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Sacred by Design
We’re diving deep into topics like desire, sexual integrity, relational healing, and so much more. Get ready for honest, safe conversations with women, about women. Together let's do the important work of connecting your sexual struggle to your story to God. Your sexuality is, in fact, Sacred by Design
Sacred by Design
Rediscovering Sacredness: Healing from Trauma and Embracing God's Design
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Journey with us further as we explore the path to healing and rediscovery of your sacred self. We talk about how God touches our lives through beauty, creativity, and joy—like the calming presence of water or the exhilaration of music. Reflecting on the nurturing image of God from Zephaniah 3:17, we highlight Him as a comforting parent who sings over us, offering peace and rest. We urge you to embrace new words, songs, and pathways as tools for your healing journey, recognizing that you are sacred by design. This episode is an invitation to reconnect with your sacred identity and find joy in that realization.
Contact us today: If you have a question, comment, or need help, email us at info@regenerationministries.org
Free Resources for you!
👉Women 21-Day Prayer Journal & Devotional - (Women overcoming unwanted sexual Behavior)
👉Compass 21-Day Prayer Journal & Devotional - (Wives who are or have been impacted by partner betrayal)
Exploring Sacred by Design Through Trauma
Speaker 1it is season two of sacred by design and we are getting started and Rebecca is here with me and what we're going to do to do things a little bit differently for this season is to go back. We have 40 plus episodes. If you haven't listened, go back. There's a library full of topics, ideas, practices for you. But before we move forward, as we move forward into season two, let's go back. What is sacred by design mean? Why did we choose this name? What does it mean to you if you have been through trauma, if you have been betrayed, if you're struggling with an unwanted sexual behavior like? Do you remember when we were sitting in the lunchroom, even brainstorming? What are we going to call this? We need this for women, but what are we going to call it?
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, I remember, I remember it really clearly, and there was a moment where we're sharing different names, lots of good ones, but this one came up and we kind of settled. There's like a little bit of a quiet because we all, yeah, caught on like, oh, yeah, yes, that that gets to something deeper, that we want, we want to, we want to speak to like a name that would, we hope, reach out, call out to women to say to speak to something deep within them, and for us to be able to pull up our couch and park there for a while, and, especially when we're often talking about intimacy and sexuality, we want to bring those conversations together where so often they have been very fragmented, so to to come to sacred by design.
Speaker 1We thought that could be something we can come back to again and again, even the way you're holding your hands like it's so careful, and it's so, it's just careful, and I feel like that's what we do, that's our heart here. So much is just to reflect that careful holding of such tender topics, powerful topics and so sacred. What does sacred mean to you? I know what it means for me. What does it mean for you?
Speaker 2I like even just the big, the, the, the feeling of the word sacred, like even saying it kind of feels like like a hearth, the big, the, the, the feeling of the word sacred, like even saying it kind of feels like like a hearth or yeah, but but it means to me it's, it's, it's beautiful, it's honored, it's whole.
Speaker 1It's precious.
Speaker 2I'm going to keep doing this with my hands. Yeah Right, yes, as you should. It's awe-inspiring. You know something sacred when, when, when I encounter it, I go, oh wow how?
Speaker 1what's it mean to you? I don't know.
Speaker 1I'm getting emotional like right off the bat and I just feel like those words, the way that you're even saying it like um, imagine her face, and that the lord is saying you're beautiful, you're awe-inspiring. You're even saying it like imagine her face and that the Lord is saying you're beautiful, you're awe-inspiring, you're so special, you're precious, you're precious. When I see you, I go wow, yeah, I mean that's why we stopped, that's why we stopped and we're like this is the word. This is the word Because even the title has to tell you, because a lot you know, when women come to regeneration, when they're, when they're googling something, what, what takes them to us, what brings them to us, is something that is so hidden, that is that feels buried in shame and feels broken.
Speaker 1Yeah, and nothing about sacred by design sounds worthy of shame or hiding or broken. So yeah, it's.
Speaker 2It's special on purpose and I love that it flips it on its head that way exactly to your point that that what we're hoping to invite people into deeper conversations around are places where there's layers and layers and layers of of shame and and negative beliefs about themselves, negative experiences, layers and layers. But to go through all of that to the very core of who we are as being sacred by design and I love that it flips that on its head right Because all of those words that I just described feel like the opposite of of what what so many women who we meet with come in describing themselves as, or or being able to to catch a glimpse of that being really, truly and deep down at their core, that being who they really are.
Speaker 1Yeah, not all these other other masks and layers that that have been added on to catch a glimpse, though, um, as someone who's experienced trauma, to catch a glimpse can be hard can feel unattainable, unreachable, so sacred by design for me, like I'm even thinking about myself and any woman who has experienced trauma, the word sacred and by design maybe feels like that's not about me, though. Have you found that with women and for women who've experienced trauma, that those words can feel? Maybe it's not about me?
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, can feel totally disconnected, like foreign, even, and and for that being the name of our podcast even like the place that we want to keep coming back to.
Speaker 2I think of it like that's the place where, where we're heading to more and more, see ourselves as sacred by design. It's also the place, like, of our beginning. This is the lens of how God sees us. Sees through everything that we've been through, everything that we've been told, everything that we've believed about ourselves. Sees through all of that, to the core of who we are, of who we really are, being sacred by his design. Like that's the place where we start the lens how he sees us. But it's also the place we're headed to to be able to catch a glimpse of that and stay there a little bit longer, to take it in a little bit more, and maybe that's our prayer of to catch a glimpse of that. Lord, help me to see what you see, help me to see myself the way that you see me. Help me to catch a glimpse of that. And that's an ongoing prayer, not that he has more to reveal to us about what that means and who who we are for how he sees us.
Speaker 1I'm going to take that one for a minute. What I have enjoyed so much about these podcasts and these episodes is like the body scan. You know all these words that you're saying as I'm hearing them, I'm feeling it. I'm feeling it like in my gut and I'm feeling it swirl in my head a little bit. It like in my gut, I'm feeling it swirl in my head a little bit. And so I know now, you know, through work of my own, and also just what we do is to integrate, to bring together those thoughts, as far-fetched as they might feel, and those feelings, as real as they feel right now, into my body, right now. So, like the body scan, I have loved when we've done that on these episodes. I feel like that's so, so key to understanding sacred by design even through a lens of trauma.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, yeah, you mentioned integration and how this, this fracture I can feel like in in ourselves, the trauma can bring, in, where we feel disconnected from our bodies, where maybe we know something up here but it's, oh, it's so hard to get it to reach down here. And for those to come a little bit closer together where we can know something and know it here a little bit more and let that, yeah, and let that and take that in, even how we feel it in our bodies. I think of the incarnation here and how hopeful that is. That that god doesn't want to just bring us to another place. He does, but he comes to us, he comes to find us right where we are and him taking on flesh, uh, is something completely radical that he in such a real way that he comes to us and on those days where it's hard to believe that my body is good, that I'm beautiful, that I'm beautiful, that I'm honored, that I'm made for love, even to remember that that Christ comes to us to gone flesh. And these are words we hear so often. We know the Christmas story, it's common, we say it without even thinking of it. But really, what does it mean to me? What does it mean about who I am? What does it mean about my body? What does it mean about my life that Christ comes to me, took on flesh to be with me, to redeem, and and our bodies too? I could, I could say that for a long time. But yeah, the body scan is a is a simple but beautiful practice. Just to be quiet too, I think, and even can that be a kind of prayer? Yeah, yeah, not just words to God, but just sitting and being with him.
Speaker 2I remember a sweet and kind of I felt like a prayer time where I felt like god was teasing me a little bit in a good, in a good way, okay, but where I'll often come to god and be like all right, god, what, what do we do? What's next? Okay, here's what, here's my agenda. Like this is what I'm thinking, and just like, really, really gently, I felt him like Rebecca, you can't hear me unless you get a little quieter, not telling me to be quiet or to you know, not in a dismissive way, but in an invitational way.
Speaker 2I felt like he was saying like, just come and be quiet with me for a little bit and then we'll go from there. And now the body scan can help me do that Be quiet in my mind, to set aside my to-do lists and my busyness and my even excitement, my ambitions, but set aside some of those things to quiet my heart, to be more open to him and to quiet my body. Be more open to him and to quiet my body every I do the vice him often when I meet with people, and every time I'm surprised to find, yeah, I'm, I'm holding it there, I'm feeling it there and to let it go a little bit more, to let myself rest I love.
Speaker 1I think I invited you to be quiet, not that he's telling you to shut it but just to be quiet a little bit. Just bring the volume down a bit, hang out a little bit, because what's so beautiful about jesus, what's so beautiful about him and his man, fully incarnate state, is how often he used opportunities to elevate women from their hurt, from their shame, in their isolation.
Speaker 1He elevates and honors women and he elevates and honors us in our pain, to show us how we are sacred by design, how our healing can be sacred by design. Martha and Mary. He doesn't tell Mary to go away, you just ruined it. Mary's doing what's right. You're being a busybody and complaining about your sister. He just calls her by her name. Hey, martha, you know, it's just, it's so, it it's so beautiful, and I think that these stories and encounters that Jesus has with women are sacred by design. They are such an example of his heart for us, um, to look up from where we're looking, to stop, to quiet down, to be seen, to be seen to hear our name. Yeah, is there any like? Or what is the most common obstacle, if any, if you've seen one for women who have experienced trauma, to understand, to fully embrace the truth of being sacred by design?
Speaker 2Yeah, all those layers, all those messages that get built up, are tough, are strong and are truthfully there for good reasons to say I can't trust, it's not safe. Oftentimes, especially if trauma happens when young, I found that it can turn and attach to themselves as a way of well maybe it was my fault, or maybe it was because I'm not good enough and to identify those, speak them out and keep going deeper, going underneath them, to find more truly who they are, is hard, hard, hard work, but so worth it and they're so worth it sometimes. Sometimes we'll, we'll look for where, where did you feel most alive and is there? Was it playing music? Was it it playing outside? Was it dancing? Was it when you got out on the soccer field? Was it when you were by water? Where did you feel most alive or free?
Speaker 2I look for some of those moments to see what could that be, what, what could be calling to you in that moment, what could be, what could that mean about you? And it can be hard to find those and sometimes we have to go really young, but but, but they can still be true for us today. I don't know, do you have anything like that?
Embracing Sacred Design Through Healing
Speaker 1water. Yeah, oh my gosh. Yeah, right away. When you said you have anything like that Water. Yeah, oh my gosh. Yeah, right away. When you said that, I was like that's mine, that one's mine. You know what? Even you just saying all the different ways our designs are so unique to each of us, uh, sacred. Nothing is more or less sacred than one or the other, but they're so unique to each of us, even what it is that calls us. Yeah, that's exciting. Yeah, that's what that's like. An adventure of healing is trying to figure these things out. You know, I, I, I hope this conversation feels like because it feels like it to me, but for anybody listening that it feels like a good conversation, starter with the Lord, with a counselor or with yourself of just, oh God, what is it that helps me feel alive? Or what is it that I need to face or name? Yeah, help me understand that I'm sacred by design what does that even mean?
Speaker 2and god, like reaching out to us, calling, singing out to us through the beauty, the calmness of water, through the, the, the creative the, the, the thrill of, for it's sitting at the piano and like whether just making stuff up or learning something new, but like the thrill and the free feeling of that, that any of those God calling out, singing like a love song out to us, through that feeling of I feel alive or I feel free, I feel creative, that those are, yeah, we talk about being like image bearers of God, and that's another one where we've said it so many times. We say it and move on without really taking it in of what that means. Move on without really taking it in of what that means, but that in those like, when you look at, look at water, and are just like, oh, this is beautiful, like you are, you're participating in god's joy around that, yes, he thinks that too and how cool is that?
Speaker 1it's so cool, I know, I know like every time you do that, he's going.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, I know right, yeah, it's awesome. Yeah, and he and he does that for us, like when we catch those glimpses more deep down of who we are as being sacred by design, he goes yeah, I know I've been singing this to you for a long, long time and it grieves his heart for all the things that we've been through, that have clouded that, that have covered that, that have fractured that Not fractured, but like divorced us from it. Yeah, you know, yeah, but when we can catch a glimpse with him, his delight that we can see what he sees, I love that.
Speaker 1I love that.
Speaker 2I was reminded of Zephaniah 3, 17,. I think this beautiful picture of God. Well, the verse says that God delights over us with singing, but the picture I get is him as a comforting, nurturing parent, and maybe we don't have good models of that easily, but of him just holding us, like you do, and holding us close and singing his joy, his love over us. Enough if you can picture, enough that we can. We can rest if we're, if we're anxious or if we're, it's hard to settle that he wants to pose close to hold us and sing his joy, his love over us until we can rest in that.
Speaker 1Amen, that's beautiful. I love that picture. Thanks for exploring what it is to be sacred by design for a woman who's maybe not considering it for herself To consider new words, new songs and a new way to healing, partnering with the God of the universe, who calls her sacred by design.
Speaker 2That's good, thank you. Yeah, that's good for me too.
