colleensamantha

It's Monday, we are halfway-ish through summer and halfway through the year of summer I don't know about you but this is the time of year where I hit a bit of a slump. I tend to get myself out of routine in the summer and somedays I find it hard to find the motivation to get moving. However this week I am determined, I am determined to ask for encouragement and accountability. Determined to shower myself with compassion, love and kindness, allow myself the space to heal from some hurt that keeps coming up and the courage to keep going even on the hard days.

I'll be honest I have shared a little bit about the season I am in here, but I am in a season that's hard, a season that feels so painful and while I know it's the kind of pain that is growing me and will be worth it, even if it doesn't come with a little bit of sadness. So I have decided this week I am going to hold space for myself and for you, my sweet friend. To take what you need, whether it's compassion, love, healing, encouragement, accountability, love or simply the courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

This week I'm clinging to these verses as I continue to find the motivation to keep chasing those God dreams 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal, (CSB).

Save this post for another day and share with a friend who needs this reminder today, share what you need this week in the comments! If you need some space this week feel free to shoot me a DM and let's set-up a coffee chat, I am here to cheer you on this week, friend.

I need to preface this with this is NOT a pity post. However I hope that my journey will always encourage someone else. That my journey will show strength and grace that I know only comes from The One who loves me always.

Somedays are hard, somedays taking one more step feels hard. Today is that someday. Over the past few weeks my heart has felt so much pain— physically and literally. Tragedy after tragedy has taken people I love and people that I love, love. I’ve held sobbing young people mourning the loss of their people while trying to figure out how to allow my own heart to mourn.

I’ve walked through more hard days than I care to count lately. I’ve run through all of the scenarios in my head and cried more tears than I want to admit and have ultimately decided that God is ALWAYS good and knows the outcome of the looming uncertainty of this life we live.

But, in the midst of this I am reminded that I am strong, even when I don’t feel like it. I am strong even on days like today when I don’t know how to keep moving other than to keep pushing through the mess and running towards the arms of The One who will comfort me in my mess, keeping running hard towards the dreams nestled into my heart, keep cheering on the people around me that I love and to keep pursuing the calling He has so clearly given me.

Today I want to encourage you my sweet friend that wherever you are in your journey, maybe you’re living your best life, maybe you’re struggling to take one more step or maybe you're just in a content place and that’s okay. Regardless of where you are, I want you to know that you are stronger than you think, that even if today feels like a mountain you can’t climb, that it’s okay...you can make it to the top at your own pace, you can face the world even when it feels like you can't. I want to cheer you on and pray for you wherever you are in your journey, so leave a comment or send me a DM so I can do that and tag a friend who needs this reminder of strength today.

Restoration. Have you ever really stopped to think about what the word restoration means? I truly believe that while there is a universal definition for restoration, the true definition is personal to each person. Restoration once you've committed your heart to Christ is an experience, one that only He can give you that allows for true healing.

Personally for me my restoration experience came a little over six years ago, when I stood in front of a room full of people some I didn't know but many I knew loved me, & shared my story. My story of brokenness, food addiction, s*x addiction, sleeping with men for money, finding my value in men who would show me affection, s*xual abuse, a broken family and the list could go on.

I chose that day to use my story for hope and not allow the world to shame anymore. I committed myself to the hard work of counseling and I'm still there, still working through things from my past that are holding me back or hindering me, still admitting that while God is continuing to write my story, doing a mighty work in my life and allowing me to help other women begin their restoration experiences I still have work to do.

But the difference between now and six years ago is that the girl you see pictured above is free. She can freely share her story, She's free from s*xual promiscuity, no longer using food to fight her battles and bring her comfort, her value comes from Him and not the people around her. She is grace filled she feels the grace in her life through the gifts He's given her in ministries like , Pretty in Pink and , through the friends He's given her and through her growing relationship with Him, She is redeemed because of the relationship she has with Him and daily chases victory in her God story and sheds the shame of the world.

I want to encourage you and urge you today to think about the word restoration, think about what the word means personally to you, grab a journal write it out, call a friend process it, setup a call w/me. I want to pray with you & cheer you on.

➡️Leave a comment below and let me know what restoration means to you!⬅️

“Once we realize God is not ashamed of us we can begin to let go of shame...”

One of my favorite things is helping people shed their shame and walk into victory and cheer them on in the process!

I’m currently booking virtual speaking events and one on one coaching and I’d love to chat with you about your needs! Send me an email today and let’s get started planning your event OR shedding your shame!

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