I picked up reading books again.

A few weeks ago, I was at the library and checked out three books. One is finished, another is halfway through, and the third I've been skimming here and there. But it has been refreshing to default to something other than my phone when I have a spare moment.

I know we do important things on our phones, and it's not all wasted time. A lot of responsibility lives in our phone and at this point, I'm not going to feel guilty about it.

But that's also the problem. When our phone becomes the default for every spare moment: waiting in line, waiting for the pasta to boil, sitting on the bus...it can feel like we don’t pause. We don’t give our mind time to breathe.

What generation had this before? There was a time when you left home and left everything behind until you returned to your answering machine or desk. Now the demands, news and notifications are always reminding us of something else to do.

I heard someone say this week that phones and social media are the cigarettes of our generation.

That hit.

I’m realizing that we have to be intentional to insert joy in our day, or the moments will just pass. 

Books have given my mind a genuine refresh when I need a pause from momming, house management, life admin or (lately) marketing a book... More and more, I don't see these daily soul nourishing moments as "nice to have" or for vacations. I see them as necessary. Needed for showing up well in everything else. 

One of those books I recently finished was One Beautiful Dream by Jennifer Fulwiler. She is a mother of six children and writes so candidly and hilariously about the beautiful mess of raising a family while pursuing her own dreams. I am not anywhere close to a mother of six, yet I somehow find her very relatable (if you're a mom, just honestly do yourself a favour and get the book. It will make you laugh and feel a whole lot less alone on the days when everything feels like a lot!)

Anyway, she shares how Mother Teresa and her sisters intentionally scheduled daily rest and shared meals together, during breaks from serving some of the poorest people in the world.

It would have been easy to think “there’s too much to do.” But they made time to enjoy themselves and each other's company.

And then Jennifer wrote this:

“You can’t put your life on hold over the long term; eventually you’ll reach a breaking point where you eventually have to take care of yourself.

And if you perceive that tending to your own needs can never go hand-in-hand with serving, you’ll stop serving.”

It felt like those words were meant for me. Permission to stop feeling guilt for carving joy into my days, or even perusing my creative desires and passions in the midst of motherhood and other demands.

No, I believe God calls us towards it as part of His design, Not just for vacations or when life slows down. Not as a luxury, but as an every day part of living well and serving others well.

I have lots more insights from this book that I will continue to share, but that's just a little reflection I wanted to offer you this weekend.

Take the guilt-free time to do something genuinely soothing for your soul.

Whether it’s reading a book.

Packing your own picnic to the park and lying in the grass.

Going for a nature walk.

Painting...

I don't know. Whatever your thing is.

Because I bet it's calling you for a reason. And that reason is not only going to bless you, but make the other people in your life, better for it.

Thank you, as always, for being here. I'm so grateful to every reader. 

With love and blessings, 

Natalie Grace xx

New Book Chapter Release

Speaking of serving alongside others, Chapter 8 of my bridal book was released this week.

If you are planning a wedding, or know someone who is, I hope this chapter brings you value. It is all about creating your "dream team" and finding the people who will help bring your wedding vision to life.

One of the quotes that opens the chapter comes from Mother Teresa:

"You can do things I cannot do. I can do things you cannot do. Together, we can do great things."

A wedding really is about bringing many people together to create something beautiful. This chapter explores how to find those people, what to look for, and how to build a team you trust.

You can read the chapter on my the Grace of Belle blog or my Substack.