On the show today is Michelle Pearce, a clinical psychologist, professor and author of Night Bloomers: 12 Principles for Thriving in Adversity. In this book and interview she vulnerable shares the story of her darkest moments and how she bloomed not despite the darkness, but because of the darkness.
PODCAST LINKS:
Michelle’s Book: Night Bloomers: 12 Principles for Thriving in Adversity
God uses the times that we feel are setbacks to help propel us forward and enrich our calling.
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- Michelle’s struggle with her health gave her powerful insights into the health care system, and what it means to suffer from chronic pain and weariness
- She grew in empathy, authenticity and compassion for others because of her experience
- Her skills to overcome hardship strengthened her resilience and prepared her for struggles later in life.
- “What you felt was a delay, is really preparation for what you will face.”
- Nothing is ever wasted, God will use all of this
Where did the concept of Night bloomers come from?
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- Michelle’s husband suddenly ends the marriage, despite her prayers for restoration
- A friend shared about a night-blooming cactus, a plant that requires the dark for its flowers to bloom
- There are some people who require times of darkness, times of hardship to grow and bloom
- Night Bloomers is a guided walk-through of lessons that Michelle learned overcoming some of her darkest times.
The Biblical account of Joseph is a story of a night bloomer.
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- Joseph spent 13 years in slavery to prepared him for leading
- The dark periods of our life prepare us for eventual light moments that God has planned
Balancing how to share your lessons learned, while remaining as support the others
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- It’s important that as a caregiver we are focused on the needs of others, offering a safe place for them to share without concern for our well-being.
- Michelle demonstrates how she was able to process her struggles, set them aside, then later return more subjectively and pull out the patterns and lessons from her own healing journey
- As ministry leaders, we can apply lessons learned from our own journey but only after we have healed and was able to reflect more subjectively
- It is powerful to be authentic
The First 3 of 12 principles shared in the book through journalling
1. Setting the intention to bloom
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- Setting the anchor of our hope
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2. Grieving before growing
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- We cannot move forward before we feel our feelings
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3. Reach out for Support
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- Don’t try to go through the dark alone.
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How would a ministry leader use this book?
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- Often isolated in struggles, leaders could use this book to walk through personal times of darkness
- When supporting others, this book helps guide people on the journey. Allowing you to support them
- Use the book as a guide for a small group discussion
CONNECT WITH Dr. MICHELLE PEARCE
Websites: DrMichellePearce.com
Socials: Instagram
CONNECT WITH HOPE MADE STRONG
Websites: HopeMadeStrong.org
Socials: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube
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