{"id":9084,"date":"2020-03-05T07:13:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T14:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thewritespot.us\/marlenecullenblog\/?p=9084"},"modified":"2020-03-05T20:10:05","modified_gmt":"2020-03-06T03:10:05","slug":"9084","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewritespot.us\/marlenecullenblog\/9084\/","title":{"rendered":"Rachel Macy Stafford: Live Love Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Rachel Macy Stafford, Author of Hands Free Mama <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I recently started following Rachel Macy Stafford<\/a>\u2019s blog, \u201cHands Free Mama.\u201d<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking for wise words about life, I recommend\n\u201cHands Free Mama.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An excerpt from Rachel\u2019s February 29 blog post<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t quite forget the publisher\u2019s words: \u201cWe love the\nconcept of the book, but the title needs work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The title that encompassed the message of hope contained\ninside the book was rejected. Rejected. It is a harsh word, but it is the\ntruth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, it comes to me; I will take the most powerful word\nof my rejected three-word title and I will write it on every blank slate in\nfront of me.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through tears of determination, I see a pattern:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write your fears on green notes. 
Write your triumphs on pink slips.
Write your rejections on blank slates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put the notes in a jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question I asked young people at the end of my classroom\ntalk as I passed out blank index cards:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you could give the world one message, what would it\nbe? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wasn\u2019t expecting all the kids to participate, but they\ndid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was as if they were just waiting for someone to\nask. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are all just waiting for someone to notice\u2014notice our\npain\u2026 notice our fears\u2026 notice our hopes\u2026 notice our dreams . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when we see what is written, we see ourselves in a new,\naccepting, comforting light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank God, we\u2019re a mess, because that is what connects us and catapults us, so we can carry on.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspiration for Rachel\u2019s book, Live Love Now:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The index cards I collected over the years were the inspiration for my forthcoming book LIVE LOVE NOW<\/a>. I put them into categories based on the students\u2019 fears, worries, needs, hopes, and dreams. Those became my chapters, and they contain universal stressors we are all experiencing living in our modern world . . . but there is hope. I felt that hope so strongly while sitting in a tiny recording booth creating the audio for this book. The producer spoke encouragingly into my headset indicating that ALL of me was welcome to show up to deliver this critical message. He said things like . . . \u201cbeautiful emotion, keep going\u201d . . . \u201cyou\u2019ve drawn me in, Rachel\u201d . . . \u201cyour waters run deep\u201d . . . \u201cthis is going to be an incredibly rewarding experience for the listener.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have never been so excited to share something I\u2019ve created\nwith you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note from Marlene:<\/strong> Please scroll down for Rachel\u2019s Special Offer.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachel Macy Stafford, Author of Hands Free Mama Writes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hello. I\u2019m Rachel. To know me is to know my personal list of what really matters . . . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*My daughters matter. My older daughter is 13. She is my brown-eyed girl with an enormous heart. I learned what matters in life by watching her walk right up to the suffering and extend her hand. \u201cBecause when you have the important things in life\u2014like love, faith, and family\u2014there is nothing you own that you can\u2019t give away.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n


* My younger daughter is 10. She is my Noticer. She remembers where I parked the car and often leads me by the hand to the right spot. She notices friends\u2019 new hairstyles and gorgeous sunsets before anyone else. She looks for the child struggling to sharpen his pencil or the one who\u2019s off in the corner alone. She hops right up to offer her assistance. That\u2019s probably what I love most about her noticing gift\u2014she doesn\u2019t just notice things, she notices emotion. Her way of life inspired these words: \u201cWe are all just waiting for someone to notice\u2014notice our pain, notice our scars, notice our fear, notice our joy, notice our triumphs, notice our courage. And the one who notices is a rare and beautiful gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 *My husband matters. He provides me with the grace and\nlove that I freely give others, but often neglect to give myself. His love\nconstantly reminds me of the beauty inside me.  I am certain that his love\nhas added an extra ten years to my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Writing matters. My second-grade teacher, Ms. Paluska, led\nme into the world of writing and it has been home to me ever since. Writing for\nothers is my joy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Teaching matters. Before I was a mom, I was a teacher to\nspecial education students. I can still remember all their names and wish I\ncould see how each one turned out. I love sharing information in creative and\ninspiring ways to those who want to receive it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Encouraging others matters, probably because so many people\nhave encouraged me in my life. I remember the name of every person who\nencouraged me to publish my works so that as many people as possible could read\nmy words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Recognizing angels matters. I strive to notice the angels\nthat come into my life when I need them, and then later telling them about it.\nEvery single day, I want to be somebody\u2019s angel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Faith matters. I have faith that there is plan for my life.\nIn this case, I believe that God chose me to have a revelation about how I want\nto spend my days here on this earth. And it is because of my faith that I\nunderstand why God chose me. I was chosen to tell this story because\nof what really matters to me. Being a mother, a wife, a writer, a\nteacher, and an encourager has prepared me to show others how to let go of\ntheir own daily distractions and grasp what really matters. Maybe through\nthis blog, I can even become somebody\u2019s angel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which brings me to my last and most recent item that really matters to me . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n