Boats, Books, & Fruit Salad

"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."

--Rabindranath Tagore

Writing my current book has been a journey. At some point, I adopted a verse that I periodically come back to: "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." (Luke 8:22, NIV, emphasis mine) I'm not taking this trip alone, no matter how ridiculously long it seems at times. But I'm struck by the following line in Mark's gospel. Mark 4:36 says, "He was already in the boat . . ." (NLT, 1996 edition) Jesus wasn't just suggesting they take a trip. He was already in the boat. It's like He was giving them a gentle nudge. He'd already taken the first step and was inviting them along.💙It's a good reminder that this journey wasn't mine to begin with. I was simply invited to join in on the adventure.

March reads . . .

The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella

The Curious Realities, Bk. 1

YA Fantasy

"Nothing's impossible. Including, but not limited to, you . . . You are perhaps the most possible girl I have ever had the privilege to encounter."

I loved this book! This is Sara at her finest. I wrote down twelve quotes in my reading journal. Twelve! Also, if you get a chance to read the book, check out the acknowledgments. I was squealing!!!🤩

How to Make a Living with Your Writing by Joanna Penn

Nonfiction

Shadow of Honor by Ronie Kendig

The Droseran Saga, Bk. 3

Sci-Fi Fantasy

Unfortunately, the only way I could get this book without buying it was to read it as an ebook with the Libby app. I had never read an ebook before. Call me old-fashioned but I prefer a book I can touch and smell. It was worth it for this series, though! They are page-turners filled with that grit & grace I love. Highly recommend.

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes

YA Fantasy

Enjoying . . .

"On Patrol: Live"

Music . . .

"Borders" || Kalandra

"Art of Letting You Go" || Ewan J Phillips

"Where's My Love" || SYML

Writing update . . .

I'm 75% done with this last edit. After that I'll read it a couple of times to make sure I like how it sounds. Then I'll do a super quick edit in Word before moving on to scary but exciting things! This will include: a new author photo, cover design, blurb, copyright, etc.

Food . . .

I made a super easy (and healthy!) fruit salad for my family's Easter celebration. I make it easier by using mostly frozen fruit.

Note: Be sure to check the ingredient list on your frozen fruit. Sometimes they sneak in sugar.😕

1 bag frozen strawberries, thawed and sliced

1 bag frozen blueberries, thawed

3 kiwis, peeled and sliced

1-2 TBS lemon juice

5 TBS honey

cinnamon (optional)

Life stuff . . .

"Two Babies & a Wedding," that's what I'm calling this second part of our year. Sounds like an 80's movie, right?😂 Of my husband's four children, we have a grandbebe coming in June, a wedding in October, and a second grandbebe in November! Wowzas, when did we get old?

Social media . . .

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, I apologize for the lack of content. I took what I thought would be a six-week break, intending to post on Easter. However, I'm having difficulty accessing my account. Hopefully, I will be posting again soon, but I just don't know.

You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Blessings,

J 🤍