Self-mastery: Jesus’ Unconventional Approach

Wednesday, Vicki Arkens (link to bio) interacts about self-mastery in daily living with host, Ann Garner.

Conventional wisdom tells us to take control, motivate, apply will power, and self-monitor. However, Jesus shows us a new and better way to alleviate the intense conflicts between our material and spiritual natures. We’ll take a close look at his teachings in the effort to understand how this is accomplished. Vicki's interest in the topic of self-mastery stretches back more than 20 years. Using what she learned from The Urantia Book and her personal experiences, she wrote and published a book titled Transcending the Everyday Temptations of Overeating. The book became, for her, a project of life-long devotion. She sprinkles her writing with passages from the ancient scriptures of Psalms and Proverbs, which provide inspiration that can speak to people of many faiths. Her spiritual advice is useful, not only to the problem of overeating, but to the wide variety of self-mastery conflicts that challenge people.

Vicki was introduced to The Urantia Book in 1972 at the age of 19 yrs. Throughout her childhood, she took an avid interest in religion and appreciated her upbringing in the United Methodist Church. She has volunteered in religious education for many years—teaching all ages and developing curriculum materials. Additionally, she has given many presentations at Urantia gatherings and conferences. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology, and has worked in the fields of social welfare and education. She and her husband Bob reside in Wisconsin and have three grown children.