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I like to start my mornings slow. Just me and the silence of the house, still dark outside and dark inside, until I flip on a light. I brew my cup of coffee and splash in a wave of sugar-free hazelnut creamer. Strawberries and blueberries fill my bowl and I top it with half heavy whipping cream and half hazelnut creamer.
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Dear High School Senior,
By now you’re in your last few months of high school and people are asking you what you’re going to do next. Some of you know the answer with a certainty that goes clear to your bones. But some of you are asking yourself, What AM I going to do next?
My husband, Rollin, reading Scripture to his dad.
I recently read a post that talked about fame. In it were these two quotes: “The human soul isn’t made for fame,” and “I’ve never met a famous person who wouldn’t be a better version of themselves if they weren’t famous.”
So why do so many people strive for fame?
As I write this today, my 94-year-old father-in-law lies dying in a hospital bed in Minnesota. He’s a quiet, reserved man with a huge heart full of love and faith. There’s never been any fanfare or fame to his life. Apparently, there never will be. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t famous.
I give up. I surrender. That can sometimes be a bad thing, but in my case it’s not. I’m gradually simplifying my life. I’m giving up things that no longer bring me joy or serve God in the way I feel He’s leading me. That can be a scary process in some ways. In some cases it means giving up some things that have formed my identify. Not an easy thing to do.
Here are a few of the things I’m parting with.
In recently responding to a comment on my 2016’s Most Impactful Book post, I saw that I’d promised one commenter that I’d blog about all the books I read in 2016. That was back in December. Oops. I never did it, hence this late post about said books.
I read only ten books all last year, which I find a bit disappointing. I’d like to read at least one book a month, but some years just don’t allow that. The books I did read are as follows.
Springtime is my favorite season, even though it means a hot Arizona summer isn’t too far away. But I love the warm weather, the sweet smell of orange blossoms in the air, and so many plants in bloom. Here’s a gallery of photos I took on my walk around the neighborhood this morning.
Palo brea tree
Not sure what this is, but it sure was pretty!
Brilliant purple bougainvillea bush
Not sure what this purple bush is.
A close up of the purple bush’s flowers.
Pink bougainvillea
Ocotillo in bloom
Blooming cactus
Red Yucca
I love all the babies growing on this prickly pear cactus. It was just starting to bloom.
Agave plant
Is it springtime where you live? What’s blooming in your neighborhood?
As a child, I rarely made my bed, except for when my mom made us clean our rooms. She taught us how to lay the pillow with the open end of the pillowcase toward the edge of the bed. Then we pulled each sheet and blanket up to the top one by one, smoothing out the wrinkles so the bedspread would lie neatly on top. If there were wrinkles underneath, they showed through to the top layer. Mom taught us how to pull the covers and sheets until there were no more lumps. I’m glad she took the time to do that, even though I seldom used the skill regularly until my late twenties.
But now, there’s something about making the bed. I do it every morning. It makes me feel like I’m ready to start the day fresh, like I have at least one thing together. Often, I only make one half of the bed because over the years, Rollin and I have come to each make our own side of the bed. But if he has to rush out to work, I do his side, too.
Exciting news! My book, Meet Shelby Culpepper, is on the cusp of being released by Armonia Publishing. It’s a clean, wholesome, FUN read for your favorite kids who are roughly in the eight-to-twelve-year-old age bracket. But books don’t sell themselves. That’s where you come in.
I’m looking for a team of people who would be willing to post a review on Amazon (and any other book-selling platform) in exchange for a chance to win a free, signed copy of Meet Shelby Culpepper AND a 10% discount on any additional copies you order when you join the team. The book will retail at $8.99 in print form, and $2.99 for the e-book. Here’s how it works.
I got up at 4:30 this morning. That’s a solid two-and-a-half hours earlier than I normally get up. But it was important.
You see, my young adult daughter was super excited about a new Hurts Donuts store opening near us. Well, not super near. But about ten miles away. The first 100 customers would be entered into a drawing to receive free donuts for a year. We intended to be in that number. They opened at five, so it was rise and shine at 4:30.
I’m struck today by how complicated Christmas has gotten. A friend caring for her husband who has Alzheimer’s feels bad because she hasn’t had time to put up a tree or decorations. She just isn’t in the mood to do it. Others are frenzied with activity, yet they feel they still must do Christmas baking and complete their shopping from elaborate gift lists. What happened to silent night, holy night? From where I stand, all is certainly not calm or bright.
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