S5 Ep151: In Pursuit of Love with Rebecca Bender

On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa interviews Rebecca Bender, author of In Pursuit of Love: One Woman’s Journey from Trafficked to Triumphant. Rebecca is a survivor of human trafficking and is now a wife and mother with a busy speaking and advocacy schedule. She is passionate about teaching and about helping others realize that their stories matter. MacKenzie and Rebecca cover a variety of topics surrounding trauma, abuse and recovery, including: How much MacKenzie identified with Rebecca’s story and why Realizing that this kind of thing can happen to anyone and having grace for other people’s stories How our brains are built to adapt to and cope with trauma The gift of using different modalities in recovery from trauma What it was like for Rebecca going back to Las Vegas and being in places she had been when she was trafficked How trauma causes us to forget and block out memories While we might not be able to 100% relate with each other’s stories, all of us have this root of desiring to love and be loved. Rebecca Bender Rebecca’s new life and passion for helping people know that their stories matter Teaching our children to see the warning signs and take their time in relationships Why Rebecca decided to start a podcast The importance of training up our boys to be men of honor A typical day in Rebecca’s life right now Donate to Rebecca Bender’s Initiative campaign Current Lovelies- Rebecca: making time to be at with her daughters during a busy season MacKenzie: taking time out to be extra present with her kids heading into a challenging season Resources Mentioned- (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Books: In Pursuit of Love Podcasts: T. D. Jakes Bethel Sermon of the Week Expression 58 Movies: Gladiator Find Rebecca- You can find Rebecca on her website rebeccabender.org and listen to her new Hood to Holy podcast. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Find MacKenzie- You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely. Thanks to Our Sponsors- This week’s episode of CTL is brought to you by BetterHelp private online counseling. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOVELY for 10% OFF your first month of counseling. CTL is also brought to you by the Future 1-on-1 training app. Go to TryFuture.com/LOVELY for 50% OFF your first month! Today’s episode of CTL is brought to you by Imperfect Foods. Go to ImperfectFoods.com/LOVELY through February 16, 2020 and enter code LOVELY to get $10 OFF your next 4 orders!