Bloom With Bridget

"God will either give you what you asked for in prayer, or give you everything you would have asked for if you knew what He knew." ~ Timothy Keller

I had the privilege of interviewing Jakie Smith on this emotional episode of Bloom where she shares her journey with infertility as we enter  National Infertility Week, this week. 

Jackie shares her desire to start a family reminded her a lot like the Easter season and the time in-between Friday to Sunday, waiting for a miracle.  It's a three day story.  She speaks the the darkness of the blow that makes you question, "why me?," to the waiting period of what's next and then the joy that comes on Sunday. 

Jackie and her husband Zach, have their Sunday.   Their family has been blessed with two beautiful girls through the process of egg donation allowing her to carry them on her own. 

This is a beautiful story, filled with promise and hope.  Thank you for tuning in!

Be sure to download and share this episode, because for every download between now (4/24-5/24) I will donated a dollar per download to Jackie's fundraiser to help another family with infertility expenses.  Thank you for your support and for being a part of this amazing community.  I'm so grateful for you!

As Jackie mentioned, she has created two beautiful pieces this year for the fundraiser and they can be found on her website so be sure to check them out!

Jackie Blue Handmade

Jackie Blue Handmade on Facebook and Instagram

Be sure to follow along at Live Your Life in Bloom in between episodes. 

Don't forget to check out this song, Evidence by Josh Baldwin while you're at it! 

XO, 
Bridget

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

Sometimes flowers have to push through a little bit of dirt before they can see the sun.  Not every season is going to be bright and blooming.  Not every season is going to feel fruitful, but every season has purpose.   

If you're feeling like you're in a funk and that the work you're doing doesn't matter or you're getting nowhere,  you might be experiencing an “off season.”   

An off season is simply another season of being cultivated.  It’s a time when we are being prepared for the transformation of blooming.  It’s getting us ready for what comes next.   

In this episode, I talk about the off season - the season of in between.  I'll share five practices that have helped me navigate an off season in real-time in hopes that it will help you as well. 

If you're in the midst of an off season, embrace it.  This is the time where the real work is being done. Where the development of self is happening.  Where the development of habits and routines are being formed, where the development of real growth is taking place.   This is a time of focusing inward, instead of outward.  Big blooms are coming! 

I can't wait for you to listen!  Be sure to follow @liveyourlifeinbloom on Instagram for more ways to bloom in between episodes. 

XO,
Bridget

The Generosity Habit

For better is one day in your courts, than a thousand elsewhere.  
~ Psalm 84:10

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

I see you.  Three words that can have so much impact.  To be seen, known and loved is something we all strive for.  It's our validation.  To know that we matter.  That we are important and what we do matters. 

It's acceptance, acknowledgement and approval.  We've become so busy and distracted that we no longer take the time to see people and connect. 

Our society today is so connected, yet we are so far apart.  We don't know how to communicate and interact.  We live in the world of "now" where everything is short form and instant.  We are missing opportunities to see others, to see ourselves and honor where we are.  We're missing opportunities to love on people and let them know we care when everything feels so fast-paced and hurried. 

How do you see yourself?  How do you see others?  Who are you seeking validation from?  These are all topics we will dive into today, on this episode. 

My hope is that you walk away knowing that you are seen, known and loved.  You matter.  Your work matters.  And you have purpose.  No matter what your past looks like or where you've been, no matter if no one is telling you or pays attention - you are seen!

Tell someone today that you see them.  You see their effort, you see their progress, you see their heart.  And then, look in the mirror and do the same for yourself. 

XO,
Bridget

@liveyourlifeinbloom

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

We are tired.  Depleted, exhausted and worn out.  We let our days run us rather than the other way around.  Society tells us that it's completely normal to go, go, go.  The hustle and grind have become a way of life for many.  If we have nothing to show for our hard work and achievement, then we won't be accomplished, right?!  But, we're tired. 

I think we're tired for a few reasons: 

1. Because we're doing too many things, period. We don't know when to say no. It's time to take down some chairs and make room for more of what matters.  
2. We're taking on someone else's load. It's not ours to carry.   And we haven't sought the wisdom to know the difference between what we've been asked to carry and what someone else has been asked to carry.  
3. We're prioritizing the wrong things.  We've let things of little to no importance fill our lives that we no longer have room for the big things.  

What are you giving your time and energy to?  Is it the most important things in your life or little things that you have made important things?  I want you to live your life out of abundance, not exhaustion and depletion.  I want you to create the life you want rather than just allowing life to happen to you. 

This week, write down your big rocks, medium rocks and little rocks.  What matters most.  Put that first, then everything else comes after. 

Our wagons don't have to be full.  It's time to let go and make room for those big rocks in your life so that you have the capacity and energy to carry the load you were called to carry. 

XO,
Bridget

@liveyourlifeinbloom



 

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

We can change our clothes, change the color of our hair, change our environment, but why do we hesitate to change our mind?  Well this episode is your permission slip to do just that! 

We all need to embrace the fact that it's ok to change our mind.  Change means progress and growth from the person we were yesterday. 

Nothing changes if nothing changes.  If we don't change, we run the risk of closing ourselves off from our potential.  We close ourselves off from being exposed to new experiences, new people, new ideas, new thoughts and new beliefs. 

Don't be afraid to change your mind.  Be afraid of staying where you are. 

Go live a life that makes you come alive.  If you're not there today, what do you need to change to get there?

Keep blooming, keep growing and keep changing!

XO,

Bridget

Live Your Life In Bloom

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

The words we speak are powerful.  They can either build us up or tear us down.  Let's choose to speak life into people.  Let's use them for good and growth.  

I saw something once that said, “Are the power of your words bullets or are they seeds?” 

It’s so important to understand the power of our words and be mindful that what comes out of our mouth, has the ability to change someone’s life forever.  Either in a positive or a negative way.   

I challenge you to rewire those limiting thoughts you have about yourself and maybe those around you and speak life.  Let positivity, encouragement, love and light flow from your lips and plant seeds that will bear much fruit tomorrow.  

I hope you enjoy!

XO - Bridget

Live Your Life In Bloom 

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

A new season is coming.  Spring brings new life, new beginnings and let's not forget change.  Before we move on to the next season, let's talk about the current season we're in right now.

Maybe you're in a season of rest this winter.  Maybe it's a season of introspect and self reflection.  Maybe it's a dark season for you or maybe you're in a season of massive growth.  Wherever you are, know that the next season is upon us.  And it's about to show us all of it's beautiful blooms. 

The old is gone and something new is before us.  Right now, you are being prepared for something new.  As we move into a new season of the year, of your life, know that the current season you're in right now is building you for something great.  Even if it feels like this season is breaking you, growth is still happening.  Just because you don't see any blooms, doesn't mean that they aren't there.  

Change is beautiful.  Are you ready for the next season?!

Let's keep BLOOMING together!

XO,
Bridget

Some good book recommendations mentioned on the show:

When Strivings Cease, by Ruth Chou Simons
Maid, by Stephanie Land

To bloom in between episodes, be sure to hop on over to find me on Instagram @liveyourlifeinbloom 

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

"Sometimes you have to let go of something good, to make way for something great."  - Bibs Edge

You GUYS!!!  This episode is full of so much goodness and is going to bless you abundantly! 

Wrapping up her last semester at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, Bibs Edge joined me on Bloom to talk about finding clarity through navigating big life decisions, next steps and just life direction in general.  

Bibs is such a gift and her wisdom is well beyond her years.   It's easy to see how she has been able to bless so many lives, including mine.  

As we began to talk about some defining moments of clarity in our lives, we share helpful ways we can practice finding clarity intentionally that any listener can apply. 

In order to do that, we have to cut out a lot of the noise in our lives.  Our own noise in our heads, the noise of others and everyday distractions such as technology and the busyness of life.  

Here are some ways we are finding clarity: 

• Go to prayer - ask Him to guide you
• Get silent and be still - cut out distractions
• Ask yourself what do you want?  What do you need in that moment?
• Connect your heart to your gut - what are they telling you?
• Have the courage to act - don't just listen, be a doer
• Get an action plan. Break down the project into bite-sized tasks 
• Question your "nevers" - those things that you think you will never do

With clarity comes peace.  Bib's best advice is to ask God to "give me the grace to see and the courage to act."  Sometimes it's the action that leads the way to the next right step. 

There are so many moments of growth in this episode.  I can't wait for you to tune in and apply these practices of seeking clarity in your life. 

Liveyourlifeinbloom 

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

As we wrap up the final episode in the love series for the month of February, we are ending on a high note! 

February 28th marks the one year anniversary of Bloom With Bridget and you guys - I am so full of gratitude to have been journeying with you for this past year! What an amazing growth experience it has been for me and I hope it has been for you also. Thank you for tuning in and sharing, my heart could explode right now with so much love and gratitude!!

I started the month off with ways we can love ourselves, love and relationships, loving others well and this episode is centered around loving your life - right here, right now, exactly where you are. 

We spend a lot of time planning and deciding what we want our life to look like and sometimes, we forget to live in the moment and enjoy today.  Don't wait until you retire, have more money, aren't as busy or when the kids are grown.  Do it today.  Enjoy today.  Bloom where you are physically planted and be intentional about what's right in front of you. 

You can have adventure now.  You can celebrate something everyday.  Don't put off living your life because you're waiting for someday.  Live for today!

For ways to bloom in between episodes, hop on over to Live Your Life In Bloom.

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.

All we need is love.  We were created for it.  We are wired for it.  We weren't meant to be alone.  We are built for community.  We live in a world today that is so connected, but yet we feel so disconnected.  In a time when technology has the ability to bring anyone together from all over the world, we find ourselves apart.  

We are called to do two things: love God and love people.  Everything we do should be done out of love.  Love is not something that we say, it's something that we do.  It's action.  And we can have big impact through small acts of love.  We don't have to go across the country to show love, we can go across the street!  

It's easy to love those close to you - your family, your friends, those you interact with everyday.  But are you stepping outside of your circle to love others?  What about those you avoid or even those that hurt you?  

As you listen to this episode, I want you to think about these things: 

1. How do you define love?  How would you describe it?
2. How do love others today? 
3. How can you love more intentionally? 

I hope this episode inspires you to take love with you wherever you go and look for ways to put on love and wear it like it's your favorite accessory. 

Go out and love others well and put a little gold in someones heart today and everyday. 

You can find the An Audience Of One episode where I talk about the Japanese art process of repairing broken cracks in pottery with gold. 

For more ways to bloom, follow me @liveyourlifeinbloom on Instagram.  

https://bloomwithbridget.buzzsprout.com

For more ways to bloom in between episodes, follow along at @bloomwithbridget on instagram or head on over to www.bloomwithbridget.com to keep growing with me.

*NEW!!! Sign up for weekly growth texts from Bloom at 833-761-1714.

Be sure to leave a review about this podcast or share it with someone who you think would love it!

To explore the Bloom Box, you can find both boxes by checking out the Bloom Box on the website.