Healed. Whole. Called.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Christian Struthers for a steady and hope-filled conversation about addiction, identity, survival, and the mercy of God that meets us even at our lowest point. Christian’s story begins long before the accident that changed everything. A gifted athlete, he played baseball throughout high school and into college, with a promising future ahead of him. But what began as social partying gradually became addiction. The discipline required to sustain his dream gave way to impulsive choices, and slowly, he watched the life he once envisioned unravel. The very confidence and charisma that energized crowds during his work as a hype man at large events became difficult to turn off, spilling into destructive patterns off the field. On August 3, 2016, at age 25, everything shifted. After a night of drinking, Christian was the passenger in a car traveling at high speed when it crashed. He does not remember the impact. He woke up a week later from a coma with 17 major injuries, including a broken neck, internal bleeding, a collapsed lung, multiple fractures, and two strokes. He was told he might never walk again. He lost vision in his right eye. His body had to relearn how to sit, how to stand, how to function. And yet, woven throughout the trauma were moments Christian cannot explain apart from God’s intervention. A stranger cut his seatbelt after the crash and disappeared into the crowd. His bleeding stopped on the final available bag of his blood type. Churches and individuals across communities began praying. Cards arrived from missionaries and strangers alike. While Christian did not experience dramatic visions in his coma, he experienced something equally powerful—evidence of prayer and the steady faithfulness of God through unexplainable provision and protection. Recovery was long and humbling. He had to relearn basic movements. He wrestled with the loss of his former life. But into that fragile season came an unexpected gift: a German Shepherd named Millie. Promised to him while he was still unconscious, Millie became a daily companion in his healing. She motivated him to stand, to move, to try again. Through caring for her, he found purpose in the middle of physical and emotional rehabilitation. What began as gratitude for one dog eventually grew into something larger. Christian created Dog Dash, an event celebrating dogs and raising funds for animal shelters, donating 100% of profits to support adoption and connection. Through these events—and through speaking at schools and communities—he shares the message that has become central to his life: you are one decision away from a completely different future. Christian speaks candidly about the importance of discipline, pausing before choices, and listening to that inner prompting he now recognizes as God’s voice. He reflects on the night of the crash, remembering a quiet unease he ignored. Today, he teaches young people to stop and think, to weigh risk and reward, and to anchor their decisions to the life they truly desire. The story does not end in tragedy. It ends in calling. Christian now lives with clarity that his survival was not accidental. What once felt like the end became the doorway to purpose. He describes his former lifestyle as empty compared to the fulfillment he now experiences in giving back, sharing hope, and reminding others that prayer changes things. For the listener who feels stuck in addiction, regret, or shame, this episode offers a grounded truth: your story is not over. One prayer. One pause. One decision can redirect the course of your life. God is not absent in your darkness, and redemption is never out of reach.  How to Connect With the Guest Website:https://christianstruthers.com Dog Dash Website:https://dog-3k.com Social Media: Christian Struthers is active on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: realliferamble   If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

After producing many episodes of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy realized something important — the greatest impact wasn’t coming from perfect production, but from real conversations happening in real time. In this short update, Wendy shares why the podcast is evolving from traditional recorded episodes into live conversations with resilience leaders, overcomers, and faith-driven storytellers. While the format is changing, the mission remains the same: Helping people steward their story, walk in healing, and step into their calling. You can now join these conversations live on: Facebook: Wendy C. MelroseLinkedIn: Wendy MelroseYouTube: Healed. Whole. Called. The mission hasn't changed. Only the method. Stay healed. Stay whole. Stay called. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Teri Houghton’s story is one of quiet strength and steady faithfulness. An accountant by training, ballet teacher by passion, and mother of five—two biological and three adopted—Teri once envisioned a life that would follow a predictable arc. After a 20-year marriage, that vision shifted dramatically when her husband chose a different path, and she found herself navigating divorce as a single mother with children ranging from teens to elementary school. Divorce brought grief that felt like death—the loss of shared dreams, memories, and a future once assumed. Teri describes the early days not as a collapse of faith, but as a clinging to Jesus for survival. The trust she had known became a daily dependence. Who was she now? How would she support her family? What parts of herself had been buried beneath years of motherhood, medical appointments, activities, and responsibility? Instead of shrinking back, Teri leaned in. She returned to accounting work, said yes to opportunities she didn’t fully understand, and trusted her ability to learn. Slowly, a new chapter unfolded—one built on operations, systems, and helping female entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses with intention rather than overwhelm. What began as necessity became calling. At home, healing required equal courage. Teri openly shares how divorce is a grief the world often underestimates. It is not only the death of a marriage but the reshaping of identity and family structure. There were seasons of unhealthy coping, particularly in leaning too heavily on her oldest child during the transition. But as she grew healthier, so did her children. One of her highest values became peaceful co-parenting. Not because it was easy—but because it mattered. Choosing kindness, even when pain lingered, became a spiritual discipline. She reframed her vision of what life “should” have looked like and embraced what God was shaping instead. The relationship with her ex-husband evolved into something different: not a marriage, but a shared commitment to raising children in stability and love. Teri speaks candidly about adoption adding another layer of complexity. For adopted children, divorce can feel like a second loss layered over an earlier one. Yet even in that complexity, she sees resilience forming in her children—and in herself. Professionally, Teri now works primarily with female entrepreneurs, particularly coaches and creatives. While her work centers on systems and operations, she recognizes that ministry often unfolds in those spaces. Conversations about business frequently open doors for deeper conversations about identity, transition, divorce, and faith. God, she reflects, rarely separates vocation from calling. The ministry is often right in front of us. As her children grow and begin leaving home, Teri is also navigating another transition: rediscovering herself outside of constant caregiving. She speaks to the importance of carving out ten intentional minutes a day—not for trendy self-care, but for honest reflection. Who are you, beyond what everyone needs from you? Because eventually, she says, you will return to yourself. Her encouragement to women walking through divorce or transition is simple but profound: resilience is built by leaning into God daily. You already carry what you need because He placed it inside you. The story is not over, even when the chapter closes differently than you expected. Teri’s life is a reminder that structure and soul can coexist. That grief can birth clarity. And that love—quiet, steady, faithful love—is still the strongest legacy we leave our children. How to Connect With the Guest Connection details were not mentioned in this episode. Please check the show notes or Wendy Melrose’s social platforms for updates. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

For years, Mason Ledbetter was immersed in deliverance ministry. After a radical personal encounter with God in 2020, he dove headfirst into inner healing and spiritual warfare, eventually stepping into full-time ministry and conducting more than 500 sessions with people seeking freedom. He read everything he could find, wrote four books on deliverance, and watched powerful testimonies unfold before his eyes. And yet, beneath the surface, questions began to rise. Why did freedom seem to come in layers? Why did people return needing more sessions after experiencing breakthrough? Why did deliverance often require hours of navigating legal rights, spiritual hierarchies, and complex frameworks—when in the Gospels, Jesus simply said, “Go,” and demons left? Mason’s heart was not cynical. It was hungry for truth. He continually asked the Father, “If the Son sets us free, and we are free indeed, why does this feel so hard?” The turning point came through a simple but profound question impressed upon his spirit: What did Jesus mean when He said, “It is finished”? If the work was truly finished, and if the enemy was stripped of power and authority, then why were believers living as though darkness still held rights over them? That question unraveled everything. Mason began to see that much of what he—and many sincere believers—had embraced was rooted in performance-based Christianity. Even in striving to obey, die daily, and “stay in the will of God,” there remained a subtle scale of performance: good days meant closeness to God; bad days meant distance. Fear of slipping. Fear of disappointing Him. Fear of falling out of favor. What appeared spiritual was often law mixed with grace. Through deeper revelation, Mason discovered that true freedom flows not from striving, but from receiving. The journey is not about attaining more deliverance; it is about awakening to what Christ has already accomplished. The finished work of Jesus means the believer is not fighting for freedom but living from it. The enemy has no authority over a believer resting in grace. The battle many are fighting is not against demons, but against distorted lenses through which they have learned to see God. Now, Mason teaches what he calls restored vision—a return to seeing the Father rightly. He helps believers recognize how fear, shame, legalism, and inherited church culture shape the lens through which Scripture is read and faith is practiced. Freedom, he explains, is not found in managing darkness but in trusting the heart of the Father. This episode is not a dismissal of people’s real experiences of healing and deliverance. Rather, it is an invitation into deeper rest. It is a call to step out of performance and into sonship. It is a reminder that the Christian life is not a tightrope but a relationship. The journey, Mason says, is ultimately about learning to trust the Father more deeply. And that trust changes everything. How to Connect With the Guest Website: HolyFireDisciples.com Books available on Amazon Free 8-week course: Restored Vision (available through his website) If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

When Barbara Walsh received her breast cancer diagnosis, she entered a season she never anticipated—one marked by uncertainty, fear, and difficult decisions. Yet even in that valley, God was not absent. What began as a medical crisis became a sacred invitation to slow down, examine her lifestyle, and ask deeper questions about stewardship, faith, and the body’s remarkable design. Barbara shares how her healing journey was not only about treatment, but about transformation. She began to recognize that the body is not the enemy—it is designed by God to protect, respond, and heal. Rather than living in fear, she felt called to partner with her body in practical, daily choices that support long-term health. This shift—from reaction to intentional prevention—became one of the most significant turning points in her story. Throughout the conversation, Wendy Melrose reinforces the biblical truth that our bodies were created with purpose. The enemy does not get to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10), and we are not powerless in the face of diagnosis. Barbara’s testimony reflects that while we do not control the number of our days, we can honor Christ in how we steward them. Small, consistent decisions—nutrition, reducing toxins, managing stress, cultivating peace—can profoundly impact not only physical health but spiritual clarity and emotional resilience. Barbara now leads Good Nature Wellness with a heart to educate and equip others, especially women, with practical tools she wishes she had known earlier. She offers five key insights that reshaped her perspective before and after diagnosis—wisdom designed not to alarm, but to empower. Her message is not rooted in fear of illness, but in reverence for life and the belief that healing often begins long before crisis arrives. This episode reminds us that healing is layered. It involves body, mind, and spirit. It invites courage, faith, and daily obedience. And it affirms the foundational truth of this podcast: your story is not over. In Christ, you are healed, whole, and called. How to Connect With the Guest Website: www.goodnaturewellness.com Free Resource: www.goodnaturewellness.com/5thingsfreebie Instagram: @good_nature_wellness Facebook: Good Nature Wellness If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this energizing and deeply reflective episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose welcomes Yvonne Trost, founder of Limitless You, subconscious performance coach, and hypnotherapist. Yvonne’s journey began in a small town in central Illinois, raised by loving parents who modeled stability and survival. Yet even well-intentioned conditioning can quietly shape a life that feels misaligned with one’s true design. Over time, Yvonne found herself living a version of success that looked stable on the outside but felt disconnected within. A painful and prolonged divorce became the wake-up call she describes as both desperation and divine invitation. Instead of continuing to repeat patterns, she chose to confront them. What followed was years of deep inner work—studying hypnotherapy, yoga, subconscious programming, and the nervous system—not just from textbooks, but through lived experience. At the heart of Yvonne’s message is this truth: you are not your mind. Just as you can say, “I have a hand, but I am not my hand,” you can say, “I have a mind, but I am not my mind.” Many of the behaviors that keep women stuck—over-giving, overworking, people-pleasing, procrastinating, numbing through scrolling or entertainment—are subconscious survival programs formed in childhood. They once served a purpose. But if never upgraded, they begin to run life on autopilot. Yvonne introduces the concept of “stuck operating procedures” versus “healthy operating procedures.” The subconscious mind is wired for survival, not fulfillment. It resists change because change feels unsafe. But when we learn to bring awareness to those patterns, we can gently rewrite them. One of the most powerful images she shares is the “backwash cup.” When women give and give until their cup is nearly empty, what they have left to offer is not generosity—it is depletion. True generosity comes from overflow, not exhaustion. Self-care is not selfish; it is stewardship. When we fill ourselves first—emotionally, spiritually, physically—we offer living water rather than leftovers. Yvonne challenges a common misapplication of the Golden Rule. Instead of endlessly doing for others while neglecting ourselves, she invites women to practice what she calls a “platinum principle”: care for yourself so fully that you can give from wholeness, not resentment. The goal is not withdrawal from love—it is sustainable love. Throughout the conversation, Wendy and Yvonne reflect on the dangers of unconscious habits—from doom scrolling to binge watching to over-functioning—and how easy it is to slip into survival patterns during painful seasons like divorce. Yet obedience to God’s prompting, even in small steps, creates freedom. Growth often begins when we release what keeps us stuck. Yvonne’s encouragement to the woman listening is simple and urgent: Don’t wait. Listen to your heart. Ask what your mind, body, and spirit need right now. Stop “shoulding” yourself. When you choose alignment and truth, God can use even the hardest seasons to rewrite your story. You are not broken. You may simply need a code upgrade. How to Connect With the Guest Website: https://www.unlocklimitlessyou.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yvonnetrostandlimitlessyou Free Quiz: https://www.unlocklimitlessyou.com/quiz Discovery Call: https://www.unlocklimitlessyou.com/call Podcast: How to Be Happier for Entrepreneurs Additional free and paid resources, including meditations and subconscious belief tools, are available on her website under the Resources section. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this powerful episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Corporal Wesley C. Ross, a United States Marine Corps veteran and author of My War, His War. At just 17 years old, Wesley enlisted in the Marine Corps, stepping into a life of discipline, brotherhood, and eventually combat. In 2004, during the second assault in Fallujah, Iraq, everything changed. After completing turret watch and rotating positions with a fellow Marine, Wesley found himself sitting with his interpreter when a series of explosions began to detonate nearby. The first was close. The second was closer. The third, he never heard. The blast rendered him unconscious, marking the beginning of a new and unexpected war—one fought not overseas, but within his own body and mind. What followed were years of surgeries, physical complications, and long-term recovery. Today, Wesley continues to manage chronic pain and lymphedema, living with the lasting effects of combat trauma. Yet through every surgery, every setback, and every moment of uncertainty, he remains steady in one conviction: God was there. He believes the Lord was present in the explosion, in the evacuation helicopter, in the operating room, and in the long, quiet hours of recovery. That conviction shaped what would become his CAMP method—a framework born from lived experience and anchored in faith. CAMP stands for: Confront the circumstance. Anchor to purpose. Move anyway. Push on regardless. Wesley teaches that avoidance only deepens defeat. Instead, we are called to face what stands before us. For him, anchoring to purpose means anchoring to Jesus Christ—the Rock who does not shift when circumstances do. Even when movement hurts, even when progress is slow, forward is still forward. Like a shark that can only swim ahead, he reminds us that healing requires motion. Perhaps the most sobering part of Wesley’s testimony is his honesty about despair. He speaks directly to those who feel overwhelmed or tempted to give up, especially veterans navigating invisible wounds. Suicide, he says plainly, is not the answer. It is a permanent decision for a temporary battle. His encouragement is simple but powerful: keep moving forward. Wesley’s story is not about glorifying war. It is about redemption within it. His injuries did not end his purpose—they clarified it. Through his book and speaking, he now serves anyone facing adversity, offering a framework forged in combat and refined in surrender. The battle did not destroy him. In Christ, it rebuilt him. How to Connect With the Guest Website: https://a.co/d/07jBzkIe Book: My War, His War — available on Amazon Connection details beyond his book were not mentioned in this episode. Please check the show notes or Wendy Melrose’s social platforms for updates. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this powerful and deeply anchored conversation on Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose welcomes Debbie Simmons—CEO, author, adoptive mother of nine, and grandmother of fifteen—whose life was forever marked by both profound grief and profound obedience. As a young woman, Debbie dreamed of being a “young grandma.” She married, built her plans, and envisioned a full family life—only to walk into years of infertility that shook her identity. When fertility treatments led to pregnancy, hope was restored. But at 26 weeks, complications forced the early delivery of her quadruplet sons—Zach, Josh, Nate, and Chris. One by one, Debbie held each of her boys as they passed into eternity. In that hospital room, with empty arms and a shattered heart, Debbie faced the question so many ask in suffering: Why? Yet through prayer and surrender, she sensed the Lord gently challenge her to release that question. Even if she were given an answer, it would never fully satisfy. “Why” would only lead to more whys. Instead, God invited her to ask a different question: How do I survive? That shift changed everything. Rather than staying stuck in isolation and grief, Debbie began taking the next best step. One step at a time, trusting that God would meet her in obedience, her faith muscle strengthened. Survival eventually became thriving. Thriving became purpose. And purpose became legacy. Through that season of surrender, doors opened. Debbie began ministering to grieving parents, eventually stepping away from her engineering career to pursue full-time ministry. Adoption followed—first a sibling group of five from the foster system, then additional sibling groups in later years. Over time, nine children from hard places found a home in her family. That obedience also birthed Anchor Point, a nonprofit that equips families to thrive through adoption support, case management for women navigating unplanned pregnancies, therapeutic camps for children with trauma, and recovery groups addressing abortion, sexual abuse, and trauma. Debbie’s work is not reactive—it is redemptive. Pain became the seed for restoration in others. Her book, The Heart of Legacy, tells both her story and the principles she now teaches leaders: live your legacy now so you have one to leave later. Focused. Faithful. Fearless. She coaches high-capacity leaders—those successful by worldly standards—who quietly carry the question, “Is there more?” Debbie helps them discern the difference between success and calling, inviting them to slow down, listen, and respond to God’s next step. Throughout the conversation, Debbie offers practical spiritual wisdom: If you look backward, you pick up shame and regret. If you look too far forward, you pick up anxiety and fear. But when you keep your eyes fixed on Christ and focus on today’s obedience, peace returns. Her life models what she teaches. Whether navigating lawsuits, hurricanes, adoption transitions, or ministry challenges, her anchor remains the same—breathe, ask “how,” take the next step, and trust God with the rest. Debbie’s testimony reminds us that grief does not disqualify us. It can refine us. The question is not “why did this happen?” but “how will I walk forward with God from here?” Legacy is not built in ease. It is built in obedience. Pain was not the end of Debbie’s story. It was the beginning of her calling. How to Connect With the Guest Website (Free Book Offer): theheartoflegacy.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDebbieSimmonsSpeaks Nonprofit Organization: Anchor Point Book: The Heart of Legacy If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Carolina Arco — leadership mentor, coach, and founder of ARCO Teachings — for a steady and wisdom-filled conversation about identity, forgiveness, and the kind of love that transforms a life from the inside out.Carolina’s journey spans continents and seasons of uncertainty. As a teenager in Brazil, she often felt misaligned with the systems around her, unsure of her direction. At 18, she left home with little money and began building a life in São Paulo. A few years later, at 23, she immigrated alone to Canada with the intention of staying six months. That short season became ten years.In the early years in Canada, Carolina worked long hours in a coffee shop — biking through snow before sunrise, opening the store, making hundreds of sandwiches, and closing each afternoon. Without residency status, without a clear career path, and far from home, she entered a deep season of depression and unworthiness. She describes feeling disconnected from purpose and unsure why she was even there.It was in that fragile state that she experienced a turning point. After walking into a small shop offering a short meditation session, she encountered a profound sense of peace — a quiet, light-filled space where suffering momentarily lifted. Soon after, during a guided meditation, she experienced a vivid vision of Jesus meeting her in a small shelter in an open field. In that moment, she felt held, comforted, and seen. When Jesus’ face became the face of her earthly father — with whom she carried deep wounds — she sensed a clear instruction: forgive.Obedience did not come easily. Forgiveness required surrendering resentment and pride. Yet she chose to call her father and tell him she forgave him. That single act marked the beginning of a year-long journey of forgiving others — and forgiving herself.The fruit was unmistakable. Within months, circumstances began shifting. She met her future husband in an unexpected encounter on public transit. Her visa process resolved, allowing her to leave the restaurant job. A simple online ad asking, “Do you want to have a positive impact on people’s lives?” led her into the world of coaching. Mentorship, formal training, and eventually launching her own business followed.What began as 21 days of free meditation gatherings grew organically into a global mentoring practice. Today, Carolina has supported thousands of individuals across more than 30 countries, guiding them in emotional wisdom, responsibility, and inner steadiness. She describes her life now as deeply aligned — not because hardship disappeared, but because her anchor shifted.Even in a recent year marked by miscarriage and grief, she returned to one central practice: focus on love. Rather than chasing outcomes or attempting to fix the world, Carolina cultivates the felt reality of God’s love daily — asking, “If I am a force of love, how do I act today?”Her message is simple but mature: love is not passive. It is chosen. It is practiced. It is carried into neighborhoods, workplaces, and marriages. It begins within and ripples outward.For the woman listening who feels lost, disconnected, or unworthy, Carolina offers this reminder: you deserve to feel God’s love. You are not disqualified by your past, your doubts, or your detours. Forgiveness may be the doorway — and love is the path forward.As Scripture reminds us, “Above all, love each other deeply” (1 Peter 4:8).This episode invites us to become sanctuaries of love in a world hungry for steadiness — trusting that when we respond to today’s assignment with obedience, God weaves the larger design.How to Connect With Carolina ArcoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/caroline.arcoWebsite: http://www.arcoteachings.com If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this hope-filled episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose welcomes Katie Selby, a paraprofessional from St. Louis, Missouri, whose life story is rooted in perseverance and quiet courage. From infancy, Katie experienced developmental delays and significant language impairment, leaving her frustrated and often misunderstood. What some labeled as tantrums were, in reality, a young child’s desperate attempt to communicate. At just three years old, Katie was enrolled in the Special School District of St. Louis County. Her early years were marked by behavioral struggles tied directly to her inability to express herself verbally. Yet even before she had the words, advocacy was already forming in her spirit. Through consistent support from her parents and teachers—who learned to redirect, reinforce verbal attempts, and patiently guide her—Katie spoke her first full sentence at age five. It was a small milestone with lifelong significance. As she grew older, Katie recognized that if she wanted her needs understood, she would have to learn to speak up. A pivotal shift came during her junior year of high school when a teacher saw her determination. Later, an access office counselor at community college recognized her drive to pursue higher education. These mentors helped Katie see that she was not limited by the labels placed on her. Higher education was not a straight path. Subjects like math and science required persistence and time, and completing her degree took years. But Katie remained steadfast. Her story dismantles the myth that academic timelines define intelligence or worth. Progress at a slower pace is still progress. Today, Katie has served as a paraprofessional since 2005, walking alongside elementary students with disabilities as they learn to advocate for themselves. She understands firsthand what it feels like to navigate school without adequate support, and she intentionally teaches students that it is okay to not be “there yet.” It is okay to ask for help. It is okay to grow at your own speed. Her work extends beyond the classroom. Through podcast interviews and motivational speaking, Katie shares her message widely: you are not defined by a diagnosis, and you are not disqualified from purpose. She is currently writing a book about her life, continuing the call to encourage others who have been told they are “not college material.” Katie’s testimony is steady and clear—self-advocacy is learned, perseverance is powerful, and God’s design for your life is not limited by educational systems or early delays. The struggle was not the end of her story. It was preparation for her calling. How to Connect With the Guest Facebook: The Girl Who Was Not College Material Instagram: College Material Girl You can also follow her dogs’ page on Facebook: The Mini Adventures of Barney and Fred If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this deeply moving episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Tracy Jablant (formerly Tracy Boone), who shares the sacred and painful journey that began with the unexpected deterioration and death of her husband in 2012. What started as subtle personality changes in a strong, faith-filled family man turned into a devastating neurological disease that took his life, leaving Tracy widowed at 43 with a six-year-old son. The years leading up to his passing were marked by confusion, fear, and spiritual endurance. Tracy describes watching her best friend lose cognitive function as a rare degenerative condition consumed his brain. When the diagnosis finally came—just two weeks before his death—there was no medical solution. The healing they had prayed for did not come in the way they expected. Instead, it came through heaven. On the night her husband passed, Tracy and her son experienced something that would anchor her faith for years to come. After an unexplainable phone call appeared from her husband’s phone while he lay in hospice, Tracy felt prompted to go say goodbye. That night, while her son slept in the hospice room, witnesses observed a radiant light over him. The next morning, when Tracy gently told her son that his father had passed at 7 a.m., he calmly replied that he had seen his father hours earlier, surrounded by angels, assuring him that everything would be okay. That moment did not erase grief—but it reframed it. Tracy came to understand that God sees the details we cannot and prepares our hearts before we even know what we will need. As she leaned into Scripture, particularly Hebrews 4:12 and 1 Corinthians 2, she discovered that the Word of God is alive, discerning, and deeply personal. Healing would not come through denial of pain—but through intimacy with the Holy Spirit in the middle of it. During her early days in hospice, a brochure featuring a horse caught her attention. While traditional therapy felt overwhelming, the image of being outdoors with horses brought peace. That small nudge became the seed of what is now Angels in the Arena—a Holy Spirit-led equestrian fellowship designed to restore peace, rebuild trust, and help people reconnect with God after trauma. Tracy is clear: the horse is not the healer. God is. The horse is simply a tool the Holy Spirit uses to create space for restoration. Through her 12-week framework focused on peace, trust, love, and partnership with the Holy Spirit, participants learn to master their belief systems and become doers of the Word—not just hearers. Today, Tracy trains and certifies others in this ministry model and leads experiences both in person and remotely. Her work serves children, parents, grieving families, and communities navigating trauma. From suicide-stricken regions to grieving mothers in crisis, Tracy has witnessed firsthand that when peace is restored first, clarity follows. Her message is steady and unwavering: God is not the author of the harm you have experienced. He is the restorer of what was stolen. As Psalm 24:7 says, “Lift up your heads, O you gates… that the King of glory may come in.” When we open the gate, healing enters. Pain is not the final chapter. With God, restoration becomes the calling. How to Connect With the Guest Website: Www.sowingtolive.org Facebook: Angles in the Arena Book: Angels in the Arena (Available on Amazon) For information about Holy Spirit-Led Equestrian Fellowship training, certification, or remote sessions, visit the website above. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Michelle Drew, a certified natural wellness professional and founder of Michelle Drew Naturopathic Wellness, to explore a journey marked by crisis, faith, and transformation. After 28 years in corporate America, Michelle faced a health emergency that left her in a medically induced coma for three weeks, with doctors fearing permanent brain damage. This moment became the pivot point for a spiritual and physical restoration, as she experienced firsthand the redemptive power of surrendering control to God. Michelle shares the intense reality of her recovery, from relearning basic functions to rebuilding her strength over five years, all while discerning God’s calling for her life. Her encounter with God transformed her perspective on health, self-care, and purpose, inspiring her to help other women over 40 listen to their bodies, advocate for their wellness, and address root causes of physical challenges rather than simply accepting aging as inevitable. The conversation delves into practical wisdom for holistic health, including grounding, hydration, and deep breathing, and emphasizes the importance of faith, patience, and asking God for guidance. Michelle also reflects on the brokenness of conventional medical systems and the freedom found in holistic and proactive care. Her testimony illustrates the profound intersection of spiritual obedience and physical healing, offering listeners hope, empowerment, and actionable steps to honor their bodies and their calling. How to Connect With the Guest Website: https://www.michelledrew.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.drew.948 Connection details were shared on her website, including options to book a one-on-one Zoom consultation or learn more about her naturopathic wellness programs. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Sam and Ruth Vazquez, a husband-and-wife ministry team with over 30 years of combined experience in leadership, coaching, and faith-based healing. Together, they share a powerful narrative of trauma, transformation, and divine intervention. Ruth vulnerably recounts the abuse she endured as a child, describing the deep shame, guilt, and powerlessness she carried into adulthood. Her journey of isolation, anxiety, and striving for approval led her to a point of desperate questioning: “God, where are you?” Despite her struggles, Ruth’s pursuit of God and commitment to faith created a foundation for healing. A turning point came when Sam, guided by the Holy Spirit, was led to connect with Ruth at a time she felt unseen and unheard. Through patient guidance, the principles of biblical forgiveness, and intentional journaling, Ruth began to release the weight of bitterness and reclaim her sense of worth. Sam explains that forgiveness is a one-way street — a choice to relinquish the right to retaliation and entrust justice to God, freeing the heart from long-held pain. Together, Sam and Ruth explore the distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation, emphasizing that setting healthy boundaries and remembering the offense are essential steps in the healing process. They highlight how God’s love, grace, and spiritual guidance were pivotal in Ruth’s journey to wholeness, ultimately enabling her to confront her perpetrator safely and embrace freedom. Today, Sam and Ruth serve through Emerge Coaching Solutions, sharing their testimony with leaders and individuals across churches and conferences. Their ministry equips others to heal from past wounds, step boldly into calling, and experience the liberating power of forgiveness. Listeners are reminded that true healing begins with Jesus Christ at the center and that freedom, wholeness, and purpose are possible regardless of past pain. How to Connect With the Guests Website: https://emergecoachingsolutions.comInstagram: @emergecoachingEmail: [email protected] If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Robin Carr — speaker, mindset coach, author, and founder of Thrive Unapologetically — to explore the path from despair to empowerment. Robin recounts years spent in corporate life, feeling suppressed, unfulfilled, and disconnected from her calling. Despite promotions and financial success, she experienced profound emptiness, culminating in a season of depression and uncertainty that left her questioning her purpose. The turning point came as Robin began listening to the quiet voice of God, revisiting her roots in psychology, and reflecting on the lessons hidden in her pain. Through intentional journaling, social sharing, and a practice of gratitude inspired by The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, Robin learned to embrace her past — including her trauma — as preparation for her calling. She emphasizes that healing does not erase challenges, but it transforms perspective, enabling peace, joy, and clarity. Robin’s Empower Framework became a guiding tool for her and for those she coaches, emphasizing surrender, reflection, and gratitude as steps toward restoration. She also reflects on the freedom found in moving past religious performance and embracing a personal, vibrant relationship with God. Today, Robin’s voice reaches stages nationally and soon internationally, offering encouragement, practical tools, and emotional support to those seeking to reclaim their joy and purpose. Listeners are invited to see that no season of struggle is wasted. With faith, intentional practice, and the support of others, it is possible to rise from the darkest moments, reclaim light, and step unapologetically into God’s calling. How to Connect With Robin Carr Website: https://www.thriveunapologetically.com Instagram: @robin_carr Facebook: Thrive Unapologetically If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this deeply honest episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Meg Harkins, a wife, mother of three sons, and ministry leader who knows firsthand what it means to be taken, broken, and sent. Meg’s hardest season unfolded in 2020. Beneath the surface of everyday life, she was battling a severe alcohol addiction—one she refused to name, even as those closest to her expressed concern. The breaking point came when she slipped in her kitchen and fractured her hip. Alone in a hospital during the height of COVID, testing positive and isolated for days before surgery, she endured not only physical pain but deep emotional trauma. She was detoxing in a hospital bed while facing the consequences of years of self-medication. Even that was not the end of the spiral. Months later, she was hospitalized again—this time in acute liver failure. Her children did not know if she would survive. It was there, at the edge of her life, that Meg finally surrendered. She laid everything at the feet of Jesus and admitted what she had been unwilling to say: she could not fix herself. What followed was not gradual willpower—it was deliverance. Meg had been drinking a bottle of whiskey a day. Yet from the moment she left the hospital in February 2020, she has not craved alcohol. As she approaches five years of sobriety, she testifies that the freedom was not self-generated. It was the mercy of God. But healing did not stop with sobriety. In prayer, the Lord began guiding her into deeper restoration—addressing nutrition, stress, and lifestyle patterns that had contributed to her physical decline. She radically changed her diet, releasing sugar, alcohol, and inflammatory foods, learning to nourish her body instead of numbing it. Even when professionals advised caution, she discerned the Lord’s direction and chose obedience. Through that process, God rebuilt her life. He provided a new, lower-stress job. He introduced mentors and health coaches at the right time. He restored her relationship with her sons, transforming shame into testimony. Instead of hiding her struggle, Meg chose transparency, and her sons became some of her strongest supporters—learning that struggle does not equal weakness, and that asking for help is strength. What began as personal healing became public ministry. Meg launched a health coaching business that eventually evolved into something even more aligned with her calling. In recent months, the Lord led her to shift from nutrition coaching into deeper discipleship work. She now hosts women’s retreats and leads a group coaching program called Learn to Say Yes—designed for women who sense God calling them forward but feel paralyzed by fear. The heart behind Learn to Say Yes was formed years earlier when Meg worked in hospice care and heard a patient confess that his greatest regret was not saying yes to the opportunities placed before him. She carried that lesson into motherhood, teaching her sons to embrace courage over comfort. Now, she teaches women the same truth—say yes to God’s assignment, not recklessly, but obediently. This episode is not about perfection. It is about surrender. It is about what happens when a woman stops looking backward—like Lot’s wife—and chooses to step forward in faith. For the woman listening who sees herself in Meg’s story—whether through addiction, domestic violence, shame, or fear—the invitation is simple and profound: ask for help. Tell one person. Turn to Jesus. You do not have to overturn your entire life overnight. One surrendered step can change everything. God still takes what is broken, blesses it, and multiplies it for His glory. How to Connect With the Guest Website: http://www.anchorednutrition.net Facebook: Meg Strahan Harkins Email: [email protected] Retreat Location: Warren, Pennsylvania Upcoming Retreats: March (limited spots remaining), June, and September Connection details for additional retreats and cohort opportunities are shared through Meg’s Facebook page and direct email inquiry. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose welcomes Stephanie Shaw, host of Hello Hot Flash and producer of the limited series podcast Christian Women and Menopause, for a grounded and grace-filled conversation about a season of life many women experience—but few feel prepared for. Stephanie’s journey into this work was not theoretical. It was personal. In 2017, while on a business trip in New Orleans, she experienced a sudden onset of alarming symptoms—numbness, shaking, rapid heartbeat, tingling, insomnia, phantom smells, and more. What followed was a two-year search for answers that included visits to 18 doctors and two world-renowned medical facilities. Despite extensive testing, she received little clarity. During that time, Stephanie found herself largely confined to home outside of work, managing more than 40 symptoms commonly associated with perimenopause. In the absence of medical answers, she leaned more deeply into the Word of God. Like King Hezekiah turning his face to the wall in prayer (2 Kings 20), she sought the Lord with intentionality, asking not only for healing but for understanding. She began to recognize that this season was not simply hormonal—it was transitional. A spiritual invitation into deeper dependence, discernment, and surrender. Alongside prayer and Scripture, Stephanie pursued practical wisdom. A naturopathic evaluation revealed significant nutrient deficiencies, prompting her to rebuild her health through targeted supplementation and a complete nutritional reset. She adjusted her macronutrient balance, increased protein, embraced healthy fats, prioritized nutrient-dense carbohydrates, and reduced sugar and processed foods. What she discovered was profound: during midlife, the body requires thoughtful nourishment, not restriction. In many cases, eating more of the right foods and exercising wisely—not excessively—supports hormonal balance and metabolic stability. Stephanie speaks candidly about stress, cortisol, sugar dependence, and the compounding effects of lifestyle choices during perimenopause. She emphasizes that no two women experience this transition the same way. What works for one body may not work for another. The key is awareness—listening to physical cues, seeking appropriate medical testing, and prayerfully discerning what adjustments are needed. One particularly helpful clarification she offers is this: menopause itself is technically one day—the one-year anniversary of a woman’s final menstrual cycle. The broader struggle many women describe is perimenopause, a season that can span years and often coincides with other life transitions such as career shifts, empty nesting, or caregiving responsibilities. Recognizing that this is a layered season—physical, emotional, and spiritual—allows women to approach it with compassion rather than shame. Through her coaching and podcast platforms, Stephanie integrates faith and health intentionally. She believes women cannot fully navigate this stage apart from God’s guidance. Scripture addresses anxiety, depression, healing, and bodily care throughout its pages. By helping women see themselves in those stories, she reminds them they are not alone in their struggle—and they are not disqualified from purpose in midlife. This episode is for the woman who feels confused by her symptoms, frustrated by shifting weight or brain fog, or spiritually discouraged by changes she did not expect. It is a reminder that midlife is not decline—it is transition. And when surrendered to God, it can become a season of refinement, strength, and renewed calling. Your body is not betraying you. It is speaking. And God is not absent in this season—He is inviting you deeper. How to Connect With the Guest Website: https://hellohotflash.com Podcast: Hello Hot Flash (available on major podcast platforms) Limited Series Podcast: Christian Women and Menopause Social Media:https://linkedin.com/in/stephanielynnshaw For additional resources, podcast episodes, and coaching information, visit: HelloHotFlash.com If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Faith Pereira — single mother, corporate leader, author, and founder of Born Again Professionals — for a steady and faith-filled conversation about loss, obedience, and the cost of discipleship.Faith’s story unfolds through layered seasons of grief. After losing her mother in her early twenties, she later entered into an arranged marriage in India to a non-believer. Years into the marriage, following the death of her father and during the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown, her husband presented her with an ultimatum: abandon her faith or lose her marriage. He rejected her prayer life, her worship, and her devotion to Christ, demanding she choose a different path.Faith chose God.What followed was not immediate relief, but deep testing. As a new single mother with a toddler, she faced unemployment, financial instability, unpaid bills, and the emotional weight of raising a daughter processing abandonment. Yet in that wilderness season, Faith cried out not for ease — but for stability. She asked God for a home where she would not have to move her child from place to place. Though she lacked the down payment for a mortgage, provision came in unexpected ways, and within two months she moved into her own home — a testimony she still cannot fully explain.The Lord’s faithfulness extended beyond finances. When she needed practical community support, God led her — through what seemed like a simple restaurant encounter — back to a former youth pastor. The church she visited stood only 250 meters from her home. There, her daughter, who had developed fear and resistance toward male figures, began receiving gentle, fatherly care from her pastor. Faith witnessed healing unfold not through spectacle, but through consistent love and safe spiritual covering.At the same time, Faith navigated repeated professional setbacks. Despite being a top-performing corporate leader in human resources — exceeding targets and receiving awards — she was laid off more than once. Rather than retreating, she discerned that her calling was not separate from her profession. She began to see herself as a missionary in the corporate world, refusing to compartmentalize her faith.Through prayer and obedience, the Lord led her to co-found a cybersecurity firm only days after losing one position. What seemed like disruption became redirection.Faith also launched Born Again Professionals, a small but growing Christian community on LinkedIn connecting believers across nations. Without a content calendar or corporate strategy, she shares Scripture, encouragement, intercession, and practical job opportunities as the Holy Spirit leads. Drawing from her HR background, she supports believers not only spiritually but professionally — helping them navigate employment and calling with integrity.Her children’s book, Garden Mission, echoes this same conviction: mission is not always overseas — sometimes it is exactly where God has placed you.Faith’s testimony is not one of dramatic spectacle, but of steady surrender. She reminds listeners that earthly fathers, spouses, and employers may fail — but the Heavenly Father does not. As Scripture declares, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).This conversation is for the woman walking through rejection, financial uncertainty, or spiritual opposition. It is a reminder that when everything shakes, obedience becomes the anchor — and that choosing Christ, even at great cost, is never wasted.How to Connect With Faith Pereirahttp://www.linkedin.com/in/faith-pereira-0545b2195 If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

n this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Beatrice Cortes — graduate counseling student, mother of three daughters, author, and aspiring therapist — for a deeply honest conversation about domestic violence, faith, and reclaiming identity after trauma.Beatrice’s story begins within the church. Raised as a pastor’s kid, she grew up with a deep reverence for marriage and a belief that divorce was never an option. When she found herself in a domestic violence relationship where her life was threatened, the internal conflict was profound. She not only faced the reality of leaving for her safety and her children’s protection, but also wrestled spiritually — questioning whether God was disappointed in her and whether divorce disqualified her from sharing her faith.In prayer, during one of her lowest moments, Beatrice sensed a powerful reminder from the Lord: He had not abandoned her. In fact, He had protected her. That encounter reframed her suffering. What she once interpreted as divine absence became evidence of divine intervention.The healing process did not happen overnight. Beatrice confronted long-buried struggles with self-worth, disordered eating, generational patterns of abuse, and the pressure to perform spiritually. She began to separate identity from performance and learned to value herself as a daughter of God. Through counseling, community, and honest spiritual surrender, she discovered that empowerment — both clinically and biblically — is essential to healing.When she remarried, she approached the relationship differently. She chose discernment over outside opinion, boundaries over fear, and authenticity over image. In her current marriage, she describes experiencing safety for the first time — a lived example of what it means for a husband to love with humility, repentance, and a contrite heart before God.Beatrice also shares practical wisdom for women currently navigating abusive situations. Safety planning, trusted support systems, emergency contacts, code words, discreet location sharing, and legal consultation are not signs of rebellion — they are acts of wisdom. She emphasizes that leaving is often the most dangerous season, and no one should attempt it alone. Community matters. Preparation matters. Safety in numbers matters.Her calling into therapy grew from both lived experience and lifelong instinct. Even as a child, people gravitated toward her with their confessions and burdens. Today, she is pursuing advanced training in psychology with the desire to integrate faith and mental health responsibly — offering trauma-informed care without condemnation. She is also developing a nonprofit initiative and safety-planning tools to support individuals in crisis.Beatrice’s vulnerability extends beyond domestic violence. In her book, The Depths of His Love, she shares about suicidal thoughts, sexual abuse, and the internal struggles that often remain hidden within church culture. She speaks openly about how secrecy allows darkness to grow — but truth, brought into the light, becomes liberating.For the woman listening who feels trapped, ashamed, or spiritually disqualified, Beatrice offers this steady reminder: everything has an expiration date. The enemy does not have permanent authority. There is a God who is stronger than the one who torments you.This conversation embodies the heart of Healed. Whole. Called. — that pain is not the headline. Healing is. Trauma is not identity. Wholeness is. And through Christ, what once threatened to destroy can become the foundation of calling.For more biblical encouragement and testimonies of restoration, visit .How to Connect With the GuestBook: The Depths of His Love by Beatrice CortesAdditional contact details, website, and social media handles were not mentioned in this episode. Please check the show notes or Wendy Melrose’s social platforms for updates. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this deeply honest and redemptive conversation on Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose welcomes Vernisa Williams, founder of Reclaiming Your Voice and a social worker with more than 20 years of experience in human services. Vernisa’s story is not one of surface healing—it is a layered testimony of trauma, pride, exposure, surrender, and restoration. As a young woman, Vernisa was gifted and talented, working successfully as a professional hairstylist. But beneath her success were unhealed wounds—sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather at the age of two, a father absent from her life, a mother battling her own mental health struggles, and years of seeking validation through promiscuity. What looked like confidence was rooted in a desperate need to be seen and loved. In her early twenties, pride led her to walk away from a stable job without wisdom or preparation. What followed was a long season of financial hardship. For nearly two years, she was unable to secure consistent employment. Rent went unpaid. Fear mounted. A kind apartment manager quietly provided food and transportation tokens—acts of compassion she would later recognize as God’s provision through a fatherly covering she had never experienced. Eventually, Vernisa and her young son entered a Christian transitional housing program. There, in the backyard of that shelter, she encountered God in a way that changed everything. In a moment of spiritual clarity, she felt the Lord reveal the root beneath her circumstances—pride. Scripture came alive in her heart: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). What felt like devastation became divine correction wrapped in mercy. Later, while studying social work, God gently uncovered the suppressed truth of her childhood abuse. Through visions and confirmation from family members, the reality surfaced. Instead of destroying her, the truth became a doorway to deeper healing. She began confronting the patterns that trauma had created—people-pleasing, codependency, lack of boundaries, and silence. Rather than remaining broken in ministry, Vernisa chose to do the internal work. She utilized therapeutic tools such as cognitive behavioral techniques alongside Scripture and prayer. She became both student and practitioner, applying what she learned to her own healing journey. Slowly, her identity shifted from survival to daughtership. God was no longer distant—He was Father. Her ministry, Reclaiming Your Voice, was born from that revelation. Vernisa now walks alongside women—especially Christian women—who appear strong but carry hidden wounds. She speaks to those struggling with shame, father wounds, validation-seeking, sexual trauma, pride, and silence. Her message is steady: you are seen, you are known, and your trauma does not get the final word. As Psalm 27:10 declares, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” Vernisa’s life reflects this promise. The covering she longed for as a child became real in Christ. The voice that was silenced by shame now leads others to freedom. Pain did not define her. Surrender did. And from that surrender came calling. How to Connect With the Guest Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1761196 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vernica.williams.391 Organization: Reclaiming Your Voice Connection details were not mentioned in this episode. Please check the show notes or Wendy Melrose’s social platforms for updates. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Missy Hertless spent decades hiding a painful secret—until God gently called her to trade shame for freedom. In this tender yet bold episode, Missy shares her journey of post-abortive healing through the faith-based study Surrendering the Secret. She now walks with other women on their own paths to healing, showing that no one is beyond redemption. If you’ve ever wrestled with guilt, judgment, or silence in the church, this conversation will remind you that healing is possible—and it begins in the light.🕊 Learn more: www.surrenderingthesecret.com📧 Email Missy (Virginia groups): [email protected] If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Jason Ward—Harvard-certified resiliency expert, licensed NLP practitioner, and Dr. Rewire facilitator—for a deeply honest conversation about abandonment, emotional repression, and the long road to freedom.Jason opens up about a defining childhood moment: at seven years old, his father was supposed to pick him up—and never showed. That abandonment went unaddressed for years, quietly shaping Jason’s identity, relationships, and emotional responses. Though he told himself he was “fine,” the unresolved wound followed him into adulthood, surfacing as jealousy, anger, insecurity, and eventually the collapse of his marriage.During his divorce, Jason sought help through therapy and personal development, but true breakthrough came when he addressed what he calls the root experience. Through hypnotherapy and later NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), Jason was able to access the unconscious beliefs formed in childhood—beliefs that told him he was unworthy, unlovable, and destined to be left.Rather than labeling his past solely as “trauma,” Jason explains a powerful reframe: experiences themselves are neutral, but the emotion we attach to them becomes the root that shapes future behavior. When fear goes unnamed, it often disguises itself as anger. This insight becomes a central theme of the episode—especially for men who were taught to suppress emotion in the name of strength.Jason and Wendy discuss how many men live disconnected from their emotional awareness, reacting instead of reflecting. Jason shares how healing the root transformed not only his internal world, but his marriage, expectations, faith, and leadership. He learned the difference between expectations and standards, releasing control while remaining grounded in his values.Faith becomes a pivotal part of the story as Jason explains how healing allowed him to finally receive God’s unconditional love—something he intellectually knew, but emotionally resisted due to performance-based beliefs formed in childhood. Healing created space for surrender, and surrender opened the door to peace.Today, Jason uses his testimony and training to help others—especially men and young people—navigate emotional awareness, identity, and freedom. He speaks in schools, athletic programs, and communities, helping teens understand emotions before they harden into patterns that follow them for life.This episode is for anyone who has ever felt abandoned, angry without knowing why, or trapped by reactions they couldn’t explain. It is a reminder that you are not broken—you are responding to a root that can be healed.🔗 How to Connect with Jason WardWebsite: https://jdubinsires.comInstagram: @jwinspiresAlso known as: JDub InspiresFocus: Emotional healing, resilience, men’s identity work, youth speaking, NLP coachingJason welcomes conversations with individuals, parents, schools, and organizations seeking healing-centered leadership and emotional literacy. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

This episode speaks directly to the woman whose faith journey feels lonely inside her own marriage. Lee-Ann Werner shares how she and her husband met far from God, married young, and quickly entered decades marked by addiction, absence, and heartbreak. Just weeks into marriage, the illusion of “happily ever after” shattered, and for years Lee-Ann lived with the pain of a spouse who partied, disappeared for weeks at a time, and had no relationship with Christ.Everything changed when Lee-Ann encountered God during a moment when she was ready to walk away. Instead of releasing her, God asked her to stay—and to allow Him to do a deeper work within her heart first. What followed was not a quick miracle, but a slow, refining journey that drew her closer to Christ while stripping away resentment, anger, and noise from outside voices.Lee-Ann opens up about the dangers of listening to too many opinions, staying stuck in cycles of counseling without direction, and neglecting the importance of discernment. She explains why healing accelerated when she learned to quiet the noise, anchor herself in God’s voice, and surround herself with a small, safe spiritual village.One of the most moving moments of the episode is when Lee-Ann describes a practical act of obedience God gave her: keeping a daily gratitude journal focused solely on her husband. What began as an almost impossible exercise—sometimes thanking him for something as small as a smile or putting the toilet seat down—became a powerful tool that retrained her heart and shifted the atmosphere of their marriage. Over time, her husband noticed the change in her before he ever encountered God for himself.Eventually, her husband surrendered his life to Christ—not because of pressure, sermons, or arguments, but because he witnessed the gospel lived out consistently. Lee-Ann reflects on the truth that sometimes the only Bible someone will ever read is the life of a believer standing faithfully in front of them.Today, Lee-Ann’s marriage is fully restored, her husband walks with God, and she now serves as a Christian marriage coach for women navigating unequally yoked relationships. Her story is living proof that restoration is possible, hope is never wasted, and God honors faithfulness—especially when it feels costly.🔗 How to Connect with Lee-Ann WernerFacebook Group: Christian WivesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/leeann.werner.7Focus: Coaching Christian women in unequally yoked marriages, spiritual resilience, hope restorationWork: Marriage coaching, testimony sharing, church and podcast speakingWebsite: https://theheartsaligned.com/ If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this deeply honest and faith-filled conversation, Soleil Deane opens up about the moments that changed everything—losing her career after a stroke, becoming homeless during COVID, and realizing that traditional financial systems failed her family when she needed them most. What followed was not just a recovery journey, but a spiritual awakening that reframed how she understood provision, responsibility, and legacy.Soleil shares how God used the most painful chapters of her life to expose gaps in financial literacy that impact families every day—especially single parents, teachers, and households living paycheck to paycheck. She explains why many believers remain trapped in cycles of fear and scarcity, and how aligning finances with biblical principles can break generational strongholds.The conversation also explores spiritual warfare, obedience, and the cost of silence. Soleil speaks candidly about regaining her voice after a second stroke, recommitting her testimony to God, and building The Legacy Table to equip families with education—not shame. This episode is a reminder that stewardship is spiritual, preparation is an act of faith, and legacy is built intentionally, one obedient step at a time.🔗 How to Connect with Soleil DeaneFacebook & Instagram: @SoleilDeaneOrganization: The Legacy TableFocus: Faith-based financial education, legacy planning, family stewardship If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this deeply moving conversation, Wendy Melrose sits down with Linda Lynne Porter—author, educator, AI consultant, and PhD candidate—to explore what it truly means to be healed over time, not just in moments.Linda courageously shares her testimony of surviving years of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her father, the devastating impact of not being believed, and how that trauma shaped her relationships, self-worth, and life choices for decades. Despite excelling academically, her internal world was fractured, and she describes simply “existing” rather than truly living.A major heart attack in 2011 became a turning point. In that quiet, vulnerable season, Linda heard the Lord speak clearly: “Now it’s time for you to live.” What followed was a journey of obedience—earning multiple degrees, returning to her childhood dream of becoming a doctor through a PhD in psychology, and finally writing the story she once could not put on paper without tears.Linda explains how God healed her to the point where she could write Peeling Back the Peach—her raw, redemptive memoir—without crying, a sign that deep restoration had taken place. She also shares how her testimony has impacted women in prison, conference audiences, and readers who finally felt believed because someone else spoke first.The episode also explores faith-centered perspectives on healing from trauma without shame, protecting future generations through truth and boundaries, writing as a pathway to freedom, and why your story matters even if it took decades to tell.Linda closes the episode by speaking directly to listeners who were silenced, dismissed, or told “I don’t believe you,” offering herself as a safe, believing voice—and lifting a powerful prayer for healing, restoration, and freedom.This is not just an interview. It is an invitation to step out of survival and into wholeness.📞 How to Connect with Linda Lynne PorterLinda has intentionally made herself accessible to those who need support:Phone: 615-878-8742Email: [email protected] & LinkedIn: Linda L. Porter If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this gripping episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Matthew Melvin, author of Bullied Behind Bars, to uncover a story most people never hear—and many don’t want to face.Matthew shares how a depressed state of mind and a toxic work environment at a car dealership led him to make an impulsive decision that altered the trajectory of his life. What followed was a series of legal consequences that resulted in two separate prison sentences totaling 36 months. Despite a late autism diagnosis and eligibility for mental health court, Matthew was denied that path and instead processed through the standard court system—leaving him with a permanent record and limited options after release.Inside prison, Matthew became a target. As a gay, Christian, conservative man, he endured false accusations, threats, bullying, and repeated placements in solitary confinement. Rather than remaining silent, Matthew advocated for himself—writing grievances, contacting legal counsel, and refusing to disappear quietly. This resistance resulted in being transferred through ten different institutions during his second sentence.Matthew describes solitary confinement as both the loneliest and safest place he experienced. Locked down for 23 hours a day, surrounded by chaos and screaming, he found unexpected peace through Scripture, prayer, fasting, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Though the system had control over his body, Matthew testifies that they never had his mind.A pivotal moment in Matthew’s faith journey occurred years earlier, when he narrowly avoided a catastrophic highway accident. That near-death experience became the wake-up call that shifted him from being a “lukewarm Christian” into surrendering full control to Jesus—not as a passenger, but as the One steering his life. Matthew reflects on how that spiritual turning point sustained him through everything that followed.Throughout the episode, Matthew and Wendy discuss forgiveness, accountability, and justice. Matthew openly acknowledges his responsibility for the actions that led him to prison, while also naming the unjust bullying and systemic failures he endured. Forgiveness, he explains, does not mean forgetting—but it does mean refusing to remain imprisoned by bitterness.The conversation also turns toward men’s emotional health. Matthew speaks candidly about how many men struggle to identify emotions beyond anger, often suppressing sadness until it erupts destructively. Drawing from his work with men’s groups, he introduces the concept of naming emotions honestly and taking ownership through “I” statements as a pathway toward healing and maturity.Matthew closes the episode by encouraging listeners—especially men—to seek community, speak truthfully, stay in the Word, and resist isolation. Healing, he emphasizes, happens in honesty, vulnerability, and accountability.This episode is a sobering reminder that redemption is possible even in the darkest places—and that God’s presence is not limited by prison walls.🔗 How to Connect with Matthew MelvinBook: Bullied Behind Bars (available on Amazon)Website: https://bulliedbehindbars.comEmail: [email protected]: @bulliedbehindbarsX (Twitter): @BarsBulliedFacebook: Matthew.melvin.5621 If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Dr. Brett Hill—chiropractor, entrepreneur, and founder of Experience Life Chiropractic and YourPostureProgram.com—to unpack why posture may be one of the most overlooked foundations of health.Dr. Hill shares that his journey into chiropractic began not with a childhood dream, but with disillusionment. Watching his mother receive prescription after prescription without ever addressing root causes led him to seek a different path—one focused on understanding how the body truly functions. That search eventually brought him to chiropractic care and, more specifically, to the neurological role posture plays in health.Throughout the conversation, Dr. Hill reframes posture entirely. It isn’t about forcing your shoulders back or “sitting up straight” through willpower. True posture, he explains, is an unconscious system driven by the nervous system—one designed to hold us upright against gravity so we can move, think, and live efficiently. When that system becomes deactivated through prolonged sitting, screen use, and modern habits, the body adapts in ways that quietly lead to pain, imbalance, fatigue, and even emotional stress.Dr. Hill explains how forward head posture alone can contribute to headaches, jaw tension, vertigo, chronic neck and back pain, hip tightness, and recurring injuries. Over time, the nervous system begins to treat these compensations as “normal,” making dysfunction feel familiar—even when it isn’t healthy.One of the most powerful insights of the episode is how posture directly affects the brain. Proper alignment activates the frontal lobe, improving decision-making, emotional regulation, stress response, and confidence. Poor posture, on the other hand, keeps the brain locked in survival patterns, subtly reinforcing anxiety and fatigue.Rather than creating dependency, Dr. Hill intentionally designed his work to empower people. Through his online posture program, individuals from around the world can complete a posture analysis, receive personalized feedback, and walk through a guided 10-week process that retrains the brain-body connection. The goal is not constant treatment, but lasting change—helping the body adapt in healthier ways so people can maintain results long-term.Dr. Hill also offers practical, immediately usable guidance—such as using a wall, chair, or car headrest to gently cue proper head positioning and core activation throughout the day. These small awareness shifts, repeated consistently, compound into meaningful transformation over time.This episode is especially encouraging for those who have felt dismissed, disappointed, or discouraged by past healthcare experiences. Dr. Hill reminds listeners not to give up on healing simply because one approach didn’t work. The body is remarkably adaptable when given the right signals—and posture may be one of the most powerful signals we can restore.🔗 How to Connect with Dr. Brett HillWebsite / Program: https://www.yourpostureprogram.com If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this powerful episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Sophia Coulanges—life coach, author, speaker, and mentor—to explore what healing really looks like when faith moves from religious obligation into authentic relationship.Sophia shares her journey from a childhood marked by pain, rebellion, and unresolved trauma into a life anchored in peace. As a naturally introverted person who learned to fight her way through life emotionally, Sophia found early healing not through public confession but through private journaling. Night after night, she poured her pain onto paper—writing prayers, processing anger, and asking God for freedom from bitterness she didn’t yet understand.Rather than removing her anger instantly, God invited Sophia into partnership. Through therapy, community, accountability, and Scripture, she learned that deliverance often requires responsibility. Healing wasn’t passive—it was walked out. Forgiveness letters became a key turning point, including letters to her parents, her abuser, herself, and even to God. These letters weren’t about blaming God, but about clearing the lies that distorted her view of Him as safe.A central theme of the episode is the difference between religion and relationship. Sophia and Wendy discuss how church culture can unintentionally teach performance—clean yourself up before coming to God—while Jesus consistently meets people at the well, in the mess, and without preconditions. True transformation, Sophia explains, happens when honesty replaces image management.Sophia also shares about her current season of refinement, where God is gently exposing performance-based faith. After striving, fasting, praying, and doing “all the right things,” she faced disappointment—and heard the Holy Spirit ask a confronting question: “Did I ask you to do all that?” The realization was sobering. Performance had crept in where trust once lived.This episode speaks directly to believers who are tired, overwhelmed, or silently questioning God’s goodness while still loving Him deeply. Sophia models what it looks like to bring incongruence into the light—where truth and lies collide—and allow healing to continue layer by layer.Sophia also shares the heart behind her book, The Missing Piece, explaining how the “piece” we often miss in life’s broken pieces is actually peace—the peace of God that sustains us even when circumstances don’t change.The episode closes with a powerful word of encouragement and prayer, reminding listeners that God is not intimidated by honesty, grief, doubt, or exhaustion. Healing begins when we stop pretending and simply come.🔗 How to Connect with Sophia CoulangesBook: The Missing Piece (Peace) If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Lore Soto’s story is one of perseverance, purpose, and principled leadership. A devoted mother of three and founder of The Benefits Boss, Lore never set out to work in insurance—but what began as an unexpected career pivot became a calling rooted in education, advocacy, and integrity. Drawing from years in retail leadership, she brings a rare combination of hustle and heart to an industry that often lacks transparency.In this episode, Lore opens up about how navigating the insurance system—both professionally and personally—reshaped her perspective. After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in 2023, she experienced firsthand the complexity, confusion, and emotional weight that comes with medical claims, coverage gaps, and critical illness decisions. That journey deepened her commitment to ensuring families are truly protected before a crisis ever hits.Lore and Wendy dive into the realities most people are never taught: how health insurance actually works, why life insurance must be secured before a diagnosis, and why coverage needs evolve with every major life change—marriage, children, homeownership, and beyond. Lore explains why term insurance often makes sense in early adulthood, how layering coverage over time creates stability, and why “set it and forget it” can leave families vulnerable.The conversation also explores the importance of marrying holistic and traditional medicine, listening to your body, and making informed decisions that align with both faith and personal values. Lore shares why critical illness coverage is one of the most overlooked yet essential protections—and how it can provide freedom, flexibility, and peace of mind during the hardest seasons of life.At the heart of it all is Lore’s unwavering commitment to doing business differently. She doesn’t work for insurance companies—she works for people. By prioritizing education over commissions and integrity over shortcuts, Lore has built a referral-driven business grounded in trust, compassion, and long-term care. This episode is a reminder that sometimes God’s redirection—no matter how unexpected—leads exactly where you’re meant to be. How to Connect with Lore SotoWebsite (Connect & Schedule): https://connectwithlore.com If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this powerful conversation, Wendy sits down with Alex Crowther, a former global advertising executive who once led billion-dollar brands for companies like Chrysler, Jeep, Mercedes, and General Motors. From the outside, Alex’s life looked wildly successful—international travel, leadership prestige, and financial security. But everything changed after a near-fatal car accident that marked the beginning of a decade-long battle with chronic pain.What began as injuries to his hands slowly spread throughout his body. After years of surgeries, misdiagnoses, medications, and unanswered questions, Alex was finally diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)—a devastating and often misunderstood condition with no known cure. The pain stole his sleep, his hobbies, his career, and nearly his will to live.Alex vulnerably shares the moment he reached his breaking point—wrapped in a blanket, sitting in a chair, believing he could not go on. In that moment of desperation, he searched for help and discovered something he had never heard of before: pain coaching. That single search became the turning point that changed everything.Through pain neuroscience, nervous system regulation, meditation, somatic practices, and being fully seen and heard for the first time, Alex began to understand that pain is not just physical—it is deeply connected to fear, trauma, and the brain’s learned responses. As he learned how the brain can unlearn pain and relearn safety, his pain experience began to decrease.Even more profound was the spiritual awakening that followed. Alex realized that his suffering was not punishment—it was redirection. As he stepped into serving others, teaching, coaching, and helping people living with chronic pain reclaim agency over their lives, his own pain quieted further. What once felt like the end of his story became the beginning of his true calling.Today, Alex is the CEO of Pain Coach Academy, where he trains and certifies pain coaches and advocates for a radically different approach to chronic pain—one rooted in education, compassion, neuroscience, and hope. He is also the author of the upcoming book Reframing Pain, written for those who feel overwhelmed, unheard, and exhausted by pain.This episode is a lifeline for anyone living with chronic pain, loving someone who is, or searching for meaning in suffering. It is a reminder that pain does not disqualify you—and that healing often begins with being seen, supported, and invited into purpose.🔗 How to Connect with Alex CrowtherWebsite: https://paincoachacademy.comFind a Pain Coach: Visit the “How to Find a Coach” tab on the Pain Coach Academy websiteFree E-Book: Reframing Pain is currently available as a downloadable e-book through the Pain Coach Academy sitePain Coach Training: Information available on becoming a board-certified pain coach through the academy If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this powerful episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Katy Parker, a trauma-informed well-being writer, grief and loss coach, and mental health mentor based in England. Katy’s story begins long before her diagnosis of PTSD — rooted in childhood trauma, family loss, and a life shaped by resilience.Katy shares the moment everything changed: being struck by a car in 2020, suffering serious physical injury, and later experiencing debilitating PTSD. As she describes the long road of recovery, she introduces a concept many people don’t have language for — “living loss.” These are the losses that don’t come with funerals: loss of health, work, identity, independence, dreams, and the future you thought you’d have.Throughout the conversation, Katy and Wendy explore how grief isn’t limited to death, how comparison silences healing, and why suppressing pain often deepens suffering. Katy speaks honestly about depression, suicidal thoughts, chronic pain, and the spiritual pressure she felt to “be strong” or “stay positive,” even when her body and soul were crying out for care.A turning point came when Katy allowed herself to feel — and to be honest with God. She shares how therapy, EMDR, faith, community, and learning to listen to her body became essential parts of healing. Rather than striving for perfection, Katy discovered that God’s grace met her most powerfully in weakness.Today, Katy helps others navigate grief that goes unseen through storytelling, safe community spaces, and trauma-informed support. Her work reminds us that every loss matters, no feeling is final, and healing doesn’t require pretending we’re okay.This episode is for anyone who has ever thought, “I shouldn’t feel this way,” or “Others have it worse.” Katy’s story gently but boldly reminds us: your pain is valid, your story matters, and healing begins when truth is spoken.Connect with Katy Here:Website Blog: www.journeyofsmiley.com Grief Stories on Substack: https://katyparker.substack.comEmail: [email protected] links: IG: https://www.instagram.com/journeyofsmiley FB: https://www.facebook.com/journeyofsmiley Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/journeyofsmiley TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@journeyofsmiley All freebies: https://journeyofsmiley.com/free-resources-journeyofsmiley If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Tina LeAnn’s journey is anything but ordinary. An adventurer at heart, Tina has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, trekked to Everest Base Camp, lived nomadically, and explored the world both externally and internally. Yet her deepest explorations were not geographic—they were personal. Growing up in a home shaped by addiction, war trauma, and instability, Tina learned early how to survive by becoming invisible. Those early coping mechanisms followed her into adulthood, shaping her nervous system, beliefs, and health.After spending two decades in corporate America, Tina’s body began to speak loudly. Chronic migraines, adrenal exhaustion, and depression forced her to confront what productivity and willpower could no longer outrun. When Western medicine failed to identify a root cause, Tina began searching deeper—eventually discovering NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), human design, gene keys, and energetic healing modalities that addressed the subconscious patterns stored in the body.In this episode, Tina explains NLP in accessible language, breaking down how the subconscious mind processes billions of bits of information each second—and how our beliefs, trauma responses, and emotional patterns filter what we experience as reality. Together, Wendy and Tina explore how repeated thought loops tighten over time, how the nervous system can become trapped in survival, and how healing can happen rapidly once safety, surrender, and choice are present.Tina shares powerful real-world examples of transformation, including phobias dissolving in minutes, severe allergies releasing, and lifelong fears losing their grip. These stories are not framed as hype, but as evidence of what becomes possible when the body is allowed to feel safe enough to let go. The conversation also addresses misconceptions around hypnosis and trance, reframing them as focused awareness rather than loss of control.Throughout the episode, faith remains central. Healing is not positioned as self-reliance, but as partnership—with God, with the body He designed, and with truth replacing lies at the subconscious level. Tina offers practical encouragement for listeners who have been told, “There’s nothing more we can do,” reminding them that hopeless diagnoses are not the final authority.This episode is especially powerful for anyone dealing with chronic illness, anxiety, trauma (big T or little t), burnout, or feeling stuck despite doing “all the right things.” It is an invitation to stop surviving, start listening, and choose freedom—one moment at a time.How to Connect with Tina LeAnnWebsite: https://thesovereignsoul.coOfferings: NLP sessions, transformational life & business coachingSessions: Available worldwide via ZoomStart Here: Book a 15-minute introductory call directly through her website If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this deeply moving episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Nathan Wieser, a husband and father whose life has been shaped by both breathtaking love and devastating loss.Nathan takes listeners back to the beginning — a simple, beautiful love story that started in the Caribbean and led to a decade of island life, adopted dogs, and dreams of building a family. But those dreams were met with repeated heartbreak. Nathan and his wife Lucy endured multiple pregnancy losses, including the traumatic stillbirth of their daughter, Mary, during a medical emergency that nearly took Lucy’s life as well.The conversation courageously explores the aftermath of trauma: PTSD, grief that isolates, and the quiet strain placed on marriage when suffering is shared but processed differently. Nathan speaks honestly about moments of despair, the temptation to give up, and how faith resurfaced in the darkest places — not as platitudes, but as survival.The story reaches a turning point with the birth of their son, Otto, born at just 26 weeks and weighing barely two pounds. Listeners are taken inside the NICU, where life hung in the balance daily. Nathan recounts surgeries, alarms, setbacks, and a moment doctors still cannot explain — when a life-threatening heart condition resolved itself just moments before surgery. A miracle.This episode is not about easy answers. It’s about endurance. About choosing marriage when grief pulls you apart. About honoring children who were lost while celebrating the one who lives. And about the sacred strength it takes to keep believing when the story hasn’t yet turned hopeful.Nathan’s testimony is especially powerful for fathers, husbands, and anyone who has felt invisible in grief. His message is clear: your pain is real, your story matters, and hope can still be written — even after profound loss.🔗 How to Connect with the GuestNathan is the author of We Did It, a memoir written especially for parents — and fathers in particular — navigating loss, NICU trauma, and faith after heartbreak. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this unforgettable episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Bambi Lynn — author, life coach, speaker, event planner, and the founder of Healing Through Stories. Bambi’s life is marked by profound resilience, deep faith, and a relentless commitment to helping others turn their trauma into transformation.Bambi openly shares her story of surviving childhood sexual abuse, growing up with addiction and violence, and spending eight years in a domestic violence marriage. Rather than allowing trauma to define her identity, she explains how God invited her into healing — not by avoiding the pain, but by walking straight through it with Him.Using vivid metaphors, Bambi describes healing like being in a burn unit: painful, exposing, and necessary. Just as dead skin must be removed for new skin to grow, emotional and spiritual healing requires allowing God to gently scrub away what no longer serves us. God never forces the process, she explains — He waits for our consent to climb onto the potter’s wheel.Throughout the conversation, Bambi unpacks why many people remain stuck in a victim identity — not because they want to suffer, but because pain becomes familiar. True freedom begins, she says, with forgiving yourself for things that had nothing to do with you. Abuse, neglect, and trauma were never your fault.Bambi also shares her hands-on healing framework, which includes tangible exercises designed to help people release pain and reclaim meaning. From writing out life events on a “railroad track” to illustrate how good and bad run together, to creating treasure boxes that hold the blessings born from hardship, her approach allows people to grieve honestly while recognizing God’s redemptive work.Scripture is woven throughout the episode, reminding listeners that valleys are not places of abandonment — they are places of restoration, still waters, nourishment, and preparation. Healing, Bambi emphasizes, is not a one-time event but a lifelong rhythm of valleys and mountaintops — each serving a purpose.This episode is for anyone who feels defined by their past, exhausted by pain, or unsure if healing is possible. Bambi’s story declares with clarity and compassion: you are not broken beyond repair, your scars can shine, and God is not finished with your story.You can Connect with Bambi Here. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this deeply moving episode, Wendy sits down with Amber Johnson, the creator of the BEE Channel (Blessings, Edifying and Encouraging Others), to talk about what it truly means to walk faithfully through long-term caregiving, loss, and grief without losing yourself in the process.Amber shares her story of spending over 12 years caring for her father after multiple strokes and a life-altering accident, navigating hospital stays, home care, medical trauma, and emotional exhaustion alongside her mother. She speaks candidly about how caregiving can quietly consume your identity, how grief doesn’t follow a straight line, and why God’s kindness sometimes looks like release rather than rescue.Together, Wendy and Amber explore the tension between compassion and burnout, the spiritual danger of neglecting boundaries, and the freedom that comes from letting God redefine your season. Amber opens up about therapy, grief support groups, journaling, worship “snacks,” and learning that loving others well requires loving yourself first.This episode is especially powerful for caregivers, adult children, highly empathetic believers, and anyone wrestling with grief, fatigue, or the pressure to be everything for everyone. It’s a reminder that your tears are not wasted, your limits are holy, and your story is still unfolding.🔗 Connect with the GuestYou can follow Amber Johnson and her encouragement journey here:📸 Instagram: @beechannel27🎙️ BEE Channel: Blessings, Edifying & Encouraging Others to Live Their Best Lives If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Jen McClure — wife, mom, Grammy, author, speaker, and mental wellness coach — for a raw and hope-filled conversation about depression, trauma, and the redemptive power of God.Jen shares that her story didn’t begin with her own breakdown, but generations earlier. Abandonment, emotional absence, and unresolved trauma flowed quietly through her family line, shaping beliefs about safety, worth, and trust long before she had language for them. As a child, Jen learned how to perform wellness while carrying deep wounds — wounds that were compounded by sexual assault, emotional isolation, and later, a marriage deeply impacted by undiagnosed PTSD.On the outside, Jen appeared successful. On the inside, she was unraveling. Years of unprocessed trauma, disordered eating, financial strain, caregiving demands, and chronic stress eventually led to a complete mental collapse. For four years, Jen describes being unable to function — gripped by depression, panic, and the belief that God had abandoned her and she was beyond redemption.But God was not absent.Through persistent prayer, the unwavering love of her mother, faithful community, counseling, and the power of Scripture, Jen began to experience restoration. One pivotal moment came when a friend sent her a song rooted in 1 Corinthians 13, reframing her understanding of love. That biblical definition became a filter — helping her recognize what was not from God, confront spiritual warfare, and reclaim her voice.Healing did not just restore Jen — it saved her marriage, rewrote her family legacy, and broke generational patterns of depression, silence, and despair. What once nearly ended her life became the foundation of her calling.Today, Jen helps others walk out of darkness through coaching, teaching, and her book Wisdom from the Wilderness. Her story is living proof that God restores what the enemy tries to steal — and that no season of suffering is wasted when surrendered to Him.This episode is for the listener who feels numb, overwhelmed, or afraid to ask for help. It is an invitation to stop isolating, to seek godly support, and to believe — even faintly — that healing is possible.🔗 How to Connect with Jen McClure📧 Email:[email protected]🌐 Website:https://www.chaptertowisdom.com📱 Text Options:Text STEBDAR to 517-300-3749 to receive a free audio resource on rewiring the brainText CONNECT to 517-300-3749 to schedule a free clarity call or inquire about coaching, speaking, or workshops📘 Book:Wisdom from the Wilderness — available through her website If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Kelly Parker, speaker, coach, and founder of Make Your Mark Movement and Reboot the Script, for a deeply honest conversation about identity, mindset, and the subtle lies that quietly derail purpose.Kelly opens up about spending more than two decades searching for meaningful work outside of motherhood, repeatedly entering direct sales opportunities that looked promising — only to fizzle out. Each attempt reinforced an internal narrative that something was wrong with her: she wasn’t disciplined enough, she didn’t want it badly enough, she wasn’t capable.The turning point came not through another business model, but through awareness. While journaling, Kelly began to recognize a repeating pattern — beliefs formed in childhood that were never rooted in truth, yet had governed her decisions for years. What she once believed were personal failures were actually symptoms of deeply embedded lies.As Kelly explains, clarity didn’t arrive overnight. It came through therapy, reflection, prayer, and learning how to interrupt false thoughts and reroute them toward truth. She shares how replacing lies with evidence — and ultimately anchoring truth in Scripture — changed her energy, vision, and confidence. What once felt fuzzy became clear. What once felt impossible became attainable.Together, Wendy and Kelly explore the power of words, accountability, journaling, and community. They talk candidly about comparison, rejection, offense, social media overload, and the danger of letting unchecked thoughts become strongholds. This episode offers practical, faith-centered steps for identifying limiting beliefs and dismantling them — without shame.The conversation closes with a heartfelt prayer, inviting listeners to return to God as their first source of truth and to stop living from inherited scripts that were never theirs to carry.This episode is for the woman who knows there is more — but feels stuck under an invisible ceiling. Kelly’s story is a reminder that you are not broken — you’ve simply been believing the wrong story.You can Connect with Kelly Here! If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

In this raw and deeply honest episode, Wendy sits down with Amy Nicole Ellis, founder of Fix Yourself and Flaunt It, a human design consulting program for women who are done living on autopilot and pretending everything is fine.Amy courageously shares her journey through three separate bankruptcies, each one layered with heartbreak, financial collapse, and the quiet fear of, “How did I end up here again?” The first came in her twenties, the second during the 2008 housing crash, and the third — the one that nearly broke her — arrived in her early fifties after doing everything right: calling creditors, making arrangements, cutting expenses, and still ending up served papers by the sheriff.Instead of letting shame define her, Amy reframes failure as data — information that reveals patterns, seasons, and truth rather than verdicts about worth. That shift became the doorway to transformation.The real turning point came when Amy confronted comparison head-on. Watching peers soar financially while she rebuilt yet again sent her spiraling — until God led her to human design. What once looked like instability suddenly made sense. Amy realized she wasn’t failing; she was wired for phases, movement, and reinvention. Her story wasn’t proof she was broken — it was evidence she was becoming a guide for others.Amy explains how human design helped her stop forcing herself into boxes she was never meant to fit inside, and how understanding her design gave her language, permission, and peace. What once felt like inconsistency became clarity. What once felt like defeat became assignment.Together, Wendy and Amy dismantle the lie that financial collapse equals personal failure, reminding listeners that God does not operate by credit scores, metrics, or worldly data. He redeems process, obedience, and yes.This episode is especially powerful for anyone who feels defined by past mistakes, financial loss, or repeated patterns — and wonders if they’ve missed their moment. Amy’s story declares: you’re not late, broken, or disqualified. You’re still being formed.Amy is gifting listeners a FREE Human Design Report + Audio Mini-Series, which walks you through your unique wiring, decision-making strategy, and core design — no guesswork required.👉 Download the free report here:https://amynicolellis.com/report If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

What happens when the life you worked so hard to build no longer aligns with the truth God is calling you to live?In this unforgettable episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Molly Trotter-Gomez—former CBS news anchor, international speaker, and founder of Signature Story Consulting—for a raw and deeply faith-filled conversation about obedience, identity, and the power of story stewardship.After five years in broadcast journalism, Molly found herself telling stories driven by fear, division, and ratings rather than truth and transformation. When she refused to compromise the message, she was fired—and what felt like loss became divine redirection. What followed was a bold leap into entrepreneurship, purpose-driven storytelling, and helping others uncover the gold hidden inside their own stories.Together, Wendy and Molly explore why courage isn’t the goal—obedience is. Why parts of us must die in order for new growth to come. And why your story isn’t meant to glorify you, but to create an emotional bridge that invites others into healing, faith, and forward movement.This episode is for anyone who knows they’re called—but feels afraid to say yes.Connect with Molly Here! If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Some stories are birthed through pain — but written through purpose.In this deeply personal episode, Wendy sits down with Tammy Schaefer, a woman whose life has woven together trauma, faith, forgiveness, generational unraveling, and miraculous restoration. For decades, Tammy carried the weight of childhood sexual abuse, emotional abandonment, religious rejection, and the lingering identity-wounds that shaped her adult life. But God did not leave her there.Through inner healing, layers of forgiveness, a restored relationship with her siblings, and a final, breathtaking moment with her father before his passing, Tammy experienced what she describes as a complete identity shift — a wholeness she didn’t even know was possible.Now, God is asking her to write.Tammy shares openly about:growing up in a household marked by generational traumathe moment her abuse was dismissed and she was expelled from Christian schoolfeeling “rejected by God” as a teenagerthe long road of emotional unraveling and inner healingthe miracle of restored relationships with parents and sistersthe sacred final weeks with her fatherGod removing lifelong emotional weight “in an instant”the season of silence that followed — a rebuilding of identitythe moment God released her to begin writing againThis conversation is gentle, vulnerable, raw, and holy.It’s the story behind the story — the journey that becomes the book.If you’ve ever felt God pulling you toward writing but weren’t sure why, Tammy’s process will remind you that some books are written only after God has healed the parts of you that needed His touch first. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Some transformations don’t happen all at once — they unfold through layers of surrender, courage, and conscious choice.In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy welcomes Denise Michelle, an award-winning life coach, hypnotherapist, and trainer with Tony Robbins, whose life reflects the power of deep inner work paired with vision-driven action. Denise begins by sharing the unlikely foundation of her calling: growing up in a chaotic, emotionally unsafe household shaped by generational trauma and borderline personality disorder.From an early age, Denise was searching for love — first externally, through relationships, validation, and addiction-based coping patterns, and eventually inward, through radical self-examination and healing. Promiscuity, love addiction, depression, anxiety, and the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse all became part of her story — not as defining labels, but as invitations to look deeper.Her turning point came in her mid-twenties when she realized her behaviors were harming someone she loved. That awareness opened the door to therapy, diagnosis, and a painful but necessary collapse of identity. Denise shares honestly how learning she had borderline personality disorder felt like both devastation and clarity — the ground giving way beneath her feet while simultaneously revealing the mountain she was meant to climb.Years of intensive therapy followed. Then, in 2008, standing at the edge of ending her life, Denise chose instead to surrender control and enter an outpatient treatment program. What followed was not just recovery, but reconstruction — of identity, purpose, and direction. As healing progressed, Denise recognized something profound: her pain was not just for her. She was being prepared to serve.Through yoga teaching, meditation, coaching, and later advanced leadership training, Denise stepped into life as an instrument for healing — allowing transformation to flow through her rather than striving to control outcomes. Wendy and Denise explore the distinction between ego-self and higher-self, and how true self-love is not self-focus, but alignment with who God created us to be.The conversation deepens as Denise shares a second major turning point during the COVID years, when she lost five family members in just twelve months — including her mother, her compass. In the midst of overwhelming grief, Denise entered another dark night of the soul that led her into intensive leadership work and ultimately to a radical life shift.That shift took her from California to Bali — seemingly overnight.Guided step by step, Denise describes how obedience, trust, and conscious vision-setting led her to leave behind 24 years of life, sell nearly everything she owned, and move across the world with only three bags. In a moment both symbolic and unforgettable, she shares how rescuing a drowning chicken on a dark beach became the confirmation she was meant to stay — a reminder that calling often arrives in unexpected forms.Now living minimally and intentionally, Denise speaks about designing life through aligned action rather than fear-based reaction. She explains that fear is not a stop sign, but a qualifier — inviting us either to retreat into old patterns or rise into new identity. True change, she reminds listeners, doesn’t happen after circumstances shift — it happens when we do.This episode is an invitation for anyone standing at the edge of change, wondering if they’re brave enough to step forward.Because healing is not about becoming someone new.It’s about remembering who you were created to be. How to Connect with Denise MichelleListeners who want to explore Denise’s work further can connect with her here:Website: https://bridgethelove.comInstagram: @DeniseMichelleXOXOBook: Embrace Your Worth: The Ultimate Guide to Self-Love MasteryDenise offers coaching, courses, retreats, and tools designed to help people heal deeply and live intentionally. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Why is it that we can feel deeply called to do something — write the book, heal our body, build the business, obey God’s prompting — and still feel stuck?In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy welcomes Kam Knight, a coach and author who has spent more than two decades studying the inner mechanics of human behavior, performance, and follow-through. Kam begins by sharing his own journey as a driven, achievement-oriented person who still found success far more stressful and difficult than it needed to be. Despite motivation, knowledge, and desire, he kept running into the same invisible wall — one that effort alone could not overcome.That wall, Kam explains, is internal resistance.Through years of research, coaching, and lived experience, Kam discovered that the part of the brain that creates desire operates separately from the part that allows action. In other words, your mind can want something deeply while simultaneously blocking you from pursuing it. This isn’t laziness, lack of faith, or failure — it’s a built-in protective mechanism that evaluates whether an action aligns with identity, beliefs, habits, comfort zones, past wounds, authority issues, fear of criticism, or even shame.Wendy and Kam unpack how resistance often disguises itself as fear, procrastination, perfectionism, or overwhelm — especially when finishing a task would require visibility, vulnerability, or exposure. This is why so many people start but never finish, finish but never publish, or publish but never promote. The resistance isn’t about the task itself; it’s about what comes next.The conversation becomes especially powerful as Wendy connects Kam’s framework to the writing journey, calling, and obedience to God. Resistance, they note, often intensifies when someone is stepping into purpose. Spiritual opposition, emotional triggers, negative feedback, and internalized words from the past can all amplify resistance — but none of them are the final authority.One of the most practical breakthroughs in this episode comes through Kam’s teaching on self-talk. He explains how repeated verbal declarations — not just written affirmations — can rewire identity and dismantle resistance at the unconscious level. Kam shares two core self-talk statements that have helped thousands of people finally move forward, including language around permission, worthiness, and follow-through.Forgiveness also emerges as a critical piece of the resistance equation. Kam explains how unprocessed shame, harsh criticism, or unresolved resentment — toward others or ourselves — can quietly reinforce the belief that things must be harder than they are meant to be. Wendy adds a powerful spiritual lens, reminding listeners that unforgiveness blocks flow, peace, and obedience, while forgiveness releases momentum.This episode is a gift to anyone who has ever wondered:“Why do I want this so badly… and still feel stuck?”Because the truth is, resistance doesn’t mean you’re broken.It means there’s something to release — and once it’s released, green lights begin to appear.How to Connect with Kam KnightTo learn more about Kam’s work, courses, and coaching, visit:https://kamknight.comCourse mentioned: Conquer Internal ResistanceEmail for one-on-one work: [email protected] If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Some stories don’t just inspire — they rescue.In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy welcomes Elizabeth Verver, a wife, mother of four, and women’s leader whose testimony radiates the power of God to bring light into the darkest places. Elizabeth begins by taking listeners back to childhood, where a painful divorce at just nine years old quietly reshaped how she saw herself, her worth, and the world around her.Without words, without explanation, her father was gone — and in that absence, a belief took root: I am not worth staying for. That lie followed Elizabeth into adolescence, where unanswered questions, loneliness, and emotional pain slowly opened the door to drugs, numbing behaviors, and despair. By the age of fifteen, she attempted to take her own life — not because she wanted to die, but because she didn’t want to feel the pain anymore.When she woke up the next morning, something shifted.Elizabeth shares how surviving that moment ignited a deeper question inside her: Why am I still here? That question sent her searching — through music, relationships, and eventually deeper addiction — all while slipping through the cracks of a single mother doing her best to survive and raise six children on her own.As addiction tightened its grip, Elizabeth eventually left home, only to encounter further trauma, including sexual assault while trying to better her life through college. The weight of betrayal, pain, and unprocessed trauma drove her deeper into addiction — until God intervened through an unexpected vessel.A woman Elizabeth lovingly refers to as “Mama K” opened her home, her table, and her heart — offering safety without pressure, love without conditions, and truth without force. Though Elizabeth didn’t believe in God at the time, something about that steady presence began to dismantle the walls she had built.The turning point came quietly.One evening, Elizabeth noticed a Bible placed on a desk. Curious and skeptical, she opened it to Deuteronomy 28 — reading about blessings, obedience, and consequences. In that moment, clarity came. She saw her life not through shame, but through truth — and realized God was real, present, and pursuing her.Kneeling in surrender, Elizabeth prayed a simple prayer: If You’re real, I give You my life.God answered.What followed was transformation — not instant perfection, but real freedom. Elizabeth shares how she and her husband, both coming out of brokenness, committed early on to walk with God, stick through the mess, and build a different future together. Married at 21, they learned firsthand that healing is a process — but one sustained by grace, obedience, and community.Today, Elizabeth’s story continues to ripple outward.Through years of women’s Bible study, online teaching, and now her YouTube channel, Elizabeth is answering God’s call to awaken weary, hurting women to their true identity in Christ. She speaks directly to fear, addiction, shame, and the quiet belief that it’s “too late” — reminding listeners that God redeems timelines, restores purpose, and wastes nothing.This episode is for anyone who feels trapped in addiction, buried under shame, or unsure if God is even real.Because the truth is this:You don’t have to change yourself to come to God.You come to God — and He does the changing. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Sometimes God allows discomfort not to punish us — but to redirect us.In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy welcomes Katy Miller, a certified health coach and movement specialist whose story will resonate with anyone who has slowly slipped into a sedentary life without realizing the cost. Katy shares how years of desk work, long hours, and constant pushing gradually led to chronic back pain, fatigue, weight gain, and the loss of activities she once loved.What began as occasional discomfort eventually became pain that limited her movement and confidence. Katy describes how exercise started to feel discouraging, motivation faded, and everyday life became smaller. Like many people, she didn’t notice the shift until her body began speaking louder than her schedule.Rather than searching for a quick fix, Katy began listening.Through experimentation and patience, she discovered that healing required meeting her body where it was — not forcing it to perform. Supported movement, particularly Reformer Pilates and intentional strength-building, allowed her to rebuild stability and trust in her body. As movement became accessible again, hope followed.But healing didn’t stop with exercise.Katy shares how God led her to understand nourishment as stewardship, not restriction. By learning how inflammation, hormones, and daily habits impact the body, she experienced renewed energy, clarity, and consistency. What changed wasn’t just her back — it was her relationship with her body.As healing unfolded, calling emerged.Katy eventually pursued formal training in health coaching, realizing her story wasn’t meant to stay personal. Today, she supports women — especially those navigating life transitions, hormonal shifts, and chronic pain — helping them reconnect with their bodies in a way that is sustainable, compassionate, and life-giving.This episode is a reminder that pain is not always a setback. Sometimes it is an invitation — to slow down, listen, and align more closely with how God designed the body to function.If you’ve been ignoring the signals your body has been sending, this conversation offers hope:Healing doesn’t start with intensity.It starts with attention.Listeners who resonated with Katy’s story and want to learn more about her work can connect with her directly:Instagram: @painfreeeffectEmail: [email protected] her coaching, Katy helps women move out of pain, rebuild strength, and steward their bodies with wisdom and grace. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Some separations come with explanations.Others come with silence.In this powerful episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Ann Utterback — author, certified Kingdom Life Coach, and mom of two — who knows firsthand the unique pain of marital separation without closure.After 22 years of marriage, Ann came home one afternoon to find her husband’s belongings gone. No warning. No conversation. Just a typed list of “talking points” and a season of unanswered questions.But this story is not about why her husband left.It’s about how God showed up.Over the course of three years of separation, Ann wrestled with shame, uncertainty, faith, identity, and the pressure many women feel — especially those connected to church leadership — to stay silent and hold it together. Instead, God gently invited her into a deeper work: becoming the healthiest, clearest version of herself.In this episode, Ann shares:what it feels like to live in relational limbohow God met her in prayer, fasting, and silencethe moment He told her, “You are dearly loved. Stop hiding.”navigating separation without bitterness or chaossetting boundaries rooted in faith, not feardiscerning when striving becomes self-abandonmentlearning that clarity sometimes comes after letting goThis conversation offers wisdom and hope for women walking through separation, ambiguity, or relational loss — and for anyone learning how to trust God when the outcome is still unknown. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Some healing happens in a moment.Other healing unfolds across years, seasons, and surrender.In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy welcomes Simone Cato for an honest conversation about what it means to follow God beyond initial healing and into deeper restoration. Simone shares her childhood testimony of encountering God at a young age after experiencing sexual abuse — a moment of real, supernatural healing that silenced tormenting dreams and anchored her faith early in life.But as Simone vulnerably explains, early healing does not always mean the work is finished.As life unfolded — including moving from Jamaica to the United States, navigating cultural transition, marriage, and ministry — hidden layers of trauma began to surface in unexpected ways. Simone opens up about how unresolved wounds impacted her marriage, including a season where fear and trauma created barriers to intimacy, despite her deep love for God and her husband.This episode gently dismantles the myth that strong faith equals instant, permanent healing.Through prayer, Spirit-led counseling, and a willingness to surrender control, Simone experienced deeper freedom — including a powerful dream God used to reveal lingering bondage and release her into a new level of wholeness. She shares how obedience, worship, and community became critical tools in the healing process, especially during seasons when performance and “having it all together” felt easier than honesty.The conversation takes an even more sobering turn when Simone recounts the day her husband was shot — a moment that tested everything she believed about trust, faith, and surrender. Wendy and Simone reflect on how God met them in the hospital room through prayer, peace, and presence, reminding listeners that miracles don’t always look the way we expect — but God is faithful in every outcome.From this journey, God birthed the “Mask Off” mandate in Simone’s life — a calling to create spaces where people no longer feel pressured to perform, pretend, or hide their pain. Through Rescued by Love Ministries, Simone now helps others encounter God in a way that heals identity, restores relationships, and invites authentic transformation.This episode is for anyone who thought they were healed — but sensed there might be more.For anyone navigating faith, trauma, marriage, or calling while learning that God’s grace meets us layer by layer.Because healing isn’t about perfection.It’s about presence.And God is faithful to finish what He begins.You can learn more about Rescued by Love here:  https://www.rescuedblm.com/ If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

So many mothers are exhausted — not because they’re failing, but because they’re carrying wounds that were never meant to be parented through.In this deeply grounding episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose welcomes Aaliyah Burgess-Richburg, youth development strategist, educator, and founder of The Very Intentional Mama. Together, they unpack what it really means to raise emotionally healthy children without losing yourself in the process.Aaliyah shares how God redirected her calling from the classroom to the home — revealing that before children can thrive emotionally, their mothers must feel safe, supported, and healed. This conversation explores gentle parenting through a biblical lens, emotional regulation, homeschooling pressure, public school discernment, and the hidden burnout so many moms carry in silence.Wendy and Aaliyah also address identity beyond motherhood — why being a mom is a calling, not a definition — and how surrendering control allows God to lead both parent and child with grace.This episode is for the mother who feels overwhelmed, unsure, or quietly asking, “Am I doing this right?”It’s not about perfection.It’s about healing, obedience, and trusting God in the season you’re in. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

What if spiritual authority doesn’t come from striving — but from yielding?In this powerful and theologically rich episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy sits down with Tom Snow — a Jewish Christian, engineer, inventor, and author who has spent more than 50 years walking with God through persecution, healing, wilderness seasons, and deep spiritual warfare.Tom shares his extraordinary journey — from hidden Jewish lineage during World War II, to miraculous healing from terminal cancer, to a 40-year wilderness season that humbled and refined him for the work he is doing today.This conversation challenges modern Christian assumptions about authority, deliverance, and anointing. Tom unpacks why quoting Scripture alone isn’t enough, why “religious formulas” fail, and why yielding to the Holy Spirit is the only place true authority flows from.If you’ve ever wondered:Why spiritual warfare sometimes backfiresWhy “doing the right things” doesn’t always bring breakthroughHow to discern God’s voice in a loud worldWhat it actually means to walk in Christ — not just talk about itThis episode will stretch you, ground you, and invite you into deeper intimacy with God.Because the narrow road may be costly — but it is always worth it. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

If you’ve ever wondered “Why do I keep choosing the same kind of relationship?” — this episode will feel like oxygen.Today’s guest, Terraine LeBeau, is a relationship mentor and coach who specializes in helping women heal emotional patterns, rebuild their self-worth, and finally choose relationships aligned with who they truly are — not who their trauma taught them to be.Growing up without his parents and being raised by the grandmother who first showed him unconditional love, Terraine learned early what it means to feel both abandoned and deeply seen. That journey shaped the work he now does with women around the world — helping them understand their triggers, feel their emotions rather than suppress them, forgive themselves for what they tolerated, and break the cycles they never meant to repeat.In this conversation, Wendy and Terraine dive into:why so many women over 40 feel unworthy of lovehow childhood wounds shape adult relationshipswhy we choose partners who mirror our unhealed partshow to recognize emotional patterns in the body (chest tightness, warmth, anxiety, avoidance)the three-step awareness practice: Name It. Feel It. Learn From It.forgiveness of self as the first step to all relational healingwhy “survival mode” works…until it doesn’thow God whispers, nudges, and eventually SHOUTS when it’s time to change directionwhy accountability is the turning point to growthwhat happens when we make space (physically and emotionally) for real loveThis episode is equal parts laughter, story, truth, and holy conviction.It will meet you where you are — and lovingly challenge you to grow beyond it.Website: https://www.behindtheshades.ca/Email: [email protected] also offers a free session for anyone who references this episode. If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Some stories remind you how close heaven truly is — and how present God is in every detail.In this deeply moving episode, Wendy sits down with Cathy Garrett, a Christian wife, mom of two, and host of the Birth Trauma Stories podcast, whose 2019 delivery turned into a life-altering medical emergency. Cathy suffered a rare amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) — a catastrophic complication that causes sudden cardiovascular collapse, a stroke, and often death. She was given a 1% chance of survival.But God was already ahead of her.From the hospital she “just happened” to choose (the only adult ECMO provider in the city), to the doula who stayed by her side, to the husband who brought their baby home before she woke from a coma — every detail of Cathy’s story bears the fingerprints of a God who saw, protected, and sustained her.This episode blends miracle, motherhood, medical crisis, trauma recovery, and birth advocacy, offering wisdom for women who want to prepare for birth without fear. Cathy shares openly about:navigating VBAC decisionsmisdiagnoses that God still used for her goodsurviving the impossiblethe lifelong impact of disabilitythe grief of lost moments she’ll never get backredeeming moments God gave her in unexpected waysthe power of informed choices, support teams, and conversations before laborher ongoing ministry through Trauma Tribe, a free monthly support groupThis is a sacred, honest, faith-anchored conversation for every mother, every birth worker, every trauma survivor, and every woman who has ever asked, “Where was God when everything went wrong?”He was there.He is still there.And He is not finished with your story either.Website: BirthTraumaStories.comEmail: [email protected] If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Some people survive adversity — Eldonna overcomes it.Today’s guest, Eldonna Lewis Fernandez, is a retired Air Force Master Sergeant, international speaker, author, and founder of Baskets & Beads Kenya, a flourishing social enterprise that empowers women living in extreme poverty through sustainable fair-trade work.But her story didn’t begin with strength.It began with two alcoholic parents, verbal abuse, neglect, and a sudden death that forced her to grow up overnight. At 18, she came home to an empty house and an eviction note. No guidance. No resources. No love.But God never left her.Eldonna shares the raw, unfiltered moments of:growing up never once hearing “I love you”dropping out of high schoolabusive relationships that nearly ended her lifejoining the Air Force with nothing to losefinding identity, stability, and purpose through servicediscovering the calling that would one day take her to Kenyaa midnight Holy-Spirit download that launched a global ministryHer story takes us from deep childhood wounds… to 23 years of military leadership… to a slum in Kenya where women greeted her with singing, dancing, and hope — and where God whispered, “Start here.”What began with five women and a single bead necklace has grown into a thriving program of 30+ artisans creating jewelry, baskets, apparel, dog bandanas, aprons, and more — all supporting families in one of Kenya’s poorest communities.This episode is a masterclass in perseverance, obedience, and walking by faith even when the next step makes no sense.If you’ve ever wondered whether God can redeem your story… this conversation will answer that question loud and clear.Baskets & Beads Kenya (Products):🔗 basketsandbeadskenya.com If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.Your story is not an accident.You are healed.You are whole.You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.