Twenty-Six Before Twenty-Six by Steph Beth Nickel

 

It may seem a little early to post about the upcoming year, but I recently came across Karin Nordin PhD on Instagram.

Each year, on November 1, she creates a list of things she wants to accomplish before January 1 of the following year. Note: To silence the perfectionist, this content creator says the purpose of the list is not to accomplish everything on it, and if we complete even one task, she encourages us to consider it a win.

While we are 12 days into November, there is still time to create our "Twenty-Six Before Twenty-Six" list.

I have included my list below. Hopefully, it will encourage and inspire you to make your own. Note: The following list is in no particular order.

1. Create a barebones outline of the rest of the YA novel I'm working on.
2. Write at least 25K additional words of this novel. (I'm participating in NovNov, ProWritingAid's answer to the now-defunct National Novel Writing Month [NaNoWriMo]).
3. As much as possible, clear my calendar of other responsibilities so I can write at least 1K words six days per week in November.
4. Complete the current draft of my novel before the end of the year.
5. If I get the draft completed, recruit at least three beta readers to give me feedback two months after receiving the manuscript.
6. Declutter our main floor. (My hubby will be laying new flooring throughout. So, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.)
7. Seek to sell at least some of the things we don't intend to take with us when we relocate in Saskatchewan.
8. Schedule Substack posts through the end of the year.
9. Schedule social media posts through the end of the year.
10. Prepare at least one manuscript for self-publishing.
11. Complete the revisions of my devotionals based on the gospel of John.
12. Write at least three guest posts for blogs I contribute to.
13. Work on plans for next year's InScribe writing contest.
14. Take my friend out driving at least 4-6 times. (She needs her license to get a job.)
15. Visit with another friend who is housebound.
16. Make significant headway on the book I'm coauthoring. (We are working on suggested revisions from the potential publisher.)
17. Do resistance training or Pilates 3+ times per week.
18. Go for a walk or hike at least twice per week.
19. Eat more fruit and vegetable.
20. Drink more water.
21. Cut back to one sugary drink per day.
22. Send Christmas gifts to kiddos, who live either out of the province or out of the country.
23. Prep and send Christmas cards by December 1.
24. Write a Christmas poem for my church family.
25. Get together with my "church son" and his family, as we do each year in late November or early December.
26. Connect with my sister at least once a week.

And since I wouldn't classify myself as a perfectionist, I will be thrilled if I get those 25K words written in November.

How about you? Are you going to create your own list? If so, what would be your top three priorities?

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2026. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Photo credit for the graphic: Download New Year's Day, 2026, Greeting Card. Royalty-Free Stock Illustration Image - Pixabay

Finding Encouragement, Being Motivated, and Being Stimulated by Sandra Rafuse

 

Finding Encouragement 

"Therefore encourage each other and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Thessalonians 5:11

I love this scripture verse. I am so encouraged when I read the kind and uplifting words that people write in the comments. . . they build me up! They reinforce my desire to write, they make me feel "I can do this". I find encouragement in all the blogs I read. The sharing of so many topics, so many feelings, so many experiences is amazing to me. And the humour that comes up. . . what would we do without it?

Being Motivated 

In his July post Alan Anderson wrote, "I think of my parents everyday." Those words had such a startling, powerful impact on me. I immediately sensed the love Alan had for his parents as I read that sentence and I thought to myself, when was the last time I thought of my Dad?  I mean really thought of him; dwelling on a memory or two, recalling what he looked like, hearing his voice in my head. It wasn't that I didn't love my Dad, it was that he had passed away in March of 1963. . .  almost 62 years ago. . .  and thinking of him has pretty much stopped happening. I don't know why but our family did not talk about him much in the years that followed and the memories we once had faded away. Several years ago I asked my three brothers what they remembered about him; it wasn't a lot. 

But Alan's words have motivated me not only to open up this topic with my brothers again but to also  contact the few relatives I have left who would have known him to ask them what they remember.  I'm not expecting much. Any thoughts would be good. And then I want to remind myself to think of him more often, and to start looking forward to seeing him (and Mom) someday in heaven. I want to bring him back into my thoughts; he's been out of them far too long.  (His name was Michael. My mom, Elaine, was buried beside him in July of 2007.)

Being Stimulated

When I finished reading Sandi Somers's blog for this month, "Stronger Together: A Community of Writers", I knew I was going to be reading it over several more times. Her post on the importance of community was a real eye opener for me. One part I found particularly liked was the blog post written by Jordan Raynor, "Without constant communion with other believers to refresh their eternal perspectives, Tolkien may have never completed the Lord of the Rings and Lewis may have never finished The Chronicles of Narnia. Like these creators before us, we need regular communion with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to renew our minds and refresh the lenses through which we view the world as we work." It was inspiring to read how Sandi started to be involved with community and where it led her.  

 

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 teacher, an amateur writer, and  is enjoying having the opportunity to share what God has been teaching her through her life experiences.

Keep Writing — We Need Your Voice by Bob Jones

 

“Pastor Bob, keep writing about these issues. We need your voice.”

That one simple sentence was enough to breathe fresh wind into my sails. It encouraged me, stimulated me, and reminded me why I write.

Because I know what a single word of affirmation can do, I’m intentional about encouraging other writers too.

Encouraged

We hadn’t seen each other in over fifteen years. I was their pastor when they moved to South Africa for medically related humanitarian work. Recently, they returned to Edmonton, and we set up a coffee date.

We share many values and perspectives that sometimes leave us on the margins of our faith communities. Over coffee, we spoke honestly about the cost of those convictions—the price of speaking up, of advocating for others.

Then they said something that made me pause:

“Pastor Bob, keep writing about these issues. We need your voice.”

I was deeply moved. Knowing that my writing had offered support and encouragement to someone doing hard things reminded me that words really can make a difference.

At times, the pushback to my writing has been louder than the praise. But that one comment—from someone I love and respect—was enough to keep me going.

Stimulated

God often draws my attention to people on the margins and the challenges they face. I write to understand, to give voice, and to celebrate those who advocate for others.

When I listen long enough, stories emerge—stories that invite empathy, understanding, and hope.

Motivated

I launched REVwords in 2019 to communicate hope through stories of faith.

Most of my writing centres on mental health, resilience, and hope—with the occasional book or movie review thrown in.

Lately, I’ve been writing about the people I’ve met in Ukraine, the state of the Church, and issues like Christian nationalism, immigration, women’s leadership, and justice.

The Christian landscape of 2025 looks nothing like it did five years ago. Whether it’s the post-COVID ripple effect or the influence of alt-right politics, some expressions of Christianity have drifted far from the way of Jesus.

As Russell Moore recalled, when one pastor preached, “If someone strikes you, turn the other cheek,” a congregant shouted back, “Where did you get those liberal talking points?”

It’s a different world. And it’s never been more important to write truthfully—and graciously.

An Encouragement to Fellow Writers

It doesn’t take much to encourage a writer. I know—I am one.

A text.

A short comment on a post.

A one-line email from a reader who felt seen or understood.

That kind of feedback is fuel for the writer’s soul.

A writing friend recently messaged me, “Thanks for the encouragement to write. You’ve been very instrumental in my writing journey.”

And that—more than anything—is why I’ll keep writing and encouraging.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

Thank you for reading.

I always look forward to your feedback and connection.

Drawn or Driven by Pattie Janzen

Please welcome Pattie Janzen as she joins us

once again as our Guest Blogger.

I was recently reading something in which the author, a friend of mine, expressed how she’d been gently drawn toward Christ many times. After reading her beautiful examples of this, I may have even verbalized my thought: 'You get drawn in; I get driven.' I couldn’t help thinking about the times God’s knocked me off my feet to get my attention.

One of the biggest examples of this happened 25 years ago. I rode on a rollercoaster one too many times and ended up springing a leak in my cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid circulates around the brain and spine and a perfect balance of this is important for our equilibrium, among other things. Unaware of what had happened, and after running around for days with an atrocious headache, my brain swelled and I ended up with a mild brain injury. In reality, I couldn’t fulfill my duties as a registered nurse for 18 months. Why? Because I couldn’t concentrate, read, watch TV, or even speak correctly for the majority of that time. The only treatment included a few medications that didn’t work, and lying flat in hopes that the leak would eventually seal. I’d been quite literally knocked off my feet.

Interestingly, the day before that happened, I’d prayed for something to change in my increasingly stressful life. God certainly came through with a resounding, “Yes! I’ll help!” It wasn’t in a way I expected, but He designed it perfectly, to prepare me for the two things that came next—one more immediately, and one a few years later.

Through exercises to regain my concentration, the beginning of my writing journey began with a weekly humour column, which I still write today. But that isn’t what I’ll expand on here. From early on, my husband and I had been concerned with our son’s lack of reading and writing skills. We spent many hours reading with him, only to see very little, if any, progress. His printing and attempts at writing also lacked form and structure, with no spaces visible between the words he struggled to pen. He was in grade 3 when a teacher finally admitted that he was having issues.

It would take reams of words to explain all the specialist appointments and tests we attended over the next few years. The result was always the same: Something’s wrong, but we don’t know what.

At some point, a psychologist suggested we ask our son what he saw when he was reading. I went home that very day, pulled a typed letter out of our mailbox, and placed it in front of him. My first request was that he point to the spaces between the words. He couldn’t. Then, I asked him to read me a few sentences before I stopped him and finally queried what the words looked like. “You mean the letters?” he answered. “Sure,” I said nervously. “You know, Mom,” he shrugged. “The letters move.” In my confusion, I’m sure I squeaked out something like, “What?” He smiled up at me then, as if it would be obvious since I knew how to read. “They jump up at me,” was his pleasant response.

In the moments that followed, all I could think was that this had been his normal. For all those years of sounding out the letters that made words, they’d been moving in front of his eyes. The whole time. Besides the guilt that poured through me for insisting he write and rewrite his many illegible assignments, all I could think was, 'How in the world has he been able to read or write anything? How could he concentrate at all?'

I quickly remembered how I’d had to retrain my brain to read, write, speak, and concentrate only a few years before. Since he was struggling even more in school, it quickly became clear that there was only one option to help our son best. Over the next three years, I homeschooled that sweet boy. I won’t say it all went smoothly, but at least God had given me a personal glimpse into what it was like to walk in my son’s shoes.

Sometimes God’s grace shows up in the strangest ways. It may even literally knock us off our feet. Although unpleasant at the time, now, when I’m travelling through the tougher stuff, I can’t help but wonder what God is preparing me for. Maybe I’ll need what I’m learning through my present pain, to help someone else. It might even be as simple as writing about it, to touch someone else’s heart.

As God’s children, there will certainly be times when He’ll more gently draw us to Himself. But sometimes, if you’re like me, you may occasionally require a more drastic approach—more like being driven toward Him. Either way, isn’t it encouraging to know that God never wastes our pain? He is incredibly good, whether we’re being drawn or driven.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB1995)

______________ 

Note: Today, we know our son’s condition is termed dysgraphia. It is a lifelong neurological condition and learning difference in which a person has difficulty writing at their age level. They may or may not have trouble translating thought into written words. (No wonder he aced those verbal exams!) There is no cure. Treatment focuses on management through interventions, accommodations, and exercises.

(Top) Image from Pixabay

PD Janzen (Pattie) is a published humour columnist, author of five emotion-filled Christian fiction novels, and an inspirational speaker. She’s married to Brian and they reside for half the year in Martensville, SK, and the other half at Good Spirit Lake Bible Camp, where they enjoy helping out all summer. They have three grown children and soon-to-be 14 grandkids. Pattie enjoys sharing encouragement and insights of God’s healing love through her blog at: pdjanzen.com