Podcasts about dear heavenly father

Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”A few of the ladies from my prayer group and I attended a bootcamp to teach us about the unbound method of deliverance.  Unbound is a method of setting people free from the things that weigh them down.  Sometimes we open doors to the enemy in ways we didn't know and Unbound helps us close those doors.  There are 5 Keys in the Unbound program.  The five keys are: Repenting of sin and expressing faith in Jesus; forgiving oneself and others; renouncing the lies, spirits, and tactics of Satan; taking authority over the works of Satan; receiving the Father's blessing. When you go through an Unbound session you meet with someone and they walk you through each of these keys.  In our first night of training we covered an intro and then we learned about the first two keys.  The first one was repenting of sin and expressing faith in Jesus.  We all sin, it is a part of our daily life, and yet when we sin in hurts our relationship with God.  When we sin we are opening a door for the enemy to come in.  Repentance for our sins is a big part of our freedom.  If we truly want to be free we can't have our sins hanging over us.  One way our sins can invite the enemy in is because He will then use that sin to make us ashamed of what we did.  Shame is straight from hell, it is not from God.  Once we start to feel ashamed then we pull away and we tend to isolate because we feel as though we aren't worthy of anything.  Once we repent we bring our sins out of the darkness and into the light and they no longer have hold over us.  The second key we talked about is forgiveness.  This is the one that left the biggest impression on me.  This is the one that I don't think we realize how important it is.  I remember when I was at a Bible study and they were talking about forgiveness.  We were talking about Matthew 6:14, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” When they said that God forgives us the same way we forgive those who trespass against us I was so surprised.  I had no idea what they were talking about.  Now, I have been a Catholic for my whole life and this was only about 10 years ago.  I have probably said the Our Father prayer more times than I can count and yet I never really put two and two together.  Have you ever had a time when you heard something or realized something and it was life changing for you?  I can remember two times this has happened for me with scripture.  The first one was when I discovered Romans 8:11, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”  When I discovered we have the power of the one who raised Jesus from the dead, the same power Jesus had, that was life changing for me.  The second time was when I discovered what I am really saying when I say the Our Father prayer.  “Forgive us O Lord as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Did you know that is what you are saying?  How many times do you say that prayer, have you said that prayer?  If you say the rosary every day you have said it at least 6-5 times daily.  When I heard this I was determined to learn how to forgive better.  I was determined to not hold things against people.  I have done my best to do this.  Over the course of the last 10 years have a learned quite a bit about forgiveness in my quest to become better at it.  First I learned what forgiveness is and is not.  Forgiveness is making a decision that you are no longer going to give the thing that happened any space in your brain anymore.  You are not going to think about it and you are not going let it dictate what you do and how you act.  Forgiveness is an act of the will, it is not a feeling.  You can, not feel like forgiving someone and yet you can still forgive them.  You can forgive someone and yet not feel like anything has changed.  Forgiveness is not saying the thing that the other person did was ok, it was not.  When you forgive you are not letting the other person off the hook and condoning their behavior.  Forgiveness is making a decision to turn the judgement over to God.  Forgiveness is making a decision that you are no longer going to let the unforgiveness eat you up inside.  The person you are refusing to forgive probably has moved on and your unforgiveness is not bothering them at all.  The analogy that I have heard time and time again about forgiveness is that it is like taking a little sip of poison every single day with the expectation that the other person will die.  I know you are angry, hurt, sad, I am sure you have every right to be and also, as long as you keep thinking about it and refusing to forgive, you can't really heal.  I talk to people I know about unforgiveness all the time since learning we will be forgiven as we forgive.  I can't help it, I understand what is at stake and I know it is not worth it.  Whoever you are refusing to forgive has probably taken enough from you, are you really going to let them take you eternal salvations too?  What they did to you, is not forgiving them worth the risk of God not forgiving you?  Our teacher on Monday told us about a preacher/minister who had died and found out he was on his way to hell.  He said he saw how horrible it was.  In hell this man saw another man on all fours on fire from head to toe.  He had a collar around his neck attached to a chain and a demon was holding the chain.  Our teacher told us that this man went to hell because he had unforgiveness in his heart.  I was curious to hear the exact story so I looked it up online.  I will put a link to the article in the show notes.  It turns out is was a priest who had a heart attack and must have flatlined at some point.  CLICK HERE for the article.Here is what priest said, "I thought I was going upward because I thought I had done so much good in this lifetime trying to help so many people and made so many decisions that were godly decisions, but as opposed to me going up, I went down.”  This priest was very angry as he said he did so much good in his lifetime.  Then he said he saw Jesus and Jesus gave him a personal message.  "He said, 'You have been secretly upset with the people who have hurt you. You had been hoping that I would punish the people that hurt you. These are not your people. These are my people.' He said, 'I only want you to focus on the assignment I am giving you.' The priest explains, “Although I did good, the thing I had in my heart was the unforgiveness to the people who wronged me. A person that can't forgive is a person that has forgotten how much they have been forgiven of.”This example is probably not what we want to hear.  I know it scared me when I heard it and yet we must hear it.  We have to know what will keep us from spending eternity with our Father.  This is why God sends people to share these messages with us.  Mary gave the little children of Fatima an image of hell and told them that more people than we know are ending up there.  Forgiveness is not easy, I know that.  I know that I don't understand some of the things that have happened to you.  I know people can be terrible and they do terrible things.  If you are struggling to forgive I ask you to review what forgiveness is and is not again.  You don't have to forgive and forget.  You don't have to forgive the person and invite them over for Christmas.  It is perfectly ok to forgive the person and never see them again, never tell them you forgave them, never talk to them again.  Forgiveness is for you, it is not for them.  The last line the priest said really hit me.  “A person that can't forgive is a person that has forgotten how much they have been forgiven of.”  What if all the people we wronged refused to forgive us?  What if God held original sin against us and refused to forgive us?  What if he refused to send His only son to save us?  Forgiveness is so much more important than we think it is.  I know so many people who are refusing to forgive because they say the other person doesn't deserve forgiveness.  You might be right and also, forgiveness is about them, it is about you.  It is about setting yourself free from the spirit of unforgiveness.  Unforgiveness can block so much from the Lord.  It can block healing, it can block graces, it can block your forgiveness from the Lord.  Is it really worth it?I want to take a minute to add some hope to this episode as if you are harboring unforgiveness it might be very scary to think of the consequences.  You might have had some truly terrible things done to you and you want the Lord to forgive you and yet you have no idea where to even begin forgiving the other person or people.  Here is the thing, the Lord doesn't expect you to forgive on your own.  We can't actually forgive on our own. All we can do is say, yes Lord, I want to forgive, and the Lord can change your heart for you.  If you are at a point right now where you really can't even say, Lord, I want to forgive, please help me, that's ok, the Lord meets us where we are at.  Can you say I want to want to forgive?  Can you say, Jesus, can you give me the grace to want to want to forgive?  If so, Jesus will help you get to that point and then you can move to actually forgiving.  My teacher told a story about a woman who was doing an Unbound session and the woman who she was working with refused to forgive her sister.  Well, this is the first key, you can't move on to the rest of the keys if you can't first get through forgiveness.  The woman was adamant that she would not forgive or even pray for her sister.  The woman leading the session asked if she would be able to ask Jesus to help her want to want to forgive.  She said yes and she asked Jesus.  She said ok, now she wanted to want forgive, but she still couldn't forgive. The leader asked her if she would be willing to do 1% of the work to forgive if Jesus could do the other 99%.  She said she thought she might be able to do that and so she forgave her sister 1% and Jesus did the rest.  Remember, forgiveness is an act of the will, it is not a feeling.  She might not have felt any different after she forgave her sister that 1% but she was willing to do it.  God will meet you where you are at too!  If all you can say right now is, “Lord please give me the grace to want to want to want to forgive.”  That's ok, just say it.  God is the one who does the forgiving.  We just need to say the words and God does all the hard parts.  God is asking us to let Him in, to not refuse to let Him work on any area of us.  Can we do that?  Can we give God even a tiny little crack of a window where He can come in and transform our heart?  Don't let the unforgiveness of what others did dictate the level of forgiveness you get from God.  Haven't then done enough, don't let them continue to have an effect on your life and definitely not your eternity.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, today's topic was a hard one.  I ask you to open people's hearts and minds and let them hear the word that you want them to hear.  Holy Spirit I ask you to convict each person listening to this of any unforgiveness that they may have so we can all work to forgive.  Sometimes our unforgiveness is hidden and so we ask for you to show us any areas we need to forgive in Lord.  We say yes to you coming in and helping us forgive.  We say yes to you forgiving us as we forgive others.  We say yes to loving your children as you love them.  We love you Lord and we are sorry for closing you out and not letting you heal our hearts by guarding them with unforgiveness.  We need your help Lord and we are so grateful you always come when we call.  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 hear 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

Come As You Are Series -- MaryLuke 1:38 “I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”I have been hesitant to talk about Mary in our Come As You Are series. I am not sure why. Part of it was that there was so much you could say about her. Another part of it was that we may feel we can't relate to Mary. She is amazing and so brave, and is the Mother of Jesus. What could we possibly have in common with her?I went online to learn more about Mary before she became the Mother of Jesus. Scripture does not tell us a lot about her before the Angel Gabriel visited her. There are a few things they do tell us and then there are a few things that we can learn from historical context. We know she was a woman living in her time.Here are a few things we know about Mary.1. She lived in NazarethLuke 1:26 says the angel Gabriel was sent “to a virgin in Nazareth.”Nazareth was a tiny, poor, obscure village — maybe 200–400 people.Nothing “good” came from there (John 1:46 “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”)This tells us:
Mary was from a humble, ordinary, overlooked place.2. She was a virgin engaged to JosephLuke 1:27 “to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.”Engagement (betrothal) in Jewish culture was legally binding — more serious than a modern engagement.This tells us:
She was likely between 13–16 years old, a normal age for betrothal.3. She was deeply faithful and knew ScriptureMary's song, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55), is filled with: Quotes from Psalms, Echoes of Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 2), Old Testament theology about God's mercy, justice, and covenantThis tells us:
She had a heart soaked in God's Word long before Gabriel appeared.4. She was humbleHer response to Gabriel: “I am the servant of the Lord…” (Luke 1:38)Her song: “He has looked on the humble state of His servant” (Luke 1:48)This tells us:
Humility wasn't something she learned after meeting Jesus — it was already who she was.5. She found favor with God before she was chosenLuke 1:28: “You are highly favored.”Luke 1:30: “You have found favor with God.”This tells us:
She already lived a life that pleased God — long before she carried Jesus.Now that we know a bit more about Mary, we can see that there may be some similarities.Here is a summary of the things we know about Mary. She was a young teen, living in an obscure, poor town. She had little earthly status, but had a deep love for God. She was humble, faithful, and obedient. She really knew her Scripture. God already favored her at a young age.Some of this we might relate to, and some of it we might not. Many can relate to growing up in an obscure place or feeling out of place in our community. We talked about this when we talked about Gideon. He was a man from the weakest clan in Manasseh and, by his own admission, the least in his family. Yet the angel of God called him a “mighty warrior.” What about you? What do you call yourself? What does your family call you? Do they see the amazing person that God sees, or do they just see you as a friend, a mom, a dad, a sibling? I know my kids are always surprised when I know something they don't think I should know. To them, I am just mom. They don't see me as someone who has her master's degree or someone who has written books and started her own business. They just see me as mom.I doubt many people from Mary's town would have looked at her and said, “She is going to be the mother of our Savior one day.” I doubt they looked at her and saw anything special. If the days when she lived were anything like when I was young, then she was probably an outcast, as those who love God tend to be outcasts. People don't understand why we love God so much. They don't understand why we would choose Him over all the “fun” things to do in this world.I was told by a priest one time how Mary and Joseph got engaged. He said that Mary had made a vow to the Lord to remain a virgin. The unmarried men in the area gathered to see who would marry this young woman who wanted to remain a virgin. They all threw their staffs in a pile, and when Joseph threw his in the pile, flowers grew out of it. This is why you will often see Joseph depicted with a staff with flowers growing out of it. When I looked up this story online, I found that this story is from the apocrypha (ancient books not considered reliable enough to be included in the Bible). There, the Protoevangelium of James claims that when young Mary wanted to dedicate herself as a perpetual virgin at the Temple, the high priest prayed for direction. An angel then told him to gather all of the unmarried men of the area, and have each one bring his rod (generally thought to be a walking stick or staff) to the temple “and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she be…and Joseph took his rod last; and behold, a dove came out of the rod, and flew upon Joseph's head. And the priest said to Joseph, ‘You have been chosen by lot to take into your keeping the virgin of the Lord.'”Isn't this beautiful to know that God picked Joseph out for Mary? Who better to arrange your marriage than the Lord your God? I also heard that Joseph may have also made a similar vow, so it worked out well for both of them. Imagine that God knew what He was doing when her put Mary and Joseph together. I have a friend who is getting married, and he was praying about the marriage one day, and he heard the Lord tell him that it was an arranged marriage and that God had arranged it. Can you imagine? What better proof that you are meant to be together than the Lord telling you that He arranged your engagement?Notice, God did not arrange for Mary to be with someone who wanted to change her. He didn't arrange for her to be with someone who was unkind to her and criticized everything she said and did. He brought someone in her life that loved her for who she was and supported her, even when she was pregnant and they weren't married yet. Even when she was pregnant, and he didn't know how she could be.  He supported her and raised Jesus as his own son. That is truly a God arranged marriage.God loved Mary. He knew her wishes and how much she loved Him. He arranged for her to be married to a good husband. He asked her to do an incredible thing, and she said yes. I am not sure if Mary understood all she was saying yes to, and yet she said yes anyway. What if we could do this? What if we could say yes, even though we don't have all the details? What if we could say yes, even when we don't quite understand the call? What if we just said yes because we know God and we trust that if He is asking us, then we will be able to handle whatever comes our way.God wants us to come to Him just as we are, and He will give us all we need just as He did for Mary. He gave Mary a loving spouse. One who would find her a safe place to have her baby. One who would listen to the angel from his dreams and wake them up in the middle of the night and move them to Egypt until they were the same. Then he would move them back once they were safe. God will give you all you need to do what He is calling you to do as well. God is calling you to do something. It might not be as extraordinary as carrying the Savior of the World, but it will still be an important call. Will you say yes? Will you come as you are and trust that you are exactly who God needs for this particular call? God loves you, yes, you, just as you are! I hope that if you get nothing else out of this series, you will believe that God loves you more than you could ever imagine and that He wants you to come to Him just as you are. You don't have to change anything to come to Him! He just wants you!!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening today. Lord, we love you and we want to believe you love us. Please help us believe that we don't have to do anything for you to love us. Please help us to believe we don't have to change before we come to you. Lord, this whole series has been about how you want us to come as we are. I pray that every person listening has come to realize that they can come to you just as they are and that you will help them become the person they want to be. 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. This episode concludes our Come As You Are series. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see for our next series, please reach out and let me know. It could be a topic like forgiveness, love, mercy, joy, or it could be something like a specific book of the Bible that you have always wanted to understand better. It could also be on the various people of the Bible. The options are endless, as there is so much in the Bible. Please let me know what you are interested in learning more about. I want this podcast to be for you! 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 July 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Yes, I am your victory, my children. But I am not a victor as you picture in a battle. I am the victory that brings your heart closer and closer to mine. My victory reigns in your heart. My victory doesn't have ticker tape parades, loud shouting, or gracious singing. My victory has gentle, peaceful love and joy placed deeply in your heart because you know beyond all knowing that I am yours, and you are 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

Though We Stumble, We Shall Not FallPsalm 37:23-24 “Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way;  though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”I have read that verse several times today and yet this time when I read it I got the image of toddler walking along the sidewalk while he is holding his daddy's hand.  When we are just learning to walk we definitely stumble and sometimes we even fall.  We fall because we are learning something new.  We fall because we are letting go of the safety of the wall, couch, or coffee table and venture out on our own.  It is not a bad thing when we fall as long as we get back up and try again.  It is expected to take time to learn something new.  It is part of the journey.  If we never let go of that safety net we will never learn what we are capable of.  What I love about this verse though is that it says we will stumble, but we will not fall because God hold us by the hand.  God allows us to venture out into the unknown, but we are not alone.  He doesn't send us out alone, he holds our hand.  He allows us to stumble, but we don't fall headfirst into the ground.  We stumble and He steadies us.  To me that is a great image.  The beginning line of this verse says, “Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way.”  I found the word “when” an interesting addition to this sentence.  I was wondering why it was there.  I know the words in the Bible are chosen carefully so what does that first sentence mean?  The first thought that came to me was maybe when our steps are unsteady and weak, we aren't doing what the Lord wants us to do.  Maybe we are like a child venturing out on our own.  We aren't waiting for the Lord to hold our hand, we are just heading out without him.  Have you ever done this? Saw something you wanted and went after it.  You didn't stop to ask God if it was right for you?  You didn't stop to weigh the pros and cons, you didn't really give it much thought at all.  It all seemed too good to be true and so you ran after it.  Yep, me too.  How did it work out for you?  Was it all you thought it would be?  The thought that keeps coming up in my mind is, “Not every opportunity is from God.”  If something feels too good to be true, this is a great time to pause and examine the situation.    I am definitely an optimist so you won't find me raining on your parade.  Maybe it is exactly what you have been praying for.  Maybe God gave this opportunity to you as an answer to your prayers.  God does do amazing things.  Often times God's plan do seem too good to be true.  This is not me telling you if it seems too good to be true it probably is.  What I am saying is if the opportunity is from God He won't mind if you pause to consult Him about it.  He will like it if you take time to pray about it.  Even if that time is 5 minutes.  A job may come up and you may not have a lot of time to consider it, that's ok.  Take a few minutes, catch your breath and ask God what He thinks.  Ask Him for guidance and see what he says, or how you feel about the job after you have talked to God about it.  Have you ever rushed into the perfect opportunity because you thought it was the answer to your prayers and it wasn't?  This can happen when we don't stop and invite God into our decision making.  For instance, we have been praying for more money and then a promotion becomes available.  We decide, without talking to God, this promotion is the answer to all of our prayers.  However, when we get the promotion we find out it has a lot of travel attached to it, or longer hours and now we never get to spend time with our family.  Not every opportunity is from God.  Sometimes the enemy offers us things that seem like what we want but aren't actually good for us.  For instance we want to be rich and powerful and we achieve it and yet we are not happy.  These opportunities, or maybe the desires, might be from the enemy.  We live in a fast paced world and sometimes it seems like we have to do everything so quickly.  We feel as though we don't have 5 minutes to stop and think.  If you don't have time to pause and consult the Lord then I don't believe that opportunity is from the Lord.  I think that is the enemy trying to get you to make decisions based on your feelings instead of your thoughts.  Our feelings can betray us.  When we are acting solely upon our feelings we are letting go of God's hand and telling Him we can walk on our own.  We are telling God we don't need Him.  Our feelings don't have our overall best interest at heart.  Our feelings are based on our temporary happiness.  Their goal is to make us feel good in the moment.  For instance, we might eat some macaroni and cheese for dinner because are feeling sad today and want to feel happy.  However, how is that macaroni and cheese going to make you feel when you no longer fit into your clothing.  We might take a job that seems good and pays a lot of money because we feel scared that we won't have enough money to pay the bills.  However, how much are you going to enjoy that job when you find out you never get to see your family.  Do you see how your feeling can betray you.  The verse says, “Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way;  though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”  When we stop and consult God, ask Him what He wants us to do, invite Him into the situation, our steps are made firm.  When we pause and grab hold of God's hand He will lead us.  This doesn't mean everything will be perfect.  We will still stumble, but we won't fall.  God hold's tight to our hand.  Yes, he allows us to stumble, and that is because when we stumble we learn, when we stumble we become more resilient, when we stumble we learn to lean on Him  more.  However, He does not allow us to fall headlong.  He catches us and sets us on solid ground once again.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we are so grateful that you make firm our steps.  We are grateful you allow us to stumble because that is where we grow and yet you don't allow us to fall.  You are there to catch us.  You hold our hand gently guiding through these uncharted waters.  Lord, we are sorry for all those times when we run off without you and do the things we want to do.  We are sorry for the times when we don't consult you.  We know you know better than we do.  We know your ways are higher than our ways.  Help give us the strength to pause and invite you into our decisions.  Help give us the patience to wait on your timing.  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.  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

Come As You Are Series - The Woman Who Anointed Jesus' FeetLuke 7:47 "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”I usually don't have a scripture verse for these episodes in advance.  I usually ask God to give me one right before I write it, or I look in my Encounter Ministry notes, or my prayer group notes.  However, yesterday, when I was listening to another podcast, this story from the Bible came to me clear as day.  This is not necessarily strange because, as you know, I sometimes get my episode ideas from other podcasts like The Big Life Devotional, Elevation, or Father Mike's podcasts.  However, this time the podcast I was listening to was not talking about this story at all.  The story just popped into my head, and I felt as if that was definitely the verse I was supposed to use today.  I chose Luke 7:47 as the main verse because that was the main point I felt the Holy Spirit emphasized when I got the verse; however, it probably won't make any sense without the context of the whole story.  The story is called “Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman,” and it is found in Luke 7:36-50.  “When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.  As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”  Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?”  Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.  Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”  Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”Actually, now that I am writing, I see why this came to me while I was listening to the other podcast.  The Big Life Devotional Podcast with Pamela Crim was talking about loving other people yesterday.  As soon as she said Do we love others, this story came to mind.  I think the point the Holy Spirit wanted me to make is about forgiveness.  In this verse, Jesus is forgiving this woman of her sins.  The reason she was crying and was washing Jesus' feet with her tears and anointing them with perfume is that she knew all of her sins.  She didn't come into that house pretending to be anything different.  She knew she was full of sin and that she was in the presence of the Lord.  She knew she had a lot to repent for, and she knew Jesus could forgive her sins.  She wasn't afraid to approach Jesus.  She didn't let her sins keep her from coming into the presence of God.  She approached him, bowed at his feet, and washed his feet.  She humbled herself with the faith that she would be forgiven.  Today's verse says, “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” The person who owned the house was thinking in his head that Jesus didn't know all of her sins.  He was thinking if Jesus were a prophet, he would know her sins, and he would not let her touch Him.  What Jesus is saying here is that if she weren't a great sinner, if she didn't really have many sins, she wouldn't have humbled herself, she wouldn't have sat at his feet and washed them with her tears.  She loved Jesus so much because she knew how much sin she had and how great a thing it was for Him to forgive it all.  She loved Him so much because she had so much sin.  What the Holy Spirit was saying to me yesterday was that we should be more loving to others because we have been forgiven so much also.  I feel like I am struggling to get you to see what the Holy Spirit was showing me, and yet I am trusting what He wants you to hear; you will hear.  What he showed me was that we struggle to forgive others, even when they had done little offenses to us.  Sometimes, they haven't done anything to us, and yet we don't love the person because we don't like how they look, how they think, how they believe, or how they talk.  We judge others so much, and God is saying, “Why are you judging them when I am not judging you? Why are you acting as if you have done nothing wrong?  Why are you judging my creations?  I created each person, who are you to judge them?  You have been forgiven of so much, I have overlooked so much for you, why can't you do the same?  I love you, my children, with an everlasting love and unconditional love, and I am asking you to do the same.  I know you don't all look alike, sound alike, dress alike, or believe the same things, and that is ok.  I still call you to love one another unconditionally.  I know you can't do this on your own, and yet if you only say the word, I can help you.  If you strive to love everyone, I will make your efforts fruitful.  First, you must make that choice.  You must choose to love others, even those you don't agree with.  When you wish to judge someone, imagine me up in heaven using those same standards to judge you.  Is it worth it?  Do you want me to use your standards to judge you?  Remember all you have done, remember all your imperfections, and remember that I have forgiven them all, and I ask you to do the same towards others.  Spread my love like wildfire.  I promise that if you start to lead with love, your whole life will change.  You will be friends with people you never expected.  You will learn things you never expected.  Trust me, my children, and start loving more and judging less.”Well, I did not expect the Holy Spirit to speak directly to us, although I did pray for this episode to be His words, not mine, and I did let Him know I was struggling to get His point across, so thank you, Lord, for your amazing words this morning.  I will end with that because He has said it all.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we can't thank you enough for showing up and speaking to each one of us directly.  Help us to ponder your words, Lord.  Please help us to see how we can live into those words.  Give us the grace to lead with love, let that be our default, Lord!! Help us to stop judging, help us to love first.  Lord, we need a lot of help in this area.  We ask you to rain down your love, your grace, and your strength on us so we can follow your command to love all.  We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to seeing you again soon!  Remember, Jesus loves you, and He wants you to share that love with others.  I love you all too!  Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “As my love is poured out upon each and every one of you, breathe it in, receive it, rest in this moment of love. I am pouring through you so that you can pour it out of you into 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

Words Have Power to Bless or to WoundJames 1:19 “You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.”This verse really hit home with me this morning.  It was the subject of the daily devotional I am reading, “Jesus Calling.”  Actually, it wasn't even today's message.  I am behind because I was on vacation and I wasn't doing my normal morning routine.  This morning I got up and decided I would do two devotionals so I can try to catch up to where I should be.  This book is so good.  I always really enjoy the devotionals.  The reason I say this morning's devotional hit home for me is that I know how important words can be, and I know how much what we can say can hurt others.  I just got back from a family vacation with my husband, all three of our boys, and my husband's whole family, his mom and dad, his brother and his wife, and their two girls.  This is one of our favorite times of the year.  It is so nice to get to spend a whole week with family.  We get to hang out and talk.  We get to play lots of games, especially with his mom and dad.  My youngest two boys love to play with their two girls.  They play all different board games and card games.  It is music to my ears to hear them talking and laughing.  The place we go to is a campground in Maine.  We stay in a cabin with no internet.  There is internet at the lodge, which is open 8-7, but not in our cabins.  There is a TV, but it doesn't have cable; you can just watch movies on it. I love this because it means we have so much more time to talk and to visit.  However, as you can imagine, my kids do not love this.  Two of them really enjoy playing games with their cousins, playing chess with their Pop (Tony's dad), and playing Parcheesi with both Tony's parents.  They also really enjoy it when we rent a boat and they get to go out in the boat and go fishing, or when we pull them behind the boat on a boogie board.  However, that still leaves a lot of time when they are bored.  They do not enjoy the fact that there is no Wifi.  They miss talking with their friends on the computer and playing video games with their friends.  Also, this year was super hot, and the cabins are not air-conditioned.  Since our house is air-conditioned, they are not used to sleeping in such hot temperatures.  Some parts of the trip were difficult for them.Our oldest really did not enjoy the vacation. He really liked spending time talking with Tony's brother, and he got to play chess with Pop a few times, but most of the time, he was unhappy.  I did go out and get him a fan at one point, and he was much more comfortable after that, but he still was very unhappy.  He is the reason this verse hit home today.  When he is unhappy or angry, he says things he doesn't mean.  He is really struggling right now, and being away from his friends and his work for a week was more than he could take.  Each day, at least once a day, he would start to say very unkind things.  Not because he really thinks those things were true, but because he was upset, and that is how he acts when he is upset.  I don't know why he does this.  It is not something new; he has done this ever since he was little.  In the moment, when he is angry, he does not care what he is saying or who he is hurting.  However, afterwards, he feels really bad about it.  I wish he could hear this verse and adopt this principle.  I am going to write it on a sticky note for him, because I know he doesn't want to do this.  He doesn't want to feel this way; he doesn't want to say unkind things and then feel bad about it later.  He needs help learning to control what he says, and it is not human help he needs.  He needs the Lord's help.  I know my son is not the only one who says things they don't mean when they are angry.  We have all done this before.  I thought I would read you the devotional I read this morning because it really explains this verse well and how important it is to watch our words.  “Watch your words diligently. Words have such great power to bless or to wound. When you speak carelessly or negatively, you damage others as well as yourself. This ability to verbalize is an awesome privilege, granted only to those I created in my image. You need help in wielding this mighty power responsibly.  Though the world applauds quick-witted retorts, my instructions about communication are quite different: “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” Ask my spirit to help you whenever you speak. I have trained you to pray – "Help me, Holy Spirit" – before answering the phone, and you have seen the benefits of this discipline.  Simply apply the same discipline to communicating with people around you. If they are silent, pray before speaking to them. If they are talking, pray before responding. These are split-second prayers, but they put you in touch with my presence. In this way, your speaking comes under the control of my spirit. As positive speech patterns replace your negative ones, the increase in your joy will amaze you.”I love the advice in this short devotional.  Imagine how much different our interactions would be if we all paused before replying and said, “Help me, Holy Spirit.”  Also, if you need to start a conversation with someone, you just quickly pause and say, “Help me, Holy Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit is within us.  He is waiting for us to ask Him to help us.  What if we got into the habit of doing that more often?  I wonder how different our days would be?  I wonder how much smoother our conversations would be?  I love how it says, “In this way, you're speaking comes under the control of my Spirit.”  Wouldn't you love that?  I know I would.  I would love it if everything that came out of my mouth was under the control of the Holy Spirit.  I know I say the wrong things sometimes.  I have gotten so much better than I was because I have spent a lot of hard work and time learning to say the right things and to say kind things.  And yet, I still mess up, I still say the wrong things.  I wish I had heard this before or thought of this before.  I have prayed things like, “Lord, guard my mouth.”  However, I never thought to say a quick half-second prayer every time I open my mouth.  This sounds like it could be a great way to become better at my interactions with others.  The other thing I wanted to quickly touch on, because it really touched me this morning, was the last three words, “slow to anger.”  This touched me because sometimes I can be quick to anger.  Sometimes I can take offense at small things.  Sometimes I can get upset over things that weren't intentional or weren't really a big deal.  I know I can't be the only person who does this.  When I read them, it was as if the Holy Spirit shone a light on my actions.  It was as if He was gently reminding me God wants us to be slow to anger.  God doesn't want us to take things so personally.  He doesn't want us to walk around taking offense and getting angry at everything we encounter.  He wants us to be slow to anger.  Is that you?  Are you slow to anger, or are you quick to anger?  If we are quick to anger, it doesn't mean we are bad.  It just means we need to ask God for help.  We need to ask Him to show us how to be slow to anger. It means we need to invite the Holy Spirit into more of our interactions.  Maybe each morning when we get up, we can hand our day over to the Holy Spirit.  Maybe we could say a quick prayer like, “Holy Spirit, come into all my interactions today.  Help me be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. I give you permission to take control.”  That would take not more than a second or two, and yet you are inviting the Holy Spirit into your daily interactions.  You are handing over control to the Holy Spirit.  I bet we would find this practice very powerful.  Let's start now.  “Holy Spirit, come into all my interactions today.  Help me be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. I give you permission to take control.”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, you are amazing, and we are so grateful for all you do for us.  Lord, please help us to be quick to listen and slow to speak and to anger.  Help us not to take offense at everything.  Help us to see that our loved ones aren't intentionally trying to hurt us.  Helps us to hold our tongue when we get angry and not lash out.  Help us to invite the Holy Spirit into our interactions before we even open our mouths to say anything.  When we do speak out rashly and possibly unkindly, help those we offend to forgive us and to heal from what we said.  We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

We Are More Than Conquerors Through Him Who Loved UsRomans 8:35-39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”This scripture verse is letting us know that there is nothing that we can do that will separate us from God's love.  It is also telling us that we should not interpret the bad things that are happening in our lives as proof that God has stopped loving us.  God will continue to love us forever.  There is nothing that we can do to change this.  The verse is asking us if hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword will separate us from Christ.  This is a tough question because these things can separate us if we let them.  One really important part of this verse is when it says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  Do you need to hear that again?  “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”If this is the case, then why do we feel so defeated at times?  Some of the things listed above can absolutely separate us from Christ if we let them.  Have you ever gone through a hardship and instead of feeling closer to God, you felt farther away?  Have you ever struggled to see where God was in all of your pain?  This can happen to a lot of people.  I just heard about a couple that lost one of their 6-month-old twins.  Loss of a child is something that can really strain your relationship with God.  Losing a loved one is always hard.  However, losing a child has got to be one of the hardest things to understand.  It makes no sense to us.  Why did she have to die?  Why would God do this to their family?  Why wouldn't God heal her, as we know that He can?  When we are hurting, we tend to lash out and we try to find someone to blame.  God is a good candidate as He is strong and He can take our anger.  God doesn't mind when we yell at Him, as He understands what we are going through.  The problem is when we don't process our anger and our grief, and we stay mad at God.  If we are able to lean into God instead of turning away from Him in anger, God can give us the strength to get back up again after we have been knocked down.  God can ease our pain and help us to get out of bed in the morning.  God can help us find a reason to go on.  We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.  We can defeat the grief we feel if we turn to God and ask Him to help us.  The same is true with any hardship you are going through.  Maybe you have lost your job, and you don't know how you are going to provide for your family right now.  Turn to God, and He will help you provide.  He will provide for you if you ask Him to. He is amazing!What about persecution and famine, could that separate you from Christ?  I can see how it could.  If you are being persecuted for your beliefs, you may start to hide your beliefs more so that you fit in with the crowd.  You may even compromise your beliefs just so that you do not get persecuted anymore.  Today, when I was listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, Father Mike read from 2 Maccabees 6.  It told the story of a wise old man named Eleazar.  The Greeks were trying to get the Jews to become more like the Greeks.  They were trying to force Eleazar to eat pork, which was against Jewish laws.  His friends were telling him that it would be ok, he could eat whatever meat he wanted to eat, but it would look like he was eating the pork.  The Greeks wouldn't know the difference, and Eleazar wouldn't have to die.  However, Eleazar refused, saying that if people saw him eat the meat and thought that he had gone against the Lord's law, then they too might sin, and He couldn't do that.  Eleazar was able to withstand the persecution, but what about those who didn't?  Persecution and famine can definitely mess with your head.  Most of us don't want to die, especially if that dying involves torture and a painful death.  We also don't want to starve to death. When you don't have anything to eat and you haven't had anything for a very long time, you will do something that you normally wouldn't.  The same goes for how you act when your life is on the line.  These things don't have to separate us from the Lord.  If we turn to Him and ask Him for help, we will get the help we are looking for.  Remember, it says right in this verse that, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  We can conquer anything with Christ.  He is there for us, and He will help us get through whatever it is we are going through.  The only thing we need to do is ask for this help and then accept when He offers it to us.  I know accepting help can be hard.  We think we need to be strong and do it all ourselves.  I am telling you, accept the help.  Accept the help, even if it looks different from what you thought it would.  You never know how God will reach out and help. Sometimes it is through a complete stranger, sometimes it is exactly what you asked for, and sometimes it is nothing like the help that you asked for.  The thing is, God knows best.  If he is sending you help, it is because that is exactly what you need right now.  Accept it.  Trust that He knows what He is doing.  I will end with the end of the verse, as I think it sums it up nicely, and it doesn't really need any explaining.  “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to lean into you in times of distress and not turn away.  Lord, give us the strength to not let anything separate us from your love.  Give us the strength to get back up again when life knocks us down.  Help us to process our grief in a way that does not blame you for all that is going wrong.  Help us to see that you are with us through all the bad and the good.  We love you, Lord. You are so amazing. Help us to never forget that.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow, have a blessed day!! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Come As You Are Series - The Prodigal SonLuke 15:20-24 “So he set out for his father's house. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the finest robe we have and put it on him. Place a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast. For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost, and now he has been found.' And they began to celebrate.”I really like hearing other people talk about the various aspects of the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  It seems like such a straightforward story to me, at least at first glance.  For those who are not aware of the story, let me read it to you.Luke 15:11-32 “The Parable of the Lost (or Prodigal) Son.  Then he said: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that I will inherit.' And so the father divided the property between them.“A few days later, the younger son gathered together everything he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissolute living.  When he had spent it all, a severe famine afflicted that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who sent him to his farm to feed the pigs. He would have willingly filled his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “Then he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father's hired workers have more food than they can consume, while here I am, dying of hunger.  I will depart from this place and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me like one of your hired workers.” '“So he set out for his father's house. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.  Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quickly bring out the finest robe we have and put it on him. Place a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast. For this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost, and now he has been found.' And they began to celebrate.“Now the elder son had been out in the fields, and as he returned and drew near the house, he could hear the sounds of music and dancing.  He summoned one of the servants and inquired what all this meant.  The servant replied, ‘Your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has him back safe and sound.'  The elder son then became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him,  but he said to his father in reply, ‘All these years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never once disobeyed your orders. Even so, you have never even given me a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours returns after wasting his inheritance from you on prostitutes, you kill the fatted calf for him.' “Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are with me always, and everything I have is yours.  But it was only right that we should celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and now he has been found.' ”I have heard many people talk about this one parable.  Some have focused on the younger son, who took his father's money and left.  Some focus on the father and his willingness and eagerness to forgive.  Others focus on the older son who stayed and worked his father's land.  Every time I listen to someone explain this story, I always learn something new.  No matter how many times this story is explained, there is a whole new level I didn't know about.  It truly amazes me.  Today I want to explain one small part of it that Father Mike explained on day #319 of the Bible in A Year podcast. I thought it was so great, and I think everyone should hear how he explains the interaction between the younger son and his father when he comes home.  Father Mike explains that when the younger son is leaving, he is saying he doesn't want anything to do with his father.  He takes the inheritance and leaves.  Then he comes home because he is starving.  Father Mike and Stephanie Parks, who work for Focus, created this retreat called the Prodigal Son Retreat, and it focuses on the four things the father said when the son came home.First, what does it mean that the father gives him the best robe?  In the ancient world, one had only a couple of robes and a single best robe.  This son just took half of his father's money and squandered it away.  He is not a good son. He is a failure, and yet the father says Give him the best robe.  This represents giving him the glory of the Father. Next, the father says, Put a ring on his finger.  On that ring would be a signet of the father, a sign of the father's authority.  So, not only is he clothed in the father's glory, but he is also putting on his hand the father's authority.  He is fully restoring him to sonship.  Thirdly, he is saying to put shoes on his feet.  Why?  Because the son is free.  He is free to leave again if he wants to.  Lastly, the father says, “Kill the fatted calf.”  There are not a lot of fatted calves lying around.  You get one.  Not only does he get the best robe, but he is also clothed in the father's glory, then he gets the ring to show the father's authority, and he is restored. Not only does he get shoes and is free to leave if he wants to again, but then they kill the fatted calf because he is relentlessly pursued. We know he is relentlessly pursued because his father didn't wait for him to get home. His father was already looking for him, and when he saw him, his father ran after him. The master of the house did not run at the time this took place. This would have been out of the ordinary, and yet that is how excited the father was to see his son. Once his son was home, he was ridiculously celebrated.  I haven't heard anyone explain the four things the father gives to the son before.  I knew that the father was accepting the son back as is, but I didn't realize the significance of those four things.  This story is a parable to explain what it is like for us when we come home. Jesus told us so we could try to understand how loved we are by our Heavenly Father. The son is coming home, just as he is. He didn't get all cleaned up before coming home. He didn't wait till he earned back all the money or became successful. He was at the bottom of the bottom, and he still summoned up enough courage to come back home to his father. Can we be brave too? Can we summon up the courage to come to the Lord, even though we don't feel worthy? Can we come to the Lord just as we are? God loves us. Can we accept that love? Please close your eyes and picture your Heavenly Father running up to you and putting his arms around you and picking you up and spinning you around like you are a little kid. How amazing does that feel?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, you are amazing.  I love that you teach us in parables.  I love that you reveal the truth to us slowly so we don't get overwhelmed.  Thank you for showing us your love for us by demonstrating it in the Father of this parable.  You are so forgiving, and you welcome us with open arms.  You don't even wait for us to get up to the door.  You see us from afar and you run out to greet us.  We are so lucky you love us so much.  We love you, Father, and we are so grateful that you forgive us for our sins.  We are grateful you welcomed us back in and restored us to sonship and daughterhood.  You are amazing, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you on Monday.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “There is a long and winding road that leads to love, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It leads you to places you wouldn't go on your own. As you navigate this road, you will meet many difficult and unsuspecting challenges. I am beside you, close enough to you to direct your steps, to nudge you to the right or to the left, lest you get lost along the way, or perhaps rest too long in one place.”   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

Come As You Are Series - BartimaeusMark 10:46-52 “Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately, he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”How many of us have the faith of this man that Jesus healed?  He was sitting on the side of the road, and when he heard Jesus was passing by, he called out to him.  The crowd of people told him to be silent, but he continued to call out.  How many of us listen when others tell us to be silent?  Or worse yet, we don't feel worthy enough to speak up in the first place, or we are too nervous to speak out and ask for help, fearing rejection.  Bartimaeus did not listen when others told him to be quiet.  He kept calling out.  He believed that Jesus could heal him, and he was not going to let the chance pass him by.  Once Jesus heard him calling out, Jesus told the crowd to call him over.  When the crowd told Bartimaeus that Jesus would see him, the bible says, “He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.”  How great is that?  How many of us are jumping up at Jesus' call?  I know it's different.  Jesus was right there, and he got to see him and talk to him.  However, we can also talk to Jesus at any time we want to.  Even though we cannot see him, he is calling us to him.  He wants to invite us into a deeper relationship with him.  Do we hear this call?  Do we jump up, throw our cloak aside and run to him when we are called? I love the faith that Bartimaeus had.  He knew Jesus could heal him.  He did not seem to have any doubt that Jesus could cure his blindness.  He also didn't seem to doubt that Jesus would want to help him or to question whether he was worthy enough.  He saw Jesus walking by and called out to him.  Do we do this?  Jesus is here for us; he wants us to call out and to rely on Him.  Are we doing that?  It seems each week at my Prayer Group, God is showing up for us, and he is telling us to come closer.  He keeps telling us to rely on him, that he is our protection and our refuge.  Why are we not calling on him more?  When Jesus healed Bartimaeus, He said, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”  How great would it be to hear those words from Jesus?One scripture verse that I think is amazing and that I struggle with is Mark 11:22.  This verse is Jesus' reply to the cursed fig tree.  Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.  Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him.”  This is the type of faith that I strive for, yet I sometimes wonder if it's possible.  I wonder if there are humans who can have this type of faith?  I know that God can do anything.  I truly believe this.  And yet, when I think of myself commanding a mountain to be lifted up and thrown into he see, I can't seem to wrap my head around that.  I have searched for this type of faith for a very long time now.  Probably since the first time I actually heard this scripture and let it sink in.  The very next verse is Mark 11:23, “Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.”  This again just blows me away.  All that you ask for shall be yours if you believe. That seems like a lot of pressure, and at the same time, a huge promise on God's part.  As I mentioned earlier, ever since I heard scripture like this, I have sought out this type of faith.  I would love to believe without a shadow of a doubt that God can do all the things I ask Him to do, that He will answer all of my prayers.  I find it a struggle to believe as much as I would like to, and I wonder if this is because I have a human brain and we were trained from an early age not to believe in things that we can't see or prove.  We were mostly taught that there are certain things that can be done and things that can't be done.  I think as humanity grows, we are learning to question that more and more.  But it takes time to overcome years of that type of thinking.  I thought I would share one way I have been able to deepen my trust and faith that God can do all He says He can do.  I read books about all the miracles God has done and continues to do.  I love reading books about healing.  God is truly amazing, and He performs miracles every single day. If we were just on the lookout for them, we would see them.  If we can't see them in our lives, we can read about them in others' lives.  Harold Hill's book, “How to Live Like a King's Kid,” is an excellent example.  If you read all the amazing things that God did in his life, you can't help but start to believe he will do it for you as well.  Harold Hill also discusses his faith journey and how he reached a point where he began to see God do amazing things in his life.  Additionally, I have read books on healing by Francis McNutt, Randy Clark, Mary Healy, Matthew & Dennis Linn, which have been particularly beneficial.  When you read about God's healing of others and how there are people out there today who are calling upon God to heal people every day, then it strengthens your faith that he will answer your prayers as well.  Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  We all know that Jesus performed miracles while he was alive and walked the earth.  He raised people from the dead, he cured numerous illnesses, he turned water into wine, and he did many other remarkable things.  This verse from Hebrews lets us know that these miracles were not just something he did in the past.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  He is still performing these miracles today, and if we struggle to believe this, then we need to seek out the testimony of it, because it is out there. Another thing I pray often is Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.”This story goes well with the Come As You Are series because Beartimaeus did just that. He knew he wasn't worthy to talk to Jesus, yet he called out to him anyway. He heard everyone telling him to be quiet, and yet he continued to call out, not because he thought he deserved the healing, but because he wanted it so badly. Is there something that you want so badly you are willing to call out to Jesus even though you don't feel worthy? Is there something you want so badly that you are willing to jump up and answer Jesus's call? Ask Jesus for whatever it is; what have you got to lose?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask that you increase our trust in you. Lord, we believe, help our unbelief.  Lord, we need you to show us the way. We would like nothing more than to have the faith to move mountains, and we know that you are the only one who can give us that faith. So we're asking you, Lord, we are asking for the faith to move mountains.  Lord, give us the courage to ask when we need healing or when someone else needs healing.  Help us to turn to you first and ask you to heal them.  Lord, we give you permission to use us as your instruments of healing, as you used countless people before us.  Jesus, you are the great physician, and we ask that you continue that work through us.  There are too many people dying in the world today.  Let us help you help them.  Let us be your hands of healing, Lord Jesus.  We love you, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to 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 June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I tell you that I love you. I want you to be fully convinced of it. The more you are convinced of it, the more you will convince others that I love them, too. Again, I tell you, be bold, be courageous, be mine, and make me known.” 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

Come As You Are Series - EsterEsther 4:14  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  I think the story of Esther is a good one for this series. Esther was a young Jewish woman who found favor with the king and became the queen.  Her uncle Mordecai adopted her as his own when she was young, as both parents had died.  Mordecai had instructed Esther before she met with the king not to reveal that she was Jewish, and she followed his advice.  This story tells about how a powerful vizier to the king, named Haman, wanted to kill all the Jews living in the Persian Empire on one day.  You see, he was angry because Mordecai refused to bow down to him.  Mordecai explained he only bows down to God, and this angered Haman, who told the king that there were people living throughout his kingdom that did not obey the same laws of the king and that he should not tolerate them.  He convinced the king to issue a decree that would destroy the Jews, and upon doing so, Haman agreed to put ten thousand silver talents into the royal treasury.  When the Jewish people heard, they went into mourning with prayer and fasting.  Mordecai got word to Esther and explained the situation.  He asked Esther to talk to her husband, the king, and beg for the lives of her people to be spared.  Esther explained that if anyone goes in front of the king while he is in the inner courtroom without being summoned, they will suffer immediate death unless he offers them the end of the scepter.   Mordecai wrote back the following in  Esther 4:14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”.  Esther risked her life to go in front of the king, and because of her bravery, she saved her people, God's people.  We do not usually know why we end up where we end up or why we go through the things that we go through.  God is a mystery, and only he knows what he is doing.  He can see the whole picture, past, present, and future.   We can only see the past and present.  I once heard a quote that I really liked and found comforting during some difficult times.  The quote said, “You were assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.”  I found it comforting to think that by making it through the situation, I would show others that they could make it through, too.  I also used the quote in reverse and thought, “Ok, then I just need to look for someone who has made it through this type of situation to show me that I could make it through as well.”  There is a song by Christina Perri called "I Believe."  In that song, she says, “I believe that you fell so that you would land next to me.”  Have you ever been in a situation where you could just tell that God arranged it?  Sometimes, we can tell what God is doing.  Sometimes, we can feel it in our bones that we are exactly where we were meant to be at that precise moment.  The reason I think Esther's story goes well in this series is that she had to go to the Lord and ask Him to save her people. She needed God on her side if she was going to be able to walk into the inner room where her husband was and not suffer immediate death. She was living as a queen and pretending that she wasn't Jewish. I can imagine it might have been hard to go to the Lord and ask for something, when she was pretending she wasn't Jewish. I can imagine she might have wondered if God would answer her prayers. Would he be mad at her for not being honest with those around her? Would he want to punish her for not practicing her religion? I can see how she might not have felt worthy to go to the Lord and ask for help.Esther knew the Jewish people needed her, and so she rose above her insecurities. She rose above her fear of dying, and she stepped out in faith that God would not let her and her people perish. She stepped out in faith, and she saved her people. Can you relate to Ester? Have you stepped away from God? Have you pretended that He is not there, or that you weren't His child? It's ok. Come back to Him, just as you are, and He will welcome you with open arms. I know this is hard to believe, as that is not how those we know in this world behave. This world is broken, and so are the people living in it. We often struggle to forgive and forget. We hold onto things and resent people for the things that they do.God is not like us. He is for us, not against us. He loves us unconditionally and is just waiting for us to come to him so he can pick us up in His arms and give a giant hug.  If you ever wonder what it will be like when you turn back to the Lord. If you ever wonder what God's response will be, you can look in the Bible at Luke 15:20. “ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.” You don't even have to walk all the way back to the Father. As soon as God sees you headed in His direction, He will run towards you, put his arms around you, and kiss you. That is how much He loves you and wants you to come to Him, just as you are!! Trust that God is for you. Trust that He wants you to come to Him. Trust that no matter what you have done, you can still come to Him.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this podcast today. Lord, we thank you for making us who we are meant to be. We thank you for placing us in this time of need.  We ask that you be with everyone who is struggling right now.  Lord, we ask that you give us the strength and perseverance to keep going. We ask that you show us those who have come before us, who have overcome similar circumstances, and give us the knowledge that we, too, can overcome the circumstances. Lord, help us believe that despite all we have said and done, we can still come to you and you will still be waiting for us with open arms. Lord, you are amazing, and we're 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 look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Especially because I get to bring you my Witness Wednesday from my trip to Ecuador, and I can't wait to share all the miracles with you. It was a truly blessed time, and I am so grateful that God let me share in these miracles. I hope you will listen in tomorrow and continue to pray for Anibal. 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 June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I keep telling you, do not fear. I keep telling you, I am right next to you and I am all-powerful. You may be weak, but I am strong. Move forward in trust. Move forward in my will. Move forward. ” 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

Come As You Are Series - The Man With LeprosyMatthew 8:1-4 “When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper  who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.”  He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately, his leprosy was cleansed.  Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”This story of the man with leprosy is an excellent example of someone brave enough to come to the Lord, despite the religious and social laws that forbade him from doing so. Back when Jesus walked the earth, “The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face, and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!'... He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” (Leviticus 13:45–46) While it wasn't a civil crime to be around people, it was a religious and social violation that carried serious consequences — it cut you off from worship, fellowship, and daily community life.This man would have known the consequences of coming up to Jesus and talking with Him. He would have known it was forbidden, and yet he was willing to risk it all for the chance that Jesus might heal him. Can we be that brave? Can we approach Jesus with all of our baggage, with the chance that He might be able to heal us, too? What if Jesus could heal your heartache? What if Jesus could heal all of your physical ailments? What if you didn't have to keep feeling whatever you are feeling?Life doesn't have to get worse before you come to the Lord. Life doesn't have to get better before you come to the Lord. This man came to Jesus just as he was. He knew he shouldn't. He knew he wasn't good enough to go up to Jesus and ask for anything.  He knew he could get in trouble for asking Jesus for anything. And yet, he knew he needed Jesus to make him clean. He was willing to take the chance that Jesus could change his whole life. And guess what? Jesus did! He will do the same for you if you ask Him.The man said to Jesus, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” He was showing Jesus that he knew how powerful he was. He was trusting in Jesus's ability. He had the faith he needed to ask Jesus to heal him. Do you remember what Jesus said? He said, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Jesus will say the same for you. He wants all of us to be clean. He wants all of us to be healed and whole. He wants all of us to come to Him and let Him help change us. Can we do that? Can we be brave and ask Jesus?Perhaps some of our hesitation to ask Jesus is that He might say no. I mean, the man with leprosy said, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” What if Jesus doesn't choose to? What if we ask and He says no, what then? Asking Jesus for a healing takes a level of vulnerability that isn't always easy, especially if others have hurt us in the past. If we feel we aren't worthy, then it makes sense we would be nervous to go and ask Jesus for help. What if He says no, and then we are embarrassed that we even asked in the first place?I used to be someone who hated to ask for something unless I knew the answer was yes. I had a somewhat irrational fear of being told no. I would refuse to return things to the store if they didn't fit me or if I didn't like them. I would always have Tony do it because I would be afraid they might tell me no, and I would feel stupid for even asking. I would be afraid to go up and ask if my kids could exchange their Happy Meal toy for another one, because what if they said no? It affected so many parts of my life, and yet I just couldn't do it. It's one of those things where you have a fear, and then shame about that fear, and then it just adds up.For instance, I would want to just go ask if my kids could exchange their toys, but I was afraid they would say no, and then I would feel embarrassed. Then I would probably start to cry because that is what I do when I am nervous or when I feel embarrassed. Then I would feel even worse because I would be crying for no reason, and so I would cry even more. Then I would also feel bad because my kids really wanted the other toy, and I just couldn't go up and ask.Eventually, I learned to just ask. It is not a big deal if they say no. You just say, Ok, thanks anyway. I didn't cry when they said no. I didn't feel stupid when they said no. Actually, I doubt anyone ever said no. Who cares which toy the kids have? It is very rare that anyone at a store will say you can't return something. So, most of my fears were not really necessary. Yet, they were very real and kept me from things that I would have liked to do.I get why it might be hard for you to come to the Lord as you are, especially if you fear rejection. I want to assure you that the Lord is different than anyone you have met in this world. He doesn't reject His children. He welcomes us with open arms anytime we turn back to Him. You might think you are different because you have turned away from him or turned your back on him too many times to count. It's okay, he still loves you and is still waiting with open arms for you to come back to him.What I love about this story of the man with leprosy is that leprosy is contagious. That is why those who had it needed to be separate from the community. However, when the man encountered Jesus, instead of the leprosy infecting Jesus, Jesus made the man clean. The good in Jesus, His love, peace, and healing touch, can make you clean too. All you have to do is be around Jesus, and you start to become like Him. He is infectious in all the good ways. His peace, love, and joy spread to all those around Him. When you are in His presence, you can't help but start to feel all those things.I understand that it is hard to come to Jesus like we are and ask Him for anything. We feel unworthy and unclean. Yet, it is worth the risk. Think about the outcome. In business, they always talk about your ROI (return on investment). If you can be brave and step out and come to the Lord just as you are, the return on that investment of trust is paid back a million times over. That first step of trust is hard, and there may be other times in your life when it is hard. Unfortunately, God doesn't promise us an easy and stress-free life. He does promise us that He will always be there for us and that He will protect us and deliver us from our problems. He does promise us eternal life and all the provisions and strength we need to get through this life. He promises to use all things for our good. He promises so many things. We just have to be willing to take that first step and invite Him into this mess that we call our life. Can you be brave today? Can you ask the Lord into your life, even if you are afraid he might not come? I promise He will not reject you.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode. Lord, we love you and we want to come to you as we are. We want to be brave like this man with leprosy and just walk up to you and ask you to make us clean. Lord, help us to trust that we can come to you and that you will not reject us. Please help us to believe the truth that you are always ready to welcome us back with open arms.  Help us come to you Lord! We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you have not checked out my book yet, CLICK HERE! If you would like a signed copy, please reach out to me, and I will be happy to sign a copy and mail it to you. 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 June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, a vision “In every room, in every house, wherever you're sitting, you are filled to the capacity with angels. You are surrounded. Ceiling, floor, round, and round, as well as this room. As we were singing in tongues, as we were praising, they were marching in to surround us. And they were praising the Lord with us.” 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

Come As You Are Series - The Broken Ones Are Beautiful Too!Romans 7:19-20 Paul said, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me.”God knows we are broken. He knows we struggle. He doesn't get disappointed. Instead, He celebrates every time we don't give in to temptation. Every time we mess up, we can bring that to God with the assurance that He welcomes us with open arms and celebrates because we came home instead of being upset we messed up.We live in an age where social media lets us see what everyone is doing. Social media has many benefits. I get to see photos of friends I haven't talked to in years. We can notify everyone with one post about the biggest things in our lives. We get to post all the amazing things happening in our lives. It also has downsides, and one of them is that people tend to post all the amazing things and leave out all the bad stuff. Which in itself isn't bad. I mean, who wants to read about negative things? However, when we see all the good and none of the bad, our brain tells us stories about how everyone else has it all together. Everyone else can do all the things, so why can't we? Why are we struggling when no one else is? Our mind starts to play the comparison game. Comparison is the thief of joy. We can go on Facebook for 20 minutes, then feel terrible, and we can't figure out why. It's because we compare ourselves to others and decide everyone else has so much more than we do, they are so much further along than we are, they are happier than we are, and so on. We may not even realize we are doing it. Do you ever notice your mood change after spending time on social media? That could be why.We can do the same thing when we look at the various saints or we look at the people of the Bible. We can look at how God used them and get discouraged. We can tell ourselves He will never use us like He used them. We put them on a pedestal and assume that they were so holy, which is why God used them. We look at all they did for God and are sure they were much holier than we are. We tell ourselves they had it all together; they must have said their prayers perfectly, always worshiped God, and were always perfect. We do this with people we see in church, too. We see the Deacon, the Priest, the minister, and his wife; we think they must be so holy. They must not have the struggles that we have. Let me tell you a little secret: they struggle just like we do. No one is exempt from struggling. No one has this life figured out.I found an article titled' The Bible Heroes Who ‘Failed Forward' by Greg Laurie. I just want to read you the beginning part, as it shows us that these people came just as they were. They didn't change before God used them. God knew who they were, and he chose them anyway.Pastor Levi Lusko tells the story of collecting shells on the beach with his daughter Clover. Levi was looking for the nice shells that were in good condition. Meanwhile, Clover was picking up all the broken shells.When her little hands couldn't hold any more shells, she turned to her father and said, “Daddy, the broken ones are beautiful too.”I think God sees things the same way.The New Testament book of Hebrews includes a collection of great heroes of the faith, men and women whom God used and blessed. I find that interesting because these people messed up. They weren't perfect examples.But the funny thing is that chapter 11 of Hebrews mentions only their victories and not their mistakes. That is because God sees what we will become, not necessarily what we are.In fact, a lot of people we read about in the Bible messed up. Abraham, the father of faith and of the Jewish people, lied about his wife twice. His son Isaac did the same thing. Sarah, Abraham's wife, laughed at the promise of God and then denied that she laughed.Jacob lied and connived. Noah got drunk. Samson was immoral. Gideon was fearful. Rahab was a prostitute. David had an affair and then had someone murdered to cover it up. Elijah was deeply depressed and didn't want to live. And Jonah ran from God. The disciples fell asleep when they should have been praying, and Simon Peter openly denied the Lord. Then there was Moses, who killed a guy.”This article shows us that these amazing people in the Bible weren't perfect. Could God have selected perfect people to do these things? Yes, absolutely. He is God. He can do whatever He wants. Yet He didn't. He chose people who had made mistakes. He chose people who had done things that we might think are unforgivable. He chose people who probably didn't feel up to the task. He chose people who failed more than once. Do you know what these people all had in common? They said yes. Not all of them said yes the first time they were asked, but God wouldn't have used them if they didn't cooperate with Him. I love that Greg said in his article that God sees what we will become, not necessarily what we are.The same is true for you. If you want God to use you, all you need to do is say yes. There is a song I love titled Nobody by Casting Crowns. The lyrics confirm that God uses the unlikeliest of people to do the most amazing things. God isn't looking for perfect people. Just like we talked about in previous devotionals in this series. Jesus didn't come for the righteous; they do not need a savior. God is looking for ordinary people to do extraordinary things. The song starts out:Why You ever chose meHas always been a mysteryAll my life I've been told I belongAt the end of the lineWith all the other not-quitesWith all the never-get-it-rightsBut it turns out they're the ones You were looking for All this time Is this you? Have you always been on the outside looking in? Have you always been told you wouldn't amount to anything? Have you always struggled to feel worthy or part of the crowd? Have you always felt different or less than? Have you been told you are either not enough or too much? Have you been told no one would ever love you? Well guess what? You are the one God has been looking for all this time.The song goes on to say:'Cause I'm just a nobodyTrying to tell everybodyAll about SomebodyWho saved my soulEver since You rescued meYou gave my heart a song to singI'm living for the world to seeNobody but Jesus This is great because it says, I'm living for the world to see nobody but Jesus. Would you relate as much to those in the Bible if they were all perfect? If they were perfect from birth and never made the wrong choice? I know that is how we see them in our eyes. Yet, when we learn they weren't perfect, don't we feel better? Isn't it somehow comforting to know they aren't perfect? If God only used perfect people, then we might say, Of course, they could do that; they were perfect. However, when we hear about some ordinary person doing something extraordinary, we know it had to have been God. No one is looking at the ordinary little shepherd boy, David, and saying that He killed Goliath because he is just that good and he is that strong. It is clear that God was with Him, and He could only kill the giant because He was with him. The song points out people that God chose and why they probably wouldn't have been our first choice. Moses had stage frightWhen David brought a rock to a sword fightYou picked twelve outsiders nobody would have chosenAnd You changed the worldWell the moral of the story isEverybody's got a purposeSo when I hear that devil start talking to me saying"Who do you think you are?” I sayI'm just a nobodyTrying to tell everybodyAll about SomebodyWho saved my soul I want you to remember this when the devil starts talking in your ear, too, because he will. I am not even talking about if you have some big mission for God. Even if you try to come to God in prayer, the devil will get in your ear and ask, “Who do you think you are?” “Why would God want to hear from you? Remember that thing you did last week? Do you think he will ever forgive you for that?” “God has more important people to talk to.” “God has better things to do than to listen to you complain about the same pain you have been complaining about all month.” The enemy can be relentless. When this happens, not if, but when, you need to be armed with truth. That is what this series is all about. During this devotional series, we have been finding the truth in the scriptures, in songs, and in the lives of those who came before us. My prayer is that by the end of this series, we will be so confident in our ability to go to the Lord just as we are when the enemy asks us, “Who do you think you are?” We will be able to say I am a child of God. I am a son or daughter of the one true king. I am worthy because Christ died on that cross for me. I can come to God just as I am because of God's mercy and grace. God doesn't want me to wait till I am perfect to come to Him. He wants me to go right now, right where I am. I know you might not be there yet, but we are done with this series yet!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening. Lord, I ask you to show us how wonderful we are in your eyes. Please help us to really believe that you want us to come to you just as we are. We love you, Lord, and we want to believe it! We want to believe you love us even though we are deeply flawed. We want to believe you love us even though we sin. Please help 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. We are coming to the end of this Come As You Are series. If you have an idea of a topic you would like me to cover next, please reach out and let me know. Also, please check out my book; it is on Amazon right now. Walk Boldly With Jesus Devotional: Who I Am: Discovering God's Truth About Me. If you do get the book, I would be really appreciative if you could leave a review on Amazon. It doesn't have to be long, and it doesn't have to be glowing. Just leave an honest review, even if it's just one sentence; it will be helpful. I need to have a certain number of reviews before I can run ads, and that would help more people find the book. 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 weekend.Today's Word from the Lord was received in June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I saw their ways, but I will heal them and lead them. I will give comfort to those who mourn for them. I, the creator, who gave them life, peace to the far and to the near, says the Lord, and I will heal 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

Come As You Are Series - Your Sin Did Not Cause Your IllnessJohn 9:1-3 "As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.”Another reason we might struggle to come to the Lord is that we think our sickness is somehow a punishment for something that we did. We were awful teenagers, so God is repaying us with this chronic pain that we have. We think that our sins from the past are catching up to us, and that is why we got cancer or why our child is sick now, why our loved one is sick. If we look to the Bible, Jesus addresses this for us in today's verse.You are not sick because of your sins or because God is punishing you? What if you are sick so that God's works might be revealed in you? What if God is going to use this illness for something amazing? God did not cause you to be sick. God does not cause illness. God is a healer, it says so in Exodus 15:26, which says, “He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” However, God can use your illness for all kinds of reasons.  I heard a story in a book written by Heidi Baker and her husband. They were trying to heal a man from the Middle East. I can't remember where exactly she said he was from. Her friends asked them to come because they had had great success in praying over people and having them be healed. The man whom they were praying for was muslim, and so were all of his family members. Heidi and her husband thought that the man would be healed when they prayed over him, and it would be a lot of Glory for God because all those in the room would see him healed and know it was God who did it. They prayed and they prayed, but the man was not healed. They had a trip planned, so they had to leave. However, when they got back, they heard that the man was still alive. They went to visit him, and this time he had twice as many people to visit him because they were sure he was going to die. So all his relatives came, even those from out of town. Their friends asked them to come and pray one more time. So then they prayed over him again, and this time he was healed, and all of his family members became Christians. God used his illness, and he healed him, but he healed him in his timing, not our timing, not like when we thought he would have healed him. And so the same can be true for us.Another saint who had to deal with a lot of illness was St. Teresa of Lisieux, who is another doctor of the church. And yet she died at age 24. She had tuberculosis. Again, she was very dedicated to the Lord. She loved Jesus. She spent so much time in prayer, and she really wanted to be a missionary. That was her goal. That was her dream for how she thought God would use her to take her all over the world to spread the love of God. And yet she never got to go anywhere because she was so sickly.And yet she is the patron saint of missionaries because she prayed for all the missionaries who were there. And her writings and her work are now spread throughout the whole church. So even though she wasn't able to go herself and spread the word, God used her, even with her illness, to become a doctor of the church and to spread the word of the Lord.I just want to encourage all of you that if you're thinking that you can't come to the Lord because you have too much sin, or you're thinking you're sick because of something you did, or you're thinking that God can't use you because of what you've done or because of your illness, I just want to assure you that none of that is true. You're not sick because of your sins. You're not counted out because of anything you've done. God still wants to use you. And all the sins or the illness that you feel have discounted you, God could use them for good. Don't give up on your hopes and dreams. Don't let anyone tell you they won't happen. You have a miraculous God who can make anything happen. Just keep bringing it to the Lord! Just keep coming to the Lord, and He will be there for you!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to the episode. Lord, you are the almighty one. I ask that you help us realize we are not the cause of our illness. I ask you to help us know that you are not punishing us. Our illness is not from you and is not because of our actions. Help us to know how loved and wanted we are, just as we are. Help us to know how much you truly love us! 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 sorry I didn't bring you an episode at the beginning of this week. I was in Ecuador. I got back very late Tuesday night. I look forward to sharing about the trip with you next Wednesday. 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 June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Build up, prepare the way. Remove the stumbling blocks from my people's path. For thus says He who is high and exalted, living eternally, whose name is the Holy One, on high. Indwell in holiness, and with the crushed and the dejected in spirit, to revive the spirits of the dejected, to revive the hearts of the crushed.” 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

Come As You Are Series - Can A Leopard Change Its Spots?Jeremiah 13:23 “Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”What really struck me when I read this was kind of like an aha moment: we tell ourselves we can't come to God until we have it all together. And yet, we can't get it all together without him.I think that's why the enemy tells us we don't need to go to God. We're not good enough to go to God. Wait a little while, get it all worked out, and then you can go to God. The enemy is putting this in our minds because he knows that on our own, we can't do anything.But through Christ who strengthens us, we can do all things. It really struck me when I read that verse that, yeah, we can't change on our own. So why do we think we can't go to God until we have it all together, until we've figured it out, until we've perfected this or that? When we actually need him to help us, we need him to change our hearts, we need him to change our lives, we need him to show us the way.As I talked about in one of the other devotionals, we need to attach our yoke to God and to Jesus and let them show us the way. All these scriptures are pointing out that we don't have to have it all together. We don't have to know how to pray. We don't have to pray perfectly before we come to God. God wants us to come to him as is, just as we are, and he will help us figure all the rest of it out. He will help make our struggle easier, but we have to come to him.The Lord honors our free will. If we want to go at it alone, if we want to do this life on our own, God's going to let us, and that's because he loves us and because he wants us to love him, truly love him. And you can't have true love if you don't have a choice in it.And so it's very important that we invite God into our struggles, that we invite God into our mess, that we come to God even when we're a mess, and we ask him to help us. Because if we don't invite him in, he's not coming in. He's going to let us do it on our own if that's what we think we want. He's not going to take away our free will.There was an article I read about coming to God as you are, and they had this passage from “Steps to Christ,” and I want to share it with you. "With the rich promises of the Bible before you, can you give place to doubt? Can you believe that when the poor sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lord sternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance? Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly Father. He hates sin, but He loves the sinner, and He gave Himself in the person of Christ, that all who would might be saved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory. What stronger or more tender language could have been employed than He has chosen in which to express His love toward us? He declares, in Isaiah 49:15, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”I want you to take a moment and think about your own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or friends' children. Think about any kids that you've ever been close to. What would you do if they came to you when they had just messed up, when they had done something really bad? Would you turn away from them? Would you want them to have to figure it out on their own before they brought you the situation? Or would you want to be there with them? Would you want to walk through the situation with them hand in hand? One month in mentoring, I was talking about praise and worship, and I was thinking of David and how he always turned back to the Lord, and it's amazing to me. I mean, he murdered someone, and he repented and turned back to the Lord. When he had an affair with Bathsheba, he turned back to the Lord. David was always turning back to the Lord, and I don't remember ever reading anything where it says he was too ashamed to turn back to the Lord or he felt like he wasn't good enough to turn back to the Lord.When I really thought about David always turning back to the Lord, I just thought, Wow, that is a man who knows his identity in Christ. That is a man who knows his Heavenly Father, and he knows the love that the Father has for him. David was so sure of who God was and the love he had for his people. I mean, David went up against a giant when he was a child because he was sure God had his back. Don't you just wish you had that faith? Don't you just wish you knew without a doubt that God was always going to be there for you? Even when you were in danger, in trouble, running for your life, you still knew God was working all things for your good.This is my prayer for myself, each one of you, and honestly, the whole world. I want nothing more than for each person to know how ridiculously loved by God they are and that he is right there with them. I wish everyone knew they could rely on the Lord for all their wants and needs. Yes, wants, not just needs. God cares about all the things that are important to us, not just the things we need. That doesn't mean that God is going to give us everything that we want because we want some pretty silly things sometimes.Also, not everything we want is good for us. For instance, my son wants a motorcycle. Just because he wants it doesn't mean it is good for him. Sometimes, we may want something, and yet God knows that if we got it, it wouldn't be good for us. So, he closes those doors sometimes, and it hurts in the moment, but He wouldn't be a good Father if He just gave us everything we wanted, even if He knew it would hurt us in the long run. For instance, you have this promotion that just came up at work, and you didn't get it. You are really upset, and then you find out more about the job, and you learn that you would have had to travel a lot more, and then you are relieved because you didn't want to be away from your family.God knows us better than we know ourselves. God formed us in our mother's womb. He has seen our whole lives from beginning to end. He not only knows what is good for us and what isn't, but he knows what is best for us. He knows our innermost desires before we even know them. Come to the Lord, just as you are, and let Him change you in all the best ways!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, you are amazing. We are so grateful for all the love you give to us. Please help us to accept that love more Lord. Help us to realize we are helpless without you. We don't need to wait until we change to come to you because we can't change without you, but we can do all things through you! 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 would like to ask you all for prayers for me. I am headed to Ecuador to pray for my brother-in-law's best friend, who is not doing so well. His name is Anibal. If you could keep us all in your prayers. I am praying for safe travels and also for healing miracles. I am praying he will be completely healed and all mental and physical functioning will be completely restored. I am praying for peace, strength, and love for him and his family. Please join me in these prayers. 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 June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Most ears will be open. Most ears are waiting. They're waiting to hear that I love them, that I cherish them, that they are precious to me. They need that word. The world is falling down upon them.” 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

Come As You Are Series - I Have Not Come To Call The RighteousLuke 5:30-32 “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”The theme for the devotional is “Come As You Are.” I chose this because too many of us feel we aren't worthy to come to God as we are. We think we need to get it all together before we come to God. We believe we have to clean up our lives, and then we can come to God. I can see why we might think this, as that is what society tells us. That is what it looks like on Social media. It seems like everyone else has it all together, so we need to get it together before we're ready to ask God for anything. We can't attend mass or church service because our kids don't behave, or we don't have the right clothes, or because we make bad choices.I love a song called Truth Be Told by Matthew West. Let me read you some of the lyrics because I wish we all knew the truth.Lie number one, you're supposed to have it all togetherAnd when they ask how you're doingJust smile and tell them, "Never better."Lie number 2: everybody's life is perfect except yoursSo keep your messes and your woundsAnd your secrets safe with you behind closed doorsTruth be toldThe truth is rarely told, nowI say I'm fine, yeah I'm fine, oh I'm fine, hey I'm fine, but I'm not, I'm brokenAnd when it's out of control, I say it's under control, but it's not, and you know itI don't know why it's so hard to admit itWhen being honest is the only way to fix itThere's no failure, no fallThere's no sin you don't already knowSo let the truth be told How true is this song? We think that we need to keep it all together because everyone else is keeping it all together, but that's the thing, they aren't holding it together either. We are all just pretending. I love it when it says, There is no failure, no fall, there's no sin you don't already know. Why do we think we need to keep our mess from God when He already knows about all of it? There isn't anything we can keep from Him, so why are we so ashamed to admit it? The song goes on to say…There's a sign on the door that says, "Come as you are," but I doubt it'Cause if we lived like it was true, every Sunday morning pew would be crowdedBut didn't you say the church should look more like a hospitalA safe place for the sick, the sinner, the scarred, and the prodigalsLike me. Well, truth be told, the truth is rarely told This is where Matthew West reminds us what Jesus said in the verse above. Not what the world says, but what Jesus says. Come as you are. Imagine how full churches would be if everyone knew they could truly come as they were. If we all knew that God wants us, even when we don't have the right clothes or do the wrong thing. Even when we yelled at our kids or our spouse, even when we stayed out too late drinking, God wants us just as we are. No matter what it is, you can come to the Lord. The song ends with…Can I really stand here unashamed, Knowin' that your love for me won't change?Oh God, if that's really true, then let the truth be told This is the truth that I wish everyone knew. The truth is that God loves us completely and fully before we are even born, and that love never changes. It doesn't matter what we do or even what we don't do. He still loves us the same. We can do nothing to make Him love us more or less than he already does. When we see how the world sees us, we think God is the same. We think that we're not worthy of his love until we get it all together.However, in the verse above, Jesus tells us something different. God sent Jesus to die on the cross for us while we were still sinning. If you want to know how much God loves you, it says in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Hear that again: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.This is how God demonstrates his love for us. This one statement shows us that we don't have to be perfect to come to God. Jesus didn't wait for us to have our lives together before he died on the cross for us, so why should we wait until we figure things out to come to Him?The verse above says that those who are well have no need of a physician. Those who are righteous, those who are not sinning, those who are praying perfectly, and those who are getting it all right have no need for Jesus. Jesus died for us, for you, and me, and he did it strictly because he loved us. He did it because the Lord wanted us to come to him. The Lord didn't want anything to be in between us. When Adam and Eve sinned, there had to be a separation, and God hated that. He hated that we couldn't be with him.He hated that they brought this upon themselves and wanted to redeem them. God could have done that in any number of ways, and the way he chose to do it was to become human and to take all of our sins upon himself, and when he did that, when Jesus died on the cross, the veil between us and God was broken, and that means we don't have to be perfect to come to God. We don't have to get it right before we come to God. We can come to God just as we are, and God loves us just as we are.If we look through the scriptures, we will find God repeatedly telling us that we don't have to have it all together to come to Him. He is calling us to come to Him just as we are, in our brokenness and woundedness, and He can fix us and heal us. When we look at the people that Jesus was drawn to in the Bible, it wasn't the most religious people or the people who were doing everything right. It was the tax collectors and the sinners. If Jesus can use those he chose to use in the Bible to do amazing things, then we can come to God and lay our problems at His feet, and He will help us. All He wants is for us to invite Him into our mess. Will you invite God in today? Even in the mess?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this today. Lord, we are sorry we don't come to you more often. We are sorry we let our shame and our guilt put up a wall between us. Lord, we invite you into our mess right now. We invite you to sit with us in the mess and help us clean up our mess. Lord, we want to be with you, and we want to come to you. Please help us. Show us how you think of us instead of how the world thinks of us. Lord, we ask you to take away our shame and our guilt. We ask you to remove anything that is getting in the way of us coming to you. We love you so much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and Jesus's holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If this podcast has been blessing your life, would you consider sharing it with someone today? 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 June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I have called you to be my witnesses. I have called you to talk of me to others. I have called you to bring the broken and the weak. I am here for them, and I will breathe upon them. If you carry my love to them.” 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

Come As You Are Series - Come All Who Are WearyMatthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”This is not the verse I was planning to talk to you about today, but after the night I just had, I am hoping that the Holy Spirit will talk to me as He talks to you tonight.  I remember hearing a teaching on this verse once, where they explained why farmers would use a yoke.  A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened around the neck of two animals and then usually hooked to a plow or a cart.  This yoke allows them to pull loads that they would not normally be able to pull on their own.  I think I also remember the person explaining that a younger animal is usually paired with a more experienced animal.  This way, the more experienced animal can set the pace and teach the younger one.  This seems to fit so perfectly with this verse.  The Lord is calling us, all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens.  I don't know about you, but this evening I am feeling pretty weary, and my burdens are feeling pretty heavy.  The Lord is calling us, and it says He will give us rest.  God is calling us to take up His yoke and to learn from Him.  That is such a great visual for me.  I got an image of this giant wooden yoke on the ground.  I go up and put my head in it, and God puts His head in, and my burdens are suddenly weightless.  I wish it were that simple.  I wish we could just hand God our troubles, and then we would feel this enormous weight off our shoulders instantly.  I think it can be this simple sometimes.  I think we get in our own way sometimes.  We want to hand our problems over to God, and yet we also want to hold on to them.  We don't want to completely release them, because then we wouldn't be in control anymore.  Have you heard of the expression, “Hitch your wagon to the right cart?” or “Don't hitch your wagon to the wrong horse?”  Both of these came to my mind when I started talking about what a yoke meant.  I was thinking that if I had my choice of anyone to hook my yoke to, it would be the Lord.  There is no one else that I would rather rely on and no one more powerful.  I love the idea of taking His yoke and learning from Him.  The Lord has so much to teach us. Even in this verse, He says, “I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul.”  How awesome would it be to find rest in your soul?  Can you imagine what that would feel like?  When I imagine rest in my soul, I imagine peace about all things in life.  I imagine I am stress-free and have no anxiety.  I imagine I am filled with hope and joy.  I really feel as though the Holy Spirit is reminding me of Rick Warren's definition of joy and wanting me to share it.  I have talked about it before, but right now I feel the Holy Spirit telling me that I am not the only one who needs this refresher right now.  Rick Warren's definition of joy is as follows: “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” Wow, yes, I did need to hear that tonight.  For me tonight, this is a reminder that joy doesn't mean I am always happy about everything.  This to me means that it is ok that I am sad tonight about things going on, and that doesn't mean that the situation has taken away my joy.  I do know that God is in control of all the details of my life.  I am sure of it.  I am grateful for it because He does a much better job than I could do.When I think about it, truly think about it, I do have a quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright.  Does that mean that I know how it is all going to turn out? No, no at all. Does that mean that I know when it will get better?  Nope, I don't know that either.  However,  I do know that eventually everything is going to be ok.  Will it be exactly as I wish it would be, probably not.  But that is ok, because God's plan is better than my plan and His ways are higher than my ways.  The last part of this definition is the part that we forget about a lot.  It says, “the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”  Wow, that is not something I always think of.  Then, even when I do think of it, I don't always want to do it.  For instance, tonight was a rough night.  Do I want to praise God for tonight?  Not really?  This is where I think we get confused.  We think that praising God is about thanking Him for the situation we are in.  There are many ways to praise God without thanking Him for the specific situation.For instance, even though it was a rough night, I am thankful that I have kids to argue with.  Some people don't, and I realize that even when parenting them is difficult, I am still blessed beyond measure that I have them.  I am grateful to the Lord for giving me amazing friends.  Friends who dropped everything they were doing to say a quick prayer just because I said I needed some.  If it wasn't for the argument tonight, I wouldn't have had the amazing gift of peace that I felt immediately after they prayed.  That is something that I am not sure I have felt before.  I have heard people say that I felt your prayers, and I always thought that was nice, but I didn't truly understand what they meant until this evening.  Not even 5 minutes after I asked my friends for prayers, this immediate sense of peace came over me.  That is definitely something to praise the Lord for.  We can also praise the Lord for being amazing.  He does so much for us, and even if we don't want to praise Him for the current circumstances, we can praise Him for being awesome and for the amazing outcome that we know He is working on as we speak.  In all the books about miracles and faith, the authors always talk about how important praise is.  I think this could be the secret ingredient that many of us are missing.  How often do we praise the Lord?  I mean, truly spend time thanking the Lord for all He does and praise Him for being our almighty Lord and Savior?  What if we all tried to praise Him more this week and see how much better our week goes?  When you start to feel down or get in a bad mood, think of 10 things you are grateful to God for.  The bible verse Luke 16:10 came to mind just now.  The verse says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”  If we appreciate what we have and praise the Lord for it, God will entrust us with more.  What if the Lord is waiting for us to be grateful in our current circumstances before He moves us out of them?  Can we spend just 5 minutes today praising the Lord?  When I am finished with this episode, I am going to listen to 5 minutes of praise and worship music.  That is another great way to praise the Lord.  If you can't think of anything to say, you can always just listen to music.  I have heard many people say that singing is praying twice.  So if you feel as though you just don't know what to say, sing a song; they have amazing songs out there that say all the things you want to say.  Remember, all of us who are weary and those of us carrying heavy burdens, come to the Lord and we will find rest.  Take up His yoke and let Him help you carry your load.  Wouldn't it be so much easier if you weren't the only one carrying it all?  You are not alone.  God is there, He is offering you His yoke, reach down and pick it up!  Through the Lord, we can find rest for our souls.  Whose soul could use a little rest?  I know mine could.  How about yours?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that You bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, the devil is having a heyday with our families, and we ask that you intercede for us. We ask that you show us how to kick him out of our lives once and for all.  Lord, we ask for your protection over our families and give us the strength to keep fighting another day.  Lord, we love you so much, you are so very amazing!!  You have given us all so much, and we are so very grateful.  Lord, we ask that you fill us with your love, peace, and joy.  I ask that you wrap your arms around each person listening to this today and give them a squeeze.  Help them to feel your love a little extra this week, Lord.  I sense that I am not the only one who needs this week, 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 am so grateful to have you here. I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow. Have a Blessed Day.Today's Word from the Lord was received in June 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Continue on your road. You have been called to a divine purpose. Walk with your spirit. Use the gifts given to you by the Spirit. I have called each one of you by name. I have called you here.” 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 God of HopeRomans 15:13 “ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”The God of hope, what a great way to refer to the Lord.  He is the God of hope.  All hope can be found in Him.  I like the thought of God filling me with joy and peace as I trust in Him, don't you?  I feel as though that would be reassurance that we were doing the right thing.  Actually now that I just said that I can see how this is the case.  When we are trusting in the Lord, we are filled with peace and joy.  Can you think of a time when you had a decision to make and you felt completely at peace with it?   Can you think of a time when you were so happy and filled with complete joy?  Think about these circumstances.  Can you see how you were trusting the Lord in them?The second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021 were really tough on our family.  Actually they were tough on most families as we were in the middle of a pandemic, and we were stuck in our houses for a lot of it.  It was not an easy time for anyone.  However, on top of all of this we had a lot of other things going on that made it even more difficult.  Probably some of the hardest parenting issues we will ever have to face, and we have faced a lot of parenting issues.  Although it was a really difficult time, I was filled with joy and peace for much of that difficult time because I was trusting that the Lord knew what was best.  We were encountering situation after situation that we had never encountered before.  We didn't know what to do or how to handle most of it.  What do you do when you are in a situation and you don't know what to do?  You turn to the Lord.  I spent a lot of time in prayer.  I asked the Lord at every turn which way He wanted me to go.  I relied on Him to get us through it.  I am not saying this to boast at how great I am for turning to the Lord.  I turned to Him because I did not know what else to do.  This is usually why we turn to the Lord.  When we have tried all we can think of on our own and nothing worked.  However, I would love to change this.  I would love to turn to God first in every circumstance, not just when I feel stuck and don't know what to do. This is what the Lord wants too.  He is always there for us and He is happy when we turn to Him in times of trouble.  However, I am sure He would also love it if we turned to Him in our every day decision making.  Or, what about when you do know what you want to do?  What about stopping to ask God what He thinks about you taking that job you want or buying that car you want.  You may already know what you want to do, but what if we stopped to run it by the Lord and see if He thinks it's a good idea?  Sometimes our decisions can be clouded by superficial things or we have the wrong motivation driving our decision making and we don't realize it until it is too late.  Invite the Lord into all your decisions.  Wouldn't it be great to feel that peace and joy of trusting the Lord all the time?This verse ends with, “so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  I don't know anyone that would turn down the chance to be overflowing with hope.   This verse also tells us where hope come from, the power of the Holy Spirit.  If we want to have more hope, we just have to ask for it. Jesus tells His disciples in John 16:23-24 “ On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.  Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”  If we want to have more hope in our lives all we need to do is ask the Lord for it and we will receive it by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord we ask that you fill us all with joy and peace as we trust in you.  We all want to overflow with hope, please show us how.  Please fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit.  Please help those that have given up on hope, or have forgotten how to hope.  We love you Lord, you are so amazing.  You give us so much to hope for.  We are so grateful for all you do for us.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you 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

Come As You Are Series- Mary MagdaleneMark 16:9 “Now when He arose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.”Mary Magdalene is mentioned several times in the Bible. She is mentioned in all four Gospels. That is unusual, as most stories are mentioned in one or two of the Gospels, but very few are mentioned in all four. This shows us how special Mary was to Jesus. It shows what an important role she played in His life. The Bible doesn't tell us much about who Mary is as a person, but it does tell us a few things.First, it tells us in today's verse and also in Luke 8:2 that she was delivered from 7 demons. Second, we know she was present at the crucifixion. Third, we know she went to anoint Jesus's body in the tomb after his death. Lastly, as today's verse tells us, Jesus appeared to her first after He was resurrected. Of all the people in the world that Jesus could have first shown himself to, He chose Mary Magdalene. That is pretty cool. Again, Jesus is showing us that our ways are not his ways and his ways are not our ways.If we had to choose someone to be the first person who saw Jesus, I don't think we would have chosen Mary Magdalene. I think if it were me, I would have chosen Mary, his mother. Or what about Peter? He was chosen to be the rock on which the church would be built. Why wasn't he the first? Jesus is constantly doing things in the Bible that we don't understand. He is doing and saying things that shake things up. I am sure Jesus had His reasons for choosing Mary Magdalene to be the first to whom he revealed his risen self. I am sure Jesus has his reasons for choosing you, too.Jesus saved Mary Magdalene from 7 demons. Do you feel like you need to be delivered from some demons? Do you feel like you are struggling in an uphill battle? If so, you are not alone. We are all fighting something. One great thing about this story is that it shows us that Jesus doesn't just heal us or free us from our demons and then walk away. He stayed with Mary Magdalene, and she stayed with Him. She became one of His followers. Are you one of his followers? Do you stay close by Him and listen to all He says? Do you try to get to know Him and to spend time with Him?Mary did. She put in the work. She was so grateful for the freedom that Jesus gave her that she stuck by His side, trying to learn all that she could from Him. We can do this too. We can't follow Jesus around as one of His disciples anymore, but we can listen to all He says by reading scripture. The New Testament is full of Jesus's actual words. We don't have to guess who He is, or what He said. It's all in the New Testament. There are actually verses in the Old Testament that talk about Jesus as well. As you can see, even though Jesus is not walking on earth, we can still be His followers and we can still get to know Him.Even though we don't know why Jesus chose Mary Magdalene to be the first person to see him alive, we do know that He did choose her. Jesus is choosing you, too. I don't know what He is choosing you for, but I know that He is. I know you don't think you are worthy, and you might not even feel up to the challenge, but He is calling you anyway. You might worry that no one will listen to you or that no one will believe you if you try to share the message of the Gospel with others. Guess what? You wouldn't be the first person they didn't listen to. The very next verse after today's verse says, “She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.”Just because Jesus chooses us doesn't mean everything is going to fall into place and be easy. We live in a broken world, and not everyone will see what Jesus sees in you. Not everyone will believe what you have to say. Not everyone will support the calling God has placed on your life. That is ok. Jesus also appeared to two other disciples, and when they told everyone, no one believed them either. Just because others didn't believe them doesn't mean what happened wasn't true.Of all the people in Jesus's life, He chose the one who had been delivered from demons as the one to reveal His risen self to. He didn't choose the one we would have chosen. He didn't choose the one who was perfect and blameless. He didn't surround himself with people who were perfect and blameless. He surrounded himself with regular, everyday, ordinary people like you and me. We don't have to clean ourselves up to be around Jesus. We don't have to heal ourselves of all our demons before we come to Jesus. Jesus healed Mary of her demons. She didn't wait until she was healed to come to Him. She couldn't have healed herself of her affliction. She needed to come to Jesus as she was, and He healed her. He will do the same for you. Come to Him with all your baggage. Bring your demons. Bring your fears and your worries. Bring all that you have to the foot of Jesus, and He will heal it. He will take all of that from you, and He will replace it with love and with peace. Come to Him just as you are, and He will take care of everything else!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, we want to come to you as we are. We want you to free us from our demons. We want you to choose us when you could choose anyone. Lord, we ask for you to help us come to you. Help us get to know you. Help us turn our demons, fears, and worries over to you. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “We have a steed, a fine horse, and on that horse is the Lord with a big flowing cape, and as he rides by us, he scoops us up with one arm, tucks us under the shield of his armor, and he says, “I may not swoop you up every time and deliver you from your discomfort.” Then the image changes, and he's on his feet, and he's walking behind us, and he gets closer and closer to us, and then he hides us under the cape he has. He says, “But I may walk with you through all your distress, so fear neither being scooped up nor walked with. I am always there.” 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

Come As You Are Series- JonahJonah 1:1-3 “The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai:  'Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”  But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”Jonah is a great person to discuss this morning because we can all relate to him for several reasons. The first one is displayed in this verse. The Lord came to Jonah and asked him to do something, and Jonah ran away from the Lord. How many of us have done that before? Maybe not physically run away like Jonah did, but we do not do what God asks. We tell Him no, with a whole host of reasons why we can't do it. Or, maybe we ignore the Lord, busy ourselves with work and other things, and pretend that he didn't ask us to do anything. Both of these are similar to Jonah. The Lord asked Him to do something He didn't want to do, and so He left.This didn't work out so well for Jonah. He got on a boat headed in the other direction, and God sent a storm to the ship. The other people on the boat asked what was going on. They drew lots to see who was behind this storm, and Jonah drew the short lot. They asked Jonah what they should do, and he said to throw him over the side of the ship into the water. They were afraid to do this, as they knew he was a man of God. They tried to row back to safety, but did not have any luck. So they prayed God would not hold it against him if they killed this man, and then they threw him over the side of the ship.As soon as they threw him over the side of the ship, the raging sea grew calm. “At this, the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.” (Jonah 1:16) These men all became God fearing after God calmed the sea. Even though Jonah was trying to run away from the Lord, God still used that circumstance to bring about the conversion of hearts. God can do the same with our actions. He can take our actions and their consequences and use them for good. He can take them and use them for the conversion of others in ways we can't even imagine.When they threw Jonah over the side of the boat, he was swallowed up by a whale or some giant sea creature. While he was sitting in the belly of the sea creature, he was praying to the Lord, and the Lord heard his prayers and had the fish spit him out on dry land. Then the Lord tells Jonah to go to Ninevah to give them the message that God gave to Jonah. So, this time, Jonah goes and does what is asked of him. Jonah tells Nineveh that it will be overthrown in 40 days if they do not repent and change their ways. As soon as the king heard this, he declared a fast in the land, and all of Ninevah repented and turned back to the Lord. When the Lord saw how they repented and turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not cause destruction.You would think, after all that, Jonah would be happy. He did what the Lord asked him to do, and the people actually listened to him. Yet, Jonah wasn't happy. Jonah was upset that God spared the people of Ninevah. He thought that they deserved to die, and he wasn't happy that they took the second chance and turned from their evil ways. We have all been here in one way or another before. Have you ever been upset that someone got away with something that you think they should have been punished for? Have you ever seen someone do something and then wished they would get in trouble for it? One common example I can think of is when we are driving and see someone else driving unsafely, and we hope they get pulled over by a police officer. It is not our place to decide what should happen to others.God chose Jonah for this task, and Jonah ran from it. How many of us have done that? How many of us have run from a task because we didn't want to do it? Jonah ran because he knew how good God was. He understood that if Ninevah repented, God would save them, and he didn't want them to be saved. He didn't think they deserved it. How many of us have run from a call from the Lord because we disagreed with Him? It might not be the same situation as Jonah, but we disagreed that we were the right people or that we had the skills it took to do what He wanted us to do. We might all have different reasons for running from what the Lord calls us to do.However, Jonah's story reminds us of a few things. First, just because we ran doesn't mean God gives that call to someone else. He is still waiting for you to do what He called you to do. Second, he can use bad consequences for good, like when Jonah ran from God, and the others on the ship almost died in the storm until they threw him off the ship. God used that to convert the hearts of all those on the ship. Whatever bad came out of you running from the Lord, He can redeem it. He can use it for good. The important thing is that we turn back to the Lord and that we answer that call. God doesn't make mistakes. If He is calling you to something, then He will help you do it. If he is calling you to it, then you are the perfect person for the job, even if you don't see how or why.Jonah's story also reminds us that God is sovereign. We don't know all the things that He knows. Just because what God is doing doesn't make sense to us, that doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. God knows the whole picture. He knows all the details. We only know the few tiny things we can see from the outside looking in. We need to trust that God knows what He is doing. We need to understand that He sees things we don't see. He knows what we can and can't do. He knows us better than we know ourselves. So, if God says you can do it, then you can do it. Stop running and face the task He is asking you to do!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening. Lord, we all want to be able to do what you are calling us to do. We want to trust you and believe we can do it. Please help us, Lord. Lord, help us not to run from you but to run towards you. Please help us not to think we know better than you do. You are the almighty one. You are Lord of Lords and King of Kings. You know all things, and we love you. Please help us to continuously come back to you. We pray all 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. Thank you for all your prayers for the retreat this weekend. It was an awesome weekend. I also want to remind everyone that my new book is out. It is called Walk Boldly With Jesus Devotionals: Who I Am: Discovering God's Truth About Me. I am very excited about it. CLICK HERE if you want to check it out! 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I got the image of Jesus as a carpenter coming into our hearts and stripping away all the old wallpaper, layers and layers of crud, and then just replacing it with brand new, shining, you know, immaculate white paint and welcoming the Holy Spirit in.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Your Nightly Prayer

Storm-Battered and UnconsoledIsaiah 54:11-14 “O afflicted one,* storm-battered and unconsoled, I lay your pavements in carnelians, your foundations in sapphires; I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your children shall be taught by the LORD; great shall be the peace of your children. In justice shall you be established, far from oppression, you shall not fear, from destruction, it cannot come near.  If there be an attack, it is not my doing; whoever attacks shall fall before you.”When I read this verse this morning I knew this was the one.  So many are struggling right now.  This verse is to show you that God understands.  “O afflicted one, storm-battled and unconsoled.”  He gets it.  He understands how you are feeling.  He's showing you that He sees you.  You haven't somehow escaped His attention.  He knows you are suffering and he knows that you are unconsoled.  Once He has your attention and lets you know He sees you, then He is telling you that he has laid the way before you with precious stones.  “I lay your pavements in carnelians (a semi-precious stone), I lay your foundations in sapphires; I will make your battlements of rubies, your gate of jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.”  Actually the Lord is not just talking about laying the road before you, He is talking about building all around you.  He talks about the pavements, which I was thinking was the path ahead.  However, then He talks about your foundation, your walls, your battlements, and your gates.  We all know that if we wish to get anywhere in life, we need to have a firm foundation.  If our foundation isn't firm, it won't support us.  This reminds me of Matthew 7:24-27, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”  If we don't build our house on a firm foundation it will slip away.  Next, the Lord talks about our battlements made of rubies.  I was not sure what battlements were, so I looked it up.  Battlements are the parapets at the top of a wall, especially of a fort or castle, that have regularly spaced squared openings for shooting through.  Also, our walls are make of precious stones and our gates of jewels.  These are how we defend ourselves.  God is building these things for us out of the finest materials.  He is our protection and He will make sure we are safe.The next part of the verse says, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord; great shall be the peace of your children.”  This might not be your experience right now.  You may hear this and wonder when that peace is going to come.  I know when I read that line, I thought that is not true for so many children I know these days.  I have heard several people say over the last few months that it seems like the enemy is really attacking God's faithful ones through their children and their marriages.  There are so many children struggling right now with so many things.  The mental health of our kids is under attack for sure.  Also, with social media and constant access to their phones, our children are being bullied in ways we don't even know.  I am surprised at the number of young kids who are willing to send inappropriate photos over the phone because it doesn't feel like a big deal.  It feels like everyone is doing it.  I think social media also allows kids to say things that they would never say to someone's face because they just have to type it into a phone.  It gives them a sense that they are somewhat removed from it.  I have three teenagers, and I get how hard it can be.  If you are listening to this and you either have teenagers or maybe you have teenager grandkids or nieces and nephews, I would say pray for them definitely and also remember this promise from God.  “All  your children shall be taught by the Lord; great shall be the peace of your children.”  God always keeps his promises.  He doesn't tell us when they will have peace, but he tells us they will.  Our job is to keep them going through the hard times until they have this peace.The next part may be hard to understand as well.“ In justice shall you be established, far from oppression, you shall not fear, from destruction, it cannot come near.”  You will be established in justice, far from oppression, destruction cannot come near.  If you are struggling right now, this may be hard to take in.  It may be hard to see how you are far from oppression.  It may seem like oppression is all around you.  You may feel beaten down at every turn.  If this is you, remember the ending of that line, destruction cannot come near.  Although you may be struggling, this will not destroy you!  You will make it though this.  Whatever it is, you will come out on the other side being better, stronger, and more faith filled.  God is with you through this difficult time.  He is building this protective house around you.  Keep hanging in there.  The ending of this verse may be the most important to hear for some of you. “  If there be an attack, it is not my doing; whoever attacks shall fall before you.”  This is so important for us to realize.  “If there be an attack is it not my doing.”  I bet we have all wondered or even ask God, “What have I done to deserve this?”  If you have thought this, you are not alone.  The apostles also thought this way.  In John 9:1-3 it says, “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”God is telling in both these verses, we didn't do anything.  This is not His doing.  He did not give you cancer, He did not take away your loved one, He did not cause your spouse to leave, it is not His doing.   I love the last sentence.  He says, whoever attacks shall fall before you.  He is showing us that evil will not win in the end.  Evil will not get the last word.  He will protect us and He will defeat evil.  Whoever attacks shall fall before you.  There are several promises in this scripture verse today.  If you are struggling, if you feel storm-battered and unconsoled, maybe write this verse down and read it again.  Try sitting with this verse and see how God wants to use it to talk to you.  The things I said about the verse today, actually any day in this podcast is just the way God is talking to be about the different verses.  However, He wants to make each verse personal to you.  If you spend some time after you listen to the podcast to reread the verse, it's in the show notes, and then ask God what He wants to say to you about the verse, I am sure you will be surprised at what you start thinking about.  If you ask Him, He will answer, you just have to give Him the time to listen.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we thank you for showing us that you see us in our struggles and that you are there for us.  Thank you for building us a beautiful house of protection.  Thank you for promising peace for our children.  Thank you for letting us know that it is not you that is attacking us and that whoever does attack us will fall before us.  Lord, you are so loving and so merciful and we are so very lucky to have you in our lives.  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. Please keep me and those attending the retreat in your prayers this weekend. I pray it is a fruitful retreat for all who attend. I will be doing the retreat on zoom too. If you want to check it out on zoom, email me at Catherine @findingtruenorthcoaching.com and I will get you the zoom link. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is,“I will fill you with everything that you need. But you must learn to listen. Listen and then act upon it. I just don't want you to listen and do nothing about it, my children. I speak so that you, in turn, may help others, encourage them. ” 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

Could You Perform Miracles?John 14:12-13 “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.”This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  It is one that I read, and when I heard it, I believed it right away.  Some verses are like this in the Bible.  When you read the Bible, some things are easy to take in and others are difficult.  These easy and difficult things are different for everyone.  We all have different experiences when we read the Bible because we have all had different experiences throughout our lives.  There is a quote by Steven R. Covey that I really like.  Steven R. Covey said, “We see the world, not as it is, but as we are.”  This is true for the Bible as well.  We look at and interpret the things we read in the Bible through our own unique lens.  For instance, if we had people letting us down our whole lives, we may read the parts of the Bible that talk about trust and struggle to believe we can trust God because we haven't been able to trust anyone on earth.  If we have grown up in a very unloving environment, we may struggle with the parts of the Bible that talk about unconditional love. Other things may come easier to us.  I instantly loved this verse.  I know the Bible is God's Word and that God chose His words very carefully.  Sometimes, when we are reading the Bible, there may be a question in our minds about why they used this word vs. that word.  One thing I have learned from doing Bible studies is that there is always a reason why certain words were chosen.  Also, if you have done Bible studies, you have had the benefit of hearing all about the original Greek or Hebrew words that were used in the original translation and what those words meant.  Sometimes, when translated, we don't have an exact word to mean what they were saying. I find Bible studies fascinating because you gain so much more insight into what the verses are really saying.  Anyway, back to the verse.  I heard this verse, or read this verse, and I believed Jesus' word to us.  I have never really been one to struggle with trust.  I grew up in a loving family, I had great friends growing up, and I am blessed to be able to say I was not let down by those I know and care about, often growing up.  Therefore, I trust pretty easily.  But what if you don't trust easily?  What if you look at that verse and say there is no way we could perform the works Jesus did, Jesus was God, of course, He performed miracles.  Also, the apostles were right there with Him for 3 years during His ministry; of course, they could do miracles too.  We can all usually agree that Jesus did miracles when He walked the earth, and we can also usually agree that the apostles were sent out and they performed miracles, too.  Where we run into trouble is trying to believe we could do signs and wonders in the world today.  Who are we?  We are not holy enough, we are not worthy of that power and authority.  I agree with both of those statements, and yet Jesus still says we will do the works that He did and even greater works than He did. How is this possible?It is possible through the Holy Spirit.  Did you ever realize or notice that there is not a single miracle recorded in the Gospels before Jesus was baptized?  Jesus was fully human and fully God the entire time He walked the earth.  There was nothing stopping Jesus from performing miracles during the first 30 years of His life.  However, He chose to wait until after He was baptized and received the Holy Spirit to start performing miracles.  This is something I recently found out and found fascinating.  It was not a surprise to me that Jesus did miracles in the Bible; He is God after all.  What I didn't know is that Jesus didn't use his divinity to perform miracles.  He used the Holy Spirit, working through Him, to perform the miracles.  He chose to put his divinity aside and act from his human nature, with the help of the Holy Spirit, because it would be greater glory for God.  St. Lawrence of Brindisi explains it like this:"Christ came into the world to do battle against Satan, to do away with idolatry, and to turn the world to faith and piety and the worship of the true God.  He could have accomplished this by using the weapons of his might and coming as he will come to judge, in glory and majesty… But in order that his victory might be the more glorious, he willed to fight Satan in our weak flesh. It is as if an unarmed man, right hand bound, were to fight with his left hand alone against a powerful enemy; if he emerged victorious, his victory would be regarded as all the more glorious. So Christ conquered Satan with the right hand of his divinity bound, and using against him only the left hand of his weak humanity.”Is this new to you, too?  Did you know that God performed these miracles and defeated satan without using his divinity?  He relied on the power of the Holy Spirit working through Him.  Do you know why this changes everything?  It changes everything because Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us as well.  If you are baptized, then you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you.  If you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, then you have the power to defeat Satan and to perform works like Jesus did.  Another one of my favorite verses is Romans 8:11: “ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you…” I wish we all knew how much power we actually have inside our frail human bodies.This verse can be scary to many people.  Wait, if I can perform works like Jesus did, does that mean I have to travel all over the world and be a missionary like the disciples were?  No, you don't have to travel anywhere if you don't feel called to do that.  What they talked about in my class is ministering to your sphere of influence.  You can start small.  Be an example to your family, your friends, and your coworkers.  Let's read the verse again, “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.”If you were able to believe and adopt this verse as your own personal truth, how much greater would your life be?  How great would it be to do works like Jesus did?  How great would it be to be able to heal a loved one?  Did you know there are people doing this every day?  Did you know there are lots of people who have read this verse, decided to believe it, and are now living out a supernatural lifestyle with the power of the Holy Spirit?  The last line of the verse says, “If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”  How awesome a promise is that?  God has so much more for us, and we aren't asking for it.  We aren't going to God to ask Him what He has for us.  Why are we choosing to live a normal life when God is offering us a supernatural one of signs and wonders?  You might be thinking, That is great for you, Catherine.  I am glad you believe this verse and you want that life, but I am happy with mine as is.  If this is what you are thinking I challenge you over this next week or so to bring this to prayer.  I challenge you to be brave enough to just talk to God about it.  Tell Him how you are feeling about this verse and ask Him if He has anything to say to you about it.  When we do signs and wonders, we build up people's faith.  Don't you think this world needs some faith-building right now?  Look at the day of Pentecost, 3,000 were baptized on that day.  I know this verse can be scary.  I know the thought of us healing or performing miracles is strange to most of us.  I know it is way outside of our comfort zone.  I also know God is calling us all to it.  I also know that this world really needs people who are willing to step outside their comfort zone.  God needs people who will step out in faith, knowing they have the Holy Spirit living inside of them and that He will guide them.  If this verse is something that you struggle with, write it down and look at it often over the next month.  Bring it to God and ask Him to show you how this applies to your life.  Ask God what He wants you to do with this verse?  Be brave, be bold. If you ask the Holy Spirit for help, He will help you.  Just start small.  Step out in faith and ask a loved one if they want you to pray for them.  If you spend time with God, He will guide this journey for you.  He will lead you to where you need to go.  We just have to be brave enough to say three small words, “Use me, Lord.”  Can you be brave enough to say those words?  Can we be Christ's hands and feet here on earth?  Remember, we have a good good Father.  He is going to ease you into this lifestyle.  He is going to meet you where you are at and build your faith along the way.  Trust Him and give Him permission to work in your life, give Him permission to use you, and He will.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we ask you to send your angels to prepare the way for everyone listening to hear this message today.  We pray you give us the courage to believe this verse and to step out in faith, knowing you have given us the power of the Holy Spirit to help us do your work here on earth.  Lord, the world needs you more than ever, and if we can bring you to others, please show us how.  Show us what you want each of us to do.  Reveal to us what this verse means for each one of us in our individual lives.  We love you, Lord. You are incredible.  We are so grateful you gave us the Holy Spirit.  Lord, you are the almighty one, you are the king of kings and the Lord of Lords.  You are the light of the world.  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.  Remember Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I.  Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, hear my whispers of love that I speak to you each day. Take the time to be quiet. Hear them. Hear my whispers of love. I speak with whispers of love throughout the day. You only need to listen. The more you listen, the happier you will be.” 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

Come As You Are Series - The Hemorrhaging WomanMark 5:25-34 “Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse.  She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,  for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.”  Immediately, her hemorrhage stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.  Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?'” He looked all around to see who had done it.  But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”I don't usually use a whole story for the verse of the day. However, it seemed right this morning. This is a powerful story for this series because it not only shows how powerful this woman's faith was, but it also shows us how much she needed Jesus. This series is all about how Jesus wants us to come to Him just as we are. I am trying to help you see that you don't have to get all cleaned up and fix all that is broken before we come to Jesus. Jesus wants us to decide to come to Him just as we are, and then He can help us change. He can help us fix all that is broken. He can help put us back together again.The woman in this story had been bleeding for 12 years. According to Jewish Law, if you are bleeding, you are unclean and therefore must be separated from other people. You could not participate in worship or be a part of the community. Normally, this would just be for a few days during a woman's menstrual cycle. However, this woman had been bleeding straight for 12 years. That meant she was cut off from the community for 12 years. Imagine all the lies the enemy was telling her. I am sure she felt unworthy, alone, dirty, not pretty, not feminine, and not wanted. She had been to all the doctors, and they kept taking her money but could not find a cure for her. She was tired and alone and felt hopeless.  Then she heard about Jesus and how He was healing people. She heard about Jesus and knew He could help her. She needed a healing so bad that she believed even if she just touched his clothes, she would be healed. Imagine that? We, or at least I, get all caught up in what prayer to say, how to word it, what to do before and after I pray. I get all caught up in what I am doing instead of the power that Jesus has. She was focused on the power Jesus had and that if she could just touch His clothes, she would be healed.Have you ever needed Jesus that badly? Have you ever been so desperate for a healing or for love, or for something that you felt you could come to Jesus and all would be well, you would instantly be healed? I know a lot of people who are desperate for healing right now. They would do anything for it and I think if Jesus were walking the earth today, they would have the faith to touch his garments. However, He is not walking the earth today, so now what do we do? That is a great question. How can we be like this woman who touched Jesus's garments, when He is not physically here.It is important for us to remember what Jesus said to her. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Her faith made her well. He didn't say, Daughter, your actions have made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.” She wasn't healed because she touched his garments. She was healed because she knew with her whole being that she would be healed if she could just get close enough to touch Jesus.She wasn't thinking about how she wasn't worthy enough to touch Jesus. She wasn't thinking about how it was against the rules to touch Jesus. She wasn't thinking about all she “should” do before touching Jesus. For instance, all the rituals to purify herself. The only thing she was thinking about was that Jesus had what she needed and that He was so powerful; if she only touched his garments, she would be healed. When is the last time we believed we didn't have to do anything but be near Jesus for us to be healed? Have we ever thought that? Have we ever believed that we didn't have to do anything except be near Jesus in order to be healed?I don't know about you, but I often feel like I have to do the right things. I have to pray the right way. I have to go to church each Sunday. I have to go to confession. I have to read my Bible. These are not bad things. These are great things, and I do believe they will help me be closer to Jesus. However, I don't think they are required to have a relationship with Him. I don't think we need to be doing things perfectly in order to come to Jesus and ask for His help. The church has hurt many people, and therefore, attending Mass each week only makes some people angry or resentful. That is not what God wants. However, what if instead of going to church, you brought your hurt straight to God and started talking to Him about it? Don't wait until you work out all your problems with God, religion, and the world before you come to God. Come to Him now and let Him help you work all that out.Are you desperate for something right now? Are you lonely and desperate for a friend? Are you sick and desperate for a healing? Are you searching for a job and can't find one? Are you in need of a car, an apartment, anything? Have you come to the Lord and talked to Him about it? Have you asked the Lord for whatever it is you need? He is a good father, and He will give you what you need. He may just be waiting for you to come and ask. Come today. Don't wait! He is waiting there with open arms to give you a big hug and listen to all you have to say. Just give it a try. Just start talking to Him and see what happens. Don't worry about all the reasons why you don't think you should talk with Him. Forget all the reasons you don't think you are worthy or that He won't want to talk to you. Push through all of that and just start with a conversation. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, we are sorry we are not coming to you. We are sorry we let the lies of the enemy keep us away. Please help us to recognize those lies and come to you just as we are. Help us to come to you with the faith of the woman in today's verses. Help us to come to you with that urgency and that conviction that if we are just near you, then you can help us. We love you so much, and we are sorry if we let our need to do things get in the way of trusting that we don't have to do anything but be near you for you to heal us. We believe, Lord, help our unbelief. We ask all of this in accordance with Your Will and in Jesus's Holy Name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I wanted to share with all of you that my book is out on Amazon now. At the beginning of the year, I did a series of podcasts on who God says we are. I have taken those episodes and put them all in a book called “Who I Am: Discovering God's Truth About Me.” If you are interested in checking it out, you can search Walk Boldly With Jesus devotionals on Amazon. CLICK HERE for Amazon link to the book. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “When times feel like you're not gaining, it is my love that is purifying you. So fear not. Call on my love. You will never be burned. You will only be 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

Come As You Are Series - The CenturionMatthew 8:5-8 “When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.”When asking the Lord who to talk about next in this series, the story of the centurion's servant came to mind. The story is short, so I will read it to you in case you aren't familiar with it. Matthew 8:5-13:“When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,' and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,' and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion, Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour.”This story is similar to the one we previously discussed, the Canaanite Woman. What is interesting about both stories is that the faith that healed their loved ones came from people who weren't even Jewish. This is important for us to see because oftentimes we think we are not holy enough to pray for healing for our loved ones. In my family, everyone goes to my dad for prayer. Actually, it isn't even just in my family. Everyone who knows my dad will ask him for prayer, even if they aren't Catholic, and sometimes they don't even believe in God, but if they need a miracle, they will ask my dad. It seems as if my dad has a direct connection to God. He and my mom are both powerful prayer warriors. I think they go to do my dad more than my mom because he is a deacon in the church. We tend to think that priests and deacons have more clout than we do. We tend to think their prayers are heard more than ours.This story is showing us that we don't have to be super religious for God to work miracles in our lives. It shows us God is not only healing the loved ones of those who are in church every single Sunday. This story is showing us that anyone can come to God. The centurion soldiers weren't always kind to the Jewish people, and yet Jesus still healed his servant. We can come to the Lord, no matter where we are in our faith, and He will help us. We don't have to wait until we go to church every week. We don't have to wait to come to the Lord until we know exactly what we think and what we believe.This soldier knew that Jesus had authority and that if Jesus said that the servant would be healed, his servant would be healed. The Jewish people were struggling to see that Jesus had authority. They had expected the Savior to look a certain way and to do things a certain way, and Jesus was not what they had expected. The centurion and the Canaanite woman hadn't heard all the prophecies of what the Savior would look like, where he would come from, and what he would do. They didn't have expectations. They saw what Jesus was doing for others, and they wanted Him to do it for them, too.This is an important lesson for us too! What if we let go of our expectations of who we think God is, what we think we need to do, and who we think we need to be before we come to God? What if we let go of our expectations of how we think God can help us and when He will help us? What if we accept the fact that God has authority and can do anything whenever He chooses? He doesn't need us to say the right thing or to do the right thing. He doesn't need us to ask the right people to pray. We can go to Him, just as we are, and we can ask Him ourselves. We can decide to trust that if God has done it before, He will do it again. If He has done it for others, He will do it for us.We don't have to worry if our faith is enough. Jesus said we just need the faith of a mustard seed. Think about the Canaanite woman and this centurion. They did not know the Bible. They did not know Jewish law. They didn't really know anything other than what they saw Jesus do and maybe some things they heard Him say. You don't have to be a Bible scholar for God to heal your loved ones. You don't have to have all the answers to come to the Lord. He will give you the answers you seek when you come. You don't have to figure things out on your own. He is here to help with all of that. We just have to come to Him and He will do the rest.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening. Lord, we want to come to you. We want to believe that you want us just as we are. We want to believe we don't have to do anything before we come to you. We believe, Lord, help our unbelief. Lord, please help us to come to you. Please help us to trust that you are who you say you are and that you do what you have always done. Help us to truly know that you love us as we 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “When you feel tested, my little ones, and things are going wrong, without the fire or the flame of my love to put it out, you cannot go further with me. So draw 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

Come As You Are Series - The Canaanite Woman's FaithMatthew 15:28 “Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.”I have heard this story in the Bible many times and I am sure you have too.  Right before this verse is the story of the woman who was asking Jesus to heal her daughter. Here is the story found in Matthew 15:21-28 “Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”  But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”  He answered, “It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.I have heard several sermons on this story.  The focus always seems to be on why Jesus spoke to her the way that He did and why He said the things that He said.  I think those are important things to discuss because it sounds like He is being very rude.  If you have not heard any sermons or any explanations of why Jesus said the things He said, I recommend you look them up, as it is very interesting.  However, what the Holy Spirit highlighted for me for this series is the very last line in this story.  Jesus said, “‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.' And her daughter was healed instantly.”This came right after the woman said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.” What the Holy Spirit told me is that we don't have to be perfect to receive healing. This woman was not one of the chosen people, and yet she believed that even the crumbs left over after the chosen people had been healed would have enough power to heal her daughter.  She knew she wasn't one of the chosen people.  She knew she didn't have a right to speak to or ask Jesus for anything, let alone a miracle, and yet she was brave enough to ask anyway.  It's interesting, when I read the words, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table,” I heard the Holy Spirit say, you are like the crumbs.  I had no idea what he meant by this.  Then I felt like he was saying, we think we need to be perfect to either ask for healing or pray for others for healing.  The Holy Spirit was telling me we don't have to be perfect.  This woman was not perfect, and yet she knew she needed a miracle, and although she didn't really know Jesus, she believed in His power and knew He could heal her daughter.  She knew, without a doubt, that He could heal her daughter.  She even said when she called out, “Lord, son of David.” Even his apostles were struggling to see who He truly was, and yet this woman could see.  If we want to be used by the Holy Spirit to pray for others, then we don't need to be perfect; we just need to be willing and humble.  This woman humbled herself and knelt before Jesus.  She begged Him to heal her daughter.  She did not get caught up in what she should or shouldn't do.  She didn't get caught up in what He was saying or how He was saying it.  She needed Him to heal her daughter, and she kept asking and persisting until He did.  We can all learn a lot from this woman.  Her faith was so powerful that it saved her child.  Whom do you know that could use some prayers like this?  This woman knew she had nothing to lose and everything to gain by begging Jesus to heal her daughter.  Are we playing it too safe with our prayers?  Are we holding back when we ask Jesus for healing, or not even asking Him to heal our loved ones, because we don't want to bother Him, or we don't feel we are worthy?  Are we asking for things, but not the big things, not the things we really want, because we are afraid we won't get them?  Are we protecting ourselves from the letdown of our prayers not being answered, so we don't ever ask?  I know this is for someone today because it is very strong in my thoughts right now.  God wants me to tell you to stop holding back and stop playing it small with your prayers.  God has some amazing blessings for you, and yet He is waiting for you to ask.  He is waiting for you to trust that He will answer your prayers, even if they seem a bit impossible, even if they seem extremely impossible.  God is telling us to ask Him anyway! I feel as though He really wants us to understand that we are not bothering Him with our prayers.  We honor Him when we pray to Him and ask Him for help, especially when we ask Him for big, bold, audacious things.  That is not a word I use often, but I felt that was the word I was supposed to use there.  Wouldn't it be great one day to be sitting there, or standing there with Jesus, and then He turns to us and says, “Woman, or man, great is your faith!” I long for that day.  That image, that vision, is enough for me to do all I can to increase my faith.  The image of Jesus saying that to me gives me the strength and fortitude to pray the litany of trust and the litany of humility often.  That image gives me the strength to call on the Lord whenever I need Him.  The woman in the verse today had great faith.  She believed He was who He said He was, she believed in His power, and she wasn't afraid to ask Him for help. How about us?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless each and every person listening to this episode.  Lord, we want to have great faith. Please help us.  We want to come to you when we are in need.  We want to ask you the big, bold, audacious prayers.  We believe, Lord, help our unbelief.  We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you 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!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is,“Life swiftly moves by like a shadow, my children. It's like a vapor that swiftly goes away. Think more of me, and you will act differently.”  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

Come As You Are Series (The boy who gave up his lunch)John 6:9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”This verse is just before the Lord does something amazing! Jesus is speaking to his disciples, and a large crowd has followed Him. They saw all the amazing things Jesus was doing with curing the sick and wanted more. Jesus told his disciples to have everyone sit down and asked how they would feed them. One of the disciples said there was no way they would have enough money to feed that many people. There were 5,000 in all. Then another disciple said that there was a boy who had five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus took those five barley loaves and two fish and broke them up and instructed the disciples to hand them out, and when everyone had their fill, the disciples gathered what was left over, and it filled 12 baskets.I am sure most of us have heard that story before. If you haven't, you can read the beginning of Chapter 6 in the Gospel of John. It is great. Today, since this series is Come as You Are, I want to focus on the boy who gave up his lunch. We know very little about this boy. They do not talk about him other than that he gave us his lunch, and yet, he was the only one. I wonder why this boy was there that day. Was he with family or friends? How old was this boy? I would think if he were with his parents, they would have said, There is a family with five barley loaves and two fish. So, it doesn't seem like he was there with family.I wonder if his mom made him that lunch. I wonder why he wanted to go see Jesus. Did he need a healing? Did he have a loved one who needed a healing? Did he just really like what Jesus had to say? Was he drawn to Him? There is so much I would like to know that I never really thought of before now. This story is mostly focused on the miracle, as it should be. Jesus took a very small amount of food and fed 5,000 people with 12 baskets to spare. That is truly incredible!Jesus did not need the boy's lunch to make this miracle. He could have made bread out of thin air. He made the whole universe. He could certainly have made food for everyone to eat. What I love is that Jesus included this boy in his miracle. He didn't do it all by himself. He allowed the boy to take part in it by offering his lunch. Imagine how special that boy felt? I am sure that is a day he will never forget. I am sure no one there will forget that day, but this boy especially. He willingly gave up his lunch so that Jesus could feed everyone.Jesus uses people like you and me every day to help Him with miracles. Not because He has to, but because He wants to. He does not use people who are ideally suited for what he needs to accomplish. He uses people who are willing to be used by Him to build up His Kingdom. This boy was not perfectly suited to help Jesus. We don't know anything about him. He could have been Jewish, but he also could have been a Samaritan or some other nationality. We don't know. The Bible doesn't tell us. We don't know if he was a sinner or not. All we know is that when Andrew asked what the boy had for food, he gave him all he had.The boy said yes. That is all that Jesus requires of us. He just wants our yes. I know you think that you are not who God is looking for. I know that you feel you are too old or too young for God to use you. I know you think you are not enough or too much for God to use you. I know you feel you are not smart enough or holy enough. I know you think there are a million other people out there who are more qualified than you are to do what you believe the Lord is calling you to do. I know you are nervous, and you don't feel like you know how to do what He is calling you to do. I know because I feel all those things too. We all do.This is the reason I am doing this series. I am praying that by the time we are done with this series, you will begin to see that you are exactly the kind of person God uses. You are perfectly suited for what He is calling you to do. He knows your strengths and weaknesses. He knows what you can and can not do. He actually knows much better than you do what you can and can't do because He created you. We don't always know what we can and can not do because sometimes we have had other people telling us that we can't do something our whole lives, and yet they were wrong. We actually can do it. Or, maybe we have been telling ourselves we can't do something even though we have never tried it.If God is calling you to it, He will equip you for it. God knew Jesus was going to need to feed 5,000 people on the mountain that day. It was not a surprise to God that all those people followed Jesus. Why do you think that boy was there at the specific moment in time? Why do you think, of all those people, he was the only one to bring food. I wonder if his mom packed him that lunch? I wonder if he argued, as my kids would. No, Mom, I don't need food. I will be fine. It's just a talk, I'll get food with my friends after. I will figure something out. I don't want to carry that around all day, and so on. Whatever happened, the Lord allowed the boy to have that food and to donate it to the cause. He allowed that boy, who isn't even named in the Bible, to be part of that miracle.What about you? Will you be a part of God's miracles? Will you say yes and allow Him to use you even though you don't feel like you are worthy? Even though you don't seem like you have anything to give. I am sure when asked, the boy thought to himself, What can my five barley loaves and two fish do to feed all of these people. I am sure he felt like his contribution was not enough. Yet, with Jesus, He can always make our little into enough. He just needs our “yes” and He will do the rest. Will you give Jesus your “yes” today?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening today. Lord, we love you and we are so grateful you use us even though we don't feel worthy. We are grateful you allow us to participate in your miracles even though you could do them without us. Lord, we ask for you to reform our hearts and help us to be more willing to say “yes.” We ask that you give us the holy boldness we need to step into all you are calling us to be. We ask that you give us the strength to pursue you relentlessly just as you pursue us. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Expect the unexpected. I am doing amazing things in each one of your lives. Look for those amazing things. Focus on the things I'm doing. Look for the things that I might be doing. Expect the unexpected.”  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

Come As You Are Series - Hagar Genesis 16:7-8 “Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. He said, “Hagar, Sarai's slave woman, from where have you come, and where are you going?” And she said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”God promised Abraham that he would be the Father of nations. His descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky. Yet Abraham was 86 years old at this point in his life, and he still had no children. His wife was getting impatient. She was 75 years old and still had no children. One day, she told Abraham that she wanted him to sleep with her handmaid. She thought maybe that was the way she was going to get the children that God promised her.We might think this is crazy, as we don't really live in a culture where this is normal. Unfortunately, it was more normal back then. Even though we might not be able to identify with Sarai giving her handmaid, Hagar, to her husband so that she could have some children, we can definitely relate to being impatient waiting for God to fulfill His promises. We want everything in our time, and when it doesn't happen, we try to make it happen.Have you ever done this? Have you ever gotten tired of waiting for the Lord to do what He said he would do, so you took matters into your own hands? I know I have. I am sure we all have at one point or another. We are human. God's ways are higher than our ways, which means we don't understand them. We don't know why God told Abraham he would be the father of nations 25 years before his only son would be born. We don't know why God said He would be the father of nations and His descendants would outnumber the stars, yet He only had one child. We don't always know what God is doing.What we do know is that when we try to take over for God and do it our own way or in our own timing, then we create a mess. Sarai thought she could give her handmaid to her husband, and all would be fine. The handmaid would have children, but Saria and Abraham would raise them as their own. However, once the handmaid Hagar got pregnant and realized she was pregnant, she looked at her mistress with contempt. Sarai became upset and started mistreating her. Isn't this just like us? We do something we think will fix the situation, and surprise, surprise, our idea wasn't actually better than the Lord's idea, and it all just backfires. Now Sarai is mad at her Hagar because she is acting like she is better than Sarai. After all, she could get pregnant, and Sarai couldn't. However, it was Sarai's idea in the first place. This is exactly how this world operates. We take things into our own hands and then get upset when it doesn't work out.Hagar got tired of being mistreated and ran away. However, an angel appeared to her. Let's stop right there. Hagar is a maidservant who married her mistress's husband so that they could have a baby. Does that sound like someone an angel would visit? Do you see how God doesn't choose the people we would choose? Hagar was put in a bad position and yet did what she was told to do. Everything worked out exactly like her mistress wanted, and then her mistress began to treat her badly.God didn't forget her or forsake her, though. He could have let her run away. The baby she was carrying was not the baby that God had promised them. However, he sent an angel to have her go back and have the baby with her husband. The angel told Hagar that she would have a boy and that he would be called Ishmael. The angel said to her that God had heard her affliction. Imagine what it would be like to have an angel appear to you and tell you that God has heard you? How many of your prayers right now do you wish you knew if God heard or not? Wouldn't it be great if an angel came down and told us that God has listened to our affliction?Sometimes it feels like we are talking to ourselves because we are waiting and waiting for an answer, and it doesn't seem to come. God hears all our prayers. It says this in many places in the Bible. We know this, and yet it would still be nice if God sent an angel to reassure us. The angels would be pretty busy if they needed to come and reassure us every time we doubted that God heard our prayers. God did send an angel to visit Hagar another time, too. After Isaac was born and weaned, Sarah told Abraham to send Hagar away. Abraham was sad as Ismael was his son. However, God told him to do as Sarah wanted.Here is another instance where we might not understand why God would want Abraham to send Hagar and his son away. We trust that God's plan is better than our plan. Hagar sleeping with Abraham was never part of God's plan. He told Abraham and Sarah that they would have a baby and that God would make Abraham the father of nations. Yet, when it didn't happen soon enough for them, they took matters into their own hands. God wanted to fulfill his promise to Abraham through Isaac, not Ismael.Hagar left, but she was not abandoned by God. She was in the wilderness with her son, and an angel spoke to her from heaven. Most people go their whole life never seeing an angel, and Hagar gets visited twice. God sent an angel to let her know that she was not alone. He wanted her to know that God had heard the cries of her son and that He would be taking care of both of them. God told her that He would make a great nation of him. God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness, and he became an expert with a bow.God did not forget or forsake Hagar and Ismael even though they were not really part of His original plan. God won't forget you either. God knows that we will try to take things into our own hands. He knows we might get impatient and do something we wish we hadn't done. It's ok. He still allowed Abraham and Sarah to have their child. He still blessed Hagar and Ismael. He won't take away your dream either, just because you got tired of waiting and tried to do it on your own. God is looking out for you just as He was looking out for this maid servant who was doing what she was told to do, and then was sent awayGod sees the injustice in your life, too. He sees the ways you have been treated by this world, and He has not abandoned you. He is with you in the wilderness the same way he was with Hagar and Ismael. He is protecting you and blessing you. God never leaves your side. He is making all things for your good. Not just for those special few, but for all of us.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, we love you, and we ask you to help us be patient and wait for your timing. Help us not to take matters into our own hands. Lord, have mercy on us when we do wrong and help us navigate the mess we often get ourselves into when we try to take matters into our own hands. We love you, Lord, and we know your plan is best. It can be challenging for us to be patient and wait at times. Please be patient with us as we do our best. 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—just a few more days to register for the retreat. CLICK HERE FOR RETREAT INFO! I will give my numbers to the retreat house on Friday. I can't believe the retreat is next weekend already! Additionally, I have exciting news: my devotional book is almost ready to be published as well. I am so excited, and I ask for your prayers that all goes well and it gets printed in time to have it at the retreat. Additionally, if you could all join in prayer for the retreat and those attending, that would be greatly appreciated. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Give me your hand so I can lead you. You will not fall astray if you hold on to my hand. You are not meant to walk alone. I am with you. There is no need to fear. I guide each step of your way.” 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

Testing of Faith Produces PerseveranceJames 1:2 -4 & 12 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”This is a pretty tall order.  This verse asks us to consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because we know that testing of our faith produces perseverance.  I understand what the verse is saying.  I understand the concept.  I am just not sure I understand how to do this.   I'm not sure joy would be the word I would use when I am undergoing trials.  I would say words like sad, frustrated, mad, angry, annoyed, scared, lonely and defeated seem more like what I feel when I am going through trials.  So, why is this verse telling us to feel joy?  We often ask why we have to struggle?  We ask why we have to face various kids of trials? I have learned from Father Mike that there isn't just one reason why we find ourselves in trials.  Father Mike states several times in his Bible in a Year podcast that sometimes we do find ourselves in difficult trials because of something we have done.  Sometimes we go against what the Lord wants us to do and there are consequences for that.  Other times, the situation we are in is not of our own doing and does not mean that we did anything wrong.  For instance, Job, he was a righteous in the eyes of the Lord, yet he suffered terribly.  Not all suffering is a result of sin.  Another example, of this is found in John 9:1-3 “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”Do you see the reasons for your trials can vary.  I think a lot of us think if we are struggling, then we must have done something to deserve it.  God must be punishing us in some way.  I have heard that one a lot.  Jesus is telling us right here in the Bible, your trials are not always because of sin. Sometimes your trials are to show the work of God in your life.  It is rare that you know the reason for your struggle while you are in it.  However, even if you did, I am not sure it would make it easier.  Take this verse for instance.  It says that when our faith is tested we gain perseverance.  Perseverance is great.  It is often times the thing that gets us through our trials.  I find it interesting that in order for our perseverance to grow we need to go through trails, yet our perseverance is what helps us get through those trials.   I am glad that I have gained a lot of perseverance over the years.  Even though I know that I will gain perseverance when I go through a hard time, it doesn't make that hard  time easier.  The rest of the verse says to “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”  That all sounds wonderful.  I definitely want to be mature and not lacking in anything.  I also definitely want to receive the crown of life.  The problem is, I don't know how to remain steadfast under trial.  I don't know how to consider it joy that I have trials.  I know what the Lord wants me to do, I am just not sure how to do it.  I love how the Lord always gives us answers.  I was just thinking that it would be nice if I could give you guys some tips on how to stay steadfast under trials and I did a quick internet search and found some.  The article I found is titled Six ways to remain steadfast during trials and it is written by Dan Panetti.  (CLICK HERE for article)  I will post a link to the article in the show notes, but I will list Dan's six ideas here as well.Focus on what you can control—not on what you can't (Prov. 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”)Live in the moment—refuse to be anxious about tomorrow (Matt. 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”)Look for ways to break up the monotony—tackle a home improvement project or
learn to play a new card game. One of my sons proposed that I come up with a question for each family member to be researched and presented around the dinner table. It has sparked some of the best conversations we have ever had. Relax and take a walk—meditate on the ways that God has provided for you, delivered you from death, given you a purpose, and equipped you for his service (Psalm 116:7–9 “Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”)Bathe in a book of the Bible—not just read through it, but sit and soak in it! Think of Naaman going down into the Jordan again and again. Read and re-read a passage, chapter, or book—dive deep(er) into the Word!Memorize and meditate on Scripture—both of which are under appreciated spiritual disciplines. My oldest son and I are currently focusing on memorizing at least one verse from each book of the Bible.Just knowing that we grow in perseverance anytime our faith is tested might not be enough to help us find joy in our trials.  However, maybe some of these ideas can help us to be steadfast in our trials.  I like how the author even provided a few scripture verses to back up some of his suggestions.  I have not done a lot of scripture memorizing in the past.  However, I did try scripture writing for awhile and I thought it was great.  If you want to give that a try, or even if you want to do the scripture memorizing and are not sure where to start, I started with an internet search of scripture writing plans.  When you type that in you will get a whole list of scriptures, usually with a certain them, such as “wisdom,” “freedom,” “being bold,” all sorts of themes, whatever you might be struggling with the most.  If you want to bathe in a book in the Bible, and you are not sure where to start, I have always been told a great place to start is in at the beginning of the new Testament, in the Gospel of Matthew, or the Psalms is another great place to start.  I hope each of you will write these ideas down so that next time you are going through trials, they can help you remain steadfast.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to be mature and not lacking in anything.  If so, we need to let perseverance finish it work in us.  In order to do this, we must make it through all the trials.  In order to do this we must figure out a way to remain steadfast in our trials.  I know it is difficult going through a difficult time and not understanding why you have to go through it.  However, this verse gives us a little hope.  One reason we are going through it is to test our faith.  Are you going to remain steadfast?  Do we want the crown of life?  The choice is ours.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you and we ask that you are with us in our times of trial.  We ask that you give us the grace to find joy in our trials and that you help us to stay steadfast also.  Lord, we want all you have to give us and that includes the crown of life.  Help us to not drown in our difficult time.  Sometimes it feels like we are drowning and we are asking that you save us before that happens.  Lord, even if it is not the right time while we are going through it for us to know why it is all happening, please give us the grace to understand that if its not the reason, we will grow in perseverance while we make it through to the other side.  Also, help us to feel your presence while in the trial and know that you are with us.  We love you Lord, you are truly amazing.  We are so very grateful for 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 your 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

Come As You Are Series- JosephGenesis 37:3-4 “Now, Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brother saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.”When I was thinking about what to write about Joseph, I thought about how we all get stuck in family drama. I really don't think there is any escaping it. If we have siblings, then we have either been the favorite child, been jealous of the favorite child, or both at different times in our lives. I remember when I was young, I thought my little brother was spoiled. I felt my mom did everything for him. In my eyes, she went to watch all his football games; she would even watch his practices when he was younger. She would go to all his plays. Yet there was at least one or two times when she didn't pick me up from practice. She said she figured someone else would bring me home. Which they would have had I known she wasn't coming.What I can see now, that I couldn't see then, is that it wasn't because she didn't want to be at my things too. It was that she had three little ones at home. Of course, she could go see my youngest brother's stuff because she didn't have any other little ones at home to take care of. She did have to try to concentrate on watching him while three little ones ran around, making her crazy. I am sure we all have stories of how our parents treated our siblings differently from how they treated us. However, this family drama is documented in the Bible.It was true that Israel loved Joseph more than his brothers. Israel had 12 sons, and he gave Joseph a special coat to let him know how special he was. I can't fault the brothers for being angry; I would be angry, too. Joseph didn't help himself out either because he had a dream, and when he told his brothers, it only fueled the flames of hatred. Here is what he told them, “Hear this dream which I have dreamed: behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and behold, your sheaves gathered round it and bowed down to my sheaf.”His brothers were so angry that they decided that they were going to kill him. But one of his brothers decided they shouldn't kill him; they should throw him in a pit in the wilderness. After they threw him in a pit, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming and decided to sell him to them instead of having him die. That way, they get something out of the deal. Things were not looking good for Joseph.Joseph was taken down to Egypt and was sold to an officer of the Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. However, the Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. His master saw that the Lord was with him and put him in charge of all that he had. Joseph was very handsome, and his master's wife wanted to sleep with Joseph. Joseph refused day after day, and one day she trapped him, and when he still wouldn't sleep with her, she lied and said he tried to take advantage of her, and Joseph was thrown in prison. Again, things were not looking good for Joseph.However, the Lord was with Joseph in prison, and the prison keeper put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners, and whatever was done in prison, Joseph would do it. Whatever Joseph did prospered, even in prison. There were two prisoners who had dreams they didn't understand. Joseph was able to interpret them, and the prisoners were grateful. One of those prisoners was released from prison, and Joseph said not to forget about him. However, he did forget for two whole years. Then the Pharaoh had a dream and no one in the land could interpret it, so the prisoner who was released remembered Joseph and told the Pharaoh about him, and the Pharaoh called on Joseph to interpret his dream, and Joseph did. Pharaoh was so impressed that he put Joseph in charge of all that he had. Joseph was second only to Pharaoh in Egypt.While I was writing this, I kept asking the Lord, Why are we going into all of this when this is a series about come as you are. I believe the Lord wants us to see how Joseph did not try to change himself for others. He did not try to hide who he was from his brothers. He was honest with them. We might see this as bragging, and maybe it was. Joseph was just a kid. What if it wasn't bragging, though? What if Joseph was just trying to talk to his brothers about his dream? Maybe he was looking for help interpreting it. We don't know why Joseph told his brothers, but what we do know is that Joseph never tried to hide who he was from his brothers. If he had tried to pretend to be someone else, maybe they wouldn't have hated him so much and sold him into slavery. Have you ever pretended to be someone else just so your family would like you more?When the wife of his master approached Joseph, he could have slept with her. He might have been able to avoid prison if he had. However, that is not who he was. He appreciated all his master had done for him, and he didn't want to betray him. The Lord was also with Joseph, and it would have been wrong in the eyes of the Lord, so Joseph said no and ended up in prison. Have you ever done the wrong thing to avoid a bad consequence? How did it turn out in the end? How did you feel about yourself afterwards?Often, we think that if something bad happens to us, then God is not with us. We believe He has abandoned us and left us. God shows us in this story that it is not true. God was with Joseph always, even when he was sold into slavery and in prison. God didn't save Joseph from slavery or prison, but He was with him in it and helped him to prosper in it. Did you know you could prosper in a bad situation? Did you know God sometimes lets us stay in those situations for a while because He is aligning the rest of our lives? He is moving pieces around the board of our lives and aligning circumstances for us to live into our destiny.We think God won't use us. We have a million excuses why God doesn't want us. We are the least in our family. We are in prison. We don't have a job. We don't have a home. We aren't liked by many. We aren't enough. We are too much. There are so many reasons why we don't come to the Lord. Why we think the Lord has abandoned us.  This story shows us that God doesn't care about all of that. Joseph was the most loved in his family, and something bad still happened to him. Joseph was faithful to his master and to God, and something bad still happened.God used those bad things for good, though. After all of that, Joseph became second only to Pharaoh over all of Egypt. He saved Egypt from 7 years of famine. He saved his family, the one who threw him away, from starving to death. God reunited him with his father and his brothers. God will use the evil that the enemy unleashes on your life for good. You just need to come to him and ask. Joseph did not wait until he was successful to come to the Lord. Joseph went to the Lord as a slave. He went to the Lord as a prisoner. He came to the Lord, just as he was, and the Lord was with him and helped him prosper.Is that what is keeping you back from prospering? You are waiting until you figure it all out before you come to the Lord. This story tells us that the Lord helped Joseph prosper while he was a slave. The Lord helped him prosper while he was still in prison. The Lord wants to help you prosper while you are stuck in bed with an illness. He wants to help you prosper while you are looking for a job. He wants to help you prosper while you are stuck in this pit of despair. Don't wait another minute! Come to the Lord, just as you are, and he will help you prosper.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode today. Lord, we are so grateful you never leave our side. We are sorry we have to wait to come to you. Please help each person listening to this episode come to you today. Please help us to see that we can't change without you, and you don't want us to. Please help us to see that you love us and accept us just as we 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. There is just one more week to sign up for my retreat. It is two weeks from tomorrow! I look forward to seeing all of you who have signed up. I am going to be offering a virtual option for the retreat since some people live far away but would like to attend. If you would like more information on that, please email me at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com. CLICK HERE for the retreat info and registration. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am ready to fill you with all my graces, with everything that you need. It should not be that difficult to come. I invite you each day. Can you not hear my whispers? My whispers of love, my whispers of hope, my whispers of joy. I am full of love for you, so just drop in and 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

Come As You Are Series - Elijah1 Kings 19:3-4 “And he was afraid, and got up and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah; and he left his servant there.  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked for himself to die, and said, “Enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”Elijah is someone we can relate to. He is so real and down to earth. He is a good example to us of real faith. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah gets word from the Lord that he is to go show himself to King Ahab. At this time, God's people were worshiping Baals, the false Gods, and the Lord was not happy. God sent Elijah to show His people He was the one true God. Elijah asked the priest to call all the prophets of the false Gods to the top of Mount Carmel. He called all the people of Israel as well.Once they were all gathered, Elijah told them to build an altar to their God, and he would build an altar to his God. They would take two bulls and each sacrifice one. They would get the sacrifice ready, but would not light it on fire. They would call upon their gods to consume the sacrifice with fire. The false prophets did as they were told, and they called upon Baal all day, but he did not answer them. There was no fire.Then Elijah called the Israelites closer to him, and he rebuilt the altar that used to be there. He also built a trench around the altar. He told the people to get four buckets of water and dump them on the offering and the wood. He had them do this three times. There was so much water that the wood was drenched, and it filled the trench. Then Elijah said, “Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that You, Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back.” (1Kings 18:36-37) The Lord sent fire so hot that it consumed the offering, the stones, and even all the water in the trench.The people of Israel immediately fell to their faces and said, “The Lord, He is God.” Elijah had them gather all the false prophets, and he killed them. When Jezebel, Ahab's wife, heard this, she vowed to kill Elijah. This is where today's verse comes in. It says, “And he was afraid, and got up and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah; and he left his servant there.  But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked for himself to die, and said, “Enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”The reason I said earlier that Elijah was someone we can all relate to is that even though he was just able to call down the fire of the Lord, he is still scared when he finds out his life is in danger. Sometimes we think that if we get scared of something, it must mean that we don't trust God. This story is a great example to show us that it is not true. Elijah called all the people of Israel up on the mountain to see God show His power. He also called 450 false prophets there to tell them to call on their God to consume their sacrifice. This requires a great deal of trust in the Lord. He had to trust that he was really hearing from the Lord. He had to trust that God would show up and consume the sacrifice. He also had to trust that the false God would not show up.God was speaking directly to Elijah. Elijah heard God, did what God told him to do, and then saw God show up in a powerful way. Elijah knows how powerful God is. He knows there is nothing God can't do. Yet, right after this amazing demonstration of his faith and God's power, someone threatens his life, and he is afraid and runs for his life. He not only runs for his life, but he also asks to die. It is crazy how quickly our emotions and feelings can change. I would say that the experience on Mt. Carmel would have had Elijah on a high for days or weeks. He literally called down fire from the Lord. How cool is that? However, almost immediately after that he is running for his life and asking to die.This is how it can be with us as well. Some days we see God do incredible things and know without a doubt He is our Lord and Savior. We trust Him completely. Then something awful happens, and we don't know what to do. We forget to turn to the Lord. We forget how powerful He is. We just get so stuck in the moment and the fear of the situation. Being afraid doesn't mean we don't trust God. We all have weak moments; we are all human. Elijah knew God in a special way. They had a relationship, and Elijah could hear the Lord when He talked to Him.Elijah had just called down fire from heaven. I would think if Jezebel was threatening his life, he could call on the Lord to protect him. Reading this, you wouldn't think that he had any reason to be scared. The Lord is for him, and the Lord is powerful. However, that is not what happened. Instead of turning to the Lord and asking him for protection, Elijah ran for his life. We tend to think when we do this, when we forget to turn to the Lord, or when it looks like we don't trust the Lord, that the Lord is angry with us. We think He turns away from us when we turn away from Him.That is not what this story shows us. Elijah ran for his life. It doesn't say he asked the Lord for help; it just says he got scared and fled for his life. He also asked to die. Many of us have been there before. Things in life felt so scary that we thought that if we died, everything would be better. If we died, our loved ones would be better off, or we would be better off. We think God is mad at us when we have those thoughts. Here is what it says that God did for Elijah when he asked to die. 1 Kings 19:5-8 "Then he lay down and fell asleep under a broom tree; but behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat!” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a round loaf of bread baked on hot coals, and a pitcher of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him, and said, “Arise, eat,  because the journey is too long for you.” So he arose and ate and drank, and he journeyed in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.”Was God angry because Elijah ran instead of coming to Him? No. Did he punish him for not having faith that He could protect him and take care of Jezebel? No. God let him take a nap and then sent an angel to wake him up for a snack. Then he let him go back to sleep for a bit longer and then gave him another snack. Does this fit with the idea of what you think God is? If it doesn't, I invite you to take another look at all that God has done for His people in the Bible.God doesn't need you to be perfect all the time. Having fear, worry, or anxiety doesn't mean you have lost your faith or that you don't trust God. We are all human. We are often influenced by this world. We can see a miracle one minute and then wonder if God will come through for us in the next minute. It is important to know that you are not alone when this happens to you. It happens to all of us. Elijah was an amazing prophet, and yet he struggled with feeling like he wanted to die. He knew the Lord, they had a relationship, and often talked, and yet he was not shielded from those emotions. Following God and trusting God does not mean that we will never encounter difficulties again. It means that when we do, He will be there for us even if we don't know that He is.My prayer for you is that by the time we are done this series you would have seen yourself in at least one, but likely several, of these stories and you can see that you are not alone and that no matter what you think you have done, or how bad you think you are, God still wants you to come to Him just as you are. You are never too far gone for the Lord. He can always bring you back. He can always use you. He ALWAYS  loves you!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening today. Lord, you are amazing, and we are so grateful. Lord, thank you for looking out for Elijah and giving him rest and a snack. Lord, we ask that you help remind us to take a rest and a snack when we are upset and feel as though we want to die. Lord, we ask that you send an angel to the side of each and every person who asks to die. Lord, we ask that your angel protect them and help them make it through that moment to the next. Help them see that things will get better if they can just hang on. Help them to see that you love them and are right next to them. Help someone in their lives see them and help them. Lord, I ask that you help each person listening to this realize that you want them to come to you just as they are. Lord, help us see through the enemy's lies that no one cares about us, and let us see and feel how much you care about us. We love you, Lord. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You are the almighty one, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you have a person in the Bible that you turn to in certain trials because of all they have been through, I would love it if you would reach out on social media and let me know, or email me at Catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com. Who do you relate most to in the Bible? I would love to know. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Are you the same as you were 10 years ago? 50 years ago? No. You are always new. You are always living. You are always growing. And because you open yourself to my grace, you grow in my way. You grow in likeness to me. And it pleases 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

Come As You Are Series - David1 Samuel 16:12-13 “So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”We have been talking a lot about how God doesn't always choose the people we think He would choose. If we were in charge, we would probably choose other people as the ones God chooses are flawed, and they make mistakes.They are not the people who get it all right. They are not the people who have it all figured out. They are not the people who look like they fit the part. This is David. He is not the one who looks like he would fit the part. Although this verse does say that he had beautiful eyes and he had a handsome appearance, his brothers looked like they would fit the role of king better. This is not my opinion; this is what it says in the Bible.In 1 Samuel 16, God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king, as the Lord had rejected Saul. Listen to what happened when Samuel arrived at Jesse's house. 1 Samuel 16:6-11 “When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, 'Surely the Lord's anointed is standing before Him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” Next Jesse had Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the boys?” And he said, “The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep.” So Samuel said to Jesse, “Send word and bring him, for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here.”Samuel thought he knew who God had chosen because when he saw Eliab, he thought he looked kingly. He had the stature of a king. One thing that I think is so telling is that God says, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” David lived 3000 years before Jesus, who lived 2000 years before now, and people were still judging by the outward appearance, while God is looking at our hearts. You would think after 5,000 years, we might learn to look at people's hearts instead of their outside appearance, and yet, we haven't learned that yet.God chose David to be king even though he had seven other brothers who could have been chosen. David was chosen even though his brothers looked like they fit the part better. His brothers, at least some of them, were soldiers in the military. David didn't have that training. When Samuel asked Jesse to present his sons to him, he didn't even invite David. That is how sure his family was that he would not be chosen. Does this sound familiar? Has your family counted you out so many times you can't even count? Have they just assumed you couldn't do it or that you weren't the right person for the job?I am sure the reasons for each one of us are different, but I think we all have a story of a time when others decided we couldn't do something. Don't let others tell you what you can and can't do. Don't count yourself out, or let others count you out, because you don't think you look the part. If God chose you, it is because you are the best person for that job. Don't let others talk you out of it.Sometimes it is not others that count us out, but we count ourselves out. We didn't think we could do it, and yet someone asked us to do it anyway. Someone saw something in you that you didn't see in yourself. I doubt David thought he was qualified to be anointed as king. I doubt he felt ready and yet he was anointed anyway.  He wasn't called to be king right then. David was anointed when he was around 15 years old. He was out in the fields tending to his dad's sheep. He became king over Israel around the age of 30. God saw something in David that even his family didn't see. The same is true for all of us. God sees something in us that no one else can see.God called David to do extraordinary things that no one would have seen coming. David was asked to bring his brother's lunch on the battlefield one day. When he got there, he saw everyone very scared, and no one was fighting. He saw a giant soldier from the other side, whom everyone was afraid of. David didn't understand why they were afraid, as they were God's army. They were God's chosen people; why would they be scared if they knew God would save them? David offered to fight this giant. The king said no at first, but David persuaded him. The king wanted him to use armor and fight like the soldiers did. However, he was too small for the armor. He needed to do it with his weapons, a sling shot, and a few rocks. Do you see how this is an unlikely pairing? A small shepherd boy going against a giant soldier in full armor? It is an unlikely pairing and yet one ordained by the Lord. David had been anointed, he had the Holy Spirit, and he knew the Lord was all-powerful. He knew the Lord would fight for him and that all he needed to do was show up. He showed up, he said yes to the Lord, and he defeated the giant.The same is true for you. You may find yourself in some uncomfortable situations. You may find yourself paired up with a giant, a bully, someone, or something that you don't see any way you can defeat. That's ok, you don't have to know a way, you can trust that the Lord is there fighting this for you. He will help you win, he will help you defeat your giant, whatever that may be. You don't have to fight your battles the way others do. You don't have to take the advice of every person who wants to “help” you. Be brave like David. Do things your way with the confidence that God is on your side, and if He is for you, who could be against you? (Romans 8:31)Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening to this episode right now. Lord, you are amazing. We are so grateful you look at our heart and not our outside appearance. Lord, help us to be more like you. Please help us look inward and try to see other people's hearts instead of judging them based on their outward appearance. Lord, please give us the courage to stand up and do what you are calling us to do, even if those around us don't think we are qualified. Help us to say yes, even if we don't feel we are qualified. Help us to be brave and not to count ourselves out of anything that you are calling us to, Lord. Help us have the courage David had when he faced Goliath and all the other times in his life where he did really brave things. 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. Just another week or so to sign up for the retreat. I hope you can join us. CLICK HERE to get all the details. If you are wondering who you are in this world, come and listen to who God says you are. I guarantee you will be amazed at the amazing things God says about you. He loves you and thinks you are so much more special than you know. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I pour living waters upon you today. Waters that have never penetrated you before. I have new gifts for you. I have new life for you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Come As You Are Series - Saul (Old Testament)1 Samuel 9:18-21 & 1 Samuel 10:1 “Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?” “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart.  As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”  Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?”When I was reading over the scriptures for the week, this one caught my eye because Saul says something I can picture each one of us saying.  Saul has set out in search of these 3 donkeys that are missing.  This interaction picks up when he gets to Samuel's house.  He is looking for Samuel because he is a seer.  A seer is a perceiver of hidden truth, according to one site I found online.  Samuel says Saul is to eat with him and then will go on his way in the morning.  Samuel then drops this crazy idea on Saul that Israel's future lies in his hands.  Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” This is where I think we can all relate.  Saul has just been told, “And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”  Basically, the future of Israel lies in Saul's hands, and he instantly questions his worthiness.  Have you ever done this?  Have you ever wanted to go for a promotion at work and yet worried you weren't good enough for it?  Have you ever had someone tell you that you would be perfect for some position, whether paid or volunteer, and you wonder what they see in you that made them think that?  I know I have.  I went to a retreat once, and they were looking for people to be on the executive board for the European region.  It was my first retreat with the group.  I had been a part of the local groups for a few years.  The women I had met at the retreat were saying that if no one else wanted the positions, maybe we should help out.  I instantly wondered if I could do it.  Didn't you have to be pretty holy to be on the executive board of a large Catholic organization?  What if they knew how flawed I am?  What if they realized I don't know nearly as much as anyone else does about our faith?  What if's kept running through my head.  When we were talking about it at dinner, we were discussing what experience we had either in a job setting or in a volunteer setting.  I mentioned I had several years of experience volunteering on the executive boards of several spouses' groups.  I had pretty much done all the various roles.  I will never forget one of the women said, I could have guessed that.  I wondered what about me made her think that.  To me, I just saw myself as a mom of three boys.  Someone who helps out wherever needed.  I didn't think I did anything too important.  I mean, I know mothering is important. It's just that sometimes in the grand scheme of things, when mothering is your full-time job, it can start to feel like you aren't important. I am not sure if that makes sense to everyone, but I know some of you have probably felt that way before.  It was nice to have someone else affirm that she knew I could do it.  I had only spent two days or so with this woman, and she could see things in me that I couldn't see.  Why is it that others can see things in us that we can't see?  Why do others see the best in us, and we not only can't see it, but we often struggle to believe it when they call it out in us?  Saul was struggling to believe he was worthy of this amazing thing Samuel called out in him.  He answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” All Saul could see was where he came from.  He saw his family status, he saw his place in the clan, he saw all he lacked.  He didn't come from the best family, he didn't have the status, and he didn't see what Samuel saw in him.  However, Samuel was a seer; he could see the hidden truths.  Samuel was able to see what God had in store for Saul.  He was able to look to the future and see all Saul was capable of doing.  I know Saul didn't have the benefit of the Bible.  I am sure some of the stories of God had been passed down through the generations, but he didn't have the benefit of the complete Old and New Testaments.  If he did, he would have been able to realize that God rarely, if ever, uses those with perfect family bloodlines.  He rarely, if ever, uses the person you or I would pick for Him to use.  God tends to choose the broken to do His work.  God chooses people not based on how we see them, but on how He sees them.  God chooses people for a particular purpose, and your status, your family, your job, your reputation, none of that will exclude you if God wants you.  I was mentioning to Tony yesterday about how Saul was on his way to capture and put in jail anyone who believed in Jesus Christ, and God gave him a vision, and he was baptized just a few days later.  Saul consented to the stoning of Stephen, a beloved follower of Jesus, and he was not excluded from God's glory.  He was not excluded from helping to build up the kingdom of God here on earth.  Saul is just one example, but there are so many.  Even within the 12 apostles, there was Matthew, who was a tax collector, Simon, who was a zealot, and Judas, who was a thief.  I know you don't think you are worthy of the call God is placing on your life, but answer that call anyway.  God will be there every step of the way to give you all you need.  I know you don't feel comfortable believing the great things people call out in you, but believe them anyway.  I know it can be uncomfortable to call out the wonderful things you see in others, but call them out anyway.  You never know how much it could mean to that person.  You never know if that thought that you had about that person is something God put in your mind for you to share with Him.  We need to build people up.  This world does a great job of tearing people down.  What if we did a great job of building people up?  What if we called out the good we see in others, even if we think they already see it?  What if God is using us to tell that person something that He has been telling them, and yet they just couldn't hear it?  God loves you. He is choosing you for something right now. Can you say yes?  I asked God one time, Why me, and he said Why not you.  He sees incredible things in each one of us.  He is choosing you, and He has His reasons. Trust that the One True God, the God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, did not get it wrong.  Trust He knows what He is doing and say “Yes Lord, Yes, Lord, Yes, Yes, Lord.”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you, and we are sorry to question you.  We are sorry, we struggle to believe you would really use us.  We are sorry we struggle to see how wonderfully you made us.  We say yes, Lord, even if we don't understand why you chose us, we say yes.  We say yes even if we don't think we are worthy because we know if you call us for something, you will also equip us for it.  Lord, please help us to call out the wonderful things we see in others.  Please give us the boldness to follow your promptings and share them with others.  We love you, Lord. You are amazing.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Raise your hands high, little one. Raise your hands high and I, your God, will unmute you. I will unmute you in ways that you have never experienced before. I pour down upon you this morning the grace of an unmuted heart, a heart open to me, a heart open to my life living within you. A heart full of grace and mercy and forgiveness.” 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

Come As You Are Series - MatthewMatthew 9:9 “As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting in the tax collector's office; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.”Before watching the chosen series, I didn't understand why it was so unusual for Jesus to choose Matthew. I knew the Jewish people did not like tax collectors, but I didn't realize just how much the Jewish people hated them. I also didn't realize how hard it was for a Jewish person to take that job. I didn't know that their entire family would disown them, and all the Jewish people would dislike them.When you watch The Chosen, a series about the life of Jesus, you can see how hard it was for Matthew and how hard it was for his family. In this series, Matthew didn't really seem to understand why his family was so upset. To him, it was a job and one he was very well suited for. He was very good with numbers and someone needed to collect the taxes. It paid very well and he was able to afford nice things. He wanted to share those things with his family and to help his family out.However, his family wanted nothing to do with that money and nothing to do with him. There were several reasons why the Jewish people hated the tax collectors. Here are five of them.1. They Worked for the Romans. Israel was under Roman occupation, which many Jews saw as a constant reminder that they were not free. Tax collectors were Jewish people who collaborated with the Roman government to collect taxes from their own people. Many Jews saw this as betrayal — essentially siding with the oppressor.2. They Collected More Than Required. Tax collectors often used a system called tax farming: they paid Rome a set amount upfront for the right to collect taxes, and then charged people more than what Rome required in order to profit. This meant they were often greedy and corrupt, getting rich at the expense of their fellow Jews.3. They Were Considered Ritually Unclean. Because they worked closely with Gentiles (Romans) and handled money with images of Caesar on it (which some Jews considered idolatrous), they were considered ceremonially unclean and unable to fully participate in religious life. They were lumped in with “sinners” in society — seen as spiritually dirty and morally compromised.4. They Contributed to Oppression. Paying Roman taxes meant funding Rome's army and empire — which included pagan temples and the oppression of Jewish people. Tax collectors were seen as helping the enemy, adding to the suffering of their own nation.5. They Represented Injustice. Many people were already living in poverty, and tax burdens could be crushing. Tax collectors were the face of that injustice, the ones knocking on doors, demanding payment, and sometimes taking people's property.As you can see, this opinion of tax collectors went a lot deeper than just the fact that they were upset they had to pay taxes to a ruler they didn't believe in, and they didn't really have that money. There were a lot of reasons why the tax collectors were mistrusted, disliked, and in many cases, hated.This is why it is so shocking that Jesus chose Matthew to be one of His 12 chosen apostles. In the show, you can see that the other apostles don't understand Jesus's choice and don't really want to spend time with Matthew. However, they all come around in the end. They all learn to trust that Jesus has a plan, and they get to know Matthew, not for what he does, but for who he is.The same is true for you. You might have a job that people don't understand, or you might be doing things that go against God and all He wants for us, and yet God decides He is going to choose you to follow Him. Other people might not understand this. They might think you are the last person who should be doing this, and they may tell you that. It's ok. It doesn't matter what others think. What matters is that God has told you. God is calling each one of us. He is calling us to follow Him, and He is calling us to something greater as well. He is not calling us each to the same thing, but I promise God has placed a calling on your life, and He is just waiting for you to come to Him and ask Him what this calling is.It may be something He is putting on your heart to do immediately, and it may be something that He is calling you to in the future. Either way, ask Him to tell you all about it. Ask Him to prepare you for it. Ask Him to equip you for it. This series is called Come As You Are because that is precisely what God wants from us. Just say yes, right where we are. He doesn't want us to change first. He wants us to come to Him just as we are, and then He will change us in the most beautiful way!God didn't tell Matthew to find a new job, repent of all his sins, and then come and follow Him. He saw him at work and said Follow Me! and Matthew did. Imagine the courage and trust it must have taken Matthew to walk away from everything he knew to follow Jesus. Imagine how hard it must have been to not give two weeks' notice, not give his boss a heads up, just to stand up and leave all he knew for a life full of unknowns.One thing that amazes me about all those to whom Jesus said, “Follow Me.” They never asked any questions. It doesn't say that Matthew stopped and asked Jesus a bunch of questions. It just says that He said Follow Me, and Matthew got up and followed Him. Matthew 4:18-22 says, “Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brotherJohn, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately, they left the boat and their father and followed Him.”Do you see how, at least in these two instances, Jesus said Follow Me and they just followed Him. There were no questions like, For how long? How much will we be paid? What about our families? What about our bills? What should we take with us? I feel like I would have a ton of questions, and they immediately left their nets and followed Him.”God did not ask any of these people to change before they followed Him. Were they all perfect men? No, I am sure they were not. Did they have their own issues and problems? Yes, I am sure they did. Yet Jesus didn't care. He knew everything about them, and He still called them. He knew all of their flaws, all of their sins. He knew what was in their hearts, and He still called them. He is calling you, too!He is calling you with all of your sins. He is calling you with all of your imperfections. He is calling you with your addictions and with your hangups. He is calling you even though you aren't sure what He is calling you to. He is calling you even though you have a thousand questions. He is calling you just as you are. So, go ahead and say yes. Say yes, you will follow Him wherever He leads you. Say yes, you will follow Him and allow Him to change you. Say yes, now, not after you change, because let's be honest, without Him, there is no changing.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, you are amazing. You call us even though we are not perfect, and we are so grateful. Lord, please help us to hear that call. Help us to believe you want us just as we are and that you will help us to be the person you created us to be. Help us to say yes to the call you are placing on our lives, even if we don't know what that call is or everything it entails. Helps us trust, 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. Two more weeks to sign up for the retreat. CLICK HERE for all the details. I hope to see you there. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “a vision of a little child who's just learning to walk, raising their hands up, and the parents grab those hands. That's the Lord grabbing our hands as we praise him with lifted hands. And walking us through.” 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

Come As You Are Series - MosesExodus 4:10-13 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I Myself will be with your mouth, and instruct you in what you are to say.” But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”This chapter starts with Moses questioning God.  God had just told Moses he wanted him to go to Egypt and talk to God's people.  He said he wanted Moses to speak to the most powerful person at the time, the pharaoh of Egypt, and tell him he needed to let the Israelites go.  He needed to release his entire workforce, as the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.  Also, Moses has been on the run for 40 years after he killed a man.  Moses was concerned no one would believe him if he did as God asked Him to do.  In Exodus 4:1-9, God tells Moses exactly what to do if they don't believe that God spoke to him. God said he would turn Moses's staff into a snake when he threw it on the ground, and then, when he picked it back up again by the tail, it would become a staff again. This way, the Israelite people will know that God sent him. Furthermore, if that didn't work, the Lord told Moses two other signs he would do so that they would believe that the Lord sent him.In verses 10 & 11, it says, “But Moses said to the Lord, 'O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”  Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” The Lord is telling Moses, I know you, I made you. I know what you can and can't do. However, I am the Lord, and I can do all things. If God can make the deaf hear or the blind see, then don't you think He could give you whatever you need to do whatever He is calling you to do?Just before this verse, God was telling Moses that He wanted Moses to go to Egypt and free the Jewish people. Moses, like many of us, had lots of reasons why he was not qualified to do the job God asked him to do. What if they didn't listen to him? What if they didn't believe God had sent him? God gave Moses all sorts of answers to these questions. Every excuse Moses gave him, God responded with an answer.It makes me think of my kids when I ask them to do something, and they have a million excuses for why they can't. It doesn't matter if you shoot down 1 million excuses; they will always have just one more. It is so frustrating, and I can imagine it would be even more frustrating for the Lord. I mean, He is God. He knows everything. If He says you can do something, you can do it.Moses started right in with the what-ifs. What if they don't believe me is the only one he mentioned, but I wonder if it was the only one?  I wonder if this one “what if” spiraled into a bunch of “what ifs?”  Has that ever happened to you before? You start wondering what if this happens, and what if that happens, and before you know it, you've imagined 50 different scenarios, and most of them are bad.  Did you ever notice your mind doesn't usually go through all the positive what-ifs?  When is the last time your brain asked What if I win the lottery?  What if everything works out perfectly?  What if I do get that job with the pay raise?  What if I do meet the man of my dreams?  If your brain has done the what-ifs with a positive spin, then you are lucky; that is not how it usually goes.God was going to use what Moses already had, the staff, to convince the people that Moses was telling the truth.  If God sends you to do something, he will give you all you need to do it.  We don't have to question Him. This aligns with one of my favorite sayings, which is that God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.  If God is calling you to do something, you can rest assured knowing He has already given you all you need to fulfill that calling.  When we ask “What if,” we are thinking about the future, we are going through all the scenarios of everything that could go wrong with our day.  What if it isn't really God calling me to do this thing? What if other people think I am crazy for doing this thing?  What if I am too old or too young to do this thing? What if I try it and I fail? Do you see how one thought can then spiral into a lot of thoughts, each one seemingly more and more serious?  I would like to say this type of thought pattern was unusual.  It isn't. If you tend to start to head down the what-if road often, you are not alone.  Many of us do this.  However, when we do this, we are worrying needlessly, and we are probably missing out on whatever is happening at the moment because we are too wrapped up in our thoughts.  We are too wrapped up in what might happen, and so we are missing out on what is actually happening. For instance, let's say you have a calling from the Lord.  Your mind may start down the what if road.  What if I can't so what He is asking me to do?  What if I try, yet I can't do it?  What if my family disagrees with what I am doing?  What if I let people down? What if I make people angry?  Do you see how our thoughts can spiral quickly?  Do you see how these thoughts are based on the future?  They are also based on things I don't have any real control over.  The Lord is the Lord God Almighty. He is not going to ask you to do something that you can not do. He created you. He knows everything about you. He knows your weaknesses, and He knows your strengths. If He is calling you to do something you feel you aren't very good at, then that means He is going to help you get better at it. I remember about 8 - 10 years ago, I asked the Lord, “Why is it that everyone in my family can write but me?” My dad and two of my brothers have published books. I am one of the five youngest in my family, and the other four are very gifted writers, especially with poems. So, I was curious why I wasn't a good writer. The Lord reminded me that although I can't seem to write poems, I always did very well writing papers in school.I had no idea that 5 years later the Lord was going to call me to write a different devotional 5 days a week for several years and also to write two books. When asked to write the blogs first, then these podcast episodes, and finally the books, I definitely talked to the Lord about how I wasn't the best writer. However, I also told the Lord that I would show up to write if He would show up and tell me what to write, and so it all began. Now I have over 1,000 episodes that I have written, numerous blog posts, and two books. If I can obey the Lord's call, so can you.He isn't asking you to know how to do it. He isn't asking you to do it perfectly. He isn't asking you to be good at it. He isn't asking you to have all the provisions to make it happen. All God is asking you for is your yes. He will do the rest. All you need to do is take the next right step and trust that if you need something, God will provide it.God had a pretty amazing call for Moses' life, and once Moses accepted it and stopped complaining and trying to get out of it, they did some pretty awesome things together. Moses got to experience miracles he never would have gotten to experience if the Lord had bought his excuses and let him off the hook. We should all be thankful that God loves us enough to listen to our excuses but not let us off the hook because of them.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this podcast today!  Lord, help us to stay in the present moment.  Please help us leave the what-ifs to you.  You are our Lord and our Savior.  You can take care of all the what-ifs before we even get to them.  You are bigger than anything that could come our way.  Help us to trust the Lord.  Please help us to trust you have already thought of all the what-ifs and you have prepared us for them.  We love you, Lord.  You are truly amazing.  We are so grateful we have you looking out for us and preparing the way.  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.  Just two more weeks to sign up for the retreat, as I have to get the numbers in to the retreat house a week in advance. If you are thinking about coming, I invite you to click on the link below and check out all the details. I look forward to spending time with you again on Monday.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I!  Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I've called you to be holy. I've made each of you a sacred creation. Put your game on all the time, and put on your Sunday best, even when you're alone and you think that I am not watching 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

Come As You Are Series: Rahab The ProstituteHebrews 11:31 “By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.”This series is to remind us that God wants us to come as we are. He doesn't expect us to wait until we have cleaned ourselves up or changed our habits before we go to Him. He wants us to come to Him as we are, and then He can help bring us to where He wants us to be. I love the quote, “God meets us where we are and He loves us too much to let us stay there.” We don't need to change before we go to God; we need God to help us change.Today, we are talking about Rehab the prostitute. You might wonder why we are talking about a prostitute. If you don't know Rahab's story, let me summarize it for you. God told the Israelites that He would give them Jericho as their promised land. Joshua sent two spies to check out that land. The Bible says, “So they went and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and rested there.” (Joshua 2:1) Why would these holy men go to rest at the prostitute's house? Could it be because she was an outcast, and so there wouldn't be a bunch of people at her house? Is it because she is used to hiding men in her house? We don't know exactly, as it doesn't say why they went there, just that they did go there.I heard Steven Furtick of Elevation church talking about this, and he said something that I thought was really good. He said sometimes God will use what you think is a weakness as part of His plan. Joshua's men chose to stay with Rehab, maybe for the very reason she would have thought God couldn't use her. I know if I were a prostitute, I would have counted myself out by being used by God. I would have thought that my sins were too great for God to have used me in any way. However, God used Rehab to hide these two men who went to check out the land for Joshua.These men stayed with Rahab, and then the king found out there were spies in his land, and he told Rahab to turn them over. Luckily, she had already hidden them, again, something her job would have taught her to do, and so she said that they had stopped by, but they left before the gates closed for the night. Rehab knew that God had sent these two guys and that He had planned to give Jericho to His people. She helped them so that they would spare her life when they came in to take the land. These men agreed to spare her and her family as long as they were inside her house with her. They gave her a scarlet cord to put in her window so they could tell all the troops to stay out of her home.Rahab used her talents to hide these men and, therefore, gained safety for her whole family. I bet her parents never saw that coming. I bet they never expected the skills she had learned because of her profession would wind up saving their lives someday. God's ways are a mystery to us. We don't understand His plan, and yet, with His plan, He shows us time and again that He is not choosing the perfect people to carry it out. He does not choose who we would have chosen.We talked about Tamar and how she dressed like a harlot to seduce her father-in-law to sleep with her so that she could have a baby. We discussed how, out of all the lineages of Jesus listed in the Gospels, Tamar, even after tricking and sleeping with her father-in-law, is only one of five women mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. Now we have Rehab, who is a prostitute, and she is another one of the five women listed in the lineage of Jesus. It says in Matthew 1:5, “Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse.”In Jewish culture, when listing someone's lineage, it is customary to include the father's name. However, in the case of Jesus, it is mostly just the father's listed. However, there are five of the mothers listed. Just five in all those years. Matthew 1:17 says, “ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the [o]Messiah, fourteen generations.” There are 42 generations from Abraham to the Messiah listed in the Gospel of Matthew, and of those 42 generations, He only mentions 5 of the mothers. Those five women must have been pretty special for God to use them to help bring forth the Messiah.Did they feel special? Did they feel abandoned? With Tamar, we know she lost her husband and was promised that his brother would be given to her when he was of age, but he wasn't. Her father-in-law betrayed her, and so she took what she felt was hers. I doubt she felt special taking it, though. I suspect she didn't feel holy enough for the Lord to use her in an incredible way like He did. With Rehab, we don't know her story. We don't understand why she became a prostitute. We don't know any back story that would provide us insight into her career choice. However, I am willing to believe she didn't feel special. I am sure she was an outcast because of her profession. The women in town probably hated her, as some of their husbands probably went to see her.Why did God choose these women to help bring about His plan to save us with Jesus? Why are these women listed in the lineage when others are not? I believe it is because God wants to show us that you don't have to be perfect to be used by God. You don't have to be doing all the right things. You don't have to get it right all the time. Life is hard, and God knows that. He understands if we get lost and follow the wrong path in life. He is not condemning us or holding it against us. He is just patiently waiting for us to come back to Him.We mustn't count ourselves out. God can use us, no matter what we have done in the past. God will love us, no matter what we have done in the past or what we are doing now. He still loves us more than anything. Rehab was a prostitute, and yet her name made it into the lineage of Jesus. She is also mentioned two other times in the New Testament. One of those is the verse above. “By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” Rahab was not one of the chosen people of the time. She didn't see God part the Red Sea so she could walk through. She didn't see the manna sent from God every day to feed his people.She didn't see any of these miracles, but she did hear about them. She heard about them, and she believed them so much that she was willing to risk her life to hide the men of God so that they might spare her and her family's lives when they came back to conquer the land. Her faith in a God she didn't know was so great that she was willing to risk it all. There are many lessons we can learn from Rahab. One is that we don't need to be afraid to take risks when God is involved. Second is that God can use anyone for His plan. Third is that God may want to use that very thing that you feel is your greatest weakness, that very thing that fills you with so much shame. God can turn that shame into something you can be proud of if you let Him. Don't shut God out because you don't feel worthy. Ask Him to come into the messiness and allow Him to love you right where you are!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, we love you, and we ask you to help us know that you love us, too. Help us to believe that just as you did for Rahab, you can redeem us too. You can use us even though we are not perfect and we have made a lot of mistakes. Please help us to believe that we are exactly the type of person you could us to help bring your kingdom to earth. 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. My daily devotional on Identity will be available on Amazon in the near future. Hopefully by the end of this month. I will keep you posted. Thank you for all your support, too! I really appreciate all your kind emails and text messages. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Try to focus on the reality of me and our connection every day, and you will see that my love is always there for you. Tell yourself every day, the Lord loves 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

Come As You Are Series - The Samaritan Woman at the WellJohn 4:39-42 “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of his word.  They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”I like this verse because it shows how important it is that we talk about our faith and how much God is doing for us.  The opening sentence in this verse says, “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony.”  What if she didn't tell anyone what had happened?  What if she was too afraid of what others might think to talk about it?  She was already an outcast because of her lifestyle.  She had five different husbands over the years, and when she met Jesus, the man she was currently living with was not her husband.  The reason she was getting water at the hottest time of day was that she was too ashamed to get water in the morning when the rest of the women got their water.  She did not want to be the center of attention.  She didn't want everyone looking at her, and yet she ran to town to tell everyone about Jesus.  I wonder if all those people would have been saved if she had been too afraid to tell her story.  If she was too afraid to share her excitement over Jesus and what He did for her.  The reason I ask is that I sometimes feel afraid to share.  Sometimes I get a prompting from the Holy Spirit to say something to someone, and all this fear and doubt go through my mind.  I wonder what that person will think of me if I say it.  I wonder if I will sound crazy or stupid.  I wonder if they will even listen or if they will just walk away.  I wonder if they will be mean.  It sounds like this woman did not think about it at all.  She had a conversation with Jesus and then ran right to town to tell everyone about it.  I want her courage, her boldness, her humility.  Or maybe her impulsiveness, if she ran off without even thinking about it.  Maybe I need more of that when it comes to Jesus.  Maybe I just need to act first and think later when it comes to following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  Have you ever wondered if something you say or do could have this effect on people?  It can.  It might have already.  A lot of times, it is for us to plant the seeds but not to see the harvest.  We have no idea how our words and actions can affect the course of someone's life.  Sometimes we say something, and the person we say it to doesn't really think much of it, but then down the road, they see the significance of it. Think back to all the people who have been influential in your life.  Did you know at the time they were going to be so influential?  Did you know that the advice they gave you was going to shape the kind of person you would become?  Are those people still alive?  Could you tell them now how influential they were?  They may not know.We don't usually see the good in us as much as others do.  It is an interesting experiment to ask those who know you well to tell you what they see in you, what they feel your strengths are, and what your weaknesses are.  I was reading a book titled “The Miracle Morning” and the author Hal Elrod suggested sending an email to those closest to you, this can include family, friends, and coworkers.  He suggests you email them and ask them to tell you the top 2-3 areas of weakness you may have, and then also some areas of strength.  He said it is a great way to see if you are living life intentionally and if you are giving off the vibe you want to give off.  At the end of the book, he gave a sample email to send out.  I think if you asked others how they see you, you would be surprised.  They will see things in you to admire and look up to, and you may not see them.The verse ends by saying that although the people in the town started to believe in Jesus because of her words, now they believe because they heard Jesus for themselves.  I love this part too because I feel it takes the pressure off of me.  I just have to tell my story, I just have to talk about what Jesus has done for me, and hopefully that will be enough to lead people to find Jesus.  It is not my responsibility to make them Christian, to save their soul, to teach them everything they need to know about Jesus.  Jesus will do that.  It is just my job to tell them about my encounter.  If I tell people how God is working in my life, that will be enough to get them to seek God so they can find out more.  I truly believe our stories are powerful enough to bring others to Christ, and this verse is a great witness to that.  Sometimes we think our story is not big enough, interesting enough, or important enough to tell others.  We feel we have lived a boring, normal life, and so others won't want to hear about it.  This is a lie from the enemy.  He knows how important our stories are, and he knows others need to hear them.  There isn't a single person who gets through this life without hardships, without struggles.  Maybe you feel your struggles are small compared to others, and yet someone else might be having the same struggle you had, and they feel like it is so overwhelming.  God might be doing big, amazing things in your life, and that is awesome. Tell people about it.  God might be doing small, almost unnoticeable things in your life, and that is amazing too; tell people about it.  There are some people, a lot of people, who don't know God.  They don't know that the reason everything went so well and things fell into place so nicely is because of God.  However, if you tell them about the little ways you see God showing up in your life, they will start to see Him in their life as well.  I know it is hard to speak up sometimes.  I know this world doesn't seem to be super friendly to people who want to talk about Jesus.  I know there are a million reasons we can come up with for why we shouldn't share our story.  I know the enemy is whispering in your ear that you don't have anything to share.  He is saying your life is too boring, and no one wants to hear about your life.  I know all of that, and yet if you read this verse, hopefully you can see the importance of sharing your story anyway.  What if your story was the story someone needs to hear today to find Jesus, or to come back to Jesus?  Can we join together and be brave enough to share our story so that we can bring others to know Jesus?  Can we do that for God?  If you feel like you are not brave enough, I know I am not some days, then ask God for help.  He gives us what we ask for, especially if we are asking for things that will help us build up the kingdom of God.  How is God working in your life, and who can you talk to about it today?Another thing I thought of when I was thinking about this story is the fact that Jesus chose this particular woman to reveal his identity to.  She was a Samaritan, and Jews were not supposed to associate with Samaritans. She was a woman, and men weren't supposed to talk with women they didn't know. Yet God chose this Samaritan woman to be the first person to whom He revealed his true identity. God chose her, and He is choosing you, too!God has a purpose for each one of us.  I was going to say, “If God wants to use you, He will.”  However, I don't believe it is a matter of “if”.  God definitely wants to use you; He wants to use all of us to help Him build up His Kingdom.  Whatever you feel God putting on your heart, know that He chose you for a reason.  Maybe that thing you feel is a weakness is the exact reason God chose you.  Maybe he is going to use that weakness to help you talk to others with that same weakness?  Maybe your addiction to alcohol makes you perfectly suited to bring his good news to others with an addiction to alcohol.  God will use all our mistakes, all of our pain, all of our sins, for good if we let Him.  Don't listen to that inner voice that tells you God wouldn't use you.  That is the voice of the enemy trying to keep you down because he knows God has powerful plans for you, and the enemy is worried about what will happen if you step into those plans.  God knows you are not perfect, and that is exactly why He wants to use you.  Let Him.  Say Yes.  Surrender to God, and He will use you.  You are exactly who He wants.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Please help us see how you are working in our lives.  Please open our eyes to all you do for us and help give us the boldness to share it.  Dad, we are asking you to help us spread our story to all those we meet so they can start to see you working in their lives.  We ask that you help us not to believe the enemy's lies that our story is boring or that we don't have anything to say.  We love you, Lord, you are working in our lives, and we want to share that with others.  We just need your help to do that.  Thank you, 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. Just two more weeks to sign up for retreat. Check out the link in the show notes for details. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is,Come As You Are Series - The Samaritan Woman at the WellJohn 4:39-42 “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of his word.  They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”I like this verse because it shows how important it is that we talk about our faith and how much God is doing for us.  The opening sentence in this verse says, “Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony.”  What if she didn't tell anyone what had happened?  What if she was too afraid of what others might think to talk about it?  She was already an outcast because of her lifestyle.  She had five different husbands over the years, and when she met Jesus, the man she was currently living with was not her husband.  The reason she was getting water at the hottest time of day was that she was too ashamed to get water in the morning when the rest of the women got their water.  She did not want to be the center of attention.  She didn't want everyone looking at her, and yet she ran to town to tell everyone about Jesus.  I wonder if all those people would have been saved if she had been too afraid to tell her story.  If she was too afraid to share her excitement over Jesus and what He did for her.  The reason I ask is that I sometimes feel afraid to share.  Sometimes I get a prompting from the Holy Spirit to say something to someone, and all this fear and doubt go through my mind.  I wonder what that person will think of me if I say it.  I wonder if I will sound crazy or stupid.  I wonder if they will even listen or if they will just walk away.  I wonder if they will be mean.  It sounds like this woman did not think about it at all.  She had a conversation with Jesus and then ran right to town to tell everyone about it.  I want her courage, her boldness, her humility.  Or maybe her impulsiveness, if she ran off without even thinking about it.  Maybe I need more of that when it comes to Jesus.  Maybe I just need to act first and think later when it comes to following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  Have you ever wondered if something you say or do could have this effect on people?  It can.  It might have already.  A lot of times, it is for us to plant the seeds but not to see the harvest.  We have no idea how our words and actions can affect the course of someone's life.  Sometimes we say something, and the person we say it to doesn't really think much of it, but then down the road, they see the significance of it. Think back to all the people who have been influential in your life.  Did you know at the time they were going to be so influential?  Did you know that the advice they gave you was going to shape the kind of person you would become?  Are those people still alive?  Could you tell them now how influential they were?  They may not know.We don't usually see the good in us as much as others do.  It is an interesting experiment to ask those who know you well to tell you what they see in you, what they feel your strengths are, and what your weaknesses are.  I was reading a book titled “The Miracle Morning” and the author Hal Elrod suggested sending an email to those closest to you, this can include family, friends, and coworkers.  He suggests you email them and ask them to tell you the top 2-3 areas of weakness you may have, and then also some areas of strength.  He said it is a great way to see if you are living life intentionally and if you are giving off the vibe you want to give off.  At the end of the book, he gave a sample email to send out.  I think if you asked others how they see you, you would be surprised.  They will see things in you to admire and look up to, and you may not see them.The verse ends by saying that although the people in the town started to believe in Jesus because of her words, now they believe because they heard Jesus for themselves.  I love this part too because I feel it takes the pressure off of me.  I just have to tell my story, I just have to talk about what Jesus has done for me, and hopefully that will be enough to lead people to find Jesus.  It is not my responsibility to make them Christian, to save their soul, to teach them everything they need to know about Jesus.  Jesus will do that.  It is just my job to tell them about my encounter.  If I tell people how God is working in my life, that will be enough to get them to seek God so they can find out more.  I truly believe our stories are powerful enough to bring others to Christ, and this verse is a great witness to that.  Sometimes we think our story is not big enough, interesting enough, or important enough to tell others.  We feel we have lived a boring, normal life, and so others won't want to hear about it.  This is a lie from the enemy.  He knows how important our stories are, and he knows others need to hear them.  There isn't a single person who gets through this life without hardships, without struggles.  Maybe you feel your struggles are small compared to others, and yet someone else might be having the same struggle you had, and they feel like it is so overwhelming.  God might be doing big, amazing things in your life, and that is awesome. Tell people about it.  God might be doing small, almost unnoticeable things in your life, and that is amazing too; tell people about it.  There are some people, a lot of people, who don't know God.  They don't know that the reason everything went so well and things fell into place so nicely is because of God.  However, if you tell them about the little ways you see God showing up in your life, they will start to see Him in their life as well.  I know it is hard to speak up sometimes.  I know this world doesn't seem to be super friendly to people who want to talk about Jesus.  I know there are a million reasons we can come up with for why we shouldn't share our story.  I know the enemy is whispering in your ear that you don't have anything to share.  He is saying your life is too boring, and no one wants to hear about your life.  I know all of that, and yet if you read this verse, hopefully you can see the importance of sharing your story anyway.  What if your story was the story someone needs to hear today to find Jesus, or to come back to Jesus?  Can we join together and be brave enough to share our story so that we can bring others to know Jesus?  Can we do that for God?  If you feel like you are not brave enough, I know I am not some days, then ask God for help.  He gives us what we ask for, especially if we are asking for things that will help us build up the kingdom of God.  How is God working in your life, and who can you talk to about it today?Another thing I thought of when I was thinking about this story is the fact that Jesus chose this particular woman to reveal his identity to.  She was a Samaritan, and Jews were not supposed to associate with Samaritans. She was a woman, and men weren't supposed to talk with women they didn't know. Yet God chose this Samaritan woman to be the first person to whom He revealed his true identity. God chose her, and He is choosing you, too!God has a purpose for each one of us.  I was going to say, “If God wants to use you, He will.”  However, I don't believe it is a matter of “if”.  God definitely wants to use you; He wants to use all of us to help Him build up His Kingdom.  Whatever you feel God putting on your heart, know that He chose you for a reason.  Maybe that thing you feel is a weakness is the exact reason God chose you.  Maybe he is going to use that weakness to help you talk to others with that same weakness?  Maybe your addiction to alcohol makes you perfectly suited to bring his good news to others with an addiction to alcohol.  God will use all our mistakes, all of our pain, all of our sins, for good if we let Him.  Don't listen to that inner voice that tells you God wouldn't use you.  That is the voice of the enemy trying to keep you down because he knows God has powerful plans for you, and the enemy is worried about what will happen if you step into those plans.  God knows you are not perfect, and that is exactly why He wants to use you.  Let Him.  Say Yes.  Surrender to God, and He will use you.  You are exactly who He wants.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Please help us see how you are working in our lives.  Please open our eyes to all you do for us and help give us the boldness to share it.  Dad, we are asking you to help us spread our story to all those we meet so they can start to see you working in their lives.  We ask that you help us not to believe the enemy's lies that our story is boring or that we don't have anything to say.  We love you, Lord, you are working in our lives, and we want to share that with others.  We just need your help to do that.  Thank you, 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. Just two more weeks to sign up for retreat. CLICK HERE for details. 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Fear not, my children. I bear you up on eagle's wings. I lead you in ways of righteousness. We are friends. Both heaven and earth shine upon each of my children.”  www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Come As You Are Series - PeterMatthew 16:18-19 “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”I want you to imagine for a moment that you are Peter. Can you even imagine what it would feel like for Jesus to tell you that you were going to be the rock on which He would build his church? Can you imagine Jesus saying He was going to give you the keys to heaven? I can't even imagine it. I can imagine there were a lot of different emotions swirling around in Peter's brain. He was probably excited, honored, proud, scared, confused, and honestly, not sure what to think. You may be having similar feelings about the calling that God has placed on your life. This entire devotional series addresses these concerns.Sometimes we think that if we ask questions or if we doubt that we are the right person for the job, then it means we have lost faith or that we don't deserve the job. There were plenty of people in the Bible who questioned if they were the right person for the job. There were plenty of people in the Bible who doubted they had what it took. They did not feel worthy. They did not feel like they knew what they were doing. I am sure Peter had no idea how to run a church on the day that Jesus called him to be the head of the church. I am sure you won't feel prepared to do the thing He is calling you to do the first time you hear it, either.I was talking with a friend yesterday who has started a non-profit for women in recovery. She felt the calling and decided to answer the call. That doesn't mean she instantly knew what she was doing. She needed to research how to write grants. She needed to run a capital fundraising campaign. She needed to learn how to do a whole bunch of things she didn't already know how to do. The latest thing she encountered was that everyone was telling her that she should open a sober living house. She instantly said no, that is not something I would be good at. However, she also took it to prayer, and after resisting for some time, she finally realized that God was calling her to that. Even though she still doesn't feel like she is the right person, she knows if God is calling her, then He is equipping her with all she needs.This series is also about showing us that God doesn't use the perfect to fulfill his plan; He uses regular, ordinary, flawed people to do some of His most significant works. Peter was a fisherman. The first time we meet Peter in the Bible, he had been fishing all night, and they hadn't caught anything. Peter and the others were washing their nets, and Jesus told them to go back out and cast their nets. Peter explained they had been fishing all night and didn't catch anything, but agreed to do as the preacher said. They let the nets down and caught more fish than they could handle. Then Jesus called them to come and follow Him, and they would become fishers of men.What just occurred to me, which I have never thought of before, is that the night was probably their biggest catch ever. They probably have never caught so many fish at one time before. That was their most successful catch, and yet Jesus was calling them away from that lifestyle. The same might be true for you. You don't understand why God is calling you away from what you are doing now because you are doing it really well. You are finally where you wanted to be. You are finally successful at what you are doing. Why would God want you to leave when things are going so well?I don't know if Peter, Andrew, John, and James struggled with this or not. It doesn't seem like it. It says Jesus called, and they left their nets and followed Him. It doesn't tell us what they were thinking in their heads. What we do know is that they followed Jesus, and the things they experienced were exponentially better than what they experienced while they were fishing. God used them in powerful ways. The same is true for you. If you answer the call and follow Jesus, you will experience amazing things, and God will use you in powerful ways.Another way we are all similar to Peter is that He did not always do the right thing. He was not always perfect. There are several I can think of. We might think that because Peter was chosen to lead the church, He never doubted in Jesus and never wavered in His faith. However, when Peter asked Jesus to call him out of the boat so he could walk on water, Jesus did. Peter was brave and got out of the boat and walked on the water. However, then he looked away from Jesus, got scared about the wind and the waves, and started to sink. Even if you waiver sometimes, even if you struggle to believe God can do extraordinary things at times, you can still be used powerfully by the Lord. God just needs a mustard seed of faith.We might also think that if we are weak and fail to stand up for the Lord when talking with others, then the Lord can't use us. We live in a world where being Christian is not the cool thing to be. Some people are downright mean to us if we are Christians in America. And what we go through in America is nothing compared to so many other countries, where they will kill you if they know you are a Christian. If you think that you aren't worthy of being used by God because sometimes you are afraid to stand up for Him when talking to others, remember Peter. Peter, who was the rock of the church, denied Jesus three times. He loved Jesus. Just hours earlier, he was saying he would die for Jesus, and yet in the moment, when he was confronted with the possibility of dying because he knew Jesus, he denied Jesus.I hope you are beginning to see that God is patient. God knows who we are. He created us to be who we are. He knit us together in our mother's womb. We think God made a mistake and that He didn't know what He was doing when He chose us. Think about that for a minute. Does that really make sense to you? Do you really think the God of the universe, the one who knit you together in your mother's womb, doesn't know you? Do you really think God makes mistakes? Does that really make more sense to you than the possibility that God could use you for something amazing?I don't know what God is calling you to, and I don't have to know. I do know that if He is calling, then He is already equipping you for that job. Your calling doesn't have to be something like Peter's calling. God may not be calling you to leave your current life to follow Him. He may be calling you to stay in your current life and be the face of Christ to all those you meet. He may be calling you to be the best mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent, friend, and/or coworker you can be. Whatever it is you feel God is putting on your heart, say yes with the knowledge that He knows what he is doing. He knows everything about you, and if he chose you, there is a reason. Just say Yes!!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we want to say yes, but we're just scared; please help us. Please help us to trust you and to accept that if you say we are worthy, then we are worthy. If you say you want us to do something, then you will give us all we need to do something.  Please help us to grow in trust, Lord. Please help us to be bold, Lord. We love you and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you are enjoying this podcast can I ask you to share it with at least one person today.  There are so many out there that don't realize God could use them for amazing things. Let's all help them see that they are enough! 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, look high, look at me every day. I have a work for you to do. I have love to fill your soul. I have love I want you to give to the world. What I call you to is unique to you. Don't look at each other and wish you had this or that. Look to me because I have a call for you. I have a mission for you. I have love for you. Look at me and do as 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

Come As You Are Series: TamarGenesis 38:26 “Then Judah acknowledged them and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shellac.” And he did not lie with her again.”The purpose of this series is to show you that God doesn't pick the perfect people to fulfill his plan. This is what we tell ourselves, or what the enemy tells us. We tell ourselves that God can't use us because we are not good people, and we have done bad things. If, by some miracle, we can believe that God wants to use us, then the enemy comes in and starts whispering lies in our ears. He tells us that we aren't enough and that God would never pick us. He reminds us about every bad thing we have ever done and tries to tell us that because of these things, God can't use us.I have been hearing this so much more from people lately, and that is what prompted this series. You may get tired of me saying the same thing over and over again. However, it is an important enough message that it is okay if I convey the same message 31 different ways. We need repetition. We need to hear things over and over again. Research suggests that we need to listen to things between 5 and 7 times before we remember them correctly. I think when we are trying to correct negative thinking, the number is much higher.Over and over again in the Bible, God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He uses people who have sinned to show us that our sins don't count us out. He uses people who think they are better than others to show us that even if we feel that way, God can still use us. He uses people with unfavorable professions to show us that even if that is us, we can still be of use. God made you, He created you, He knows you. He can use you no matter what your circumstances are.Today, we will talk about Tamar. You can find her complete story in Genesis 38. I will summarize it for you. Tamar was married to one of Judah's three sons. His oldest son is named Er. But Er was wicked, in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord killed him. It was the custom when they lived that if your husband died before you got pregnant, it was the job of his brother to sleep with you and give you an offspring. So, Judah told his next son, Onan, to sleep with Tamar and give her a child. Onan slept with Tamar, but he withdrew before getting her pregnant, as it would not be considered his child. God did not like this, and he slew Onan too.Judah's younger son was too young to produce a child, so Judah told Tamar to go live as a widow in her father's house, and as soon as his younger son was old enough, he would give her to his youngest son. Over time, Judah's wife died, and Tamar saw that the younger brother had grown up, and Judah did not keep his promise. Tamar really wanted to have a child, so she dressed up like a harlot and slept with her father-in-law. He did not recognize her as she was covered. She asked him before they slept to gather to give her something so that he could go into her.Judah said he would send a goat. Tamar asked for his signet ring, cord, and staff as a pledge until he sent the goat. Judah agreed and went into her. Then, when he got back home, he sent his friend back with a goat for this harlot, but he could not find her, as Tamar was back to living as a widow in her father's house. Judah felt foolish, so he let it go. Then he heard, three months later, that Tamar had played the harlot and was with child as a result of this harlotry. Judah said to bring her out to be burned. However, when she came out, she brought the ring, cord, and staff and said, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” This is where today's verse picks up. “Then Judah acknowledged them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shellac.” And he did not lie with her again.”When Tamar gave birth, she had twins, one named Perez and one called Zerah. The next time we hear about Tamar is in Ruth 4:12. Her name is mentioned in the blessing at Boaz and Ruth's wedding: “ and, through the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” By mentioning Tamar, the people are saying: Even out of broken, unexpected circumstances, God can bring blessing and a great family line. Perez Became a Symbol of Strength and Growth. Perez's name means “breaking out. He became the ancestor of a large, influential tribe in Israel. The blessing is basically saying: May your descendants “break out” in number, influence, and strength like Perez's did.Tamar was not an extraordinary person. She did not do anything spectacular. She was married and wanted to be a mom. However, God knew her husband was wicked and killed him. Then her brother-in-law was being selfish, and God killed him. However, God did not abandon her, and He did not forget her desire to have a baby. I am not condoning how she had that baby, and I have no idea if there was another way for her to have a baby or not. I don't think that is the point of the story.What I do know is that God used Tamar and her child to bring about Jesus Christ, the Messiah. After the mention in Ruth, we hear about Tamar in Matthew 1:3 when he is recounting the lineage of Jesus. “and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram.” I did not list the whole genealogy, but as you can see, Tamar is listed. There were 14 generations listed from Abraham to David, and from David to deportation to Babylon, there were 14 generations, and from the Deportation of Babylon to Christ, there were 14 generations. In all these generations listed in the genealogy, there are only five women listed. All the rest are men.Tamar, who dressed as a harlot to seduce her father-in-law to sleep with her so she could have a baby, is one of only five women listed in the lineage of Jesus. Are you starting to see what I am saying? Are you starting to believe me when I say God can and will use anyone He wants to use for His purpose? I know you feel like God can't or won't use you. You feel too old, too young, too sick, too busy. You feel as if your sins are too great. You feel as if you have done too much, and your sins can't be redeemed. In this story, there is no shame towards Tamar. There are so many people God could have used to bring forth Jesus. I am sure some people were going to the temple as they should have, following all the laws and doing everything right, and yet that is not who God chose.God wants to use you. I don't know what He wants to use you for, but I know He wants to use you. He is just waiting for your yes. He will use all you have been through as a beautiful testimony for whatever He is calling you to do. Don't be afraid to say yes, I promise He won't abandon you. He will be there with you each step of the way.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless each person listening to this episode today. Lord, thank you for all you do for us. Thank you for redeeming us. Thank you for using us, even though we aren't even close to perfect. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your grand plan. Thank you for accepting us, flaws and all. Lord, we ask that you help us to believe you want to use us. Please help us to believe that whatever we have done it does not count us out. Please help us understand that you are bigger than anything we might have done. We love you so much, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you are really enjoying these podcast episodes, I invite you to check out my mentoring group. It is the same great information, but with the longer sessions, it allows me to go deeper. There is also time for questions and answers, or small group discussions, so that we can learn to apply what I am discussing to our daily lives. I will place a link for more information in the show notes. You could always come and check it out for a month and see if it is a good fit for you. There is no contract, and it is easy to cancel if you don't love it. Give it a try, invest in your spiritual life, you won't be sorry you did.I look forward to seeing 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I have your crowns waiting, each specifically designed for each one of you. Though I have many children, I want you to know that I remember each and every one of your names. As your parents do not forget your names, nor do I. Know that I love you, every one of you. My heart burst with pride and love for all of you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Come As You Are Series: Paul (God Wants You!)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 know 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 not perfect, messed up that plan.  God sent His son to us so that He could 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 got to choose who was going to lead God's people, is this 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 chose.  Why do you think He does this?  Why do you think God chooses to use less-than-perfect people for his ministry?  I believe 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 tough to connect with someone that 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 that 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?  As people, we don't like listening as much as we enjoy 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 selected 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 that He forgave Paul's sins?   If the Lord 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 believe we are good enough to serve the Lord.  He is almighty and powerful, and we are tiny and useless.  He is perfect, and we are full of sin.  How could He possibly use us when there are others out there that are so much better than we are 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 there is someone out there who 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 that we have received, even though we didn't deserve to receive 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 minor 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 those who are willing. If you need further examples of when God has used people that you would never have chosen, all you have to do is look in the Bible; there are so many examples. 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 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. Please 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.  Please help us to trust you.  Please 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

Come As You Are: IntroActs 9:15 “But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel.”This verse comes just after Saul has seen a vision of Jesus, and Jesus asked him why He was persecuting Him.  Then Saul loses his sight and is told to go into the city and wait to be told what to do.  Then the Lord asked one of his disciples to go to Saul.  There is a conversation between this disciple and the Lord in Acts 9:10-16: “Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment, he is praying,  and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”  But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;  and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”There are several themes that I see coming across in these verses.  First, I always find it interesting when the disciples of God, those who get to have a conversation with Him, argue with Him or question Him.  I always think I would respond differently, and yet, I do get to have conversations with God, and I do still question Him. We are all human, and questioning and doubting are natural human behaviors.  In these verses, Ananias is given a task to do.  God wants him to go and restore Saul's sight.  I wonder if Ananias ever healed anyone before?  Would this be his first time?  Also, Ananias has heard rumors about this person, whom he is supposed to go and heal.  Saul's reputation preceded him.  He was not a nice person.  He was in that town to collect any believers of Jesus and bring them to jail, essentially.  He approved the stoning to death of Stephen, one of Jesus' followers. I can totally understand why Ananias would question this plan. Why he might even be scared.  If he goes to heal this man in Jesus' name, then Saul will know he is a Christian.  What if there are ramifications of that?There are many reasons why we might question the Lord's plan.  I think worrying about our own safety and the possible risk to our lives is a pretty big one.  It's interesting how I can silently judge Ananias for questioning God when he is dealing with someone who has stoned fellow believers, and yet I question God when I am completely safe, and just being asked to step outside of my comfort zone.  My life is not in danger, and yet I still question God's plan.  I still hesitate to do what I know He is asking me to do.  So, why do I always think it is crazy when others question God's plan?  I am the first to say God has a plan.  I am the first to encourage someone to step out in faith and do the scary thing God is asking you to do.  I am also the first one to hesitate when God asks me to do some things.  I am the first one to question and to wonder if I am really the best person to do that.  I question if He really knows what He is doing, asking me to do that.  In this verse, Ananias is actually not questioning his own ability; he is questioning Saul's worthiness of being healed.  This is another thing that we can be quick to judge.  We can all question God's decisions on who He heals, saves, and works through.  Maybe you know someone really great who died from cancer, or was killed in a car accident when they were a teenager, and you also know some pretty terrible people who beat cancer and seem to have everything going for them.  In our eyes, these things can seem very unfair, and we don't understand them. They make no sense to us.  I don't understand them either, so I will not be giving you any answers to those questions today.  However, I do know that God has a plan, and He can use anyone for that plan.  I do know when it comes to the question of worthiness, none of us is worthy on our own merit.  We can't judge others because we don't know their heart; only God can judge, as He knows what is in our hearts.  You can have someone who seems as lovely as can be in public and yet is awful in their private life.  You can have someone who is not very nice to people, and yet that is because they were wounded and they don't know any other way.I saw the movie and read the book called The Shack. If you have not read the book or seen the movie, you should check it out; it is so good.  Of course, the book is better, but the movie does a pretty good job explaining why we shouldn't judge others.  It discusses how we often don't see the whole picture.  We can judge the man who is abusing his wife and child, but would we judge that child?  What about when that child grows up to abuse his wife and child?  We only see a tiny part of who a person really is.  God can use anyone, and He often chooses the most unlikely candidate.  He tends to use imperfect people —those who have messed up, seem broken, struggled, or sinned.  God uses people who can easily be judged for their faults.  These people, people who aren't perfect (no one is perfect, by the way), people who have really struggled, are actually the ideal people to use because they can speak to those who are also struggling.  They are someone you can look at and say, If they could do it, so can I.  If someone who grew up with nothing can make something of themselves, then I can too.  If someone who has been abused was able to get away from that abuse, then so can I.  If someone who was an alcoholic can give up alcohol, so can I.  If God can use someone who is a sinner to do amazing things, He can use me too.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening to this episode today.  Lord, let them hear precisely what they need to hear today.  Lord, help us not to judge others.  Give us your heart and your eyes for others, Lord.  Please help us to be compassionate and recognize that there is always more to a person than what we can see.  Lord, give us the boldness to do whatever you ask us to do, even when we are scared, even when we don't understand it, even if you are asking us to heal a really scary person.  Please give us the strength and the grace we need to follow your commands, no matter how hard we think they are.  We can do all things through you who strengthen us!  We love you so much, Lord.  We are grateful you have a plan and you don't let our questioning it get in the way.  We are thankful that you use all things for our good and you don't let us mess up your plan.  We love you and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I invite you all into my mentoring group. CLICK HERE for the details about mentoring. It is on Tuesday nights at 8 PM on Zoom. You can just come to listen; you don't have to have your mic or your camera on if you don't want to. You can come in your PJs if you like. No judgment here. You don't have to drive anywhere. It's perfect. The theme for this month is Why Forgiveness is Essential. I will go over what forgiveness is and is not, along with why it is so important that we do it. And I assure you, it is more important than we know. Why is it we spend so much time and money on so many areas of our lives, and yet we don't invest in our spiritual life the same way?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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am the Lord your God. I am the one who loves you most of all. Come, my children. Come and know the joy and love of being my children.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Come As You Are: GideonJudges 6:12-16 “The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.” Gideon answered him, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.”  Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.” He responded, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them.”I really like this story because it is one that most of us can relate to.  Well, not the first verse probably.  I doubt too many of us have been visited by an angel.  The verse starts off by telling us that an angel appeared to Gideon and told him the Lord was with him, and then called him a mighty warrior.  I find it interesting how Gideon answered the angel.  I feel that I would be in shock and probably speechless if the angel of God were to speak to me.  If he told me that God was with me, I think I would say thank you or be in awe.  Gideon is not speechless, and it doesn't sound like he is in awe.  He questions the angel.  He says, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.”  Those are some pretty gutsy things to say to an angel.  The angel said The Lord is with you and Gideon basically said, “Oh yeah, how?  We don't see it. What has He done for us lately?” With this being written text, we don't know the tone or volume this was said with.  I picture Gideon being angry and almost yelling it at the angel.  However, I could be wrong; he could have matter-of-factly stated it to him.  Either way, Gideon did not believe what the angel said, and he wanted an explanation, or some sort of proof that God was for them.Next the angel says, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.” The angel does not answer his question as to where God has been.  The angel looks at Gideon and then tells him to go and lead the fight with Midian to deliver his people.  Gideon's response is a response that I think most of us have when God commissions us for a task.  We question it, we tell Him we aren't ready, we aren't good enough, we don't know how, we aren't strong enough.  We question God as if He, the one who created us, did not know all these things about us when he commissioned us for that task.   When Gideon was told that he was commissioned to defeat  Midian, he said, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”Gideon was counting himself out before he even got started.  He looked at his family and his place in that family and judged his abilities on that.  He felt God must have made a mistake.  How could he be a mighty warrior when his family was the weakest and he was the least in his family?  Does this sound familiar?  Do you ever count yourself out of things because of your family or your history with your family?  I can understand a bit of what Gideon was feeling.  I am from a large family, and we didn't have a lot of money growing up.  When I was in school, if there was a big field trip, I immediately counted myself out.  There was no way my parents could afford the cost of the trip when they could barely afford their bills.  In seventh grade, my French class was taking a trip to Quebec for a few days.  I think the cost was $450 or something like that.  I knew I wouldn't be able to go.  I am not even sure if I asked my parents or if I just counted myself out.  One day after school, the French teacher talked with me and asked if I wanted to go on the trip.  I explained I did, but my parents couldn't afford it.  She said there was a scholarship, and so if my parents could afford some of it, the school could pay the rest.  Somehow, my parents were able to pay whatever part they had to pay, and I was able to go.  Another way I can relate to Gideon is when he said he was the least of his family.  I don't think I was the least of my family, and yet, having a large family, you are bound to be compared to your siblings. Others are bound to compare you as well.  I remember one Christmas Eve party at my aunt's house, one of my uncles saw me and was trying to figure out which child I was.  My mom is one of 10 children, and I am one of 11, so you can imagine how many kids were at this Christmas Eve party.  He said Oh, you are the smart one who is going to Yale, right?  Nope, that is Virginia.  Oh, you are the one who just got that cheerleading award, nope, that is Elizabeth.  Got it, you are the one that is having open heart surgery, nope, that is Theresa,  Oh, who are you then? He said.  I wasn't really sure how to respond to that one.  I didn't know which distinguishing characteristic might have been used to describe me.  We can all get stuck thinking we are who our family says we are.  We can get stuck thinking we can't do certain things because of our history.  We know God is calling us to something, and yet we don't answer that call because we don't think we can do it.  Instead of giving God our whole-hearted yes, we give Him a list of reasons why we are not the right person for the job.  In the very beginning of this verse, the angel of God addresses Gideon as a mighty warrior, and yet he questions that.  What name is God calling you that you are dismissing?  Is it son/daughter of the one true King?  Is it Beloved?  Is it Mighty Warrior?  Is it Gifted Healer? Is it Disciple?  Is it Preacher/Teacher?  Is it Worthy or Enough? What name do you hear God calling you, and yet you struggle to accept?  God does not make mistakes.  He is the Lord God Almighty.  If He calls you something, it is because that is your name to Him.  That is who you are in His eyes!What task is God commissioning you for that you are resisting?  Is there something you feel called to do, and instead of telling God yes, you are giving him a whole host of reasons why you cannot do it?  Is he asking you to do something, and you are explaining to him why anyone else would be better for the job?  I get it, I do the same, and yet God is telling us here in this story of Gideon that we need to believe what the Lord says about it and just go out and do it.  Stop trying to tell God who you are; He knows who you are better than you do.  Stop trying to find all these excuses why you can't do the thing God is telling you to do.  Start trying to figure out how to do the thing God is leading you to do.  Stop and ask God, What would you like me to do today?  If you don't know how to do what He is calling you to do, then ask Him how He would like you to do it.  Our God is a wonderful God, and He will answer us when we ask.  Answer the call God is placing on your life today with a resounding Yes!  Trust that if He gave it to you, He will help you fulfill it!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode.  Lord, we are so grateful that you know us better than we know ourselves.  Thank you for loving us so much and being the best dad out there.  Thank you for calling us by our true identity, even when we struggle to see it.  Lord, help us to see ourselves and the world through your eyes.  Father, thank you for commissioning us to certain tasks.  We are sorry we don't always say yes.  It is not because we don't want to, it is because we are afraid.  Please replace that fear with courage and strength.  Make us bold so we can say yes to whatever you ask.  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 am starting a new series for the next 31 days. It is called “Come As You Are” and we will take a look at 31 different characters in the Bible who did not look like anything special to the rest of the world, and yet the Lord used them powerfully. I keep telling you, at the end of almost every episode, that Jesus loves you, just as you are. Yet, if you are like me, it can still be hard to believe that at times. Often we feel we have to change first before Jesus loves us. I am hoping that after this series, you will be able to believe me more when I say that each day. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My word, Jesus, is my power, a power of grace, of goodness, of forgiveness, of mercy, and of great peace. Call upon my power in the name of my son 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

Keep Waiting, Your Answered Prayers Are ComingJames 5:7-8 “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”When I read this today, I thought it was a good verse because, let's be honest, who doesn't need more patience? However, I also thought it was a good word because so many of us are going through something that we wish we weren't. We wish God would take it from us, or heal us of it. We are tired of waiting, and we feel ready to move forward.This verse says to be patient until the coming of the Lord. It can also apply to your situation. Be patient, beloved, until you are healed from whatever is ailing you. Be patient, beloved, until I answer those questions for you. Be patient, beloved, until I find you that job or approve the disability claim. Be patient, beloved, until your loved one is healed. Be patient, beloved, until I make you healthy enough to answer my call.Did you know that God calls you beloved? Did you know that you are the one that Jesus loves? In the Gospel of John, he refers to himself as the one that Jesus loved, or the beloved apostle. Did you know you can refer to yourself this way as well? You are beloved in the eyes of the Lord. You are the one that Jesus loves. John was not being conceited when he said this. He was just that sure of Jesus's love for him. We would all be in a better place if we were all that secure that we are at the one that Jesus loved.I think this verse is a beautiful illustration of what it looks like to have patience. Imagine how hard it is for the farmer to plant a crop and then just wait for it to grow. Imagine planting a seed in the ground and then watering it and just waiting with patience, even though you can't see anything growing. Seeds typically take a few days to a couple of weeks to germinate and start growing, depending on the type of seed and the conditions provided. After germination, the growth phase can last from a few weeks to several months before the plant is fully grown. Can you imagine having to wait that long to see something grow?Some of you have been waiting a lot longer than a few months for God to answer your prayers. Some of you have been waiting for years. You have been waiting so long that it's hard to remember a time before you were sick, depressed, or injured. You can barely remember a time when you weren't struggling with money or having enough food to eat. I understand how frustrating this is. I struggled for over 10 years with my kids and my husband. There was constant fighting and anger in our home. Every day, there would be at least one fire to put out, and some days, most days, there were many. It was exhausting, and patience was something I didn't always have.I didn't know how long this would last. I didn't know how much more I could take. I felt like I was at the end of what I could handle many, many times. Yet the Lord always helped me to keep moving forward. He helped me to get up each morning with renewed strength. A strength I needed and one that was always enough, even when it didn't feel like it would be. The Lord is with you in your situation as well. He is right there with you. He is protecting you and comforting you. He is giving you untold strength.I heard a testimony yesterday at a prayer group that is an excellent example of what God can do for us in difficult situations. My friend was in a lot of pain, and she was offering that pain up to the Lord. For an hour, she was talking to the Lord and letting Him know that she wanted to offer up this suffering for anyone who needed it. After an hour, she cried out to the Lord and told her that she couldn't take this pain anymore. She wanted to endure it for those in need, but the pain was too great. Immediately, the Lord helped her to fall asleep, and when she woke up, the situation causing the pain had resolved itself.He has done this for me, too. About 6 weeks after Noah was born, my appendix burst, and I needed to go to the Emergency Room. After they discovered it was my appendix, they said I would need surgery. This occurred around 3 am, and the surgeon was not scheduled to arrive until 5 or 6 am. I started to have what I think was a panic attack. I wasn't sure how to describe what was happening, but I knew I needed to stop thinking about the surgery. I prayed that God would help me fall asleep until it was time for the surgery, and that is precisely what happened. I fell asleep and did not wake up until right before they wheeled me into the surgery.God sees you. He knows what it is you need. He hears you crying out. He hears you telling Him, “This is it, this is all I can take. I can't go on anymore.” God hears you, and He knows it is not true. You feel you can't go on, but he knows how strong you are, and He knows you can do all things through Him. He knows the perfect time to lift you from this. He knows the consequences of rescuing too early. He knows what will happen if he pulls you out of a pit that you were meant to climb out of on your own.I know it is hard to have patience and that it feels like God has abandoned you. He has not. Just keep crying out to Him. Just keep believing that He will bring you out of this. He will save you. He will give you the strength to make it to another day. He is in this. You can do this! You can hold on. You have the power of the Holy Spirit, the one who raised Jesus from the dead, living inside of you. You can hold on!!Dear Heavenly Father, please give each person listening the courage and the strength to keep moving forward. Lord, help us to wait with patience, just as farmers do. Help us to know and believe that you will answer our prayers at the perfect time. Lord, give us renewed hope. Help us to remember all the times in the past that you have answered our prayers. We love you, Lord. You are so faithful. 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 have not checked out the details for my retreat in October, please CLICK HERE for all the info. I look forward to seeing 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 May 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Words are not all I have to give you, my children, though my words have power. My word, Jesus my son, has great power. Call upon his name in every circumstance. Call upon his name for he is standing there beside you to lead you, to guide you, to help you, to fill your heart with his 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

Episode NotesMatthew 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.” Wow, this is a great verse for all of us to write down and place around us.  The thing is, when we read this, it sounds so simple.  Don't worry about tomorrow, you will have time for that later; you have enough to worry about today.  Don't you wish it were that simple?  Don't you wish you could just tell yourself not to worry, and then you actually don't worry?  Life would be so much simpler if it worked that way.  I don't think this verse is telling us anything that we don't already know on some level.  We know that we don't need to worry about the future because we don't even know what will happen in the future.  We also know that there is plenty to worry about in this moment without borrowing worries from another day.  So, if we already know all of this, why do we still worry about tomorrow?We still worry for the same reason that we still eat candy and drink soda, even though we know eating vegetables and drinking water is better for us.  We still worry for the same reason that we watch TV instead of working out, even though we know working out is better for us.  We worry because that is what we have trained our brains to do.  We worry because that is what we have done in the past.  We worry because that is our habit.  We worry because it is an automatic response, and changing automatic responses takes work.Is it possible for you or me to change how much we worry, yes.  I know this is hard for some of you to believe.  I know so many people who identify with the identity of being a worrier.  They say things like “It's just who I am,” or “I have always been a worrier, I can't change it now.”  Is this you?  Be honest with yourself, have you said these things?  Do you believe that you are a worrier and that will never change?  I get it, if you have always done something, then you assume you will always do it.  You don't know anything different.  However, this doesn't need to be the case.  You may be a person who worries, but that is not your identity.   I used to be someone who hated to get up in the morning, and then I started to get up at 5:30 in the morning so I could get prayer time and workout time in before the kids woke up.  Was it easy to make this switch? Not at all.  Was it worth it? Absolutely.  You can change.  Who you are is not set in stone.There are two different mindsets that we can have.  If you have a fixed mindset, then you believe that intelligence, talent, and other qualities are innate and unchangeable.  Basically, you are who you are.  If you are not good at something, you typically believe you will never be good at it.  However, a growth mindset means you believe these things can be developed with practice.  You believe that just because you can't do something yet, it doesn't mean that you won't ever be able to do it.  I think if you look around you, there are a lot of examples to prove that just because you are not good at something, it doesn't mean you will never be good at it.  Did you know that Michael Jordon was cut from his high school basketball team before he went on to win 6 championships, 5 MVP awards, and 2 Olympic gold medals?  Did you know that Steven Spielberg, the only director to have made over 10 billion dollars at the box office from his films, was rejected 3 times from USC's film school.  Michael Jordon was not born an amazing basketball player.  He had to work hard to become an amazing basketball player.  He made a goal of getting 100 free throws in a row.  This meant if he got to 75 and missed one, he would start all over again.  He also spent the entire summer doing two practice sessions a day, six days a week, shooting at least 500 jump shots in each practice. That's more than 6,000 practice shots each week!I know many of you listening to this may not be basketball fans.  I am not a basketball fan either.  I tell you this story to show you that just because you can't do something now, it doesn't mean you will never be able to do it.  Also, just because you do something now, like worry, doesn't mean you always have to do.  Hopefully by now, some of you who were skeptical at first are starting to believe that you can change if you want to.  It was pretty simple for Michael Jordon to become an excellent basketball player.  He knew what skills he needed to develop, and then he practiced them over and over again until he got really good at them.  It wasn't easy, it took a lot of work, but it was simple.  In this same way, worrying less is simple, but it is not easy.  If we want to worry less, then we need to take control of our thoughts.  It says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “…and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  You can take your thoughts captive.  You can be in charge of what you think and what you don't think.  This may seem impossible, and I understand why you would think that.  We live in a society where we don't really have to think for ourselves if we don't want to.  There are news networks that tell us what to think, there are movies and TV shows that influence how we think, and there are social media “influencers” that tell us what we should and shouldn't like.  If we look at commercials, magazines, books, radio shows, and podcasts, we are constantly being told what to think.  So, I get that you don't think you can help how you think or what you think about.  However, it is possible.I read an article titled “Radical Trust” by Laura Fleetwood (Seeking the Still).  Laura mentioned that a friend sent her this verse in an email, and it was a much-needed reminder.  She said that although there is so much in this world that we can't control, we CAN control our thoughts.  After reading this verse, every time her mind wanted to worry about something, she would take captive that thought and hand it over to Jesus.  This is what she said, “Literally, in my mind, I snatch it and give it to Jesus.  And then I tell myself, I trust you, Jesus. I trust you. I trust you.” She also says, “Take this fearful thought, Lord.  Take the what-ifs, should haves, and could haves.  I give them to you again, and again, and again.”  When she gets a fearful or worrisome thought in her head, this is what she does, “Snatch…Hand it over…I trust you, Jesus. Snatch…Hand it over…I trust you, Jesus. Snatch…Hand it over…I trust you, Jesus.”  If Laura can do this, so can you.  It won't be easy, but if you get in the habit of doing it then it will become easier.  Starting a new habit is always difficult; however, isn't worrying all the time hard too?  Do you like how you feel when you spend so much time worrying?  What would you give in order not to have to worry so much?  If it feels like you worry about everything all the time, know that you are not alone.  It is pretty common.  Do you have one thing that you always worry about?  One situation or topic that you worry about more than others?  For instance, your children, your car, your abilities?  If you are someone who seems to worry about everything, then even just thinking about capturing your thoughts may feel overwhelming.  This is why I just asked if there was one thing you worry about more than the others.  Maybe just start with one area.  Try to pay attention and listen to yourself saying things about that one topic.  When you do hear it, snatch the thought, hand it over, and say Jesus, I trust you.  Once you get that area down, you can move on to another.  You can do this!  We can do this!  Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, please bless them.  Lord, we ask that you help us control our thoughts.  When the enemy starts whispering his fancy lies into our ears, help us to snatch the thoughts and hand them over to you.  Lord help us all to worry less and trust more.  Lord, even if we are worried, help us to still move forward with faith in you.  Lord you are truly amazing and we are so lucky that you love us and do so much for us.  We thank you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your scripture 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

Patience Is A VirtueSirach 1:23 “Those who are patient stay calm until the right moment, and then cheerfulness comes back to them.  They hold back their words until the right moment; then the lips of many tell of their good sense.”Have you ever heard people say, Patience is a virtue?  I have heard it frequently, and it is usually said when someone is struggling with patience.  What is a virtue?  According to my quick internet search, virtue has been defined as “conformity of life and conduct with the principles of morality.” The virtues are thus the practical attitudes and habits adopted in obedience to those principles.  It seems there is much discussion online about whether patience is actually a virtue or not.  However, most agree that it is not a virtue. The saying patience is a virtue " shows how important and good having patience is.  Have you ever known someone who seemed to have an unlimited amount of patience? That was my mom.She was the oldest of 10 children growing up, and being the oldest meant that she had to help raise them.  It also meant that if my grandmother was sick, she needed to step in and take care of everyone until she got better.  This happened one time, I forget how old she was, although I know she was still in school.  My grandfather was away as he was in the Navy, and my grandmother got very sick.  My mom had to miss, I think, about 3 months of school so she could take care of the kids while my grandma was sick.  You might think, after being the oldest of 10 kids, she wouldn't want any kids, or maybe she might want one or two, but definitely not too many.  You would be wrong.  My parents got married, wanting 12 children.  Now, I can see how a Catholic couple could have 12 kids, but going into the marriage wanting that many, after having just helped raise 9, is beyond me.  My husband thought I was crazy wanting four kids.  My mom and dad had 11 kids.  Now, you would think that after helping to raise 10 kids and then raising 11 kids of your own, you would be done with children by the time your kids were grown.  You would think my mom would be kinda tired of kids at that point.  Not that kids are bad.  I love children.  I just know how much work it is to raise children, and I have no idea how hard it is to raise 11 children, but I can imagine it is harder than raising 3.  My mom did not take a break.  When my youngest brother was in school, I'm not sure what age, she went to work at a Montessori school for 3-5 year olds.  She was in her glory.  She just really loves children.  The reason I am telling you all of this is that my mom had so much patience.  Now, I am not saying she never lost her cool, because she did, she is human after all. However, she could be faced with immensely difficult situations and stay very calm.  Because we had a lot of kids growing up, we didn't really have a lot of money.  Thankfully, my dad had a very good job; however, it still wasn't enough money most of the time because of the number of kids they had.  My mom would see that we had more bills than money, and she would stay calm.  I am sure it probably stressed her out, but some people get really angry when they get stressed.  She did not.  She remained calm and just called the places and set up payment plans.  I was a child who did not like to get up in the morning, which is funny to me now, as I was up at 4 am this morning.  However, when I was in school, I hated waking up.  Oftentimes, I would not get out of bed until about the 6th time of being woken up.  Yet, I can't remember my mom yelling at me once for it.  Even if I was late to the car, she was just patiently waiting for me.  My siblings, not so patient, but who could blame them?  I wasn't intending this episode to be about my mom, although I am not surprised that is where the Holy Spirit took me, because I have always admired my mom's patience.  I have had to develop a lot of patience over the years.  Well, I guess I didn't have to, but I chose to do that instead of being angry and frustrated all the time.  Do you know that you have a choice?  You can choose to develop more patience.  It is not as if there is a finite amount of patience, and it is not as if you either have it or you don't.  You can work on it, and you can become more patient if you want to.The verse says, “Those who are patient stay calm until the right moment, and then cheerfulness comes back to them.  They hold back their words until the right moment; then the lips of many tell of their good sense.”  There are two parts to this verse.  The first one is “Those who are patient stay calm until the right moment, and then cheerfulness comes back to them.”  This is so true.  Can you picture a time when you stayed calm in a situation? Didn't it feel less stressful?  Were you able to be happy in the difficult situation?  When there is at least one person who is being patient and remaining calm, then it usually helps others to do the same.  We tend to mirror other people's emotions.  This is why they say not to make a big deal when your children are little and they fall down.  If you freak out, they freak out.  If you remain calm, they may remain calm.  The mirror reflects our emotions, especially when we are younger.  Another reason to become more patient is that being impatient never helps a situation.  It usually has the opposite effect.  Have you noticed that when you are in a hurry, everything goes wrong?  You can't find your shoes, your keys, your jacket, whatever it is you need.  Or you walk out of the house and forget things because you were in a hurry.  Also, if you are in a hurry and you are waiting on others, being impatient usually starts a fight, and there definitely aren't those cheerful feelings the verse is talking about.  When we are impatient with those we are trying to get out of the house, they often get angry, and then it slows us down even more.  This was a big lesson that God showed me over and over again when my kids were little.    If we were late, rushing the kids, nagging the kids, and being frustrated with the kids, it was not going to get them out of the house any faster.  I had to learn to remain calm, patient, compassionate, and helpful.  Instead of yelling at them to get their shoes on, I would place their shoes by the door, ask if they needed help putting them on, or sometimes, just put the shoes in the car for them so they could do it in the car.  When I was able to be patient and remain calm, we definitely had a more cheerful car ride.The second part of this verse says, “They hold back their words until the right moment; then the lips of many tell of their good sense.” Have you ever noticed that when we are impatient, we don't always say the nicest things?  Even if they are things that need to be said, we don't say them at the right time if we are not remaining calm.  For instance, it would have been completely appropriate for my mom to sit me down when I was younger and talk with me about how important it was to get up in the mornings and how if I got to the car late, I was making everyone late.  And she might have, I just don't remember.  However, yelling at me in the morning when I am half asleep and when we are trying to get out the door is not the right time.  I know when I was impatient with my kids because we needed to get somewhere and we were late, I would slip into lecture mode.  You have to get up earlier, I told you to make sure you had everything the night before, we are going to be late now because you can't be bothered to hurry, and whatever else I used to say.  Those were definitely not my finest hours.  Although I know we all have those moments as parents.  It would have been appropriate after the fact, not in the moment, to talk about why we were late and what we could do differently next time.  The verse doesn't say they hold back their words forever.  It says they hold their words for the right moment.  This is so important.  There is a time and place to say things, and learning to know when that is will serve you well.There is a challenge that I learned about in my mentoring group.  It is called the Zip It Challenge, and it is based on a best-selling book by Karen Ehman.  You can look it up online, and you will find the book.  I haven't read it, but it looks really good, so I may have to get it.  She said she covers eight major topics: taming our tempers, sarcasm, gossip, gracious speech, sweet and salty language, asking for forgiveness, whether to speak up or remain silent, and how God's word can alter our words. I could use some help in all those areas.  However, the zip-it challenge is when you are more intentional with your words.  It is where you spend the next 40 days, or 20 days, or even just one day, realizing that you don't have to say every thought that comes into your mind.  Before saying something, stop and ask yourself, Does this need to be said?  Will this still matter to me in 5 years?  I have heard of numerous people taking this challenge, and they are reporting that it has really helped their relationships, whether with their kids, spouse, or parents.  There are lots of things we say that just don't really need to be said.  We think we are helping our loved ones, but many times, we are just nagging or telling them something they already know.  Maybe this week, we could all try to be a little more patient and a little more intentional about our words.  Being patient may not be easy, but it will make you happier.  Being intentional with your words is also not easy, but it's really worth it when you see the change in your relationships.  Words are powerful.  Choose them wisely.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, you are amazing, and we love you.  We ask that you help us grow in patience.  Please help us learn to be calm in difficult situations.  Help us to be patient with our loved ones.  Help us to guard our tongue and to hold back our words until the right moment.  Lord, help us discern what needs to be said and what doesn't.  Help us be more intentional with our words and to think before we speak.  Lord, we are so grateful that you are always with us.  We are also grateful that you are so forgiving, as we mess up a lot.  We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow.  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Road TripPsalm 144:7-9 “Stretch out your hand from on high; set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hand of aliens, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are false. I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you.” When I read this verse, I thought it was appropriate as I talked with a friend this morning, and she is going through a difficult time right now.  I wish I could say she was my only friend going through a hard time right now.  I wish I could say that those I know who are suffering right now are in the minority.  Unfortunately, it is hard for me to think of someone that I know who isn't suffering in some way or another right now.  I know so many people who have asked for prayers because they or a loved one has cancer.  It is out of control how many people have cancer right now.  Also, after a year and a half of staying inside, a lot of families are struggling.  Children don't want to be back in school, or they are more anxious or more depressed. I don't want to be all doom and gloom, and I'm not meaning to sound like that.  I just know that there are so many people suffering right now.  I am on a few different prayer lists, and the requests for prayers are non-stop, and those who need them are really suffering.  I long for the days when the worst people have to worry about is whether they will pass their English or Math test at school.  However, I don't know if those days will come.  I think as long as we are on this side of heaven, there will always be tough times, and we will always have struggles.  I do think that we get a break from it.  I don't think the struggle is constant, although I know it can feel that way when we are in it.  I think we just truck along doing life, and sometimes we encounter circumstances that are really difficult, and then sometimes we don't.  I view it as a long road trip.  If you have ever been on a long road trip, you know that some stretches of road are easy.  The traffic is flowing, the road is well taken care of, the weather is nice, and maybe there is nice scenery to look at out the window.  There are some parts of the road trip that you really enjoy.  Then there are some parts that are not great.  There are parts of every long road trip that aren't fun; there might be more traffic than we like, it might be a really long and boring stretch of road without much to see, or you may even have weather that is not great.  Then there are times in a long road trip that can be awful.  You can be stuck in traffic for hours and not move far at all, or you can be stuck in a torrential downpour or a snow blizzard.  Your car could even break down while you are on a road trip.  This is similar to our journey through life.  Sometimes, time is going to go by quickly, and you are going to enjoy the ride and the view.  Other times, life will feel like it is crawling by, and you aren't getting anywhere.  And sometimes nothing great will be happening, and also, nothing bad will be happening.  You will just be coasting through.  Thinking of my journey through life like this has helped me to remember, in the hard times, that they will not last forever.  This is just a season I am in, and brighter days are coming.  I think our attitude and our thoughts play such a huge role in how we feel during the difficult times.  When we are going through a difficult time, we get to choose what we focus on.  We may not know that at the time, but we always get to choose what we focus on.  In every scenario, there are many different things happening, and which you decide to focus on, or what you decide to tell yourself about that situation, will play a huge part in how you feel and your attitude towards it.  For instance, if I am struggling with my boys, there are many things in that struggle that I can focus on.  Let's say I am unhappy that my son got a D in algebra.  I can focus on the fact that he got a D and that he may fail that class for the semester if he doesn't try harder this quarter.  I could focus on the fact that he attended school more this semester than last.  I could focus on the fact that he did really well in his other classes.  I could focus on the fact that last year was really hard and he is doing better this year.  Do you see how there are numerous things that I could focus on?  I get to choose which one I am going to focus on.  I can choose to focus on a negative one that will make me angry and keep me upset, or I can focus on one that is more positive and will help me to see that this one D is not the end of the world.  I am not saying that you can't care about the problem you are facing.  Of course, you can care, and I am also not saying don't think about it.  What I am saying is that if you are going through a hard time, try to find something positive in the situation and focus on that instead of obsessing about the negative things in the circumstance.  This is especially important if you can't do anything about the negative things.  If I chose to focus on my son's D, what would that change?  Would my being angry about it change the grade?  Would my being angry at him make him want to study harder?  I can think of many reasons why focusing on something that makes me angry will hurt me, but I can't see how it will change the situation.  The verse above says, “Stretch out your hand from on high; set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hand of aliens, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are false. I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,”  This is something that I think we have all been praying for lately.  At least all those that I have been talking to.  They would love for the Lord, our God, to stretch out His hand and rescue them to set them free.  I have several friends who feel like they are sinking in the mighty waters and are waiting and praying for God to save them.  I like how in this verse, immediately after they ask God to stretch out His hand to save them, they then say they will sing a new song to Him, and upon a ten-stringed harp they will play to Him.  Immediately after they ask for help, they start to praise Him.  This is where a lot of us struggle.  We wait for God to help before we praise Him.  We wait to see God show up and fix things before we begin to praise.  What if we began to praise immediately after asking?  What if we thanked God and praised Him for helping us before we saw Him help?  I wonder if anything would be different?  I wonder if we would see help sooner?  I wonder if we would feel any different?  In John 20:29, “Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”  I wonder if we would strengthen our faith if we not only believed that God would answer our prayers, but we thanked Him and praised Him before we saw any proof that He was going to?  I am going to try this and see what happens.  I invite you to do the same.  Let's join together and thank God and praise Him for answering all the prayers we have asked Him to answer right now, before He has answered them.  Let's not wait until after our prayers are answered to thank the Lord.  Let's show Him that we believe in Him as He believes in us.  Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we ask that you help us to know that we will make it through this difficult time.  Lord, give us a supernatural sense of peace and comfort, knowing that you are here with us always and that you will help us through whatever we are facing.  Lord, we ask that you help us to see that we can choose what we focus on.  Help us to focus on the good and the positive in each situation.  Help us to remember to thank you and to praise you, Lord.  Help us not to wait until we see your answers to our prayers.  Help us to thank you and praise you now, while we are still waiting for those answers, because we trust that you will answer them.  We love you, Lord, and we know that you are amazing.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  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

God's Mercy Is EndlessPsalm 36:7-9 “How precious is your mercy, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.  For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.”I love the imagery in this verse.  I love how it talks about God's mercy.  This is something I don't think we talk about enough.  We talk about God's love, but not always His mercy.  I think the reason for this is that we have a hard time believing in His mercy.  We have a hard enough time believing that God loves us. Believing that and believing that he forgives us for our sins, all of our sins, is just too much to believe for some of us.  Why is it so much easier to believe these things about other people than it is to believe them about ourselves?  I can believe that God will forgive my kids for all their sins.  That comes easily to me.  I can believe he loves them with his whole heart, no matter what they do.  I find that easy to believe because I know I love them with my whole heart, no matter what they do.  If I can do it in my broken state, surely God can do it.  I know that God's mercy is endless.  This made me think of a prayer that is part of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.  Here is the prayer, “Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.”  I think the Holy Spirit brought this to my mind right now because it talks about God's mercy.  Is this something you believe for others, but not yourself?  Is it something that you think you believe, but then when you examine your actions, you realize you are not quite there yet?  This is where I am at most of the time.  I know God is merciful.  I know God loves me and forgives all my sins, and yet at times I act like I am not forgiven.  I strive to do all I can to earn God's love when, in actuality, there is nothing I have to do because I already have all His love.  Do you do this too?The beginning of this verse says, “The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”  Isn't that a beautiful image?  When I hear that verse, I picture a giant Eagle just standing on the ground, and I am standing next to it.  I am holding on to his little leg, and He has His giant wing wrapped around me in protection.  We can take refuge in the Lord. Did you know that?  There are many places in the Bible where it talks about God being our refuge.  When you need protection, when you need a safe place to rest, rest in the Lord; He will be your refuge.The next line says, “They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.”  Sometimes we can think of God in terms of giving things up.  We can think that if we want to be a good Christian, then we have to sacrifice all we have.  We think we need to go without.  This is not the case.  God is a God of abundance.  Yes, we are called to give and to sacrifice, but God will not be outdone in generosity.  The more you give, the more God gives to you.  God knows what things you like, He knows the things you need, and He is taking care of them for you.  He is a God of abundance. He is not just taking care of the things you need, but the things you want as well.  It says, You give them drink from the river of your delights. God is so good.  He isn't just in the big things in life, He is in all the little details of your life too.  He shares His delights with you.  This verse ends with, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” God is our fountain of life.  Everything we have flows through Him.  We would have nothing without Him, and we are nothing without Him.  God is also our light.  He lights the way for us, and He is the light in the world that we see.  What would be great is if we could get to a point where we can shine light for others.  If we got to a place where God's light shone so brightly through us that we could be that light for others.  Now that I am saying that, I think we can be a light for others, even if we aren't quite where we want to be.  I am not sure we will ever be at a place where we think we have finally arrived.  I don't think this life is all about getting to the perfect place in life.  I think this life is more about our journey to become the best versions of ourselves.  I am not sure we ever arrive at that destination while we are here on earth.  I think it is something we can continually work towards.  What came to my mind just after I wrote that we could be a light for others is all the ways we help to spread God's love around this world.  When you are talking about God or Jesus to those you meet, that is spreading God's light.  When you pray for someone, you are being a light to them.  When you do something kind for someone, you are spreading God's light to them.  I know we probably don't think of ourselves as spreading God's light to others.  We don't think of ourselves as being a light to others, and yet, that is exactly what we are doing when we are talking about God, spreading His message, spreading His love.  Sometimes we can spread God's love without even opening our mouths.  There is so much darkness in the world, so much hatred and division.  When we are the opposite of that, when we are love and light, people can't help but notice.  We can be the light to others just by being different, just by being positive and not letting the world take our joy away.  If we can do that, others will notice and they will want what we have.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Dad, we want you to be our light, we want to drink of the river of your delights. Dad, please help us remember that you are a God of abundance.  Help us not to be afraid that if we give to others, we will be left with nothing.  Help us to remember that you will not be outdone in generosity.  Father, your mercy is endless, and we are so grateful.  Please help us to remember and to believe this in our day-to-day life.  Help us to believe that you truly do forgive our sins and that you love us always.  We love you, Dad, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you 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

I Know Waiting Is Hard!Psalm 138:7-8 “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”I read this verse at a prayer group yesterday, and it reminded me of all those I know who are struggling right now. The devil is having a heyday with so many people right now. There are so many I know that are struggling with health issues, money issues, addiction, or a place to live. Those that I know who are struggling with health issues are so tired of struggling. All they want to do is work for the Lord. They want to be able to attend Mass and participate in adoration. They want to be able to evangelize to everyone they meet. Yet, because of their illnesses, they are stuck in bed or in their house. Due to their illnesses, they are unable to attend Mass or participate in adoration. Or, maybe it is not the illness, but they don't have a working car to get to mass.Everyone I talk to these days is struggling with something or another. I believe the Lord is bringing these people into my life so I can pray with them and for them. I think there may also be a lesson in here, as I am really struggling to understand why He is not healing them already. I mean, we said the things you are supposed to say and do, and yet they are still sick. I struggle with the parts in the Bible that say, “Whatever you ask in my name will be given to you,” and then I ask in the name of Jesus, and it is not given to me.The thing the Lord is trying to show me, or at least I think He is, is that just because it is not given to me immediately, it does not mean it will not be given to me. I am discovering that I tend to be a bit impatient when it comes to the Lord answering my prayers, especially if they are prayers for others who are suffering. I want answers now, and I don't want to wait. I realize I probably sound like a child right now, and yet, I doubt I am the only one who thinks this way. You know you want answers to your prayers immediately, too.What the Lord is showing me is that His timing is perfect, and just because I don't understand it does not make it wrong. He is the Lord of the universe. I think He probably knows better than I do. The how and the why are not always for us to know. This morning, the thought that he gave me was that of taking silver or gold out of the fire too early, before it has been fully purified. Well, I have no idea what happens when you do this, so I had to look it up. Here is what I found. “If silver or gold is removed from the fire before it is fully purified, impurities will remain in the metal, affecting its quality and appearance. This can result in a less valuable product that does not shine as brightly or reflect the desired image of the goldsmith.”God does not want us to keep our impurities. He wants us to learn the full lesson so that we can shine as brightly as He made us to shine. We can't have all these impurities messing up our shine. God knows what He is doing. He knows the exact right point to pull us out of the fire. I love the last thing the explanation said. “Or reflect the desired image of the goldsmith.” Guess who is our Goldsmith? Jesus. So, when we accurately reflect Jesus, then God will pull us out of the fire. Trust in His timing. Yes, I am definitely saying that to myself too because I know it is hard, and yet He will give you all you need to wait and trust if you ask Him to.So, while we are all waiting, as I am sure everyone listening is waiting for some prayer to be answered, then we have today's verse to give us comfort and encourage us. “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” God is preserving us against our enemy. God knows we are walking in the midst of trouble, and He is not worried because He is walking right next to you. He knows you are feeling lost, abandoned, ill, tired, frustrated, angry, and so many other things. He knows because He is right there in the middle of this whole mess with you.His right hand will deliver you. It is delivering you. I know you want deliverance now, so do I. I know you want healing now, and I want that for you, too. I don't know why God is not saving you now, why He is not lifting you out of this now, but I do know He has a plan, and it is much better than my plan or your plan. Trust that He is there preserving you from the wrath of your enemies. He has got this. While you wait for Him to save you, ask for all that you need to persevere. Ask Him what you can do to serve Him in the circumstances you are in. He will tell you if you ask.I also don't want you to forget the last part of this verse. “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” God will fulfill his purpose for you. If you wonder why you are so sick and yet feel a calling to help others, just know that God will fulfill His purpose for you. Just because you can't do it today doesn't mean you won't be able to do it ever. When I first moved to MA, I asked the Lord why I was the only one in my family who couldn't write. Now I write almost every day. Trust that if the Lord put it in your heart, He has every intention of fulfilling it when you are ready in His timing, not yours.God's steadfast love will endure forever. We talked about this on Monday's episode. God couldn't love you any more than He does right now. He loves you completely and perfectly in every moment of your life. Actually, probably before you were even born and long after you are gone from this world. The verse says His love endures forever. Not just for a little bit, not just when you are doing and saying the right thing, not when you are a good boy or girl, forever. Like forever forever. Like never-ending. It is always there. So, when you feel like He has abandoned you or left you in this mess alone, remind yourself that His love endures forever. He is still loving you through all of this! Keep leaning into Him because He has not abandoned you and He knows the exact right second to pull you up out of this fire.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, help us to be patient and wait for you to heal us. Please help us to continue to trust that a healing is coming. Please help us to believe you will fulfill the purpose you have for our lives. Please help us to feel your love, as sometimes it feels so far away. Please help us to believe that your love endures forever. Please help us, Lord!! We love you and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Remember to CLICK HERE for all the retreat information. I promise it will be an amazing time, and you will love it. People are always nervous to go on a retreat; however, I have yet to meet a single person who regrets going. The enemy will try to tell you all the reasons why you shouldn't go because he knows how powerful it will be for you. I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday. Remember how much Jesus loves you and so do I! You are loved!! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “During my greatest trials, the word was all I needed. It defeated the devil. Despite how hungry and thirsty I was, the word rescued me. When you speak it out loud, my angels gear up to come to your aid. Use it in your daily lives. Always speak it. There is power in the word.” 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

Godly Friends Speak Truth, Even When It's HardEphesians 4:15 – “ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”On Tuesday, I talked about Godly friendships and how they are faithful. Today I want to talk about another character trait of a Godly friendship. It is Honesty in Love: Godly friends speak truth—even when it's hard. This is something that can be difficult for all of us. Well, maybe not all of us. We all know at least one person who does not have a problem saying that thing that needs to be said. However, for many, it is hard. I can think of at least two ways this could be hard. First, we don't want to hurt someone's feelings, so we refrain from telling them the truth. Second, we do tell them the truth, but we don't do it with love.I struggle with the first one. I don't want to hurt someone, and so I don't always say the thing I know I should say. Even though I am coming from a place of love, this is not helping my friends or my loved ones. For instance, it might be not very comfortable for them if you tell them they have spinach in their teeth. However, how much more embarrassed do you think they will feel if they find out by looking in the mirror at the end of the night?  Also, sometimes we can see things about what others are doing that they can't know because they are too close to the situation.You might not want to tell a friend what you see in the way they are acting, but they might not realize how they are sounding or the effect of what they are doing. Sometimes, we are blind to the impact of our actions. Sometimes we can't see that the job is wrong for us because we are so excited about it. Our emotions can cloud our judgment, and it is helpful if someone who is not emotionally involved can help us see what we can't see.Ephesians 4:15 tells us that we need to speak the truth in love so that we can grow, and our friendships can grow as well. I remember I felt embarrassed to tell a classmate in high school that her period had leaked through her pants. I thought she might be upset with me or I would embarrass her. However, looking back now, I am sure she was much more embarrassed walking through the hallways like that. If I had spoken up, she could have gotten a change of clothes before walking through the hallways, as we were in gym class when I noticed.We do our friends and anyone we interact with a disservice when we are not honest with them. If we want Godly friendships, then we need to be a reflection of Christ to all those we meet. Jesus told people the truth, and yet he did it without judging them or condemning them. I do not think it is our job to go up to everyone we know and tell them when they are doing something God doesn't agree with. I am not someone who believes that nagging our children will get them to do the things we want them to do. This is not what I am talking about.However, if you have Godly friends and you are all trying to point each other to God and help each other be holy, and you see that one of your friends is doing something that could hurt their relationship with God, you can tell them with love. It doesn't have to, and shouldn't be in a way that hurts them or makes them feel shame. It can simply be a gentle shift in another direction.I recall a story my mentor shared about when her friends came to visit. She went to pick them up at the airport and couldn't wait to tell them all about the fight she had gotten into with her husband that morning. She was ready for them to join in and agree that she was right and he was wrong. However, they had a Godly Friendship. Instead of joining in with her in talking badly about her husband and agreeing that she was right and he was the worst. Her friends gently reminded her about her commitment to him and to the Lord. They reminded her of the kind of relationship she wanted to have. They asked her which was more important, her relationship or her need to be right?They were not mean; they were not calling her out or condemning her for talking badly about her husband. They were just reminding her of the person she wanted to be. That is a great example of Godly friends. If you have a close relationship with your friends, then even though they may say something that might sting a bit, you know it is coming from a place of love, and that makes it easier to hear.We all know those people who can't wait to tell you what you are doing wrong. Their goal is not to try to help you get to Heaven. Their goal is to act like they are better than you or to make themselves feel better. If you have people in your life like this, they are not acting like Godly friends. Jesus had every right to act as if He were better than everyone else because He truly was. However, He never did. He washed the feet of his friends. If your friends are acting as if they are better than you, then they are not reflecting Christ to you.I still remember when I was going through a hard time with my husband, I would think about how there were some things I didn't feel I could talk to him about. Or there were some things I would be embarrassed to do in front of him. Then, one day, I got to thinking about it. This is the man that I chose to spend the rest of my life with. He should be the person I trust above all else. I realized that I should be the most confident around him because he chose to spend the rest of his life with me, too. He loved me, and if I couldn't be myself around him, who could I be myself around?These same principles should also apply to your Godly Friendships. You should be able to be yourself around them and know that they will love you anyway. You should be able to tell them the truth and know that even if they don't like it, they will still love you for being honest. They will be grateful that you felt you could be honest with them. Speak the truth, and always do it with love!!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening. Lord, please help us to examine our friendships and see if those friendships are honoring you. Please help us identify any friendships that we need to work on and any that we should let go of. Lord, please help us to be a Godly friend. Please help us to be a reflection of you to all we meet. Please help us to show more love and acceptance than judgment. 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. 7 more weeks until my retreat. It may be the last retreat in this beautiful location. You won't want to miss out! It will be held at the Holy Cross Retreat House in Easton, MA. It is only $200 for one night's accommodations, 5 meals, retreat talks, and fellowship! CLICK HERE to see all the details. I hope you can join us. It will be an amazing weekend!! I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Remember how much Jesus loves you, just as you are,and know that I love you too! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “The devil would bind you if he could. But you all have the power of my word. Use it like I did in the desert.” 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

Godly Friends Are FaithfulProverbs 17:17 “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.”The theme for this month's mentoring is Godly Friendships. I wanted to share with you that one of the characteristics of a Godly Friend is Faithfulness. Today's scripture states, “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.” The main point of this scripture is that true friends remain loyal to you through every season. If you have a Godly Friend, they are faithful. I am guessing that we have all had friends whom we thought were really good friends, and then we found out that they were talking about us when we were not around, or they were there in the good times, but not there when we really needed them.I remember reading this somewhere once, and I thought it was so true. It said that you should be careful about talking with your friends about someone who isn't there, because if they talk about them when they aren't there, then why wouldn't they talk about you when you aren't there?  Additionally, if you are the one initiating the conversation, they may not trust you because they might think you're talking about them when they're not there. Gossip is not good. It destroys friendships; it does not bring people closer. If you have friends who enjoy gossiping, that is not a Godly friendship. Or, that part of it is not Godly anyway. I have some friends who are wonderful people and they do help me become more holy. However, we are also human so we can get sucked into gossiping occasionally. The difference is that we notice it and we remind ourselves that is not who we want to be. That is not who God wants us to be.There is a significant difference between sharing information with people out of concern and wanting them to pray for that person, and gossiping. The main difference is your motive. Why are you saying something about someone? Are you saying it because you care about that person and want to help them, or are you saying something because you want to feel superior to that person, or you want to be the one to contribute some gossip to the group? I have realized that even if you think you are doing a good thing by sharing something with others so that they can pray for that person, sometimes it is better to ask them to pray for a private intention. God knows what the person needs, and it is not your story to tell.Another way to determine if you have Godly friends is to see if they are there for you during all seasons, as the verse suggests. Sometimes we can have friends who love to hang out when things in our lives are going really well. They want to go out and have a good time. They want to go to dinner or drinks and talk about how great things are. However, when things aren't going so well, they don't want to be there to listen. They are not calling you when you are sick or dropping soup off. When things are tough, they hang out with their other friends who are doing well.Also, when things are going well for them, they can't wait to tell you about it. They brag about all the good that is happening in their life while you are suffering in your life. Godly friends will pick you up when you are down. They will continually point you back to God.  Godly friends will meet you where you are at, they will comfort you when you are struggling, and they will love you too much to let you stay there.It is not a Godly friendship to sit and complain about everything together. I am not saying you always have to be positive; there are times when you can lament your situation. However, Godly friends will help pull you out of the negative mindset instead of joining you in it. They will listen to your problems and then remind you of how great our God is. They will pray with you and for you. They will remind you of all that God has done in the past and will do again. God is the same yesterday, today, and always. (Hebrews 13:8) If He did it for those who came before us, He will do it for us too!Godly friends will also help you out when you need something. They will offer you a ride to the airport or to work. They will help out when you are sick by bringing food over or watching the kids so you can go to the hospital. There are many ways that friends can help out when you are in need. Something else that is really nice with Godly friends is that they won't wait for an invitation. They won't wait until you ask them to bring a meal over. They are the first ones to offer. They will also sometimes drop by with it. They won't ask because they know you won't want to be a bother, so you would say no even though you could really use the help.I had a friend when we moved to Germany that we had known from a previous base we were stationed at. My friend was really struggling with the move to Germany. She had so much to do, and her husband had to have a minor surgery right when we got there. It wasn't a bad surgery, but he couldn't do any lifting. This meant she had to do most of the unpacking. She was tired, and her youngest was about 2-3 years old, so they were right in the thick of toddler years.  She was exhausted from the move and from having two young kids. I called one day to see if she wanted to take the kids out somewhere, as I had three little ones at the time, too.She broke down. She was crying and tired and said she couldn't go anywhere because she was so overwhelmed. Luckily, it was a weekend, and Tony was home, so he stayed with our boys, and I went over to her house to watch her kids while she took a nap. We were good friends, so she knew I wasn't going to judge that her house wasn't completely unpacked yet. She knew I wasn't going to judge her for needing a nap. She would have never asked me to do that, and yet she so needed it and was so grateful when she woke up and felt a bit more refreshed.We are called to be a reflection of Christ to our friends, and we are called to find others who will reflect Christ back to us. So, when you are wondering if you are in a Godly friendship, you can ask yourself, “Is this person a reflection of God?” Another great question to ask is, “When I am with this person, am I a reflection of God?” Because sometimes, if it is not a Godly friendship, then they might bring out the worst in you, instead of the best. I have definitely had friendships where they brought out the worst in me. I wanted to join in their conversations, so I needed to have something negative to say about everything. That was not a Godly friendship. Godly friendships always point you back to God!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, help us to find Godly friends. We know you did not create us to be alone, so please help put the right people in our path. Please help us to know whether someone is a Godly friend. Please help us stay away from those who will just hurt us—those who will drag us down instead of lifting us up. Lord, point us to the friends who will help us grow in holiness, and we can help them grow too! 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. For more information on Godly Friendships, you can join the mentoring session on Zoom every Tuesday at 8 PM Eastern Time. There is a link in the show notes, check it out! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day.Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, "I am the master. I know all. I know what is best to give each one of you. I only ask that you open the door of your heart so that you may receive all my goodness, all that is good, all my understanding, but you need only open your heart.” 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 Couldn't Love You Anymore Than He Does Right Now!Titus 3:4-5 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”Today I want to share with you a song that I heard this weekend. I was driving home from spending time with some of my family, and this song came on. It stuck with me, and I wanted to share it with you. What I heard from the Lord was that we need to focus on His love. Even after all these podcast episodes and all these years of people sharing their witness on Witness Wednesday, it is still hard for some of us to fathom the love that God has for us. We know He loves us on some level, but thinking about how much he loves us is not something we do.Often, we let negative thoughts overwhelm the positive ones. We can start to let the way the world views love creep into our thoughts about how God loves us. We can begin to think that God's love is based on our performance, because most worldly love is. We can start to believe that God's love is based on our behavior, because we have been taught from an early age that we are loved when we are good and when we are not causing trouble.This song reminds us that God loves us for who we are, not what we do or how we behave. It reminds us that even when we feel unworthy, God still loves us. It reminds us that no matter how crappy we feel or how bad we think we are, or how many times we have messed up, God could not love us any more than He does right now. God loves you fully and completely before you are even born and will always love you perfectly, no matter what you do. It doesn't matter if you feel you deserve it or not. God will still love you perfectly. Always! Let me share the lyrics of the song titled, “Any More” by Cain.1st Verse:You got a voice in your headThe same old guilt and regretYou heard a thousand times beforeAfter the choices you've madeYou're waiting for me to sayI couldn't love you anymoreIs this you? Are you just waiting for the Lord to say that He doesn't love you anymore? Have you been expecting it for a while now? Are you sure that with all you have done, the number of times you have turned away or messed up, He surely has given up on you. He has decided He doesn't love you anymore, it is just too much work loving you. That is something many of us think. It's too hard to love us, we are too much and God has said enough is enough. If this is what you think, listen to the rest of this song.The Pre-Chorus says:The enemy has lied to youBut listen to me, here's the truthChorus:I couldn't love you any moreThan I do right nowThere's nowhere I wouldn't goTo get to you my childTake a look at the crossThen you'll know it for sureI couldn't lovе youI couldn't love you any moreAny moreAny morеThan I do right nowAny moreAny moreThat is pretty amazing, don't you think? If you think this is just a song and it doesn't mean anything, let me remind you of the verse above. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” God did not save us because of anything we did or anything we deserved. He saved us because of His love and His mercy. God loves us. He loves you. He loves you more than you can even imagine. He couldn't love you any more than He already does, than He always has. God's love is unchanging. Our human love tends to be fickle. We may love someone more when they are being kind to us, or not love them as much when they are being brats to us. However, God's love is not like our love. God loves us with a perfect love. He loves us with a truly unconditional love that is unchanging, no matter what we do or do not do.The song goes on to say:2 Verse:When the sin and the shameTry to lock you awayMy grace is breaking down the doorYeahYou're the one that I'm running afterYou're mine, and you matterYour life's worth dying forThe Lord is telling us in this song that we don't have to be stuck in sin and shame. God's grace is breaking down the door to sin and shame. We just have to let Him. I love the next line because I think it is something we don't think of often. It says, “You're the one that I'm running after.” It is hard for many of us to believe that God would be running after us. I have heard this in many songs, and I love the imagery. It reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son from the Bible. The father sees his son when his son is still a long way off, and he goes running to his son. The head of the household back in that day and time would not run. It would not have been proper. Yet, this father did not care. He saw his son, and he ran to him.That is what our Heavenly Father does for us as well. He not only runs to us when He sees us coming, but He runs after us when we are going in the other direction. He runs after us to save us from ourselves and to save us from this world. God never stops loving you. He is always loving you, protecting you, and wanting you to come back home, no matter how far you've strayed or how long you've been gone.The last verse of the song says:3 Verse:The past doesn't own you anymoreThe grave doesn't hold you anymoreYeahI say that you're worth dying forAnd I couldn't love you anymoreThis verse reminds us of three very powerful things. First, it says your past doesn't own you anymore. This is a fact. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, forever defeating the evil in this world. However, we have to live in this truth. We have to believe it. We have to refuse to let the enemy hold us hostage with our past. God has forgiven you; now you have to forgive yourself and move forward, move past it. If your past is full of trauma or if really bad things happened to you, then you may need therapy to help you move past that trauma. I promise you, though, if you put in the work, there is freedom beyond your past. You don't have to let it keep you stuck anymore. Your past doesn't have to own you anymore. There is a way out, and that way is Jesus!Next, it says the grave doesn't hold you anymore. You are not stuck in the grave you have dug. Jesus died so our sins would be forgiven and we would have eternal life. Some of us are walking around as if we have a death sentence on our hands. We are acting as if we are already dead. You are not. God is life, not death. That grave you think you are in is just an illusion. God can save you; He has saved you. You just have to accept his help and then walk right out of that grave.The last important thing that this song reminds us of is that “We are worth dying for.” We often say we are not worthy. However, the creator of the entire universe has sent His only son to die on the cross for you. If God Almighty says that we are worth dying for, who are we to argue? We are not worthy because of anything we did or said. We are worthy because we are made in the image of the one true king and because Jesus made us worthy when he took all of our sins to the cross with him. Believe that and you will start to live with more freedom.I pray you hear this episode today and you allow yourself to take it all in. I pray you allow yourself to feel God's love and believe that He couldn't love you any more than He does right now. You, yes you, are incredibly special to the Lord, and He loves you so much. He knows all you are going through, and He is right there by your side, loving you through it all. Even if you can't see why He would love you, it doesn't change the fact that HE does.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, thank you for loving us so perfectly. Thank you for loving us even though we might not feel like we deserve it. Thank you for hanging in there and loving us in even our worst moments. Thank you for the times when you laughed with us and cried with us. Thank you for believing in us when I don't believe in ourselves. Lord, please help us to feel your love more. Help us to truly believe in our hearts that you love us no matter what. 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. There are just six more weeks to sign up for my retreat. It is October 11-12, and it is in Easton, MA. The theme is Identity, and it is going to be a great weekend. If you have never gone on a retreat before, I want to encourage you to give it a try. It can be scary to do something you haven't done before, but I promise you will not regret it. It will be so life-giving. It will be that thing that you didn't even know you needed, but you did. CLICK HERE for all the information and to sign up. I look forward to seeing you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I knock at the door of your heart, my children. Will you open the door for me? Will you accept the new wine that I am offering you? Will you also be my new skins that will hold my goodness, my joy, my hope, everything that is good? I want you to hold it so that you may share it with 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

God's Love For UsEphesians 3:16-19 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”I love this verse.  I probably say that about a lot of these verses.  I think when I am reading through the whole Bible, one chapter at a time, I miss a lot of the information that is contained in each verse.  I get the idea of the chapter, and I understand the lesson and the main things I am supposed to learn, and yet even as I write this, I am not sure I do get all the things I am supposed to learn, as it seems like there is so much in each verse.  I am really enjoying taking a look at each verse or a couple of verses individually and trying to see what they are telling us and how they apply to our lives.  I think this verse is particularly special, as I read it today, as I have a friend who is struggling with inner strength.  Her situation is so difficult right now, and she is trying so hard to be the strong one.  She was trying to hold it together for her family.  I bet if you are a parent, you find yourself doing this a lot.  We feel all the weight of the family on our shoulders. No matter if you are a mom or a dad, you feel the weight.  We try to stay strong because we feel that if we fall apart, our family will fall apart.  We stay strong because we want our kids to feel secure and know that we have it all together.  We want them to know we are there for them.  We all do this; you are not alone.  My friend said something today that made me think, if she is feeling this way, maybe others are too.  Then, when I read this verse, I thought it could help me explain why we don't need to feel this way.  My friend said she tries to stay strong because she doesn't want God to be disappointed in her.  I am guessing that she is not the only one of us who feels this way.  It can be tough because we know that we have a lot to be grateful for, and we don't want God to think we are ungrateful for all the things that are going right.  We love God and we want to please Him.  We want to do what we can to make Him happy.  He is our Heavenly Father, and it makes sense that we don't want to disappoint Him.  My first thought was that we can't disappoint Him.  He loves us more than we could even imagine.  However, I don't think that is true.  I think that He is probably disappointed when we sin, especially if it is something that we know better than to do and yet we do it anyway.  We know how He wants us to live, and so if we are continually breaking his commandments, He probably does get disappointed with us.  Short of this, I do not think He gets disappointed with us.  God is the one who made us who we are.  He made us with our unique personalities and all of our feelings.  He knows that we are not perfect.  I don't think that He gets disappointed in us when we feel weak.  God said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  God's power is made perfect in our weakness.  It is when we can admit our weakness that God can move in and give us power.  “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”  This is a powerful statement.  The Holy Spirit lives in each one of us.  And God gives us power through this Spirit in our inner being.  Through this power of the Holy Spirit, Christ dwells in our hearts as well.  Think about that for a minute.  You not only have the power of the Holy Spirit strengthening your inner being, but you also have Christ dwelling in your heart.  You can handle anything that comes your way.  God has you covered.  He is there every step of the way.  This is something that He is repeatedly telling our Prayer Group.  I am there for you, in good times and in bad.  I will lift you up when you fall.  Lean on me in times of trouble.  When we are weak, God is not disappointed; He expects it.  He knows we can't do it all on our own, and He doesn't want us to.  He wants us to lean into Him.  He wants us to ask for help.  His Glory shines when we ask for help.  Think about your children or your pets.  What do you feel inside when they ask for help, or when they are sad?  Are you disappointed or frustrated with them?  No, you love them, and you would do anything to help them.  This makes me think of a verse in Matthew 7:11: "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”  In this circumstance, it would be more like “If you have compassion on your children when they are sad and feeling weak, how much more compassion would your Heavenly Father have on you?”  He loves you!The second verse from above describes this love.  “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  Did you catch it?  It talks about being able to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of God is.  I wonder if we are even capable of this?  The Lord is also repeating this message over and over again to our prayer group.  This is a word that was given at one of our meetings, “I love you so much.  You cannot understand the depth of my love.  If I let the power of my love loose and hugged you, I would crush you.  My love for you is that great.  It consumes you.”  Can you imagine this kind of love?  Think of the biggest bear hug you have received from someone, or maybe given to someone.  Now times that by a million.  That is how much God loves us.  I really liked this image.  I think it helps me to imagine how much God loves us.  It also helps me to remember that He loves us more than we are capable of loving others.  You can see examples of God's love all throughout the Bible.  There were so many times when he gave grace to people who didn't deserve it.   When you read about all Jesus' interactions with people, they were full of love.  When I am struggling with thoughts that I might be letting God down, I remember this word and how much He loves me.  I truly believe that He looks down on us and is so proud of us for all of our efforts.  I will leave you with another word that was given at our prayer group.  “My children, you strive hard to follow me.  But I am asking you to simply lean into me.  When doubts assail you and enemies crowd near; when your own thoughts rise in rebellion against my goodness; praise me and watch me work.”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we ask that you help us to feel your love today. We pray as it said in the verse that we are able to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is.  Heavenly Father, we love you so much, and we know our love is just a fraction of how much you love us. Remind us of this, Lord. When we are struggling and we feel we are letting you down, remind us of your love.  We are grateful, Lord, for all you've given us, and we know that you are with us even in the hard times. Help us lean into you. Help us to praise you, Lord, even when we're sad and even when it's difficult. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will, and in Jesus's 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