Flying Free
Your Relationship with Yourself: Learning to Like (and Love) Who You Are Again
updated
You don’t owe access to people who’ve proven they can’t show up for you.
Loving someone doesn’t mean they get to keep a seat at your table. When you finally give yourself the love and loyalty you were always pouring into them, the need to be chosen by someone else? It fades.
You are already whole.
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #SelfWorth #EmotionalHealing #LettingGo
Diana reminded us of something simple but profound:
You’ve had big emotions before.
You’ve felt overwhelmed before.
And guess what?
You’ve always made it through.
You’re still here. That track record matters.
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #EmotionalHealing #ChristianWomen #YouWillRecover #ResilienceIsReal
Some storms aren’t meant to be avoided—they’re meant to be faced.
Like the buffalo, we’re wired by our Creator with the strength to run into the pain, not away from it.
It’s not easy. But it’s how we move through the hardest things… and come out the other side.
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #EmotionalHealing #RunThroughTheStorm #SpiritualResilience
If Jesus moved toward the outcasts, the broken, and the shamed, why do we treat the hurting parts of ourselves like enemies?
What if Christlikeness means moving toward your own pain with compassion, not condemnation?
That’s where real healing begins.
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #SelfCompassion #SpiritualHealing #BeLikeJesusToYou
In this episode, Diana Swillinger joins me to talk about the messy emotional aftermath of divorce that no one prepares you for, especially if you’ve spent your life being told that “nice Christian women” don’t get angry, and grief is for people who aren’t trusting God.
We talk about:
✔️ Rage as fuel for freedom
✔️ Why grief feels like a monster (and how it’s actually a healer)
✔️ Trauma bonding and future-faking
✔️ The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation
✔️ Why you might miss your ex and still not want him back
✔️ Emotional tools you can use so you don’t spiral, numb out, or scream into a pillow every night
If you’ve ever worried that feeling your emotions might break you… this episode will show you how they can actually make you.
🦬 Bonus: We talk about why buffalo are basically the official mascots of healing. Yes, really.
Hit that thumbs up, subscribe, and ring the 🔔 so you don’t miss what’s next. And if you’ve ever wanted permission to rage cry while eating Dove chocolate in Shavasana... consider this it. 💁♀️
Related Resources:
🦋 Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my personal mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence, emotional management, relational health and empowered self-development. Want to work with me? This is how!
💻 Feel like a hot mess after divorce? My 5-Day Workshop (flyingfreenow.com/five-day-workshop) will teach you a mind-shift tool to help you learn a powerful way to manage your thoughts and emotions in order to navigate adult decisions with clarity and peace.
🧠Check out Diana’s mind-changing podcast at dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast
📚 Recommended books:
👉Altogether You by Jenna Remiersma (amzn.to/3HwBYei)
👉No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz (amzn.to/4jCKgis)
👉Forgiveness After Trauma by Susannah Griffith (amzn.to/3SXiwKi)
👉Finding Meaning: the Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler (amzn.to/43OHkdH)
👉The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner (amzn.to/44XeOrr)
👉All the Scary Little Gods by yours truly (amzn.to/3SZMrl3).
📓Read the full show notes that include powerful journal questions to help you process each episode for your own life at flyingfreenow.com/dcw11
#ChristianWomenHealing #RecoveryFromAbuse #FlyingFree
Maile shared what so many women feel: Emotionally, I wasn’t ready to leave. But I knew I had to.
Leaving doesn’t always come with a clean, confident moment. It often comes with fear, shaking hands, and a quiet promise to yourself: “This time, I’m not going back.”
And that is courage.
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #LeavingAbuse #DomesticAbuse #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
Religious communities often blame the woman for filing for divorce while quietly siding with the abuser to “keep the marriage together.”
But that doesn’t reflect God’s heart. Keeping women trapped in abuse sends the wrong message about who God truly is.
It’s time to tell the truth.
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTrauma #SpiritualAbuse #DivorceAndFaith
Maile shared how she left with only the essentials, terrified, her arms still bruised, and like so many of us, she covered them up.
She didn’t want to go back. And she took photos. She asked her doctor to document it. Because somewhere inside, she knew: this mattered.
If you’re in this place, you’re not alone.
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #DomesticAbuse #LeavingAbuse #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
In this episode, Maile shares how she went from stuck and silenced in a toxic marriage to finding peace, safety, and freedom for herself and her son. If you’ve ever wondered if it’s possible to leave and still keep your faith, this conversation will give you hope.
In this episode:
✔️ The red flags Maile ignored during dating (love bombing, control, snooping)
✔️ How spiritual abuse kept her stuck under the “good Christian wife” lie
✔️ Why COVID became the unexpected wake-up call she needed
✔️ How she found the courage to leave, even after already being divorced once
✔️ What freedom and faith look like on the other side of abuse
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new video.
Related Resources:
• Book mentioned: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk (amazon.com/gp/product/0143127748/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0143127748&linkCode=as2&tag=visionwomanh-20&linkId=7d5bfeecefdada8ffe3840ea8d1e852e)
• Some other survivor stories: Shelley’s story (flyingfreenow.com/246-2) and Stacie’s story (flyingfreenow.com/250-2/).
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse. Get a free chapter when you sign up for my mailing list at the top of my website: flyingfreenow.com
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods (flyingfreenow.com/all-the-scary-little-gods), is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• The Kaleidoscope (joinflyingfree.com) is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.
Read the full show notes at flyingfreenow.com/340
#ChristianWomen #FlyingFree #SpiritualAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #FaithAfterAbuse
Marie shared how church culture taught us harmful stereotypes: Men always want sex. Women are supposed to give it.
And if reality didn’t match that narrative? Couples thought something was wrong with them.
It’s not wrong. It’s human. And it’s time to let go of the shame these stereotypes created.
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #PurityCulture #ReligiousTraumaRecovery #SexualHealing
Diana nailed it: we grew up with “Stay a virgin!” purity culture drilled into us at church—while the world around us was shouting a completely different message.
No wonder so many of us entered adulthood confused, disconnected, and ashamed about our own bodies and sexuality.
It’s time to talk about it.
#FlyingFree #PurityCulture #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTrauma #SexualHealing
We talked about how safety is essential for intimacy. Many of us never had that before, but it’s not too late to learn what safe love can feel like.
Want to watch the rest of this episode of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/kho7z6-g1as
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #SafeRelationships #EmotionalHealing #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
❓Can I want sex AND still love Jesus?
❓Is dating post-divorce just a swamp of red flags and weird profiles?
❓What the heck do I do with all this purity culture baggage?
Join me (Natalie) and four of my divorced Christian women friends—Diana, Marie, Lisa, and Loretta—as we have the open, awkward, beautiful convo no one at church ever dared to host.
We talk:
💥 Purity culture trauma
💥 Learning how to want again (safely!)
💥 First dates, new boundaries, and saying NO without guilt
💥 How God actually made women’s bodies for pleasure
💥 What a vibrator taught me at age 50 (yes. I’m going there.)
This isn’t a rulebook. It’s a real talk about reclaiming your desires, trusting your gut, and figuring out what YOU want in your next chapter.
✨ Whether you’re dating, swearing off men forever, or just wondering if you're normal (you are), this episode is for you.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new video.
👇 Drop a comment:
What’s one message about sex you’re ready to UNlearn?
Related Resources:
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence, emotional management, relational health and empowered self-development.
• Feel like a hot mess after divorce? My 5-Day Workshop (flyingfreenow.com/five-day-workshop) will teach you a mind-shift tool to help you learn a powerful way to manage your thoughts and emotions in order to navigate adult decisions with clarity and peace.
• Listen to Diana’s podcast, the Renew Your Mind Podcast, at dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast
• Connect with Marie on her blog, Live Like it Matters (livelikeitmatters.net), and website, Spiritual Direction with Marie (spiritualdirectionwithmarie.com)
• Read Sheila Wray Gregoire’s The Great Sex Rescue at amzn.to/3HJx2mq
• Check out one of my Flying Free Podcast episodes, “What to Do if You’re Married to a Fool” at flyingfreenow.com/7-3
Read the full show notes that include powerful journal questions to help you process each episode for your own life at flyingfreenow.com/dcw10
#SexAfterDivorce #PurityCulture #ChristianDating #FlyingHigher #NatalieHoffman #TheGreatSexRescue #Deconstruction #DivorcedChristianWoman
You don’t owe loyalty to a building or to “your husband’s people” if it’s costing you your peace.
You deserve to choose spaces where your soul can breathe.
Want to watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/3hn3COQLhYk
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ToxicChurchCulture #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTraumaRecovery #Boundaries
And if your family ever decides to join you there? Wonderful. But if not, you still belong.
Want to watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/3hn3COQLhYk
#FlyingFree #ChosenFamily #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #RebuildingYourLife #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
But hear me: their healing is not your job. Their emotional work is not your burden.
You deserve space to heal without carrying everyone else’s pain on your back.
Want to watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/3hn3COQLhYk
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #FamilyEstrangement #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTraumaRecovery #Boundaries
You deserve to know: Jesus doesn’t stand with abuse, even when it’s wearing a Sunday smile.
Want to watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/3hn3COQLhYk
#FlyingFree #ChurchHurt #FaithAfterAbuse #SpiritualAbuse #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
It’s okay to slow down. Rest is part of recovery.
Want to watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/3hn3COQLhYk
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #HealingJourney #SpiritualAbuse #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
In this episode of the Flying Free Podcast, I answer two powerful listener questions, one from a woman cut off by her family after escaping abuse, and another from a churchgoer in Germany being ghosted by a tight-knit clique of “Christian” moms. (Yes, the ones with the matching water bottles and judgmental stares.)
We’re talking:
👉 Why family and church rejection feels so brutal
👉 What to do when “reconciliation” becomes emotional manipulation
👉 The difference between real grace and performative guilt-tripping
👉 Why Jesus never meant for you to beg for belonging
👉 And how to build a new table when your old one collapses under the weight of toxicity
This episode is for every woman who has ever asked, “What did I do wrong?” and is finally ready to ask, “What do I need to heal?”
✨ Get ready to feel seen, validated, and a little bit fired up.
💡 Subscribe for more truth bombs, hope-filled wisdom, and survivor strength straight to your feed.
🛎️ Hit the bell so you never miss a new episode.
🙏 Like + Share if this gave you hope, clarity, or a much-needed “OH MY GOSH SAME.”
Related Resources:
• Get a free chapter of my book, “Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage” and companion workbook when you hop on my mailing list at flyingfreesisterhood.com/free-download
• Listen to some related Flying Free Podcast episodes, including “Why Being Rejected by Your Church and Family Hurts So Bad” (flyingfreenow.com/186-2) and “When You’ve Been Hurt by Church” (flyingfreenow.com/295-2/).
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse. Get a free chapter when you sign up for my mailing list at the top of my website: flyingfreenow.com
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods (flyingfreenow.com/all-the-scary-little-gods), is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• The Kaleidoscope (joinflyingfree.com) is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for divorced Christian women interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.
Read the full show notes at flyingfreenow.com/339
#ChristianWomenHealing #RecoveryFromAbuse #FlyingFree
All that striving to “keep faith alive”? She didn’t need it anymore. And that felt like freedom.
Sometimes, letting go is when you finally learn you’re held.
Want to watch the rest of this episode? Head over to youtu.be/Mdzn0O7XXLw
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #SpiritualHealing #ReligiousTraumaRecovery #LettingGo
Even if it’s not a total free fall, many women hit this crossroads, and it’s a normal part of healing.
If you’re wrestling with these questions, you’re not alone.
Want to watch the rest of this episode? Head over to youtu.be/Mdzn0O7XXLw
#FlyingFree #DivorceAndFaith #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTraumaRecovery #SpiritualHealing
You do.
And sometimes, when people fail to say it, God says it even louder.
Want to watch the rest of this episode? Head over to youtu.be/Mdzn0O7XXLw
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #GodLovesYou #MessyMiddle #SpiritualAbuseRecovery
I sat down with Diana Swillinger to talk honestly about what it’s like to unravel your faith and find out that God was never the problem.
If you’ve lost your church, your family, or your sanity, but still feel this tug that God is bigger, better, and more loving than you were told? This episode is for you.
✨ Expect some Jenga metaphors. Some healthy sarcasm. And a whole lot of freedom.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell if you want more honesty and hope in your YouTube feed.
And remember: doubt isn’t a sign of spiritual failure. It’s the doorway to authentic faith.
Related Resources:
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence, emotional management, relational health and empowered self-development.
• Flying Free (joinflyingfree.com) is for Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages who are looking for support and healing. Apply to join today!
• Feel like a hot mess after divorce? My 5-Day Workshop (flyingfreenow.com/five-day-workshop) will teach you a mind-shift tool to help you learn a powerful way to manage your thoughts and emotions in order to navigate adult decisions with clarity and peace.
• Check out Diana’s podcast, The Renew Your Mind Podcast, at dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast
• Books mentioned in this episode: The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderen (amzn.to/43EyZYI), Love Wins by Rob Bell (amzn.to/43Rabhs), and Faith After Doubt by Brian McLaren (amzn.to/43mjhmc).
Read the full show notes that include powerful journal questions to help you process each episode for your own life at flyingfreenow.com/dcw9
#FaithDeconstruction #DivorcedChristianWoman #SpiritualAbuseRecovery #ReligiousTrauma #HealingAfterDivorce #QuestioningFaith #ChristianPodcast
Women weren’t just expected to meet their husband’s demands. They were expected to serve the entire church. Joyfully. Pleasantly.
Because God forbid an insecure man feel uncomfortable.
A contributor to the book "Framed: Women in the Family Court Underworld" said she learned to disappear, to survive the shadows of her abuser’s hatred.
But not anymore.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode with guest Amy Polacko? Head over to youtu.be/PYr5rZT60u8
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #SpiritualAbuse #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTrauma #AmyPolacko
After her second divorce, she started a support group in her living room in small-town Connecticut. She thought she’d be the only one. She wasn’t.
Her house filled with women, and what happened next?
Magic.
Because when women support each other through the wreckage, healing happens.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode? Head over to youtu.be/PYr5rZT60u8
#FlyingFree #DivorceSupport #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #AmyPolacko #PostDivorceHealing #DivorcedNotDone
One of the contributors to Amy's co-authored book had to lose everything to learn that. But you don’t have to.
Her new co-authored book, Framed: Women in the Family Court Underworld, exposes what so many of us have lived—but were never supposed to name out loud.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode? Head over to youtu.be/PYr5rZT60u8
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #FamilyCourtCrisis #ChristianWomen #AmyPolacko #FramedBook
Welcome to a no-fluff convo where we expose the not-so-holy underbelly of the family court system. I’m talking with divorce coach and investigative journalist Amy Polacko, who has lived through it, written about it, and now coaches other women through the legal maze.
If you’re a Christian woman thinking about divorce or already knee-deep in the legal swamp, this is your warning and your wake-up call.
Key Takeaways:
• You MUST become the CEO of your divorce.
• Nice church guy? Might still frame you.
• Hiring an attorney without strategy = burning cash.
• Most women aren’t believed in court—plan accordingly.
• Yes, you can be framed. And yes, you can fight back. (But you need to know how!)
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new video.
Amy is a divorce coach and an award-winning journalist who is a domestic abuse survivor. Through her Freedom Warrior coaching business, she has guided hundreds of women out of toxic relationships and empowers women to be the CEO of their divorce. She is a former full-time investigative reporter on television. Amy’s work has been featured in HuffPost, The Washington Post, Newsweek, NBC News, The Independent, New York Observer and Ms. She co-authored the groundbreaking book FRAMED: Women in the Family Court Underworld with Dr. Christine Cocchiola which exposes the gender bias crisis in our justice system.
Related Resources:
• Check out Amy’s website at freedomwarrior.info and get some one-on-one coaching (freedomwarrior.info/coaching-services) with her.
• Get Amy’s FREE resource, 10 Divorce Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make, at freedomwarrior.info/10-divorce-mistakes
• Get the Proactive Playbook for Divorce (freedomwarrior.info/proactive-playbook-for-divorce) or take her course, Divorce Decoded (freedomwarrior.info/divorcedecoded).
• Read her co-authored book, Framed: Women in the Family Court Underworld, at amzn.to/4kTi10c
• Connect with Amy on Instagram at instagram.com/freedomwarriortribe
• Go listen to some related Flying Free Podcast episodes, including “Winning Child Custody & Divorce Battles” (flyingfreenow.com/329-2) and “How to Be the Parent Your Child Needs During Divorce” (flyingfreenow.com/314-2/).
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse. Get a free chapter when you sign up for my mailing list at the top of my website: flyingfreenow.com
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods (flyingfreenow.com/all-the-scary-little-gods), is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• The Kaleidoscope (joinflyingfree.com) is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this affordable program. (Seriously - it’s the least expensive, most comprehensive support and education community out there!)
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.
Read the full show notes at flyingfreenow.com/338
#ChristianWomenHealing #RecoveryFromAbuse #FlyingFree
She let go of the “ideal holiday” script and discovered that two people, good conversation, and a peaceful vibe can be just as sacred as a full house.
She even asked her kids what they actually enjoy—and turns out, half the stuff she was stressing over? They didn’t even like. 😂
Joy isn’t out there. It’s in the real, right here.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/VuWj8F1uEJ0
#FlyingFree #ChristianWomen #LettingGo #HolidayPressure #EmotionalFreedom #FaithAfterAbuse
So when her birthday rolls around? She doesn’t wait for someone else to show up with balloons and a cake.
She asks, “What will I do to make me feel special?”
That’s not selfish—it’s sacred.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/VuWj8F1uEJ0
#FlyingFree #SelfWorth #ChristianWomen #FaithAfterAbuse #EmotionalIndependence #BirthdayOnPurpose
Grief doesn’t mean you messed up. It doesn’t mean you failed your family. Or God. Or your calling.
Pain is real. So are your emotions. But let’s not confuse grief with shame. You’re not broken. You’re human.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/VuWj8F1uEJ0
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #ReligiousTrauma #GriefIsNotFailure #ChristianWomen #DivorceRecovery
No. You couldn’t have. And that doesn’t make you a failure.
It means you gave everything you had and it still wasn’t enough, because a one-sided marriage isn’t a marriage. That’s not failure. That’s reality.
So let’s stop telling ourselves stories that aren’t true.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast? Head over to youtu.be/VuWj8F1uEJ0
#FlyingFree #ChristianWomen #FaithAfterAbuse #DivorceRecovery #YouDidNotFail #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
So you’re newly divorced and suddenly it’s Christmas... and everyone expects you to smile like it’s fine. It’s not fine.
In this episode, I sit down with five divorced Christian women—Rochelle, Michele, Grace, Diana, and Marie—who bravely share what it’s really like to face birthdays, holidays, and other emotional grenades in the first 365 days post-divorce.
We’re talking:
🧨 Grief bombs (they’re real and they show up at the worst times)
🎆 Firework moments of unexpected joy
🚫 Awkward family dynamics and unsolicited “advice”
🛠️ Actual survival strategies (no fluff, just truth)
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new video.
Related Resources:
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence, emotional management, relational health and empowered self-development.
• Feel like a hot mess after divorce? My 5-Day Workshop (flyingfreenow.com/five-day-workshop) will teach you a mind-shift tool to help you learn a powerful way to manage your thoughts and emotions in order to navigate adult decisions with clarity and peace.
• Listen to Diana’s podcast, the Renew Your Mind Podcast, at dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast
• Connect with Marie on her blog, Live Like it Matters (livelikeitmatters.net), and website, Spiritual Direction with Marie (spiritualdirectionwithmarie.com/).
Read the full show notes that include powerful journal questions to help you process each episode for your own life at flyingfreenow.com/dcw8
#DivorcedChristianWoman #EmotionalAbuseRecovery #PostDivorceLife #HolidayTriggers #ChristianWomenHealing #FlyingFree
But what if walking away from destruction… is actually a holy act of faith?
Yes, it feels like death—because it is a kind of death.
The death of a dream.
The death of a marriage.
The death of the future you hoped for.
That grief? It’s real. It’s sacred. And it deserves to be honored.
Watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast at youtu.be/Pb9d-e9Mx9s
#FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse #DivorceAndFaith #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTrauma #GrieveTheDream
But that’s a lie.
Your value was already established—when God made you in His image. It was confirmed at the cross.
Your worth has never depended on how much pain you can endure.
Watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast at youtu.be/Pb9d-e9Mx9s
#FaithAfterAbuse #FlyingFree #SpiritualAbuse #ChristianWomen #YouAreValuable #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
Abuse.
Watching His daughters be dehumanized in His name.
Watching them wither while being told it’s their Christian duty to endure it.
That doesn’t just break God’s heart—it blasphemes His name.
Because it tells a lie about who He really is.
Sometimes the miracle doesn’t happen until you take that first terrifying step.
Watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast at youtu.be/Pb9d-e9Mx9s
#FaithAfterAbuse #FlyingFree #ChristianWomen #ReligiousTrauma #SpiritualAbuse #DivorceAndFaith
is the thing He’s gently asking you to walk away from?
What if the unanswered prayers aren’t silence at all—
but God’s way of leading you toward safety?
That still, small voice nudging you to protect yourself and your kids?
That might not be fear. That might be the Holy Spirit.
Watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast at youtu.be/Pb9d-e9Mx9s
#FaithAfterAbuse #FlyingFree #ChristianWomen #DivorceAndFaith #SpiritualAbuse #HolySpiritWhispers
But what if… you are the miracle?
The same God who parted seas and raised the dead is powerful enough to guide you into peace, to heal your heart, and to restore what was stolen.
So if you’re stuck in that space between hope and despair, listen to the still, small voice. Your body. Your soul. They're already telling you the truth.
Watch the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast at youtu.be/Pb9d-e9Mx9s
#FaithAfterAbuse #FlyingFree #ChristianWomen #YouAreTheMiracle #HealingJourney #SpiritualAbuseRecovery
In this episode, I get raw and real about the false promises of “pray harder and stay longer,” the spiritual gaslighting many Christian women endure, and the actual biblical truths that point toward safety, peace, and healing.
You’ll hear:
✨ My own turning point (bathroom-floor edition)
✨ Real stories of women who left and found peace
✨ What the Bible really says about waiting, leaving, and faith
✨ A chapter from my book All the Scary Little Gods that might just break your heart (in the best way)
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new video.
💬 Drop a comment: What was your biggest takeaway? Have you ever felt like YOU were the miracle?
Related Resources:
• If you liked today’s episode, you may relate to some of my others, including “What Are the Biblical Grounds for Divorce?” (flyingfreenow.com/156-2) and “How Can You Tell if Your Abusive Partner Has Changed?” (flyingfreenow.com/1-2)
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse. Get a free chapter when you sign up for my mailing list at the top of my website: flyingfreenow.com
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods (flyingfreenow.com/all-the-scary-little-gods), is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• The Kaleidoscope (joinflyingfree.com) is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.
Read the full show notes at flyingfreenow.com/337
#ChristianMarriage #FlyingFree #SpiritualAbuse #ChristianWomen #EmotionalAbuse #DivorceRecovery
It’s not too late to come home to yourself. Noticing is the first step, and you don’t have to do it perfectly to begin.
Want to listen to the rest of today's episode? Go to youtu.be/RvM_8ojWFj4
#FlyingFree #SomaticHealing #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #TraumaRecovery #BodyAwareness
Not because you’re selfish. Because you’re finally taking ownership of your life.
Asking what you need—what you want—isn’t a betrayal of your faith. It’s the beginning of healing your body, your soul, and your mind.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode? Go to youtu.be/RvM_8ojWFj4
#FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #HealingJourney #FlyingFree #ReligiousDeconstruction #OwnYourLife
Then Grace added something just as powerful: giving yourself permission to be in your body. Not selfish. Not wrong. Just sacred.
You’re allowed to take up space.
Want to listen to the rest of today's episode? Go to youtu.be/RvM_8ojWFj4
#ChristianWomen #FlyingFree #EmbodiedFaith #EmotionalHealing #FaithAfterAbuse #WalkLikeAQueen
For her, that clarity came from renewing her mind and finally understanding what God actually says, not what toxic religion taught her.
I know so many of you will relate.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode? Go to youtu.be/RvM_8ojWFj4
#SpiritualMaturity #MindRenewal #FaithAfterAbuse #ChristianWomen #FlyingFree #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
I’m joined by five amazing divorced Christian women—Diana, Marie, Michele, Grace, and Rochelle—who share their hilarious, raw, and deeply honest stories of reclaiming their bodies, their time, and their voices after leaving emotionally and spiritually abusive marriages.
Key Takeaways:
• Reclaiming = no longer asking permission to exist
• Taking up space is holy (and sometimes funny)
• Your voice matters—even if it trembles
• Fun isn’t frivolous—it’s healing
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new video.
Related Resources:
• Feel like a hot mess after divorce? My 5-Day Workshop (flyingfreenow.com/five-day-workshop) will teach you a mind-shift tool to help you learn a powerful way to manage your thoughts and emotions in order to navigate adult decisions with clarity and peace. (It will give you a taste of the classes you’ll get every month in Flying Higher.)
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for Christian divorced women who want to work more closely with me and an AMAZING group of women every week. And it won’t cost you your mortgage payment. Just a couple bucks a day.
• Listen to Diana’s podcast, the Renew Your Mind Podcast, at dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast
• Connect with Marie on her blog, Live Like it Matters (livelikeitmatters.net), and website, Spiritual Direction with Marie (spiritualdirectionwithmarie.com/).
• Some recommended books: The Body Keeps the Score (amzn.to/43JYl8L) by Bessel Van der Kolk, MD, How to Do the Work (amzn.to/3Zz1XrH) by Dr. Nicole LePera, and Boundaries (amzn.to/43qWTH1) by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.
• The app Marie mentioned, http://meetup.com
Read the full show notes that include powerful journal questions to help you process each episode for your own life at flyingfreenow.com/dcw7
#DivorcedChristianWomen #SpiritualAbuse #ReclaimYourLife #FaithAfterDivorce
She spent years protecting the image, because if she spoke up, he could lose his job. If she told the truth, everything would become real.
But eventually… she said it out loud. And once you do that? There’s no going back.
That bell can’t be unrung. And that’s when healing begins.
Want to listen to the rest of Elizabeth's survivor story? Go to youtu.be/AQPNpK2FChI
#FlyingFree #BreakingTheSilence #ChristianWomen #EmotionalAbuse #FaithAfterAbuse #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
She bent over backwards to be “good enough.” But the goalpost kept moving. Every time she met his needs, he changed the rules.
So eventually, she just… did everything. Managed the household. Managed the money. Managed him.
And now she sees it for what it was: a grown man playing child, while she carried it all.
Want to watch the rest of this interview with Elizabeth as she tells her survivor story? Head over to youtu.be/AQPNpK2FChI
#FlyingFree #EmotionalLabor #ChristianMarriage #FaithAfterAbuse #MovingGoalposts #ReligiousTraumaRecovery
In this episode, I chat with Elizabeth—a courageous woman who survived the landmines of emotional and spiritual abuse while married to a man in uniform. We’re not talking about the boots-on-the-ground kind of battle. We’re talking about the soul-crushing, gaslighting, “you’re the crazy one” kind of war that leaves no visible scars but all kinds of emotional shrapnel.
🚩 What you’ll hear:
• The unique ways military culture can cloak abuse.
• How isolation and constant moving helped her husband keep control.
• Why “he’s such a good guy” isn’t the glowing review you think it is.
• The turning point when Elizabeth realized: I don’t have to live like this.
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new video.
Related Resources:
• Listen to some of our other recent survivor stories, including Lisa’s story (flyingfreenow.com/331-2) and Erin’s story (flyingfreenow.com/327-2/).
• Are you wondering what is happening inside your own painful and confusing marriage? I wrote a book just for you called Is It Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse. Get a free chapter when you sign up for my mailing list at the top of my website: flyingfreenow.com
• My book, All the Scary Little Gods (flyingfreenow.com/all-the-scary-little-gods), is a spiritual memoir about healing from religious trauma and toxic programming.
• The Kaleidoscope (joinflyingfree.com) is our online community educating and supporting Christian women in emotionally abusive marriages. Whether you want to stay in your marriage or leave, we want to equip you through this program.
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for any Christian woman interested in 10Xing their self-development progress.
Read the full show notes at flyingfreenow.com/336
#ChristianWomen #EmotionalAbuse #MilitaryWife #NarcissisticAbuse #SpiritualAbuse #FlyingFree #SurvivorStories #Boundaries #Deconstruction #FaithRecovery #ToxicRelationships #ReligiousTrauma #NatalieHoffman #DomesticAbuseAwareness #ChristianMarriage #WomenOfFaith #LeavingAbuse
Elizabeth and I talked about how scary it feels to even think about divorce—but here’s the thing: you don’t have to.
Start by healing you. Learn how to show up fully alive. And from there? The relationship either grows—or it reveals what it really was all along.
Either way, you win.
Want to listen to the rest of this episode where Elizabeth tells her survivor story? Head over to youtu.be/AQPNpK2FChI
#FlyingFree #EmotionalAdulthood #FaithAfterAbuse #DivorceRecovery #ChristianWomen #YouGetToChoose
In this roundtable convo, I chat with five divorced Christian moms—Diana, Loretta, Wendy, Jillian, and Lisa—about the messy, beautiful, sometimes hilarious journey of raising kids after leaving a toxic marriage.
👩👧👦 We talk:
• How the kids reacted (hint: it wasn’t all tears and therapy)
• Managing chaos with toddlers, teens, and all the feelings
• Redefining family traditions (yes, you can have a tree in every room)
• Boundaries, co-parenting drama, and when to call in backup (aka therapists)
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss a new video.
Related Resources:
• Flying Higher (joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for divorced Christian women pursuing increased confidence, emotional management, relational health and empowered self-development. And it’s a bargain at only $59/month or $590 for an entire year of concentrated education and support. “I’m a LIFER” is what members often say. Join us and find out why!
• Feel like a hot mess after divorce? My 5-Day Workshop (flyingfreenow.com/five-day-workshop) will teach you a mind-shift tool to help you learn a powerful way to manage your thoughts and emotions in order to navigate adult decisions with clarity and peace.
• Go listen to Diana’s podcast, The Renew Your Mind Podcast, at dianaswillinger.com/renew-your-mind-podcast
• Contact Loretta at Info@mycoachloretta.com
• Listen to Jillian’s podcast, The Hungry for Love Podcast, at podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/body-you-crave/id1573281085
• Connect with Lisa at her Linktree at https://linktr.ee/lisa.kay.taylor
• Check out Wendy’s art on her Instagram at instagram.com/wenkatdesigns
Read the full show notes that include powerful journal questions to help you process each episode for your own life at flyingfreenow.com/dcw6
#divorcedmom #christianwoman #emotionalabuse #parentingafterdivorce #faithandfreedom #toxicmarriage #healingjourney #boundaries #spiritualabuse
Want to listen to the rest of this episode of the Flying Free Podcast? Head over to www.flyingfreenow.com/335
#FaithAfterAbuse #RescueYourself #ChristianWomen #EmotionalAbuseRecovery #FlyingFree
Want to listen to the rest of this episode? Head over to www.flyingfreenow.com/335
#ChristianMarriage #EmotionalAbuse #SpiritualAbuse #WakingUp #FlyingFree #FaithAfterAbuse


