How She Heals

What if healing and faith were never meant to be separate?

One woman's story of walking away from a life that was killing her spirit and into the life of freedom she'd always wanted.

trauma, childhood trauma, overcoming trauma, domestic violence, domestic violence survivor, assault survivor, overcoming anger, overcoming hate, overcoming victim mindset, overcoming fear, overcoming shame, overcoming guilt, anger, hate, victim mindset, fear, shame, guilt, codependency, abuse, narcissistic abuse, narcissistic parent, narcissistic father, narcissist, narcissism, overcoming narcissism, boundaries, no boundaries, brokeness, freedom in Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Christ, Freedom in Christ, Healing in Christ, Healing in Jesus Christ, female hormones, female hormone cycle, luteal phase, menstruation phase, follicular phase, ovulatory phase, luteal, menstruation, follicular, ovulation, ovulatory, cycle, cycle living, hormone cycle living, balanced living, balanced hormones,

How She Heals

What if healing and faith were never meant to be separate?

One woman's story of walking away from a life that was killing her spirit and into the life of freedom she'd always wanted.

trauma, childhood trauma, overcoming trauma, domestic violence, domestic violence survivor, assault survivor, overcoming anger, overcoming hate, overcoming victim mindset, overcoming fear, overcoming shame, overcoming guilt, anger, hate, victim mindset, fear, shame, guilt, codependency, abuse, narcissistic abuse, narcissistic parent, narcissistic father, narcissist, narcissism, overcoming narcissism, boundaries, no boundaries, brokeness, freedom in Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Christ, Freedom in Christ, Healing in Christ, Healing in Jesus Christ, female hormones, female hormone cycle, luteal phase, menstruation phase, follicular phase, ovulatory phase, luteal, menstruation, follicular, ovulation, ovulatory, cycle, cycle living, hormone cycle living, balanced living, balanced hormones,

Leaving the darkness behind and following Jesus Christ instead.

"I've come to believe there is a difference between believing in Christ and following Christ. I think I used to think they were interchangeable. Unfortunately, I think a lot of Christians think these two things are interchangeable." - Leslie Martin

"I used to see people who were followers of Christ and I was so conflicted. I would see their excitement about the relationship with Him and hear them discuss their feelings about Him and His blessings and I simply was not having the same experience.

I wanted to be having that experience! I longed for it; but it always felt like God was "still punishing me" for things I had done in the past. Over time my misunderstanding of this created the belief that these people were simply lying. They were saying the right words, putting on the right show, and acting real "Christian-like". (Now, there are people who do that; that is why the Bible tells us we will recognize them by their fruits - but for our purposes, I'm referencing the true Followers of Christ.)

By choosing to get curious, face my fears, and trust God, I was able to walk away from a life that was slowly killing me. Listening to God and mustering the courage to do what He said, led me into a life I was searching for but never knew how to find.

This series of blog posts shares about my journey of healing through trauma, understanding the patterns we carry, and learning what it means to surrender and lay it all down at the feet of Jesus Christ - which was how I found the freedom I was begging for.

Healing is not about erasing the past. It's about allowing God to reconcile the places that have mis-shaped us so we can move forward with freedom, peace, and in His purpose.

For too long, I lived a life that was draining my spirit. When I finally made the choice to live differently, the healing didn't happen overnight, and I had to address some very hard realities of trauma, generational trauma, and mental health.

I also had to learn the practical skills of emotional regulation, because in this life, everyone has gone through something. In order for us to not put our own "somethings" onto our children and others, we must reconcile and heal. We must choose to lay down the things that are separating us from God, our creator, and find ourselves through Him once again, all the while: Finding Peace in Him."

- Leslie Martin

Key Steps of Over-Coming:

Self Reflection

Self-reflection is the quiet practice of looking inward with honesty and grace. It's about taking time to understand our thoughts, feelings, choices, and reactions - as well as our mindset over our experiences so we can grow past our old self. It's a time to be gentle with ourselves but disciplined in who we would rather be.

Self Accountability

Self-accountability is the willingness to openly look at our own choices, patterns, and responses with humility. It means taking responsibility for what belongs to us (our actions, our reactions, our healing, and our growth) while understanding at the same time that we are not responsible for the choices, emotions, or healing of others.

Self Responsibility

Self-responsibility is the choice to take ownership of our own life, healing, and growth. It means recognizing that while we may not have chosen everything we have experienced, we do have a responsibility for how we respond, what we choose moving forward, and the steps we take toward healing.