Parker J Palmer, Author of Let Your LIfe Speak, had been on the fast track for success. He had graduated at the top of his class, went to a good college and was on track for a tenured position at Georgetown University when he suddenly realized- he didn’t really want to do that. He started changing careers, first one thing then another, none of them lasting that long or feeling like the right thing for him. He then started feeling like a failure; he had graduated college with the brightest of futures in front of him and now here he was living a very ordinary life and not making much progress towards anything since he didn’t know what he wanted.
Eventually he finds himself led to a Quaker retreat home, a place to seek God’s will and try to hear His voice. During his time there he is offered a job as president of a college. He is ready to take the job but he decided to discuss this offer with a group of Quakers that he has grown close to. One of his friends asks him what he would like about the job. Parker starts listing the things he wouldn’t like- having to speak on behalf of the college to the media, all the obligatory events he would have to go to, etc. His friend gently breaks in and reminds Parker that he was supposed to be listing the things he would like about the job. Parker then has to admit, both to himself and his friends, that in fact, the thing he likes most about the job is the title and the paycheck. It then becomes clear that this is not what Parker should do.
This moment serves as a pivotal point in which Parker realizes he needs to consider what is most important to him in a job. He realizes that he needs to look at what he’s always liked to do, and how he can utilize that in a career. He thought he wanted to teach because he loves books, learning and sharing information. What he ends up realizing is that through writing and activism he can use those same gifts and abilities.
Parker then looks back over his life and realizes that there were small arrows from the time he was a small boy on pointing him in this direction. He focused on where he could easily apply his gifts to make a good living. In the end however this left him feeling empty and purposeless. He then had to go back and look for all the little clues from his life. He had to let his life speak about finding his vocation.
There are many ways to use our gifts. So often we focus on either the way in which our gifts could be used most lucratively, or the most common way in which people with our gifts typically use them- even if there is another field in which our gifts can be used that we are more passionate about. We worry that taking the way less traveled will lead to failure. I think it is worth pointing out that people are generally most successful when they focus their life work on areas that they are passionate about. I believe we let the fear of it being hard to make a living at a specific vocation scare us away from trying it. But what is going to be harder- spending your days going to a job that you don’t like and have to force yourself to go to each day; or making a living from an area where it can be challenging, but in which you are so passionate that you wake up each day excited to get to work? And let us not forget that the top tier in any field can be financially successful. If you are truly passionate and driven in your chosen field I believe you will eventually succeed- although it may get very hard and take longer than you wish. Avoiding one’s greatest passions will never lead to a fulfilled life. It is rather the dedication day after day in an area in which we are truly passionate that will lead us to the most fulfilled life, and allow us to make the impact that we were put on this earth to make.
I challenge you to look at your life, what are the clues pointing you to a certain path? In what ways has your life “spoken” to you? What have you always loved? How did you spend your free time as a child? When you are free of obligations what do you find yourself doing or wanting to do? We have one life on this earth and in the words of Mary Oliver, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Listen and let your life speak to you.
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For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13
“I knit you together in your mother’s womb.” I have always loved the phraseology of this verse; the idea of being knit together, woven together intricately. I have tried my hand at knitting only enough to realize how complicated it actually is. How knowledgeable a good knitter must be to turn that unruly ball of yarn into something of substance and value; a beautiful wrap, a functional hat, or cozy mittens. Beyond the myriad of stitches, there is also needle size, yarn type, and the amount of tension held on the yarn that all play a part in the finished piece, any inconsistency will affect the desired outcome. How intimately connected the knitter and yarn becomes in the process.
How exquisite that we start our lives just as intertwined with God, being pieced together, slowly taking the shape of the person magnificently stitched together by His hand, that God has envisioned for us to be since the world began. To fill a hole in this world that is us shaped- no one else can fill it.
My one friend has a child, the rest of us talk about the children we will have eventually- our someday children. Little babies that will turn into children, then kids, teenagers, then full fledge adults. People. Individuals that came from within our own bodies but are wholly and beautifully their own. We don’t know if they will be doctors or teachers, lawyers or mechanics, politicians or retail workers. They will be their own people. Living their own lives. Created by God, stitched together to do His work; if they submit their lives to Him. Filling a spot in the world that no one else can.
As the world began God already had figured out the part we would play in it- where he would drop us into history. He knew every detail about us; hair color, eye color, and quirks in our personalities. He loved us from the very beginning. Even more than my friend loves her new baby. Even more than we can comprehend. We are loved, meticulously designed, and put here for a purpose, on purpose. We need only submit and turn our lives over to Him to fill the niche in this life that He created us for, so very carefully, stitch by stitch, until we were at last complete.
Summer is basically over- I am fighting the urge to cry about this fact. My first reaction is always to bemoan how quickly the summer has gone- but fall is lovely too! There is still a lot to enjoy outdoors before the weather changes. And there will be cool mornings and crisp evenings to enjoy both outside and inside. Regardless of where you will be enjoying this transition time here are 3 cozy mystery series to transition you from summer to fall.
Lighthouse Library Mystery Series by Eva Gates
Maybe start this series while it is still summer! This series is set in a fictional town in the outer banks, in an old light house that has been converted into a library. Lucy is enjoying her brand new dream job at the LightHouse Library, just getting familiar with the job and the townspeople. It is an exciting time as the library will be hosting a traveling exhibit of first edition Jane Austen books. Things go from great to terrible however when someone ends up dead during the party. The situation only gets worse as one by one books front the traveling exhibit start to disappear. This catapults Lucy’s job position from one of security to a very tenuous nature indeed.
I loved the small town feel embodied in this book, the discussion of Jane Austen’s work and the coastal setting.
Emily was just your average English professor at a small college when her great aunt dies and she suddenly finds herself the heiress of a large estate- but there are some suspicious things surrounding her aunt’s death… Emily tries to ignore all these things that seem not quite right but when there is another death Emily can no longer ignore her intuition that all is not as it seems.
I also enjoyed that there are a lot of references to Jane Austen and her works in this book- the English professor side of Emily peaks out throughout the books pages. If it’s been a while since you’ve picked up one of the classics you may find yourself inspired to do so after reading one of the books in this series!
Placed in a quaint, coastal Oregon town, and taking place on an estate known as windy hill there are a lot of references to the stormy ocean that makes you want to simultaneously take a walk along the beach and curl up in a cozy chair.
The quaint setting of this series pulled me in right away. Set in New Hampshire, book town is a tourist attraction where all the shops are specially store dedicated to one specific genre. The main character, Trisha Miles, owns and operates a mystery book store that further specializes in vintage mysteries. Alas, it seems that all of Trisha’s years as a mystery enthusiast were preparing her for all the sleuthing she will have to do as mystery after mystery shows up on her front door, earning her the title of village jinks.
I love the settings of these books. There’s something about a town built around books, about the day to day life as a small business owner, and the quirky personalities of the characters that just draws the reader in. Current mysteries, classic mysteries, if you are a mystery lover that is in need of some additional titles to pick up then you will find your list of to be read titles refreshed after reading this! While I would not classify this series as a great work of fiction there is something cozy and comforting about this series- like having a chai latte on the first cool day of fall! And there are lots of mysteries sprinkled throughout the book that will have you pulling out your mixing bowls and baking something delicious to munch on as you read.
If you are looking for the next great American Novel, you’ll be disappointed in these books. However if you are looking for a book that keeps your attention and provides distraction from everyday life, then you’ll enjoy these. They are light, easy, fun reads! Each of these books will help to develop your interest in the classics and it will have you wanting to either pull out one of your favorite classics or pick up one of the classics that you have been meaning to read for years. Maybe you’ll even be motivated to pick up that one that you were supposed to read in high school but that you only read the notes on in order to pass the test. 😉 If you are looking for something light and enjoyable, fairly clean of offensive language, violence and explicit sex scenes, then take a look at the three cozy mystery series I have enjoyed, and that you just might too!
Quick reminder that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you- it’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
In my opinion there is one dessert that is as perfect as perfect can be and that is a perfect chocolate chip cookie. It’s a versatile dessert that you can take to picnics, to parties, for a snack, and even to serve after a dinner party. Chocolate Chip Cookies are all American staple- but not all chocolate chip cookies are created equal. Some people like a crisp cookie, some like dark chocolate chips, others don’t like many chocolate chips,( I know, I don’t understand that either!) and then there is the ultimate perfect chocolate chip cookie. For me the perfect chocolate chip cooking is chewy, slightly crisp to bite into and then soft chewy goodness the rest of the way. Not too thick, but not thin either. After many years I have the audacity to say that I have finally perfected my definition of a chocolate chip cookie.
Backstory
A little backstory before the recipe. My grandma, Velma Marie, always had a cookie of some sort on hand, and I think the one and only time she ran out of cookies,( for only afternoon mind you,) she counted as one of the biggest failures of her personal life. For her homemaking was not only a profession but an art- one she took very seriously and a potion which she respected. But back to the cookies, she had primarily two varieties that were always on hand- chocolate chips cookies and ol’ Henry Bars. Her chocolate chip cookies were very good but usually more of the crisp variety. I remember baking cookies with her at a young age, listening to her tell me of when chocolate chips first came out and that her mother refused to buy them- they were too expensive and the Great Depression was way too fresh in everyone’s memories to spend money on something like chocolate chips! I started to play around with the cooking temperature to see what produced a softer chewier cookie, without getting it dry. I also talked my mom into getting milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet- what a difference that makes too! The sweet milk chocolate lends the cookie a faint caramel taste.
While my cookies did start to earn a reputation in their own right they weren’t quite what I considered to be perfect. They tended towards dryness, and could come out a little flat. Then a little while ago I had an epiphany- cream cheese! Another cookie recipe that I sometimes make uses cream cheese and adds such creaminess to the cookie that I always end up eating wayyy too many! I decided to experiment and what I came up with is what I have since deemed the perfect chocolate chip cookie! Chewy, moist, creamy and slightly thicker than my old version, best fresh out of the oven but delicious anytime- especially when enjoyed with family.
Recipe
Velma’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe *Tweaked
1 cup Shortening 2 Eggs
¾ Cup White Sugar 3 oz Cream Cheese
¾ Cup Brown Sugar 1 10 oz package of Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Teaspoon Vanilla 2&1/4 Cup of Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
Preheat the oven to 350. Soften cream cheese. Cream together all ingredients except for chocolate chips and flour. Add half of the flour, beat till combined, then add the rest of the flour. Stir in chocolate chips. Form cooking using at least 1 Tablespoon of dough per cookie. Bake at 350 for only 10 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
*The cookie may not look quite done after only 10 minutes but if your oven is reliable to stay at a cooking temperature of 350 your cookie should be set and ready to eat after cooling.
The summer has slipped away and fall is creeping in on us. It is cooling off and while people like me are sorry to see the hot weather go, others of you may be finding yourself spending even more time outside in the sunshine! It’s good for us to be outside when we can; the sun is an endorphin booster, it helps our vitamin D levels which are very important, it’s so good for us right? Wait, what about spf, aren’t we supposed to live inside so we don’t harm our skin and expose it to harmful UVA and UVB rays? No, it’s okay to be outside without protections for 15 minutes a day so you can get your allotment of vitamin D for the day…And so the arguments go, there are many opposing and nuanced views- and that is to say nothing about what kind and how strong of spf we should be wearing! Just what does all of it mean anyway?? I’m here to shed some light on SPF coverage for you- I couldn’t resist throwing in that pun!
What is SPF anyway?
SPF stands for sun protection factor. This means that if circumstances are ideal, (and when are they), you could be out in the sun for one minute would be equal to being outside for 30 minutes if you are using a sunscreen of 30 SPF. In theory at least this is how it works. The SPF is filtering out the harmful UVA and UVB rays. It is very important to make sure your sunscreen is filtering out both UVA and UVB raysor one that is broad spectrum protection.
Understanding How SPF Works
The. Higher. the SPF. The. More protection. However this doesn’t mean that by applying and SPF of 60 rather than 30 that you are covered. According to the American Cancer Society’s website it’s more of a sliding scale with an SPF of 15 filtering 93% of harmful rays, 30 filtering 97%, 50 filtering 98%, and SPF of 100 filtering about 99% of harmful rays. No sunscreen filters out all harmful rays. It is generally recommended that for normal everyday activity you use at least 15 SPF and at least 30 SPF for days when you will spend a majority of your time outside. Just because you are using a high SPF doesn’t mean that you are suddenly impervious to the sun’s rays. If you opt to go for a higher SPF treat it the same way you would a lower SPF to make sure you are getting the full benefits of using a higher level.
What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays?
UVA rays are the rays that make you tan and the rays that will result in early signs of aging. UVB rays are the ones that make you burn.
Different types of SPF
Now what are the different types of SPF? There are two major categories- physical and chemical spf. The physical rays work by scattering the sun’s rays before they touch your skin. Sunscreens that contain the ingredients Zinc Oxide, or Titanium Dioxide are physical sunscreens and tend to work better for people with sensitive skin.
Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing the rays from the sun before damaging your skin. Avobenzone and Octisalte are typical ingredients in chemical sunscreens, and a lot of sunscreens are a combination of both physical and chemical ingredients.
How to Use and Apply SPF correctly.
As I mentioned above if you choose to use a higher SPF, (such as 50 SPF or higher), treat it as you would an SPF of 15 or 30. To apply you should use at least an ounce of sunscreen, as much as a good palm full or a shot glass full. No one wants to feel greasy all day but in order to make it worth while you need to make sure you get solid and even layer over your skin. An uneven layer will result in easier burning. Next make sure you are reapplying every 2 hours, or every 80 minutes if you are swimming or heavily sweating; yes this is a pain but so is sunburn and cancer! Always make sure to read the directions on your sunscreen.
I hope this helps clarify what to look for in your sunscreen. Please remember this information is to help add to your knowledge- not to be all your knowledge! Be sure to do your own research and talk to a professional if you have any questions or underlying conditions!
