Prepare to be Spontaneous

May 16, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

It doesn’t matter who you meet; there always seems to be tension between those who plan and those who are spontaneous. Whether it is in church or work or the neighborhood, there are those who think ahead and succeed because of that, and there are those who don’t think ahead and always seem to hit the mark. Which are you?

I am a planner, yet I see the value of spontaneity. You can’t plan for everything. Life is full of those unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes, planning is what makes a moment fully enjoyable and sometimes it is the spark of spontaneity that adds the joy. So, how does one prepare and plan without losing the flexibility to be spontaneous?

Prepare for Change

May 9, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 NLT

Do you ever feel like you are on the verge of a major change, even though you can’t explain what that change will be? Right now, Tom and I are preparing for a bucket-list trip to Alaska. But I know that this trip is more than just a bucket-list experience. For us, it is a buffer between what has been and what will be. In some ways, the time away will be preparation for the changes ahead. The future is unclear, but I believe God is going to do something in us as we experience the beauty of His creation and step away from our daily life so we will be ready for it.

Part of the preparation has been research and pre-trip purchases so that we can be ready for what we will experience there. Like waterproof shoes! Evidently, it rains a lot. But as I have been getting ready for this long-held desire, I found myself feeling anxious. That’s not what I want.

As I asked myself and God what the source of that anxiety was, I realized the anxiety stemmed from a fear of not being ready for something I didn’t anticipate. How can you be ready for what you don’t know?

Change With Intention

May 2, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 NLT

When you look back at the early part of this year, are you content with the progress you’ve made? If so, it is time to celebrate. Don’t forget to do that! Celebration is an important part of reaching your goals and motivates you to keep moving forward.

But if you are not pleased with your progress, it is not too late. You can take stock of where you are and start now to change your outcomes. You can make a fresh start right now.

So, what elements are part of making a fresh start now? How do you know you are on the right track?

A fresh start must happen intentionally. Change is always happening. It’s true that you can’t get away from change. Your cells are replenishing without your awareness. Your body is processing energy from your food without your awareness. Your car is deteriorating daily. Suddenly, the child in your life is taller than you. In the spring, all that snow finally melts, and the trees start to leaf out. If you don’t pay attention to the trees, all of a sudden, you see the leaves have returned! You get the picture. Change will happen with or without your intention. However, a fresh start requires intention. Purposeful change only happens when you decide to change.

You can intentionally change much about yourself. You can change your attitudes and behaviors. You can change on the outside. That kind of change is easier than the change you want on the inside. Internal change starts with introspection and decision.

New behavior begins with new thinking. You can’t develop new behaviors without recognizing your current behavior. And you can’t change the way you act without recognizing how you think. You live according to patterns, whether you acknowledge them or not. To develop new patterns, you must identify the old ones. The old ones are rooted in patterns of thought that become patterns of behavior. That kind of change is only possible as you slow down and consider. Take a hard look at yourself now, so you can become the person you desire to become in the future.

I have been wrestling with some thinking patterns recently. I haven’t gotten to the root yet, but I am wrestling through it with Jesus. He knows me inside and out. He understands what motivates the thinking that leads to anxiety and fear-based behaviors. I am not out of the woods on this yet. One thing I am doing to combat these thinking patterns is to counter them with scriptural truth. Even though I may not fully understand why I respond the way I do, I recognize that it’s not God’s best for me. I may fear failure, but the truth is God is with me to strengthen me and help me in difficult situations. (Isaiah 41:10) Things may not turn out as planned, but God works all things together for good because I love Him and am called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Over time, my thinking pattern will change, leading to a better behavior pattern.

Here are some things to consider as you evaluate how you want to change.

What to examine when you want a fresh start:

Attitudes – How are you thinking about your daily life? What is your self-talk?
Habits – What are you doing regularly? Are those habits serving you well? What do you need to adjust?
Relationships – How do you approach your closest relationships? Do you give them proper attention? Do you have healthy boundaries? Are there any relationships that draw you away from God and His purposes for you?
Commitments – What are you committed to outside your home? Are those commitments leading you closer to God and deeper relationships with others?

Dear friend, you can’t change what you do not recognize. You must know where you are to change your direction and head where you want to go. As you intentionally stop, evaluate your thinking, and change your behavior, you can begin to progress toward your desired destination. Ultimately, a fresh start is about developing your character. Thoughts lead to actions lead to patterns lead to character. Character is what other people see when they see you. You want to look more like Jesus. You want to become a better representative of His Kingdom. So, take the time to stop, review your thought patterns, and let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.(Romans 12:2) As you do, your behavior will change, and you will become the person you desire.

It takes time, my friend. It doesn’t just happen, but it will happen.

Key Question: How do I make a fresh start?

A Scripture to Consider: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 NLT

A YES Challenge: Open a digital document or a blank page in your journal. List areas you want to examine for current behavior patterns. Sit with each of those areas and prayerfully consider your current patterns. Write down what you want to change and why. Note what new behavior or attitude you want to develop and the actions you will take to change. Give yourself plenty of time for this process. Pray over one area you want God to change and let Him show you where to change your thinking so that you can change your behavior.

Prayer: Father, I see so much in me that needs to change so I can become the person I know You want me to be. At times, I am overwhelmed. I can’t change on my own. I need You. Guide me as I consider my current patterns. Show me what You want to change and lead me into the new behaviors that will better represent You. My life is Yours. Amen.

Check out my book The YES Adventure: Transform Your Life with One Word for encouragement, inspiration, and more about God-centered goal-setting. Please leave a review on Amazon! That will help other people find the book and receive guidance and encouragement in their God-centered goal setting.

If you are stuck and would like a partner to help you process your next step, I’d love to help. Schedule a 30-minute complimentary coaching session here.

My Shepherd, And Yours

April 25, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

Psalm 23

Because the Lord Himself is my Shepherd. I will always have all that is essential for my life.

He brings me to places of abundance and peace. He soothes my inner struggles and renews the hope of my heart.

He leads me to walk in the paths that please Him. He guides me to go in the way that honors Him because He calls me His.

When my path unavoidably passes through the evils of earthly life and the darkness of death dims the way ahead, my heart is at rest because I know You are present in the pain. You comfort me with your correction. You lead me within the loving limits of Your long-proven pathways.

You provide a banquet of blessings that confounds my evil enemy. You call me Your chosen and pour out your empowerment.

Certainly, Your faithful goodness will surround and seek me wherever I go for as long as I live. I will delight in Your dwelling and reside in Your residence for all time.

Originally posted August 14, 2022

Where a Fresh Start Begin

April 18, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 NLT

Spring is a great time for a fresh start, isn’t it? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. The grass is turning green. The flowers are beginning to bloom. The birds are nesting. (We had a brief battle with house finches that wanted to nest right above the door we use most.) I love waking up to the sound of birds and miss them in the winter. All the new life around us is a reminder that it is not too late for a fresh start.

A Fresh Start in the Heart

Where does a fresh start begin? It starts in commitment. Recommit to give yourself completely to God because of all He has done for you. He gave His one and only Son to pay for your sin and purchase your freedom. Is there anything else He needs to do for you to prove His love and commitment to you?

What about your commitment to Him? Have you drifted from making your relationship with God a priority? A fresh start begins by giving yourself to God. That’s a commitment, a decision, anyone can make, but we have to keep making it. It must infiltrate every part of our lives which means we must change the way we think. That is how God transforms us.

Transformation happens bit by bit, thought by thought. Yes by Yes. Every time you say YES to God’s way over your own you are changed. You are transforming. Changed thoughts lead to changed behavior. But the core is saying YES to God.

A Fresh Start in the Body

What about a fresh start in your body? Do you feel as good about yourself as you would like? This is a continual struggle for me. Feeling good about my body and in my body has never been a strong point. To give your body to God is to commit your entire self to God. Your body carries your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Your body transmits your self to God. Your body is where you live out your heart’s commitment. What you do in the body is an indicator of where your heart is. Your YES is expressed through your body.

A Fresh Start Begins Now

April 11, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

It’s been a loooong winter! I’m ready for spring. How about you?

What do we love about spring? Spring is when the living things that seem to be dead show that they are alive. Light begins to overtake darkness as the days lengthen.

Easter and spring go together, don’t they? Easter reminds us that Jesus overcame sin by his crucifixion and defeated death by His resurrection.

Spring is when the world gets a fresh start. Easter reminds us that we can have a fresh start, too.

Where do you need a fresh start? What if this spring can bring new life to you?

When the calendar year turns, many of us are thinking of what we would like to change and how we want this year to be better than last year. We make promises to ourselves or to God about how we will change. Did you do that? Maybe you even made a list.

But as time passes, we often forget those promises, and we drift. Do you feel like you have drifted off-track? Are you where you hoped to be when you started the year? If you are, then kudos to you! How will you keep yourself on track? If not, what can you do now to re-evaluate and shift your attention so that you head where you want to go?

The God-centered goal-setting process I teach is a great tool for this. Ask, Aim, Act, Achieve.

Ask God. Aim toward what He says. Act on those goals. Achieve your goals and start again.

The beauty of a God-centered goal-setting process is that you can apply it at any time. Now is a perfect time to review, reflect, and restart.

Silent Saturday: Counting the Cost

April 4, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

It is Saturday of Holy Week. Good Friday has passed. Easter Sunday is yet to come. We wait in anticipation of that joyous celebration. But what did the disciples do on that Saturday after the crucifixion? They did not know that joy awaited them. They observed the Sabbath in obedience, but that day of rest from work was most likely anything but a day of rest in the mind. How could they do anything but continue to relive Friday’s horror and wonder how they would ever face, not only Sunday, but every day after?

It is in human nature to avoid the painful, but what if you and I took this Saturday to relive some of Good Friday’s pain? Might it increase our joy of the resurrection?

When You Need to Be Restored

March 28, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” Psalm 23: 1-2 ESV

Do you ever feel totally spent? The end of the day feels like the end of a very long year. Your brain is fried. It’s an effort to pick up your feet and shuffle to the refrigerator for something cold to drink. Every move seems to take more effort than it should. You are completely depleted. What do you do to get back your energy and momentum? How do you restore what has been lost?

What does it mean to be restored? “Re-” always has to do with going back to an original state. To be restored is to be brought back to original condition or quality. It is to regain vitality or beauty or usefulness.

Do you need to be restored? What led to that state? It could be a destructive choice by you or someone else. It could be that life is just throwing a lot at you right now and you are expending all your energy to just survive. Perhaps wading through all those challenges has sapped every bit of joy and hope out of you. You may need to be restored if you’ve lost the joy of following Jesus. Or if you have strayed from following Him and allowed other things to become more important. Or maybe you have flat out rejected Him and His Word.

If you have wandered, experienced, pain, lost your joy, or just allowed busyness to crowd out your relationship with God and others, you may be in need of restoration. This is for you, my friend.

Goals, Rest, and Flourishing

March 21, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” Psalms 37:7 NLT

What is it you most want to accomplish in the next month? You may have a bunch of ideas swirling around in your head in answer to that question. It may be to simply survive everything that is on your calendar already. But I want to ask you to focus on the thing that is most important to you. You might call it a hope or desire, but it is a goal all the same. Do you have a plan to accomplish that goal?

If you have made a plan on how to reach that goal, mental or concrete, have you factored rest into your plan?

“Rest?! How does rest figure into reaching a goal? I don’t have time to rest!”

That may be your answer. But consider something. Is God a part of that plan you’ve made? Remember that setting God-centered goals is about living a God-centered life. How does rest figure into that? How does rest lead to flourishing?

When God Guides Your Goals

March 14, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:2-3 ESV

Growing up, my dream was to be a famous performer. That made no sense because I was shy and hated being in front of people. I cried in front of my fourth-grade class because I was so afraid of simply reading something I had written.

As I grew, I began to step out and overcome fear. I became a lead actress in high school and college plays. I lived from one play to the next, striving after that dream. I was good enough to think that maybe I could make it in the theatre world. However, the goal of making a living wasn’t enough. I would watch the Oscars or Tony awards and imagine myself giving a winning acceptance speech. It’s a little embarrassing to admit. But I have a suspicion that I’m not the only one.

It wasn’t until I surrendered my life to Jesus that my dreams and goals began to change. The desire for the acclaim of the entertainment world faded, and my dream, my ultimate goal, transformed. My goal became to do the will of God, to please Him, and bring glory to His name.

That’s when I began to find peace, and the pressure to strive for acclaim started to disappear. I began to seek God to guide my goals. That’s when life truly became exciting and fulfilling.

What about you, my friend? What dreams still pursue you? Does peace elude you? Is your life fulfilling?