This week I spent some time editing our book, which is almost always an emotional endeavor.  I reached back into my past when I was 13 years old, the time in my life when my parents were separated and I became pregnant.  During this time so much of my life changed in rapid speed.  

I have read, reread, and edited these pages numerous times that they have became familiar, but I must push passed the just telling my story stage, into navigating my heart. While venturing my heart I was able to spill my emotions on paper. I do not want to leave out any details that would show how far I have traveled to get where I am today.  I made one promise when deciding to write a memoir, that I would open myself up fully by being transparent and honest with who I was and who I have become.   The desire has always been to share the good, the bad and the ugly with the hopes of inspiring others to do the same. For others like me to believe in themselves and fight to gain control of whatever situation they may encounter.  So why did this process bring me to tears even when I have already exposed so much of myself for years now?  As I continued to write I am pained by all this character endured.  As if I am an entire other person empathizing with my 13 year old self.  This part of the book is leading into how my path changed.  As I continued to type I started to sob uncontrollably and not able to read my own words.  

My family and I have been working on our book for years now and we get together and read aloud some of our edited work, I almost always cry at Sergio’s and Ashley’s words.  This week was a challenge for me, I wrote for the most part alone and there is something about writing out your feelings of loneliness.  I cried more than usual, actually shocking myself when my cries turned into sobs.  After talking to myself and doing some self reflection I realized where these feelings were coming.  I initially started crying because I was grieving my past.  I was treading down the dark road with no light and I was alone. In time my tears changed to tears of joy.  I am grateful that I gained the ability to break away for the chains that held me down.  I am now free to live my life with an open heart.  A heart willing to receive grace and mercy.  This is who I am today,  I am no longer a confused young girl, I am a saved woman.  I cried this week because I am still living out my dream of one day seeing a completed story full of loss and pain come to full circle to becoming one of compassion, grace, love and overcoming hardships.

When I felt that I was weak for getting so emotional over my past I realized that I was actually being strong and brave by allowing my emotions to naturally grieve the person I once was and to celebrate with tears that I am not her anymore. I am proud of myself for wanting to open up my life for others to read with the dream of one day inspiring and touching lives.  When we started this process I knew that at times it would get hard.   That was an understatement as I quickly learned how emotional writing about your own life can be.  I push myself through and in the end of the each writing experience I am able to see why I survived, and why I had to endure so many obstacles in the first place.
I encourage you to share events in your life that have made you stronger.  Start by sharing the tough stuff that has shaped you and that has opened your heart.  As you navigate your heart stop and reflect on how much you have changed.  Think of those times when you felt that you were at your lowest and how freeing it feels to see yourself come full circle.  So many of us have experienced similar situations and yet we do not know it.  Someone we may encounter is going through hardships right now.  Reach out and share your story, you never know who you may inspire to Keep Rolling On.

We are getting closer and closer to our goal of finishing our book!  We wanted to share a little bit more about what out book is about.  Watch below for our story!

2017, What in the world!  How are we here so quickly?  They say with age years go by faster and faster.  Does this mean I am getting old?  Who came up with this conclusion anyways?  Slow down life, just a little would ya please?

While I am thinking about putting away all the holiday decorations I instead reminisce about this past year and plan on the year ahead.  I love fresh starts, and clean slates not only for myself but I also love to hear what others have in mind. What will they make of this new opportunity, what will they be writing in this new chapter of life? I am always excited to hear about others ideas and their plans of new adventures.  I love to share on a personal level. Not the hey I am going to lose weight and exercise more kind of list but the more person stuff, like spiritual growth and spending time with loved ones.  I am not saying that the getting healthy stuff doesn’t matter and that a desire to be physically healthy is not a good thing.  Go on eating well, exercising and drinking that water. I plan on that too.  What I am saying is that any growth and change comes from the inside.  It comes from the mind.  Our minds are the most powerful source of energy.  The kind of energy that can transform.  Being well in our minds takes care of being well physically.  If we take time to take care of ourselves on the inside we can move mountains.  At least conquer them.  One step at a time.

So before I set out into this new year I pledge to take care of myself in the inside and this is how.

Rest (I struggle in this depart that is why it is first)

Read meaning words

Visits with people that inspire me

Watch movies that touch my soul

Do devotions

Meditate

Read scripture

Listen to music

Take baths

Pamper myself a little or a lot

Laugh (not a giggle but a full belly laugh)

Say positive things about myself

Say positive things about others

Pray daily

Listen with my heart

Speak kindly

Give myself and others grace

Forgive often

Show love

Respect others

Share my heart

Be a good friend

Encourage others to share their story

What are your plans for the new year?  What will the words in the 2017 chapter read?

Remember that no matter what comes your way Keep Rolling On!

We have been working so hard on our book lately!  Watch below for our newest up date!  Thanks for following along with us as we complete our dream!

November is always the month when we start to think about the things we are thankful for.  We can’t thank you enough for taking the time to read our blog each week.  We started it in order to share our story and to eventually to write a book that we hope to publish.  This past year we’ve slacked a little on writing our book, however in writing our blog all three of us have become better writers.

Ashley is getting her first essay published on November 15th.  We would love if you supported this project by buying a copy of the Magic of Memoir and writing an amazon review.  Amazon reviews are critical when it comes to book publishing and we would appreciate if you took the time to write one, please leave your honest opinion.  

Since we haven’t worked on our book (the main reason for all of this) in a while we really want to focus on that.  Every week will make a video in order to make the commitment to our readers and ourselves to write!  We’ve been writing for the blog, but not the book lately.  We want nothing more than to one day hold our book in our hands and for you to do the same.

We often get asked when our book will be done and we don’t ever have a clear answer.  We will be working hard to get it finished.  We have a goal set to have it done by summer of 2017. However after that we will need to go through the process of getting it published.  That does not mean that it will be published at that time, unfortunately the publishing process is long, but we will make that our top priority.  

We also want to share more of your stories.  We’ve started a series to interview people to find out what it is that keeps them rolling on.  Next week you’ll get to read about someone other than us!  Let us know if you want to share your story with us, and remember we all have a story.  The story you have and the life you have is good enough for us.  It doesn’t not have to be extravagant, or over the top.  You do not need to have been through something tragic in order to have a story.  In fact we like simple day to day stories.

Here is our first video to promise to get our book done!  If you hear a slight scream in the background that’s our 17 year old son pouring cold water on our 8 year old daughter.  Our house really is chaotic most days, but we’re going to push through that!

Thanks for being an amazing support system.