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[...]
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Trauma is hard. It creates a jumble of emotions. You find yourself feeling vulnerable, exposed, angry, and unsafe, even with the people you love and trust the most. Even with the best of intentions, when we have experienced trauma, it can find a way into our marriages. It finds a way to hide in the deepest, darkest places in our hearts (especially when we have not taken the time to acknowledge our trauma or get help). We have arguments about things that don't matter. We say things we don't mean. We hold on[...]
Why is self-compassion so hard for women? Just think. Do any of these phrases sound familiar? You're always messing things up. You'll never get things right. You never seem to say the right thing. You are ugly. You don't belong to be here. Most of us would never say these phrases to someone, but how often have these ugly words replayed in your mind or even come out your mouth about yourself? Sadly, I will admit I have been there. Even as a child, I held high (often unrealistic) expectations of who I[...]
You ever have moments where you sit down to do something you actually enjoy, but it just doesn't feel right? Well, that is totally me right now. The past seven days have been jammed with encouragement, stretching, growing, and learning. My brain and heart are on overload. When I sat to write for this week's midweek three, I kept praying "Lord, what are you showing me? What do you want your daughters to hear?" I scribbled ideas, sketched out brain maps, but nothing seemed right. Again, I would go back to pr[...]