LivingYourJOYlife

Have you ever loved a friend so much that you found yourself… quietly competing for them?Not in the obvious way. Not in the “I need to win” kind of way. But in the soft, invisible spaces. The calendar slots. The text threads. The “who did they call first” moments.It’s a strange feeling, because it doesn’t come from jealousy as much as it comes from connection. From wanting closeness. From wanting to be chosen.Friendship, at its core, is built on shared time. It’s built on showing up, laughing, venting, sitting in silence, doing life side by side. But life doesn’t always cooperate. Schedules clash. Seasons shift. Priorities rearrange themselves like furniture you didn’t ask to be moved.And when that happens, something subtle can creep in.You realize… if I’m not available, someone else might be.And they should be.That’s the part no one really talks about. Healthy friendships don’t exist in isolation. Your friend has a whole world outside of you. Other people who meet them where they are when you can’t. Other conversations, other memories, other moments you weren’t part of.And somehow, that can feel both completely right… and quietly uncomfortable.Because a part of you wonders:Will I still matter the same?Will I still be their person?There’s this unspoken emotional math happening. Not keeping score, exactly, but noticing patterns. Who initiates. Who shows up. Who gets the time.And when you can’t align schedules, it can feel like you’re slipping out of rhythm. Like a song you used to know by heart, but now you’re missing beats.So what do we do with that?First, we name it. Because pretending it doesn’t exist gives it more power. This isn’t pettiness. It’s attachment. It’s care. It’s the human desire to feel significant in someone else’s life.Second, we reframe it.Your friend spending time with someone else isn’t a loss. It’s an expansion. Their world growing doesn’t mean your place in it is shrinking. Relationships aren’t pie slices. They’re more like candles. Lighting another one doesn’t dim yours.And third, we come back to intention.If someone matters to you, you find ways to show up. Maybe not always in big, perfectly timed ways, but in consistent, meaningful ones. A voice note. A quick check-in. A “thinking of you” text that lands right when it’s needed.Because friendship isn’t built on perfect availability. It’s built on presence, however that shows up.And here’s the truth that softens all of it:The right friendships don’t require you to compete for space. They make space for you.Even when life gets busy.Even when schedules don’t align.Even when seasons change.You’re not being replaced.You’re just sharing a human you both happen to love.And maybe that’s not something to compete with…

Some people send texts. Some people send flowers. But the ones who change your life… they show up.In this episode, I’m diving into the quiet, powerful, often uncomfortable act of showing up. Showing up for friends when their world is cracking open. Showing up for neighbors and strangers facing the unthinkable, whether it’s a natural disaster or a devastating diagnosis. Showing up when there are no right words, no fixes, just your presence saying, “You’re not alone.”I share why showing up to a funeral is one of the final, most sacred acts of love—and why it matters more than we realize.And I open my heart about the hardest season of my life: showing up while my mom was dying. It took everything in me… but I have no regrets. Not one. Because if I hadn’t shown up, that absence would have echoed forever.We live in a world full of fair-weather friendships, where it’s easy to celebrate but harder to sit in the sorrow. If you want to deepen your relationships, if you want to love people well, this is the secret: show up anyway.This year, I’ve claimed my word: “show girl.” Because the show must go on. Even when it’s inconvenient. Even when it’s heavy. Even when I’d rather hide. I’m showing up—for my people, for my purpose, and for what matters most… eternity.If you’ve ever wondered what really makes a difference in someone’s life, this episode is your answer.Just show up.

The Best Yes ListWhat if the most powerful moments of your life came down to a single word… yes?In this heartfelt episode, I’m sharing The Best Yes List — the top 10 yeses that shaped my life in ways I never could have imagined. From faith to family, health to home, each “yes” became a doorway to something deeper, fuller, and more aligned with who I was created to be.We’ll walk through the yes that changed everything — accepting Jesus — and the beautiful ripple effects that followed: marrying my husband, becoming a mother to my daughters, choosing growth through WeightWatchers, prioritizing my health with GLP-1 & HRT, and even the seemingly small but joy-filled yeses like building a home gym and buying the leopard chaise.This episode is about courage, timing, and the quiet realization that some of the best decisions in life… we wish we had said yes to sooner.And as this episode unfolds during Easter weekend, we reflect on the ultimate “yes” — God giving His Son for all of us, offering grace, redemption, and the greatest invitation of all.Maybe this is your moment to say yes, too.

Every chapter of your life begins the same way: with a shift… and a little discomfort.In this episode, we unpack the truth most people avoid—growth rarely feels good at first, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t leading you somewhere better. In fact, each new chapter has the potential to be greater than the last, if you’re willing to step into it.Too often, we stop dreaming because we quietly believe our best days are behind us. But what if they’re not? What if the future is still wide open, waiting for you to claim it?This episode walks you through a simple but powerful framework to reignite your vision: 1. Say it out loud — “I want ______.” Give your desire a voice. 2. Decide what you’re willing to give up to get there. 3. Ask “What if?” — explore both the possibilities and the obstacles. 4. Face the worst-case scenario — because fear loses power when it’s brought into the light.When you speak your desires, your mind begins to align, your focus sharpens, and your faith deepens. You stop drifting and start moving with intention.If you’ve been playing small, feeling stuck, or wondering if it’s too late—this conversation is your reminder: it’s not.Your next chapter is waiting. The question is… are you ready to step into it? Your Joy Life is waiting!!

Episode 13 gets a bad rap.Hotels skip it. Airplanes tiptoe past it. Elevators pretend it never existed.And yet here we are… pressing the glowing button anyway.Lucky 13. 🍀This episode flips the script on the number everyone side-eyes. Because what if “unlucky” is just a plot twist in disguise? What if the very thing that feels like a detour is actually the doorway?We’re talking about the flat tires, the closed doors, the “not this again” days. The moments that look like smudges on the canvas but end up shaping the whole masterpiece.Because sometimes life whispers,“Trust me… this is setting you up, not setting you back.”We explore how confidence changes the chemistry of our story. When you start believing you’re blessed instead of doomed, you walk differently. You notice opportunities. You pray bigger prayers. You expect good things. And somehow, like clockwork gears turning behind the curtain, things begin to align.Not because everything is easy.But because you decided it’s working for you, not against you.It’s faith with muddy shoes.Hope with a scraped knee.Joy that says, “Even this will turn into something beautiful.”If all things really can work together for good, then maybe the hard chapter isn’t a curse. Maybe it’s chapter thirteen. The one where everything starts to change.So today we’re reclaiming the number.Calling it blessed.Calling it lucky.Calling it proof that the story isn’t over yet.Because sometimes the “worst” thing that happens to you becomes the very thing that saves you.Welcome to Lucky 13. ✨

What if everything could change with just one thing?One person who texts at the right moment.One meal that tastes like home.One hard conversation.One brave decision.One tiny yes.One quiet no.It’s funny how life tips on such small hinges.In this episode, we explore the power of “one.” The single habit, relationship, food, or experience that can brighten a whole day… or unravel it. If there were one thing that could make your life better, what would it be? And what’s the one thing that quietly pulls you away from your joy?The world keeps selling us soft couches and quick dopamine, whispering, “Chase comfort. Chase pleasure.” But comfort fades fast. Faith tells a different story. Growth comes from climbing, not coasting. From overcoming, not avoiding.Because real happiness isn’t built in the easy moments. It’s forged in the stretch, the stumble, the prayer you whisper when the road gets steep.And when I look back at my own overcoming, there’s always one constant: people. The friends, the family, the strangers turned angels who show up with casseroles, coffee, or courage. No one overcomes alone.

In this episode, we wander down the candy colored sidewalks of Galveston, where nobody checks your résumé before handing you a slice of king cake. The kale smoothie crowd and the powdered sugar crowd all catch the same beads. Feathers, flaws, halos slightly crooked. Everyone belongs.And it got me thinking.Why is it easier to celebrate strangers in a Mardi Gras parade than extend that same grace to someone taking a GLP-1 for their weight and health?Somehow, medicine becomes morality. Support turns into side eye. Help becomes “cheating.”It echoes an older story we’ve heard before.Not long ago, people whispered about therapy the way they used to whisper about ghosts. Mental health lived in the attic, hidden and dusty. Now we talk about it in daylight. We schedule it. We honor it. We’ve learned that caring for your brain isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.So maybe caring for your metabolism deserves the same parade route.This episode is a gentle, bead tossing reminder that health journeys aren’t competitions or confessionals. They’re just… human. Messy. Brave. Personal.Like Mardi Gras, life works best when we trade judgment for joy, labels for laughter, and let the saints and sinners ride the same float.Because healing, in any form, deserves a little music and a lot less shame.Grab your beads. Let’s talk.

Love is not a museum piece.It breathes. It shifts. It changes outfits when we are not looking.In this episode, we explore three tender, surprising ways love evolves in real life.First, the love that quietly fades.The hobby, the role, the dream you once held like a favorite song on repeat… but now it feels like static. What if outgrowing something is not failure, but wisdom? What if releasing it is an act of self trust, not loss?Then, the flip side.The things you swore you would never like. The foods, the workouts, the ideas, the identities you built your personality around rejecting. What happens when curiosity cracks the door open? Could growth mean letting yourself change your mind without guilt?And finally, the complicated truth.Some people or things may never be your “favorite.” Not everything is meant to be adored. But can you choose respect over resistance? Can you find value without forcing affection?This conversation is about loosening your grip, softening your stance, and letting love mature into something deeper than simple like or dislike.Because sometimes love looks like holding on.Sometimes it looks like walking away.And sometimes it simply looks like understanding.

This episode explores the everyday power of love. We dive into love languages, learning to love yourself first, and why real love gives freedom instead of control. Plus, how praising your partner publicly strengthens connection and why, at the end of it all, love is still the greatest thing we can choose.Simple. Intentional. Love, lived out loud. LOVE is Living Your Joy Life

The number 8 is a symbol of God’s love for me in good times, hard times and the most ordinary, mundane moments. He wants to connect with us and sometimes a symbol can be a reminder that He is with us. In this episode, I share about my daughter Shae, born with Trisomy 18. She was born on July 8, died on December 8. She was 8 years old. For many years, the number 8 represented only sadness & grief but now it’s a symbol of God’s presence in my life. It is a God wink. I’m grateful to have this sign as it causes me to pause & give thanks for all that He has done and all the He will do.

Laughing is my favorite. I love to laugh so hard I cry. Have you ever just cracked up so hard that anything & everything became funny? Even just the act of laughing brought on more laughter until you practically peed your pants? (Yeah that’s happened). I just love LOVE to laugh. Did you know that laughing is actually making you younger? It has a longevity effect as well as so many other physiological & psychological boosts. It’s so good for you that there is something called Laugh Yoga. I’m not kidding. There are videos on YouTube if you want to give it a try. It has something to do with the contagious effect of laughter. Have you ever just started laughing because you see someone else cracking up?? That’s the idea. In this episode I share a hilarious & embarrassing story involving a winter storm & a lost bet, I also give you some funny movie recommendations to help you on this - the worst winter storm weekend of 2026. Winter-pocalypse. So Besties, if you are feeling the doldrums of the longest January ever, I hope this episode will lift your spirits & spark some Joy. The sun will shine again & soon we will be complaining about the heat & mosquitos.

Do you feel lost? Are you having an identity crisis? Are you unsure of who YOU are beyond the titles of wife, mom, sister, daughter? This episode is for you. You can become any version of you that you want. Like trying on shoes- you may not know what you want but you know what you don’t want (No thank you stilettos).Part of living your joy life is knowing who you are in a way that helps you to curate meaningful identity. It’s ok to fake it till you make it just don’t give up on you. It’s ok to be a different you. It’s ok to be louder you. It’s ok to be a healthier you. It’s ok to be whatever the heck you want to be in whatever way you can make it happen. Being lost in your identity is better than being dragged along in a bunch of different ways that are robbing you of JOY. Being lost means you can be found. Let’s find the “Now You” besties. Xoxo,Kimmi

In the 80’s there were a lot of commercials about the starving children in Africa. I grew up hearing that I shouldn’t waste my food because of the starving children. Now I have to decide how to reconcile food waste with the potential adverse impact of eating too much. In this episode I talk about Sunk Cost Fallacy and the Endowment Effect. Basically not “waisting” versus not “wasting”. Blowing gift cards is a form of waste. But not spending gift cards is a form of waste - financially and as a matter of the heart. Someone cared enough to spend their money on YOU so that you can buy something to think of that person when you use whatever you bought. Which then brings us to a spiritual faith connection- the fact that Jesus basically gave each of us a gift card through his death & resurrection. If we know this (own the gift card) but don’t receive it (spend the gift card) we basically are wasting our eternal gift. Deep message that I am not very equipped to fully explain, it makes sense in my head. I hope you get what you need from today’s podcast to spark some JOY. Ps spend your gift cards, PSs don’t waste your life Love you mean it, Kimmi

It’s hard to make changes. It’s also hard to stay stuck in the cycle of where you are. In this episode I encourage you to figure out what you value most in order to help you take a step forward toward the real treasure - JOY. Nothing feels as good as living your joy life, you can’t do that without having some goals you are chasing (and crushing). Let’s work through what holds us back so that we can move forward in 2026 together. I’m already so proud of you.

So many times we set New Years Resolutions that we want to want to do but we consistently don’t. Another year of goal setting, another year of goals gone flat. So in this episode, let’s consider the What if theory as a way of problem solving backwards. I share my merge onto the highway system of breaking my sugar habit and I share how my goal of doing less exercise might actually mean more exercise without the guilt. “Less” executed with consistency can be more than “more” done with inconsistency. As always, I’m your Type B Pro Max bestie who isn’t here to make you feel less than the awesome human you are but instead to tap into the way you think and what moves you to create change. Happy New Y ar! Let’s not quit together.

In this episode, I share my mixed feelings about the end of a year. As an unapologetically optimistic person, I tend to feel sad about the end of a year. I work through these feelings by reflecting on the all the things that happened in 2025. My tendency is to feel like I didn’t do enough. I wasn’t as successful as I could have been. The metric for success rarely includes a JOY barometer. I lived 31 million moments in 2025 and not all of them were joyful. But when I truly look back, I would do it all again. I wouldn’t change a thing, I don’t need a new me for 2026, I want more of what matters to me: I want more hugs, laughs, walks, hobbies, cities, music, cocktails, frivolity, art. I want more Jesus. I want more memories. I bet you want this too and I hope that you will be encouraged to DECiDE to decide what that will look like for you. Do it scared, Do it broke, Do it fat. Just DO the things and don’t let 2026 fade away without intention. This is how you #liveyourjoylife. Share with me- what you are deciding to do!

This is for the midlife mommas in the muck. This was my pivotal moment. Where facing my fears helped me to unlock the magic of living in Joy.