Time to Transition!

“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them. ”

— Psalm 139:13-16

My Dearest MacKynzie,

Middle school was a very confusing time for me, as is with many kids as they are trying to figure out their place in the world. My body resembled that of a stick bug. I had zero curves and unusually long arms and legs that seemed to jet out from my body like a mangrove. At the end of my limbs were huge hands and feet. I outgrew my mom’s shoes before I reached puberty. Despite my lanky body, I was amazingly good at sports. Most of the time, I preferred hanging out with the boys because I had more in common with them than the girls. I lived in a ball cap and cut my hair short. I was the last girl in my class to shave my legs, only because I was made fun of repeatedly in P.E. class. I remember sitting in my room asking God to magically turn me into a boy. I hated my body so much. I wrapped my chest with ace bandages and wore very tight sports bras. To this day, I have not shared with anyone how deep the feelings went. Later in middle school, I surrounded myself with girls that had similar feelings. This was the first time I drank and smoked cigarettes. It seemed like they too were trying to bandaid the dark feelings inside and we would sneak around to desperately fill a void. Little did I know at the time, that there was absolutely nothing wrong with me. It wasn’t until after I got married that I learned God is intentional and the way I was created was not an accident or a mistake.

As I went into high school, my body started catching up with the size of my feet. I found friends that knew Jesus and introduced me to him. Though I was still not ready to build a relationship, I knew he was there. I started dating boys and wearing makeup. By the time I graduated high school, I was content with who I had become. To this day, I still hate putting on makeup and fixing my hair. My nails are always a mess and I’ve worn high heels twice in 10 years. I’ve come to realize that it is completely ok. I am still a beautiful woman in my own way. Beauty is not defined by the media, social platforms or Hollywood, it is defined by our creator.

Though difficult, I share this story because I know there are a lot of girls that can relate. If I grew up in the world we have today, I probably would not have a daughter to write these letters to. I would have been told in middle school that I was born in the wrong body. ‘Professionals’ that I trusted would have encouraged me to transition so I could be happy. I would have taken life altering drugs that deepen their pockets. They would have me hooked for years to come. This makes me grieve deeply for our world. I could not imagine life without my husband and my children. This is a perspective we are not allowed to discuss. I am not denying that a very small percentage of people are born with body or gender dysphoria and I am not downplaying the seriousness of those feelings. But, I think there are a larger majority of children and teens that can relate with my story. Sadly, the opportunity to blossom into a fully developed woman is stripped from them before they even have a chance to bud.

My loving advice to you. First, remember that it is completely normal to go through times where you don’t feel comfortable in your body. Got created us intentionally and called it very good. Second, do not be afraid to speak up on this topic. We must start discussing both sides of the story and questioning what the long term effects will be. As Christians, we must share the blessing of Psalm 139. We do not always know the plans that God has for us, but he does. We must refuse to go along with the trend that is sweeping over our kids and teens. the Bible says ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it’. It is our job to lead and protect our children, they are the most vulnerable. If this letter has an impact on one life, the struggle that I went though as a child was all worth it. I just hope this reaches one teen or one parent that can relate. God takes ugly experiences and creates beauty from them I’ve seen it happen over and over again. It is time to transition, but not in the way of the world.

Live to inspire others. My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Me in middle school:

The Mommy Victim Trend

“Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her rejoice who gave birth to you. ”

— Proverbs 23:25

My Dearest MacKynzie,

There is a current trend that I see consuming my social media and friend circles like wild fire. Mother after mother telling a similar story. The latest video I saw was a mother singing to an Alanis Morisette song, replacing the words with challenges of motherhood (poopy diapers, no time alone, messy house, etc.). At the end of the video, she stood behind her adorable, smiling, happy child and flipped him off. This video reached thousands of people and the comments exploded with laughs and affirmations.

In this crazy world of online expression for views and likes, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trend without taking some time to sit back and think about the impact it has on your mind and soul. Especially when you feel like you can relate. The culture is changing more and more because of this type of mindset. Babies and kids in the world are seen as a liability, even to the point where it justifies and even celebrates the murder of them simply because they are seen as an inconvenience. I know it seems like a wide gap between making a funny video and abortion, but this is a toxic way of thinking and there is a slippery slope between them.

It’s not just mothers. The trend for young people seems to be moving more toward the decision to not have kids. Many young people like the idea of not having the responsibility of raising another human. Instead they choose to spend their time doing what they want to do. Similarly, their mindset is that having kids is a liability… something that takes away from the quality of their life. I do recognize that not all people are intended to raise children. I’m talking specifically about the trendiness and popularity and glorification of being kid free.

I’m not denying that motherhood is hard or that I crave a glass of wine at the end of a long day. As mothers, we give up a lot of ourselves to care for other human beings that are rarely helpful or grateful. Most kids are messy and loud and whiny and needy. But this trend is very toxic. Motherhood is a blessing, not a curse. Behold, the children are a gift from the Lord, a reward. As a follower of Jesus, I will choose to rejoice over every messy moment. I will choose joy even when it is not easy. I will gladly take on the gift of raising another generation to be good leaders that are loving and kind and generous. Becoming a parent has opened up so many things to me. Spending 11 years without a moment of quiet time in the bathroom changes a person. My bank account, home decor, hair color, laundry pile, refrigerator and back yard all look completely different than they would without kids. I have learned to be more patient, caring, giving and less selfish. My heart is full of love for two beautiful little humans. I get to watch them learn and explore and experience life. I get to help lead them and mold them. They are my biggest responsibility but also my biggest reward. I could not imagine life without my children.

There is a difference between a mom sharing her honest struggles as a parent with those closest to her versus blasting it out on social media for likes and laughs on the expense of her child that has no idea he or she is even doing anything wrong. This may seem innocent. But the devil is great at using seemingly unimportant small things to turn our minds away from the good things God wants for our lives.

My loving advice to you. We know as Christians that most of our lives are lived swimming up stream. When and if you have children, I ask you to join me and be intentional about lifting our children up instead of taring them down. Our kids have enough going against them already as they battle the things of this world. We are their parents, their protectors. That is our mission. You cannot shoot a broken arrow. Please reject the toxic trend of victim mommy mentality. Choose to instead, celebrate the beautiful messiness of motherhood. Surround yourself with other moms that can help you when you struggle and in turn lift them up with they feel like they are drowning. This is our most important assignment. The world needs confident kids that feel supported by their parents, not more viral feel bad for mommy videos.

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. - Psalm 127:3

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. - Psalm 127:4

Live to inspire others. My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Time to Trim Your Bushes

“Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ”

— Ephesians 5:15-16

My Dearest MacKynzie,

Every spring I stand in the front yard and glare at our home. An entire year has gone by and you can see it by the shape of the shrubs. They remind me of when my beautiful little girl wakes up in the morning after a good night’s sleep, with curly cues and wild hairs sprouting out of what once was a beautifully groomed base. Instead of grabbing the hedge trimmers and chopping away without a plan, I take the extra time and look at the big picture and how it all ties in together. Sometimes I start with a little trim, take a look and then realize that it needs more pruning. It always amazes me how, when taken care of properly, a plant that looks dead during winter can sprout back and look more beautiful than the year before.

Each year we go through a similar process sometime between new year and spring. We stand back and take a look at our life and all of the pieces come together to create a landscape. There are always some bushes that we’ve let grow out of control. Typically it is in the form of overeating, working too much, fear, anxiety, laziness or an overabundance of screen time. These little branches that were once manageable take over the front yard and hide the beautiful flowers that will soon be in bloom. If we don’t take that time to be intentional and put the work into trimming the bushes, we miss the beauty that lays behind the layers. The days are evil and if we live unwise, weeds will consume us.

So, how do we use spring time to brighten up the landscape of our lives?

1) Make a choice to take off the cruise control. Sure, it’s easier to continue on the path you are headed. Gliding through the routines you’ve put into place, the obligations you’ve committed to seeing through, even spending time on the yeses that should have been nos. The first step is to make a commitment to yourself that you will no longer be on autopilot. Yes, I will make time to clean up the yard.

2) Take a look at the entire picture, then start off with the areas that are the easiest. When I’m cleaning up my yard in the spring, I start with the leaves. It takes very little thought to clean up leaves. When the job is complete, I am motivated to continue because I see progress and transformation start to take place. I'm sure when you are looking at the big picture, there are some areas that you can clean up in your life that are simple, easy and don’t take much effort. Start there.

3) Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once. Trim a little then stand back and take another look. Sometimes when you trim a branch, you see a flower that you never knew was there. Take some time to admire the flower and enjoy the process and the progress. A lot of time when I stand back and look at a project like cleaning my house, I immediately get overwhelmed because every room is a mess and there is so much to do. If I instead focus on one room or task at a time, it makes completing the entire project much more manageable. What one area of your life can I start with?

4) Use the right tools. If you tried to cut each branch with a butterknife, it would probably take weeks to prune a single bush. The beauty of life as a Christian is that we don’t have to use a butterknife and do it all with our own effort. When we are working in alignment with God’s plan, that butterknife turns into a powerful electric hedge trimmer. All we have to do is guide it along the bush and it does all of the hard work. Trying to do it all by yourself is like shoveling with a fork . Take some time to pray for God’s wisdom, strength, peace and courage as you work through some things that are challenging and may not even seem impossible.

5) Have a plan. If you go into this job without a plan, several things could happen. First, you could start off in a sprint and burn out before you even complete the first task. Second, you could find yourself cleaning up the neighbors yard instead of your own. Third, you get discouraged because you have no way to measure progress. The process of cleaning up the landscape in your life could take 2 weeks or it could take 20 years. Honestly, when you think your finished, it’s probably time to start all over. But, the more you practice living off autopilot, the easier it will get. Start with a plan on what steps you will take that will make you closer and closer to loving your yard again?

6) Find accountability through someone willing to speak truth in love. Cleaning up the yard is more fun with two people, even if one is just sitting in a chair sipping on a lemonade. You don’t have to go on this journey alone. You might be surprised at how supportive the people around you are when you are willing to open up about your plans. This person can help encourage you when you feel like quitting and give you an outside perspective. Just make sure this person has a solid foundation because if they are struggling with some of the same things you are, you may pull each other down instead of lifting each other up.

Live to inspire others. My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Obey God Before Men

“Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law]; so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them. The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter]. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their tassels long. They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation], and to be greeted [with respect] in the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi. But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers. Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ. But the greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.”

Matthew 23:1-12 AMP

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

We are living in a world full of leaders that live lives similar to how Matthew describes  the scribes and the Pharisees of his time. World leaders down to a local level, people in power are making decisions that have a huge impact on the people they are called to lead. They claim these rules they impose are necessary and good, yet they themselves do not lead by example. They claim to follow Jesus with their words, but do not follow him with their actions. They sit on a throne and care more about their social media popularity and filling their pockets with earthly possessions than genuinely serving in the best interests of their people. We see in the Bible that the devil has used the same tricks for thousands of years. 

‘Do not call anyone on this earth Rabbi (Teacher) or Father. The one that is your teacher and Father is not on this earth.’ God is our Father and we are to obey him above all men, even the men in leadership. 

Many Christians cower behind Romans 13 (which by the way is mostly referring to paying taxes, not about blindly following tyrannical authority). It says ‘Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God [granted by His permission and sanction], and those which exist have been put in place by God. Therefore whoever resists [governmental] authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who have resisted it will bring judgment (civil penalty) on themselves.’ - Romans 13:1-2 AMP

We can’t follow Romans 13 without putting it into context and also considering this. Paul set an example that we must submit to those in authority in all matters that are NOT IN CONTRADICTION with the will of God. Do not use Romans 13 as an excuse to be complacent because it is easier. God calls us as Christians to do hard things. Standing up against tyranny and other matters that do not align with God’s word (even if it goes against the authority he has put into place) is what God calls us to do. Matthew says we will be hated for following Jesus because this will not be popular.

My loving advice to you. We can’t go into battle against ungodly practices and fight with the same weapons as the enemy. This means we hold ourselves to a completely different standard. We must study and know how to go into battle with the armor of God as mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-18. 

1 Peter 2:9-12 says “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges [those dishonorable desires] that wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy].”

Fight against the urge to become a keyboard warrior. Honor God with your behavior but don’t be scared to ‘raise a respectful ruckus’ like Allie Beth Stuckey says often. Like the verse says, practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do, though it is very tempting. Fight this battle with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, spirit and prayer. Whatever you do, don’t sit back and become complacent. You are called for so much more! 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Built-In Navigation for Your Life

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“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

— James 1:2-8

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

We recently went on a road trip around Tennessee. All throughout the trip, navigation was the key to getting us from point A to point B . Even if we knew our destination, we would never have made it without the subtle voice in the background guiding us turn by turn. No matter how lost we got, all we had to do was open up the navigation and within seconds, we were no longer lost. We never doubted its accuracy. We relied on the fact that turn by turn, we would eventually get where we wanted to go.

This is a great description of how God wants to help us navigate through life. He puts aspirations in our head, desired destinations for all aspects of our existence… family, career, friendships, serving, financial, etc. Then he will quietly whisper to us how to get there, turn by turn. If we are not hearing God’s voice, his availability is not the problem. The problem is that we try to get there on our own or we have the radio so loud that we can’t hear.

My loving advice to you. Even though we can’t see the entire map and how all of the turns lead us to where we want to be, we must trust that if we listen to his voice, we will eventually get there. We came across many unexpected obstacles while we were traveling. That quiet voice helped us navigate through traffic, detours and accidents ahead. We did not know at the beginning of our trip what we would encounter but we knew that we would eventually run into something that would slow us down. James says ‘Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness’. When (not if) you run into road blocks or construction, the voice is always there to guide you through. It doesn’t help the situation to sit there and cuss or throw a temper tantrum. Enjoy the ride and have joy the entire trip, even through the inconveniences.

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Life is NOT Fair!

My Dearest MacKynzie,

As I read through the Bible I realize that it contains so much timeless wisdom, specifically in the parables. I think it’s amazing that stories from so long ago can still apply to our life today and I can’t help but think that maybe they were written specifically for us. As we get consumed with issues from our world, God will speak to us through the words and stories in the Bible. We have heard the parable of the talents many times but I think now more than ever, we can rely on it to lead us through. Here is a reminder of the story:

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The ending sounds a little harsh, especially when we look at today’s culture. What is popular in the world is often a contradiction of the lessons we learn while reading the Bible. As you read back on this letter, you will have memories of 2020 and 2021. There has been more anger, fear and confusion in the last year than I’ve seen in my whole lifetime. I think if we are not intentional during times like these, it is easy to get lost in the world’s perspective and lose the wisdom taught to us through Jesus. Our eyes have been opened to so many things but are we seeking God to give us the solutions instead of the world?

Among the many hot topics trending on social media, systemic racism and social injustice is often at the top. We have our own thoughts and opinions about the topic, but what does God say?

As I reflect on this question and dig deeper into the parable of the talents, I realize a couple of things. The first is that the story does not say that the talents were given to the servants to keep, only to manage. Secondly, the master cared deeply about their stewardship. Thirdly, he did not give the servants equal amounts. ‘To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.’

Our current Vice President posted a video that illustrated how we all start off in different places. According to the video, it is our job as a society to make sure that everyone starts at the same place (with equal amounts of talents) so that we can end up at the top together. At the surface, it sounds great but I can’t help but believe that is the world’s perspective, not God’s.

I think back on a visitor we had for several months. This 18 year old kid was funny, smart and had so much potential. We invited him to live with us to get him out of a bad situation in Nashville. During this time, he went through several jobs and did very little to pull his weight around the house. Every time he quit a job, it was always someone else’s fault. All of his life people had been telling him that he was oppressed and needed assistance to get through. Even though I saw much potential in him and knew he could change the world, he was set on his perception that he was a victim because he was only given one talent so he took it and buried it in the dirt. I think back on that situation and I am sad that I could not help him realize that he has one talent to do great things with.

Instead of giving people the same amount of talents (money, things, skills, abilities, experiences, etc), shouldn’t we be encouraging people to take the talents they’ve been given and empower them to appreciate what they’ve been given and help them steward it well? I believe this is one reason that most people end up broke shortly after they win the lottery. Their mind is set on worldly ways of stewardship, not God’s ways. We are taking talents from the good and faithful servants and giving them to the wicked and slothful servant… that’s backwards. If we stop enabling and start empowering, I believe that is where real change will happen. Making sure that everyone starts off with the same amount of talents so we can all end up at the same place is not realistic and it is not God’s plan for us.

My loving advice to you. Instead of looking for handouts, more things or more money, thank God every day for what you’re been given and make the best of it. Life is NOT fair. Paul was in prison with nothing after being beaten and his reaction was to praise God, ‘rejoice in the Lord always’ (Philippians 4:4). What an amazing example of how we can live our lives. Don’t ever play a victim no matter what your situation or the cards you’ve been dealt. Instead take the talent(s) you’ve been given and steward them well. Love people unconditionally but do not enable. It sounds easy when life is rainbows and butterflies but can you do it when you are facing real challenges like Paul?

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Simplify Life

1. Love Jesus
2. Love all people
3. Love yourself

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

— Romans 8:5-6

When you read the title, you were probably thinking this was going to give you a couple of tricks to clean out your house or reduce debt or unclutter your garage, in a round about way this letter will help with all of that. Sit back and put your big girl pants on because this is so much bigger than organizing your junk drawer . If you work to implement these three things into your life everyday, you will be transformed. There is so much information out there.. more than ever in history, yet so many of us are dying inside.. slowly every day. We are busy and overwhelmed with life. Our closets are filled with clothes we never wear. Our schedules are filled with things we do out of obligation and not passion. Our garages and our minds are overflowing with junk. Focusing on these three things can help us get back to what God wants for our lives. It will set our minds on things of the spirit and less on the things of the flesh.

1. Love Jesus
Even if you are not a follower of Jesus, don't believe he even exists or have no idea what that even means, this is for you. There are many passages in the bible that give us good direction on how to behave. Whether we believe in him or not, following them will bring us joy and fulfillment. Starting with something as simple as reading through Proverbs will give you a big start on how to simplify life. Jesus was a kind person who treated everyone with love and compassion. If you learn more about Jesus and how he lived, you will start to look more like him in every aspect of your life. When (not if) you are feeling lost, anxious, angry or overwhelmed, I encourage you to look to Jesus. The more you study him and get to know him, the more you will see a refection of his love that fills your heart, your mind and your actions.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

— Matthew 22:37

2. Love all people
Black, white, yellow, purple, gay, straight, tall, short, republican, democrat, city, country, rich, poor, angry, happy, grumpy or bashful. It is not our place to judge anyone for anything. We must love others, even when it is difficult. Several of my letters dig much deeper into this because, for me, this is one of the hardest things to live out every day. I want to snap back and argue when someone doesn’t agree with me, because I am always right of course lol. If people don’t see things my way, I judge them and kick them out of my life. I look down upon their faults and sins and weaknesses. We must intentionally fight against the judgement, blame and accusations that arise in our mind because God calls us to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’… that’s it… period. It doesn’t say to only love those like you or those that you enjoy being around or those that are nice to you or those that agree with you. We are all sinners, not one of us is perfect. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ is mentioned several times throughout the Bible (Leviticus, Matthew, Mark, Luke, Romans, Galatians, James) because God cares about this.

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”

— Leviticus 19:18

“Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ”

— Matthew 19:19

“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””

— Mark 12:31

“And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” ”

— Luke 10:27

“For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

— Romans 13:9

“or the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ”

— Galatians 5:14

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.”

— James 2:8

3. Love yourself

Often times the way you treat others is a reflection of how you feel about yourself. If you are a joyful and confident person then you will most likely bring joy and confidence to others. If you are bitter and depressed then you will bring drama and depression to others. Technically this should be number 2 because I believe that in order to love others well, you must first love Jesus and then yourself. I believe the best way to love yourself is to affirm God’s love for you. He loves each and every one of us so deeply. He is a father to a precious little daughter. Even when we make mistakes and can’t even look at ourselves in the mirror, he is there to look deep into our eyes and welcome us back into his arms. You are never too dirty, too full of sin, too broken for God. He wants a relationship with us. He wants us to call on him in times of trouble. He wants us to look into the mirror and see the beautiful creation that he has made. He wants to use us to do great things in the world. He wants us to see the beautiful, unique masterpiece that is inside us. If loving yourself is hard, I encourage you to spend some time in a quiet space, reading what God says about you and asking him to pour joy into your life. I believe another way to love ourselves is to be grateful for who we are and what we have, put down our phone and stop comparing. Instead of coveting our neighbors cars and houses and families and good looks, take some time to write down things that God has blessed us with. Every day we should wake up and thank God for the good things he’s given us. That one task alone will bring transformation to your mind.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. ”

— Psalm 139:13-18

My loving advice to you. Nothing else really matters in the is world. When you focus on these three things, everything else will fall into place. To simplify your life, make loving Jesus, loving others and loving yourself your top priority every day. Spend time to get to know Jesus, his character and his love for us. Be intentional about loving others, even when it is difficult. Stop arguing and judging and trying to win. Love people where they are, in their mess, simply because that’s what God does for you. Be grateful for the things you have and the masterpiece that God created in you. Do not throw that masterpiece in the trash, put it into the world for people to see.

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Put Yourself in Your Shoes

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“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”

— Proverbs‬ ‭19:11

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My Dearest MacKynzie-

No matter what I try, laundry seems to be a never ending chore in our household. As you and your brother have gotten older, you’ve taken some of the responsibility but somehow I still end up spending hours and hours each week gathering and spraying and washing and folding. One thing that drives me absolutely crazy is when layers of clothes are taken off together so they have to be peeled apart before they go into the washer. Half of them are turned inside out in the process and have to be flipped back right. The dad of the household (not saying any names because I’m not one to snitch) is the one that leaves the most of these layered laundry gifts. He works outside a lot in the winter and wears 4 or 5 long sleeve shirts at a time and takes them all of together at once and throws the into the basket. Often times I stand in front of the washer grunting and pouting about having to spend an extra 5 minutes in the cold garage pulling the shirts apart. The dialogue that goes on in my head is exactly this: ‘I’ve asked him 100 times to take his shirts off one by one, how disrespectful of him to not think of me. I work and I slave and he doesn’t appreciate anything that I do for him.’ In other words, my first reaction is to take it as a personal attack on me. He works long days in the freezing cold to provide for our family and all he is thinking about when he gets home is getting comfortable. I take it personal and complain about standing in a cold garage for 5 minutes. We do this a lot don’t we? Someone snaps at us because they have had a really long day or they are going through a tough time and our immediate reaction is to fluff all up and get offended. God calls us to be better than that. He challenges us not to respond in anger, but instead respond in love. 

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many”

— Hebrews 12:15

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

— ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-7

Most of the time when someone gets angry at us or does something that we think is disrespectful, it is not a personal attack on us. It is a reaction to something that they are personally going through or a perspective that they hold that is different than ours. It’s our narcissistic human reaction to put our ourselves in the middle of the narrative, making the story about us. This does not help or solve anything and it is not how God is calling us to respond. 

My loving advice to you. Put yourself in your shoes. What I mean by that is to decide ahead of time that you are not going to be a person that reacts in anger. You will make a choice to not get offended. You are instead going to be a person walking in love and grace and compassion for those around you no matter what comes at you. Nice people are easy to love but what about the depressed, angry people that need our love the most?

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Busy is a Bad Word

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“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.”

— Proverbs 23:4

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

We all do it. We plop into bed at the end of a busy day, mentally and physically exhausted. All of the unfinished tasks on our to do list fill our brain. 

So much to do and so little time. Team mom needed for baseball, sign me up. Volunteer needed at the kids school, got it. Extra serve time at church, check! After all if I don’t do it, who will? Errands and lunches and driving and bills and cleaning and hosting and feeding and driving and helping and laundry…then cleaning again. It makes my head spin just thinking about it.

A couple of nights ago I opened my bible to my favorite book, Proverbs. I love that it tells us exactly what to do. The Kacie version of Proverbs 23:4 says do not wear yourself out trying to get rich. Money can disappear in an instant and then all you have is exhaustion. It got me thinking about the way we live our lives. I fell into the trap, complied with what I thought was the social norm, filling my schedule and saying yes to almost everything. After all, staying busy means that I am am getting stuff done and going somewhere in life right?

Somehow our culture has turned busy into a symbol of importance and success. In the meantime, we are missing out on the wonderful things in life... the things that really matter. And for what? Money? To impress others? To make others happy? To feel important and accomplished? 

We are so busy, but what are we actually accomplishing? When was the last time you noticed a beautiful sunset, sat in silence or read a book out of pleasure and not obligation? 

A couple of months ago, I decided to no longer use the word busy in my vocabulary. It’s weird because I’ve noticed that people automatically throw it at me... ‘how have you been, busy?’ Why has it come to this? When did this become an acceptable, and almost expected, way of life? Busy is not peaceful or productive and it is not how God wants us to live our lives. 

So if busy is not the answer than what should we strive for? The opposite of busy in the thesaurus is lazy and idle.. that doesn’t seem Godly either. How about this: peaceful, calm, collected, restful, still. It’s priceless to see the look on someone’s face when they ask you how you’ve been and you say ‘still’. 

My favorite new word is ‘simple’. The past couple of months have been transformational by just incorporating that word into everything I do. Meals = simple, Home decor = simple, wardrobe = simple. It’s amazing how uncluttered my brain has become after uncluttering my schedule and my space. Sometimes I catch myself going back into that old cycle and have to take a breath and set some priorities. Saying yes to everything will no longer be a pattern in my life.

Let’s work together and support each other in this area of our lives. Let’s encourage each other to fill our days with more intentional, simple things that bring us peace. From now on don’t use busy as a fill word to push by the conversation. Busy is a bad word.

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

A House Divided Cannot Stand

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“‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”

— Mathew 12:25

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

We are going through a crazy time right now. When I flip through the Bible, I see many stories about the devil using people and groups of people to do evil things. In all of these stories, through faith and obedience of Christians, God does miracles. He used regular people that are broken, no different than us, to change the world. Looking at Hebrews 11, the Bible gives us several examples; Noah, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David and more. David did some pretty awful things in his lifetime yet God still used him. When evil shows its ugly head in this world, will you burry your head in the sand or take a leap of faith and do what God is calling you to do as a follower of Jesus? God’s word also says that if we stand together, we can not fall. There are many parts to this complex, but simple, calling. Let’s get into it.

Will it cost you? Most likely, yes. Noah was laughed at and mocked while he was building his arc for the flood. God spoke to Moses and asked him to leave the comfort of his house to endure pretty crazy things. As a Christian in the world, you will also be laughed at, called names, mocked and endure some pretty crazy things. God promises us that we will be rewarded for being obedient. Standing up for your faith will also make you a stringer, more confident and a leader that will inspire others.

Will it be tough? Most likely, yes. In the honeymoon stage of becoming a new believer, it is easy to fall into the misconception that following Jesus makes your life easy. In reality, it is quite the opposite. Christians go through trials and tribulations just like the rest of the world. Often it is even harder because we are swimming upstream, against the progressive ways of the world. Following Jesus also reveals how broken our world is. As someone that is called to love people, it is tough to watch others fall but standing together does not mean that we should give up our faith and follow what’s trending. We must be firm in our belief so that we can stand up together.

My loving advice to you. It is built into us as humans to want to please others and fit in. Do not let the fear of being made fun of, shunned or mocked get in the way of standing for what is true. Do not apologize if you’ve done nothing wrong. Take time everyday to ask God for guidance and clear direction in your life. Be kind but bold. Listen to the words God speaks to your heart and do not be afraid to act on them. We must all stand together with confidence for the truth of God’s word, that is our foundation. We must wake up everyday as a unified army and put on the full armor of God as it says in Ephesians 6:10-18. Jesus says ‘He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.’

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Living in an Angry World

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“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. ”

— Proverbs 29:11

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

2020 was supposed to be a great year for us. Along with most of the country, we went into it dreaming about the lavish lifestyle the year would bring. Living the American dream, I transitioned from a full time job to spending my days running a local business. This was a big step for our family.

Here we are, eight months into the year and month by month, the dream has been taken over by dark clouds. Everywhere we turn there is anger and fear. Riots and intense debates about masks flood our social media and dominate our conversations. Family and friends are turning on each other in anger and frustration.

There are a lot of people in our country that are acting like fools and it saddens me. Businesses and individuals are being slandered and bullied. My partner and I were called racist from a post that was taken way out of context. Angry messages filled our inbox with some of the most hateful words I have ever heard. People were quick to jump on a narrative and lash out before they knew the facts. The worst part was that they didn't even care about the facts. Their only desire was to to push their own agenda no matter what it takes or who they hurt, and to do it out of anger….this is foolish!

I felt an array of emotions during this time. Fear because I was scared my business would go under. Anger because none of this was fair. Sad to discover first hand how nasty people can actually be to one another and feel justified.

My first reaction was to lash out in defense. With every mean comment my face got hotter and my heart beat faster. It is easy to let this emotion spin out of control. Instead of reacting immediately, I looked for wise counsel. Usually in life what is good for you is the hardest choice. Sitting on your booty and watching Netflix is much easier than exercise, pizza for dinner every night would be a lot better than chicken and vegetables, the list goes on. Reacting out of anger is easy, reacting out of a place of calm and composed is hard but I guarantee you it is much more effective.

First, I want to remind you that anger is not a sin, it is an emotion that God gave us. It is a powerful tool that helps motivate us to bring about monumental change. God’s goal is not our comfort, it is to build our character. It is how we respond in our anger that shows our true character.

The Bible mentions anger several times and gives us wisdom on how to handle our anger.

“In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, bot only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ”

— Ephesians 4:26-31

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ”

— James 1:19-20

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”

— Ecclesiastes 7:9

I believe that true change comes when we are intentional about recognizing our anger and redirecting our reaction to it. Just because things don’t happen like you plan, does’t give you permission to act like an idiot. Do not give the devil a foothold. Reacting in anger and rage does not produce the righteousness that God desires. It may make you feel better in the moment, but it will not produce the results you desire either.

My loving advice to you. Do not react to anger with anger. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. Remember that fools give vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. Instead take a breath, recognize your anger, compose yourself and be calm. There have been many people in history that have created change by reacting to their anger with composure. One of the greatest examples is Martin Luther King Jr and his followers. They were angry about the way blacks were treated so they calmly and peacefully protested, dressed in their Sunday best. That is to be admired and respected. The people trying to create change in our world today have it all backwards. They will not get the results that they desire because they are acting foolish.

This advice goes way beyond what we are facing in the world today and can be applied to almost any situation in your life where anger arises. Do not let it reside and consume you. It is in the quiet that we can hear Gods voice, not in the noise and chaos. Be intentional about how you respond when you are angry and remember to always love and forgive one another no matter what because that is the example that Jesus set for us.

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Dare to Compare

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“But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.”

— Galatians 6:4

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

In some past letters I've mentioned that I swim for exercise. Swimming is extremely boring but there are many life lessons that come to surface while swimming countless laps in the quiet of my own mind. 

 I haven’t been swimming for long but I try and go a couple of times a week. The other day I was feeling particularly good, like it was time to try out for the olympics.  I decided to test my speed against someone swimming next to me. I didn’t want to make it obvious that we were racing so I got into a slow smooth rhythm and was going to kick it into gear when she caught up. We made a turn at the wall and there she was... game on! I kicked and paddled as fast as I could. I felt like a gazelle in the water, quickly gliding through the glassy lane. breathe kick kick. I was so busy focusing on my movements that I lost sight of the girl next to me. When I got to the wall I stood up and looked around, expecting the girl to be way behind eating my H2O.  I about jumped out of my skin when I noticed she had already turned at the wall and was a third of the way to the other side!! My heart sunk and my hopes for the olympics quickly faded. My mind automatically went to failure. Why am I even doing this? The picture in my head went from gazelle to cat.  Have you ever seen a cat try to swim? The lifeguards are probably laughing at me in their break room. 

As I stood there wallowing in my failure to win a pretend race, I realized that the feeling is familiar. The feeling that no matter how hard I work, there is always someone on Facebook doing it better.... someone in our church with a family that is happier.. or that one friend that seems to have everything fall into place so effortlessly. 

I stood there, quiet in thought. As I was about to jump out of the pool, I saw my secret nemesis came back around toward me and I suddenly realized.. she was swimming with flippers! No wonder why she smoked me! She had a major advantage in the race that was hidden in the chaos of the water behind her. 

My loving advice to you. You see, this is what happens when you compare your life to those around you. From the surface it may look like you are running a similar race but if you look deeper, we are all working with different tools that God has given us. Some of us have been given flippers to help us work on our technique while others are given those things you put in-between your knees to build your arms. The only fair comparison in life is using the tools that God has given you to work on being the best version of yourself. The way we compare ourselves to each other is like asking a swimmer to race a runner. The swimmer could be the fastest swimmer in the world but they will lose every time.  Don't put this pressure on yourself to be like anyone else. God created you with unique skills and abilities. He has given you different tools and experiences to mold you into something special. Wake up every morning and come dressed for life. Then kick and paddle as fast as you can with your eyes in your own lane, doing the best you can. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of this letter is to inspire my daughter MacKynzie to live a prosperous, God loving, joyful, legacy building life. Who knows, it may help you too. Please ‘like’ if you found this letter useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

The Journey

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“The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.”

— Ecclesiastes 5:12

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My Dearest MacKynzie,
When your brother was little, I remember telling myself 'it is going to be so much better when he is out of diapers'. I imagined life without diapers as a wonderful world filled with poopless fingernails, extra money and more time to play. What was I thinking? The reality of having a boy is that I spend way more time cleaning sheets and wiping pee off the toilet...and the wall....and the floor. Those of you that are moms with boys know what I'm talking about. One morning I looked out of my bedroom window. Colt was there with his britches to his knees, making golden rainbows in the yard while all of the moms and kids were walking to the bus stop in our new neighborhood. I just waived awkwardly out the window 'hi, we are the Bryants.. nice to meet you'. Welcome to potty trained life with a boy! 

'We've all heard the saying 'Life is a journey, not a destination'. I love this because sometimes we get so wrapped up in the future that we forget to enjoy the present. We tell ourselves 'I'll be happy when ___' or  'If only I had ___'.  When we finally get what we thought would be so awesome life is amazing for a short time. It doesn't take long and the excitement wears off. We are off to wanting the next thing that will make us happy. The worst part is that I skipped right through the whole experience of diapers because my mind was dreaming about clean fingernails. I missed giggles and smiles and sitting still for more than 10 seconds. On to the next journey. This happens in so many areas of our lives.

Here are some other common examples.
With our health: 'I heard of this new diet where you eat nothing but butter for 10 days and lose 50 pounds' (just a joke, please don't try that). 'If I lose 50 pounds in 10 days, then I will be happy.'

With our job: 'If I only made $200 more a month then we could buy that one thing I've always wanted and then I will be happy'.

With a new phone: 'My phone is dumb and doesn't have face recognition which is a must have because it will save me half a second every time I open my phone... that adds up. When I have a new cell phone, then I will be happy'. Of corse right after you purchase it, they launch a new version that cleans your house, does laundry and babysits your kids.

Here is the killer one. It's so toxic, I'm going to write a whole letter about this one. We all do it. Compare. 'If I only had a family like hers.. or a house like hers.. or a car like hers.. or hair like hers.. or a butt like hers... or clothes like hers, THEN I'll be happy. 

Guess what. You have amazing things in your life NOW that you once thought would make you happy... so enjoy them and be happy! Stop letting your life get away from you and enjoy every sloppy, fun, angry, broken, funny moment...NOW. 

Ecclesiastes 5:12 talks about sleeping well whether he eats little or much.. rich or poor... with or without. It is not what or how much you have that helps you sleep. It's your attitude about what you have. Having more actually adds more stress, even though we see it from the outside as what makes us happier. More things, money, weight loss, phone features will not help you sleep better at night (The abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep).

My loving advice to you. I have a new saying that I like much better. Think about this; 'Life is a journey filled with destinations.' Hopefully you will always be striving for something, in several different areas of your life. It is good to set goals and work on improving, but life is not about one journey with one destination and BAM we are happy. I think in order to help us to remember to enjoy the journey, we have to think of it as a road trip around the country instead of a straight flight to Laguna Beach. The beach is beautiful and the sand will feel great under our feet but if we are not intentional about the trip, we will never see beautiful things along the way like the Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, and redwood trees. Even the simplicity of a sing-along in the car can create memories that will last a lifetime. Don't rush through life my little lady and appreciate the moments that are available to you right this very second. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Just Keep Swimming

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“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart”

— Galatians 6:9

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Thank you Faith Doggett Photography for the great pic!

My Dearest MacKynzie,
It's the beginning of summer break and getting into a routine is like trying to count money in a wind storm. We create neat little piles of 10 and a gush of wind swooshes it off the table into little tornados of dollars. Our neatly arranged days get blown into a jumble of mess all over the week.

Swimming is my newest favorite exercise (if there is such a thing). The first 5 trips around the pool I thought I was going to drown, but it got easier each time and I've stuck with it for about 5 months now. Before break started, I promised myself that I would continue to swim my 20 laps during the whole summer, no matter what it takes. 

In a pledge to keep my promise, we all got up and ready to head to the Y. I put you and your brother in the kids room and headed off to the pool when it hit me that I did not have breakfast. Excuse number 1 came to my head as I thought ' I couldn't possibly do 20 laps without breakfast, I might vanish into a swimming rasin. As I finished lap 6 I was thinking about how miserable you must be sitting in the kids room. Maybe I should just quit now and go rescue you from the torturous dungeon filled with crafts and toys, excuse number 2. Every lap a new reason to quit popped into my head. For some reason, I just keep saying to myself the famous quote by Dori 'just keep swimming'. 

As I headed to the wall after lap 20 I looked at my watch and saw that I beat my best time ever by 20 seconds. That might seem like a small accomplishment not even worth writing about but as I sat there and looked at my watch all I could think about was how far I've come since my first swim. The bible verse that I read earlier that morning played over and over in my head 'And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart'. I thought about all of the times I started something and never finished. This swim was no different than any other day but all of them came together in this moment as I celebrated that I did not lose heart and stuck with it even though there were a million times I wanted to quit. 

My loving advice to you. Anything worth having or doing takes time and persistence. Though you may not see the fruit of your labor for days, weeks, months or even years.. eventually you will sit back in awe of what you've accomplished. If you are doing good things and stay persistent, God will make sure that you reap a reward for your hard work. In my gym owning days, I saw this happen a hundred times. The turtles won the race, not the rabbits. Dream up your wildest goals and start doing small things every day that will help you reach them. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Live Life Like Loo

“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

— Proverbs 4:23

My Dearest MacKynzie,

Our family dog is a beautiful chocolate lab. She only knows one speed... crazy. Several times a day we let her in the house and she bounces around with a big smile on her face, shaking her whole booty in happiness, leaving destruction in her path.

We got poor little ‘LaLaLoopsy' at an animal shelter. Someone tied her to a tree and left her. When we first looked into her big brown eyes behind those bars she was so skinny and stinky... but smiling. It’s amazing to me that she kept such a great spirit in a dreaded and miserable environment. That smile had us at first sight so we brought stinky Loo home and cleaned her up. Until we got Loo, I never noticed unconditional happiness.

There are so many things that make Loo happy. She loves food and will eat anything. We even caught her pulling a cucumber off the vine in our garden and her smiley face gobbled up the whole thing within seconds. A hose is like Disney Land to our Loo. Even when we are mad at her, she looks at us like she is so happy that someone notices her. 

Spending time with Loo makes me wonder. How can something be so happy? Is it possible for me to be like Loo. (Haha while writing that line I envisioned myself in the front yard jumping with joy while bitting at the hose.) For real though, is it possible to be a person-like version of Loo and fill my life with unconditional happiness?

I believe that happiness is a choice. I believe that at any given moment, no matter where we are or what we are doing, we can choose to be happy. Though it seems to come natural to Loo, I think that with a little practice we can welcome unconditional happiness into our lives as well. I’m not saying that it is going to be easy to smile when you spill coffee all over your clean shirt as you rush out of the door fifteen minutes late to a meeting. It might be tough to laugh when the bag of roaches you got for your family pet lizard busts open in the car while you are driving down the interstate (yes, this really happened). Think for a moment. What is the difference between getting mad or getting happy? What does getting mad actually accomplish? 'Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.' If your heart is grumpy and negative than your life will be grumpy and negative. 

My loving advice to you. Take some advice from Loo. Next time something in your life takes a left turn when you were expecting a right, choose to be unconditionally happy about it. Ask yourself
1) Is this really a big deal and something to be mad about?
2) What good can come from this horrible situation? (Dig deep, there is ALWAYS something good). 
3) How can I make the best out of this? 
The most amazing thing about choosing to be happy instead of sad or mad is the ripple effect it has on others. A simple change of attitude can make a huge difference with everyone you come in contact with. 

My definition of unconditional happiness: Happiness that is not limited by conditions, circumstances or events. The choice to trust in God and find a positive perspective in every situation. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Life Lives in Chapters

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“Now the lord said to Abram: Get out of your country, From your family and from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.”

— Genesis 12:1 

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

The longer I live, the more I can see that life is broken up into several little stories.
Chapter 6 - High School (Worries about fitting in, boys and acting big). 
Chapter 7 - College (Halos, books and dreams. HA! Those stories will go in a different journal).

Years as a single adult are obviously much different than married years, or at least they should be.  I think the chapter I am in right now is titled 'Drowning in Laundry' or maybe that is just a reoccurring theme throughout the rest of my book. There once was a chapter when I could sleep in till 9am without waking up to two little smiling tornados that left a path of destruction in every room. But, there will come a day when I miss the morning snuggles and giggles. 

In Genesis, God spoke to Abram and told him to leave his home.. everything he knows.. to go live in an entirely new country. Could you imagine? This is the extreme of starting a new chapter in his life.  

Each chapter in your life will have a mini story line with its own set of priorities. The more I talk to others, the more I recognize the chapters of their lives unfold. My friend Evie lived in other countries, had the opportunity to photograph Sting and Beyonce, worked with costume jewelry and is now opening her own business... so many different worlds in one life. 

I think sometimes we get so caught up in the current chapter that we have a hard time remembering there are many more chapters left to read. We must be intentional about making the best out of every paragraph. Hard times will come and go. There are some parts of the book that we will love and some that will make us cry... but it will slowly change as you turn the pages. The bible says that God uses the tough chapters in our lives to create ones that are great. So If you are in a tough chapter, keep reading. 

In this chapter, I am the most unhealthy I've ever been. It is hard not to constantly focus on feeling like a blob. The truth is, that at this moment, I would rather spend time with you and your brother, volunteer to help others, and grow my business mind than spend hours running or at the gym. I can't do it all and there is nothing wrong with cutting things out. Hopefully the next chapter will be about getting a hot mom bod... but if not that's ok.. that just means there are other amazing things that I am conquering.

We recently watched The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy spends the first part of the movie wishing she was somewhere else, 'somewhere over the rainbow'. Then she spends the rest of the movie trying to find her way back home. Sometimes I catch myself doing the same thing, always wishing to be in a different place in life and not appreciating where I am and what I have. 

My loving advice to you. If you are entering into a new chapter in life, remember that God is with you and will not leave you. When you go through hard times, remember that they will most likely be temporary and the next chapter is just a couple of pages away. Set and embrace the different priorities you have throughout your book. The more you laugh and cry, the more interesting your book will be. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

** As a big advocate for healthy living, I am not saying this to give you an excuse for being unhealthy. I am still very active and eat good food (most of the time) and if you are struggling with health issues due to weight, this should definitely be a priority in your life. 

The Illusion of Perfection

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“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

— Romans 5:8

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My Dearest MacKynzie, 

This is such an important message for every young woman to understand. I believe that there is a huge difference in striving for perfection and striving for excellence. Perfection is an illusion like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. The faster you run towards it, the further it goes. Chasing perfection will only leave you broken hearted, tired and disappointed.

‘There is no circumstance that will satisfy you.’ - Peter Haas
This quote is so true. Every teenage girl stares in the mirror and dreams of the perfect life.. ‘if I only had ___ (straight hair, a smaller waist, that shirt, those parents, that house), my life would be perfect’. My little lady, I’ve got news for you. Straight hair will not make your life perfect. A beautiful house will not make your life perfect. Your attitude and appreciation towards the things you do have is what will create excellence in your life. 

We are human and we are sinners. We are not made to be perfect. It is the way we deal with our sin that builds our character. It is not bad that we are imperfect. In fact, I believe that we should embrace our imperfections and use them to shape our character. It is in our sin and mistakes that we can learn. This is how we are built, how we are meant to grow. From a baby we learn by making mistakes. Even as a parent. I remember looking into your little newborn eyes at the hospital. The nurse looked down at me and said that dreaded sentence ‘it looks like you are ready to go home’. My heart stopped and fear filled my chest. The fear continued when I realized that you didn’t come with a manual, it was all up to me and your daddy. I look around and see moms that seem to have the perfect life. Their house always looks like a picture from a magazine while mine looks like a scene from Twister... after the tornado came through. They glisten with freshly washed hair and perfect makeup. I am lucky to get a shower twice a week, and tweezing my eyebrows before they take over my face is something to celebrate. God made us different. The important thing is that we continue to strive for excellence every day. That we continue to learn and grow from our imperfections. That we do not dwell in them and let them bring us down, but instead use them to lift us up. 

My loving advice to you. You, my beautiful girl, will not be perfect. But you can be your own kind of excellent. You can live an excellent life by simply changing your attitude. Do not compare yourself to others or envy what they have. Embrace every imperfection and thank God every day that he created you unique and special. Learn from your mistakes and use your sinful nature to help grow and develop good character. Every sunset is beautiful because it was different from the last. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Be Wise

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“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.”

— Proverbs 12:15

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My Dearest MacKynzie, 

There is something in us where deep down we always want to do things our own way. Sometimes it is over the silliest things, things that don’t even matter. Where does this come from? Why does the little voice inside of us keep grudging and nagging?  

I love the book of Proverbs. I am the kind of person that wants to know the answer without having to ride the marry-go-round.. give it to me straight, no reading between the lines. Proverbs lays it all out.
‘As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.’ - Lazy people make others miserable.. got it. 
‘When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom’ - humble is good, pride is bad.. check! 
‘As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.’ - Keep my clothes on or I will look like a pig...no problem. 

Proverbs 12:15 says 'The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise’. There have been so many times in my life where I look back and wish I would have heeded counsel before making a decision. I am a little strong headed and like to do things my own way, just like you. There are also times where I look back and thank God for putting the right people in my life at the right time, and giving me the knowledge to listen to them. Without counsel I may not have gone to college, met your daddy or had you. I fell all over myself like a pretzel person trying to build a business my own way, wasting money and fixing messes with more mess. Finally I closed my mouth and started listening to people around me. I realized that there is counsel everywhere in podcasts, books and friends. There are so many people and resources out there for me to learn from. I realized that I didn’t always have to do it my way and alone. People have already scratched and scrambled to the surface and they are willing and eager to share their knowledge with me! From that moment on, I was able to use the knowledge of others to help grow and sell a successful business.

I will blink and you will be a teenager. You will think that I am dumb and you know all of the answers. Some people grow older but still keep the mentality of a teenager, scrambling and scratching to do things their own way and always be right. Proverbs tells us that this is not a wise way to live your life. I hope that you can follow this letter, let down your guard and surround yourself with counsel. 

Keep in mind that all counsel is not created equal. This is where you must use your heart and your brain. When you are doing something amazing, there will always be opposition. There will be people with their own agendas trying to control God’s creation through you. 

My loving advice to you. Be wise. You are a gift to the world and can do amazing things. Keep your mind and heart open for God to use other people to lead you and guide you. Surround yourself with people that will give you wise counsel and pray for God to show you the difference. We are not made to make miracles happen alone. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Love Others Selfishly

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“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

— 1 Corinthians 13:4-6

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My Dearest MacKynzie, 

When you think about loving others, I am sure you think about close family and friends. But what about the person at work that is constantly negative, or the person that took advantage of you? How can you love all people and why should you love those that you feel are not worthy of your love? 

Have you ever had a really bad day? I bet at your worst, you are not exactly the most pleasant person to be around. Could you imagine what it would be like if everyone around you was still kind and loving toward you during this time? When you were two years old and your brother was only about two months, he had really bad ear infections and would cry for hours. We were having one of those days. There was a situation at work that needed to be handled and you were upset because you wanted cuddle time with mommy. I dropped a weight on my toe and lost my keys. For the next couple of hours, I was not a pleasant person to be around. Half way out the door with my hands full of crying babies, I got mad at one of our clients because of something silly. Instead of backfiring, she dropped what she was doing and took you two out of my arms to give me a five minute break in peace. I will never forget this. I remember asking myself how she could be so kind when I was so mean. 

We are all on our own journey. Our personalities are developed from past experiences and present circumstances, good and bad. Her ability to recognize that all I needed was a woman to step in an help improved my whole day.  I now realize that she helped me out because she understands that when you love God, you love God’s people no matter what. Love others because it makes you feel good, this is why I say love others selfishly. Love others because it makes you a better and happier person. 

My loving advice to you. We never know what someone is going through in their lives and what is creating the anger. When someone lashes out, try not to take it personal and love them anyway. You are not walking in their shoes and you may have the opportunity to completely change the path they are on. This does not mean to let others take advantage of you or to stay in a situation where you are abused. Remove yourself from the situation then love and forgive them like Jesus would do. Love endures all things and should be the first and the last thing you do. You are a loving, beautiful person and will not be transformed by the behaviors of others. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Explore Life

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“God has planted greatness in you. Let today be the beginning of a great adventure as you step into the gifts he’s given you.”

— Joyce Meyer

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My Dearest Mackynzie,

There is a whole big world out there. The way we do things in our little bubble is way different than many other places. Other cultures, countries and even states differ in diet, sleep patterns, mannerisms, religion, fashion, living space, time management, values, health, and much more. There are so many ways you could benefit from exploring and experiencing other places and people. Knowing other ways of doing things will (1) help you appreciate the way you grew up or (2) give you some options for how you want to live your life. We are so fortunate to live in a time where travel is so easy. It was only about 100 years ago when it took months to travel across the United States, now it only takes a couple of hours in an airplane. Exploring life will also help you discover your strengths and expose your weaknesses. The more you know about yourself, the easier it is to step into the gifts that God has given you and use them to make the world better.

As a mother, this is such bitter sweet advice. It is scary to see your little girl explore life. I’m sure there will be many nights filled with worry, but I believe that this is essential to guiding you in the direction of the best life you can have. It is my job to teach you how to be responsible and smart in difficult situations, how to make good choices and I have full confidence that you will. When you are young you are figuring out the world and how it works. The best way to learn is to experience life. 

My loving advice to you. Don’t be held back by fear and experience life. Learn what makes you cry with joy and how to avoid things that cause you pain. See the ocean and climb a mountain. Try food that you’ve never even heard of and learn another language. You can always come back. As time passes and you become more stable, take small adventures. Don’t get stuck in the rhythm of life and lose your enthusiasm for it.