Today’s podcast hits some tough topics we don’t often cover on Pardon the Mess. But these are very real issues facing so many, and I’m thankful Ashley Abercrombie is with us as we do it.   Ashley is a writer and speaker whose work has been featured in outlets like OprahMag.com, Relevant, and Grit and Virtue. She is the author of Rise of the Truth Teller and Love Is the Resistance.   Ashley chats with us today about her last eighteen years of working through recovery from drugs, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, sexual assault, and an abortion. She’s realized that, as Christians, we’re so often tempted to live in the bondage of silence instead of overcoming our shame and sharing our stories. She’s found that only in breaking the silence will we experience full healing and beautiful glimpses of God’s redemptive hand at work.   There’s also a great word for those of us who struggle with the need to perform (guilty ✔️) and parenting our kids through the hard places they will face in their own stories.   Can’t wait for you to hear from Ashley today, and please share this powerful testimony with those around you who need to be encouraged to share their own stories.