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Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away and especially this time of the year we take note of all the things that we have to be thankful for! I tend to get ahead of myself quite frequently on a normal basis but especially this time of the year. It’s only November but we’re winding down on another year and a whole decade! I know that that’s happened many times before, I was just too young to fully understand.

But it’s gotten me thinking…By time time that we finish the next decade I’ll be in my 30’s!! There’s a potential for a LOT of big things to happen in the next 10 years. What traits do I want to work on? What habits do I want to stop or start? Is there something that I can do now so that I can be where I want to be in 10 years physically, mentally and most importantly, Spiritually?

And I’ve also been thinking back over the last 10 years…

In June of 2010 my parents told us that we were going to be homeschooled the following year. I remember breaking down in tears thinking that my life was ruined! What I didn’t know then was that homeschooling was just what I needed, even if I failed to see it for a while. Those things that set me apart from my peers in public school were not something to be ashamed of they were a badge of honor. Eating dinner around the table, a family that stays together, and a love and respect for God.

Most of my fondest memories are from the years I was homeschooled…Long talks at the breakfast table, field trips while everyone else was in school and we had the parks to ourselves, learning to garden and preserve our own food, interviewing my Great-Grandfather about his time of service in WWII just months before he died, and being able to study those things that I was passionate about and loved to do.

In the last 10 years, I’ve gone from an 8th-grade student to business owner! Just this year I’ve written a book, opened a shop, and entered two galleries!

This year especially, I have a lot to be thankful for. Family and the memories that we share, the freedoms that we have and those that fight to protect them, those that go into work every day to protect us on the home front unsure if they’ll return home. I’m thankful for the blessings that I have each and every day; the big and the small.

I could go on but for the sake of time, (Thanksgiving is only two days away and we all have things do), I’ll share one more…

I’m thankful to be living my dream!

I recently watched “Tangled” with some friends the other night. It seems to me that many people have dreams but few go after them. Life gets in the way, things happen and dreams get tossed to the wayside in the hope that someday we’ll get around  to it. I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to chase my dream. I’m thankful for seeing growth and success in the short time that I’ve been fortunate to live my dream!

And I’m thankful for all of you! YES, YOU! Because without you it’d just be words on a pretty site! You are what keeps me going when I want to give up…knowing that when I hit “publish” these words aren’t just going into the depths of Cyber Space. They’re showing up in YOUR Social Media feeds and Inboxes! Without you reading I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing now…to plan what I’m planning and to work to serve you better!

I’ve often said that I write for me…which is true. More often than not I need the words that I’m sharing with you. Writing has become a hobby, a sort of therapy–a way to process the good and the bad of life. To see the hand of God moving in my life. But it’s more than that. It’s also a way for me to try to encourage you. I want you to know that you’re not alone! Yes, God is with you always but often times we have more in common than we think.

I’m not any different than you!

I go to Church on Sunday, eat dinner with my family, clean the house (or don’t clean the house), struggle to keep my phone out of my hands and live in the present, and strive to serve God better. I don’t live in mansion or own a hundred acres, I don’t have a fancy car or wear name brand clothes. I’m just an everyday girl on the search for contentment in her normal, everyday,  often mundane life! Thank you for joining and supporting me on the journey! You have NO idea how much it means to me! THANK YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Until next time,

Bailey Sue