Hello, Reader.

There has been a lot of talk lately about how "grandma hobbies" are good for your mental health. If that's true, it explains a lot. I've been doing needlework, crochet, quilting, sewing, embroidery--really, all the grandma-things--since I was old enough to hold a needle. And through all those years, my emotions have remained pretty steady and stable.

But, as helpful as crafty, creative hobbies are to calming one's spirit, I think they represent only a single facet of the rich tools God has put at our disposal for supporting mental health. And since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, now seems as good a time as any to share them. So that's the theme of this week's link list.

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Pray for Yourself Printable - God tells us to be anxious for nothing, but pray about everything
• ​50 Hymns to Gladden Your Heart - praise music is a strong defense against intrusive thoughts
• ​Best Practices for Promoting Better Sleep - get 7-9 hours/night for optimal mental health
• ​Verses to Read When Battling Big Emotions - you'll find solutions that last in the Word of God
• ​Perfect Peace Coloring Page - God promises peace to all who fix their mind on Him

What I'm reading this week:

We listened to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' The Yearling on our way to Missouri and back last week. It's been nearly 20 years since my husband last read it aloud to the family, and our youngest kids had never heard it. The book is considered a classic for good reason. The characters are all so real, they feel like old friends: Penny Baxter, an honest, peace-loving man with quick wit and deep integrity who longs to spare his son some of the hardships he himself endured as a boy. His wife, Orry, who has lost so many children in infancy, she's afraid to get close to the one who finally survived. And their son, Jody, who dreams of having something of his own to love and becomes enraptured with an orphaned fawn he gets to raise. Add in all their backwoods Florida neighbors, and you have an endearing coming-of-age tale that has been delighting both children and adults for generations.

On the podcast this week:

Here's another episode from the archives this week. I'll be finished with homeschooling and road trips for a while after this weekend and hope to get back to podcasting regularly in June. 🎙️

Loving Life at Home: Episode 65 ​HOW TO OVERCOME WRONG THINKING​ Nearly everyone has to wrestle with negative or sinful or intrusive thoughts at one time or other, so in this particular episode, we’re talking about some simple, straightforward strategies that will help you overcome bad thoughts and take them captive to the obedience of Christ. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I'm happy to report I accomplished everything on my to-do list last week, by God's abounding grace: I ✅ enjoyed the rest of our time in Branson, ✅ celebrated our son Isaac's birthday, ✅ finished the crochet trim on a new-to-me dress, ✅ attended the beautiful wedding of two friends, ✅ voted in the Texas run-off election, ✅ ordered new bath towels, and ✅ cut up some of our old towels to make new potholders.

Personal goals for this week:

• stitch a birthday banner
• do some quilling with Abby
• seal my new lap desk
• attend a homeschool conference in The Woodlands
• take another pottery lesson
• change out batteries in smoke detectors
• sew 5 new potholders
• clean out 2 more boxes in my garage
• record a new podcast episode

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Thanks so much for all your help! I'll be back next week with more links, reviews, and resources. If you have any special requests, please let me know. 😊