Confession. I am a recovering addict. Chances are, you are one too. I have been enslaved to “likes” and trapped by numbers for a lot of my life. The number battle seems to wage a war in my heart each day. Even before things like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, I measured myself by how many people complimented me or knew me. In college I struggled with the numbers I saw on the scale. They never got low enough for me to feel beautiful and my body suffered from it (read more about my story here). It seems like we are constantly trapped by numbers and never appeased with what we see.

As we near the end of the year and look ahead to 2017, the buzz of resolutions will inevitably find its way into conversations, commercials will advertise for diets and healthy trends, and we will find ourselves on one of two sides: eager, ready and excited for the challenge – or defeated, tired and so over the “r-word” before New Years’ Eve.

When my soul feels heavy and the sounds of our home feel overwhelming, I sing praises. 

If I were meeting you in an actual coffee shop right now, I’d give you a big smile and a big hug because that’s way better than shaking hands! I’m Nancy Ray, born and raised in North Carolina. I love Jesus, my husband Will (we met in middle school!), my beautiful daughter Milly who is almost 1, my great dane Winston, running, blogging, taking beautiful photographs, spending time with my team, and small business. I’d order a one pump vanilla latte in a real mug because it tastes better that way. 

The books I read in 2015 and the books I plan to read in 2016!