416: Ashley Abercrombie: Overcoming Trauma and Perfectionism To Find Space & Grace

Ashley Abercrombie fought to overcome addiction, rape, abortion, perfectionism and dysfunctional relationships to become an honest, whole and free woman (most days). She wore a mask more than half her life, and considers herself too old, and too annoyed to ever put that thing on again.

Ashley is a speaker and a writer, featured in many magazines and digital outlets, including Darling, Relevant and Grit and Virtue. Her YouVersion Bible study, Finding God in the Hard Places, has been completed by over 200,000 people. Her first book will be released in the fall of 2019, with Baker Books. Alongside fellow author and speaker, Tiffany Bluhm, Ashley is the co-host for the hilarious and helpful podcast Why Tho.

She has an unrelenting passion for justice, particularly anti-human trafficking and mass incarceration initiatives, and served the city of Los Angeles for seven years, winning commendations from the LAPD and Los Angeles Mayor’s office, before transitioning to Manhattan to pastor at Liberty Church, Downtown, alongside her husband, Cody. Ashley is an executive board bember of Treasures, a non-profit that reaches and supports women in the sex industry and victims of sexual exploitation, while training leaders globally.

The Abercrombies are nearly brain dead from sleep deprivation, but love their life, raising two incredible sons, Levi (5) and Lucas (2), in their beautiful neighborhood in Harlem, New York.

Listen in to hear Ashley share:

  • How she gave up her PhD in pretending her life was great and get honest about her story and proudly own it - how to stop pretending and performing for others
  • How enduring an eating disorder, addiction, sexual assault, and abortion led her to her current place of grace in life
  • How our secrets inevitably lead to self harm
  • The benefits of adjusting your expectations every morning instead of assuming every day will be great
  • The exact action she takes to be honest with herself #everydamnday
  • The beauty of recognizing the notion that time is your friend
  • Why a day of rest is essential as a family
  • How to have more holy gumption in order to live your best, most spirited life

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