2013 goals, February roundup

Another month of 2013 coming to a close. Crazy, right? Here's a wrap of my 2013 goals as of the end of February. As always, if you have any favorite recipes or scriptures in your memory bank, please share in the comments. . .  Have a great Wednesday!

Recipes
8 Can Taco Soup - Go ahead and laugh. I know what you're thinking? How does dumping eight cans of stuff into a pot qualify as cooking??? I hear ya, but I beg to differ. It was a new and improved Taco Soup recipe and it was really, really good. You can alter the level of spice by choosing a mild - hot green enchilada sauce. We went with medium. Yum. Brandon prefers this recipe over the one we usually make.

Three Cheese Ziti w/ Turkey - Easy and delicious. Leftovers were great. Winner!

NOT YO' MAMA'S BANANA PUDDING - Made this for our Thursday night supper club and I'd say it was pretty good! It got really thick which everyone seemed to like. Even though this isn't a dinner recipe I'm still counting it since I ate it for lunch the Friday after I made it. Don't judge.

Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken - Very good! The recipe says to pour the garlic/olive oil/brown sugar mixture over the chicken before baking, and I found that it was way to think to pour, so I ended up using a spoon to spread it on top of each chicken breast. Not sure if I did something wrong here, but it turned out great nonetheless.

February Scripture memory
"He will have no fear of bad news; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord." Psalm 112:7 (NIV) I found this verse especially appropriate and comforting as we were waiting for Clara's Retts testing results during the month of Feb. Brought calm to my soul.

"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

What else...
I finished 7 by Jen Hatmaker. Loved it. Such a good read and really makes you think about your priorities and areas of excess that draw you in time and time again. Hatmaker is witty with words and such a talented writer. I would love to do some type of personal experiment such as 7. Not a direct copy cat, but some type of experiment with the less is more mentality. Any ideas? Anyone want to do something like this with me? We could then write a book about it. Or just blog about it. :)

Next book on the horizon is Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. I hope to start it in the next few days. And thanks to my friends Ashlie and Gillian, I have lots of books on the "to read" list. Thanks, ladies!

Operation computer clean up - yeeeahhhhhhh this one is still in progress. And by still in progress I mean I haven't even touched this goal since last month. Awesome.

Bring it on, March.

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Feb 24- March 2, 2013

Sunday February 24th kicked off National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

source

Here's a little bit of info from the NEDA website. . .

About NEDAwareness Week (source)

Our Theme: "Everybody Knows Somebody": This year's NEDAwareness Week theme is "Everybody Knows Somebody" because awareness of eating disorders is certainly spreading, as is the knowledge that eating disorders do not discriminate—ANYONE can be effected. Last year, NEDAwareness Week registrants spanned all 50 states and 30 other countries. This year we strive to surpass these numbers, and have everyone commit to doing just one thing!

Our Mission: The aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately increase outreach and awareness of eating disorders and body image issues, while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment resources. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses - not choices - and it's important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder.

What is NEDAwareness Week?: NEDAwareness Week is a collective effort of volunteers, including eating disorder professionals, health care providers, students, educators, social workers, organizations and individuals committed to raising awareness of eating disorders.  The impact of increased outreach efforts leads to a greater chance of people seeking out resources and help for an eating disorder, which ultimately saves lives.

How NEDAwareness Week Works: NEDA asks everyone to do just one thing to help raise awareness and provide accurate information about eating disorders. NEDAwareness Week participants can choose from a huge range of ways to get involved: Distribute info pamphlets and put up posters, write one letter for our Media Watchdog program, register as a Volunteer Speaker or host a Volunteer Speaker, post information on Facebook, or plan interactive and educational events like a meditation and yoga event, panel discussion, fashion show, movie screening, art exhibit and more.

As a NEDAwareness Week participant you can be involved in any way that works with your schedule, resources, community, and interests.  These events and activities are vital to attracting public media attention - on local, national and international levels.

_______________________

I am so thankful that we have an entire week dedicated to eating disorder awareness and prevention. Anorexia, bulimia etc are such rampant illnesses that need some serious attention on all levels. There are lots of ways to get involved this week, even if it's just taking time to read up on ED's and educate yourself a little, or sending a few encouraging notes to a friend who is struggling. Reach out. Take action. Get involved. Let's fight together. Each and every sufferer is worth it. 

Weekend Links 2/22/13

Life
How Do I Deal With My Hectic Schedule - Balancing Beauty & Bedlam
Some of my favorite apps - Simple Mom
are you willing? By Megan - Naptime Diaries
The Only Thing That Counts - Lysa TerKeurst
Nella Cordelia: A Birth Story - Enjoying the Small Things (This is one of the most powerful posts I have read in a long long time. Oh my goodness. What a story. It it worth reading in its entirety. I have read it twice. And sobbed both times.) 

Food and/or Recipes
Chicken Enchilada Puffs - Tidy Mom
Bruschetta - The Pioneer Woman
Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Smoked Mozzarella - Simply Recipes
Honey BBQ Meatloaf - Six Sisters' Stuff
Lemon Olive Oil Cake - Eat, Live, Run
DIY: Homemade Nutella - Brown Eyed Baker

Eating Disorder and/or Self Esteem
I Feel Fat. . . How to Feel To Feel Better In Your Body - Life With Cake
the ups and downs of choices - Eating Disorder Blogs, Why She Feels Fat
Healthy vs. "Normal" Eating - Then and Now - Eating Disorders Recovery Today
On Loving Someone With An Eating Disorder - Eating Disorders Recovery Today
Normalizing Eating With A Food Plan - Eating Disorders, Resources For Recovery Since 1980

source

Enjoy your Friday!

Currently. . . Feb 2013 edition

Loving: That Clara will now wrap her arm around mine when I am carrying her, and also put her arm around my leg when we are playing on the floor. I could post a thousand pictures but decided on two.

Reading: Daily posts from ladies in my in(courage) community group. Did you sign up for one? There's a category for just about every single life phase. It's been SUCH a blessing reading from other women, sharing our stories, and giving and getting encouragement.

Watching: Duck Dynasty reruns. Enough said. Are y'all getting pumped about next Wednesday nights season premiere?

Listening to: Lots of oldies but goodies from Jeremy Camp. Especially loving this one right now.

source

Thinking about: How gracious God has been to us over the last three months. When we started down the road of testing & therapy for Clara we had no idea what we would know, or where we would be, three months into the process. We have done A LOT over the last three months and while tests have shown minor things here and there, nothing life altering has been discovered. God is good regardless of test results, of course, yet we acknowledge that He has answered our prayers in powerful ways.

Looking forward to: Meeting my newest nephew, Eli, who was due on Valentine's day and has yet to make his appearance!

Making me happy: Brandon and I have been talking about taking a little vacation, just the two of us, sometime in the near future (this summer maybe). We are thinking Seattle, Chicago or possibly San Francisco? Anyone taken a recent vacation and have any reviews or recommendations?  Has to be somewhere SW Airlines will fly. Speaking of SW Airlines. . . they recently ran a special for $58 tickets (SWEET!) but alas we decided a vacation to Midland/Odessa or Dallas was not quite the experience we are looking for this go round. Call us crazy.

What are you loving? 

What's making you happy this week?

Good news!

I just had to pop in and share the good news we learned this past Friday morning. . .

The Rett Syndrome genetic test done on Clara came back NEGATIVE!!!

PRAISE GOD!!!

We are overwhelmed with this news and feel so, so blessed.

Thank you ALL for your continued prayers and encouragement!!!

In all of this we remember that God is good. All the time. No matter what. 

source 

Weekend Links 2/15/13

Life
What's Your Signature Struggle? - Holley Gerth
Reading Recommendations for Prospective Adoptive Parents - Rage Against The Minivan
Battle Discontent With Thankfulness - Grace Full Mama
The power behind date nights - Simple Mom (so so true. love this!)
Join an (in)courage Community Group - (in)courage

Food and/or Recipes - Yep, it's all about the sweet stuff this week. You're welcome.
Buckeye Brownies - Brown Eyed Baker
Cake Batter Brownie Snack Cake - Cookies & Cups
Cookies and Cream Puppy Chow - Your Cup of Cake
The Best Snickerdoodles Ever - High Heels & Grills
Cinnamon Kettle Corn - Something Swanky
Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake w/ Gooey Chocolate Glaze - Feast on The Cheap (yes, this has like a million ingredients BUT most of them you probably have on hand)

Eating Disorder and/or Self Esteem
We've only just begun: 30 years of ED after Karen Carpenter - ED Bites
Items on your plate are smaller than they appear: Portion distortion in EDs - ED Bites
Another Skill For the Toolbox: Opposite to Emotion - EDRECOVERY.COM
Therapy For Both OCD And Eating Disorders - Binge Eating and Bulimia : The latest psychological research on eating disorders

Read the above this week and it spoke volumes to me.

Have a great weekend!!

Clara 9 months

I blinked and Clara turned nine months old.

Eight months was here and gone before I could even think about it. . .

Here's a few snapshots of our cutie. (I should have known better than to try and snap pictures while she was suffering from ear infections, crazy congestion, croup and cutting her front top tooth. No killer smiles this month. Poor kid.)

9 months on February 2, 2013

I love love this profile shot :)

Loves: Bath time, playing with her beans and macaroni noodles (OT homework), watching a Baby Einstein or Baby Bach before bed, playing in her bed when she wakes in the morning or after a nap, reading books, sitting up in the grocery cart, and basically loves sitting on the floor playing with just about anything (Ring toys, blocks, piano, Sophie the giraffe, anything! Not hard to entertain this girl!). I also really think she loves going to OT on Fridays. She never fusses, always plays hard and then conks out within five seconds of getting in the car every single week.

Does not love: The nose aspirator (had to do this a lot lately!), eating anything green other than spinach, taking her vitamins or any form of medicine.

Eating: She still takes 4 bottles a day (about 6 oz each) and eats a breakfast, lunch and dinner. She eats the most at breakfast and dinner, eating about one and a half or two containers of baby food. She usually is not too interested in lunch, so I'm lucky if I get a few bites in her (maybe 1/2 a jar?). She hasn't figured out how to bring a cheerio or puff up to her mouth, nor is she showing interest in our food, so for now we continue on just jarred stage 2 baby food. Ive tried sticking a puff in her mouth which results in her making an awful face and then spitting it out (not really spitting, I guess drooling it out, ha).

Sleeping: Two naps a day is pretty standard now. Both of these naps are getting shorter I have noticed. She goes to bed between 7-8pm, just depends on when she wakes from her second nap. Some nights she will go all night sleeping solid. Other nights she will wake within an hour of going down for bed and cry, thinking bedtime was just a nap (or that is my guess?) and then it takes her a while to get back to sleep (usually a few hours). Some nights she will sleep solid and then wake anywhere between 3-5am for a while (this is the trend recently), maybe eat if she's fussy or maybe just play if she's happy, and eventually get back to sleep and later wake between 6:30-8am for the day. Monday night for example, she went to bed at 7:30pm, was up for two hours from 4-6am, then slept solid from 6-8am. Maybe all of this is the dreaded sleep regression everyone talks about at this age? Or a mix of teething and being sick. Who knows. I'm really not too worried about it.

She can last 2.5 hours from wake time to first nap, and then three hours until next nap and three hours from last nap until bedtime. There has been a few times she has stretched four or so hours to bedtime and she seemed to do ok, although she passes out the second we start giving her a bedtime bottle. :) Her schedule/nap times are a bit unpredictable right now, since her morning wake times are so varied. I'm just rolling with it. 

Development: I recently gave an update on her development in my Dear, Clara post. She is slowly making progress in all areas and we are so very thankful.

A few other things. . .
She has successfully pulled her paci out AND PUT IT BACK IN two or three times.
One top tooth has officially cut the gums although it's looking a little off center to be a central incisor. . . maybe it's a lateral incisor??? I hope. Poor kid.
She is reaching her arms up in air more and also out in front of her more. That is fun to see!
Two BIG HUGE milestones to note at 9 months are sitting up in her bed (has happened 4x's that we know of) and mimicking back our facial expressions.

Check it out. . .

I had a video of her mimicking Brandon's facial expressions but can't get it to load. Will have to add it later.

Weight: 17 pounds 10 oz (28%)
Height: 27.25 inches (39th%)
HC: 16 inches (1%)
BMI: 17 kg/m2

Size 2 diapers
Size 3 overnight diapers
Size 9-12 mo clothes
Size 1 or 2 shoe (although the whole shoe thing is so confusing that we usually just do socks)
Still on reflux meds, but will try again to wean her off after this dose runs out.
She's spent a good portion of this month sick, poor baby. The croupy cough is killer. :(

Adventures: She goes to Sonshine class at our church on Tuesday mornings (9:30am -12pm ish) while I am at ladies Bible class. She loves it! I truly think she loves playing and watching the other babies do their thing. She even takes a nice little nap most mornings while there. Here's a pic of her fav toy at Sonshine class.

That about wraps up 9 months! Our girl will be ONE YEAR before we know it!

Reflections from my 20's

I turned 30 this past November and it got me thinking about a lot of things. Things I wished my 20 - something self realized, things I wished I would have done differently, and ways I will live differently this next decade. It's not about beating myself up for what once was, but about honest reflection, and being intentional in the way I live this time around.

If I could go back in time and have a conversation with my 20 something self here are a few things I would say. . .

You will never make everyone happy. So stop trying.

Your life worth is not determined by a number on the scale.

You will never find happiness by obtaining some thin ideal. Society will try to trick you into believing the exact opposite.

Surround yourself with people who build you up, not tear you down. You are in control of who you choose to spend time with, so choose wisely.

You don't have to beat yourself up over and over again when you stumble or make mistakes. Mistakes happen. Bad choices happen. The importance is recognizing these instances and doing something about it. Be honest, talk to God, and keep moving forward.

Perfectionism is overrated. Keep striving for perfection and you will continue feeling like a failure.

God gives us delicious food to be enjoyed. Enjoy some veggies as well as some desserts.

Life is short. Be intentional about how you spend your days.

Your self worth is not determined by how others perceive you or how they react to certain decisions you make. You are only responsible for you. You are not responsible for other peoples reactions.

You think you want absolute control over your life but you really don't. Absolute control is a big burden if you really think about it. God is willing to take this burden once and for all, so why not let Him?

Life is not about black and white. God gives us some grey areas so that we learn to trust Him more.

When you are so focused on yourself you miss out on many opportunities. Turn your eyes outward and you will be shocked at where God leads you and how He fills your day.

Be gentle with yourself.

More faith is not something that can be achieved by just "trying harder." Faith is built by spending time with God and talking to Him daily.

Therapy is good for the soul.

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Therapy is the worlds best ice cream. Eat it.

There is no such thing as "good or bad" food so stop labeling it as such. All food is to be enjoyed in moderation.

Life is not about you. Get over yourself.

People in this life will let you down. When this happens, don't let it control your day. Remember. . . you are only responsible for you, not anyone else.

Guilt gets you absolutely nowhere.

Your body needs food to function. Thus, starving yourself will make it hard (really hard) when you are ready to have a baby.

Specific people are put in your path for a reason.

Size 00 jeans does not a happy heart make.

People are not perfect. You are not perfect. Stop striving to be perfect.

You have walked this road for a reason. Don't hesitate to share your story with others. Life is about leaning on one another and learning together.

What are some truths you have learned over the years?

6th anniversary kitchen makeover

My mom texted me a few weeks ago asking what Brandon and I would like for our anniversary this year. Our parents are so sweet to celebrate with us, and bless us each year with a special gift. I texted back "a kitchen cabinet makeover." Well, ok. . .  this is what I wanted, but I knew Brandon would love it too. So this week, that is exactly what we did, while Brandon was out of town for work. And while my sweet baby girl was (and still is) sick and puny. I was texting with my friend Jenna laughing that of course Clara would get sick and be up all hours of the night when I am home alone. Such is life, right? (A HUGE thanks to my dad who went to the 24 hour pharmacy at 3AM to get baby Vicks and other supplies. I have the Best. Dad. Ever). Anyways, it was a crazy week but somehow we got it done before Brandon walked in the door around 11:30pm Thursday night. He had no idea what we were up to while he was gone. He was shocked, but loves it. I love it. Win - win.

Oh and Clara loves it. . . she told me. :)

Before . . .

Cabinets off and primer on . . .

Mid paint (please ignore messy cabinet contents). . .

Finished product. . .

We soaked the hardware in paint thinner for a few hours and then rinsed them off and scrubbed with a wire brush. Got all the old paint off and back to it's natural state. Love. My mom also had the brilliant idea to paint the vent-a-hood (above the stove) with a paint that looks like stainless steel. I wouldn't say it looks just like stainless steel, esp. up close, but it looks awesome, and we love it!

So this is my surprise 6th anniversary present to Brandon. We typically follow the traditional anniversary gift list so in order to meet that criteria I had a card on the counter last night with a box of mini Snickers and box of Reeses pieces (6th year = candy/sugar or iron).

Thanks mom and dad!! Was fun and I could never have done it without you!

I posted on Instagram (brittbburn) that sick baby = extra cuddles. Hate that she is suffering but LOVING LOVING her cuddles this week. Prob headed back to the Dr today. Poor kid.

Will resume Friday Weekend Links next week!

Enjoy your weekend!

Note - I realized it might come off as though I asked my parents (& expected them) to spend a ton of money on this project. Not so. The only items purchsed for this project was one gallon of paint from Benjamin Moore and some extra screws from Lowes. Between their paint supplies and ours, we had most everything needed. 

Dear Clara, (a letter to my girl describing her development and testing over the last three months)

My friend Gillian, upon learning that Clara has been going through some intensive testing due to developmental delays, directed me to her friends blog The Beauchamp Bunch. The mom of this blog wrote a beautiful letter to her little girl, Audrey, who has also undergone lots of testing and blood work because of similar concerns. I thought it was such a sweet idea, that I decided to do the same. I think this will be a great keepsake for Clara someday, when trying to understand all she went through during this time of life, and a great way for us to update all of you.

My letter to Clara is below. . .

Dear sweet Clara,

I can hardly put into words how much joy you bring to our lives. You light up the world around you and each day is such a blessing. Your smile is contagious and completely melts our hearts. You are developing your own little personality which is so fun to watch.

You just turned nine months old. I cannot believe it! Where does the time go? As you know about three months ago, at your six month well check, Dr. O. let us know that she had some concerns with your delayed development, both physically and socially. At that time you were not really making much eye contact, smiling, babbling or laughing, or tracking things with your eyes. You did not seem too interested in engaging with me or daddy, or the world around you. You liked to hang your head down instead of looking up. At that time you were also not sitting up on your own. Dr. O talked with us about some steps we could take to check things out, just to be proactive in helping you meet your milestones and to see if there was any reason why you might be lagging a bit behind your baby friends. Dr. O suggested we get you in Occupational Therapy and that we meet with a baby brain Dr, called a neurologist, Dr. R.

We met with Dr. R for the first time in December 2012. He confirmed that you were showing signs of developmental delays and he also said that your head is a lot smaller than babies your age. He said you have Microcephaly. Because of these two things, he wanted to run lots of tests and also get some of your blood. Mommy and daddy were a little overwhelmed leaving that appointment. We had so many questions and shed some tears, but we knew that God was holding our little family in His hands. We were not fearful, just overwhelmed and a little nervous with all this new information.

You had a hearing test done not too long after that appointment and you did not pass in either ear. This was a repeat of the same test they did in the hospital when you were a few days old. Because of this, you had a more extensive test done, called an ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response), where you had to be put to sleep so the ear Dr. could monitor your brain activity. She put little stickers on your head (called electrodes) that measured your brains response to a little clicking sound. Clara, you passed with flying colors! You showed no signs of hearing loss at all! Mommy and daddy joked that you were just trying to keep us on our toes. :) Silly girl.

You had your eyes checked and other than already being nearsighted, the Dr. saw no concerns with your vision. We were so thankful!

The neurologist did a little test on you called the Batelle Developmental Inventory, when you were about eight months, and the test confirmed his suspicions that your development was lagging several months behind. Based on your results, Dr. R guessed that you would probably start to walk around age two. This made mommy cry but then I realized "Who cares when you start to walk? You have your whole life to walk, so it's really no big deal."

You had to get lots of blood drawn just so we could investigate a little further. These were not fun days for any of us, but overall you were SO strong! Two different times you hardly even cried! Your regular lab work came back fine. Dr. R also ran some genetic tests (they are big words - a Chromosomal Microarray Analysis, Rett Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome) to see if these might be the reasons you were a little behind and your head a little small. A nurse took your blood and then it was sent to a lab where it was watched carefully and put under a microscope. They found that you are missing a portion of your 4th Chromosome (the part you are missing is 4p15.32). This is called a chromosome abnormality, or some people call it a genetic deletion since you are missing some genetic material. Dr. R is not quite sure what this means yet, or if it even matters! Genetic testing is so new that the research base is still somewhat limited. Last week the Fragile X test came back negative! We were so thankful!! We are still waiting on the results of the Retts test and one additional test (that has to do with metabolic function since Dr. R said 4p15.32 is involved with how your little body metabolizes different things). We are praying that you do not have Retts, but if you do you better believe this will not change one thing about our love for you. You are perfect, no matter what the results show.

A few weeks ago you had a MRI done on your brain. You had to be put to sleep for this too, just like the ABR test, except this time they had to give you an IV in your foot. It took a while to get the needle in your foot but once they got it in and gave you the sleep medicine you did great. The results show that all the major parts of your brain are just as they should be! Dr. R did mention that certain areas of your brain are not as myelinated as most babies your age but it is still within a normal range of abnormal so he is not too concerned right now. He would like to have another MRI done in a few years to make sure it has resolved. Praise God that all the parts of your brain are there! Dr. R mentioned that while your brain is small compared to other babies, it is filling up your head space appropriately so that is a huge blessing!

You started seeing an Occupational therapist (who works in Dr. R's office) once a week (December 2012) and you are making GREAT PROGRESS. Clara, after just one week of OT you started sitting up on your own. The OT, Ms. Brittany, is working on getting your back and neck muscles super strong. She says this will help you meet your milestones. She is also helping you become more aware of your hands. She gives us lots and lots of homework exercises to do each day, and you seem to really enjoy our little play time. Ms. Brittany is blown away by your progress week after week. You bring her so much joy and she loves playing with you. The OT session is one of our favorite times of the week. It is SO fun to watch you blossom. You amaze us. Oh, and last week, you went from laying on your back/tummy to sitting up on your own in your bed!! You have only done it once but we are sure you will do it again soon.

You have another friend who works for ECI (Early Childhood Intervention), Ms. Misty, who comes once a week to play with you at our house. She started coming in January 2013 and is called a Specialized Skills Trainer. The three of us sit on the floor and play together. She also gives us exercises to work on between visits. She is so happy with your progress so far and thinks you are beyond cute!! ECI will work with us until we are ready to stop services, or until you hit three years old. Once you are one year they will send a Physical Therapist and Speech Therapist to our house to work with you.

At this point, we have pretty much finished most of the major testing. Mommy and daddy are going to talk with a team of people at Texas Children's Hospital, called geneticists, who will give us more information about the part of chromosome that you are missing. They might want to take some of mommy and daddy's blood to see if we are also missing 4p15.32. We go in May, just after you turn one year old!!

Clara, we want you to know that our love for you is unconditional. It doesn't matter what any of these tests show or what the Drs. say "might" happen in the future. You were created perfectly, in God's image, and no diagnosis will change that. You are a JOY to us. Everyday I hold you and ask myself "How did I get this lucky?" Yes, we have a lot going on and our days can sometimes be really busy and stressful, but I would not change a thing about our days together. I am so thankful I am able to be at home with you right now. I love watching you grow, blossom, and I am eager to see how God uses you (though small) to do big things. We love you so much. I can't say that enough.

Yesterday at your nine month well check Dr O. stated "It is obvious that Clara has been blessed with the perfect mom and dad to meet all her needs." I replied "No. Actually. This mom and dad have been blessed with the perfect Clara."

Love,
Mommy (and daddy)

Friday food for thought

I just read todays entry in Jesus Calling and couldn't help but post it here in lieu of the usual weekend links. The words spoke so heavily to me and thus I imagine they will for some of you as well. I know some of you are going through hard times. Really hard stuff. I know because you have shared your hearts and your worlds, and trusted me with your life's journey. For some of you, there are mountains up ahead that seem overwhelming and unbearable in the here and now.

Keep following. . . one step at a time. . . just keep putting one foot in front of the other. . . that's all He asks of you today. . .  and He will do the rest.

Have a great weekend!