We are living in crazy times. What we once saw in science fiction movies, we are witnessing in America and around the world. Places closing down due to the spreading of a virus that has already killed thousands of people. Governments enacting guidelines and recommending that all people who are nonessential stay home. It’s a very interesting time to be alive. I did not think I would ever live to experience something like this in my lifetime. Still, I can’t help but think that we as believers have been called for such a time as this. People are desperate and searching for answers. They want hope ..read more

Have you ever been around someone who is toxic? Maybe it is a coworker, friend, family member, or someone else. Most of us have faced a toxic relationship or person at some point in our lives. I know I have! But how does one handle a toxic person? Before we can even answer that question, let’s define what a toxic person is. The definition of toxic varies depending on where you are looking, but one definition that covers it pretty well is as follows: Toxic describes interactions where boundaries are often blurred, where individuals themselves and/or their behaviors are felt to be difficult, ch ..read more

2019 was a year that ended with a lot of twists, turns, and unexpected circumstances. At the end of the year, I found myself reflecting on the last couple of months going, “God…what?”  I struggled with anxiety, fear, and felt like depression was lurking in the corner, trying to make a comeback in my life. I didn’t expect any of it. But yet, there I was. There was change all around me, and if you know me, you know that change is hard for me. I would wake up and think to myself, “Um, is this real? Did all of this really happen?” And it did. And it was HARD. In spite of really challenging situati ..read more

Tonight we not only say goodbye to a year, we say goodbye to a decade. An ERA. These past ten years have brought me more than I could possibly hope for. Twin boys in the face of infertility. Ten years of teaching experience in a middle school, learning, growing. Winning teacher of the year. A thriving marriage with my person. Knowing Jesus more for who HE is. And so much more! But 2019 taught me some powerful lessons. Lessons 2019 Taught Me: 1. who my people are. My people. These are people who encourage me, spur me on, call me out, call me up, and speak words of truth in love. They challenge ..read more

A couple of nights ago, I had a dream. In the dream, my mother and I were in a boat. The boat transformed from a boat into a submarine. I was freaking out because the idea of being submerged under water was SCARY. Yet, when the boat transformed into a submarine, we were safe. When I opened my eyes in the morning, the words, “When you walk through deep waters, you won’t drown,” are the words that I woke up to. I felt like God was speaking to me and I remembered the words came from a verse I love: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they w ..read more

You are more than what you do. You are more than the role you play. You are more than your job duty. You are more than the title. To God, you are worth more than that! I don’t know who needs to hear that, but I know this is a truth I needed to be reminded of a long time ago and sometimes, I still need to be reminded! So today’s blog post is dedicated to you. I have been leading worship since I was sixteen years old. I still remember being a shy, introverted person who didn’t love the spotlight. When I was asked to help lead worship at a church, it was to my horror and terror. For the first few ..read more

It’s the eve of Micah and Josiah’s sixth birthday and I’ve been so emotional today! It sounds so silly and dumb, but tonight during bedtime prayers, I was laying in bed with each of them and praying over them and I just got so choked up. I think about who they are now as little boys and where God is going to take them in life, and it essentially wrecks me. I look back at everything we went through to have these boys and I’m wrecked. I look back at their first year: I’m wrecked. My husband and I were browsing through their baby albums tonight just remembering all of the emotions we had surround ..read more

Dear Jose, You are officially 32! Wow! At this point we have spent exactly half of our lives together. There’s so much to say and I wanted to share it publicly because I’m super proud of who you’ve become as a person and I’m honored to be your wife. I want the world to know why I celebrate you today. This year has been a really wild year in so many ways. In many ways that people will honestly never even know.  And the one thing that has been a constant and something I could count on has been YOU. It remains the same today. Your consistency, resiliency, and dependability are just the few thing ..read more

Oh I can see  The future you and me we last forever In the rising tide No fear or fight That we can’t face together Darling You and Me We can take the world. – JohnnySwim Guess I’m feeling a bit mushy today! Today I was just thinking about how much I really rely on Jose. Then I started thinking about some of the things we’ve walked through in our life and marriage. I thought about how a lot of the hardest times have been the times we’ve leaned into each other the most…and then I thought of this song. One of “our songs.” The idea of two people taking on the world together. I think what’s helpe ..read more

I didn’t plan on writing a blog post today, but as I was reflecting on my day today, there were some things I learned and it was way too long to put it into a post, so voila! Here we are. Do you ever feel like you’re running a million miles a minute without a minute to just breathe?! After a really busy few weeks between work and life in general, Jose and I realized we really needed to schedule in a day to be together because if we didn’t, it just wasn’t going to happen. So we did! Today was the day! We played at Topgolf, which was surprisingly fun for me, considering I am absolutely AWFUL at ..read more