// the gift of laughter //

When we are down and out, laughter is about the most painful noise to our ears.  It becomes almost a mockery - as if everyone is laughing at us!  Here I am over here trying to retreat to an area to sulk and mope in my pain and can hear this faint giggling in the background!  How can people be so relaxed?  Do they have no respect for all of us over here suffering?

Sounds silly doesn't it.  It wasn't until I had a child that I realized how sad it is to deprive yourself of laughter.  It only took my daughter being upset about something one time and me trying to make her laugh, and watching how angry it made her!  It has really nothing to do with not laughing, and everything to do with the self-pity and anger.  I was working to cheer her up and could see her denying herself the simplest of pleasures - laughter!

We talked about it and I told her that she really had to stop taking herself so seriously.  Self-pity and ego-feeding are not virtues that anyone respects.  It is time to lighten up!  When we learn to laugh at ourselves, we are admitting that there are some things that we cannot control, but it won't take away from our happiness.  No person, thing, event, or circumstance can steal our joy.

Today, I invite you to practice laughing even when it hurts.  Stop taking yourself so seriously.  Stop punishing those around you that want to be happy.  Enjoy this life.

xoxo

"For the despondent, every day brings trouble; but for the happy heart, life is a continual feast."

Proverbs 15:15

// be more intentional and purposeful with family //

Do you ever get so busy that you can slowly see your world around you unraveling? I do!

My tribe (husband, child, dogs) apparently use me as their beacon for all things. For instance, November was SUPER busy for me!  I did TWO holiday markets and was drowning in packing and fulfilling orders. Bailey came home from school and in one week alone, got her card pulled three times, my dogs pooped all over the house while I was away, and my husband had NOTHING to wear to work!

During times like those, I find that I get so deep into the tailspin that I can't even recover.  Sometimes, I just have to ride out the storm and clean up the mess when it is over.  I don't think that there is anything particularly "wrong" with being busy, but when I am not, I try to utilize that time a little better.

These are three tried and true tips for how to be more intentional with your days with your family, and they are EASY!

1.  Dig Deep. I mean, spending all day working with the energy of a Olympic runner and then trying to be equally as energetic at home at night is hard.  But, remember the old adage, "Energy produces energy." When we spend time with our family, it is meaningful and doing things that are meaningful draw an entirely new type of energy.  Merely crashing at night means that you are floating through life uninspired.  Take the time every day to be still and enjoy a couple minutes of silence with your loved ones.

2.  Be Present.  Think of time with your kids like a date night.  You wouldn't sit on your phone across the table from your date, and you surely shouldn't with your kids.  Unplug.  When I commit to just sitting with Bailey and doing an activity with her, I get lost in it!  I recently came across a study that said that the average working mom spent only 13 minutes a day giving her children one-on-one attention.  Better yet, stay at home moms only gave 15!  Being with your kids while folding laundry is not the same as being with your kids and playing Candyland - that time is not focused, the latter is. It is the best feeling to be completely connected and the more you do it, the more you will keep going back. The water that springs from that well is the best.

3.  Put on your mask first.  I once read an article where a mom was describing the need for women, especially mothers, to fill their own cup first.  She described parenting like being on an airplane with your kids and the cabin loses pressure.  Whose mask do you put on first?  Instincts tell you to take care of your kids first, but if you don't care for yourself first, you can't take care of your kids.  It's in the safety manual people!  So, sometimes we need to go fill our own cup so we can be better parents, wives, friends, and co-workers.,. and that is ok.


xoxo

This was Bailey when she was just 2 months old.
Looking back at old pictures is a good reminder to enjoy this time. (tear)

// what is going on? //

Good gracious.  Our world is total turmoil.  I honestly cannot remember a time where people were so loud and just "out there!"  Is the world really ending or are people just more vocal?

As part of my 2017 goals, I decided to remove people from my life that are toxic or stir angst in me :: translation :: mainly people on social media.  I think I literally only have five Facebook friends anymore as I have had to "stop seeing" ninety five percent of the people that I know.  

And you know what?  It's not WHAT people are posting, it is THAT they are posting.  I literally "CAN'T" with all the insane article sharing, shade throwing, and just plain mean stuff that I read!  I constantly find myself asking, "Would they actually say that to a person to their face?"  One night I read through a argument that was unfolding on my news feed between two high school friends and showed it to Christian.  We read it out loud, imagining that these two people were in a room, face to face, saying these things!  It was crazy!  Certainly no one would speak to someone like that in real life!  

I feel like computers have people feeling super confident - they can sit back, perfectly articulate something nasty, and then post it with no repercussions!  It makes my heart hurt.  If only we could all get off the internet and into our actual real lives and start there.  

Creating a better world starts at home, not on Facebook.  I am bowing out of any political conversations and opinion pieces, and am going to pray harder than ever before.  When I wonder whether something is right or wrong, I am going to practice sitting in silence and try to listen for the answer.  Whenever I think that I may have a strong opinion about something, I am going to try seeing it from the other side.  But most importantly, every time I act, I am going ask myself, would this please God?

Lastly, I am going to focus on my charity.  I can't help but look to the nine beatitudes here:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 

Notice the theme of charity. The beatitudes shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life; they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations; they proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured, however dimly, for each of us.

Oh, to have a heart as this.  Play nice everyone.

xoxo

// the three questions on a woman's heart //

I have been participating in an awesome women's study on Monday nights - Walking with Purpose. The study revolves around helping women find their purpose.  Each week I leave feeling more and more empowered, but this past Monday especially, I heard something that spoke to me.  The three questions that are on the hearts of all women:

  Am I lovely?

Do you see me?

Am I worth fighting for?

Wow.  I can tell you many times that I have asked and re-asked these questions.  Sometimes I find myself asking all three and other times, I tend to ask one more than another.  During some periods in my life, the answers are all a strong yes... but in other, more troublesome times, the answers aren't as clear.  As I have been called to be a mother to a strong daughter of my own, I love these topics because I feel that it prepares me for some of the tumultuous times that all girls go through.

Am I lovely?  Gosh, this question scares me.  My biggest fear is that my child won't see her own beauty and worth.  I strive everyday to remind her that she is lovely, in a million different ways. There is a book by Max Lucado called You Are Special.  In this fictional children's book, there are these wooden people who either wear stars or dots.  Those who are pretty get stars, and those who are chipped, broken, or ugly gets dots.  In the end, one wooden character is covered with dots. Some were given to him for real reasons, and some just because. He meets another wooden person who has neither dots nor stars.  He is fascinated by the fact that every time someone tries to put a star or a dot on her that it falls off.  After a discussion and a meeting with their "maker" he learns that the reasons why her dots don't stick is because she does not allow them.  He learns that WE decide if other people's opinions matter.  If we find ourselves defined by possessions or feelings, then we give others all the control.  Most importantly, we were made in the image of God.  We are not flawed - we are perfect in His eyes.  Teaching kids to know and love God is a great way to build confidence for the future.

Do you see me?  Question two deals with how we as women define ourselves.  If you want to know how you define yourself, then first determine what drives you.  Most often, what drives you also defines you.  This is not uncommon, but one point that our study leader makes is that the root of this question is pride.  For instance, imagine if an accident occurred and you could no longer do what drives you, what would your response be?  For many, they would feel useless and invaluable. The idea that my value depends on what I do or what I produce is one that I have to reject.  Many women that ask this question constantly ask themselves if they could be "doing more" or "doing better".
This of course is the danger - that your self esteem comes from your work. Women who find themselves asking this question care a great deal about what others think of them.  Being noticed and praised is of the highest importance.  So high, that many of these women care so much about what others think of them that they abandon their own conscience. Our study made a powerful point here -

If I spend my entire day working to receive attention and praise from others, 

then there is no time left in the day to offer love and attention to others. 

Instead of needing people to love me, I have more room to love them. 

What drives you... motherhood, work, money?  No doubt the greatest calling in earth is that of being a mother, but motherhood comes with some serious challenges in our own conscience. Many women define themselves as a mother - that means that they view all of their child's successes and failures as their own. In our study, the author made a great point :

Being a good mother does not mean that what your child does or doesn't do defines you.  
Motherhood is one of the greatest vocations, but being a good mother
means that you see the need for a healthy detachment; 

a space where kids are free to be themselves and you are free to be yourself.

I loved hearing this because as a mother, I hear compliments of my child... and I always have a hard time accepting them.  It is surely not me, that is her!  She has her own heart and mind ~ I have tried to lead her, but if she does something well, it was all her.  Perhaps the BIGGEST reason I refuse to take credit for her good acts are because if I take responsibility for those, then I also have to accept the bad decisions that she is sure to make!  

Am I worth fighting for? This question deals with our desire to know that someone would go out of their way for us, sacrifice for us.  We need to know that we are meaningful to someone, enough that they would stick their neck out for us.  It is important that we show our kids this - if we don't, they will search for someone who will.  Showing our children, especially our daughters, that people may hurt them, but God is a god of love.  He fights for us everyday.  

I recently read an article where the author said that "people today are more focused on having than being." 

Ask yourself...

If I lost it all, what would I be?

In Peace,

// eight reasons that you should keep a journal //

Well, this is it!  We are one month away from the new year and for many of us, that means new goals and intentions.  

By now, you have probably spent some time thumbing through your journal and hopefully, you have read through my little introduction.  I shared with you my testimony to journaling because I believe that it is important.  I also went into some detail about all of the research that has been done on the power of journaling!  I want you you to not only get the most out of your Praise & Petition Journal, but the most out of LIFE!

Here are the top EIGHT reasons to keep a journal in 2017:

1. Clarity.  All of those millions of thoughts swirling in your head need a place to rest!  Use your journal as a place to lay down your anxieties and organize what is important in your life.

2. Victory.  Oftentimes in life, I will pray for something until I am blue in the face! And then, when it works out, I just move on.  I never really soak it all up that things are actually working out for the better and that there are millions of small victories in each day! 

3. Future.  Own it!  If you want to do something, start writing about it and give it life.  I journaled about creating these journals, and here they are!  Dream big, and keep it written down.  One of my favorite quotes is by Greg Reid, "A dream written down with a date becomes a goal.  A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan.  A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true."

4.  Self-Improvement.  This is easily the best benefit of journaling.  I often look back on what I wrote and learn so much about myself.  Sure, sometimes I am disappointed, but other times I am proud that I made the right decision. Journaling is private - so write things that you would never say out loud - then reflect on them later.  You may discover quite a bit about yourself.

5. Gratefulness.  The more I journal. the more I realize how fortunate I am.  I try to spend some time each day showing gratitude from the list of topics that I created in your journal - doing that keeps me grounded and keeps this life in perspective.

6. Health.  Studies show that journaling actually improves your immunity!  Keeping a journal strengthens immune cells and actually helps with certain health symptoms.

7. Happiness.  Have you ever just needed to talk it out?  Well, your journal can help you do that, and you can totally trust yourself with your thoughts.  Writing through pain is actually therapeutic.  Although sometimes painful at first, over time the pain goes away and understanding remains.  

8.  Creativity.  Problem solving is done with your left brain, but sometimes we need a creative approach!  Journaling activates your right brain and actually leads to more "a-ha" moments!

Your journal begins January 1st, so get ready!  Keep working on your goals and don't forget that you can download free printable pages of your journal to use in the meantime!

Also, our journals make great gifts for teachers, babysitters, hostesses, sisters, and friends ~ so shop today for Christmas!


Go and live with intention and purpose!

xoxo

// are you that one sheep? //

Just last week I shared my feelings about this calling - this calling for me to create beautiful journals that inspire people to get closer to God and themselves.  Is this my calling?  Am I doing what God wants?  Just as I pressed "publish" on that post, I started seeing signs... everywhere.  But, the biggest came to me this past Sunday in church.

I LOVE the story from the Book of Luke:

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain saying, 

"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 

So to them, he addressed this parable, 

"What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?  And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, "Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep!" I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over the one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need for repentance." 

While this verse speaks more to mercy and compassion and God's unwavering grace, it also proves that God's logic defies ours, and that he never tires in his pursuit of each of us.  His mercy is like the shepherd with one hundred sheep.  God wants to make use of all of us.  Maybe he chose me to create these journals because he felt that my flaws would inspire similar people to not give up.  Maybe I am that one sheep.  Seeing a perfect person serve a perfect God seems unrealistic for the average person. But seeing someone open up about their shortcomings and still believe, makes seeking him seem possible.  The point is, God does not care either way, he accepts us a imperfect.   

It really got me thinking about this brand that I am creating.  In the past, I have pushed away from many spiritual brands because of the persona of perfection.  I cannot relate to a person who only listens to gospel, always says the right thing, and can recite every verse in the Bible verbatim.  My faith is most important to me, but that does not mean that I do it perfectly.  Similarly, being a good mother is a top priority in my life, but that does not mean that I don't sometimes make mistakes.  It is not fair to say, "Well, if it is important to you, then you will do it right."  The entire way in which this world is designed is to completely throw us off our game - to get us to make the wrong decision.  It has been said before, "strait is the gate, and narrow is the path" - always doing the right thing is hard, heck, it was designed that way!

And, THAT is why these journals are valuable!  I am not sitting over here like, "Journal like me and be perfect!" That would be crazy.  What I am saying is, "Hey!  I have come a long way and I found that when I do this certain thing (journal), I find that I get a lot further a lot faster!"  In other words, don't  be afraid to try it out.  I created a layout that can be as intense or as relaxed as you make it.  I created a platform for intentional, guided journaling.  A place for you to record your thoughts, prayers, regrets, and gratitude.  Spending some time putting your thoughts on paper everyday and reflecting on your growth every once in while is all that I am suggesting.  I simply created a tool that does not intimidate people, it inspires them.

So, in a way, I guess I am like that lost sheep.  I stray at times, but God still sees my value.  He believes that I am still useful and most of all, that I am worthy.  God has set this fire inside of me to show that same idea to you.

If you keep following me and this story, you will see more and more how much journaling has changed me and can change you.  Coming from the girl whose parents famously refer to as "the free spirit", I have a LOT of experience in the "imperfect".  The older I get and the more I purge my thoughts on paper, the more growth I achieve.  With that added growth, I find more responsibility in sharing my stories with others.  The secret is too good to keep!

One last thing... it goes both ways.  If God accepts us, we must accept others.  Don't keep people different from you at a distance, bring them closer :)

In Peace,

Katie

// the problem with being a christian //

Are any of you watching the History Channel documentary with Morgan Freeman - The Story of God?   We started a little late but it is EXCELLENT!

I got deep into one of the episodes in the series last week.  The basic plot is an investigation into the concept of good and evil in terms of god and the devil.  The initial dogma is based on the Zoroastrian principle that good and evil exist in us all.  They explain that because they both exist in all of us, we must make the decision to choose good. The work of ridding the world of evil is not the job of a messiah, but it is ours.  The work of evil is not the devil, but us.  Therefore, the only way to purge the world of evil is to make the choice to be good.  On the contrary, one psychologist believes that these invisible beings (God and the Devil) must exist.  He demonstrates an experiment by telling kids to play darts alone in a room but that they can't cross the line.  Shocker - they all end up cheating because no one is looking.  Then he tells them that an "invisible princess" is sitting in a chair and watching.  He leaves the room and the second time around none of them cheat.  Essentially, he believes that we need to believe we are being watched to rid ourselves of selfish behavior and make the right decisions.  Now that is something to ponder!

Anyhow, Christianity is a funny thing.  I grew up in a very Christian based household and so did nearly all of my friends.  I can honestly say that I knew very few people without any formal Christian influence.  As I have gotten older, that has changed.  I would venture to say that I am now the minority and the majority of the people I am around have no formal Judeo-Christian belief system. One the contrary, everyone says that they pray - which I dig.

Launching a business that has a spiritual backbone has in it's earliest phase has already proven to have its challenges.  I listened to a podcast about two months ago about launching a business and one of the things that all successful entrepreneurs say is that you will have haters.  Without a doubt, they are correct.  I no more launched my first blog post and people were already questioning what I was doing... am I blogging?  Am I creating stationery?  Am I writing a book? Well, yes and no.  What I was trying to do was be a little vague in an effort to create a little buzz... so much for that!

Then there is the Christian aspect of it all... the question of "Can I really be a representative of a spiritually based business?"  People are quick to suddenly want to know if I go to church, how often, and why.  I am not sure what bothers me more - the fact that some are slighting this business that I have thrown everything that I have into or that they are questioning my faith.  Both hurt.  I get comments like, "I didn't know that you were religious."  Well, it's not really something that you post on Facebook and Instagram.  Most people don't "check-in to church."  Some time ago I read the book "The Spirit of Python" - in this book, the author describes "Python forces" that are attacking us everyday.  One line in particular really spoke to me,

"I don't often feel very wise, mighty, or noble.  In fact, there are times when I feel like I fail God miserably.  In the eyes of the world, that spells failure, but in the eyes of God, it is exactly what he is looking for - those people who will be dependent on him to do mighty things."  

This is so powerful!  We see our flaws as failure, God sees them as an opportunity to prove to those "arrogant in their faith" that anyone can be great.

Regardless of my lack of "perfect" behavior at all times, the major areas of my life are absolutely guided on my spiritual beliefs - those that know me well know this.  The entire discussion brings up an important point.  Why are some people so hard on Christians?  Just because someone sides with a certain faith does not make them any more perfect.  I still make poor decisions, speak too soon, and probably think negative thoughts too often about people that I do not care for - but that is just it... The point is that I make an effort everyday to improve myself and journaling has allowed me to document my growth.  I have decided to use God as my moral model and there is nothing wrong with that.  My absolute favorite author C.S. Lewis says it best:

“To have Faith in Christ means, of course, trying to do all that He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you.” 

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

See, the religion that I practice is a religion based on love, peace, fairness, forgiveness, and charity. One word that is mentioned in the Bible more than any other is love.  If we do all things with great love, we cannot be wrong.  If I practice true love then I find it easier to be peaceful, fair, forgiving, and charitable.  But finally, the most fascinating part is this.  You do not have to be a bible wielding, snake stomping Christian to love this line that I have created.  You can be a Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, yogi, agnostic - whatever!  The beauty of these journals is that they inspire ALL of us. How you use yours is up to you!

Not all of us can do great things.  But we can all do small things with great love.

- Mother Teresa

I am so excited about this little adventure that I am on,  On the other hand, launching a business is scary! I am so proud to honor my mom with this little idea and use all of the tools that she and my sister have taught me.

xoxo

Katie 

God, as I attempt to go out into this world today, help me to be confident in your peace.  Help me to focus on your expectations of me.  Guide my heart in all that I do and give me a patient tongue for those who may not understand.  May my actions always speak louder than my words.

Amen