People of Virginia Beach

People of Virginia Beach PVB Newsletter: https://bit.ly/PoVB-Connect

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She said I could heal myself—and that the Bible teaches us how.“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”At the deepest...
09/05/2026

She said I could heal myself—and that the Bible teaches us how.

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

At the deepest level, she believes, we are already healed. Our minds struggle to accept it—like it is too good to be true.

That is why she believes we must learn to rest our minds. We don’t have to fill every quiet moment with television, scrolling, or noise. She even teaches her grandbabies how to just sit. To be still.

Healing begins when the mind finally becomes quiet.

I’m over here crying.Someone just sent me $100 because my stories mean so much to her—and because she wants me to keep g...
09/04/2026

I’m over here crying.

Someone just sent me $100 because my stories mean so much to her—and because she wants me to keep going.

She told me she’s using the resources I’ve shared, including The Healing Arts Center VB to help her family. And maybe one day, when they’re ready, I’ll be able to tell their story too.

This. This is why I’m doing it.

The gratitude and love I feel right now…“thank you” doesn’t even begin to cover it. ❤️

They came all the way in from Pennsylvania to play volleyball this weekend ;) Wish them luck!! PS: Know anyone? Tag your...
09/04/2026

They came all the way in from Pennsylvania to play volleyball this weekend ;) Wish them luck!!

PS: Know anyone? Tag your buddies ;)

West Chester University Athletics

In 2022, Chris tried to take his own life.He has been a firefighter and first responder for 34 years. For decades, he sh...
09/04/2026

In 2022, Chris tried to take his own life.

He has been a firefighter and first responder for 34 years. For decades, he shoved down all the emotions from everything he had witnessed. All the trauma he saw—it sat in him—festering.

Therapy helped. But not enough. He had already been in therapy for three years when he made the attempt.

During the 72-hour stay at Save A Warrior, he asked:

“If I’ve been in therapy for three years and still tried to kill myself, what are you going to do differently?”

The answer was simple: Be open. Play the game. Give it everything you have. So he did.

And he thought he was doing ok. But he wasn't. Just this year, his wife told him she was leaving.

She was tired of Chris reacting instead of responding. She didn’t want First Responder Chris. She wanted her husband. So she left to be with family.

Chris felt panicked to fix it. Scared that he might do something again, he took every gun he owned to his son’s house, just in case.

Then he called the Center of Excellence, a 31-day residential treatment program for firefighters and first responders.

“It was like five years of therapy in a month,” he said. He took notes. He gathered every handout. He went all-in.

When he graduated on the 17th, he was ready to see his wife. Now they are both well. Healing together.

Thank you, Chris, for trusting your instinct—and trusting me.

For your service. For your vulnerability. For choosing to do the work.

And most of all, for staying.❤️

PS: If you are a first responder, do you have a 4am buddy?

Tonight, I walked the shoreline for over two hours — grounding, watching families play in the surf, talking to people, a...
09/04/2026

Tonight, I walked the shoreline for over two hours — grounding, watching families play in the surf, talking to people, and taking photos.

These are the people who made me stop and take the shot.

Do you know anyone? Tag them! And if you see yourself, say hello — I might have more photos of you. ❤️



PS: This PVB photo story is brought to you by The Healing Arts Center VB. Read their story in the first comment.

Shelly did not want to come back after she died. But her sister told her she had to. She still had work to do—a purpose ...
09/03/2026

Shelly did not want to come back after she died. But her sister told her she had to. She still had work to do—a purpose greater than herself.

Shelly had been a surfer, a PE teacher, and a coach. She was also using drugs, and eventually, they caused a massive stroke.

Doctors told her sons it was time to let her go. But her oldest climbed into her hospital bed and said, “No. She’s still with us. I can feel it.”

He was right.

The sister who told Shelly to go back was Kathryn—a sister she had lost in the most unimaginable way. On New Year’s Day in 2006, Kathryn, her husband Bryan, and their two young daughters were murdered in the basement of their Richmond home.

Kathryn told her, “Go back. You have things to do.” But Shelly didn’t want to come back. Where she was, she felt complete peace. There was no pain—only the purest, most unconditional love she had ever known.

Still, Kathryn insisted.

It took a couple of months, but Shelly finally came out of the coma. When she was stable enough to leave, she went home in a wheelchair and had to learn how to do everything again.

She persevered. She figured it out. She chose to live.

About a year and a half later, Shelly began piecing together the purpose Kathryn had sent her back to fulfill.

Today, she helps others at Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center. They talk about drugs, s*x, family—really, everything—and how to live. She is also a caregiver, giving back to others in the ways she once needed help herself.

Shelly found her way. She found her spark.



PS: This story is brought to you by The Healing Arts Center VB.

Read their story in the first comment.

Winter is coming. I know. I said it—OUT LOUD. Why am I thinking about winter on a hot, sunny day?Because I’m already ner...
09/02/2026

Winter is coming. I know. I said it—OUT LOUD. Why am I thinking about winter on a hot, sunny day?

Because I’m already nervous about what happens when the boardwalk turns into a ghost town.

So email me. Message me. Send me your Virginia Beach stories—or tag someone I need to meet.

If selected, I’ll come meet you, take your photos, and share your story with Virginia Beach—completely free. 😉



PS: Know anyone? This was from Sunday night 😉

PSS: This invitation is for personal and community stories—not business advertising. If you’d like to promote a local business or event, message me about sponsorship opportunities.

Remember Thomas—the man with a million expressions and just as many hats?He was people-watching with his pup when Gorgeo...
09/02/2026

Remember Thomas—the man with a million expressions and just as many hats?

He was people-watching with his pup when Gorgeous Santa caught my eye.

Thomas wants everyone to know he’s still kicking! Have you seen him around? 😉

I thought they were brother and sister.NOPE. They’ve been dating for FOUR years.😂Their secret? Honesty and communication...
09/02/2026

I thought they were brother and sister.
NOPE.

They’ve been dating for FOUR years.😂Their secret? Honesty and communication.

PS: They’re lifeguards from Ukraine, I believe.

After losing my husband, I spent money like crazy.My badass therapy bike? $5K.The camera? $9K.At the time, that bike was...
09/02/2026

After losing my husband, I spent money like crazy.

My badass therapy bike? $5K.
The camera? $9K.

At the time, that bike was the only thing that made me feel alive. On that bike, I started singing to the world. I tried using the camera, but I didn’t feel it. There was no spark—and all I wanted was a spark.

I didn’t care about the money because I didn’t see myself living much longer. But something shifted at the three-year mark—after I moved down here to the oceanfront and left the home Bill and I raised our boys in.

I wanted to live. I love being outside in the sunshine, playing in the ocean and meeting all of you. I feel that SPARK that I desperately craved during interviews. And when I’m editing? I am completely in the zone.

Unfortunately, I’m only 53. If I were 59½, I would be golden.😂But since I’m not, it’s time for me to be a little more like Bill. Money was his thing. So I’m buckling down and building several different income streams.

Photography: I already have sessions on my calendar through November, but I still have openings! If you want a quick, fun shoot—or something bigger—send me a message.

Sponsorships: September is completely BOOKED, and I am OVERJOYED. I’m also upgrading sponsorships from individual stories to FULL days of PVB stories. The goal is to overdeliver. October is open. DM me.

1 day of stories: $125
2 days: $200
3 days: $275

Facebook monetization: People of Virginia Beach is monetized! It took THREE MONTHS. Yesterday was the FIRST DAY. It was like Christmas!! LOL. I made $25!!

Stickers? Kind of a dud. 😂 I still love them, though. Snail Mail? Also a dud. I am simply not detailed enough to keep up with it. And that’s okay.

For three years, I didn’t care whether I had enough money for a future. But now I have purpose. Joy. And YOU.

Thank you for being part of my journey!! ❤️



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