Walk Boldly With Jesus

Catherine Duggan
  • 4.6 (9)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Daily

Does life feel extra hard right now? Is it difficult to find joy in your day to day living? Do you feel like something is missing? I did. I was struggling with all of it. Life seemed so hard. Then one day I realize what was missing. I needed more Jesus in my life. Our home needed more Jesus. This may be just what you are missing too! This podcast will give you tips on how you can become closer to Jesus. It will talk about scripture and how those stories can relate to your everyday life. It will help you find joy in life again and teach you to be bold with Jesus by your side. If you would like to reach me you can email Catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or go to my website findingtruenorthcoaching.com Music: "Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  1. 8h ago

    Hope in the Waiting - Day 4 - Can I Be Disappointed With God and Still Trust Him?

    Can I Be Disappointed With God and Still Trust Him?Psalm 62:8 “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”I was talking with someone the other day, and they are really struggling.  They are struggling because their child is making bad choices, and there isn’t anything they can do to stop it.  I asked how she was doing, and she said she trusts 100% in the Lord and that He is working in all of this, and at the same time, she is crying out to the Lord, asking why her child has to go through this.  I wanted to share this with all of you because I want you to know you are not alone.  I also want you to know it is ok to have two competing feelings.  You can be happy about something and also concerned about how it will all work out.  You can be happy you just found out you were pregnant, and also feel worried that you will have another mouth to feed.  You can be sad your loved one passed away and grateful they aren’t in pain anymore.  When it comes to trusting the Lord, I think we have expectations that are unrealistic.  We tend to think if we trust the Lord, we won’t ever have to struggle again.  All of our needs will be met, and life will be great.  I can tell you from experience, this isn’t the case.  God never said we wouldn’t struggle.  Moses trusted God, and yet the Israelites struggled.  Moses trusted God would do as He said, and yet I am sure there were times when he was sweating it out, waiting for God to answer the prayers.  God will take care of our needs, and He will provide.  However, it is not always in our timing, and that can cause some stress.My parents are great at trusting the Lord.  If they didn’t have something they needed, they asked the Lord, and He provided it.  However, that doesn’t mean they never worried about anything.  I am one of 11 children, so as you can imagine, there was never enough money to go around.  Sometimes, we had more bills than we had money.  Sometimes God would answer prayers by providing extra money in some miraculous way, like when my grandparents would send unexpected money.  Other times God would provide food from neighbors so we didn’t have to spend money on food and could put that money towards the bills.  However, sometimes God would provide by softening the heart of the person my mom called at the electric or heating company, and they would let us pay a smaller amount this month, or they would agree to wait one more month before shutting the electric or heat off.  God always came through, just not always in the ways we would have chosen.  You can trust the Lord and also be mad, sad, or upset with Him at the same time.  You can trust that things will work out in the end, or that He will use all this bad for good, and also be upset that you had to go through the bad.   My friend can trust that things will work out for her son and also be really sad that her son has to go through all of this.  She can know God is looking out for Him and still be frustrated that God didn’t protect Him from all of this.  I think the not knowing why is the hardest part.  If we could skip ahead to the end of the story and know the why of what we are going through, I bet things would be easier to endure.  If we knew how God was going to use the hard things for His good, if we understood the why, it might make it easier to make it through the hard times.  For instance, if I knew my son was going to get in trouble with the law, have to spend time in jail, but ultimately he would use that experience to save countless other kids from the same fate, I might find it easier to make it through the time he was in jail.  My friend said something the other day, and I think it's amazing she can look at it like that when she is hurting so much.  She said this is just a blip in her son’s life.  It is so true, and yet, when we are living through it, we feel as though it is an eternity.  When our kids are teenagers, they make mistakes.  Some teens really struggle; most teens struggle, I think.  When they are struggling to fit in and to make it through middle school and high school, we worry about them.  We tell them this time won’t last forever, and yet it feels like it might.  We, as parents, worry about their future and what impact these years will have on their future.  We worry about them being successful, and to be honest, sometimes we worry about them being alive in the future.  If your kids are making bad choices, you may worry they will harm themselves intentionally or unintentionally.  We need to keep going back to God.  This verse says, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”  I think most of us are working on the trust in him at all times part of this verse.  We are probably pretty good at trusting Him with a few things, and are still working on the rest of the things.  I think God understands, and He is willing to wait for us.  The thing I think we all don’t realize is that we can’t manufacture trust in God ourselves.  This comes from God.  If we want to trust God more, we need to ask Him to help us learn to trust more.  The next line tells us to pour out our hearts before Him.  I think many of us are afraid to do this.  We are afraid to yell at God, or be sad or mad at God.  We feel angry with Him, but we don’t say it because we feel it is wrong to be upset, mad, or sad at God.  He is telling us right here in this verse to pour out our hearts to Him. God already knows what is in your heart. There is no way of hiding it.  However, when you pour it out to God, when you say it out loud and release all those feelings, God can start healing you.  He can start to work on the pain and hurt you feel.  God is strong.  He can take whatever it is you want to say to Him.  God longs to have a close and intimate relationship with you.  Think of those you have close relationships with.  Would you be as close as you are if you couldn’t share your real feelings with them?  If you lied to them and always told them everything was ok, going well, even when it wasn’t, would they still want to be your friend?    Be honest with God.  Tell Him how you feel.  Yell, cry, scream, whatever it is you need to do to let God into your heart.  The last line says God is a refuge for us.  Refuge means providing shelter from pursuit, danger, or trouble.  God provides us with a shelter, a safe place where we can bring Him all we have.  We don’t have to be afraid of our feelings; God is available to listen to them and to help us figure them out.  God is there for us through everything.  He is someone we can always count on, even if others have let us down.  My hope for each one of you listening is that you feel comfortable pouring your heart out to the Lord.  I hope you trust Him enough to yell and scream when you feel you need to, and that you know He will still love you the same after you do.  He might even love you more, if that’s possible.  Or, maybe not love you more, but you may feel closer to Him afterward.  The more you open up to God, the closer you will feel to Him.  Trust He can take whatever you have to say to Him.  Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we love you, and we want to trust you; please help us.  We want to know you are there for us and that you will love us just as much if we cry out when we don’t understand.  Help us to have faith that your plan is better than our plan.  Help us to trust even when we don’t know what the plan is.  Help us to be honest with you about how we are feeling.  We love you, Lord; you are amazing.  You are the Messiah, You are the Lord, You are the Resurrection and the Life.  We are so grateful for all you do for us.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus holy name. Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.  Have a blessed day.    www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com CLICK HERE TO DONATE CLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emails CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily life CLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

  2. 1d ago

    Hope in the Waiting - Day 3-When Prayers Seem To Go Unanswered

    When Prayers Seem To Go UnansweredJeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me?”I liked this verse for today because this idea has been on my mind lately. The Lord has been telling our prayer group a lot over the last several years that we are not asking for too much; we are asking for too little. Just last November, He said, "My children, I want you to call out to me. I long to bless you, to bless your families, to bless your communities, to bless your world. When you call to me, you open the floodgates of my love and my mercy. Ask for more; you are asking for too little. I have much to give you. I have much to bless you with. Trust in me.” Isn’t that amazing? The fact that God is telling us we are asking for too little. I have been thinking about this a lot lately because I don’t know about you, but I have been asking God for some pretty big things lately. Just recently, I asked God to heal my friend miraculously. He had surgery that seemed to go well, but then, when taking the instruments out, the surgeons nicked an artery. Then he seemed to be doing better, and then all of his organs shut down, and he didn’t make it. I was really surprised, as God said we were asking for too little, and this definitely wasn’t little. If I can be honest with you, I don’t understand this. I don’t understand when we pray and our prayers aren’t answered. I wonder if you struggle with this too? I wonder if you have some pretty big prayers that seem like they weren’t answered either.When I asked the Lord about this, He told me my prayer was answered, just not in the way I wanted it to be. My friend Brian is completely healed now. He no longer has the disorder that was attacking his body and making life so hard for him. He no longer needs to be on oxygen and have surgery after surgery. He is no longer suffering. I understand that. I also know God could have healed all of that on this side of Heaven also, so that is where I get lost sometimes. I heard a speaker this weekend. Sister Tracy Dougas, who is a nun with the Daughters of St. Paul.She said something during her talk that helped me understand this a little better. She brought our attention to 1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” Sister Tracy encouraged us to consult the Holy Spirit and ask Him how to pray for whoever or whatever we are praying for. For instance, before I prayed for my friend, I could have stopped and asked the Holy Spirit how I should pray for this person. What should I pray for for this person? She reminded us that God knows so much more than we know. He can see the whole picture, whereas we can only see a tiny fraction of the picture.She reminded us of Luke 11:11-13: “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” The Lord knows what we need better than we do. If we try to give our kids the best we can in our flawed state, how much better will the Lord give us what is best for us?God’s ways are higher than our ways, and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. Sister Tracy said God is probably looking down at us and thinking we are asking for a whole lot of serpents. We don’t see all the twists and turns that are ahead of us. We don’t realize that if we get that job we want, then we will be working more than we thought or commuting more than we thought. We don’t know that if we buy that house that we thought we really wanted, we won’t actually be able to afford it and will end up stressed out with no money. We don’t know that if we go on that trip, we will get into a car accident. We can’t see the future; only God can. When our prayers aren't answered in the way we want them to be, it is because God has something better planned for us, or because He is preventing us, or those we are praying for, from something. God knows what He is doing. He is working all things for our good. That doesn’t mean that He doesn’t allow bad things to happen. That doesn’t mean that we have to like everything that is happening. It does mean that we don’t have to lose all hope and fall into despair when something happens or when our prayers aren’t answered in the way we want them to be. It means that we can be sad and also be assured that God is in the situation, working it for good in some way. I heard an analogy once from Pamela Crim during an episode of the Big Life Devotional Podcast that really stuck with me. She said God uses all things for our good, but that doesn’t mean he makes that thing that happened good.  Her analogy was using crap as fertilizer. It stinks and is not pleasant. Yet farmers use that crap to fertilize their land. It helps beautiful things grow. Fertilizers are applied to replace the essential nutrients for plant growth in the soil after they have been depleted. So, fertilizer replaces the nutrients that have been lost so crops, flowers, grass, and whatever you are trying to grow can grow better. However, that fertilizer is still crap. It doesn’t all of a sudden become a beautiful plant. It doesn’t all of a sudden smell better. The crap still remains crap; however, the farmer is able to use that crap to make something good grow out of it.This is similar to the crap that happens in our life. God isn’t turning that bad thing into good. However, he is able to help good grow from it. For instance, I do not look back at all the really difficult times with my boys and think they were good times. I still think they were really hard times. Yet, now I can see the beautiful fruit I got out of those hard times. I am a much more patient person. I can give control over to the Lord much more easily. I have a trust I might not have otherwise had. I have a persistence and determination that I might not have otherwise had.I still don’t know why God didn’t heal my friend on this side of heaven. I think we aren’t necessarily supposed to understand everything God does. He says we should approach Him as little children. Little children don’t always need to know the why. I do know that although I am really sad that my friend lost her husband and my other friends lost one of their best friends. I know God did answer my prayer. My friend’s husband is healed and no longer suffering. I know God will use this situation for good, and there will be beautiful fruit that comes out of it. I was talking to my friend the other day, and I said, “God, can’t you give her a break?” And she said He has been giving her breaks all along the journey. She said she could see Him all over this. So, I am looking forward to hearing her testimony as to where she saw God in all of this hardship. I honor her and admire how she can see God in the middle of all her suffering. I pray that we can all be that lucky!Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode. Lord, help us to see you in everything. Help us to trust that if you don’t answer our prayers the way we would like, it is because you have something better in mind. Help us to ask for more, Lord, even when we don’t understand. When we feel you haven’t answered our prayers, help us to see how you have. Help us to keep asking for more, Lord. Lord, help us to stop and ask the Holy Spirit to show us how to pray in each and every situation. We love you, Lord! We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus ’ holy name. Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk Boldly with Jesus. “If there’s something you’ve been praying and waiting for, and you feel comfortable sharing it, I’d love for you to reach out and let me know. I would be honored to pray with you and for you during this Hope in the Waiting series.” I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day! Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Let's walk together. Hold my hand if you need to. That's fine. I'm with you. I love you. And I walk with you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com CLICK HERE TO DONATE CLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emails CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily life CLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

  3. 2d ago

    Witness Wednesday #225 Diane C.

    If you would like to share your story, you can contact me by email Catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com  www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com CLICK HERE TO DONATE CLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emails CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily life CLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

  4. 3d ago

    Hope in the Waiting - Day 2- I Have Heard Your Prayers And Seen Your Tears

    Hope in the Waiting - Day 2- I Have Heard Your Prayers And Seen Your TearsIsaiah 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.”I love this verse because sometimes, when we have been waiting a long time for an answer to prayer, we begin to wonder if God is really listening. Maybe you have prayed the same prayer over and over again. Maybe you have cried more tears than you can count. If that is you today, I want you to hear these words personally: God has heard your prayers, and He has seen your tears.Just as it says in Isaiah 38:5, “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 who 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 can be incredibly difficult, and sometimes it feels like one hardship gets piled on top of another. We have certainly walked through difficult seasons in our family too, and looking back, I can see that God was with us through all of it.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, someone who has a close relationship with God, and also you can question where God is and what his plan is.  King David was anointed, and he had a very close relationship with God, yet even He questioned God.  In 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, before He will 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 a struggle sometimes, many times, 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 make it through this hard time.I would like to give you two things that may help get you through this difficult time.  The first is from the same psalm that I read from earlier.  In Psalm 13, David was questioning the Lord and asking how long he was going to 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 help us get through that difficult time.  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 not sure if you know this or not, 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 has a way of making us feel like we are the only ones that these things happen to and that we are awful people because of it.  I just 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 who 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.  Well, 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 each day, I write the verse for the 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 know what to say when praising the Lord, you could always listen to Christian music and let the artists praise for you.  If you are not sure what to pray, you can pray the scriptures.  The Book of Psalms is also a great place to go for praising the Lord.  If you feel like you can’t praise the Lord in your circumstances, you can borrow David’s praises.  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.  Lord, sometimes we don’t understand Your plan or why we have to go through the hard times. We ask that you bless us with a supernatural trust in you.  We ask that you help us to feel you in those really 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, I thank you for being strong enough to handle our questions and our anger.  I thank you for your mercy that when we are angry with you or question where you are, you do not get angry with us.  I thank you for the graces you give us each and every day.  Lord, we love you and are constantly amazed by you.  Father, we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’s holy name. AmenThank you for joining me on this journey to live boldly with Jesus.  Do you know someone who has been praying and waiting for a long time? Would you conside

  5. 4d ago

    Hope in the Waiting – Day 1: How Long, Lord?

    Hope in the Waiting – Day 1: How Long, Lord?Before we begin today’s episode, I want to take a minute to tell you about a new series we are starting called Hope in the Waiting.This series is for anyone who has been praying for something for a long time and is starting to wonder if God hears them, if He is going to answer, or how much longer they can keep waiting. Maybe you are praying for healing, for a loved one, for a relationship, for a child, for a job, for a breakthrough, or for something else that is very close to your heart.Over the next 31 days, we are going to talk honestly about what it is like to wait on the Lord. We are going to look at Scripture, wrestle with some of the hard questions, and talk about practical ways to keep trusting, keep praying, and keep living while the answer has not come yet.My hope is that by the end of this series, even if your circumstances have not changed yet, you will feel more encouraged, more hopeful, and more aware that God is with you in the waiting.So today, we are beginning with a question many of us have asked at one time or another: How long, Lord?Psalm 13:4-5 “How long, Lord? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look upon me, answer me, Lord, my God! Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death, Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed,” lest my foes rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your mercy. Grant my heart joy in your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt bountifully with me!”When I read this Psalm, I decided to use the whole Psalm instead of just a verse, as I think it is a beautiful example of the cycle of emotions we can go through. The Psalm starts out with lamenting. “How long, Lord, will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” I am sure we have all been here. I am sure each person listening has had at least one time in their life when they were wondering if the difficult time would ever end. I am sure we have all wondered how long we would have to suffer. I think we have all had a time or two where we wondered if the Lord had turned away from us because it seemed like He abandoned us. Can you remember a time you felt like this? Maybe you are in this lamenting season right now.I prayed over a man who was in such a season. He has been struggling for over a year with a work injury, and it has been one nightmare after another. It has been really stressful for him. He is finally starting to have some peace about the situation, and now the enemy is coming in and trying to take that peace from him. There are a lot of unknowns in his situation, and yet he is choosing to trust the Lord. Trusting the Lord doesn’t mean everything will suddenly be easy. I am sure he will have similar questions to the ones above. How long will I be without work, Lord? How will I pay my bills, Lord? How will I get sleep when my mind won’t stop thinking? He told me the Lord reminded him of something the other day. When thoughts and doubts started to flood his mind, the Lord reminded him of a song he used to sing at church when he was younger. He started singing the song, and his thoughts quieted down. This is such a great witness to the power of praise and praise music. When the enemy is attacking, you start to praise the Lord. The enemy is attacking because he wants you to turn against the Lord. When you start praising him, the enemy flees. Even if you don’t know what to say, you can just say “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” repeatedly. The next part of the Psalm says, “Look upon me, answer me, Lord, my God! Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed,” lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.” How many of us have been here? How many of us have begged God to do something, to look at us, to help us? The author of this Psalm is asking the Lord for help. He is asking the Lord to save him. He asks the Lord to bring him into the light before it is too late. Have you ever felt like if the Lord didn’t save you soon, it would be too late? I know I have. I had surgery one time when I was younger. It was an outpatient procedure. Tony was taking me home to recuperate, and we stopped at the grocery store to pick up some comfort food for recovery. I didn’t feel well and thought I might pass out. We sat on a bench, and I passed out. I remember feeling like I had been out for a long time, and then I heard someone say, “Call 911.” I remember thinking that if they hadn’t even been called yet, then I wasn’t going to make it until they got there. I was taken to the hospital, and I was fine, but I definitely was praying at that moment for God to help me immediately.The Psalm also says, “Lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed,’ lest my foes rejoice at my downfall.” We don’t want the enemy to be able to say they won. We already know who wins the war between good and evil, and it is good. When Jesus died on the cross, He defeated death and evil once and for all! God will not let evil overcome us.Finally, the psalm ends with the author reassuring the Lord of his trust. “But I trust in your mercy. Grant my heart joy in your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt bountifully with me!” In the span of a few lines, the author goes from lamenting to begging God for help, to reassuring God that he trusts Him, and then he is singing to the Lord for all He has done. This is not uncommon. Sometimes in the course of praying for things, we realize how much God has done for us in the past, and our petitions or our lamenting turn to praise. I was reading the devotional titled “Jesus Calling.” It is an awesome devotional with messages from the Lord for each day of the year. I really liked today’s as it goes with the message of this episode. I will leave you with the words from this devotional:When many things seem to be going wrong, trust me. When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank me. These are supernatural responses, and they can lift you above your circumstances. If you do what comes naturally in the face of difficulties, you may fall prey to negativism. Even a few complaints can set you on a path that is a downward spiral by darkening your perspective and mindset. With this attitude controlling you, complaints flow more and more readily from your mouth. Each one moves you steadily down the slippery spiral, but it is possible to apply brakes. Cry out to me in my name! Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. Thank me for everything, though this seems unnatural – even irrational. Gradually you'll begin to ascend, recovering your lost ground.When you are back on ground level, you can face your circumstances from a humble perspective. If you choose supernatural responses this time: trusting and thanking me – you will experience my most unfathomable peace.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to be with all those who are listening to this episode today. Lord, I ask you to be with all of us who are in a difficult place right now. Lord, please shine your light into the darkness. Please fill us with hope that you will save us before it is too late. Fill us with hope that our enemies won’t be able to say they defeated us. Lord, help us remember to praise you when times are hard. Remind us to thank you when times are hard. Help us not get caught up in negativity and keep us from falling down that slippery spiral. Show us how to apply the brakes and get back on ground level. Lord, I pray in a special way for each and every person listening to this episode who feels lost. Help them feel seen, Lord. We love you, Lord; you are amazing! We ask all of this in accordance with Your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If this series is speaking to you, make sure you follow or subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any of the 31 days of Hope in the Waiting. I look forward to meeting you here tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today’s Word from the Lord was received in February 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Just open yourself to the voice of the spirit. Sometimes the spirit doesn't speak. Sometimes the spirit just leads. Sometimes the spirit just gives you a thought and he wants you to act upon that thought. I know that you've all had those incidents in your life where that is what you have done. The spirit can be silent and still working. Follow the voice of the spirit. Follow the leadings of the spirit.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com CLICK HERE TO DONATE CLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emails CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily life CLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

  6. Sep 11

    The Zip It Challenge

    The Zip It ChallengeProverbs 18:2 “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.”Proverbs is a great place to go if we want to get instructions on how to live a better life.  It is full of really great advice on how to be a good person, how to be a good Christian.  I have heard of people taking a month and studying one chapter of Proverbs each day.  There are exactly 31 chapters, so it works out nicely.  A chapter in the Bible doesn’t usually take long to read.  If you are looking for your next Bible study, or if you are wondering where to even begin in your Bible, consider reading through the Proverbs.  This verse in particular is a very good verse, especially in this day and age.  Currently, it seems as though everyone has an opinion, and people share these opinions freely.  Many are not interested in trying to understand what is actually going on; they just want to shout their opinion from the rooftops.  Did you know you don’t always have to say whatever comes into your mind?  Did you know it is not your obligation to tell your opinion to everyone?  Sometimes, many times, it is appropriate to think something and not say it out loud.    This is something I try to teach my children and actually my nephews too.  There are far too many people these days who do not have a filter.  Many of us have a filter, and well, we might think something unkind; we don’t say it out loud because we know it would only hurt others’ feelings.  However, if we didn’t have a filter, we would say it out loud, not necessarily meaning to be mean, and yet it hurts the person’s feelings anyway.  If we all stopped to think about how what we were about to say was going to affect the person or people we were saying it to, we would have a lot fewer misunderstandings in the world.  It doesn’t have to be a long time; you sit and consider how it will make people feel.  Just take a breath before opening your mouth and ask yourself, “Will I be helping the situation if I say this?”  You can also ask, “Am I adding value to the conversation by saying this?” Or, you can also ask, “Will I be hurting someone by giving this opinion?”  Sometimes we think we need to give our opinions whenever we have them, especially to our spouse and to our children. This isn’t always the case.  If your child comes downstairs to go to school and they are wearing something that doesn’t match, or something you don’t like, you don’t have to give them your opinion.  Did they ask for your opinion?  If so, that’s great; feel free to give it.  If they didn’t ask, hold your tongue.  They like that outfit, or they wouldn’t have put it on.  You're saying something probably won’t make them change, but it may make them self-conscious that others may feel the same way.  It may also cause them to doubt themselves.  I know as parents, especially as moms, we want to save our children from any potential embarrassment. Yet, in doing this, we often wind up hurting their feelings or getting them to question themselves.  What if we didn’t say anything?  What if we just built them up and let them wear what they wanted to school?  This isn’t just about school either. That was one example, but you can substitute the clothes they are wearing for any other argument you might be having with your kids these days.  I wonder what the world would be like if we all paused and considered the ramifications of saying whatever it is we want to say?  I wonder what the world would be like if we all realized we didn’t have to say every thought that comes into our heads?  There is a challenge I learned about in Big Life Mentoring.  It is from a book called Zip It: The Keep It Shut 40-Day Challenge by Karen Ehman.  Here is the description of the book: We use our words everywhere: with family members, coworkers, the stranger in the store—even the words we text or post online. Our daily words can impact our relationships for better—or for worse. (Been there. Said that. Wish you could take it back. Can you relate?)Karen Ehman’s 40-day devotional challenge Zip It—based on her New York Times best-seller Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All—offers practical ways to use our words to build, not to break; to bless, not to badger; to encourage, not to embitter; to praise, not to pounce.”I have not read this book, or her first book, although they both sound like something I should check out.  Her book also has scripture verse for each day of the challenge.  It is more of a devotional to learn to hold our tongues.  “Zip It covers eight major topics: taming our tempers, sarcasm, gossip, gracious speech, sweet and salty language, asking for forgiveness, whether to speak up or remain silent, and how God’s word can alter our words.” The reason I mention this book and this challenge is that I know people who have made it a goal of theirs to not say any negative things for 30 days.  I know others who have decided not to nag their loved ones for 30 days.  They stop and think, before giving their opinion, will this matter in 5 years?  The thing you are about to correct- will it matter in 5 years?  Is it something that needs to be said?  Do they need to hear your opinion, or can you zip it and let it go?  What would your relationships be like with your loved ones if you zipped it more?  How would your relationship with your spouse be different if you didn’t tell them every time you didn’t like something they did?  How would your relationship with your children be if you didn’t tell them every time you disapproved of something they did?  I’m not just talking about little children either.  Many of you have adult children.  How would your relationship change if you decided not to say every criticism that came into your hearing?  If you decided not to tell them how you think they should live their life?  Honestly, take a moment and think about how things in that relationship might be different.  This verse had two parts to it.  It says, “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.”  We talked about airing our own opinions; I just want to take a minute to address the understanding piece of this verse.  We will not always agree with everyone we may meet.  We may not even agree with everyone in our family or those who live in our house.  That is ok.  We don’t have to all agree on everything.  However, it is important to try to understand where the other person is coming from.  This country is so divided right now, and so many people don’t even want to try to understand the other side of what they believe.  I have heard this quote; I am not sure who said it.  The quote is, “Peace is not when everyone agrees.  It is when we can respect our disagreements and still play in the sandbox together.”  We don’t have to all be on the same page.  However, can we calmly listen to the other person and try to understand where they are coming from?  Can we calmly talk through our differences? Can we respect each other enough to at least try to understand what the other side is saying?  So much strife comes from misunderstanding.  We are not taking the time to fully understand what someone is saying, and we get so angry at the mere idea of what they might be saying.  However, when we take the time to fully understand it, we realize they have a point.  Maybe not one we can agree with or get behind, but at least we understand where they are coming from.  This verse tells us that if we are not going to try to gain an understanding, we are fools.  It also says we should not take delight in airing our own opinions all the time.  We don’t want to be fools; we want to be wise.  I challenge you to think about your comments this week.  Did that comment you just said need to be said?  Did it make them feel better about themselves, or worse?  Can you stop and think before you say something and ask yourself if it needs to be said? I know you will see positive changes in your life if you can learn to let the negative comments and criticisms go without voicing them out loud.  Give it a try; what have you got to lose?Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, help us to control our tongue.  Open our hearts and minds to a greater understanding of those things we disagree with.  Help us to not reject things without first understanding them.  Help us to think before opening our lips.  Help us to use the filter you gave us to not just say whatever comes to our minds. Help us to see others through your eyes, O Lord.  We love you, Lord; you are truly remarkable, and we are so grateful for you.  We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow. Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com CLICK HERE TO DONATE CLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emails CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily life CLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

  7. Sep 10

    Why aren't we asking?

    Why aren't we asking?James 4:2-4 “You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”This verse came up in my daily devotional “Jesus Calling” today.  Actually, it was from August 20th.  The whole devotional for this day was on healing.  I love to read about healing.  I am so fascinated by healings.  I am so curious why some are healed, and some aren’t.  I believe God heals people on the daily.  I believe He miraculously cures people daily as well.  I have heard so many accounts of people who have witnessed God’s miraculous healings.  Actually, we just heard an example of one of these healings yesterday.  If you have not listened to this week’s Witness Wednesday, you can find it anywhere you listen to podcasts and also on YouTube.  I will read you the devotional today, as I think it has a lot of great info on healing, and I know so many people right now who need healing either for themselves and/or a loved one.I am a God who heals. I heal broken bodies, broken minds, broken hearts, broken lives, and broken relationships. My very presence has immense healing powers. You cannot live close to me without experiencing some degree of healing. However, it is also true that you have not, because you ask not. You receive the healing that flows naturally from my presence, whether you seek it or not. But there is more—much more—available to those who ask. The first step in receiving healing is to live ever so close to me. The benefits of this practice are too numerous to list. As you grow more and more intimate with me, I reveal my will to you more directly. When the time is right, I prompt you to ask for the healing of some brokenness in you or in another person. The healing may be instantaneous, or it may be a process. That is up to me. Your part is to trust me fully and to thank me for the restoration that has begun. I rarely heal all the brokenness in a person's life. Even my servant Paul was told, "My grace is sufficient for you," when he sought healing for the thorn in his flesh. Nonetheless, much healing is available to those whose lives are intimately interwoven with mine. Ask, and you will receive.I loved this devotional when God said we receive the healing that flows naturally from His presence, whether we ask for it or not.  I love that He is healing us even when we don’t ask.  I love that we just need to be close to Him and we experience some degree of healing.  What jumped out to me the most in this devotional was when He said, “You have not because you ask not.” God said he has so much more healing for us, and yet we aren’t receiving it because we aren’t asking for it.  The question that came to mind after reading that was, “Why aren’t we asking for it?”  I think people might not be asking for a healing because they don’t believe they are worthy of one, or they don’t believe a healing is possible.  I can understand both of these reasons, and yet, they are getting in the way of a healing.  I can see how one might not feel worthy of a healing, especially if they have lived a life they are not proud of.  Sometimes we get headed down a wrong path; we somehow get all turned around, and we aren’t living the way God wants us to live.  I don’t think anyone sets out to live a life of being unkind and mean to people.  I think life happens, people experience things, and react to them the best way they know how, and eventually they get tired of things going wrong, and they become hard and unforgiving.  I could see how this person might not feel worthy of healing.  However, God loves them and is willing to give them another chance; all they need to do is be brave enough to ask for it.  Then there are other people who live their lives according to God but also don’t feel worthy of a healing because they feel others deserve it more.  Maybe they feel others are more deserving because they are younger, they have a family, they did more for the community.  Whatever it is they are thinking, it is not taking into account how big our God is.  God is not limited in the number of healings He can do.  We don’t have to hold back from asking for a healing because others are more deserving.  God can heal others, and He can heal us too.  We just need to ask.  I can also see how we might hold back from asking for a healing because our illness is too severe.  Maybe the doctors have told you there is no cure for the disease you have, and so you don’t ask God for a healing because you know the disease you have is incurable.  The doctors are giving you all the information they have, and yet just because your illness is incurable with modern medicine doesn’t mean God can’t cure it.  Remember, our God is a God of the Impossible.  He is a Way Maker.  He cured leprosy long before modern medicine did. He cured blindness, and He has even brought people back from the dead.  There is nothing our God can’t do.  He just wants us to ask.  He will heal us to a certain point even without asking.  However, we have free will, and so if we want extraordinary healing, we need to ask Him.  He wants to know we agree to the healing, that it is actually something we want.  I also like how in the devotional it said the first step to healing is to live closer to God.  I liked how it said that as we get closer and closer to Him, He reveals His will more fully to us, and then at some point He prompts us to ask for healing.  If we are looking to see more healing in our lives, we first need to start living closer to the Lord.  Make growing closer to Him a priority. The verse above also talks about how we need to live closer to the Lord.  It says if we make friends with the world, then we will be an enemy of God.  If we want to be a friend of God, we must not cling to the things of this world.  We must try to grow closer and closer to God.  Instead of spending time with things of this world, we must try to replace the things of this world with the things God wants us to do. Spend time with Him instead of spending time with the TV or the video games.  He also said something I think many of us wish weren’t true.  He said, “The healing might be instantaneous, and it might be a process. That is up to me.”  I think we are all wishing for the healing to be instantaneous.  I know that is what I pray for.  I know I wish it were up to me.  However, when I start to think that way, I revert back to Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” God has a plan; He doesn’t just flip a coin to see if you will be healed instantaneously or if it will be a process.  He has a plan, and His plan is greater than our plan.  I think sometimes we think God didn’t answer our prayers if we are healed with modern medicine instead of a more obvious miraculous cure.  If our cancer or our loved one’s cancer doesn’t just miraculously go away one day, we don’t think God is answering our prayers.  As the devotional says, sometimes he heals instantaneously, and sometimes it’s a process.  Both are God’s healings.  He is present in both ways.  One is not better than the other; they are just different.  God says in the devotional our job is to trust Him fully and to thank me for the restoration that has begun.  I have a friend who just found out her scans showed that some of the lymph nodes are shrinking.  Her doctor told her the chemo is working.  This is a great example of God’s healing being a process.  She needed to try different drugs; she needed to hang in there and trust Him fully, and now she can thank Him for the restoration that has begun.  What is on my heart deeply today is to tell all of you not to get discouraged if the process is not what you wanted.  Try not to get discouraged if the healing you are praying for is taking longer than you like.  Try to keep trusting in God completely that the healing you have asked for is coming.  Ask, and you will receive; that is what God keeps telling us.  Also, if you are waiting for a healing for yourself or a loved one and you haven’t asked God for it yet, do that today.  God said in the verse above, “You do not have because you do not ask.”  If that is you, take a moment today and ask the Lord for the healing you want.  Don’t just hope for it; ask for it.  Then do all you can to grow closer to the Lord.  He is there waiting for you with open arms.  He is ready to welcome you in and to heal you or your loved one.  I leave you with these words from our Heavenly Father, “But there is more—much more—available to those who ask.”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, you are truly amazing.  We are so grateful for the healings that flow naturally from your presence.  Lord, we are also so very grateful that you offer so much more to those who ask for it.  We are asking, Lord, please heal our loved ones and us.  Please help us to know you are healing our loved ones and us, especially if it is a process.  If it is going to be a process, please give us the strength and perseverance to not give up hope, to not stop trusting you.  Give us the strength we need to trust you all the way till we receive the healing.  Lord, sometimes things get worse before they get better; help us believe when it looks like it is getting worse.  Help us keep the trust and fait

  8. Sep 9

    Witness Wednesday #224 Amber J.

    We have all seen God working in our lives; however, we might not all be aware that it is God who is working in our lives.  This is why it is so important we start talking about it more.  The more we share our experiences, the more people understand how God works and how much He truly loves us.  If you would be willing to share any experience you have had of how God has worked or is working in your life, please email me at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or just click on the link below.  It won’t take up much of your time, and your story could be just the story that someone needs to hear today.  Prayerfully consider sharing.  Everyone has a story, and the world needs to hear them.  I look forward to spending time with you again tomorrow, and I will have another witness for you next Wednesday.  Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.com CLICK HERE TO DONATE CLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emails CLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily life CLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

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Does life feel extra hard right now? Is it difficult to find joy in your day to day living? Do you feel like something is missing? I did. I was struggling with all of it. Life seemed so hard. Then one day I realize what was missing. I needed more Jesus in my life. Our home needed more Jesus. This may be just what you are missing too! This podcast will give you tips on how you can become closer to Jesus. It will talk about scripture and how those stories can relate to your everyday life. It will help you find joy in life again and teach you to be bold with Jesus by your side. If you would like to reach me you can email Catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or go to my website findingtruenorthcoaching.com Music: "Adding the Sun" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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  • Creator
    Catherine Duggan
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    600
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021 Walk Boldly With Jesus by Catherine Duggan
  • Show Website
    Walk Boldly With Jesus