Thanks to Google Analytics, I’m well aware that a lot of you here are kinda like me. 9 out of 10 of you are female, over half of you are in my age bracket, and we share a variety of other common interests like shopping, entertainment, and traveling. While there is no cookie cutter,  run-of-the-mill prototype for what you might call “The Average Woman,” experience and life have taught me that a lot of us, at our core, have similarities. So today I want to write about something I’ve been learning, in hopes that it might speak to you.

I’ve spent many days of my life on the side of the road where the grass wasn’t as green. While I always had a supportive family, at least one good friend to my name, and a host of other things to be grateful for, I struggled with little insecurities and spent most of my life with a measuring stick in hand, trying to determine where I stood in the lineup of people around me. Even today as a 30-year-old woman, I find myself occassionally tiptoeing onto the scale of comparison because I’ve convinced myself that I should be more or that someone else is better. 

Do you feel this? Is your life riddled with doubt and shame? Do you find yourself filling up secret, lonely places with the weightiness of jealousy? Even small, seemingly insignificant areas of self-doubt can create mountains of pain in the strongest of humans, and it happens to me so frequently that I’m certain I’m not alone in this; some of you are struggling to stay afloat in this boat with me.

So here are my two cents, the truth that I am using to Drain-O my brain from the lies that sneak in from time to time:  

Your life is significant. The things that make you who you are- the hopes and the history, your personality and your passions, every curve of your body and outline of your words- those things have value. There is beauty spilling out from every corner of you, and with an ounce of confidence and joy to back up that grace in your life, the world around you won’t be able to stop watching. Your gifts are a unique contribution to the universe and they matter.

I listened to a podcast recently that completely blew my mind with these truths. While I was listening, it was like the blinders were removed and suddenly I was able to see how much I had hurt myself by not recognizing the value of own my life. By failing to treasure myself and the things I had to offer, I was unable to fully appreciate the beauty in the lives of the people around me. My perception of myself was so clouded by what I lacked that the beautiful hair and athleticism and freedom and talent and awards and opportunities that everyone around me had felt like a threat. Instead of admiring it, cheering it on, and broadcasting its awesomeness to the people within my reach, I mentally chalked up another point for them and sagged lower under the weight of my own insecurity. 

Whether we admit it or not, I think we all do this to an extent. Today’s world has made the comparison game a full-on mental slaughter for some of us, and at some point we have to say no. We need to open our eyes to how much we truly matter so that we can appreciate the value of our lives and admire the gold in others. We were all created with such intentionality and precision, so we can rest in knowing that we are lovely simply because God made us that way.

That’s my soapbox for the morning. If you need encouragement today, please reach out to me. And if you need delicious breakfast, please try these coffee cake muffins.

This recipe for coffee cake muffins was adapted from my Mimi’s coffee cake recipe.  It’s become a special occasion breakfast food for my family, but the cake is so delicious that I knew I needed to make is accessible for everyday mornings. These coffee cake muffins turned out springy, fluffy, and perfectly cinnamon-sweet, so please trust that I will be making these little fellows for all of the special mornings coming up.

To make them, simply cream together the butter and sugar before adding an egg and some vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with some buttermilk, and scoop the batter into a lined muffin tin. There’s a cinnamon and brown sugar filling that you can use to top and fill your muffins if you should so choose. Although I’d like to say that this step is optional, the truth is that an extra bite of sweet makes these coffee cake muffins divine. So definitely do it.

Happy baking and Happy Sunday to you all! 

If you like these coffee cake muffins, you should try:

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

Peach Crumb Muffins

Hummingbird Muffins

Bananas Foster Cinnamon Rolls

Maple Oatmeal Biscuits 

 

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