Oh Jen, please never give up! Let those moments you are called to now, mold you for the future! You are in the midst of deep learning, struggling to do what you want, when God has asked you to do "this." Your Mom can't thank you, can't affirm you, but the memories you take away from your time with her, with last a lifetime... and they will be VERY affirming! "For such a time as this" and once that boundary is removed, you will be released to share all you've learned. Your words, your wisdom, the lens by which you see things, brings value exponentially. The sermon I hear yesterday talked about how faith needs to be fed, which is why we live in community! If it's not fed, it will fade! You have a unique gift, please don't let that be put on the shelf! But, as life has pulled you in a different direction, give God thanks for the opportunity and just know, He's got more for you! Thank you for your heart and all that you share with us! We will pray that God gives you peace in this phase of your journey, and that the notes you compile, will give you ALL that you need when the writing can happen in earnest! So glad the festival filled you! As a graduate of Calvin, I'm always proud of their good work! And I look forward to all the wisdom you continue to pour into US! Blessings! ~Paula
Jen, this is so lovely, and it was really wonderful to meet you there. Your words remind me of some words on writing from TS Eliot’s East Coker that I have taped above my desk (the whole passage is worth reading too):
And what there is to conquer
By strength and submission, has already been discovered
Once or twice, or several times, by men whom one cannot hope
To emulate—but there is no competition—
There is only the fight to recover what has been lost
And found and lost again and again: and now, under conditions
That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither gain nor loss.
For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.
Awesome post. I have two of your books. I've done a little writing in my life, never getting around to the "big projects" I want to do for many of the same obstacles you cite. Everything about your Field Notes was useful and encouraging.
I think we attended all different workshops at the festival (and it seems there were a ton of people I am following on substack or social media that I didn’t meet there!), but my few days there felt very much the same as what you describe. Thank you for putting words to your experience - it was helpful to read this as I continue to reflect on my writing life.
I saw you from a far away a number of times at the Festival and never got to give you a hug. But thank you for these encouraging words. You attended a number of workshops I couldn't attend, and I love your takeaway. Looking forward to the recordings. Yes, let's persevere--and let's live a good life.
Jen, I'm going to keep your words as a reminder of so many things that inspired me in those few days at the festival in Grand Rapids. It was lovely to meet you in person and have the chance to thank you for your work. I'm so happy you were buttressed by the words of these writers. I feel much the same. Keep your courage--Crystal
This is beautiful and profound. 'we must soften into the boundaries of our lives, not buck up against them. There’s too much energy to be wasted in wishing away the boundaries and their interruptions and enforced limitations.' I will be pondering and praying about how to soften into these limits as my parent carer role gets more intense. Thank you.
Jen, you are a blessing to your readers. Please persevere. Your words are used by the Holy Spirit to inspire many of us. As I read your words about leaving a story or leading a life, I think I feel ready to do something I've dreamed about for years. I want to transform a room in my house for study and for writing just for me. Like Virginia Woolf, I need a "room of one's own." If I can stop using life's expectations as an excuse, I will explore writing. Even if no one ever reads it or knows about it but God and me, I want to tell my story.
Thank you for sharing some of your notes. As it turns out these were sessions I didn’t make it to, so now I feel like I got even more out of my Festival experience. Persevering alongside you.
Jen, thank you for this honest encouragement. I’ve been discouraged by my limitations too, and also convicted to put the internal perfectionist away and just “serve the work” as Madeleine L’engle said. I’m grateful for your example in this.
Thank you for sharing your notes from the Festival of Faith and Writing! I am a writer who hoped to attend, but the boundaries of life kept me home instead. It's great fun to catch a glimpse of what it was like, and glean a bit of encouragement nonetheless!
Sigh - so rich to read your notes from FFW. Happy memories.
What I've learned over the years from my studies AND personal practicing: it's a battle to the very end, with pens not swords. Battling isn't a sign that you are doing it wrong; it often means quite the opposite, and it's so particular to each person what the battle is like. Writers who are also Christians are freed to abandon the temptation to write for our immortality or glorified actualization, but we still have to do the ordinary battling, which is laborious and risky and lonely at times and (whisper voice) still worth doing.
Persevere in the persevering! Oh my lands, that's manna!
Always we begin again... Pennies into the piggy bank. Seeds into the soil. Etc. Etc.
I was scheduled to attend the Festival until plans changed. Would have been lovely to meet you. I really like the question you have posed - In my head I already have the answer but am uncertain about sharing it. Probably need to noodle on it a little more to have clarity. I am wrestling with similar questions for the last few months. Last week I read Lore Wilbert’s Substack on Instagram & sharing on social media. That has added more fuel to my thoughts, so I will hold them all my head and see where it leads me. Thank you for this post- so much fodder for my brain!
I want to share this with every writer I know. Bless you for this thoughtful prose.
Oh Jen, please never give up! Let those moments you are called to now, mold you for the future! You are in the midst of deep learning, struggling to do what you want, when God has asked you to do "this." Your Mom can't thank you, can't affirm you, but the memories you take away from your time with her, with last a lifetime... and they will be VERY affirming! "For such a time as this" and once that boundary is removed, you will be released to share all you've learned. Your words, your wisdom, the lens by which you see things, brings value exponentially. The sermon I hear yesterday talked about how faith needs to be fed, which is why we live in community! If it's not fed, it will fade! You have a unique gift, please don't let that be put on the shelf! But, as life has pulled you in a different direction, give God thanks for the opportunity and just know, He's got more for you! Thank you for your heart and all that you share with us! We will pray that God gives you peace in this phase of your journey, and that the notes you compile, will give you ALL that you need when the writing can happen in earnest! So glad the festival filled you! As a graduate of Calvin, I'm always proud of their good work! And I look forward to all the wisdom you continue to pour into US! Blessings! ~Paula
Jen, this is so lovely, and it was really wonderful to meet you there. Your words remind me of some words on writing from TS Eliot’s East Coker that I have taped above my desk (the whole passage is worth reading too):
And what there is to conquer
By strength and submission, has already been discovered
Once or twice, or several times, by men whom one cannot hope
To emulate—but there is no competition—
There is only the fight to recover what has been lost
And found and lost again and again: and now, under conditions
That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither gain nor loss.
For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.
Awesome post. I have two of your books. I've done a little writing in my life, never getting around to the "big projects" I want to do for many of the same obstacles you cite. Everything about your Field Notes was useful and encouraging.
I think we attended all different workshops at the festival (and it seems there were a ton of people I am following on substack or social media that I didn’t meet there!), but my few days there felt very much the same as what you describe. Thank you for putting words to your experience - it was helpful to read this as I continue to reflect on my writing life.
I saw you from a far away a number of times at the Festival and never got to give you a hug. But thank you for these encouraging words. You attended a number of workshops I couldn't attend, and I love your takeaway. Looking forward to the recordings. Yes, let's persevere--and let's live a good life.
Jen, I'm going to keep your words as a reminder of so many things that inspired me in those few days at the festival in Grand Rapids. It was lovely to meet you in person and have the chance to thank you for your work. I'm so happy you were buttressed by the words of these writers. I feel much the same. Keep your courage--Crystal
This is beautiful and profound. 'we must soften into the boundaries of our lives, not buck up against them. There’s too much energy to be wasted in wishing away the boundaries and their interruptions and enforced limitations.' I will be pondering and praying about how to soften into these limits as my parent carer role gets more intense. Thank you.
Jen, you are a blessing to your readers. Please persevere. Your words are used by the Holy Spirit to inspire many of us. As I read your words about leaving a story or leading a life, I think I feel ready to do something I've dreamed about for years. I want to transform a room in my house for study and for writing just for me. Like Virginia Woolf, I need a "room of one's own." If I can stop using life's expectations as an excuse, I will explore writing. Even if no one ever reads it or knows about it but God and me, I want to tell my story.
Thank you for sharing some of your notes. As it turns out these were sessions I didn’t make it to, so now I feel like I got even more out of my Festival experience. Persevering alongside you.
Is this an either-or question? To leave a story or lead a life? I didn't get the question but I was encouraged to keep on writing as well! Thank you!
Jen, thank you for this honest encouragement. I’ve been discouraged by my limitations too, and also convicted to put the internal perfectionist away and just “serve the work” as Madeleine L’engle said. I’m grateful for your example in this.
I’m so glad you were encouraged, friend! The link to my forthcoming book is https://justmakingguide.com/
Thank you for sharing your notes from the Festival of Faith and Writing! I am a writer who hoped to attend, but the boundaries of life kept me home instead. It's great fun to catch a glimpse of what it was like, and glean a bit of encouragement nonetheless!
Sigh - so rich to read your notes from FFW. Happy memories.
What I've learned over the years from my studies AND personal practicing: it's a battle to the very end, with pens not swords. Battling isn't a sign that you are doing it wrong; it often means quite the opposite, and it's so particular to each person what the battle is like. Writers who are also Christians are freed to abandon the temptation to write for our immortality or glorified actualization, but we still have to do the ordinary battling, which is laborious and risky and lonely at times and (whisper voice) still worth doing.
Persevere in the persevering! Oh my lands, that's manna!
Always we begin again... Pennies into the piggy bank. Seeds into the soil. Etc. Etc.
I was scheduled to attend the Festival until plans changed. Would have been lovely to meet you. I really like the question you have posed - In my head I already have the answer but am uncertain about sharing it. Probably need to noodle on it a little more to have clarity. I am wrestling with similar questions for the last few months. Last week I read Lore Wilbert’s Substack on Instagram & sharing on social media. That has added more fuel to my thoughts, so I will hold them all my head and see where it leads me. Thank you for this post- so much fodder for my brain!