Permission

Believing that who I am and what I have is enough, this year I give myself permission to...

- Be brave in all things
- Try new things
- Dream big
- Daydream, even if it seems like “wasting” time
- Devote time, energy, and even money to things that nourish and replenish me, especially (but not only) writing
- Say no to things that distract me from my goals (even when doing so is difficult)
- Boldly claim the title “writer”, even if I have not yet (and may not ever) publish a book
- Submit articles to various online and print magazines, knowing that rejection will be part of the journey
- Find and listen to my muse, wherever she takes me
- Embrace my own creativity
- Write for the sheer joy of it, knowing that the act of writing and the words that flow from it are sacred
- Write about whatever I want, whenever I want, without fearing how it might impact my blog stats 
- View critiques as opportunities to grow
- Listen to the “sweetheart” voices more than the critics
- Write vulnerably
- Grow – as a wife, follower of Christ, youth worker, and writer.

This post was written in response to a prompt from Story 101. 

Comments

Natalie Trust

Love this, Jen! I'm working on many of these things too.

Posted by Natalie Trust, about 9 years ago

Jen

Natalie -

Thanks! It's so helpful to know we're in this together, with a like-minded community.

Jen

Posted by Jen, about 9 years ago

Jen Bradbury on Youth Ministry

Jen serves as the Minister of Youth and Family at Atonement Lutheran Church in Barrington, Illinois. A veteran youth worker, Jen holds an MA in Youth Ministry Leadership from Huntington University. Jen is the author of The Jesus Gap: What Teens Actually Believe about Jesus (The Youth Cartel), The Real Jesus (The Youth Cartel), Unleashing the Hidden Potential of Your Student Leaders (Abingdon), and A Mission That Matters (Abingdon). Her writing has also appeared in YouthWorker Journal, Immerse, and The Christian Century. Jen is also the Assistant Director of Arbor Research Group where she has led many national studies. When not doing ministry or research, she and her husband, Doug, and daughter, Hope, can be found traveling and enjoying life together.

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A Mission That Matters: How To Do Short-Term Missions Without Long-Term Harm

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Unleashing the Hidden Potential of your Student Leaders

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What Teens Actually Believe About Jesus

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