Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Happy Thursday friends! For today's Thursday Health Thought I wanted to share a bit more about my slow and restorative mornings as a professor.
My early mornings from 5:30-9:00am are sacred to me and are truly grounded in soft living while being so cozy and restorative. The beauty that surrounds us truly inspires my work as a professor and the slow morning brings such peace into my work space. You can find the story on Instagram by clicking HERE!
I plan to share more about slow and restorative mornings in the upcoming weeks on Thursdays but I am curious: What are some of the things you do in the morning that bring you joy?
A note about the instagram reel/post
I understand that in the world we live in and the constant reels and pictures it may not seem like a lot, but to me this means so much more than you realize. Every view, like, comment, and share on a reel truly matters more than most people realize when you are a creator and this is your full-time job. Instagram quietly uses those small signals to decide whether a post should be shown to more people. When you watch, tap the heart, or leave a thoughtful comment, you’re helping the story reach someone else who might need to hear it too. You are also helping support this business of mine- which is HUGE. For a small content creator like me, those simple moments of encouragement from this community make a real difference and help Caravan Sonnet continue to grow in the Instagram space and support me with no cost to you. So please take just a quick moment to click HERE to do this! .
Thank you.
Happy Thursday friends! I hope you have the most wonderful day!
The professor is going back to school! There are some seasons where you get to be both the professor... and the student. This fall, I’m so excited to begin my second master’s degree, this time in History.
History has always been more than names and dates to me. It’s the stories, the people, the ideas, and the moments that continue to shape the world we live in today. The more I teach, the more I realize just how much there is still to learn.
So here’s to fresh notebooks, colorful highlighting and sticky notes, stacks of books, late-night reading, and another chapter of learning.
I can’t wait to share the journey—and, of course, bring everything I learn back into the classroom.
Here’s to becoming a student again.
Caravan Sonnet | Caravan Sonnet Classroom | Graduate School | History Professor | Back to School
History has always been more than names and dates to me. It’s the stories, the people, the ideas, and the moments that continue to shape the world we live in today. The more I teach, the more I realize just how much there is still to learn.
So here’s to fresh notebooks, colorful highlighting and sticky notes, stacks of books, late-night reading, and another chapter of learning.
I can’t wait to share the journey—and, of course, bring everything I learn back into the classroom.
Here’s to becoming a student again.
Caravan Sonnet | Caravan Sonnet Classroom | Graduate School | History Professor | Back to School
June 2026 has been one of the most tender and redemptive months of my life. What started as watching my mom courageously walk through radiation after months of surgeries and recovery brought us softly into a new and restoratively beautiful season after I was removed from a very toxic and unhealthy situation that I had been dealing with for years. June has brought us answered prayers, tears of weariness and gratitude, healing for many things, laughter that is deep, the blessings of dear friends that have surrounded us and spoken so much life over and into us, hope and freedom, and a sweet joy that is almost indescribable. If you are in a very difficult situation that for various reasons you are walking through… I am sending the gentlest of hugs. I hope that this is an encouragement that rescue, relief, recovery, and restoration are in your future. You are not forgotten…you are seen.
You are not hidden
There's never been a moment
You were forgotten
You are not hopeless
Though you have been broken
Your innocence stolen
I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army
To find you in the middle of the darkest night, it's true
I will rescue you
There is no distance
That cannot be covered
Over and over
You're not defenseless
I'll be your shelter
I'll be your armor
I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army
To find you in the middle of the darkest night, it's true
I will rescue you
I will never stop marching
To reach you in the middle of the hardest fight, it's true
I will rescue you
I hear the whisper underneath your breath
I hear you whisper, you have nothing left
I will send out an army
To find you in the middle of the darkest night, it's true
I will rescue you
I will never stop marching
To reach you in the middle of the hardest fight, it's true
I will rescue you
Oh, I will rescue you
/ Lauren Daigle /
You are the God who sees me…Have I not even here (in the wilderness) been seen with understanding and compassion?
/ Genesis 16:13 /
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
/ Psalm 126 /
Seven weeks ago, I started training for my first walking marathon. I thought I was preparing for the Honolulu marathon. What I didn’t realize was that I was also preparing for one of the most unexpected seasons of my life. After an already difficult year, I wasn’t expecting another huge chapter of uncertainty. You can find the story on Instagram by clicking HERE!
Two days after I began training, I was unexpectedly and without warning laid off from my job.
What followed were days and weeks filled with uncertainty, difficult conversations, tears, prayers, and more questions than answers. There was also the reality of walking with my mom through her radiation treatments.
But there were also walks.
Every day, I laced up my shoes and kept going. Some days the walk was about marathon training. Some days it was about working through the trauma of an unexpected layoff. Some days it was processing and praying through everything with my mom’s diagnosis. Some days it was simply about putting one foot in front of the other.
Looking back at these clips from the past seven weeks, as I walked mile after mile I changed deeply.
Healing was happening.
Not all at once.
Not dramatically.
Just one step at a time.
And I’m still walking- grateful for all of the good- incredible good that has happened and humbled by the amazing things ahead and for all of the miles behind and still to come.
I started training for a marathon. I ended up training for resilience. You can find the reel on Instagram by clicking HERE!
Two days after I began training, I was unexpectedly and without warning laid off from my job.
What followed were days and weeks filled with uncertainty, difficult conversations, tears, prayers, and more questions than answers. There was also the reality of walking with my mom through her radiation treatments.
But there were also walks.
Every day, I laced up my shoes and kept going. Some days the walk was about marathon training. Some days it was about working through the trauma of an unexpected layoff. Some days it was processing and praying through everything with my mom’s diagnosis. Some days it was simply about putting one foot in front of the other.
Looking back at these clips from the past seven weeks, as I walked mile after mile I changed deeply.
Healing was happening.
Not all at once.
Not dramatically.
Just one step at a time.
And I’m still walking- grateful for all of the good- incredible good that has happened and humbled by the amazing things ahead and for all of the miles behind and still to come.
I started training for a marathon. I ended up training for resilience. You can find the reel on Instagram by clicking HERE!
I understand that in the world we live in and the constant reels and pictures it may not seem like a lot, but to me this means so much more than you realize. Every view, like, comment, and share on a reel truly matters more than most people realize. Instagram quietly uses those small signals to decide whether a post should be shown to more people. When you watch, tap the heart, or leave a thoughtful comment, you’re helping the story reach someone else who might need to hear it too. You are also helping support this business of mine- which is HUGE. For a small content creator like me, those simple moments of encouragement from this community make a real difference and help Caravan Sonnet continue to grow in the Instagram space and support me with no cost to you. So please take just a quick moment to click HERE to do this! .
Thank you.
Happy Wednesday friends! I hope you have the most wonderful day!
This past week brought a conclusion to something very unexpected that took place almost two months ago. The handling of something that was done without kindness and the timing amidst everything with mom's treatment was inconceivable. I have purposefully chosen not to speak about it publicly or share details - because in many ways the ending was synonymous of years of being very mistreated and disrespected in this situation- so the ending should not have been surprising.
Yet- it immediately brought many emotions and a constant barrage of questions personally:
Would I choose to sink to the level of those who had mistreated me and treat them in kind?
Would I respond with negative words?
Would I choose to respond by sharing on my public platform about the pain and rally support and bad mouth everything?
Would I choose to live and sit in the pain of never even hearing from those that I lived life with for years?
OR- would I choose each day to forgive and set my intentions, my heart, and my mind on the God who knows all about the crossroads that batter our lives and set a new tone of forgiveness so that what had been very ugly could be beautiful in my life and for those in my haven circle?
For years- but especially the past six weeks I have chosen the latter.
Each day presented unique challenges and injustices that had to be faced. I am so grateful for the love of dear ones who gently, tenderly, and wisely have walked through years and these last 6 weeks encouraging me to set a pattern of forgiveness and there in a path to self-control and composure. To forgive without apologies, to release the disrespect, to rise above the pettiness, to realize that anger in the face of trauma is understandable because all of us yearn for justice and hurt when life is unfair, but most of all to find comfort from God as I was cut off from a place and a group of people I poured my heart into for years.
I know 1 am not sharing specifics but I hope in reading this it encourages you if you are walking through a difficult situation with people who have caused you pain. Six weeks ago- I chose to immediately seek wise counsel and started the process of healing and forgiveness. And over the last six weeks as each new day dawned and a new injustice would erupt I made a conscious decision to forgive- so that even with the conclusion of something this week- forgiveness was already a pattern.
Here is what I found- it didn't feel painful- because I was free. Free to focus on the future with hope and peace and to truly embrace the beauty that is in this incredible new season. If you are walking through something incredibly unfair - tenderly I want to encourage you to choose forgiveness-step into on the future with hope and peace. There is so much beauty ahead for you. Your best chapters are coming.
"You are God Who Sees" for she said, "Have I not even here in the wilderness remained alive after seeing Him [who sees me with understanding and compassion)?"
// Genesis 16:13 //
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.
// Psalm 126 //
If you are walking through a very painful season that includes things like injustices or hurt from others or life- I would highly recommend the following books -
they are full of truth
1. Resurrection Year by Sheridan Voysey
2. The Making of Us by Sheridan Voysey
3. Gradually Then Suddenly by Mark Batterson
4. Victim of Grace by Robin Jones Gunn
5. To Fly Again by Gracie Burnham
training for my first marathon at forty-six in hawaii in support of pencils for promise
June 10, 2026
For the past year, I have been working toward a goal that very few people knew about. Originally, that goal was a half marathon as I shared before. This was an original goal and something I was training for before I got sick and something that I always knew I wanted to do as I healed. So I started walking.
One mile at a time. One week at a time. One step at a time.
Then, in August, as y'all know, life threw me an unexpected curveball. While hiking, I took a serious fall that sidelined my training and forced me to postpone my original half marathon plans until the spring. It was disappointing, but I told myself there would always be another race and another opportunity to continue the journey.
Then, just a few months later, our family received news that mattered far more than any race ever could. Over Christmas, as y'all know, mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, calendars, training schedules, and race goals took a back seat to doctor's appointments, treatment plans, trips to New York City, and simply being present for someone I love. Like so many things in life, the plans I had carefully made didn't unfold the way I expected.
But somewhere in the middle of it all, mom and I kept dreaming and believing for healing and the future and I found myself thinking about that goal again. Not the half marathon. Something bigger.
The Honolulu Marathon.
A Different Kind of Finish Line
Perhaps it sounds strange to choose a marathon after a season that has felt physically and emotionally exhausting. But in many ways, for me, that is exactly why it feels right. The past year has been a reminder again that none of us really know what tomorrow holds. Plans change. Circumstances change. Life changes.
But sometimes we are given the opportunity to choose what comes next.
For me, that choice is Honolulu. Not because I expect it to be easy. Not because I expect it to be fast. But because after watching my mother face surgery, radiation treatments, and the uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis, crossing a finish line feels less about athletics and more about gratitude.
It feels like a celebration of health. A celebration of perseverance. A celebration of simply getting to move forward. And perhaps there is no better place for that celebration than Hawaii.
For years, Hawaii has been one of those places that lived quietly on my travel wish list. The turquoise water, the mountains, the spirit of aloha, and the slower pace of island life all seem like the perfect backdrop for a challenge that is as much about the journey as the finish line.
The Honolulu Marathon begins before sunrise and carries participants through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. There is something magical about the idea of watching the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean while taking on a challenge that once felt impossible.
Walking for Education
As I prepared to register for Honolulu, I knew I wanted this journey to be about more than crossing a finish line. Education has shaped nearly every chapter of my life.
It has taken me to earning graduate degrees, teaching students across the country, creating educational resources for classrooms, and pursuing opportunities I never could have imagined as a young student. Because education has given so much to me, I wanted this marathon to give back.
That is why I am partnering with Pencils of Promise and committing to raise $1,000 in support of their mission to expand educational opportunities for children around the world.
As both an educator and lifelong learner, their mission resonates deeply with me. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and dream about what their future might hold. Every training walk now carries an additional purpose. Every mile helps support a cause I believe in. And every donation helps open doors for students whose lives may be changed through the gift of education.
If you would like to support my fundraising efforts, you can visit my fundraising page HERE:
Together, we can help make education possible for more children around the world.
One Step at a Time
One of the things I have learned over the past year is that most worthwhile journeys happen one step at a time. Recovery happens one day at a time. Healing happens one day at a time. Cancer treatment happens one appointment at a time. And marathon training happens one walk at a time.
Right now, my training is far from glamorous.
It looks like early morning walks. Evening walks. Walking Adirondack roads. Walking through small towns. Walking while listening to podcasts or thinking through blog posts and lesson plans. Prayers for those that I love, dreaming of the future, and healing from this past year.
But perhaps that is why I love it.
There is something beautiful about ordinary steps adding up to something extraordinary. Twenty-six point two miles feels overwhelming when viewed all at once. But the next step never does.
So between now and December, I'll keep taking the next step.
And then the next.
And then the next.
Until, those ordinary steps carry me all the way to Honolulu and raising $1,000 to help provide educational opportunities for children around the world, that finish line will mean even more than I ever imagined.
THANK YOU so much for all of your excitement and support of this incredible adventure!
If you would like to support my fundraising efforts, you can visit my fundraising page HERE!
7 years later of your home going to Heaven today and I have tears of gratitude at the love, laughter, and faith that you bestowed so amazingly on me as a daughter.
13 years ago when these pictures were taken we were looking at prognosis after prognosis of no hope. But on this “walk” (if you could call it that because I was to sick and weak to walk and had to be basically carried by my dad) my precious daddy spoke words of truth and life and love over me as he had always done for my entire life. He believed the impossible (even when the “best doctors in the world” said differently) and believed in a future I was to sick to even comprehend… every single day I am grateful for the honor of being known as “Paul’s daughter”.
I miss you so so much daddy and can hear you cheering me on each and every day to love Jesus above anything else….
“We are still under the same auspice”
Caravan Sonnet | My Daddy
“We are still under the same auspice”
Caravan Sonnet | My Daddy
As Mom begins her FINAL steps in this Cancer journey with daily radiation treatments in New York City, several friends and family members have kindly asked how they can best support us practically during this season. Because of that, we decided to create an updated meal train for anyone who would like to help.
We are incredibly grateful beyond words to share that we were offered a place at Hope Lodge during treatment, which has been an enormous blessing and answered one of our biggest concerns. We were also able to use points to help cover our overnight travel accommodations before treatment begins, and we truly cannot express how thankful we are for these provisions and acts of kindness.
People have kindly asked how they can help during her surgery and our stay in the city and her recovery over the next couple of weeks. At this point, the biggest practical needs will simply be food, gas, and parking expenses during the weeks of travel and treatment. While we are deeply grateful for lodging through Hope Lodge, daily parking costs in the city remain one of the largest ongoing practical expenses during treatment.
Thank you all so much for the prayers, encouragement, messages, and support already shown to our family throughout this journey. We are deeply grateful for every kindness more than we can adequately express.
We so appreciate those who suggested doing a full fundraiser but at this time Meal Train felt like a gentle way to help receive practical support if you feel led. You can donate, sponsor a meal, or give a gift card by clicking HERE.
Most of all we are grateful for your prayers and love and kindness. Thank you so much.
Y'all. Yesterday was absolutely amazing.
I have so much to share about this incredible experience- but it was absolutely incredible. A huge thank you to Reid, Jeremy, Victor, and Christina (and Jenni!) for such an inspiring time in so many deep ways- more to come and share about this but thank you for your time, knowledge, wisdom and inspiration.
I can't wait to share all the details with y'all in this upcoming week!
Happy Saturday friends! I hope you have the most amazing weekend!
Thank you for all of your prayers for mom's appointments on Friday. We have some plans in place for next steps and are also prayerfully considering other things for the weeks, months, and years ahead.
Thank you for your prayers for wisdom and for us as we continue to process and
plan wisely. Mom and I headed home last yesterday, grateful and a bit overwhelmed from a (good) overload of knowledge and expert wisdom from Sloan Kettering- but mostly humbled with gratitude.
We appreciate your prayers for both of us as we arrived back home late last night and approach the week and weeks ahead. I am finishing up the last several weeks of an intense semester plus full time work responsibilities and some additional behind the scenes things. Most importantly mom will be approaching radiation in the next month and we appreciate your prayers for that. Thank you for all of your love and support.
PS- Sloan Kettering is simply amazing. From the minute you walk in to appointments you are met with such kindness and care- not only for patients but as a caregiver. I (not the patient) always feel so seen in this journey. Sometimes even the caregivers and loved ones need the warm packs to Thank you Memorial Sloan Kettering!
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Happy Wednesday friends! Today I thought it would be fun to share some quirks and random facts! I wrote a post similar to this back in 2017 (you can read it here!) and a sweet blog reader messaged me recently and suggested I do this again. I laughed and then thought it would be fun! Many things are the same as seven years ago but there are some new fun ones that I am giggling about!
I am also giggling because I am wondering why I think this will be fun to share the things that make me strange. *hahaha* But seriously - we all have quirks and over the years it has been fun in bloggy world to read others posts that are similar so I know this is going to be so fun to realize what makes all a bit special. *smiles* Please share with me in the comments some of your favorite random quirks because I would love to read them!
PHOBIAS
spiders
I have a serious fear and phobia of big spiders. It is huge. Several years ago when I was living in Georgia I came home from a day of teaching and saw THE hugest brown recluse that I have ever seen in front of the stairs to get to my apartment. I literally called my mom sobbing and wouldn't go up the stairs.
Y'all I waited an hour for someone to come and help and by someone I meant my next door neighbor.... okay his 9 year old son. *hahaha* When he got off the bus and started walking towards the stairs, I got out of the car literally screaming "Be careful of the huge Brown Recluse" to which he calmly looked at me like I was insane and went and picked up his TOY. Y'all. He looked at me like I was crazy and I proceeded to cry tears as I shouted- "Oh I am so glad you are safe!"
Now before you judge- why in the world do people give children toy and pet spiders. Just say no to the spiders. For all of us. *hahahaha*
I once had a group of students that would hide "baby plastic spiders" in different parts of my room. Y'all I would scream every single time. They said it was in love and I am half giggling and half cowering as I frantically look around the room as I write and remember those pranks.
But not as much as I am giggling remembering being put in a soccer net. *hahahaha*
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Or a hilarious day of April Fools jokes that started with taking Brett's parking spot and ended in post it notes and Proey being "stolen" to another parking spot. HAHA.
high heights
I sound all brave about heights until I start climbing up high and the thought of jumping out of a plane or off of something high scares the life out of me. SO you may be surprised to learn that I did do bungee jumping off a high bridge while I was living and studying abroad in France. Let us blame that on a cute boy. I screamed the entire time and unsurprisingly he did not find it cute when I threw up. *hahahaha*
RANDOM FACTS
random things about me
1. I have several food allergies, but the one that always surprises people is that I am allergic to chicken.
2. I love wearing skirts and dresses more than anything. I love purses. I love jewelry. I am definitely a girly girl to the fullest even though I love being out in nature and don't mind working at the cabin and getting all dirty... haha as long as I can clean up later.
3. I love to dance. Literally love it. It may even be a requirement for the future hubby. *hahaha* I joke... sort of. Hahaha.
4. I love to travel and explore- even if it is just to a different road that I have never been on.
5. I love developing community and deep relationships. My motto is that if you are a friend you are part of my family...I don't really see people as acquaintences. I want them to feel loved and welcomed into the haven. Some people think that it is a little over the top... I believe in loving big.
6. When I am done eating I cover my plate with a napkin. I honestly don't want to see it anymore.
7. I have never liked carbonated drinks. Ever. And so I have never had an entire soda/coke in my entire life.
8. I drink almost 300 ounces of water every single day.
9. My favorite place in the world, the place I call camp is where I most love to be with family and friends.
10. I have been the recipient of such extreme grace that I truly believe in extending grace to others freely and fully. I truly believe that we are all just trying our best.
11. I carry the biggest purse. Haha. Some of have said it looks like a suitcase. I am giggling as I write this!
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random things about my tribe and those that I love dearly
1. My mom is my absolute bestest friend. She has seen me at my worst and loved me unconditionally. I absolutely love living life with her.
2. My sister is "hoopster" and I am "pom pom". Let us blame this on a very bad break up in 2008 that resulted in a marathon watching of Alias and thinking that the way they had code names was "cool". Hahaha- somehow this has stuck and it continues on to this day.
3. My grandmother, who was also a best friend I called "Ba". The name stuck so much that our entire family called her that and was so fun! Before he passed away I called my grandfather "Pa".
4. I miss my dad more than words could ever express. Over the decade of being sick my dad started calling me "Becky". I am not sure when it started or why, but I really loved it and I miss hearing that each day. No one else calls me that and it was definitely one of those "secondary griefs" that hits hard.
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random things about living with me
1. I really love a clean car but I also love a well loved car that has been lived in and people feel comfortable in for long road trips. Haha many times these things are the opposite of each other.
2. Grief hit me very hard over the last seven years after suddenly loosing my dad and I am so grateful for my mom extending a LOT of grace that the important things were first and if that meant that we spent time just processing, relaxing, resting, and leaning in instead of vacuuming and dusting it was more than okay. It allowed me time to process and it allowed both of us to start to heal in deep ways.
3. #2 was hard to learn to be okay with because I love things neat and organized and even at one point before I got sick had my clothes color-coordinated. (Don't judge until you try it. *smiles*) But life has taught me in deep ways to pick what is most important in life.
4. Because of the December Caravan Shop, it is very common to find craft supplies in various rooms if I walk around with those items throughout the day. Haha.
5. I can literally have a bottle of water in almost every room in the house and a book that I am in the middle of at any given time leaving people to see lots of 1/2 bottles of water that I am finishing and lots of random books I am in the middle of from all different genres.
6. I am known to be a scissor stealer. Haha. I can literally lose a pair of scissors all the time.
7. I can eat dozens of black raspberries each day. They are my favorite food ever. And are SO good for you! (Read this post HERE for all the health benefits!)
random things about my business with Caravan Sonnet
1. More than twelve years later of writing here on Caravan Sonnet and I still don't edit my pictures on the blog (except to add a watermark) or on my Instagram. I will literally take hundreds of pictures for the couple to use. I know, I know. Crazy but true.
2. Every month I write and write and write. In this month alone I will write, edit, and re-write over 300 pages of writing for articles, books, media requests, and the blog. (And of course it needs to be edited in colored pens because as y'all know I love colored pens. *smiles*)
3. Working on Caravan Sonnet Brand (and the offsets) takes a lot of time and discipline behind the scenes that people do not realize. Most mornings I am up at 3:30 or 4am for work long before my full-time job starts and work after hours too.
4. Creating resources for the Caravan Sonnet Classroom has been such a blessing and is SO humbling to see these items making their way into classrooms around the world. My teacher loving heart, which deeply loves being in the classroom as adjunct professor in this season, is speechless.
random annoyances
1. When people say "wow, you are so tall" I literally want to roll my eyes. I mean, honestly people.
random major things that make me upset
1. People being cruel to other people or animals is absolutely unacceptable.
2. Rudeness is the biggest turn off for me and is my biggest pet peeve.
3. When people give "helpful" (notice the sarcasm) single/dating advice. Please do not ever tell an older single gal (anyone over the age of 30) how to handle being a single or how it was hard for you in the waiting process (when you met your spouse at age 12). Absolutely unhelpful on one of the most tender areas of a persons life.
4. It bothers me when medical professionals (including those in the medical community, insurance companies, and government officials, etc.) refer to Lyme Disease as "Lymes". The reason is that there is already so much confusion and mis-information about Lyme that exists that saying the name wrong feels slightly like an insult. (Or calling it a completely different name all together like when I was asked how my fight with "Lame Disease" was going!) (If you don't know what Lyme Disease is that is okay! I really didn't either before I got sick so that I why I wrote the post, "What is Lyme Disease?" to make it simple!)
5. Ghosting. I walked through this in a shocking way late last summer.... and it was extreely painful, but the beautiful thing was learning that healing can happen friends - if you are hurting it is not the end of the story. I absolutely promise from someone who walked through this and it is 9 months later. It is important how you heal though... so if you have encountered this check out this post HERE to help encourage you as you heal from this extremely hurtful and disrespectful situation.
6. People who speak death words over me or situations in my life (and those that I love) are not allowed in. The code exists for a reason. (You can read about the Code HERE). I love how Kristian Anderson in his book Days Like These, (found HERE) states his "code":
"When you come to me or my family, there is now a dress code in effect. Come to us wearing Faith and Hope, you will be warmly welcomed. Come to us wearing Fear and Doubt, and you will be politely asked to leave. This dress code will be strictly enforced."
Going along with this is one of my favorite quotes is from Paul Tripp:
"Everyday you preach to yourself a gospel of your loneliness, inability, and lack of resources or you faithfully preach to yourself the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."
-Paul David Tripp-
random favorites
1. Going to the hairdresser is my favorite thing ever. I love people playing with my hair and the washing/massage of the scalp is amazing.
2. I had a love affair with all things being pretty and colorful even when I was teaching which meant students were stuck in a classroom with tons of pretty flowers and current students encounter happy colored powerpoint presentations even when learning about wars and terrorism.
3. I am a words of affirmation person and a quality time and touch all rolled into one. I will cry at a genuine compliment, the greatest gift is spending time with my loved ones and a hug from my loved ones is the perfect answer for everything. *smiles*
Okay friends, there are just a few of my random things. What are some of your strange quirks and random facts? I would love to know!
Happy Monday friends! I hope you had an incredible weekend!
Last night on IG I shared a reel for part two of how I paid off $260,000 in medical debt. Before you read anymore here, I would be honored if you would please head on over to watch, comment, and like this very important reel by clicking HERE!
I understand that in the world we live in and the constant reels and pictures it may not seem like a lot, but to me this means so much more than you realize. Every view, like, comment, and share on a reel truly matters more than most people realize. Instagram quietly uses those small signals to decide whether a post should be shown to more people. When you watch, tap the heart, or leave a thoughtful comment, you’re helping the story reach someone else who might need to hear it too. For a small content creator like me, those simple moments of encouragement from this community make a real difference and help Caravan Sonnet continue to grow in the Instagram space. So please take just a quick moment to click HERE to do this! .
Thank you.
If you missed Part 1 you can find that HERE!
Happy Monday! I hope you have the most wonderful day and start to your week!
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