“does anyone really know me?”

“does anyone really want to know me?”

“who do i call when things fall apart?”

“who can i really be myself with, whether im at 100% or 10%?”

I’m not sure what it was about this threshold, but it felt like after 25 an internal sense of disconnection & loneliness began to surface when it came to friends.

Growing up, you have the ignorance of a child-like brain.

We weren’t thinking about political correctness or overanalyzing every word we said. We weren’t worried about how we were being perceived, nor did we spend time wondering whether we had offended someone and created an unbridgeable divide.

We would simply exist together, untainted by disappointments or betrayal. Cynicism was far from us and we still had a bit of faith in the people and world around us.

These friends I grew up with, well, we did everything together. Running around the neighborhood, going on summer trips, doing each others chores and spending every day together at school. We’d talk about the boys we liked and listen to the same songs on repeat together.

A bond forms that’s far deeper than what we often get to experience as adults because we don’t just spend time together for an hour over coffee once a week… We actually know what it’s like to laugh together, to cry together, to be embarrassed, to experience firsts, to be heartbroken, to be risky, to be adventurous, to be boring. We experience all different kinds of facets of each other, and what we know at the end of the day is that all we really have is each other.

I think that’s what makes childhood friends so different… You know each other‘s parents, you know the drama, you know the house that they grew up in and the way that life changed as the years passed by. You were with them through their parents divorce, the move, puberty, the first heartbreak, countless birthdays, you know their sibling names and their grandparents took you out for ice cream.

I didn’t realize it then, but I realize it now… To somehow be able to salvage and to keep a friendship that started so young really is gold. It’s like having a time capsule in human form. Someone to know you through so many years and so many seasons, to remember what you were like when you were 12 and awkward or 16 and getting your license.  More than ever before I find myself almost daydreaming about these friendships… Daydreaming about being known by somebody like my childhood bestfriend did.

I think God’s kind because He gave us siblings — built in friends that, through hell or high water, get to be these people whether we like it or not. For some of us, lucky, for some of us, not so much… But I think something I’ve thought more and more about is how they are truly worth fighting for because of how rare a lifelong friend is. I feel deeply grateful to say that my sisters really are my best friends — they are the people that I want to call at 10 PM at night crying to or to sit on the couch and watch cooking shows with. They truly are the people that have known me and have chosen to love me through all of my messy, broken, confused years of life. To forgive me again and again. To forgive them again and again. Because they’re my sisters.

Alas, I know that this isn’t true for everybody… And maybe this is my subtle petition to say, regardless of what has been done, what sins have been done against you, what sins you have committed against them… What if you tried to begin again? Because life is going to continue happening, friends will keep coming and going, your family will continue to go through hardships, and the feeling of not being known is one of the worst of all. However, if you are lucky enough to have someone built in… Don’t let it go so easily.

One day your mom will pass away, your dad too. Your grandparents and other people that you love, and these will be the people that you have left to grieve with, to remember with. Yes, they may anger you, they may make grand mistakes, but so will you. And at the end of the day, they need someone as much as you do.

Friendships in your 20s and 30s are just really weird.

Anyway,

then you grow up.

And some, if not all of those friends from childhood just kind of… fizzle out, for one reason or another.

You leave high school, head into college and look at life with fresh eyes thinking that the new friends that you’re going to make will be better – and in a lot of ways, they really are wonderful.… but something is missing.

Trees take decades to grow deep roots.

The big mature trees that we know and love, have spent years and years growing.

I find myself longing for the depth and the commitment of my childhood friendships in my now, adult friendships… But the reality is, these new friendships are very fresh, very new. They haven’t had the time yet to grow deep roots. To mature. To weather various storms and experience different seasons.

Honestly, friendships lately have felt like a weird form of speed dating.

They like you, or they don’t.

You said the right thing, or you didn’t.

You showed up how they wanted you to, or you didn’t.

You really only know each other over coffee, you don’t know what it’s like to cry in front of them, or feel embarrassed, or laugh over a stupid joke or stay up late at a sleepover whispering in the dark about your deepest thoughts. You don’t know what it’s like to mess up and be forgiven by them.

You see each other maybe once a week — by no means do you see each other every day.

It seems that everyone’s longing for deep friendships and yet to some degree, we’ve all maybe forgotten a little bit how to form them. Or at least, I have.

How to stay.

How to commit.

How to take the pressure off and just be together, watch a movie, talk about culture or don’t talk at all.

How to look at these friendships not through the lens of how they serve me, but how we can commit to each other in love, no matter how our brokenness shows up.

I think that’s what we all really want… A friend that just stays. A friend that I can take the mask off with and be known by. A friend that wants to come over and spend time with me even though my baby is screaming the whole time. A friend that won’t write me off on my bad day when I say the wrong thing.

I feel like as you cross over into your 30s, you come upon a threshold. To find one or two friends to commit to, to go the distance with, or to stop trying and to keep shallow friendships. You approach a new decade, a new chapter of life, a new opportunity to know people. Friendship is hard because we are difficult, all of our brokenness gets exposed in friendship, in relationship, and that’s often why we all find ourselves a bit alone. Knowing people comes with the cost of committing to broken people. It’s by no means easy.

“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬ ‭

It comes with the challenge of choosing to forgive continually, to give them and yourself the grace to grow, to keep showing up no matter what.

I don’t know.

I royally suck at that, if i’m honest.

But what do I get for staying alone in efforts to have a semblance of ease?

Nothing but loneliness.

At least through the turbulence of friendship you get great joy, experiences, and the warmth of what God designed us for.

Or maybe, in the same hand, it’s important to realize that for everything, for every time under heaven, there’s a season.

Just like anything else, friends also may just be for a season. To welcome, to embrace, to enjoy the people that come into your life — not needing to hold onto them so tightly as if they’re never allowed to leave. To let them come in, take up space in your world, know you in the time that they get to, and let them go. Not resenting that they left, but loving the time spent. Maybe that’s a better way to live. You get to experience people and know them, even though part of that is also the grief of knowing at some point, you’ll have to let them go, too.

Reflecting on all of this made me think about the friend that I am, and the friend that I want to be.

I can’t go back, I can’t resurrect the friendships that I had from childhood, but I can try .. try to be a really good friend now. I can be a friend that commits now. I can be a friend that shows up now.

You don’t have a dozen of these kinds of friends, you really only have one, two, maybe three.

You will always reap what you sow, and what I’m realizing is that now is the time for sowing… you’ll end up in your 40s with a harvest of what you sowed into in your 30s.

Find your three. Love them well. Maybe even return to child-likeness again. Forgive, commit, stay.

my favorite book on the topic : find your people

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i remember the first time i read that quote.. it hit me like a ton of bricks.

it sat on my chest for days.. waiting ever so patiently on the doorstep of my heart to open up the door and receive it.

it was 2019 and my health felt like it was failing me.

I could barley get out of bed, the chronic fatigue had settled into my bones, my skin had angry pustules all over it, my mind foggy and my heart numb.

nobody tells you that healing often looks a lot like sickness when the body first gets out of a decade or more of fight or flight.

i spent hours researching - making every effort i could to heal myself. if i could just find the “root cause” to all my woes, maybe.. just maybe, i could be well.

avoiding the voice of God and any moment of silence, i filled my life with so much health noise in hopes that it would save me, when in all reality it just became the very thing that captivated me. the more knowledge i acquired, the more afraid i felt — the more lost in my mind, in rumination, in anxious overthinking than ever before.

at the time what i thought was a striving for health actually just looked like a well performed act of great avoidance.

for all of the ways i wanted to escape the trauma, the resentment, the wounds, the self hatred that i spent years suppressing — i could find some health gadget, supplement, or maybe even demon renouncing prayer to avoid actually facing the truth.

but honesty was, and is, the path to healing.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭

God kindly met me in my disasaociation and gave me the courage to journey back into my own body.

the body i had been punishing for years through over exercising and under eating.

the body i was ashamed to be inside of because of how it had been tainted through sexual abuse.

the body that felt like failure instead of a gift.

the body that i was so convinced was bad but was actually for me all along.

without honesty i could never face the real realities of the ways i was, at times, causing my own suffering. it was easier to shift the blame onto a toxin, a food, a person or a spirit rather than sitting face to face with myself — that, well… that was far more difficult.

nobody talks about how much courage it takes to be honest - especially when that honesty makes you feel bad about yourself.

but the enemy comes with guilt, shame, and condemnation on his heels — and Christ comes with redemption, grace, mercy, and righteousness. Walking with God in radical honesty doesn’t lead us to despair, but to Him, to peace, to joy. Why? Because the honesty we confess only reveals the beauty of the gospel, the death of Jesus & His resurrection all the more.

He died for it.

He died for the ways that i have mistreated my body.

He died for the trauma that i walked through.

He died for the resentment that i had been carrying.

He died for the places i feel the most weak, vulnerable, and exposed.

He died for the coping mechanisms i chose that led me to sin, and to further harm of my body

The journey of healing with God is beautiful because you don’t get shame in exchange for honesty, you get the perfect grace of God to walk out of your toxic habits and choices, out of the trauma that you experienced, out of the “hand you were dealt,” and experience new life.

it starts with honesty.

with the courage to stop walking in avoidance and calling it wellness.

the courage to stop walking in avoidance and calling it spirituality.

God met me - mind, body, & spirit, and walked me back into my body every time i had the courage to be honest with him about what i was really feeling, thinking, or experiencing.

And He wants to meet you, too.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. “ Revelation‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭29‬ ‭‬‬

when i addressed how i had been under eating, and over exercising for years which fueled the chronic fatigue and acne. When i got real about how controlling food felt in a weird way, safe, for a moment, because it made me feel in control of something when everything else felt out of control.

compassionate curiosity — over, and over, and over again. Journaling and asking God to speak, asking questions, listening for the questions He would ask me — continual communing.

To observe what i would say to myself when i failed, and why, and let God meet me in that. To comfort a younger version of myself who felt voiceless. To change the words of the older version of me that felt angry.

healing can’t happen without embodiment — and embodiment requires coming face to face with the habits and the coping mechanisms that are enslaving us. The good news being, that embodiment also brings us to the One who dwells inside of us, the Holy Spirit for those who are in Christ, and who extends his hands and offers us healing through walking with Him, inviting Him into the weary and worn out places, and brings true restoration.

More on this topic in my new podcast, “The protocol God gave me for healing”

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Skincare, Supplements, & The Testimony Podcast — My LinkTree

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It’s the early 2000s on a crisp summer morning and I wake up before anyone else in the house —

throwing off the covers I waltz downstairs to grab some cinnamon toast crunch cereal, pour it in a bowl, and head over to the old box tv that buzzes like a bee as soon as it turns on.

I curl up on the couch eager to watch Disneys regular morning programming, humming along to the intros and commercials that I know so well.

The house slowly wakes up — and before I know it, the smell of pancakes fills the air. Mom has butter on the griddle and maple syrup ready, calling my name over to the table to dive into a big ol stack of homemade delight.

Before I can even finish I’m flying out the door barefoot, running to the neighbors to play. We spend the day in the dirt and our imaginations — dreaming up worlds and ideas that felt so tangible we almost lost touch with reality. We paid no mind to how sweaty we were, how dirty our feet were, or any sort of agenda.

Cracking open root beer bottles and pretending we were much older than we were, we spent the afternoon on the driveway, filling up our tummies on watermelon and doritos. We plaid capture the flag and hopped through the $10 rainbow sprinkler like it was a high end splash park.

When the day drew to a close and the street lights came on, we knew it was time to turn in.

Running inside and showering off the days fun, I come back downstairs to a movie on the tv, homemade blizzards on the counter, mom folding clothes and the family piled up on the couch.

These were the days.

When maximum fun was sitting on the double decker bike with dad and feeling the wind in your hair, full of wonder at the world around you.

Laying in the sunny spot from the window to warm up and take a nap.

Baking in the kitchen and making a bit of a mess, all for the joy of a few fresh, oven hot cookies.

Spending the whole afternoon making forts and telling stories, creating anything and everything you could manage to with your beautiful, childlike imagination.

These were the days…

Not because every day was filled with activity, with grand or expensive experiences, but because the mundane, to us, to our childlike brains that did not know a constant need for endless entertainment, was extraordinary in itself.

I have spent the whole summer reminiscing on the most nostalgic moments of my childhood.

What I have found was that they were in every way, mundane, but I go back to them in my dreams all the time. They marked me. They have never left me. They made my childhood special.

The mundane is the new extraordinary.

And that makes me think so much differently about my kids and the childhood they will experience.

What it is about, and what it isn’t about.

Am I seeking a childhood for them that is instagrammable, or memorable?

Do I believe fun is my job, or apart of the time they experience with me? Do I trust & believe the imagination and God given drive for exploration is, in the 95%, truly what fun is to them?

My mom did not revolve herself entirely around us, but flowed with us. She gave us the autonomy to go play in the neighborhood without constant monitoring, or run in the dirt or play in the rain. All the while, she was ready for us when we came home to be near to us, cook for us, or cuddle up next to us. Our parents are integral parts of our childhood, and impact it greatly, but they aren’t the sole parts our childhoods revolve around.

Social media is full of the hidden, but plain message — “do do do. Fill them with entertainment. To stay at home is simply not enough. To be a present parent is simply not enough. Go out, buy an experience, make the extraordinary happen for them everyday, and then they will have a wonderful childhood.”

What a tempting lie to believe.

If we spend some time in the most nostalgic moments of our childhood, we will find that 98% of them revolve in and around the home, with our parents or neighbors or siblings, and they were extraordinary because they were real. They were connected. They were true. And that should free us…

Our longing as kids were so much more simple and pure than the ones we hold as adults, and our kids can help remind us of that. Slow us down.

It is enough to simply cuddle up on the couch with them.

It is enough to simply play a game of cards or tag instead of take them to the expensive indoor playground.

It is enough to make them a homemade meal or grab donuts every sunday together instead of frantically rush through the morning to get them to some event you think is better than time spent with you.

It is enough for them to play by themselves and enjoy their imaginations

I continuously ask myself, “am I putting my lack of satisfaction and need for constant “doing” on my daughter? Or am I flowing with her and letting her enjoy her childlikeness?”

We do these things in good heart, desiring a rich childhood for our kids… but what matters most to them is one that slows down enough to spend it with them.

A childhood that makes room for autonomy, exploration, jumping in puddles, catching fireflies, enjoying their imagination and feeling alive. A childhood that remembers how mom and dad did their best to be with you when you needed them or desired to be near them.

My daughter is showing me how much I have to learn from her way of life, of enjoyment. She is present with whatever she chooses, unhurried and unbothered, undisturbed by the cares of the times or the need to feel like she is achieving or doing.

I’m learning that her childhood comes natural — and my intervention is not as important as my participation.

Let them enjoy the simplicity of childhood.

Let yourself enjoy them in their childhood.

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@lindenmckay on instagram

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Gotta love the shameless neighbors that take on the role of grandma or grandpa — 🤪

Okay.. but in all seriousness, I’m an absolute amateur when it comes to gardening. With this being my first season, I know I have a lot to learn. However, my neighbor has had decades of experience -- his garden is brimming with fruit, and his backyard is a flowery oasis…

so if I’m listening to anyone on this topic, it’s him.

I leaned in and said, “Herold, tell me more, because you and I both know I could use all the help I can get!”

He sat back against my car, crossed his arms, and said, “If you water too much, the roots won’t go down deeper into the soil looking for water. It will create a shallow root system across the top layers of the soil because it isn’t challenged. If you stretch out your waterings, you will help the plant develop a deeper, stronger root system that will eventually bear better, richer, and more abundant fruit.”

I sat there as if I was sitting at the feet of Jesus Himself, telling me a parable.

Now, of course, Herold isn’t Jesus, but God uses these moments and people to speak Kingdom wisdom through all the time… God is always speaking; often, we are just rarely listening.

I meditated on what he said all day long..

That which is not challenged ultimately stifles growth and causes apathy, weakness, and immature fruit.

Ooft.

Until recently, I always prayed for easier days.

I prayed for everything to always work out.

I prayed for God to, in essence, serve me in every way I deemed would make Him “loving,” and would feel offended the minute any suffering, change of plans, hardship, or discipline came to my door.

I genuinely thought that was love… for me to never feel or walk through anything negative.

But God is love, and God alone defines love —

“True love for God means obeying his commands, and his commands don’t weigh us down as heavy burdens.” 1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬ ‭

“For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”” Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬ ‭

When I had my daughter in October, one day the Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks mid-prayer and said, “Linden, stop asking for easier days and start praying for the grace to get through whatever the day may bring.”

God’s ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9), and what I didn’t realize until I grew in maturity & history with God was that all of my prayers for ease was actually asking God to keep me weak, comfortable, and immature.

I didn’t realize that by asking God to deliver me from every difficulty, I was asking God not to teach me, to strengthen me, to build me up, and to prune the areas in me that needed to be removed.

Every day you experience pressure, God is using it to purify you.

Every day you encounter your own weakness, God is giving you the opportunity to lean into and depend on His strength.

Every day you experience your capacity stretch, God is using it to make you more competent and capable.

Yes, God kindly does give us more than we can bear, because that’s how we grow, that’s how we get stronger, that’s where the places in us that reveal our selfishness and sinfulness and need get to be exposed, that God might give us Himself.

“Physical discipline may well save them from death.”Proverbs‬ ‭23‬:‭14‬

Athletes train till failure because muscles don’t grow unless the tension exceeds their ability.

Actually, nothing grows without tension, so why do we expect to? Golly, cause it feels nice to not have tension.. right!?

But.. what is the cost of staying the same?

What is the cost of living comfortably?

What is the cost of not developing spiritual muscles?

We grow deeper in our love for Christ when we are under pressure, under tension. Spiritual apathy is often found most abundantly in the seasons of our lives that are the most comfortable.

Spend time with God today — pray & journal through these questions..

What areas in my life is God challenging me to grow?

How am I responding to that challenge? (joy, despair, victimhood, complaining, coping, blaming, offense, seeking Christ deeper, asking for help)

How are the challenges I’m facing actually making me stronger and developing good, Christ-like fruit in my life?

In what ways can I lean on and need the Holy Spirit IN my weakness?

“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬

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@lindenmckay on instagram

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For centuries, the only thing people knew to use for healing was the medicine God gave them.

Herbals, spices, foods, nature, and prayer.

Garlic & honey has been long used for their potent medicinal properties and are both multi faceted in their ability to help the body heal.

The energetic components of foods and herbs are very important when considering what the body needs & when, as the goal with supplementing & supporting is to help the body come back into balance —

garlic is hot, dry, moving, stimulating & dispersing.

• This is great when you have a ‘cold,’ have damp mucus that’s stuck in the lungs or sinuses, and need things to move out.

• This wouldn’t be very helpful if you had a fever, flushing, rashes, or other hot and irritated states -- it wouldn’t bring balance.

honey is warm, moistening, demulcent, nourishing, and preserving.

• This is especially important when you have something irritating like a sore throat, which is hot and dry or a gut that is irritated after antibiotics.

• Honey wouldn’t be helpful if you already have a lot of mucus and need things to be stimulated and moved out.

Knowing when and how to use natures medicines is what makes them effective. They aren’t a one size fits all, but when you give thought to the symptoms, how they express themselves, and how to bring balance, you’re able to hit the nail on the head instead of throw the whole hammer at the wall & hope it hits.

Now, things change when the two are put together to ferment. They work symbiotically — garlic helps move and stimulate while honey soothes and replenishes. The honey also makes the garlic mild and easier to digest by consuming some of its bite which is a perfect way to make it palatable not only for sick days, but also general days you want to support health and build immunity.

The benefits? Endless..

antibacterial, anti microbial, budding with beneficial bacteria - pre & probiotics, anti parasitic, supports bile flow & improves digestion and nutrient extraction, disrupts pathogenic biofilms (the “sleeping bags” pathogens hide out in to avoid getting killed), and helping the body to clear metabolic waste. The sulfur compounds in garlic help support detoxification by increasing glutathione (livers master antioxidant) production.

Annnnnnd that’s just to name a small list of benefits.

As you can see, it’s not just for acute illnesses, but can and should also be used as preventative medicine to help keep a robust gut & immune system.

let’s get right to it 👇🏽

ingredients :

• clean glass jar

• 2 big bunches of garlic

• Honey — I used manuka honey to make it an elite elixir, as manuka is one of the most medicinal superfoods on the planet, but raw honey from the store or a local beekeeper is what most people use! Very important that it is raw and unpasteurized, organically sourced over pasteurized as it needs the wild yeast and all of its beneficial bacteria for proper fermentation.

instructions :

• peel all of the garlic and lightly crush — crushing the garlic causes an enzyme called alliinase to convert into allicin, the compound responsible for garlic's antimicrobial and immune-stimulating activity. Let it all sit for about 10 minutes after crushing.

• add all the garlic to a jar, keeping it only 1/2 of the way full since this will ferment.

• Pour honey over the top until it’s just enough to cover the garlic

• “burp” and mix the jar daily for 2-3 weeks by unscrewing the lid and letting the gases release, then turning over the jar to mix up the garlic and re-cover any that floated to the top.

• you know it’s fermenting well if you start seeing bubbles appear the next day!

• after about 2-3 weeks you should be able to stop burping the jar and the honey will turn thin & liquidy and the garlic should darken and sweeten.

• It’s best to wait to consume after 4 weeks, but the longer the better! Some people have their jars for months to even years.

• tip : make sure any and every time you use a spoon to scoop or mix, it’s always fresh & clean!

Starting this now will have it ready just in time for the fall/winter season when it is vital to have a medicine cabinet full of ready to use herbals, tinctures & tonics.

Other wintertime immune supports in my cabinet :

• reishi mushroom : For the last 5 years this has been my go to supplement, not only for immunity but for overall health. Anywhere from helping clear my acne, to removing my food sensitivities to being my immune systems best friend all winter long… it is my health secret weapon. I specifically source this product because most on the market are grown in mass production in plastic bags, poorly manufactured, or have such a low dose it doesn’t do anything to really impact your health. Organo has an entire farm dedicated to real growing practices, a patent process from extracting the spores, and they have the purest and highest doses you can find. See testimonials and learn more in my story highlights here.

• Illicium : Star anise is actually one of the leading ingredients in tamiflu and has potent anti viral properties that make it a staple in my wintertime cabinet to help defend my body against influenza and other viruses.

• I regularly have garlic, onion, ginger, thyme, oregano and rosemary in my meals for their antiviral, anti bacterial, and immune boosting powers.

• Manuka Honey : One of natures most powerful foods for immune system support, manuka sets itself apart by its rarity, potency, and medicinal properties. Learn all about it here — this brand also just came out with pouches of blends that include not only their manuka but also turmeric and ginger or elderberry infusions for even greater immune support! ‘LINDENMCKAY’ for a discount & a free pack!

• I limit dairy in the winter months as it is a mucus producing food and it is also energetically cold — this can make you more susceptible to illnesses in the winter when the immune system isn’t as robust.

🙂‍↔️ check out my shopmy for more winter wellness supports —

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I spent years in corn purgatory.

Do i love it?

Do i hate it?

Is this witchcraft..? The way I chew it with precision and yet it ends up whole coming out the other end? How does it magically reshape?

Oh the questions.. the questions I may never know.

One thing I do know?

Corn from the farmers market and corn from the grocery store or the can are two entirely different species.

Corn from the farmers market is rich in flavor, color, crunch, and satisfaction. A vegetable with rich color and flavor is a vegetable rich in nutrients and comes from great growing practices.

— thiiiis is why summer is overflowing with culinary enjoyment.

Corn from the grocery store tastes like manufactured disappointment. I mean, truly it is nothing short of criminal that they will put in an iota of effort towards store bought corn considering how disrespectful it is to the tastebuds.

“Okay Karen.. can you just jump to the recipe, for the love!?!”

My names not karen.

My names Linden, but Karen is an unfortunate alter ego for me.

Okay time to get to the recipe — but don forget, farmers market corn is what makes this recipe.

The Summer Corn Salad

serves : well a lot of people or a few people, depends on the kind of eater you are

• 3 corn cobs from the farmers market or local grower

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1.5 cups chopped cherry tomatoes

• salt & pepper

• a generous bunch of fresh chopped basil (yes fresh basil is key)

• your veggies of choice really — i either go with cooked asparagus or broccoli but bell peppers or even cucumbers would also be great

• 1/4 red onion, but if you want it to really shine, pickled red onions (click on the link & make them in 7 minutes right at home!) make all of the other flavors in this pop

• 2 TBL pickled red onion juice or a squeeze of lemon

• generous salting

• 1.5 TBL olive oil

instructions :

• boil the corn until the color has turned a deep, rich yellow and is slightly tender but still has a crunch… about 4 minutes boiling. If you choose asparagus or broccoli you can toss it all in one pan to boil

• remove & cut the corn from the cob, toss in a bowl

• chop all veggies & greens — garlic, onion, basil & any other veggies you so choose. This recipe is even easier to make if you have this.

• once everything is chopped & in the bowl, drizzle your olive oil, sprinkle your salt & pepper, add the lemon or pickled red onion juice and mix mox mix

If i’m being 100% honest with you… i did not measure any of this, so.. go with your gut. It’s really hard to mess up!

This recipe doesn’t need much seasoning because all of the veggies and the basil truly yield the most refreshing and delicious taste without extra fluff. Let them work their magic ✨

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@lindenmckay on instagram

Skincare, Supplements, & The Testimony Podcast — My LinkTree

God designed your body to heal — learn more about how to get a personalized protocol targeted to your specific needs.

Two years ago my husband and I found ourselves burnt out, continually exhausted, and putting our marriage on cruise control.

It felt like we never stopped.

And part of us even believed the lie that we couldn’t stop.

We had to say yes to every commitment, check every email, take every job. The thought of taking the day off the gym or not seeing friends on a Sunday felt legalistic, or maybe even a bit extreme.

But then God took me on a journey of seeing what scripture had to say about the Sabbath — and that changed everything.

“Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.” Exodus‬ ‭31‬:‭15‬ ‭

“Put to death.”

It’s that serious. God cares about the body, and He knows that a people without rest are weak, easily tempted, unkept, impulsive, and enslaved.

The Sabbath is a command, not a suggestion. It was made for man (Mark 2:27), because God the creator of our bodies and the one who knows every facet of our being, how we operate, and what truly brings health to us said so.

I came across this post the other day that had me reflecting on how this one simple rhythm, this one area of obedience that we have taken seriously the last two years has truly changed our lives —

“Skipping the Sabbath is keeping you sick.

Not in the shallow Christian cliché way where people reduce Sabbath to "take a self care day" or "slow down more."

I mean genuinely sick.

Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. Physically.

Because you are violating the rhythm God built creation itself upon.

And most people never connect that.

Modern humanity is living in direct rebellion against the created order.

In Genesis, God creates this rhythm.

Work. Completion. Rest.

Because it means rest was not created merely as recovery from exhaustion. It was part of human design itself.

The Hebrew word used in Genesis 2 for "rested" is nau (shavat).

It literally means: to cease. to stop. to desist.

God was not recovering because God cannot fatigue.

He was establishing a pattern.

An ordered rhythm for human flourishing.“

— Matthew Headden

Rest. An ordered rhythm for human flourishing. Don’t you feel your soul cry out for that? Your body ache for that? I was finding myself in a chronic state of yearning for a vacation, and what I really needed was rhythms in my life that helped me come above the waves, be refreshed, restored, and truly rested. We were designed for these rhythms, not just an annual beach trip that we skid into completely burnt out.

So we took it seriously.

We repented for walking in pride, self sufficiency, & thinking we knew better than God - for disobeying His command. We asked that God would help us and show us what the Sabbath needed to look like, that He would bless the Sabbath and give our bodies a double portion of the rest we so desperately needed.

Sooo.. What did it look like?

Well, what feels like work? What takes energy? What brings life? What is lacking in priorities? What does slowing down involve? What is a sacrifice to press pause on for a day? Pray and ask God what it is that you need and what you need to give up for one day.

For us the Sabbath looks like …

• spending intentional family time, no friend commitments that day — just family. Sometimes we spend it with our extended family, but if we haven’t had a day where we are at home together during the weekend, we keep it immediate.

• No or minimal phone usage. For me, I turn my phone off or only have messages come through from family, but don’t allow any other to be visible (downtime in your settings can set this up). My phone is a huge area of strain and addiction, so I just put it away. My husband keeps his on, but leaves it somewhere in the house & generally forgets about it throughout the day.

Yes, it’s possible. You may have to get creative, but unplugging is like breathing fresh air.

• We postpone laundry, cleaning, errands, etc. for another day or we do it all together.

• We go to church, read our bibles, and fix our minds and hearts back on the Lord.

• We make a delicious meal and eat dinner together.

• We have fun. Go swimming, find a park to lay at, spend time asking each other questions about the week and reconnecting with one another. We look for activities around town that could be new and exciting. We get ice cream or acai! Have a family movie night - the opportunities are endless. Anything to intentionally reconnect, unplug, and be restored.

• Emails & socials are not checked.

• My husband is a bit obsessed with the gym, and would go daily if he could. We decided Sundays were no gym days because it was the one day we had all together, and we wanted to maximize our time and truly rest.

That’s about it. And it changed everything.

Our marriage began to flourish. Our weeks didn’t feel endless they felt possible. We came out of our weekends with vitality and ready for the week instead of dreading it. We had a zeal to seek the Lord and be on each others team. Our finances began to transform. Our bodies felt less fatigued and more strengthened.

Sundays are off limits — and though it was a sacrifice at first, now it’s the day we long for & look forward to most. We can’t wait to unplug. It’s freeing to have a day that’s a non negotiable.

Your day may not be a Sunday, but find a day for you if you’re single or as a family to commit the practice of the Sabbath to. It might just be the healing that your mind, body, and soul need.

And remember.. Saying Yes to the Sabbath is saying Yes to the command of God. It’s not a matter of what feels best or most convenient, it’s a matter of obedience that God blesses with increase.

You may even work 7 days a week and taking one day off feels detrimental… but what if taking that day off is actually the way God wants to break you out of poverty? Teach you that He is provider? Restore & refresh you? What if God is asking you to steward finances differently and with greater wisdom?

Spend time with God today and talk to Him about what He wants to give you through practicing the Sabbath, what that could look like, & dove into scripture to learn more about what God says about the Sabbath.

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xx

@lindenmckay on instagram

Skincare, Supplements, & The Testimony Podcast — My LinkTree

God designed your body to heal — learn more about how to get a personalized protocol targeted to your specific needs.

Pickled red onions are the easiest to make and truly level up any recipe —  I thought about writing a little ode to pickled red onions and then i realized… the “jump to recipe” button was created for a reason.

So without further ado… let’s get to the main event, shall we? 🧅

what you’ll need for a 32oz jar :

• 1.5-2 red onions

• white vinegar

• water

• salt

instructions :

• chop your red onion in half (root to root or length-wise) and then chop root to root — or you can just thinly slice from one end to the other so they are in rounds

  • this helps them be a bit more crispy crunchy

• stuff in a jar

• bring 2 cups white vinegar and 1 cup water with 1/2 tbsp salt to a boil — right when it begins to boil turn off the heat

• pour into the jar over the red onions

voilà — you’re basically martha stewart.

let the jar sit on the counter till it reaches room temp then store in the fridge for up to a week! It gets better the longer it sits 🤤

Recipe time…

here’s the 20 minute healthy lunch bowl I made with these on top :

• cook 5oz ground chicken in a pan with salt, paprika, and a squeeze of lemon.

• throw into a bowl & top with chopped basil, avocado, & your gorgeous pickled red onions

• I air fried some sweet potato fries to have on the side because we all need more carbs in our life — chop into fry shape, coat with beef tallow, salt & pepp pepp & cook for 20 minutes on 390

easy, quick, healthy, delicious.

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@lindenmckay on instagram

Skincare, Supplements, & The Testimony Podcast — My LinkTree

God designed your body to heal — learn more about how to get a personalized protocol targeted to your specific needs.

Think about it..

How do you operate when you’re tired?

Hungry?

Got the flu?

Nauseous?

Inflamed?

Insecure?

In pain?

Too weak or too overweight to move?

How do you love people?

How patient are you?

How others focused are you?

How clear of mind?

How energetic?

Before there was sickness, there was a garden.

Before sin entered the world, sickness was non existent. Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden — free of pain, sickness, mental health issues, environmental toxins, and shame.

Sickness is spiritually disruptive because sin is spiritually disruptive — when adam and eve ate of the tree, sickness entered the world on its heels.

Sickness to the body is a great picture of what sin does to our body, mind, and soul — It corrupts, defiles, weakens, destroys, & kills.

We talk about sin solely from one definition, but sin is more than unforgiveness or drunkenness. “Sin” — missing the mark, suppression of the truth, a force in us that is birthed with us to bend toward loving darkness & unrighteousness.

This is why we cannot heal nor save ourselves.. nor be “good enough.” Sin is a sickness that is incurable apart from the death, resurrection, and bloodshed of Jesus that sets us free when we surrender our lives to & put our faith in Christ. We see in scripture that when we put our faith in Christ, we are born again — free of the enslavement to sin.

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬ ‭

Sickness is spiritually disruptive because sickness was never God’s original plan for us.

So before we move on, hear me out.

We see sickness manifest in the bible through sin, through iniquity (internal crookedness / sinfulness of heart more than just the external act), through transgression (choosing to partake & walk in sin). However, we also see in the case of the sickness of Lazarus that God was using this sickness to reveal the glory of God.

Kind of confusing, huh?

The truth we know & can stand on - God is our healer.

“For I am the Lord who heals you.” Exodus 15:26

Jehova Rapha.

Not only of body, but of that which is eternal and most important — of our soul.

“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬ ‭

And this is true regardless of if we or another is healed on earth. Sickness is ultimately present in our world because sin is ever present in our world — only in heaven will we experience true relief & deliverance from sickness…

However, that does not mean we should just do, feed, or treat our bodies however we please. Rather, we should offer them as living sacrifices to God and take care of them as He designed.

⭐️ We may not experience full healing on this side of heaven, but we can experience great health.

God Cares About Your Body — The Devil Does Too & Here’s Why..

The body is one of the biggest vessels for spiritual warfare because the body is the vessel to which God not only wants to dwell, but it is His very masterpiece. It is the vessel through which He communes with you, speaks to and through you, co creates, & uses to move forward His plan and purposes on the Earth, love others, etc.

God is not subject solely to the body, He is much greater and can work through anything He so chooses. However, a weak body is much more than happenstance, it impacts more than just how you feel about yourself or how you go about your day…

The devil knows that if he can weaken the body, he can slow and hinder and stop the plan of God — to save your soul & for others to be saved. He can keep you numb & apathetic. He can not destroy your life…

He can even get you so offended that you are sick that you actually walk away from God.

Why does it seem that everything is at war for our health?

Why does it seem that our food system is against us?

Why is it that the medical system is not set up for true health but managing symptoms?

Our world is broken — but the devil is the ruler of this age. The brokenness we see is a product of his crafty, destructive hand.

Sickness is spiritually disruptive.

Why are men and women’s hormones worse than ever before, causing widespread infertility?

Sickness is spiritually disruptive.

Who is primarily birthing & raising the next generation?

Sickness is spiritually disruptive.

There’s a war for your health because there’s a war for your soul.

Poor stewardship of the body is not just laziness — it’s choosing to partner with the devils plan for your life instead of the Lord’s.

There is a war for your body.

For your vitality.

For your virginity.

For your clarity.

For the health of your heart.

All of it affects the health of your soul.

To think that God doesn’t care about our bodies, the health of our bodies, what we do with our bodies, who we give our bodies to, is simply to neglect what scripture has to say entirely and reduce God down to merely a man of rules and regulations, detached and dwelling in the sky.

Spiritual health is physical health,

physical health is spiritual health,

emotional health is all of the above as well –

it’s all connected, it all matters, and God‘s interested and deeply invested in all of it.

So What Do We Do & How Can We partner With God To Bring Healing?

We run to Christ, the only one who can heal our souls.

We are first soul, then spirit, then body.

Your soul matters most.

Faith in Christ is where our soul, spirit, and body at a cellular level get reborn. Our entire makeup changes. Our genetics shift. The body responds to words & it responds to the power of God. The whole body is infused with light, and we know the light brings healing.

Pray & Ask God, “where does my soul need healing?”

Listen and obey.

Oneness with God is a WHOLE body experience — it doesn’t stop here. Everything impacts the health of the whole.

We eat the food that He made — because whole foods, grass fed & pasture raised meats, raw dairy,  & never go out of style. There’s 100 diets made up of them, but what is always at the crux of the newest fad is what has always been.

Keep it simple.

Remove processed items.

Eat meals at home.

Cut the alcohol.

Move your body.

Get in the sun.

Put your bare feet in the grass.

Get off your phone

Spend time in community.

Go to bed early.

Drink water.

These are the original medicines, and they still work best.

Yes, it may all be contaminated, but our body still runs off of it. Try going a month without food or water… you need it. And you need Christ, the bread of life and the true, living water.

Pray & Ask God, “ what needs to change in my life and in my habits so that my body can experience healing And I can be a better steward of it?”

Listen and obey.

These impact how we feel, and how we feel impacts how we live & commune with God & others.

You need His word.

You need Godly community.

You need worship.

You need purity.

You need gratitude.

You need to speak His word over your body.

You need the power of prayer.

These are spiritual medicines that the body actually responds to with healing.

Pray & Ask God, “ What spiritual discipline am I lacking that you want to use to bring healing to my heart, mind, soul and body?”

Listen and obey.

We are not just body — but spirit, soul, and body.

Stop giving the devil access to God’s temple.

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@lindenmckay on instagram

The Testimony Podcast

Steal my Skincare Routine — ‘LINDENMCKAY’

King Coffee — How I Cleared Acne & Chronic Inflammation

Manuka Honey — Discount ‘LINDENMCKAY’

Your Gut’s New Bestie

if motherhood has taught me anything so far, its that by God’s grace, He has made us a heck of a lot stronger than we think… but here’s the catch —

you learn that through tension,

through pressure,

through progressive overload in life —

you don’t get strong through comfort, you get strong through new pressure demanding your muscles (physical, mental, or emotional) to grow.

We avoid pain like the plague and yet we pray that God would make us strong…

We pray for deliverance from trial and yet we gain muscles that only develop when we walk through trial.

I saw a girl with a t-shirt on the other day that said, “pressure is a privilege.” And I sat and thought about that all day until it reoriented my soul - what i’ve learned in motherhood is that one of Gods kindest gifts is amping up the pressure. Without pressure, we stay spiritually, physically, and emotionally skinny. If you see any skinny animal in the wild, they are easy prey to any predator. Why? Because skinny reveals weakness, not strength. Alas… that is my spiel. I’ve spent the last 10+ years of my life chasing skinny and the only place it ever got me was sick, weak, extremely unpleasant and hangry.

So let’s get strong - because strength is really what we’re all after. You don’t get the “toned” look without strong muscles burning fat and budding underneath. Strength is fueled with the food God provides.

Strength is behind the beauty we crave.

A strong body is not a weak body.

What Pursuing Strength Looks Like For Me Right Now — Mind, Body, & Spirit

Body

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭

+ Progressive Overload : You’ve heard it before. So have I. Why did it take me 10 years of working out to actually clock it? How embarrassing. I ran from tension & got flubby. For the last 5 years my body has stalled — muscle growth seemed stagnant, fat wasn’t shifting, & I didn’t feel like I was making true progress. I left my workouts proud to check it off, but not really pushing myself.

Your body doesn’t know reps, it knows & responds to tension — go for tension, not 10 reps.

If you’re not making a face of utter embarrassment at the end of the set, feeling like your muscles are burning, & wondering how you could possibly do another rep - you’re not progressively overloading.

You’re not challenging your muscles to grow.

You’re not signaling that anything needs to change.

Thus, you have skinny fat.

Proper overloading looks like : Tracking your reps & weight every week to continue challenging your muscles. Switching up tempo — slowing down the movement, pausing at the bottom, not resting at the top. Shortening your rest between sets. Adding in drop sets or super sets. Increasing the weight. Increasing the reps if you hit 10 and it’s not burning.

Think about each momvement. Where do you feel it? Is it burning where you want it to be? How’s your form? Are you just pushing weight or executing with intention?

Challenge yourself to create more tension — tension builds. Tension burns, & it burns fat.

+ Eating To Fuel Muscle Growth : Muscles burn more calories at rest, they’re expensive. The protein craze has one good piece advice — without fuel, muscles don’t grow, fat doesn’t get burned, the body holds on instead of feeling safe enough to let go. I’m bringing back in veggies & micronutrients to help bring satiety while hitting my carbs with precision instead of excess. No cutting cals or carbs here - we want lean muscles, and lean muscles need fuel. Bringing in carbs around heavy workouts, and not skimping rest days when the muscles are growing & recovering.

Keep it simple.

Three meals, centered around a protein, whole food carbs & fat to fill in.

Eat home cooked meals 98% of the week.

Cut the alcohol.

Stop skipping meals in hopes to lose a pound, you’re ruining fat loss, driving stress, causing water retention, throwing off blood sugar, and stalling progress.

Take care of the temple — God’s temple, that is your body. We steward it as unto Him.

+ Steps For Enjoyment, Not Punishment : Moving my body is a privilege, not a punishment. Walking is an incredible way to increase strength without bringing too much fatigue to the body.

+ Rest : Working out 6+ times a week is working against you. Rest is not lazy. Rest is not unproductive. Rest is where your body can lower cortisol & release stress hormones, rebuild, repair, and get stronger.

Overdoing it = puffy.

What about resting makes you anxious? What is that revealing about a belief you have that isn’t actually healthy?

Mind & Spirit

“for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬

+ Daily Bible Reading & Spending Unhurried Time With God : Our greatest suffering happens when we forget how desperately we need God. I really discarded this postpartum because I thought, “i’m soooo busy, God understands.” And let me tell you.. that was the single worst decision I could have made. God doesn’t suffer when we neglect Him - He feels sorrow and desires our time, but He doesn’t suffer. We suffer.

No one puts off pursuing their spouse because they get busy and think that their life will actually get better because of it. When we put God on the shelf, spiritual and physical health suffer greatly.

Mental health is physical health.

Spiritual health is physical health.

Spiritual health is mental health.

They are all one. We cannot convince ourselves that to only work on the body can bring true health — the bible shows us that our very core, our hearts, are sick. And the only one who can heal them is Christ.

You make time & have time for what you prioritize — I had to stop lying to myself, plead with God to give me a love and desire for Him, and sacrifice comfort or busyness for time in His presence. Where my body, mind and soul truly get strong. Sacrifice the 10, the 15, the 20 minutes, put your phone down, and be with Him.

The word of God is powerful — it builds us up holistically. Physically, it brings our bodies into the parasympathetic, decreases stress hormones, shifts neural pathways and brings real time restoration. Spiritually, it is our very life source. We are made for God, there is no denying that. Our souls crave Him. Our minds are kept pure and peaceful by Him.

Without this rhythm, annxiety increased. Depression was always knocking. Frustration & resentment toward my husband boiled. Pride and comparison festered. The sickness of my heart came to the surface quickly.

I need God.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭

+ Prayer & Confession :

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭

Prayer is what strengthens our inner man, it’s what draws us near to the heart of God, it’s where the Spirit produces new fruit, it’s where we recognize our need for God and where heaven comes down and kisses earth. It’s where we bring our burdens and feel the Lord take them and lighten our load. It’s where gratitude is birthed and forgiveness flourishes.

Pray before you eat.

Pray while you drive.

Pray while you walk.

Pray before bed.

It doesn’t have to be complex — Just talk to God.

“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭13‬ ‭‬‬

Confession is what brings new life to dying places. Where restoration happens and sin is exposed that the body, mind, and soul can heal. Where community can gather round and bear us up. Why would we avoid what heals us?

“In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬ ‭

Getting strong is not merely physical — The body is one. God help us to pursue true spiritual, physical, and mental strength this year. Amen.

xx

@lindenmckay on instagram

“The Testimony Podcast” on spotify or apple podcasts

Website 🔗

Before you scroll on to the bullet point list, let me tell you something …

When i’m about it, i’m abooouutt it, mkay.

We don’t do mediocre around here.

If it doesn’t change my life and make me want to shout about it from the rooftops, consider it dead to me.

With that extremely dramatic and yet absolutely true statement, welcome into my little corner of dopamine.

things i’m loving lately ..

+ everyone wants to “romanticize their life” and yet no one is talking about the good ol’ fashion, whole body healing act of laying on a quilted blanket in a park. Europe has got this rhythm down, and unfortunately the states is just too hurried to realize this is it. You don’t need an expensive supplement to lower your cortisol, you need to lay your busy self down on a blanket and stare at the clouds for an hour, talk about life with a friend, keep your tripod at home and enjoy living in real life for a few minutes. We do this weekly and it truly is the thing I look forward to most. You don’t need a cute outfit, a picnic basket or a reel about it.. not everything needs to be publicized. Do it because you’re alive and want to enjoy living. Add it to the protocol my frienndssss.

+ my hyper fixation snack right now.. the lovely, the beautiful, the so. dang. delicious. berry & yogurt peanut butter bowl you need. AND for my acne prone girlies, skyr might just work for you 👀 to make a really long story ( more like saga ) short.. For years, all I wanted to be was a yogurt girlie and unfortauntely we just couldn’t be friends.. i would always break out. One random Tuesday I found myself craving yogurt and so I opted for Skyr…

and i didn’t break out..

and i kept eating it.. and not breaking out..

After looking into it a little bit more, I found out that because of the way Skyr is made it’s a lot lower in lactose and the whey interacts differently with the body, which may be why it didn’t cause acne for me. #ThanksJesus

• 1 cup berries

• ¼ banana

• 1/3c Siggi’s plain skyr yogurt

• peanut butter

• a sprinkle of seven sundays cacao granola

• a dash of cinnamon

aaannnd a drizzle of manuka honey if i’m really going all out.

+ Hunt Gather Parent — this book took me about 25 seconds to read because i truly could not put it down — i loved it. And keep in mind, you can love a book and not agree with the entirety of it. In fact, there was a whole chapter i skipped because i was not about it. Alas, this book is written by a woman who traveled all over the world to learn about parenting styles across different cultures. Why are these kids so helpful? Why are they so well behaved? Why do they honor their parents so well and want to help? It taught me so much about supporting our kids childhood, inviting them into the family ecosystem instead of making the world revolve around them, and how to enjoy your kids instead of look for ways to endlessly distract them.

tip : it’s free if you belong to the library!

+ King Coffee / Capsules - well this isn’t exactly new, but the 5 year obsession should say something. I am continually reminded of why I love King Coffee - it helped clear 90% of my acne, helped me pass a LOAD of parasites, gave me deeper sleep, less painful cycles, and helps continually keep my immune system strong against mold or sickness… I mean, yall.. the list. goes. on. If you’re not using it you’re missing out, my friend. Take all my supplements.. but lemme keep this one. Want to know more? Check out my instagram highlights. There’s a few 👩🏽‍💻

+ two words.. Pasta. Salad.

A pasta salad in the summer? Oo baby, look no further.

• 1lb gf curly pasta / fusilli

• salt & pepper

• ¼ c extra virgin olive oil

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 shredded chicken breasts seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, & lemon

• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 cup pepperocini

• 2 tablespoons capers

• 2 cups arugula

• 1 cup chopped fresh basil

• ½ c sun dried tomatoes

• 8 oz diced cheese of choice

mix mix mix

+ I am absolutely sold out for Manuka Honey.. not the mass produced grocery store garbage, i’m talking the real nectar from heaven that is sourced locally in NZ and yields an extremely potent, delicious, medicinal nectar. 2025 I had to be on so many antibiotics my gut was in dire need of support and repair. I could go on 25 supplements for gut healing, or I could just use the multi medicinal powerhouse that is Manuka Honey. Not only have I not gotten sick once while being on it, but I have seen so many benefits, better digestion, better sleep, less bloating, and more. They just came out with packs for gut healing, energy, recovery, and immunity or you could just get a nice big jar to have in your cabinet for daily use to prevent sickness, Strengthen your gut, improve your sleep, or even use it as a healing salve for your skin or acne — it will work wonders. Let’s just say I’m a big fricken fan.

code : ‘lindenmckay’ for a discount & a free pack of honey sticks

that’s all for now folks, hope you enjoy xx

God designed your body to heal — learn more about how to get a personalized protocol targeted to your specific needs.

@lindenmckay on instagram

“The Testimony Podcast” on Spotify & Apple

Every season of our lives carry a chapter —

but there are a few defining moments that really initiate a whole new book.

Leaving home for the first time, getting married, having kids, becoming empty nesters or retiring. These are sudden shifts that seem to happen overnight — so sudden that we almost look over how monumental they are. They are the shifts that reorient us, that redefine us, that reshape us. We become different people with different purposes because of them. If we’re not careful, we become lost in the transition.. losing ourselves, the purpose of God for and within this new book, and we spend years reminiscing on the old version of us that we simply could not let go of.

Since becoming a mom i’ve found myself here… stuck.

Stuck in the transition of what & who I was to who I am now, to who I am growing into and becoming, my fists clenched over the past version of me that feels safest solely because it’s the most familiar. Every day I wake up wondering where the break is that causes me to repeat the same thoughts over & over.. “what am i doing?” “who am i?” “i love this season and i feel like a complete failure at the same time.” I have two separate realities that seem to play tug of war with each other all day long in my soul.

No one said that a new book was so hard to begin writing.

This morning while talking to God and sitting with all of these things, in my imagination I saw my pre mom self — young, full of vitality, no saggy skin or tired eyes, brimming with ideas and inspiration, dreams and desires. These parts were beautiful, but she also carried parts that were broken & sinful, needing the touch of God that only pressure could transform.. self focused pursuits, vanity, pride, an unwillingness to sacrifice.

She stood face to face with me as I am now, a mom with her saggy skin, her hair that’s falling out & mind that feels blank more times than not.. and she noticed something..

In the places she felt weak, this new version had strength.

She has a newfound humility, a willingness to lay down her life, an inner resilience she never thought she would have and a deep tenderness that was unearthed.

They stood face to face with eyes full of appreciation, grief, joy, and hope.

The older self said to the new — “you are everything I am, except in so many ways, much much more. What you feel you’ve lost is nothing that was worth keeping. Let me go. This new version will fulfill the dreams mine never could, and these will be the days you wish you could relive for forever. Move on, write the story, you’re not as lost as you feel.”

Sometimes the courage to move on begins with the courage to grieve and let go of the things we want to hold so tightly to. The things we can’t imagine living without. It’s not that the future is scary, it’s simply unfamiliar.

The clay in the potters hand is merely getting reshaped into a new vessel, but the substance remains the same. Yield to the transformation, yield to the rediscovery.

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭30‬ ‭

“morning”

“.. morning”

It’s interesting how subtle the shift is.. going from treating your spouse or significant other like they are the moon and stars to treating them like an acquaintance.

My husband is my bestfriend.

We’ve been together for 10 years, married for 5, and we just had our first baby. I think a big misconception is that people just hit the jackpot with a spouse, and somehow end up with a lucky relationship that has little imperfections.. but the reality is, we’re sinful humans. Two sinful humans, working together to love God and each other, walk in humility, and die to themselves to serve one another… what a recipe for looootsss of turbulence along the way.

It took my husband Sam and I a good 4 years just to realize we could have a productive argument without it having to be a crash-out, emotional, meltdown. Another 4 years went by and our blow outs became a lot more infrequent, we matured, we stayed honest with each other, we knew each other’s weaknesses and talked about them often, we learned from other healthy couples in the church and we spent a lot more time prioritizing making the Lord the center of our marriage… Talking. Talking. Talking. We talk a loooot.

And then we had our daughter.

What felt like smooth sailing quickly turned into a storm at sea and it was as if we barely knew how to communicate. New fears were rising, new emotions climaxing, new struggles & old struggles surfacing, and in top of it all… strresssss. Little time. Little chances for connection. It became that much harder to sit and talk through what we were going through.

6 months have gone by and we have fumbled through it — ultimately arriving to the morning I walked downstairs and said, “morning.” No kiss. No hug. No tenderness. Not even a look into his eyes.

God quietly reminded me, “The heart work is worth the hard work. Everything you do is first unto me — treat your husband as unto me. Love him not because you feel like it, but because i’m worthy of it.”

And so, we had another conversation.

Because when conversation stops, the devil prevails.

When you stay in the dark, the darkness prevails.

When you hide and avoid honesty, you remain numb…

Look in their eyes.

Look.

Humble yourself and see.

You both want the same thing.

Sam and I both want the same thing - we want each other, we want a vibrant marriage, but we’re both struggling through learning how to navigate this season.

We had another moment of honesty. We had another moment where we both realized we ultimately needed God more than anything. We had a moment where we recognized our own need to change, to humble ourselves, to own what we can own so that we can move forward.

It’s in these moments you either humble yourself and come together, or you keep moving apart.

This is why people say they “fall out of love” — which in reality, is just a thousand choices along the way to choose anything but love. It’s an excuse, not an explanation.

What really changed things?

I don’t think it was just one thing. I don’t think it was just one conversation. I think it was our many conversations, with each other, with other people, and with God. No matter how hard we try in marriage, the Holy Spirit is always going to be our greatest advisor. Not our bestie, not chat GPT, not the instagram therapist… the Holy Spirit. Because only the Holy Spirit knows and sees what you don’t, only He knows what needs to be comforted and what needs to be corrected.

But, I can tell you this …

We stopped a few things that were rhythms in our life that caught us when our marriage begins to slip into apathy.

1. Praying every night & reading a psalm together.

Some nights it would last five minutes, our eyes barely open to finish, and other nights it would last 30 with deep conversation, repentance, renewed connection, and intimacy. The Lord always illuminates, humbles, convicts, and brings reconnection.

2. I began to only be affectionate “when i felt like it.”

I traded “do it until you feel it,” for “do it only if you feel like it”… and before I knew it, I was barley hugging, kissing, or looking my husband in the eyes. What we don’t do has just as much impact as what we do — it doesn’t have to be complex.

Look them in the eye.

Smile when they walk through the door.

Be excited when they come home.

Give them a hug and kiss before bed, upon waking, when they get home from work.

Ask them about their day and look them in the eye.

Encourage them in something.

Notice when they try, in their own way, to contribute.

Tell them you love them.

Don’t squash every effort they make — it ultimately makes them give up.

3. get honest with yourself — if you can’t be honest with yourself (even when your honesty makes you feel bad about yourself), you will never be honest with your spouse. Without honesty, there is always hostility. Vulnerability, repentance, confession brings us together.

4. Be a safe place for them to be honest to

A hard pill to swallow… your spouse might not be honest with you because you have taught them you can’t handle their honesty with humility and grace. Take a minute if you need it, leave the room, but remember… you’re a broken, sinful human, too.

5. Cuddle every night, even if it’s 5 minutes. Touch begets tenderness.

6. Have FUN — sometimes you genuinely just need to laugh and not take life so dang seriously.

7. Prioritize date nights

8. Apologize & forgive (fully), often

9. Keep talking. Keep having the hard conversations. Keep being honest.

10. For crying out loud… put the screens AWAY. You do not need to be needed constantly. Put it in a drawer at dinner. Leave them outside the bedroom. Find a 2 hour window every evening where screens are off. Don’t go near the remote. You cannot rebuild intimacy when distraction is your mistress.

These are a few things that have been keys in keeping our marriage intimate, fun, and healthy throughout the years —

God

Husband

Kids

Keep the priorities in line…

Love your spouse as unto the Lord, and fight harder for your marriage than the devil.

xx

i looked in the mirror today

and i noticed how much hair i have lost

how my skin has dulled

how my weight has shifted and my body looks different than before

my breasts have veins and bruises from nursing and hang lower on my chest

but

i also noticed

i gained a few smile lines

there was a weird grief that came over me - the realization of what the body looks like when you choose to lay it down for someone else

the cost that comes with having the greatest joy you will ever know

the way sacrifice marks your body is unavoidable.

but, i can’t wait to tell my daughter someday that she’s the reason the smile lines on my eyes exist.

and carrying her for 9 months is the reason the skin on my tummy is a little more loose

i can’t wait to tell her all of the reasons my body looks the way it does because i got the privilege of having her story not just written on my heart, but written on my body. Etched in my cells.

and on the days i look in the mirror and feel a pang of grief over the way my body has changed, i remind myself it’s because it holds one of my favorite stories i’ll ever get to tell.

i felt a little grief today

& a little joy today,

and they coexisted together;

dancing with each other across my heart and my memory

i let them dance —

did you catch that?

especially when you think it’s not your fault.

Yeah… i’m really bad at that

Postpartum, I got weary.

Blow after blow, I walked through postpartum hanging onto Jesus by a thread and unknowingly, in my heart, accumulating the thought… “I have gone through so much, to have a bad day or a little outburst is justified.”

Mindlessly drifting further from Jesus just trying to keep up with the day, my heart gravitated to its worldly default : pride.

We often think the devil is in the grand — the devastation, the big breaks, the loss, that we miss his favorite hiding places… in our apathy, disappointment, pride, & in our subtle and slow drifting. In the places where we become more and more self reliant, withdrawn, offended..

“I don’t think you realize how you speak to me..“

my husband said after I made a quick, snippy remark.

“How i speak to you !?!” was my immediate thought The next only jumping deeper into pride, “what about how you speak to me? Have you seen how much I have been through & go through each day?!” I’d love to say my internal dialogue quickly revealed my pride, but unfortunately, it didn’t.

Conversation after conversation my main goal : make him see what I am going through, and how it’s his fault, and how my poor responses are justified.

Yikes..

to think we are not sinners in need of a savior is one of the sneakiest ways the devil creates subtle, but long term destruction in our lives, our marriages, and our relationships.

When I am left to my own mind, pride is the leader. I am never in the wrong. How I feel is always justified. Apologizing is off the table. I completely forget that Jesus went through more suffering in His life than I will EVER go through in mine — and yet He didn’t utter a word of defense or complaint, He never once cursed the Father or chose to be a victim.

Alas, He knows our frame, and helps us in our weakness. He tells us to bring these raw places to Him, that He, and only He, can transform them.

thank goodness for the Holy Spirit…

I went outside to vent my heart out to the Lord about my husband. Getting as honest as I possibly could, not trying to clean up my words or sound religious, I just simply showed him the raw and the ugly that my heart had to say. The religious would say God would come down and smite, but the bible says it is loving kindness that leads us to repentance. How the Lord illuminates the heart simply by being full of grace and truth…

“Linden. You have walked through much.. but what you walk through does not, ever, justify sinning against another person. Whether you think he deserves it or not, what you do to him or to anyone else, you first do to me. You are accountable to me, to honor me over giving people what you think they deserve.

Do everything as unto me. Bless your enemies, bless and do not curse them. Outdo one another in showing love, honor, and mercy, as I have shown you.”

ooft.

Immediately my heart softened and my mouth began repenting for the way I had sinned against God in treating my husband, pridefully refusing to apologize, and giving an eye for an eye instead of walking by His spirit.

I am ever reminded that our battle is not against flesh and blood. We are not at war with those around us, but the rulers and principalities of this dark age.

Your heart is washed clean through repentance and the life giving act of walking in humility.

Join me, apologize, for the 1% or the 99%… because you lose nothing when you apologize other than your pride, your offense, and your ego.

xx

Without fail, every year I come back to the same crisis — I hate my closet.

Okay, okay.. that’s a bit dramatic.

But, in all honesty, I feel as if i’m in a perpetual state of having an idea of what my “style” is in my brain, and never wearing anything close to that. I wear the same 4-5 outfits on repeat, but it turns out, I’m not alone.

According to the Pareto study, women only wear 20% of their wardrobes 80% of the time and garments are worn on average 7 or less times before being discarded… The problem, especially in the west, is not that we need more, it’s that we need a heart check, an honest intervention with ourselves & a closet clean out.

If we are only wearing 20% of our closet, what’s the real issue? In part, the insatiable need for more that fast fashion has programmed into us — that buying will cure the longing our hearts, that more will fill our need, or quench some insecurity deep down inside of us. On the other hand, we actually aren’t mentally built to have so much. It’s overwhelming to our brain which is why we opt for the same clothes on repeat.

We think we need more, but all of our accumulation only leads to cluttered closets, full landfills, and discontent hearts…

So, I got honest — having to push past this feeling that what I have isn’t enough, and more so that I am buying an ideal instead of with intention, thought, and genuine need.

I stepped back, looked at my closet, and thought about the pieces I wear most. Asking myself what I liked about how it felt, how it fit, the neckline, the way it laid on my body, and also.. the fabric.

Without even realizing it, I naturally gravitated towards 100% cotton. All of my favorite clothes are - whether it was my grandmas old t-shirts, my mom’s 30 year old sweats, or a vintage tee, they all had cotton in common.

Hmm… what pieces do I never reach for, and why? Yes, some because of how they fit, but more because of how they felt. All of these items made me agitated because I couldn’t regulate my temperature, always overheating in them & never just getting warm but always sweating. They made me stink, they stayed stinky, & they just didn’t feel good to wear. It was as if my skin literally couldn’t handle the stimulus of them … my goodness, if only we’d listen to our bodies!

The Problem with Polyester

A-HA 💡I don’t hate my closet, I hate polyester.

Alas, my deep dive began.

God designed the body with brilliance — and it only makes sense that natural fibers, not stripped of His divine design, are actually healing to our bodies & work with the skin microbiome instead of against it.

That being said, it’s no wonder why fabric made of crude oil, plastic bottles, & other chemicals would make our skin crawl.

Polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex, lycra, viscose  are all synthetic fibers that are chemically derived & basically, well, plastic.

They start as crude oil or shedded plastic bottles, melted at extreme heat & turned to liquid, then pushed through spinnerets to form “yarn.”

Sooo.. what does that mean for our health?

• extremely hormone disrupting, increasing estrogen & lowering progesterone ; can fuel PCOS, low testosterone & sperm counts in men, fertility issues, cysts, endometriosis, & weight gain

• hydrophobic - trapping sweat & heat which breeds bacterial and fungal overgrowth

• treated with harsh chemicals which causes allergic reactions

• aggravates & typically worsens irritated skin like eczema or psoriasis

• high exposure to micro plastics

• captures odor & resists removal during washing

• disrupts the skin microbiome triggering inflammation which ultimately keeps the nervous system in combat mode

Polyester is the king of activewear, and yet it is a negative feedback loop - You sweat toxins out, just to absorb tenfold toxins immediately back in… A sauna in a polyester set is basically a chemical bath.

One striking case was found when an airline switched from wool uniforms to polyester blends, unsurprisingly many flight attendants developed rashes, respiratory problems, and other symptoms, which researchers linked to chemicalsin the synthetic fabric. Wool & linen are also protective against radiation, which would have been protective to the health of these flight attendants.

Since your skin is your largest organ and quickly absorbs anything that comes in contact with it, synthetic fabrics keep the body in a chronic state of combat & inflammation.  Plastics, chemicals, and toxins in your clothing are easily absorbed into the skin & bloodstream, weakening the body overtime. This is a huge player in the epidemic of infertility we are experiencing right now. One study took a group of dogs, half with cotton undies & half with polyester, and after 24 months they found a significant decrease in sperm count & motile sperms, with an increase in abnormal forms. On the other hand, the group wearing solely cotton forms showed no negative side effects.

Women are also deeply affected, often more than men because we have more estrogen receptor sites. This becomes a problem when more fake estrogens (known as xenoestrogens) interfere with these receptor sites, we see estrogen increase substantially in the tissues, fat tissues, and fueling hormonal chaos…

When estrogen is too high, it fuels issues like PMS, acne, PCOS, cysts, endometriosis, weight gain (specifically hips & thighs), turns on inflammatory genes, messes with fertility & more.

If our skin is our largest organ and one of the areas where the body detoxifies, we clog up detoxification. This stresses the liver, the kidneys, and sends inflammatory & chaotic signals throughout the nervous system because the body is being overwhelmed with toxins instead of being allowed to breathe & remove them.

The chemicals & toxins found in our clothing  :

• BPA / micro plastics

• Phthalates

• PFAS

• Nonylphenols

• Flame retardants

• formaldehyde

• heavy metals

These plastics are increasing autoimmunity, oxidative stress, disrupting cellular signaling and feeding the inflammation fire. So many women in our day are experiencing reproductive issues and our clothing is the sneaky toxin that’s undergirding it all.

Period.

For the love of Natural Fibers…

So why do I always gravitate toward the cotton in  my closet? Because it’s biologically designed to compliment instead of corrupt the body & the skin microbiome. These fibers also inherently have high frequencies, which means when they come into contact with the body they actually have been found to be advantageous to health, energy, & healing instead of draining and promoting illness.

A high level overview..

Linen is one of the most ancient fibers, and it was originally used for mummification because of how it pulls moisture and heat away from the body, absorbing up to 20% of moisture before ever feeling damp.  It was also used in biblical times as the priests would wear linen from head to toe when serving in the temple. Linen was symbolic of purity, righteousness, holiness, and light. It didn’t induce sweat, which was symbolic of the way God desires His people to minister from rest & His righteousness, not striving. As decades went by, it was consistently used in hospitals to wrap wounds for accelerated healing and to prevent infection. The hospital beds were also covered with linen sheets because of their antibacterial & antimicrobial benefits as well as helping patients stay dry instead of sweat.

Linen is carefully crafted from the flax plant, and is a laborious and tedious fabric to create which is why it doesn’t come at a cheap price tag. It is thermoregulating so it keeps you cool in the summer & warm in the winter, and is also UV resistant which helps protect your skin. Other benefits include :

• hypoallergenic

• pill-resistant

• anti-static

• supports skin repair

• helps calm an overstimulated nervous system

• cooling

• grounding

• UV resistant

• durable & long lasting — 3x stronger than wool or cotton and can last for decades if properly cared for

• resistant to bacteria & mold

• antibacterial - wicks away moisture without holding bacteria

These are just some of the many benefits of linen.

When buying, it’s important to look for..

• high quality linen is strong & durable

• 100% flax linen, 100% pure on the label

• pulled flax is superior to cut flax - fibers are longer & stronger

• stone or enzyme washed

• tightly woven but should easily wrinkle & have natural imperfections

• undyed & unbleached — it should have uneven tone and texture, natural imperfections instead of looking whitewashed

• european is best (belgium, france, ireland, or the netherlands for premium growing conditions)

• certifications : masters of linen, 100% european flax, OEKO-TEX, GOTS

Wool is next on the list, coming in at the same frequency as linen, 5000 mHz, and containing the same host of benefits.

When most people think of wool, they immediately itch. However, most aren’t allergic to wool but are actually just reacting to coarse fibers that cause a “prickle factor,” not allergies.

Wool is…

• thermoregulating

• actually helps soothe irritated skin like eczema

• improved sleep by regulating body temperature & moisture

• supports circulation - great for cold bodies & fatigue

• creates a sense of containment & safety

• anti microbial & anti bacterial

• helps neutralize odor

I used to think wool was only good for the wintertime, but it turn out, wool can absorb a lot more moisture than other fibers, taking on about 35 percent of its weight in moisture before it starts to feel wet (more than linen!) You don’t have to buy a chunky wool sweater either - you can buy superfine merino wool which is actually a lot like your normal tee. Wool is a great option for working out because of its ability to absorb so much moisture & also repel odor. A wool tee was tested for two weeks during daily weight lifting and heavy sweating, and only after the 10 day mark did it finally begin to start having an odor! Thanks to its internal structure (lanolin - natural wax layer) that creates an environment unfriendly to bacteria, trapping the body odor in its core before releasing it when washed.

Wool isn’t just a star when it comes to daily wear, but it is also amazing, like linen, for sleep. Wool is exceptional for baby clothes and beds because babies have a difficult time regulating temperature, which we know wool is great at, and it keeps babies from overheating or being too cold. Even if they do sweat, it will wick it off of them instead of make them damp or wet like polyester does because it doesn’t breathe. Merino’s ability to regulate body temperature keeps you in the “thermal comfort zone” where quality sleep happens. 

Most wool on the market is considered semi-synthetic, and is actually very compromised through chemical treatment & overproduction, which is why it’s important to keep these tips in mind when looking for quality wool :

• merino or alpaca

• untreated

• natural lanolin retained

• avoid “easy-care”, superwash,” “shrink resistant” or care label says machine washable — super washed wool is chemically treated, treated in chlorine and then coated in synthetic polymer resin (often plastic based) to smooth it out. It’s important to ask companies about their process because in the states, they aren’t required to disclose it. A garment can be organic and still be super washed.

We can’t forget about cotton…

Ah, finally, cotton.

To my surprise, it’s actually not all it’s cracked up to be when compared to hemp, linen, or wool, but it’s still an amazing fiber worth having in your closet and hosts a ton of benefits. Organic cotton comes in with a frequency around the same as the body, 100mHz, so it pairs well and neither keeps the body warm or cool necessarily but more so mimics its own state. Regular cotton comes in at 70mHz and something I realized upon research was that the 100% cotton garments we see today for cheap price tags come at a low price point for a reason..

Cotton is divided into long staple vs. short staple cotton. Upland cotton is the short staple cotton we are most familiar with because it is hardy, grows almost anywhere, and accounts for almost 90% of the world’s cotton. It is often mass produced, sprayed with pesticides & chemicals, and has its fair share of plastics & toxic exposure. Then, there’s extra long staple cotton, literally a different species of cotton with extra long fibers. Sea Island cotton takes the cake here, but it also takes the wallet… So to get the best bang for your buck, & a cotton worth wearing, opt for Supima or Giza cotton if you can.

Truthfully, I think 100% cotton still beats polyester even if it’s a cheap buy, and I’ll always still advocate for it. This is where thrifting shines because the cotton tees our parents wore 20-30 years ago are supremely different, more durable, better quality, & have far less toxins & chemicals than what is produced now. Also, the solution to pollution is dilution. After so many washings & wears, you’re exposed to far less of those production chemicals.

Organic cotton is..

• hypoallergenic

• non irritating for sensitive & normal skin

• moisture wicking

• low sensory stimulating / reduces sensory overload

• durable & long lasting if it’s a quality cotton and can be kept for years keeping its shape & washes well

• it’s soft!!

Tips when buying :

• opt for organic cotton

• Supima or Giza

• Thrift it!

• OEKO-TEX certified

Oh no… WhAt Do I dOOOO!?!?!?

A lot of you are probably thinking.. “dear Lord, i’m painfully convinced and can do absolutely nothing about it because I can’t change my entire wardrobe tomorrow.”

Deeeeep breath.

That’s okay. Nor do I think you should change your wardrobe tomorrow. This article is more about awareness and becoming curious about your own body and spending habits and less about perfection.

There’s zero chance I’ll never buy another polyester piece. I’m sure I will, I don’t have to make fashion a religion. It’s not another thing worth obsessing over.. but it is something worth caring about.

Where to Start

The best thing you can do is start with foundations and build from there.

• underwear

• bras

• pajamas

Because your undergarments come into direct contact with your reproductive organs, it’s important to start here. Pajamas are next on the list because you spend 8-10 hours every night in them and sleep is where your body does a ton of healing work.

Next, I would look at your closet and think about what you spend the most time in. If it’s leisure, start there. If it’s workout clothes, opt for Tencel Lyocell fabric which is better than cotton for activewear, or wool activewear brands. Another note on the activewear topic : if you truly love spandex and polyester for workouts, it’s all good.. 80/20. You spend an hour of your day working out, so just be intentional to spend the rest of the day in healthier options.

Where to shop..

my favorite.. any thrift store

• Christy Dawn

• Silk Laundry

• LA Relaxed

• Taylor Stitch

• Mate the Label

• Brandy Melville

• Q for Quinn

• Nagnata

• Ozma

• Buck Mason

• Quince

• Pact

• ODDOBODY

• Indigo Luna

• DISSH

• Reformation

• Zone (Add correct URL if you confirm the specific brand)

• Unbound Merino

• Organic Basics

• BRANWYN

Thrifting is my go-to when it comes to tees and sweatshirts which is basically all I wear, but there are also so many quality brands like Everlane, Banana Republic, Gap, and more that you can find at the thrift store. I just found a 100% genuine cashmere sweater (originally $300) for $30 at the thrift store the other day… AND it still had its original tags on it!!

A closet of natural fibers doesn’t have to break your wallet. If anything, when you total up what you spend on all the clothes that are hanging in your closet unworn, it’s far worth it to take that money and spend it on one or two quality pieces than 15 items you never wear (or wear once).

In conclusion…

It’s not about perfection, it’s about getting curious and honest. Like I said.. we think we need more, but all of our accumulation only leads to cluttered closets, full landfills, and discontent hearts.

Yes, these fibers can be pricey retail. However, the price is only confronting to a world of amazon hauls & fast fashion minds..

but it should slow us down.

It should teach us that three pieces we invest in can be enough.

It should retrain our value system.

xx

Linden

Peer-Reviewed Research Sources

• Abdel-Hamid, H., et al. (2025). Electrostatic electricity of wool fabrics as a novel therapeutic approach for neuropathic pain relief. The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery.

• Raymann, R.J.E.M., et al. (2019). Sleepwear fiber type impacts sleep quality. Nature and Science of Sleep.

• Chaudhary, N., et al. (2021). Linen dressings accelerate ulcer healing. Journal of Wound Care.

• Study on linen antimicrobial and odor resistance properties (2020). Materials.

• PMID: 39594654

Educational & Industry Sources

• Gaia Conceptions. The Frequencies of Natural Fabrics.

• Branwyn. Good Vibrations: What Science Really Says About Fabric Frequencies.

• Branwyn. Odor-Neutralizing Properties of Wool.

• Branwyn. BPA and PFAS in Synthetic Innerwear.

• MedicUS Caps. Advantages of Hemp Fabric in Healthcare.

• Dark White. What is European Flax Linen?

• Sumissura. What is Linen Made Of?

• Scribd. Scientific Details of the Linen Frequency Study.

when was the last time you laid in the grass, staring at the sky with no agenda hurrying you along?

or sat at a cafe gripping a good book instead of your phone?

or sat on the porch with nothing to do but simply be with the moment at hand?

We run from boredom as if it could kill us, and yet i really believe it is the medicine that restores us. That brings a peace to our bodies. That helps us to reach deeply into the back rooms of our minds, bringing imagination and color back into the present moment -

I remember being a young girl and having no agenda but an afternoon to kill. No screens, no distractions or places to be, just time. The lack of doing gave birth to the opportunity to imagine, to create, to play, to be. We would spend our days barefoot, running through the neighborhood as pirates or princesses or little girls on the prairie, and it was if time didn’t even exist. There was no other option than to give life to our imaginations and become lost in the magical worlds they created. We would go home when the street lights came on with dirty bodies and full hearts — boredom was the gift given to us to live a life that embraced what we had, what we could imagine & to embrace each other.

Boredom is a lost art.

I rarely experience it — with distractions so readily available, boredom is now a discipline instead of a daily reality. Yet, on the days when I lean into and make space for it, I feel imagination slowly find its way back to me.

And my soul is refreshed. Its longing is ironically met. I wander into dreams and thoughts, prayers & thanksgiving, I find myself in deep conversations with God and reflecting on the richness of life. Sometimes I brim with ideas and sometimes I simply stare out the window and embrace the gift of quiet that silence gives.

Relief.

Maybe being over stimulated is actually what is warring against our soul, not the tasks or chores or to do’s… but the ever pressing addiction of being entertained at all hours of the day.

2026 is brimming with revival… a revival of boredom, of slow days, painting, laying in the grass, cafes with friends, books in hand and being offline

May we spend less time setting goals that only keep us busy & occupied, and instead make space for boredom that filled our hearts and made us come alive all those years ago.

the life of the body is in the blood — when the blood gets depleted, the whole body is in a state of deficiency. Our cells, organs, and entire system is nourished by what the blood carries — oxygen, hormonal & biochemical building blocks, moisture for tissues, emotional & nervous system support, nutrients, vitamins, glucose, etc.

Strong blood, strong body.

Blood is made up of key nutrients —

• vitamin C

• Protein & amino acids

• Vitamin B6

• Iron

• Folate (B9)

• Copper (needed to move iron)

• Vitamin B12

• Water & minerals

(in my clients, all of these vitamins but especially the B family are almost always depleted)

The reason it’s important to build the blood is because when the blood is stagnant or poorly nourished, we see symptoms show up like…

• PMS

• nutrient depletion

• iron deficiency

• fertility issues

• hair loss, hair thinning : blood provides nutrients, moisture, & building material for vibrancy

• dry eyes & skin

• anxiety & nervousness : blood anchors the nervous system

• fatigue : less oxygen & nutrients reaching the tissues

• brain fog or dizziness

• pale lips or complexion : less circulating blood volume & low iron

• shortness of breath

• poor wound healing

• achy joints

• racing mind & poor sleep

• feeling ungrounded

• sluggish liver because the liver stores the blood

• facial flushing : histamine is not properly broken down and because the blood is cooling to the body, heat is no longer anchored and travels up.

Blood in chinese medicine is not just a matter of iron, it’s a wholistic view of digestion, absorption, nutrients, and rest.

The best foods to build blood are…

animal based (most effective) :

• grass fed beef, lamb, liver & bison

  • these foods are energetically warm which provided a heating effect on the system

  • these meats are the richest sources of iron, vitamin A, B vitamins, amino acids, etc. The body is able to extract and absorb these nutrients from meat far easier and in greater doses than plant foods.

• Meat stock (different from bone broth, causes less histamine reactions in people)

• Egg yolks

plant based : God designed our food to reflect the properties they provide — red is the color of blood, so red foods often build the blood the most. Dark pigmented foods in general typically benefit the blood.

• beets

• dark leafy greens

• black beans, lentils

• black sesame

• dates

other powerful blood builders :

• oats

• flax

• chia

• berries

• **stewed** pears & apples (important they are stewed — raw is not blood building or warming)

• sweet potato

• nettle leaf

• Goji berry

• Dong Quai

These foods are all rich in essential nutrients that build blood that we talked about earlier.

What depletes the blood?

• skipping meals (no nutrients, no materials to build the body up to function optimally)

• Low protein diets (amino acids are essential, these proteins are also the most bio available sources for B vitamins, vitamin A, copper, etc)

• Chronic stress (stress depletes B vitamins, vitamin D, lowers stomach acid, tanks our detoxification pathways, & stagnates blood in the fight or flight pathways instead of the nourishing pathways of the parasympathetic)

• Poor sleep (raises cortisol and stress)

• NSAIDS & antibiotics

• Standard american diet & hydrogenated seed oils

• Excess caffeine

• Late nights

• Screen time

• Toxins & pathogens

• Dehydration

• Anything damaging to the spleen and stomach because these two organs are key in blood health and movement

• When the blood is deficient, it then causes a sluggish liver because the liver stores the blood

We have to look at building the blood systematically instead of in parts — if you’ve made it this far, you have probably been piecing together that not one area or organ is affected, the body at large is! So we look at rebuilding first through the lens of how we can strengthen foundations, which then in turn strengthens the whole.

So… how does this impact the hair?

Since hair is a direct reflection of internal vitality, circulation, and the nourishment of our blood — the two go hand in hand. Without having the proper nutrients, vitamins, hydration, and also rest that our body needs, our hair takes the hit so that what we do have can be redirected to more important matters (like detox & immunity). When our body is brimming with, instead of lacking in, nutrients & hydration as well as properly de-stressing, our body is built up to be able to nourish the hair, skin, & nails. In short — it’s nothing new… eat whole foods to nourish, get adequate sleep, spend more time outside & less time on your phone, and drink. that. water.

It doesn’t have to be complex, we just have to get honest with ourselves about the areas we are over or under eating, the places in our hearts and minds we are avoiding, the bad habits that we kinda love but don’t love us back, and the beliefs that we hold that are hurting & not helping us.

Build digestion to support blood production.

Build the lungs to distribute oxygen and activate the blood.

Build the liver to replenish blood stores.

Rest to rebuild.

Blood isn’t just impacted by the food we eat, it’s also impacted by the way we think and our stress levels. Once again, our bodies don’t function in parts — God designed them to function as a whole. There is no part that can say to the other, “i don’t need you.” The synergy of the body is inevitably affected when one area goes dark. When cortisol rises, according to TCM the blood becomes stagnant. In western terms, cortisol reduces blood volume & blood nourishment, thickening blood—

digestion impaired, fewer nutrients absorbed.

the more sugar in the blood, the thicker it gets.

increased vasoconstriction, blood pressure raises.

protein pulled from muscle & connective tissues, fewer amino acids available to enrich blood.

Iron, B12, folate, and minerals are diverted toward survival instead of building the hair, skin, nails & nourishing other organs..

the perfect set up for hair falling out.

soooo…… stress. 👀

what are the areas in your life that are the most stressful right now? Pick two.

Grab your journal.

Pour it out.

Just getting what you are ruminating on and stressing about onto the page helps your brain begin to shift from fight or flight back into rest, deactivating the fear center & helping your brain get “unstuck.”

Now help your body get unstuck.

If tears come, let them.

If a yell comes, let it out.

If you need to punch a pillow… your body has some tension it needs to release, let it without shaming it.

We weren’t made to *just* talk it out. Stress & repressed emotions store in our tissues and our fascia. It needs to be moved.

What comes up, must come out.

Identify the stressor.

Once you have journaled it out onto paper, close your eyes and ask God to speak to you — “Lord, what do you want me to know about this situation? Show me or speak to me.”

Keep your eyes closed and wait.

Wait.

Wait.

For the first word in your mind or vision that comes to your imagination.

The Lord can and will speak — His desire is to be with us, not just be a distant person we read about.

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭62‬:‭8‬ ‭

Get into the sunshine.

Walk in the grass barefoot.

Look up at the sky.

Take a deep breath in nature.

All of these were designed by God to reset us in a moment out of fear and into rest.

The mind will always keep the body sick if it remains unaddressed.

Vibrant hair is a reflection of vibrant health, it is wholistic ~

What area stands out to you most that your body has been asking you to tune in to and nourish? Mind, body & spirit?

Coming from a girl who spent more days than not wishing she was done breast-feeding, I’m so glad I didn’t give it up.

This in no way is a thread shaming anyone for deciding that formula or only pumping was the best route for them – if anything I couldn’t understand more why, for the sake of your mental health, that is the best route for you and your baby.

I’m writing this for the ones who feel like giving up, for the ones who are struggling, for the ones who felt like me and just need to know that they aren’t alone, but also need the encouragement that if they hold on a little longer… It could be so wonderful.

So before I say anything else, please know that if I had a dollar for every time I  wish I could’ve just given up breast-feeding and gone a different route, I would be rich! I completely understand, and in no way am I saying that you are any less if you decided to choose a different route.

I went into this journey knowing that I wanted to breast-feed, but not knowing how hard it would be. Not knowing the mental battle that would come with being locked into a two hour schedule, or sometimes shorter — day in, day out, night in, night out. That’s just one part of the story – if your baby has any issues with latching, that’s a whole other beast that you have to tackle.

To give you some backstory — my daughter was able to latch on well, but because she had severe tongue, cheek, and lip ties, every single feed was painful. We got her tongue cut in the hospital, but they didn’t mention the lip or cheek ties, and the job they did was not thorough at all so if anything it made the tie worse once it reattached because of all the scar tissue. My nipples literally looks like a barracuda attacked them, and for the first week I would yelp or cry every time she would latch on.

To be honest, I’m just lucky that ignorance was bliss in my scenario… I really just didn’t know any better. I didn’t know that it could be better, I didn’t know that it could be easier, I didn’t know how to pump or how to switch to formula and not having engorged boobs, and because of all of those things I just kept going.

As time went on, I started to feel the dark cloud come over me… No matter how tired, how sad, how overwhelmed I felt, I had to show up every single time she needed to eat. If I had slept one hour or if I had slept seven hours, I was getting up to feed. If it was painful and my nipples were bleeding, I still had to feed.

There would be little windows of moments where she would have a good session, and I would look down at her sweetly, looking up at me, and I would think about how worthwhile it all was. I would think about how it was only her and I in so many moments, getting to enjoy each other, or how she always gave me an out to go into the other room and slow down with her.

But as things got harder, I started to dread every feed. These oral ties can cause a slew of issues – anywhere from digestive issues, trapped, gas, poor development later on in life, ADHD, extremely crooked teeth, nervous system dysfunction, chronic fighter flight, chronic ear infections, sinus issues, asthma, sleep apnea, tons of neurological symptoms, and even autoimmune or chronic health issues later down the line. I had no idea just how extensive it would all go, I just knew that the immediate issue was how she was feeding and how it would cause so much trapped gas for her, which ended up causing me to be breast-feeding for over an hour every single time, and also arm wrestling her while she would be screaming because her tummy hurt.

Once I went in to Omaha laser dentistry, they did an assessment and talked me through everything educating me on the importance of the mouth and these ties. They unzipped her onesie and were shocked at how distended her stomach was because of all the trapped gas ): They talked me through how she’s in fight or flight all the time and how her body can’t relax. Since the tongue is linked to the vagus nerve, which is the primary nerve that runs to all of the organs in the body and is a major nervous system nerve, it literally affects everything.

“Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” James‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬ -5

The tongue is this rudder, guiding the body in so many different ways. I had no idea just how important it was, but as soon as they lasered the ties, her first feeding was completely different. I didn’t have any pain, it took 15 minutes, and it was soooo sweet. The next few days she was constantly farting, burping, and having diarrhea, releasing all of the gas that had been accumulating… Her entire body shifted, the tension in her body was released, and she was literally a new baby overnight.

Like I said, ignorance is bliss. Had I known that the experience that I had post procedure was what was normal, I might’ve given up a long time ago.

Sometimes it’s a grace that the Lord allows us to go through the hard in the beginning because it makes everything else seem like light work. It trains us in resiliency and endurance. It humbles us. It keeps us dependent. It shows us that we are far stronger than we think.

Breast-feeding is hard, period.

It is the absolute definition of laying your life down, it is the expression of giving your body as a living, sacrifice. I can’t tell you how many times I cried to my husband saying, “I just wish that I could have my body, I just wish that I didn’t have to be needed constantly,” — the pressure felt insurmountable. To be needed to sustain another life and to never get a day off made me feel like I was suffocating… And sometimes still does.

But because I got through the hardest part of it, I’m able to look back and see that it was all worth it. Not only for my baby, to have those moments just her and I, and also for me, but for so many reasons. The Lord was building something in me… teaching me not to quit, not to run away when things got hard. He was teaching me how to walk in humility and serve my daughter before I served myself, which is something that I will need for a lifetime.

Breast-feeding is now some of my favorite moments in the day. There are so many smiles, tears, exchanges, and bonding that I didn’t know would be possible. when we were in the hospital with her at two weeks old for a UTI, I’m so grateful that I was breast-feeding so that my body could create what it needed to help her gut heal and to keep her from getting sick. Being able to be with her around the clock finally was something that I was able to enjoy because the pain of her feeding was removed. I love that we always get a built-in break to just be together, to breathe, to slow down. I’m learning so much from her and the way that she needs me went from bitter to sweet. In all of this, it ultimately got better once I decided to surrender holding onto my life.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭39‬ ‭

Breast-feeding is far more than just delivering milk… It’s an entire mind-body spirit experience. There are times where she doesn’t even need milk, she just needs to be on me to regulate… That’s such a beautiful thing to me, that I get to play a role in bringing her comfort, bringing her regulation, bringing her love. The bond that we have been able to create, feels unbreakable in my soul.

Like I said… If you’re reading this, and you decided to do formula, or go a different route, I don’t blame you one bit. Never in my life have I understood more.

But… If you’re thinking one day you’ll have another child and are reconsidering breast-feeding, or you are in the trenches right now and it’s only hard, or you haven’t had a child yet… I hope that you find encouragement in me… That it does get better, it does get sweeter, and if you need to do a mixture of things, that’s okay too.

In all honesty, I felt like I didn’t have a choice, and I think that’s part of why I kept going. Now, looking back, that was the greatest thing in the world for me, because it got me to week five where everything changed. As crazy as this sounds, I would go through it all again if that means that I got to have the experience of breast-feeding her, it has absolutely marked me for the better, and I never thought I could enjoy it this much.

The two hour feeding schedule will come to an end

the cluster feeding will come to an end

the difficulty latching will come to an end

it will all change.

It can all get better. it will get better…

And please believe me, getting to the other side is worth every cloudy day.

the clock strikes midnight

we’re up again to feed

morning, noon, and night

the demand feels heavy, exhausting, sweet, fleeting, pure, holy.

it seems as if the whole world is asleep

there’s something so beautiful about feeling as though it’s just us two

it’s like the quiet of christmas morning all night with you, in this sacred space

some nights i look at you with tears in my eyes

wishing these moments of just us two would never end

your need for me is so innocent

it’s so temporary

these nights we spend together

i hope i never forget

other nights i feel entirely alone

exhausted and imprisoned by a schedule i can’t escape from

the need for me feels crippling

i’m suffocated by the fears that run through my mind

will you breathe through the night?

will you make it to tomorrow?

will i feel peace again?

i miss the normalcy of what used to be

somehow the two can coexist

We sit with both spectrums, in the midnight hours.

morning noon and night

i utter my complaint

He hears my voice

and delivers me from the battle I wage

i will not fear

even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil.

for You, O Lord, are with me

I break covenant with the spirit of Fear

I come out of agreement with death

I come into covenant again, with you.

I come into agreement with your peace, I release my fears to you

I release control

For my control is a vain illusion

It has never saved me

You have delivered me from battles I never had to see

I choose to trust You, Lord

I choose to let you meet me night after night in the midnight ministry

Keep my heart tethered to yours

On the good nights, would I pray for others

would I look at my baby girl and count each sleepless minute a blessing

Would I cover her with your word

loving and adoring her in this fleeting stage of life

On the hard nights, would you comfort me in my panic

Would you surround me with your peace

Would you meet me in my doubt

In my chaos,

in my fears,

You’re welcome in it all, in the midnight hours.