Nat King Cole once sang “Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer….” and here we are, right day smack in the midst of summer and it feels a lot crazy, a little hazy and not enough lazy. I always seem to hit a blogger slump in the summer. When the sun is shining and the patios are open, the inside of a coffee shop just doesn’t seem as tempting as it does in the winter. I can’t seem to figure out a way to write outside while being able to see my laptop screen and so instead, my notebooks are scribbled in and my computer is tucked away. I have SO much to get out and am enjoying the days of processing and building. Watch out fall, it’s gonna be a good one. :)

In the meantime, I do keep churning out work, just not as frequently as I’d hope. I am excited to share with you a sponsored piece today that ran last week on EmpowerHER. Yes, this is a shameless plug. (*cringes*). If you’d like, pop on over to the article and give it a read, a share, a comment. I’ll forewarn you there will be another piece in another month, an upcoming podcast with Beat Infertility and a devotional launch in a few weeks. I KNOW! It’s been a crazy summer even if this blog only has once-a-week love. Thanks for bearing with me.

Article link: Are You Dealing With Infertility? Remember You’re Not Alone

So what am I learning in all of this crazy?

That there are seasons. So many seasons. There are days and hours where I feel like I am peeking through and gaining upward momentum. Other days I feel like my patience has been drained. Moments where I am over it all, other moments the ache seems more real than ever before. All in all, life is beautiful, good, stable and invigorating. Being off of hormones makes me feel like I am waking up a little more each day. My body is confused, having gotten used to the added progesterone, estrogen and hormonal supplements. The cold turkey shock has it going through its own version of mending, but here I am, 30 days clean and finally breathing a little more slowly. Often times I reach this mountain top and wonder how I make it through a medicated cycle. Feeling not-crazy is so so nice. (Granted, my not-crazy can still be crazy.)

Real life is messy. Messy. A popular word we read often in posts, devotionals, blogs. We relate – oh, yes, messy – but what does that even mean? Is everyone’s life THIS messy? Do certain relationships seem this difficult for others? Does the idea of meal planning seem too much? Are you too failing at maintaining friendships, house chores, errands? Does your brain ever get going on the hamster wheel late at night? Do you question ‘what is next’? Does your quiet time go through ebbs and flows? This is messy. This is LIFE. It’s beautiful and it’s painful. The hard moments and seasons makes the good ones even more special. Keep going. Acknowledge the messy. Define what messy means to you and embrace it. Continue to fight. Keep seeking God in the mess. Find a few moments to be quiet and listen. Listening makes the mess seem less intense, even when it’s still there.

Even in the busy, even in the mess, even in the days where life seems a bit harder than you remember, press in. Join me in continuing to move forward, even when it seems like you are being pushed backwards.

Until next time. XO!

Chelsea