It is Monday. I should be all geared up for the week. But, really I’m sitting here contemplating another cup of coffee and trying to put words into sentences. Lately it seems like all the words are playing hide and seek.

Last week, I finished the front end work on Fresh Out of Amazing. The manuscript is officially due on November 1, and I’m nearly ready to send that baby to Harvest House. I’m so relieved and yet I’m a little sad too. I think about the writing process and I wonder if I was faithful to put the words down that God spoke to my heart. I kept asking, “Lord what do you want  your Fresh Out of Amazing daughters to read?” I suppose I’m not the best judge of what I write and at this point 55,000+ words complete we will just go with what is. Does this make any sense? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love this book. It has changed me. I can’t wait for you to read it. But at the same time I think, maybe it is just me who will love it. I’ve done my level best to listen on the page and write what I’ve heard God speaking to my heart. I think that is all I can do, right?

This week, the Allume conference is happening and for the first time since it began, I won’t be there. I’m a little sad about the whole deal. But next week, I’m headed to Rochester, NY to speak to a lovely group of moms for Raising Generations. I knew in my heart I could not do both conferences so close together. It really was a choice between two good things. Isn’t that often the case? So, I’ll be stalking the social media feeds of all the writer girls this week in Greenville at Allume. Missing them dearly and working on my talk for RGT.

I’ve been working my way through this book thinking about the Tabernacle and Prayer and it is beautiful. I highly recommend it.

October always makes me miss 31 Days….remember this? God used it greatly in my life to grow me as a writer.

And then there is this quote by Oswald Chambers:

[callout]”It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—But we do not.  We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes.” My Utmost for His Highest , Oswald Chambers[/callout]

It has me thinking about being holy in the ordinary and how it really takes a lifetime.

I hope you have a beautiful day filled with holy and ordinary moments.

I think I’ll get that third cup of coffee now.

xo,

Stacey