Things never go my way. I’m always messing up. They never listen to me. I don’t matter. Ever had any of these thoughts? I know I have—more than I care to admit. I get it. Some days are hard. Sometimes we make mistakes. We all have those thoughts of self-pity and doubt. While it can be challenging to avoid those negative thoughts, we can choose to exchange our self-pity for gratitude. Self-pity keeps our eyes on blame, fear, and discontent. If we are not careful, self-pity will immobili[...]
45 
Growing up, I learned heard quite a bit about being careful not to allow toxic friendships and relationships in my life. You know those people who make you feel you are less than, leave you feeling yucky, and completely drained whenever you are around them. Most of us will deal with at least one toxic person in our lifetime, often from someone close to us. But what happens when the person with the toxic traits is you? Being willing to take a hard look at yourself and your unhealthy behaviors is not[...]
If you stop to reflect on your current season right now, what would you say? Just pause and think about that. Are you: buying a new house? starting a new job? getting ready for marriage? raising small children? celebrating your last kid graduating from school? deciding what to do next? recovering from a broken heart? Starting fresh can stir up all sorts of emotions. Some of these changes are exciting life events that we want to capture in pictures and Christmas ornaments. Other events shake u[...]