The Living Story: Healing from Heartbreak, Finding Purpose, and Learning to Live Again

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Have you ever felt like healing was for everyone else but somehow not quite available to you? 

Like you were doing everything right and still felt like you were behind where you were supposed to be? 

This Selah episode is for the woman who is raw and hurting, the woman in the long, quiet middle, and the woman who is almost through, but not yet whole. 

Not a lecture. Not a formula. Just five things God actually says about you right now in the middle of the chapter. 

Before it is finished. Before you arrive. Before you are healed.

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I was baptized at sunrise on the beach with my church community. 

One week later, the relationship ended. 

Same week. Same breath. 

If you have ever had a chapter that cost you more than you thought you had to give and still cannot quite explain what God was doing inside it, this is that episode. 

This is my full testimony. 

From the accident that took my voice to the fifty books that held me to the ocean that changed everything. The gold thread was running through all of it. I just could not see it yet.

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I was gone for six almost seven months. And if you have ever stepped away from something you loved because life asked too much of you all at once, this episode is for you. 

A new subject I had never taught before. 

A hunger for the Word I could not explain or ignore. 

And healing that does not arrive on a schedule. 

What I discovered is that the seasons that go quiet are not always setbacks. Sometimes they are setups. 

This is where I have been. 

And why I believe God was in every chapter of the silence.

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If this episode stirred something in you, grab the free guide: I Thought I Would Be Further By Now: 5 Signs You Are Trying to Finish a Story God Is Still Writing. It is a gentle mirror for the woman who is still in the middle. My gift to you!

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Do you struggle with the fear of sharing your story—afraid of being judged, misunderstood, or rejected? In this episode of The Living Story, we explore why so many women hesitate to tell their stories and how God can transform fear into freedom.

Through the lens of Elizabeth Acevedo’s novel The Poet X, the biblical journeys of Jeremiah, Moses, and Esther, and my own personal reflections—from teaching and career shifts to singleness, family conflict, friendships, and creativity—we’ll uncover the patterns that keep us silent and the growth that comes when we step out in courage.

This episode is packed with scripture, storytelling, and practical encouragement to help you:

• Recognize the patterns of fear and silence in your own life
• Understand what the Bible teaches about using your voice
• Find healing and courage through faith, reflection, and action
• Take practical steps to share your story with confidence

If you’ve ever asked, “Who am I to share this?” or felt the pull to hide your testimony, this conversation will remind you that your story matters—and that God meets you right in the trembling.

Whether in family, work, relationships, or your creative journey, this episode will encourage you to honor the person you are becoming and embrace the sacred power of your voice.

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If this episode stirred something in you, grab the free guide: I Thought I Would Be Further By Now: 5 Signs You Are Trying to Finish a Story God Is Still Writing. It is a gentle mirror for the woman who is still in the middle. My gift to you!

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Perfectionism promises peace but leaves us exhausted. 

In this episode of The Living Story, I share the quiet ways perfectionism shows up in our lives at work, in relationships, and in our faith, and how to finally let it go.

Through the sharp precision of Lessons in Chemistry’s Elizabeth Zott, the striving of Martha in Luke 10, the résumé of Paul, and the failure of Peter, we discover why God never asked us to be flawless, only faithful.

I also share personal stories from my classroom, my church kitchen, and this very podcast, where I struggled with trying to get everything “just right.” 

If you have ever carried the weight of other people’s emotions, felt pressure to prove your worth, or hidden your “in-progress” self, this conversation is for you.

By the end, you will walk away with:
 ✅ Practical journal prompts to expose perfectionist lies
 ✅ Reflection steps to release what is not yours to carry
 ✅ Encouragement to choose presence over performance

It is time to stop striving for perfection and start resting in God’s presence.

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Enjoyed this episode? There's more waiting for you on Substack. Longer thoughts, quieter moments, and a community of women who get it. Come find us.

If this episode stirred something in you, grab the free guide: I Thought I Would Be Further By Now: 5 Signs You Are Trying to Finish a Story God Is Still Writing. It is a gentle mirror for the woman who is still in the middle. My gift to you!

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Do you keep replaying the same painful inner narrative? The one that whispers, “You’re not enough,” “You’ll never be loved,” or “This is just how it is”?

In this powerful episode of The Living Story, we explore how to stop rehearsing lies and start rewriting the truth with God. Featuring reflections on The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the heartbreaking story of Tamar in 2 Samuel, and my personal journey of healing and reclaiming my voice, this episode is for anyone tired of being stuck in mental loops of shame, silence, or self-doubt.

You'll learn how fiction, scripture, and personal storytelling reveal the way forward and how God's voice gently rewrites what pain once authored.

💬 Topics include:
 • Overcoming limiting beliefs and painful self-talk
 • Finding freedom from cultural and generational narratives
 • How God heals our voice, worth, and identity
 • What The House on Mango Street and Tamar’s story teach us about reclaiming our story

Tune in to reflect, heal, and remember: you’re already living a story worth telling.

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Enjoyed this episode? There's more waiting for you on Substack. Longer thoughts, quieter moments, and a community of women who get it. Come find us.

If this episode stirred something in you, grab the free guide: I Thought I Would Be Further By Now: 5 Signs You Are Trying to Finish a Story God Is Still Writing. It is a gentle mirror for the woman who is still in the middle. My gift to you!

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Have you ever wondered if God forgot about you? If the delay in your life means the promise has passed you by?

In this soul-stirring episode of The Living Story, we explore what it means to wrestle with trusting God’s timing when nothing is going according to plan. Through the lens of Janie Crawford from Their Eyes Were Watching God and the biblical stories of Joseph, Sarah, and Hannah, we unpack the quiet ache of waiting and the sacred work happening behind the scenes.

Your host, Tennille Martinez, shares personal stories of love, loss, and divine disruption, including the moment she realized God had been healing her heart in ways she never expected. 

This episode is full of truth-telling, tender reflection, and deep encouragement for the woman who feels behind, delayed, or forgotten.

If you're questioning your season, this conversation will help you reframe the story and find hope in the pause.

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Enjoyed this episode? There's more waiting for you on Substack. Longer thoughts, quieter moments, and a community of women who get it. Come find us.

If this episode stirred something in you, grab the free guide: I Thought I Would Be Further By Now: 5 Signs You Are Trying to Finish a Story God Is Still Writing. It is a gentle mirror for the woman who is still in the middle. My gift to you!

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What if the people who walked you to the door can’t take you inside?

In this episode, I share how God used unexpected transitions, a new teaching job, a fresh heartbreak, and a church I didn’t choose to walk me through sacred thresholds of healing, identity, and surrender.

We explore the symbolism of thresholds through the lives of beloved literary heroines like Jane Eyre, Tita de la Garza, Elizabeth Bennet, Julieta Madrigal, and Esperanza Cordero, and how their quiet bravery mirrors our own spiritual decisions.

We also journey through Scripture to see how Ruth, Esther, Peter, the Woman at the Well, and the Prodigal Son all stepped through thresholds of faith that changed everything.

Whether you’re navigating heartbreak, transition, or a call to deeper obedience, this episode is your gentle reminder: 

Some people bring you to the door, but only God brings you inside.

🔖 You’ll hear about:

• What thresholds symbolize in both story and Scripture
• How community, worship, and stillness helped heal hidden parts of me
• Why obedience opens doors logic never will
• The sacred invitation God offers in moments of transition

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Enjoyed this episode? There's more waiting for you on Substack. Longer thoughts, quieter moments, and a community of women who get it. Come find us.

If this episode stirred something in you, grab the free guide: I Thought I Would Be Further By Now: 5 Signs You Are Trying to Finish a Story God Is Still Writing. It is a gentle mirror for the woman who is still in the middle. My gift to you!

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I never planned on being baptized again, but God did.

In this deeply personal episode, I share the story of my unplanned baptism in the ocean, the worship song that carried me through heartbreak and change, and the sacred moment where surrender became healing. 

Surrounded by community, covered in prayer, and held by Spirit, I said yes to God again—but this time, from a place of deep honesty.

We’ll walk through:

• The surprising moment I chose to be baptized again
• The powerful lyrics of “Hermoso Momento” by Kairo Worship
• The presence of my ex in the prayer circle—and the unexpected peace that followed
• Reflections on the woman with the alabaster jar in Luke 7
• How God stays when others don’t—and how worship became my way back to wholeness

If you’ve ever felt broken, unsure, or overdue for a new beginning, this story is for you.

🕊️ Listen now, breathe deep, and let God meet you at your own hermoso momento.

🎧 Song mentioned: “Hermoso Momento” by Kairo Worship
📲 Tag @livingstorypodcast and share your story using #hermosomomento

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Enjoyed this episode? There's more waiting for you on Substack. Longer thoughts, quieter moments, and a community of women who get it. Come find us.

If this episode stirred something in you, grab the free guide: I Thought I Would Be Further By Now: 5 Signs You Are Trying to Finish a Story God Is Still Writing. It is a gentle mirror for the woman who is still in the middle. My gift to you!

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After my car accident, I lost the ability to write, even journal entries or sticky notes. As a storyteller, writer, journaler, and teacher, that silence hit hard. 

But in the margins of books, of random words on a sticky note, of life, God met me.

In this episode, I share how writing became part of my healing journey, and how stories like The Outsiders, The Diary of Anne Frank, and Little Women helped both me and my students find our voices again. 

You’ll also hear how biblical figures like David, Moses, and the woman with the issue of blood were powerfully used by God, even when their stories felt incomplete.

If you’ve ever struggled to find your voice after pain or felt like your story doesn’t matter, this episode is for you.

📚 Books: The Outsiders, The Diary of Anne Frank, Little Women

✝️ Bible: David, Moses, the Woman with the Issue of Blood

Support the show

Enjoyed this episode? There's more waiting for you on Substack. Longer thoughts, quieter moments, and a community of women who get it. Come find us.

If this episode stirred something in you, grab the free guide: I Thought I Would Be Further By Now: 5 Signs You Are Trying to Finish a Story God Is Still Writing. It is a gentle mirror for the woman who is still in the middle. My gift to you!

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