Worthy Words (September 1)

A blessed first day of September to you! This month of the year has always been a favorite of mine. In the school years, it had that “fresh start” feeling of January, but without the bitter cold. The weather becomes more bearable for my middle-aged body, and the leaves begin to transform into their autumn glory. The smells, the flavors, and the step back into routine trigger a calmness I don’t experience in other months.

This week on the blog: How to Build a Platform as a Christian Writer for God’s Glory (Not Your Own)

KEEP YOUR COURAGE | SUSAN NARJALA

“Maybe you too feel like there’s no hope left. You’ve given it your all. You’ve tried your best. … You’ve tried everything you can to keep things afloat, but cracks keep appearing. … Here’s what Paul says to his fellow shipmates, “Keep your courage… for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Acts 27: 26).”

HOW OLD ARE YOU? | SYLVIA SCHROEDER

“The number of digits in our years holds less importance than the continued growth of our souls.” A sweet story, a look back at some senior saints, and tremendous encouragement for those of us no longer on the younger side of life.

WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO READ YOUR BIBLE | KRISTEN WETHERELL

“We won’t grow in our hunger for God apart from personally knowing him and loving his Word. We should regularly spend time engaging Scripture. But if we limit our engagement to this individualized ‘quiet time’ format—even without realizing it—we not only fall into false guilt and discouragement but also miss many creative (and biblical) ways of nourishing our souls with God’s Word. Here are two.”

5 MYTHS ABOUT QUIET TIME | KRISTEN WETHERELL

I typically don’t share two posts by the same author in the same week, but Kristen’s on a roll, and if the previous article resonates with you, so will this one. If you need freedom from “quiet time” guilt, allow her encouragement to renew your mind according to God’s Word about what our “devotional lives” should look like.

FINE WINE, REAL LIFE & HOW TO ACTUALLY CHOOSE JOY | ABIGAIL WALLACE

“Christian joy is grounded in our union with Christ, and that union—not our plans coming to pass—is the eternal fountain for our joy. This understanding led young Scottish pastor Robert Murray M’Cheyne to say, ‘It has always been my ambition to have no plans as regards myself.’ His words grate against our autonomous, task-oriented, 21st-century grain. But to say them in any age would be supernatural.” 

REDISCOVERING THE JOY OF WRITING | SCOTT HUBBARD

Six practical lessons for a lifelong writing habit for Christians—whether you write online, for publishing, or privately. This article is my favorite read on the practice of writing in recent months.