It has been a struggle...a deep struggle to do the things that are "normal or typical" at this time of the year at the cabin...

it often feels like my heart is so broken that I am not sure how it could ever be repaired again...and memories of my precious daddy are in everything...

thank you for all of your messages, your cards, your love, and your prayers (especially for sunday with father's day which was so incredibly hard)...

as I sat looking at this sunset last night I was gently reminded of the beauty that is being poured out in us despite feeling that we are surrounded by the dark in our loss...

from old friends sharing vulnerable and heartfelt messages to nurses/MAs that I am blessed to count as friends letting me breakdown in the clinic yesterday expressing deep fears and the trauma that has taken place- giving up their lunch time and I am sure messing up the ENTIRE flow of patients not by just a "few minutes" but making me feel like I was the most important thing that they could listen to... just so I could weep deeply...to friends donating money to help with treatment costs, to text messages that come at the EXACT right time...to so many people praying about my fear and the awful nightmares that have been finding me the last weeks...to a hundred other kindnesses... 

Thank you for being a nightlight in the dark.

One of the most asked questions that I receive is about how to publish a book. So today I wanted to share some thoughts on successfully self-publishing your book (or e-book). I will be sharing more thoughts on getting a book contract in the coming weeks. As most of y'all know I have actually done both traditional publishing (accepting a contract from a book publishing company) and have also independently published my book using Amazon's Self Publishing Platform. I hope that these tips will help y'all as you embark on this exciting adventure!

(1) Take time to decide who you are going to publish your book with.
 I mentioned above I chose Amazon's Self Publishing Platform because I felt that it was the best fit for me currently. For an upcoming book that I am independently publishing I am still exploring all different options. Really take the time to read through all of your different options. To be honest I probably spent over six months deciding and debating the pros and cons before I picked Amazon's Self Publishing Platform and am so happy that I took the time to do that!

(2) Take time to make your book look professional. 
In a day and age when even well-known authors are independently publishing you want to make sure that your book looks as professional (or more professional!) then your competitors. Gone are the days when you are a lonely island self-publishing your work. In today's market it is wise to build a team that will help make your book the success that you want it to be.

(3) Clarify what your goals are for your book. 
I can't even begin to count how many emails that I receive from people who "want help and direction" with getting a book published but haven't even thought through what their goals of their book are. Understanding what your goals are will change the course of every step you take. For example: are you hoping to self-publish to ultimately become a full-time writer (and hopefully get noticed by a traditional publishing company)? Or are you hoping that your book will have a huge impact on a certain group of people? Has it simply been your dream to have a book published and you don't plan to write another one? Or are you hoping to hit the New York Times Best Seller List. 

You may want to do all of these things, one of these things, or a combination, but you must spend the time to really consider what your goals are with your writing. In doing this you will then have a clear picture of not only the publishing direction you want to go in but will be able to easily decide the type of investment you want to make in your project. Having clear goals will help you make the thousands of decisions that you are going to encounter as you head down this road.

(4) While independently publishing your book is easy, making it successful is a lot of work.
One of the things I hear the most from readers is, "I am just going to self-publish because it is so much easier than getting a book contract" I hate to say this but in some ways you are right and some ways you are very wrong. I think it really depends on your goals for your book. If you are simply hoping to see your name on a book that is published then it is incredibly easy. Even easier and cheaper is publishing an e-book. BUT if you have goals that are beyond just seeing your name on a book then you are going to have to put lots and lots of time into your project.

(5) Because self-publishing is easy everyone is doing it and you will need to work ten times harder to get your book noticed. 
One of the important things to keep in mind is that because it is "easy to publish" everyone and their mother is publishing a book. If you are looking to build a reputation for writing, create a writing portfolio, etc. you are going to want to spend the time to make sure that your book is unique, has an interesting view point, and looks professional. You will need to work ten times as hard to make sure that your book is getting noticed. The reality is that leaders in the industry say that less than 5% of self-published books are "decent" and less than 1% are actually "good". This is an incredibly low number and you want to make sure that you are working towards hitting this number.

(6) Selling 100-150 copies of your self-published book is considered successful in the industry. When I first heard this number my mouth dropped open and thought to myself, "I won't be one of those people" but the reality is that to get my books beyond this number has taken a lot of work behind the scenes. Without having a marketing team you are responsible for marketing your book, getting it into bookstores (which can be extremely difficult), and getting the word out.

A shocking reality for a number of you sweet readers was when I shared in a post  "10 ways to support your friends who have independently published books" that you should encourage your friends to buy your book. Many people were shocked I would actually say that. I am going to share some hard truth. For both of my self-published books over 98% of my book sales are from people I don't know. Yes, my sweet parents, sister, and best friends bought the book but beyond that I know of 8 facebook friends who purchased one of them. This isn't to "bash" anyone, but to simply share the reality that it takes a lot of work to get your self-published book to sell. I was so glad when a successful author told me before I published my first book, "Pray and decide what success is to you for your book". Having thought, prayed, and decided this ahead of time allows me to know that my success is not based on the number of books I have sold. Take the time to consider of how you will think of your book as being successful or not. It will be worth the time!

(7) Understand that even if your book is amazing, it might not sell. 
Because your book is independently published you will be doing all of the marketing yourself (unless you hire a team which can be incredibly expensive). Understanding this shouldn't be a discouragement but a fact that you can face and decide how you can work hard to get your book noticed and selling. A lot of people say this as a word of warning but if you love writing and believe in your book you can put the extra work in to get your book noticed. Yes, it takes a ton of time. Full disclosure? I spend approximately 15-25 hours on each of my books on marketing each week. LOTS of time. LOTS of rejections, but also a lot of rewards when I see that the books continue to sell.

(8) Understand the royalty system and your price point. 
As a new author (or a relatively unknown author *smiles*) you will want to price your book at an affordable market price. Unfortunately this means that if you are looking to "get rich" with your writing than you may want to adjust your expectations. Self-Publishing companies that you work with all have different royalties settings so you will want to make sure that you understand carefully the royalty system. In a spirit of full disclosure I make approximately (after taxes) less then a dollar per book on my sales. Yes, I know some of you are shocked, but it is the truth. *smiles*

Again, you want to remember what your goal is with your book, I am so thankful for each and every sale because it does help me pay for my treatment right now but the reality is that this is not enough for me to have as an income each month because I am not selling thousands of books each month. BUT because my goals with my two books, particularly, "Praying through Lyme Disease" was meant to be an encouragement I am very peaceful about this. My goal was to simply encourage Lyme patients in some of the darkest days of their lives. Many patients struggle to pay for treatment and can't even afford the book so I am often sending this book out free of charge. A couple of months ago I was contacted by a Polish doctor and pastor who wanted to translate the book into Polish for Lyme Disease patients. I simply handed him permission to do so without paying for the translation. Again, my objectives and goals with my books are clear so these are easy decisions for me. But understanding what kind of money you will actually make, how to set the price for your book, and how you will handle the royalty system are very important parts of this journey.

Praying through Lyme Disease was translated into Spanish (click link below) and other translations after it's second edition.*

// Orando a través de la enfermedad de Lyme (Praying Through Lyme Disease Spanish Translation) // 

On the flip side of the experience that I just shared I think it is definitely worth your time to send your self-published book out to those that you hope will review it that are in your field. These are people who fit your industry and have a voice in your industry. Sending your book for a review to these people is worth the risk!

(10) Build a Platform. 
If you are going to be successful in independently publishing your book, you will need to build a platform. This can be done in a myriad of different ways (writing a blog, creating a social media presence, answering questions on the internet about your subject area, speaking events, etc.) but it will need to be done. Don't turn down any small opportunity to build your platform and mention your book. You have no idea how important building your platform is and how important this is to the success of your independent book. Take risks, put yourself out there, and start building a platform.

(11) Write. Write. Write. 
I once read a famous author say that he was always writing and doing three things in his field all at the same time: he was promoting his book that was just released, he was editing his next book, and he was writing a current book. Honestly, this has stuck with me and after having a couple of books out I completely understand this. I am always writing. I hear a lot of times from readers who say they want to be writers. I often email back encouragement and then say, "so what are you writing?" I am not exaggerating when I say that 9 out of 10 of them say, "oh nothing yet". It can be overwhelming at the beginning but spend time everyday writing a little. Practice writing and as you do it everyday you will improve.

(12) Read. Read. Read. 
As much time as you spend writing, spend time reading other authors. Don't just pick authors that you like, pick authors that challenge you and use this as a way to improve on your language, your spelling, your content, and your grammar.

(13) Purchase your own ISBN number.  
I shared a whole post on this which you can find HERE!

(14) Pick your cover design carefully. 
Your cover will be just as important as your book title to many people. We are such a visual society that often times the cover design is equally as important as the book title. Choose this very carefully. Think about what you want people to feel as they look at your book and carefully spend time choosing your cover design.

(15) Choose your title carefully. 

(16) Hire an editor for your book. 
This is extremely important to help your independently published book become successful. If you can't afford to hire a professional editor consider contacting your local university or college's English department to see if they have any graduate students who are looking for editorial work for their resume. This can help cut the cost for you and also help a graduate student out who is looking to build their resume.

(17) Create an Audio Book.
I haven't done this yet, but am currently working on this. Interestingly enough, experts in the field agree that having an audio book helps make your book more "credible".

(18) Develop a Marketing Plan for your Book. 
Take the time to develop a marketing plan for your book. This is extremely important. I am going to share a whole post about this in the future also but start thinking about your marketing plan now!

(19) Create your Author Central Page on Amazon. 
This should be one of the first things that you do if you are selling your book on Amazon (which you should also do!) Create your Author Central Page and connect it to your social media (and your blog if you have one!). I am honestly shocked at how few self-published authors have done this. This is a FREE resource so you want to take advantage of it! (You can find my Author Page HERE!)

(20) Foreword. 
If possible try to get someone in your field who will write a foreword for you. This might take some time and it might take you a few books but try and find someone who will do this. This can be an incredible marketing tool for your book!

I hope these 20 tips are helpful y'all! What about you? Do you have an tips for successfully self-publishing your book (or e-book)? I would love to hear them! If you are interested in a list of all of my books you can find them by clicking on the links below: 

12 Things to Do (E-Book- 2018)
12 Things to Pray (E-Book- 2018)
When Hope Restores (2nd Edition- 2018)
Praying through Lyme Disease (2nd Edition- 2017)
December Caravan ( 2nd Edition- 2017)
When Truth Refreshes (2017)
When Light Dawns (2nd Edition-2017)

Life insurance is a policy you should definitely consider taking out. No one likes to think about death, but it is important to ensure that your family are protected if the worst happens to you. This is what life insurance cover is for. When you pass away, the insurance firm will give a tax-free lump sum to your beneficiaries.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/grayscale-photo-of-person-holding-pen-968241/

Before you go ahead and look for a life insurance policy, it is important to consider why you want to be covered. This type of insurance is not for everyone – some will find it is a necessity; others are not at the stage in their life whereby it is considered. Some of the most common and valid reasons for needing life insurance are as follows: you want to provide your family with a lump sum to cover funeral costs if you pass away, you want to leave a legacy for surviving relates with an inheritance, you have had children and you want to make sure they are financially protected if anything happens to you, and, finally, you have bought a new home and you want to make certain your partner will be able to pay off the mortgage if you are no longer here. If any of these apply, it is definitely a good idea to invest in life insurance. If you lose someone because of a misjustice medically, for example, the medical professional didn’t diagnose cancer when they should have, you can claim on the person’s insurance as well as making a compensation claim too. There are a number of different policies available, and it is important to choose the right one for you. You should think about possible future costs and your current outgoings to determine the right figure for you.

How Much Cover Do You Need?

If you are looking for a life insurance plan, you need to consider what level of cover you are going to require. If this is something you are struggling with, read on for some advice.

To determine the level of coverage you require, you need to think about why you are taking out this policy. Think about your current costs and your future expenses, and this will give you a good idea of what you are going to need to leave your family once you pass away. For example, you may need to cover the cost of education expenses. A life insurance plan can cover the costs of school fees or university tuition. You may also need to cover the cost of childcare. If you pass away, who will look after your children? When the primary childcare provider passes away, childcare often becomes a necessity, and, as you no doubt know, this is not cheap.

Are you the main breadwinner in the household? If so, you should definitely take out a life insurance plan, and make sure that the payout is going to be enough to cover your contribution to the bills and alike. The amount should be calculated based on your net salary, and the number of years your salary would be needed in order to maintain the family. You will also need to encounter any other costs that will arise due to your death. Finally, if you currently have a mortgage, don’t forget to factor this in when comparing policies from different insurance companies.

Information On Exclusions

Life insurance companies have different terms and conditions that apply to individual policies. One thing you always need to be aware of is the exclusions that are applicable to your life insurance cover. Below, we look at some of the potential exclusions that you may be subject to.

As you know, life insurance policies are only designed to cover death. If you are no longer able to provide for your family because of a disability or illness, you will not be covered. The type of insurance that covers this is known as critical illness. There are a lot of insurance companies that will offer critical illness cover as an add-on to your life insurance policy, but you will, of course, need to pay more for this. There are a number of scenarios whereby you will not be covered by your life insurance plan.

For example, the vast majority of insurance firms will not pay out if you die as a consequence of alcohol or drug abuse. If you enjoy any risky sports, you will typically have to pay a higher premium in order to be covered for this. Also, if you have any serious health problems, the insurance firm may agree to cover you, however, they may state that they will not pay out if your death is a consequence of the health problems you were experiencing when you took the plan out.

*contributed post*

we moved back to the cabin today for the summer and it has been painful, hard, and difficult as it was my daddy's favorite place on earth...there are so many precious memories that surrounded us here and we find ourselves alternating between quiet laughter and tears...

and yet in our deep grief my mom and I marvel at how kind, loving and overwhelmingly compassionate people have been... from my siblings, nieces & nephews, loved ones and friends who helped make this possible by cleaning the cottage and helping carry in about a hundred tons of smartwater and Scamper & all of his items so we didn't have to, to meals bought and gas put in cars, to some of my treatment costs being covered, to moving beds and furniture, to calls & loving text messages of prayers (especially for night when I am having trouble sleeping due to nightmares and my mom due to knee pain) to prayers that are literally our lifeline in our grief, and neighbors mowing the lawn (and working on a broken sink), to loving friends who took off from work to drive hours and hours to just be with us, to warm meals delivered at dinner time and gift cards to local restaurants and grocery stores, to flowers, to handmade cookies, to kind words and safe spaces where tears flow freely with us, to hugs, to the most beautiful pot of flowers with the kindest card just to welcome us here...to a hundred other details that are so personally loving...we are being loved so well in our deepest heartache and pain...

thank you to so many people that we can't begin to thank...as we stumble through the minutes and hours thank you for your kindness, your love, and your support as we grieve and walk this journey.

Dear friends and loved ones, 

Thank you for the messages, love, and sweet support since my last post. I look forward to getting back to the blog and connecting more in the days to come but will be taking this week off of the blog. I am deeply hurting and grieving during this time and miss my dad more than words could ever express...I wake up every morning thinking this is a very bad nightmare and dream and go to bed with a tear-stained face. Thank you for your continued prayers for us as we stumble to put one foot in front of the other...I will see y'all next week.

Warmly, Rebecca

This is the hardest post that I never imagined writing...and words fail me to adequately express my thoughts...my father, my hero and one of my best friends died suddenly and unexpectedly a week ago, Thursday morning. We are grateful for the hope of Heaven, but our lives are irrevocably shattered and in pain and we find ourselves stumbling in grief. Thank you for your prayers for my mom, myself, my siblings, and for your gentle and tender love during this unimaginably horrific time.

Writing and sharing this news here on the blog has been the hardest post to write as it makes it seem more final... more real... and more painful. Thank you for your understanding and prayers of our extreme grief in this past week and days.

I love you my daddy, my hero... thank you for emulating the tender truth of the concept of "God as a Father" and His love throughout your life.

"But our citizenship is in Heaven..." 

-Phil 3:20-

Ever since I was a little girl I have struggled with motion sickness. Despite my love of traveling in all different forms, I was always the one who would ask for the air to be higher, the windows to be rolled down, the temperature to be cooler, and would practically camp out to stake out the seats that would allow me to easily see how. Motion sickness was definitely not a friend and over the years as I have continued to travel more and more I have found a few ways to help handle this to make it better. Here are four of my favorite tips on ways to handle motion sickness as you travel!

1. Take Control

If you are taking a road trip but are not driving, the place that you sit can contribute to motion sickness. Studies have shown that drivers are less likely to get motion sickness than passengers simply because the brain is being focused on the commands to control and predict the motion of the car. If possible try driving when you have the opportunity to help with motion sickness. 

Another way to take control if you are not driving is to try to sit in a set as a passenger where you can look out front. Studies have shown that looking out onto the horizon gives the brain a greater sense of control than just looking at the whizzing scenery. 

If you are unable to sit in one of these situations or are on a cruise or a train or a flight, try to open a vent up to help the air flow, start a conversation, or pick a point that is steady to focus on. On a flight consider choosing a seat over the wing which has been said to be the calmest area of an airplane.

If you are on a cruise consider choosing a stateroom at booking that will help prevent motion sickness. Studies have shown that on a ship those in rooms near the center of the ship are less likely to experience as much motion as those on the aft or front part of the ship. 

2. Pressure Points

Different people think different things regarding the idea of pressure points and acupressure, but I have found pressure points to be helpful in different situations, including extreme motion sickness. For some people wearing the pressure point wristbands is incredibly helpful. THIS ONE is very popular, has helped me, and is less than $7! Click HERE! Simply slip it on and wear it on your travels! So easy! Traveling with a child - here is the child's version of the wristband- click HERE! 

3. Choose Wisely

On any trip really make sure that you are watching your consumption of the type of food, drink and alcohol levels that you consume before and during your trip. A lot of people don't feel good when they travel simply because they start to eat lots of foods (think heavy creams, spicy, or fat-rich foods) that they don't typically eat in their daily lives. Try to keep to your normal diet on your trip which will help your stomach stay less queasy over all and in general. 

If you have the opportunity try to also control the odors that you are surrounded with. Sometimes just certain smells can make your stomach not feel good. 

4. Ginger

I have talked SO much about Ginger here on the blog, but one of my most popular travel posts, 16 Unexpected Things to Bring on Every Cruise, remains my highest read post with literally thousands of views a day. From that post I hear the most from people about the suggestion of how ginger has helped them in their cruise travels and it honestly is great for all different types of travel. 

A lot of people use Dramamine (or the patch) for motion sickness for traveling which is a wonderful option, but ginger can be a great natural resource to help with nausea. You can read more about ginger and its health benefits by clicking HERE. I have mentioned this in several posts but I swear by THIS ginger here and it is LESS than $5! Seriously- SO awesome!! Click HERE!

Also, if you are wanting to use dramamine- did you know that there is now a non-drowsy version made with ginger? You can find it HERE! 

I hope that you find these four tips helpful for handling motion sickness y'all! I know how difficult it can be and I hope that this post helps to ease this area so that you can enjoy your travels even more! Let me know if you have any questions! I am happy to answer! Looking for additional travel tips for road trips, cruising, or flying? Check out my travel page HERE!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and this post should not be taken as medical advice. Make sure to always consult with your doctor on all products suggested in this post and on this blog.