Well hey there!! Hope this Monday finds you encouraged & equipped for the week ahead — sometimes it can be a little overwhelming going into a full week with lots on the agenda, but, as I was reminded at church yesterday, it’s all about the little steps! So take courage friend, and don’t be afraid to take some risks — even if it opens you up to the possibility of failure, it’s also the only way to possibly succeed!!

Things I am loving this Monday…

>>>This song by Drew Holcomb :) I fell in love  the very first time I heard it thanks to the wonderful Addie Zimmerman (you might have caught her popular blog post — “For The One Who Married Young” a few months back…)

>>>All the momma love on the internet this past weekend :) I am so blessed to have been given such an amazing, loving, hilarious, beautiful, awesome, supportive, WONDERFUL mother, and I am so thankful for her! It was so neat for me to see all of the shout-outs to moms around the world — and I LOVED the shout-outs to the “unofficial” moms as well :)

>>>This message by the AMAZING wife of our pastor yesterday:

I LOVED her talk, and felt super encouraged afterwards — as a girl who was/still-kinda-is afraid of way too many things, a talk on courage & the freedom to fail always hits the spot. I especially loved her point on enabling — it will be near the end of the video. Too often we let our story be an excuse for why we can’t do something/sin/are the way we are…”Well ________ happened to me so I get to be bitter”, or “I didn’t have ______ growing up, so it’s okay that I ____”, or even: “Well, God gives grace so I can do _________ & he will forgive me!! Right?!?”. Yes we aren’t perfect, and no we don’t have it all together, and yes terrible things happen…but THANK GOODNESS we have a God who not only accepts us the way we are, but who also redeems our stories. #noperfectpeople

>>>That I got to hang out with some of my favorite Cleveland kiddos on Saturday while their parents were out of town for wedding fun! If you follow me on instagram, Nate & Layla’s cute faces & AWESOME hair will be nothing new to see :) So thankful for this family & all of the joy they have brought Chris and I!!! Also, I’m obsessed with Layla’s face in the play-dough squeezing pics…HAHA!! SO. MUCH. EFFORT.

My favorite little dude :) See what I mean?!?!? HAHA love her :)

>>>And to end on a funny note, I am DEFINITELY loving the fact that I’m not wearing pants at work today :) HAHA! I told my first period that after a girl complimented my dress and I may or may not have gotten a lot of weird looks…but that’s what a dress is for, am I right?! :)

Happy Monday!