I was reading one of my old journals the other day, and I couldn’t help but stop and think about what a ride life has been.
Quite the roller coaster.
There have been so many ups and downs. So many moments when my heart was broken. There has been pain. There has been sorrow.
BUT…there has also been so much joy.
Laughter. Answered prayers. Beautiful surprises. Even miracles.
God is still writing your story.
And most importantly… I am still here.
Reading those old pages reminded me of something I needed to remember.
Life is like that..you win some….you lose some. What matters is staying the version of yourself you were made to be and keeping a great attitude. God is still writing your story.
The things that once felt impossible did not last forever.
Some of the people I thought would always be part of my life slowly disappeared. Some disappointed me. Others simply drifted away.
The things I once held on to so tightly don’t seem to matter nearly as much anymore.
I’ve been wounded. I’ve healed. And now I carry beautiful scars that remind me of where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. Happens to all of us, doesn’t it? Because life is like that. And as long as you are alive and breathing today….that is what matters.
That gave me hope.
And it made me want to start writing again.
I haven’t written consistently in a while, but I want to change that. Writing has always felt like therapy for me. It helps me sort through my thoughts. It helps me understand what I’m feeling. It gives me a place to hold on to memories, lessons, and the little moments I never want to forget.
When I look back at words I wrote years ago, I see how far God has brought me. I see prayers that were answered. I see growth I didn’t notice while I was living through it. And I remember that hard seasons do end.
Maybe someone else needs that reminder too.
I want to write for the person who feels like they are walking through life alone. The one who feels unseen, unheard, or invisible.
I want to write for the person who feels left behind. The one who keeps comparing their life to everyone else’s and wonders if they will ever catch up.
I want to write for the person who used to smile with ease but now feels like that spark has faded.
I want to write for you.
Yes… you.
The dreamer who once had big hopes and big plans but now feels stuck—the one who is constantly distracted and wonders where your passion went.
The one who is searching for purpose. The one who is in a season of change and keeps asking, “How do I get from here to there?”
The one whose path feels blurry. The one who sometimes wonders if you’re really living or simply existing.
I want this to be for the person who wants to grow but feels like life has stood still. The one who quietly asks, “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”
Because sometimes life is really lifing.
And if we’re honest, being an adult can feel really hard.
They call it adulting.
Yo!
In this series, I’ll share pieces of my own story. The resilience. The courage. The hope against all odds. I’ll share the mistakes I made, the victories I’ve celebrated, and the lessons I learned along the way.
I’ll tell you how God’s favor and grace have been written all over my life.
I’ll tell you how I was probably one of the least qualified people to become a parent, and yet today, people ask me for parenting advice and hacks. If you had told me that years ago, I would have laughed.
I think my first piece will be called “I Still Smile.”
Is that catchy enough?
LOL!
I’ll also share the stories of incredible people who have faced what once seemed impossible. Some have made it through. Others are still in the middle of their battles. Yet they keep showing up with courage, resilience, and hope, one day at a time.
I truly hope you’ll join me for this new series, Stories by Esther, which I simply call You Are Not Alone.
My hope is that these stories will go hand in hand with the vlogs I’m creating too. (Now I just need to stay consistent with those as well!)
If even one story helps someone pause… reflect… and remember they are not alone…
Then every word will be worth writing.
*Share this blog post with someone and follow along as I try to figure out how to add a subscription button. And smile.