Pearls & Pumas

An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week Freedom from Overthinking & Fear Have you ever woken up in the morning and still felt the ache from the day before? And when I say ache, I mean that lingering heaviness; the weight of everything you had to do, show up for (with a smile), decide, and mentally carry. Yeah… I had one of those days this week. And it was a hot mess. A hot mess with very little rest, and definitely not my finest of days. I felt pulled in a hundred directions, where everything...

An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week Finding a Better Rhythm When Life Feels Too Full If you know me and we've been friends for a while, then you're in on this little secret: I’m a planner. Not the kind who just writes things down occasionally — I mean the girl who genuinely loves a good planning system. Franklin Covey planner? Check.Planner Pad? Check.Google Keep for those random thoughts I don’t want to forget? Check. Oh, yeah, and the others, but, y'know...) Planning has always been a...

An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week Breaking Free from the Labels You Were Never Meant to Carry Hey Reader, Have you ever believed something about yourself that, looking back now, simply wasn’t true? Maybe it was a label.Maybe it was something someone said years ago.Maybe it was a quiet belief that followed you into adulthood. Today I want to talk about something powerful: demolishing self-limiting beliefs. Growing up, I was known as “the creative one.” Not the smart one.Not the responsible...

An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week What Does “Be Still” Actually Mean? “Be still, and know that I am God! ~Psalm 46:10 If we've been friends for a while, then you probably already know that I'm that girl who's always doing something. And when I say always, I'm saying that if I'm sitting in front of the TV, I'm convinced there's something I should be doing besides lying on the couch. And in full disclosure, my restlessness has even caused my husband, Pat, to go into full alert mode when he...

An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week Recognizing God's Moments of Strength You know those days when your prayers seem to be the same words over and over again — to the point that they suddenly feel dull? Yeah, well here's mine: I thank God for a new day, reflect at His feet on what I could have done better, soul search, repent, ask for forgiveness… and then move through my standard requests of strength, wisdom, discernment, and Holy Spirit guidance for the day. {Blah, Blah} Now, don’t get me...

An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week What’s Keeping You Up at Night? I read a powerful quote recently, and I’d love to share it with you today: “What we fear the most often reveals where we trust God the least.” I don’t know how you took that one in, but me? I think I read it again like five times while thinking about all the things I’ve tossed and turned over in the middle of the night. And of course, I can never say something is a coincidence — because God always providentially brings things...

An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week The Way You Speak to Yourself Matters Hey, Reader! Have you ever caught yourself saying something about yourself that you would never say to someone you love? “I’m so stupid.”“Why can’t I just get it right?”“Wow, that was dumb.” Sometimes we even laugh after saying it — like it softens the blow. But friend, our hearts don’t know the difference between a “joke” and a wound. This week, God gently reminded me to pay attention to my self-talk — those quick,...

An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week Fight One More Round Have you ever had one of those weeks — or seasons — where life felt like it hit you straight in the gut? Not just one sharp blow…but the kind that keeps coming. Sometimes it’s sudden — a loss, a diagnosis, a phone call you never expected. Other times, it’s slower. Heavier. The kind of season that wears you down quietly, day after day. And you’re still showing up. Still praying. Still believing. But deep down, you’re thinking: “Lord, I...

When Your Willpower Runs Out The first time I learned about circadian rhythms and energy levels, I’m pretty sure the sky cracked open and the angels started singing. 😅 I was a leadership major, and many of our courses focused on personalities, leadership styles, and the psychology behind how people are motivated. While I was learning a lot about how to engage others, I also realized something: I was learning a whole lot about myself. Because suddenly, my 10AM grind hour and my 3PM burnout...