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Hello, Reader.

Did you know the second week of January is Universal Letter Writing Week? It is! I think that's a lovely holiday to celebrate. After all, who doesn't enjoy getting handwritten letters in the mail from far-off friends, family members, or other loved ones?

I received just such a piece of unexpected correspondence this week. That's because I attended a women's dinner at my church last October during which attendees were given an assignment: Write a letter to your future self.

That I gladly did. And the letter I penned arrived in yesterday's mail. I think it creeped my husband out just a little, probably because I began the letter with an acknowledgement that my future self might not even be alive to read it. After all, James 4:14 tells us our lives are but a mist. We're here for a little while, then vanish away.

So I used my letter to remind whomever opened it of the goodness and sovereignty of God, and the fact that--if any of us are living and breathing at this moment in time, it's because God still has work for us to do. So let's get after it, shall we?

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Free Printable Thank You Notes – use them to express thanks for all the gifts you receive
• ​How to Write a Thank You Note – step-by-step tutorial for kids (or adults) who never learned
• ​All-Occasion Greeting Cards – a variety of folded note cards with matching envelope template
• ​Birthday Calendar – use this handy reminder as a prompt to send snail-mail greetings all year
• ​Letter for Christ Coloring Page – our lives should be letters pointing others to Jesus

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What I'm reading this week:

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​Until the Street Lights Come On by Ginny Yurich is another of the books our whole family voted to read together this year, and I finished it this week. I've heard Yurich speak before, but never read any of her books before. This won't be the last. Although the book was conversational in tone, it was packed with a lot more research than I expected. Fascinating stuff! I don't know how anybody could read this book cover to cover and remain unconvinced that kids-- and adults! -- benefit physically, intellectually, socially, and psychologically when they spend more time in nature with age-appropriate freedom to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine and explore the world around them. ​ ​

What we're eating this week:

We've been eating through the freezer meals I put up the first of the year. Our favorite so far? Kelly McNelis's Vegetarian Crockpot Taco Chili with Quinoa. It is bursting with so much flavor, you won't miss the meat! You can top with cheese and sour cream if you must, but it is filling and delicious exactly as it is!

What we're watching this week:

My husband took me to the movie theater to watch Angel Studios' award-winning I Was a Stranger over the weekend. The film was excellent. It portrayed the tragic and overlapping stories of five strangers whose circumstances were forever changed by their points of connection.

This week's reader request:

While we're on the topic of letter writing, about ten years ago, while I was still teaching my younger kids how to write, I created some printing practice sheets to help them with letter and number reversals, then shared the worksheets on my blog. Since then, I've gotten a reader request for similar practice sheets for uppercase letters, which I finally got around to posting this week.

On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 107 ​Q&A: PASSPORTS, PRAYER, POST-40 PREGNANCY, AND PURGED INBOXES​ I’m cleaning out my inbox for the new year and answering some of the questions that have piled up there since my last Q&A. On the list of inquiries this time around: passports to state capitol buildings, free printable prayer guides, maintaining a healthy pregnancy after 40, and tips for dealing with an overflowing inbox. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I finished every one of my goals last week: I ✅ finished 3 more Christmas stockings, ✅ made a huge batch of sausage balls for my husband, ✅ framed a piece of crocheted lace I made for a wedding gift, ✅ hosted a bridal shower for friends, ✅ made 3 corsages, 3 floral arrangements, and 1 boutonniere, ✅ decorated my Valentine tree, ✅ started back to our homeschool co-op, ✅ made a bespoke journal sample for my craft class, ✅ quoted new Bible memory verses to a friend, ✅ sent a new Bible memory passage to my kids and grandkids, and also ✅ recorded a new podcast episode.

Whew! Did it ever feel good to mark all that off my to-do list!

Personal goals for this week:

• complete poll worker training videos for upcoming primary elections
• deep clean pantry--wipe down every shelf
• catch up on correspondence
• begin drawing course with kids
• order supplies for next week's craft class
• print lesson plans for next six weeks of homeschooling

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