. He wants to give us a revelation about how we got to where we are, but we need to go to seek Him. We need to look back at where we were and where we are and see all that God has done to get us where we are today.God is so good and so faithful. He patiently waits for us to see the error of our ways and repent and turn back to Him. And when we do, he rejoices, and so does the rest of heaven!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening today. Lord, we are grateful that you love us and that you forgive us. We are sorry that we offend you so often and are grateful that you never give up on us. We are grateful you keep patiently waiting for us to get it together and repent and turn back to you. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!Today's Word from the Lord was received in November / December 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, “I am here with my joy, my children. Come and have your fill. Let the rhythm of my joy spread to one and all. Announce to the world that the Lord has come.” 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

There is Light, Even In The Darkness!Isaiah 9:2 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.”This verse was received at my prayer group on Thursday. I thought it would be a good one because several of you have felt like you are in the dark lately. You feel like the waves keep coming, and you can't seem to get your head above water. I know many of you are suffering from illness and are waiting on the Lord to fix them. You have done all you can do, and now it is up to the Lord. You know He is capable of healing you, and so you are trying to hold on to the hope that He will. Yet, each day that goes by without the healing, you find it harder and harder to hold onto that hope.I know some of you listening are struggling financially. You are praying that you will be able to pay your bills at the end of the month. You are worried because someone is coming out to repossess your car any day now. I am sure that is a really scary feeling and one that you don't want to have anymore. I know growing up, my parents struggled financially. I remember my mom calling the water company and the electric company and letting them know that she wanted to pay her bills, but she just didn't have the money. The best she could do was send them $20 now and pay the rest at a later date. I am sure there were times when my mom felt like she was in the dark because they went so long without having any money.Others are not struggling financially or medically, but you have loved ones who are, and that is really tough too. This is where I am at right now. One of my sons is really struggling, and I am working hard to figure out how to help him without enabling him. I am trying to find my boundaries and still be there for him with all that he needs. You may be taking care of a spouse, a child, or a parent. Caring for aging parents can be really tough.  I wish I knew what to say to you to make your situation easier. I wish I knew what to say to heal you or your loved one. I wish I could say some magic words and you would instantly have all the provisions and money you needed for the month.  I do not know what to say. However, I do know what this verse says and what it promises us. The verse for today says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” You may be walking in darkness, but you have a light shining on you. God is shining a light on you. You may feel like it is too dark to see that light, but it is there. God is always right there with you, trying to light your way. We just need to be looking for His light.This light doesn't have to literally be a bright shining light, although for some it might be. I have a friend, Bruce, who has gone blind slowly over the last 10 years. He had a conversation with the Lord back in August. He cried out to God and told Gold that he was so tired of being in the dark all the time. He just couldn't take it anymore. Guess what God did next? He did not heal him of his blindness, but he did provide him with a light in that darkness. It was truly remarkable. If you have some time, you can go back and listen to his testimony on episode #836. You won't be sorry you listened. It is a great witness to how good our God is and shows what can happen if we are brave enough to ask.For some of you, the bright light might be feeling good enough to get out of bed today. It might be getting a chance to sit outside and feel the sun on your face. It might be feeling good enough to eat something or to sit up and watch TV. Your bright light might be different than my bright light. However, the verse says that the people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. So, what does your great light look like? Where can you see light in your darkness? If you don't know what that great light is, that is ok. You are not alone. There are many of us who can only see the dark, especially if we have been in it for a long time.One way to start to see some light is to look for things you can be grateful for each day. It's ok to just start with one thing. If all you see is the bad stuff all around you, then try to take a moment each day to intentionally find something good around you. It doesn't have to be something good about your situation, it could just be that you are grateful for the sun shining, for a good cup of coffee or tea. You could be grateful for a nice text message from a friend or the perfect song coming on the radio when you needed it the most. Gratitude is a great way to start to bring a little light into your situation.The verse also says, “those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.” If you are feeling like you are living in the land of deep darkness, the verse says that a light has shone on you, too. There is light in every situation. God is light, and He never leaves your side. No matter how dark you feel your situation is, God is promising us that there is light in it. It is not pitch black. There is always some light because God is right there with you. Sometimes the light is hard to see, and that is why I suggested the habit of looking for things to be grateful for each day. The more you look, the more you will see. It can be easy to tell ourselves that we have nothing to be grateful for. However, the more we look for things to be grateful for, the more we will see, and then the more light we will see in our situation. There is light in every situation, we just have to look for it and we will find it!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode. Lord, so many of us feel we are in the dark, please help us! Please help those who are in the dark find even just a glimmer of your light, Lord! We know you are in every situation, and yet sometimes it is so hard to see you. Please help us see you in every situation. 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 November / December 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, “Surrender all the worries, anxieties, tests, and demands of this world during this season to Me. The most important thing you can do is surrender to Me, my sacred heart. This is the most important gift to Me, to yourselves, and to others.”  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

Find The Gold In PeopleRomans 2:1-4 “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.  So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”We spent a lot of time in class discussing this topic of judging others and calling out other people's sins last night, and it was such a great conversation.  I wanted to share the idea with all of you as well.  We all know we shouldn't judge others.  Did you know the extent to which you judge others is the extent to which God will judge you?  For me, finding that our, taking a minute to let that sink in, was a game changer for me.  If I expect perfection from others and don't cut anyone any slack, will God do the same?  I don't know if that is precisely how it works, but that was enough for me to double down on my efforts not to judge.  I know I am not perfect.  I know I have many flaws.  I know I need God to be very gracious with me, which means I must be gracious with others.  To me, that seems like a small trade-off.  If I am gracious with others here on earth, how does that hurt me?  It may be inconvenient.  I may have to be nice to those I don't like, and I may have to put up with annoyances.  I may have to watch them make bad choices and not judge them for it.  However, if you compare that to the alternative, it doesn't compare.  If you compare those inconveniences to what might happen if God judged me the way I was judging others, I would suffer a lot more than inconveniences after I leave Earth.  I want to spend eternity with my heavenly father.  Our time in this world is limited when we compare it to eternity.  Romans 8:18 says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”  Is it hard not to judge others? Yes.  It is worth it in the end, absolutely.  When I talk about judging others, most of you are probably thinking about how we judge strangers.  How we judge those we see on the streets, or in the grocery stores, maybe even those at work.  Those we judge when there is really no reason to judge.  We might judge someone's outfit or their decisions, but they don't affect us.  Our judgment does not really affect them.  However, what about when we view our judgment as necessary?  For instance, we all want our children, siblings, or family members to be successful.  We want them to have a good life.  When we worry they are headed down the wrong path, we feel it is our job to correct their course.  We are only trying to help them be more responsible, be healthier, be whatever it is we think they should be.  Sometimes, if our children, our loved ones, or our friends are doing something that we know is a sin, we feel as though it is our duty to tell them.  We feel we are helping them to their salvation if we call out their sin.  We are only trying to help.  I get it, and yet, are we really helping?In class, we took a look at how Jesus dealt with sin in the Bible.  Sometimes, he did call it out, but only if needed and only with love.  For instance, the woman at the well, He let her know that she was living with a man who was not her husband, but he never once made her feel ashamed for it.  He was letting her know that He saw her, He knew her, all of her, and yet still loved her.  The woman caught in adultery, he didn't scold her, he didn't tell her she needed to get her life together, he didn't lecture her on why what she was doing was wrong.  He showed her kindness, He saved her life, and he told her to sin no more.  What about Luke 19:1-10?  Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector who wanted to see Jesus.  Jesus called out to Zacchaeus and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”  The scripture says others around were muttering that the Lord would dare to eat with a sinner.  Jesus never called out all Zacchaaeus' sins.  He called him by his name, showing that He knew him, and then He showed love for Zacchaeus by going to his house for lunch.  Then in Luke 19:8 it says, “But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”  Why did Zacchaeus have a change of heart?  Why did he change his ways?  Why did the woman at the well change her ways?  Both of them had a renewal of the mind through an encounter with the love of Jesus.  Our goal in life, all of us, should be to lead people to encounter the transforming love of God.  I know we worry about our families and friends.  I know we love them, and we just want what is best for them.  I also know that God loves them more than we ever could.  God wants more for them than we could ever imagine.  So, why do we think it is up to us and us alone to set them on the right path?  Why do we think it is our job to call out their sins?  Have you ever met someone or had someone in your life who pointed out all you did that was wrong?  Have you ever been around someone who made you feel like nothing you did was ever good enough?  How did that make you feel?  Did it make you want to work really hard to get that person's respect?  Did it make you want to not even bother to try because there was no way they would be happy?  Did you feel any love from that person?  The reason for the title of this episode is that our teacher kept saying we needed to look for the gold in people.  When you are mining for gold, you don't always find gold.  Sometimes you pull up rocks, mud, sludge, or whatever else, mixed in with the gold.  However, you don't keep that stuff.  You sift through all the junk and you only keep the good stuff.  What if we did that with all we meet?  Yes, we see all the junk, the uncleanliness, the immature decisions, the sinfulness, and much more.  However, what if we were to sift that stuff out and just look for the gold?  Look for that one thing they are doing right, that one thing they have going for them, that one thing we can be proud of.  I think we definitely underestimate the power of our words and, more importantly, the power of positive words.  Fear is gripping this society today.  There is so much fear, worry, and anxiety.  We must fight it.  We must believe that our God is bigger than anything this world has to throw at Him.  We must believe that God has the power to change our loved ones, to change us.  If there is one thing God has told me so many times over the years, it is to be patient with the process.  He continues to tell me, because it takes multiple times, that the change I am looking for is coming, but it is not coming through my nagging.  My nagging only slows God's plan down.  My nagging only closes the hearts and minds of those I want the best for.  God continues to tell me I just need to love the people, and He will do the rest.  Sometimes this is counterintuitive.  I know you don't see how affirming a person when they are making terrible choices can help the situation, but it can.  We need to come alongside our loved ones.  Instead of acting like we have it all figured out, we can sympathize with their situation.  We can let them know we love them right where they are.  They don't need to change for us to love them.  They don't need to be a certain person, so we can love them.  We already love them and we are here to help when they are ready for help.  Every single person in this world, whether they know it or not, is just looking to be loved, respected, and accepted.  We are called to be like Jesus.  We are called to act like Jesus.  We are called to think like Jesus.  We can't do this on our own, but with Jesus, we can do all things!  What if we put our worry aside for a moment and just lead with love?  What if we sifted through all the crap and called out that one thing they were doing right?  What if we just met people where they were and led them to an encounter with God's transforming love?  I promise you, if you lead with love, you will be surprised at the changes you will see.  St. Augustine said, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”  I think this applies to finding the gold in others.  You may have 101 reasons why this won't work, why focusing on the positive won't change anything, why your correcting them is necessary.  I get it, and yet I am asking you to have faith.  Have faith that God can change the situation, change the person, change you.  Have faith that love is what is needed.  You will be surprised how different people act when they know they are loved and they don't have to fight for love.  How about we all commit to trying this for the rest of the month?  Can you spend the next 10 days leading with love?  Can you stop the criticizing, judging, and nagging for the next 10 days and try to find the gold in all those you meet?  Not just find it, but point it out and celebrate it.  God's love is the most powerful tool for change!Dear heavenly Father, please bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, forgive us for judging others; we don't mean to.  Forgive us for nagging our loved ones; we only want the best for them.  Forgive us for making others feel unloved or unwanted; that was not our intent.  Lord, show us how to lead with love.  Jesus did it so perfectly, show us how to imitate Jesus.  We just want our loved ones to be successful and happy, whatever that looks like for them.  If this means we need to change or renew our minds to see them in a different light, then we give you permission to change us, too, Lord.  Mold us and transform us to your likeness and image, Lord.  We love you, Lord, you are truly amazing.  We are grateful you love our loved ones more than we ever could.  We are grateful you are in charge, and we are sorry we keep forgetting that.  You are amazing, Lord.  You are the almighty one, the prince of peace.  We bless you, we adore you, and we glorify you.  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 boldy with Jesus.  I look forward to meeting you here on Monday. I have finalized the details for my retreat this year. Here is the description for this years retreat. In a world that constantly tells us who we should be—based on status, appearance, success, or past mistakes—it's easy to lose sight of who we truly are. This retreat is an invitation to step away from the noise and return to the heart of your Creator.Through Scripture-based teaching, worship, journaling, and authentic community, you'll begin to uncover the truth of your identity—not as the world defines it, but as God declares it. You are not your past. You are not your failures. You are not what others have said about you. You are who God says you are: loved, chosen, redeemed, and called for a purpose.Whether you're seeking healing, clarity, or simply a deeper understanding of your worth in Christ, this retreat is a sacred space to rediscover your God-given identity and walk boldly in it.Come ready to shed the labels the world has placed on you and embrace the truth of who you are in Him. The retreat will be Oct 11- Oct 12th. This year, it will just be one overnight. In the days to come, I will put a link for more information. I pray you will consider joining me for that weekend. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! I pray you have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in November / December 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, “I feel the Lord is saying to us, be ready for the unexpected grace.” 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 Living Up To Your Potential?Jeremiah 29:11  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”The Lord has planned out your life.  Before you were even formed, He had a plan for your life.  Isn't that crazy to think about?  His plans for your life are good plans.  He tells us directly, we don't even have to guess, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.”  If we know that God has plans for us to prosper, then why do we sometimes run away from these plans?  God's plans are to give us hope and a future, so why do we question these plans?  Why is it so hard for us to believe that God has plans for us?I have been doing a lot of personal development, and I am in a Christian mentoring group called Big Life Mentoring.  In all of the personal development books, as well as the mentoring, they talk about how we have a God-given potential.  They talk about how we were all created to live an exceptional life.  God wants nothing but the best for us.  Does this mean that we will never have challenges? Nope.  It does mean that He will be with us in those challenges and He will use those challenges for our good, not for our harm.  I have talked with numerous people over the last several years about my belief that God created us all to live a big life.  It is usually met with some opposition.  I have been told that some people were created for a big, amazing life, and some people were not.  Some people were created to have an “ok” life.  Where they just go about their day, and nothing special happens.  They were not created to do great things.I disagree with this.  I do not think that God created any of us to just go through our days, day in and day out, just existing.  I do not believe He wants that for any of us.  I am also not saying that every person was created to be a movie star or make some huge impact on the whole world.  I do think that we all have the same potential for doing great things with our lives.  How we use that potential could look very different for everyone.  Someone could use that potential to be a movie star, a priest, a mom, a lawyer, a doctor, anything you desire. I don't think it's the career you choose or the role you play that defines you.  I think it is more about how you are showing up in that career/role.  You do not have to go on a mission trip to another country to change people's lives.  If you are a parent, you are impacting lives every day with your parenting.  People are always watching you, and you could be changing lives in the grocery store when someone watches you handle a complaint respectfully.  There are many ways that you could have a positive impact on the world.  The opposite of this is true as well.  If you are walking through life angry and taking it out on all that you see, this will also be observed by others and could be changing lives, but not for the better.  If that is you, that is not the life that God has planned for you. I wonder sometimes how many of us are actually living up to our potential.  Are you living up to the potential that God has placed within you?  A lot of people that I talk to are settling for mediocrity.  They are not truly happy with their life, and they think that is just how life is.  They don't seek to change anything because they don't feel they deserve more, or maybe they don't think there is anything better out there, or perhaps they don't feel they're capable of having more.  I want to tell you right now that if you are unhappy with where you are in life, there is more.  God has more planned for you.  Where you are now does not have to be a final destination.  It could be a resting place until you are ready for the more that God has planned for you. What is it that you really want to do?  What is it that makes your heart light up when you talk about it?  This could be something big, like start a non-profit, write a book, change careers, or it could also be as simple as seeing my grandkids more, being in nature, going to daily mass, or spending more time in prayer.  Whatever it is deep inside that you're longing for, go get it.  God has given you the potential to achieve all your dreams.  Are you living up to your potential?  Is there more you could be doing?  You may be listening to this and thinking that I am wrong, that not everyone was made for an extraordinary life.  That you were made for an ordinary life and nothing more.  I would argue that your outlook might be the difference between an ordinary life and an extraordinary life.  Two people may have very similar lives, as far as marriage, kids, career, income, etc.  Yet one may be living an extraordinary life, and one may be living an ordinary life. What is the difference?  The one living an extraordinary life has a positive outlook on their life.  They are on the lookout for the miracles that occur every day and are willing to acknowledge them.  They are also looking for ways that they can excel in the roles that they have.  They are looking for opportunities to improve the life they have.  The one living an ordinary life is on the lookout for all the ways his/her life is ordinary, and so that is all they see.  They do not see opportunities to improve their life and assume that what they have is the best it is going to get.  God wants amazing things for you and your family.  It is not too late.  You are not too young.  You are not too old.  You have not been out of the game too long.  You are not too inexperienced.  You are strong enough.  You are smart enough.  You have so much potential.  That thing that you have always wanted to do, it is not too late.  Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  You can do all things through Christ.  Do that thing, that thing you have been putting off, that thing that you have been too scared to do, that thing that you are convinced you can't do.  Why do you think you have that desire deep inside of you?  Who do you think put that desire there?  And if God put that desire there, don't you think he will equip you with all you need to achieve it?  Are you living up to your potential?  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this episode today. Lord Jesus, we ask that you help us live up to our potential. We thank you for putting these desires in our hearts and for equipping us to achieve them. Lord, we ask that you give us the motivation and strength we need to live the life you want us to live. Lord, if we are not living the life you want us to live or if we're not living up to our potential, we ask that you shine a light on this and convict our hearts on what you want us to do. Lord, we want all that you have to offer, and we willingly accept it.  You are amazing, Lord, and we are so very thankful for all that you do.  We love you very 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 this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to seeing 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 three testimonies from the God Stories 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. Hearing how God worked in their situation gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray that when you hear this testimony, 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.First is Diane: I run a Christian camp for people who have developmental and physical disabilities, or as I like to say, “diversabilities.” Because isn't that who we all are? We experienced great tragedy in September of 2020 when we lost many of our physical buildings, including our activity spaces, bunkhouses, and gymnasium, in a fire. Many of which had been built in the 1940s.Our campers were devastated. Many have been coming to camp for over 40 years, but without indoor facilities and bunkhouses to serve and host our campers, the future looked bleak. That said, we dutifully signed up for FEMA support to rebuild and began the process of determining eligibility in early 2021.After much prayer and consideration, we made a commitment to continue serving campers someway, somehow. And we were overwhelmed by the blessing of grants, private donations and many volunteers. We cleared our 18-acre property of fire debris, established and activity meadow, purchased 18 beautiful bell tents and opened our gates to 10 campers a week for 6 weeks. We had only a few doors left after the fires and that first year, all activities and meals were outside. Before the fires and COVID we were serving 25 campers a week, but we promised we would do what we could, and God provided everything we needed!Fast forward 4 ½ years and here we are, still providing camp with temporary facilities. We continue to work with FEMA and have only just begun to receive money to begin the process of rebuilding.We were gifted a master plan through the assistance of the Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) in 2021, and now we are working with an incredible architecture and design firm of which 90% is being paid for through FEMA funds. For us 10% is a significant funding gap, but we trust our Father in heaven to pave a way for us to continue moving forward with rebuilding. If all goes well, we anticipate breaking ground on our new buildings later this year.And finally, to the reason for this long explanation. Our campers love those VBS songs you mention in some of your devos, and I like to re-introduce a few of them every year, so when I read your post this morning, I knew it was time to bring this old chestnut back to our campfire songs, “This little light of mine.” As we rebuild Upward Bound Camp we stand on the firm foundation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, sharing and rejoicing in His love for all of us!Second is Heather: My story is about meeting my husband at the warehouse we where we worked, marrying him and then losing him to cancer after twelve life changing years of marriage and seven kids later.He came to me one day asking, “is this a pimple?” I said,” No love, you should get that checked.” He wasted no time, and the test came back as Melanoma. Within a year of that diagnosis, he went to be with Jesus.He fought really hard and had a heart of gold the whole way through. He said these words to me towards the end” I am at peace with this.”Those words will stay in my heart always. He loved Jesus so much and trusted him. I believed before I met Doug, but I honestly believe that he was put on this earth to prepare me and the kids spiritually for what was ahead. For things we did not know were going to happen.He served God in many ways, but if not for him I believe our lives would have taken a much different path. With him rooting me in the Catholic faith and me coming to truly believe it, allowed me to have the strength to carry on and keep the kids rooted in their faith.He was an amazing man. I thank you God for blessing us with him if even for a short time. We love you Daddy/ Douglas.Third is Roy: Last night, my family and I were at your concert here in Lincoln. What a beautiful evening of worship! Seeing my family laugh, sing, and worship together was a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and goodness.Matthew, we met about 15 years ago at a Parenting Simulcast. I was the parenting manager running point that day. It was such a joy to work with you during that event, and I still treasure the memories of that experience.I'm reaching out to tell you how deeply your song, The God Who Stays, has impacted my life. It became an Ebenezer for me during one of the most broken seasons I've ever experienced.In 2014, I left that organization due to downsizing and took over a struggling Bible and youth camp in New England. After six difficult years of ministry, the camp had to close during COVID, and the board dissolved it. I was devastated.It felt like I had failed everyone—including God. After closing the doors and letting the staff go, my wife took our kids away for a weekend and told me, “You need to do business with God.”I went to a place we called “One Tree Hill,” a beautiful hillside at the base of Mount Monadnock, and I listened to The God Who Stays on repeat. I cried like I've never cried before. It was there, in my brokenness, that I encountered Christ in such a profound way.I felt His warmth and embrace, even in the midst of my pain and failure. I was ready to give up leadership entirely, but in that moment, Christ whispered to me: I am not done with you yet. I have been preparing you for what's next.Within 48 hours of that encounter, I connected with the ministry I serve today.  This January, I will celebrate four years stewarding this organization, which serves vulnerable families through foster care, family preservation, and ministry to families impacted by incarceration.These last four years have brought so much healing and restoration. Not only in my ministry but in my marriage and family. My wife and kids (25, 21, and 17) have endured so much over the past 15 years, through four major moves and countless challenges. But God has been faithful. To sit together last night in worship reminded me how far He has carried us. Thank you, Matthew, for allowing God to use your music to minister to so many, including me. The God Who Stays will forever be a reminder of His steadfast love and presence in my life.Thank you all so much for being brave enough to share your stories. I know these stories are going to touch the lives of so many people. 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

Evidence of True RepentanceMatthew 3:8 “ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”Repentance is the theme for mentoring this month. This week, we are focusing on Evidence of true repentance. When researching this, I came across this verse. I dismissed it as a very short verse, and I didn't think it said too much. However, it kept coming up, so I sat with it and asked the Lord what He wanted to share with you about this verse. Repentance is not about just saying sorry. It is about truly being sorry, returning to the Lord, and changing our ways. If we go to confession one day and then return to living our lives the same way we had before, then is that really repentance?I know there are some sins we struggle with, sins we might confess week after week or month after month. We can be genuinely sorry for something and yet struggle to change it. However, we do need to be trying to change it. God is very patient, and He knows our hearts. He will help change our hearts, habits, or whatever we need to change, as long as we invite him into that struggle.The verse above says to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 17:15-20 says, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.” It says twice in these verses, you will know them by their fruit. What does your fruit look like?Is everything going wrong in your life right now? Is it one bad day after another? Do you feel a lot of anger, unforgiveness, and anxiety? Have you repented lately? Have you turned away from sin and back to God? God does not cause bad things to happen in our lives. I am not saying that God is causing these bad things because you have not repented. What I am saying is that our choices can definitely cause bad things to happen in our lives. Our choices can make us miserable, and sometimes we can end up blaming God for the bad results of our choices instead of taking responsibility for them and examining our lives to see where we might need to repent and turn back to the Lord.We ask the Lord why we are so unhappy, and then we decide to drink all night because we are so sad. Then we wake up the next day feeling like crap and so we are unhappy that day too. This cycle repeats over and over again until we stop, repent, and turn back to the Lord. We ask the Lord why our family is falling apart, yet we choose to watch TV and numb our feelings instead of hitting our knees and praying about the situation. We are turning everywhere for answers except for God, who has all the answers.One of the people in mentoring gave an example last week of a sin she had been struggling with. She repeatedly confessed this sin each week during confession. She desperately wanted to get rid of this sin in her life, and yet she continued to struggle with it. She felt so embarrassed and so ashamed every time she had to go and confess this same sin, week after week. However, she continued to bring it to the Lord and confess it. Because she continued to repent of this sin and tried to change it, and invited God in to help her change it, she no longer suffers from this sin. He has healed her of it. God changed her heart and her mind. He is so good. He can do this for you, too! But first, you have to bring it to Him. First, you need to repent and invite Him into it.If things are particularly hard in your life right now, take some time, sit with the Lord, and ask Him if there is any unrepented sin in your life. Ask God to show you where you might need repentance. This can be hard to do, as we might be afraid God might tell us to change something we don't want to change. God has our best interests at heart. He knows what is best for us, even when we can't see it. He knows the whole picture, even the things we can't see.Think about all you did when you were a kid. Did you always know what was best for you? Did you always do what was best for you? I am sure in the moment you thought you were doing what was best, but really, you were doing what felt best. What feels good in the moment isn't always what is best for you. I am struggling with this with my boys. They think some of the things they are doing are not that bad. Everyone does them, and it's no big deal. What they can't see is the long-term effects or the long-term damage. Yes, smoking probably feels really good in the moment, yet how good do you think lung cancer will feel when you are older? They can't see the future, but God can.The same is true for us. We can't see the results of everything we are doing now. Just because something feels good in the moment doesn't mean that it is good for us in the long run. This is why it is important to take time to examine our life, our actions, and ask the Lord to show us anywhere that we might need to repent. God knows more than we do. God sees more than we do. God knows our hearts, and He doesn't want to lose a single one of his children. He can't help us if we don't let Him. He can't help us if we don't ask for help. If we don't search our own hearts, lives, and actions and see where we might be sinning. Where we might need to repent.I read something this morning that said real repentance shows up in your lifestyle: humility, growth, peace, love, and ongoing transformation. Look at these things in your life. Are you growing in humility, or are you very prideful? Are you growing in your relationships, life, job, etc, or are you stuck where you have always been? Are you growing in peace, or are you anxious, worried, angry, fearful, always? Are you growing in love, or are you closed off, refusing to trust, or let others in? Is there an ongoing transformation where you are constantly evolving and trying to be more holy, trying to live more and more like God is calling you to live?Can people look at us and tell by our lifestyle that we have real repentance? The verse from Matthew 17 said, “You will know them by their fruits.” What do the fruits of our lives say about us?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening today. Lord, help us to repent of our sins. Please help us to know how to repent. Help us see our sins, not so we can feel shame or regret, but so that we can bring them to you and help us repent and turn back to you. Please show us the ways we have turned away from you. Please show us the ways we need to repent. Lord, help us to look at the fruit of our lives and see where we need to make changes. Help us to see where we can grow more in humility, growth, peace, love, and ongoing transformation. Please help us to invite you into all of it, Lord! Help us to invite you into the mess because that is the only way things will change. 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 am looking 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 / December 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, “I am your strength of every day. I am your hope. I am all that you will ever need. The more you trust, the more you will grow in my ways, for I am the Lord your God who loves you till the very end. Take my hand and never let it go. Come to me, for I love you so.” 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

Submit Yourselves to God (Replay)James 4:7-8 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”This is another one of those things that sounds much easier to do than it actually is.  Submit ourselves to God.  That doesn't sound too hard, right?  It doesn't sound hard, but have you tried it?  It is not easy to submit to God.  What does it even mean to submit ourselves to God?  Google's dictionary defines submission as "the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.”  I think there are two parts to this.  First, the action of accepting or yielding to a superior force.  This means that we would accept that God is in control.  We would do as He tells us to do because He is our superior force.  He created all things, and He gives us a set of rules to live by, so we must live by them.  The second part of this definition is accepting or yielding to the will or authority of another person.  Submitting to God would be accepting His will as our will.  It would mean that we accept His will for our lives.  There are times when this is very easy.  When we get the job we really want, it is easy to accept it as God's will.  When we meet the love of our life, we can accept that it is God's will for us to be with this person.  However, what about when things aren't going our way?  What about when God's will differs from our will?  What about if we don't get a job because He has something better in mind for us?  Can you think of a time when you really wanted something to happen and it didn't?  What about when you didn't want something to happen and it did?  How easy was it for you to submit to the Lord's will?  This verse tells us to submit ourselves to God.  If we want to do this, we need to figure out where we are struggling and then ask God for help.  We can ask Him to help us submit.  He will always help when we ask.  If we are struggling to see how God wants us to submit to Him, then we can always just ask Him.  My spiritual director told me one time to model St. Teresa of Lisieux and explain to God that I am just a little child and I need Him to show me the way.  I need Him to show me or tell me what He wants me to do.  I want to follow His will, I just need directions, just as a child would. This really spoke to me.  I sometimes, oftentimes, if I am being honest, I think I need to know what God wants from me.  I think I am just supposed to know.  It seems like everyone else knows, but why don't I know?  So, I try to guess, I try to listen, and I try to do all the things just in case that is what He was wanting.  However, what I try to do now is to ask the Lord to help me understand.  I ask Him to explain it to me as though I were a child.  I ask Him to make it clear to me and to give me the courage and strength for whatever He wants me to do.  We are all just little children in the eyes of the Lord.  In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” God wants us to become like children.  I think he wants us to be like children because there is something so pure about a child's faith.  Children don't get caught up in understanding every little detail.  They don't ask all the questions.  Miracles are miracles because there is no explanation.  If there were an explanation as to exactly how it happened, it wouldn't be a miracle.  Adults don't really like to believe in things that they can't see.  Children, on the other hand, love to play make-believe.  They have no problem believing in things they can't see.  If you are struggling to submit to God, ask Him to show you how.  He has assured us that if we ask, He will answer, so let's ask.  The next part of this verse says to resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Again, something that sounds so easy and yet is so difficult.  I would love to say I resist the devil.  The problem is, the devil is always disguised as something else.  For instance, he will be disguised as temptation.  You know that you should spend time in prayer or in silence, and suddenly your favorite TV show is having a marathon and showing episodes all day.  You decide to give up sweets for Lent, and someone drops cookies off at your house.  You decide you are going to start running, and it rains for a week straight.  Do you see how it is hard to resist the devil in these circumstances because you don't know it is the enemy attacking you?  Another way the enemy might show up is through distractions.  You decide you want to spend more time with your children, and suddenly everyone in the family has something else to do, or your work suddenly gets really busy.  You may want to spend more time with your parents, but something comes up to prevent you from spending more time with them.  We find it hard to resist the other things that are getting in our way, and so family time gets put off or pushed aside.  The enemy might also show up as anger.  We want to be peaceful and to not get upset over little things.  Then the enemy comes along and presents one little thing after another until you can't take it anymore and get angry and you lose it.  The enemy doesn't want us to grow in holiness.  He will do whatever it takes to prevent this from happening.  He certainly does not want to flee.  If we want the devil to flee, we have to figure out a way to resist him, all his temptations and lies.  How do we resist something that we don't know is there?  One way we can resist the devil is to keep turning our eyes to the Lord.  We can keep asking Him what He wants us to do and asking Him to help us do it.  We can ask the Lord to open our eyes to see the devil and all his tricks.  We can try to be on the lookout for different ways the enemy may be interfering in our lives.  If things are not going well and you are not acting like you want to, the devil is probably involved.  If you feel you are growing further from the Lord, the devil is probably involved.Another way to resist the devil is to do what the verse above says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  In my prayer group every week, the Lord calls us closer to Him.  He is calling all of us closer to Him.  If we come closer to God, He will come closer to you.  Then the verse says, Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  I wasn't sure what double-minded in this verse meant.  When I looked it up, it meant that our heart is split between God and the things of this world.  This is the devil's way in.  This is his back door.  If we love the things of this world as much or even more than we love God, then that is all the devil needs to attack us.  The more we release our attachment to the things of this world, the less of a hold the devil has over us.  If we want to resist the devil, we can ask God to help us, we can turn to Him and grow closer to Him, and we can try to release our attachment to the things of this world.  Releasing our attachment to things of this world is not easy.  We all have our favorite TV shows or our favorite foods we like to eat, and that is ok.  I am not saying that you can't like anything that is of this world.  I am saying that our priorities should be God first and then everything else.  If anything is getting in the way of us doing the things we know we need to do, then that is the devil at work, and we need to resist.  I have been attacked by the spirit of distraction lately.  I will have time to write this book I am writing, or work on my podcast, and the spirit of distraction will come and show me all these other more fun things to do.  I must resist.  Did you know, in a weird way, when the devil attacks you, it is sort of a compliment.  It is confirmation that you are walking on the right path.  The reason I say this is because the devil doesn't mess around with the lukewarm; he doesn't mess around with those who are already headed to see him.  He only concerns himself with those who are headed to see the Lord, those who are favored and are trying to walk the right path.  If you are feeling like the devil is attacking you, take comfort in the fact that you are doing something right, or he wouldn't bother with you.  Then turn to the Lord and keep trying to do the next right thing.  God is on your side, and He will be your refuge and your shield if you ask Him to.  Come in close to the Lord, and He will come in close to you.  He will put his arm around you and protect you from all harm.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we want to resist the devil, and we want him to flee. Please help us.  Please protect us, Lord, and shield us from all harm.  Help open our eyes to see the devil and all of his tricks in our lives.  Lord, we want to put you first, help us to see what is getting in our way.  Open our eyes to anything that is preventing us from growing closer to you.  Help us to know what you want us to do and help us to become like children.  Lord, you are amazing, and we love you so very much.  We are grateful that you are our God and that you take such good care of 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 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

The Holy Spirit Lives In YouActs 2:38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  And you will receive the Holy Spirit.”I think when most of us read this, we focus on the repent and be baptized part of this verse.  Repentance is so important, and it is something that we can read about all throughout the Bible.  God is always calling His people to repentance, and sometimes they repented and other times they did not.  In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, they were a wicked people and they refused to repent.  God sent fire down to destroy the towns.  However, when God sent Jonah to Ninevah to tell them they needed to repent, they did, and God saved them.  Did you know that Jonah was angry at God for saving Nineveh?  We read in Jonah 4:1-2, “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.  And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is it not this what I have said when I was yet in my country?  That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”  Jonah ran from the Lord when the Lord asked him to go to Ninevah.  I had always thought he ran from the Lord because he was afraid of the people in Ninevah.  However, this verse says that he ran because he knew God would have mercy on them, and he didn't want them to be saved.This is a somewhat common thing for us to do.  Maybe not running from the Lord, but definitely wishing people get what they deserve.  Have you ever wished that someone got what they deserved?  Have you ever seen a car speed by you, or weave in and out of traffic, and think to yourself, “I hope there is a cop ahead.” Or do you see someone cut in line and hope that someone notices and that they get kicked out of the line?  Why do we do this?  Why do we wish ill on other people?  Maybe you are thinking that you are justified in thinking that you want the driver to get pulled over because you want them to learn their lesson and drive better.  But, what if they did get pulled over and they just got a warning, would you be ok with that?Sometimes we can do this with our kids as well.  Jonah felt that these people needed to be punished, and he knew that God would have mercy on them.  Sometimes we can default to the thinking that when our children do something wrong, they need to be punished, and maybe that is true sometimes.  But do we take the time to think about the situation first?  Do we even consider giving them mercy?  Sometimes our children need our mercy.  Sometimes they messed up, did something they weren't supposed to do, and they know it was wrong.  They are truly sorry, and they learned a lesson from it.  Times like these are times when we should consider mercy.  Sometimes we think our kids will only learn if we punish them; however, I think they can learn a lot from mercy as well.As I said earlier, we tend to focus on the first part of this verse, Repent and be baptized.  However, I wonder how many of you also think of the ending of the verse?  How many of you truly know what it means?  The verse ends with “and you will receive the Holy Spirit.”  I am not sure that everyone, or even most people, knows how powerful a statement that is.  Did you know that the power of the Holy Spirit is what raised Jesus from the dead?  Did you know that the same power resides in you?  Romans 8:11 "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”When you are baptized, you are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. This means that when you are baptized, you receive the Holy Spirit.  If you are Catholic, then you receive the Holy Spirit again when you are confirmed.  This is all amazing to me.  The power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me.  I just can't get over that.  I think if we all knew the power that we had through the Holy Spirit, and then used that power for good, the world wouldn't know what was going on.  Jesus said in John 14:12-14, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”Did you catch that?  Jesus said we will do greater works than He if we believe.  This is only possible because of the Holy Spirit.  We have the Holy Spirit inside of us; we just need to call on Him.   We need to believe in Jesus and believe when He tells us that He sent us the Holy Spirit to guide us.  The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead.  That same spirit lives in you.  What are you going to do with it?  Are you going to just sit around and let all that power pass you by, or are you going to use your newfound power for good?  Who do you know that could use some extra blessings?  I am sure that I have talked before about how important repentance is, and yet this will likely not be the last time you hear me talk about it.  Repentance is so important for so many reasons.  This verse just mentions one of the many: if you repent and are baptized, you will receive the Holy Spirit.  Now, after talking for a bit about how awesome the Holy Spirit is, wouldn't you do anything to be close to Him?Most, if not all, of you listening already have the Holy Spirit inside of you.  Call upon Him and you will see how powerful He is.  Don't be afraid to talk with Him and ask Him for things.  That is why God sent Him to us, to help us.  Anything that happens as a result of the Holy Spirit glorifies God.  Jesus is with the Father, so when we ask God for things in Jesus' name, the Holy Spirit comes through for us, and the results glorify the Lord.  It is a win-win for everyone.  One of the easiest prayers to remember, and yet one of the most powerful, is, “Come, Holy Spirit, come.”  When you ask, God answers.  Anytime you are in need of a little assistance, or even a lot of assistance, pray, “Come, Holy Spirit, come.”  I truly feel you will be surprised at all the ways He comes through for you.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, I ask that you send the Holy Spirit to everyone listening to this podcast. Lord, we ask that you open our eyes to how the Holy Spirit is working in our lives. Lord, we ask that you remind us to call on the Holy Spirit when we forget. Lord, we are so very thankful that you sent down the Holy Spirit to guide us in your ways.  Lord, help us to see the places in our lives where we need to repent, and then give us the courage to do so. We want to receive the Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus, we are open to it. Lord God, you are amazing. We are so very thankful for all you do for us.  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 let you know that there may be more replays in the upcoming weeks. A few things are going on in our family that are requiring more of my time. However, I don't want to not post something for you, and many of you were not listening at the very beginning. So, hopefully it will still be new to you! I will still post a new one when I can, and a replay when I don't have the time. I appreciate your patience and your support during these next few weeks. I also appreciate your support in listening to this podcast. I am honored you listened. I look forward to meeting 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 / December 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, “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. Today is a day in which you need to praise and worship me from your heart for the many gifts that I have given you so that I can continue to pour out on you grace upon grace upon gift upon gift, that you may be my ambassadors, that you may be the signs to the world that I am alive, that resurrection is real, that it is a grace that I give to each one of you. All you need to do is call upon my name. Call upon the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God who gave his very life, that you might have life forever and ever. My greatest desire is to love you forever. Listen to me, my people. Listen to me and share that good news with those you meet. I love you. My heart is always yours, and you are always mine.” 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 Loved By JesusJohn 13:23 “One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,* was reclining at Jesus' side.”This scripture verse was given at my prayer group, and the following words of prophecy were given:  “You are also the one whom Jesus loves.  So, your place is to be listening to his heartbeat when you pray. So, put your head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat.  Say I love you and be at peace.”  Is there anything more calming than putting your head on someone's chest and listening to their heartbeat?  I pictured when I was little and if I was scared and I went to lie with my parents.  Just putting my head on their chest and listening to their heartbeat would make me feel better. It seemed so rhythmic and soothing.“You are also the one whom Jesus loves.”  How many of you believe this?  Like truly in the depths of your heart believe this?  You are also the one whom Jesus loves.  Sometimes, it is easy to say that Jesus is love.  It is easy to say that Jesus loves everyone.  And yet, even as we are saying it, we are discounting ourselves from that love.  We know He loves everyone and yet we don't believe that he loves us?  We don't feel that love or even understand why He would love us.  Who are we to be loved by Jesus?You are the son or daughter of the one true king. That is who you are.  You were made in the likeness and image of God.  You are deeply loved by Him.  Why do you discount yourself from that love?  Or maybe you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be worthy enough of God's love.  Maybe you think if you just do things perfectly, then God will love you.  If you attend weekly mass and volunteer for every fundraiser, you will be worthy of God's love.  Are you constantly feeling like you are not good enough for God's love?Guess what? None of us are.  None of us are worthy of God's love, yet he lavishes it freely anyway.  You do not have to do anything to earn God's love.  Well, as I wrote that, what came to mind was we do have to accept it.  God can tell us all day long that he loves us, but if we don't accept it, then it doesn't matter.  Yesterday, I talked about abiding in God's love and how abiding means acceptance.  Can you accept God's love?  Can you accept that he loves you just as you are, with no strings attached?This is a new kind of love for so many.  Some people have never had someone in their lives who loved them completely, with no strings attached.  Unconditional love is not a thing they even new.  If you are struggling to believe that Jesus loves you, just as you are, think about your childhood and your past relationships.  What do you think of when you think about love?  Did you have to earn love growing up?  What did you feel you had to do to be loved?  For instance, did you have to get good grades,  be a certain weight, be quieter, etc?  Did you feel like your parents' love was conditional on your behavior?  If so, don't worry. You are not alone.  We live in a broken world and don't know how to love each other unconditionally like our heavenly father does.  I think everyone is doing the best they can.  We can only love others to the extent that we are loved.  If your parents do not know unconditional love, they can't pass it on to you.  The good news is, that you can learn to let Jesus's love in.  The good news is that Jesus does love us unconditionally.  If we can learn to accept Jesus's love, then we can learn to pass this love on to others, even if that is not the love we were raised with.If you struggle with accepting God's love, I would love to give you some practical tips for how to begin to accept God's love.  I went online to see if others had already written about his subject.  I found an article written by Kara J. Lovett called “5 Keys to Accepting God's Love.”  I would highly suggest you read this article.  I will put a link for it in the description of this episode, but you can easily find it by googling 5 Keys to Accepting God's Love.  https://karajlovett.com/5-keys-to-accepting-gods-love/  In the article she goes into what God says about love and then a section on understanding God's love.  Her article mentions five was you can accept God's love.  They are as follows: Accepting God's love with scripture, prayer, grace, and quietness & in unexpected places. Kara says in her article that “by digging deep into Scripture and spending time with God in prayer, I realized that I need to stop striving for love and instead strive to accept God's love, which He has already graciously bestowed on me.”  As I mentioned yesterday, reading the bible is a great way to get to know God's love. You can see all sorts of examples of God's love in the bible.  1 John 4:7-10 is a great example of love.  It says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”The second way she mentions is prayer.  When we turn to God and ask for His help, he wants to help us and is just waiting for us to ask.  God knows what we are going through and what are struggles are, and yet he loves it when we talk to Him about them.  Just sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and talk to God like you are talking to your best friend at the kitchen table.  You will be surprised how much closer you get to God when you start having chats with Him regularly.  They can be informal chats about your day, your struggles, and your successes.  God wants to share in all of that with you.The third way she mentions is Grace.  Learning about grace over these last few years has been huge for me.  Learning to be graceful with yourself is so important.  Kara says that grace is the free, unearned gift of salvation that God has bestowed upon us.  When I looked up the definition online, it said 1a: unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification. b: a virtue coming from God. c: a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.  We are saved and redeemed through God's grace.  It is unmerited, meaning we don't deserve it; we can't do anything to earn it; it is just bestowed upon us.  How amazing is that?  The third definition is a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.  We can't forget this.  We are made holy through divine assistance.  God is always there to help us.  We can't do any of this on our own.  It is always a partnership.  God has so much grace and mercy for us.  He doesn't expect us to be perfect, so cut yourself some slack.The fourth way to accept God's love is through quietness.  Spend some quiet time with God.  There are so many ways that you can do this.  Maybe you are someone who likes to meditate every morning.  That is wonderful! Maybe you are like me, and every time you try to quiet your mind, all it wants to do is talk to you.  That's fine, too.  Maybe your quiet time is spent in nature, going for a walk, or sitting outside listening to the sounds of nature.  Maybe your quiet time with God is spent journaling all your thoughts.  There is no right way to spend quiet time with God.  Your relationship with God is like any other relationship; the more time you spend together, the closer you will be.  The fifth key to accepting God's love for Kara was letting go of control.  Even though we know at some level that we don't have to earn God's love, we still try to prove to Him that we love Him.  We put all these rules and regulations on ourselves about how we have to do this, and we have to do that.  We tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves.  Once Kara was able to let go of control and remember that Jesus already secured our freedom on the cross, she decided to let go of all the pressure she put on herself and just tried to abide in Jesus's love.  God loves you!  He truly does.  I hope that if you are not currently able to accept God's love, you will spend some time working on learning how to.  I can't tell you how amazing it is to know that I am always loved.  To know that there is nothing I can do that would make my heavenly father stop loving me.  It gives me so much more confidence in life.  It brings me so much joy.  It breaks my heart when I talk with people who don't know how much God loves them.  I know it is hard to let love in sometimes.  I have been there before.  It can be hard,  it can take a lot of work, and it is so worth it.  There is so much more waiting for you once you accept and really come to know God's love for you.  It is there for the taking, free, with no strings attached.  All you have to do is say yes and accept it!Dear Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that you love us unconditionally.  You love us so completely.  Lord, some of us are struggling to feel this love.  We ask you right now to come into our hearts and fill them with your love, perfect love.  We ask that you begin to break down any walls that we have put up to keep love out.  Lord, we want all the love that you have for us.  Lord, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this with a supernatural feeling of love today.  That the Holy Spirit descends on all of them and that they can physically feel you giving them a hug today.  Lord, you are so amazing.  We are in awe of all that you do each and every day.  We pray that you help our loved ones to open up and feel your love.  Lord, we pray that you shower your love on all the teenagers.  Being a teen is so difficult, and many do not feel any love.  Please show them how amazing your love is, Lord.  We ask all of this in accordance with your holy will and in Jesus's name, Amen.  Thank you for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with a friend. If you would like to subscribe or leave a review, that would be great also. 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

 Today's witness is from my friend Bruce. Bruce reached out to me randomly back in November. He found my podcast and wanted to send in his testimony for witness wednesday. His testimony was about how he went to a healing service and regained his sight and then lost it again when he woke up. I offered to pray with Him, and he agreed. We have prayed together three times now. Bruce has not regained his sight, but something amazing happened each time we prayed together. You can find the testimony from the last two times we prayed together on the Witness Wednesday playlist on YouTube. You can also find them on whatever podcast app you are listening to right now. Today's witness is about when Bruce and his lovely wife Alice came from Canada to visit Gloucester, MA, and my friend and I got to pray with them in person instead of over the phone. It was a great time, and I am so grateful the Lord brought Bruce, Alice, and me together. I know you will enjoy this witness as much as I enjoyed it. God is working in such miraculous ways!Dear Catherine,It is two months from today that we met with you and Nancy in Rockport. In the meantime, you have been to Scotland and back and I have had a new experience which I will tell you about. You may use it in your Witness Wednesday if you would like to. On July 23rd, my wife Alice and I had the pleasure of meeting with Catherine and her friend Nancy for lunch. This vacation had been planned well in advance before we met Catherine. It turned out that Nancy's home was just down the road from where we were staying. Sitting outside by the ocean, the four of us chatted and also prayed together for healing. There was no major change in my eyesight at that time, but I realized that the floaters and shifting debris that I normally saw, were gone. It felt like I had more life in my eyes - just a feeling. This visit was a real blessing and encouragement for us before heading for home a couple of days later.For some time I had been without any sight in my left eye and was able to see light and shadows in my right eye. After this recent change my right eye went completely dark but the movement of floaters was gone. I couldn't tell the difference between day or night. I couldn't see if there were any lights on in the house. Things were the same whether my eyes were open or shut. I had to make an adjustment to this. I found the darkness heavy and depressing. I also felt spiritually let down and more isolated. I heard someone talking about God's light of the world and I thought, we often ask the Lord to shine His face upon us in the Benediction. It was a Monday in August and I told the Lord how I felt. I wanted to somehow have more communication with Him. I didn't want to be in the dark anymore, and would He please shine His light upon me. The next day, Tuesday, I listened to Catherine's podcast which was about Jesus the Light of the world. This felt like my prayer was going somewhere and I became vigilant. That night I went to bed about 1:00 a.m. I was laying on my back in the dark. A small white light appeared in my head space. It seemed to sparkle and it began moving. It became brighter and larger and closer, shining with the brightness of lightning. I felt the light overtake me and I put my face in the pillow. The light was still there and I realized it was within me. It was beautiful and exciting. I began thanking and praising the Lord for this joyful experience. This light would move and pulse brighter then lower going on for an hour and a half until I fell asleep. I wanted to wake Alice but I didn't want to interrupt her sleep or the light. When I awoke in the morning, the light was gone. I figured this was a one time experience. Later that morning, I began telling Alice about it. I stopped and said, It's happening again right now. There was an arch of brilliant white light before me. Beautiful as ever. It stayed with me for a couple of hours, coming and going into the night. This continued daily much to my joy. I noticed whenever I sat at the table it would appear. Whenever I listen to my audio Bible or even thought about the Lord or spiritual matters, it would appear. I found myself talking with the Lord in this light. If I was praying it would appear. It was always with me when I went to sleep. I soon realized I could call on it by asking it to appear. I was quite amazed by the way this all happened, by the communication which took place , and the overwhelming feeling of God's love. There was nothing to do but simply enjoy the moment with the Lord and His light. As I write this, the Lord still shines his light upon me, every day and every night. This has been an unexpected and thrilling blessing for me, far better than I hoped for. I can't help but feel this is leading me somewhere good. My hope and faith has never been more confident than it is now. It is so easy for me to trust the Lord to love me and walk me where He wants to take me. He really is my guiding light. I have in the past had close encounters with Jesus which have been marvelous. But this encounter in His light seems to never end. How wonderful is this. It lifts my heart to look back and see how God works in our lives. Alice and I had planned our trip to Glouchester long before we knew Catherine. Her podcast came out of the blue one night on my google home and caught my attention. Her faithfulness and prayer support is so appreciated. Through Catherine and the prayer group she attends, I have also met Nancy and talked with Robert and learned that they have also prayed for me. These friends in prayer and support have inspired me and I am privileged to know them. My visit in July was meant to be some sort of breakthrough. That's what I had prayed for. As often is the case, I felt things didn't go as I had hoped. As it turned out, I received a blessing I never expected along with new found faith and hope. A few years ago I heard a story told by an Anglican minister in England. He was known for his healing ministry. He told the story of a women who had lost her sight in both eyes. The women related how she started seeing a white light. This light would come and go from time to time and would vary in intensity. She said this went on for some time. One day she heard about a special healing ministry near her. The light continued to be with her. She made her way to the healing service in Blackpool. After preaching the gospel of Jesus, the minister invited people to come forward for healing prayer. Many people went forward and she waited in her seat where she was healed.I thank the Lord every time I see his light. I thank the Lord for my friends in Massachusetts.May the Lord bless you Catherine and your ministry.Bruce and AliceThank you so much for sharing your testimony with us and for allowing me to share it on my Witness Wednesday. I know your story will give hope to so many others out there who are also waiting for some pretty big answers to some pretty big prayers. Your faithfulness will help them trust in the Lord more. Thank you again for sharing and we can't wait to hear your testimony when your sight is fully restored for good this time! 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 Provides In Mysterious WaysPsalm 145:14-18 “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.  The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.  The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.  The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”There are so many good things in this passage.  “The Lord lifts up all who are bowed down.”  How often is it that we need the Lord to lift us up, especially over this last year?  It is so great to know that the Lord lifts us up when we pray to Him and ask Him too.  When we are bowed down to the Lord is when we are praying and worshipping Him.  When we spend this time with Him He is able to lift us up.“The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.”  This one is hard one for many of us.  We do not want to wait for the proper time.  We want things to happen on our time line, or maybe we think our time line is the proper time.  Then we struggle when God does not agree.  My dad told me a story one time that demonstrates how God will give those that look to him food at the proper time.  My mom & dad have 11 children.  They also had a friend that had several children, I think at least 7.  This friend called up and asked my parents if they could watch their kids as something important had come up.  My parents said yes because they were always there for those in need.  However, my parents had just been talking about how they had no idea how they were even going to feed their own children dinner that night, and now they had 7 more mouths to feed.  So, they did what they always did in these situations, they turned their eyes to God and asked for Him to provide.Shortly after their prayer, they received a knock at the door.  It was a neighbor holding bags of groceries.  It turns out that the neighbors father had to move in with him unexpectedly and they needed to combine his father's household with his.  They had just gone grocery shopping and so they did not have room in their cabinets for all the food from his Dad's place.  So, they asked my folks if they could use any of the food.  My parents graciously accepted.  When looking through the bags they notice that there was plenty of pasta.  My parents prayed, “Lord, if we only had some meat, then we could serve spaghetti to all these kids.”Guess what?  There was another knock at the door.  It was a different neighbor.  He had a cooler full of meat.  He said that him and his friend had been hunting and they had too much meat.  He explained that he and his friend had already stuffed their fridge and freeze and still they had no room for this left over meet.  Again my parents graciously accepted.  Then when they looked in the cooler, there was ground meat for spaghetti.  They were so thankful.  This was not a one time thing for my parents.  My parents were faithful in their prayers, not just when they were in need, but even when things were going well.  God was faithful in answering them.“You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”  This is another great verse.  I believe that God puts our desires in our heart.  I am talking about our deep desires, not the desire to eat ice cream at midnight. The desires I am talking about are the desires to have a certain job, the desire to be married and have children, the desire to sing, or act, or whatever it is you feel you are called to do.  As stated in this verse, God wants to satisfy the desire of every living thing.  I know this can be hard to believe if you have a desire that you have been waiting for God to satisfy.  Maybe you have been waiting for the right man/woman to come along so that you can be married and have children.  I know it is hard when we want something and we have to wait a very long time.  Isaiah 55:9 says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  God has a plan for our lives and His plan is better than our plan.  I know this can be frustrating because God does not always let us in on His plan for our lives.  Sometimes we can be left wondering what is His plan and when am I going to understand it?  If you have been thinking these things I want you to know that you are not alone.  Many of us do not understand God's plan, and do not understand why the things we have been praying for have not happened yet.It can be easy to lose hope when are prayers aren't answered immediately.  It can be frustrating when we are praying for something, and we don't seem to get any answers.  I found this definition of hope online and I really like it.  In the Bible hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness.  We know God is faithful to His children.  We know He keeps His promises.  Therefore we can confidently expect that He will answer our prayers.  It says in Hebrews 13:8 it says, ”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever." Jesus has kept all of his promises in the bible.  If He did it then, He will do it now.  If you are getting frustrated waiting for your desires to be fulfilled I ask that you turn to the scriptures and either use the ones in this episode or find other ones that show you how faithful your Heavenly Father is.  He will come through, please don't give up asking for what you want.  Saying that makes me think of the story in Luke 18:1-8 of the persistent widow.  “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.  He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.  And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.' “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!'”And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.  And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?  I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”Jesus told this parable to show his disciples that they should pray and not give up.  If He was worried his disciples would stop praying and give up and they lived with Him day and night for 3 years, then I think He will cut us some slack for wanting to give up.  I am sure He gets how frustrating it is to wait for the Lord's timing.  If you are tempted to give up and stop praying for something that you truly desire I ask you to pause and remember this woman in the parable.  What if she had stopped bothering the judge?  What if she had not kept going back?  Would she have her justice?  We never know when the answer is right around the corner.  What if you pray for 3 years and then stop and God wanted to give it to you on the next day?  Don't stop praying for your deepest desires, He gave you those desires and he will bring them into being if you let Him.  Dear heavenly father I ask that you bless all of those listening to this podcast today. I ask that you fill us with hope for those desires that we've been praying for. Lord we pray that you give us perseverance to keep praying even when there's no end in sight. Lord Jesus we ask that you give us strength to keep praying when we don't have any answers. Give us strength when we're weak and we don't think we can go on. Lord we know that you are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We know that you've kept your promises in the past and you will continue to do so. Lord we ask that you fortify our hope and faith in you. We ask that you increase our faith. Lord if there is a desire that we have given up on that you want to give to us we ask that you renew that desire in our heart Lord Jesus. We ask that you keep whispering it louder and louder until we can ignore it anymore. Lord, we thank you for fulfilling these desires as we know you keep your promises and so these desires will be fulfilled. We thank you for helping us stay persistent and for giving us the strength to keep asking. Lord we thank you for listening to all of our prayers every time we ask. Lord, we love you so very much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus ' holy name.  Amen Today's Word from the Lord was received in November / December 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, “Call on me. Spirit to spirit needs to be strong. It will not be strong until you use it. I'm calling you to a deeper, more fruitful walk with me. But your spirit must grow, 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

God's Mercy & ForgivenessPsalm 51:10-12 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”These verses come within a series of verses addressing God.  The person talking to God in this psalm is David.  This psalm takes place after David had been visited by the prophet Nathan.  Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.  This psalm includes a lot of David asking God to forgive him for his sins.  One thing I love about David is that he is so good at realizing he did something wrong and then turning back to the Lord.  He messed up pretty badly sometimes.  It was not as if he was anointed, and so he always followed the Lord and never strayed.  He broke some pretty big commandments.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, thou shalt not commit adultery, and thou shalt not kill, being a few of them.No matter how big the sin was, David never seemed to feel too ashamed to turn back to the Lord.  This is so great.  This shows such a deep level of understanding or trust, or both.  I think he was never afraid to turn back because he knew how much he was loved by God.  I wish we all knew and could trust God's love like David did.  How great would it be to know with every fiber of our body that no matter what we did, God would still love us and welcome us back?Have you ever done something and then not turned back to the Lord because you didn't think you deserved forgiveness?  Have you ever thought that you did something so bad that there was no way that God would forgive you?  I think that most people have probably thought this at one time or another.  I wonder if we would still think it if we remembered in that moment all the things that God has forgiven over the years?  David saw a woman bathing on the roof of another house in his town and called for her to be brought to him.  Then he had relations with her.  I doubt she had much to say about it, as that was not really the culture back then.  After he did this, she was pregnant, and he was worried her husband would find out what he had done.  He tried to trick her husband, and when that didn't work, he sent him to the front lines to be killed in the war.  Then he took Bathsheba for his wife.Take a moment and think of the thing that you have been trying to hide from God because you think there is no way he will forgive it.  Is it worse than what David did?  If God could forgive David, He will forgive you.  What if it is worse than what David did?  What do you do then?  Is it worse than what Saul did when he was going around stoning to death those who believed in Jesus?  Was it worse than what the soldiers did when they whipped Jesus and hung Him on a cross?  Because if Jesus can forgive them, He will forgive you.Why is it that we worry so much about God forgiving us?  We know He loves us, and yet we don't want to turn to Him when we mess up because… why?  Maybe we are ashamed and we don't want Him to see that we messed up?  Guess what, he has already seen your mess-ups and already loved you through them.  Maybe we don't want to bother Him with our mess-ups because we feel we should have known better in the first place.  Guess what?  He loves it when we turn to Him and ask Him for help to clean up our messes.  Maybe we don't feel like we are good enough to turn back to the Lord.  Guess what?  He is your Heavenly Father, and He made you in His likeness and image.  You are better than good enough; you are perfect just as you are.In the verse, David asks the Lord to create a pure heart in him.  He knows what he did was wrong, and he wants to do what is right. I think we all want to do what is right.  I don't think that any of us walk around all day wondering how we can sin against God.  I don't believe it is our intent to damage our relationship with God in any way.  If we want to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, we can all pray for the Lord to create a pure heart in us.  God knows what is in our hearts.  As much as we may try to purify our own hearts, God is the one who can help us with this.It goes on to say, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.”  I think this statement can be an example of David's humility.  It shows us that even though David was brave enough and trusted God enough to turn back to the Lord, even after David did some pretty awful things, David was humble enough not to assume God would forgive him.  In this verse, David is asking the Lord to please not cast him away or take the Holy Spirit from him.  God loves humility.  It says in James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”  This is what David was doing.  He was humbling himself and asking the Lord not to depart from him.After David asks the Lord not to abandon him, he goes on to say, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”  David knows that he is doing the things he does not want to do and not doing the things that God wants him to do.  This is why he is asking the Lord for a willing spirit to sustain him.  He knows that following the Lord's word is the way to go, and he also knows that he can get off track sometimes.  David did a lot of good things, and he spent a lot of his time following the Lord; however, when he veered off course, he did it in a big way.  If you feel like this is you, I hope that David's story can bring you a little bit of comfort.  I hope that if you are feeling like you did something wrong and that it was so bad you can't turn back to the Lord, that you will remember David and how he was able to turn back to the Lord even after he did some truly terrible things.  And you know what, God always forgave him and kept loving Him.  He does this for you, too.  God will always love you, no matter what it is you do.  He will always be hoping, no matter how much you think that you messed up, that you will turn back to him. He is your Heavenly Father, and you mean the world to Him!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we ask that you help us to remember to turn back to you every time we mess up.  No matter how bad a thing we think we did, help us to know that you still love us and forgive us.  Help us to know that you are always there for us.  Lord, create a clean heart in us and grant us a willing spirit.  Lord, we want to follow you, and we don't know why we get off course sometimes.  If you create a willing spirit in us, we hope to use that spirit to follow you more closely.  Lord Jesus, you are amazing, and we are so thankful that you always forgive us and that you continue to love us, even with all of our faults.  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. Tomorrow night will be week #2 of mentoring. This week we are address this very topic, God's Mercy & Forgiveness. 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 November / December 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, “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.” 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

A Conversation With The Lord About Mercy (replay)Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”Today I have something a little different for you. Yesterday at prayer group, my good friend Louise did a teaching on God's mercy and Justice. She talked about something she had heard in a sermon years ago. The priest said something his spiritual director told him, “God's Justice is God's mercy.” After the Lord brought the sermon back to her mind, they had a little back-and-forth conversation, and I am going to share that conversation with you as I feel God was giving us a glimpse into how He thinks and who He is. God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. So, when He gives us a glimpse into his ways, I feel we should all pay attention. Here is what she shared with us.“I am merciful. I pour out mercy and forgiveness in torrents upon all of you, my children. I rain down mercy on every one of my children with no exceptions.” At that point, I found myself getting an image and looking at torrential rain. We've all seen torrential rain, and when it comes down, it comes down in buckets. It is heavy, and the Earth doesn't really have time to soak it all in. What can happen if it's a lasting rain is that things will accumulate, and it can create a little river and start really moving with a swift current. That is what I was picturing when the Lord said to me, “My children who love and praise me, honor me by their lives of holiness, know how to flow with the swift current. By the power of the Holy Spirit, they abandon their attempts to fight this current. And flow freely with it. Its power and speed may seem frightening, but they remain afloat by practicing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Isaiah gifts can be found in Isaiah 11:2-4a. “The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” and the charismatic gifts can be found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;  and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.”Those who don't know me or refuse to accept my existence. Those who no longer have faith in me, those who believe worldly philosophies are the way to live, and those deeply embedded in sinfulness struggle in this river. They fear they will drown. They fight the current of mercy and forgiveness, trying by their own strength and power to stay afloat. I need you to help them, my children. So I asked the Lord how do we do this? What are you asking of us? And he gave me two things. First, he said, "be an example of them of how to float in this current. Show them lives abandoned to God and his love and power, especially in your interactions with them." Then second thing he said to me was, and this I found way more challenging was, "Reach out your hand to them as they pass by you in this current. Help them to stop struggling in this current of mercy and forgiveness. Help to steady them by companioning to them as you float together to the large lake of my calming love that is the river's end.Wasn't that powerful? There is more I want to say about listening to the Lord's voice, but I don't want to detract from His message on Mercy, so I will talk about hearing the Lord's voice on Monday. Today and this weekend, I hope you re-listen or re-read the Lord's word and really let it sink in. There is a transcript of the message in the show notes, so you can read through it slowly and really absorb what God is telling us about His mercy.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless each and every person listening to this episode today. Lord, I thank you so much for the blessing Louise is to me personally, to our prayer community, and to all who know her. I thank you for her faithfulness, not only in listening to your word and writing it down but also in sharing it with others. Lord, help us all to hear your message today. Help us to take this message to our hearts and to apply it in our lives. Lord, help us to reach out our hand to those drowning in your mercy. Help us to steady them. Lord, show us how to be an example to them. Help us to be an example of your calming love. We love you, Lord, and we are so grateful you don't give up on a single one of us. We are grateful for your mercy for each and every one of us. Lord, 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 on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! 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

Confess & Be Forgiven (Yes, it is that simple!)1 John 1:9 " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”This week, we have been talking about repentance. On Monday, we talked about how God is calling us to repent and turn back to him. The verse said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” The verse tells us that if we repent and turn back to the Lord, our sins will be wiped out. God literally forgets about your sins when you repent of them. I feel as though if everyone knew this, we would be more likely to repent of our sins.Today's verse tells us that God will forgive and purify us if we confess our sins. I think these are two very important things, so I will address them individually. First, the verse says if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. That is something to pause and really take in. If you confess, you will be forgiven. Can you hear that? Can you believe that? I mean, really believe that? If you confess, you will be forgiven.This goes against what we tend to believe. This definitely goes against what the enemy tells us. We are accustomed to thinking that our sins are too bad to be forgiven. The enemy tells us that although it is true that God does forgive sins, He won't forgive our sins because they are too bad, or they are too many in number.  This we can believe. The world is always telling us how bad we are and how perfect God wants us to be. There are impossible standards set, and so we fail them time and time again. All this so-called failure makes us give up on trying to be good. We figure we will never make it, so what is the point?We know we have messed up. We know that even if we confess our sins, we will just mess up again, so why bother even trying? This is all the enemy talking. He is trying to convince us that God wants us to be perfect, and if we stray from that, then we might as well give up because God won't forgive us. We are not worthy of forgiveness. We keep messing up, and we aren't changing. We will always be the same person who did that bad thing. We will keep doing the same things forever. Does any of this sound familiar? Do you find these thoughts going through your head? Yeah, me too.The good news is that we don't have to listen to them. We know that God does forgive us because it says it right here in this verse, and we can believe all we read in the Bible because it is the Truth. It is not even complicated. It doesn't say that if we jump through three hoops, stand on one foot, hop up and down, and then run around the building twice, we will be forgiven. It doesn't say if we promise God we will never do it again, and then we are perfect from now on, we will be forgiven. It doesn't say that you will be forgiven as long as you are a first-time offender. The only condition put on our forgiveness is that we confess our sins.I know it can be hard to confess our sins. The enemy makes us feel so much shame about things we have done. Then there is also our pride, which tries to convince us that we don't have to admit what we have done, God saw it, He already knows, and if He wants to forgive us, He doesn't need us to do anything. The enemy is good at using half-truths to confuse us and to take our focus off God. Yes, it is true that God already knows what we have done. However, that doesn't mean we don't have to ask for forgiveness. If we ask, God forgives us. It is that simple. However, we do need to ask. We do need to be sorry for what we have done. But that is it. That is the extent of the conditions put on our forgiveness. If you ask me, that is a small price to pay for my sins to be forgiven. I just have to tell God, that's it? That seems pretty simple.However, depending on what we did, it could be hard for us to confess. God is patient with us, and He will wait until we are ready. If we need His help, He will help us. We can ask the Lord to come in and help us confess our sins. We can ask Him to help us know and see our sins, as we might not even know all the ways we have offended Him or others. This is a big one. Sometimes we might do or say something to someone, and we have no idea the effect it has on them. We have no idea what is going on in their own life that may cause them to take offense at something you did, even though you didn't mean it. It is good to check in with the Lord sometimes and ask Him if there is anything you need to confess.The verse next says that God will purify us from all unrighteousness. How great would it be to be purified? Imagine if all your sinful or wicked ways were purified. I would love to be free of my wicked and sinful ways. Those ways that get me stuck in sin. Those ways that get me stuck in choosing the wrong thing. Being purified sounds pretty nice to me. Again, this verse says God will do this if we confess our sins. Even though it may be hard, it seems like the good far outweighs the bad. So, what are we waiting for? Let's confess our sins today and be forgiven and purified!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, we want to confess our sins. Please help us to have the courage to do so. Please help us ignore the enemy's voice. Please help us to believe that if we confess our sins, you will not only forgive us but also purify us. We want to be forgiven, Lord! We need to be purified, 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 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, “Know this, my children. As your praises rise up to meet me, my blessings are poured out upon you to protect you, to help you to grow closer to 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 witnesses are from the Encounter Ministries Healing page on their website. Encounter Ministries has healing services that are different than all the other healing services that I have been to. I love them, and I am so honored that I was able to attend the Boston Campus for two years to become equipped and activated in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I invite you to go to the Encounter Ministries website and check out some of the testimonies. They will often have people try to do something they couldn't do before. It is incredible. Today, I have several of their healing testimonies for you. However, they have so many more! The testimonies below are from several different videos they have on their site.There was a man who went to the Encounter Conference in a wheelchair and then, after being prayed over, could walk out of the conference without his wheelchair. They asked him who Jesus was, and he said, “Jesus is the Saviour!”Next are testimonies from a healing service in Akron City. There was a woman who was in an accident 25 years ago. She had her back that had been hurting this whole time and was progressively getting worse. She had been going to the chiropractor but did not get relief. She went to the healing service with a knot in her neck. She said the condition is 80% healed after prayer, and the knot is gone! The next woman, Rose, fractured her humerus and cracked the ball of her shoulder. It didn't ever heal right, and she couldn't raise her arm high, and she couldn't put it behind her back. But after prayer, she could do both. Also, the tendons and ligaments were always sore, but after prayer, she couldn't feel them at all. Next is Matt, and he had a pinched nerve in his hand a few months ago. The doctor said it would get better, but it hasn't. The team prayed over him several times, and it improved. Then Father Mathias came over and asked what was wrong, and prayed over him again, and it was completely healed. Next is a woman named Janice who walked up to the microphone holding her right hearing aid. She said she could hear without it, and she couldn't believe it because she had been wearing it for a long time. Then Patrick prayed over her left ear and asked her to take her left hearing aide out and he whispered into her ear and she could hear him and she could hear the crowd cheering for her.Victoria was in a car that spun for half a mile going 80 miles per hour. She was then flying through the air. She prayed to God, and he appeared in her car next to her. She landed and hit a pine tree. Her body aches with pain, but I don't want to take medicine all the time. My pain level is always about an eight, and I am pain-free after the prayer. Ellen has had a stiff neck for 4 years. Sometimes it is really bad, and sometimes it is better. I have right hip and back pain. I have been praying that she could see him work and heal. She has relief from all the aches, and the pain is almost all gone. Michael has been having pain in his heel for weeks. Right now, the pain is gone, and he can not make it work. Victoria, Ellen & Michael were all healed before they even did individual prayer. They hadn't even touched anyone yet, they were healed just through worship & the Gospel teaching.Lyme disease causes constant pain from head to toe. It comes and it goes. I was sitting here thinking I wouldn't make it through the rest of the healing service because I had so much joint pain. While I was sitting there, it felt like every joint was filled with the Lord. He filled me from head to toe. Then all the joint pain was gone. Another woman had something wrong with her shoulder. When she would move her arm, she would hear a bunch of cracks and noises. However, now she only has one little tiny click. She also has had a headache for as long as she can remember, and now she no longer has a headache. She couldn't bend down and touch her toes before without doing it really slowly and being in pain. However, she demonstrated reaching down and touching her toes without any issue. She was in zero pain. Another woman lost my sense of smell 6 months ago. One time, the gas on the stove was on, and she didn't know it because she couldn't smell it. Luckily, her son came in and let her know. After prayer, now she can smell!Next was a man who had a problem with his lungs; every time he breathed, it hurt. He also had trouble with his knees. He had bad pains, and when he sat down, they were stiff. The pain is all gone. There is no pain in my knees. I can walk straight with no pain and no issue. I can breathe again with no pain. Then a woman talked about how her arm was so painful she couldn't even move it, and then she raised her hand above her head with no pain!Thank you so much for sharing your testimonies. Your stories will help build the faith of others. Thank you to Encounter Ministries for continuing to hold these healing services and for helping people discover the love of Jesus! 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

How Do I Repent?Ezekiel 18:30 " Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise, iniquity will be your ruin.”This first sentence is letting us know that we will be judged based on our own actions. At one time, it was believed that we would be judged based on the actions of our ancestors. This verse corrects this thought. When I looked up this verse on the Enduring Word Commentary, it said, “The error in believing in communal or family salvation or damnation is so serious and dangerous that God unmistakably emphasized the individual's responsibility before God.“It may be true that in my physical being I have inherited tendencies to some forms of evil from my father, but in the fact of my essential relation to God, there are forces available to me more and mightier than all these tendencies. Neither righteousness nor evil is hereditary.” (Morgan)This is important for each of us to understand. We are not bad because our parents were bad. We are not good because our parents are good. We are responsible for our own actions. This is good news. This means we don't have anyone to blame but ourselves.  This also means all the responsibility falls on our own shoulders. I want to take a minute to look at one line in particular in the Enduring Word Commentary. It said, “In the fact of my essential relation to God, there are forces available to me more and mightier than all those tendencies we might have inherited.” In other words, we don't have to do this on our own. Even though we will be judged on our actions, we don't have to have the strength to make the right choices all on our own.Because we are children of God, we can call on Him to give us strength and to help us make the right choices. The second part of the verse above says to repent and turn from all your transgressions. The verse I discussed in yesterday's episode told us to repent and return to the Lord. Today's verse is telling us to repent and turn away from our transgressions. When I was trying to think about what to talk about in this episode it dawned on me that we might not all know how to repent. Repent is one of those words that we all kinda know what it means but we don't necessarily know how to define it or how to do it. Repentance is more than just saying “I'm sorry.” It's a heartfelt turning away from sin and turning toward God. Here's a biblical and practical step-by-step understanding of how one repents:1. Recognize the SinRepentance begins with awareness. We often live unaware of how our choices, attitudes, or habits go against God's will.Ask God for clarity. Sin can be obvious (like lying or cheating) or subtle (like pride, bitterness, or fear that blocks faith). Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart.Listen with humility. Sometimes God uses other people, Scripture, or conviction during prayer to expose what needs to change.Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”Reflection prompt: Where in my life am I resisting God's way? What attitudes, habits, or relationships might be leading me away from Him?2. Feel Godly Sorrow (Not Just Guilt)This isn't about shame. It's about recognizing how our sin hurts our relationship with God and others, and it grieves us deeply—not just because of consequences, but because of love.Worldly sorrow says, “I'm sorry I got caught or hurt someone.”Godly sorrow says, “I've grieved the heart of the One who loves me most. I want to be changed.”2 Corinthians 7:10 “ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.”Reflection prompt: Do I feel sorrow because of what my sin cost, or just because it was exposed?3. Confess the Sin to GodConfession is honest communication with God. It's naming the sin and agreeing with Him about its seriousness, without hiding or blaming.Openly admit your sin to God in prayer. Be specific and honest. No excuses or blaming.“God, I've been dishonest in my work,” or “I've held unforgiveness toward ___."Confession is not groveling—it's returning to a loving Father who already knows and still welcomes you.1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”Reflection prompt: What do I need to confess out loud to God today, trusting in His mercy?4. Turn Away from the Sin (Change Direction)This is the literal meaning of repentance: to turn. It means letting go of the old and moving toward a new way of living.Make a conscious decision to change direction.You may need to delete contacts, change your routine, stop certain conversations, or set up boundaries. This part is hard—but repentance without change is just regret.Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,”Reflection prompt: What do I need to let go of today so I can move toward God?5. Turn Toward God (Restore Relationship)Repentance isn't just about stopping sin—it's about renewing intimacy with God. When we turn from sin, we turn to grace, peace, purpose, and healing.Pray, even if you feel unworthy. God is not holding your sin against you—He's welcoming you home.Dive into Scripture, worship, community, and His promises.James 4:8a “ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”Reflection prompt: How is God inviting me to return to Him—not in fear, but in love?6. Bear Fruit That Shows RepentanceThis is the outward evidence of an inward change. You don't earn God's love by being good—but real repentance produces visible fruit.Fruit might look like changed speech, different choices, seeking reconciliation, or serving others with a humble heart.This fruit grows over time—don't rush it. Stay connected to God and He'll transform you.Matthew 3:8 — “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”Reflection prompt: What new actions or habits is God inviting me to develop that reflect a changed heart?Summary: True Repentance Involves…Head (Recognizing the wrong)
Heart (Feeling sorrow over it)
Hands & Feet (Turning around and walking in a new direction)Repentance is not about being perfect—it's about being real before God. It's how you return home to His love, over and over again. He's not angry; He's ready to embrace you.Luke 15:20 “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”Dear heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, help us to understand repentance more. Move our hearts and show us where we need to repent. Show us where we have sin in our hearts and in our habits. Please help us to recognize sin in our lives and to repent and turn back to you. Please help us to repent and turn away from that sin. Give us the strength to ask you to show us the sin in our lives and the courage to change our habits so that we can walk away from that sin. 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. Today's episode was an example of what I teach in mentoring. Tonight I will go deeper and give more detail into each one of those six steps to repentance. At the end of each mentoring session, I give 2-3 reflection questions to help us stop, talk to the Lord, and really reflect on what we just learned and how it relates to us personally. We look at how we can use what we just learned to make lasting changes in our lives. I invite each one of you to join the mentoring tonight. There is a link below or you can go to the mentoring tab on my website, walkboldlywithjesus.com. 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!Tuesday: 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, “Do not be afraid to go forward. I am with you each step of the way. Do not go in the shadows, I keep telling you. Come to me. Come, and I will reveal my light. I will make you a light to others, so that they may come to me and know my love.” 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

Repent & Have Your Sins Wiped AwayActs 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out”Peter is preaching repentance in this verse. He is not the first to preach about repenting and turning back to the Lord. There were many prophets in the Old Testament who preached about repentance. The one that comes to my mind first is Jonah. He knew the power of repentance, and he was asked to go and preach this message to Ninevah. However, Jonah didn't want to preach this message to Ninevah because he didn't think they were worthy of God's mercy. He didn't want God to save them. He thought they were too far gone for God to save.Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever felt like you were too far gone for God to save? Maybe you have felt like someone else was too far gone for God to save. Jonah knew how great God was. He knew if they repented and turned back to the Lord that He would save them. Yet, he decided that they didn't deserve this. He decided they were terrible people and they deserved what they had coming to them, so he fled this calling. He tried to run from the Lord. As much as I would love to judge Jonah and say how wrong he is, I think we can all relate to him.I think we have all had times when someone has done something and we don't think they deserve forgiveness or mercy. We almost don't want them to say sorry because we don't want to have to forgive them. I think we have all also been in a place where we feel God is calling us to do something, and we don't want to do it, so we try to run from that calling. We might try to hide from that calling. We know on some level that we can't really hide from God, but on another level, we really don't want to do what we are feeling called to do, so we try to hide anyway.Hiding from God won't get us anywhere we want to be. When Jonah tried to run away from his calling and hide from the Lord, he was thrown overboard from the ship he was on, swallowed up by a huge fish, and stayed in the belly of that fish for three days before he was spit out onto shore. I don't think the same would happen to us, but as you can see, nothing good will happen, that is for sure. A better idea is to talk with the Lord. Explain to Him why you don't feel you can do what He is calling you to do, and then listen to what He tells you. God is smarter than we are. He sees everything, and we only see a small fraction of things. If he is calling us to do something, there is a very good reason, and who are we to judge it? Who are we to question it?Let me get back to the verse, “"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” There are three things this verse is pointing out to us. The first is to repent. What does this even mean? According to the Oxford language, Repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin. The word repentance in the Bible literally means “the act of changing one's mind.” True biblical repentance goes beyond remorse, regret, or feeling bad about one's sin. It involves more than merely turning away from sin. Eerdmans Bible Dictionary includes this definition of repentance: “In its fullest sense it is a term for a complete change of orientation involving a judgment upon the past and a deliberate redirection for the future.”As you can see, when Peter is talking about Repentance, he is not just talking about saying I'm sorry for my sin. He is talking about changing our minds. He is talking about realizing that what we did was wrong and then changing our behavior so we don't do it again. It doesn't do us any good if we apologize to God for our sin and then go back to doing the same thing. It also doesn't do any good if we say sorry, but we don't actually think we have done anything wrong.I feel a prompting from the Holy Spirit to take a quick moment to talk about what happens when we feel the Church has rules that we don't believe in. Maybe you don't agree with all of the Church's teachings. You do your best to follow most of their rules, but some you don't understand or don't agree with, so you ignore those. You don't bring them up in confession because you don't feel you are sinning, because you don't agree with that rule or that teaching. At my retreat in April, we had a speaker who was in this boat. She was a devout Catholic and followed all the rules and teachings. However, she did not agree with the teaching on contraceptives. She felt that the church had no right to tell her what she could do with her body.If you want to hear her talk, you can find it on her website, pattyschneier. It is called Prove it God… and He did. I put a link to it in the show notes. Click Here. I don't have time to recount her whole talk to you, although I really encourage you to listen because it was so good! Even if that is not the thing you don't agree with, her talk gives you a way to talk to God about the things you don't agree with and let him teach you. Patty was set in her ways and was convinced of her stance. However, over several days, or maybe weeks, God came in and gave her an understanding she couldn't ignore. He completely changed her life, her marriage and her family in just a short time once she was ready for Him to show her the truth.God will do this for you, too! If there are teachings you don't understand, bring them to the Lord. Ask Him to show you why, help you understand, and renew your mind. You will be surprised at How He works. You will be surprised by the way He responds to you. God doesn't want our empty promises to change. He doesn't want us to say what we think He wants to hear. He wants us to truly repent, and if we think we have no reason to repent, then bring that to Him and ask Him to show us where we need to repent. If you ask, He will answer.He will show you where in your life you need to repent, or what in your life needs to change. An amazing thing about God is that He will show you where you need to change, but He will do it in such a gentle and loving way. He doesn't usually show you all the places at once. He will begin change in one area, and as you grow in that area, He might show you change in another area. Also, He won't make you do all the work on your own. If you ask God to help you make the changes, He will. What just came to mind was one of the saints. The Lord told him that He needed to change, and he told the Lord he would change, just not yet. The Lord still used him powerfully when he was ready to change.Be honest with the Lord. He knows your heart. You can't hide anything from Him. If there are things you are struggling with, bring them to Him and ask for help, knowledge, or guidance. He will help you. You don't have to do this alone. He will be happy to help you and to guide you. He is not asking for perfection. God is just asking that you try to do your best. He has so much mercy. He is so patient and so forgiving. All He wants is for us to try and for us to invite Him into the struggle so He can help us.The second thing the verse is asking us to do is to turn back to the Lord. This can be hard if whatever we did was so bad that we think we don't deserve to turn back to the Lord. God is always waiting for us to turn back to Him. He is waiting for us to come back to Him, and He is waiting with open arms. There is nothing you can do that would prevent you from coming back to the Lord if you want to. If you are sorry for what you have done, He forgives you. It is that simple. It is not complicated with the Lord. Maybe in the Old Testament, it might have been a bit harder because there were all these rules about what you needed to sacrifice in order to be forgiven. That is not the case anymore.When Jesus died for our sins, He paid the ultimate sacrifice. He fulfilled all the requirements for sacrifice. We no longer have to do anything except be sorry, change our ways, and turn back to the Lord. Some might be wondering what “turn back to the Lord” means. Does that mean I have to instantly follow all the rules and the teachings of the church? I think my answer may vary from others, but what I feel the Lord has put on my heart is no. If you are far from the Lord, if you have been away from the Church for a long time, if you aren't sure what you believe, but you want to know more. I think it is ok to invite God in and then ask Him to lead you to where you need to be.Many of us think we need to be perfect to invite God in. Many of us feel we aren't ready to go to church each week. We aren't prepared to be all in, so we can't invite God in. We think we will just disappoint Him because we aren't ready to do everything yet. God knows your heart. He knows where you are at and He is very patient. Please don't wait until you are ready to be all in before you invite God in. He wants you to invite Him into the mess. He can help you grow. He can help you overcome all the things that are standing in the way of you being with Him. He can help you, but only if you invite Him in, only if you give Him permission to work in your life. God is a gentleman, and He will not come in where He is not invited.The last thing this verse talks about is that when you repent and turn back to God, your sins will be wiped out. Did you know that God does not remember your sins once you have repented of them? Hebrews 8:12, "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” God is merciful towards us, and He does not remember our sins. Isn't this amazing? I know you may not be able to forget all you have done, but God wipes them away.  He does not remember them. Wouldn't it be great to have your slate wiped clean? Wouldn't it be great to just start fresh?This is exactly what happens when you repent and turn back to the Lord. When you go to confession, or when you sit with the Lord and tell Him all you have done, and let Him know you are sorry for all the ways you have hurt Him. In the Catholic Church, after we confess our sins, we say an Act of Contrition, and there is one line that always gets me. Here is one version of the Act of Contrition, “O my God, I am sorry and repent with all my heart for all the wrong I have done and for the good I have failed to do, because by sinning I have offended you, who are all good and worthy to be loved above all things. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid the occasions of sin. Through the merits of the Passion of our Savior Jesus Christ, Lord, have mercy.”The line that gets me every time is when it says, “but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love.” There is another version that says, “But most of all because they offend you, my God, whom I should love above all.” Every time I say that, I am reminded of how much love God has for me and how, when I sin, I am choosing something else above God. It is a pretty powerful reminder to me to choose God first. To put God first. That doesn't mean I always do, because I am human and I mess up a lot. But I love going to confession and saying the act of contrition to remind myself.Whether you go to confession with a priest or you take your sins directly to the Lord, He wants us to repent, He wants us to turn back to Him, and as soon as we do, He forgets our sins. He wipes the slate clean. It can be scary to go to confession. It can be scary to sit and think of the ways we have offended the Lord, especially if it has been awhile, or if we have never done it, and yet, once you do, you will feel this weight lifted off your shoulders. Wouldn't it be nice to have that stuff wiped clean? What are we waiting for?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, help us understand repentance more. Help us to see all the ways we are hurting you, and help us to change. Help us to have a renewal of our minds. Help us to turn back to you, Lord. Give us the strength to turn back even if we don't feel we are worthy. Help us to repent 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 want to invite you all to mentoring this month. The theme is “Repentance.” We will dig deep and talk about God's call to repentance, God's mercy and forgiveness, Evidence of true repentance, God's joy over repentance, and how repentance leads to new life. There are five Tuesdays in June, so it is a great month to join because there is a bonus week! If you have been thinking about joining for a while, or you have been wondering what it is all about take this as your sign that you should click on the link below and check it out. Or go to the website WalkboldlywithJesus.com and click on the mentoring link.  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, do not live in the shadows. Come into the brilliance of my light, and you will see life as it is.” 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

A Place Of AbundancePsalm 66:10-12 “For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.”This month in mentoring, we have been talking about what to do when we have to wait a long time for the answers to our prayers. I know a lot of people who have been sick for a long time, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. I know others who have been struggling for a long time, and there is no deliverance from that suffering in sight. Yesterday's podcast addressed this, and I feel as though the Lord gave me a deeper understanding as to why sometimes our prayers aren't answered immediately.Then I saw this verse this morning, and I thought it was a good one because of the imagery and because of the message. It begins with, “For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.” The first thing that comes to mind is that not everything is a test from God. You are not sick because God is testing you. You did not get divorced because God is testing you. God does not create bad things in our lives so that He can test us. This is important to remember. Just like if you have children and they are going through hard times, you may let them struggle a bit so they can learn from the situation, but you did not cause the situation.God is for you; He is not against you. This is an important fact that can be easy to forget when all seems to be going wrong in our lives. If you are struggling to believe this, I urge you to write it down on a piece of paper or a sticky note and place it somewhere where you will see it multiple times a day. It is the truth. God is FOR you, He is NOT against you. He does not create illness, He is not the author of bad things happening in your life.All of that being said, God does allow us to go through illness; he allows us to go through hard times because He knows we will be stronger on the other side. He knows we will become different people in that struggle. Who we become in the struggle is up to us. We have to make a choice, or many choices, throughout our struggle to become who we want to be. Going through a really difficult season can help us rely on the Lord more. It can help us become more compassionate to others who are struggling. It can teach us patience and resilience. It can teach us to slow down and to pray more. A lot of good can come out of having to struggle. We have to choose that, though.Going through a really difficult season can also have the opposite effect. Some people turn away from the Lord when they are struggling. They are angry, they don't understand why it is happening, and instead of leaning in, they turn away. It can also harden people's hearts and make them angry and bitter. It can make them resentful because they are suffering and others aren't. They might be frustrated that they can't do all the things they want to do and they take it out on others.As I said, if you want to come out better on the other side, you have to make a choice. Actually, you will need to make a lot of choices throughout the difficult season. All day, every day, you will be faced with choices to lean into God or to turn away. You will be faced with choices of developing more compassion towards others or hardening your heart towards others. You can search for things to be grateful for, or you can find reasons to be jealous of those more fortunate. You can be bitter or you can be joyful.I want you to know that I am not saying any of this will be easy. It is not easy to choose to believe in God when you feel like He is taking everything away from you, or you feel as though He made you sick. It is not easy to be joyful when you are stuck in bed and are in so much pain, and you have been this way for months with no end in sight. It is not easy to find joy in the pain. It is not easy to be grateful when you feel like your whole life is falling apart. I know this, I have been in really difficult seasons when I had to make these choices too.Do you know what, though, it is also not easy to be miserable. It is not easy to be bitter and resentful. It is not easy to have everyone avoid you because you can't seem to be kind to anyone. It's not easy to have everyone avoiding you because you are so negative, and all you do is complain. It is not easy to turn away from the Lord and block all the healing, strength, and love He has for you. Life is not easy. No matter what choices you are making, life is not easy. You just have to decide if you are going to make the hard choices that will benefit you or the hard choices that will hurt you. What will you choose?The ending of the verse today is the part that I wanted you to hear the most. It says, “You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.” We can all probably relate to this verse. We are either in a time like this right now, or we can remember when we have been. We have been in a situation where we felt like the burden was crushing us. The weight alone of what we were going through was too much to bear. Maybe you felt like you had gone through water and fire.What I want you to know is that God will bring you out of where you are now and He will bring you into a place of abundance. Can you look back on some difficult times that God has already brought you through and see that time of abundance? Abundance means a very large quantity of something. So, it doesn't mean that you will come out of a difficult situation and suddenly win the lottery. It doesn't have to be an abundance of money. Maybe you will come to the other side of this hard time, and you will have an abundance of faith or patience. Perhaps you will have an abundance of understanding, love, wisdom, and strength. Maybe you will come out of all of this with an abundance of gratitude or an abundance of people surrounding you. I am not sure what your “place of abundance looks like, but I know it will be there waiting for you. If it is in the Bible, then it is true. If you are still in a difficult place, you can look forward to the place of abundance. If you have been through a hard season and have made it to the other side, look back and try to remember or see that place of abundance.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Bless them and bless their families. Lord, please help us to choose the right path. Help us to make good choices in our suffering and in our pain. Please help us all make good choices throughout the day, even if we aren't suffering right now. Lord, help us choose you and only things that bring us closer to you. Please help us to focus on the positive and not the negative. Please help us grow closer to you and not turn away. Please help us to be grateful and not bitter. Please help us, 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. Yesterday, I mentioned my newsletter email list, where you will get all the information about upcoming retreats, books, and other news. Today, I want to remind you that you can sign up for the Word of the Day emails. Every day, I email the Word from the Lord that I post at the end of each podcast to the email list. I create an image for the word, and then I send it out 7 days a week. Wouldn't it be great to start your day with a word from the Lord? CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emails. You can unsubscribe at any time by just clicking the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email. I look forward to seeing you 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 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, let not fear take hold of you. Let it not paralyze you. Move beyond your fear, for I am there. I will help you overcome.”   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 Is Expectant Faith?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 me or them 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, 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 am trying to get my devotional book about Identity out into the world by the end of June, so be on the lookout. If you are not already signed up to get my email newsletter so you can stay informed of any books, retreats, talks, etc., please click on the link below. I don't send a lot of emails, just one per week with all the info.  CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily life.  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, “The pillar of fire by night was not only to enable my people to move forward. As they moved forward, it was also a shield impenetrable by their enemies.” 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 two testimonies from the Salvation 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 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 situation, He can help. I hope you enjoy these testimonies.Denice: My grandson, Elijah (age 19), was an unbeliever his entire life. I've been praying that he would find God. He was invited to a Bible study that 2 of his good friends started. He was resistant at first, but his friends never stopped inviting him. And finally, he gave in and went. I wept with joy.A few months into this study, Elijah asked me if he could host the study at my house. I couldn't say “Yes!!” fast enough! 25 kids, aged 15 to 29, showed up that Wednesday night and filled my entire living room. I was so proud of this group telling them they are disciples on the ground – that we are living the year of the Lord's favor today. I told them the Gospel is still moving, and they are a part of it. They are no different that the 12 disciples they are reading about in the Bible. Discipleship is still happening through you and me, and the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. The Kingdom will spread in you and through you. The Gospel works because of who Jesus is; not because of us. I am proud to be a seed.These young people take turns leading the study and I have had the pleasure to sit in on several of their studies. It blows my mind. My oldest grandson, Justus (age 29) has also joined this group and has never missed a Wednesday night. I can see the changes in both of them. God is so good… And to witness this is powerful. These young people, dedicated to the Lord, are now getting together on Thursday as well!They were studying sin, and I reminded them that the Living God does not hate sin because you broke a rule. He hates sin because it breaks you. Sin weakens you. And that sometimes we pray for our circumstances to change when maybe God wants YOU to change in the circumstance.I am so proud of this group of young people. It has become a great opportunity to share my faith and to watch God move in their lives.This is what prayer can do….  So don't stop praying! Next is Brad:Hello West Family,I would like to share with you my testimony of opening my heart to Jesus Christ and how He completely changed my life.My mom left my father when I was around one year old. She soon remarried my stepfather, who she is still married to today. He had two daughters and one son. His son stayed with us more often than the daughters did, so I instantly gained a brother who I grew up with. He became like a blood brother to me.We were raised going to church, but as time went on, we attended less and less due to constant fighting between my mother and stepfather. My biological father was barely in my life and lived in California, while I lived in Kansas. As we stopped going to church, it felt like my mom and stepfather became increasingly strict with us, and discipline became harsh—belts and paddles, being slapped in the face, soap shoved down our throats, etc.Time passed, and we went through the typical phases—Boy Scouts, sports, family activities—and while at times it seemed harsh, there were good times as well. I was diagnosed with depression in my early teens and was quickly put on medication, as that seemed to be the only solution at the time.As we got older, my brother moved out after graduating from high school. For his 21st birthday, he invited me to the lake with his friends. But at the last minute, he told me they weren't going to the lake anymore and that I couldn't hang out with them, probably because they planned on going to bars and drinking. That hurt me deeply.So, on the night of my brother's birthday, I ended up staying at a friend's house. Strangely, I couldn't sleep at all. I felt as if something wasn't right. As I was tossing and turning, I heard my friend's phone ringing in the middle of the night, which struck me as odd. His mom called downstairs to me, saying the phone was for me. I answered, and it was my mom. She told me something had happened, but she couldn't talk and handed the phone to my sister. I was told that my brother Jason had been in an automobile accident and didn't make it. My brother and his friend had both decided to leave an Applebee's restaurant after drinking heavily and get into my brother's friend's brand-new Firebird. They made the tragic decision to drink and drive. They were traveling at a high rate of speed when they hit a telephone pole. My brother died instantly, and his friend barely made it out alive.In an instant, my whole life changed. From that moment on, my life spiraled. I struggled with uncontrolled drinking, sleeping with different partners, failed relationships (one of which resulted in a child), and on-and-off jobs. Nothing seemed to be going right.I prayed to God for someone to come into my life, and He gifted me with Elisabeth, who is now my ex-wife. I jumped into that relationship quickly. We lived together within three months, married soon after, and had two children. She essentially became the mother to my first child, as her mother was in and out of jail and struggling with drugs.We bought a house, had three kids, and life seemed good. I opened my heart to God, and we attended church. But then, I wanted to live life my own way instead of following the path God had planned for me. Ultimately, I lost everything. Elisabeth and I divorced and ended up selling the house.For the past 10 years, I tried living life on my terms. My mental health deteriorated, I was drinking excessively, and I even started taking pills. I slept with multiple women, and everything spiraled out of control. I treated my children poorly, and my anxiety, stress, and worries were overwhelming.However, a couple of months ago, I made the decision to open my heart fully to Jesus Christ once again. I've completely changed my mindset and behavior. I am now more mindful of how I interact with people, especially at work, and I'm committed to not treating people poorly or gossiping about them. I've started reading the Bible every day and am trying to live by its teachings.My children and I now go out and write Bible verses and encouraging messages on sidewalks with sidewalk chalk. We listen to Christian artists like you and sing along together in praise to Jesus. I even took my children to their first Winter Jam.Jesus Christ is alive and can change anyone.Thank you for your time.Your Brother in Christ,BradThank you so much to both of you for sharing your stories. I appreciate you being vulnerable and sharing your story so that others know they are not alone. It also shows them that if God got you through it, he will get them through it too! Thank you so much for sharing! 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

Oh Death, You Are Dead To Me!Isaiah 25:7-8 "On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples,the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people's disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.”This morning, I was thinking about using a song that I have heard a lot lately, which I thought would be really good and go with the theme of mentoring for this month. Then, while I was driving my son to school, this other song came on the radio, and I felt like it was a song we all needed to hear. The song is called “Oh Death” and is sung by MercyMe. I will go into the song in a bit, but first, let's talk about this verse.It begins by saying, “On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers the nations.” It was believed that there was a veil of sorts over the whole land that prevented people from seeing and following the Lord and living the way He wants us to live. I would say this is still true today. The enemy tries to put a veil in front of us so that we don't want to live the way God wants us to live. He tries to separate us from the Lord.Before Jesus died on the cross, there was a veil separating us from the Lord that was put there by God. After Adam and Eve ate from the tree, they could no longer have free access to God. From then on, only certain people could see God and talk with the Lord. However, once Jesus died on that cross, that veil was torn in two, literally. (Matthew 27:51). Now we have free access to the Lord. There is nothing separating us from talking with him. He did not want that separation anymore.However, the enemy likes to put up walls and make us believe that the Lord is too busy for us or that God is too great and we are not worthy to talk with Him. There is definitely some sort of veil over the world that tries to dim God's light and separate us from Him. The enemy wants us to feel separate from God because when we feel apart from Him, fear can creep in and try to turn us away from God. This verse is reminding us that God will destroy that veil just as he did the other one.The next line is the one that reminds me of the song. It says that the Lord will swallow up death forever. I know so many people who are afraid to die. And that makes sense because we don't want to leave our loved ones and our friends. We aren't ready to say goodbye yet, or maybe we aren't sure our loved ones are ready. Will they be ok without us? Will they be ok on their own? These are all questions that go through our minds when we think about death.We also might be worried about death because no one knows for sure what it is all about. No one knows quite what to expect. We hope that we will be in heaven with God, but then we have the enemy whispering in our ear, telling us we won't be. He reminds us of all that we have done wrong and tells us there is no way that we will get to be with God, not with what we have done. The enemy is a liar! Don't believe him. Yes, you may have done some pretty bad things, we all have. Yet, Jesus took all of that to the cross with Him, so don't let the enemy pile it onto your shoulders again.The verse above also says, “The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people's disgrace from all the earth.” God is so gentle and caring that He wipes away the tears from our faces. He not only takes away our pain, but he wipes our tears too! He also removes all disgrace that we have. The devil wants us to keep our disgrace and our shame. He reminds us of it so often that it seems like we will never forget. However, verses like this remind us that God does not hold onto the things we have done after we repent for them. So, if God isn't holding on to it, why are we?I wanted to share this song with you today because I know a lot of people who are pretty sick. Several people listening to this podcast are chronically in pain. There are several who are listening who worry about loved ones who are sick. What I love most about this song is the upbeat music and the lyrics. When you feel down, or when you feel like you might be scared of death, or scared that the enemy might be winning the fight, listen to the lyric video of this song and sing along with it. I bet your fear will disappear. The song begins:You said my fate was sealed, you said my days were numberedCase closed with no appeal, my future six feet underMessin' with my head in ghost fashionMy heart was holdin' its breath (holdin' its breath)Terrified of takin' my last oneOh death, you scared me to deathThis is what the enemy does. He whispers all these lies in our ears and he does it so often that we start to believe them. This is why it is so important to spend more time reading the scriptures, and surrounding ourselves with people who speak light and truth into our lives. If we hear the lies more often then we hear the truth, of course we are going to believe it. We have to make sure we are hearing the truth more often!Whoa, you ain't my king thoughWhoa, where did your sting go?Oh death, I will not be afraidIn the end, you will loseI will dance on your grave with the one who buried youYou ain't nothin' but a stone that my savior rolled awaySet you straight and set me freeOh death, you are dead to me(Oh dear, you are dead to me)This chorus is great because it shows the enemy that we are not afraid. God is our King; He is the one who decides everything. The enemy has no say. If we can stop thinking of the enemy as this giant thing that can take us down and start thinking of him like it talks about him in this song, I am sure we would feel stronger. This song says, “I will dance on your grave with the one who buried you. You ain't nothin' but a stone that my savior rolled away. Set you straight and set me free.”God already defeated death and sin when He sent His only Son to be sacrificed for us. We don't have to be scared of death. Death was already defeated when Jesus rose again. We don't have to be scared of it! God already won the war of good vs. evil and death vs. life. I love how the song says that we will dance on the devil's grave with the one who buried him!My faith don't flinch, it's alrightDevil, come get off of my shoulderYou thought you had the last laughYou thought this song was overWhoa, you ain't my king thoughWhoa, where did your sting go?Oh death, I will not be afraidIn the end, you will loseI will dance on your grave with the one who buried youYou ain't nothin' but a stone that my savior rolled awaySet you straight and set me freeOh death, you are dead to meOh death, you are dead to meThe enemy always thinks he has the last laugh or the last word. He refuses to accept that he has lost the war. We need to be on guard to protect ourselves from the enemy but we don't need to be afraid of him. If we are constantly turning back to the Lord. If we are rooted in the Lord and His love for us, then the enemy doesn't stand a chance!The song goes on to say:Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of youI know I'm just passin' through, oh yeahThough I walk through the valley of the shadow of youI know I'm just passin' through, oh yeahOh death, I will not be afraidIn the end, you will loseI will dance on your grave with the one who buried youYou ain't nothin' but a stone that my savior rolled awaySet you straight and set me freeOh death, you are dead to meI like this last verse too because it reminds us of something very important. It says, “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of you. I know I'm just passin' through.” This is important for us to know. Yes, we will be in the valley sometimes. Yes, the enemy will attack us sometimes, and yet the Lord is always there with us. He will always be there to save us. We are stuck in that valley, and no matter how much it feels like it, you aren't going to stay there forever. You are just passing through to pick up whatever you need for your next adventure in life. Maybe you need more perseverance, resilience, strength, peace, healing, whatever it is that this valley is teaching you. You are just passing through to level up so you can make it through the next season of your life.I pray this song makes you smile. It makes me smile when I hear it on the radio. It makes me smile when I imagine myself dancing to this song on top of the devil's grave with Jesus. It makes me smile when I think about how God rolled away the stone and rose so we could be forgiven. It makes me smile to remember I am just passing through this valley, and even though it seems like I have been here forever, I will get out of it. I invite you to look up this song on YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to music and hear this song today. It really is a great song with a great beat.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today! Lord, we love you. Please help us to remember we are just passing through this valley. Please help us to see that you have already defeated death, and we have nothing to be afraid of. Please help us to walk in your light and not in the darkness. Please help us to stand firm in the truth that you are our Lord and you have defeated evil. We thank 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 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, “Be bold. Be not afraid to speak my words to those you meet. Be courageous in times of trouble. I am your God, and I am there to help 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

God Never Forgets Us!Psalm 10:12&14 “Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”I like these verses because they remind us that God does not forget us. He sees the trouble we are in. He considers our grief, and He knows how to help us. It reminds us that we need to commit ourselves to the Lord, that He is our helper. It can seem like God forgets us because the enemy makes us feel alone. It can also seem like God forgets us when we have been asking for the same thing for a really long time, and yet it seems like our prayers are going unanswered.There is a song that came on the radio the other day, and I knew I wanted to share it with you. It is what reminds us that God doesn't leave our side. It reminds us that He always hears our prayers and He is always working for our good. God is for us, not against us. This can be something that is hard for us to remember for some reason. When we look at this broken world that we live in, it can be easy to believe the lie that God is working against us. He is punishing us for something. He is ignoring us. This is easy to believe at times because that is how we treat each other. That is not how God treats us. He treats us way better than we deserve. The song I am talking about is titled “Never” by Tasha Layton. Here are the words.When this broken world is breaking me downWhen my tears and knees both fall to the groundWhen my questions make me doubt You more than everYou remind me that Your answer is always neverWhen I first heard this song, I had no idea what she meant. We usually hear that God is a yes God. We usually hear that God will give us what we need, and a lot of the time, He gives us what we want as well. So, when I heard that God's answer is always never, I was confused. Then I kept listening.Never forgotten, never forsaken.Never abandoned, not for a secondI am safe in Your hands always and foreverYou're never not working, my heart is the proofThere's not a broken, too broken for YouWill there ever come a day when You're not holding me together?You say never (oh-oh, oh-oh)After hearing this chorus, it all made sense! We are never forgotten and we are never forsaken. God is always with us. He never leaves our side. God does not just walk away and leave us up to our own devices. He does not throw His hands up and say that there is nothing He can do here. God is always working on our behalf. We might not see it because he might be arranging things in a way that takes time. But He is never not working. I love the line, “There's not a broken, too broken for you.”We can definitely forget this fact all the time. Or, maybe we aren't forgetting it, perhaps we aren't believing it. Do you think that you are too broken for God? Do you believe He can fix a lot of things, but He can't fix you? If you feel this, you are not alone. Many people think that they are too broken for the Lord to fix. We ask why he would want to fix us. Why would he bother when there are so many other worthy people in the world? We think we are a lost cause, and He should spend His time on other people who aren't as far gone as we are. God created the entire universe with his words. If he can do that, why would we think we are too far gone for Him? Nothing is impossible for the Lord!I like the next line too. It says, “Will there ever come a day when you're holding me together? You say never!” You are not going to wake up one day to find out that God has moved on. Maybe you have had that experience with people, but god is not a person. He is not going to leave you and there will never be a day when He is not holding you together. He will always be there with you. Even when you feel like you are broken into a million pieces, He will hold all of those pieces together for you. He is that good!!Next the song says,Every single time I look back, I seeThere's never been a promise You didn't keepYou don't waste the wounds, You use them for the betterWhen it comes to You, Your answer is always neverThat first line in this section is some good advice. When we feel like God might be abandoning us or leaving us, we can look back over our lives and ask ourselves if He was there. Was there a time when he had abandoned us or left us to our own devices? I am not saying that you can always feel God's presence, but can you look back and see all the ways he arranged things for you in the past? Can you look back and see that even though it felt like God wasn't there, He actually was there working in all those situations, too? If you can, this will help you have hope that He is there for you now, too!The rest of the song repeats the verses above, so I won't read them all to you. I do think this concept is something that we really need to remember. I will just leave you with the chorus today. If this is something you struggle to believe, take out a piece of paper or take out a sticky note, write down this chorus, and read it often! God says, you are:Never forgotten, never forsaken.Never abandoned, not for a secondI am safe in Your hands always and foreverYou're never not working, my heart is the proofThere's not a broken, too broken for YouWill there ever come a day when You're not holding me together?You say never (oh-oh, oh-oh)Dear heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, help us to truly believe that you will never forget us. You will never abandon or forsake us. Please help us to believe we are always safe in your arms. Help us remember that and run back into your arms whenever we are in trouble. Help us truly internalize the words “there is no broken too broken for you!” Help us to bring our brokenness to you, Lord, instead of trying to hide it. 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 had a podcast listener reach out to me for prayer yesterday, and she mentioned it took her a while to reach out. I want to reassure all of you that when I say I would love to pray with you, I truly mean I would love to pray with you. Nothing makes my heart happier than praying with people and trying to bring them some relief from whatever they are struggling with. My email is Catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com. There is also a contact me link below the show notes. If you need prayers, I am happy to pray with you! I look forward to meeting you here again on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you, 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, when I hear you call me, I come running. I don't just walk slowly. I come running. And I run. And I run, and I run. I am never out of breath with my running, so when I arrive, I have all the strength that I need to help 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

MY 1,000TH EPISODE!!!Good Morning! Today's Witness is about me and my journey with this podcast. Today is my 1,000th episode. I can hardly believe it! Back in 2019, I decided I wanted to change my career. I had my undergraduate degree in psychology and my Master's degree in Special Education. I was a teacher at a DoD school in Turkey for 2 years when our son Sam was born. Tony and I had both decided before having kids that I would stay home with them when we did have them. So, from Turkey we moved to New Jersey, where we stayed for 5 years, and we had two more boys, Noah & Ryan. I stayed home with the boys through our stay in New Jersey, our move to Germany, and our move to England. When we moved back to Massachusetts, our boys were in 6th grade, 4th grade, and 2nd grade. I decided to try to go back to work.I was a licensed teacher in NJ, but needed to take the tests in MA to get my license. While I studied for the tests, I decided to substitute teach. Once I got my license, I applied for a few jobs, but all of my teaching experience was now at least 10 years old. I also realized that although our boys were in school they were struggling with things and I couldn't really get a traditional teaching job because I never knew when I would have to go to school to pick our son up from school, or when one of our kids would refuse to go to school and I would need to stay home to watch him.I started trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I had done a lot of personal development stuff in the years from 2015, when we moved back to the states, to 2019, when I decided what I wanted to do besides being a wife and mother. I had been talking to a lot of people who were unhappy with some aspects of their lives, and yet they felt stuck. They felt like there was nothing they could do about it. I knew this wasn't true. I knew there was always something you could do to either change the situation you are in or change who you are in the situation. I decided to become a life coach so I could help people get unstuck. I wanted to help them overcome their challenges so they could live a happy and fulfilling life.I looked through several programs. One day, I found the Life Purpose Institute. They had a program where you could become a life coach and a spiritual coach. This was perfect for me as my heart really lies in the spiritual coaching, but I also still wanted to help people who were stuck with life issues as well. The program consisted of 60 hours of training. I took the 5-day intensive with four follow-up classes. After doing peer coaching, practice coaching, and taking a final exam, I was finally certified in December of 2019. I made my marketing plan and I was all set to go out and do workshops at local churches and local libraries. I was all set to build this business, and then three months later Covid happened and we were all stuck inside. No workshops, not speaking engagements, my marketing plan went out the window.It was also difficult because as I was learning how to have my own business and work from home, I also had my husband and three kids at home with me. I figured it out, I got some clients, and I was on my way. In June of 2020, I started a blog. Each week, I would write an article, sometimes about life coaching, but they mostly turned out to be Spiritual in content. I found out that writing about Jesus and my faith came pretty easily to me, much to my surprise. I say I was surprised because just a few years earlier, I was asking the Lord why I was the only person in my family who couldn't write. My siblings are all great writers. I have two siblings who have published books. My younger siblings are all really good at writing poems. It was just me who felt like I couldn't write. Either God changed that, or I just hadn't found what I liked to write about yet.In 2020, in the month of May, I decided to go on Facebook Live every day. I thought if I can't go out and get the word out about my business, maybe I could do it on Facebook. At this time, my brother Danny reached out to me and said if I wanted to speak in Public, I should join the Toastmasters Club, which teaches people how to do public speaking and also gives you lots of opportunities to practice. I was nervous, but I decided to give it a try and found out I really liked it. I even won awards in their annual speech contest three years in a row.For Christmas in 2020, my brother Danny and his wife Jess gave me a Blue Snowball iCE microphone so that I could have it if I wanted to go online or if I wanted to do a podcast. I was so excited. I spent the next few months trying to figure out what to call my podcast, what type of podcast it would be, and so on. My friend Kim helped me come up with the logo for it. I was so excited to see that it was actually happening. At this point, I have been listening to the Big Life Podcast with Pamela Crim for over 3 years now. She does a daily devotional podcast, and it is amazing. You should definitely check it out. I decided that I wanted to do this too. I decided each day  I would take a scripture verse and relate it to real life somehow. I was all set to go.Except for the fact that I had no idea how to start a podcast. I didn't know what website to use, what program to use to record it or edit it, how to upload it, or get it out to all the podcasting websites. Luckily, my brother John and his wife Rebecca had been doing a League of Legends podcast for about a year at this point. They actually had another podcast about movie reviews. So, I asked if they could get on a Zoom call with me and teach me. They were happy to help. So, after some help from them, I was able to find some free music on the internet to use to begin and end my podcasts. I wrote my intro and outro, and I was ready to go.My first episode was released on June 16, 2021. That was a Wednesday. It is funny looking back because I remember thinking I should start on a Monday, but at the same time, I didn't want to wait any longer. I just wanted to start. Now, almost four years later, I have reached my 1,000th episode. It has been such a fun journey. The podcast has evolved over time. During February 2022, my prayer group decided to do an online Life in the Spirit Seminar. The people who attended said that what they liked best about the seminar was listening to everyone's experiences about certain topics.This is when I decided to add “Witness Wednesdays” to the podcast lineup. Every Wednesday, I was hoping to get a different person who would talk about how God was working in their lives. At the beginning, I got a lot of different people. I have also given a lot of the witnesses myself, which was great because it helped me to look at the various events in my life and see how God was working in all of them! Then I discovered the PopWe website from Matthew West and his Father, along with the Global Awakening website and the Encounter Ministry's website. God is definitely still working powerfully in this world, and so there is no shortage of testimonies out there talking about it.The next change came when I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to add the words of prophecy that we receive in my prayer group to the end of each episode. I felt like the Lord wanted me to get His word out to more than just those in our prayer group. I also hope that if we get used to hearing what the Lord's voice sounds like and the types of things he usually says, we can better discern when it is not the Lord's voice speaking to us. We will hopefully be able to block out or ignore the enemy's voice more easily. If you want to receive a daily email with these Words from the Lord, email me at Catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com. They really are amazing. It really helps us to get to know the Lord in a different way. It helps us to see him in another light. It also usually happens to be just what you needed to hear that day.I want to take this time to thank every single person who has listened to even just one of my episodes. It means the world to me that you would take the time out of your day to listen. Thank you to those who have reached out over the years to share your testimony for Witness Wednesday or have just reached out to encourage me and let me know you like the podcast. I am so grateful to God for each and every one of you. Sometimes I will write a podcast, and I think it doesn't even make any sense, and then someone will reach out and say that the podcast really spoke to them. The Holy Spirit is good like that. He knows what people need to hear and speaks through me. I am well aware that it is not I writing these podcasts alone. I am aware that the Holy Spirit is working through me, and I am so grateful that God is willing to use me.My goal when starting this podcast was that I could help those who listen walk more boldly in their faith. My goal is to help everyone learn more about what it means to have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. I want everyone to discover the power they have living inside of them. The devil doesn't want you to know. He wants you to feel alone and weak. This is not the case. You are never alone as God never leaves your side and you are not weak. You have the same Holy Spirit that Jesus had living inside of you. The same one that empowered Jesus to do all of the miracles. The same one that raised Jesus from the dead.Did you know that Jesus didn't do any miracles before He was baptized? That is because He chose to only use the human part of himself, along with the Holy Spirit to do miracles. That means that you have that same power living inside of you! What are you doing with it? How are you using it? How could you be using it? John 14:12-14, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”Did you hear that? “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Think of the most amazing thing that Jesus did. That thing that you just can't believe He could do. Then reread that verse. Do you believe in Jesus? Yes, then you can do the things he did and even greater things. This is the whole point of this podcast. I hope that if you have been with me for a while now, you are starting to realize this to be true. I hope you are starting to understand how powerful you really are. The enemy doesn't want you to know this, and I am hoping that enough of us start using the power the Lord has given us, and then others see us and they join in, and before we know it, we are all living in the power of the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine how different this world would be if we were all aware and living in the power that the Lord gave us?I love each and every one of you. I am beyond grateful for your support. If you are listening and I don't know you, I would love to get to know you. Please reach out to me through email at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com. If you would like to give your testimony, send me an email. It really doesn't take a lot of time and could really help someone else out. If you would like prayers, send me an email. It would be my pleasure to pray with you over the phone or add your prayers to my list of prayer requests. Thank you again for listening and for celebrating this momentous occasion with 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

There Is Still Good Ahead1 Kings 19:3-9 ““Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once, an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”  He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night.”I heard an episode of the Big Life Podcast last week, and it reminded me of the story about the prophet Elijah that I just read to you. As soon as I heard it, I felt the Holy Spirit wanted me to share it with all of you this week.What came to mind when I heard this verse is that it might be helpful to know that Elijah wanted to give up. In case you don't know who Elijah is, let me summarize who he was. Elijah was a prophet of God in the Old Testament, known for his bold faith, miraculous acts, and deep emotional struggles. He lived during the reign of King Ahab in 9th century B.C. Israel, a time when the nation had turned away from God to worship false gods like Baal. Here are some Key Highlights of Elijah's Life:Confronted King Ahab and JezebelElijah boldly declared a drought as God's judgment (1 Kings 17:1) and later challenged the corrupt leadership promoting idolatry.Miracles by God's PowerMultiplied flour and oil for a widow (1 Kings 17:14–16)Raised her son from the dead (1 Kings 17:22)Called down fire from heaven to prove God's power on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:36–38)Ran for His Life and Struggled with DespairAfter his great victory, Queen Jezebel threatened his life. Elijah fled, became discouraged, and asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4).God met him in a gentle whisper, showing that God's presence isn't always dramatic—it's personal and close (1 Kings 19:11–13).Taken to HeavenElijah never died—God took him to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), making him one of only two people in the Bible (with Enoch) who didn't experience death.Symbol of the ProphetsElijah later appears with Moses during Jesus' Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3), representing the prophets alongside the law (Moses).Elijah did a lot for the Lord. He was close to the Lord, and the Lord used him to do amazing things! He knew how mighty the Lord was, yet he felt he wanted to die. He felt like what the Lord asked him to do was too great. Sometimes, when we feel like giving up, we feel weak. We feel like we have failed or let the Lord down because He trusted us, yet we feel we can't go on anymore. If you feel this, I want you to know that you are not alone. There are several people in the Bible—deeply faithful, even heroic people—who reached a breaking point and felt like they couldn't go on. Some even asked God to take their lives. These moments show that God isn't afraid of our despair—He meets us in it, and He restores. Here are some of those people and where you can find their stories in the Bible in case you want to look them up and read more about them.Throughout Scripture, we see that even God's most faithful servants reached moments where they felt like they couldn't go on. Elijah,1 Kings 19:4 “He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,' he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.'” Elijah, after boldly confronting false prophets, fled in fear and isolation, collapsing under a tree and begging God to take his life. He felt completely alone—yet God met him not with punishment, but with rest, nourishment, and a quiet whisper of presence. Like Elijah, when we are drained and overwhelmed, God offers compassion, not condemnation.Moses, Numbers 11:14–15 “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me…” Moses, exhausted by the emotional and logistical burden of leading a complaining people through the wilderness, cried out to God, saying he'd rather die than continue carrying the weight alone. God didn't take his life—He sent help. For us, this reminds us that we don't have to carry everything ourselves; God provides support in community.Job, Job 3:11 “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?”Job, who lost everything—his children, health, and livelihood—wished he'd never been born. He poured out bitter questions and deep grief. And yet, God patiently listened, answered with presence and power, and ultimately restored him. Like Job, our suffering doesn't disqualify us from God's love.Jeremiah 20:14, 18 “Cursed be the day I was born! … Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?”Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, was mocked, beaten, and ignored. He cursed the day of his birth, feeling like his life was wasted. But God never revoked his calling—He reassured Jeremiah that his voice still mattered. When we feel like our lives have no impact, God sees eternal value in our faithfulness.Jonah, Jonah 4:3 “Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah, bitter that God showed mercy to his enemies, sulked under a plant and asked to die. God responded not with wrath, but with a question, inviting Jonah to see the world through a lens of compassion. This shows us that God works with us even when our attitudes fall short.Finally, Paul, 2 Corinthians 1:8 “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.” Paul confessed that he and his companions were burdened beyond their ability to endure—so much so that they "despaired of life itself." And yet, this deep despair drove Paul to deeper reliance on God. His story reminds us that feeling overwhelmed is not the end—it can be the beginning of a deeper trust. In every story, God meets brokenness not with rejection, but with grace, purpose, and presence, offering the same to us today.The point of the Big Life podcast that I listened to is that there is life after this hard season that you are going through. None of the people listed above stayed in the difficult season forever, even thought it might have felt like they were going to. They had moments when they called out to the Lord saying they couldn't make it any longer, and yet they all made it through the hard time. God showed up for each one of them and showed them how loved they are. He will do the same for you.After their breaking points, each of these men went on to live with renewed purpose, proving that God can bring beauty out of despair. Elijah, after begging God to take his life, was gently restored by God's presence and went on to train Elisha, his prophetic successor, leaving a lasting legacy. He even became one of only two people in Scripture who never died—he was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.Moses, after pleading for death under the burden of leadership, received help through 70 elders and continued to lead Israel toward the Promised Land. He experienced God's presence in deeper ways, even speaking to Him “face to face,” and was honored at the end of his life for his faithfulness.Job, after cursing his birth, encountered God in a deeply personal way. God didn't just restore what Job had lost—He blessed him with double what he had before and gave him a new chapter of joy, family, and peace.Jeremiah, though weary and rejected, faithfully kept speaking God's truth. His words endured, and we still read his laments and prophecies today—proof that even painful obedience has eternal value.Jonah, despite his anger and desire to give up, still completed his mission. The entire city of Nineveh repented and turned to God, one of the greatest mass revivals in Scripture, even if Jonah struggled to celebrate it. God still used him, flaws and all.Paul, after saying he “despaired of life itself,” continued his missionary journeys, wrote most of the New Testament, and encouraged countless believers, many while in chains. His despair didn't disqualify him—it became the soil on which deeper trust and greater impact grew.These stories remind us that our lowest moments are not the end of the story. God doesn't discard us when we're weak. Instead, He draws near, strengthens us, and leads us into a future still full of purpose, impact, and hope. There is life after the breaking point—and with God, it can be more meaningful than before.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening. Lord, I ask you to come in a special way to all those who feel like they can't go on. To all those who feel like life is too hard, or what you are calling them to do is too hard. We ask you to send the Holy Spirit to strengthen them and renew their hope. Show them that there is life after this challenging season. Please show them you are there with them and that they can do everything through you. Lift them, Lord, and help them persevere through whatever they are going through until they get to the other side. Help them climb this mountain they are facing. 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. It is that time of year again when I start to mention the retreat I will be holding in October. It is not open for registration yet, but I would like to mention it early so people can start thinking about it. It is always the second weekend in October. This year's theme will be Identity: Who does God say you are? It will be great, and I hope you can join me! More details to follow. I look forward to seeing 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 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, “Give yourself to me always. I will renew you each day. You are mine and I love 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

A Personal Relationship With GodPsalm 91:4 “He will cover you with his feathers.  He will shelter you with his wings.  His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”I love this image.  I picture the Lord as a giant eagle and He puts his wing over us like we would put our arm around a child.  When I think of this I am filled up with a sense of love that I just can't explain.  Sometimes I think we think of the Lord as this all mighty being that is so magnificent and is so busy that He doesn't really have time for us.  I guess I don't really mean that he doesn't have time for us.  I think that we all know that He is listening to our prayers.  I think we know that He spends lots of time on us.  I guess what I mean is that we don't really think that He knows us personally, if that makes sense.  I don't know, maybe I am wrong.  Take a minute and think about your impression of God.  What comes to mind when you try to picture Him.  Do you think of a loving father, do you think of an almighty God that is kind of intimidating, do you think of someone that answers your prayers, but does not know you personally?  How do you picture God?  I think the reason I am asking this is because I think that many of us think of God as someone that is unapproachable.  Yes, we can pray to Him and He will answer our prayers, but that is the extent of the relationship.  I wonder how many of us know that God longs to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us.  Yes, even you.  God wants to have a personal relationship with you.  When I first heard this, I thought, what does that even mean?  How does one have a personal relationship with someone that they can't see, hear, touch, talk to, etc.  This is when I began my journey to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. (Actually with all three members of the Trinity) So, how does one begin something when they have no idea how to do it?  Lots of ways I guess.  What I did was try to learn what it means to have a personal relationship with God.  I read some books and talked to lots of people.  Here is what I have learned so far.  Although I am still very much in the learning phase.First, you can talk to Him.  You can talk to God anytime you want to.  He is always willing to listen.  You can talk to Him about anything.  Sometimes I think we feel as though God is busy and so we come to Him when we really need Him, but we don't want to bother Him with our day to day stuff.  Or at least that's how I felt.  God has time for you whenever you want.  He is not bound by the same limits we are when it comest to time or attention.  He can be there for each of us all of the time.  He is not only willing to listen, but He wants to listen.  He loves to hear about your day.  If you are a parent, think about how happy you are when your children, no matter what age they are, take the time to tell you about their day.  This is how God feels when you take the time to just sit and talk with Him about whatever is on your mind.  Second, get to know who God is.  If you are trying to develop a personal relationship with someone one you would learn as much about that person as you can.  The same is true with God.  The best way you can learn more about God is to read the Bible.  Reading scripture and spending time in God's word is a great way to feel closer to Him.  The more you read about and learn about our Heavenly Father, the more you will begin to see Him in a different light.  You will begin to see how much He truly loves His people.  How much He has done and continues to do for us, even when we don't deserve it.  Reading scripture will help you to get to see several different sides of God.  You will get to learn so many different things about Him.  Yes, God is all mighty and He is also very compassionate.  Trust me, if you want to feel closer to the Lord, spend time daily in scripture.  Another way you can develop a personal relationship with God is to listen to what He has to say.  Once you start to talk with God and tell Him all about your day, then you can also spend some quiet time just listening to what He has to say.  You will most likely not get an audible voice that you can hear, however, some people have had this extraordinary gift.  What I hear about most often is that you get a sense or a thought that comes to mind.  For instance you are sitting there quietly and you tell God that you are available and listening.  Then sometimes you will get a thought in your head from God.  A sentence, a statement, some people get visions.  It could be whatever you are open to.  God is not going to force this on you.  He will talk with you if you want to listen but only when you are open to it.  I have had words of prophecy come to me in this way occasionally.  How I usually listen to God is that I write Him a letter in my journal and then I tell Him that am listening and then I write down any thought that comes to my mind.  I do not sensor it, I do not ask myself if this is really God talking, I just trust that I have told Him I am listening and so He is talking.  That being said, I understand that I am new to listening to God and also that I may have heard something wrong or added something I wanted to hear.  So, I do not take everything I write down as gospel, but I have found it is a great way for me to take time to listen to the Lord.  I learned this letter writing technique from Fern Gorin at the Life Purpose Institute.  Those are just a few ways you can develop a personal relationship with God.  I had no idea I was going to talk about that today.  I thought for sure it was going to be about how God is our shield and our refuge.  The Holy Spirit is funny like that.  We think we have a plan but He knows best and so He just takes over.  I love it when that happens.  I think it is important that we develop a personal relationship with God so that we can truly understand how much He loves us.  Also, so that we can truly understand how much he knows us personally.  We are not just another person to Him.  We don't get lost in the shuffle.  He calls each of us by name.   I will leave you with a word of prophecy from my prayer group that shows you just how much God wants to have a personal relationship with you.  “I have called you by name into life. I have called you every day by your name because I know you, I love you, because you are my friend.”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask that you help us develop a personal relationship with you. We pray that you help us to understand how much you love us and how much you know each one of us personally. We thank you so much, Lord, for that personal attention.  We thank you for all the countless times you have listened to us, and we pray that we can teach us how to quiet our minds and listen to you.  We love you, Lord, and we long to have a personal relationship 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. I look forward to seeing 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 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, “Choose me all the time. Choose my light, choose my truth, choose my word. There is no trial greater than me. I conquer all things. Choose 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

What If I Don't Want To Forgive?Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'”Jesus is our guide.  He came down to earth to show us how we should be acting.  He came down to teach us that the Lord our God is love.  He is trying to guide us to springs of the water of life, but we keep wanting to do our own thing.  We don't want to follow in his foot steps.  Why don't we?  Because  it is hard.  Jesus said to love everyone, even our enemies.  Is this even possible?  Jesus wants us to forgive, but aren't there some people that just can't be forgiven?  Shouldn't be forgiven?  I wonder if we all realize what forgiveness is? Forgiveness is not telling the other person that what they did was right, or ok.  It was not ok what they did.  It is not forgetting what happened or excusing it in anyway.  Forgiveness is admitting to yourself that this terrible thing did happen, that you can't change it, so you are releasing any hold that it has over you.  I know forgiveness is hard.  In some cases it seems impossible.  However, it is so necessary.  God tells us right in the Our Father Prayer, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  God is going to forgive us to the same extent that we forgave others.  Think about the things or the people that you are unable to forgive.  Do you really want the inability to forgive them to get in the way of God forgiving you?  There are some things that no matter how hard we try, we can not forgive.  This is ok, we don't have to do this on our own.  God can step in and help us forgive.  The only thing we must do is to ask him.  To give Him permission to work in your heart to forgive.  We had a word or prophecy given at our prayer group that I feel is so important to share.“I ask you to forgive my children.  I know that is a difficult command and at times may seem very impossible for you to do.  But I remind you that I am with you always, and with me nothing is impossible.  Bring your inability to me.  Allow me to work with my grace through you, so that you can be my forgiving heart for all the world.”In this word, the Lord is asking us to forgive.  He is reminding us that even though we feel it is impossible, nothing is impossible in Him.  In Matthew 19:26 Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  It also says in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  We are not in this alone.  We have God on our side and with that we can do anything.  I love how God always shows up to remind us of things when we forget.  I like how God is reminding us that He is always with us and then asking us to bring our inability to him.  He is asking us to allow Him to work with His grace through us, so that we can bring His forgiving heart to all the world.  How beautiful is that?  How great is it that God not only wants to use his grace to heal our heart, but he wants us to be His forgiving heart for all the world.  God gave us free will.  Can you imagine how frustrating it must be for Him to sit by and watch us squander all that he has provided for us?  He would love nothing more than to rain down graces on us and yet we can't be bothered to let him.  God is not going to step in if we do not ask Him.  He does not want to force us to love Him.  The only way to ensure it is true love is to give us the choice to love him or not.  Every day we have a choice to make.  Are we going to choose God or are we going to choose something else?  God has so much grace and so much mercy to give.  He does not leave us alone to make these decisions.  He is there for us every step of the way.But we do need to make that choice.  Once we do make that choice, He will be there to help us overcome all of the obstacles.  And there will be obstacles.  The life that God is asking us to live is not an easy life.   Especially in this world right now.  Forgiveness and love are two things that we are being called to do that are not the norm in society today.  We live in a culture that does not want to forgive.  We want to stay angry, blame other, and not even talk to someone that doesn't think as we think.   This is not what Jesus wants for us.  Jesus did not come to earth to be with people just like Him.  He did not just hang around with those that believed like he believed.  He didn't find all the people that were getting it right in life.  He came for those that were struggling.  He came for those that needed Him.  When he met these people, he did not meet them with judgement and unforgiveness.  He met them with love and forgiveness.  He accepted them as they were and encouraged them and helped them to become better.  How great would it be if we could do the same.  If we could greet everyone we meet with the same love and acceptance that Jesus had.  You may be thinking that you are different.  Jesus could do that because he was man and God, so he had the Holy Spirit inside him to help him make the right choice.  Guess what?  So do you.  You have the Holy Spirit inside of you and if you let Him, He will guide you to make the right choices as well.  Just remember what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  You can do this!  It is possible!  Just take a moment and ask God for help.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we really want to forgive and yet we also don't really want to forgive.  Please help us.  We give you permission right now to come into our lives, into our hearts and help us to forgive anyone we are struggling to forgive.  Lord we want to be free to be forgiven by you.  We want nothing in the way of that forgiveness.  Dad, Abba, Father, please come to our aide and help us.  Show us how to forgive.  Prepare our hearts to forgive.  Give us the strength and the grace to forgive.  We trust you Lord.  We love 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.  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

Jesus Came To Seek & Save The Lost!Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”I felt led to share with you this morning a quote from our new Pope. It was one week ago today that the Holy Spirit chose a new Pope. Tony was asking me last week about the Pope. What do we know about him and his beliefs? What kind of Pope will he be, etc. I explained he had only been Pope for a few hours, and we should maybe let him get settled in a bit before we start trying to decide what kind of Pope he will be. The other day, I read this quote on Facebook, and I fell in love with it. This is exactly the message I feel the Lord wants to get out there. This is the message I think He wants us all to share. One that many may not like. Here is what Pope Leo XIV. said:" Brothers, sisters…I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray, because they think God has left.To those who are fed up with scandals, with misused power, with the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a palace than a home.I, too, was angry with God.I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, grandparents cry without medicine.And yes… there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo.But then I discovered something:God doesn't shout. God whispers.And sometimes He whispers from the mud, from pain, from a grandmother who feeds you without having anything.I don't come to offer you perfect faith.I come to tell you that faith is a walk with stones, puddles, and unexpected hugs.I'm not asking you to believe in everything.I'm asking you not to close the door. Give a chance to the God who waits for you without judgment.I'm just a priest who saw God in the smile of a woman who lost her son... and yet she cooked for others.That changed me.So if you're broken, if you don't believe, if you're tired of the lies...come anyway. With your anger, your doubt, your dirty backpack.No one here will ask you for a VIP card.Because this Church, as long as I breathe, will be a home for the homeless, and a rest for the weary.God doesn't need soldiers.He needs brothers.And you, yes, you...are one of them."Robert Prevost (Leo XIV)I felt like the Lord wanted me to read this to you today as a reminder that God is merciful. His mercies never end. God wants us to call back His children. He wants them to know His love. He wants them to know how special they are. He wants them to know how much they are wanted. We live in a culture that always wants the newest and the best things. We live in a throw-away culture. We live in a world that thinks it is ok to sell people. Men, women, and children are stolen and sold into slavery. Marriages and families are under attack. Our children are sold drugs. Children at younger and younger ages are vaping nicotine. Before they are even out of middle school, they are addicted to Nicotine, and they don't even want to stop because they are in love with the flavors, cotton candy, and sour apple.The world is searching for God. They just don't know that He is the answer. The world is searching for love, and yet they can't seem to find it. We need to show them the love they are searching for. We need to show them the unconditional love that God shows us. The love that does not judge. The love that accepts them for who they are, right where they are. This is what we are called to.  We are called to be the face of Christ to those we meet. Are we doing this? Are we letting those who are not perfect know that they are welcome at church? Are we letting those who are struggling know that God is with them through it all?Do we let others see our flaws? Are we real with people? Sometimes we don't want others to see that we aren't perfect. We put on a good front. We let others see only the very best of us. We never let others see that we struggle. We never let anyone know that we have questioned God, or that we wrestle with some of the teachings of the Church. We don't let anyone know that there have been times when we have felt abandoned by God, or that He wasn't hearing our prayers.Jesus didn't have a perfect life. He didn't have an easy life. Sometimes I think we can get caught up in thinking that we have to be a perfect example of a Catholic in order to be an example of Christ. We have to show everyone how much we pray and how much we go to church and how religious we are, so that they can see we love Jesus. People don't need to see our perfect lives to know we love Jesus. They need to see that we can still love Jesus when things are hard. They need to see that we can turn back to Jesus when we mess up, when we fall away, when we do things we are not proud of.People need to know the church is not full of perfect people, but that it is filled with people who are trying to be better. People who get back up when life knocks them down, not because they are strong but because God lives inside of them and He is their strength. They need to see that even the priests struggle with trusting the Lord, or understanding His plan. They need to see that even people who go to church every single day still go to confession because they still sin. They are not getting it all right.One thing I love that the Pope said that I think a lot of people might not like is, “I'm not asking you to believe in everything. I'm asking you not to close the door. Give a chance to the God who waits for you without judgment.” We can sometimes get caught up in what those around us believe or don't believe. We can nag them about not believing what we believe. We do this with the best intentions. We do this because we want them to be up there in heaven with us. We do this because we love them. I love how Pope Leo is giving us permission to not worry so much if our loved ones believe all the things that the Catholic Church teaches. He is giving us a starting point to reach out to them and just show them love. That statement can be an open door.Maybe your loved one doesn't believe all that the Catholic Church, or any Church, teaches. That's ok, but can they at least open the door to the possibility that there is a God that loves them? Are they open to learning more about a God who loves them and waits for them without judgment? Is there a way that instead of harping on the things we wish our children were doing right in the Church, we could focus on just reassuring them that God loves them? He loves them even if they aren't going to church. He loves them even if they are living with their boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage. He loves them even if they are drinking too much or doing drugs. He loves them even if they are in prison, have hurt people, or have done terrible things. God still loves them and is waiting for them without judgment.What if we all looked at how we are living our lives, how we are interacting with others, and asked ourselves if we could change anything we have been doing to be more open to others? Is there anything we could do differently to help others know that we are not perfect and they don't have to be either? What is one thing you can do today that will show someone how loved they are by a God who is waiting for them without judgment?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, thank you so much for giving us a new Pope to take over for Pope Francis. Lord, you are so good to us. Please help us to be your face to others. Help us let others know how loved they are by you. Help us to make people feel welcome at church. Help us to be real with people so they can be real with us. Help us to help people see that you are waiting for them without judgment. You love them just as they are and you meet them right where they are. 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 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, “Come, beloved children of mine, come. Come to me and be mystified by what I will tell you. Only if you come will you know the deeper secrets of life.”  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 two 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.Zachary: 2016 started out as one of the most exciting years for me and my wife, Amanda. We were living in Calcutta, India; working at Calcutta School of Music and starting our own company to support local artists and musicians in the city. Amanda was expecting our first baby, Chloe West Ray, and she was due to arrive at the beginning of December. Amanda was in her third trimester when she became very sick one night. We admitted her into the hospital in Calcutta, India on a Monday night. Tuesday morning Amanda was feeling better and Chloe seemed to be doing ok too. Wednesday morning, before we were about to leave the hospital, we went in for one more ultra sound. I can still hear the doctor say, “We can't find a heart beat” as if it was today. We found ourselves sitting in that hospital room broken and confused, with no idea of what the next steps would be.There were very few words of comfort that helped. Although people were praying and offering their words of comfort, it felt like a season of being abandoned by God. The dreams of holding our little girl were stolen and shattered. Grief is a funny thing. The initial sting and pain becomes dull over time, but the memories and dull ache continues. I don't think our hearts are created for this world to overcome “grief” from tragedies or loss of loved ones; it becomes a part of our story, our life. We become a different person. The beautiful thing is that God stays the same and meets us where we are. I can honestly say God tangibly became my refuge in one of the darkest times in my life. He brought a healing into my soul like no earthly person could. We may never be the way we were before, but He shapes us into a new and often stronger person. I don't think we get over grief until we leave this world.We found out the following year that we were expecting another baby. Due to the loss of Chloe, it was difficult to not allow our fear and worry to overwhelm our joy. We simultaneously jumped for joy, and breathed a sigh of relief when our son was born. Karina: When I think of my story, I think of pain, grief, overwhelming sadness, hurt, and betrayal. Then I think of hope, redemption, love, grace, miracles, and my salvation in Jesus.Five years ago, my entire world turned upside down. I experienced betrayal in my marriage after 12 years. I was in so much pain. My life seemed to have been one episode after the next of unfortunate events.I was so broken and so alone. I was in severe depression and taking depression and anxiety meds and using alcohol with it. I was doing anything I could to dull the pain I was in.I'm so thankful that God loved me so much that He pursued me in ways I'd never experienced before. I was blessed to become a part of a church. At a time when I was deeply hurting, I was shown the love of Christ over and over again. My pastor would say during his messages (and he still does) that I MATTERED to GOD. Honestly, I didn't even know that I did. God never left my side and He revealed Himself and His love to me. I had never known love like this before and he poured it out on me in waves and waves. He walked with me through the trials and the storms and he saved me and restored me. Then God led me to become a part of a women's group that has encouraged me, prayed with me and laughed with me. These women have become my sisters. We've shared a bond stronger than any blood relationship I've ever had. Words can't describe the love in my heart that I have for each of them. God has healed me in ways I couldn't see possible five years ago or even three years ago. He resurrected my dead marriage which is a miracle in a way because there was no way I could see this being restored or if reconciliation was even an option. That's the God I serve. He is full of compassion, LOVE, mercy, and GRACE… He pursues us even when we turn our backs on Him. He loved me even when I didn't love myself; He showed me I was His, that I was never forsaken; that I was chosen, a daughter of the One True King. He healed my heart, renewed my mind and made me brand new! The only way I can end this is by saying “Thank You, JESUS” ❤️Thank you all so much for sharing your stories. I pray you continue to rely on the Lord and that He continues to bless your families. I know it can be hard to share your story with the world, and yet when you do, it helps others see God working in their life as well.  Thank you again! 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

Catch Me When I FallPsalm 13:4-5 “How long, Lord? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look upon me, answer me, Lord, my God! Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death, Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed,” lest my foes rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your mercy. Grant my heart joy in your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt bountifully with me!”The theme for mentoring this month is “How Long, Lord?” I chose this title because I know so many people who are suffering right now and who have been for quite some time. They have been sick for so long, and they can't see an end in sight. Some have been going through struggles with their family, and they can't see a resolution. It feels like things might always be like this. Many I know are struggling with a prodigal child, and they are waiting for them to come home, but feel like it may never happen.In today's verse, David addresses this same sentiment. It begins with “How Long, Lord? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me? How much I carry in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” I am sure that is exactly what my friends who are suffering are asking the Lord. I am sure they are struggling to understand why they are still suffering, what the purpose is, and when they will be through it. In mentoring this month, each week, I am going to examine a song that deals with these exact feelings. I really like music; it speaks right to my soul. I also like to use songs because you can always go back to them and listen to them and hopefully they will bring you comfort."When I Fall" by Katy Nichole is a song written out of desperation, reflecting a time when Nichole felt mentally, spiritually, and physically drained. She describes the song as a desperate prayer, expressing her exhaustion with trying to be "okay" and her desire to be honest with God. I think this is great. We should all be honest with God. I don't know why we think we can hide things from Him. He is all-knowing. That thing you are too afraid to tell Him about, He already knows. That thing you don't want to bother Him with, He already knows. There isn't anything we can hide from God. Here are the lyrics for the song:Lord, I can't find You right nowAnd everything is crashin' downI'm losin' faith and fallin' into my doubtsHow long will I have to fightJust for me to stay alive?This is a true and honest song. This is something that I know those who suffer with chronic pain are asking the Lord. I am sure at times we all wonder where God is. We wonder why He is letting us go through the things we are going through, and when He is going to pull us out of it. It is hard to keep having faith and fighting, not to let our doubts get the best of us when we are so tired from all the fighting we have already done.I know You're there, God, pleaseJust meet me here tonightMy God, I'm tired of tryna be okayI've prayed all the prayers I have to prayPlease don't leave me lonelyMy God, I need You to hold meThis is the desperate plea of so many of us. We know God is there. We just need Him to hold us, even if it's just for a minute. We are all tired of trying to be okay. We are tired of having to pretend to everyone that we are ok. One of my favorite sayings is, “It's ok to not be ok.” I wish more people knew this. I wish more people would speak out and let others know they are not ok. I know so many people who seem so happy on the outside and yet are not ok on the inside. This world is a lonely place. Which may seem weird, as there are so many ways to keep in touch with friends and family. However, a lot of the relationships we have these days are superficial. We “like” or “love” people's posts on social media, but we aren't reaching out and having meaningful conversations. And, if we are being honest, we probably aren't making posts that accurately reflect how we feel inside or what life is like on a day-to-day basis.My God, I'm losin' all the hope I gotI'm far beyond the point of bein' lostI've tried, but I can't let go'Cause God, You catch me when I fallYou catch me when I fallThis is like so many I know. They don't want to lose their hope, but it is hard day after day when it feels like their prayers aren't being answered. When you look around, and no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to find God. What is really good is that she knows that God will be there to catch her when she falls. If she can let go of all that she thinks is supporting her and holding her up, and just fully surrender to God, then He will catch her. He will always be there to catch us when we fall.There's hardly air in my lungsWith all the damage that's been doneLord, please sustain me nowI know You are enoughMy God, I'm tired of tryna be okayI've prayed all the prayers I have to prayPlease don't leave me lonelyMy God, I need You to hold meThe thing to remember about God is that He can repair the damage that is done. We think we need God to act now, before it is too late. However, it is never too late for God. God can replace your damaged lungs. He can repair your kidneys. He can do whatever needs to be done. God is our provision. He is our rock. Katy says in the song that she knows God is enough and is asking Him to sustain her. He will sustain you, too. I know it may feel like you just can't keep your head above water right now. God's got you. He is your arm float. He will not let you drown. He hears your prayers.The last line of today's verse says, “But I trust in your mercy. Grant my heart joy in your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt bountifully with me!” Sometimes we need to sing to the Lord before the breakthrough. Sometimes we need to thank God for all the unseen work He is doing. Praising when we don't feel like we can will actually make us feel better, and it will make the enemy flee. Praising can lift us up out of the darkness, even if it is only for a little while. David was asking the Lord to give him joy in his heart. He was asking for the Lord's help. We can do the same.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, you are so good. Help us to remember that when we feel lost in our own pain or our own troubles. Help us to remember how good you are. Lord, help us to remember you do catch us when we fall. Help us to remember you never leave our side. Lord, we need you to come and let us know you are here with us. We love you so much, and we need you now, Lord. Help us to hang in there, help us to never give up hope. Please provide us with the strength and provision we need for today 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 love this podcast and want more, join me in mentoring and see how much more there is to learn. How much deeper you can go. The Lord is calling you closer. Will you answer his call? 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 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, “I call you each by name, my children. I invite you constantly to come to me. The more you come, the more I will reveal my secrets. You will know the deeper things in life.” 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

He Will AnswerPsalm 20:6-7 “Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. Some boast of chariots, and some of horses; but we boast of the name of the Lord our God.”I am increasingly realizing that this is hard for many of us. I know a lot of people who have lost loved ones lately. They prayed for their loved ones, they had expectant faith, they asked in Jesus' name, and yet their loved one still died. Has this happened to you, too? I was telling a friend that I would pray for her, and she said that it didn't work for her friend who died, so why would it work for her? She is not the only one who feels this way.I also had another friend who said she almost felt like she wanted to tell people to stop praying for her because she felt like things got worse every time someone prayed for her. She is not alone either. God is a mystery to us. We don't understand why He does the things He does. We don't understand why He allows the things He allows. There are some very specific things in the Bible that tell us how to pray and even what will happen when we do. For instance, John 14:12-14 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.  Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;  if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.”When I read this, I think that anything I ask, “In the name of Jesus,” will be done. Jesus healed people when He was on Earth. So, when I read this, and it says that I will do the works that Jesus did, and even greater works than that, I believe that if I ask in Jesus' name, then God is going to heal the person I am praying for. Yet, sometimes that doesn't happen. Sometimes the person I am praying with and praying for still dies. This can be hard to accept and hard to understand.I am very much a follow-the-rules, follow-the-recipe, follow-the-directions kind of person. I like to do things correctly, even if there isn't one correct way. I don't like it when my mom tells me to put a little of this or a little of that into the recipe. I want to know exactly how much to put into it. I didn't like it in my Dance Club when they would tell us to improvise for these next eight beats. I wanted someone else to tell me what to do.  Our God is so good, and He has been gently working on this with me. I do better now with adding new things into my recipes or adding a little of this and a little of that. The other day, I was at a “Paint & Sip” event where we were supposed to ask the Lord what to paint and then paint it. I got the words “Heart on Fire,” so I looked it up online and found a great image to paint. However, I couldn't get it to come out the same. My painting does not look like the original, but I can see what I was trying to accomplish when I look at it.I love that the Bible tells us things like this verse from John 14, which says, “Whatever you ask in my name will be given to you.” I like it because it gives me a framework of how to ask for things. However, I also get stuck at times because when I ask for something in Jesus' name and it doesn't happen, I get so confused as to why. I did what you asked me to do, and it didn't work. Why not? I did what I was supposed to do, but why didn't God do what He said He would do?The truth is, I don't know. The truth is, God is so much smarter than we are. Sometimes we ask for things that won't be good for us, or won't be good for our loved ones. God knows the bigger plan. He knows better than we do what we need and what our loved ones need. For instance, we might not be ready for our loved one to leave us, but maybe they are ready. Maybe they are tired of fighting this disease. Maybe there are worse things coming for them down the road, and God is preventing them from that suffering. Maybe they are just holding on for us.My grandfather had a stroke at a young age. He was bedridden for a long time. He was alive, but I don't think he could even talk. On Valentine's Day 1996, my grandmother told my grandfather how much she loved him. Then she told him that he didn't have to hold on for her. She told him that she would be ok and that if he wanted to stop fighting, it was ok. My grandpa died that day.Today's verse says, “Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. Some boast of chariots, and some of horses; but we boast of the name of the Lord our God.” I think what the Lord wants to tell us today is that He does answer our prayers. He doesn't always do it in the way we want him to, and so sometimes we can miss the fact that He has answered our prayers. When we wish someone to be healed and they die anyway, this doesn't look like an answer to prayers. However, there is no illness in heaven. So, even though they were not healed this side of heaven, they were definitely healed. They are no longer in pain, and they are in a better place.I know that doesn't make it easier on our end. We are still left with the pain. We are left with the loss of a loved one. We are lonely. I think God wants us to know today that you are not alone in this grieving process. He is right there with you. This verse reminds us that even though at times we could turn to other things for the answers to our problems, God is the one true God, and He is the answer to all of our problems. He will help us, and He will answer from His holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening today. Lord, we love you and we thank you for all the answers to our prayers. We are sorry that we get so angry and confused when you don't answer our prayers like we want you to. Please help us to see things through your eyes. Please help us to trust in you and your ways, even when we don't understand them. Please give us more and more understanding of your ways, Lord. Please be there to strengthen us when our prayers are not answered the way we thought they would be. 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. This month's theme for mentoring is “How Long, Lord?” It is perfect for anyone who feels they have been waiting for a long time for answers to their prayers. This month, we will learn some things we can do while we are waiting for the answers to our prayers, and we will gain a deeper understanding of why we need to wait sometimes. I hope you will join us! I look forward to seeing you here 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, “I see Jesus on the cross and He is crying. He is crying and He is saying, “Who is hear with me? With my last breath I think of you and I call you by name because I know you would help 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

Wake Up!Revelation 3:1b-3 “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know when I will come to you.”Yesterday I started to read the book of Revelation. Over the last few months, I have heard people reference it, and I don't remember ever reading it. I know I have at least listened to it because I have been through the Bible in A Year  Podcast with Father Mike twice, and about 12 years ago, I did a study program with my friend called Read the Bible in 90 days. We read the Bible, I listened a lot as I bought the audio Bible, and then each week we would meet and watch a video explaining all about the part we had just read. Because of all this, I know I have heard Revelation before, and yet I had no idea what my friends were talking about when they mentioned things in Revelation. So I decided to check it out this week.A little side note here, if you have never done a Bible Study, can I invite you to give one a try? There are online ones, and I am sure there is a church in your area that also has one going on right now. Bible Studies are amazing for so many reasons. The Bible is complex, and it is deep. There are so many layers to everything you read in the Bible. It can also be confusing because of the language it uses and because of the difference in Biblical times vs now. I love learning about the Bible and what is actually being said in the various chapters. A lot of times, the people who are doing the Bible study will also tell you what the various words meant in Hebrew or Greek. It is fascinating!Back to today's verse. I chose this verse because it scared me a little. The first line in today's verse says, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!” This really hit me. I think it hit me because I think most people think they are pretty good people. I think if we asked most people if they thought they were going to heaven or hell, they would say heaven. I want to believe that most people are going to heaven. Yet, in the Bible, that is not what it says. Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate, and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”I don't think it would be good to constantly be thinking about whether we will be going to heaven or hell or not. I do think we should think of it from time to time and evaluate our lives. There are a lot of different opinions about what you need to do to get into heaven. Some believe you need to receive the Eucharist in order to go to heaven. Some believe you need to say out loud that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior. Some believe you need to be born again. These are all found in different parts of the Bible. There is so much found in the Bible, and I definitely am not an expert.All I know is what the Lord is putting on my heart. I feel the Lord wants me to tell you today to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 22:36-40, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Are we doing this? Are we loving God with our heart, mind, and soul?That question is much easier to answer than the second question. Are we loving our neighbor as we love ourselves? This is something to think about. We must remember that when Christ says love your neighbor, he doesn't just mean the person who lives to the right and left of you. He means, do you love everyone else in the world? Do you love those in your town and your state? Do you love those who run the country? Do you love those who run the churches? Do you love those who are hard to love? Luke 6:32 says, ““If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.”This verse made me sit up and take notice this morning because plenty of people in the past have had a reputation for being a good person, a holy person, and yet later it comes out that they were not. This could be all of us. Maybe we haven't done some truly terrible things, but are we harboring unforgiveness in our hearts? Are we despising some people who live in this world? Do we struggle to love those who are hard to love? Struggling to follow the Lord's word is ok. We can bring Him that struggle and He will help us with it. I think we run into trouble when we aren't struggling with it because we have decided not to pay attention to it, or we have given ourselves permission not to follow certain things the Lord says.God is always available for us to talk to. He is available for us to ask questions to and for us to receive guidance from. However, often we think or we assume that we know what God is thinking, even though we haven't asked him. We assume that God is ok with us not forgiving the person who attacked us or our loved one because He knows how hurt we were and how hard that would be. God wouldn't want us to forgive someone like that anyway. We think God is ok with us not forgiving our family members because He knows all they put us through. He knows how terrible they were to us, and he couldn't possibly expect us to forgive them.God is calling us to love our neighbors, all of them. Even the ones who have hurt us. Even the ones who did terrible things. Even the ones we disagree with. Loving them doesn't have to mean we spend time with them. Loving them doesn't mean letting them back into our lives to hurt us again. Loving them means you don't wish ill for them. Loving them means forgiving them. Forgiving them isn't about condoning someone's actions or saying "it's okay." It's about releasing the burden of resentment and anger, and entrusting the consequences of their actions to God. It's a decision within you to let go, not a declaration that their actions were acceptable.If you struggle to forgive someone, I want you to know you are not alone. You don't have to do it alone either. If you struggle to forgive someone, bring it to the Lord and ask Him to help you. Ask Him to soften your heart. Forgiving someone is not a feeling; it is a decision. You may decide to forgive someone, yet you might not feel any different. That is OK! If you are willing to say yes to forgiving someone, God will do all the hard work in your heart to help you forgive that person. He just needs your yes and your willingness.Today's verse says, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know when I will come to you.” This verse is telling us to wake up! Sometimes we can go through life on autopilot. That is what the enemy wants. He wants to lull us into a false sense of security. He doesn't want us to question our behaviors. He doesn't want us to examine our lives or hearts.However, the last line in this verse will hopefully give us cause to wake up. It says, “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know when I will come to you.” None of us is guaranteed tomorrow. We don't know when we will take our last breath. What if we never get the chance to forgive or love that person? We are called to love everyone. Look at your life, are you doing that? Search your heart, have you said unkind things about people this week? If so, don't dwell on it, repent, and start over. If there are people you don't like, ask the Lord to give you his heart for them. If there are people you can't seem to forgive, or you don't want to forgive, bring it to the Lord, tell him your struggles, and ask Him for help.We don't know when the Lord will come like a thief, and we want to be ready. We want to always be prepared. If today were the last day on earth, would you be ready to go and meet our Heavenly Father? God doesn't just want us to be good people. He wants us to be good people who love Him with our whole hearts, minds, and souls and who love all of His other children as well. Can we do that? Can we work on that? Can we search our hearts and ask the Lord where we need to work in this area? We can ask God to show us anything that might be blocking us from Him. Anything that might be getting in the way of us going to heaven.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, we want to be with you for all of eternity. If something we are doing or something we have deep in our hearts is going to keep us from that time with you, please show us. Lord, it is hard to love others in this crazy world. We all bring our own baggage and our own wounds to the relationship or to the encounter. Please help us to love others like you want us to. Help us to forgive others, not because they deserve it, but because we deserve to be free from the pain, guilt, shame, and anger they have left us with. 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 on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!`Friday: 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, “The time is now for a change in your lives. Come to me. Know that I am ready to help you at all times in your life.” 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 Quench the Spirit1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.”I was looking through my prayer group notes this morning to see which Bible verses from the prayer group I had already used in a previous devotional. When I looked, I could see that I used 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in one episode and 5:21-22 in another. However, I have not used 19-20 before. When I looked at it, I saw that it said, “Do not quench the Spirit.” I figured I didn't use it because I didn't understand it. I tend to skip over things I don't understand or avoid things I don't know how to do. Do you ever do this? I am sure I am not the only one.However, when I started doing this podcast, I promised myself that I wouldn't skip over Bible verses that I didn't understand because if I don't understand it, then other people probably don't understand it either. This podcast isn't about me telling you all the things I know about God, scripture, and everything else. It is about us learning about those things together and encouraging each other to keep walking boldly with Jesus.I was intimidated by this scripture verse because of the word "quench." The only context I have ever really heard or used that word in is when talking about thirst. We want to quench our thirst. It is a good thing. So, when I saw that the verse said, “Do not quench the Holy Spirit,” I was confused and skipped over it. Then I reminded myself that I don't do that anymore. I pause and take a few minutes to look up the things I don't understand online. There are plenty of people out there who have made it their life's mission to study the Bible and to have a deeper understanding of what it says. Luckily for us, some of them have decided to share their findings online.There are many ways that technology is bad and not good for us. This is an exception. This is one of the fabulous things about technology. It took me less than a minute to understand what this verse was saying. And now that I know what it means, it makes so much sense. I guess I just didn't stop and think about what that word meant. The word quench has two meanings. The first one, according to Oxford language, is to satisfy (one's thirst) by drinking. This is the definition I was thinking of, and didn't understand how that applied to the Holy Spirit. However, the second definition is to extinguish (a fire). This makes sense in the context of the verse above. Basically, it is telling us not to extinguish the fire of the Holy Spirit. Or another way you can look at it is to not stifle the works of the Holy Spirit.How can we stifle the works of the Holy Spirit? Was that your next question? I am such a rule follower. When I read something in the Bible that tells me not to do something, I instantly want to know how to avoid doing that thing. I think the answer to this question is found in the rest of the verse. The verse says, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” If we want to make sure that we are not quenching the Holy Spirit, then we need to pay attention to what the prophets are saying. We can't ignore what they are saying because we don't like it or we don't agree with it. We can't ignore what they are saying because it might  be hard.For instance, this morning I was reading the first two chapters of Revelation in the Bible. In these chapters the Lord is giving John a message for the 7 churches. He is praising them, but he is also telling them what they are doing that is wrong and calling them to repentance. Repentance and changing our ways can be hard. And yet if we don't then we could stifle what the Holy Spirit wants to do in us and through us.In the verse, it says, “Do not despise the words of the prophets, but test everything.” This means that while believers should be open to receiving prophetic messages, they should also discern if those messages align with God's word and are edifying for the church. Paul is advocating for a balanced approach: respect for the Holy Spirit's guidance through prophecy, but also a discerning heart that evaluates the validity and authenticity of those messages. "Do not despise prophecies" (1 Thessalonians 5:20): This emphasizes the importance of valuing prophetic utterances, which are understood as words of instruction, exhortation, or warning from God. It cautions against dismissing prophecies as silly or unimportant. "Test all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21): This instruction highlights the need for discernment. Believers are not to blindly accept all prophetic words, but rather to examine them carefully. Why test prophecies? There's a potential for false prophets or messages that are not aligned with God's will. Testing helps to ensure that the prophetic messages received are authentic and edifying to the church. How to test prophecies? Several approaches can be used, including:Aligning with Scripture: Prophecies should not contradict established biblical teachings. Spiritual discernment: A believer's spiritual understanding can help identify if a message is of God. Edification: A true prophecy should build up the church and encourage believers. Seeking confirmation: Seeking guidance from church leaders can help in discernment. The verse ends with, “hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” Once you have discerned if a prophet's word is true and is of God, we need to hold fast to all that is good and abstain from every form of evil. This might not seem that hard, yet we live in a world constantly making evil things seem good. Tony and I just finished a series about a serial killer. However, the way the killer was portrayed, we almost found ourselves rooting for him in the end. Actually, we also watched Dexter, which is also about a serial killer. However, this man is only killing people who have done terrible things, and the police don't have enough evidence to arrest them.I know murder is never ok, and I know that God should be the only one who gets to decide who lives and who dies. Yet, watching this TV show, you find yourself rooting for Dexter and not wanting him to get caught. TV is not the only time this happens. You can read books, magazines, or listen to podcasts where you know something is bad, and yet, the way they are spinning it, you start to believe it is not bad. This is probably what happened in the church throughout the years as well. We look at the world around us, and there is so much evil and evil is so commonplace, we start to forget that it is evil. In the book of Revelation, the Lord reminds the churches of what is right and wrong and calls for repentance. This verse reminds us that we need to remember what is right and wrong. If something is in the Bible, it is true and right, and we need to obey it even if we don't want to.If we want to obey this verse and not quench the fire of the Holy Spirit, we need to pay attention to what we are doing. We need to not just coast through life on autopilot. We need to examine what we are doing, what we hear the Lord say to us, and then pay attention to all of it. The Lord is talking to us, and He will guide us and show us when we are doing something we shouldn't be, but we will only hear it if we are listening. Let's all try a little harder this month to “hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.”Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for all those listening. I am so grateful you brought each one of them here today. Lord, I ask you to bless them. I invite you to open our spiritual ears so we can hear you. I ask you to soften our hearts so that we want to do what is right and avoid what is wrong. I invite you to help us, Lord. Please show us right from wrong and help us to choose wisely. Please help us not quench the fire of the Holy Spirit that is at work in us and through us. 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. 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, “Yes, my children, you will work hard. And at times you will work as to what you perceive is in the dark. But I am the light, and there is no darkness in me. And I will help you to continue to reap the harvest that I have assigned for each of you, even in what you perceive as dark, because I am the light of 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

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 two testimonies from the Anxiety/Depression Category. I know so many people who are struggling with anxiety and depression right now. Suicide seems to be 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 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 anxiety and depression, He can help.Blair: Every story has a beginning. Even God's Word says “In the beginning” Genesis 1:1. So here's how my beginning led me to where I am now. I was born into a “Christian” home. We went to church, we went to Youth Group, and we participated in missionary activities at the church. But there was not a Bible to be seen in our whole house. I'm the first of three children, the Type A, do everything right, be the perfect kid. That's great, but try being that way with a mother who was emotionally, psychologically, verbally, and sometimes, very rarely, physically abusive.I didn't have a traditional mother-daughter relationship doing things together. I was a good student- no- I had to be a perfect student. When my brother was born, the last child, it was made very clear who the favorite child was. My sister and I were knocked out of place because we were girls. So, in the beginning, I was not the gender my mother wanted me to be. As the years went by, it was more of the same treatment with little in the way of any faith journey or building a relationship with Jesus. When I began having children, the stress of that sent me over the edge. The depression and anxiety were debilitating. I felt like I was in a valley and didn't know how to climb out. My husband was a pastor and even then my faith was very shallow.Things continued to spiral out of control and I ended up in the psychiatric ward of the hospital three times. Sadly, some of those times were because of suicide attempts. The whole of 2011 I basically spent in bed. I felt hopeless, useless, exhausted, unworthy, scared, anxious, and I could go on. I finally got a doctor who tweaked my medication so that I could go about “normal” life. Two weeks after my last stay in the hospital, my husband of 18 years passed away at the age of 44 on Christmas Eve. My boys were 17,15, 11, and 9.This is where the story of my new life in Christ began. Just like there were medication changes, there were also church changes that led to soul changes. I could actually hear God. I wanted to learn everything about Him. The more I began leaning into Him, the more He leaned into me. I lost my dad two years before my husband and my mom three years after my husband. But I was as ok as ok could be given the circumstances life has, is, and will be. That's life. I am so thankful for the valleys because then I was able to enjoy the mountain tops. God has a reason for me being here. Understand that my life still hasn't been perfect. I've had many financial difficulties. I've had difficulties being a man to four boys not knowing what it means to be a dad. But I know 100% that all of these “tragedies” and “valleys” led me to “triumphs” and “mountain tops” because God has a plan that I can't see. He is with me ALL the time. He puts people in my life that help me grow- friends, pastors, and family. He inspires me through music. The words hit me in just the right place and at just the right time. I'm thankful for the music of Matthew West, Chris Tomlin, Mercy Me, Toby Mac, Zach Williams and so many other talented musicians that bring God to me. I love music but I love my Savior even more. And so my story continues until God takes me home to live with Him in glory. My past doesn't dictate my future and my past doesn't change my relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm so very loved by a God who loves me unconditionally. Guess what? He loves you that much, too.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. I have had friends come and go in my life some that have stuck around for a while God will not let you down and he will always have 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.Thank you to Jenna & Blair for sharing their stories with us. I know it can be hard to be vulnerable and share your story; however, when you share your story, you are showing someone else that God is there and that if He worked in your life, then He can work in their life too. You are showing them that if you could make it through the hard time, they can too. Thank you so much for sharing!  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 Not Punishing You!Psalm 103:8-10 “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.”This month's theme for mentoring is “How Long, Lord?” The reason I feel the Lord gave me this theme is that I know a lot of people who have been waiting a very long time for their prayers to be answered. Some of them are in excruciating pain while they wait. I am really struggling to understand this. I am struggling to understand why they have to wait so long. I don't think I am the only person who is struggling with the question and other questions like it. I asked ChatGPT what kids of questions people were asking when they are feeling like their prayers aren't being answered and over this month in mentoring I will answer some of those questions. Today's episode is about the first question I addressed. That questions is:Is God punishing me? I might not know the answers to all the questions that come up throughout this series, but I am 100% sure of the answer to one. The answer is No! God does not punish us. God is only good. If you want proof that God does not punish us, you can look at Psalm 103:8-10, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” God does not create the bad things that are happening in our lives. You did not get cancer because you had an affair. You did not have a miscarriage because you don't go to church. God is not punishing you. God did not do this bad thing to you.God is all-powerful and all-knowing. If he wants you to learn a lesson, he can teach it to you in a million different ways. He doesn't have to have you get sick before you turn to Him. Just because God can use this awful tragedy or the illness for your good doesn't mean He gave it to you. God does not create illness. He is a healer. God is love and mercy. God blesses people, He does not curse them.If you need another scripture verse, look at Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Condemnation (punishment) is not for those who belong to Christ. God does not punish His children—He saves and restores them. John 3:17 states, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. The central message is that Jesus's mission was not to judge and punish humanity, but to offer a way to be freed from sin and its consequences.It is easier for many of us to believe that Jesus wouldn't punish us, but harder for us to believe that God does not punish us. God is a good and loving Father. Regardless of what our own father was like, God is always good and always loving. It is hard for us to believe things if we have no frame of reference for them. I think part of the reason I can believe that God is a good Father who loves me and doesn't want to punish me is because my own father was a good example of God's love to me. I am not saying I never got into trouble as a kid. I did occasionally do things that weren't ok. I did get in trouble. But my parents did not condemn me or make me feel shame for what I did. They gave me consequences so I would learn not to do it again, but they didn't punish me.I know that I am lucky and that so many kids don't grow up with a loving, caring example of a Father. In the United States, 1 in 4 kids grows up without a dad in the home. That means 25% of kids in America are growing up without a dad. In the 2020 Census, there were 18.4 million kids who were living without their biological dad. It is easy to see how the view of God got so distorted. We are living in a world of broken people. We are all just doing the best we can, and yet the best for so many of us is not good enough. These are just the kids who grow up without a dad. We also have the kids who grow up with an abusive dad. If so many people have no reference for a father who loves you unconditionally and who would never hurt you, then how are they supposed to understand that God could actually love them like that?If none of those other scripture verses convinced you that God is not punishing you, hopefully this one will. Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”Jesus took the full punishment, so we don't have to. What we receive now is peace, not wrath. Do we deserve to be punished? Absolutely. Every single one of us has done something wrong, deserving of punishment. However, that is why God sent Jesus to us. Jesus came to save us from the punishment we deserved. "Jesus died the death we deserved, so we might live the life he earned.”Why would God send his only Son to earth to die a gruesome death if he was just going to punish us for all we did anyway? If God is punishing you for your sins, why did Jesus die on a cross? When you are wondering if God is punishing you. When the enemy is whispering in your ear that you deserve this because of all the things you have done I want you to take a look at a crucifix and ask yourself this question, “If that is true, if God is punishing me for all I have done, they what did Jesus die for?”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening to this episode. Lord, please help us in the wait. Help us to believe you are not punishing us. Help us to believe you are with us while we wait. Help us to keep faith and hope that things will get better and that we won't be in this forever. We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!Thank you for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. As you heard earlier in this episode, this month's theme is “How Long, Lord?” If you are suffering, if you have been waiting a very long time for your prayers to be answered, this might be the perfect month for you to join mentoring. If you have a loved one who has been waiting for a long time for answers to prayers, and you don't understand why they need to wait so long. This might be the perfect month for you to join mentoring. It is Tuesday nights at 8 PM Eastern Time on Zoom. I hope to see you there. 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 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, “Sing, my children. Sing as you have never sung before. You say, Oh, Lord, I don't have any voice. I can't sing. I tell you, you can, because the very air you breathe that fills your lungs is filled with power and grace from on high. And when you open your mouth, you will sing. The words that come forth from your mouth will bring harmony and joy and a song of restoration and healing to all those that you will sing my name to.” 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

Give Someone Else A ChanceActs 5:38-39a "So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail;  but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!”I read this verse in the daily readings today, and it reminded me of the time I spent at retreats at the Schoenstatt Retreat Center in Vallendar, Germany.  Here is a bit of background on Schoenstatt. Schoenstatt is an apostolic Movement of renewal, born in the bosom of the Church. Its spiritual center is the Schoenstatt Shrine, where Mary shows herself in a special way as the Mother and Educator who gives birth to Christ in us, conforming us according to her image.The Schoenstatt Movement encompasses various communities that form the Schoenstatt "Family". As a renewal movement, it has a marked apostolic and lay character; its pedagogy and spirituality are particularly suitable for those who live in the world and must face an increasingly de-Christianized and materialistic environment. Its purpose is to form a new community based on a new person who overcomes the massification of our times and forges a new culture permeated by the spirit of Christ.The reason today's verse reminds me of Schoenstatt is that this principle was applied to the founder. His name is Fr. Joseph Kentenich. He was exiled from the church for a while, and from what I was told, it was similar to the thinking of this verse above. From what I understand, the church wanted to see if the Schoenstatt movement was of God or not. They figured if they removed Father Kentenich from the head of the movement, and it was not of God, then the movement would dissolve and go away. However, if it was from God, then even though the leader was gone, the movement would still continue to grow and flourish. This is what happened: the movement started spreading to other countries. In 1965, Pope Paul VI restored him to leadership, just as the Second Vatican Council was drawing to a close.I am not sure why the Holy Spirit reminded me of this story today. I do know that this verse can apply to our individual lives as well as the Church as a whole. In our lives, we can look at the things we are doing and we can ask if they are from God or not. Is God in all that we do? We can use this verse as a good measure to see if the things we are doing are from God or not.  Do you often over-commit yourself to helping out? Do you sign up for things you don't really want to do because you think, or maybe you know, that if you don't sign up, then no one will? If this is you, then this verse might be life-changing for you.If you struggle with over-scheduling, I want you to reread the verse above. “If this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail;  but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.” I know that you are worried that if you don't sign up or if you don't volunteer, then no one else will. If you don't say yes, the project or the event will not happen. However, that is putting a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. It is not your job to ensure every event goes off without a hitch. If the plan or the undertaking is of God, then He will make sure to get the people needed to make sure it happens. If it is of God, then it will not fizzle out because of a lack of participation.Also, maybe our always saying yes is hindering someone else from saying yes. I had a project once, and we needed to have a leader. We were all just sort of looking at one another, and no one really said anything, so I said I would be the leader. I had zero desire to be the leader for this project, as the leader had to submit all the paperwork. However, I assumed no one else wanted to do it as no one else was speaking up. I then found out that someone else wanted to do it, but felt funny saying they would do it. To them, it felt like nominating themself, and they felt that was wrong. So luckily they mentioned it in a roundabout kind of way, and I didn't have to lead the group, and they got to lead the group. I am sure this is happening more than we think.I think there are people who would volunteer more, but they don't feel they have anything to offer. They need others to call out what they see in them. They need other people to reassure them they can do the job, especially if they are stay-at-home moms. Often, we, as stay-at-home moms, tend to forget that we did lots of stuff before we were moms. Since being a mom is our full-time job, we tend to see ourselves as “just moms.” When someone looks at us and personally invites us to volunteer in a position that they think we will be great at, that means a lot.Who do you know that you could be inviting to join you in your tasks? What job do you know you have to give up, but are afraid no one else will take it on? Trust that God has a plan. Trust that He has the perfect person in mind. Then ask God to highlight someone for you that you could invite to take over your position. Or, you can just invite them to give it a try and see how they like it. Whether they take the position or not, I believe they will be honored that you believed they could do it. Just by noticing them and inviting them, you will have made them feel seen and more confident. We all need to be seen.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening. Lord, we want to trust that you will find the people to replace us, but why is it so hard? Why do we feel we have to do it all? Lord, we ask that you help us see that you don't want us to do everything. Help us to see that you have the perfect person lined up when we step aside. Help us to train up a new generation. Help us to pass the love of you and serve you onto others. Help us to step aside and let others know the amazing feelings that come along with doing your work. Help us to trust that if it is of you, then we can't break it. You will always provide. 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 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, “I am the God of joy, love, and wonder. Go out there and spread it to one another.” 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 Made You On PurposePsalm 139:13 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”God created everything about us.  I like this verse, though, because it reminds us that He created even our inmost being.  I like the visual of God knitting me together.  One stitch at a time.  I am not someone who knits, but I have family and friends that do.  When you are knitting something you can make it look however you want to.  If you are the person doing it, you get to pick the colors; you get to pick the pattern, and you even get to pick which stitch or combination of stitches you are going to use.  You are the creator of whatever you are knitting.  Now, imagine that God is knitting you together.  He chose all the specifics about you.  He got to choose what color hair you have and what color eyes you have.  Do you ever take time to think about this, to think about the fact that God created everything about you?  I was at a personal development conference this week, so that may be why it is on my mind more than usual.  I love attending these conferences because it is so great to be gathered in a room with like-minded people.  I don't mean that we all think the same way or even believe the same things, but in this instance, we were all there because we knew God had a bigger plan for our lives, and we wanted to figure out what that plan was.  It was an amazing weekend, and I learned so much.  This happened to be a women's conference, and there were so many women gathered together, all wanting to improve themselves in some way or another.  This is a beautiful thing.  One of the things that usually comes up when you have so many women gathered together is the idea of insecurities.  Insecurities are something that I believe everyone has.  We don't all have them about the same things or to the same extent, but I do think we are all insecure about something.  We all have that one thing, or some of us have more than one thing that we wish we could change about ourselves.  That thing that we really don't like about ourselves.  Some of these things affect our lives in a big way, and some do not.When you look at yourself and your life, what are your insecurities?  What are the things about you that you don't like that may be getting in your way of living your best life?  Maybe you are struggling because you are living the life that everyone around you wants you to live, but inside, you feel like it's not right for you.  For instance, you have a really good job, and you are making good money, but in your heart, you really want to be doing something else.  Maybe you have insecurities based on your appearance.  This is a big one with women.  We feel too tall, too short, too thin, too fat.  Or we feel our hair is too long, too short, too light, too dark.  It seems like no one is happy in their own skin these days.  I wonder why this is.  I wonder if people throughout the ages have always felt like this, or if this is new.  I don't think it is new that people don't like something about themselves.  I am sure that has always probably been a thing.  However, I wonder if it was as widespread and commonplace as it is today.  I am not sure if I know a single woman who is so happy with her appearance that she wouldn't change anything if you asked.  I wonder if all this unhappiness has to do with social media and marketing.  Once upon a time, before TV, magazines, movies, etc., you didn't have so much access to everything.  You could compare yourself to those who lived around you, and maybe those in paintings or in books.  However, you didn't have the kind of access you have today.  Today, you could spend five minutes online and you could scroll through hundreds of images of whatever you want to look at.  Also, if you have social media, you can just scroll down your feed, and you will see plenty of posts from people.  The internet can be a very dangerous place for those who have insecurities and are looking for proof that those insecurities are real.  If you think you are too heavy and then you search for proof of that online, you will find it.  That is how the internet works.  You ask a question and it searches all the data and gives you an answer to the question that you just asked it.  Your brain is the same.  If you have an insecurity and you ask your brain to find proof of it, your brain will.  The awesome thing about your brain is that the opposite is also true.  If you ask your brain to prove to you that your insecurity is not true, it will do that as well.  For instance, if you ask your brain why no one at work likes you, it will search all your memories and come up with reasons why your co-workers don't like you.  However, if you ask your brain to prove to you that people at your work do like you, your brain will come up with an answer to that question as well.  If you do not like the answers you are coming up with then you need only ask better questions.  The main speaker at the conference said something this weekend, and I think it would be great if everyone in the world heard it.  She said that when she was sitting in the audience at her first personal development conference, she had a realization wash over her.  She felt it was divine intervention.  The realization was, “What if I was on purpose?  What if God made me exactly like I am for a reason?”  I think this is so important because I think so many of us feel like there is some part of us that is wrong.  We feel like we would be better if that part of us didn't exist.  I always wished that I wasn't so emotional.  I have thought this more times than I can count.  I cry at happy things, I cry at sad things, I cry at spiritual things, I cry for someone else's happy times and someone else's pain.  I am just a mess sometimes.  I always thought this was a character flaw.  However, now I know that God gave me that ability.  I don't know why He made me that way, but God doesn't make mistakes.  So, there must be a reason.  The same goes for you.  You were made on purpose.  God knew what he was doing.  He designed each part of you for a reason.  He pays attention to detail.  How would your life be different if you could hear this and really take it in?  How would you feel about yourself if the next time you started to feel insecure about something, you reminded yourself that God made you this way on purpose?  You are perfect, just as you are.  You are loved just as you are.  Your are enough just as you are.Dear Heavenly Father I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord help us to see ourselves through your eyes. Help us to see everyone through your eyes. Lord help remind us when we feel insecure that you made us on purpose.  Remind us Lord that you created our inmost being. You knit us together perfectly and completely. And if you made us on purpose Lord then that means we can't be a mistake. That means our hopes and desires aren't a mistake. That means our character isn't a mistake.  We love you Lord Jesus and we thank you for making us who we are and we ask that you help us learn to love who we are. We thank you for making us in your likeness and image. You are amazing and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus holy name amen. 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

Because Somebody Prayed1 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, and if we know that he hears us, then we know we have obtained the request made of him. I don't know about you, but I can get caught up in the part that says, according to his will. I have asked the Lord for many things, and I don't think that he has given them to me. I get frustrated when I am praying for someone, and I remember that God said if we ask in Jesus' name, then anything we ask for will be given to us.I know that God's ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts greater than our thoughts, and yet it is still frustrating when we can't understand what is going on. It is frustrating when we think we know exactly what we need or what we want and we ask the Lord, we beg the Lord and it just seems like He is not listening. If you have struggled with this, let me share with you what has helped me understand it a little better.Have your kids, your nieces/nephews, or your friends' kids ever asked for something that seemed really important to them? They asked for something that they really want, and to them, it is something that they have to have. They have given it thought, and they know it is the best thing for them. Yet, you know it is not good for them at all. You only know this because you have been where they are and things didn't end well. You have seen where this thing will take them, and it isn't anywhere good.For instance, your child, or a child you are close to, wants to drop out of school. They have given it thought, and they will get a job at the local grocery store or fast food restaurant. They are tired of all the work they need to do at school and don't want to do it anymore. However, you can see that it is not the best choice for them. You can see how that one choice will limit so many other choices about their future. They are begging you to let them drop out, and yet you know it is not really best for them.This is what I think of when I think of God answering our prayers. Good thing He doesn't give us everything we ask for because sometimes, just like our kids, we ask for some things that are not good for us. We ask for things that we think we want, but God knows we don't really want them. For instance, we might think we want a new job, but then we find out the new job has a lot of travel, or the boss isn't a nice person. God shields us from so many things that we aren't even aware of because he is shielding us from them. He does this because He is a good Father.I heard a song on the way to adoration his morning, and you know how much I love songs. I wanted to share the lyrics of this one with you today because it talks about how important prayer is. The song is titled “Somebody Prayed,” and it is sung by Crowder. The song begins:Every night there by your bedYou fold your hands and bow your headThrowing out another prayer in faithWhen you're wondering if He's hearing youLook at me, I'm living proofI'm only right where I am todayBecause somebody prayedThese 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'veSeen all Heaven move (don't matter if you hit rock bottomMy God pick you up when you call Him.)I pray, "Father, please" 'cause I'veSeen what He can do (don't matter if the storm cloud comingMy 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 powerThere ain't an hour He don't come throughThat'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 homeThe one who thinks they're too far goneI'm throwing out another prayer in faith (prayer in faith)Worn-out altars, tear-stained pewsStill I won't give up on youI believe that anything can changeWhen somebody praysI 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 wordsI've seen hospital rooms turned into cathedralsI've seen freedom come to the prisonerYou can't tell me that prayer don't workThe 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 bedWhen you fold your hands and bow your headNot a single word you've ever said in vain'Cause He hears everythingI 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.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening today. Lord, we love you, and we want to bring all of our requests to you now. Lord, we ask that you give us some understanding of your ways and why our prayers appear not to have been answered for so long.  Help us be patient, Lord. Help us to keep coming back and asking the Lord. Help us to see where in our lives you have answered prayers. We love you Lord and we are so grateful for all you do for us. We are sorry if we take you for granted. 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 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, “Be the one that spreads my love and my joy. Be the one who brings comfort and is a source of peace for all. If you but listen carefully to my voice that calls you each and every 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 come to you from the Global Awakening Website. If you are not aware of Randy Clark or Global Awakening, let me read you the description from their website. For all believers everywhere, we present an opportunity to receive power from God. We offer ourselves as evidence that God uses the unqualified when we're willing to take a risk. We strengthen each other through community & theology, and we call out to all those who feel ill-equipped, isolated, and hungry, saying: you belong. To the sick, we offer a community of faith that will believe in your healing.  To the skeptic, we offer our stories and our lives as fruit of Jesus' work. Come receive from God what you need, come learn how to take risks in your faith, and come join us as we each fulfill God's dream for us. We are a global community of believers empowered to awaken the world. On their website, they have various types of testimonials. Today, I chose to bring to you the physical healing testimonies. They also have Impartation, Emotional Healing, Activation, and Prophecy. I will share the others with you another day. Today, you will get to hear about physical healing. I pray that when you hear these testimonies, it builds your faith to know that you can be healed, too!First we have – Gineff | Woodbridge, VA – “I took a step of faith and came to the conference being released from the Hospital on the previous Friday. I was radically healed at VOA. My tribe(VOA attendees) were encouraging me and praying over me. I received multiple healings. The first was the ability to walk(Bookstore Bob was there), inner healing with the Agape Freedom Fighter team, and the word of knowledge from Dr. Clark about lower left abdominal pain(this specifically was for me, as I had left the hospital with a drain tube in my lower left abdomen). I will tell you that I was in shock when He said my condition. My niece and those around me were like That's you. When Dr. Clark called up those to share their testimonies, I ran up to the stage. While I was on stage, something amazing happened. I felt like I was being straightened and felt this rod on the right side of my body, it was amazing!!! I left there healed and I write this looking forward to my appointment tomorrow when I get to see the doctor's face!!” Next is – Michael | Richmond, VA “I stood after Randy had a word of knowledge that God was healing hearts. I had been treated for afib for over 14 years and on medication. I believe God has healed my heart. I am 72 years old and am no longer on any heart medication. My heart rate is normal, I go to the gym regularly and have no problems doing yard work or any other activity. God is Good!Next is – Beverly | Birmingham, AL “I was healed of a voice infirmity known as spasmodic dysphonia (SD), identified by a Word of Knowledge as a sharp twisting of the muscles around the larynx. I knew the Word was for me because the disorder is very rare. I actually experienced a creative miracle. The nerve from the brain to my larynx was regenerated. It grew back!!!! SD is a neurological condition in which the nerves affecting the muscles around the larynx deteriorate and stop working. Loss of the nerve stops the muscle flexibility of the laryngeal muscles, thereby preventing ordinary identifiable speech/language sounds. The voice quivers and has spasms. I had reached a point in my life where I was ashamed to even talk. People could not understand my speech. I happen to be a preacher and trainer… so, needless to say, I became so discouraged that I stopped preaching and became afraid to teach. SO PRAISE BE TO GOD for the healing. I had been experiencing progressive deterioration for 14 years!”Last, but not least, we have – Darenda | Harrisburg, PA “I sat next to a blind man on the plane on the way over who was also going to the conference. He was called out by Bob Hazlett and prophesied over in his main session. Then on the way back, I was again seated next to the same man, still blind. Have you ever been seated next to the same person twice on two different airplane trips? Well, I never have. So I prayed for him to receive his sight, and progressively over the two hours, he did. He has been completely blind for 4 years (diabetic retinopathy) in his right eye and has some light shadows in his left. Before deboarding, he could see his hands, some things in front of him, my eyes, and my hair. He mostly wants to see his 4-year-old grandson's face, whom he's never been able to see. In a follow-up text this week, he said his grandson's face is getting clearer and clearer. Praise God for this wonderful, creative miracle, so amazing to witness.”Weren't those testimonies amazing! Thank you to all who have been brave enough to share your testimony. It is because of people like you that other people's faith is built up. It is not always easy to be vulnerable and share your testimony. It is not always easy to put into words what the Lord has done for you. Yet, when you can, it helps so many people trust God all the more.  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

John 17:11-12 “And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.”I love this passage because it is Jesus talking to God. It is Jesus talking to His Father and our heavenly Father. I love how Jesus is asking God to protect us. He is also letting His dad know that things went well while He was here on earth. At the beginning of this chapter in the Gospel of John, Jesus told his Dad how we heard what He was telling us, and we believed Him. He is telling God about how we believe where He came from and the messages He gave us.Jesus also lets His Dad know that He did a good job protecting His disciples and that He didn't lose a single one, except for Judas, who was destined to be lost, so that scripture may be fulfilled. I love that Jesus is talking to His dad just like we might talk to our dad. He is letting Him know He did what He was supposed to and did a good job with all He was supposed to do.Jesus was going to be with God up in heaven, but we needed to stay here on earth. The disciples couldn't join Jesus in heaven; they had a mission here on earth, and so do we. Their mission was to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, to make sure that the whole world knew about Jesus and his love and forgiveness. Our mission is the same, and yet we don't have to travel to the ends of the earth. We can start here in our own families with our siblings, spouses, and children. We can start with our friends, neighbors, and those around us.You would think that in the day and age we live in, everyone would already know about Jesus. With the access to technology that people have in this country, we might think that everyone has already heard all we have to say about Jesus. However, this is not the case. Many people have been hurt or offended by the church, and so they no longer go. Many times, instead of just quitting the Church, they walk away from Jesus and God, too. This often means they don't pass down anything they know about God to their children. My friend was raised by two parents who both went to Catholic School. They didn't like it, so they decided not to teach their children anything about God.This is more common than you think. In this day and age, we can not assume that anyone knows about God or Jesus. Even if they know something about them, we can't be sure that what they know is true. My kids tell me all the time they are not Catholic because they don't believe this or that. However, what they say they don't believe isn't something I believe either. There is a lot of confusion as to what the Catholic Church actually teaches. I think a lot of people who have a problem with the Catholic Church aren't actually upset with something we do; they are upset with something they think we do. For instance, many are upset that Catholics worship Mary. However, we don't worship Mary; we only worship the one true God.What we really need to share with everyone we know and everyone we meet is that God loves them. Jesus loves them too! God is love. He loves each one of us so much, and I don't think people realize this. I don't think people believe this. There is such a lack of love in this world, and if people knew how unconditionally God loved them, I truly think this world would start changing. I think people feel a void in their lives and try to fill it with all the wrong things. The only thing that can fill that hole is God.We cannot show people how much God loves them just with our words, though. We will have to be an example of that love to them. We will have to love like Jesus loved, and then they will feel that love. They will see that love and know it is possible to be loved in our messiness. It is possible for someone to love us even when we feel unlovable. This is not the kind of love that we are used to finding in the world. The world is full of broken people, so we love in broken ways because that is all we know. However, if we pray for God to give us the ability to love others with His love, we can begin to change the world one person at a time.Back to today's verse. Jesus is asking God to protect us. If we look at all the apostles had to go through to spread the word of God, we could see why Jesus would be praying for their protection. Most of the apostles of that time were killed in some way for their beliefs and for passing on the Word of God. They needed God's protection. However, we still need God's protection today as well.We are fortunate in our country that it is not illegal to talk about God, at least not yet. However, it is illegal in many parts of the world. According to Asia News, a Vatican-affiliated news agency that reports on Christian communities, more than 800 people, including women, children, and priests, were slaughtered in their homes solely because they were Christian. On February 13, 2025, militants rounded up 70 Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), took them to a church, and then killed all 70 of them. People are still being persecuted, and we need God to protect us.We don't know why these things happen. Why would God allow these things to happen? His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not ours. We do know that God is in control and that Jesus asked God to protect us, so He is doing that. We can be sure of it because God always keeps his promises. Those who have died are in a much better place right now. It is tough for us who are left here on earth. It is hard for any loved ones they may have left behind, but it is not hard for those who have died. Their dream has come true. They get to be with their heavenly Father and all those who have come before them.  God did protect them by bringing them home to Him.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, we want you to protect us. We want to help others know your love. We want to be a witness to that love. We want to be an example of that love. Please help us. Help us to see others through your eyes, help us to be your love to them. 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 all 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, “In the silence of your heart, my children, I speak to you. Listen carefully to my voice. It is meant to guide you, to instruct you, to lead you to where I want you to be. Only if you listen will you profit fully of what I tell 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

Fearless ConfidenceActs 4:29-31 “And now they're at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus.” While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence.”I love how this verse ends, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence. How great would it be to speak God's work with fearless confidence?  How great would it be to just say what you wanted to say without feeling like you had to censor it for the world?  How many times have you thought something and then not said it because you weren't sure what others would think?  How many times have you not mentioned God because you didn't want to be different or because you didn't want to be ridiculed?  I love how the disciples weren't afraid.  The stakes were high for them, and yet they couldn't be silenced.  For them, it wasn't a case of worrying if someone would be angry.  They were threatened and told they could not speak about Jesus to anyone.  They were thrown in jail, and they were beaten. One of Jesus' disciples, Stephen, was stoned to death for his preaching.  I was drawn to this passage for two main reasons.  The first is because I love that they prayed for fearless confidence.  I pray for a holy boldness a lot, and now I can pray for this too!  The second reason is because of something Father Mike pointed out that I didn't really notice.  Does that ever happen to you?  Something is right there in front of you, and yet you don't realize it until someone points it out?  Father Mike was talking about how remarkable it was that these disciples asked God for fearless confidence instead of asking God to take away the danger.  As I mentioned earlier, at this time in the early church, it was really difficult to preach about God.  There were rules and laws against it.  People were told that if they talked about Christ Jesus, they would go to jail.  They were beaten, they were put in jail, they were stoned to death.  They did not have the religious freedoms many of us have today.  They could have prayed for the threat to their safety to be removed.  They could have asked God to protect them from all dangers.  They could have asked him to change the situation they were in.  They could have asked God for anything, and instead, they asked God for fearless confidence in preaching His message.  Wouldn't it be awesome if we could all make this our prayer?  Wouldn't it be great if instead of praying that God changes our circumstances, we ask God to change us?  We can ask God to give us more strength, more courage, more love, more patience, more whatever it is we need to make it through our current circumstance, instead of asking God to change that circumstance.  Tony was talking to his friend once when I was pregnant with one of our boys.  We didn't find out the gender of our baby until they were born.  We wanted to be surprised.  Tony was telling his friend that he didn't care if it was a boy or girl, he just prayed our baby was healthy.  Tony said he will never forget what his friend replied, “I used to pray for a healthy baby, now I pray for the strength to take care of whatever baby God gives me.”Tony was moved by this statement.  He thought it was great that his friend was bold enough to pray a prayer like that.  When we are able to pray something like Tony's friend prayed, or like the apostles prayed, we are truly trusting in the will of God.  We are trusting in the sovereign power of God.  We are asking God to equip us for whatever circumstances He has laid out before us.  A lot of times, we want to take the easy way out.  Sometimes everything in life is so overwhelming that we can't help but ask God to take it away, and that is ok.  It's not bad to ask God to remove your heavy burdens.  Turning your worries and cares over to God should be the first thing we all do.  I think asking God to take away your struggles is a good thing.  I think praying for God to change you, instead of asking Him to change your circumstances, is a deeper level in your relationship with the Lord.  I long for that close of a relationship with my heavenly dad.  I long for the type of relationship where I have complete trust in God and His plans.  I long for a relationship with Him where my will and His will line up perfectly.  How awesome would that be?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, you are amazing.  Please help us desire for you to transform us instead of us asking you to take away our circumstances.  Help us to be open to your will, Lord.  Please give us the words to say when we pray.  We love you, Lord, you are the almighty one and the Lord of all.  We are so 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.  It is so great to know I am not on this journey by myself!  Thank you also to all of you who have purchased my book, Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace!  I truly appreciate it. I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, 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, “When you are overwhelmed by my love, when you feel it flowing through you, asking you to do something, then you will know that you have heard my voice, because my voice is always rooted in love.” 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

Live Unoffended By GodMatthew 11:6 “And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”  This is a tiny sentence in a great big bible.  You may have heard it many times before and not even noticed it because it is so small.  Also, you may have heard and it not understood what it meant.  This had definitely happened to me before.  I have read something and for one reason or another I did not understand what it meant.  Sometimes I will look at the footnotes and will get a better understanding of what the statement meant.  To be honest, I am not sure if I heard this verse before or not.  I know that I definitely did not understand what it meant or take any notice of it.  That is, until I read about it in that book I keep talking about The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.  You really must read that book, it is so good!  Anyway, as soon as I heard about what this verse meant, I knew I wanted to share it with people because I had never thought of it before and I know it is something that we can all do.  In the book Mark talks about this couple he knows that are prayer warriors or prayer giants.  You know the kind of people I am talking about, right?  The people who seem to have a direct line to God.  All of their prayers seem to get answered.  My mom and dad are prayer warriors.  They have had so many answered prayers and witnessed numerous miracles.  If you know my parents, they are the first people you call when you are in need of prayers.  Mark talked about how the couple's prayers for others were often answered, however, prayers for their own lives went unanswered.  He said they took a leap of faith and went into the world of filmmaking and they lost their life savings because the financial backing promised to them never came through.  They lost their home in a fire.  The lost three out of four parents in four years.  And a rare genetic condition has taken a toll physically, emotionally and financially.  It seemed like God was answering everyone else's prayers, except their own.  Have you ever felt this way?  Have you ever felt like God was answering the prayers of everyone around you, but yours were going unheard for some reason?  This couple said there had been moments when they have been tempted to throw in the towel, but the promise above has kept them going.  “And Blessed is he who takes no offense to me.  Here is the context of that promises as Mark Batterson explains it in his book The Circle Maker:Jesus is doing miracles right and left. He is healing diseases driving out demons and restoring sight to the blind, but John the Baptist misses the miracle train. It seems like Jesus is rescuing everybody except His most faithful follower, who is in prison. And John is his cousin, nonetheless. It seems like Jesus could have, and maybe should have, organized a rescue operation and busted him out before he was beheaded. Instead He sent a message via John's disciples. He tells them to tell John about all the miracles He is doing, and then He asks them to relay this promise: "Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”I had never thought of this before.  I had never thought about how John the Baptist might have felt seeing his cousin performing miracles all around him and yet he was stuck in jail.  I wonder if he did feel offended?  My first instinct is to say that he didn't because he seemed like he was so close to God and I think we tend to put anyone who we think is that close to God on a pedestal.  We think that because they were devoted to God that they have it all together and that that following God and His ways comes easy to them.  When I start to think like this, I need to remind myself that they are human and we all struggle with our thoughts and actions.  I don't know if John the Baptist felt offended by Christ or not.  I do know that this is a completely normal human response.If you are feeling offended because God is answering the prayers of all those around you and not yours please know that this is completely normal and understandable.  We can be happy for others and sad for ourselves at the same time.  I know I may keep mentioning that you can feel two things at the same time, but that is because I keep talking to so many people that are feeling guilty for being upset about something because they should be feeling grateful.  Or, they feel guilty because they should be feeling happy that their friend just got pregnant, but they feel sad that they have not gotten pregnant yet.  You don't have to feel guilty about your feelings.  It is ok to have two competing emotions at the same time.  It is not just ok, it is completely normal.  I wanted to share this verse because I know some people that have been feeling offended by God lately.  They are wondering why everyone else seems to be more favored or more deserving.  If this is you, I hope you take comfort in this passage.  “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”  God does not favor others more than you.  God is a mystery.  We don't know why He does what He does.  We know He has a plan for our lives and we also know He is not super forthcoming with what that plan is.  He is more of a “reveal one step at a time” God.  One thing we know for sure is that He keeps His promises.  So, if God is not answering your prayers it doesn't mean that He doesn't care for you as much as others.  You know Jesus had to have cared for His cousin.  You know God had to have been proud of His faithful servant John who lived in the woods and baptized people and preached repentance.  And yet, John the Baptist was beheaded.  God loves you!  He loves each one of His children equally and more than we could ever imagine.    If your prayers aren't being answered, I know it is hard.  I know it is hard to see others receive their miracles while you are still waiting.  I know it may feel like you are never going to receive your answers.  Please don't give up asking.  Please don't give up expecting them to be answered.  Try to rely on this promise that you are Blessed.  My hope is this shift in perspective will help you not throw the towel in.  Instead of thinking God must not like you or favor you because your prayers aren't being answered, you can know that you are blessed.  You can know that you are in good company.  Dear Heavenly Father I ask that you bless everyone listening to this episode today. Lord we ask that you help us be an offended by you. We thank you for all the miracles you're doing in the world today and all the prayers that you have answered. Lord we don't know why our prayers may be going unanswered and that is really difficult for us. Lord we ask that you help us with this. If our prayers haven't been answered yet we pray that you give us the perseverance to keep asking and to not give up. We ask that you give us wisdom and clarity if you want us to stop asking for something. As with Paul when he asked for you to heal the thorn in his side and you told him your grace was sufficient for him. If we are asking for something that we don't need or you don't want us to have please take that desire from us. Lord we are so thankful for all you were doing in the world today.  Please help us to be happy for others when you answer their prayers. Please help us to not be offended by this and to know in the depths of our hearts that you love us and you have a wonderful plan for our life. Lord we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen! 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

With God All Things Are Possible! (Replay)Revelations 7:17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”Jesus is our guide.  He came down to earth to show us how we should be acting.  He came down to teach us that the Lord our God is love.  He is trying to guide us to the springs of the water of life, but we keep wanting to do our own thing.  We don't want to follow in his footsteps.  Why don't we?  Because it is hard.  Jesus said to love everyone, even our enemies.  Is this even possible?  Jesus wants us to forgive, but aren't there some people who just can't be forgiven?  Shouldn't be forgiven?  I wonder if we all realize what forgiveness is? Forgiveness is not telling the other person what they did was right, or ok.  Forgiveness is telling yourself that this terrible thing did happen, that you can't change it, so you are releasing any hold that it has over you.  I know forgiveness is hard.In some cases, it is impossible.  However, it is so necessary.  God tells us right in the Our Father Prayer, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  God will forgive us to the same extent that we forgive others.  Think about the things or the people that you are unable to forgive.  Do you really want the inability to forgive them to get in the way of God forgiving you?  There are some things that no matter how hard we try, we cannot forgive.  This is okay; we don't have to do it on our own.  God can step in and help us forgive.  The only thing we must do is to ask him.  To give Him permission to work in your heart to forgive.  We had a word or prophecy given at our prayer group last October that I feel is so important to share.“I ask you to forgive my children.  I know that is a difficult command, and at times may seem very impossible for you to do.  But I remind you that I am with you always, and with me, nothing is impossible.  Bring your inability to me.  Allow me to work with my grace through you, so that you can be my forgiving heart for all the world.”In this word, the Lord is asking us to forgive.  He reminds us that even though we feel it is impossible, nothing is impossible in HIm.  In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  It also says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  We are not in this alone.  We have God on our side, and with that, we can do anything.  I love how God always shows up to remind us of things when we forget.  I like how God is reminding us that He is always with us and then asking us to bring our inability to him.  He is asking us to allow Him to work with His grace through us, so that we can bring His forgiving heart to the whole world.  How beautiful is that?  How great is it that God not only wants to use his grace to heal our hearts, but he wants us to be His forgiving heart for all the world.  God gave us free will.  Can you imagine how frustrating it must be for Him to sit by and watch us squander all he has provided us?  He would love nothing more than to rain down graces on us, and yet we can't be bothered to let him.  God is not going to step in if we do not ask Him.  He does not want to force us to love Him.  The only way to ensure it is true love is to give us the choice to love him or not.  Every day we have a choice to make.  Are we going to choose God, or are we going to choose something else?  God has so much grace and so much mercy to give.  He does not leave us alone to make these decisions.  He is there for us every step of the way.But we do need to make that choice.  Once we do make that choice, He will be there to help us overcome all of the obstacles.  And there will be obstacles.  The life that God is asking us to live is not an easy life.   Especially in this world right now.  Forgiveness and love are two things that we are being called to do that are not the norm in society today.  We live in a culture that does not want to forgive.  We want to stay angry, blame others, and not even talk to someone who doesn't think as we think.   This is not what Jesus wants for us.  Jesus did not come to earth to be with people just like Him.  He did not just hang around with those who believed as he believed.  He didn't find all the people who were getting it right in life.  He came for those who were struggling.  He came for those who needed Him.  When he met these people, he did not meet them with judgment and unforgiveness.  He met them with love and forgiveness.  He accepted them as they were, encouraged them, and helped them to become better.  How great would it be if we could do the same?  If we could greet everyone we meet with the same love and acceptance that Jesus had.  You may be thinking that you are different.  Jesus could do that because he was man and God, so he had the Holy Spirit inside him to help him make the right choice.  Guess what?  So do you.  You have the Holy Spirit inside of you, and if you let Him, He will guide you to make the right choices as well.  Just remember what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”You can do this!  It is possible!  Just take a moment and ask God for help.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you come into our hearts and soften them.  I invite you in, and I turn over my inabilities to you.  I want to forgive, and I want to let go of all unforgiveness.  I want to forgive completely so that you are able to forgive me completely.  Lord Jesus, some people and some things are so difficult to forgive. We live in a broken world, and some pretty awful things happen here.  We are so very grateful that you are here to help us. We are grateful that we don't have to do this on our own.  Lord, we ask that you help us.  Even though it seems impossible, we believe you when you say that all things are possible with you.  Lord, you are truly amazing, and we love you so very much.  Father, we ask all these things 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 attending the Northeast regional retreat for the Military Council of Catholic Women this weekend. I decided to replay one of my first episodes of this podcast today. Many of you listening now were not listening back then. I encourage you to review old episodes and see if any titles speak to you. 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, “Be not afraid, my children. I fortify you. I encourage you. I know you can do it, so just act upon whatever I tell you, and you will have an inner joy that no one can take from 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

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 two 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, too. I pray you know that God wants to be there with you, and if you invite Him into your family issues, He can help.My name is Becky, and I want those struggling to know there is hope where there is faith, even if it's a small flicker of faith. I always believed in God, but didn't go to church. When my son was in his teens, he was in an accident and injured his back. Fast forward to his late 20s, he was given pain medication and eventually progressed to stronger pain medications, leading him to addiction. His addiction became my addiction in the fact that I kept trying to help, but was only enabling him. He went through several treatment programs only to relapse, but I was always there for him, good or bad, and there was a lot of bad. He was my son, and I loved him unconditionally, just as God loves us unconditionally.I remember picking him up one time, and I was afraid to be in the car with him, so when we stopped for gas and he was done pumping, I drove off and left him there. I will never forget the look on his face when I looked in the rearview mirror and drove away. What kind of mother does this? I drove straight to the church by our house and just went to sit inside and talk with God. A pastor came up to me, and I broke down. He sat with me and prayed. I was a complete wreck. On the way home, I heard Matthew West's “Truth Be Told,” and I couldn't stop crying. This was me, saying I was fine and I wasn't. Things were definitely out of control. I believe God spoke to me through this song. I played the song for my husband, then I spilled my faults and all the things I had done to try to get our son sober to my husband. Later, even though God heard me with my husband, I confessed the same to God privately, and then some.I was broken and ashamed. I read scriptures, started going to church, and created a Christian playlist. My son got to a point where he did get sober, went to church, and Bible study with his daughter. He was baptized as a baby, but chose to be baptized as an adult, making a conscious effort to follow God's plan in April 2021. On June 7, 2021, I left for work, hugged him, told him I loved him, and was glad he was my son, not realizing this would be the last time. He relapsed that day with an accidental overdose that turned out to be 100% fentanyl. We had to make the decision to remove him from life support on June 12, 2021. In the beginning, I questioned why God would allow this, but I know in my heart God knew that if my son had survived, he would have been back suffering again, and that was not His plan. My son always said if anything ever happened, not to blame myself, that everything I had done, both good and bad, had kept him alive longer than he had anticipated. I was planning his 40th birthday, but he never made it. I gained some comfort that he was able to donate his kidneys- one to a 70-year-old grandmother and one to an 18-year-old named Luke, who wrote the most beautiful letter explaining his gratitude and sympathy for our loss. My depression spiraled the remainder of 2021, and the only thing that kept me going was the songs from Matthew West and my fumbled prayers with God. I am not perfect, I make mistakes, I fall down, but I get back up. I tell God I am not perfect, I neglect to pray some days, but I try to be sincere and get back on track. I recognize when God puts people in my life to share my story and experience. To this day, the words of “Truth Be Told” remind me of where I started and how far I have come on my journey. I am forever grateful.I just listened to your song “Untold” and was greatly moved by emotion. As a young girl, I was raped at 18 by the boy I was dating (whom I met at church). I was so naive, I didn't even know what was happening to me at the time. It took me four months and a few trips to the library to figure out I was pregnant. My greatest fear was having to tell my parents. When I did, my father refused to speak to me for weeks. I never told anyone the circumstances of the pregnancy, and my father never let me forget how I shamed the family.Since my mother made it clear that I could not stay at the house if I chose to keep the baby, I thought I would give it up for adoption, but by that far in the pregnancy, I began to feel the baby move. I had always wanted to be a mother, just not so soon. So, I decided to marry the person who did this to me so I could keep my baby and save embarrassment. Abortion was not an option. I had always supported the pro-life movement and never wavered from my stance, even in my current condition.After five years and a second child, we split. Shortly after, I remarried and had two more children, but marriage to an abusive alcoholic proved impossible. At 29, I was single with four children, but I was committed to raising the best children possible. That one decision to keep my baby laid the path for a life of struggle, but with blessings along the way. I have never regretted that decision. I gave birth to a strong-willed, independent baby girl who became a teacher, principal, and leader who has affected the lives of so many people, particularly children. She says she wouldn't change our life of financial struggles and other challenges, as it has made her the person she is today. She has greater compassion for other children experiencing similar challenges in their lives. I often think of what life would be like for the many if she hadn't been born. She is a strong Christian continuing to affect lives all around her.This decision was so much better to live with than if I had terminated the pregnancy.  Life IS sacred, from the moment of conception. Creating and bearing a child is one of the greatest gifts God has given women. And for a female friend of mine who couldn't carry a child, I did it for her.Thank you both so much for sharing your stories. Thank you also to Matthew West and his Father for creating a website where people can share their stories with others. It is always so nice to hear other people's stories because we know we aren't alone. No matter what it is you are going through, I guarantee someone else has been through it and they have made it to the other side. Once we know we are not alone, it somehow makes it easier for us to get through it. So, thank you both again! 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 Has A Watering Can (Flowers)Psalm 5:1-3 “Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing. Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.This was another verse from my prayer group. I picked it today because I know so many who are struggling with what feels like unanswered prayers. Although they trust God will answer those prayers, they find it harder and harder to trust. They want to believe that God has a good plan for them. They want to believe God is going to put an end to this suffering on this side of heaven. Yet they haven't seen it yet. They still have to suffer with the pain every day, or the heartache every day.Last night, I went to an Encounter Ministries Alumni event at the Boston Campus, and my friend Hugh and I were praying over another friend of ours. She has been struggling with something for over 30 years, and it has been daily for over 10 years. I was telling them that I don't understand this. I don't understand why someone would have to go through something like that for so long. She has prayed for God to take it away. She has had lots of people pray over her for God to take it away, and although he has made the problem less severe, He has not taken it away from her.She is coming to Him each day with expectant faith also. I feel like she has checked all the boxes of what God has told us to do, and if we do, He will answer our prayer, yet they seem to go unanswered. Why is that? Do you feel like this, too? Like you have done all you can do, and yet your prayers still haven't been answered? You aren't alone. I wish I could say that I had the answer for you. I talked to the Lord about it this morning, and He put this song on my heart. I believe He is trying to help me understand His ways more with this song. I pray that this song and the words He gives me today to share with you will give you the strength you need to keep asking God for whatever answer you have been waiting for. He hears you, keep asking!!"Flowers" by Samantha Ebert was written during a period of intense physical and emotional pain caused by Lyme disease. Ebert, bedridden and feeling like her hope was fading, found inspiration in the "get well soon" flowers on her nightstand, realizing that beautiful things can grow in the darkest places. The song became a reflection on faith, gratitude, and the idea that God can turn even the hardest parts of life into something beautiful. Here are the words to the song:Well, blue skies and hillsides feel so far awayAnd I wrote in my notebook that I've seen better daysThan the ones as of lateI can't bear the weightThe rain won't stop pouring out my windowpaneAnd I haven't left my bedroom in 76 daysI wish something would change'Cause I'm losing faithI think many of us have been in a situation where it went on for a lot longer than we wanted it to. I think we all have had a time when we felt like things would never change, never get better, never go away. We have felt like we would never be healed, we would never get out of that relationship, we would never find a job. Whatever you never were, we have all had one. It is easy to lose faith when it feels like God is ignoring your prayers. When we are tired and worn out, it is harder and harder to resist listening to the lies of the enemy. He is a liar, and yet he uses half-truths, so that they seem to make sense to us when we are tired and feel like we can't fight the darkness anymore. When we feel like the weight of our problem is too great for us to bear any longer.Next, the song says:So I brought it up in a desperate prayerLord, why are you keeping me here?Then He said to me, "Child, I'm planting seedsI'm a good God and I have a good planSo trust that I'm holding a watering canAnd someday you'll see that flowers grow in the valley”I am sure we have all brought our situation up to the Lord in a desperate prayer. Probably many desperate prayers, however, this time she heard an answer from the Lord. I want to pause and reinforce this point. The Lord is talking to you. I know I say this all the time, and that is because I don't think many of you believe me. You may believe He talks to people, but you don't believe He is talking to you. I promise you, He is, you just have to listen. So, if you are in a desperate place, ask the Lord why. Ask the Lord what He wants you to do. Maybe he will just say Wait. But what if He tells you something you can do while you wait? God is talking to you, I promise you that!In the song, the person struggling cries out to the Lord. She asks why He is keeping her there, and He tells her. He answers her question. He will do the same for you. God said, "Child, I'm planting seeds. I'm a good God and I have a good plan. So trust that I'm holding a watering can. And someday you'll see that flowers grow in the valley.” Isn't that amazing? This is not only true for her, but it is true for you too. Our God is a good God, and He has a good plan. If you don't believe me, look at Jeremiah 29:11, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”God has good plans for you. You will get out of this situation. He will not leave you in suffering forever. He will save you. He is answering your prayers. What you are going through now is preparing you for where He is taking you. I know when you are in the thick of it, this might not be comforting to you. I know when I was in the middle of my situation, I didn't want to hear this. I just wanted to hear when it would all be over and I could move on to the better times, the joy-filled and happy times.If you are in that place, I want you to know you are not alone and that it is ok to feel that way. It is ok to be angry that it has been going on for this long. Take those feelings to God; He is the only one who can help you through them. God can handle your anger. He can handle your frustration! My friend said that the Lord told her that when she is hurting, He is also hurting. The same is true for you. God doesn't want to see you hurting. And also, like any good dad, He knows sometimes we have to go through hard things to become the person we are meant to be. We shouldn't shield our kids from every bad thing that will ever happen to them, because that is how they learn. We also have to learn from our mistakes and experience some of that pain.But what is amazing is that there are flowers in the valley. It is so hard when we are going through hard times. However, every time we go through them, we can look back and see positive things about them. It doesn't mean we are always glad they happened. If we lost a loved one, even though we might be able to see a few good things, like the fact that they get to be with Jesus now, or they are no longer suffering, it doesn't mean we are happy they passed away. Our struggles change us and we can be grateful for the lessons we learned without being grateful for the situation.Next the song says:So whatever the reason, I'm barely getting byI'll trust it's a season knowing that you're by my sideEvery step of the wayAnd I'll be okay'Cause I brought it up in a desperate prayerLord, why are you keeping me here?Then He said to me, "Child, I'm planting seedsI'm a good God and I have a good plan"So trust that I'm holding a watering canAnd someday you'll see that flowers grow in the valleyThis is a hard step for most of us, and it is one that brings us the most relief. It is where we can finally get some peace. In this verse, she is surrendering. She is accepting that even though she doesn't know the why, she knows the who. She knows that God is in control and that He will use all of this for her good. (Romans 8:28) Most of the time, when we are in a hard season, we won't know the why. God's ways are higher than our ways, and we don't understand them. However, if we can keep reminding ourselves that this is just a season, and seasons don't last forever. If we can remind ourselves that God is with us every step of the way and that we will be okay, then it can make the journey a bit better.Next the song says:When I'm on the mountain and looking down belowI'll see a valley of flowers that needed time to growAnd I'll thank you for the rainThe hurt and days of painAnd I'll bring it up in a grateful prayerThank you, Jesus, for keeping me thereYou know just what I need, and you've planted seeds'Cause you're a good God with a real good planAnd you hold my world in a watering canSo I can have peace 'cause flowers grow in the valleyMan, when we get to the other side, it is so good! We tend to see the flowers, maybe not right away. We see that all that lying around in bed gave us the chance to pray more, intercede more, and grow closer to God. Or we see that all that struggle gave us levels of patience, resilience, and perseverance that we would never have otherwise. We see that fighting to break that addiction gave us the strength we needed for the next chapter of life. We see that because we went through that hard time, we can now be a witness to others that they can make it through that hard time, too.I love this song because it shows us that God is good and He really does have a good plan. Yes, it is hard waiting for that plan. I have a friend who really wanted to meet the man of her dreams and get married and have a family together. She did finally meet the man of her dreams a lot later than she wanted to. It was hard for her to wait that long. It was a lot of years of heartbreak, losing hope, and feeling like it may never happen. However, now that she is on the other side of it, she can see that if they had met earlier, it might not have worked out. They both needed to grow and become the people they are now.If you are in a really hard season right now, I am so sorry. Trust me when I say I know how hard it is to wait for prayers to be answered. I know how hard it is to struggle for a very long time. I struggled for so very long with parenting and in my marriage. I cried out to the Lord over and over again. And although it was a very long road, I knew I wasn't in it alone. I know God was there helping me along the way. I am now able to thank God for those hard times because they made me who I am today. They made it so I can help other struggling parents. I can empathize with kids who are struggling. I can help others grow closer to God. I can help others develop a deep trust in the Lord because I have a deep trust in the Lord, and a lot of that grew out of necessity because of the hard times I was in.I'm sorry this episode is longer than usual, but I know many of you are struggling, and I felt like God wanted you to hear this today and wanted you to know that it won't last forever. He is a good God and has a good plan for your life. Trust that in this difficult season, and just keep looking forward to the flowers you will see in the valley when you reach the top of the mountain. Just keep looking forward to the day when you will want to thank God for all you have been through. I love you and I am rooting for you and I am always here for you to reach out to if you need help keeping up your hope. Sometimes when we are in the middle of it, we need other people to hope for us because it is too hard and painful for us to keep hoping. If you are at that point, please reach out and I will keep the hope alive for you! Email catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or go to the website walkboldlywithjesus.com and click on the contact me page. I would love to hear from you and pray with you!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, we know you are a good Father and you have good plans for us. However, sometimes it is hard to believe this with all the bad we see in our lives. Please help us. Help us to remember that you will bring good out of this. Help us to remember this is a season and won't last forever. Help us to remember that you are with us in the hard season, that you never abandon us. You are there giving us all we need to make it though that day. Thank you Lord, you are amazing! 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 all to click on the link below and check out my mentoring program. It is similar to the podcast, but you get to hang out with me on Tuesday nights and go a bit more in-depth on certain topics. It is also a great way to set aside some time to grow closer to the Lord each week. Tonight will be week four of our For Such A Time As This series.  I look forward to seeing 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 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, I am yours and you are mine, and I direct the way each day. The more you come to me, the more you will experience my joy and mercy, so you, in turn, can share it with others.” 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

In Parched PlacesIsaiah 58:11-12 “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in."This scripture verse was given at a prayer group meeting recently. This morning, I was looking through my prayer group notes since we have finished the Be Bold Series, and I thought I would get back to using those verses for a bit. When I read today's verse, I knew it was perfect because I know so many people who are struggling right now. I know so many people who have been praying for relief from physical ailments and feel as though their prayers have not been heard. Or maybe they have been heard, but they are not sure they have the strength to wait for God's timing.This scripture verse tells us that God is continually guiding us and that He will satisfy our needs in parched places. How many of us feel like we are in parched places? How many of us feel as though we are in a desert and relief is nowhere around? We look out as far as we can see in all directions, and there is nothing. We are all alone with no end in sight. Sometimes we feel as though there is no hope in sight either. We want to be hopeful, we want to believe that God is going to heal us, and yet each day that goes by, we struggle more and more to believe it might happen.I have a friend who has a son who lost his job. We prayed for her son for a very long time. He struggled to pay his bills. He had to move out of his home. He had to give his dogs away because he had to move in with a friend and sleep on their couch. I am sure he struggled believing that a job was coming his way. I am sure he had moments when he doubted he would ever find a job again. I am sure he questioned where God was in all of this. He knows his mom was praying for him that whole time, so what was taking so long? Why wasn't God answering the prayers that he knew people were praying for him?He now has a job and things are going well. God did answer his prayers and those of all who were praying for him. The thing that is hard for us all to understand is why it took so long. I am sure you have your own version of this story, too. Maybe you have many versions of this story. Why did the adoption process take so long? Why did it take so long to get pregnant? Why did I have to struggle so long with cancer? Why did I have to suffer in pain for so many years? Why, Why, Why?If you are asking God why for something right now, I want you to know that it is ok, and that you are not alone. None of us understands God's ways. No one here on earth knows why He does what He does and why His timing is what it is. The one thing we do know is that he is all-knowing and all-powerful. We can be assured that He does have a plan. We don't understand the plan because we don't have all the facts. We don't know what is to come. We know our story, but we don't know anyone else's story. We don't know how God might use what we are going through to help someone else. We don't know how God will use what we are going through to help us become the person we need to become.When we are confused, when we feel lost, we can turn to Scripture to find answers, to find promises. If it is in scripture, then you know you can rely on it. You can stand on it as truth. Today's verse says that, “The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong.” How many of us needed to hear that today? How many of us needed to hear that even though we feel like we are in a desert, God is actually there with us, and we are not alone. God is not only there with us, but He is forever guiding us, and He will satisfy our needs. I know this verse was meant for me to use today, too, because the next line is oddly specific. He will make your bones strong. How many of us feel like that is exactly what we need today? I know several of you listening are struggling with your bodies. You are struggling with physical ailments, and you definitely need God to make your bones strong. Some of you feel you are fading fast and can't fight anymore. If that is you, I hope you hear God talking to you specifically today. I hope you hear Him telling you that He will give you the strength you need, the nutrients you need, the healing you need. He will make your bones strong so you can continue to stand and fight whatever it is you are fighting. HE IS THERE WITH YOU!!Then it says, “you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.” I feel as though this is God reassuring us that even though we feel as though we have nothing left to give, we will never run out. He will give us exactly what we need for that one day, that one hour, that one minute. When you feel like you have nothing left to give, remember this promise from the Lord: “You will be like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.” The enemy will tell you that you have nothing left to give. He will tell you that your water has dried up and you are failing fast. He is a liar. The Lord only speaks the truth. So when He says that you are a spring of water, whose water never fails,” then you can take that to the bank. You can stand on that promise. You may feel empty, but God is there giving you whatever you need to keep moving forward, even if it is at a really slow pace.I almost didn't include the last verse, as I usually try to just focus on one verse at a time and go deep. However, I thought this last verse was something we all needed to hear. It says, “Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.” I felt this was important to include because I didn't want to leave you with the thought that God meant for your story to end where you are. He is saying that He will give you what you need to get through the parched place you are in right now, but He doesn't leave you there. I feel as though if I ended with that last paragraph some of you might be thinking that although it is reassuring that God will give me what I need in this difficult time, I still don't want to be stuck in this time forever. I still need relief.This last verse shows us that God will not leave us here. He has a plan. Our ancient ruins will be rebuilt. The sense I got when I read this was that our lives would be rebuilt. We will not be the same person we were before we went through this. We will be stronger. We will be more resilient and persistent. We will be made new. This is how God always leaves us. He doesn't leave us broken and weak. We may feel weak, but when we are weak, God is strong. God can work through us powerfully when we admit our weakness and ask Him to step in and help us. We look at all we have lost and think it is lost forever. God can restore anything we have lost. He can give us back lost time, He can give us back lost loved ones, He can give us back everything. We see this when we look back at the story of Job. We often think of Job as the suffering servant. We think of all he had to go through and how he remained faithful. However, I don't think we spend enough time thinking about how God repaid him for his suffering. God restored all he had lost. He gave him back everything he had lost two times.Maybe in the really hard times. The times when it feels like you will never get better, you can think about how God will reward you for your suffering as well. What might He give you back? What might he bless you with that you didn't have before? How might God be using your suffering? My dad tends not to request prayers for himself because he knows that God is using his suffering to help others. He also knows God will give him what he needs to bear the suffering. I agree with both of these, although I do think we should always ask God to heal our suffering and have others pray over us. I am sure the thought of how God might be using his suffering brings comfort to my dad, and it can bring comfort to you, too.The very last line says, “You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.” You can repair the breach. You can restore the streets. Your story, your testimony, can bring someone back to the Lord. Your story of how you made it through the hard time by the grace of God can let someone else know that they can make it through, too. It might be just what someone needs to hear to return to the Lord and ask Him for help. God was with you in your parched places; others may need to know He will be there for them, too!Dear Heavenly Father, please bless everyone listening. Lord, we love you and we are sorry we get so frustrated waiting for your timing. We don't understand it, Lord, which is hard for us. We want to believe your plan is better than our plan, and yet our plan seems so great to us. Please help us see your plan more and more. Please help our will align with your will. Please fill us with the strength and patience to wait for your timing. 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 pray you all had a great Easter weekend and a wonderful Easter Season to come. This morning, Pope Francis passed away. He got to go be with our Heavenly Father, which is wonderful for him and yet sad for us. I pray for the repose of his soul, and also for the selection of the new Pope. May the Holy Spirit lead that selection process, and may the perfect person be selected! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. I pray you remember how much 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, sometimes I ask you to step forward. Sometimes, I ask you to step back. Sometimes I want you to run. Sometimes I want you to walk. Sometimes I want you to sleep. What I want most is for you to be docile to whatever I ask.” 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 Loved By JesusJohn 13:23 “One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,* was reclining at Jesus' side.”This scripture verse was given at my prayer group, and the following words of prophecy were given with it:  “You are also the one whom Jesus loves.  So, your place is to be listening to his heartbeat when you pray. So, put your head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat.  Say I love you and be at peace.”  Is there anything more calming than putting your head on someone's chest and listening to their heartbeat?  I picture when I was little, and if I was scared, I went to lie with my parents.  Just putting my head on their chest and listening to their heartbeat would make me feel better; it seemed so rhythmic and soothing.“You are also the one whom Jesus loves.”  How many of you believe this?  Like, truly, in the depths of your heart, believe this?  You are also the one whom Jesus loves.  Sometimes it is easy to say that Jesus is love.  It is easy to say that Jesus loves everyone.  And yet, even as we are saying it, we are discounting ourselves from that love.  We know He loves everyone, and yet we don't believe that he loves us.  We don't feel that love or even understand why He would love us.  Who are we to be loved by Jesus?You are the son or daughter of the one true king; that is who you are.  You were made in the likeness and image of God.  You are deeply loved by Him.  Why do you discount yourself from that love?  Or maybe you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be worthy enough of God's love.  Maybe you think that if you just do things perfectly, then God will love you.  If you attend mass every week and volunteer for every fundraiser, then you will be worthy of God's love.  Are you constantly feeling like you are not good enough for God's love?Guess what, none of us are.  None of us are worthy of God's love, and yet he lavishes it on us freely anyway.  You do not have to do anything to earn God's love.  Well, as I wrote that, what came to mind was we do have to accept it.  God can tell us all day long that he loves us, but if we don't accept it, then it doesn't matter.  Yesterday I talked about abiding in God's love and how abide means acceptance.  Can you accept God's love?  Can you accept that he loves you just as you are, no strings attached?This is a new kind of love for so many.  Some people have never had someone in their lives who loved them completely, with no strings attached.  Unconditional love is not a thing they even knew.  If you are struggling to believe that Jesus loves you, just as you are, think about your childhood and your past relationships.  What do you think of when you think about love?  Did you have to earn love growing up?  What did you feel you had to do to be loved?  For instance, did you have to get good grades,  be a certain weight, be quieter, etc?  Did you feel like your parents' love was conditional on your behavior?  If so, don't worry, you are not alone.  We live in a broken world, and we don't know how to love each other unconditionally like our heavenly father does.  I think everyone is doing the best they can.  We can only love others to the extent that we are loved.  If your parents did not know unconditional love, then they can't pass it down to you.  The good news is that you can learn to let Jesus's love in.  The good news is that Jesus does love us unconditionally.  If we can learn to accept Jesus's love, then we can learn to pass this love on to others, even if that is not the love we were raised with.If accepting God's love is something you struggle with, I would love to give you some practical tips for how you can begin to accept God's love. I went online to see if others had already written about his subject.  I found an article written by Kara J. Lovett called “5 Keys to Accepting God's Love.”  I would highly suggest you read this article.  I will put a link for it in the description of this episode, but you can easily find it by googling 5 Keys to Accepting God's Love.  https://karajlovett.com/5-keys-to-accepting-gods-love/ In the article, she goes into what God says about love, and then a section on understanding God's love.  Her article mentions five ways you can accept God's love.  They are as follows: Accepting God's love with scripture, prayer, grace, quietness & in unexpected places Kara says in her article that “by digging deep into Scripture and spending time with God in prayer, I realized that I need to stop striving for love and instead strive to accept God's love, which He has already graciously bestowed on me.”  As I mentioned yesterday, reading through the bible is a great way to get to know what God's love is like. You can see many examples of God's love in the bible.  1 John 4:7-10 is a great example of love.  It says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”The second way she mentions is prayer.  When we turn to God and ask for His help, he wants to help us, and is just waiting for us to ask.  God knows what we are going through and what our struggles are, and yet he loves it when we talk to Him about them.  Just sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and talk to God like you are talking to your best friend at the kitchen table.  You will be surprised how much closer you get to God when you start having chats with Him on a more regular basis.  They can be informal chats about your day, your struggles, and your successes.  God wants to share in all of that with you.The third way she mentions is Grace.  Man, learning about grace over these last few years has really been huge for me.  Learning to be graceful with yourself is so important.  Kara says that grace is the free, unearned gift of salvation that God has bestowed upon us.  When I looked up the definition online, it said 1a: unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification. b: a virtue coming from God. c: a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.  We are saved and redeemed through God's grace.  It is unmerited, meaning we don't deserve it, we can't do anything to earn it, it is just bestowed upon us.  How amazing is that?  The third definition said a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.  We can't forget this.  We are made holy through divine assistance.  God is always there to help us.  We can't do any of this on our own.  It is always a partnership.  God has so much grace and mercy for us.  He doesn't expect us to be perfect, so cut yourself some slack.The fourth way to accept God's love is through quietness.  Spend some quiet time with God.  There are so many ways that you can do this.  Maybe you are someone who likes to meditate every morning.  That is wonderful! Maybe you are like me, and every time you try to quiet your mind, all it wants to do is talk to you.  That's fine too.  Maybe your quiet time is spent in nature, going for a walk, or sitting outside listening to the sounds of nature.  Maybe your quiet time with God is spent journaling all your thoughts.  There is no right way to spend quiet time with God.  Your relationship with God is like any other relationship; the more time you spend together, the closer you will be.  The fifth key to accepting God's love for Kara was letting go of control.  Even though we know at some level that we don't have to earn God's love, we still try to prove to Him that we love Him.  We put all these rules and regulations on ourselves about how we have to do this and we have to do that.  We tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves.  Once Kara was able to let go of control and remember that Jesus already secured our freedom on the cross, she decided to let go of all the pressure she put on herself and just tried to abide in Jesus's love.  God loves you!  He truly does.  I hope that if you are not currently able to accept God's love, you will spend some time working on learning how to.  I can't tell you how amazing it is to know that I am always loved.  To know that there is nothing I can do that would make my heavenly father stop loving me.  It gives me so much more confidence in life.  It brings me so much joy.  It breaks my heart when I talk with people who don't know how much God loves them.  I know it is hard to let love in sometimes.  I have been there before.  It can be hard,  it can take a lot of work, and it is so worth it.  There is so much more waiting for you once you accept and really come to know God's love for you.  It is there for the taking, free, with no strings attached.  All you have to do is say yes and accept it!Dear Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that you love us unconditionally.  You love us so completely.  Lord, some of us are struggling to feel this love.  We ask you right now to come into our hearts and fill them with your love, perfect love.  We ask that you begin to break down any walls that we have put up to keep love out.  Lord, we want all the love that you have for us.  Lord, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this with a supernatural feeling of love today.  That the Holy Spirit descends on all of them and that they can physically feel you giving them a hug today.  Lord, you are so amazing.  We are in awe of all that you do each and every day.  We pray that you help our loved ones to open up and feel your love.  Lord, we pray that you shower your love on all the teenagers.  Being a teen is so difficult, and many do not feel any love.  Please show them how amazing your love is, Lord.  We ask all of this in accordance with your holy will and in Jesus' name, Amen.  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I felt this was a good episode for Good Friday today, more than any other day, Jesus shows his love for us. He died on the cross for us. He died on the cross for you. He loves you. Will you let Him in? I look forward to meeting you here again on Monday. I hope you have a very blessed Easter weekend. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I!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, “I have a picture in my mind of Jesus and Mary holding each of our hands, and we're like a little child skipping away, skipping along, and it's a white path and they say, “Stay with us, and we will lead you to home.” 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

Be Bold & Say Yes!1 Timothy 1:12-16 “I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these, I am the foremost. But for that reason, I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.”Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  This is something that the Pharisees and Sadducees could not understand.  Actually, many people couldn't understand this.  Jesus was the savior. The Jewish people thought He was coming to save them from the Roman Army.  They did not understand that He was coming to save them from something much more important.  He was coming so that we would have eternal salvation.  He came to walk among us so He could save us from ourselves.  God had a perfect plan, and Adam and Eve, being human and imperfect, messed up that plan.  God sent His son to us to set things right again.  The beginning of this verse talks about “him who strengthened me.”  This sounds an awful lot like Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  It is true that we get our strength through Jesus Christ.  Paul is thankful in this verse because Jesus considered him trustworthy in appointing him to the ministry.  He talks about how he was once a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man.  If you were designing this world, if you had to choose who would lead God's people, would this be the type of man you would choose?  Does Paul sound like the ideal candidate?  He was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man.  He is not who I would pick.  And yet He is exactly who God picked.  Why do you think He does this?  Why do you think God chooses to use less-than-perfect people for his ministry?  I think He does it because of exactly what He says to us in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  God knows us better than we know ourselves.  He knows that if he only uses perfect people, we won't listen to them.  It is hard to connect with someone you can't relate to.  Also, we tend to believe what we see more than what we hear.  It is one thing to have someone who has never struggled with an addiction come and tell you that Jesus can heal your addictions.  It is quite another to see someone who you know had an addiction problem and is now cured of it.  Which would you rather, someone to tell you that Jesus can forgive your sins, or to see Jesus sitting with those who have sinned?  We as people don't like listening as much as we like seeing.  Jesus took a man who was not a very good person, someone who didn't even believe that Jesus was who He said He was, and used him to do extraordinary things.  This is because of God's mercy.  I bet that every time Paul told the story of his conversion, he won over more people than the leaders in the church preaching about God's mercy without ever having experienced it.  It even says in the last sentence of this verse why Jesus chose Paul.  He said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these, I am the foremost. But for that reason, I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life.” Paul was chosen, not despite his past sins, but because of them.  He was chosen to be an example of Jesus' patience to all those who would come to believe.  Don't you find it easier to believe that God will forgive your sins when you know He forgave Paul?  What about Saint Peter?  Peter loved the Lord, he followed Him for three years, and yet when Jesus needed him the most, he abandoned Jesus.  He not only abandoned Him, but he also denied even knowing Jesus.  And yet, knowing all of this, Jesus chose Peter to be the rock upon which His church would be built.  If the Lord can use Peter, who denied Him three times in His time of need, and He can use Paul, who was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man, don't you think He can use you?  Sometimes we count ourselves out, and we don't listen when God calls us because we don't think we are good enough to serve the Lord.  He is almighty and powerful, and we are little and useless.  He is perfect, and we are full of sin.  How could He possibly use us when others out there are so much better than us at everything?  God doesn't want better, God wants you.  If you are willing, God wants to use you.  He is calling every single one of us to serve Him.  Are we worthy of serving Him? Nope, and yet He still calls us to serve Him.  He does not call us despite our past sins; He calls us because of our past sins.  He calls us because His ways are higher than our ways.  He knows that someone out there needs to hear our witness about how God saved us.  He knows that we are good examples of His love and mercy.  Others need to hear about all the graces we have received, even though we didn't deserve anything.So many people think miracles only happen for those who are really faithful.  God only forgives sins for other people, but not for them. They find it easy to believe God forgives small sins, but surely He won't forgive their sins, they are too great.  This is why God needs us. God wants us to be living examples of all He can do with willing people.  If you need further examples of when God has used people you would never have chosen, you have to look in the Bible.  There are so many examples.  I will point you to a few in case you aren't quite convinced.  What about Moses?  Moses was a murderer and yet God chose him to lead the people out of Exodus.  Jacob stole his brother's birth rite and then stole his blessings and God chose him to be the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.  There are many other stories like this in the Bible.  God doesn't use perfect people to carry out his mission.  He came to save the sinners and He uses us sinners to do that.  I want to leave you with a word of prophecy that was received at my prayer group because it shows that the Lord understands that we question our calling and our usefulness and like a good Father, he reassures us of His love.  “My children you are an integral part of my plan. Yes, you, You may see yourself as little and that is good you are little but my grace is strong and powerful within you. I have placed you where are you are, in the times that you are, in the circumstances that you are. And I am with you. I am with you to use you to spread the joy of knowing me. To spread my word, to spread knowledge of my goodness. I love you. You are an essential part of my plan. Please work with me for I am working with you. “Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to answer your call. Help us to see that you know we are not worthy, you know of all of our sins, and yet you call us anyway.  Remind us often that your ways are higher than our ways and we don't have to understand why you do the things you do. They don't have to make sense to us because our thoughts are not your thoughts.  Help us to trust you.  Help us to see in us what you see in us.  Help us to take that step forward even if we don't know why we are doing it.  Lord, we say yes to serving you, yes to all you want us to do, we just need your help, your grace, your strength.  We love you Lord, you are so amazing and we are so grateful that you accept us exactly as we are, that you love us exactly as we are.  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 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 three testimonies from the Broken Chapter Category. We all have times in our lives when things don't go as we thought they would. I think we have all had tragedy strike in one way or another. Some are worse than others but I don't think anyone has had a tragedy-free life. The witnesses today are no different. They have had some truly terrible things happen and yet they are able to testify to how God was with them through it. 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 situation, He can help.April: I was saved when I was 10 years old. There have been times in my life when I was walking closer to Jesus and times when I have drifted from Him.I've done a lot of things in my life that I'm ashamed of and I have a lot of regrets. I've felt that God has punished me for my sins, especially on the night of September 24, 2021.My oldest son Cole was killed by a drunk driver. Nothing “bad” ever happened to my family and this was totally unexpected. My husband and I were doing everything “right”, raising our kids in church and feeling like we were leading them in the way they should go.When Cole was killed, it was and is still the worst pain I've ever experienced. I felt it was my fault. I felt God was punishing me for all the shameful things I've done. I still struggle with this.I know Cole is with Jesus because God shows me and tells me all the time that Cole is with Him. He does this in many different ways. I've learned to be looking for Him and listening to His voice, because if I don't I start to believe the lies of the enemy.I know that what happened to Cole isn't my fault because Jesus took my punishment for me when He died on the cross. I've asked God so many times “why did you let this happen? “Why did it have to be my Cole?” “Why not me?” Well, the answer is that as Christians, we're not called to understand why. We're called to trust. I choose this every day.My faith has grown stronger since Cole went to Heaven. I have more joy in my heart than I had before. I know that sounds weird and I do wish that my Cole was still here with me, but I know that given the choice to come back here, Cole would say “no.” It gives me joy knowing that Cole is with Jesus and that one day I will be there too.I am working on forgiveness, forgiveness for the man who killed Cole. I don't want to live in a cage of anger, so I have to choose forgiveness. It hasn't been asked of me by this man, but it has been required of me by God. “Father forgives them, for they know not what they do.” Please pray for me to forgive as my Father forgives me.Many times, when I'm driving down the road I will be crying and feeling sorry for myself and then “Don't Stop Praying “will come on the radio. This is not a coincidence; it's God telling me to keep trusting in Him and to continue to bring everything to Him and lay it at His feet. He goes before me. If He is for me, who can be against me?Thank you, Matthew, for being obedient to what the Lord calls you to do. Your songs are reaching many people for Jesus and giving Him all the glory. Robin: My entire life is one broken mess after another. I grew up abused and broken and then I married someone who left me even more broken. I have struggled with depression and anxiety and often thought that the world would be better off without me. And so would my kids. I never wanted them to walk away even a little broken; if I was not there, I couldn't hurt them. I was on the edge and ready to break and I just stopped and gave in. For years people tried to lead me to God and all his promises and I would not, could not believe them, no one had ever kept a promise before and God doesn't have time for this broken-down sinner. I looked at my aunt and sister-in-law and saw the peace and love I longed for. So I gave in. I listened. I prayed for really the first meaningful way. Then I understood. I am not broken, just cracked but I was still whole. I picked myself up and God led the way to my next chapter. I am still cracked and I always will be, but now I know I will not fall apart. Wendy: When I was 17 yrs old, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life so I took a year off from college to volunteer while I figured it out. I found a mission organization out of San Diego called Amor Ministries that takes youth groups into Tijuana, Mexico to build homes for families there. I found what I wanted to do for life there!! It's my favorite thing to do. I volunteered for years. Even when I went back to college, I took time off to go every year. After I got married, my husband came with me a couple of years, but we were broke and he only got a week's vacation each year, so I had to stop for a few years. It was heartbreaking for me to not go to help during their busiest seasons. Then after I had our second girl, I had a disc in my back burst and it was pinching a nerve to my left leg, so I was losing the ability to lift my foot. I thank God to this day for the spinal surgeon that was able to remove the disc from my spinal canal. Those years after the surgery were depressing as the pain wore on and I was sure I would never get to go back to Mexico again. BUT God!! When my girls were 2 and 3 yrs old I was finally able to start going back to volunteer again. My husband and parents took care of the kids every year so that I have never missed a year again except for when Covid closed the borders. This last year I was honored by the organization and given a staff shirt for all my years of volunteering. I started taking both my girls with me to volunteer about 8 yrs ago as well. I leave in March for my 30th year volunteering! Your song “Do Something” is my anthem for life.Thank you all for sharing your testimonies. When we share how God is working in our lives it helps others. It is not easy to be vulnerable and share about a time when things were so hard. We appreciate you opening up and sharing you struggles. It is really important that we all know we are not alone. Thank 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

Be Bold & Be ObedientLuke 1:38 “Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.”This month in mentoring, the theme is “For Such A Time As This.” Last week, I talked about Joseph and Moses and how they were in the perfect place at the perfect time. It wasn't an easy road for them to get there. They were both broken and then they were positioned. Then I talked about Mary and Deborah. I explored how they went from being obedient to Empowered. This morning, we will look at how saying yes to God can change everything.“Obedience isn't about perfection. It's about saying yes to God—even when it doesn't make sense.” Often, God will ask us to do something, and we have no idea why he is asking us to do it. We don't feel qualified. We don't understand the plan, and sometimes, we just really don't want to do it. Also, God often asks for our 'yes' before He reveals the full plan. This is why obedience is so important. Our yes allows God to work within us and through us.Obedience is the bridge between calling and empowerment. So what this means is that being called to do something isn't enough—you don't just instantly arrive at empowerment. The way to get from calling to being empowered to carry it out is through obedience: taking steps in faith, even when it's hard, unclear, or uncomfortable. In other words, “You may have a purpose, but your obedience activates the power to walk in it.”Let's talk about Mary first. Mary was a young, willing vessel. Let's listen to Mary's Yes to the Lord in Luke 1:26-38. “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,  to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end.”  Mary said to the angel, “How can this be since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born[c] will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth, in her old age, has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God.”  Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then, the angel departed from her.To Summarize:- God chose a young, ordinary girl to carry the Savior of the world.- Mary responded in faith, not fully understanding. Do you think if Mary had known the complete story, she would have said yes? This could be why we don't always know the full story before we have to answer, either. The person we are when we say Yes to the Lord is probably not the same person we will be at the end of the story. Mary was young when she said yes to all the Lord had planned for her. She was not the same young girl when she was sitting at the foot of the cross. She had many other experiences in her life that prepared her and trained her to be the woman she was at the foot of the cross.Mary's obedience unlocked the miracle of Jesus entering the world. Mary had free will, just like the rest of us. What if she had said no? Where would we be right now? Thank goodness for Mary's obedience!Now, we will talk about Deborah. Deborah was a prophetess and the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Her story is found in Judges 4–5. She led Israel during a time of oppression under the Canaanite king Jabin and his army commander Sisera.Her position was that of Judge and Prophetess of Israel during the era of the Judges before Israel had kings. She provided wisdom, judgment, and spiritual leadership. People came to her for decisions and guidance. She summoned Barak, a military leader, and told him God commanded him to go to war against Sisera. (Judges 4:14) Barak agreed—but only if Deborah went with him. She did.Israel defeated the Canaanite army, and Sisera was ultimately killed by a woman named Jael. Deborah was a worshipper and Poet: Judges 5 records the Song of Deborah, a victory hymn celebrating God's deliverance and the bravery of those who fought.To Summarize:- She was a prophetess and judge in a time when women had little influence.- Her obedience in speaking and leading brought victory.- She led with courage, wisdom, and worship (Judges 5).What Obedience Looks Like1. **Saying Yes in the Unknown**  - Mary didn't have all the answers. Yet she said yes anyway.  - Obedience requires trust more than clarity. Mary could say yes because she knew it was the Lord asking, and she knew she could trust the Lord.2. **Speaking When It's Risky**  - Deborah spoke with authority even when it challenged norms. I am sure it was frowned upon at that time for a woman, even if she was a judge, to tell a military captain to go to war. Yet she did it anyway. Can you think of other people in the Bible who spoke up even when it was Risky?  - Your voice can unlock someone else's breakthrough. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine having the courage to speak up, even when risky, could unlock someone else's breakthrough? Has this happened to you before? Have you said something, and then someone else has had a breakthrough because of it? This happens a lot when praying over people for the prophetic word. Speaking the prophetic word to people takes courage because you aren't sure if what you are hearing is from the Lord or if it is just your own voice getting in your head. We tend to dismiss what we hear because it is far easier to believe that we are making stuff up than to believe that God is talking to us.However, God does talk to us. When we are brave and step out in faith and tell someone the prophetic word we hear from them, the word we hear may cause them to have a breakthrough. It is so beautiful to witness this, to see them realize how much God loves them and how much He really knows them.3. **Moving Despite Fear**  - Courage isn't the absence of fear; it's action in the face of it. My brother has this quote at the end of all of his emails, and I remember the first time I read it, I loved it. There will be times you want to quit every good thing you do in this life, persist. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the mastery of it. If God is asking you to do something, trust that he will give you the courage you need to do it!4. **Worshiping Through the Process**  - Both Mary and Deborah responded with songs of praise.  - Worship shifts our focus from fear to faith.When We Obey, God Empowers- Obedience invites the Holy Spirit to move through us.- Empowerment is not about control or power but about being vessels of God's glory.- God equips those He calls—He never asks for a yes without backing it up with power. You may not feel qualified to do the thing God is asking you to do. However, He wouldn't be asking if He wasn't going to give you all you needed to do the job. If you feel unqualified, join the club. I don't remember reading a single story in the Bible where the person felt qualified to do what they were called to do. Except David when fighting Goliath, and this was only because he knew that he wasn't fighting Goliath alone. He knew the Lord was on his side and would defeat Goliath. Imagine how braver we would all be if we knew that, too.I want to leave you with these last thoughts.- You don't need to have it all figured out.- God honors your yes.- He turns willing hearts into powerful instruments.- Your obedience today could be the key to someone else's miracle tomorrow.I am also going to give you some questions to think about. I gave these to those in mentoring but they are great questions for all of us to think about today.1. **What is God asking you to say yes to?**2. **Where do you need to trust more and understand less?**3. **Who might be waiting for you to rise up like Deborah?**4. **What can you praise God for in the middle of your obedience?**If you have some time today, sit with the Lord and answer these questions together!Dear Heavenly Father, thank you to all those listening to this episode. Lord, I ask you to bless them and their families. Lord, we want to be obedient. Please help us. Help us to get out of our own heads. Help us to remember that if you are for us, who could be against us? Help us remember that you will give us the strength and courage to get everything done. If you call us, you will equip us. You will help us find the time, strength, and whatever else we need to do this thing you are calling us to do. We love you, Lord, and we are so grateful you never leave us alone to do these things. You are always there to do them with us. Thank you. We pray 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 liked this episode, you will love mentoring. Click on the link in the show notes to check it out, or you can go to my website, walkboldlywithjesus.com. If you want to join mentoring this evening, it is not too late. Just sign up below, and you will get the Zoom link. It is tonight at 8 PM Eastern Time. I hope to see you there.Today's Word from the Lord was received in September 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, “Every moment of your life, can you remember it? Every moment from the day you were conceived in your mother's womb, I have tenderly held you in my arms. I'm there now as much as I've always been. I will be there at every moment until finally, I grasp you and take you into heaven with me forever.” 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