Should I Be Scared?

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“Forgive them Father, for they do not know what they do”
Luke 23:34

I was scrolling through X when a video stopped me in my tracks. A young blonde woman, covered in tattoos, shared her powerful testimony. She explained how, since following Jesus, she quit drugs, stopped drinking, ended self-harming, and overcame suicidal thoughts. The post’s subheading caught my eye: “It’s [Christianity] a cult that tricks you into healing and purpose!” Her story of transformation inspired me, but the sarcastic framing made me pause. Is this what people think of Christianity today?

Her story fuels my passion for writing a book about why we should give our lives to Christ and how to live for Him. I volunteer in our local jail ministry, where I’ve seen hundreds of women whose lives have been shattered by drugs and alcohol. At their breaking point, often not their first time incarcerated, they reach out to the chaplain’s office for spiritual meetings. I’m randomly assigned to meet with them, and I’m honored to share the hope of Jesus.

These women are desperate for a way out, and I’ve seen Christ transform their lives from despair to joy. Yet, as I write this book, I see growing hate on social media. Many reject the belief that we need Jesus to reach heaven. Moreover, they view Christianity as a cult, claiming those who believe Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) are misguided. I believe they’re missing the hope Jesus offers, as I’ve witnessed in the lives I serve. Scripture warns that the god of this age, Satan, has blinded the minds of unbelievers, keeping them from the gospel’s light (2 Corinthians 4:4). The world resists the truth, but the truth is what it needs most.

I sit in community meetings where leaders tackle the mental health crisis, homelessness, social isolation, food scarcity, and childcare shortages. Nonprofits compete for scarce funds to “help people,” yet no one suggests connecting people with local churches. They list churches as donors to tap for money while criticizing them, saying, “All churches want is your money.” They’re the first in line for handouts, yet they have no intention of helping churches grow their attendance. This hypocrisy grieves my soul.

Am I scared? Yes. I fear rejection, isolation, and being labeled a “Jesus freak.” But day by day, God prompts me to speak out. I can no longer watch people chase fleeting hopes, only to end up hopeless, discouraged, and defeated. Their missions are valid and needed, but without God, there will always be a void. Scripture urges us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). When society drifts from God, problems worsen.

I feel the world is more evil today than ever, with rising addiction, division, and godlessness. Do you agree? If not, what makes you see things differently? I welcome the dialogue. Despite my fears, I’m reminded of 2 Timothy 1:7: God gives me a spirit of power, not fear, to share His truth. I’m writing this book because I’ve seen Jesus transform lives, from jail cells to joyful hearts. Join me in sharing this hope, no matter how the world responds. The gospel is the foundation for true healing, and I believe it’s the answer our world desperately needs.
And if you want to watch the video yourself, check it out. I wish more people could experience a transformation like hers: https://x.com/KatKanada_TM/status/1981382525420523653

Want To Change Your Life?

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For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Each morning, I start my prayer with a simple, awe-filled, “Wow, God!” For nearly 22 years, I’ve been reading the Bible—10 of those years daily. So why, in 2025, does this habit still leave me in wonder? I’m approaching God’s Word differently now.

For the past two years, I read the Bible cover to cover. In 2023, I followed John MacArthur’s Daily Study Bible plan, reading two Old Testament chapters, a Psalm, a Proverb, and a New Testament chapter each day. In 2024, I read chronologically with The Bible Recap. These years felt like a “rapid-fire” sprint through Scripture—lots of content, but high-level and less fulfilling. It became more of a task than a deep study or connection with God.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m grateful for the experience. Reading the entire Bible showed me the incredible timeline of Scripture, the inspiring stories, and God’s sovereignty in every situation. But this year, I committed to slowing down—way down.

My 2025 plan is to read one New Testament chapter per week. Each day, I read that chapter in a different Bible version. When the version includes study notes, I dig into the footnotes and cross-references. On days without notes, I turn to commentaries by Wiersbe, McGee, and MacArthur. The result? I’ve gained a deeper understanding of Scripture and how to apply it to my life than I have in over two decades. It’s mind-blowing!

As of today, March 25, 2025, I’m only on my third day of studying Matthew chapter 7. You might think I’d be further along by now—maybe Matthew 12—but I’m not. And that’s intentional. I’m taking my time, meditating on God’s Word, and it’s coming alive in a new way. I find myself talking about it throughout the day, recalling its meaning during decisions, conversations, and moments needing discernment.

I’m not memorizing every verse, but I know where to find them when I need them. At this pace—one chapter a week—I estimate it’ll take about three and a half years to finish the New Testament. I may never reach Revelation, let alone the Old Testament, and that’s okay. This slower, deeper approach is transforming me. God is revealing Himself to me in a more intimate way.

That’s why I’m calling this journey “Do You Want to Change Your Life?” It’s changing mine. Want to join me?

Be Bold and Brave

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This, is love.

I mentor a lot of women… A lot! Some days I am overwhelmed by the complexity and struggles that women face. From jail ministry, where women have committed unexplainable and despicable crimes. To women who are finding their way as they struggle hopelessly through heavy and challenging circumstances they are navigating.

Yesterday I met with a woman who is living in a messy marriage in the aftermath of her affair. Both parties contributing to the downward cycle after having experimented with polygamy, drugs and witchcraft.

Today, I will be meeting with two girls who are incarcerated. One of them is merely a child. I honestly don’t know what she’s incarcerated for, but she is being held in the mental health unit. As I speak with her, between her random rants, I wonder if she even has the ability to comprehend the truth and revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The majority of the women I meet with are starving for truth and someone brave and bold enough to not only tell them, but explain why it’s truth. They’ve been to psychologists who prescribe medications for anxiety or read self-help books that promise that losing weight, exercise, healthy diet, meditation and mindfulness are the keys to happiness, but never point them to the true source of help and hope.

When I lament on this page about the brokenness of this world it is because I have a front row seat to it. It used to weigh me down, but now it invigorates me that God is using me – inadequate, incompetent, insignificant me – to be bold and brave enough to show them that Jesus loves them so much that he was willing to die for them.

If you’re struggling in a mess of your own (and who isn’t?) I urge you to pick up your Bible and read it today. I always start in the book of John for people who don’t know where to start. Jesus talks the most in the book of John so you get his teaching spoken word for word. It also tells you how to get to heaven, gives incredible examples that models how Jesus lived and you’ll find the life giving truth found in John 3. Everyone should memorize John 3:16.

Thanks for reading this long post. My heart is for all of us navigating the messy stuff of this life to be bold and brave enough to put our trust in Christ and Christ alone.

The Goodness of God’s Testing

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We can find God. He’s everywhere!

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Yet, Job wonders where he is. I love Job and his “humanness”. Who hasn’t wanted to find God to sit down and have a talk with him. We would ask questions like, “Why God…?”

Job also gives us the answer, “When he tests me, I will come out as pure gold.”

Hang in there. Keep the faith. Trust God even when you cannot understand what he is doing or why he is doing it. You will come through it as pure gold… refined, magnificent, invaluable, and shining brighter.

Be Careful What You Pray For!

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.“
Psalm 121:1-2

You may need to read my last blog post to get the whole story, but even if you don’t, I have a true life lesson that proves that the sky is the limit when you take your wants, needs, and desires to God in prayer.

I have been working a part-time job for over 18 months. I started this gig in December of 2020 with the expectation that I would only need to do it for 6 months. My goals, at that time, were (1) to get out of the house and around people during the worst of the COVID pandemic, (2) do something physical and get out of the house, and (3) survive our dark, cold, long, Wisconsin winter.
As news to me, God had a better idea. His goals were (1) I would actually enjoy working a second job (2) this would be an active mission field to reach unchurched people in my community, and (3) to address my (almost) $24,000 in credit card debt.

A few months ago I routinely sat down with my prayer journal and I expressed to God that I was tired. With both jobs combined, I was working up to 60 hours a week and I told him that I really needed a break. My current balance on my credit card (at that time) was just under $4,000. I had come so far that I could see that being credit card debt-free was within reach. But, I also asked God to expedite my debt pay off because I didn’t want to do this anymore. As I recorded these requests, I consciously remember thinking, “How are you going to do this God? I’m asking to work less or not at all, but at the same time get paid more? These prayers contradict!”

I proceeded to close my journal and I just left it right there as I do everyday and with every prayer. Part of me couldn’t help but wonder if I expected God to actually answer my prayers that day, or was it just me whining? After all, it is such a fleshly human characteristic to “want our cake and eat it too”, right?
Several weeks passed and I forgot that prayer or whining session; whichever you want to call it. Despite being tired, sheer determination and an unwavering commitment to achieve my $0 balance credit card goal kept me going. I endured more long work days, making sacrifices to my social calendar and family time, missing out on community events and completely neglecting housework. Dust bunnies can wait until my debt is paid off, I thought to myself.
But then one day God answered my prayer and not how I would have ever imagined.

I got hurt – really hurt!

I was at work and it seemed as if it were just another night, but on this particular night, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was squished by an almost 4,000 pound box. I’ll spare you the details, but after a 5 hour wait in the Emergency Room, I was treated for a sprained wrist, elbow, ankle and a large laceration on the back of my right heel. Oh-it-could-have-been-so-much-worse!
Following the accident, I was unable to work for 2 complete weeks (because I was physically unable to stand or walk for any length of time, prohibiting me from being able to perform the light duty work that they tried to give me). Two weeks to rest, ice and elevate. Did you catch that? (2 weeks!)

The other miracle was, when I did return to work, the partial disability checks paid from workman’s comp more than doubled my normal take home pay. (Doubled!)
It was about 3 weeks after the accident that it all hit me. Not only did God gave me my much needed break BUT He expedited my debt pay off – Simultaneously! Exactly as I had prayed for it.

As of today, I my balance is $227 and I am days away from being credit card debt free and close friend asked me what I plan to do to celebrate this monumental accomplishment? After giving it some thought I decided I am going to commemorate God’s goodness in not just this, but in every aspect of my life, by getting a tattoo on my ankle (after it is healed) that reads, “My debt is paid.”

Our God loves us so much. He cares deeply for us. He is able to do so much more than we can ask or imagine. Be careful what you pray for, it might hurt.

Look What God Can Do

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It was November 2020. Each day the hours of darkness grow while the hours of daylight recede. The house was dark when I sat down in my home office and again when I would shut my computer down for the day. I would make my way to the kitchen around the 5:00 hour to grab an unhealthy, processed, instant food to heat up in the microwave or pizza oven and I would finish the day on my recliner where I would polish off a bottle of wine while staring at another [television] screen to occupy my boredom and exhaust the remaining hours until bedtime. Awakening to a pot of bold caffeinated coffee to do it all over again. Day after day I kept thinking, “This isn’t living”.

The pandemic was doing what any extrovert dreads – isolation, lack of social connectedness, limited variety in activity and repetition. Feeling depression growing ever deeper within me, all I wanted to do was sleep. Sure, I could exercise, but only to, yet, another screen. I could bundle up and get some crisp, fresh, cold November air, but why would I do that? It’s cold, it’s dark.
So what do you do when you feel life draining from you? Out of desire to reverse the dark hole I was finding myself digging day after day, I took a personal assessment and questioned myself, “What do I need right now and where can I find it?”
I need people!
I need physical activity!
I need to stop trying to satisfy the void in my life with wine, unhealthy foods, watching depressing news and binge shopping on Amazon.

My conclusion? Get a second job! So I did. A part-time job in the evenings at Fedex Express!
My husband doubted I could do it because the criteria was having the ability to work in extreme temperatures and lift up to 50 pounds. His doubt was enough for this old farm girl to give it a try and here I am, a little over one year later, in cold, frigid Wisconsin February, with $15,000 less debt, an entirely new circle of friends. Conversely, I feel GREAT, blessed, motivated and proud. I even took off a few pounds. #WINNING!

God is so amazing. He used my discomfort, debt, depression and discouragement and gave me a whole new perspective on life. I can’t tell you how much I now see the world in a whole new way through this experience. First and foremost, I will no longer underestimate how God can use our grim circumstances to plant us right in the middle of somewhere that gives you so much more than you could ever ask or imagine. Secondly, how much we need to appreciate people who do what they do so we can get our products conveniently delivered to our door. Be sure to thank a delivery person!

Another way God amazed me is that He gave me a mission field. I don’t have anything to lose by talking about Jesus at Fedex so as we’re stacking boxes, unloading trucks, loading the big plane or tackling a project together, we get to know one another. I get to hear about their love for video games, pets, kids, cars and music. I learn about some of their dating, family and health challenges and a subject near and dear to my heart, their hurts, habits and hang ups; otherwise known as addictions. I get to pray for them, and I do, daily. My Fedex team has become a very important part of my life and I am seriously dreading the day when God redirects me to somewhere new. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about leaving, but we’re still waiting for Covid to be declared an endemic so I’m actually very happy to spend my evenings with my new found friends.
The moral to my story is this: I know people are out there whose mental health has taken it’s toll be it from isolation, stress, fear, darkness, boredom, debt. I know that what you are dealing with is very serious and it is real and it is hard. Do a self assessment like I did. What do you need right now and where can you find it? Then pray and ask God to guide you into something, some place, some where, that will lift you up, transform your life and bring fresh perspective to how He can use you, grow you and above all restore you. Maybe it is a second job, maybe it’s a new hobby, activity or volunteer opportunity, but a ministry. Our God works in mysterious ways and there is no question that He knows what we need more than we do.

So let me end with this…

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:6-8