In Episode 14, guest Abby Call, Freedom Movement Coach and Facilitator, shares with us her struggle to forgive and how she overcame it.

Karrie and Abby discuss how the act of forgiveness carries a lot of weight in the Christian community. If the ultimate goal is just to forgive those who have hurt us, what happens when we can’t? The inability to will ourselves to forgive ends up bringing us more shame and feelings of not being faithful enough. 

Abby reveals a candid look into her journey through Freedom Academy and how old wounds were sometimes messy to deal with. What is it like to sit in anger and rage, and also try to forgive at the same time? Abby shares that Freedom Academy allowed her to put forgiveness in its place. Abby was given the space she needed to walk through the steps of healing and then come to forgiveness as a more authentic release.

To learn more about Abby or to schedule a coaching session:

https://www.wearefm.org/abby

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsey

The Release That Heals

What does it mean to truly forgive? In Episode 13, Karrie walks us through the act of forgiveness and reveals God's plan for bringing freedom to us through this often  misunderstood step in healing. 

We learn that forgiveness is not a quick transaction. When we offer forgiveness to others we aren’t erasing the wrongs they have done to us. And when others forgive us, the pain we’ve caused isn’t magically forgotten. True forgiveness is part of a longer process of healing. A total heart transformation that comes through the steps of naming, grieving, repenting and finding gratitude, and from that process flows a supernatural forgiveness from within us and re-anchors us to God. It is in the deepening of our relationship with God that we begin to know and feel His love for us and His forgiveness for us, and in turn we become free to forgive others. 

Karrie explains true forgiveness breaks the ongoing power that an action had over us and brings to light our own sinful acts so that we can now begin to see with a more compassionate perspective. 

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsey

Growing Goodness and Gratitude From Within - with Tanya Godsey

Karrie welcomes Freedom Movement Director of Spiritual Formation, writer and artist, Tanya Godsey to continue the discussion of goodness and gratitude. Tanya shares some of her personal journey with grief and how her relationship with God was key to her regaining hope during a time of despair. 

Tanya explains that we have a choice of how deeply we step into our relationship with God and our commitment to that relationship is the foundation for cultivating goodness and gratitude. Tanya gives practical advice for how to continue to keep goodness growing and a few questions to ask yourself when you are feeling overwhelmed by the world we live in. 

-Is my time and attention moving further from God? 

-Am I feeling an unhealthy longing or hyper-vigilance about having more information? 

-Where am I being too easily tempted to fall into unhealthy patterns?

Tanya and Karrie end the episode with two simple things anyone can do to begin building intimacy with God and ultimately bring goodness and gratitude to the heart:

1. Set aside 10 minutes of stillness
2. If you had ten minutes with God what would you want to tell him? 

Befriending God by Tanya Godsey

https://a.co/d/9bCtj0Z

To learn more about Tanya visit 

https://tanyagodsey.com/home

Tanya’s music can be found on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4h3MTNgpLd9G3Yly2HJtnO?si=eRG3Ka-qQvKQ8X4wId8Jmw

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsey

Goodness and Gratitude 

“There is something about supernatural gratitude, where you have been met in the depths of your story and your heart, and His love has held you, and someone else’s face stayed with you…. It creates something within you that you aren’t able to do on your own.” -Karrie Garcia

Karrie explores the topic of goodness and gratitude in Episode 11 of the Honest Pod. Do we misuse gratitude when we bypass pain and go straight to the good? Why is gratitude such an integral part of restoring shalom? Karrie reminds us that true gratitude is the fruit of an honest conversation. When our story has been met with love, from God and others, and we are welcomed instead of dismissed, we are more clearly able to see goodness and hope. 

To help illustrate what this looks like, Karrie shares a personal story of finding goodness during a difficult time. It was though the process of moving through the steps of shalom restored that Karrie was able to look back and find gratitude. 

Once we are able to move toward gratitude, Karrie reminds us of all the ways we are healed from within. 

Benefits of Gratitude

• Releases dopamine and serotonin
• Regulates nervous system
• Decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Brings contentment 
• Cultivates empathy 
• Creates capacity to forgive

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsay

Have you ever told yourself, I will never again show my sadness? Have you ever told yourself, I will never again allow myself to be vulnerable? Our guest this week uncovers the areas that we define as “never again” are also the areas we are invited to “turn around”. The Honest Pod is honored to have Adam Young join us on Episode 10 as he and Karrie continue the discussion of repentance. 

The Greek definition of repentance is “to change one’s mind” or “to turn around and go in another direction”. Adam and Karrie discuss the despair that it often takes for a person to reach a point of “turning around”. They both share instances of being exposed in their own grief and longing which then ultimately led them to repentance. 

How do we begin the process of repenting once we have acknowledged the grief of our story? Adam suggests first notice your body. Look at those areas where you feel dysregulated during the course of the day. And next, be kind and curious about the events that led to that feeling in your body. 

What was happening? What was my body reacting to? By starting to engage in those feelings we find the areas that need attention and eventually repentance. This redirection can feel really risky and unsettling, but Adam reminds us that the gift of repentance is that we get to rest in God by becoming more of who we were meant to be, and we begin to let go of the “never again” we were bound to. 

Make Sense of Your Story by Adam Young

https://a.co/d/5Z2g2Ev

To learn more about Adam Young visit:

https://adamyoungcounseling.com

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsay

How do we take the next step towards true freedom after we have named the pain of our story and experienced the depths of grief? This week on the Honest Pod, Karrie shares the beauty of repentance; an invitation back to the Father’s arms. 

What is repentance? How does it bring healing? And how does repentance fit into our story when harm has been done to us? Episode 9 is Part 1 of exploring the questions that sometimes keep us stuck in associating repentance with shame and punishment. Karrie reminds us that repentance is actually an acknowledgement of the areas we have been lead astray by sin done to us or sin we have done to others, and a returning to the hope of what God has in store for us. 

Reflection Question:

What are the places in your life where pain or past harm has shaped behaviors that no longer serve you? 

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsay

In Episode 8, Karrie invites Dr. Christy Bauman onto The Honest Pod to continue the topic of grief and talk in depth about what it actually looks like to experience grief with ourselves, God and others. 

Christy explains that when the feeling of grief arises within ourselves it is a gift to be able to release that pain through tears. The tears allow grief to move out of our bodies and she touches upon the physiological effects of grief on the body. 

Christy also shares that grief in connection with God can be complex and deeply personal. She candidly shares that her grief has often emerged as anger and rage for the pain that death brings, and that by bringing her grief and anger to God, she has been able to draw closer to Him. 

Lastly Karrie, asks the question of what it looks like to connect grief to community. Our culture has had such a shift around the ways we grieve as a community, that we need more examples of what it looks like when we engage in communal grief. Christy shares a story of grief in connection with community and explains that when we bring our bodies together it gives one permission to release a deep grief from within and have it witnessed. This witnessing allows our wails to be heard, our grief to be known and our souls to heal. 

You can learn more about Dr. Christy Bauman and the work she does here: https://christybauman.com

Instagram: @christybauman

A Brave Lament Book

https://a.co/d/hWcjHts

A Brave Lament Film

https://andrewjbauman.com/a-brave-lament/

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsay

In this week’s podcast session, Karrie discusses the second step of healing which often comes after we have brought our story to light. It is a period of grieving. 

There is no unspoken timeline when grief needs to be resolved. We are always grieving. Grief is a part of our everyday life. But when we grieve in a God given way it moves us through the trauma and hurt, and it allows for us embrace peace because we are not eradicating parts of us. 

Common misconceptions about grief are:

• If I start grieving I will drown
• Grief is weakness
• I need to stop being sad
• There is a timeline on grief

Karrie walks us through how we can find comfort in the grieving process and how we can share our grief with God and within safe places. Grieving inevitably happens when we are alone, but the fullness of healing comes when grief is communal. 

Reflection Question:

What grief have you been holding back? 

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsay

In Episode 5, Karrie named the first step to healing involves connection with our own story. This week, Karrie is joined by Cathy Loerzel, one of the co-founders of the Allender Center, as well as an author, speaker, and story work coach, to continue the discussion of using story work as a tool for healing and how reconnecting to our story can lead us back to our true self . 

When do we know we need to look at places in our stories? When behaviors and patterns keep arising that prevent us from being who God wanted us to be. Why can’t we just know something happened? Why do we need to go through a story at a granular level? Cathy explains that when trauma becomes embedded, we sometimes need to feel it again with an empathetic witness in order to process out what has been stored in the body. 

Kathy and Karrie share more about the consequences of stored trauma and how maladaptive behavior is created. We are sharing all of the resources mentioned here if you’d like to learn more: 

Redeeming Heartache by Dan Allender and Cathy Loerzel

https://a.co/d/bak3lli

Whole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

https://a.co/d/hA5GQhR

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

https://a.co/d/cbNMbzf

Brain Talk by David Schnarch

https://a.co/d/gaK3Z0x

To learn more about the work of Cathy Loerzel visit her on Instagram @cathy.loerzel

Sacred Interruptions Retreat

https://www.sacredinterruptionretreats.com

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsay

The First Step to Healing

From the day we are born, we were created to be connected to God and to others throughout our lives. So of course it’s no surprise that the first step to healing involves connection! 

In Episode 5, Karrie shares a recent story as an example of how patterns often resurface, even at the most unexpected times. Like the day Karrie found herself on a bench with two friends wondering if she would be able to overcome a narrative that had been deeply embedded in her own story. In her fear of being exposed or vulnerable, Karrie felt her body begin to panic and she was uncertain about how to move forward. The moments that follow reveal what it looks like when connection and healing intertwine.

.

Karrie reminds us that we cannot avoid pain but we can live with peace through pain. The many patterns we struggle with in our lives, whether they be shaped by fear, anger, or shame, can be traced back to the particularities of our stories and through sharing those stories we begin to find shalom. 

Here are some actions to move toward healing in connection:: 

-Invite others in. 

-Share our stories.

-Name the particularities of our stories.

-Repeat the process. 

Reflection:

What pattern have you experienced that is not serving you well? 

Karrie's Instagram: @karriescottgarcia

Karrie’s Website: karriegarcia.com

Freedom Movement Instagram: @freedom_movement

Freedom Movement Website: wearefm.org

Sign up for Freedom Movement Trainings: 

https://www.wearefm.org/trainings

Find Story Work Retreat info & sign-ups:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/work-with-karrie

Purchase Karrie's book Free & Fully Alive!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310366445?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_A6200T1AKD7FS2PZ8VA1

Book Karrie for Speaking Engagements:

https://www.karriegarcia.com/book-karrie 

Music by Tanya Godsay