Ep. 42 Encountering Emmanuel: A Christmas Meditation

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Nourished to Bloom podcast, where your faith meets your health. I'm your host Kara Trochta, a registered dietitian and certified Catholic coach, and I'm here to help you cultivate a deeper connection with your body, your spirit, and the nourishment that sustains them both. In a world filled with noise and confusion about food, health, and body image, this podcast offers truth and healing from a Christ-centered perspective. Together, we'll untangle the deep roots of diet culture and discover what it means to be a Christian.

[00:00:30] And to truly care for ourselves through joyful nourishment of mind, body, and soul. We're here to dive into the transformative power of intuitive eating coupled with the rich teachings of our Christian faith. With every episode, I'll be cheering you on, offering insights, inspiration, and practical tools to help you heal your relationship with food and embrace the beauty of your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit with confidence and courage that can only be found in Christ.

[00:00:59] Join me as we journey together towards a more holistic approach to wellness, one that honors the wisdom of your body as God's creation, the teachings of our faith, and the unique purpose you're called to fulfill.

[00:01:11] You were made to bloom, to come into full beauty and health in order to bear good fruit for the Lord with your life.

[00:01:20] So if you're ready to nourish your body, feed your soul, and bloom into the best version of yourself, then you're in the right place, and I'm so happy you're here.

[00:01:29] Welcome to Nourish to Bloom, where every day is a sacred invitation to thrive.

[00:01:35] Hey there.

[00:01:36] Oh, welcome back to the Nourish to Bloom podcast.

[00:01:39] So happy to have you tuning in this week, especially on Christmas Eve.

[00:01:43] So if you are listening today, then thanks for checking in.

[00:01:47] Thanks for being here.

[00:01:48] Maybe you needed a little bit of reprieve from the chaos of the next couple of days, but just wanted to share a special message to you and your family wishing you a very, very Merry Christmas.

[00:02:00] And hallelujah, Emmanuel has come.

[00:02:03] Just the specialness that 2,000 years ago, Jesus was born and that he was on this very earth, just like you and me.

[00:02:12] And that the promise of his birth is that he will come again.

[00:02:17] And we are awaiting that time when he will come again in the future.

[00:02:22] But also just a reminder of Jesus coming now in the present tense, that Jesus is born in each of us every single day and that he is coming now to you and to me.

[00:02:37] And may we stop and be prepared.

[00:02:41] May we recognize and notice his coming instead of being so busy and preoccupied with the things of the world and busy preparing for all the holiday things.

[00:02:53] But just really being prepared that he is being born to each of us every single day.

[00:03:00] And with that, I want to share this litany of encounter because I think it's just so special.

[00:03:06] It's a way for us to invite Jesus into those places that maybe we try to keep hidden or places that maybe need some healing, but inviting him to be born within each of us every single day.

[00:03:23] And so where I need to be awakened, Jesus be born in me.

[00:03:28] Where I am in darkness, Jesus be born in me.

[00:03:33] Where I doubt your promises, Jesus be born in me.

[00:03:37] Where I am self-reliant, Jesus be born in me.

[00:03:42] Where I am held captive, Jesus be born in me.

[00:03:46] Where I am unreconciled, Jesus be born in me.

[00:03:50] Where I am losing the battle, Jesus be born in me.

[00:03:55] Where I need familial love, Jesus be born in me.

[00:03:59] Where I hunger for more of you, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:04] Where I need the hope of heaven, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:08] Where I need to live your mission, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:13] Where I need you as my brother, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:18] Where I need your consuming fire, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:22] Where I am holding on to idols, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:27] Where I have lost hope, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:31] Where I lack peace, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:35] Where I need the love of the divine bridegroom, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:40] Where my heart is closed, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:44] Where I fear silence, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:48] Where I lack a childlike heart, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:53] Where I fear being vulnerable, Jesus be born in me.

[00:04:58] Where I feel unworthy, Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:02] Where I need your healing, Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:06] Where I need to hear you call me by name, Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:12] Where I ache for union with you, Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:17] Where I'm afraid to be still, Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:21] Where I need to see your face, Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:25] Where I need the gift of your Holy Spirit, Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:33] Wherever it is that you need to encounter Emmanuel, just ask Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:40] And let him come into that place with his innocence, with his healing, with his hope.

[00:05:47] And let him just live within you.

[00:05:54] And just remind yourself, Jesus be born in me.

[00:05:58] So I, maybe over the next couple of days, you'll come back to that prayer.

[00:06:03] And just hold on to it.

[00:06:04] See where the Lord is speaking to you.

[00:06:08] Invite him into those places where you need to encounter Emmanuel.

[00:06:13] That you need to encounter God with us.

[00:06:16] I pray that you and your family have a blessed and beautiful Christmas.

[00:06:21] And if you are traveling, that you have safe travels.

[00:06:25] And that everyone stays healthy.

[00:06:27] And that you have a beautiful and blessed holiday season.

[00:06:30] Thanks again for tuning into the podcast.

[00:06:33] I'm appreciative of each of my listeners.

[00:06:37] And I know in the last episode, I said something about a goal setting with God workshop coming in January.

[00:06:45] I'm still nailing down the dates on that because I have a couple of speaking engagements.

[00:06:49] So I'm trying to work my schedule around that.

[00:06:52] But it looks like it's going to be three Thursdays in a row in January.

[00:06:57] If you are interested, you can find a waitlist link to sign up.

[00:07:02] You just fill it out to be added to the waitlist.

[00:07:06] And then you'll get all the information to register for that workshop when I have the registration page up and running.

[00:07:13] But it'll be in January.

[00:07:14] Goal setting with God.

[00:07:16] If you want to join the waitlist, you can find that link in the show note descriptions.

[00:07:21] And just click on it and add your name.

[00:07:23] And I can't wait to hopefully be able to help you align and set some Christ-centered goals for the new year.

[00:07:31] But until then, I will be back next week.

[00:07:34] And we're going to do kind of a year in review.

[00:07:37] Just some things, some questions to think about, questions to ask yourself.

[00:07:40] And just reflect back on 2024 and the areas that you've had growth.

[00:07:44] The areas that you can be grateful for and the areas that maybe going into 2025, you need to have Jesus be born in you and encounter Emmanuel.

[00:07:56] So again, Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[00:07:59] And I will see you next week.

[00:08:01] Until then, bye.