Today I pause with a grateful heart, for the gift of being rooted, steady and held, for the strength that rises when we walk empowered, for the freedom of living authentic and unafraid, for the truth that we are deeply loved, always and completely. I’m grateful for connection, for the women who stand beside us, who speak life, share wisdom, and remind us we never journey alone. I’m grateful for family, for laughter that fills rooms, for the warmth of being known, for the moments that turn into memories we carry like treasure. I’m grateful for quiet spaces, the stillness where God whispers, the moments alone that refill our souls, the peace that settles when we finally breathe. And I’m grateful for this community— REAL Women— where hearts are held, stories are honored, and gratitude becomes a way of living. What is one thing your heart is grateful for today?

Here we are again, back to Friday. It’s Mother’s Day weekend, what are your plans?

Good morning, REAL Women 🌿 Is the sun shining where you are today… or do you need to create a little of your own? Remember—no matter the weather, you are still rooted, empowered, authentic, and deeply loved. ✨ Today’s question: What is one simple thing you can do today to bring light to your soul—and maybe even someone else’s? Let’s rise together 💛 @Brandy Brown @Sherilyn Jones @Marie Helwich

I was listening to a very thought-provoking podcast today. They were talking about how we often pray for safety, health, and for God to generally make our challenges more manageable for us. How, as Christians, we expect God to smooth out our lives. If we run into obstacles or hard times, we think we've somehow gone astray from God's will for us. Yet when I think about the times that I've drawn closest to God and developed most in my relationship with Him and with others, it's been during the hardest times of my life. This is also a common theme in the Bible. Job, Joseph, David, the Israelites in the desert, the apostles... over and over again God brought those who He had assignments for through dark times. He used these times to develop in them the specific character, skills, relations, etc., that they would need to fulfill His will. So...one of the questions that was asked in this podcast was why would we pray for God to make our lives easier if it's primarily through hard times and struggle that we experience growth? They made the argument that this is like asking God to keep us underdeveloped, unprepared, and immature. What are your thoughts on this?

“Quick one… I’m curious 👇 When it comes to REAL (rooted,empowered,authentic,and loved), are you more: A) Just getting started B) In the messy middle C) Feeling pretty solid D) Low key avoiding it 😅 Drop your letter… and if you want, tell me why.”