First of all, today is my mom’s 82nd birthday. If that’s not the first thing I mention… I should be fired from being her daughter. Happy Birthday, Carol Ann!!! 

By the way, if you’ve been following along, my mom had a stroke in May ‘21. She’s been making an incredible recovery, re-learning how to read, write and tell time. What a trooper!

Her mantra about 81 was “I’m 81 and not nearly done.” Now that she’s 82, she says her new motto will be “I’m 82, so much to do!” I love her energy and her joy for life. She’s such an inspiration for me and an example to all of us, that we are called to different things in different seasons. And, as long as we’re breathing, God isn’t done with any of us!! As mom says, she still has so much to do! Go get ‘em, mom!

Separately, I’m showing you something before the world sees it. Here are some behind-the-scenes action from CARRY Media’s™ shoot last week in Chicago.

We brought in 8 working moms from different walks of life to talk about what it’s like to be a working mom in the U.S. We’ll be developing these interviews and turning them into content in 2022.I founded CARRY Media™ to champion the working momma and give her a voice. We launch next month! Stay tuned, friends. But, you saw some of it, first :)Meantime, it’s been a busy few weeks of December, but thankfully, I’m finally feeling things slow down. When I send this out in two weeks, I’ll be giving you a sneak peek at some of the exciting guests coming up in 2022 on ‘The Paula Faris Faith & Calling Podcast’, guests you’ve been asking for!  

Very grateful for all of you and believing your best is yet to come! 

In case you missed it, my hubby, John is a star.

So, John and I are doing a Top 21 stories of ‘21 series for my podcast, a way to bring in the new year. 

It’s a 3-part series. The PEOPLE, PLACES and THINGS that caught our attention, talked about in a very conversational style. If you haven’t listened, Part 2 is out today! 

Here’s the response in a nutshell, so far:

“John needs his own show!”

“Paula, I can’t believe you never watched FRIENDS! What is wrong with you?”  🤣Don't miss out on my Top 21 stories of '21. Keep scrolling to find the links! 

Episodes one and two of this three-part series are now live! Click to listen.

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Part 1: The Seven People Who Had Us Talking

Part 2: The Seven Places That Caught Our Attention

FARIS FAVORITES

1. Are you traveling during the holiday season? I'm going to let you in on a little secret that I swear by: Crease Release spray from The Laundress. Goodbye irons, portable steamers and wrinkly clothes! This stuff works wonders and smells incredible. Photo via The Laundress.2. My favorite Spotify playlist these days – Christmas Coffeehouse. 🎄 Listen HERE! 

3. ‘Tis the season where we are gathering in living rooms and around tables and I love to strike up a deep conversation. But sometimes, it helps to have conversation starters, and Concrete Conversations are my favorite! They are also beautiful sitting on a table! Photo via concrete-conversations.com.