life

My Small Things

/ Toni Williams / 1 Comment

Let’s talk about your routines, Let’s talk about the mundane. Let’s talk about all the little things in your life that if left unattended to can bring you the greatest pain. Let’s talk about the little things in your life that if attended to, can bring you the biggest joys.

I’ve been reading again. Trust me, ya’ll. This one is good. Author Melanie Shankle released a new book this month and it’s all about appreciating the small things. Melanie  knows what it’s like to get so caught up in wanting something to take our breath away that we lose our amazement for every breath we take. In Church of the Small Things, she invites us to view our daily tasks as the holy and precious callings they are. As we see how real life meets eternity every day, we can let go of the pressure to experience big moments and delight in the small ones instead. Continue reading →

True Story: I Was Inspired By A Bank Robber

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This is going to sound crazy. Really crazy. But it’s true…so that should surpass all understanding, right? This spring, I had the opportunity to sub for a fellow instructor at the college who was out due to illness. The subbing wasn’t difficult, all I had to do was take attendance, and sit back and relax because they had a guest speaker. Her name was Mandy.

She is a former bank robber.  Continue reading →

The Numbers in My Life

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Sometimes I like using buzzwords. Especially if they relate to a new concept or idea. This summer alone, I’ve learned about web inspectors, stacks, caches,and other tech sounding things. I sit near the web administrator at work, and I occassionally hear him speaking his language and sometimes I’m moved to speak it too. Google scrum master and welcome to my world.

One buzzword, not related to tech, that I use and I am proud of is the word intentional. I’ve found in this season of my life that I am working toward leading a more intentional life. For me, being intentional means I need to take a look at my priorities, my career, my relationships, my writing, my parenting, and my time spent with God.

I started becoming more intentional this summer by taking one quick look at the numbers in my life.  Continue reading →

Confessions of a Regular Mom Who Writes for a Living

/ Toni Williams / 2 Comments

confessions-of-a-mom

Every mom has secrets, Some can be harmless and some can be devastating. Some really are secrets, they just never happened to come up in conversation. In my blog reading over the past few weeks, my internet friend Brittany wrote an authentic blog post about her confessions as an ordinary person who runs a business. I was struck by her candor and a bit inspired to tell some confessions of my own.

So today we’re going to air a little dirty laundry. If confession is good for the soul, I’m about to become very cleansed. I hope it inspires you to share some truths of your own!  Continue reading →

Is Blogging in Your Future This Year?

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blog-this-year

As we bid farewell to  2016 and welcome 2017, many people think of goals and dreams for what the next 12 months will bring. This past December, I celebrated 10 years as a blogger. I started blogging because I’ve always loved writing and it was a way for me to express my thoughts about whatever I thought I should and could share.

That first blog was about being the wife of a police officer, a mom of three small children, life’s little emergencies and how we handled them. At the time, I thought I was being vulnerable when I wrote about one child having asthma and another one with an allergic reaction. Little did I know after one year of writing about those things, my world was about to explode in infidelity, divorce, emotional abuse, and those parenting dramas that have a way of bringing you to your knees.

Writing has always been my therapy. It wasn’t until I endured some heavy trials that I realized just how important writing would be. And blogging – this form of writing for internet as a digital journalist or new media specialist – has saved my life three times. Continue reading →