Ooh Chloe

Sometimes I have a hard time letting go. I hold on to everything that hurts me for no apparent reason. Late this spring, just over a year after getting removed from my church band , I was finally able to move on from the hurt. I was able to talk to the guitar player, the one who gave me the call, and tell him how I felt about everything and how he impacted my life. For me, that was the final step that I needed to take for healing. This last week I saw some members of the band and the church. I just smiled and waved. It was the first time that I didn't have to blink back tears. It was honestly an amazing feeling. It hasn't taken long for me to realize that, despite the huge milestone, I still have some moving on to do. I have made a few mentions of losing my best friend. This happened about two and half years ago. I didn't realize how much I still think about her and let all the mean things she said control me. I used to listen to " Let it Rain " by David Nail a

Ever since I was a little girl, one of my favorite stories in the Bible has been the story of Hannah. Here's the Chloe Version: "A woman named Hannah wanted nothing more than to have a baby. She prayed diligently year after year in hopes of - well, having a baby! She had almost given up hope when 'the Lord remembered her plea.' It was then that God gave her a son, Samuel." I've always thought of this story in terms of patience. Now that I think about it, I realize that it's about endurance. Patience is simply waiting for what you want. Endurance is actually going through pain in the midst of or because of waiting. I want to encourage all of you who are struggling, suffering, in pain, waiting - enduring . Your time is coming. You will be blessed. In my mind, Hannah represents struggle, pain, loss, and ultimately growth. The name, Samuel, actually means "God has heard." I think a lot of times we need "a Hannah" before we will really

I have a penchant for weirdness. I am one weird individual in case you didn't know. I also love my fellow weird individuals. Last night, I was wide awake from 2:41 to 4:43 AM contemplating life. It was a blast. I made it through today on five hours of sleep and 30 oz of coffee. That was more of a blast than contemplating my life for two hours! At one point I thought, "Life is just really weird." Think about it. We like to think that we're in charge of everything. If I have learned anything this past year, it has been that I am in control of about 5% of my life. I can control my choices and my response to things that happen to me. That's about it. I can't even be sure of the effects of my choices. This time last year, I was right in the middle of that " unexpected move at the most inopportune time ." I'm not going to lie, I had the maturity of a two-year-old that needs a nap and just got their ice cream taken away. I was angry because I wasn'

Busy. That's almost always the word I use when someone asks how I'm doing. I wake up at 6 AM every morning - although the past two mornings I slept in till seven because I'm so darn tired - and usually go to bed around 11:30. According to my Fitbit, I average 6 hours and 18 minutes of sleep. That's not good for a girl like me because nine hours of sleep is when I'm at my best! Since I'm a busy, tired full-time babysitter, I like simple meals that us grown-ups will love as much as the kiddos! For me, simple doesn't stop at a few steps or a few ingredients. Simple has to have minimal dishes because I HATE dishes. That's why I love my One-Pot-Tots. It takes two dishes: a pot and a spatula. (Heck yes!) So, enough of my talking, let's get to the recipe! One-Pot-Tots 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or whatever meat you prefer) 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup 3/4 cup frozen peas (optional - I don't usually. Ha!) 1 bag frozen tater tots Shredded chee

As a human being, I find myself wanting to be fulfilled, and I would bet money that you do too. You want to have a career that leaves you feeling full, you want to settle down with someone that makes you feel loved, you want friends that leave you feeling happy, you want to find hobbies that allow your inner self to flourish. You want to live, not just survive. I do too. Take a gander in the "Quotes" section on Pinterest and you'll find quotes like these: "And now I'll do what's best for me." "You never need to apologize for how you choose to survive." "If I cut you off, chances are, you handed me the scissors." "They wanna see you do good, but never better than them. Remember that." They seem empowering, but are they really? To a point, yes. Only to a point. Sometimes you do have to step up and do what is best for you. You have to stop listening to what everyone says you should be doing, and just do what you know i