what i've learned Archives - LeeAnn G Taylor

What I Learned in October: Allume 2014 & #Write31Days Recap

November 5, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Do you remember when we were kids and our teachers set us up with pen pals from across the country? I just remember in 5th grade thinking how cool it would have been to have met those friends in person!

It’s 2014 and now pen pals have transitioned into online friends but the novelty of the idea is definitely the same.

I’ve found there is something special about meeting online friends in real life. Back in the spring I met Aprille from Beautiful in His Time for a lunch date after connecting with her online and then finding out that I work just minutes from her house.

Just a couple of weeks ago I met online friends from all over the country at Allume, a blogging conference for Christian women.

Allume: Not Just a Conference

Not just a run-of-the-mill conference, these few days away created sacred space for relationships to form and develop, for attendees to hear from God in a fresh new way, and for women to connect with incredible organizations doing life-changing work all over the globe. {I can’t wait to tell you more about that last part…post coming soon!}

I could go on and on….and on and on…about how wonderful the experience was, but instead I’ll share a few pictures.

Update: for tons more pictures of Allume, check out this incredible gallery of photos by Kim DeLoach Photography.

From Online Friend to In-Person Friend

Kayse, a wife, business owner, and mom of two littles lives on the west coast and it was exciting to discover she is as down to earth in real life as she is online.

I featured an interview with her and her devotional, Undivided Mom: Finding Christ in the Chaos of Motherhood, during the Parenting With Purpose series in October.

You can find her writing online at KaysePratt.com where she’s finding hope in the messy & mundane and sharing the journey. In addition to Undivided Mom, she also has written a home management ebook, shares a ton of free home management printables, and recently released an ebook on marriage.

She and her husband also own an their own business, Essential Oils for the Family, and often host free webinars where you can find out more about how essential oils can benefit your family.

Allume Roomies

And I just can’t say enough great things about my three Allume roomies.

Previously, only Holly and I had met in person. She and I share a rich history in our faith tradition, attended the same Bible camp for years together, and her grandparents even lived across the street from my husband when he was growing up!

The four of us and our suitcases crammed into a hotel room with two full-sized beds {oops…we thought they were going to be queen beds!} for three days and nights packed full of inspiration, fun, late night chats, and more delicious desserts than we could feasibly eat.

These ladies are one of a kind and it was an incredible blessing to get to know them in person.

It was hard to leave after our special time together came to a close. Plus there’s a unique kind of bonding that happens when you share a bed and a bathroom ya’ll. Just saying.

And now…I can’t help but to share them with you!

From left to right:
Holly Barrett – Reclaiming a Redeemed Life
Dana Butler – be sure to listen to her Jesus-inspired music
Me – featuring baby Haven
Mary Geisen – Passage Through Grace

I guarantee you’ll be blessed getting to know these ladies in their online spaces just as I have!

#Write31Days Update – Parenting With Purpose Series

This year I participated in The Nester’s 31 Day Writing Challenge with the topic of Parenting With Purpose: Creating a God-Centered Home. I absolutely loved writing about topics like the importance of setting the atmosphere in your home, practical ways to make God’s Word a priority, and how to maintain an eternal perspective.

If you missed any of the posts, you can find the whole series here.

My friends Holly and Mary both shared wonderful parenting wisdom:

Holly – 3 Single Parenting Tips for Christians
Mary – A Seasoned Mom’s Advice to Young Moms

I’m sure you’ve also figured out by now how much of a resource-guru I am, so sharing my favorite parenting resources with you for scripture memorization, developing Biblical literacy using family-centered entertainment, and fun freebies like the printable lunchbox scripture cards was a highlight for me. Plus, didn’t you just love the giveaways this past month?!

While I didn’t quite post something every day during the month of October due to sheer exhaustion that comes with the third trimester of pregnancy, trying to keep up with two littles, and working a full time job, I was pleased with the outcome of the series.

It’s clear this is a topic you all enjoyed learning about and it’s something I’m striving to do in my own home on a daily basis, so I’m planning on making Parenting With Purpose a regular feature on the blog. I still have a few giveaways up my sleeve too, so definitely keep an eye out for those in the coming weeks.

In fact, if you have a resource you use in your family to help create a more God-centered home, I’d love to hear about it and potentially feature it in a future post. You can email me at contact@leeanngtaylor.com or leave a comment on this post.

One last thing…if you’re not signed up already to receive blog updates in your email, you’ll want to do that right away. The first ever newsletter for The Mosaic Life blog will be coming out in the next few days. There will be special subscriber only features that you won’t want to miss! Click the box below to sign up…it takes just a few seconds!

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**Email subscribers who currently receive blog posts in your inbox, if you aren’t sure if you’re signed up for the newsletter, send me a quick email at contact@leeanngtaylor.com and I’ll make sure you’re included!

Today I’m sharing What I Learned in October with Emily Freeman’s community, Chatting at the Sky.

This post contains affiliate links that support the maintenance of the site {full disclosure}.

What I Learned In August {A Family Adventure}

September 3, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

It’s hard to believe summer is winding down, kids are going back to school, and the season of pumpkin spice lattes, chicken stews, freshly picked apples, and corn mazes is upon us.

In the midst of this busy season, I’m focusing on remembering to savor the little moments and to make memories with the people I love.

Because in life, our relationships are everything.

Friend, don’t you know? In life, our relationships are everything. Make them count!

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This month I’m linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky, sharing what I learned in August. While we enjoyed a full month of relationship-building and memory-making with lots of friends, it was a family vacation that scored the feature in this month’s “what I learned” post.

While we didn’t get much rest on this vacation, it was a memory-maker for sure! So here it goes…the 6 things I learned in August:

1. It is possible to survive (and even enjoy!) a week in a tiny cabin with two grandparents, two mommas, and five kids ages 5 and under (5, 4, almost 3, 2, and 11 months).

I’m not exactly sure what we were thinking when my sister and I agreed to a trip to the lake with my parents with that many littles, but not only did we survive, we had a great time! Tons of memories were made amongst the multiple trips to the playground, swimming pool, out on the lake in the little johnboat, and playing at the lake’s edge.

2. With that many littles, you have to repeat safety instructions. A lot.

Since the water was right outside our front porch, the kids spent quite a bit of time splashing around and we spent lots of our words each day saying things like:

Put your shoes on. You might cut yourself on glass or a fishing hook.
Stay away from the swans (they’re mean!).
Yes, you can feed the ducks. Just don’t throw bread AT them.
Don’t stand behind someone throwing out a fishing line.
Yes, you can ride in the boat (again). Just put on your lifejacket first.

3. You can catch a fish with no bait on your hook. True story.

Both big kids enjoyed one-on-one time with their Poppy out in the boat fishing and they both came back with fish to show off their mad fishing skills. My nephew Brecken (4) even caught a fish with just his hook.

While Salem did use bait for her fish, she obviously isn’t sure yet that fishing will be her past time of choice.

Lesson 3b: Don’t try to teach four kids ages 5 and under how to fish from the bank all at the same time. There may or may not be weeping and gnashing of teeth after all four fishing rods get tangled one right after another.

Just sayin’…this picture captured a brief moment of time (like 2.3 seconds) where 3 out of the 4 kids were sitting on the bank quietly while waiting their turn with Poppy, the fishing teacher.

4. Feeding ducks might be the cheapest form of entertainment we will ever find.

We spent 5 full days at the lake and somehow the kids never tired of feeding the ducks. This type of all-but-free entertainment makes me seriously reconsider any entertainment that requires cold hard cash!

5. Carl’s Ice Cream is still the best ice cream ever.

On the National Register of Historic Places, Carl’s Ice Cream in Fredericksburg, VA was established in 1947 and is still the best ice cream on the planet. I grew up less than 30 minutes away and took numerous trips to the iconic ice cream shoppe as a teenager. At 15, my driving test even included parallel parking across the street.

Each cone is a little twist of sugary frozen heaven. I might be obsessed.

So I was thrilled when a traffic jam on our way home resulted in a detour right past my favorite place. It was a fabulous end to our family vacation. My mom and sister and I even snapped a pic to commemorate the occasion.

6. Your most favorite part of the trip might be the trip home.

My sister and I got 5 solid hours of sisterly talk time in the van on the way home while the girls (5, almost 3, and 11 months) slept in the back seat. This might or might not have been my favorite part of the trip…

What about you? What are your favorite relationship-building memories from this summer? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear how you were intentional about creating memories and loving the people God has entrusted you with.

What I Learned & Things I’m Into: April Edition

May 7, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Today I’m sharing some things I learned in April with Emily Freeman’s community at Chatting at the Sky and some things I’m into this month with Leigh Kramer’s Reveling in the Now. Some things are serious, others are just random bits of knowledge – the fun, the serious, and the frivolous.

Hope you enjoy this little peak into my last 30 days!

Things I’ve Learned in April

1. When my weaknesses are exposed, the opportunity for growth is the greatest.

In April I started a new position as the business manager of the non-profit I’ve been a part of for the last 10 years. Our Assistant Director has retired after 19 faithful years with the agency and she’s been training me the last couple of months. It’s an exciting opportunity and a welcome change after many years of direct daily contact with cancer patients and experiencing the death of a young client (who became a friend and fellow church member) a few months back.

While training, I struggled through learning areas of nonprofit management I’ve never worked in, leaving my brain exhausted and oftentimes my spirit defeated. Sometimes it was the little things that bothered me – things like mistakenly printing a whole batch of checks backwards and not knowing how to use an adding machine. (For the record, I gave up and just started using the calculator function on my computer. It’s 2014 people!)

It’s only been in the last week or so that I’ve been able to process why I’ve had such a difficult time, especially since I know I am the “lifelong learner” type and love a challenge to learn something new. My weaknesses were revealed in the training process and although I am developing the skills to the do the job well, I have been reminded of the spiritual truth that Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness. We must recognize that we are powerless before we will submit to His authority and power over our lives. This posture of humility and submission is how we grow the most.

2. Marriage works better when you function as a team.

While I already know this, I was reminded quite poignantly of this truth this month. Each of us has our own struggles and goals. We can either get frustrated and point out each others’ faults or we can support one another and help each other grow.

I’m so glad I’ve found the hero in my husband!

3. I’m a recovering perfectionist. It’s a process and I’m growing.

If you’d asked me just a few months ago if I identified myself as a perfectionist, I would have told you no. But I’m starting to realize the cycle of fear of failure, feeling like what I’m doing is not enough, and striving, striving, striving for more.

I think it helped to be able to put words to how I’ve felt for so long.

Do we have any other recovering perfectionists in The Mosaic Life community? There’s power in identifying and coming to grips with our ownimperfections. What a blessing that God gives us grace and his mercies are new every morning!

What I’m Into: April Edition

1. This $9.00 device the size of a flash drive + podcasts have transformed my commute to work.

I live 40 minutes away from my job, so I have a lot of time to fill in the car each day. My car is so old that I can’t hook up my phone to my car to listen through the speakers. And when I try to listen straight from my phone, it’s not loud enough for me to hear over the noise on the interstate.

My iphone {turned ipod touch because I don’t pay for an iphone plan} and 1999 Honda Accord + $9 FM transmitter means I now have an audio classroom on wheels. The little device pumps whatever I’m listening to on my device through my speakers. Love it!

Usually I’m listening to a podcast…my new favorite thing. I just love that you can learn anything, be encouraged, and be inspired…all on demand! Here are some that I listen to on a regular basis:

God-Centered Mom

Inspired to Action

The Art of Simple

2. It’s springtime…finally! April is one of my favorite months, along with September and October. I think I just really love 70 degree weather with a breeze!

My parents have been out of town a lot the last few weeks helping my sister and her husband renovate a smaller fixer-upper near better schools for their kids. This has meant a couple of things – we’ve had to get creative with our childcare arrangements, we’re not eating nearly as well (my mom’s food is amazing AND healthy!), and I’ve gotten to “steal” my dad’s digital SLR camera for a chance at some decent photographs.

Ya’ll. The camera on my iphone3 with no data plan (it functions as an ipod touch) is just not cutting it for photos fit for a blog, so getting to tinker with his SLR “big” camera has me all giddy inside and brings me back to my photography class days in college. Fun times.

3. What I’ve Read

I LOVE {with a capital L} reading. Always have and always will. And I’m still a like-to-have-the-real-book-in-my-hands kinda gal too. Because it’s really hard to use these fabulous smooth-as-butter no-bleed gel highlighters with a Kindle. Just sayin’.

These are the books I finished in April:

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch – as a part of this book’s launch team, I shared how I say “yes in my mess” in opening my home to others

Surprised by Motherhood by Lisa-Jo Baker – an excellent book for any new mom or weary mom

The books of Luke & Acts in the Bible – our discipleship team is reading through the NT – I’m loving the Common English Bible!

I’m currently in the middle of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom fame. I won it in an online giveaway and am fairly certain she wrote it for me. You know, me and the thousands of other people who live moment to moment just trying to survive the day sometimes!

4. My husband’s pastoral life coaching business is moving and growing!

This month Chuck’s been busy researching and finalizing larger office space and additional staff.

It’s also wedding season, so he’s been busy officiating weddings as well. The kids and I tagged along {the couple really wanted his family to come too!} and they did wonderfully! I was stressed about how they would behave, but I really couldn’t have asked for better behavior from a 1 and 4 year old.

I’ve also been tweaking his website and we’ve both worked on some behind the scenes projects to get one of his most popular services into digital format to be available from anywhere instead of just in person.

It’s an exciting time and I can’t wait to share more about it with you next month!

Here’s to a fabulous May. We’re already off to a great start!

This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure} and supports the ministry efforts of The Mosaic Life.

The Tired Mother’s Creed {with free printable & book giveaway}

May 6, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

Today is for the tired mamas. The ones struggling with comparison and “I don’t measure up” syndrome. Let this guest post from Lisa-Jo Baker encourage your weary soul.

For the days we are running on empty. For the days we just don’t think we have it in us to read one more story, play one more game of Uno, wash one more round of sheets. For the days when we think everyone else has it all together. For the days we’re sure anyone else would do this job better.

For those days. You know the ones.

Repeat after me:

I shall not judge my house, my kid’s summer activities or my crafting skills by Pinterest’s standards.
I shall not measure what I’ve accomplished today by the loads of unfolded laundry but by the assurance of deep love I’ve tickled into my kids
I shall say “yes” to blanket forts and see past the chaos to the memories we’re building.
I shall surprise my kids with trips to get ice cream when they’re already in their pajamas.
I shall not compare myself to other mothers, but find my identity in the God who trusted me with these kids in the first place.
I shall remember that a messy house at peace is better than an immaculate house tied up in knots.
I shall play music loudly and teach my kids the joy of wildly uncoordinated dance.
I shall remind myself that perfect is simply a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land.
I shall embrace the fact that in becoming a mom I traded perfect for a house full of real.
I shall promise to love this body that bore these three children – out loud, especially in front of my daughter.
I shall give my other mother friends the gift of guilt-free friendship.
I shall do my best to admit to my people my “unfine” moments.
I shall say “sorry” when sorry is necessary.
I pray God I shall never be too proud, angry or stubborn to ask for my children’s forgiveness.
I shall make space in my grown up world for goofball moments with my kids.
I shall love their father and make sure they know I love him.
I shall model kind words – to kids and grown-ups alike.
I shall not be intimidated by the inside of my minivan – this season of chip bags, goldfish crackers and discarded socks too shall pass.
I shall always make time to encourage new moms.
I shall not resent that last call for kisses and cups of water but remember instead that when I blink they’ll all be in college.

~ with love from one tired mother to another.

{click here to download the below printable version}

{To see the video reminder of why all mothers are braver than they know, click here}.

This guest post comes with love from Lisa-Jo Baker to our community in celebration of Mother’s Day. If you haven’t already – treat yourself, your mom, your sister, your BFF or your grandma to a copy of her new book, Surprised by Motherhood: Everything I Never Expected About Being a Mom.

And now for the FUN stuff!

Three (yes, three!) lucky readers will win this bookplate signed by Lisa-Jo to whomever you choose. Thank you Lisa-Jo for your generosity to our community. You are a blessing to so many of us! (Ok…keep reading…there’s more!)

ONE of you lovely ladies will win your own copy of this must-get-tissues-before-you-read motherhood book sent directly from me to you.

Let’s call it my Mother’s Day gift to this awesome community of women living authentically in the midst of our brokenness as God picks up our pieces and crafts us into the masterpieces he created us to be. Plus, everyone loves a gift, especially one celebrating mothers!

No matter what stage you’re in when it comes to motherhood, I promise this book will encourage. And remind you that you are braver than you think. So…enter away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saying “YES” to God in the Middle of Our Mess {And a Giveaway}

May 2, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

The weather was beautiful, warm with the perfect spring breeze, and I muscled the Sit N Stand stroller to the front door to go pick up Salem from preschool. I noticed something unusual with our door and called my husband to inquire.

{Important side note: Our house is for sale and has been for many months. It’s only been shown once.}

It was only then he decided to tell me about the realtor who had called the day before at 3:05 wanting to show our house at 3:30 the same day. Both of us were at work.

Now you tell me…do you normally leave your house in “okay to be shown to a potential buyer” condition when you leave for work on a Wednesday morning? Ok, me neither.

I cringed to think about the laundry piled in baskets on the floor, our unmade bed, the towels on the bathroom counter, Salem’s bedroom littered with an array of random “treasures” and the pallet on the floor she’s been sleeping on for the last few nights to “campout”. It occurred to me there might have even been a wet diaper on my son’s changing table. {cringe}

“You have got to be kidding me!” went through my head, along with a variety of other comments I wanted to make to my husband, but refrained for the health of our marriage.

Some stranger just entered our house and viewed our mess in all of its imperfect glory. Not okay in my book.

Sure, we had friends over on Sunday night and the house was far from perfect – piles of winter clothes graced the hallway waiting to be stashed in the attic for next year. The kitchen floor would have seriously benefited from a broom in the capable hands of my husband, the resident sweeper, but who were we kidding? Between the two of our families, we have 3 kids under the age of 5 who were going to dump half of their food on the floor before we were finished with dinner anyway.

When my friend Brittany called our house a “judgement free zone,” I knew I was on the right track. Sure, I like to tidy up before people come over, but even if there’s not time for that, our friends are welcome.

I’m learning to relax in the company of my closest friends and let them into my “mess”.

Ya’ll. This is new for me! I’ve spent years, years, making sure our house was just so before inviting people over. If it wasn’t for some reason, my stress level would go through the roof. But I’ve declared war on perfectionism, so not anymore!

I’ve learned that it’s building relationships that counts, not what my house looks like!

Lately I’ve embraced The Nester’s motto about our home: It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. And it’s true. I’m a recovering perfectionist and this is a struggle for me. My soul just feels more at peace when the dishes are done, the floor is swept, the counters are clear, and my bed is made. But what if I waited for everything to be just perfect to let people into our home, into our lives? Yep, it would never happen!

Yes, our mess drives me crazy sometimes but I have to be careful not to allow it to keep me from fostering and nurturing one of the most important things in our lives – loving people and sharing our lives with them.

But what if I waited until all the stars were aligned and everything in my life seemed perfectly ready for me to do what God is calling me to do?

I’d never make a difference. And my life would never shine His glory. And friends, Matthew 5:16 tells us that’s what it’s all about!

Oh, what a tragedy to miss out on something as extraordinary as the ministry of Mercy House, a maternity home in Kenya providing alternative options for pregnant girls living in the streets of Kenya. Mercy House aids them in education, nutrition, housing, prenatal care, Bible study, counseling and job skills for sustainable living. Incredible!

No, that’s not what God is calling ME to say “YES” to, but it IS God’s dream for Kristen Welch and her family.

A self-described “ordinary” person with struggles, brokenness, fears, anxiety – the whole bit – Kristen did one thing differently than many of us. God asked her to use her ordinary life – mess and all – and turned her obedience – her “YES” – into something “extra”ordinary.

One step at a time, one prayer at a time, one “yes” at a time, God used Kristen’s life to change the world. She tells the story in her new book Rhinestone Jesus: Saying Yes to God When Sparkly Safe Faith is Not Enough.

Rhinestone Jesus is a peak into Kristen’s heart as she shares candidly how God turned her from a “good girl,” a teenager on fire for God but content to live a “safe” Christian life, into a woman broken through life’s challenges and unexpected experiences, now willing to say “yes” to God and trust Him in each moment, regardless of the outcome.

The book is a call to authenticity in the Christian walk. She challenges us to push through the fears of “what if” and instead to ask “what next God?” as we move forward one step at a time in faith.

Kristen shares her personal struggles in ministry, motherhood, and marriage and paints a picture of God’s incredible redemption through it all.

Not just a memoir, the book will walk you through your own journey of learning to say “yes” to God’s call by providing thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter that beg for reflection and action.

And for this recovering perfectionist momma, I love this quote from the book:

Saying yes isn’t really about doing it all, it’s about saying yes right where you are.”

That’s it. That’s the answer. I don’t have to get everything right, the stars don’t have to align, and my house doesn’t have to be spotless. I just have to say “yes” in the middle of my mess to whatever God puts in front of me today. One foot in front of the other. One step at a time, saying “yes” to living out my faith authentically.

I am thrilled to have been part of Kristen’s launch team for her book and her publisher Tyndale House has given me a copy to review and a copy to give away to one of you! The giveaway will be open until May 8th and there are several ways to enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This post is part of Lisa-Jo Baker’s 5 Minute Friday series, where she empowers bloggers to write for 5 minutes each Friday on a specific topic. Free writing. Writing just for the sheer joy of it. Today’s topic was “Mess“. And NO, this definitely didn’t take me the prescribed 5 minutes…but my fellow Five Minute Friday gals encouraged me that there is grace in the mess and to post it anyway! This post also contains affiliate links {full disclosure}. Also sharing with Women of Worship, Fellowship Friday, Beauty Observed, and Sunday Stillness.

What I Learned In February

March 4, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

It was a quarter of the size of my high school. The tiny college in East TN beckoned me with its rolling hills, small class size, and promise of deep relationships and I never looked back. Instead of graduating solely with degrees in sociology, business, and nonprofit management, a handful of passionate professors instilled in me a love of learning.

Maryville College – photo credit

It’s the love of learning that started me on this blogging journey as I devoured hours and hours of podcasts in 2013, soaking in everything I could about the online world and social media. At the time, I had not a clue that I’d have my own little space in the world to write and share and encourage others. Instead, I was supporting my husband’s venture into owning a small business and the relational and spiritual development ministry God has called him to accomplish through pastoral life coaching.

It was at the end of 2013 after reading Emily Freeman’s book Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life and attending her At the Barn event that I heard God speaking to my soul. The message was clear – I need to encourage others with my story of moving from crippling fear to embracing true faith and stepping into the freedom God has for us as believers. It’s a path we all need to travel to open the door to the abundant life full of peace that only Christ provides.

Emily Freeman’s At the Barn event – November 2013 – We Will Make Art!

In celebration of my first full month of writing in this world of blogging, I’m linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky for a reflection of the past month. Here’s what I’ve learned in February:

1. Women thrive in community. Especially this woman. But I bet you do too!

I’ve learned this month about the incredible power of relationships and living in community with one another.

As I started blogging this year, I discovered my in-real-life friend Holly also has a blog and writes at Reclaiming a Redeemed Life {and you should totally check it out!}.

Holly introduced me to the community of women writing weekly at Lisa-jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday.

Many of the Five Minute Friday ladies are connected with the community of women at (in)courage.me, a site that provides “a home for the heart of women”. Here you’ll find {you guessed it} encouragement for your Jesus-loving heart!

(in)courage.me – a beautiful community of women seeking God’s voice

(In)courage hosts an online conference that also provides an opportunity for women to meet face-to-face in their own hometowns since so many of us are only connected via social media with the barrier of a screen between us.

The conference, called (in)RL {because meeting in-real-life is better than online} is FREE and is April 25 & 26, 2014.

The idea is that you watch a video Friday night on your own in your home {cue PJs, hot cocoa, and your laptop all snuggled in your warm bed}. Then you meet up on Saturday with a local group of women gathering to watch the simulcast, fostering in-real-life relationships.

I am so excited to meet some of my online-only friends in person in just a few weeks! You can experience this much-needed community too since there are meet-ups all over the country {and the world!}.

2. I’ve decided to be brave and swim.

No, I’m not afraid of the water but I sure have struggled with fear for as long as I can remember. Fear of failure. Fear of not measuring up {to others’ and my own expectations}. Fear of what other people will think.

But instead of succumbing to the breath-taking waves of fear and doubt, I’ve decided to be brave and SWIM. No more sinking under the weight of “what if”. It’s time to move forward and go somewhere!

I learned that I’m not the only one in this boat {hmm…or in the water!} and that you also are working through what being brave and stepping out into the unknown looks like in your life.

I love that we’re doing this together!

3. People look at you funny when you say you’re going to host a webinar about sex.

Apparently sex in the Christian marriage is not talked about enough because when my husband and I decided that we wanted to share some things we’ve learned the last 10 years about the sexual side of marriage and started mentioning it to others, we got some seriously weird looks!

Let’s be real. It was the women who were looking at us funny. The men got giddy looks on their faces and said “where do we sign up?!”

{Soapbox warning} Ladies, we need to start taking this area of our lives more seriously than we may have in the past. Healthy physical intimacy is one key to a rock-solid marriage…a key that can’t be left out, neglected, or forgotten!

The webinar was held right around Valentine’s Day and provided Christian couples a way to start the conversation about improving this one area of marriage that is so hush-hush in some Christian environments.

essentials to re-igniting the sexual spark in your marriage

To find out more, we’ve provided the resource guide we developed as part of the webinar to give you a place to start.

FREE Resource Guide: Essentials to Re-Igniting the Sexual Spark in your Marriage: A Guide for Christian Couples

4. There are few things more silly than a frog in a snowstorm.

It snowed last month. You know, like it’s been doing all winter all over the country. But for us in North Carolina, snow is a BIG hairy deal. Bread, milk, and eggs all but walk out of grocery stores and we hunker down in our homes like we’ll be stuck here for eternity. In reality, we were only stuck one day and that gave my thrill-seeking husband long enough to realize that even his 4WD wasn’t going to get us anywhere past our tiny {no stoplights} town.

When we did make it out, we ventured over to my parents’ house for snowcream and sledding. Out came my dad’s digital SLR camera and I began shooting away {warning: a barrage of snow pictures is about to begin}.

The silliest one? The frog in the snowstorm. If you can look at this picture without giggling a little bit…well you could use a better sense of humor!

5. You are amazing!

Yes, I mean you!

The comments on the blog and in-person conversations I’ve had with you all {my blog readers} these last two months have been so encouraging and inspiring. You all are brave souls striving to live this life as authentic Christians, intentionally choosing to release fear, embrace faith and move forward into freedom.

Each of our stories and paths are different, but we all are making a difference in the choices we make in the tiny moments of our lives. And it’s the tiny moments that add up to make a life!

Will you do me a favor?

If you’ve been reading the blog and haven’t let me know yet, will you somehow let me know you’re reading? It’s an honor to share with you my journey and I’d love to know who you are and how I can pray for you. You can also share topics you’d like me to address or questions you have.

You can:

Leave a comment on this post.
Connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
Send me an email.
Tell me in person.

I promise to pray for each prayer request individually. God is growing me in the area of prayer and this is one way I can serve you and we can grow together!

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Today I’m linking up with Emily Freeman’s What I Learned community and the Unite, Inspire Me Monday, Mommy Monday, Titus 2sday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Life Through the Lens, and Wedded Wednesday linkups. This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}.