Unshackling the Soul: How Becoming Free Indeed Echoed My Own Quiet Revolution
Hey friends! 👋 Jessica here from Restoration Counseling LLC. You know me—I'm the one who devours books like they're autumn bonfires, sparking light on the tangled paths of belief, heartbreak, and that fierce grace that refuses to let go. This week, Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Duggar Vuolo (with Corey Williams) has me equal parts undone and uplifted. Perfect for cozying up with as fall leaves crunch underfoot (hello, October vibes!), this one's a must-read if you're knee-deep in your own faith untangling or just crave a story of quiet rebellion against religious chains.
Why This Book Felt Like It Was Written for Me
Let's rewind a bit: Just six years ago, I walked away from the Seventh-day Adventist church—the doctrines, the rhythms, the unspoken fears that had woven themselves into my every Sabbath sunrise. It wasn't dramatic fireworks; it was a slow dawn of questions that cracked open a world I'd called home. Fast-forward to now, and as I sift through client stories at Restoration Counseling—high-stakes rulebooks disguised as righteousness, identities fraying at the edges—Jinger's book arrives like a long-lost letter. I cracked it open expecting insight; I got a mirror. Her peel-back of Bill Gothard's fear-fueled empire? It hummed with the same resonance as my disentangling from prophetic checklists written by Ellen G. White and grace-starved Sundays. Spoiler: I ugly-cried by chapter three, not from pity, but from that holy recognition—"Oh, sister, I've been there."
Jinger Vuolo, of Duggar dynasty fame, doesn't just spill the tea on growing up under IBLP's iron umbrella of authority. She traces the quiet fissures—those first whispers of doubt from a sibling's offhand Bible chat, the slow bloom of freedom as fear's grip loosens. It's intimate, like sifting through faded photos: the innocence of a big-family faith, the weight of "modesty" mandates that choked joy, and the exhale when Jesus emerges not as taskmaster, but rescuer.
What gets me every time? Jinger's refusal to demonize her origins. She cradles them gently, then invites you to see how God alchemized the ashes into something luminous. If you've ever bartered your worth for worthiness, this is your exhale, your "it's okay to let go."
The Heart of It: Raw Story, Real Redemption
No plot giveaways here, but trust: Jinger masterfully knits memoir with Scripture's lifeline. Grace as gift, not grind. Authority reimagined through Christ's lens. Submission sans shackles. It's toolkit-real—dissecting how twisted teachings hijacked verses, then handing you the untwisted truth like a warm handoff. One passage stopped me cold, latte forgotten: pure, piercing liberation.
At Restoration, this is client catnip. Ex-fundamentalists rebuilding, allies aching for the "still-ins," wanderers chasing dawn. Jinger builds the bridge: shame-free, Christ-centered.
Grab It, Read It, Let It Reshape You
Why wait? This isn't fluff—it's a deep dive that resurfaces you freer, fiercer in love's pursuit. Five stars for the tender truths, the throat-tight moments, the soul-sparks that stick.
Hunt it down today—bookshop wander or digital dash. Des Moines peeps with faith-frazzled hearts? Restoration Counseling's door is open for that soft unraveling. What's a read that's redrawn your lines? Send me an email—let's untangle your story!
Keep stepping into the free, Jessica Pottorff, MA, LMHC, CADC Restoration Counseling LLC www.restorationcounselingdsm.com
P.S. Journal nearby—the ahas demand ink. 🌿
