I've been working on something exciting while patiently waiting to share it with you. Finally, the title of my Advent devotional for 2022 is available to share!

Fully Human, Fully Divine: An Advent Devotional for the Whole Self

Ah, this captures the invitation of an embodied journey with the embodied Christ! Each week of this devotional provides prompts for using your whole self to meet God as you prepare to receive the hope, peace, joy, and love the Advent season offers you. 

This book, published by Upper Room Books, will be available in plenty of time for Christmas 2022. Most exciting, an e-course option from the publisher will be available. That means they are recording bonus content for me to share with you, and you (or your small group) can journey through the book with ME. But if you want the behind-the-scenes scoop all along the way next year, be sure to join our new online community. I'll share the details there first as we prepare to release this new content and experience for Christmas next year.

Thanks for celebrating this new release with me and make plans now to journey with me toward Christmas 2022!

Oh, coronavirus, you've taken too much from us this year, retreats included. However, I am so very excited to share with you each that online retreats are here. 

YES! We're finally ready to begin our journey of online retreats at Exploring Peace Ministries. It's been a challenging season for all of us to find new ways to interact and connect in our businesses, churches, communities, and relationships. After pausing all in-person retreats for 2020 due to COVID-19, I wasn't sure what was next. Yet after much discernment and lots of prayer and help, I've discovered and created a safe online space that I think you're going to love. Yes, it's possible to connect in safe space amidst a pandemic and I can't wait for us to begin. I'm more than thrilled to be hosting my online retreat book experience for you in a new space, our Peace Seekers Community. You'll find me there now along with our community moderator, Lauren, and a handful of Beta Testers. If you register for the Holy Listening with Breath, Body, and the Spirit book retreat, you'll gain access to our community and see exactly what's in it for you (encouragement, connection, community with other Peace Seekers just to name a few)! The retreat and our new community is open as of TODAY!

Retreat materials will be available for pre-work beginning August 17th. Our 40 Days together and live teachings begin September 1st! Don't miss out on this chance to offer your body and spirit a reboot in community. I am so excited to journey through the book with you!

Did you know that nearly eight years ago the ministry of Exploring Peace began? It's always been an invitation for your breath, body, and spirit - long before my devotional book was released last year.

In 2010, I thought Exploring Peace was simply a blog name. Yet it is so much more than a blog. It is an invitation to journey with God. It is an invitation that reaches beyond myself and touches many, many more than I ever fathomed. What a humbling journey to invite others to explore the gift of God's peace with their whole self. This is one journey I truly ENJOY. And one that sometimes I forget to pause and savor for myself.

You may remember, my word for the year is ENJOY. Can you believe 2018 is now more than halfway over? Our family was surprised in a big way this summer. We moved to a "new" home (it's 100-years old) in a location where God had fantastic neighbors already surrounding us. I've now packed and moved BOTH a home and a yoga studio this summer. And, I'm tired. My body and my spirit are in need of dedicated time for ENJOYing some REST. 

Me: How can I rest? There is no time to rest. There are still boxes to unpack..and...and...and.
God: Ummmm. Well, I am fairly certain we have talked about this at length, Whitney. Remember that theme on Rest you penned (see page 94-95 in the devotional book I inspired and please directly note Psalm 127:2). 
Me: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Ressssttttttt. 

As of this month, Exploring Peace Ministries is now an LLC. This means as an official ministry, it's definitely more than a blog. It means I have worked hard behind the scenes investing time and energy to be a good steward of the work God has called me to do. I'm so grateful for your continued support and encouragement! With this nudge and your grace, I won't be posting in the Exploring Peace online community for the remainder of the month and while I'll be sharing some photos on social media, it will only be once per week. This means, I need your presence, your support, and your prayers here online more than ever because this ministry is in such the early stages (keep reading on how you can offer support in July, please?).

You CAN find me in the studio teaching my regularly scheduled classes. And after Wild Goose Festival, you may find me on my porch reading a good book or two (or three or four!) or studying for my current yoga teacher training as I grow as both a student and teacher, or writing (because I have some ideas brewing). However, you won't find me much online again until August (okay, I will post a few pictures along the way, but then I'm signing off!). That's the main space I've clearly been invited to rest from for now.

Wild Goose Festival is the perfect place to practice my daily unplugging (because there is not much cell service in Hot Springs, NC). I'm committing publicly to log off to REST and ENJOY July because accountability is key and community is important. And, otherwise, I probably would not log off at all. Whew, admitting the truth hurts. I love social media and the connection and community I find with you online, so I will definitely be back soon.

The challenge? 

I'm committing to log on only once per week to offer REST for my #BreathBodySpirit in July.

Your challenge is to post any image with the #BreathBodySpirit hashtag that connects with one of the 40 themes from the devotional book (click here to download the book's appendix and find a theme that inspires YOU this month).

When I return to regular postings on social media in August, I hope to see lots of #BreathBodySpirit hashtags because one of you will be receiving a Breath Body Spirit shirt as well as a handmade aromatherapy bracelet to say thanks for supporting this ministry and offering me a bit of encouragement as I find some sabbath REST on this journey with God.

Will you join me?