I will probably be one of the first to say that I didn't always like change. It used to throw me off and make me respond rather dramatically as a kid. When my dad would get new glasses, I would be so upset and express how much I disliked them. It's now a few years later and I have learned a few tricks that have helped me to not get thrown off guard.

A few weeks back I was busy cleaning our storefront church, with earbuds in my ears, when Emily came in to grab her mail. I made conversation but was feeling pretty overwhelmed with my own thoughts and I didn't even notice that she was becoming short with me in conversation. It wasn't til a week or so later that I really knew something was wrong.

Do you wish for someone to connect with? Do you want to be on the same page with those closest to you? Do you wish your spouse or significant other would just think like you? Let me first tell you that as single person I wished for that major connection. My personality thrives  on connection and kindred spirits.

Have any of you tried to read your way through the Bible? I kinda am right now. For someone who likes to be organized I am in no way going about it in a uniform way. I read a whole book through and then move on to another one somewhere else in my Bible. For instance, right now I am reading Job. Before that, I had just finished up with the minor prophets, then Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. I am not even sure that I am naming those in order of my reading. Either way, I am getting through.

It can be easy to think that we aren't beautiful enough. Good enough. Smart enough. We compare ourselves with others, even as we get older and have our lives sorta figured out. No matter what age you are as a woman, you are faced with the thought, "am I beautiful?" It has taken me a while to really wrap my mind around the true beauty of being a Christian woman. We can go ahead and love everything about ourselves, even the flaws. But what is it that makes us truly beautiful and is it ok to not like the flaws?

I have had this deep desire for God to strip me of my fear and give me a heart that is open and ready to create. I have been a bit impatient. I still have fears and get anxious about things I had no idea were an issue, but He is working. In His care, He is changing this heart that wants to be free. It isn't how I thought it would be, but then again God is the one that is creative in knowing how to change my worry wart heart.

Have you been wanting to do something for a while, but just can't seem to get up the courage to do it? Or do you feel like you just aren't equipped to do the job? Maybe you are even doing something currently that has nothing to do with what you really want to do. I feel like this most days. The idea of possibly making a mistake or sticking out like a sore thumb in front of others makes me cringe.

I don't know about you but I don't like to sugar coat things. Even though I tend to wish for an idealistic life as a perfectionist, I know that life just isn't what we want it to be. I have been watching the world fall apart and have taken note of how so many families are struggling. This makes me want to stand up and do something. I know that I cannot change the world in a split second, so I decided to look at this issue a little deeper.

I am obsessed with light. As a photographer I am always looking to see how it plays on my subjects. Even when I am trying to practice other skills in photography, like capturing shapes, I can't help but stop and shoot things like this tree branch and how the light penetrates its veins. Am I the only one that feels like this just grips my soul? My heart races with excitement when I see it. In these moments I feel a deep appreciation for God and the ability to see what He created. This is me in true worship.

I am an extremely visual person. Everything that I remember and do is based off of visual memory banks that I have set up within my mind. When I was in college and taking an exam, I would recall the actual page that the answers fell upon in my mind as images. So when I found it hard to pray, I blamed my reasons for not speaking with God on the fact that I couldn't see Him. Then I thought about how I could write down my prayers.

Feeling a little down and out? Not sure how God has been blessing you lately and it just seems like everything is going wrong? I am here to tell you that there is a way to get out and see that awesome light of blessed goodness. I too have struggled with thinking everything was wrong. I have spent different portions of my life in deep depression as well. Whether you are feeling that deep hopelessness or just had a simple bad day and will pick up tomorrow, here are a few pointers to get you back on track. And hopefully, keep it that way.

I just got done texting my husband, Chris, about my frustration. Told him I am tired of the media bombarding women with this misconception that we deserve a guy's undivided attention. Or anyone's for that matter. Everywhere you turn there is this undertone of "I deserve 100% of your attention." For someone who doesn't require much attention, it still catches me sometimes! What is it like for everyone else?