Welcome to the Storytellers Live podcast where everyday people share real and personal stories.

Some are profound and challenging, while others are more common and relatable shared with honesty and humor.

But all of these stories reveal what God can do in our lives when we trust him with the details.

Thanks for joining us.

Hi, everyone. This is your host, Kelly, from the Storytellers Live team. On each episode,

you'll hear a different woman share her story of God's transforming love. These stories are recorded

in a live setting at weekly local gatherings, where we're aiming to build community through sharing,

connecting, and encouraging

one another. Most importantly, these stories reveal the faithfulness of God and how he can take

what's ordinary and broken and exchange it for extraordinary and redeemed. Today's story was

shared by Ashley at the local gathering in Auburn, Alabama.

Her story covers everything from mental illness, loss of a loved one, and depression,

to infertility, adoption, and healing.

I want to touch on mental health for a moment because while public awareness and perception of mental health continue to move in a positive direction,

it is still more critical than ever for us to learn and listen to experiences of those affected

so that we can all be more compassionate and understanding and supportive.

It can be scary for someone to realize they may be dealing with a mental health condition

and sometimes even scarier for close family members,

as in Ashley's case, who watch their loved ones change, struggle, and even fight medication or help.

Ashley has learned through research that it's possible for individuals to not only live with a mental health condition,

but to thrive, especially with support and accountability. So if you or someone you know is suffering with a mental health condition, but to thrive, especially with support and accountability.

So if you or someone you know is suffering with a mental illness, we pray that you find hope

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