Anyone else feel this? 

We celebrate Christmas after Christmas, and it’s my husband’s birthday and New Year’s.

Then we go away to recover and rest the following week, taking advantage of MLK day weekend.

That’s when we recover. 

Then we start making goals. 

This weekend the tree and decorations come down.

So, for me Feb. 1 is the time my new year gets on track. 

Or, 

If you are a processor, like me

If you have many ideas, like me

It may take you longer than the world says to get started.

That is why I start my new year of writing classes on February 1. 

If you feel a little behind, I see you. 

If you feel even the slightest shame because you didn’t get the year off to a smashing start, I get you. 

If you feel paralysis of analysis with all the new things you could do that you on a new year that you end up not doing anything because you can’t sort it all out, I’m with you.

In fact, I want to join forces with you.

To cheer you on, where you are at. 

God is a God of do-overs, of how about now, as my mentor would say.. 

If you know that you know that you have a God-given message to share whether it’s the “I wish I learned this year ago lessons so I have to tell someone lessons,” a miraculous deliverance from a desperate situation, a creative story with an uplifting message, or everyday blessings that God has put in your heart, my class The ABCs of Cowriting with the Holy Spirit will help you. 

It doesn’t matter if you want to write a blog, book, or you don’t know what yet, this class will help you.

It’s not too late to begin your 2022 writing goals, to help move your year in the right direction.

Join me for a class?

 I teach this class live on Tuesday mornings, but if you can’t make that time, people love the recordings. 

I will answer your questions in class, as long as you send them by 3 p.m. on Monday.  

See you there! Questions? Email me at loralpepoon@gmail.com

To finish a project—and for me right now, that’s a book—I have learned that I need to remember some things. I made a list to help plant these concepts in my mind. I’d thought I’d share in case it helps any of my fellow future finishers! 

One—COMMITMENT: I am committed to finishing my book is because God told me to write my story.

In Scripture we are told: “It would be good for you to finish what you started… ” (2 Corinthians 8:10, NLT).

Two—HELP FROM GOD: The Finisher will help you finish. God will be with you to guide you, if you let Him. He will show you the next action steps not only in writing as in life. Just ask Him which project He wants you to write today and see what happens.

Three—STRUCTURE: Sometimes God sends a structure or a framework to help you. One of those structures is accountability. Accountability is the ONLY way I get any writing done. I created three online writing classes to ensure I write at least three days a week. Not only do I write but I also refresh my knowledge and keep adding new material that I am learning so that I don’t get bored. One of those classes, Finish Your Book Cowriting with the Holy Spirit, is starting January 13, 2022 (either live at 9:30–11:30 a.m.or recorded). If you are hoping to finish a book,  I invite you to join me—It’s only $99 for a seven week course—a bargain down from $242! 

Four—REMEMBER THE WHY: Along the way, we remember why we are doing what we are doing. In addition to obeying God, it’s about who we will serve. This week I’ve been editing a book that would have really helped me 15 years ago to break free from unwise relationship decisions. Her book—and mine—will help or inspire someone else in the future as well. 

Five—FRESH INSIRATION: Along with the “why,” we need fresh inspiration from people who have done what we are doing. In my Finish class, I infuse writing tips and quotes about writing from myriad sources. Different quotes and tips will help different participants!. 

Six—CLEAR SCOPE SIZE: To finish, we need to reign in or scope, to ensure the project doesn’t get out of control. In my Finish course, I talk about strategies to place time, topic, or other boundaries for individual books.

Seven—SPURTS: Short, intense spurts are often the way many people finish. Seven weeks is about the right amount of time for people to concentrate on one topic. That’s one reason why many schools have moved from semesters to quarters. My Finish class—and all my classes— are seven weeks. Plus, seven is the number of completion biblically, so we can trust it’s a good number. 

Eight—ASSIGNED TIME: Have focused, blocked-off time to finish. If you don’t block out time to work and turn off all other distractions, you most likely won’t make time to do the work. My Finish class has an hour of independent writing time built in during each of the seven session. 

Nine—HELP: Get help when you are stuck. I can’t tell you how many times a writer has come to me (and how I will go to another editor)to gain perspective on which way a book might go. In my Finish class, you can bounce ideas off of me, and I can give you an outside perspective that just may shatter your paralysis of analysis. I’ve helped more than 100 people finish their books in the last several years, and I’ve supervised or coached dozens of other writers for decades before that. 

Ten—TIMING: I ask myself, Is the timing right for this project? Fall, which it is as I write this blog post, is an ideal time to finish projects. Once the holidays arrive, many people do not have as much time to finish projects because your extra is taken up with decorating, cooking, shopping, hosting gatherings, and more. 

Eleven—WISDOM TO PIVOT: Sometimes you have to comeback later to fully finish everything—and that’s OK. God didn’t command us to finish; He just said it would be good to finish. Just like a home renovation project, it might be wise to do only one room at a time. Maybe not everything you envisioned can be done in the budget, and you also need to still have some livability in your house!

To give you one last analogy, when you go on a vacation, you don’t usually get to do everything you want to do. But, if you are like me, whenever you finish a vacation, you may think about what you will do next time and plan to come back. So, if you’ve been struggling to finish your book, let’s consider a book like a vacation. You have a limited time to work on it, but you could always come back in the editing process, or even another edition after you publish. 

Lastly, if this isn’t the time to finish, or God redirects you, I want to close by saying, that’s OK! When I was almost done with one book in the summer of 2020, God had me write a second one. Since they are part of a series and related, I needed to see how they fit together before I finished either. I kicked and screamed to God when I heard that, but now that I’m almost finished with the second book, I see the wisdom in it. It will seem easier to get a second one done after the first is published.

So, my final suggestion is to allow Him to direct your path—and remember, He is the ONLY Finisher, as in the second definition of the word, “finish,” which is to make perfect. Only He is perfect. No project, book, writer, or person is. That’s comforting. Because then we can all eradicate perfectionism. But that will be the subject of another blog 🙂  

As I was growing up, I was always called quiet. I hated that label, actually. I wished I could think of something to say at the right times in the right situations. I adored my third-grade teacher, the one who taught me to write stories, and even she called me “Quiet Quintessa.” I yearned to be one of the talkative girls, who garnered attention from everyone. 

Instead of talking and being the center of attention, I studied—not only books, but people. 

As I grew up, I found that many people came to me because they wanted someone to listen. They came because they saw me as somehow wise.

I was on honor council in high school, which was a liaison between students and the administration. I was chosen to be a tour guide because I welcomed visitors well, both listening to their needs and giving them just the right amount of information. 

I still hated that I couldn’t think as quickly as I wanted with a witty answer, but gradually, I grew to love the quiet. 

After a very short marriage, when the TV was loud and on constantly, even overnight, I promised myself that when I started my life over again, I would always give myself peace and quiet. Much of the time, I either sat in coffee shops or read books at home. 

When I wanted activity, I would go out to eat with friends or go dancing, listening to old-time swing music, which told stories of a simpler time. 

In general, though, I really valued quiet. Other people, just like when I was in school, started to come to me to find quiet. I’ve had many friends tell me I’m a calming presence. 

So, instead of resenting God for creating me as “quiet,” I’ve started to praise Him for His wisdom about how He specifically designed me. 

I praise God that he gave me a wonderful second marriage with a husband who watches TV as little as I do. We don’t even have regular TV. In recent memory, we have watched The Chosen and Christian conferences, with an occasional sentimental sporting event. 

But our day-to-day life is quiet. Partly because my husband raised his children before I knew him. 

On occasion, I struggle, longing for the activity of family. But then we visit grandchildren, parents, nieces, nephews, or siblings who have different preferences. Then, once again, I cherish the quiet. 

The quiet that enables me to hear God, to write His words, to feel His feelings, and to pass on His heart. 

The quiet that takes me away from the chaos of the world and enables me to enter into His restoration. 

His quiet shapes me—each and every day. 

I will write. 

Today is September 11, 2015—the 14th anniversary of the terror attacks on our country. It makes me sick to think of all those who lost their lives at the hands of criminals.

Their religion tells them to kill their enemies. Mine tells me to turn the other cheek to them by living out each of my days with intentional purpose. 

I don’t always live with intentional purpose well. I live with significant pain, which can keep me awake at night—and that often makes me too tired to want to get started in the morning. All I want to do is absorb information or sleep. But today, in an instant, I remembered that nearly 3,000 people were struggling with something that likely deferred their dreams. They hoped to get to that dream tomorrow—but for them, tomorrow never came.

We don’t know what God has planned. Tomorrow may never come for us either. We have to live like today may be all we have left. 

So I will write. I will write the words God places in my heart. I will not leave out His words because they may offend someone. 

I have been defeated not by these external enemies of our country but by inner fear demons who convince me that I don’t have anything worthy to say. I have capitulated because I have been too scared to let my voice be heard. I have not tried to counter with the truth. I have shriveled in the face of opposition because I want people to love me. I want to be hired. I want to lead a quiet life. 

But the reality is, not all of the Words God gives us are for the enjoyment and pacifying of others. Sometimes, the Words God gives us are a wake up call. Waking up His people to share His truth. Waking up His people to speak now because spreading His message is only getting harder.

We have to make our voices heard—for those whose voices were prematurely silenced by the evil in the hearts of others. If they were alive today, they would tell us to live our lives on purpose, because life is short. We need more people to know the truth of God’s love. It is only His love that transforms the heart of sin into one that loves others well. 

The longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to get our message out. The marketplace only becomes more crowded. We will have to push through more barriers to be heard. 

Today I also remember the birthdays of two people dear to me: my grandmother who taught me how to pray, and a high school friend who fought a valiant fight with cancer, but died as a young woman. I  am and will always be grateful to my grandma  and the closeness to God that prayer has created in my life. I know God is giving me courage because of it. However, my natural tendency is to keep to myself, much like my grandma did. 

I am asking God to help me also become like my friend. She was very influential because of her caring, magnetic, fun-loving personality. Although I am not sure that humor like hers is a gift of mine, I do want others to notice my care for them. My friend was also excelled in everything she did. She was the captain of the sports teams and homecoming queen. She had an amazing work ethic, pushing herself harder when she faced difficulties.

She encouraged me when she was losing her battle with cancer because she was still upbeat and others focused. She did not seem to retreat or shy away from others. She made the most of her time. And when her time was up, she was ready to begin the heavenly party without regrets because she lived life to the fullest. 

When my time is up—even at the end of each day—I want to be able to say that I lived each day to the fullest. I did push myself too hard for my corporate employers for nearly 20 years that when I finally began working for myself, I perhaps swung too much the other direction. I am asking God to help me swing my discipline pendulum back to the middle a bit.

I will find this balance so that I fulfill my calling of writing and sharing my message—in whatever form that takes. 

So I will write to live more fully.

So I will write to love. 

I will write to express God’s heart to His children.

I will write trusting in His overflow, and figure out how to get out whatever words He wants me to distribute. 

I will honor the legacy of those who didn’t have the opportunity to move forward with their dreams. 

I will stay centered in Christ and ask Him to conform my desires to His so that my most daring dreams also serve His purposes, and I am not really sure where He will lead me. But I am going to spend every day biting off a large chunk of the list. I am going to get done what God tells me to do—even if that is resting when I am in severe pain to lessen it so that I can have more productive concentrated times of productivity each day to get His words clearly on paper.

Will you join me?