The pelvic floor: it can be wounded during childbirth– but– could it be healed during the process instead?   Victoria Hedrick is a wife to her wonderful husband Jonathan, and the mother of their almost three year old daughter, Josie. They live on a small piece of land in Virginia that they are slowly turning into a homestead. Victoria enjoys fishing, canoeing, baking sourdough, and all things babies and homebirth. They are expecting their second baby later this year.  Victoria and Jonathan have walked through quite an amazing journey throughout their marriage, particularly in relationship to birth and the physical and emotional healing it provided.  You are going to be in awe with this episode!   Episode Roundup:  The loving way this couple worked together and their positive outlook.  The entrance that Victoria and Jonathan had into marriage was unexpected and highly challenging.  These are the types of situations that can so easily cause discord and animosity between couples.  How easy would it be for either one to take their hurt and pain and twist it into a weapon instead of allowing it to pull each other closer?  Despite the feelings of “why”, despite the darkness, the hurt, the challenge, Victoria and Jonathan continued on as partners working together.  And now, they are reaping the benefits of that choice.  They now get to experience intimacy on so many levels, and they know that they can trust one another to be steadfast love even in hard times. Confession and repentance.  When Victoria told God the truth, it changed everything.  “I want to trust you.  Help me trust you.”  The truth was she didn’t trust Him, and that’s what she was telling him.  God can work with that.  HE led her to repentance– He changed her mind with HIS truth and was able to finally help her open her hands and surrender.  Sometimes we think of confession and repentance as, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” and maybe a few more “I’m sorry’s”.  But that’s not really what confession is.  When a detective is asking a criminal to confess, is he asking for an apology, or is he asking for the truth?  When we confess, we are telling the truth.  And repentance, or the Greek word for repentance, is metanoia.  It also doesn’t simply mean “I’m sorry.” It’s the way you think differently after having had your mind changed.  And who can change your mind best?  In my personal experience, confessing to God and sharing the truth of my heart- even the deepest, deepest darkest corners where my real thoughts hide sometimes even from myself– the ones I wouldn’t want anyone to know– when I can search that out and tell Him the truth, he brings about the repentance.  He shows me the REAL truth of the situation.  He provides me with new perspective, with HIS heart… and boy, when that happens, my mind is truly changed.  Truly healed.  Now I’m not striving to be better, I’m made new with new revelation and understanding, usually about just how deep the Father’s love for us really is.  Now back to Victoria- isn’t it beautiful how we see this play out?  She tells God how she’s feeling, and then wow, low and behold, this new ability to release and surrender comes from… where?  From nowhere?  No, from her good Father who loves her.  I’m linking two of my favorite books that dive into these topics in the show notes if you’d like to dive deeper with this. Links: Samaritan Ministries | samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth Happy Homebirth Academy | happyhomebirth.thrivecart.com/happy-homebirth-academy-checkout/ Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/facebook-landing-page Youtube | youtu.be/GmPnhTCJx0I Blueshield | blushield.com/homebirth (use code HOMEBIRTH for 18% off of your order today!) Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)