BOOK NEWS!
I have written a proposal for my book Fire and Water and have started submitting it to publishing companies. I do not have a literary agent, so the tricky bit is finding publishers that are accepting open submissions (i.e., without an agent first making contact). As of this morning, I have had one "no." I thought that the rejection would crush me, but honestly, I feel ok about it! I know that a "no" doesn't mean "never" -- sometimes it means "not yet."
I think we can sometimes become so fearful of rejection that we let our fear keep up from moving forward. If that's you, I hope you recognize that hearing "no" is actually good for our growth. The "no" is not personal; it says nothing about who you are as a person and the work that you do. Sometimes, it just isn't a good fit and you simply have to wait until the right fit comes along.
I will continue to submit to publishers over the next few months. At that point, if I find that I'm getting nowhere with traditional publishing, I will begin exploring self-publishing options.
So stay tuned!
I don’t know about you, but I think we could all use an encouraging reminder to start the day. Part of my morning routine involves choosing an affirmation to pray into and guide me for the day. When everything feels hard and heavy, it is so helpful for my heart and soul to be reminded of some gentle truths. As a subscriber, you can get a free trial deck of my affirmation cards that you can print right from home! We all need to know there’s someone in our corner, cheering us on — even if that person is our very own self. Download your trial deck here.
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5 Things That Are Giving Me Life This Month...
1. Kyle and I just finished the last season of Schitt's Creek on Netflix, and I'm already contemplating starting all over again. I never thought a TV show would be able to compete with my love of The Office, but honestly, I think it might be a tie now. Have you watched Schitt's Creek? Who's your favorite character?
2. The new album by Taylor Swift, evermore, is on repeat on my Spotify. I have never considered myself a Taylor Swift fan until last year. evermore is the sister album to her other 2020 record, folklore, and both are some of her best work as an artist EVER.
3. A new Instagram account I discovered called "tiny fairy tales." It combines poems with cute little watercolor paintings, and it has definitely improved the quality of my scrolling. Check it out here.
4. The recipe for these delicious Puppy Chow bars (also sometimes called Muddy Buddy Bars) by I Am Baker. I've only made them twice but they are decadent and delicious. If you're looking for a sweet treat that's also somehow comfort food, look no further!
5. Finally, this incredible story I read on NPR about Caleb Anderson, a 12 year old who is in college studying calculus, U.S. history, humanities and macroeconomics. I love what his dad says about showing examples of gifted Black men, and I love how excited Caleb is about outer space! (I am, too.) For a quick, inspiring read, check it out.
On the Blog: In Case You Missed It...
I wrote a short gift guide with gift ideas that give back
I posted a blessing for the winter solstice reminding us all of the light
I revisited my word for the year 2020, rooted
I wrote about my word for the new year, embodied
I reminded us that we don't have to do it all in this new year
I reflected on how life has changed since COVID-19 came to the United States
Our entire nation has been rocked in light of the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol building on January 6th. We are still working through the aftermath, and one of the things I keep hearing is a call for unity, for us to move forward and heal as a nation. Now, as a Christian, I believe that unity and healing is the ultimate goal. But I also believe that we can't get there until we do the hard work of truth-telling and repentance that comes first. We are unable to heal from what was never really whole to begin with. Since its inception, America has had two different stories, depending on what color the skin of the storyteller was. I know that is a hard reality to face. If you are white like me, it hurts to recognize.
White settlers seized and stole land that wasn’t theirs from the indigenous first people. White people rose to power in this country on the literal blood, sweat, and toil of those they saw as less than human. Three fifths, if you want to get real technical. Jim Crow laws and segregation are not some ancient history; we have not evolved to this post-racial society. Look around. Don’t you see that the same stories keep playing out, at Ferguson and Standing Rock and now, at the Capitol building? I know facing those ugly truths feels awful. This is messy, hard, but holy work.
So, about those calls for unity, for us to move forward, for us to heal as a nation? It starts with telling the truth. It starts with recognizing we’ve been broken from the start. And then, only then, the truth can set us free.
For the past year or so, I have been a paying supporter of the Mockingbird History Lessons for Adults, an account run by a Black woman who presents the history of race in this country so that we can learn and do better. I highly recommend subscribing to her service if you are interested in doing the hard and holy work. You can sign up here.
When you join my Young Living team this month by getting your premium starter kit, you'll receive a FREE bottle of Envision oil as part of your welcome package! Envision is a beautiful blend of black spruce, geranium, orange, lavender, sage and rose; this oil is great to diffuse when you're working from home or the kids are doing schoolwork. It really helps with creativity and focus!
As a new Young Living member, you'll also get an adorable welcome package, 24% off YL products for life, and access to all the education and resources you need to start living your best YL life! Contact me to find out what different kits are available and how to sign up!
Want an easy meal that's sure to please the whole family? We make this Inn Chicken about once a week; everyone loves it! The directions are simple, and you don't need many ingredients. For sides, we like wild rice and green beans, but the options are endless!
This past month, a friend from church loaned me her copy of this beautiful novel, Call Your Daughter Home. I read it in about a week. It tells the intersecting stories of three women in South Carolina in the years leading up to the Great Depression and deals with topics about race, family, power, and motherhood. Definitely gets five stars from me! If you're looking for a great read, get your copy from any major book retailer or ask your local bookstore to order it for you.
What's in my January Young Living box? Soooo many goodies! I keep telling y'all -- Young Living is not just oils!
Life9 probiotic
Supplements for Kyle
Ningxia Red (YL's red drink with a crazy-high amount of antioxidants)
Oils that we frequently go through: lavender, Christmas Spirit, peppermint, lemon, lime
Makeup brush cleaner (non-toxic because who really wants to put chemicals on their face???)
Deep Relief roller for muscle aches and head tension
Seedings Calm (our nighttime diffuser blend)
A TON OF FREEBIES -- YL is so good to us! Kyle has a YL account too, so we get DOUBLE freebies every month!
If you're not on ER, why the heck not?? There are so many goodies you can get for FREE! Let me help hook you up!
Essential Rewards offers you a percentage back for each month you order, plus promos each month and free products along the way! Does your favorite subscription reward program do that? My favorite bulls-eye store only offers 5% (still love you, Tar-jay) & Kyle and I are earning 25% back with YL after a year.