We’ve all experienced moments of pain and suffering. And while all of us carry different crosses, suffering is something that is part of every one of our stories. But how do you pray when you struggle to find words to express your pain and trauma?

How do you validate the emotions you experience in the valleys of life and embrace them as a gift instead of stuffing them down some place deep inside you? And in those hard seasons that seem to stretch on forever, how can you refresh your faith and find peace that lasts?

In this episode of Letters to Women, I’m sitting down with K.J. Ramsey. She intimately understands the reality of fear and the reward of courage. A survivor of spiritual abuse and religious trauma who suffers from chronic illness, KJ is a licensed counselor who recognizes the chasm that opens between our hearts and hope when life hurts. Through her struggle with emotional and physical pain, K.J. discovered a route to connection and joy:courage— the practice of trusting we will be held and loved no matter what.

We’re talking about praying the Psalms word by word, how courage has impacted KJ’s journey of trauma and chronic pain, and the importances of witnesses in our lives as women.

If you’re walking through a valley or a challenging season and want to cultivate courage and compassion and reignite joy, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

• The inspiration behind KJ’s new book, The Book of Common Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small Moments and what it was like to write a book on courage while experiencing chronic illness
• What courage looks like as a practice
• How encountering poetry both from the Psalms and other authors helps us enter into prayer—especially in seasons when it’s difficult to find words
• Why the presence of witnesses and the experience of with-ness crucial in seasons of suffering
• How KJ has witnessed the co-existing of courage and suffering
• KJ’s encouragement to you if trusting others with your story is challenging
• How KJ lives out the feminine genius in her ordinary, daily life as a woman encouraging others in the practice of finding courage to heal

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

• Get a copy of The Book of Common Courage
• Read KJ’s book that came out in 2022, The Lord is My Courage
• Explore KJ’s website and connect with her on social media
• The Alchemy of Grief by Annamarie Fidel Rice
• Pick up a copy of the Letters to Women book (and use the code LETTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase!)
• Check out the sponsor for today’s episode, The Little Catholic Box

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