Hello, October! Can y’all believe it? October. Fall. Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Halloween costumes. Jacking the kids of their Halloween Candy. Apple Picking and Pumpkin patches and….
31 Days of Writing!
Yep, it’s that time again to write for 31 days on a one topic. Last year I found my tribe– you my lovely readers. You dear ones who comment and email and encourage me IRL (in real life). You’ve made blogging too much fun.
So this month, I wanna love on y’all something fierce. I am planning 31 days of “Open When” letters.
For those of you not on Pinterest, about a year ago I was seeing this little craft idea pop up on Pinterest.
From Pinterest
As a thoughtful and inexpensive gift, you could sit down and write seven, fourteen, thirty-one, however many strikes your fancy, of love letters to someone. Most were romantic, “open when you want to remember how we first met”, but some were fairly sweet for friends. The idea stuck with me. I used to do something very similar for friends leaving on a mission trip. I’d find out how many days they’d be away, prayerfully consider some scriptures that would encourage them, and then send them “open when” letters. That way they have a daily dose of encouragement every day they’re away.
“Open when” letters are right up my alley. I love encouraging my friends. In fact, I’m that friend that remembers birthdays, alerts everyone on Facebook when Papyrus is having their semi-annual card sale, and send little love bombs in the mail. So my friends, this month, I want to send daily love bombs to you, thirty-one, in fact.
At first, I was going to research 31 scriptures and encourage you that way, but that’s not me. Yes I love Scripture and I’m sure a few of these days will be based on some meaningful one to me, but I’ve learned the only way writing for 31 days will work is if I’m super authentic to my personality.
I’m a little bit quirky– so they’ll be some goofy days.
I’m a little bit sappy– so they’ll be some tear jerking videos.
I’m a little bit shalomy– so they’ll be some talk of justice and our power to set the world back to rights.
But all the posts will have that “ohmygoodness I just want to tell you before I forget” quality to them. “Top of the Head, Top of the Heart”, is my mantra for this series. Some “Open Whens” I’ve thought a lot about and prepped because it’ll make it more fun for you to see pics along with my thoughts, some will be simply how I’m feeling at 5am when I sit down to write….I mean after the grogginess wear off and the coffee kicks in.
This series has three simple goals:
1: to make you smile
2: to make you feel loved
3: to make you wanna love on someone else.
That’s it. That’s all. Because I love y’all so much.
You’re beautiful and such a gift to me, I hope these next 31 days will be a gift to you.
Here are some “Open Whens” you can expect this month(in no particular order):
Open when you need a new name.
Open when you need to make a statement.
Open when you don’t feel so snazzy.
Open when you’ve got too many T-shirts
Open when your kids turn on the TV like all the time!
Open when you’re thinking about Advent and Christmas.
Open when you feel like you’ve let your children down.
Open when you wonder if anybody cares.
Open when you’re lonely.
Open when you need to laugh.
Open when you’re feeling brave.
Open when the world feels like a scary place.
Open when you need to be inspired by some amazing people.
Open when you’re exhausted.
Open when you’ve lost your temper over something trivial
Open when (another) friend gets a new job/gets engaged/has a baby/gets whatever you want most, and you…don’t.
Open when you want to celebrate.
Open when you have 30 seconds and need a pick-me-up
Open when it’s time to write but you don’t know what to write
Open when your dream’s deferred.
Open when you don’t know what’s next
Open when you need to remember.
Open when you need to pray.
Open when you need to slow down.
Open when you get ahead of yourself.
Open when you get a little too proud of yourself.
Open when you feel guilty.
Open after completing a random act of kindness.
Open when you are not your ideal weight.
Open simple because you want to.
Special thanks for my Story sisters for suggesting some “open whens”. But now it’s your turn, Lovelies, suggest an open when that would be meaningful to you to have me speak encouragement into. It could be a simple as “Open When I need a new way to cook chicken to as complex” as “Open when God feels scary” (which I’m probably going to use this month too, so sorry, those are taken 😉 )
But seriously, let me use these month to encourage you. I love it. You’ll love it. We’ll just be brimming over with love to spill into the world and that- THAT– is shalom.
Can’t wait to hear from you,
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