After a month away from checking into the Faith Experiment Community, a lot has happened in the Floyd home. The biggest thing being our new baby GIRL, Rylin Floyd, arrived July 21! I am so relieved to not be pregnant anymore and have her here! There's something about new life in a petite form that is truly soul settling, even in the midst of the very chaotic environment she came into. My days look like nursing, providing snacks, sleeping, and trying to give my kids some one-on-one time with all the change around them. We've got school starting tomorrow, whoa, and homework coming along with it. One thing I've tried doing is intentionally stepping out of my tired state and doing something silly. The other week, this meant grabbing a kitchen knife while getting lunch ready, and bringing out my best pirate impersonation. Knifey the Pirate found herself being shot at with hair ties once the kids bought into Knifey's story! The hairtie war to defeat the pirate ended in tears from one child. But hey, with the amount of tears we have in one day (mine included!), just one child in tears isn't so bad! I was about to write about what I'm looking forward to for the Faith Experiment, but I'm just going to be honest - I've struggled with the practice, and even desire, to listen to God's voice. I used to practice journaling my thoughts out regularly which would lead to a quiet place of listening. Now, journaling feels very pointless. Stillness and silence feel like work, and the thought of one more voice speaking, even the Voice of Love, has felt like too many voices in my life. So, there you have it. I am in a stagnant state of self-protection. I'm grateful there's no shame or trying to fix this welling up inside my heart. Believe me, that's how I would have responded before my journey of inner healing and freedom from shame. If you are feeling stagnant, flatlined, or just simply not yourself with God, I get it. If you're struggling in your marriage or deep relationship elsewhere and don't know what to say, I get that too.