Separating From Ed

     It's time. Time to stop living from a place of fear. Time to defeat the chains that have held us down, taken us captivate, and the lies that have been spread throughout our minds. Time to give it up, let it go, and trust in the Savior to bear our burdens. It's time to stop letting fear control our lives and time to stop letting fear win.     The fear that so easily entangles wraps around, grips tightly, and attempts destruction. The enemy is constantly working to create a separation between us and God. If we let him, he does a good job, but if we turn and run to our Savior, we can find peace, redemption, and hope. Trusting in God isn't easy, especially when our fears appear so real. One thing to remind ourselves of is that many of our fears never come true and those that do are usually not as bad as what we anticipate. We spread the harmful messages around our heads so much that they consume our lives, thoughts, time, and minimize the people and things that really mat

     A constant theme in my life is worry. I was told recently that I had "classic childhood anxiety," which I had never heard in my 24 years of life thus far. I tend to overthink and expect the worst. Combating worry can be challenging. I try to believe God and listen to what He has to say, but how can I know what will happen?      An antidote to worry is trust. Trust is also difficult to hold onto. Maybe you are feeling confused, lonely, saddened, or frustrated right now. Maybe you are feeling something else. Perhaps you are feeling positive, elated, and joyous, but questioning how and if it will last.      Yesterday, I was told some disappointing news. I thought I heard God's plan for me in this stage of my life, but what I wanted and thought was going to happen, aren't going to pan out. I felt down and sorry for myself. I grieved the loss of what could have happened. At first, I told myself that I was fine and the loss wasn't too terrible. I know  in my head

     As you may recall, I work in a special education program at the middle school level. I adore the students that I get to work with and feel blessed to spend my days with them at such a fun job. As terrified as I was to begin my time in SPED, I am grateful for how it has worked out (thank you, God!). I am pleased with the students I interact with, how I can assist and watch them develop, and how I have gained skills and insights from this position.      Recently, I just thought of how working in SPED has made me more compassionate. The specific example that I am thinking of involves one of my siblings. This particular sibling has physical and mental disorders, as well as a past history of abuse and misuse of both illicit and prescription drugs. As she was explaining something to me and wishing she could do things better, I reacted in such a way indicating that her best was just fine and that it is great to try harder, but also to not place too much pressure on herself. I wish I cou