I am so excited to see A Homemade Year and my mug-o-pie being shared over at Heather Hamilton’s Life Made Lovely blog!
Heather REALLY knows how to make my Wednesday as happy as a bunch of daisies.
Hop on over to Life Made Lovely to see what Heather liked best about AHY and to enter to win a copy for yourself (or to give away as gift!)
I took most of the summer off from book promotions and speaking, but this fall things will rev back up it. You can check out my events page to see if I will be visiting/speaking near you. Also, there is info there on how to contact me if you are interested in having me come speak or lead a workshop at your church or group.
I feel like I learned so much back in the Spring about what works best for our family and where my strengths lie in regards to speaking/sharing/appearances etc. In the beginning I said yes to everything no matter what it was because that’s what you do when you have a new book right? But as it turns out, not every idea is a good one. Or at least not a good fit for me and for us.
I have learned that what works best is when I get to speak about A Homemade Year and topics I am passionate about. Doing craft and cooking demo’s or book signings without getting to share about my faith, my heart, and the questions I live in, just feels time-consuming and instead of life-giving.
Also, I have had to put a price tag on leaving my house and my family. I have had to really evaluate the trade-offs. Family comes first. Sanity and health come first. If I am going to tax those gifts and resources then there has to be a return, somewhere in the mix, to help balance out the weight of carrying an extra load of work and time away.
I am learning (again and again) that I am a finite being and that I cannot run myself into the ground, no matter how tempting the opportunities look.
I am learning the spiritual practice of living from a place of abundance (that I am enough, that what I have is enough, that what I have is worth caring for) instead of a place of scarcity (I need MORE MORE MORE of whatever-fill in the blank- to be whole.) Practicing this way of life means I can say “no” without fear. Fear that I am not enough unless I prove it. The fear that if I am not as busy or as popular or as successful as _______ then I must be failing. The fear that somehow I am missing “it” by not doing more, being more, chasing more.
Instead I am choosing to plant my feet and heart deep where I am at. To stop chasing so much and to start noticing what is in front of me instead.cheers and blessings friends!
J
I have learned that what works best is when I get to speak about A Homemade Year and topics I am passionate about. Doing craft and cooking demo’s or book signings without getting to share about my faith, my heart, and the questions I live in, just feels time-consuming and instead of life-giving.
Also, I have had to put a price tag on leaving my house and my family. I have had to really evaluate the trade-offs. Family comes first. Sanity and health come first. If I am going to tax those gifts and resources then there has to be a return, somewhere in the mix, to help balance out the weight of carrying an extra load of work and time away.
I am learning (again and again) that I am a finite being and that I cannot run myself into the ground, no matter how tempting the opportunities look.
I am learning the spiritual practice of living from a place of abundance (that I am enough, that what I have is enough, that what I have is worth caring for) instead of a place of scarcity (I need MORE MORE MORE of whatever-fill in the blank- to be whole.) Practicing this way of life means I can say “no” without fear. Fear that I am not enough unless I prove it. The fear that if I am not as busy or as popular or as successful as _______ then I must be failing. The fear that somehow I am missing “it” by not doing more, being more, chasing more.
Instead I am choosing to plant my feet and heart deep where I am at. To stop chasing so much and to start noticing what is in front of me instead.cheers and blessings friends!
J
Oh my, you wrote out my inner-most thoughts in this post! I too am learning what to say yes and no too. Learning that when I'm fully myself, fully serving God and my family, He brings more awesome opportunities my way than I could have dreamed. Trying to do it all and be it all leaves me a lesser version of myself and opportunity seems to run and hide.
Oh my, you wrote out my inner-most thoughts in this post! I too am learning what to say yes and no too. Learning that when I'm fully myself, fully serving God and my family, He brings more awesome opportunities my way than I could have dreamed. Trying to do it all and be it all leaves me a lesser version of myself and opportunity seems to run and hide.
Oh my, you wrote out my inner-most thoughts in this post! I too am learning what to say yes and no too. Learning that when I'm fully myself, fully serving God and my family, He brings more awesome opportunities my way than I could have dreamed. Trying to do it all and be it all leaves me a lesser version of myself and opportunity seems to run and hide.
Oh my, you wrote out my inner-most thoughts in this post! I too am learning what to say yes and no too. Learning that when I'm fully myself, fully serving God and my family, He brings more awesome opportunities my way than I could have dreamed. Trying to do it all and be it all leaves me a lesser version of myself and opportunity seems to run and hide.
Oh my, you wrote out my inner-most thoughts in this post! I too am learning what to say yes and no too. Learning that when I'm fully myself, fully serving God and my family, He brings more awesome opportunities my way than I could have dreamed. Trying to do it all and be it all leaves me a lesser version of myself and opportunity seems to run and hide.
Oh my, you wrote out my inner-most thoughts in this post! I too am learning what to say yes and no too. Learning that when I'm fully myself, fully serving God and my family, He brings more awesome opportunities my way than I could have dreamed. Trying to do it all and be it all leaves me a lesser version of myself and opportunity seems to run and hide.
Oh my, you wrote out my inner-most thoughts in this post! I too am learning what to say yes and no too. Learning that when I'm fully myself, fully serving God and my family, He brings more awesome opportunities my way than I could have dreamed. Trying to do it all and be it all leaves me a lesser version of myself and opportunity seems to run and hide.
We boomers have that to deal with as well. When we were kids the ads on tv were really targeted to us. “Be the first on your block to….” “Run faster, jump higher in your P.F. Fliers.” “Tell mom to buy the bread with the red, yellow, and blue balloons.” You see that I still remember these ads to want these things 50 years later. Talk about brain washing!! But, now I find that I really do have enough. For me, a lot of the contentment comes from not being in the marketplace daily. When I am around others in a large group, I start thinking those comparison thoughts like you said, am I enough, how do I compare?I guess you could call it agoraphobia, but, its not that I'm afraid of others, its that I judge myself when I am around them. I still have wants, but they are more personal-my own ideas-not things I think I have to do or be to compare to others.
So true. And something that I have been learning as well.
Yes! Lovely lesson. You are so, so worth it.
you are amazing. just keep leaning into who you were created to be!
Yes, there is something to be said for not going to places where you will be tempted into that comparison trap. By the same token I pray that you will find a way to be fully present and comfortable just as you are, no matter where you are!
Isn't it good to know we are not alone on this journey? Thanks for being along on mine!
And so are you!!
Welcome to Collective Bias! A very lovely post! Thank you!