“April is the month of dreams come true.” ― John Baillie
Once again, we’re over a week into the month before I manage to get around to writing this post. 😅 April has already been a full month—overcoming sickness (again), attending a family reunion, making soap and candles, and sitting through 18 hours of hobbits and rings and wizards and dragons. IYKYK. I genuinely don’t know how I’ve let so much of April, of spring, slip through my fingers, but it has, and here we are, ten days into this month that, more often than not, becomes a forgotten blur before long.
Either way, we’re going to enjoy April to the fullest, this month of “dreams come true,” even if I have no idea what it’s going to look like!
scripture of the month
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place…and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD,
“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever,”
the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
2 Chronicles 5:11a & 13b-14 ESV
gratitude
raspberry snowcones
conchas
romance movies
my herb garden
strawberry picking
Laura Frantz
passion and purity
friendship bracelets
bible journaling
tips from kind customers
chocolate delight
strawberry swirl brioche
Jesus’ death, burial, & resurrection
grace
Well, I actually wrote in March—a grand total of 1090 words in my OS&S story. Considering I’d completely abandoned writing during February, I’m not complaining about my teeny tiny word count. 😅 Am I going to shoot for finishing it this month, like I have every other month before? You better believe it.
I finished my February reads (which pushes March back to April—oops), and even though it took me longer than expected, GOSH WERE THEY GOOD. I finally made it through Emma, which was such a delightful read! (Mr. Knightley is FANTASTIC! Not Darcy, of course, but still wonderful in his own way. 🤭) I read this copy here, but I personally adore this one too! And I read Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot, and YOU GUYS. I know most people say her work is “outdated” or “old-fashioned,” because she actually had the gumption to talk about relationships from a biblical perspective (which apparently isn’t permitted in today’s society, even in church circles), but y’all, I found it SO relevant and refreshing! It was actually frightening how timely it was—because culture was bad in the 80s and the 50s, and Elisabeth Elliot’s Bible-based advice and real-life experience applies to any decade or culture. If you haven’t read it, I urge you to! I’m not in a relationship, nor do I have anything remotely similar to prospects, but it spoke SO much to me, and I’m sure it will to you too!
Anyway, moving on…
I beta-read a short story for a friend and finished (two weeks later than I’d originally intended) the Hosea study, which was fun but also not something I’ll be doing again. I really find sending out emails stressful? Which it shouldn’t be, seeing as how simple it is, but I’m leaning more towards doing PDF studies for the next study I do.
(On that note, I would love to know what kind of format/style/whatever you like for Bible studies! Let me know in the comments below!)
I did some editing, but not as much as I’d planned. (I’m sorry, Daisy! Bear with me a little longer!) However, I did at long last, after like nine months, finish the website for Sky’s the Limit Press!!! It’s only semi-finished, since there’s still some materials to add and text to update, and I’m currently getting feedback on it—but this just means we’re a step closer to launching. It’s becoming more real every day.
If you’d like to stay up-to-date on the goings-on with the press, you can follow us on Instagram! Granted, posting has been minimal lately, which is why I’m going ahead and debuting our email list so I can send quick, simple updates straight into the inboxes of those who are interested in publishing with us, becoming part of our team, or submitting to future anthologies!
Speaking of being kept in the loop, I just set up an email list specifically for updates on the rewriting of Held Captive. If you’re curious about what the process is like, want exclusive sneak peeks, or just wanna stay in the know so you don’t miss anything, I would love for you to join!
goals
Ayyy, about that. I still haven’t written down any solid goals for this month, so my accountability is 0. As usual, I wanna finish my OS&S story, even though I feel like it’s getting longer than it should be and therefore will take me longer to write—and will no doubt exceed the guidelines for the anthology. That I made. 🤦♀️
And I hope to finish my editing project—or at least make substantial progress! Same goes for editing/organizing the anthology and launching the press. If I can at least make some progress, I’ll be pleased. 🙏
sneaky peeky
This post is, like, tremendously boring…so I decided to share an excerpt from my writing last month! This snippet was sooo fun to write because of all the historical details—which means I’ll probably end up having to cut out half of said details, but who cares. Amusez-vous, mes amis!
On trembling limbs, she rose from the bed into the glow of morn, dust floating on sunbeams around her, the wood floor cool in the shadows and warm before the open windows. At the foot of the bed was one of her chests, rocking precariously on the pitching deck. She unlocked it with the key on her chatelaine and lacy sleeves and embroidered hems slipped into her lap. Her chemise was the first item retrieved from the silky depths, then her stays and petticoats, then her oldest and ugliest gown. ’Twas by far her most serviceable ensemble, devoid of any lace or beads and its delicate embroidery on the sleeves long since frayed into a tangle. The Vermilion skirts were well-worn cotton that clung to her petticoats—rather than the rigging, she hoped—and the faded indigo bodice laced tight against her torso with leather strips.
If only she could fade as these fabrics had, into the bulwark, into the sea, into the island, into nothing.
But even though she would stand out no longer as princess among the villagers, she would still attract attention as the only woman aboard a ship full of pirates. Dios padré, protect me. In the crook of her prayer an unexpected thought lay. May Eliseo protect me as well. Not only from himself, but from what she might face beyond that door.
Before she unbolted it and stepped across the threshold, she filched one final item from her chest—an English-style silk hood, a gift from her father on her nineteenth birthday just last month, before their world came crashing down to the song of steel striking steel. Rosamund relished the memories of that day an eternity ago—getting lost in the sarabande and dancing to the playful tune of “Morenica, dame un beso” on the vihuela and eating natilla ’til her stomach ached.
Then she tucked her hair into the hood and tied it beneath her chin, silencing the vihuela’s strum and carefree laughter that echoed in her mind and awakening her new life with the pull of the door.
For context, this is the sarabande (y’all, historical dances are so weird and yet so entertaining), a vihuela is a traditional 15th-century Spanish guitar that’s typically used in mariachi music, natilla is a Spanish custard, and this is what “Morenica, dame un beso” sounds like! Even though I may not be able to keep my long descriptions of Rosamund’s clothes and the colors they’re dyed, I still love exploring the rich, vibrant history and culture of this story!
Welp, I think that covers everything on my end! What about you? What dreams do you want to see come true in April? Does this month ever stand out to you, or just fade into the others? Have you ever read anything by Elisabeth Elliot?
May this April be full of flowers (but no pollen allergies), light showers, and grace! Love y'all! 💕
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