The post I never thought I'd share

If I retained anything from my journalism classes in college, it's not to bury the lede. So here's the big news:

Val Marie Paper will be closing at the end of this year.

I'll spend the next thousand words sharing more about this decision and what this means for the next few months, but that's the headline.

I thought I'd be running VMP till I was a blue-haired prayer warrior with one of my girls, Vivi or Vana, taking over. However, the Lord had other plans.

Over the last few years, I've sought the Lord's direction so much and largely felt crickets. Waiting is so painful, isn't it? But boy, does it serve a purpose. In that timeframe, the path of obedience became well-worn. I was consistently going to God and saying, I'm ready to obey as soon as you tell me where to go! Just tell me what to do!

Over the years, it was the thing I struggled to give God. I had the best answers on paper, but the thought of letting Val Marie Paper go was truly unimaginable. "God, you can have it all, and I'll walk away from VMP if you want...but please, please, please don't make me!"

But goodness, waiting so long for clarity will put you in a spot that when an answer comes, even one you didn't anticipate or want, you're just so glad to know the Lord is leading.

About a month ago, I asked for prayer on Instagram. I was in a really heavy season of anxiety and unsure what the future needed to look like, but I was not expecting God to answer in such a big way. He provided the most clarity I've experienced in years of waiting for answers! That’s when it was clear.

Close VMP.

And because of the heart work that the waiting required, I was ready to relinquish it and ready for the next phase. I didn't even need to wait and pray and make sure this was God. I had been doing that for years, and when the instructions came, I instantly knew it was the Lord.

Here's what the next few months will look like:

1. We're celebrating!

This isn't a sad day. (Though I've cried on more shoulders in the last few days gearing up to this than I can count.) This is a time to remember everything God has done in the last 11 years. I get weepy just thinking about this! Would you celebrate with us? Will you share your stories about how the journals impacted your life? I plan to make a book of your stories to memorialize (is that the right word?) all God has done through Val Marie Paper. I mean, he tells us to do this in His Word, so let's do it! Let's tell of His good works and faithfulness! Hit reply if you have a story, even if it's weeks and months from now. I'd love to include your story.

2. We're liquidating.

We have a decent stock available now of Rhythms and Signature prayer journals and limited quantities of Springboard Prayers. If you want to grab Signature to last the next few years, GO FOR IT! Now is the best time before we start selling out of colors. We will close by the end of the year, but if we run out of inventory before then, we will close early.

3. We're pulling from the archives.

Stick around. We want to have fun with this. As I said, this isn't a sad goodbye. We plan to bring back past Compose covers and a Collector's Edition (the dozen covers over the last 11 years) and other things y’all have loved one last time. Let us know. Leave a comment on this post (don't reply to this email), and y'all like the comments on the products mentioned so we know which y'all want to see most. We also have a good supply of Compose cover paper in TONS of fun colors, so expect lots of limited edition color options to come.

4. We're looking to the future.

Val Marie Paper became the Norwegian cruise ship that's impossible to turn but I'm still going to have a boat, it'll just be a more manageable speedboat. God isn’t calling me away from writing or even creating products but He is calling me away from this particular vessel. I will still be writing on Substack, which has already become my favorite place to write, but it will now be the only place. I won't be on social media, and my only contact will be Substack. I'll also hold on to a few outlets that don't require me to manufacture myself, sales tax, warehouse, etc.

1. Amazon - We've already got a version of our Compose Prayer Journal on there right here. It's a great option to accompany a quiet time or Bible study notebook going forward. I also plan to make a Family Prayer Tracker and a few other things.

2. Etsy - I am considering a digital shop of printables. We'll see exactly how this works. I've also talked with several users about a digital for iPad version and would love your input. What would you like to see?

3. Sweet Baton Rouge - Meredith, owner of SBR, will stock our sweatshirts, hats and other future apparel (we’re working on a t-shirt now!) once our doors close and I'll have a link to this on my Substack.

Wasn't this email coming on Wednesday?

It was. In my head, it would be fun to share then because I turn 40 tomorrow, and it's amazing how our families biggest life chapters seem to be divided into perfect decades. But I dreaded sending an email announcing our close right after such a considerable discount. If you want to stock up for the next few years now is the best time while it's 30% off. Prices go back to normal on TOMORROW.

I will do a live Wednesday at 11 as planned, sharing more about the why and answering your questions. (Feel free to leave in the comments or reply to this email if you have specific ones!)

Above all, I hope you know what a privilege it has been to do this work. Your support over the years has carried me through when my health made work difficult. Your kind words put a fight in me when the enemy's attacks felt relentless. Your orders have blessed not only my own family but so many team members as well as hundreds of kids in Haiti (Well over $500,000 has been donated to charity because of your orders!).

I am eternally grateful for you, and I will never know why God chose me for such an incredible job. The last few days, I have been filled not with sadness that it’s being taken away but with gratitude that I got to do it in the first place. I will count it as one of the greatest blessings of my entire life! What a gift it's been!

Because of His faithfulness leading me in each step that got me to Val Marie Paper, I am excited to see what He does when I say yes to Him again in a totally different way.

So much love and prayers always,

Val