Hilarious, right? 🙂

Before I start, I just want to say, I am totally NOT against New Year’s Resolutions! I have always loved setting big and small goals at the start of every year, but for some reason I just feel different about it this year…

Maybe it’s because I had some huuuuuge ideas and standards I had set for myself at the beginning of last year, and then especially when we moved to Tulsa in May. I had lists upon lists of things I needed to accomplish in order for me to feel fulfilled and valued as a person, woman, wife, entrepreneur, etc.

Then, God asked me if He could have it all. So I gave it to Him!

I’m thankful.

I’m humbled.

I’m overjoyed.

As I continue to rely on Him, He continues to show me His will for my life. It’s found in His perfect Word. He’s shown me that the thoughts, fears and doubts that were all in my head are straight from the chatterbox – Satan himself.

The Enemy has to shout his threats because, although he can distract us and disarm us, he knows he ultimately can’t destroy us. If God wants us to hear and know and obey His voice, he whispers. You know why?

He whispers because He’s close.

And He’s saying,

Try again.

Don’t hold back.

You’re closer than you think.

Nothing is wasted. 

Oh how eager and ecstatic I am to get back into this. Into the blog where I met so many new faces and friends. Into the business where I was a part of turning houses into homes, giving brides their dream weddings, rebranding small businesses into big businesses, turning a 2D sketch into a 3D rendering, stretching my brain through paintings and murals, turning paper patterns into articles of clothing, transforming digital designs to physical designs, sharing nutrition tips and tricks so that we can take care of the bodies we’ve been blessed with to the best of our abilities. OH HOW I’M SO THANKFUL.

I’m appreciative of God’s grace, guidance and direction. And, I’m incredibly grateful for you. YOU, reading this right now. You motivate me more than you even know. You are an incredible blessing, and I know, right now, God is moving in your life whether you realize it or not. He is with you, He knows, and He’s here to diffuse the fire of your chatterbox with a simple whisper. 

This journey is one that has to be taken one breath at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time. I want to choose to be patient. To enjoy every single moment of every single day. For me, that means not doing New Year’s resolutions this year.

It’s hard for me. I typically work best when I have a list and I check it off as quickly as possible. I move, and get things done. But, maybe it’s time to breathe while I’m doing it, and find joy in each step? (NOTE: I’ve tried that this week and it’s really working! :))

I’m so overwhelmed by you guys. Your encouragement, your love, your support, your stories, your lives that you share with me everyday. THANK YOU. I think it’s time I buy you each a cup of coffee so we can swap stories and laugh about what our ridiculous chatterboxes told us and how we slapped it in the face.

-ash