Most people are looking forward to the New Year but I’m actually sad 2018 is coming to an end! This year has been so great to me. I feel like a broken record because I’ve been saying this all year, in almost every blog and social media post, but it honestly was the best year of my life! I truly lived my best life from the start to the finish.

If you’ve been following What’s Haute, you know that 2017 was a pretty tough year for me. It almost broke me. My faith was severely tested. It was the year of loss and pain, including plenty of painful transitions and tests. I felt like I was living in a never ending specter of darkness that permeated every area of my life. It was the toughest period I’ve ever experienced. But amidst it all, I knew God was working in my life. Working on something bigger. Working I something better. And working on me. So I worked hard on staying positive despite all of the negative circumstances in my life, and keeping the faith. Even though I couldn’t see the light, I believed it was there, just on the other side of my pain.

Keeping the faith paid off! 2018 was the year of the turnaround. The year of complete restoration. All of God’s promises to me became a reality. I started the year off with the loss of a loved one which was tough, but otherwise I tried to maintain the positive, faith-filled outlook I worked so hard to achieve. And God blessed me so abundantly this year that I found it hard to keep track of all of my blessings. I listen to Joyce Meyer’s podcast every morning and she often talks about how “God will give you double for your trouble” when you remain faithful to Him. And this year I saw the proof of that firsthand. For every thing, and in every area which I lost in 2017, God gave me greater in 2018. Greater grace. Greater favor. Greater blessings. I’m so excited to see what 2019 has in store but I’m so thankful for the year that I’ve had. I know a lot of people who have had a rough 2018 and I just want you to know that God can completely turn your life around next year, so much so that you won’t want the year to come to an end! That’s what keeping the faith can and will do!

Many blessings to you all in 2019!