Walk Boldly With Jesus

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 [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Love. Love is the light within you.”

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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 [email protected]. 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.”

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Today’s witnesses are from Matthew West’s website, 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 a few testimonies from the Addictions and Deliverance 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, also. I pray you know that God is there with you, and if you invite Him into your situation, He can help. I hope you enjoy these testimonies.

Jim: The story I have is 100% God!!!  In the darkest days of my opiate addiction, I went to jail.  Then, I received a three-year sentence.  I had never been in trouble as a teenager or a young adult.

At one point, I overdosed and if God had not put air in my lungs, I would have died.  Nobody was around and nobody would have been there for days.

God knows our hearts and I went to Greater Cleveland Teen Challenge and completed that phase.  Then, I went on to Cape Girardeau Missouri where I completed an additional ten-month program.

Jesus Christ set me free from the bondage of drugs and alcohol!

Thank you, Lord, for your sovereignty and for calling me out of the darkness and into Your marvelous light!

Thomas: For years I was struggling with what everyone else thought about me. I was also struggling with a bad pornography addiction. But then I moved to Florida and during the North Florida Youth Revival I got saved.

But after that, for years I bounced between that line of doing what God wanted me to do, and I wanted to do. I realized that I needed to stay on the path of righteousness.

Then God brought my amazing girlfriend into my life. With her help I was able to crush my addiction and live a happy life with her and God by my side.

But I also want to share a message we all need to hear and that is, God’s not dead.

He is alive. Through God anything is possible.

Now I know at times it’s hard to see it. But trust me God will do everything He promised us in time. We just have to be patient. God will do everything through his Son Jesus.

Jennifer: I wanted to share some of my testimony, since Matthew’s music has been a crucial part of my story. I met his father 3 years ago in Dallas and told him how much Matthew’s song “Strong Enough” had an impact on my life. In November 2013, I was facing my 3rd DWI and time in prison. I constantly had this song playing because I didn’t know what God had in his plans for me, but I didn’t think I could handle prison. I would cry, work out, and praise God while listening to this song. I shouldn’t even be alive with all the abuse I put my body through. But here I am, praising God through it.

My attorney told me I was looking at 6-9 months prison time, and I had my 2 year-old son at home. I finally submitted to the Lord. While driving home from the attorney’s office, I told God that if his plan was prison, then “Ok.” I completely submitted for the first time ever. Within 10 minutes of being home, my attorney called me and told me that he’s not sure how, but the district attorney called him and said, he’d give me drug court, which meant tons of counseling and self work, but no prison time!!! I know now, that was GOD stepping in!!!

This was the start of me changing EVERYTHING! I was able to become a sober mom, a sober wife, and a beacon of light for others who feel that darkness is all they can see. I started a blog and a website to help others and I now am over 6 years sober, with two sons and a wonderful marriage!!

So many of Matthew’s songs touch my heart as they talk about forgiveness, grace, and our amazing God, who saves us no matter what. Even when we feel like we are lost, He doesn’t feel that way.

Matthew, this is only a very, very small portion of my story, but I wanted to share how much of an impact you and your songs have made in my life. Thank you for expressing my heart and my words in all of your music. Now I can share your songs with my sons and they can feel the Lord through them as well. Thank you for sharing your heart and God’s spirit in all you do.

Brandy: My God moment was over 17 years ago. It started with a bad drug addiction my husband had to cocaine. He was so hooked that when he would finally come home, it was with no money left from his paycheck, and with people he owed money to knocking on our door. He had bad asthma, so when doing the drugs, many times he would have an asthma attack, until one day it was much worse.

We had no house phone or cell phone, so I would have to go across the road to my neighbor’s house to use a phone. This particular time he was having trouble breathing. He tried using the breathing machine, but he noticed it wasn’t working. He said “call 911.” We had 3 little kids asleep at the time, so I took our littlest one with me across the road, beating on our neighbor’s door. When I got back to my house, I saw my husband lying on our kitchen floor with the breathing machine still hooked to his face. His bowels had moved, he had vomited on the floor, and his lips were blue. “Scared” is an understatement, but I knew I had to push through the tears and pray for the Lord to help him. God stepped in and saved his life.

The drug problem wasn’t gone. Once again we would face this same situation. When the ambulance got to our house, they told my husband “if it wasn’t for your wife standing out on the porch flagging us down, you probably wouldn’t have made it.” I take no credit. I’ve always told him, and will continue to say it was God and God only. I wish I could say that was enough to get his attention, but it didn’t. He just got better at hiding it.

Part of our story is adultery, leaving, coming back, then making the decision not to leave again. I decided to trust God, and to fight for my marriage and deliverance for my husband. I started praying over him, sometimes when he was sleeping. I wasn’t going to give up on something I knew God could do. It didn’t come easy, but little by little he was set free from all drugs. In the process, God not only delivered him from drugs, but he also healed our marriage.

Fast forward – we are in church, serving the Lord. Over the years, God has used what brought so much hurt and pain to encourage and show others that if God can heal, restore, and deliver us, He can do it for them as well.

Thank you all for sharing your stories. I am sure your story is going to help others know that they are not alone and that wherever they are right now, that doesn’t have to be their ending.

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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. Amen

Thank 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 [email protected]. 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.”

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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 [email protected]. 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.”

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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 [email protected]. 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.”

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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 [email protected]. 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.”

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Today’s witness is my brother-in-law Billy. On Thanksgiving, he did not show up at his mom’s house for dinner. His family was concerned. He lives right next door, so they went to check on him. He wasn’t there. When they still hadn’t heard from him after some time, they went to check if he was at a friend’s house down the street. This is where they found out that he had fallen down the stairs and hit his head.

They called an ambulance, and he was rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, they found out that he had a brain bleed. He had surgery, and they were able to repair the bleeding. However, they said he had been lying there for at least 12 hours before he was found. They were unsure how much damage the bleed had done to his brain. Billy needed to be on a ventilator, and he was in a medically induced coma while the swelling went down. We instantly sent out a request for prayers from everyone we knew. They tried to wake him a few times from the coma, but it didn’t go too well.

When I checked in with my sister on December 4th, she said Billy was not worse, but he wasn’t any better either. He was still on the vent. He was still heavily sedated. When the nurses would lighten up the sedation, Billy would respond to cues. They find out that he can move both of his legs and his arms. The next update I had was on December 10th. Billy was still in the coma and still not the vent. However, they were trying to wean him off the vent.

The doctors were predicting that he would be in the hospital for at least a week and then he would be in a nursing home, then after the nursing home, when he was strong enough medically, he would need to go to Rehab to relearn how to walk, talk, possibly even have to relearn how to swallow and eat. The doctors were predicting his road to recovery would take at least 2-3 years, and even they couldn’t promise he would ever be able to leave the nursing home. They did not know how severe the damage was and if he would ever be able to do anything for himself.

I went to the hospital with my sister on December 15th to pray over Billy for healing. When I was there he was awake, but had the breathing tube in, so he could not talk. He was definitely tracking you when you walked in the room. He seemed to be aware of what was going on. He seemed to react to things going on. For instance, the nurse was doing something, and you could tell he didn’t like it. He seemed to be doing better. However, he did look a bit like he was trapped in his body. His eyes seemed to be trying to communicate, but I am not sure what they were saying.

Billy did finally wake up out of the coma, but he was still on the ventilator. The doctors wanted to take the ventilator tube out and put in a trach. My sister knew from previous talks with Billy over the years that he would not want a trach. She remembered sitting with him and looking at photos of people who had to get a trach because of cancer due to chewing tobacco, and he had said he wouldn’t want that. The doctors were really pushing for it as they said that it is not good to have the breathing tube in that long.

As you can imagine, with any tragedy, the family did not all agree as to how they should proceed. My sister knew what Billy would want as they had been married for over 25 years at this point. However, others were worried that if he didn’t get the trach, he would die, and they, of course, were not ready for that. No one is ever ready for this. My sister was also worried that if they put the trach in, Billy would be alive but not be able to do anything. She did not want him stuck in his own body for the rest of his life; she knew Billy wouldn’t want this either, and the doctors couldn’t tell her the extent of the brain damage. At this point, they did not know if he would ever talk again, get out of bed again, or remember anything. They had no idea of the extent of the damage.

The doctors told my sister they wanted to have a family meeting on December 20th to know whether they could put the trach in or not. My sister knew she didn’t want it and that the rest of the family did. She knew it was going to be a hard meeting and that she was going to be the enemy, the one everyone was mad at. However, she really felt like that is what Billy would want. I called her, and we prayed for clarity and for God to help me make the decision. We prayed for peace in the meeting and for everyone to get along for Billy’s sake. Before the meeting, tensions were high, and people were already fighting and being unkind before even going into the meeting.

However, at the meeting, everyone was able to get along. Tensions were calmed, everyone apologized for the bad blood between them, and they all hugged and prayed at the end of the meeting. My sister agreed to taking the breathing tube out the next day and see if Billy could breathe on his own. If he couldn’t, she would allow him to put the trach in and then reevaluate how he was doing in three weeks. Everyone was on board with this plan.

She went to the hospital the next day, and they took the breathing tube out, and Billy was able to breathe on his own. Hallelujah! Praise God, He is so good! This was on December 20th. Once they took the breathing tube out, Billy was able to talk, and they were able to see how he was doing mentally. For the most part, he seemed to be doing pretty well. He knew who people were when they came to visit. He would be able to have conversations with people. Sometimes, he gets confused as to where he is or gets mixed up in conversations. However, he is returning more and more to his old self.

He is now able to walk. He is unsteady and needs some support, but he can do it! He is able to move around. He is able to eat by himself. He is able to do things for himself that they thought he might not ever be able to do. It is now February 12th, 11 weeks after he was found at the bottom of the stairs, and the doctors are sending him home. They said he does not need to go to a nursing home because he is medically ok. They said he didn’t need to go to rehab because he could do all the things by himself. (walk, talk, feed himself, etc).

Mentally, there are still prayers needed. Although he can do all those things himself, he still gets confused as to where he is and what he is doing. He will need someone to stay with him 24 hours a day to make sure he is safe. He can not drive. However, he has made amazing strides in his health, and I have no doubt that God is going to continue to heal him. I am sure God is not done healing his brain, his memories, and all of his cognitive functioning.

I want to praise God for all he has done so far in this situation. I want to praise God for healing Billy physically and for helping him to go home, as I know how much Billy hates hospitals and hates being away from his home. I am so grateful to God for bringing Billy home to his parents, his sister, and his children and grandchildren. I thank You, Lord, for giving them their son, brother, father, and grandfather back. I thank you for all the healing you have already done, and I pray for more. We pray that you continue to restore his cognitive functioning. We pray you heal him completely. We pray he is able to live on his own again, work again, drive again, and do all the things that he could do before. We love you so much, Lord, and we thank you for this miracle. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name, Amen.

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 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 [email protected]. 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.”

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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.”

CLICK HERE ✨ JOIN WALK BOLDLY WITH JESUS MENTORING (Live Tuesdays + recordings available — $30/month)

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