Ember turns 3!

I remember well my conversation with with Samantha in late 2020. We were both discerning how to move forward after completing our program at the Nutritional Therapy Association. Both moms of very young kids at the time (I had a 3 and 1 year old, she had a 2 year old), we wanted to find a way to use our skills and knowledge to support women on a larger scale than simply 1:1 client work. Of course, working with individuals has been immensely valuable  for both of us in our own growth as nutrition professionals. But we still desired something more. Our relationship was very young at the time, having just met that year and not knowing each other very well. That fall I took a leap and sent her a lengthy email (being concise is not a strong point of mine). Here are a few snippets:

“I felt stuck. But recently I was praying and just kind of surrendered it. It was causing me stress lol. So I asked God to just lead me and take over and I stopped thinking about it. And almost immediately I felt a nudge of inspiration. I realized I do not HAVE to niche in endo. While I still would love to work with endo girls 1:1 and serve them, what I am passionate about and want to be able to talk about is basically my vocation. Living as a wife/mom and choosing to do things differently (nutrition, lifestyle, clean living, etc.) all in the context of putting my faith first, family second, all this stuff third.”

“It is tempting as women to think we’ll just delay taking care of ourselves until we’re out of the throws of child rearing and babies, but that could be a LONG time for a lot of us! So how do we take care of ourselves NOW with the resources/time we have? Also, how do we take care of our families?”

“It allows me the freedom to explore so many things I’m interested in while still serving a specific population: [Catholic] mothers (or women desiring motherhood) who want to take care of themselves given their limitations and who want to take better care of them families.”

“I want to put together a short magazine for this target audience to come out 4x a year to start, at the beginning of each season. This [short] magazine would be such a wonderful resource for women to receive seasonally – with info and ideas touching on everything from food to faith.”

I laid my heart out to Samantha, and attached a sample document of my *SHORT* magazine 😅. And something struck a chord with her, but being the creative she is (a fantastic photographer with a gift for vision), she asked what I thought about making it a big bigger. And then Elissa, who Samantha knew online for years, came into the picture in early 2021. And suddenly this small idea was becoming something way bigger than I thought was possible for us. Oh I am so grateful for them!

And now, with a dream of creating the Catholic wellness version of Magnolia, we set to work with an ambitious fall launch. For those who don’t know, we wrote the entire first two issues ourselves (and we could never imagine doing that again!). Before we switched over to InDesign, we used an online app to build the issues together. After many of my design elements were subtly removed (all for the best 😂), Samantha became the official designer.

I don’t know if I truly envisioned us going super far with this. And for so many reasons, it probably should have failed. But that is just proof to us that the holy Spirit has been at work here. It has been a gift to us, and we hope a gift to you. We have high hopes for The Ember Journal and all our other projects. But since this isn’t exactly a full-time venture for any of us, we leave it up to God as to when and how things get done.

Thank you for being here!

Peace,
Katie

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Hi, I’m Alyse! I’ve never been good at titles or labels defining who I am, but have been asking God recently to help me understand what it means to be HIS, to be a bride (I’m getting married in a few months!), to be a friend, to be a faithful follower. Health and whole body wellness has been my goal since shifting away from disordered eating and climbing out of depression and anxiety a few years ago.

It hasn’t been easy but understanding that my body needs true nourishment has inspired me to honor the life God has gifted me with. I have passions for baking, reading, and photography, and I’m always trying to be more present to see the beauty of life. I love the ocean and a good acai bowl, long conversations with earl grey tea, and the quiet of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. It often feels like a whirlwind of change in my life so I turn to writing and journaling as often as I can. Others’ writing and beautiful images greatly inspire me, and the Ember Journal has provided so much of that since last fall. Elissa & I became fast friends after we connected over her family’s chicken eggs (very on brand for us both!) and she shared how she was creating The Ember Journal, the plans they had for it, and even invited me to assist with cover shoots.

I’ve since come on board as operations assistant and love the work I get to do to help create a place for holistic growth for so many! I’m extremely grateful to be with like minded women who share the Catholic faith. I trust in God’s timing for gifts such as these- He’s always seen me through. Here’s to seeking the slow in the constant movement of life, to being intentionally present to the Lord, and living our lives fully!”
@alysemariie
Hi there, I’m Ireland! Currently residing just outside Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, It’s been my mission the last couple of years to capture beauty in the slow and simple and to learn what rest and nourishment truly mean to one’s body. The Ember Journal has been a huge resource for that—not only in reference to health but also in the goodness of my heart.  While I am part of the Ember team here, I also run my own small business of brand design, media management, and curate a small shop of home goods.

Creation is my happy place. Growing something with my own hands and caring for that life reminds me just how much a small simple thing has such a large importance. God’s love in creation and all the healing it has to offer is incredibly mind boggling to me and it’s one reason I find The Ember Collective so beautiful. These days, I find a lot of joy in the simple acts of journaling, photography, homemaking, and creating and I’ve been blessed to be able to make a living in curating beauty. My life feels constantly expanding and quite often overwhelming so learning to meet Him in the quite and mundane has been a never ending practice over here.
@missirelandrose
I’m Elissa! First and foremost I am a beloved daughter of God currently in a season of rebuilding and resting in my true identity. Formerly a full time traveling wedding photographer, I left it all behind 2 years ago and moved back home to San Diego, CA to focus on regaining my health after physically hitting rock bottom.

The Ember Journal is truly a beauty from ashes endeavor for me. In my darkest hour, this project has been a Springtime of hope and given me purpose in this season of ‘pause’. Samantha and I initially connected on insta through the small Catholic photographer world and became friends as we discovered our shared passion for our faith, holistic health, homesteading, and the NTA (future goals). One day on the phone I shared with her some of the future desires God has placed on my heart and she immediately told me about Katie and this magazine idea – it was like all of our desires just fell into place.

Our overall vision for the Collective weaves so perfectly into each of our individual callings. He is so faithful. Holistic wellness became a way of life for me after chronic illness ravaged my life for many years. I would never have chosen this path for myself, but God has truly paved a way through the wilderness. Yes, I’m grateful for the knowledge I’ve gained about ancestral nourishment and tossing toxins but most especially the pruning and deep healing of the soul in the midst of suffering. Health, freedom, telling stories through photographs, creating a beautiful home, living off the land, and upholding Truth are a few things that light a fire under me. I have big dreams that reflect the garden of God’s vast goodness and my heart lies in journeying alongside others as we run toward Jesus – to dwell in the hidden refuge of His heart.
@elissaannephoto

I’m Samantha! Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, wife and mama, plant lady, and lover of all things wild and free. We live in Omaha, Nebraska with our small flock of chickens and a city yard packed full of every kind of flower and growing thing I can get my hands on. Katie and I met while pursuing further education from the Nutritional Therapy Association and connected instantly over our faith, love for the church, and conviction that body and soul wellness must include an emphasis on nutrition.

I found the world of holistic wellness after having my son in 2018, when pregnancy and nursing pushed many of my health issues over the edge. PCOS and haywire hormones, gut issues, and everything that goes along with those had me asking lots of questions. He is so faithful. Holistic wellness became a way of life for me after chronic illness ravaged my life for many years.

I would never have chosen this path for myself, but God has truly paved a way through the wilderness. Yes, I’m grateful for the knowledge I’ve gained about ancestral nourishment and tossing toxins but most especially the pruning and deep healing of the soul in the midst of suffering. Health, freedom, telling stories through photographs, creating a beautiful home, living off the land, and upholding Truth are a few things that light a fire under me. I have big dreams that reflect the garden of God’s vast goodness and my heart lies in journeying alongside others as we run toward Jesus – to dwell in the hidden refuge of His heart.

@samanthakworthing
Hello friends! I’m Katie and I am a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner living in Saint Paul, MN with my husband and two small children. My passion for holistic health began in my mid-twenties; years of heavy antibiotic usage, endometriosis (and “infertility”), and compounding stress left my body in a dreary state.

But always a doer, I sought authentic answers that medical professionals simply could not give. It all led me to finding ways to address my body as a whole – a path with a lot of detours along the way. Each year I find myself with more information, resources, and knowledge, and yet it often comes back to simply trusting the innate wisdom of the body. There is so much goodness to be found as we probe the beauty of His creation, and yet it always, always comes back to HIM. The Lord has a way of humbling us so that we keep turning to Him, never to glorify the things here below.

The Ember Journal began as a small endeavor with a modest vision. And yet, the holy Spirit brought this little team of women together and kept paving the way for something great. I am always inspired by Brother André Bessette in that no matter how small we begin, if it be the Lord’s will, He will bless it tremendously! Besides, I think we each needed an outlet to gush about this content we love so much, without bothering those patient souls closest to us with constant unsolicited health talk.
@katiegearns