In this episode, i wrestle out loud with a question many of us quietly carry:
Is self-love always wrong—or did we misunderstand what God was asking of us?

Yes, Jesus calls us to love.
Yes, He calls us to forgive—even our enemies.
But love and forgiveness do not automatically mean access, proximity, or relationship.

Sometimes we confuse being “Christ-like” with being constantly available, tolerating harm, or shrinking ourselves to keep the peace.
But staying in relationships that consistently belittle, wound, or drain you does not honor God—it slowly prevents you from becoming who Jesus created you to be.

This episode is a reminder that:

• Love doesn’t have to look like being best friends with everyone

• Forgiveness doesn’t require reconciliation in every situation

• It is okay—holy, even—to love people from a distance

God never called us to live exhausted, resentful, or empty while trying to love well.
He desires our obedience with joy, and that joy flows when our cup is filled with Him.

Jesus isn’t only present in church or spiritual moments.
He’s with us in the everyday—in rest, movement, creativity, errands, and caring for the body and life He entrusted to us.

Loving yourself the right way isn’t selfish.
It’s stewardship.
Remember, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and your life matters to God to you know. If you’ve ever felt guilty for needing boundaries…If you’ve stayed too long out of fear, obligation, or shame…This conversation is for you.

Follow and connect with me here:

socials: @un_spokenpod | @aggie_pouredoutforJesus

web: www.theunspokenpod.com

Welcome to the very first story of season 2 of Unspoken with Aggie Park—a space where we tell the truth about healing. The parts we’ve walked through and the parts we’re still walking through. Because even in the middle of it all, we are deeply loved and already redeemed.

Today’s conversation is really special to me. i get to sit down with my dear sister Neena Perez—and her story is one that carries so much honesty, courage, and grace.

Neena has walked through abuse, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and homelessness. And instead of letting those chapters define her, God has rewrote her pain into purpose. Today, she’s using the very scars she’s still healing from to bring hope to others through her ministry, The Purpose-Filled Kitchen.

And i love this so much because i love food! Anyone else? ^.^ And even though food is simple, it’s powerful. It brings people together. It slows us down. It creates space. And Neena shows us how God can use something so ordinary to do something deeply healing and sacred.

This episode fits right into the heart of Season 2—being real, raw, and honest about our current struggles. Neena doesn’t come on sharing a perfect ending. She shares the middle. The tension. The waiting. The places where faith and pain exist at the same time.

• How trauma can distort how we see ourselves—and how God gently restores our identity

• What God has already healed, and what He is still healing

• How to keep trusting Jesus when you believe He can heal you, but it hasn’t happened yet

• Encouragement for anyone who feels like their setbacks outweigh their victories

• How God called Neena to minister through food as a way to bring healing and hope

• Why slowing down is so hard—and how to learn to rest with Jesus without guilt or fear

If you’ve ever felt discouraged in your healing…
If you’ve wondered why it feels harder instead of easier…
If you’ve questioned whether God is still working in you…

This conversation is for you.

Neena’s life is a reminder that healing doesn’t have to be complete for God to use it. That being in process doesn’t disqualify you. And that showing up—honestly, imperfectly, and surrendered—is enough.

To everyone listening: you are not weak for struggling. you are not behind. you are not failing.
God sees you. He is with you. And He is still writing your story.

If this episode encouraged you, please share it. Someone you love may be quietly carrying more than they can carry, and this could be the reminder they need—that they are not alone, that healing is real, and that Jesus still brings victory, even in seasons that feel unfinished.

If you’re carrying something heavy, you can always DM me or Neena on instagram @un_spokenpod and @chefneenaperez
you don’t have to carry it alone, because you were never meant to.

Thank you for being part of the Unspoken family.
Until next time—keep choosing honesty, keep choosing grace, and keep showing up, even when healing feels unfinished!

More about Neena:

https://sleek.bio/chefneenaperez

https://www.instagram.com/chefneenaperez

https://www.youtube.com/@chefneenaperez

https://www.facebook.com/neena.perez

https://www.tiktok.com/@chefneenaperez

When The LORD placed the dream of starting a podcast in my heart, i had no experience, no blueprint, and no idea how it would work. i only heard Him whisper, “Just trust Me.”

And some days, that was all i had—His voice, holding me together when nothing else made sense.

Still, i said yes.

Not because i felt qualified or ready—but because i remembered who HE is.

When doubt crept in, i looked back at the countless times Jesus had already come through. One of the clearest was when i was 17 years old and moved from Indonesia to the United States completely alone. No plan. No provision. No idea where i would live.

But God…
but GOD.

Just three days before college started, He placed me in a home where the landlord was an elder and a pastor. i know their prayers covered me in ways i didn’t understand back then—but they shaped my walk with Jesus in ways i still see today.

What looked like an impossible, dead-end situation became a place of safety, growth, and purpose.

That’s why i believe remembering His faithfulness matters. Because memory becomes fuel. It strengthens our faith for the next step—the next seemingly impossible yes.

The Bible tells us the ten lepers were healed as they walked. The miracle didn’t come after clarity—it came IN obedience.

This episode is for anyone standing in the in-between. If God has asked you to move and fear is louder than answers, remember this: the same God who carried you before will carry you again.

When He leads, He provides.When He calls, He equips.

May remembering all He has already done give you courage for your next yes to Jesus—the one that feels too big, too scary, too impossible.

Keep walking. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep doing. And all in and for Jesus' praiseworthy Name!

If you have any prayer requests, you can email me at theunspokenpodwithaggie@gmail.com or DM me on instagram at @un_spokenpod. And if this episode encouraged you, please like, follow, and share it—so hope can reach someone else who needs it today. 🤍