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Short essays on faith, story and the craft of telling the truth well — published several times a month.
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The Power of Silence: Learning to Listen Before You Write
There is nothing wrong with nothing! Most of us have not been trained to appreciate empty spaces, silence, formlessness, and voids. — Robert Fritz
Rejection: One of Life’s Greatest Pains
Troubles press us from every direction, but we aren’t crushed. We may not know what to do, yet we’re confident that everything will work out. Enemies may attack us, but God stands with us. We may be knocked to the ground, but God will raise us up. As we make sacrifices for others like Jesus did, his resurrection power lives in us. — 2 Corinthians 4:8–10 The Discussion Bible
Open-Handed Writing
When the writing blues hit you, stand firm. Sharpen your pencil, pull out your journal, and then take notes. Pray. Spending time in that deep-rooted relationship with the Father will help you clear your way. You are a writer. You are an amazing writer. Now, go and write. — Cindy K. Sproles
Are Your Plans Getting in God’s Way?
[Jesus said,] “If you were going to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to be sure you had the resources to complete it? Otherwise, you might finish the foundation but not have enough to continue. Others would see your failure and laugh at you.” — Luke 14:28–29 The Discussion Bible
Borrowing a Voice to Find Your Own
The world doesn’t need more copy-paste Christianity. It needs your voice—anchored in Scripture, seasoned with grace, and flowing with authenticity. It needs your faithful “yes” in this season, even if the outcome isn’t clear yet. — Kennita (Kay) Williams
No Better Time
Help us recognize the small number of our days, Lord, so we may choose wisely. — Psalm 90:12 The Discussion Bible
Are You Listening to What Matters?
Following good advice without understanding why that advice is helpful can hurt your writing. It can prevent you from following where the story goes, make you second-guess yourself, or steal opportunities for compelling scenes right out of your hands. Learn the rules and understand why they’re there, and then you can break them with skill to achieve the effect you want. — Janice Hardy
Law and Order
Obeying a law isn’t enough to make us righteous in God’s sight, because laws only expose our transgressions. They don’t reveal the condition of our hearts. —Romans 3:20
When Inspiration Meets Perspiration
Creativity is more like a muscle: If you practice regularly, flexing and training your mind to absorb inspiration from various sources, that muscle will get stronger. — David Corbett
The Procrastination Trap
Procrastination has a way of disguising itself as patience, planning, or even wisdom. We tell ourselves, I’ll get to that later, and sometimes later really is the better time. But often, later simply means we don’t want to do it now and maybe never.
Keep Casting
The only way we can fail as writers is to quit. So keep writing—when you’re scared, exhausted, and discouraged. Let the act of writing be the encouragement you need to fulfill your calling and once again recapture the joy. — Edie Melson
Commitment: Moving Forward
Those who can’t make up their minds are unstable in all they do. — James 1:8