By His Grace I Can.

BMI. Are these 3 letters a bit triggering for anyone else? Yes, the BMI (Body Mass Index) is admittedly not as widely referenced or used these days, but let's be honest, our society is still fixated on "beauty standards" which is most often linked to weight and clothes size. I'd say that at this point at my life I'm generally happy and excited to be alive.  I'm happy with who I see in the mirror.  But then I see a picture that someone took of me and SCREECH! It's like I mentally put the brakes on. Is that me?? Do I really look like that? And then occasionally I self-sabotage myself by googling my current BMI.    According to this chart I am EXTREMELY OBESE. Does anyone really want these words to flash up on a screen when describing your body? NO.  Heck no. And REALLY, does the diagram need to make me out to be an oompa loompa? Now, let's take a walk down memory lane.  10 years ago, after having my second baby, I got my butt in gear and lost 65 pounds....

I am about as naive and sheltered as they come. I grew up in an extremely Anglo-Saxon, white, middle class city with a VERY narrow religious realm. I was primarily unfamiliar with varying demographics. I knew that I hated “racist” jokes and comments and felt more comfortable with my Mexican friends than with many other people in the school. But it wasn’t until a multicultural class in college that I started tapping in to what truly was wrapped up in racism. My first time hear ing the term “white privilege” made me very uncomfortable and defensive. But as a decade and a half has gone by I am realizing more and more what that privilege really means, how it affects MILLIONS of people on a daily basis and how racist I am without even knowing it. It feels like this awakening for me is one step forward and three steps back and too frequently involves inserting my foot in my mouth. Regardless, what has happened in the United States since day ONE regarding minorities and particularly African-A...

Imagine yourself at the bottom of a deep dark hole.  At the top you see an often blue sky, puffy clouds, sunset and sunshine.  Yet regardless of your seemingly constantly efforts to get out of this pit, you never are able to.  Sure the pin light perspective of nature brings you hope and moments of happiness, but you feel so far removed from it.  Your tireless attempts leave you exhausted, irritable, frustrated, discouraged, doubtful and depressed.  Within ear shot you hear so many others who are loving life, but regardless of what you have, your blessed circumstances or even who loves you, you just don't feel it. Though you want nothing more, you simply can't understand how the sunshine feels. Through a series of promptings from God, you & your husband take a leap of faith and move your family of 6 across the country, in the middle of the COLD Midwest Winter.  You find yourself much CLOSER to home, but still 3 hours from family and feeling very much...