The battle is Yours, Lord. It is Your battle. I lean on You. I give You all my weapons, all my skills, and I stand before You, trusting You.” – Chuck Swindoll

One of my anchor prayers used to be: “Lord, give me the right words to say.” Whether I was headed into a meeting at work, navigating a tough conversation with friends or family, or dealing with conflict, that was my go-to. At the time, it felt like a good and godly prayer.

But then God revealed something deeper: I was still relying on me. Communication is one of my strengths, and without realizing it, I was asking God to strengthen me in my way instead of surrendering to His way. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I hadn’t actually laid it down.

Now, my prayer has shifted: Less of me, more of You. Inspired by the gospel song by Earnest Pugh, I Need Your Glory, and rooted in John 3:30 — “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

When I rely on my own strength, I bring all my stuff with me , insecurities, resentment, pride, trauma. But when I give God my strength, He doesn’t just refine it , He replaces it. And in that space, there’s room for His wisdom, His power, His glory.

It’s a subtle shift, but it changes everything.

“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
— 1 Samuel 17:47 NIV

Words are my weapon , my strength and sometimes my crutch. I’ve been known to speak without thinking or to say the right thing with the wrong tone. But God is teaching me that my sword isn’t what brings victory.

“I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.”
— Psalm 44:6–7 NIV

So now, I lay down my bow. I surrender my sword. I choose to fight differently ,not with sharp words, cleverness, or control but, with faith, surrender, and trust in the One who never loses a battle.

Because when the battle is His, the victory is already won.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

At the beginning of 2025, I listened to an 8-part sermon series by Pastor Mike Todd at Transformation Church that completely shifted my mindset. The message was clear: if you let go of distractions and stay focused on God, the things you want in life will start to align. That thought challenged me, inspired me—and honestly, convicted me.

I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish this year. Finishing my book was at the top, but there were other personal goals I had too. I was tired of talking about what I was going to do “one day.” I wanted this to be the year of action. But truthfully, I had things hindering me. I was tangled up—not in scandalous sin—but in what I like to call the almosts and not quites. You know, the moments where you’re close to obedience but not fully surrendered. The kind of sin that looks good on the outside but misses the mark on the inside.

So I made a choice.

I decided to truly fix my eyes on Jesus. That meant cutting out secular music, putting down the fiction books I love to read, and stepping away from social media. I didn’t make these changes to be religious or prove a point—I did it because I needed clarity. I needed to hear from God.

And I did. Loudly. Clearly. Consistently.

It felt like being hit with a firehose of revelation. I couldn’t keep up with what God was pouring in. And then… the attacks came. Spiritual warfare hit hard and heavy. It didn’t make sense at first. But then I realized: you don’t get attacked like that unless you’re close to something.

That’s when I knew. I was on the edge of breakthrough.

But I didn’t run back to comfort, like I normally would. I pressed in. I kept running the race, even when it felt lonely, even when I didn’t see the results right away. I started becoming more than just someone with goals, I became someone who was being transformed.

I’m still in that process. I’m still running. But now I understand the power of focus. The strength that comes from letting go of distractions. The joy that’s on the other side of obedience. I know that sounds corny but hear me out. God wants to help make decisions for so that we can be less stressed because we are trying to figure everything out.

So if you’re reading this and you’ve been feeling stuck, off-track, or overwhelmed, maybe it’s time to throw off a few things. Clear out the noise. Get quiet enough to hear from the One who already mapped out your race.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.
That’s where the freedom is.
That’s where the power is.
That’s where your next chapter begins.

Until next time,

Dominique

Do you focus on all the things you have or are you looking at life through the lens of what you don’t have?

I’ve been diving deep into the concept of abundance lately, and it’s truly eye-opening. The word “abundance” is often associated with plenty, an overflowing supply. While that can include material wealth, the biblical perspective of abundance stretches far beyond that—it speaks to both physical and spiritual prosperity.

In the Bible, abundance is not merely about having a lot of things. It represents God’s holistic provision, covering everything from our needs in this life to the gift of eternal life. Abundance emphasizes God’s sufficiency. It calls us to rely on His grace, knowing that He has provided more than enough for us.

The key takeaway here is that God fills in our lack. We don’t have to focus on our shortcomings, our struggles, or what feels impossible. Instead, we can shift our focus to all that God has given us. His grace is sufficient, meaning He has equipped us with everything we need to accomplish His will.

But how do we embrace this abundance in our daily lives? How do we start each day knowing that we’re walking in God’s provision?

Here are four steps to living with a mindset of abundance:

1. Seek God’s Priorities – Start your day by asking, “What matters most to You, God?” Align your heart with His purpose.
2. Stay in God’s Presence – Let prayer, worship, and the Word be a daily rhythm. His presence is where true abundance flows.
3. Stay Proactive – Take the next step with purpose. Even if it’s small, move forward in faith.
4. Patience in the Process – Trust that God’s timing is a key part of His abundance. Be patient with the journey.

Remember, you don’t have to chase abundance. When God is your source, abundance is already yours to live from.

Until next time,

Dominique

We all want to live in abundance…but do we want to do what it takes for that to actually happen?

I love the Message version of the Fruit of the Spirit. While there’s nothing wrong with the version we usually hear: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, it can sometimes feel a bit abstract. The Message version brings it down to earth in a way that feels real and relevant:

“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”
Galatians 5:22–23 (MSG)

That first line is the foundation for the changes I’m trying to make: What happens when you live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, gifts that lead to a full life, true abundance, and peace even in the presence of our enemies. (John 10:10 and Psalm 23.)

You can learn all the things, your identity, your purpose, how to release guilt and shame. You can even go to therapy. But if you’re not walking with God daily and building on what you’ve learned, you’ll still be operating at half your power.

I know this because I’ve been there. I tried to do both, God’s way and my own way. I thought I could straddle the line between the world and God, but I couldn’t. No matter how much Bible reading I did, I was still relying on myself to get things done. I wasn’t producing the fruit I needed. I was doing things my way, then asking God to bless it afterward.

But the closer I get to 40, I’m learning to seek God first, then decide my next steps. I learned to lean on His strength, not my own understanding.

I realized that when I stopped trying to “do me” and instead asked, “What’s God’s best for me?” life got easier. It became less overwhelming. I started asking myself simple but powerful questions:
What fruit will this action produce? Does it align with God’s values?

So now what?

It’s not enough to just know the truth. We have to walk in it. If you’re tired of living at half your power, of doing things your way and hoping God will co-sign it later… it’s time to shift.

Start asking yourself daily:
What kind of fruit am I producing?
Am I building a life God can bless?

You don’t have to figure it out alone. This space is for people who want to grow… spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.
If that’s you, keep showing up. Bring your questions. Be honest with yourself. And let’s walk this thing out together.

Until next time,

Dominique