Healing and faith: why your past does not define you and how to walk in freedom with Christ (with Brianna)

Healing and faith can feel impossible when your past keeps shouting louder than your present. In this episode, Brianna (Bri) and I talk about why your past does not define you, and how to walk in the freedom Christ offers even when your story includes homelessness, addiction, depression, and deep mental health battles.


Bri shares something that stopped me in my tracks: she is living her answered prayers. Not in a cheesy way. In a real, hard-won way. The kind of answered prayer she once cried and screamed to God about, and now she has to practice noticing it in the middle of everyday life.


We talk about the slow process of stepping out of shame and into a new identity. Bri opens up about how her marriage helped her see she is worthy, and how being asked to lead young adults became a turning point. It was a mirror held up by other believers saying, "We see Jesus in you. You are not who you used to be."


Inside this conversation, you'll hear:
- What it looks like to live in the present when your mind keeps dragging you back
- How to spot God's fingerprints and "God winks" in ordinary moments like warmth, food, friendships, and safety
- A powerful reminder from Scripture that God often rescues us in the middle of the storm, not before or after it (Jonah, the fiery furnace, Daniel, David)
- Practical ways to renew your mind when the enemy tries to label you by your past
- Why your words matter so much, and how speaking life shuts down the enemy's schemes


Bri also shares an honest example of being judged by a visible reminder of her past, and what it meant to finally stop defending herself and start walking as the person God is still shaping.


If you feel stuck in guilt, fear, or self-doubt, this episode is for you. You are not the old you. God is still writing your story. And you do not have to hold the pen.


Friend, take a breath. Ask God to help you see what he has already brought you through. Then speak his promises out loud. Even if you start with one sentence today, it counts.