Endings and Beginnings… [Faithful Writers Toolkit December 2019, Special Issue]

This is the final message to the Faithful Writers group. God’s blessing on you all.

December 31, 2019

Hello, Faithful Writers,

I know last month’s newsletter was to be my last issue of Faithful Writers Toolkit, but I had to pop back into your Inbox to wish you a very happy New Year and thank you for your time with me over the last year or so.

Since we began, many of you have expanded your thinking about what “faithful writing” might mean in your life, and I see so much good content from you being faithfully written. Whether it is ever published is not the standard for success in this group. It is only that you have tried to listen to your higher power and use your ability to write in service to God and others. By that standard, a sympathy note is just as much a piece of faithful writing as a published theological paper. Keep listening to that still small voice and—above all—keep writing.

Faithful Reflection: Endings and Beginnings

In the November Faithful Writers Toolkit newsletter, I explained why I was letting go of the Faithful Writers group and the monthly newsletter.

[UPDATE: and since then—and since this message went out by email—one of our group members, The Rev. Teddy Asiel, has stepped forward to take on the group’s leadership so it won’t have to disband. I am so grateful to him.]

But now I want to reflect on other endings and beginnings as 2019 comes to a close and we begin not only a new year but, by some calculations, a new decade. Try to carve out some time for yourself early in the new year to review the year past. I find it helpful to do this with my 2019 calendar in front of me to remind me of the year’s events.

• What went well?
• What didn’t go well?
• What no longer serves you?
• What do you need to move forward?

Give thanks for it all—good and bad. Even the challenges, heartaches, and setbacks can be fodder for future growth. Pay attention to your feelings as you reflect on the past year. Notice when your spirit seems to lighten up—or when it feels heavy. These are ways God can guide you towards your most faithful choices (or away from poor choices).

Now I am preaching to myself as well as to you: As the new year begins, be kind to yourself. Don’t try to take on tasks or projects just because you can or because someone else wants you to. Be as protective of your time as you are of your expenditures. When you’ve identified a very few top priorities, make sure you schedule the time to accomplish them on your calendar. “What gets scheduled gets done,” says Michael Hyatt.

We won’t do this perfectly, my friends, but we can keep trying to do better.

Faithful Writing Quotes

“You fail only if you stop writing.” ~ Ray Bradbury

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ~ Maya Angelou

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” ~Louis L’Amour

New on the Heartspoken blog

CLICK HERE to peruse the latest content on the Heartspoken blog. And don’t forget you can find all the archived Faithful Writers content—including the Faithful Writers Toolkit newsletter—by selecting the “Writer Resources” category from the drop-down menu under “Explore” on the blog’s main menu. Or just type “Faithful Writer” into the Search box.

Stay in touch

I hope you’ll stay in touch with me by subscribing to my other Heartspoken Newsletter Compass Points, if you’re not getting it already. Email me if you’d like me to send you a sample or CLICK HERE to get it in your own Inbox each month. And of course you’re invited to join my remaining Facebook group “The Art of the Heartspoken Note,” where we explore and share the joy and impact of personal, handwritten notes and letters.

If you have any Faithful Writing successes you’d like me to share with others on social media, just let me know.

With gratitude and love, I wish you a New Year filled with joy, health, and hope.

Faithfully yours,

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