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Rediscovering Emotional Resilience

Hi Friends!

Sadly, our world is showing a growing lack of crucial skills, such as the abilities to calm ourselves, stay connected to God and others, or get back to joy and peace from distress and upset. The good news is that this can change!

At THRIVEtoday we are passionate about helping people rediscover emotional capacity and resilience so we can all best express who God made us to be. We offer pathways for people to develop missing relational skills so they can live with more of God’s joy, peace, and strength. When put into practice, relational skills lead to personal, family, and community transformation!

We are eager to see the treasures of relational skills spread. But we can’t do this work alone. We invite you to join us on this journey!

Chris and Jen Coursey

Hearing people’s stories helps us feel connected and not alone.

These 5 people have used relational skills in real life and transformation is now part of their stories. They are exited to share with you!

Relational skills gave our friend Andy an ability to navigate through conflict that he did not have before.

In 2025 we’ll kick off the year addressing the challenge of navigating conflict. With the help of financial partners, we’re creating a free webinar and new event offering unique solutions for walking through conflict well instead of fearing it, avoiding it, or hurting each other in the process.

Our friend Kailey is a mental health therapist who was struggling with overwhelm and anxiety. Before finding THRIVEtoday, she doubted her ability to do the work of a therapist because people’s stories felt too heavy.

Relational skills changed things for Kailey!

South Korean missionaries, Eunsil and Elijah, have been learning relational skills and spreading them to the teens they minister to. They’ve seen joy increase and peace restored to many traumatized North Koreans!

For 13 years they longed to come to a Premier Training so they could fill relational gaps and be better equipped to spread relational skills. This year donors helped make their dream possible!

Growing up, Todd learned from the men in his life that big emotions should be avoided or shut down. Learning relational skills is giving him hope—and the tools—to model a healthier, more connected approach for his kids.

“The emotional stress of ministry had wreaked havoc on my nervous system causing me anxiety and insomnia. I needed a way to calm myself, reset my nervous system, and return to joy. I just didn’t know I needed it. Through reading various books, including Chris Coursey’s Joy Switch, I was turned on to something new – paying attention to my soul AND body. I look forward to the class each week as a time to slow down, breathe, and practice the relational skills with others. It has been incredibly life-giving and soul healing.”

Would you enjoy blessing others like Jeff who are hungry for healing and growth?

There are countless others looking for transformation in their lives and relationships. We long to invite them to learn with us, but we need your help!

You make this possible!

Generous donors made all of this possible in 2024:

NEW Weekly Podcast Episodes: Our free Relational Skills in Real Life podcast has continued to be a much loved first step to learn about relational skills.
A NEW Foundational 5 Introductory Group: This popular new group introduced people to the Foundational 5 Skills and simple practices for growing capacity.
ONGOING Habit Builder Groups & Practice Classes: Regular groups and classes have provided avenues for people to practice skills and grow capacity and resilience.
New Topical Learning Pathways: We began developing clearer pathways to learn with us based on felt needs, such as anxiety, or parenting.
NEW Return to Joy Resources: We’ve been creating and testing new resources to help people develop the ability to return to joy and peace from big emotions.

These resources make it easier than ever for people to come, learn what relational skills are, and begin to grow capacity and resilience.

In 2025, our key goals are:

Training people to grow emotional awareness and recovery skills by launching the new Return to Joy materials we’ve been working on this year,
Equipping passionate leaders to lead others through pre-existing courses with new facilitator guides, and
Continuing to help groups and individuals find needed resources through new group and topical learning pathways.

Donors provide crucial encouragement and support so our goals can become reality!

We are trusting God for $75,000 in year-end gifts to position us for the greatest impact in 2025.

Would you join us to touch lives with a gift of $500, $100, or $50?

If it would bring you joy to partner with us in this way, we invite you to donate:

Together we make a bigger impact in this world. Thank you for being on the journey with us!

If you are interested in joining our monthly giving team, you can learn more at https://thrivetoday.org/rit

Stories made possible

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"Before going to Thrive Premier training, I struggled with triggers rooted mostly in childhood trauma. I was a successful military officer, leading well in high-stress environments including combat, but inside I carried deep pain. This affected how I led, sometimes reacting out of my triggers and hurting people in my path. It affected my marriage and my parenting, hurting the relationships that mattered most to me. Thrive Premier training changed everything. I learned how to train my brain to run on joy instead of pain. This gave me new superpowers to stop the pain train before it left the station. I became capable of finding the peace that allowed me to be my true self and avoid relational collateral damage. What a breath of fresh air for those that I lead and love! The team at THRIVEtoday made me feel safe and secure enough to be vulnerable as I learned these new skills. They presented the material and exercises in an easily understandable way."

“I wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate the THRIVEtoday Relational Skills podcast. I work in a state system, providing services to young children and their parents, and these podcasts give great handles for understanding brain science and relational skills. I talk a lot about relational skills with the families that I see and having the podcast to share with them has been satisfying and helpful.”

“One of the things that I have found to be an increased place of encouragement are the Habit Builder Groups that Thrive has started. I especially enjoy being able to connect with people who are interested in learning the same things that I'm learning, even if we're not in the same physical location.”

“I decided to take the Foundational 5 Intro Course because I have been looking for how to regain spiritual endurance of joy and peace. This course renewed my hope, excited me and gave me a path forward toward joy and peace and deeper union with the Lord and others.”

Barbara's Story

“The dearest relationships I have used and taught the skills to are some of my grandchildren. In different ways each of them needed healing and stability in their lives. Now they know how to quiet, to seek Jesus in “everything,” and to live from their hearts. And they spread the joy they have found and the skills they have learned to those around them. “

“As I was describing my experience to a friend after the Defeating Your Barriers to Jesus event, I noticed that I felt clean. My heart felt clean. I felt heard and seen. And I thought of the words of Jesus to His disciples “…you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” John 3:15. When the barriers are removed and I hear from Him, there’s nothing like it. Having been raised in a spiritually abusive and traumatic environment, “God” is a complicated relationship for me. But He keeps winning my trust through right-brain experience that overrides my faulty logic and beliefs. The calming cleanness that comes from hearing from Him is one of those things He uses to defeat my barriers to Him. I’m so grateful.”

“Thrive training has been very helpful for me in my work as a mental health therapist. I walk with people through very traumatic, dark times and yet I'm still able to be glad to be with them in their times of sorrow and distress. It's also increased my capacity so I'm able to hear other people’s sad stories and not get pulled down into sadness or depression myself.”

“We had a daughter who really struggled regulating her emotions and we weren't sure how to handle that. None of the books helped. Year after year going back to Thrive training and having precious, precious mentors tell us, “Don't underestimate the power of joy and you're doing everything right. Just keep doing it. It's just gonna take time.” That was instrumental in helping our children grow and grow healthy, secure attachments to us. Now we have a 32, 22,13 and 12 year old, and they've been raised the last 15 years of their lives with these principles. Now we are seeing the fruit in their lives as well. We're super thankful for that. Thank you, Thrive!”

Stewart's Story

Stewart struggled with severe depression for 6 years, until he discovered the relational skills. Now God has transformed his life and he is giving back as a regular donor. "If you knew how grateful I am, you would get it. I gladly contribute because it literally saved my life and saved my brain and gave me a second chance. My hope is that others would experience Immauel and the incredible transformation that can happen in moments - that others could experience deep freedom healing and empowering that happens when you know how to keep your RCs on and you don’t fear anything anymore the way you used to because Immanuel is right here with you, right now."

Elizabeth's Story

Elizabeth discovered the relational skills at almost 80 years of age. In the past three years since, she has seen wonderful results in areas that were stubborn to all the other forms of healing she had encountered in the past 40 years. “When I became a Christian at 35, I thought I’d found the manual to life when I started reading the Bible. Three years ago when I discovered The Skills as I was being introduced to Immanuel Prayer, I knew I’d found my missing piece and the key to relationships. Immanuel has been able to do a mighty work in me, and it truly has been a time of Transforming my Fellowship with my husband, my five adult children, and their children in ways I’ve only dreamed of before. It is moving from my head to my heart through Immanuel Journaling and is finally coming out my fingers and toes as I go. My heart is so full of GRATITUDE. Thank you just doesn’t touch it!”

THRIVEtoday Ambassador Anni has a past of deep emotional trauma. Everywhere she looked for help she was told that unless God performed a unique miracle, she would not be healed this side of heaven. Anni shares how online skill resources have brought hope and healing. “In all my learning of the 19 skills, the most revolutionary concept has been that God created my brain to function in a way that I could grow and learn. But without online resources like THRIVE online practice communities, my ability to assimilate and practice the 19 brain skills would be practically non-existent. Now God has given me freedom and healing from many things I thought would always be a part of my life. I feel as though I am standing in the wilderness crying out that there is hope now, there is healing now, there is freedom now!”

see more lives transformed

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Questions?

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