Song of Solomon 8:5 AMP “Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning upon her beloved?”
Me! Me! It’s me!
I cried the first time I read this verse and realized that one day, someone would look at my life and the wilderness that it has so often been, and they would say, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her Beloved?”
Why?
Because He has made me unrecognizable as the person I once was.
Because through it all, He was with me. The abuse, trauma, rapes, assaults, self-injury, suicide attempts, mental illness, physical illness, near-death experiences, He was there. He never left me. He never turned His back. He never shrugged me off or considered me expendable. At my worst, His arms remained open. At my most vulnerable, He covered me in ways that I know in my spirit but can not articulate. He faithfully gathered the pieces and molded and shaped me back together at my most broken.
Because God and God alone, was my oasis in the wilderness, my river of delights in a dry and weary land where there was no other water, and He, my Beloved One, invited me – time without number – to lean on Him.
Yes! I am the one coming up from the wilderness, leaning on my Beloved. Knowing with an unshakeable assurance that I am His and that if I could never articulate anything again about my personal identity, that one thing would be enough.
I am His.
Do you want to know who I am? Those three words describe me better than any I could compose myself – I am His.
In 1998, the year I was born again, God brought me to Isaiah 35. I knew when I read it that it was part of my purpose. It made my whole heart sing. “Encourage the exhausted and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, ‘Take courage, fear not. Behold your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come but He will save you.” (Isaiah 35:3-4)
This remains in my heart to this day, as the prayer of my heart continues to be – “Lord, give me the tongue of a disciple so that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Awaken me morning by morning to listen to you and help me hear as a disciple taught of Your Spirit.” (Isaiah 50:4)
From 1998 to here has been a long, windy road, and yet God has remained faithful, continually reminding me of my purpose to encourage, equip, and empower people to know Him and live in the complete freedom that Christ purchased through His death, burial, and resurrection.
That’s what my name means, complete freedom. It is both my promise and my purpose.
In all this time I earned a Bachelor’s in Theology and Ministerial Studies with an emphasis on pastoral ministry and worship. I’ve taken multiple coaching courses, became a licensed coach for a program called Identity and Destiny®, and have coached more people than I can count from career path to overcoming trauma and so much in between.
I love to pour into people, to stir them to look to Jesus and find the wisdom and stability they seek (Isaiah 33:6), to inspire them to make knowing God their one determined purpose (Philippians 3), and to lean on Him and His understanding as they navigate life. I long to see women discipled and discovering the wonder and joy of being His, even as they begin to glimpse what He sees when He looks at them and His dream for their lives. And I’m so excited to be putting together the books, course library, and coaching opportunities to encourage, equip, and empower you to do just that.
You’ll get to know me more as we spend time together, whether you read my books, participate in the courses, read the blog posts, join community events, or watch the YouTube channel that will be launching soon. You’ll learn the story of my name; hear about my adventures in powerlifting; meet Riley; and get some details on my ongoing health journey; among other things. There’s so much to share!
I look forward to traveling with you.
Luke 1:49 The Might One has done great things for me, and holy is His name.
