2020 ANCHORED PRESS PLANS

Anchored Press friends!! Oh, how I’ve missed you all! For those who didn’t catch my last post (two months ago!), we moved to Oregon the beginning of June! We've enjoyed a beautiful summer and I've had time to realize that this journey God has our family on actually began a full year ago. He started planting seeds—one by one—until He got our entire family’s attention. And now here we are expectantly waiting to see how God is going to use each of us in this beautiful place!

As I’ve been processing this past year, I’m reminded of how patient God is as He waits on us to move. Not just a move to another state; it could be moving in anything, really. He doesn’t pressure. He doesn’t push. He simply plants and waits. And now that I’ve started to garden, even a rookie gardener like me knows if you want something to grow you should plant it in good soil. I also know you have to remove some of that good soil, in order to plant something new. And when I reflect on the past five years of this Anchored Press journey, I see that’s exactly what God is doing. Oh, how he prepared my soil—with the nourishment I found in His Word He gave me words—words I pray have drawn you closer to your Savior. As I would sit down each year writing and planning for the next, the words would always flow from Him, along with the creativity and vision for the business.

But as I prepared for 2020, it was different.

The words just weren’t coming as easily. It felt dry. I couldn’t even explain it. Other than the fact that it felt like God was taking out some of that good soil to make room for something new. Then came the move which took most of my attention away from Anchored Press, at which point I heard God so clearly ask me to lay Anchored Press down for the month of June. Then it was the month of July. Then I felt like He was stringing me along, when really, He was stringing it all together.

I’ve spent the past five years pouring into Anchored Press and now He’s made it clear it’s time He pours into me. He’s asked me to put a pause on the Anchored Press Devotional Planner and has lead me to pursue my Masters at Seminary! I couldn’t be more excited! It’s truly been a dream of mine, but the timing never felt right. But now, it feels so right and feels so God.

So for those of you who don’t think they can live without their Anchored Press Planner, what are you going to do? Well, first off, thank you!!! Thank you for entrusting me over the years to fill your souls with His Word and some of the words He gave me to give to you! For many of you, this would be your 5th Anchored Press Planner. This puts the biggest smile on my face but also makes me teary thinking I’m letting y’all down. Since the Daily Planner for 2020 is nearly completed, I am looking into the possibility of offering it as a Digital Download. Sadly, I barely scratched the surface on the Weekly, so that’s not a digital option for 2020. But I will keep you posted on this!

BUT, this is NOT the end of the story for Anchored Press! I actually look at it as the beginning, the beginning of something God wants for all of you! I will be coming out with more products, just not time sensitive products (oh man, staying on top of dated material is no joke!!). My mission stays the same—products that draw you into God’s Word, into a deeper communion with Him. My goal will be to have a small line ready by Christmas, while also trusting God's timing for all of it.

Lastly, I am beyond excited to share our life in our new town, as well as my seminary journey with all of you! Knowing that I don’t have to keep my social media squares perfectly polished to reflect my pretty brand makes me SO excited to keep growing this community authentically, organically and all for His glory!

xo, deana

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
ISAIAH 55:10-11 NIV

FOUR WAYS TO FIND A SPRING IN YOUR STEP

Want a “spring” in your step before Spring actually arrives?

The Cambridge Dictionary describes “a spring in your step” as “walking energetically in a way that shows you are feeling happy and confident.” But with wintry weather keeping us from hopping cheerfully out of our warm beds each morning (let alone walking energetically!), many of us are battling the winter blues. Can you believe it’s even happening in Southern California? We’ve had an unseasonably cold and rainy winter! Who’s ready to feel “Spring-y” in this last (long) week of winter?

Let’s bask in the Son now! After all, Jesus is our “sun and shield” (Psalm 84:11), our “bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16), and “the light of the world” (John 8:12). I’m praying these truths over you right now!

Here are 4 ways we can rely on Jesus to put a spring in our step:

1) Turn your attention to what God is doing.

“Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth." COLOSSIANS 3:2

There are many things to look at each day, most of which can slow our pace. A long scroll on social media can be discouraging. A too-close gaze at politics can be troubling. And a critical eye at those not like us can also be very damaging.

Yes, it’s natural to look every which way throughout the day. But like Moses, who “was amazed at the sight and went to take a closer look” after hearing God’s call from the burning bush, let’s also save our “closer looks” for the things God is doing around us and through us. And, open your Bible and see what He wants to share with you.

2) Focus on refreshing others first.

“. . . whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” PROVERBS 11:25B

There’s a lot of “take care of you” advice out there. It’s not a bad thing. After all, a handful of veggies and a mani-pedi can do wonders! But looking at Jesus, at how everything He did was to the benefit of those in need, we can trust His call to “wash another’s feet” and to “love our neighbors” will only refresh us, not deplete us and fill us, not empty us.

3-Spend time with Him.

“After sending them home, he [Jesus] went up into the hills by himself to pray.” MATTHEW 14:23A NLT

We need to be filled by God to function at our fullest capacity. I recently heard a pastor talk about where he gets refilled by God. For Him it’s a long drive while listening to worship music. For me it is sitting in silence with Him at the beach. Where do you go when you need God to settle your soul and fill you up? We talk a ton about being in God’s Word around here, but what about just “being” with Him?

4) Find your identity in Christ, not in what you do for Him.  

“Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." LUKE 10:20

Jesus had sent His disciples on a trainee mission of sorts. When they returned, they were overjoyed by everything they did for Him. Even though Jesus assured them—yes, I have given you all authority to do such things—He wanted their joy to flow from the fact their sins are forgiven and their names are written in heaven.  

We often wrap ourselves up so tightly in our successes—in our fruitfulness—we build our identity around what we do for Jesus, rather than who we are in Jesus. Instead of relying on our good deeds to keep that spring in our step, let’s rely on God’s goodness.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
COLOSSIANS 3:2

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Floret Flower

 

Empty Planner Pages Leaving you Empty?

When it comes to your Anchored Press planner, do you start-off like a rockstar in January, filling each page with scheduled appointments, meal plans, and dates-to-remember, only to find skipped pages—maybe even skipped weeks—once Fall rolls around? And since it’s designed to keep you in God's Word everyday, does the sight of blank pages make you feel guilty all the more?

Don’t be discouraged! Know that your God who created every season—some calm and still, some hustling and bustling—fully understands the ebb and flow of life. So give yourself grace, letting go of all “perfect planner” expectations, and feel free to jump back in at anytime!

And know this: empty planner pages do not mean your relationship with God is empty. Though you may not engage in all the ways your planner connects you to Jesus, He’s still reaching out and revealing Himself to you. Do you feel His loving gaze? Our prayer is you find Him being faithful even when you're not (2 Timothy 2:13), witness Him keeping no record of wrong even when you’ve got a tally (1 Corinthians 13:5), experience Him initiating connection with you even when you have a tendency to run (Genesis 3:8-9), and sense Him praying for you even when you don't know what to pray (Romans 8:26).

Friend, when God looks at you, He doesn't see commitments you've broken, goals you didn't reach, prayers you forgot to write down, and empty pages in your planner. He only sees the fullness of His daughter, a girl on her way home to Him.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly
about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s
power may rest on me.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9 NIV