Finding God in Our Pain

Kimberley Milousis - From Victim to Victor!

Kimberley Milousis - From Victim to Victor

You're going to enjoy my conversation with my Canadian guest, Kimberly Milousis. I say enjoy, because if you're like me, you never get tired of hearing someone beat the odds.

If anyone has a reason to never amount to much, Kimberley had the perfect childhood set up that ensures she would continue to struggle through life. An alcoholic mom, a father who was a pimp and a drug dealer, foster care, sexual abuse ... definitely all the components of a life, far less than what God had for her.

In reflection of her life Kimberley understands that God was pursuing her through it all. Since the moment she turned her heart toward God to where she is today, she's experienced four things that moved her through healing and into restoration, and she shares them with us.

Kimberley continues to thrive in her life as she practices what she preaches. You can learn more about her on her website: KimberlyMilousis.com. There, you'll find her signature course Life More Abundantly, among other offers.

She has a strong passion to help others create abundance in the areas of emotional, physical, spiritual and financial health, all areas that she has excelled in and continues to excel in.

Listen in to the conversation to discover some insight on what it takes to move from victim to victor!

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Connect with Kimberley on her website: kimberleymilousis.com & on FB facebook.com/kimberleymilousis/

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/68728e8dff2b402b85c0dcfe2912a3e9/edit_v2

About: Kimberley is a CPA tax-specialist turned natural-health-entrepreneur and abundance coach. In her coaching work, she focuses on empowering people to create an abundance in their mind, body, and finances, and she recently launched her Life More Abundantly course for that very purpose. Kimberley is also a home-schooling mom and loves swimming, hiking, scuba diving and gardening.

Beverley Walters - Surviving Human Trafficking

Beverley Walters - Surviving Human Trafficking

Beverley Walters is my guest today and she shared her life experience on why participating in human trafficking would even seem like a realistic option. Most interesting to me is how she found the courage to walk away and seek a new identity. 

Beverley’s trauma started early in life. The people she was entrusted to did more than let her down they gave her an identity that would set her up for the decisions she would make as she tried to provide for herself. 

So when she showed up for a job interview and at one point they request she take her clothes off I imagine it didn’t seem out of place to be violated yet again. This gateway to human trafficking was not a far reach for an orphan heart, with no voice, no worth and the identity of a ghost. 

As I share that, I’m reminded why God tells us not to judge but to love. For only God knows the depths of a heart that has been continually abused, has no understanding of love and is filled with vengeance. 

Beverely's heart is to reach the one who is suffering in silence. The one who thinks there’s no way to overcome this.  There’s no way out. God doesn’t love me. I’ve done some horrible things. I’ve gone too far for anyone to love me. 

"Not so," says Beverley. 

What Beverley left me with and I hope you receive it too, is that she no longer identifies with her past.

God is the center of her life. She no longer identifies with her old life but instead has fully embraced who God says she is to Him. Claiming what Christ did on the cross for her. She has chosen to put on God’s extravagant love for her. 

Beverley has discovered that God is not mad with her but rather He’s madly in love with her.

May we all grasp that today so that we might Live Loved and Thrive! @alifofthrive.com

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/c0356e4c1f6044748f4b8b69c4c5283f/edit_v2

Get Connected with Beverly:

https://www.facebook.com/beverlywalters13

Instagram : trauma_courage_coach_beverley

Twitter: Beverley Walters
Email:beverlywalters13@yahoo.com

Contact or Whatsapp 876-581-3818

BIO:

Beverley Walters is a survivor of human trafficking. In 2013 she turned her life over to God and made a vow to use her past to help other women who have experienced all forms of abuse. She is now living a committed Christian life and using her experiences as a stepping stone to propel her into her God-ordained life . Beverley works with women who desire to build their courage and overcome past hurts so that they can win in life to fulfill the desire of their heart.

Since giving her life to God, Beverley has become a Certified Christian Life Coach, Motivational & Transformational Speaker, Founder of Born to Win Coaching International, Founder of the Courageous Women Mastermind, Member of Feast of Esther in Jamaica and  has started the annual ‘Real Story, Real Talk’ Women Empowerment Conference.

 

Jennifer Uren - A Surprise Adoption Times Two!

Jennifer Uren - A Surprise Adoption Times TWO!

Any time I hear the word adoption, I always think about God's heart for the orphan, namely me, or any of His children that have chosen Him as their heavenly Father. The transitioning from one family to another and yet not having lost your connection in your family of origin.

My experience has been that tuning into God's vision and value system for relationship helps you love your earthly family much better. So when I heard about my guest, Jennifer Uren's, unconventional adoption, I was up for the conversation.

I wanted to hear her personal thoughts and reflections on how she perceived God's heart for the orphan, especially since she wasn't looking to adopt and the process of adoption was the fastest I've ever heard of.  Not looking to adopt, going from one child to two and their arrival in a matter of weeks, that made for a very difficult transition for her and her family of 5.

As I listened to her talk about why she didn't see the adoption as a rescue, it really got my mind churning as to how God does not simply rescue us, but that He has a much more intimate and satisfying purpose in mind when He calls us to Himself.

Jennifer talked about the importance of educating oneself on trauma, but that understanding connection was the game changer. And she suggested the book that gave her that much needed breakthrough. It's titled The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Karyn B. Purvis. 

As we wrapped up the conversation, she shares one more thing that she's learned about God in the difficult transitioning process, and I could immediately apply it to my life.

It seems the more conversations I have with those who share their stories of holding their trauma up for inspection through the lens of their relationship with Christ, it becomes increasingly clear. All the diversity, all the creativity, all the shades of skin that human beings embody-- we all find unity in Christ.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @A Life of Thrive

Stay connected with Jennifer:

Email: ThisMomKnowsPodcast@gmail.com

Website: ThisMomKnows.com

Bio: Jennifer Uren lives with her husband and 5 kids (bio and adopted) in the Chicagoland area.  She is a mompreneur on a mission to help other mompreneurs set aside "mom guilt" by using simple systems to help them use time well so they can succeed at being both "mom" and "entrepreneur".  You can connect with Jenn via her website at ThisMomKnows.com, via Facebook @ThisMomKnows, or on Instagram @ThisMomKnowsPodcast

 

Melinda Patrick - Christian Mom Whose Child has Same-Sex Attraction

Melinda Patrick - Christian Mom Whose Child has Same Sex Attraction

My guest, Melinda Patrick, is a Christian whose daughter came to her in 2011 saying she has same-sex attraction. Melinda, a devoted Christian for many years, was teaching women's Bible studies on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings, was highly involved in the women's ministry team on a rather large church, and she ran a ministry in her own home.

I was interested in this conversation for several reasons, two of which are, the church struggles with being in the world and not of the world and Christians, including myself, have a hard time speaking truth in love.

How do we truly love like Christ and yet not compromise the truth in the process? And why are we making it so hard?

I wanted to hear from the heart of a mother, a Christian mother, who can't simply throw scripture around to make herself feel better or who has some distance on the particular topic of same-sex attraction; a mom who loves her daughter dearly and would lay down her life for her without hesitation, but whose heart also knows that to love as Christ is to choose the purest form of the highest love. 

Live Loved and Thrive! @ alifothrive.com

Stay connected with Melinda Patrick on her website: melindapatrick.org

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/f7574bb1aae948cb8db4a8737677a882/edit_v2

 

Bio:

Melinda Patrick has been the Director of Parent Support for His Wonderful Works (https://hiswonderfulworks.com/) since 2013. Having a child herself who has been involved in Same-Sex Attraction (SSA) for more than 9 years, Melinda is all too familiar with the grief and loss of hope this can bring to a family. By way of her own healing and the healing of her relationship with her daughter, she is now passionate about offering the same hope to other parents and family members.

Through her speaking, podcasting, and writing, God is using Melinda to touch the hearts of parents with the healing power of His Word.  She has a great desire to lead other parents into a joyful relationship with the God who has been so faithful to honor His Word in her life.  Her passion is to inspire and equip others to bear fruit in every season of life, even the most painful.  

On the south side of Atlanta, Georgia, is where you will find Melinda and her husband, Ron. Her kitchen is notorious for impromptu dance parties, and her porch is loved for long talks, slow swinging, and sweet tea. The outdoors is where she loves to spend most of her time reading, hiking, and enjoying lazy lake days.

Sarah Geringer - Hope in A Difficult Marriage

Sarah Geringer - Hope in an Abusive Marriage

My conversation with guest, Sarah Geringer is focused on giving hope to the woman who finds herself in an abusive marriage. She's not talking about the various things that we all have to put up with when married, she's talking about real abuse be it physical, emotional, mental etc. 

When faced with abuse her heart was to please God by honoring the vows she had made to her husband and in front of the guests who witnessed her pledge, not to mention in the sight of the God who takes a vow very seriously. She wanted to be able to look at God and say, I have truly tried everything within my human ability to make this marriage work. 

Sarah talks about her 20 year journey, what she discovered about herself, about God and his intention for marriage.  She shares resources, mistakes, revelation practices and insight that allows others to potentially take a shortcut through their journey. 

She defines love bombing, how our gift of choice can be a gift we give ourselves. And she explains this quote from one of Henry Cloud and John Thompson's books on why it was a stumbling block for her, “Become so strong that they can no longer hurt you and become so loving that they cannot resist you.” 

You'll want to hear her take on Dr. John Gutman's analysis of the Four Horsemen, which are actually four attitudes and the actions that back them up. Sarah helps us understand that when these four attitudes are present, the marriage is doomed. Additionally, she tells us why she thinks contempt is the worst one of the four.

The list of the books and the authors, and the various resources she talks about are available in the podcast notes themselves or on my website.

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Her Website: https://www.sarahgeringer.com/

Resources Mentioned in Sarah's interview: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/rui3xx/Sarah_Geringer_Links6av2z.pdf

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/edd353c763864659984d41b31e420478/edit_v2

Bio: Married in the millennium to my first kiss.
Mother of three beautiful children.
B.A. in English, B.F.A. in graphic design and illustration.
Must begin the day with hot tea, local honey, and my One Year Bible.
With flowers on the table, I’m fully alive.
Living in my dream home in the woods.
Dark chocolate is my daily pleasure.
Terrified by spiders, heights, and carnival rides.

I share thoughts, pictures and curated posts every day on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well. You’ll find many of my posts on Pinterest too.

 

Lady Kavan - Her Husband was Murdered in a Home Invasion

Lady Kavan - The Murder of Her Husband

Kavan and I had an immediate connection because sadly, she and I know what it is like to lose a spouse.  Painful as mine was and can still be, I had the luxury of knowing a massive heart attack was what took my husband from me. I say luxury because in comparison to the way Kavan had to say good-bye to her beloved, I definitely consider it a level of peace and comfort in his departure.

Her husband was murdered in the wee hours of the morning during a home invasion.

Kavan's scream woke her husband. A devoted family man of God and honorable husband ran toward his wife knowing something was terribly wrong. In the struggle a shot rang out and he fell to the floor.  But the invasion did not stop there. Kavan was made to leave him laying in the floor as she was separated from him. Others began to wake in the house. Was her newborn still in his crib? What would happen if he wakes and she's not able to get to him?

Kavan felt as though her heart was devastated beyond repair. Healing would surely be on the level of a miracle. But miracles are God's business and He didn't seem to care on the night she lost her husband.

How could her heart heal if she was too busy running away from God? Would God just let her run and hope she'd come back? Did He even care that the grief was too much to process? What did He have to say for Himself by taking one of His most devoted earthly saints? Where was He anyway when evil broke into their house?

Even though Kavan's shattered heart kept her running from God, He kept pursuing her. He'd turn her escape plans into blessings. He sent provision from unlikely people. He expedited the process for her to leave her home town.

As we talked, the most precious thing to me was when she shared about posing a challenge to her followers. She asked them to find something to be thankful for on the worst day of their life. She took that challenge herself and she discovered proof that even though the intruder used his gift of choice to kill, steal and destroy, God was present. 

As you listen to Kavan's journey into grief, the struggle through and then her restoration, you'll get to see that we are never alone. Despite what it may feel like or look like, the fact remains God is present at all times and in everything. God's presence isn't to condone the senseless act but to be with us in the reality of this life...He has promised never to leave us. No. Matter. What. 

Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Transcript Can be Found Here

Here are some of the ways you can connect with Lady Kavan:

Check out her website: https://ladykavanwrites.com/

For booking email: ladykavanwrites@gmail.com

Follow Lady Kavan on Instagram @ladykavanwrites; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladykavanwrites/ or on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQIkfRdG6daH5R1oLxv1i-A

Bio: Kavanaugh Dickson-Williams is a Christian Best Selling Author, Speaker and Blogger for “Lady Kavan Writes.” Her writing navigates complex emotions to provide hope and encouragement based on experience and scripture.

 

Jenna Erlandson - Learning Identity Through Her Special Needs Son

Jenna Erlandson - Identity and Special Needs Son

My time with Jenna Erlandson, learning about her sweet family left me feeling immense appreciation for the intimacy with which God knows us. Jeanna is married and has 3 children one of which is special needs.

She and her husband got married knowing infertility was a reality that they would have to face. Then the impossible happened and she gave birth to a precious baby boy, Eli. A few months old and they began to notice some developmental concerns and through their inquiry found out he is special needs.

We talked about the power of surrender and she made a distinction between struggle vs letting go and she referred us to a book by Nancy Guthrie, God Does His Best Work with Empty.

She moved me when she said that the most painful thing for her right now is watching her son realize he's different. And she shared how God is glorified through Eli's life.

Jenna also tackled some tough topics like did she or her husband sin or do something to offend God that Eli would be born with special needs. We tenderly touched on the topic of grieving all that she had envisioned for her first born son.

As she and I talked about the various challenges that an active family faces, the questions she struggles with raising children, grieving what she originally envisioned for her family, I realized she was describing a strong understanding of who she is in Christ through the love that God has for Eli.

There are so few things more beautiful than that! Enjoy this conversation with a precious, humble heart that chooses to be vulnerable to the good God she professes.

Live Loved and Thrive @ alifeofthrive.com

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/7ad4dd49fc8a4fa19a5be9851f6c9eef/edit_v2

Instagram: @botfpodcast

Facebook either Jenna Erlandson or Botfpodcast

Website: www.botfpodcast.com

Email: jenna@botfpodcast.com 

BIO: Jenna Erlandson is the host for the Bridge of the Faithful Podcast. Her passions include diving deeper into understanding what faithfulness looks like in everyday lives as well as finding a rooted security of our identity in Christ. You can usually find her on adventures with her family, experimenting in the kitchen, or nose deep in a book—or three. Hop on to www.botfpodcast.com to hear some of her encouraging episodes. She would also love to hear from you, you can reach her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/botfpodcast or Instagram @botfpodcast.

Crystal Daye - Despite deep pain Crystal found wholeness and her true identity

Crystal Daye - Finding Wholeness and True Identity

Crystal Daye grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Kingston Jamaica. The environment in which we find ourselves can present us with many challenges and Crystal was no exception experiencing many things meant to leave the mark of guilt and shame on her life. Molestation, pregnancy at 16, an abortion, rejection, the death of a beloved friend and an identity crisis. But God came to give us new life, new identity, new love. When she found Christ she found wholeness and restoration but did it prepare her for the devastating loss of her baby sister?

Listen in to see what beautiful revelation God has given her in the midst of deep suffering and real pain. What does it look like for God to prepare a table for Crystal in the presence of her enemy, Satan?

Crystal shares her traumatic story from a place of security, her identity in the One who gave purpose to her pain, healing for her heart and a future she never imagined.

Side note: You will hear Crystal refer to the CSE test. It stands for Caribbean Secondary Education and is a test used in Jamaica to determine further schooling or job prospects.

Live Loved and Thrive @ alifeofthrive.com

Transcript of today's episode: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/99df046e524f44f7be038c87df649756/edit_v2

You can connect with Crystal in any one of these places:

Her Podcast: Diary of a Jesus Girl  (her intro music will make you dance) - Here's Soundcloud but you can listen on your favorite podcast format: https://soundcloud.com/crystal-s-daye/intro-the-diary-of-a-jesus

Website: CrystalDaye.com

You can find her books on her website (which may benefit her directly) but for convenience here is a link to Amazon (I receive no monetary gain if you purchase through this link): https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Daye/e/B077PHFSL2?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000

 

Bio: Crystal Shachene Daye is a Minister, International Certified Christian Life Coach, Inspirational Speaker, Award-Winning 2 times Best- Selling Author, Dynamic Entrepreneur, Mother and an all-around Jesus girl. After experiencing the redeeming power of Christ in her life, there was no way she could shut up about that- it’s the core of who she is. It is this power and passion that drives her life and has caused her to have a strong desire to see other women live life on purpose and experience all God has for them.