Devotional: Seasoned with Salt

Scripture: Matthew 5: 13-16 MSG
"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."

Though I'm not a professional chef, I am a proud connoisseur of food. In other words I love to eat, so therefore I've learned to embrace cooking. Early on in our first year of marriage, Mike came to realize that I wasn't one to whip up meals in the kitchen and there were lots of trial and error dinners (and late night runs to pick up some fast food). My biggest problem I quickly learned was I rarely tasted my food before serving it. I know, I know that's a huge mistake. For some reason I figured I could just eyeball the seasonings and it would turn out fine...I was wrong. Your palate and tastebuds are a tremendous part of cooking (just in case you didn't know). There is nothing like tasting a lack luster meal or an overly salty and saturated one. Either one can ruin it for you.

So it's no wonder why this infamous scripture spoke to me in the midst of all the words, Facebook posts, and endless debates going on lately. Because we all, yes ALL of us, want to be heard. Especially in the name of not being classified or misnomered in this age of labels and identifiers. We all in some way do not want anyone to speak on our behalf, and there isn't anything wrong with that. Words, thoughts, and ideas so easily get lost in translation in the midst of fingers violently typing and conveying a message that is meant for our mouths and our actions. The internet's fiberoptic cables have jaded our eyes to reality. Our emotional and mental tastebuds haven't felt the authenticity of what life and true conversations have to offer in quite some time...and that's the significance of being referenced as salt. You know the taste of a well flavored meal.

Salt is a common ingredient we all have used, more importantly it has so many uses. Nothing can replace salt, that's the truth. Historically and presently being used to preserve meat, an antiseptic in medicine, and bring flavor; salt is a vital spice to life! However, as Christ followers we can see a verse like this and immediately sprinkle our salt and ideas to the point of distaste. You don't think that's possible? Ever been around a fellow Christian or someone who wears that label, and after talking you feel discouraged and turned off? I know that I have and I know there have been moments where I've been that person. Pouring my precious salt in the "name of Christ" only to turn someone away. I hadn't portioned what could bring out God-flavoring in the situation, but rather my own selfish desire to be heard or seen as "Christian" enough overshadowed an opportunity.

Read the verse once again and take a moment to taste the bitterness of an excessive amount of salt. That's what we are called NOT to be. In other scriptures we are urged to let our speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6), with the key word being seasoned. That implies tact, control, and portion. I'm so challenged as I'm prone to allow my words to flippantly chastise, control a situation, and trample on the voices and emotions of others...causing a much saltier  and damaging situation. 

But take hope! As we cook up delicious meals in our conversations and situations with friends, family, our kids, and especially online may we season each with salt. Being careful to know the power of Christ entrusted with grace in our lives that we should urgently share with others. Taking time to prayerfully seek God's hand rather than our own when we pick up scripture, wisdom, and words to bring out the God-flavoring in our world. Leaving a situation seasoned rather than salty is the best we can offer today. So friend before we post may we imagine our words as rather a pinch of salt or a dose of disastrous distaste in the making. Valuing the opportunity we have to not fight to be heard, but fight to allow God to bring about His glory in us AND those involved. May we be the sprinkle chefs in our communities, knowing what we hold is so precious and so vital!

I love what I recently read on a post from Jen Hatmaker and I couldn't have said it any better. May you be encouraged and challenged as well friend!

"Sisters, don't spend your energy spitting into the wind to win over people who will not be won. Don't say passive aggressive things to take jabs at critics who may or may not even be listening. Stop having arguments in your head, however much you may be wining them. Drop it. Drop it all. 

Speak to the highest level of your best people. Send it out like you want it returned: love, grace, courage, encouragement, kindness, humility. Do not give in to the lowest common denominator. Speak words of life, because that is the very thing that will save us."

Shop Talk: Truly Sanctuary

The season is now upon this wonderful blog where I get to really share more and more about small businesses and their endeavors! Truly Sanctuary is a small business run by a husband and wife duo that have taken screen print shirt designs to another level. I have had the pleasure of following them through Instagram and they are hilarious. Not only do they run their business they have two beautiful girls who allow their lives outside of business to show. It's always amazing to watch how families navigate business and their own lives - they even share a bit about that too!

Currently they have an IndieGoGo Campaign going on to raise funds for their micro-boutique out in PDX! Check out their video and help them along their way. I know you won't regret it! 

Q: How is it managing family and small business? 

A: Juggling family and a business is awesome, easy, hard and weird. I love not having the additional burden of convincing my boss, switching a shift or loosing money, when something comes up and I have to take care of myself or my family members. Though sometimes it means a workday without breaks or pulling an all-niter to play catchup, having flexibility to be there for my family is huge. What gets hard is expecting your kids to get when it’s playtime and when it’s work time. It’s hard to get them on board with you getting things done that don’t include them, especially when they’re physically in the same room. It’s getting easier now that they’re in school. I have more uninterrupted time to get things done. They’re also realizing that most of their friend’s parents leave the home to work and we have some unique things to be thankful for.


Q: What has been your biggest seller?

A: As far as our most surprisingly biggest seller, I’d say “Take a Hike”. It was even featured in People magazine last year. It’s one of my favorite designs, so I didn’t assume people would hate it…it wasn’t surprising in that sense. I just sort of doodled it in like 5 minutes. I was living in florida at the time and really missing the Pacific Northwest. The Take a Hike Design was simply a reflection of what was on my heart and it came out naturally and simply. I just never imagined it meaning anything to anyone else really.

Q: What is your creative catalyst?

A: Our Creative Catalyst…Ourselves! We design things we would put on our bodies, or our children’s. Not designing for the masses is probably not going make us millionaires, but it does allow us to connect with most people who interact with our business. Finding connection with like-minded people makes this gig more fulfilling than other jobs I’ve had, for sure!

Q: What is your advice for small business owners? (Top Three) 

A: If you can see working for yourself as the payoff and not working for money as the payoff, I believe you can have a really fulfilled experience. Be self taught in as many things as you can. There is so much free information out there. Pay people whose strengths are your weaknesses, don’t pay people to do things you can do or learn to do. Oh and excellent photography sells. A beautiful high quality image will sell your stupidest product. It will get blogged, pinned and re-posted…IF…it doesn’t have a watermark. I think sometimes they look cool and I can tell a lot of care went into the creation of them. Watermarks do worse marketing wise than make you look legit or protect your work in my experience. The people you want sharing your products online find them detracting from the feel they’re creating on their blogs, Pinterest boards and Instagram feed. Unless the product your selling is the photography itself, I’d skip the watermarks/copyright.

You can connect with this shop right here!

Indiegogo Campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/trulysanctuary-microboutique/x/826473

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/trulysanctuary

Instagram: @trulysanctuary 

Twitter: @trulysanctuary

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrulySanctuary

Insignificant

I love attending graduations (and we are headed to quite a few this year), mainly because there is always at least one thing I take away for myself. This past Friday we had the privilege of watching two of our youth students celebrate their own monumental moment in their academic career. Of course in between feeding Kai french fries we made for dinner and being a human jungle gym, I was able to take this nugget of wisdom for myself. Don't despise what appears to be insignificant. Yeah, I know if you let it sink in, it gets better and more profound.

As the commencement speaker charged the graduates of staying the course of their dreams and how too often society wants to down play the insignificant moments and decisions in our lives... I began to covet those same words as my own. How wonderful to think if we all celebrated the small things in our lives that seem so insignificant. Would we be happier? Less focused on comparing? I'm not 100% sure, but I've decided to challenge myself to 30 days of insignificance. Join in or follow along on Instagram! I'm really excited to see what lies ahead and what change I may see in myself.

Blogger Week

A few weeks ago I received an invitation to attend the first annual Blogger Week: A multicultural festival of bloggers, journalists, and social media mavens. It's been on my Blue Swallow list (all dreams have plans I've learned) to attend a conference geared towards blogging, so I didn't want to miss the opportunity. I honestly will say the weeks before heading to the conference were difficult and I didn't feel as "prepared" as I would have desired. I didn't have an outfit planned or even business cards to provide to anyone - and to top it off I had just closed my shop to focus on helping my mom and focusing on my own family! However, not all was lost and though I wasn't prepared I still felt like I took away many things from it.

Upon arriving, I will say that my expectations did not necessarily meet my experience. Mind you I only stayed for the morning session so I did not get to encompass the full experience, but I was thrown off slightly. I've looked at different blogging events and I've always enjoyed the sense of really networking and capturing the essence of how diverse the blogging community has become. So when I stepped into the room and I did not necessarily see the multicultural aspect (which truly was the reason I signed up), I was disappointed. I wasn't sure if I was invited to attend the event because of my race or because of the potential of my blog and my skills. The venue was beautiful and the other attendees were very kind, I just didn't see the full spectrum I had hoped for.

Despite that aspect, I did find a wealth of information in terms of really gearing my blog in an expansive way as well as feeling encouraged that everyone starts at ZERO. From social media followers to blog views, we all start with no one and over time you grow. Keeping that into perspective as well as preparing myself to take more risks with this journey were more than enough for me to take away that Saturday. I am hopeful to attend another event, maybe Alt Summit when it returns to New York or if there is another local one.

This most certainly isn't my last experience. It was a great launching pad to get my feet wet and stick to the commitment I've made to A Blue Swallow.

Splurge vs. Save

Recently I was contacted by the wonderful people of Credit Card Insider, and truthfully it couldn't have come at a better time. As a part of their Splurge vs. Save Campaign, they've been challenging various bloggers such as myself to find an item that they would love to splurge on and find a much more cost effective alternative! I think it's absolutely wonderful and a great way to encourage true financial responsibility (which my husband would applaud any day of the week). As we've started our search for a home to buy (I know, I'm terrified), saving money is our top priority.

I'm always up for a challenge and this was no exception. As mentioned in my previous post about finding a new and improved diaper bag, the search was really difficult. The world of new and stylish motherhood wear all the way to what carries your baby essentials has exploded and I can't say I can keep up. So this was my inspiration handbag from Fossil (love them!). I really wanted a leather cross body bag that was deep enough to carry what I need, sturdy, easy to wipe, and quick/easy to sling on while chasing Kai down.

This bag retails for $188 (that's a lot of diapers and goldfish). So since I couldn't convince Mike that I needed this particular bag...this beauty found me on a late night Target run.

The bag I found was originally $40 at Target and I found it on clearance for just $11 (plus defect discount)! What I love best about this challenge is that there are wonderful alternatives to purchasing your favorite items without breaking the bank. Sure my inspiration bag doesn't look much like the one I purchased, but I love it probably more than if I got my "dream" bag. The truth is I didn't understand credit cards and credit until late during undergrad, and by then I wish I had known sooner the impact being financially irresponsible can be regardless of your age. It's still difficult for me to tell my money where to go rather than allow impulse buying to take the lead (thank God Mike is great at finances). Hopefully this challenge will encourage you to do the same and Save rather than Splurge when you can!

Thank you to the people at Credit Card Insider for allowing me to be a part of this campaign!

Though I was contacted by this company all thoughts and the above product are my own.

Small Business Mind: Sorry Can't Share That...

I was recently on Twitter just reading random stuff and I came across a small business owner who was complaining about the influx of inquiries about how to run a similar business like hers. In so many words she shared, "you have to keep SOME things private." At that part I agreed, then I felt a tug at my heart. I've read a lot of rants and frustrations from small business owners that really have made it BIG on this side of the industry. At some point lending a hand becomes a bit more less and less (I do understand that not everyone has the best intentions when asking questions). The more I grow in my business, the more I see the competitiveness that arises and just like anything else the "cliques" that exist. Is there anything terrible about these things? No, that's not what I'm focusing on. Just like in any setting we all gravitate to those that can relate to us and have similar interests...it's just natural.

However, in reading these different perspectives and frustrations from owners about people copying their work, had me really thinking and even some what concerned about my own work being copied by someone GASP! My first run-in with this was when I started researching how to purchase larger quantities of mugs. Naively I sent an email to a small business owner who hand paints mugs like myself and asked her... Wait for it... no response. I was shocked and a mad at first (how are you NOT going to respond..rude), because I felt like I'm not copying you I just don't want to keep running around trying to buy mugs! She never responded... 

So I figured that's kind of how it works - and I had a hard time not feeling like I would do the same just in case the shop really took off. I mean what if someone makes a Camera Mug like MINE?!? So I figured I better play it safe and keep things to myself that I find really helpful or "tricks of the trade" that I've had to trial and error to find out. It's been a lot of work these past several months, from replacing mugs because the paint did not withstand normal use to hunting for mugs and seriously praying for a consistent set of mugs to work with. Why would I want to just let someone have the easy way of starting up? I've put my heart and money into this thing.

Then I got an email today, asking what technique I used in designing my mugs. She ended it with

If you do not want to disclose your technique I understand.

and my heart sank, because she was just like me several months ago when I had no idea how to really make it work. I tossed it around in my mind and started talking to God about it, because truthfully I knew what to do. I took a look into her shop and thought to myself wow these designs are beautiful! Seriously. Even had a moment of, what if she becomes my competition? And then I got over myself. Just like that and responded. I shared with her some of the things I'm learning and encouraged her to look at different blogs I've seen regarding pricing and even asked to feature her. She really has some beautiful items.

The truth is if I focus on myself then I'm going to be really lonely in this journey. I've seen some people really make an impact with their businesses. And I've seen the same businesses everywhere and little up and comers not get the time of day... I'm not saying I'm going to be foolish and tell everyone what I do, but I am going to encourage and support those around me and point them to some great guides along the way. 

One person gave me a shot and it's made all the difference. From critiquing my blog to teaching me about sponsorship. I genuinely am grateful and know I need to pay it forward.

Today was a stretching moment for me, and not something I'm sharing just so I can say look at today's good deed - but really because I really wish that more people would be inclined to just reply back. In the process she even shared a technique I NEEDED! I would have never received that if I focused on protecting something that was not even my idea in the first place. A Blue Swallow was placed on my heart through my own quiet time and time spent with God. When we let things live their true purpose and don't hold them too tight they have the room to breathe and really thrive.

Kindness bears more worth than Wealth.

Handmade Holiday - Calling YOU!!

I've been working on a project for the holidays this year and I've been so excited about it! I wrote about it previously, but figured I needed to revamp it just a little. I love handmade small businesses, I always have and I've learned so much in jumping in headfirst honestly. It's been the greatest risk I've taken in some time (it's been a lot of tears and prayers). However, one thing I realized is with anything it costs money. So I wanted to start featuring shops for the holidays. Yes... YOU! No cost to you at all, I just want to show the heart of what you do. You may be asking why am I doing this? I will tell you honestly that my goal is so that others can see the heart and person behind the work. Most times we all look through Etsy and see something we like, but don't really know the story behind it. Why do you make what you make? I'd love to know and I know others would too. I've noticed even with this community of small business owners the "top sellers" get the audience you're hoping will find you. So let's help them find you! Anyone can make an item...but you're not just selling a product, you're selling your name. So let's do it together!

If you are interested please email me at blueswallow.inc@gmail.com 

Below are some guidelines on how to share you story for the feature:

 

General Bio:

- Background (a personal blurb about yourself - are you a college grad travelling the world one backpack at a time or a mother of three juggling stay at home life?) Share a bit about you!

- How long have you been doing this (drawing, sewing, etc)?

- What is the cataylst for your shop (i.e. passion, inspiration, etc)?

 

Shop/Skill Questions:

- When did you open your shop?

- What are you favorite supplies/items to use?

- What type of items do you sell/offer? Can you purchase custom items?

- How can people purchase your items? (website info)

 

* Do you have anything special for the Holidays as in sales? 

* When do your Holiday orders stop so they can arrive on time?

 

Then attach pictures of your items so I can be sure to show them!

 

 I really hope you will join me in celebrating and growing your own business this season. It really would be my honor to feature you here.

Maximizing Our Weekend

This weekend was a nice change of pace. I often complain about "not having time," and so I decided to make a few changes. It's been on my heart to cut out things that I don't have to do or have been in the habit of doing lately...one of them being on my phone. I know if you're anything like me it's just comfortable. You're not doing anything - check your phone, you're not engaged in a conversation - check your phone, you don't feel "entertained" - check your phone. It's gotten out of hand (my husband would be clapping his hands at this moment), but though it isn't with any ill intentions I've just been used to it. However, since trying to juggle more things and the fact that little man is growing so much and so fast, I've been feeling "left behind" and "never having enough time" with him or my family...but truthfully I have time - it's just used elsewhere.

Don't get me wrong, I don't see the issue with being on your phone and practically as I move into blogging more and growing the shop it's become a part of my routine...but as the saying goes:

All things are good in moderation...the key word being moderation.

So I monitored my time Friday evening to this afternoon (Sunday) after church. I kept my phone usage (social media mainly) to 20-30 minutes total for the day, only getting on when little man was taking a nap or hubs and I agreed it was okay to just chill for a while. It was hard yesterday at times, I found myself picking up my phone and putting it back down reminding myself to make use of my time. I couldn't tell you the difference it made. From playing more to making THREE new cup designs, made that scarf (coming soon), and updating my shop (shameless plug haha). Even just the quality time I spent with my husband and son eased a lot of my "working mother's guilt." I felt like I gained an extra 2 hours at least to my day which is HUGE for me since I work 8 hours during the week and only have 3.5 hours max before bedtime. It helped that our weekend wasn't packed with a lot of obligations so I really got to notice the time spent during the evening. I haven't played this hard with lovebug in quite some time (my out of shape body reminded me!) and he absolutely noticed. I wasn't "tired" and ready to put him to bed or irritable that so much had to be done...it all got done.

Looking back at the weekend this was needed, for all of us. In blogging, running a shop, and just connecting most times I forget I've got a life I'm already connected to and I want to stay connected to. Do you feel like that? I love social media and in no way am I bashing the great things it does, I just realized I have the time already to enjoy what I have so there isn't any reason why I should be misusing it.

I can't say that every day will feel like this weekend, but I know I just don't want to "post" about my goals/dreams, but the reality of them is they aren't really happening. This is why I shared the pictures of us today. I love them, because they're us. I don't style our clothes, in fact my husband is our stylist. My house has toys everywhere and two dogs that act like they pay the bills, so it's anything less than picture worthy...which I have to watch myself even in building the blog in keeping it true to who I am and not being worried about what it "looks like."

 My husband loves to goof in pictures and I rarely can get a great one of us...but these photos remind me of a great weekend because I was a part of it and didn't miss a thing.