You Are a Gift – A Message for the Phenomenal Woman

A reflection from the woods

The last few weeks, I’ve been tucked away in the woods—on purpose. Leading groups of women and men through the practice of slowing down, checking in, and reconnecting to who they are beneath all the roles, titles, and expectations. These aren’t just hikes. They’re sacred spaces. Healing spaces. And they’ve been just as necessary for me as they are for the women who show up.

Yesterday, though, was different.  

I needed it. Not as a facilitator, but as a woman. As someone who gives and pours, teaches and holds. I needed to be in community—not to lead, but to be led. To listen, and to speak from the place inside me that still needs tending too.

In that space, what came up was a truth I’ve always known, but often forget to embody:

You are the gift.  

Not the work you do.  

Not the titles you carry.  

Not the roles you perform.  

Just you.

Remember This

Take a breath right here.  

Let it settle in your chest.  

Let this be the moment you stop trying to prove something and just remember who you are.

These are the truths I’ve been sitting with, and I offer them to you—not as a checklist, but as soul food. Return to them as often as you need.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

You don’t have to chase worthiness. It’s already yours.

You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.  

You are stronger than your circumstance. Stronger than your doubt. Stronger than the moment you're in.

You cannot pour from an empty cup.  

Let go of the pressure to be everything to everyone. You need room to fill, too.

We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.  

Your healing is not just for you. Your story might be someone else’s survival guide.

You will fall short.  

You will mess up.  

You will feel stuck.  

But you will rise. Over and over again. That’s part of the design.

And finally—  

You are not your mistake.  

You are not your trauma.  

You are not your fear.

You were created for something bigger than survival.  

Something bigger than perfection.

You were created for purpose. And that purpose starts with knowing who you are—and believing that’s enough.

So What Do You Do With This?

You speak it.  

You live it.  

You make it a rhythm.

Here’s how:

1. Write it down.  

Take five minutes each morning or night. Write down one truth about who you are. Don’t filter. Don’t polish. Just write. Let your journal become a mirror.

2. Say it out loud.  

Even when you don’t feel like it. Speak life over yourself. Your thoughts have power—shape them on purpose. This isn’t fluff. It’s faith in action.

3. Rest. Not just sleep—real rest.  

Turn the noise down. Set your phone aside. Give yourself permission to just be. Rest is resistance. It’s how we reclaim our energy and hear from God.

4. Be around women who remind you of who you are.  

Healing happens in community. Get in the room with women who are doing the work, not just talking about it. Women who pray, laugh, cry, and show up with their whole selves.

This is the kind of work that doesn’t always look like work.  

But it’s the most important thing you’ll ever do.

Because when you know who you are—when you really know it—everything changes.

You show up different.  

You lead different.  

You love different.  

And you don’t settle for less than what your soul deserves.

So I’ll say it again for you, sis:

You are the gift.  

You are the only you for the job.  

And the world needs what only you carry.

Not later.  

Not when you get it all figured out.  

Right now.

Let this blog be your mirror. Your nudge. Your reminder.

If this spoke to you, don’t just keep it to yourself—share it with someone who might be forgetting her own reflection.

We rise together.