Category: Faith

Eshet Chayil…A woman of valor, a warrior.

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On my morning walk in Kauai. Hawaii

Eshet Chayil…אֵשֶׁת חַיִל
a woman of valor, a warrior.

These words are more than a title, they are a truth etched into the soul of every woman who has walked through fire and still stands.

Valor is not only strength in battle, it is the courage to keep living with an open heart. It is the quiet resilience of rising after heartbreak, the sacred power of choosing love when bitterness could have taken root.

I see myself in these words, a woman carried by God’s grace, a warrior not because I am strong but because I rise, again and again, trusting the One who heals, who restores and who calls me beloved.
Eshet Chayil…this is who I am becoming.

– denise marie

“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36

    Set apart by Grace…

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    When I look back, I see the fingerprints of grace, guiding, protecting, and drawing me closer. Galatians 1:15 reminds me that my story began in His heart long before it began in my life. I was chosen with intention, loved with eternity in mind, and called with a purpose that cannot be erased.

    So I stand here today, not by chance, but because He was pleased to call me His own.

    – denise marie 

    “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36

    Resting in…Gods transcending love.

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    The love God has for me transcends everything…time, distance and even my own understanding. It is not bound by circumstances or changed by the shifting seasons of my life, His love was here before I took my first breath and will carry me beyond my last. I thank you that I can rest in that truth. – denise marie

    “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36

      Courage doesn’t mean, at times I don’t feel afraid…

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      Some days, strength doesn’t look strong, it looks like getting up again. Taking the next breath, showing up with a trembling heart and steady faith.

      Joshua 1:9 reminds me that I’m not walking alone, even when the path feels uncertain. God isn’t asking me to be fearless by my own power, He’s promising His presence in the middle of it. And courage doesn’t mean I don’t feel afraid, it means I trust I’m being held while I take the next step.

      Wherever I go, He is already there, and that is enough. – denise marie

      “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

      “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36

      New life from barren branches…

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      Today I stood next this tree in my backyard that had once looked lifeless, its branches bare, weathered by seasons that stripped it of everything. But now, tiny green buds and leaves are reaching out like whispers of hope, life is returning. Isn’t that just like God?

      He brings new life from places we thought were done. Where there was loss, He plants promise. Where we felt barren, emotionally, spiritually, even physically, He breathes life again. Slowly, gently, faithfully.

      I’m learning not to rush the blooming, just to be still and notice. To trust that the same God who renews the trees is tending to the garden of my own soul, bringing new life.

      – denise marie

        “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36

        Still healing…still here.

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        Kauai, Hawaii

        Childhood trauma doesn’t stay in childhood, it lingers, in the body, in the mind, in the way we trust, how we love, how we see ourself, how we protect ourselves, and it follows you quietly, into relationships. For a long time, I lived disconnected from my body, and it didn’t feel like home.

        Healing began when I started letting myself feel, and when I started naming what happened and letting it move through me, sitting in the stillness, feeling the discomfort, no longer numbing the pain, but learning to be present with it.

        Therapy has helped me find language for my pain and trauma recovery work has taught me how to stay present, how to breathe again, how to come home to myself and by doing so, I am learning to trust myself again, to listen to the signals in my body, and to believe my own voice.

        I’m learning to trust God more deeply, not just as a rescuer, but as a trusted friend, who sits with me, not just in the light, but in the darkest places of depression and anxiety. God never left me there, He’s walking with me through it, step by shaky step.

        I’m present, I’m breathing,
        I’m becoming, and everyday that I choose not to give up, that is healing.
        -denise marie

        “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36

        I hope you can relate…

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        Un-rav-el: to free from complication or difficulty; to make plain or clear.

        Father God,

        I lay down what I can no longer carry, the masks, the striving, the silent weight. Help me to not fear the unraveling, but to trust that even now, You are near. Even in the undoing, You are making space for what is true. In Jesus name, amen.

        “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”. – John 8:36

        Beauty through my lens…

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        The beauties I found in my backyard.

        Lately, I’ve been learning to slow down and really see, not just with my eyes, but with my heart.

        The sky is soft in the morning, the flowers blooming by the sidewalk, and the wind brushing the trees like a song.

        But something inside me is changing.
        I’m learning to pay attention, to notice the light as it filters through the leaves, and to find beauty even in the ordinary and overlooked.

        This is the lens I’m choosing now,
        one shaped by gratitude, healing and hope. The more I look through it, the more beauty I see, not just around me, but within me too. – denise marie

          “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36

          My Journey Home…

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          There’s something sacred about the journey back to love, the kind that begins with God, that transforms how I see myself, and leads me into wholeness.

          Falling in love with God isn’t about religious performance; it’s about discovering the One who loved me first. It’s a quiet surrender, a drawing close, a resting in presence where striving ceases.

          As I lean into that love, I begin to see myself differently. Not through shame or scarcity, but through grace and my reflection softens. I start to unlearn the lies, rewrite the inner dialogue, and reclaim my worth.

          And that’s where wholeness begins, not in perfection, but in acceptance, not in having it all together, but in being fully known and still deeply loved.

          This journey is tender, It’s holy ground, and every step is towards love, God, self, and a step towards healing. This is my road to becoming, and this is My Journey Home. 

          – denise marie 

          “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36

          To Abide in Him…

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          Summer days in California…

          I am not meant to hold everything together on my own because I know that self-sufficiency is a heavy burden. Jesus invites me to let go of striving and instead; to abide, to be still, to be present, and to simply be with Him. – denise marie 

          “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36