Join us every second Tuesday of the month.
On September 9, 2025, @ 8:00 PM, we had the honor and privilege of sharing a candid conversation with Shondra Holmes about her testimony: “Sexual Assault, Prostitution, and Addiction.”

What she shared was powerful, raw, and life-changing.

A Story of Struggles and Survival

Shondra became a single teenage mother at just 16 years old, giving birth to a beautiful baby girl. By God’s grace, and with the help of many people in her life, she was still able to graduate on time.

Her childhood, however, was filled with pain. Shondra bravely opened up about being sexually assaulted as a child by a close family member. Even more painful was the way it was handled—her abuser never admitted what was done, and acted as though it never happened. She shared the struggle of trying to forgive someone who never acknowledged the damage they caused—pain that followed her even into adulthood.

In this home, she and her siblings were often mistreated and beaten without reason. These painful environments shaped how she later responded to her own children—sometimes overprotecting out of a desire to shield them from the hurt she had known.

Childhood Disruptions

Shondra also spoke about how she and her siblings ended up in foster care due to struggles her mother faced and her inability to care for them at that time. Her older sisters fought hard to keep the siblings together, so when a family member offered to take them in, it initially seemed like the best choice.

Later, Shondra shared how her perspective of her mother has changed. Today, she is grateful for the way her mom is present for her grandchildren, and she shed tears of thankfulness for the healing that has come.

She also spoke lovingly about a woman she calls Mama Jackie, who eventually took her. That home was stable, safe, and filled with care.

The Road of Addiction

Alcohol was her first escape. What started as occasional drinking quickly became an addiction. When alcohol no longer gave her the escape she craved, she turned to harder substances: marijuana, pills, and powder drugs.

Her drug use eventually introduced her to the world of prostitution. We explained with deep honesty that often, the traumas of childhood lead us to use anything available to numb the pain—without even realizing what we are running from.

✝️ Redeemed by JESUS

Through it all, Shondra declares boldly that God rescued her from herself.

Even while she was living in the streets, bound by addiction and prostitution, she still had faith—faith that her story was not over, faith that Jesus could still bring her out. And He did.

Today, Shondra is a wife, mother, grandmother, and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and so much more. She gives all glory to JESUS for restoring her life and breaking generational curses through her “yes” to Him.

She reminded us that healing didn’t happen in an instant. It was a process—step by step, day by day, faith through every challenge. And now she can testify that:

“God truly gives back the time for His glory.”

✍🏽 Journal Prompts for Reflection

• What pain from my past still affects how I parent, live, or make decisions today?
• Have I ever struggled to forgive someone who never admitted their wrong?
• What “numbing agents” have I turned to when I couldn’t face my hurt?
• Where have I seen God rescue me from myself?

📖 Scriptures to Hold Close

• “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
• “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36
• “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

Takeaways for Healing

• Childhood trauma often echoes into adulthood, but God can rewrite the story.
• Forgiveness is possible, even when apologies never come.
• Addiction and destructive choices may feel final, but redemption is greater.
• Faith—even the size of a mustard seed—can move mountains.
• God restores, redeems, and gives back what was lost.

🎧 Replay the Full Conversation
You can watch the replay of this life-changing testimony on Facebook and YouTube, coming soon. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CCc5aHmaJ/

💬 Join the Conversation
Has Shondra’s story touched your heart? Share your thoughts or a word of encouragement in the comments below. Your voice might be the one that brings hope to someone still fighting through their own pain.

Join us every second Tuesday of the month.
On August 12, 2025 @ 8:00 PM, we had the privilege and honor of sitting down with Evangelist Kimberley Hudgens for a candid conversation titled “When Goodbye Comes Too Soon.”

Our guest shared a tender and powerful testimony about the loss of her sweet baby girl. As we talked, we also learned beautiful things about Kimberley’s life and faith journey that truly inspired us.

🌸 A Glimpse Into Kimberley’s Life

Kimberley is the youngest of her mother’s three children. From an early age, she was surrounded by faith, as her grandparents poured JESUS and the power of prayer into her heart. She began singing as a young girl, and music has always been a central part of her story. Over the years, she has sung in many choirs and blessed countless people with her voice.

She also has a love for pageants and a passion for young people. Kimberley’s heart is to teach, mentor, and build up the next generation—because at her core, she is truly a natural-born teacher.

Early Battles of the Mind

Kimberley shared that even as a child, the enemy tried to confuse her in her thoughts. She reminded us that the enemy often seeks to control the mind so that we never step into the promises God has for us.

But as Kimberley declared boldly:

“GOD keeps the mind through prayer.”

💔 When Goodbye Came Too Soon

Right before the heartbreaking loss of her baby girl, Kimberley had already walked through a hard season marked by divorce and betrayal. Even in the midst of that pain, her pregnancy was normal, and there were no signs to prepare her for what came next.

After visiting a women’s clinic and being told that nothing was wrong, her fiancé insisted they seek further medical care. There, Kimberley was told she was in labor at just 6 ½ months. Her liver enzymes were high, pointing to preeclampsia.

Though doctors offered different ways to try to save the baby’s life, Kimberley soon found herself in the NICU. She described her baby girl as a fighter—underdeveloped but so strong.

In the middle of this, one doctor was unpleasant in his bedside manner, which only added to the difficulty of processing such a fragile situation. After exhausting life-saving measures, Kimberley and her fiancé had to make the heartbreaking decision to not let their little one suffer in pain any longer.

Kimberley described those days afterward as some of her darkest days. She felt as though a part of her had left with her baby girl.

🙏 How God Carried Her Through

But this is not the end of Kimberley’s story. She testifies that God brought her out—with the help of saints who prayed her through, called her out of that dark place, and reminded her that she was not alone.

Her story is one of loss, love, and God’s sustaining grace.

✍🏽 Journal Prompts for Reflection

• What’s one loss in my life that still feels “too soon”?
• How do I invite God into the darkest parts of my grief?
• Who are the “saints” in my life that God has used to pray me through hard places?
• In what ways can I use my pain to encourage others?

📖 Scripture to Hold On To

• “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
• “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3
• “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” — Psalm 30:5

🌼 Healing Takeaways

• Grief is real, and it is heavy, but God can carry what we cannot.
• Prayer partners and community matter—healing often comes through the prayers of others.
• Even in loss, our story can strengthen and teach others.
• Victory still belongs to us, because Christ has already won.

🎧 Replay Available Now. Youtube Soon
You can rewatch Evangelist Kimberley Hudgens’ moving testimony on Facebook or YouTube coming soon. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16WCFgLkH4/

💬 Join the Conversation
Has Kimberley’s story touched your heart? Share your thoughts or words of encouragement in the comments below. Someone reading may need to hear your story of hope.

Here are printable free resources for you to start your journey to healing today?

Tell yourself still I rise above it all!

As I sit on my couch, I begin to think about the many challenges we all face — the ones that mold and shape each of us into the people we are becoming.

Some experiences in life are beautiful. They’re filled with light, laughter, and peace — blessings that pour into our lives and remind us that God is good. These moments lift us, affirm us, and help us breathe easier.

But on the other side of that coin, there are painful moments. There are hardships, heartbreaks, and wounds that run deep. There are things we didn’t ask for or expect — but they happened, and somehow, they still played a role in who we became.

The truth is, life doesn’t promise us one or the other. We aren’t guaranteed only good or only bad. What we are called to do, though, is live in a way that’s wholesome — a way that honors God and honors others, regardless of the circumstances we face.

If we’re being honest, we often learn more from our struggles than from our wins. Why? Because the hard things teach us how to stand, how to fight, how to surrender, and how to heal. They introduce us to something called resilience — the ability to rise, even when life tries to knock us down.

Resilience says: “Even if it tried to take me out, I’m still here.”
Resilience says: “It didn’t break me. It built me.”

No, it’s not always pretty. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes you rise with tears in your eyes and shaking knees. But you rise. You keep going. You keep becoming.

Every time you choose to stand again — even after the world tried to bury you — you become a stronger, wiser, bolder version of yourself.

You are not weak for what you’ve been through.
You are powerful because of what you’ve overcome.

You’re not just surviving. You’re becoming.
And that, my friend, is a beautiful thing.

💛 A Gentle Invitation to Reflect

If this touched a tender place in you, take a moment. Pause. Breathe. Let God speak to your heart. Let Him remind you of who you are and who you’re still becoming. Get your journal or notebook out at this point!

🖊 Journal Prompts:

• What experiences — good or bad — have helped shape who I am today?
• When have I shown quiet strength even when no one noticed?
• How has JESUS carried me through something I thought I’d never survive?
• What does resilience look like in my life right now?

📖 Scripture + Truth to Hold On To:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…” — Romans 8:28
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” — Isaiah 43:2
“The righteous fall seven times, and rise again.” — Proverbs 24:16

You are not what happened to you.
You are who God is helping you become.

💬 Let’s Talk

I’d love to hear your heart.
In the comments below, feel free to share your story.
What shaped you? What helped you rise? What are you still pressing through?

Your words might be the exact encouragement someone else needs.

Let’s rise together. One day, one step, one healing moment at a time.