It’s my birthday — and this episode is personal. 💜👑

As I step into Chapter 38, I’m reflecting on the versions of myself that helped me survive, the lessons that shaped me, and the things I’m no longer willing to carry into another year of my life.

In this birthday edition of With Love & Purpose: Morning Coffee & Christ, we’re talking about outgrowing old mindsets, people-pleasing, guilt, comparison, survival habits, unhealthy access, and the fear of becoming someone new.

Purple Reign is more than a birthday theme for me. Purple is my favorite color; it represents Domestic Violence Awareness, and biblically it reminds me of royalty, identity, and who I belong to.

Isaiah 43:18–19 reminds us:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

This episode is about honoring the woman who got you here without feeling obligated to carry every version of her into where God is taking you next.

So grab your coffee, bring your Bible, and ask yourself:

What am I not carrying into my next chapter?

Same woman. Higher purpose. 💜

What happens after you finally begin finding yourself again?

In Episode 11 of With Love & Purpose: Morning Coffee & Christ, First Lady Shantrice Montague begins the new Becoming Her series with an honest conversation about identity, healing, survival, grief, motherhood, marriage, ministry, career changes, and the woman God is shaping you to become.

Shantrice reflects on her own journey of rebuilding after domestic violence, learning herself again after seasons of caregiving and loss, and why Michelle Obama’s Becoming has remained one of her favorite books through different chapters of her life.

This episode is for the woman who has survived, changed, started over, or looked in the mirror and wondered, “Who am I now?”

You are allowed to grow.
You are allowed to change.
You are allowed to outgrow old versions of yourself.
And you are not too late to become the woman God is calling you to be.

Primary Scripture: Philippians 1:6
Also referenced: Isaiah 43:18–19, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:10, Psalm 139:13–14, Psalm 34:18

“I am not becoming someone God doesn’t recognize. I am becoming the woman He already knew I could be.”

Healing. Growth. Faith. Purpose.
Same woman. Higher purpose. 💜☕️

What happens when life gets so loud that you can barely hear yourself anymore?

In Episode 10 of With Love & Purpose: Morning Coffee & Christ, First Lady Shantrice Montague talks honestly about identity, healing, self-worth, boundaries, rest, people-pleasing, and reconnecting with the woman underneath all the roles.

Sometimes we become so focused on being the wife, mother, professional, caregiver, leader, friend, or support system that we slowly lose touch with ourselves. This conversation is about noticing that disconnection and making space to come back to who God created you to be.

We’re talking about survival mode, forgiving yourself, resting without guilt, setting healthy boundaries, and realizing that finding yourself again doesn’t mean becoming the old you—it may mean becoming a wiser, healed, more intentional version of you.

Reflection question:
Where have I abandoned myself just to survive—and what would it look like to choose myself with grace now?

Scripture: Psalm 139:13–14 and Romans 12:2

Grab your coffee, bring your Bible, and come with God with me. 💜☕🎙️