In this podcast episode, we discuss cover-ups.

I spent some time this weekend trying to cover up the scuffs, marks, and spots on walls that needed some touch-up.  

After stepping back, I could see a different sheen and look on those spots.  They didn't blend perfectly! UGH! With different views, lighting, and perspectives, the look of each of those spots changed.  Sometimes visible, sometimes not.  

Each of us has vulnerabilities, spots, or weaknesses we do our best to cover.   We adapt to look and make sure that we don't show that we are struggling.

Satan was quick to point out Adam and Eve's weaknesses and vulnerabilities and told them to cover themselves and HIDE.  And so began our mortal experience.  

Christ, on the other hand, chose to keep his scars. He showed them as a reminder of His love, sacrifice,  and victory over his challenges.

In this episode, we talk about not always having to remain "covered."

We don't always have to have the perfect cover-up.  Sometimes our weak spots are seen, but it makes us relatable and reminds us we are putting up a good fight!

In today's podcast, we talk about the benefits of sunlight!

I use sunlight as a stain removal source when I'm working on tough spots and stains in a piece of clothing.  The sunlight can lighten, bleach, and remove those tough stains from baby blowouts and all sorts of other stains!

Sunlight can help us lighten and remove the heaviness that we may be experiencing mentally, emotionally, and physically as well!

We discuss how the sun stimulates Vitamin D production, helps regulate our sleep cycles, and also regulates our nervous system.

We also talk about the other sun, the "Son," Jesus Christ, and how his light helps us spiritually.

Many times we compartmentalize all of the components of health, but they are all connected and each one needs attention!

Listen in as we discuss light, how it affects us personally, and how it will trickle in to the parent, spouse, and friend that we can be!

What do you do when you've been caught red-handed and know you're guilty? Do you lie? Do you get defensive? Or do you admit you were wrong and tell the truth?

In this week's episode, we talk about telling the truth. We talk about an experience I had when I got pulled over by a police officer and how I chose to tell the truth. 

We have the opportunity to model honesty and truth-telling to our children, families, and coworkers, and this toolkit will help us.

In the Truth Talk Toolkit, we discuss these four keys:

1. Clarity: Make truth a core value.
2. Connection: Make it safe to be honest.
3. Consistency: Model what you teach.
4. Curiosity: Teach truth through questions.

We've heard the phrase, "The truth shall set us free." 

It truly does.  It frees us from the guilt and the shame.  Telling the truth fosters connection with ourselves, with others, and with God.

Listen in!

Food is a central part of celebrating! It is a way we show love, how we like to gather, how we enjoy each other's company, and such an integral part of gathering! However, when dealing with dietary restrictions or just trying to observe what you are eating, it can feel isolating and a big frustration. To the point that you may just want to stay home!

Don't do it!

In this podcast episode, we discuss making our celebrations for the 4th of July and other holidays more than just about food, using these four suggestions.

1. Plan Activities Beyond Eating.
2. Embrace a Healthy Menu.
3. Practice Mindful Eating and Portion Awareness.
4. Remember, Perfection is not the Goal! 

   Enjoy your 4th of July by focusing on the people, the freedoms we enjoy, and make food a part of celebrating, but not the entire focus!

Jarred gave me a carwash pass for Mother’s Day, and after lots of lugging, shuttling, and adventuring, one day I noticed how bad my car needed to be washed, specifically the windshield.  It was so dirty! So I pulled through the carwash, and when I got out, it was like a breath of fresh air! Being able to see through that dirty window, it was like a whole new world was opened up!

It reminded me of the same experience I’d had when I put a new screen protector on my phone after the previous one had been cracked and damaged.  Same experience. A breath of fresh air.

The word I would use to describe both of these experiences is CLARITY

Clarity generally refers to how clear, understandable, or free of confusion something is.

I want to discuss mental clarity, because when our head is cluttered and full, we don’t show up as our best, can’t think and perform clearly, and don’t connect with others as well. Mental clarity refers to a state where your thinking is sharp, focused, and not clouded by confusion or distraction.

Here are 10 Steps to Clarity:

1. Clear the mental clutter.
2. Get enough sleep.
3. Practice mindfulness or meditation.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Eat clean and hydrate.
6. Prioritize and plan.
7. Take a digital detox.
8. Talk it out.
9. Optimize the time of day.
10. Get Present.

Sometimes clarity comes with just a carwash or a new screen protector, but mental clarity, when the world opens up and our minds open up, may be a little different. When we hike, the higher we are, the further we can see. Sometimes we are stuck in a rabbit hole and spinning in circles. So we need to get a bigger picture and a greater perspective.

Try just one of these 10 steps and see if you experience some clarity in your day today!

I love a good, tight pattern.

I love to see straight lines, uniform paterns, and regularities.

My eye doesn't just love a good pattern, but my brain does too!

Brains love patterns because they create safety, control, ease, and comfort.

With summer underway, are you creating a good summer pattern, or are you still struggling to get a good one going? Well, if so, this podcast is for you!

In today's podcast, we discuss why patterns are helpful, why some of our patterns are not so helpful, and how to recognize the patterns in our lives.

Then we discuss how to create a summer pattern that weaves in work, play, and so much more!

Listen in as I give some insight into the patterns we've created and love to help us connect, create, and more!

Do you remember your 5th-grade science classes, where we learned about rocks, weathering, and erosion? Where there is molding and shaping, weathering, and change?

This week, I took a journey back to those classes as I recalled the processes and related them to Jarred and my marriage.  

We celebrated 25 years this week, and it has been a ride for sure! 

There has been molding and shaping and building during those 25 years, and they have come through our life together, the family we have created, the work, the hobbies, and our homes!

In this episode, we talk about what builds, molds, and shapes us. We relate this molding and shaping to the processes of weathering and erosion, and learn how growth and change come through processes of breakdown and change.

I share the 25 things that have built Jarred and I, and as promised posted the YouTube video below!

Take a look back on your life and/or your marriages and see what things have broken you down, but also in the process molded and shaped who you are today!

Jarred and Jesser's 25th Anniversary Video

It's that time of year when graduations are happening in every corner, and it's exciting! The graduates of 2025 are giving commencement speeches and spreading their wings to take on their next adventure!

We celebrated Meg's graduation last week, and I have been overwhelmed by the support she's had throughout her life that has molded and shaped who she is. 

While I hope I've been an influence for good in her life, I recognize that Jarred and I are not the only ones who have been on her journey! It has taken a village!

It takes a village is a phrase that signifies that raising a child, or achieving any significant goal, cannot be done by one person alone. It highlights the need for a supportive network of people who can provide guidance, resources, and encouragement. 

Our "village" can include family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, community leaders, and even professionals like doctors or therapists. It is a concept that can be applied to various areas, including professional development, community projects, and even personal goals. 

Trying to do the job alone doesn't usually go well. As humans, we need each other. We are made for connection and relationships, we need our village.

In today's podcast, we talk about our village when it comes to raising families, but also raising ourselves and each other! We need people to support, lift, and we need to do the lifting as well! Listen in!

Mel Robbins Podcast: Understanding This Will Change How You Experience Your Entire Life with Dr. Lisa Miller

You’ve heard the term: Take a chill pill!

Or take a chill pill and call me in the morning!

What does that even mean?!

Well, to put it simply, it means to relax!

There are, in fact, pills that we can take to relax, but that’s not always the most healthy or beneficial. There are other solutions to help us manage our stress because It is inevitable.

We all have stressful situations, relationships, and circumstances.

It isn’t really something that we can get away from.

How do you cope with stress?

Some of us lash out.

Some of us buffer or use other sources like food, work, and spending money to avoid the stress. 

Some of us shut down, sleep

Some of us bottle it up, shove it away, 

Some of us stay busy, 

All of us do something, and we all hold that stress differently in our bodies.  Maybe you feel tension in your shoulders, maybe you feel an upset stomach, maybe you have a headache.  All of these can be linked to the way you’re coping with your stress. Is there a way that you cope with your stress that you know is helpful? There are many techniques like breathing, movement, journaling, exercise, and taking pills.

Have you ever thought of using water as your chill pill?

Yes, water.

Water can be a tool to help cope with your stress, anxiety, and overwhelm, and regulate your nervous system to get to a more relaxed state, so we can handle our stress.  

In this episode, we are going to talk about using water as a way to help manage stress using H2O.

Hydrate: Drink water! Our bodies are made up of 63% water!

2 Activities: Swim, run your hands in it, wipe it on your face, so many options!

Observe: Listen and watch water! 

Listen in to hear more! It really is the Chill Pill you need!

Mom Guilt.

This is a real thing.

A day doesn't go by that we don't experience this phsycological phenomenon.  

All of the should have dones, could have dones, the mistakes we've made that we'd like to change. The times we did show up as our best, or show up at all.

We all have an expectation of what a "good mom" looks like, and spend a lot of time feeling guilt for these expectations.

These persistent feelings of guilt can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, or just a flat grumpy mom! And if they stay for long, can lead to bigger problems.  This stress we feel is very disregulating and puts us into a fight, flight, and freeze mode just perpetuating the cycle of self-deprecating thoughts and stress.

But we don't have to stay here!

The guilt we feel is because of the gap that we see in our mothering.  

What if we replaced this gap with grace.  What if we offered it to other's but especially to ourselves! 

In this podcast we talk abou grace and filling the gaps with grace!

This mother's day and every day, lets add grace to our gaps!

Listen In!