---

This November will be different.

Prior to starting this post, I was reflecting on Novembers-past. As expected, last year’s comes to mind first. Yesterday, Nov 1st, marked the one year anniversary of the day my teenage daughter and I moved into the lake house with my husband. At that time, he and I had already been married for 3 months and still living seperately….so it was definitely a joyous and welcomed move! However, it brought with it a sort of chaos that is hard to describe, and during an already chaotic holiday season, it was a period of deep personal struggle for me.

Big life changes are always challenging, and more so when there are multiple ones at once. Between Nov 2023 and Nov 2024 I had helped my fiancé (now husband) move out of his home and into his new digs on the water, planned (and celebrated) our amazing wedding, embarked on the surname change that would end up taking me well over a year to complete, dealt with my husband’s sudden job loss, and sold my home and moved so that our family could be under one roof. Keep in mind that there were also 3 dogs in the picture, and you can only imagine how high the stress level was! If that wasn’t enough, my daughter was in the beginning of her senior year of high school and college admission was in full swing. Size-wise we were squeezing our previous combined 6100 sq ft of living space into our now 2300 sq ft of humble abode. No matter how much time we spent unpacking, sorting, and settling in, it took us over a month to clear enough space from floors and counters to feel any sense of comfort. As a result, November became a blip on the radar, and while we were trying our best to do the necessary fall nesting (see previous post), it was not peaceful in any way. Husband and wife, houses, high school, holidays…you get the picture.

Don’t get me wrong, my life has included plenty of wonderful Novembers, filled with many things to be grateful for. I’ve always loved Thanksgiving (a time dedicated to focusing on our blessings), spending many of them taking enjoyable trips to Texas to be with my family! But overall, the holiday season for me has equaled an overactive squirrel brain, stressed out nervous system, and an easy excuse for overindulgence. Food, drink, shopping… you name it. In my attempt to calm the storm brewing inside of me, I reached for what I thought would comfort me. But it never truly did. If anything, it only deepened the ache.

The months after the holidays came and went, yet I still felt lost. I was unfulfilled in my work, trying to stay strong as my husband dealt with the loss of a friend and then his father, and dealing with new waves of grief surrounding the death of my first husband in 2019. As our daughter stepped closer to high school graduation and adulthood, her dad’s absence was felt in a new and painful way. It was all becoming more than I could bear.

But God had other plans for me. In the spring, some pieces of my life started to come together, while others were shattered. But each step and stumble was necessary to lay the foundation of what would become my fertile field. Growth was on the horizon, and a new season was coming. So I repeat….this November will be different.

Those seeds I mentioned, they started very small. Planted out of desperation at first, but over time they’ve grown into something deeper – a fulfilling mission to uncover my purpose and discover what God intends to harvest from my life. Anchored in that fertile soil of necessary change, now each day it’s the smallest choices, the minuscule yet meaningful ones, that make all the difference. Moment by moment, minute by minute, seed by seed. Does this mean that there are no challenges in life right now? Not at all. Our home remodel plans are still in a holding pattern. Job situations are in flux. We are figuring out life as empty-nesters and supporting our daughter on her life’s adventure. But the soil is rich, the roots are deep, and God is our Master Gardener. So this November, I am staying rooted. Rooted in grace. Rooted in peace. Rooted in my purpose and my WHY. Rooted in Christ and trusting in His will for my life.

I’d love to share a few of the changes and choices that shaped where I am today. And since I’m a list lover at heart, here are some of the seeds I’ve been planting in my own Garden of Eden:

• Today marks 5 months free from alcohol. This was NOT a miniscule choice, but a life-altering shift that has enabled me to be fully present….for myself, for my loved ones, and for my Savior. I used to reach for a glass to unwind; now I reach for peace, prayer, and purpose.
• I begin each day with intention. Whether I have 1 minute or 1 hour, I warm up my cup of Mojo, throw open the curtains to welcome the day, and spend time in the Living Word of Scripture.
• I started my own business. Backed by a company with strong values, a supportive community, and life-changing products, I am flourishing and stepping boldly into what I was meant to do.
• I started writing again. This blog has become my space to share my story, and my testimony, with anyone willing to listen. My hope is simple: that the pieces of my journey, the lessons learned, and the way I’ve come to see the world might make even one person’s day a little brighter.
• I trust myself. If I feel like digging in the dirt, I do it. When I think of a friend I’d like to see, I call them. If I’m needing a hug from a loved one, I ask for it. I have stopped second-guessing what I should or shouldn’t do and instead trust my inner instinct and the gentle nudges from God. Life has gotten a lot simpler with this mindset, and I spend a lot less time ruminating or wallowing in self-doubt.
• I see a therapist…regularly! Having a trusted professional who also shares my strong faith has been life-saving for me. I credit her greatly with the growth I have been able to achieve and the shedding of old layers that have weighed me down for so long.
• I create space for what is important to me. Our time is precious, and when we are trying to be everything and everywhere, burnout is inevitable. Living with intention means taking the time to understand the role something (or someone) has in our lives, and then deciding how much of our energy we give to it.
• I LOVE myself. I have carefully cultivated a self-love that cannot be broken. I love what I stand for. And I wear my crown as the daughter of the King with my head held high.

This November will be different. This holiday season will be filled with peace. The stormy seas of my life have settled into calmer waters, and I can finally see clearly into the distance. Now I begin to reap the harvest…watching God’s plan for my life unfold, one intentional step at a time. I am learning patience. I am walking in purpose. And I am going “all in” on what this beautiful month has in store.

May your November (and every month that follows) find you grounded in grace, rooted in peace, and open to the quiet miracles that bloom when you trust in God’s timing.