Rediscovering the Joy of Writing

This past week I took some time to step back from book promotion to seek God's direction about my professional path and navigation of work-family balance. I had confided in a wise friend about my level of stress and discouragement at being pulled in two seemingly opposite directions, and she encouraged me to take a break and see what happened.

At about the same time, I stumbled upon a quote from a homeschool blog, the Read-Aloud Revival, that really hit home.

The key to a successful homeschool is a peaceful, happy mother.

I realized I haven't been very peaceful or happy lately, with anxiety showing itself both in my family time and author activities. So I allowed myself an intentional break from "the hustle."

I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I ended up writing a first draft for a children's picture book. I even got in touch with a friend to talk about creating illustrations. She shared my excitement and said she couldn't wait to start painting!

This was an amazing way that God opened my eyes to integrating my professional calling and my primary commitment to my children—because my daughter sat with me as I wrote and sketched illustrations! She loved the story, and even if the book never goes to print, I value the time we got to spend together working on it and the lesson that the story taught both her and me.

So, here's your weekly reminder to take a step back and seek God's direction, presence, and peace. He is so faithful to keep His promises!

 You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

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Photo credit: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.