I am a little less than a month out from the passing of my biological mom. I am writing this to help with my own processing and if I can help someone along the way who needs these words (which are usually not spoken out loud) or validation - then this will not have been written in vain.
It will be helpful to know that I only lived with my mom for 5 years of my life. From birth to 4 and then from 13 to 14. The rest of that time I only saw her in short bursts. A friend of my mom's sent me this picture shortly after she passed. When I first saw it - I burst into maniacal laughter (which was so like something my mom would do) - it reminded me of a scene in Sweet Home Alabama - "You have a baby - in a bar" only this would read "You have a baby - and a beer". This picture speaks a thousand words. And reinforces an old story I told myself for decades.
The old story I told myself was that she chose drugs, alcohol, and men over me. I told that story on repeat up until 2 years ago...
“I’m on a mission from God” - Blues Brothers
No, seriously though, I do feel like I’m on a mission from the Creator Himself to bring the beauty and wonder of HIs Creation - which He Himself called “good” back Us - which He called “very good”. I am particularly speaking to people who were raised with a Conservative Christian worldview, since most of us grew up with a healthy fear of anything that could be categorized as “New Age”. Friends - I’m here to tell you that crystals are about as OLD AGE as you can get! LOL! This is not going to be a conversation about how old our earth is - nope - not going there. LOL! This is going to be a gathering of some fun factoids I have picked up along the way that I pray will be read and considered.
First off, when you read about how crystals are formed and created you will read words like “Crystals form by a process called crystallization that signifies a...
Oh friends! I'm so excited to share something with you! I was introduced to a new app this weekend by my new friend Kristina - and I had to come and shout its awesomeness from the rooftops!
Healing Feelings is an app from Karol Truman who wrote the book Feelings Buried Alive Never Die This book was one of my required reading textbooks for my Aromatherapy Certification and has played a HUGE role in my learning, awakening, and awareness of just how intricately the mind, body, spirit connection really is. The first step toward change is awareness and this is a powerful tool that can really be of service to you if you are ready for some healing and transformation.
Here in the West our modern medical model is built around diagnosing a symptom and then prescribing a drug that will address that symptom. We walk through other parts of our lives like this as well - we don't always have the language to communicate how we really feel - so we mask and numb...
I am a SUCKER for personality tests. I. TAKE. THEM. ALL. I have this insatiable desire to understand myself and others. This February I was introduced to a personality profile that is based on your energetic blueprint called Human Design at an amazing retreat I attended hosted by a member in my Young Living Family. It was on the eve of my 40th birthday and such a beautiful way to usher in a new decade of life. The gifts that came with me taking a closer look at my Human Design chart are still rolling in. I am in awe at how accurate it is and how deeply it resonates. And you know what is amazing? All the info I needed to provide was when, where, and what time I was born. THAT’S IT! I will admit – some things are unfamiliar to me – such as the astrological symbols and meanings – but I am choosing to see all of that through a lens of learning more about how amazing God is when He placed the planets where they were in our Universe – it’s not...
Last month I had a nervous breakdown. Since I am the only adult in the house I had to work through it pretty quickly. I am blessed to have some support systems in place and some amazing people in my life who spoke hard truths to me in love. After reflecting on how I got to that place I had a pretty amazing breakthrough so obviously I had to come to the interwebs to share in hopes that this will help someone else.
Before I dive into the 5 ways you can (and should) ask for help – let’s discuss this topic. WE ALL NEED HELP! ALL OF US! ALL THE TIME! We are wired for community and connection so don’t begrudge someone else the opportunity to serve by carrying around all of your burdens until you stumble and fall under the weight. Speak up and ask for help. Receive. It’s ok. Trust me, there will come a time when you will be able to give back to someone else in need and the circle of giving and receiving will be complete. Most of us love to give – but in order...
Here are my Confessions of a Worn Out Mommy. I woke up on Mother’s Day with every intention of having a lovely day. With David deployed I knew it wouldn’t be your Hallmark Movie Version of Mother’s Day with breakfast in bed and a day at the spa. However – I was ready for that! I planned ahead and picked up a meal that I would only have to warm up. What I didn’t plan on was washing a package of seaweed in a HUGE load of laundry. True story. Imagine little flecks of wet seaweed everywhere – I was basically a mermaid – which I found funny – at first. My humor quickly slipped away as other unplanned and unexpected things continued to roll in along with the constant fighting that has been happening between my children and I felt myself slipping down into the depths. While I was in the pit I remembered that a pretty huge trauma happened to me on Mother’s Day several years ago (which can happen when your vibration is low – your...
I'd love to share the stories behind the choices of my images and words behind my brand. I have chosen to run my business from a heart centered space. The following will walk you through the process I went in choosing my brand emphasis. My hope is that by sharing my story you will gain clarity around a possible way to build yours.
If you have been in my community for any amount of time you will know how much I LOOOVE Lighthouses, Hearts, and the words: Shine, Light, and of course Wholehearted.
Wholehearted – As you can see…I have it tattooed on my body. LOL. This word and way of living caused such a shift in my soul. I was introduced to Brene Brown by my friend Lindsay Teague Moreno who is an avid reader. This word is at the center of every one of her writings and it literally made my heart grow two sizes. Here is the definition of Wholehearted Living directly from Brene Brown: “Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of...
David was able to come home for about 36 hours before he heads back to his training on the east coast. Before he came home we had a conversation about NOT having any expectations for this quick visit and we instead created an intention for this quick but special time (thank you to my friend Heather Wood for introducing me to this many moons ago).
First – let’s dive into the definition of these words:
Intention: a persons design or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result.
Expectation: a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.
Do you see and feel the difference in the weight of these words? Intention carries a lightness while expectation has this seriousness and heaviness. You will notice they both require you to CHOOSE how you will filter your thoughts. Mindset is at the core of both of these definitions.
One more insight before I share how we created ours. Expectation is basically a list of...
Purpose is such a powerful word and driving force for me right now. I have done quite a bit of personal and professional development to really get clear on what my purpose is. I evaluate how I should be spending my time to ensure that I am living each day within my gifts, talents, and purpose. One tangible way that I actively shine my light is through walking myself and others through the Aroma Freedom Technique (AFT). I am excited to share this with you and why I love it so much. Spoiler alert: it has bits of pieces of truths that have played a HUGE part in MY healing process.
This technique was developed by Dr. Benjamin Perkus. He is a Clinical Psychologist by trade as well as a Young Living Essential Oils Leader. He intentionally chose bits and pieces from proven psychological techniques coupled with essential oils that have research based evidence to positively affect our emotional state. Fun fact: did you know that of our 5 senses – our sense of smell is the only one that...
Dear Older Me,
When you read this I want you to remember how empowered you felt after you finished the Clean Slate Cleanse. Before this 21 day challenge you were always the BEST at talking yourself OUT of whatever you had started. You really believed that you didn’t have self control – but now you know that you do…and a lot of it.
Remember the two long and brutal days that you were detoxing from #allthethings. I don’t want you to go to shame, because, shame is lame, but I want you to reflect on how you chose to use food, and sugar, and especially wine to numb out or even reward yourself. Instead I want you to remember that food is created keep your beautifully and wonderfully made body functioning optimally. It is not a bad thing to celebrate with food, but be intentional when you do.
You have so many wonderful tools to help you when stress comes knocking at your door. You no longer have to stuff (emotions or food). You can use your mindful eating exercise...
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