I have prayed that God would use my story to inspire others to lay down their anger and hurt to pick up something far greater than anything they have experienced before – the love of Christ. When I increased my space to accept the love of Christ, the spaces in me that were hard, callused and dying began to regenerate. My joy grew infectious and my smile became a mirror of my peace instead of my pain.
Ever wonder what Christ can do with the parts of you that have been stomped and burned to a charred mess?
Ever seen how a forest regrows after a fire has raged through it? Those little green shoots of color… that can be your lifescape, if you let the God who created the world create something new in you.
I’ve lived in the country around rural communities my whole life. My childhood was spent outside, in the dirt, up a tree or helping my mom in the garden. My life changed when I was 11 years old and after years of begging, my parents finally caved in and got me a horse. From that point on, my life revolved around riding my horse, hanging out with friends that I could ride with and sitting around a campfire most summer weekends with our horses munching hay in the background after a long day of riding.
My love for outside adventures has never stopped. From spending weeks in the Boundary waters on extended canoe trips as a teen, to hiking backcountry trails over many different states and terrain, I have always felt closer to God when away from the grind of the city.
God used his creation to inspire me and heal my soul.
He has met me in the spaces that I paused to worship and allowed the worries that plagued my young adult years to diminish and His strength to increase.
There are so many brushes with the divine I have encountered. When my father died at only 66 years old and I was left feeling alone and grieving, God was there. When my first marriage became troubled and ended in divorce, He was there. When I was relearning who I was after tragedy, God has allowed me to feel pain but not be broken. As I worshiped, He came close. He reshaped the pieces of my life and created something new and beautiful that I could not have imagined for myself.
I am currently remarried to a man that I believe God gave me as a gift. For the past 10 years, God has given me closer connections with my 4 biological children as well as 3 step children whom I love with all my heart. God increased my mama duties which warms me to my core. He has blessed me beyond measure.
Kari A. Gritz is a therapist, writer, and faith-centered guide who has spent years walking alongside individuals and families through struggle, healing, and restoration.
Raised in a Christian home, Kari understands firsthand how knowing God and truly believing who you are in Him can feel worlds apart. Through her work in residential and outpatient treatment centers, private practice, and in-home family therapy, she has witnessed the deep identity wounds many carry quietly.
Called Up was written from this lived experience, blending scripture, honesty, and compassion to help others see themselves through Christ’s eyes.
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If you’re ready to rediscover your identity and heal honestly, this space was created to support you.
For as long as I can remember, what I have loved to do is to connect with people, hear them and see them grow. This grew during the time I spent as a youth pastors assistant, and youth and family director at a church and then as I gained my LADC(Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor) and LPCC(Licensed Professional Clinician Counselor) licenses.
As the men’s counselor at a residential drug treatment program, I saw how substances grabbed ahold of people and tossed them into the fire. Satan has literally used this tool to chew up humanity and burn them and those around them alive. This might sound harsh but this is what I witnessed each and every day. I have seen this scene repeated as I worked in private practice and in the role I current have as In-home Family Therapist.
Seeing people in their brokenness created a need to nurture and bond with them and share my own brokenness and how I survived. I long to see broken human beings grow into the beautiful beings God designed them to be.
In each stage of my growth over the past 50 years, I have experienced how my Savior longs for me to reach for Him – Longs for me to sit with Him – Longs for me to stop trying so hard for all my own plans and let Him give me His peace and His direction.
I love to share pieces of my story and how God met me. I have worshiped my way through so many storms. I have used this channel of worship and scripture to right my mind in the midst of turmoil and chaos and have come out the other side stronger and more sure of who Jesus is and the wonderful work he wants to complete in each of us.
We are not helpless, hopeless and useless.
We are beautiful, beloved and made for a purpose.
Called Up is an invitation to confront the quiet lies that shape identity and replace them with truth rooted in Christ. Written for believers who feel stuck, unseen, or spiritually exhausted, the book explores what it truly means to live as a child of God.
Drawing from scripture, personal reflection, and years of therapeutic work, Kari A. Gritz guides readers toward repentance, humility, and healing without shame.
This book is not about striving for perfection, but about learning to rest in grace and step confidently into the purpose God has already written for you.
