2025
January 2025
There are few things I love more than fresh starts, new month, new year - all new beginnings with a clean slate! I'm not huge on resolutions, but more so into lifestyle changes and tweaks that I will keep for years if not for life to constantly be improving my everyday life. Because a long and fruitful life is the real goal right?! Lasting habits that improve life year after year - there is no staying the same - you're either getting better or worse - staying the same IS getting worse! Always push forward for better, stronger, adding more value to every place you go - we're in this for longevity and legacies!
2024 was such a year of everything for me - lots of ups and downs, tears and laughs, some heartaches and some heart bursting with joy moments, once in a lifetime moments, historical moments and lots of lessons - so many lessons lol. As I look at the year overall, I can say that I am truly grateful for every moment. It shaped me, taught me and brought me so much closer to Jesus. I will look at 2024 as a growth year, full of gratitude for all that God walked me through, knowing the final result would be bringing me closer to Him.
Y'all I am so far from having anything figured out - even just last night at church God showed me a big ol roadblock in my relationship with Him which showed me just how small my faith is, and the growth that I still need. As humbling as that was, it gave me hope. Hope that we are never "complete" or "finished" this side of Heaven. Hope that He always has more for us, but we have to trust Him - He wants to work in and through us, but we have to be obedient to Him in order for that to happen. Hope that no matter how flawed we are, He is greater than our flaws and has called us by name. Hope that His plan for us is more abundant than all we can think or imagine. Hope that when it doesn't make any sense (and sometimes it won't) that He is working all things together for those who love Him. Hope that where we are going is always better than where we have been. Hope that while there is nothing new for Him, He has new revelations and insights for us as we seek Him. Hope that we serve a good, good Father and we have full peace and assurance in knowing this.
If I could give y'all one word to hold onto in 2025, it would be hope. Hope isn't ignoring your present reality - it's understanding that in Jesus, we are facing everything from a point of victory. We are growing and fighting for better every day, but with a peace that passes all understanding because of WHO we belong to. So however you left 2024 - enter 2025 full of hope because if God is within you, you cannot fail. Cheers to 2025 loves and remember, the best is always yet to come!!!
xo, Lo
P.S. We are so humbled to each and every one of you that supported us in 2024 and are so excited to go into 2025 with you and our ever expanding glow gang - we love y'all infinitely!!!
February 2025
Happy love month!!!
Hope y'all are enjoying all the chocolates, roses, goodies, love and hugs that you can handle!!! We love love around here and it's always something to be celebrated!
I can't believe that we are almost halfway through February - is time moving faster or I'm just getting older? Is this an actual thing?!
So much has been going on and we have all kinds of fun and new things coming for y'all - we can't wait to share - definitely check out our red light therapy!!! As I have been working on various things and chit-chatting with y'all and other people in varying walks of life - a common theme is emerging and not a good one: lack of personal excellence. This saddens me, makes me very concerned for our next generation, burns my biscuits but also lights that "time to shift culture" fire inside me. I have reached a point where I don't see any issues or problems - only opportunities. How incredible is this opportunity - to be able to feed the next generation the ability to live out their best life with something that is already in them - we just have to bring it out!
How good do we feel when we can look back on something, no matter the outcome and know that we left nothing on the table? We went all in, gave it all we had and walked away entirely exhausted but more alive than ever? Nothing will awaken confidence, satisfaction and determination more than unadulterated perseverance. How would we feel at the end of our day if we knew we didn't cut corners, we kept our word to ourselves and those around us, and we did every task with excellence? Well, for starters I believe depression would mostly dissipate and hard work would become our new drug of choice. Failure breeds more success than success ever will - struggle is what separates the dreamers from the achievers. Everyone wants the view, but no one wants to climb. The climb is where we are forged. The climb is where we become the kind of person able to get to not just the first view, but the following, even better views after that. Stop wishing away the climbing journey - the journey is the actual reward. Consistency and discipline breed excellence - built daily in the trenches, the late nights, the early mornings, the work no one sees, the boring, the mundane, the endless to-do list, the tears, the dirty hands - excellence is forged in these tasks.
We have a generation that is missing their purpose because we are concerned with their feelings. Pardon the directness, but screw your feelings. We are doing a massive disservice by removing this generation's opportunity to build confidence in their own abilities. We were created for work - our work is a gift from God, for us to glorify Him while building His Kingdom. If we shifted focus to knowing that everything we do is all for His glory - how much more effort would we put in? Y'all. Think about this: if our next review wasn't with our boss, but with Jesus, holy moly how different would our work be?! I would bet we would all be putting forth an other-wordly effort.
Our pastor said a couple of weeks ago - what a tragedy it would be if we were collecting trophies throughout our life, only to get to the end of our lives and realize that all our trophies were from areas that God wasn't giving trophies? Wooooweeee - talk about getting itchy in church. But oh so true. What are we pursuing that isn't even part of God's plan for us? What are we doing at 75% effort when we should be doing it at 100% and for His glory? How different would our world be if instead of doing just enough to get by, we dedicated ourselves to excellence? How cool would it be to watch the confidence level of the next generation soar as they strive for excellence and begin pursuing their God-given purpose in the process?!
This gets my heart pumping and ignites my passion for this next generation and their unique position to build God's Kingdom. What a privilege to serve the Lord in our work while helping the next generation live a life filled with excellence and glorifying Him in their work. There is no respect in half effort - give it all you've got and then just a little more - let's go make heaven crowded y'all!!!
Colossians 3:23 - 24
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
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March 2025
Happy Spring!!!
I love this time of year - mostly the time change as it's lighter later and we ease into hot summer nights.
Well. Y'all. It has arrived. The big 4-0. It's birthday month!!! I am incredibly grateful for the first 40 years and am so excited for what God has in store for me in this next season of life. Since this is such a milestone birthday - I am going to share with you 40 things I would tell my younger self about the journey. Cheers!!!
1. Nothing, good or bad, lasts forever
2. Stop caring what other people think - it is such a waste of energy and it doesn't matter what they think or say - all that matters is what God says about you
3. You truly only have your name and your word - protect them fiercely
4. First impressions are actually incredibly important
5. Never be ashamed to struggle or work hard
6. You never know as much as you think you do
7. Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard
8. Be proud of where you come from
9. Jealousy will destroy everything it touches
10. It is better to be trusted than liked
11. Take the risks. Playing it safe is weak - take the risk. What is the worst that can happen? Lose everything and rebuild? Cool. Take that risk every. single. time.
12. A real friendship is worth more than 30 acquaintances
13. No matter how bad it is, someone always has it worse
14. Gratitude will change every circumstance and ultimately your life
15. Honesty and integrity will take you farther than skill and degrees
16. The right thing to do, is always the right thing to do
17. Your parents do, in fact, know what they're talking about and more than anyone else in this world, have your best interests at heart
18. It's never that serious - literally whatever it is, it's just not that serious
19. Coffee is delicious - don't wait so long to start drinking it
20. The freedom you're searching for, can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ
21. Workout every single day, for your body and your mind
22. Your friends determine your future and the quality of your life - choose them very wisely
23. Your grandparents will never live long enough - soak up every minute with them and every life lesson they have for you, they will be one of your favorite memories of growing up, but you won't recognize that until it's too late
24. Be kind to everyone - except pedophiles - send them straight to the woodchipper
25. Marry your best friend that you can't keep your hands off - I cannot emphasize this enough - yes, God has someone He created just for you and they will be perfect
26. Trust your gut
27. Life isn't fair or easy and that's ok - it's actually better that way. The person you become in the hard times and through the failures is exactly who you want to be
28. Choose discipline and discomfort - comfort is a slow death of regret
29. The truth will always prevail. You don't have to defend the truth, release it and it will defend itself
30. The magic you're missing is in the work you're avoiding
31. Be reckless in your generosity. You will never outgive God, but it sure is fun to try
32. Your parents home will always be home and nothing will ever be quite like it - it is the place that built you. (Stop trying to run away from it - Mom and Dad are we laughing about this one yet - hahaha)
33. Give as many big, tight hugs as you can
34. Go to the funerals - it is not about you, it's about honoring the deceased and being present for those left behind. As difficult as funerals are, you will regret not going
35. Speed wins. Just start, even if you have no idea what you're doing - start immediately. You can always redirect, but you have to start - the winners in life take fast action
36. Be openly passionate about what sets your soul on fire. Passion isn't weird, it's inspiring and contagious and the passionate people are the world changers
37. Trust and surrender to God's plan over your own - I promise your plans will be insanely pathetic compared to what He has for you
38. Say "I love you" all the time
39. Never ever, ever give up. Never. If you refuse to give up, you will eventually win - victory belongs to those that simply refuse to quit - the best is always yet to come
40. The most important thing in this life is your relationship with Jesus
20-year old me would be so proud of 40-year old me, in awe of God's grace and mercy and humbled by the life God has given me. My entire life is a compilation of answered prayers, forgiveness and proof of God's promises. I am so undeserving of it all. Thank you Jesus for saving a wretch like me - "twas grace that brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home". Here's to the next 40 years - let's go set the world on fire!!!