Demanding the summit view courage faith god

We don't get to demand to see the valley from the summit just because we're worthy of witnessing the grandest views. That's not how God works. 

God wants the grandest views for us. He knows the simultaneous peace and exhilaration this experience brings.

He also knows what it takes to get there: one fo...

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Waiting til you're ready courage faith freedom

You can wait to go to the gym until you're strong enough to look good being there... but that's not the point, is it? 

Strong starts out squishy and committed. 

Slide on the workout pants, lace up the shoes, and get at it. 

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No one kicked me out choosing happiness courage enough freedom joy peace

I was pretty proud of myself yesterday morning. I got dressed for church (with accessories, even -- which is a big deal for me), prepped my piano binder, made avocado toast for myself and our 6-year old, and actually got out the door on time.

Winning.

I rode calmly to church with the family because I ...

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Labor courage divinity fear personal growth productivity

It has been a big week for me on the development side for my new project. It's intense, but I really do feel it coming to life. Many parallels have come to mind between this work of mental/emotional labor and actual labor (which is definitely not on my mind because I saw the new Fantastic Four movie...

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Shine in your unique way choosing happiness courage freedom joy

I had the privilege of watching some dear friends perform in a community theater musical last night. The show (Guys & Dolls, Sr. Edition) was adorable and entertaining, but what I loved most about it was how each person on stage shared their own unique personality. There was no "one right way" to be...

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Fear is usually right courage fear freedom

When you're doing something new, thoughts of fear come in that can be absolutely paralyzing.

  • You have no idea what you're doing.

  • You don't belong here.

  • You'll never get through this.

  • Someone's going to get hurt.

  • No one will care about this.

  • This will be an epic failur

    ...
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End it completely, or end it as you know it choosing happiness courage creativity freedom god relationships

When something in your life isn't working, you have some options:

  1. Suffer in silence
  2. Try to fix it
  3. End it completely
  4. End it as you know it

Suffering in silence is never a good idea. No one deserves that, and nothing good comes of it in the long run. It might feel like the easiest path for no...

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Some people skydive for fun courage fear freedom god

For some people, free-falling through the sky is a major phobia. 

For others, it's a genuine thrill.

The difference? 

  1. Story
  2. Equipment and preparation
  3. Support


Telling yourself that free-falling through the sky (period) equals certain death will surely lead to phobia -- with good reason! Free-fa...

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Consent choosing happiness courage enough freedom god peace well-being

I watched an Instagram reel tonight of a woman expressing some very strong opinions about text messaging. She questioned why she feels guilty and apologizes for not texting back right away, when she never gave consent to be available at all hours of the day.

Her question made me think... "Huh. What e...

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"You've stopped quitting." courage family fear freedom god

Sunday, July 13, marked 15 years since I first started my business. I had been working in a position that I had outgrown, and I was so afraid to be a "quitter." 

My dad played a big role in helping me finally take the leap. He had heard me talk about this big decision, and he knew what I really wante...

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Practicing misery or practicing joy choosing happiness courage freedom joy well-being

A wise coach (who happens to be my uncle) shared a lesson with me yesterday that his dad taught him back in his teen years: "We don't have to practice misery." The example he gave was, "When you hit your thumb with a hammer, you feel miserable. You don't have to keep hitting your thumb."

In other wor...

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Something bigger courage personal growth potential

Sometimes "something bigger" looks like going all in on your dreams; 

Sometimes it looks like scaling back to make room for the essentials. 

Sometimes it looks like having a tough conversation;

Sometimes it looks like pausing to enjoy a sunset.

"Something bigger" looks different for each of us, at each ...

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