Ep 19 - Don't Waste the Cloud: Self-Sabotage, Faith, and Meeting God in the Struggle

Ep 19 - Don't Waste the Cloud: Self-Sabotage, Faith, and Meeting God in the Struggle

Welcome to Episode 019 of the Wellness God’s Way Podcast!  In this episode we explore what it means when life feels heavy, confusing, or spiritually “stuck”—what we often describe as a “cloud” over our lives.  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why you keep repeating the same habits, struggling with motivation, or feeling distant from God in your health journey, this episode will help reframe that experience in a powerful way. Instead of seeing the cloud as a sign of failure or absence, we begin to explore the possibility that it may actually be a place of God’s presence—where He is shaping, refining, and deepening our relationship with Him. Through Scripture, reflection, and the story of Jacob wrestling with God, we look at how transformation often happens not in escape, but in staying with God through the struggle. This episode also gently unpacks self-sabotage patterns and how they often point to deeper heart needs that only Jesus can truly meet. 💛 What You'll Learn in this Episode: * Why feeling “stuck” spiritually or in your health journey may not mean something is wrong—but something deeper is happening * How Scripture reveals that God often works in the cloud, not just outside of it * What the story of Jacob wrestling with God teaches us about staying in difficult seasons instead of escaping them * Why self-sabotage is often rooted in unmet emotional or spiritual needs rather than simple lack of discipline * How to recognize when you are trying to escape discomfort instead of inviting God into it * A practical way to reframe discouragement as a space for transformation rather than condemnation * Why the ultimate goal of every struggle is not behavior change—but deeper relationship with Jesus 📖 Scriptures Referenced * Romans 7:15 — “For I do not understand what I do…” * Genesis 32:24–30 — Jacob wrestling with God * Exodus 33:21–23 — Moses hidden in the cleft of the rock * Exodus 13:21–22 — God leading Israel by a pillar of cloud * Exodus 40:34–38 — The cloud covering the tabernacle * Matthew 17:5 — The cloud at the Transfiguration * Acts 1:9 — Jesus ascending in a cloud Keep in touch with Kathy: * Email: Kathy@kathywisniewski.com [Kathy@kathywisniewski.com] * Website: www.trueandlastingwellness.com [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com] * Follow the podcast on Instagram! @wellnessgodswaypodcast  * Sign up for my newsletter! www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw] * Check out my other podcast, Tragically Beautiful [https://open.spotify.com/show/2UaODEhEyMChRFuMUdiftn?si=491a53aabc6f40a5] * Learn more about my new eBook, Reclaim Your Connection: Build Healthy Boundaries and Relationships After Abuse [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/products] * Download the companion resource to today’s episode: https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw-resources [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw-resources] I’d love to keep in touch! Come on over to my online home for the podcast at ⁠https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw ⁠ [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw]where you can sign up for my email list and join the Wellness God's Way family! I'd love to welcome you in! If you want to share what you’re learning through the reflective questions or share a show topic idea, or just say hi, drop me an email at kathy@kathywisniewski.com! Also, check out my second podcast, Tragically Beautiful, to hear stories from abuse survivors and professionals and experts looking to help you find the next right step after an abusive relationship. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ep 18 - Surrendering to the Process of Becoming: Trusting God in the Waiting Season

Welcome to Episode 018 of the Wellness God’s Way Podcast!  Have you ever wondered why God hasn’t opened the door yet, answered the prayer yet, or brought you into the next season you’ve been hoping for? In this episode, Kathy explores the process of becoming and why God often works in us before He works through us. Through the stories of Joseph and Noah, we’ll look at how God uses seasons of waiting, refining, and preparation to develop the discipline, faith, character, and surrender needed for the next level. Because the process isn’t God withholding from us—it’s God preparing us. This episode is an invitation to stop viewing your wilderness as a delay and start embracing your odyssey of becoming. 💛 What You'll Learn in this Episode: * Why God is often more concerned with who we are becoming than where we are going * The difference between simply waiting on God and surrendering to the process He is using to transform us * Why almost everyone in Scripture experienced a season of preparation before stepping into their calling * Why the obstacles we face may actually be the very things God is using to grow us * How discipline, perseverance, and surrender prepare us to steward what God has for us * Why God sometimes needs to “break our understanding” before expanding it * How God can use our growth to transform every area of our lives—not just one specific circumstance * Why boundaries can become part of our becoming as we protect the work God is doing within us * How to embrace your season of growth instead of rushing through it 📖 Scripture Referenced * Ephesians 3:20 — God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think * Jeremiah 18:1-6 — The potter and the clay * Genesis 6-9 — Noah’s obedience and the ark * Genesis 37-50 — Joseph’s journey from the pit to the palace Keep in touch with Kathy: * Email: Kathy@kathywisniewski.com [Kathy@kathywisniewski.com] * Website: www.trueandlastingwellness.com [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com] * Follow the podcast on Instagram! @wellnessgodswaypodcast  * Sign up for my newsletter! www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw] * Check out my other podcast, Tragically Beautiful [https://open.spotify.com/show/2UaODEhEyMChRFuMUdiftn?si=491a53aabc6f40a5] * Learn more about my new eBook, Reclaim Your Connection: Build Healthy Boundaries and Relationships After Abuse [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/products] I’d love to keep in touch! Come on over to my online home for the podcast at ⁠https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw ⁠ [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw]where you can sign up for my email list and join the Wellness God's Way family! I'd love to welcome you in! If you want to share what you’re learning through the reflective questions or share a show topic idea, or just say hi, drop me an email at kathy@kathywisniewski.com! Also, check out my second podcast, Tragically Beautiful, to hear stories from abuse survivors and professionals and experts looking to help you find the next right step after an abusive relationship. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts. 📖 Scriptures Referenced

Ep 17 - Healthy Boundaries God’s Way: Stewardship, Self-Control, and Protecting Your Peace

Welcome to Episode 17 of the Wellness God’s Way podcast. In this episode, we’re reframing boundaries as far more than just rules for difficult relationships. We explore how boundaries are actually a wellness practice rooted in stewardship, self-control, and the way God Himself brings order into creation. From Jesus’ example of rest and withdrawal to the quiet discipline of telling ourselves “no,” we look at how boundaries shape a healthy, sustainable life. Most importantly, we uncover how boundaries don’t limit love—they protect it, preserve it, and make it possible to love God, others, and ourselves well. 💛 What You'll Learn in the Episode * Why boundaries are much more than rules for difficult relationships * How God built boundaries into creation and what that reveals about His design for order and peace * The way Jesus modeled healthy limits through rest, withdrawal, and prioritizing the Father over pressure * How boundaries function as stewardship over your time, energy, mind, body, and spirit * Why the “fine art of telling yourself no” is essential for spiritual and emotional health * How boundaries protect love instead of limiting it, making relationships more sustainable and life-giving * A simple question to help you identify one boundary God may be inviting you to establish this week 📖 Scripture Referenced * Genesis 1: Creation and the ordering of light, darkness, land, and sea * Mark 1:35 (Jesus withdrawing to pray in solitude) * Luke 5:16 (Jesus often withdrawing to desolate places to pray) * Matthew 14:23 (Jesus going up on a mountain alone to pray) * 1 Corinthians 9:27 (discipline and self-control over the body) * Galatians 5:22–23 (fruit of the Spirit: self-control) * Matthew 11:28–30 (rest in Christ and the invitation to rest) Keep in touch with Kathy: * Email: Kathy@kathywisniewski.com [Kathy@kathywisniewski.com] * Website: www.trueandlastingwellness.com [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com] * Follow the podcast on Instagram! @wellnessgodswaypodcast  * Sign up for my newsletter! www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw] * Check out my other podcast, Tragically Beautiful [https://open.spotify.com/show/2UaODEhEyMChRFuMUdiftn?si=491a53aabc6f40a5] I’d love to keep in touch! Come on over to my online home for the podcast at ⁠https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw ⁠ [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw]where you can sign up for my email list and join the Wellness God's Way family! I'd love to welcome you in! If you want to share what you’re learning through the reflective questions or share a show topic idea, or just say hi, drop me an email at kathy@kathywisniewski.com! Also, check out my second podcast, Tragically Beautiful, to hear stories from abuse survivors and professionals and experts looking to help you find the next right step after an abusive relationship. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts. My new eBook, Reclaim Your Connection: Build Healthy Boundaries and Relationships After Abuse [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/products], is now available! Pick up a copy today and start living a healthier, happier, more aligned life!

Ep 16 - The Vine and the Branches: Finding Health and Joy in John 15

Welcome to Episode 16 of the Wellness God’s Way podcast. In this episode, Kathy explores the powerful teachings of John 15 and Jesus' invitation to abide in Him as the true Vine. Together, we'll unpack what it means to "abide," why lasting fruit is the result of connection rather than striving, and how this applies to our health and wellness journeys. We'll also examine Jesus' incredible promise that His joy can be in us and that our joy may be complete. If you've been trying to produce fruit in your own strength, this episode will remind you that true health, lasting transformation, and complete joy are found by remaining connected to the One who makes all growth possible. 💛 What You'll Learn in the Episode * What Jesus meant when He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches" * The biblical definition of "abide" and why it is essential to spiritual growth * Why lasting fruit is the result of connection with Christ rather than striving in our own strength * How abiding in Christ can impact our health, habits, and overall wellness journey * The connection between abiding in Christ and experiencing His complete joy 📖 Scripture Referenced * John 15 * James 1:17 Keep in touch with Kathy: * Email: Kathy@kathywisniewski.com [Kathy@kathywisniewski.com] * Website: www.trueandlastingwellness.com [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com] * Follow the podcast on Instagram! @wellnessgodswaypodcast  * Sign up for my newsletter! www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw] * Check out my other podcast, Tragically Beautiful [https://open.spotify.com/show/2UaODEhEyMChRFuMUdiftn?si=491a53aabc6f40a5] I’d love to keep in touch! Come on over to my online home for the podcast at ⁠https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw ⁠ [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw]where you can sign up for my email list and join the Wellness God's Way family! I'd love to welcome you in! If you want to share what you’re learning through the reflective questions or share a show topic idea, or just say hi, drop me an email at kathy@kathywisniewski.com! Also, check out my second podcast, Tragically Beautiful, to hear stories from abuse survivors and professionals and experts looking to help you find the next right step after an abusive relationship. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ep 15 - From Fruitless Joys to Abundant Life: Trading the Rose for the Garden

Welcome to Episode 14 of the Wellness God’s Way podcast. In this episode, we explore Augustine’s idea of “fruitless joys” and what it looks like to recognize the lesser things we often cling to in place of the fullness God is offering. Through the lens of health, wellness, and spiritual formation, we look at how daily habits reveal what we are truly reaching for when we are stressed, tired, or overwhelmed. This conversation invites a deeper reflection on the difference between temporary comfort and lasting, fruitful joy. As we consider what it means to live an abundant life, we are challenged to release what is small so we can receive what is truly satisfying in God. 💛 What You'll Learn in the Episode * What Augustine meant by “fruitless joys” and how it applies to modern life * How everyday habits can reflect what we turn to for comfort and relief * The connection between spiritual intimacy with God and experiencing lasting joy * How consistency in both physical health and spiritual practices shapes a flourishing life * What it means to trade temporary satisfaction for the abundant life God promises 📖 Scripture Referenced * John 10:10 * Psalm 16:11 * Nehemiah 8:10 * John 1:16 * John 15:11 Keep in touch with Kathy: * Email: Kathy@kathywisniewski.com [Kathy@kathywisniewski.com] * Website: www.trueandlastingwellness.com [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com] * Follow the podcast on Instagram! @wellnessgodswaypodcast  * Sign up for my newsletter! www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw [http://www.trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw] * Check out my other podcast, Tragically Beautiful [https://open.spotify.com/show/2UaODEhEyMChRFuMUdiftn?si=491a53aabc6f40a5] I’d love to keep in touch! Come on over to my online home for the podcast at ⁠https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw ⁠ [https://trueandlastingwellness.com/wgw]where you can sign up for my email list and join the Wellness God's Way family! I'd love to welcome you in! If you want to share what you’re learning through the reflective questions or share a show topic idea, or just say hi, drop me an email at kathy@kathywisniewski.com! Also, check out my second podcast, Tragically Beautiful, to hear stories from abuse survivors and professionals and experts looking to help you find the next right step after an abusive relationship. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.