a+g monthly newsletter: october 2023

Hi a+g fam! It’s hereeeeeeee! I’ve been wanting to put together a little somethin somethin for my subscribers for awhile now, and this month, it’s happening!

In the future this monthly newsletter will come directly to your inbox instead of as a blog post, but for the first month I wanted to make sure everyone could hop on board if they wanted to! If you’re not already subscribed, you can do so here.

Our monthly newsletter is just going to be another small way to keep in touch. Each one will have encouragement, a devotional, a blue book recommendation, a special promo code for a blue small shop, the top posts and links from the month before, and a shortcut supper recipe! I hope this little space on the internet brings you as much joy and encouragement as it does for me. Y’all are seriously the BEST community out there!

So without further ado…let’s get started!

Here’s the top three things y’all loved this past month! It’s always fun to see which items are the most clicked on and ordered, and this month is no exception. All three items aren’t specific to blue life, but they sure are items I use often!

Weighted Heating Pad. Both my officer and I love this pad to help with neck and back pain! It’s also just super nice and cozy to have in the chilly autumn months. Right now it’s on major sale!

Stain Remover. This stuff gets out everything! I don’t know what kind of magic is in this bottle, but I use it all of the time on all of our clothes.

Dutch Oven. I was gifted this Dutch oven for our wedding years and years ago, and it’s still going strong! I use it at least once a week on the stove, in the oven, or both.

Here’s the top 3 posts y’all engaged with the most this past month! All three reels were so fun to make, and I love that yall found them relatable. If you’re not already following along on Instagram, make sure to hop on board! My username is @ammoandgrace.

I’m super excited to share blue owned small shops with you each month, and this first one is a LEOW business I’ve loved for years and years! I’ve worn my “faith love back the blue shirt” for ages and love the simple but positive message. You can use the promo code “COTE10” on anything in Emily’s Spouse-ly shop, 7.11 Studio! The shirt below is the exact one I’ve had and loved for years.

Sometimes I love cooking intricate meals for my family. And sometimes, I just need to get a meal on the table! Each month I’m going to share a little “shortcut supper” that consists of a super easy meal idea for the days that things are tough.

This past week my officer was gone hunting and I was holding down the fort by myself. By day 6 I had been battling a lingering migraine, was exhausted, and was just not up for any meal planning or cooking! I found a box of Rice A Roni in our pantry, add a few extras to plump it up, and called it a day! All you need for this quick meal is:

1 box of Rice A Roni (any flavor-I used broccoli cheddar)
Some type of meat (I used frozen rotisserie chicken)
Some type of veggie (I used frozen broccoli)

Cook the rice according to the directions. When it’s almost finished, add in your meat and veggie! I let the chicken defrost and warm up in the rice, then added the steamed broccoli pieces. In under 20 minutes I had a quick meal that checked all the major food boxes and didn’t require any fresh produce or meats. I call that a win!

This week I got this book in the mail from my friend JJ! JJ is a fellow police wife and has written a ton of incredible resources for our thin blue line family! This latest book is a 7 week bible study on Psalm 23 specifically for police wives. How cool is that?! I just started it and am loving it, so if you pick it up make sure to tell me so we can compare notes!

I feel like it wouldn’t be a proper a+g post without a devotional! This month’s devotional comes from my very first love, ammo+grace: the devotional! I chose to share Day 2 because it’s based on one of my favorite verses, 2 Corinthians 12:9. Blue life is hard, but we serve a big and powerful God who makes up for all that we lack!

Verse:
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” [2 Corinthians 12:9]

Devo:
It might seem odd to highlight weakness in a book that talks about being a LEOW. Doesn’t the world often tell us that weakness is bad, and that we need to be strong? For ourselves, for our spouses, and for our families? Well, yes. Yes and no.

I know that you are strong, because you wouldn’t be put into the role of LEOW if you weren’t. You know that saying “God made the strongest women police wives”? It’s true! But the truth is, we can’t be strong 100% of the time. Lucky for us, God says that’s okay-that He works best with those who reach out to Him in their times of weakness. His grace covers our flaws, and His power overcomes our weakness.

Because we are only human we are bound to fall short sometimes. Maybe it’s falling short with the housekeeping-the laundry is overflowing, you forgot to buy more Clorox wipes, and the garage has stacks of boxes you’ve been meaning to go through (since you moved in two years ago…). Maybe it’s at work-you try and try to get ahead but this week the emails just keep pouring in, the to do list is pages long, and sticky notes cover your entire computer monitor. Maybe it’s in your marriage-your patience is simply thinner this week, you’ve become annoyed at your spouse’s normal quirks, and your mouth keeps opening before you can filter it the things that spill out.

We all fall short sometimes in many different areas, but when we reach out to God, He can help us cover those shortcomings. We are not expected to be perfect, but we are expected to be pursuing Him. When we are weak, He remains strong. When we fall short, His grace still remains. Isn’t that encouraging? In which ways is God’s strength evident in your life?

Prayer:
Lord, today I ask for Your grace and Your power. You have created me intricately and wonderfully and with You I lack nothing. Please remind me of this when I second guess myself, when I feel weak, and when I need a little encouragement. I pray that You will use me as a rock to my officer and my family in times of weakness, a rock that rests on the firmest of all foundations-You. Remind us to turn to You when we are feeling weak or defeated so that we may be reminded of Your loving grace.