Honestly, what holds many of us back is the fear of what our peers might think. It’s wild, really—because they’re probably not as concerned as we imagine!
How someone views you often says more about them than it does about you. If someone mocks or criticizes, consider how they treat themselves. Those who truly love and support you will always be there, regardless.
Remember, you don’t need to please everyone, and you don’t have to. You know your reasons, and that’s enough. Keep that close to avoid the noise and stay true to your path.
And here’s the thing: You don’t need all the answers to start. Taking the first step is what sets the journey in motion. Trust that clarity and confidence will grow as you go. Every step forward brings insight, and before you know it, you’ll be far beyond where you started—proud that you chose to begin.
I read a blog not long ago and a girl was sharing what she felt she identified with. A hint of jealousy hit because I thought how lucky is she to know who she is and what she identifies with.
But then as I was driving to pick up my kids from school this little story came to my head,
A rainbow goes to a cloud and asks, “what color am I?”
The cloud says, “you’re blue.”
The rainbow goes to another cloud and asks the same question.
This time the response was, “you’re red.”
The rainbow asked many different clouds the same question and each response was just a different color.
The rainbow becomes frustrated.Thoughts emerge.
“Will I ever know who I am?”
“I feel so lost.”
“How are others so sure of themselves but I still can’t figure it out?”
The rainbow shouted, “I don’t understand! What color I am!”
The rainbow decides to ask a bird this time.
“Little bird, what color am I?
The bird says, “Well, you’re a rainbow my dear! You are more than one color!” And then flys away.
And then it hit me. I do not conform to one thing. I am many beautiful things, made up of all sorts of color, like a rainbow!
Here I am searching for my identity, only to realize I’m a little bit of everything!
If you’re struggling with your identity, then you’re probably a rainbow as well my friend.
turn your vertically lined books to horizontal stacks
swap around drawers – linens, silverware, files in the desk
rearrange the kitchen cupboards
switch up the refrigerator shelves
push furniture an inch to the left or right (or completely into another room!)
switch lamps out to different rooms
move the chairs around your table
put everything dropped by the door back in its space
color-code your closet (or bookshelves!)
fold your towels a new way
organize the spice drawer / shelf
hang the dog leash somewhere that reminds you to take her for a walk
shake out the front door mat
edit the book pile by your bed
move your phone charger out of the bedroom
change the bulbs in a light to a brighter watt
flip a table arrangement so everything on the left is now on the right, and the right is now a lefty
move art on the walls around
turn all the shoes in your closet so they face one direction — with the toes facing out
dress the table with a linen-cloth and make mealtime a little more fancy
bring a few candles that normally sit somewhere unlit into a room where you’ll light them
take everything off your desk, wipe it down, and put everything back (ahhh!)
switch out your bed linens or add a different quilt to the foot of the bed
move an entire room around and try it out for a week
move the fridge magnets around
put something different in front of a mirror so that it doubles something new in your life
sharpen your pencils
give the dog bed a hearty shake and fluff / rotate the cat condo
turn the plants around so the other side soaks up the sun
flip the rugs, mattress, or couch cushions!
why 27 items, you ask? the short answer—it’s a shui thing. twenty-seven is [a multiple of] the number 9, the number representing power, manifestation, and completion. bonus: you don’t need to add or buy anything.
There’s a book I just began reading called, “A Child Of The Native Race.” A story of woman who was born to an Indian family but taken away at 18 months old and raised by a white family. It’s a story of returning to her roots.
In her dedication the author Sandy White Hawk says this,
“
Even if we came into this world in the worst of circumstances.
We are not that circumstance; we were sacred when we were born
separate from the hardship that surrounded us.
Our life is good and has a purpose.”
“
This quote above really resonated with me in such a way. I don’t know that I can fully put into words.
It resonated with me because of my own adoption story and discovering my roots and finding my biological family. And it resonated because of my daughter, and her adoption story.
And currently, we are fostering my nephew, who we plan on adopting.
It is sad? The circumstance? In a way, yes, yes it is. And that should be acknowledged. But it is also a gift as well in it’s own way. And the gift may not be recognized until many years later (I can testify to that). This quote above affirms what I already know. That each of us are sacred, no matter how we entered this world. No matter the circumstance in which we are born into.
When we enter into this world we couldn’t be anymore pure. Each of us, first born, are so full of life, curiousity, adventure. It is the world, the pressures, the fears, the power and greed that work to steal us away from who we are. We become confused, afraid, and we feed ourselves lies.
Listen to me….
We are sacred gifts. We are miracles. We are love. You must never forget that. Never forget how significant you are. Never doubt your capabilities. You are chosen. That is the truth.
Forgive others. Forgive yourself.
Many of us DO enter this world through challenging circumstances. But how we come into this place does not define who we are. We are still chosen to be here, despite the troubles that may surround us. And we will find our way.
Lean not on your own understanding.
Live your days recognizing the gifts that surround you. Remind others that they are treasure. Help others to see how remarkable they are. We are never alone on our journey.
Discussing and sharing is healing and it’s connecting.
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Charcuterie boards are so much fun! They are kind of like snowflakes, they are each unique in their own way. And what a way to display your creativity! I love it! This blog is specifically meat and cheese but I see myself sharing a sweets charcuterie board blog too in the future. So many possibilities!
I went to a wine tasting last weekend to celebrate a friends 35th birthday. There was a total of 5 of us and we all met because of our daughters. Our girls all met last year in kindergarten and now our little beauties are in first grade. It’s been so much fun developing these types of friendships and I’m so grateful.
Back to the wine tasting, one of the girls brought a prepared charcuterie board that we all got to enjoy and indulge in. A friends of hers actually creates them as a business!
Just sitting with the girls drinking some wine in the vineyards while snacking was pure bliss. If you’re a mom you know how badly you have to take some time for yourself to recharge your batteries.
The board we snacked on.My favorite is the spicy meat paired with a flavored goat cheese and crispy cracker. So yummy!
We all get excited about having a charcuterie board party. Maybe the wine was kicking in or we were just really hungry which resulted in this charcuterie board being the best thing ever. But this charcuterie board inspired this blog.
I share some layouts to help you with your charcuterie board party that you may be planning and some common pairings. You don’t have to follow it exactly but use this more as a guide and have some fun with it!
Thank you for reading and have fun charcutering! (I just made that up)
Charcuterie Board Visuals
Charcuterie Board Pairings And Tips
Would love to see your board! Share it with us on instagram!
Sometimes we just need a little encouragement and inspiration, and flowers are full of both.
Flowers Need Time To Bloom. So Do You. – unknown You’ll grow beautifully in your own way. – unknownMay flowers remind us why the rain was so necessary. – Xan OkuShe may lose a few petals, but it doesn’t make her any less of a flower. – Alicia N GreenDeep in your wounds are seeds, waiting to grow beautiful flowers. – Niti Mejethia A flower blossoms for its own joy. – Oscar Wilde Happiness is to hold flowers in both hands. – A Japanese Proverb When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. – Alexander Den Heijer Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow the flowers or you can grow the weeds. – unknownWhere flowers bloom, so does hope. – Lady Bird JohnsonThe Flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all. – Walt DisneyA flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms. – unknownMay the petals teach me the art of letting go. – Xan Oku
Have a wonderful day, and buy yourself some flowers.
When your child is just learning how to stand or learning how to walk you are either holding them, or standing very close by.
In case your child falls you want to be there to catch them, versus them falling down and hurting themselves.
Nobody wants to see their child hurt or in pain, so we stand very close.
In this walk of life, we are the child and God is our heavenly parent.
But like most children we are very stubborn. We believe we can do things on our own, better yet, WE WANT to do things on our own. Like we need to prove something.
The thing with this mentality is we end up falling many times in life and learn many things the hard way, and it hurts. It hurts really bad. And God is just there waiting, patiently, to help us when we are ready to ask for it.
It’s not that he hasn’t tried to help us, we have pushed Him away saying, “I can do it myself, I don’t need you.” So he watches us fall and thinks to himself, please let me help you.
He knows learning how to walk is challenging and He knows the walk of life can’t be done without the help of Him.
Actually, it’s not that it can’t be done, it can. God just doesn’t want it to be a hard walk of life. He gives us an opportunity to try on our own but he stands by waiting for the permission to help us.
He wants to catch us on those falls because he knows if we keep falling we will be become discouraged and won’t try anymore.
Nobody wants to crawl forever. We want to walk and RUN. When we allow God to catch us we will begin to take more risks, we will be confident, and we won’t be afraid.
When my children were small they would crawl to the edge of the bed only because they knew I would catch them. Imagine if they could talk at that age and say things like, “alright mom, stop, I want to crawl all over the bed myself without you hovering me.” But my children let me be there for them just in case. They felt safe. And they actually enjoyed me catching me.
If you don’t want to let God catch you when you fall that is ultimately your choice, however if you surrender and just let Him help you….your life will change in the most incredible way because you will know that you can do anything.
You can crawl to the edge of the bed with no fear, always.
“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenanceof his friend.”
Proverbs: 27:17
I had a really great, thought provoking conversation with a friend of mine that I have only known now for a few months. Our daughters are in class together and we met at one of their classmates birthday parties. Neither one of us knowing a beautiful friendship was about to be born. How grateful we must be for the small moments that lead to something priceless, like an amazing friendship.
We had a conversation on the phone not too long ago, and we had a deep conversation as we normally do. Unfortunately it came to an end due to my children needing my attention, but once we got off the phone I was provoked to find a scripture related to friendship because I felt so grateful to have a friend who I can share my inner thoughts with. We each challenge each other with what we believe in, in a very respectful way.
No offensive is taken, only respect and listening to each other sharing why we feel, believe, or think the way that we do. I believe we humble each other in our discussions and help one another to see more beyond the horizon. We sharpen each other.
How important, and what a gift, friendships are. A friend that is pushing, challenging you, and encouraging you, is going to improve you. Sharpen means improve or cause to improve. Improve means make or become better. Countenance means to admit what is acceptableor possible.
In relation to the scripture above, we strengthen each other’s tolerance and endurance to the sufferings that are experienced in this world. We alleviate burdens and give the gift of perseverance to one another.
To live is to experience suffering, we know this is true, and this scripture tells us how you and I can give strength to one another and endure what to some would be unbearable. This scripture reminds us that we are not alone in our sufferings and how important relationships are with one another.
We are here to uplift one another not to bring down. We must sharpen each other to the best of our capabilities. Because everyone at one time or another will seek or is seeking right now alleviation in what they do not know. We must share our light. We only shine because of those that taught us.
Reach out to your best friends today and remind them how much you cherish their friendship. Explain to them why you choose to have them in your life. Give them love and gratitude. How special to have such friends who develop us and push us to grow.
“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content”
Philippians 4:11
If we define the word worry, it reads; “give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.” Think about that for just a moment. When we can’t control something, it causes us stress and anxiety. It leads us down the path of worrying where we end up in a field filled with fear.
How often do you worry? Many times I’m sure. About all sorts of things, right? We worry about the future, we worry about our children, we worry about bills being paid, we worry about our health, we worry about our family, we worry about many, many things.
We all worry. What you should know though is worrying is natural human survival instinct. Ultimately we worry to protect us from harm. Maybe you’re thinking, “how is worrying about my family protecting me? I’m worry about them.” Yes, that is true, however you worry to protect yourself from feeling pain. If something happens to someone in your family, you know you would suffer too. And who wants to suffer? Again, we worry to protect us. *Humans are pretty selfish, we think about ourselves a lot.*
Now worrying and living in fear is giving in to a very powerful force. Too many times we allow these emotions to completely control us and prevent us from truly living and feeling joy in our hearts. This also prevents our relationship with God from growing. Why? Because we aren’t trusting God. We aren’t trusting the creator of the entire universe. You’re not alone my friend, and you’re not on your own.
We have to lean in, we have to surrender, and we have to trust our Heavenly Father. He knows way more than we do. But, like a three year old, we are stubborn children. We want to do things on our own. Like children, we don’t want help. We don’t want to believe our Heavenly Father knows more than we do. Maybe we aren’t children, we kinda sound more like teenagers.
The spirit within us is like a muscle. As we strengthen our spirit muscle, it becomes stronger. The seed of love that God planted in all of us becomes stronger. God is love my friends. But we gotta water that seed! And we have to water others! As we continue to work on your relationship with God we become stronger than the flesh, we become stronger than those feelings and emotions that act like a wall preventing us from living in peace and harmony.
When we continue to seek God, the walls of fear and worry begin to crumble and dissolve like a soaked cookie in milk. We begin to feel peace within ourselves.
No matter what state we are in we aren’t worried or in fear because we know God loves us. We know no matter what, it’s going to be okay. We begin to understand God is in us, he surrounds us, he is reaching out and rescuing us.
But to be in that state, we have to reach our hand out. Gods hand is already present, we are the ones holding back. And once we grab ahold of the hand of God no matter what happens you’ll know in your heart God has got this. No matter what you know in the end Gods going to make everything right. God loves you. He loves you, He loves you, He loves you.
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower, And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth, From My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11
How wonderful is it when it rains after a long, stretched out drought. The animals and plants rejoice and dance together. Farmers thank the heavens. Rivers begin to flow effortlessly. The dust is pressed into the soft ground and what lingers is an incredbily crisp air that cleanses our lungs. The aroma of earth is fresh and ever so craving. When it rains for consecutive days, nature becomes fuller. Do you notice that? That is something you can see, that is something you can feel with your fingers. Life is sprung where you were oblivious to the seeds that were resting. How grateful we must be for the gift of rainfall.
As the scripture says “rain comes down, and does not return from where it came.” Rain comes down with a mission to accomplish and the rain never fails. It fully gives itself to earth. We may not see rain return to the sky but we can see the life of it’s work way after the rainfall has stopped. We look forward to the rain again because it is so pure and refreshing for all that it touches.
Gods word is like rain. It brings forth life, change, renewal, the same way rain does. Like the rain, Gods word has a mission and it will not fail those who ponder and read on it. We know the power of rain but yet, many of us have a difficult time believing in the power of Gods word. And that it can produce so much, just as rain and snow do.
He has left his word with us that it may water and bring forth seeds of love and compassion that reside in all of our hearts. He left His word to fulfill that empty space that we all are constantly trying to fill. Those are the seeds that are so thirsty. Watering those seeds with material and physical things will not clench the thirst of our spirits. They are watered with the things in which we cannot see. They are watered through pondering Gods word, prayer, hope, faith. His word is part of the equation to life. Humans, plants, animals, cannot live without water. We know this is true. To develop peace in our hearts is to study and ponder Gods word. As rain changes nature, Gods word will change our hearts. With His word, there is hope.
Notice what Gods word has accomplished in this world so far. Like the rain, it does not fail what it has been set out to do. Like the rain…
The Wild Gems 