Dominique Young
10 min read ⭑
“I spent so much of my life running — running from discomfort, from my children’s big emotions, from rest, from anything that felt like suffering. But the moment I finally stopped running, I started to find God right in the places I had been trying to avoid.”
Life is hard. Which is why Dominique Young works to help others walk through life’s toughest questions with faith and hope. A mom to five kids and founder of the growing Faith Family Worldwide community, she writes and speaks to encourage women to lean on God and find emotional healing through him. Her recent book, God, Where Are You?, draws from her personal journey through doubts and disappointments and reminds readers that, even in the waiting seasons, God is right there with us.
Today, she explores her favorite spiritual practices, such as talking to her kids about their emotions, setting aside an entire day for stillness and rest, and stewarding technology intentionally for spiritual growth. And in our hyperindividualistic culture, she’s discovered that collective Bible study is a habit she never wants to quit.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
Food is always about more than food; it’s also about home and people and love. So how does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
I grew up in Northern Virginia, not too far from Washington, D.C. My go-to meal actually didn’t come from a restaurant at all — it came from my Grandma Gloria’s kitchen. And to be honest, she could’ve cooked anything, and it would’ve been the best meal I’d ever tasted. The magic wasn’t in the food itself. It was her presence.
Grandma had this way of making every meal feel special, whether it was her famous oatmeal with cinnamon toast or her unforgettable catfish fries. Those meals were my favorite simply because she was there.
My grandmother passed away years ago, but the love wrapped inside those home-cooked meals is forever etched in my heart. And on long, hard days, I still find myself sitting down, closing my eyes and letting my memories take me back to her kitchen — back to the warmth, the smell of her cooking and the love around her table.
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QUESTION #2: REVEAL
What “nonspiritual” activity have you found to be quite spiritual, after all? What quirky proclivity, out-of-the-way interest or unexpected pursuit refreshes your soul?
Talking to my children about their emotions is not something I ever imagined would draw me closer to God. When my kids first started expressing their big feelings, I found myself defaulting to how my own emotions were handled growing up. I would rush them — coaxing them to stop crying, telling them to wipe their tears long before they were ready.
Then came my third child. And my quick attempts to push past any emotion that made me uncomfortable — he wasn’t having it. He needed more conversation. He needed support to process what he was feeling. And I needed support to help him.
With every conversation, I felt the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit. As I walked him through sadness, fear and anxiety, I realized God was walking me through my own emotions, too. These moments — far from a church building or stained-glass windows — have become some of the most sacred places where God’s kindness meets me and teaches me.
And in the quiet, holy moments with my two older children, as I apologize for how I mishandled their emotions in the past, they offer me forgiveness and kindness. These moments with my kids have become unexpected places of grace — beautiful, tender reminders that God is shaping all of us together.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness; every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you confront its power?
I spent many years living at a pace designed to help me outrun my own thoughts. As someone who wrestled with depression and anxiety, slowing down was the one thing I refused to do. I didn’t even realize it was a coping mechanism until I finally tried to rest.
I remember deciding to pause my daily hustle for a full day — just one day — because I was inspired by what Scripture teaches about rest. I thought, This is exactly what my soul needs. But instead of peace, those slower days felt like a nightmare. With the noise of busyness gone, traumatic memories rushed in. All the things I had neatly buried under tasks and to-do lists came to the surface, and I had nothing to distract myself with.
I began to see that my workaholism wasn’t a deep love for work or productivity, like it may have looked from the outside. It was actually about escaping my own unprocessed emotions.
Even now, when life starts feeling heavy emotionally, I notice my schedule quietly filling up and my time getting tighter. That used to feel like discipline or commitment — but now I know it’s a signal. It’s my reminder to stop, breathe and check in with myself before I slip back into hiding behind busyness.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
For the past two years, I’ve been working on a book called “God, Where Are You? Unmasking Your Pain, Uncovering His Presence.” It’s all about finding God in the midst of suffering. As I shared earlier, I spent so much of my life running — running from discomfort, from my children’s big emotions, from rest, from anything that felt like suffering. But the moment I finally stopped running, I started to find God right in the places I had been trying to avoid.
“God, Where Are You?” invites women to lean into those hard moments — the ones we wish would disappear from our story — and instead choose to look for God in the middle of them. Because the beautiful, almost unbelievable truth is that he stands with us in the dark places, even when we don’t realize it.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Whether we’re cashiers or CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need God’s love flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
Throughout my life, I’ve been known as a procrastinator. I’ll wait until the last minute to complete something, spending most of the time I should have been working chasing shiny objects or distractions. But I’ve discovered that the Holy Spirit has a way of helping me focus and accomplish even the most challenging tasks.
While I was writing “God, Where Are You?,” I had a specific word count to reach set by my publisher. I was thrilled about the opportunity, but the fear of not being able to deliver started creeping in. So I sat down and prayed — asking God for help, for direction, for focus. And over the next few days, something shifted. I found myself working consistently, hitting my word goals and completing the task on time.
I know that kind of strength, that sudden ability to do something I previously thought impossible, wasn’t me. It was God working through me — guiding, sustaining and empowering me when I needed it most.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
My most loved spiritual discipline is communal Bible reading and study. In the Western world, everything feels hyper-individualistic — even our relationship with God can feel like a private, almost secret thing. So much so that we sometimes feel guilty sharing our faith with others. But for the past five years, I’ve built a daily practice that has completely shifted how I experience Scripture. Every morning, I study the Bible with a growing group of people. We read a chapter together and then take time to discuss it.
The discussion is what makes it so powerful for me. It challenges my own way of thinking, opens my perspective and often pulls me out of emotional funks I didn’t even realize I was in. Hearing the journeys, struggles and insights of others reminds me that I am not alone in my questions, my doubts or my faith. It’s in those moments of shared reflection that God feels closest — moving, teaching and connecting us in ways I could never experience on my own.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and changed your heart?
The top three resources on my faith journey have been a blend of spiritual, practical and deeply personal help.
“The Enduring Word Commentary” by David Guzik
This commentary has been like having a pastor in my pocket. Truly. It’s a free online resource, but the depth, clarity and pastoral care David brings to every passage feels like someone sitting right beside you, helping you understand Scripture in a grounded, compassionate way. He breaks things down without making you feel small, and he brings historical context in a way that actually strengthens your faith rather than overwhelming you. It has been one of my steady companions in Bible study.
The Faith Family Worldwide App
I know it might sound strange to name something I helped build, but I often say this ministry feels like Noah’s Ark. Sometimes God tells you to build something long before you realize how desperately you will need it. This app has been that for me. The daily Bible studies, the community, the encouragement — they’ve saved my life more than once. What started as a place to serve others has become one of the primary ways God has served me, steadied me and pulled me through some of my hardest seasons.
Therapy
I cannot overstate this one. Therapy has been a holy space for me — a place where I’ve been able to unlearn patterns, heal old wounds and understand how my emotional and spiritual life connect. My therapist has helped me untangle things I couldn’t even put into words. God has met me powerfully in those sessions, giving me language for my pain and tools for my healing. It’s been one of the most faith-strengthening resources of my entire journey.
Certain things can be godsends, helping us survive, even thrive, in our fast-paced world. Does technology ever help you this way? Has an app ever boosted your spiritual growth? If so, how?
Technology has played a huge role in my spiritual growth. I’m actually really passionate about using technology as part of our modern-day discipleship process because I truly believe it’s needed. We live in a fast-paced world, and for many of us, especially those juggling family, work and ministry, technology becomes a lifeline — not a distraction — when used with intention.
Here are the tools that have shaped me the most:
The Bible App (YouVersion)
This app has carried me through so many seasons. Whether I’m doing a guided reading plan, listening to the audio Bible while getting kids ready for school or highlighting a verse that hits my heart just right, it has helped me stay rooted in Scripture daily. It makes the Bible accessible anywhere, which, as a mom of five, is a gift.
These videos have been like having a seminary class broken down into visuals I can actually follow. They take big, complex biblical themes and make them understandable and beautiful. Sometimes I’ll watch one before a study session, and it opens my eyes to things I wouldn’t have seen on my own. Their work has helped me fall even more in love with the big picture of Scripture.
Audible has been a game-changer. As a mom with five children, sitting quietly with a book doesn’t happen as often as I wish it did. But listening? I can do that while I’m driving, cooking, folding laundry or even taking a walk. There is something divinely helpful about being able to listen to books that pour into my soul while I’m in the middle of everyday life. It allows me to grow spiritually without having to wait for the “perfect moment.”
Technology hasn’t replaced my spiritual practices — it has strengthened them. It has allowed me to meet God in the in-between moments, the busy moments and the exhausted moments. And honestly, that has been one of the greatest gifts in my walk with him.
QUESTION #8: dream
God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
The new thing God is stirring in me is something I’m calling The Soul Care Collective. As I’ve been sharing my book with people, it has opened up so many conversations about suffering, faith, emotional pain and the parts of our story we usually keep hidden. Over and over again, I’ve noticed the same thing: people are craving a safe, consistent space to process what they’re going through — not just spiritually, but emotionally, too.
Those conversations awakened something in me. I’ve felt this growing desire to create a space where Christians can slow down, breathe and actually tend to their inner life with intention. A place where they can process emotions, not avoid them. A place where faith and mental health aren’t separated but held together with gentleness.
The Soul Care Collective would offer guided reflection tools, emotional check-ins and workshops led by professionals — therapists, clinical social workers, counselors, people who are trained and gifted to support healing. My heart is to provide a rhythm of care that helps people engage with God and their own souls in a deeper, healthier way.
In many ways, it feels like God is inviting me to build the very thing I wish I had during some of my hardest seasons — a refuge, a rhythm, a soft landing place for people who love Jesus but are also navigating the complexities of real life, real emotions and real pain.
In our world, the more valuable an item is, the better care we take of it. Like the bride who sends her wedding dress to a high-end cleaner. Or the man who washes and waxes his new sports car every Saturday. Or a proud parent who dusts and polishes their child’s medals and trophies.
If this is how we treat our most expensive or meaningful items, why don’t we take better care of our own hearts? God gave us the ability to feel a complex range of emotions, and with that comes the responsibility to tend to them — processing them with Jesus and finding healing for our brokenness.
How can you take better care of your heart this week? Could you share a burden with a friend or a counselor? Could you spend some quiet, uninterrupted time with Jesus (even if uncomfortable emotions rise to the surface)? Could you spend an hour or two surrounded by nature?
You, my friend, are valuable — may the way you treat yourself reflect the deep love God has for you.
Dominique Young is the founder of Faith Mamas Inc, now Faith Family Worldwide, a thriving community of over 6,000 Christian women and a private app supporting more than 1,700 believers. With a psychology degree from Hampton University and a master’s in theological studies from Fuller Seminary, she’s passionate about helping others break free from fear and step into the fullness of God’s Word. Dominique has appeared on the Don’t Mom Alone and Refreshed Moms podcasts, sharing her heart and insights with women navigating faith, motherhood and life. Above all, Dominique is a devoted wife and mom of five.