2013 was the year of a lot of big things. I turned 30. Jeff won the city finals for his tennis team. We took our first ever family vacation.
And also, this happened:
And then I was like: 
I know, right?!
(I realize that I am 30 years old and yet still felt as though a GIF from The Princess Diaries would accurately portray my reaction here. I’m very hip.)
At the beginning of last year I set out to write a book. And then in a series of crazy, divine events which will one day get its own story here, I met Jenni and then later signed with the D.C. Jacobson literary agency this past fall.
I am ever humbled by the ways in which I have seen God take my deepest anguish in our story with Scarlette and turned it into so much good. It was enough for me to be her mother. To have the privilege of sharing our small story to bring hope to others always, always overwhelms me.
That was the catalyst for my One Little Word in 2014. As I’ve sat at this keyboard over late nights and early (early!) morning cups of coffee my heart has spilled out words onto a screen and my ever present prayer has been one of glory.
My ultimate goal is to leave a legacy that is always pointing past me to the grace and glory of God and for my words to serve as an anchor of hope for those who are adrift in the suffering.
This is a hard story to tell in some places, not just the scalpels and the sickness but the splintering sounds of a suffering which strained a marriage that is still being mended. I feel heart-pressed to share it if just to whisper an assurance on a page to someone else that they are not alone, and not just because it has been my past but because God is alongside them now in their present.
I am always really inspired by my friend Elise, who actively pursues ways to live out her word each year. She is so intentional about creating space in her life to seek out and acknowledge the word she had chosen and I find that sort of dedication motivating.
To be honest, the glory of the Lord doesn’t need any help from me, but I want to make sure I am conscious of reflecting it always in our home, in my parenting, in my giving, in my relationships and in my writing.
2013 was a wonderful year- I am grateful for a husband who gives his blessing for me to share what is vulnerable, for a feisty three year old who is spilling glitter all over my desk as I type this, and for those of you who read here and give weight to my words.
And hopefully 2014 will be the year that book comes to fruition (as in, someone decides to publish it, basically) and I will spend space here telling you all about it.
Happy New Year!
(P.S. In related news, if you’re interested in keeping up to date on book news, you can sign up for my free email newsletter here. I’ll only send it when I have book-related updates so it won’t be often but will keep you in the loop on progress and dates and such)
(P.P.S. I’m excited to have the opportunity to do more writing in 2014 and you can now find me as a contributing writer at Mothers of Daughters and at the new Atlanta Area Moms Blog)
