Realize More With God, Christian Women, Connect with God, Bible Study, Daily Devotion

014 | Discover the Power of Grace

Hey sister,
What is happening in this season of your life?  For many of us – if not most of us in this messy middle, it’s a time that comes with transitions, changes, losses, limitations, lots of reflection – and questions without easy answers. 
In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 Paul reveals that he struggled with something in his life that he called a thorn in his flesh – in other words, it affected his real, every day, flesh and blood life. He asked God three times to remove the thorn – I can relate to that! I mean, who doesn’t want to escape the pain that comes with thorns? 
How about you, sister?  Is there a thorn that is causing you pain right now?  Something in your everyday life that you’re struggling with, that’s keeping you stuck or making it difficult to move forward toward what you believe is God's purpose for you in this season?    
God had an answer for Paul’s thorn, and He has an answer for the thorns in our lives too.  Spoiler alert -- The answer is grace.  But wait!  Before you think you know all about grace or that this is some kind of impractical answer that doesn’t meet you in the nitty gritty of what you’re dealing with – join me in this episode as we get deep into the REAL meaning of grace. We’re going to realize the reality of God’s abundant grace in us, the all-providing power that overcomes every thorn.
Joy to you!
Angie
Let's talk:  angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community:  http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions:  2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Exodus 33:12 – 34:6, Titus 2:11, 1 John 4:8, Romans 5:1-2, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, Hebrews 4:16

013 | Seeking Guidance from God: 4 More Secrets to Receive God's Direction

Hey Sister,
In Episode 012 we uncovered the first three (not-so-secret) secrets for receiving and recognizing God’s guidance.  In this episode we are continuing the conversation with four additional secrets.  So much of our power and peace comes from knowing where God wants us to walk and what God wants us to do – in our every day. When we have God’s guidance, we know where he wants us to be, and we can be there with confidence! Not only that, if we are precisely where our heavenly Father wants us to be, we can be absolutely sure that he will provide for all our needs in the place he has directed us.   
I hate to admit how many times in my life I did not seek God’s guidance with my whole heart and how many other times I would run ahead of God’s guidance, pushing to make things happen the way I thought was best.  It wasn’t until I got to a place in my life where God was able to open my eyes to the damage I had done by not seeking his guidance that things changed in my experience.  I also realized that I did not truly know HOW to receive and recognize God’s guidance, so that set me on the journey to discovering the secrets I’m sharing with you.    
If you want to follow God’s guidance for your life but aren’t sure how... or if you’ve tried yet feel like something is missing because you aren’t receiving or recognizing God’s direction, join me for today’s episode as we reveal more of the not-so-secret secrets of God’s guidance! 
For wholeness and holiness in Jesus,
Angie
Let's talk:  angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community:  http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions – Matthew 6:31-32, Matthew 7:7-8, Micah 2:13, Habakkuk 2:3, Psalm 27:14, Exodus Chapter 14, Psalm 37:23.  
 

012 | How to Seek God’s Guidance: Secrets to Receive Wisdom and Direction for Decision Making

Hey Sister,
Would you like to receive clear guidance from God? In the Bible we see all the ways God provided guidance to his people: he sent angelsl, gave visions, created pillars of cloud and fire – one time he even made a donkey talk! God’s direction in the Bible seems so big and obvious, so unmistakable.  Do you ever ask yourself, “Why does it seem so foggy for me? What am I doing wrong that I don’t receive – or at least I don’t understand – God’s guidance??”
Some of us think we’re not smart enough to understand. Like maybe God is trying to guide us, but we just don’t get it.  Others of us even think God tries to make it difficult for us, like some kind of unfair game – that he’s somehow hiding his will from us until we “figure it out.”  But Sister, the good news is that God does not want to hide his guidance from us.  In fact, he wants to make his will plain for us to discern and follow!  In James 1:5 we are told, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.” That’s a pretty clear promise!  God is generous and desires to give us the wisdom of his guidance! 
If you’re ready to receive and understand God’s direction for decision-making, in times of change or crisis, and in your everyday – join me today for this first episode in a series as we discover and uncover the (not-so-secret) Secrets of God’s Guidance. 
For wholeness and holiness in Jesus,
Angie
Let's talk:  angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community  http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions – James 1:5, Luke 11:34-36, 1 Corinthians 10:31, John 5:30, John 7:17, Luke 4:9-12
 
 
 

011 | Feel Like You Can't Measure Up? Receive the Unexpected Blessing

Hey Sister,
Whatever is happening in your day, your week, your life in this season – how would you like to receive a blessing from God right now?   A blessing that would bring comfort and hope, that would give you strength and would move you forward.  Sound good? 
Today’s episode is a word of encouragement that I decided to record after several of my coaching clients recently expressed similar thoughts and feelings:  I can’t get out of the rut, I have nothing to offer, I’m too broken, I’m a disappointment to myself – and God is probably disappointed in me too.
I’ve seen how midlife is a prime season for recognizing all our limitations and feeling our insufficiencies.  I’ve felt that way myself, and sometimes still have moments when it really hits home! And as long as we're being honest -- sometimes our feelings of "not enoughness" even come from stressing about how we can experience more in our relationship with God, what we "should" be doing, and trying to figure out how to make it happen. 
But when we feel like we can’t measure up –and we’re tired of trying – that’s when Jesus invites us to receive His unexpected blessing. 
Join me today and receive this blessing for yourself! 
For wholeness and holiness in Jesus,
Angie
Let's talk:  angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community  http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions – Matthew 5:3, Matthew 11:28, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 8:9.  

010 | Find Direction in 2024: Ditch the Resolutions and Discover God’s Promises for You

Hey Sister!  
It’s a fresh new year – welcome to 2024!  After an extended sabbatical last year, I'm excited to be back podcasting and eager to hear what's new with you as well! 
At the beginning of a new year, I always hear a lot of talk about resolutions – what we’re going to change, what we’re going to do or not do.  Resolutions do seem to have fallen out of favor in recent years; maybe the statistics have convinced most of us that “New Year’s resolutions” don’t have much staying power.  But what are resolutions anyway?? They are just promises we make to ourselves, to others, and even to God.  Promises, promises. 
The Bible shares stories about the people of Israel, Jesus’ disciples, and many others who made promises – and who had about as much success as most of us do trying to keep our New Year’s resolutions.  
In this episode at the beginning of this new year, we’re going to flip the script and exchange our promises and resolutions for something way better – God’s promises to us.  Let’s discover what God wants to do in us, through us, and for us in 2024 – and how to receive and respond to God’s promises with Wonder, Waiting, and Working. Join me in seeking divine inspiration and direction as we begin this new year realizing more with God!     
Toward wholeness and holiness in Jesus,  
Angie  
Let's talk:  angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community - http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions – Exodus 19:8, 24:7 and chapter 32; Matthew 26:35; Isaiah 55:10-11; 2 Corinthians 1:20; the “Lord’s Prayer” Matthew 6:9-13 or Luke 11:1-4; John 5:1-15, Isaiah 55:9; Hebrews 11:1.
 

009 | Are Your Thoughts About God Strengthening or Sabotaging Your Relationship with God?

Hey Sister!  
What do you think about God?  The picture of God that we hold in our minds and hearts can either stimulate or sabotage our spiritual growth potential.  God wants us to know the TRUTH of who He is, so we can live free and fulfilled in Him!  But the enemy knows that if our picture of God is not the way God really is and if he can mess up our thoughts about God – then our relationships with God, with others, and with our own selves will be messed up too.   
What's weird is that even when we have a lot of biblical and correct informational knowledge about God (which is a good thing!), as we live our everyday lives, very often our thoughts, feelings, and actions are actually being influenced by different thoughts about God -- thoughts that don't match what we say we know about God!  
In this episode, we talk about where our understanding of God comes from, how to begin to recognize the different pictures of God we may have, and what to do when our thoughts about God don't match the truth that God has revealed about himself in the Bible and in Jesus.   Join me as we uncover the source of confusion in our thoughts about God and renew our minds in Christ!  
Joy to you! 
Angie  
Let's talk:  angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community - http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions --  Romans 12:2, Genesis 3:1-6, Psalm 46:10,  Psalm 139:1-4,  John 1:18, and 1 Corinthians 13:12 (I referred to this verse as it is translated in the KJV, probably because that's the way I learned it as a young child, but I like the way the NLT explains our ability to know and understand, saying it this way, "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.")  Amen!  
Going Deeper -- A great little classic book on God's attributes and their meaning in the Christian life is "The Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer.  His opening sentence says, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."  

008 | Should You Feel Guilty? 3 Questions to Identify False Guilt and How to Overcome it

Hey Sister!
How can I stop feeling guilty?  I feel guilty.  Do you ever find yourself saying that, but wondering why?  I mean, midlife is certainly a time that makes us reflect – we’ve got a lot of life behind us now... And with all that life experience, we know we’ve made some mistakes, and if you’re like me, you’ve spent time in outright rebellion against God!  We have regrets – and regret is a close friend of guilt.  This season in the messy middle also seems to bring us face-to-face with our "not-enoughness"… no matter how hard we’ve worked, we still feel like we aren’t enough – and we’re guilty somehow for that??   You might even have other people in your life telling you what you should have done so that things would be different.  Just add a little more guilt to the soup and stir, right?
And yet, we know we’ve received Jesus as our Savior, we are born again and growing in our faith walk with God.  Why do we still feel guilty?  Is something wrong?  What do we do with guilt?  Even better, how can we live free from guilt? 
Guilt, false guilt, how to know the difference and how to stop struggling. That’s what we’re going to talk about today, and we’re not pulling any punches in this battle with guilt!  Join me, Sister!  
Joy to you! 
Angie  
Let's talk:  angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community - http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions -- Genesis 3, John 3:16-18, Philippians 2:13, 1 Timothy 4:2, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Ephesians 4:14, 2 Corinthians 5:7 and 10:5, John 8:32, 1 John 1:9, Romans 8:1, John 8:11, Mark 9:24
Pursue More -- For a truly biblical and scientific integrated approach to psychology, I suggest anything by Dr. Jennifer Jill Schwirzer.  Check out her mental health network -- lots of resources here:  Home | ABIDE Network 
The studies linking guilt and health in this episode can be found in Dr. Schwirzer's book 13 Weeks to Peace:  Allowing Jesus to Heal Your Heart and Mind.
 

007 | No Idea Where God is Leading You? How to Walk in Faith Anyway!

Hey Sister!  
Whether you’re living in a waiting time, waiting for answers – about what God wants you to do in this season or for how to deal with a certain relationship or dilemma you’re facing – or whether you’re living through a sudden something that came out of nowhere and has pulled the rug out from under you…the question rises up again and again inside us – how can I live with faith when I don’t know what God is doing?
Sure, we’ve got the big picture – we know God promises to work all things for good in the lives of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  But so many times life is like when I went to the big box store, saw a bookcase that I wanted, and bought it.  But you know how this works, you don’t get the bookcase you see in the store.  No, you bring the bookcase home in a box, and you have to put it together!  I could see the picture of the bookcase on the box cover – but when I opened the box, there was no instruction sheet for what to do with all the little pieces all in those little baggies! Just sayin’ -- my life of faith can seem a lot like that sometimes. 
So, today we’re talking about going out in faith when you don’t know where you’re going. When you don’t know where God is leading you or you can’t see God’s plan.  The story of Abraham gives us some great insights into the "how to" of walking in faith when you’re in the messy middle, so if you’re feeling a bit like I did with my DIY project and no instruction sheet, I believe this episode will bless you! 
Joy to you!
Angie
Let’s Talk – angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community - http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions -- 
Genesis 11-25, Hebrews 11:8, Genesis 22:8, Hebrews 11:17-19, Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 5:7
Quotation by Oswald Chambers can be found at -- Will You Go Out Without Knowing? | My Utmost For His Highest

006 | Discerning God’s Voice Through Meditation in 3 Steps

Hey Sister!  
As a Christian woman who is navigating life in the messy middle, I REALLY want God’s direction in everything!  And then I want confidence – to KNOW that I am hearing HIS voice and discerning His guidance in my daily life. 
I WANT to follow Jesus, to cultivate radical surrender and obedience -- and knowing that I know that I know His voice is a VITAL part of that.  How about you?  Do you recognize Jesus’ voice?  How confident are you in discerning God’s direction day to day? 
Biblical or Christian meditation is a discipline that helps us cultivate our spiritual senses – especially our spiritual ears, our listening skills.  The practice of biblical meditation calls us to intentionally separate ourselves from the noise, hurry, and crowds... to create some open space in our minds and hearts where God can have room to speak and move.  And here's the real kicker -- where we have room to HEAR his voice.  Because the truth is, God is ALWAYS speaking and moving.  We just need the space to learn to hear and discern. 
Today we’re getting into the nuts and bolts, the how-to do it.  Meditation is not complicated at all, which is the beautiful thing!  But it isn’t one of those things that you can really learn from a book, or even a podcast!  -- you’ve got to just “do it.” 
What I can do is give you some hints and suggestions from my own experience, and we’re going to walk through an example step-by-step, so you can begin receiving the blessings of hearing God’s voice through biblical meditation. 
Joy to you! 
Angie
Let’s Talk – angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the community - http://community.realizemorewithgod.org
Mentions -- 
Psalm 27:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Matthew 6:6, Mark 10:46-52, Psalm 34:8
Discover the promise keys that give you access to God’s presence in Episode 003 -  Realize More With God, Christian Women, Relationship with God, Guidance from God, Christian Devotional: 003 | 4 Keys to Connecting with God in Worship on Apple Podcasts
Pursue More -- -
Review our study of 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 in this episode and then practice meditating on this passage.  Episode 004 - Realize More With God, Christian Women, Relationship with God, Guidance from God, Christian Devotional: 004 | Are You Captive to God’s Purpose for Your Life? on Apple Podcasts

005 | Want a Personal Word from God? Hearing God’s Voice Through Biblical Meditation

Hey Sister!
Do you believe YOU can truly receive a personal word from God?  Or was that just for people in the Bible –or maybe for some “super-Christians?”   Most of my life, I’m not sure I thought I could really hear God’s voice.  It was just another way of saying that I should study my Bible and learn to understand and apply what I was reading.  Is there something more?? 
Today we’re going to talk about biblical or Christian meditation, and you’re not going to want to miss this!  It wasn’t until just a few years ago that I began learning how to meditate – at first, I didn’t even call it that, because I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing!  And while I didn’t have a friend to walk alongside me, to give me tips and guidance as I practiced this spiritual discipline, YOU DO!  Because we’re going to talk all things meditation today, and I’m going to share how, through meditation, God wants you to hear His voice, giving you confidence and security in His guidance and constant presence with you.   
Joy to you! 
Angie
Let's Talk:  angie@realizemorewithgod.org
Join the Community:  http://community.realizemorewithgod.org 
Mentions:  Psalm 1:2-3; 1 Samuel 3:1-10; John 5:19, 30; Mark 1:35, John 15:4-5; John 10:4, John 16:13
More Bible verses referring to meditation:  Genesis 24:63, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 77:6, 12; Psalm 119:15, 148; Psalm 143:5