Inside: During a change-riddled summer, I’m finding peace as I fix supper for my family and choose pictures for a photo album. Plus, what happened when I stopped second-guessing myself at a Christian writers conference. ~

This summer has been atypical in many ways.

I usually have my flowerbeds all weeded and mulched by the end of May at the latest. I finally got the weeding done in late July and have laid down a grand total of one bag of mulch.

I love watermelon but didn’t even think about buying one until early August. That same week, I got into our pool for the first time all summer.

These small details may seem insignificant, even as I write them. But they are consequences of this summer’s recurring theme: Change.

We haven’t experienced anything earthshattering or heartbreaking. There is much for which to be grateful, and I am.

Still, change can be hard. And when change piles up upon change—especially when physical pain is involved—it can be a lot sometimes.

So far, I haven’t found the mental energy to capture my thoughts about all this in a blog post. I hope to do so soon, but I guess we’ll see.

For now, I’ll return to a monthly practice I’ve missed lately and join up with Jennifer to Share Four Somethings. Starting with …

• Something Enjoyable

When my writing wheels aren’t turning well, cooking for my family provides an enjoyable rhythm to my late afternoons. No matter how frustrated I get trying to string words together on a screen, the angst fades away as I pull out ingredients, turn on the stove and start assembling the evening meal.

This summer, the best part is that all four of us are usually home for supper every night. Due to the girls’ varied work schedules, it’s been years since this happened consistently.

It’s not lost on me that this season won’t last forever. So I’m enjoying it—and the meal prep that comes with it—while I can.

• Something Underway

After we went to Spain last fall, daughter Molly combined all our digital photos into one shared folder. This is helpful for me because photography—especially on an iPhone—is not my strength.

In addition to posting on Instagram and recapping here on the blog, I also like to document special vacations by assembling photo albums of actual printed photographs. I’m not quick about this, however. In fact, it’s usually only when the next vacation is looming that I get myself into photo album mode for the previous one.

This is where I find myself now. It’s fun to relive our trip to Spain, but the sheer number of photos is a bit overwhelming. I began with a folder of more than a thousand pictures and have reduced it to 777 so far.

I only want to print 150 to 200 photos, so I have my work cut out for me.

• Something Peaceful

Our Spain photos bring back so many memories—of sharing meals, walking around the city, admiring amazing architecture. But one picture evokes a different feeling.

It was taken at one of Lilly’s favorite places in Sevilla—the Convento de Santo Angel. The library at this church/museum contains around 8,000 books, some of which date back to the 16^th century.

Every time I swipe past, I stop and exhale. There’s just something peaceful and quiet about this stack of ancient books that stands in stark contrast to so much of what we see and hear in today’ world.

I’m loving this photo so much that it’s now the lock screen wallpaper on my iPad. Feel free to copy it and use it on your own device. Maybe it will have the same effect on you.

• Something Learned

One Tuesday morning in mid June, I hopped on a plane and headed to a Christian writers conference at Wheaton College in Illinois.

I hadn’t been to an event like this in a couple of decades, but I’d heard good things about Write to Publish and hoped it would be helpful as I work toward my midlife writing and publishing goals.

Due to my early flight, I got to Wheaton many hours before the official start of the conference. Sleep deprived and not knowing a soul, I battled a serious case of “what in the world am I doing here?” as I sat on a bench in a cicada-infested courtyard and typed out an anxious prayer on my iPad.

“I don’t like feeling this way but am not sure what to do,” I wrote. “Lord, send your light and your truth, let them lead me. I’m not here by accident, and I pray that you would direct my steps, that you would put people in my path that I can encourage, and that I would not get eaten by a cicada.”

My second-guessing didn’t last long as I began to meet people and soak in wisdom on topics ranging from how to be a good podcast guest to growing an audience on social media.

Not surprisingly, one of the first questions writers conference attendees ask each other is, “What do you write?” Initially, it seemed awkward and heavy to share that my work-in-progress is a book about parent loss. But when my halting responses opened the door for new friends to share their own stories of loss, it felt like a direct answer to my earlier courtyard prayer.

And so I learned, yet again, that when God calls us to something, He truly does go before us.

• • •

Has your summer been nice and predicable, or did it come with a hefty dose of change? What tasks, projects or habits helped you move through these last few months? Please share in the comments.

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.