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Speaking from my spirit

Hey. I've missed my blog!

I just want to say that there are so many beautiful people in the world. My hormones are going crazy. I've just had a baby 8 weeks ago, so you'll have to forgive the emotional gushing. But seriously. I'm seriously super inspired by endurance, emotion, simplicity of spirit, character and integrity, and sincerity and humbleness.

My birth mom, Teresa, is someone who is humble. I can tell her something I struggle with and she snaps back with "Me too, Monica! I really need to work on that." We share and bond over our weaknesses. It makes me feel relieved that I'm not a perfect woman. Those are overrated.

I am not in the slightest athletic in a sports-sense. I'm a pretty decent musical athlete. But in the sports world, trying to catch up with the Olympics to me is almost like going to school again. I'm impressed by how smart, fit, and talented those athletes are and feel like I am super ignorant about their world and their passion. Then I remember how much work being a musical athlete is and I feel redeemed. If I can just say, I'm super impressed by Gabby Douglas and Lolo Jones. Not just for being beautiful in the face. But for having integrity and modesty in their character. They glow to me. Also the swimmers and other gymnasts who are 14-16 and have learned at such a young age how to be driven, motivated, and implement sacrifice to reach their goals. It's refreshing and a tear-jerker. Love it.

I love the bloggers I follow, the Tweeters I follow, who bare their soul and really just want to help. They want to help women feel better about themselves. they want to help communities, they want to take some spiritual pressure off of those working hard to bear the loads of family, work, passion, and dreams. Bohemian Bowmans and J's Everyday Fashion are such refreshers. Check them out on Blogger. My Godmom Carolyn even has a page on facebook just for encouragement. People go there to post their struggles, pray for each other, and respond with uplifting and kind words.

My kids blow me away. They're beautiful and monstrous. They are real, and sincere. They are clever, and drive me nuts with their "beating around the bush" questions. I'm teaching them to be direct and ask for what they want. We're also working on truthfulness. We're working on telling the truth even if you will still get in trouble. That's what my adoptive mom Alberta always told me. And I appreciate that teaching more than anything and will continue to teach my children and their children the same. How refreshing to want and need truth.

I am entering a new phase inspired by faith. I just gave up all my jobs that I've worked hard to establish here in Kalamazoo in order to jump into an internship back in my hometown at a church I've always admired and felt touched by. I've always felt it was an amazing and Spirit-filled establishment. I'm going to be working there now. For free. Using and developing my gifts, and learning things I've always wanted to learn. I'm going all in. That feels so freeing to go all in without knowing what's all going to come out of the experience. Trusting in another Being to handle all the specifics feels so relieving. Call me crazy. I love it.

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Love others, be encouraged by them, and have some faith. Lesson for the day.

Love Monica

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