Welcome to Class called Life, Your Teacher this Year is….

I’m profoundly grateful for all the resources God has provided me as I continue to navigate my mental, emotional, and physical healing. Since February 2025, my world has been turned upside down. In the past eight months, I’ve spent less than a total of three weeks in my own home, choosing instead to protect my heart and mind by living elsewhere as I sought God's guidance. I am deeply thankful to everyone who graciously opened their homes to me—your generosity has carried me. To all of you…thank you! You know who you are.💝

And as much as I needed space, I also need home. I now need to sleep in my own bed, cook in my own kitchen, soak in my own bathtub, ring my Gratitude Bell, put groceries in my refrigerator, and find rest in the sanctuary of my own space. Until someone experiences that level of displacement, it’s hard to understand and explain all the effects of separation. Now, after months of building stronger boundaries and leaning deeply on God’s wisdom, I am able to be back home with emotional protections in place.

As Dr. Gabor Maté so eloquently explained, "Trauma is a harsh teacher, but it is a teacher." While I wouldn’t choose this road, it has shown me the depths of vulnerability, resilience, and needed growth. I’m learning to live more fully in God’s presence.

My Healing Journey

In these months, I’ve learned more about myself than ever before. I’ve read books, listened to podcasts, and discovered healing modalities I never knew existed. Anchors for me right now: EMDR, somatic breath work, my personal meditation, tai chi, Christian counseling, two-way journaling, and travel to restorative places. I’m also nourishing my body through healthy food, movement, and rest. I’m doing everything I can possibly think of to get my life back to a place of homeostasis.

Through it all, one thing is clear: God IS leading me. He is the One who meets my needs, loves me well, and fills me with His joy. He is enough. I am enough. He delights in me exactly as I am. I no longer need to fight to be understood, prove my innocence, or defend my reputation. God knows my heart and intentions. He sees me more clearly than I see myself. I’m the daughter of the Most High King! I’m the mirror image of His Son and Christ in me is who my Father sees. He was with me in the beginning, He will be with me in the end, and He is with me now, in the middle.

Summer Adventures & Everyday Joys

These past weeks have brought many sweet moments. I traveled to see my little loves—my favorite little people—and soaked up that inexplicable joy!

I also spent time with my “chocolate family” in Miami from The Conscious Bar. I tasted a freshly roasted cacao bean, was gifted generous chocolate bars by Yaniv (the owner), and sampled a potential new limited-edition flavor. Then I was “transported” to Venezuela and Guatemala as the young men cooked authentic meals for their visiting family—loud salsa music, laughter, and late-night tacos included.

Coming back to Ohio on August 31 was bittersweet. September will be a season of being home alone—and that has been a good thing. It’s also the time of year when John and I traditionally went to our most sacred place on earth: Quetico Provincial Park in Canada. This year, he went alone for three weeks while I stayed home. I have grieved that deeply—because in my mind it should have been an “us” trip. But I trust that God gives each of us what we need: for John, solitude in Quetico; for me, restoration at home. After many tears, I’m truly at peace.

My days begin with gratitude. Breakfast is often a New Trician Bowl—an açaí base layered with fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, honey, and cinnamon. I’ve started tai chi and considering yoga. Physical labor brings me surprising joy—like using my little battery-powered chain saw to clear vines from our pine trees and Fall prepping with 45 bags of mulch! 

I’m grateful for friends and family who ride bikes with me, walk with me, call to check in, and offer to travel alongside me. Life at home right now is quieter, simpler, and rooted in gratitude.

Lessons in Trauma & Gratitude

On Friday, September 12th, after my infusion, I stopped by my favorite bakery—Dan the Baker in Columbus—for my regular stash of organic sourdough. 

On the drive home, I saw an enormous American flag flying at half-mast. Its weight hit me hard. Like millions of others, I’m grieving for the family and friends of Charlie Kirk. I’m grateful for his bold witness of faith in God, and like Charlie, I pray that all would come to know Jesus personally, regardless of background or political persuasion. I have listened to so many videos of his in the past few days and this one I feel represents what he would want everyone to hear more than anything. This is why Charlie Kirk has captured my heart and so many others. It is not a battle against flesh and blood…

Finally, in this wily season I’m experiencing, a phrase God gave me recently steadies me most:

God was with me in the beginning. He will be with me at the end. And He absolutely IS with me in the middle. And because of Him, I can keep walking forward—more healed and more whole.