November 13, 2025 • 16 mins
In this deeply personal episode, Vee shares the powerful story behind Pathway to Freedom. A journey that began long before the podcast existed. From early confusion about faith, to a life-altering prayer for transformation, to a divine near-death encounter that opened her eyes to her true identity, you’ll hear how God led her out of striving, fear, and religion and into relationship, purpose, and spiritual freedom.
This is the origin story: the moment God rewrote her life and revealed the pathway back to His original design.
Subscribe to Pathway to Freedom by The Life By Design wherever you listen to podcasts.
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend so they can be reminded of who they are in Christ.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker (00:00):
Hello and welcome to Pathway to Freedom by the Life
by Design.
I'm your host, VirireaderHarry, also known as Vee, and
I'm so glad you're here.
This podcast is a space for usto uncover God's original
blueprint for life so you canwalk in the freedom he intended
for you from the very beginning.
(00:22):
Each week we'll explore faith,family, finances, health,
purpose, and much more.
Why?
Because you were created in hisimage on purpose and for
purpose.
Be sure to follow so you nevermiss an episode.
Welcome to Pathway to Freedomby the Life by Design, where we
(00:48):
rediscover God's originalblueprint for our lives.
Because you were created in hisimage on purpose and for
purpose.
Hello, my name is Virireader,but feel free to call me Vee.
I'm so glad you're here.
This space is all aboutlearning to live free, grounded
(01:11):
in truth, anchored in faith, andaligned with who God created
you to be.
Each episode is a journeytoward wholeness, renewal, and a
deeper understanding in Christ.
Today though, I'm gonna besharing something deeply
personal.
The story behind why Pathway toFreedom.
(01:35):
You see, before I could everhelp anyone find freedom in
Christ, I had to experience whatreal freedom meant for myself.
There was a time where I cantruly say I believed in God, I
went to church, I got baptized,but I didn't know that believing
(01:56):
in God wasn't the same ashaving a relationship with Him.
You see, I thought being aChristian meant trying harder,
fixing myself, and doing better.
I didn't realize I was livingby the flesh, not by the spirit.
But God, in his mercy, began toshow me the difference.
(02:20):
I didn't need to do more forhim.
I needed to be with him, to sitstill long enough to hear his
voice, to stop trying to earnwhat he had already given:
grace, love, and identity inChrist.
That's when I began tounderstand freedom isn't about
(02:44):
performance, it's aboutsurrender.
Real freedom comes when we stopstriving to be good enough and
start resting in the truth thatJesus already made us complete.
That revelation right therechanged everything.
I gotta tell you, notovernight, but over time and
(03:08):
still.
And it's the reason Pathway toFreedom exists today to help
others experience that sametransformation from religion to
relationship, from striving tosurrender, from believing in God
to truly knowing Him.
Before we begin, I want toshare that today's episode is a
(03:33):
little longer than usual becausethis one holds the heart of
Pathway to Freedom.
It's my personal journey of howGod turned religion into
relationship and showed me whatreal freedom in Christ truly
means.
You know, people would sayJesus is God's son, he died for
(03:59):
your sins, and I would nod, butinside I had questions.
Questions that I was afraid toask.
I remember wondering, if Jesuscame back to life, why was his
death such a big deal?
I missed that part.
Didn't God just get his sonback?
(04:19):
Of course, I didn't say thisout loud, but the question
stayed in my heart.
One day I got real with God.
I prayed.
God, I believe in you.
I really do, but I really don'tunderstand, you know, Jesus.
I don't know about Jesus.
(04:40):
That part has me confused.
I don't understand.
I want to, but I don't.
Please show me who Jesus is.
That prayer was the beginningof change for me.
It was December 2018, and fromthe outside, life looked pretty
good.
(05:00):
I was successful, vicepresident of operations, earning
well over six figures, butinside, I felt empty.
I prayed, God, you know, I feellike I'm playing small in this
world.
There's just there's this emptyvoid.
I don't think I'm doing what Icame to this earth to do.
(05:23):
God, please give me radicalpositive transformation.
I want to be evicted from thislife.
I want my life to be barelyrecognizable in the best way
possible.
I gotta tell you, I didn't knowwhat I was asking for, but I
meant it.
(05:43):
I truly meant it.
It came from my heart, and Godheard me.
That prayer was answered onAugust 2nd, 2019.
That day I had a near-deathencounter with God.
He allowed me to see that I wasdying by showing me the people
(06:04):
in the room as spirit energy.
They no longer had flesh.
That was his message.
I was leaving this world.
I said, God, I don't want todie.
It's too, it's too soon.
Remember all the stuff I haveto get done?
Remember and remember myfamily?
(06:25):
Remember, I gotta do the lifeby design, I gotta do.
And I just started rattling offthings that I needed to get
done.
And he responded clearly.
Ask and you shall receive.
It wasn't audible, it was loudin my spirit.
I remember being overjoyed.
(06:46):
I said, That's right, Lord.
You didn't say ask and I'llthink about it.
You said ask and you shallreceive.
So I asked him to let me live,to fulfill my purpose and finish
what he placed me here to do.
And he did.
And he did.
Even as I lay in ICU, I couldsee and hear everything.
(07:11):
I saw my family, I saw theirfaces, and I heard the doctor
explaining to them what hadhappened.
Though my physical body was ina medicated coma and couldn't
feel, my spirit was fully awake.
I felt peace and joy beyondwhat words can describe.
Within days, I recovered fromwhat doctors said was
(07:36):
impossible.
Two major surgeries, seventransfusions, and organ damage.
Yet I felt no pain.
My body healed completely.
I walked out pain free, withonly follow-up appointments to
confirm everything was healingcorrectly.
(07:57):
No ongoing treatment, nomedication, and no dialysis
required.
Yeah.
That's when I knew.
That's when I knew beyond theshadow of a doubt.
God didn't just save my life,He gave me new life.
That day was the beginning ofmy true relationship with Him.
(08:21):
Man, was that a beautiful day?
I will never ever forget that.
Before that encounter, I didn'teven understand my soul.
I thought I was my titles.
You know, I'm a wife, I'm amother, a leader.
I didn't know my soul was me,the unseen seat of my will,
(08:45):
emotions, and desires.
When God pulled back the veil,I saw my soul and my spirit.
It was real, it was sobering,and it was so beautiful.
That day, I stopped justbelieving about God and began
(09:07):
walking with Him.
The encounter, it wasn't justabout life and death, it was
about identity, about soul,spirit, and purpose.
That's when the journey ofpathway to freedom began.
Because freedom starts when youfinally know who you are, not
(09:32):
by what you do or what peoplesay, but by who God says you
are.
And when you know whose youare, everything else, your
purpose, your peace, yourconfidence flows from that
truth.
That's the real freedom.
(09:54):
Knowing who you are, and evenmore, knowing whose you are,
because when you truly belong toHim, nothing else can define
you.
Before that moment, I wasliving below the promises of
God.
I was fearful, worried,stressed, and restless.
(10:17):
I was saved, but not walking infreedom.
I had religion, notrelationship.
I heard phrases like save yoursoul, but no one explained what
that meant.
I didn't realize my soul was apart of me.
God longed to restore theeternal part that thinks, feels,
(10:41):
and chooses.
That's why the pathway tofreedom had to be born, to
bridge the gap between the wordswe say and the truth our hearts
need to understand.
God met me in my honesty.
He began revealing Jesus not asa symbol, but as the living Son
(11:04):
of God who came to restore meto the Father.
I used to pray and then try tofix everything myself, as if God
needed my help.
I thought hustle was faith, butI learned that freedom doesn't
come from striving, it comesfrom surrender.
(11:25):
It's not passive surrender,it's active trust.
Active trust means walking outyour faith while resting in
God's faithfulness.
Taking the next step he showsyou.
Take that step that is beingrevealed to you.
Even when you can't see thewhole path, it's choosing
(11:46):
obedience over control, movementover fear, and confidence that
he's working behind the sceneswhile you stay aligned with his
direction.
Because faith is not pretendingthe storm doesn't exist, it's
choosing to trust the one whocommands the winds, the waves,
(12:09):
gravity, and all creationitself.
When I stopped begging peopleand started trusting God,
everything changed.
I began to see that He is notjust a giver of resources, He is
the source.
That revelation brought peacebeyond understanding.
(12:31):
If you're listening and ifyou've ever been confused,
tired, or just questioning yourfaith, you're not alone.
You're not fake, you're notfailing, you're just unfinished,
and God can work with honesty.
You see, He meets us where weare, not where we pretend to be.
(12:54):
Sometimes we say all the rightwords, you know, but our hearts
haven't yet caught up with whatour mouths declare.
You get that, right?
And that's okay.
Because God isn't judging ourfaith by its volume, but by its
(13:16):
growth.
Faith is strengthened in thatsacred space between what we
speak and what we're stilllearning to truly believe.
That's why pathway to freedomhad to be born, to bridge the
gap between the words we speakin faith and the truth our
hearts are still learning tofully believe.
(13:38):
Because you see, it's one thingto say we trust God and another
to truly live from that trustwhen life shakes us.
This is why pathway to freedomexists, to help bridge the gap
between religion andrelationship.
Belief and understanding.
It's about transformation fromthe inside out, healing your
(14:01):
soul, renewing your mind, anddiscovering what life in Christ
truly means.
This space was created to helpclose that distance where belief
becomes understanding andunderstanding becomes
transformation.
If your heart is open, God willshow you who Jesus is, because
(14:26):
only God can reveal him.
This is a spiritual revelation,not intellectual knowledge.
We are mere humans, blind untilour eyes are opened, and we are
restored to our Creator throughChrist, who came to give life,
not to condemn.
(14:46):
The journey to freedom beginswith knowing who we are and
whose we are.
And as we'll explore together,God's word reminds us that where
the Spirit of the Lord is,there too is freedom.
That's the heart of freedom.
Knowing Jesus for yourself, notjust for knowing about Him.
(15:09):
And once you truly know Him,you will never be the same.
I promise you that.
You'll never be the same.
You can't be the same.
He transforms you from theinside out.
As you reflect on today'smessage, remember freedom isn't
(15:31):
a destination, it's a daily walkwith God.
Each step we take in truthdraws us closer to the life He
designed for us from the verybeginning.
I'm Vee, and I pray something Ishare today helps you to see
yourself and your journeythrough the lens of His grace.
(15:53):
Stay encouraged, stay anchored,and keep walking in freedom.
Thank you for tuning in toPathway to Freedom by the Life
by Design, where we rediscoverGod's original blueprint for our
lives because you were createdin his image on purpose and for
purpose.
Until next time, walk boldly inhis design.
(16:17):
If today's episode encouragedyou, be sure to like, subscribe,
and share it with someone whoneeds this message.
Until next time, walk boldly inhis design and embrace the
freedom he intended for you.
Hello and welcome to Pathway to Freedom by the Life
by Design.
I'm your host, VirireaderHarry, also known as Vee, and
I'm so glad you're here.
This podcast is a space for usto uncover God's original
blueprint for life so you canwalk in the freedom he intended
for you from the very beginning.
(00:22):
Each week we'll explore faith,family, finances, health,
purpose, and much more.
Why?
Because you were created in hisimage on purpose and for
purpose.
Be sure to follow so you nevermiss an episode.
Welcome to Pathway to Freedomby the Life by Design, where we
(00:48):
rediscover God's originalblueprint for our lives.
Because you were created in hisimage on purpose and for
purpose.
Hello, my name is Virireader,but feel free to call me Vee.
I'm so glad you're here.
This space is all aboutlearning to live free, grounded
(01:11):
in truth, anchored in faith, andaligned with who God created
you to be.
Each episode is a journeytoward wholeness, renewal, and a
deeper understanding in Christ.
Today though, I'm gonna besharing something deeply
personal.
The story behind why Pathway toFreedom.
(01:35):
You see, before I could everhelp anyone find freedom in
Christ, I had to experience whatreal freedom meant for myself.
There was a time where I cantruly say I believed in God, I
went to church, I got baptized,but I didn't know that believing
(01:56):
in God wasn't the same ashaving a relationship with Him.
You see, I thought being aChristian meant trying harder,
fixing myself, and doing better.
I didn't realize I was livingby the flesh, not by the spirit.
But God, in his mercy, began toshow me the difference.
(02:20):
I didn't need to do more forhim.
I needed to be with him, to sitstill long enough to hear his
voice, to stop trying to earnwhat he had already given:
grace, love, and identity inChrist.
That's when I began tounderstand freedom isn't about
(02:44):
performance, it's aboutsurrender.
Real freedom comes when we stopstriving to be good enough and
start resting in the truth thatJesus already made us complete.
That revelation right therechanged everything.
I gotta tell you, notovernight, but over time and
(03:08):
still.
And it's the reason Pathway toFreedom exists today to help
others experience that sametransformation from religion to
relationship, from striving tosurrender, from believing in God
to truly knowing Him.
Before we begin, I want toshare that today's episode is a
(03:33):
little longer than usual becausethis one holds the heart of
Pathway to Freedom.
It's my personal journey of howGod turned religion into
relationship and showed me whatreal freedom in Christ truly
means.
You know, people would sayJesus is God's son, he died for
(03:59):
your sins, and I would nod, butinside I had questions.
Questions that I was afraid toask.
I remember wondering, if Jesuscame back to life, why was his
death such a big deal?
I missed that part.
Didn't God just get his sonback?
(04:19):
Of course, I didn't say thisout loud, but the question
stayed in my heart.
One day I got real with God.
I prayed.
God, I believe in you.
I really do, but I really don'tunderstand, you know, Jesus.
I don't know about Jesus.
(04:40):
That part has me confused.
I don't understand.
I want to, but I don't.
Please show me who Jesus is.
That prayer was the beginningof change for me.
It was December 2018, and fromthe outside, life looked pretty
good.
(05:00):
I was successful, vicepresident of operations, earning
well over six figures, butinside, I felt empty.
I prayed, God, you know, I feellike I'm playing small in this
world.
There's just there's this emptyvoid.
I don't think I'm doing what Icame to this earth to do.
(05:23):
God, please give me radicalpositive transformation.
I want to be evicted from thislife.
I want my life to be barelyrecognizable in the best way
possible.
I gotta tell you, I didn't knowwhat I was asking for, but I
meant it.
(05:43):
I truly meant it.
It came from my heart, and Godheard me.
That prayer was answered onAugust 2nd, 2019.
That day I had a near-deathencounter with God.
He allowed me to see that I wasdying by showing me the people
(06:04):
in the room as spirit energy.
They no longer had flesh.
That was his message.
I was leaving this world.
I said, God, I don't want todie.
It's too, it's too soon.
Remember all the stuff I haveto get done?
Remember and remember myfamily?
(06:25):
Remember, I gotta do the lifeby design, I gotta do.
And I just started rattling offthings that I needed to get
done.
And he responded clearly.
Ask and you shall receive.
It wasn't audible, it was loudin my spirit.
I remember being overjoyed.
(06:46):
I said, That's right, Lord.
You didn't say ask and I'llthink about it.
You said ask and you shallreceive.
So I asked him to let me live,to fulfill my purpose and finish
what he placed me here to do.
And he did.
And he did.
Even as I lay in ICU, I couldsee and hear everything.
(07:11):
I saw my family, I saw theirfaces, and I heard the doctor
explaining to them what hadhappened.
Though my physical body was ina medicated coma and couldn't
feel, my spirit was fully awake.
I felt peace and joy beyondwhat words can describe.
Within days, I recovered fromwhat doctors said was
(07:36):
impossible.
Two major surgeries, seventransfusions, and organ damage.
Yet I felt no pain.
My body healed completely.
I walked out pain free, withonly follow-up appointments to
confirm everything was healingcorrectly.
(07:57):
No ongoing treatment, nomedication, and no dialysis
required.
Yeah.
That's when I knew.
That's when I knew beyond theshadow of a doubt.
God didn't just save my life,He gave me new life.
That day was the beginning ofmy true relationship with Him.
(08:21):
Man, was that a beautiful day?
I will never ever forget that.
Before that encounter, I didn'teven understand my soul.
I thought I was my titles.
You know, I'm a wife, I'm amother, a leader.
I didn't know my soul was me,the unseen seat of my will,
(08:45):
emotions, and desires.
When God pulled back the veil,I saw my soul and my spirit.
It was real, it was sobering,and it was so beautiful.
That day, I stopped justbelieving about God and began
(09:07):
walking with Him.
The encounter, it wasn't justabout life and death, it was
about identity, about soul,spirit, and purpose.
That's when the journey ofpathway to freedom began.
Because freedom starts when youfinally know who you are, not
(09:32):
by what you do or what peoplesay, but by who God says you
are.
And when you know whose youare, everything else, your
purpose, your peace, yourconfidence flows from that
truth.
That's the real freedom.
(09:54):
Knowing who you are, and evenmore, knowing whose you are,
because when you truly belong toHim, nothing else can define
you.
Before that moment, I wasliving below the promises of
God.
I was fearful, worried,stressed, and restless.
(10:17):
I was saved, but not walking infreedom.
I had religion, notrelationship.
I heard phrases like save yoursoul, but no one explained what
that meant.
I didn't realize my soul was apart of me.
God longed to restore theeternal part that thinks, feels,
(10:41):
and chooses.
That's why the pathway tofreedom had to be born, to
bridge the gap between the wordswe say and the truth our hearts
need to understand.
God met me in my honesty.
He began revealing Jesus not asa symbol, but as the living Son
(11:04):
of God who came to restore meto the Father.
I used to pray and then try tofix everything myself, as if God
needed my help.
I thought hustle was faith, butI learned that freedom doesn't
come from striving, it comesfrom surrender.
(11:25):
It's not passive surrender,it's active trust.
Active trust means walking outyour faith while resting in
God's faithfulness.
Taking the next step he showsyou.
Take that step that is beingrevealed to you.
Even when you can't see thewhole path, it's choosing
(11:46):
obedience over control, movementover fear, and confidence that
he's working behind the sceneswhile you stay aligned with his
direction.
Because faith is not pretendingthe storm doesn't exist, it's
choosing to trust the one whocommands the winds, the waves,
(12:09):
gravity, and all creationitself.
When I stopped begging peopleand started trusting God,
everything changed.
I began to see that He is notjust a giver of resources, He is
the source.
That revelation brought peacebeyond understanding.
(12:31):
If you're listening and ifyou've ever been confused,
tired, or just questioning yourfaith, you're not alone.
You're not fake, you're notfailing, you're just unfinished,
and God can work with honesty.
You see, He meets us where weare, not where we pretend to be.
(12:54):
Sometimes we say all the rightwords, you know, but our hearts
haven't yet caught up with whatour mouths declare.
You get that, right?
And that's okay.
Because God isn't judging ourfaith by its volume, but by its
(13:16):
growth.
Faith is strengthened in thatsacred space between what we
speak and what we're stilllearning to truly believe.
That's why pathway to freedomhad to be born, to bridge the
gap between the words we speakin faith and the truth our
hearts are still learning tofully believe.
(13:38):
Because you see, it's one thingto say we trust God and another
to truly live from that trustwhen life shakes us.
This is why pathway to freedomexists, to help bridge the gap
between religion andrelationship.
Belief and understanding.
It's about transformation fromthe inside out, healing your
(14:01):
soul, renewing your mind, anddiscovering what life in Christ
truly means.
This space was created to helpclose that distance where belief
becomes understanding andunderstanding becomes
transformation.
If your heart is open, God willshow you who Jesus is, because
(14:26):
only God can reveal him.
This is a spiritual revelation,not intellectual knowledge.
We are mere humans, blind untilour eyes are opened, and we are
restored to our Creator throughChrist, who came to give life,
not to condemn.
(14:46):
The journey to freedom beginswith knowing who we are and
whose we are.
And as we'll explore together,God's word reminds us that where
the Spirit of the Lord is,there too is freedom.
That's the heart of freedom.
Knowing Jesus for yourself, notjust for knowing about Him.
(15:09):
And once you truly know Him,you will never be the same.
I promise you that.
You'll never be the same.
You can't be the same.
He transforms you from theinside out.
As you reflect on today'smessage, remember freedom isn't
(15:31):
a destination, it's a daily walkwith God.
Each step we take in truthdraws us closer to the life He
designed for us from the verybeginning.
I'm Vee, and I pray something Ishare today helps you to see
yourself and your journeythrough the lens of His grace.
(15:53):
Stay encouraged, stay anchored,and keep walking in freedom.
Thank you for tuning in toPathway to Freedom by the Life
by Design, where we rediscoverGod's original blueprint for our
lives because you were createdin his image on purpose and for
purpose.
Until next time, walk boldly inhis design.
(16:17):
If today's episode encouragedyou, be sure to like, subscribe,
and share it with someone whoneeds this message.
Until next time, walk boldly inhis design and embrace the
freedom he intended for you.
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