Autumn is finally here! It is my favorite time of the year and hopefully yours too! The leaves are falling off the trees, the air is getting crisp, and I have an excuse to bake apple goodies! It is no big secret that I am not a fan of the heat (though I will miss the beach terribly)! So, bring on the chilly, light jacket weather! I am glad we can finally enjoy the vibrant change in color throughout the mountains, long pants and boots, and warm beverages by the fire. Fall is that special time between the baking heat of summer and the bone chilling cold of winter – like a gift from God … [Read more...]

Do you ever battle with the worst version of yourself? Sometimes I can feel my inner-monster growing and looking around at all that is wrong with the world. There are days when I feel nothing but peace, joy, and a desire to see others succeed. But, on other days the green-eyed monster jumps out at me. "It is not fair, is it? Look at all those girls in their 20s. They all have two or three kids apiece, and look at you – childless! Look at them! They are living in a mansion, and you know their mom and dad helped them pay for it. There is no way they have that kind of money." As much as we … [Read more...]

It is one of those days here. I am staring at the blank screen with a blank mind! Times like these remind me of Winston Churchill and my freshman English composition professor. When Winston Churchill began his love affair with painting, he was overwhelmed by the empty blank canvas. Someone saw him struggling, asked for his big brush, and began adding paint to his canvas. She helped him overcome the power of the white, and from that day forward he never again felt intimidated by a blank canvas. Just as with painting, there is a scary blank “canvas” for writers too. Sometimes the words do … [Read more...]

True friends are priceless blessings! Even though maintaining these relationships can be inconvenient, it is important to make time for bonding! Because I work from home, there are days when I feel like the walls are going to close in around me. During those moments, conversations with friends over Facebook Messenger help me move past my stress. In fact, I just spoke to a friend who is having a rough day, and I hope I was able to lift her spirits a bit. I am thankful for the joy that comes from a simple discussion with someone who loves you. A little over three years ago, I was sitting … [Read more...]

Fifteen years ago, when I was a hopeful but inexperienced college freshman, my great uncle gave me this humorous, yet poignant, piece of advice: "Be careful who you marry, because the only thing worse than being lonely is wishing you were." To this day, that is one of my favorite quotes. There I was: eighteen and at a crossroads. I could rush into marriage and hope for the best, or I could be very careful with my choice. I could let the fires of infatuation and romance woo me or I could step back and look at the big picture. At that point in my life, I was very attracted to the butterfly … [Read more...]