Women I Admire: The Nine Nanas

 I saw this article on Facebook, and if this isn't a small and simple thing that brought about something great, I don't know what is! Their first step was doing their own laundry, so simple, yet look at the results.

The Business 9 Women Kept A Secret For Three Decades, by Lori Weiss

Book Release: COLD PURSUIT by Susan Dayley

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I'm excited to share the news that Susan Dayley, a contributing author of A Circle of Sisters has published her book Cold Pursuit! Susan shared a little about her book in her interview a few months ago. Check out this link for the interview and more details on this unique choose your own ending story. Cold Pursuit is available on Amazon and Barns and Noble. Congratulations Susan!

I'm Official!

I set up my author page on Amazon. Wahoo! Look at me go. Anyway, I'm sort of excited because it feels all official and stuff. My tweets and blog even show up there. Go figure. Here's a link if you want to check it out amazon.com/author/jolynbrown. Hopefully you get to my page! Now if that doesn't make you feel like an author, I don't know what does.

Unexpected Detour

(The Path) From Sorrow to HeavenWe're almost running down this path,
wide view to the right, the left, in front.
What we see is all we ever wanted.
Our lives unfold down it
and for a moment
everything resides in this.

Like sudden shout,
A wall.
A voice.
A call.
"That is as far as you will go."

We stagger to a stop.
Hungry eyes seek what once was meant for us.
With gentle love,
sweet reassurance, our gazes are turned.

It's a mist of darkness.
And we can no longer see anything at all.

"I'll walk it with you,"
He says.
Like rod of iron from Lehi's dream.
Like stones of light touched by the Savior.

We turn away from the grand and glorious
And take his out-stretched hand.

Perhaps now, our fingers interlock a little tighter
First with his, and then with each other.
The darkness may press down around us
The mists may be deep and heavy.
So much is left to the unknown.

But I will walk it.

At the end of the rod of iron was a tree of life.
And at the end of a journey lit by stones,
They found a promised land.

Do Something Brave


My little guy is cautious. He does everything after thinking about it first. This week I've been watching him at swimming lessons. He gets up on the side of the pool and, man, jumping back in, even with his swimming teacher right there, is so hard. He bends his knees, jumps in place, reaches for her, and doesn't make it. Little by little, his teacher coaxes him in.

And I'm sitting there watching all this, begging him inside to have a little faith in himself. I know he can do it. He just doesn't believe me yet.

Okay, yes, there is a moral to this story. In fact, I'm sitting here thinking how ironic it is that my son and I are so much alike.

So I'm putting on my brave face. I'm telling the fear I don't need it. And I'm going to do something that I've been avoiding for a week. I feel like God has been waiting there telling me to have faith in myself. Like maybe He can see what I can't. I think I'm ready to believe Him.

Is there something brave you can do today?

*Music Video: "Brave" by Sara Bareilles