Lay it Down
Hello Friend!
How's your summer shaping up? My kids have been out of school for a week now, and we're still settling into new summer rhythms. To be honest, I miss the stillness that settles over the house when they're in school (and the productivity that comes with it), but I'm definitely not complaining about shutting off the alarm clock for a couple of months and spending long, slow mornings at the community pool.
That said, these are exciting (and busy) times for Muscadine Press. Next week, we're exhibiting at Mississippi Market, where retailers from all over the Southeast shop for products to fill their stores. We've been working hard on new products (including a kids' line and a handful of cozy tees) to debut at the show. Keep scrolling for a first look at a few of the things we'll be launching online later this month. Will you please pray for us? This will be our very first foray into wholesale, and we're excited (and nervous) to launch our little line into the world.
Nearly three years ago, I felt the Lord leading me to close my custom stationery business and start something new (you can read more about that here). It's been a long, slow process to get to this point, but I'm really, really excited to see what God is going to do. I don't know what he has in store for Muscadine Press, but I'm trusting him to bring it to fruition.
He is sovereign, even over this.
Every single day, I have to remind myself that I'm not the captain of this ship. God is. Ultimately, the goal isn't for me to grow a successful business, but for him to be glorified. Sometimes things will go my way. Sometimes they won't. But this I know: they will always go the way he has determined is best. He is Lord, and no matter what happens, that will never change.
With all that in mind, I think it's especially appropriate that our verse of the month for June is a reminder of God's sovereignty. Before my feet hit the ground each morning, I do my best to lay my plans for the day (my to do list, my dreams for Muscadine Press, my duties as a wife and mom, my calendar, my time, and my attention) before the Lord. I give them all up. I lay it all down in front of him and ask him to take it from me and do with it what he will.
"The Lord will reign forever and ever."
—Exodus 15:18
The truth is that I'm a little bit of a control freak, and it's harder than I'd like to admit for me to let go of all my little kingdoms, but it's worth it. Because that's where God is. He meets me in the surrender and in the bowing down and in the letting go.
What do you need to lay down today? Are you trying to control every detail of your life, or are you trusting in the Lord? Let your kingdoms fall, and bow before Him today. He is sovereign over everything, including all the kingdoms over which we have set ourselves up as rulers. Lay it down, sister, that somehow, some way, in the lowering of all our plans and ambitions, he might be lifted high.
Until next time, grace and peace.
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Leslie Ann Jones
Leslie Ann is the founder of Muscadine Press. She lives in small-town Mississippi with her husband and daughters. In addition to running Muscadine Press, she writes and teaches Bible studies at her home church and enjoys the privilege of speaking and teaching at women's events from time to time.