What does it look like to truly listen for God's voice, guard your mind with truth, and surrender your life daily to His will? In this post, I share a nerve-wracking moment of choosing obedience over fear, what I have learned about armoring up against lies, and how my word for the year, Surrender, has drawn me closer to God, my family, and myself. Learning to listen and obey has changed everything.

For years, I searched for wholeness in all the wrong places — in relationships, in marriage, in motherhood, in being the person everyone needed me to be. I was a recovering people-pleaser and perfectionist, hiding behind locked journals and a smile that masked real despair. This post traces that journey: from a grieving little girl who lost her father and grandfather within months of each other, to a woman set free from the weight of her past.

I was excited but scared. This wasn’t part of our plan. I wasn’t supposed to be pregnant yet. The week trudged on, and the day to test again finally arrived. In a matter of seconds, the plus sign shone brightly. Ready or not, we would soon be parents to a bouncing baby boy.