By Toni Shiloh, @tonishilohwrite
I know this is a writing blog, but today I’m going to talk about not writing. Yep, let’s talk about rest. About recharging in the midst of the busy holiday season.
Christ said in Mark 6:31, “come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while” (KJV). He charged his disciples to take a break from their ministry and simply rest.
It can be so hard to do when our schedules, deadlines, and desire to write call to us with a frequency that may make us want to dive in full speed. But God knew how important rest would be for our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. Without rest, we’ll run dry. Our fuel will deplete, our creativity will come to a stop.
It may seem counterintuitive to rest when you’re in the zone and fingers are flying across the keyboard, but if we don’t build rest into our writing lives, we may find a time when the words refuse to come. When the ideas for the next great story stop. When inspiration is no longer at the end of a brainstorming session but seems elusive and out of reach.
You may think that I’m preaching to the choir, but honestly, I’m preaching to myself. I’m urging myself to leave those blank days on my calendar just that. Blank. Not to say yes to another project, not to start writing something that can wait. And I should know, I have a compulsion with figuring out how many words/pages I need to write/revise/edit in order to meet a deadline. Which means I know when I can build in a break and give myself time to recharge.
Despite looming deadlines, I’ll take that break. I’ll open books of authors I’ve been waiting to read. I’ll take a moment to smell the crisp fall air and hug my friends and family a little bit closer. I’ll listen to the stories of others with undivided attention because I have nothing else to do but allow my body the break it desperately needs. Because God created us to rest, we should heed His loving will for us and rest.
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God,” (Hebrews 4:9 KJV)
May you allow yourself plenty of rest this holiday season and may 2022 see your writing journey filled with abundant blessings.
Happy Holidays!
Toni Shiloh
Love Is Only Business for 4 Wedding Planners
Discover how keeping secrets from each other threatens four women’s friendships, wedding business, and own ability to find love in Loveland, Colorado.
Business partners Felicity Anderson, the cake baker; Kiki Bell, the seamstress; Cassie Blackthorn, the coordinator; and Chef Saffron Fare are best of friends in a town that is a romantic wedding destination for many couples—who work together at Weddings by Design to make every bride’s special day perfect. Could each falling into their own romance be the key to working out their differences and learning to trust each other—and God—with their futures?
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and multi-published Christian contemporary romance author. She writes to bring God glory and to learn more about His goodness. Her novels, Grace Restored, was a 2019 Holt Medallion finalist, Risking Love a 2020 Selah Award finalist, and The Truth About Fame a 2021 Holt Medallion finalist.
A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter, Toni seeks to encourage authors in the writing industry. She loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media. You can learn more about her writing at http://tonishiloh.com.