All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. Luke 2:18-19, NLT*
The shepherds saw wonders. Mary herself saw wonders! She held the Wonder of the world in her arms.
Do you think what she experienced in Bethlehem helped her keep hoping in the difficult days ahead? Surely it helped her worship this God who loved and chose her. She’d already seen Him provide, and she knew He wouldn’t abandon her and Joseph now.
Let’s be encouraged and inspired by Mary’s humble sense of obedience and trust. Let’s consciously keep in our hearts those precious times we’ve seen God touch our lives, and think about them often.
Maybe as we begin a new year it’s time to start (or re-start) a journal for gratitude or to track answered prayer. Or perhaps it’s time for a fresh commitment to keep watch for “God moments” in our days.
Precious, loving God, You are so kind in the ways You involve Yourself in my daily life. Whether it’s something major like Your call on Mary’s life or something as simple as helping me find a lost item, please help me recognize Your care. Help me keep these things in my own heart and think about them often, especially when the times of trouble come. May my spirit be kept in Your perfect peace because I know I can trust in You.
Q: What happens when a group of Christians decide to pray 24-7 for a short time, maybe a month or two?
A: It starts a movement that’s still going strong 25+ years later.
Red Moon Rising: Rediscover the Power of Prayer chronicles the 24-7 Prayer movement’s first five years, and Dirty Glory: Go Where Your Best Prayers Take You covers the next five and beyond.
This is clearly a story of what God did—through obedient people, to be sure, but there’s no way a group of humans could build and sustain an international, interdenominational movement like this. Nor could humans arrange the more dramatic experiences these books relate.
They began in prayer. Then they found themselves on mission in the strangest places, still praying but also serving and working for justice. This is an interdenominational movement that sees Christians from widely different backgrounds and denominational preferences serving and worshipping side by side for the glory of God. Looks like the Body of Christ to me.
If you want to be encouraged, even excited, in your faith, or if you’re just curious what this international 24-7 Prayer movement is all about, I highly recommend both of these books. Then, check out the 24-7 Prayer International website (or possible your country has one) for more details and resources.
The books read like novels, and if you have the chance to catch them in audiobook format the author’s energetic delivery adds to the impact. That’s what I did, but now I want to go back and read in print or digital so I can highlight the most impactful bits and also linger over some of the well-turned phrases.
The story doesn’t finish with the books. Have a listen to Pete Greig’s 25th anniversary message in 2024. As it happens, I’m posting this review on September 5, 2025—the 26th anniversary of 24-7 Prayer’s quiet beginnings.
Pete Greig’s biography on the 24-7 Prayer International website describes him as “a best-selling author, pastor and bewildered instigator of the 24-7 Prayer movement which has reached more than half the nations on earth.” For more about him, visit dirtyglory.org. For more about the 24-7 Prayer Movement or for prayer resources, visit 24-7prayer.com.
[Review copies from the public library via the Hoopla app.]
But more importantly, at least in my neck of the woods, the trees show off the Creator’s . . . well, His creativity.
And the smells of autumn and the crunch of dry leaves underfoot . . .
Love. Love. Love.
Because kids are headed back to school and the summer routine is drawing to a close, plus because we have an entire third of the year left to accomplish our goals, it does feel like a new beginning.
So, Happy New Year.
What’s on my list of “New Year’s resolutions”?
Since my hubby retired at the end of March and we’re planning to move west next year, Lord willing, it’s time to seriously buckle down and declutter. This will make the renos to our century home much easier. (And there are a fair few needed before we put the house on the market.)
It’s also time to keep up with my editing projects. I’m so thankful they’ve been steady but not overwhelming this year.
And what about writing?
Well, I did spend several hours attending a free online writers’ summit last week. So, I am once again inspired to get back to my YA spec fic novel.
And my collections of devotionals on the gospel of John.
And, most importantly, Deb Willows’s second memoir. (We’re getting close to having it ready to fire off to the publisher.)
Like any good list of resolutions, developing healthier habits is also one of my priorities. Walking more, eating more veggies and fruit, and drinking more water are at the top of the list. I’d love to do more resistance training as well. But better not to take on too much at once. That’s how resolutions fizzle and fail.
So, how about you?
What are your New Year’s (aka fall and winter) goals?
Do you view September as a new beginning if not a new year?
If you could only achieve one of your goals before December 31, what would it be?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
You may have heard me refer to my Procrastination List. Although you may not have yours on paper, you likely have tasks that you put off as long as possible, sometimes longer than you should. (If not, feel free to share your encouraging tips in the comments. Truly. One of those tips may help another reader.)
Earlier this year, I came up with a new way to approach the things on my PL. I call it The 15-Minute Initiative.
How does it work?
I take a look at my Procrastination List and determine which items have a deadline. Those I really should transfer to the Action Plan (aka my To-Do List) in my planner.
The next step . . .
Determine how many items I want to work on during any given week.
Ideally, I would like to work on one item each weekday, but in reality, setting a goal of doing so from 1-3 days per week is likely more realistic.
If I devote just 15 minutes to said project, I can check it off my list for the day. Thus, The 15-Minute Initiative.
So, just what’s on my Procrastination List?
Not necessarily in order of importance . . .
Getting back to the gym and/or working out regularly at home. (This is one of those things I should be doing at least three times per week.)
Working on revisions of the book I’m coauthoring.
Reviewing notes from my beta readers on my Bible study/devotional on the book of John and applying those ideas which I feel will make it a stronger, more helpful manuscript.
Completing the first draft of my YA spec fiction story.
Getting my tax records together for Q1 and Q2 of 2025. (It’s far easier to do this each quarter rather than waiting until March 2026. That’s the theory anyway. So far, this item has remained firmly tucked away on my Procrastination List.)
Reading skills development books, many of which I’ve had for years.
Preparing for our move west, including decluttering and packing away things we won’t need in the coming year.
Preparing for my “homegoing,” when God calls me home to heaven. (While I don’t expect this to happen anytime soon, I don’t want to leave my family in limbo re: subscriptions to cancel, computer passwords, location of important files—both physical and digital, etc., etc., etc.)
I’m sure I could think of other things if I put my mind to it, but you get the idea.
So, what about you? What would you put on your Procrastination List?
And just a reminder . . .
If you have tips that help you keep your list to a minimum (or non-existent), feel free to share in the comments.
A reminder to all of us . . .
While something might work extremely well for others, it doesn’t mean it will work for you—and that’s okay. Keep trying new ideas, find what works for you, and persevere until it’s no longer working. At that point, you can research other ideas and give them a try.
What will you spend your 15 minutes on today?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
Are your shelves bowing under the weight of unread skills development books?
Have you subscribed to a plethora of podcasts to develop as a writer?
Do you sign up for innumerable courses you never complete?
If so…
Welcome to the club!
This book comes highly recommended. If I read that book, I’ll have the motivation to complete my WIP. If I buy this bestseller, I’ll be sure to accomplish my writing goals.
Does this sound like you?
Yes?
Again, welcome to the club!
The same holds true for the podcasts I listen to and the courses I sign up for, whether it’s writing, getting back into a regular exercise routine, taking up a new hobby, trying new recipes, or developing my spiritual life.
While a new book, podcast, or course may inspire me for a short time, I must persevere. And follow-through? Well, that’s where I fall short. And motivation becomes overwhelm.
What can we do when this is the case?
Here are eight suggestions:
Gather all the books you want to read or re-read into one place.
Determine which are most relevant to your current season as a writer.
Set aside outdated volumes and those that aren’t currently applicable to your works-in-progress.
Read a chapter, or a portion of a chapter, each day. Apply what you’ve learned immediately if possible.
Repeat with each book you want to read.
Approach your podcasts the same way. Determine which are of benefit. (And yes, we all need to “chill” at times. Not all our books or podcasts have to be educational per se.)
Determine which courses you signed up for most recently. If they are relevant to what you are currently working on, go through the courses one at a time, setting aside time each week (or several times per week) based on available time.
Admit to yourself that not every book, podcast, and course is relevant to your current season. Some may even be outdated. Take a deep breath and be willing to delete / unsubscribe / give away what is no longer relevant.
When we can apply what we’re learning, we’ll likely remain motivated to persevere.
If we hold onto too many resources, they will simply weigh us down.
What’s something that you find overwhelming rather than motivating? Are you ready to let it go?
What’s something that you’re ready to begin or get back to? A book? A podcast? A course? Something else?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
Can humans today hear from the God of the Bible? Not necessarily audibly, but can we know what He’s saying to us? If you’re curious, I highly recommend this book as an excellent, inspiring resource.
You can tell from the subtitle that it’s not a dry theological work. Instead, it’s a refreshing, accessible, and practical look at various ways Christians can “hear” God (and how to discern A: is it God, and B: am I hearing clearly?).
The key Scriptural passage acting as a framework for the book is the two travellers on the Emmaus Road from Luke 24, where the risen Christ walks with them and teaches them. And the emphasis is on hearing as a natural part of a conversational relationship with God.
While acknowledging Jesus as the Living Word, the book also addresses hearing God’s external word through the Bible, prayer, and prophecy, and His internal word in our spirits, in dreams, and in community, creation, and culture.
Chapters include examples from the Bible, personal experience, quotations from other works on the subject, and mini bio features of Christians both contemporary and historical.
Pete Greig is an excellent speaker, and by narrating his own book in audio form he makes it feel like hearers are listening to him on a podcast or at a conference. Now I want to buy a print copy to study in more depth. The questions for individual and group discussion will be helpful, as will the recommendations for further reading.
Last month, I shared some of my favourite podcasts and audiobook providers. But even the best of these can become little more than noise in this world of overstimulation. And coming out of the holiday season, rest—and quiet—may be exactly what you need.
Although quiet and rest are not the same, they are related. While being quiet doesn’t guarantee we will be at rest, it is difficult to truly rest and recharge without at least some periods of quiet. (Note: quietness isn’t necessarily the same as silence. For instance, you can go for a quiet walk surrounded by the sounds of nature.)
Dave Nickel at the Fairy Bridges in Ireland Photo Credit: Steph Beth Nickel
Saundra Dalton Smith, MD, identifies seven types of rest each of us needs, many of which we give little to no thought. In her book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, the author examines the following types of rest: Physical Rest, Mental Rest, Emotional Rest, Spiritual Rest, Social Rest, Sensory Rest, and Creative Rest.
Depending on the audiobook I’m listening to or the podcast I have playing, I may be able to rest in one or more of these ways. However, there are times quiet is the best option. While I can fall asleep listening to a TV show, podcast, or audiobook (thank goodness for the snooze feature!), allowing myself to drift off without this type of auditory input can make for a more restful sleep.
Listening to anything that gets my mind racing is obviously not providing the mental or emotional rest I need. There are things that do, however. For example, I enjoy using Emily P. Freeman’s Quiet Collection and the One Minute Pause apps to wind down and “be present.”
While there are numerous auditory resources that help us develop our spiritual life, it’s important to enjoy the presence of the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, and listen to what He is teaching us through what we’ve read, heard, and experienced. It’s easier to do this if we regularly take time to be quiet.
And now we come to social rest. I can almost hear all the introverts out there cheering, but we extroverts may have a tough time with this one. I like listening to podcasts not only because of the subject matter but also because I enjoy the pseudo connection I’ve made with my favourite podcasters. I have to remind myself that I don’t always need someone to keep me company.
While sensory rest seems self-explanatory, we may need to remind ourselves of its importance, especially when we encounter resistance—external or internal.
And last, the author of Sacred Rest examines creative rest. She refers to a friend who rests by pulling out her art supplies and creating a painting. While the very thought of doing so may cause us anxiety, there is likely something creative each of us finds restful.
How about you? Do you enjoy sitting down at the piano and playing your favourite song? Grabbing your camera and going for a photo walk? Baking a batch of cookies? Art journalling? Writing a poem?
As we enter the new year, let’s commit to stepping back from the noise and embracing the rest we need.
How are you going to do so?
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
Those of us of a certain age will likely remember the old Sunday School song encouraging us to be mindful of what we focus on and what we listen to. The importance of doing so has never been more vital, considering the multiple avenues through which our senses are bombarded these days.
This month, I’m going to share some of my favourite podcasts, a couple of my favourite audiobook providers, and two apps that I use virtually every day in my devotional time. I’m also going to touch on why it’s crucial to “turn off the noise” from time to time and calm my squirrel brain. Hopefully, these will be helpful to you as well.
First, Audiobooks
Like many people, I signed up for Audible way back when and, for the most part, used my monthly credits for lengthy books. My search for more economical options, led me to Chirp Books and then Kobo Plus from Rakuten Kobo. As a result of discovering audiobooks, I have spent a plethora of hours consuming books even when my eyes were too tired to focus and my brain too scattered to concentrate without the auditory input.
And speaking of auditory input . . .
There has been an explosion of podcasts and apps in recent years. Below are some of my favourites in various categories:
Faith-Building
She Reads Truth (SRT) with co-hosts Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams, a podcast which corresponds to the Bible reading plans SRT publishes. Even though I don’t purchase the corresponding materials, I get a lot out of this weekly podcast.
A good friend of mine and I have been going through several of the reading plans on the You Version app over the last number of months. I find them great springboards for deeper study on a variety of topics.
I also use the ESV app five or more days a week. I appreciate the dimension the narrator adds to my Bible reading. (It’s best if I follow along so I don’t get distracted. Me and my squirrel brain.)
Skills Development
The Creative Penn with Joanna Penn, a podcast on writing, self-publishing, and related topics.
The Modern Editor Podcastwith Tara Whitaker, a podcast with lots of tips for 21st century freelance editors.
Writing at the Red Housewith Kathi Lipp, a podcast in which Kathi and her guests discuss the many facets of being a traditionally published nonfiction author. (Kathi and her guests also touch on fiction writing and self-publishing from time to time.)
Other
Grit ’n’ Grace with Cheri Gregory, a podcast about approaching life as a highly sensitive person, an HSP. This podcast is excellent for Christian woman who are HSPs and for those who know someone who is an HSP.
The Lazy Genius with Kendra Adachi, a podcast about “being a genius about things that matter and lazy about things that don’t.” Note: Listeners are encouraged to decide for themselves what’s important to them. No cookie cutter approach here.
The Next Right Thingwith Emily P. Freeman, a faith-based podcast about determining and taking the next right step in the various areas of our life. (I use the guided journal by the same name.)
Still . . .
It’s important to “unplug” periodically.
Here are three reasons I find it important to regularly be quiet:
We can soak in the sounds of nature instead of what’s playing on our earbuds.
We’re able to think more deeply about what we’re learning and what’s important to us if we’re not going from one thing to the next to the next.
When we’re quiet, we have the opportunity to listen for God’s still, small voice.
In December we’ll examine the connection between quiet and rest, something most of us will likely need after the busyness of the Christmas season.
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography
As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.
Why is it important to know that God has a name other than “God”? That He revealed His name to Moses and to the people He had chosen?
Lots of people talk about God… with lots of variations on who they think He is. So His name, as revealed in the Bible, tells us who we’re talking about. So to quote the prologue, “The question at the heart of this book [is]: Who is God?” And the answer is important, because the prologue also asserts that “We become like what we worship.”
So this is a book for Christians (others are welcome too) where we can check our ideas about God against what He says about Himself, with a view to learning to follow in His ways. There’s a lot of misinformation about God floating loose in society, and we’re not immune to absorbing some of it. That’s why we need books like this one.
In six chapters, God Has a Name dives deep (yet accessibly) into the text of Exodus 34:4-7, where God told Moses His name: Yahweh, often rendered in our Bibles as “The LORD.”
Lest that sound heavy or dry, let me say I love the friendly, conversational tone. This is not your great-grandparents’ stilted theology text. It’s deeply researched, drawing from many contemporary and long-past writers, and the occasional Hebrew word does pop up, but I found the delivery refreshing.
We can (and should) read this Bible passage on our own, prayerfully spending regular time in the Scriptures. There’s much more to it than I’ve ever dug up on my own, though, and I’m grateful for John Mark Comer’s teaching on it.
Each chapter begins with a portion of the passage. The pattern is to: 1) explore the original language, 2) look at where the passage shows up elsewhere in the Bible (it’s quoted or referenced so many times!), 3) look at how Jesus reveals this Exodus-Named God in the New Testament, and 4) “think about what who God is means for who we are” (prologue) and how that might reshape us.
I found this book invigorating, and I definitely need to read it again. Highly recommended! You can read the first chapter online here. Or for a taste of the full contents, check out the author’s God Has a Name sermon series at Bridgetown Church, Oregon. Just click the name of each installment to listen.
New York Times bestselling author John Mark Comer is currently based in Los Angeles, working with Practicing the Way (check the site for spiritual formation resources). To learn more about the author and his ministry, visit johnmarkcomer.com. Scroll down far enough, and you’ll find various podcast options as well as his books.
[Review copy from the public library via Hoopla Digital.]
