Hey pretty peeps! I have so many thoughts, ideas and words ready to share with you. I am so excited! Many people have asked if I could write again. Yes, absolutely! Here we are. Got your drink? Got your blanket? Ready to catch up? Yes. Yes. YES! Let’s go!

I think we can all agree 2020 is a weird year. A lot of bad and a lot of good. Just an overall feeling of weird. Well I have had my fair share of “life storms” and I have a feeling there are a good chunk of us that are experiencing those life storms now. Before I dive any deeper, I just want to remind you/a little PSA. The key here is I haven’t been in your storm and you haven’t been in mine. Is there a possibility they are similar, yes. Same, no.

Friend, life is unfair. It is. You don’t get a participation trophy. You may work really hard for something and it gets taken away from you. You may deal with extreme loss, illness, or whatever terrible thing that is happening or happened to you. Life is unfair.

Friend. Get your cute butt up, wipe those tears off or cry the entire time, put one foot in front of the other and get walking. You walk towards the things you want, put those pieces of your life back together, cry it out, do the things that bring you the most joy, be angry, and you feel all those feelings. You cannot run or hide from them. You have to face them. It’s messy. It’s hard. You my friend, are strong, brave and by God you will get through it. Just move. Now. Today… not tomorrow. You have said tomorrow too many times.

It’s not fair. I know. Your life isn’t what you wanted. You wish it was different. You wish a million different things compared to your current reality. Well guess what it isn’t your plan. It’s his. The plan you are living is made for you to prosper. To thrive. To be better than you can imagine. You can’t have flowers without the rain. You don’t know what this chapter is preparing you for.

Little reminder, these moments are when you grow the most. This is when you are shaped the most. This is when you find out the good, bad and ugly of who you really are. It’s messy. It’s hard. It’s also beautiful. Stay with me…

Hurricane Harvey rocked our world. You should never have to evacuate your home. Ever. That is your safe place. We floated out of our house on an air mattress with a weeks worth of clothing, important documents, our fur babe and a sinking feeling in our stomachs. We knew it was going to be bad. What mattered in life got put in perspective real quick. Those material things we worked so hard for could be replaced. Our health, my fiance, dog, family and friends could not. I knew as long as I had them everything else would be okay. We would get through it. Fast forward, we did. It was hard and I learned a lot of life lessons. I was stronger because of Hurricane Harvey. God knew I needed THAT life moment. He knew what was coming.

Fast forward nine months later, I had to find my inner strength to serve my new husband divorce papers. Ouch. I just thought I was down in the dumps with the hurricane. Oh man was I in for a ride!! 100 days. I cried 100 days in a row. I know it was 100 days because on day 101 I was laying in bed thinking about my day and realized I didn’t cry all day. Got to thinking and couldn’t remember the last time I cried. Tracked it back in my calendar and exactly 100 days. Wow! Go me!

I could have laid in bed for those 100 days and never saw the light of day. People would have been understanding. I didn’t. I went to work. I worked out. I talked to friends. I hung out and made memories with people. I found all the things that brought me joy and did them. At first, everything was tied to a memory with my husband. Everything, and I mean everything, triggered an emotion. Most were negative emotions at first. Eventually they became happy triggers. I was surviving and living my life. I wouldn’t go as far to say thriving. I was putting one foot in front of the other and moving in the direction I needed to go. It was hard. Looking back now, that was strength!! I am proud of THAT Amanda. She pulled up her boot straps and just figured it out. I was bruised, broken, discouraged, but I got back up every single day. I didn’t let it keep me down. Trust me there were times I would cry throughout the entire day and barely keep it together. There were also amazing days of pure joy, laughter, and genuine love for my life. I eventually had more good days than bad. Now the flowers in my field are gorgeous! There are definitely some days of rain. Just not as many as before.

Thank you God for giving me just the rain I needed to thrive.

Sweet soul of a friend, you my dear are oh so brave. Things may be tough or you may be recovering from a “life storm” or you are just trying to figure things out… hang in there! Let the people you love in your life be there for you, lean on them, be selfish with your time and what you allow in your life. Sit it the moments and learn to dance in the rain. It will wash away what is meant to wash away. It will nourish the things that need to be nourished. You will come out better on the other end as long as your put one foot in front of the other and focus on getting what YOU want. Be healthy. Make good decisions and take care of yourself. You may be catty sometimes, but you do not have nine lives. You have one. Be nice to yourself.

Until next time friends! Thank you for always reading along and spending some of your day with me! Have a fabulous week!

Amanda

Hi friends! Let’s skip the small talk and dive right in. I am struggling. I struggle with a lot right now. Let’s walk through each one idivudally so you know you aren’t alone if you have EVER felt this way. We will talk about social media, poltics, people, body image, and maybe something else. That’s a good start for now. Grab your coffee… screw that! Grab yourself a margarita or whatever your adult drink of choice is and let’s get to talkin’!

First and foremost, I have such a love/hate relationship with social media. There are days I want to be completely off the grid and then others I love the connections made and information shared. Lately, I find myself comparing every single happy thing I see to myself and how I am not enough. PHAHA Lord. I can’t believe I just typed those words so you can read them. I told you when I first started this blog I would keep it real. A promise is a promise. Back on track… I am 28, divorced, no kids, living in a one-bedroom apartment and have felt I have gone “backwards” in life ever since my divorce. Well I really just feel that way when I get down in the dumps because I can be real dramatic sometimes and I just flip the cup over from half full to half empty in about 0.2 seconds.

Real life is I am 28, divorced, dating an amazing man, in a healthy relationship, surrounded by the best friends and family a girl could ever wish for, in a little bit of debt, working to create a better life for me and my two fur babes, and enjoying the heck out of life. That’s real. I am enough. I am right where I am supposed to be. You are too, my friend. Even if it’s a shitty season.

Politics, the news, articles on social media… is driving me insane. It is all over the place. You can’t trust anything you read unless you dive down and find the truth. Then the truth is terrifying and you just pray Jesus comes and takes you to Heaven before the world ends. It makes me feel hopeless and question what’s the point of working, traveling, etc. We have a few months and things are looking like they are going to get real cray cray. I believe it is extremely important to know what is going on in the world. I also wish I could be a little butterfly in the wind and have no clue what is going on at the same time. Regardless, this world needs Jesus in a huge way so in the meantime I am keeping it together, talking to people about the things I believe are real and true and constantly reminding myself I am not in control of really anything that happens. Not a single thing and for my controlling, type-a self… mehhh!! We are a hot mess express and constant work in progress over here. Just a little public service announcement actually LISTEN to people when they are talking. Don’t just hear what they say and immediately put them in a stupid little box that they are a “certain way”. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. You may learn something.

Speaking of prayer… I talk to Jesus a lot. I don’t pray the traditional prayer like Dear God…. That’s not my jam. I am more of a, “Hey God! I know you already know what happened, but I am going to tell you anyway.” I talk to him like he is my BFF. The best thing is you can tell him the same story 100 times and he never gets annoyed. It’s the best. I also, pray and voice my opinion of when I am mad, hurt and sad. Those prayers are more of a, “Hey God! Where ya at?! I just want you to know I am freaking pissed at your right now!! Your purpose is better and I know there is a reason to whatever you want to call this. Right now I am not a fan. Just wanted you to know. K. Bye. Love ya!” Normally those are said when I am crying in the shower because where else do you cry? It just washes your feelings away and sometimes you just need a good cry. I don’t like crying in front of people or where they can hear me. Like I said, we keep it real around here and people don’t talk about the struggles they go through. We just love peaches, sunshine and all the joy. Which I do too, but when you don’t talk about the struggles people experience they feel 10X worse about themselves when they do struggle. It brings all the feelings of not being enough, hiding their feelings from people out of embarrassment because they think people would judge them if they knew how they were really feeling. I have been there before and sometimes still do feel that way.

In most cases though, when you open up to someone about your struggles they are supportive, encouraging and have been in very similar shoes before. Most people just don’t like sharing the bad/ugly of their life… who does?! To keep it simple, friends, he wants a REAL relationship with you. He loves you through it all. Don’t forget he knew the world needed a YOU… sass and all.

Alright friends, I am just going to say it… sometimes people suck. They just do. People are just not nice. Simple as that. Friends, pray for those people. Their actions are not about you… it is all about them. That is the best time to show people grace and Jesus. Now that does not mean you shouldn’t stand up for yourself and let people walk all over you. You are strong and brave. Don’t ever doubt or question your strength! Just remember to take three deep breaths or ten before you speak. Does what you are about to say going to add value?? That’s a line my dad would always tell me and still does. He is one smart cookie!

Next on the list was body image… I just feel that pull on my heart we need to touch on that topic another time. That could be an entire series. Here’s a little preview… we ALL have the same type of insecurities. We all think we are “fat” in pictures and really have no clue how to stand at the perfect angle to make us look skinnier. We all take multiple pictures to find that one that is “good enough” to post on our highlight real of social media. That blog post is coming. I have felt a pull on my heart to write about it for a while.

Still with me? Hope so! We are all nervous, scared, anxious, exhausted, and all have no clue what is on the horizon. Something I do know is God is in control. The war is already won and spoiler alert, he is the winner. He will equip you with the right tools, wisdom and people you need to carry out his purpose. Trust him even when you are questioning everything. I promise you, sweet and precious friend, he has your back. He loves you so much and trust me there is always good. Good always prevails.

As always, thank you so much for spending some of your day with me. Go live your life loud, bright and full of faith. Find the joy always and be the joy. Let God use you to carry out his purpose. This isn’t our forever home.

Talk again soon!

Amanda

Hi friends! A while ago one of my friends encouraged me to start a prayer journal. The biggest reason was to be able to go back to “old” prayers and see which prayers he answered. How many prayers have you said and just forgot about the outcome? Seeing them in a journal shows those two pretty eyes hard proof that he answers and doesn’t answer prayers. I find myself feeling more thankful for the unanswered prayers. Do you agree?

Oh how we think we know exactly what we need and want… which in my world is both (HA!). Then God comes in and gives you so. much. more than what we could have ever “wanted or needed”. Can I get an amen?!

The prayer that keeps filling the pages of my prayer journal is for answers regarding my calling in life. I have said this for a while. I just feel in my bones I was made for more. Made to make a big impact. I believe it is through a non-profit. I just have no clue which one, how to start one, what I am passionate about and this list could go on with all the analysis paralysis questions. Merp.

The thing I do feel and know is that God is doing a lot of work behind the scenes and in this moment I feel called to just sit still. To sit and trust that he is working everything out so when that time comes I will be ready. He is preparing my heart, soul, and mind. I have this time to learn, explore and search the thing that sets my soul on fire. The thing that will give me the feeling that this is the one. I know it’s coming. I just have to learn to be patient and be okay with not having all the answers.

See friends, I am a Scorpio. I don’t know a lot about horoscopes. I just know the “basic” traits of a Scorpio. Scorpio’s are passionate people. Funny thing is I have never felt I was a passionate person. I always had a negative view with someone with a lot of passion. Why? Who knows.

I was at dinner with some of my girlfriends and we were talking about horoscopes and the different traits associated with them. They all, without hesitation, said I am a very passionate person. HA! Oh how we think we know ourselves.

Well, spoiler alert after thinking about it and their many examples, I am a passionate person. I am passionate about making people feel included, loved and encouraged. Making sure they feel heard, considered and cherished. Making sure they feel empowered to chase every single one of their dreams. Making sure they know when they get down or stumble they have a group of people around to lift them back up, dust them off and get them back on their journey. Making sure they feel confident in their own skin and just feel absolutely fabulous. See I am very passionate about brightening peoples worlds. If you are in my life, I will pour into you and love you just like family. I promise you I will bring you into my world of fabulous and we will all just love you for you. Just you with no judgement.

Another thing that fills my prayer journal are prayers for my friends, family and new connections. I want each of them to have success, healing, new opportunities, and answers to the prayers in their heart. The coolest thing is watching those prayers get answered and watching God go to work for them. Sometimes they don’t see it, but the people on the sidelines do.

Trust me when I say, when you go to work, God will go to work for you. He will open doors and move mountains with mustard seeds. The only thing is you have to get off your couch sister. Get your cute hiney movin!! Those callings/pulls on your heart… listen to them. They are there for a reason. We all have different callings. Go for it! Trust me, God will work out all the logistics of it. Be brave, sweet friend!!

Friends, go after your dreams, send up those big prayers, write them in a journal so you can see how faithful God is, and go be the joy! You are good enough. You are capable. You are just fabulous!

As always, thank you for spending some of your day with me! Have a wonderful day! Stop, look around and see all of God’s blessings and favor in your life. Oh he is so good!

Amanda

Hi friends! I normally dive into words with all the feels. Today I figured I would change things up a little and talk about all the things I have been loving, learning and discovering in this quarantini (as I like to call it). Trust me, powerful words are coming soon so be on the lookout!

One: Be the friend you want

Something that is so special to me is the relationships in my life. Friends, family, etc. I nurture those relationships and tend to them often. It is not a one way street and I believe that is what makes them so great. I have incredible people in my life. It sometimes feels unreal to be so fortunate. Friends, I am the friend I want my friends to be to me. Should I repeat that for the people in the back?? You have a CHOICE to who you allow in your life. A choice. Choose wisely. You cannot control the way people treat you. You can control the way you react.

Friends, do not be afraid to give someone the boot if they aren’t bringing good into your life. I used to always feel the need to justify my reasons, give them another chance, or apologize to them because I felt I did something wrong. Yeah, not anymore. I am not saying when you meet someone new sit down with them and list out all the things you expect from them. I am just encouraging you to speak up when someone does something you don’t like. Explain to them your reasons, expectations and why it made you feel the way you did in a calm, cool and collected manor. (This is big… pay attention!) Then give them the opportunity to meet those expectations. When expectations are unmet that is when disappointment occurs. We are all human and make mistakes regularly. Give people a chance and always communicate through it. If they aren’t willing or don’t want to do the things you want and need, then they shouldn’t be in your life. I know that sounds harsh. It is really that simple though. Just a friendly reminder, there are people out there praying for someone just like you to come into their life.

Two: It’s okay to slow down

This quarantine has forced me to slow down. To not make plans. To go with the flow. I am a type-a planner. I love making plans. It gives me something to look forward to. It makes me feel more in control of my life and what I am going to do. I just want to know who I am hanging out with. I am not someone that needs an itinerary of our day. I like having a general idea so I can be prepared for whatever activity we do. Sound familiar to anyone?? I am learning to slow down, enjoy the spontaneity of life and not being in control all the time. This is good!

Three: Robo Vacuum

I have two big, furry, fluff balls of dogs. I always joke around that I am going to go into the rug making business with all the hair they shed. I am also a clean freak and the hair drives me bananas. I had a gift card and finally cashed it in for a robo vacuum. YALL. It is amazing!!! You just turn it on and let it work it’s little heart out. If I needed to do a quick clean, I would get my regular vacuum out because it is faster. I start it in the morning when I get up and everything is clean by lunch time. If you have been on the fence, go treat yo self!

Four: Essential Oils

I love love love essential oils! I diffuse them everyday. They smell amazing and put out a good energy into my apartment. I use them when I am not feeling good or have any kind of issue. I love holistically healing something before medicine. I have been playing around with different recipes and some are on repeat. I have found I love anything with orange or peppermint. So fresh, so clean!

Five: Washer and Dryer

I am incredibly thankful to have a working washer and dryer. I am thankful to have dirty clothes and two machines that wash and dry them for me to wear again. I don’t have to wash them in a tub and air dry them. I put in soap, throw my clothes in, turn it on and they are being cleaned. It is a luxury we all take for granted and each time I start my laundry I can’t help but have a grateful heart.

Six: Prayer Journal

I started a prayer journal a while ago. One of my friends encouraged me to write out my prayers and overtime go back and see how many prayers have been answered. Yall. Our God is good… so dang good! I thank him daily for the answered and unanswered prayers. Just a friendly reminder, your plan is already written and it is beautiful. Enjoy the good, bad and ugly moments of life. They are what God uses to make us into the person we are destined to be.

Seven: Cooking at home

I love cooking! It is one of my very favorite things to do. It is also a way I show my love and when someone cooks with me I feel loved. Quality time is my #1 love language. I have been able to eat out a few times since things are slowly opening back up. I enjoy the experience of eating out. I just love cooking and sitting around a kitchen table eating the food you poured so much love into. I see a lot of girls nights cooking dinner in my future.

Eight: Less Coffee

I have been drinking way less coffee since being in quarantine. I have switched to hot tea, Arbonne Fizz and Digestive Health packets in water or just good ole’ ice water. It has been so refreshing. I do love a good cup of coffee every now and then though.

Nine: More sleep

I have been able to catch up on my Z’s being in quarantine. Oh it is so nice. The lovely bags under my eyes are disappearing. I have felt more alert, productive and WAY less stressed. You always hear how important sleep is. I feel it is the first thing to be put on the back burner when my life gets busy. My skin, energy, mood, etc. is all better with more sleep. I have to keep it a priority in my life.

Ten: Walks

Walking is my second way I feel most loved. It is good exercise, you talk the whole time, and enjoy quality time with whoever you are walking with. I go walking with one of my best friends every week and we started adding more friends to our walks. It’s the best and overflows my cup. Also, the dogs love it too. When they are tired they aren’t so cray cray which makes for a happy dog mama. It’s a win win all around!

Thank you for always spending some of your day with. I hope you take time to stop and reflect about the things you are grateful for during this quarantine. Find the joy and be the joy. This is your time to shine, sister!

Amanda

Hi friends! I hope you are staying sane during this time. This whole thing is nuts. Businesses came to a halt, everyone quarantined to their homes, people forced to slow down. It has been stressful and calming all at the same time. It has brought people together. Kids are playing outside again. Families are eating together. People are getting much needed rest. It has forced people to sit in their feelings and process. It has allowed people to figure out a way to do business, virtually connect with people, learn new things, tackle projects, read a book, and the list could go on.

Building back our lives after the hurricane and then going through a divorce shortly after, I got used to the chaos and trying times. In a weird way, I find comfort in it. The thing that always happens in trying times is things are put into perspective. You remember what is really important in life. It brings you back down to reality. I am most thankful for that.

Maybe you are struggling right now and worrying about your bills, job, etc. I am here to remind you, it will be okay. You, my friend, will be okay. See, you are resilient. You are brave and smart. You will figure it out. I have faith in you and so do a lot of other people. Most importantly, God will take care of you. I know sometimes it feels like he has turned his back on you and left you out to dry. I felt that way before. I can’t tell you how many times I would shake my fist at him saying,”HELLO!!! I am here struggling… are you even listening?!?!” He is. I learn the most when I am forced to figure it out. I believe sometimes God makes you struggle so you will lean into him. He will make you find him, seek for him, talk to him, call for him. He wants a relationship with you. Next time you feel he isn’t there, hang on and seek him harder. He is there, I promise. He may flip your boat and rock your world. He will never let you drown though. Just think about all the things you have prayed for in the past and how many of those prayers were answered.

Friends, I have missed you! I feel like this whole pandemic has allowed me to rest my mind, spirit and body. It has also allowed me to think and dream about what I want my life to look like, goals I want to accomplish and to stop to smell the roses. It has given me the opportunity to remember and focus on the things that matter most. At the end of the day, your job or the amount of money you have in your bank account or the things you own won’t matter. It is the people next to you. Your friends and family. That is the real gold in this world. The relationships and memories you share.

After my divorce I have felt feelings of “going backwards” in life. The income I was used living on was basically quartered. I went from living in a beautiful home to a one bedroom apartment. I really had to budget and cut luxuries I was used to having. My lifestyle changed and I wasn’t the biggest fan at first and still am not at times. Here’s the thing though…I have never been closer to my family. I have incredible friendships with so many people. I have built strong friendships with a group of women that are strong, classy, super sweet, encouraging, supportive, real, and fun. They truly are my very best friends. I have never been so confident in my own skin. My faith has grown exponentially. I am more at peace with my life and have a crystal clear picture of what I want my life to look like. That may change and if it does, I will pivot with it. Friends, I felt I was going “backwards” in reality I was capitulated further than I could ever imagine. My life is so rich and I am so happy! It is overflowing with life’s truest riches. You become who you surround yourself with. If I have come this far in just a few years, where will I be in 1, 2 or 10 years with the people I have in my life now and the ones I haven’t met yet? It is mind blowing and exciting!!

Friends, don’t be afraid to chase your dreams. Don’t run from chaos and hide in fear. Figure it out and find a way to keep going. Some days will feel like you are going backwards and some you will feel like you are sprinting forward. Just keep going. Have faith and believe in yourself. It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down. All that matters is how many times you get back up.

Thank you for spending some of your day with me! Spread the joy and always remember I am cheering for you! Until next time, friends!

Amanda