Happy New Year...2016!

I am fully embracing the start of 2016!  It feels good to shed my 2015 experience and step into a year of intentional and inspirational challenges and grow from there; both professionally and personally.


2015 had it's share of awful stuff...things I didn't plan to encounter.  After working for months to get ready for the SCBWI LA conference, I had to cancel at the last minute because I contracted C-DIFF.  It's not something you can travel with and it's highly contagious...and yeah, people die from this stuff.  The (usually quiet) rheumatoid arthritis that I've had most of my life woke up in the middle of the C-DIFF nightmare.  Life halted.  Everything changed in the matter of a few weeks.

That unwanted call at the end of July meant I had a choice to make.  Do I give in to the temptation of feeling sorry for myself? Get angry at God because I didn't deserve this mess?  I can tell you that I didn't choose either one of those options.  Instead, I chose to lean in to God and seek comfort rather than anger; to have peace over the situation; and get to know Him much better.  I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was never left alone once during the last 7 months.   It's pretty amazing what He can do, even in a broken-to-pieces person like me :D

2015 is the year that "hope was born" in every sense of the word.

Here we are, finally at 2016...YAY!!!  I don't make resolutions, but instead have "words" to guide my goals for the year.  My 2016 "words" are Intentional and Inspiration.  I want to be intentional of the choices I make, the things I say and do...intentional about how and where I spend my time and finances (and that's just for starters!).  To do my best to be an inspiration to others through my God-given talents.

Oh...and I want to self-publish at least one more coloring book this year and TWO of my own books through my imprint, Flannel Moose!

I am thankful to have a job that I love - illustrating and writing for children - and ready to take a new adventure in 2016!

How about you?  What goals have you set for yourself in 2016?