An Unexpected Look Back…

If you’ve been with me from the beginning, you know that my blog started out as a sort of open journal. I had a two year old and was in the middle of a divorce from my then husband of nearly five years. I felt like I was venting to my family a little too much but needed an outlet to get out my thoughts on what I was going through. I also learned a lot about myself and about life and wanted to share in hopes that someone else would be encouraged by my journey… and learn from my mistakes. Fast forward to today – over five and a half years later.

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Decisions, Decisions

1466204142183[1]Hi guys!  Today’s Life Tip Friday has to do with making decisions.  One of things I found myself doing over the last several years was making decisions at the wrong time.  My mom actually pointed out that the majority of the time that I would make decisions, I was sleep deprived.  The decisions themselves weren’t necessarily bad, but for some of them, the timing was way off.  Ever heard timing is everything?  Well, it’s true.  For example, taking a shower in itself is great.  However, taking a shower while my toddler is awake and no one else is in the house…. not a good thing.  (By the way, that has never Continue reading “Decisions, Decisions”

It’s Not Too Late

1464960505276[1]Hi guys! I wanted to leave a quick note for Life Tip Fridays today. No matter where you are in life today, it’s not too late to do better or to get what you’ve wanted. I never pictured myself as one day being a divorced, single mom, but I had to learn that this isn’t all I am. It doesn’t define who I am. And just because I’m single today doesn’t mean that I’ll be single always. That was a big pill for me to swallow, because for some reason, I’ve been thinking I missed my chance to one day have a healthy, happy marriage because I had a failed marriage, and the reality is….that’s just NOT true. Continue reading “It’s Not Too Late”

Remain at Peace

1463762101541[1]Happy Friday, guys!  Today, I wanted to talk about how valuable your peace is.  We’ve all heard what the negative affects of stress are and how it can take a toll on your health and well-being.  This is where I started to realize how important it is to protect your peace.  Being at peace doesn’t necessarily mean that things are quiet around you, or that there aren’t challenges you’re facing.  Being at peace means that you aren’t shaken by the things around you.  No matter what is said to you or about you, no matter what others may do to make things difficult for you, you aren’t shaken.
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Marriage, Divorce, and How I’m Doing

Hi guys! So, I wanted to shift gears a bit, and talk about how things have been going so far, and give you a little bit of background. Here we go…

My ex-husband and I met in 2005. We both volunteered at the church we went to and became friends after meeting each other one night after a youth group service. I wasn’t interested in him initially because he’s just over a year younger than I am, and I didn’t want to be with a younger guy. Time went on, we went our separate ways and connected again in 2010. In December 2010, we hung out for a few days while he was home on leave from the army and started chatting quite a bit. In January 2011, we began a long distance relationship, and in May 2011, we were married via proxy….yea…I know…I know… Not Continue reading “Marriage, Divorce, and How I’m Doing”

Don’t Be Afraid to Fight

1462496316851[1]Have you ever done what someone else wanted just so you wouldn’t have to hear them lip about how you didn’t do it later on?  Is your hand raised?  Well, mine sure is.  One of the things I did while I was married, was go along with what my ex-husband wanted to do, even if I didn’t want to or didn’t agree with it.  Until one day, I realized that being a wife doesn’t mean I turn into a pushover.  You don’t lose your common sense and independence just because you’re married.  Sometimes, part of defending yourself means you’ll need to fight for the things that are important to you.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t disagree with everything my ex-husband wanted to do.  But if I had worked a long Continue reading “Don’t Be Afraid to Fight”

Don’t Settle

1461801127521[1]Today, the process of divorce is over, and I’m nearly 2 weeks single.  Looking back on my marriage, I think about all the things I agreed to that fell short of what I wanted….way short.   I can’t help but think that maybe all of the things I settled for, even back to the days my ex-husband and I were dating, ended up being the very things that contributed to the end of my marriage.  Before we got married, whenever I learned something about my ex-husband that I didn’t like or didn’t want in a partner, I said, ‘well it’ll be OK…that could change later’.  DO…NOT…DO…THAT.  Please do not do what I did.  What I should have done was take him at face value.  In the words of the great Maya Continue reading “Don’t Settle”