You are reading the 45th issue of Drawing Near, a newsletter to encourage connection and soften the ache of loneliness. Each week, you'll receive inspiration for connecting with God, yourself, and the people around you. To see previous issues, go to our newsletter page.

Connect with God

A word from Philippians 4:8—

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

I invite you to go outside, stare up at the sky, and think on these things, thanking God for each one.

Connect with Yourself

Maybe you’ve seen the memes on the Internet that say, “Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard.” We can apply this to many aspects of living a healthy, fulfilling life. Often times what feels "easy" in the moment doesn't lead to lasting joy.

Reaching out to someone new is hard, but feeling lonely is harder. This week on the blog, I’m writing about choosing your hard—how stepping into small discomforts now can open the door to deeper joy and meaningful connection later.

👉 Click here to read my latest blog post: "Choose What Leads to Lasting Joy and Connection: How Moving Towards What’s Hard Can Make You More Fulfilled"

Connect with Others

Read The Miracle of Friendship: It's Worth the Risk by JL Gerhardt:

"In Christ, friendship is possible & friendship is worth the effort. I am not naturally good at making friends. You could say I’ve been quite bad at it. But God is good at it. It’s one of the things He’s always doing—connecting people, teaching them to dwell in unity, resolving conflict, spanning gulfs, accelerating intimacy. Though I have been a bumbling idiot in many a relationship, I’ve found, the closer I get to Christ, the closer I get to His people (and the closer I stay)."

From John O'Donohue's To Bless the Space Between Us:

"May you never place walls between the light and yourself."

Amen