Stellar Day Magazine

STELLAR DAY ISSUE 5 | JANUARY 2016

The

January Issue

GET FINANCIALLY FIT! Tips from a financial guru about how to turn over this new leaf this year .

GRACE UPON GRACE Women from all walks of life share what grace means to them as we head into 2016 .

stellar day table of con tents 04 Grace Full 06 6 Tips For Sensitive Skin 07 Giving Grace 09 Kinda Kung Pao Chicken & Zoodles

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10 Grace Everyday 12 DIY Copper Necklace 13 Financially Fit By Swimsuit Season

15 Walls

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17 Big Resolutions, Small Steps 19 Straight From The Heart Of Lauren Apel 22 Boundaries In Business 23 Grace Is An Ocean 24 3-Ingredient Pancakes

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24 Ambition & Abandon

stellar day magazine www.stellardayblog.com

JANUARY 2016

GRACE

by Jessica Williams Photos by Jason Williams

Don't you often feel like you're the hardest on yourself? I get to the end of so many days wishing about moments I could do over or things I could do right. I review my day and only see the moment where I was too harsh or the laundry that didn't get done. Again.

As I approached selecting a theme to launch the new year with in this issue, I really covered it in prayer. I asked the Lord to give me a word that would set the tone for the months ahead and one that would resonate with me as well as as many women as He wants this magazine to reach. I prayed about it for months and the same word kept coming back to me again and again.

Full

GRACE.

The idea of grace is really easy for me to extend to others. Daily I find myself remembering to have grace for my family, my children, my husband, my friends. But grace for myself? It's something I often put on the back burner in my life.

I am hard on myself. Aren't you? I can pick at every little thing I feel like I'm doing wrong.

I find myself feeling self defeated and running over a list of things that I wasn't able to get to that day. I find myself thinking about the future and wondering if I'm doing the right things to help get us to where we want to be. Comparison sets in and after

I AM the best wife and mom that He created me to be- simply because He created me.

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that is discouragement. I lose my center and then nothing feels right. With everything out of place in my heart and mind, I begin on a downward spiral that makes me want to try harder in the areas that are weaknesses for me.

Grace, the Lord whispers, Grace.

I have been reminded time and time again these past couple of months that the grace I extend to others is good enough for me to receive too. Giving myself grace as a mother, wife, and a human frees me up to live wholly as I was created to be. No life is perfect.

Nobody has it all figured out. We all have weaknesses and strengths.

There's grace for it ALL. Sometimes during the day, I hear the lyrics of this song in my head: Grace that flows like a river, Washing over me.

Fount of heaven love of Christ,

Overflow in me.

Thank you Jesus, You've set me free.

Christ my Savior, You've rescued me.

I serve a God so great that He even extended grace to me, to save me even from myself. Grace for all my short comings, all my failures, all my sins. His grace washes over me, overflows in me so that I recognize that I only need him.

Nothing else matters. The laundry, the cooking, the comparison games. None of them matter.

This year, I'm committing to extending grace to myself and all my shortcomings.

To working hard, trying my best and remembering that I AM the best wife and mom that He created me to be- simply because He created me. Letting go of what society tells us our lives SHOULD look like, and living like that Lord tells me I AM like is what I'm reaching for this year. Allowing myself to move through the mistakes and to just breath when

Grace that flows like a river, washing over me. Fount of heaven love of Christ, overflow in me. they hit me hard. I'm walking into 2016 with my head held high, ready to be gracefully full of grace and committed to being easier on myself. As a mother, a wife, a friend, a sister, and a daughter, I'm going to remember that there is grace for this life that I live and that it's ok to be fully me, flaws and all, without apology.

I encourage you to walk into 2016 the same way. Covered in grace, and loved by a King.

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BY ANNA MERRELL INDEPENDANT CONSULTANT FOR RODAN

&

FIELDS

TIPS FOR SENSITIVE SKIN I know I have something in common with you. All of you. Doesn't matter what gender or age, we have this in common: skin. It's not something I thought much about until the last few years. Maybe you're also like me in not having too much interest in makeup or signs of aging. But what got me was how irritated my skin had become. It got so bad that I would have a little hissy fit of my own when my children would grab my face, lick my face, poke my face, hug my face, or any type of touching my face.

"Don't touch my face!" I'd yell, immediately feeling the bacteria making its way into the pores to create a new zit for me in the morning. Sensitive skin had me down and I had no idea what to do about it. I was opting for the "sensitive skin" labeled drugstore products... And that's all that I could think to do. When I moved to Prescott, Arizona from Southern California a few years ago my issues were exacerbated by the dry climate, high altitude, and new seasonal allergies, making even the "sensitive" products sting. Along with climate change and allergies, stress, pollution, smoke, smog, sun exposure, friction, and product overload can cause sensitive skin for men and women at any age. Even my husband deals with irritated skin from razor burn! And I remember my son having pre-eczema type spots on his legs when he was a baby. No one is immune.

It's not just us -- approximately 70% of women experience sensitive skin at some point in their lives. Whether it's redness, dryness, stinging, inflammation, or irritation, here are some tips to combat common sensitive skin aggravators:

1

Always apply a sunscreen every morning, using a mineral sunscreen causes less irritation

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Avoid overheating such as very hot showers, hot tubs, saunas, overheated home or car. If overheated, cool skin down with cool wash cloth.

2

Avoid soap-based products and fragrance

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Avoid exfoliating products and tools

3

Wash off makeup and sunscreen before bed every night (or suffer more sensitivity and premature aging!)

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Moisturize! Products with allantoin and dimethicone are effective at restoring your skin's natural protective barrier.

For me, relief came through Rodan + Fields SOOTHE regimen... the wash, sensitive skin treatment, moisturizer, and sunscreen are all designed to work together safely and effectively for my exact sensitive skin issue. And boy has it! My face now happily allows the kids' pokes, squeezes, hugs, licks, and touches. Ok, maybe not the licks.

Anna Merrell is a stay at home mom and wife. She loves to support her husband in his ministry as a pastor in Prescott, AZ. She is a Rodan & Fields consultant with a very successful business and is passionate about helping women look and feel their best in the skin they're in. To contact her about her products or working with her as a consultant, fill out THIS questionnaire and she will be in touch.

Giving Grace EXTENDING GRACE TO YOUR FRIENDSHIPS

By Alexandra Evjen Photo by Rennai Hoefer

I’m a people person. People have often described me as an extrovert and a social butterfly.

With my background in public relations and my current occupation as a blogger and social influencer you would hope I would enjoy the company of others. And I do, I sincerely love people and wish we could all be close friends, but you know what? I have a problem. There’s something that stands in the way of us being friends: 1. My expectations of what friendship should be. 2. The lack of grace I have for people when they don’t meet them.

You want truth, justice, and transparency? I have got plenty of that, but only if you have the

same to give back. Where’s the grace in that? I’d like to think I am full of it being a Christian and all, but honestly, it seems to be far from my heart when someone doesn’t see eye to eye on what being a friend is all about.

Have you ever been friends with someone where you are always the initiator? Have you ever been friends with someone that’s always fine and you seem to be the only one with problems? Have you ever been friends with someone that invites you to parties but they can never seem to come to yours? Yeah, I think we have all be there at some point, and I think we have all labeled them a “bad friend,” but I am STELLAR DAY MAGAZINE | 7

guilty of some of those things too.

Having just had a baby three months ago, I have not reached out to my friends very much, so how dare I hold the expectation over their head to call me when I can’t do the same…but I do…I admit it. I do.

That’s the ugliest of the ugly if you ask me – someone with high expectations of others and little grace for when they fall short. I may as well be the Grinch.

Man, I am so glad that God is the complete opposite of my ugly. If anyone should have high expectations it’s our mighty, all powerful, holy, righteous God, and yet He is the one that is the abundant grace-giver, whose mercies never cease.

According to Facebook I have a lot of “friends”, but how many true, I-woulddie-for-you-friends…Friends whose kids I would take as my own…Friends who would be there in a second if I asked them to…Friends who have seen the ugliest part of me and stayed friends with me…I only have three of those. And if I am really honest the reason why our friendships seem to function so well is that we agree on what friendship should look like and we are perfectionists. And the real truth is, one day we are going to let each other down and navigating forgiveness and grace will be a struggle because we all don’t seem to have much of it for ourselves. The first verse my daughter ever learned is John 13:34. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” When I read that I think to myself, “Yes, that’s the right thing to do,” and yet the other half of me thinks, “Um, yeah, okay…great idea, but kind of impossible, God.”

His yolk is easy and His burden is light the Bible says, but most of the time these words just feel burdensome and far fetched because this concept of grace feels like something only an allpowerful God can give.

And what happens if I try to attempt to give it? What happens if I extend grace and forgiveness to friends? What if I lay my life down for someone who wouldn’t do the same for me? What then? What do I gain?

Just pain and suffering,” my childish heart says. And yet something inside of me is fighting to say, “No! The opposite.

Life! True joy!” Because that’s what I felt when I first experienced the radical, life changing grace from Jesus. When I go back and read my journal entries from when I first surrendered my life to Christ at 16 years old I was living a grace-filled life, but as the years have passed and I have experienced more pain and ugliness in relationship, my heart has become hard and small. “

I took this writing assignment on grace for a reason, and that’s because I knew in my heart that I have lost the core of what I believe in. I believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and died for me in my place to cover my sin with his blood and extend undeserving grace so that I could have life forever with God. What has forever changed my life as I know it – grace – has become absent in my friendships, and that’s not okay. So, I’m ready to reclaim it, own it, and live it.

I believe it will be life-giving, not life sucking. I’m ready to be friends with people who don’t see life just like I do.

Alexandra Evjen is a West coast fashion stylist and Pinterest influencer creating original, well-styled content for brands. To visit her website, please click here.

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By Jennifer Stamps

Kinda Kung Pao

CHICKEN

&

ZOODLES

Ah, the kitchen. It’s my place. Even though the dog, baby, and hubby usually come in wondering what I’m up to. I enjoy cooking. I really do. But these days I find myself doing less and less of it. Being a working mom doesn’t really yield a ton of extra time, so I’m always on the lookout for something easy. And if it’s healthy, BOOM, I’m in! I grew up cooking with my parents. Never once did I see either of them follow a recipe…for cooking, not baking. Cooking is an art. Baking is a science. I’ve never once followed a recipe to a T in the kitchen, so I won’t be offended if you take this and run with it.

That’s what I did. I didn’t have the ingredients to make it Actually Kung Poa—hence the name—so I adapted it. And yes, it’s healthy.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 5oz each) 1 scallion 1 tbsp coconut oil 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce 4 tbsp Thai peanut sauce 1 tbsp crushed peanuts (unsalted) 4 zucchini (or Zoodles – I found them at Whole Foods) HOW YOU'LL MAKE IT:

Cut the chicken in bite size pieces. Cook over medium/low heat with .5 tbsp coconut oil until almost all the way cooked.

While the chicken is cooking, mix the sweet chili sauce and half of the Thai peanut sauce. Once chicken is almost cooked, drizzle 2/3 of the sauce mix you just made over the chicken. Stir. Let cook. Once cooked all the way through, drizzle the rest of the Thai peanut sauce and stir. Simmer. If you didn’t buy the Zoodles already made, grate the zucchini like you would do for julienne carrots. Cook over low heat with .5 tbsp coconut oil for about 4 minutes. Put your zoodles in a bowl, pour chicken on top. Add crushed peanuts and scallions. Drizzle rest of sauce mix.

Enjoy!

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GRACE An interview with an every day wife, mom, and business owner.

by Jessica Williams Personal photos by Tanya Crimmins

I met Tanya at a time in my life when I was praying for and in need of a friend. We were moving up to Scottsdale, I felt like we were starting all over, I had a baby and just knew I needed a friend who would stick close for life. Tanya was the perfect example of a friend who doesn't give up. Not a fair weather friend, she's continuously pursued me and my friendship even now from across the country.

I asked to interview her not because things in her life appear perfect. But because she has the guts to live openly, good days and bad, for what they are.

She's not afraid to make mistakes and she celebrates life's little joys. She is a good friend, wife, and mom, and when she feels like she's had a tough day, I get to walk alongside her honesty and watch her find the joy in it.

I'm thankful that she's been a friend that has made the effort to stay in my life, and that no matter how far apart we live, I can call her one of my bests. She exudes grace, even when she doesn't feel like she does. Grace looks different for everyone in the day to day, and this is a glimpse into her life and heart.

Everyday Q. What ways can you see God pouring grace over you, your home, or your family?

A: Grace looks different every day but at this current stage in my life, I see it continually being given to me in my mothering and in being a wife. I am such a selfish person and every day I have to resubmit MY desires to Christ and receive the grace He gives. In being a wife and being a mother, it is so easy to fall into the "well, what about me!?" mode and that's when I need grace.

Q. What are some ways that you are able to show grace within your marriage?

A. My husband left the corporate world to be in full time ministry the summer of 2014... without grace... Our marriage would not survive. Both of us fail... daily... But because we love each other, we choose to have grace. My husband is much better at extending grace than I am but as he often says about his elf to our 5 year old, the Lord's still teaching me. I'm a work in progress.

Q. How do you show yourself grace daily?

pregnant with our fourth child, moving into a new home and starting a new business have shown me I have to give myself grace. I will most likely holler at my child, I will most likely hurt my husband'so feelings... I will fail, every day... But there is always a quiet voice whispering to me in those moments.

There's always the Lord reminding me I am not perfect, I make mistakes and I can fix those mistakes. Tomorrow is a new day so let's fix what went wrong today and keep our chins up tomorrow.

Q. Tell me about your new at home business and how that got started!

A. I started a little cake pop making business in October of this year and have absolutely loved it. I have been making cake pops for my kid's parties...or any party I could... for years and never once thought about making it a business. A friend asked me if I would consider selling them, she had a friend looking for some for a party...and that's where it began! I did that party, I had fun doing it and I could do it in my own home with my kiddos begging for pops at my side!

From the moment I started, it has absolutely flourished. It's insane!!

A. I am often very hard on myself but being

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"I always need to continue to work on not letting my emotions run our household but to be okay with the days that I just don't have it all together."

Q. You are pregnant with Baby #4! Woo hoo!! What are your favorite parts about being a mama?

A. Ya know, I'm not sure I have ever thought about what my favorite parts are. It is such a blessing to simply be called "mama" or "mommy" or even "mom". Even when I screw up, I'm still mommy and they still love me the same. That is a gift. I love waking up in the morning to happy kids. I love sitting on the slick, watching a movie and snuggling.

I love when they do something they are so darn proud of and the can't wait to tell me about it. I love it when they cry for me...

Sounds awful but... I'm mommy and even after a hard day, it fills my heart to know they love and need me.

Q. What are you most looking forward to in 2016?

A. We are due Februaury 8 with our 4th and I am so looking forward to sitting on the couch with a little baby bundle curled up on my chest. I am so nervous for the transition but those newborn snuggles...they are so good!!!

Q. What are some things that you would like to work on personally within this next year?

A. I think grace is something I will continue to understand and "work on". In ministry, there's not a day that goes by without some form of attack, frustration, or personal issue relating to my being selfish. I always need to continue to work on not letting my emotions run our household but to be okay with the days that Injust don't have it all together.

Next year will be another year full of transitions as a family of 4...there will be many things to learn!

Q. Where do you see your business going or what are your dreams for it?

A. I would love to say I have huge dreams for my business but at this point, I have to be real! Bringing a 4th child into the family when my oldest is 5, I just don't know what business will look like. I would love to take a few weeks off and then be able to jump right back in where I left off! I love my customers and how much they have enjoyed the pops, I do look forward to seeing where the Lord takes it!

Tanya is a wife to Casey and together they have 3 kids and a baby on the way! Tanya is a stay at home wife & mom and works her at home cake business, Simply Sweet Pops in North Carolina.

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DIY

Copper

NECKLACE

By Christine Cram I am in love with this simple and delicate necklace. I love how the necklace goes with pretty much anything—from a simple white tee shirt, to a fancy black dress. What a fun and fairly simple way to make a statement necklace—pretty inexpensive as well.

Here is all you need.

Copper Coil (I got the ¼ inch from Home Depot) Household twine (also from Home Depot) A saw (or something that you can cut the copper with) A bottle (to mold the copper to get the shape you desire) Sandpaper Cut the copper and mold it to make a half circle. Feed the twine through the copper tube and tie a knot on the top. You will want to sand the sides of the tube so that it’s not sharp. The tube can be however long you would like, as well as the twine. That is one thing I love about this necklace, you can make it to custom fit you.

My husband was kind enough to help me with the molding the copper tube part.

That’s it. Enjoy your new necklace!!

GET FINANCIALLY FIT

BY SWIMSUIT SEASON

by Julia Hearon, cpa

With everything from travel expenses, to gifting, to hosting countless people for Christmas dinner, the Holidays can be quite the metaphorical Grinch to your bank account. It is the most condensed spending spree of the entire year. The good news is that a new year has started and it’s time to make your resolutions! Let’s be realistic, not all of us can take on running and place top 10 in an Ironman by summer, or cut sugar and gluten completely until 2018. Why not pick a doable resolution that can actually save you money? Each month, we will go through a simple exercise to get you more knowledgeable about your finances so you can get financially fit by swimsuit season!

First thing’s first, let’s start with preparing your personal financial statement. This will help you see exactly where you are and you may even find you don’t need to be reading this and can flip right to the Kung Pao Chicken recipe on page 9.

A personal financial statement is not as daunting as it sounds, just take your income/assets and subtract your debt (both good and not so good). You can find templates for this online. Here is a good example from the US Treasury website: treasury.tn.gov/smob/Documents/PersonalFina ncialstatement.xls.

Stay Tuned Next Month !

Julia is sharing a tip with us each month in order to help YOU get financially fit by summer ! You don ' t want to miss it next month !

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Let’s focus on the debt section first. With the Federal Reserve starting to increase interest rates for the first time in almost 10 years, now is the time to prioritize paying off your debt. Most credit cards have a “variable” interest rate which means as the central bank increases rates, your Annual Percentage Rate (APR) will likely increase right along with it.

This month, commit to reducing as much of your credit card debt as you can. Create a goal. Write a percentage in bright red lipstick on your bathroom mirror and make it a priority to payoff your balance by that amount. Start with the highest interest rate first and see how far you can get in 30 days!

While you are busy driving those balances down, squeeze in some time to talk to your bank about debt consolidation. By consolidating debt, you can reduce monthly payments or payoff debt faster by combining multiple loans into one single loan. It is also easier to track your progress with one loan than having to follow numerous balances.

Make this month all about getting back to zero so you can start 2016 in a positive (pun intended) place. This resolution is going to be so much more fulfilling than committing to a diet of kale and buckwheat*, literally.

* If you are committing to a diet of purely kale and buckwheat, go you!!

Julia Hearon, CPA resides in San Fransisco, CA with her husband.

She is a CPA, a financial guru and works for a large global retail company.

She's hilarious, and fun fact: Jess photographed her wedding two years ago. She's the bees knees.

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Walls

And How To Tear Them Down

As I look back over the last year, the word that keeps coming to my mind for 2015 is: grace. So many moments, so many times where I have seen this in my life, and if you sit down with me, I could tell you endless encounters with God’s grace this last year. Seriously, it has changed my life. This prodigal daughter that went from not walking daily with the Lord, to now being a Seminary student. If you would have asked me a year ago where I would be today, there is no way I thought this would be it. But, grace captured my heart and it won’t let go; I’m not letting go.

After a while, grace just wears down your walls. You know, all those walls we put up every day, when we try and do everything on our own, or think we know better.

Yep, those walls.

We all have them. I have them. I probably have way too many. But, God has used His people in my life over the last year (without them even knowing it) to wear those walls down. And it was the grace that they extended to me that showed me the love of Christ in a way that I hadn’t experienced before. Nothing more, nothing less. Unconditional, unchanging, and unwavering grace.

The kindness of God is what leads us to repentance. Haymaker said it best, “His holiness awes me. His righteousness humbles me. His power shocks me. But it is His kindness that moves me to repentance, to adoration, to transformation.”

By Kate Williams

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And that kindness spurs from grace. His grace moves in a way that I cannot explain and is unlike anything else you can experience.

When I think of God’s other attributes, I may fall on my knees, stand in awe, or want to share His love with the world from the mountaintops. But, it is His grace that gives me peace, comforts me, tells me that everything is going to be ok, and assures me of who I am in Him because it is something that I cannot give apart from him. Anyone can be kind, loving, reverent, and loyal - but without Christ - you cannot give grace. The grace that is unconditional, unchanging, and unwavering. It is something that only comes from Him and it is the one thing that will transform your life. And change the world. It is the one thing that the world does not know apart from Christ and it is the one thing that it needs.

I pray that you know His grace and you can rest in Him. As we look to the next year, 2016, I know that I want to be able to extend the grace that has been so freely given to me. I accept it and now I give it away to those around me. It is the most powerful thing in the world that without Christ cannot be understood. It sets us apart so let’s extend it to others so that they may see Him in us!

Big Resolutions

y

B

Sarah Costa

Small Steps

Making New Year’s Resolutions always seems a bit extreme. Is it really possible to stick to something for an entire year? Something that was just thought up on a whim is usually abandoned just as easily, but every year we do it. Especially in the health and fitness industry, gyms are packed for the first seven weeks of the year and then people get back to their normal life and attendance drops.

What is the secret for making a resolution last? Picking something that is manageable each day. If you have set a goal to lose weight, good for you!

How are you going to accomplish this? You don’t want to be one of the thousands of people who stick to it for a few weeks before life gets back to normal. And we know that change is hard! So, here are a few ways to make those small changes to help you accomplish your New Year’s Resolution: 1. Make it a “do-able” time limit. Think in minutes rather than hours. 2 hours is not going to fit in a busy lifestyle on the worst of days, but 20 minutes could. Maybe pick 1 hour or 30 minutes to be your average daily commitment.

2. Commit to an exercise that you enjoy. Just because boot-camp looks exciting and the people who do it get awesome results, it doesn’t mean that is the right workout for you. Think about your personality and pick something that is fun and challenging for YOU. Perhaps in the future, when the habit of exercise is firmly established, you can try that exercise that is “uncharacteristic” to you and learn to love it even more!

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"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:13

3. Choose one day a week, or one meal that you will allow yourself to cheat or have grace with your meal plan. Simply cutting out alcohol, sugar, bread, carbs, etc. entirely and forever, is a great idea, but few people can stick to it. Instead, decide Fridays or Saturday (or whatever day works for you) is going to be “splurge day” for the whole year. That will help you avoid the snacking on the small stuff in between and get to your goal faster.

4. Pick one person to tell about your decision. You don’t necessarily have to choose everyone on all your social media outlets to be your accountability partners. But pick one person who won’t let you back out. That one who pops to mind because they hold you to your word and don’t give you wiggle room, that person is who you should

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choose to hold yourself accountable to.

5. If you already are on a great road to your healthiest self, but you still want to see changes and challenge yourself, why not commit to incorporating one new exercise each month? Set a goal to finish something that you haven’t before. And then do one thing each day that will move you toward that goal.

Whatever your goal is this year, plan small changes for each day, and I promise you will make it to December 31 rather than dropping off somewhere mid-February with your resolve. How much do you want this change? Are you ready to commit to it every single day this year? If so, go get it! Every. single. day.

What is the secret for making a resolution last?

Picking something that is manageable each day.

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STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART OF Choosing grace & joy in 2016

by Lauren Apel

Lauren Apel Pictured: Lauren and her husband Mark who will be celebrating their fourth year of marriage in July of 2016. To see their amazing photography, please click here.

T

o borrow from my dear friend Kadie Smith, “I know this year I will be stronger and a little more graceful in the valleys.” That stuck with me—a little more graceful in the valleys. So here we are at the end of another year. And this one was marked on paper by lots of mountain tops, but there were a lot of those valleys as well. I never walked them alone—I believe in a God who walks with us.

But they were valleys none the less. I turned 25 this year (and along with that came my first silvery strand of questionable grey hair). And for the first time in what feels like my entire life, I learned about myself. I grew in wisdom. I had these tangible light bulb moments where things clicked and made sense. And I humbly

present those to you now in hopes that maybe you’ll read and absorb them instead of being miserable on your way to figuring them out.

Style and trend is available for your consumption now more than ever before. Where there was once a time where we relied on magazines to dictate trends to us, we’ve got Instagram and Pinterest and a billion other avenues telling us what’s cool and what we should like. I love social media as much as the next person, but we’ve got to start sharing what we genuinely and personally like instead of hopping on trend wagons. This year I learned that I don’t like the things that everyone else likes. And that it’s okay that I don’t.

Sometimes I drink a diet coke first thing

in the morning. I can’t live in a house that’s all white everything. And I’d rather put a crazy flavored creamer in my coffee than drink it black. And I’d rather play Wii bowling with my husband at home than go to a cool networking dinner. I'd rather have pointy black fake nails than a glossy neutral color.

I'd rather have pink and red and blonde and green hair than stick with my natural color.

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I’d rather shoot a tiny low budget backyard wedding where the couple is so in love they don’t care about anything else than a gorgeous extravagant wedding with top tier vendors and a seven course meal. Because you know what’s amazing about these things? They make me happy.

Plain and simple. They bring me joy. Being content for me means being true to myself instead of trying to fit into a square glossy box what others perceive to be cool.

Traveling is cool, seeing exotic places is cool, shooting weddings is cool—but you know what is way way one thousand million times cooler? Creating relationships. I got to see some pretty beautiful places this year. And we shot some really sweet weddings. But the only reason I love it so much is not for the travel. I could care less about the travel part. It’s the couples—the people we meet and get to pour into. The conversations we have over gas station donuts and cheap cups of coffee. The laugh till you cry moments we share when we get our cars stuck in snow or when I slip and fall for the millionth time in a day. It’s that feeling I get when the grandmother of the bride comes over to dance with me or when the father of the groom gives me a hug before I head out at the end of the night. It’s the sense of importance I feel when the bride looks over at us teary eyed before she walks down the aisle and I get to remind her how incredible she looks and how perfect the day is.

Relationships are the foundation of what I do. I don’t want to be some hip and trendy vendor. I want relationships. This may seem super basic, but I’m telling y’all.

This was a huge lightbulb for me. I need relationships. I need to connect with my couples, to create friendships with them.

It would be really rad to live in a bustling city where there’s always something exciting going on. Or to live somewhere near mountains or beaches or rivers or forests. To live in a place other people vacation to—to live somewhere other young entrepreneurs flock to—chalk full of the finest coffee shops or trendy all organic everything restaurants.

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But we live in suburban Texas—and what I learned this year is that I love our little town. I know where everything is. I can’t go anywhere without seeing someone I know. I love traveling—there’s a huge chunk of my heart resting in the neighborhoods of Brooklyn. And I can’t visit Seattle without dreaming of staying.

But I love my geographically unimpressive home of north Texas. It’s near and dear to me. I love living there—there are no mountains or forests or oceans. But there are the most wonderful people. You can live anywhere, but a good community —when you find that—you should hold onto it. You should cherish it. I love Denton, Texas, with all my heart—and though I can’t guarantee that we will always live there, I will always think of it as home. I learned that it makes me happy to live in an unassuming town, a place where you make your own adventures. It’s not glamorous but it’s perfect for us. I learned that you can be happy wherever you are. More than happy—you can be full and content and not want anything else.

So now that we’re looking 2016 in the eye, let’s let go of 2015. Let’s extend grace to ourselves and each other. Learn to love the life you’ve got and look for the things that make you happy. And embrace those things, because that’s what makes you, you. What a beautiful thing it would be to see the truly unique aspects of our lives shared. Next year chase after the things that get you going. Stick to your guns. If you are unhappy about your circumstances, change them. Try new things. Find your passions. Listen to podcasts. Read a book. Fall in love with the life you've been given. We can choose that.

We can choose grace.

We can choose joy.

So this year, let's do that.

BOUNDARIES

IN

BUSINESS

BY JESSICA WILLIAMS

I've learned a lot this year within my business. After we had our third child in 2014, I really felt like I needed to take a step back and review what we were doing and to re-access whether or not this was truly working for our family. Like, working how I WANTED it to work and not just going through the motions. Was it everything I wanted? Did it fit my family life? Were my kids happy?

They WERE happy, but I was not.

I've learned to set some boundaries within our business.

I made a list of all the things I love about it and all the things I hate. I delegated out what I could to our interns or to Jason if his plate had room for it. I started saying NO to projects that came our way that didn't fit our brand. No longer do I desire to book, book, book, but

instead I desire to photograph people who truly inspire me. And suddenly, the list of to do's wasn't so long.

You have to remember that you are NOT a slave to your business. You are in control! Set those boundaries to protect your family and your art. Make sure you leave room for life. I realized more than ever that none of this matters if it isn't enriching to my family too. And the Lord will provide if I am faithful to that first. Start 2016 out with at least making a list. Cut some things out, set some boundaries. You won't regret it!

Jay & Jess xoxo

GRACE IS AN

OCEAN

By Rachel Deitrick

Most of us know the song “Amazing Grace.” We have grown up in church singing the famous hymn and have it memorized. But what is grace? How do we define it? I think that there are so many aspects of grace that it can mean several things. We might think that simply put, grace is an act of being merciful toward others. Yes, grace does tie into mercy but it reflects so much more.

When we look at the true meaning of grace, we see that it is not something that we can earn. Grace is a free gift. This is explained in Ephesians 2:8 which says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, but it is the gift of God.” Notice that God’s grace is never forced upon us because it is a gift and He lets us choose if we want to accept that gift or reject it.That is why it is a gift.

He patiently waits for us to accept it but we don’t have to. When we choose to accept Christ as our Savior and place our faith in Him, the gift of His grace is freely poured out to us.

Reflecting on the aspects of grace allows us to understand that grace is God’s undeserved favor on our lives and circumstances. It is getting a second chance for our mistakes, and a third, and will go on and on until you lose count. It is His help that is abundantly available to us whenever we need it. Through grace, God willingly forgives us when the thought of asking for His forgiveness hasn’t even crossed our minds. It allows God to look past our faults and failures and to still love us 100% all the time. Our sin leaves a gap between us and God, but grace is the bridge between our sin and His righteousness.

Think about grace from a parent’s perspective. As a parent, you love your child unconditionally but what happens when they make a mistake or intentionally disobey you? Do you disown your child? Do you turn your back to them? No. You already know that your children are not perfect and are going to make mistakes. As a loving parent, you forgive them because you want to and offer a second chance so that they can learn from their mistakes and succeed in the future. This is exactly how God acts toward us as our loving Father. He already knows every mistake we will make before the thought ever enters our minds. He knows we will fail at times because we are far from perfect, but this where His grace showers over us. He accepts that we will fail but still gives us chance after chance because He loves us and wants to help us carry out the wonderful plans He has for us, His children. God has created each of us for a specific purpose and when He calls us to carry out His will, He always gives us the grace to complete his plans. The more we fail, the more grace He offers us.

One of my favorite worship songs is “How He Loves Us” and one of the lines in the bridge of the song is “If His grace is an ocean we’re all sinking.” Imagine an ocean of grace as far as your eye can see and rest in the fact that His grace constantly covers your imperfections. That is what He designed for. The book of Romans reminds us that we don’t have to live under the law or rules of religion because of God’s wonderful grace. This means that we don’t have to try to be perfect and earn God’s acceptance because we simply aren’t perfect and never will be. He has already accepted us just as we are because of the git of His grace. God not only gives us grace because He loves us, but because He wants us to extend His grace to others. If He is able to love us unconditionally, look past our faults, and willingly forgive us, we should do the same to others.

With the concept of grace revealed, I think we can all agree that it truly is a beautiful gift and really is amazing.

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THE BEST 3-INGREDIENT

PANCAKES

By Jessica Williams

LET'S BE REAL. I'M NO BETTY CROCKER, MARTHA STEWART, OR RACHEL RAY. AND THANK GOD FOR THAT RIGHT? THERE'S PLENTY OF THOSE IN THE WORLD AND IT'S JUST NOT MY JAM. OOOO JAM. YUUUUM. WHILE THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BETTY CROCKER'S OF THE WORLD (AND I'LL SECRETLY WISH I HAD MORE DOMESTIC TALENTS), THESE PANCAKES ARE FOOL PROOF, THEY'RE SO EASY TO MAKE. AND I ALWAYS NEED QUICK, EASY, AND AFFORDABLE BREAKFAST RECIPES TO HAVE ON HAND. IF THERE'S ONE THING I WANT TO DO BETTER IN 2016, IT'S TO MAKE SURE I'M MAKING AND EATING BREAKFAST EACH AND EVERY MORNING. THE RECIPE IS TO THE RIGHT; ENJOY! MAYBE WITH JAM? YUUUUUM.

Ingredients: 1 cup flour 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/4 tsp salt (optional, so not technically 4 ingredients) Directions: 1. Combine the flour, eggs, milk and optional salt 2. Whisk until smooth and without lumps 3. Pour the batter onto pre-heated and greased skillet, turning every few minutes until pancakes are done.

4. Serve with syrup, chocolate chips, jam, or any other kind of topping that you would like!

Piece of cake! Well, PAN-cake.

NOMADIC

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BY SARA CHAMBERS * PHOTO BY SUZANNE REX

Ambition & Abandon 2016, the changes that it will bring and leaping into a brand new year with arms wide open

the damage post storm. But, I’m here and I’m standing. I’m looking ahead to the light of a new year and I’m beyond hopeful. I’ve been gifted with a calm for the first time in what seems like a relentless race against myself to be everything all at once and all the time. I feel like God is telling me that He has made space for me to peruse passions with ambition and abandon. He’s carved a path for me to stand in the light and boldly move forward without fear. I feel a deep sense of purpose and I’m ready to live that out.

While, I’d love my waist to be a bit smaller and all my debt to be paid off, along with any other fill-in-the-blank here type of cliché resolutions, that’s not going to be my focus because I can’t continue to rely on a will made of stone. Instead, I’m going to strive for intentionality. I’m going to give myself permission to rest when I need it and motivation when my purpose calls.

I’m looking at myself through the lens of 2016 and I see big things ahead. I see joy and growth. I see lots of snuggles and soaking in the fleeting moments. I see boundless successes and teachable failures. I see evolved friendships and investment in the things that make my heart beat faster. I see celebrations and a willingness to just go where I’m called.

Of course I have no idea what this year will bring, but I’m running toward it with open arms and an excited spirit. This year will be whatever I make of it and let me tell you friends; I’m determined to make it great.

DID YOU KNOW? 2016:

There is something about a new year that just invites change. There is a sense of a fresh start even when we can all recognize that there isn’t much difference from the last day of December to the first day of January besides the number at the end of our year. As we adventure into the next year of our lives, many of us are reflecting on what has passed and what is to come. I’m no different, I assure you.

2015 has been turbulent for me.

There are just some years that bring winds of change so violent that you can’t help but be knocked around a bit. There will be bruises and maybe even some injuries, but I know that what matters most is how you respond; it matters how you get up and how you live out the next moment.

For me, this last year was all about survival and just trying to assess

Sara Chambers is a maker and writer with an affinity for all things antique living in the heart of Phoenix with her handsome bearded husband and crazy, but oh so sweet toddler son. She believes that she was created to create and lives for powerful storytelling with great design, the right words, and a killer photograph. She journals her creative journey at chickswhogiveahoot.net.

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Big Thanks.

You're Incredible!

Editor in Chief Jessica Williams

Associate Editor Jennifer Stamps Contributors Brianna VanderWeide Christine Cram Esther Gallagher Jennifer Stamps Kate Williams Rennai Hoefer Robyn Baldwin Sarah Costa Sarah Trapp Columnists Alexandra Evjen Anna Merrell Christine Cram Jennifer Stamps Jessica Williams Julia Hearon Kate Williams Lauren Apel Rachel Dietrick Robyn Baldwin Sara Chambers Sarah Costa Tanya Crimmins Special Thanks Rennai Hoefer- Cover Photos Find Your Home Anna Merrell, Rodan & Fields Consultant Nine Retreat Jay & Jess Photography EDITORIAL OFFICES Located in sunny Scottsdale, AZ Want To Advertise With Us? Email Us! stellardaymagazine@gmail.com Stellar Day Magazine is published by Issuu and created in Canva. www.stellardayblog.com

Stellar Day

Magazine

EDITOR'S NOTE

Jessica Williams EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 2016.

Aren't we all thinking about it? What it means, what we hope to achieve? Our goals, desires and dreams all sit at the forefront of our minds eager to burst forth. Motivation is overflowing and we are ready to own this year.

What is keeping us from maintaining the vigor throughout the year? When life hands us a basket of lemons, will we actually choose to make lemonade or will we throw up our hands and shake our fists at 2016 for letting us down?

I'm not going to sit here and champion you with "It's a new year, a new you!" mantras that are over done and full of misguided illusions. It IS a new year. Whether or not YOU are going to be new will depend solely, on YOU. There is so much in our lives that we are not in control of. But we are in control of our outlook, our mindset and our attitude. 2016 might not be easy. It might be the best year of your life. But no matter what happens, this is a chance, a clean slate and an opportunity to commit to not giving up when life hands you that basket.

You can do it.

Come what may, 2016, I'm coming for you. Who's with me?

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