Hey My Friends:

December 1st—here we are. The last month of the year. The final stretch. The moment where we’re standing at the edge of 2025 like, “Welp… that was a ride,” while trying not to trip over wrapping paper, unfinished goals, and whatever Christmas chaos we pretended we could handle back in November.

It’s that strange time where one foot is in holiday madness and the other is already kicking the door of a brand-new year like, “Hello? Is it safe in there?”
Spoiler: probably not, but we’re going anyway.

And look, if we can find even five minutes to breathe before the New Year reset kicks in, this is our chance to reflect on what we survived, what we learned, what we outgrew, and what we need to release.
And yes—some things need to be RELEASED with a capital “R”:
Jobs… old “friends”… questionable diets… and let’s not forget Minnesota air that froze our souls and crushed our Texas-loving spirits on day one.

Listen, the year behind me was not perfect. If anything, it looked like a sitcom gone wrong:

·       I moved to Minnesota for a job opportunity.

·       Then I moved BACK to work from home.

·       Then I survived a boss who could’ve been the villain in a lifetime movie. Smiled in front of everybody but talked about you behind closed doors.

·       Survived HR. I always thought I wanted to be in HR to help people but my friends HR they’re about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

But here’s the beauty:
The year ahead is fresh, untouched, and wide open—like a clean sheet of paper God already wrote victory on.

Because what the enemy meant for evil?
God flipped it, remixed it, and turned it into a testimony with sparkle.

I’ve learned to draw lines in the sand (Texas sand, not Minnesota snowbanks), protect my peace, and shut the door—quietly but firmly—on anyone who thinks they can bring chaos into my space. And this holiday season, I am viewing it like:

·       a heart grateful for what stayed.

·       a mind clear about what CANNOT follow me into tomorrow.

·       a spirit ready for direction.

·       a woman who knows exactly who she is in Christ

·       and a family I love, adore, and learn from daily.

And now, my friends, we arrive at the question of the season:

What are we carrying forward… and what are we FINALLY putting down?
Because some things need to stay in 2025 permanently—like Minnesota winters, bad leadership, who I would like to extend an olive branch and gift her a laser hair removal coupon for her chin hair. (Petty, I know and God and I are still working through some things), but my most important lesson is the idea that we should never settle for less than peace, joy, and common sense.

Here’s to new beginnings, new direction, and God going ahead of us into a year we haven’t even stepped into yet.

Scripture for our new year:
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” — Isaiah 43:19

Cheers to fresh starts, warm weather (in Jesus’ name), and never letting anyone steal our sparkle again.

Love y’all,
Your girl who has officially thawed out from Minnesota and moved on to flip flops in the Texas sand and eating some homemade tamales.

From Your Friend, Me