Peace

Last weekend, Sam & I got away.

We didn't go far (just an hour west of us), but we went with one thing in mind: we just wanted to get away, to take a break from our normal routine, even if only for a couple of days.

With no agenda, the whole weekend felt pretty low key.  We ate at some of favorite places and spent a little time talking about our goals & dreams, but ultimately we were just quiet with our thoughts as we walked along the beautiful coastline.

As much as I didn't want to return to reality, I knew we had no choice.  Thankfully, I not only came home feeling refreshed and relaxed, but I also returned with a sense of peace that I haven't felt in almost a year now.

And that makes the whole trip worth it in my opinion!



"Please I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."  John 14:27

5 on Friday

Honestly... this week has been kind of tough as I think about where we were last year at this time...

The two words that keep coming to mind are "life changing" because at the split of second, our lives went from happy & excited to devastated & confused with very little warning. 

For those who are new to this space, our baby girl was diagnosed with a fatal form of skeletal dysplasia last July and while I carried her until 39 weeks, she is sadly no longer with us.

So I decided that instead of writing about 5 random things from my week, I would share 5 blogs* that have helped me immensely after losing Charlotte:

[one]
Megan from In This Wonderful Life

[two]
Casey from The Wiegands

[three]
Raechel from Finding My Feet

[four]
Diana from Hormonal Imbalances

[five]
Heather from The Spohrs are Multiplying

While none of their situations are exactly the same as mine, the comfort that each of their blogs has given me leaves me speechless.  I really wish I could find the words to share how they have helped (and thank each & every one of them in person!), but all I can say it THANK YOU God that I found these women and have felt an reassurance that I'm not alone in this and while this is something you'd never wish on anyone, it's really nice to know that someone understands, even a little.


*None of these bloggers probably know who I am or have asked me to share about them, but all of their stories have touched my heart and comforted me & given me hope as I walk this new path ahead of me.

5 on Friday

Have you ever felt like something was written or said just for you?  Actually, I probably think that about once a week - sometimes it's a song on the radio or an idea for the next best invention or a blog post I just stumbled upon.  This week, however, was FULL of these moments and I just want share five that touched my heart this week:

[one]
Lindsay, of The Kubly Girl, wrote a beautiful reflection on finding community that was just what I needed to hear this week.  For years, I have been timid about buidling a community where we're at because it's hard to be the new person, but over the last couple weeks, Sam & I finally decided to get involved in a small group at a new church we've been attending and Lindsay's post felt like a message from God that this is what He wants for us right now. 

[two]
Have you heard Sara Bareilles' song December (from her new album The Blessed Unrest)? I think maybe it was written for me... 

(For those who don't know me that well, last December was both the best & worse time of my life, which you can read about here.) 

[three]
It's easy to get in the mindset that no one reads your blog or cares about what you write, but Kim from oh, sweet joy! wrote a simple, yet true post this week about how we (as bloggers) are not alone and should all write for where we're at right now, because no matter what the impact may be, someone is listening.  Her words weren't new to me, but sometimes you just need to hear something again to remind yourself of the truth.

[four]
I attended another amazing Influence Network class by Susie Davis this week called Hearing God Speak in your Everyday Life and just like the ones before, Susie knocked it out of the park!  She shared ideas that I hadn't thought a lot about - like God speaks to us every day, but we still need to be willing to listen and accept what he's saying before we'll here Him - and gave us a few ways to hear Him.  Such an eye opening class for someone who doesn't listen to God enough...

Have you taken an Influence Network class yet?

[five]
Last week, I shared how Natalie from The Busy Budgeting Mama has helped me in my search for why I blog and this week she shared a book she's been working on called "Mommy's Has an Angel", which is a story told from the point of view of her four-year-old daughter about her mom's best friend in Heaven.  While processing the grief and pain that goes along with losing a loved one, I have also thought a lot about the future and how I'm going to share with our future children (God willing) about our little angel, Charlotte, and why she's no longer with us here on Earth.  I'm incredibly inspired by people like Natalie who have decided to share their grief to help others and I only hope my words could help someone one day like her's have helped me.


Hope you have a good weekend!