Okay but like... does everything actually happen for a reason or are we just trying to make ourselves feel better when life gets messy? I'm diving into this big question because honestly, I don't think everything happens for a reason BUT I do think we can assign our own meaning to things (especially the painful stuff) and that's actually pretty powerful. My mantra is "it's more fun to believe" and sometimes choosing to find purpose in the chaos is what gets us through - even if we can't explain it to anyone else.

Today I'm talking about how we can't always wait for someone to come rescue us from the awkward - sometimes we gotta create our own belonging by just showing up as ourselves, even when it's scary. What if we stopped waiting for permission to belong and just decided we already do?

It's more empowering to quietly live in alignment than to make proclamations for public consumption during our messy middle. Let your life be evidence enough—let your peace be the proof.

Today I want you to look for divinity in yourself—have you ever felt unlovable, even by God? Your worth is fixed through divine creation—you'll do good and bad things, but that doesn't change your value as God's child. Try on the belief that you're worthy of His love, serve someone else as a channel for God's love, and experiment with receiving it yourself.

Despite having more on my plate than ever, I'm not miserable! Looking back at my chaotic career path, every "terrible ending" was actually a necessary step to where I am now. When divinely guided choices end badly, it feels like betrayal, but one thing always leads to the next even when we can't see it. Maybe you don't know what's next in the best possible way.

When someone's life choices make you angry or judgmental, that's actually about YOU, not them! Our triggers reveal our insecurities and shifting values—recently someone close to me left religion and it tormented me because I was using them to validate my own path. When living differently than those around us, we need God-guided confidence in our values, not validation from others. Use your triggers as soul-searching invitations—they're teaching you something important!

There's a difference between being an actual victim and victim mentality. Real harm (abuse, loss, institutional failures) isn't your fault, but staying trapped in blame keeps you miserable. An atheist once told me to own my choices after leaving religion—life-changing! Jesus makes accountability less scary because His partnership heals us even when we're wrong. Ask God: "Where's my accountability?" Freedom comes through taking responsibility for what we can control while healing from what we couldn't.

My 3-year-old Sophie is snuggling with me today (perfect timing for this topic!). My friend shared something profound: relief often doesn't come in our darkest closet-floor moments—it comes after we somehow get back up and keep trying. When I look back at my lowest points, I couldn't feel God then, but now I see He was carrying me through pain so deep that even divine help felt absent. Gather evidence from your own life of when relief came—maybe not on your timeline, but it did come. Deep breath. Let's go.