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5/20/2026 0 Comments Honouring the Voice God Gave You There has been a theme surfacing lately around honouring your voice. Gentle but consistent reminders have appeared about trusting inner wisdom and learning to honour what feels true, even when self-doubt tries to creep in.
There is so much grace in the way God guides us. He does not grow impatient with our learning. He continues to affirm, redirect, and lovingly lead us back to truth again and again. Sometimes honouring your voice means speaking up and expressing your feelings. Other times, it means listening to the quiet wisdom within that reminds you to protect your peace and hold space for yourself. I was reminded how often God teaches within the ordinary moments of our lives. Sometimes the lessons we are praying for appear not only in our own experiences, but reflected through the people closest to us. We begin to notice the same invitation showing up in different forms, asking us to pay attention. So often we pray for clarity, confidence, healing, courage, direction, or wisdom, but when the answer begins arriving, it rarely looks the way we imagined it would. An answer to prayer usually doesn’t arrive with a pretty bow attached to it. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t get dropped off on your doorstep like an Amazon package. God answers through experiences. Through conversations that stir something in us. Through discomfort that reveals where we are shrinking. Through moments that invite reflection, discernment, courage, commitment, and surrender. In the moment, these experiences can feel frustrating, emotional, or even discouraging because we feel challenged rather than grateful. We want the resolution, not the process. But the process itself is often the answer. God is constantly leading us toward what we have asked for. The question is whether we are willing to recognize His guidance when it comes wrapped in real life instead of certainty. I think one of the most important spiritual practices we can develop is learning to turn toward God first — before fear, before overthinking, before outside opinions, before rushing to control the outcome. When you begin creating the habit of bringing everything to Him first, something slowly changes. You start becoming familiar with the way He speaks to you personally. You begin recognizing His invitations, His nudges, His timing, and His presence within your daily life. That connection will not look exactly the same for everyone. For some, it comes through prayer. For others, through stillness, journaling, Scripture, nature, dreams, deep knowing, or quiet moments of reflection. But the more you intentionally return to God, the more clearly you begin to discern His guidance. And sometimes that guidance is simply this: Use your voice. Speak honestly. Honour what God placed within you. Don't go against His guidance to make others more comfortable. There is something sacred and inspiring about learning to trust the voice God gave you.
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 After enough disappointment, it becomes easy to expect hurt. You become more cautious with your heart. You prepare yourself for abandonment, misunderstanding, rejection, or being let down again. Sometimes life teaches us that not everyone will love us with the same sincerity we offer them. Over time, painful experiences can quietly wear a person down. You may still be loving, kind, and compassionate, while carrying deep exhaustion underneath it all. And when trust has been broken repeatedly, it can feel safer to expect disappointment than to believe things could genuinely get better.
But this is often where God begins to meet us most deeply. Not when everything feels perfect, but in the middle of the confusion, heartbreak, loneliness, and uncertainty. One of the greatest things God offers us is peace — not because life suddenly becomes easy, but because His presence steadies us through it. It can be difficult to let go of relationships you hoped would improve. Sometimes we stay too long trying to earn understanding, honesty, care, or emotional safety from people who are simply unable or unwilling to give it. And that hurts deeply. Especially when you are someone who naturally sees the good in others and continues to give people chances long after you are emotionally drained. But God sees what we sometimes cannot see clearly when we are emotionally attached. He sees when a relationship is depleting your spirit instead of nourishing it. He sees when you are overextending yourself trying to maintain connections that are no longer healthy, mutual, or honest. He sees when you are being unfairly criticized, constantly misunderstood, or carrying emotional burdens that were never meant to belong to you alone. And sometimes, God protects us through endings. What feels painful in the moment may later reveal itself as protection. A closed door. A necessary separation. A redirection away from something that was slowly stealing your peace. God does not want you trapped in cycles of emotional exhaustion, confusion, or one-sided relationships where your love and effort are continuously taken for granted. He does not want you shrinking yourself just to maintain connection with people who refuse to meet you with honesty, accountability, or care. Instead, He gently guides you toward peace. He will save you from continuing to pour your time, energy, and heart into relationships that are not reciprocal and have no real desire to grow or make an effort. He will help you recognize when you are carrying relationships alone. He will also strengthen you emotionally so that not every judgment, rejection, or misunderstanding wounds you so deeply. Because the truth is, not everyone will understand you. Some people are too consumed by selfishness, ego, materialism, emotional immaturity, or unresolved pain to truly see others clearly. Some criticize what they do not understand. Some project their own wounds outward. And some people simply do not have the emotional depth to love others in healthy ways. That realization can be painful, especially for sensitive people who genuinely want to see the best in others. But God reminds us that someone else’s inability to recognize our heart does not determine our value. Because He sees it fully. He sees your intentions, your kindness, your loyalty, your effort, and your quiet endurance. He sees the love you gave that others overlooked. He sees the moments you stayed soft in a world that often rewards hardness. And because He sees you, you do not need to spend your life trying to prove your worth to people committed to misunderstanding you. God can also restore your faith in people again. Not by making everyone trustworthy, but by bringing healthier, more genuine people into your life over time. People who communicate honestly. People who make an effort. People who feel emotionally safe. People who remind you that healthy love, friendship, and support still exist. And through healing, something begins to shift inside you. You become wiser without becoming closed off. More discerning without becoming cold. More grounded in your worth. More aware of what truly brings peace into your life and what quietly destroys it. Humans are imperfect. People will disappoint you sometimes. Some will never apologize. Some will fail to change. Some will misunderstand you no matter how clearly you explain yourself. But God remains steady. He sees the full picture while we only see pieces of it. So if you are in a season of heartbreak, disappointment, or transition, remember this: God is not against you. Sometimes the very things that feel painful are the things protecting your future peace, your family, your emotional well-being, and the life you are meant to grow into. If you let Him, He will guide you away from what harms you and toward what heals you — toward peace, clarity, healthier love, restoration, and a life that feels lighter because it is rooted in His unconditional love. A Reminder To Hold Onto
 There’s something about spring that invites us to slow down and notice again. Not just the blooming outside our windows, but the small, ordinary moments unfolding inside our homes too. This week, we leaned into that in two simple ways.
The first was through a sacred play challenge from my Four Spring Seasons of the Soul kit. We went outside and gathered whatever nature offered us: twigs, stones, grass, and created a character together. We called him Stoney. It was simple, unstructured, and honestly a little magical. My daughter, Juliet, loved him so much she didn’t want to leave him behind. 🥹 Moments like that remind me that play doesn’t need to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes it’s just about noticing what’s already around us and letting imagination do the rest. A few days later as we gathered around the table for dinner, another heart-centred moment from the same kit, one of the seasonal conversation prompts. We talked about our favourite seasons, ranking them from most to least, and sharing why. Mine are fall, spring, summer, and winter. And as we shared, it opened up simple but meaningful reflections: what we love, what we struggle with, and what each season teaches us. These kinds of conversations don’t need to be deep to matter. They just need space. And that's what I love most about the Four Seasons of the Soul kit, it's not just activities or prompts, but small invitations back to presence, play, and connection. Spring has a way of reminding us: life doesn’t need to be rushed or busy to be meaningful, sometimes it just needs to be noticed. 4/29/2026 0 Comments Faith vs. Religion I’ve come to see a distinction that’s not divisive, but clarifying. Religion gives structure: traditions, rituals, shared practices.
Faith is personal, a quiet trust in God that lives within you. For me, faith is rooted in sola fide—faith alone. Our relationship with God isn’t earned through perfection, but formed through trust, grace, and an open heart. And yet, I’ve also come to appreciate forms of religion that feel right to me. Going to church, sitting in stillness, participating in practices passed down for generations, it grounds me. The messages inspire me. The people remind me that there is goodness in the world. Faith, though, isn’t confined to a building. Some feel closest to God in nature, and I deeply relate to that. In those moments, connection feels like a conversation rather than a ritual. What I’ve learned: there’s no single way to experience God. But having a rhythm or ritual, whatever that looks like for you, creates space for that relationship to grow. Not out of obligation, but out of intention. Faith requires honesty: knowing what truly draws you closer, not what looks right to others. And when you find it, let yourself fully embrace it. Faith is personal. Religion can provide structure and community. Together, they don’t compete, they can bring your relationship with God to life.  There are moments when we feel a pull inside us, an ache for something more. Not necessarily more activity or more noise, but more meaning, more peace, more connection. These feelings can be hard to explain. Sometimes we dismiss them, distract ourselves, or try to fill them with busyness.
Yet those longings keep returning. They show up in subtle moments, in the pauses between responsibilities or adventures, or in the strong sense that something deeper is calling us. Evelyn Underhill, a Christian writer and spiritual teacher, captured this beautifully when she wrote: "Our innate longings are not illusions, but the voice of God calling us." What if the restlessness we feel is not a problem to fix, but an invitation to listen? What if the longing for peace, purpose, or closeness with God is actually guidance, pointing us toward the life we were created to live? We often try to reason our way through these feelings. It's easy to analyze them, question them, or push them aside because they feel inconvenient or unclear. But longing is rarely logical. It is spiritual. It is relational. It is a soul whisper that asks us to slow down and pay attention. I’ve always enjoyed pausing to record an insight or message that has come to me. Over time, these recorded pauses grew into my Spiritual Inspirations PDF—years of listening gathered in one place. Usually, these messages strike at inconvenient times—but be ready, and don’t lose them! They may strike just as you are falling asleep, or when you are mid-task and need to pull out your phone notes or voice recorder in order to remember to return to it later. These little acts of noticing and capturing allow us to honour the promptings we often otherwise overlook. Longing can be the beginning of prayer. It can be the start of transformation. It can be the nudge that leads us back to stillness. When we allow ourselves to sit with those inner desires instead of running from them, something shifts. We begin to notice patterns, invitations, and moments of grace. We start to recognize that God is not distant, but already speaking through our hopes, our questions, and even our restlessness. So the next time you feel that inner pull, resist the urge to ignore it. Pause. Listen. Be curious about what your heart is trying to say. Because sometimes our deepest longings are not signs that something is missing or wrong. They are signs that God is near, guiding and calling us forward. 4/8/2026 0 Comments Finding Flow in Stillness We’ve all been there. We know stillness is calling us, but we keep distracting ourselves or putting it off. It becomes all too easy to try to think our way forward and figure everything out rather than making the time to receive God’s guidance. Why do we resist stillness when it is exactly what we need? Maybe it's fear, possibly the fear that we won’t get clarity, or even that we will!
Sometimes, when we try too hard to figure everything out on our own, we end up stuck, going in circles. It can feel frustrating, like nothing is moving forward. But something beautiful happens when we let go of that struggle. When we pause, sit in stillness, and simply talk with God, insight begins to emerge. Thoughts that once felt tangled start to untangle themselves. Decisions that seem impossible begin to feel manageable. Life begins to flow. This reminds me of a quote from Evagrius Ponticus, an early Christian monk, who wrote: "Faith, the beginning of love; the end of love, knowledge of God." Faith is not just about believing in something distant or abstract. It is the doorway to love: the kind of love that transforms how we see ourselves, others, and the world. And when love grows and deepens, it leads us into the knowledge of God, the source of peace, wisdom, and direction. For many of us, this is exactly what stillness does. In moments of quiet prayer or reflection, we move from trying to control everything to trusting the flow that comes from faith. We begin to experience love, understanding, and a deeper connection to God that no amount of striving can produce. So if you feel stuck today, check if you are forgetting to step back and allow yourself to receive. Sit in stillness. Talk with God. Let faith open the door to love, and let love guide you toward your answers. Clarity comes not from trying harder, but from listening more attentively.  He is risen. Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, a holy reminder that even after the darkest moments, new life and hope can emerge. It is more than a date on the calendar or a cherished tradition. It is the greatest love story. It invites you to reflect on the ways you are being renewed: spiritually, emotionally, and personally.
This season, consider what “resurrection” might look like in your own life. Is it: • Releasing patterns that no longer bring life? • Embracing a fresh perspective in your relationships, your work, or your calling? • Noticing moments of light and grace in ordinary days? Living in the light of resurrection does not mean your life is perfect. It means trusting that, even within your challenges, God is at work—bringing growth, love, and guidance. Take a moment today to ask: What in you is ready to be renewed? Where is Christ inviting you into courage, hope, and openness? What is one small way you can live with renewed hope and light this week? May this Easter season remind you that renewal is possible, that death never has the final word, and that walking in faith allows Christ’s light to shine even in the darkest places. 3/31/2026 0 Comments What is Christian Mysticism? Christian mysticism is often misunderstood. The word “mysticism” can suggest hidden knowledge, spiritual elitism, or seeking an extraordinary spiritual experience. At its core, however, Christian mysticism is simple: it’s about relationship, surrender, and loving God, not just with belief, but with attention, presence, and trust.
Mysticism is essentially the deepening of faith. It calls us to slow down, listen, and notice the subtle ways God is at work in our lives. Christian mysticism does not attempt to solve the mystery of God. Instead, it embraces the mystery, acknowledging that God is both knowable and beyond full understanding. Rather than mastering faith intellectually, it invites humility and wonder. This faith holds both mystery and maturity: mystery keeps us open, reminding us that God is larger than our explanations and theology; maturity grounds that mystery in devotion, prayer, and love. It is not vague spirituality but rather a faithful response to God’s presence. For me, it is less about seeking and more about resting in God. I no longer look for clarity or signs but rather sit in conversation with God, knowing that the stillness and surrender will provide all I need. The mystical path shows that spiritual life is not measured by understanding, but by willingness to trust. God is not waiting at the end of some distant climb. God is already here: present, patient, and inviting us into deeper communion. Christian mysticism is not about escaping the world, chasing experiences, or reaching a higher spiritual level. It is about living with awareness of God’s presence in the ordinary rhythms of life. It is about surrender, attention, and resting in the love that has always been holding us.  As we mark Epilepsy Awareness Day, I’m reflecting on a personal milestone: 2 years seizure-free. I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy in January 2023, and what followed was, without question, the hardest year of my life. It tested me, changed me, and ultimately made me stronger. Today, I’m grateful for how far I’ve come and proud of the resilience it took to get here.
When I received the diagnosis, it was a lot to take in, and I needed time to process and understand what it meant for my life. What once felt like an unexpected enemy slowly became a teacher. It has invited me into a deeper awareness of my body and a more disciplined way of living. This journey has taught me a lot. In an unexpected way, epilepsy has made me healthier. I now have a deeper respect for my body and a stronger connection to it than ever before. It has helped me define stronger boundaries around my empathy, reminding me that protecting my peace is both my right and my responsibility. It’s deepened my ability to relate to my clients with authenticity and compassion. Epilepsy has helped me fully embody a truth I’ve always believed: real healing honours every layer of who we are: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Yes, that first year brought me to my knees at times… but it also brought moments of profound clarity and connection that drew me closer to God. In pain, there is purpose. There are still difficult days, moments of fatigue or emotional heaviness. But this journey continually reminds me of resilience, patience, and gratitude. If you’re navigating a health challenge, personal struggle, or life-altering diagnosis, please know this: even in the hardest seasons, growth, clarity, and strength are still possible. Keep going. Every step forward builds endurance and faith. 💜 3/24/2026 0 Comments Get to Know Me: 10 Random Facts1. I can’t stand being cold… yet here I am in Alberta. 🥶 2. Christian music is always my go-to soundtrack. 🎶 3. No alcohol, but Zevia, cranberry + lime while cooking dinner = little ritual. 👌 4. Faith is my compass because my sense of direction? Google Maps. 🗺️ 5. My idea of a wild night? Cozy blanket, Hallmark movie, zero plans. 🛋️ 6. Nature walks are my secret reset button. 🌿 7. Flowers = love. Gardening? Creepy crawlies are not for me. 🧑🌾 8. Introvert mode: too much talking = wall hit, quiet time = essential 😴 9. Guilty pleasure: indulging my sweet tooth. Cake? Always a yes. 🍰 10. Favourite part of my day? Picking up my daughter from school - that run and hug never gets old. ❤️ 💭 Your turn! Which one do you relate to? |
Allyson CockramWelcome to my Awaken Enchantment blog. Here, I share stories and insights from my journey of spiritual growth, everyday life, and inner transformation. This is a space for honest reflection, gentle encouragement, and meaningful guidance as we move through the changing seasons of life and faith. Whether you are awakening to new growth, navigating challenges, or seeking to live with greater presence and connection with God in your daily life, my hope is that what you find here leaves you feeling supported, inspired, and reminded that you are not alone. Archives
May 2026
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The content, resources, and programs offered through Awaken Enchantment are intended to support personal growth and overall well-being of body, mind, and spirit. They are not a substitute for medical diagnosis, treatment, psychotherapy, or professional healthcare. Please continue working with qualified medical or mental health professionals for any medical or psychological concerns. © 2026 Awaken Enchantment. All Rights Reserved. |
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