SEASON 4 • EPISODE 4

Grief in the Garland

How to Hold Joy and Sorrow in the Same Season

Home for the Holidays Series

The holidays can magnify what’s missing just as much as what’s present. In this tender and deeply reflective episode, Coach Gigi invites you into an honest conversation about grief, memory, and learning how to hold joy and sorrow in the same season. Grief in the Garland is for the sister who loves God, shows up for others, and yet feels the quiet ache of loss, change, or longing during the holidays.

Through fresh Scripture, brain and mental health insight, and pastoral care, this episode explores why grief often surfaces during the holidays and how God meets us gently in these tender places. Coach Gigi shares a deeply personal story about her mother and a cherished Christmas wreath that became a living metaphor for love, memory, and learning how to honor what was without forcing ourselves to preserve what can no longer hold. This episode offers permission to slow down, give grief a place, tend to what feels fragile, regulate your body, and trust that healing is still unfolding.

Anchored in the truth of Exodus 15:26, this episode reminds us that healing is holy and that God is still Emmanuel, God with us, even here. Grief is not a lack of faith. It is love that still matters. If this season feels complicated, quieter, or heavier than expected, this conversation offers compassion, wisdom, and hope rooted in the love of Christ.

This episode is sponsored by FOCUS: Faith & Mental Health, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization where mental health meets the ministry of hope. Learn more, book coaching, partner with us, or support our mission at https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com/

We are deeply grateful to No Child Goes Hungry for their generous food donations supporting families in Paulding County, and to Publix for gift cards supporting our holiday food basket initiatives. You can also support our outreach and community efforts through our Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DUJNOXS1DPDA?ref_=wl_share

Coach Gigi’s newest book, Withholding Love: When Intimacy Becomes a Weapon, is now available as an ebook, with the paperback coming soon. This powerful, faith-centered resource explores how intimacy can be withheld as control or punishment and offers biblical insight, psychological clarity, and practical solutions for healing and restoration. Get the ebook here: https://a.co/d/8sD1MEq

Additional books by Coach Gigi include:

My Body Is God’s Gift https://a.co/d/iEwYbVx

Jesus, Lover of My Soul https://a.co/d/8NzA35Z

Beautifully Broken https://a.co/d/a4AViP5

Catch & Release: Seeds of Deception https://a.co/d/bBCiNIw

Children’s books:

Chef Gigi Serves Today https://a.co/d/7cprHL7

Gigi’s French Bakery https://a.co/d/5lUJ9Qy

If you are experiencing domestic violence or feel unsafe in your home or relationship, help is available. You can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or visit https://www.thehotline.org/

Background music: “Be Still and Know.” Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker. Arrangement and piano accompaniment by Debary Thompson.

Season 4, Episode 3

Home for the Holidays: When Peace Feels Complicated

Welcome back to Faith & Focus: A Moment for Your Mind. I’m Coach Gigi, best-selling author, board-certified brain and mental health coach, and CEO and Founder of FOCUS: Faith & Mental Health, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit where faith and mental health meet and where we believe healing is holy.

In this episode, we continue the Home for the Holidays series by naming a truth many people carry quietly. The holidays can stir joy and grief at the same time. For some, home feels warm and familiar. For others, it feels tense, triggering, or emotionally complicated. And for many, it is all of the above.

This conversation blends Scripture and psychology as we explore peace, emotional safety, boundaries, and why familiar environments often activate old patterns. We talk about how the nervous system responds during the holidays and how God invites us to create holy space without abandoning our well-being. This episode includes biblical encouragement, psychological insight, prayer, and a reminder that you are allowed to care for your heart while still honoring God.

This episode is sponsored by FOCUS: Faith & Mental Health, Inc., serving women, children, and families through faith-centered mental health coaching, education, and community outreach.

Community and Gratitude

We extend heartfelt thanks to No Child Goes Hungry in Virginia for their continued generosity and major food donations supporting families in Paulding County. We are also grateful to Publix for providing gift cards that helped make our holiday food baskets possible. Your partnership is changing lives.

You’re invited to support our work by attending The Healing Table fundraising dinner on Saturday, December 20 at 5 PM. Visit the Contact Us page on our website for details. You can also support our outreach through our Amazon Wishlist, with items going directly to families in need.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DUJNOXS1DPDA?ref_=wl_share

Books by Coach Gigi

Coming Soon

Withholding Love: When Intimacy Becomes a Weapon

Children’s Books Available Now on Amazon

Chef Gigi Serves Today

https://a.co/d/7cprHL7

Gigi’s French Bakery

https://a.co/d/5lUJ9Qy

My Body Is God’s Gift

https://a.co/d/iEwYbVx

Adult Faith and Healing Resources

https://a.co/d/8NzA35Z

https://a.co/d/a4AViP5

https://a.co/d/bBCiNIw

Learn more about our mission, book a coaching session, donate, or stay connected at

https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com/

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or emotional abuse, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org. You are not alone.

Background music credit

Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker. Arrangement and piano accompaniment by Debary Thompson.

Thank you for listening and for allowing God to meet you in real life, not a picture-perfect version of it. Breathe deep, stay prayed up, remember you are not too far gone, you are never alone, and stay focused

When Holidays Trigger Old Wounds: Finding Peace in a Season That Stirs Up More Than Joy

The holiday season can be beautiful, but it can also awaken memories, expectations, and emotional triggers we didn’t ask for. In this honest and deeply grounding episode, Coach Gigi explores why the holidays often stir old wounds, how emotional labor takes a toll on the mind and body, and how to stay centered when stress, disappointment, or pressure tries to steal your peace.

You’ll hear a vulnerable personal story about carrying the weight of Christmas for years — cooking, hosting, giving, showing up — while feeling unseen, overwhelmed, and emotionally stretched thin. You’ll learn why your nervous system reacts the way it does during stressful seasons, how trauma memories show up, and how to hold space for yourself while still honoring God and your healing journey.

This episode blends biblical wisdom, mental health insight, grounding techniques, guided reflection, and prayer to help you move through the holidays with honesty, rest, and grace.

Topics in this episode:

• Why holidays trigger emotional and spiritual memories

• The weight of invisible labor during high-pressure seasons

• Feeling unseen, unappreciated, or emotionally overloaded

• How trauma responses show up in the body

• What biblical peace looks like under pressure

• Grounding practices for real-time overwhelm

• Reflection questions to deepen emotional clarity

• A prayer for protection, comfort, and holiday peace

• Safety + support resources

FOCUS: Faith & Mental Health, Inc.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting women, children, and families through trauma-informed care, mental health education, and community programs.

Support the mission or donate at:

👉 https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com

Amazon Wish List for our Year-Round Fill-A-Backpack Initiative:

👉 https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19CEUZIY3WJ6X?ref_=wl_share

Books by Geleta “Gigi” Parker on Amazon:

• Beautifully Broken

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CL1D2RZK

• Catch & Release: Seeds of Deception

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJLZ7F1P

• My Body Is God’s Gift

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D37NPDX1

• Jesus, Lover of My Soul: Helping Women Worship Through Grief

👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4S6V1HS

Safety Resources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

Music Credit:

Be Still and Know That I Am God

Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker.

Arrangement and piano accompaniment by DaBarry Thompson.

WHEN LOVE MEETS BLIND SPOTS

Season 4, Episode 1

Home for the Holidays Series

As we enter this Home for the Holidays season, we’re stepping into a conversation many hearts whisper about but rarely name aloud. What do we do when someone we love cannot see what we clearly see? How do we honor God, protect our peace, and navigate relationships marked by blind spots, wounded communication, or unhealed survival patterns?

In this episode, Coach Gigi gently unpacks the emotional and spiritual weight of trying to love someone who misinterprets your intentions, misunderstands your heart, or reacts from their own hidden wounds. You’ll learn how the Word speaks to spiritual blindness, how psychology explains emotional misalignment, and how you can anchor yourself in truth without losing your identity or your sanity.

This is an episode filled with compassion, clarity, and wisdom. Whether you’re navigating marriage, parenting, family dynamics, or friendships, this message will help you breathe, reset, and reclaim your focus as you move through the holidays with grace and strength.

Visit the website:

https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com/

Explore Gigi’s books:

“My Body Is God’s Gift” https://a.co/d/4Yz2yYS

“Jesus Lover of My Soul” https://a.co/d/0Y8r55n

“Beautifully Broken” https://a.co/d/6XSYxbH

“Catch & Release: Seeds of Deception” https://a.co/d/cPMYwW9

Support Fill-A-Backpack and fight food insecurity:

Amazon Holiday List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1O3XFK6DKQ72L?ref_=wl_share

Background music:

“Be Still and Know”

Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker

Arrangement and piano accompaniment by Debary Thompson

If you are experiencing domestic violence and need help:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Text START to 88788

Chat: https://www.thehotline.org/

THE BENEDICTION OF SHALOM

Season 3 Finale

As we close the Shalom Season, take a deep breath and settle into the truth that God restores the pieces we thought were gone forever. In this final episode, Coach Gigi speaks a blessing over your mind, your home, your nervous system, and your future. This is a benediction of peace that reaches into the places you’ve survived and gently leads you toward the wholeness you’re becoming.

You’ll reflect, breathe, release, and receive. This is your invitation to step out of survival mode and back into the steady rhythm of God’s love. May this benediction carry you into a new season with strength, clarity, and rest.

Visit the website:

https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com/

Support Fill-A-Backpack and help fight food insecurity:

Amazon Holiday Food List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1O3XFK6DKQ72L?ref_=wl_share

Explore Gigi’s books:

“My Body Is God’s Gift” https://a.co/d/4Yz2yYS

“Jesus Lover of My Soul” https://a.co/d/0Y8r55n

“Beautifully Broken” https://a.co/d/6XSYxbH

“Catch & Release: Seeds of Deception” https://a.co/d/cPMYwW9

Listen to the podcast anytime by saying:

“Alexa, play Faith and Focus A Moment for Your Mind podcast.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence and need help:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Text START to 88788

Chat: https://www.thehotline.org/

Background music:

“Be Still and Know”

Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker

Arrangement and piano accompaniment by Debary Thompson

🌿 Episode 30 — The Making of Shalom

Shalom isn’t something you receive once. Shalom is something you learn how to build. In this powerful and transparent episode, Coach Gigi walks you through the real process of creating peace from the inside out — truth, boundaries, emotional regulation, trauma healing, and learning how to live with courage in hard places.

You’ll hear a vulnerable conversation about marriage, emotional patterns, safe people, and the difference between a man’s brokenness and the spiritual battles behind it. This episode reminds you of something many women need to hear: you are not a hypocrite — you are a woman in process. Healing, growing, guiding, and becoming.

If you’ve ever struggled with guilt, confusion, emotional exhaustion, or the weight of carrying peace in a chaotic environment, this message will meet you with truth and grace.

Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Support FOCUS: https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com

Amazon Wishlist (Fill-A-Backpack Initiative): [https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DUJNOXS1DPDA?ref_=wl_share

Books by Gigi on Amazon: Beautifully Broken, Catch & Release, Jesus, Lover of My Soul, My Body Is God’s Gift

Music Credit:

Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker.

Arrangement and piano accompaniment by Debary Thompson.

Episode 29: The Still Waters

When life feels loud, heavy, or overwhelming, God still leads us beside still waters. This episode invites you into a calm space to breathe, release, reflect, and reconnect with the One who restores your soul. Coach Gigi walks you through grounding practices, gentle truth, and biblical encouragement to help you find peace in the middle of chaos.

If you’ve been anxious, exhausted, or emotionally stretched, this episode will meet you with comfort and clarity.

Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Support FOCUS: https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com

Amazon Wishlist (Fill-A-Backpack): [https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DUJNOXS1DPDA?ref_=wl_share]

Books by Gigi on Amazon: Beautifully Broken, Catch & Release, Jesus, Lover of My Soul, My Body Is God’s Gift

Music Credit:

Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker.

Arrangement and piano accompaniment by Debary Thompson.

Episode 28

Coming out of survival mode is not an overnight shift… it’s a holy rebuilding. In this episode, Coach Gigi walks you through God’s gentle, intentional process of restoring your identity, regulating your mind and body, and bringing you into new circles of support and grace. You’ll hear scripture, reflection questions, a faith and psychology breakdown, and a celebration of everything God is doing through FOCUS: Faith & Mental Health, Inc. Tune in and step into the healing that’s waiting for you.

Background music: Be Still and Know

Written and composed by Geleta “Gigi” Parker.

Arrangement and piano accompaniment by Debary Thompson.

Visit the website to book coaching, donate, or learn more about our mission:

https://focusfaithmentalhealth.com/

Books by Geleta “Gigi” Parker:

Beautifully Broken: https://a.co/d/3cFndST

Catch and Release: Seeds of Deception: https://a.co/d/6Gx7q8B

Jesus, Lover of My Soul: https://a.co/d/bwXFX6a

My Body Is God’s Gift: https://a.co/d/9F5Cz4h

If you or someone you know is in danger or experiencing domestic violence, please reach out for help.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Or text START to 88788.