**Welcome to my Glorygram and to my table! Pull up a chair and join me for a dish of Shepherd’s Pie in honor of St. Patty’s Day on Sunday. Each week I write this letter as an arrow pointing you back to God's glory and the ways He is working in our world. I use this space to get to know you better so please introduce yourself and share your stories in the comments too! Today I’d like to introduce my dear friend Xochitl Dixon. She’s sharing a devotional at my table and some details about her coming children’s book that releases this week.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)
In 2018, God blessed my husband with a job that moved us from California to Wisconsin. I became overwhelmed by the extreme weather, frustrated with my husband’s demanding work schedule, and discouraged from being homebound by my disability. I grew weary searching for a new church and a new medical team to help manage my chronic pain and fatigue.
We’d only lived in the Midwest for a few weeks and, though I was praying, studying the Bible, writing, and even teaching the Bible and encouraging others every day online, I couldn’t feel God’s presence. I did, however, feel exhausted and alone.
My sweet rescue pup, Callie, licked away my tears. As the rain stopped, I looked out the window. Rays of sunlight broke through the gray clouds, shining on a white heron that had landed in the lush green foliage on the bank of the creek next to our front yard. The contrast of bright colors against the dark sky filled me with hope. I worshipped God and wrote a poem praising Him as Creator and Sustainer of All. As I poured my heart out in prayer, I realized that in my busyness I’d been talking about God without connecting with God.
I began taking daily praise walks with Callie. I started my slow strolls by thanking God for the beautiful things He created near our front yard creek. I soon shifted to praising my Creator for who He was, is, and always will be.
During one of my praise walks, while I thanked God for His constant presence, an older woman waved from her porch across from the neighborhood school. She offered Callie and me a water break. Her home became our daily rest stop.
Grandma Jan drove me to doctor appointments and helped with my book events. She became one of my biggest supporters when Callie started service dog training.
Though we didn’t agree on everything, we enjoyed our friendship. So, we decided to focus on the things we could agree on and committed to loving Jesus, each other, Callie, and others.
My first children’s book, Different Like Me, released in August 2020, a few months after the news headlines deepened racial divisions in our world. When Grandma Jan and I stumbled over the trenches we called differences of opinions, we regained our footing on the solid foundation of God’s unchanging and infallible Word. Though God unexpectedly moved us back to California a month later, Grandma Jan and I have continued choosing love. If we love God, we have to love each other!
Note: God transformed that free verse poem of praise I wrote in 2018 over the next few years into my second children’s picture book, What Color is God’s Love?, which is written in rhyming couplets and is being released by WaterBrook on March 19, 2024. To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise!
Xochitl (So-Cheel) Dixon, Our Daily Bread writer and the author of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace, has contributed to the bestselling God Hears Her compilations and Tyndale’s NLT Go-Bible for Kids (Sep. 2024).She celebrates ethnic diversity and advocates for disability awareness with her beautifully diverse family and her service dog, Callie, featured in the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award Children’s Book Finalist Different Like Me (ODB, 2020), What Color is God’s Love? (WaterBrook, March 2024) and Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown (WaterBrook, Oct. 2024). She enjoys connecting with readers on Instagram, Facebook, and at www.xedixon.com.
*Feature photo by Vikas Kumar on Unsplash.
Glory recommendations
Each week I like to share links to some of my own work or resources that are inspiring me and my family to chase after God’s glory! Here are five for you to check out this week:
This week I got to chat with my author friend Mabel Ninan on her podcast about Biblical hospitality. When we think of hospitality, we usually think of inviting people home for a meal. But it’s more than that – it’s about making feel welcome, loved, accepted, and safe. God’s mercy towards us manifests through hospitality and we in turn can extend His mercy and love toward others by practicing hospitality. I share about what it was like to host a refugee family in her home for nearly a month and how practicing hospitality can be spiritually beneficial for your family. Listen here or watch it below.
Every month I like to introduce you to a new book that I offer as a giveaway! The March giveaway book is actually my favorite book of all time - the Bible. I’m giving away a Bible in the CSB translation. This is a single-column, personal-sized Bible that’s easy to carry with a ribbon marker for quick referencing, concordance and full-color maps. CSB captures the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others. Comment below and let me know why you are interested in winning this one!
My new children’s book, Kailani’s Gift, launches April 16, 2024. Kailani’s Gift received this review from Publisher’s Weekly:
A girl overcomes doubt to learn a traditional dance for her grandparents’ anniversary party in this sweet tale centering Filipino culture. Kailani, the youngest of five siblings, portrayed by Bontigao as smiling, pink-cheeked characters, doesn’t want to be left out of the tinikling dance they are rehearsing for the celebration. Kailani’s attempts to join result in sibling teasing, but Daddy says all she needs is a good teacher: “Me.” Kailani struggles until Daddy compares tinikling to jump rope, and practices constantly until she’s ready for her part in the siblings’ collaboration. Moments between Kailani and her father model a joyous bond in this low-stakes family tale rendered in Gilmore-Young’s friendly prose. An author’s note and glossary conclude. Ages 3–7.
I’m looking for friends, educators, ministry leaders, who would be willing to help me get the word out about it. Sign up here for a free copy of the book and to join my launch team. Also, if any of you would be interested in featuring the book or a conversation on your podcast, blog, or Substack, I’d love to connect! This book is about using our God-given gifts and talents to bless others.
Are you looking for something fun to wear for Easter or a fancy dress for a wedding or Spring formal? Our family with four girls to dress for events loves Nuuly. This is a clothes rental service. You pay a monthly fee and get to choose six items in any sizes. I love it because many of the items arrive brand new and have tags still on them. My daughters get to pick out designer dresses that are unique to their style while I rent items that are great for travel and speaking. Check out Nuuly here.
Friend, I’m so grateful you are a part of my Glorygram tribe! For the past eight years, I've been sharing reflections and resources on grief, running, leadership, food, family, and faith. I count it an incredible privilege to connect with each of you through this Glorygram. And now I’m offering a paid subscription to this newsletter with all the bells and whistles!
For $50 per year (or $5 a month), you'll gain access to my full archive, bonus posts, recipes, and sneak peeks of my coming books! While the free weekly emails will continue, our subscription-only content will be an extension of the foundation we've built together. My goal is always to help you continue to chase God’s glory in your everyday lives.
To subscribe and unlock this exclusive content, simply hit the Subscribe Now button and choose what level you’d like. Founding members will also get a personalized, signed copy of one of my books! (Thank you to so many of you who have already generously given!) I am so grateful for all of your prayers and support!
I would enjoy giving this book to my husband. He continues to try and improve after having a stroke and has mentioned to me that his Bible is falling apart. It would be nice for him to have a new one.
Dorina,
Each day at hospital (work) I do my best to show God's love to everyone. Recently I had a mom who had a stroke & her son was in my unit. He was in isolation so I helped her put on the gown & gloves. She apologized & I immediately said no need to apologize. You can't help what happens. You see her son is between a rock & hard place. Not much neurosurgery can do for him. I felt so bad.
Blessings :)