A Beautiful Life

FREE for Kindle this weekend

It’s a lot like giving birth, this book releasing thing, like holding a newborn out to the waiting world and whispering, “Please love it?” Makes me a little queasy, if I’m completely honest, and I admit moments of wondering what in the world I was thinking taking this on. But I did, and here it is, and I really do hope you love it.

I’ve been writing my whole life, and it’s no secret that I have a particular passion for using words to build into people–especially other women–and offer them courage and hope. I’ve had bits and pieces of books written and stored for a long time, but it wasn’t until Brian Williams’ book writing class that the motivation and accountability teamed up with my love for writing and resulted in a finished work.

My first book. As I consider how many women have received it since it went live yesterday, the thought of that many people holding a me-shaped piece of hope is both terrifying and exhilarating at once. Deep down I am awed by God’s grace that I get to be a part of something this lovely, this inviting of others to remember what it was like to dream.

I won a writing contest in fifth grade, and from the moment I read my story aloud and saw the wonder on my classmates’ faces, I was hooked. With a million butterflies dancing around in my tummy, I was overcome by an excitement I couldn’t word. I had a feeling that was just the beginning, and I was right. There is no feeling quite like having someone walk up to me and say, “I read your book, and I love it! Thank you for being real on the page and putting it out here for all of us.” That happened this morning, and I’m pretty sure it will never get old.

So here’s my baby, and I offer it out to you, my sweet friend. Because it’s you I pictured sitting across the table from me as I wrote. You, with your questions and your exhaustion and your wondering if you can keep going one more single minute. You can, and I’m going to be here cheering you on. You aren’t alone, and don’t you forget it. We’re in this together, and I can’t wait to meet you on the page.

My heart to yours, I wish you an ever-increasingly beautiful life.

If only importing blog posts was a sport

I’d be a gold medalist, I think.

I think I’ve imported about 140 posts from other blog sites, and moved another 40 or so over here one by one. Are we having fun yet?

Please be patient with me while I update categories. This is going to take a little while. Of course, if you’d just like to browse for things you haven’t seen yet, be my guest. 😉

I have already added the new category “Write Where It Hurts” for all of the posts I migrated over from there.

I will be adding additional categories for posts made in response to Ann Voskamp‘s One Thousand Gifts.

Don’t let any of this confuse you. All I’m really trying to do is bring as many posts as possible so I can share them all from one central hub. Hopefully as the dust settles, all this will smooth right out.

THANK YOU for hanging with me!

The “Where It Hurts” Writing

I am currently adding posts from my column over at Write Where It Hurts (see the new category by that name). The weekly posts span just over a year, so I apologize in advance for the subscription digest that will greet my readers over the next few days. After that, though, it will just be my current posting (which I do plan to do more often than I have over the past few weeks).

Just to tell you a little bit more about WWIH, it is an amazing ministry outreach of my sweet friend Jo Ann Fore, author of When a Woman Finds Her Voice (Fall 2013). The mission of WWIH is to empower, encourage, and equip women to write through their pain to healing and hope. I served as Ministry Director there for just over a year, and I will always carry a deep and abiding love for Jo Ann and the team there. I encourage you to visit, knowing you will be immensely blessed.

“A Lovely Life” – We’re almost there!

I read somewhere recently that a website can’t thrive if it’s too broad-reaching, that it needs a simple focus to be effective. I see the merit in that, but I have to say that I am breaking all the rules with this thing.

“A Lovely Life” is going to be a little quirky.

And I’m okay with that, because the purpose of what I’m doing here is to be true to God’s call to share what He has
shown me
given me
taught me
allowed me to experience
wired into me

in a widely (wildly?) creative way.

So this is it. I’m working hard writing and placing and creating pages, and soon I can open the door.

It will always be a fluid endeavor, always adapting and changing and improving–because that is how we live this lovely life.

I confess there are moments when I fear I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. 

I’m laying it all out there and trusting God to do that multiplying thing He so aptly does. I’ve experienced that often in my life, His expanding and filling in gaps and enriching in ways only He can. He has found delightful–often surprising–ways to bless.

His is great love, and I want to bless Him back.

Pardon our dust?

Thanks for bearing with me while we get the website rolling. This is an exciting (and crazy and jittery) time for lisaeasterling.com. I’m glad you’re here with me. We are actually a tad ahead of schedule, which is one part scary and ten parts delightful. I try not to think about all the work that is yet to go into this. Just keep swimming.

Are you wondering what’s coming? Here’s a tiny sketch.

• A hub for sharing what God has shown me, taught me, allowed me to experience in my life
• A way to bless women with answers from my perspective to frequently asked questions on marriage, parenting, the intentional building and nurturing of family, relationships, and all things domestic)
• The sharing of our love story (and a plea that you don’t ever give up on the fairy tale you dream)
• A place to share my own life story (and an invitation to write yours, too)
• What’s cooking on Cake Mountain
• Encouragement and information on homeschooling (because it’s what I know best)
• What I’m currently studying in the Word, along with Scriptural nudges, invitations, and challenges
• Resources for writers and other creative artists (writing prompts, links to great artistic blogs for inspiration, etc.)
• A base for coaching creative writing
• The sharing of my creative photography, and a place to feature others’ lovely work (and encouragement for you to keep capturing your own scenes and memories)
• A spring of fresh thoughts flowing near-daily through the “Living a Lovely Life” blog
• Resources for all of the above and then some

Basically I want this to come from God, flow through me and all that my life represents, and radiate out to beautiful you.

I remember my little-girl Marches. The first month of spring always seemed to greet me with a mischievous grin, a whispered invitation to follow her into some magical place where breezes blew cool but buds were peeking green from little sprouts and birds were trying new tweets.

I live that same anticipation looking back, feel the eagerness of girlhood bursting forth from a heart longing to follow a love-crazy God into what is known only to Him. The breezes beckon and the squirrels dart tree-to-tree and I am dared to come out and play. I am at the door.

And I want you to come with me.

LisaEasterling.com

Thank you for your patience while LisaEasterling.com is under construction. I recently moved it from an old blog I’d been keeping since 2003, and here it is all spiffy and new. I plan to write often, so please come back any time you have a chance. I’ll leave the porch light on for you.