About Inspirational Ladybug
Who am I?
I am a passionate blogger who finds meaning in sharing real-life stories and reflections from the seasons that have shaped me. As a single mother of three boys, one of seven siblings, a proud grandmother to one, and a teacher to many, life around me is rarely quiet—and always full of lessons.
My writing explores life through the lens of womanhood, motherhood, faith, healing, and memory. I write about the challenges, the joys, and the moments in between, drawing from my experiences as a daughter, a mother, and a lifelong learner. My hope is to create a space where honesty lives, reflection is encouraged, and readers feel seen, understood, and inspired to tell their own stories.
Why should you read my blog?
If you’re looking for honest, heartfelt content that encourages reflection and journaling, you’re in the right place. This space is where I share real-life stories, personal growth, faith-filled moments, and gentle reminders to slow down and listen to your heart.
Along the way, I also love sharing the books I’m currently reading—those that are inspiring me, challenging me, or simply bringing me joy in the moment. You’ll find a mix of devotionals, faith-based reads, personal growth books, and just-for-fun favorites that speak to different seasons of life.
My hope is that you’ll leave feeling empowered, motivated, and inspired to pick up a journal, a book, or even just a quiet moment for yourself—because your story matters, too.
On My Nightstand
Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa TerKeurst
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Letting go is rarely as simple as we hope it will be.
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the goodbye itself — it’s learning how to walk away without losing pieces of yourself along the way.
As I read, I’m realizing how often I’ve stayed too long, explained too much, or carried responsibility that was never meant to be mine. Good Boundaries and Goodbyes puts language to that tension — the space between loving well and knowing when something needs to end.
This book isn’t about cutting people off or becoming hardened. It’s about clarity. About honoring what’s healthy, naming what isn’t, and trusting that stepping back doesn’t mean you failed — it often means you’re finally listening.
I’m reading this slowly. Reflecting. Letting it challenge the places where I’ve confused compassion with self-abandonment.
Click here to purchase your own copy and read along with me. The Bible study guide and streaming video are also available if you’d like to go deeper.
You're Going to Make It by Lysa TerKeurst
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Some seasons don’t need advice — they need reassurance.
This book feels like a quiet voice reminding me that even when the road forward feels uncertain, I don’t have to have it all figured out to keep going. You’re Going to Make It speaks to the in-between moments — when hope feels fragile and strength feels borrowed.
As I read, I’m reminded that surviving doesn’t always look brave. Sometimes it looks like showing up tired, choosing faith in small ways, and trusting that progress is happening even when it’s invisible.
This isn’t a book I’m rushing through. It’s one I’m letting meet me right where I am — steady, honest, and grounding.
Click here to purchase your own copy and read along with me.
Next reads on my shelf
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
I haven’t started this one yet — and that feels important to say.
After a recommendation, I spent time listening and learning, hearing how others described their experience with The Artist’s Way. What stood out most was the way it’s often spoken of not as a book to rush through, but as something to move through slowly — a process rather than a plan.
I’m curious about what might surface when I begin — the resistance, the freedom, the parts of myself that may have gone quiet while tending to everyone else. I don’t feel hurried to start. I want to make space for it, trusting that creativity often asks for patience before it asks for expression.
For now, it sits here — waiting — and that feels like enough.
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
This feels like a book for unlearning.
I’m drawn to the idea that wholeness doesn’t come from fixing what’s broken, but from accepting what’s already here. The Gifts of Imperfection invites a kind of honesty that isn’t loud or dramatic — just deeply human.
As I prepare to read, I’m aware of how often I strive, overexplain, or hold myself to standards I’d never place on anyone else. I’m hopeful this book will gently challenge those patterns — not with shame, but with compassion.
I don’t expect quick takeaways. I expect slow recognition.
And maybe permission to soften where I’ve been holding tight.
the ones that stayed
Letting Go & Beginning Again
- Forgiving What You Can't Forget by Lysa TerKeurst
- This book helped me release pain I carried longer than I wanted. It reminded me that forgiveness isn’t forgetting—it’s choosing freedom for myself.
Journaling & Creative Healing
This shelf is still growing. I don’t have new titles to add just yet, but there are a few waiting on my Amazon wish list that I’m looking forward to reading soon.
Faith, Trust & Hope
Motherhood, Family & Boundaries
- Born a Loser by Cory Losier
- This testimony reminded me that even the hardest seasons can lead to grace and new beginnings. No one is ever too far gone.
- Joy in the Morning by Kym Keck
- This gentle devotional helped me begin my days with reflection and hope, even when life felt heavy.
- Seeing Beautiful Again by Lysa TerKeurst
- This book reminded me that beauty can still be found in painful seasons and that hope is worth holding onto.
- The Garden – Jon Gordon
- This simple story helped me rethink fear, anxiety, and how tending my thoughts can change stressful seasons.
Motherhood, Family & Boundaries
Motherhood, Family & Boundaries
Motherhood, Family & Boundaries
- Boundaries by Henry Cloud
- This book helped me learn when to say yes, when to say no, and how to protect my emotional well-being without guilt.
- The New Rules of Marriage – Terrence Real
- This book challenged old patterns and encouraged healthier communication, growth, and emotional responsibility.
- How to Really Love Your Child – Dr. D. Ross Campbell
- This guide helped me better understand my children’s emotional needs and grow as a more intentional parent.
Personal Growth & Identity
Motherhood, Family & Boundaries
Everyday Joy & Simple Living
This shelf is still growing. I don’t have new titles to add just yet, but there are a few waiting on my Amazon wish list that I’m looking forward to reading soon.
Everyday Joy & Simple Living
Motherhood, Family & Boundaries
Everyday Joy & Simple Living
- One Thousand Gifts – Ann Voskamp
- This book reminded me to slow down and notice joy and grace in everyday, imperfect moments.
Inspirational Ladybug's Corner: A Personal Blog
Get ready to read about my journey as a devoted mother, a gentle grandmother, a dependable daughter, a sincere sister, an affectionate aunt, a fearless friend, a tenderhearted teacher, and an empathetic ex-wife—each role shaping the stories I share and the lessons I continue to learn.
How to begin again...on paper
Letting Go, Gently: A Journal for Releasing and Becoming
Letting Go, Gently began as a personal blog series called “Letting Go”—a space where I started writing honestly about release, healing, and the quiet work that happens in life’s in-between seasons.
As readers (mostly close family and friends) reached out, I realized something important: so many of us are carrying things we don’t know how to set down. Expectations. Guilt. Old versions of ourselves. Control. Grief. This journal was created as a gentle space to help do just that—without pressure, perfection, or rushing the process.
This isn’t a journal about forcing closure or “moving on.” It’s about loosening your grip, one page at a time.
Inside, you’ll find thoughtful reflections and guided prompts designed to help you process emotions, find clarity, and make room for peace. It’s meant to be used slowly—returned to often—especially in seasons when life feels heavy, tender, or uncertain.
The purpose of this journal is simple: to help you let go with grace, honesty, and compassion for yourself.
Whether you’re navigating change, healing from loss, redefining who you are, or learning to trust the process again, Letting Go, Gently offers a safe place to breathe, write, and begin again.
This journal is for you if you…
- are learning to let go of expectations, guilt, or control
- feel called to slow down and process life more intentionally
- are navigating change, loss, or a season of uncertainty
- want a reflective space to write and find calm
- feel stuck between who you were and who you’re becoming
- need permission to heal without rushing the process
- appreciate gentle prompts rather than rigid structure
- want a journal you can return to again and again
Inspirational Ladybug's Captured Bucket List Memories: A Gallery of My visit to Italy...next stop, Ireland.
