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Mary Catherine, Saint Petersburg, FL (2026)

08/20/2026

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Sometimes God Has to Open Our Eyes to What Is Already There.

We are on day 4 of my series: 7 Days of Understanding. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 Ephesians 1:18 (KJV)
“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”

Sometimes what we can see with our natural eyes doesn't tell us the whole story.

There's a powerful example of this involving the prophet Elisha and his servant.

They awoke to find themselves surrounded by an enemy army.

The servant saw the soldiers, horses, and danger surrounding them and asked what they were going to do.

But Elisha understood something his servant couldn't yet see.

He knew they weren't alone.

Elisha prayed:

“LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.”

And God did.

The servant suddenly saw something beyond the natural circumstances surrounding him.

📖 2 Kings 6:17 (KJV)
“And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

The protection had already been there.

The servant simply couldn't see it.

That's spiritual understanding.

Sometimes we look at our circumstances and only see the problem.

We see the opposition.

We see what's missing.

We see what appears impossible.

But God may be asking us to look beyond what our natural eyes can see and understand what our faith tells us is possible.

Our inheritance in God isn't simply about material things.

There's a spiritual inheritance.

Faith.

Salvation.

Hope.

Wisdom.

Understanding.

And confidence in knowing that God's ability isn't limited by the circumstances we see in front of us.

👉 What are you looking at today only through your natural eyes?
👉 Could fear be preventing you from seeing something God wants you to understand spiritually?
👉 What would change if you prayed, “Lord, open my eyes so I can see”?

Sometimes God doesn't need to change what's surrounding us first.

Sometimes He needs to change what we're able to see.

Ask Him to open the eyes of your understanding.

There may be more happening around you than you realize.

08/19/2026

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Don't Just Speak With Faith. Understand What You're Saying.

We are on day 3 of my series: 7 Days of Understanding. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 1 Corinthians 14:15 (KJV)
“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”

There's a difference between knowing the words and understanding what those words mean.

Paul teaches us that our spiritual lives shouldn't simply be about going through the motions.

When we pray, we should seek understanding.

When we worship, we should seek understanding.

When we read Scripture, we should seek understanding.

And when we share God's Word with others, understanding becomes even more important.

We see a powerful example in the story of Apollos.

Apollos was passionate. He was eloquent. He knew the Scriptures and boldly taught in the synagogue.

But his understanding wasn't complete.

That's when Priscilla and Aquila heard him and took him aside privately. Scripture tells us they “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.”

Apollos could have allowed pride to get in the way.

Instead, he received greater understanding and went on to become a powerful teacher who helped others through the Scriptures.

There's an important lesson in that.

Passion is powerful.

Confidence is powerful.

But passion and confidence without understanding can lead us in the wrong direction.

The same principle applies to prayer.

Sometimes we become so focused on asking God for something that we haven't stopped to understand exactly what we're asking Him to do in our lives.

When we ask for faith, are we prepared for opportunities that require us to exercise it?

When we ask for patience, are we prepared for circumstances that require us to practice it?

When we ask for wisdom, are we prepared to listen when God gives us an answer?

This scripture reminds us:

• Spiritual passion should be accompanied by understanding.
• Prayer should involve both our spirit and our understanding.
• Being corrected can deepen our knowledge instead of diminishing us.
• God's Word deserves more than repetition. It deserves study and understanding.
• Faith becomes stronger when we understand how to apply it.

👉 Do you understand what you're asking God for when you pray?
👉 Are you willing to receive correction when your understanding is incomplete?
👉 Are you simply reading God's Word, or are you learning how to live it?

Faith isn't simply something we speak about.

It's something we understand, develop, and live.

Pray with the spirit. Pray with understanding. Then live with both.

08/18/2026

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Reading the Word Is Different From Understanding It.

We are on day 2 of my series: 7 Days of Understanding. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 Luke 24:45 (KJV)
“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,”

You can read every word on a page and still miss its meaning.

That's why understanding matters.

The Bible gives us a beautiful example through Philip and the Ethiopian eu**ch.

The Ethiopian was reading from the prophet Isaiah, but there was something missing.

Understanding.

Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading.

The man essentially answered, how can I unless someone guides me?

So Philip joined him and explained the Scripture, helping him understand that the passage pointed to Jesus.

The words had already been in front of him.

Understanding changed what those words meant in his life.

As they continued traveling, they came upon water. The Ethiopian asked what prevented him from being baptized, and his understanding became action.

That's something we should think about in our own lives.

Sometimes we read Scripture and immediately assume we understand what God is telling us.

But understanding can require prayer.

Study.

Fellowship.

Guidance.

And sometimes simply slowing down long enough to listen.

There may also be seasons when a familiar passage speaks directly to something we're experiencing in a way we hadn't recognized before.

The Word hasn't changed.

But we may finally understand how its truth applies to the season we're walking through.

This scripture reminds us:

• Reading Scripture and understanding Scripture aren't always the same thing.
• God can use other believers to help deepen our understanding.
• Studying the Bible helps us move beyond assumptions.
• Understanding should lead to application in our lives.
• Prayer can help us seek clarity when we aren't sure what God is showing us.

👉 Are you reading God's Word or taking the time to understand it?
👉 Is there something you've been assuming instead of seeking clarification about?
👉 What might God be trying to show you that you haven't understood yet?

Don't rush through the Word just to finish reading it.

Study it.

Pray over it.

Seek understanding.

Then ask God how you're supposed to apply it.

Sometimes the answer has been in front of us all along. We simply need our understanding opened so we can see it.

08/18/2026

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Understanding Turns the Word Into a Harvest.

We are on day 1 of my series: 7 Days of Understanding. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 Matthew 13:23 (KJV)
“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Hearing God's Word and understanding God's Word are two different things.

Jesus explains this through the parable of the sower.

A farmer goes out to sow seed.

Some falls by the wayside.

Some falls on stony ground.

Some falls among thorns.

But some lands on good ground.

That's where the harvest begins.

The seed represents the Word, but simply receiving the seed isn't enough.

It needs good soil.

It needs roots.

It needs to grow.

And eventually, it needs to produce fruit.

That's what understanding does.

When we truly understand God's Word, we begin applying it to our everyday lives.

We don't simply read about forgiveness.

We forgive.

We don't simply read about faith.

We walk in faith.

We don't simply read about loving others.

We demonstrate that love through our actions.

That's when the seed begins producing a harvest.

This scripture reminds us:

• Hearing the Word is only the beginning.
• Understanding helps us apply what God is teaching us.
• Application produces visible fruit in our lives.
• The condition of the soil affects the growth of the seed.
• A seed planted in good ground can produce an abundant harvest.

👉 Where are you planting your seed today?
👉 Are you simply hearing God's Word, or are you understanding and applying it?
👉 What fruit is being produced because of what God has taught you?

God's Word can be planted in our hearts every day.

But we have to decide what kind of ground we're giving it.

Hear the Word. Understand the Word. Apply the Word. Then watch what God grows.

What kind of harvest are you sowing today?

08/17/2026

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Before You Ask Everyone Else, Ask God.

We are on day 7 of my series: 7 Days of Wisdom. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 James 1:5 (KJV)
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

When you have an important decision to make, who do you ask first?

Your best friend?

Your family?

Someone at work?

There's nothing wrong with seeking wise counsel. Sometimes God places people in our lives who can help provide confirmation and perspective.

But they shouldn't necessarily be our first stop.

God should be.

James tells us plainly that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God.

Yet when we're overwhelmed by circumstances, we sometimes do everything else first.

We make the phone call.

We send the text.

We meet someone for coffee.

We ask everyone what they think.

Then, after we're even more confused, we finally pray.

Scripture gives us a different order:

📖 Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Seek Him first.

When we ask God for wisdom, we also have to remain open to how that wisdom arrives.

Sometimes He opens a door.

Sometimes He closes one.

Sometimes He brings someone into our lives.

Sometimes He removes someone.

Sometimes He gives us the courage to move.

And sometimes His wisdom tells us to wait.

We have free will, which means we're responsible for the choices we make. God offers forgiveness when we repent, but our decisions can still carry consequences.

That's why spiritual wisdom matters.

It helps us seek God's direction before making the decision instead of asking Him to repair everything afterward.

And remember, when we ask God to develop something within us, the answer may come through an opportunity to practice it.

Ask for courage, and you may face something requiring bravery.

Ask to grow in love, and you may encounter someone difficult to love.

Ask for forgiveness, and you may be challenged to forgive.

Ask for wisdom, and you may be given a decision requiring you to use it.

👉 Where are you seeking answers first?
👉 Is there a decision you need to take to God before taking it to everyone else?
👉 Are you willing to accept His answer even when it isn't the answer you wanted?

Wisdom isn't simply what you know.

It's how you use what God teaches you—in your decisions, your relationships, and even the words you speak.

Wisdom is your voice. Use it wisely.

08/15/2026

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What If God Has Been There All Along?

We are on day 6 of my series: 7 Days of Wisdom. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 Ephesians 1:17 (KJV)
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:”

Sometimes we're so focused on what is happening around us that we miss what God is doing right beside us.

We're looking for answers.

We're trying to understand the circumstances.

We're asking God where He is.

And sometimes He's been there the entire time.

After the resurrection, two disciples were traveling on the road to Emmaus. They were confused and discussing everything that had happened concerning Jesus.

Then a man began walking with them.

He listened.

He spoke with them.

He explained the Scriptures and helped them understand what had been written about the Messiah.

But they didn't recognize Him.

The man walking beside them was Jesus.

It wasn't until later, when they sat down together and He broke bread, that their eyes were opened and they recognized who had been with them all along.

Imagine that.

They were searching for understanding while the answer was literally walking beside them.

We can do the same thing.

We become overwhelmed by circumstances and wonder where God is while missing the evidence of His presence already surrounding us.

That's why Paul prayed for the spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Sometimes wisdom isn't discovering something new.

Sometimes it's finally recognizing what God has been showing us all along.

This scripture reminds us:

• God's presence isn't dependent upon our ability to recognize it.
• Wisdom helps us look beyond our immediate circumstances.
• Scripture can reveal what confusion causes us to overlook.
• Spiritual growth helps us recognize God's presence in our everyday lives.
• Sometimes understanding comes after we've already walked through part of the journey.

👉 Have you ever looked back and realized God was with you the entire time?
👉 Are your current circumstances preventing you from seeing what He's doing?
👉 What might change if you asked God to open your eyes instead of immediately changing your situation?

Think about the footprints in the sand.

There are seasons when we wonder how we possibly made it through.

Then we look back and realize:

God was carrying us all along.

Ask for wisdom.

Open your eyes.

Look a little deeper.

He may already be in the midst of what you're facing.

08/14/2026

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Wisdom Knows When to Speak and When to Stay Silent.

We are on day 5 of my series: 7 Days of Wisdom. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 Luke 21:15 (KJV)
“For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.”

Not every situation requires an immediate response.

Sometimes wisdom means speaking boldly.

Sometimes wisdom means standing firmly in truth.

And sometimes wisdom means saying absolutely nothing.

Jesus prepared His disciples for opposition. He knew they would be challenged for what they believed and what they taught. But He gave them an important promise: He would provide the wisdom they needed when the time came to speak.

We see another lesson about wisdom in the story of King Ahab.

Ahab wanted to go to battle against Syria and sought counsel about whether he should proceed. Hundreds of prophets told him what he wanted to hear.

But Micaiah told him the truth.

It wasn't the answer Ahab wanted.

Instead of listening, Ahab rejected the warning, imprisoned Micaiah, and went into battle anyway.

The outcome was exactly what Micaiah had warned him about.

Ahab was killed.

There's an important lesson here.

Wisdom isn't always hearing what makes us comfortable.

Sometimes wisdom is accepting the truth we didn't want to hear.

And today, we have something even more important available to us.

We can go directly to God.

We can pray.

We can search His Word.

We can ask for wisdom before making the decision, speaking the words, or reacting to the situation.

This scripture reminds us:

• God can give us wisdom when we're facing opposition.
• Truth doesn't become false simply because we don't like it.
• God's Word should be the standard against which we measure advice.
• Wisdom knows when words are necessary and when silence is stronger.
• We don't have to defend ourselves in every situation.

👉 Are you asking God for wisdom before asking everyone else for advice?
👉 Can you accept an answer even when it isn't the answer you wanted?
👉 Are you quick to defend yourself when wisdom may be telling you to remain silent?

You don't always need the last word.

You need the right word at the right time.

And sometimes the wisest response God can give you is silence.

08/13/2026

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You Can't Buy What Only God Can Give.

We are on day 4 of my series: 7 Days of Wisdom. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 Proverbs 16:16 (KJV)
“How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!”

We live in a world that places tremendous value on what can be bought.

Money.

Possessions.

Status.

Success.

But Scripture continually reminds us that some of the most valuable things in life don't have a price tag.

In Acts, we meet Simon, a sorcerer in Samaria who amazed people with what he could do. But when the apostles came preaching Christ, people believed, were baptized, and Simon believed as well.

Then Simon witnessed the power of the Holy Ghost.

He wanted that power for himself.

So he offered the apostles money for it.

Peter immediately corrected him.

This wasn't something Simon could purchase.

The problem wasn't how much money Simon had.

The problem was his heart.

The gifts of God aren't commodities. They aren't something we acquire because we can afford them. God gives spiritual gifts according to His purpose, and wisdom teaches us to value what comes from Him more than what comes from the world.

That's why Proverbs compares wisdom with gold and understanding with silver.

Money can purchase many things.

But it can't purchase character.

It can't purchase integrity.

It can't purchase genuine faith.

And it certainly can't purchase the gifts of God.

This scripture reminds us:

• Wisdom has greater value than material possessions.
• Spiritual gifts come from God, not from our purchasing power.
• What we desire often reveals what's happening within our heart.
• Character, integrity, and dignity are worth more than outward success.
• What we pursue reveals what we truly value.

👉 What are you chasing right now?
👉 Are you investing more into your possessions or your spiritual growth?
👉 What do the fruits of your heart tell others about who you really are?

There's nothing wrong with achieving success.

The question is whether success possesses you.

Silver can disappear.

Gold can be lost.

But the wisdom and understanding God develops within you can shape your life and influence everyone around you.

You can't serve two masters. So ask yourself: Which one are you serving?

08/12/2026

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Wisdom Doesn't Have to Shine to Be Valuable.

We are on day 3 of my series: 7 Days of Wisdom. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 Proverbs 8:11 (KJV)
“For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”

We often recognize value when it's packaged beautifully.

Gold catches our attention.

Rubies sparkle.

Success is easy to notice when everyone can see it.

But wisdom doesn't always arrive that way.

Sometimes God places wisdom directly in front of us through another person, a difficult situation, or advice we weren't expecting.

The question is whether we're humble enough to recognize it.

Moses learned this through his father-in-law, Jethro.

Moses was carrying the responsibility of helping settle the problems of an entire nation. Jethro saw what was happening and essentially told him, "You can't keep doing everything yourself."

Moses could have rejected the advice.

He was the leader.

He could have insisted on remaining in control.

Instead, Moses listened.

He began teaching others and delegating responsibility to capable leaders who could help the people. By sharing his knowledge and allowing others to lead, Moses became more effective while helping others grow.

That's wisdom.

Sometimes wisdom means accepting advice.

Sometimes it means releasing control.

And sometimes it means sharing what God has taught you so someone else can become stronger because of it.

This scripture reminds us:

• Wisdom can be more valuable than anything money can buy.
• Good advice isn't always packaged the way we expect.
• Strong leaders know when to listen and when to delegate.
• Knowledge becomes more valuable when we use it to mentor others.
• Holding everything to ourselves can prevent others from growing.

👉 Has God placed wisdom in front of you that you've been ignoring?
👉 Are you holding onto control when you should be developing someone else?
👉 What knowledge could you pass along today that might strengthen another person?

Not everything valuable sparkles.

Sometimes the greatest treasure God puts in front of you is a piece of wisdom you almost overlooked.

Make sure you're paying attention.

08/11/2026

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Wisdom Knows When the Blessing Should Be Shared.

We are on day 2 of my series: 7 Days of Wisdom. Be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on my website. Link in Bio. LadyMaryCatherine.com

📖 Proverbs 3:13 (KJV)
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.”

Sometimes wisdom isn't about what you receive.

It's understanding what you're supposed to do with what God has placed before you.

There's a wonderful example of this in 2 Kings.

Four lepers were sitting outside the gates of Samaria during a terrible famine.

They had a decision to make.

Stay where they were and die.

Return to the starving city and die.

Or take a chance and enter the Syrian camp.

They chose to move.

When they reached the camp, they discovered that God had caused the Syrian army to hear the sounds of chariots and horses. Believing a great army was approaching, the Syrians fled and left everything behind.

Food.

Silver.

Gold.

Clothing.

The four men ate and gathered some of the treasure.

Then wisdom changed their perspective.

They realized they couldn't keep this good news to themselves while an entire city was starving.

So they returned and told the people what they had discovered.

What began as four desperate men searching for survival became a blessing for an entire city.

This scripture reminds us:

• Wisdom helps us recognize opportunities others may overlook.
• Understanding tells us what to do with what we've been given.
• Sometimes God provides an answer when we're willing to move forward.
• A blessing becomes even more meaningful when it can help someone else.

👉 What has God placed in your hands during this season?
👉 Are you seeking His wisdom about what to do with it?
👉 Could something you've learned, received, or experienced become a blessing to someone else?

Wisdom isn't simply knowing more.

It's understanding what God wants you to do with what you know.

Pause. Reflect. Seek wisdom—and when you find something worth sharing, don't keep the good news to yourself.

Mary Catherine

08/20/2026

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