Wake. Pray. Slay.

wake-pray-slay


I just got back from a trip to St. Louis, Missouri visiting what they're now calling the "chess capital of the America" My husband Rob and I visited the Chess Hall of Fame there where the picture above was taken. I was reminded that in chess, the Queen is the most powerful piece on the board. You know, with the spirit of God living in us, we have all the power we need succeed. We are powerful! We can move like pawns on the board if we want, but we were made for great things!

In just two short months, the Ambitious Christian Women group has grown to over 300 members! I am so excited about this. Amazing women of faith are building each other up every day while asking those tough questions, exploring what it means to be a driven, goal-oriented believer.

And finally, I'm feeling a "pull" to remain consistent rather than having to "push" myself to keep up with it every day. Some things are just MEANT TO BE.

Today I was featured on the Podcast "Fit Inside Out" and I hope you'll give it a listen. In the 30 min interview, Tabitha Sierra I was so grateful to be able to share my advice to any woman who finds herself in that difficult balance of pursuing BIG goals and pursuing Jesus at the same time. 

In the recording I'll tell you:
- Why I created the We are Ambitious Christian Women Group, the spirit of the group, and my biggest challenge in maintaining it
- About my digital branding company The Go Big Collective and why I'm so super specific about who I work with
- How God changed my life and what on earth is driving us to Guatemala
- What motivates me and allows me to live totally fearlessly
- My favorite tool for getting clear guidance - FAST
The exciting new devotional for women by women by BeLoved Ministries Will you help me spread the word? Please share the Fit Inside Out podcast with any lady that you know who you think could use encouragement. These were some tough soul-searching questions that I know many of us ask ourselves!

What is holding you back from giving your call your all? Join the Ambitious Christian Women group and let's see if we can demolish a few strongholds today in God's name!


















Never stop learning, growing, and reaching <3
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St. Louis, Missouri: The Chess Capital of America

When we were passing through St. Louis, now known as the “Chess Capital of America” this Summer - I knew we were going to have to make a stop.

We stayed at a very fun 3-story historic building with a cute cat (below) and lots of charm.

Every detail seemed to be from the pages of a magazine (below), the host kept to himself but this place was perfect for us.  Book through this link for $35 off your stay!



The Green Room - Benton Park


Saint Louis, MO, United States
Spacious second-story room with king bed, private bathroom and balcony in over hundred year old home. Full access to kitchen, dining, and living areas on main floor. Room also has coffee bar with m...

We took a nice walk through the park to a local cafe where we shared a delicious breakfast and conversation. I didn't love the cafe enough to recommend it, but I really enjoyed the architecture of the buildings we saw along the way. And you know I just love a good brick wall!


The chess district was great. Lots to learn and some cool photo ops in the museum, and of course we played a game or two. They didn’t have a shirt in his size, but I picked up a postcard from the museum to send to my in-laws. I loved the big queen chess piece painting on the wall and edited it to include one of my personal mantras: "Wake. Pray. Slay."

My husband is a huge fan of chess. He reads books on chess theory, participates in formal chess competitions, and watches videos of people playing chess. At one point in our relationship, he spent so much time with his chess that I grew jealous and started calling it “Chessica.” But he’s gotten much better and keeps his chess under control now! ;)

We had to get on the road after chess, but I loved the vibe of St. Louis, I hope to return someday!

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BeLoved Ministries - a new daily devotional to keep you rooted in love!

I've just started writing for BeLoved Ministries - an inspiring women's devotional lead by Aimee Kidd, and I'm so excited because today they published my first-ever devotional!

If you've never tried a daily devotional, why not start here? A devotional is a reading that assists in connecting with God. In this case, women are sharing from their personal lives how God has made Himself known. Often by hearing from each other, we find scripture more relatable, and it can help us see things in a new way or get inspired.

It would be a blessing if you'd give it a read, this is my first time writing a devotional and I would love your support with a comment or a click: http://belovedbeblessed.com/god-bless-this-child 
God bless the child
My writing will come out twice a month on this blog, and I look forward to sharing how God is changing me in my upcoming travels. Also, some really inspiring women will be sharing the ways that God is working in their lives. If you sign up, you'll receive an email each day, Monday - Friday. I would love to keep you in the loop!

If you want to subscribe from your phone, click here and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. There is a place to put your email and name, then click "Sign Up" ! If you're on a desktop computer, it's right there on the right!

Thank you for being so amazing.

Never stop learning, growing, and reaching!
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Health Insurance in Guatemala: Expat / Digital Nomad's guide

My husband I are going to try the digital nomad thing soon, and there is so much to plan! I decided I'd better start sharing so that I can help some other people connect the dots, I know I'm not the only one planning to spend some time in Guatemala working online, exploring, and volunteering.

One of the biggest challenges has been determining what to do about health insurance. A lot of the information I found online was outdated, pre Obamacare (Affordable Care Act), or just plain wrong.

Here is what I've found so far. I'll continue to add to this post if I find some new information and I'll make corrections as I go also!

Here's what you should know:

  1. If you're outside the US for 330 calendar days or have residency elsewhere you don't need to follow the Affordable Care Act, you're considered exempt and you have to fill out Form 8965 which is pretty easy. That form was from 2015 for reference, so make sure you have the 2016 one.
  2. If you're not exempt, the penalty for not having US health insurance in the States is $95 per adult per year
  3. You are allowed a short gap in coverage every year—penalty free (less than 3 months each year)
  4. Returning to the U.S. from another country is considered a “qualifying event,” which allows you a 60 day grace period
  5. Getting local Guatemala health insurance is not highly valued among the Guatemala expats, one man said his health insurance is "United Air" (ie fly back to the states for any major medical thing) but a couple were mentioned as options that I'll list here:
  6. You must have a US address to get Obamacare, so it's a catch-22. 
  7. I have a US address where all my mail is scanned to me and checks are deposited for one monthly fee. If you purchase through my link, you help support my writing and may receive a discount. Check it out: https://travelingmailbox.com/?ref=106
Most of my info is coming from this article http://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2015/08/16/5-things-expats-need-to-know-about-obamacare/ as well as conversations in a private group on Facebook. 

Let me know if you want to know more, if this helped you, and if you have any questions!
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Content by Laura Gabriele