Walk Boldly With Jesus

Your Jordan River Will Part

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

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Redeeming the Time (replay)

2d ago00:10:51Tap to summarize

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

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Witness Wednesday #219 More PopWe (Healing).mp3

3d ago00:09:32Tap to summarize

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

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You Already Have the Power

4d ago00:13:08Tap to summarize

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

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Three Steps to Break Your Chains

5d ago00:09:17Tap to summarize

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

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When Hope Hurts

1w ago00:10:31Tap to summarize

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

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Witness Wednesday #218 More PopWe Stories (marriage and family)

1w ago00:08:45Tap to summarize

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

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Have You Asked God for Wisdom?

2w ago00:11:37Tap to summarize

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

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Mercy Sets You Free

2w ago00:11:37Tap to summarize

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

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Why Are You Holding Onto What God Has Forgotten?

2w ago00:09:30Tap to summarize

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

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All episodes

Your Jordan River Will Part

Redeeming the Time (replay)

Witness Wednesday #219 More PopWe (Healing).mp3

You Already Have the Power

Three Steps to Break Your Chains

When Hope Hurts

Witness Wednesday #218 More PopWe Stories (marriage and family)

Have You Asked God for Wisdom?

Mercy Sets You Free

Why Are You Holding Onto What God Has Forgotten?

Walk Boldly With Jesus

All episodes

Your Jordan River Will Part

Redeeming the Time (replay)

Witness Wednesday #219 More PopWe (Healing).mp3

You Already Have the Power

Three Steps to Break Your Chains

When Hope Hurts

Witness Wednesday #218 More PopWe Stories (marriage and family)

Have You Asked God for Wisdom?

Mercy Sets You Free

Why Are You Holding Onto What God Has Forgotten?