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Releasing What Was Never Yours.
Many people confuse strength with endurance. We learn early to carry emotional weight that isn’t ours — other people’s reactions, expectations, and unresolved pain. Over time, this becomes normal. Survival looks like productivity. Growth looks like silence. And self-abandonment gets mistaken for resilience. Personal growth begins when you realize you don’t have to carry everything to be strong. For a long time, I carried things that were never mine. Not because I had to, but because holding everything together felt like the only way to stay grounded. Other people’s emotions. Their chaos. Their choices. Somewhere along the way, strength became synonymous with self-sacrifice. That kind of strength doesn’t break you…
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The Tears God Collects
A Soul Devotional from I Rise and Roar There are sacred seasons when the tears don’t ask for permission — they fall quietly in the dark, or boldly in the daylight, when life becomes a weight too heavy to hold. And in those fragile moments, you may wonder — Do these tears matter? Does anyone see me? But Beloved, the Word says otherwise. “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.” — Psalm 56:8 (NLT) Every tear you’ve wept in silence, every ache you’ve carried in the unseen — Heaven has noticed. God has…
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When Women Rise Together
There was a time when women gathered like rivers — flowing with compassion, washing one another’s wounds with words of wisdom, and feeding each other’s children as if they were their own. But somewhere along the way, something shifted. Today, we find ourselves quick to criticize and slow to comfort. We whisper behind closed doors about our sister’s pain instead of showing up with a pot of food and a prayer. We watch our neighbors struggle — emotionally, financially, physically — and we remain silent. We offer no advice, no hug, no hand. What happened to the village? What happened to the circle of women who uplifted each other with…
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When You’re Getting Closer to God
There’s a quiet warfare that begins the moment your soul starts to rise. When you get closer to God, the enemy knows it can’t touch you— so it reaches for what’s near: your family, your peace, your joy, your mind. It’s not just an attack; it’s a strategy. Because you are covered, the enemy looks for cracks in the ones you love. It stirs confusion, plants doubt, and fuels division—anything to distract you from your divine path. But here’s what you must remember: there is nothing God can’t handle. The weapon may form, but it will not prosper. The tears may fall, but they are not in vain. The storm…
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3 Signs Your Spirit Is Broken (But Not Defeated)
There are moments in life when you feel like something inside you has cracked — not shattered, but shaken to its core. You’re functioning. You’re present. But something feels… off. If that’s you, you’re not alone. Here are 3 quiet signs your spirit might be broken — but hear this: you are not defeated. 1. You’ve Become Numb, Not Healed You’re not crying anymore — but not because the pain is gone. You’ve just learned to silence it. You’re floating through days, avoiding emotions, smiling on the outside while disconnected inside. This numbness is a defense, not a destination. Don’t confuse stillness for peace. Numb doesn’t mean whole. 2. You…
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When No One Knows: Finding Light Through Depression and Loneliness
Category: Becoming
Author: Eva Joan | @iriseandroar🌫️ The Silent Battles There are days when the world feels like too much. You wake up tired, even after rest. You smile, but inside, something aches. You keep showing up… but no one really knows the battles you’re fighting in silence. Loneliness, sadness, and emotional exhaustion don’t always look like what people expect. Sometimes it looks like being “strong,” holding it together, checking all the boxes — while crumbling within. So, who do you turn to when no one seems to notice? When even your loudest cries sound like whispers to the people around you? 💜 The Answer Begins With You As hard as it is, the first place…
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Family is Everything: Celebrating Life, Love, and Gratitude
Today, my heart is overflowing with gratitude. I just spent precious moments with my family and friends—moments filled with laughter, joy, and healing. Even though I traveled home for my sister’s funeral, what I experienced was more than just mourning. It was a powerful reminder of something we often forget: Family is everything. We’re all human. We hold grievances. We hold hurts. Sometimes we let pride and pain build walls between us. But life is short—too short to wait until a funeral to finally say “I love you.” Too short to wait until someone is gone to appreciate the beauty of their presence. This week taught me again how important…
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Family Didn’t Show Up — But I’m Still Standing
Family is supposed to be the safe place. The ones who rush in when life falls apart. The ones who check in, pray for you, bring you tea, and sit in silence when words are too heavy. But sometimes… family is quiet. You go through grief. You lose someone you love. Your world feels like it’s shattering. And the very people you expected to lean on are nowhere to be found. And that’s what I’ve had to sit with. The silence. The absence. The disappointment. But here’s what I’ve realized: Just because they share your blood doesn’t mean they understand your burden. Just because you’ve always shown up for them,…
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When God Feels Quiet, But You Keep Believing
There are seasons when you pray with all your might… and the silence is louder than anything you’ve ever heard. You try to listen. You look for signs. You search for comfort in the scriptures, the songs, the sermons— and yet, it still feels like God is quiet. That’s where I am. I’m walking through one of the hardest storms of my life— grieving the loss of my sister, carrying the pain of my son’s situation, and trying to hold myself together when everything feels like it’s falling apart. But still… I believe. I believe that silence isn’t absence. I believe that delay isn’t denial. I believe that even in…
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When They Didn’t Check On Me: Grief, Strength & Separation
When They Didn’t Check On Me: Grief, Strength & Separation Some storms you walk through with people holding your hand. Others… you walk through alone. Losing my sister has shattered me. Navigating my son’s situation has stretched me beyond what I thought I could bear. And yet—through all of this—what’s hurt the most might be the silence from the people I thought would be there. Only a few called to check on me. The rest stayed quiet. And I kept waiting… hoping someone would show up with a word, a prayer, or even just a “How are you holding up?” But they didn’t. And that’s okay. Because through this grief,…