Revamping Your Life Goals: 8 Changes You Need to Make in Your 30s

When I met my husband, he was 33 years old. I had just celebrated my 24th birthday.

I couldn’t get over how old this dude was! Well, I guess I got over it, seeing as how I married him! 😂 🙈 He didn’t “LOOK” 33. I’m not sure what I expected a 33-year-old to look like?!

I guess I had never really observed age until meeting my husband. He is almost a full 10 years older than I am. NOW - I am older than my husband was when I met him! I suppose that makes me “really old.” LOL!

My brain functions on a rather morbid level. I'm forced to function on a timeline that consists of the painful events in my life. When I think of aging, I think, if I were to die at the age my mother died, I have 11 years left to live. My father died a month after his 59th birthday, so that would only give me 15 more years. So, in hopes of living longer than my parents, I have been making changes to my lifestyle over the past couple of years. Since I lost my dad, my obligation to live like him to keep him happy has also died. Both of my parents died because of their poor life choices. My mother made huge mistakes mentally because she was emotionally immature. Those mistakes compromised her safety & it cost her her life. My father died because of his poor physical health. He too could not handle his emotions and he used food to cope. I know that I’m never going to be perfect, that's not my goal. But I want to continue to use my potential and progress towards a healthier life. To do that, I must have a healthy body, mind, and soul.

A goal I do have is: I want to live long enough to know my adult grandchildren.

To do this, I must truly make an effort to take care of my health.

There is no better time than NOW. It’s never too early to start caring for our health. I’d like to say that it’s never too late either, but let’s be honest, sometimes - it’s just too late! I begged, pleaded, & cried in an attempt to convince my dad to change his ways. But then it was too late. So here I am, 34 years old, trying to get on top of my health. I have compiled a list of some of the things that tell me I am aging & what I do to care for myself as I age.

GUT HEALTH

If you've never thought about your gut health before, now is the time to start. If your gut has suffered years of abuse, it will catch up with you in your 30s! I used to hear about metabolism slowing down, but I had no idea what that meant! Metabolism is simply the rate at which your body burns calories. Gut health is so much more than metabolism. Our guts are full of good (and bad) bacteria. We are at war! We must take action now to protect the good bacteria. What types of things will hurt those good bacteria?

Thanks for asking! Here are a few things most people do in their 20s that may cause issues in their 30-something gut.

• Lack of sleep

• Lack of physical activity

• Eating too many ultra-processed foods

• Smoking and drinking alcohol

• Antibiotic Use

• Too Much Stress

• Exposure to pesticides

• Unhealthy diets

• Fried foods

• Drinking soda and energy drinks

True healing takes a long time. It also takes a LOT of work. Getting your health under control can be a daunting task. But IT IS POSSIBLE with a few simple changes!

A few years ago, I tried to add probiotics to my life without changing anything else. We have all seen commercials where diet companies say if you add this pill and exercise you can continue to eat whatever you want and the weight will still fall off. WHAT A SCAM! Speaking of scams, I was sucked into an MLM on Instagram that had me buying hundreds of dollars worth of products. I was half-heartedly attempting to promote those products on my page whilst hoping and praying that someone would buy something - someday.

I would dump the MLM drink sticks into bottles of water and think that this fluorescent-colored, artificial-flavored/sweetened gunk was going to magically make me thin! No, I didn't exercise or change my diet!

“Magic diet stuff” NEVER WORKS!

Stop wasting your money!

I just wanted someone to buy something - so I could afford to buy my own supplements. It didn't happen.

The whole MLM pyramid scheme could be a whole blog within itself. Long story short - I was paying a ton of money for an OK product - & making zero dollars. That seems to be the common theme among MLM companies, doesn’t it? I could not afford to keep up this habit. Eventually, I woke up and Googled to see what the heck was in these products that I was taking. I found other over-the-counter supplements that could replace them. Let me tell you, I am now paying a fraction of the cost for my supplements and I have seen tenfold the benefit from them. I take my supplements in addition to eating a nutrient-rich diet & limiting my intake of processed carbs and sugar.

To aid in my gut health I take:

• Probiotics

• Magnesium

• GTF Chromium

• Digestive Enzymes

• Fiber

Over the past four years, I have learned a lot more than I ever knew before about gut health. I am not a doctor nor am I a health professional. I do advocate for natural healing and wellness outside of the doctor’s office. Anything to avoid being sucked in by big Pharma! I certainly did not grow up this way. I was raised with zero guidance on nutrition and wellness. We always had soda pop in the refrigerator and the pantry was stocked full of unhealthy processed foods. We ate a lot of canned food, lunch meats, pasta, and processed snacks. I am currently finding myself repulsed by the idea of eating a frozen meal. I don't make everything from scratch, but I do my best not to feed my kids from boxes. We eat whole foods and local meats. It took me a long time to get here and I don't do it perfectly! Let's be honest, sometimes I am stressed or tired, and I just don't care. So my kids do get fun "kid foods" and I'll eat some sort of protein-rich food that looks sad while they eat something appealing.

Why does gut health matter? Everything stems from the gut.

In 2019 my dad had surgery that removed a “huge portion” (so I thought) of his intestinal tract. They took out 3 feet of his small intestine. I remember thinking… 3 feet? That seems like a lot. I was unaware that we have 15 feet or more of intestinal tracking with the small and large intestines combined. I am roughly 5 1/2 feet tall. So knowing that my torso is carrying around three times the length of material that I am tall was astonishing. How could I NOT be concerned about the fact that the majority of who I am... IS GUTS!?

What are some of the symptoms of a damaged gut?

• Gas and bloating or diarrhea

• Unintentional Weight Fluctuations

• Skin Issues

• Moodiness, Irritability, and Trouble With Concentration

• Fatigue or Insomnia

• Sugar Cravings

• Immune system problems

When I began learning about gut health, my gut was not healthy. I was eating my weight in snacks and fast food. I was consuming an ungodly amount of Starbucks coffee. If you put me in front of a dessert bar, game over. Since beginning my health journey a few years ago, I am no longer craving sugar! I cannot tell you the last time I went to Starbucks! I am sleeping great, my moods have leveled out, and I no longer "sound the trumpets" in the morning.

I have learned that having a healthy gut means balancing the bacteria in my intestinal tract.

"Building a healthy microbiome can take up to 6 months if the correct healthy habits are adopted (diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management - and also supplements if needed) However it really is a lifelong journey because you need to continue these habits to maintain a healthy microbiome."

Where to start with gut healing:

• Hydrate Yourself

• Probiotics & Prebiotics

• Collagen

• Ground Beef

• Healthy fats

• AVOID processed foods

• DO NOT drink Alcohol

• Go for a walk

If you love coffee, REJOICE! Coffee is not bad for your gut bacteria!

(Links at the end for additional gut health info!)

GOD GAVE UP HIS SON FOR US! He wants us to heal & be whole in Him. God wants us to be healthy so that we can continue His work!

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May His face shine upon you and show you His grace and give you peace.

-Numbers 6:24-26

SKINCARE

I find myself googling things like, “best skincare products for wrinkles and acne”.

When I was roughly 12 years old, I started seeing a dermatologist for warts all over my fingers. I had also started getting acne. The dermatologist my mother took me to was an old man. He froze all my warts off and told me that I would “grow out of the acne”.

Well, I am here to tell you, that I have grown up, I've grown out, I have grown babies, I have grown my hair out, and I’ve grown spiritually. I have grown in every direction and I have yet to “grow out of the acne". In my early teens, I wore T-shirts over my bathing suit because I had a grotesque amount of “bacne” aka back acne! I used to scrub my back with a sponge on a stick very aggressively in an attempt to rid myself of the massive zits. I’ve used harsh stuff like Sea Breeze and Noxzema to "burn it off", but no results. I’ve obsessed over not touching my face and avoided eating greasy foods. I took multiple prescription medications for years. I was taking multiple antibiotics (talk about damaging your gut!) I've had acne over my entire face. The inflamed areas shift with my hormones. I went through a phase of cystic acne along my hairline. There's nothing hotter than pimple sideburns!! Those days have passed, but I now have scars where those craters lived. After I gave birth to my first child my acne was so bad that folks in my hometown didn't recognize me at the store! (Or maybe they were afraid to speak to a walking pizza?) I stopped wearing makeup hoping that the pimples would clear up if I didn't clog my pores with it. I then had a nurse practitioner tell me that I should wear makeup because it doesn't matter and won't affect my hormonal acne.

"It might make you feel better about yourself!" A few years later, I had an aesthetician tell me that I "Should not wear makeup and let my skin breathe". Quite frankly, I don't think anyone on Earth truly knows what’s best for any of us. You will always be able to find contradictory information whether it be from the Internet or your doctors. Nothing that anyone has ever suggested for my acne has ever worked. Now, I just do what is most comfortable for me. We have to be able to determine what's best for ourselves. Someone will always disagree, and that's okay. I still have a beard of acne today. It usually grows like a goatee under my chin and sometimes down my neck. I am aware that this is hormonal acne. My hormones are currently fluctuating as I'm tapering down the number of times a day I am breastfeeding my nearly 2-year-old son. I treat it and move on. Gone are the days of hating myself because of my skin.

I don't have nice-looking skin... OH WELL! I'm choosing to smile anyway.

My husband has beautiful skin without blemishes. Although he is getting pretty wrinkly these days. Skincare for him consists of dial soap everywhere! I however use gentle handmade charcoal soaps & natural serums. With the occasional acne scrub on extra oily days. And my skin is still the same.

I've come to terms with the fact that I can’t change my DNA. I inherited my skin from my dad who had the same acne, same wrinkles, occasional cysts, and the same brown spots. My mom had very soft delicate skin. I did not get my skin from my mother.

Aside from my stomach that looks like a deflated bulldog face! That I inherited from her.

I haven’t seen my belly button in 12 years!! Thanks, Mom!!

(Sometimes I have to laugh or I'll cry!) My mother had the same issue with sagging breasts and stretch marks after pregnancy. Again, you cannot change how you're designed.

This is the skin I have, and that’s okay.

The world wants me to believe that I need to filter out all of my blemishes. Society says if I have three children, I should look like I don't have three children. There was a time when I thought that I needed to be lifted and tucked and Lipo-sucked. But I hated the idea of changing myself to fit the world and it's standards. I hate the fact that by changing myself I would be telling God that HE made a mistake. I hate the message that my daughters would receive by watching their mom chop herself to pieces to look like other women of the world. Embracing aging, caring for the skin I have, just the way it is, and loving myself as I age is bringing me so much more peace. We are all aging. You can try all the “anti-aging” products the world has to offer & it’s not going to delay the inevitable. It's not going to turn back the clock. It will not slow down time.

You're still going to die.

We are dying.

Do we really want to waste the little bit of time we have here on Earth sitting in doctor's offices and hospitals being cut open and sewn back together? Is outward worldly beauty truly so important that we should risk infection and live in pain? It breaks my heart to think that so many women hate themselves so much that they go to extreme lengths to play God.

Recently, I heard some horrific stories about the extreme lengths that the rich are going to in an attempt to overturn God’s design. Including serums made from foreskins and microdermabrasion facials with baby’s blood. Clearly, there are demonic forces behind the current state of this world. The enemy wants us to believe we need to look youthful and that we can do it at the expense of our children. This is a lie from the devil himself.

Beauty must truly come from within.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment....... Rather, it should be that of your inner self...." (1 Peter 3:3-4)

Somewhere/sometime I heard, "Embrace the skin you’re in!” (Probably an ad.)

THIS! I love this message. Just this. This is what we should all do. It’s so important to love and appreciate each stage of our lives. Life is way too short to be so focused on turning back the clock. Before you know it - your time will be out and you’ll have wasted so much of your life focusing on all the wrong things. *EMBRACE YOURSELF, JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!*

God loves you.

From Focus on the Family: “Beauty fades with age so if you are more concerned with your outer appearance, you will be unhappy with the wrinkles when they come in the number on the scale when it goes up!”

God made us perfectly in HIS VISION!!

God makes us age. God makes no mistakes.

God sees every flaw and still loves us just the same!

GOD thinks you are BEAUTIFUL AND WORTHY OF LOVE.

“Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man?

If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10 ESV).

In my unprofessional opinion, the best thing you can do for your skin is cleanse it, use a moisturizer, and wear a mineral sunscreen. I drink a scoop of collagen a day too.

I am praising Jesus every day for my health.

You are perfect just the way you are. Embrace your aging face & move on, dear sister.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬)

EXERCISE & SELF-CARE

My 1st thought when thinking of exercise is, Ugh! Who WANTS to exercise?

I can think of two people off the top of my head who have expressed that they truly enjoy exercising. I was not raised in a family that did any exercise, sports, or physical activity. Morbid obesity crippled my father. I was exposed to some exercise by my mother. When she was between boyfriends and felt she needed to get into shape for the next, she'd start going on longer walks to get skinny. I hated exercise as a kid. Gym class was my absolute least favorite. I'd fake illnesses to avoid running the mile or swimming.

I’ve learned to love long walks in the woods or along the beach!! (If I’m blessed with that opportunity!) There are times that I feel like I absolutely must get going. My brain and body just FEEL BETTER when I’m moving. So - I must walk, I have to.

Recently it was stressed to me that WE NEED MUSCLE MASS!  If we don’t use it, we lose it! I don't have a gym membership or a bunch of weights to work with. So, good old-fashioned pushups for me.

There are all sorts of gadgets out there these days! Some to count your steps others to monitor your heart rate! You can now keep track of every breath you breathe! One little watch can do it all! Amazing, right?! (Ugh... Terrifying honestly!)

I’ve had health apps on my phone. I've had clip-on pedometers, a watch, & other gadgets and gizmos. However, I have found that the more worldly technology I engage with, the more I become consumed with the product rather than the actual activity. When I do not measure up to the hundreds of thousands of steps I was supposed to get that week, I end up hating myself more. I don't think we were meant to know how many times we fart in a day or exactly how deeply we slept last night.

I know, I know, these devices work wonders for some people and other people have disorders that this technology is fantastic at helping them with. Hallelujah and more power to ya!  But I like to keep it simple. If we're truly honest, before all of this technology was available, we knew when we didn't sleep well. Didn't we??

I find myself being kind of old-school these days. I think it's important to be in tune with our bodies, without tech. We do need to be consciously aware of what we are eating and how often we are drinking water. But unless you're an extreme athlete I'm not sure it's healthy to be constantly counting calories and macros and whatever else. I've done all of these things and it never made me feel better. Social media has definitely made people a lot crazier about the piddly little things in life. Am I wrong?

The devil is very happy that people are so concerned with the silliest little things. WHY? Because the devil LOVES when we are DISTRACTED! The enemy loves when we are focused on ourselves, how many steps we are walking, how many calories we are consuming, and posting photos of our meals & our booties at the gym.

The more we make it all about us - the less we care about others.

The less we care about others - the less we serve God!!

The less we care about doing God’s work - the happier our enemy is.

When we focus only on ourselves, the enemy delights!

If we are hyper-focused on meeting needs (That 10 years ago we didn't know we had…)

It will be impossible for us to reach our hand out to those who don’t yet know Jesus.

What do you enjoy doing for exercise?

I love walking our property or local trails. We’ve been camping at state parks this summer and we’ve done some hiking. This makes me so happy! I feel so alive when I’m moving my body, especially in nature. Nature is GOD’S CREATION! When we get outside and out into our communities we are around His People & those He still needs. When we leave our homes to move our bodies and we are feeling good and smiling and able to interact with people that we encounter along the way, we are opening the door to the opportunity to share HIM. We bought a treadmill a few years ago and I was grateful to be able to use it in the cold winter months but it's just not the same. Running aimlessly in a dirty garage is not how I like to exercise. As I age, for the sake of my physical and mental health - it is necessary for me to get outside. Moving my body isn’t my strong suit. It’s very easy for me to sit and lounge when I get the chance. Raising 3 children all in different age groups is exhausting. I know, all kids are exhausting... They all need something different - always. So I try to make it a point to get up before they do, go outside and stretch, allow the rising sun to touch my skin, and at least walk up and down my driveway. I don't do this every day, I wish I did. There are days when my baby wakes up before I do & it’s full speed ahead. It is often that all of my attention is on everyone aside from myself. Not every day is easy. (duh) Sometimes I feel selfish in asking for some alone time. (Not that I ever do. I usually retreat to my room and cry. My family just knows to stay away at that point!) Society wants me to believe that I constantly need self-care. Our society also wants me to believe that self-care is lavish vacations, manicures, and other external worldly consumerist STUFF. I, however, believe that self-care should more often come in the form of taking a long walk. It can also look like a simple moment for quiet time, spending time in the Word, walking away from stressful situations to pray, deep breathing, stopping to smell the flowers, or sipping a hot beverage while listening to the birds chirp. I do believe that self-care is important. But, It doesn't take precedence over my daily duties. My children are my current mission. Sometimes self-care has to simply be a quick prayer to God before I jump up to care for my kids.

“Thank you Jesus for a new day, Please direct my path. May your will be done, Amen.”

FOOD

My.. OH MY …… the food we eat matters! Especially after 3 kids. Sigh!

I was raised on what I now call “filler food”. But I’ve become much more strict about what I eat. I have a love-hate relationship with food. My dad was morbidly obese. I watched him kill himself slowly with highly processed snacks, soda pop, & fast food. I have been thinking more and more about the food I’m consuming and feeding to my family. I do not always GET IT RIGHT. I wish I could "get in right" 100% of the time, but truth be told some highly processed delicious crap items fall into my cart from time to time. But we’ve made major changes in our diets over the past 2 years or so. I’ve lost 20 pounds, my clothes are loose and my children have commented on how much better they feel.

Some  of the major changes I’ve made:

• Switched to raw dairy!

• Increased Protein Intake

• Read Labels

• Avoid added sugar

• AVOID SEED OILS

• Eat good fats, ie: meat, fish, butter, eggs

• Low Carb - not no carb

• Fast & break my fast later in the day

• 40 ounces of water 3 times a day

I have been carrying a huge water cup far longer than it was cool. No, I do not have a Stanley. I love my Reduce brand mug! I remember being made fun of for it in 2019. Getting a LOT of water into my body is always a priority. I do not consume anything to drink outside of water, coffee, and occasionally unsweetened tea.

I've found a lot of inspiration and info about health and wellness via YouTube. (Links to some of my faves at the end!) The key to following people online is a lot like anything else, take what you need and leave the rest. Everything that works for others - isn’t always going to work for me, but it is a good starting point. It is a way to open my mind and expand my knowledge. Trying to change, mold, and flex to exactly what people on the Internet are doing is not healthy. We should use the internet as a tool or guide. It’s not instructions that need to be followed to a T. Using common sense is crucial.

This is why I had to get off of Instagram. I thought Instagram was going to be a healthier option for me versus Facebook. I ditched Facebook first because it is way too invasive. That is an entirely different blog that I will definitely get into someday but I hopped over to Instagram and found that it is a great option for people who are constantly wanting to consume information that tells them that they need to change.

Social media is taken way too seriously. So - I occasionally use YouTube to brainwash myself into eating healthy. I often have to remove the app from my phone so that I do not get too invested in the people & their online lives.  It works for me.

Aches and Pains

Over the years, our pastor has talked about the decay of our bodies. He often jokes about how he “wakes up injured”. My husband has always creaked and groaned as he gets out of bed in the morning. Until now I had not noticed these “morning injuries”. Now I find it is necessary to stretch and loosen myself up before I get going. I'm also noticing that my hands are beginning to ache. I've been waking up with this tingling sensation in my thumb, pointer, and middle fingers on both hands. If I was a doctor, I might say that I have the beginning stages of carpal tunnel. (But I'm not a doctor!)

I heard an ad on YouTube from Dr. Livingood. He stated, “The best doctor you have is within.”

I know there are hypochondriacs and a lot of people who overreact about the tiniest little things, I'm not talking to them, they have other issues to work on. I also think that a lot of us have been trained to believe that we need the expert opinion of someone with a degree to navigate common sense. I have been very discouraged by the medical community over the past ten years. I watched my dad & grandparents age and die. (It happens, I know) But after witnessing what they went through and how medical doctors treated them, I've become rather discouraged. When I saw this interview with Doctor Livingood, he stated that healthcare is truly “sick care” made a lot of sense to me. It is so true that we cannot get care unless we are sick. Unless we are sick, they don't make money. So if we aren't sick they will make us sick with all of their medications and prescriptions. I do believe there is a time and a place when doctors and their meds are necessary. Throughout life, I have met a doctor or two that I do have respect for. Unfortunately, good docs are few and far between.

Needless to say, I think supplements are important. We need to be proactive and planning for health. It's important to know where your supplements are coming from and what is in them. I love using the “Bobby-approved app”. You can simply scan the barcode and it will tell you what is in it and if it is a good option or not. There are many health apps out there that are helpful. After losing 25+ pounds, a lot of my aches and pains have been minimized. I am aiding myself in good health by making my own bone broth, using natural healing products from reputable natural healing companies, and absorbing energy from the Earth by walking barefoot as often as I can. I have also found a wonderful integrative medicine doctor.

Disclaimer: There are no amount of supplements that with make up for a poor diet. We must be eating nutrient-rich foods.

HAIRCARE

My hair has always been one of my greatest features. (My security blanket!) For years I have been complimented on my hair. However, it has been quite some time now since anyone has complimented my hair. The texture and thickness of my hair is changing.

As I age, the hair on my head is thinning - no worries though! I have all that hair and more growing everywhere else! Sometimes when I shower I think, "Wait... I have hair........... Where!? Heavens to Murgatroyd!" After giving birth to my 3rd baby, I had a THICK head of hair. All those pregnancy hormones and prenatal vitamins had my hair looking luscious, full, and shiny! After giving birth and beginning another round of breastfeeding, I started losing my hair again.

I am coming up on 6.5 years of total breastfeeding!

5.5 of those years spent with my husband! That's over half of our marriage breastfeeding! This time around, the hair loss is crazy! I think I might actually go bald! Every time I shower I lose HANDFULS of hair. (No exaggeration!) My youngest daughter is now afraid of the shower because she thought my “hair monsters” would get her. I have to make sure to pick the massive hairballs up and throw them away now. (I used to leave them like a little gift for my hubby! Like, look, my love, a piece of me will always be with you... Aren't I sweet?)

I'm not sure how someone can lose so much hair and not be bald. It is very frustrating and gross. I'm taking biotin, keratin, & collagen supplements. After a few months, some hair started to grow back. Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed any regrowth on my head. I have however had hair growing back thick on my ankles, 6 inches past my bikini line, and in bushes out my armpits.

I'm waiting for someone in my family to nickname me Chewbacca or Sasquatch!!

Remember how I met my husband when he was my current age? Well, aside from photos, I’ve never seen my husband with hair!! At 33 he’d begun shaving his thin hair from his head. I met him as a dude with a big bald head and a hairy back.

I suppose we’re 2 peas in a pod. 😂

Aging changes everything, AND THAT'S OKAY! We must learn to laugh with life. Sometimes I don’t even recognize myself anymore. I have begun to wonder why the women I run into at the grocery look the way they do. (I don't feel like I look like that until I see a mirror!)

Time is a thief. How I went from 20 to 34 in 17 days is beyond me!? I used to roll my eyes when people would say, “Time flies”. I was always BORED as a teen. I couldn’t stand to think about all the fun everyone else in the world had to be having if I was stuck at home. Now that I’m a grown mother of 3, I just want to go home. I want time to slow down a bit. I want to hold my kids a bit longer. I want to be able to brush my hair without having to empty my hairbrush. But this is life. IT IS WHAT IT IS!!

The reality is that time flies, hair falls out, and your pubic line extends. It's no wonder old women wear shorts with their bathing suits! I’m going to have to get some of those! 😂 (Don’t tell anyone, I already have some ! Shhhhh!) 🙈

As far as the hair on my head, I'm going to continue to take my supplements and use a thickening shampoo/conditioner. The best hair advice I ever received was, to ignore it!

Treat it like skin, moisturize it, and forget about it.

Spiritual Priorities

All the physical “ailments” of life aside, my top priority in my 30s has been my FAITH. Making time daily to read my physical Bible or do a study on the Bible app. I have not always taken time for God. Even after I knew Him, I set Him aside. I had the Bible app on my phone for 4 years before actually using it. In 2020 I went through emotional hell. I was overweight, overworked, & overwhelmed. My life was out of control. My dad had spent a year in the hospital, my husband had relapsed and lost focus, my grandpa was dying, and I was losing my job & my mind. Life was falling apart. I was fragile.

By the end of 2020, my grandpa had died, my dad was sick, and my husband was recovering, again. My marriage was fragile. My job was lost. We moved. My kids were stressed out by being mixed into the shuffle. Life was insane. I took a trip to Florida in December of 2020. We rented a condo on the beach & I read my Bible on the balcony daily.

I opened my Bible app and listened to the word as I followed, dove deeper into The Word through the studies, & started putting myself back together. It was a slow process. But I consistently progressed. Now here I am in 2023 and still reading my Bible app daily. Sometimes I just go through the motions to get through it. But this is a habit that I’m glad I haven’t given up. I’ve learned that in those moments where I do feel strong, HE is preparing me for what’s going to happen next. There’s always another tragedy coming. Life is full of loss and pain. So - staying in HIS TRUTH is incredibly necessary. (Put on the full armor!)

I must allow HIM to lead me so that I can navigate life and its hurdles. I’ve tried to do things my way. It doesn’t work. I got sober in November 2009. Over the past 14 years, I’ve taken my self-will back countless times. That’s the cool (crazy) thing about God - He wants to lead me. But He wants me to choose Him first. If I want to fly off and do my own thing - I can do that too. He will wait for me to get back in line with Him.

Values

Growing up I never had the discussion of what values or morals were. I knew that my family thought that we were better than some others. That was due to a lot of front porch gossip and the fact that they referred to other people as scumbags or white trash or worse. We never really lacked money, but I never thought we had a lot of it. My dad was a single dad. He always had work at his disposal & he worked really hard for everything that he had. He was a talented man, he was skilled in electrical, plumbing, carpentry, welding, and automotive, a true handyman. The importance of working hard was instilled in me from a very early age.

But what are values?

“Values are individual beliefs that motivate people to act one way or another. They serve as a guide for human behavior. Generally, people are predisposed to adopt the values that they are raised with. People also tend to believe that those values are “right” because they are the values of their particular culture.”

Biblical Values: Love, Peace, Truth, Right Conduct and Nonviolence

Today my husband and I strive daily to love our children well by teaching them the truth of the gospel & the peace that it brings. We talk about morals, values, and the importance of having "right conduct". God has blessed us with the gift of sobriety, a healthy marriage, and 4 beautiful children. We do not take these gifts for granted. I may not have been raised in open communication about the importance of values, but I am breaking those chains

All in all, I feel that in our 30s (most) of us begin to look at life differently. We come to the realization that 95% of the problems we have are of our own making. If we’re smart, we figure out how to stop making problems for ourselves.

I am now at the age where I have childhood memories of my mother around this phase of life. I remember her being 36 for some reason. It is CRAZY to me to think that I am now almost the age that I can remember my mother being. I have wondered over the years if she and I could have been friends as adults. I now know for a fact that she and I could have never been friends. She was one of those 30-somethings that I avoid. I don’t drink, I rarely leave my house after dark, I don't eat my weight in junk food, & I don't bad mouth people. Who I am today is a lot because of who my parents never were. I am everything they weren’t and then some. I am grateful for the life lessons they taught me. Hopefully, they’d be proud.

I am so frustratingly human. Some of me is good & the rest is annoying, I’m sure. I’m doing my best with what I have been taught & I Praise God along this journey.

Life isn’t easy & I do not have it all figured out. But for now, these are some of the things that are working for me. I believe we are supposed to be constantly progressing and living up to our potential. That means we have to be willing to adapt to the changes in life.

Change is inevitable, and never-ending. We have to grow with the changes in life.

You deserve to feel strong and healthy. If you don't, there's no better time than NOW to start making better choices for yourself. You can do this with His help.

Life is hard for everyone. No one is skipping through life every day.

We will face new challenges every day. That's life, it's okay.

We can do this with God as our guide! He is our strength!

One of my favorite motivational speakers said this:

"A lot of people are turned off by God because they don’t understand why we have to struggle. The Bible clearly shows that pain, sickness, disabilities, suffering, and death came in after sin was instigated by Satan himself. Our broken pieces, hurts, and shame can be turned to good by God the Redeemer. God often uses those things that once seemed terrible to help others see the true hope, joy, love, and peace we can have through Him, even amid the storms…. God’s love doesn’t change. All I want to do is serve Him and see others set free to find their true purpose, path, and freedom.”  -Nick Vujicic

God cares for you.

He loves you, and He wants you to sense His presence & His love for you.

He has you secure in His hands.

*YOU CAN DO THIS!*

This past January, my pastor said:

“Start small, show up, and keep going!”

I love that. Simple steps to ensure great success!

Say it, I can do this!

Additional affirmations to help you begin your journey to better health:

I will make healthy choices.

I will prioritize my health.

I'm worth it!

I can do this with the help of God.

Jesus loves me and wants me to be healthy.

Let's Pray!

“God, No matter what goes on around me today, help me to stay focused on You.

It's when I'm close to You that I find the strength I need to accomplish whatever is before me. So right now, I choose to quiet my mind and refocus on Your presence.

In Jesus' name, Amen.”

Blessings for good health to you, dear friend.

Love,

Kelsey

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Links to Resources as promised:

• Courtney Luna - Website: www.courtneyluna.com

• Laura Spath - Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cutting-against-the-grain/id1562595689

• Bobby approved - APP - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bobby-approved/id1571725006

• GUT HEALTH article: https://youtu.be/B9RruLkAUm8?si=Zf3QV4n4c980YVBG

• Foods to avoid if you have LEAKY GUT: https://www.medicinenet.com/foods_to_avoid_if_you_have_leaky_gut_syndrome/article.htm

• Orgain Collagen - https://www.amazon.com/Orgain-Collagen-Peptides-Probiotics-