November 2, 2025: never sleeping on our blessings

Happy Sunday happiness crusaders 💖

Today, and this week, have been so uninspiring. One setback after another. Taking it day by day. There’s comfort to be found in the blessings around us.

I’m blessed to have my little family who is happy, healthy, and safe. I have my framily that is happy, healthy, and safe. I have my job. I have my vehicle. I have my community. I have What Makes Me Happy. I have a podcast I should be working on. Podcast questions still be sent here: https://forms.gle/tMfuycnfAnpLMhkW9

Things in my personal life have gotten a little weird. I’m still not sure what words to use to describe how it all makes me feel in this moment. Am I surprised? Absolutely not. All I can truthfully say is that the former me wouldn’t be reacting this calmly… and we call that growth. Today, I choose to seek the small blessings I have in my life currently and celebrate those.

When God’s blessing is on your ordinary, it becomes extraordinary.

Until next week, here’s three things today that make me happy:

Leftover Halloween candy, the laughter of small children, warm blankets.

Celebrate what makes you happy always.

Stay blessed,

Jenna/Starshine ✨

Oct 26, 2025: the lie of shame

Another day, another dawn! Happy Sunday, happiness crusaders! 💖

A few important things have happened this past week (and will trickle into the coming week) that, of course, have shifted my perspective on a lot. I’ve been so grateful to be back in Georgia, reconnecting with a few friends from my past, and getting in touch with the special parts about me that make me… me. Without those friends and experiences, I’m not who I am today. This is my public thank you.

Thank you for showing me who I am, what I love, what I deserve.

Thank you for showing me who I’m not, what I detest, what I don’t deserve.

Some experiences have left a bitter taste in my mouth due to my own vices. There’s plenty I’ve let disrupt and interrupt my joy. I depended too much on the external validation from others and have failed time and time again to see my own worth. I carry that shame with me. I carried it with me during my cancer diagnosis, my usage with cannabis (I’m currently 10 days free!) and other certain aspects of my life.

I have a friend (whose name will remain anonymous) who recently shared some of their shame with me privately. Like I’ve mentioned before, grief changes us as humans. We lean into some dangerous vices that we eventually see as self-infliction and damaging to ourselves. They’ve recently asked me to support them in their journey beginning AA and start going to church. As a human in my current stance, I was honored to be presented this truth and am very proud of my friend for acknowledging their own actions and wanting to do something about it.

In short, we all believe others are living their version of a fairytale life while you’re suffering in your own horror movie. Truth is, we’re all struggling with something. We all carry some form of shame for something we’ve said or done. None of us are proud of it, but you should never allow the shame to paralyze the power of your testimony.

This past week, I’ve also been thinking about podcast ideas. I would like to open the forum to ask me any questions you might have for me. I’m hoping to bring light to some situations and a perspective to show that things do get better.

You can ask me questions here:

https://forms.gle/tMfuycnfAnpLMhkW9

Until next week, here’s three things today that make me happy:

Cuddly doggies, my hoodies I can wear in this colder weather, the remote start on my Jeep.

Celebrate what makes you happy always,

Jenna/Starshine ✨

Oct 19, 2025: a candid truth

Happy Sunday, happiness crusaders! 💖

The main premise of What Makes Me Happy is to be transparent in my own trials and tribulations, share honesty about my healing journey, and most recently how I thank God every day for seeing me as a life worth saving and having. Last week, I had (what’s supposed to be an annual) PET scan for my battle against cancer. It revealed that after ten years… I’m still cancer free. Thank God. I’ll confess something I’ve never admitted publicly on any public forum. Since starting my battle against cancer, I’ve been using cannabis…. for ten years.

Moving to FL allowed me to “pull my cancer card” to obtain my medical marijuana license. From then, my usage became a lot worse. My father passed. I leaned too heavily in relationships that only brought me further from God. It always cost me my financial security and because of it, I lost my job in FL. What I didn’t know then (and do know now) that it was all a cry for help. I believed that consuming cannabis would alleviate me from all my pain and suffering. It would mask over my depression and anxiety. It would make me numb to any and all feeling about anything. There was a lot I refused to face sober. I haven’t really been able to process the passing of my father. I haven’t really been able to handle the antics with the rest of my biological family and I. I got too cocky and thought I really could handle it myself. I was wrong.

I made a personal goal with myself to be cannabis free by the time I turn 35 (I’m currently 32). I started with my strongest habit and have thankfully stopped and disposed of all of that paraphernalia. I’ve retired smoking flowered cannabis and rid of that paraphernalia. I continued with vapes until I moved back to GA. Knowing where I was going and the path I was going to start walking, I knew that vaping in my current environment wouldn’t serve me. It won’t serve me any purpose in where I’m wanting to go in life. Honestly, the things we do when we’re 22 aren’t as cool as they are when you’re 32. Today, I celebrate three days sober from cannabis. I can’t lie, there are some moments of struggle and the irritabilities can be strong.

Today, I give it all to God. My addiction to cannabis. My worry about things with my family will ever be okay. My grief over the passing of my father. My stress over being a good parent. It’s all in God’s hands today… and I can’t express enough gratitude.

The sermon at church this morning started a new series called “Life is a Rodeo: Anxiety, Addictions, and Shame”…. And dang, did that hit my metaphorical nail on the head. It was everything I needed to hear. None of us are meant to “white knuckle” life. Win the war in your mind before even thinking about starting to win the war right in front of you. Fear shakes but faith stands firm.

Which brings today’s Bible verse:

“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.” - Deuteronomy 20:1

Until next week, here’s three things today that make me happy:

Wind chimes, tiled mosaics, and my loved ones being safe.

Celebrate what makes you happy always,

Jenna/Starshine ✨