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2018 Recap // 2019 Goals

Tracey Dyck 30 Comments

A crisp new morning. The wide open feeling of new potential. This is January–or rather, it’s my idealized January. At this time of year, I find myself reflecting on what the past 365 days have been like and where I hope to go in the next 365. It’s definitely been a journey.

At the beginning of 2018, I slowed down and took a different approach to goal-setting. You can read about it here: What Lies on the Horizon. Today let’s look at those goals and see if I hit them.

2018 Goals

Organize my beta readers’ feedback on The Brightest Thread. Check! It was one whale of a job, but I did manage to wrangle all the feedback into one place and took an objective look at the critiques. (And smiled at the fangirly comments, let’s be honest.)

Try my hand at flash fiction and submit to a magazine. What do you know, I managed that too! I wrote a few flash fics, and Dead Magic was accepted by Havok. Details coming VERY soon!

Edit The Brightest Thread. I made progress on that front, for sure. The beginning of the novel gave me a hard time (how dare it), but the first 22,000 words are now in pretty good shape. I think. It’s been a while since I looked at it, thanks to college.

Start querying literary agents. Nope, I didn’t make it that far, since I didn’t finish editing TBT.

Attend Realm Makers in St. Louis and pitch TBT again there. I did make it to Realm Makers for the second time and pitched twice, with promising results. I’m excited to pursue that in the future.



Finish The Creative Way course. Ahahaha . . . no. This was on my list of goals last year too, and I worked through even fewer lessons in 2018 than I did in 2017. College swallowed my LIFE.


Get my secret project off the ground. Aside from brainstorming, I made no progress here either. See the above reason.


Spiff up the blog. Again, nope.


Maybe plan my next novel? Nuh-uh. You know the drill by now. #collegelife

Three and a half achieved out of nine.

A couple years ago, that might have made me depressed. But now? I can smile, nod, and turn my face toward the new year. Because I know that list of goals doesn’t paint the whole picture. There were more important things I wanted out of 2018, bigger wins to achieve. Most of them can’t be quantified.

I took more time for people. I noticed a marked difference in how I treated time spent with family and friends. Not that I’m oh-so-generous now, but I’ve become a little more willing, a little more able to shut up my inner critic when it wants to yak about the looming to-do list. The people in my life mean more than getting that blog post up in time or editing another chapter.

I carved out time to read and recharge. I skidded too close to burnout in 2017 and 2016, so with college ramping up this year, I knew it was even more crucial to stay rested. Again, I wasn’t perfect at this, but there were many, many occasions I made the decision to pick up a book instead of a task in my free time. Sure, there were weeks in summer when I went full-steam ahead in editing my novel, and most definitely times during the school months that I worked my fingers to the bone. BUT. Overall, I took steps to nurture my mental health, and now I’m thanking myself for it.
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Most importantly, I grew closer to God and forged a new devotional habit. Recently, I reread the What Lies on the Horizon post from last January . . . and it almost made me cry. Many of those words had faded from memory since writing them down, including this thought:

“What I know right now is that every time I have hungered for more of God and cried out for a deeper knowing of Him, He has responded. And every time, all it took was asking… and then putting one foot in front of the other with my eyes open for an answer. Another thing I know right now is that I miss digging into the Word.” [Jan. 2018]

Since writing that, I started a contemplative Bible-reading plan–and kept up with it all year. Coming from a 2017 of very sporadic times spent with God, that’s huge for me.

And when I look back at all the things God has whispered to my heart in 2018, I am moved by how kind and wise He is. All year, He encouraged me to rest, to accept grace, to trust Him. To do everything WITH Him. This was made especially clear at Realm Makers, where author Allen Arnold taught a class called Chaos and Creativity.

Books I read, people I talked to, messages from church I listened to, songs I heard . . they wove together into a beautiful melody threaded through the year, snagging my wandering attention when I strayed too far.
(And on the more superficial side of things, I finished two semesters of business college, had Mirrors Never Lie place as a finalist in Five Poisoned Apples, and read 50 books.)
I’m proud of 2018.
But now it’s time to look to the new year.

2019 Goals

Continue my devotional habit. But more than just continuing, I want to build more thought, study, and variety into it as time goes on.

Give myself more grace. This one goes without explanation.

Take better care of myself. This includes getting the right amount of sleep, being intentional about unplugging, and making space for just being still.

Graduate college and get a great job. I can’t wait! As much as I grumble about college (which is something else I need to work on), it really has been a valuable experience. One of these days I’ll share some survival tips for fellow students. Anyway, before I graduate in April, I’ll be looking for the kind of job that will make me excited to get up in the morning.

Finish editing The Brightest Thread. I’m so looking forward to brushing up this darling child of mine . . .

Send TBT to a literary agent. . . . And I’m looking forward to engaging in some serious querying!
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Attend Realm Makers for the third time. It’s my tentative plan, and I’m hoping it’ll fit in the budget again this summer.
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Actually finish The Creative Way writing course by Ted Dekker. Because there’s cool stuff to learn and it’s about time I finish what I started an embarrassingly long time ago.

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Move Adventure Awaits to a self-hosted website. You heard it here first, folks! Rather than simply spruce up the blog, I’m seriously contemplating moving to a bona-fide website later this year. I foresee many inquiries being sent to the more technologically-minded . . .

Bring that secret project into existence. And that’s all I’ll say about that. *wink*

I do have a handful of “bonus goals,” smaller and easier-to-achieve things that would be nice to accomplish, but not absolutely imperative. Things like purging my room, purchasing a new laptop, reading another 50 books (including my nonfiction TBR stack), even getting a personal blender with which to make smoothies. But I think ten major goals are quite enough for now, thank you!

2019 holds some big changes, that much is certain. I’m eagerly anticipating a change of season, from full-time student to . . . well, full-time something else, and also the chance to revive my writing life. In the meantime, I hope to practice grace for myself and others–and face the future with a peaceful heart.

What are you looking forward to this year, fellow questers?

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How Beautiful on the Mountain

Tracey Dyck 10 Comments

[Graphic mine; image via Unsplash]

Merry Christmas, my friends!

This time of year likes to sneak up on me, even though I should see it coming. (Y’know, it’s not like it lands on December 25th every single year.) Now that I’m on Christmas break and can forget about college for a couple of weeks, I’ve been basking in a quieter pace at home with my family. Somehow the rushing around to mail off Christmas letters and pick up the last few gifts doesn’t feel all that crazy when there are no more textbooks to study.

Something I’ve been doing in my quiet time with God is read a series of verses picked out for Advent. My Bible has a convenient list of suggested readings, and it’s only a verse or two each day, so I get to camp out on each one for a while.

Several days ago, this was the day’s passage. It’s something I’ve read plenty of times before, but it stuck out in a new way to me.

Ah, how beautiful the feet of those on the mountain who declare the good news of victory, of peace and liberation, the voice that calls to Zion, that chosen place for God’s promise people, announcing to them, “Your God rules!” (Isaiah 52:7, The Voice translation)

What are you declaring?

I want my whole life to proclaim the good news of victory, peace, and liberation that’s found in Jesus. In December we sing, “Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.” But where have I been telling it? And what have I been telling?

Do people hear God’s love when I’m standing in line at the mall? Chatting with friends on Instagram? Speaking to family and relatives?

Everywhere we go, our words, demeanor, and actions are a package deal. Together, they’re communicating something twenty-four seven. So what are we saying?

Are we communicating stress with our frazzled tone and frantic pace? Are we sharing frustration and discord with our snappish replies?

Or could we perhaps slow down long enough to reconnect to peace–to the source of it, our Prince of Peace–and let our lives sing out a refrain of victory?

I get it. It’s hard to do when all month, our to-do lists have grown longer instead of shorter. It’s hard when polarizing family members are placed in the same room and expected to get along. It’s hard when a loved one is in the hospital. It’s hard when bills are stacked on the counter and the boxes under the tree number fewer than you wish. It’s hard when you’re picking up the slack for others going through crises, or you’re sifting through difficult memories of Christmases past, or things just aren’t falling into place.

Those things are real. They hurt, and they’re hard. But the Prince of Peace came for you, too. And the beautiful thing is that by welcoming Him into your brokenness, you let His light shine through to everyone around you. They will see the peace you carry amidst the darkness. Ah, what wonder. A small and humble miracle. A declaration of good news proclaimed from the mountain for all to hear.

Merry Christmas, friends. May this peace envelop your hearts no matter what is surrounding your life today.

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Dust & Clay

Tracey Dyck 20 Comments
Photo by Paul Robert on Unsplash // Graphics mine

On the days you feel lifeless
Hopeless
Breathless

You are more.

When all you hold is dust
Sand
Ash

There is more.

When your mind whispers lies
And the mirror tells you lies
And the world screams lies

Look for more.

Still, Eternal One, You are our Father.

We are just clay, and You are the potter.

We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth.

Isaiah 64:8 (The Voice)

Clay is common. It’s dirt. It’s walked on, buried, and disregarded. It’s worthless.

But the moment an artist scoops clay onto the potter’s wheel and shapes it into something, that clay is imbued with value. Someone with expertise and creative vision has turned it into a work of art, and the artist’s fingerprints are all over it. It has become a beautiful expression of the creator’s heart.

It matters.

One day the Eternal God scooped dirt out of the ground,

sculpted it into the shape we call human,

breathed the breath that gives life into the nostrils of the human,

and the human became a living soul.”

Genesis 2:7 (The Voice)

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash
You are not worth anything based on what you are made of. You are worth something based on who made you. The Artist’s signature on your soul is living proof. The breath in your lungs–which isn’t yours–is proof.

I am dust

You are God

I am breathless

Till You fill my lungs

–Dust, Steffany Gretzinger

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I feel dusty sometimes. No matter how hard I try, my earthiness persists. I would rather be a vessel of polished marble or wondrous crystal, but instead I am a jar of clay. Yet I am worth more than a marble vase created by an amateur sculptor, because I was crafted by an expert artisan, and somehow He saw fit to place the treasure of His life within me.

But this beautiful treasure is contained in us–cracked pots made of earth and clay–so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us.

…So we have no reason to despair. Despite the fact that our outer humanity is falling apart and decaying, our inner humanity is breathing in new life every day.

2 Corinthians 4:7 & 16 (The Voice)

Breathe life today, friend. Walk through the dust and keep your chin up, because you are made worthy. You are an exclusive art exhibit on display in this world, authenticated by the Artist’s unmistakeable touch.
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Don’t Leave Change to Chance

Tracey Dyck 31 Comments
[image mine; edited with Portra and BeFunky]

I attended a college graduation this week. It was strange to see a new batch of students on the very stage on which I stood a year ago!

For the more recent readers here, my post-high school life thus far looks like this:

  • Spent a year looking for a job
  • Found a retail position and just worked for a year
  • Went to the aforementioned college (while still working part-time on the side) where I completed a nine-month program that focuses on building leaders who are strong in their faith and also successful in the business world
  • And most recently, completed my first year of a business diploma (yep, still working in the meantime)

Anyway, life progression aside, seeing a new class graduate made me realize how fast time moves! Something the valedictorian said in her speech stuck out to me:

“Don’t leave change to chance.”

Something like this leadership program is only as valuable as the effort a student puts into it. Simply attending won’t do a blessed thing. The same goes for a multitude of other opportunities for learning. A powerful book, a thought-provoking blog post, the wisdom of a mentor, a challenge before you, a mind-numbing job, a sandpaper person*, an informative class. All of these have the potential to mold you, change you, and catapult you to a higher level of life, but only if you do your part.

*None of us shall name names, but we all know these individuals–abrasive, prickly, uncomfortable-to-be-around people whose role in your life is to smooth your rough edges.

What is our part?

We are constantly processing information. I don’t know enough science to go into the cognitive details, but your brain filters a CRAZY amount of data all the time. You discard what is unimportant, routine, and involuntary in order to function, since your focus is incredibly narrow. How does a magician fool an audience? Misdirection. If you’re watching one hand wave the scarf over here, you won’t see the other hand reach for the card over there. It takes concentrated effort to ignore the flashy new things your brain deems as “important” in order to focus on a crucial but mundane detail.

How often do you read or hear something and think, “Wow, that was good. I need to remember that.” And then . . . don’t? Yeah, me too. I don’t even remember what I had for lunch yesterday. It wasn’t important.

Okay, so what am I getting at? We’ve covered grads, brains, and magicians, oh my!

The point is this. You want to change. So do I. But we leave transformation to chance most of the time. We sit around waiting for a golden key to fall into our lap, for Gandalf to knock on our door, for someone to invent a USB port in the back of our skulls so that we can download new skills. But it doesn’t work that way.

Proverbs 2 talks about pursuing wisdom (personified throughout the book as a woman), and it uses a lot of action verbs.

  • Accept what I am telling you
  • Store my counsel deep within you
  • Listen for Lady Wisdom
  • Attune your ears to her
  • Engage your mind
  • Cry out for insight
  • Beg for understanding
  • Sift through the clamor of everything around you
  • Seek wisdom
  • Search for it
  • Grasp what it means
  • Discover knowledge

And here’s what this wisdom will do for you.

With this wisdom you will be able to choose the right road, seek justice, and decide what is good and fair because wisdom will penetrate deep within and knowledge will become a good friend to your soul. (Proverbs 2: 9-10, the Voice translation)

 It goes on to say that sound judgment will stand guard over you, and wisdom will keep you away from wrong paths. I don’t know about you, but I could use a good dose of wisdom in my life. But it won’t come to me by chance. Neither will true change.

This is our part: to take responsibility for our own growth, to seek wisdom, to listen, to reflect, to apply.

Start small. To think of changing your entire life from the ground up is overwhelming. Instead, pick one habit to replace. When you’re studying, pick out one thing you can apply right now. When you step into an environment that encourages change, use it. Seek, store, discover. Sift through the clamor. Fall in love with change. Fall in love with the pursuit of wisdom. Involve God on the journey, too. He gives wisdom without finding fault in you.

It’s been said that the clearest memories are made by repetition or strong emotion. Once you’ve grasped a nugget of wisdom, don’t let it go! Find ways to repeat it to yourself, whether it’s leaving notes around the house or setting a reminder on your phone or learning the discipline of reflection. Attach emotions to it if you can. Envision what your life could be like if you applied that little lesson; paint the most vivid picture you can.

And then act. The quickest way to get something from your head to your heart is to start moving your hands and feet.

What’s something small you want to change this week? Don’t leave it to chance.

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