LITTLE BY LITTLE / Simplifying + Sabbath

Hi, friends!! Welcome back to my new weekly series. (In case you missed them, here are Week one and week two.)

What a week this has been. It is hard to write today with the heaviness swirling around us, but I am trying to keep going—focusing on giving and loving as much as I can.

I hope Ari and I get lots of prayer time in and closeness with the kids this weekend. Josh is on the move this week with his super-fast crawling, and we’ll be at the blueberry patch bright and early tomorrow. I also hope to make some little by little progress on my July PowerSheets goals (below). Namely, studying the 25 Character Areas (get it here), and honoring the Sabbath by trying not to clean the entire house and wear myself out on the weekend—anyone else do that? The Sabbath is a gift, a day that’s set apart for us to be refreshed. I’m trying to learn how to practice this well.

I spent all of yesterday working my tail off on 2017 PowerSheets writing. I didn’t leave my desk except to nurse Josh and eat lunch because I just got in a zone. When I see the positive potential in something, I work heartily. You will have me as a coach and encourager through the entire process with these—I’m right there with you on every page, helping you move forward. If you’ve felt overwhelmed by setting goals, think you don’t need goals, have yet to used your PowerSheets from 2015 or before, or you have yet to try them, here’s what I have to tell you: be sure to get them for 2017. Get a six month set of the current PowerSheets now so you finish the year well, but plan to grab a Workbook for 2017 when they release. The process gets significantly refined every year, and this year–with three kids and zero time–I felt passionate about creating a tool to help women simplify, and live every day more intentionally. I pray, and trust, they will do exactly that. They’ll be released in October and I can’t wait to use them myself!

Okay, many things to share!

One of my favorite photographs (and couples).

Why we need to be careful with social media numbers and “insights.”

Two awkward’s make a normal.

This handwriting piece I did four years ago has been shared millions of times on the internet. Get it this week in my VRSLY takeover.

Also, VRSLY is giving away a Write the Word journal!

My friend Jeane has 36 children. Really. Her blog encourages me so much.

How to embrace awkward.

Last night, Ari and my friend Joslyn and I somehow got to talking about these. Did you have one as a kid?

We got two free cartons of this cereal and I instantly fell in love with the heart of this company and all they are doing.

This may be the strangest contraption, but it is the best. I watched this YouTube video to learn how to use it and, yes, I was grossed out at first. But, it helped our three sick kids breathe better these last two weeks.

How to simplify your life.

A song for you. Watch Sarah at the very end 🙂

Ari had to work the whole 4th of July weekend, but he did get to take Grace to work with him for an hour. See Ari’s tweet here : )  Although my mom made her the cutest scrubs, complete with “Dr. Gracie” on the pocket, she has other plans for her life. Grace has decided what she wants to be when she grows up: an Olympic ribbon dancer, and a cupcake baker like our friend, Randi. Great choices in my book.

Our friend Kate (who is a brilliant writer) just found out last week that her daughter, Madeline, has leukemia. Please pray and consider donating to them here.

My favorite southern city is …

There are many weeks I don’t leave the house except to take a morning walk, and to go to church on Sunday. Family group mid-weeks have been impossible for us with bedtimes, but this week we decided to change that. I looked at Ari and said, “You just go! I’ll figure it out with all the kids!” I’m so glad he did, and everyone here survived with just me—they all eventually got fed and got to sleep. Ari texted me this picture and it made me grateful. Community so important!

I have eaten the same thing for breakfast every morning for the last twelve years: chocolate protein (Vega is my favorite), a half a cup of oats (I buy the 50LB bag in bulk from Whole Foods and have three five-gallon buckets of oats in our hall closet—saves me $ every year to do this), a spoonful of chia seeds, stevia, and water (enough to make it soup consistency). Microwave for two-three minutes, and breakfast is done. I eat this again each afternoon. As a nursing mom, eating every couple hours (who can’t eat eggs, dairy, or soy for both babies’ protein sensitivities) that saves me from eating chicken for all my meals : )

This was a week of digital pruning. I let go of Periscope and I’m still on the fence about Snapchat. As much fun as it is, I don’t love a lot of the new sponsored content. When I joined a month ago, the sponsored content was more optional, but now there are immodest photos and sensational headlines right when you open the app that I don’t think are appropriate for youth. I know I sound like a dinosaur, but I take this seriously. I’m just not sure yet. Any thoughts?

Can you guess how big he is below?

What’s your favorite random act of kindness? Tell us.

How to embrace awkward while planning your wedding. I love the wisdom that Lisa and Kristin offer to our engaged readers this week in Southern Weddings’ Fruitful Summer.

Every time I lead Making Things Happen, I do the work right along with the attendees. And every time I’m changed. Join us in Chapel Hill on October 17 and 18th. The early-bird rate ends July 31—or till we sell out—and we’ve sold out every conference. I hope to see you there…

Some words that won’t leave me this week:

When you have everything, you are grateful for nothing. When you have nothing you are grateful for everything.

Okay, off to make little by little progress on my book before Josh wakes up : )

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which is no extra cost to you, but if you make a purchase using one of these links, we send our commissions to the Love One Another project : )