Have you ever asked, “Why am I still struggling with this after all these years?”
I’m guessing you’ve tried to change before. You’ve prayed, made plans, maybe even started over a dozen times. But nothing seems to stick, and now you’re wondering if real change is even possible.
It is.
God can help you change and He wants to help you change. But what does that look like on a practical level? That’s where I come in. Let me show you how to start small, partner with God, and finally see lasting change.
👉 Ready to Get Started?
We’re all familiar with projects like cleaning the garage or learning to play the piano. We create a strategy, make a list, and get started. But with Christian growth projects, we often think change will happen automatically with no intentionality on our parts.
This isn’t true.
Christian growth is like a regular project in that we need to make a plan and follow a strategy. The difference is that we can’t do these projects in our own strength. Instead, we need to partner with God for transformation. The first step is to choose a project.
👉 Choose a Project
Following are five projects I can help you with. Some of them may not seem like Christian growth projects at first glance, but if you look at them, they all involve growing closer to God or more like Him in some way (such as growing in the fruit of the Spirit—self-control, peace, joy, etc.):
- Renew Your Mind. Practical renewing tools and how-to plus learn how to process life with God.
- Overcome Procrastination. Make plans, develop routines, and actually follow through with your to-do list! Use this project for your daily to-dos or a big project you’ve been procrastinating.
- Live in Peace and Joy. Most books show you how to manage your emotions. This project shows you how to actually break free from those negative emotions (worry, anger, insecurity, etc.) and the swirling thoughts that fuel them.
- End Emotional Eating. Break free from the control of food and the negative emotions that send us to the refrigerator (or our local Dairy Queen).
- Grow Closer to God. All of these projects will achieve this goal, but choose this project (or the Renew Your Mind project) if you’re not ready to tackle change in a specific area of your life yet.
If you’re new to the renewing of the mind, I would suggest beginning with a Renew Your Mind project since renewing is the foundation for all change (Romans 12:2). But if you’re an old hat at renewing, all projects are on the table.
For each project, I’ll list my best resources to help you partner with God for transformation in that area of your life. I’m excited to see what God will do as you go to Him for help with your project!
👉 Renew Your Mind
Learn how to align your thoughts with God’s truth and lay the foundation for lasting transformation.
📘 Start Here
- 7-Week Master Class on Transformation– Learn about the transformation process and how to renew your mind by choosing a project to work on in class. This is a replay of a past class so you can work at your own speed.
- The Renewing of the Mind Project – This book covers many of the same concepts as the course, with renewing tools you can use immediately for things like habits, emotions, and goals.
📘 Keep Going
- Coming Fall 2025: How to Renew Your Mind 4-Session Course – A step-by-step course that helps you build the habit of mind renewal and partner with God for lasting transformation. This class will be more focused on renewing than the 7-Week Master Class. → Receive future online course notifications.
🎧 Want a quick win?
👉 Overcome Procrastination
Learn how to stop putting things off and start following through—with God’s help.
📘 Start Here
- Freedom from Procrastination – A 5-week study with daily to-do lists and renewing exercises to help you actually get things done.
📘 Keep Going
- Coming Winter 2026: How to Stop Procrastinating Online Course → Receive future online course notifications.
🎧 Need a boost to get moving?
👉 Live in Peace and Joy
Discover how to break free from negative emotions and the swirling thoughts that fuel them so you can experience a deeper sense of peace and joy.
📘 Start Here
- Rally Bible Study – 8 lessons on how to handle life’s hard stuff with joy.
- The Renewing of the Mind Project – A practical, grace-filled guide to building the habit of mind renewal. Includes step-by-step projects to help with habits, emotions, goals, and more.
📘 Keep Going
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Freedom from Emotional Eating Bible Study – This will help you break free from your negative emotions even if you don’t struggle with emotional eating
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Coming late 2026: Emotional Resilience Course → Receive future online course notifications.
🎧 Want to test the waters?
- Download the I Deserve a Donut app – Bible verses and questions to help with emotions like insecurity and frustration (Free in app stores)
👉 End Emotional Eating
Find practical, faith-based help to overcome emotional eating and build a healthier relationship with food.
📘 Start Here:
- Taste for Truth Bible Study – This study will help you create boundaries and change the way you think about food. When you change the way you think, your desires will change and you’ll actually want to follow your boundaries.
- I Deserve a Donut (and Other Lies That Make You Eat) – Questions and Bible verses to help you renew throughout the day each time you’re tempted to break your boundaries. Available as an app or book.
📘 Keep Going:
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Freedom from Emotional Eating Bible study — This 40-lesson Bible study helps you break free from emotional eating by renewing your mind and replacing lies with truth about God, yourself, and your circumstances.
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7-Week Master Class on Transformation– Learn about the transformation process and how to renew your mind by choosing a project (such as emotional eating) to work on in class. This is a replay of a past class so you can work at your own speed.
🎧 Want to hear real stories?
👉 Grow Closer to God
This will happen naturally with any of the above projects because we grow closer to God when we go to Him for help with life. I added it as a separate option though in case you’d rather just go to God for help with whatever comes up that day rather than for a specific project. These Bible studies will help with that, as will the Renew Your Mind project.
📘 Start Here
- James—This is the first book in my Closer to God Bible Study series. It offers 20 lessons you can use to go to God for help with your daily struggles, goals, and relationships.
📘 Keep Going
- Philippians —This is the second book in my Closer to God Bible Study series. 16 lessons you can use to go to God for help with your daily struggles, goals, and relationships.
Not sure where to begin?
- Start with Renew Your Mind—it’s the key to lasting change in every area of life.
Stay Connected
- Books & Studies: [See the full list]
- Courses: Next course starts Fall 2025 – [Get notified]
- Podcast: Christian Habits Podcast – New episodes every other week
- Email List: Be the first to hear about new podcasts, Bible studies, and online courses – Sign up below.
- Have questions? [Reach out here] – I’d love to hear from you!
I love your new site Barb!
Thanks, Ngina! I’m slowly plugging away at it, but it’s starting to feel more organized!
Hi Barb! I am finally tackling your new book. I really was ministered to this morning. Wrote down several verses, printed them on “pretty” paper and laminated them. I think I am finally getting it that this will be a long process. Thank you for writing the Renewing the mind Project. Awesome writing.
That’s so great, Karon, and what a fun idea to print the verses on pretty paper and laminate it – I love that idea! Also, thanks for the encouragement!
Barb, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU for the wonderful work you are doing!! I just finished an online study of “Taste for Truth,” and it’s truly changed/changing my life. You are such a blessing, and I’m thankful that God has called you to speak truth in this arena! I’m an aspiring writer, so I’ve also really enjoyed your personal stories about your writing journey and the periscope videos about goal setting, procrastination, etc. Thank you for being faithful to God’s call on your life, and keep up the great work!!!
Thank you Meredith. I’m so glad the material has been helpful. Plus that’s so great that you’re a writer! I know what a hard goal that is to work on. :) Have you started a blog or anything else online? Would love to read it if you get one going (or already have one going).
Just clicked on your name and found your blog, Meredith – it’s wonderful and what a beautiful family you have. I love that you’re honest in your post and give ideas on how how to help. Praying that God will help you pursue your writing goals!
Thank you so much for those encouraging words! I greatly appreciate it :-). I’m looking forward to starting “The Renewing of the Mind Project” online next week! Praying it will help not just with food but with writing as well :-).
That’s great that you’re working on both goals, Meredith. I wrote all the questions in the Starting a Habit/Pursing a Goal section of The Renewing of the Mind Project for help with my own writing woes, so I hope it helps with your writing! :)
Thank you so much for your Freedom from Emotional eating study. I have recommended it to many other women who I know struggle and gaining and losing and gaining and losing weight. My question to you is have you thought about a version for teenage girls? Thank you for all your real sharing in a struggle many of us don’t even know how to approach openly to encourage one another. I believe this is an amazing tool to help others stop believing the lies of the enemy. Thank you
Hi Holly, Thanks for your encouragement. I have thought it would be nice to do a version for teen girls, but I have so many things I want to write, I’m not sure when or if I’ll get to it. Not sure how much I’d need to change the current one. If I only had to change the examples and the tone just a bit, it might not take much time to do but if I were to write a whole new one for teens, that would take more time. I do love the idea!
Barb, What a great message you have! I can relate to so many of these topics. I can’t wait to share your site with some of the people in my life. I know they will love it as well.
Thank you, Summer! I really appreciate that! I also love your site. I’m always looking for good posts to share on my Christian Weight Loss Pinterest board so was excited when I discovered your site. I just looked at your new “Chopped Kale Salad with Chicken” recipe and it looks yummy!
This website is one of the best I’ve seen in Christian circles in a long time. Very well put together. Easy to navigate. Full of really creative content. Love it!
Thanks, Micah!
I agree, your website is very clear, and when I saw all your resources, I was encouraged, even by the topics! Such an important work you are doing!
Thank you, Rachel!
Thank you, Barb, for the model of ‘investing your talents’ and for how God is using your honesty and efforts to teach me the practical ‘how tos’ of applying the truth in my life through taking action in faith. I have been stuck in gathering ideas and feeling paralyzed, not knowing where to start. You are an answer to prayer!
Hi Joanne! So glad you’ve been finding the ‘how tos’ helpful! I know it’s always hard to get started on something new. Praying God will bless you as you go to Him for help!
Hello Barb, my name is Andrew Fox and I hold a doctorate in Holistic nutrition as well as a masters in exercise science and health promotion, I am the author of a few books and teach people about health with a Christian perspective. I have been looking for Christian podcast that I can listen to myself while exercising and came across yours. If it all possible I would love to speak on one of your podcasts with you on nutrition and or exercise. My new book provides people with an understanding in food away that God created it and healthy ways to prepare it. I routinely speak at hospitals, conferences, and Churches. My clientele varies from professional athletes, Olympians, cover models and actors, you can look at my credentials on LinkedIn or my website which is truelifefitness.us
Hi Andrew! I sent you an email – let me know if you didn’t get it!
Hi Barb:
What a great site and such good resources. I blog about healthy little steps we can all take to be diet free. Little steps for our body, mind and spirit. I have a mountain climbing theme as getting healthy can feel just like climbing a mountain. It’s too hard and will take too long. Renewing our minds is such a big component to being free of the lies we have believed for years! It’s great to find your site and your podcasts! I would like to link them in one of my future blog posts.
I blog at littlestepstohealth.ca I would love for you to pop over and read some of my stuff. I’m just new to blogging and still finding my voice. Your feed back would be great!
Hi Dixie! I would love to have you link to my site in one of your future posts. Thank you! I tried to go to your blog, but the link didn’t work. Do you have another link? Or is it possibly down today? If you can, send me a link, and I’ll try to check it out again!
I just love your books and want to start bible studies at my church. Is there a way to purchase your books in bulk at a discounted price to sell in my office and for my participants? God Bless your ministry!
Hi Linda, Thank you so much – I’m glad you like the books! I know there is a way to buy them in bulk, but I’m not sure how complicated it is. They’re available from Ingram Spark – here’s the website: http://www.ingramcontent.com/. I think you would scroll down to the retailers area and should be able to order them there. If you order other books for your office I’m guessing you may be familiar with the process. If not, I can find out how to do it. At some point, I’d like to figure out how to have them available on my blog, but I’m afraid I’m not at that point yet – sorry about that!
Hi Barb, I just want to thank you.. I was a drug addict for many years and went into treatment in 2007. I have struggled with food since then, earlier this year it struck me that it had been 10 years that I had essentially replaced one with the other. I’ve been a believer coming up to 4 years now and was so blessed to find your blog a few months ago – I really believe it was an answer to prayer. I got your ‘Freedom from Emotional Eating’ and also the IDAD app, these have changed the way I thought about food – with such simple and profound truths revealed to me each time I worked through the book. I was shown how I had literally been “walking with food” rather than “walking with God” through life. I have experienced more freedom in the last few months than I have in 10 years in this area – so thank you so much. However, I am going through a bad patch with my food, I have all the tools right in front of me and can’t seem to just start again and pick them up. It’s like I’m doing everything possible to sabotage this. It seems too hard. As I’m writing this I can hear in my mind to just commit to renewing my mind each time I want to break boundaries, so maybe that’s what I should at least start with. I really believe that these are the tools for me to get closer to Jesus and this is what it looks like to actually bring struggles to Him. It can just be so hard to keep getting back up after failing. Anyway, I pray that many more are set free and our Hevavenly Father continues to work through you – thank you for your obedience to Him.
I know how you feel, CJ. I never would have believed that I could break free from the control of food if I hadn’t seen God do similar things in other areas of my life. It just seemed too impossible – especially when I’d be doing well and then blow it again. I agree that the answer is to renew your mind every time you break it, but I also know how hard it is to do that. That’s why it took me several years to break free – because I couldn’t get myself to renew my mind all the time! When I finally did, I don’t think it took all that long. Maybe 4 months? I can’t remember for sure. But the point is, that it can be a long process unfortunately! If you could find a friend to hold you accountable, that would be super helpful! So glad FFEE was helpful! You could also try Taste for Truth if you haven’t done that one yet. It sounds like you’ve already had some victory – that’s great! Try to take just one step at a time and expect that you’ll have a few steps back every once in awhile – and sometimes more often than we want! I’m praying that God will give you victory!!
hi barb,
I want to order one of your bible studies but I’m not sure if I should get a taste for truth or freedom from emotional eating? they both sound like they would be helpful to me. I have the I deserve a donut app which is amazing and so helpful
heather
I’ve sighed up to get your emails and I was wandering how often do you send them out. I haven’t gotten one yet. I really enjoy your book Taste for Truth and I’m waiting on the book renewing the mind. I’ve read some of your articles from off line and I’m anxious to get your emails. Thank you for being an inspiration to me to me to lose weight.
Hi Elizabeth! I don’t send them out very often as I have been putting more effort into my Taste for Truth podcasts lately. Usually only once a month for emails (with blog posts) or even less sometimes although I may get on the ball one of these days and send them out more often! So glad you’re enjoying the Taste for Truth Study! Hope you also enjoy the Renewing of the Mind Project!
I have just recently found your stuff and love what you are doing! I am trying to get a “Renewing of The Mind Project” study going in my church and will be starting the TFT study online with Robyn. Thank you, thank you, for directing me to God and the Bible for these issues, which is exactly what I needed!
So glad the resources are helpful, Julie! That’s exciting that you’re trying to get a Renewing of the Mind Project going at your church. I love having that group experience and camaraderie of growing together. I’ll pray that you’ll be able to get a group going!
Hi Barb,
I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you and your writing and your resources. I have been in a season of struggle not with my weight, but with my work. It is the thing that the Lord has been using to refine me and to bring out those questions and doubts. He has been pretty specific in His leading, so there is no doubt that I am currently in the right place. Thank you especially for your bottom-line questions and honest answers. I so relate to you in the struggles and I am thankful for your honest modeling of the struggle, failures and eventually the changes that have come. You are a great encouragement to me and I just wanted to let you know. Blessings on you and your family. With many thanks, Cindy
Thank you, Cindy, for that encouragement. I’m so glad the resources have been helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
Good Morning Barb, I will like to invite you to a guest on my podcast, as I would love to have you. I hope that you accept our invite and to hear from you soon.
Thank You, have a blessed day!
Hi Tiffany! Thanks for that offer! Would you mind emailing me with details? My email address is barb.raveling@gmail.com. I’m traveling right now so may not be able to get back to you until next week. Have a great day!
Have you heard of the ministries of Deeper Walk Internation, Life Model Works, or Thrive Today? They teach and focus so much on how the brain works and what we need to be transformed. I love your work, and love their work. I am trying to make them merge in my efforts to break my attachment with food and turn to the Lord for all needs that aren’t hunger!
Hi Cindy, I haven’t heard of the first or last one, but they have interesting names! The second one looked familiar, so I looked at my bookcase and I have one of their workbooks called Forming, Change by Grace. I’ll have to check it out as it doesn’t look like I’ve read it. Hope you have good success with either making them merge or choosing one you think will help. There’s a lot of good material out there!