Here’s one of the ego’s sneakiest tricks: If you go all in for God, you’ll be deprived. No more cocktails. No more ice cream. No more fun. Just cold rooms, hard beds, and mushy peas (the bad kind).

I fell for this trick for years. The ego convinced me that choosing God meant choosing deprivation. Why? Because religious groups throughout the centuries have taught that being godly means chastity, poverty, loneliness, and general misery until you get crucified.

But here’s what helped me see it correctly: This is completely backwards.

A Course in Miracles teaches that God’s will for us is perfect happiness. PERFECT happiness.

Not partial. Not “happiness with restrictions.” Perfect.

Listen to this truth: There’s no deprivation ever in the mind of God. In our Holiness, in our Infinite Oneness, there’s everything. Deprivation only comes with the ego.

So if you want a cocktail, have a cocktail. Want two? Have two. Want ice cream on a brownie with fudge sauce, nuts, and whipped cream? Enjoy every bite. God isn’t sitting there with a scorecard of what you can’t have.  But do be clear – what is the ice cream for?

Because if the purpose – which may be hidden in your awareness – is to make you feel bad, wrong, shameful and guilty, then that’s a different story.  And for a lot of us, that’s the point of indulging – to prove we’re “not good enough for God.”  It’s part of the ego plan to hide from God – which is impossible.

The saying is, “Seek first the Kingdom and all else is added unto you.”
Not “all else is taken away.” ADDED.
Everything is added unto us when we align with our Holiness.

The ego thought system knows only separation and deprivation, so it’s designed to project that onto our relationship with God. But in truth, choosing God means complete freedom. It means deep satisfaction that can’t come from the world but can be known by us.

I’m not saying live recklessly or harmfully.

I’m saying stop believing that God wants you to suffer.

Stop thinking spirituality means giving up everything you enjoy. That’s just another ego fantasy designed to keep you from choosing peace.

In Masterful Living, we explore what it really means to choose God—and discover it means more joy, not less. More freedom, not restriction. More satisfaction than the world could ever offer.

Ready to let go of the deprivation trick? Consider joining me in my Masterful Living Program next Year.  Let’s let go of all of the ways we withhold Love and punish – ourselves and others – true liberation is possible.  Let’s do it together!

Are you really ready to transform your sense of Peace and safety? Join me in Masterful Living in 2026.  We actively live these principles and watch the miracles unfold. Because now is the time for deep healing. Now is the time to be free.

We’re at the precipice of a new cycle of 9 years beginning January 1st.  Now is the time for us to set the tone, the intention, the trajectory for the next nine years.  The work we do brings benefit to all.  We get to share all the blessings we create for ourselves.  Isn’t that wonderful?

We begin Masterful Living in January, register early, and receive beautiful bonuses.
Click here now to Learn more about my Masterful Living Program.

Here are some of the bonuses you’ll receive: 
Fresh Start:  New Year, New Vision Saturday, January 3rd.  In this live 4-hour workshop we’ll consciously lay a powerful and loving foundation for the next 9 years and a life-changing 2026.

A Life Led By Love  Starts Monday, January 5.  A 3-Part Program We’ll get into the details of the vision for the next 9 years, with a deep focus on 2026.  You’ll feel prepared for a launch into a new view of your life and your Self.

Accountability With Love, a Deep Dive Workshop on Saturday, January 17.  How to hold yourself accountable in a loving and supportive way so that you follow through on the expansive vision for your precious life of Love and don’t let your vision fall by the wayside.

New ACIM PODCAST EPISODE: The Person You Despise Is Your Great Companion In this episode of A Course in Miracles: Living the Love, Walking the Talk, I reveal why that person who disgusts you most is actually someone sacred you don’t recognize. As I feel lighter while December darkens, I’ll share my controversial Chapter 31 practice with a world leader that might shock you. You’ll discover the ancient truth about your harshest judgments and why your world anger is completely misdirected. If certain people make your skin crawl this holiday season, what I uncovered will transform how you see them forever.