After an incredible Freshman & Sophomore school year, our family made the decision to transfer to Link Academy for the 2022-2023 school year.
Alex & Tyler discussed some of their basketball journey on the Courtside Takeover Podcast.
Falling For Charlotte 💚 - 10 Years Later
Ten years ago I wrote a blog entitled, “Falling For Charlotte”. I shared how my family fell in love with the city while attending a youth basketball tournament. I believe we were there for about two weeks and we stayed at two different hotels. Our family from West Virginia and South Carolina came to hang out with us. It was one of those trips where you didn’t want the day to end.
The last time I was in Charlotte it was to see my son play at the youth level. When I return it’ll be to see him play at UNC-Charlotte. 💚 I’m so grateful. 💚
The Resting While You Wait Prayer Journal 💞💙
Benefits of RWYW Journal 💞💙
**Spiritual Growth:** By dedicating time each day to reading, writing, and reflecting, participants will experience significant spiritual growth and a closer relationship with God.
**Increased Peace:** Engaging with scriptures about rest and God's promises helps to cultivate a sense of peace and reduce stress.
**Habit Formation:** After 21 days, participants will have developed a sustainable habit of daily spiritual practice, making it easier to maintain this routine long-term.
**Enhanced Clarity:** Quiet reflection and listening to the Holy Spirit can provide clarity and direction in one's life, making it easier to navigate daily challenges.
The Gift of a Bernedoodle
There are some dates that become part of your story forever.
For me, May 5, 2025, will always be remembered as the day I lost my dog…and my dad.
That morning began like any other workday. My older son and I were getting ready for work when he quietly told me, “Don’t go look at Snow. She’s gone.” I didn’t fully process what he was saying. I walked over to where Snow always slept, hoping somehow it wasn’t true. But it was. Our sweet dog, who had been part of our family for more than a decade, had taken her final breath. Later that same day, my father passed away. Looking back, I don’t know that I ever fully grieved losing Snow because my heart was immediately consumed with grieving my dad. The two losses became forever connected in my mind.
Earlier this year, my younger son decided he wanted a dog. At first he had his heart set on a Bernese Mountain Dog, but after learning how much they shed, he began researching Bernedoodles instead. Before long, Jax became part of our family. What none of us expected was how much one fluffy, playful puppy would change all of our lives. Jax hasn’t just won over my son. He has won over me, my older son, my niece & nephew and even my mom & my sister. He is incredibly smart, endlessly affectionate, and somehow knows exactly how to make everyone smile. Watching him run through the house, or extend his paw to us, and discover the world has reminded me of something I didn’t even realize I was missing.
Jax will never replace Snow, just as no one could ever replace my dad. Love doesn’t work that way. But I do believe God has a beautiful way of sending unexpected gifts when our hearts are ready to receive them. After a season filled with unimaginable loss, Jax has brought laughter back into our home. He has reminded us that joy and grief can exist together, and that healing can arrive on four paws with a wagging tail and a heart full of unconditional love. Today, I am grateful—not only for the years we had with Snow, but also for the precious gift of a Bernedoodle named Jax, whose little life has become a gentle reminder that even after loss, love has a way of finding us again.
♡ “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3
Snow loved to lay near the fireplace. 🥰
International Self-Care Day: Choosing Yourself Is Not Selfish
There was a time in my life when I thought self-care meant waiting until everything else was finished. After the work was done. After everyone else’s needs were met. After the crisis had passed. But life has taught me something different. Self-care isn’t a reward for surviving difficult seasons. It is one of the ways we survive them.
Over the years my wellness journey has included learning about the Go Red For Women initiative, creating a wellness group on Facebook, employment changes, becoming an empty nester, grief after the loss of my father, rebuilding my health, and learning to embrace a slower pace without feeling guilty. Through each season, God gently reminded me that caring for myself was never separate from caring for my purpose.
In many ways, self-care became an act of faith.
In 2026, self-care looks different than it once did. It’s tending to my growing collection of plants because they remind me that healthy things flourish with consistent care. It’s writing, praying, creating, and allowing myself moments of stillness. It’s choosing peace over pressure and understanding that rest is not laziness—it’s preparation. The Resting While You Wait framework was born from this very lesson: Rest. Reflect. Respond. Release. I’ve learned that healing isn’t about getting back to who I was; it’s about becoming who God has been shaping me to be all along.
Today, on International Self-Care Day, I hope you’ll give yourself permission to pause. Drink the tea. Take the walk. Read the book. Water the plants. Turn off the notifications. Pray a little longer. Celebrate the small victories that no one else sees. You don’t have to earn rest, and you don’t have to apologize for protecting your peace.
Your wellness matters because you matter. Sometimes the greatest act of courage is simply believing that you are worthy of the same grace, compassion, and care that you so freely give to everyone else. And if today is the day you choose yourself, know this: you’re not falling behind—you are growing stronger for everything that lies ahead.
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Tyler McKinley + Alex McGlothin // Episode 40 // CourtSide TakeOver
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