If you’ve been under a controlling leader— especially in a church or ministry—and you’re still trying to make sense of it, you’re not alone. Maybe you replay conversations, second-guess yourself, or wonder if you were too sensitive or at fault. Maybe you’ve minimized it or avoided talking about it because you don’t know where to begin. If that sounds familiar, this article is for you. Important Note: This blog does not cover sexual or physical abuse (which should be reported)

You know that feeling when everything looks calm on the outside… but inside, it’s just loud? Not because your schedule is packed, but because your mind is. The noise of comparing. The noise of control. The noise of “shoulds” and “stuff” that keep piling up all around you. This year, I hit a point where I realized: it’s not the busyness outside that’s wearing me down. It’s the noise inside that’s stealing my peace. So 2025 has quietly become my year of less. I’ve been calling

(an excerpt from The R Word) I used to think the Holy Spirit’s purpose was to condemn us of every sin we commit—to nag us so much we’d drag ourselves back to the Father and repent just to get rid of His badgering voice. I can recall times when I felt so overwhelmed with guilt for doing the wrong thing that I begrudgingly would whisper, “Sorry God,” and stop. Or worse, I would keep on sinning while believing that He gets some sort of twisted satisfaction that at least I didn’t

When I asked the Holy Spirit what He specifically wanted to say to us about repentance, I’ll never forget what I heard...