Welcome to my monthly newsletter, Hardship & Harvest. This is where I share more about the hardships I'm facing and the good fruit I'm harvesting. I'm here to encourage you to sow and bear good fruit even when life is hard. If you're new here, welcome!

Hello Reader,

I'm writing this first issue of Hardship & Harvest from my couch with Toy Story 4 playing in the background. Wesley has a stomach bug, and I'm doing my best to remain both steady and calm for him while also trying not to be sick myself. Stomach bugs are not for the faint of heart. Alas, the joys of motherhood.

As we say goodbye to October and move forward into November and the holiday season, I'm grateful that you've chosen to allow me into your inbox. Whether we know each other in real life or we are online friends, thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope that you are enjoying the free resource you received and that it's had an impact on your life.

This is my newest project: a monthly newsletter about the hardships I'm facing and the good fruit that I'm bearing. Over the last year or so, the Lord has been teaching me more about sowing and bearing good fruit even when life is hard. For God has called each of us to fruitfulness, and he challenges us to remain obedient and faithful in the tough places.

Last June, I had the amazing opportunity to speak at a worship service for a retirement community here in Fort Worth. While it was a different demographic than I normally cater my ministry to, I enjoyed being able to engage with the residents and practice my speaking skills. Although my topic was about perspective and remembering that God's perspective is higher than ours, two verses in the scripture that I used spoke to me about fruitfulness:

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:10-11

Just as the rain and snow do not return to heaven without first fulfilling its purpose here on earth, I believe that we too are called to make the things we touch bud and flourish, yielding good fruit that has multiple purposes. I don't know about you, but I don't want to get to the end of my life to stand before God with empty hands. I want to accomplish the purposes that the Lord has given me, even when it's really hard. I have a feeling that you want the same.

Let's journey together toward fruitfulness - a harvest of good seeds and obedience, even in the midst of hardship.

my hardship

This month, my aunt passed away and my husband's grandpa was diagnosed with cancer. Wesley has been a handful in typical two year old fashion. I'm also in a season of rediscovering what God has for me in my ministry. While all of these things are heavy in their own ways, I haven't felt despair or deep grief. I know that the Lord is at work, and I'm holding onto hope that God is always faithful. In this season, I'm holding fast to that truth and digging deeper into my faith.

my harvest

While my hardship has been heavy, my harvest has been plentiful. I've experienced forward momentum in my new ministry endeavors (new website, new newsletter, new free resources, and announcing that I'm now offering speaking engagements), and I'm starting to feel more confident in the things that God is calling me to. I'm genuinely enjoying my grant writing job, and I'm seeing some good fruit in that area too.

Obedience can be scary, especially in seasons where we are riddled with uncertainty or lack of confidence in our calling. It's also really hard to pursue fruitfulness and continue to sow seeds when we aren't seeing any fruit. I've been there, and I was there for a very long time. I had to remind myself every day that the harvest was coming. If God has called us to be fruitful with our lives, we must remain obedient to sow seeds, trusting that the harvest will come. And believe me, friend - it will.

news/updates

In this space of my newsletter, I will regularly be sharing some updates on life and my writing journey. I don't have much to share this month other than that I'm making good progress on my book proposal. If you haven't heard, I'm interning with Lisa Whittle this year, and she has been a big help with my book so far. We are currently working through a few parts that need further clarifying and trying to come up with a compelling title.

words for your journey

A few essays that you may enjoy:

1. ​Learning to be Fruitful Where We Are from my blog
2. ​Liturgy of the Little Things by Sarah Westfall, an invitation for November to turn our attention to the small things
3. ​When the Empty Holes Overpower Our Souls by Kimberly Kralovic

Thank you for reading, and remember: the harvest is coming. Don't let yourself grow weary of sowing seeds in the hard places.

Talk to you soon,

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