Hi, I'm Ashley James. Like many busy moms, I wear many hats! I'm a wife, homeschooling mom, Integrative Health Coach, Author, Podcaster, Anxiety Cessation Expert, and follower of Jesus. Welcome to Learn True Self.
You may know me from Learn True Health, where I've spent years asking questions, listening to people's stories, and exploring what it means to heal. That work grew out of my own health struggles and my desire to help others who were suffering. Losing my mother when I was 22 deepened that desire and helped shape the direction of my life.
Now I'm beginning a new conversation.
Learn True Self is a Christian podcast dedicated to born-again stories: personal testimonies of meeting Jesus, coming to faith, and experiencing the ways He changes our lives. I hope that these conversations will encourage you, make room for your questions, and help you grow in your relationship with God.
Our Family, Our Faith, and Our Story
My husband, Duffy, and I are the proud parents of our son, Brave, and our beautiful daughter, Vale Saint James, who died during childbirth in 2021. She will always be part of our family and our story.
We know both the joy of parenthood and the heartbreak of losing a child. In those first devastating days after Vale's death, Duffy and I experienced God's presence and love in a deeply personal way. I felt the Holy Spirit ease my aching, broken heart and hug me. Duffy described it as feeling God's peace, support, and deep love. That moment remains part of our testimony: in profound grief, we experienced God's desire to comfort our pain.
As a child, my family went to church a few times a year. As a teenager, I attended Christian summer camps and a youth group where I experienced being born again! It wasn't until my mother died that I sought God out for myself, seeking bible studies, books, classes, and different churches. I look to Jesus and to the Bible for guidance, and I'm grateful for the people who walk alongside our family in faith.
In 2023, we moved from Snohomish to Shoreline, Washington, to care for Duffy's parents. We attend Calvary Chapel Edmonds and Berean Bible Church in Shoreline, where worship and community are part of our family's life.
Life Beyond the Microphone
Much of my everyday life revolves around homeschooling Brave, cooking nourishing meals, and bringing people together.
Brave loves Minecraft, STEM projects, and imagining a future as a pilot and aviation engineer. His grandma, Ellinor, is one of his loving supporters. She's a bird enthusiast and flower lover who brings kindness and encouragement to his adventures.
I also run a large homeschool Facebook group that connects local families through field trips and meetups. Friendship matters to me. I'm often praying for more opportunities to connect with people, and I love when a simple conversation becomes the beginning of a friendship. If we meet in person, I may be the one wearing colorful leggings!
Why Learn True Self?
There is something deeply meaningful about hearing someone tell the story of how they came to know Jesus in their own words, with the questions, struggles, and moments of grace that made it personal.
Those are the conversations I want to share with you here.
Whether you've followed Jesus for years, are new to faith, or are still exploring what it means to be born again, you are welcome! Listen and learn alongside us.
And if you have a born-again story to tell, I would love to hear yours.
Welcome to Learn True Self. I'm so glad you're here.
Your support helps us keep telling real stories of how Jesus meets people.