Tag: indie authors

Hello, friends!

February was a stretching month…one of learning (mostly the hard way) to rest my restless soul and mind in Christ and trust that He is the all-sufficient Savior He truly is, even when life is wild and a bit intimidating and I find myself to be so insufficient. What a gift it is to be able to rest in Him! ❤

There were also so many lovely things that filled this February. Here’s a sampler…

BUT FIRST!!!

I wanted to share a reminder that I’m running a Winter’s End giveaway, and it ends this Friday. If you haven’t entered yet and would enjoy a lovely new book to add to your collection (there are two up for grabs!!), please do head over to the giveaway post to enter.

Alright.

Back to the regular post…

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 107:8-9

Things worth remembering…

• ice skating with a brother
• running into a dear friend at the grocery store on a hard day
• listening to a song from a friend at just the right moment
• cooking with my sisters
• a bookish Galentines get-together
• the long way home and healing conversation + prayer
• flowers from a friend
• Valentine’s Day nachos and cheesecake and movie with siblings
• reading on the porch with sunlight and a sleepy dog
• a delightfully quiet and yet social afternoon of crocheting with other ladies
• getting a friend’s beautiful new children’s book in the mail (!!!)
• three harrowing visits to the DMV
• a lovely Lenten event
• lotsss of worship music and guitar practice
• a timely Bible passage from a friend
• wig-wearing, house cleaning, and packing with a sister
• several firsts on the last day of the month: seeing snow-capped mountains, setting foot in both Colorado and California, renting a car, piloting aforementioned car through six-lane traffic. ‘Twas a day to remember.

We all long for Eden and are constantly glimpsing it: our whole nature is soaked with a sense of exile.

J.R.R. TOlkien

What I’ve been reading…

A New Song – Jan Karon

He had a great idea. “I could bring you some pot holders to finish up for the Fall Fair.” There! Just the ticket to keep her mind occupied.

“Pot holders?”

She looked at him as if he were something that had crawled through the pipes and into the kitchen sink.

Still reading this one. I still love it dearly.

Pray Big – Alistair Begg

The story of the Bible is the story of a God who seeks out people who are hiding from him.

This one was so good!!

The Curious Inheritance of Blakeley House – Joanna Davidson Politano

“A man’s legacy is the flavor he leaves behind in the mouths of those close enough to taste his character.”

I very much enjoyed this book!!!

Calvary Chapel Distinctives – Chuck Smith

I believe God is sovereign, and I also believe I’m responsible and God holds me responsible for the choices that I make. I simply trust God that both assertions of Scripture are true.

I didn’t adore this book as a whole, but it was an informative read!

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer
Greatest treasure of my longing soul
My God, like You there is no other
True delight is found in You alone

From “O Lord My Rock and My Redeemer” by Nathan Stiff (A Favorite song of mine these days!!)

From the journal…

I’m struck by God’s attention to beauty and the smallest details in His instructions for the building of the tabernacle. Father, give me the patience and reverence for You that I need to care so deeply about the small things I often allow to slip through the cracks. Truly let all I do be done for the love of You.

Help me to live surrendered, Father, serving fully and faithfully in the corners of life to which You call me. I feel so small sometimes…so insignificant in the face of a world full of hurt. May I know that I am small and fit well in Your Almighty hand.

The most transformational thing you can do today is to look clearly at Christ with the eyes of your heart.

Alistair Begg

What made your February memorable? What beauty have you been seeing these days?

❤ Laurel

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you. We all win.:)

Ahh, it’s the first post of the new year!!

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood, and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Things worth remembering…

• a New Year’s Day feast and stories swapped over coffee
• baking bread
• coffee and book talk with a kindred spirit
• lotsss of reading
• cooking up bacon and onions and potatoes all at once and feeling like a hobbit
• finding new artwork for the living room
• a new book study
• God moving in ways I never saw coming
• surviving fierce winds and severe cold on the farm
• listening to a stellar podcast series on the English translation of the Bible
• sister movie nights
• nachos and the Nerf Gun Battle
• third-wheeling a coffee date with two of my favorites
• a quiet retreat with some ladies I love
• following a stubborn deer down the road and racing a raccoon all in one night

How does your spirit develop in intimacy with Him [Christ]?
Nothing else is right if that goes not well.

Oswald chambers

What I’ve been reading…

A New Song – Jan Karon

“I fell head over heels in love when I was forty-seven, and truth be told, have never gotten over it. They say you came late to love, yourself.“

“Late, yes,” he said, smiling. “But not too late.”

Ah, Mitford. One of the best bedtime reads out there.

Pray Big – Alistair Begg

Our conversation with others declares what is on our minds. But our conversation with God in private reveals what is in our hearts. Listen to someone pray – or listen to yourself pray – and you gain a window into the very center of the being.

I’m going through this book with a group of other women this winter. It’s so good.

Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God – David McCasland

They encouraged each other by walking individually with God and finding His grace sufficient to meet their needs. Together, their lives intertwined into a cord of shared ministry that was stronger than either could have woven alone.

Finally finished this one. It’s an absolute gem, and I highly recommend it.

Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

Why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always accused, for ever condemned? Why could I never please? Why was it useless to try to win any one’s favour? …I dared commit no fault: I strove to fulfill every duty; and I was termed naughty and tiresome, sullen and sneaking, from morning to noon, and from noon to night.

I’ve been wanting to reread this book for a long time and finally picked it up alongside my mom. Ugh, it’s so rich, and I despise John Reed!!

The Curious Inheritance of Blakeley House – Joanna Davidson Politano

“A man’s legacy is the flavor he leaves behind in the mouths of those close enough to taste his character.”

It took me a little while to get into this one, but I’m over a hundred pages in and thoroughly enjoying it…I hope that continues!

Indeed, these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!

Job 26:14a

From the journal…

Strengthen my hands to lay all my hopes and fears to rest on Your chest, and fix my eyes in sheer adoration on You.

Let me trust the entirety of Your grace, the all-consuming power of Your sacrifice. Let me see how small I am in the shadow of Your Cross.

Be patient and so utterly confident in God that you never question His ways or your waiting time.

Oswald Chambers

What made your January memorable?

Stay the course, friends! May this month bring us ever closer to Christ’s heart.

❤ Laurel

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)

2025 is a wrap! And what a glorious year it was to watch God move, drawing people to Himself and bringing His name glory.✨

Peace is looking into the face of my Jesus and needing to see nothing else.

Hannah hodgson (@resurrectionpoetry)

Things worth remembering…

• a Christmas parade
• decorating for Christmas
• winter walks in the dark
• a friend who tethered me to truth and light when I couldn’t bring myself to do it
• hot cocoa, a slow afternoon with siblings, and The Appendix Scare
• celebratory dinners for the first responder siblings
• cookie and gift exchange chaos with friends
• grapefruit!!
• drinking hot chocolate and wrapping gifts while listening to Christmas music
• putting a difficult month of winter on the farm in the books
• making shortbread for Christmas with the pro (my youngest sister)
• so much reading after Christmas
• accidental mac and cheese soup
• receiving hugs, hot cocoa, and stories from my grandma on a hard day
• an evening errand run with the brothers
• The Whipped Cream Game
• my brother’s eggnog

Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

Joseph H. Gilmore

What I’ve been reading…

Louisa May Alcott’s Christmas Treasury – Louisa May Alcott

Before another word could be said, a little old lady appeared in the hall, trying to look stern and failing entirely, because she was the picture of a dear, fat, cozy grandma.

I read this with friends for a book club! It wasn’t my absolute favorite read from Alcott (it began to feel repetitive after awhile), but there were some sweet, thought-provoking stories with Louisa May Alcott’s inevitable dash of humor. Her characters are so endearing!

Where Secrets Lie – Colleen Coble, Rick Acker

I almost didn’t listen to this audiobook because I didn’t love the first book in the series, but I’m glad my restless mind got the better of me; I enjoyed this one so much more the one that preceded it! It ended on a horrible cliffhanger, though, and the third book doesn’t come out till March. Boo!!

Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God – David McCasland

“We are not called to be successful in accordance with ordinary standards, but in accordance with a corn of wheat falling into the ground and dying, becoming in that way what it never could be if it were to abide alone.”

Still reading through this one!

Terms and Traditions – Morgan Taylor Giesbrecht

You know I’m not the biggest fan of the romance genre, but this Christmas rom-com has delighted me with how much I’ve been able to enjoy it! I love the depth of the characters and the author’s sense of humor. If you’re a rom-com fan, you should definitely check this book out.

The LORD is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

Psalm 145:17-18

From the journal…

Strengthen my hands to lay all my hopes and fears to rest on Your chest, and fix my eyes in sheer adoration on You.

Live slowly enough to be able to think deeply about God.

J.I. Packer

What made your December memorable?

❤ Laurel

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission…at no extra cost to you.:)