Mother's Day, y'all.

i got to play with my Talley girls today, and i loved every bit of it. oh... and Barrett Smith Tucker is one of the cutest little things i've ever seen. i'm glad his fingers were there to comfort him while his tummy hurt so i could spend a little time holding him. today, i'm thankful for the mothers-to-be (and, no, ET is not pregnant) and my friends who are already amazing mothers! i'm pretty much just thankful for life and that God had this all figured out before the world began. He knew who we would need, and He knew how beautiful it all would be.

you don't have to be afraid.

i haven't written in awhile, and it's not that i haven't felt inspired. i've just felt busy.

busy and safe.

in the past, i've used writing as an outlet for a lot of internal struggles that i could never express without a pen in hand or a blank screen in front of me. maybe it's because i felt insecure or scared or a little of both. i still experience these emotions, but every day, they are loosening their grips on me.

i believe that's what happens when we feel loved and valued. we are always loved and valued by the One who spoke us into existence, but we don't always FEEL it. sometimes we need earthly relationships that model His love for us to re-affirm it more and more.

i can honestly say i feel loved and valued. my relationship with the Lord and with Kevin have taught me that i can be myself and be loved just as i am. i don't have to put up a front , and i don't even have to pretend to like something i don't. i can speak the words that are on my mind and in my heart. i don't have to be afraid.

i'm currently learning to find a healthy balance between the two... between saying exactly what's on my mind and using discernment. we say 'honesty is the best policy,' and that's true, but we have to make sure whatever it is we have to say is said at the right time and with the right attitude. and the right time could be a day or even a year down the road. words have such power, and i'm continuing to remind myself daily. in the past two years, i've gone from not opening up about what's bothering me to sometimes (OK... more often than not!) saying way too much. it's so nice to be with someone who gives me the freedom to speak and be heard. Kevin doesn't always agree with me, or i with him, but we know there's love regardless. that's such a wonderful thing.

love really isn't all that hard when it's true.

so... here's to truthfulness and discernment... to speaking out and biting our tongues... and to the ones who make figuring all this out worthwhile. :)

you don't have to be afraid.