Finishing Off 2026 by Sandra Rafuse

                                 Before                                                      After

"What ten things will you be doing in the last four months of 2026?" the September prompt asked. "Don't be limited by the number - choose any number you like," the last sentence stated. Oh good, I thought. It doesn't have to be ten. I'll try for five. I decided to look back over the previous blogs that had been posted so far this month and jot down any topics I thought I would want to be doing also. Here are the five I chose:

• a thorough house cleaning
• writing in my journal regularly
• renew a couple of friendships that I have let go
• reduce my time on my cell phone
• work on finishing up a story I started a few weeks ago.

 1. A thorough house cleaning. Actually it's not that I need to do a house cleaning so much as I need to do a "declutter and organize" campaign. I tend to put things down and leave them right there. I don't give them much thought after that because I figure I'll remember where they are when I'm ready to deal with them . . . or so I tell myself.  Really, my thought most often is, I'll deal with it later. But it's highly likely I won't.

Reading the following quote from Elisabeth Elliot convicted me strongly of the fact that I had no excuse to have a cluttered, unorganized house. I found it hard to read because I knew it was true and it showed me very clearly that the way I was living was not honoring God. "The way you keep your house, the way you organize your time, the care you take in your personal appearance, the things you spend your money on, all speak loudly about what you believe. The beauty of thy peace shines forth in an ordered life. A disordered life speaks loudly of disorder in the soul." Elisabeth Elliot,  Let Me Be a Woman     

2. Writing in my journal regularly. I know this is so important. When it's happening, I'm feeling good.  When it's not happening, I'm feeling bad. I know I need a regular time and a specific place to do it everyday.  I'm determined to get there.

3. Renew a couple of friendships that I have let go. There are two people in my life who I was once close to and with whom I no longer have any contact with. They have been on my mind lately and I believe it's time for me to look them up. This isn't going to be easy for me; there a lot of mixed feelings I need to deal with here and they are not all pleasant. I am reminded of one of the best pieces of advice I ever heard from a pastor, "You can't control how people will respond to you when you interact with them, but you can control how you respond. You can be the best person you need to be at that time."  I've never forgotten those words and they have helped me be a better person to many people in different situations. "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1 NIV) 

 4. Reduce my time on my cell phone. I want to break the hold I have allowed my cell phone to have on me. It is always with me and and it is rarely out of my sight. I put it down and then I reach for it again almost immediately. Worst of all, it takes me away from spending much needed time with my husband. Recently, I found an article on the internet called "7 Proven Ways to Break Your Cell Phone Addiction." And, yes, I'm on it!  After reading a few scary addiction facts and finding out the damage this usage can cause, I've started using two of the seven recommendations:

• Don't charge your phone near your bed:
• Change your phone settings.

5. Work on finishing up a short story I started a few weeks ago. The pictures at the top of this post come from the middle of the story, and if you've looked at them, I'm guessing you can figure out what the story is about. There's a very interesting beginning and a very nice ending. I figure it's about one third completed, and I want to finish it while the memory of what took place is still fresh in my mind.

WAIT! There's one more thing to add. No one else has mentioned this.  A couple of weeks ago, one of my sons told me he thinks I am a classic case of someone who has ADHD. When he said that, I felt my entire body relax. It was a very noticeable feeling. Then my brain said, Well that explains why . . . and my whole life flashed before my eyes! I'm going to research this in the coming weeks because I think he's right!

P.S. Elisabeth Elliot was the wife of Jim Elliot, one of the five men who were killed by the Auca tribe in Ecuador when the men went to spread Christianity to them in January of 1956.

 

Sandra Rafuse lives in the small town of Rockglen, Saskatchewan with her husband, Bob, a Gordon Setter named Sadie, and a Peregrine falcon named Peet. She is a retired elementary school teacher who still loves to go into used bookstores to comb through the shelves of books in the children's section to see what treasures she can find. Spring and summer are her favorite seasons and walking is her choice of movement.

The Original Ten by Brenda J Wood

 

Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay

Again, this year, instead of fifty things to do before I die, I determine to concentrate on the original ten. I intentionally examine my life for areas where I put anything before God and his will for me. I confess to making a few graven images over the years; whether by chance or happenstance. I ask God to help me recognize them and then help me clear them out of my life.

My tongue often slips a gear or two and drops words that disrespect God’s holiness. And I have to guard my eyes too. What am I reading or watching?

I will make the Sabbath Day a holy experience by setting aside my to-do list and connecting with God and others.

I honoured my parents the best I could while they were alive and now, I honour their memory, by remembering the good things about them, not dwelling on their human failures.

I haven’t physically killed anyone (that I know of), but I have slaughtered a few with unkind words and untruths about them. It is rumoured that canola oil is a bug killer and therefore will kill us. The truth is, it smothers bugs. but I doubt that humans will be dunked in it.

Physical adultery never crossed my mind, but my actions sometimes separated me from God, my spiritual spouse. I confess I sometimes withhold my thoughts, actions or finances from God when it suits my purposes. I’ve taken credit when the credit belonged to God, I’ve mistreated my own body, in contradiction to God’s commands for its treatment. And then I treat these failures as small and unimportant in God’s eyes.

I confess to bearing false witness. I’ve shared gossip and passed other untruths because I didn’t check facts. Currently, some stopped eating ketchup because it is now made with a slurry not tomato paste. A slurry to the mix of tomatoes not yet boiled down to the consistency of paste. Little knowledge and a big mouth bearing false witness against others.

And finally, I willfully crave what others have, like another anniversary with my dear husband, or abundant income or stable weight that includes daily quarts of ice-cream and brownies.

These ten set high standards, but they aren’t mine. They are God’s. (Exodus 20:1-17) Again this year, I aim to fulfill them in my life. Will I? Probably not. But my goal is to stop treading in the old footpaths of my errors and start a newly forgiven path with goals that count.

The Lord said to his people, “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths and where the best road is. Walk in it, and you will live in peace.” (Jeremiah 6:16, GN)

Brenda J Wood has authored more than fifty books. She is a seasoned motivational speaker, who declares the Word of God with wisdom, humour, and common sense.

A Loose Plan by Brenda Leyland

 

Image by Gizelle Kei from Pixabay

With summer gone by in a blur and September nearing the end of its allotted 30 days, this last quarter certainly has arrived in a hurry. And, in keeping with the pace, I am writing this post on the fly, as I don't have much spare time these days to ponder or plan more thoughtfully. Still, there is just enough room to squeeze in a '90-day project space' before Christmas (Sep 23 to Dec 21). It's long enough to achieve something, yet short enough to see the end in sight with a good chance of not losing all momentum.

So, what do I still hope to accomplish before the year's end? My list is a loose, slightly incoherent, collection of hopes for tiny steps forward.

1. Help Mom settle into her new home where she won't have to cook for herself ever again—which makes my almost-91-year-old mom (and all our family) relieved... and happy. Continue to tie up loose ends from the move and sort out unexpected glitches (of which there has been a pile to deal with). Continue to support and lend a hand and ear when and where needed.

2. Walk every day with my hubby. Being sure to enjoy the beauty of Nature around me as the season changes: watching the leaves flutter down like butterflies; crunching through the murmuration of leaves skittering across the road in shifting gusts of wind, spying glimmering vees of geese or a harvest moon on a clear night.

3. Try to slow the alarming loss of muscle mass happening in my aging body. I do cardio every day but now I'm definitely adding resistance, core, and strengthening to my routine.

4. Clear the clobber. From my desk; from my online files and social media; from the corners, cupboards, and rooms of my house (not to forget the basement and garage). I first stumbled across the word "clobber" in British novelist Rosamunde Pilcher's book, Winter Solstice. The person using the word had been referring to the collection of someone's life stuff left after they'd passed on. That word "clobber" tickled my funny bone. Although it wasn't quite so funny after having helped dear friends and my 90-year-old mom dismantle their homes this year as they prepared to move into small suites in assisted living facilities. The pressure and the stress of decision making for them, as well as those who came alongside to help, make me eager to get on with my own clobber clearing.

5. Read. For relaxation, comfort, and calming of my mind from all frets, worries, and to-do lists. I enjoy seasonal and historical novels. Nature anthologies. Poetry. Mysteries. Memoirs. Plus, I wouldn't mind focusing more on my ever-widening collection of books 'Yet Unread'.

6. Begin the dismantling of 50 years of journaling stored in over 200 notebooks. I saw someone recommending that people should, instead of endless scrolling on social media, dip into their own journals and notebooks for encouragement and ideas on what to write about. I like the idea of researching my own journals for writing fodder.  

7. Continue to write for my It's A Beautiful Life blog with the idea of perhaps transferring to writing on Substack at some point (still need to research that out). Continue to guest post here on the InScribe blog.

8. Think about how I could repurpose many of my blog posts (the number hovers now around 1500) to curate into a 'body of work'. Blogging has been my favourite place to share my writing—my blog has been home for my writer's soul for close to 20 years now.

9. Rest. I can't help anyone else if I don't take care of myself first. And listen for the word I need for each day: "Step here... and here... and here." Take things one day at a time when things get overwhelming. Not everything needs looking at, thinking about, or dealing with today. 

10. Remember to laugh. For the joy of the Lord is my strength. I remember years ago at work, when my office was piled high with photocopy boxes filled with incoming correspondence to deal with, I felt the Lord willing me, cajoling me to laugh at the piles. I also remember it was an effort, but I felt Him smiling at me... willing me to try. And I felt a lifting of my overwhelmed heart. I knew He was going to be there to help me through it all. And He was.

Note: The memoir I was determined to finish this year is on hold. There are no plans to pick it up in the near future. Other needful things presently take up my time and energy.

Brenda writes from her desk by the window that overlooks her garden, the sky, and the birds. You can find her 'slice of life' writing on her It's A Beautiful Life blog. She is also on Facebook and Instagram (under Bren Leyland).

 

 

Finish 2026 Strong! by Mary Folkerts

 

When I think of what the next four months of 2026 might bring, I have many mixed emotions. I'm excited for good things to come, like seeing my poetry book be released into the world and my daughter Reegan swimming at the World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in Portugal. There is also a cloud of grief that hangs over it all as we see my mom’s health deteriorate. Will these big life-and-death events collide, and if so, how would we deal with it? The verse Proverbs 16: 9 comes to mind: “ In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

With this verse as my guide, I will plan and pray for grace to hold everything with an open hand. God knows all the details, and I can trust Him with the outcome. So if I could plan out my course for the next few months, here are a few goals I have.

Goal One: My first goal is to finish editing my poetry book and get the final touches and endorsements done so it can move on to the next step in completion! Writing this book has been a journey of healing and revelation for myself, and I pray God will use it to draw readers along on their own healing journeys.

Goal Two: I started a writing course by Hannah Brencher, and have never finished it. I would like to complete it and also look into the writing courses available through Proverbs 31 Women's Ministries Compel Pro. (Side note! If you want more teaching and accountability for your writing, I highly recommend becoming a member of Compel Pro!)

Goal Three: I began sewing a quilt for my daughter and her husband shortly after they were married. She and I picked out the fabric together, and I started creating it. But life and summertime gardening have kept me from finishing, so I really want to finish it and gift it to them. (This listing has become a confession of all my unfinished projects, hasn’t it?)

Goal Four: My life and goals match those that I have for my daughter Reegan. She has Down syndrome, so I actually have to plan and organize for not only me but her as well! For a highly organized person, this might be a simple undertaking, but for me, it is a real challenge. I struggle to organize myself, let alone others. (Pray for me!) My goal is to keep her organized so she feels confident about her days, as she loves schedules. We plan to have her train in the swimming pool for her big swim meet, along with dryland training so she is fit and ready come the end of October. (Lord willing).

Goal Five: I have painting, organization/purging, and gardening projects I want to tackle, and sometimes the to-do list feels overwhelming. My goal is to create lists that help me break the jobs into bite-sized pieces so I can actually accomplish some of them. (I’m always open to tips and tricks!)

Goal Six: This year, my husband and I have been reading through the Bible with The Bible Recap. It's been a rewarding challenge and has created a better rhythm for my daily devotion time. My goal is to keep this daily Bible-reading rhythm and add books and devotionals that strengthen my faith. I also want to read a poem a day to inspire my poetic mind, starting with authors Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver.

This list isn't exhaustive, as it just scratches the surface of my overextended brain. It's been a helpful exercise, though, to write out some of my hopes and plans for the coming months. Part of the struggle for me is putting it all on paper, so this was a good start to the last four months of 2026. Let’s finish strong and see what God will do through us!

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a member of Proverbs 31 Ministries' COMPEL Writers Training, involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the Small Things https://maryfolkerts.com/ or connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/