With each bird that leapt from the nest, I became increasingly more unsettled. I had holes  in my days that were once filled with my birdies (a.k.a. my kids). Desperate to find my purpose I decided to check the basement where my creativity used to hang out. 

Actually, it all started with baby bird watch 2016.  Each year a bird builds its nest snuggly between the brick wall and patio light right outside the sliding glass door that takes us from the kitchen to our outdoor living space. It's a pretty high traffic area which makes it an unlikely spot for nest building. But luckily we have pretty bold birds living in Webster NY that don't mind having us gawking at them as they raise their family.  So each year we watch and hope and then one day the babies hatch and in a blink they've flown away. That year there were four eggs and this mother didn't miss the irony that my own four baby birds were all spreading their wings and in a blink would be off and on their way. 

In the hazy summer days that followed, thehopefulbird Etsy Shop was born.  As I explored this new land of entrepreneurship, I became more intentional about being still and listening to the whispers that spoke to my soul. My sacred time each morning for just me quickly became adventure time for me and the three musketeers. Finley, the scrappy mischievous leader and his sidekicks Duffy and Rockette insisted I accompany them on their daily mission to conquer the backyard and rule the neighborhood. From these shenanigans, life-changing  lessons were revealed, and my soul was fed. My daily devotional was born. For years I've shared these shenanigans on IG, but now  it's time for the Finley's adventures to find a home on my blog...The Nest Shenanigans.

My dog Finley

Life Coaching is transformative. Guiding people to reach a goal or move a mountain or find their purpose. That's my jam. It speaks to my soul. 

That's when the faith filled lessons found there way into my Etsy Shop in the form of journals and card decks and other yummy goodies. Oh but that's not the end of the story. Remember that awesome job at church I mentioned earlier? Sometime while I was playing with paper in my etsy shop, my heart was  stolen by  a passion for serving others. My job provided endless opportunities to serve. Though at times it is heart breaking, service is always life changing. I was hooked, obsessed, wholeheartedly focused on service.