31 Days * A Sampler Bouquet

October.  

This is the month where hundreds and hundreds of bloggers burn the midnight oil and push their creative selves to the limit as they commit to hitting the publish button day in, day out.

31 Days is not a task for the faint of heart.  It takes a strong sense of calling, raw determination, and an overflowing passion to explore and savor one specific topic, wringing every last bit of goodness from its essence.

I plunged headlong into this writing challenge in 2012, 2013, and 2015.

Here's 4 reasons why.

This year I'm saying 'no thanks, no way' but I'm super happy to introduce you to 4 writers who are all-in, familiar faces around here in this, my online home.  I encourage you to go over to their places and check out their work ... you'll soon be able to capture the essence of who they are and what they prize.

31 Days for Caregivers ~
Andrew Budak-Schmeisser
He might be smack dab in the midst of fighting for his life, but nothing can keep this good man down.  If you're not a caregiver, you probably know someone who is.  Chances are you'll become one sooner or later.  Or you have a tender heart for a loved one battling terminal illness.  This is a series for you.

Redemption Stories ~
Debby Hudson
If ever we needed to hear testimonies of God's powerful grace at work, it's right about now.  Debby's talking about 'addiction and disease and hope and restoration' at The Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Center where she ministers in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Say 'amen' and join her there.

Sing to Jesus: 31 Days in the Psalms ~
June Caedmon
I'm using June's daily exploration of this beloved book as my go-to devotional guide this month.  I know of no better way to start or finish your day.   Beautiful.

31 Days of Kintsugi ~
Lesley @ Life in the Spacious Place
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with precious metals, and in the process, creating something of loveliness and value.  Lesley's focus is on 'God's work in our lives and how He can create beauty even in the midst of our brokenness.'

My lovely Scottish friend has invited me to guest post during her series.  Keep an eye out for On Being Unraveled ... and Re-Knit Together.

Last but not least ...

morning invitations * a 31 Days gathering {2015}
This series was born out of my own craving for creating some sort of steady grace-filled morning rhythms after living through six months of overwhelming choices, great big changes, and sorrow upon sorrow.  I even included weekly worksheets to help you tend to your soul, body, home ... and use of screens!

I actually thought about publishing morning invitations as a little guidebook, but the whole idea was more than daunting and I never followed through.  Yet I feel the urge to put this series on the table one more time ... and I hope that if you find it helpful, you'll share it with your social media fans, even if it is a year old!

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And the winner of Jeremy Camp's brand new CD The Answer is Carolyn!  Congrats ... and welcome to our little community!

May this weekend offer each and every reader sweet rest for body and nourishment for soul ~

<<  The Jeremy Camp Stocking Stuffer Giveaway

4 Outstanding Relationship Books You Must Read  >>

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see you at Holley's

morning invitations * gratitude . . . & the giveaways !!

Whew!  What a ride this 31 day excursion has turned out to be!

I'm just plain grateful for every single moment of this series ... especially for the dialogue with you after each post.  For us bloggers, that's always the whipped cream and the cherry on top of whatever we're serving up.

You guys have brought so much to the table as we've wrestled with what our mornings could look like!  The daily conversations have been so inspiring, haven't they?  I've come away having learned so much from your stories, your brainstorms, your life lessons.

A special thanks to Emily Freeman for her encouraging shout-out at the beginning of the month ... she took my breath away, pure and simple ... and I loved welcoming you, her readers, as you've gathered with this little community here!

The hands down favorite post, based on hits and the conversation that followed?  It was this one!

And don't leave til you check out Victor's just-too-funny responses to this week's worksheet!

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Congratulations to the 4 winners of a FREE 30 minute phone coaching session!  They'll be rolling up their sleeves with me, collaborating on fresh ways to live out their very personal morning invitations!

To claim your session, please email me at lindastoll@juno.com

and we'll set up a time for our 1 - 1 conversation.

Didn't win?  Not to worry ... 
look for more FREE coaching opportunites coming 'round the bend!

Can't wait?
  Contact me about the possibilities of working together.
I'd love to connect with you on that level!

Teresa HardymonOctober 4, 2015 at 8:52 AM

Good Morning! Hope you find lots of reasons to dance today!

Lulu JamesOctober 8, 2015 at 6:17 PM

Loved the excerpt from your journal. Thank you for allowing us a glimpse of your conversation with the love of your life.
Blessings, Sweet Friend!

IFEOMA SAMUELOctober 10, 2015 at 6:03 AM

Hi Linda, it is lovely soul searching list. A lot of work for me on keeping Bible reading plans.
Thank you for today's reflection.
God bless

Debby HudsonOctober 14, 2015 at 8:15 AM

Good to find this today. I wrote about aging today too as we celebrate our 38th anniversary today. I especially appreciate your reminders of the care of our physical selves being part of the whole and not to be neglected. Thank you, Linda.

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morning invitations  *  31 Days index

Looking forward to continuing to do community with you ~

morning invitations * screen-work

yay!

here's our final worksheet!

links in red take you back to the original post.

let's pull out the stops, evaluate where we are,

 & figure out our next steps.

did you miss these?

soul-work

body-work

home-work

screens
On a scale of 1 {lousy} - 10 {magnificent!} how would you rate your contentment with your online life balance?




Which social media venue is your absolute sweet spot?




Which social media venue frustrates /drains you?





reconsider
Your smart phone.  Great big blessing or demanding burden?

What changes could you make so that it would become a more effective tool?




How can you and your loved ones navigate the challenge of screens together?





encourage
What's the most natural way for you to encourage someone online?




Do you find yourself looking to social media to build your self-worth?




We all need to be affirmed, appreciated, validated.  What's the healthiest way for you to get those needs met away from your screens?

unplug
Have you ever taken a sabbatical from online activities?  How did that work for you?




If you plan to take a break, what would be your goal in doing so?




A day, a weekend, a month?  From what?  Design your unplugging experience here!

come back tomorrow morning to cheer

 for the 4 coaching giveaway winners!

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morning invitations  *  31 Days index

<  unplug 

gratitude ... & the giveaways!!  >

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today's the last day to click & enter!

morning invitations * unplug

 In repentance and rest is your salvation,

 in quietness and trust is your strength.

~   Isaiah 30:15   ~

Kind of odd, isn't it.  We've got to plug in our screens to give them more juice, recharge the batteries before they fade, and keep those omnipresent electronic lifelines in tip-top running condition.

And yet the exact opposite is true for us as human beings.

We've got to unplug from those very same screens to breathe deep in solitude.  To recharge our waning energy, to revive the depths of who we are at the soul level, and invite the creative juices to flow with more oomph.

Consider this your invitation to go out on a limb and be scary brave for a weekend, a week, or a month.  

Claim the space to breathe deep, to gently still your weary soul, and calm your whirling mind.  For it's only then that you can ruthlessly evaluate your endlessly spinning social media merry-go-round.  Passionately re-embrace what works for you ... and bid a fond farewell to everything that's seen its day and doesn't breathe life, joy, and peace anymore.

God is always inviting us to something deeper, richer, holier.

And therein lies our sanity ... and the freedom we're craving.

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morning invitations  *  31 Days index

& the 4 coaching giveaways info 

<  encourage 

screen-work  >

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morning invitations * encourage

We're alive with Him!

 So speak encouraging words to one another. 

Build up hope so you'll all be together in this,

no one left out, no one left behind.

   ~   1 Thessalonians 5 {The Message}   ~

If we're going to invest precious time and energy hanging out online, let's redeem the day.  

Let's be less absorbed in our empty stats, our futile self-promotion ... and instead turn the tables and aim the spotlight of grace on others.  Let's work the room and spread the love, lend genuine support, offer the needed applause, grab the confetti, and pile on the affirmation.

Let's celebrate each other's awesome stories, courageous accomplishments, and hard-won wisdom.  Let's rejoice with those who are rejoicing and grieve with those who sorrow.

Here's the challenge, friends ... to build each other up without any subtle expectation of any kind of payback.

And wonder of wonders, you just might never know how your own simple words, maybe even left in haste, impact another soul ... until their own heart overflows with a story that they're ready to share.

Like Lois did ...
'Earlier this year, I read a blog post by someone who was packing up and moving after 38 years in the same house.  The writer, Linda Stoll, wrote about depersonalizing her beloved home to prepare it for listing, and about all the memories she would leave behind when she relocates to a new address in a different state.

In the comments section, I told her that the longest I've ever lived anywhere (as an adult) has been five years, so I could only imagine how hard it would be to do all that work after nearly four decades in the same place.

Her response stopped me in my tracks and triggered an internal dialogue that continued for weeks ...
{finish reading How I Feel is Not Who I Am}

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morning invitations  *  31 Days index

& the 4 coaching giveaways info 

<  reconsider

 unplug  >

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image

morning invitations * reconsider

Eric Pickersgill

Yeah, we might be side by side but we're completely disconnected ... and most certainly unavailable in the truest sense of the word.

We're somewhere else and our body language says it all.

And even if we do exchange a couple of words, our souls aren't resonating because our attention is captured by some random person or a created image from a distant place.

Photographer Eric Pickersgill removed all the smart phones and digital devices from a recently published series of photos.  And what remains will take your breath away.

And not in the best sense of the word ...

It's all so surreal, unsettling, scary.  This, a sad, alarming wake-up call.  For sure.

Go ahead.  Tell me we're not addicted.

Check out this startling photographic project ...

And then head over to one of my favorite blogs, No Sidebar, and this week's article, The Key to Simplifying Your Digital Life.  We're talking super-practical, common sense, must-reading ...

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morning invitations  *  31 Days index

& the 4 coaching giveaways info 

<  screens 

encourage  >

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morning invitations * screens

mmm ... our ever-present fixation on social media.

Isn't this a touchy subject!  For if you're reading this post, this blunt reality has probably crossed your mind more than once ... 

I  .  am  .  spending  .  way  .  too  .  much  .  time  .  online.

Reading, writing, commenting, posting, designing.  Linking, pinning, sharing, liking, texting.  Trolling, clicking, uploading, periscoping, friending.  Emailing, troubleshooting, submitting, responding, connecting.

The sky's the limit ... and it's all so inviting.  We yearn to be in community and our adrenaline pumps happily as we welcome all these cool creative invitations into our lives!

Until we wake up one day and realize that we've slowly but surely gotten so invested in doing life online that we've neglected the living of it outloud and in-person.

What this means for each of us will vary.  There's no black or white on this, no right or wrong.  What's a splendid social media match for one could be a hot mess for the next.

A few days ago, a long-time online friend wrote, 'I was reflecting this morning on how much my online friendships mean to me.  I know without a doubt that God has called me to lay down writing for now, and maybe for good, but I believe He called me to write for a season mostly for how it taught me that we really are meant to do life together.  I think I had a different picture beforehand on what that meant or how it should look.'

I'm wondering if the invitation here is for discernment.  

To be still {and screen-less} long enough to hear what God's whispering to each of us about how we use our creativity, our passion, our yearnings, our focused energy, and our very limited hours.  To reveal what we're searching for that we seem to be finding in our online travels.  And to figure out if the community we really need to commit to is right in front of our noses, right around the corner, right in our own living room or backyard.

And then go from there.

Laura Bagby writes, 'When you are serious about serving the Lord, He will pinpoint those things in your life that are threatening to take that place of worship that should be reserved for God alone.  God is jealous for our affections;  He will not take second place in our lives ...'

What would it look like to lay down our Isaac?

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morning invitations  *  31 Days index

& the 4 coaching giveaways info 

< dwell 

reconsider  >

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sharing screen time with

 Anita  .  Kelly  .  Crystal  .  Holley  .  Lyli  .  Suzie

morning invitations * dwell

'How lovely is Your dwelling place,

O Lord Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young -

a place near Your altar,

O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

they are ever praising You.

Blessed are those whose strength is in You,

who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.'

~   Psalm 84:1 - 5   ~

Dear Lord ~

You've given us just the faintest glimpse of our someday heavenly home.  When we think deeply about all Your promises, we know that nothing on earth can hold even the dimmest candle-glow to the majestic glories above, the awesome wonders that You are busy preparing for those who love You.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Til then, Lord, we live for You right here.  We are grateful for a place to lay our heads that's safe and warm.  We say the sincerest grace over a too-hot bowl of fragrant soup and the warm, slightly overcooked bread that comes out of our own ovens. 

We experience a kind of sacred joy in the dailyness of the creative, simple pleasures of homekeeping ... and thank You for the imperfect loved ones who give those four walls meaningful life and a quirky beauty.  And we offer all these bountiful graces back up to You with all the praise that's deep within.

Warm these temporary earthly dwellings and our awaiting hearts

 with your merciful love, Lord.   And we will be forever grateful.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

~

morning invitations  *  31 Days index

& the 4 coaching giveaways info 

< home-work 

screens  >

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morning invitations * home-work

here we go!

it's home-work time

roll up your sleeves

and let your own personal workout begin ...

home

The old song crooned, 'rainy days and Mondays always get me down.'  How do these days impact your activity level?

Feathering your nest.  What would that look like for you?

A stack of chores a mile high, a to-do list that threatens to overwhelm.  What will you do today to begin to navigate these projects?

release

Are you a bit of a 'pack rat' or are you traveling light?  How's this working for you?

Drawers or closets or piles?  Which present your biggest challenge?

What 3 steps can you take this week to begin to release some of your stuff?

haven

What's the best word to describe your home?

In what unique ways do you serve up grace and love?

What's the biggest challenge in your living situation right now ... and what do you need most from God to shine in the midst of it?

  

welcome

Hospitality or entertaining?  Which word most resonates with you ... and why?

Does the state of your home keep you from feeling comfortable with opening your doors to others?  What could you do about this concern?

Each of us brings our own unique personality and giftedness as we put out the welcome mat.  What makes your welcome especially compelling? 

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morning invitations  *  31 Days index 

& the 4 coaching giveaways info

<  welcome 

dwell  >

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morning invitations * welcome

Our homes are meant to be welcoming havens,
not secured fortresses.

These scuffed doors are just begging to be opened wide,

not bolted shut.

Those tables are designed be generously shared,

not surfaces to display a lonesome centerpiece.

We were created to do life in the company of others.  There is that deep cry of the heart to live in community, to be fully present to those God brings onto our pathways, to open our doors to fellow sojourners in need of safe harbor.  This simple offering of ourselves, our bread, and a resting place is a most sacred calling.

And the beauty of it all is that there's not one right way to live this out. 

We've each got our own quirky personality, special giftedness, unique life story, and housing situation.  The practical hands-on application of living out this call to hospitality will sparkle and shine with our own individual imprint.

We've been hoodwinked along the way by the glossy magazine spreads and the way-too-perfect Pinterest pins.  We have gullibly bought the lie that our homes must be immaculate and decorated 'just so' before we put the welcome mat out.  But that's simply not biblical.  We are called, dare I say, commanded, to open our hearts to the worn and weary.

1 Peter 4:9 tells us to 'cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.'  Other translations include the clear warning to do so without grumbling.

And that joy, my friend, is the secret. 

Simply put, God absolutely loves when we grab hold of these cheerful giving opportunities.  The offering of a safe haven to another soul is a gift back to Him, the overflowing of a grateful heart that has experienced grace and blessing.  Even, and especially, when it's been a long week or we don't have much more than a can of soup in the cupboard.  Or when there's dust on every surface and piles are strewn from here to there.

That's when His grace kicks in and His power is displayed.  Because it's all about Him and not about us.

The truth is this ... 

Somebody, somewhere, needs something that only you can offer.

And He, the Multiplier of the most ordinary of loaves and fish, is able to take our feeble offerings and turn them into priceless, life-altering, abundant gifts for a weary heart that needed the listening ear and the prayerful companionship that only you could give.

Because when all is said and done, the roof over our heads and the bread on our tables are not ours.

They're His.

morning invitations  *  31 Days index

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home-work  >