As the first week of December comes to a close I’m reflecting on some of the blog posts that encouraged me this week, an angry email, some yummy chicken, and an inkling about my word for 2014.

My Favorite Blog Posts:

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

A Deeper Church: A balanced, beautiful approach to viewing wealth and an important corrective by Seth Haines.

Jennifer Clark Tinker has a cool mind, and I love the way she processes whether she’s relevant (and whether or not that even matters). Loved her illustration about music! It’s freeing.

My friend Michele Perry is beautiful. She wrote a post that made me stop and remember the beauty of hearing Jesus say my name. May you hear Him say yours this Christmas.

FOR WRITERS:

Author Anne Mateer speaks my love language as a writer. To write a novel takes sheer grit, determination, and faithfulness—but not at the expense of our families.

As I seek, discern and pray about what is next for my writing and speaking career, this post really resonated with me. Particularly this: “The struggle that many of us face is this ridiculous pressure to promote or to preach or to market not just what we are doing but the fact that we are doing something at all. Why is that? We are all so quick to point out to others that are doing great things that more people should know about it and that the social web is how one can do that better. Who said that that is really the case? Who made it a rule that more equals better?” John Saddington is reading my email!

ABOUT FAMILY:

I have a huge crush on the way Bridget Beth sees her life. This post about her boys and home is simply beautiful.

 

My Picture of the Week:

I had the privilege of spending time this week with fellow writers who met at Mount Hermon. My friend Jeanne Damoff made these chicken thingies, which are really meat candy. Oh. My. Goodness. YUMMMMY.

 

Angry Email of the Week:

“I just finished your book and was angry and disapointed that many questions were not answered; Who killed Daisy?  what happened to Hap? what happened to any or all of them. was the lack of answers a ruse to get customers to buy more books?  I would not buy anything you will ever write. So Madam. I wish you the best, but I would never buy anything you will ever write, nor would i reccomend them to anyone.”

My response:

Thanks for your email! I understand your frustration. The way I envisioned the story was three books, with the final conclusion at the end. My intent was certainly not to sell books, but to write a great story.

I’m sorry you were disappointed.

Warmly,

Mary

 

Facebook Post With the Most Interaction:

So, what’s your inkling for 2014? What word do you need to concentrate on? Or phrase? I’m pretty sure mine needs to be FOCUS. My way-too-scattered brain is too old to keep this frenetic work going without laser-beam focus. I’d appreciate prayer as I weed out my life to that which is essential.

What’s the thing you need to work on, think about, implement in 2014, and why?