I began Inscribe the Word Scripture Writing Plans in 2016, and every year, I am in awe of how God uses these plans to bring hundreds of thousands of people to Scripture. I am humbled and honored to bring this resource to you.

This year, our theme is The Spiritual Disciplines. By placing daily spiritual rhythms in our lives, my husband and I have decided to rebuild our lives around our apprenticeship to Jesus.

Each month in 2022, we will focus on a new spiritual discipline. I will also be including some books and resources to help you put that discipline into practice in your everyday lives. In January, we inscribed verses focused on Sabbath Rest. This February, our Scripture passages were on prayer. In March, we continued our study of the Spiritual Disciplines and studied Fasting. In April, we focused on the beauty of Praise & Worship, and in May, Silence and Solitude. In June, we spent our time studying what Scripture says about Hospitality. In July, Celebration. As the summer came to a close in August, we inscribed Meditation. The crispness of Autumn brought Scripture Memorization to our hearts in September and Forgiveness in October. In November, we inscribed verses centered around Gratitude.

And now, as we close out this year’s journey through the Spiritual Disciplines,
we are focusing on Blessing & Encouraging others.

My prayer is that you see these not as legalistic rules but as ways to Abide in the Vine each and every day. (John 15:1-8)

Blessing & Encouraging.

Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life . . .
all of our life. - Henri Nouwen

Christmas is always a difficult time. We are supposed to be "merry and bright," but in reality, many folks suffer during the Holidays. Suicide is up, grief is at an all-time high, and depression and anxiety skyrocket during the holidays. Why is that?

We think we know what Christmas is "supposed" to be. We see the commercials, the ads, and the marketing and think, "My life doesn't look like that. Something must be wrong." If we focus on the world's definition of Christmas, we will feel sad, depressed, anxiety-filled, and lonely. And if we don't refocus our lives and our thoughts around the real meaning of the season, that anger, loneliness, greed, and depression will seep onto others.

As followers of Jesus, we know that our focus during these dark days is not on the glitter and tinsel, things that are nice but ultimately don't fulfill us. Our hope and focus are on Jesus. The LIGHT of the world who burst through the darkness and proclaimed, "I am with you always."

Our peace is in The Prince of Peace, who comes and offers us a love that cannot be defined and a peace that cannot be explained. In the darkest nights, He shines bright. In the saddest days, He offers His presence. When greed makes us feel like there isn't enough on the table or under the tree, He is enough. We have the reason for the season, Friend. We have the gift, and His name is Jesus.

As we close out this year's series on The Spiritual Disciplines, I want to focus on blessing and encouraging others, especially during this challenging season for many people. There is nothing like a word of encouragement when you are at stress-level-max and life looks nothing like the Folgers coffee commercials. A blessing from the Lord, an encouragement from His Word, can help to refocus ourselves and others to the true meaning of the season . . . a thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn . . . and His name is Jesus.

As we have been going through The Spiritual Disciplines this year, the words of Adele Ahlberg Calhoun in The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook ring true once again. If you haven’t purchased this book, do it today!

“Each one of us comes into this world hungry for human welcome, blessing and encouragement. We need to hear that we are wanted and valued—that in God’s eyes we are beautifully and wonderfully made. When we are blessed (literally “to speak well of”) and encouraged, we are better able to internalize our value, worth and dignity. Without life-giving words we fail to thrive emotionally and physically. When blessing and encouragement go missing, the evil one plants lies about how worthless or stupid or _________ we are. When lies metastasize, they poison the joy and delight of being alive!

Many people feel more cursed than blessed. The wound that they don’t matter manifests in many ways:

Anger leaks out and offense is easily taken.
Sadness, depression and narratives of never being good enough haunt us.
Pretending becomes a way of life.
Hunger for a kind word turns us into competitive workaholics.

Scripture is jammed with blessings. God blesses. Jesus blesses. Priests bless. Kings bless. Prophets and prophetesses bless. Parents bless children. The old bless the young. Being uniquely blessed, beloved and chosen is core to God’s vision of who we are. And the truth that we are precious in God’s eyes (Isaiah 43:4) is often passed on through the words, body language and gaze of others. ”- Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

How to Practice Blessing & Encouragement This Month

Along with our Inscribe the Word plan, here are some ways to practice Gratitude as a spiritual discipline this month.

Craft a blessing for someone you know. Ask God to lead you to a Scripture that can encourage him or her. Give the gift of this blessing in person or in written form.
If you have children in your life, talk to them about God’s love and desire for them to use their gifts in ways that benefit this world. Encourage them about their talents and God’s work in their lives.
Choose one day this week to bless or encourage as many people as you can. Don’t flatter. Ask God to give you divine eyesight. When appropriate, speak your truthful blessing out loud. When you can’t speak it out loud, speak the blessing to God and ask God to bless them. At the end of the day, reflect on what it was like to be one who carried the blessing of God into the day.

Websites, Videos & Podcasts

The Blessing by Dr. John Trent
The Blessing by Kari Jobe

As we Inscribe Blessing & Encouraging, let us find space in our hearts to remember that through Christ,
all things are possible. Thank you for a wonderful year journeying through The Spiritual Disciplines.