Day 1: Coffee, Heartburn, Repeat
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I am really addicted to coffee, but because I drink so much coffee, I get heartburn. So I have to carry Quick-Eze with me everywhere so I can drink more coffee. But when I drink more coffee, I need more Quick-Eze so I can have more coffee.
And that continues all the way through the day. I know that's a crazy routine and I should know better, but have you ever noticed how easy it is to form bad habits and how hard it is to ingrain good habits? Whether it's breaking an addiction, growing in your spiritual health, getting fit again, or starting to eat well, the best time to start is today because it's only going to get harder.
It may be completely horrible for the first couple of weeks, but if you push through, you could be a completely different person in a mere matter of months.
Let’s Talk
That’s my cycle: caffeine → heartburn → Quick-Eze → more caffeine → repeat.
I know it’s ridiculous. I know better. But I still do it.
We all have our versions of this — weird little loops we get stuck in. Patterns that aren’t helping, but feel too familiar to ditch. Whether it’s stress eating, doom-scrolling, people pleasing, or spiritual unrest, the result is the same: we're managing the symptoms just enough to keep going, not enough to start healing.
But here's the truth you need to carry with you today — and for the rest of this 30-day journey:
There is no condemnation here. Only invitation.
This isn’t about fixing your life by Thursday.
It’s not about shame or hustle or pretending you’re further along than you are.
It’s about noticing the patterns that drain you and daring to believe something new is possible — slowly, gently, and honestly.
Scripture
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1 (NIV)
Mental Health Moment
Your coping mechanisms aren’t proof that you’ve failed — they’re evidence that your nervous system was trying to keep you safe. That deserves compassion, not shame.
Nicole Zasowski, (family therapist), puts it this way:
“We repeat what we don’t repair. But healing doesn’t begin with fixing — it begins with noticing, and offering yourself kindness in the places you once offered criticism.”
Bashing your way into wholeness won’t work.
Change doesn’t start with pressure. It starts with permission — to slow down, to be honest, and to believe that you’re loved even in the loop.
So today, instead of trying to break the whole cycle, just notice it. Let Jesus meet you there — not on the other side of fixing it, but right in the middle of it.
Practice for Today
Instead of trying to overhaul your entire life today, just notice one small loop you're in.
What do you reach for when you feel overwhelmed?
What’s something you can replace, not with guilt, but with grace?
Write this down and carry it with you today:
“God’s not mad at me. He’s walking with me.”
A Prayer for the Stuck and Still Loved
Jesus,
Thank You that You don’t demand perfection — You invite presence.
I bring You my cycles, my coping habits, and all the ways I manage the pain.
Help me see them with honesty, not shame.
And give me the courage to believe that You’re already at work — even here.
Amen.
Journal Prompt
What’s one habit or loop that’s not helping right now?
What would it look like to meet that place with curiosity, not condemnation?
