Making Room For My Sunshine

Hi everyone!

Wow, it has been over 7 months since I have written on my site, but now it is time to share my incredible new adventures with the world once again.  It has been such an amazing time in my life with doors opening that I thought had long since been closed.  

As storms move through the area today I am reminded of how the storms of life, no matter how severe, always pass and the sun does always shine again.  What we often do not realize while we are in the storms is that when God has things fall apart in our lives, it is to make room for what He truly meant to take place in our lives all along.  

When we experience heartbreak it allows us to know that we do have a heart and it allows us to treasure the precious beating hearts that God does send into our lives, be they fellow students, colleagues, friends, a soulmate, incredible children & son-in-law, or a precious grandson. 

For years I lived with regret of not finishing my Ph.D., but God opened that once closed door and I am now about to complete my first semester.  It is THE most challenging, rewarding, and exciting adventure to date.  I am beyond blessed and thankful for this gift & second chance that I have been given.

For years I have wanted a writing cottage and creative space of my own in my little corner of the world and now I will celebrate my 50^th birthday with that dream also becoming a reality.  I am so very thankful for the incredible circle of family & friends helping me make this dream my new reality.

For years I have wanted a home where I could celebrate life with family & friends, where Curiosity Cottage wasn’t just a name on a website or business card, but the very essence of my existence.  That has now come to pass as well.  I am so very thankful for the cheerleaders in my life who have stood behind me as I have brought my vision to life.

For years I dreamed of being a Meme and the New Year will bring with it my precious baby Eli.  I am so very thankful for this incredible gift that God is bringing into our lives and it makes me even more thankful that I had such an amazing Meme as a role model. 

My life has changed so drastically in a year and through it all I have watched God’s hand at work & I continue to watch Him work on a daily basis.  I can’t help but smile when I hear Adele’s new song Hello.  I just want to tell her, “honey, move on.  He so wasn’t worth it.”  

Sometimes we search for answers we know we will never get, but when the storm passes we realize that we never really needed answers at all.  When the storm passes we are left simply wanting to send a thank you note out into the world – thank you for teaching me to embrace life again & dance to the sound of the rain; thank you for not being who I thought you were; thank you for the storm; and thank you for showing me what love was not so that God could show me what love truly is.   The reality is that sometimes when someone sets out to break our heart they inadvertently end up helping us discover where our heart was meant to be all along.

I celebrate this season of thanksgiving appreciating every little tiny treasure that God has given me and seeking to share all of His goodness & blessings with this hurting world.  As I bring my dreams to fruition I want to now write about this process on my site so that you can also hold on to hopes & dreams that maybe you thought would never come to fruition.  

God will give you the desires of your heart, no matter how long ago He whispered them to you.  Never doubt that and if need be take hold of your mustard seed to remind you of His promises daily.  

Always remember, sometimes the storms must come so that He can make room for your sunshine!