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Well, here we are in a new year. I'm not so sure there is anything different...but I have hope of better things to come. So, this post is all about my plans for 2021 at Castle's Story World. If you're interested in hearing about some of my future book plans, then read on.... 
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Who doesn't love a good fairy tale? We think they are for kids, but I disagree. I think they are full of treasures for the one willing to look. I think that's why they are told again and again in various ways. For a couple of years, I've felt nudged to write some fairy tale retellings, and I'm glad that I listened to that inner nudging. Like parables, these old stories have a way of reaching through time with some hard truths that resonate even today.  What is happening to our world? If you're like me, you might be asking this question a lot lately. Today, I just got word that my county has put out the "stay in place" order. Anyone else singing, "I'm so lonely, oh so lonely?" Ha. Well, I'm not entirely lonely. I actually have more people around than I'm accustomed to now that some of my family have been laid off their jobs until this virus scare is over. The news is all bad news and more bad news. (I have strong feelings about the media's involvement in all this, but I'll not spout that here.) Still, it seems like everything bad that can happen is.  But I'm here to tell you that this simply isn't true.
I'm not going to make light of our serious situation, because it is, very serious. But through all this, I've witnessed some amazing things. So, let's wipe off our dirt-smudged glasses for a little bit and take a closer look at what's really going on. This is what happens in your brain when you feel happy-- Endorphins wake up. These are the body's "happy juice" that are released when you experience moments of happiness. They are responsible for fighting those yucky feelings of stress, sadness and pain by blocking those areas of our life. This evidently, is scientific fact, my friends. These wonderful, magical endorphins go zooming through your bodies, like Superman in flight, working to lower blood pressure and leaving us feeling more relaxed.  Photo by Preslie Hirsch on Unsplash So, that's what science says.
My question is... where is the big red button that makes these feel-good mighty hormones when you need them? Can I get an amen? During one of my morning quiet times, I posed this question: What needs to happen for me to feel accomplished? I'd made a list of things I desired for this year, and as I read over that list, I asked myself, "what would it take?" Take care when you throw a question out to the universe. God is listening, my friends.  Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash Last week, we talked about how things went in the Story World in 2019. Today, we'll be looking ahead! This week, I'd like to share some of my vision for 2020. First off, I'm determined to have a plan. I've always been a "come what may" kind of girl, but not anymore. I'm tired to running to keep up. This year is my big step in getting ahead and sticking to a plan. Wish me luck. 🙄  As 2019 came to a close, I decided to make a State of the Storyworld post to update everyone on how this past year went. I have to say, we started off strong in quarter 1&2, but then came the summer and .... well? Life Happened. Overall, Jackie Castle rocked the keyboard this year over J. R. Castle. But we'll get to that in a bit. In our defense, between family moving into the castle, bringing two little gremlins with them, and the death of a dear family member around Thanksgiving, I'm surprised I was able to get as much done as I did. So, here's a recap of this year's accomplishments, in case you missed something... read on-->  During the Thanksgiving holiday, our family lost a dear member. We expected it, but yet, we didn't. We'd so hoped he'd hold on through the holidays, but cancer doesn't follow any rules, and doesn't care about one's wishes. Needless to say, it was a very bittersweet week. In the midst of heartache, stress, and mourning, God showed up. I'd catch glimpses of Him working good out of the bad situation. Some of the glimpses came from small things that worked out for the best. Other glimpses came from His children and my church family.  Ha! Trials. of research? Not really. I'm having so much fun with my research for My Wayfaring Billionaire- book 3 in the Grimwood Legacy Series. I wanted to share some of the cool things I've found and have been doing.  I've been spending the past month making plans for 2019. I know some people like to make resolutions. (Guilty of making and breaking many resolutions). So nowadays, I'm more likely to make "plans" instead of "resolutions." I know not all my plans will work the way I'm hoping, but by laying down a few dreams, the possibilities begin to come to light and hope springs inside of my heart. How many of you are already thinking about the year to come? Are your calendars already purchased? Planners filled with fresh pages and ready to go? Goals, or perhaps resolutions, written down. Maybe this year we’ll make it to March before scraping them? Ha.  Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash |
Author InfoJackie Castle is an author, artist and dreamer. She lives in Texas with her husband, two grown children and her dog, Banjo. She looks for the extraordinary in the ordinary in everything she experiences. Archives
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