Welcome! Just a quick little intro so we can be friends faster before we dive in…

My name is Tara. (Most people call me T.) I am the author of Finding Everyday Fruit and Waiting On Wonders, and I couldn’t be happier that you’ve chosen to read what I’m putting into the world. I pour out my words here every week, and if you enjoy them, I’d love for you to leave a comment, restack/share with friends, or add a little heart to let me know it resonated with you.

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P.S. If you got an email from me last week asking you to upgrade your subscription to a paid version or you saw buttons to pledge future support to my Substack, please disregard. As I have been changing my Substack to make it “free for all” there were some settings that didn’t get changed and some automated emails and things went out last week that I really wish had not. Have no fear, everything is free and I’m not asking you to pledge your support to my little Substack. Sorry if that was confusing. - TLB

LINKS to the Good Stuff:

Link HERE to the Love Unscripted Podcast with Emma Lewis where I was recently a guest discussing my books and faith journey.

Link HERE to get $29 tickets to the Chosen Women’s Conference ONLINE experience! (Conference is THIS WEEK—Sept 18/19 and tickets give you live access to the conference and my LIVE interview at 3:30pm EST on Sept. 19th!)

Link HERE to the Chosen Devotional that I was a part of writing. (There is a hardback and paperback version.)

(Link HERE and HERE to my books and HERE to my website for exclusives not available anywhere else!)

SWEET LIKE HONEY

If you've been around here for any time at all, you know that I believe that God is speaking to us all the time, in everyday normal moments.

The most recent moment came for me at breakfast.

I was making a little yogurt parfait—nothing fancy—yogurt, granola, berries, and honey. I pulled a jar of honey out of the cabinet that was given to me by a friend. She had collected it from the hives she tends, taken the time to pour it into jars, and give it away. A jar of honey—nature turned into nourishment—representing time and the wonder-work of God's creation. (It also was an object lesson mirroring her heart. Purposeful generosity and thoughtfulness. Kindness in a jar. So precious.)

When I was adding the honey to the top of the parfait, the Lord began to speak to me. I was reminded of a verse in Proverbs. Chapter 16, verse 24 says,

“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”

I watched the honey slowly pour out of the jar and cover the berries. It seeped into every nook and cranny and instantly became integrated with the other ingredients. It wasn't the main attraction of the meal but it made the final product so much better!

In the book I talk about the process of going SLOW (Stop, Listen, Observe, Wait) to hear God's voice. I was making the effort to stop and listen to what God had to say about my little parfait and now it was time to observe. Here's what I saw: the honey was clear, moving slowly, and was beneficial. These observations reminded me that our words should be these things as well.

✨ Clear: because articulating encouragement to someone should not leave them feeling confused. A kind, pleasing word to someone should build them up and be easy to digest.

✨ Slow: because our words should be thoughtful and measured. A teaspoon of honey dripped on a parfait is wonderful. A gallon gushing out would not be. Sometimes a few well-placed words are better than a monologue.

✨ Beneficial: because the things we say matter. We never know the impact of our words on the lives of others. We should leave people better than we found them.

And so, now that we’ve stopped, listened, and observed what the Lord might want to say to us, we wait to see how the Lord wants us to apply these things to our lives. Today, it's honey. Tomorrow, I'm sure it will be something else—if we’re found listening. (He can’t wait to share simple wonders with you.)

So today, as you're going about your everyday, normal life, be sensitive to where God might want you to "see it, say it". If you see something great in someone, take a moment to say it and build them up. If you see someone struggling, take a moment and ask God how you might could encourage them with words, sweet like honey.

Other verses that might be helpful:

Psalm 141:3

Ephesians 4:29

James 3

Psalm 19:14

Colossians 4:6

I hope this little story reminds you that He always wants to teach you and point your heart toward His (even through stories about whatever you’re eating for breakfast) and that His presence and the fruit of a Spirit-filled life are available to you if you’re willing to raise your awareness to it.

Where are you finding the fruit of His Spirit today? What everyday moment will you allow Him to use to share the wonder of His presence?

Much love,

-TLB

P.S. New post next week - don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest, and feel free to share the answers to the questions above in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my writing work.