shattering stigmas, reframing our faith and finding we are fully loved
NO MATTER WHAT YOU’RE FACING, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. AND IT’S 100 PERCENT OK TO REACH OUT FOR HELP… CUZ THERE IS NO SHAME IN THAT GAME.
Hi there, I’m Andrea!
Wife, mom, writer, speaker & photographer… who on the regular loses her mind because anxiety and depression are hard enough… but dealing with that business WHILE raising kids… help.
As a Christian who’s struggled through the shame and confusion around “having the power of the Holy Spirit” yet feeling powerless against these disorders of the mind, my main goal is to offer you HOPE and SOLIDARITY that you are not alone in the middle of the mess.
Much of life is balancing JOY + PAIN.
We may be holding everything we’ve ever wanted and still feel sad, overwhelmed or anxious. And that can take a toll on our faith and self esteem.
Feelings fluctuate. Faith falters. But Jesus’ love for us in an unstoppable force that remains true no matter what we face or how we feel.
When we realize Jesus already fully loves us, right in the middle of the mess, we can begin to reframe everything through the lens of His love.
My weekly #SolidarySaturday email includes honest reflection on real life moments, Truth from Scripture, tools for building a growth mindset and prayers that invite us to reframe our identity through the lens of God’s love for us.
I think we can all relate to experiencing a place of complete uncertainty in the midst of this messy, marvelous life. From debilitating anxiety to the discomfort of not being able to plan ahead for the coming months, fear has a voice that is loud and obnoxious. Fear tempts us to doubt God’s goodness and His ultimate control over the things that feel out of control in our world…
Theology is complex and faith in an unseen God is mysterious… But this I know: While I can’t see Him face-to-face, I can see His fingerprints ALL OVER THIS WORLD because of the work of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
In order to grow and move forward in our lives, we must recognize the things that need to be pruned (removed). Much of this for us right now is unhealthy thinking. Unhealthy thoughts are founded in unhealthy beliefs. Unhealthy beliefs ultimately lead to unhealthy behaviors. It’s a vicious cycle. And it can suck the life out of us.
But when we identify and understand what we believe and why we believe it, we can make better choices that allow the Life and Truth of Scripture to energize us, nourish us and sustain us.
Each day we live, we are perpetually learning how to hold joy in one hand and pain in the other. And each day, with all of it’s mess and marvel, will pass.
We so often want to CLING to the splendid moments while rushing through the strenuous ones. And that’s fair. But I wonder what we may miss in the process. I wonder what God may be doing through both the joyful and painful moments of our days.
I wonder what it would look like to REFRAME our days, our motherhood, through the lens of God’s love for us. To hold up the good stuff, the hard stuff, and all the in-between stuff to the lens of God’s love and see what He sees.
I was born and raised in the land of BBQ, jazz and rock-n-roll: Memphis, TN.
Fresh off the feat of graduating from the University of Memphis with my B.A. in Journalism Public Relations, I headed West to sunny California to attend Golden Gate Seminary (now Gateway Seminary).
With plans only to graduate with an M.A.E.L (Master of Arts in Educational Leadership), God had a few more letters He thought looked good beside my name. In June 2007, I became Mrs. Eric Nyberg. Awwww 🙂
We spent the next few years working, buying a house and getting a dog. In August 2011, our ray of sunshine, Chloe, came along. Two and a half years later, Chloe got a BIG Christmas present and our cabbage-patch-faced ginger, Eliott, was born.
We live in San Jose, CA where the commutes are rough but the weather is right 😉
My normal week includes:
a shower at least every other day
packing lunches and getting the kids to and from school across town
grocery shopping and experimenting with recipes
cleaning something in my house…. maybe…. iffy…. probably not
date night with my hubby
mommy date with each of my kids
catching up with friends and mentors over coffee
watching This Is Us
taking photos of families and local business owners
singing on the worship team at my church
studying and learning about personalities, psychology and faith
speaking at MOPS groups across the Bay Area
and encouraging folks via FB and Insta with ways to reframe their day through the lens of love
Andrea is a writer and speaker passionate about helping you shatter shame, stigmas and self-doubt by leaning into the HOPE of Scripture and the SOLIDARITY of friendship.
Her battle through severe anxiety and depression led her to the tools of therapy, medication and mental/emotional health classes through her hospital and church. God strengthened, helped and sustained her through the storm (Isaiah 41:10) with His own unending love alongwith the love and support of her family, friends and MOPS group.
She holds a Masters in Educational Leadership from Gateway Seminary and served as the MOPS Coordinator to 100+ women from 2017-2019. She lives in San Jose, CA with her husband, two children and fur baby.
Frances T.
When you hear Andrea speak, two things are evident: she loves Jesus and she loves the people to whom she is speaking. She shares her story in a way that’s relatable and encouraging. I walked away from her talk feeling seen, understood, and empowered to reframe challenging parts of my life. She is a generous speaker, sure to bless your group.
Andrea has spoken to our junior high students (700) in regards to anxiety and depression. She did a fabulous job make this sensitive topic age appropriate. She was willing to come in and get advice from our counseling staff as to the appropriate delivery. She will be doing a two-day event with our High School (1630) this coming January. We are thrilled to host her again.
“Andrea gives lively messages that challenge and embolden listeners to live in the freedom for which they were created. Her talks are thought-provoking, funny and wise. Wherever you are on your journey, Andrea’s words will bring hope and point to you toward Jesus.”
NEW TALKS FOR THE 2019/2020 MOPS THEME: TO THE FULL!
BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN: FIND YOUR PEOPLE BY SHOWING YOUR SCARS
Do shame, guilt and fear tempt you into isolation like they do me? It takes courage and intentionality to show up and be vulnerable, especially when we’re carrying burdens like anxiety and depression. But something truly healing happens when we allow others to see these tender parts of our story: we realize we’re not alone in the messiness of life. Very likely, someone else has a scar that looks a lot like ours. And being vulnerable allows us to build a strong and safe sisterhood where fear, shame and guilt lose their grip on us and we begin to find beauty in our brokenness. Scripture from Isaiah 41:10 and John 10:10
TANGIBLE TAKEAWAYS:
Creating a safe space for sincere sisterhood.
Identifying next steps in your story.
How to be a good friend to a sister who is struggling.
REFRAMING LIFE: to the full
So much of life is perspective. Many days, we get stuck in feeling like a “bad mom” and we lose sight of all the ways we’re rockin’ this mom gig.
In this talk, we’ll use the language of photography to help us consider where we’re putting our focus and how that affects how we feel about ourselves. The goal is to replace the lens of shame with the lens of love so we can live life “to the full!”. Scripture from Genesis 1, Eph 3:14-21, Eph 4:14-15 and John 10:10
WHERE IS MY FOCUS? Are my eyes fixed on my circumstances? Or are they fixed on Jesus, the Light of the World?
WHERE AM I FINDING LIGHT? Am I choosing to position myself to be illuminated by the rays of God’s love for me? If I’m sitting in a dark place, can I trust God to provide just enough light to make my next step clear?
WHO IS IN CONTROL? Am I allowing my circumstances and things outside of my control to direct my every move and thought? Or am I trusting God with my circumstances and asking Him to guide me in truth and wisdom?
RECLAIMING CONTROL OVER FEAR
Whether learned or innate, when fear takes root in our hearts and minds, its main goal is to take control. The good news is: WE CAN TAKE THE CONTROL BACK! How? Through identifying the difference in proactive vs reactive behaviors and learning to make intentional choices that lead to less fear and more fun! Scripture fromEphesians 3:14-21 and John 10:10
Interested in a different topic? No problem! Let’s chat about a customized message that answers the questions your moms are asking!
VIDEOS:
5 minute clip from keynote talk to high school students on anxiety + depression
End of Year MOPS meeting: wrapping up Find Your Fire (Fueled for Life)
Because sometimes the thing that breaks you is the very thing that leads you to your life’s purpose.
