The "D" Word

Original post 5/9/12

Depression. For some, I have your attention. For others, you're saying to yourself... "I don't deal with that." Now, before you decide this post isn't for you, please consider the following:

1) ALL HAVE DEALT or currently deal with a form of depression at some time or another.

2) We ALL KNOW SOMEONE who deals with this.

3) The OVERALL MESSAGE of this post pertains to any STRUGGLE where we feel we have no control. (that includes EVERYONE.)

Now, as I was saying... The "D" word ... Depression. It has such a stigma to it. It's taboo. A sign of weakness. In Africa, the definition translated back to us was "going mad." Wow, who wants that to describe them! No one wants to talk about it... But I do, so let's talk. I CHOOSE to be transparent about what I deal with in hopes that it can help others.

The definition of depression I want to highlight on is sunken, pressing down on and accompanies feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. The truth is we ALL have felt it. It can be based on circumstances, mindsets created through life, or a chemical imbalance. Often, it's even a combination of these. For me, it's a pressing down paralyzing feeling. It's also accompanied with negative, insecure and self conscious thoughts. My perspective changes, and not for the good. A dear friend and fellow blogger (http://rubber-pencils.com) described it best as being "uncomfortable in my own skin." That is me. It is not based on circumstance, but instead, a physical pulling down feeling AND endless lies entering my head. Sometimes I can identify what the lies are, other times, I cannot. I want to shut my brain off and crawl into my hole... and not just for a moment... for a LONG time... The crazy thing is, I cant' even tell you why or what caused it.

Some of you can relate, but for others, it's not so bad. This is when my flesh wants to say "I hate you" and be covered with jealousy and self pity for the day. Instead, I CHOOSE to change my perspective. I CHOOSE to live by the Holy Spirit and say "I am thankful this is not a big issue for you" and "I praise God for blessing each of us with different strengths and struggles. There is a purpose for them."

2 Corinthians 12:9  "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

For when I am weak, He is made strong. I CHOOSE to boast about my weaknesses. So... here it goes... "Thank you God for my tendency toward depression." ... There, that wasn't so hard... I am thankful for my journey with depression because I see all that He has done through it. But... my flesh wants to know why I still have to struggle?!?!? Then I remember... God is sovereign, so I CHOOSE to praise Him in it. I CHOOSE to let Him use my weaknesses and struggles for what they were meant to be - A living testimony of God's grace in a broken world!

I CHOOSE to see my struggle as a blessing. It's what brings me back to Him everyday. It reminds me of my dependence on Him. It is a way for Him to call me back and not let me get too far away from Him in MY way of doing life. Because of this struggle, I come to Him in complete dependence everyday. I CHOOSE to allow His power to work in my weakness.

APPLICATION: What is your struggle? Is it a form of depression, anxiety, worry, fear, doubt, shame, anger, pride, jealousy, insecurity, etc.? Is it a physical ailment or an addiction? We all have that "thing." What is yours? And what are you going to do with it?

"I can't be, I'm a christian..."

 (original post 5/15/12)

I can't be, I'm a Christian...

Lie #1 - "I can't be depressed. I am a Christian."

"I am not happy, but I cannot let others know. Christians are supposed to be a light and mine is pretty dim. I have to hide this side of me." This was my thinking for a long time and boy was I good at hiding it... most of the time. I think some of you know what I'm talking about. Many of us stay in denial or hide it... especially Christ followers. Why? Is it pride? Some. Embarrassment? Most definitely. A misconstrued understanding of what it means to be a Christian? Absolutely.

We have been saturated with a lie that once you become a Christian, you are supposed to live "happily ever after." (This truth will not happen until heaven.) The Christian life is a race ... more like a marathon (Hebrews 12:1). Life still continues as normal and we still have our struggles, but, the difference is we now have the Savior of the world, our Comforter, Refuge and Best Friend walking alongside of us.

John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Matthew 5:16 You are the light of the world... let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We are not free from the throws of depression nor any other ailments or struggles. We have this notion that if we are not happy and just about perfect, we can not be a light to others. This is a lie and a way for Satan to hold us back. The Truth is we are supposed to be transparent about our imperfections and show how differently we deal with them (with a humble, repentant and dependent spirit). This is when our light shines. Think about it. What's more effective, speaking the gospel all day everyday, or living it out in front of the world so they can actually see it and not just hear it?

My story - I've struggled with depression for at least 15 years. The earliest I can remember having any symptoms was in college. About 11 years ago, I spoke with a Christian counselor about "food issues" (at least I thought that was why I was there). She asked me a series of questions, then said "Christie, you are depressed." Of course my response was "NO I AM NOT!" A couple years later, in pre-marital counseling with a pastor, I was asked if I deal with it. Again, my response was "No Way!" I left both of these meetings defensive and embarrassed. I denied it for so long, but eventually accepted something was wrong... not depression though... maybe seasonal affective disorder.. yeah, that doesn't sound as "bad". So I continued in my denial and tried my very best to mask it around others...

Lie #2 - "I am a Christian, I cannot take an antidepressant"

In the Christian community, there is a difference in opinion on this topic. I am no expert, so all I can do is tell my story. For me, not taking the medicine prolonged my ability to grow and be a light. Satan had me right where He wanted me ... paralyzed and doing nothing.

...I finally accepted that I struggled with depression, but told myself I had to just deal with it because I couldn't take medication. It wasn't until 6 years ago, that I decided I could not overcome this on my own. I confided in a friend who was transparent and let me know she had also dealt with it. She asked me the questions, "If you had high blood pressure, would you take medication for it?" I said yes and began to understand why people take antidepressants. It didn't define me or where I stood as a Christian. It was medicine to help my body get back into balance. I started taking an antidepressant and all I can say is my life began to change. The fog began to clear. My "stuff" was still there, but, because the fog was lifting, I was able to face it instead of trying to hide from it. MOST IMPORTANTLY, my relationship with God began to grow leaps and bounds.

For awhile, I still tried to come off of it or put a time limit on taking it, but was unsuccessful. Two years ago, I finally admitted to myself that I need this medicine right now and would take if for as long as it took. I was finally being a "light" (Matthew 5:16) and able to enjoy my life in its abundance (John 10:10). I have come to the conclusion that God is more concerned about me being a light in a dark world to further His kingdom, then He is with me spending all my time focused on perfecting myself on my own.

For me, antidepressants have helped "clear the fog" so I can:
1) Face my issues (doubts, insecurities, negative thoughts and mindsets). They are still there.
2) Grow closer to God (For me, it lifts the fog that stands between me growing. I can focus on Him instead of my problems.)
3) Step out and be used by Him (Focus on and serve others, tell my story).

Without my surrendering to pride and being open to antidepressants, I do know I would not have gone on my last two mission trips (where I grew tremendously), and I certainly would not be doing what I am right now ... being used for ministry.

If you are considering taking an antidepressant,


1) Come out of denial, stop being embarrassed and admit there is something wrong. Ask God for help and to show you what to do.

Psalm 34:17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

2) Identify - Determine what is based on circumstances? What are mindsets? Physical symptoms? What may simply be habitual responses that you have fallen into?

Define - What are you thinking about? What do you say to yourself and not even realize? Many times Satan pulls us down by feeding us lies about ourselves or others. Listen to your thoughts, write them down and find Truth (scripture) that speaks against these.

Fight- Have you first tried taking this to God and began addressing it? Pray specific prayers? Seek His counsel. Have you already tried this but feel there is a wall up and you cannot get through?

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

3) Talk to a Christian Counselor (Proverbs 11:14; Proverbs 12:15; Proverbs 19:20-21)

4) What are your motives for taking an antidepressants? Do you want a quick fix? Do you NOT want to deal with underlying issues? (i.e. Medicine for me has helped me break the chains that kept me from growing spiritually. For another, when they began to feel better, they feel that they don’t need God's help anymore. There is a big difference in motive in these situations.)
Proverbs 16:2 All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.

5) Don't look at it as the solution to all your problems, but instead, the beginning of healing.
Exodus 15:26 ...For I am the Lord, who heals you

A Parent to be Praised?

Parenting is hard!!! Can I get an AMEN!!! I can honestly say that I am humbled daily by my children … or my ability to parent them. Many days, I feel as though I’m failing (or inadequate) at being a “good” mom. Oddly, on the flip side, I struggle with serious pride issues as well. I think that if my kids do not act perfectly around others, that it’s a reflection on me. And, I find myself more worried about what others think than what God thinks. Oh my. Is that really what I am doing?!? All this results in me constantly being on them.

 What message am I sending? Do my kids have to earn love and acceptance from mom and dad? At first glimpse I say “Of course not” but if I really look at my actions and speech, I have to question it. Yikes!! Am I teaching a warped view of love (based on conditions)? Will they grow up believing that to be loved by anyone (including God), they must earn it? “I’m not good enough… I have to be better” – Is this the message they are receiving? Double Yikes!! Is this how I got this message!?! Is this why so many of us have a hard time understanding what Love really is… because this is how the World loves?

 If you have more than one child, chances are, one of them is your challenge, knows how to push those buttons and can bring out the worst in you. Wow, who knew that anger was in there!!! My firstborn, bless him, is my challenge. I call him my little “character builder.” I’m really hard on him. Why is that? Three things come to mind. 1) He is my first 2) He is most like me 3) I see the potential there. There is so much inner conflict and turmoil going on because on one hand I have this frustration for him to be a certain way, but on the other hand, there’s guilt because of the condemnation he is constantly receiving from me.

 I went for my jog with God. My “character builder” was on my heart and I was desperate for some wisdom. God spoke. This is what I heard … “I gave you your kids. Let them be who I’ve created them to be, not what you think they should be. THEY ARE FOR MY GLORY, NOT YOURS.” Wow, talk about revelation. I am a transparent person, but until now, not in this area. I have been so prideful. I want to appear as if I have all the answers, and perfect children. Why?  So I can be praised for my abilities. Ouch. Truth Hurts. No wonder I’m stressed, confused and overwhelmed with parenting. I’m working in my own flesh and my priorities are all wrong. I’ve had 6 good years of habitual responses and a lifetime of mindsets to break. I CHOOSE to lose all pretenses, humble myself before everyone, and admit that I have no ability without His Spirit moving through me. I must raise my children for His Glory. Then and only then, will I become a parent to be praised. 

 Application: Does any of this ring true to you? I think we can all say it does to an extent. How do we change? 

A Season of Rest

As school gets out and the weather gets warmer, I feel God constantly repeating something to me....

"slow down... and rest in me"
 
After hearing this over and over, I'm finally getting it...

• Take the summer off (from the ministry and constant activity)

• "Hang out on the hammock with Daddy" (don't know who said it, but I like it!)

•  Enjoy my family (laugh with them, reconnect with my husband)

•  Get my priorities back in place (Martha, Martha, Martha and Full of good, but is it full of God)

•  AND LISTEN to what He's trying to teach me but I've been too busy to hear.

With that said, I will be taking time off from posting new blog posts. I will definitely still be journaling, but I am going to allow time for what God's teaching me to really sink in before I share it with you. During this time, I will be sharing some of my old posts. 

I believe MANY of  us are too busy 

and He is saying the exact same thing to you. 

Won't you join me this summer and learn how to rest in Him... sit at His feet... and get your buckets refilled?

What does that look like in your life?

Pray about it and see what He reveals.

An Interview from Togo

Many of you know I have a passion for this West African country and it's people. With the blessing of our new addition, Allie, came the absence of a mission trip back to Togo this past year.

God is so awesome... Guess what he did!?!?! He brought Togo to me. 

I had the honor of hosting Yinka Ojo, a missionary with Pioneers Togo, while he was in Charleston May 1st-8th. He is an amazing man of God with a wife (Faith), twin 9-year old boys (Mercy and Grace), and a 5-year old boy (Goodness). This post is all about sharing his story and mission with you. I truly believe there are readers God is calling to partner financially with the vision of Pioneers Togo, and even more who are called to pray for their cause.

Pastor Yinka's Story
While growing up in Nigeria, Yinka was active in a Christian church. However, he didn't have a personal relationship with God as his Lord and Savior; and therefore was not living the abundant life that God meant for ALL of his children to live.

All of us have defining moments - I like to call them "God" moments ... turning points in our lives. I will share a few of his.

• He found that relationship with Christ in college ('87) and was actively involved with Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES) for 14 years.
• Heard a sermon about the Kingdom Lifestyle - Philippians 2:1-11, that struck him deep. Jesus gave it all. He made a decision that day "I’m giving up my life for you – I want to live for you – take all of me." (All in for Missions) – I want to be His voice. God opened my eyes to see the need around me.
• He woke up one morning to a worship song saying - "Free us, Lord free us to lay down our life - to love and worship you." Yinka became overwhelmed with God's demand to lay down his life - His whole life - just as Jesus did. That day he made the choice to give up his life, his ambitions, his dreams, anything God asked him to. (To the world, this seems crazy. However, it is the secret to the abundant life - John 10:10; Phil 4:11-13)
• Prayed for the Lord to show him who he was to marry. God clearly revealed it to him one day as he walked past this special lady. There were many obstacles in the way to this marriage, but God paved the way.

Hearing Yinka's story makes me think of one word - SACRIFICE. Have I really surrendered EVERYTHING to God? My Marriage? My Children? My Calling? What my day looks like?

INTERVIEW WITH YINKA OJO

Tell me about your organization and its mission.
Pioneers International  is a christian organization whose mission is to "mobilize teams to glorify God among unreached people by initiating church-planting movements in partnership with local churches."  The Pioneers Togo team is made of 24 family units. Our mission is to empower and equip the indigents among the 53 different tribes so they may take the gospel to their people.

There are three purposes

• Walk in partnership with existing churches by equipping and mentoring their leaders
• Place field missionaries into unreached villages, not as a preacher, but a researcher living out loud and offering a physical need or service (i.e. selling essentials, first aid, medical clinics, etc). His goal is to build an identity as someone to render service while he seeks a person of peace (someone whose heart God is already working on). God brings the P.O.P. to the missionary and that person becomes the bridge to plant the church. We then empower and equip them to take the gospel to their people (more receptive).
• Church planting: seeking to develop and mentor leaders in the community for the churches to become self sustaining so the missionary can move to another village. Empowering the locals for the Lords work, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). 

CONNECT to people where they are

...DRAW them to GOD
...LEAD them to CHRIST!

What RELIGIOUS GROUPS are among the people of Togo
Religions of Togo (Joshua Project): 37% Ethnic Religions (Idol Worship) ; 18% Islam; 44% Christian (The Christian percentage is deceptive. I would say there is more like only 15% Born Again Christians in Togo. )  

What's the DIFFERENCE between the Togolese who call themselves CHRISTIANS and those who are truly born again? They are christian by tradition - born into a "christian" home. Many of the Catholic churches don’t present the implication of what it means to be a Christian – “ a Christian does not have to lay aside it’s traditions.” They still practice ancestral worship. They are basically saying that Jesus makes no demand (I can have all my other gods). 

Tell me about ANCESTRAL WORSHIP

They believe that worshiping their Ancestors assures them of safety and protection from evil forces. If you want to have good life, the ancestors hold the key to our well being. If they are not happy with us, then things will go bad. The spirit world has great influence – the ancestors are gone and they can mediate between us and what is happening around us. (Before these ancestors died, they had connection to gods – and always made sacrifices to these idols). What do these IDOLS look like? Idols can be anything (storm, statue, animal, stick). The idol is a medium, to connect to a god. Offer sacrifices and perform different rituals to appease the gods. For example, an object would be placed in front of a farm so it would flourish. A bracelet or belt would be worn to protect yourself.

What other CHALLENGES do you face in preaching the gospel in Togo?

• Reaching North Togo (where many of the unreached villages are) such as operational costs,
  
  difficult travel (rugged roads only reached by motorbikes, rivers to cross, and you are only ensured transportation on market day (once a week). – pay heavily.
• Mission Home - Vision to build and own a mission home that can be self sustaining. Right now, we pay rent for our mission home (hosts missionary families, mission teams, administration work, etc) The owners have remodeled and raised rent that is unrealistic for us. We own land and hope to build our own building one day. Our dream is to build it in a way that it can be used for multi purposes (conferences, meetings, i.e) to produce income. 
• Micro finance: Workers are few. Field missionaries need to start a small business to live and that meets a need in the village. When we can, we offer them a small
  
  loan ($120 - they give back $10/mo) to help. The missionaries have to wait till funds are available and take turns receiving the loans. The missionaries move to a new village once leaders are raised up and a church is planted.
• Continual Care. Medical missions help provide a need so the village will be open to the missionary and the pioneers team. Many people are sick and some need surgery. The medical teams bring money to help in this cost, but many times it is not enough. The local team feels keeping this connection with the people is important and does what they can to provide the continuing expenses for these patients.

How you can help
If someone wanted to partner with Pioneers Togo in this mission, what would they need to do? You can give a one time gift or become a partner with a recurring gift. You can also specify if you want your gift to go to a particular effort (self sustaining mission home, missionaries, travel, continual care, church planting, etc.)

Click here To become a partner with Pioneers Togo.  

• Specify what type of gift you would like to give - be as specific as you would like.
• In the name field - PIONEERS TOGO (You do not need the account number to give as long as you put Pioneers Togo in the name field. I will update the post as soon as I have it.)

If you have any questions, you can email me at michaudchristie@gmail.com and I will do my best to answer. :)

Enough for me

Hey Everyone. While I've been quiet in my posting for a few weeks, God has not. He is always speaking. What has He been speaking to me lately? 




Balance? YES! 
Putting Him First? YES! 
The Revelation that He is enough for me? YES! (I so want to GET this!).  
 Let me share two quotes He has placed on my heart...


 Quote#1
 "I know you are all I have. but I don't know you ENOUGH for you to be all I need."  - Finding God, Larry Crabb

What holds me back from KNOWING that God is all I need?

• When I'm not receiving the love, affection and acceptance that I need from my husband, my kids, my parents, my friends, my accomplishments, etc.... I hear God asking me "Am I not enough for you?"
• When I'm lonely, tired, stressed and tempted to woof down a 1/2 gallon of ice cream with magic shell on top - I hear God asking me "Am I not enough for you?"

TRUTH: God IS all I need.  

• In Christ, you (I) have been brought to fullness  Col 2:10
• Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
• I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord Phil 3:7-10

God's Word is powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and it does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). However, if we don't read it...claim it... receive it,  then it's not true for us. We need revelation...for the eyes of your hearts to be enlightened (Eph 1:18).

Quote #2
"You have access to as much of Me as you have faith to receive." -Jesus Calling Devotional, Sarah Young

 Let that sink in for a minute. Wow. This quote hit me hard. I don't have "as much," ONLY because I have not received!  To receive is an act of faith....Oh Me of little faith!!!

Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence in (google). Don't let the word "complete" condemn you - this journey we are on is a process.
Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

DID YOU KNOW? Faith is a gift from God. It is not from ourselves (Eph 2:8 ; Romans 12:3) ... but we must CHOOSE to receive it. He is waiting to give, we just have to ask for it ... all of it ...and accept it like a child at Christmas time.  Matthew 18:2-3



HOW DO WE INCREASE OUR FAITH?
Matthew 7:7 Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.

• ASK Him - Pray for Him to increase your faith. 
• SEEK -Learn God's Word and His promises. Don't just listen and read the word, do what it says (James 1:22)
• KNOCK - Be persistant and expectant. Keep asking. Thank Him in advance for His gift IN you that continues to grow. 

More Verses on Faith Matthew 21:21, Hebrews 11:1, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Cor 2:5

"You have access to as much of Me as you have faith to receive."  

-Jesus Calling Devotional, Sarah Young

WHAT DO WE HAVE ACCESS TO?  

Cultivating Peace

I would like to introduce you to a fellow woman of God, Stephanie Haynes, Founder of Peace of Mind Ministries. She has an amazing passion and calling to help women who struggle with priorities and busyness. As most of you know, this is right up my alley right now. Read her guest post below and gleam some wisdom from this ministry. Wont you join me in learning how to live in peace amongst the chaos!?!?!?

“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

Last week I read Aha! Moments’ Blog Post and my heart immediately went out to Christie and every other woman who could identify with her story. If you missed it, here’s a snippet…

I'm busy working on a ministry, writing a blog, taking care of my three children, maintaining healthy friendships, trying my best to keep the house in order, figuring out how to be a help-mate to my husband, and all the while praying for God to help me keep it all together.  

Oh how I know that place! The place where there’s so much to do and not enough time to do it and hoping God hears me and will somehow make it all work out the way I need it to so that the craziness will somehow just STOP…

God doesn’t work like that though.

He doesn’t want us to live for everything and everyone else and hope He will jump in and help. He wants us to live for Him and trust Him to work out whatever everyone and everything else needs.

That’s a huge paradigm shift!

I have lived the crazy life Christie wrote of and it almost killed me. At one point I was in danger of entering menopause, having a heart attack, on the verge of a divorce, and so angry and bitter I couldn’t stand my own children, much less my life. I couldn’t understand why God wasn’t intervening and making everything work out “right.” I was 33.

Today, at 43, I have an incredibly different life.  I am free from any threat of a heart attack, menopause is now naturally occurring instead of stress-induced, I have an incredible relationship with my children and I am still married to the same man. But, the most important thing is that amid the regular busyness of everyday life (and the occasional chaotic season) I have PEACE!

How? I chose to make the shift from putting everything else first and God last, to putting God first and letting Him tell me what came next.

Making the choice to live out of my own control was the easy part. Learning how to do it was the challenge. That’s why I chronicled my experience and what I learned in a 10-week Bible study called Cultivating Peace: Revealing God’s Peace within Your Chaos. In this study I share how out of control my life was and how, little by little, God infused my life with His Truth and cultivated His peace in my daily life. Using my own experiences, as well as the stories of the women I have met along the way, I walk through God’s truth in issues such as:

•  How to live out of our own control without everything falling into chaos. 
•  The lies we believe and how they affect the level of peace we feel.
• What it really means to center our lives on God. 
•  How to stop comparing our lives to anyone else’s and find peace within our own.
• What personality types and love languages have to do with peace in our relationships.
• What true peace really is.

If you feel like your life is more often full of chaos than peace, if you feel like God is distant, if you feel as if at any moment your choices could cause your schedule to come crashing down all around you, then this study is for YOU!

Of course, you may still feel like saying: Where on earth will I find the time to read??

I hear you! That’s why I have created all kinds of resource tools to help you!

• Each session has its own free Video Teaching segment that you can watch when you need some peace right now in any area of your life.

• Each chapter has Personal Reflection questions to help you discover God’s truth in a few short minutes.

• Each chapter also has a corresponding memory verse to keep you centered on God all day long.

• Our Peace of Mind Ministries Schedule Tracker™ is available any time to track where your time is really being spent in order to see why you feel so chaotic. There’s even a special Video teaching on how to use this tool.

No matter how chaotic or out of control your life is today, God has a way to cultivate His peace within it. All He asks of you is to invite Him to take over:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

I pray you will make the choice to cultivate God’s peace within your life today!

Stephanie

Stephanie Haynes is the Founder of Peace of Mind Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women cultivate God’s peace His way within their lives. She and her husband live in the Saint Louis area of Missouri with their daughter Taylor (15), son Christopher (11), and two crazy dogs. Stephanie promotes God’s message of peace through her blog, on Facebook and Twitter, and through speaking to groups such as MOPS and church women’s events and retreats. You can contact her with any questions related to this post via email at Stephanie@peaceofmindministries.com