Hello, friends! I can’t believe summer is almost over! In this month’s newsletter I share a few updates on a month that didn’t go quite according to plan. I also share a very honest reflection on the suffering of this past year with family health issues … and the hope that I found in them. If you’ve been or are going through extremely hard or painful times, this message is for you.❤️
When Suffering Is Beyond Words
Reflecting on the past year of journeying through my mom’s health issues, sometimes it’s hard to capture in words the depth of what I (and my family) experienced. Sometimes I’m tempted to sum it up using the word “hell.”
But then I remind myself: I have never been through hell. And thanks to Jesus, I never will.
Hell is complete, permanent alienation from God. While we all go through difficult, painful circumstances in this life, none of them alienate us from God. He is there, whether or not we see or feel Him. If He weren’t, there would be not even a shred of goodness in this world—no love, no joy, no beauty, no good coming out of bad, no change for the better, no mercy, no grace.
Yet even in the darkest seasons, there are these things. And even when God feels farthest away, there’s a path open to greater intimacy with Him.
In the middle of what we think is hell on earth, we can turn and find the Lord of heaven right there with us. The world is broken because of sin, but Jesus paid the penalty for our sin so that anyone who puts their faith in Him can have an unbroken relationship with God. When we trust Him with our trials, they become opportunities to grow closer to Him. Somehow He’ll redeem every awful experience for His good purpose. And one day He’ll redeem the world so that suffering is gone forever.
If you haven’t yet accepted the invitation to a relationship with God through Christ, now’s a great time to do so. Believe that Jesus died on the cross to atone for your sins, was buried, and rose to life on the third day afterward to offer you eternity with God. Confess your sins to God and repent of them. Ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life and Savior of your soul.
When life becomes so dark you can’t see Him, seek Him anyway. Hold tight to what His Word, the Bible, says to be true. Pray even when prayer hurts and your words seem to go nowhere. Thank God for His goodness, even when you have to dig deep for one thing to be thankful for.
Remember: He who was once forsaken for you will never forsake you.
Behind the Screen
Like many months, August has not gone quite according to plan. I envisioned myself pounding away at my book proposal and entering September ready to ship it off with a query to my ideal agent. Instead, I took an informal sabbatical. For several reasons.
First, as I began applying what I learned from the proposal-writing course last month, I realized afresh just how big an undertaking this proposal business is. Doing it well requires a lot of thought, not just for the book itself but for how the book will get to its intended readers. And on a higher level, it requires vision for the direction you want your author career to take. That’s not something to take lightly. So I decided to step back, let the proposal sit for a bit, and allow God to search me and give me clarity on where He wants things to go.
I’d also honestly accumulated a lot of stress this year—good and bad, personal and professional. Over the past twelve months, I’ve simultaneously pushed my first book through its first year of public life, worked on preparing for my next book, and navigated family health issues and their effects. Paradoxically, some of the stress only registered once things began to settle down this summer. Last month I realized my mind needed a break to reset—especially with a busy Fall ahead.
Now, with a new month around the corner, I’m looking forward to getting back to work. On the personal front, September means the start of horseback riding lessons and ladies’ Bible study. My mom will be recovering from a hip replacement (surgery tomorrow—prayers appreciated!). I do have a few fun writer announcements coming in the fall months, including a special speaking engagement in November, so stay tuned!
Until next month’s newsletter … have a blessed rest of the summer!
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