OCD

Raising awareness, reducing the stigma, and sharing for the one who needs to know theyโ€™re not alone and that theyโ€™re seen.

Don’t Hold Onto The How…Just Go Skydiving.

recently i got caught up in a whirlwind that is โ€œnext stepsโ€. finding myself overwhelmed, the Father whispered โ€œholding onto the โ€˜howโ€™ is only hurting you. release it to Me.โ€ a few years ago before making the decision to come to Redding, i was in the same place. i remember sitting in a coffee shop when i found myself intimidated by what was ahead. as i wrestled with some of what the Lord was showing me about my future, i let the question of โ€œhow?โ€ become bigger and bolder than His beautiful promises and purpose for my life. instead of having confidence in Him, i tried calculating how everything would work. in that moment, the Lord took me back to the first time i went skydiving. i was thinking about the excitement that i had until i realized exactly what i was going to be doing... falling out of the sky intentionally. there were so many doubts and fears coming up. within seconds my mind was clinging to the worst case scenario.

A Counseling Session Full of Freedom

i am thankful for the reality of freedom that awaits us on the other side of that simple but wildly courageous act of obedience - choosing to forgive. it's a choice. it might take every ounce of strength in us and finding someone to be by our side in it with us. but the freedom that is on the other side is beautiful. stunning. heavenly. weighty. full of glory. only by the blood can this be our reality. releasing people who have done us wrong and giving them over to the Lord. continuing to find freedom myself as i trace my hands along the golden thread of the Lord's constant goodness in my own story. He has always been good. so i can trust Him in this. i can trust Him with my story, with these people, with my life. i can choose to forgive.

I Lost My Dog, Soldier, Forever Ago. I Mean, 48 Days Ago.

i remember sitting on the ground that day with Soldier as the vet told us that there wasnโ€™t good news and that we could take him home for one night. he had cancer and it spread to his lungs. he could barely breathe. we didnโ€™t know. we knew something was wrong but he was hiding it from us so well. if we wanted to take him home for one night we could. i remember sitting with him on the ground. she met us there. the only words out of my mouth as tears streamed down my face in front of a stranger, โ€œthereโ€™s nothing we can do?โ€โ€ฆโ€iโ€™m not going to treatment tomorrowโ€, โ€œi donโ€™t want to take him home. heโ€™s in too much painโ€ โ€ฆโ€œcall gracieโ€...who just so happened to be in town for the weekend too. not a coincidence. thank you Jesus. all of it worked out. but man that dog is a butt. and i miss him so.