In the final episode of our Life Is Messy series, we reflect on what it truly means to be loved as you are. Drawing from Matthew Kelly’s Life Is Messy (pages 168–195) and the wisdom of The Velveteen Rabbit, we explore how God’s love doesn’t make life perfect — it makes us real.

We talk about why shabbiness doesn’t cancel beauty, how wisdom is formed through storms, and why the valleys matter just as much as the peaks. From learning to remember people and stories honestly, to resisting distraction, unforgiveness, and perfectionism, this conversation invites us to choose meaning over control.

As we close this series, our hope is that you walk away with a healthier relationship with your own brokenness — trusting that you are loved as you are, in every season, and that what makes you real is also what makes you beautiful.

In this episode of The Open Doors Podcast, we continue our conversation through Life Is Messy by Matthew Kelly (pages 138–168) and explore the difficult but healing work of forgiveness.

Forgiveness isn’t easy—especially when we’ve been hurt, betrayed, or disappointed by those closest to us. We talk about how unforgiveness can quietly affect us emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and why forgiveness is not excusing behavior, but choosing to let go and surrender.

This conversation also dives into boundaries, people-pleasing, and the struggle to say no without guilt. After pain or trauma, finding your voice can feel overwhelming—but your needs matter, and your voice matters. We reflect on how our identity is not found in our yes or our no, but in who God says we are.

If you’re learning to forgive, struggling to speak up, or longing for healing and freedom, this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Open Doors Podcast, we continue our conversation through Life Is Messy by Matthew Kelly, diving into Part 4 (pages 138–167). Together, we explore how fear and perfectionism shape our thoughts, expectations, and daily choices—and how they often leave us feeling overwhelmed, stuck, and disconnected from God’s peace.

We talk about the lies fear tells us about ourselves, why unhealed wounds can be transferred, and how the pressure to be perfect is not from God. This episode invites us to break free from unrealistic expectations, trust God’s timing, and learn what it looks like to live in balance—keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus rather than swinging between obsession and giving up.

If you’re feeling exhausted from trying to get everything right, this conversation is a reminder that healing and freedom happen one faithful choice at a time—and that every moment is an opportunity for God to bring beauty from the ashes.