Happy New Year!
I know that “happy'' can feel a bit of an off word in light of the past two years. Furthermore, depending on how this letter finds you in the recovery of what December looked like for you, the word may not fit how you feel in the morning these days.
A quick word of encouragement. In English, the word happy is sometimes the translation for the word blessed in the Bible. This is deeply meaningful as it connotes favour. There’s a sense of provision, love, and care. And it is not contingent on what is happening (current circumstances) or what will happen (outcomes). Rather, it’s an assurance that in all of it, the favour of the Father is also present. A favour that is promised in and through all kinds of moments, not despite the bad ones, or evidenced only when things line up favourably for us.
A few words on this modest missive. Writing a newsletter called Food for Thought, can elicit with the name alone, the idea of pensive abstract content. One reason I chose the name and focus is because much of our life begins in the abstract space of our thoughts. In our minds thoughts and ideas become narratives. These narratives take root and fuel how and why we behave in our everyday life. I want to feed on Truth!
As most of you know, every Friday a letter goes out to encourage reflection. My hope is to keep us chewing for a while on matters of faith and regular everyday life. One is divine and lofty. The other, well, mundane. If the first is not altering, informing, and transforming the later, we are missing the immeasurable, incomprehensible, yet paradoxically tangible relationship we get to have with our Maker.
The rhythm of this Friday letter remains:
*One letter on Books+Content (or resources, like this one:) )
*One letter on Scripture, unpacking a passage to meditate/chew on
*One letter on Renewal, more specifically how to renew our minds
*One letter will be a poem. A smaller, creative morsel with the same intent: use words to help us think about faith in a fresh light.
For the odd month that has five instead of four Fridays, I will continue to do a “bonus track” and share something that compliments the theme of Food for Thought.
Now, unto today’s serving:)
I don’t want to be more productive. But I do want to be fruitful, in the right things. And I realize that may look modest on the outside. And that’s ok. God sees the whole. Heaven does not measure greatness in terms of numbers (or dollars, likes, people who subscribe or attend to our thing, etc.). Instead, it measures obedience in terms of faithfulness. And that is found in the smallest things and big ones alike.
Because I’m prone to forget and can quickly become entangled in whatever is interesting and/or stressful, I’ve adopted the practice of taking stock each year for the past six years, of where I am, how I got there, and how it got me closer or farther from God, my life-line.
Of course each year I learn new ways I did both. I’m human and a sinner. Also, every year I uncover new insights into how God is teaching me and leading me. If my relationship with God is my lifeline, prayer and time in Scripture are the means that feed me. Alongside these vital habits, are helpful tools I leverage to help me in my day-to-day.
With that in mind, I wanted to share a few that have helped me articulate where and how I want to invest my time. Western culture is obsessed with results. We live in an era of do, do, and then do some more. Often at the detriment of relationships and our well-being. Which includes both our mental and spiritual health, and things like rest and Sabbath. So, instead of books and content, for this edition, I share some resources and practical ways I found them helpful.
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Prayer
Since my conversion, back in 1991, I prayed a lot. Nearly all of those prayers took place in moments of panic, pain, or fear. The faith I put in those prayers was real, to be sure. However, there wasn’t a regular practice or intention for praying beyond asking for help for myself or someone else (when I remembered). I prayed for others, yes. But with no habit or order.
After a really hard year in 2016, I entered 2017 with a deep longing to communicate with God. A real conversation. And with a heart posture that cared for more than just my urgent wants and needs. Around that time, I discovered these prayer journals. The founder was in a writers’ group I’m part of, and she created these out of her own need to pray more.
There are a variety of formats that vary in size and price. Personally, I like the 6-month ones. They are small and affordable. Mine is handy along with my Bible. When I read one I read the other right after. I fill it out at the beginning of each month and pray 1-2 prompts a day, covering all by the end of the week. It has given me a rhythm and habit for prayer. I try to wait until they go on sale and buy two to save a bit since shipping and exchange rates make anything more expensive for Canadians!
This tool has helped me stay focused, consistent, and intentional in my prayer life. So deeply, that last year when I ran out of journals because I forgot to buy enough (emergency hospital visits threw a wrench on my first semester), I took a small notebook and basically replicated the prompts, filled it out each month and used that for that until the end of the year. When it went on sale I bought two for this year. Read more about this tool here. I commend it to you!
Planners
After several years using a traditional planner (you know, with the days of the week and a space to write to-do’s, appointments, etc.) I decided last summer to test out other planners that offered a deeper, more embodied focus than just tasks, while still accommodating everyday life responsibilities. I tested two systems.
The first was the Monk Manual. I ordered one and used it for several months. I was so impressed with the beng+doing approach, the way it gently gears you to look and plan your time in an integrated manner.
Although I ended up choosing a different planner which I talk about next, I still practice several prompts from the Monk Manual. I handwrite them on my planner. I affectionately call them free therapy. The daily check-in of when you felt unrest and when you were at your best, is helpful to raise awareness of how I’m acting and what affects me. I found it to be such a helpful tool, it was one of the Christmas gifts I gave my husband.
The Evergreen Planner is the second planner I decided to test out last year. I learned about this one from author Jasmine Holmes. You may recall her name, as she’s the author of Mother to Son, one of my top reads last year. Whatever small amount of time I spend on social media, her posts I make sure to always check. She shared about this curious planner early last year. I took note of both the stunning cover and what she said about the planner system.
As the year unfolded and my schedule went through many transitions, along with my plans, attitude, and responsibilities, I decided that I’d be testing different tools in the second part of the year to evaluate better ways to help me not only stay organized but more importantly aware and flexible. I used it for the last quarter of last year and loved it. I’m using it again this year. It’s pricey but so helpful, I’ve adjusted in other areas and saved up for it.
Goal setting tools
The 2 sister-team that runs the small Evergreen Planner business recently launched a digital workbook called Crafting Rooted Goals. It’s a digital product, downloadable, and which you can use and print as often as you want. I found it reasonably priced at $30. And after doing the work I can say I found the process very valuable. The series of questions are a guide to help you articulate your calling in a manner that also helps to articulate how to invest it.
Here’s a quote from the workbook, I feel showcases well the intent and wisdom of this tool. I loved it so much, I wrote it in my journal and revisit it often:
“The Kingdom of God does not rise and fall by the successes and failures of our goals–and yet we have been created to do meaningful work. The sowing and reaping principle in Scripture points to our responsibility to be intentional. Getting organized around our goals can be an act of worship. You may not know the future, but God does. He’s given you the responsibility to steward the resources He’s entrusted to you.”
-Crafting Rooted Goals Workbook, p. 35.
It is unique in that it starts with calling. It's helpful. For an idea of how it’s presented, here's a blog post they published recently to explain the workbook. Since it’s a digital one-time purchase, I plan on re-using mine to revise or formulate certain goals.
I’ve been using this goal-setting tool for the past six years in a row. It has helped me stay on track with writing, from my first attempts at blogging to this substack publication I send week after week. It’s helped me gain clarity on faith practices, academic goals, improve financial habits, not to mention cultivate a daily habit of Scripture reading. It’s been a game-changer.
To be clear, it takes work. The prep takes a few hours to complete. And depending on how introspective you are, the process can feel like a stretch. That being said, it’s also designed in a pretty manner, and it’s light-hearted in the way it approaches tough questions, which helps make the experience like a fun coaching session. I say all this, to help manage expectations. Overall, as with most things in life, you will get what you put into it.
The initial prep work takes you through a series of guided questions to help you identify what matters most to you and gauge how you are doing that in relation to your current life. Every year they edit and improve based on the feedback received on the previous edition. It’s been around for ten years. I’ve been a user for the past six, and this year’s edition is by far the most streamlined and helpful I’ve used so far.
After you complete the prep work, the tool helps you articulate goals based on key areas of your life, and create mini-goals that help move you toward the larger one. Then, each month there is a tending list, where you write the goals you want to cultivate daily (usually habits), those you want to work on weekly, and those you want to keep in mind for the month.
I’ve noticed sometimes people mistake it to be a planner. To be clear, it is not that. If you want a conventional paper planner to write dates for projects and keep track of appointments, this is not that. However, this will definitely help that make more sense with your overall life;)
One of the principles of this tool is the idea of progress instead of perfection, and little by little progress. Such a notion was a balm when I first came across it, after a lifetime chasing after high stakes high-speed results. Another grace I owe this tool is learning how to pivot. Changing and editing the course of a goal is part of life, not a sign of failure or weakness.
An added fun blessing has been to have friends near and far who also use Powersheets. We touch base with one another every month to share our tending lists and goals to keep each other accountable. It also helps inform my prayers for them and how I can encourage and support them, and how they can pray for me.
Ok, now some content to pair well with these tools.
Worthwhile
A few links to help us read widely, think deeply, and discern well.
This piece by Jen Pollock Michel on productivity, and why she’s no longer focusing on it, was a respite to read. There’s wisdom that confronts our loud and competitive culture, and if you are like me, your own heart as well. “What seems far more important than disciplines of time management are disciplines of attention management. The minutes are not ours to multiply. We receive them as a gift. What we can do, however, is cultivate the ability to inhabit those minutes with attention, or undiluted unfragmented presence.”
This conversation with Justin Whitmel Earley and on habits was my best listen this week. “Your habits are not going to change God’s love for you. But God’s love for you should of course change your habits.” A lot of food for thought and encouragement and wisdom on habits and how we can root them on faulty or healthy narratives. Early’s story of burnout is one I deeply resonated with, but more importantly, so did his awakening to a different life. Well worth your time, take a listen: Web | Spotify | Apple.
Thanks so much for reading! God is present in each one of the days ahead. The year may be new, and depending on where it finds you, it may feel exciting, dreadful, or indififfent for you. But God is the same; comforting, assuring, and personal. Always. And that is good news. A blessed 2022, to you and yours! See you next Friday. Love, Paola