One Joyful Life
Hello! My name is Shannon Woodward, and I’m a writer, teacher, artist and gardener living in a little house in the big woods somewhere north of Seattle. I love a lot of things that end with “ing”–laughing, cooking, baking, quilting, knitting, painting, gardening and traveling. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in herbs and the notion of natural healing, herbalism and homemade health products, but only began studying herbalism in earnest in the last ten years. I completed the online Intermediate Course from the Herbal Academy of New England several years ago and have since completed their Botany & Wildcrafting Course I’m sure a great deal of what I’m learning will end up here. 🙂
How did Twig and Feather come about?
I began this blog because during the twenty years that my husband pastored the church we founded, Calvary Marysville, I noticed that a lot of young women in our church had never been taught to keep their homes. Either their mothers had done everything themselves and didn’t take the time to pass those skills on to them, or their mothers had been absent from the home. Over the years, those young women came to me one-by-one with their questions. How do I come up with a food budget? How do I sew on a button? How do I cook a roast? How can I make my home cozy for my family?
At first, I answered them individually. Sometimes I had them over to make bread with me. Sometimes I went to their homes to show them how to can jam or pickles. We had sewing, quilting and knitting lessons together. Sometimes, after sharing a recipe with one, two more would hear about it and ask for that same recipe. It finally occurred to me that it would be helpful to have one central spot for recipes and crafting lessons, and so I began Twig and Feather.
Why “Twig” and “Feather”?
That’s a question I get frequently. It really came about because I was looking for a phrase that would describe the elements of a nest. In order for a nest to be useful, you have to have twigs. And in order for a nest to be comfortable, you need feathers. As you browse through our blog posts, I hope you find some inspiration for both those necessary elements: ideas to help you add a twig or two to your nest (those elements that are necessary but functional if your home is to run smoothly) or maybe a few feathers (those things that bring warmth, comfort and coziness to your home). Those of us who love making our home a haven for world-weary husbands, children and friends are always on the lookout for the next great idea. While you’re out looking, I hope you’ll stop by Twig and Feather often.
My newest adventure: posting on my YouTube Channel, One Joyful Life. Here is where I’m recording some of the most amazing answers to prayer I’ve received, along with other revelations of God. Many of the provisions He’s sent my way are so specific to my need that there’s no denying His involvement. I’d love if you’d visit and leave me a comment!
Books
I’ve had the privilege of writing, ghost-writing or co-authoring fourteen nonfiction books for other people, plus two of my own: Inconceivable: Finding Peace in the Midst of Infertility (Cook Communications), and A Whisper in Winter: Stories of Hearing God’s Voice in Every Season of Life (New Hope Publishers).
Though out of print now, you can find A Whisper in Winter in eBook form on Amazon. My writing has also appeared in three Chicken Soup For the Soul books, Tyndale’s Mysteries of the Bible, and in a number of magazines and anthologies.
Formerly, I’ve been the senior editor for The Word For Today and Calvary Chapel Publishing, an adjunct faculty member for Imago Dei Bible institute in Redmond, WA, and a columnist for Christian Women Online. I’ve also had the great privilege of traveling around the world to teach and speak at writers’ and women’s conferences and events. I still don’t know how that happened, but I’m grateful. 🙂 I’ve loved meeting so many new friends as I’ve traveled to other countries.
Teachings
A sampling of my teaching can be heard here: