This week on To Help You Heal, we’re continuing our series Living in the After — and today we’re talking about something that sounds simple, but is one of the hardest things for many of us to do:

Resting when it feels like nothing is happening.

If you’ve ever said yes to God, stepped into obedience, and then suddenly found yourself in a quiet, still, confusing space — this episode is for you.

I share openly about how rest has not always been instinctual for me, especially as a type A, always-moving, always-producing person. And I talk about how easy it is to confuse rest with laziness or passivity — when in reality, rest is something very different:

Rest is trust.

Rest is releasing control.

Rest is loosening our grip on the outcome.

In this episode, we explore:

💜 Why God so often invites us into rest after obedience

💜 What makes rest feel uncomfortable or “wrong”

💜 The fear, anxiety, and past disappointments that make waiting difficult

💜 How our brains interpret “new” as “danger” — and what to do with that

💜 What God is developing beneath the surface while everything looks still

I use one of my favorite analogies — the bulbs planted beneath cold, hard winter soil. Nothing looks like it’s happening… and yet everything is happening. Growth begins long before it reaches the surface.

That’s what God is doing in you too.

I walk through how rest actually:

✨ Strengthens us

✨ Creates space for healing

✨ Allows clarity to emerge

✨ Builds trust

✨ Prepares us for what’s coming next

And because rest is both an invitation and a challenge, I offer some practical ways to begin practicing it right now:

A simple daily rhythm of quieting your body

Breathing practices (including relaxing your shoulders — our favorite stress-storage zone)

Short prayers of trust

A few minutes of silence or a walk without input

Releasing the timeline and returning to obedience over outcomes

Noticing the small confirmations, peace, and whispers of God’s presence

As always, I close with reflection questions for your week:

✨ Where am I trying to rush what only God can grow?

✨ What outcome am I attempting to control?

✨ How would choosing rest change the way I walk this out?

This episode is a gentle reminder:

You are not behind.

God is not late.

You are living in the middle — and He is working in ways you cannot yet see.

I pray this encourages you to exhale, soften your shoulders, breathe deeply, and settle into the rest God is inviting you toward.

Join me next week as we wrap up the series with what to do when your confidence gets shaky — and then get ready… because December holds something really special I can’t wait to share with you. 💜

In this week’s episode of To Help You Heal, I’m stepping into a space we don’t talk about nearly enough — the middle.

You know… that quiet, stretching, uncomfortable space between the moment you say yes to something God is stirring in you and the moment you finally see the outcome unfold.

We love the beginning — the excitement, the vision, the clarity.

We love the end — the celebration, the testimony, the “look what God has done.”

But the middle?

Whew. That’s where the questions show up. The doubt. The silence.

The wondering if you missed something or if you’re even on the right path at all.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing:

✨ Why the middle feels so hard

✨ How obedience often leads us into seasons of waiting

✨ What God may be forming in us before the breakthrough

✨ Why waiting is not punishment — but preparation

✨ How to stay faithful (even when you feel unsure)

✨ The small signs worth celebrating along the way

✨ How to stay connected to your original “yes” when motivation fades

I also talk about the chapter in To Help You Heal that I wrote on “The Middle” — literally while I was living through my own. (If you’ve ever cleaned out a closet and hit that moment mid-project where you want to cry and walk away… yep, it’s exactly like that.)

Toward the end, I share a few journaling prompts to help you reflect on your own in-between space:

Where in your life are you walking between obedience and outcome?

What might God be shaping, healing, or revealing in this season?

How can you keep showing up — with trust — right where you are?

And next week?

We’re talking about how to rest when you’re not seeing results yet. 

If you want to go deeper into this topic, you can grab my book To Help You Heal on my website. I personally sign every copy before I send it out. You’ll also find my couples journal, Rooted, in the store as well.

→ Visit the shop here: (www.mariemonville.com/shop)

Your obedience isn’t wasted.

Your yes is creating ripples you can’t see yet.

And God is still writing the part of the story you haven’t read.

I hope this episode encourages you right in your middle.

This week wraps up our Going For It series — and if you’ve made it this far with me, I hope it’s helped you see what’s been holding you back and how to move forward in faith anyway.

We’ve talked about why we hesitate, how to build courage and trust, and even how to get out of our own way.

Now? It’s time to put it all together.

Because here’s the truth: you don’t have to feel ready to say yes.

Most of the time — honestly, about 90% of the time — we won’t feel ready.

But readiness isn’t a prerequisite for obedience.

It’s the result of it.

In this episode of To Help You Heal, I’m sharing how to stop waiting for the “perfect moment” and start saying yes to God — even when it feels uncomfortable, unclear, or just plain scary.

You’ll hear me talk about:

💜 Why waiting to feel ready keeps us stuck

💜 How fear can disguise itself as wisdom

💜 The difference between waiting on God and hesitating out of uncertainty

💜 Why obedience always builds momentum

I share personal stories from my own journey — times when I didn’t feel ready for what God was asking, but said yes anyway. And I talk about what changed in me when I realized that feeling unready wasn’t a stop sign… it was just part of the process.

We’ll look at examples in Scripture — like Abraham and Esther — who didn’t have the full picture, but took their next step anyway. Because readiness isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision.

“Readiness isn’t something you find — it’s something that grows as you say yes.”

When you stop waiting for clarity, confidence, or perfect timing, and just move with God, that’s when courage takes root. And that’s when you discover that obedience itself births momentum.

As always, I end with a few reflection questions for your week:

✨ Where have you been waiting to start something because you don’t feel ready to finish it?

✨ What’s one small step of obedience you can take this week?

✨ How might your yes encourage someone else to say yes too?

You don’t need the full plan. You don’t need to feel qualified. You just need to start.

Readiness grows as you move.

Thank you for joining me on this series — I can’t wait for what’s next.

Next week, we’re stepping into the after space — what happens between obedience and outcome, and how to trust God in the waiting.

Until then, remember: your yes is powerful. Don’t wait until you feel ready — just go for it.

This week on To Help You Heal, I’m continuing our Going For It series by talking about something we’ve all experienced: that moment when the excitement wears off, things get hard, and we want to quit.

You know the one…

“What was I thinking?”

“I’m not cut out for this.”

“Maybe I heard God wrong…”

I’ve been there. Many times.

But what if resistance isn’t a red flag — what if it’s actually confirmation that you’re right where you’re supposed to be?

In this episode, I’m sharing:

✨ Why growth feels awkward before it feels natural

✨ How to push through resistance (not ignore it, not shame it — but work with it)

✨ The difference between being tired vs. needing to quit

✨ What comparison and doubt try to steal from us in the middle of the journey

✨ And how to reframe discomfort as a marker of transformation

We’ll also talk about practical ways to move through discouragement — including how to:

Rest without quitting

Speak truth into the hard spots

Celebrate small wins (because progress compounds when you notice it)

And invite people in to walk with you, so you don’t have to go it alone

With you in the middle,

Marie 💜

This week on To Help You Heal, we’re pulling back the curtain on a sneaky little word that keeps so many of us stuck: “ready.”

You’ve probably said it (or thought it) a hundred times:

✨ “I’m not ready yet.”

✨ “I just need a little more time.”

✨ “When I feel ready, I’ll go for it.”

But what if readiness isn’t the thing you need?

What if being willing — to take one small, imperfect step — is the real way forward?

In this episode, we're talking about:

Why “feeling ready” is often just fear in disguise 

How the middle of the journey is where the real growth (and magic) happens

A powerful mindset shift to help you move forward even when you feel uncertain

What biblical figures like Joseph, Esther, and Noah can teach us about willingness

The surprising truth about control vs. faith 

Plus, you’ll walk away with a simple but powerful question to ask yourself anytime you feel stuck.

❝ Instead of asking ‘Am I ready?’ start asking… ‘Am I willing?’ ❞

This week on To Help You Heal, I’m kicking off a new series all about what it actually looks like to “go for it.”

If you’ve ever felt stuck between a sense that God is calling you to something more and the fear that maybe you’re not ready — this episode is for you.

I’m diving into that space between hesitation and action — the place where fear often sneaks in and pretends to be wisdom or practicality. I’ve been there. I know how real that inner resistance can feel. But the truth is, fear isn’t from God — and it doesn’t get to be the one driving the narrative anymore.

In this episode, I share some of my own stories of fear, disappointment, and learning how to trust again — even when it hurt. We’ll explore why it’s okay to feel afraid, what that fear is really saying, and how to take one small, faith-filled step forward even when you don’t feel “ready.”

Why hesitation is normal — but fear pretending to be wisdom? Not so much.

The ways past disappointment can make us build walls and call it “protection”

What 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds me (and my kids!) when fear creeps in at night

How to recognize fear as a storyteller — and rewrite that story with God

What I do when I feel stuck or unsure about moving forward

A simple prayer I come back to when I need to rebuild trust

What comes up for you when you think about moving forward? Fear? Disappointment? The urge to protect yourself from getting hurt again? Bring that to God this week — and ask Him to show you one place where you can choose trust.

This week, I’m closing out the Stories That Shaped Me series with one of the most transformative chapters of my life — the story of writing and publishing my second book, To Help You Heal.

But this isn’t just about writing a book.

It’s about what happens when we stop waiting for permission and finally say yes to what’s on our heart — even when it doesn’t unfold the way we thought it would.

In this episode, I share how what started as a reluctant walk and a quiet complaint to God became a bold, five-week sprint toward obedience, healing, and freedom.

I talk about what it taught me about courage, momentum, and how one decision can shift everything.

This week’s reflection:

Good things don’t come to those who wait — they come to those who go after them.

So what dream or desire have you been waiting for permission to pursue?

And what’s one small step you could take toward it this week?

I can't wait to hear what's stirring! Send me an email ([email protected]) or DM me on Instagram.

Some moments never really leave us.

In this week’s episode, I’m talking about grief, healing, and what it looks like to walk through those tender anniversary dates — the ones that still carry weight, even years later.

I’m sharing my own experience of what this season has looked like for me, the unexpected emotions that surfaced, and how I’m learning (again) to let go of control and invite God into the ache.

Because the truth is… grief doesn’t have an expiration date.

My hope is that this episode reminds you that it’s possible to hold both joy and sorrow at the same time, and that even when the ache revisits us, God meets us there.

💜 You’re not walking through it alone.

This week on To Help You Heal, I’m sharing one of the most significant stories of my life—the forgiveness I experienced from the Amish community in the aftermath of the schoolhouse shooting.

On the very day of the tragedy, members of the Amish community walked to my parents’ home. I’ll never forget watching them arrive, unsure of what they might say. Instead of judgment, they came with compassion. They wanted me to know they had forgiven Charlie and were extending grace to my family.

That moment—and the many that followed, including at Charlie’s funeral when they literally shielded us from the media—forever changed how I understand forgiveness. It’s not just a private decision we make inside. True forgiveness carries grace. It releases us from the weight we can’t hold and often moves us to action.

In this episode, I also clear up a common misconception: while the movie Amish Grace introduced many people to the idea of Amish forgiveness, it is not an accurate portrayal of my story or the depth of grace I actually experienced. What I lived was far more profound than any script could capture.

Forgiveness doesn’t excuse wrongdoing or erase pain—but it brings freedom. The Amish showed me that even in the darkest places, God’s grace can create light. And if He helped us forgive Charlie, He can help you forgive in your own story too.

As you listen, I invite you to reflect:

Where might you need the freedom forgiveness brings?

What step could you take to begin releasing the weight you’ve been carrying?

I pray this story shapes you as much as it shaped me.

This week on To Help You Heal, we continue the Stories That Shaped Me series with a vulnerable reflection on disappointment, grief, and the ruts our minds can fall into.

After my dad passed away, I stopped dreaming with God. Every morning, I told Him: “Don’t ask me to dream, because dreams only lead to disappointment.” It felt safer not to hope. But while I thought I was protecting myself, God revealed a different way to see dreaming with Him—and helped me uncover what was really at the root of my disappointment.

In this episode, I share:

How grief led me to shut down hope and faith in certain seasons

Why our brains are wired to return to “worst case scenario” thinking

The importance of creating new mental and spiritual pathways

How God invites us to trust Him with the journey, not just the ending

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in discouragement, waiting for the next bad thing, or afraid to dream with God again—you are not alone. And you don’t have to stay there.

I’d love to help you walk this path more intentionally. You can always book a free clarity call with me, or step into a deeper one-on-one coaching journey. I have a few spaces open this month, and it would be an honor to walk alongside you.

I hope this episode encourages you to see your own story differently—and to believe that God is still writing good things in your life.