If you're a bird, I'm a bird

When I feel like I need to write something, I have to get it out of my head.  You may have noticed me being more vocal about my faith and spirituality. "Geez, what has gotten into her?" you may have thought. You've noticed all the scripture memes and worship songs and church promotionals. I'm aware that I've been more up-in-your-face about the Great Commission and missions too.   I've read my Bible several times a day consistently for 25 days in a row. I have reading plans on my You Version app that I am committed to reading daily. I'm actually excited about them and it's typically the first thing I open on my phone when I wake up. Oh, I'm devouring every scripture I can read. I'm ravenously meditating on them. I have another teacher devotional, Morning Meetings with Jesus, that I read when I get to school. Sometimes I share scriptures with others in hopes they will be encouraged by God's words as well.  As for prayer, sometimes...

These are the two pictures I have taken recently to document my before & after weight loss. Over the last year, I have realized how closely related physical and mental health is. I do not think I am weak because I have experienced depression in my life, but I view myself as strong because I sought help instead of taking my life. That is not something to ashamed of. Left- March 2015                       Right- October 2015 Left- October 2014                               Right- October 2015

"We’ll start here: a semi-colon is a place in a sentence where the author has the decision to stop with a period, but chooses not to. A semi-colon is a reminder to pause and then keep going."  I've struggled with depression on several occasions throughout my life. My counselor says I have reoccurring depression. I have been receiving out-patient services for 6 months and taking an antidepressant. Both have helped tremendously. When I heard about The Semicolon Project , I could not help being moved and making a connection with the movement. Now I want a tattoo.  Henna design that she simplified for the comma So I am going to form a semicolon using a mandala and some henna designs using brown ink as a permanent henna. I'm wanting it on my hand. I think it will be a design I love and a constant reminder of where I was and what a wonderful place I am in now.  I made an appointment on Tuesday, July 21 from 2:00-3:00pm at Yes, It Hurts...

I've been going to my counselor since December. I was going weekly, then bi-weekly, every three weeks, and now once a month. I enjoy going. Something I look forward to. I don't "need" it because she said I am helping myself make improvements instead of just expecting medication and counseling to treat me. For example, I apply for jobs and go to interviews. Joe and I are working on communication, parenting, our marriage, and weight loss. Counselors do like to monitor individuals even when they are doing well because if depression came back, most individuals won't ask for help once they get to a suicidal stage. It is a way of being proactive and seeing it before it is too late. Not waiting as late as I did last time. Every visit she tells me to keep taking it. Even though I am feeling better and it is working, doesn't mean that I shouldn't take it anymore. Originally, I was told that a short term treatment is 6 months to a year. At my last appointment, sh...

My frustration with watching the kids at home 12+ hours a day and being unemployed since June had taken a toll on me. The kids were going to school part and full-time over the summer and up until October 31. For the last month and a half, I had both kids home all day. My temper, patience, and boredom were reaching an all time high. Having a second was like having 10 to us. When people talk about wanting kids or a second, inside I yell, "Don't do it!"   I know it is just a matter of perspective and capability. For Joe and I, we struggle regularly to survive and work cohesively. Everyday is a battle. What to eat, which bathroom to potty in, stool or no stool, lights and fan, door open or closed, what shirt/pants/socks/shoes, what cup to drink out of, brush teeth or not, which paste/brush to use, what snacks/lunch/dinner to eat, which car seat to sit in, water or milk to drink, which movie to watch, bath or not, bubbles or not, which toys to play/share, which route to...