One of the greatest evangelists of our time, Billy Graham, said “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” This beautiful quote makes me think of my grandmother and her prayer warrior faith, my mother and her desire to please God in all areas of her life, and my dad in how he spread kindness everywhere he went. To many, however, it is a quote which stings. Not everyone looks at their family history with joy; and, some believe they are only as … [Read more...]

“I am going to lose one hundred pounds in one year!” In August of 2014, I made the grand announcement that I planned to lose an alarming amount of weight in one year. It is hard to believe that was almost seven years ago! As the year began (with the celebration of my 32nd birthday), my weight loss journey felt somewhat comfortable. I was losing weight, making diet changes, exercising, and feeling energized by my progress. Some months felt like major successes and others felt rather slow. Then came March. Attempting to motivate myself, I asked Eric to take some of my personal money and … [Read more...]

When I visit my friend’s house for basketball games or just to hang out for the evening, I sometimes chuckle at the similarities between her relationship and mine. Her husband and I are laid back, non-confrontational people who prefer to spend much of our lives in our phones; whereas, both she and Eric are okay with confrontation and they have an inner fire which keeps them motivated and moving. They say opposites attract and aggravate (I can attest to both); I would also say that certain personalities attract the same type of person repeatedly. Soft-spoken, healer types often attract sad, … [Read more...]

“You could have any guy on campus you want.” I looked at my insecure boyfriend as if he had grown two faces. In the moment, I could not tell if he truly believed those words or if he was trying to manipulate me by complimenting me. Either way, I did not believe him. “Right…” I thought. “There is no way most of the men on this campus would give me a second look. There are so many other girls who are slimmer and prettier than me. He is crazy, stupid, or both.” A few days ago, I was thumbing through some old photos when I came across a random picture of my 21-year-old self, taken by the … [Read more...]