I'm learning to pull back.

I’m teaching myself to pull back when I start to notice my place in someone’s life. 

It’s not always easy—especially when they mean so much to me—but I’ve learned that holding on too tightly only leaves me feeling out of place. Sometimes, no matter how deeply I care, I have to accept that I don’t hold the same space in their heart. And while that realization stings, I remind myself that it’s not a reflection of my worth but simply the way people are wired differently.

Not everyone loves the way you do. Not everyone sees relationships with the same depth or tenderness you offer. I’ve had to stop expecting my heart to be mirrored in others. It’s a tough lesson, but it’s freeing, too. It teaches me to cherish those who truly see me, while quietly letting go of the need to force connections that aren’t meant to be. 

After all, your heart is meant to be protected, not stretched thin trying to earn a place in someone else’s world.

— LJ Guzman

— Artwork : Hiril

school starts again for these three

The school year started July 10th for these guys.  Emma just graduated on June 25, and these boys are starting back.  Time is going way too fast for this old lady.

Little old lady day

who we still hear in the quiet

The Quiet Treasure of Friendship - Who we still hear in the quiet ✨️

Friendship is one of the most sacred things we’ll ever hold in this life. It arrives quietly—sometimes as laughter shared over nothing, sometimes as a hand that shows up when the world falls apart. It doesn’t always come in the forms we expect. 

Sometimes it’s loud and steady, other times it’s soft and fleeting, It doesn’t need to look perfect. 

Sometimes friendship lives in the spaces between—an old text, a memory that still makes you smile. It lives in the moments where no one else saw your hurt or noticed your distance 

We must learn to value it in all its shapes. The friend who checks in, the ones who challenge us, who listen without fixing, who love us exactly as we are, and even the ones who came for a season and changed us before drifting away. Each friendship is a thread in the story of our becoming.

I see you—not just who you are when it’s easy, but who you are in your confusion, your fear, your silence. And I still choose you.”

It holds space for who you were and who you are becoming.

Whether they are near or far, whether you talk every day or only once in a while, they are part of your soul’s home. And in this life, what matters most is not how loud our lives become— and haven’t they ever lately, but what matters is who we still hear in the quiet.

✍️🏻By Natasha Ann  

Thank you for these beautiful thoughts! 💗

🎨Art Credit | Artist unknown, Pinterest upload by Jeannus

The Quiet Treasure of Friendship

The Quiet Treasure of Friendship - Who we still hear in the quiet

Friendship is one of the most sacred things we’ll ever hold in this life. It arrives quietly—sometimes as laughter shared over nothing, sometimes as a hand that shows up when the world falls apart. It doesn’t always come in the forms we expect.

Sometimes it’s loud and steady, other times it’s soft and fleeting, It doesn’t need to look perfect.

Sometimes friendship lives in the spaces between—an old text, a memory that still makes you smile. It lives in the moments where no one else saw your hurt or noticed your distance

We must learn to value it in all its shapes. The friend who checks in, the ones who challenge us, who listen without fixing, who love us exactly as we are, and even the ones who came for a season and changed us before drifting away. Each friendship is a thread in the story of our becoming.

I see you—not just who you are when it’s easy, but who you are in your confusion, your fear, your silence. And I still choose you.”

It holds space for who you were and who you are becoming.

Whether they are near or far, whether you talk every day or only once in a while, they are part of your soul’s home. And in this life, what matters most is not how loud our lives become— and haven’t they ever lately, but what matters is who we still hear in the quiet.

🏻By Natasha Ann

Thank you for these beautiful thoughts!

Art Credit | Artist unknown, Pinterest upload by Jeannus

ageless spirit

One thing we rarely realize when we're young is that as we age, our bodies may change, but our spirit stays the same. Inside, we still feel young. We still dream, hope, and wish just like we did years ago. But our youthful soul begins to view the world through an aging body.

As the years pass, we often become invisible to the world, feeling as though more of our life lies behind us than ahead. Yet, our inner voice the one we've always known never truly ages.

I once read something that has stayed with me:

"I asked an elderly man what it felt like to know most of his life was behind him. He said, ‘I've always been the same age. The voice inside my head never aged. I’m still my mother’s son. I watched my body grow old, but the person inside never changed, never got tired, never gave up.’"

Our souls are timeless. Our spirits are forever. So next time you see an elderly person, remember they are still a child inside. Just like you. Still in need of love, purpose, and kindness.

#AgelessSpirit #EternalSoul #YoungAtHeart #InvisibleNoMore #RespectOurElders #TimelessWisdom #SoulDoesNotAge #ChildWithin #KindnessMatters #sewwithlove

I would have....

“I would have pulled Joseph out. Out of that pit. Out of that prison. Out of that pain.  I would have cheated nations out of the one God would use to deliver them from famine.

I would have pulled David out. Out of Saul’s spear-throwing presence. Out of the caves he hid away in. Out of the pain of rejection.  I would have cheated Israel out of a God-hearted king.

I would have pulled Esther out. Out of being snatched from her only family. Out of being placed in a position she never asked for. Out of the path of a vicious, power-hungry foe. I would have cheated a people out of the woman God would use to save their very lives.

 I would have pulled Jesus off. Off of the cross. Off of the road that led to suffering and pain. Off of the path that would mean nakedness and beatings, nails and thorns. I would have cheated the entire world out of a Savior. Out of salvation. Out of an eternity filled with no more suffering and no more pain.

And oh friend. I want to pull you out. I want to change your path. I want to stop your pain. But right now I know I would be wrong. I would be out of line. I would be cheating you and cheating the world out of so much good. Because God knows. He knows the good this pain will produce. He knows the beauty this hardship will grow. He’s watching over you and keeping you even in the midst of this. He’s promising you that you can trust Him. Even when it all feels like more than you can bear.

So instead of trying to pull you out, I’m lifting you up. I’m kneeling before the Father and I’m asking Him to give you strength. To give you hope. I’m asking Him to protect you and to move you when the time is right. I'm asking Him to help you stay prayerful and discerning. I'm asking Him how I can best love you, and be a help to you.  I’m believing He’s going to use your life in powerful and beautiful ways.  Ways that will leave your heart grateful and humbly thankful for this road you’ve been on.”

Kimberly Henderson   Proverbs 31 Ministries