👒 Here. There. Everywhere.

Celebrations. Transitions. Hard stuff. Travel. Surprises. Where to find me when I don't appear in your inbox. And tons of books for you to sift through for your summertime reading joy.

Hey guys!

When I flip the calendar over to June, summer magically appears.

You, too?

Quiet porch life. Warm sunshine. Grilled hamburgers and sweet corn on the cob. The tried and true flip flops. The beach. Long awaited visits with the great-grandboy (and the rest of the family, of course!) Home brewed sun tea. Gardening in the rain. The quiet whirrr of the fan. The heft of a great big book. Evening excursions to the Ice Cream Cafe.

Yet hard things happen too, and right now my thoughts and feelings are here, there, and everywhere. A few days back, my favorite podcaster gathered all the things up into three (oops, four) descriptive sentences.

I felt seen and heard.

‘When you haven't quite left something but haven't quite entered the next thing, it's viscerally obvious, at least for me.

I feel extra tired, more sensitive to headaches, and prone to melancholy.

I'm also more at ease, more lenient, and laughing a lot.

I don't get it either.’
- Kendra Adachi, Latest Lazy Listens

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Recently, a few friends told me how much they love Thursday morning’s 6 a.m. arrival of PORCH in their inbox. It made my eyes pool just a bit, hearing how each of them were encouraged and strengthened by what they read at o’dark thirty, even though their seasons of life are as different as can be.

Years back, this would have fed my endlessly needy ego. These days, kind and generous words bring me a deep, wordless joy. And a warm affirmation that yes, this is the work the Lord has given me to cultivate and nurture in this season.

Please know that I am grateful to come alongside you, to be a faithful companion in this online world we live in.

Playing to an audience of One instead of trying to people please has made a huge difference in how I approach writing. Those ‘yes, I’d love to’ and those ‘no, I’m sorry, I won’t be able to’ opportunities. And how I pretty much do life in general.

2 Corinthians 5:9 says it all - ‘So we make it our goal to please Him.’ There’s so much freedom in Paul’s words as well as an invitation to a life of ongoing, steady discernment, a careful listening and ready obedience to the voice of the Spirit who whispers, ‘this is the way, walk ye in it’ (Isaiah 30:21).

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I’ll be in and out, here and there this summer. Nothing will arrive in your inbox like clockwork. There’ll be no traditional schedule, just a friendly drop in as the Spirit moves.

But I am leaving you with 2 things 👇

• Catch me on my SUBSTACK NOTES PAGE. Short and sweet super-mini-posts! The best of what I’m reading, a gathering of random snapshots I’m taking, an intro to other like-minded writers. You can like, comment, and share just like you do here all the time. Bookmark and come surprise me, ok?!

• And since summer was tailor-made for reading, here’s a whole slew of my top favorite titles from recent years. You’re sure to find something with your name on it. (I’d love to hear what you’re choosing!)

A Ginormous Book Bonanza 🎅 Porch #202

Porch #162 📚 My 4 favorite books in 2024

My 4 Favorite Books 📚 (Porch #122 & The December Bookbag)

This weekend?

Celebrating a brilliant and beautiful granddaughter’s high school graduation. Our little guy’s 1st birthday. And our 50th anniversary (somehow unintentionally yet serendipitously scheduled on the date of my parents’ wedding 74 years ago!)

Let’s talk summer routines and rhythms and surprises! And thanks for tapping the little heart below. It means the world to see your name pop up on my Substack screen.

Love you all & missing you already,
Linda 👒