What I’m currently loving, looking forward to, buying, planting, and . . . cleaning?

On April 3, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn currently, everyday musings13 Comments

I am joining Jennifer at All 4 Boys for Currently for April after seeing this on Erin’s blog at Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs. This is a feature held the first Wednesday of the month where you share what you are currently …well, whatever the themes are for that month. This month the theme is what we are currently loving, looking forward to, buying, planting, and cleaning.

Currently Loving

I am currently loving reading The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes to Little Miss, who is 9. I read this book in March for Middle Grade March and really enjoyed it but it is even more fun sharing it with my daughter. It is old fashioned, sure, since it was written in the 1940s but that doesn’t bother me at all. It has some super cute stories in it.

I am currently reading Little Miss the chapter where the main character Janey (she’s about 10) is trying to keep the “oldest inhabitant” safe. The oldest inhabitant is a 99-year-old Civil War veteran whom the town is anxious to celebrate the 100^th birthday of and Janey makes friends with him in the beginning of the book. Throughout the book she works hard to protect him from any harm and the friendship grows. It is super sweet and adorable.

I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series soon.

Looking Forward To

I guess I could have used the above sentence for this. However, in addition to looking forward to reading the other Moffat books, I am also looking forward to warmer weather.

The last couple of weeks have been very cold, rainy, snowy, and dreary in our neck of the woods and I really need some sun.

Life has been a little down lately and I’m hopeful the sun might cheer me up a bit. That and the blooming flowers which will be pretty to look at even if they trigger my spring allergies. The neighbor has a few daffodils in their yard so that’s been nice to look at.

Buying

A new planner. I don’t know how I got into buying planners that go from July of one year to July of the next but I have and now I can’t seem to get myself unstuck so I am buying another planner this week so I can plan further out than July of this year. I used to buy these huge planners, but now I buy smaller ones that I can slide into my purse and carry around. Not so I can look at it and remember what I have to do, mind you. Just carry around and look like I’m organized, when I am totally not.

Planting

I should be planting plants or vegetables this month, but I’m not. Gardens, flowers, plants – they’re all failures for me usually. I kill them and sometimes they even toss themselves off shelves instead of letting me take them home with me where they know they will die anyhow.

Instead of living things, I am trying to plant some more faith this month. Faith and gratitude. I have been horribly depressed, bitter, and sad about the state of the world this week and I don’t want to be that person so I am taking advice from a book I am reading and doing the things I want the future me to do and that includes being more positive than negative. I have failed this week so pray I get better for the rest of the month.

Cleaning

I’m not cleaning the way I should be cleaning. I always seem to get wrapped up in other things – like writing blog posts or dealing with my daughter’s friend dramas.

It seems like I clean my living room and an hour later I clutter it again. Since our dishwasher died several months ago, I have been cleaning a lot of dishes and I will be doing that again today. I will also do my best to finish cleaning my daughter’s room and sliding a new sheet on her bed.

How about you? What are you loving, looking forward to, buying, planting, or cleaning currently?

My complex and confusing relationship with social media

On April 2, 2024April 3, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn everyday musings15 Comments

I’m going to preface this post with a clarification – I am not whining about not making money or book sales. I’m just rambling to blog friends about some disappointments I’ve experienced and lessons I’m learning along this writing and life journey.

I have a love-hate relationship with social media and lately, that relationship has tipped into the hate category more than the love.

As a self-published author, I need to have some sort of presence online if I want to sell books and that includes social media. I started writing my fiction books for fun and to escape anxiety and depression. I shared them here on the blog, chapter by chapter, again, as an escape and for fun.

Selling books was secondary. When I saw that I might be able to provide a tiny amount to the monthly family income, I became more interested in selling. Unfortunately, to earn any money as an independent author you need to be willing to put out more money than you earn at first and when you already don’t have a lot of money, that’s a definite challenge.

I’ve been pushing posts and sharing about my books fairly consistently for five years now (while also trying not to always be pushing books) and in the end it really hasn’t mattered. Every month I make about $40 on book sales. Previously I would make between $10 and $20.

I work hard for that $40 but it’s really not a good return on all the time and money I’ve put into my books. A lot of it’s been – dare I even say it – a waste of time. One of those things are the posts I make and share to Instagram.

I have a lot of fun making memes, laughing over them, sharing them, and meeting people on social media through them. I don’t find everything I’ve done online a waste of time.

I’ve met some of the coolest people.

I’ve had some amazing opportunities.

I’ve found a way to distract myself from depression and anxiety that doesn’t involve drinking or eating myself into oblivion.

There is some good that has come from the time I’ve spent online.

A lot of good.

But I’ve also spent way too much time on things that haven’t mattered and aren’t helping my soul.

Balance is definitely key when it comes to social media.

Spending too much time on there can eat up your soul.

Spending too little time means you can’t connect and meet more people who might be interested in buying, or at least reading, your book.

This weekend I decided my soul was more important.

Now, this isn’t an announcement that I’m leaving social media, never to return. It isn’t even an announcement that I’m taking a break (even though I’m taking a small one that doesn’t involve going cold turkey but does involve backing off a bit). It’s just me sharing some thoughts about how social media has changed so many of us, how draining it can be, and how it steals a little part of our soul when we get too wrapped up in it.

I have seen people change as they become more popular on social media.

They’re more willing to compromise their values and morals as they become popular.

They often seem to be more interested in gaining followers, pats on the back, and overall attention than they are in sticking to their beliefs on a variety of issues. I get it. That shot of endorphins when someone likes a post or a lot of someones likes a post is addicting. Been there. Done that.

I have just decided I’d rather be unknown and poor than have to pretend I am someone I am not, to completely overshare every aspect of my personal life, or to compromise my integrity to get those likes.

The bottom line about my relationship with social media is . . . it’s complicated but I have my lines drawn and I intend to do my best to stay within those boundaries.

Book recommendation: Murder Plainly Read by Isabella Alan

On March 26, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn everyday musings5 Comments

Murder Plainly Read by Isabella Alan, the fourth book in the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries, was hard for me to put down not only because I wanted to find out who committed the crime in this super cozy mystery, but because I became attached to the main character Angela “Angie” Braddock and those around her.

Angie owns a fabric and quilting shop in the small town of Millersburg, which has a very large Amish population. She owns two pets – a loveable French Bulldog named Oliver and an aloof cat named Dodger. She’s dating the town’s sheriff, James Mitchell, which creates some interesting situations when she’s trying to investigate things she shouldn’t really be investigating.

Angie’s friends work in the shop or are connected to the shop in some way and are Amish. There are two different types of Amish sects in this community – more strict and more liberal. Angie’s employees – Anna and Mattie – are a mix of both.

Anna cracked me up because she is Amish but also wants to get to the bottom of things and in this case those “things” are surrounding the murder of a very cranky bishop of the Old Order Amish named Bartholomew Belier. He’s found dead in the library bookmobile by Angie and Angie’s “prim and proper” mother. Standing over him is brash librarian Austina Shaker, who is quickly blamed for the murder.

Angie isn’t sure if Austina is guilty or not but when Austina begs her to help clear her name, Angie can’t seem to help trying to find out. Anna also pushes Angie to get involved, certain she can help get to the bottom of what really happened to Bartholomew.

Angie does have a history of trying to solve murders, after all since she’s investigated and solved three murders previously. I should add that I didn’t realize this was the fourth book in this series when I started it and I had no issues understanding what was happening despite not reading the previous three yet.

The loveable cast of characters in the book include Anna and Mattie, Angie’s friends Rachel and Jonah, who are also Amish, Mitchell and his son Zander, a mischievous goat named Petunia, and Angie’s parents.

Her father is extra loveable and fun as he tries to navigate life after retirement. Her mother is more on the irritating side of things as she tries to run the show a lot and seems a bit stuck up but she keeps the storyline even more interesting as the reader braces themselves for what she’s going to say or do next.

There is much more than a mystery going on in this book and I like that. I like the little side stories with the different characters. I also loved the undercurrent of romance between Mitchell and Angie and how Alan didn’t need to add anything explicit or detailed to get across the feelings between the two.

There were even a few swoon-worthy scenes that made me giggle with delight over the gentle affection shown between the couple – affection that didn’t involve anything blush-worthy.

It’s amazing to me how just Mitchell brushing his fingertips against the back of Angie’s arm was enough to hint at sexual tension. No spicey scenes or language were needed.

I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot March 21

On March 21, 2024March 21, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn everyday musings10 Comments

Hello, everyone! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week. Welcome back to our Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot.

Welcome to another Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot hosted by Marsha in the Middle, Melynda from Scratch Made Food & DYI Homemade Household, Sue from Women Living Well After 50, and me. Look for the link party to go live on Thursdays at 9:30pm EDT.

Here is our most clicked post for this week:

|| How to Shop An Estate Sale by Thrifting Wonderland ||

Here are my highlights for this week:

|| Peter Rabbit Happily Hops Into Our Easter Tablescape by Life is Better At Lakeside ||

|| About Those Bananas Never Have Over Ripe by Scratch Made Food for Hungry People ||

Now it is your turn to link up your favorite posts. They can be fashion, lifestyle, DIY, food, etc. All we ask is that they be family-friendly. You can link up posts from last week or even from years ago.

Also, please take the time to visit the other blogs on the link-up and meet some new bloggers!

Reviews of Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing and a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card

On March 20, 2024March 21, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn everyday musings7 Comments

There have been some lovely reviews of Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing over the last week and a half.

I’m going to share a couple today and also remind you that you can enter to win a copy of the paperback of the book and a $50 Amazon gift card HERE.

This one from Devoted to Hope was so nice:

Step into the nostalgic embrace of Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing, a delightful haven for lovers of vintage charm and heartwarming mysteries. With its retro flair and cozy atmosphere, this book invites readers to immerse themselves in a world where classic style, old-fashioned values, and the timeless allure of small-town life reign supreme!

As you journey through the pages, you’ll be swept away by Lisa R. Howeler’s storytelling, which effortlessly transports you to a bygone era filled with quaint cottages, a bustling town, and the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. With every twist and turn of the plot, you’ll find yourself captivated by Gladwynn’s spirited determination and unwavering resolve as she unravels the mysteries lurking beneath the surface of her beloved community.

The intriguing storyline and the rich tapestry of characters who populate this enchanting world will steal your heart. From Gladwynn’s endearing quirks to her grandmother Lucinda’s timeless wisdom, each character is infused with a warmth and authenticity that feels like a welcoming hug. As you follow their journey, you’ll find yourself becoming deeply invested in their lives, eagerly anticipating each new revelation and heartfelt moment.

Read the rest of the review and find other amazing reviews of Christian or clean fiction books HERE.

I also loved this fun interview with Gladwynn that Amy Walsh did on her blog. It was seriously so cute and fun.

Gina Holder shared an interview with me on her blog today, which I very much appreciated.

This review from Holly’s Book Corner was perfectly short and sweet and I really appreciated it.

There have been so many nice mentions or reviews of the book since last week and I truly do appreciate those who took the time out of their days to read the book and then share about it or leave reviews on their blogs, Amazon and Goodreads. It really does mean so much! The tour ends March 25.

Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing book tour (and giveaway!) starts today

On March 12, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn everyday musings7 Comments

I’m excited and nervous!

Today is the first day of the Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing book tour with Celebrate Lit.

You can read a bit more about the tour HERE but the bottom line is that some bloggers will be sharing about the book for the next couple of weeks on their blogs and will also be sharing about the giveaway.

You can win a $50 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing by entering.

For more details on the giveaway see HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Here is a description of the book:

A little bit of mystery, a dash of romance, and a whole lot of heart

After being laid off from her job as a librarian at a small college, Gladwynn Grant isn’t sure what her next step in life is. When a job as a small-town newspaper reporter opens up in the town her grandmother Lucinda Grant lives in, she decides to take it to get away from a lot of things – Bennett Steele for one.

Lucinda has been living alone since Gladwynn’s grandfather passed away six years ago and she isn’t a take-it-easy, rock-on-your-front-porch kind of grandma. She’s always on the go and lately, she’s been on the go with a man who Gladwynn doesn’t know.

Gladwynn thought Brookstone was a small, quiet town, but within a few days of being there, she has to rethink that notion. Someone has cut the bank loan officer’s brakes, threatening letters are being sent, and memories of a jewelry theft from the 1990s have everyone looking at the cold case again.

What, if anything, will Gladwynn uncover about her new hometown and her grandmother’s new male friend? And what will she do about her grandmother’s attempt to set her up with the handsome Pastor Luke Callahan?

Find out in this modern mystery with a vintage feel.

You can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1KSQJXP

or here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gladwynn-grant-gets-her-footing-lisa-howeler

The tour stops will include:

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 12

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 13

Holly’s Book Corner, March 13

Texas Book-aholic, March 14

Devoted To Hope, March 15

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 18

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, March 19 (Author Interview)

Mornings at Character Cafe, March 19

Book Looks by Lisa, March 20

An Author’s Take, March 21

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 22

Blogging With Carol, March 23

Pause for Tales, March 23

Lily’s Corner, March 24

For Him and My Family, March 25

Mary Hake, March 25

Reviewers give their own opinions so they can be good or bad. Please give their blogs some love no matter what. I know I will because not every book is for every reader! I just appreciate them taking the time to read the book.

Thank you to Joan at Book Reviews of An Avid Reader for being the first stop on the tour. You can see her book review of Gladwynn’s first book here: https://bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/2024/03/gladwynn-grant-gets-her-footing-by-lisa.html

I don’t want to sound too cheesy here but I really like working with the Celebrate Lit team so if you ever need to publicize a book, look to them. I won this particular tour but I am planning future tours with them and just appreciate how gracious they have been through the whole process.

Saturday Afternoon Chat: Walking weather, cozy days for reading, and a fairly routine week

On March 9, 2024March 9, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn everyday musings, Saturday Afternoon Tea9 Comments

A cup of peppermint tea with honey, a piece of chocolate with coconut flakes, a warm blanket, and a book are the tools I have been using today as I try to relax.

Of course, I had a few household chores to do (dishes, yuck!), but otherwise, I am hoping this weekend to focus on reading and finishing the last couple of chapters of the book I am writing. Of course, after I finish it, I will have to go back and edit and do rewrites, but, hey, I’ll at least be done with the main draft.

Look at this, everyone!

The neighbor’s crocuses popped up this past week! So exciting!

Today the temperatures are falling, but on Monday the weather was nice and warm with the thermometer reaching 63. The Boy went for a five-mile walk in and around our small town earlier in the day.

I needed to get my youngest out of the house this week, so that day she and I went to my parents and had some lunch with my mom while my dad took Zooma the Wonder Dog for an impromptu walk.

Dad was planning the walk and decided Zooma could come along with him since she loves following him wherever he goes when she visits. I wish I had grabbed a photo of them walking together because Zooma really looks like she has a huge smile on her face when someone takes her on a walk.

Little Miss and The Boy took her on another walk yesterday since the weather was almost as warm as Monday and we knew today would be cold and rainy.

They took her on a walk after Little Miss and I drove 20 minutes to get our pickup order from Aldi and stopped at my parents to drop off the grocery items I had added to my order for them.

I walked a little bit down the road and the cats followed me, apparently very confused about why we had walked off the property for the first time in probably four months.

Both of their tails were puffed out so I guess they really were alarmed. Or they were having a fight between each other. Usually, those tails only puff up when they encounter an animal outside the family, though.

Today there is a book sale in a town close to where we get our groceries but I am being a good girl and not going to it. I have enough books to read – both physical and digital.

Still, I do find myself sitting here and wondering what treasures I am missing out on by not going. What if someone gave away a whole set of Nancy Drew books? Eek! The stress of it all.

I keep telling myself that I must be strong and simply grab the Nancy Drew books I haven’t read yet one at a time on Thriftbooks instead. I can do this, right?

Besides, there is an even larger book sale going on in a town 45 minutes from us in April so I will try to hold out until then.

Our area is also getting a bookstore soon. I don’t know what kind of books they will sell but it will be nice that there is a bookstore near us – even if it will be a 45-minute drive. Actually, it might be best it is that far away from me.

We don’t have a lot on tap this upcoming week but I’m sure plenty of things will come up for us to do. We are looking forward to some nicer weather so I am sure we will be at a playground at least once during the week.

How was your week last week? Do anything interesting?

What is coming up this week?

Three cozy mystery shows you should be watching

On March 7, 2024March 7, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn everyday musings15 Comments

My husband and I watch a variety of mystery shows together, some of which we would consider “cozy mystery” shows. Cozy mysteries are a little lighter in topics with some humor thrown in. Yes, they may feature murder mysteries but they don’t normally show too much of the death scene and don’t focus on the more macabre aspects of the crime.

Instead, they focus on the clues and red herrings (which are clues that the viewer thinks are clues, but really are just thrown out there to throw the viewer off the scent). They also focus on the relationships and private lives of the sleuths, who are many times amateur sleuths who work on their own and sort of against the professional law enforcement or who work with them.

There are sometimes silly and unbelievable or more unrealistic aspects to cozy mystery shows. Think Murder She Wrote, one of the original cozy mystery shows.

Today I am recommending to you three of the cozy mysteries we watch. Next week I’ll be sharing some more “serious” mystery shows we watch.

I shared a couple other suggestions previously in this post: https://lisahoweler.com/2022/05/04/five-fun-quirky-and-unique-mystery-shows-you-should-be-watching/

1. Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators is a cozy mystery show on the BBC. I actually mentioned this show in my previous post on this topic as well.

The show follows the story of PI Frank Hathaway (Mark Benton), a former detective inspector, and Luella Shakespeare (Jo Joyner) who hires Frank to investigate her fiance.

Hathway and his assistant Sebastian Brudenell (Patrick Walsh McBride) discover that Luella’s fiance is not a great guy and after the case is solved, Luella tells Frank she wants to work with him. He resists but she has money and he is in debt so has no real choice but to agree. Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators is born.

The episodes are often quirky, feature humor, and also have some serious moments. Sebastian, an out-of-work actor, brings a lot of the humor with his undercover work and various character creations when he goes undercover.

Throughout the first couple of seasons, viewers are given hints as to why Frank is no longer a DI. Critics, while faulting some of the aspects of the show, can’t deny that the characters are loveable and cozy fans love to follow them and find out what they are going to do next.

There are four seasons of the show and searches online show that while there has been no announcement of a fifth season, there also hasn’t been an official cancellation of the show.

2. Psych

Pysch first appeared on the USA network but I don’t think we saw it until it was streaming and I am not sure where it was streaming first. Right now it is streaming on Amazon and Peacock with a subscription and Apple TV if you want to purchase each episode.

The show follows Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his best friend Burton “Gus” Guster (Dule Hill) as they start a psychic detective agency. Shawn has a photographic memory but pretends he is psychic to get jobs with the Santa Barbara Police Department. He drags Gus along to help, even though Gus’s normal job is in pharmaceuticals.

One reason Shawn’s photographic memory skills are so good is because his father Henry Spencer (Corbin Bernsen), now a former police officer, taught him those skills when Shawn was a child. Many of the early shows start with flashbacks of Henry teaching Shawn how to observe and gather information in a situation.

Pretending to be a psychic obviously creates a lot of humorous and ridiculous situations and viewers often have to suspend belief as mysteries are solved but it’s such a fun ride that the implausibility of it all isn’t a blip on the radar of most viewers. Shawn, Gus, and the supporting cast are the drivers and we’re just along for the ride, in other words.

Speaking of supporting cast members – they include police detective Juliet (Maggie Lawson), who Shawn, of course, falls in love with, the uptight and by-the-book police detective Carl Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), and police chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson).

There were also some amazing guest stars on the show over the years including Tim Curry, John Cena, William Shatner, Cary Elwes, Kristy Swanson, Mira Sorvino, Anthony Michael Hall, and Jeffrey Tambor.

The show ran for eight seasons until 2014 and three made-for-tv movies followed in 2017, 2020, and 2021. This one is a favorite for my family.

3. Rosemary and Thyme

This is another British who, which I’ve mentioned before on the blog. The show features Felicity Kendal as Rosemary Boxer and Pam Ferris as Laura Thyme. They are landscapers who sort of fall into amateur sleuth roles when crimes continue to happen at the sites where they are landscaping.

I like this show because it features older women as the main characters. I liked the show even before I was “an older woman” by the way.

According to information online the show’s creator, Brian Eastman made it to entertain his wife, who is a gardener.

The show ran for three seasons before being unceremoniously canceled by ITV as part of ITVs plan to refresh its lineup. Two final episodes were aired more than a year later after the show ended and two more had been written but by the time production was ready, most of the actors were already committed to other projects.

I am rewatching this series through Britbox because there are a few I don’t remember from the first time I watched it.

Bonus: The Mallorca Files

This one showed up on our radar in 2019 and I’m adding it as a bonus because it isn’t strictly a “cozy mystery.”

The main characters are actually police and they topics can be a little heavier than strict cozy mystery shows and it is actually defined online as a “police procedural.”

The show starts with Elen Rhys as Detective Miranda Blake being sent to Mallorca to investigate a case that carries over from England and then getting transferred work with the Mallorca Police Force.

She is assigned Detective Max Winter, portrayed by Julian Looman, who is a German transplant to the island.

In case you are wondering, or don’t know (like I didn’t before I watched the show), Mallorca is a real island off the coast of Spain.

What I love about this show is the international flavor (for me at least) and the different cultures represented – British, German, and Spanish.

The police chief – Ines Villegas — is very Spanish.

The plot of the episodes are very engaging with a constant underlying sexual tension between Miranda and Max.

From what I read online yesterday, this show had filmed more episodes this past summer but a date for season three, which could include the remaining episodes filmed in 2020 but not aired.

According to Wikipedia: “The series is a co-production between Cosmopolitan Pictures, Clerkenwell Films, BritBox US and Canada, ZDFneo and France 2.

Cosmopolitan Pictures founder Ben Donald said the series came from “[a] desire to create a feel-good action-driven cop show like the ones I grew up with and, secondly, a desire to rebrand and refresh the Anglo-German relationship on television.”

Have you seen any of these shows and what were your impressions if you have?

Faithfully Thinking: Do what the person you want to be would do.

On March 5, 2024March 5, 2024 By Lisa R. HowelerIn everyday musings, Faithfully Thinking8 Comments

I’ve been reading a book called Do the New You by Steven Furtick for my ladies’ Bible study and the section I read yesterday was about how we can start acting like the person we want to be one day.

This concept struck me as I read about it because so often we read or hear about setting goals and working toward them but not how to get there. We might hear “one step at a time” or “slow and steady wins the race” but the idea of acting now like you want the future you to act is compelling to me. It flipped my thoughts around.

In the book, Pastor Steven gives examples like if you want to be kinder then stop and think to yourself, “What would future me do in this situation?”

Pastor Steven also suggests not trying to do all you can do to be the future you because that can be overwhelming. Do the one thing in that moment that the future you that you want to be would do.

Whatever that one thing is for you is what the Holy Spirit will bring to your mind or point you toward.

The first thing that came to my mind as I filled out the study guide questions this morning was eating better and losing weight. The future me wants/needs to get the weight off. I do not eat horribly. I don’t eat a ton of sweets or fast food or sodas. I do eat a couple of things that are not good for me – wheat or gluten and dairy.

I seem to feel much better off both of them but both are a temptation to me.

There is so much I could do to lose weight but when I read about the idea of doing what the future you would do I thought, “the future me wouldn’t eat a sandwich or sneak something with gluten because it’s easier or tastes good. The future me would find an alternative that doesn’t include bread.”

So today when I reached for bread to make a sandwich, I found one of my rice cakes instead and put peanut butter on it.

When I thought about pouring a mug of milk to make some hot cocoa, I made tea instead.

This doesn’t mean I’ll never eat gluten or dairy again, but it means that the future me will do so sparingly until the future me finds substitutes that will fill me up and are quick to make.

I can’t do these things, one at a time, on my own. I need God to support me, to remind me I can do all things through his son Jesus.

I need him to help me do that one thing I need to do to become the person not only I want to become but he wants me to become.

I do want to clarify that I don’t mean that God wants us all to look a certain way or be skinny.

I do, however, believe he wants us to not give up on being a better version of ourselves inside.

I’ll leave with this quote from the book: “Do the thing you would do. Don’t wait. Do whatever you can, no matter how small, that moves you in the direction of the thing you would do if you could.”