Fueling Faith
Welcome to the Fueling Faith Family, where we encourage, inspire, and motivate people to grow closer to Christ through personal stories and testimonies.
Fueling Faith
From Detroit Grit To Healing Hearts: A Nurse Practitioner’s Journey Through Autism, Adoption, And Purpose
What if the hardest season of your life is the training ground for your calling? We sit down with Dr. Natasha Weems—a Detroit-born nurse practitioner, author, and nonprofit founder—whose story threads faith through crisis, turning pain into a blueprint for purpose. From a childhood split between grit and opportunity to a home steeped in Scripture, Natasha learned early that resources and role models shape outcomes. That clarity guided her into healthcare, and a near-fatal scare with her newborn sealed the vow to meet crisis with skill and compassion.
Her journey deepened when her daughter was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Natasha became a full-time advocate—navigating therapy, fighting for access, and celebrating breakthroughs at the Kaufman Center that unlocked speech and confidence. When marriage collapsed under stress, she chose ownership over bitterness, rebuilt her life, and later found love again with a partner who showed up to serve—learning meds, sharing appointments, and embracing a blended family. Tragedy struck her extended family, and two six-year-old twins—newly orphaned—needed a home. Adoption wasn’t theoretical anymore; it was obedience to care for orphans, paired with the realities of trauma, PTSD, and a foster system stretched thin.
Along the way, Natasha advanced to a Doctor of Nursing Practice and carried prayer into clinical care, treating anxiety, depression, and spiritual exhaustion alongside physical needs. We unpack real tools for teen mental health, spotlight resources like Lisa Nichols’s Motivating the Teen Spirit camp, and challenge communities to build bridges between churches, nonprofits, and healthcare providers. Natasha’s book, The Unbreakable Woman, anchors every chapter in Scripture and practical habits—affirmations, mindset shifts, and advocacy that moves families from surviving to healing. Her Pearl Health Foundation extends that mission to autism awareness, caregiver support, veterans, and global outreach that tackles preventable illness.
Listen for a rare blend of candor and courage—how to hold onto faith without denying reality, how to be unbreakable without becoming unfeeling, and how to turn your story into someone else’s survival guide. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find their way back to purpose.
Welcome to the Feeling Faith Podcast. I'm here with my guests, Dr. Natasha Weems. Natasha, thank you so much for coming in.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02:We had a good uh little intro conversation. Um we actually went a little deep in in conversation, so I'm I'm grateful for that. Some of it uh the guests will hear, some of it they will not. Not yet. Um so excited to have you here and super grateful for you coming in. Thank you. So you have a lot under your belt. You have a ton of experience in life, um, trials and tribulations that you've gone through or currently going through. Um, so we want to dive like right into the beginning of life. I'd like to start with, you know, the upbringing so people get a background and can understand who Natasha is, where she came from, what her home was like when she was growing up, all of that. So let's start at the beginning. Where did you where were you born? Where did you grow up, and what was life like for you?
SPEAKER_00:Most definitely, I grew up in Detroit, Michigan. So that experience was interesting for the lack of a better word. I was able to have the experience of being in a parent, uh a mother and father in my household. It was my stepfather that helped raise me, although I did have a very close relationship with my biological father as well. So I had I was blessed to have two fathers in my life. And also my mother's mother, um, my grandmother really played a large role in my life. And then my father's father, which is my grandfather, my kappa, he was a kappa man, Tennessee State University graduate. And so he was the person that was like, yeah, you're you're going to college, you're you know. So growing up in the city, but also having the best of both worlds, I was able to experience living in the inner city with my mom and stepdad, um, experiencing that that grit, uh, the hustle and grind of the city, the resilience, the challenges. But also on my father's side of the family, my grandmother, my father, they were very um much so advocates of me attending private school. So Monday through Friday, I was um growing up um right before uh high school. I was in private school. So, you know, during that time I had friends that had access to financial freedom and stability, and they just had access to um an abundance of resources and seeing that side, and then I would go into the inner city and be um overwhelmed with the amount of limitation. So the very opposite. So it was just a very experienced upbringing, but I felt like it really helped develop me as a woman, you know, growing up like that.
SPEAKER_02:That that gives you a very diverse lens to look through in life, right? You can see both sides of what it's like to have a little bit more, what it's like to have less resources. Because it's a it's a resource thing, right? It's it's definitely a financial resource, it's a personnel resource, it's it's really resources.
SPEAKER_00:Definitely.
SPEAKER_02:Um so I'm sure you learned a lot about that. So did you have any siblings growing up?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, within the household, um, I did. I was the oldest, um, my brother under me, um, four years apart, and then I had two other sisters and another brother. So within the households it was five of us.
SPEAKER_02:So it's a busy house right there. That's a loud house. Yeah, I got I got two little ones, so I could only imagine having having five of them running around.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, but being the oldest is it's a lot of responsibility. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Because you get to you get to play mom a little bit. Big sister plays in most some of those mom roles and responsibilities at at times, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_00:Definitely that. So it really allowed me to um know how to delegate very early in life. Oh yeah. So I've carried those skills uh with me, but definitely um time management, being responsible for uh the household when your parents are working. So it was it was a lot, it was a lot.
SPEAKER_02:Right. I'm sure looking back, you're extremely grateful being, you know, in that role and to be able to learn. And I mean, some some kids learn from their younger sisters, brothers, some learn from their older brothers and sisters. It just depends. Sounds like you learned a lot from from them. Right.
SPEAKER_00:And I think that my father they learned from you too. So yeah, my bio father has six kids as well. Yeah, so it it was a lot of us, and um, yeah, I just feel like sometimes when you're within the household, your relationships might be a little different with your siblings. Yeah, yeah, but as you grow older, you you still are able to build on those relationships also.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah. You you have a bigger appreciation as you get older, and then you take it for granted when you're there. And I know all about that. I got I got three, two, two little sisters, one older brother, so it was uh it was a fun upbringing. So you went to private school all the way up into high school. Did you guys go to church during that time? Did you already have a relationship with God? Like what?
SPEAKER_00:Definitely so in my household and my family, the expectation was that you you find the Lord. And so it was very, you know, something that was understood very young. So my even if my mother had to work, my grandmother would walk blocks for us to attend church because my grandmother did not drive. Wow. And so, but we were at church. Yeah, that's great. There was no excuse. Yeah. So, yes, and so experience that, experiencing that, and growing up within the church and my mother um just being like the epitome of like what a person looks like that's not, I don't think like my mother was using profanity or drinking. I've never like drug use, like she was always against that and just always like um any type of challenge or any type of death. She's like, okay, let's pull out the Bible and let's go to scripture. Like that was my mom. And still, it's like that. Like if we have a challenge, if there's a divorce or anything happening, she's like, okay, we have to pull out the scripture, uh, go to this Bible verse. Um, and and that's just what it is. Like you understand that you rely on the word. And so having that spiritual foundation has kept my mental health through the challenges I've had and the storms I've had in life. So I love that woman.
SPEAKER_02:For sure. But both your parents encouraged it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Pops to her. What's her name?
SPEAKER_00:But Victoria.
SPEAKER_02:Victoria. Victoria, you are a champion.
SPEAKER_00:I named my youngest after her and my um sister-in-law Victoria. They're both strong women. Strong.
SPEAKER_02:That's awesome. So, what did your parents do uh career-wise growing up?
SPEAKER_00:So my mother is occupational therapy field, and yeah, so my father uh went through law school. He did a lot in the social uh security department and also in the government. So it was very, yeah, seeing both of them in their roles.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Interesting.
SPEAKER_02:For sure. That's a sounds like you had a great home growing up, good foundation. I'm sure it wasn't easy. Um as parents, we're always just learning how to be parents, right? Like there's no handbook. I mean, the real handbook is the word, right? The Bible. So love to hear that your mom utilized that.
SPEAKER_00:Definitely that to her advantage. Um private school was obviously different. So you're learning and focusing on, you know, Lord and God. And so then you're going for me, I was going over to Mass, and it was a lot different, taking communion and you know, utilizing the rosary, saying your Hail Mary and um your prayers differently, the structure, but having an exposure to both was was really interesting. But constantly I felt like I had that exposure to um to Christ and to what that looks like living a life um during that journey and having that spiritual guidance and knowing that regardless if it's the priest, the pastor, that um that would be the person if you wanted to seek uh spiritual guidance, that they were open and welcome. So those discussions.
SPEAKER_02:I love it. And and for me personally, um, I think denominations is just a way to create division within the church and within the body. So it doesn't matter if you know you're you call yourself a Christian or you call yourself a Catholic or if you're Baptist, or it it doesn't matter. Those are um family issues, family conversations doesn't determine salvation, right? There you go. There's gonna be Catholics in heaven, there's gonna be Baptists in heaven, it's like we're all under Christ.
SPEAKER_00:So I've gathered that from my experience.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, definitely. I agree. I think a lot of people just kind of overthink and overanalyze things and like, oh, you're Catholic, like, well, no, we're the same family. Like we are all birthed there's under God.
SPEAKER_00:So regardless of your ethnicity, of your challenge, of your socioeconomic status.
SPEAKER_02:That's right.
SPEAKER_00:How did we get here born and lead the same way? We believe the same.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So there's one race, it's a human race, and uh there's one God, and it's Jesus.
SPEAKER_00:Amen.
SPEAKER_02:And that's it. We overpublicated the wars.
SPEAKER_00:Why does it have to be so yeah, so it's the enemy simple.
SPEAKER_02:The enemy gets in our minds. Yeah, amen to that. Love. The greatest of these is love. That's my fur uh favorite verse of all time. Uh 1 Corinthians 13, 13. And now these three remain faith, hope, and love, the greatest of these being love. Um, it's always been my favorite verse since since I had found the Lord. So that's awesome. So let's talk a little bit about high school. What was what was high school like? You went to private school and then you went to public high school, is that correct?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so I attended public high school, Mary Wright High School. Uh, it was beautiful because I felt like it was full of uh culture, it was full of experiences. Um there we did encounter gang experiences, you know, back during that time. But I could say that I've met so many people throughout life that I developed friendships with, but uh suffered a lot in high school. It was, you know, like people dying from senseless violence and so that was it was painful in that regard. Um you know, just people having stories of being homeless, but not really, you know, able to discuss it openly, you know. So encountering some of those friendships. So I had friends that had access, friends that had challenges, but high school was interesting. Um, it was I felt like I was thrown in the wilderness a little bit just because private school they kind of hand hold you literally from one class to the next. And then when you go to high school, it's like in public school, it's like figure it out.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, free for all.
SPEAKER_00:Figure it out. Yeah, right and I did it. Yeah, but I um I do respect it.
SPEAKER_02:What was that transition like for you from going to public school to public private school to public school, you know, going into your freshman year or something?
SPEAKER_00:I think it I think um because my mother, my parents had such a structured household, it didn't matter what school I attended, right? Because my my mother did not allow um for me to just uh come and go as I pleased, or it was very structured in my household. So that helped with my transition. If I did not have that structure, I probably would have experimented with um, you know, different parties and things and just being been in those environments. Um so I'm glad that that was not the case.
SPEAKER_02:For sure. Parenting is so important, and I mean having a mom and a dad in a in a household is also really important, right? And the studies show, studies prove that you know, having a father there, um the importance of that actually oftentimes outweighs having a mother there. They're both very important, don't get me wrong. They're they're very, very important. Um, but the structure and and discipline, and just based on some of the studies that they've done, having the father in the house, and so being in Detroit, where I'm sure there are a lot of fatherless homes there in that area specifically, um, to where you're talking about, you know, gang violence and you know, people dying and drugs and all of that, that that definitely you know plays a role. And so um to hear your story and and to hear what you experienced, um, it's encouraging, right? And hopefully that's encouraging to other, you know, parents out there to you know make sure that they're creating a uh environment and for at their at their home for their children. Definitely um because it does play a huge factor, and your testimony alone proves that as fact.
SPEAKER_00:That it does, and that's a part of this journey, allowing people from the inner city or people from Detroit, like obviously Detroit is a vibrant, beautiful city full of culture, but we definitely can't um ignore the challenges that we have. And and you could feel oppressed easily. It can be discouraging, it can be overwhelming. So we lack positive role models and and representation in our communities. And if we had more of that, it would be more hopeful. Right. But sometimes um, you know, systemically you're oppressed. Um, when you have lack of resources and access, it lingers. That's where you go into your generational curse. And so I don't believe that you're a product of your environment and you can, you know, definitely be influenced negatively by your environment. Yeah, but you can definitely elevate, you can definitely go back to your community and encourage those or be that representation that you wanted to see.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_00:So I I respect that. I respect the people that are able to elevate, but also don't forget where you come from.
SPEAKER_02:For sure. I agree a hundred percent with that. And I mean, there's a book um out there, it's called Secrets of the Millionaire Minds, and it's by T. Harvecker, and he always says your inner world determines your outer world, right? And so the way that you think and the way your internal dialogue, how you communicate with yourself every single day is gonna determine your outer world. And so um the way you communicate is huge. And if you don't have people pouring into you and and teaching you how to properly communicate with yourself, how to think positively, um, it goes back to your environment. And so what you know is what you know, and what you don't know, you don't know, right?
SPEAKER_00:And so my father, my my biological father, we would have car rides. Um, he went to law school in Ohio, but during those car rides, he always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be in this world. And so those words always resonated with me. It it really just helped uh rip away those self-imposed limitations you develop through insecurities and fear through life and and some of your experiences. I just felt like it is important for you to tell your children that you're you're beautiful, you're handsome, you can accomplish anything because you need to hear that from home. The world can beat you down.
SPEAKER_02:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:So you're right, you're right about that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I tell my I tell my daughters and I make them repeat after me, and every day, like my wife, you know, gets them in the car and and they head out, or I'm I'm leaving home and heading to the office. And I have them say, I'm strong, I'm beautiful, I'm courageous, Jesus loves me, my mom loves me, my dad loves me, I could do anything I put my mind to.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
SPEAKER_02:And and I I just repeat this over and over and over again because mindset is so important. And so it's it's really important too for people in in real any city, right, that that struggles with um that type of environment for the leaders in those cities, whether it's you know the mayor and city council, it's the teachers, it's the the football, basketball, the volleyball coaches to train these types of mindsets and really instill this type of mindset in these kids. And that's why you see like how sports plays a big piece and a big role for a lot of these kids that are in the inner cities because they have that structure, they have that coach, and so what we need more is more of those, leaders, yeah, more leadership, more people training, because mindset's huge, you know. And like there's a song, it's by NF, and it says, If if every day you wake up and say that you're never gonna be great, you're never gonna be great, not because of the hate, but because I forget the the last line. Um, but essentially the concept of that is if you tell yourself you're never gonna be great, or you can't do it, or you're oppressed, or you tell yourself any of these things over and over again, or if your environment is telling you these things, right? Um, it's gonna become your reality. You're gonna accept that as truth, you're gonna identify with it, and more times than not make it part of your identity, and that's where every human struggles with that at some point, right?
SPEAKER_00:I agree, and that's what where I I speak about self-imposed limitations. Like people don't realize how powerful the mindset is. And like you said, the society can also teach you those negative images of yourself, and it's very important to surround yourself around strong, resilient people because you don't even understand how inadvertently people can just really spew out like negativity all the time, and it changes your mindset, it changes your character, it changes your decision making, it changes your mood, and people don't understand the company you keep is very powerful as well. But mindset, it is nothing like that manifestation, nothing like it. And I believe in that wholeheartedly.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, agreed. So for you to have that home and to have that consistent development and mom and dad both, right? Encouraging you, reverting you back to the word, right, bringing you back to scripture. Continuously, yeah, on an ongoing basis. Yeah, that's huge. That's that's great. Foundation. So after high school, what did life look like for you?
SPEAKER_00:Life was interesting. I was always like tunnel vision. I knew that I wanted to excel in life. I knew that I wanted greatness, and I always knew that God had assignment for me. So I was seeking out my purpose in life early because I was told we all have a purpose. So I wanted to know, God, what is my purpose? I knew I wanted to go in the healthcare field. So after that, I went straight to Wayne State University.
SPEAKER_01:Nice.
SPEAKER_00:And I started going in the direction of nursing, but I also pursued a degree in communication.
SPEAKER_02:Was that encouraged by mom at all? No, I what motivated you to go into healthcare?
SPEAKER_00:So I had family members uh that were nurses as well. So again, if you have those positive representations around you, then you feel like that is something that you can pursue and will be successful at because you see it in your, you know, in your community and your your family. So that was another reinforcement after having a experience with uh my own child, my first uh I would say about a week old, I gave birth to my oldest child and she stopped breathing. So for me, that was my first traumatic experience as an adult with my own child. And so just to see, although she did um regain consciousness in her breathing and life, um, prior to that her lips had turned blue, um we were able to get her to the hospital, but it was very traumatic, and it was something that allowed me to understand the medical team jumping into action. And I was just like, that's another reinforcement that I need to be a person that saved lives. I can too be that force of change and that light in the world. That's that's heavy on parents, especially the ones that don't have such a successful outcome, that don't leave home with their babies and their children. So for me, that was definitely confirmation. Oh, I'm doing this.
SPEAKER_02:How old were you at that time?
SPEAKER_00:I was in my early 20s.
SPEAKER_02:Early 20s?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:That's very, very traumatic. So you went to school, got your degree. Was there during that time? So you're in college, were you away from your parents?
SPEAKER_00:I was away from my parents. I um actually ended up meeting someone uh that I soon married. So I married young um to the person I had my child um by. So we were married and we were together for 10 years. So a lot of my college years was in that marriage and that relationship. Well, so how was your faith and relationship with God now that mom's not in your ear, dad's not in your ear, grandma's I mean, they're still in your ear, but just not as it was still present, but it was not as consistent. Um I also found out my daughter was on the spectrum. So it it was a lot of finding out what life was and what this meant because I at that time I didn't have exposure to too many people with um family members on the spectrum. And so now I think you hear about it so frequently, but the resources was not the same, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_00:And um life was different for me. I spent a lot of um time in therapies and rehab, being a social worker. I didn't even know that I needed to be advocating at that point. I developed into that woman in a different season of my life, but I had to go through what does this look like? Raising a child with these challenges. I had a a completely different uh idea of what her childhood would be. Picking out really nice private schools, and you know, oh, she's gonna be this and that, and we're gonna have her antennas, and you know, just like these ideas you have as a parent, and then to get that news or to see your child not meeting her milestones, and you have that mommy feeling, that intuition. And I'm speaking as a parent right now something is not right, and this is before I was a healthcare professional. So it was very challenging on my journey to raising a child with special needs, but understanding that it was another side of me that was actually birthed with a different level of respect, a different level of patience, a different level of tenacity. Like I was just like, I have to be even more of the person I was supposed to be for her, for my family. I have to stand up, be strong, and make sure that I fight for her resources, although it felt like looking for a needle in the haste that most days I cried. My daughter was non-verbal for the first five years of her life. Could you imagine not knowing if your child would ever hug you and say, I love you? I did not know if that day would ever happen. But I must acknowledge Kaufman Center in Michigan, it's in the suburbs, and I was able to access services there, and she agreed, she gained speech. She gained speech from that facility.
SPEAKER_02:Kaufman Center.
SPEAKER_00:Kaufman. I want to say West Bloomfield, Michigan. They've been on the news. When I was at the facility, I met parents that traveled from Germany and different parts of the world. Do you hear me?
SPEAKER_02:That's amazing.
SPEAKER_00:To access this facility. My husband at the time was very financially stable. So we had access to different resources, we had access to community. So that luckily we were able to have access to this uh this facility and it changed our life. It changed our lives. So I'm very thankful that there was a person, the Kaufman family, that decided to put this into action and into place as a resource for families that have children with special needs.
SPEAKER_02:Praise God. As you share that story, I just hear and I see just character growth, character growth, character growth, right? And so I I do believe that God allows us to go through certain trials and tribulations in life, and it builds our character, right? It's just character growth and character development. Um, so during those hard times and those seasons, I'm sure you leaned a lot into prayer, I would assume. Like all into prayer, having faith that, you know, one day standing on the truth that oh God is gonna God is gonna make yes, God is gonna speak and and God's gonna allow her to speak. Yeah. Right. Um, so I sure I'm sure you stood on that, and there were probably thousands and thousands of prayers between all your family and everybody.
SPEAKER_00:My my girl was raised in church. Definitely raised in church.
SPEAKER_02:Love it.
SPEAKER_00:Um, but I must say that sometimes when their children are special needs and are in the communities of church, um and although my church home was very receptive to uh summer, it was times that we would go to other church homes and they didn't understand what that looked like. Um they thought it was behavioral issues. So knowing that um the church and spiritual communities are being more aware of children on the spectrum and understanding that these are not just behavioral issues and just having environments where you have a sensory room for your children like that, um, that's very helpful for families that have those challenges because you the last thing you want is a family that really needs access to that community is to feel uh that they don't have the help or the assistance at church. The one place that they should be looking and leaning to.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. I agree with that a hundred percent. I really um I also want to point out like you brought up the Kaufman family, right? And um, medical's really important, it's a huge piece of life, and so God had obviously blessed like our medical professionals across the whole world with. With the knowledge and wisdom to be able to provide, you know, these types of resources and um really businesses, companies, organizations, nonprofits, all the above. Yes. Um, to provide that. And so for those who are listening that maybe want to start their own speech therapy company, or they want to start their own hospital, or they want to start their own ministry that ties into you know the church to support this group that is that it's under-supported, right? Um let that be an encouragement because your story, you know, leans into that as not just a need, but um as the heart and the will of God too, right? And that's what community is all about is working together collectively, right, as one unit to support everybody. Because I'm sure during that time, actually for a fact, during that time you couldn't have done that on your own, right? You needed the support of community and other people and professional guidance to help assist in that season of your life.
SPEAKER_00:I've been the shoulder cried on, also the person that did a lot of um having a lot of nights and tears, but knowing um secretly what families go through behind closed doors because you're looked at as the parent, the caregiver, the provider, you're supposed to be strong, right? So not knowing how to be vulnerable and say, I need help. Yeah, I don't know what's happening, I don't know why my child is behaving or acting out, I don't know what resources, and and that in itself is very difficult. So through that experience, it shaped other future chapters and what I developed and and things that I curated.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So let's talk about that. Like you've gone through this journey. Um, you're looking at these medical professionals, like, thank you, Jesus, for for all of these people. Um and you went to school, got your degree, you knew that you wanted to get into the medical field. What what was next for you?
SPEAKER_00:So I went through that that phase of life where I was able to access, get her um all the resources that was necessary. And also with Kaufman. Uh, unfortunately, my marriage ended after, you know, being with my partner for 10 years. Uh he was a pillar within the community, um, you know, just like well respected. Just unfortunately, we had a lot of stressors in our marriage and we grew apart. And um, it was devastating because I grew up with my mother um being with my stepfather, although I was maybe five years old when they met, so that was all I knew, and also having my biological father, but I just knew that I wanted to have a strong family foundation for my child, especially with her having these challenges. And so when that did not happen, I knew I had to be strong mentally, and I had to even lean on God and my my family even more so. And so I never wish divorce on my worst enemy.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So treat your wife right.
SPEAKER_01:Treat you.
SPEAKER_00:And I say that jokingly now because I'm healed. Um but there was times where I felt broken, yeah. Um, even though I say in my book, the unbreakable woman, you are unbreakable because God made you. And regardless of what you go through in life, that too shall pass. And I believe that, and I am a walking testimony of that. And I never want to speak negatively on my past and on my ex um, because that we bought a life in this world. So I will always respect him for that. Yeah, uh, because I love my baby. She's grown, but I love my baby, she's always my baby. But through the healing and through self-development and really taking time to identify my own flaws, people are so ready to point the finger at what the other person did wrong.
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Although I'm pretty sure there were things that happened on both sides, but I had to reflect. There was a time of self-reflection, and I had to realize that I needed to grow. And through that time, I connected with my current husband.
SPEAKER_02:Love it.
SPEAKER_00:After that growth and discovery of uh what that next season would look like for me, I was in Michigan. He's active duty in the military, and he was stationed in Hawaii.
SPEAKER_01:Wow.
SPEAKER_00:So having a long-distance relationship was the next chapter of my life.
SPEAKER_02:I want to pause, I want to pause you because I do want to get into the story, but during that season, and we're not we're not gonna go too far into it. During that season, you're now a single mom, and you you have a child that has a lot of needs, right? Um, you have a supportive family, but you've already gone through a lot of character growth and development. Now your other half is, you know, kind of splitting off. So there's a void that happens during that. Um, one thing that I love that you pointed out is you had to do self-reflection during that time and during that season. And you took ownership in that. And there's a book, it's called Extreme Ownership, it's one of my favorite books. Um, I tell my team all the time, like, you guys, everyone needs to read this book. I should probably buy it for them at this point. Um, Extreme Ownership. I'm huge on that, and so for you to say that is really big because I have a really good friend of mine who's going through divorce right now, and my parents went through a divorce about three years ago now, and I mediated the divorce, and it was a it was a lot, right? But taking ownership is the one thing that we can do, and I think is is huge, and this goes into every aspect of life. So, props to you for for that. Now, during the season, you're a single mom. I don't want to jump over this. What was that season like for you?
SPEAKER_00:I felt lonely. I felt sad. I didn't feel like a failure though, because I knew in my marriage I gave it my awe, and um I knew I was loyal, faithful, dedicated. Um so knowing that I was moving on to the next chapter and giving it my awe, I felt that I wasn't giving that life that I envisioned for my daughter, and I think many people stay in dysfunctional relationships and toxic environments because they're afraid of breaking up their families or being single mothers. And when I tell you, I've met some amazing single mothers, like just being able to hold down the household on your own, and to know that people are reaching out to see if you're homeless or oh, is she still gonna make it? You know, it was just like a lot of like things and feedback that I was getting from the community too. And it's like, gosh, people act like that when you go through divorce. Like, those are questions. Like, and so although I'm not gonna sit in this chair and tell you that I was homeless, I'm gonna tell you that through my marriage, I've always pursued my education. And because of that, nursing saved my life. Well, so just like the medical profession saved my daughter, just like the medical profession has saved many around the world, but the the decision to be self-sufficient, the decision to even be in a situation where I did not have to work if I didn't want to. Yeah, that was my reality. I had maze, I had like I lived that life. I did not allow that to blind me from what my purpose was in life.
SPEAKER_02:Love it.
SPEAKER_00:So I've always had this inner energy within me to never give up, stay on track, stay focused, regardless if I get knocked down on my back, I jump right back up. Nothing has ever held me down. And so I say that, not prideful uh or arrogant, I say that because only it's only been God through the things I've been through and I've survived. So I am so thankful for that. So, yes, to answer your question, being a single parent, it was very difficult because you have a lot of um unknown variables, right? And how are you, what does life look like? Because now you have to have your child around a different person. And that particular person, you have to grow to learn how they parent, what their spiritual understanding and journey has been, what they how they want to raise their children. And for me, I wouldn't I would not um want to be in a situation where my daughter would be introduced to another environment or a environment where it's toxic, or you know, just being exposed to any type of uh behaviors that uh would affect her mentally. So I was just very careful about having my daughter around any uh person that I dated or anything like that. So, but just having to walk on eggshells as a single parent and as a woman that was holding down the fort by myself, it was a different world for me. But it was a part of my life that I needed to go through to know that I could stand on my own too and hold down the fort and pay the bills and we didn't miss a meal. We didn't miss a meal.
SPEAKER_02:Let's go. I love it. This this is amazing, so encouraging, especially because there's so many single moms who, you know, go through this season. They they go through a divorce and then they just you know either live off of the resources that you know child support or they'll try to live off the system and just they kind of give up, you know, and they go through that season. So how encouraging to hear your story and your determination and just the dedication to to your daughter and um to your your future self, right? Um, to continue to just stay strong during that season and keep focusing on your purpose in life. That's that's amazing, and props to you for that. Um because I could only imagine going through that season. My wife's amazing, I love her. I could not imagine life without her. Um, not even for a season. That's too late. So then God bless you with your new husband. Yes, and what's his name?
SPEAKER_00:Douglas.
SPEAKER_02:Douglas. So Douglas comes into your life. Yes, you guys are doing this long distance relationship, we're jumping back into it now. Um what what was that season? Were you where were you working at this time?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, uh still working for the hospital. And I had just joined uh a large organization in which I still am a part of. So still within a healthcare system. Awesome. And I've remained steady and consistent at this place of employment. And so it's been interesting meeting him, being in the military and not knowing if he would uh, you know, where he would be stationed. You know, he's been to 30 different countries, lived in Japan, traveled to Australia and places I've never even, you know, considered even going. So to connect and collide and you know, just meet someone that was so well cultured and grew up in Detroit. Well, grew up in Detroit. Love it. And so actually his sister connected us. He um, I think he, I don't know how we connected um at some path in life, but he saw a picture of me and he said, I want to meet her, something about her. And so she connected us. And I said, I was at a point where I was open-minded. Like I never felt defeated when I divorced. Like I just knew the type of woman I was. I was just like, gosh, my future husband is gonna be amazing. Like I had the mindset, like I was never that one, like, I don't know if I'm you know if I'm ever gonna find love again. I just was not on my like my mindset. I was always optimistic and I'm always new because of my personality and because I know that, you know, I'm designed to grow and build with my mate. I just knew that it was on the next character for me. So I just I never felt anyway. So meeting him and having my daughter, I was it, I was sitting back and observing, and I made it very clear, we are a package deal. Where I go, she go. I'm one of those mothers. So the way he embraced my daughter, the way he showed up and was present and wanted to be of service. And I don't know if it was his father being a police officer and being the same man in the military, and just, you know, when you serve your country, it is just a different side of you that just like connects and clicks and and and just present. He was very present and just wanted to know how he can help, how he could be there for her, how he could support me. And it was a different side of a man that I was introduced to. I love it. I grew up in environments where although men can tend to be a little um the the in my experience a little more stoic, um for me, it was a side of being gentle with me, but also prioritizing my daughter and wondering how you can be a resource as well. And um, my daughter had medications that she needed to take, and him learning her doses, not because I asked him to, I didn't ask him to. It was always how can I help? What do I need to do? What does this look like? How can I administer this safely? I I was just like, God, thank you.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, servant. Thank you. That's great. That's amazing.
SPEAKER_00:So, yeah, so eventually after dating and understanding that we were um both, both lovers of God and he loved God, he did speak about his experiences with Buddhism and all of these other um experiences with while traveling. And so he was very honest about it. Um, because when you're exposed to that, those conversations, even when you're not um challenging the Bible and challenging your faith, and we would have those conversations. Well, how is this scripture this and these stories that? And and and regardless of however you feel, or whatever, whoever I've encountered to challenge my faith, or challenge God, or if he's real, I've had encounters that I know, and no one can tell me different. God has shielded me, God has protected me, and I know he is real.
SPEAKER_02:That's right.
SPEAKER_00:He is in my heart, he lives inside of me, and there have been situations where I've been invited out, and I was supposed to be at a time where there was a drive-by shooting, and something told me not to accept the invite. Had I accepted an invite, and I put that in my book, I would have been on the news right along with my friend. God, protection, provision, stand still and know that he is God. That was that. I stood still, something wasn't right. I didn't I I said no. Normally I would. And it was a drive-by shooting. Did I lose someone that I I had a friend in high school out on a date with her her male friend and was in a drive-by shooting, she did not walk away from that car or that incident. So for me, that resonated with me differently.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00:And I still think about it because I couldn't be, I wouldn't be here today had I made that one decision to say yes.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So Holy Spirit right there speaking to you and guiding you when you when you allow, right? When you allow the Spirit to guide and direct, God will take care of you, God will protect you. That's true. He'll he'll allow the trials and tribulations to happen. There we are for character growth and development for the better of you. Um but that's a that's an amazing story. So you find your husband, you guys got married. What's what's next?
SPEAKER_00:So in the midst of that, we we had some some challenges within the family. Um, I had a family member that passed away after giving birth to twin, beautiful twin daughters. And she was so young, she was probably about 19. And what happens is that sometimes through childbirth, you can have so much uh pressure and stress on the body that you can have what's called a cardiomyopathy and it's an enlarged heart. So to backtrack through those degrees, I I did finish a degree in communications, but also a degree in nursing. I went through master's, bachelor's, and then I went through the Doctor of Nursing practice. I became a nurse practitioner. I specialize in adult geriatric care, adult, yeah, um, nurse practitioner. So it's been interesting on that journey. And so to fast forward back to what I was saying, uh my cousin passed away, and thankfully I had like, you know, my medical background. So unfortunately, they were not able to save her in time. She did develop heart failure from the cardiomyopathy, which is the enlarged heart. And she was at Henry Ford uh hospital in Detroit, and she went into multi-organ uh shutdown, every organ in her body, and only about 18, 19 years old. Wow. Her babies were under one, if that they were young. Um and so we all rallied around her in the hospital up until she took her last breath, and we all vowed to kind of make sure that we were gonna be there to help support her babies because we knew that's what she was holding on for. You could tell she was just holding on just that one little fight, and she was waiting for someone to tell her we have your children, your babies are gonna be okay. And once that was said, she took her last breath. And I was just like, I could feel that she needed to hear those words. And so they went in to care with other family members and eventually circled right back to me. So I was able to, um, they were being transitioned from that household and needed to be um placed, and they were placed with me. So they were about age six at that time, and they were placed in foster care, and we did not want them to go into the system. We wanted to make sure we kept our word to our, you know, their mother, and unfortunately, during that time their father passed away as well through violence. So these babies are here without any parents. And the father passed away around the time when the mother passed away. So fast forward, they're six, um, being displaced, um, needing a place to stay. They are they're placed with me, they're six, and it's a whole transition for me because at that time I was dating my husband. So he's like, Oh, this is fun. So we have like your baby that you have, your daughter, and then okay, we have additional family. And so I think most people would have been a little overwhelmed and intimidated.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yeah. Not him, not him. Love it.
SPEAKER_00:He's like, whatever we need to do to help them, let's do it. And that was so refreshing that I like I wasn't expecting that because put most people in those shoes um to take on extra, you know, responsibilities or challenges, people, you know, tend not to want to do those things.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, no, that's huge. That speaks depth to his character. Um taking on your child is one thing, but taking on somebody else's children is a whole nother thing. It's a whole nother ball game. Um, so props to your husband. What a what a great man. Um, because that is that's rare. Yeah, that's a it is that's an anomaly, that's an anomaly right there. You found yourself an anomaly. I said thank you, God.
SPEAKER_00:So it it it's very interesting to be in that situation, and so adoption is next, right? And so that journey was very challenging and difficult, and so um that was something that we we went through with. Um, that was a decision that we made, and you know, down a journey, they're 14 now.
SPEAKER_02:14 in high school, just like that overnight.
SPEAKER_00:Blink of an eye.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Well, God tells us to take care of orphans and widows, right? And it's it's important that we do that and that the church steps up and and rises up to that. Um, we kind of talked a little, you know, before we we started the podcast, but my whole family pretty much is all done um whether it's adoption or just foster care. Um, we've been highly involved in that. At some point, my wife and I would like to adopt. I think it's really important. There's so many kids out there that have a need, you know, and you never know the story behind it. Um, knowing that these kids don't have their parents is that's devastating, especially knowing how important your parents were to you and having that home and that foundation and that love and that structure. Um, so to come across kids six years old that don't have that, it's the most devastating thing in the world. Like literally the most devastating thing in the world, you know. Um, so I have huge respect for you and your husband for taking that leap of faith and fighting through those trials and tribulations. And we all know anyone who's experienced foster care knows it's not easy. It's not um, especially you're taking in kids that that aren't yours, that they've already come with you know their own challenges, right? They've they've come through um some hardships most 99.99% of the time, 100% of the time, really. Um but they're coming through with a lot of challenges that they've already faced at very, very young ages. So um, yeah, lots of thoughts and prayers for you guys, and um for anyone else that's going through foster care as well. I have so much respect for that because definitely it is not easy. And like let's be honest, DCSF is not, I love them. We need them, but they don't they do not help much, almost make it worse sometimes. It's it's a very broken system, um, if I'm being honest, and and there there need we need the church to really like step in and fill a lot of those gaps and voids. There's a huge need. Um, and I I would love to see more more Christians, more believers to you know, fill those gaps, really.
SPEAKER_00:Definitely. So just imagine when you have teenagers that never knew their parents, right? So having to constantly reinforce God's love and reinforce what it looks like to cultivate that self-worth. You know, you no one gave you away. Yeah, you know, your parents aren't here, but we love you, we're here for you to guide you. And this journey is gonna be challenging for us all. And and sp especially when children go through that, and if they're displaced from environments or had um any type of abuse, uh foster children go through so much. Um and some will present with PTSD and gender role issues. And so just learning how to understand that those might be some challenges you face, but uh there are resources that are available to help with that. And I was telling you um before, you know, going on is that Lisa Nichols is a global motivational speaker, and she has a camp that I was telling you about, and they actually they're in Big Bear area, and what is it, motivating the teen spirit? And I interviewed her at an event um uh produced by David Fagan and his team, and was able to gather some information and she'd also done some projects with the dining divas, which was really nice. But I hope to have an opportunity to send my girls there. But it's a really great resource for people that have, you know, children that have any type of mental health challenges because that program is developed to strengthen and build on those skills of um personal development and how to deal with the mental health challenges. And oh my gosh, we had a a team call, and one of the parents just broke down and spoke about their child wanting to commit suicide. And you know what Lisa said Bring bring your son, waived whatever eligibility, waived whatever it was that needed to be done. Bring your child to my camp. And I fought back every ounce of uh tear. Um, although I could say every person on the call was just like like touched um because it just happened in real time and organically you can see a person's authenticity and to know that she's been on Dr. Phil on all these shows, and she never really highlighted the camp because it was something that she wanted to personally do for this population and community of children. And I just I have to be behind that and support that, and also know that it's a resource for my family and other families that might have the same challenges, being um a household with foster children or children at battle, suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, and PTSD, anxiety, traumas. The list goes on and on, especially with foster kids.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. Um, props to to Lisa for doing that. And um we, you know, kind of discussed it, and I have a a family member who has adopted one of one of their foster kids, and um he's trying to commit suicide a couple times now, and and he's getting some treatment, but it's hard being a kid right now, like with the amount of like you go on social media, you're just scrolling, and the stuff that you see, and the people are just you know talking bad about you, and like you have to see your ex with somebody else, and you have to, you know, like get all these comments of people hating on you because you're whatever I looks different, like anything off the chart, and so like we didn't have to deal with that stuff growing up. I mean, when I grew up, you know, it wasn't even until I was in high school that MySpace came out, and yeah, nothing compared to you know, TikTok and Instagram and these platforms today. And so just being a kid in general, just a kid alone, the the troubles that they go through and and what they face at such a young age is huge, let alone a kid that already has you know that's coming from a foster care system and yeah, has already gone through more than any other person will go through in their whole lives, right? Um, so that's amazing that she does that and has a resource available. Motivating the teen spirit.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, with her son Giovanni, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Love it, love it. Well, check that out, you guys. Um, motivating the teen spirit. It's up in big is it always in Big Bear? Is it Yeah, okay, awesome.
SPEAKER_00:And so definitely people that want to sponsor or get behind that just to support because it goes to the children, not overhead, like you know, people within the community that want to donate water, snacks, um, resources, you know, anything. But we need to get behind organizations uh that want to give back to this population. And so that's how I developed, you know, my next project, understanding need the need as well.
SPEAKER_02:So love it. That's amazing. So let's talk about your next project. Um I want to talk about really two things um as as we begin to wrap up. I know I want to know, I want to know more about this book.
SPEAKER_00:Should we tie them in together or literally this book is basically about but more in-depth about just transformation, and every chapter has a biblical scripture. Um, many that have been given to me by my mother. All of them.
SPEAKER_02:As it should, as it should. All of them.
SPEAKER_00:And so it's in this family where when you're met with a challenge, it's like, hey, put on the the armor of uh the Lord of God, and you, you know, going through Ephesians and going through Psalms, and I think those were some of the most powerful scriptures for me. And um, I just carry them with me because there's days where I I just felt overwhelmed and like, God, really, like just trying to figure out how I can navigate through my challenges. But when I moved to California, again, my husband was active duty and having this deep conversation and this connection, I feel. And it was sad to me, like, it's time. It's time. So I've been through all of these challenges and I kept them close. I wasn't public about the things that I was going through behind closed doors, but it was time that God led me to tell my story. I thought it was just going to be in the form of this book, which was therapeutic, but it's so much more. It's so much bigger than me, than any of us, when we're connected with other people within our communities and building hand by hand, building our resources, building our energy to help other people. So this book is just a part of me saying, I'm not perfect. Life has beat me up many days, but I don't look like what I've been through. And you won't see it. I'm so happy, I'm so blessed. And when I show up, I show up with purpose. When I show up to different environments or events or communities or in someone's life, I want to know how I can serve because I feel like that's what my purpose is, and that's what God designed me to be. And so a part of me is to show parents, especially when they have children that are from the foster system, that battle mental health, that is my advocacy, that is my call to action. Help. Help the caregivers. Do you know how many caregivers battle themselves with mental health because they feel isolated? They feel like they don't have the community or the support, although they do, but we can't ignore how they feel, how they perceive their situation to be. So that's what this book is about, is about how to be resilient, regardless of how many times you get knocked down. Oh, God is gonna lift you back up, but even stronger, a more polished, a more warrior type version of yourself. And I receive all of that. So anybody watching this, I want you to know you too can get through all of those chapters in your life, even if you think it's hell, even if you think you don't want to wake up the next day. Because there might be days where you feel overwhelmed, but God has your back.
SPEAKER_02:Amen. Let's go. Let's go. That's amazing. That is absolutely phenomenal. Unbreakable woman. Um, when did you write this?
SPEAKER_00:Oh my gosh, this was at the end of last year, so I'm gonna say 23.
SPEAKER_02:2023? Okay. So going into 2024. Where can people find it?
SPEAKER_00:It's on Amazon.
SPEAKER_02:On Amazon?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, it's it's available on Amazon, and there's a journal journal with uh affirmations. Remember, we spoke about that early because I am really big on affirmations, positive reinforcement, changing your mindset, manifesting, planting those positive seeds, building your children up. All of those things are necessary.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. That's right. Who should get this book?
SPEAKER_00:When I go out to events, I have women that walk up to me in tears, telling me they just had a divorce, or they don't know how to deal with some of the issues or concerns with their child being on the spectrum, or they don't know how to get help themselves for mental health. And so right there, they just walk up to me and tell me they've they're vulnerable, they want help, they want to feel like they have community. So that's how I know the events that I curate, the health and wellness events, and even building Pearl Health Foundation, it's a nonprofit, which I named after my grandmother. My grandmother's middle name was Pearl, and she was a survivor of domestic violence, in which some of that I witnessed. Like I said, I've had so many different layers of traumas, but it did not make me feel like I wanted to give up. It was the opposite for me. It sparked hewed me. And so, but with God's grace, the combination, right? I feel compelled to make a difference. And I I know what it feels like because I literally walked that walk. So it's personal for me, it's different for me. I show up different. I didn't see it on television, on a talk show, and then now I'm going to talk about it. That's not my reality. Yeah. It was real time for me. So I've built Pearl Health Foundation with our mission is to assist people with mental health, advocacy, autism awareness, but also to help with the challenges and barriers of access to healthcare.
SPEAKER_02:That's huge.
SPEAKER_00:It's constantly an issue, it's constantly a battle, especially for people with different socioeconomic status, people within the inner city, and it needs to change. And not only am I showing up locally, but globally. So I accept that challenge to, you know, lock arms with others that are brave enough to go to another country and say, I'm here. So your child doesn't have to die from malaria. Could you imagine losing your child from a simple disease that is like malaria, or you know, they're just dying from senseless illnesses that are easily prevented with the medications that we just waste within the states. Right. So, yes, the care is needed here. I know Detroit is flooded, Chicago, LA. We are, you know, we get that, right? And so we have actively been a resource as well. And for the veteran population, amen. Yes. Because you are going to respect the people that serve your country and that die for your freedom. That's right. We're going to always consider them and it should go without being said.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:Right?
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:So we need to change that mindset as well. Um, so obviously, those are all the things that um we embrace and that we're fighting for, and that we're open to join forces with other organizations that are like-minded and want to be a force of change. Show up different. You can get up and drive a Bentley, you can get up and go shopping at Chanel all day long. But at the end of the day, when you go to sleep at night, do you feel fulfilled? Do you feel like that's what God placed you here for? Is that your worth? So sometimes society paints a different picture, yeah, and people buy into that, but that's not your worth. That's not your purpose. That's right. So I love it.
SPEAKER_02:I love the fire, I love the uh passion that drives you, and really like, especially when you speak about these topics. Um, mental health is so important. It's uh really probably one of the most important topics right now in society as a whole, with what everybody's gone through and depressions and divorce rates are through the moon, and you know, suicides through the moon. Like it's these are mental health issues that need support. PTSD. We have, you know, do you talk about veterans? That strikes a chord with me. I come from a very strong military family. Um, they all tried to recruit me, so I did not I did not fall into their recruitment traps.
SPEAKER_00:I tried, oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Gramps was like, the Marines, the Marines, I'm like, dude, you know how many stories you've shared with me? Like, you've you've shared too much. No, you've shared too much. Like, you can't even encourage me to even want to consider unheared that. Yeah. So Vietnam vet, World War II vet. My I mean, my grandma was a nurse, uh, my great-grandmother was a nurse, and so like a very strong uh military family. So, and there's a huge need there. I mean, you know, there's there's resources out there, but the resources that we have aren't even enough. We need to do more. You know, the body needs to do more, the church, capital C church, um, needs to do more. And um, I'm a huge fan of uniting different organizations, you know, whether for-profit or nonprofit, um, we need all the above, right? So uniting um different organizations to support bigger causes. And so that's really part of what Feeling Faith is. It started off as the Feeling Faith podcast where we share stories and testimonies for Christ, but what it's actually evolved in into a global movement um bigger than what we saw in Acts. Um, so it's a global movement to encourage, inspire, and motivate people uh to flood the internet with Jesus. And then really what I'm working on is uh creating a resource where we connect different nonprofits, uh, we connect nonprofits with different church congregations, um, with each other, um, and even resources to be able to better market their their nonprofit, to you know, spread the awareness of their brand and what their their mission and what their vision is for their nonprofits, um, and then uniting, you know, like artists and actors and uh just people with influence, um, micro influencers, local influencers, all the above, uh, to be able to come together to build community. Um, so a lot, a lot is transpiring from that. Your story is absolutely amazing. You got okay, this was my I was rolling into the the last the last piece in the last segment. Um, because I know you got a lot of other things that you want to share. So let's jump into the last couple things that you want to share and and get into it.
SPEAKER_00:I just could not wrap up because um I did not share that I uh we after marrying, I did have a little one. So I was able to- We're gonna leave her out.
SPEAKER_02:Uh winter.
SPEAKER_00:We couldn't believe able to have another journey of that shot of raising a daughter. And so with my current husband, and that has been so rewarding, although a big age gap, right? Um, but I just I had to absolutely wrap up knowing that you can find love again. You can um still have that hope, never give up hope. Uh, you always um encounter those conversations like uh well, where did you meet and how do you do? Just um let things happen organically and stay strong in faith and stay strong in your prayer and ask for um, you know, use your discernment, ask for his guidance to send you that right person that will help and be a person that wants to show up differently as a resource, not a burden to build you up, not tear you down. So that that's important in building with a partner, um, being like-minded, making sure you're secure in those ways. So thank you for having me. I really appreciate you for allowing me to share my story and hopefully people are hopeful. Um, I'm a hopeless romantic anyway. So I love to tell, you know, a happy ending story.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, no, it's absolutely amazing. Your story is uh incredible, it's extremely powerful. Um, I'm definitely gonna have to read your book now and hear. Was there anything in this book that we didn't cover?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:There's probably a couple things. All right, so get the book. I definitely go in depth. Is there anything that you want to talk about that we didn't cover?
SPEAKER_00:So, for the most part, um, I think that you gather that, you know, I do the work of uh the Lord, and um and it I show up differently, it's in many different forms, but also being a healthcare provider, and um I feel like you have to take your faith in to the workplace as well. Yes, and you have to be a source of healing, but spiritual healing to your patience, and I've prayed for my patience. And so I'm I'm that person, I'm that person, so I don't separate. Um, I I show up as me, where whatever room I'm in. So I never hide my love for the Lord.
SPEAKER_02:It's amazing, and everybody needs to hear that and implement that. I'm a huge advocate for that. Um, we're a faith-based organization, everybody knows it. We got scripture on our website, we got scripture on our on our walls, we got scripture everywhere. I talk about it. We obviously have a podcast too, promoting it, encouraging it. Um, because without it, what what are we? You know, without God, what's the point? Where's the purpose? There's no purpose really. Um, but everybody has divine purpose in their life. Yes. And so hearing your story, I know it's gonna be extremely encouraging to many, many women, many, many men, many, many children. Um, and it's really gonna change lives and and make continual impact. So we could support you through your book, we could support you through your nonprofit, uh, Pearl Pearl Health Foundation. Health Foundation.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, how else can we support you?
SPEAKER_00:By showing me how I can support you.
SPEAKER_02:Love it.
SPEAKER_00:See how that works?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's full of circle. Community, that's what it's building community. Yeah, 100%. Where can people find you?
SPEAKER_00:You can find me on uh drnatasha the mp.com. You can find me on Instagram at dr Natasha underscore. I'm not hard to find, I don't think.
SPEAKER_02:Awesome. We will tag you um in all the clips and videos that we that we create. Natasha, thank you so much for coming on. Really appreciate your time and uh excited to share this and and your story. Um and props to your parents, props to your husband, like thank you. Amazing, amazing people you surround yourself with.
SPEAKER_00:So my family is amazing.
SPEAKER_02:So awesome. Thank you so much. That's right, that's what it's all about. Thank you guys for tuning in, the Feeling Faith podcast. Make sure to support, and we will see you on the next one. Love you guys, God bless.
SPEAKER_00:God bless.
