My Story: From Living by My Emotions to Walking in the Spirit
My testimony isn’t dramatic by the world’s standards. I didn’t overcome addiction, homelessness, or a tragic past. On the outside, my life looked… normal. Average. Safe.
I was a public school teacher, then chose to stay home and homeschool our children in 1998. I served in children’s ministry when we lived in Colorado, hosted church groups in our home, and visited family in New Mexico whenever I could. From the outside, it seemed like I was “living the life.”
And in many ways, I was. Staying home was the hardest job I ever loved. I didn’t regret leaving work. But under the surface, I was miserable and spiritually lost—not because of major sins or life disasters, but because of everyday compromises, patterns, and choices I didn’t know how to fix.
When I Knew Jesus Was the Answer—But Didn’t Know What That Meant for Me
In the fall of 1997, I convinced my husband to visit Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque. We loved it. That same fall, we both rededicated our lives to Christ. I was on fire—I read the Bible daily, attended church faithfully, and committed to following Jesus.
It was real. It was sincere.
But I didn’t yet understand what that decision meant for how I lived, thought, or responded. I had grown up in the Catholic Church, but no one had ever taught me how to walk with Jesus—how to obey Him daily, or how to recognize who I was as a new creation in Him.
What began in 1997 was the start of my relationship with Jesus. But it wasn’t until 2013, in a quiet classroom through the Step By Step class, that I began to experience what it meant to live for Him.
Living Through My Emotions
I wasn’t living by the Spirit—I was living by my emotions.
I reacted based on how I felt instead of what God said. I wasn’t walking in sin openly—but I wasn’t walking in obedience either. Same problems. Same frustrations. No growth. I loved my family, but I wasn’t thriving. I was spiritually dry. Unmotivated. Stuck. And the worst part? I couldn’t see it was me. I’d sit in church thinking, “My husband needs this sermon. My sister needs this message. Oh! So-and-so really needs to hear this.” I didn’t want to look at myself.
Have you done that?
Step by Step, He Met Me
In spring of 2013, I saw a Monday night class at church called Step By Step. I didn’t even read the description—I just noticed it aligned perfectly with my middle school son’s youth group night. Same time, same location. I figured I’d give it a try.
When I walked into that class, I felt peace. There were no decorations. No trendy accessories. Just a plain room with volunteers who looked like grandparents—not influencers. And I was drawn to it. I asked if I could try the class before paying the $35. A kind gentleman gently placed his hand on my shoulder and said, “Sure! You’re gonna love it.” Fifteen minutes into that first lesson, tears streamed down my face. I didn’t know what the next 15 weeks would hold, but I knew one thing: I was exactly where I needed to be.
I Didn’t Need More Prayer — I Needed Biblical Practice
No one had taught me:
HOW TO stop sinning in my anger
HOW TO forgive
HOW TO stop provoking my kids
HOW TO submit to my husband
HOW TO respond to fear, stress, and depression in godly ways
I had been told to “pray about it” or “trust God,” but I didn’t know what that looked like practically. I wasn’t taught HOW TO obey. At church, I listened to sermons that were biblical, but disconnected. The pastor rarely shared his own story or struggles, and while the messages were true, I often felt like I was listening to someone who didn’t know anything about me. The same was true in women’s studies—so many teachers were polished, academic, and put together. They taught from Scripture, but not from experience. Their voices lacked the witness of how they overcame.
It felt like they were offering me a candy-coated gospel—a feel-good message that encouraged me for a moment but left me unchanged. I didn’t need a motivational boost. I needed transformation. I needed someone to say, “This was my struggle—and here’s what obedience looked like.” That class taught me how to function as the new creation I became in Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Once I began doing the will of God—not just believing in it—I saw the power of the Holy Spirit at work. The same recurring struggles? They began to fall away. Not because I tried harder, but because I obeyed more deeply.
From Student to Teacher
After Step By Step, I took a biblical counseling class and passed. While I waited to be called to serve, I was invited to disciple others in that same class. Later, I was asked to teach.
And I didn’t hesitate—because I already knew. Teaching was who I was.
I have a master’s degree in elementary education, taught in public schools, and homeschooled our children for over two decades. God had wired me to teach. But now, for the first time, I was teaching truth that had changed me first. I wasn’t just passing on information—I was passing on transformation.
In 2016, God gave me the vision for what would become the Flesh vs Spirit Bible Study, and since that time, We get to the core problem of your problems in the very first class of the Bible Study. I’ve been teaching women HOW TO overcome the temptation to sin—not just by praying, but by walking in the Spirit.
You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck
If you’re not fully alive in Christ, maybe you’re not fully obeying Him. That was true for me—and maybe it’s true for you too.
Let me show you what the Lord showed me.
Let me walk with you through Flesh vs Spirit.
Let me help you shift from surviving to surrendering.
Let me show you how we can live the abundant life despite the trials, the valleys, the suffering, and those hard-to-love people.
I can show you how I put my faith into practice in my life every day—not just on Sundays.
What’s even more amazing? When I began to put just a few of God’s commands into practice, I became more equipped—filled with His boldness and confidence—to speak truth in every area of life He had called me to. Obedience didn’t just transform my heart; it empowered my voice. I wasn’t just surviving as a Christian woman—I was finally walking in the authority of one.
This world needs truth to be told—especially in the political arena. And God has called me to explore this area with the same boldness, discernment, and obedience that transformed my personal life. We cannot spread the gospel effectively if we are not living obedient lives. Obedience in every aspect of our daily living is the evidence of a transformed heart—and the platform from which truth is most powerfully proclaimed.
We suffer from the same issue: a preoccupation with self. Let me show you how abundant living is the product of your obedience.
Want to go deeper? Visit Corrine’s Books to explore devotionals and Bible studies designed to help you put truth into action.
Corrine Rios (CEO/President of Flesh vs Spirit Ministries) and Suzanne Brownell (Board of Directors) are interviewed by Pastor Mark Wall on God Answers Prayers August 2024