Learn to Live Wonderstruck

It's been my great privilege over the past few weeks to be a part of the launch team for Margaret Feinberg's latest book, Wonderstruck. In this busy season, it's always a challenge to maintain sanity, much less wonder, but I've been greatly encouraged by Margaret's wisdom. She's graciously agreed to share a bit of the background to Wonderstruck on the blog today. Here's what Margaret had to say:

There have been more seasons in my life devoid of the wonder of God than I can keep track of. I think we all have them. I know I’ve had those seasons when it just feels like I’m going through the motions of faith and God feels ten million miles away.

In fact, Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God was founded out of such a time. Leif and I had just gone through one of the roughest years of our lives. Those who read the Wonderstruck book will learn of many of the challenges and intimate details of that time.

But what was born out of that time of essentially saying, “God, where are you?” was this resounding prayer and desire for the wonder of God. Essentially I was saying, God reveal yourself, your whole self to me. I want to know you like I’ve never known you before. I want to see you in places I’ve never seen you before.

And God did not disappoint.

We began seeing God show up in relationships, our finances, our chance conversations, our everyday interactions—in the most surprising ways. Scripture passages that I’d read many times suddenly came alive in a whole new way. The passion for God returned, not something forced or manipulated, but just burned inside.

So if you are in that place where you feel millions of miles from God. Can I ask you to stop and pray right now and ask for God’s wonder. Ask Him that he would reveal the whole of Himself to the whole of you. And will you live wide-eyed to the ways God answers. Because you never know what miracle, what divine moment, what insight into the character of God that transforms you forever just might be waiting.

To promote her new book, Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God, which releases on Christmas Day, Margaret’s publisher is offering 6 EXCLUSIVE GIFTS (worth over $300) to anyone who pre-orders Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God for only $7.57, from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, CBD.com or their favorite retailer:

1. Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Presence of God as an eBook ($9.99 available on Kindle, Nook, iPad and other formats)

2. Fourteen Days of Wonder Journal eBook ($19.99 as a download)

3. How to Hold an Unforgettable Retreat eBook (a $29.99 download)

4. Pursuing God 14-Day Devotional ($12.99 download)

5. You will be automatically entered to win a brand new Kindle Fire pre-loaded with a suggested retail value of more than $100 worth of books from Worthy ($259.00)

6. Ten people will randomly be selected to receive a free audio version of Wonderstruck ($9.99)

Simply buy and send the receipt to wonderstruck@margaretfeinberg.com This offer is only valid through the end of the day, December 25th. At that point, this offer goes away FOREVER. From what I know of Margaret’s writing, it will be the best $7.57 you spend this Christmas!

Margaret Feinberg is a speaker and author of Scouting the Divine and The Sacred Echo. Become a Fan on Facebook or Follow her on Twitter @mafeinberg.

May you reclaim wonder during this Christmas season.

Until next time, grace and peace.

The New Normal

It's hard to know what to say now that I've finally decided to take the plunge and resurrect this blog. I really didn't mean to drop off the face of the planet in February. It just sort of happened. And then, the longer I said nothing, the harder it became to pick up where I left off. And now, it's November and crickets have been chirping here for eight months! Sorry bout that, y'all.

I'll try not to let it happen again, but I'm offering no guarantees.

Instead, I'll try to hit the highlights of the past eight months of my life. Then we'll get on to business as usual.

I had a baby. Isn't she sweet? Last time I wrote, I was still reeling from the unexpected news that I was pregnant. Now I have a 4-month-old little girl that I can't imagine life without. Kendall arrived a couple of weeks early (unlike her sister, who debuted a week late), and I did it au naturale. Maybe someday I'll tell you about it.

I renamed and rebranded my stationery business. Goodbye Senojal Designs. Hello Felicity Paper. The change was a long time coming, and I couldn't be happier with the result. I wanted a name that (a) people could actually pronounce and (b) reflected my business goals. I'll tell you more about that later.

Micah turned three. This picture is from her "fancy schmancy" third birthday party, which was heavily inspired by Fancy Nancy books. It's hard to believe that my baby is now a big girl who constantly tells me what she's going to do when she grows up. Slow down, sister! Please. Your mama needs you to.

I survived. That may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but it's gargantuan to me. There are some women who flourish and glow their way through the newborn stages. I'm not one of them. It's hard for me. It was especially hard to figure out how to parent my toddler with a baby that demanded my attention. We had a lot of moments like the one pictured above, and unlike the picture, I wasn't always smiling. But we're getting there. As Kendall gets older, life gets easier, and I'm finally able to come up for air. In case you were wondering, it's nice to breathe again.

I promise to be back sooner rather than later this time. It's my goal to write once a week. If I can master that, we'll shoot for twice a week.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Free Printable Valentines: DIY Smarties Love Bug Cards

In case you didn't know, Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and children everywhere will be exchanging sweet little cards. My little lady is one of those kids, and if you know me at all, you know that I couldn't very well let her hand out some ugly store bought cards. SO, I came up with a sweet little design that incorporates her favorite candy: Smarties.

Aren't they cute? Because I love you, I made a free printable file so you can make these sweet little Smarties Love Bug Valentines with your little one. They're super simple to make, and your child will have fun handing them out in class.

All you'll need is some bright white card stock, a paper cutter (or scissors), a pen, and some pretty washi tape. Let your kiddo fill in their name after you get them all cut out, and use the washi tape to secure the Smarties to the Valentines. Simple as can be!

Happy card-making! If you download the Valentines and enjoy them, please leave a comment to let me know. Thanks!

THE SMALL PRINT: You may not accept credit for the design of this card or sell it to anyone. Leslie Ann Jones retains the copyright. If you wish to share the digital file with others, please direct them to this post. Do not e-mail the file all over the world. Please don’t link directly to the download file. Click to download your Free Printable Smarties Love Bug Valentines!

Check Out More Freebies

You can find more free printables, including this You're a Real Gem Valentine, in the freebies section of leslieannjones.com. Happy Printing!

Until next time, grace and peace.