...And All That Jazz

Hello there! If any of you are following my fitness Instagram account {link here, in case you're wondering} , you know that I've been working hard this past year to get to a new heathy self. I'm on a program called Weight Watchers and have found tons of success with it. I've started working out regularly, eating healthier, and actually loving my body for what it is now, not what I hope for it to be. I can't tell you how many times in my life I've tried losing weight and fell off the bandwagon. Countless times. Each time, I was determined for about a week or so, lost motivation, then sunk lower than I had been before. The constant swinging of emotions was exhausting. I come from a family where both my mom and dad's sides aren't naturally petite. We love to eat, drink, and have a good time. Because of our habits and genes, we have to work at being healthy. So let me start off by saying, losing weight for someone with my genetics and habits isn't

Alright friends, I have a mini rant/theological discussion I would like to go on about. As many of you know, I am incredibly passionate about Theology of the Body (link here) and everything in between. Not only because my faith so beautifully teaches it, but from my own personal journey with it as well. What is Theology of the Body exactly? Long story short, it's the Catholic teachings on sex, the different between male and female, and why each individual person is so incredibly sacred. It stems our bodies to our souls and teaches us how to best uphold the values and dignity of each and every human being. In our culture today, we're constantly talking about consent--asking someone "does this make you comfortable" or "can I do this at this time" or "when can we start having sex". Don't get me wrong, consent is SO IMPORTANT in any relationship. But when the physical aspects of a relationship become the main source of feeling any connection

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Ever heard of Saint Augustine of Hippo? If so, you might be familiar with this famous quote of his from "St. Augustine's Confessions" in which he shares his heart and relationship with the Lord with us. All I can say is, wow. Our hearts are restless until we rest in the Son. God has given us all we could ever need, and yet, we still search for more. I don't know about you, but I'm constantly struggling to rest and be still, especially when it comes to my faith and relationship with Christ. We live in a world where we always want more. More money, more clothes, more followers on Instagram, but we often forget to be satisfied right where the Lord has us. We think that by gaining all of this materialistic stuff, we'd somehow be happier. But deep down we know that this junk that fills our lives makes us restless, and in all honestly, kind of selfish. Don't get me

Here I sit, at 2:18am on Friday morning, unable to fall asleep. I've had way too much on my mind lately, causing me to not get enough sleep. Is it even possible to become an insomniac within a week? If any of y'all are doctors, let me know. Although I can't sleep, I think it's a good thing. God has been putting specific thoughts on my heart for the past few weeks and I feel obligated to share. One good thing about not sleeping is being able to gather your thoughts night after night and putting them to use. So here we go: Friends, you are not your struggles. Yep. You heard me correctly. You are worth more than your own struggles and pain. So often, we run into people who struggle with a specific sin, illness, or habit, but they constantly beat themselves up for it. Why? Because the devil wants you to believe the lies he's feeding you. Whatever you do, don't ever fall into his lies. You are stronger and worth far more than any other lie or negative whisper b

Wow oh wow, this has been a year! If you haven't been following my blog, Instagram , etc., then you may have no idea what I'm talking about. Well, to sum it all up, this year has been rough. God has been challenging me to grow in multiple ways and truly simplify my lifestyle in what I eat, own, and my life plans. There were times where I truly did not feel God at all. I knew he was there, but I felt very isolated, numb, and alone. But in this last week alone, I felt God, once again, for the first time in almost 7 months. About a week and a half ago, I found myself in my mentor's office, bawling my eyes out because I told her I didn't want to teach. I had been feeling this way for the past year, but I was too afraid to actually take the step and think about options. Everything that I had been working for, for the past three years seemed like wasted time since I was now reconsidering everything. I knew that these feelings had been there for a while, but I wasn't

In a society where having a bachelor's degree and becoming successful in your occupation is pushed down your throat, it almost feels wrong to want something else than that lifestyle. The majority of American's have a job and are all focused on a few specific ideas: work in order to become higher up in their occupation and receiving a big paycheck. But what if you're like me and have dreams that don't necessarily line up with societal norms? As a woman in 2017, I have been told and taught, mainly by my college professors, to do something that empowers me and makes me feel more like a woman. I'm supposed to get a college degree and aim to achieve high. I should be dreaming of becoming a successful woman in society and want to be at the exact same levels as men in my job field. I should be excited to teach children, the future of our society, and fight for my rights as an educator, all while joining the Teacher's Union. I'm supposed to be excited to use my kn