The enemy won a battle yesterday morning. Not in a manner that affected my interactions with others, but in a manner that affected me. The moment I gave in and exchanged his false truth for reality; I gave him the power and took away from myself the freedom that comes from following Christ. It wasn’t any one particular thought, but a culmination of thoughts and false ideas that I let seep into my being. Slowly, I allowed myself to take on his false truths, which affected my demeanor, affected my attitude, and everything else about my morning. There was no outward struggle. There wasn’t even an inner struggle. It’s just…

One thing I’m notorious for is not keeping clutter. I know right… what a thing to be famed and joked for by your friends… those OCD tendencies that you just can’t kick. But seriously…let’s talk clutter. There’s a real reason behind why I just CAN’T do clutter. There’s a mostly unspoken rule in our house that if you don’t touch something for a few months, it goes. I say mostly unspoken, because it’s largely communicated in the fact that I’m ALWAYS purging items. I can’t do clutter. Not physical clutter, and not mental clutter. It affects my being! I began choosing a minimalist and simplified lifestyle before it was “trendy”…

Today, I passed a bright pink cross adorned with lettering on the side of a busy intersection. I was leaving errands with my son, and heading to get my daughter from pre-school. Flowers crowded the ground at the bottom of the cross, and I stopped and prayed for the family members and friends who laid them there. The thing is… this cross was eerily similar to one that rests exactly 196 miles and one right turn away… another pink cross which was laid for my sister. Do you ever stop to think of the gravity that thousands of people pass these crosses? That’s it… that’s all the intended emphasis… that…

I am huge a proponent for eating healthy, moving your body, and staying fit. My definition of staying fit has little to do with your weight and physical appearance and everything to do with how you feel. If you feel good, you’re going to make healthier choices, healthier moves, and have a healthier mindset. If you make healthier choices, you are going to feel better! I truly believe there is a strong correlation between how your mind and body feels and your overall general health and mood. Health and fitness is second nature to me, and has been such a big part of my life for so long that I…

I have learned a few specific things this past week. One of those being that I’m too old to be busting out flips at the trampoline park with my kids (hello lower back pain). Another being that my youngest is becoming super independent, running around on the soccer field, keeping up with the big kids, and being able to do so many things for himself! And lastly, that my daughter is getting more beautiful each day… and that slightly scares me. After all… she’s now FIVE… and this post is kind of about her. I remember all too well the feelings I had in the early morning hours before Addisyn’s…