Praise and Coffee

09/05/2026

08/07/2026

Why I Created Craving Peace

For years I thought my struggle was food.

It wasn't.

Food was simply where the deeper hunger showed itself.

Like so many women, I spent years caring for everyone else while quietly neglecting myself. I knew what healthy looked like, but I also knew what it felt like to reach for temporary comfort instead of lasting peace.

As I studied metabolic health, coached women, and walked my own journey, I realized something profound:

Most of us aren't craving more food.

We're craving peace.

And that realization changed everything.

Today, I help women discover what they're truly hungry for—not with another diet or quick fix, but by helping them build a healthier relationship with themselves, with food, with God, and with the life they've been given.

The PEACE Path:

07/02/2026

Last year we roto-tilled a hill out in one of our fields and scattered 50 pounds of wildflower seed. The funny thing is... you can't even see that hill from our house. A neighbor recently mentioned how beautiful the flowers were, and I realized I hadn't even walked out there to see them.

So I put on my boots and headed to the field.

As I got closer, I gasped! Look at all the wildflowers!!!

But then, my eyes went straight to the w**ds. They were tall, thick, and practically drowning out the flowers. Then as I walked next to the field, I noticed poison ivy winding itself around all those beautiful flowers reaching for the sun.

I spent some time pulling the tall w**ds. It felt like a losing battle. For every handful I pulled, there seemed to be ten more waiting. And yes... I ended up with poison ivy on my arms as a little souvenir.

As Mark and I talked about planting another hill this fall, we decided we'll prepare the ground differently. Before we sow a single seed, we'll do everything we can, till it, burn it, etc., to clear away the w**ds and poison ivy.

It struck me, because life is filled with metaphors, that this is exactly how lasting change works.
So often we focus on planting new habits:
"I'll eat better."
"I'll exercise."
"I'll stop emotional eating."
"I'll be more patient."
"I'll finally have peace."
But if the w**ds underneath are still growing—fear, shame, people-pleasing, loneliness, old hurts, perfectionism, or believing we're never enough—those new habits have to fight for every inch.

The goal isn't just to plant more or better flowers.

*It's to create the kind of soil where flowers can flourish.

That's why the Craving PEACE journey (Pause, Examine, Align, Commit, Emerge) doesn't begin with willpower or commitment. It begins with Pause and Examine.
We slow down long enough to ask, What's really growing here? What's wrapping itself around the good, God is trying to grow in my life?

Here's the encouraging part: despite the w**ds, the flowers were still blooming! I smile every time I see them- and I go out of my way to see them now.
Maybe that's true for you today too.

Your peace isn't gone.
Your courage isn't gone.
Your joy isn't gone.

They may just be tangled up in some things that no longer belong.
God is a Master Gardener. He is patient with the process, and He never mistakes a w**d for the flower He planted.
What "w**ds" have you noticed trying to crowd out your peace lately?

05/06/2026

Join our Craving Peace Community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1780235582182331

05/04/2026

Clogged Arteries
What actually causes that?

It’s not just about fat.
It’s about damage + inflammation + what we consistently put in our bodies.

When we regularly eat highly processed foods, excess sugar, and inflammatory ingredients, it creates stress inside the body.
Over time, that stress can damage the lining of our blood vessels.
And your body tries to repair that damage.

That’s where plaque begins.

Cholesterol gets involved in this process—but it’s not the villain we once thought.
It’s part of the body’s response to injury.
But when the body is overwhelmed for too long—
when there’s ongoing inflammation, high blood sugar, and metabolic stress—
that repair process can turn into buildup.

And that’s when plaque forms.

So it’s not just about cholesterol levels.
It’s about the environment inside the body that keeps driving damage faster than it can heal.

And here’s another important detail that often gets misunderstood:
For years, we were told salt was the main problem.
But research shows that excess added sugar and ultra-processed foods play a major role in metabolic dysfunction and heart disease risk.

High sugar intake is linked to:
• Increased inflammation
• Higher insulin levels and insulin resistance
• Elevated triglycerides and lower HDL
• Greater risk of cardiovascular disease

In fact, people who consume high amounts of added sugar have been shown to have a significantly higher risk of dying from heart disease.

“In one large study, people who got 25% or more of their calories from added sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease.”

That doesn’t mean salt never matters—some people do need to be mindful of it, especially with blood pressure.
But for many of us, the bigger issue isn’t the salt shaker…
It’s the hidden sugar and processed foods we’ve normalized.

But here’s the part I want you to hear:
Your body is not working against you.
It’s trying to protect you.
And when you begin to support it differently…
it can begin to respond.
Not overnight.
Not with a quick fix.
But with consistent, wise choices.

If you want to support your heart and your health, start here:
• Eat real, whole foods (not packaged “diet” products)
• Lower sugar and ultra-processed foods
• Choose healthy fats over highly processed oils
• Move your body daily (it doesn’t have to be extreme)
• Prioritize sleep and manage stress
• Stay connected—to others and to God.

This is what I tell my clients all the time:
You don’t need a complicated plan.
You need a return to what your body was designed for.

And just like everything else we talk about here—
Peace isn’t found in quick fixes.
It’s built in daily choices that align your body, your mind, and your faith.

You are not stuck.
Your body can respond.
Start small.
Stay consistent.
And trust the process—one day at a time. ❤️

04/29/2026

We live like hot air balloons, desperately trying to rise.

We stoke the fire—
trying harder, doing more, fixing ourselves, proving our worth.
-More discipline.
-More control.
-More effort.
And for a moment, it works.

We feel a little lift. A little progress.
But we’re exhausted…
because no matter how much we fuel the fire,
we’re still tethered.

What we often miss is this:
The balloon doesn’t rise because of more fire.
It rises when the weight is released.

Those sandbags we’re carrying?

They’re not physical—but they’re heavy:
* Approval we’re still chasing
* Shame we never dealt with
* Fear of not being enough
* Old identities we haven’t let go of
* The need to control everything and everyone

We keep trying to burn hotter…
when God is inviting us to let go.
Real peace doesn’t come from more striving.
It comes from surrender.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”
— Hebrews 12:1

Throw it off.
Not manage it.
Not carry it better.
Release it.

Because the life you’re craving—
the peace, the freedom, the lightness—

It was never meant to come from pushing harder.

It comes when you finally trust God enough
to cut loose what’s been weighing you down.