Temple Care

This week I've been in the process of writing a new resource that helps people fight anxiety by praying the armor of God. Today I want to share some of the things I wrote in there to help you with whatever battle you face. Maybe it's not anxiety, but each of us do face our own personal battles and God has so much for us in this area. He wants us to fight this battle well, and come out even stronger on the other side!!    Want more encouragement like this? Join the membership! 

Do you ever feel like you face the same struggles over and over again? Like you can't stop the cycle of sin or shame in your life? I felt like that this week. But God so gently encouraged me (as He always does) to take a different approach and stop looking back.  He is doing a new thing (Isaiah 43) and it is up to us to look up and see the goodness He is working on in our lives.   Buy my latest devotional "Quieted by His Love" here: amazon link   

Hi Sweet Friend, Today is the last episode of the Temple Care Podcast. While my heart is a little sad, I know God does have new things in store for my ministry. Today I want to share with you how He helped me make the decision, and how sometimes endings are necessary.  It has been such a joy for me to share these past three years with you! Each message has been very dear to my heart, and the support you've given me has meant the world. Now onto whatever God has next :) To keep up with my ministry sign up for my email list here: http://eepurl.com/hIObMr So much love to you sweet friend! 

Hi friends! Today I am tackling two tough stories in the Bible and how they relate to our mental health: Peter's betrayal of Jesus and the ultimate betrayal of Judas.  *Trigger warning* - this episode does cover some heavy topics that are not suitable for young listeners. We will be talking about death and suicide. I hope that seeing the difference between these two stories will help give you clarity to the power of restoration that Jesus so freely gives. I love you dear friends! Erika 

Let's unpack the scene with Jesus in the Garden. What can we draw from this and learn from His character? How did He face the excruciating moment of His impending death on the cross? I love this passage in particular because it shows us Jesus' humanity. He is fully God and fully man. He experienced every human emotion and therefore knows all of our emotions as well. Quieted by His Love Amazon link: https://a.co/d/0dDiza6A

Today we are covering the epic story of Mary Magdalene. From her deliverance of seven demons, to her loyal heart and reckless worship of Jesus, Mary has quite the story to tell.  Let's focus in on three major points from her story: 1. At the moment she met Jesus, Mary was healed instantaneously  2. Mary had a deep, abiding love for Jesus and she showed it in action, not just with words 3. Mary was loyal to Jesus until the very end Praying you are blessed and encouraged by Mary's story and to remember that Jesus loves to use the outcasts to bring Him glory!!

Every year as the seasons change I reevaluate with the Lord and ask - what do you want to teach me? How can I listen more deeply to your voice? This summer He is calling me to delight - to let Him lavish love and goodness over me. He cares about me and wants to delight in me! I'm also realizing that God wants me to be faithful in the little things and the big things...but most of life is spent tending to the little things. And in that, He watches to see how I am walking out my faith.  What has God called you to be faithful in? Where is He asking you to go deeper?

This week I’m joined by my dear friend, Gaby, to talk about Elijah!   His story is something we can all relate to…in a moment of pure exhaustion he raised his hands to heaven and said, “It is enough, Lord!”    In this series on mental health and the Bible, Elijah’s moment with the Lord serves as a good model for us as we face seasons of depression and wanting to give up. What was the Lord’s answer to Elijah and how did He tenderly meet his needs?    Join us as we unpack the meaning behind this Elijah moment and how we can press on in our faith through seasons of doubt, sadness, exhaustion and overwhelm. 

Hi friend, Today I'm sharing how God has been working on my heart through this verse: “Don’t despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” Zechariah 4:10 And how even the small, mundane things we do are actually very important to God and a tool He uses to build and forge our character. In my life I struggle to stay focused on the small things, (my mind is typically in the clouds!)...so God has used a few key verses to bring me back down to earth and remind me of just how important this season is.  I hope this message encourages you as you are in tough seasons or relationships or feeling like things can be so meaningless at times...God always has a purpose behind it. Sending love to you sweet friend! 

Today we are covering John the Baptist and the moment where he questioned and asked Jesus, "Are you really the Messiah?" There is so much to unpack here, but here are a few points we are covering today: - Why did John ask this question? Didn't he already know who Jesus was? - The direct and compassionate response Jesus gave - How we can expect Jesus to respond as we face our own crisis of faith - What it means to truly bring our doubts before Jesus 

Today we are tackling the story of Mary and Martha! Before you think this episode might be a guilt-trip, tune in and listen to what God has laid on my heart about the way He has uniquely made each of us.  Today we will cover: - God's love for both Mary AND Martha - How God can use the Martha types in His church - What to do if you struggle with being a "doer" and not having quiet time  - The specific set of words here that correlate to our current-day word "anxiety" 

Hi friend! We are kicking off a series on "What the Bible Says About Mental Health" and I am super excited to journey through these stories with you and dig into God's Word on this topic.  Today I want to share with you a few points of what the Bible actually says about mental health. Take these three truths with you as you face your own battles this week: 1. God loves to reason with you. 2. Emotions are a gift from God. 3. God wants to restore you.  I am praying that this series will encourage your heart and help you relate more deeply to the Bible characters we discuss!  If you want to send me a person/story you want covered, please send me a message through my Instagram account: @erikaruthpizzo 

Hi friend, As I'm working through writing a new book on spiritual warfare, I am processing with the Lord what it looked like for Him when He faced great temptation by the enemy in the wilderness.  We see that He was tempted through the use of scripture, so it made me wonder...does the enemy do the same thing to us? God has been revealing so much to me, and I want to share with you some of the ways that I have been tempted to despair because of the enemy's lies.  The truth is, the closer you get to Christ, the harder the attacks start to come. But there is great hope in the midst of these attacks, because we become more and more attune to the Shepherd's voice.  Praying for you as you face your own attacks this week and different trials and temptations. You are more equipped than you even know! 

Hi friend, As a believer, stepping into Holy Week carries a certain amount of weight doesn't it? We want to experience what Jesus experienced, feel what He felt, and give reverence to the awesome act of dying on the cross for our sins. Let me encourage you today with these 3 truths to meditate on this week: 1. Our relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship and the most eternal relationship  2. Jesus just wants to spend time with you 3. It's OK to bare your feelings before God and before close friends - that's what Jesus did! Praying for you as you head into this Easter week, that it would be a time of great reflection with your Savior in the quiet moments of listening to His heart for you.

Hi friend! Today I'm sharing some thoughts on what to do when you feel really attacked by the enemy. Sometimes life just feels hard, and I want you to know that God loves you right where you are. Be encouraged today that even though God is building you up to be a mighty warrior, it's ok if you don't feel like a "warrior" right now :) He loves you anyway!

Today I am joined by two very special guests - licensed marriage and family therapists Matt and Leah Heim. Join us as we cover these important topics: - What are attachment styles and how do they affect my parenting? - How can I be a better parent and trust God in the process? - Will my child need therapy one day? - Removing the pressure from needing to do and be everything for our kids, and letting others pour into them  Matt and Leah have started a nonprofit called The Open Table where they minister to others by promoting and facilitating hoisting and lasting change for individuals, couples, families and communities.  Today, Matt shares about his dissertation on Attachment styles and if you are a parent of kids age 5+ he invites you to participate in this brief survey: Survey Link For more info on Open Table visit their website here. It was a joy and privilege to have Matt and Leah on the podcast and to hear their wisdom! Share with any parent who needs just a little extra encouragement to keep going and keep seeking the Lord. 

I'm so excited today to do something a little different and dive into my creative process behind writing books!  If you've ever wanted to write a book before, or have felt led to share your story, I am praying my words encourage you to press into that God-given gift and let Him do the writing and leading! He is a good Father who gives us such wonderful creative gifts.  Today we'll talk about: - How I go about deciding what to write about, the chapter titles, the content, etc. - Asking for feedback during the writing process - Praying for wisdom from the Holy Spirit as I write - Going back and editing/re-writing things  - Making time to write when life feels so busy To be the first to hear when my new book comes out sign up for my e-mail list on my website!

Hi friend, I am sharing a poem today from my book "Quieted by His Love". I hope today's message encourages you to bask in God's love for you, to let His love wash over you this coming week, and to slow down and be still in His presence.  Love you friend! Erika  Buy the Book Here

Today I am joined by RaeAnne Porte, who shares her story of freedom from food and body image struggles through the power of Christ.  Most of us are thinking about starting a diet in January, but for many of us, we are tired of the endless dieting cycle and want to do things differently.  RaeAnne takes us through God's plan for our eating, which may be different than what you expect! She shares how God has transformed her fear and shame with food to a beautiful new journey.  Be encouraged and inspired to get off the dieting roller coaster and surrender this area of your life to the One who cares about you most!  RaeAnne's Youtube channel: Food Fitness and the Gospel RaeAnne's Instagram: @food.fitness.andthegospel 

So excited to have my dear friend Angel on the podcast today! We are talking all about brain retraining and how God led her out of years of symptoms and anxiety with a simple method of rewiring your brain. Angel shares her story, the new program she created to make the method more faith-based, and a really simple and easy tip to get you started on brain retraining yourself.    Link for last year’s podcast on Brain Retraining with Angel: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/temple-care/id1587217426?i=1000599074463 Angel’s FREE training video: https://www.anxiety-rewired.com/rewire    Angel’s Website:  https://www.anxiety-rewired.com/anxiety-rewired   Angel’s IG: @anxietyrewired