Restoring the Mind: God's Heart for Mental Health featuring Sheridan Correa

Welcome to the Victorious Living Podcast. You are about to hear real stories of real people who have discovered the real hope of Jesus Christ. I am Christi Overton Johnson, the founder and publisher of Victorious Living Magazine. Since 2011 I have had the privilege of sharing the most amazing life stories. I never cease to be amazed at the life transforming power of Jesus Christ. Today in our podcast you are going to go deeper into these amazing God stories and hear from those who have overcome incredible odds and discover how they found a life of freedom. You can discover it too. I trust that you'll enjoy today's conversation between our host and our special guest. Thank you for listening and be sure to share the hope you hear and the mission of Victorious Living. Welcome back to the Victorious Living Podcast. I'm your host Brooke on the mic with a very familiar and lovely face. Sheridan, how are you today? I am doing pretty good. Excited to be here. I'm excited to be here with you as well. Sheridan, you are just such a joy and I'm honored that I get to interview you. I know I interviewed you probably a couple of times in the last few years and it's just been a blast and we definitely have a good time on this podcast and we hope that those who are watching and listening today feel extremely encouraged as we tackle a topic about just our minds being restored by the love of God. Sheridan, you have just such a unique journey with mental health. We know that you are going to offer so many helpful resources in the near future for those who are incarcerated or those that are recovering from just their past. Sheridan, I want to pick your brain a little bit today and share your mental health journey and then also how the Lord has healed you through that. Thanks so much. And thanks for what you do. You're just a joy also to get your face on here on camera and interviewing all of our people just so well. Thank you. So disclaimer, we might have a really good time on this podcast. So just hang with us. You may laugh a lot. It's fine. We may cry. Who knows? Yeah. So my mental health journey started in my childhood and I experienced a lot of things that really disturbed me and I didn't know how to deal with. And as children, you know, that's just true. We're not, we don't come to earth knowing how to deal with all of the things that bring us pain and confusion and when we are fearful and hurting and sorrowful and we're losing things. And that's kind of the life that I experienced as a child. And within me, how I experienced that was much dysfunction and disorder and confusion, insecurity, you know, anxiety. And I just,

I didn't know what to do with that. Within my family, there was, there was not stability. There was not, there was financial security, you know, for the most part. And mom and dad were there, but there was a lot of things that they weren't going through. And that, you know, unfortunately spills out into the household in, in what can be a very harmful and damaging way. And so that was my experience. And in fourth grade, I was seven or eight years old. And I had determined that, you know, the way to end my suffering at such a young age, you know, the way to end my confusion and insecurity and my fears that I felt every day, majority of the days, um, was to take myself off the earth and at recess while in elementary school. And like, that was my answer at seven or eight. And I'm not even sure how I got that answer. I mean, I can assume that the enemies like spitting things in front of me, you know, and into my, into my head, but also that is something, a reality. That is something that I saw kind of modeled in my household. You know, when, when you don't feel good and life is tough and you feel pressed and crushed, that is an answer that is a solution. And so I was like, okay, that's what we do here. Right. And again, I didn't have any tools. I didn't have any understanding of what was going on, but after they pulled me down and, and sent me to the child, you know, the school psychologist, um, the findings were like, okay, well it's really toxic. You know, there's toxic stress and it's very chaotic and dysfunctional in the household. It's like, yeah, we already know that. There's nine kids. We got two parents. We're in survival mode. We're just trying to figure it out. Everybody is in survival mode. And so nothing was really done. And so that kind of care, you know, that unresolved, those unresolved experiences where I'm carrying now these emotional wounds and these hurts and these, these pains that have not been identified or resolved. It carried in to my teenage years, my adult life, and I just kept getting like worse and worse for me. I feel like there were some positive buffers within high school.

You know, I, I did attend church and had some really cool church leaders and mentors. Some of my siblings were, were positive experiences or buffers in my life where I kind of felt seen and heard and, and understood a little bit. So we kind of, we, we all walked through the same journey of childhood together, kind of banding together and coming together in that. But you know, when I graduated high school and the, the fear and the pressure of trying to be an adult and what that looks like for my life when I didn't feel adequate, I didn't feel equipped and I felt almost like behind in life. Like I don't feel like an adult. I don't feel like I know what's going on and I definitely don't feel like I know how to handle what I'm fixing to step into. Right. I'm leaving the. Which also gives you like a lack of a feeling of lack of control, which can like, like, as you probably know, and have way more background in knowing this, but when you feel as though, not that anyone really has control, God has control, but when you feel like you have lack of control, you start to grasp for anything that feels like it could regulate you. So what were some of your coping mechanisms that were poor and then how did you replace them with things that were healthy and of the Lord? So good. So, um, you know, back then I, my coping mechanisms were sleeping, like, let me just sleep through this cause I don't know what to do. And I'm really, really depressed and very fearful and anxious, and I'm not sure how to step forward. Right. So I was trying to sleep my way through my days. Um, I was a quitter. I didn't know how to stand up to the face of any adversity or things that stressed me out really, um, some, you know, some positive ones where I would reach out to my family members that those who I, in my eyes, it was like, okay, they look stable and they look

happy. And those are two things that I desperately wanted and needed and weren't in search for. So let me reach out to the people that look like in my eyes that they have those things, right. Yeah. And, and try to figure this out. Um, and sometimes that work and you know, sometimes that didn't, but just even their presence and even them kind of sitting and being with me in that, although they couldn't fix me was like really helpful. Right. Yeah. Um, and then also, you know, I, because it became a pattern for me that I couldn't stand up to adversity. I didn't know how to deal with my stress anytime I get triggered and I didn't know I was getting triggered or how these emotional wounds pop up or I was overcome by fear and despair and distress and just would like fold. I'm like, okay, something's wrong with me and what I had been taught and what the world teaches is, okay, yeah, go to the doctor and there's genetic, um, and I say genetic very lightly because that was my understanding at the time, right. Emotional illness and distress runs in my family. And so it must be part of just my gene pool. So let me go to the doctor, get a diagnosis and get medication to help me. Cause I don't, I can't seem to figure it out. Right. You know, as an athlete in college and in high school and that helped you getting a part of a, uh, being a part of my community and my, in my church working out, yeah, that helped. But when it would really kind of hit me in my face and, and, uh, new experiences or really something stressful, or again, there's family dynamics that are, that are kind of shaking my foundation and my foundation wasn't built on Christ at that time, then I would crumble

and just fold and just have a really, really hard time. So I got some diagnoses and that, you know, that little bottle of hope that says take one and you'll feel better. And it worked for a little while until it didn't. And then here comes back, you know, to the search and rescue of, of my soul. And I went through that for, I don't know, another 20 years and more relationships and, you know, some healthy, some unhealthy, and feeling rejected in relationships, and all the things that come with dating. But, but Sheridan, real quick on on this, what, and as you know, now, walking with Christ and looking back, what was the one, what was the root? Because, you know, when it comes to like anxiety and depression, and of course, there are, I don't want to discount, like you said, predispositions towards things like we are, we're humans, we're sinners, there are flesh patterns, there are generational curses, like that is not your story. But there are things everybody has a set of struggles that are different that we have to journey through. But there's a root, right? There's a root problem with humans. I mean, and as believers, you can read all of the Old Testament, Isaiah and Jeremiah, I'm in Jeremiah right now. And I'm like, I'm like, these Israelites, these people, do they not know who their God is? You know? Yeah, right. But essentially, it's, there is a an identity thing. But what would you say is like, was the core if you could go back, this is a better question, if you can go back and talk to Sheridan 20 years ago, what would you tell her? Hey, this is really the problem. I would tell her that her unresolved hurts are the problem, you know, that and here's the deal with those unresolved hurts that I experienced in my life. And I see this, you know, throughout humanity also, and through the Bible, it's those things that not only we have gone through, that have been spoken over us that all the injustices that we have endured, and that we have been handed, you know, the generational patterns like you're talking about, and then just the open door, like rebellion, like, I'm going to do that. I know it's probably wrong, but I'm gonna go get that. Yeah, I'm gonna go steal that car, because that's what I need to get right. Right. And then not not being able to deal with that or face them and embrace them as part of our humanity. And what do we do? We go hide. And so now we're experiencing and cloaked by this hidden identity of shame and shame is necrotic. Shame is like a flesh and spirit and soul eating disease.

And I mean, I can I can remember about the time that, you know, especially my childhood and kind of creeping up into my preteens. It's like, oh, gosh, I'm not supposed to be doing that. And I'm going to get in trouble if I do that. So heck, no, I'm not going to reveal that to anybody. Right, right, right. I'm going to hide that I'm going to bury him suppress them a pack that away, lock it up, and not ever bring that to light. And I did not know or understand how damaging that was to my whole being to my whole person being spiritually, emotionally, mentally, socially, physically, you know, it starts having impacts kind of weed through out that intertwining space of our three part being. But I didn't know that. So learning how to, you know, expose those and bring them into a place of safety where, you know, they're going to be cared for and not responded with more anger, more angst, more horrible things being spoken over, you know, almost retraumatizing and more harm, perpetuating characteristics that, that just give us permission and almost beg us to know, we're never bringing that stuff up again, ever. We cannot talk about that, right, whatever stays here, whatever stays in Vegas stays in Vegas, right, right, everything under the carpet, our pretty face and our mask and show up to life like, I'm good. And no, I'm not good. Right, which is what Adam Neve did, right? We've talked about this before they send and they hid and the Lord's like, Why are you hiding? Like, come out, let me close you like I have a covering for you already. And of course, it was a blood sacrifice of a lamb that really brought them covering. And, you know, it's for, for us as believers. And then for those that are non believers, of course, just being humans. We all have struggles at times with how we view God and how God would view our shame and our sin. And, you know, you could take Peter, for those of you who don't know, Peter, Peter was one of the 12 disciples that Jesus Christ handpicked to be in his circle and to follow him. And Peter, like when you read through the scriptures, you're like, this guy's unhinged. And I kind of like it, you know, like, I feel seen, I feel like Peter's gonna got a clue of like, what we might be dealing with here of just like, you know, he's like, Oh, follow you. I'll never deny you. I love you so much. And then he does it right, like humankind. And, you know, so when you read first and second Peter and you and you know, you read the Gospel of Mark, which Peter spoke to Mark and wrote down that gospel. I feel like you can you can read his words and you can read the scriptures and know it's all true,

but you can identify a little bit with them. I hate to use the word. Maybe I won't even use it. But the offlandish of Peter's personality that you're like, I got to listen up when he says something because I feel like he's like he denied Jesus three times after he said he wouldn't. And like, Jesus is going to the cross. And Peter's like never heard of him. Like what? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, wow, OK. So then you go into first and second Peter and you read that. He says, cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. That's right. He and he. So he's speaking from experience. Experience. I'm like, I'm over here. Like, what else you got? Like, what else have you experienced? Yes. Incarnate. Right. We have the Holy Spirit living inside of us and experience God all the time, which is beautiful. And it's a gift. He was physically next to Jesus. Jesus, like he literally goes, no, Jesus, don't wash my feet. And Jesus is like, yeah, if I don't wash your feet, you can't have a part of me. And Peter's all like he's all like up in here with his his stuff. Like he does not. You know, the best thing is he does not. He is not compliant. Peter's like I am not compliant. And how many of us are not compliant? Like, you know, I'm a complainer, but not a complainer. Like I am just like so when you read like and you can do that with any you can kind of dissect a few of, you know, the the gospel writers. But like Peter specifically, I feel like we can really listen to that when it comes to our mental health. Like God cares for us. Yes. Like what does care mean? Right. And care makes you feel like which is what you did when you're a kid. I'm going to call the person I know that will give me some stability and safety and care, because that's ultimately what I'm what I need. I need care. Yeah. And shame makes you run from care because you think you're going to get struck down or you think you're going to be judged or you think whatever. And this is a human thing across the board. So one thing I want to want to ask you this, because part of healing and mental health, as you know, is exposing what the issue is. And a lot of times you do that talking to a friend. But more oftentimes than not, it's through therapy. So can you define for us a couple of things here, a little like informationally what an experience should be like with a healthy therapist? Because I have to say, I've been to therapy before where I was like, this feels like I'm no therapist, but this feels unhealthy the way that you're counseling me. Right. Because and I also know the difference because I've had someone that's extremely healthy and full of the Holy Spirit and, you know, has a lot of clinical experience. So can you kind of define for us things that we ought to look for when it comes to getting help?

Well, that is a loaded question. All I have to say, anyway, Sheridan, take it away. I'll speak for, again, just my experience and also bring in the illumination and the light of how Christ even counsels me. Because I think that is so telling of what a really good counselor does. Right. A good counselor is someone who can meet you in the mud of where you're at and in your humanity, but then encourages you and helps helps you to find your way out of that. And that's what Christ does for us. Right. He has so much compassion and empathy for our human experience. But but he also loves us so much enough that that encourages us to not stay there. You know, leave behind the things that you need to leave behind. Let my love and my light illuminate those dark spaces. Let my love bring in that place of safety and connection and my presence and peace and power so that you can step forward and become a resilient person, one who can adult. That's the hope for all of us. And I was not even, you know, even in my adult years, I was definitely I didn't know how to adult. I didn't know how to face life and embrace the things that were happening. to me and inside of me. Cause I did, I just didn't understand that, but the gorgeous thing about the gospel and, and, you know, being a biblical counselor with, um, trauma-informed care certifications and other schooling that I'm doing right now, it is more important to me. And I have more identified and just discovered that obviously we're all on the same journey and that's nothing, that's nothing new, but there is a, a piece of restorative therapy and counseling, which, which brings us back to that John 10, 10, where we can experience that good and abundant, rich and satisfying life that, that Christ died to give us. Like that is a reality. Heaven can truly come down here on earth. You truly can have peace inside of your pain. You truly can experience his joy within that place of sorrow. And, and really it brings the gospel to life. There is a place where the gospel and mental health intersect or gospel and counseling and science intersect that should bring us not, you know, not with the intention to fix us, not with the intention to, um, co-miserate us and let us get away with all of our shenanigans that our emotions tell us, you know, and, and make sure that we're just going to empower even those lies that bring, can bring us into a place where it increases our blame for everybody else in our life and all the things that they have done for us. But I think a good, a good counselor and, and good therapy brings us into that understanding where we are better able to understand ourselves and then, and then bring in the gospel piece with it that, that gives us

that Jeremiah 29, 11 life, the good plans and purposes for your life where Christ can sit and meet with you in those spaces. Does that make sense? Yeah. And I, and I also think, you know, in my experience as well, like challenging, um, a therapist or counselor that challenges the way you think, because I, and, and the Lord does that too. Right. Like, um, he was like, why are you hiding? Why did you basically, why did you think hiding was the answer? Right. Let us examine our ways. Yeah, exactly. Like, you know, and so I, I feel like when you're with somebody, um, and a therapist or counselor, or, you know, friends, you know, so someone that's further along in life mentor, um, my favorite thing, not always at the moment is if I tell a story and I'm like, you know, like this, like all by like crazy emotions where I feel like I can't lock it up and someone goes, well, why do you, why do you view it that way? Right. Because the things that have happened in our lives or the things we've done in our lives inform our perception. That's right. Right. Which is why scripture says his ways are higher. His thoughts are higher than ours. And that's actually like right after Isaiah was talking about the Lord like wanting to give us like mercy. Right. And it's like, because his thoughts aren't our thoughts, our thoughts are justice and burn it to the ground. And you know, and the Lord is loving and merciful and wants to show us compassion and kindness, which is why his thoughts and his ways are higher than ours. And so I, you know, I have to brag on one of my best friends right now, but she always, she's the worst to gossip with, which gossiping is not Christlike and it's a sin, but like she will help our mental health either. No, it doesn't help. But you know, we're human. And so I'm like, I want to, you know, fuel whatever I got going on. That's right. And she is so loves Jesus and so wise. And she will always go, well, have you considered what they might be thinking? And I'm like, no, I haven't. You know why I haven't? Because I'm upset. Yeah. Because this is my world. Yeah, this is my world. This is my war. I have severe injustice happening right now. Right. And that's what we desire. Our flesh is like, feed me, feed me, feed me. And I'm very grateful, again, not always in the moment, to be challenged in my thinking or my perception, because that person that offended me or whatever, looked at me a certain way or whatever, made me feel small is stirring up something inside of me that like, It may be reawakening something that I didn't I didn't know was in my flesh anyway, because I haven't noticed it It's like I don't know like I have a limp in that area And I think it's extremely important to be surrounded by

counsel that does challenge Your thought processes in a loving way not like how dare you think but again, like you said like a Christlike compassionate way Because you know Jesus perceived the Pharisees thoughts and was like You know what I'm saying? Like what is going on up in there? Yeah, and I think it's a very Healthy exposure for us to be able to what's going on in here to be projected out No matter how outlandish it might sound and finding that person that doesn't judge Right. Yeah, it also doesn't feed a narrative. Yes Because that is what we want. Like we are craving all of our narratives to be true, right if you like are Desiring to see a red car. You'll see a red car. You'll find it You will find it because you are litter and I don't know the terms for it But you are quite literally like feeding something you're craving which is yes Yeah, instead of being transformed by the renewing of your mind of going maybe there is another perspective here Yeah, and it's not a war of perspectives It shouldn't be it should be like what is the truth? Yes. Yeah, it's the battle of lies versus truth, right? Which is thought out in our mind and that's and that's why you know that's why the Lord tells us to renew our minds daily because that truth combats the lies we are fed lies and front and influenced in it and By the world and by our experiences that create those lies within us, right? And then to your point we go out and we try to find evidence To support those lies even when we make them up and we start believing them and they become truth for us and that's just what's so awesome about Christ and about the gospel and the scriptures because they It's spiritual TNT and they blow up our lives and now we have to we are faced with you know Okay, are you gonna walk forward in life or death? You're gonna walk forward and blessings or curses like we have a choice there's a great power and Empowerment in having a choice and the gospel brings us that gift of choice, right? Yeah, but it's so important to challenge our thinking because we are not always We're not we're not accurate upstairs, man. We're all you know, we have Blinders on we have perspectives

Viewing the world in a lens of pain a lot of times and anger and again from all of our experiences and things that we haven't dealt with But that's why Christ is so amazing. That's why Christ is the only answer. That's why the gospel is the only solution To our remedy to our problem down here. It's the only remedy, you know in my life. I tried everything Absolutely everything under the Sun And it never worked and it might have worked but is only temporary and Until I encountered the Lord and until I countered God and met said yes to him. I'm in full surrender I don't know what that looks like, but I'm so sick of this. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am a walking Prison, I'm incarcerated within myself before I even got to prison Yep, and I'm moldy and I'm stanky inside because I got all this unresolved things that are Deteriorating My insides and my outsides, right? Yeah, and until I came and encountered came into the power and the love and Identity that I found in Christ. It was a whole different ballgame as a whole different Story that is yeah being written and consistent constantly being written. But but again, I want to I want to be clear to say like that My trials didn't go away the things that stressed me out. Don't go away when you come into relationship with Christ You're not like, you know, nothing's ever gonna bother you again. No good. I'm good. Yeah During a mental breakdown. Yeah, I have arrived. I am totally healed Well, but no well, but we're still on a journey and so there's a there's a transformative there is a Present ongoing in in the ING, you know suffix To all the verbiage that means it's that's what we're doing every day And so every day I need his peace his presence his strength The endurance to keep going the encouragement to keep going You know when I am having a mental health day because I still have them. That's when I get before him and receive his love and his presence even more because it's that it's his presence and his love that and the hey you're not alone. I'm here with you. I'm right beside you doing life with you. I have literally my spirit indwelling within you,

coaching you and training you. I have scripture doing the same thing. I have the body of Christ to walk alongside me with and those things are what help regulate and call me and let me take a breath and a pause and say okay I can do this. I'm not alone. It's okay to not be okay. That's part of the experience and so how do I then manage that in a way that's going to bring me into that state of wholeness and shalom and wellness and and where it's well with my soul and not be taking away from me and all the the harmful things that I did in the past. Yeah and I think it's it's like there's a lot of you know regulation happening and you're again you'll know more about this than I would on the science portion but there's I mean we are made like in God's image. God knitteth in our mother's womb like he is very very very very very much aware of how science works that our human discoveries is like scratches the surface of what he actually has and intends for us to enjoy in the fullness of our glory when when we have our resurrected bodies like all the truths and in part of regulation that I know we've talked about before and just like grounding and you know breathing in fresh air putting your feet in the ground working out you know having these self-soothing things and and I used to when I I mean I still kind of can be a light sleeper but when I was young I was the kid that could never fall asleep because I was terrified I had to sleep with like a canopy around my bed it was sheer you could see through it but for some reason I thought that would protect me from bad guys whatever but my parents said since I was little I was afraid of everything everything and as an adult I am afraid of a lot of things obviously not in the same and I've had fear has been a huge part of my testimony fear just anxiety all the things and again I'm not perfectly in my whole body healed but the Lord has done so much to heal me and given me so many like like breakthroughs and just aid yes but one thing I know for certain of course scripture you know relaxing in his presence just being in his presence just like hey Lord I'm here I'm just gonna lay down you know I'm just going to lay down and you know you say that you keep in perfect peace those minds that are stayed on you so I'm just gonna chill here trying to be at peace you know but there have been a lot of things that have helped me as well and I would love to ask you a few things that you know you need to do because again we are all unique and you know what works for me might not work for you you know so what are a couple tips that you can maybe just throw our way that really help you when you start to potentially spiral or just kind of go back in a place that you know is not meant for you yeah that's so good excuse me so I think

the first thing is and this is something that I've had to learn because you know again I'm not trying to expose my humanity to people right that's called vulnerability and that's way scary thank you no thank you I'll be so good at pretending and not say anything but I've learned the detriment of that so one of the first things that if I am experiencing a difficult emotion that I don't that I don't know how to process I am learning and I'm saying that I'm learning because I'm not good at it sometimes I go run and hide right for a couple days but I am learning to be able to reach out to a safe and trusted person and just say hey I'm having a hard time yeah I I need somebody with me to to walk alongside me in that space and I need that encouragement and that hope because my emotions and my thinking are probably lying to me and again like you said I'm spiraling out and so the limbic system has taken over been hijacked by my emotional part of my brain and I and usually I'm not thinking clearly so I'll go usually to my husband he's a very safe and trusted person which I just say you know hey this is what I'm experiencing this what I'm feeling, you know, can you just sit with me in it or can you pray over me or whatever that is. But again, that's been a journey of vulnerability that I'm still kind of on because that's kind of scary sometimes. In my own person and kind of individually outside of community, working out is one of my go-tos. Running, hitting the gym, getting those endorphins, getting in the sunshine. I'm a big sunshine person because I need that vitamin D to help me and my mind. Cold plunges sometimes. I've done those before. Those kind of give you a brain bubble bath upstairs. Mm-hmm. Shock your body a little, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But it kind of calms your nervous system and your sympathetic nervous system inside and just kind of brings that down, that regulation down. Drawing sometimes. Journaling, I'm a huge journaler. I get so stuck within myself. There's like a storm brewing and I'm like, I can't even locate myself. I don't know how I'm thinking or what I'm feeling. I don't even know where the grocery store is right now. Yeah, I don't even know. I'm having a panic attack in the coffee aisle because I can't even make a decision right now. I get super stuck. I get super stuck like that sometimes. So journaling really helps me. I do this, an acronym T-T-E-A and just what am I thinking? Here's my thinking. What am I feeling? And I literally have a list of emotions because again, I'm not, I'm still learning. I still get really stuck. I've experienced a lot of trauma and I'm compassionate with myself in that and without judgment that, oh, you should know this. I can't

believe you. You're eight years in. No, man, I'm okay. I'm struggling and I need help still. So I have all my resources lined up, but, but just, you know, the ability to locate myself within that storm and see how I'm even responding, that's not probably helpful to me. And then telling myself, reminding myself, I have a truth grounding statement that I say to myself that says I eat solid food. And what that does is it helps circuit break me out of that pain cycle, out of that little girl, helpless, hopeless, I'm fearful, I'm stuck in this pain cycle. And it helps kind of circuit break that and gives me an empowered choice that says, okay, in light of me being adult and eating solid food and being a child of God who is loved and chosen and beloved and all those gorgeous truths that we read out in scripture, I can respond to this situation, you know, with fill in the blank. And that, that helps me every time remind myself that, you know, fear disempowers us and it keeps us trapped, stuck and trapped in these cycles of perpetuating pain and kind of recycling the same things over and over. But that's one thing that I have learned to do within myself, tell myself the truth, because probably the world ain't telling me that. And probably my own head is not telling me that. So I have to find that in the word of God. And I have to find a regulating and grounding truth that is personal to me that helps me step forward into that, you know, a place of empowerment where I have a voice and choice. I love that. And Sharon, I have one final closing question. I normally ask a specific question for those of you who watch and listen, they know it, but I have a different one for you. If you knew that God fully enjoyed you and delighted in you, how would that change what you do every day? Oh, wow, Brooke, I'm gonna be honest, I am challenged by that. I struggle a lot of times feeling like he doesn't delight in me. You know, that I'm, that I'm messing up, that I'm not doing a good job. There are prayers that I go to God and say, are you proud of me? You know, how do you feel about me today, especially when I'm experiencing a low season, right? Lord, can you just tell me how you feel about me? And so I, if I'm being honest, I go back and forth in that, you know, and it's, and it's not ever, it's not ever dependent on my performance or how well I'm do I'm being, how well I'm kicking butt at being a human doing. But when I, when, when I'm truly regulated and confident in that space, it's, it's how he sees me for my being, for who I am as a child of God and his cherished and special girl. And it's and it takes work for me to get out of that doing this thing and swing over to that being this where I can truly

be okay with who I am and know that he is okay and proud of me for who I am in in in light of, you know, being his daughter. And yeah, I'm that's so good. I'm like, ready to get off and go journal about that. Well, I, I appreciate and I know those who are watching and listening, appreciate and value your vulnerability. And I that is my resounding challenge to you to me and to everybody that watches or listeners listens to this episode is how would we all behave and react if we knew that God truly enjoyed and delighted in us because I think that would change the trajectory of a lot of things that he does enjoy us. And I know I needed that. And I'm just so thankful and honored that you just lead so fiercely and you have changed so many people's lives. But even if you never lifted a finger, God would still be proud of you. And that is a truth. And we see it over and over in scripture that we always fail, we always mess up and the Lord's like, you're the joy that was set before me. That's right. Period. Joy set before me that I endured the cross and despised it shame. Amen. And that's the gospel. And that really does transform our lives. So Sheridan, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your story and letting me ask you a ton of questions. Thank you, Brooke. Love you so much. Love you. Bye. Bye. Thank you for watching our broadcast. Are you an incarcerated brother or sister who needs encouragement? Write to us at Victorious Living Correspondents, P.O. Box 2751 Greenville, North Carolina 27836. Or email us at hope at vlmag.org. To view Victorious Living magazine in its entirety, please have your chaplain contact us at 352-478-2098 or email us through our website at vlmag.org. We are happy to provide our Victorious Living magazine free of charge in bulk with or without staples. For more information, visit www.victoriousliving.org.