Last night, Julie from Savvy Eats posted about finding her blogging voice. The post resonated to my core. For the past 7 months I have involved myself in this world of blogging. I knew what I wanted my blog to express. Positivity. Living life to the fullest. Good health. Support for others, and myself. In the most basic sense, I wanted it to express me and my passions.

Even knowing all these things, I feel only recently I have fully come to find my voice in the blogging world. Before, I would have the occasional honest post that I knew I had to share from my heart, but I would also include things I felt a blog was supposed to have. I would compare myself to other blogs. I would over-think and over-analyze everything.

That all changed when I unlocked myself from trying to fit some mold of healthy living blogger that doesn’t even exist. I broke out and gave up all my expectations. I started experimenting to find what works for me with a posting schedule. Now I know two shorter posts – one around 11 am and one around 7 pm – work best. I stopped planning out blog entries and simply went with what came to me. I devoted my heart to trusting God to take this blog where He wants it to go, instead of fretting on why I wasn’t getting more readers. Then, I blossomed.

Now my posts more truly reflect my style. Me sense of humor. My interests. My tastes. My hopes. My passions. From simply revealing little nuggets of information about myself, to tips on living, to frustrations, to going for a dream, and all that falls on the spectrum of my jumbled mind in between. Finding my blogging voice has helped me to achieve so much. And not in the traditional sense of more money, more exposure, or more popularity. It’s helped me achieve confidence. It has brought me to the crossroads of refusing to give into fear to share a positive message.

Finding my blogging voice provided a large motivation to finally dive in head first with the 30 Days of Self-Love Reflections. That movement is the essence of Faith, Fitness, Fun. I know I have shared it a lot, but I don’t want it to be forgotten. I want the energy for its start to remain. Which is why now, I must once again thank the fabulous women who support this cause by sharing the 30 Days Button. I also thank each of you who anxiously await the movement as I do.

• Caitlin – She had me write my Healthy Tipping Point story for her a few weeks ago. Now she will be waiting to publish it on her blog until Sep 1st and share about the 30 Days with the story. Love her!
• Lauren – Jammin In The Kitchen
• Lauren – Fit, Fun, and Fabulous
• Em – HomeCookedEm
• Lisa – I’m An Okie
• Katy – Monster Proof
• Kara – My Wellnest
• Julie – Adventure Is Out There
• Talia – Texas Gunslinger
• Mackenzie – My Food Events
• Maria – Oh Healthy Day
• Mindy – Just A One Girl Revolution
• Maura – The MOH Diaries
• Rachel – Fit, Fun, and Fabulous
• Melissa – Live, Love, and Run
• Cynthia – Cook and Eat: Adventures of a Pretend Cook
• Marcia – Healthy Living Adventures
• Kathleen – Journey to Loving Me
• Laury – The Fitness Dish
• Andi – Andi on the Go
• Lindsay – Learning to Cook, Eat, and Enjoy Delicious Food
• Elizabeth – Eat Clean Fun
• Melinda – Strength for my Journey
• Holly – Couch Potato Athlete
• Holly – The Balance Broad
• Jess – Eat Drink Breathe Sweat
• Leah – Running to a Healthy Life
• Erin – The Healthy Apron
• Katie – Legally Fit
• Morgan – Live, Love, Eat, and Play
• Arlene – Adventures in Weight Loss, Cooking, & Life
• Shayna – Zucchini Bikini Martini
• Monique – Finding the Courage to Change
• Michelle – Chasing Ambulances
• Renee – Sweaty, Salty, Sweet

There you have it. My blog is ME. It is REAL. I give of myself in every single post because I have so much love for what I share here and each of you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for your comments. Thank you for your support. Thank you for being YOU.

• Check out the blogs listed above. They are awesome!!! And let me know if you add the button to your site or post about the 30 Days. Find the "sign up" post here.
• Do you feel you have a blogging voice? How did you find it?
• What about blogging fulfills you?

Last night, we had a meeting at 6:30 at our church to discuss small group leadership. Instead of stressing myself out trying to cook a meal, finish it on time, and get us all fed and out the door quickly, I decided to stop for something on the way. Perhaps some Subway, a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A, or Panera. In other words, the original plan involved a healthier dinner option on the fly. That did not happen.

Why? Well, simply because I wanted something different. I craved something very abnormal but could not deny it and figured I shouldn’t. That thing I hankered for so suddenly…

Oh boy! Peter finds it humorous that I get cravings for McDonalds randomly while pregnant. I do not eat it otherwise. I do not care to in the least. Yet for some reason during pregnancy (both times!) the salty, greasy, usually nasty food calls to me. Last night it happened. I will admit – at first I thought “I can’t go there!!”. And then when Peter asked jokingly if I would dare to share it on the blog, my gut instinct answered “maybe you wouldn’t have to”.

I snapped myself out of it quickly enough and thought why does it matter?! I shouldn’t deny myself for the sake of a label of “healthy” or “blogger”. I shouldn’t gloss over it for fear of what others think. I know for myself that I make balanced food choices. That I take care of my fitness. And that I love myself enough to respect cravings and not feel guilty about them.

In the past, I would have limited myself from having what I wanted. Then…I would have binged. If that didn’t happen, anxiety would overcome me and my mind would swirl with thoughts of food with no room for anything else. Now, I can eat something like McDs (very rarely mind you) and move on. I can simply eat the meal and not fret over it, living by example so M doesn’t feel that guilt eating certain things. I can head to a church meeting without guilt distracting me and focus on the topics at hand regarding my new role in developing a stronger community and bringing people closer to Christ in my church.  I can know without a doubt that the next day I will pick up where I left off and not feel I blew it and eat recklessly until the following Monday when I could “start fresh”.

Start the day off right with an oats, greek yogurt, honey pb, + dried cranberry/raisin/cherry mix.

Even though I will hit publish with a bit of nervousness, I drown it out by knowing - I can be me. I can be balanced. And I can still be healthy.

• Have you ever been nervous to hit publish? What post? Share a link if you like!
• What is something you like to eat or do that does not mesh with the standard definition of “healthy”? How do you feel “healthier” for allowing it?