Dear First name / friend,

 

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve put off writing this email, I’d be rich. 

 

 

Those words have been floating around in my head for months, but I just haven’t wanted to physically put them down in writing - at least not in the form of this email. We announced our sabbatical back in April’s VOICES magazine, but writing a personal, from-the-heart letter like this makes the decision feel so very real. So concrete. So raw. 

 

 

 

Those who know me well would immediately tell you that I am truly, horrifically terrible at rest. If you were to sit me down on the couch and tell me to remain still for just five minutes, I would begin to writhe in agony. My toes would curl and crinkle under themselves while I shifted restlessly side to side, counting the seconds like a child eyeing the clock until they can escape time out.  

 

 

Then I laid out my strongest arguments before Him, in lawyer-like fashion. I’d like to tell you that I presented a pretty dang compelling case; I firmly believe it was more convincing than my “Why I Should Be Allowed to Get Myspace” PowerPoint presentation I gave to my parents in 8th grade.  

 

I explained the million reasons why I don’t feel like stepping away to rest. I talked about the fruit I’ve seen born from God’s work in and through this ministry. I gushed with gratitude about the stories that all of you have shared about the impact of our humble work in your life. I waxed poetic about the authentic, rich friendships birthed through Live Today Well.

 

When that angle didn’t convince Him, I began to reflect more deeply on the role that Live Today Well has played in my own life, providing me with a creative outlet in the midst of the fledgling years of my motherhood. The people I have met through this ministry, the stories I have heard, the workshops, and the rich conversations… I poured out story after story to God, including every detail about how these interactions nurtured my heart and spirituality, challenging me to grow in a multitude of ways. In the midst of this reflection, I  was struck by just how critical these years serving at Live Today Well have been at helping me to better view my identity in its entirety, rather than minimizing my worth to just one aspect of my life. 

 

And then… God stopped me. Calmly, lovingly, He wrapped his arms around my anxious soul, drawing me close.

 

 

And so, while the decision to embark on a sabbatical still feels bittersweet, months later, I also feel such a deep, "Holy Spirit placed peace" in the midst of it all. I sense His gentle tug on my hand, encouraging my fingers to release, to let go. His warm, dark eyes gaze into mine, inviting me to surrender completely to Him the ministry that has belonged to Him all along. 

 

 

Instead, the LTW team will be embarking on a period of rest. A sabbath. Perhaps this sabbath will be only a year long. Perhaps it will be longer. Only the Lord knows. 

 

While I don’t know how long He is calling us to rest, I do know this:

 

“He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it; God has done this so that all should stand in awe before him.”  - Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

 

I know I can speak for our entire team when I tell you that accompanying you in the large and small moments of life has been one of the biggest blessings in our lives these past 5 years. 

 

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, dear First name / friend, for being here. 

1. Ruth Chou Simon’s “The GraceLaced Podcast” has a beautiful series going right now on rest. I’ve been praying with and listening to these podcasts the last few weeks especially. Here’s Season 5, Episode 1 - “Embrace Your Limitations”

 

2. When I started delving into the history of the word Sabbatical in the Catholic Church, I came across this page on New Advent’s website about the tradition of a “Sabbatical Year” in Scripture. I rather love the idea of a Shenath Shabbathon - particularly the description in the last paragraph. 

 

3. If you haven't yet read May’s VOICES Magazine on Boundaries & Rest, may I humbly encourage you to give it a whirl? While I’ve loved everything we’ve published, I’ve been so encouraged praying through this particular issue.  

Rest looks different for everyone. But here’s a few things that are feeling restorative to my soul these days:

 

1. Signing up for my library’s summer reading program. Did you know libraries offer summer reading for adults, too? I don’t really care about the prizes, BUT I am loving tracking what I’m reading, and it’s encouraging me to be on my phone less and reading more. I’ve been reading this, this, and this.

 

2. Time in my garden every day, even if it’s only 5-10 minutes. I always thought I had a black thumb (and some days, I’m convinced I still do), but seeing the things that are growing well brings my heart so much joy. There’s something so healing about digging in the dirt with your bare hands; I’ve found it soothes my mind and my body, and resets my mood when I’m feeling stressed or overstimulated.

 

3. Resting in prayer. I’ve started simply breathing in and out slowly the prayer, “Ever present God, here with me now, help me to be here with you.” I’m also picking back up my Morning Offering Journal, because the lazy, hazy days of summer currently have a little too little structure, and I need some gentle prompting to reorient my heart towards God in the morning.

 

4. Carving out time for small hobbies that create beauty. I always want to have hobbies but often feel like I have no time for them. I gave up on trying to carve out big blocks of time, and now I’m just fitting them into my day in tiny pockets. 10 minutes there to paint just for fun. 2 minutes to feed my baby sourdough starter (a pandemic hobby of mine that fell by the wayside). 5 minutes arranging random flowers and clippings from around my yard and shoving them in a vase on my mantle. It’s amazing how impactful just a few intentional minutes can be at restoring my love for beauty!

 

1. If you’d like to stay in touch with our individual writers, most of their Instagram handles are listed here, on the “Our Story & Team” webpage. I highly encourage you to follow these remarkable women. They are continually inspiring me to dig deeper and love more fully.

 

2. Earlier this spring, we ordered some gorgeous, teal, insulated travel mugs for our team with LTW’s logo on it. We have 5 of these practical, stunning mugs left on our shelves. I can personally attest to the fact that they are perfect for keeping my coffee warm and my iced beverages cold all day long. If you’d like to purchase one of these commemorative LTW travel mugs, hit reply and let me know! $32 including shipping to anyone in the contiguous US. Here's a peek at what those mugs look like: 

3. Finally, while our books will remain available for purchase moving forward, due to rising printing costs (ugh, inflation), our printer is increasing the price of all of our books. Starting June 14th, the prices will be increasing by $2/book. Snag that devotional you’ve been eyeing or stock on your favorite journal today for the best price ;).  

May God bless you abundantly, First name / friend! Holding you in prayer now and always.