NOTHING TO PROVE
SHELFIE SUNDAY
I’m sending this shelfie sunday through the rinse cycle while I share a few of my favorite shower products with you.
Kevin Murphy MAXI.WASH is a great clarifying shampoo. If you’re spending time in the pool this summer, you should use a detox shampoo like this once a week to deep clean your scalp and get rid of the chlorine, other chemicals, and product build up. This is a great shampoo for curly hair and men, too! Please don’t buy this from Amazon… salon quality products might be cheaper on Amazon, and it’s because they’re often dupes of the real thing.
A scalp brush is great for massaging shampoo into your scalp for a deeper clean. Plus, it feels great!
Davines DEDE Conditioner is moisturizing but lightweight. It’s a great choice for a daily conditioner that is compatible with all hair types.
ACURE Brightening Cleansing Gel is my favorite face wash. I keep it in the shower and wash my face while conditioner sits. Pro tip: wash your neck and chest, too!
ViaBuff facial exfoliation buff isn’t too harsh, which is key. The pack comes with a variety of textures so that you can find the perfect one for your skin type. I squirt my cleanser directly onto the buff to clean my face and exfoliate dead skin at the same time.
Flamingo Foaming Shave Gel pairs perfectly with my Flamingo razor… and it’s only $5!
SEVEN YEARS
You know how they say cells regenerate every 7 years, making a person essentially new? I wonder if relationships experience that cycle, too. Today weāve been married for seven years and somehow it feels like weāre totally different people, but even more of a safe place to each other, than we were in 2014.
Lucky number seven. Love you, Danny Tilmes. No matter how many times we cycle into new people, Iāll look forward to all thats to come while standing by your side.Ā
Convinced and Commissioned
Itās easy to fall for fancy captions and pretty pictures to make you believe a life with Jesus looks convenient.
The last year has helped me process and redefine what Godās faithfulness looks like in our life, and, spoiler alert, itās bigger and deeper than getting what we want. I learned firsthand that his faithfulness is rooted in the promise of the last words Jesus says ā āI am with you always, to the end of the age.ā When we donāt get what we want and when we feel the most alone, heās there.
I hope my life with Jesus looks like Iām convinced that promise is true. Because the last time Jesus showed up to the disciples, he didnāt promise them great convenience, he gave them a great commission.
We Don’t Have to Hide
I felt encouraged this morning to say something to anyone who has ever felt shame from religionā Iām sorry for the people in your life who got it wrong. From the very beginning of the bible, the God Iāve come to know searches out Adam and Eve in their hiding. In the moment they feel shame, he seeks them out and it sets the tone for the rest of the Story. I used to think I should avoid God when I broke the rules, but now I know he cares more about righting our relationship.
Iām so sorry if youāve felt like it would be easier to hide from God than approach him with your weaknesses. I hope someday it will feel a little easier for you to believe that he knows everything about you and he loves you anyway.
Look for the Light
To anyone wading through a seemingly hopeless seasonā I see you and Iām here for you. A year ago on this Sunday, we walked out of the emergency room to this sky after a traumatic afternoon that ended in a pregnancy loss. I took a photo because I knew in the months to come Iād need any + all reminders that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
Last summer was difficult and dark, but God showed up and came close in my suffering through sabbaths and sunshine. If youāre in a season that feels dark, look for the light and turn your face towards it. It wins every time.
How to Fall in Love with Nashville
Danny and I have been going to Nashville nearly every year since 2014. It is at the very top of my list of favorite cities. Don’t you dare come at me with hate words against Nashville because I claim it as my own.
I’ve had a note saved on my phone for years that I’ll send to friends and anyone who asks for Nashville recommendations on Instagram. I figured it was time to put it here for the public. Go forth and boot scoot boogie.
Note: There are few walkable neighborhoods in Nashville. Most of these spots will require you to drive from place to place. That’s the most common thing I hear from people who claim they don’t like Nashville… “There was too much driving.” So, do with that what you will and set your expectations right before you show up in Music City.
Continue readingWinter Meal List
If you’re like me, coming up with meal ideas in the winter is difficult. Summertime is great because the grill is our go-to, so eating meats and veggies feels simple and is always delicious. But, when there is snow on the ground and the temps are lower than 10, all I want to eat is warm soup and bread. So, I took to my trusty friends on instagram and asked them for simple go-to meal ideas. Here’s a list split up into categories for you! I also recommend listening to this episode of The Lazy Genius for meal-planning wizardry.
I came up with three categories based on the meal ideas below. When planning dinner, I can be sure I’m mixing up what we eat by writing in a category each day for the month and then choosing what sounds good week-by-week before going to the store.
Bowl & Bread
Sandwich and a Side
Quick Clean Up
Thai stir fry 
Salmon, carrots, broccoli 
Burger bowl 
Buddha bowl with sausage 
Pizza and salad 
Buffalo mac and cheese
It Sucks and It’s Sanctifying
This was a journal entry written on July 5th, 2020.
Today, three weeks after returning home from our annual Team Tilmes retreat, Iām writing out our 2020-21 goals and intentions on notecards and hanging them up. In the past, I eagerly wrote and hung them right after coming home. But this year was different. Our annual trip ended quite terribly and made me want to do nothing but cover up those goals and intentions until right now.
We drove to Louisville on a Friday with the best kind of secret: we were pregnant. 12 weeks, with our formal ultrasound scheduled the following Wednesday. At 8 weeks, we went to the OB, heard a strong heartbeat, and were given a due date of January 3rd. The unknown was so exciting– would we have a boy or a girl? Would our baby come early before the new year or hold out until 2021? What would life be like as a family of three? Iāve really never felt so excited or in love or curious about a person I didn’t know at all.
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