soaringaboveitall.com

Category: All blog posts based on episodes from Soaring Above It All.

  • Sexual Assault, Prostitution, and Addiction — A Conversation with Shondra Holmes

    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.

  • Soaring Above It All Blog

    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?

    Reflection Blog PodcastDownload

  • Soaring Above It All BLOG

    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!

    Reflection Blog Podcast (1)Download

    🖊 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.

  • When God Says “I Forgive You”

    Soaring Above It All Blog

    When God Says “I Forgive You” Last Tuesday night’s podcast conversation with Evangelist Angela Nabrait shook something loose in the spirit.

    It wasn’t just her words—it was her honesty, her journey, her healing. And I truly believe this is the beginning of some deep, necessary conversations that will help us all get free.

    Angela shared that as a little girl, she was sickly—so sick that she had frequent nosebleeds and had to stay indoors while other kids played outside. But when healing finally came, she ran, jumped, played—everything she had missed. She didn’t just play to catch up on lost time… she played because she had tasted restoration.

    But life kept handing her battles. She got pregnant young. And for years after, she lived under a cloud of “not enough”—not good enough, not strong enough, not capable enough. But it wasn’t the world telling her that—it was her own thoughts. Her own mind became the battlefield.

    Then came the unthinkable. Her son Michael, full of light and love, was taken at just 19 years old in a car accident. Angela spiraled into a deep depression for three months… until God sent someone her way. A woman who had lost two children in the same way. That divine meeting showed her she wasn’t alone.

    But there was something else buried—something even deeper than grief. In 1982, Angela had an abortion. She didn’t talk about it. She barely even let herself think about it. But years later, at a church service, a woman turned to her and said, “God told me to tell you—He forgave you for what happened in 1982.”

    Angela said she wept from her soul. It was the kind of cry that only comes when something buried finally sees light. The shame she carried—the quiet belief that maybe God took Michael because she had taken His son—was shattered by truth. God had forgiven her. Fully. Lovingly. Finally.

    This is just the start of the conversation. And trust me—there’s more.

    Key Takeaways from Angela’s Story:

    • Sometimes the most damaging voice is the one in our own head.
    • Grief can blind us to the truth of God’s grace.
    • God will send people to remind us that we’re not alone.
    • What we bury deep, God still sees—and He offers healing anyway.
    • Forgiveness is not a feeling. It’s the truth. And God already decided.

    Journal Prompts to Help You Process: Get your Journal or your notebook out. Check out the introduction to receive the prompted questions

    • What’s something I’ve buried that still needs healing?
    • Have I ever believed that God was punishing me? Where did that belief come from?
    • Who has God sent in my life to remind me I’m not alone?
    • What does it mean for me to truly receive God’s forgiveness?

    Scripture Reflections:

    • “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:12
    • “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1
    • “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9

    Catch the Replay
    Did you miss this powerful conversation? You can watch it now on Facebook. YouTube will be at a later date.

    https://www.facebook.com/laquanza.robinson/videos/726759706447106

    Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
    What spoke to you the most from Angela’s story? Drop a comment below or share a word of encouragement for someone who might still be carrying shame. You never know who might need it.

    This is only the beginning. Let’s keep healing—together.

    Reflection Blog QuestionsDownload

  • The Soaring Above It All with Laquanza blog introduction

    A powerful conversation on being single, to being courted and she’s married now. Includes journal prompts and a message of hope.

    soaring above it all podcast

    Every second Tuesday of the month, I go live with a new interview on Facebook Live @8:00p.m. Real people sharing real stories of faith, perseverance, and breakthrough.


    Soaring Above It All isn’t just a podcast. It’s a community. A space where we talk through the hard things, honor the journey, and glorify the God who carried us through.

    This blog was created for you — the listener who needs a moment to sit with what you just heard, reflect deeper, and engage with the message in a more personal way.

    🖤 Here’s what you’ll find after each episode:

    • A short recap of the interview and key takeaways
    • Journal prompt(s) to help you process the conversation
    • Scripture or truth points from the guest’s story
    • A link to the replay on Facebook and YouTube
    • A space to share your thoughts or encouragement in the comments

    But more than that, this blog is where we continue the conversation. The conversation continues after the lights and camera turn off.


    When the applause fades and the notifications stop buzzing, you’re left with silence.


    After you’re home alone and the kids are gone,
    that quiet space becomes a mirror you didn’t ask to look into.
    The empty feeling of your brokenness creeps into your very thoughts — uninvited, but familiar.


    It doesn’t care that you smiled today.
    It doesn’t care that you encouraged others.
    It waits for you — in the quiet, in the stillness — to remind you of what you haven’t yet healed.


    But here’s the truth: what tries to break you in silence can be rewritten in surrender.
    That’s why this space exists — not just for what we say in public, but for what still lingers in private.
    Because healing doesn’t stop when the mic cuts off.
    It begins when you’re brave enough to face what echoes in the quiet — and still choose to rise.


    It’s where stories settle into the soul. It’s where you can engage, reflect, and grow.

    Whether the guest’s story felt like your own or you heard something you didn’t know you needed, I invite you to stay connected.

    These journal pages were created to help you reflect after listening to Soaring Above It All with Laquanza. Take a quiet moment to sit with what spoke to you, and let your words make room for healing. We share our stories to empower others. Live beyond the things that can break the soul from being FREE. Let’s start here.

    Reflection Blog PodcastDownload