2014

It's the last day of the year, 2014 is almost over (or over depending on how long it takes me to write this). Yesterday I was listening to the radio and they were asking callers to say why 2014 was a great year so I decided that is what my last post of 2014 would be. I'm here to say why 2014 was a great year because it was.

2014 was a great year because it started with Mass at one of my favourite places Mt St Benedict

I missed the Mass that I wanted to go to because I was running late, decided to hang around for the next one so I ended up getting to spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament where I prayed the Rosary and then there was Confession. I had a pretty great start to my year.


I rode down a river into a swamp in a very tiny boat. There was some screaming and holding tightly

to the boat but the destination was worth it.

I ran into way more iguanas than usual this year. They were everywhere.

I planted a garden that did pretty well. The peppers especially were plentiful ending my black thumb,

inspiring me to try some more gardening in 2015.

I flew to Savannah and met up with some amazing women. It was so great to meet bloggers in person

and learn that they are just as awesome in person as they come off on their blogs. #NASavannah

I took a cooking class, the food definitely made up for having to wear a hairnet. I so want to do more

of this in 2015. It's fun, there is rewarding food at the end plus it's a great way to meet people and put yourself out there.

I met Teresa Tomeo over my birthday weekend, and got her to sign my book. She spoke at the

Women's Conference I attended.

Finally, I spent a lot of time in Adoration.

2014 was great and I am really looking forward to 2015.

Not Alone Series: Year In Review

June 4th, 2013 was the very first NAS post! How has your life changed in the past year? How has the NAS community impacted you? Where would you like to see the NAS go in the future?

It's been a year. Wow.

Honestly in the beginning I didn't think we would make it this far.

I started reading Morgan's blog just before the start of this around mid-May I think. She mentioned NAS but I didn't pay too much attention because before her blog I only knew about 4 other single, Catholic bloggers so really how many people would there be. Now Bek is not Catholic but at the time I was just thinking Catholic.Yet here we are a year later with new bloggers joining us all the time.

From the very first post I felt welcome and part of something. Jen and Morgan have been gracious and wonderful hostesses and it has been a pleasure getting to know them. This year has been a really growing experience for me as I have looked at different aspects of my singleness, discernment and just life in general, this link-up has been a huge blessing and I cannot thank them enough for getting us started and keeping us going.

The other ladies who make up this link-up (whether they post every week or not) have been so wonderful to get to know. Not just the posts for NAS but discovering their blogs in general and on facebook. It's great to read what everyone has to say, I often find myself saying "that's me, I totally get that." Not Alone has been the perfect name because I do get to see I am not alone in so many things. I even get new perspectives because sometimes I am just so used to thinking one way I never allowed myself to see anything else.

I never knew I was so emotional. I am NOT a crier but posts and even comments have left me teary. The kindness and encouragement has been overwhelming. There have been times I have written something I think, "I can't believe I wrote that, I must sound like such a .....". Then I would get a comment or read someone else's post and I'll be like "okay that wasn't so bad".

The community. The friendships. People say (don't exactly know who these people are) that you can't make real friends on the internet. I have to disagree. I sometimes find myself quoting you guys and I often say "my friends x said...." I tend to leave out the part that x wrote a blog post that backs up the point I am now trying to make.

Savannah. Really looking forward to spending a weekend with some of these lovely ladies that I have been getting to know for the last year.

You are not lost. You are not broken. You are not left behind. Not Alone.

Thank you for a wonderful year of self-discovery, inclusion and new friends. Thank you for being a blessing I did not even know I needed. Thank you for the support and the community. Thank you Jen and Morgan for what you have started and what you have kept going, I am sure it has not been easy.

Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!!!

How has NAS impacted your life in the last year. Share your thoughts, leave a comment. Visit Jen for the link-up to check out what everyone else is saying about their experience.

Not Alone Series: If Only

If only I knew then what I know now...

What would you tell your former self about being single if given the chance? What have you learned that you wish you could tell your younger self?

Dear 15 year old,

It's okay that you're not interested in boys yet, there is nothing wrong with you. Take your time, enjoy them as friends it will be very helpful to you in the future.


Dear 16 year old,

Everything will happen in time, be patient. You are beautiful, don't ever forget that. If some guy doesn't like you for who you are then he probably is the guy for you, no mater how sweet, cute, popular or smart.

Dear 18 year old,

Being single is not a fatal disease. Never being kissed isn't so bad either because you don't really want to be kissing a whole lot of frogs just the right prince. Your standards are not to high, in fact you can probably raise them just a little. Yes you are that special.


Dear 19 year old,

If you give a guy your number and he doesn't call you, a chance meeting two weeks later is not fate. If you can't see yourself marrying a guy then you probably shouldn't date that guy.


Dear 21 year old,

Being single is not a fatal disease. If you're not the kind of girl he dates then he's probably not the kind of guy you'll marry and that's okay.

Dear 22 year old and beyond,

Trust God. Be patient. Build those friendship, real friendships with girls who will walk before you up the isle or cry with you from a pew. Live your life, the guy for you will probably meet you in the everyday you don't have to stop and wait for him. You standards are not to high. No you do not expect to much of people. Yes there is a guy out there who is like that.

There are so many things I doubted, questioned or let other people influence or try to influence over the years. What are some things you wish you could tell your younger self.

Visit Jen and Morgan for the link up.

Most Posts of 2013

As we count down to the end of 2013 I am joining with Sarah of amongst lovely things to take a look back at my most posts.

I am not very good at looking at my stats so some of these may come as a surprise to even me, so lets see what I like and others have liked about what I had to say this past year.

Post with the most clicks

The Seven Petitions of the Our Father
This is definitely a surprise to me. I really liked it when I wrote it and still do although there is so much that I could to it now. It wasn't new to me when I had written it since I had read and heard much of the message before but it really stuck with me then and even now it has changed the way that I not only pray the Our Father but how I pray in general. I believe that my pray time has really grown and continues to mature.

Post with the most comments

Not Alone Series: Patience
Not Alone Series: Preparing for My Vocation NOW
Not Alone Series: What I love About Being Single
The Gifts in My Little World
This one is a tie and most are from the Not Alone Series, this does not surprise me. I'm new to the blogging world and have not really been a high comment blog. I have gotten some great comments along the way but with the start of the Not Alone Series (thank you Jen and Morgan) I made some blogger friends, found topics that were close to my heart, some that I had previously been afraid to share. I found encouragement and support that has really allowed me to open up in ways I didn't think I was ready for. A few of the comments made me cry happy tears, many made me think and all made me feel encouraged in some way.

Post with the best picture

7 Quick Takes Friday #30
This is NOT a picture heavy blog so I am just going with the post with the most pictures. Most of my blog pictures are also taken on my phone so quality is not always max.

Post that was the hardest to write

I should probably say this one since I have been writing it for a week now but keep having to put it down before I could finish to do something else. I can't actually pick just one because quite a few have been hard to put down in black and white. I have quite a few post in drafts because I struggle with sharing them. So I'm just going to go with the whole Not Alone Series for expediency, where I really have to reach in, get personal and put it out there for others to read and judge, there have been a few.

Post that was my personal favourite

The Wedding At Cana
I love this scripture (even more since I read Walking with Mary) and it is one of my favourite rosary meditations. This January when I read it to write something on it I saw so many things that I had previously ignored or simply didn't notice. It was a great reflection to start my year with and it really stayed with throughout the year.

I look forward to what 2014 will bring to my life and to my writing. It has been fun and interesting looking back and I hope some of you will move forward me to see what will come in 2014.

Merry Christmas
Happy New Year
God Bless