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Edition #33

Welcome to "Write Your Life Forward"!

Are you here for the first time? Come on in, my Friend! We are a community of friends who aspire to see change, get unstuck, and write our lives forward. We do that by helping you study your life's story in the light of God's love story! Welcome to our cyber corner!

A New & Stress-Less Year

Hey, friend! Welcome back to a new school term in Australia. I'm thrilled to have you here with us!

The official end of our summer holiday has arrived, and our kids are eagerly embracing their return to school and their regular routines after a refreshing 7-week break!

But as we settle back into the daily hum-drum of life, I'm reflecting on the carefree nature the kids have and the importance for us as parents to actively consider ways to prevent the buildup of stress in our year ahead.

In the midst of our bustling lives, where haste and urgency often become second nature, breaking free from the usual stress cycle requires a conscious effort.

Eliminating Hurry

A close friend recently introduced me to the concept of "ikigai," a Japanese philosophy that encourages finding joy in life's little pleasures without the constant pressure to pursue grandeur.

She reminded me that not everything needs to be monumental, attention-grabbing, applause-deserving, or Instagram-worthy.

This mindset also alleviates the constant pressure for our work to always be at the top of its game and to constantly strive for the next big breakthrough.

Mastering the art of small, everyday moments and honing your skills in the little things, all while taking pride in those crafts, can be a powerful remedy for the ongoing stresses of life.

It's fascinating to observe parallels in this lesson both within Scripture and during my overseas trips. More on this topic to come...!

Have You Ever Fallen?

These kids keep gliding on their skates, and when they tumble and hit the ground, they bounce right back up with laughter!

For Christians, joy—not misery—is our last say -- which is a mystery to the world.

Joy is indeed our game plan to a life of strength and power!

But what tumbles have you experienced in life that prevent you from getting up and laughing?

Because it's true:

When all you can see of your own life are your own impossibilities, you can be blinded from seeing that you serve a God of all impossibilities.

Joy = Strength

But honestly, I sometimes even question the purpose of good, honest work, because at times even worthwhile projects can feel downright laborious.

You may have experienced that too... moments when you couldn't help but question why on earth do we do what we do.

So I turned to Ecclesiastes 1 and it turned back to me:

1 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."

3 What do people gain from all their labours
at which they toil under the sun?
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9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
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10 Is there anything which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.

This book of the Bible is fascinating!

Despite the seemingly existential tone, Ecclesiastes actually teaches important lessons about the purpose of our work, the value of our labour, and how to live unapologetically in a world that screams "You're not good enough!"

Because honestly, the way of faith isn't necessarily shuffling and shoving, hustling and jockeying, but an invitation to live rooted and grounded in Christ.

"Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan is the gigantic secret of the Christian" (GK Chesterton)

You Can Live Strong & Joyful!

I'm so grateful for the way I have been healed as I reflected on my condition a couple of weeks ago:

January is starting to look busy, and I’m at fault for trying to do more.

As the new year unfolds, I find myself caught in the whirlwind of busyness, thriving on adrenaline.

Just hours before we were about to hop on the plane for our getaway, I came down with a rash that started on just one side of my body, along my dermatome in my C2C3 nerves. It began a few days prior when I started having tension around my head and my left shoulder blade.

The throbbing sensation around the lower back of my skull kept me edging my fingers looking for lumps. Every little push sends me jerking away in pain, and minutes before I flew, I dosed up on analgesics to help me manage my pain.

Read here for more

But I'm longing for a greater revelation to what it takes to live strong and joyful in 2024!

And I can't wait to do this with you!

Stay tuned for our Bible study topics starting in February onwards!

Our Face2Face Study!

Starting this Friday, we're resuming our in-person Bible Study. Yippee!

As our community grows both in-person and online, we eagerly await God's guidance for the year ahead.

Join us this Friday for our very first get-together and catch-up.

It's a fantastic opportunity to reunite after seven weeks, pray for the year ahead, and support each other in our current challenges.

If you would like to be a part of our coffee time, simply reply and we'll fill you in on the details!

What's your one word for the year?

So Friend, just remember:

Anxiety often contorts us into pretzels of emotions, but there is always more than enough of His love for our worst of days and it is in this grace that we rest.

Let's make 2024 a joyful, stress-free year!

I'm so thrilled to get to know you!

x Liza

Browse Our Planner

I'm grateful for this planner pack to help me navigate my big year ahead. It is jam-packed with everything from meal planning to budget tracking, from capturing dreams and visions to the nitty gritty of parenting. 35 pages of instantly downloadable pages you can print and reprint, and the proceeds go into sustaining our online ministry. I hope you will be blessed by it! 🌟

Peek Into Previous Editions​​

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