How is your diet? No, not your food diet, but your spiritual food diet. Are you feeding your spirit? We live from the inside out. Your Christian life/walk will be strong and effective if your spirit is strong. Make sure that you feed your spirit daily by reading the Word, studying the Word, listening to the Word, and communicating with God through prayer. When God’s Word is on the inside of you, it takes root in your life and will produce the victory Jesus paid for. The Word of the inside of you is the seed of victory for your life! Plan to spend time in the Word daily, enabling you to live a victorious Christian life. Let your faith be a living faith that grows daily. Fed it daily, and don’t allow the circumstances to dictate what you believe. Have bold faith, stand up, and keep standing. Have faith that never quits. God is faithful to his promises, but you must stand firm until they manifest. Trust in His love for you and His willingness to help you. Scripture References Psalm 32:8 Psalm 73:23-24 Matthew 6:33 2 Chronicles 15:2 Luke 12:29, 31 The power of the Word is unleashed when you speak it out.

Self-talk is your ongoing conversation with yourself and what you say to yourself. Whether you are aware of it, you are having a constant conversation in your mind all the time. Like me, you probably are not using the proper self-talk either. My self-talk was not very good at all. I spoke badly to myself, not liking myself, so whenever I did something wrong, I would always say mean things to myself. I thought, well, if my parents couldn’t love me, how could I love me? The running conversation in my head about myself was never encouraging. Being my worst critic and enemy, I pulled myself down at every opportunity. I criticized everything about myself. Destructive self-talk is a habit that must be broken and changed. It was time for me to change my words from negative to positive. It’s time to change my negative self-talk to a positive one. I saw from God’s Word that God wanted me to love myself. Wow, that was a new thought! I didn’t know where to start. How was I going to do that? First, I had to accept myself for who I was. I was not a product of my childhood or a mistake waiting to happen. No! I was a child of the Highest God! I had to change my image and see myself as God sees me! He loved me, flaws and all! I had to realize that I was who I was and that there was only one in the world like me. I am unique. Second, I had to be kind to myself. I had to be my best cheerleader. If you do not support yourself, who will? I had to take pride in who I was. This is where my new self-talk had to change a lot. When I heard the word SELF-TALK, I didn’t know what it was. I understood that we all talk in our heads and often answer ourselves, too! But how frequently are we aware of the conversation in our head? It’s something that happens all day, every day. But once you take stock of it, you can soon find out whether you love and are being kind to yourself. I had to change my self-talk to positive, not condemn and harmful. I had to make my words work for me and not against me. My self-talk created the foundation of who the new me would be, and I wanted it to be strong and positive. Your self-talk leads you; it’s the direction you choose to take your life. Your self-talk can change your mood from sad to happy or happy to sad. It’s the direction you give your mind to run your life, build or tear you down! It’s everything you say and think about you! Good or bad, and what do you believe about everything? I learned how to change my programming to change my life. Proper self-talk was critical. You will listen to yourself before you listen to anyone else. You will believe what you think first, no matter what others might say. How often do you get a compliment about how you look and answer back with a negative remark? That’s your self-talk, speaking out loud. You are never too old to change your self-talk; you can change and rewire your thoughts to be positive and encouraging. Your thoughts wire your mind to succeed or fail. Day after day, word by word, you are programming your mind to what you want in life. But are you sure that what you are saying is what you want in your life? Are you saying the things that you wish to, or are you speaking about what you are presently seeing? Notice your self-talk. What you are saying to yourself may surprise you! Your self-talk is your conscious thoughts, and your unconscious thoughts are the thoughts you don’t even know you are thinking. What are you saying out loud and silently to yourself? Are you loving and encouraging yourself, or are you running yourself down all the time? My self-talk was like a repeat of what my dad used to say to me. It was the same tune, talking repeatedly. It was like I had programmed myself to carry on where my dad had left off! I was taking his thoughts and making them a part of my life. As much as I was trying to escape it all, it was all still in my head. “Nothing good ever happens to me”. “I told you no one loves me.” “Of course, that always happens to me.” “I’m no good.” Whenever I did something and made a mistake, I would say, “Oh, you are so stupid”. Now, you tell me, how will that kind of talk get me ahead in life? But the remarkable thing is that you can change your programming by changing your self-talk. You can say kind things to yourself, be nice, and support yourself. Be your own best friend. Be your cheerleader! Saying all the things you wish someone else would say to you.          You should love yourself with your self-talk. Say kind and beautiful, uplifting things to yourself. Help yourself and the person you want to be. This habit will change your entire outlook on life. Change the negative, false, counterproductive self-talk to encouraging, beautiful words. Have your own back! So, what are you going to say when you talk to yourself? I made a list of some self-talk I said daily and slowly reprogrammed my mind. So, when something went wrong, instead of being mean to myself, I would say, “Don’t worry, Karin, you can do this. You will get this right because you are so smart.” Although it might seem funny initially, thinking this way helped me stop making silly mistakes and get better results. Self-talk will change your life. It’s like giving yourself a good pep talk daily! Your self-talk will determine how you see yourself and how you see other people, too. It will affect your overall life, including your relationships, well-being, moods, and children. You will find your life more fulfilling and purposeful. This is an excerpt from my book - My Journey To Enjoying My Life.

Life is a series of decisions. The key is to make the right ones. We have not been left alone to make choices for our lives. No, we have an excellent book called the Bible to guide us and the Holy Spirit who lives in us to speak to us. Ps.23:3–“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Staying close to God will keep you on track, and he will guide you down those winding roads. You may not have a pillar of smoke that shows you the way or a pillar of fire leading you at night like the Israelites did on their way to the promised land. But you have someone better right inside of you–The Holy Spirit. How can God lead us? We should separate ourselves from the things of this world by seeking his kingdom first and becoming God-minded. As Christians, we are not to blend into the world. No, we are to look up. We don’t follow the crowd. We follow Jesus. God must call the shots in your life. You cannot have two masters: following the passions of this world and God. Horoscopes can’t guide you or the stars. The Spirit of truth lives in you. As you renew your mind to God’s thinking, his leading will become more apparent. As you obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit speaking to your conscience, your path will get brighter. The key is to obey the promptings. Do not overthink it; these are God’s thoughts, not yours. In today’s world, we need to stay closer to God more than ever. The more of God you have in you, the easier it is to hear his voice. Jesus said my sheep, hear my voice–John 10:27-28. You can hear his voice. It’s soft and gentle. God is calling. Keep listening. Prayer Heavenly Father, please help me stay connected to you as I eagerly listen for the sound of your guiding words. Amen.

A pristine sidewalk stretched out on the right side of the road, its surface smooth underfoot. On the left side, a treacherous ditch awaited, filled with tall grass and scattered rocks. As the woman walked along the left side, every step was a battle, her feet sinking into the uneven ground. My question is, why was she not walking on the right side of the road? Are you doing life the hard way? Determining your way or working things out yourself can make the journey challenging and wearisome. We were not meant to do life alone. Matthew 11:28-30 says, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. Jesus wants to do life with you. He wants to guide you to a more straightforward path and show you which road to take so you can avoid the pitfalls. We must join our life with his and allow him to take the lead. Letting it go requires a step of faith. But you cannot get the help you need without letting it go. God has already gone before us and made our path straight and easy. In the Amplified Bible, Hebrews 12:13 says God cuts through and makes firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for our feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction]. Don’t take the hard path trying to work things out yourself. Take Jesus’s hand and let him guide you. You can trust him; he is faithful, will keep his promises, and will take care of your life. You are safe in his hands. I encourage you to let it go today.

Is there chaos in your world? Are you allowing God into your chaos, or are you choosing to live life alone? Do you think God might not be interested in your mess or that your chaos isn’t big enough to get help? The Bible is filled with stories how God runs to help his children when they are in trouble. Don’t run away from your problems. God wants to head towards them with answers and calm your chaos. The story of Jesus asleep in the boat. Jesus was with the disciples in the boat. They were dealing with the job of getting to the other side, so Jesus took this opportunity to take a nap. Then, the chaos started. A storm rose. Because the Sea of Galilee is in a basin area surrounded by mountains, the winds can reach hurricane proportions, making it a severe storm. How long did the disciples wait until they called on Jesus’ help? How long will you wait till you call on His help? When the disciples realized they couldn’t cope, they woke Jesus up. Scripture tells us that immediately, Jesus helped and spoke to the storm, and it was calm. Jesus will help you immediately the moment you ask him. He was with the disciples, but they were still living independently, unaware of who He was. Jesus is with you. The King of the universe lives inside you! Why are you still doing life alone? Have you invited Him into your world? Let Him lead and take control. Red Sea Parting The Israelites were running from the Egyptians. They faced the Red Sea. There was no way out. They couldn’t go back, and they couldn’t go forward. Are you in the same boat -stuck? God came to the rescue. He parted the Red Sea. One would have never imagined that to be the answer to that problem. I mean, who parts seas? Our God does that’s who. He will make a way for you no matter how impossible it looks. My friend, you are not alone; God is with you. Don’t let Him just sit there ask Him to help you. have not because you ask not. Scripture references: Calming the storm—Matthew 8:23-27 Red Sea Parting—Exodus 14:21- 29 Ask God—James 4:2

Are you in a dark, deep tunnel without light insight? Do you feel you will never see the light of day again? Do you think God has not heard your prayers and cries for help? That God has forgotten you. It’s a dark winter season in your life. Is this you? Is your life full of disappointment and hurt? Today, I am here to tell you that God has not forgotten you. He sees you and knows where you are. As you read this, God’s love shines on you. ‘Arise, my child, it’s time to bloom.’ This is a season, not the rest of your life. Spring is coming. The darkness will go. God hears your cry and is helping you. You may not see it, but a seed is growing, and changes are happening. It may take longer than you like, but the heavens are moving on your behalf. Believe that God is working. You will get through this season. Breakthrough is coming. Hope is here. God is present. Psalm 23. He guides your path and takes you through the darkness. Don’t camp there and set up your tent. It’s time to pack up your troubles and leave the darkness. It’s a new day, and the dawn is breaking. God wants you to be free of this burden and pain. Cast the care onto Him. He is faithful. If you have read my book - My Journey To Enjoying My Life, you will know about the darkness I faced with my dad. But God… He changed everything, and out of the pain, He restored my life and joy. My friend, there is a better tomorrow for you. God is for you and not against you. Trust Him to lead you out of the mess and restore your life. Psalm 23 - A Psalm of David The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely, your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

As you know, living in this world has its share of problems. Often, all you see is the problem, and you can’t see yourself through it. It looks so big and overwhelming that you think it must be here to stay. Look at the situation one step at a time. Break it down into bite-sized pieces. What can I do today about this? Here are a few rules I follow that may help you get answers and victory. 1.        Don’t depend on your understanding, as stated in Proverbs 3:5. Don’t overthink the problem. If you knew the answer, you would have applied it by now, and it would solve the problem. By thinking so hard, you will not find file 13 in your head that will have the answer! 2.          Go to God in prayer and present the problem to him. Hebrews 4:16. Let God give you direction–a step towards the answer. What you think is the problem is often not, but it is just a result of another problem. God will unveil the root cause of the problem, guiding you out of it step by step. Doing the first step as instructed will lead you toward victory. Then God can show you step 2 and so on. But without first stepping on the path to the solution–step 1- the problem will continue. This will take an act of obedience and faithfulness on your part. Sometimes, you would rather not do it, but I promise the results will be worth it. 3.           Do what you can in the natural and trust God to do the supernatural. Don’t leave common sense behind; do the best you can do. For example, what is the most natural thing to do if you are head over heels in debt? Stop spending! 4.          Keep trusting God and confessing positively about the changing situation. Believe that it’s changing and not setting up camp in your life. You are just passing through. Psalm 23. 5.          Praise God for the victory every day. Have faith in the Power of God to bring you out. Nothing in this natural realm can stand against the Spirit of faith and the name of Jesus. These are just a few suggestions to lead you to victory. Follow God’s leading step by step and obey His instructions. Here is a confession you could confess daily to strengthen you. I am not head-led, feeling-led, or fear-led. I witness the Holy Spirit inside of me and am Spirit-led every hour of every day of the year. I am born of the Spirit. The Spirit himself dwells in me. The greater one on the inside leads and directs me daily, every night, in every situation. I refuse to be moved by anything else. I follow his leadership and guidance in every situation. Father, I ask you for your direction in every situation. Teach me about your leading; show me what I do not understand yet, and unveil to me, open up to me how to walk in the Spirit, to be Spirit lead in a greater way than ever before. I acknowledge you in all my ways. I hear the voice of God leading me.

One of the most amazing things in this world is the love that God has for us. His love is the same every day and never changes. He loves you more than you can imagine. Our brains find this truth hard to grasp. We look at all our faults and shortcomings, but our Father God looks at us with such love, compassion, mercy, and grace. He showed His love by sending His only son to die for you so you could have eternal life and become His child. I want to encourage you today that you are never alone, never unloved. No matter where you are in your life today, whether it’s good, bad, or just ugly, God loves you. Take a moment to absorb this truth. He truly loves you. Let this truth comfort you and make you want to be a better person, to rise against all adversaries and shout “I am loved!” People’s love may come and go, but God’s love is unchanging. There is nothing you can do to change this. He will always love you. He knows you aren’t perfect, but He has a plan for that. He wants to help you with every step of your day, be in every situation you find yourself in, guide and lead you out of your troubles, showing you a better path. I don’t know about you, but this overwhelms me. That God loves me! It makes me want to shout and surrender myself more to Him. Surely someone who loves me that much would have my back and never guide me wrong. Wouldn’t I be a fool not to appreciate this love and allow it to control my life? “We love because God first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

What if Jesus walked into the room, placed his finger to His lips, and said, “Shhhh.” What would your response be? Are you feeling stressed and tired from the constant chaos surrounding you? Exhausted with no energy even to pray. Fatigue seems to loosen our tongues, causing us to voice negativity. We talk and center our attention on the tasks and responsibilities calling out for us. The to-do list seems to get longer, never-ending. The more we engage in conversation, the more our stress levels rise. If Jesus entered the room, all distractions would fade away as He directed your attention to one thing–Him. Read the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was concerned, making a meal for guests that just kept coming. She could not cope, so what did she do? She exploded. Pushing her way through the crowd, she finally reached Jesus, stepping over people captivated by His words. She stumbled over her words before him, getting everything out at once. “ Don’t you care? Tell Mary to get off her butt and come help me.” Jesus didn’t reply, “Oh, you poor thing, of course, Mary, get up and help your sister, you selfish girl.” Instead, He told him that Mary was doing the crucial thing: listening to God and being led to make wise choices. Is it time for you to shhhh stop everything and listen to God? Let Him help you and direct you. Receive His wisdom on how to make the right decision. We all need quiet time to stop everything and listen and think. Let Jesus calm the storms in your life. Peace be still. Peace means silence, a hush, properly, muteness, involuntary stillness, or inability to speak. Is it time for you to shhhh?

Life can be very overwhelming, and maybe it’s time to rethink how you want to live. Days tend to pass by in a haze as you go through the motions on autopilot. When you were younger, the world was a canvas of dreams and possibilities. The air was filled with the scent of wanderlust, and your heart danced to the rhythm of adventure. Your mind painted vivid pictures of traveling with your loved ones, exploring new horizons, and embracing the unknown. But then, as life unfolded, reality came crashing in like a thunderstorm. The sound of bills piling up echoed in your ears, drowning out the melodies of your dreams. The weight of responsibility settled on your shoulders, like the heaviness of aging parents and the incessant demands of your children. Slowly but surely, your dreams took a back seat. The vibrant colors of wanderlust faded, replaced by the dull shades of everyday life. Yet, a flicker of hope remains buried deep within your heart, yearning to be reignited. Rule 1: Rethink how you want to live Consider envisioning the life you desire. Reflect upon the things and people that hold the utmost importance to you. Do you find a discrepancy between your current self and the ideal version of yourself? Identify what you wish to incorporate more of or reduce in your daily routine. Here are some pointers that will guide you in the right direction. Rule 2: Take time for yourself In the modern world, it may appear selfish to prioritize oneself. However, it is essential to understand that you alone can take care of yourself. It is crucial to attend to your physical, spiritual, financial, and mental well-being. If you neglect self-care, no one else will step in to do it for you. Given the constant demands placed upon you, it becomes even more important to rejuvenate your soul and nurture your spirit. Rule 3: Switch to the ‘one thing at a time’ mindset Stop trying to be superwoman and constantly multitasking. This can trip you up and leave you with many unfinished tasks. Multitasking is very distracting. Your mind cannot focus on two things at a time. Learn to live in the now and be present in everything you do. This will help you stay on top of your game. Rule 4: Share the load Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you have too much on your plate. Learn to say ‘no’ and not feel guilty. Make sure you have a clear list of priorities. You don't have to do everything on your own. Rule 5:Remember to enjoy life. Be happy and smile. Take a moment to appreciate the small blessings in life. God has given you an abundance of goodness. Don't forget to express your gratitude to Him for everything He has done for you. Instead of complaining, seize control of your world and seek guidance from God. Whenever you need help, just say a prayer and it will be within reach. I hope these nuggets help you, my friend.

Pressure is a part of life. God doesn't pressure you to make sudden decisions. He leads and directs you gently, never forcing you or overwhelming you. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, leading by his still small voice. Let the peace of God act as an umpire in your life. The Holy Spirit always leads and directs you by peace, and He will show you the correct way. If you do not have peace, it is a good indicator that something is wrong. Wait before proceeding. To make wise life choices, we should prioritize inner peace and resist the overwhelming pressure to do something quickly. The enemy uses pressure to push us towards mistakes and away from trusting God. While waiting for an answer, maintain a sense of expectancy and praise God for what is coming. The enemy's pressure may seem overwhelming, but moving without God's direction will cause failure. Abraham and Sarah felt this pressure. Although God had promised them a child, they had yet to see any evidence of it. So Sarah made her plan. Yielding to the pressure, she made Abraham have a child with her servant girl, and Ishmael was born. This was totally out of God’s will and plan for their lives. If Sarah trusted in God's faithfulness, He would have revealed to her she would have her child, Isaac, in the future. Be patient and wait for God to move. Keep your mind focused on His promises and know that He is faithful in bringing them to pass. Let the peace of God rule in your heart. Scripture references Philippians 4:7 1 Peter 5:7 Isaiah 54:17 Don’t let the pressure be more real than God’s Word

My Doctor looked at me with glaring eyes and said. "You will need to change things. We need to get these numbers down." My first thought was, what again, all I do is change. Life was constantly throwing curve balls, and I always needed to change to keep up with them. Here was another curveball, and I saw what I had to do—change something again. Growing in Christ requires us to embrace change as a constant in life. To become the best version of ourselves, we must crucify our flesh and resist temptation. That, of course, requires hard work and lots of change. Jesus came so that we might have a life that is full of blessings and joy. To experience this life, we must transform our self-centered ways and adopt His mindset, compassion, and behavior. Oh, you may get away with things for a while, like me. But after a visit to my doctor and some tests later, the writing was plain to see. I had to change. I am getting older, and the things that I could do in my twenties, my body no longer appreciates. So we designed a new diet plan for me that excluded all my favorite things in this world. "It's for your good," the doctor informed me as I frowned at her. This is what I’m doing now—changing my diet, eating healthier, and walking past the chocolate and cake aisles. Of course, God can heal me and bring the numbers down, but if I keep doing the wrong things, how long will my healing last? I have my part to play, which, of course, is changing. Perhaps you have something you are putting off? Maybe it seems too hard to do, and secretly you don’t want to. Change, my friend, is good. I know it's hard. When I walk into the grocery store, every chocolate in the aisle calls out my name. "Hello, over here. We’ve been waiting for you. Look, I'm on special. You can get two for the price of one!" I must keep my focus and determination strong if I want to succeed in giving up junk food for good. God wants you to have the best things in life. Jesus gave His life to provide you with His best, but you must also do your part. God will not do your part. He will guide and help you, but you will need to do the work. Yes, change is here to stay. Embrace it because if you must change, that means you are growing and are deeply loved. God is working on you to make you a better, stronger, and wiser person. Now that is something worth changing for.