tiffany garza 7/28/26 tiffany garza 7/28/26

emotional endurance, principle six: purpose to persevere

Today the day! Emotional Endurance : Faith Fueled Skills for Bouncing Back, Leslie Bossermans’ new book releases today. You can order on Ama zon or your favorite book retailer.

I have had the gift of gleaning from Leslie’s book club this summer, reading through her first draft of her book last year as she submitted it to her publisher, and hearing her heart for encouraging others at her Arete retreat.

As I have reread the book this summer in tandem with the study guide, it has been a sweet time to reflect on life and how different aspects of Emotional Endurance play out in my life.

The book broken up into six core principles. She details reflections and exercises to defining the why, how to break through set backs, and become resilient, where to find margin and rest, along with persevering and more.

Today is the final daily reflection based on a Reflect + Connect question from the final principle in her book.

When we are grounded in a purpose bigger than our current circumstances, we can activate an inner resolve to face whatever lies ahead. Individuals who possess grit fortified by faith are able to persevere with purpose in the face of extreme challenges, enhancing their emotional endurance. Using our natural strengths to drive our values forward, we find our flow and realign our expectations. Believing in this eternal purpose, we create a life of deep and abiding fulfillment as we leave a lasting legacy. Leslie Bosserman, Emotional Endurance

What do you feel called to do with your life? Share where you feel led to serve and contribute your talents using your interests and passions.

For as long as I can remember I have had issues with my stomach. That was normal. Living with something for so long it becomes second nature.

At nineteen, I laid in the hotel in Mexico with stomach pains, waiting for it to end.

On our honeymoon cruise, there was the night my stomach ached so bad that we stayed in our room and Ricardo ordered room service, while I waited for the pain to subside.

A few weeks after the birth of my son I was back at the doctor with stomach pains. He said to cut out certain foods, which I did but it did not help. Blood work came back normal.

Two years later I came down with what the ER doctor determined to be a virus, gave me an IV to hydrate me and sent me home with antibiotics, which led to an abrupt end to nursing. This was the same time that Ricardo and I had been seeking God for healing and seeing God move, healing others. It felt like an oxymoron to be laying in bed with a temperature spiking to 105, while he left to preach on healing. After recovering, my stomach pains endured. Followed by fatigue and deer in the headlight forgetfulness.

Doctors were never able to pinpoint the issue or dive deeper than change a few foods or drink more water - something I have always done (anyone else carry three waters when they leave the house?).

Growing up, nutrition was never something I paid attention to or thought about. Being a task focused person, I constantly forgot to eat. I ran on Chewy Bars and Eggo waffles in junior high. Fast food, Cheez Its, ice cream and water fueled me throughout high school and college.

Learning in college about the importance of nutrition and a decade later joining a gym pointed me into a better direction for my health but 2021 catapulted my desire to learn and understand the body in its entirety, seeing how the mind, body and spirit are connected. Brain and gut health were my focus, along with natural medicine.

As I dove into learning how the body works on the molecular model, the more amazed I became with how God created us to live. Through the learned process, I experienced first hand how much changes in diet and lifestyle impacted my stomach, energy levels and overall health.

Every cell in our body was created with intention and purpose. Everything we do impacts the way our cells operate for better or worse.

The food we eat.

The amount of liquid we drink.

How much we sleep.

How we handle conflict and stress.

The amount of physical activity we are involved in.

How much sunlight touches our skin and what time of day.

The personal hygiene products we soak our skin in daily.

The fabrics our clothes are made out of.

The fragrances we use throughout our home.

The quality of air we breathe.

Our cells change and adapt in accordance to these factors and so many more, which becomes the root cause of disease in our body.

What do I feel called to do with my life?

Next to following Jesus and raising my family, sharing the tidbits of hope and healing I have learned along the way about food and faith has become a passion. I would love to have a brick and mortar space with a garden to teach children how to grow food and a cafe to serve fresh, local food that not only tastes good but is nutrient dense and healing to the body. Homeopathic remedies and skin products would line a few walls, while educating on the benefits of using herbs and natural ingredients in hands on classroom settings.

I truly believe what Barbara O’Neill says: the body was made to heal when given the right conditions.

Knowledge is power and when we know what our body needs, by God’s grace, we can use it to heal. I know many people who have been healed miraculously and others through making healthier living choices.

As a small step towards the dream, our family will be creating Growth Boxes, a five sensory experience to grow your faith, health and mind, while studying the bible as an individual or family, available through The Inspire Shop.

Our first box will be released in time to celebrate the Advent season.

Hope you will join us on this adventure.

Join the mailing list for the details as they come.

tiffany garza 7/27/26 tiffany garza 7/27/26

emotional endurace, principle five: Energy to engage

She is an enthusiastic and encouraging women, who is sharing her heart and wisdom in Emotional Endurance : Faith Fueled Skills for Bouncing Back, her new book that releases this Tuesday, July 28th. You can preorder on Ama zon or your favorite book retailer.

As I have reread the book this summer in tandem with the study guide, it has been a sweet time to reflect on life and how different aspects of Emotional Endurance play out in my life.

With her book launch just two days away, I will be sharing daily reflections based on a Reflect + Connect question from each of the principles in her book till it releases.

We experience natural pauses in our daily lives: inhaling a deep breath, typing a comma, taking a nap, stopping at a red light, turning off our devices, or closing our eyes to tune out the visual noise.
Our pauses become powerful proclamations that we are finite beings who require rest. In fact, we were intentionally designed with this very concept in mind. Our all-powerful Creator demonstrated the importance of rest after He made the universe, Earth, and all that inhabits it in six days. God paused and rested: "Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing.... Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done" (Genesis 2:1-3 NIV, emphasis added). Leslie Bosserman, Emotional Endurance, p. 142
If your life were a soundtrack, what tempo of music would be playing now?

I lack any musical inclination. I played the flute in fifth grade but did not have the motivation to practice or learn to read the notes and ended it.

Listening to music, however, is part of my DNA since I can remember. I have a soundtrack for most seasons of my life. I remember at six years old telling my cousin I had memorized a whole album of songs but he did not believe me until my mom affirmed my answer. Years ago, I highlighted songs weekly on this blog. You can find them here if you are curious.

Songs are composed of many different notes and keys that I know nothing about. However, I can spot a pause, notice the change in pitch or increase in tempo.

If my life were a soundtrack, the tempo of music would change daily.

Sure, summer would be slower in general, while fall winds up a bit as school starts and makes way for routines. Spring is upbeat and quick with school work and sports. Winter slows down again with bursts of quick cadence during celebrations and holidays.

My hopes for thousands of miles on the road this summer was dashed when Ricardo changed jobs for a better career opportunity. While I hoped to check off more states off our map, I knew resting was just what I needed this summer. More time to pause. More time to pray. More time to worship. More time to invite others into it with us.

This summers’ tempo would be a waltz. Waiting for seeds to sprout. Watering the garden early in the morning and checking on the seeds again in the warm afternoon. The ebbs and flow of cleaning and cooking and hosting. The steady time spent with friends and time out on the lake paddle boarding. Taking turns reading and listening to bed time stories. S’mores being enjoyed with friends and neighbors around the fire pit. Playing board games and watching the strategies behind each move. Listening to miscellaneous facts spouted throughout the day as books are devoured. Card tricks being learned and demonstrated. Camping and time outdoors. Harvesting and fermenting. The small moments that fill the soul.

With every passing year I embrace the pauses more. I used to try to fill them with activities and fun filled fluff but pausing has become a welcomed friend. Scheduling pauses on my calendar has become a gift.

Ricardo has taught me much about pauses as we have led small groups over the years. I have always admired the way he has been able to give others space to speak and the time to respond. While some may call it awkward silence, I have seen it become an open door to transformative conversations that would never have occurred had the space been rushed past..

I have worked on implementing this as I lead bible studies and spend time in conversations, seeing the time needed to process certain questions and topics. Something I am not as skilled as Ricardo. I am still a work in progress and thankful to God for showing me the importance and gift of rest and a good pause in life and conversations.

Praying that whatever your tempo is this season that you would find a way to pause and rest. Praying you would see the beauty in the slow and what most have deemed unproductive. May your phone be off and silenced, while what is in front of you plays a song that catches your attention in the sweetest of ways.

tiffany garza 7/26/26 tiffany garza 7/26/26

Emotional Endurance, Principle Four: Courage to Change

As I have reread the book this summer in tandem with the study guide, it has been a sweet time to reflect on life and how different aspects of Emotional Endurance play out in my life.

With her book launch just two days away, I will be sharing daily reflections based on a Reflect + Connect question from each of the principles in her book till it releases.

We don't build our emotional endurance in seasons of comfort. As we lean into our discomfort, we can access more courage and break down the lies and limiting beliefs in order to build back up again. Leslie Bosserman, Emotional Endurance p. 111
What does courage look and feel like to you?

Death loomed over each thought, each step, each breath. It felt tangible, waiting for an opportune time to encompass me. Spiritual warfare was palpable. Fighting the good fight meant fixing my eyes on Jesus alone. Come what may.

I was ready. My faith and hope firmly rooted in the hope of Jesus in a way I had never experienced. Should death come, God still was good and had a plan for His purpose and glory.

Coherent thoughts bubbled to the surface, while a tornado of chaos raged in my mind. With the ability to use technology again in small chunks, a photo of a letter board popped onto my screen. The phrase “to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” filled the display.

Tomorrow was not something I took for granted. With thoughts of death pounding in my head, tomorrow may not come but this short phrase engulfed me with hope. Hope for tomorrow.

Watching plants grow has a tendency to do that to me.

That spring we had grown corn, kale and greens in a two by eight garden bed. After reading the phrase in the fall, I ordered two four by four boxes. My head swirled unsteadily as I moved the pile of pea gravel filling our yard with my five year old son but I continued to shovel and scoop, choosing to believe in life over death despite the heaviness and pain that pulsed throughout my body.

I could not calculate the amount of soil needed to fill them completely with my state of mind but it did not matter. It was not picturesque in the slightest but it emanated hope, pointing me towards a new perspective, courage to believe in life. Courage to believe things would get better. Courage to believe my marriage would be okay. Courage to believe my family would be intact.

We filled the beds and a few pots with tulips and daffodil tubers. Each day I stepped outside, watching the soil. Waiting. Believing. Eventually green leaves popped out of the soil, pointing towards heaven, a physical marker I was still alive. I made it another day.

Slowly but surely my mind and body healed over the course of months. Yellow made its way through the green, giving way to petals, ushering life and beauty into a pile of soil and rocks.

Courage is doing hard things and trusting God. It takes action and effort and tends to feel unnatural. Sometimes it means moving soil and building garden beds. Planting seeds and waiting.

Praying courage would drive you to live life to the fullest in this season and you would see glimpses of the goodness of God when it is easier to walk away than push through. Pray you would see the continued growth that happens as you continue to choose to do hard things and persevere.

tiffany garza 7/25/26 tiffany garza 7/25/26

Emotional Endurance, Principle three: hope to heal

As I have reread the book this summer in tandem with the study guide, it has been a sweet time to reflect on life and how different aspects of Emotional Endurance play out in my life.

The book is broken up into six core principles. She details reflections and exercises to defining the why, how to break through set backs, and become resilient, where to find margin and rest, along with persevering and more.

With her book launch just three days away, I will be sharing daily reflections based on a Reflect + Connect question from each of the principles in her book till it releases.

There are seasons for production and seasons for rest. The agrarian society of ancient Israel was instructed not to glean from the corners of their fields and to let the soil rest as a sabbath every seventh year so it was prepared and refreshed for the next harvest. The intentionality of knowing what not to do creates necessary space in our lives, showing how there are appointed times and seasons for everything—including rest. Leslie Bosserman, Emotional Endurance, p. 79
Notice available opportunities to invite more rest into your routine. How can you intentionally use these times to recharge?

I announced my goal for the summer to my children: I want to be bored.

One child in particular likes to share how bored he is with me. I kindly let him know how lucky he was to be able to be bored and I hope that I can feel that way soon. You are weird was his reply.

Truthfully, it has been my desire for the summer and I am grateful to say I succeeded.

This past school year was a roller coaster ride and my body let me know how much it had endured. From my oldest son’s appendicitis hospital stay in October to his appendectomy in December followed by recovery and holidays and homeschooling, the fall was exhausting but I could not help but thank God for the constant provision and outcomes.

January was a blessing after all of the hustle and bustle until two of my children came down with a horrible bug that brought us to the ER lasting most of February, reminiscent of the sleepless newborn years.

We were grateful they recovered by March, allowing us to go on the weekend adventure trips we had given as Christmas presents - my boys got signatures from a few of their favorite baseball players at Spring Training (including Buster Posey), Ricardo and I went to our first symphony to see Ben Rector, we hosted sweet friends from out of town, and culminated the month with a nineteen mile bike ride with friends across Yosemite valley.

We also navigated naturopathic doctor appointments and changes in dietary needs. April and May were filled with baseball, theater performances, birthdays and celebrations.

Come June, I was ready to be bored. Grateful and exhausted. Ready for rest.

With my hopes to be bored and our summer schedule offering more time, I splurged on watercolor tubes to go with the water coloring book I found on a whim at a thrift store for twenty five cents by The Mint Gardener. The book included one of the best breakdowns of watercolors I have ever seen.

After playing with water colors for over a decade, I was surprised at how easy it was to understand the concepts and wished I found this gem when I first started. Her color recipes were the icing on the cake. If you are curious, you can grab a copy here (but it is more than twenty five cents).

Morning watercolor routines a few times a week, mixed with fresh herbs and flowers from my garden while my children worked on their own art projects was just what my heart needed to rest this summer.

I learned how to mix new colors, enjoying their hues as they filled the page and matched them to the colors found outside in the garden. I doodled my first zinnia bloom of the year, which felt late to be in June and filled its petals with varied peach and cream shades.

Art has a way of ushering in slow and rest, gently revealing its beauty.

Praying you are able to carve time out to rest and recharge this summer in a way that is life giving. May you find yourself bored this summer in the best of ways.

If watercolor or coloring piques your fancy, here are a few of my watercolor doodles to practice with.

To use: Print directly on watercolor paper, being mindful of which side has crevasses. Trace with black waterproof pen (Micron 01 is my favorite). Cut apart into three prints. Mix paints and watercolor your heart out. Personal use only.

tiffany garza 7/24/26 tiffany garza 7/24/26

Emotional Endurance, Principle Two: Resilience to Rise

As I have reread the book this summer in tandem with the study guide, it has been a sweet time to reflect on life and how different aspects of Emotional Endurance play out in my life.

With her book launch just five days away, I will be sharing daily reflections for the next six days based on a Reflect + Connect question from each of the principles in her book.

Every choice we make is inherently motivated by specific factors: our needs, wants, goals, and even our fears-some consciously and many subconsciously. Which is why it’s essential to understand the relationship between our emotions and motivations that influence what and how we choose. Leslie Bosserman, Emotional Endurance, p. 55

We all have certain internal and external factors - relationships, resources, and responsibilities - that influence our motivation and ability to make decisions and lead change. Leslie Bosserman, Emotional Endurance, p. 56

Consider your biggest motivators. Are you typically driven more by internal desires or external circumstances?

The words “Congratulations Doctor” hung on the door frame of the office in gold glittered letters. In the distance a photo of a beautiful sunset with hues of orange and yellow reflecting on a river hung on the wall. Underneath the photo was the word goals. The word took me back to conversations I have shared with my husband, friends and prayerfully rolled around in my head for months.

What are my goals for this season? Do I have the capacity to add one more thing?

My ultimate goal since motherhood has always been raising my family in a way that honors God - pointing them to Jesus.

My husband and I both come from broken homes, so our prayer and motivation has always been to change this narrative for our children, giving them the healthiest family dynamics we can create, which is easier said than lived some days.

Seeing the word doctor sparkling on the doorpost brought me back to thoughts about returning to school to pursue naturopathic medicine.

For months I mulled it over until I recognized my goal: to be available for my children and husband, friends and neighbors (without deadlines and reading assignments looming over me) so I can enjoy this season that will be here today and gone tomorrow.

As a natural achiever and maximizer, it is easy to fill my plate with things that will not matter in the long run or that distract me. I have always had an innate drive. Reaching my goals and pushing myself too hard was the norm. I had no awareness of what life with margin was like.

Putting myself through college with twelve or more units a semester while working full time and designing for the school’s fashion show almost put me over the edge. But I was determined to finish and I did. By God’s grace, over the years I have learned how to filter the yeses and nos from the internal and external forces that drive me, my family being a key part.

While transferring files off my computer, I uprooted photos and videos of my fifteen year old daughter in her toddler years. It went by in the blink of an eye. This season of her high school years will too and by God’s grace I hope to be as present as possible.

Sure a career and higher education is amazing. I know numerous fantastic women who are incredible moms and do it all but that has never been my goal.

So for now I say no to some good things in order to say yes to homeschool adventures, board games, more bike rides, planting herbs in the garden, friends over for tacos and just maybe a cleanish home - while I can still say yes because nothing is guaranteed this side of heaven.

I have stocked my shelves and cupboards full of books and herbs, studying on my own in spurts of free time. Mixing salves, teas and tinctures for my kiddos, friends and family for various alignments. Seeing the amazing effects they have had has been life giving in this season.

While I am not dedicated to school and study, I am still learning, still experimenting and still enjoying this season of motherhood as I fix my eyes on the goal - all while teaching my children about natural ways of living in the process: how to identify plants, which herbs are good for certain alignments, how to make a salve. Ever so slowly they are learning right beside me. And perhaps starting new endeavors together. Stay tuned.

Praying that whatever your desires or goals are, that you would have time to pray and reflect on your capacity. That wisdom would guard your choices and that you would fully embrace your season, whether adding something new or saying no to something sweet.

tiffany garza 7/23/26 tiffany garza 7/23/26

emotional endurance, principle one : fortitute to fail

As I have reread the book this summer in tandem with the study guide, it has been a sweet time to reflect on life and how different aspects of Emotional Endurance play out in my life.

With her book launch just six days away, I will be sharing daily reflections for the next six days based on a Reflect + Connect question from each of the principles in her book.

Principle One: Fortitude to Fail

Experiencing failure gives us the opportunity to cultivate the fortitude to recover and spiritual stamina to get back up and continue. - Leslie Bosserman, Emotional Endurance
Recognize and call out any lies you have been believing. What truths can you claim and accept instead?

Calling out lies and claiming truth? Yes, please. That is my jam.

Keeping my identity rooted in Jesus allows the lies to pop up where I can see them and the truth of scripture to cover them but that does not negate the battle.

Being a mama is the greatest gift and my biggest challenge. Coming from a broken home and raised with broken relationships with my own parents, I lacked the example of what it means to be emotionally involved with my children or raise them up in the faith. It has been a journey of surrender, learning from others and daily prayer.

That said, in my earlier years as a mama, my confidence in my parenting skills were in a flow of constant mom guilt and trying to figure out all the things. Researching how to do things the “right way.” Trying harder. Pushing myself more. Ultimately leaving me exhausted. What I needed was a nap and truly knowing what it meant to trust my children to the Lord and placing my identity in Him.

After doing the hard work of working through my childhood issues and learning who I was in Christ, when my daughter was a toddler, I became a better mom but the nagging voice of not being enough for my children would pop up. In a bible study I was given the Who I am in Christ list by Neil T. Anderson of Freedom in Christ. It was life changing.

Several years later as I was working through biblical truths, I compiled my own Speak the Truth list, which is now used in Inspire Gatherings and hung in just about every room in my home.

Over the years as I recognized my own shortcomings as a mom in tangent with the truth of scripture, I have a steady Word to stop the lies when they come because the lies will come. It helps that it is hung all over so I can remember when I am brushing my teeth or playing in my children's room. I get to choose what I believe and what to do with them. I also get to walk in the humility of reminding my children I am not perfect, which is why I need Jesus and His grace.

This year, the lie of not being enough as a mom has popped back up. Long days of appointments, dysregulated children, discussing negative behaviors of my children with leaders and navigating food sensitivities has made it all the louder.

At the realization the lie had manifested, I immediately declared it untrue and turned to the truth of what God says about me. I shared the intrusive thought with my husband and a few friends, inviting them to pray for me. I kept my eyes on my Speak the Truth sign as I brushed my teeth and repeated the I am list with my children during our morning devotionals.

Shortly after my realization, we celebrated Mother’s Day, which completely caught me off guard this year. Mom, the neighbor is here for you, my boys called to me. Quickly coming back inside from cleaning up after the chickens, I washed my hands and went to the door, unsure which neighbor they were referring to.

These are for you. You are a model mom. Happy Mother’s Day, he shared as he handed me a bouquet of light yellow flowers, my favorite color.

Shocked, I wanted to look behind me to make sure he had the right person and jokingly wondered just how much Ricardo paid him to say that. Living in what I call a European neighborhood, our homes are close. He can hear all the things, which lead our other next door neighbor to move out of our cozy T court. Our community lifestyle, which did not align with his, along with my lively active boys made for a strenuous relationship for someone who wanted a quiet private lifestyle.

He had no way of knowing the intrusive thoughts or my feelings of failure. This sweet gesture was a reminder that God sees and others can see the pieces our eyes are unable to catch in the midst of everyday life.

Motherhood is a long game. An adventure of learning and growth. A blessing and a refiner's fire I would not trade for the world.

If this lie resonates with you as a mama, I encourage you to Speak the Truth over yourself and take time to ask the Lord what he says of you.

You can download the Identity Passport here in a 8.5×11” printout.

Pin it to your mirror, fridge or phone. Wherever you look often.

He has gifted you with the children in your home for such a time as this. Seasons come and go but the truth of God’s word never does. Praying for the Lord to open your eyes to the joy set before you and that you would know that you are enough. You are precious in His sight. He sees you and is with you always.

tiffany garza 4/13/26 tiffany garza 4/13/26

who's got the beet? (food profile: sugar beet + coloring page)

Tiffany, you do not eat sugar.

These words make me laugh and I can still hear them as if they were just spoken. Though the situation in which they were said was anything but joyful for me, the statement itself was true. I had cut out sugar from our diets several years before and in a season of crazy spiritual warfare full of uncontrollable thoughts, emotions and physical ailments, I opened the flood gates of sugar back into my home.

Sugar never seemed like a big deal. Sugar was my go to. I ate cake and ice cream for breakfast. Raw cookie dough had its place in my fridge to enjoy spoonfuls throughout the day or enjoy a quick pazookie with Ricardo after dinner.

I grew up an avid baker, not thinking anything of throwing two cups of sugar into lemon bars or 2 1/4 cups into chocolate chip cookies. Ten pound bags of sugar disappeared from my shelf in hardly any time as I made cupcakes for birthdays, brought homemade cinnamon rolls to the college group and homemade kettlecorn for neighbors.

My high school chemistry teacher, whose father had helped create the A-Bomb, once measured out the forty grams listed on the soda can in her hand to give us a visual of just how much sugar was inside. I was intrigued to see the pile steadily increasing but was accustomed to pouring cups of sugar into the lemon bars I regularly brought to school to share with friends; completely desensitized to mounds of sugar granules. I had no clue what it was doing to my body.

After being told the impact of sugar on the brain in 2017, I searched for ways to help my toddlers, who had yet been given any sorts of diagnosis but had some behaviors. My research inclined self went on a hunt to see the effects of sugar on the brain and body; shocked to see how it reacts like cocaine in the brain and aids in just about every disease development of the body including cancer, inflammation and Alzheimer's.

Fast forward to now, sugar has once again been out of my home minus a few items I have not made the time to switch over but this quote pretty much sums up my feels for sugar:

“As you may already have heard from any of a number of excellent books written on the subject, sugar is an addictive poison! The ATF—the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives-might appropriately consider becoming the ATFS and adding sugar to its list of controlled substances, given the widespread damage wrought by high sugar intake. The human body is not designed to process more than about 15 grams per day of sugars, far less than in one soft drink (which has 40 to 100 grams, depending on the size of the soft drink), but our diets are laced with them, from sugary sodas to candy to sweet cereals and sweetened yogurts—even store-bought bread.” -Dale Bredesen, The End of Alzheimer’s

Did you know that processed sugar can be derived from beets, not just sugar cane?

I had no clue. Growing up I loved adding beets to my salad, though I only knew their canned, precut form. I could not pick out a fresh beet if I had to and I would never have thought it could be turned into sugar.

The part that always appeals to me is the potent color of beets, how it soaks into everything it touches. It is perfect for using as a natural dye, which is why it has been for centuries. Yet, from sugar’s white grains, one would not know, especially since the ingredients listed on a bag of sugar is just sugar. But what is it?

After digging into the origins of sugar, I discovered Napoleon’s decree for beets to be used as the main source of sugar when access to sugarcane was restricted by the British in the 19th century, which revolutionized sugar intake.

I ordered sugar beet seeds to see the original work of art, unprocessed and full of nutrients. I was excited to see them pop up in the garden, their gorgeous leaves with purple veins among the other greens. They actually grew quite well and easily, to my surprise as I had struggled with other beet varieties.

How does a beet go from purple to white?

Numerous chemical processes are used to change its listing on the ingredient panel from from beet to sugar, which changes how the body breaks it down. This is what wreaks havoc on every level of our health, causing inflammation and disease. Beets themselves carry many benefits to our health but when changed into sugar, it becomes an antagonist.

Have you ever thought about the impact of sugar on your body?

Sugar seems so sweet and innocent, yet it slowly deteriorates the body over time. It lowers the immune system for several hours after consumption, fuels free radical cells to increase cancer cell production and causes inflammation all over the body, which is the cause of just about every known disease.

Cut out sugar and you have already started on a journey towards better health. That to say, sugar substitutes are not the answer either but that is for another post. I should mention after all the sweet talk, I still love to enjoy sweet treats here and there. I just use different ingredients that aid in my over all health.

If this happens to pique your interest and you want to dive deeper into the impacts of sugar here are a few resources I have found helpful. Attached are Amazon links but over the last few years I have become a huge Ebay used book fan. You can probably find them at your local library, too.

Brain Maker

Super Gut

Good Energy

The End of Alzhemeir's

Create + LEARN

To integrate learning and creativity, I turned my sugar beet doodles into a food profile coloring page with lots of fun facts about the benefits of sugar beets. Did you know it aids the heart, brain and liver through potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory detoxification properties, stimulates liver detox process and contains cancer-fighting agents?

Print on plain paper, card stock or watercolor paper depending on what medium you would like to use. For personal use only.

download sugar beet coloring page

tiffany garza 3/18/26 tiffany garza 3/18/26

Herbal Profile: Ginger (Includes Ginger Tea Recipe + Herb profile Coloring Page)

February is a short month, yet it felt long as I spent most of it nursing sick kiddos back to health. Despite my best efforts, the flu made its way in and two of my kiddos spent a few weeks fighting it.

Since I have been learning about herbs and how to use them for prevention and through illnesses, I have been impressed with their results. Many herbs have been clinically shown to reduce symptoms of illness and shorten its duration. The thing about over the counter medication is that it is chock full of ingredients that put our bodies on edge when it is already down, such as artificial colors, preservatives and synthetic ingredients that are hard to pronounce. Most medicines are only meant to treat symptoms, while herbs aid in healing the body and fight infection.

I know many people have been sick since the start of the year with respiratory issues that have lasted longer than a month, so I thought I would share this simple immune boosting tea that I started using last year.

It is strong and not all of my kiddos will drink it due to its potency but I like to drink a few cups a day when I am feeling under the weather or just to enjoy.

Adapted from Herbal Academy’s Botanical Teas Recipe Book, this is my go to sick tea lately.

Healing Ginger Tea

2 TBSP Organic Elder Flower

2 TBSP Organic Chamomile

Juice of 1 Organic Lemon (When lemons are in season and I have a bunch, I juice and freeze them to use for this tea)

2oz Juiced Organic Ginger Root (I juice a bunch of fresh ginger and freeze in 1oz cubes)

2 TBSP Raw Unfiltered Honey

24 oz Boiling Water

To Brew:

Pour boiling water over elder flower and chamomile. Brew covered for 10 minutes. Remove tea bag. Add lemon, ginger and honey. Stir and enjoy. If tea is too strong as is, add additional 6 to 8 oz of hot water to desired taste. Note, this will not be as potent in vitamins and nutrients as the full strength.

To receive the most medicinal benefits from the honey, let your tea cool to under 104 degrees before adding it.

In case you’d like to save this later or give to friend, here’s a simple recipe card print out.

download ginger tea recipe card

Ginger Tea Video Tutorial

Create + LEARN

To integrate learning and creativity, I turned my ginger doodles into an herbal profile coloring page with lots of fun facts about the benefits of ginger. Did you know it is antiviral and antibacterial, which makes it perfect for fighting colds, flu and respiratory infections?

Print on plain paper, card stock or watercolor paper depending on what medium you would like to use. For personal use only.

download herb profile

Praying you stay well friends!

tiffany garza 1/29/26 tiffany garza 1/29/26

food injustice

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Proverbs 2:6-11

What if the laws that have been set in place to protect Americans from harmful food are actually ushering in suffering, disease and ultimately death?

Unfortunately, food is now a political topic and if there is one thing I am not about it is politics but I believe in the power of food and its ability to impact our health for better or worse. I have seen this played out in my own life and with my kiddos, which I will share in future posts if you stick around.

I wrote a research paper in college on the benefits of organic food vs non organic for my nutrition class. At that time I could not find evidence of the impact of non organic or find a reason to pay the extra cost at check out for the organic label.

Fast forward twenty years and my bookshelf has numerous recordings of the impact of pesticides on health and the importance of organic food, fermentation, and clean eating, while my grocery cart has pretty much converted to the organic label or homegrown options.

Biology, my least favorite subject in school, has quickly become one that absolutely fascinates me. The impact on our cells, which make up our entire body, from what we eat is astonishing. I can totally nerd out here and all my friends and poor Ricardo can roll their eyes at this point from my constant barrage of health related trivia over the last few years.

In school we studied the importance of eating vegetables and drinking milk but what was the importance of the vegetable or milk? What was it doing to the function of the body after we ate it? How did it impact our cells, which impacts our digestion, metabolic function, brain, gut health and every other process? If these things have benefits, what happens on the cellular level of our bodies when we consume food preservatives, binders, additives and food coloring that is added? Clearly I am no doctor but science and research by medical professionals have revealed how the body processes these things.

If you are curious, I encourage you to do a quick google search of your favorite processed snack ingredients and see: what each of the ingredients are, if you can pronounce the name or know how they were developed and most importantly, what it does to your body.

The more I learn about how our body processes food and everything else we put inside it, the more passionate I get about health and food. The more my heart breaks as another friend or family member is diagnosed with a health issue or walks through an illness. The more I believe we have the power to change our health and bring healing to our bodies and the lives of those we love, which is my hope behind The Inspire Shop.

Wisdom is needed to navigate the current state of the food industry. There are so many loop holes, ingredients and phrases to navigate that at times it can feel impossible to make a positive health choice. Again my poor husband has been on this adventure with me and has felt the brunt of hard choices, so I get it (the Bobby Approved app is a game changer if you need some guidance on what to purchase, just ask Ricardo). It can feel daunting to change but wisdom brings life. Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and he guides us in all things. Jesus came to bring abundant life and food is one of our core necessities for life.

Thank you, God, for the gift of food and the gift of a good meal. Praying for God to give us wisdom in our health choices, for food to nourish the mind, body and spirit and for discernment and provision for everything we bring into our pantries.

tiffany garza 1/19/26 tiffany garza 1/19/26

the thing about seasons

It’s 2026.

I am a few months shy of my final year in my thirties and embracing life upside down. My oldest is in the second half of her first year of high school and college, while my youngest is in upper elementary; hard to believe the baby of the family is almost ten! I have herbs I cannot pronounce the names of in my cupboard for our health. Mason jars, tinctures and strainers have become kitchen staples. Medicinal herbs have been growing in the garden and dried for later use.

My kiddos are homeschooled. Chickens peck in the backyard and fresh eggs are scrambled for breakfast. I have seen the power of God work wonders through prayer. Our wardrobes are mostly refashioned with natural fibers. Mushroom extracts are morning routines, along with homemade herbal capsules. My bookshelves are filled with topics like gut and brain health, growing medical herbs and spiritual warfare.

A yogurt maker quietly cultures L.Reuteri yogurt on the counter, next to fast growing broccoli sprouts and fermenting sauerkraut. Cellular health has been an ongoing discussion in response to food. Reciting prayers and truth statements is a staple and the cultural norm for our family. Social media has been off my radar for nearly two years, besides brief check-ins to view videos sent by friends and family.

The board game storage has exploded as we spend time gathering around the table to share new games with friends and family. Homemade oat milk complements freshly brewed chai tea with its rich scent filling the house as it steeps.

What is this life!?

The older I get the more I recognize my inability to stay the course and keep on track. The lack of movement or force of it is not at my disposal. I cannot keep the autumn leaves from changing or falling to the ground, much less keep my children from sprouting to heights my body cannot not reach.

Seasons change without notice or signs. They simply roll up their sleeves and bring moving boxes, packing and unpacking at a rhythm all their own.

The first time my eyes caught glimpses into this reality was through parenting: a new mom navigating the ever changing stages of a baby: Sleep. Nurse. Diaper change. Midnight waking. Roll over. Crawl. Pincher grasping new foods.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
    a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
    a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
    a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
    a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
    a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The only thing consistent is change. The best way to live is with open hands and God’s guidance with each step, knowing when it is time to push through, slow down or stop.

This season of the Inspire Shop will be encapsulated with creating a space to be rooted in biblical teaching, while bringing the mind, body and spirit into alignment through clean eating, herbal remedies and art.

If you want to join in the adventure, I won’t be on social media but you can pop into the blog periodically and I’ll be sharing recaps on the newsletter and perhaps a few in person events sprinkled throughout the year to grow your faith and health.

Praying for you, friend.'

Cheers to a new year. Cheers to growth.

tiffany garza 8/24/21 tiffany garza 8/24/21

creating with words.

"I miss your writing. "

Me too, I thought. My sweet husband has been gently guiding me back to my love for writing, back to my keyboard. I have tried to write for nearly two years, yet words have been reluctant to come. Questions have been plenty and answers few.

It has been my intention to carve out time to create in word form but my attempts had little success. Early morning writing rhythms were not for me and the sporadic attempts held nothing but air to the wind. In my journey I have found the beauty and value of life giving words - words worth reading - comes from discipline and intentionality, mixed with heart and vulnerability, and God's inspiration setting the table, all which seemed to be off kilter.

This year has been the hardest by far to any other, as some know bits and pieces of. The only word I can use to describe it as accurately as possible has been hell, yet it has brought about and catapulted me to a new rhythm that only by God's grace could come out of the mess, as He has been rebuilding. Echos from Jubilee by Maverick Music have resounded in my soul the last few months:

Listen up, for the season's changing
He's rebuilding everything
Listen for the people shouting, "This is Jubilee, yeah".

With the word of God at the forefront and the promises of God hung around my home the last few months I have been understanding more about jubilee and words have begun to spin and weave, coming to life again, like a spinster spinning her raw, disheveled ball of wool, into something worth using. Something to bring warmth and comfort to those under its weight.

Lying in bed with thoughts streaming, words birthing and a smile spreading across my lips, a nod to what seems like ages ago. Words have been stringing themselves together as my mind sooths itself to sleep for as long as I can remember, as I hurry to write it down before my eyes shut. The thrill of the catch before sleep brings life to my bones and a peace in my heart like no other and I am grateful. Words are something that God has given me. I have seen the power and encouragement and love that they hold. A gift that is not to be mishandled or rushed into, like we see with keyboard warriors and endless posts that leave nothing but a bitter taste in the mouth.

Words carry purpose and should be guarded as such, something I am trying to remember daily conversations, especially with my children. Taking a break from social media and the rushes that come from sharing and commenting has been like a breath of fresh air this year, keeping words fewer and more direct to those in my corner and meeting in person. You still will not find me on social media much for now, as I cozy back into this spot and ease into new rhythms.

I had shared in this podcast about curating my walls with the truths of scripture, which proved even more potent after this past spring. My design shifted from individual chalkboard to printed signs to save space, as I wanted to have it posted in each of my children's rooms and hung on my bathroom mirror, so I created a compellation of the Identity Passport from the Inspire Shop and had it printed. Perhaps it will show up in the shop in the future.

Praying we would find our words. Praying we would be slow to speak, slow to be angry and quick to listen to the words of others. Praying we would use our words with intention and keeping in step with the Spirit, brining comfort and peace.

tiffany garza 1/10/21 tiffany garza 1/10/21

welcome, new year.

Wherever you are, be all there. Jim Elliot

Ever since I can remember, I have always loved people watching and my thoughts have lead me a million miles from where my body resided.

Dreaming up ways to weave string for a bracelet, how to cut fabric to drape properly, redressing people with outfits to fit their body types or redesigning my surroundings with moderns updates, my mind easily has wandered over the years but then I met Jesus. He has been gracious to show me how to focus, a constant, quiet redirecting.

Back to what is infront of me.

Back to what matters most.

Back to scripture.

Back to my children.

A few weeks off of social media has done wonders for mental rest.

Distance learning while working from home, unpacking, organizing and holidays has definitely left my mind scattered, as much a they are fun and as grateful I have been to enjoy the festivities, there's nothing like rest.

We rang in the new year with our second annual trip to the beach. A nice drive in the car listening to Kid's Corner Podcast (I love it - if you're looking for a biblical teaching with humor and life, let your kiddos listen), telling jokes, and a few minutes of silence.

Looking forward to what lies ahead with a grateful for what has been.

Cheers to a new year.

tiffany garza 11/1/20 tiffany garza 11/1/20

Writer's Block.

Research shows it takes twenty one days for a habit to form and after that it becomes more natural. Perhaps those are our neuron receptors that we rewiring and removing old pathways that we have been comfortable and familiar with.

Twenty one days.

Writing has always been a source of life for me, yet without time and space, it becomes just another thing that begs to do. Creativity and writing requires a clear head, time and is held in place with consistency but doesn’t life beg us of these same things?

Write. Write. Write.

The beginning of the year the Lord kept bringing me back to my roots, echoing the call to write in the small moments of my day and as I hit my pillow at night, yet the words were lacking and time was sparse as I started working full time. Reworking schedules and roles is no easy task (refer back to the first sentences) but if you are reading this you are not stranger to the effort reworking takes because we are living in 2020, which has had more changes in 21 days than most of our lives I am sure.

At the initial mention of gathering writing back into my routine, my mind is like those of my children as they see the mess they have made before them and say it is too much to clean. Sometimes the very things that God calls us to feel like too much. The very things that will bring us to our knees and give us new life are the very things we remind him are too hard and require more than we can do.

Then the Word springs up with more truth than the banter of the lies:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Nine months have passed since the call back and I have hardly written a thing; though the year is not over and the call is still there like it was in the beginning. Only now I am again reworking timing and dusting off the keypad, literally. I am weak but I cling to the truth that it is only in the weakness that the Lord can show his strength.

Does it take effort, wisdom, guidance and structure and a certain amount of steadiness? Absolutely. His grace is sufficient and it is the Lord who continues to give strength is the very areas I fall short.

This month is our annual #findthejoytoday takeover – one of my favorite times - as we encourage one another, using words to piece together encouragement despite our circumstances and raise up an army of praises to God.

Our words have power and weight. If you have never joined in the #findthejoytoday takeover, I hope you will join us this year and gain a new habit that has the power to rewire your brain and bring about better health. I love how God wired us and throughout scripture share the importance of renewing our minds in the Spirit.

Praying we continue to use them to build each other up, even when we are lacking strength ourselves. May we trust God will provide for us and more when we seek to do the hard things and trust him in the process.

tiffany garza 4/3/20 tiffany garza 4/3/20

even unto death

Ry and Skyler opened the screen door with hands full of tomatoes and emptied them on the table. I inquired where they found them, as I continued prepping dinner. In the garden they told me, as they asked if they could eat them. Surprised they found such a haul for the time of year, with February was drawing to a close, I assured them to go ahead. They popped the cherry tomatoes in their mouths and went on their way, as I continued cutting and dicing up dinner.

For the next few days, they did the same thing. Finally, I got curious at just how many tomatoes they found, so while Ricardo prepared lunch, I grabbed my boots and headed to the garden with them, this time holding the colander they asked to fill.

As we approached the garden the boys excitedly showed me where their stash had come from. I was amazed to find both of our cherry tomato bushes brimming with red, ripe tomatoes. Mid fall I had stopped tending the garden and let it go, giving it time to do its thing as we waited until spring to start again. With a lack of water this winter and drier days, the vines reflected it, dressed in shades of brown along with dry, crackly leaves. They lacked any signs of life, yet were full of ripe tomatoes.

I bent down to grab tomatoes that had fallen to the ground. Some has been squished by little toes that had been focused on picking the ones above. Others were buried inside the tomato cage. We have never had such an enormous amount of lush tomatoes at once, mostly due to the fact our kiddos love to eat them straight from the vine as they become ripe, which we never object. It was actually work to harvest them from the vine.

As I removed each tomato and watched the fun my boys had harvesting, it was a reminder of how something that looks completely dead, can still bring life. With Easter approaching, it brings me to the cross and what we now sweetly refer to as “Good Friday.” The day Jesus was resurrected.

The hopelessness and sorrow that his followers were feeling; the veil of the temple torn in two. The earth shaking and darkness over the earth. Hope seemed to be lost. Death seemed to have prevailed, surely nothing was to come out of it.

Yet, we have Easter: the resounding empty tomb and Jesus’ risen life; the way our life is freed from sin was birthed out of his death, the very thing that seemed to lack life.

God has a plan and has had one since the beginning, even when we cannot see and especially when we cannot simply understand it. I only can imagine the disbelief the disciples felt when they saw Jesus had died after witnessing the miracles and healings and teachings.

This is the place that many may be sitting now. Sitting in the unknown and disbelief of our society in the midst of the pandemic, unsure of the next moves as unemployment becomes a reality, stocks go down, children are out of school. It may seem dark and appear as if there is no hope.

But God has gone before us. He has made a way. He has promised to never leave or forsake us, even unto death in this life. I do not know the challenges you are facing or the tears that have cried or the worries that have made it hard to sleep at night but I do know we serve a God of the impossible. A God who makes a way where there is no way. A God who is faithful, even when we are faithless and doubtful and disobedient. He stays true to His word. Never changing.

Praying you would be able to see the work of God in glimpses and full color in the the days to come this month during shelter in place. Praying that you would see where there is life stemming from the places that look like nothing could ever grow from. Praying that you would know the God who is for you, who gave His son to give you eternal life.

Easter will come. Victory is ours. The battle is already won.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. John 5:24

tiffany garza 2/6/20 tiffany garza 2/6/20

new soil

I received an array of succulents for Christmas this year, sweet gifts from friends and family fueling my new hobby of turning my house green. I purchased a bag of soil after Christmas to transplant some and give nutrients to others.

As I scooped and poured, I came to my little tray of cuttings and leaves I had been hoping to propogate that were not doing so well. A sweet friend and more experienced succulent mama told me it could be the soil, so I took off the leaves that looked hopeful, and took the tray outside to remove the old soil, along with the dead leaves.

Grabbing a cup, I filled the tray and spread out the remaining leaves on top of the new soil. They looked so pretty sitting atop the fresh soil. More green and lively. I am giving you new soil, the Lord whispered. And at the moment I knew. Sure, I had already accepted the job and knew.

It was time for a real change for me - for our family - new soil to grow in. New soil for Ricardo to sew into in our family. Time for him to pour into our kiddos, as I have had the opportunity to do the last eight and a half years on a moment by moment basis.

I wrestled with God about I had worked so hard through the diapers, bottle feeding, social worker visits, what felt like never ending well child checkups, naps, snack schedules, endless piles of laundry, organizing and stock piling clothes for each time of year, only to hand it over at its easiest (thus far) season.

I reminded God how I did the hard, foundation building only to hand it over to Ricardo at what feels like the turn key phase. Not to say that parenting is easy, only easier now considering the latter.

This is what I equipped you for, the Lord whispered but that did not make the transition any easier for this mama heart.

Words have been sparse and lost in all the emotions processing going back to work. The only three that seem to do it justice have been HARD.AS.HELL.

Has this been easy for me? By all means no.

Emotions are such a funny thing. One second everything is okay and the next it is tears. That has pretty much been me the past month since I got the job.

I explained it to friends that feels like I am dying. (I know, a bit dramatic and all the working mamas reading this laugh to themselves) But loss is loss and part of that is true. The stay at home mama is no longer at home - for now.
I think that is the perspective shift I have been in need of. The new soil I have been given and the opportunity to let go of the daily grind of mamahood in all its glory and embrace my kiddos running to meet me at the door when I come home after soaking in time spent with their dad.

Some days it felt like I messed up. Like anger or resentment or bitterness. And anyone who knows loss or grief knows it takes time. And there has been a certain amount of processing for me to let it go, trusting God knows what he is doing and will use this season as only He can.

I have to admit I do not miss all the dishes or breaking up disagreements between my kiddos but I feel the loss of reading books before naps and walks to school but I am grateful Ricardo gets to share in those moments now. I have not cried in over a week and finally soaking in the new roles. My job is amazing, which makes going to work that much better and Ricardo is killing it at home and the kiddos are doing well.

Will it be forever? Probably not but for now I can give thanks to God for this gift of new soil.

As I prayed through this transition, it was a reminder of what we can do with our circumstances and emotions. We can let our thought patterns and emotions build and muster inside of us, similar to sticks of dynamite, ready to explode at any moment at the next person we disagree with; despite not wanting to be holding or creating them at all.

Or we can drop them at the feet of Jesus. We can let him use the loss, grief and emotions to light up the night as we allow him to guide us in the process, providing a light the way for others to use. There is a certain beauty in the brokenness and pain; a commonality and reminder of our humanity. We can all relate to it one way or another; something all too common this side of heaven; some more familiar than others.

Pain has a way of giving. The growth process often takes change to start it, whether it is chosen or not.

Praying wherever you find yourself today that the Lord would meet you there and open your eyes to how He has already gone before you for this very moment. Praying you would be strengthened and find joy in the hard and anger and use them to point others to Jesus, despite the pain of the circumstance because you are loved by a good God and nothing can change that.

tiffany garza 12/19/19 tiffany garza 12/19/19

Foreboding Joy // by allison dolin

Foreboding joy.

Not exactly the kind of joy that first comes to mind. In fact, it’s not something we hear about very often at all. Have you ever been walking through life and thought, “uh oh…things are going too well, something bad is bound to happen?”

That’s foreboding joy.

Its two very opposing emotions, which many of us feel, but maybe don’t understand. However, if you have lived through trauma (hello any human being) you are affected by this.

This is the first year, since 2012, that I’ve had nothing traumatic happen in the month of December. When I was with my abusive ex-husband, every holiday was ruined especially Christmas. Ask anyone who has lived through abuse, they can tell you that holidays were the most miserable with their abuser. After I left the abuse, I was ALWAYS in court during December. I couldn’t quite get in the “Christmas Spirit” until court was over and I had at least a week to recover from court. Now, I have been out of court for a year, yet my body and mind till correlate Christmastime with trauma.

Maybe you haven’t been in an abusive relationship. But, have you lost a loved one around Christmas? A terrible breakup around the holidays? Were you in an accident 10 years ago because of Christmas traffic? Were you fired right at the end of the year? Did some kind of trauma dramatically affect your holiday season in years past?

If so, you may notice that the second those cardboard Santas pop up in stores, your teeth clench and a wave of worry rushes over your body. The Christmas music starts playing in your office, but it only feels like nails on a chalkboard. However, you’re sure there was a time when the words of “Silver Bells” brought you pure joy!

Why does this happen? And how do we overcome it. Our body holds memories and even if we have mostly forgotten something, our body doesn’t. It was through experiencing this foreboding joy, that Psalm 28:7 made the most sense to me.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Each time I walked into court I would think. “Lord, I won’t survive this. I can’t survive this.” And you know what? I’m still standing! I survived each time. And I would walk away so thankful to the Lord that I had. So thankful that my strength and joy came from the Lord and not me. If the traditions of your past have been tainted by trauma…make a new tradition. Did you always help your Dad put up Christmas lights, but since his passing it’s been too traumatic to hang them anymore? How about walking through a festive neighborhood well known for their decorations. Grab some hot cocoa and the hands of a loved one! You’ve got yourself a lovely new tradition and the opportunity to make new memories.

What Satan meant for harm, you let the Lord create something new and beautiful in its place!

Will we still have painful reminders around a season of trauma? Sure! Does it have to steal our joy! Absolutely not!

The joy of the Lord truly IS our strength.

// ABOUT ALLISON

Allison is a single mom, who homeschools her son and works full time for a wedding website company. She and her son live near Sacramento, where they can be found making an adventure out of everyday life. Whether they are exploring a local zoo or their backyard, Allison is intentional to make the little things in life as magical as possible.

She is a survivor of domestic violence and a Certified Advocate for Victims of Abuse. She uses social media and her blog to educate and empower women to find freedom and healing in Christ. Allison’s heart is to create for victims/survivors of abuse, what she wished she had when she left her abusive marriage. Her desire is for women in trauma to understand that they are loved, they are not alone and God has a plan for their life.

Find her encouraging women on Instagram @hope_in_healing and her blog.

tiffany garza 11/21/19 tiffany garza 11/21/19

the joy we receive from the Lord. // by allison dolin

Want to put a smile on my face?

Bring me flowers!

It could be the fanciest and most expensive bouquet or something you picked off the side of the road.

Either way, they will brighten my day. That’s because it’s something I can hold in my hands that says you care. You like me. You think about me when I'm not around. And I can be reminded of that, every time I take in their beauty.

In my twenties, I went to the Farmer’s Market every single weekend and bought myself the perfect bouquet to place in my apartment. I would proudly display them in my living room, until they wilted and ended up in the trash. Soon, that bouquet was a distant memory when their replacement occupied my glass vase the following weekend. I loved my flowers. I loved buying myself flowers. But, I can tell you. Even the strongest, fiercest, most independent women, enjoys receiving flowers more than buying them herself.

It’s a little bit like joy and happiness. We can manufacture happiness with lots of things and people in this world. A new car. A cool midtown apartment. The most likes on Instagram. A new romantic relationship. But, just like the self-bought flowers, there is an expiration date.

Our happiness can only last so long, when we create it ourselves. Then, it’s in the trash and quickly replaced with the next thing we believe might bring us more permanent happiness.

But, the joy we receive from the Lord? Girl, that’s better than a room full of the finest flowers. Because joy is a gift no one can give. It can only come from living in the peace and strength of God.

This joy does not have an expiration date. In fact, this joy only increases the closer we walk in step with God. This joy isn’t lost when you lose your dream job, your car, your boyfriend or all of your followers on Instagram. Because it’s not dependent on people or things, ONLY the overwhelming love of God. God's love which has no end and manifested with the sacrifice and resurrection of our Savior. The joy that is constantly and consistently based on the promises we know are ours, from His word!

The Bible talks about “joy” 168 times (KJV). Clearly, God wants us to pay attention to what He has called joy. Unfortunately, Christians walking around with abundant joy in churches, families, careers or the local coffee shop doesn’t feel like a familiar scene does it? Why is that?

We have become too caught up in the world’s manufactured idea of happiness. Not the self-sustaining joy of the Lord. Ask yourself...

How many minutes did you spend scrolling through Instagram?

Is it more than what have you spent reading your Bible?

How many texts have you sent today?

Is it more than your prayers with God today?

How many lines can you quote from your favorite tv show?

Is it more than scripture you have memorized?

Who feels guilty after answering these questions? Don’t worry, I’m raising my hand too!

If I feel as if I’m lacking and discontent, doing a quick assessment always puts things back into perspective. It doesn’t take long for me to figure out if I’m seeking temporary happiness or the joy of the Lord.

Are you simply looking for flowers? Or seeking He who created those flowers? Joy always bursts abundantly with the latter. Take a quick look around and prune out those areas that you are filling up with temporary to make room for that which is permanent. And who doesn’t want to live in everlasting joy?

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

// ABOUT ALLISON

Find her encouraging women on Instagram @hope_in_healing and her blog.

tiffany garza 11/5/19 tiffany garza 11/5/19

for the joy set before me. // by kerri naber

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

It is not my intent to take this scripture and minimize or Americanize something this scripture into what it is not. In no way do I want to compare my day-to-day trials to the agony of what Jesus faced on the cross when He forgave the sins of the world. Let me start by stating that I am not writing from a theology background. I am writing as a simple woman navigating everyday life with the belief that God created us and wants a relationship with us.

You can find many other writings about this particular scripture and what it meant for Jesus to have the joy set before Him. Some will say that we were the joy set before Him. Others will state that Heaven was the joy set before Him. Others will write about how it was either agonizing or simple for Him to lay down His life knowing it would benefit literal all of mankind.

This morning this scripture, in all of its complexity and without minimizing it, reminded me what my drive for thankfulness in life is. It reminded me where my drive for personal healing started. I know for sure that I strive to find joy in every day because I want those I love to find joy in every day. I had to teach myself to cultivate healthy habits, routines, mindsets, so that I could encourage those I love in that same direction. I’ve never wanted to be someone who doesn’t take my own advice. I decided early on that the only way I could help someone else was to get free myself. Do, then teach!

I taught--key word, taught because it doesn’t come natural-- I taught myself to find joy in every day because I’ve seen the opposite. I’ve seen when people wake up day after day to the same kind of life without making any change to their normal. They are bitter, they are sad, they feel like life is happening to them instead of them making life happen.

I’m not big on setting goals, I don’t think every woman needs 1 million followers on Instagram or to write a book or anything like that. I just want people to wake up and enjoy their own life. If the coolest thing you did this year was create a new apple pie recipe, stich a new pattern in your quilt, finish a book series, start going to counseling, survive breastfeeding, teach your four year old to tie their shoes —whatever—I am just so glad you did it, you created a moment, and you found joy in the mundane. Because, honestly there are a few cool people I know, but the rest of us are just making it through the day-to-day not-cool lives. And I want our not-cool lives to be done as free with as much literal joy as possible. In summary, You are the joy set before me.

Honestly when I miss what I can’t have. When I want to live a hippie life without rules and boxed in church protocol, I remember -–you—the woman reading this blog and think but I want her to be free, I want her to find the joy that I know is true. So I get out of bed, I brew coffee and I find Jesus. Somehow, anyhow. I walk, I read, I blare worship music, I cry, I search the Bible over and over—I find the joy. I cultivate the joy, I don’t just wish it to be, I fight for it, because I want you to fight for it too.

There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Jesus offers us peace and joy: Galatians 5:22-23 NIV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” I know He offers it to us, sometimes I just don’t want to choose it, but just like Jesus in a WAY MORE real way laid down His life on earth, that is where I find my inspiration. I lay it down. My cravings, my desires, my selfishness, my heartache and I fight through because I know I will see you and I want to be there for you. I want you to tell me you found another Selena Gomez song that brightened your day and helped you find more healing from your old relationship. I want you to text me a silly photo of your daughter because in the craziness of Motherhood you are still choosing joy. I want you to DM me an inspirational post that helped cheerlead you on past your childhood trauma. In common day verbiage, I am here for this! I find joy, you find joy, we inspire each other, we continue to inspire others, and this world feels a little bit more cheery, a little bit more hopeful and we find the joy, together.

ABOUT KERRI

Kerri Naber is an Upstate NY native living in sunny Sacramento, California. She works at a Christian nonprofit dedicated to helping young women break free from life-controlling behaviors and situations.

Kerri is a newlywed with a Corgi Puppy that is slowly learning how to bring routine and health into her life. As an Enneagram Type Seven she is constantly dreaming, creating, and trying to get to San Francisco. You’ll find her writing to constantly reflect both her love of The Lord and love of all things fun. Find her on instagram at @Kerri_Naber and over on her blog.

tiffany garza 10/30/19 tiffany garza 10/30/19

When you do hear His voice, be prepared to follow it anywhere.

Six and a half years ago my life had FINALLY fallen into place. After a long battle with infertility and riding the crazy roller coaster of being foster parents, our adoption had just finalized with our two daughters. My husband had a job that he loved, in a church we loved, with a community of people that we loved...deeply. We were in escrow to buy our very fist home together. It was in a neighborhood that would allow our kids to go to a great school... the school I grew up in. For once it seemed that things were going the way I had always envisioned. The story book of my life that I had penned in my imagination as a young girl was coming to fruition.

BUT GOD.

My husband sent me a text one afternoon and told me that he had been made aware of a senior pastor position in Carson City, Nevada, which was about two and a half hours from where we were living in Northern California. He told me that he was being encouraged to pursue the opportunity, and that while he really did not believe anything would come of it (he did not think that this church would call a young pastor with no senior pastor experience), he thought that it would be wise for him to interview for the job, as he believed the interview process would be a good experience for him to have under his belt. I knew nothing of Carson City, other than I was quite certain that it was somewhere that I did not want to live, but since my husband assured me that he really did not think this was going anywhere I encouraged him to move forward with the interview processes.

Just a couple of weeks later, we found ourselves driving East on highway 50 over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to my husband's interview.

The first two hours and ten minutes of our drive was through what I think is some of the most beautiful scenery in all of the world, but as we left the forest of gorgeous Lake Tahoe and started to descend down the mountain towards the valley, the forest quickly gave way into dry dust and rock. I was looking at what appeared to be a moonscape. I remember thinking, “There's no way I could ever live someplace like this!”

We continued descending down the mountain, and as we rounded a curve we were able to look down and see part of Carson City and what I now know is Carson Valley. I felt a weight in my chest and a knot in my throat form. I was fighting back tears. I looked over at my husband and was shocked that he too had tears in his eyes. I surprised myself when I blurted out, “We are moving to Carson City, aren't we?” He looked at me and said, “I think we are!”

You see, just as we were descending down the mountain, God's presence descended on our car. There was no doubt in either of our minds that it was God that was speaking to us. Rather, He was calling us... calling us to Carson City. Before we had even stepped foot in the city, seen the church or met the people in the church, been interviewed for the job (let alone offered a job), God knit our hearts to Carson City. In a moment we knew that we were called by God to love and serve this community we were looking at from a bird's eye view. We knew that this was going to be our home.

I cannot explain how God can convey all of that information on unsuspecting hearts in just an instant, but He did, and we knew to deny that truth would be to deny God's calling on our lives.

***Spoiler Alert*** It was a several month process after his initial interview, but my husband got the job!

We canceled our home purchase in California, and moved our family to Carson City. I would be lying to you if I said this move was an easy one for us. It was not. Nothing felt familiar. I missed our family and friends. I grieved over the fact that my children would not get to grow up close to their cousins and my side of the family. It was a rocky transition into our new church as it often is when replacing a very long term pastor. I had a very hard time making friends, and felt isolated as a new mom.

I often asked God why He would call us from something that seemed to be our version of the “Promised Land” and to the moonscape of Carson City, but during those times I would remind myself of the moment in the car when God spoke to my husband and me and called us to this place.

I now know that God's calling on our life that day was such an act of kindness and grace to us, because reflecting back on when He spoke to us so clearly brought such peace and assurance to our hearts during difficult times. We knew that it was God who had called us to Carson City, and even when that calling did not make sense to us we trusted in His plan for our lives completely, because we knew He was a good Father!

As I sit here six and a half years later I stand in awe of what God has done. Although our transition to Nevada was not easy initially, I can finally say, as is one of our state's motto's, “Home Means Nevada!”

Our family loves it here, but more importantly, God is working in our lives here. My husband, kids, and I have all had opportunities to minister here that I know we never would have had in California. We love our church family with all our hearts, and are grateful and blessed by their presence in our lives on a daily basis. We have developed true and meaningful friendships, have seen people come to know and serve the Lord here, and have witnessed God truly at work in our community. And, believe it or not, the moonscape terrain has grown on me. I think Carson City is beautiful. There is nothing that quite compares to a Carson City sunset or the spectacular view of the Sierra Nevada Mountains I see from pretty much any location in town.

I am so thankful that God spoke to my husband and I that day, and I'm grateful we obeyed Him. There is nothing that compares to knowing that you are in the center of God's will for your life. Friends, I want to encourage you to be ready to hear God's voice. Listen for it. Wait for it. Ask Him to speak to you.

When you do hear His voice, be prepared to follow it anywhere. When you follow Him, know that it will not always be easy. And, during those hard times look back and remember when He called you. Let His calling on your life be an anchor to your soul!

ABOUT MELANIE

Melanie is a busy wife and stay at home mamma to three kids. She and her family serve the Lord at Hope Crossing Community Church in Carson City, NV where her husband is the Lead Pastor. Melanie is an advocate for foster care and adoption and has volunteered with her local CASA organization as well as in her city’s DCFS offices helping to educate and support new foster/adoptive parents.

Although she’s an introvert she’s also a people person. Above all else her heart’s desire is that she can be a conduit of the hope and healing of Jesus to the world around her. Connect with her at Melanie_Emery@yahoo.com

tiffany garza 10/24/19 tiffany garza 10/24/19

I knew what I needed but I almost forgot how // by kerri naber

There are a lot of buzzwords out there right now that are looking hecka cute on wooden signs, office plaques, and Target shelves with ‘hustler’, ‘lady boss’, & ‘follow your heart’ kind of vibes. And at first I loved them. I would do my de-stress walk at Target with an Americano in hand, big red cart to push around for no apparent reason, just loving all the cute things. It felt like the cutesy encouragement items screamed from the shelves “you go girl” “Dream BIG” and I was hopeful... for about a minute.

I would drop off my big red cart either empty at the front of the store because nothing was even cute enough to fill the void I felt or I would buy all the things to bring a false hope of comfort to my life. I was sad, like actually sad this time. The last few years I finally hit something big enough in my life I couldn’t solve on my own. This new phase of life highlighted weaknesses in me no cute wooden sign or Reese’s Cup could bandage. I needed real encouragement, real uplifting and unfortunately my hustling and lady boss skills were not getting me closer to true healing.

I knew what I needed but I almost forgot how. I needed to hear from God. Not people, not wooden signs, not Pinterest, God. I needed a promise that would actually sustain me instead of just comfort me for a little while. And I know that there’s a difference between what the world can give and what Jesus offers. Not only because of this amazing scripture here, but because I felt it, seen it, been changed by it.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”John 14:27 (KJV)

Something happens when you hear from God. It’s like a strength that is deposited into your spirit that keeps you moving when you swear you would have stopped moving even weeks before. God comforts your spirit, not just your outer being. When you actually hear from God day by day you seem to get stronger mentally, more peaceful internally, and you are able to let things go that you were never able to let go of before.

So the question then becomes how do you hear from God? I refuse to even play with the question can you hear from God right now. Hopefully I can write that encouraging blog a different day but for today I want to focus on how. Since we know it’s so impactful, since we know it’s so motivating, since we know it’s the answer we’ve been hoping for-- how can we do it then.

My first piece of advice is that you allow yourself to believe what you already think is the voice of God in your life, is the voice of God— even if you are scared to admit it. Admit it, there have been times where you had a thought that wasn’t your own but you didn’t want to believe it for the fear of feeling crazy, or for the fear of it not being true, or for the fear of authority, or for the fear of the supernatural, or for the fear of the reality it brings. To be honest, if you don’t believe what you heard is the voice of God, then you don’t have to you act on it. But it was true!

For example, when you were lying in your bed crying yourself to sleep and you felt this overwhelming warm presence in your heart that whispered “Everything is going to be okay”— that was true, that was the still small voice of God. And last week when you were driving home from work and you had that gut feeling to call Aunt Peggy although you hadn’t called her for months, that was from God, that was an impression. He impressed upon you to do something because he knew that’s what Peggy needed that moment and you brightened her whole day.

How about that night last month you had a dream and somehow you remember it to this day. You just know that it holds some significant meaning but you’re not really sure what it is because you haven’t taken the time to ask God about it- but the dream lingers in your mind. God does speak through dreams. And that time your friend was telling you about her heartbreak and you wanted to listen the best you could but all you could see was an image of her in a wedding dress smiling beautifully in a sunflower field. God does speak through pictures--- that was Him.

Then possibly my most favorite way— because it becomes so obvious— God can speak through confirmations. I’ve heard some really good examples of this over the years. Where you kind of know something is from God whether it’s a direction or a new season coming up, or the next step you need to take. And instead of just going with it we kind of wait and see if it’s from God. Which to be honest isn’t the wrong thing to do. We always want to make sure that something is actually from God not just from our own heart. So He confirms it. He confirms it through the radio playing a song, He confirms it through the sermon at church, He confirms it from a random woman at the grocery store, He confirms it when your kid comes home with Sunday school homework about it— boom it’s been confirmed. God is speaking through all that.

And finally, and most importantly, and I hope it’s the most obvious, God speaks through His Word. We hear that God‘s word is alive and active and if you need convincing of that then I encourage you to check on that for yourself. Do some scholarly research. But for the sake of a short blog post, let's just say that His word is alive and active. He highlights scriptures to us, words jump off a page, we feel it in our spirit that something about this ancient text is speaking to our current situation. At the beginning of this post I said I forget sometimes how to hear the voice of God although opening the Bible would have been so simple. Instead I would run into Target hoping to get a little cheerful. It sounds boring, it sounds outdated, and it sounds like work to open the Bible and find some encouragement there-- but it works, every single time I allow space in my day He totally intrigues me through His word.

My second piece of advice is to reach out to someone you know and trust— possibly even Tiffany from this website, The Inspire Shop, and connect with them about hearing the voice of God. Maybe you’ve never experienced it, maybe you fully doubt it is possible, maybe you used to experience it and just haven’t given yourself time and space for it to happen again. Maybe you’re mad at God and understandably so, this world is treacherous at times. Still though, reach out. Take the time to be with someone who can guide you along because you know once you hear the voice of God you’ll actually be strengthened, encouraged, and filled up.

My last piece of advice is to talk about it. A bunch of us are walking around in this modern day society knowing that God can speak and are kind of hiding that treasure from others. Get encouraged by God yourself so you can then encourage others! You’ll be surprised how many other people know that they’re hearing from God in different ways but this doesn’t seem to be the most comfortable topic to talk about yet. It really fires me up that we’re not talking about! If God really created us and He created us to have a relationship with Him, we should be talking about how He communicates in that relationship!

Wouldn’t it be nice to remind the wandering soul at Target, like myself, that God speaks and they don’t have to feel empty! So let’s talk about it. Deal with whatever is holding you back from hearing and knowing the voice of God whether it be your fear, boredom, apathy, and let’s talk about it.

// ABOUT KERRI

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