Meet our Founder...More than our story

I remember the first time I told my story in public. It was 2008. In church. In front of a couple of hundred people. In front of my pastors. My family. My church friends. And strangers. Lots and lots of strangers... It was one of the hardest and most liberating things I had ever done. I never imagined God would call me to share in this way, but He did. And He gave me His enabling grace to do it. And I was set free from the shame of my story by doing it. God birthed this ministry (Fierce Woman Found) from that night of revealing and sharing. And many, many women since have found freedom, deliverance, and healing from hearing the 'stories' of women--like me--who found their voice and dared to speak up and speak out about their life's trauma. We have an extension of this ministry called "Voices of the Soul". Its a collection of poems and stories of these very women who, like me...were strong and courageous enough to share the "Voices of their Soul and the Expressions of their Heart".

But several years ago, I started to resent every time someone asked me to share my story. Didn't like feeling that way. Felt guilty about it. After all, didn't God use me for that very reason? But as I allowed myself to work through my 'stuff', I realized that I felt ‘identified’ by what had happened to me and the choices I had made. I felt as though the only "Kristen" people knew or wanted to know was the DV survivor, the broken woman, the woman with the tragic past. Yet, in my own healing journey, I was getting to a place where I wanted to focus on the future not the past. It was hard because my mom and I had this ministry that God had given us and I felt responsible to be a part of it, yet I knew I no longer wanted to share what had happened to me in the past.

I had come to the point in my healing where I no longer wanted to be known by the tragedies of my life.

You see...I am not my story.

My story is something that happened to me. Good, bad, ugly, beautiful and victorious – it happened.

But I am more than just my story. I am more than just a survivor. I am a thriver. I am an overcomer. I am Kristen. I am Angel and Michelle's daughter. I am my children's mother and a sister and a soon to be wife. I am a poet and a reader and a writer. I am in the middle of writing my first book. I love to create and craft. I love to cook and hope to have my own catering business someday.

You see...I have a new story to share now, and in a couple of years, I will have another new story to share then. More victories, more blessings, maybe even more trials and hurts. But I am not my story. I am not defined by my past or even by the things that happen to me. I am many things– but I am not the story of my past. And there are many more stories in me. We all have a story. A testimony of what has happened to us so far. But, we also have a story about what is happening now and what has yet to happen. Our stories are important, extremely valuable, and we need them. They are a part of us...a part of our journey, and they are an amazing tool used by God to heal us and to help heal others, BUT, they are not our identity. They do not and should not define us. We are defined and designed by an amazing God who has a perfect plan for us.

And so, if you're at that place where you don't want to share your story anymore...don't feel bad or guilty or pressured to do so. Be courageous once again and begin to share a new story. I challenge you to not let your story define you. Share it. Own it. But don't be limited to it. And whatever you do...don't let anyone else hold the pen! Your story includes not only your past, but your present and your future too. And God isn't finished writing your story yet. So share your past...but share your dreams as well. Live. Learn. Teach. ...and keep making new and beautiful stories! - KrisLis