Thursday, December 20, 2018

Christian Writers Need Spiritual Nourishment


by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

During the holiday season, Christians are told to focus on the reason for the season—the birth of Jesus Christ. When we focus on Jesus we nourish our spirit. As a writer, it is essential to nurture our soul, so we do not burn out. Therefore, we should focus on our spiritual nature, not just our physical. 

When we do not eat properly, we do not nourish our bodies which results in negative physical symptoms. The same goes for our spiritual natures. Therefore, we need to figure out how to feed our soul and integrate spiritual habits into our lives. For example, most mornings I spend fifteen minutes meditating with the Lord. The quiet time allows God’s thoughts to enter my mind. Christian meditation helps us to see the world from his point of view. God is the original author, and we want our prose to reflect him.

For me, I teach Scripture Yoga™ where participants focus on Bible verses during each session. Jesus told us, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”When we meditate on his word we feed our spirit. And when we pair this with healthy activity the effect is multiplied.

My favorite Scripture Yoga™ Christmas theme is about the angelic visitations surrounding the birth of Christ. The Bible records the most angel citing’s in the period before and after Jesus’s birth. Read these verses in the following chronological order and count the number of angelic visits: Luke 1:5-56, Matthew 1:20, Luke 2:1-14, Matthew 2:1-22.

Edie Melson fosters herself spiritually through focusing on the Lord and being creative. In her book, Soul Care When You’re Weary, she provides examples of many creative outlets which in turn nourish spiritually. I learned so much from Edie’s Soulful Ink Facebook group. The left side of my brain allowed the creative right side to join in and have some fun. I colored bookmarks and added Bible verses to creative projects. What rejuvenation for my soul!

I like to memorize Bible verses. I have stacks of them written on index cards. When I need a spiritual fill-up, I grab a stack of cards and read them. I enjoy taking the scripture cards with me on a walk or to the gym. While exercising I read the Bible verses. This helps me memorize the verse so I can draw upon it in the future, and it fills my spiritual tank. This habit nourishes me both physically and spiritually.

When we take the time to cultivate our spiritual habits, it reflects positively in our writing.
As writers, we may portray to our readers how we nurture our souls. Edie does it through creativity (Soul Care When You’re Weary), and I do it through the use of Bible verses and physical activity (Scripture Yoga). Both of us wrote these books to help others properly care for themselves—body, mind, and spirit. God created each of us differently, and there are many ways to sustain ourselves and our readers spiritually—so find your niche. 

What habits do you employ to feed your soul? Do you attend a Bible study, ponder a daily devotion, or read the Bible? Or do you do something else (please share in the comments your tips for nourishing a writer’s soul)? As writers it is essential to take care of ourselves spiritually so that we can write our prose from God’s point of view. We want our spirit to be overflowing so we can encourage our readers. 

TWEETABLES


Susan U. Neal, RN, MBA, MHS
Susan’s mission is to improve the health of the body of Christ. She has her RN and MBA degrees, as well as a master’s in health science. She is a CERTIFIED HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACHwith the American Association of Christian Counselors. She published five books, the Selah award winner 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES, CHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE FOR 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATESHEALTHY LIVING JOURNALSCRIPTURE YOGAa #1 Amazon best-selling yoga book, and YOGA FOR BEGINNERS which ranked #3. She published two sets of Christian Yoga Card Decks and two Christian Yoga DVDs that are available at CHRISTINAYOGA.COM. Her digital product HOW TO PREVENT, IMPROVE, AND REVERSE ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA is a great resource. To learn more about Susan visit her website SUSANUNEAL.COMYou can also connect with Susan on FACEBOOKTWITTER, and INSTAGRAM.

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