Blog : noshame

It will never be normal to hide your face from strangers, to bury your smile behind fear or a mask. I will never accept that as normal. We were created to be in relationship, to fight for the orphan and the widow, to bear a heart full of grace & compassion for others. We were created equal, there’s no justification for judgement or shame in creation the way God intended it. It’s not ok to wander past a stranger on the street and assume the worst, it’s not ok to judge someone who is doing their best & never take the time to learn their story. Humans were created to thrive together and to show compassion and mercy, to love despite differences! This feels like an impossible time in our world but silencing fears & walking in peace with our neighbors is the only form of healing we’ve got to hold onto right now. Love your neighbor as you love yourself – in your mind what’s your worth? You have an opinion? You have a belief system? Good. So does your neighbor and it’s as worthy as yours. It isn’t shame and judgement that bring the world to freedom. It’s showing compassion, walking in patience, showing gentleness, using self control, finding joy & peace, treating others with kindness, goodness & love. Choose to be a splash of hope in your world.
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#bealight #standup #showlove #loveothers #nojudgement #noshame #liveinpeace #peace #patience #kindness #faithfulness #loveyourneighbor #compassion #peoplematter #alllivesmatter #sandiego

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Photo taken at: Carlsbad, California

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Only a liar can make you feel isolated in a world full of people fighting the same battles as you. Depression, anxiety, divorce, miscarriage, grief, insecurity, self doubt, fear… we’ve ALL experienced something that’s left us feeling broken, all of us. (Yeah, it’s gettin real up in here) The catch is that we tend to choose shame and isolation from our brokenness over believing that it doesn’t define us or determine our future. A perfect Insta photo is lovely but it’s too easy to hide behind & we can’t maintain a life that appears beautiful when everything behind the scenes is falling apart. It took me a long time to stop feeling shame for miscarrying 3 of my 6 babies. Who told me that was MY fault?! Who says you deserved to be abused? Who said you aren’t good enough? Those are lies that are too commonly tucked away in our minds and left to torment us. When Jesus gave His life He made it possible for us to walk THROUGH our pain, not live in it. For us to be free from guilt & shame! We weren’t meant to figure it all out alone, we were meant to huddle around the broken and surround ourselves with people who love the way Jesus loves – without judgement. Jesus says, come all of you who are weary & burdened and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).Jesus loves the broken & beaten down! He calls us His beloved & He prepares a way of escape when it feels like there isn’t one.
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Photo: @happyphotoco

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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“Oh, hi! My name’s Olivia! So nice to meet you… now tell me about your childhood & also your biggest dreams & if you cry, I’ll hug you!” Yeah, I’m that girl. But there’s also this side of me, you guys…This side that is so similar to a 12 year old boy… who cries with obscene laugher following a toot joke (yes, we say toot) or when I feel like chasing my kids around with an overly dramatic evil laugh and feel extremely satisfied by their screams… of joy, come on!! I’m not that crazy!! (but also sheer terror, let’s be real. I’ve made them cry.) You just get what you get with me. There’s really no point to any of this except that I thought you should know that there’s no shame in my game… but also so that you’re not startled if I ever approach you with a very scary laugh. You’re welcome. .
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#realtalk #momlife #crazy #mom #mompreneur #entrepreneur #helloitsme #noshame #fashion #fashionstylist #michigan #michigrammers #grandrapids #fashionpost #fashioninspo #style #red #shoes #stylediaries #styling #wardrobestylist #grmi #springfashion #humor #momhumor #relatable #compassion

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Need I (ok fine, need she) say more?! This couldn’t be more perfectly written. We have the capability to live a life that offers joy, security, sisterhood & hope! A life that leaves a legacy of Gods goodness. Our lives are short, we have one life to let Him work through us. One life to let Him open (some killer-awesome-once-in-a-life-time) doors we could never open on our own and one life to live in freedom from jealousy, comparison & bitterness! I mean let’s be real – we’re human, we have raw and real emotions and struggles; I’m not sure about you perfect people but some of those struggles *ahem, self doubt, ahem* I battle with often but make the choice, to the best of my ability to surrender. Even more realness, sometimes it feels absolutely impossible to stop those thoughts & feelings from invading every moment of my day. But the good news is, His mercy is new every morning & there He is, arms out stretched waiting to carry our burdens for us… yet again.
@kaleydignen
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#dreamchaser #noshame #freedom #truthseeker #motivated #vision #heart #grandrapids #michigan

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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You should know that when I’m shooting, I always have music playing (usually in back pocket) and there is always impromptu dancing and singing that happens! It’s the only reason I’m not terribly uncomfortable during these photoshoots. Dancing is like therapy for me, I get crazy ya’ll. Like, I don’t hold back for nobody!! This is just a moment of the passion captured by the lovely @happyphotoco who encouraged me to move to the beat of my own drum during our shoot! ?ps. More styling with this fur jacket coming soon beccccaaaaaause look at it! Swoon.

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Photo taken at: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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