The Year of Restoration

Every January, I look forward to picking one word that will encompass my purpose for the year ahead.

2017 was The Year of Habit

I am always amazed to see how one word can take on many different meanings throughout the year, and 2018 was no different.

2018 was The Year of Provision

A year for me to plan ahead and be less frantic… or so I thought.

Instead, I found myself feeling overwhelmed and completely broken – like there was something fundamentally wrong with me that needed to be fixed. I spent a lot of time (and money) trying different diets, exercise plans, and self-help books in an effort to feel better. After realizing all the bubble baths and chai tea lattes in the world wouldn’t change how I was feeling, I finally admitted that I needed help.

It was like trying to fix up a rusty old car by slapping a new layer of paint on top.
Sure I looked OK on the outside, but underneath I was a mess.

I needed to strip back all of the gunk that sitting on the surface and repair the structure underneath, but I couldn’t do it alone.

I recruited a few trusted friends and medical professionals to help me peel back all of the layers of pain and shame so that I could survive the year. This ended up being a different kind of provision than I had originally intended, but just as important.

By the way, did you notice there is no link for The Year of Provision? That’s because I didn’t write a single post in 2018.

Not one. single. post.

Stepping back from writing publicly was absolutely the right thing for me to do. Everything was too fresh and raw. Now that I feel ready to write again, I plan to open up about what I have struggled with this past year so that I can share encouragement, hope, and some practical strategies with you all.

2019 is the Year of Restoration

For me, a Year of Restoration means being a good steward of what I have, instead of constantly searching for more. It means hitting the reset button on life, slowing down, and taking things at a more manageable pace.

My focus for the year includes: