To A New Year

"Be not afraid, O land;
  be glad and rejoice.
  Surely the Lord has done great things.
22. Be not afraid, O wild animals,
  for the open pastures are becoming green.
 The trees are bearing their fruit;
  the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
23. Be glad, O people of Zion,
  rejoice in the Lord your God,
  for He has given you
  the autumn rains in abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before." Joel 2: 21-24

This says it all. There is nothing else to add, really. :)

Fear is counterproductive.

Instead, be happy. Enjoy the process, enjoy the moment, take pleasure in your work, whatever it is. We can rejoice in the simple pleasures life provides us, simple pleasures that also foreshadow a deeper joy to come.

"The trees are bearing their fruit." Something to believe, especially when you've planted the seeds.

The Recipe for Success

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

 Easier said that done... Despite how straightforward this proberb is, I believe there are several ways to understand it. The lesson I take from it is to learn to let go at some point, and to realize that as you build your own success, you do not necessarily have everything under control.

You can take advantage of an opportunity (and you don't want to miss one), but you cannot always control when one will appear. You can learn to spot it, trust your guts and act on it. In other words be gutsy and trust that it will pay off.

You cannot necessarily control circumstances, but you can make the best of them even if it means beating the odds. You have to trust that you can do it and that, to borrow some friends' expression, your luck is around the corner.

This might sound strange, but that verse also reminds me of team work. You do your part, and when you have done all that you can, you, for those who believe in such a concept, abandons it in the hand of a higher power. This is particularly relevant for a writer. You've spent months, years working on a single story, polishing your draft, revising a gazillion times. Then comes a time where you have to let go. Submit the story to a power other than yourself, higher than yourself, more experienced. Trust your story into the hands of an agent, of editors, of booksellers, and eventually of readers. Trust is key.

A rejection is a good thing, because I believe it makes you and your story stronger. YOU because you have to get passed it and look at the positive side: the story wasn't right for a certain editor or agent, which means a better opportunity, one more suited, will come along. It can also mean that your story is not strong enough yet. It is encouraging: it is better to find out now, before the story gets published and hit the shelves to catastrophic results. Lastly, it can also mean that you have to leave the story alone for the time being, especially if you feel that you can't look at it anymore, or you cannot think of ways to improve it. Put it in a drawer and strong from that experience, start afresh.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Help Is on the Way

"People say that time will heal
But you know, they just don't feel what you feel
Times are hard but God is so good
He's never failed you, and He said He never would"
Song "Help Is on the Way," by Michael W. Smith and Israel Houghton. Click to listen.


Believing in God is a crazy thing. It is! It's irrational. It makes you think the impossible can happen --and it does happen. It restores joy and peace where there was sadness and distress. It forces you to go beyond yourself, to stretch the realm of what you can accomplish. It puts you in ridiculous situations, where only God Himself can salvage your reputation. When you're hurt, it makes you comfort someone else instead of having the self-pity party you feel entitled to. When nevertheless you've hit rock bottom, a hand appears out of nowhere and reaches to yours: a friend calls and nags you to come and visit, until you give in. Another emails to check on you. Someone you barely know would look after you in insignificant, yet positively impactful ways. The little things count.

Yes, believing in God is crazy, but it is also a wonderful journey. Never boring. At times maddening. Always fulfilling.

Here's a word to hold on to today. Regardless of what is happening in your life, God says,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrew 13:5

The whole verse reads,
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
    'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

So no, you're not forgotten. He watches over you, He has promised.