Musings on life, parenting, Jesus, and more...

Being appreciated isn’t a basic need for survival as humans. If we go without food, water, or air for too long, our body dies. If we go without love, gratitude, or appreciation, our physical body may not look any different on the outside, but I believe it affects our mental health a ton! There’s been many studies done about how gratitude and expressing appreciation can have profound effects on our mood and well-being. On the flipside, there have also been many studies about how ACE’s or adverse childhood experiences seem to be correlated with mental health struggles in adulthood, and usually those adverse childhood experiences are a part of an upbringing that was lacking in love, attention, and affection. Let’s make a little garden analogy, since I’ve been into gardening lately. Our bodies do not need fruits and vegetables to survive. Our bodies will continue to function, even if all we feed it is junk food and soda pop. However, how much better do our bodies function and feel when we ...

I just finished another amazing workout class with Holly. I don’t feel like “workout class” even adequately describes what she offers. On the half hour drive from Oregon City to Canby, I was contemplating what exactly it was that had gotten me out of the house this morning to even make the 30 minute drive for a half hour “workout class.” I have a gym membership and haven’t been to the gym in probably six months. So what is it about these classes that Holly offers that’s different? Well, lots of things that are probably hard to put into words (you just need to come to a class and experience it for yourself) but I’m going to give it a try. First of all, she sent me a personal message the night before, inviting me to class. Whenever I do see her, whether it’s been a week or a few months, she welcomes me like an old friend, with open arms and a warm hug, and I feel like she’s genuinely glad to see me. Her classes are full of positive affirmations, vulnerability, and just all-around good vi...