We're SERVING onboard the LOGOS HOPE starting this AUGUST!

We're returning to the Logos Hope in a few months...in Europe!

If you didn't know, this past January we served onboard the Logos Hope for 1 month as a vision trip. Click HERE to read more about how that trip came together. We enjoyed our time onboard so much that we asked for permission to return to the ship.

So, we're excited to share that we'll be serving onboard the Logos Hope again this August-January, spending those five months in the Faroe Islands, Wales, Northern Ireland, England and the rest of the countries and ports TBD!

Nick will be working in Project Maintenance (think construction). Nick will pause his construction projects in Greenville, SC during our time onboard so that he can offer his gifts and talents to this ministry that we believe in. The ship is aging and in need of upkeep and repairs, so Nick's job onboard will help us keep the World's Largest Floating Bookfair open!

In each port it visits, the ship opens it’s bookfair for hundreds to thousands of visitors each day, offering over 5,000+ titles at discounted prices, including Bibles, resulting in many people buying quality literature for the first time in their lives! The ship also offers practical help like dental and construction teams and partners with local churches, according to the needs of each port. But most importantly, the ship offers hope to each person who comes aboard because they are given the chance to learn about God’s love for them. Click HERE for a 60 second clip about the Logos Hope.

The Logos Hope is the world’s largest floating bookfair, but I like to explain it’s like a floating city. Just like in a city, there are engineers, electricians, plumbers, nurses, teachers (like me), cooks, bakers, a finance department, event planners, maintenance team (like Nick), kids (like Ivy) and many others. It’s a great way to combine a career you enjoy with a calling from God. Right now there are roughly 264 volunteers from over 60 countries serving onboard as unpaid volunteers! We are excited to join and serve in a meaningful way as we use our strengths where there is a need.

Nick, Ivy and I will be in a family cabin. It’s basically 3 rooms: Ivy’s bedroom, a bathroom and a family room with a couch that converts to a bed for Nick and me. It’s extremely tight, but living in a small cabin was actually one of my favorite memories of ship life. And to Ivy's excitement, we will eat all our meals in the Dining Room with everyone else. The ship life is really fun for extraverts, like Ivy!

And Ivy's favorite place onboard...the school! Onboard the Logos Hope, there is a school for all the kids that live onboard with their parents. Ivy loved visiting the boat and attending the school in January and can't wait to get back to her class and her friends in June. Because the school year runs differently, she'll graduate 5K here and go into 5K onboard, until in September when she enters 1st grade when the new term starts.

***We will be serving as unpaid volunteers, so to make this family missions trip possible, we’re raising $8,950 to cover our room and board, plus airfare and emergency medical insurance on top of that. We’d be so grateful if you’d consider partnering with us—through your prayers and, if you’re able, with a financial gift. Every gift, big or small, helps us!

👉 How to Give:

• Click HERE to give online

• Check – Payable to OM USA and mailed to OM USA Finance Dept. PO Box 444 Tyrone, GA 30290.  Put “Nick and Emily Stewart - 2261134” in the Memo Line.

Please reach out and keep in touch...and let me know if you want to get our updates!

nickemily07@gmail.com

Nick (843) 245-4936

Emily (843) 618-1447

We’re Serving Onboard the Logos Hope January 2026!

We’re so excited to share with you that we’ve been given the opportunity to volunteer onboard the Logos Hope in January for 30 days. Nick will be working in Project Maintenance (think construction) and I will be helping in the school as Ivy attends classes with the other kids that live onboard. We’re eager to be part of what God is doing through the ships ministry and to learn what He has planned for our family.

Joining the Logos Hope in 2009

In each port it visits, the ship opens it’s bookfair for hundreds to thousands of visitors each day, offering over 5,000+ titles at discounted prices, including Bibles, resulting in many people buying quality literature for the first time in their lives! The ship also offers practical help like dental and construction teams and partners with local churches, according to the needs of each port. But most importantly, the ship offers hope to each person who comes aboard because they are given the chance to learn about God’s love for them. Click HERE for a 60 second clip about the Logos Hope.

This trip is especially meaningful to us because we served with OM Ships from 2009-2012 in both the Florence, SC office and on this same ship, the Logos Hope. If you’ve followed me since I began blogging in 2008, you may remember this blog used to be titled, ‘Sailing with the Stewarts” during our years with OM Ships! Nick and I have always shared a heart for missions and, since Ivy was born in 2020, we have felt a calling to return to overseas missions. During these years we have been going on short-term missions trips and praying that God would reveal where he wants us to serve. This summer, we felt God giving us direction when we found that the Logos Hope can use Nick’s skills in construction. We’re excited to volunteer with the ship ministry again, this time bringing Ivy with us!

***To make this family missions trip possible, we’re raising $1822 to cover our room and board, plus airfare and emergency medical insurance on top of that. We’d be so grateful if you’d consider partnering with us—through your prayers and, if you’re able, with a financial gift. Every gift, big or small, helps us!

👉 How to Give:

• Click HERE to give online
• Check – Payable to OM USA and mailed to OM USA Finance Dept. PO Box 444 Tyrone, GA 30290.  Put “Nick and Emily Stewart - 2261134” in the Memo Line.

Random things you may be wondering…

-The Logos Hope is the world’s largest floating bookfair, but I like to explain it’s like a floating city. Just like in a city, there are engineers, electricians, plumbers, nurses, teachers, cooks, bakers, a finance department, event planners and many others. It’s a great way to combine a career you enjoy with a calling from God.

-There are about 400 volunteers from over 60 countries serving onboard!

Nick and I with our “ship family” 2010

-Nick and I will serve as volunteers, we will not be paid and Nick will pause his construction company’s projects during these 4 weeks we will be away.

-Nick, Ivy and I will be in a family cabin. It’s basically 3 rooms: Ivy’s bedroom, a bathroom and a family room with a couch that converts to a bed for Nick and me. It’s extremely tight, but living in a small cabin was actually one of my favorite memories of ship life. 

-We will eat all our meals in the Dining Room with everyone else.

My Reception Class 2009

-The school is on Deck 9, the top deck. When Nick and I lived on the ship previously, I was the Reception Class teacher, which is ages 4-5. Ivy will be 5 as we join the ship, so it feels really special to have the chance to experience the school again with my own daughter being the same age as the sweet little students I loved!

-While I worked in the school during our time onboard, Nick worked in the book-hold. His days were spent driving a forklift to unload containers, unpacking and organizing, inventory and restocking the Bookfair. This time, however, he will use his skills as a builder to help in Project Maintenance!

Nick driving the forklift in Jamaica 2010

-The ship is scheduled to be in Trinidad during the month of January. Just like returning to the school, this also feels very special because we visited this same port during our time on the ship and have good memories of how much we enjoyed that area.

Thank you for considering being part of this journey. We can’t wait to share how God works through this trip!

Please reach out and keep in touch:

nickemily07@gmail.com

Nick (843)245-4936

Emily (843) 618-1447

What I wish I knew when I was younger

Call me crazy, but I find myself eager to turn 40 next month.

In my teens, I had high expectations of where my life was going to take me. My 20s were when I started to joke that “I got everything I never wanted”. And in my 30s, I finally realized that what I got is most likely what God knew I needed.

All these decades, I have strived. Maybe not to be the best, but to be my best. 100% vegan. A minimalist. Always crossing things off my Bucket List. Climbing the ranks with Young Living Essential Oils. For my blog to take off. To bring Ivy into the world. Be the best wife. Take care of my health. Support world missions. Make an impact. The list goes on. And so do I, always trying my best. But often feeling like my best just isn’t enough.

However, through it all, I managed to create a life that I love. I still feel young. I enjoy my routine. I look forward to my future. And somehow it all worked out even though nothing really worked out. So, instead of spending all these decades striving, I wish I would have known to simply stop trying so hard and just enjoy them.

As I’ve moved through my years of expectation, disappointment and acceptance, I’ve confirmed many times over that hard times are inevitable and I’ve learned contentment through suffering. I can’t have it all, and that’s ok. I can’t be the best, and that’s ok too. But what I can do is choose to find hope in every circumstance because once I get it all into perspective, I’m reminded that God put me here, now, loves me and has a future planed for me.

Then my 40 years of working towards my goals fade away and I think of the quote “Only one life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” and I’m reminded, yet again, it’s not about me at all. It’s about Him. And I wish I knew that when I was younger, but I wish I knew that in this moment. Because tomorrow morning, I’m going to wake up, thinking that it’s all about me all over again and will continue to do so, until I am reminded, again and again and again, that I am nothing and He is everything.

So, as I graduate this decade and celebrate the next, I do plan to strive.

Strive to forget myself.

My starfish and me

Have you ever heard the tale of the starfish?

It’s about a girl on a beach full of thousands of starfish that washed up after a storm. She’s throwing them back into the ocean, one by one, when a man asks her why she’s doing this and points out she can’t save them all. She throws another back in, replies “Well, I made a difference for that one!” and continues returning more to the water...

And here I am, pulled in so many directions as a wife, a mom, a daughter and a friend. I have errands to run, groceries to buy, meals to cook, laundry to wash and put away, a house to tidy and clean, a little girl that wants me to play and take her on adventures, a husband I want to spend time with, friends and family I want to catch up with, an exciting city and active neighborhood I want to enjoy, a church where I attend and volunteer and a Bucket List I can’t ignore. On top of all that, I want to take care of myself, so that I can be the best version of myself for those around me for many years to come.

And so instead of saying yes to every need I hear of, I said yes to one…Marie.

Over the these past few years, I’ve watched as she completed requirements with Front Porch Housing and classes at Tech, always excelling and moving forward. I’ve learned about her life, what she has overcome and witnessed her baptism. I’ve seen that she loves her boys fiercely and makes decisions that are best for them. And now that we’ve celebrated her graduation from Front Porch Housing, I’ve been impressed as she’s reclaimed her independence and set up a fresh start for her family. Now, she’s healthy, in a good place and is using her experience and gifts to support other moms in crisis.

So, I decided that Marie is my starfish.

When I met Marie, our relationship started simply with me texting weekly and asking her for her prayer requests and showing up to meetings and events, not really knowing how to serve her, but trying to make sure she knew that I was there. Over the years, it became invitations to kids birthday parties, a dinner out together and a painting class, cleaning out and organizing her apartment, stopping by when I could and consistently keeping in touch about our lives. And now, today, I consider her a friend.

Marie has shown me what it looks like to be brutally honest and to keep pushing ahead, facing challenges as they come. When we met, I was a new mom who questioned what I had to offer and now, years later, I see that what I had to offer was myself. I came to Marie with no expectations, got to know her and listened to her needs. I felt inadequate, but made myself available, and our friendship rebuilt my confidence in my ability to help others by simply showing up.

Marie may have started out as my starfish, but I also became hers. 

Did you know October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Month

I'll never forget October 15th, 2018.

Instead of laboring for hours and racking up thousands of dollars in medical bills to happily bring our baby home in our arms, we carried ours home in a plastic bag and buried it in my parents backyard.

I remember wondering if I’d ever feel happy again. With our baby gone, I felt as though I had no purpose and hated the awkwardness of being a mother without her child.

Little did I know, that was just the beginning of a handful of tough years.

But I’ve come out of it more confident in who I am and who I want to be, more confident in who will show up for me when things suck, more confident that I don’t have any answers…but mostly, more confident that God has all of them and this is His will for our life.

Because October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, I want to share some suggestions on how to treat parents who have lost a child:

-Remember that a dearly loved child died and don’t treat it as though it was “just a miscarriage”.

-Be aware that the mom still had to labor and deliver her child, even if it wasn’t yet full-term.

-Messages, phone calls and cards are wonderfully thoughtful, but consider being there in person to offer support.

-Don’t avoid the topic (or the mom!), even if you just offer hugs and say “I don’t know what to say”.

-Use the baby’s name and remember it’s part of the family, even though it’s gone.

-Ask questions to give grieving parents permission to share what they’re going through.

-Know that the parents will always miss their child, so let them grieve without a time limit.

-Offer to help with cleaning, meals, etc., especially until the mom has recovered physically.

-Remember the mom and dad are now parents, even though their baby died.

-Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, their baby’s Birthday, etc., are all days where the parents should be included and their baby should be remembered.

Losing a child is indescribable. Let’s figure out how to encourage and support those who are suffering through it.

How To Get Hard Things Done

“The belief that you can do it comes from doing it.”

-Darlene Weir

I think back over my life and all the times I said “I can’t do that” or “I’d never be able to do that”. Times I believed that something was just too hard and I didn’t have what it takes.

Sometimes I let those beliefs hold me back from accomplishing what I wished or wanted. But every now and then, I’d somehow find the courage to stop making excuses and simply do it.

“I’ll never be able to run my own business”, “I can’t run well enough to sign up for a race”, “I’ll never be good at social media”, “I can’t be a vegan because I can’t live without cheese”, “I won’t survive a medication free, natural birth”, “I’ll never travel once I have kids” and even something as silly as “I’ll never learn how to wand my hair”...these were all things that I truly believed at one point.

Each one of these beliefs, though, we’re just that...beliefs. At some point, for every one of these (and more), I decided to take control and simply make it happen.

I learned how to be a business owner, run, use social media, live without cheese, naturally birth babies, travel with a toddler and wand my hair. The belief that I could do each one of these came from just doing them.

So, let’s stop making excuses by using words like “can’t” and “could never” and be honest with ourselves. We CAN do it. It’s a choice. And if we choose NOT to do it, let’s begin using phrases like, “that’s not my priority right now” instead. I don’t want to be a victim. I doubt you want to either.

The belief that we can do it comes from doing it. Let’s do it.

Daily Self-Care Routine

Solitude - Schedule some alone time each day. It can be as simple as a cup of tea before anyone else wakes, a long soak in the bath, a few moments with your journal, a quiet walk outdoors, deep breaths of Young Living essential oil blends like Awaken or Release or even some much needed spiritual refreshment with your Bible or favorite devotional.

Movement - Take some time to exercise each day. Whether you have 5 minutes or 2 hours, commit to some form of movement. I fluctuate between walks, yoga, HIIT, short jogs and strength training. The best exercise for you is the one that you'll do. So pick something you'll enjoy and get going.

Nutrition - Consume less sugar and cafeine and add in more water and plant-based whole-foods. Avoid eating out or grabbing take-out and, instead, cook your meals from scratch. Pay attention while eating and begin to eliminate foods that negatively effect your physical, mental and emotional health.

Monitor - Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Monitor what you watch, what you listen to and what you say. Choose to surround yourself with what and who lifts you up.

Rest - Learn to practice relaxation techniques, like meditation, and be sure to get around 8 hours of sleep a night. But remember that rest isn't just about sleep. If you can, take a day off every week, a weekend off  every month and a week off every quarter. Whether it's a get-away or a staycation, the purpose is to unplug and come back refreshed.

How Motherhood Forced Me To Make Better Choices

As someone who’s always struggled with anxiety and depression, I’ve had to learn to be careful of what I watch, listen to and even conversations I choose to participate in.

I have a very vivid imagination, put myself in those shoes and, before I know it, I’m terrified that I’ll be next. When most people would think “that would never happen to me”, I think more like “it’s got to happen to someone, so why not me?”.

My mind can take me to negative places in a flash. After all, Satan wants to terrify and destroy me and knows exactly where to kick me when I’m down. He seems to work best on me in the dark, and some nights I’m so afraid that I wake Nick to pray with me.

So, ever since Ivy was born and I felt more vulnerable, I’ve been more picky of what comes in. I even went through a period during her first year that I didn't read many novels or watch most movies because I got too emotionally involved. Even my music choices changed.

It may have been excessive, but it made a huge difference for me during those difficult months! This verse has come to mind over and over in the last few years as I’ve edited what I take in:

“...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” -Philippians 4:8

I know I’m highly sensitive, but I’ve learned how to take care of me. And the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve learned that my weakness can be used for good as it pushes me to make better choices and have compassion for others who struggle with the same things.

If you find yourself negatively affected by what you see, hear and talk about, consider avoiding what you can. And then find positive things to fill that gap.

38 pieces of advice

I just turned 38 in August and wanted to put together my words of wisdom!

Here’s my 38 pieces of wisdom to mark my 38th birthday

1. Never say never.

2. Kill them with kindness.

3. Just ask.

4. Spend time with people you love.

5. Travel often.

6. Be generous.

7. Learn something new (all the time).

8. Go on walks.

9. Choose the best option in front of you.

10. Read daily.

11. Plan girls nights.

12. Stretch.

13. Don’t spend what you don’t have.

14. Make goals.

15. Find a hobby (or three).

16. Go outside as much as possible.

17. Set boundaries with your smartphone.

18. Eat real food.

19. Get a dog.

20. Do work you love.

21. Wear comfy shoes.

22. Cook homemade meals.

23. Get monthly facials.

24. Live toxin-free.

25. Practice solitude.

26. Dress in beautiful colors.

27. Tidy your home each morning.

28. Enjoy quiet nights at home.

29. Become friends with your neighbors.

30. Take lots of vacations.

31. Drink more water.

32. Get enough sleep.

33. Use lamps for lighting.

34. Practice minimalism.

35. Kiss your baby too much.

36. Pray constantly.

37. Go on trips with friends and no kids.

38. Talk to a counselor.

Got any good advice? Please share!

7 Areas You Need To Simplify

Life can be overwhelming and leave us feeling like we are just going through the motions, trying to survive. Today, for example, I have a growing list of things to get done, but also a baby who wants all my attention. That’s why I believe minimalism is so valuable, especially for mamas. Stop overthinking and over-planning and choose simplicity in these 7 areas.

EXERCISE - Find an activity you enjoy and get moving daily, whether it's a walk, a yoga class or lifting weights with your husband.

STUFF - Just because there's space doesn't mean you need to fill it. And just because you can buy something, doesn't mean you should.

PEOPLE - Look at your relationships and decide on a few that mean the world to you, then pour your energy into those people.

WORK - Try lots of jobs until you find what the one you love…then stick with it.

TIME - Say no to everything, then say yes to only what you truly want or need to do.

FOOD - Choose 1 ingredient foods, like an apple, a head of broccoli or a bag of almonds to create your snacks and meals.

MONEY - Cut up your credit cards and begin to live within your means.

The less I have, the more I feel clear headed and calm. Minimalism can be such a healthy hobby and helps to take a lot off our plates!

What area do you most need to simplify?

Every Life Matters

Job was the richest man in the East with 500 pair of oxen, 3,000 camels, 500 donkeys, 7,000 sheep, a large number of servants, seven sons and three daughters.

One day, within moments of each other, four of his servants ran up to him and told him that all his oxen, camels and donkeys were stolen, all his sheep were killed in a fire, all of his other servants were killed and all 10 of his children were crushed when a strong wind blew down the house. On top of all that, his entire body became covered in sores.

Even so, he worshiped God, saying:
“We bring nothing at birth;
we take nothing with us at death.
The Lord alone gives and takes.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

The Lord eventually restores Job and gives him twice as much as he had before: 1,000 yoke of oxen, 6,000 camels, 1,000 donkeys, 14,000 sheep and 7 boys and 3 girls. 

I love that God didn’t give Job 20 children even when He was doubling everything He gave to Job. Job already had 10 children in Heaven, so God then gave him another 10 on earth. It proves that EVERY LIFE MATTERS, in heaven and on earth, and that children are irreplaceable.

How You SHOULD Vote During An Election

The Lord is the ultimate authority, but He puts people in government to lead us.

Those men and women will answer for how they lead. And we will answer for how we vote, because our vote is a reflection of our values and determines who leads.

As a Christian, my vote should reflect God’s Kingdom and His values — love, grace and kindness, the sanctity of life, personal responsibility, generosity and care for the vulnerable.

I’m hopeful today, not scared. I’ve prayed. I’ve voted. I’ve done my part.

I’m at peace, knowing that The Lord is not wondering which candidate will win this election. He already knows the outcome of our votes because nothing happens outside of His perfect plan.

And no matter who our next President is, God is still The Ruler of All Things.

Why "I'm good" should always be our response...

One thing I loved about my Grandma Jackson was that no matter when you asked her “How are you doing?”, she’d take a moment, give a small smile and confidently say “I’m good”.

As long as I can remember, she responded that way. And I don’t think she was lying. Sure, she went through hard times, never had much money and eventually died after years of battling cancer. But, even then, she’d still say “I’m good”.

Many of us are asked how we’re doing and simply reply “good”, without even thinking, because it’s what’s expected. But I don’t think that’s what Grandma Jackson was doing when she’d pause, as if she was considering it, and still always replied the same.

However, I also don’t think Grandma Jackson was talking about “doing good” in ways we tend to think - health, wealth and happiness. I think Grandma Jackson would always reply “I’m good” because she was basing it on her confidence in Jesus and her future with Him in Heaven.

And now she’s in Heaven and it is all good, just like she kept telling us.

This year’s really been one of the worst and I rarely feel like “I’m good” when someone asks how I’m doing. But every time they ask, I try to remember Grandma Jackson and reply “I’m good” no matter how I feel or how my circumstances look.

It’s not that I’m trying to lie or that I wouldn’t open up and share my heart to those who truly dig deep. But just like Grandma Jackson, I want to always focus on what matters - Eternity. And when I look there and am reminded of my own confidence in Jesus and my own future with Him in Heaven, I know that I’m good too...just like Grandma Jackson.