One of the most valuable phrases I've been able to embrace during my healing journey is "Nobody is coming." I didn't just absorb it from one perspective either. It took on a couple of different meanings for me but somehow it always pointed me back to myself. Let me explain. Lesson #1 - Nobody is coming to save me Surviving childhood trauma helped me to eventually come to the conclusion that nobody is coming to save me. Not the teacher, the pastor, my parents, the court system

This last year has been transformational for me as I started speaking out about child abuse, religious trauma, my healing journey, and deconstructing from Evangelical Christianity. I wrote my first book When Pedophiles Hide Behind Pulpits last fall in response to the newest wave of devastating information I learned about my upbringing. I simply needed to free myself from the pain and tell the truth about what I have experienced. I was done trying to protect those who never re

I spent the last two weeks on a solo road trip across the country. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive to go because although I have done plenty of road trips with my family and friends, I have never gone this far for this length of time on my own. Somehow I was worried about whether or not I would be more stressed without someone else there to bounce ideas off of or shoulder any travel difficulties with. Do you know what I found instead? ABSOLUTE PEACE! This was the le

I am now two weeks out from my resignation after spending 20 years in higher education. Things still feel a bit surreal right now. I'm trying to figure out how I want to structure my days as I have shifted from a career I knew to entreprenurial ventures that are brand new. I am learning to take things day by day as my calendar is now mostly clear and I can do whatever I want. I was thinking this morning that in these two weeks I haven't felt rushed or busy one time. That said

I had an epiphany today. I was sitting quietly thinking about my life and my journey to where I am today. I like to take time to remember how far I've come, especially when I'm journaling or meditating. It helps me to stay focused on my forward trajectory. Today, during that quiet time, I realized how incredibly lucky I've been in my life. That might sound strange considering the road that I've walked, but at my vantage point today I feel like I have been so fortunate in coun

Thirteen years ago I started working at a local college after spending a few years at a major university. I was excited for the new challenge and immediately jumped in with all of my ideas and was embraced (mostly) at every turn. I was quickly labeled as a mover and a shaker and I truly enjoyed bringing that energy to my work every day. A large part of me thought that I would retire there. I have loved so much about the continual learning and evolution, but recent years have