If I could sum up in 8 years of working with survivors of human trafficking, prostitution, and addiction, it’s this: We are way more alike than we are different. Last week at Jasmine Road, we celebrated our 3rd annual #rootedinloveluncheon. We gathered together and celebrated what it means to belong to a community who loves unconditionally, recognizes the value of every woman, and believes there truly is no “us” and “them”.. it’s just “us”. Throughout the last 8 years of walking alongside survivors on their journey, I’ve witnessed the reality that love truly does heal. We were all created for belonging. We were created for community. We were created to love and be loved.
I am immensely grateful for every woman- survivors, advocates, allies, donors, colleagues, and supporters- I have met along this journey and for the ways we have learned, loved, and grown together. I am immeasurably grateful for this community of love we have created where all are welcome and we all have a place to belong.
#jasmineroad #rootedinlove #lovehealbloom #immeasurablygrateful #enditmovement #morealikethandifferent
6 years of being your wife! The last six years have been the best of my life. We’ve experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows together, but through it all I wouldn’t change one thing about our life together. We’ve experienced life on this planet from new angles and perspectives together, whether by jumping out of an airplane 14,000 feet above the coast as we parachute to the ground or exploring a shipwreck 100 feet under the ocean and holding hands as we swim up to the surface. Everything we’ve experienced- the rush of traveling the world and sharing in ”bucket list” experiences and the heartbreak of death, loss, and infertility- we have experienced together. Our marriage has been tested and we’ve walked through the fire, but through the grace and love of Christ we have grown immensely both as individuals and in union together. I know this is still just the beginning for us! Undoubtedly we will experience many more high highs and low lows throughout our life together, but I am excited to experience it all with you, holding your hand and loving one another through every season! I love you, @davidleeblair, cheers to six years, my love!
#anniversary #happyanniversary #loveofmylife #sixyearsmarried #recurrentmiscarriage #sixyearsstrong
Two seconds, one glimpse, one moment of perfection. This is most of what we see through the lens of social media as we observe the world and lives of those around us. What we don’t see are the much longer moments (even seasons!) of falling, trying, failing, and struggling. But it’s the trials that teach us the most important lessons in life and build resilience and strength we may have never discovered otherwise. It’s a humbling process and can feel discouraging at times, but it’s necessary to empower us to become the best versions of ourselves. ⠀
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Learning to be vulnerable (which doesn’t mean sharing every detail of my life with everyone, especially on social media!) has been one of the most important lessons I have ever learned. Vulnerability is not being afraid to fall, promptly admitting when you’re wrong, humbly asking for help when you need it, and taking advantage of new opportunities to learn and grow. ⠀
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In every season and in every trial, as long as we are willing to get back up to try again more times than we fall, we can achieve any goal. I am incredibly grateful for a community who chooses to love, support, and celebrate me through both trials and the triumphs of life 💕⠀
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#tryagain #keepgoing #paddleboardyoga #womensupportingwomen #fallandgetbackup #vulnerability #community #celebratethetrials #celebratethevictories⠀
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Sometimes I catch myself longing for the season of innocence.. of the sweet ignorant bliss before my earliest memories of feeling brokenness, disappointment, pain, and enduring the storms this life often brings. The season of childhood before anyone I knew or loved died before their time. The season of anticipating getting married and starting my “perfect” family. The season of starting a career that felt more like a calling before realizing there is trauma there, too. The season of being pregnant for the first time and not having a question of whether or not I would have a baby in my arms nine months later. The season after my first miscarriage where I believed the doctors that the first loss was almost certainly a fluke, and with my age and health I shouldn’t expect any problems with subsequent pregnancies. .
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But life isn’t like that. And as beautiful and enticing as those seasons were, I’ve come to learn there is an even deeper beauty, a different type of beauty, that can be found only through experiencing and surviving pain and hardship. Some of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed in this life tell a story- not a story of how often things went unbroken and remained unflawed, but a story of resilience and survivorship. .
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It’s the imperfections, the nuances of this life that we find true beauty. It’s when the rust forms, the paint chips, the stretch marks and wrinkles appear, and the open wounds close to form scars that we see the deeper beauty in our character and resilience that adds a depth of color and mystery that can only be seen through weathering the storms of life. Those are the most beautiful things that remind me to always be grateful, that my story isn’t over, and that there is always a deeper beauty to be found even in the hardest seasons.
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#strength #courage #resilience #infertility #miscarriage #recurrentpregnancyloss #pregnancyloss #hope #imperfectlybeautiful
