Tag: nature

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

    Each day, brings new hope…

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    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

    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

    The gift of breath…

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    I stepped outside and took a deep breath, not just air, but presence. The trees stood still, the sky wide and soft, and I felt God near.

    Sometimes I forget how close He really is. But out here, in the quiet, with the earth under my feet and the wind brushing past, I remember.

    Every breath is a reminder that,
    I am alive, I am held, and I am not alone.

    I’m grateful that His presence meets me in the stillness, with just my breath and belonging. – denise marie

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

    The source of my peace…

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    https://videopress.com/v/Unx4kWNG?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

    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

    Returning to myself…

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    Lately, I’ve been noticing the small things, the way the sunlight dances on the leaves, how the birds always find their song, how my heart softens in nature’s presence.

    It’s in these quiet returns that I remember who I am, a daughter still becoming, a soul still unfolding.

    God isn’t asking me to hurry, He’s asking me to come close, to rest, to remember I’m already loved, already chosen, already home. – denise marie

      “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

        Everlasting love…

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        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

            I found solace in rest…

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            A visit to Chambers Creek in University Place, Washington

            As I sat beneath the trees, near the river, and let the stillness hold me.
            There was no agenda, no rushing, just the sound of water moving slow and steady, like grace, and the wind weaving through the leaves like a gentle invitation to come home.

            Out here in nature, something in me softens. I don’t have to be strong, I don’t have to perform healing or pretend I’m not still learning how to breathe again. I can just be, fully present and fully loved.

            The river reminds me that I, too, am allowed to flow, gently, honestly, without force. The trees remind me that it’s safe to be rooted again. Safe to rest. Safe to return.

            God is here in the quiet, never demanding, only inviting. And in that sacred space, I remember, I am not lost, I am not broken. I am returning to Him, to myself and to wholeness that never truly left.

            – 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