Healing from Within

10/29/2024

She took the pictures to seize the day.
She took the pictures to capture the smiles.
She took the pictures so she would remember the moment.
Then one day she realized she was only capturing what she could see on outside.
When she looked closer she realized,
Their eyes were dim,
Their smiles were fake,
The moments in her heart were not the same for others.
The pictures from the past didn’t hold the same meaning anymore.
The boxes of soon became ashes, ashes of a lifetime she chose to diminished so others wouldn’t have to explain or experience the pain she captured.
She laid her camera down and began allowing her heart to heal and embrace the moments that made her feel.

I am she.

10/04/2024

On a particular day six months ago, which I call 'Discovery Day,' I had a life-changing experience that left me feeling betrayed. It was an experience that I never could have anticipated, and it caught me completely off guard. This podcast accurately captures the emotions that I felt during that time, as if they had access to my personal journal. It's a powerful reminder that betrayal is a very real and painful experience that can have a profound impact on a person's life.


May you be blessed as much as I was.
Tammy

Betrayal can come in so many different forms. Maybe a friend tells a secret you trusted them with. Or maybe your spouse is making decisions that are breaking...

09/19/2024

One of the greatest steps in my healing journey was recognizing the moments that broke me.

09/03/2024

I LOVE THIS ANALOGY:
You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere.

Why did you spill the coffee?
“Because someone bumped into me!!!”

Wrong answer.

You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup.
Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea.

Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out.

Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It’s easy to fake it, until you get rattled.
So we have to ask ourselves... “what’s in my cup?” When life gets tough, what spills over?

Joy, gratitude, peace and humility?

Anger, bitterness, victim mentality and quitting tendencies?

Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it.

Today let’s work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, resilience, positivity; and kindness, gentleness and love for others.

~author unknown.. this is floating around social media but I loved the message 💜

09/02/2024

During the summer months, I experienced a period of personal reflection and surrender. As September arrives, I embark on a journey to share my story and trust in God's plan to transform my struggles and pain into a purpose. My story, His Glory!

07/31/2024

Let's embrace the art of self-care by giving ourselves permission to rest. Amidst our busy lives, we often forget to prioritize our own well-being, but recognizing the importance of taking a step back and trusting in our faith can lead to a transformative journey of healing and growth.

07/30/2024

Don't let your past define you - use it as a stepping stone to greatness. God has been with you every step of the way, guiding and teaching you valuable lessons that can help you grow and thrive. Embrace each chapter of your life with gratitude and trust that God will use your experiences to help others. Let go of regrets and focus on the beauty of your journey, knowing that God has a plan to prosper you, not to harm you.

06/18/2024

06/17/2024

Healing from within takes time and effort, but it's worth it. My 2.5-year journey to healing my gut has taught me the importance of self-grace and taking the time needed to heal from past hurts.

06/15/2024

In my disappointment
Let me comfort myself

In my fear
Let me reassure myself

In my anger
Let me calm myself

In my stress
Let me listen to myself

In my confusion
Let me organise myself

In my uncertainty
Let me find clarity

In my heartbreak
Let me find healing and closure

In my self-doubt
Let me find confidence

In my loneliness
Let me be at home with myself

In my stress
Let me soothe myself

In my struggle
Let me be still

In my weariness
Let me rest

In my pain
Let me heal and recuperate

In my sadness
Let me purge my emotions

In my failure
Let me recover

And in my regret
Let me release all burdens of the past

So that I may re-emerge
Strong, capable
And ready to take on life once more.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

05/31/2024

All of this‼️

Protect Your Wife

Protect your wife from emotional abuse as well. Your words hold immense power, and the emotional scars they leave can be just as damaging as physical ones.

Treat her with kindness and empathy, always mindful of the impact your words have on her self-esteem and mental well-being.

Protect your wife from financial stress by being a responsible partner. Work together to manage your finances and ensure that she feels secure and supported.

Money matters can be a significant source of tension, so open and honest communication about your financial goals and responsibilities is crucial.

Protect your wife from the daily grind by sharing household and parenting duties. A strong partnership means both of you are equally responsible for the home and the children you're raising.

Strive for a balance that allows her to pursue her own interests and dreams, just as you pursue yours.

Protect your wife by showing her love and appreciation every day. Never take her for granted, and express your affection regularly.

Small gestures of kindness and affirmation go a long way in making her feel cherished and valued in your life.

Protect your wife from societal pressures and expectations. Stand by her choices and support her in pursuing her own path, even if it differs from traditional norms. Celebrate her individuality and the unique qualities that make her who she is.

Remember that protecting your wife is not just about shielding her from external threats but also creating a loving and nurturing environment within your relationship.

It's about being her partner, confidant, and biggest supporter, ensuring that she feels safe, respected, and deeply loved throughout your journey together.

- Abhikesh

05/29/2024

My mom did not sleep. She felt exhausted. She was irritable, grumpy, and bitter. She was always sick until one day, suddenly, she changed.
One day my dad said to her:
- I've been looking for a job for three months and I haven't found anything, I'm going to have a few beers with friends.
My mom replied:
- It's okay.
My brother said to her:
- Mom, I'm doing poorly in all subjects at the University.
My mom replied:
- Okay, you will recover, and if you don't, well, you repeat the semester, but you pay the tuition.
My sister said to her:
- Mom, I smashed the car.
My mom replied:
- Okay daughter, take it to the car shop & find out how to pay and while they fix it, get around by bus or subway.
Her daughter-in-law said to her:
- Mother-in-law, I came to spend a few months with you.
My mom replied:
- Okay, settle in the living room couch and look for some blankets in the closet.
All of us gathered worried to see these reactions coming from Mom.
We suspected that she had gone to the doctor and that she was prescribed some pills called "I don't give a damn”... Perhaps she was overdosing on these!
We then proposed to do an "intervention" with w/my mother to remove her from any possible addiction she had to some anti-tantrum medication.
But then ... she gathered us around her and my mom explained:
"It took me a long time to realize that each person is responsible for their life. It took me years to discover that my anguish, anxiety, depression, courage, insomnia & my stress, do not solve your problems but aggravate mine.
I am not responsible for the actions of anyone & it’s not my job to provide happiness but I am responsible for the reactions I express to that.
Therefore, I came to the conclusion that my duty to myself is to remain calm and let each one of you solve what corresponds to you.
I have taken courses in yoga, meditation, miracles, human development, mental hygiene, vibration, and neurolinguistic programming, and in all of them, I found a common denominator in them all...
I can only control myself, you have all the necessary resources to solve your own problems despite how hard they may be. My job is to pray for you, love on you, and encourage you but it’s up to YOU to solve them & find your happiness.
I can only give you my advice if you ask me & it depends on you to follow it or not. There are consequences, good or bad, to your decisions and YOU have to live them.
So from now on, I cease to be the receptacle of your responsibilities, the sack of your guilt, the laundress of your remorse, the advocate of your faults, the wall of your lamentations, the depositary of your duties, who should solve your problems or spare a tire every time to fulfill your responsibilities.
From now on, I declare all independent and self-sufficient adults.
Everyone at my mom's house was speechless.
From that day on, the family began to function better because everyone in the house knew exactly what it was that they needed to do.
For some of us, this is hard because we've grown up being caregivers and feeling responsible for others. As moms & wives, we are fixers of all things. We never want our loved ones to go through difficult things or to struggle. We want everyone to be happy.
But, the sooner we take that responsibility off of our shoulders & onto each loved one, the better we are preparing them to be responsible.
We are not here on earth to be everything to everyone. Stop putting that pressure on yourself.
Much Love,

Charlyn.
Credit goes to the original writer

05/24/2024

We build our homes in other people, that’s one of the biggest mistake we make.

We build those homes and we decorate them with the love and care and respect that makes us feel safe at the end of the day.

We invest in other people, and we evaluate our self-worth based on how much those homes welcome us.

But what many don’t realize is that when you build your home in other people, you give them the power to make you homeless.

When those people walk away, those homes walk away with them, and all of a sudden, we feel empty because everything that we had within us, we put into them.

We trusted someone else with pieces of us.

The emptiness we feel doesn’t mean we have nothing to give, or that we have nothing within us. It’s just that we built our home in the wrong place.
- Najwa Zebian

05/23/2024

TO THE WOMAN WHO IS SLOWLY FADING AWAY

To the woman who has lost her spark.

To the woman whose get up and go, has well and truly gone.

This is for you.

This is to remind you, that you don’t have to be everything to everyone, every day.

You didn’t sign up for that.

Remember when you used to laugh? Sing?

Throw caution to the wind?

Remember when you used to forgive yourself more quickly for not always being perfect.

You can get that back again.

You really can.

And that doesn’t have to mean letting people down or walking away.

It just means being kinder to you, feeling brave enough to say no sometimes.

Being brave enough to stop sometimes.

And rest.

It starts the moment you realise that you’re not quite who you used to be.

Some of that is good, some of that is not.

There are parts of you that need to be brought back.

And if anyone in your life is not okay with that… they are not your people. Your people will be glad to see that spark starting to light up again.

So, if you have been slowly fading away my friend, this is the time to start saying yes to things that bring you joy and no to things that don’t.

It’s really pretty simple.

~Donna Ashworth

🎨 Unknown

05/20/2024

Just curious, do you journal?
I have several journals going at the same time.
One by my bed to write down middle of the night thoughts/scriptures/ dreams and my
end of the day gratitude.
One at work because although I am a small business owner, I am about God’s work and my heart is blessed so much through my day.
One with my Bible, for all of the good, bad and ugly parts of my journey. This is the main one I write down how the scriptures help guide my way.

I go back often and read about the times God has rescued, carried and walked with me in every season of my life. Many times recalling those times encourages my current journey.
I encourage you to start somewhere, you will be amazed how many times God shows up and we don’t acknowledge him.

Have a great day my friends.

05/18/2024

23 years ago when we met, I had a little girl from a previous relationship and he was in the Marines.
Our marriage was definitely not all cheesecakes and roses.
Difficult circumstances caused a lot of wounds that we both buried and eventually built on top of.
Life happened,
We drifted apart even though we still loved each other and were still smiling for the camera.
Less connections, his schedule, my schedule, his friends, my friends, his hobbies, my hobbies and so on.
Roommates and business partners that would be the way I would describe the past few years.

The enemy saw our weakness and used it against us.

Thank God the enemy didn’t win!!!

We have great resources and Godly men and women pouring into us. We are surrounded by people who believe in us as we continue to heal from all of the hidden trauma that brought us to this point in life.
However, for the first time in a long time I can say I love him with all that is in me.
I once again feel his love for me.
I know we are not the only couple out there who find themselves struggling to connect.
That is why we choose to share our story.

There are great resources available to help and if you are interested please send either one of us a personal message and we will be happy to share the links with you.

Here’s to healing our brokenness and allowing God to use our story for HIS glory.

No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord
Isaiah 54:7

05/17/2024

I didn’t write this but I felt it!

Your calling is going to crush you.

If you are called to mend the brokenhearted, you are going to wrestle with a broken heart.

If you are called to heal God’s little ones, you are going to experience your own share of trauma.

If you’re called at all to the lost and broken of this world. The throw aways. To preach and teach the gospel, you WILL be sifted for the wisdom that anoints your message.

If you are called to empower, your self-esteem will be attacked- your successes hard fought.

Your calling will come with spiritual warfare and a sifting - BOTH are necessary for your mantle to be authentic, humble and powerful.

Your crushing won’t be easy because your assignment is not easy - and you can’t minister POWERFULLY what you haven’t walked out. Read that sentence again.

When you’re feeling the weight of it coming down on you, RUN to the Father who longs to be your comfort. Let him whisper your true identity over you while resting under the shadow of his wings. Position yourself against his heartbeat. Let him renew your strength and set your eyes forward.

No olives, no oil.
No grapes, no wine.
Your oil is not cheap my friend.
~Author Unknown

05/16/2024

8 weeks ago I discovered something no one wants to discover.
My first reaction was,
I knew it.
Somewhere along the way I felt it could have been possible.
Did I expect it? No!
I was angry, to be honest I can not remember the last time I was that angry.
In the midst of my anger, I heard a small voice inside of me that said, “lay down beside the still waters”.
So I did.
Not knowing how things were going to unfold but instead of handling things my way, I gave up the fight and completely surrendered.
I can not explain this peace.
When I laid down it was as if someone covered my spirit with a warm and fuzzy blanket.

However this peace looks different to others. What I felt as comforting blanket others saw as a worn out doormat.

I was told my judgement was off.
I was called a hypocrite.
I was told I was going to be failure.
I was told that it was just going to happen again.
Someone told me they didn’t trust my decision making process.
I was told that things weren’t going to change just by trusting God.

All of that was from other people who supposedly cared for me. Turns out they only cared if I would have handled this life altering situation the way they would have handled it.

I quietly waited taking each day one at a time.
I sought out guidance from others who have been faced with this situation.
I dug into my past hurts and discovered the unhealed wounds called, rejection, betrayal, self doubt, unworthiness and battled comparing my self to the ones who sat out to destroy me.
It didn’t take long for the enemy to use my unhealed wounds against me.
I began walking in guilt and holding my head down in shame over something that had been done against me.
I could see the spiritual warfare happening all around me.
The moment I began stirring beneath the blanket of stillness, my thoughts began taking me down what if’s, should’ve , would’ve, and could’ve Boulevards.
I began criticizing my weakness as a mother, daughter, wife, sister and a friend.
I felt discouraged and defeated.
I needed to lay back down beside the still waters and crawl back under the blanket of peace.
I prayed and felt to go to pick up my sword.
This battle is much bigger than anything I have ever fought and I needed more ammunition to deal with it.

Hebrews 4:12 in the Bible says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart".

Then I reclaimed my thoughts.

Romans 12:2
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)

Then I had to pray for those who betrayed me.

Matthew 5:43-48 in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven".

Then I had to pray a covering over my marriage and children.

There’s a battle over our families today, and the enemy would love nothing more than to destroy all that we hold dear in this life. He’s ruthless and cunning, deceitful and sly. He’ll attack when we’re not watching, he’ll do everything he can to destroy strong families.

No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord
Isaiah 54:7

I had to pray and believe God will restore trust and rest in his presence.

Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Today I began quoting God’s promises over this entire situation. Every person involved and those who would feel the ripple effects.
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Today I continue to choose to heal.
There are many great resources available online.
I have found hope and healing through these online discussions
Reboot Recovery and Focus on the Family.

I am praying for your healing as well my friend.
Remember you are not alone!
Healing hurts and takes time. Give yourself some grace. Keep a safe distance between you and those who are not supporting your healing journey. Their presence may not be necessary in your next chapter.

I love each one who has taken the time to read, like and comments. If this blesses you would you prayerfully consider sharing this post.
I am praying for you.

Feel free to email me at
[email protected]