Today, I paused, just for a moment, to breathe and say thank You.
Thank You, God, for being present on this long, winding journey back home. Home to You and home to myself.
You never left, even when I felt lost. Even when I didn’t know how to come back. Your presence has been a quiet strength, a gentle nudge, a steady light.
So today, I stop to notice, I stop to thank You, for the grace that met me in every step, and the love that never let me go.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
There is a quiet comfort in knowing we are held, gently and securely by God. In the chaos of life, in the middle of questions, fears, and uncertainty, His presence comforts us and His peace surrounds us.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
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
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
Lately, I’ve been reminded that everything I need flows from one place, God.
Not always from people, not from plans, not even from my own strength,
Just Him.
I stepped outside today, let the sun touch my face and the wind speak softly to my spirit. And there, among the trees and sky and stillness, I remembered:
He is the source of my peace.
The wellspring of my joy.
The keeper of my soul.
Spending time with Him in nature grounds me.
It clears the noise.
It brings me home.
When I’m weary, I don’t need to do more.
I just need to return,
to the One who holds it all,
and to the One who holds me.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
Today I stood still in the quiet of nature, the trees towering above me like protectors, the wind brushing past my skin like a whispered reminder: You are loved, always.
There’s something about being outside that makes His love feel closer. Not loud or forced, just constant, gentle and everlasting.
The same way the sun rises without needing our permission, His love shows up, every morning, every moment, unchanging. I don’t have to earn it, I don’t have to strive for it, I just have to receive it.
The everlasting love of Jesus isn’t based on how steady I am, it’s based on how steady He is. Rooted like the trees, faithful like the river, and endless like the sky. And in that love, I can finally rest.
– denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
For so long, I believed my worth depended on being chosen, by a partner, a friend, a job, a community. If someone picked me, I felt valuable. If they didn’t, I questioned everything about myself.
But healing has taught me a deeper truth, my worth doesn’t come from people’s decisions. It doesn’t rise or fall based on who stays or who walks away. My value is steady because it comes from God, not from anyone’s approval.
Being chosen by others may feel good, but it’s not the foundation I build my identity on anymore. I was already chosen by God before I ever tried to earn love or prove I belonged.
So if you’re wrestling with rejection or feeling unseen, remember this, You are already loved, already worthy, and already enough. – denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
**I enjoyed this beautiful John Robbin’s (rip) Art Show at Bitters Co. If you are ever in Mount Vernon , WA be sure to stop by. The owners, The Carson Sisters, Amy and Katie are such gems!
Today, I give myself permission to breathe. To go outside and to listen to the wind. Help me to calm my mind and to be still long enough to hear the heartbeat of my own soul. God I thank you for already being here, waiting for me, this is where my healing flows. – denise marie
“So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. – John 8:36
My Journey Home….to God & Self 