Unashamed and Free

Many Christian women, including leaders, have had an abortion. Some before they met Christ, while others had theirs after becoming a believer. The shame of having an abortion can quietly eat away at our intimacy with the Lord and others. Francheska and I have an honest conversation about her abortion and the journey of healing the Lord took her through. She captured this journey in her vulnerable...

A brief reflection for the final days of 2025.  FREE DEVOTIONAL:   Jesus, Do You Care? 3 Ways to Locate Jesus in Your Storm Want to contact me?  Follow me on Instagram and YouTube Email me at danielle@unashamedandfree.com

It is easy to bless the Lord when life feels great, but what happens when life feels heavy? Do you stop praising God in your valley? It is tempting to withhold our praise in the valley because of doubt or anger. Leaning into praise may feel strenuous, but Psalm 103 offers a beautiful template to guide our hearts to praise regardless of our circumstances. Listen to Danielle Kelly's audio devotional...

Who or what are you wrestling with today? Are you wrestling with an insecurity or a sin struggle? Are you wrestling with a relational conflict or a challenge at work?  We may think our struggle is one thing, but something else is the source. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that our wrestle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil.  Listen to Danielle Kelly's audio devotiona...

When hunger strikes, where do you turn? Do you grab a nutritious meal or a sugary snack? Do you recognize your hunger as safe? In John 6:35, Jesus says, " I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. " Oftentimes, we seek to fulfill our spiritual hunger in illegitimate ways. Listen to Danielle Kelly's audio devotional, A Safe Hunger, to learn how to let Jesus satisfy you...

October is Pastor Appreciation Month but many congregations are unaware of this special time to honor and encourage our pastors. Listen in as I share three inspiring principles from the life of Moses for pastors.  Resources Mentioned: FREE DEVOTIONAL: Jesus, Do You Care? 3 Ways to Locate Jesus in Your Storm Want to contact me?  Follow me on Instagram and YouTube Email me at danielle@unashamedandfr...

Anne Polencheck is the Executive Director of New Name NFP , a ministry founded in 2009 that reaches out to women sexually exploited and trafficked in the Chicagoland area.  Anne has served with New Name since the beginning and has been leading the ministry since 2010.  Anne has a bachelor of science in Electrical Engineering and worked as a software engineer for over 20 years.  In 2013, she left h...

Megan Bloedel is a Christian writer and podcaster currently living in Wisconsin with her husband. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a Ministry to Women and Bible degree. Megan enjoys writing and speaking about mental health and faith. She co-hosts her podcast, Let's Talk About It , with her friend Jacque Anderson. The heart of the podcast is to talk freely about messy, "awkward," hard,...

Aasha Marie is a Christian Hip hop artist curating clean content for the culture based in the city of Chicago. From Englewood, she focuses on physical and spiritual transformation by using her musical gifts of song, poetry, rap and rhyme to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her heart is for evangelism and discipleship within the local church and she is committed to using her gifts to serve t...

6 Reasons Why We Don't Finish We focus more on our doubt or our lack of skill instead of the God who called us. (Check out Moses in Exodus 3) We diminish the task and think it is beneath us. (Check out the life of David. Start in I Samuel 16 and read Psalm 78:72.) We are too busy comparing or competing with others. We are afraid of people or desire their approval instead of God's approval. We lack...

I originally recorded this video for my Instagram account and I didn't plan on posting it as a podcast episode. However, I realized that many of my podcast listeners don't follow me on Instagram. I wanted to provide a brief update on my plans for the rest of 2020.  Want to contact me?  Follow me on Instagram Follow me on Facebook Email me at danielle@unashamedandfree.com

Dianna continues sharing her journey in this episode around the shame she experienced having a premature baby. Kaden, her miracle baby, was born at 23 weeks into the world covered in prayer. The power of prayer and community helped Dianna cling to the Lord. Becoming a mother, gave Dianna the continued courage to heal so that she could provide a better life for her son.  Dianna is saved by God, a w...

Today, my friend Dianna Tymes shares her struggles with shame from molestation and past sexual sin. Shame first entered Dianna's life when she was molested as a young child and resulted in her keeping negative secrets and increased her feelings of insecurity. Not knowing how to deal with this shame and other complex things going on in her life, Dianna struggled with anger and fighting. Listen in a...

Kenya Denise is a young believer in Christ with a passion for changing the standard of beauty through the transparency of her own story and as a licensed Esthetician in Chicago, IL. She recently launched her skincare business Unfading Beauty Skin Care with the mission to encourage beauty from the inside out through skincare services, products, and knowledge.  In today's episode, Kenya shares how t...

Angie Pryor was the first person I interviewed on this podcast. In 2018, she shared her incredible story of overcoming molestation, domestic violence, and the shame of abortion. She is back with an update on her journey out of shame into freedom. Since our first interview, Angie has lost 80lbs and has gained a new mindset. In this episode, she shares about her lifelong struggles with weight and in...

In today's episode, I interview Certified Professional Life Coach Janet Pisani about her struggles with shame, bitterness, and private grief around her life long battle with chronic illness. Despite her struggles, Janet has learned to seek the Lord for healing and coaches others on how to move forward through life transitions and chronic illness.  Janet Pisani was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA...

This week, I interview my friend Darren Greenfield about the shame he experienced from having two unexpected children. He talks about the tension his past decisions have caused in his current life and his struggles with understanding his identity. We dive into what happens when black men don't allow themselves to heal from their shame and anger. This episode is packed with gems of truth that will...

Today, I chat with my friend, Richard (Dick) Lewis, about his battle with alcoholism and his road to sobriety. He shares the moment when he realized that alcohol had become an idol in his life and how drinking was a symptom of his self-centeredness. Through a surrendered heart and the power of the Holy Spirit, Dick is now walking in freedom no longer allowing alcohol to be an idol in his life.  Di...

Romans 12:2 instructs us to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Have you ever wondered how to renew your mind and what steps to take? Today, I interview Barb Raveling author of The Renewing of the Mind Project . Her book provides practical tools like truth journaling to help you experience a transformed mind. Barb shares how renewing her mind helped her walk in freedom from emotional eati...

On Sunday, I celebrated my 35th birthday by remembering...remembering who God has been in my life. I remembered the many miracles He has allowed me to experience and the many ways He has kept me.  Shame can keep us frozen in our trauma blocking memories of God's presence and faithfulness in our lives. The act of remembering is stewarding the countless stories of God showing up and showing out thro...

"Are We There Yet?" We have all asked this question at some point as we waited to reach our destination. Waiting is not always pleasant but God requires us to steward the wait in our lives. Listen in as I share lessons I've learned during times of waiting in my life.  Resources Mentioned Seasons by Hillsong   Scriptures Mentioned : Proverbs 3:5-6 ; Proverbs 13:12 This Week's Belt of Truth : Lament...

My Stewardship series continues with a discussion on the importance of stewarding our relationships.  I identify 5 toxic relationships that we need to get rid of or create distance in:  Partners in Crime Glass Ceiling Relationships Energy Suckers  Foot on the Neck Relationships  Takers In the second half, I use Jesus as a model to help us navigate and manage the relationships in our lives.  Resour...

I am kicking off a new series called Stewardship . This week, I talk about how we are called to steward our story and our beginnings. The woman at the well in John 4 teaches us how to own our stories and boldly testify about what God has done in our lives. What could happen if you took authority over your story? What if God used your story to save someone? What could happen? Resources Mentioned *N...

Meet my friend Lisa Browne, founder of Colorful Stories , an organization whose mission is to share racially-diverse children's literature with an unapologetic emphasis on positive black representation. Lisa and I met over a decade ago at church shortly after she arrived from South Africa. In this episode, Lisa shares how the Lord lifted the shame of living a life that was a lie and how He brought...

Living in a country that does not see black as beautiful has been a barrier in my personal journey of embracing my blackness. Listen in as I share 5 things I have learned to help me embrace the beautiful black skin God has given me.  Resources Mentioned The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin Black Gold (ft. Algebra Blessett) by Esperanza Spalding This Week's B...