The pit is calling again—but this time, Erica answers with a shovel, not surrender. After a five-month absence, Erica Culclasure returns with a vulnerable and powerful episode about recognizing the emotional and spiritual patterns that keep pulling us back into familiar places: depression, rejection, fear, shame, people-pleasing, control, isolation, and survival mode. In this episode, Erica explains why getting out of the pit is not always enough. True healing requires us to investigate the roots beneath the symptoms, take accountability for the behaviors we have adopted, expose the lies we believe, and allow God to guide us toward a new way of living. With honesty, Scripture, and practical reflection, Erica walks through what it means to enter the pit intentionally—not to remain there, but to excavate what has been hidden, uproot unhealthy patterns, and build a stronger foundation for the future. In this episode, you’ll discover:

-Why the pit can look functional even when you are struggling internally

-How to identify the roots beneath recurring emotional patterns-The difference between taking responsibility and accepting blame

-Questions to ask God when the same struggles keep returning:

-Why healing requires direction—not just rescue

-How prayer, therapy, boundaries, accountability, and community support work together

-Why unresolved issues cannot simply be covered up

-How your history can explain you without defining you

-How God can use what once hurt you as part of your foundation

-Why the pit may call again—but you do not have to answer

Timestamps

00:00 — The Pit Calls Again Erica returns after a five-month absence and shares how old struggles resurfaced during a season of major transition.

05:26 — Stop Escaping and Start Excavating The conversation shifts from repeatedly escaping the pit to identifying and addressing the roots beneath depression, shame, fear, rejection, and survival patterns.

10:49 — Accountability and the Root System Erica explores self-examination, personal responsibility, and the connection between wounds, beliefs, behaviors, and repeated outcomes.

21:17 — From Rescue to Direction Through Psalm 143, Erica explains why we need more than deliverance from the pit—we also need God’s direction for how to walk forward.

29:00 — Healing Requires Support and Consistency This section covers prayer, therapy, boundaries, community, accountability, and the importance of allowing new habits and healing to take root.

47:24 — Sealing the Pit and Building a Foundation

Erica shares how God’s Word, prayer, boundaries, and consistency helped her seal the pit and transform what once caused pain into wisdom, purpose, and new life.

Erica Culclasure explores the difference between being hidden by God and hiding from God, emphasizing the importance of stepping out of the corner and embracing one's purpose. This episode offers biblical insights, personal stories, and practical advice to overcome fear and shame, encouraging listeners to activate their gifts and walk boldly in their calling.

-Key Topics-

The difference between being hidden by God and hiding from God

Biblical examples of hidden seasons (David, Moses, Jesus)

The parable of the talents and using your gifts

Fear-based hiding and its manifestations

Practical steps to come out of hiding and activate your purpose

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates

06:08 The Concept of Hiding vs. Being Hidden

12:03 Understanding the Difference: Hiding from God vs. Being Hidden by God

17:53 The Struggle of Visibility and Fear of Success

23:58 Moving from Hiding to Action: Embracing Your Gifts

31:11 The Call to Action: Using Your Gifts

39:36 The Checkpoint: Are You Growing or Hiding?

44:41 Overcoming Fear and Embracing Purpose

51:00 Celebrating Strength: A Tribute to Mothers

Resources

Matthew 25:14-30 (Parable of the Talents) - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14-30&version=NIV

Bible Study Guide (Hardcover) - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bible+study+guide&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Living Overcoming Becoming Podcast - https://www.thelobpodcast.com

Control can look like strength. Like discipline. Like “having it all together.” But if we’re honest…sometimes control is just fear in disguise. In this episode of The Becoming Era, I’m joined by Britni Harris of Essence Wellness Counseling as we unpack the tension between faith, healing, and the need to stay in control. Because somewhere along the way, many of us learned that holding everything together was the safest way to live. Controlling our emotions. Controlling our environment. Controlling outcomes. Even trying to control how God moves. But control isn’t peace. And it’s definitely not a spiritual gift. In this conversation, we talk about:• Where the need for control actually comes from• How anxiety and past experiences shape our need to hold on• The difference between wisdom and control• What it looks like to trust God without feeling like you’re losing yourself• And how to begin releasing control in a healthy, practical way. This episode is honest, grounded, and necessary. Because healing isn’t just about letting go…it’s about learning how to trust again.🎙 Guest: Britni Harris, Essence Wellness Counseling🎧 Part of The Becoming Era: A Reintroduction Series. If you’ve ever felt like everything falls apart when you’re not in control…this conversation is for you.

Links:

Essence Wellness Counseling Website : https://essencewellnesscounseling.espressoedits.com/

Contact Information: A- 304 Baltimore Ave #198 Folcroft, PA 19032P- 610-983-8722

Buy Copy of An Overcomer's Guide to Becoming - https://a.co/d/07b33f8W

Visit the Podcast Website at www.thelobpodcast.com

Email: livingovercomingbecoming ⁨@gmail.com⁩ 

Phone: 610-241-5366

Many of us say we're healing, but are we actually doing the work — or just using pain as a shield? Erica Culclasure pulls back the curtain on the subtle ways we hide from true restoration, exposing how brokenness can become a decoration we cling to for justification. If you've been stuck in cycles of trauma, shame, abandonment, or bitterness, this episode will challenge you to ask the hard question: Am I truly healing or am I just hiding? In this episode, Erica shares her own journey of confronting toxic patterns that kept her in survival mode for years. She breaks down how we justify our pain and stay stagnant—saying "I'm in my healing era" while still acting out of brokenness. You'll discover concrete signs of hiding, and biblical insights, highlighting Jesus’ approach to healing in John 5, to demonstrate that real transformation demands action, obedience, and surrender—not just spiritual labels. This episode is a wake-up call for anyone tired of circle of frustration, waiting for change while doing the same things over and over. Perfect for believers who are ready to move past surface-level faith and actually allow God to remake them. If you’re tired of pretending and eager to break free from the comfort of chaos, this message is your divine nudge to start healing for real. Are you ready to stop hiding and step into wholeness? Your breakthrough awaits. Join Erica as she challenges you to stop using brokenness as a backdrop for life and start walking in the freedom Christ offers.

Most of us carry invisible baggage that keeps us stuck—fear of abandonment, shame, and trauma shape how we love, trust, and show up in the world. But what if the very wounds that feel like scars are actually the keys to true healing? Erica Culclasure pulls back the curtain on her raw, honest journey through abandonment issues and spiritual breakthrough, revealing how those deep-seated fears often drive us to run before we’re hurt—until we realize God’s love is the only thing capable of healing what we’ve tried to hide.In this powerful episode, Erica shares her personal story of feeling like she’s always “packed her bags at the front door,” ready to leave in fear of being left behind. She unpacks the psychological roots of abandonment—attachment styles, childhood trauma, and how trauma shapes our relationships—and explains how these same wounds spill over into our relationship with God. You’ll discover how biblical examples like Psalm 13’s David show us that feeling abandoned doesn’t mean God has left us; it’s part of our faith journey to remind us of His unwavering mercy.We break down:-The definition of abandonment issues and their symptoms—like insecurity, people pleasing, and giving too much in relationships-How trauma from early childhood and broken relationships plants seeds of fear that grow into toxic relationship patterns-Why survival mode keeps us in a perpetual state of readiness to run and how to confront it spiritually and psychologicallyThe significance of trusting God's character despite emotional setbacks, with biblical insights from David and prayers for staying rooted in faith during tough seasonsPractical ways to bring shame, trauma, and abandonment wounds to God, including creative stewardship, nature, and honest communication in prayerThis episode matters because ignoring these wounds keeps us locked in cycles of hurt and disconnection from our true selves and God. Facing abandonment head-on allows us to reclaim our love, trust, and purpose—because healing isn’t optional in this season of awakening. Erica emphasizes that healing abandonment isn’t about blame or shame; it’s about recognizing God's divine handiwork—His pursuit of us even when we’re ready to leave.Perfect for anyone tired of running, battling shame, or feeling out of place in their faith and life—this episode invites you to unpack your emotional baggage, see God's love clearly, and embrace the process of becoming whole. It’s time to stop hiding behind your brokenness, because God’s love is the ultimate healing.

Shame has a way of rewriting the story.

It convinces you that what happened to you is who you are.
It turns mistakes into identity.
It keeps you hiding from God instead of running to Him.

In this episode of The Becoming Era: A Reintroduction Series, we confront one of the most dangerous voices in the healing process: shame.

From the very beginning in the Garden, shame has been twisting the narrative—making people hide, cover themselves, and believe they are disqualified from relationship with God.

But shame was never meant to be your identity.

In this conversation, we unpack:
• How shame distorts self-perception
• Why it keeps us stuck in survival mode
• How it becomes louder than Scripture
• And what it means to bring the truth back into alignment with God’s voice

This episode challenges the lie that your past gets the final say over who you are.

Because the truth is:

You are not your worst moment.
You are not your trauma.
And you are not the shame attached to either.

📖 Scripture Focus: Genesis 3:7–10
📘 Companion Devotional: An Overcomer’s Guide to Becoming

If Episode 1 exposed survival…
Episode 2 confronts the voice that tries to keep you hiding.

Welcome to The Becoming Era.

Some of the things you think are just “how you are”… are actually how you survived.

In this first episode of The Becoming Era: A Reintroduction Series, we’re not easing in. We’re exposing.

We’ve normalized phrases like:

• “That’s just how I am.”

• “I don’t trust people.”

• “I’m just independent.”

• “I overthink because I’m detailed.”

• “I don’t need nobody.”

But what if those aren’t personality traits?

What if they’re survival responses?

Using Isaiah 61:3 as our anchor, we break down how trauma can quietly move from an event… to a lens… to a behavior… to an identity. And how God never intended survival to define you.

This episode is about confronting the lie you made about yourself because of what happened.

Not surface-level faith.
Not inspirational quotes.
Real work.

You are not who survival created.
You are who God formed before survival was necessary.

📖 Scripture Focus: Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)
📘 Companion Devotional: An Overcomer’s Guide to Becoming
🎧 New episodes drop weekly as we walk through the Becoming Era together.

If you’re ready to stop surviving and start aligning — welcome to the era.

In this episode, Erica Culclasure discusses the importance of accountability in personal growth and spiritual development. She emphasizes the need for a supportive community and the role of accountability in fostering a healthy relationship with God and others. Through biblical references and personal experiences, she explores how accountability can lead to growth, healing, and a deeper understanding of one's faith. Erica also highlights the dangers of isolation and the necessity of surrounding oneself with trustworthy individuals who encourage and uplift.

Summary

In this episode, Erica Culclasure reflects on her personal journey, embracing her new role as a minister while navigating feelings of imposter syndrome. She discusses the importance of community, celebrating Black excellence, and the process of becoming her true self. Erica emphasizes the significance of self-acceptance, mental health, and the support of her church and friends as she prepares for the next chapter in her life. The episode serves as an update on her progress and a call to action for listeners to trust in their own journeys.

In this engaging conversation, Erica Culclasure and Terry McCollum explore the themes of stewardship, personal identity, and the importance of transparency in ministry. They discuss how individuals often struggle with their gifts and callings, emphasizing the need for accountability and the impact of personal journeys on one's faith. The dialogue highlights the clash between generations in faith practices and the necessity of understanding scripture in context. Ultimately, the conversation serves as a reminder of the importance of pressing through challenges and embracing one's true identity in God. In this conversation, Terrance Hinton and Erica Culclasure explore the themes of stewardship, preparation, and personal growth. They discuss the importance of understanding delays as opportunities for development, the significance of how one presents themselves during waiting periods, and the necessity of setting boundaries to avoid burnout. The dialogue emphasizes the need for self-care, the value of rest, and the importance of knowing one's role and calling in life. They encourage listeners to lean into their calling and take care of their gifts, while also recognizing the importance of community and support in this journey.