The Story Table

In Chapter Two of Sierra’s Story we meet her immediate family. There’s Sonny, Sierra’s husband who has the dust of their farm flowing in his blood, and their teenage twins, Luke and Lollie. They’re growing up and trying to outrun a shared tragedy in their own ways. We also learn about the missing Brandon. Who is he? Is his absence tied to all that’s going wrong in this family, and can it ever be right again?

Find Chapter One here: https://belleofallthingssouthern.com/i-believe-in-story-and-i-want-to-tell-you-sierras/

More from the porch…

Hey friends, I hope y’all are faring well with these spring storms. We took a direct hit on the farm this week. That’s the bad news. The good news? No one was injured! My son suffered damage to his barn and house, and one of our tractors was busted up, but we’ll file insurance claims and keep on keeping on. Although we’re in a good place this Spring with the bean acreage we have planted, and the ground we have yet to plant, we know plenty of farmers who are truly behind. Our prayers are going out to our friends and neighbors.  

Speaking of prayers, I was telling Jesus earlier this week that I wanted to make time today to talk to you, (that’s you and anyone else who would indulge me) about wearing a path out to His throne. Later that morning Facebook gave me these words of mine from a couple years ago. Until I can shake a stick at the things that need tending around here, I offer you this—

I once made an admission to my podcast listeners and website subscribers. I understand it came as a surprise to some who were convinced that I must jump out of bed every morning like Tigger the boisterous tiger. The reality? I wake up with an outlook closer to Eeyore the dismal donkey. Oh, I morph into Tigger, all right, but I start out as Eeyore and have for a long time.

My first conscious thoughts, every single morning, are irrationally gloomy and colored with familiar feelings of hopelessness that suggest living is more drudgery than delight– and really– why bother? This has been going on for years and I can rarely trace it to anything concrete going on in my life.

For the longest time I begged the Lord to take this weighty thing away from me. It persisted. I’ve quit asking. I still don’t understand it, but He has reasons for allowing it. I’ve learned instead to take the ugly to Him faster than quick. I now begin my days by slipping out of bed to my knees. This is not my daily prayer time. I’m only there briefly, mere seconds, but they are life changing moments. From something that once felt like a curse has come the sweetest of blessings as I invite God into my world from the get-go.

I have an old song on my laptop called, “Welcome to my world.” It reminds me of the invitation God makes to each of us to share our lives with Him. If you can, try to hear these lyrics as a message from the Lover of your soul.

“Step into my heart, leave your cares behind, welcome to my world, built with you in mind. Knock and the door will open, seek and you will find, ask and you’ll be given, the key to this world of mine. I’ll be waiting there, with my arms unfurled, waiting just for you, welcome to my world.”

Beautiful, yes? I’ve discovered the great joy of accepting His offer and welcoming Him right back into mine. If you haven’t discovered His soul restoring solace, there’s simply no time like the present! O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Ps. 90:14.

Y’all take care and drop me a note. I love to hear from you.

Hugs,

Shellie

Hey folks, I can’t wait any longer. I’ve got to tell you what’s going on around here. We recently wrapped up a series of conversations on The Story Table about God’s ongoing invitations to come and keep coming. I hope you’ve enjoyed them. So, what’s next? Well, I’m taking a break from our story table conversations over the summer and resuming in the Fall. In the meantime, we’re going to do something a little different because, well, because I’m a little different.

I’m going to tell you a story. It’s a tale that fell out of me some time ago, and I’ve wondered off and on about what I should do with it, when an idea hit me. Since we’ve rebranded the podcast to the Story Table, why not just gift it to my community of readers and listeners?! I think it’s kinda neat. I’m going to be sharing Sierra’s story with you every Thursday, one chapter at a time.

As a young girl, Sierra felt like she had more questions than answers. Who would she be? What would she become? What would she study? Where would she live? Who would she love? Well, now, it seems like she has more answers than questions and life feels like one long day on repeat.

The thing is, the walls Sierra feels surrounding her could be the very supports she needs to grow and move forward into her future, or they could be suffocating here and destroying her hopes and dreams. Will Sierra figure it out while she still has time? Does anybody?

My hope is that you’ll enjoy listening to Sierra’s story this summer, on the beach, on the lake, running errands, doing housework, in between ballgames— whenever and wherever you have the time. And if you miss a chapter, no worries, Sierra will be right there waiting for you when you get back. I believe in the power of story and I want to tell you Sierra’s…

In other news, this happened today. 

Meet Shiloh. My early birthday present from the Beloved Farmer! It was love at first sight!!! To be clear, I’m talking about my horse although the same could be said for my fellow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can we hear it for a man who knows you better than anyone else on the planet and even now, when you’re closing in on four decades together, still enjoys making the whispers of your heart come true because he loves you, believes the best about you, and supports even your most secret dreams?

Y’all carry on. I’ll just be over here melting!

Hugs,

Shellie

P.S. Your turn. Drop me a line with your news, prayer requests, or just to chat. I’d also love to hear your initial thoughts about Sierra. Any guesses about her name? 

Rachel Hauck visits The Story Table today to wrap up this season’s conversation on the many invitations of God. Rachel is a New York Times Bestselling, award winning author living in sunny central Florida with her husband, a pastor. She’s also a dear friend. Join us! (If you’re reading this in your email box, don’t forget you can always click through to the website and listen to the audio without using iTunes, Spotify, or any of the other listening apps. It’s my way of inviting everyone in!

Rachel’s Website: https://www.rachelhauck.com/

Rachel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhauck

Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelhauck/

Rachel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelhauck 

Meanwhile, here at home, the men are in the fields and I’m in the midst of my busiest travel/speaking season, and trying to squeeze in all the time the Good Lord allows with family and friends. Our youngest grandchild is thisssss close to walking…When you haven’t quite conquered a new skill, it helps to have a friend, or a big brother at your service. #KenKentheBabyFriend​ #WestontheWonderBoy​ #weloveourgrands

Stay close to Jesus, friends. He is everything. I’ll be in touch soon with a little announcement! Until next time!

Hugs, Shellie

Welcome back! More from me below, but first, a little more about today’s podcast guest. Ronne Rock joins us in this week’s episode of The Story Table. Ronne is the author of One Woman Can Change the World. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I wanted to introduce you to her work. Here’s a little bit of Ronne in her own words:

Hi there, love. We’re in this together, and I am for you. I offer hope for you, my purpose-weary warrior, and help you see God’s absolute delight in your design.  I walk and keep walking. Cheer and keep cheering. You see, I believe that you are hand-crafted by God for a life that is rich and vibrant and filled with stories. That’s why I invest, and dive deep to remind you of how beautifully you are formed.  Consider our time together an ongoing conversation about life and love and what a powerful thing it is to be fully human, and yet still the image and likeness of our Creator. I cherish most the stories that I witness being written in the lives of women with the power to restore the breaches around them. God holds the pen in those stories, “That one—I hold her. And that one—she is My delight. And that one—never snatched away.” I share those stories with you—because those stories will be your story too, and I can’t wait to celebrate your story with the world.

I am a mouthpiece of celebration for women. Redemption is our theme.

Ronne’s Website https://ronnerock.com/

Ronnie’s Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ronne

Ronne’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ronnerock/

Ronne’s Book https://www.amazon.com/One-Woman-Can-Change-World/dp/0800736982

_______________________________

And now, a little more from the home front. I recently purchased some new exercise equipment to help me lose a few pandemic pounds.  I’ve also learned of some new fascinating research suggesting that grizzly bears aren’t fond of running, a fact attributed to their ample girth. I’m not saying these two things are related but my feelings are hurt just talking about it.

I’ve always been told bears can run really fast. While the latest study has confirmed this, as I noted above, it has also concluded that Smokey and his friends don’t particularly like to run. I feel like I could’ve saved someone a lot of money and time here, but no one asks me about these things.

Scientists made this startling discovery after training nine grizzly bears to walk and run uphill on special treadmills. Don’t you just immediately have a ton of questions? I did. I discovered certain team members were tasked with feeding apple slices to the bears to keep them motivated while the others measured their oxygen consumption. I can’t confirm that these fruit feeders were fresh-faced interns, but if I were a betting woman, I’d put money on it.  Two things. 1) I’ve not considered snacking while working out on my new rowing machine. I can see where this would keep me engaged. And 2) I’d like to know if my tax dollars were used to fund this SRC (Straight Running Crazy) research.

There’s more. I read where the researchers claimed that due to the bears’ low metabolic thresholds, they could be considered non-athletic. I’m offended, for all of us. Can we help it if our metabolic thresholds are affecting our workouts? No. No, we can’t.  

I’ve long heard that should I meet an angry bear on a walking trail, I do not have to outrun the bear, as long as I can outrun the slowest member of my group. I kinda of hope said member is a sassy scientist, and he chooses to run downhill.  You know what they say. #followthescience

Hugs,

Shellie

P.S.

Hey friends, our conversation on the many invitations of God to come, and keep coming, resumes today with a visit with Mary R. Snyder, creator of Take the Stage. I hope you’ll enjoy. Here’s a bit more about Mary in her own words:

I’m Mary – a true southerner who loves the indoors. Yes, that’s right; the indoors. I like a comfortable chair and some AC. Have you been to the South in the summer? It’s like living in hot soup. I do appreciate a great view and enjoy sipping a sparkling soda on my deck, but only when the humidity is low and the temperature is comfortable.

I’m passionate about my people, travel, my work with speakers, and finding the next great thing. Whether gadget, app, tool, or resource; I’m an early adopter! When I’m not working, you’ll find me snuggled up on the couch with my guy and our two rescue dogs, Butch and Toby, reading a great business book.

Mary’s podcast: https://pod.link/1534015455

Mary’s Website: https://www.maryrsnyder.com

Mary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryrsnyder

Mary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryRSnyder

In other news, my immediate family celebrated the resurrection in Houston last weekend.

 

 

I tossed up far too many pics on social media to not share just one or two with y’all, right?

Who drops the first episode of a new season of podcasts in the evening, rather than first thing in the morning? I know, I know! Me! If you’ve been in my circle for any length of time my unorthodox ways won’t surprise you, and I’m perfectly fine coloring outside the lines, so let’s get on with it. 

Today on The Story Table we’re visiting with Denise Hildreth Jones. Denise is an author and Bible Study teacher. Her books have been hailed as “smart and witty” by The Library Journal and featured twice in Southern Living. She lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband, five bonus children, and her dog where she leads Reclaiming Hearts Ministries.

I’m excited to bring you this series of conversations on God’s ongoing invitations for all of us. How do we recognize them? What do we do with them? Join Denise and I as we look at those questions and more, here on The Story Table.

 

The Spirit and the Bride say, come…And let the one who hears say, “Come.” and let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. Revelation 22:17

 

Denise on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/reclaiminghearts/

Denise on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/denisehildrethjones/

Denise and Monday Musings at Reclaiming Hearts Ministries https://www.reclaiminghearts.org/monday-musings/?y=2020

Hey folks! I’m passionate about helping you live the life Jesus died to give you! Storytelling is simply my favorite form of communication because I believe the whole world stops for a story! Today’s episode was taped at my parents’ house. Background music complements of my mom, also known as The Queen of Us All!

Now, for my newsletter readers, here’s my promise to you. I’m not going to fill your inboxes up daily and I’m not going to communicate with y’all solely by video going forward, tomboy honor! LOL. It simply looks that way because I just wrote to you. The thing is, I’m taping a week’s worth of devos for my publisher, and by golly, I figured I’d share them with y’all! So, here you go. If you’re too busy for these this week and you need to delete ’em, I’ll never know.

Merry Christmas friends,

I hope this finds you and yours well. I think of you often and wonder how you are faring in these strange times, so I’m making a quality decision to hit the breaks and catch up with y’all as we head into these final preparation days for Christmas. I have a delicious pie for you! And, of course, I have some Advent thoughts to share before we’re done here. If you know me at all, you’re expecting that. You know I aim to live listening for the Holy, and especially during this season where we celebrate the arrival of our sweet Jesus, Light of the World! In many ways it seems our world has never been darker, amen? Come, Lord Jesus. 

Longtime readers know something else about me. I live looking for humor! Laughter is good meds. The Word says it and I believe it. My favorite funny of Christmas 2020 comes from a little scene I overheard in a boutique early in the season. I’m an unapologetic people watcher who can’t help but listen to every conversation my curious ears can make out! This particular day, the listening was way too easy. A rather loud lady in the store I was shopping in was discussing gift choices for her daughter-in-law with the clerk. Several had been suggested. All had been dismissed. Finally, the mother-in-law picked up a pair of dressy little lounging pants and told the clerk they would have to do.

“Okay, and what size would she need?” the clerk asked, politely.

“Well…” the lady responded. “That’s a good question. She needs a large, but she thinks she’s a small!”

It was no use trying not to laugh. In fact, I may have actually snorted! The clerk’s eyes met mine over a display. Our mouths were both covered by masks, but her eyes were dancing. She wanted to laugh, too!  I could tell she was also trying to figure out what to do with that sizing announcement, but the mother-in-law spared her with a second and final instruction. “Just wrap up a large. I’ll tell her I asked for a small and y’all must have given me a large by mistake. She’ll wear it anyway. No harm, no foul.”

I’m not so sure about that no harm, no foul assessment. I think the jury is still out!

In other news, I’ve got a story for you about my own questionable gift-giving escapade. Some of you will remember that I wrap the grands’ presents in a theme each year. That first year I created a quartet of Santas and Mrs. Clauses’ (there were only four of these marvelous grands at the time!) I can’t say I meant to repeat the madness every year, but once you start something, it’s hard to stop! And with that, I suppose I should clarify what I mean by themed presents.

I take their gifts and wrap them in brown paper. Then I take those boxes and transform them into a scene. Over the years, I’ve transformed those boxes into a herd of reindeers, a group of nutcrackers, and a busy Christmas village, to name a few!

Do you know the expression “Jump the Shark”? No? Well, allow me. For brevity, I’ll quote a search return: Jump the shark is a term to describe a moment when something that was once great has reached a point where it will now decline in quality and popularity. Origin of this phrase comes from a Happy Days episode where the Fonz jumped a shark on water skis. It was labeled the lowest point of the show, and the beginning of the end.

Friends, I believe I jumped the shark with this one. I set out to create a sweet little nativity. What it became can only be described as #2020.

Building the different characters was one thing. I was initially planning to go with kind of an abstract idea where none of them would have arms. Only, one of Carlisle the Angel’s gifts was soooo wid...

Hey friends! Don’t be confused and don’t go anywhere, please. You’re in the right place!  I’m in the midst of rebranding. Pretty soon you won’t see the words All Things Southern on my podcast title, (or at the website!) I just thought I’d leave them for a little while longer while we make the transition.

So, why the name change? It’s simple really. While it’s hard for me to believe, I actually launched the All Things Southern website twenty years ago this Fall and while a lot is the same around here, much has changed. For instance, I was in live radio for most of that time. Relatively speaking, I’ve only recently moved to podcasting, but that’s just one of the ways my work has grown and morphed.

For a while now I’ve felt like All Things Southern was no longer covering the width of my work here. Yes, I’m still southern, and proud of it, but my ministry has grown. I decided I needed a name change that would reflect that.

I’m still about story. I’ll continue stacking up my own stories and sharing them with you, and inviting others to join me on the podcast to share theirs. And I’ll always wade into teaching God’s Word via story because it’s how He taught me to connect.

If you’ve been around my work for any length of time, you also know this about me. One of the things I enjoy the most about gathering family and friends around my table is when everyone gets their bellies full and we linger to swap stories. The new brand name, it just fits. So, welcome to the Story Table. I hope you’ll linger as often as you can. And I hope you’ll get in touch with me to share yours.

The remainder of today’s episode is called Where Hope Lives. It was taped at my home church. I hope you enjoy! You can still find me on iTunes and Spotify, but I’ll always have a link here for those of you who want to listen via the site! Later, y’all~

Hugs,

Shellie

Hey, y’all! It’s Shellie, and you’ve found my All Things Southern podcast. Today I’m sharing a message I recently gave at my home church, which so happens to be the one that brings you this podcast. That’s Providence, Church in Lake Providence, LA, where they want you to know that YOU are loved. We’re going to jump right in now with what I believe is a timely word.  I hope you enjoy. ~Hugs, Shellie