A Personal Update, 3 Invitations, & A Thank You - Joyfully Pressing On
Y’all! I have some happy news to share in this short post. I’ll do that in a minute. But first I’ve got a quick update.
Update #1
I’m nearly done with the draft for the Meek Not Weak (or A Taming Grace?) Bible study guide. Across five summers, 175 pages and a 25-page book proposal to boot, I learned that having real readers motivates me. Because in the last couple weeks, glory to God, I’ve condensed material into an actual-factual Bible study guide.
So this Thursday, Lord willing, my kind Bible study friends will begin a journey through the 12-week meekness study guide. I’ll edit and revise as we go. Then, DV, by November at the Empowered Women’s Retreat, there will be a table laden with a pile of meekness books.
Invitation to Action: Which title below would make you take a second look? Would you let me know with a comment below or an email reply?
- A Taming Grace: How Meekness Frees Us To Rest In God’s Hand
- Meek Not Weak: Reclaiming the Gentle Strength of Meekness
- A Taming Grace: How Meekness Frees Us to Rest in Christ When Life is Hard
I’d be grateful for your feedback and your prayers.
Update #2
In 2022, I resolved to submit articles for publication. I was inspired by a Hope*Writer friend who said her resolutions was to get 100 rejections. I didn’t go that far, but I did resolve to submit an article a month. That is up 1200% from the one piece I submitted last year.
The rejections have come. They start the same old way: “We received an overwhelming number of submissions and truly enjoyed reading through all of them.”
I knew the next line well, “We’re sorry that your submission doesn’t fit our needs at this time.”
But last week it said,
“I am delighted to inform you that we have accepted the following devotions to be included in the book. Congratulations on this incredible milestone of being published! We are celebrating with you.”
That’s update #2. The book will be released this fall.
Alert For Idols & Thanking My God For You
Mind you, I am trying to take my own advice and be on the alert for my idols. I’m on my guard for inordinate sorrow—and joy. I want to sit loose, open palms, rejoicing when I abound and when I am brought low. I want to be content in the highs and the lows.
But I admit, with this turn I am both humbled and delighted.
I am also grateful. Thank you for opening “your weekly doses of JoyPrO.” Thank you for investing your precious time in them. To you who share, comment, or send a note, please know you encourage my heart.
Invitation to Action: Is there a “tough topic in the Bible” or a practical “faith meets real life” topic you’d like me to take up?
A quick aside on this “invitation to action” business: the experts content creators must have a compelling call for action to increase engagement. Mine are usually not so explicit. But they’re there: obey, take God at his word, keep on.
Which reminds me. At the suggestion of two friends who mentioned they’d rather listen rather than read, I started a podcast. It’s called Keep On. For now, it’s just me alone with my phone in the closet and hopefully no Milky meows.
But one can never tell how a thing might grow. I’d like to branch out and do some seriously funny interviews and maybe some book reviews. Speaking of which, did you know I’m posting each month’s book club questions?
Invitation to Action: Subscribe to the KEEP ON WITH ABIGAIL WALLACE podcast or send a link to someone who’d enjoy 5-15 minutes of strong grace. Drop a line if someone you know (including you) can make us think and laugh in an interview.
Christ Exalting Is Why I Write
I promised this would be short. But I must add this bit, because this post feels a self-promotional and I don’t like that.
So I share now my deepest desire is that the words of my mouth will magnify my Lord. In other words, I write to make God look big. My earnest prayer is that you, friend, would be built up in your most holy faith as you see how in my struggles God is my refuge and strength. I write to show you that knowing Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure.
All this feeble, fumbling, typo-laden writing is my joyfullypressingon way to do that.
I’ll leave you with Kate Wilkinson’s prayer. It sums up my heart. Him exalting, self abasing, this is victory.
May the mind of Christ, my Savior, live in me from day to day,
By His love and pow’r controlling all I do and say.
May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph only through His pow’r.
May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing, this is victory.
May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.
Running with you, for our progress and joy in the faith,
Abigail
