Introduction to Season 2- Denial: The Silent Roadblock to Intimacy with God

Welcome to the second season of the Abundantly Loved Podcast. I’m so glad you’re here. In this season, we’re facing a powerful truth: the denial that keeps us from real intimacy with God. I’m stepping into vulnerability, sharing my own journey, and inviting you to join me. Together, we’ll uncover the hidden places we’ve been avoiding, offering ourselves grace as we grow closer to God and find freedom. Let’s take this journey together. Press play, and let’s begin.

Transcript

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Hello, you guys, and welcome to Abundling Love Podcast. I know, I know, I know it's been a while. I've been out um for about a couple of months, and now I'm back. We are back um to a new season with Abundling Love Podcast. And I want to thank you guys for listening for the last listening for the last season and the comments that I received and people saying how it helped them and different things. And I also want to thank you for supporting my book, Healing Inside Out, Outside In and the response I've been getting from that, y'all. It's been incredible. Now, I have been out of the country. I went to Barbados to preach at a women's day and also to do mindfulness workshops and everything. And when I got back, I had to do um another ministry thing by preaching at a women's day. Um, and y'all, I'm just excited about what God is doing with love abundantly ministry and just the ways that He's placed me in positions to help people. That's what I'm called to do. That is my purpose. I think all of us are placed on this earth for a purpose. And the Lord has told me that all of us were created for the same purpose in this way. We were created to love. Every one of us was created to love. And I just want to encourage you to, wherever you are, to continue to grow more in love, more in understanding God's love for you, more in understanding who you are in Him, and responding to that love and having that acceptance component when we talk about mindfulness, that acceptance component is basically accepting the good and the bad that's inside of you because God has seen you and He knows you completely. And you know, sometimes when people say God knows my knows my heart, yes, he does, and we should fear that because he does know your heart, we should fear it, and we should be grateful because he hasn't done the things that he could have done to us because of that, you know. But he wants to love us, he wants us to respond to the love by being obedient to him. And I'm just, y'all, I just want to encourage you with this new season coming up, and I think over the last season, we talked about overcoming mistrust and what mistrust can be connected to in our lives. And the whole foundation for love abundantly ministry is to help you understand that you are first loved and to address the things that's in our minds and in our hearts that's preventing us from accepting that we are first loved by God. Even though in Romans 5 it talks about how God demonstrates his love for us in this, that while we were still his enemies, Christ died for us. That means he showed us how deeply he was in love with us and the point of how far he was willing to go because of that love by sending his son to die for us. We got to wrap our minds around that. And when we do wrap our minds around that, it helps to transform us. Romans 12 talks about being renewed by the transforming of your mind, and then you can test and approve what the Lord's will is his good and perfect will. But before that, in Romans 8, it talks about Romans 8, verse 5 through 8. I think it is, it says, if we follow the flesh, the flesh leads to death, but follow the spirit, it leads to life. Paul is laying out the two different paths that we can follow. And when we're following our flesh, that means it's following our emotions, following our desires, following our own minds, which can lead us further into death. Death spiritually, death emotionally, death, meaning far away from God, y'all. But when we live according to the spirit and overcoming the things that's trying to tie us away from God so we can come nearer to God and cling to Him, it leads to life. So during this season, y'all, I'm gonna talk about a second thing that when I do the workshop, when we when you invite me to the church and I do your workshops, the love abundant workshop on demonstrated love workshop, we talk about these things. We talk about the roadblocks that block us from growing deeper in intimacy with God, the roadblocks that block us from really understanding how deeply God loves us. We say, Yeah, God loves me. But do you really believe it? Because we can be in a habit of saying God loves me, but really feel distant from God and not even notice how far away from God we are just because we are in a habit of saying these things or in a habit of being a certain way with God. Our mission with Love Abuddy Ministry is to unearth and to expose these things, to draw people to really examine your lives closely. The scripture talks about examine yourselves, to really examine yourself, to see where you really are before God and not live in denial. Yes, that is where we're going, y'all. This season coming up is all about denial, and we title it when we say we're fine, but are walking in fire. How many of you guys are used to saying when somebody asks you how you're doing, you say you're fine. The Lord challenged me with that years ago. And he said, You're lying, you're not fine, you're upset, you're angry, you're hurt, you have all these other emotions that you don't want to see in a moment. So you say you're fine, but you're lying when you say. So I've gotten to the point of just stopping and pausing when someone asks me that. I don't care who it is, pausing and examining myself and see how I am really doing right now in this moment. But this upcoming season, y'all, it's gonna be about denial. When we say we are fine, but are walking in the fire, you're not broken, you're becoming aware. So many people believe they are doing okay, yet feel distant from God, disconnected from others, or stuck in repeated patterns. Often the issue isn't a lack of faith, it's denial. So, this podcast season invites you to lovingly confront the hidden road blocks that block intimacy with God and strain relationships. Denial may feel protective, but healing begins with truth. And truth is an invitation, not a punishment. Let me say that again to you guys. Denial may feel protective because it's a defensive mechanism that tries to protect us from really examining what is reality. But healing begins with the truth, and truth is an invitation, not a punishment. So, what this season is about is the following This season explores how denial blocks intimacy with God, distorts our self-awareness, damages relationships with others, keeps us spiritually stagnant. So through biblical insight, emotional awareness, and compassionate guidance, y'all, you'll be invited to step out of survival mode and into healing, honesty, and freedom. So, who is this series for? And let me tell y'all, I really believe this series is for anyone, especially when you have a habit of saying often that I'm fine, but feel something is off, or you feel distant from God but don't know why, or you're struggling with accountability or self-awareness, or you want emotional healing without losing your faith, or you desire deeper intimacy with God and healthier relationships. Y'all, this season is for you, and I pray that you listen all the way through, and I pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your heart to overcome the areas of your life where you may be blind, where you can't see, and to bring it up to the surface so you can be able to examine it without closing your eyes and pretending that everything is okay. Y'all, love abundantly counseling, which is my counseling practice, and love abundantly ministry, exist to help individuals experience transformation through the power of love. We integrate biblical truth, pastoral counseling, and mental health principles to support emotional healing, spiritual growth, and relational wholeness. You don't have to choose between faith and mental health, both matter. So the next step for you is this if you listen, if you desire to grow and change, and if this season resonates with you, you're invited to take the next step toward healing. Listen to the podcast, download the reflection guide, which I would be have sending to you guys if you're interested in having it. Begin your healing journey with support. Healing begins with honesty, you guys, and love leads to transformation. Now, if denial is connected to trauma, let me say this real quick, or repeated relational pain or emotional overwhelming or whatever it may be connected to, and it may be end up, you may feel like it's too much for you. Please seek professional counseling and spiritual care. And you can reach out to us through Love Abundantly Counseling, and we'll be able to walk with you in that way. If you're in the state of Tennessee and we are getting credentialed in Mississippi too. And at the same time, through the coaching practice, we'll be able to work worldwide with you and helping you to walk in the midst of your destination, in the midst of your pain, in the midst of where you are right now on your journey towards healing and towards growth. So, overall, you guys, I really pray that this series, that this season connects with you and follow along with us. And let me tell you, and be really honest with you, this is something that I have to always consistently keep at the forefront of my mind so that I won't be in denial myself. So, as I'm sharing with you guys, please understand that I'm sharing because this is something I have overcome, or something I'm continuing to overcome, or something that the spirit has trained me in, so that I can impart it unto you. And whenever I say we, yes, we, I'm talking about me and the Holy Spirit, our Father and our brother Jesus Christ, who is alone with this podcast, who is working in the midst of this ministry in order to bring healing to your lives. So put on your seatbelts, you guys. Get ready for the next podcast, for the next episode, and reach out to us at Love Abundantly Counseling or Loveabundantly Ministry at gmail.com. I'm sorry, y'all. LoveabundantlyCounseling Inc. at gmail.com. And you can check out my website, loveabundantly ministry.com. So I hope you guys follow us, stay with us, and let's enjoy this journey together. All right. Many blessings. Remember, love God, understand how much you are loved by Him, and then at the same time, accept that love and let's pour it out into the lives of other people, y'all. All right. Be blessed.