The birthing • Faith • Womanhood • Purpose • Life

Where Becoming Begins

Every becoming has a beginning. This is mine.

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A little introduction to the heart behind The Birthing, the story God placed in me, and the journey of becoming who He has called me to be.

If you had told me a year ago that I would be starting a blog, I probably would have laughed a little. Not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I had no idea where to begin, what to call it, or how to bring to life the thing God had placed on my heart.

In July 2025, God gave me an assignment. I knew that part of it involved sharing my testimony, but beyond that, I didn’t really know what He wanted me to do. I sat with it for a while, carrying something I couldn’t quite explain or put into words. I had so many questions, and if I’m being honest, even more excuses.

God, what will people think of me? What if they judge me because of my past? What if I put myself out there and it doesn’t work? What if I fail? Lord, you know I’m shy, right?

I had my fair share of fears, doubts, and reasons to postpone the very thing I felt God was asking me to do. I didn’t know how, where, or when to begin. I didn’t even have a name for the assignment I was carrying. But one thing I knew was that I trusted the One who had given it to me.

So, I waited. I prayed. I thought of names, discarded them, and thought of new ones. Nothing felt quite right. I had no real understanding of what this would become, but I was learning that I didn’t need to have the whole picture to trust the One who could see it.

And then, in September 2026, the name came.

The Birthing.

The name was given to me in prayer, but at first, I didn’t fully understand it. It wasn’t until a prophetic word was spoken over my life that things began to make sense. God was birthing something new within me.

And can we talk about the timing for a second? A woman carries a pregnancy for nine months, and the ninth month is when she prepares to birth what she has been carrying. I received the name The Birthing in the ninth month of the year. September. Isn’t God a girl dad? I couldn’t help but smile at that little detail. What had been sitting in my heart for over a year was finally beginning to take shape.

And here we are. ♡

A little about me

My name is Tanaka Ashley Samuriwo. I’m a nurse yet to start practicing, now a blogger, but before I am any of those things, I am a child of God.

I love serving. In whatever capacity I can, I find so much joy in showing up for people. It wasn’t always like that though but we’ll unpack that later girlie. I think service is one of the ways I express love. Whether it’s the little things or the things that require a little more of me, there’s something beautiful about being able to pour into others.

But beyond the titles, the things I do, and the things people may know about me, I’m just a girl who is learning. Learning who she is in Christ. Learning to see herself through God’s eyes. Learning to let go of what no longer serves the woman He is calling her to be.

I’m not perfect. Far from it, actually. There are things I’m still working through, habits I’m still unlearning, and parts of myself that God is still transforming. Redefining my life as a Christian woman and learning to see myself through the lens of God has been one of the hardest things to navigate. Sometimes, it’s easier to believe what your experiences have taught you about yourself than to believe what God says about you.

But I hold on to this truth: He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion. (Philippians 1:6)

I am a work in progress, and this space is a little testimony of that work.

The season of unbecoming

Right now, I’m in a season of unbecoming.

And no, I don’t mean losing myself. I mean letting go of the versions of myself that were shaped by fear, hurt, old habits, limiting mindsets, and experiences that taught me to become someone I was never meant to remain.

I’m learning that growth isn’t always about adding more to yourself. Sometimes, growth looks like surrender. Sometimes, it means unlearning what you thought was true, releasing what you’ve outgrown, and allowing God to challenge the things you’ve grown comfortable with.

Sometimes, becoming the woman God has called you to be begins with unbecoming the woman life taught you to be.

And that is the heart behind The Birthing.

I want this to be a space where we can talk honestly about the process. Not just the beautiful, Instagram-worthy moments of growth, but also the uncomfortable ones. The moments when God is stretching us, correcting us, teaching us, and asking us to surrender things we would rather hold on to.

Because becoming isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it is messy, sometimes it is uncomfortable, and sometimes it means admitting that the person you’ve been is no longer the person you want to be. But there is something beautiful about allowing God to shape the narrative, even when you don’t know what the next chapter will look like.

I’m learning to trust Him with that process, and I’d love to take you along with me.

So, what is The Birthing?

The Birthing is more than a blog to me. It’s a space for the things God is doing in me, the lessons I’m learning along the way, and the conversations I believe we need to have as women who are growing in faith and learning to live out our God-given identities.

Here, we’ll talk about faith, devotionals, healing, stewardship of our bodies and minds, relationships, identity, personal growth, and everything in between. We’ll have conversations about the things that don’t always make it into our Sunday testimonies, the questions we’re sometimes afraid to ask, and the little everyday moments through which God teaches us the most.

I want us to learn what it means to care for ourselves, not just spiritually, but physically, emotionally, and mentally, too. To become better stewards of what God has entrusted to us. To navigate relationships with wisdom, to grow in self-awareness, and to learn how to extend ourselves the same grace we so often give to others.

And, of course, I want us to laugh, too! Life is serious enough as it is. There should be room for joy, for the little victories, for the lessons we learn the hard way, and for the moments when we look back and realise just how far God has brought us.

I don’t want to create a space where I show up as someone who has everything figured out, because that simply wouldn’t be honest. I want to show up as I am: a woman learning, growing, surrendering, and trusting God to finish what He started.

I hope that as you read, you find something that speaks to you. Perhaps a reminder you needed, a question that challenges you, a truth that brings you closer to God, or simply the comfort of knowing that you’re not the only one figuring things out.

My hope is that we challenge ourselves and one another, that we grow together, laugh together, cry together, and become together.

Because this isn’t just about my journey. There’s room for yours here, too.

A little reminder before you go

If there’s one thing I want you to carry with you from this little introduction, it’s this: you don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.

You don’t need to be the finished version of yourself to show up. You don’t need to have every loose end tied together, every habit corrected, or every part of your story healed before you allow yourself to grow.

Give yourself permission to be in the process.

Give God room to work in the places you’ve been avoiding. Give yourself grace when growth feels slower than you expected. And remember that letting go doesn’t always mean you’ve lost something. Sometimes, it means you’re finally making room for what God wants to do next.

I’m so glad you’re here. Truly.

Welcome to The Birthing, my little corner of the internet. Thank you for being here at the beginning, for giving this space a chance, and for allowing me to share a little piece of my heart with you.

Here’s to the things we’re learning, the things we are leaving behind, and the beautiful things God is bringing forth in us.

Remember, you are not behind. You’re blooming.

With love,

Tanaka Ashley

The Birthing — Where becoming begins.