Welcome to Dandelions

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV), that is what God says to us in Jeremiah 1:5. That verse is so prophetically powerful, and yet we still question our worth and value within ourselves and to other people every day. Why? And why do we think that we are not enough? Why do we not love ourselves enough? Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV) says “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.” So why do we not trust the love God already has for us? Society has inundated our minds and penetrated our psyches with a constant belief and perception that we must find and be something outside of ourselves – that we, somehow, however we were created, are not enough. Well, I am here to tell you, emphatically, that you are! And you might be sitting there asking yourself, or even wanting to ask me, how do you know? How are you so confident and sure? Well, I was not always. Just a short time ago, because of a toxic relationship I was in, I did question, and must admit every now and then, sometimes I still do. I am not perfect and am not even claiming to be close to it. My path to healing past trauma has been a journey, and though I am sure I am not anywhere close to being “finished”, one thing was always clear – I need to share my story so that someone else can start to be healed, grow more in faith, find safety in a community where they can be heard and seen, or at the very least be informed, and know they are not alone. Welcome to Dandelions. Here you are not judged, here you are loved, here you are accepted, here you are forgiven. I am so glad to have you! Let’s tackle toxic relationships and traumas together.

Blessings, Ashley