Ever have a moment where you are fully aware that you are exactly where you need to be at that exact time in life?

My mind calls those moments "Church moments". Why? Well, it's when I sense God in an unexpected way or setting. Or maybe not even unexpected but in places that aren't your stereotype "places of worship" (aka a church building). I know we have all had these types of moments, though I know not everyone's beliefs would...

For the first time in a long time, the arrival of the fall season was so exciting to me. I mean, I was literally on my front door step on September 1 at 9am hanging up my new fall wreath and moving the mums to the front walkway from the back deck where they have been for the last month. My fall decor bins were pulled down from the garage storage shelves without even having to see the contents to know what was inside. Just slightly opening...

I know the Bible says to not boast, but I'm totally going to brag about my new backyard right now. (We moved in mid-May and purchased at the end of March, so we had low expectations of what we would find.) It's an oasis, to say the least. I wish I could have you all over to experience it because, gosh, pictures don't do it justice, especially right now when all of the summer flowers are in bloom. The previous owners put so much time and...

Is the glass half full or half empty?

Is 2019 already halfway over, so you should just forget about your ideas for the year or do you still have half of the year to accomplish many things?

Sometimes I feel like the last six months flew by, but then I remember all that has happened and I remember the days and weeks that felt like they were an eternity long. Time has a way of playing with our perspective, doesn't it? This year has...

Have you ever heard someone talk about how we only have eighteen summers with our children? For the longest time, I hated reading this. It always struck me as so depressing and another one of those "enjoy your kids when they're little" guilt trips. And let's also just point out that we, God willing, have way more than eighteen summers with them, although I get that it won't be the same as when they are "little". (Am I allowed to call my...

Last weekend, our pastor began by showing off an awesome Lego pirate ship--sails and colors and so detailed. He then reminded us of how that creation started: a bag filled with hundreds of individual pieces. A bag of chaos that eventually became order. He continued on to speak about work and the order than comes from that but my mind couldn't help applying that phrase, "order from chaos," to other aspects of my life.

We're moving in ten...

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"What word would you like to focus on for this upcoming year?" A month ago, I met up with friends for coffee and one of them posed this question. We proceeded to each write down our word on brown paper Panera coffee cup sleeves. Mine? Authenticity--a word that I feel encompasses many different areas of life. For me, authenticity means discovering who I am beyond mother/wife/friend and finding the courage to share whatever that may be....

I've been working on getting out of my comfort zone lately. It hasn't been anything grandiose but I'm learning that the little things can lead to the bigger things. They might not actually lead to the bigger things but they lead to a sense of confidence in our ability to be able to accomplish the bigger things. Want to hear my baby steps so far?

• Using the voice feature on Voxer instead of typing every single thing...

Today was the day. I carried the empty bins from the basement up to the living room to start the task of de-Christmasing (not a word but should be) our house. It's somewhat of a sad job for me. I love Christmas and the extra magic that the season brings to life. I even love the anticipation of the season--once Halloween is done, BAM. Holiday fever sets in. And then we get to today. The family gatherings are done. The holiday traditions...

It's no secret that this time of year is infamous for traditions. Whether it's going somewhere special to get a Christmas tree or eating certain holiday foods with family, very few of us go through the holidays without doing something that created a memory years ago. My childhood was filled with traditions and I happily entered married life & parenthood wanting to maintain some traditions and wanting to create new ones. One new...

I'm a holiday nut. Seriously. I love holidays. I love decorating for each season. I love the opportunity to set a cozy mood in my home and love that my boys enjoy getting out the bins of decor and finding just the right spot for each item. It's one of those things that I never realized I would be thankful for. But I am. And I think that's true for a lot of us. So many of these random moments are where a truly grateful, thankful life is...

Ah, fall. There’s just something so special about the return of sweatshirts and socks, jeans and scarves, comfy shoes and hot drinks. It’s not just a transition time for the weather, though. It’s a transition for so many of us. Moms with school-aged kids are tossed back into the school year that begs for us to be busy and involved and chaotic. (This can absolutely apply to moms with young children, too!) The options for activities are...

Welcome to our FINAL Meet Our Village Monday of not only December (Christmas is next Monday!) but of 2017!! What?? Anyone else trying to figure out how time can fly by so quickly??? I'm excited to see what adventures FIT4MOM Grand Rapids has in the new year!

To round out our year, I'm excited to be featuring Katie Raymond today. Hope you all enjoy learning more about her today!

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Happy December, everyone! A new month, a new week, and a new Monday to celebrate all of YOU! Today we are featuring the wonderful Emily Notenbaum. Enjoy learning more about her today!

How long have you been with FIT4MOM?

Since May 2017.

In what way(s) have you participated in FIT4MOM (Fit4Baby, Stroller Strides, Stroller Barre, BodyBack)?

Stroller Strides!

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