Hello Reader,

I mastered it alright!!!

It's been a long four years, and many of you have been on the journey with me, as I pursued a Master's in Clinical Counseling with a trauma concentration.

All glory be to God for getting me across the finish line with the support of amazing family, friends, and people like you!

If it wasn't for all the encouragement I received, I would have never gotten this far.

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to quit as the sacrifice was great emotionally, physically, financially, and professionally. Yet just when I was about to withdraw, someone would come along with a bit of inspiration to spur me on— like this beautiful necklace from a friend who was following in my footsteps in pursuing her Master's.

In her note, she reminded me that the degree is a key to opening the door to the next chapter. I can’t tell you the times I grabbed hold of that key with the hope that God’s purposes would prevail. By His grace and a whole lot of grit, I’m at the finish line and pretty excited about what the next leg of this journey to eternity will hold!

But first, it is time to rest and refuel.

God has given me a vision for seven weeks of preparing for rest, which includes mundane chores like scrubbing neglected bathroom floors, purging overstuffed drawers, and decluttering the house. While there is the basic need to tend to the neglect of our home, I'm sure this physical labor will be therapeutic as I give my body and mind a chance to unwind and recover.

There's also the "work" that needs to be done, like getting ready for the launch of Finding Calm: Helping Riders Navigate through Fear and Anxiety, coming out in June! Yes, some people just go to grad school, but I decided to adopt a horse and write a book for my fellow equestrians at the same time. Yeah, crazy -- but I'm dealing with that pattern in therapy, so don't worry . . . things are changing.

The end of these seven weeks of preparing for rest will culminate with my daughter's bridal shower! What a season of blessing upon us, which I hope will unfold into a true seven-week period of rest and refueling, kicking off with a family vacation.

While I'll continue to care for my coaching and therapy clients (and welcome more into my practice), this will not be a season of creating and building. Rather this will be time for slowing and breathing. Y'all this is going to be HARD for my high-functioning anxiety and ADHD, which shows up as multi-tasking workaholism. But I am so ready for the undertaking and what God will reveal to me.

As my friend says often, "You can't lead people where you haven't gone."

So here comes my maiden voyage into rest as I've never embraced it before.

I'm certainly going to need it before I start working towards those 3000 hours for licensure and sit for my licensing exam.

As always, I'm here to help you grow too!

It is my passion to help you arise, stabilize, and thrive. So don't hesitate to reach out for help!

Your Growth Coach . . . and Therapist,

Lisa

P.S. I welcome your tips for rest! Inspire me!

The Junk In Your Trunk New Weekly Series with HorseClass.com Created especially for equestrians, this weekly free series is full of advice for handling the "life stuff" that affects how we show up with our horses in and out of the tack. Watch Here