Hello there!

My name is Dr. Elizabeth Oates!

I’m a wife and a mother of five (three I had with strong epidurals and two we adopted through foster care). I am also an author, speaker, occasional blogger, and I work in my local church as a Minister of Discipleship: Women & Marriage.

I realize my life looks like a nauseating cliché, but before I was gifted these pretty phenomenal years, I was raised in a family filled with divorce, addiction, abuse, abandonment, and general dysfunction. I experienced divorce at three different ages and stages of life, and I spent most of my energy trying to earn approval, friendship, and love through my achievements (hellooooo Enneagram 3).

Fortunately, I met Jesus when I was a broken, lonely fifteen-year-old, and He changed the trajectory of my life. He took a girl who should have been a statistic and He made me a new creation. He taught me that my identity rested in Him, not in my achievements. He protected me, guided me, and held me up me when no one else would.

Want a little more info about me? A long time ago (and I mean a very long time ago) I received a B.A. from Baylor University and an M.A. in Christian Education—with a focus in Marriage and Family Studies—from Dallas Theological Seminary. I recently graduated from Liberty University with my Ed.D. in Community Care & Counseling: Marriage and Family Counseling.

Yet, God doesn’t care about degrees (can I get an Amen?!)—He cares about calling. And He has called me to equip and encourage women to embrace freedom in life, marriage, and motherhood.

Here is a pic of me and my crew. Don’t let this carefully crafted picture fool you . . . I’m pretty sure I bribed them with Skittles and Sonic slushes to get them to smile at the same time. No shame in my game.

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