At The Well

     Earlier today a dear friend shared the wise words of Pastor/Teacher, Louie Giglio.  In the words from Pastor Louie he reminded us to not "chase the lure."  He pointed out that the enemy won't walk through the front door of our lives announcing "I'm here to destroy you."  He won't give us a glimpse of the damage that is done by poor choices or the destruction that inevitably comes to pass.  At first, choices we make may "seem" like good ones and choices made SEEM to offer solutions... relief ... hope.... a way out...comfort... companionship.  But, what really are the consequences of decisions made in haste? Decisions made without wisdom or discernment?  Oh, friend - those consequence are promises that don't come true and checks that can't be cashed.       Each of us has the need and desire to be accepted, found worthy, feel satisfaction and feel satisfied and to have joy and happiness in our  lives.  All too ...

 As many of you know, I have a part time "side hustle" working in sales and reservations for the largest, do-it-yourself moving company in North America.  You know the one - the "orange" moving company. In our position, our customers are asked to do surveys of our performance. Not sure if I was having an off day, I was tired, overwhelmed or what (JULY WAS A HARD MONTH IN THE MOVING UNIVERSE) but a customer did a survey for me and his assessment?  I was "rude." And y'all - even though I don't "think" I'm rude that survey brought some things to the surface of my heart and mind that were, indeed, the undercurrent of what could be perceived as me being "rude."  I KNOW there are times my face speaks things my mouth isn't saying.  I'd like to blame genetics as my mom has this "look" when she is completely puzzled by humanity (and her kids) but I know my response to frustration is TOTALLY on me.   I know that I am...

 As a Certified Nutrition Coach, brand Partner and an elite Master athlete I talk to people ALL the time about nutrition.  I get it - there are a million and one thoughts about what eating "healthy" looks like.  And there should be at least that many because the current population of the world is 8.1 Billion - different cultures, different foods, different food plans.  Admittedly, there are some who have better nutritional habits; some countries don't allow many of the chemicals to be added to food stuffs that are found in ultra processed calories available on our grocery store shelves.   I believe that simple is always best when it comes to nutrition so here are a few things that have worked and continue to work for me (DISCLAIMER - I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN OR A REGISTERED DIETICIAN NUTRITIONIST) 1.      Listen to your body.  Your body will tell you when it IS happy and when it is not.  An unhappy body is said to be uneasy or "diseased...

 We've all heard it.  For some time there has been talk about "routines" and habits and how having good morning, eating, exercise and evening routines (doing small things consistently, day in and day out) makes a big difference in the overall peace in our lives.  But why are habits so important?  Webster's dictionary describes "habit" as a settled or regular tendency or practice. The theory in principle is that if there is something we do or don't do we can simply "change" and either stop doing something or start doing something.  Sadly, friend, it isn't that simple. James Clear, in his book "Atomic Habits" points out :  "It’s hard to change your habits if you never change the underlying beliefs that led to your past behavior. You have a new goal and a new plan, but you haven’t changed who you are." OUCH - that's convicting.  But - it's not the end.  So many of us (myself included) tend to give ourselves a pass o...

"Stressed out" - to be worried or nervous; being tense or anxious because of difficulty in our lives. But stress is more than a feeling. It's a real, neurological response that occurs when the sympathetic nervous system hits the gas and the body goes in to high gear.  The body dumps adrenaline (the high energy hormone) and the brain has to instantly make a decision whether to stand a "fight" or run in  "flight."  This divine design is pretty amazing.  Until this amazing feature of the body is being engaged on a daily basis because of life, work, finances and relationships.  Beloved - life is hard.  I get it.  ON SO MANY LEVELS - I get it.  But adrenaline being continually pumped into circulation can harm blood vessels, raise blood pressure, increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, increase your appetite and cause weight gain.  Adrenaline was designed to be the "gas" in the car when we gotta move.  Beloved, if our bodies are constant...

 Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, mangoes, pluots, cherries - ALL the summer "stone" fruits that make for great jams and tarts and, at the peak of ripeness, scream summer!! Why is that?  The antioxidant Vitamin C (Can you say "Sunshine) is found in rich supply in stone fruits.  Vitamin C is the powerhouse of building a strong immune system and potentially reducing the impact and duration of summer colds (because #aintnobodygotnottimefadat).  And here's a benefit we can all truly appreciate as we age:  Stone fruit is typically (when fresh) low in calories and high in fiber, per serving.  High fiber foods move through the body slower, and increased fiber helps you feel full longer.  If you "feel" full you won't be reaching for that treat that simply ain't servin' you or your goals well. The fiber in stone fruit is also beneficial for managing blood sugar, blood pressure and helping to keep cholesterol levels in check.   Stone fruits are lo...

Okay y'all - you know I refuse to embrace the label "old."  Except, maybe, when it comes to my feet.  As a little girl (like a LOT of little girls do) I wanted to tromp around in high heels and could not wait until my Mom said "yes" to my first pair of heels.  THEY WERE GLORIOUS! I remember them like yesterday.  A pair of wood bottomed, dark burgundy leather "platforms" from Tom McCann.  They were AMAZING! And my passion for all things high heeled was born.  The more sparkly, flowery, wedge-y, lacey, buttery-leathery THE BETTER.  Oh, Beloved - what we didn't know THEN could fill Google search pages.  Lemme give you a little foundation, if I may. Each human foot is made up of 26 bones, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, all of which work together to provide support, balance and mobility. In The Beginning THERE WERE NO SHOES and folks didn't have bunions, plantar fasciitis, hammer toes, neuromas and corns.  They didn'...

I hear women all the time talk about  how they don't feel comfortable taking "selfies." To that girl?  Sugar, I get it.  I'm not pretty.  While my husband calls me "beauty" I believe he is calling out my heart for others and my passion for health and wellness.  But selfies?  I take 'em.  Daily.  With a filter.  A filter that gives the lashes I've never had, permanent #LipSense and beautiful, smooth, flawless skin.  And a smile.  ALWAYS (most always) a smile.   But filters didn't always exist and even though I have had an inherent smile in my soul for most of my life, it has never made me smile to be reminded that "beautiful" or "pretty" were never words ascribed to me earlier in life.  The words I heard when I was younger?  "Skinny"  "Ugly"  "Too white"  "Ghost" "Chicken Legs" Euphemisms about my tiny stature, pale skin, golden pale hair and outspoken, unfiltered boldness were ...

For many years I was employed in the legal profession.  Although I did my best to avoid some aspects of the profession, I was, from time to time, asked to assist in divorce litigation.  The Courts put a fancy spin on it and call it "Dissolution of Marriage" and cites "irreconcilable differences" and that the marriage is "irretrievably broken" to avoid getting to the root of why two people who start out ostensibly loving one another can no longer make the  journey of life together.   In Arizona, where I live, irretrievably broken means that there is NO CHANCE spouses will agree to stay married.  Ouch.   Recently, as I was praying over and through some of the changes that have come to pass in my life these past several years, I have a new respect for the phrase "irretrievably broken."   What about other things that are irretrievably broken?  Did you ever drop a glass and see it fracture into shards that go everywhere?  That's wha...

 " A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.   She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.  She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.  For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”   Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.  Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked,  “Who touched my robe?”  His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”  But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knee...

  The Oxford dictionary defines "Legacy" as  the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life. Last evening the Hottie and I were privileged to attend a Celebration of the life of one of my high school classmates.  I went, not because he and I had remained in close contact after high school but the inception of social media years ago allowed so many of us who had grown up together to connect and share life - if only virtually.  What I heard from his family and closest friends is what I had known about this gentleman since we were adolescents:  that he was kind, compassionate, ambitious, gritty, determined, hard working and would, literally give someone the shirt off his back.  He had, indeed, left a legacy, mostly of love.  For God.  For his wife who had been his faithful companion since the age of 19.  For his two beautiful children and their friends.  For their spouses and h...