the good fight.

Today was my first day back in the gym in a couple weeks. I had taken some time off with the holidays and also wanted to give my body a break as I've been pushing it pretty hard for the last few months. However, this morning (bright and early at 430am) I was pumped to get back in my workout routine! As I searched for some inspiring music on my iPhone, I tapped my iHeartRadio app and tuned into the Christian Hits station (aka my favorite station!). About halfway through my workout, a song came on by the band Unspoken called "Good Fight". As I listened to the lyrics I felt empowered to face the day ahead. The message was about how no matter what you face in life, you have to keep fighting the good fight and letting your light shine. This song really spoke to my heart because for the last four years of my ankle injury, I've felt like I truly have been fighting the good fight - even through the hard times and the long days of pain and I've tried to keep my light shining. Even during the times when I've felt like I was all alone, God was there to say, "You're going to make it" and that's exactly what this song is about. Sometimes, I'll admit, I do get a little overwhelmed when I think about how I will manage with my ankle injury for the rest of my life, but when thoughts like this come, I remind myself that He has seen me through the difficult times before and He will see me through this too. I am often asked, "How are you able to accept that this is a lifelong injury? How do you remain so positive despite your circumstances?" My answer to this is that honestly, my faith rests in God alone. He has lead me on this journey and continues to strengthen me and I know that as long as I keep my light shining and fighting the good fight, he will see me through. I remain positive because my hope rests in God's faithfulness. I know He has me in the palm of His hand and I have managed to keep my light inside alive because I know I'm going to make it. Maybe it's a different path than I saw for my life, but not my will but His will be done. I trust Him to lead me and I remain hopeful and that is how I have kept my smile :)

My message today is that even when all seems up against you and your back is against the wall, know in your heart God is with you and He is going to see you through. Keep the good fight and always let your light shine. God gave us a cheerful heart for a reason; don't let life's circumstances beat you down. Keep your light. Keep your smile. And most importantly, keep your faith. 

PS - don't forget to check out the song below - just click on the title. You will love it!

"Good Fight" 
Until you stop breathing
Until you stop bleeding
Until your heart stops kick-drum beating
When it's hard times
When it's long days
And the enemy is right up in your face
When your back's against the ropes and you're feeling all alone

Keep fighting the good fight (Never give up, never give up)
Keep letting your light shine (Holding it high as long as you live)
'Cause I'm never gonna leave you
Always gonna see you through to the other side
Keep fighting the good fight, fighting the good, fighting the good fight, good fight

Even in the road blocks (yeah)
Even through the rough spots
When you're feeling you've given all that you've got
I'm with you in the next step
Giving you in the next breath
I'll be the voice saying "You're gonna make it"
When you're out there on your own
You are never alone

You light up the sky to show me you are with me.

As I waited to take off on the runway for my flight home for Christmas yesterday, I was amazed by the most beautiful combination of my favorite pastel colors in the sky. It was truly incredible and I thought to myself it can't get much better than this. Not more than 10 minutes later, I glanced out the window again and was overwhelmed by an even more beautiful skyline. Probably one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen and I heard a voice within me say, "My child, just like the sunsets, even when you think you have seen the most perfect sky or reached your best of days, I have greater things than you can imagine yet to come."

Friends, we never know what tomorrow will bring, but we can rest assured that there will always be greater things yet to come. Keep the faith. God is with you and just as he paints the sky more beautiful with each day, so shall he do with your life. It won't always be rainbows and sunshine but the dark days make the beautiful ones that much brighter.



The Hanger Clinic

As I sit here on the plane, returning home from a week at the Hanger Clinic in Gig Harbor, Washington, I am reminded of how fortunate I truly am. It was an incredible week - not only did I receive my backup IDEO device, but I met a few amazing IDEO athletes- some military, others civilians, but all with a story of strength and the will not to let their injury be the end of their story.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again, you don't meet many people like Ryan Blanck in life. Someone who truly cares about helping people and who goes above and beyond what is required of him. I've never met a more selfless person. Being at the Hanger Clinic felt like family - a place where you are not seen as different; a place where people don't tell you to slow down because you are injured, but a place where you are inspired to be the best you can be.

The Hanger Clinic is a place where you are not seen for how your injury limits you, but for how it makes you stronger.

sometimes you just have to give it all you got.

About 17 weeks ago I started training for my 100 mile Florida Keys Adventure... now only 3 weeks away. To say I am excited is an understatement :) I've learned a lot about myself in these last few months and wanted to share some advice for those embarking on a 5 month training plan.

1. Start off slow. You have a ways to go, young grasshopper. No need to kill yourself at the beginning. Remember, you have to build your base first. 

2.  Cross train, weight lift, and have at least two pairs of shoes to switch out for activities. (This is a little different for me since I wear tennis shoes 24/7, but I definitely recommend having two sets).

3. Print out your training schedule and highlight off your daily goals. This will be important as you look back over the months to see how far you have come.

4. Prepare for setbacks. They will come... Whether this is illness, shin splints, hip pain, work issues etc; be prepared mentally and physically to deal with these things. Part of endurance training is knowing when to slow down and let your body heal.

5. Never go kayaking on a river alone. You might flip over, lose your belongings, and still have 4 hours to go... Take it from me, swimming away from water mocassins and climbing brush with your kayak is not enjoyable by yourself. Also, always wear your life jacket... you never know when you might actually need it.

6. Learn to stretch... and I'm not talking about bending over to try to touch your toes. The body is more connected than we non-medical people may know (though sometimes I feel like a medical professional with all my past injury experience!). When I started developing hip pain and knee swelling I tried all the stretches I could think of... when my attempts failed, I found a sports massage therapist... and it has made all the difference.

7. Moleskin is your best friend. And a foam roller and lacrosse ball.

8. Cycle with a group. It really helps to train with a peloton to keep pace. (+ definitely get yourself real bike shorts!) You don't necessarily need clip in pedals / shoes, but I sure love mine. Also, having a cadence monitor is super helpful.

9. Sometimes it will be hard to get out there and train... but once you do, you'll be happy you did.

10. Keep your eyes on the goal (the race!) and reward yourself along the way. New socks, running shorts, t-shirt, dark chocolate... :)

11. What you put into your body, you'll get out. Fuel your body for success. H2o is your friend.

12. People will not understand your desire to train this much... and that's okay. It's not their race, it's yours.

13. Most importantly, never give up! There will be hard days for sure, but you've made it too far to throw in the towel now.

#LEARNING.

1.) Don't put honey in the refrigerator before you want to eat it. 

2.) Don't paint your nails over your favorite blanket... 

3.) Take it from me. Don't purchase in flight wifi. It doesn't work and it's not worth $16 for 90 min of wifi!

4.) Walk out of an elevator if it has a hard time getting off the first floor. You will not enjoy getting stuck in the elevator... just take the stairs.

5.) You can't check your tire pressure with your hand like you can on a bike tire... #whereisdadwhenyouneedhim

6.) Don't watch Marley & Me by yourself. It's so sad.

7.) Bring a dry pair of shorts to change into after kayaking. Biking home in wet bike shorts is NOT fun.

8.) When parking, stop your car sooner than you think so you don't run into the cement wall in the parking garage. It's closer than you think.

9.) Don't share drinks with other people - they might have mono and not know it yet. Ah!

10.) Everyone needs a black leather jacket.

11.) Don't clean your sunglasses on your blouse. They might be really dirty and leave a stain on your shirt.

12. Why are mom's always right?? What is up with that? 

Touched by an Angel.

A couple of Saturdays ago, I was out riding my bike for a 30 mile training session with a group from Richardson Bike Mart. About halfway into the ride, my leg started cramping and I fell behind the peloton. I could see everyone ahead of me and I knew I needed to stay with the group so that (a) I wouldn’t get lost and (b) I wouldn’t get stuck riding the rest of the route by myself (aka very LOST). Out of nowhere, as I pushed forward toward the upcoming hill, a thin cyclist in black uniform appeared on my left and placed his hand on my back. Never once stopping to look at me or mumor a word, he effortlessly pushed me up the hill all the way back to the peloton. As soon as his hand touched my back, I heard a voice deep in my heart say, “Stop trying so hard. I have you where I need you and I will carry you. I got you. Be still and know that I am with you.” It was a peace like no other and I knew in that very moment, without a doubt, he was an angel. As I cycled back to the group, he let go, and road ahead. I looked down to grab my water bottle and back up again and he was gone.

 

I believe God sent me that mesaage not to tell me to stop trying so hard on the ride (although we were riding ~19mph so you have to try hard!), but to stop trying so hard to figure out everything in life. What an amazing feeling to hear the voice of God and feel his overwhelming peace. Thank you cycling angel - I will never forget you :)

 

-- Be still and know that I am God. --

 

 

Living in Trust.

Trusting God in all things requires that we give up control to make things happen for ourselves. I don't know about you, but I tend to strive for change and constantly question myself on my path in life. "Am I making a difference? Is this the right career path? How can I help more people on a daily basis? When am I going to meet someone? Should I extend my lease? Is this where I want to live? Maybe I should get a dog?..". The list goes on and on :)

Lately, I've been reflecting on life and just trying to figure it out but in doing so I've realized that God's plan for us is not to figure out our "path" so to speak, but to trust Him to lead us to it. We don't have to strive to find the answers, we need to live by trusting God. Have you ever noticed when you want something really bad and you try so hard to make it happen, only to find it wasn't what you thought it would be? Or you strive to go down a path you believe is best for you, but you constantly feel like you're pushing and pushing but nothing is happening? You can try to make things happen for yourself or you can believe God to make it happen for you.  Let His will be done, not yours. It's a peaceful experience when you finally let go of what you think if best for you and trust God to take care of you. It's not easy to give up control, but you'll feel better when you do. I know I did :)

Do you want to live wondering when/why/how things are going to happen or do you want to walk in peace knowing God will carry you through?
 
The choice is yours.

First World Problems.

In the summer time I LOVE to eat peaches. In fact, I love eating peaches year round. It's my favorite fruit. :) So last week I decided to buy a couple peaches from Whole Foods. I was so excited for them to ripen. One day during my lunch break, I went into the break room to grab my peach. As I went to take a bite, I immediately realized I had bit into a peach that was a little mushy and lacked flavor.  Seeing my facial expression, a coworker asked what the problem was. I told how much I loved peaches but was dismayed to have picked a bad one. "Ah, first world problems" he said. And it was with that comment that I realized how many people in third world countries would LOVE to have any peach. So I decided to eat that mushy peach and be thankful for the privilege to even be able to purchase it. As the week went on, I decided to make a conscious effort to see my circumstances from a third world view. Through this, I realized there is a lot to be thankful for. Sometimes you just need to step back to see how blessed you really are.

The Things People Ask Me. #IWEARABRACE

These are just a few of the common questions people ask me on a daily basis. After three years of some type of brace and six months of wearing the IDEO device, I'm pretty used to it now :)

THINGS PEOPLE ASK.

Did you kick someone? Can't even tell you how many older men have asked me this.

How much longer in that? A LONG TIME. :) 

What happened to your leg?

Excuse me, what is that on your leg?

You're still wearing that? YES. 

What branch of service were you in?

Did you twist your ankle? Honestly, does this look like I just twisted my ankle? 

Let me carry that for you. No it's okay, really I'm good! 

Do you need to sit down?

OUCH, that looks like it hurts.

What? You have to wear that forever?

Why is one shoe bigger than the other? Why do you think? 

You look like the bionic woman. Umm.. thanks I think? 

Is that a prosthetic?

Do you have a handicapped sticker?

Did you tear your ACL?   

Were you a soccer player?

Mommy, what happened to that girl? 

Are you okay? Yes...

Do you shower in that? Do you sleep in that? Can you get it wet? Do you have to wear it all the time? Do you wash it? Do you have to wear that sock?

Rollerderby accident? REALLY?

All in all, I really don't mind being asked these questions. I honestly like talking to people and am happy to share my story but sometimes I get a kick out of the questions people think to ask. I've learned in these last few years that people are very inquisitive and they mean well. My only advice is next time you see someone in a brace, wheelchair, whatever it is - just stop and think before you ask, because sometimes they just want to fit in too ;)

A Time for Everything.

The other day I drove by a building being demolished.  Now I realize this is something that happens quite frequently - buildings get torn down all the time.  But for some reason, seeing this building knocked down before me hit me hard.  I'd like to point out there was nothing particularly special about this building and being new to the town I couldn't even tell you what was there before - I just knew I had seen it.  However, seeing the rubble amongst the concrete and bulldozers tearing down everything that once stood tall, I thought to myself - This is life. When we are willing to let go of our plans, God can start His. 

God tears us down in order to rebuild us again. There is a season and a time for everything.  A time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh.  Life is full of moments as simple as this where when we truly take a look at our lives, we can see that God is at work.

Soon, where this rubble lay, a new structure will stand tall.  Just like the building, God takes our many pieces and molds us into the person He wants us to be.  Trust in His plan and take heart knowing there is a season for everything.  In order to grow, we must first be willing to let go of our plans and let God make his :)

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, 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 ESV)

moms are awesome.

My mom is pretty special. This is a short shout out to my mom for standing by me through thick and thin and for loving me for all that I am. Thank you mom, for being you and for making me into the person I am today. You've watched all my soccer games, taken care of all my injuries (sorry...!), traveled the country with me in search for a solution for my ankle injury, and you never left my side. You always put others before yourself.

A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. — Tenneva Jordan

Take time to thank your mom this week. Moms are special :)

Storybook Called Life.

When I was a kid, my grandfather was a preacher
He'd talk about love, yeah he was something like a teacher
He said God only helps those
Who learn to help themselves
He was a million miles from a million dollars
But you can never spend his wealth

Pandora picked this song for me on Monday and I must have literally “YouTube’d” it more than 10x in the last week. It’s called Preacher by OneRepublic. I think there are some songs that speak to your heart and this is one of those to me. 

I had an epiphany and I think part of it came after replaying “Preacher” over and over throughout the past week :) All of a sudden it sunk in how much I have been through in the last three years and I started to get this feeling that I was invincible - like if I can go through all of this, there’s nothing I cannot do. I’ve literally been to the bottom and back again. And then it hit me… It’s not because of MY strength or personal fortitude that I made it through this – it’s because of God and HIS strength. I truly believe that God helps those who help themselves but it’s through trials that we grow stronger in our faith and relationship with Him – not by our own doing but by His. In our weakness He is strong. Adversity is a teacher and in going through trials you may not be able to see how much you are growing but looking back it’s amazing and truly a gift to see how far you’ve come and what you have learned about yourself and your faith along the way. I was literally beaming with joy thinking how much this experience has strengthened and developed my relationship with Christ and confidence to take whatever life throws at me, knowing He is in control.
 
As one of the verses says, “He was a million miles from a million dollars, but you can never spend his wealth.” – I may have been through some really difficult experiences but I can’t put a price on what I have learned in my walk during this time.  It’s the storybook called life.

I’ll leave with a quote that I came across this week:

"At any given moment, you have the power to say: This is not how the story is going to end." ~Christine Mason Miller

Never lose your faith and never give up. Let God write your story by staying in faith and following your heart. Things will happen in life but it’s up to you to decide how you will respond. We can’t always see how the story will end but we can stay in faith knowing who has the pen :)

you can learn a lot in one week.

1. Don't pick up 1-866 numbers, I promise it's not someone you know on the other line. When someone tells you that you've won a car - you did not win a car. There is no such thing as a free car.

2. People die at casino's all the time. Sadly enough, do not be surprised if you see someone have a heart attack playing the slots - EMT's are there on site and within 15 minutes someone new will be sitting at the same slot machine. If going to Vegas, brush up on your CPR skills so that you can help too.

3. If a cab driver tells you he has to take the back roads to get you to the airport and he hands you a slip of paper with his personal email address, get out. If something feels off, it probably is.

4. Do not make eye contact with homeless people. As much as you want to be nice to them, some of them are crazy. To that note, do not look back at someone who you know is staring at you. Just keep walking. They want you to look back - but don't show them that you are scared. If you run into the same crazy person again, RUN. If they then tell you they want to kill you- call the police.

6. If someone asks if they can try to heal you in the grocery store, politely smile and walk away quickly.

7. Pump your brakes when driving on the snow... do not hold the brake pedal down to stop.

8. Not all fire alarms sound the same. Just because it doesn't sound like the normal fire alarm - you should probably still evacuate!

9. Sometimes we just need to stop and be aware of how blessed we really are.

10. Trust that he'll lead you where he needs you :)

Laugh Often. Seek Joy. Have Faith.

Since receiving my IDEO brace in November, my life has changed dramatically. If I look at where I was this time two years ago, or even a year ago, you would notice a huge difference in the activities that I am able to do. I've gone from being able to barely walk around the grocery store to sprinting up bleachers during my lunch break. In every sense of the way, I've gotten my life back. I have learned so much from this experience (& still am) seeing the ways God has made me stronger for what I have been through.

One of the lessons I've come to learn is that no matter what you are facing you really have to find a way to laugh everyday. I am always thanking God for the gift of optimism and cheerfulness he put in my heart. I tend to see the glass as half full (not to say I'm 100% optimistic but I'm pretty close to that!) and it's very much a true blessing to see the world in this way. I think one of the keys to staying so positive is making sure that you laugh everyday. Even during the hard times in life, when things don't seem to be going your way, you have to stay in faith and find something good in everyday.

Look at life with an open heart and ask God to show you how to help others around you so together we can live in Christ's joy and strength. Just as there are ways to make a difference in the world by helping others, there are ways to bring happiness by spreading your smile. Help people to laugh and you will laugh too. Seek joy in trying circumstances and never lose your faith. When you start to see the humor God puts on your daily path, you will know what I mean :)

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Notes to Self from January

1.) Don't try to adjust your seat while driving your car down a hill.

2.) Don't tell someone you like their shirt because it looks like the color of the wall they are sitting next to. Not everyone appreciates the simple things like this :)

3.) If someone asks you to help them jump their car, make sure you know what you are doing before you say yes. 

4.) Espresso is not spelled expresso...

5.) Don't attempt to open the windows in your kitchen during windy weather, your napkins will go flying out the window.

6.) Don't carry your house key in your hand while you are running. If you trip and lose it, that's your only way back in. Better yet, leave a spare key somewhere.

7.) Don't hold your sunglasses in your hand while you are shopping, you might accidentally set them down somewhere and have to travel back to the stores looking for them...

8.) Don't paint your nails before you decide to wash dishes.

9.) When jumping on a trolley, make sure you remember where you got on...

10.) Pink pens make work more fun.

Thanks, Steve.

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs

If I'm truly honest, I really don't know much about ol' Steve (other than my direct association with him and Apple) but when I read this quote by him earlier in the week, I decided to take a closer look. I love this message because it inspires us to have the courage to figure out what we want out of life and to chase after it. Steve was a man of many talents but he listened to his heart and went after his passions to make a difference in the world.

I reflected on these simple words of wisdom this week and began thinking about what it is that I feel called to do with my life. If you know me, this is something I've been reflecting on a lot lately. Whether that's because I'm a quarter century old now and older people tend to reflect more... I don't know :) However, for as long as I can remember, I have always loved helping people; it's a true passion. I love making people smile and laugh. I feel good when other people feel good. I love helping people see themselves in a better light and I like making others around me better. I like sending cards of encouragement and I love random acts of kindess :) So while, at 25, I still may be trying to figure out where my true passion lies in life and what I'm called to do... I think it's safe to say I'm heading in the right direction. Recently, as my life was completely changed by my IDEO leg brace, I've felt a special calling to use this experience to help others. It's completely changed my life and meant so much to me that I want to do something to give back and help other people with what I've been through. Who knows where the path will lead, but I'm going to stay open and keep listening to my heart - knowing God is directing my steps. Maybe sometime this week, take time to think about what it is you feel called to do. What is in your heart? Sometimes, just realizing where your natural talents lie can help you to see the innate gifts God has blessed you with and then you may begin to see how you can use those gifts to help others.

So, thanks Steve. I appreciate your words of wisdom. Life is an interesting journey; may we always find the time to be still enough to hear God's voice in our life and in our heart, and may we have the courage to go after it.

Strength.

As a New Year's resolution, I've taken to reading Joel Osteen's book Every Day a Friday as one of the first things I do in the morning. In the past, I was used to waking up and checking my emails, rushing off to the gym, heading to work early, or reading the news online, but this year I wanted to start off on a different path and begin my day with setting my focus on Christ and inspirational guidance. It's been really nice actually and I've found that when I begin my day like this, it sets the stage for a very peaceful and happy morning (that and dark chocolate in my Fayeh yogurt).

There was one quote from this week that really stuck with me:

We acquire the strength we have overcome. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

In this reading, Joel reminds us to see how the Holy Spirit is made perfect in our weakness, and also that God can take any disadvantage and turn it into an advantage for our good. We all have challenges to overcome, but you cannot let what happened to you stop you from reaching your potential. You have to choose to stay in faith, knowing God has you where He wants you and make the most of what God gives you. Choose to see adversity as a strength. Here is a little example of how I see it: These past 2+ years, I have been through hoops of doctor's appts, surgeries, casts, IV infusions - traveling all over the country seeking the best medical help for my ankle. I am now blessed to be in a leg device that has truly made a difference for me and changed my life. I get asked a lot, "How long do you have to wear that?" Well, you know it could very well be forever. When people hear the word "forever" they want to offer condolences and say," I am so sorry to hear that." You know what though? I'm not sorry. Yes, it's unfortunate a soccer injury led to this, but I'm not sorry for myself or my situation. I choose to see what has happened to me and what I have been through in these past two (almost three) years as a building of who I am. I am a STRONGER person for what I have been through, I am STRONGER in my faith and STRONGER in my personal fortitude, because in looking back I can see how God led me through all of this and made me come out stronger than I was before. In strength lies the faith to believe for better days. In our faith we choose to believe what we cannot see. 

I'll close with one last thing. I've realized that one of the greatest things I have taken away from this leg injury is the people God connected me with during this time, namely Ryan Blanck (my prothetist who designed my leg device the IDEO). Ryan is truly one of the most selfless and caring human beings I have ever met. I prayed often for the Lord to lead me to someone who could help me get me back to a pain free & active lifestyle and God brought me a miracle in Ryan. Without his support and willingness to help me (and the amazing IDEO device he designed), I wouldn't be where I am today. I am forever thankful to him and his staff at the Hanger Clinic in Tacoma, Washington. 

We may never know why certain things happen in life, but truly if you look closely, you can see strength in what you have overcome. There is beauty in adversity and in trials we realize how much of who we are is Christ alone.

Just Smile.

Happy 2014!

I'd like to start off the New Year with a post about happiness. At the beginning of every year, I always try write out my goals. I think it's a great way to lay out your plans and if you're like me it helps to see it on paper. :) This year, one of my goals is to make sure that before I go to bed at night - I've made someone else smile. Now, I'm probably not going to be giving cars away like Oprah (although that would be awesome) but I am choosing to make a conscious effort to make sure that I am spreading smiles. Whether that is complementing a coworker, saying hi to someone at the grocery store, or anything - if you truly look at the day we have so many opportunities to spread joy. You can be the door to happiness - you just have to look around. Help an older person get their groceries in the car, hold the door open for someone, tell a friend you like their shirt, offer to get someone lunch when they look really busy, send an encouraging text to your friends & family (my mom loves this), pick up a piece of trash that's not yours (the earth will smile!). There really are endless opportunities to make a difference. I think it's easy to get caught up in our own problems or situations and we can forget that what makes us happy is helping others. The more you help other people - I think the happier you'll find yourself to be!

I've been dealing with some health problems for the last couple years, and yes some days have been tough, but I've found the only way I've made it through is by my faith and choosing happiness, in keeping a positive attitude no matter what the circumstances. This isn't to say I am 100% happy all the time -- that's next years goal ;) -- but instead of getting down on myself I choose to see the best in what I have today. You truly have to try to bloom where you are planted. I've learned through my walk with Christ that no matter what I face I can be content with what I have because I know happiness isn't defined by our situation but by our attitude. We may not understand what's going on, but really if you think about it - we can't see the bigger picture when we are looking at the tiny details.

So back to happiness... I encourage you to choose to spread joy this year. Make a difference just by smiling. Do your best everyday. Life is truly what you make it - you don't have to figure out how to change the world in 2014 - start small: just SMILE.