Three gifts for writers

Some encouragement, a video Advent reading, and a gift guide

This time of year, it can be hard to write. I get it. You’re busy. I’ve been to the post office already this morning, I have done far too many Target runs this week, and I’ve got some baking to do for a party we’re going to this evening. For your sake and mine, I’ll keep this brief. I’ve got three little Advent gifts for you:

Photo by Alex Fu: https://www.pexels.com/

Reframe your writing

Let me give you a nugget of encouragement, my loves. This time of year, we can find ourselves distracted by tasks, and writing becomes a chore. December also ushers in a lot of feelings—good and also not so good—and those, too, can distract us from writing. Over the next couple of weeks, try to reframe your writing. Instead of seeing it as one more task, or one more emotional effort, be kind to yourself. See your writing as a place to process all the feels. As a reprieve from the endless tasks. As a gift to yourself, an opportunity to lose yourself in the beautiful exercise of expressing your deepest thoughts, questions, struggles and joys. This Advent season can be a rich one to mine for stories, insights, challenges—all things to enrich your writing.

Advent for writers

Just like last week, I wanted to share a reading from my book, The Gift of Christmas Present, an Advent devotional. The scripture is from Psalm 131, a very short ancient poem that feels perfectly relevant today. Here’s the whole Psalm:

My heart is not proud, Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
    or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord
    both now and forevermore.

My video reading is below. Have your devotions with me—it only takes 3 minutes!

Last minute gift guide for readers!

Finally, I want to give you a gift guide. If you’re wondering what to get friends and family for Christmas—the answer is always books! Everyone needs more books in their life! As writers, we should read great books and also buy them for everyone we love! We should review them, recommend them, share them and celebrate them!

Need a gift guide? I’ve curated a list of a few books I’ve read and enjoyed this year—books I’m buying for readers on my list! I’ve also included some books I’ve written in years past but updated and re-released this year. (And also some big news about my newest book.) Pop on over to the blog where I have the whole gift guide!

Photo by Lucie Liz: https://www.pexels.com/