Just An Iowa Woman

There are so many expectations that we place on ourselves from such an early age in life.  We want nothing more than to fit in, be accepted and find our place in this world.  Often times, the cost of that is hiding parts of ourselves that we don't think people will like or accept, or might even find weird!  It's adopting "likes" and "hobbies" that we think our peers or even family will find acceptable to help us fit in even more, driving ourselves further into hiding.  It creates a huge barrier and a lot of internal conflict for us when we do this.  We are all so very unique and so very special, but that doesn't mean that everyone is going to like and accept us for that.  But it also means that we shouldn't change ourselves to please others either.  I think one of the biggest life lessons I am only beginning to learn is to let go of all those expectations.  Let go of caring about what other people are going to think.  Let go of those disappointm

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! This is a bible verse that has always seemed to resonate with me, not only on days when I am struggling to make sense of my life, but also on days when the sun is shining and I feel nothing but love and happiness.  There is a park bench that I frequently walk by that has this verse on it, which is where it hits home for me the most.  When it's nice out and when my schedule allows, I try to walk during my lunch breaks, frequenting the same path and the same bench as I am a creature of habit and always take the same route.  There are days when I use this time to stew about one thing or another that may be going on, trying to release a little stress and not dwell on whatever it is that is bothering me.  On those days, I look at that bench, recite this verse and try to still my mind for a moment!  On those days this verse reminds me that no matter what struggles I am facing, no matter what is going on in my life

Happy Thanksgiving!!  This has always been one of my favorite holidays.  Growing up, most Thanksgivings were spent going out to the family farm to indulge in some of the most amazing food ever.  My Grandma sure knew how to cook!  Sadly, since Grandma passed away, Thanksgivings have changed quite a bit for our family.  My Mom ends up having to work most years, it's harder to get everyone together on the actual day, and no matter how much we try - the food just is not like Grandma's cooking. We always had the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes - later years mixed with a cheese spread that was quite delicious, sweet potatoes and other typical foods you see during your Thanksgiving feasts.  However, Grandma made the most amazing cabbage salad ever!!!!!  It was our little tradition, the recipe unique to our family and something that has luckily continued on for us!  Grandma passed the recipe down to us and we faithfully make this dish every year for Thanksgiving.  While

It's early morning on the eve of Thanksgiving.  I should be getting ready for work, but instead I am messing around with my blog trying to make it look just right.  It amazes me how very much I missed writing and how much it can really help a person gain perspective during the trials of life, but it can also be a way to express those good things that are happening too.  Often times as adults, we are so caught up with our daily tasks, getting the kids ready for school, getting ourselves ready for work, making sure everyone is on time, lunches are made or at least making sure the lunch account has money in it for the day; and that is usually only the start of our long, hectic days.  It is so easy to forget about our passions and even easier to forget to make time for them.  As children and even young adults, we never realized just how good we had it.  We just can't wait to get to that next chapter in life, because that means we are adults and adults get to do whatever they want

I have spent a good majority of my life hiding behind a quite, shy demeanor, not really letting people in except for a small circle of people.  People just really aren't my cup of tea most days!  Recently, I've started to learn that it is ok to be myself.  It is ok to put myself out there.  It is ok to admit that I'm not always as strong as I portray.  And you know what? - By doing so, I am learning so much more about myself than ever before!  I am learning that not only am I a pretty cool chick and people really do care about me, but more importantly I am learning to care about myself.  I have started putting myself out there and while some of those moments have ended in tears, self doubt and questioning what the hell I am even doing or thinking, the end result has always been a huge growth spurt both emotionally and spiritually, which is really what I'm looking for right now. I've always dreamed about writing and have always seemed to inspire others with my wo