That's So Handy

We all know that normalcy in the world has definitely changed for a while. A lot of things have stifled or altered beyond our control. It seems to be an unsure time, as no one really knows when things will be routine again. So I've decided to make a list of my reflections during this time. I think it's a perfect time to: ...Be content. Be grateful for what you have. Don't focus on what's missing. I've been wanting to binge on so much. Take food for example. I have a lot but I find myself craving what's not in the house. But this virus makes me be more aware of what's a need  versus a want . Many things that I just want are not worth the risk, and then I realize I can go without it.  ...Write your goals. It's a perfect time to make plans for what you want in life. Start that budget, make that schedule, do that research. Write some to-do lists. What steps can you take to complete or start what you want to accomplish during this time at home...

Is it common to feel negative thoughts due to changes in friendships? Does it make you angry that all the "busy" seems to leave no time for an actual friendship at all? It may have felt like you've been abandoned, left out, forgotten. You may feel alone like you're the only one who wants things to change. Am I even being thought about? Are they even aware that a problem exists?  I think this is normal for some people. Circumstances change in our lives that cause us to not be able to give a relationship the exact same attention as before. While recognizing that this is a part of life, it's still important to learn healthy ways to respond to these changes. Can I be honest? I haven't always responded well. Actually, I'm still working on it... We've all heard it said before, "seasons change". Well SEASONS SUCK! This current season has been weird because I'm not only dealing with insecurities in friendships, I also am self-asse...

Happy New Year Everyone! I have so much to share but I'll do another post soon about what else is going on in life. Speaking of life, this post is about the very exciting news that we shared publicly this past weekend. ********************************************************************************* My husband and I were so grateful to be able to share that we'll be bringing a new little human into our family. We wanted to be careful about when to share because of our second pregnancy which resulted in a miscarriage. Going through this process this time has been so different. So many of you swore you knew I was pregnant early on. What you didn't know is how we spent our Christmas: On December 25, 2019, my husband, son, and I spent the day in the hospital. Yup, for about 7 hours we were waiting to figure out why I was bleeding. Earlier that day I noticed blood and all I could think was "here we go again". It was stressful and overwhelming. But my husband was...

July 17. I decided to take a pregnancy test. Lo and behold, it was positive. Every time I'm ready to jumpstart my healthy eating journey, I get pregnant (lol). Shelton was at work so I marco polo'd him crying and excited. Of course when we got home, just like last time, I took another test to make sure. We were officially going to become a family of 4. We couldn't believed it happened so soon, but it happened. Avery wouldn't even be 2 yet and we'd have another baby. Wow! I was scared but way more excited than anything else. I couldn't wait to tell everyone, literally the whole world! We didn't wait, we told our parents and we were going to wait until around October to announce our little pumpkin to social media. August 9. Finally our first sonogram, which ended up changing our due date from March 6 to March 31. The baby was measuring around 6 weeks, which means when we found out, Baby Handy 2 was only about 2-3 weeks. I couldn't believe we found...

My first message almost 3 years ago was kind of to "unchurched" people and to people who stopped going to church. If you haven't had a chance to check it out here's the link:  Church People are Tired Anywho, this post is to us .  What do you  think of when you hear the word church?  Ok, so how many of those thoughts you just had were negative, and why? The church's flaws have be stereotyped and capitalized on for years, (the pastor is stealing the money, they hypocrites, deacon so and so is sleeping with sister such and such and she's 14, they hate everyone who's not cisgendered and straight). It's in movies, it's in jokes. Okay, bad stuff happens because people are flawed and it leaves a bad taste in people's mouths. I don't know how long it will take for unchurched people to see that all "churches" aren't the same, but why do "church people" have the same reactions, about THEMSELVES? How long is it going to ta...

I was sitting this morning and this thought came to me, "Why are you hiding? What are you afraid of?" Seriously, sometimes I have so much in me it's ridiculous. Then year after year goes by with me still sitting on the ideas that never manifested due to a number of reasons. Excuses really! Surely, I'm not the only one like this. We have to get to a point where we stop thinking about it, stop planning to get to it, stop talking about it, and actually DO it! What can possibly be so scary that we stay stifled for so long? What if no one likes it?   So what! Put it out there anyway. Just do it. What if my voice isn't as good as so and so 's?  So what! Put it out there anyway. Just do it. What if no one reads or understands my book?   So what! Put it out there anyway. Just do it. What if people judge me for making mistakes in my product?  So what! Put it out there anyway. Do it. God doesn't give out gifts and instructions with th...

my students drew this as a joke after I had a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee. hopefully nobody's offended. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!! Anybody have a start-over on their health journey over and over again. I'm probably on my 100th Day 1. I'll start and then get to the point where I want what I want. Period. You'll get red flags from the doctor and decide "ok I'm really gonna make changes". But then realize that between your strenuous job and taking care of the baby, nobody cooked so your options are Chinese or Fast Food. Ugh!! Why is losing weight and being healthy so hard? One thing I know is that I can't do it alone. My students and coworkers have been pretty involved with trying to keep me accountable with my food choices. Literally from checking in daily to see what I brought for lunch, to making sure I avoid the sugar treats people bring in (even if that means prying the plate out of my hand). Trust me, I appreciate it. The problem of course, like wi...