I'm often asked when I'm going to write my next book. In reality I've been in the process of writing a book on the life of Paul as encouragement for living with chronic pain and illness for probably close to 5 years now. Since Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage & Adoption Loss took me about 10 years to write, that may not be such exciting news because it tells you I still have a very long way to go!

What I hope is more exciting, what I would like to ask you to partner with me in prayer about as God continues to unfold His plan, is that two of my other blogs, both this one here on beauty and (now that I've gained more focus for what I want to do with this project) specifically Harvesting Hope from Heartache™, have becoming a launching pads for what I feel God is turning into my "next" book.

Yes, I'm continuing to work on the Given Me a Thorn too, but over the past year God has me focusing more on an exploration of the Fruit of the Spirit (a passage written by none other than Paul himself) through a series of articles I've been writing for Glory and Strength and my InnerBeautyGirlz blog. I've been working on a Bible study related to what He's teaching me and I've written much more than could be presented only in my articles, so I think God's growing a book out of all of this! :)

How does the Fruit of the Spirit tie in with Harvesting Hope from Heartache? I'm glad you asked. ;) It all has to do with sowing seeds, gathering fruit, and ultimately what Source my hope springs from. What better time to look to the Lord for help than in the midst of trials? I'm very excited to see how God is tying so many themes together in my life as He's teaching me through Galatians 5 this year! I pray that this book will be as much of a blessing to you as the journey has been to me.

It is my current goal to have enough of this study written and ready to present to publishers that I can begin the query process around the end of the year or in the very early part of 2012. Will you join me in specific prayer that God will give me His words to write and that this project will unfold according to His will and in His perfect timing?

If you would like to stay updated about my progress, I've just opened a new Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HarvestingHope and would love to have you "like" me over there. :) If you don't do Facebook or would rather get updates via feeds, please follow my long-standing Harvesting Hope from Heartache blog directly. Feel free to pass these link along to your friends as well.

Patience is a Virtue...

I'm guest blogging on the topic of Inner Beauty as a monthly columnist over at Glory and Strength. This year we are looking together at characteristics that set a woman apart as a Christian, as found in Galatians 5:22-23.

Drop by Glory and Strength and click on "Growing in Glory" to find my latest reflections. This month we are talking about patience. Here's a little taste to get you started. (And don't forget to keep reading to the bottom of this post to grab a great discount and free gifts code for Affordable Mineral Makeup too!)

“Wait” seems to be one of God's favorite words in my life. We waited nearly two years from engagement until our wedding. We waited through years of infertility. We waited to see if we would bring home babies through adoption. We waited through high risk pregnancies. We waited through years of disappointment in effort to buy our house. We've waited for work-related situations to resolve. We are still waiting for answers for my health...

Please come read more about patience this week at http://www.gloryandstrength.com/index_files/GrowingInGlory.htm. In June I'll be tackling Not-so-Random Acts of Kindness. :) I would love to hear what you think "kindness" means as I'm putting together my next article. Won't you please leave my your thoughts in the comment section here?

------- Sponsorship Message and Coupon Code -------

For a limited time [this offer expired 5/24/11 - please visit "discount codes" to look for current promotions], take 25% off every Affordable Mineral Makeup™ purchase of $19.95 or greater, placed from www.InnerBeautyGirls.com when you use check out using coupon code:
springchic511

AND don't forget to claim your FREE GIFTS!

With this code, qualified orders (over $19.95 and properly following instruction for submitting freebie requests) will also receive two wonderful free gifts of one 10-gram sifter jar with your choice of product - up to a $19.79 value AND a Mini Kabuki Brush - a $6.49 value, both FREE with your purchase! To redeem the free gift offer, please list your requested free product selection in your order comments (not added to your cart!) when you place your order. Promotion items cannot be shipped separately.

Please visit http://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" link to get started by viewing our catalog. (I greatly appreciate when my return customers remember to always come back and start at my consultant link so that the computer knows to credit me for your purchases.) If you remember to list my name, Jenni Saake, in the comments section when you place your order, I would appreciate that too. Thank you for your business and support!

My heart is in sharing beauty with women, first heart beauty, but also affordable, healthy ways to care for our physical bodies that God calls the "temple" of His Holy Spirit when we allow Him to live within us through grace. To this end I am happy to represent Affordable Mineral Makeup™ (AMM) as a beauty adviser and to offer this high quality line of pure mineral products to my readers. AMM does NOT contain harmful bismuth or other skin irritants fillers, talc, nanoparticles nor micronized minerals. Our soothing line will not clog pores, contains natural SPF properties, helps calm irritated skin with its zinc content, and is water resistant.

Contentment

An article entitled Can you be chronically ill and still find contentment? may seem like a strange one to link to from a beauty blog, but I would love to invite you to visit this link and find great beauty tips such as:

• God looks at our hearts, not our material possessions and external beauty. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b) External beauty will fade, but inner character will not.

or

• God made us beautiful and in His image. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14) We were created for a purpose and a plan,even those of us with physical limitations. How exciting!

If you know my story, you know physical struggle and disability have been a big part of my journey, along with all of the emotional issues of doubting and self-worth that come along with a body that isn't all I dreamed it would be. You can read more about my health journey at Given Me a Thorn or on my InfertilityMom blog, and you can find encouragement for your own struggles (maybe divorce, or the death of a child, or infertility, or abuse, or financial struggles?) at Harvesting Hope from Heartache™. Wherever you are in life, please know that God says you are beautiful, right here in the midst of the mess. Even if you can't see the beauty right now, God's still at work and His plan is yet unfolding in you!

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV).

what to wear

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

 Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV