If it’s been three months since my last post, can I still call myself a writer?

Hello again!!

Summer’s over. School has started and I’m resetting. My guess is you are, too.

The few months between final exams and fresh pencils are intended to be different. 

Rest. 

Rejuvenation. 

Fun. 

Family time. 

Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. Last year I found myself disappointed with some of the ways I engaged and managed all of these. The time spent with my boys failed the most. 

Summer changes

This summer I decided to pause from weekly posting and the million other back-end projects I always have going on so I could focus on my kids. Additionally, I had several trips scheduled and realistically knew my time limited my output. 

Telling myself I’d post weekly had the same potential of success as saying I needed to lose 10 pounds in a week. Ain’t gonna happen, folks.

God knew I needed more time this year. 

Summer Highlights

If you aren’t a subscriber (why not??) or we aren’t connected on Instagram or Facebook, here’s my summer in a nutshell:

• June took me to Oklahoma, where I celebrated my 25-year pinning ceremony as a Chi Omega.

• Several local teen girls joined me in a no-boys-allowed fitness class. They were energetic and springy and bendy and sometimes hard to read but they kept coming back and I loved it.

• My family vacationed in the Bahamas, where halfway into the trip I contracted a rare fish poisoning called Ciguatera. My Texan friends tell me this is what I get for ordering snapper at a steakhouse. Here is a live video I posted on Facebook explaining it. (You don’t need a FB account to view it.) The real kicker is the neurological side effects last up to 6 months and severely limit my food (no fish, nuts, caffeine, alcohol, chicken, and pork. What did I eat? Plants, lots and lots of plants. And pumpkin seeds. Which I know are plants.) Also, no intense exercise and be prepared for a lot of fatigue and other weird ailments (neuropathy, anyone?) Praise God I felt 95% better within 6 weeks.

• Because of the aforementioned Ciguatera, I felt it best to cancel a dreamy trip to Oregon celebrating my dear friend’s 50th birthday. Because the schedule included biking to wineries, hiking, water rafting (I told you it was dreamy) I knew I couldn’t hack it. Sniff.
• Long-time friends visited from Oklahoma. We found ourselves in a simulated war zone with a wayward firecracker.
• My husband and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. Man, I love that guy and am so grateful he is my partner in life. 
• My boys recharged their soul and got their Jesus on at Pine Cove Summer Camp.
• My parents generously treated my boys and me on a trip to Washington DC. Regrettably, my husband passed due to work.

Because of stupid Ciguatera, I was also very limited in my movement and exercise. While I was still donning my Skirt Sports and coaching outdoor classes, I had to figure out how best to move my body. That included yoga, fascia care, and light walking.

What’s next?

I did spend time thinking about how I communicate here on Graced Health. The reality is my model is about 10 years too late. 

What is working? What isn’t?

To quote Lysa TerKeurst, what is like guiding a boulder down a hill rather than pushing one up?

This is what I know about how I ingest content: 

• I often delete blog posts from people I enjoy but just don’t have the time to read. 
• I listen to podcasts. A lot. Whether I’m in the car, on a dog walk, or covering my eye’s deep circles with concealer, I’m hitting play. 
• More and more, I’ll take 2-3 minutes to watch a video. Why I can watch a video but not read a post, I don’t know. It just is what it is.

On a (mostly) daily basis I’ll continue to connect with you on Instagram and Facebook. I’ll be adding video occasionally with FB Lives and then posting that to IGTV.  These “Truths and Tips” will share the messy spaces of my health life as well as tips to make yours better.

The monthly plan

Every month, I’ll be giving you other ways to ingest content. My goal is to send you one easily-digestible weekly email. Topics include:

• My meal plan for the week, in the hopes it saves you time. You can replicate or adjust it.
• A YouTube video, as I will be posting over there more. (Follow and subscribe by clicking here.)
• The previous month’s top posts from Instagram – short and sweet!
• A new post periodically, because I still find I communicate better in writing.
• Wait for it… wait for it… MY LATEST PODCAST LINK!

A podcast can’t surprise you

Yep, I’m jumping into the podcast world! Eeep! Expect more on this later, particularly in October when my launch is planned. I’m joining the big kids and am excited about it, but I’ll probably feel like a 5-year old trying to keep up with a bunch of high schoolers.

I’ll also confess right now I’m telling you this to keep myself accountable. I can’t tell you the dreams that have died in my head because I wasn’t brave enough to act on them. Stay tuned… 

My plan going forward 

School has started, and I’m staring welcomed schedules and routines in the face. What does that look like?

• Continuing my morning ritual of a bible study. Right now I’m following along with Proverbs 31 First 5 study and experience guide.
• Getting into the gym first thing in the morning, often with my son. For the next few months, I’m focusing on strength training and mobility. Regardless of how I’m moving, I’ll be sporting my Skirt Sports, even if I have crusties around my eyes at 5:30am.
• Adding content to YouTube to equip you in the kitchen, gym, and Word. 
• Doing the same with the forthcoming podcast.
• Continuing to coach my women’s classes and training a few clients.
• Exploring more areas to speak the message of faith-based, balanced health to women and teen girls.

Now I’ve done it. I’ve totally overstayed my welcome here and written waaaay too much. 

Thank you for sticking with me over the summer. I’m excited to see where God takes us this fall. If you have thoughts or ideas on how I can serve you, please email me at amy.connell@gracedhealth.com or comment below! What topics would you like covered in the next few months?

Would you like these updates sent directly to your inbox? If so, enter your email below!