Purpose

pur·pose

/ˈpərpəs/

The journey of determining a career, a talent, a home, or a relationship through which to fulfill your unique calling; the essence of who you are and who you want to be, finding the reason to do your best and be your best every day in every area of life 

How to Move On From the Loss of a Dream

How to Move On From the Loss of a Dream in a Healthy Way

I recently sat with a client who was devastated over the loss of a dream. This door was clearly closed in his life and there was no real chance of him ever achieving it. There is very little in life that is as painful as the loss of a dream. His inability to move past this loss cost him his entire family. I wish he had come to me sooner. He was grieving so hard that he couldn’t even see the amazing blessings he had in front of him … until they were gone. What do you do when you just can’t get over a loss? Life is tough sometimes. I have never heard a success story that didn’t include failures along the way. Relationship breakups, loss of […]

How to Move On From the Loss of a Dream in a Healthy Way Read More »

Who Will Tell Your Story, and What Will They Say?

Who Will Tell Your Story, and What Will They Say?

I am a fourth-grade teacher. Every year my students read a book about a person who has impacted the world: Albert Einstein, Anne Frank, Jane Goodall, Bill Gates.  They learn how to paraphrase material, take notes, and then write a paper about their person’s life.  Then they dress up accordingly and present a memorized speech to the rest of the class and the parents. This is one of my absolute favorite units to teach.  The students learn that all across time and history, God has used many different people from every walk of life, with a range of abilities, for all different purposes. Each of these people leveraged their unique God-given gifts and talents to make a difference, and in doing so,

Who Will Tell Your Story, and What Will They Say? Read More »

Womens History Month Be Inspired by Strong Women of the Past

Women’s History Month: Be Inspired By Strong Women of the Past

In celebrating Women’s History Month, I had to go back in time. To a season I first learned about the great women who paved paths before us. I grew up in a tiny Indiana town where generations of families worked their farmland or found employment in the factories for union wage. You knew the names of almost everyone in the community and also knew their “business.” As in cities large and small, there were classes of citizens, from the bank president to the school janitor. You held a position, and it was there you stayed. In the summer, we rode our bikes for miles to the local swimming pool or dropped them at the side of the road to explore the woods,

Women’s History Month: Be Inspired By Strong Women of the Past Read More »

My Life Isn't Insta-Worthy, But I Love It All the More

My Life Isn’t Insta-Worthy, But I Love It All the More

If I could choose one phrase to perfectly sum up my stage of life, it would be “in the trenches.” I’m in the trenches of motherhood, playing carpool taxi, housemaid clean up, chief organizational officer, head referee, and principal disciplinarian every day. My life isn’t Insta-worthy. I’m in the trenches in my marriage, fighting for even a simple date night, fighting for connection in the busy, fighting to stay together through the hard stuff of parenting. I’m in the trenches in my life too, my own personal time of trying to grow my dream project from the ground up, putting in hours of blood, sweat, and tears often to little or no applause or grandeur. Yes, the trenches are where I dwell.

My Life Isn’t Insta-Worthy, But I Love It All the More Read More »

Want to be a Strong Woman? Be Dependent And Vulnerable

I’ve thought a lot about strength lately. Working full-time, raising three young kids, my husband going through a job change… During this crazy life stage, I hear a lot of, “You’re so strong”; “How do you do it all?”; “How are you so strong?” It’s flattering to hear, and sometimes I think to myself, “Wow I have them fooled!” Other times I almost cringe inside and want to cry, “If they only knew how weak I really feel.” It’s usually in the moments when I’m trying to do things on my own, be tough, and look strong and unfazed that I’m actually the weariest. Webster defines strength as “being able to withstand great force or pressure.” In today’s society, we must wear

Want to be a Strong Woman? Be Dependent And Vulnerable Read More »

7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Now

7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Now

Change. It is a certainty. It never ceases to amaze me how life can completely change in the blink of an eye. It invigorates me and leaves me a little terrified at the same time. We often go about subconsciously believing that we will live forever—that time is always there. The mind is amazing how it can trick us in that way. But we rarely fully experience the present, even though it is the only thing that is certain about our time here on earth. Experiencing the sudden death of my father and the traumatic birth of my daughter (born with a rare genetic disorder) heightened my awareness of how life can turn on a dime. I’m sure many of you have had similar life curve balls. Yet, we know

7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Now Read More »

Feeling Lonely?

Feeling Lonely? This is a Battle You Can Win

As I sat down with my second cup of coffee to follow my morning ritual, I scanned my emails when an article caught my attention: Study Reveals Loneliness at Epidemic Levels in America. If you’re feeling lonely, realize you’re not alone. The results of the study conducted by health insurer Cigna stated that nearly half of Americans surveyed sometimes or always feel left out, with only 53% saying they have meaningful in-person social interactions.1 Loneliness has plagued all of us through time, sometimes leaving us feeling lost for a few hours or a few days. In other seasons, we may discover we awaken each morning and end each day with a chronic hurt and ache that lay within the feeling of aloneness.

Feeling Lonely? This is a Battle You Can Win Read More »

A Woman’s Grit Is Her Best Asset for Success

Have you ever been introduced to an idea that radically changed your life? Did this idea not only explain your past frustrations but offer direction for a better future? Recently I have. In essence, the idea says that how we see ourselves profoundly affects how we lead our lives. Let me explain… My journey began when I read a book entitled Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Based on science, interviews with high achievers from multiple fields, and her own personal history, Duckworth explores what creates outstanding achievement. Duckworth found that what she calls “grit” predicts success more reliably than talent or IQ, and that anyone, at any age,

A Woman’s Grit Is Her Best Asset for Success Read More »

how to crush comparison with a compliment

How to Crush Comparison With a Compliment

I love games. I come from a very competitive family, so winning has always been important to me. Just ask my husband. I sometimes get super bitter if he beats me in a game (okay, scratch that, I always get bitter if he beats me). I will never forget when I was visiting him in Springdale, Arkansas early in our dating stage. We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and we played the peg board game that they offer customers to play while waiting for their food. I should have known better than to suggest it because, let’s just say, I lost and breakfast wasn’t the most enjoyable after that. Some days I beat my husband, and other days I lose. But the

How to Crush Comparison With a Compliment Read More »

What to Do When You Need a Change

6 Steps to Take When You Need to Make a Change

One of the great things about the chronological advancement of life is you have brilliant hindsight. As the years pass by, glaring life realizations gain light. The biggest may be that the only time my circumstances ever changed is when I acted. Even though there were many times in life I wished I had a do-over, that cute little reset button, that’s not how it worked. There is nothing that will completely erase the past. There is no miracle cure that will fix the problem and change the future. But, there is always, may I emphatically without reservation repeat the word always, a path to create the change. Forever and in all things there is hope. Maybe I need to scream this

6 Steps to Take When You Need to Make a Change Read More »

girl sitting next to luggage outside of the airport looking thoughtful and wondering what happens when your life change affects those you love

When Your Life Change Affects Those You Love

When I first started dating my husband, it was a cold, blustery February and there was a fresh dusting of snow on the ground. I remember we got on the topic of moving to warmer weather. After all, I was not made for cold days! Every winter since, he has listened to me complain about the cold, coats, cold rain, and generally anything about my absolute hatred for the winter season. (Except for skiing—I have no problem visiting winter weather in small vacation settings!) I told him about those few years I lived in Florida and how I missed the one-month winters. As time moved on, we began dreaming of drinking our morning coffee along the water with a tropical breeze and

When Your Life Change Affects Those You Love Read More »

I'm a Busy Mom—How to Give Back When My Plate Is Full

I’m a Busy Mom—How to Give Back When My Plate Is Full

It’s 8:15 p.m. and you’ve been up for 16 ½ hours. Your day started with coffee, Bible, packing lunches, showers, makeup, actually making yourself presentable, signing agendas, looking over homework, ironing, dressing, brushing, constantly “motivating,” maybe even a little wrestling. In the car, you give a rundown of the day, quizzing, reminding, praying, consoling, and encouraging. You drop the kids off and are filled with anxious emotions: “Are they okay? Will they do their best? Will they make good choices? Will they….” You fill in the blank, I’m a busy mom. At work, you assume the position of friend, advisor, encourager, listener, decision-maker, supporter for people you spend more time with than your own family, and leave over 8 hours later with

I’m a Busy Mom—How to Give Back When My Plate Is Full Read More »

6 Ways to Focus on Self-Growth as a Woman

I personally get so caught up in all that I have to do that sometimes I miss out on opportunities to grow. At times it’s because I completely blow past them in my effort to complete my to-do list, and other times, I am honestly just too tired to put in the effort for self-growth (am I the only one who collapses on the couch to some Netflix after work?). Growth looks different for every woman because we’re all in completely different stages and places in our lives, but below you’ll find a few things that have really helped me grow as a woman. 6 Ways to Achieve Self-Growth Spend time with other women. I can’t stress the importance of this one enough.

6 Ways to Focus on Self-Growth as a Woman Read More »

I Lost My Mom and Found My True Strength

I Lost My Mom and Found My True Strength

I’ve heard it said that life is the sum of all the choices you make. I get this, but what about the things we don’t choose? Don’t those things still shape our lives and set a course that we may not have “chosen” for ourselves? Growing up, we all hear phrases like, “You’re in the mistake zone,” referring to young adults between the ages of 18-22, and, “You never know what you have until it’s gone.” Being well out of my 20s now, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard or experienced more accurate phrases. I’ve made a myriad of mistakes along the way, and I try to live each day with no regret, but there’s one choice that still haunts me.

I Lost My Mom and Found My True Strength Read More »

A Strong Woman Has These 7 Things on Her Bucket List

A Strong Woman Has These 7 Things on Her Bucket List

If you’re in search of more meaning in life, crossing off a few extra items on your bucket list can be the very thing that sends you on a journey of self-discovery. For some of us, bucket lists contain our longings for far-off adventures and are springboards for our imaginations to roam wild. They spotlight our craving for connection with people and nature; they uncover our inner desire to make our mark in the world. In between their numbered lines dwells a path toward change and a recipe for thriving in our seasons of life. Bucket lists act as the catalyst that propels us forward, both as an instigator and a guide or sherpa in the self-discovery department. Every item on our

A Strong Woman Has These 7 Things on Her Bucket List Read More »

table view of a woman writing in a journal with a cup of coffee after choosing to forget new year's resolutions

Forget New Year’s Resolutions—Small Changes Are All We Need

As we start the New Year, I am reminded of years past and what I have longed for, accomplished, and have yet to fulfill. I just love the newness of a Monday or the first of the month or a January full of unrealized potential and loads of plans and goals. With each January we are given a new chance and more time and, as I get older, I am realizing that time is more valuable than money. I have a small list of resolutions this year: less sugar, less screen time, more quality in our week, more love for my husband and my kids, and leaning on my Jesus. Giving myself grace, walking daily, returning to yoga, writing on Sundays, and

Forget New Year’s Resolutions—Small Changes Are All We Need Read More »

Starting the New Year With Grit, Grace, and Inner Beauty

Starting the New Year With Grit, Grace, and Inner Beauty

There’s something hopeful about a new year. Who doesn’t love a fresh start? A new year often incites determination to tackle big projects, resolution to make hard changes, and lofty dreams of what our renewed motivation and hard work might bring. Maybe you plan to organize every room in the house over this next year, drop some of that holiday weight, or go after your dream job. Those are all great goals that you can achieve! But have you considered focusing on the inner you—the part of you that has nothing to do with outward appearances? Here are 4 truths about inner beauty you should know: 1. You are valuable. Not because you are beautiful, funny, smart, kind, helpful, hard-working, supermom, the

Starting the New Year With Grit, Grace, and Inner Beauty Read More »

Scroll to Top