Hello Friends!

My husband and I are pretending to be empty nesters this week as our boys are at Camp Grandma and Grandpa. This is something we’ve been doing each year since our youngest was about 2. It’s good for them to spend quality time with their grandparents and create lasting memories. And, it’s good for my husband and I to be able to focus solely on each other for a bit.

I’m trying to use the quiet this week to do some discerning and get the ball rolling on some new projects for the fall and winter. I also need to clean the boys’ room and get rid of all their “treasures” that are littering the entire basement. (Seriously, I’m walking on top of stuffed animals, blankets and pillows.)  I have to do this while they’re away, otherwise, they resist. My youngest goes for a preemptive strike and hides all of the items he thinks I’m going to throw away–like the smelly beanbag chair the dog used to sleep on. My oldest isn’t as subtle. He just follows me around the room pulling things out of the trash bag exclaiming, “Don’t throw this away!”

Some of you might be condemning the throw-away vs. give-away aspect of my purging. But, honestly, there comes a point where I just need the junk GONE. However, if you really want me to ship a beanbag chair covered in dog hair, dog drool and who knows what else your way, I’d be happy to do it! 🙂 (Actually, I wouldn’t. I totally procrastinate when it comes to going to the post office.)

If we’re being honest with ourselves, a lot of us have quite a bit of internal junk cluttering our souls that needs to be trashed. God has an entire “Lake of Iniquity” where that can go–if we let him have it. What “treasures” are you holding onto that clutter your life? Regret? Anger? Disappointment? Grief? Cynicism? A grudge? Worry? Take some time to consider those items and ask God for the strength and ability to toss them out.

CAN I ASK A FAVOR?

I hate asking favors. It reeks of dependence, something this independent woman tends to hold onto, even though she knows God is calling her to let it go.

So, in the spirit of boldness, I’m asking a favor. If you’ve read Confessions of the Pastor’s Wife, would you post a review on Amazon? I appreciate all of those who have already done this. Amazon uses a logarithm when it comes to promoting books. This logarithm is based, in large part, on book reviews. Essentially, the more reviews of a book, the more the more visibility the book gets on Amazon.

As a writer, reviews help me to better engage with readers. It’s good to know what’s speaking to you (and, what isn’t). It also allows me to see how God is working through this book to lead others closer to him. And really, that was the entire point of the book.

I’m providing the link to leave a review here. If you’re new to posting reviews on Amazon, here’s what you need to know.

1. You don’t have to publicize your name. Also, I don’t get any personal information about you from Amazon.
2. You don’t have to say a lot. Just jot down a couple of words or sentences that come to mind when you think about the book.
3. Build on other reviews. If someone else said what you wanted to say, say it again. That helps me see what areas of the book really spoke to the majority of readers.
4. If you absolutely hated the book (it happens), simply mark “DNF” for Did Not Finish and move on. Books and readers are like a relationship. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

If you haven’t read the book and want to check it out, click go to Amazon here or Barnes and Noble here. And then, tell me what you think. 😉

Thank you for sharing this journey with me!

Blessings and Peace,

Sara