Pursuing The Abundant Life

What if clarity wasn’t about doing more, but noticing more?

That question has been quietly shaping a meaningful season in the journey of Erica Yanney, Founder and Christian Coach at Pursuing the Abundant Life.

In a world that constantly pushes for more—more effort, more productivity, more solutions—this season has been an invitation to something different: a slower, deeper, more attentive way of living and leading.

Through her recent professional development with the Professional Christian Coaching Institute, completing the course Coaching with the Brain in Mind, Erica has been exploring what it truly means to cultivate clarity from the inside out.

Studying under Dr. Charles Stone, a respected voice in neuroscience, leadership, and pastoral care, this experience brought together both scientific insight and spiritual depth in a way that is practical, engaging, and deeply transformative.

At the heart of this journey is the BREATHe model—a framework that integrates neuroscience, coaching, and spiritual practice. But more than a model, it offers a posture: one of awareness and presence, what Dr. Stone calls “Holy Noticing.”

Holy Noticing is the intentional practice of paying attention to God and His handiwork, to our relationships, and to the thoughts and emotions within us. Not rushing past them. Not fixing them immediately. But noticing… with purpose.

It’s a practice deeply rooted in Scripture and echoed across generations by Christian thinkers like Augustine of Hippo, Ignatius of Loyola, John Calvin, Martin Luther, and the Desert Fathers, among others—voices that remind us that transformation often begins not with striving but with reflection and awareness. And perhaps that’s where clarity truly begins. Not in doing more, but in noticing more.

Looking ahead, this insight is becoming the foundation for what’s next. Erica is preparing to launch the Inner Strength Academy in 2027—an initiative designed to integrate the BREATHe model with additional neuroscience-based tools to help individuals:
• Strengthen their relationship with God
• reduce anxiety
• process thoughts with greater clarity
• overcome fear
• build strength, courage, and motivation to live a more abundant life in Christ

The vision is to equip people to engage life “strong in the Lord”, as Ephesians 6 suggests, not through pressure or performance, but through a grounded, aware, and resilient inner life.

This season has not only been about learning—it has been about deepening a way of being. One that Pursuing the Abundant Life (PAL) continues to cultivate together as a community.

So to the PALs community, this is an open invitation.
To slow down.
To notice more.

To discover that even in a tense and overwhelming world, clarity, peace, and God’s presence are closer than we think.

Let’s continue pursuing the abundant life—together as PALs.

📗 In the book “The Critical Journey”, Janet Hagberg describes Phase 4 as “The Journey Inward”, a season marked by questioning, doubt, and a sense of distance from God.

Here’s the truth many people don’t hear:

👉 This phase is normal.
👉 This phase is necessary.
👉 This phase is often where faith becomes real.

Up to this point, your faith may have been built on clarity, structure, and certainty. Now, God invites you beyond formulas… into relationship. It can feel like loss, but it’s actually an invitation.

From a psychological and neuroscience perspective, seasons like this often-signal growth: your mind and spirit are processing, restructuring, and forming deeper, more resilient pathways of belief and trust.

How to navigate this season:

✅ Stay, even when you feel like leaving. Depth takes time, and consistency rewires your inner life.

✅ Be honest with God. He is not intimidated by your questions; authenticity builds connection.

✅ Let go of needing quick answers. God works in the waiting, and growth happens in this season, even when you don’t see it.

✅ Seek a safe community. You don’t have to navigate this alone; connection strengthens resilience.

✅ Keep your eyes on Jesus. Even when things feel unclear, anchor your heart in Him.

This isn’t rejection. It’s refinement! 🔥

Not God moving away, but drawing you into a deeper, more authentic faith. What feels like distance may actually be an invitation to intimacy.

If you’re navigating a spiritual crisis or feeling stuck in your faith journey, you’re not alone. 🫂

Need support in this season? Christian coaching offers a safe, open, non-judgmental space to reflect, process, and move forward with clarity and peace.

⤴️ Tap the link in our bio, book a complimentary session, and begin the next phase of your spiritual journey today. 🙏

Have you ever felt like your faith is unraveling?

Like the confidence you once had in God is now replaced with doubt, silence, or even disappointment?

You’re not alone. Spiritual crises are real, and they often come when we least expect them.

But here is the truth we hold onto: JESUS IS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH!

He is not only the One who started your story with God, but He is also the One committed to completing it.

😔 Even when your faith feels weak…
😔 Even when your prayers feel empty…
😔 Even when you question everything…
🙌🏾 He remains faithful.

Your current struggle is not the end of your story. It’s part of the refinement process, not rejection. In fact, moments of tension often deepen spiritual resilience, strengthening your trust in God over time.

The same Jesus who called you is still writing your story, line by line, season by season. And He does not abandon what He begins.

So if you find yourself in a place of uncertainty today, here is your invitation:

🙇🏽‍♀️ Fix your eyes on Jesus, not on your questions.
🙇🏻 Fix your eyes on His character, not on your confusion.
🙇🏼‍♀️ Fix your eyes on His faithfulness, not on your feelings.
✨ Hold on. He’s not finished yet!

Don’t let your questions become your focus. Let Jesus be your focus. 🎯

Remember: sometimes, the deepest knowledge of God, and of yourself, comes not in clarity, but in crisis.

We were thrilled to welcome Evilin Bastin as a credentialed coach at Pursuing the Abundant Life (PAL) in February! In a short time, she has already begun inspiring meaningful, lasting transformation for her clients.⁠
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“You are being God’s megaphone in my life. ⁠
Your questions keep me thinking all week long!” ⁠
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These words from one of her clients beautifully illustrate the power of Christian coaching, a process that goes beyond guidance to spark deep reflection, spiritual awareness, and sustainable growth. And our coach, Evilin, knows that thought-provoking questions don’t just inspire insight; they activate reflection, strengthen new neural pathways, and support real-life change.⁠
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According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF):⁠ “Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”⁠
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In Christian Coaching, we take this a step further by intentionally partnering with you to:⁠
• Seek God more closely: allowing His attributes to model your best self.⁠
• Reflect on Scripture: letting God’s Word transform your mind, heart, and actions.⁠
• Turn faith into action: creating practical plans so biblical truths become living, everyday choices.⁠
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CHRISTIAN COACHING ISN’T ADVICE! It’s a faith-centered, purpose-driven journey that equips and supports spiritual formation, emotional resilience, and personal and professional growth, helping you live the abundant life God designed for you.⁠
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Want to learn more about Christian coaching with PAL? Book a complimentary meeting here: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=18881111&appointmentType=53361327 or tap the link in our bio.⁠
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CHRISTIAN COACHING IS MORE THAN GUIDANCE! It’s a journey of transformation that brings together faith, strategy, neuroscience-informed awareness, and intentional action.

Flip through to discover 7 ways Christian coaching can support you.

At Pursuing the Abundant Life (PAL), we help you turn insight into action, challenges into growth, and faith into a life that truly flourishes, right where you are.

🌿 Ready to live with clarity, purpose, and alignment with God’s plan? DM us and let’s walk this journey together.

Are your daily habits helping you grow closer to God, or quietly holding you back?

In our latest blog, “Spiritual Growth Meets Daily Action: Building Habits That Reflect the Fruit of the Spirit”, we explore how healthy habits in every area of life, paired with self-control as a fruit of the Spirit, can renew your mind, align your heart, and shape your daily actions. Small, consistent choices don’t just build routines; they rewire the brain, strengthen character, and support lasting spiritual growth.

Learn how Christian coaching can help you:
✨ Build practical, God-honoring routines.
✨ Strengthen self-control and wise, faith-based decision-making.
✨ Turn Scripture into living, daily action.
✨ Thrive spiritually, emotionally, and personally, wherever you are.

Your growth isn’t just about intention; it’s about consistent, faith-centered action that forms new patterns of thinking and living.

💻 Click the link www.pursuingtheabundantlife.com/ # # to read the full blog and start building habits that lead to an abundant life through Christ.

Erica Yanney, Christian Coach and Founder of Pursuing the Abundant Life (PAL), had an insightful experience a few days ago while exercising on a treadmill and responding to a client message on WhatsApp.⁠
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She shared a photo of the treadmill and was about to write the phrase: “My fight is against myself.”⁠
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But she caught herself in the act:⁠
👉 “Wait a minute: my fight is FOR myself, not AGAINST myself!”⁠
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That small shift in language created a powerful change in mindset, immediately increasing her motivation.⁠
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WORDS INFLUENCE ATTITUDE ⇔ ATTITUDE ACTIVATES MOTIVATION⁠
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This moment became a practical reminder of how language shapes the brain and directs behavior. Neuroscience shows that the words we repeat—internally and externally—can either create resistance or reinforce focus, resilience, and forward movement.⁠
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This reflection is also connected to a biblical truth: ⁠
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) ⁠
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Us? No way! ⁠⁠Unfortunately, sometimes we are the ones fighting against ourselves—through criticism, pressure, and discouragement—instead of supporting ourselves with discipline, care, and purpose.⁠
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⁠At PAL, this principle reflects a core belief: ⁠
⁠👉 GROWTH IS NOT A BATTLE AGAINST WHO WE ARE, BUT A COMMITMENT TO BECOME WHO WE WERE CREATED TO BE!⁠
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Fighting FOR yourself means choosing:⁠⁠
• Healthy habits over self-sabotage.⁠
• Intentional language over negative narratives.⁠
• Consistency over guilt.⁠
• Purpose over pressure.⁠

⁠This shift in perspective encourages a lifestyle that supports emotional, spiritual, and professional well-being.⁠

⁠🌱 May our words build alignment, our choices cultivate health, and our actions lead to an abundant life that blesses and impacts others.⁠

⁠💭 Ask yourself: “Am I fighting against myself… or FOR myself?”⁠
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Anyone who knows a two-year-old knows this moment:⁠⁠
“Do you want juice?” NO. 🙄⁠
“Do you want your shoes?” NO. 😳⁠
“Do you want a hug?” NOOOO! 😄⁠
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To us, it sounds like defiance.⁠
To their brain, it feels like a discovery. 🧠⁠
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Neuroscience shows that during the “Terrible Twos,” children are realizing something incredible for the first time:⁠⁠
✨ I have a will.⁠
✨ I can choose.⁠
✨ I can stop something.⁠
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Every “no” gives them a rush of agency and control. Their prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for self-regulation—is just beginning to activate. Each “no” is like a tiny workout for their growing brain.⁠
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In other words, they’re practicing power.⁠
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What may feel like chaos is actually a celebration of identity:⁠⁠
✅ “I am not you.”⁠
✅ “I can decide.”⁠
✅ “I exist as my own person.”⁠
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And here’s the beautiful part: God designed our brains to learn self-control through practice, first in childhood, and then throughout life.⁠
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We don’t lose this need as adults. We just change what we say no to.⁠
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🛑 NO to unhealthy habits.⁠
🛑 NO to toxic relationships.⁠
🛑 NO to fear and impulsive reactions.⁠
🛑 NO to what steals our peace.⁠
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Scripture reminds us: ⁠
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power, love, and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)⁠
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Self-control isn’t about shrinking freedom; it’s about strengthening it. Just like a two-year-old, we find freedom when we remember:⁠⁠
• I don’t have to react.⁠
• I don’t have to give in.⁠
• I can choose wisely.⁠
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🌱 Maybe the “terrible twos” aren’t so terrible after all. Maybe abundant life begins with one courageous word: NO, so we can say YES to what truly matters.⁠
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This week, practice saying “no” to one habit you know needs to change. Use 5️⃣ minutes to stop, reflect, find your why, and SAY NO!⁠
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Then come back and share how your experience was! We at PAL would love to hear what happened and how you felt.⁠
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Isaiah 11:2 calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Might (Hebrew: ruach geburah)—literally, the Spirit of strength or power. Scholars emphasize that this is not raw force, but God-given strength to act wisely, righteously, and in alignment with His will. It is strength refined by wisdom, counsel, knowledge, and reverence for God, the balance that enables true transformation.⁠
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The Spirit of Might empowers us to cultivate self-control, discipline, and inner strength, qualities essential for living intentionally and flourishing in every area of life. These are not traits we generate on our own; they are attributes of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) that grow as we partner with God.⁠
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When we fix our eyes on Him:⁠⁠
• We gain clarity to pause before reacting, allowing the brain’s stress response to settle.⁠
• We strengthen the discipline needed to build healthy, life-giving habits and neural pathways.⁠
• We make choices that reflect God’s principles and values.⁠
• We experience empowered transformation in thought, behavior, and character.⁠
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Christian coaching helps you walk daily with the Spirit of Might creating intentional space to reflect, strengthen self-control, and translate God’s Word into practical, life‑shaping habits. And for those who sense God calling them higher, yet feel slowed by life’s pressures, doubts, or old patterns, this faith‑based approach nurtures spiritual growth, emotional resilience, and purpose‑driven leadership.⁠
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💭 Ask yourself:⁠⁠
Am I relying on my own strength, or am I allowing the Spirit of Might to empower my growth, decisions, and daily discipline?⁠
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⬆️ Look at Him ➡️ Look at Yourself 🔃Transform ↪️ Repeat ↩️⁠
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With the Spirit of Might, self-control and discipline are not burdens; they are tools for thriving spiritually, emotionally, and personally.⁠
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Resurrection Sunday may have passed, but it is more than a celebration; it is an invitation to live in a way that honors what Christ has done for us, not only on Sundays but throughout every day, week, month, and year of our lives.⁠
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Jesus gave His life so that we could receive life, not mere survival, but abundant life: a life marked by hope, freedom, renewal, and purpose.⁠
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To honor His sacrifice is not only to remember it, but to reflect it in how we live each day through intentional choices that shape our hearts, our minds, and even the patterns we reinforce in our lives:⁠⁠
✨ Choosing faith over fear.⁠
✨ Healing over bitterness.⁠
✨ Purpose over confusion.⁠
✨ Love over indifference.⁠
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At Pursuing the Abundant Life (PAL), we believe Resurrection empowers transformation from the inside out, renewing our identity, strengthening our relationships, and guiding our daily decisions. When truth reshapes our mindset, lasting change follows. ⁠
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Because He lives, we can:⁠⁠
• Release the past.⁠
• Embrace new beginnings.⁠
• Walk in clarity and courage.⁠
• Live aligned with God’s design for our lives.⁠
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Today, we rejoice in the victory of Christ and the gift of new life He offers to each of us.⁠
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❤️ May our lives be a testimony of gratitude.⁠
❤️ May our choices reflect His love.⁠
❤️ May we pursue an abundant life with joy and purpose.⁠
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He is risen! And because He lives, we can live fully too. ⁠
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Today, we celebrate the greatest victory in history: JESUS IS ALIVE, and because He lives, an abundant life is possible for us.⁠
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Resurrection is not only an event we remember. It is the living power that transforms:⁠⁠
✨ Fear into faith.⁠
✨ Shame into grace.⁠
✨ Despair into hope.⁠
✨ Death into new beginnings.⁠
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At Pursuing the Abundant Life (PAL), we believe the risen Christ invites us into a life of renewal, in mind, heart, and purpose. Resurrection means:⁠⁠
• You are not defined by your past.⁠
• Your story is not over.⁠
• New life is available today.⁠
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This is a day of celebration, light, and promise! A reminder that God specializes in what seems impossible and that true transformation begins from the inside out, renewing the mind, restoring the heart, and realigning our purpose.⁠
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Because He lives, we can live with courage.⁠
Because He lives, we can walk in freedom.⁠
Because He lives, we can pursue an abundant life.⁠
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May your heart be filled with joy, peace, and a living hope that strengthens your faith and shapes your future.⁠
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THE TOMB IS EMPTY! 🙌🏾 REJOICE! ⁠
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Happy Resurrection Sunday to our PAL community here in the United States 🇺🇸 and around the world! 🌏⁠
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