LAST DAY OF SUMMER FOR ME. 😞 Don’t even come at me with “but you’ve had all summer” like some random stranger did yesterday cause I’ve spent all summer PREPARING FOR BATTLE...I mean...preparing for the school year...and nothing is scarier than a teacher on her last week of vacation, TRUST ME. You don’t know the crap (no, really, sometimes LITERAL CRAP FROM A HUMAN BODY) we deal with the other 10 months of the year. So for today, you can find me getting all my last minute Netflix bingeing in and peeing WHENEVER I DARN WELL WANT TO.

“I am going to persuade her, lead her into the wilderness + speak tenderly to her.” Hosea 2:14 • Sometimes, God is going to lead you into a WILDERNESS SEASON so He can LOVE YOU WELL. • Sometimes, God is going to make you uncomfortable to show you how much you NEED HIM...so He can turn around + show you how GOOD He is to you. • God promises to NEVER FAIL US. So if you’re in a desert season, living in the wilderness, about to die of thirst in a dry land, feeling like you can’t do one more dry day, YOU. ARE. NOT. ABANDONED. • Where are you NOT relying on God? Where are you still trying to do it on your own? Where are you avoiding God’s instruction and advice for your life? • When you realize you aren’t strong enough to do it on your own, that’s when you give God the room to swoop in and show you how much GRACE + POWER + LOVE He has waiting for you. • So what’s your wilderness? Depression? Anxiety? A job you hate? A relationship that is toxic? A grudge that has gone on too long? A funeral you planned too soon? Financial problems? A packed schedule? Changed plans + dreams? • How are you going to tell God today that you aren’t trying any more + that you’re DONE with your pride + you’re ready for Him to speak tenderly to you?

We’re all bruised and beaten on account of many reasons, only love would make you understand. // #lessonsfromsunday

Four years ago, he was uncomfortably nervous + quieter than usual at our favorite meeting spot because long distance means you find anywhere you can to just sit together. We took pictures of the skyline and he used a flashlight + magic to write “will you” in the sky.. • I looked at the screen + turned around to him to see him on one knee with the most perfect ring in his hands. He told me he couldn’t imagine living one day without me. • I broke down crying. I couldn’t even speak. He had to ask “Is that a yes?” because I couldn’t respond. Was it because I overwhelmed with joy? Uhhh. No. I was having a panic attack. WHO DOES THAT? • You know all those cute pictures of couples who have hidden photographers or engagement parties? My heart ached for year with jealousy because I felt I had wasted my magical moment. I wasted it with hyperventilating, sobbing, confusing my boyfriend + sitting in a car for 2 hours while I attempted to finally tell him yes. • We dated through some of the worst anxiety, panic + depression I had ever walked through. It ruined some magical moments for me - - like most of our engagement + wedding season. • I’m finally able to laugh at our story because I know that when someone loves you, they don’t just propose one time and then, the end, that’s your moment. They had already proposed every day when they answered your panicked calls at 3 am, or held you while your body decides Target seems like a great place to have a panic attack or when they drive hours with flowers + cupcakes to surprise you. • The moral? Don’t let anxiety freaking take your moments from you. Even it ruins something you feel like you can’t ever get back, find the silver lining + stop letting anxiety continue to have any say in your past or present. • Also, your moments don’t need to because imperfect, messy moments make life fun (+ funny). Let life be what it is. Stop worrying if it’s picture perfect. • Find yourself someone who literally loves you unconditionally, who is the light in your darkness, who will put you before themselves, who looks at your “flaws” and goes “that’s it?!” Yeah, find someone who who writes in the sky for ya. 💕

The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap, which is why eating donuts on the subway is a really, really good plan. 🚇🍩

“I wanna be married and have 100 kids so I can have 100 friends...” - Michael Scott but also me if you replaced “kids” with “dogs” || anyone else’s dog sleep like this weirdo? 😂 #demczakden #lucyfurever

Chicago, you were, like, the most fun. 😍

It only took me 25 years to make it to the American Girl Doll Store! I always thought I’d be bringing my pals Felicity and Addy along...but I’m here with my husband so that’s weird but cool too? 💁🏻‍♀️ Brb, reliving the 90s. ✌🏼

Okay, Chicago. You win. One more night ☝🏼I don’t know why a cancelled flight gave me so much anxiety because what’s for us won’t miss us. So one more night in ya gorgeous city for us because there’s one more person that needs to be loved, one more sight that needs to be seen, one more day of quality time with my hubby needs to be had. I don’t know why these freak things happen but hey, God’s throwing a blessing in disguise in our lap so I’m rolling wit it 💁🏻‍♀️

The expression of PATIENCE is JOY. When you know that this isn’t all there is, that there is more, there is goodness and light at the end of the tunnel, that this season only lasts a season, you can be JOYFUL in PATIENCE. // #lessonsfromsunday a la @citychurchchi 🌞

“LET’S GO CUBBIES! FLY THE W! HEY CHICAGO, WHAT DO YA SAY? THE CUBS ARE GONNA WIN TODAY” -me after being at Wrigley Field after 47 seconds 😎 ⚾️ #ABandMLB

Heading to my 25th state this weekend! 50% of the country so far...not too shabby 💁🏻‍♀️ If it’s one thing I’ve learned in the past couple years, it’s that traveling isn’t what is important. Just because you travel, it doesn’t mean you’re really LIVING. Adventures are cool but life doesn’t become more valuable or worthwhile simply by where you go or don’t go. Be content. Find balance. Love others.✌🏼💕

My husband is a nerd and has been begging me to watch Infinity War with him but movies with aliens and magical rocks kinda bore me so I’ve been stalling for months now so he finally made me a deal: In exchange for me watching Infinity War with him (and clearly paying attention, gasping/laughing at all the right times and listening to him compare it to the comic books), I get to pick EVERY movie for movie night for the rest of the year muahahahahahahahah. GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO THOSE WHO WAIT, SUCKAAAASSSS. 🤘🏼(Also, can we agree that the Hulk is the worst superhero ever? Like get out of here, Bruce. No one likes you...)

Coming down from anxiety medication is no joke. Headaches, loss of appetite, fatigue, dehydration, depression. The medicine I take to help me feel well enough to function sabotages me at the end of the day. Fighting hard for your mental health is a full-time freaking job. There are no breaks when your brain decides to take control. I feel sad, and small, and purposeless, every single time it wears off at the end of the night. I want everyone to leave me alone- my husband, my dog, the text messages I can’t force myself to look at- but tonight, I’m going to power through the desire to isolate and I’m going to be transparent about this because I need to tell someone that tomorrow is going to be so much better. Because when you declare truth over someone else, it makes those words a little truer for your own heart. So for you and for me, tomorrow will be better. 💕✌🏼#anniethinksthings

Have we lost our ability to wonder at God’s creation, God’s creativity, God’s redemption? Let us be a people of WONDER. // #lessonsfromsunday

Something I’ve learned this past year and wish I could have told my 15 year old self: literally NO ONE gives a damn what you look like without makeup (and also, EVERY girl looks like a naked alien without mascara on...you aren’t alone). So those breakouts or acne scars or dark circles you can’t stop looking at? Yeah, guess what? Literally no one cares and they probably don’t even notice. And if they think of you differently because you look “plain”, screw them. I used to NEVER take off my makeup. In high school, I slept in my makeup at sleepovers and up until last year, I wore makeup to the gym! I’ve always had “bad” skin (what is that? You have skin! Skin is skin! Skin is good!) An autoimmune disease, genetics and never taking care of my skin = constant breakouts, permanent dark circles and discoloration, acne scars and when I eat bad, eczema on my face. But guess what?! NO ONE CARES. And that’s good! We get so wrapped up in trying to appear to be put together when we’re all just a hot mess underneath. I used to be SO scared of being the “ugly, plain” girl. Yeah, I needed to get over that REAL QUICK. Even if I was deemed plain and ugly by someone else, that has NO EFFECT on my soul, my personality, my grit, my work ethic, my determination, my friendships, my ability to succeed. Makeup (if it’s cruelty-free, wink wink) is awesome and fun but don’t let it be an excuse to hide your hot mess because you’re scared of other people’s opinions. So this is your friendly reminder to stop being obsessed with what other people think, make your peace with who your truly are (and what you look like), and go be awesome. ✌🏼 #micdrop #anniethinksthings

Just an FYI for everyone’s personal safety: DO NOT MENTION THE WORDS “back to school” to me until 7:30 AM on August 22nd or I will shun you like Dwight shuns Andy. #shun #unshun 😑

Happy August! ☀️I’m using this month to detox. I’m detoxing from consumerism and all the eating out from the summer by declaring this month as a NO SPEND MONTH. Only bills, immediate needs that have been pre-determined (groceries, toilet paper, doctor visits, etc.) and emergencies (I’ve been told sushi + wine isn’t an emergency...even though it feels like one 🍱🍷) I want to stop spending money emotionally, stop eating out all the time, stop creating so much clutter and waste, and begin to get into a rhythm before going back to work. So if you wanna hang out this month, let’s find a free event, go on a picnic, take a walk or watch a movie at home cause if you try to get me to spend money, I’ll be all GET BEHIND ME, SATAN. ✌🏼 Also, I had almost 30 people tell me they’re using these budget printables I made and it makes me SO HAPPY to see people want to take control of their finances. YOU GO, GLEN COCO. 💸

A perfect stranger told me that I have the personality to be a YouTube star and I’m still not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment but definitely expect to see videos on my channel where I interview different dogs on what it’s like to be a canine in today’s modern society. Don’t forget to subscribe! 🐶 #lucyfurever

Forgiveness isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision. You can be hurt but still forgive. // #lessonsfromsunday