Tag Archives: faith

Lessons We Carry Between Lives: The Echoes That Shape Us

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Part 3 — The Echoes We Bring With Us

Hello friends,

Thank you for stepping back into Part 3 of my reincarnation series. I truly appreciate you being here and taking time out of your busy schedule to join me in my little corner of the internet.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and research on reincarnation, and when I first stepped into this topic, I’ll be honest — I was nervous. Not because I feared reincarnation itself, but because I was taught that even exploring it meant going against God… that curiosity was an invitation for darkness.

My dear friends, it has been quite the opposite.

This series has been enlightening. Comforting. Expansive. I love knowing my loved ones are still with me. I love seeing the signs they send when they’re near. I love feeling the veil thin just enough to remind me that love doesn’t disappear — it transforms.

And with all this research and reflection, I’ve been thinking a lot about the quiet things we carry — the things we don’t have language for, yet somehow shape the way we move through this life. And if reincarnation is real (and I’m beginning to believe it is), then it makes sense that not everything we feel started here.

Some lessons don’t begin in this lifetime. They simply continue.

Have you ever reacted to something with an intensity that didn’t match the moment? A fear that felt older than your childhood? A tenderness that felt inherited from somewhere you can’t name? A strength that surprised even you?

I’m starting to believe these are echoes — imprints — the soul brings with it when it returns.

Not memories, exactly. More like emotional fingerprints.

Let me tell you a story to show you what I mean.

The Lesson That Followed Her:

She didn’t know why she always hesitated before speaking her truth. Not dramatically — just a small pause, a tightening in her chest, a moment of scanning the room before letting her voice out.

People assumed she was shy. She assumed she was insecure.

But neither explanation felt right.

It wasn’t until years later, during a moment of stillness she didn’t plan, that she felt it — a whisper, a knowing, a sensation that didn’t belong to this lifetime:

You were silenced once.

Not by parents. Not by culture. Not by circumstance.

But by another life. Another era. Another version of herself who learned, the hard way, that speaking carried consequences.

And even though she didn’t consciously remember that life, her soul did.

So she carried the lesson forward — not as fear, but as caution. Not as weakness, but as wisdom. Not as trauma, but as a reminder:

Your voice matters. Use it carefully, but use it.

And in this lifetime, she finally began to unlearn what that other version of her had endured. She began to speak. She began to trust her voice. She began to heal a wound she never knew she had.

That’s the thing about soul lessons: They don’t disappear when the body does. They travel with us until we’re ready to transform them.

What We Carry:

Some souls carry courage. Some carry grief. Some carry unfinished love. Some carry promises. Some carry fears that don’t belong to this lifetime. Some carry wisdom they never studied. Some carry gifts they never learned. Some carry tenderness that feels ancient.

And maybe — just maybe — the reason certain patterns repeat, certain relationships feel familiar, certain wounds feel older than we are… is because they are.

Maybe this lifetime isn’t about starting over. Maybe it’s about continuing the work we began long before we arrived.

Maybe the lessons we carry aren’t burdens. Maybe they’re breadcrumbs.

Leading us back to ourselves.

Reflection Corner:

What is one pattern, fear, or strength you’ve always had — and does it feel older than your current life?

A Sanctuary Whisper:

Your soul is not starting from scratch. It’s picking up where it left off.

An Invitation to Return:

When you’re ready, come back for Part 4: The Contracts We Make Before We Arrive — the people we choose, the lessons we agree to, and why certain souls travel with us again and again.

Your evolution is welcome here. Your remembering is welcome here. Your soul is welcome here.

Evolving in grace,
Dawna‑Rae
🦋 may your heart return to itself again and again

For the Mother Becoming

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Hello dear friends,

Thank you for pausing with me tonight. This space has always been a place for reflection, for quiet truth, for the soft unfolding of the heart. If you are the mother of a son, these words may feel especially close. And if you are the mother of daughters, I hope you’ll share the ways your journey echoes or diverges from what I’m about to explore.

Let’s breathe in, settle our hearts, and begin.

There are moments in life when the heart speaks before the mind can catch up. Tonight is one of those moments for me. As Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve been reflecting not just on motherhood itself, but on the becoming that happens inside a woman when she is entrusted with a son.

Motherhood is not only about raising children — it is about evolving into the woman God knew you would need to be long before you ever held a baby in your arms. It is about the quiet transformations, the unseen stretching, the sacred undoing and rebuilding that happens in the hidden places of the heart.

I’ve been blessed with two sons born from my body and two sons born from another woman’s womb, yet woven into my life by God’s design. Four boys. Four stories. Four mirrors that have shaped me in ways I never expected. And each one has been part of my evolution — my spiritual becoming.

When I think back to the early days, I remember the fear, the uncertainty, the prayers whispered into the dark. I remember the losses that came before the blessings. I remember the trembling hope that maybe, just maybe, this time my heart would not break. And I remember the moment God placed a son in my arms and said, “Here. Grow with him.”

Because that’s what motherhood truly is — a growing with.

A mother grows as her son grows. She sheds old versions of herself. She learns to love in layers. She learns to hold on and let go at the same time. She learns that strength and softness are not opposites, but partners.

And somewhere along the way, she realizes that motherhood was never just about raising a child — it was about becoming a woman capable of carrying both love and loss, joy and ache, surrender and hope.

As my sons have grown into men, I’ve learned something sacred: A mother’s evolution does not end when her children leave home. It deepens.

There is a quiet holiness in watching your sons build lives of their own. There is a tender ache in the distance that naturally forms. There is a pride that settles into the bones — the kind that whispers, “You did what you were called to do.”

And there is a spiritual truth that anchors me: A mother’s love is not measured by proximity, but by presence — the kind that lives in the soul, not the schedule.

So to every mother of a son reading this — whether your boy is small, grown, distant, close, or somewhere in between — I hope you know this:

You are evolving. You are becoming. You are doing better than you think. And God is not finished with your story.

Motherhood is not a single season. It is a lifelong unfolding. A sacred becoming. A holy echo of love that continues long after the world stops seeing it.

May this Mother’s Day meet you gently. May it remind you of who you’ve been, who you are, and who you are still becoming. And may you feel the quiet strength of every mother who has ever loved a son in layers.

🦋 Evolving in grace,

Dawna‑Rae may your heart return to itself again and again

Letter Three — For the Daughter Who Still Reaches for Her Mother in the Quiet

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Hello friends,

I hope this blog finds you well. I know we’ve been touching on some pretty heavy topics, and I pray the things I write bring you some comfort during the hard times, like not having your mom during Mother’s Day.

From my corner tonight… this one is for the daughter who still reaches for her mother in the quiet.

There are certain kinds of missing that settle into the body in ways words can’t fully hold. A kind of ache that doesn’t ask for permission — it simply rises, unannounced, in the soft hours of the evening or in the stillness of early morning. If you are carrying that kind of ache tonight, I want to honor you gently.

Mother’s Day has a way of stirring what we thought had settled. It brings memory to the surface — sometimes tender, sometimes sharp, always honest.

I never celebrated Mother’s Day with my own mom. The church I was raised in didn’t allow such things, and by the time I left, the relationship had already fractured beyond recognition. So while I don’t know the grief of losing a mother to death, I do know the grief of losing a mother in life. And grief, in all its forms, reshapes us.

Maybe that’s why I hold my sons so close. Why their visits feel like sunlight. Why their voices on the phone feel like home. Why this year, all I want is a quiet Mother’s Day — no crowds, no noise, just the simple holiness of family.

But tonight isn’t about me. Tonight is for you — the daughter whose mother is no longer here to call, to hug, to sit beside, to ask for advice, to laugh with, to simply exist in the same room.

There are absences that stay shaped like a person. Shaped like her laugh. Shaped like her hands. Shaped like the way she knew you without needing the full story.

If you are moving through this season with a hollow place where her voice used to be, hear me clearly:

You are not grieving wrong. You are not “too emotional.” You are not supposed to be over it by now.

Love this deep doesn’t disappear. It echoes.

Maybe that’s why today feels tender in a way you can’t quite name. Maybe you felt her in the way the light moved across the room. Maybe you reached for a recipe she taught you. Maybe a phrase slipped out of your mouth and you heard her in it. Maybe you found yourself missing her in a way that surprised you.

If so, let that be okay. Let that be holy.

Your mother is not gone from you. Not really.

She lives in the way you comfort others. She lives in the way you straighten a blanket. She lives in the way you stir a pot. She lives in the way you pause before offering advice. She lives in the way you love — fiercely, imperfectly, wholeheartedly.

If today hurts, it’s because she mattered. Because she shaped you. Because she is woven into the person you became.

So if you need to cry, cry. If you need to talk to her, talk. If you need to sit quietly and let the ache move through you, do that.

There is no wrong way to miss your mother.

And if no one has told you this yet today, let me be the one:

She would be proud of you. She would recognize herself in your tenderness. She would see her strength in your resilience. She would be grateful for the way you carry her forward.

You are her living echo.

As Mother’s Day approaches, remember this: Your mother once walked this same path. She, too, most likely had to say goodbye to her own mother. She carried her grief in the way she needed. You are allowed to do the same.

Whatever you choose to do this Mother’s Day — honor her, remember her, speak her name, sit in silence, create a new ritual, or simply breathe — may it bring you comfort. May it remind you that she lives on in you.

Evolving in grace,

Dawna‑Rae 🦋 may your heart return to itself again and again

Seeing Ourselves With New Eyes

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Happy Sunday evening, friends,

Thank you for stepping back into Have You Evolved Today for another spiritual reflection. Having you here brings so much joy to my heart. Truly — thank you.

Tonight, I wanted to share something tender. Something that once came from a place of brokenness, but is now becoming a place of healing — all because of God’s gentle work in my life.

An old photo resurfaced this week. A photo that should have always held a special place in my heart, yet for years it carried a quiet ache. Not because of the moment itself, but because of the story I had allowed to grow around it — a story rooted in shame instead of truth.

There are moments in life when God invites us to look again — not at the world, not at our circumstances, but at ourselves. Sometimes that invitation comes through a memory, a conversation, or a quiet whisper in prayer. And sometimes… it comes through an old photograph.

Recently, I came across a picture of myself from years ago — a version of me I had avoided for a long time. Not because of the moment itself, but because of the story I had attached to it. A story shaped by someone else’s words. A story that made me shrink instead of rise.

But here’s the thing about evolution: God doesn’t let us stay in the places where shame has rooted itself. He brings us back — gently, lovingly — so we can see the truth we missed the first time.

When I looked at that photo again, I didn’t see the woman I once judged so harshly. I didn’t see the insecurity. I didn’t see the heaviness. I didn’t see the version of me shaped by someone else’s voice.

I saw a woman who was doing her best. I saw a mother who kept loving through storms she never named. I saw tenderness that refused to harden. I saw strength that didn’t roar — it endured.

And I realized something important:

Evolution isn’t always about becoming someone new. Sometimes it’s about finally seeing who you were all along.

So many of us carry old versions of ourselves that we’ve never forgiven. We hold onto moments where we felt small, unseen, or unworthy. We replay words that were spoken over us in anger or carelessness. We let those moments define us long after God has already rewritten the truth.

But the invitation today — the evolution — is this:

Look again.

Look at the woman you were with compassion. Look at the battles she fought without applause. Look at the love she gave even when she was hurting. Look at the strength she carried without knowing it had a name.

You don’t evolve by erasing her. You evolve by honoring her.

Because she is the reason you are who you are today. She is the foundation. She is the seed. She is the beginning of your becoming.

If you feel called, take a moment this week to revisit a version of yourself you’ve avoided. Not to judge her — but to bless her. To thank her. To see her with God’s eyes instead of your own.

You might be surprised by the woman who looks back at you.

Evolving in grace,

Dawna‑Rae

🦋 may your heart return to itself again and again

Through God’s Eyes

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Happy Tuesday

How are you all doing on the amazing Tuesday evening? Everything is going good here with me. Still trying to get my time management under control, but, I’m a work in progress.

I’ve been listening to so many devotional books lately. I’ve been immersing myself in more Christian music and while on my nature walks, I’ve been talking to God more. Something about being out in nature really draws me close to him. I can’t help but be so grateful to Him and express that gratitude as I am always in awe of his marvelous creations.

Have you ever stood at the base of a tree and just looked up? I did that yesterday and though I know the tree has it’s height and doesn’t really touch the sky, as I stood at the base of this huge tree and looked up, I couldn’t see the top. The branches were as big as tress themselves and the leaves made the tree so full. The wind was wisping through and you could hear the rustling of the leaves. It was almost like God was talking to me, reminding me of his magnificence.

I needed that reminder yesterday. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I forget how awe inspiring He is along with his many creations, it’s just sometimes, I believe I fall short of expressing my gratitude. I get caught up in other things and neglect to express being thankful for all He’s done for me.

While on my walk yesterday, I was listening to my Audible book, “A confident heart,” by Renee Swope. As I looked up at this tree and it’s enormous trunk, Renee was talking about how God doesn’t have to forgive us, we aren’t worthy of his forgiveness, we are worth it.

God created us to be his children and though we are imperfect due to the sins of Adam and Eve, that is, if you believe the Adam and Eve account, we were created by God. He sees in us our full potential, even when we don’t see it ourselves. He has unconditional love for us.

I think the closest we ever come to seeing what God sees is when we hold our newborn babies. When a mother gives birth and the doctor places that new life on her belly, she sees everything perfect in that baby. As time goes on, the mother, while in most cases still loves that baby or child unconditionally, we do begin to see their faults.

God on the other hand, he may see our faults, but he still looks at us through the eyes of perfection. Sure, he knows we mess up and all, but he sees beyond that. He sees us to the depths of our soul.

When a baby is born, they’re beautiful. They’re innocent and they are the most precious gift. We are forever, that precious gift in His eyes, even when we sin. God forgave King David who not only committed adultery and impregnated Bathsheba, but he had her husband killed to cover up his sin.

There’s nothing we can do that God won’t forgive. What a lesson in forgiveness, compassion and unconditional love. How quick we are at times to not forgive someone over even the slightest of transgressions, but God forgave an adulterer and murderer.

I suppose it would do us well if we took on the quality of forgiveness and perhaps tried to see things through a broader lens much like our creator.

If we take a moment to try and see things through the eyes of God, maybe it would soften our hearts a little. Maybe we would be more patient. Maybe we would show more kindness and maybe, more peace would avail in our world that seems to be so unkind right now.

I know there are good people despite the things we see and hear on the news. I know there’s love and peace amongst family, friends and neighbors, but we all live in a world full of uncertainty. I wonder what it would be like if we stopped from time to time, took a deep breath and just let things go. Let go, Let God.

Standing beneath that tree yesterday helped me feel His presence. It reminded me of His power and love and it reminded me of just how small I am in comparison to His other creations, yet, he still sees me. He sees my worth.

My dear readers, I hope we can all experience and enjoy God’s magnificent creations. I hope we can all take a moment to see through His eyes. All we have to do is look around. Creation is everywhere.

Just my thought. What do you think? I would love to hear from you. Drop me a comment or give me a like if you enjoyed the blog. It always makes my day hearing from my readers.

Well guys, I need to take another walk now. The pups are a bit anxious. Until next time, don’t forget, open your hearts, listen and evolve today++

Who would I be….

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Happy Thursday,

How is everyone doing on this amazing Thursday afternoon? I do hope today is finding you well, safe and happy. I wanted to thank you for taking time to read today’s blog and I wanted to encourage you to follow this blog so you don’t miss new content, which will be coming on a more regular basis moving forward. Please feel free to drop me a comment and if there’s a certain topic you’d like to have me talk about, leave that in the comments.

Today I wanted to talk about something that is close to my heart. You see, not long ago, I was involved heavily in a cult and in that cult, I feared God. I feared doing anything wrong, not because I have ever been afraid to die, but I feared being destroyed.

I was taught that the God I worshiped at that time was one that expected me to be perfect, or as perfect as I could be. I was taught, or made to feel like everything I did in His name wasn’t good enough. I remember one minister giving a sermon saying, “are you sure your giving your all to Jehovah?” Is your all, good enough?”

With statements like that, from an early age, I felt I had to be perfect. I lived my entire life with the mindset, everything had to be just so. I think I developed OCD from being raised feeling like everything I did, wasn’t good enough. To top that off, I was born a girl. Women in the cult were taught to be in complete submission to men and with that came the underlying belief system, we were to be quiet and not voice our opinions, and if we did voice them, then our fathers, brothers, husbands, they were the final decision maker.

When I finally left the cult at the age of 45 years young, I left believing 100% that I was going to be destroyed by God. I believed that no matter how good of a person I was or tried to be, it didn’t matter, because I wasn’t living the life of a cult member, a member of the religion in which I learned to be terrified of our God and creator.

I’ve made some stupid mistakes along the way to finding grace in God. It took my mess ups to realize, God still was there for me and he had been all along.

With this blog, I want to help people realize that we have a loving creator and if you aren’t a believer, that’s okay too, I’m not here to change your belief system. I’m only hear to share my experiences and by doing so, I hope you find comfort in your own core belief.

On my journey to finding comfort in God, I have found that I can freely talk about Him and to Him. I can thank Him and not feel like I’m being fanatical. I enjoy waking up each morning and thanking God for a new day. I thank Him for all the provisions in my life and I thank Him for showing me the way. I always ask Him to keep guiding me. I thank Him for His forgiveness when I know I’ve fallen short.

I am beyond grateful for my new found relationship with God.

This brings to mind a beautiful song sung by Lauren Daigle. “Thank God I do.”

When I was at my lowest point, the point in my life where I didn’t feel loved by anyone, I had given up on life, my life. I simply didn’t care anymore. Then, John came along and he helped me find the relationship I so desperately needed and wanted from God and from a man. John became the man who showed me love and on that path, I began to see that I was capable of being loved, not only by a man, but by God.

“I’ve seen love come and I’ve seen love walk away. So many questions, will anybody stay? It’s been a hard year, so many nights in tears. All of the darkness, trying to fight my fears, alone, so long alone.”

What I didn’t realize, when John came into my life, was, he was sent by God to love me and in that love, I learned God loved me first and h=He made sure to give me a man that could help me past my fears. God gave me someone who was patient, kind, loving and compassionate, but most of all, He gave me someone to hold me tight, so tight that I could feel his heart beat and His love.

“I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You. I’d probably fall off the edge. I don’t know where I’d go if You ever let go, so keep me held in Your hands.” I think God holds me in His hands. He knows me better than anyone, so He sent me John. When John sees me spinning, he reminds me of his love, but more importantly of my creators love.

“I’ve started breathing. The weight is lifted here. With You, it’s easy. My head is finally clear. There’s nothing missing. when you are by my side. I took the long road, but now I realize I’m home with You. I’m home. I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t know You.”

Though I doubt my worth from time to time, God is right there reminding me He’s there for me and when I can’t even begin to wrap my head around God actually loving me, He gives me the reminders that I so lovingly and desperately need. Who would I be if I didn’t know Him? Thank God, I do.

It is because God sent someone into my life, that I have learned not to fear Him. I’ve learned an entirely new way to talk to God. I’ve learned how to really build upon my belief in Him and though I fall short, He still loves me.

“You’re my safe place. My hideaway. You’re my anchor. My saving grace. You’re my constant. You’re my steadiness. You’re my shelter. My oxygen.”

I pray every day that I can continue to build on my relationship with Him and I pray He will open doors for me to share His word with others, but more importantly, I pray He uses me to share my experiences of overcoming religious trauma, so that others will come to see what a loving god He truly is. If it be His will.

As I conclude here today, I hope you found something positive to take away in reading this blog.

Until next time, I pray God will keep me and you held in His hands .

I do hope you are having the greatest of days and until next time, open your hearts, listen and evolve today++

Religion and a relationship with God,

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Happy Thursday,

How is everyone doing on this amazing Thursday evening? I can’t believe how long it’s been since I blogged on this this page. I’m so embarrassed that I’ve allowed so much time to get in the way of chatting with all you wonderful folks. I’ve missed this page and it is my goal to write again at least 3 days a week. I hope if you are a returning reader, that you will continue to read moving forward. If you are a new reader, I hope if you are new to Haveyouevolvedtoday, that you enjoy the writings here. Please feel free to comment and give me any feedback, I love hearing from you all.

On a side note, I’ve been writing tons on my lovelifewithdawna@wordpress.com page. I hope you can check it out sometime. I take a different spin on things over there. On this blog page my goal is to talk more about being spiritual versus religious. I’ve heard it said, it’s not about the religion, it’s about the relationship.

I strongly believe this statement. You see, I believe more and more each and every day that it is our relationship with God, the Universe, or whatever entity you believe in, rather than than the religion you belong to. Now before you get upset, let me say this. I believe religion is good. I believe having that community and having a belief system is important, however, I think at times we get so caught up in the customs of a religion we forget the importance of the relationship with our creator.

“Religion is the rules, regulations, ceremonies and rituals developed by man to create conformity and uniformity in the approach to God. Spirituality is God’s call in your soul.”-Iyanla Vanzant.

This isn’t to say that religion is all bad, it’s simply, or I’m simply trying to point out that sometimes we get so caught up in religion, we fail to remember the reason we are supposed to be a part of a religion and that reason is to have a relationship with our creator, God, the Universe or whatever deity you believe in.

“Religion is a candle in the darkness, spirituality is the sun that illuminates it all.”-Paulo Coelho. Religion most certainly can lead us to a relationship with God, especially with like minded people being in our circle to encourage us to keep on the path to knowing God, but being spiritual is where we really want to be.

I know for me, being raised in a cult/religion, I feared God and not in a healthy way. I feared God to the point I never felt good enough. What I failed to learn or what was failed to be taught to me was that God is love and that he’s forgiven me long before I ask him for forgiveness. Once I left the religion of Jehovah’s Witness, I found comfort in having a relationship with God. Knowing I could talk to him and truly pour out my heart in prayer to him, I began to forgive myself of my mistakes. I began to talk with God as often as I could or can. I talk with him on my walks, when I’m home alone, even when I’m driving. I’m excited to wake up each morning and thank him for the home he’s provided for me and for the people who have stayed in my life, despite leaving the religion.

I’ve been shunned and it still hurts, I won’t lie, however, when someone from my past religion chooses to walk the other way or not acknowledge me, I pray and I express to God that I’m thankful he’s shown me that shunning is not something loving, in fact, it’s something so harmful, then I ask God, if it be his will, to open the hearts of those that I miss and still care very much about in the religion.

My relationship with God is more than I ever expected. I am comforted by him and the relationship I have with him. He is truly my refuge when times are difficult and he continues to bless my home, my family and my love with the man he brought into my life.

While religion has many good points, it’s not ever meant to replace or dictate how we build our relationship with our creator. Religion is generally organized and involves rituals and practices focusing on a higher power or God.-nih.gov. Whereas spirituality involves a personal quest or meaning in life.-nih.gov.

If you belong to a religion, I hope it’s one that brings you closer to God or whatever deity you worship. It’s wonderful to have the community that religions offer, yet it’s equally, if not more important to focus on our relationship with the one we worship.

I hope wherever you are, whatever you believe in, I pray you have the comfort in your relationship with the one you worship. It sure does make life so much more amazing and I am beyond proud of being able to give God credit in front of others, whereas, in my past life, I feared it.

I feel I’m evolving every day into a more spiritual person, less religious and more open to receive God’s message in my life. I do love visiting church with the family from time to time, as I love the community of being in a congregation, however, my relationship with God does mean so much more.

My dear readers, I am beyond excited to be back here on haveyouevolvedtoday@wordpress.com and I look forward to writing more in the coming days. Until next time, have a blessed day/evening. Hugs…