/rəˈbound,ˈrēˌbound/

1. bounce back through the air after hitting a hard surface or object.

I am filled with gratitude this week for many things but today wanted to share one of them in particular. Less than 5 years ago I was devastated and broken. I had endured many hard things in life but my 10 year marriage ending unexpectedly probably took the cake. I found myself newly single, jobless and scared of the future. The entire decade of this marriage I was a stay-at-home mom so I had no idea how I was going to support myself. I did have a career before I started having kids but it was in a big city with a lot of opportunity in my industry. Things were much different in Amarillo, Texas so I was going to have to be creative as moving was not an option.

Many days I wanted to curl up and stop living but then I would hear my mother’s voice in my head: GET UP and put your big girl panties on. She never babied us or tolerated idleness--which is something I'm grateful for now--so that’s what I did. I picked myself up and kept moving. Even through this most painful time of my life, it's amazing the doors that kept opening in front of me. I interviewed for a few jobs but nothing seemed to fit and then all the sudden, the opportunity to buy an existing bakery presented itself.

The crazy thing was, she was selling for the exact amount I received in my divorce settlement. I paid her cash, went all in with no backup plan and here we are today. From starting out with just a few employees (and me working 15 hour days getting it off the ground) to now. We have two locations and 12 employees and I feel like it's only the beginning.

After hitting a hard wall and having the wind knocked out of me, I bounced back!  In a place where I couldn't see a path forward--emotionally and literally--God made a way. I could never have dreamed something so sour would turn into such a sweet blessing.

He can take any hard hit, devastation or impossibility and create a rebound story for you. No matter how great the pain; how sour the situation, He CAN turn it sweet.

The icing on the cake is this year I fell in love with my oven guy!  When it felt like I might just be single forever, here comes this man straight into my bakery kitchen.  We literally met in the kitchen where this rebound story all started; the same kitchen where I worked late into the night, heartbroken making sweets through my tears.

He could have come any other way, but what a beautiful gesture to have him walk straight into this bakery and redeem it all beautifully.

The next time you find yourself having the wind knocked out of you, remember this post and in the words of my mom: Put those big girl panties on and keep going!

There's a beautiful rebound story waiting for you too.