In this short, Dr. Tabatha Barber delivers a hopeful, faith‑based message that bridges spirituality with modern biology. She explains that while genetic and epigenetic predispositions—such as tendencies toward addiction, obesity, or trauma—can be inherited, they are not fixed destinies. By invoking the power of the cross, she argues that God has "knitted hope" into our cells, allowing us to rewrite our narratives. She emphasizes that the brain’s neuroplasticity means thoughts, lifestyle choices, and gratitude can reshape our biology. Drawing from her personal experience of raising two biological children and an adopted child, she illustrates how managing thoughts, practicing gratitude, and making healthy choices can break cycles of inherited trauma and promote restoration for body, soul, and spirit.
Chapters
Which to me is a very hope-filled narrative because it means no matter what's been passed down to us, even in our DNA, even in our experiences, even in early childhood traumas, whatever it might be, there's always, always hope. There's— and that hope isn't just some kind of spiritual thing that we can't grab hold of. That hope is knitted into us at a very cellular level. And it's so— it might mean if you're listening, watching today, and you're really aware that you have some predispositions, and we know predispositions predispositions get passed down epigenetically. It can even be addictions, ways of thinking, and we realize now obesity, all these kind of things. They— you might have a predisposition, but because of the way you have been wired, because of the powerful work of the cross, your predisposition does not have to be your predestination. It doesn't need to be the thing that gets to narrate your story. God narrates your story, and it's one of hope and goodness and restoration and resurrection. And like I said, that's not It's not just a spiritual principle. God's knitted it into your body. So that's why managing your thoughts, managing your lifestyle are really, really powerful. And so I think, oh gosh, I discovered this stuff after I had my first 2 babies and my 3rd child is adopted. So I'm like, oh, I learned this stuff too late. But then I think, well, no, I didn't, because I can still help them with— What— even if I've passed down some stuff, I've passed down some trauma, I've passed down some unhelpful thoughts, whatever it might be, um, I can still help them in how those— they, they get it, how they would get expressed, by helping them manage their mind, by helping them lean into gratitude, by helping them to make good choices for their body, their soul, and their spirit. And so it's a— it's very, very hope-filled. God has literally knitted hope into you. And also, when we're talking about the brain, your brain's neuroplastic, which means that it doesn't remain the same.
