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The Art of Thriving in Stillness

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For the first time in so long—maybe ever—I feel happy and peaceful in my heart. I am so grateful for this time, to feel restored, seeking rest and true healing. I find that healing occurs in stillness.  Since 2007, life has been marked by survival: verbal, financial, and emotional abuse, the struggle to hold a marriage together, the pain of divorce and custody battles, heartbreak, worry, and isolation. I carried so much weight—trying to protect my sons, hold the pieces together, and still stand tall. Through every season—abandonment, family distance, strained friendships, and loss—I learned what peace is not. I learned that love without respect is not love or friendship, that strength without support becomes exhaustion, and that boundaries are acts of self-respect. Now, there is joy. I’m at peace. My heart feels open again—to love, to friendship, to self-compassion. I’ve repaired relationships that matter, released those that don’t, and forgiven those who hurt me and my family. I f...
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The Valley of Trust: Finding Connection Through Rest and Healing

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Growing up, I was a natural explorer and hiker. In fact, I always felt closest to God in nature, on a hike. Many of those who have known me a while, know that in my 20's and even early 30's, I enjoyed backpacking. With goals early on of hiking the AT, the Grand Canyon, the Alps, and trails all over Colorado, New Mexico, Canada and of course, Texas.  Always on the move, striving, and learning to test my limits, to persist, and overcome. As I grew older, I learned the weight of gravity after a long climb. I would often share with my sons that as the hardest part, the descent after the summit. In fact, my knees, joints, etc. would just be in so much pain climbing down from a mountain.  For the majority of my adult life, I have been very purpose and passion driven. Often, I would spend years working on a higher cause or purpose beyond myself and pouring so much into others or causes. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities afforded to me. I have never been one to not achieve...
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Gratitude Journey: 31-65 Days of Thankfulness and Reflection

 Continuing with the idea of cultivating a mind-shift toward positive thinking through deep reflection, I am going to keep journaling on gratitude.  Day 31:  Our pastor and his wife are such a blessing to both Billy Jack and me. They are both so very wise at such a young age, offer our community hope, and serve as a great mentor and friend to both Billy Jack and me. Yesterday they gifted us a book, which I am so very grateful for. Glad we began and ended our 2024 with our church family. They are a blessing to us.  Day 32: NYE 2024… This year produced so many miracles, brought healing, peace, and introduced me to so many new friends. I’m so grateful if the outcomes and the journey. Day 33:  Happy New Year!!! I cannot believe it is 2025. Grateful to greet a new year, fresh start, a new day! It’s also Zeke’s 22nd birthday. So grateful he’s in our life. It’s sunny outside and we have the entreat of the week to recharge.  Day 34: Billy Jack and I still have 4 da...
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Thrive in 2025

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Over the last few years, I have learned that time is so very valuable. After going through the pandemic and all the events over the last decade, I am so very grateful to be alive, to have the ability to help others and to grow. Actually, 2025 will mark a major life marker this year, as I will be turning 50 in the middle of 2025 . After meditating, reflecting on 2024 and working on my vision board over the last 3 days, I have decided that my Word of the Year is (drumroll......)  is THRIVE.  I have read that the action of thriving, prevents burn out, assists our growth, connects us to be fully present with others and alone. Thriving is a process to becoming physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy, not perfect. Hoping to apply many of the lessons from 2024, to continue to connect with others, to distance myself from people, situations, or activities that are not contributing positively to my life. Thriving can help me to view life from an abundant lens, not a scarc...
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Peace: An Inner Journey in 2024

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Last year my vision for 2024 was peace, and I decided to study peace in depth and to take a year to reframe and better learn how to handle conflict. Many have expressed to me the power of words, but I can honestly say that I really have developed a new appreciation regarding the power a word can have. Within a few days into 2024, our world was turned upside down, with several personal storms entering our family the month of January. I found at the end of the month, I was in prayer, seeking spiritual guidance, counseling, and support. God shows up in times such as this to help us fine tune our spiritual walk and I quickly learned that my response to unforeseen tragedies and trials through community and prayer brought in complete miracles.  Light became possible in a very dark time because I choose to believe and trust in others. I let go and found that 12 months later, relationships grew stronger, and we are finding healing, which was only made possible through the action of peace i...
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The Power of Gratitude

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Reflecting on the Power of Gratitude for 30 Days to conclude 2024! Day 1:  Grateful for my mom, dad, and grandparents. I know that life had not been easy, that they do the best they can, and know that I was blessed to have a family that instilled a sense of service to others and faith.  Day 2:  Rest, recovery, and opportunity to start the healing process for my body in physical therapy are all things I am grateful for today. I can’t believe Thanksgiving break begins now.  Day 3: Grateful that I have been blessed with collaboration opportunities with Dartmouth, a supporting department, and our eclipse collaborative partners.  Day 4:  Grateful for time with Billy Jack, beautiful sunny weather, and memories made. Day 5 & 6:  Nolan made it to Alpine safely and so did we, time together playing games, preparing and eating great food, and for our home. Day 7:  We had so much fun putting up Christmas decorations yesterday as a family. I am so very gra...
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65 Days of Gratitude Reboot

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I am so very grateful that I am learning how to recognize better approaches to self-care. I realized this morning that I began this blog in October 2024, a decade ago now. At that time, I had no idea how much growth spiritually, emotionally, and professionally I would experience these last 10 years. I remember during one of my coaching sessions around 10 years ago, I was introduced to this idea of a gratitude journal. This is when I began this blog as an outcome of that session. It is a little ironic that ten years later, I am back here again working to revisit this same idea, a gratitude reboot.  It is a way to reprogram and reboot your thinking, a mind shift if you will. I am working with a professional career coach to help me continue down a new path toward working on a few goals I have. I have experienced so much change in the last decade that I do think I need a year to really process all of these experiences, sit with the emotions of them all, reflect on what I have learned, ...
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