Go and Grow Season
I’m writing to you tonight from our cozy little house, fluffy cat in my lap and snoozing Andrew on the couch. The world is certainly struggling out there, but in this moment, in this room…it’s pretty wonderful. 🥰 I’m thankful for sweet escapes and quite spaces. February was wild and full, so I’m appreciating the calm and peace even more than usual! I’m so excited to fill you in.
Still Good Galentines
Somehow, February felt a lot like October! (haha) Still Good Co.’s Galentines Collection launched at the end of January, and I wore my saleslady hat 24/7. On a rainy Saturday morning, Jerrica and Hailey met me at Barnes and Noble to take some new pictures. A few weeks later, we hosted the Still Good Galentines Event at Waterbean Coffee! We sold sweatshirts and long sleeve tees, but it was so much more. Visitors were invited to make a valentine for a woman with breast cancer, and we made over 50! (Wow!) I also invited the Still Good community to nominate someone to receive a card in the mail, and got the sweetest messages. Wild but true: I got brave, and walked up to about 12 people waiting on their coffee. All but 2 of them were breast cancer survivors! (Whaaaaaaat- yes!) The connections and conversations were so meaningful. It was a great day!
Since the online shop is up and running for this launch, I was processing in person sales and online orders at the same time. I was a little worried that I’d run out of items and not be ready for in person events, etc, but it turned out just fine. 🤪 I often question who in the world I think I am, trying to start a business/fundraiser/community/whatever like this. It’s crazy! And…I really believe in it. Our message, our products, and the potential we have to change the narrative of breast cancer awareness. We’re starting to reach more Thrivers and Survivors on Instagram, so I think we’re moving in the right direction.
Business is so far from the world I know! It’s a gift to be able to encourage others with physical products, and I’m learning a lot. Business says, “More! Grow! Push!” and my heart says, “I’m ok. This is nice.” I pray that God continues to show me when to work, where to focus, and how to invest my time and resources. As Rebecca George says, “God has carved out a lane just for me in His kingdom.” (Do the Thing) When comparison and insecurity bubble up in my heart, feeling pressured to move faster or to be dissatisfied with where we are today, I just take a beat. So much of this venture has been a wonderful experience! I know Still Good Co’s goals go beyond sales or money. It’s about changing the narrative of breast cancer awareness! Every conversation and connection helps educate our community, and invite the world into a conversation about our innate goodness as creations from a Good Father! I really cannot believe that it’s a real thing. 🥹
Psst! Did you know there’s a NEW newsletter called Still Good Co. Monthly? I’ll send it out the first Monday of every month! You can see the February issue here and sign up to get the next one here!
So this little platform is ever expanding, friends! The blog, the newsletter, the podcast, Still Good Co, and now our latest branch on the tree- speaking!
Who’s that girl?
If you’ll remember, last summer I began to feel led to share my story out loud. For a long time, I was just processing my journey as it unfolded. Blogging preserved memories in little vignettes, but I hadn’t tried to tell the story from start to finish. The prospect of summarizing 5 years of tears and fears sounded terrible, to be honest! How could I possibly convey the seismic shift in my life and heart in a concise, interesting way? But one step at a time, God started to open doors for me to practice. In a six week timespan, I was interviewed for three podcasts and spoke at two events! 🤯 It was totally wild.
Right around Christmas, First Baptist in Hickory reached out about their women’s conference. I was so honored! I learned this event would be two days, and the guest speaker would present three whole group sessions. After some prayer…I said yes! It was really a wonderful experience. “Steadfast Conference” was based around Psalm 13. When I dug back into my journals for inspiration, guess what I found repeatedly? Psalm 13. It was just a perfect fit with my story and platform: A long wait, despair and questions, yet full of prayer and praise. My cancer journey has walked every line of that Psalm!
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me. -Psalm 13
After saying, “Yes!” the outline for three sessions just spilled out of me! It wasn’t hard to write at all. I don’t claim to be anyone fancy or influential. All I have to share is a story of God at work in hard seasons in my life. Even so, my message of seeing and celebrating God’s goodness (signs of His steadfast love) was something I could totally share! I told my cancer story and how God started healing my heart while I waited on healing in my body. I shared prayer journaling practices that cultivate my awareness of God’s goodness in my life. I explained how one of the most broken parts of my story led to the fundraiser that Still Good Co. is today! I hope I was able to remind everyone that no matter what happens, we are first and always children of God. 🩷
The best part? It was such a great experience. The women were so warm and welcoming, and I truly enjoyed spending time with them. (For this introvert, that says a lot!) What a gift to have a story worth telling, to be ready to share it, and to be with people who can celebrate it with you! Gennai and Mommy even helped me run the Still Good table. Thank you so much to everyone who sent prayers my way in the weeks leading up to this event! This is by far the biggest step I’ve taken into public speaking, but I felt so peaceful. I was wrapped in love and support every moment. I’m walking away from this knowing God opened a door, and helped me walk through it!
…Whew! Maybe I should start blogging after one event instead of storing up a month of memories? LOL
In other news, school is lovely and church is great! At school, my remediation groups have mostly stayed the same instead of reshuffling every quarter like last year. We’ve built the coziest little communities, and I’m having so much fun. I’m getting to see real progress over time! With February behind me, I am going to buckle down and really work on renewing my teaching license. 🤪 This girl has to clock 20 hours of literacy credit by June. (I’m a little worried, but am trying not to spaz about that.) I am SOOOO thankful for that AIG Training I did for fun a few summers ago. It cracked a major dent in my renewal credits! I’ll keep you posted, haha.
Good things to note: My hair has officially grown out! Dr. Tan has promoted us to only seeing her on scan months! February scans were all clear! I had my first manicure since our wedding, and my nails survived! My toes are going through a season (again), but I am thankful for new insurance where a podiatrist visit is only $20! Hallelujah!
Much love to you for reading this far, for following my journey, and for all the wonderful support you send Andrew and I every day. We are blessed to know you, friends! 🩷
