Look Back (2018 was a good year to me)

In 2018 I had two words for the year, but for me the were linked and essentially told me to do the same thing. BE came from prayer and BLOSSOM came from Jen Fulwiler's word generator. After a hard, hard eighteen months beforehand the words felt like gifts from God. He wouldn't be asking me to grow through suffering or be pruned. He was asking me to do well in the place He had already put me. I could just be. 

I had hoped that in the year I'd come to have more confidence in myself, to be more comfortable in my own skin, to stop deflating every time I looked in a mirror but those things didn't happen. 

However, I did find peace and contentment more quickly (if I had to search for it at all) when others' successes surpassed my own. (This is most of the time, people.)

I built the habit of saying YES to my children. Yes, I will do a puzzle with you. Yes, I will hold you. Yes, I will help you with that. Yes, you can bake a cake. And if I had to say No I always had a good reason, not just my own laziness or personal comfort.

I learned to say yes promptly instead of saying "wait" or "in a second," which always meant five or thirty minutes. I turned from my computer or phone or book or show (usually) immediately to show with my actions that my family really is of the utmost importance to me. 

I found that I often had to make these actions a prayer to God, pointing out to Jesus that I was taking care of Him by taking care of them, and I regularly asked Mary to mentor and intercede for me. And then at some point it became less hard and more natural.

I came to relish feeling little and hidden, doing my most important work in small moments that could not be paraded on Instagram. There was no audience to see me except those who love me unconditionally. I felt like what I was doing was hugely insignificant in the eyes of the world but immeasurably needed and wanted by those in my home - my husband, my children, and my God - and it was freeing.

I don't know what God will do this coming year but last year was so, so good for my heart. 

My top posts on Instagram, top to bottom, left to right: 

1 - "a baby due in May"
2 - "This picture of a healthy baby and a strong heartbeat is more than just one baby and one pulse. It leans on all my children, living and dead..."
3 - "Jesus Christ is Risen!"
4 - "praying for a miracle for Mark."
5 - "The Advent Care Package Giveaway"
6 - "long hair, white legs, a barrel of a belly, and kids running all over the place"
7 - "Happy All Hallow's Eve!"
8 - "Happy Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!"
9 - "Just like the cake Hagrid sat on!"

Instagrammers you should follow, In This House of Brede, and a few other bits and bobs

1 - I heard this song on Lark Rise to Candleford, hunted it down, and taught it to my kids. It's a fun song to sing, though my husband thinks I'm nuts and typing it all out makes me feel really lame.


2 - Two years ago this August I ran a series called Instagrammers You Should Follow and highlighted the IG account of Anna Hatke. If you didn't begin following her then you really should now. Each summer she and her girls return to the storybook Italian village where her family's roots are. Sometimes her husband, author and illustrator Ben Hatke, comes too but this year it's just the ladies. And the pictures are gorgeous and magical. Follow her.


3 - And while you're over in Instagram land, I am also going to recommend you follow my friend Shana. She's just a mom and a wife and a woman who loves Jesus. She also happens to have a great sense of humor.

The funny thing is I never knew Shana before but I knew OF Shana. She was like a legend, a demi goddess. In high school one of my best friends was LB. Her older sister's best friend was Sarah. Sarah mentored LB and me a bit through a Christian youth program and we both thought Sarah was so cool. Shana is Sarah's older sister and everyone thought Shana was outrageous and amazing and the. coolest. person. ever. Ever.

So enough about 16 year old Bonnie and 21(?) year old Shana. She's pregnant and funny and lovely and real now. You can follow her here.


4 - A few months ago a friend mentioned a brush to me and encouraged me to buy one off Amazon. "It's great for detangling wet hair," she said, and I will admit I did not believe her. I think she sensed that so she bought one for me and she was 100% correct. The (affiliate link) Wet Brush is fabulous. It's not as great on dry hair, or at least not on my dry hair, but on wet hair it is better than the combs or picks I had been using. I love it for me and my girls.

 5 - Last night I stayed up until midnight so I could finish the book In This House of Brede. I enjoyed reading the novel tremendously and I sorta saw the end coming but when it got there I was... disappointed. Now let me do my best River Song impression:

Spoilers. ;)

I'm assuming that if you're still reading this take you have already read the book and so I won't be ruining the ending for anyone. So here goes: They get on a plane?! That's how it ends?! With them getting on a plane?! No. (head shake) No. (head shake)  No. (head shake)

I think I wanted to see them there, in Japan. I wanted it to end with Phillipa looking out into the Japanese gardens or something. Maybe that would be tidy, but it felt tidy having Penny and Donald there watching them board. And I don't really understand why McTurk went with them. hmmm... If you've read it what do you think?

PS - I did love Cecily and how she made her choice and how her prayer was answered. That was wonderful.

6 - One week from today I'll be leading a Blessed Is She workshop on Building Intentional Community. I'll be sharing what I've learned from leading, founding, attending, and belonging to various groups, ministries, and gatherings over the years. Personally, I found it to be difficult to find where I fit in as an adult and while I definitely haven't figured it all out I have gotten some things right while learning from few mistakes I've made along the way.

I think this workshop will be really useful if you are looking to join or form a ministry / book club / mom group / young adult group OR if you are already actively involved in one. If you signed up for the BIS Membership you will already have access to the workshop but if you aren't a member you can still watch. To sign up for the Membership click here or to pay the $15 and sign up for the workshop click here.

7 - Finally, I wish I could hug the world. The refugees, the LBGT community, the black community, police officers, and now the people of Nice, France. How can such a beautiful world have so much pain and ugliness? I don't have any answers but I promise that I am trying to become a better person and I'm trying to raise my children to be good people - the kind who fight for justice, who stand up and speak up, who are merciful and loving. And in the meanwhile I am praying with my very heavy heart.
Jesus, I trust in You. Come, Lord Jesus.+

Instagrammers you should follow: audreyeclectic81

It was Carrots for Michaelmas who introduced me to Audrey Eclectic, artwork created by Heather. I have since filled my Pinterest boards with her artwork and I'm hoping I get this print in time for Advent so I can hang it proudly in my home. Finding Heather on Instagram made me so happy and I look forward to all her pictures. If you're not following her, do!

What images do you try to capture for Instagram?
For me, I use instagram as a correspondence and 'quick postcard' to friends, family, and people who enjoy my artwork. My feed isnt highly stylized-- I post different things including paintings I'm working on, things that make me laugh or smile, sweet pictures of my children, my home, or things I see out and about in my hometown or on trips that I think are worth sharing. For me, its a way to stay in touch with kindred spirits. I love the little community that grows out of instagram. You can see what your friends are up to, and share your projects as well. It seems to be very positive in how everyone interacts, and I've even sold work before I've finished it through showing it in progress on instagram!

Do you filter? If yes, which ones are your favorites?
I do use filters, although I usually have no rhyme or reason for it--- I will scroll through them and see which one has the right amount of contrast, enhances or subdues the colors in a pleasing way, or brings out the image in a unique way. I like the more subtle filters such as amaro, rise, and earlybird.

 What is beautiful to you?
I enjoy homey images-- photos of old houses, well loved rooms, children playing, people working on their art or their crafts. I love to see what people are making--- it inspires and motivates me to share what I am creating as well. I also love that a new habit that develops from blogging or instagramming is noticing the little things in our lives and environments that are worth taking a moment and savoring. How nicely a knitting project is coming along....how sweet a sleeping little one looks....how pretty the evening light is filtering through the flower garden. I believe that these fun diversions also help us see that no matter who you are or what you are doing, you are surrounded by beautiful and special moments if you watch for them.

Something I enjoy about Instagram
I also love searching hashtags (usually late at night while nursing my 6 month old!) of far away places I'd love to visit. Its like little mini-vacations via instagram! I follow several feeds featuring Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and other beautiful far away places I might never see in person, but through instagram I'm able to see the beautiful old buildings, churches, countryside, and special places in each country, all while cuddled in the bed with my little one in the middle of the night. It's an amazing treat! I highly suggesting searching a country or city you'd love to visit. No passport required!

What do you hope people come away with from looking at your pictures?
I hope that people come away from looking at my feed as if they've just had a quick chat with a friend. Imagine us getting together over coffee, talking about the cute thing our kid did, what project we're working on, what little thing we saw the other day that captured our attention and made us stop and think, "that is beautiful."

You can find Heather:
on Instagram, audreyeclectic81
on her blog, audreyeclectic.blogpsot.com
at her Etsy shop, audreyeclectic.etsy.com
at her website, audreyeclectic.com

Instagrammers You Should Follow: annamberto

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am a huge fan of Ben Hatke's. We own all of his Zita books, several other books he's illustrated, I'm planning on giving Julia's House for Lost Creatures to Resa this Christmas, and I know more than one Chestertonian who will be happy to see his illustrations in the new edition of The Ball and the Cross.

One day I was looking at his Facebook page (not in a creepy stalker way, okay? geesh!) and he shared an image from his wife's Instagram account. I was smitten and a little later I literally sent her a fan email via Ben's email account. "Hi Ben. Could you please pass this on to your wife? Hi Anna..." I'm totally not a weirdo. I promise.

But that's the story of how I found and began to follow Anna's IG account. It's gorgeous and interesting and, well, I'll let Anna do the rest of the talking and you can enjoy her thoughts and her gorgeous pictures.

What images do you try to capture for Instagram?
I try to capture moments of unexpected beauty that I find in the midst of the mess of daily work, mothering, etc. I like showing those moments because they happen alongside the other moments, the piles of laundry, screaming children, etc. and its a reminder to me and others that they exist in the midst of all that. I like to see that.

Do you have any sort of plan or set of rules for how you use IG?
Not really, I initially joined because as a sanguine/choleric I knew Facebook would be bad news for me and a major distraction. Instagram offered a way to share photos and keep up with my family. My husband and I made a pact: he does Facebook and I do Instagram. It's funny though, because for me Instagram has sort of morphed into a way to connect with other people who share a similar lifestyle and culture, i.e. natural foods, homeschooling, breastfeeding. Many of the folks I follow live in the country and keep small homesteads, but are part of this new young generation of back to the landers with iphones. I have also connected with some of my husbands friends, author and publishing professionals, and that makes me feel a connection to his world as well.

Do you filter? If yes, which ones are your favorites?
Yes I do. I use an ipad, and it takes grainy photos. No iphone here, so I just use just whatever looks best, captures the mood of the photo and helps with the graininess. I never use Kelvin. I just don't like it. (shrugs shoulders), not sure why.


Do you see IG as an evangelization tool and do you use it as such?
Ha! I actually made a conscious choice to be a public account at one point because I realized that it was one small way I could open my house to the stranger at the door. American life is very private, unnaturally private even, and as a Christian I have always loved how Christ encountered people, usually on the streets in the midst of their normal lives, and always first as persons. We don't have a lot of opportunities for that, especially those of us who stay at home raising children. So for me Instagram is like a little commons, a piazza if you will. We can encounter people "on the street." I like that Instagram offers me a chance to show my faith in my daily life and in a way that is natural and uncontrived. I do see IG as an evangelization tool but it is not my primary reason for using it. Lastly I do think the old adage holds true for this issue, a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

What is beautiful to you?
Oh gosh,where to start. . . Well, my husband is an artist so we talk about beauty a lot. I find beauty mostly in the natural world, in mountains and skies, in animal life and in the human body. And of course genuine human culture. I see beauty in the way a child plays and works when she is totally focused and absorbed. Children can be masters of play when we let them. It is beautiful to see that. I find beauty in books, in the sunlight on my morning cup of coffee, in my husband, in dear friendships, and in the high feasts Easter and Christmas in particular. Its everywhere! And now that we all have little cameras in our pockets we can share it constantly. Crazy huh?

What do you hope people come away with from looking at your pictures?
I hope that it changes, in whatever small way, the prevailing misconception that a woman who makes a home is somehow not empowered. I hope it makes the idea of a woman staying at home a more powerful image. A woman at home is not necessarily any one thing. She can be empowered by her home domain, or enslaved by it. It's all in how she chooses to use it. She can step back and let society tell her what to consume and how to behave, or she can take control and make her space productive and stimulating. It's an invaluable space that she controls. It is where the work of peace is begun. I think this idea applies to all women -not just those of us who stay at home. I hope my images paint life at home in an inspiring light.


You can find Anna...
on Instagram at @annamberto
You can find her husband, Ben Hatke at his website: www.benhatke.com.

I hope you're having fun and maybe discovering some new favorites for your IG feeds. I've got a few more Instagrammers lined up in this series and if you missed the first, please check out Nancy's interview here.

Instagrammers You Should Follow: therealnancyo

Every time I get on Instagram there are certain 'grammers I look for. I love their pictures, I love the way they capture their lives and the beautiful, every-day things they are surrounded by. I love the way they capture their lives.

I wanted to share my favorite Instagrammers with you  so you can add them to your feed and enjoy the beauty and fun! Starting us off is therealnancyo.

Q: What images do you try to capture for Instagram?

My images are typically slice-of-life, oftentimes domestic and occasionally more exotic.

As a personal exercise this year I’m participating in Project 365, a flexible photo-per-day concept and I’m posting my daily pictures on Instagram. The benefit to me is that no matter how routine my day, I have at least one small moment of creativity. My followers can expect a fairly steady rate of Instagram posts but there are no guarantees what exactly will show up in my feed. Frequent subjects include my neighborhood park, my 2 dogs, any church that I happen to visit, and sights from my travels.

I recently saw this quote from Boris Pasternak about writing:
“It is not the object described that matters, but the light that falls on it.” This describes my approach to the Instagram photos I shoot. I’m much more interested in how something looks – a pattern of light, interesting shape, or unexpected composition - rather than what it is. I’m not taking a photo of a chair but of the way the sunlight casts shadows on the floor beneath it.

At the local park;this park is in our neighborhood and figures prominently in my instagram feed.

Q: Do you have any sort of plan or set of rules for how you use IG?

No, my approach to IG use has been pretty scattershot. I’m not organized enough to integrate my social media accounts, so I don’t promote my blog via Instagram, or my Instagram photos via Facebook. Also I’m a fairly private person and whole segments of our lives are conducted strictly offline. At the same time, my children and all of my siblings are on Instagram so we all get a kick out of using photos to keep up with each other’s daily activities (and pets).

Normandy church;this was a cool 12th century church we saw in Normandy last month - it was used as a medic station on D-Day and the following days of fighting in June 1944.

Q: Do you filter? If yes, which ones are your favorites?

Filters are fun! Most of the time I use one of the Instagram filters (Valencia and Rise are current favorites) but sometimes I edit the photos with an app called Aviary instead.


Q: Do you see IG as an evangelization tool and do you use it as such?

Yes, I think Instagram can be a great way to evangelize, and I follow some accounts that do an amazing job of presenting the Catholic Church in an appealing way. My feed isn’t solely religious but I hope that I weave in enough images to show the centrality of Catholicism in my everyday life. When I post photos related to my faith I am aware that these images will appear in the feeds of a wide variety of people. My Instagram followers come from several different contexts, and not all are Catholics, or even believers. There’s no way to predict how someone will be touched by a photo – and I may never know how those seeds I plant with a little trepidation may bear fruit.

During Lent my evangelization was a little more pronounced. I participated in two different photo-a-day projects, with a different assigned Lenten theme for each day. I was a little concerned that so many religious-themed photos might be off-putting to some of my non-Christian friends, and I tried to hit the balance of being direct but not preachy.

Rosary; this was one of this year's Lenten project photos and I love how the texture of the stool contrasts with the glitter of the rosary.  By my feed's modest standards, this was one of the most popular that I've posted.

You can find Nancy... 
on Twitter: @nancyo
on Instagram: @therealnancyo
and at her blog: And The Rough Places Plain