I've never been a fan of the "damsel in distress" type or the "waiting for a man so my life can finally start". No! Get up, pick up your sword, and fight! Get your own standards! Find your own strength! Be successful and capable of handling life completely on your own. A real man, a warrior, doesn't need the extra weight and burden of a woman who can't do it herself. He needs a warrior who can stand alongside him in battle, protect his back, and knows she can handle her own! Media and literature have made the "damsel" and "princess" something to be desired when in all reality, it's no help in the battle of this world. Be a woman of strength! Be the woman a warrior can get his strength from and feel safe with. Anyone can be a princess, but it takes a real woman of honor, integrity, character, strength, and gentleness to be a Queen!

To Submit or Not Submit

Uh oh....The "S" word. 

I can already see the eyes rolling and hear the groans of disgust. 

Hear me out! 

There's actually pretty good news in here that may just change your life and you can thank me later.

Now ladies, I get it.

This is the 21st century!

Woman are independent and can handle life just fine on their own with the "I don't need no man" and "Ain't no man gonna tell me what to do" girl-power mindset making even the idea of "submission" seem like an ancient form of torture.

Now I know...I'm single so what do I know, right?

Take it or leave it. It won't bother me a bit. But...

What if I told you it is very possible to be a modern, independent, confident woman AND be submissive to a man.

True story.

The thing is, we have been given a completely false view on what submission is. Submission is not demeaning and weakness. Far from it!

You see, Men are natural born leaders. God created them that way for a specific purpose. The misconstrued idea of submission has unfortunately turned our men from their God-given role as leaders into spineless jellyfish who can no longer make a decision and have become content allowing the woman to run the place.

Ladies, that's messed up. and really not attractive.

We have been given an amazing and important job, by God, to help our men become the greatest leaders that they can be! It is an honor and a privilege that God would entrust us with this awesome opportunity! 

The man is the head of the home and the woman is the heart.

Do you realize how awesome that is?! It's a huge responsibility and can determine the very environment of your entire household, whether it be full of peace and joy or "Dear God help me! I'm gonna kill 'em."

It seems women today have been gravely misinformed on just how important our submissive role really is. It is not weakness at all! It actually takes a strong woman to be submissive.

It's a choice.

Now, granted, you may not fully agree with everything your man decides, but when you're faithfully praying for him (that should just be a given) and you allow him to be the Man, that right there is obedience that God will honor and bless which will result in very few, if any, disagreements as God will direct his steps...not you.

So often we "think" we know what's best, but c'mon girls...let's be real.

Submission is super important as it allows us to be woman of God in meekness, support, love, gentleness, and joyfulness.

It literally makes you a better person!

Your household will thank you and you will find yourself a much happier person. 

It's not the "barefoot, sack-dress, unwashed slave" with her head down in shame, blindly following orders as if she is beneath the man and not worthy to speak.

Not even close!

It is the joyful woman who is confident in her important God-given role and who is brave and strong enough to help her man become a great leader for her and her children!

So ditch the girl-power attitude and embrace the honored position of a submissive and loving woman after God's own heart!

Let's help our men be men and allow them to become leaders that will change the world for God's glory!

"Behind every great man is an even greater woman lifting him up to his fullest potential"

We Remember

January 28.

Holocaust Memorial Day.

The day when we stop and really take note of our lives and where our problems don't seem all so bad anymore. 

The day that we recall the millions of precious Jewish lives that were horrifically taken from this world simply because they were Jews.

The day we remember.

I have walked the halls of the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.

I have seen the graphic pictures, the pile of shoes that were collected before they were sent into the gas chamber, the look in the eyes of the men, women, and yes, even children moments before they're death. I have read the stories, quotes, and writings found carved on cellar walls. 

Those images are forever engraved in my mind and heart.

This was someone's reality.

I walked through replicas of the train cars they were transported in like livestock and even replicas of the gas chambers they were piled in while they thought it was a shower room instead.

I saw the very graphic life-like replica model of the step-by-step process. Though made of plastic and clay, seeing each step brought more tears. The mass arrival, a mix of men, women, and children. Standing in line for hours in the freezing cold as they were processed like animals. Being forced to remove all clothing, shoes, and wedding bands. Being filed into the very large room that had the appearance of showerheads covering the ceiling. It showed how they all crammed in as close as they could under the "showers", as they were led to believe that is exactly what it was.

By this point I was in full out sobs to the point where I was kneeling on the ground completely overwhelmed and overtaken with grief at the sight of these precious innocent people. The horrific reality they had to face was more than I could bear.

The hollow, lifeless eyes of the children stared back at me from the photographs on the wall.

These people were hated. Not because of anything they did, but because of who they were. 

Never Forget.

We are witnesses.

2015.

It happened so fast.

 
This was a roller coaster year for me full of all the feels. I loved and lost and loved again. I survived heartbreak many times and watched it slowly be put back together piece by piece. I discovered strength within myself I never knew I had. I learned what being a survivor was all about. It's not as fun as it would seem, however it is rewarding.

I became a warrior.

 
Defending and protecting my heart at all costs while building up high walls only allowing in those that ultimately proved themselves trustworthy. 

I lost friends.

Not in the usual sense, but more in redefining my own life and taking a step back to refocus and find where I truly need to be, thus learning that, to make a dollar, it is better to have 4 quarters than 100 pennies. 

I made memories this year that will be cherished and highly treasured in my heart for the rest of my life. Memories, experiences, and moments that captured my soul, took my breath away, and seemed as if time stood still. Ones that make you wish to go back and relive over and over. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. 

This year I faced some of the most difficult moments of my life as well as some of the very best, however, I am ready to close the book of 2015. 

I am unsure how to feel regarding the start of the new year. I have many mixed feelings. I am not the woman I was when I started this past year and I wonder what will happen in the next one and how different I will be on this day a year from now. There are many unanswered questions and possibilities and yet that is what comes with a blank, unwritten book.

Many people make their resolutions. Few stick with them. I, personally, have never been the type to make the "New Years list", however, there are a few things I would like to challenge myself for the year 2016 to create a healthier, happier, peaceful, meaningful, and more substantial lifestyle.

• Fall in love with Reading
• Rediscover Self-worth and Value
• Detox and Limit Social Media
• Spend more time Alone with God
• Make Exercise a Priority (walk/run)
• Refrain from Overthinking
• Debt-free and Financial Stability
• Focus on the Positives 

These are a few things that don't require much drastic change, but are certain to readjust and transform into a more positive and fulfilling life. 

I step into this new year, this blank 365 page book, with apprehension and uncertainty of what I am going to face. But, if my heart is in the right place and my mind is steadfast on Jesus, I know I will withstand the valleys and soar through the mountaintops for He makes me brave. I know I am not alone even when sometimes I feel completely and utterly lonely. 

I've always been the one to say "This is my year!", but I am a bit more realistic now and will just take it one day, week, month at a time. I will focus on each moment, for that is life. 

So here I am, 2016. 

It's a new beginning.

Let the adventure begin...

Last night I had to do one the hardest things in life.
Say Goodbye.

No matter how many times that word is spoken over a lifetime, it never gets easier and the pain that follows is enough to shatter a heart. 

Some people come into your life never making much of an impact, while others not only come in, but suddenly they are in every aspect of your world. 

They are the one you text/call the moment you get news of any kind (good or bad). They are the one who drops everything to be at your side when you're falling apart. They are your adventure sidekick and secret-keeper. Your accountability partner and the one person you can be 100% real with because that's where you feel the most safe. You share passions, memories, clothes, and silent looks that only the two of you can interpret.

An unbreakable bond shared between kindred spirits.

From the moment I met Lauren, I knew there was something different. Something bigger than just mere friends and a mutual obsession over everything Christmas. Our connection was instantaneous and infectious. So much so that others around us noticed and commented.

We spent every moment we could together. 

From countless hours of conversation over coffee to watching our favorite movies. Spontaneous lunch dates to spending nearly the entire summer in the sun at Waldameer critiquing the music choice of the waterpark's speakers. Singing together in church to breaking out into song at any given moment due to something we just heard. Knowing what the other is thinking to keeping each other sane when life threw a curve ball. 

We were always laughing even to the point of crying. 

She willingly became the rock I needed to get me through some of the biggest struggles I've ever faced. She was determined to see me succeed. 

She became my Sister, my Confidant, my Best Friend. 

She is my biggest supporter, cheerleader, and fan.

I watched this amazing woman go through pregnancy and last night I was given the awesome honor and privilege of being called "Aunt Kate" to the most precious little boy, her son Judah.

Last night, as in most things in life, we had to let each other go. As we clung to each other in painful, heart-wrenching sobs the reality and uncertainty of ever seeing each other on Earth again was overwhelming, but still we are determined to hold on to the hope of reuniting once again someday. 

Circumstances may separate us, but our hearts will forever remain connected across the miles.

We don't know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future and that alone gives peace.

To say you are missed is an understatement. 

Always my Sissy ~ Forever your Kate-Kate

I love you darling

"Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say 

It is well, it is well with my soul"

Inner peace, through an implicit trust in the love of God, is the real evidence of a mature Christian faith. These powerful lyrics were written by Mr. Horatio E. Spafford. After suffering loss in the great Chicago fire of 1871 he decided to take his family on a vacation to Europe, but, due to urgent business, he was detained while his wife and 4 daughters went on ahead. Halfway across the Atlantic, the ship carrying his wife and daughters was struck and sunk. All four of the Spafford girls drowned. His wife was miraculously saved. Mr. Spafford, after hearing the news of his tragic loss, set sail immediately to rejoin his wife. When his ship passed by the approximate place where his daughters had drowned, he received comfort from God like no other that brought him the words 

"When peace like a river attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well. It is well with my soul."

This is the kind of peace and trust I so desperately yearn to achieve in my life. That whatever trials God sees fit to put me through and whatever sorrows I have to face...I may be able to stand on the deck of my ship, look down at the waters of my trials, and say those words with confidence and true immersing peace and trust in Almighty God! I am learning to fully place my entire life and circumstances in His hands. God only has our best interests in mind and His plans are perfect even tho we cannot see the reason. He has never failed and He won't stop now!

Will I still have doubts? Yes.

Will I fail? Yes.

With God's strength and unchangeable love, I will come out on the other side victorious, stronger, and the woman He truly intended me to be. Help me, Lord!

It is well...

Shine Your Light

A young woman came to me and told me something I will never forget. She said that every time she sees me she envisions God pouring grace, peace, mercy, hope, love, and joy on me like a fountain which then bursts out of me in all directions like rays of light capturing, touching, and affecting every soul around. She then, with tears in her eyes, said, "I want what you have. I want to be close enough to soak up everything I can. I want to learn from you so that I, too, may be that bright beacon that will change the world." I stood there stunned and in absolute awe as tears poured down my face. I looked back at my life and all that I was going thru during the past several months and I am completely amazed. She doesn't know my story. She doesn't know my struggles and trials. She doesn't know the countless nights spent crying myself to sleep while asking God for answers and understanding. Yet, THAT is what she saw. What a constant reminder that I am being watched intently by people I had no idea I was affecting. Had I allowed myself to quit and give up, I could have unknowingly hurt and possibly destroyed her. She was gleaning strength from me that God was pouring into my life.

 Sometimes the trials we go thru are not for us, but for others so we can help them by what we learned.

 What are you showing the world? Who is watching you?