An Introduction
I’ve built a brand around legacy building, teaching moms about financial stewardship, intentional living, and creating a lasting impact for generations to come. My tagline is “Building Intentional Legacies For Generations To Come,” and I genuinely believe in every word of it.
But here’s what I don’t talk about: the trenches.
The messy, raw, unfiltered reality of trying to build a legacy when you’re barely holding yourself together. When your past trauma bleeds into the present. When your children are fighting battles you thought you had left buried years ago. When finances are collapsing, and your faith feels paper-thin.
This isn’t the polished version of my story. This isn’t the curated Facebook posts or the neatly packaged narratives that fit comfortably inside a blog template.
This is the truth and the whole truth of what it really looks like to pursue God’s calling while walking through some of the darkest valleys imaginable.
Why I’m Writing This
I’m writing this series for a few reasons.
First, because I need to.
I’ve carried unprocessed trauma for decades, and it has shaped me in ways I’m only now beginning to understand. My daughters have faced suicidal ideation, the same battle I fought at their age, and I’ve realized that some wounds don’t simply heal because we pretend they aren’t there. They fester. They spread. And if we don’t face them, they show up in our children’s lives even louder.
Second, because I believe someone needs to hear this.
We live in a world obsessed with curated perfection, where Christian influencers share their victories but rarely their valleys, where moms are told to “trust God” without anyone acknowledging how hard that is when you’re on the brink of losing everything.
Third, because I believe God can use even this.
1 Peter 4:16 says. "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”
That means even the things we’re ashamed of.
Even the battles we’ve lost.
Even the moments when it looked like Satan won a round.
What This Series Will Cover
I’m going to walk you through my journey, from suicidal ideation as a teenager to my diagnosis in recent years that finally made sense of so much.
From fighting for my daughters’ lives to fighting for my own faith when everything fell apart.
We’ll talk about:
- Unprocessed trauma and how it shapes the women we become
- Mental illness and the relief of finally having answers
- God’s refining fire and why He allows us to be tested
- Fierce maternal love when your children want to die
- Toxic thought patterns that keep us stuck
- Friendship and isolation in the hardest seasons
- Financial crisis and trusting God when you’re losing everything
- Building a legacy in the valley
- Spiritual warfare and what to do when Satan wins a round
This won’t always be comfortable. It won’t always be the kind of “encouraging” readers expect. But it will be honest, and it will always point back to the God who has carried me through every single battle, even the ones where I couldn’t feel Him at all.
Statement From Danece
Building a legacy means honoring not only where we’ve been, but also the people we love. This series includes parts of my personal journey as a woman, a mother, and a believer walking through the fire. Some stories involve my daughters and my son, but their privacy and dignity will always come first.
While I speak openly about my own experiences — including trauma, mental health, and the challenges of parenting through hard seasons — my children’s stories are their own. Any references to their struggles are shared with their awareness and informed consent, and only at a level that protects their hearts, their emotional well-being, their dignity, and their future privacy.
When my children are mentioned, details are intentionally generalized and limited. Their identities, mental health histories, and personal journeys are protected out of respect for who they are now and who they are still becoming.
I believe that God can redeem our stories without exposing every part of them. What I share here reflects my heart and my healing — not the full story of anyone else’s life.
This is my journey through the trenches — not an invitation into the private details of theirs.
Author’s Note on Scripture & Theology:
The views and interpretations expressed in this devotional are my own and are based on my personal study of Scripture and my relationship with God. While I have sought to honor God’s Word and represent it faithfully, I am not a theologian or pastor. I encourage readers to study the Bible for themselves, seek guidance from trusted spiritual leaders, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to them personally as they grow in their faith.
All Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Looking For More Encouragement?
Browse the Mom Leaves A Legacy Library to explore posts by topic and find the encouragement you need for this season.
Continue Reading
If this post encouraged you, you may enjoy these related posts: