At the beginning of the year, one of my goals was to make healthier eating choices. Well, I stink at making great choices when it comes to food. I'm good for a little while, and then I mess it up and I give up on my goals.

I was talking this over with my mom and she suggested the app she's used for about six months that has helped her make better choices and meet her weight loss goals. It's a calorie counting app. I decided to give it a try, but I didn't have very high hopes. Why not? Time for a confession:

I'm a wimp when it comes to changing my eating habits.

I like my food. I like my Dr Pepper, my bread, my Mexican food, my treats. I'm a wimp when it comes to suffering in the food department. By suffering I mean to go without what I love. I know, I know, now you know what a weak person I really am. The only reason I decided to try this app was that it didn't tell me what foods I could and could not have.

I put in my name, birthday, and wight, and it gave me a suggested calorie count. I prepared to stick it out for two weeks even if I was miserable before dumping this idea. I'm now on week two and I'm excited about what I'm seeing. Which is why I wanted to share it with all of you! The main thing this app is helping me do is to think about my food. It's cut out a lot of eating that was because someone offered me something. I'm starting to see progress toward my goal of making healthier choices and some weight loss, without being hungry or having whole food groups I can't eat.

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and share that with you, as I know some of my readers also expressed their desire to make healthier food choices this year. What is your biggest challenge when it comes to making diet changes?

I have the best of intentions, but it seems that there are just times when this blog gets neglected. I would rather be blogging than doing some of the other necessities of life, but those things must be done. This weekend, we were privileged to have a visit from our favorite missionary family, The Jacobs. This time, it was just Mr. and Mrs. Jacob who visited, as their two sons are both grown and busy with their own lives.


They not only shared with us what had been going on in their lives, but they also wanted to know what we had been doing and ministered to us. They are two very wise people that were able to offer some wisdom and words of encouragement to our family. We were able to listen as Mrs. Jacob shared about her father's final days. There wasn't a dry eye among us as we head how God answered our prayers for her father's salvation in his last days and how God provided grace and peace in the final days.

One of the biggest blessings to me personally was a conversation I was able to have with Mrs. Jacob (who I call Aunt Sharon). A couple of months ago, a long time friend told me that we couldn't be friends anymore. I did something to hurt her, and she felt we couldn't work it out. It was a painful experience, and it is another reason I haven't been posting much. I have been spending a lot of time working through all the emotions of that. Aunt Sharon had been through something very similar and had words of advice, wisdom, and a hug of understanding.

Aunt Sharon felt like the final piece in my healing process about this friendship. There have been a lot of tears, a lot of seeking God about what has happened, and some anger. I had moved to a pace last week of true forgiveness, not only for the friend but for myself thanks to an incredible women's conference my mom and I attended with the ladies of our new church.

While I didn't give many details to Aunt Sharon, she shared about an experience that was so similar, it was comforting. Her godly wisdom helped me move to a place of true peace. I'm still sad that the friendship ended. I still pray that God will one day restore it, but I finally am trusting Him with it. It is no longer the burden on my heart it once was.

Last week, I was so blessed that God worked it out so that I could spend most of the day plotting, laughing, and fellowshipping with this beautiful writer:
The other interesting thing of note? I got listeria. I highly recommend you avoid this horrible stomach bacteria. I had a mild case and I still only ate two meals in two days and then ate very carefully for the next three.

While this blog has been busy, I haven’t posted much about my life since I told you that my sister was not getting married like we thought. I’m not going to lie, I have had a rough time the last month. Not only has there been a lot of emotional stuff related to Rose, I personally have had to deal with some people doing some hurtful things. August was one of those months that just as I think that I am going to be able to take a deep breath, something happened and it felt like I had been punched in the stomach again emotionally speaking.

However, one of the things that always amazes me is that, in the midst of difficult times, God gives us gifts if we are willing to look for them. I was able to go and spend a few days with my dear friend and fellow writer, J. Grace Pennington.

We hung out, watched Star Trek together, talked about dealing with hurt in a godly way, ate awesome food, caught up on each other’s lives, and talked writing. I also got to ride the Amtrak train to go see her. How cool is that?

I also met up with a couple of friends for lunch. God ordained this lunch because, that morning, we all had some difficult things happen and we were able to mutually encourage each other. It was amazing.
I can’t even begin to count all the texts from close friends that just blessed me. They ranged from just telling me how their work day went to saying kind things about me. It is amazing how those texts can turn my day around.

August Amazingness was so much fun to run. I really enjoyed all the enthusiasm, and it was pretty cool to see how many people downloaded things when I had them for free.


Finally, I am reading an incredibly moving book, and was blessed with a new Bible cover that makes it easier to move my quiet time wherever I want. This is one of those small things that end up being a huge thing.


So there are some of the highlights of my month. What were some of yours?

Today I wanted to do something a little different. I want to invite you into my room. I cleaned it up recently so it is actually fit to be seen. I share this room with my sister Rose. As she works in town and I spend most of the day behind my computer it can get pretty messy.



This is my writing corner which you may have seen pictures of before.



This is where a lot of our stuff is stored.



And where our collection of miniature tea sets, my awesome books, and Rose’s crafting supplies are kept.



In case you thought I had taken over the room entirely with my books, this corner is all Roses.




This is the latest addition to our room, it is a nice place for us to do our hair and keep the bathroom open.


Thank you for visiting. Can you stay for tea?

Rachelle and I hugging for the first time, after years of knowing each other online.

In front of the Old Slave Market. A very cool building that now serves as a place of selling local art.

It was overcast the whole day, it made for some cool photos.

Rachelle and I in front of the pineapple fountain.

At the Battery

Looking out across the waves.

That island in the background? That is Fort Sumter.

A pretty awesome day. It was awesome to hang out in a cool city, with my long time friend. It is going to make the next Kate book awesome!

So, I haven't been around here in awhile. Normally it is because I simply let other things get in the way of my blogging, but this time, it was different. First, my computer rebelled against me and wouldn't connect to the internet. Next I came down with a nasty cold/flu. That kept me down until we let on a trip on which we didn't have internet.

*Sigh*

Now that I am back and ready to get back to work, blogging and all that good stuff.

Oh, and that trip I took? I will be posting some pictures tomorrow.

I had a lot of fun with my month off. I took part in a live Nativity production.

Visited San Antonio.

Celebrated the holidays with my awesome family

Watched my brother graduate from Nursing School


And watched a lot of Star Trek: Next Generation, rearranged some things in my room, and ate way to much sugar. It was awesome. But now, it is the time to get back to work. What am I up to right now? For those of you who follow me on Instagram (@thedestinyofoneauthor), you already know.

That is right. Kate’s Case Files book three is happening right now. Actually, as I write this post, I am in the middle of a heated argument between Kate and Logan.
This is the time of year we look toward the goals for the New Year. So here is my publishing schedule for this year:

January: Two Tales of Taelis short stories
February: Emmeline
March: Dreams and Devotion
April: Easter short story and There was Always Laughter in our House
May: Tales of Taelis short story and Escape and Endurance
June: Kate #3
July: A Different Kind of Purpose
August: Logan’s Notebook (a short ebook)
September: Kate #4
October: Publish Tales of Taelis F book (yet to be titled)
November: Kate #5
December: Christmas short story.

What do you think? Which project are you most excited about?

Helping her into her dress

The vows being said

Giving a hug to Mrs. Rachel Buster

Together

The happy bride and groom.

How can it be April already? How can April almost be over? God has packed a lot into this year already, things that I never anticipated. Spending time with a dear friend, visiting San Antonio with my Mom, and life's little hiccups have put me behind. My to do list is long, but I am working through it. Today I have been busy writing blog posts:

Working on some promotional stuff for my upcoming book:

But most of all, I am trying to keep my focus on one fact: sometimes God has a very different task list in mind. I need to hold my plans loosely and never elevate my task list above what He has for me.

February is a month that turns many people's thoughts toward love. For married couples, it is a time to celebrate the life and romance they have together. For engaged and dating/courting couples, it is a time to celebrate God bringing that special someone into their lives. For singles... yeah most of the single girls I know try to ignore the fact there is a February 14th or sob their way through it.

What about me? Do I find it a sad time? Not really, but then I am odd. I am very content where God has me at this time in my life. Do I sometimes wish I had a boyfriend or a husband? Yes. So, what does February mean for me? It is different each year. This year it is about For better or for worse.

When life is going great, it is easy to be there for someone. When you agree about things, when you are having fun, it really isn't a challenge to want to be with someone. But what about when you get sick, your feelings get hurt, or when you have been disappointed. That is when it is hard.

Michelle and I have been friends for a few years now. We have been through alot together and in October, I was honored to be in her wedding.

As I said in my look back at 2015, it was a mixed year for me. While I got to do a lot of amazing things, I also had to deal with some very hard things as well. Many of the things I have gone through, I have wanted to share, but many of them were matters I felt I couldn't on my public blog. The events have left me feeling very emotionally weak, so I decided to take a step back from a lot of things I do.

If you have read my blog for any amount of time, you probably have found out that writing means a lot more to me than just the stories. When I write, I spill a lot of my emotions into the words. The stories often are my way of coping and processing what is going on around me. When I am feeling most overwhelmed by life, it usually is because I haven't had the time to write.

So, to deal with a lot of the emotions that have been building inside the last part of 2015, I have taken the month of January and am throwing myself into writing. I am trying to write about 5,000 words a day and also spend a lot of extra time at the feet of Jesus. Even though I have only been at this about a week, I am already feeling better.

I am very grateful that my life is such right now that I could take this time to really step back from a lot of things and focus on what helps me to heal. I am sure, with the help of God, I will come out at the other end of this stronger and better because of this.

How do you recover from emotionally hard times?

There are moments when I am suddenly struck with deep insight, and it catches me by surprise. There was a moment like this as I sat across for my dear friend Kelsey, talking about some of the things that had been on my heart.

"It has been so hard," I told her. "I want to blog about these things, but I can't. If I shared on my blog, because they involve other people, feelings would be hurt or it just isn't mine to share in the first place."

"Why is it important for you to share on your blog?" she asked.

"Because it is how I cope with things, process what is happening, and see good come from it when people says it encourages them."

I didn't even think about my answer, it just spilled out, but in that moment, I gained insight into myself. I hadn't even realized that I had done it, but that is often what my most heartfelt blog posts are; me processing and dealing with something that is burdening my heart. In 2015, many of the things that were burdening my heart I couldn't share with the world. It isn't that they are so dark that I am afraid to share, but more often than not they were things that were not mine to talk about. Even though I am a pretty open person, there are some things that don't go past close family and friends.

It is probably the second biggest factor in why their were so few blog posts last year, the first being the fact that I didn't make blogging a priority, 2016 is going to be different. I can't promise I can share everything that is on my heart, but blogging is a much higher priority to me. I have missed sharing my life with my readers.

Have you ever had a moment of insight that surprised you?