10 Things I’m Grateful for in 2024

As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve been reflecting on all the blessings this year has brought. 2024 has been a year of growth, joy, and new adventures, and I’m so thankful for the many ways the Lord has surprised and delighted me! Here are 10 things I’m especially grateful for in 2024:

10 Things I’m Grateful for in 2024

1. My Faith

My faith anchors me, and I’m deeply grateful for my relationship with the Lord! His way is always better. My human nature is always tempted to stray and go it on my own, but thankfully, my Good Shepherd gently pulls me back. I give Him all the honor, glory, and praise for everything in my life! THIS little book is reminding me that HE is the gift this season. THIS song is playing on repeat right now!

2. Family

Whether it’s a FaceTime, a phone call, or a sweet family reunion (like we’re having this week!), staying close to the people I love most has been such a gift this year. None of our kids live nearby, but we do our best to stay close! (In fact, I wrote an entire post about how we stay close to our kids who live far away.) My family is so supportive of what I do, and I loved that they all agreed to join me for THIS recent post.

3. Empty Nest Adventures

This season of life has given me the freedom to travel to exciting places, learn new skills, and embrace all the possibilities that come with an empty nest. We took a fun trip to Baha Mar in the Bahamas in August, and we’re SO enjoying our little loft in Waco! In 2025, we’re looking forward to getting back into our newly rebuilt condo on Sanibel Island. (It’s been out of commission since Hurricane Ian in October 2022!)

4. Health & Wellness

I’ve been intentional about caring for my physical health this year, and I’m grateful for the energy it’s brought! I’ve been focusing on balance and strength training, stress management, eating more protein, and getting more sleep. I cannot believe how good it feels to be strong 💪. If you haven’t started strength training, I would encourage you to prioritize it!

5. Friends

Bob and I joined a new church about 2 years ago. Getting to know the other empty nesters in our Sunday School class has been such a gift! Not only that, but having our loft in Waco has helped us reconnect with friends from college (and make some new friends, too!)

6. You – My Readers & Followers

The Empty Nest Blessed community inspires and uplifts me every single day. I can’t believe I’m in my 10th year of Empty Nest Blessed! I’m so thankful for your support, engagement, and friendship. THANK YOU for shopping with my links! You enable me to keep doing this job I love so much! That said, I couldn’t do what I do without my sweet assistant, Beth, my photographer husband, and my tech team at WP Barista.

Serving, blessing, inspiring, and hopefully encouraging you is my honor and privilege! I’m especially grateful when you share Empty Nest Blessed with others! It’s truly the best thing you can do for me!

7. Simple Pleasures

I find so much joy in life’s little things—cozy blankets, lingering over a meal with Bob, a snuggle from Lily, a good book, or a warm cup of tea. (THESE are my favorite holiday teas!)

8. New Opportunities

This year has opened doors I didn’t expect, and I’m so thankful the Lord gave me the courage and faith to step through them. From TV appearances and podcasts to speaking to groups and working with brands I love, I’m so grateful! Want me to speak to your group? Click HERE for more information, or email me at [email protected].

9. Technology

It can get a bad rap, but I like to think of technology as a helpful tool! Kind of like my car is a vehicle (literally 😂) that helps me get from one place to another—technology enables me to work from home and allows me to share helpful information with you. It enables my husband to take all of my photos (on a phone!) and lets me find the best deals to share with you. (Not to mention, it makes staying in touch with family and friends so easy…I’m grateful!)

I hope you’re following me in ALL the places. It really helps me when you like, comment and especially share my social media posts! I share so much of my life on Instagram and Facebook, and especially on my Stories. (Watch this week for BTS content of my week with my family!) I’ve also got tons of content on Pinterest, and I’m trying to do better about putting things up on my YouTube Channel. Finally, be sure you’re following me on my LTK, ShopMy, and Amazon shops! I don’t want you to miss a THING! 😊

10. Hope for the Future

Gratitude fuels hope, and I’m filled with excitement and faith for all that’s ahead. I can’t believe that I’m in my 10th year of sharing content with you on Empty Nest Blessed! When I started out 10 years ago, everyone was blogging. This field has gotten more and more crowded, with most content creators shifting away from blogs to a combo of social media and newsletters. Their focus is largely on selling fashion and beauty products.

Here at ENB, my mission hasn’t changed! It’s still to encourage, inspire, and bless you in your empty nest. Of course, we all need to buy things, and I’ll always share my recommendations with you, but only this blog allows me to share the content I really care about the most. I won’t stop writing about ALL aspects of life in the empty nest, from parenting adult kids, marriage, and travel to beauty, style, and health and wellness.

In January, we’ll be giving you the opportunity to weigh in on the future of Empty Nest Blessed. I want to spend more time with my family, and this more-than-full-time job will need to shift in order for Empty Nest Blessed to continue. I need your input to know what kind of content you value the most, and what you consider the most effective way to deliver that content. This information will help us streamline things as we consider the future. 😊

This year has been a beautiful reminder to embrace the blessings, both big and small, with an open heart. What are you most thankful for in 2024? Let’s count our blessings together! Let me know in the comments what you’re grateful for, okay?

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Ready to shop the Black Friday/Cyber Week sales? We’ve done the work for you and rounded them up in one convenient spot so you can shop efficiently and then get back to counting your blessings and enjoying your family. Click the banner below to see them.