Finding God in Our Pain

Charlie Griffin - Facing the Lie that I‘m Never Enough

Charlie Griffin - Facing the Lie that I'm Never Enough

I’m so happy you’re here because my guest Charlie Griffin is the sweetest, I mean the sweetest young woman who has a precious story of transformation. She’s been set free from the lie she once believed, “I’m not enough.”  She’s left addiction behind, a failed marriage when her husband returned to his addiction and the revelation that sometimes what we think are God’s plans for us turn out to be exactly that … what WE thought He wanted.

Charlie and I really dug into regret, guilt, shame and looked at it through several different angels because I wanted to find all the different ways that it surfaces.

Charlie’s transformation began when she learned that God did love her and begin to understand that He says she is enough. Period.  No matter what she’d done or where she found herself God saw the beauty of who He had made her to be. 

The power of her transformation really grabbed major traction when she moved from what she thought she knew about God to discovering Him for who He truly was. From what she believed and reasoned in her own mind to what she discovered about Him with her heart.

As you listen to her talk you will hear that she is thoughtful about what she says and how she reveals the heart of God. You’ll also hear her love of God pour forth and you’ll understand why as she tells you about  her journey through addition, trying her best to save her marriage only to realize she’s fighting against God, how God used her 4 year old daughter to give her a reality check and the beauty of the knowledge that she lives in and with today. 

Friend, since you’re listening in, I want to encourage you. Hang on to this truth - No matter what this life wants to label you with or put on you, keep the eyes of your heart on God because He is writing a much bigger love story with you as the individual He created you to be.

Connect with Charlie:
https://www.facebook.com/charlie.griffin.589
charlie@thatmediagirl.org

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/f18fb18e05794ca88a6c1c08b90250dd/edit_v2

Sara Salazar - Autoimmune Disease and Pulmonary Fibrosis

Sara Salazar - Autoimmune Disease and Pulmonary Fibrosis

When I originally recorded this episode with today’s guest Sara Salazar there were 2 things that stood out to me then and they stay with me even now. The strength of such a small family unit, Sara, her brother and their mom and the influence of a mother’s unwavering faith.

Sara had watched her mom overcome obstacle after obstacle, challenge after challenge. Sara held onto the hope that they’d be able to catch that needed break and things would level out for them and be a little easier.

So what would they do when a health diagnosis shakes the one foundation that their mother stands on? Solid. Unwavering. This mom’s faith in Christ alone was non-negotiable. But what happens when the expectations we have of God our ways of defining what it means for Him to show up are not fulfilled?

In my conversation with Sara, now a young woman in her mid 20’s, she shares the story of her mom through the eyes of a young teen. When Sara was 14 she received devastating news. Her mom who had scleroderma, an autoimmune disease finds out it has brought the onset of pulmonary fibrosis. It is a rare lung disease that affects 1 in 20,000 people. pulmonary fibrosis would scar her lungs making it difficult to breathe.

Upon receiving the bleak diagnosis, her mom stepped out in faith and shared that she believed God would heal her. Sara stood in agreement with her mother. They joined together in shared faith, believing that God would heal her. The faith community joined in faithful prayer for healing.

We all know that God has promised to never leave us alone especially in our pain and suffering but we also have to admit that there are times that God in His Sovereignty does not move the mountains that we so desperately pray for Him to move. And that was Sara’s experience. God did not heal her mom on this side of heaven. When Sara was 19 she laid her mother to rest.

I’ll admit that a believer’s death is the ultimate healing but what about those left behind to deal with the pain of separation? How would Sara make sense of a good God and the reality that He did not intervene in her mother’s suffering nor did He stop her death.

The good deposit that Sara’s mom made in her life, a fierce faith, the kind that weathers the storms and deeply painful seasons was then and is now, the life preserver of truth that keeps Sara firmly planted on solid ground.

May you be as blessed as I was to hear this precious woman’s story of genuine struggle, the revelations she received and what it looks like for her to arrive at a place of peace despite her deep pain.

 

Get Connected with Sara
Social Media: 
https://www.instagram.com/justbeingsara/
https://www.facebook.com/sara.salazar.3323/
https://www.joinclubhouse.com/@justbeingsara

Website - Need help through your journey of grief? Get more info about all the ways Sara is there to help.
https://www.justbeingsara.com/

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/1f62b5446cf34ffe810dc9397ac4eb0f/edit_v2

 

 

 

Bonnie Rawlins - Divorce and Personal Restoration

Bonnie Rawlins - Divorce and Personal Restoration

My guest today is Bonnie Rawlins and she shares her personal experience of being a mom of 3, rushing into marriage, discovering she’d made a terrible mistake, and what it was like to get through her divorce.

Bonnie prayed for a man that was Godly and would lead the family with biblical values. Bonnie was confident God had brought the right man into her life. But what would she do when she realizes she'd rushed ahead of God? Would God shame her for not being patient, for doing what she wanted and not really listening for His leading?

Does God care about us when we make mistakes or is it our fault and He lets us get the consequences we deserve? Did God turn his back on her? Did He provide for her? Does God have a future for Bonnie?

I hope your heart will be as encouraged as mine to hear of God’s presence in the midst of what we define as mistakes.

If you've ever rushed ahead of God only to realize you'd made a mistake, listen in to discover the various ways God showed up.

Get connected with Bonnie: You can reach her through her coaching and heart healing services: withaservantsheart@gmail.com or via Facebook at With a Servants Heart Breakthrough Coaching, @withaservantsheartcoaching (https://www.facebook.com/withaservantsheartcoaching) 

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/8dee003b893c45e18e9bf5bc40214ceb/edit_v2

Bio:

I am a survivor of domestic abuse, which began as financial control and kept me "prisoner" for 7 years, and yet, I can see all the ways God was protecting me and how He kept me going. What felt like being crushed was really my road to healing because it turned out to be the way God was preparing me for His call on my life. Once set free of the abusive cycle, God began connecting me with other women who were in or had been in similar situations. In doing so, I was able to meet various needs as well as help in different ways with their healing process.

At 44 years of age I graduated from college and now enjoy each day working with children who have special needs. God has brought purpose and redemption from my pain because I am also the Owner of With a Servant’s Heart. Through this opportunity I have the honor of coaching women to find healing and purpose through their pain.

Sherry Jones - The Power of Speaking Life

Sherry Jones - The Power of Speaking Life

Bible scripture can feel so empty when tragedy and trauma hit us. We struggle to right ourselves and make sense of what has happened.

My precious guest Sherry Jones is no different. What started out as hanging with friends turned into a night that would bring confusion, shame and regret. But God never leaves us in our suffering and He proved Himself faithful as the pain and confusion ran its course in Sherry's mind and heart. 

It was the word of God, the scriptures that would rewrite her darkest fears. It was God's presence that brought the ink on crinkly pages to life and made His promises real to her. It was God's promises that would set her on a new path, into healing and restoration, a deeper understanding of His heart for her. 

Do you have any regret and shame? Ask God for a promise that you can set the eyes of your heart on and begin to believe Him for. He's the Father that never leaves, is never offended and does not give ultimatums. You're free to choose Him and you're free not to choose Him but do know that He waits patiently to restore, heal and redeem. That's His heart for you!

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/1cc3b4302f584107bf19f5e841f64ad1/edit_v2

Social Media links: 

https://www.facebook.com/SherrySpeaksLife

https://www.instagram.com/sherryspeakslife

https://www.facebook.com/groups/201151113563621 (Glory Carriers Women's Network)

 

Website: 

https://sherryspeakslife.com/

 

Bio: 

Sherry Jones believes in the power of speaking life! She is passionate about helping women push past their limitations so that they can pursue their purpose. She does this by empowering them to make speaking life a lifestyle, transforming the negative words spoken over their lives into positive words and thoughts rooted in the Word of God.

Sherry is the author of two books. Speak Life Moments: A Transformational Journey is a 21-day devotional that shares moments in her life that taught her how to speak life to herself and her circumstances so that her readers can do the same. Trouble Don’t Last Always is a Christian fiction novel that tells the story of a young woman struggling with her faith and takes readers on her journey back to God. These books are available on Amazon.

The How to Speak Life with Your Story Coaching Program is for first-time authors who know they have a book inside them but don’t know where to start. Sherry will help you determine what to share and how to share it in a way that will bless and encourage your readers. Learn more about this program at bit.ly/speaklifewithyourstory.

Sherry believes in the power of prayer and wants to encourage you to speak life through prayer. Infusing speaking life into your prayer life strengthens your connection with the Lord, increases your confidence in who God says you are and empowers you to confess that truth boldly. You’re invited take the 7-Day Speak Life Prayer Challenge and join Sherry on this journey at bit.ly/speaklifeprayerchallenge.

Sherry is the founder of Glory Carriers Women’s Network, a Facebook community for Christian women. The mission of GCWN is to uplift, support, and encourage Christian women to glorify God in every aspect of their lives. Not only do they carry the glory, but they are #spreadingtheglory to the masses.

Learn more about Sherry and listen to her podcast, We Are The Church with Sherry Jones, at sherryspeakslife.com. Enjoy words of encouragement and interviews with Christian thought-leaders, business owners, and ministry leaders about today’s issues from a Christ perspective.

Follow Sherry on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @sherryspeakslife. She would love to connect with you!

 

 

Artisha Bolding - Navigating a Health Crisis, ICU Stay and a Coma

Artisha Bolding - Navigating a Health Crisis, an ICU Stay and a Coma

Artisha is the founder of T-Bold Media Group. She sat down with me and allowed me to dig around in her personal story of a health crisis that eventually landed her in the intensive care unit and in a coma.

She shared how some significant changes in her life created stress and anxiety. What began as a cough was also the beginning of her health decline.

She'd never had a hospital stay, didn't have a primary care physician, and even had trouble finding her insurance card as she entered into a journey that would include countless doctor visits, medications and hospital stays, eventually ending up in the ICU. During the ICU portion of her stay, she was in a coma.

While in the hospital, she prayed to be out of her misery and what she meant by that was that she wanted to be with Jesus in heaven. At one point, throughout her health struggle, she feels the life draining out of her body. She feels her breath leaving her. God gives her a glimpse of heaven and she is prepared to meet Him and then it seems the door is shut, because whenever she comes into consciousness, she's still here, present in this life.

Artisha calls herself a pew baby, someone who has been raised in the church, but from my own personal reflection, even though we point our children to the Lord, there will come a time in their lives when crisis hits and when they call out to the God that we have pointed them to, he must be real to them in order to move from their ears of hearing about this good God to their heart of knowing that he is indeed who he says he is

Listen to find out why Artisha defines such an incredibly painful time in her life as a divine pause. You'll discover how it encouraged her to walk boldly into her purpose, why gratitude is so important to her and the reason she makes it her life mission to point others to the heart of God.

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/6887289d545540b699bcaee5aba261e6/edit_v2

Stay Connected with Artisha:
COACHTEE@ARTISHABOLDING.COM
ARTISHABOLDING.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/ARTISHA.BOLDING
INSTAGRAM.COM/ARTISHABOLDING

Bio: Artisha “Tee” Bolding is a minister and certified life coach known as the Mindset Midwife. Through her coaching she motivates women and entrepreneurs to birth their business, book or brand. Artisha has spent the last decade providing relationship and spiritual advice to friends, clients and groups of teenagers. Her programs ensure individuals are no longer stuck in life but thriving in success that's aligned with their purpose and passion. Since her early days at Howard University, positively impacting people has been a serious passion for this visionary. From charter schools to City Hall and even a dusty construction site, Artisha has experienced a lot and has touched many lives. In fact she founded her company T Bold Media Group after hitting rock bottom and pushing past crises in her marriage and health. She knows God will do great things because we expect Him to. When this loving wife and fur mom is not saving the world and missing DC ever so terribly, you can find her kicking the truth and cracking jokes on Instagram (@artishabolding). Keep an eye out for Artisha’s next project — it just might be your new favorite book!

 

Kristi Wells and Brittany Dunn of Safe House Project - Child Sex Trafficking.

Kristi Wells and Brittany Dunn of Safe House Project - Child Sex Trafficking

Every single day we receive information about the world that is deeply disturbing. And for me, there are simply few rivals to deeply disturbing than the reality of child sex trafficking. And I'll confess, I only like to read the articles or watch the news clips where children are rescued. I tend to ignore the reports about statistics because I feel helpless to make a difference. And to be further honest, I overlook the fact that when a child is rescued, the work to freedom has only begun

I mean, who am I anyway? One person can't possibly make a difference in such an incredible underground network of evil. But all that has changed after having the opportunity to speak with the founders of Safe House Project, Kristi Wells and Brittany Dunn.

Safe House Project, or SHP, is an anti-sex trafficking organization with the aggressive goal to eradicate child sex trafficking in America by 2030. I'm over here whining about being only one person, but Kristi and Brittany are busy uniting communities, corporations, and individuals to end domestic sex trafficking.

With regard to people like you and I who want to show our support, Brittany and Kristi simplify the process because they find great value in the gifts and talents of others. As a matter of fact, they rely on people to show up with their unique experiences, backgrounds, and knowledge, believing that the skill set they already have in place is what will equip them to help not only slow the evil of child sex trafficking, but to end it.

Every July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and Safe House Project takes part in the march to bring awareness to the trafficking of children. If your heart is moved to stand up for the innocent lives in this way, join the march in a location nearest you. You don't have to raise money for this march, but I'll be making a personal donation.

For my local listeners here in the southeastern part of Virginia, the City of Norfolk has authorized a march in support of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Join me on July 30th in Town Point Park, closest to Nauticus from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Norfolk Mayor, Kenneth Alexander has taken an aggressive stance, even challenging other local mayors to eradicate human trafficking in their cities by 2025.

Let's join together across the nation in a unified march for the lives of our most precious ones, literally, our future.

It's a new day because individual people like you and I can indeed make a difference, and Safe House Project equips us to do just that. Listen in to discover the beauty, the heart and the mission behind Safe House Project.

My time with Kristi and Brittany was limited so stop by their website to discover all the ways they make it easy to come along side them.  (SafeHouseProject.org). There you'll find a variety of ways you can make a difference for children.

How exciting to think that people like you and I can make a difference and be a part of bringing the aggressive goal (of eradicating child sex trafficking in America by 2030) into reality!

Lived Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com

Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/f784c04666a84ddea98b793b87c4e22e/edit_v2

Connect with Safe House Project, Kristi and Brittany:

Website: https://www.safehouseproject.org/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/SafeHousePrjct

IG: https://www.instagram.com/safehouseproject/

 

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.