What is Abundant Life?

The purpose of Abundant Life is to shine the light of Christ in our darkest seasons. There are two parts to this site. One, you can find the Blog section. This is where I share my heart and some of the journeys, I have been on with God and what He has taught me. The other is the coaching services available. Wherever you are in life and whatever your needs are at this time, feel free to check them both out and always reach out if you have any questions 😊  

If you are here, I will assume you have some experience with dark seasons. I imagine you may have found yourself battling depression, wrestling with anxiety, maybe overwhelmed with chronic stress, there could be some addiction that has taken hold or even trauma that seems to be crippling your life. You may have walked these paths in the past and you can still feel the sting of the effects, or that may be the place you find yourself now.

I am glad you are here. My prayer is that I may, by the grace of God, shine some light in your darkness and provide hope for your most desperate needs.

This may be our very first-time meeting so let me share a little about myself. Personally, I have walked many dark seasons in my short life. I also know that I am not done with hardships. But throughout the trials I have experienced, God has taught me so much that I hope to pass along to you. As Paul wrote to us in the book of Philippians “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” (Philippians 3:12 NLT) I am not someone who ‘knows it all’ or has some exceptional expertise necessarily to help others, but what I do have, I want to give to you. Understanding, compassion, sisterly support, wisdom from God’s Word, encouragement, guidance, and tools to apply to your life that will all lead to healing, freedom, and transformation.

A little about me….

First and foremost, I am a follower of Jesus Christ, He saved my soul and my life and the goal for the remainder of my days is to glorify Him and tell the world about who He is through what He teaches me.

I am also a wife and mom. My husband Tim and I have three children combined and we just recently added four more kids to the mix. These kids have come to us through some extremely painful and challenging circumstances, this is a story I will share one day in writing but the Lord is still working in this and I believe for a glorious ending. But anyway, we have kids ages 26, 25, 21, 10, 8, 7, and 6. My husband and I laugh because we thought we were empty nesters 3 years ago and wondering what to do with our lives. God had other plans lol! I won’t sit here and say it’s easy…it has not been. But God’s ways are greater than mine and in the end, I know and trust His plans are perfect regardless of what I see or think. We also have 3 dogs, 4 if you count my moms because she lives in a tiny home in our backyard! We have our own little family compound on a small 2-acre plot of land in rural Ohio. It’s a simple yet chaotic life we have but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  

So what is Abundant Life Coaching you may still be asking? Well, I am sure many things may come to mind when you hear the word ‘abundant’. I google online and I have found other sites with this name (not surprisingly, I am not creative lol…God is the only real creative one!). From what I see is abundance is often tied to money or making profit, it could be linked to internal abundance and self-esteem and higher purpose (from things I have read), abundance in business or personal development or relationships, and the list goes on. But from my perspective and belief, true abundant life is not a promise of greatness, power, or position, it is not about developing your best self now or achieving financial status. Now, not that those things are all bad, they may not be in some cases, but my approach to abundant life is going to look quite different.

Living an abundant life for me means one thing only….Jesus. Jesus says in John 10:10 “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” There is no abundant life without Christ. Abundant life starts with the gospel. At our core, we are sinners. In our sins, we have no hope. BUT GOD…stepped into our humanity and wrapped Himself in flesh, lived a life we could never live, died a death we deserved, and rose to life in victory defeating sin and death on our behalf! HOW AMAZING IS THAT?! And He then offers that new life and victory to us. That’s where it all starts. If you want abundant life, we start by submitting to Jesus as Lord and Savior. With Jesus comes everything else we will ever need for a life of victory over both our sinful tendencies and our internal battles. So for me to offer you anything related to abundance without Him as the starting point and center of all we need, would be to provide you with something temporary, limited, and extremely flawed.

Now, I know this thinking is so contrary to our current worldviews and instruction. This is not what many of us want to hear. But I am here to tell you…this is where true freedom and abundant life are found. When we stop trying to do life our way, fighting our mental and emotional battles the way the world suggests, and surrender to Christ as Lord, He steps in and does what we can’t. He comes in and shows us what freedom looks like, and what true life is. And I promise you from experience, He can do even more than we can imagine.

Now does abundant life in Christ mean that all problems go away? No. And I will not promise you that either. Life still happens and struggles still exist. But I know that with support and guidance, symptoms can lessen and for some may disappear completely as victories are won. Your strength increases, your endurance becomes greater, you will become more resilient, you will gain a peace that surpasses understanding, you will be able to experience joy in the face of hardship, you begin to run to Jesus for lasting comfort instead of people or substances, you find a new identity as a child of God and are not defined by what you have done or what was done to you, you live with a confidence and hope that is not of this world.

You may be asking yourself, what qualifies me to think I am able to help those struggling with challenging emotional and mental challenges, addiction or maybe even trauma-related issues in some situations? That is a great question…

I will say first, my relationship with Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit that is alive in me as a follower qualifies me.  This is His plan for my life and I rely fully on His wisdom and Spirit to lead my steps. I truly believe that those God calls, He also qualifies.

And why I believe this is His plan and purpose for my life, is because of my personal experience. I personally have battled emotional and mental struggles, including addiction for many years of my life. My story is long and I will share it in time, however, childhood trauma, heroin addiction, deep depression, crippling anxiety, and despair so great that suicide was my only way out are themes that are scattered through my past. But praise God that is my past. I went to rehab and got clean, I got some serious professional help for a long period of time, but most importantly, Jesus found me there…”He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” That was in 2006 and what a journey He has had me on since then.  

Since that time, I have spent my life in various capacities helping those who struggled like I did with the love of Christ and the Word of God. I have worked in a volunteer capacity helping those in my community who have struggled with emotional challenges, mental health struggles, and addiction since 2008 and professionally since 2016. With my personal experience and professional achievements, I have gained much knowledge and insight.

I have seen some great success stories, but if I am honest, it’s heartbreaking to see so many who continue struggling with emotional pain, depression, anxiety, addiction, and just deep hopelessness. Suicide rates are skyrocketing. Depression is the number one disability in the world. Substance use and addiction are destroying lives. You can barely find anyone who hasn’t been touched or impacted by trauma.  People are hurting. People need hope. While counseling and rehab centers can be incredibly helpful, there is often a major gap between someone struggling and getting the help they need. With all the services available in our world increasing at an incredible rate, millions and millions of dollars are spent to address mental health and help people with addiction…why are people still struggling? Why are the mental health rates tripling every year? I believe it is because we are missing a critical component…. Jesus.  

Abundant Life Coaching does not offer therapy, it offers an opportunity for inner healing and heart transformation. What is offered is a Christ-centered, holistic approach to emotional and mental health struggles, substance use, and trauma-related challenges. We are so stuck in our thinking that to heal from mental health or quit addictions we have to focus on just the thinking patterns or the behaviors we see. That is missing the mark completely. We are not one-dimensional beings. We are mind, body, and spirit. We must address the whole person if we are to truly live free and victorious. Abundant Life Coaching first addresses spiritual concerns and the current relationship with Jesus and where a person is in their faith. Then we address emotional barriers and mental strongholds, destructive belief systems stemming from childhood, physical health challenges, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and more depending on the needs of each client.

I pray as I open my life up, share what I have learned, and share some of my deepest pains and most beautiful truths God has taught me, that God will also open your eyes to who He is, the wonders of His grace, the beauty of His compassion, the tenderness of His embrace, and the warmth of His eternal love on your own journey. I pray if you are struggling with emotional pain, depression, anxiety, or substance use, or if you have been impacted by trauma that you know you are not alone. There is hope. There is a future for you. There is a purpose. There is life for you beyond what you are fighting. Take hold of Jesus’ hand today and walk in the abundant life available to you.