Hello, my friend!
I hope you’re doing great! My kids and I have been soaking up the sun – and dirt! – this week, as the weather is still pleasantly vernal and light on mosquitoes!
I recently finished listening to the audio version of Until the Streetlights Come On (I rate it a 10/10!) and consequently have felt especially motivated to prioritize time outdoors. Admittedly, such a priority is much easier to maintain when the weather is as accommodating as it’s been here lately. I am one to activate Hibernation Mode when temps drop below 60, ha!
It’s truly amazing what time outside does for us humans, things like:
Improving sleep
Reducing anxiety
Improving sense of well-being
Improving short-term memory
Increasing Vitamin D levels, thereby boosting one’s immune system
If you haven’t gone outside yet today, I encourage you to abandon this email now and get to it!
Okay, time to dive into this week’s Top 4. I hope you find it useful!
RETHINKING TODAY’S TO-DO’S
“Instead of asking, ‘What do I have to do today?’ I’ve been asking, ‘What would support me most today?’ or ‘What would I love most today?’ It’s a subtle shift, but it completely reframes how I move through my day. Sometimes the answer is movement, sometimes it’s rest, sometimes it’s connection or nourishment.’” – Katie Wells of Wellness Mama
RESPONDING BETTER TO MISTAKES
“If you think you’re running 10 minutes late, text to say you’ll be 15 minutes late. That way the other person gets one disappointment and one pleasant surprise. Most people do the opposite: they say they’re 5 minutes late when it’s 10 and end up annoying the other person and looking like total fools.” – writer Jacob Falkovich
PODCAST EPISODE REC OF THE WEEK
I listened to this conversation between Chris Williamson and Tim Ferriss last week and jotted down scads of notes, like:
“Being efficient without regard to effectiveness is the default mode of the universe.”
“It’s easier to mistake motion for progress.”
“Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments.”
WHAT CRACKED OPEN THE COSMOS
“Easter opened up a crack in a universe winding down toward entropy and decay, sealing the promise that someday God will enlarge the miracle of Easter to cosmic scale.” – Philip Yancey
On that note, I pray you have an exceptional (egg-ceptional?) Easter weekend with your loved ones! See you next time!
Thank you as always for your support of my writing!
Fiction:
NEW: Where I Go Night-Night (children’s picture book)
NEW!: The God Next Door (comedic fantasy)
Medusa’s Wish (fantasy)
Moonbow: Prequel to The Petros Chronicles (fantasy)
Age of the Ashers (fantasy)
War of the Ashers (fantasy)
Fate of the Ashers (fantasy)
The Petros Chronicles Boxset
Armor for Orchids (Christian Women’s Contemporary)
Orchid Unshaken (Christian Women’s Contemporary)
Orchid Unbound (Christian Women’s Contemporary)
Orchid Unfading (Christian Women’s Contemporary)
Non-Fiction:
Fit for Faith: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness
Perfect Fit Couples Edition: Workouts and Reflections for a Rock-Solid Relationship
Perfect Fit: Weekly Wisdom and Workouts for Women of Faith and Fitness
Perfect Fit No Excuses: 15-Minute Workouts for Life’s Busiest Days
Immeasurable Fitness Challenge: 18 Days of Total Health for Spirit, Soul, and Body
Immeasurable: Diving in the Depths of God’s Love (a memoir)