Kelly Trepp, Author

I believe that prayer is a powerful gift and tool. It is how we are in relationship with God. We have a direct line to the creator of the universe and an advocate on our behalf that sits at the right hand of the Father. We go to God in prayer to say thank you when things are good and to ask for healing when friends and family are sick, but do we go to him with our everyday hopes, struggles, or anxieties? There was an incident earlier today that troubled me for the better part of the day. I was sitting at the local coffee shop with a friend while Silas played nearby. A woman walked in with two little girls, one of Silas' age and the other about half his age. She came and set her stuff down at a chair at the table where we sat. Her older daughter immediately reached for a toy stethoscope Silas had been playing with. He grabbed onto it and said, "noooo" with a whimper and made eyes at me. I said something along the lines of, "I'm sorry, Silas was playing with that...

Judah and I managed to make it out to ladies bible study yesterday where we briefly discussed the idea of what heaven may be like. We ultimately decided that heaven will appear differently to each of us. While I know that Heaven is an unfathomable place, I find myself daydreaming (with a sleeping baby on my chest) about what Heaven will be like. The bible tells us there will be no pain, tears or heartache. Jesus is preparing "rooms" for us there where he will greet us and dwell with us. The streets are paved with gold, the gates are made of pearl, and the walls made of precious jewels. We will spend our days worshipping the glory of God. I like to think that Heaven is at the foot of a mountain. I'll greet, and in some instances meet loved ones for the first time, in a field where a river flows. The air is crisp and smells like new babies . There is no age in heaven -- we will all be recognizable and we will know one another fully, without the hindrance of sin, the wa...

Very rarely do I ever leave the gym NOT smiling, laughing, teasing, looking forward to returning the next day, skipping holding hands and singing while birds fly out of my butt ... Unfortunately, today was one of those days... You know, that day that you leave feeling like you didn't give it everything you've got? Where you feel like if you tried just a bit harder you might have achieved the goal you were aiming for? No? Haven't ever felt that way? Good for you, you over achiever. Pat yourself on the back and sleep easy tonight knowing you have mastered the universe. For the rest of us average Josephines, these things happen. I'm pretty sure even Disney princesses have bad days... or they would, if they were real. The important thing that I've learned is not to beat yourself up over it. Throw a Tinkerbell-tantrum, get it out of your system, and get back to work. As a flawed people, we aren't judged by our failures, but by how we react to them. ...

Congratulations, folks! We have made it half way through 2012. Now, I don't want to get you too excited, but that means that there are only 175 days until Christmas ! Be still my heart! With that exciting news out of the way, I thought it might be nice to do a mid-year reflections post to see how closely I have followed my New Year's declarations that I made back in January. For those of you less inclined to click sketchy links in blog posts, here's a quote from my New Year's Reflections post: In 2012, I will run my first half-marathon and my first marathon if all goes according to plan. I intend to run more, read more, and stress less. I am determined to spend more time with family and less time stressing over work. Much less time stressing over work. I will nurture my relationship with God and spend more time in Church and worship. I will be a better version of myself. The best version I can be. Let's see how I've fared: In 2012, I will run my f...

It takes a lot of energy and hard work to follow a healthy diet and exercise routine. Aside from making decisions that impact your daily routine, sometimes your diet affects those around you. Sometimes it means offering up a new healthy dinner item that a family member or friend had never previously tasted and rocking their world at the possibilities of healthier food. Or sometimes it means putting off spending time with the puppy to put in more time at the gym. Or it can even mean asking your family to change their choice of restaurant for dinner so you have healthier options. It is not hard to imagine that spending all this time and energy on yourself can make you feel a little selfish, and even a burden on others, but it is important to remember why you expend these efforts. My reason? Aside from wanting to be healthy and stick around to love on my hubby for a long, long time and produce beautiful babies to love and care for... "Do you not know that you are a temple...

There are so many things I love about Sundays . Starting with Church . What better way to start the day than by spreading the word of God. Followed by groceries and flowers . I love keeping fresh flowers in the house! Hubby is a huge fan of protea (pictured above). I've made it a new habit to pick up fresh flowers every Sunday to brighten the entryway throughout the week. Photo and recipe courtesy A Couple Cooks. Another thing I love about Sundays is having time to try new recipes . I saw this Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese featured on Sacramento Street earlier this week and pinned it right away for Sunday lunch. It was subsequently re-pinned about 100 times. I love having a little extra time on Sundays to spend on crafts . This artwork featured above is a gift for a very special little baby girl named Blair. A tutorial for this craft and others like it can be found here . Adoption Day. And last, but certainly not least, I love spending Sundays with...

For the better part of the last week, I have been in the sunshine state, praying for a miracle; and God has answered those prayers. My 80-year-old grandfather discovered a Meningioma tumor in his brain in November. At the time it was considered benign, as are most meningiomas, and the diagnosis was to observe the tumor's growth over the next year and see how it was progressing. Unfortunately, my grandfather started showing symptoms of the tumor shortly thereafter, having seizures that were taking a toll on his fragile body. After more MRIs in mid-March, the tumor appeared to have grown in size by about 20 percent. Surgery was now a necessary reality. So how did I take this news? That my grandfather, whom I very rarely get to see because he lives in Florida half the year and two hours away the rest of it, was going to be having life-saving surgery? I packed my bags and booked the last flight out on Friday evening after work. It's not really as heroic as I make it sound. ...

Okay, so I admit it. I neglected the blog a bit over the holidays. I put down the computer and picked up the pie. Fortunately or unfortunately for you, I'm back and I'm better than ever! I am happy to report that although I gave up the blog for my 12 day vacation, I did not give up on running. I am very blessed to have received most of the gifts on my wish list from a handful of friends and family, which kept me motivated to get a couple of runs in despite the cold weather. I received two pairs of the lululemon crop pants that I had so coveted, and took each pair for a spin, sporting my Garmin 305 . Ahhh, the Garmin 305. This magical, miraculous little watch. Prior to this fabulous gift, I tracked my distance and pace using apps on my phone. I cannot tell you how many times I have dropped my phone while out on a run. It is a miracle the thing still works. Now, I can check my pace while I run, view the total time, distance and time of day, along with heart rate, ...