WE MADE IT! You made it through reading my WAY too many words (41,500 words, 63 pages single spaced). I made it through this challenge I was determined to complete, even if it wasn’t in the 31 days originally planned.

Good grief this was an amazing journey completely and totally orchestrated by God. I knew the moment He put it on my heart that it was Him. I didn’t know what all it would mean and do for my life, but I KNEW it was Him.

So what did it do? What happened in my heart? Everything!

Firstly, It’s surprisingly terrifying to write about the people you love, to say things about them you’ve rarely been brave or intentional enough to say to their faces, to be scared they won’t read it, to be scared they will, to be humbled when they do. TERRIFYING! Worth it every single time though.

Writing about people and the way they have impacted your story and about HUGE moments in your story, is so raw and exposing. Every time I pressed submit I felt like I was turning a magnifying glass on my heart for the world to see. Any reservation I had about what I was sharing was usually immediately squashed by the overwhelming feeling that it just felt right. Scary or not, it was right.

Pretty early into this journey, I felt God speaking some major things to my heart. #1. I’m a writer. I’m not “just” a blogger. I can’t keep discrediting the call He’s given me and ability He’s given me to do it by saying silly things like, “I’m not a ‘real’ writer. I’m ‘just’ a blogger.” It’s in my soul. I can’t let go of it. I recently read in Annie Down’s book that, “it’s said to be a writer is to have homework every day for the rest of your life.” My work is never done and I don’t want it to be! I never stop wanting to tell a story. #2. The realization made me brave enough to actually pursue things to further my writing journey. I took some online writing seminars. I contacted MANY magazines and publications about freelance writing. I did my first feature article interview and will HOPEFULLY have a feature posted in a magazine soon! I hope to at least have a few published pieces over the next year. #3. I really do believe that I’ll write a book one day. I don’t know how or when or where or what, but I know it’s something I’ve been called to do and that I don’t have to be scared of it.

The moral of this three+ month long story is – LOVE YOURSELF AND YOUR PEOPLE. Believe in you and the calls God places on your life. Believe in them and see the best in every one of them. THANK YOU for reading all of these words. Thank you for encouraging me along the way. Thank you for affirmation that will last a lifetime. You words and willingness to read mine mean so much more to me than you can ever know! Tears are streaming down my face as I say goodbye to this project. It was a labor of love and I’m forever changed by it – the awareness of the wonderful people in my life, the beauty of the God in my life who has given me these people, and the amazing feeling of knowing you’ve been called to and equipped for something. I really do love you!

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore! Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.

Here’s the thing about life and the people in our lives – they never stop coming! Though my 31 People(s) list has come to an end, I know there are so many people I have cherished from all the seasons of life I’ve lived, so many people I have yet to meet and will love, more neighbors to be had, more coworkers to live my days with, and beyond.

To the people of my past who may not be in my present – I’m thankful for the moments I had with you, for the lessons you taught me.

To the friends of my future – I can’t wait to meet you and know your story and figure out all the ways to love you well!

To the people in traffic that I yell at – I’m sorry. I don’t know what comes over me! You really aren’t an idiot and I’m working on that.

To the strangers I pass everyday – I pray that I’ll always be interruptible and ready to meet you and see your heart.

To my neighbors, present and future – I want to know you! It’s really scary to knock on your door, but I really hope that it happens one day. I hope you can eat a meal in my house and that we can look out for each other.

I love you all! I really do. I know I toss around the word love like it doesn’t carry the power it does, but I mean it. I think we’re called to love the people in our lives, our neighbors, strangers, and even our enemies with the love that we’ve been shown – the love of Jesus.

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore! Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.

You’ve heard about my brother, Aunt Sandy, and my cousin Marissa, but I want to tell you a little about some of the rest of my family now (except for my dad, he gets his own post right after this one!). We don’t get to pick our families. And not everyone comes from a healthy family, but I think we are all born (or adopted) into the families we’re meant to be kin to. The good, bad, ugly, dysfunction, great memories, not so great memories, triumphs, tragedies, victories, and trauma all shape the humans we become. Families are one of those things I’m convinced Paul is talking about in scripture when he says that all things work together for good.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” –Romans 8:28

Let me pause a moment to say that I really don’t think you should ever quote that scripture to anyone going through anything bad (I’m certain I’ve been guilty of that at least once or twelve times). In the midst of bad – abuse, neglect, tragedy, trauma, depression, grief, loss, etc., quoting that scripture can easily be misinterpreted to the hurting heart that what is happening is good. None of those things are good. I do think it’s important to remember and believe something my friend Amanda Taylor said months ago that hasn’t left my thoughts, “God’s definition of good and our definition of good aren’t always the same.” BUT, bad is real and really does happen in this fallen broken world we live in. I just think (know) that God can and wants to redeem the bad in our lives. He uses our brokenness in beautiful ways. Broken people find broken people and experience healing from one another’s stories and hurts. The scars remain (see yesterday’s post), but God uses it for His glory and leads us to healing. We can love our families even if they’re broken and have hurt us. We can also be the ones who break generational sin and shame.

“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.” -Albus Dumbledore, Goblet of Fire (book)

I just don’t think there is any “supposed to” we can apply to family relationships. All of our situations are different and there just isn’t a set of rules we can generically follow. I think family stuff is hard whether you have a great one or a broken one or a great one that’s also broken. I think it’s GREAT to love your family and be proud of them and loyal to them, but the only worthy, lasting, unshakable thing that we can put our hope in is Jesus. I also know that reconciliation is real. It doesn’t always happen, but it can. I think God speaks to us and leads us to where wants to go in regards to family relationships. Just listen and ask! Maybe you’re supposed to seek reconciliation. Maybe you’re not. Either road is hard! We can pray for them and love them. We can set boundaries if we need to. We can spend time with them if we want to or need to. We can laugh hysterically while we re-tell old stories and make new memories. We can cry hysterically about it all when we need to. We can have good moments and bad moments. We can forgive and still protect ourselves in the ways we need to. We CAN heal and let go of bitterness and resentment. Good or bad, our families don’t define us. They are part of us and our stories, but the don’t define us. We can celebrate our similarities AND our differences.

“It isn’t how you are alike. It’s how you are not.” -Albus Dumbledore, Order of the Phoenix (movie)

So all that to say, my family isn’t perfect. I didn’t get to chose them, but I wouldn’t wish any of them away. I desire to be in the balance of Albus Dumbledore’s words and the apostle Paul’s words when I think about them – aware of the good ways in which we’re alike, thankful for some of our differences, proud of who I’ve grown to be, and reminded of God’s redeeming hand amidst it all.

I know how to feed cows, work in a garden, and that no tomato is as good as garden-grown tomato because of my Papaw (mom’s dad) whose work ethic is unmatched by any I’ve ever known. I know that I was supposed to be a red-head because of my German Mamaw (mom’s mom). I got my freckles (which I love) from both sides – the German Mamaw and my Nanny (dad’s mom). From my mom I got good calves, craftiness, and an adventurous cooking side (I’m told she made homemade egg rolls once way back in the day before Pinterest). My cousin Jacob (Marissa’s brother, Aunt Sandy’s son) is one of the most hilarious people I’ve ever met. He leads worship with his lovely wife and I’m a super proud big cousin. My cousin Zack (Marissa and Jacob’s brother, Aunt Sandy’s son) and I have identically freckled arms, it’s weird. He got the red hair I was suppose to get. He’s hilarious too and a ridiculously talented musician. I’m certain he’s going to be a famous drummer one day (#proudcousinstatus). My Uncle Jeff (Aunt Sandy’s husband) is also hilarious and is an INCREDIBLE carpenter that makes amazing woodworking things (and also a musician, I didn’t inherit this gene that they all possess). My Uncle Charles (mom and Aunt Sandy’s brother) is another one of the hard-working men of my family and an excellent huntsman; I wish I had access to just a fraction of the deer meat he acquires each year. My Aunt Ellen (Uncle Charles’s wife) is quiet, kind, gentle, and loving. My cousin Nick (Charles and Ellen’s son) is super smart, loves theology and ministry, and is a new dad to a precious baby boy. My cousin Josh (Nick’s brother) has two of the cutest kids I’ve ever seen that he loves dearly and has an extremely talented artistic wife who’s an amazing mom to those little boys. My Nanny (dad’s mom) is an incredible woman that I’ve gotten closer to as an adult. We’re so much alike and I value everything she says! My Aunt Debbie (dad’s sister) is kind, smart, and beautiful. I am envious of her world travels! My cousin April (Aunt Debbie’s daughter) lives an amazing life in FRANCE with her beautiful family. She inspires me to not be scared of adventure and change. My cousin Ian (April’s brother) lives a hard life and has a family that loves him and thinks about him and prays for him constantly! My other Mamaw (dad’s stepmom) is a lovely little southern belle of a lady who’s an amazing cook and as sweet as tea (the southern kind, duh). My Papaw (dad’s dad) loves the Lord so much and also loves golf more than anyone I know. My Uncle Bob (dad’s brother) is forever hardworking and loves his family fiercely. My Aunt Kim (Uncle Bob’s wife) is one of the sassiest people I’ve ever met, an AMAZING cook, and a sacrificially loving wife, mom, and grandmother. My cousin Jeret (Kim and Bob’s son) has two adorable little girls and is one of the most down to earth people I’ve ever met. And last but not least, my stepmom. I will forever and always be thankful for how she always took care of and loved my dad, but especially in his last days. She was by his side every minute and had to watch him live all of his last, final, and hard moments and continues to love and remember him no matter how much time passes.

These are the people who were meant to be my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Their genetics, characteristics, personalities, skills, talents, and stories have shaped me. I am thankful for their lives! You know I love to google things. A google image search for “family quotes” produced this gem, “Family: They drive you crazy. They drive you nuts. They drive you loony. But – they drive you.” I’m genuinely thankful for the ways they’ve driven me, the love they’ve shown me and each other, and the me they’ve directly and indirectly helped me become. And above all I’m thankful for a God who has adopted me and made me part of the only perfect family that will ever exist – His.

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore! Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.

More Slidell family! Some of my best and worst years were lived in Slidell and New Orleans (more about the worst in the next post). I think God was very purposeful to allow me to live some of the worst years in Slidell. Never in the years that I’ve lived yet did I have so many wiser adults, couples, and families taking me under their wings and inviting me into their families. God knew I would need them to be my family. He knew there was no better group of people for me to lean on as I learned how to allow the Church to be my family and fill in all the gaps of broken family relationships. He knew these people needed to be surrounding me as I finally understood that someone loving you even when they don’t have to (chosen family) is as equally (and sometimes more) valuable as someone loving you because they are supposed to (blood family). In addition to so many of the other Slidell people mentioned (TWU, The Palmers) and more, Rosemary and The Ogeas are irreplaceable parts of my chosen family.

Rosemary, known by Roe to many of those who love her, is another one of those incredible spiritual mothers I’ve been blessed to know. This beautiful lady loved/loves me and so many others so fiercely. She is gentle, kind, compassionate, loving, funny, talented, wise, giving, and so many other things. She’s an amazing cook. She’s a savvy business woman. She’s incredibly healthy in all aspects of her life. She’s an amazing wife and mother. She displays so many characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman – more precious than jewels, a trustworthy heart, strong, opens her hand to the poor, reaches out to the needy, strength and dignity are her clothing, she opens her mouth with wisdom, the teaching of kindness is on her tongue, she looks well to the ways of her household, she doesn’t eat the bread of idleness, and she reverently fears the Lord. She has such an incredible testimony and her love for Jesus is so real.

She took me in like I was her very own daughter! When I didn’t have a place to go for Christmas, she insisted I stay with her, bought me undeserving gifts, and showered me with love. She loved me in my brokenness and heartache. When I needed something, whether it was a counselor or a place to live or a bed and furniture for the places she helped me find to live, she did everything in her power to help me find everything I needed! She prayed for me and every need I have and then watched God provide just like she knew He would. She has an amazing ability to connect with broken people and I watched her do it over and over again. As I watched her live her life with abandon, I wanted to be like her. She spent time with Jesus everyday, rising many hours before the sun came up to pour her heart out in prayer and cling to God’s written word (and though I don’t see her daily life anymore I have no doubt that she still does this). She went to bed early and frequently couldn’t make it past 9. I loved that about her, and I knew she experienced Jesus in a way I didn’t. Frequently in those days I stayed up way later than anyone should, therefore clinging to every extra minute of sleep I could, and had many a conversation with her where I told her I wished I could be a morning person like her. She always told me I could, but I never believed her.

I now know that her ability to rise early and go to bed early had nothing to do with what I assumed it did. I do think as humans we lean more towards a time of day that we’re at our best, but I also think many of us night people use not being a morning person as an excuse. I now know, like she does, that there is absolutely nothing in life that is better than intimacy with Jesus. I now know there is obedience in giving our first fruits, the first part of our day, our first thoughts and affections and time, to our Heavenly Father before the rest of the world and it’s busy moments have time to distract us. I now know that rising early and going to bed early has far more to do with discipline and desperation for time with the Creator of the universe than it does being a morning person. Spiritual disciplines aren’t called DISCIPLINES because they are easy. Discipline is an ugly word. It’s a hard word. But the beauty of discipline is that before you even know it, even if the good thing you’re trying to obediently add to you life feels forced at first, it soon feels normal, necessary, life-giving, sustaining, and like you never want to live without it again. If spiritual disciplines came naturally then they wouldn’t be something every believer struggles with! But I now know, because I’ve watched people like Rosemary live it, and personally experienced it, that it’s worth it! It’s worth more than anything else. Spending time with your God, studying His word, praying, meditation, etc, is more valuable than anything you can have or experience. It doesn’t change God or our circumstances, it invites the Holy Spirit into our lives and changes us.

And the Ogeas! Andrew and Amy were two of the first people I met at our church other than Jason and Christie. Andrew is one of the most outgoing people I’ve ever met. He’s also one of the most amazing worship leaders and vocalists I’ve ever been lead by! And Amy is my sister! She’s beautiful, hilarious, an amazing mom, and will forever be one of my best friends. When I first met them none of the above pictured adorable kiddos were even in the picture yet. Amy and Andrew were (and still are) my people. Their spare bedroom was basically my room. We chaperoned youth trips together, we ate LOTS of meals together, we laughed endlessly together, and we watched a lot of Drake and Josh and Jonas Brothers together (okay that part was just me and Amy). And you know you’re really friends with someone when you can spend the night at their house on Christmas Eve. Not just any friend can do that! Around the time that I moved from New Orleans to Slidell, they moved from Slidell to New Orleans to serve at another church. Even though it was just a short lake (well, it’s actually a pretty big lake) away, I was so sad! I cried so much the day they told me. I quickly learned though that Amy and Andrew were on the list of forever friends. Forever friends aren’t thrown off course by distance, long gaps between talking, or anything life throws at them. I never doubt the love and loyalty of a forever friend.

I rejoiced when I found out Amy, Andrew, and Macy were moving back to Slidell! My forever friends got to be my every day friends again. I was literally at their apartment almost every day after work. We got to walk with each other and love each other through some of the hardest seasons we each had to walk through. They loved me in the midst of depression, anxiety, intense and hard counseling days, and more. I got to see them love each other amazingly and show me what a Godly marriage looks like  as they walked through a really hard season. I got to see the incredible power of redemption, freedom, accountability, and transparency displayed in their lives. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could be free of a sin stronghold because of their story. My hope was restored in the power and freedom of Christ. And then… God called me to move. And not just across the lake, but back to Mississippi! Amy, Andrew, Macy, and Rosemary were all a major part of the sole reason I didn’t want to leave Slidell – the people. Obviously you know from previous posts that I moved and that I was absolutely supposed to. My possessions have lived in Mississippi for 5 years now this month, but my heart has continued to live in Slidell and Mississippi.

These people (and all the others) are my forever friends, my chosen family, my people. They are in my heart forever along with the many things I have learned from them. I know that the the sweetest intimacy with Jesus comes from a life of discipline because of Roe. I’m a better minister to women and mentor to girls because of her. I know what forgiveness and unconditional love looks like because of Amy. One day I’ll be a better mom and wife because of the way I saw her live in those roles. I know what transparency, redemption, and authenticity looks like because of Andrew. I took the hard road of fighting through an entangling sin and inviting others to fight with me and found true freedom because I found hope in seeing him do it first. I’m a better version of myself because I get to call these people my friends.

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore! Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.

The Palmers are such a special family to me! They now live elsewhere (as do I), but they were part of the group of people I met in Slidell and went to church with there. They are the reason I went to church in Slidell to begin with! Jason was in a class with two of the aforementioned WACOHs, Amanda and Cheryl. He invited them to his church and they invited me (I think that’s how it went at least). I don’t even know if we visited another church after our first time at Northshore, it instantly felt like home and the Palmers had a lot to do with that! Christie and Jason took the three of us under their wings and became our home away from home. They invited us over for Sunday lunch almost every Sunday, had us over often during the week, and trusted us with their kids. We also got to be in their small group! There were several couples in different stages of life and the three of us – me, Amanda, and Cheryl, single seminary girls. Because of my time in that small group, the things I valued about small groups was forever changed. Being part of an intergenerational/life stage small group was SO life giving. I think segregated small groups can for sure serve so many great purposes (you know I love my college girls!). But I think so much happens when we all just do life together regardless of age, marital status, number and ages of kids and/or grandkids.

Jason and Christie live for the gospel in such a beautiful way. God truly is the center of everything they do. They are amazing parents and I hope and pray if I ever have kids that watching them parent rubbed off on me a little. They are so giving, so caring, and so open to everything God has for them and everywhere He takes them. And they give their all in everything they do! They both served, and I’m sure continue to serve, the Church in SO many ways. From worship team, to women’s ministry, to kids ministry, to set up team and leadership team, to everything in between, they served! And they weren’t just committee member, Sunday and Wednesday Jesus followers, they really lived it out every day in every way and invited people into their lives and to be part of their family. They prayed for us endlessly! And they really cared about every little and big thing we concerned ourselves with and were never too busy to make time for us. One semester they even let Amanda and I live in their house for a month or so. And oh the things they taught me!

They are the most organized people I’ve ever met, and if you know me, that’s saying a lot! My organization is minuscule in comparison to theirs. Jason has (or at least had) a spreadsheet where he kept up with his workouts for YEARS! Jason sat us all down one night and taught us how to budget. He created a template for us and showed us how to use it. I’m pretty sure I’d be homeless right now if it wasn’t for Jason teaching me how to budget. With a little shame I admit that prior to this valuable life lesson with Jason, my bank account was accustomed to seeing red and overdraft fees. I can count the number of times on ONE hand that I’ve overdrafted since then (7+ years ago!). I’ve also gotten to share different versions of that budget template with more friends than I can count! And Christie is the reason I meal plan. Yes, that thing I’m obsessed with now that I try to convince everyone to do. It all started with Christie. As passionate as Jason was about instilling in us the value of a budget, Christie was equally as passionate about how valuable meal planning is. I wrote a post a while back that summed up many of her reasons, and now my reasons – you can read it here (and some here too). She planned for a month at a time and taught me all the ends and outs of meal planning and grocery shopping on a budget. She’s saved me, and many of the others I’ve convinced to meal plan, so much money.

I read this on She Reads Truth last year and was overwhelmed to tears for all the spiritual mothers I’ve been blessed to know, and instantly had to send it to Christie, one of my many spiritual mothers.

“Technically, it was a Bible study. But we didn’t just study God’s word. She taught us how to study God’s word. And not only did she serve us good food. She set aside time at the end of each study to teach basic feed-a-family kitchen skills: how to plan and plant a garden, and that lilacs in bloom are for clipping and sharing, even if it means wrapping the cut stems in wet paper towels and driving them into town for a friend.

Karen was my spiritual mother.

She knew what Paul told Titus about older women training the younger women (Titus 2:3-5). She had nothing to gain, but gave several hours a week to teach us with her words and actions how to keep home, love our husbands and children, and honor the Lord with our words and actions.

No shame. Just kindness.

We are afraid to reach out—afraid to be rejected. Asking for and offering help can feel super vulnerable. You never know how someone is going to respond.

But Sisters, godly women-training-women is absolutely a risk worth taking, whether it looks like roasted chickens and gardening, or coffee dates and spin class. Expect that blessings will follow!”

My life was blessed because of the way Jason and Christie poured in to me. They poured into me spiritually and with all kinds of life-bettering skills. I’m a better human being and WAY more responsible because of the ways they loved me. Christie is still at the top of the list of the people I go to when I am burdened to invite my village to pray with me (something I know I should do more), and I KNOW when I ask without a doubt that her and Jason really do pray. Pouring into a younger generation isn’t as scary to me as I imagine it would be if I hadn’t seen it modeled so beautifully with no complicated frills or titles, just life on life, by Christie and Jason and so many others. I will forever be thankful for the things they taught me, prayers they prayed (and continue to pray) over me, and for the ways they loved me and showed me how to love others and give myself away.

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore! Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.

Today I’m going to talk about my blogger friends! Clearly the blogging community has had an impact on me. Aside from Jesus, nothing inspires my writing like fellow bloggers/writers. They make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me want to buy things, they make me hungry, they influence my fashion choices, cooking choices, meal planning, and more. Some of them know me, most of them don’t, but dear blogging friends, I see you. You are real writers whether you think you are or not. Your words matter whether they are few or many. You are brave and you do big things. I know how scary (and exhilarating) it is to press that publish button and have your words and heart out there for the world to see. You inspire me and I’m glad you share your words and thoughts and recipes and outfits with us.

Pic from Oh So Lovely Blog

Joy at Joy the Baker is my all time fav. I LOVE HER! I’m convinced we’re kindreds and would be friends in real life. She writes with humor that I get and love. She perfectly mixes real life and food into every post.

Annie at AnnieFDowns.com is also my kindred. We’d totes be friends. I have a DEEP love for women in their late 20s and beyond who are single, long for marriage, but know their lives are good and will be good whether marriage comes or not. Annie is on that list. And she loves Tim Riggins as much as I do.

Ree at The Pioneer Woman is everyone’s fav, but seriously she’s fantastic! Her show is great, but her blog and ability with words far surpass her show! She’s funny, witty, and does the real life food balance as magically as Joy does.

Jess at Meet the Magnolias really is my kindred, not just a wanna be kindred. She’s my real friend and she’s fantastic. She knows more about pop culture than anyone I know and has SO much love for life! We bond over our love for blogging, nail polish, fictional characters, and so much more.

EB at Benchpressing Buicks. You already heard about her in my RA post and know all the great things I think about her. Seriously, we’re gonna write a book together one day.

Brittany at Coffee, Puppies, and More Spiritual Things. I’ve given Brittany her own post and shout outs everywhere (see OWLs, RDs, and Starbucks Lovers). I won’t say more, but she’s hilarious, candid, and real.

Sam at Our Journey is another real life friend! She lives in Texas now and I live in Mississippi. She might not even know that I read her blog, but I do, every time, and I LOVE her story and heart.

Jess at Life on Lawson is a real life person too. She’s a fantastic writer, has a beautiful heart, and an amazing story.

Kendi at Kendi Everyday is my go-to fashion blog! I can’t afford any of the stuff she actually wears, BUT she gives me outfit inspiration often (made up of much cheaper pieces of course).

Katie at A Place to Dwell is on the list of women who balance singleness and longing for marriage with such grace. Her bravery and love for life inspire me.

Nadine at Nadine Would Say is also on the aforementioned list! She’s so full of wisdom and depth and I love reading her posts.

Callie at From the Corners of the Curve is my favorite plus size fashion blogger! She’s British and super fun to follow on Snapchat.

Bronie at Team Victory is one of my TWU ladies! Team Victory is her former blog, no longer active but the posts are still there and worthy of reading! I started reading her blog right around the time I started my own. Her wit and the way she learned lessons from all the happenings of real life inspired me so much! She’s an amazing writer and I’m convinced one day I’ll get to read her book (and maybe even get to write a book with her).

G at Nouveau Cheap is the ultimate/best beauty on a budget blogger! She posts sales on beauty products and has made me spend lots of money/saved me lots of money.

Kristin at The Beauty Department is my forever hair crush! She’s a celebrity hair stylist and helps run a fantastic beauty blog.

JJ at Always in Joy is a another real life friend! She previously had another blog I LOVED as well and talked about crafty things. Her new blog chronicles her current journey in life and it’s so beautifully transparent and encouraging.

Jenny at Jenny Bakes is a social media friend turned real friend! She’s my go-to person for cooking tips and recipes. I always joke that I wish I had an “Ask Jenny” app. She’s also one of the smartest people I know and her intelligence inspires me!

Gina at Skinnytaste is my go-to blog for healthy recipes! I make most of my recipes “skinny” based on tips and tricks I’ve learned from her. Every recipe I’ve cooked from her blog has been fantastic and fail proof.

I could go on and on with lists of the people I love and follow (for real, I follow 200+ blogs on Feedly). But seriously blogging friends, you inspire me. You motivate me. You impress me. Believe in your abilities and talents! Believe that your words matter. Believe that you have the ability to influence others positivity. Believe that it’s okay to write just for you and because you like doing it. Stop comparing yourself to other writers. We’re all in this together! No one else’s success threatens our own. Write YOUR words. Don’t hold back. Don’t put yourself in a box. If you want to have a food blog and spend 31+ days not talking about food, do it! Don’t worry about your pictures not being perfect enough or your words not being witty enough. YOU (and your words) ARE ENOUGH! Comparison is the thief of joy. Writing should bring you joy! Don’t let the nasty comparison beast still your joy and your words. Obviously don’t write mean things about people or anything like that, BUT WRITE! Make time for the thing you love. Believe you deserve that! I see you. I get you. I appreciate you.

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore! Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.

This group of people gathered together for a shorter time in my life than most, but had a big impact and filled a big void at the time! Once Britt and I finally became friends, she realized she had several girls in her life who were all in similar life stages and of similar age that were frequently surrounded by students 8-10 years younger than them. In some way or another we all got paid to hang out with students who frequently compared their life stages to our own, and there really is a big difference! We all had other adult friends, but we all lived in a world of being mistaken for and compared to students. She realized we all had a need to feel like someone understood us and our lives. She decided we should all be friends and made us hang out once a week. 
We called ourselves/our group the OWLs – Older Wiser Ladies. I was instantly in based on the name alone, but I’m super glad I said yes to potentially awkward social interactions that ended up not being awkward at all! We’d plan random potluck style meals each week that frequently stressed me out because I plan in advance and Britt plans the day of, but it was good for me and always came together somehow. We ate and talked and gathered together to feel understood. We’d talk about what we were struggling with and what things we needed to believe and be reminded of. We’d speak truth over one another and into our struggles. And then we prayed, really prayed for each other and our needs and struggles and confusion. It was genuinely beautiful and something I so desperately needed in that season of life! We’ve dispersed now and most of us live in other places, but they all hold a special place in my heart as we continue to embark on similar journeys.

You know plenty about Britt already so I won’t talk more about her, but there was also Christy, Chaeli, and Tina. Tina was an equestrian coach at MC, daily surrounded by students, and a California transplant. She was always positive, brought a unique perspective, and inspired us all in how she really did love her job and students so much! Chaeli worked in the international office and taught English to students from other countries. She was always full of wisdom when we talked, always searching for depth in everything, and had an unmatchable gift with international students. I also got to live with her for a couple of months and now live in her old house! She taught me SO much about paying attention to where food comes from, gardening, farmer’s markets, and I have so much more knowledge about what’s in the food we eat because of her. Christy still lives in Clinton! She works at the coffee shop frequented my college students galore. She is a free spirit, loves Harry Potter as much as I do, has the brightest smile, a huge heart, enormous love for the Church, and I just love being around her. We really are going to start being better soon about hanging out!

I will forever be thankful for my time with the O.W.L.s and a season filled with the intentionality to pray boldly and specifically and watch God answer those prayers and guide my steps and the steps of those around me.

This is part of my 31 People(s) I Love series. I’ll be writing about 31 people/peoples that I adore! Click here if you would like a list of all the posts in this series.