1. things are meant to be used + enjoyed. burn the good candle. wear the fun nail color. fill up the blank journal. eat the good chocolate. use the fun stickers. you can always buy more later.
2. hair is just hair. if you don't like the brunette life, go back to blonde in 3 months like you always do. it's not that serious. (spoiler alert: you love the brunette life!)
3. gratefulness correlates to your outlook on life. the more you look for beauty, the more you find.
4. girl, go to the dentist. stop making excuses for putting it off. make the appointment yesterday.
5. the lead-up to the thing you are dreading is often worse than the thing itself.
6. the peace that surpasses all understanding requires you to give up understanding some things.
7. the great commission does not come before the greatest commandment. love leads first; the mission follows.
8. working from home changed our family culture. i still am working, but no commute means a bit more sleep + a little less stress.
9. there are some people who don't want to be your friend for connection or community-- they want to be your friend to get information because they are a gossip.
10. finding a new church is not a quick process. you will find yourself at months 4 + 5, wondering if you will ever find a church home. it's okay. it's normal. keep showing up each sunday, even if when it's uncertain.
11. rest is essential + biblical.
12. you never know how much stuff you have until you have to move it all.
13. "we judge others by actions, ourselves by intentions."
14. nostalgia is my favorite emotion.
15. it's okay to like makeup + pop culture + routines + thriller books + all the little things pretentious people have tried to spoil with their legalistic + boring opinions.
16. after sitting on the jury for a criminal trial, i have a new appreciation/outlook on the whole ordeal.
17. the answer is always no if you don't ask.
18. it is not up to me to manage the emotions + reactions of grown adults.
19. social media is fake. you don't get the whole picture/story/truth. it's a facade + should be taken with a grain of salt.
20. acknowledging feelings > validating feelings. so often, we want our feelings to be facts, when in reality, we just need to acknowledge them, sit with it, pray + reflect, and then move on.
21. my creative life is often dependent on the season of life i am in. small children = less creative time. it doesn't mean i can't be creative; i just have to find pockets of creativity. it is also reflective of my relationship with the Lord in that season. my creativity is a gift from Him, so it is always connected to Him.
22. a couple of years ago, the Lord started working to rid me of people pleasing + insecurity. it has not been an easy process. i have failed multiple times. but He is gracious + i marvel at His timing. He knew i needed to rid my heart + mind of this stronghold before walking through this year.
23. weight loss is all about discipline. you have to commit to it every single day. the months + days are going to pass, so you might as well do it now.
24. you are what you consume. whether it be junk food or rage-bait content or scripture or beauty, you become what you fill your mind with.
25. faith is formed in the mundane days. how you walk with the Lord on a random tuesday will be made evident in the mountains + valleys of life.
26. God's character is not dictated by my circumstances.
27. am i parenting from pride or with purpose?
28. things are not always what they seem.
29. don't be so afraid to make a mistake that you don't make a decision.
30. when feeling off, put your phone down, pray for a bit, drink some water, and go take a walk.
31. there comes a point where you must let things go. no more talking about it or dwelling on it. you move on + that's that.
32. "the Lord is my Shepherd, i have all i need." [psalm 23:1]
33. insecurity is loud; contentment is quiet.
34. change is inevitable. it may seem daunting or hard or questionable, but you may just come to find it is actually a good thing.
35. let whoever think whatever.
36. is your criticism louder than your contribution?
37. if you don't make a conscious effort to live by the Spirit, living in your flesh is the default.
38. the Lord is ever-present. in moments of grief and pain. at a work cubicle on a random thursday afternoon. in the produce section of the grocery store. there is nowhere i can go that He is not there. i find such comfort in that.
39. "what susie says of sally says more of susie than of sally."
40. my 40th year was a whirlwind. our family has experienced a lot of change in the last 365 days. we bought a home we never could have dreamed of owning. our miracle girl turned one. i met one of the biggest goals: i breastfed my baby for 15 months (as a working mom!). jackson was baptized. we left our home church after decades of membership.
through all of the excitement + tears + moving + sicknesses + sleepless nights, one thing remained the same:
the Lord is faithful.
He is good.
not because of the gifts He gives
or the blessings we received
but He is good because He knows no other way to be.
and He gets all the glory for all 40 years of my life.
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