Hulk Smash!

 "Hulk smash!"

--The Incredible Hulk

On Father's Day, my family gathered together at my parent's house for a cookout. The kitchen door opened repeatedly as people arrived. One person caught both my and my husband's attention. My three-year-old nephew was wearing an Incredible Hulk mask. We were torn between laughing and feeling slightly uncomfortable as he stared us down, mean mugging and unblinking. J is his own brand of awesome. I may be biased, but I think all my nieces and nephews are.

Lately, I've been feeling particularly thankful for my siblings and their littles. I'm amazed at how personalities can shine through such tiny people in big ways.💚I want them to embrace every beautiful part of themselves, to discover and grow and flourish.

Too often we get disconnected from those parts of ourselves. Take some time today and think about the things that made you happy when you were a child. Was it painting? Did you love to climb trees? Were you the person who stood up for the kid getting bullied? Get out your paint brushes again. Go outside and walk around in nature. Use your voice to speak up for those who can't. The beautiful parts of you are still there. They might be stored in a corner of your heart, dusty and temporarily forgotten. But I'm betting they work and that you'll find an unexpected joy in them you would have otherwise missed out on.

What I've been reading . . .

The Heart of Betrayal and The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

The Remnant Chronicles

Books 2 & 3

YA Fantasy

"Some scars took longer to heal than others, and some scars, I knew, were necessary. Some things you should never forget."

--The Beauty of Darkness

If you're looking for an un-put-down-able series, this is it!

*Warning for sensitive readers: Contains some language and adult content.

What I've been listening to . . .

"Stay Strong" by the Newsboys

An oldie but goodie.

"Dark Side" by Bishop Briggs

Sometimes I come across a song that feels like it should go on a project playlist, but I don't have a project that it fits with. It often leaves me wanting to create a playlist of these songs, including this one. I'd call it, "Someone please use this!"😆

Currently enjoying . . .

Hot chocolate! I know, who drinks cocoa in the summer? But I've been looking for the right cocoa to sweetener ratio for some time. And I finally found it!

Hot Chocolate

1 2/3 C heated milk

2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder

1 TBS natural maple syrup

Top it off with almond milk and a dash of cinnamon (if you're into that . . . #oncersforever).

Blessings,

J 🤍