MY MESSY MIDDLE

I don't talk about this part very often, but today it feels important. Sometimes I'm scared that the things that happened to me long before this chapter of my life are going to cost me something good in this one. Trauma is strange like that. You can know you're safe and still brace yourself. You can know you're loved and still wonder when that love is going to disappear. You can recognize that the person standing in front of you didn't cause the wounds you're carrying and sti

Being abandoned by someone she trusted with her whole heart and realizing that sometimes the person she thought was safe… wasn’t. Finding out she was lied to by someone who was really good at pretending to be someone they weren’t. Lying next to someone she once planned forever with and realizing the marriage is already over, even though neither of them has physically left yet. Learning just how lonely a relationship can be when she has to beg for the love, affection, and effo

These lazy Asian dumplings give you everything you love about homemade dumplings without standing at the counter folding and pinching wrappers all night. The seasoned pork goes straight into the skillet, the wonton wrappers go on top, and everything steams together until the pork is juicy, the wrappers are tender, and the bottoms get just a little crispy. I added coleslaw mix to mine because if I can sneak more vegetables into dinner without anyone complaining, I'm going to d

Makes: about 4 Belgian-style waffles Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 10–15 minutes Ingredients 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology 1 cup oat flour 1 tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 2 large eggs ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk, plus a splash more if needed ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 1 tsp vanilla extract Cooking spray or a little butter for the waffle iron For Serving This is where the photo really sells it: Sliced banana, Strawberries or whatever fruit you choose Chopped almonds Drizzle of pure m

I think sometimes we accidentally start believing that God is most present in the big moments. We look for Him in the answered prayer we have been waiting months for, the breakthrough that finally comes, the unmistakable direction, the healing, the miracle or the moment when everything suddenly makes sense. Those moments are incredible, and I am certainly not going to pretend I don't love them. There is something amazing about watching God move in a way that leaves absolutely

There is so much information available about how to be healthy that sometimes I think we've managed to make wellness incredibly unhealthy. We track our steps, calories, protein, water, sleep and heart rate. We worry about ingredients, supplements, hormones, cortisol and whether we're exercising enough. We hear that we should wake up earlier, get morning sunlight, walk after meals, lift weights, stretch, meditate, meal prep and somehow still get eight hours of sleep every nigh

Creamy, cheesy and packed with seasoned chicken, colorful peppers, spinach and ricotta, these lasagna roll-ups are nestled into a homemade Parmesan Alfredo-ish sauce and broiled until bubbling, browned and perfectly ewie goowie. The secret is building everything in the same cast iron skillet. The big stuff comes out between each step, but the juices, seasonings and browned bits stay right where they are. By the time you make the sauce, all that goodness has become part of it.

There is so much pressure to have everything figured out. We’re constantly asked, What are you doing next? What’s the plan? How are you going to make it work? Where do you want to be a year from now? And sometimes the most truthful answer is simply, I don’t know yet. I've been thinking a lot lately about how quickly we can turn life into one giant checklist. We make plans, set goals, build schedules, and chase the next thing. None of those things are necessarily bad, but some

You've probably heard people talking about “resetting” your vagus nerve but what in the world does that even mean? Your vagus nerve is basically one of the ways your brain and body communicate. It plays a part in things like your heart rate, breathing and digestion, and it helps your body shift out of that stressed, on-edge feeling and into a calmer state. Think about those moments when you can actually feel stress in your body: Your shoulders are up to your ears. Your jaw is

Some of the best meals aren't planned -- basically all the food I cook -- they happen because you open the refrigerator, look around, and think, “Okay, what can I make with what I've got?” That's exactly how this soup happened. I had two pounds of country sausage, four potatoes left, a handful of baby carrots, some celery, and chicken bone broth. Nothing was carefully measured. I just started cooking and it turned into a hearty, creamy potato soup that was absolutely worth ma

Some seasons of wellness have absolutely nothing to do with losing weight. Sometimes wellness looks like learning to say no without writing a five-paragraph explanation afterward. Sometimes it’s realizing you don’t have to answer every text immediately. Sometimes it’s going to bed instead of pushing through one more thing. Sometimes it’s walking away from an argument you could absolutely win. Sometimes it’s admitting that something you used to tolerate doesn’t belong in your

I cook with my heart and a rough idea, which means there's a pretty good chance I've never made this exactly the same way twice. I've made this stroganoff with steak, stew meat, shaved beef—basically whatever beef happens to be in my house. I usually reach for homemade bone broth because have you SEEN the price of bone broth at the store?! But regular beef broth works just fine, and if you're in a real hurry, Better Than Bouillon is great too. For those of you who need actual

You do not have to have the whole day figured out before your feet even hit the floor. You don’t have to know how God is going to work it out. You don’t have to carry tomorrow. And you definitely don’t have to drag yesterday into today. “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”— Psalm 118:24 Not when everything goes right. Not when everyone acts right. Not when the answer finally comes. THIS day. So today, I’m choosing gratitude before frustratio