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Living an Abundant Life

I don’t want to just exist. I don’t want to mearly live. I want to live…

by Josie Siler May 13, 2020

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Do you want to win this adorable stuffed Howie? (I

Do you want to win this adorable stuffed Howie? (It’s so soft!) Anyone who purchases a copy of “Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw” at the book signing tomorrow will be entered to win!

Saturday, March 25th | 1:00 - 4:00 PM | Dragon Tale Books | Downtown Menomonie, WI

@dragontalebooks
@endgamepress

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#booksigning #bookevent #exploremenomonie #downtownmenomonie #EndGamePress #howiesbrokenheehaw #kidlit #kidlitauthor #childrensbooks #childrensbook #childrensbookstagram #kidlitbooks #kidlitbookstagram #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebooksofinstagram #picturebookwriter #lovebooks #nevergrowup #youngreaders #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney #writerscommunity #writingcommunity #mywritinglife #easter #easterbasket #easterbooksforkids #palmsunday

In my 40-some years, I’ve never seen the norther

In my 40-some years, I’ve never seen the northern lights like this. I heard they might be out, but after seeing a few photos of how amazing they were, my dad and I jumped in the car and went for a drive. These were all taken with my cell phone and are completely unedited. To our eyes, the lights looked like a white fog streaking the sky. Sometimes you could see a hint of green or purple/pink, but they mostly looked white. The camera picked up on the glorious colors and I’m so glad it captured the beauty. The coolest thing was watching the lights dance. I have seen the northern lights two, maybe three times before. They were always low to the ground and didn’t move. Last night they filled the sky and watching them dance and move was absolutely incredible. Did you see them? I hear they might be out again tonight and tomorrow night and could be even better than last night so keep an eye on the sky.

Many of you know I’m on a book deadline. I need to turn in my next book in a week from today. It’s the longest book I’ve ever written for publication and friends, I’m tired. I’m weary. This has been an amazing process, but it has been hard. Nothing sparks my soul like taking beautiful photos of God’s glorious creation. We got home about midnight last night. My body is tired, but my soul is revived and I’m ready to finish my edits. The heavens declare the glory of God!

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” ~John 8:12, NIV

#northernlights #aurora #auroraborealis #wisconsin #travelwi #wisconsinphotographer #womenphotographers #wisconsinwomenphotographers #discoverwisconsin #light #nightsky #nightskyphotography #stars #lightoftheworld #mywritinglife #writingcommunity #christianwritersofinstagram #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

Palm Sunday is coming and it’s Howie’s time to

Palm Sunday is coming and it’s Howie’s time to shine! If you haven’t purchased a copy of “Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw” yet, now is the perfect time. Howie’s book makes a great gift for Easter baskets or a very special Palm Sunday gift for the special little one in your life.

Last year lots of churches read Howie’s book on Palm Sunday and I know of churches planning to do it this year too. That makes my heart so happy! If your church is interested in purchasing copies in bulk for the little ones in your congregation, please reach out to me or my publisher, @endgamepress.

If you’re local to western Wisconsin, I have a book signing coming up at @dragontalebooks on March 25th and I’d love to see you there (and so would Howie)! 💙🌴

#DonkeyLove #EndGamePress #HowiesBrokenHeeHaw #PalmSunday #Easter #HolyWeek #kidlit #kidlitauthor #picturebook #easterbooks #easterbooksforkids

Look what I found at the grocery store - beautiful

Look what I found at the grocery store - beautiful flowers! 🥰🌺🌸🌼

#flowers #grocerystoreflowers #winter #spring #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

Happy #PlantAFlowerDay from Wisconsin! 😂 #wisc

Happy #PlantAFlowerDay from Wisconsin! 😂

#wisconsin #winter #spring #flowers #snow #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

They say it’s spring . . . but it looks and feel

They say it’s spring . . . but it looks and feels like winter. It’s really hard to live in Wisconsin in March. I hope spring shows up soon! I will admit though, it’s beautiful! ☃️❄️☔️

#wisconsin #discoverwisconsin #spring #winter #sprinter #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

You guys. I can’t believe it! I DID IT!!! I wo

You guys. I can’t believe it! I DID IT!!!

I worked extra today and wrote the last 4 devotions. 90 devotions done. 40,925 words.

I’m soooooooo happy…and soooooooo tired! 😂😍

I’m taking a few days off to rest and celebrate and then I’ll start doing some serious editing. Howie and Friends is due to my publisher on March 31st.

Thank you all for your prayers. I could not have made it this far without you. God is so good!

#HowieAndFriendsDevo #writingcommunity #amwriting #writersofinstagram #writing #writerslife #christianwriter #christianwriters #christianwritersofinstagram #christianwriting #christianwriterscommunity #lifeofawriter #writerscommunity #mywritinglife #writerscorner #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

Look what came early! I absolutely adore @marythol

Look what came early! I absolutely adore @marytholloman’s new book, “The Anxious Lily.” It’s published by @endgamepress and includes fun rhymes, a fantastic message, and beautiful illustrations. Friends, you’re going to want this one for your library!
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#kidlit #childrensbooks #childrensbook #childrensbookstagram #kidlitbooks #kidlitbookstagram #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebooksofinstagram #lovebooks #neverenough #nevertoomanybooks #nevergrowup #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

Did you know that Howie has his own song? Newslett

Did you know that Howie has his own song? Newsletter subscribers are getting it tomorrow morning. Have you signed up for my author newsletter yet? If not, you can sign up and get Howie’s Song immediately! It’s also a great way for us to keep in touch if I ever get locked out of my social media accounts. Plus, my newsletters are a lot of fun! My February newsletter is short and sweet again because I’m finishing my next book (seriously, I’m in the home stretch!). You can subscribe at JosieSiler.com. 💙

#readingcommunity #readersofinstagram #writingcommunity #amwriting #writersofinstagram #writing #writerslife #lifeofawriter #mywritinglife #christianwriter #christianwriters #christianwritersofinstagram #christianwriting #christianwriterscommunity #kidlit #kidlitwriter #newslettersignup #encouragement #encourage #hope #howiesbrokenheehaw #HowiesSong #donkey #donkeylove #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

The birds are attacking the feeders this morning.

The birds are attacking the feeders this morning. Our big storm is almost over and this last fluffy snow is beautiful!

#winter #snow #snowstorm #bird #birds #cardinals #wisconsin #discoverwisconsin #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

Happy Birthday to our favorite donkey friend, Howi

Happy Birthday to our favorite donkey friend, Howie! “Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw” is 1 year old today and we can’t quite believe how quickly this year full of amazing firsts has passed. Howie has won awards, made it to the very top of an Amazon Best Seller List, and was a #1 New Release for a couple of months. His book went into a second printing just a few months after publication and sweet Howie has trotted into hearts all around the world.

Let’s celebrate this very special day with a Give-A-Way! Up for grabs is a $25.00 gift card from the @endgamepress online store. Use it to get a copy of Howie’s book or any other amazing book in the store. To enter, just SHARE this post/photo on social media and make sure it’s set to “Public” so I can see that you shared. If you want to tag me to help me see it, that’s great. When you’re done, COMMENT below with where you shared and I’ll give you one entry for every place you share. Contest* ends on Friday, Feb 24th at 5:00 PM Central.

I’m so thankful to End Game Press for making my dream come true. You’re amazing!

#DonkeyLove #EndGamePress #HowiesBrokenHeeHaw #BookBirthday #picturebook #pucturebookauthor #kidlit #childrensbooks #writingcommunity #readersofinstagram #mywritinglife #donkey #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

*Contest is not affiliated with Instagram in any way.

The first of three waves of snow has arrived. By T

The first of three waves of snow has arrived. By Thursday they’re saying we could have around 20 inches! There’s lots of talk of record snowfall amounts. As much as I’d like to skip ahead to spring and summer, I know God has good things for me in these moments too and I don’t want to miss them!

#winter #winterinwisconsin #wisconsin #discoverwisconsin #idontwanttomissamoment #seasons #snow #snowstorm #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! No matter how yo

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! No matter how your day has gone today, remember that God loves you so much. His love for you is bigger than you could ever imagine!

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” ~Ephesians 3:16-19, NLT

#valentines #valentinesday #love #Godlovesyou

Today I stopped by @dragontalebooks and dropped of

Today I stopped by @dragontalebooks and dropped off more signed copies of “Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw.” Two new books and a cute donkey plush came home with me! Doesn’t it look like Howie? 💙

#readersofInstagram #readers #amreading #booklover #booknerd #bookish #allthebooks #instabook #instabooks #bibliophile #book #books #novel #bookphotography #fiction #nonfiction #donkey #howiesbrokenheehaw #donkeylove #joy #josiesjoyfuljourney #joyforthejourney

What a glorious day! Yes, that’s a big snowbank

What a glorious day! Yes, that’s a big snowbank behind me, but it’s 44 degrees and the sun is out. It’s glorious! I was even able to walk downtown today without a big old winter coat. This is what we Wisconsinites call a very good day!

It feels extra Mondayish over here today! How is y

It feels extra Mondayish over here today! How is your writing going today? Tag me in your own reel. (Keep it clean, folks!)

#writingcommunity #mywritinglife #writinglife

I’m feeling the pressure of a book deadline. It’s my first big book deadline and it’s approaching quickly. I’m making good progress, but the pressure is intense. When you’re writing for the Lord, the evil one is going to try to stop you. He isn’t going to make it easy. He will try to fill your head with doubts and so many questions. Writing a book on a deadline is a new process for me and I’m writing a type of book I’ve never written before. I’m not going to lie, it’s kind of scary. But let me tell you how God has been encouraging me as I work to finish my Howie and Friends devotional.

When I was a kid, my favorite book was The Muffin Muncher by Stephen Cosgrove. We had several of the Serendipity books, but The Muffin Muncher was my favorite. I adored that muffin munching dragon!

Today my dad asked me to order something for him from Amazon. In the process of doing that, Amazon showed me “Top picks for you” and what do I see? The Muffin Muncher right next to Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw! When I was a kid obsessed with a cute little dragon, I never dreamed that one day I would write a book that other kids would love as much as I loved The Muffin Muncher.

Then there is 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT). It says, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

No matter what happens with this book, what I am doing is not useless. God is already using the work in my own life so I will continue to work enthusiastically for the Lord. It is an honor to write for Him and His beloved children.

This book is bathed in prayer. When the “what if” questions come, I take those thoughts captive and give them to the Lord. I tell the evil one to SHUT UP! and I sink into the armor of God. So many of you are praying for me and I’m incredibly thankful. I need your prayers and I feel them. Writing is not a solitary profession. Thank you for battling with me as I write. We’re in this together and God is even now being glorified!

#writingcommunity #amwriting #christianwritersofinstagram #christianwriterscommunity #mywritinglife #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

Have you signed up for my author newsletter yet? T

Have you signed up for my author newsletter yet? This is a great way for us to keep in touch if I ever get locked out of my social media accounts. Plus, they’re a lot of fun! When you sign up to receive my newsletter you will get my Mini Donkey Devos for free. My January newsletter will be short and sweet again because I’m still working on writing my next book, but it will include a writing update, a beautiful photo of a lovely jellyfish, and a book recommendation. Link to subscribe in bio. 💙

#readingcommunity #readersofinstagram #writingcommunity #amwriting #writersofinstagram #writing #writerslife #lifeofawriter #mywritinglife #christianwriter #christianwriters #christianwritersofinstagram #christianwriting #christianwriterscommunity #kidlit #kidlitwriter #newslettersignup #encouragement #encourage #bookrecommendations #hope #howiesbrokenheehaw #donkey #donkeylove #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

Instagram post 18276186409103977

Instagram post 18276186409103977

It’s all fun and games and beautiful things unti

It’s all fun and games and beautiful things until you find out the hard way how slippery it is under the fresh snow. We won’t talk about what happened in that last picture! 🤦‍♀️😂 Seriously folks, be careful, it’s so slippery—but beautiful!

I’m thankful I fell on my way to the post office and @scatterbraincafe and not on my way home when I had a coffee in my hand! Now I’m enjoying my coffee and the beautiful snow globe snow from the safety of my comfy chair. ☃️

#wisconsinphotographer #winter #winterinwisconsin #snow #snowglobe #snowstorm #ice #discoverwisconsin #travelwisconsin #smalltown #countryroadstakemehome #nature #naturephotography #naturelovers #naturelover #beauty #cellphonephotography #spoonie #spoonielife #spooniewarrior #joy #joyforthejourney #josiesjoyfuljourney

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