As I was taking a walk, I stepped on these leaves that had fallen from the tree. The sound of the crunch beneath my feet brought a huge smile across my face and an instant feeling of tingling happiness.
It brought me back to my childhood living in Seattle, where I would fall backwards into a pile of leaves that were newly raked in front of our house.
Reminiscing on these memories, I could literally hear the sound of laughter that filled the air with pure joy!
I’m so grateful for today and for taking a moment to be present within the beauty of nature, I honor you God, the creator of such a gift.🩷
– denise marie
So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed. -John 8:36
No matter the circumstances of your past or what you may be currently facing, God says that he is able to use your gifts, your voice, your words, your life….to encourage others and give them hope.
I want to encourage YOU to show up in whatever space you are in and be your true authentic self, allowing your presence to make a difference in this world!
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
A few years ago, I was standing here watching the sunset.
I could hardly contain the flood of emotions that took over me.
I felt so small in its presence, the vastness of the evening sky and the depths of the Pacific Northwest Sound had me honoring the Creator of such astounding beauty.
As I stood there, I was surrounded in peace, and immersed completely in Gods love.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
I just wanted to send a word of encouragement out to those who are feeling weary, feeling as if they have been fighting this battle for way too long. When the thought of standing up to the health challenges, loneliness, financial strain, grief, depression, anxiety, any circumstance or situation that may have you feeling like you can’t continue on. I want you to know that you are not alone. That there is hope and help is near.
There were many days in my life that if I could just believe that it was possible for me to “just keep standing” I could. To just keep standing wasn’t necessarily always physical but yet mentally and emotionally.
On those hard days, I would call a trusted friend or family member for support, or I would schedule an appointment with my therapist. I would attend a Recovery meeting when those memories of past trauma were just too much.
And…I would go to God in prayer and read His Word, one of my favorite chapters I would read daily is Psalm 91 in which I would literally say out loud, “God you are my refuge, I know that I can trust in you, you are my strength and I am safe.”
Today, my hope and prayer is that you can “Just keep standing”.
***For immediate help please call or text the following Mental Health & Crisis line at: 988
I recently took a drive with two of my kids to a beautiful beachfront in Northern California called Dillon Beach.
Being at the Ocean, I feel free! Laughing so hard as I skip around the beach, searching for seashells and taking in every detail of its beauty.. What a gift to be treasured…it will always be my happy place. 💙
Healing doesn’t happen linear, it ebbs and flows and many days I’m battling my mindset as I demolish thoughts that try to set off my anxiety. There are many days when I can smile and genuinely say “today’s a good day” and then there are days when I can barely get out of bed, and yet choose to say “today is a good day…to…rest. Both days are good, it’s all about how I choose to respond to my circumstances.
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
This week I was feeling a lot of anxiety. Between the pandemic, friends and family battling sickness, the loss of so many lives, the violence, the financial struggles of many, racial injustice and the chaos in our nation, I found myself struggling to hold onto my peace. My emotions fluctuating from sadness, to anger, to fear as I battled my own thoughts to bring my mindset back to a place of peace.
Then I heard a still small voice that said, “Lean into his presence.”. At that very moment I knew he was calling me to him.
One of my favorite lyrics in a song by Elevation Worship goes,
“In Your presence there is freedom In Your presence there is hope In Your presence there is healing Love restores me, I am whole”.
In my moments of distress, I am learning as I lean into his presence, my anxiety surrenders to Him.
Lean into his presence.
~ denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
**side note**: I am a firm believer in Jesus and Therapy! God provides us with resources that if we are willing, can come alongside us and help us in our journey. My regular appointments with my therapist and support from my sponsor in Celebrate Recovery, are vital parts of my healing!💗
I recently met up on zoom with two friends that I have known for 35 years. Though our life had taken us different directions and we tried to talk over the phone occasionally, but us three haven’t been together in one place for 27 years, we quickly were able to pick back up where we left off and that same connection that brought us together 35 years ago was naturally the same connection we had on the zoom call. We laughed and cried as we reminisced, caught each other up on our life and made plans to get together on zoom regularly.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12
After our call, in the middle of the night, I woke up and clearly heard the words “a hope deferred”. I knew exactly in that moment what God was trying to tell me.
For years I had longed to be in touch with these two friends, missing them, needing them, allowing feelings of rejection or unrealistic expectations of them to cause me to create scenarios in my mind that were not accurate. Looking back, simply picking up the phone, to let them know how I felt, would’ve put an end to my questions or to scenarios which were not accurate. Reconnecting with my friends fulfilled the longing in my heart and brought me so much joy.
So if you are sitting on the sidelines, watching an old friend or even a family member live their life through the lens of social media but afraid to reach out and really reconnect, I want to encourage you to pick up the phone and let them know you care. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed, It’s not too late to let someone know you miss them, or that your sorry and that you love them.
~ denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
No longer held captive 