Just What I Needed this Week

Pausing to reflect on a week that was both difficult and blessed . . .

I took the month of March to focus on healing and that flowed over into April in ways that I did not expect. This week was both significant and difficult. I have spent much of the week on my porch enjoying spring as I processed. The apple tree I shared about in this newsletter is blooming!

Over the last six months, I have been setting much of my work aside one piece at a time and will soon finish my final term on the Board for the Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN). I honestly am crawling to the finish line as I sense that it is time to do what I have longed to do for over fifty years—rest my body and pursue further healing for a nervous system that lived with the impact of trauma for far too long.

Of course, I will continue writing on Substack! Writing is the air that I breathe!

I had two reminders this week that my work will continue to impact others even as I slow down. The first was the final Zoom class meeting of the year with my Tabor College students (M.Ed. in Neuroscience & Trauma). This is my second class with this cohort and their vulnerability, wisdom, and vision for the future created one of the most inspiring class sessions I have ever experienced. What an honor to be part of their journey.

Then, on the same day, a podcast launched with a review of Trauma in the Pews. (Link and description below.) I will treasure this ten-minute podcast! Dawn Wiggins, Ed.S., a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the podcast host, provided a living example of my intent in writing the book. I am thankful when ministry leaders work to become more trauma-responsive, but my heart has always been with the survivors who haven’t understood that their struggles were not spiritual problems.

This podcast was a much-needed gift this week! Take time to listen!

Reaffirm God's Love: Exploring the Intersection of Divorce Trauma and Religion

Navigating the rough seas of trauma can leave a deep imprint on our spiritual compass, and this is the voyage I embark upon with heartfelt vulnerability in today's podcast. Drawing from the profound insights of Janyne McConnaughey's "Trauma in the Pews," I peel back the layers of how my own spiritual journey transformed post-divorce, and how trauma can challenge the very pillars of faith—meditation, prayer, fasting, and more. For those of us who have felt like outsiders within the walls of organized religion, this discussion unearths the ways we can reclaim our spiritual practices, forging a path that honors our experiences and fosters healing.

As we turn the pages of Janyne's "Trauma in the Pews," a book that has cast a beacon of understanding amidst the fog of spiritual guilt and the complexities of God's love, I share a candid review that touches on the scars left by religious differences and scripture misuse in my past marriage. The insights gleaned here are not just my own; they are an open invitation for you to explore the darker facets of our beings within the safe sanctuary of acceptance. And with anticipation, I reveal plans to welcome Janyne onto the podcast, eager for her to share her wealth of knowledge in neuroscience, trauma, and education that has been pivotal in both her writing and my own spiritual growth.

Yes, this is a podcast I want to do in the future!

I wish I could go back and sit with my severely traumatized seventeen-year-old self and tell her that one day she would finally be able to rest and enjoy all that she accomplished. I have worked tirelessly to help her heal this year. You can find part of the story here or here. What a remarkable kid who never gave up on her dream to make a difference in the world. She has succeeded beyond her wildest dreams.

Trauma did its best to snuff that match out, but it did not succeed!

Like a small boat on the ocean
Sending big waves into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

Fight Song—Songwriters: Dave Bassett / Rachel Platten

To be continued tomorrow…