The Process of Healing and the Beauty of The 61 Exchange

Making a beeline off the stage towards a quiet room to take a few breaths, then back into the auditorium pressing my face into Jon’s chest and letting myself weep… They never said vulnerability was comfortable and they never said you wouldn’t have every feeling under the sun once you brought darkness into light, but He said you would find freedom and that’s worth it all.

The past few weeks I stood between two lives, the hurt of the past that I’ve walked through and largely healed from and the hurt of the present in which there is a current reality of healing. It’s easy to pull towards the thing that’s already happened because we know how it ends, it fits in a box “nicely” and we get to wrap it up with a pretty bow, but something that still has loose ends: that is much harder. It loosens our grip on control, but it’s exactly in those moments that God gets to rush in like a force. 

So I stood up on a stage Saturday, knees trembling and tears welling in my eyes because I knew God was calling me to be the most vulnerable I had ever been.

Most of you have gotten glimpses into this, but here are the cliff notes from Saturday:

Eating Disorders and mental health have been an important and significant part of my family’s history. And after watching several close friends struggle and walk through this I always played support until the beginning of 2017 when my own physical and mental health started to decline significantly, although oblivious at first. 

Anxiety and fear over food, fitness, and even my own head plagued me. Every morning being scared of what the day would bring. 

So over a year later it’s still hard, my head still gets in the way, the enemy still has places he can get small grips, but every day is a step and every day is making His grasp weaker and the light in darkness gets a little bit more radiant. 

How to wrap up process in three little notes:

1. Find community and don’t feel guilty about allowing people to walk beside you
2. Don’t use distractions as a bandaid, the only real healing comes from the deep dive
3. Learn yourself. What is well-rounded wellness & self care, and what does it look like for you?

But my story isn’t unique people have their own ashes, process, and healing and that’s the beauty of The 61 Exchange based on Isaiah 61, everyone is invited into these truths and promises.

My desire now is to create spaces for people to dig deep into fears, anxieties or the like that they are facing and bring into the light in a safe space. I want women to have a healthy view of themselves, food, and nutrition and what whole wellness looks like because our bodies our vessels to fulfill a purpose, and if you woke up breathing today that means YOU have His purpose to walk out. 

So where are YOU? What does this stir inside your head and heart? Really, I want to know! 

So start speaking truth over your life from the word’s our Savior wrote. You are beloved, beautiful, and called!

To learn more about The 61 Exchange click here.

And if you want to connect email me at jordan@fuelingherforward.com

Happy

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Finding the Like-Minded, In the Large Groups

Icebreakers can be a worst nightmare while simultaneously the greatest joy. That might sound odd, and quite an over exaggeration to say that life change can happen through those 30 second round robin questions.  But that is where this is headed, so hang on…

In a culture plagued by distraction and commitments that honestly don’t mean much it’s fairly easy to disengage whenever things get busy or uncomfortable, and that’s exactly where I found myself a little over a year ago a few days before The 61 Exchange Atlanta Conference. My health being my highest priority, but other distractions playing their part it almost didn’t happen. I’m so thankful I listened to that Spirit whispering to go despite being energy deficient and my head being full of unhealthy things.

This is where things helped shift the past year…

I am that person that STRONGLY dislikes the 30 second meet-the-people-around-you-before-you-sit-down moments at church so sitting at a table of random strangers set off those same triggers of anxiety, but numero uno: IT IS WORTH IT.

It’s worth it to just show up and face it head on. You might be scared out of your mind, having convinced yourself it’s going to be the same as everything else where you might meet someone and then never speak again OR go to coffee once but long-haul relationships never happen. However, YOU NEVER KNOW.

Enter Chelsea.

This girl I recognized but had never plummeted into the deep with, sat next to me at one of these conference tables. You have to trust that the Lord has got this and will put people together as he’s chooses. She was bubbly and friendly and we got to talking quickly, a year later she’s one of my biggest cheerleaders and most trusted confidants. Why? Because our stories are similar. Body Image issues and the battle of the mind and our relationship with food have held too high a value for both of us, but through that God paves a way for our paths to intersect and you find the people that can fight for and with you!

And this holds true for WHOEVER and WHATEVER. Whether it’s anxiety or depression, or addiction; infertility or sexual assault. We are all broken and all of us have been in the fire in one form or another. It’s taking the step to find those who are on the battle lines close to you.

In Chelsea’s words: “Idk what I’d add – maybe just that it’s so great to meet people who, following a bigger gathering, you can continue staying connected with. I think the constant encouragement has been what’s most sweet. So it’s like the conference paves the way, but once we get out into life together that’s when the real friendship, healing, good stuff happens.”

So if you are considering, but hesitant just go ahead and say yes – give it a shot and truly commit, because you really never know. We all need cheerleaders who have walked a similar road.

And maybe the 61 Exchange

To sign up: The 61 Exchange Atlanta, GA Conference – August 11th!

OR The 61 Exchange Ft. Meyers Beach, FL Conference – September 7th!

Details on Washington, D.C. coming soon!

For more info on Chelsea – chelseaperson.com

And as always if you have any questions you can email me any time at jordan@creativekitchenrunner.blog

Happy Weekend!

Jordan