'Out of stock'
On simple secrets, new endeavors and numbering our days
My dear friend Brenda Yoder released her newest book this week and, wouldn’t you know, on launch day Amazon declared her book “out of stock”. At this writing, she hasn’t found out why. Perhaps it was a record number of pre-orders or maybe an ordering shortfall between Amazon and the publishers. Either way, Uncomplicated: Simple Secrets for a Compelling Life was ranked #10 in new releases on Amazon when things got “complicated.”
Thankfully, her book is available online at other book sites and in a few local book stores. Not one to waste a life lesson, my friend reminded her social media followers on launch day that while life IS complicated, how we respond to it doesn’t have to be. Grab your copy whenever and wherever you can find one. The wisdom included in Uncomplicated truly is timeless. Here’s what you’ll find in Brenda’s new book.
“Timeless wisdom for a simpler life
Do you feel trapped in a chaotic, relentless, demanding lifestyle? Discover the secrets to the peaceful, compelling life you long for through the skills honed by our grandmothers and lived out by the Amish. Drink from this well of timeless wisdom and gain practical skills with a counselor, career woman, and busy mom who’s raised her family on a farm in the heart of Amish and Mennonite country as your guide.” ~ Brenda Yoder
When you take yourself ‘out of stock’
I joined the world of blogging nearly 12 years ago at www.ingridlochamire.com and over the past decade I’ve published just over 400 essays on topics ranging from faith to family, travel to pop culture (you can find my open letter to Justin Bieber here). Blogging’s popularity as a vehicle for social conversation has declined in the past five years. It’s being replaced by TikTok (at least for now), YouTube and Instagram. Add the fact that online readers generally want quick information not wordy conversations, and the reality is that the neighborhood isn’t what it used to be.
For those who still find value in longer reads, Substack is a great alternative. I can send essays like this one directly to subscribers and at the same time connect with others who write using this platform. So, while my 12-year-old website will remain active, the focus will gradually shift from consistent blogging to information about writing projects and other endeavors that inspire me in this season of life.
Over the next several months, my site will be redesigned to maintain a curated collection of blog essays while making room for other content. While under construction, the site will be “out of stock” in April and May. I’ll let you know once it’s back online. I hope you’ll check it out.
I have learned so much from other bloggers. The writing itself has helped me grow as an author, so I’m sharing with you the very first essay I published on my site in August 2012:
It was in the hills of Central America, 1,700 miles away from our Indiana valley, that my teenaged son and I witnessed a testimony to the power of commitment, obedience and faith. This summer, we became part of something bigger than us, a mission that is changing lives, one child at a time. Ten years ago, ten brave believers gave ten street boys a week of hope. On a farm far from the lives they had been living on the streets of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the boys were offered safety, healthy food and lots of love, and the ten disciples from Indiana introduced them to Jesus. That week led to opening a home for boys on that farm at the edge of a rural village, a home where the hope first offered by the disciples replaced the hunger, fear and addictions that had ruled their lives. Over the past decade, the boys have grown up, some to return to the streets, a few to their families. Others have been lost to drugs or to crime. Rossel and Juan Carlos were two of those street boys first taken by bus to what would become Finca Grace (Grace Farm) on the outskirts of Monte Redondo. Today, they are university students and continue to live at Forgotten Children Ministries' orphanage in the city. There, they serve as big brothers to the 75 boys and girls living in the three homes run by the ministry. The team of workers we joined on the trip to Honduras in June…MORE.
“You say it’s your birthday…”
This time last year, my friends and family threw a big party for my 70th birthday. It was a sweet gesture and I had so much fun seeing people who have been important in my life. The day after my party, I had foot surgery and the weekend after that we spent the weekend in Nashville, Tennessee where, along with our sons and a group of Indiana friends, we enjoyed beautiful Cheekwood Gardens, hung out at favorite restaurants and took in our son’s performance with his Jack White tribute band.
This year’s birthday was a bit different, and I’m okay with that. Fun celebrations are great, but I admit to being an introverted, one-on-one kind of girl. So on my birthday this year, I enjoyed lunch at a friend’s house and later in the day my husband and I met another couple for dinner. In between, I gave myself time for reading, reflecting and pondering what lies ahead in year 71.
Since entering my 8th decade on this earth, I’ve been on a journey to know and understand myself better. (About time, right?) I think most of us might function with more grace and compassion in this world if we took the time to figure out why we do, say and feel the things we do, say and feel. I know my Enneagram number (4) and my Myers-Briggs personality type (INFJ) but I’ve never thought much about what drives those identities.
Sitting next to me as I write this are three “tools” that are currently informing my quest — two books and a test. Because I think that you might find them helpful on your own journey of self-discovery, I’d like to share them:
The Seven Primal Questions: Take Control of the Hidden Forces That Drive You by Mike Foster.
On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old by Parker J. Palmer
Ancestry DNA Activation Kit (a birthday gift from one of our sons)
You can explore these on your own, but I’ll just say that Palmer has been my guide through so many seasons of life, and I trust his wisdom to carry me to “the brink.” Though Foster is new to me, I feel that I was introduced to him just in time. Through his program, I have discovered the primal question that informs all my relationships, interactions and emotions (am I loved?), and I’m being challenged to live out the primal answer (I am loved).
Two quotes to pique your curiosity:
“Wholeness is the goal [of life], but wholeness does not mean perfection. It means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life.” ~ Parker J. Palmer
“Unmet needs drive everything. Personal development often focuses on fixing behaviors or controlling emotions. While improving in these areas can be very helpful, it is more powerful to identify the unmet need underneath it all. When you meet the need, you can change your emotions and behaviors.” ~ Foster
The DNA kit is bound to add to an understanding of my ethnic heritage. I claim to be in the lineage of Swedish, Scottish and German immigrants. I’m excited to find out how much of that is true, and what else might be in the mix. I’ll let you know!
Because I’ve taken you on such a wild ride, I want to leave you with a photo of this sweet thing. Meet Ruby. She is a Bernedoodle and the newest member of our family. We’re still learning one another’s “rhythms” if you know what I mean, but we’re attending puppy school together and I have confidence we’ll soon be speaking the same language.