My Story Updates

Have you had the chance to sit in the stillness and reflect on how your summer story is progressing? We just returned from a week-and-a-half long vacation. The mountain cabin gave me an idyllic space in which to just rest and ponder on my own story. I must admit, June was a flurry of activity with not much time to relax, so this vacation was just the prescription I needed to refocus my priorities and realize just what is important for me and my family. But, you don't need a mountain cabin or a week-long vacation to take time out to rest and recharge. Even just an hour to yourself at a park or in the quiet of your bedroom can work wonders for rebalancing.

In my last post, I suggested a few questions to guide you in evaluating the progress of your summer story. If you missed it, you can read it here.

And then I promised you an update to my own summer story. Not surprisingly, my summer story is not unfolding exactly as I had imagined. But stories are never like that, are they? There are always twists and turns that add excitement and drama. Most of this past month has been exactly what I thought it would be - our farmhouse was finally started (albeit much later than I hoped); we enjoyed vacations with family; I have begun my guided journaling practice; been feverishly working on the launching of my summer collections (which should happen next week, I promise!); and the acceptance and enjoyment of just where we are here in the middle house. But what didn't happen was the intentional pauses of peace to rest and soak in the words of beautiful books. This one was unfortunately pushed to the back burner nearly every single day, and when I tried to sit down to read, my mind was still racing a hundred miles an hour preventing my focus. I could feel that living this way was draining, but I couldn't seem to balance the activity with the rest. So, for the past week, all I have done is relax, ponder, read, plan, and make meaningful family memories. {If you struggle with striking the right balance, stay tuned for tomorrow's snatches.}

In all this, I see the Lord's hand shaping this summer into the very best story for me. It's been less about what I have done, and more about who I am. The Lord is teaching me how to find the very best rhythm for my peak performance, and how to appreciate (instead of downplay or criticize) my natural strengths. An unexpected tender mercy, to be sure.

From here on out, I trust the Lord with the unfolding. Much is unknown, but with bright faith, I trust that the Lord will work out the details. He is always so good - in both the storms and the sunshine. My focus for July will be on adventure (preparing for our little baby, launching my collections and new blog design, one last getaway for my husband and I before the baby, preparation for the new adventure of homeschooling we will be starting this Fall, instilling good and healthy habits for my life, and farmhouse designing. It will be busy to be sure, but I'm not going to let the busyness get the best of me this time around. I am committing to a balance of doing and being. As for August, our baby will come and so my focus will be on stillness, rest, and enjoying each moment with my precious children.

What will your focus be for the next two months? I'd love to hear how your story is evolving. Feel free to email me or comment below, my friends, because your story matters!

Also, to celebrate this 4th of July weekend (from now through Monday, July 4th), I am offering an exclusive sale in my etsy shop! With code: JULY40 you can receive a 40% discount on anything in my shop (including all prints, thank you card bundles, AND custom orders!!) This will be my biggest sale of the year, so if you've been eyeing something special for your home or for a gift, now would be the perfect time to hop on over! Click here to see my inventory!

Signing off until tomorrow...

Day 31: My Always

Can I just sincerely thank you for following along with me throughout this journey of Hand-Lettered Prints? I have so enjoyed creating these each day and offering them in my shop. I truly believe that words can change the world. And they can change our homes too. As we display inspiring words throughout our homes, and read them whenever we pass I believe it invites the Spirit to be more present in our homes and in our hearts.

As a thank you for participating in this journey with me, I am doing a giveaway for a free 8x10 of any print in my shop (excluding custom orders). To view my prints in my shop, click here. To enter, follow me on Instagram @writinginthestillness and leave a comment there with the print you would choose if you won.

May your day be filled with joy, my friends.

XOXO,
Jamie

Day 30: Tune My Heart

If you have a chance today, listen to Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It's one of my favorite songs. Patrick and I were privileged to sing in the choir during my graduation commencement ceremonies. We sang this song. The lyrics are so powerful and perfect that nothing I could write would add any value. So I will simply quote the lyrics below:

Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace.

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above;

Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I come,

And I hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God.

He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be!

Let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

Seal it for thy courts above.

May our hearts ever be tuned to sing His everlasting grace.

Day 29: Life Moments

We visited my Gram and Pop this past weekend and so I brought along my hand-lettering supplies to create prints. As I was drawing, Pop brought out his notebooks where he has recorded hundreds of quotes, poems, and thoughts. He read me a few and I fell in love with this one instantly (along with others that I will be hand-lettering in the future).

Thank you for teaching me this, sweet Pop. And thank you for sharing thousands of moments with me and my family. We will treasure them always.

Day 28: Flowers on my Table

This is so true of me. No diamond could outshine the beauty of real, live, fragrant flowers on my table. It's why I want lots of flower gardens--and especially a cutting garden--so I can harvest the blooms to bring indoors. I love to grace my table with flowers.

It's the little things in life that bring the most joy.

Day 27: I'll Love You Forever

Do you know this book? It was one of my very favorites growing up. I'll never forget the sound of my mother's voice as she read it to us.

And now I read it to my own children and feel so blessed. These children we have been given are truly the greatest treasures.

Traditions bind the generations together.

Do you have a sweet and simple memory you are making a tradition with your own children?

Day 26: The Reward

So often we want to get to a desired destination to reach happiness. But, truth be told, we will never reach that "perfect" destination. There will always be something just over the next horizon for us to pursue. The trick is to enjoy the now and find happiness in the present. And this little quote helps me visualize just exactly how to do that.

Life is a journey, my friends. And how blessed we are to be on this journey. Stay present.

Let the journey itself be your reward.

{Find this print in my shop by clicking here.}

Day 25: Give Thanks

It's about this time of year, when autumn is in full swing and we realize Thanksgiving is just around the bend that our thoughts start turning toward gratitude.

An attitude of gratitude--we've all been schooled in this positive way to frame our thoughts. We know all the answers backwards and forwards, inside and out. But has this practice of giving thanks really, truly penetrated our hearts?

The practice of gratitude is often on my mind. Maybe it's because I'm still not very good at it even after all these years of practice. Do you need some fresh perspectives on how to practice an attitude of gratitude?

In this post I wrote last year called "The Thanks Giving Project," I suggested a way we can train our minds to tread the positive path.

Another post I wrote called "The Stained Glass Window" suggests 5 ways we can practice daily gratitude and experience the warm glow through life's stained glass window.

This year, I want to challenge myself {and all of you} to try another practice--in everything giving thanks. In order to step to a higher level in our eternal progression, it would serve us well to eliminate complaining and whining and pessimism.

Give Thanks in Everything. Even when your children are misbehaving. Even when you have a bad hair day. Even when you're late for church or a meeting or work. Even when you're sick. Even when rainstorms ruin your party. Even when life is unfair. Even when you lose your job, or your car, or your home, or money, or even a family member. Even when everything seems to be going wrong--give thanks.

You see, sometimes, the very things that seem so terrible will ultimately work for our highest good. Because it is in these desperate times that we become molded and refined and smoothed into exactly who God wants us to be. There is not one single experience we pass through that will not be for our ultimate good, of this we can be sure. Heavenly Father loves us. He is there for us. And He wants us to return to Him.

In everything give thanks.

It's a steep challenge, to be sure. But the result will turn us into something so magnificent, so humble, so Christlike.

Will you come with me on this path towards Thanksliving? Let's take the next step and see where it leads.

Day 24: Do What You Love

What do you love to do? Have you ever made a list? If not, stop what you're doing and go make one this moment. If you have children at home, let them make a list too.

Now hang up your list where you will see it often.

Life is too short to spend too much time doing unbearable things.

It's Saturday...so it's time to do something you love. Pick just one thing on your list (or two or three) and do it today. No ifs, ands, or buts.

See what a difference it makes in your day.

Now, repeat. Every day. As often as you can. If you do this, you will look back on your days at the end of your life and see the beautiful life you created.

xoxoxo,

Jamie

{To view this print in my shop click here.}

Day 23: Never Grow Up

Fridays=family time and so on this Friday, I can't help but think of my sweet family and all that they mean to me. I have three children ages 8, almost 7, and almost 4. Truly, they are a bundle of delight. I don't know how I got so lucky to receive these three special gifts from my Father in Heaven. Their personalities amaze me and their valiance leaves me in awe.

But I have a problem. You see, no matter how hard I try, they keep growing up.

The change is almost imperceptible in the days, but when you look back at a picture or video from even just a year ago, the change is drastic. I hardly notice it happening, but it happens in the blink of an eye.

My mother used to give me "stay-little pills" and I just recently heard from my Grandfather that he used to give my mother "stay-little pills." Apparently, they don't work, because I keep trying them on my own children to no avail.

In my mind, I know they need to grow up and experience all the beauty that life has to offer. I want them to have all the joy I have. But still my heart cries out, "Please, just never grow up!"

With each passing day, they bring me more and more joy. Their personalities are emerging and blossoming in such delightful ways. Every year brings me blessings unimaginable. So naturally, I love to see them grow up and learn new things and become this wonderfully unique and capable little human being. But at the very same time, I want to cradle their faces in my hands and freeze time just exactly as it is now. {Don't even get me started on the heart-wrenching feelings that emerge when I look at their little toddler pictures...}

Oh this growing up business is not for the faint of heart. It's ever so bittersweet as a mother.

Maybe tomorrow, sweet children, you can grow older...but not today.

Stay little...just for today...



{To view this print in my shop click here.}

Day 22: Moments

Do you have a collection? I collected many things growing up--stamps, teddy bears, dalmatians, bookmarks, and tea pots to name a few. I was a collector.

I still am. But my main collection now is that of memories. I love the moments that make up my cherished memories. I collect moments through photos, journaling, writing, and video recording. And my favorite moments to collect are family memories.

I kept a family blog from 2008-2015 and now I have a special print instagram account for family memories. These I print into books so I can always treasure the words and photos from our family's memories.

My other favorite thing to do is record my children on video. I record the big moments and the small moments and those in-between. Then in the fall time I pull out all the recordings and make one short movie for every month that recaps our memories through video and music. On New Year's I give them to my family and we curl up together to watch them.

Material things get old, break, become outdated. But moments? They are priceless. They're worth more than all the money in the world.

Truly, memories, and the moments from which they are made, will live on forever.

How do you collect moments? Please comment below...

{And to view this print in my shop click here.}

Day 21: Come What May

{To view this print in my etsy shop, click here}

Elder Wirthlin gave a monumental talk in October 2008. It's one of those talks that you never forget. The main message of his talk exhorted us to endure adversity well. The short video below shares the advice of Elder Wirthlin's mother to "Come What May and Love It."



My favorite quote from his discourse:

"The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him."  ~Elder Wirthlin

Day 20: Speak Love

One of the most beautiful hymns from the Children's Songbook is "Love is Spoken Here." The lyrics are so timeless and empowering. They have become a motto for me--a vision of what I want our home to look and feel like:

I see my other kneeling with our family each day.
I hear the words she whispers as she bows her head to pray.
Her plea to the Father quiets all my fears,
And I am thankful love is spoken here.

Mine is a home where every hour is blessed by the strength of priesthood power,
With father and mother leading the way
Teaching me how to trust and obey;
And the things they teach our crystal clear,
For love is spoken here.

I can often feel the Savior near
When love is spoken here.

(words and music by Janice Kapp Perry)


We all make mistakes and there are times when the words in our homes are not very loving or kind. But I believe with all my heart that one person can make a difference. One mother, one father, or one child can change the very atmosphere of the home by committing to this practice of speaking love. How would your home feel if you were the one who made that difference? How would your love ripple outwards, lifting the attitude and actions of all present in your home?

Might you commit to try for just one day to only speak love?

Our homes can become the heavens on earth as we embrace this practice with all our hearts.


{To view this print in my shop, click here}

Day 19: Look

All the Israelites had to do was look to the brazen serpent to be healed and live. But because of the simplicity of the way, so many would not look, but chose to perish instead. Why wouldn't they look? we wonder to ourselves. It was so simple, so easy.

But how often do we do the same? The scriptures filled with the healing word of God wait for us on dusty shelves. But do we pick them up? Our church meetings, and especially the sacrament offer forgiveness, refreshment and nourishment to our parched souls. But do we go? And if we do, do we bring a softened, open heart? The great God of the universe, our very Eternal Father in Heaven waits patiently for us to commune with Him in prayer for all the things we need, but do we come?

Abundant life is freely offered to us at any and every moment of the day. All we must do is look.

Look to God and live.

Will you?

Day 18: His Child

This simple phrase is the basis and foundation of my life. It transcends all things of this earth and grants me overwhelming peace. 

To think that we are the children of the great Creator of the Universe is incredibly humbling and awe-inspiring. 

I believe we can let this simple, divine truth settle so deeply into our hearts that it actually softens our hearts and makes us more like Him. If we could grasp onto this thought and let it guide our daily actions, think of the love and grace we could extend to those in our circle of influence. Think of the difference we could make. 

You are a child of God.

I am a child of God.

Let this truth change you and mold you into the Divine royalty you have always been destined to become... 

Day 17: Fly

Life is full of possibility. Endless opportunities await us. When our hearts call us to action, all that is required is a simple "yes." But more often than not, great opportunities are accompanied with a certain degree of risk. We argue with ourselves. Should we stay where we are, comfortable in our little space of familiarity...or should we reach for the stars?

Of course you might fail. But what if you fly?

Is it worth the risk? No one wants to fail. But what you must remember is that no one ever truly fails. Every failure is a blessing in disguise. The lessons we learn will only add to the gleam in our character. Besides, this failure may lead to an entirely different dream altogether.

So trust your heart.

Say yes.

Either way you'll fly.

{To view this print in my shop, click here}

Day 16: A Beautiful Ride

Life really is a beautiful ride, isn't it? If you're anything like me, you wake up every morning with overwhelming stress, mountains of laundry and a to-do list as long as the Amazon, but when you really stop and think about it, aren't we just so blessed to be alive? You are gifted 24 hours every single day--what will you do with those few precious hours? We can use them to rush around as busy crazies, or we can s l o w  d o w n and savor each precious moment for exactly what it is--a gift. Ride along today at a slower than usual pace. See if you can truly relish the beautiful ride. Happy Friday my sweet, sweet friends. Thank you for sharing this space with me. I hope your weekend turns into the most lovely, meaningful gift for you!

{To view this print in my shop, click here}

Day 15: Remember

Throughout the scriptures we are encouraged to "remember." I would encourage you to do a study on this beautiful word and find it sprinkled throughout the beautiful scripture accounts. 

It is good for the soul to remember. Remember your blessings. Remember your hardships and how the Lord never left your side, and ultimately delivered you. Remember His power and miracles. Remember His love. Remember Him. 

It's a beautiful thing, this remembering. It takes a tired, worn-out day and makes it feel brand new. 

How has remembering blessed your life?

Day 14: Be Still

Stillness is so good for our souls. It is in the stillness that we can feel the comfort, the peace, and the love of our Heavenly Father. All we have to do is quiet our minds and hearts.

Today I encourage you to pause whatever you are doing right in this very minute--and choose to be still. Take a few, long deep breaths, and in this sweet moment of stillness, feel the presence of the Spirit. Remember the mercy, grace, and love of the Lord towards you, and choose to trust Him with your life, your heart and your dreams. He cares about you so much.

It is in the stillness that we can most readily find Him--waiting for us to come unto Him.

{To view this print in my shop, click here}

Day 13: Beautiful Destination

What is your destination? If you have a great vision of where you want to be in life, then hold fast to that dream even if your road today feels rough. Keep your dreams ever before your eyes and savor the little moments along the way. It will all be worth it in the end. 

Sometimes dreams are easily chosen, but other times they're more elusive. If life finds you traversing a difficult road without a specific "dream," take heart. Keep walking the path. Stay close the Lord and He will guide you just where you need to be. You see, sometimes dreams come true that we never even knew would be possible. Your next destination may be a beautiful surprise.

My dreams right now are many: to raise a happy, righteous family, make wonderful memories, write and publish a book, live in a little farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, return to Portugal, go on missions with my husband, and maybe even change the world through words...What are your goals and dreams?

{To view this print in my shop, click here}