Huisman visit

Friday Funnies: Flashbacks

Gentle Reminders

I am gently being reminded of a lot of things. I'm learning some really powerful things. And learning things is painful. A friend shared with me recently about her post-knee-surgery recovery. The doctor is encouraging her to lean in to the pain. Use the knee that is bad and hurting more. Ooomph.

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  

Notice David's approach -- he doesn't try to figure everything out on his own. Instead, he invites God into the process of self-examination. This invitation to God's searching presence creates a unique space for honest reflection. Unlike human judgment, which often triggers shame and defensive responses, God's presence provides safety for genuine self-examination. In this space, we can begin to recognize our emotional triggers without condemnation. We can start to understand why certain relationship dynamics affect us so deeply.

C25K

I am working to run a C25K. This means Couch-2-5K. It starts you slow and gets you from not running at all to a 5K (3.2 miles) in about a month. Abigail and I are doing it together. John has joined in. Hannah and Genevive joined us today, but they were NOT fans of future participation.

Tuesday Truth

Matt and Kelsey

Kelsey and I go wayyyy back. We became friends back in Rochester, Minnesota in 2003. We traveled to Africa together and have been there for each other in many ways and in many places and in hard things over the last 20+ years.

 

Back in December of 2023, Kelsey and Matt got married! We hadn't really gotten to spend much time with them as the only time we met Matt was at their wedding. But they were taking a vacation in the Pigeon Forge area and stopped by the farm for the day. 

 

What a day! We had such a good time. We went to Yoders and John made lamb burgers for dinner. Lots of fun. They didn't get to see Abigail as she was at a youth camp, but the rest of the kiddos were here.  

Can you do it?

Let’s talk about people-pleasing

Not as a flaw. Not as a weakness. But as a strategy your younger self may have learned to survive.
People-pleasing is often rooted in early childhood experiences where being agreeable, kind, or easygoing wasn’t just encouraged, it became the condition for love, safety, or connection.

Maybe you were praised for always being “so good,” “so helpful,” “so mature for your age.” You learned that being thoughtful or accommodating made others happy and so it felt like your job to keep the peace.

Or maybe your environment felt unpredictable or emotionally unsafe. Maybe conflict led to withdrawal, yelling, or rejection. You learned to avoid disappointment at all costs. You became attuned to other people’s moods, reactions, and needs—while disconnecting from your own.

What we often call “people-pleasing” is really a nervous system doing its best to keep us safe. It’s fawning. It’s self-protection. It’s attachment.

But here’s the good news: Awareness opens the door to healing. You’re not broken—you’re beautifully adaptive. And now, as an adult, you get to explore new ways of being in the world—ones where your voice, your needs, and your truth matter just as much as anyone else’s.

You don’t have to earn your belonging.

You don’t have to shape-shift to be loved.

You are allowed to say no, set boundaries, and disappoint others—and still be safe and deeply worthy.

Healing is not about becoming a different person. It’s about returning to the you that’s always been there, underneath the masks. Let that version of you come home.

Helpful to not feel alone

 

I continue to work HARD on my mental health. Sometimes the journey feels impossible. Will I ever, successfully, get through this. My Aunt told me she'd rather have a root canal without novocaine and then be felt-up by Captain Hook. This made me laugh, but it really is accurate. Trying to work my way through depression and anxiety is HARD. 

So this handout that my friend Stebbs gave me today really resonated with me. In 2024, I was just trying to find my way out of depression and anxiety. But now, I'm not just doing that. I'm actually trying to fix some things that are broken. 

PEOPLE PLEASING is the thing that God is working on me with right now. Who do I live for? Am I afraid to speak truth to people? Do I compromise to keep the peace? 

The answer to all of these things is "YES!" This is how I lived. I lived in desperation to never have someone be upset at me or not like at me. When you really discuss that, you realize how impossible that attempt actually is. It's impossible. Not everyone will like me. And people will get upset with me. Especially if I am living like I am not which is speaking truth instead of pushing things under the rug. 

So here I am: trying to live in that. Trying to allow myself to release things that God has asked me to release. His yoke is EASY! Really? Then why do I feel things are so heavy? Because I don't allow myself to not carry all that extra!

Emotional weight of things I can't control? YES, I HAVE BEEN CARRYING THAT!

The tendency to shrink to make others more comfortable? OH YES. 

The need to over-explain boundaries? OHHHHH BOY. 

The fear of being misunderstood. YEP YEP YEP. 

Wendi is working to not live that way anymore. And you want to know the main reason? Because my CHILDREN deserve to not live with me teaching these things to them. I want them to have the freedom that I am having to work for. I am working HARD to allow them to not be slaves to whether or not people are happy with you. 

I'm working ... 

RYM Camp (Abigail)

Abigail went to a week-long camp in Florida. Here were some pictures we got to share with everyone!

Tuesday Truth

Liberty Camp

 

We are back from Liberty University. I am hoping I can obtain more photos, but I think they are on some Instagram location that I can't figure out how to get access to. Isaac spent a week at Liberty in a musical theatre program, and he had an AMAZING time. 

We were able to stay at our friends, the Yerrington's house. Unfortunately, they were in Spain, but they let us bunk there anyways. That be some good friends. :)

We arrived on Saturday, stopped at Yerrington's to change clothes, had dinner with our friends, Randy & Whitney Belt, and then went to the show. The Belt's daughter was in the camp as well.  In fact, they are the ones who told us about it. I'm so glad they did. Isaac had an amazing time. 

There were 50 girls and 20 guys, and Isaac said he just became friends with all of them. Everyone was nice and kind. There was no drama (outside of actual theatre drama.) They just had a good time together. He got to play numerous roles, but his "biggest" was Kenny Rogers. He did a great job. 

John and I went with just the Pomegranate. Sidge covered the farm, and Abigail was starting her own high school camp in Florida and spent one night with her friend Reagan so they could get her started at camp while we were gone. 

I LOVE LIBERTY. I really hope Isaac can maybe go there for college. It is just four hours away, and it is so nice to see Jesus AND the arts go together. :)