Invitation to Co-Creation: A Spiritual Path from Child Abuse and Religious Trauma to Love, Healing, and Oneness is a personal and courageous exploration from the scars of childhood abuse and religious trauma. Why was this an important book for you to write?

There were a number of reasons why it was important for me to write my memoir. The process of healing childhood and religious trauma was empowering and transformational. By sharing my journey I hope readers are inspired to discover their own unique paths to healing and know that it’s always possible to overcome adversity.

I also wanted to tell my story because many of my traditional family and friends were unfamiliar with my traumatic background and current progressive Christian beliefs. They had no frame of reference to understand my spiritual experiences or belief in a loving, inclusive God. Through my writing, I tried to create a bridge to help my loved ones know me better. I had hidden my authentic self most of my life. My intense fear of rejection kept me silent. It took a leap of faith to share so vulnerably and publicly. It was freeing when I finally found the courage to speak my truth.

Though it was my personal goal to create a bridge of understanding from the traditional to the nontraditional for my family and friends, it became clear that, in this era of polarization, we need a way to span the gaps between our differences now more than ever, so that we can engage more respectfully with one another. Thus, my personal goal of bridging divides expanded into a broader purpose for this book.

The actual inspiration for my book occurred in 2015 when I reached out to Blessed Mother Mary for healing and direction for my life, and I received a message to write Invitation to Co-Creation. As I reflected on the traumas I had experienced and where I was stuck in my life, I was encouraged to make changes and then write about them. It was also important for me to showcase another message I received from Mother Mary – a vision of oneness and global harmony that all are invited to co-create. It wasn’t until I was further along on my journey that I realized my personal healing goals intertwined with this collective vision.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

It was important to share my understanding of co-creation as a dynamic, interactive process between a benevolent God and humanity. I initially experienced co-creation thirty-seven years ago when I developed a debilitating medical condition that stymied traditional medicine. After a prayer for healing, I was divinely guided step-by-step (through signs, intuitions, and synchronicities) to complementary healing practitioners and treatments until I was healed. This was the first time I experienced co-creating my life with the Divine, even though I didn’t have a word for it back then. Through the process of co-creation, I was also led on a divinely guided journey to heal from childhood and religious trauma, which freed me to know self-worth, find forgiveness for my parents, experience peace in my progressive Christian beliefs, and live with love, joy, and authenticity.

However, co-creation isn’t just for me. It’s part of everyone’s spiritual heritage as a child of God and the Universe to ask questions and receive answers. In my book, I describe the process of co-creation and how to tune into divine guidance in greater detail, and I offer additional personal examples.

Oneness is another concept I wanted to bring to life. Mother Mary shared her vision of oneness– that we’re one interconnected human family– and her hope that this awareness would lead to a peaceful world. When we remember we’re all in this together, we’re more likely to focus on our commonalities and engage in collaboration and cooperation to find personal and global solutions that work for all.
(Incidentally, oneness doesn’t mean uniformity; rather it’s a unity that also honors diversity, where everyone is included, valued, and respected.)

I deeply resonated with Mother Mary’s vision of oneness. It was easy to imagine standing in a circle holding hands with diverse, unknown people from all corners of the world, coming together as one. However, on a personal level, I also struggled with this vision, because I felt separate from those that hurt me. My traumatic experiences from childhood and religious trauma threatened our bonds. It took an inner journey where I learned to live from my heart, instead of my hurt, to rekindle my connection with them. By healing the rifts within myself and the disconnection in my relationships, oneness became a real-life experience.

I suspect I’m not alone in finding it easier to align with an ideal vision of oneness. It’s far more challenging to come back to the real world and heal the hurts that keep us alienated from one another and engage respectfully across our divides. But this nitty-gritty work is exactly what we need to do.

We’re at a crossroads. Major polarizations and divisions are pulling us apart.

We have an opportunity to reverse this course. We’ve been invited to build bridges to one another, reconcile our relationships, and see the world as an “us”, rather than as an “us versus them.” Invitation to Co-Creation offers inspiration and practical tools to make the dream of oneness in our relationships, communities, and world a possible reality.

What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?

Hands down, the most challenging circumstances to share were the traumatic events from my childhood that reverberated into adulthood, impacting every area of my life. However, writing was also very therapeutic. It was gratifying to see and experience the healing that brought me to the place where I am today.

Without diminishing the negative influence that childhood and religious trauma have had on my life, these core wounds also acted as catalysts for my spiritual growth. These life challenges were the hidden gifts that moved me out of victimhood and into empowerment. As I became the author of my life I found meaning, passion, and a purpose that went beyond my personal healing to collective healing. It has been very rewarding to share my journey and the broader purpose of my book– Mother Mary’s vision of global oneness.

What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?

When you co-create your life with the Divine you’ll be embarking on your most rewarding spiritual journey ever. You’ll realize that the Divine is always available to empower, support, and guide you to become the best version of yourself and to live the beautiful life you’re meant to live. The significance of undertaking your journey can’t be overstated because all personal healing leads to collective healing. When you transform yourself for the better, there’s a ripple effect, and you transform the world for the better.

Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon