A Good Word Wednesday
Current Substack Newsletter updated each Wednesday
A Good Word Wednesday
RENEW #176
April 1, 2026
A little bit of goodness, encouragement and hope in your mailbox today.
What good plans does God have for you? PLANS. It’s Your Good Word for Your Wednesday.
I’m BACK!
Some of you are saying right now… “Uh…. you went somewhere?” Others are saying… “Welcome back! I missed having a Good Word in my inbox every Wednesday morning.” Of course, I would prefer you were in group 2, but if you didn’t notice these good words have been missing since the first week of January, that’s ok. I’m thankful you are here now. Group 2 people… thank you for your good words of encouragement, your prayers and your thoughtfulness. A few of you have subscribed since I’ve been silent… so a hearty welcome to you. Thank you for joining our happy Good Word family.
I took a few months sabbatical downtime to rest, to be renewed and refreshed. All of that happened in a variety of ways. I highly recommend everyone take some intentional time away alone with God. I will share below some ways that I spent my “sabbatical.” When speaking to others about my months of rest, I always used air quotes when referring to it. Not sure why I did that. Maybe because it didn’t look like what sabbaticals are for other people. But it was definitely a time I needed that I felt led to do.
During this time, I prayed for what my first Good Word would be upon my return. Plans is the word that kept coming to me over and over. Partly because I took time to evaluate where I’ve been on my journey with God and what plans He has for me now and going forward. Below is my list of activities I wanted to accomplish:
Read more. I definitely did that! I have a few books in the Recommend section below.
Walk more often and consistently. During these days, I committed to walking a minimum of one mile a day, each day for 40 days. I was doing great with this until day 30 when my sciatica nerve decided it had other plans for me. Instead of finishing this goal on Easter Sunday, this activity will continue when I am better.
Enjoy my outdoor space longer (when the weather allows) along with my coffee and the birds. Soak in the sunshine. I did this one as much as possible.
Pick up my good camera and learn to take better photos. Didn’t quite happen. I still want to do this.
Learn how to be a better napper. Hmmm… I could improve on this goal.
Write in my journal more. Check!
Clean out some closets and cabinets much in need of some attention. Our bedroom closet got a good cleaning. SO much more to do in this category.
Listen to music that quietens my soul and leads me to worship. Yes. Please listen to Good Plans cited below.
Be still. Be quiet. And know God is with me. Near the end of my three- month sabbatical, I took a 24-hour personal retreat at a nearby BnB. I can’t tell you how lovely it was. Highly recommend.
I should have added one more: Pray more often. When we immerse ourselves in prayer and seek divine insight, we demonstrate our trust in His wisdom, moving us closer to a life that exemplifies Him.
I learned many things in the last three months. But probably the biggest one is to take time to slow down each day, several times throughout the day, and worship Him. You can do that in the busiest times of day or in the quiet of the morning. He is always there. And I know I need to pay closer attention to what is going on around me — the people, the events, the ordinary things that happen on a normal day. And to be more thankful. Grateful. Because I know He has good plans for me. I can’t say I know in detail what those plans are. But I do know that they are good because they come from a Good Father.
One good plan I know He has for me is to continue writing these Good Words for you each week. I’ve missed sharing this time with you these past few months. Thank you for being here.
Wednesday in the Word
Wednesday in the Word
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Psalm 23. All of it
“But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:11
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (This is my life verse and why I took the photo of the path above.)
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3
Share Your Good Word
Good Questions
GOOD Question(s) of the Week: Have you taken an intentional break to be alone with God and hear Him? What did that look like for you? What did you learn?
Good Words I Recommend
A Good Song: Good Plans by Red Rocks Worship with lyrics. And the Official Live Video. “I know my Father has good plans for me.” Please take a few minutes and listen to this one. So good.
A Good Book: The Sacred Art of Slowing Down: Find Relief from Rushed Living, Soothe Your Soul, and Restore Wholeness Within, A.C. Seiple,
Another Good Book: Come Away and Rest, A Guide to Personal Spiritual Retreats, Alyson Pryor
Another Good Book: Growing Slow: Lessons on Un-Hurrying Your Heart from an Accidental Farm Girl, Jennifer Dukes Lee.
Another Good Book: Unseen People: Sharing Light and Life with Your Neighbors and the Nations, DeAnna Lynn Sanders. My book is full of stories of how God worked in amazing ways to show Himself to unseen people.
A Good Post: Good Words for Good Friday. I wrote this a few years ago. Good Friday is in two days. Please take time to read it this week.
Another Good Post: Surprise! I also wrote this one a few years ago. This is what happened on Easter morning.
(NOTE: If you don’t have time to read these additional Good Word posts now, I will send them out to you as bonus posts this week on Friday and Sunday.)
A Final Good Word
I love Spring and Easter. We are in the midst of Holy Week. And while Good Friday didn’t look so good at that moment in time, what happened on Easter Sunday morning changed everything. What good plans God has for those who love Him, follow Him, and worship Him. I pray that all of us have some quiet, alone time with Him this week. And know that He loves us. Sees us. And wants us to spend time with Him.
DeAnna’s email: deannalynnsanders@gmail.com
Gratefully yours,
DeAnna
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