Podcasts about identity series

Episode 257 - Jubilee and Identity - Series on Jesus and the Jubilee (Part 7) The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you! Check out the 24-hour adoration chapel in New York https://perpetualadoration.nyc

I Am Saved! (Identity Series)2 Samuel 22:1-6 “David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.  He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge, and my savior— from violent people, you save me. “I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise and have been saved from my enemies. The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.”I heard this verse while typing up the minutes for my prayer group yesterday.  I was just going to use the first part, the part that ends with “my refuge and my savior —from violent people you save me.”  That was where I was going to stop, and yet I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to include the next few verses, too.  The thought came to me, “What if the Lord hasn't saved them yet?  What if they are still stuck in a rough time?  They will want to hear the next few lines. They will want to see that David knew the real dangers.  I will start at the beginning.  “David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of his enemies and from the hand of Saul.”  If you don't know the story of David's life you should read it sometime, he had a truly fascinating life.  Most people know about David and Goliath, and maybe that David is the author of many of the Psalms, and that's about it.  If you only know about David and Goliath, you might think that David has a pretty great life.  It seems like if he did something that amazing, he would be instantly famous.  In today's day and age, he would become an influencer and go all over the world talking about how we can all slay our giants.  However, this wasn't David's fate.  David killed the giant and then went back home to tend to his dad's sheep.  One day, the prophet Samuel got the word from God that he needed to go and anoint one of Jesse's sons as the next king.  Samuel saw David's older brothers and thought for sure they would be the anointed ones because they “looked like kings.”  God told Samuel that He will not judge by outside appearance but by inside appearance; he will judge by what is in their hearts.  David was not home when Samuel first got there to pick up a son.  Once the Lord ruled out all the other sons, Samuel asked if Jesse had any other sons and they sent someone to go get David.  David was now anointed with oil to be the next king.  After being anointed as the next king you would think that David's life was not going to get really interesting.  Maybe he would go to the palace and learn from the present king.  You might think that he was to become king right away.  Neither of these is what happened.  I believe David went back to taking care of his father's sheep.  From the time that David was anointed King to when he became king was 15 years.  During that time, David went to play the Lyre for the current king, Saul, got banished by Saul, hid in the desert, lived on the run, was forced out of the nation, and fought many battles.  This was all in the 15 years before David became king.  I didn't intend to go into so much detail about David, and yet I think the Holy Spirit wanted to let us know that life is not linear.  It is not that things in life always work out at the time that we want them to.  It is not always moving forward.  Sometimes you will get great news, like a job promotion is coming and yet that promotion might be three years in the future.  You might pray for God to save you from your current boss, and He is, just not yet.  You might take three steps forward and two steps back.  This is how it was for David.  He would have something amazing happen and then nothing.  He would be doing great and then find himself hiding in a cave.I feel what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell us this morning is that this verse is absolutely true.  The Lord is our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer; Our God is our rock, in whom we take refuge, our shield and the horn of our salvation. He is our stronghold, our refuge, and our savior. This is all true and on good days, in good times, we know this, we say this, we tell others this.  What about the bad times?  Do you still know this?  Do we still tell others that God is our rock and our savior when we are in the middle of a really hard time?  Do we tell ourselves?  Is there a way to rely on the Lord in these hard times?You might be thinking when you first hear David's songs to the Lord, as he has many, that David is different because he was anointed.  Of course, he can rely on God, or, of course, he is taken care of by God; he is anointed.  I've got news for you my friend, so are you!  You were anointed in your baptism as priest, prophet, and king.  David was anointed as king, you've been anointed for all three.  One thing I really admire about David is that he was never too proud to turn back to God.  If you read about David, you can see how much he was loved by God and how much he loved God.  God loved David and anointed him to be king and yet did not spare him from hardships.  David did not have an easy life. He struggled a lot.  Just look at how David describes the hard times in his life, “The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.”How many of us know exactly what David is talking about here?  How many of us hear that and are brought right back into a really difficult time in our past, or maybe this describes what we are going through right now?  This is a pretty descriptive language, and it lets us know exactly how bad things were for David.  It shows us that he did not have an easy life.  God loves us just as much as he loved David and yet he is not going to spare us from trial.  Trials are where we grow. Trails are when we turn to God the most.  These trials are what transformed David from a shepherd boy into a king.  The same is true for us, for you and me.  The trials we go through transform us into the person we need to become.There is one line in the verse that I haven't talked about yet and I think it is the key to how David was able to persevere for so long without losing his faith in our Lord God and Savior.  “I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies,” David called out to the Lord every single time.  We might think because David was anointed and because he was so loved by God that, he was a really good person and didn't really mess up too much.  It was easy for David to call on the Lord because the Lord loved him and because he followed the Lord's ways, so, of course, the Lord would help him.  Yes, David did try to follow the Lord's ways, just like we do, and yet he messed up a lot, just like we do.  One of David's biggest mess-ups that I know of is when he saw a woman bathing while he was on top of his house and had the woman brought to him.  She was married, and he had his way with her anyway.  Then he later found out that she was pregnant and knew that everyone would know it was not her husband's because he was a soldier away at war, so he had her husband killed and took her as his wife.  Ok, you may have done some pretty bad things, but do they compare to that?  We often think we can't go to the Lord; we can't call on the Lord because we have sinned and we are not worthy of His help.  This is garbage, and it comes straight from the enemy.  The reason God helped David so much was because David asked.  I believe it is that simple.  When David disobeyed the Lord when he messed up, he always repented, said sorry, and then went to the Lord to get him out of the situation he found himself in.  David knew he could always go to the Lord.  He knew God wouldn't always be happy with him, that is why he repented but he trusted that he could always go to Him when needed.  God is there for you, too.  There is nothing you can do that would cause God to turn his back on you.  There is nothing you could do that would make you less loved.  There is nothing you can do that would make it so you can't go to the Father for help.  Go to the Lord; look how much trouble David got out of by simply calling to God.  One last thing I want to remind you of is that praise is so important as well.  If you are feeling unworthy, if you are feeling stressed or worried, if you are feeling spiritually empty or dry, praise God through it.  When we praise God, the enemy flees.  He can't stand to hear us worship God.  You don't have to know the right things to say, and you don't even have to say anything.  You can just put on Christian music and listen to the words. Let the words penetrate your heart and mind.  I know you will feel increasingly better the more you praise the Lord in the tough times!Dear heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who listen to this episode.  Lord, we love you, and we praise you.  You are worthy of praise.  We ask you to be our rock and our stronghold.  Lord we ask you to help us turn to you, even when we don't feel worthy, even when we don't think we deserve your help. Lord, if we have done something to offend you, please put it on our hearts, and please help us to repent.  We thank you, Lord, for always being there for David, and we thank you for always being there for us.  Help us to see how you have been there for us over the years.  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.  My book is for sale on my website right now.  If you buy from my website I will write a personal message and sign it before sending it to you.  I will put a link for my website and book in the show notes. Click Here for the book and Click Here for my website in the show notes.  Thank you for all your support, I really appreciate it! I look forward to meeting you hear again on Monday.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I!  Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Love. Love is the light within 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

I Am Confident (Identity Series)1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”This is one of the verses that was covered in my class last night.  In case I didn't mention this before, I have enrolled in a two-year program with the Encounter School of Ministry. This school was designed and established from the heart of Encounter Ministries.  This school draws from the richness of our Catholic heritage as we seek to teach, equip, and activate disciples to demonstrate the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit in their spheres of influence. In conformity with the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church, we offer students a dynamic  2-year training program designed to take them to the next level in their ministry.  I am really loving the class so far.  I truly believe that Jesus gave us all the authority to do signs and wonders here on earth when He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I am sure I will be using a lot of the Bible verses from class in the podcast so that everyone can see how powerful the Holy Spirit is. This first quarter is all about Identity and Transformation.  Last night, I heard something, and I knew I wanted to share that with all of you.  Our teacher asked us a question.  What is the devil most afraid of?  Do you want to take a guess?  Maybe you already know, but I don't think I did.  The enemy is most afraid of confident sons and daughters of Christ.  Did you know that already?  What does that mean?  What she meant by confident sons and daughters is that we are confident in who we are as sons and daughters of Christ.  We have talked before about how the enemy loves to steal our joy with half-truths.  He takes a kernel of truth and then twists it into a lie that we believe hook, line, and sinker.  Why do we believe it?  Because we are insecure in who we are, and He knows that.  Remember when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, and then the Holy Spirit came upon Him, and He went into the wilderness for 40 days?  This can be found in Matthew 3 & 4.  In Matthew 3:16-17 it says, “And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Immediately after this, Jesus went into the desert for 40 days. In Matthew 4:1-3 it says, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”  Do you see how the devil was trying to get Jesus to question His identity?  God had just said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  Now the devil is coming in 40 days later when Jesus is hungry and trying to get Him to question His identity.  The devil says, “If you are the Son of God.”  Luckily, God had just affirmed who Jesus was, and Jesus was confident in who He is.  He was not tempted by the devil.  I wonder if we can say the same?Are we confident children of Christ?  Do we let the enemy get in and twist the truth of who we are?  Let's look at this verse and see who we actually are.  The verse says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”  It starts out by saying we are a chosen race.  Did you know you were chosen?  God chose you, yes you, to be one of His children.  It says so right here in this verse.  If this is something you struggle to believe, post it somewhere you can read it multiple times a day.  We are a chosen race. You are His chosen child.  Next, it says we are a royal priesthood.  I was not sure exactly how to explain this, so I looked it up and found the answer on lavendervines.com.  “We are a royal priesthood, which means we have direct access and fellowship with God like a priest but are also called to expand the Kingdom of God and influence the world like a king.”  I will post a link to her article as she goes into a lot more detail in her article.  Basically, we have direct access to God; there is nothing in between us like there was in the Old Testament.  The moment Jesus died on our cross, the veil at the temple was torn in two. (Matthew 27:51)  This veil in the temple was meant to keep the Holy of Holies apart from the people.  Only Priests were allowed to go in there.  However, when Jesus died on the cross, that veil was torn in two, and we were granted direct access to the Lord.  That is another thing I learned somewhat recently and something that still amazes me.  We now have direct contact with the Lord. We don't have anything standing between us.  Next, the verse says, “A holy nation, God's own people.”  We are holy, which means to be set apart or different.  We are not the same as everyone else.  We belong to God, and that makes us different.  We don't have to do things on our own or rely on our own strength.  We have the power of the Holy Spirit on our side to help us do what we need to do.  Also, Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  We have a loving father who has set us apart from the ways of the world, and He gives us the power to resist the ways of the world if we call upon it.   Do you believe this?  Do you believe that God has set you apart and that we are called to live differently?  The last part of the verse is one I think we forget often and maybe even the thing we have the most trouble believing or remembering.  It says, “That you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”  Do you struggle to believe you've been called out of the darkness and into His marvelous light?  Right now, it may feel like you are stuck in the darkness.  That is a lie the enemy wants you to believe.  Yes, things may seem pretty bleak right now, but you have already been called into the light, and you are not stuck in the darkness.  God is shining His light into that darkness you feel. Can you see it?  Are you looking for it?  Or are you just falling for the lies of the enemy?  If you struggle to believe who you are in Christ, you are not alone.  We all struggle sometimes.  However, the reason I wanted to share this with you today is because we are so much more powerful when we can believe these things, and we can be confident in who we are.  When we know who we are, when we are confident in who we are and whose we are, the enemy can't touch us.  Being confident in who you are doesn't mean you will never be tempted by the enemy; you will.  He will do all he can to get you to doubt who you are.  However, when you are confident, you don't fall for his lies.  He still tries, but you don't give him the time of day.  You don't even listen to His lies because you know he is a liar.  If you go back and read Matthew 4, you will see Jesus didn't get upset at the devil, He didn't get flustered, He just answered the questions of the devil with scripture.  This is one reason why it is so great to get familiar with the Scripture.  If we truly know what the Bible says, it is a lot harder for the devil to use it against us.  It is hard for him to twist it into something it is not if we know what it says.  However, even if you don't know scripture, you can still ignore the enemy if you just remember this one verse.  This verse above says all you need to know.  “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Write this somewhere you will see it often.  Memorize this one scripture if it helps you to believe more in your identity as a child of Christ.  Know who you are and whose you are, and the enemy won't be able to get into your heart.  He won't be able to make you doubt.  He will be afraid of you because he knows how much power a confident child of God has.  He knows how powerful we become when we step into our identities.  He knows that when we fully step into our true identity, we are lost to him forever.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you, and we accept our place as your sons and daughters.  Lord, please help us to step into this identity fully and not to believe the lies of the enemy.  Help protect us against these lies.  We want to be confident children, Lord; please show us how.  Give us the strength we need to do this.  We are so grateful you have adopted us, Lord; we are thankful you have chosen us and set us apart.  Help us to live in this glorified state.  You are the almighty one. You are Lord of Lords and  Kings of kings.  We are so very grateful for all you do for us, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's 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!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “When you look at anyone, see me. They would not exist if I were not giving them life, giving them breath at that very moment. When you look in the mirror, see me. I give you breath. I give you life. I give you food. I give you a kiss.” 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 Am Heard (Identity Series)Isaiah 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life.”When I read this verse this morning, my first thought was of a friend of mine.  She is really struggling right now, and I felt like God was talking to her when He said, “I have heard your prayers and seen your tears.”  Then I got to thinking, and I actually have several friends that are struggling right now.  Struggling with some really difficult issues.  For all of you who are struggling right now, I want you to know that you are not alone.  Life is difficult for so many people right now.  On top of all that the world is going through right now, you have had added levels of difficulty.  I am so sorry that life has been so hard. Life is not perfect for us either, and yet I can see how the Lord has been with us through it all.What if you can't see that?  What if you don't know where God was in all of it?  You can be someone who loves God and has a close relationship with God, and you can also question where God is and his plan.  King David was anointed, and he had a very close relationship with God, yet even He questioned God.  Psalm 13:1-3 “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me?”  Have you had these thoughts before?  Have you, or are you going through something, and you are wondering how long you have to endure the suffering before God will save you and answer your prayers?If this is your first time, I want to let you know that this is okay.  Sometimes, we can make our pain worse because on top of the pain of the situation, we feel guilty because we are questioning the Lord, or we are mad at the Lord.  Sometimes our minds say things like, “If I were a good Christian, I would just trust God,” or “I've had a relationship with the Lord a long time, I shouldn't be worried or questioning.”  God can handle our questioning and our anger.  He is strong enough for anything you have for Him.  He wants you to turn to Him in times of need.  You are not the only person angry with God and questioning how long you will have to suffer.  Trust me. There are many people in the same boat.  Please let the guilt go.  Please do not judge yourself for questioning.   David questioned often,  just read the psalms and you will see just how often, and yet God chose David's lineage to bring forth the savior of the world.  Second, I want you to know that this scripture verse is for you.  God wants to talk directly to you right now when he says, “I have heard your prayers, and seen your tears.”  He is there with you, even when you can't see Him or feel Him.  He is there every moment of your life.  I know it is sometimes a struggle to understand why you had to go through some of the things you had to go through.  I know that not knowing is sometimes the hardest part.  I want to assure you that things will get better.  I don't know how, and I don't know when.  I do know that God wants ridiculously good things for you.  It says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  God will get you through these difficult times, and there will be great times on the other side of this hardship.  Just hang on.  Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you will endure this hard time.I want to give you two things that may help you through this difficult time.  First, it is from the same psalm that I read from earlier.  In Psalm 13, David questioned the Lord and asked how long he would have to suffer. Then he ended the Psalm with verses 5-6: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me.”  David does question the Lord, and then he turns back to praising the Lord.  Praising the Lord in a difficult time can really be helpful in getting out of that difficult time quicker.  Now, I can already hear some of you saying, “But what if I am struggling to trust in God's unfailing love?” or “What if I don't know what to say?” This is ok. God knows this.  When I struggle to believe in something, I go to Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”Sometimes, we get to a place where we can't pray.  Has this happened to you?  If so, I want you to know you are in good company.  I am unsure if you know this, but Mother Teresa had this happen to her.  She was so close to the Lord, she was doing His work every single day, and yet she went through really long, like several years long, dry spells where she could not pray.  She would enter into her prayer time, and nothing would come.  The enemy makes us feel like we are the only ones that these things happen to and that we are awful people because of it.  I want you to know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  I think that is part of the reason why God raises up Saints.  I think we usually put them on pedestals, and when we do, I think we are missing the point.  I think the Saints are actually to show us very real people that are not perfect; they made mistakes, in some cases big mistakes, and yet still were capable of carrying out God's work.  God does not use perfect people.  He takes broken, imperfect people and makes them perfect through His grace.  I think the Saints are showcasing God's redemption.  If you read about the saints, you will quickly take them off the pedestal, and you will be able to see parts of yourself in them.  If God could turn their lives around so completely, He could do it for all of us.The second thing is to read scripture.  If you are going through a difficult time and you are questioning if God is there, reading scripture can be helpful.  Seeing how God has shown up for others in the past can help you see how He may show up for you.  If you struggle to trust in the Lord, read passages that talk about God's faithfulness.  If you struggle to believe God loves you, read passages on God's love.  I have recently learned of something called scripture writing.  I had no idea what this was.  Obviously, I could deduce what it meant, but I didn't know how to do it.  How do you know what scripture to write?  How much to write?  I had several questions.  The truth is, there is no one way to do it. The point is to familiarize yourself with scripture, and you remember things better when you write them down.  However, I like it when things have directions that I can follow.  So, if you are like me, here is what I do.  I go online and Google scripture-writing plans.  There will be tons of images that come up.  Most of them have a theme, so I pick one that I feel resonates with me for that month.  One month, I picked Be Bold; another month, I picked Repentance & Renewal.  Then the plan tells you which verses to write each day. It is usually just a verse or two.  I just got a notebook, and I write the verse for the day each day.  It has been really great, and I enjoy those 5-10 minutes with the Lord.  If you are struggling right now, maybe give scripture writing or praising the Lord a try and see how you feel afterward.  If you are not sure you would know what to say for praising the Lord, you could always listen to Christian music and let the artists praise for you.  If you are unsure what to pray, you can pray the scriptures.  The Book of Psalms is also a great place to praise the Lord.  You can borrow David's praises if you feel like you can't praise the Lord in your circumstances.  You will get through this hard time.  God is with you!  You are not alone.  He may let you fall, but He will be there to catch you and put you back on even stronger ground.  You are amazing, and God loves you more than you will ever know.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you be with everyone listening to this today.  I ask that you let them see where you are in all of this.  Sometimes, we don't understand Your plan or why we must endure the hard times. We ask that you bless us with a supernatural trust in you.  We ask that you help us feel you in those hard times.  Lord, we ask that You fortify us with strength and protect us when we are weak.  Lord, some of us are going through really difficult times and can't see the way out.  I ask that you shine a light on each step of the way and fill us with assurance that you are there and are leading us out.  Lord, thank you for being strong enough to handle our questions and anger.  I thank you for your mercy that when we are angry with you or questions where you are, you do not get angry with us.  I thank you for the graces you give us each and every day.  Lord, we love you and are constantly amazed by you.  Father, we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. AmenThank you for joining me on this journey to live boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow.  Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I kiss you all. Each of you receive my kiss. My kiss, my eternal promise of my love for each one 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

I Am Rescued (Identity Series)Psalm 103:4 “You've rescued me from hell and saved my life. You've crowned me with love and mercy.”I think most of us can say that God has rescued us from hell at one point or another. Of course, this hell looks different for each one of us. Your hell might look like years of depression that seem overwhelming. Your hell might be years of anxiety too much to deal with. Your hell might be an abusive relationship that you can't seem to leave. Your hell might be money troubles that keep getting worse and worse. We all have something we are dealing with. Mine was family trouble for a very long time. It was really difficult to parent my children, and my marriage was not going well. This went on for a very long time. Maybe yours has gone on for a long time, too.When our difficult times go on for a long time, it can be difficult to believe that God will rescue us from them. Understanding why God hasn't rescued us from these difficult times can be challenging. However, He always does rescue us from them. Not only does he rescue us from them, but he walks with us while we are in them as well. God never leaves our side. He is right there with us each step of the way. In my Encounter Ministries class, they taught us an exercise to help heal wounded memories. The first step is to stop and ask Jesus, “Where were you when this occurred?” Did you know you could ask God questions like this? Did you know asking where He was when you were struggling was okay?Did you know that if you ask and truly listen, He will tell you where He was? That may seem strange to you if you are not used to listening to or hearing the Lord's voice. Well, actually, it's not usually the Lord's voice you hear. It is usually more like you hear your own voice in your head or you get a thought in your head with no voice.  But you will get an answer if you listen for one. I remember volunteering to do this exercise in front of the class so the teacher could demonstrate how it works. When I asked Jesus where He was during a specific experience with my boys, He explained that He was right there, giving me the strength to keep getting up each morning. He gave me strength and perseverance, so I never felt like giving up. He was with me through it all.He is doing the same with you. You might have had some truly terrible experiences. Know that Jesus was right by your side through them. I don't know why He didn't prevent them from happening. That is something for Him to answer. I know He was there with you; no matter how alone you felt, you were not alone. He was there, walking by your side. God is so good like that!The next part of the verse says, “You've crowned me with love and mercy.” These two things can be challenging for us to understand. We might be unable to believe that the Lord loves us for many reasons. If no one on earth has truly loved us, then it can be hard to believe anyone could love us, let alone someone as magnificent as the Lord. If we have had a hard life and done many things we are not proud of, then we struggle to believe someone could love us. The Lord's love is unconditional. It is not dependent on what you do or say. It is not dependent on whether you love him back. You do not need to earn God's love. It is freely given. This can be hard to understand, especially if we had to earn love as a child. We live in a broken world, so we don't all love unconditionally.The second part of this line also says we are crowned with mercy. The definition of mercy is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” This is why we struggle to believe in God's mercy. We know He has the power to punish us. We know we deserve that punishment, yet God wants to shower us with His mercy. That doesn't make much sense to us because that is not how the world thinks. We live in a day and age where we seem to be back to an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. It seems like if someone does something to you, you have to do something back to them.For instance, when we are on the highway, and someone cuts you off, you have to blare your horn at them. You have to show them they did something wrong. My question is, “Why?” Why do you have to let them know they did something wrong? Can't we have mercy on them and let them go on their way? I was driving with one of my sons the other day, and he wanted to get into a lane, but the driver wouldn't let him in. He passed him on the right, and then my son got into that lane. However, my son was so angry that this man passed on the right and didn't let him in. Where is the mercy? Where is the forgiveness?People seem to get so angry at the slightest offense or at the slightest wrongdoing these days. This makes understanding how God can show us mercy when we have done some pretty big things more challenging. We are a flawed people, and we turn away from God often. So, how can he keep forgiving us when we don't want to forgive those around us? These are all legitimate thoughts. However, we need to consider that we are not dealing with another human. We are dealing with the Lord God Almighty. He can do all things. There is nothing too great for Him. We are His children, and He crowns us with love and mercy, not one or the other, both. He is a good and loving Father!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, help us to believe that you crown us with love and mercy. Help us to feel that down in our hearts! Thank you, Lord, for rescuing us from Hell. Thank you for all you did to get us out of that place and all you did to try to keep us out of it in the first place. We are sorry we don't listen better. Help us learn to follow you more. Help us to hear your voice above all others. Help us to follow your path and no one else's. We love you, Lord, you are amazing! Thank you for all you do for us. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' mighty name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I haven't mentioned it in a while, so I want to remind everyone that if you want to receive my newsletter and any information on my coaching program or upcoming retreats, you can sign up on my webpage, walkboldlywithjesus.com. Or you can CLICK HERE and you will be signed up for the newsletter and receive a free audio training on how to invite Jesus into your every day.I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day.Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “We live in fear. We allow fear to creep in. I hear the Lord saying, every time a negative thought, a fear creeps in, send it to the feet of Jesus. Do not allow it to consume you for one second and when you've done that, call the Holy Spirit into your life to show you how to combat the enemy faster.” 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 Am Part of Something (Identity Series)1 Corinthians 12:26 “ If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”I am listening to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) podcast with Father Mike this year.  The last two years, I did the Bible in a Year, and this year, when he started this one, I thought it would be a good one to listen to.  The Catechism is basically a rule book for the Catholic Church, and I am definitely a rule follower.  Also, I have a lot of friends who are not Catholic, and they wonder why we do a lot of the things we do or why we believe a lot of the things we believe.  I don't want to have to say that is a good question; I have no idea.  I love to learn why we believe what we believe.  I did not really expect it to be too interesting.  I mean, if you read the terms and conditions booklets of any of your appliances, you wouldn't think that was interesting reading. However, I was wrong; I love listening to the CCC. It's not just a list of rules. It explains exactly what we believe and why we believe it.  I am learning so much from it.  It really is beautiful.  I came across this verse the other day when listening to the CCC and knew I wanted to share it with you.  I am sure I have heard this verse before.  I agree with this statement.  If one person in your family is suffering, you all suffer together.  If one person is honored, you all rejoice together.  This makes sense.  I can see how this is true.  Think about a time when someone in your family was suffering.  Did your whole family suffer with them?  What about when they were honored? Did the whole family rejoice?  I know this is how our family works.  Not too long ago, my sister sent a text message that her son was accepted into one of the top High Schools in the United States, and we all rejoiced with her.  Another sister found out she was having medical problems, and we all suffered with her.  I am sure you will be able to think of many examples in your own family as well.  I learned from listening to the CCC that we are all part of the communion of saints.  We are all members of the body of Christ.  We are members of the communion of saints, and that means that what we do is for everyone; it's not just for us.  The CCC says, “In this solidarity with all men, whether living or dead, founded on the communion of saints, the least of our acts done in charity redounds to the profit of all.”  Whenever we do something good, it is not just for our grace; it's not just for our good; it is for the good of the whole communion of saints, for the whole body of Christ.  Father Mike put it like this: “Every good thing we do, even the smallest thing, is for the community. If you're homebound right now, if you do nothing in the sense that the world would say that's productive or that's important, if you simply unite your prayers and your heart to Jesus and your suffering to Jesus, that doesn't just help you and purify your heart; it helps the entire body. If you just offer that suffering up in love and say, “Jesus, use the suffering, take my suffering and use my suffering, that doesn't just make you holy or sanctify you; it helps everyone.  There is no such thing as private virtue or grace. It belongs to all of us.  This was really inspiring for me to hear.  What are your thoughts on it?  The reason I think it is so inspiring is twofold, I think.  First, it lets me know that I am part of something bigger than myself.  I am part of a community we all are.  Sometimes, the world can feel like a scary and lonely place.  Knowing we are part of a communion of saints can help us feel less alone.  The second part of it is that it helps me see that what I do matters.  It matters if I pray because my prayers, as small as they may be, are building up the whole body.  My good deeds are not just my good deeds. They help everyone.  It makes me realize I am not just part of a community, but I also have a responsibility to do my share in that community.As inspiring as I thought this first part was, the CCC goes on to say in the very next line something that is pretty convicting.  It is something that really makes you think.  It says, “Every sin harms this communion.” This is not as inspiring, and yet it makes you stop and think.  It makes sense.  If we are part of a communion of saints, and every good thing we do builds up this communion, then it would make sense that every bad thing we do tears down the communion of saints.  It makes sense, and yet it is not really something we want to think about.  We like to think about how much our good deeds help everyone else out because it makes us feel good, and yet thinking about how our sins affect others is not something that makes us feel good.  Father Mike said there is no such thing as private sin.  There is personal sin, sin that I have done on my own, but there is no such thing as private sin because our sin belongs to everyone.  In the same way that our good deeds build up the church, our sins tear down the church.  Our sins weaken the entire communion of saints.  Wow, that seems like a lot of pressure.  I think it does us good to know this information, though.  I think knowledge can be powerful at times.  I feel as if knowing that every good thing I do doesn't just purify my heart but helps to purify everyone's hearts will encourage me to do more good things.  I also feel as though knowing my sin isn't just my sin but that it affects the entire community may encourage me to sin less or at least try harder.  It's an interesting fact I have been learning over these last few years about people.  Oftentimes, we will show up for others in a way we won't for ourselves.  For example, you say you will work out each day, but then you hit snooze and don't get up.  However, if you set a time to meet someone at the gym, you will show up more consistently because you don't want to let the other person down.  I am not sure why we do this, but we do.  Knowing this about people, I think the information above could help us.  If we can't manage to sin less for ourselves, maybe knowing that our sins are affecting others will be just the thing we need to motivate us to try to sin less.  Also, if we are struggling to pray or do acts of service, maybe knowing others benefit from our good work will be just the motivation we need. How about you? Does knowing this information change anything for you?Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that You bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to spend some time thinking about this concept today.  All of our good deeds build up the whole body of Christ, and all of our sins damage the body of Christ.  We can either see that as a lot of pressure, or we can see it as the motivation we need to try and live a good life.  We can think of this every time we do something kind or something to build our faith.  We can also remind ourselves before we sin that it is not just us we have to worry about; we are part of something bigger.  Also, Lord, help those who struggle with feeling alone know that they are not alone; they are part of the communion of saints.  We are never alone.  Lord, we thank you, and we love you.  You are truly amazing.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name. Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I 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 August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Watch and see the great things I will do for each of you, my children. I love you. I bore you in love, perfect love, love that is unchanging, non-negotiable love. I care not what anyone else condemns you for or judges 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

I Am Redeemed!Isaiah 44:22 “I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”“I am redeemed” is something I think we all need to hear. We tend to live in our mistakes. We tend to think about our transgressions a lot. We look at all we have done over our lifetimes, and we decide that God can't possibly love us because we are a bad person. We judge ourselves so often. I have discovered this is not something that just a few of us do. It is something that all of us do. The more I pray with people, the more I see that we are all struggling with the same things. We struggle with thinking we are enough. We struggle with thinking people don't like us. We struggle with thinking we are ugly. We struggle with self-hatred.You might be surprised how many people hate themselves. I was at a personal development conference once, and the speaker, Rachel Hollis, said she asked the audience at her last conference to raise their hand if they hated their body. Not if they didn't like one part or another, but if they hated their body. She said that over 90% of the people in the audience raised their hands. If you hate something about yourself, I hope you know that you are not alone.The problem with hating our body or hating something about ourselves is that God created us. He made us in his likeness and image. He loves us just as we are. He wouldn't change a thing about us. This is really hard for us to believe. Actually, what just came to my mind is our sin. He would change that, I am sure. I am sure God does not love when we sin. However, that doesn't mean He doesn't love us. Have you ever said that to your children? I love you; I just don't love your behavior. I have said that lots to my kids. It is actually something they have repeated back to me. My sons have told me that they know I will love them no matter what they do.If we, as humans, can say this to our children, why don't we believe the same could be true for God? God loves us more than we can imagine. He loves us no matter what we do. It says in Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”God doesn't love when we mess up, but he knows we are going to mess up. He knows everything about us. When we mess us up, God leaves the 99 to come and find us and bring us home. He doesn't abandon us. He doesn't give up on us. He just gently comes to find us and bring us home. The verse ends with, “It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” I have heard many describe God as an old man sitting in heaven just waiting for us to screw up. I can tell by this passage and so many others that this is not what God is like at all. He is rooting for us. He is rooting for me. He is rooting for you!Today's verse says, “I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.” In today's verse, the Lord is calling us back to Him. He is telling us not to worry about all we have done. He has swept away our transgressions like a cloud and our sins like mist. This is a great visual. We can imagine our transgressions, and then we can picture them sitting on top of a cloud and blowing away in the wind. Take a minute, close your eyes, and picture some situation, transgression, or interaction that you are not proud of. Most, if not all, of us have situations or interactions that we look back upon from time to time and wish we would have acted differently. Maybe we wouldn't have said that thing or done that thing.Think about those interactions that you have had that you wish you could change. Now, close your eyes and imagine you can put that situation, interaction, or transgression on a cloud and just watch the Lord sweep it away. That seems so peaceful. Do you feel any lighter? Were you able to let those things go? Let's hand them over to God; they aren't doing us any good.Next, the Lord says that our sins turn to mist. This is another great vision. You can picture the sins you have committed. The ones you think could never be forgiven. Those that you confessed at confession and are still holding on to because it is so hard to believe the Lord can forgive you for them. Close your eyes and picture those sins. Then picture them exploding into a very fine mist. It doesn't have to be a huge explosion. I picture the sin as bubble letters describing the sin, and then I picture the letter popping and turning into a mist. What are you picturing? Are you able to see your sins turn to mist? Why are you struggling to forgive yourself? The Lord has redeemed you. You are no longer your sins.There is another verse, Galatians 3:13, which also reminds us that we are redeemed! It says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” The reason we know we are redeemed is because Christ took our sins with Him to the cross. When we refuse to accept the Lord's forgiveness for our sins, we are telling the Lord a few things. First, we are telling Him that His son's sacrifice was not enough. We are essentially saying, “We know Jesus died for our sins, but my sin is too great. His sacrifice is not enough to cover my sins.”Is this something you believe? Do you believe Jesus's sacrifice was not enough? If this is not something you believe, then why is it so hard for you to accept His forgiveness? Why do you hold onto your sins and your mistakes when God has already redeemed them? He has already redeemed you! God loves you! He created you. He knew all you would do before He even created you, and yet He still chose to create you. I heard Father Mike say something in a podcast one time that really struck me and it is something I think we all need to hear.Father Mike is The Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries in the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota. He said that he often asks the students in his campus ministry if they know that God loves them. He said they can kind of blow him off or minimize it and say things like, “Yeah, yeah, I know God loves everyone.” Father Mike agrees and affirms that is true and then goes on to say, “But do you know that God loves you individually?” He explains to them that there was a time when God made the conscious decision to make you and to bring you into this world. He decided the world would be a better place with you in it. He didn't have to create you; He didn't have to create any of us. Yet He did. He created you just as you are, in his likeness and image. He not only created you, but he redeemed you long before you were even born. You are Redeemed!! No matter how checkered your past is. No matter what you have done, God has redeemed you. You are not your sins. You are not the same person you were. You do not have to live in hatred and shame. You are Redeemed! If you struggle to believe this, write it down on a sticky note somewhere that you will see it often. Then read it every single day, multiple times a day, because it is a truth and a promise that you can stand on. YOU ARE REDEEMED!!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those who are listening to this episode. I ask that you come into our hearts and help us believe that we are redeemed. Help us to forgive ourselves. Help us to accept your forgiveness. Help us to release anything that is keeping us stuck in our sin and shame. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with our will and with 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, please share it with a friend. Also, if you could leave a review, that would help more people find this podcast. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Trust in my word. Trust that what I say is true, and go about your way and make me known, my children. How many times must I tell you? You can because I send you and because I am your God. I provide the power. Be not afraid to move and do what I tell you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

 I Am Never Alone (Identity Series)Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.”I wholeheartedly agree with this verse. We were not meant to be alone. This doesn't mean that we all need to be married or have kids. It just means that we are all meant to have people we do life with. I often talk about how important community is to a fulfilling life. There are very few people who are meant to go through life alone. I know there are hermits out there who dedicate their whole lives to being secluded and spending all their time with God. Most of us are not called to this life. Actually, St. Catherine of Sienna wanted to live this life when she was just a little girl. She ran away from home to live alone in the caves outside her town. An angel appeared to her and told her she was meant to be a light in the world, not separate from it. The same is true for most of us.However, living in the world can be hard because it is often filled with heartache. How we deal with heartache is the key to our success. We need to turn to the Lord for help when we are struggling. It also helps to turn to our friends for support. They can build us up and speak truth and light into the lies and the darkness. However, instead of turning to our friends for support, we tend to separate ourselves from others. We tend to pull away because we don't want to talk about it or we know others won't understand.A while back, my heart was hurting for several struggling ladies I know. Actually, every time I look at Facebook, I see messages from people who are struggling. However, that week specifically, there were two ladies who did not know each other or live near each other who had 15-year-old children who had to go to court. There are two other women who are not able to spend the holidays with their children for one reason or another. Then, I saw a post about a friend who was really hurting because she could not see her oldest child graduate college. While thinking about all the people who are hurting right now, I wish everyone knew, like in the depths of their hearts, that they are never alone. So many of us think we shouldn't talk about what is happening because no one will understand or no one else is going through the same thing. People think that they will be judged or deserve the bad thing happening to them. This is not true!There are 7 ½ billion people in this world. Whatever it is that you are going through, someone else is going through the same thing right now at this same time. There are also people who have gone through it already and can shine a light into your darkness. They can show you one way to get through your situation. They can also give you hope because if they got through it, you can too! Talking about the difficult things you are going through with people you know and trust can be so therapeutic. Sometimes, we don't want to talk about our problems because we don't want to bother people, especially if they have their own troubles. Our friends and loved ones want to help us. It is not a bother for them to hear how you are suffering. Sometimes, it can even help them with their troubles as well. You will be amazed how much stronger your relationships can get when you are able to open up and let people in to help. Another reason talking about your struggles can be helpful is that you may be further along in your journey than someone else who has the same struggles. You may be talking with someone with the same issue but are afraid to talk about it. Hearing you talk about it can show them that it is ok to talk about what they are going through. I have seen this happen in numerous Facebook groups. Someone is vulnerable and shares their story; then, someone else reads it and feels the courage to share it. I truly feel that it is the work of the enemy to make us feel so alone. He is there whispering in our ears all the reasons we should not talk about what is bothering us. He wants us to keep our troubles to ourselves because when we feel alone, we feel hopeless. I am unsure if you have read or seen Harry Potter, but there was a scene where the main character, Harry, was struggling with feeling alone. Every time Harry was with his friends, he would push them away. Harry would tell them they just didn't understand. They wanted desperately to be there for him, but he would not let them. Harry then went for a walk and ran into another friend. He explained that he felt like he was alone and no one believed him. She said, “I don't think that is true. Although, I suppose that is how he wants you to feel.” When Harry asked what she meant, she said, “Well, if it's just you all alone, then you aren't that much of a threat.” I believe it is the same with our enemy. If we are alone and not talking with our family and friends about how we are feeling, then the only voices that we have are the enemy's whispers. However, if we reach out and tell our story to those who love us, they can speak truth into our darkness. The enemy is the father of lies, and he speaks half-truths and lies into our ears so that we believe there is no one that can help us. Be vulnerable, open up, and share your struggles with someone. You will feel better just saying it out loud. Don't go through things alone when you don't have to. Seek out people you can trust to talk to. You may not even know that someone else is experiencing the same thing until you have the courage to raise your hand and admit that you are going through it. If you find yourself in a situation where you honestly feel you don't have anyone to talk to, you can always talk to God. Ask God to show you someone in your life you could talk to about your situation. Request that God bring someone into your life who can help you through this. Pray for the strength to navigate your current circumstances. Ask God for the courage to address what is bothering you. God hears our prayers; He listens when we ask Him for the things we need. He is always with us, providing strength when we feel we have none. Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, you are truly amazing. Lord, help us to realize we are not alone. Help us to see that you made us to live in a community with others. Help us recognize the enemy's trick to isolate us and speak lies into our hearts and minds. Lord, please put people into our lives who will recognize when we are pulling away and call us back. Help us to open up and share our troubles with others. Help us to hear others when they are trying to speak truth into our darkness. 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. Mentoring is tonight, I hope to see you there. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, all I tell you to do know that you can. My spirit empowers you. It puts my words into your mouth so that you can reach the hearts of others. It's not you. It is my spirit empowering you to say what I wish you to say.” 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 Am Treasured (Identity Series)Exodus 19:3-6 "As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: “Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to me. If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you'll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from, but you're special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”One of my friends sent this verse in a Facebook messenger chat.  Her mother just had heart surgery, and she is in the hospital with her, waiting for her to recover.  Her mom's levels were all elevated, and she needed to go onto a breathing machine.  I am sure my friend was worried for her mom, and I am sure the mom was worried too.  I met this woman in my mentoring group.  We went on a retreat together.  Everyone in our mentoring group picks a word and mantra for the year.  This is just a way to help keep us focused on where we want the year to go and help us remember what is important to us throughout the year when things get busy.  Life can happen so quickly sometimes that we don't live it intentionally; we just get swept up in it and almost go on autopilot.  There can be so many people or things calling our time, and it can get hard to prioritize if you don't have a focus and/or you don't prioritize.  This is why we pick a word and mantra and try to say it every day.  I was going to say that we do say it every day, but I am sure we forget sometimes, or at least I know I do, especially on the weekends.  However, even if I don't say it everyday, I know I have one, I have it memorized and so when I have to make a decision about something I can think about that word and mantra in my head and then the decision is easy because usually only one aligns with my focus for the year.  My friend chose the words “Be Still” this year.  It's funny how when we pick a word, God helps us grow into that word over the year.  It's the same with you, even if you didn't pick a word.  If you have a desire in your heart or have prayed for help to grow in a certain area, God will help you.  When we pick a word, it not only reminds us of how we want to grow over the year but is also the filter with which we look at the year.  Let me explain what I mean.  If my friend's word is Be Still, then her focus is on being still and how she can learn to grow in that.  So, when she is reading her Bible in the hospital next to her mom, and she gets the Bible verse above, she then looks at this experience in the hospital as a reminder to be still.  God is amazing!  If we are looking, if our eyes and ears are open, he will give us little signs, and sometimes big signs, that He is right there with us in all of our situations or circumstances.  This bible verse in the hospital was a little reminder from God to my friend just to Be Still and know that He was taking of it all for her.  If you are aware that God does this, if you are on the lookout for this, you will see that He is doing the same for you.  God is not just doing this for some of His children.  He is sending us all signs that He is there with them.  The problem is that if we don't know that He is doing this, we don't notice them when we see them.  Let's start being on the lookout for these messages from God, letting us know He is in it, all of it, with us!I love how today's verse begins with God reminding us what He has done for us in the past.  It says, “As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: “Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to me.” This is a great reminder that God is a miracle worker.  He saved the Israelites from Egypt in a miraculous way.  Also, it wasn't just one miracle. It was miracle after miracle.  He did all those signs to convince Pharaoh to let them go. He parted the Red Sea so they could pass, then He rolled it back to destroy their enemy.  He miraculously provided manna for food every single morning.  He rained down quail on them when they complained about not having meat to eat.  It was miracle after miracle.  When we are struggling, we need to be reminded of all God can do.  There are many times when we are in a situation and can't see a way out.  We have $500 worth of bills and $200 in our bank account.  That math does not add up, and we know we will be unable to pay our bills.  And yet the math also did not add up when Jesus only had five loaves of bread and two fish, and there were over 5,000 people to feed, and yet He fed them all with plenty to spare.  When our loved one is in the hospital or on hospice and the doctors tell us there is nothing to do, we need God to remind us of what He has done in the past, so that we can have hope that we don't have to worry because even if there is nothing the doctors can do, there is ALWAYS something our God can do.  I love that God knows we need this reminder, even before we do.  He is so good!!The second half of this verse is, “If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you'll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from, but you're special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” This is also great because it reminds us that we are special and we are treasured.  God could choose any person on the entire Earth, and yet He is choosing you.  If we listen obediently to what He says and keep His commandments, then we will be set aside.  We will be His holy nation.  How great is that?  I love that this translation says we will be His special treasure.  What would you give to be God's special treasure?  I feel as though I would give anything to be considered God's special treasure.  God is giving us the instructions, and although they seem easy, they can be harder than they sound.  The first thing it says is to listen obediently.  It can be hard to listen if we aren't hearing Him.  This means we need to spend some time listening to what God is telling us.  Let's all stop for a moment and see when we could do this?  When could we make time, even if it's just 5 minutes, in our day to sit quietly and listen to God? Could you spend 5 minutes sometime in your day sitting quietly with God if it meant you got to be His special treasure? God is asking us to keep His covenant, which is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor.  Can we do that?  What is one thing we can do to love others more?  God doesn't just mean your neighbor next door.  He means, how can you love everyone, even those you don't like?  That is something to spend some time pondering.  Is this dislike, this hatred I have in my heart for others, worth not being counted as God's special treasure?  If you have a hard time loving others, take that to God.  Spend some time talking with God and asking Him to help you through it.  God wants us all to be His special treasure.  We don't have to be perfect or follow Him perfectly; we just have to really want to be His special treasure with our whole heart, and then listen to Him, and He will guide us there.  He wants it for us more than we want it for ourselves.  We just have to give Him permission to work within us and then let Him gently guide us there!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, I ask you to show each one of us where in our day we can spend some time with you.  I ask you to show everyone that we all have the time, even if we are very busy.  Show us that you can talk to us anywhere, in the shower, in the car, while they are drinking coffee, while they are doing housework, anytime we are willing to listen, you are willing to talk.  Lord, we thank You for always reminding us of all You have done in the past at the perfect time.  Lord, we are sorry we always forget and are so grateful when we need to remember that You are there.  Lord, thank you for loving us. Thank you for treasuring 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.  If you have not signed up for mentoring yet, you can click on the link below or head over to my website, Walkboldlywithjesus.com. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I!  Have a blessed week!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email, “My children, all I tell you to do know that you can. My spirit empowers you. It puts my words into your mouth so that you can reach the hearts of others. It's not you. It is my spirit empowering you to say what I wish you to say.” 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 Am Loved (Identity Series)John 13:23 “One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,* was reclining at Jesus' side.”This scripture verse was given at my prayer group, and the following words of prophecy were given:  “You are also the one whom Jesus loves.  So, your place is to be listening to his heartbeat when you pray. So, put your head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat.  Say I love you and be at peace.”  Is there anything more calming than putting your head on someone's chest and listening to their heartbeat?  I pictured when I was little and if I was scared and I went to lie with my parents.  Just putting my head on their chest and listening to their heartbeat would make me feel better. It seemed so rhythmic and soothing.“You are also the one whom Jesus loves.”  How many of you believe this?  Like truly in the depths of your heart believe this?  You are also the one whom Jesus loves.  Sometimes, it is easy to say that Jesus is love.  It is easy to say that Jesus loves everyone.  And yet, even as we are saying it, we are discounting ourselves from that love.  We know He loves everyone and yet we don't believe that he loves us?  We don't feel that love or even understand why He would love us.  Who are we to be loved by Jesus?You are the son or daughter of the one true king. That is who you are.  You were made in the likeness and image of God.  You are deeply loved by Him.  Why do you discount yourself from that love?  Or maybe you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be worthy enough of God's love.  Maybe you think if you just do things perfectly, then God will love you.  If you attend weekly mass and volunteer for every fundraiser, you will be worthy of God's love.  Are you constantly feeling like you are not good enough for God's love?Guess what? None of us are.  None of us are worthy of God's love, yet he lavishes it freely anyway.  You do not have to do anything to earn God's love.  Well, as I wrote that, what came to mind was we do have to accept it.  God can tell us all day long that he loves us, but if we don't accept it, then it doesn't matter.  Yesterday, I talked about abiding in God's love and how abiding means acceptance.  Can you accept God's love?  Can you accept that he loves you just as you are, with no strings attached?This is a new kind of love for so many.  Some people have never had someone in their lives who loved them completely, with no strings attached.  Unconditional love is not a thing they even new.  If you are struggling to believe that Jesus loves you, just as you are, think about your childhood and your past relationships.  What do you think of when you think about love?  Did you have to earn love growing up?  What did you feel you had to do to be loved?  For instance, did you have to get good grades,  be a certain weight, be quieter, etc?  Did you feel like your parents' love was conditional on your behavior?  If so, don't worry. You are not alone.  We live in a broken world and don't know how to love each other unconditionally like our heavenly father does.  I think everyone is doing the best they can.  We can only love others to the extent that we are loved.  If your parents do not know unconditional love, they can't pass it on to you.  The good news is, that you can learn to let Jesus's love in.  The good news is that Jesus does love us unconditionally.  If we can learn to accept Jesus's love, then we can learn to pass this love on to others, even if that is not the love we were raised with.If you struggle with accepting God's love, I would love to give you some practical tips for how to begin to accept God's love.  I went online to see if others had already written about his subject.  I found an article written by Kara J. Lovett called “5 Keys to Accepting God's Love.”  I would highly suggest you read this article.  I will put a link for it in the description of this episode, but you can easily find it by googling 5 Keys to Accepting God's Love. CLICK HERE for the article.  In the article she goes into what God says about love and then a section on understanding God's love.  Her article mentions five was you can accept God's love.  They are as follows: Accepting God's love with scripture, prayer, grace, and quietness & in unexpected places. Kara says in her article that “by digging deep into Scripture and spending time with God in prayer, I realized that I need to stop striving for love and instead strive to accept God's love, which He has already graciously bestowed on me.”  As I mentioned yesterday, reading the bible is a great way to get to know God's love. You can see all sorts of examples of God's love in the bible.  1 John 4:7-10 is a great example of love.  It says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”The second way she mentions is prayer.  When we turn to God and ask for His help, he wants to help us and is just waiting for us to ask.  God knows what we are going through and what are struggles are, and yet he loves it when we talk to Him about them.  Just sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and talk to God like you are talking to your best friend at the kitchen table.  You will be surprised how much closer you get to God when you start having chats with Him regularly.  They can be informal chats about your day, your struggles, and your successes.  God wants to share in all of that with you.The third way she mentions is Grace.  Learning about grace over these last few years has been huge for me.  Learning to be graceful with yourself is so important.  Kara says that grace is the free, unearned gift of salvation that God has bestowed upon us.  When I looked up the definition online, it said 1a: unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification. b: a virtue coming from God. c: a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.  We are saved and redeemed through God's grace.  It is unmerited, meaning we don't deserve it; we can't do anything to earn it; it is just bestowed upon us.  How amazing is that?  The third definition is a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.  We can't forget this.  We are made holy through divine assistance.  God is always there to help us.  We can't do any of this on our own.  It is always a partnership.  God has so much grace and mercy for us.  He doesn't expect us to be perfect, so cut yourself some slack.The fourth way to accept God's love is through quietness.  Spend some quiet time with God.  There are so many ways that you can do this.  Maybe you are someone who likes to meditate every morning.  That is wonderful! Maybe you are like me, and every time you try to quiet your mind, all it wants to do is talk to you.  That's fine, too.  Maybe your quiet time is spent in nature, going for a walk, or sitting outside listening to the sounds of nature.  Maybe your quiet time with God is spent journaling all your thoughts.  There is no right way to spend quiet time with God.  Your relationship with God is like any other relationship; the more time you spend together, the closer you will be.  The fifth key to accepting God's love for Kara was letting go of control.  Even though we know at some level that we don't have to earn God's love, we still try to prove to Him that we love Him.  We put all these rules and regulations on ourselves about how we have to do this, and we have to do that.  We tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves.  Once Kara was able to let go of control and remember that Jesus already secured our freedom on the cross, she decided to let go of all the pressure she put on herself and just tried to abide in Jesus's love.  God loves you!  He truly does.  I hope that if you are not currently able to accept God's love, you will spend some time working on learning how to.  I can't tell you how amazing it is to know that I am always loved.  To know that there is nothing I can do that would make my heavenly father stop loving me.  It gives me so much more confidence in life.  It brings me so much joy.  It breaks my heart when I talk with people who don't know how much God loves them.  I know it is hard to let love in sometimes.  I have been there before.  It can be hard,  it can take a lot of work, and it is so worth it.  There is so much more waiting for you once you accept and really come to know God's love for you.  It is there for the taking, free, with no strings attached.  All you have to do is say yes and accept it!Dear Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that you love us unconditionally.  You love us so completely.  Lord, some of us are struggling to feel this love.  We ask you right now to come into our hearts and fill them with your love, perfect love.  We ask that you begin to break down any walls that we have put up to keep love out.  Lord, we want all the love that you have for us.  Lord, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this with a supernatural feeling of love today.  That the Holy Spirit descends on all of them and that they can physically feel you giving them a hug today.  Lord, you are so amazing.  We are in awe of all that you do each and every day.  We pray that you help our loved ones to open up and feel your love.  Lord, we pray that you shower your love on all the teenagers.  Being a teen is so difficult, and many do not feel any love.  Please show them how amazing your love is, Lord.  We ask all of this in accordance with your holy will and in Jesus's name, Amen.  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. The reason we can walk boldly with Jesus is because we have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Join me for mentoring this month as we talk about this power and what we can do with it. Once we discover the power and the authority Jesus gave us when he left this world, we will be so much better equipped for all life has in store for us. I pray you will join me. I look forward to seeing her here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “The spirit will lead and guide you, teaching you in things that you do not know. You will not always have a complete vision or full understanding, but I will lead you step by step.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

I Am Fearfully & Wonderfully Made (Identity Series)Psalm 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”The I praise you part first stood out to me in this verse.  Praise is one of my favorite things to talk about.  I love praising the Lord.  Also, I have read a lot of books, and so many of them point out that praising the Lord is a great way to increase your faith, get more answers to your prayers, have more strength when in a difficult situation, and have more joy in your life. I was all set to begin with talking about praise when something, I think the Holy Spirit, told me to pause and read the whole sentence.  So I did.  “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  I did not see anything jump out at me.  So, I decided to see what exactly that means.I was thinking maybe I wasn't being moved by the sentence because I didn't understand what was being said.  I was right!  That is a very powerful statement if you know what those two words mean.  Let's take the first word, fearfully, first.  Fearfully, when translated from Hebrew, means with great reverence, heart-felt interest, and respect.  I understand why we would have great reverence for God.  He is our Father, and He created us.  It makes total sense that we would have great reverence for Him.  However, this is talking about us.  This sentence is praising God for making us with great reverence, heart-felt interest, and respect.  Did you know that's how you were made?  Did you know God put all those things into making you?  Do you feel a little bit better about yourself now?Let's take the next word wonderfully.  I bet we all think that we know what that word means.  We may also be thinking that although it is a pretty word, it is used so often that when we hear it, we don't necessarily feel wonderful.  The word wonderful, when translated from Hebrew, means unique and set apart.  I am sure that it has occurred to everyone before that we are all different from each other.  But I wonder if it occurred to you that that means you are unique?  You are one of a kind.  So, the next time you are trying to judge or compare yourself to someone else, remember that you are unique. There is no one like you on this entire earth.  There are people who are going through the same things as you, and there are people who have similar struggles as you, but there is no one exactly like you.  You are not alone in your struggle, but you are one of a kind in how you were made.  You are also set apart.  I like the sound of that.  Instead of being lumped in with everyone else, we are set apart.  God set us apart from others.  Does knowing this change the way you think about yourself?  Does it help you fight off that voice inside of you that tells you that you are not enough or that you are not loved?  Think about how amazing God must think you are to have made you with great reverence, heart-felt interest, and respect.  Did you know that God had reverence for you?  Did you know that He respected you?  Maybe this is not news to you; maybe you knew this all along.  This is the first time that I slowed down long enough with this passage to ask myself what that even means.  This is one of the things that I love about doing this podcast.  I am not reading whole chunks of the Bible at a time.  I am reading a verse or two.    When you break it down into bite-size pieces like this, you get to examine those pieces more carefully.  I have also discovered that I am not the only person who does not know what those two words mean.  I think sometimes we don't ask questions because we assume that we are the only ones who don't know the answer.  Then we start to tell ourselves that if everyone else knows it, then there must be something wrong with us because we don't, and then we don't ask because we don't want to feel stupid.  Come on, you know you have done this before.  I can't be the only person this has happened to.  Anyway, it turns out that the Bible's language is confusing for many people.  In the course of writing the episodes for this podcast, I have searched for many answers, and I have always found them.  If I were the only person who was confused, someone else wouldn't have taken the time to research my question and put the answer on the internet.  The internet is also an amazing thing.  I am not sure how many of you use it to answer your questions, but I highly recommend it.  First, you can ask it anything.  You don't have to remember where you can find something in the Bible because you can type it into the search bar, and the internet will find it for you.  You can type part of a verse into the search bar, and the internet tells you where you can find it in the Bible.  What I do is type my question exactly how I would ask a person, and I always come up with great answers.  I don't just put a word or two. I put the whole sentence in the search bar.  Second, you don't have to feel silly asking a question that you're sure you are the only person who doesn't know the answer to because no one knows you are asking the question.  You are asking for the computer, and it is not going to tell anyone.  It doesn't talk, so it won't make you feel silly.  When reading through the Bible, asking questions is great.  It was written a very long time ago in a different language and to a people living in a different time and a different culture.  There are things in it that are not going to make sense to us.  However, if we ask questions when we have them, we realize that even though they were written so long ago to very different people, they are still just as relevant today.  It is still talking to us today; when we just read through it and gloss over the parts or pass over the parts we don't understand, we miss an opportunity to know what God is trying to tell us.  This verse above is well written and has beautiful language, but if I hadn't asked, “What does fearfully and wonderfully made mean?” I wouldn't have learned that this verse is so much deeper than it seemed.  Ask your questions!  You deserve to know the answers.  Dear Heavenly Father, I pray you bless everyone listening to this episode today.  Lord, we thank you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You are so gracious, and we love you.  Lord, we ask that you help us to understand the Bible when we read it.  We ask that you give us the courage to ask questions when we don't know what something means.  Lord, we ask that you help us take in the meaning of the words fearfully and wonderfully made.  We ask that you let those words sink into our hearts and help us to know how special we are.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I would like to invite you to another journey. The journey of mentoring. This month, I am teaching all about the Power of God Within Us! We all have power living inside of us, and the more we learn about the power and authority we have inside of us, the stronger we will be in this crazy world. I pray you will join me and learn about the power you have because Christ died for us and send us the Holy Spirit. Remember, Jesus loves you so much, just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am your God. My light will shine brightly in you because you have been with me.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

I Am Blessed (Identity Series)Ephesians 1:3-6  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.What beautiful scripture verses!  These definitely seem like good ones to write down and re-read any time we are having a bad day.  God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly place.  I can't even imagine how much blessing that is. God must really love us if he is blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly place.  Then, it goes on to say that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world and that we should be holy and blameless before him.  He chose us before the foundation of the world.  That seems so crazy to me.  It is crazy to me that God knew everything that was going to happen, and yet he still chose to create us.  He made us to be holy and blameless in His sight and yet we have failed at this over and over again.  Oftentimes, we say hindsight is 20/20.  Meaning we can only see things perfectly when we are through them and looking back at them with he knowledge we gained through the experience.  For instance, when we are going through a difficult time, we don't really understand it, and we make our decisions based on the info that we have at the time.  However, when we are through that difficult circumstance, and we know how things ended, then we realize we perhaps should have made a different decision.  It is not the same for God.  He knows everything.  Nothing is a surprise to Him.  I find it remarkable that even though He knew how often we would turn our backs on Him or do the exact opposite of what He wanted us to do, He still went ahead and created us.  He not only decided to create us knowing all the times we would mess up, but He also kept forgiving us.  Time and time again, we do the things we know we are not supposed to do; God keeps forgiving us.  I wonder if we would do the same?  Many people say that they learned a lot after going through something really difficult.  However, I wonder, even knowing all that we learned or gained from the difficult experience, how many of us would choose to go through it all over again.  Think about a really difficult time in your life.  Think about how hard or how painful it was. Then, think about what you learned from it or gained from it.Everything that we go through teaches us something if we are open to seeing it.  We can find a lesson in every experience.  For instance, going through a really hard time in a relationship can teach you resilience, and/or how to be persistent and to work hard at something.  It can also teach you to be stronger.  If the relationship ends, it can be difficult, and you can learn something from that, too.  It can teach you what to look for and what to avoid in your next relationship.  Do you see how there is always something you can learn?  However, even knowing all the benefits you have gained from this experience, I wonder how many of us would choose to do it again.  What about a friendship that ended badly?  Imagine you had a really good friend for several years, and then something happened, and that friendship ended.  You felt really hurt when it was over.  Do you wish that you had never met that person?  If you could go back in time to when you met that person, would you go meet them?  Would you spend all those years building up good memories if it meant that you had to go through the pain of losing that friendship again?I think that many of us would choose not to go through difficult times if we could.  We would choose to stay in our comfort zone and not venture out of it.  Not try new things because we could get hurt or we could fail.  We would and often times we do tend to play it safe.  The thing is, we do not grow when we are in our comfort zone.  We do not grow without challenges.  Do those challenges often bring difficult times? Yes.  Do we grow immensely in those difficult times? Yes.  Well, if we allow ourselves to grow, then we do.  This is what God wants for us.  He wants us to grow and become stronger.  He wants us to lean into Him when things get hard and to be open to growth during these times.  God chose to go through all the pain just for us.  He knew all the things we would do, He knew all the ways that we would hurt Him, and yet He still chose us.  He still chooses us every single day.  Is that not incredible to you?  I honestly find it difficult to believe some days with the way the world seems to be going.  It seems as though the world as a whole is trying to remove God from more and more things.  And yet, He keeps hanging in there.  He keeps performing miracles and blessing His children.  The next part of the verses listed above says, “In love, He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ.”  He predestined, that just verifies that He knew all that was going to happen and yet had a backup plan.  He knew we would need saving and yet still predestined our adoption through His son, Jesus Christ.  He loved us so much that He sent his son to be crucified for our sins.  One thing that we may not often think about is the fact that God not only knew all we were going to do, but He knows how our story ends.  He knows how all of this ends.  By sending His son to be crucified on the cross for our sins, He has already redeemed us and granted us salvation if we choose to accept it. It says in 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  God has already won this fight for us.   We don't have to worry about how things will turn out.  Romans 8:28  tells us, “ and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”God has predetermined that we would be his adopted children.  Because of this we know that He will work all things for our good.  He knows the mistakes we will make, and he loves us anyway.  Yes, you heard that correctly, and yes, I am talking to you.  God loves you and accepts you for who you are, flaws in all. God knew you were going to do that thing that you keep thinking about, and he made you in His likeness and image anyway.  Remember the beginning of this episode: God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  What an amazing Father we have!Dear heavenly father, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this episode today. Lord, we thank you for blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. I am sure we can't even imagine how many blessings that is. Lord, we love you so very much. It is crazy for us to think about how you knew all the ways we were going to mess up, and yet you decided to create us anyway. Lord, we can never thank you enough for sending down your son to die on the cross for our sins. Lord, we thank you for taking us in as your sons and daughters. We thank you for using all things for our good and for helping us be victorious in the end. Lord, we thank you for being patient with us while we make these mistakes and for always forgiving us when we ask. Lord, you are amazing.  We ask all of these things in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Today, we kick off our new February Series for Mentoring. This month's series will be “The Power of God Within Us.” I hope you will join us to learn all about the power of God that you have living inside of you all the time. You are more powerful than you know, and once you learn about that power, you can begin to use that power to help you wherever you need help. I pray you will join us this evening. There is a link below with all the details. If you email me, I can also send you the link to see what it is like before you join. 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 August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I will shower you with blessings, with my love, my comfort, my strength, my peace. Then you will be able to go out in the world and share it with others." www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

 I Am Holy (Identity Series)Ephesians 1:3-4 “Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts! And in love he chose us before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with and unstained innocence.”When I read these two verses this morning, I thought they were so beautiful. They begin with “Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly father.” Isn't that beautiful? Did you know that your heavenly Father is lavishing spiritual blessings on you? The word blessing in this verse is a translation of the Greek word eulogy, which means “to speak well of.” Since God is acting in this verse, we can say that God has spoken good things about us or pronounced good things for our benefit. The good things that God has decreed for us are probably beyond our ability to number.Can you imagine your heavenly Father showering you with blessings? Did you know that is what He is doing? I know sometimes it doesn't feel like you are getting any blessings, but this might be because you are in the middle of a hard time. You might not be able to see the blessings because you are so focused on the hard thing that is happening. You might think there is no way God could be blessing you because of all you are going through.This isn't true. God can bless us in the middle of a hard time. He can bless us whenever He wants to. You might be wondering what that may look like, what it would look like to have a blessing while in the middle of a hardship. That could look like someone you know checking on you to see if you need anything. It could look like your friends and family bringing you meals when they know you have no time to cook. It could look like you getting a job promotion right when you need it the most! Have any of these ever happened to you? What about when a stranger says something to you out of the blue and it is exactly what you needed to hear?God is not just blessing us, He is lavishing spiritual blessings upon us. This can go against our picture of God. We all have a picture of God in our head and for some of us, probably a lot of us, it is not a picture of a wonderful heavenly Father. Many of us picture the heavenly Father similar to our dad growing up. So if you had a loving Father growing up the idea that our heavenly Father is loving is easier to grasp. However, if our earthly Father was not outwardly loving and was hard on you, maybe expected a lot out of you, then this is how you might see our heavenly Father too. But God's love is beyond our earthly understanding, and He cherishes each and every one of us.I know a lot of people who picture the Lord as an old man with a white mustache and beard sitting up in heaven, looking down on us and judging us. They picture God as someone who is just waiting for them to screw up so He can punish them. They are sure they are disappointing Him all of the time. I think this is why I chose these verses and why I like these verses so much.The second verse for today dispels this myth that God is up in heaven just waiting for us to mess up. It says, “And in love he chose us before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with and unstained innocence.” First, it says that God chose us before He laid the foundation of the Universe. God chose you. Let that sink in for a moment. God chose you before He even created the universe. Does that sound like the act of a Father that is sitting up in heaven waiting for you to screw up so He can punish you?Next it says, “Because of His great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with unstained innocence.” Listen to that last part again, “so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with unstained innocence.” God doesn't look at us as if we are a wreck waiting to happen. In His eyes, we have an unstained innocence about us. God doesn't want us to mess up. He doesn't want us to sin or to fall away from Him. He loves us. He chose us. He wants us to be right there with Him for all eternity.God loves us. He looks down upon us as a loving Father would. Once we realize this our relationship with the Heavenly Father will become so much closer. If we haven't really experienced true love in this world, then it might be hard to understand how much our heavenly Father loves us. One thing I am finding that can help with this is to read the scriptures. Read the Psalms, read the New Testament. Last week I read Philippians and this week I am reading Ephesians and they are just beautiful. The Bible is a living document. It is not just a book of words that the Lord told His people back in the day. The Bible is speaking to each one of us right now. When you read the Bible you will realize it is just as relevant to what you are going through today than it was back then. God is so good, His Words are timeless.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless everyone listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask that you help us to understand your love for us. We ask you to help us understand how loved we are. We ask that you help us to change our hearts and are minds about who you are and what you want from us. We want to see you as you truly are not as we picture you in our minds. 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 seeing you again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! May the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email, “I use all things for good. Trust in me. I am directing your life. Every change, every movement in your life is set on me, and I pull you, pull you towards 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

I Am Changed (Identity Series)Romans 3:23-24 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.”We have all done things in the past that we are not proud of, and sometimes, we get stuck thinking about those things. We replay them over and over again in our minds and think about how different our lives would be if we had not done them. Some of us think that the things we did were so bad that there is no way God could ever forgive us or love us. Regret is a terrible thing. It sucks the life out of the present moment if you let it. Our minds are powerful, and we will believe what they tell us. We may know in our hearts that God will always forgive us if we truly repent. We know in our hearts that God will always love us no matter what we do and that we do not have to earn his love. However, sometimes, that little voice inside of us will listen to the enemy, and our brain will believe the lies that he tells us. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The evil one likes to take this phrase and use it to whisper things in our ears like, “See, no one is good enough,” or “No matter what you do, you will always fall short of God's standards.” He tells us that we shouldn't even bother because we are not enough. Do you ever feel that way, like you are not enough? What many of us may not know is what the very next verse, Romans 3:24, says, “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.” Yes, we all sin, but God's grace “makes us right in his sight.” Another way the enemy likes to get to us is to tell us that we will never change. That we are still the same person who did that thing we regret. If we strive to change, he tells us that we can't change. He reminds us of the things we have done in the past and whispers that we will do it again. There is a song I heard for the first time on the Big Life Devotional, and it is “Slave to Nothing” by Zach Williams. In this song he says:You can tell me what I did
You can show me who I was before
Where I fell short
Hang it over my head
But I'm not the same anymore
One thing's for sure
The shackles have fallen
So I'm showing shame to the door
Make no mistake
I'm a slave, to nothingIf you get a chance to listen to this song, I highly recommend it. click hereJust because you have acted a certain way in the past does not mean that you have to act that way forever. You can decide to repent and change your ways at any point in time, and God will be there to forgive you and welcome you in with open arms. Think about the many saints that have had beginnings that were not so great. One of the most illustrious saints, I think, is St. Augustine of Hippo. He was a man who was known for having not one but two mistresses. He ran around for years before having a change of heart and settling down at 31. St. Augustine went on to become a Doctor of the Church. Then there is also Saint Mary of Egypt, who ran away from home at 12 and spent a dozen years living on the street as a seductress. According to Craughwell in an article in Live Science, “Nothing made her happier than corrupting innocent young Christian men.” Saint Mary went to Jerusalem looking for young Christian boys to seduce. At the doors to the church, she felt a strange force repulsing her, and she immediately changed her ways. There was also Saint Camillus de Lellis, a priest from Italy that founded one of the first healthcare organizations for the needy. He started out as a cardsharp, con man, and mercenary. There are also lots of modern-day examples of people who had a rough start. Jennifer Aniston, who is one of the most famous actors because of her role in the sitcom Friends, had 4 failed sitcoms in a row before she landed the role on Friends. Tim Allen, who starred in Home Improvement, is now starring in Last Man Standing and was also the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story Movies. In 1979, he was caught with many illegal substances and went to jail for over 2 years. Then he got his life together and became the actor we know and love today. Oprah Winfrey grew up in poverty and did not have the best childhood. She was molested during her childhood and early teens and became pregnant at 14; her son was born too early and died in infancy. Can you imagine the things the enemy was trying to tell her? What was he trying to tell all of these people? What if these people would have believed the lies that they could not become anything different? If they believed that the version of themselves that was not enough or prone to sinning was all they could ever be? What if they stopped reaching for more because they believed they could never achieve more? What lies do you believe? How much more could you accomplish or become if you stopped believing the lies? You may have made mistakes in the past. You may wish that you could change certain things. Do not let those things hold you back from being who you are today. Do not believe the lies that you are not enough, lazy, selfish, greedy, etc. Just because you may have been those things in the past does not mean that you have to be those things in the future. You can be whoever you want to be because God has redeemed you with his grace!~ The blog this week was inspired by The Big Life Devotional by Pamela Crim. If you have time to listen to the original episode that inspired me, I highly recommend it. You can reach that episode by clicking here. The episode was called A Slave To Nothing.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 you to help us guard our minds and help us not to believe the enemy's lies. We ask that you help us believe we can change and that we are not who we once were. Change is possible. We ask all this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Be not afraid to go out and share my love, my light, my hope, my joy. All that I share with you, I keep saying, share it with the world so that they may know me and get to love 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

I Am Victorious (Identity Series)Ephesians 6:13 “Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you're protected as you confront the slander, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.I looked at several different scriptures for this morning's devotional. There are so many good ones in Ephesians. I don't know why I never saw them before. Or maybe I did, and the Lord is just showing me them again in a different light. I am not sure, but I love it! I saw this verse first this morning, and then I went back and forth on a few others, but my eyes kept being drawn back to this one. I know a lot of you are going through some really hard things right now, and what I felt when I kept being drawn back to this verse was that God wants you to know that you will rise victorious!He wants you to know that this thing you are going through, the situation you are in, will not take you down. This illness will not be the end. These financial matters won't be the end. Your estranged loved ones, this is not the end. You will be victorious. You will be healed. Your loved one will be healed. The Lord will provide for you to pay your bills. You won't be estranged from your loved one forever. Whatever it is you are struggling with this morning, I feel the Lord wants me to tell you you will rise victorious.The last part of this verse made me think of a song I saw in a movie called Pitch Perfect 2. The song was sung by a group of Germans who were competing in an a cappella singing competition. This song came into my mind because their performance was so powerful. They projected such strength when they performed this song. This is what we must do when we are dealing with the enemy.The verse says that we must put on the armor that God provides us so that we are protected when we confront the slander. Make no mistake, the slander is the devil. Of course, he won't look like the devil. He will look like someone who cut you off in the traffic. He will look like the person spreading lies about you. He will look like your co-worker or your boss. He might look like your children or your siblings. Whoever is causing strife in your life, the enemy is working through them. I want to read you the words to the song that popped into my mind, as I know it is not a coincidence that when I read this verse, this song came to mind. If you want to see the video on YouTube, you can type in Das Sound Machine  Car Show, and it should come up.  Here are the lyrics:They will not control us. We will be victorious[Verse 1]Paranoia is in bloomThe PR transmissions will resumeThey try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed downAnd hope that we will never see the truths aroundCome On![Verse 2]Another promise, another seedAnother packaged lie to keep us trapped in greedAnd all the green belts wrapped around our mindsAnd endless red tape to keep the truth confinedCome On![Chorus]They will not force usThey will stop degrading usThey will not control usWe will be victoriousAt first, these lyrics might not seem to make much sense. However, if you think about them in terms of what the enemy is trying to do to us, they make much more sense. The first line goes perfectly with the verse. They will not control us; we will be victorious. The enemy and his evil henchmen will not control us. We are God's children, and we are protected. However, we must put on our armor of protection. We must call on the Lord. We need to give Him permission to protect us. We need to read the scriptures so we know when the enemy is lying to us. We must stand in truth.The next verse in the song says Paranoia is in bloom. The PR transmissions will resume. They try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down. And hope that we will never see the truth around. Come On! This may not fit perfectly, but when we really think about it, we can see that the enemy is trying to make us feel paranoid. All we have to do is listen to the news for a few minutes, and we can see all the craziness going on in the world today. Also, it says they try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down. And hope that we will never see the truth around us. How many of us know someone who has struggled with drug or alcohol abuse? We know it is all around us, yet do we know that the enemy is the one who is pushing it on us. Do we know he is trying to keep us on drugs so we don't see the truth all around us? When we use drugs, when we drink, it alters our state, and we don't see things as they really are.The next verse of the song says, “Another promise, another seed, another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed. And all the green belts wrapped around our minds. And endless red tape to keep the truth confined. Come On!” How many people in our lives have promised us promise after promise and yet not kept them? How many times have people in the government, or in any authoritative power, promised something, and yet it never happened? I like how it says, “another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed.” This is so true in the world today. The enemy will tell us anything we want to hear to keep us trapped in greed. The world is all about how much we have and how much we can get. It is not about giving to others. It is about making sure we have what we need despite others.Next, the song says, “And all the green belts wrapped around our minds. And endless red tape to keep the truth confined.” Do you ever feel like this? Do you feel like the information we get from the news, social media, and YouTube are all just feeding us what we want to hear? Sometimes, I feel like the truth is impossible to find. It is always hidden in someone else's opinion about what happened. It is very hard to find the facts about the actual incident. The truth is harder and harder to find these days.The chorus of this song is one that I recommend we use as a mantra anytime we are having a rough day or anytime the enemy seems to be overtaking our thoughts. It says, “They will not force us. They will stop degrading us. They will not control us. We will be victorious.” We know this is true because the Lord tells us this in Ephesians 6:13. We will be victorious. The enemy can not force you. This is one of those things that the enemy doesn't want us to know. If God is willing to be bound by free will you better believe the enemy is also. He likes us to think he can do whatever he wants to us, and yet if we tell him to leave, he must leave. That is a fact he doesn't want us to know.You are so much more powerful than you know. The enemy is trying to keep this from us because He knows the game will be over if all of God's children start living in the power that the Lord gave us. If we all stood up to the enemy and said, “No more! I am done with your games. I know you can't hurt me because I am a child of the one true God. I know you have no power over me. I know you are a liar, and I refuse to believe your stupid lies anymore.” Can you imagine what type of world we would be living in if we were all able to do that? It would be glorious!I don't want to leave this verse today without addressing the beginning part of the verse. My eyes first went to the part that says, “You will be victorious,” and I think that message was what God wanted me to focus on today, yet I also want to make sure you all heard the first part, too, so I will end with that today. The verse above says it is important to wear the armor that God provides because “You are destined for all things.” You have a destiny and it is an amazing one. Do you know how I know it is an amazing one when I might not even know you? Because the enemy is attacking you. The enemy doesn't care about those who are lukewarm or those whose souls he thinks he has already won. The enemy attacks those who he is worried will do great things for the kingdom of God. The enemy only attacks those who are powerful warriors for the Lord.You, my friend, have an amazing destiny, and you will be victorious. I know things are hard right now. I know you can't see a way out and you think all is about to come crashing down on you. You don't see how your loved one will come back to you. You don't see how the cancer will be defeated. You don't see how you will pay your bills when your paycheck can't possibly cover it all. I get it. We can't always see how, and we don't need to. All we need to do is believe the Lord when He says we will be victorious. We can just thank Him, praise Him and wait for Him to work all things for our good.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, I ask you to protect our minds from the enemy. I ask you to help us to believe that we will be victorious. Show us how to put on the armor of God, Lord. Show us how to protect ourselves from the slanderer. Help us walk in our victory, Lord. Help us have hope that even though we don't see how you will arrange all things for our victory. 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 have enjoyed this month of Identity, and I pray you have learned a lot about who God says you are! I will be putting together a book of 31 different scripture verses about identity and making it a 31-day devotional. I hope you will look out for it in the coming months. My prayer is that it will help you grow in your identity as a child of God. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am love. I am joy. I am hope. You must go out to the world and share all that I share with you. You are my children, and I love you so dearly.” 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 Am Anointed (Identity Series)Psalm 23:5-6 “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”There is a lot to like about this verse.  First, it starts out by saying that God will prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.  I don't have to be worried about my enemies as God has got me.  He is my shield and my refuge.  Now he is saying we will prepare a feast for me.  When someone is preparing a meal for us, they are not usually stressed out about it.  They don't worry about all the things going on around them.  Picture this: there is chaos all around you, and yet in front of you is this beautifully set up dining room table.  You have a seat, and God is bringing you a feast, one course at a time.  He is not concerned with your enemies because He knows they can't touch you.  You are not concerned either because you just feel so at home, so taken care of.  Isn't that a beautifully relaxing image?  Next, the verse says that God honors us by anointing our heads with oil.  Did you know that you have an anointing in your life?  We all do. Did you know through your baptism you were anointed to be priest, prophet, and king?   It's true, just as Christ was all three of these, you are also anointed to be these three things to your community.  What does that mean for us?  Let's start with the priest.  Drawing on the priesthood of the Old Testament, a priest is one who offers sacrifices (see Genesis 14:18; Exodus 29:38- 42; Leviticus 23:6,8). Some sacrifices are personal, and some are on behalf of others. These sacrifices will look different for each one of us, depending on our circumstances.  However, sacrifice, to some degree, should be a part of our everyday life.  I have tried to embrace this a little more this year, so I am fasting from one thing each month.  I will switch it up each month, but there will always be something I am fasting from.  I think this will help me to appreciate things more and it will also show me that I am not a slave to that thing.  For instance, if I feel like I just can't stop eating chocolate, then I will fast from that for a month.  By the end of the year, I will have shown God and myself that I do not need these things.  I will have also made a small sacrifice each month for 12 months.Next, we have a prophet.  A prophet is a spokesperson for God or one who speaks on God's behalf (see Exodus 4:30; Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 42:19). In the Old and New Testaments, prophets called people to a different way of life.  Can we be a spokesperson for God by how we live our lives?  Can we live in a way that when people see us, they think to themselves, “I want what they have?”  Can we call others to a different way of life, not necessarily with our words, but with our love?  Can we love others as Jesus did? Can we speak love and light into the world, into people's lives?  Can we be prophets?Lastly, we are anointed as kings.  What are kings called to do? Usually rule over others.  We are called to rule over ourselves first and foremost. We are all responsible for making sure we are living our lives according to God's laws.  Most kings are called to rule over others; however, as Christians, we are called to servant leadership.  A servant leader leads by serving others. In other words, servant leaders place the interests and needs of their followers ahead of their own self-interests and needs. Generally, they value the development of their followers, building their communities, acting authentically, and sharing power.Now that we know what each one of these means, hopefully, we can apply this to our everyday life.  God has anointed us in our everyday tasks, too.  For instance, I was anointed to be a mother and a wife.  That was where God called me, and that is what He set me apart to do.  Maybe you are anointed to be a doctor, a lawyer, a pharmacy tech, a garbage collector, a grandmother, a teacher, whatever it is, God has anointed you to do it.  Your baptismal anointing is not meant to replace any of those other calls on your life.  You are anointed to be a priest, prophet, and king in the life you are already living.  Think about your day-to-day life; how can you incorporate sacrifice into your days?  How can you be more of a prophet spreading the Lord's Word in your daily lives?  How can you be more of a servant leader right now, right where you are?The verse then goes on to say my cup overflows with blessings.  This is also great imagery.  I love to picture a teacup as we grew up drinking tea in my family.  Although I don't picture a regular tea cup, the image I am getting is an English fancy tea cup from a china set.  The tea is being poured into it with a steady stream, and the cup is overflowing and running all over the table and even onto the floor.  This is how many blessings God has for you. He wants to rain down blessings upon blessings on all of His children.  Sometimes, we get in the way of God's blessings.  Sometimes, we don't appreciate the blessings that we have, so why would God give us more?  Sometimes, we find ourselves complaining about all that is going on in our lives instead of praising God and giving thanksgiving.  God has ridiculous blessings for you.  All you have to do is believe that and then praise God for any blessings, even if they are small.  If you can be faithful to the small, He will increase your blessings.  He is a good, good Father!The ending of this verse is beautiful.  “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”  We had this word pursue the other day.  I love that word.  This verse is saying that God's goodness and unfailing love will pursue us all the days of our lives.  Isn't that wonderful?  We don't have to chase after God because He is already chasing after us.  All we have to do is let ourselves be caught by God's goodness and unfailing love.  Unfailing love is not like any love we can find here on earth.  It is an incredible love that knows no limits, that knows no boundaries.  God's love never leaves us.  No matter how much we may try to run from it.  No matter how much we try to reject it or send it back.  No matter how much we might mess up.  God's unfailing love will pursue you every single day of your life.  How incredible is that?  And the very last part of the verse says, “I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”  Yes, please!  I want to live in the house of the Lord forever. I think we all do.  It is so amazing to me that God has an open-door policy to heaven.  All are welcome.  Come as you are in your broken and wounded state.  You do not have to earn your way. You don't have to do anything to get there.  Jesus has earned you your right to be there.  All you have to do is surrender to God and let Him help you. Let Him give you the strength to follow Him.  Following God is not always an easy road but it is a rewarding road and one that leads to spending eternity living in the house of the Lord.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening today.  Lord, we thank you for loving us like you do.  We thank you for preparing us for a feast in the presence of our enemies.  We thank you for the ridiculous blessings you want to give us, and we are sorry if we get in your way of doing that.  We thank you for anointing us priests, prophets, and kings, and we ask for your help in discovering what that means for each one of us and how we can incorporate that anointing into our lives.  We love you, Lord, and we can't wait to live in your house forever!  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 hope to see you this evening on mentoring. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember Jesus loves you and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I call you by name. I know each and every one of you. Let your light shine so that you can help remove the darkness.”  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 Am Not A MistakePsalm 139:13 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”God created everything about us.  I like this verse, though, because it reminds us that He created even our inmost being.  I like the visual of God knitting me together.  One stitch at a time.  I am not someone who knits, but I have family and friends that do.  When you are knitting something you can make it look however you want to.  If you are the person doing it, you get to pick the colors, you get to pick the pattern, and you even get to pick which stitch or combination of stitches you are going to use.  You are the creator of whatever you are knitting.  Now, imagine that God is knitting you together.  He chose all the specifics about you.  He got to choose what color hair you have and what color eyes you have.  Do you ever take time to think about this, to think about the fact that God created everything about you?  I was at a personal development conference this week, so that may be why it is on my mind more than usual.  I love attending these conferences because it is so great to be gathered in a room with like-minded people.  I don't mean that we all think the same way or even believe the same things, but in this instance, we were all there because we knew God had a bigger plan for our lives, and we wanted to figure out what that plan was.  It was an amazing weekend, and I learned so much.  This happened to be a women's conference, and there were so many women gathered together, all wanting to improve themselves in some way or another.  This is a beautiful thing.  One of the things that usually comes up when you have so many women gathered together is the idea of insecurities.  Insecurities are something that I believe everyone has.  We don't all have them about the same things or to the same extent, but I do think we are all insecure about something.  We all have that one thing, or some of us have more than one thing that we wish we could change about ourselves.  That thing that we really don't like about ourselves.  Some of these things affect our lives in a big way, and some do not.When you look at yourself and your life, what are your insecurities?  What are the things about you that you don't like that may be getting in your way of living your best life?  Maybe you are struggling because you are living the life that everyone around you wants you to live, but inside, you feel like it's not right for you.  For instance, you have a really good job, and you are making good money, but in your heart, you really want to be doing something else.  Maybe you have insecurities based on your appearance.  This is a big one with women.  We feel too tall, too short, too thin, too fat.  Or we feel our hair is too long, too short, too light, too dark.  It seems like no one is happy in their own skin these days.  I wonder why this is.  I wonder if people throughout the ages have always felt like this or if this is new.  I don't think it is new that people don't like something about themselves.  I am sure that has always probably been a thing.  However, I wonder if it was as widespread and commonplace as it is today.  I am not sure if I know a single woman who is so happy with her appearance that she wouldn't change anything if you asked.  I wonder if all this unhappiness has to do with social media and marketing.  Once upon a time, before TV, magazines, movies, etc., you didn't have so much access to everything.  You could compare yourself to those who lived around you, and maybe those in paintings or in books.  However, you didn't have the kind of access you have today.  Today, you could spend five minutes online and you could scroll through hundreds of images of whatever you want to look at.  Also, if you have social media, you can just scroll down your feed, and you will see plenty of posts from people.  The internet can be a very dangerous place for those who have insecurities and are looking for proof that those insecurities are real.  If you think you are too heavy and then you search for proof of that online, you will find it.  That is how the internet works.  You ask a question and it searches all the data and gives you an answer to the question that you just asked it.  Your brain is the same.  If you have an insecurity and you ask your brain to find proof of it, your brain will.  The awesome thing about your brain is that the opposite is also true.  If you ask your brain to prove to you that your insecurity is not true, it will do that as well.  For instance, if you ask your brain why no one at work likes you, it will search all your memories and come up with reasons why your co-workers don't like you.  However, if you ask your brain to prove to you that people at your work do like you, your brain will come up with an answer to that question as well.  If you do not like the answers you are coming up with then you need only ask better questions.  The main speaker at the conference said something this weekend, and I think it would be great if everyone in the world heard it.  She said that when she was sitting in the audience at her first personal development conference, she had a realization wash over her.  She felt it was divine intervention.  The realization was, “What if I was on purpose?  What if God made me exactly like I am for a reason?”  I think this is so important because I think so many of us feel like there is some part of us that is wrong.  We feel like we would be better if that part of us didn't exist.  I always wished that I wasn't so emotional.  I have thought this more times than I can count.  I cry at happy things, I cry at sad things, I cry at spiritual things, I cry for someone else's happy times and someone else's pain.  I am just a mess sometimes.  I always thought this was a character flaw.  However, now I know that God gave me that ability.  I don't know why He made me that way, but God doesn't make mistakes.  So, there must be a reason.  The same goes for you.  You are not a mistake. You were made on purpose.  God knew what he was doing.  He designed each part of you for a reason.  He pays attention to detail.  How would your life be different if you could hear this and really take it in?  How would you feel about yourself if the next time you started to feel insecure about something, you reminded yourself that God made you this way on purpose?  You are perfect, just as you are.  You are loved just as you are.  You are enough just as you are.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, help us to see ourselves through your eyes. Help us to see everyone through your eyes. Lord, help remind us when we feel insecure that you made us on purpose.  Remind us, Lord, that you created our inmost being. You knit us together perfectly and completely. And if you made us on purpose, Lord, then that means we can't be a mistake. That means our hopes and desires aren't a mistake. That means our character isn't a mistake.  We love you, Lord Jesus, and we thank you for making us who we are, and we ask that you help us learn to love who we are. We thank you for making us in your likeness and image. You are amazing, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. Tomorrow is Week #4 for the Identity Series in Mentoring. If you have been enjoying the I Am series in the podcast, you will really enjoy mentoring, where we go deeper into who God says we are. When you join, you will have access to all previous weeks as well. Click on the link below to check out mentoring and see if it is right for you!Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Stop, my children, and think. You've been set apart. You are separated from many because I have a plan for this body to be my honorable presence in the lives of others. Go forth and be 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

I Am A Child of God (Identity Series)1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”This verse is so powerful.  What great love the Father has lavished on us, isn't that powerful?  Can't you just picture the Father lavishing us with Love?  Or maybe you can't.  Maybe you struggle to believe that you are a child of God.  Maybe you struggle to believe that the Lord loves you, and the thought that He lavishes love on you is something that you just can't wrap your head around.  If this is you, you are not alone.  Love in this world is so complicated, and a lot of things can get in the way of us loving and feeling loved.  There is a song by Matthew West called “Hello, My Name Is.”  This song has the beginning line of the verse above in the lyrics, along with some reasons why we can't feel this love.  I want to go over some of those lyrics with you.  Also, there is a link to the song in the show notes if you want to listen to it.The song starts out by saying:Hello, my name is RegretI'm pretty sure we have metEvery single day of your lifeI'm the whisper insideThat won't let you forgetThis is true for so many of us.  We struggle to feel God's love because we have so many regrets.  Regrets over things we have done or things we have said; regrets over things we didn't do and didn't say.  When we have regrets, the enemy takes those, and he whispers them to us over and over again so that we feel like we aren't worthy of God's love.  The enemy doesn't let us forget about them.Next, the song goes on to say:Hello, my name is defeatI know you recognize meJust when you think you can winI'll drag you right back down againTill you've lost all beliefDoes this sound familiar?  Things are going well and then we start to get a voice in our head telling us that things will go wrong.  Sure, it seems like all is going well, but things always get messed up in the end.  Things have gone wrong so many times in the past that you start to think you don't deserve to win.  You don't deserve the happiness or the love that God has planned for you.  When this happens, we can start to self-sabotage.  We don't even know we are doing it.  The enemy just keeps telling us that we have failed in the past, so we will fail again.  He drags us back down over and over again until we have lost all belief in ourselves and sometimes in God.Then the song goes on to say:Oh, these are the voices; oh these are the liesAnd I have believed them, for the very last timeHello, my name is child of the One True KingI've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set freeAmazing Grace is the song I singHello, my name is child of the One True KingThis is a verse that we may want to write down and read often.  I know I say this about a lot of verses from scripture, and you may have a lot of Post-it notes or index cards.  I really think this one could help us all when we are feeling defeated or when the enemy is telling us lies.  As much as we want to believe that God loves us and that we are His children, sometimes, the things of this world get in our way.  Sometimes, we let the enemy's lies get to us and convince us that we are not worthy, that we are not loved, that we are unlovable, and so many other things that are not true.  For me, when I heard this song, I loved it.  I have listened to it a million times or so.  Well, that may be a slight exaggeration, but I have listened to it a lot. And guess what?  Now I hear this chorus run through my head when I need it to.  When I start to feel down on myself, I literally tell myself, “Catherine, you are a child of the one true king!”  When I hear this, I can't help but smile.  When I start to doubt myself, when I start to have regret, or when I feel any of the enemy's tactics, I tell him, sorry, but I am a child of the one true king.  You've got nothing on my God; He is my one true king.  I have even started saying this to my friends when they are struggling.  When they are feeling down and also when they are feeling attacked, I remind them who they are and who they are.  They are a child of God, the one true King, and He won't let the enemy hurt them.  He won't let the enemy win.The song goes on to say:I am no longer definedBy all the wreckage behindThe One who makes all things newHas proven it's trueJust take a look at my lifeWe all have things in our past that we are not proud of.  We have all said and done things that weren't great.  Whether we did them on purpose or not, none of us are perfect.  We live in a broken world, and this means that we hurt people sometimes.  Regardless of what you have done in your past, you do not have to be defined by it.  I think it is good to reflect on any areas that you are not proud of.  If there are things you regret in your past, then take stalk of them and hand them over to the Lord.  Ask Him to help you forgive yourself.  Ask Him to help you move past them.  We can not change the past, no matter how much we want to.  If we want to find peace with our past mistakes, we need to turn them over and ask God for help.  As these lyrics say, He is the one that makes all things new.  I also like how the lyrics say that he Has proven it true: just take a look at my life.  I think if we all took a look at our lives over the years, we would see plenty of examples of how God showed us His love, how He protected us from things, how He saved us from things.The song ends with:What love the Father Has lavished upon usThat we should be called His childrenHello, my name is child of the One True KingI've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set freeAmazing Grace is the song I singHello, my name is a child of the One True King, yeahThese are the words from the scripture verse above.  Can you imagine how much the Lord loves us to call us His children?  Think about how much love you have for your children.  Now, multiply that by a bazillion, and that is how much our heavenly Father loves us.  My hope is that when you start to doubt this, you remember this song, you remember this scripture verse, and you remember that you are a child of the one true king.  You remember that you've been saved, you've been changed, you have been set free.  You are not who you were, and you don't have to let your past mistakes define you.  God has saved you, changed you, and set you free from everything.  All you have to do is live in this freedom.  Don't let the enemy drag you back to your old self.  Anytime he starts to whisper lies in your ear, just tell him, “I am a child of the one true king, I am not listening to you.”  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we are so grateful for all the love that you lavish on us.  We are sorry if we find it hard to accept it sometimes.  Please help us with this.  We want to accept all that you have to offer us freely.  We want to live in the freedom you have given us.  We don't want to live with any chains that the enemy tries to weigh us down with.  Please help us release anything that we need to release to live in your freedom.  You are so amazing and you give us so much, help us to accept it.  Help us to know that we are your children and that you love us.  Help us not to believe the lies of the enemy.  We are grateful for all you do for us, Lord.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow.  Have a blessed day.Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “The day is washed in Light, my children, washed and bathed through your hand, an extension of my hand. My hand is kind and full of compassion and love. You are all the extension of me. You are not separate from me. Never do you move alone. I am your guide.” 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 Am Protected (Identity Series)Psalm 18:32 “God gives me strength for the battle. He keeps my way secure.”
This verse came to me from a challenge that we received in Big Life mentoring this past week.  Pamela Crim gave us a list of 14 Bible verses that tell us who God says we are.  Our job was to read one verse each day and to pray with it.  Read it out loud and really think about what it says.  She encouraged us to go online to look up the verse in many different translations.  Have you done that before?  Have you taken a verse and then checked the other translations to see what words they use?  I do this often, and I am always surprised by the words the various translations use.  I know they are all saying the same thing, and yet some just hit me more than others.  If you haven't tried this before, or you haven't done it often, might I suggest you give it a try?  I think you will find you like reading the various translations.  The website I use to do this is Biblegateway.com.  However, there are several different ones you could use.Today's verse tells us that we are protected. It begins with the sentence, “God gives me strength for the battle.” This is important to know, as God does give us strength for our battles.  Sometimes, we look at the fight we have ahead of us, and we are sure that we don't have the strength to fight it.  We might be looking at a really long custody battle, divorce proceedings, a long medical journey, whatever it may be, and we know we aren't strong enough for it.  Have you ever felt like this, like the road ahead is too hard, too long, too steep, too painful, and that you just don't have the strength for it?  I get it. Life is hard.  I know so many who are struggling right now.  So many who have way more to handle than any one person ever should.  The important thing to keep in mind is that we are not in this alone.  You are probably right. Your situation is more than you can handle on your own, which is why you are lucky that you are not on your own.  You have your heavenly Father, who is providing you with the strength you need each day.  I know sometimes it doesn't feel like He is giving you enough strength.  Sometimes, it doesn't feel like you have enough to keep fighting, and yet with each new day comes a renewed strength.  He is constantly filling you up so that you can fight your battles.  You might not feel as if you are full of strength, and yet you do keep going; you do keep fighting so you can see He is giving you strength.He keeps my way secure. I think this means that God always makes sure there is a way.  God is a way maker and so we don't have to worry about coming to a point where we are stuck at a dead end where there is no way out.  I know it feels like we get to this point sometimes.  I know we can reach a point where we can't see a way out.  The way out is not always one that we can see or that we can understand.  God can make a way where there isn't one.  This can happen in several different ways.  I read about a person who was getting sued because he did not read the contract carefully, and he was going to lose everything.  He knew he didn't really have a leg to stand on as he did sign the contract and yet he prayed for God to intervene anyway.  The lawsuit just went away.  It was like it never happened and he never heard anything more about it.  There have been people who have been told they or their family members were going to die. They had some illness, like cancer, and there was nothing else the doctors could do for them.  Their family members prayed anyway, and God healed them.  He took away their illness completely.  That is a way forward that we didn't see ahead of time and we might not have even believed it before seeing it.  I have heard many stories of people who were stuck in a situation and couldn't see any way out of it.  There have been numerous times when my parents were in situations where they couldn't see a way out, and yet they trusted that God had one, and he never let them down.  One time I remember my dad telling me about when God protected him was when a neighbor wanted to fight him. My dad had invited a neighborhood friend to church with our family. She came to church with us, and she was touched by the Lord. She started going regularly and decided she wanted to change her whole life to be in alignment with God.At the time, she was living with a guy that she was dating, and she no longer felt comfortable with the relationship as it was. She didn't want to be living with someone she wasn't married to. I am not sure if she broke up with him or just moved out until they were married or what the exact situation was. I do know that her boyfriend blamed my dad and was really upset with him. We lived in the projects at the time, and so everyone lived very close together, and everyone knew everything about everything. My mom called my dad at work to let him know she heard that this guy was going to fight my dad when he got home from work. My dad got home at the same time every day.My dad wasn't really sure what to do about this news, so he prayed the Lord would protect him. When he got home, he could see there was a group of people on our front lawn. The guy who wanted to beat my dad up was there, and then a bunch of kids who wanted to see the fight. My dad paused in his car before getting out and asked the Holy Spirit to come into this situation. He asked God to give him the words to say to these guys to defuse the situation. My dad certainly couldn't see a way out of this situation. He had no idea what to say or what to do. He needed God's protection and His wisdom.My dad got out of the car. He walked up to the man who wanted to fight him, and words just came flowing out of his mouth. He didn't even know what he was saying. This is what he said, “I know you are in a lot of pain. I know you are hurt, and you feel like punching me will make you feel better. If you think that will help you, then go ahead and punch me. I think what you really need is someone to listen to you. So, let's go inside, and we can talk, and I will listen.”  The guy started crying, and they went inside and talked for hours. My dad definitely couldn't have seen that ending.This is not something he could have seen coming.  The path was not neatly laid out in front of him.  He knew he was in trouble that only God could get him out of, and so He asked God to protect Him.  I think God likes it when we step out in faith, knowing that He keeps His promises.  I don't know if my dad knew this specific verse or not, and yet I do know they trusted God to protect him and to show him the way out of this situation.  You can do the same.  You can trust that God is protecting you.  He is giving you strength for the battle and keeping your way secure. That is a promise you can stand on.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to know we are protected by you.  Help us to feel that protection.  Help us lean into you and not to worry about what might happen.  Lord, help us to trust that you have secured our way.  Help us to step out in faith, knowing you will provide a way, even if it is one we can't see ahead of time.  Help us to trust you, Lord.  We love you. You are amazing!  You have always come through for us in the past, and we know you always will.  We are so grateful, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk Bodly With Jesus.  I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Just a reminder: if you want to receive my newsletter, you can sign up on my website, walkboldlywithjesus.com. I will also put a link in the show notes.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I.  Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I am the God of love. I am the God of joy. I am the God of hope. Spread all that I tell you to the world. Be not afraid to proclaim that I am your God. Make me known, make me loved. Decide today that you will start now.” 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 Am Made New (Identity Series)2 Corinthians 5:16-18 “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh; even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”When I read this verse, I really liked it.  I love how it says we regard no one according to the flesh.  The verse acknowledges, “ok, we know, we did this with Jesus,” but we learned our lesson, and we don't do that any longer.  I really like reading the message translation because it puts these verses in terms we would use today, and sometimes, I think it helps me understand the passage more or gives me a different understanding of the verse.  It helps me to think of it in a way I might not have thought of on my own.  It's kind of like these podcasts.  It takes the Word of God and then it shows how it applies to us in our everyday life.  Sometimes, it is hard, with some of the language in the Bible, to understand what exactly they mean.  If I have a verse that I don't quite understand, I will usually go to the message translation and see what that says.  That is usually enough to help me understand it.  I want to read today's verse from the message translation.  “Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start and is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.”First, I want to say I wish this first sentence were true.  I truly wish people didn't judge others by what they have or how they look.  How great would it be to live in a world where we don't have to worry about what we have or how we look?  How great would it be to know others weren't judging us? Also, how great would it be to be able not to judge others or compare yourself to others?  I have heard the quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”  I know this to be true.  I know so many people who are feeling great, and then they hop on social media and see how well everyone else is doing, and they start to feel bad about themselves.  They are judging others based on the small snapshot of their life they post on social media.  When they compare their life to the lives of others, they decide they can't measure up.  They decide their life isn't nearly as good as everyone else.  As much as I know this first sentence isn't true for the majority of people in this world, what if we made it true for us?  What if we stopped judging people by what they have and how they look?  What if we started to be the change we want to see in the world?  What if we prayed and asked God to work on us from the inside out? What if we asked God to help us stop judging others?  When we read this verse, we see this is what God is calling us to.  He is calling us to no longer judge people according to the flesh.  It goes on to say, “Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. When Jesus was alive, he was judged by this world's standards.  He was mocked for his claim to be a king because He didn't look like a king.  However, He is no longer judged in this way.  We now look at Jesus for who He truly is.  The verse goes on to say, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.”  I love the way the message translation says, “Anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges!”  How many of us have felt that at some time in our lives?  How many of us have felt we just needed a fresh start?  This is possible through Christ.  We don't have to be the same people we always were.  We don't have to do the same things we have always done.  We can start again.  We can recreate ourselves.  We might think this is a one-time thing.  We found Jesus and now we get to start fresh.  I don't think this is true.  I think we can choose at any point to start new, to say goodbye to our old life, our old ways and say hello to the new life that is made possible through Christ.  What things in your life need to go so you can have a closer life in Christ?  What things from your past are you carrying around when God wants you to let them go and let your new life emerge?  Is it greed, anger, past hurts, jealousy, or judgment?  Whatever it is, you can let it go now.  God doesn't want you to keep holding on to it.  Next, the verse says, “All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins.”  Adam and Eve corrupted the bond we had with God.  Humanity had to live with the fact for a very long time and its consequences.  However, God fixed this when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.  God made it so we could be close to Him again, so the veil between us could be dropped.  So why aren't we closer to Him?  According to this verse, God gave us a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins.  This is how we get that fresh start I was talking about earlier.  When we bring our sins to God, He forgives them, and we are made clean again.  The problem is we aren't always bringing our sins to God.  There may be many reasons for this; we may be scared He won't forgive them, or we may be embarrassed or have shame around those sins.  Shame is a huge weapon the enemy uses against us.  If we feel ashamed of something, we probably aren't going to want to talk about it, even to a priest, in some cases, especially to a priest.  The enemy knows this keeps us stuck in our old life.  The enemy knows if you won't confess it, even just to God, then that sin still holds power over you.  If you feel as though you could really use a fresh start right now, confess your sins and repent.  God wants you to have a fresh new life.  He wants to restore His relationship with you.  One of the last things this verse says is, “God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them.”  We are told this so often.  We are Christ's representatives.  What we do matters.  People are watching us and judging Christ by what we do.  We are a reflection of Jesus.  What if we were more cognizant of this fact?  What if we examined our own behaviors and asked ourselves, “Am I doing a good job reflecting Christ to the world?”  The verse also says God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them.  Are we doing this?  Are our words and actions helping to bring others together or drive them apart?  Do we get sucked into the gossip and join in instead of trying to stop the gossip?  Do we get swept up in talking about all our differences instead of finding ways we are similar?  Are we passing along the message of reconciliation, or are we condemning those that have sinned or are sinning?  I think one area that is hard for a lot of people is when they see their children doing things they know God does not condone.  In this instance I think it is important to remember a fresh start is always available.  Although we don't need to condone these behaviors, I also don't think pointing them out over and over again is helpful.  We want to bring people together and not drive them away.  If we could look at people through a Godly lens instead of a worldly one, I am sure we would see the world differently.  God doesn't love everything we do all the time, and yet He does love us all the time.  Even when we are acting in ways God doesn't like, He still showers us with love.  We could learn a lot if we echoed this type of love.  The only way to do this is to pray and ask God to teach us how.  I love the very last line of the message translations.  It says, “We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.”  How great is that?  How awesome is it to know God is friends with us?  Are we friends with Him?  Think of your relationship with God.  Is it like a friendship?  Is it give and take?  Do you listen as much as you talk?  Is your relationship with God one in which you could sit and talk for hours with Him?  Or, is it one where you feel He is the ever-judgmental Father and He is just looking for ways to punish you?  This is not what God is all about.  Does He believe in justice, absolutely and also, He believes in Mercy.  God's mercy is much bigger than His judgment.  God wants to be your friend, will you let Him in?  Will you accept his forgiveness of sins and get a fresh start in your life?  Will you try to stop judging others for what they look like and what they have?  Let's join together to be Christ's representative and share the Good News with all those who will listen.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we want to be your friend, show us how.  Put on our hearts anything getting in the way of this, and then give us the strength and wisdom to change it.  Lord, help us to no longer regard others according to the flesh.  Please help us to accept your forgiveness of sins and start fresh again.  Help us to be your representatives to bring people together instead of encouraging this divisiveness.  We love you, Lord, you are so amazing!  You are the Messiah, You are the fountain of life, you are the Holy One of Israel.  We are so grateful for all you do, and we ask all of this in Jesus' holy name and according to your will, 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!Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I call you all by name. I know each one of you. You are to move with confidence when times are hard. Always believe that I am there 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

I Am Known (Identity Series)Psalm 139:1-4 "O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.”I read a post on Facebook yesterday that pointed me to Psalm 139.  It was about different verse in the psalm, but when I read the whole thing I realized it was a really good one.  They all probably are great.  I have heard if you are going to start reading the Bible for the first time you should start with the Gospels, or with the Psalms.  That must mean they are pretty good.  These verses stood out to me in particular because they talk about how well God knows us.  Being Known is one of the six stages of Attachment developed by psychologist Gordon Neufeld.  His model presents six stages of attachment that create the foundations for virtually every relationship your children will ever have.  Since we are God's children, This is important to us as well.  I will list the six stages and then will focus on Being Known.  The stages are Proximity, Sameness, Belonging or Loyalty, Significance, Love & Being Known.Reading through those I think this verse may touch on more than one of them.  However, let's begin with Being Known and go from there.  Every single one of us longs to be known.  This is why we get upset when our loved ones get us a gift we don't like.  It is not necessarily the gift that upsets us, it is the fact that they didn't know us well enough to know we wouldn't like it.  God isn't like that.  God is omniscient, which means he has infinite awareness, understanding, and insight.  Another definition is that He possesses universal or complete knowledge.  God knows everything about you.  He can read your thoughts, he knows your actions and He also knows your heart behind your actions.  God knows why you did all the things you did.  This can be scary for some people because they feel they don't want God to know everything about them.  They feel they are not worthy of being known.  Some people might worry that God knows all they have done because they have done some things they are not proud of.  This is all of us actually.  I am sure there is not a single person who has gone through their whole life without doing some things they are not proud of.  We all say the wrong thing sometimes.  We all do the wrong thing sometimes.  We all hurt people intentionally or unintentionally.  The thing to remember is that God is not surprised by our behavior.  He has searched us and He knows us.  This means He knows all of us.  He doesn't just look at the things we did that we wish we hadn't done.  He looks at everything we have done.  He knows our motives behind all we have done.  He looks straight into our heart.  This is a good thing because He sees what we can't see.  He knows that when we acted out and yelled that we hated our parents, we didn't really hate them.  He knows that when we yelled at our spouse or our friend it was really because we were hurting inside, or because we had an awful day at work and needed a safe space to let off steam.  He knows that when we yelled at our children when we caught them doing drugs or something else dangerous it was because we were really scared.  He knows that when we were unkind to the person in line it was because of all the stress and pressure at work.  God Knows Everything!  He gets it.  He understands that our actions aren't who we are.  
He knows that, but do we know that?  Do we give ourselves the grace of examining our behavior after the fact?  Do we allow ourselves forgiveness when we factor in our motives?  I am not saying the things I listed above are good reasons to do those things.  I don't think we should take our frustrations out on our spouse, friends, or kids.  I am not excusing the behaviors, I am explaining them though.  If your friend was super stressed at work and then you called and asked a question and they yelled at you, would you be angry with them?  Would you want to stop being friends with that person?  Would you realize that was out of character and try to find out what was wrong with your friend?  We tend to have so much grace for other people and yet not very much for ourselves.  I would love it if we could change that.  I would love it if we could all start to see ourselves a little more through the Lord's eyes.  The next line says, “You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.”  God knows all your ways.  He knows that you are grumpy before coffee in the morning.  He knows you don't like change.  He knows you don't like to stay up late.  He knows you are irritable if you get hungry.  He also knows you are a great mom, dad, friend.  He knows you are a great employee,  He knows you are a great spouse or partner.  He knows the good, the bad and the ugly and you know what, He still loves you.  He loves you not despite all of it, but because of all of it.  The verse says He knows our words even before we say them. I wish sometimes He would guard my mouth and prevent me from saying some of them.  How about you?  Have you ever wished you hadn't say something?  Have you ever just blurted something out that felt right in the moment and yet you instantly regretted it?  I know I have.  God knows our thoughts and He knows our words.  Again, he knows the thoughts and feelings behind our words.  He knows the feelings that we might not even know.  Sometimes we may feel angry and yet we are just worried or anxious.  God knows this.  God knows our heart, even when we don't.  We are known and loved by God.  We are accepted and loved by God.  God knows us better than anyone we have ever known and He loves us.  I need everyone single one of you to hear that on an individual level today.  You are known by God.  God knows your inner most thoughts and desires.  God knows the why behind your actions.  God sees through all the BS that we put up to protect ourselves and He sees you, the real you.  God loves you!  He loves you right this very second, right as you are.  He isn't waiting for you to become something else, He isn't waiting until to you do this or that, He isn't waiting for you to be perfect.  He knows you and loves you just as you are.  He loves all you imperfections, He loves all the ways you spread His love and His light.  Yes you do, you spread His love and His light just by being you!  God loves you, all of you!!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today!  Lord, I ask you to open everyone's hearts and minds so they can really hear this message today.  Help each and every listener hear how much you know them and how much you love them.  Help them to feel it down to their core Lord.  We ask you to guard our thoughts and our words.  We pray that our thoughts conform to your thoughts.  Lord you are so amazing.  You know everything about us and you still love us.  Help us to do the same. Help us to know ourselves and still love ourselves.  Soften our hearts o Lord!  We love you and we ask all of this in accordance with you will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus! Remember tomorrow is week #3 of the Identity Series in Mentoring. I hope you join me on zoom. It's not too late, Just head over to my website, walkboldlywithjesus.com or click on the link below. I look forward to seeing some of you tomorrow night on zoom and the rest of you you I look forward to meeting you here again again tomorrow.  Remember Jesus loves you and so do I.  Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “You must trust me, and allow me to do my work in you and through you. My love is for everyone. You will be sanctified as you obey 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

I am Guided (Identity Series)Isaiah 30:21 “And your ears shall hear a word behind you: “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or the left.”This is a great verse because it explains that we are guided throughout our lives.  However, it can also be misleading. Unfortunately, we can't really take this verse literally.  We do not have someone whispering into our ears each step of the way.  Although that would be pretty cool.  Imagine if you didn't have to wonder if you were taking the right steps.  Imagine if you didn't have to worry about making the wrong decision because you had the Lord whispering in your ear telling you whether you were to turn left or right.Although we don't have someone behind us whispering in our ear at each turn, the Lord will lead us in the right direction if we take the time to ask Him and then listen to what He has to say. This can be tricky because many times, we will be good about asking God what we should do but then not take the time to listen to His answer.  Other times, we are so excited about one of the choices that we jump in and choose that one without even pausing to ask God what He thinks. When we do either of these things, we are not giving the Lord a chance to guide us into the life He has planned for us.  Hearing the word of God is something we can all do. We just have to know how to do it.  In my Encounter Ministries class last night they went over the various ways that you might “hear” God's word.  There are four ways:See it: Sometimes people see visions, and that is how they get their answers.  Sometimes, you might see a word above someone's head.  You might see something that is not actually there in the natural world.  I know when learning inner healing our teachers told us sometimes God may ask us to do a prophetic act.  You might be praying over someone for inner healing, and while praying, you see that they have a spear through their heart.  You might feel as though God is asking you to take it out.  You are likely the only person who sees this spear.  That doesn't make it any less real.  When you are looking for an answer from the Lord, ask Him the question and then close your eyes and see if He wants to reveal anything to you through your sight.Hear it: Usually, when we hear God, it is not God's voice.  My teacher last night said she had heard the voice of God once, so that is pretty cool.  However, I think it is rare that you hear the actual voice of God.  In my experience, when I hear the voice of God, He sounds just like my voice.  It is that “still small voice” in your head or in your heart that helps you know what you should do.  I am sure you have heard this voice before. However, you might not have known that it was God talking to you.  When you are seeking answers from the Lord, ask your questions and then sit quietly and listen to see what He has to say.  If you ask, He will answer.  Feel it: Sometimes, the Lord speaks to us with our feelings.  There is a woman in our prayer group who feels things from the Lord very frequently.  She will get a word of prophecy and then will go on to say that she is getting this strong feeling from the Lord that He is sad and wants us to turn to Him more or that He has this deep longing.  Last night, at the Encounter Summer Intensive, we were doing a guided meditation using the parable of the prodigal son, and she said she could just feel this overwhelming love that the Father has for us.  She said she had never felt a love like this before.  It was such a strong feeling.  When you are looking for answers from the Lord, they may come in the form of a feeling, so pay attention to how you are feeling when asking the Lord what He thinks.Think it: This is when a thought just pops into your head.  Sometimes, it can be when you are sitting trying to listen to the Lord, and other times, it can just be out of the blue.  Have you ever been going about your day, and all of a sudden, you get this thought to reach out to an old friend?  Yep, me too!  This is the Lord prompting you.  A lot of times, we ignore these thoughts.  However, when we obey and reach out to the person we find out that was exactly what they needed.  I had been thinking about reaching out to someone I had met on retreat for several months and I just never did.  I am not sure why I didn't, but eventually, she reached out to me, and she was having a rough time.  I bet she would have really appreciated it if I had reached out when the Lord first told me to.  Last night, this woman was walking out the door to come to the summer intensive, and she got the thought to bring this specific prayer card with her, so she threw it in her purse.  The prayer card was a prayer about entrusting your children to God and not worrying if they will come back to the church.  Then, at the Summer Intensive, one of the ladies shared that she was worried about her kids never coming back to the church, so the woman gave her this prayer card.  God has a plan, and sometimes, He will put thoughts in our heads to help Him with that plan.  The teacher who was talking about these four ways to hear God's voice last night was saying that she was sitting in church one day, and the Lord brought a thought out of nowhere about a funeral she was at where there was a teen suicide.  She did not understand why she would have this random thought in the middle of mass.  Then God revealed to her that the teenage boy behind her was contemplating suicide.  Sometimes, you never know the impact of what you did for someone else.  Sometimes, you might get a prompting to call someone, and you do.  You could have a very nice conversation and yet you don't feel like there was any great purpose in the call. However, we don't know the effects it might have had.  There was a purpose for God putting that thought in your head, that I am sure of!I hope that you find these four ways of hearing the Lord's voice helpful.  If we want to grow in our ability to hear the Lord's voice, we need to practice, just like anything else in life.  If you want to be better at a sport, you need to play that sport.  If you want to be better at cooking, you need to cook.  If you want to become better at hearing the Lord's voice, you need to sit down and listen often.  I promise you the Lord wants to talk to you.  God didn't just pick a few of His children to talk to. He wants to talk to all of His children.  He wants to sit down with you as you drink your morning coffee or tea and have a chat with you.  A real back-and-forth chat.  Your heavenly Father loves you, and He longs to communicate with you.  Why not give it a try?  What do you have to lose?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to hear you communicating with us.  No matter the method, Lord, we just want to have a relationship with you.  We want you to whisper in our ear and lead us down the correct path.  Tell us whether we should turn right or turn left, Lord.  Help us to make time for you, to listen to you.  We want to hear your Word, Lord; please help 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 seeing you again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I!  Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, my love follows you always to wherever you go. If you fall into darkness, I am there with you. If you rejoice with me, I delight with you. Nothing can break our union. For my love, the love of your good, good God is the bond.”  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 Am Strong (Identity Series)Philippians 4:13 “ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
This is truly one of my all-time favorite verses.  I keep a list of all the verses I used as the central point of each episode as there are 31,102 verses in the Bible and I want to make sure that I am not always speaking about the same few that we all already know.  I try not to repeat a verse I have used already as the main verse of the episode.  However, sometimes if I learn something new about a verse or something fascinating I will repeat a verse.  I am sure I have used this verse several times before within the episode, so I  was surprised to see I hadn't used it as a main verse. We will finish the “I Am What God Says I Am” series this week.  If you haven't listened in a while we have already done: I am protected, I am forgiven, I am courageous, and I am His.  This week we will cover I am strong, I am guided, I am healed, and I am whole.I love this verse because I think if we all embraced it, life would get easier.  If we all accepted this, and let it settle into our hearts, we wouldn't struggle so much.  It is also a great reminder that we can do anything if we are doing it with the strength we get from Christ.  This verse came from Paul in a letter to the Philippians.  Paul has an amazing story. He has lots of amazing stories.  The way He became a believer in Jesus was amazing.  God wanted Him and one encounter with Jesus changed his whole life. Paul did not have an easy life, especially after He started traveling around and preaching about Jesus.  Sometimes we can think we are supposed to have an easy life.  We believe in God and God will protect us so we get to just sit back and relax on easy street.  That is not what God promised us.   God promised He would be with us.  He promised He would send an advocate to guide us, but He never promised our life would be easy.  Actually, He said the opposite.  In Matthew 16:24, “Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”  He is calling us to take up our own cross.  Our crosses will look very different from Jesus' cross, thank goodness.  Your cross will look different from my cross.  Just because our crosses look different, doesn't mean we don't have crosses.  Paul was the Pope at one point.  We might think if He is that close to the Lord, then his life was easy.  Sometimes, oftentimes, the closer we get to the Lord the harder our life seems.  The enemy hates when we get close to the Lord, so he will try to block you every chance he gets.  The devil will make your life a living hell, and then try to convince you it is God's fault, or if God loved you, why would He let this stuff happen to you?  The enemy can be really convincing too.  He can sound like He knows what he is talking about because He might through some scripture in there, or he will include just enough truth in his lies so that they seem credible.  This is a trick, don't fall for it.  God is not the reason you are suffering and yet He can be the reason you make it through all that suffering.Paul says right before the verse above in Philippians 4:10-13, “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last, you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”The word that jumps out to me first is the word content.  Many of us struggle to be content.  If we are struggling financially, we wish we had more money.  If we are successful then we still strive for more, or we feel lonely at the top.  We live in a society that wants more and more.  I rarely talk with someone who is content with where they are in life.  Paul said he learned to be content in whatever the circumstances.  You might think this was easy for Paul because He was the Pope.  It was not, here are a few things Paul went through in his lifetime since turning his life over to God. Here is a list from 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 about all that Paul went through: “Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person.) I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death.  Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers;  in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure.  And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches.”Can you imagine?  I can't imagine even going through a fraction of what Paul went through, and yet I have walked through some very difficult times and I am sure you have too.  I was not showing you all Paul went through so you could look at your life and compare it.  Comparison is the thief of joy.  I don't believe we should look at our troubles and compare them to others because then we start to feel guilty for being upset about our problems when they seem so small compared to others.  You still have a right to be upset about your circumstances, even if someone else's circumstances are worse.  The thing to remember about Paul is that he was able to endure so much because he had the strength of Jesus, and so do you!  We all have the Spirit of Jesus living inside of us.  That was a gift the Father gave us when Jesus went to join Him in Heaven.  The verse today says, “ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” It says, all things.  It doesn't just mean the easy stuff. I know you feel like what you are dealing with is too much.  I know you feel like you are alone and no one is there fighting with you.  I know you might not feel the strength of Jesus and yet He is right there with you.  When I look back I can see how the strength of Jesus got me through the hard times.  When things were really bad in our house I never gave up hope.  I didn't wake up each day feeling defeated or depressed, well, not on most days anyway.  I woke up feeling ready to try a new strategy.  Just the fact that I got out of bed was proof of Jesus' strength.  There were long periods, years actually, where it was crisis after crisis in my house.  I would put out one fire and another one would be right there waiting to spring up.  It was a lot and I had times when I wanted to throw in the towel.  I definitely wondered what would happen if I ran away from it all.  And yet, I made it through.  I not only made it through but I changed the dynamics in our family.  It was super hard work and work I know I couldn't have done on my own.  You have the strength of Jesus inside of you and you are stronger than you think.  You can do this thing you are going through right now! You can beat cancer, you can raise your kids to be great adults, you can fix your marriage, you can help your loved one recover from injury/illness, and you can make it through this financial crisis.  Whatever it is, you can make it through because you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.  You are strong.  There is a Winnie the Pooh quote that I think we should all embrace as truth, "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” You are stronger than you seem.  You can do this hard thing, even when it feels like you can't!  You've got this, you have the power and strength of Jesus inside of you.  You can do all things with Him!Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for every person listening today.  I ask you to bless each of them.  Lord, help us to feel your strength.  Help us to see the times in our life when we have relied on the strength of Jesus to get us through.  Show us the times when you were there lifting us and we didn't know it.  Help us to turn to you for strength Lord.  Help us not to rely on our own strength but to look to you and surrender our problems to you Lord.  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 so grateful to know that I am not on this journey alone. If you feel you are alone on this journey, I invite you to join the Walk Boldly With Jesus Facebook group, where you can be surrounded by other people who also love Jesus! If you want more than that, you can join mentoring as well. 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 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My strength is sufficient for you. No matter what trial or tribulation you are walking through. I am with you. I will not abandon you. Remain in my love.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

I Am His (Identity Series)Isaiah 43:1-2 “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”When I was looking at the sheet of verses titled “I Am Who God Says I Am,” I saw that it said Isaiah 43:1 for today, which makes sense.  I am His is what God is saying when He Says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine.”  We are the Lord's. There are several places in the Bible where it talks about how we are His people, He formed us in our mother's womb, He knew us before we existed, and so on.  That might even make a great Bible study, just looking at all the places where God says that we are His.  However, when I was reading that verse this morning I decided to read the verses that come after this verse as well.What I realized is that the very next verse tells us not to fear, which I found interesting since that is what we talked about yesterday.  I didn't want to talk about verse 1 without also talking about verse 2 because I think they go hand and hand.  I think verse 2 explains what verse 1 means for us.  In verse one, God is telling us that we are His.  He is saying that he has redeemed us and summoned us by name and that we are His.  Let's stay there for a moment.  First, God says that He has redeemed us.  Redeemed in the Bible means having been saved or delivered from sin or its consequences. I wonder if we understand what that means.  I wonder if we are even capable of grasping the vastness of that statement.  God has redeemed us.  This means that the mistake that you made, the one that you keep beating yourself up for, God has already redeemed it.  This means that those sins that you have committed, you have been delivered from them.  All those negative things the enemy keeps whispering in our ears about ourselves, the Lord has already redeemed them; he has redeemed us, all of us.  He has delivered us from ourselves, from our sinful nature.The next part says He summoned us by name, in other words, He called us.  Do you know what this means?  It means that God knows our name.  He knows your name, and He knows my name.  He is calling us, not as a group, not as a whole, He is calling each one of us, by name, to Him.  Almost every week in Prayer Group, we get at least one word of prophecy that says, “Come closer my children, again I say, come closer my children.” God is calling us to be close to Him.  He is calling us to sit with Him daily and have a conversation, pray with Him, and tell Him what is going on in our lives.  He is calling us to Him because He wishes to have a relationship with us.  Earlier I said I think verse 2 explains what verse 1 means to us.  What I meant by this is that verse 2 tells us all the ways God will protect us because we are His.  He gives us an idea of the lengths He will go to so that He can protect His children.  That is what you are, you are a child of God.  The second verse starts by saying, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” This tells us that God is with us always.  Even when we are passing through waters, He will be there.  He will not only be there but He will protect us from these waters.  He will make sure they do not sweep over us.  I think this is important to remember because how many times in life have you felt like you were treading water?  How many times have you felt like you were going to drown?  This verse is meant to reassure us.  It is telling us no matter how high those waters get, we won't drown.  We belong to God and He is here protecting us always.  We heard all those words of prophecy yesterday telling us not to fear anything because God is right there with us.  Now, today, we hear the same thing.  I get the feeling some of us are fearful about something now.  I am not sure what you are going through or what you might be afraid of, and yet I know that God is trying to reassure you that whatever it is, He is right there with you and that you don't ever have to be afraid because He will never leave your side.The last sentence in this verse is an even more dramatic statement of God's love for us, His people.  The verse ends with, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” This is a pretty vivid picture and yet I think we can all think of a time in our lives when we felt like we were walking through fire.  God is reassuring us that although we may feel like we are in a fire, we may feel the heat of the flames all around us, He will not let the flames set us ablaze.  I am sure we hear this, and we take it figuratively.  We think about the things going on in our lives and how it feels like we are walking through fire.  However, I want you to know that God saved three of His children from a literal fire.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three of God's children.  They loved God, and they wanted to serve Him and only Him.  Then King Nebuchadnezzar created a statue made of gold and said everyone needed to bow before it.  These three young men refused as they said they would only bow to the one true king, our Lord God.  King Nebuchadnezzar ordered these three young me to be thrown in the fiery furnace. God saved these men from being touched by the fire.When King Nebuchadnezzar looked through the window to make sure they had died, he saw four people in the furnace instead of three.  God had sent one of His angels into the fiery furnace to protect them.  There is one line in the story of these three young men that I just love.  This story can be found in Daniel 3.  My favorite line, though, is found in verses 14-18, " King Nebuchadnezzar questioned them: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? Now, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I made, whenever you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, dulcimer, harp, double-flute, and all the other musical instruments, then all will be well; if not, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us!  But even if he will not, you should know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.”Wow, can you imagine saying that?  Can you imagine the faith they must have had?  They knew God could save them from the flames of that furnace, and yet even if God didn't save them, they would still be faithful to Him.  I wonder if we can say the same.  I wonder if we would be willing to stake our lives on our faith in God.  God is telling us with this story, as well as with the verses today, that He will be there for us, no matter what.  He will protect us from drowning in the waters in our lives and He will protect us from burning in the fires in our life.  We belong to God, and He will protect us from all that we encounter.  He is there with us each step of the way, even in those really hard times.  God wants us to come closer to Him and have a relationship with Him.  He wants us to share with Him all that is going on in our lives so He can help us with it all.  God loves you, and You are His!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we thank you for protecting us from the water and the fire in our lives.  Thank you for calling us by name, thank you for redeeming us.  We love you, Lord.  Help us to draw closer to you.  Help us to learn how to have a relationship with you.  Help us not to fear anything because we have you in our lives protecting us.  We are so grateful for you and all the ways that you protect us.  You are so powerful, and we are so grateful we are Yours.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' mighty name, Amen.Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk body with Jesus.  Tonight is mentoring if you have night signed up yet, I encourage you to check it out and sign up today. If you want to see what it is all about before joining, send me an email, and I will send you the link. If you would like to join mentoring but don't have the $30 a month, send me an email, and I will send you the link. I hope you will consider joining us.  I look forward to meeting you here again on tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My dear children, I love you. I will never stop loving you, no matter what you have done. My love is never-ending. My love is inexhaustible. Come and drink of the fountain of my love.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

I Am Chosen (Identity Series)John 15:16 “God has chosen you and has set you aside for a special purpose.”God has chosen you, yes, you! Sometimes, it is hard to believe that statement. We can clearly see why God chose some people, but cannot see why he would choose us. We are broken, we're not worthy, and we are not enough. We believe that the saints were extraordinary people, and so, of course, God chose them. We see movie stars, musicians and speakers and think that they have an incredible life because that is just how they were made. Something I am constantly hearing in the personal development world is that you should not compare your beginning to someone else's ending. This means that you should not compare where you are at in your journey to someone else who is further along in his or her journey. If you look at the beginning of some of the saint's lives I think you would be surprised where they started. I have been watching a series on YouTube lately that is called “The Chosen.” It is a portrayal of Jesus's life during his three years of ministry. You get to see the apostles in their lives before they were called to follow Jesus. It is amazing to me to see the apostles as regular people, people like you and I. I believe we tend to put famous people up on a pedestal.  We think that we could never be like them. But the thing is, they were not always like they are now. They made a choice to say yes and to follow Jesus. Jesus is the one who transformed them into who they are now.While watching the series, I saw Simon, who was a fisherman, argue with his wife, try to cheat his in-laws in a fight, and turn in fellow Jews who were fishing on Shabbat, and he was very behind on his taxes. He did not seem like the type of person that one would pick to be the leader of God's Kingdom on earth. Jesus saw Simon and Andrew fishing and asked them to come and follow him. Matthew 4:19 “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” What I like best about watching this on screen is that you get to see how the apostles reacted. Both Andrew & Simon looked at each other and then followed Him. They did not think for more than a minute before they left all that they knew to follow this man they had just met. Later, they are retelling the story, and they admit that they have no idea what it even means to be fishers of men, yet they are all in. There are many different translations of this verse, but they all have the phrase “I will make you…” I think this is important to note because it reminds us that the apostles did not become changed men on their own. They made the choice to follow Jesus, and then, through him, they were changed. I know some of you may be thinking that whatever the apostles or saints did before they became saints could not be as bad as some of the things you have done. I mean, they are holy people, so how bad could they have been? Whenever I think like this, I am reminded of Paul. There are 13 books in the New Testament that are attributed to Paul. Not to mention, he was one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age. But do you know the story of Paul? I find it an amazing story of how God can choose anyone to do his work. Paul was originally named Saul. The story of his conversion is found in Acts 9:1-19. If you don't know the story, you may want to read it.  Saul was not nice to Jews who were calling on Jesus. He was actually on his way to Damascus to bring back in chains any men or women he found that might belong to Christ. On his journey, he was struck by a light and a voice asking him, “Why are you persecuting me?” Jesus told Saul what he must do. When Saul got up, he could not see, and for three days, he remained this way. Then, the Lord sent Ananias to go and restore Saul's sight.  “So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, ‘Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' Immediately, things like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.”  Saul was not looking for Jesus. Actually, he was actively persecuting him and everyone that believed in him. If God can take Saul and make him into a man who is known worldwide as one of the greatest Christian missionaries, then just think what he can do with you. Every single one of us has a past, and there is not a single thing you may have done or had done to you in your past that is too great for God to overcome. He chooses you! He gave you the same invitation that he gave to Andrew & Simon. Come and follow me. All you have to say is, “Yes, I will follow you,” and then hold on, and God will take you on an amazing ride.Dear heavenly Father, I ask that you bless everyone listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask that you help us to say yes to following you. We ask that you help us to see ourselves through your eyes. Lord, sometimes it is easy for us to see the good in others and for us to believe that others are good enough to follow you or to be used as your instrument. However, it is so much more difficult to see that in ourselves. Lord, fill us with love for ourselves.  Help us to say yes to you even when we don't understand what we're saying yes to.  Lord, you are amazing, and we trust that if you are choosing us, you have a reason. Give us the courage to say yes and to follow you.  We love you, Lord, and we ask all of that in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus! I want to remind you that it is not too late to join our Identity series in mentoring. We will have week #2 for the series tomorrow night. I hope you will join us. It is at 8 PM EST on Zoom. There is a link below with details. 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 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “As we give our hearts to the Lord, I just get a sense he's healing 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

I Am Healed (Identity Series)Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole; by his wounds, we were healed.”  I love talking about the Lord's healing.  I love talking about it because it is so amazing and also because I am not sure people believe He is still healing today.  I was at the Encounter Ministries Boston Campus' summer intensive Tuesday night.  That night, the topic was the Prophetic Word.  Wednesday night was going to be all about physical healing.  I was talking with a friend from the prayer group at this event and her neck was really bothering her.  She mentioned she would have to have the girls from the prayer group pray over her the next night at the healing service.  I told her we didn't have to wait until tomorrow, let's do it now.  Just then, one of our teachers came up to us, so she joined in as well.  We prayed a few times with little change.  Then my teacher asked my friend if she believed Jesus could heal her right now.  My friend said absolutely!  My teacher said, “Pain be gone now!” We were praying quietly for a minute and my friend said, “Wait a minute,” and she tried to move her neck all around in circles and side to side.  She said the pain was all gone!  Praise God. God is still healing people today.  He is miraculously healing people quickly and He is also miraculously healing people over time.  For instance, someone Tony works with had a stroke and was not expected to recover.  Now, 2-3 months later, he is leaving rehab and going home.  Is he 100% healed yet? No, but I truly believe he will get there.  Not every healing God does is instantaneous and also He does not heal everyone that we ask Him to heal.  I am not sure why this is.  When I ask Him He always tells me, “His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts higher than my thoughts.”  We aren't meant to understand everything He does in this world.  Aside from physical healing, what I feel the Lord wants me to remind you of today is that he heals us from our sins and our brokenness.  Because of original sin, we had a brokenness about us. We live in a very broken world, and yet we don't have to be broken.  God died for our sins so that we could be healed.  God wants us to live in that light. He wants us to realize our identity in Christ and not continue to live with this idea that we are broken.  Yes, the world is a broken place. There are many broken people, but we don't have to be one of those broken people.  We know Christ, and we can be in a relationship with Him. The verse above is very graphic. “But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole; by his wounds, we were healed.”  He was pierced for our sins. Take a minute and think about that.  Picture the Roman soldiers hammering nails into his hands.  Think about how much that must have hurt.  Then it says He was crushed for our iniquity.  Take a moment to think about the scourging.  Think about how much that must have hurt.  How much He must have wanted to scream out in pain.  I wonder if he wanted to say, “But it wasn't me, I didn't do it?”  He was not being scourged because of anything He did.  He took on our sins and our broken relationship with the Father and died on that cross so we could be free.  What just came to my mind was that there is no way to repay Jesus for what He did for us.  There is no way to repay the debt that He paid for our sins, and He doesn't want us to.  Jesus has forgiven that debt to Him.  He saved us, knowing we would still sin.  He saved us, knowing we would turn away probably 100 times before we got it right.  I don't think this bothers Him as much as it does when we don't accept His forgiveness.  When we don't live in the freedom that He sacrificed to gain for us.  Jesus died so you could be healed.  You, yes, You!  You, who are going through an abusive relationship right now.  You, who are living with or dealing with an addict right now, You who are getting a divorce, You who can't have children, You who are struggling to parent the children you do have.  Jesus died for each one of us, and He wants us to live in that freedom.  He is there to help us through our circumstances.  He is there to lift us up when we need Him too.  All we need to do is to lean into Him.He died to heal us, but we are the ones that need to accept that healing.  It's kinda like if we had an illness and there was a medicine that could cure our illness, and yet we refused to take the medicine.  The medicine is sitting right there on the counter, right next to the water, and yet we refuse to take it because we don't believe it will help.  We believe that our illness is worse than the doctor said it was.  We know that medicine can't possibly help us because our case is too severe.  Does that sound silly to you?  Are you rolling your eyes and wondering why I think I know more than the doctor does?  The same is true for us and our forgiveness of sins.  Jesus died so our sins could be forgiven, so we could be healed physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Jesus was repairing the relationship with our heavenly Father that original sin had broken.  He died for you.  Yes, he died for all of us, but He also died for each of us individually.  If you were the only person on Earth, He still would have gone through all of that for you.  Jesus knows what we have done.  He knows what we will do.  He did not die on the cross for some of our sins. He died on the cross for all of our sins.  There is nothing you can do that He won't forgive.  There is nothing that has happened to you that He can't heal.When we do something and then don't accept forgiveness for it, we are offending the Lord.  We are telling Him that His sacrifice was not enough.  Is this what you believe?  Do you believe that Jesus dying on the cross was not a big enough sacrifice to cover whatever it was that you did or that was done to you?  It does not make you greedy to accept God's sacrifice.  It does not make you greedy to accept the forgiveness that God offers.  His forgiveness is freely given.  You don't have to do anything to deserve it or to earn it.  It is already yours through your baptism.  He had you and your sins, your troubles in mind when He was on that cross.  Accept the healing.  Accept the forgiveness of sins.One thing that has helped me accept God's Word into my heart is to personalize it to me.  I will put my name in or switch words from “our” to “my”.  Sometimes, we believe scripture is true.  We just don't think it applies to us for some reason or another. Here is how I might read this scripture if I was struggling to believe it was for me personally.  “But he was pierced for my sins, crushed for my iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes me whole; by his wounds, I, Catherine, was healed.”  If you struggle to believe, you are healed.  If you struggle to believe all your sins, yes, even that one can be forgiven.  If you struggle to believe Jesus died for you personally and individually, I ask you to write this scripture down on a sticky note and place it on your computer, your bathroom mirror, your shower, or wherever you will see it daily.  Make it personal and put it in your own name.  Even just changing the “our” to “my” will really change the feel of it.  “But he was pierced for my sins, crushed for my iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes me whole, by his wounds I, Catherine, was healed.” You can add your name, or just take the name out.  Whichever feels best for you.  Jesus loves you, He died for you, don't lessen that sacrifice by refusing to accept the healing that comes from it.  You are healed, all you need to do is live into that healing!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you and we accept your forgiveness.  We accept your healing.  Please help us.  Lord, we ask that you come into our hearts and minds and clear any blocks we might have in accepting your healing and forgiveness.  Lord, we give you permission to work on our hearts please soften them.  We love you Lord, we are so grateful you sent your son to heal us and we are sorry if we haven't been accepting that healing.  Lord we can do nothing without you and yet all things with you.  Please help us.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus! I 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 July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My beloved, I am yours and you are mine. Come away with me so I can speak to your heart. Come away with me into that intimate place where I can speak to your heart alone. Come with me, my beloved. I want to fill you with my joy, my love, and my mercy.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

I Am Courageous (Identity Series)Joshua 1:9 “I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord, your God, is with you wherever you go.”Today is another verse that tells us who God created us to be.  God created us to be strong and steadfast.  Do you know what steadfast means?  Steadfast means resolutely firm and unwavering.  This verse is telling us that we can be courageous because God is with us wherever we go.  God is telling us in this verse that we don't have to fear anything and we don't have to be dismayed.  God tells us not to fear quite often in the Bible.  The phrase “fear not” is in the Bible 365 times.  That is one time for each day of the year.  I think this is something that God wants us to get and yet we still all struggle with it.  I can't think of a single person who is not afraid of something.  I think if we took the bravest person we know we would still discover they were afraid of something.  There are people who are afraid of everything, there are people who are afraid of almost nothing and then there are those in between.  Even if someone says they aren't afraid of anything I bet if you asked them if they were afraid something might happen to their children, their pets, or any of their loved ones, I bet most would say yes.  If you asked them if they were afraid of not being able to provide for their family I bet most would say yes.  We are all afraid of something.  I think this is why the Lord has said “fear not” so many times in the Bible.  He is still saying it to His people today.  He is saying it to you and me. We are constantly getting words of prophecy at prayer group that tell us not to be afraid and that God is with us.  Here are several words that we have received, and these all came within the same month.  I would love for you to listen to these words as if your heavenly Father was saying them to you personally.  Also, if any of them stand out to you or you feel like they are speaking to you pause the episode and write them down.  I pray that God speaks to each one of you through these words.  I pray that He highlights at least one of these for each individual person listening.  All of these either speak to us not being afraid or they explain how and why we know God is with us.  I just got the feeling that we don't need to fear because He is the one that is in charge and He will make things happen in whatever way that He wants. He keeps telling us we're not God He is God.  He is saying He can use whoever He wants. Whoever is willing to be used he can use.You are the anointing I send to the world my children. Smile that I send you. I send each of you. Be not afraid I am with you. My spirit will speak through you the words that I wish you to say. Just be the anointing I wish you to be. All can be. When I say you can, don't tell me you can't. Praise me, praise me, praise me, my children. Smile that today I send you.I watch over you, my children. All of you are my children. I break the sword of the enemy who would come against you. You have nothing to fear for I am there for each and every one of you in each and every trial. I will never forsake my children or leave my children. I will defend you in battle. I have sent you the power of the Spirit and He will give you all that you need to do what you have been called to do.My children take my hand. Realize that I am with you. Go into the world without fear. I am holding onto your hand. There is no need to fear I am your God. I will protect you, I will defend you. Smile that you are mine. Smile my children. I am with you till the end of time. Come closer my children, come closer so that I can reveal my mysteries to you so you in turn can share them with the world. I am your Lord, I am your God and I am all-powerful. I hold onto your hand. Move forward, move forward with joy for you are mine.My children you are like little sheep. You wander off for that next patch of juicy grass and I call you back. You wander over the top of the hill and you get caught in the briars and I find you. I know where your traps are. I will always search for you. I will always find you and I will always bring you back. But I ask you frequently, many times, to look over your shoulder and check on me to make sure you are near me. Often during the day look at me, listen for me, watch me. Stay near me and you will grow strong and healthy and you'll be my cherished one and you will do my will.This verse came to mind as we are praying and all I could see is the real fullness of God's glory. He doesn't give us dim glory, He gives us blazing glory.  He doesn't give us a weak Spirit, He gives us a courageous Spirit. He doesn't give us a dim light, He gives us a blazing light to bring to this world that God is so great and so full and he shares ALL of his fullness with us. With Him there's plenteous redemption so let's not just expect little let's expect a lot, more than our minds can possibly comprehend because He is big.And my children, my darlings you think you are what your roles in life have made you be. You think you are what people have called you and told you you were. But please come to me in prayer and silence and listen to what I call you. I call you beloved, cherished, friend, child. You are my sheep, you are precious. You are my warriors, you are my disciples, you are my voice in the world right now, you are my hands, you are my feet. You have such a noble call and you don't realize it. You have so much power at your disposal and you don't use it. Don't be stuck in what the world has told you but be liberated in what I tell you.Wow, those were all-powerful.  What I feel the Holy Spirit telling me right now is to leave you with those so you can read through them or re-listen to them again.  There is so much in there and yet I feel the Holy Spirit is saying that we don't have to focus, understand or read through all of it.  Listen again and see what stands out to you.  There is plenty in there that speaks to the fact God made us courageous.  Which word speaks to you the most?  Which one did you really need to hear today?  I would love it if you would reach out to me through an email at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or through social media and let me know which of the words from our heavenly Father touched you the most today.  You are courageous because you have the Lord God almighty right there by your side every step of the way!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Wow, Lord, you are amazing.  After all these years, I still cannot get over the fact that you want to talk to your children.  When I think about all the ways we turn away from you and all the terrible ways we treat you, I would think you would want to ignore us.  You not only take care of us and protect us, but you also want to have a relationship with us.  Those were some pretty powerful words you gave to the prayer group and that you gave to me to share with everyone.  I pray everyone listening truly hears Your words and I pray they find a home in their hearts.  I pray they don't just hear them with their ears, I pray they hear them with their heart, mind, and soul. I pray there is something for everyone in those words above.  I pray people listen and re-listen to them until they become a part of them.  I pray they copy them down from the show notes and re-read them anytime they feel they need to be courageous or they need the reminder that they are not alone and you are right there with them.  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. We had our first session of the Identity Series in mentoring on Tuesday, and it was great. If you would like to join us for week two, there is a link for mentoring below. You can always check out my website, too, at walkboldlywithjesus.com.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in July 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I will carry you in your trials, and I will party with you in your celebrations. Lean on me. I am constant.” 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 Am Whole (Identity Series)Colossians 2:9-10 “ For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,  and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power.”This episode will conclude our “I am who God says I am” series. I am whole is a struggle for many to believe. We have all sinned before; we all sin frequently, probably. It can be easy for us to think that sin makes us less than especially if we have had a really difficult past. Maybe we have had a lot of relationships in the past, and we didn't show up as our best selves in them. Maybe we haven't had a lot of relationships, but we have slept with a lot of other people. I think many people in this society feel used. I think we feel used by the other sex, used by our bosses, and used by big companies to sell more products. There is just this brokenness instead of the feeling that we are whole.What just popped into my mind was all the teenagers right now and how easy it is to feel broken when you are a teen. You don't look the right way, your hair isn't perfect, your clothes aren't perfect. Life can be really hard when you are young. A therapist told me the other day that 15 was the most volatile age for emotions. At this age, you feel your emotions more intensely than you ever will again. Our minds are so easily persuaded by the enemy. Why is it so much easier to believe the negative than it is to believe the positive?I read a great article about this called “Finding Spiritual Wholeness" by Leanne Payne. Click Here for the article.  I recommend you read the whole thing. What Leanne was talking about in this article is that God is perfectly whole, and we are made in his likeness and image. She said, “When “sin” (That which is against God's character) entered the world, so did our brokenness, along with our broken ideas about how we view ourselves, God, and others.  There is an intuitive knowledge of our personal brokenness that we are constantly attempting to fix, deny, or protect.” Isn't this so true? We are always trying to fix, deny, or protect our brokenness.You might be wondering why anyone would want to protect their brokenness. I have talked with plenty of people who want to protect their brokenness because they have become comfortable with that brokenness. They have lived with that brokenness, so they have come to identify as a broken person. Changing that image would be hard and not something they believe they can do. One thing we don't realize is that life is hard. Yes, it is hard to change, and yet, isn't living a sinful life also hard? Eating healthy can be hard, yet isn't being overweight and struggling to get around hard, too? Standing up to our loved ones and putting boundaries in place is hard, yet so is living without those boundaries in place. Quitting vaping is hard, yet so is living life addicted to nicotine and not being able to concentrate because you are thinking about the next time when you will get to hit your vape.The article I read talked about how sin distorts how we look at things. Here are a few examples she gave: Sin perverts our perception of God: God is angry with me - “He hates my sin, he must hate me.”God is disgusted with me - "I'm too dirty and damaged for Him to accept me” God is distant from me - “Why would he want to be with me when I'm like this?”God is unfair - “This is just one big setup...I couldn't stop if I tried.”God is unhappy - “All the fun things are off limits!”Sin warps our self-perception: We become foolishly great in our own eyes when we hide from the reality of our sin, like the emperor with no clothes.We become worth - less in our own eyes when we become hyper-focused on our sins.Sin degrades or elevates (to unhealthy levels) our perception of others: We tend to do the same thing with other people that we do with ourselves - We make them out to be greater or less than we are.  We serve them like gods or treat them like dogs.Payne goes on to say, "Sin brings disintegration of self while righteousness (living congruently with the character of God) brings integration of self or spiritual wholeness.  This is one reason God hates sin so much - He doesn't want our disintegration because He loves us!  It must be said that any and all “righteous living” apart from God doesn't get us to wholeness; it gets us to self-righteousness - a horrible disease that many Christians live with and perpetrates on others.”Now that we have talked about why we think we are not whole let's look at what makes us whole. Do our actions determine if we are whole? Nope! Payne says, “Spiritual wholeness is not dependent on our actions but on an acceptance of God's acting on our part in the life/death/resurrection of Christ.  Because of our faith in Christ and what He's done on our behalf, God can pronounce us whole and remain a just God even though we often go on acting broken.” Jesus died to make us whole again. He took our sins to the cross with Him. We are no longer broken. Yes, we still act like we are broken at times, yet God has redeemed us and made us whole.So, if God has redeemed us and made us whole, why don't we feel whole? I think we don't feel whole because we struggle to believe that He can forgive us for what we have done. We don't accept that forgiveness for ourselves. We will be the first ones to convince a friend or loved one that Jesus loves and forgives ALL their sins; we just struggle to believe He will do it for us. I talked with a woman recently who had been to confession about a time in her life when she wasn't proud of how she was living. Even though she had been to confession, the enemy was still not letting her move past it. She kept thinking about it and believing that she was her past mistakes. She believed that she was stuck in her past. Things won't change because she is still that person. She wasn't believing in the healing that took place during confession.So many of us do this same thing. We believe we are our past mistakes. We believe if we did it once we will do it again. We struggle to believe things will change, and we struggle to believe that God could forgive us. To reiterate what the author of the article said, “Spiritual wholeness is not dependent on our actions but on an acceptance of God's acting on our part in the life/death/resurrection of Christ.” It is not our actions that make us whole; it is Jesus' actions. Jesus knew when He decided to die on that cross for us that we would keep sinning. He didn't die for us because we were blameless or because He knew we were going to stop sinning. He died for us to make us whole, and His sacrifice was complete.The verse above says, “  For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of every principality and power.” We were made in the likeness and image of God.  We share in the fullness of Him.  However, when sin entered the world, so did our brokenness.  God sent His only son to repair that.  He died on the cross to make us whole, let's live our lives in honor of that. Let's live into this truth that we are whole. We are no longer broken. Christ made us whole!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we love you and we thank you for giving us your son to die on the cross so we could be made whole. Help us to live in that wholeness, Lord. Help us to accept your forgiveness and help us make it more about you than about us. Help us to stop listening to the enemy. Help us to be strong enough to reject his stupid lies. Open our eyes to his lies and give us the strength to renounce them and take away any authority they have. Lord, when we believe the lies, we empower the liar. We are done empowering the liar, Lord. We want you to be the only one that has any power 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. Tonight is our first night in the Identity series. I hope you will join us! Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in June 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Listen, all you need is to be quiet and hear me. My children, all your thoughts are not your own. Some come from the devil. Discard them. You know right from wrong. Remember, always remember me and what I've done for the love of all of you. I love you. Keep going, my Christian soldiers.” 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 am Forgiven1 John 2:12 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name.”I decided to stick with some of the verses from the “I Am Who God Says I Am” Challenge from my Big Life mentoring group.  I have talked about many of the verses; however, the next one that I had not talked about before is 2 John 2:12. I particularly liked this one because I am not sure this is one that most of us would agree with.  Do you believe you are forgiven?  I recently learned something that I thought was so interesting.  I was at a meeting, and we were talking about the difference between Redemption and Salvation.  The way they explained it was to picture that you are in jail.  Redemption means someone has been paid for your freedom.  This means you have been redeemed.  You are now free to go, free to leave the jail in which you were held captive. However, the salvation doesn't come until you leave the prison. You need to be the one to accept that redemption and walk out of the door.  That is the hard part, that is the part that we struggle with a lot.  We might understand on some level that Jesus died for the sins of the world, and yet we struggle to believe that he died for our sins in particular.  Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins?  Do you believe there is nothing you can do that won't be forgiven if you repent?  Do you believe you don't have to earn your forgiveness?  This is something else that we struggle with.  We think we have to be good enough to be forgiven.  We mess up, and then we think we need to fix everything before we turn to the Lord and ask for forgiveness.  This couldn't be further from the truth. There is nothing you have to do to be forgiven other than to be sorry for what you have done.  You can't earn your forgiveness, Jesus already paid the price for you.  He paid a high price, and when we try to earn our forgiveness, we are essentially saying what He paid wasn't enough.Father Mike was just talking about this idea of earning our forgiveness the other day on the Catechism in a Year podcast when he was talking about the sacrament of reconciliation.  When Catholics go to confession, we confess our sins, we say we are sorry to God for having sinned against Him, we receive absolution for our sins, and then the priest gives us penance.  Sometimes, when we get penance, we think that it is not severe enough.  For instance, we confess we committed a mortal sin, and the priest says that we should say 5 Hail Marys and 5 Our Fathers.  We don't see how that could possibly atone for our sins.  That's the thing: we are not atoning for our sins, our forgiveness is freely given to us because Jesus died on the cross.  He already atoned for our sins.  Penance is meant to help us turn our hearts back to God. Just as our sin was an active choice of turning away from God, penance is an active choice of turning back to God.What penance is meant to do is to help us get back on track.  In an ideal world, your penance would have something to do with what you were struggling with at the time of confession. For instance, if you are struggling with being kind to your family, your penance might be to say three kind things to each one of them before going to bed that night.  If you are struggling with pride, your penance might be, to say, the Litany of Humility.  This would be in an ideal world. However, there are not enough priests, and the priest might not always be able to come up with a creative penance that has to do with your specific struggle or your specific sins.  If you are given a penance that doesn't seem to “fit the crime,” so to speak, remember that you are not earning your forgiveness; you are not trying to buy it, it has already been purchased for you.  I read an article about doing penance after confession, and it said, “Just as sin wounds (or breaks) our relationship with God and makes our souls sick, penance is medicine that helps us turn our hearts back towards our Creator. Confession removes that sin from our shoulders. Penance helps us move towards a more holy future."The verse above says that our sins are forgiven on account of his name.” I mentioned earlier that sometimes we think we need to fix things before we confess what we have done.  We think we need to be perfect before we approach God and tell Him what we have done.  Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  He didn't wait till we stopped sinning.  He didn't wait until we had all our ducks in a row, He didn't wait until we had life all figured out.  He died for our sins while we were still sinners.  This shows us how much God loves us and also shows us that He doesn't want us to wait until we are perfect because that day will never come.  God told Paul that His power is made perfect in our weakness.  We think we need to be perfect for God, and yet God doesn't require that of us.  He would rather we come to Him in our weakness and our brokenness.  If we are perfect, we don't need God.  If we could do it all ourselves, we wouldn't need God.  God is not there to watch us do all the work ourselves and then forgive us or love us after we have figured it all out.  He is there to help us figure it out.  He is there to guide us and to lead us in the right direction.  We can't change the really hard stuff without God's help.  We can't forgive others without God helping us change our hearts.  We can want to forgive, and yet God is the one who is in charge of the conversion of hearts.  He is the one who forgives us and helps us forgive others.  We need him all along the process.  The one thing I want to leave you with today is that your sins were forgiven when Jesus died on that cross.  You don't have to earn your forgiveness; you just have to accept it.  You have to walk in that freedom that comes with forgiveness.  If God has forgiven your sins and yet you are still walking around in a prison of your past mistakes, then what do you think that says to the Lord?  It says that you don't believe Jesus' sacrifice was enough to cover your sins.  It says you think you know more than God does because He has said you are forgiven, and you aren't accepting that forgiveness.  God has already paid your debt; He has already unlocked the door to your prison, all you have to do is walk out the door and live in that freedom.  Can you do that today?  Can you finally walk out of your prison and accept God's forgiveness?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you, and we ask you to help us accept your forgiveness.  We are tired of living in our own prisons Lord, show us the way out.  Change our hearts and our minds so we can accept that you love us so much that you sent your only son to die for our sins, even while we were still sinning.  Help us to walk in that freedom you bought for us.  Help us to forgive others as well.  You are the best Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I want to remind everyone that mentoring starts back up tomorrow night. The theme for January is Identity, and it is one that we all need to hear. I hope you will prayerfully consider joining me. There is a link below with all the details.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in June 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I want my children to be still. Quiet yourselves so that you can hear me. I do put people situations and circumstances on your hearts and in your past. Don't discard my urgings. Do as I ask. I know that you hear me. I have made it so that you do.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

In Part 7, the latest episode of her Identity Series, Cayla Craft dives into the concept of self-worth, emphasizing that it should be rooted in self-respect and God's truth rather than external achievements or social validation. She invites listeners to actively engage by pausing to reflect and write down their thoughts on self-worth and whether they are truly satisfied with who they are. Cayla integrates biblical teachings, highlighting that God's Word provides a timeless and solid foundation for understanding one's value. She explains that true self-worth remains stable even in the face of failure, as it is not dependent on business success or accolades. Cayla also stresses the importance of raising personal standards and setting boundaries to maintain healthy relationships. She concludes by encouraging listeners to seek answers and solutions in the Bible for lasting healing and transformation, rather than relying on superficial advice.Key Moments:Invitation to Take Action (00:01:23 - 00:02:14): Cayla emphasizes that the episode is interactive and encourages listeners to pause, reflect, and write down their answers to deepen their understanding of self-worth.Exploring Self-Worth (00:03:19 - 00:03:48): She introduces the concept of self-worth, explaining that it should not be tied to success, money, or social validation, but rather be rooted in a quiet sense of self-respect and satisfaction with who we are.Biblical Foundations of Identity (00:03:48 - 00:04:12): Cayla integrates Bible verses, highlighting that the truth about self-worth comes from God's Word, which has stood the test of time and provides a solid foundation for believers.Interactive Reflection on Self-Worth (00:04:12 - 00:05:14): She asks listeners if they are glad to be themselves and whether they have a healthy sense of self-worth, urging them to reflect on whether they attach their value to external achievements.Separating Self-Worth from Success (00:11:21 - 00:12:17): Cayla explains that true self-worth is independent of business achievements, and while failure may still hurt, it shouldn't devastate someone whose identity is rooted in God's truth.Raising Standards and Setting Boundaries (00:18:23 - 00:19:08): She discusses the importance of raising standards and being mindful of the people we allow into our lives, as low self-worth often correlates with tolerating unhealthy relationships.Applying God's Truth to Personal Problems (00:27:17 - 00:29:00): Cayla concludes by challenging listeners to find specific solutions in the Bible for their problems and to rely on God's Word rather than generic "bumper sticker" advice for true healing and transformation.Links + Resources:Are you committed to reaching 7 figures this year? Check Out LUXEAre you charging what you're worth? Grab my free Profit Accelerator Pack for Coaches and stop leaving money on the table.Discover Your True Desires: Get my book What Do You Really Want? to uncover the path to more abundance, meaning, and connection.Achieve Your Goals with Executive Coaching: Apply for personalized coaching and unlock your full potential with my executive coaching program.Maximize Your Impact with GameChangers: Increase your income, portfolio, and impact by joining GameChangers.

Stop Chasing Trends: Uncover the Real You for Lasting SuccessIn the first episode of her "Identity Series," Cayla Craft delves into the importance of understanding personal and brand identity, emphasizing how this can transform both life and business. She explains that many people chase trends without being rooted in their true identity, leading to confusion. Grounding the series in faith, Cayla encourages listeners to approach identity through a biblical lens, even for those unsure about their faith. She tackles four core questions: "Who am I?", "Where am I from?", "Why am I here?", and "Where am I going?". Cayla stresses that true identity goes beyond titles or roles and is rooted in being a child of God. By focusing on eternal purpose and divine love, she encourages listeners to live intentionally, both in business and in life.Key Moments:Understanding Identity (00:00:00 - 00:00:18): Cayla introduces her new 10-week series focused on understanding personal and brand identity, emphasizing how this knowledge can transform your business and life.The Importance of Being Rooted in Identity (00:01:01 - 00:01:24): She explains how people often get lost by chasing strategies and trends without being rooted in their true identity, leading to confusion and inconsistency in their business.Faith-Based Approach (00:02:02 - 00:02:14): Cayla shares that this series will be deeply faith-based, using biblical principles to help listeners discover their identity and purpose, encouraging an open mind even for those uncertain about their faith.Who Am I? (00:03:26 - 00:04:31): She tackles the first question of identity, "Who am I?" and explains that true identity goes beyond roles like mother or business owner—it's about being a child of God.Where Am I From? (00:06:37 - 00:07:03): Cayla introduces the second question, "Where am I from?" explaining that our true source is heaven, which gives us a new sense of purpose and confidence in our earthly journey.What Is My Purpose? (00:07:48 - 00:08:14): The third question Cayla discusses is "Why am I here?" She emphasizes that while our roles and jobs may vary, the overarching purpose is to love God and love others.Where Am I Going? (00:14:08 - 00:14:31): The final question Cayla addresses is "Where am I going?" She reminds listeners that their ultimate destination is heaven, encouraging them to focus on their eternal purpose rather than short-term success.Are you ready to be the game changer in someone else's life? Start by helping one person today and watch how it transforms your life and business. For those looking to take their business to the next level, check out my new LUXE Mentorship Program designed for entrepreneurs who are committed to reaching 7 figures in the next 12 months.Links + Resources:Are you committed to reaching 7 figures this year? Check Out LUXEAre you charging what you're worth? Grab my free Profit Accelerator Pack for Coaches and stop leaving money on the table.Discover Your True Desires: Get my book What Do You Really Want? to uncover the path to more abundance, meaning, and connection.Achieve Your Goals with Executive Coaching: Apply for personalized coaching and unlock your full potential with my executive coaching program.Maximize Your Impact with GameChangers: Increase your income, portfolio, and impact by...

"We are a people who..."  ...love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44) ...find rest in Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30) ...practice Gospel habits and abide in God's peace (Philippians 4:9) In Part 4 of the Identity Series, we wrap up this compiled topic with the role of Community in our identity formation and a review of our Gospel Identity. How does community bring the two sides of the brain together? How can we resist mistaking our malfunctions for our identity? Community is key to answer the question, "Who am I, and how is it like me to be?" One of the devil's core strategies is to take us out of the battle by lying to us about our true identity so we live as less than we are. Our Gospel Identity is not just a ticket to Heaven, but it is also the foundation of discipleship. As we wrap up the Identity series, we're reviewing how all this fits together in the heart-focused discipleship model F.I.S.H. +M. This compilation episode covers Season 1, Episodes 69-70. 

Who does God say you are? We spent last week calling out the devil's lies and strategies for warping our self-perception. Like tearing down our fear house and building a joy house, let us tear down our Kosmos identity and live from our Kingdom identity. (If you missed "Joy vs. Fear House," find it here.) In Part 3 of the Identity Series, we unpack four keys to understanding our New Covenant identity in Christ.In Christ, we are Pardoned by God, Adopted by God, made a Citizen of the Kingdom of God, and given a new Title: Saint. How do these truths about our identity affect our lives when we truly believe them? This compilation episode covers Season 1, Episodes 65-68. 

Two realms want to define your identity: the Kingdom & the Kosmos. The Kingdom teaches us how to see reality, God, and ourselves as God sees. The Kosmos teaches us via the world, the flesh, and the devil working together to give us an identity and affect what we believe. In Part 2 of the Identity Series, we unpack how the enemy uses the world and the flesh together to trap us in pecking order systems and comparison games. Using wounds and lies, the enemy wants to shape our beliefs about ourselves and about God to warp our self-perception. We'll also spend a little time setting up the Kingdom identity that God has for us and then will dig into that New Covenant identity more in Part 3 next week. This compilation episode covers Season 1, Episodes 61-64. 

This season's fourth and final IDENTITY SERIES episode spotlights Laurel and their journey of self-exploration. Close friends Hạ and Abby Jones join the conversation to describe Laurel's character, highlighting the qualities that make them a cherished friend and individual. The group explores the nuances of identity, friendship, and personal growth, offering a candid look into Laurel's ongoing journey of self-discovery.

In the third episode of this season's IDENTITY SERIES, Lilly and Mariam share a thoughtful and honest conversation about the power and privilege of wearing the white coat that signifies a duty to serve and advocate for patients. The two talk about their lived experiences growing up brown and how it instilled a responsibility to promote change and advocate for their communities and future patients.

The second episode of this season's IDENTITY SERIES spotlights "compassionate ambition," a commitment to excellence that vehemently denies individualism and originates in community betterment. Alizah is joined by her cousin, Kesaia Akau, for a conversation about their families' migrant legacy, and how the values and principles instilled by their ancestors guide them toward success.

What is an identity of self-justified, and how does it affect our lives and the lives of others?You can watch or listen to this and other sermons from our IDENTITY Series now online using the Adat app, Roku, AppleTV, Google TV, and Fire TV!

What is an identity of self-justified, and how does it affect our lives and the lives of others?You can watch or listen to this and other sermons from our IDENTITY Series now online using the Adat app, Roku, AppleTV, Google TV, and Fire TV!

What does having an identity of being "branches" have to do with living in a world full of trouble?You can watch or listen to this and other sermons from our IDENTITY Series now online using the Adat app, Roku, AppleTV, Google TV, and Fire TV!

How does an identity of being Valuable change how we approach the world?You can watch or listen to this and other sermons from our IDENTITY Series now online using the Adat app, Roku, AppleTV, Google TV, and Fire TV!

We're excited to bring back and highlight our IDENTITY SERIES—this season, featuring four episodes exploring who we are as human beings. In this special episode, Austen is joined by her sister, Cailin Ivey, to talk about the significance of understanding and embracing our multifaceted identities, and how this journey can shape the communities we build and the connections we make.

How do salt and light reflect God's perfection? How can our identity be diminished?Watch or listen to this and other sermons from our IDENTITY Series now online using the Adat app, Roku, AppleTV, Google TV, and Fire TV!

Welcome to the newly renamed More Than a Milspouse Podcast and the Unlocking Identity Series. This week I'm releasing daily bite-sized episodes to help you answer the question, "Who am I, really?" On day one, we discussed why so many military spouses struggle with identity and purpose, and how that struggle impacts our health and well-being. On day two, we discussed three actions you can take begin the journey to unlock your true identity. On day three, we unpacked the three elements of purpose, and explored how to figure out what matters most to you. And on day four, we talked about the #1 question to ask on the quest to unlock your identity. Today, we're going to tie a bow on unlocking identity and talk about how we truly figure out who we are, what we want, and what our purpose is, so that we can ultimately trade our frustration with life for fulfillment as a military spouse, which is what this podcast and community exists to do. Better Together, Christine   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Unlock Your Identity: Milspouse Appreciation SALE   RESOURCES Join The Free Community Free Clarity Workshop What Matters Most Worksheet Life Assessment Discover Who You Are Meant to Be Work With Me Leave a Show Review. Pretty Please!

Welcome to the newly renamed More Than a Milspouse Podcast and the Unlocking Identity Series. This week I'm releasing daily bite-sized episodes to help you answer the question, "Who am I, really?" On day one, we discussed why so many military spouses struggle with identity and purpose, and how that struggle impacts our health and well-being. On day two, we discussed three actions you can take begin the journey to unlock your true identity. On day three, we unpacked the three elements of purpose, and explored how to figure out what matters most to you. Today, we're diving into one of my favorite topics, the second element of finding purpose. And I'm sharing the #1 question you should be asking. Asking this question changed everything for me. And I know it will for you as well.   Better Together, Christine   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Episode 189: What Holds Military Spouses Back & How to Find Your Purpose   RESOURCES Join The Free Community Free Clarity Workshop What Matters Most Worksheet Life Assessment Discover Who You Are Meant to Be Work With Me Leave a Show Review. Pretty Please!

Welcome to the newly renamed More Than a Milspouse Podcast and the Unlocking Identity Series. This week I'm releasing daily bite-sized episodes to help you answer the question, "Who am I, really?" On day one, we discussed why so many military spouses struggle with identity and purpose, and how that struggle impacts our health and well-being. On day two, we discussed three actions you can take begin the journey to unlock your true identity. Today, we're talking about the essence of who you are at your core, and how to figure out what matters most to you. Better Together, Christine   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE What Matters Most Worksheet Milspouse Purpose Playbook   RESOURCES Join The Free Community Free Clarity Workshop What Matters Most Worksheet Life Assessment Discover Who You Are Meant to Be Work With Me Leave a Show Review. Pretty Please!

What does it mean to be a disciple, who are we supposed to be a disciple of, and what characteristics define a disciple?Watch or listen to "Disciples" from our IDENTITY Series now online using the Adat app, Roku, AppleTV, Google TV, and Fire TV!

Welcome to the newly renamed More Than a Milspouse Podcast and the Unlocking Identity Series. This week I'll be releasing daily bite-sized episodes to help you answer the question, "Who am I, really?" On day one, we discussed why so many military spouses struggle with identity and purpose, and how that struggle impacts our health and well-being. Today, we'll discuss how to begin the journey to unlock our true identity. I'll share three practical actions you can take to help you reconnect with yourself. Better Together, Christine   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Join The Free Community   RESOURCES Free Clarity Workshop What Matters Most Worksheet Life Assessment Discover Who You Are Meant to Be Work With Me Leave a Show Review. Pretty Please!

Who Are You, Really?? Welcome to the newly renamed More Than a Milspouse Podcast and the Unlocking Identity Series. One of the biggest things many military spouses struggle with is finding their own identity and purpose and this series is focused on helping you answer the question, "Who am I?" I'll be releasing daily bite-sized episodes this week to help you begin the process of reconnecting with yourself. My goal is to give you a practical set of tools to help you get the clarity you need…so that you can unlock your purpose and potential, and ultimately transform your life from the inside out. Better Together, Christine MENTIONS What Matters Most Worksheet   RESOURCES Work With Me Join The Free Community Free Clarity Workshop What Matters Most Worksheet Life Assessment Discover Who You Are Meant to Be Leave a Show Review. Pretty Please!

How can we be called Blessed? How do we become God's possession?Watch or listen to "Called Blessed" from our IDENTITY Series now online using the Adat app, Roku, AppleTV, Google TV, and Fire TV!