Last year I started a gratitude journal, so every evening I would reflect on five things that made me grateful and write them down. I tried to be specific and not repeat myself from one evening to the next, and I came to love the practice as a way of reviewing my day and giving … Continue reading How to Inspire a Rather Large Amount of Gratitude
I love my new gratitude journal from Tyndale Books even though I haven't written in it yet. I'm only about half-way through my current journal, so I'm not ready to start a new one, but that hasn't stopped me from feasting my eyes on Gratitude: A Prayer and Praise Coloring Journal. Here's how I'm making good … Continue reading 5 Reasons Why I Love My New Journal
"Oh I had forgotten that you were on Pinterest," says a reader, "You should remind us again." If you're a Pinterest fan, you may not need this reminder, but since I just learned a cool trick to embed my Pinterest boards here, I thought I'd try it below. If you're not familiar with Pinterest, well … Continue reading My Ten Best Pinterest Boards: Creativity, Hybrid Publishing, Easy Food Gifts, and More!
I was excited to see this photo of Lois Siemens at CommonWord Bookstore and Resource Centre with her calendars, cards, and a sample copy of my creative contemplative journal in the centre of her other creative endeavours! This beautiful journal includes striking full-colour photographs, inspiring quotes, and plenty of room to make this journal your own: Turn … Continue reading my creative contemplative journal – now available!
I had great fun sharing some of the cover options for my creative contemplative journal. The sample covers were so beautiful that one reader asked if we could use them all, and let everyone choose their own custom cover. Now that's an idea, and maybe even possible if we ever do a digital version. But given the … Continue reading How to Collaborate for Fun and Effectiveness
Last year, my photographer-pastor-friend Lois and I had such a great time collaborating on my Sacred Pauses daybook 2015 that we decided to team up again, this time to make a creative contemplative journal. What does it mean to live creatively and contemplatively? For Lois, it might mean wandering around the local reservoir with her … Continue reading How to Make a Creative Contemplative Journal
When my first book proposal was turned down, I submitted it to another publisher, and another, and another, until eight publishers later, my manuscript finally found a home. That's when I decided to re-read my manuscript, and felt immediately dismayed. You see, every time my proposal got returned, I simply wrote a new cover letter, … Continue reading Can a Gratitude Journal Make You More Hopeful?
When I was a child, summer vacation meant badminton and make-believe in the backyard, walking to the library and coming home with my arms full of books, eating home-made "popsicles" that my mom made by freezing orange juice in ice-cube trays. We'd sometimes drive to see our cousins in Seattle or Astoria, and one time … Continue reading How to have a great staycation that will refresh and energize you
April Yamasaki 