Coming soon…

Coming soon…

Cue the call to battle…we are at it once again!

As I’m looking at the above graphic, I’m thinking about how wrong it feels that 2023 will be here in less than two months…but I’m also so excited because it means this next book will be here in less than five months!

Book #2 will be another poetry book (surprise, surprise!), but as of yet, I’m not sharing many more details. There will be a cover reveal with a blurb coming soon, but for now I’m letting you guys guess as to what this next book may hold. Here’s your clue:

Book #2’s playlist

I love the way that music communicates where the written word falls short, and so I’ve been compiling a playlist of songs that share the themes I’m writing about in book #2. If you’re into music, go ahead and check out the playlist…and let me know in the comments if you have any guesses as to what the themes of book #2 might be!

Also…if you would be willing to be praying for me as I finish compiling these poems and start the manuscript on its journey to publication, I would be so grateful! God has truly been the one carrying Book #2 (and me!) through this process, and I can’t finish it on my own. I’d so appreciate prayers that:

  • I would be diligent in writing the rest of this poetry (my deadline for that is November 30th, and I have 12-15 to write yet😅).
  • God would give me the words to say and the way to say them.
  • Technology would cooperate with me! XD

Thank you so much for showing up to read and chat with me. I appreciate your support and encouragement so much, and I can’t wait to get this next book to you!!!

❤ Laurel

when You veil the way – a poem

when You veil the way – a poem

Hello, friends!

I recently found this poem unfinished in my drafts from 2020…finished writing it and decided to share it with you.:)


walking by faith

in the midst of the storm

in the dark of the night

when the veil isn’t torn

when the answers You give

aren’t revealed to me yet,

still I’ll trust

(trust Him, my soul)

songs in the night

are the comfort You give

and the peace You hold out

every day that I live

is the strength of my heart

when my courage has died…

still I’ll trust

(trust Him, my soul)


Trust isn’t a feeling. Sometimes trust is a dogged clinging to God’s promises when everything within us is screaming to forsake the vision of the promised land and return to what we can see.

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

Job 13:15b

He is faithful Who promised!

❤ Laurel

Photo by Rebecca Prest on Unsplash

Maranatha – a poem

Maranatha – a poem

The more brokenness I see in the world, the more I long for the beauty of eternity with the perfect Creator.

do you ever fear that

the beauty of those days –

so sweet

so innocent

so unbelievably right –

may never come again?

because I do.

I stand here, staring at brokenness,

and I weep.

I weep because all of this used to be

so sweet

so innocent

so unbelievably right…

but now?

now it’s ugly.

not even ugly…

it’s commonplace, and that’s what I fear.

I fear the current of the commonplace.

I ache for the thrill of

unthrottled beauty

innocence

sweetness…

righteousness.

each piece of my soul aches for all of this to be

right.

for all of the broken farewells –

the goodbyes that weren’t good –

to be made right.

for all of the loneliness to be

washed away in the

waters of unity.

for all of the hatred to

dissolve in forgiveness.

for all of this –

all of us –

to be healed.

oh, my soul screams,

maranatha!

Photo by Kristina Tripkovic on Unsplash

13 haikus

Hello, friends!

Last week I asked in my Instagram stories for some fun/lovely/unique words to use as poetry prompts. I was given some pretty awesome words! I turned most of them into haikus…and here they are! I hope you enjoy reading through them.:)

illustrious

illustrious soul

please don’t let go your wonder

hold fast to your song

set-apart

my dear, don’t you know

you aren’t meant to blend in here…

He set you apart

windblown

windblown and wild

a soul bent on so much more

fights onward for truth

crepuscular

crepuscular light

shoving hard against darkness

the essence of hope

surrender

surrender, my love…

bitterness only poisons

the heart holding it

raxeira

here in Your glory

Lord, let me be nothing more

than a raxeira

introspect

introspectional

sometimes I neglect seeing

the wounds around me

ubiquitous

one day – someday soon –

we will live in a land of

ubiquitous joy

shalom

spill shalom freely

let it drip down from your words

and your legacy

candle

candle in the wind,

fight for your faltering light…

the world needs your song

glimmer

see, even teardrops

glimmer in the face of light,

defying darkness

dolphin

a dolphin rises,

slips through the ocean’s crust,

smiles, vanishes

periwinkle

take me to a place

where city lights don’t battle

periwinkle skies

Which haiku is your favorite? Have you ever tried writing haikus?

observe – a poem

observe – a poem

Hello, friends!

Today I’m sharing a poem that I wrote while on the Glory Writers retreat…next Monday, keep your eyes peeled for a recap of that trip.:)

observe, My child,

the ways that I walk,

and tread these paths beside Me.

the world dances to a different tune,

so press your ear close to My song and

obey

these words that I sing to you,

lest you forget in the valley

the songs that we sang on the mountaintop,

for My words still ring true in the storm.

take My hand, little one,

for I long to be near you,

and shield you from fear

and the terror of night.

observe, My child,

the ways that I walk,

and tread these paths beside Me.

How do you keep your eyes on the ways of the Lord? What are some of your favorite Scriptures or quotes to bring to mind when you’re needing to refocus on God?

Photo by Zack Silver on Unsplash

It’s Release Day!!! Here are my thoughts.

It’s Release Day!!! Here are my thoughts.

Guys, the big day is FINALLY HERE!!!!!!!

The day I never thought I’d reach.

Aaagh, I can’t really put it all in words. I’m kind of excited. I think I might have a little celebration.

Here’s the link to purchase it on Amazon! (Or just look at it and be happy that it’s on Amazon for the world to see, like I’ve been doing. Or write a review and rate it once you read it. That would be totally awesome.)

If you have read my writing, encouraged me, given me feedback, helped me along this crazy road to publishing…thank you. Thank you for being here and letting me share my thoughts with you. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be doing this!

I wrote the following piece a few days ago…and decided to share it here.

Honest thoughts here…

As I’m writing this, it’s four days from the day my first book will be released.

My first book. In print.

It’s crazy to think about because I’ve wanted this day so badly for years. I can remember when I would scribble in the notebooks I’d stockpiled from the back-to-school sale at Shopko and dream about when the world would read my words…and as I see orders coming in across the country from people I’ve never even met, it all feels surreal.

I’m the writer I dreamed of being…

And yet I’m not.

I wanted to be a novelist. A nice solid novel was always what I envisioned when I pictured my first book. Probably historical fiction…and definitely published by the time I was eighteen. (Thank you, Jo March and Anne Shirley for warping my view of the publishing process.) Oh, and the world was going to love it. I was going to be famous.

I think that was the most important part to me. Writing so the world would remember my name.

That’s really, really sad.

Even now I keep checking myself against valuing my work in writing against how many people follow me. How many interact in the comment section or in messages. How many order my book.

How many approve of me.

But that was never the point of it, anyway.

“All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”  – Colossians 1:17-18

That in all things Christ may have the preeminence, not me.

All things were created for Him, not me.

And the fact that He’s given me the grace and ability to pull words together and hand them to the world in a way that is relatable and healing…

That’s worth more than all of the book sales, likes, and followers in the world.

Over and over again as I keep writing and He keeps helping me forward, one thought keeps coming to my mind.

Even if only one life is touched by this book/by my writing, it’ll all be worth it.

God’s completely changed my mind about how I want to view my writing. Less than two years ago I was fighting towards the goal of becoming a full-time writer. Now I’ve realized all I want is to keep writing as a side gig…and yet I’ve never felt as much purpose in my writing as I do now.

Because it’s become a ministry for me. A way that I can reach people across the world with words and build a bridge of hope and relatability.

It’s a way that I can show people they’re not alone.

It’s a way that I can point people to God and scream out how great He is.

I love my God, and I want you to love Him, too.

❤ Laurel

Your turn to talk…and it’s a giveaway!!!

Your turn to talk…and it’s a giveaway!!!

Hey, friends!

I was thinking about today’s post and realized that I’d love two things.

1.) To hear from you!! I seem to do most of the talking here on the blog (hmm, I wonder why…), but I love good conversations in the comment section. Seriously…interacting with you all is my favorite part about sharing what I write.

2.) To give a blog friend a copy of This Will Not Last! (It releases in seven days, guys!!!)

So we’re going to combine those two things today.:)

If you’d love to have your very own signed copy of This Will Not Last sent to your door, hop into the comment section and share your answer to one (or some or all!) of the following questions. Each answered question is an entry!

  • What is one of the best things that ever happened to you?
  • When you were a child, what was your dream job?
  • What advice would you give to your fifteen-year-old self?
  • What is one thing on your bucket list?
  • What is your favorite part about this blog?

I’ll randomly select a winner on Friday, April 1st and announce the winner then.

I can’t wait to hear your answers…and send one of you a copy of This Will Not Last!

❤ Laurel

Preorder a signed copy of This Will Not Last!!!

Preorder a signed copy of This Will Not Last!!!

It’s true…we’re two weeks away from release day and you can now place your preorder for a signed copy of This Will Not Last!

Click here to preorder.:)

What the preorder special includes:

  • a signed copy of This Will Not Last
  • a poem from the collection hand-lettered on a greeting card so you can share the gift of poetry with a friend
  • free shipping!!!

Preorder your copy now!

Raw and achingly honest, This Will Not Last is a collection of poetry that captures the fluctuating emotions that lace life’s pathway. 

Wonder, grief, happiness, and heartache all have their turn to shine in this collection, ultimately bowing to the truth of their transience…and the sturdy realization of God’s unshakeable goodness.  

this death 

this shedding 

of all I’ve known 

must come before the rays of sun 

burst bright upon my soul 

to wake 

a seed of what’s to come. 

this death 

this dying will not last 

this, too 

this, too 

this, too, shall pass. 

I’m so, so excited to finally be able to get this book out to you all next month!!!

– Laurel

First Love – a poem

First Love – a poem

Hello, friends!

I wrote this poem the other morning…aren’t you so grateful for a God who makes all things new?

Sidenote: I cannot wait to smell the white clover again this summer.

when I stop to think about it…

I miss the days when

I first fell in love with You.

when all of life shone because of

the beauty You sparked in my heart…

when everything reminded me of You –

a frosted oak leaf

the scent of white clover

a baby’s giggle –

and nothing seemed

too daunting to face

with You.

You haven’t changed…

my heart has calloused.

oh, may I be

tender again to

Your whisper

Your smile

Your thoughtfulness

in choosing my heart as

Your treasure.

You make all things new…

God bring me back to

the passion of my first love.

P.S. If you’d like to get a signed copy of This Will Not Last, stay tuned for preorders opening up next Monday!!! *bounces off walls*

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

This is not a Valentine’s Day poem.

This is not a Valentine’s Day poem.

(I told you I don’t like writing titles…)

Happy Valentine’s Day!! If you’d like to read something somewhat Valentine-y, go check out this post I shared last February. It’s all about true love… the real stuff that you might be able to find under all of the glitter (the GLITTER… *cringes*) and paper hearts. It’s honestly one of my favorites.

But…

If you happen to be a Valentine’s Day Scrooge and would rather read something bittersweet and smacking of courage… I’ve got ya covered! Read on, my friend.:)

turn the page.

yes, the ink gushed and flowed and

spilled in a way

never to be forgotten

for better or for worse, but

turn the page.

this chapter’s over…

a new one waits with

fears to be faced and

giants to be slayed and

new hurts to heal.

turn the page.

I’d love to hear… do you like to do anything special to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash