What do you want more of in 2024?

an invitation and contemplative reflection as I consider 2023 that's happened and look ahead to 2024

Hello, hello, lovely Reader!

Welcome to this edition of Molly O’s Creativity Avalanche.

Journaling has grown to be a significant spiritual practice for me.

Today, I want to share a portion of one of my reflections—perhaps you’ll find inspiration to settle into a moment of prayerful contemplation on the page, too.

What do you want more of in 2024?

I want more keeping the Sabbath.

Why is rest so hard? When I talk about rest the only language I seem to have involves taking action. I want more peace. I want more of what Jesus talks about in the Bible—how the Sabbath is made for the people, not us for the Sabbath. I want to take a real break and go on long walks and linger in beauty and draw closer to God as a result of it.

I want more painting experiments.

I want to play with paint and pens and bits of paper and pastels. I want to be free again, from the need to control outcomes. I want to express the freedom through art materials whether they are conventional or not, and I want to share my painting experiments.

I want more creating and sharing.

“Create and Share” was my phrase for 2023. As an introvert and a 5 on the enneagram, I’m filled up when I spend intentional time alone and I’m happy in my own company. I also can tend to get lost if I’m alone for too long. I forget that a world outside my present company of self and imagination exists. I forget that others don’t know what I create if I don’t tell them about it. (Hence this note to you!) I want to create and share more in 2024.

I want more rising up.

“Rise up!” is my phrase for 2024. My faith is important to me and as I’ve gone through the year, 2023 had some challenges that meant I shrunk back a bit, felt weighed down, a bit, felt like I was heaped in ashes a bit…and as I sought after God in my own private time as well as asking others who care about me to pray, many times people felt like the words and phrases like these came to mind: rise up, arise, a picture of a Phoenix rising in a burst of new life from the ashes…and so, I am taking courage and I am rising up.

I want more poetry.

Full stop. I want to read more, write more, share more, teach more, publish more…poetry in 2024. I loved reading Mary Oliver’s collection, Why I Wake Early, and listening to Mark McGuinness’ poetry podcast, “A Mouthful of Air.” I loved writing poems for my people in my rainbow collection, publishing the red book (Community: Volume 1 in June 2023, signed-by-me copies are available in my online shop). I loved writing poems for refugee women in Belfast. I loved writing poems for guests in a local food pantry. I loved writing poems for friends. I loved teaching poetry workshops for adults and for 4-6 year olds, kindergartners. I want to do more of all of this. More poetry, please.

I want more smelling the great outdoors.

I want to breathe deeply along the shores of Lake Superior. I want to drink in the misty mystery of Yorkshire greenery. I want to wander the hills among the heather and sheep. I want to meander the Lake Superior Hiking Trails among the tall pines, maples, birch, and feel the lake breezes. I spend a lot of time at my typewriter indoors and working at my laptop in my office or coffeeshops…I want more time outside.

I want more consistency.

And, I really want to explore what that means. I used to think it was doing everything every day…that’s not possible. Now, I wonder about consistency as a mentality for keeping common threads in my life’s tapestry story weaving in and out.

I want more coffee and tea.

I had so much great coffee and tea. It’s something I love in solitude, inside and cozy, outdoors by the fireside, in company of loved ones. I just want more coffee and tea.

I want more travel with Max.

I was privileged to spend a lot of time traveling to write on various projects, networking with writers around the US and UK, and working remotely. Most of this was on my own, with the exception of starting 2023 with Max in Yorkshire with our friends and family and a lovely long September weekend in New York City. He’s my best friend and the person I’ve chosen to spend my whole life with…I want to get to share cool places with him more.

I want more good food.

As I’m processed various potential food allergies and learning to eat and cook and bake dairy free and gluten free, I want more good food—I don’t want to sacrifice my health or my tastebuds to have more good food. And, I’m so grateful that I have the privilege of access to it.

I want more generosity and giving.

I also had the privilege of growing and healing by receiving generosity in food, in vehicles, in places to stay, in listening ears, in helping hands in 2023. And I also had the privilege of giving financially to organizations like Rooted Oaks International who are committed to empowering lives of splendor, as well as giving poetry to visitors at the food bank and to friends. I want to give more time to people who need reminders of their brilliance and value.

I want more laughter and gathering.

Max, my bearded furniture-making Englishman husband and I love to laugh. And we love opening our home to be a space to gather. We both want more laughter and more gathering this year. This might look like hosting regular comedy watching nights, or cozy bonfires, or obscure holiday celebrations. I’m not sure exactly what it will look like, but I want more of the laughing and more of the gathering.

What are you wanting more of in 2024? What might God be highlighting to you about 2024?

I love hearing from my readers! Your comments make my work more of a conversation. If you’d like to leave me a note, you can click the pink comment button here—or, if you receive my posts via email, you can simply hit reply and I’ll be delighted to hear from you.

And…if you found this letter from me inspiring and want to hear me share an extended reflection about what I want more of in 2024, please listen to my podcast, “Project Perseverance” here and most places you can stream podcasts. This extended reflection will be “Episode 21: What I Want More of in 2024.”

…and…I’m excited about this, my email friend…

You’re invited!

Get Closer to God with Journaling - the Membership

Click here for more information or visit my website: mollyovenden.com/journalingmembership (all one word).

Journaling is a spiritual practice, a way of life, a method to plan and record—to lament and to celebrate, where you’ve experienced God in your everyday life.

When we have a journaling practice, we can slow down, reflect, and find clarity…as well as arrows which may point us to witness God’s activity in our lives.

Journaling is even better in community. Sharing breakthroughs that happen on the page is thrilling, motivating, and inspiring. Drawing closer to God in community is the best way—God made us to be in relationship.

Join the thoughtful community of journalers inside the membership and Get Closer to God with Journaling.

LIVE monthly guided journaling workshops for regular centering practice on the page, done through journaling in community.

GROW with monthly challenges to learn and practice a spiritual rhythm in conjunction with journaling.

REST with women like you as you listen to moments of experiencing God’s presence in everyday life, and encouragement to search for God in your daily mundane.

REFLECT throughout the month on thought-provoking questions to prompt your connection with God and invite you to consider the here and now and practice journaling to discover God and where arrows in your life might be God’s guidance.

Head on over here to https://mollyovenden.com/journalingmembership/ for more information and to be the first to know when the doors to membership open.

I hope to see you there!

Please share this with someone you think might also enjoy it. Click the pink button below and…

For now, enjoy the last twinkle of 2023, whether it was painful or inspired—or a messy mixture of both. May you find freedom and rest as you develop your voice in your journal. May you allow the gratitude to be a tangible sensation in your soul, today…and may you draw closer to God in the process.

Until next time…happy reflecting and journaling!

Molly

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