The Best of One Exceptional Life for 2019

Well it’s no doubt that 2019 flew by.  I published 59 posts on the One Exceptional Life blog. This post will top things off at 60.  Whew! That’s a lot for a woman with no hands. Although 11 of those were guest posts, for which I’m very thankful.

Since I started my blog in August of 2018, this year was my first full year.  It was filled with tons of writing, yes, but an incredible amount of learning.  I had no idea about all the behind the scenes work that needed to be done in order to run a successful blog.  And I am by no means done. Blogging means that I am constantly learning and growing. I think that’s half the fun!

Looking back on the first posts I had written, it’s clear that my writing has improved by leaps and bounds.  Just to give you an example of how bad my writing was, check out my very first post, Look Ma, No Hands. Initially, my goal was to simply share what life was like as a quadruple amputee.  

It didn’t take very long for me to jump on the “overcoming challenges with positivity and Jesus” bandwagon.  And that is what I learned that you all enjoyed. So, without further ado, here is my list of most popular blog posts from One Exceptional Life in 2019.  This ranking is based off the number of pageviews.  

1. Gratitude from A to Z:  Things to be Thankful For

Showing gratitude in our lives is necessary for happiness.  Let’s face it, we all have so very much to be thankful for. And praising our Heavenly Father and thanking Him for all of our blessings is a great and dutiful part of prayer.  

But writing down and bringing to mind things to be thankful for is especially important when we are feeling down and discouraged.  Because we can always go back and count our blessings. So grab your favorite gratitude journal and start the great habit of gratitude.  This all-time most popular post will give you some tips to get you started.  For me, I’ve added the blessing of One Exceptional Life on many occasions.

2.  25 Encouraging Quotes that will Motivate You

Everybody loves quotes!  In fact, quotes are one of the most popular things saved on Pinterest and it’s a great place to go if you’re looking for motivation.  Or you could simply check out this post which puts 25 of my favorites all in one place. You even have the option to request a printable of this list.

I’m a big fan of motivational quotes.  My favorite thing to do is think about that quote and how it can inspire me to overcome the obstacles in my life. It’s interesting to note that when you read an inspirational quote, it’s like a coach cheering you on.  This post is my way of being that coach for you.

3.  16 Bible Verses about Overcoming Struggles in Life

Everybody struggles in their life.  It doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with cancer or illness, losing your job, marital difficulties or simply having a bad day, we all struggle. As a quad amputee woman, I’ve had my share of challenges.  My method of coping is through prayer and searching the Word of God for scriptures that resonate with my situation.  

It always gives me comfort to find examples of challenges in God’s Word.  These humble people who are mentioned in the Bible, committed themselves to the Lord.  Through faith and prayer, they were able to get through their struggles. God never said life would be easy if we follow Him.  But He told us that He would be there by our side every step of the way.  

 

4. 105 of the Best Random Acts of Kindness

Who doesn’t love performing acts of kindness to another human being?  Yes, it’s great to be kind to those we love. But when you reach out and show kindness to a stranger, that’s a whole new kind of blessing.  Not only will you brighten their day, but you’ll find encouragement and joy as well.

This mega list will spark ideas for the whole family.  It has simple ideas, like holding the door for someone else.  But also more thoughtful time-intensive gifts, like making a meal for someone who’s ill, or sending a care package to a soldier.  Do I need to mention that there’s a printable list in there too? You really do need to subscribe, don’t you?

5. Life after leg amputation:  5 Things to Know About Prosthetic Legs

Many people have questions about what life is like while living with 2 prosthetic legs.  This post will address many of your questions. I talk about the types of legs available and the benefits of prosthetics.   What is the process and how do they attach? I’ll even show you my really awesome butterfly tattoos. I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do.

6. 20 Inspiring Bible Verses for Happiness and Joy

I believe that happiness is a surface-level emotion based on external circumstances.  For instance, I am happy because the sun is shining. Joy is deeper. It’s an internal emotion that doesn’t leave you when times get tough. If you’re a child of God, you should know all about joy.  

I have the joy of the Lord and when I am sad because I am in pain, I am comforted by the peace that passes understanding. We may not be happy, but we should always have joy, right?  With that in mind, it just makes sense to search the scriptures when you’re looking for verses on happiness and joy. So here, I’ve given you 20 of my favorites on the topic. Which ones are your favorites? 

7. Overcoming the Spirit of Frustration in Life

This post is really raw.  I’m laying all of my insecurities out on the internet for all of you to read about.  For the most part, I’m a positive and thankful person. But every once in awhile I get sad and discouraged. 

So please bear with me while I share my frustrations with you.  But don’t forget that I’m all about overcoming. So rest assured, I’m also sharing my ways to put those insecurities behind me and give you some solutions for moving on.  I hope this post gives you some courage to move past the things that hold you back as well.

8. Gratitude: Why Counting your Blessings is so Important

I recently saw a comment that said: “What if you woke up today, with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?”  Don’t you think that is a troubling thought? We take so much for granted, at least I know that I do. Gratitude really becomes popular during the month of November, when we start thinking of Thanksgiving.

But we should work our gratitude muscle daily if we don’t want to lose it.  Like the A to Z post I mentioned before, I’ve given you some more things to be thankful for.  God blesses us daily. So let’s remember to acknowledge those blessings. Not only do we take some of our blessings for granted.  But so often, don’t we feel like we deserve them? Guess what! We don’t! So let’s humble ourselves before the Lord, praise His Holy name and say thank you.

9. Amputee Life:  5 things I do Differently Than You Do

In this post, I get really down and dirty personal.  Life as a quadruple amputee is definitely a whole new ball game.  I share how I manage things like bathroom hacks, eating, showering, bedtime and shopping.  Yes, I share some gory details.  

But the moral of my story is to show you the love that is shared in order to create a life that tries to be as normal as someone with my type of limitations can have. I hope you’ll take the time to read it.  Because even after almost 9 years, the reality of my family’s love touches my heart every time.

10. How to Start Bible Journaling for Beginners

This post is kind of ironic due to the fact that I don’t have hands.  So I wrote it from the Bible journaling without hands perspective. There are many ways to journal that don’t involve coloring in your Bible.  I do everything with a stylus strapped to my right wrist and my phone hooked to my left wrist. Not only can I operate this whole blog that way, but I can journal also.

But don’t think that this blog post is just for amputees.  It is truly all about Bible journaling for beginners. So if this method of Bible study is new to you, then I encourage you to check it out.  I also offer free printable Bible verse coloring pages for you to print out.  

There you have it, folks.   These are your top favorite blog posts from One Exceptional Life from 2019.  I would love to know your personal favorites. Please leave me your choices in the comments below.

There’s a lot more in store for 2020.  We’ll be digging into more of our 4 main categories:  Amputee Life, Christian Living, Overcoming Challenges and Positivity.  My Series, Stories of Overcoming Adversity has some great guest writers lined up.  I’m excited for you to be inspired by their stories.

I’ll be creating more freebies that will always be accessible to you in the password-protected One Exceptional Life Resource Page, so make sure you subscribe to get access.  Thanks to a recent survey that many of you completed, my posts will be exactly what you need.

As usual, I’m always open to your feedback and requests.  Whether it be blog posts or tools to help you overcome the challenges in your life, please leave me your suggestions in the comments below.  You can also reach me through my Facebook Page or on Twitter.

Plus I’ve got some great things planned in our very special Facebook group called Overcoming Challenges Through Inspiration.  Join a really great group of people who will encourage you, no matter what your obstacles are.  Simply answer a few questions in order to be accepted.

I found this quote and I’m excited to share it with you.  The author is unknown.

• • 2018 was practice

  • 2019 was warm up

  • 2020 is game time

Bring on the next year and I pray for God’s richest blessings as we move forward in growing in the Lord, staying positive and thankful and encouraging one another to overcome all of our struggles, big and small.  May you all continue to have One Exceptional Life!  My prayer is that I can be a big part of that.