if you can stop doing this 1 thing...

Hi! How's it going?

I’m Carmen, a wife, mom of 4 (Baby J is coming soon!), and professional writer.

Over the years, I’ve written just about everything: novels, news, cultural commentary, politics, interviews, memoirs, workbooks, really any project intriguing enough to pull me in or pay the bills.

But, really, at the heart of it all, I write because 1) I can't help myself and 2) I’ve seen how words unlock inspiration in people in a way that nothing else can.

I know from experience that the right words, discovered at the right moment, can wake us up like a good cup of coffee.

So, consider this your weekly sip of encouragement: quick, fresh, and brewed to spark something new in you (in 5 minutes or less!)

✅ Start Doing This

It's always a good day to start shifting your focus from the world's approval to God's approval.

It’s very human to crave affirmation from parents, bosses, or even strangers online because we all want to feel seen and validated, but most of that pressure is an elaborate illusion created by the Enemy of our souls to keep us anxious and fixated on our self-image.

If you're a parent, you already have the most powerful frame of reference. Just think about your own children. You don’t love them more because of their achievements or because other people find them impressive. You love them because you love them. Their laughter, their imperfect efforts, their very existence delights you. And regardless of their numerous failings, every fiber of your being wants the very best for them. You always want their good and their growth. That’s how God loves you, too.

If you really believe that, how you move through your days stops being an endless audition for approval and starts becoming in step with God as your steady ally.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

❌ Stop Doing This

Stop chasing snakes.

A helpful story from Sahil Bloom's newsletter: A man walking in the woods gets bitten by a snake. The bite hurts, and venom spreads through his leg. If he turns back to the village for treatment, he’ll survive. But instead, his anger burns even more than the bite.

"Why did the snake do this to me? I’ll make it pay!"

He chases the snake down the path, and while he runs, the venom takes over. He dies not from the bite itself, but from his obsession with being wronged.

In life, we all get bitten: a betrayal, a cruel message, a disappointment at work, a loved one’s lie. The wound hurts, but it won't kill us. What actually destroys us is replaying the offense in our heads and molding our vision of the future around a pain point from the past.

The wisest response is to quickly get help and heal. Don’t stop, stew, and give your critics, enemies, or invisible audience more power than they already have. Tend to the wound, return to your village (the people who love you), and let God take care of it. He promises He will.

❓ Question to Ponder

Who are you most afraid of seeing you fail? How would your feelings and actions change if God’s approval mattered more than theirs?

Things I’m Really Into Right Now

Zach Rocheleau's Macro-Friendly Newsletter

It’s full of tips on how to make delicious food loaded with protein but low in fat, and it honestly makes me laugh out loud. If you sign up for one of his free recipe books (I have them all), you automatically get his emails, too.

This Instagram post about the power of prayer by Stephanie Weinert

After the shooting at a Catholic school by a "transwoman"

(a man pretending to be a woman), the so-called progressives screeched for less prayer and more gun control in the deep blue city of Minneapolis.

"Apparently, there are some who think 'prayer is not enough' in a tragedy," wrote Stephanie. "I can only offer my opinion as a mother who has lost a child and who knows the only way she survived it is because somebody prayed…"

Read her full post here.

Leighton Flowers on Joe Rogan & Chadd Wright

I’ve been queuing up podcasts and audiobooks for when I'm nap-trapped with a newborn, and this one was fun. Flowers breaks down Wright’s theology, along with his (interesting) approach to (not?) evangelizing Joe Rogan. If you're old enough to remember when Rogan was a beligerant butthead about anything religious, I think you'll especially enjoy this. Keep praying for him!

Brown Everything

Brown is the color of the moment, and I'm fine with that. Give me brown pillowcases, brown towels, brown curtains, brown mascara, all of it.

It's an underrated earth tone that makes things look rich and cozy.

Coincidentally, my favorite layering piece for fall is still this brown Aerie jacket I bought last year, and now I really want these comfy boots with the slouchy leg warmers, but I'm gonna need a discount code before I pull the trigger on those.

Kind of on the same topic, I interviewed an expert color analyst for Evie Magazine about how to choose your best colors according to your unique complexion and undertones.

It's fascinating info that actually makes a pretty big difference.

Cheers,

Carmen

P.S. Some August pics here. Perhaps my last baby bump pic until lil homie makes his debut!