Hi there!

I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself.

My name is Dominique. I’m 41 years old. I’m a wife, a mom, and a millenial manager. lol. I teach Bible study, and I enjoy brunch, happy hour, reading, writing, traveling, shopping, and a good nap!

I’ve been writing this blog for almost ten years, which is absolutely crazy to think about.

Now, my consistency hasn’t always been great. I’ve been paying for this domain for ten years, though! 😂 Over the last five years, I’ve gotten better about showing up, but this year? I’ve been excellent, if I do say so myself. And I’m really proud of that.

When I started Always Finding the Silver Lining, my goal was simple: I wanted to help people find the good in the difficult things we experience in life.

And although my life has changed quite a bit over the last decade, my reason for writing hasn’t.

I’ve always wanted to help people get to know God in a way that feels accessible. I want people to understand that God can meet them exactly where they are and that connecting with Him doesn’t have to fit into a particular box.

That connection can look different for different people.

Sometimes it looks like studying the Bible in a traditional way. Other times, it looks like using song lyrics to dig deeper into Scripture. Sometimes it’s recognizing that decluttering your house can teach you something about making room for God.

Who would’ve thought?

That’s what I love about writing. There are so many ways to explore faith, life, and spiritual growth.

Recently, I went back and read the original welcome message I wrote when I started this blog almost ten years ago. One line stood out to me:

“I am moving along beside you in this journey called life.”

Reading those words today, I realize that’s still exactly what I’m doing.

I’m a little older, hopefully a little wiser, and definitely more comfortable sharing my thoughts. I’ve experienced things I never imagined when I started this blog. I’ve grown as a woman, a mother, a wife, a writer, and in my relationship with God.

But I still don’t have all the answers.

I still believe there’s value in sharing what I’m learning along the way.

The woman who started this blog almost ten years ago would never have imagined we’d be here today. Back then, I wasn’t particularly comfortable being vulnerable or trying things I wasn’t immediately good at. But I felt God pushing me to write, so I did.

I’m so glad I listened.

At the beginning of this year, I did something I’d never done before. I planned out an entire year of blog content. And for the most part, I’ve stuck to that plan!

I’m proud of the consistency I’ve developed, but as I start thinking about next year, I find myself asking some questions.

What do I want to write about? What do I want to say? How do I continue bringing fresh, interesting content to a blog I’ve been writing for almost a decade?

I don’t want to write just for the sake of writing.

I don’t want you to receive another email from me simply because it’s time for another post.

I want what I share to mean something.

I want you to feel inspired, empowered, challenged, convicted, educated, informed, or maybe just reminded that you’re not alone in whatever you’re experiencing.

I want to keep growing, too.

I’ve finished the first draft of my book, and my goal is to finish the second draft before the end of the year. That’s another journey I’m excited about, especially because there was a time when writing a book felt like such a distant possibility.

So as I look toward the new year, I’m feeling a little torn, but not in a bad way.

I’m excited. I’m curious. I’m interested to see what this next chapter of writing looks like.

I’d love to hear from you.

What do you want to read about? What questions do you have? What topics would you like to explore together?

Maybe it’s faith. Maybe it’s motherhood, relationships, personal growth, or navigating life’s challenges. Maybe it’s something I haven’t even thought about yet.

One thing I’ve realized is that I don’t necessarily need to find brand-new things to talk about. Sometimes growth allows us to revisit familiar subjects with a different perspective. The way I understood life, faith, and even myself ten years ago isn’t necessarily the way I understand those things today.

And that’s part of the beauty of this journey.

I don’t have all the answers, and I certainly don’t have everything figured out. But I do know that I want to keep writing, learning, growing, and finding the silver lining along the way.

Almost ten years later, the mission is still the same. I’m just continuing to grow into it.

I hope you’ll stick around for the journey.

Now it’s your turn! What would you love to see on Always Finding the Silver Lining in the coming year? Leave a comment and let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Dominique