living proof of God's grace & living free to share hope, encouragement & adventures
Have you ever shared your story? I've shared pieces of mine plenty of times on this blog, on Instagram, once on my friend Janice's podcast, and to individuals here and there—but never in front of a live audience. That is, until November 12, 2022 at the TELL Women's Conference in my hometown of Union City, …
Continue reading My First Time as a Christian Women’s Conference Speaker: Sharing My Story
The end. I'm kidding... about ending it there. NOT about the title. That is no joke. Losing weight truly will not make you happy—or even happier—in life. Trust me. No, I'm not a medical or mental health professional. No, I'm not discussing any potential benefits to your body's functionality. I speak purely from experience as …
I'll never know for sure if they were angels. I'm talking about two men who seemingly came out of nowhere to help me with car trouble in Croatia. But, let's back up. My one night in Zagreb, Croatia This was November 2019. My last solo international trip. My longest solo international trip. After visiting five …
Recovery doesn't mean it stops being hard. Recovery is doing it anyway. Read that again. Now, maybe you're thinking, Oh, this doesn't apply to me. I'm not currently in recovery for anything. OR There's nothing I need to recover from. But, I challenge you to read on, because—even if that's true—I think you'll find some …
The older I get, the more I realize that the most quoted verses in the Bible don't tell the full message. Now, I don't mean the Bible is lacking whatsoever. What I mean is that those verses are part of a greater context that is sometimes missed. Or, at least, sometimes missed by ME. While …
Continue reading What Does It Really Mean to Be a New Creation in Christ?
"...throw off everything that hinders..." (Hebrews 12:1) This was the lesson I learned after hiking Angels Landing in the rain. My experience hiking Angels Landing trail It was March 2020—early March, right before the world shut down. My friend Kara and I took a trip to Zion National Park with the goal of hiking Angels …
Continue reading Angels Landing Hike in the Rain—And What It Taught Me
Does your everyday life seem boring? Does it feel like you're just trying your best to get through the ordinary? Or living for the weekend? Or longing for your next trip or adventure? If you're nodding yes, you are NOT alone. The regular days of life can easily feel mundane and even burdensome, when compared …
Let's talk anxiety. Again. Anxiety is one of those ongoing, "work in progress" areas for me. In case you missed it, I wrote this post all about anxiety—my thoughts, experience, and how I'm daily giving it to God. Daily is the key word there. For me, it's not one of those things that will just …
Does the Bible ever surprise you? So often, verses jump out at me that I know I've read before—but suddenly they resonate. Case in point. First15 is my daily devotional, and recently, the passage of the day was Psalm 107. While listening via the audio option on the Bible app, I did a double take …
Continue reading Bible Verses That Perfectly Describe My Eating Disorder Recovery Story: Psalm 107
It's a question I grew up with. A go-to question for Christians to ask other Christians. Right up there with "What's your favorite color?" Okay, so maybe the question isn't that popular. But, still. If you're a Christian, you'll likely be asked at some point. While I don't say that as a negative, I will …
adventure and the girl 