Fighting back against harmful thoughts

December 29, 2025

Maria Philippians 4, Proverbs 18, Proverbs 23, Proverbs 4, Spiritual Warfare, Truth , , , , , Leave a comment

For as he thinks within himself, so he is. Proverbs 23:7 NASB
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true… Philippians 4:8 NLT

As I reflect back over the year 2025, I give thanks for the defensive spiritual weapons the Lord has given me to fight back against the foul spirits directed by Satan. The essence of these biblical truths and commands above, together with some cultural adages, have served me well.

You do know we are engaged in a cosmic war, right? As those who have been transferred out of Satan’s kingdom of darkness and into God’s bright kingdom of light and righteousness, we are constantly under attack.

Last week, on Christmas Eve day, I battled jealousy on and off until mid-afternoon. Current photos our daughter-in-law posted of her four children delighting in some curated fun with “the other grandparents” triggered me to conclude that they are “the better grandparents.” It also didn’t help that we were not around family, although we had recently spent most of Thanksgiving week with all six of our grandkids.

So, how did I fight back?

All I can say is that I kept at it. I didn’t stop battling. I alternated between confessing my sinful thoughts and thanking God for these other loving grandparents who live closer and can lavish attention and gifts on them more frequently than we can.

What helped most was uttering out loud to Maria, “The story I’m telling myself is…,” as well as reminding myself of the many times we, too, have planned fun experiences, building strong bonds and creating. Finally, Satan let up, and my heart (thoughts) returned to a state of peace.

In 2025, “the story I’m telling myself” has served as my go-to shield. I wield this defensive weapon whenever I find myself succumbing to harmful thinking. At times when Mike articulates a negative script about his circumstances, I will remind him to choose a different possible story. Yes, we are able, through God’s Spirit, to select what we know to be true and not draw damaging conclusions from our imaginations.

On Thursday, I was just feeling sorry for myself, and Satan toyed with me.

Scripture teaches us that God has endowed ALL believers with the gift of sound, or logical, thinking (2 Timothy 1:7), and He expects us to use this gift—to practice it.

As the verses above show, we are commanded to keep guard over our thought lives (our hearts). I’m sure you’ve heard Proverbs 18:21 multiple times, reminding us that life and death are in the power of tongue. What we think and say to ourselves DOES matter.

My only goal for 2026 is to work on my heart. I am praying that daily, with intentionality, I will weed the garden of my heart. I’m counting on God’s Word and some curated self-talk to keep my armor in shape.

By the way, I haven’t forgotten one other self-talk help in my arsenal—the title of the book What If It’s Wonderful? by Nicole Zasowski. I use these four words whenever I catch myself, out of fear, futurizing “the worst possible scenario.”

How do you fight back with God’s help?

Can you be in the will of God and still suffer?

December 20, 2025

Maria 1 Corinthians 4, Answers to Prayer, Decision-making, God's will, Prayer, Psalm 23, suffering , , , , , Leave a comment

Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home.
1 Corinthians 4:11 (NLT)

When we decided to move from southeastern Virginia to the mountains of western North Carolina, we prayed all year long. I had read a book by Kevin DeYoung entitled Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will. His approach helped shape our prayers.

We would speak each night out loud to our Shepherd in prayer, sometimes even physically raising up open hands to symbolize that we trusted Him to open or shut doors. For us, that posture meant that we were willing for Him to redirect us. 

God responded by selling our house in Virginia, locating a mountain cabin on ten acres, and providing me with a French teaching job in Asheville. All in five months and coinciding with Mike’s retirement from federal service. 

With such a green light, we packed up in June 2013, loaded our two cats, and convoyed down to our new life in the mountains. Our plan – Mike would work from home as a subcontractor while I commuted to my school to teach French. 

Naively, we assumed that being in God’s will would preclude major hardships.

Recently I was reminded of that “adventure” and our assumptions while reading the novel Return to Me by Lynn Austin.

Austin takes biblical facts from the first six chapters of Ezra and provides backstory, bringing to life the struggle of the first group of returnees from Babylon. They journey back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. I’ve almost finished the book, which spans almost 23 years. I’m seeing how our God takes the long view. He is in no hurry to have His good plans and purposes accomplished.

Clearly, these families journeyed under the will of God, since Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a proclamation fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah. The Persian ruler even goes so far as to supply the returnees with the gold and silver utensils and cups stolen from the Jewish temple.

But almost as soon as the returnees begin their work, they meet with resistance and violence. Life becomes stressful and terribly hard. Eventually, they are forced to stop their labor.

The reality is that, just like Paul and the early Christians, living according to His plans does not preclude suffering.

Our own personal ordeals since then have changed my perspective. Life is challenging in a world broken by sin and influenced by Satan. But God’s response is His promised presence:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4 (ESV)

So, what happened to us in North Carolina? We left after almost six years to move to Huntsville, Alabama. The different adversities and hardships were worth it, though. I came to know Jesus at a deeper level. Our trust in Him grew. And we are both very content living here.

I pray each day that I trust my Savior, who daily leads me in paths of ease?
No—in paths of righteousness for His purposes.

Our bodies hear our words

December 10, 2025

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Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”
—Mark 11:22–23 NLT

After watching an episode in one of my YouTube video subscriptions, the top sidebar video that appeared next seemed random and not at all connected with the content I had just finished. Out of curiosity, I allowed this ‘random’ content to follow.  A pastor whom I had never listened to before was making the case for announcing God’s Word out loud. His point was that our body hears what we say, impacting not only our physical body but also our emotions—for good or for ill.

Citing Jesus’ teaching to SPEAK to the mountains in faith, the pastor counseled against talking ABOUT them. That’s when his message hit home.

I’ve described my issues, worries, and obstacles to others (and to myself) for years! Why? Probably out of a desire for some pity or empathy. At this point you should respond, “Maria, so, how has THAT worked for you?”

Rarely has bemoaning circumstances solved anything. Talking about issues often serves to keep us focused on them.

Thanks be to God, I recently put in place a way to change my meditating (or muttering as the Hebrews calls it). These days my daily verse to recite and ponder comes from 2 Timothy 1:7: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. NKJV

I’ve reworded and personalized this declaration this way: Maria, God has not given you a spirit of fear and anxiety, but HIS Spirit of strength and energy, of love and assurance, and of clear, Bible-based thinking.

This verse supports Jesus’ exhortation in Mark to TALK to mountains—those we ourselves face and those in the lives of others.

So, today, instead of lamenting my mountains, I’m choosing to address them directly. I’m declaring out loud: “Be gone, mountain of sleeplessness. Be gone, stress and anxiety. You can count on God.”

I’m applying this principle to friends, family, and the world as well. “Be gone, cancer! Be gone, fear of children going off the rails! Be gone, evil traffickers of women and children! Be gone, corrupt and destructive leadership that holds their people captive! Be gone, Satan, and you foul fellow spirits!”

When my words emerge from Bible-based sound thinking, they hold power. After all, God SPOKE the world into creation, and we have been made in His image. Our words matter. And our bodies are listening.

God did infinitely more than I imagined.

November 30, 2025

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What if It’s Wonderful? — title of a book by Nicole Zasowski

I read Nicole’s account of listening to God rather than her fears probably four years ago. Her title has become one of my “tools” for battling the temptation to picture negative outcomes. Nicole, a believer in Christ, suffered multiple miscarriages before delivering a healthy baby. She learned to keep trusting the goodness of God despite her past.

“What if it’s wonderful?” turned out to be key this Thanksgiving week. Our family of 12 gathered at our oldest son’s house in Tampa. Mike and I drove down to join our six grandchildren, our two sons, and their wives.

Prior to this journey south, I had indulged in some fearful imagining based on previous experiences with family. On several occasions as grandparents, we had not met the expectations of our sons and their wives in our interactions with the kids.

To top it off, Mike and I had been home not even two weeks from our last trip, and Mike was slowly recovering from a cold. He was feeling the pressure to complete audio work and assist the choir with a strong voice before we departed. We were both stressing.

That is when God started to work His wonders.

By Sunday morning, He had restored Mike’s voice. The choir at Westminster Pres assisted all of us in praising God with song. Later that afternoon, Mike completed some audio work, and we departed with a thankful heart the next morning.

Starting on day one, I made two constant requests of the Lord: one, that our four grandchildren driving down from Virginia would remain healthy so they could enjoy being with their Florida cousins; and number two, that Mike and I would simply enter into all the activities, relax, and enjoy each moment.

I kept hoping and praying, “What if it’s wonderful?” I also asked two friends to lift us up to the Lord each day.

Family holidays are prime time for spiritual attack and for sin to separate us. During our four days with everyone, I sometimes interpreted facial expressions, imagining that someone was not pleased with me. I know—I can be an insecure mother-in-law! As an only child of older parents, I did not grow up with extended family. I never enjoyed the delight of hanging out, basking in the love of grandparents, cousins, uncles, and aunts.

Guess what? The Lord did provide for a marvelous visit. I bet you’re not surprised. After all, this is God who sets us in families and gives us friends. Why wouldn’t He do something more than we could ask or imagine?

All 12 of us remained healthy.

The sun shone, and we spent a lot of time outside. All six kids benefited from fresh air and playful exertion.

Graham and Shay offered their Airbnb to us and our other son and his family. We all had plenty of space.

Laughter reigned as all 12 of us played multiple group games each day.

A sourdough disaster turned into a learning experience for me, thanks to my daughter-in-law Anne. I had brought some sourdough starter and my Dutch oven to make bread with Vera.

We all connected in one-on-one conversations and gained fresh insights about how others think and what energizes them.

Finally, as a small “kiss” from the Father to Mike, my husband shared cigars and conversation last night out by the Hampton Inn firepit with another guest. This was a first.

Our takeaway? Our minds, when predicting the future, can only draw on past experiences. But God is infinite. My motto remains: What if today is wonderful!

You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.
 Psalm 40:5 ESV

What DOES last forever? What can I let go of?

November 24, 2025

Maria Daniel 10, Eternity, God's Peace, God's Word, Isaiah 40 , , , Leave a comment

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” — Isaiah 40:8 NIV

My book had been out for ten days when I discovered a terrible blunder. Wanting to clean up the mess of files I had on my Mac, I deleted—and then “emptied trash” of—what I had painstakingly uploaded, edited, and laid out in a software program called Vellum. As they say—and as I keep learning painfully—you don’t know what you don’t know.

I now readily acknowledge my lack of basic understanding in operating a computer. I assumed that the Vellum software would “save” these files, but they don’t provide a server to back up one’s work.

Why would I want these files since the book is already out? Simply to correct typos I’m finding as I read through the devotions myself.

After about 36 hours of pit-dwelling and trying everything I could to recreate the files from old documents, I gave up. What helped me climb up and out and into the light of eternal reality was when Mike uttered, “The juice is not worth the squeeze!” If I wanted to format and edit 448 pages all over again, it would take time I could be using to write the next book!

All mistakes and failures provide rich lessons if one is willing to accept and apply them. Mike has given me a tutorial in best computing practices, and I now know I won’t make some of the same mistakes again.

But most importantly, the Lord has shifted my eyes up and onto Him. My writing—this book about God—will not last forever, but HE will. And so will His Word. Every human being will also endure through time, either with God or away from Him.

Acknowledging the Eternal centers me. So, what I have been doing this last week is soaking myself in the Father’s lasting love for me.  One of the verses I’ve been basking in comes from Daniel 10:19. My rewrite goes like this: O woman, greatly loved, fear not. Peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.

God’s love and His Word never end. Focusing on them gives life. Tech problems drain us!

How we talk to ourselves matters

November 15, 2025

Maria Belief, Fear, God's faithfulness, Prayer, Psalm 107, Psalm 126, Unbelief , , , , , Leave a comment

“The Lord has done great things for me, and I am glad.”
 Ps. 126:3 — my paraphrase

So many of my friends are journeying through difficult times. Some face cancer scares, others lament and then pray with hope for prodigals, and a few have lost jobs.

Last week, I celebrated the Lord’s goodness to me as He led me into the light, having birthed a book, Feed on Him: 365 Daily Devotions to Make God’s Word Yours with His help. One practical anchor that kept me from allowing myself to be overcome by difficulties was the phrase, “The story I’m telling myself is . . . .”

We all move through our days with an invisible but steady inner monologue. For far too long, mine has been more negative than positive—even as a follower of Jesus. Though, you wouldn’t notice that about me, for I project “cheery and animated” when I interact with others.

But I have decided to try to change my thought patterns. Since the beginning of November—two weeks now—I have invested time most mornings in writing down personalized versions of Scripture to remind me just how much God loves me. The idea is that if I “marinate”—as Scotty Smith writes—in His eternal agape love for me, that can rewire my heart and my body. Yes, I’m brainwashing myself with God’s truth.

Anyone can turn Scripture into a personal confession, praying it back to the Lord. Today I have in mind the grown daughter of a sweet friend of mine. This young mom and other family members are waiting for the results of a biopsy, knowing that a positive result would be serious.

Using Psalm 126:3 as a prompt to announce God’s goodness, I’ve customized some of Psalm 107, announcing God’s Word as having already happened. I had written it for myself after the book project. Stressing over it had caused my body to exhibit some very distracting physical side effects.

Vs. 1 I give thanks to You, O Lord, for You are good; Your steadfast love for me lasts forever.
Vs. 2 I, redeemed by Your love, do say so, for You have redeemed me from many past troubles.
Vs. 5–6 When my soul was fainting from fear within me and I cried out to You, Lord, You delivered me from my distress.
Vs. 7 And You led me by a straight way.
Vs. 8 I thank You for Your unfailing love for me.
Vs. 14 You brought me out of the darkness of my own despair. You burst my bonds.
Vs. 15 I do thank You for Your steadfast love that never changes.
Vs. 19 When I cried to You in my trouble, You delivered me from my distress.
Vs. 20 You sent out Your Word and healed me.

We’re not blind to circumstances, but our God is more powerful than any created detail. As the prophet proclaimed:

“Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed.”
 Jeremiah 17:14 NIV

Mountain be gone!

November 7, 2025

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“The book” is finally ready to be released on November, 17, 2025.

. . . By my God I can leap over a wall. Psalm 18:29 ESV

Throughout this process, God has pulled me out of a singular deep pit of despair and strengthened me to leap over walls. One obstacle after another kept me coming back to God for His help. True to His character, He kept me going all the way until the finish line.

I didn’t start out writing a book of devotions. That desire came later. From 2021 to 2024 I wrote short-form reflections of what God was showing me.  Some I posted here on this blog.  When I completed number 365, the Lord gave me the desire to pull them together into a publishable book — a new adventure with the Lord.

Unlike our son Graham, who signed contracts with a publishing company for his first two books, I chose the self-publishing route. Two friends had done exactly this. From them I learned businesses exist which will handle everything, from the editing process, layout, cover creation, uploading on Amazon’s publishing platform to then marketing your book.  As appealing as that was, Mike and I did not want to invest that amount of money if one could do it oneself.

I started researching how to do this and the Lord sent me advice and resources.  I found plenty of YouTube videos to dive into. Graham had learned from one of his clients of a popular software program for laying out a book.  I explored editorial help as well.

First, I revised each of these short daily devotional bites as I had named them.  I expanded them from an initial 175-word framework to bring clarity to my message.  Then my dear husband read each one, pointing out discrepancies and confusing passages. I revised those.

Next, I contacted Karen, a close friend, to see if she would consider editing them professionally.  Not only does she know my writing, she is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ who works as a freelance editor.  Graciously she agreed and set to work aligning each meditation with the Chicago Manual of Style.

Unknowingly, I had enrolled in a writing seminar taught by Professor Karen! I took notes, and gradually internalized punctuation and challenged myself to think carefully about word choice.  Her thought-provoking questions challenged me to more tightly connect the day’s verse with the biblical message. She encouraged me as well to provide better context to the reader.

Working with the Vellum software took me a while to understand. But with the company’s customer service and ChatGPT’s help, I succeeded in uploading and styling the book.

The final and what turned out to be the most despair-producing step was to select a cover designer.  As they say, “You don’t know what you don’t know.”  The gal I chose did not provide the correctly formatted images and tried to scam me as well, sending me into a pit of irrational fears and darkness.

But God pulled me out, provided a competent cover artist and under a week, the print and eBook versions have now been uploaded and are ready for pre-orders with a release date of 17 November 2025.

My takeaway? Those times I put needless pressure on myself instead of handing over the challenge du jour to God were what made it easy for me at the end to despair for about a week.  Maybe I had to go through all this to learn once again, that by my God, I CAN pass through, climb over or skirt around mountains.

The peril of an empty mind

October 24, 2025

Maria demons, Ecclesiastes 6, Fear, Forgiveness, Glorifying God, God's Attributes, God's creation, Matthew 12, Praise, Prayer, Worries , , , , , , Leave a comment

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person it . . . says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there . . .” Matthew 12: 43—45 NIV

Some friends have graciously lent us their beach condo for a few days. The vast unobstructed view of the gulf waters right off the balcony should bring me peace.  But I have not let God’s beauty quiet my soul.  

My anxious thoughts and fears about “the book”, this first venture into writing and self-publishing, have plagued me. I have not been able to shutter my mind at night.  

Yes, I practice “giving everyone and everything” to Jesus as I settle into a relaxed position in bed. I breathe in deeply through my nose and release ever so slowly through my mouth, hoping that my body will relax and cause my mental state to match the slow breathing. 

But none of that worked.  For two nights during the early hours of the morning I conjured up possible issues with the cover design and uploading procedures, keeping myself both afraid and awake!

Yesterday morning, the Holy Spirit brought Jesus’ caution to mind. Simply clearing my mind and handing over issues to God is not enough.  When I mentioned to Mike the Lord’s example of the temporarily demon-free house, he reminded me of Paul’s suggestion of what to meditate on once you hand over your anxious thoughts.  It is not safe to maintain an empty mind.  

Whether it was Aristotle or the French philosophe Rabelais who originated the adage, “Nature abhors a vacuum,” it still holds true.

So, yesterday after lunch, as we walked around Fort Morgan and on the beach, I revived my “alphabet” practice of filling my mind with whatever is true, excellent and praiseworthy about God. 

I began with the letter A. Using English and several other languages, I prayed and praised the Lord for anything that began with A. For example:  “You are ALMIGHTY, ACCESSIBLE, ABLE, and ALWAYS faithful. Consistently You are A mi lado, ALREDADOR de mi, AVANT tout temps.” 

Then I moved onto B. “You are the BREAD of Life, das BROT des Lebens, BESIDE me.  You predestined me BEFORE time.

You get the idea.  If I thought of an attribute or event whose first letter I had already taken up, I simply slipped it into my praises.  During our two-hour walk, I think I got up to the Gs.  What mattered is that I did not allow my worry-free mind, the “house” in Jesus’ teaching, to stay vacant. 

Reviving that protocol definitely kept my anxious thoughts at bay. And I slept well last night. Thank you, Jesus!

This morning, I arose early to spend some time in prayer before we packed up to drive home. I’m reading through Ecclesiastes at the moment. Using the chapters assigned for the day, the Spirit nudged with a picture of how I had acted the previous two days. I am one to whom the Lord has given riches, such as these days on the Gulf, where sky and water kiss and the sun spectacularly splashes the horizon with heavenly hues. 

. . . his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things. . . Ecclesiastes 6:3 ESV

I confessed my sin, received God’s forgiveness and prayed to remember to enjoy each moment.

What’s your pet idol and how do you fight it?

October 10, 2025

Maria Anxiety, Idols, Isaiah 55, Joy, Kingdom of Righteousness, Peace, Romans 14, the Heart , , , , , , , 4 Comments

God’s kingdom isn’t about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 Contemporary English Version

Yesterday morning, the BSF teaching lecture that goes with this week’s lesson in Daniel began with the presenter sharing how the Spirit had used her pastor’s sermon to convict her. “Our anxieties and our thoughts reveal our idols.” I immediately felt God’s holy spotlight pinpointing a major idol in my heart. 

As if to make sure I had indeed received God’s gentle but direct course correction, Romans 14 and 15 were the day’s scheduled readings.  In between preparing for Bible Study Fellowship’s weekly meeting, I continue reading through the Bible. I know there are no coincidences in God’s Kingdom. Romans 14:17 was indeed appointed for me.

It is true, I confess it!  I spend an inordinate amount of time each week thinking about, planning, shopping and preparing food.  I also invest energy learning about supplements and new advances in promoting healthspan (as opposed to lifespan).

But it’s not the first time God has pointed me to His Kingdom’s emphasis on righteousness, or pleasing Him as this translation renders it. What WAS new had to do with peace and joy.  

Am I missing out on a restful, more tranquil life by my mega focus on what goes into my body? I’m reminded of God’s invitation in Isaiah 55:1 (NIV)

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Now that is food for the heart that takes no time to prepare. But the question I ask myself is this: Will I heed the Spirit’s correction and ask for His help to find a God-honoring view of food and food prep? The ‘carrot’ the Lord holds out is His promise of joy and peace. Remembering God’s blessing He offers in exchange will help!

God’s pleasure in me and my satisfaction in Him

October 4, 2025

Maria God's Attributes, God's goodness, God's pleasure, God's protection, God's Provision, Psalm 37 , , , , , Leave a comment

Delight yourself in the Lord . . . and he will direct your steps, delighting in the details of your life. 

Psalm 37:4 ESV and 5 (My rewording)

These two verses from the same psalm are like a double blessing. I can hardly believe that Scripture declares that God follows, enjoys, and finds pleasure in me as I heed His directing. I can almost picture the Father chortling as He watches my every move, maybe pointing me out to some angels. 

“Just look at my daughter! She’s following my clear guidance. She’s trusting me. She’s doing what we designed her to do and be. How much joy that gives me!”

And what does this psalm promise that I will receive? When I set my heart on enjoying my relationship with God, I am guaranteed satisfaction and protective guidance from the Father. Money can’t buy that! 

The question is HOW to be glad in Him, to find Him satisfying? What comes to mind is to hold God first in my thoughts and first in my daily priorities. Truth is, I set out doing just that early in the morning. But then I get distracted.

Last night I was reading about the 20-20-20 ‘rule’ as some call it. It’s meant to help your body and your vision. Every 20 minutes, rise from your desk or work space and focus your eyes on something outside a window that is about 20 feet away. Hold your gaze for 20 seconds. 

Perhaps I can couple that practice with bringing my thoughts back to the One who is most important in the universe and the source of all goodness.

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