• Testing My Patience … and My Faith.

    I believe in God. There are numerous examples I can give where I have seen Him work in my life. But those examples are mostly in answered prayers. Putting my mind to something, and God giving me the strength and ability to achieve it. The only true test I can think of, in my experience, of questioning God, has been in overcoming depression. Years, and years, and years, would go by. Almost daily I would beg for the misery to be over, while simultaneously trusting He had a plan.  It was about 10 years after my “official” diagnosis, and at least another 10 more from the onset of symptoms. At…

  • Finding A Place to Shine.

    The last ten to fifteen years have been some of the most influential of my life. I overcame depression, finished an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree. I began my career in agriculture, which propelled me into all sorts of things I never expected for my life. At some point, I put my head down and just went with it. While there were definitely moments of reflection and self-discovery, there was never any real pause. Which has been one of the biggest blessings in this time off. But as you know, I believe contentment is what we should strive for to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. With the…

  • Present, Mindful, and Intentional.

    There are six posts sitting in my drafts that I’ve written since my last published post just over a month ago. Meaning: my thoughts are all over the place. Israel is at war. Taylor Swift is in another relationship. Matthew Perry died. Newsom went to China. Britney Spears released her memoir. There was a mass shooting and manhunt in Maine. What a time to be alive. And I’m only saying that half sarcastically. Things in my life are moving a bit slower than what appears to be happening in the outside world. While I still have stresses, it’s been quite refreshing to take time off. It feels like everything I’ve…

  • New Beginnings.

    I quit my job on Friday. In a move that will seem abrupt to, well, basically everyone, it was a decision that was needed and a rather long time coming. I’m still a little in shock, so I’m turning to the place that always brings me comfort in processing my emotions. As I anticipate what kind of remarks I will hear when people find out, I think it really comes down to one thing: I listened to what my mind, body, and soul were telling me and acted accordingly. Was it risky? Yeah. Am I scared? Yeah. Do I feel good about it? Eh. I’m not 💯 there yet. But…

  • The Burdens We Carry.

    Research has discovered that COVID, literally, changed the world. No doubt. Although we seem to be out of it, the past few years have been hard. In the beginning, I tried to make the most of it. But seemingly, the hits that shook me just kept coming. When you fundamentally believe in things, and those beliefs are constantly being tested, it leaves you a bit rattled. Most of my followers here know me personally. You know my beliefs, my values, my interests, my work, and my involvement with the community. Although some of us have different views, you know my intentions are genuinely good. We are friends with mutual respect,…

  • All the Things I Have Done.

    This morning, I sat in my office, sipped my coffee, and looked around, pondering the thoughts that have been in my head all week and which I wanted to dive into for this post. As I sat there, I thought less about the chaos that happened over the past week and became overwhelmingly grateful.  There are little reminders of the life I built for myself all throughout the room. The books on the shelves remind me of all the knowledge I’ve accumulated. The photos of my dog remind me that my heart is still healing from the loss. The lanyards and name tags from conferences and expos remind me of…