You are reading the 59th issue of Drawing Near, a newsletter to encourage connection and inspire you to live a less lonely life. 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

Is fear your end point or your starting line?

Consider how you can use your fear to lean in to God and his wisdom:

"My fear has never disqualified me. It has always been the starting place for Spirit-filled courage and a reverent fear of the Lord."

--Jess Connolly on Substack

Connect with Yourself

I attended a virtual writing session by my favorite journaling teacher, Kristin Vanderlip, and she gave us the prompt "What does joy sound like?" I began by making a list of joyful sounds, finding that many of them had to do with birthdays. Then I remembered my 16th birthday party, when my parents surprised me by having some friends at a restaurant when we arrived there. It was fun to reflect on that event, leaning in to all the awkward (I did not enjoy everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to me in the restaurant) and all the love.

How about you? If you have some time, journal this prompt, or make some art out of it:

What does joy sound like?

If you would like more journaling guidance and prompts, check out Vanderlip's Substack, the mending.

Connect with Others

Are you craving more "analog connection?" Writer Shauna Niequist shares why that is her theme for this year:

"I want to connect with human people in offline, in-person, deeply IRL ways. I want to go for walks and share meals and tell stories and yes, make mood boards. I want to cook together and run errands together and go on road trips together. I want to prioritize time together with people who matter to me, even if it means another flight, even if it’s expensive or hard to find time for.

I don’t want to scroll. I don’t want most of my social interactions to take place via text. I want in-person, face-to-face, in all of the awkwardness and inconvenience and magic of human interaction."

Read the full post here and be inspired to make a mood board with actual physical magazines!

Keep walking in the light and leaning in towards love❤️