A look back on my first year writing on Substack (in this article #215)

as the one year anniversary of TRANSFORMED BY HIS LOVE approaches

Do you ever reflect on your purpose? Do you think about why you’re alive at this time in history?

• Do you ask yourself why you take time to write or do other creative things here?

Sometimes I do.

I’ll be honest, I could spend this time I’ve poured into writing articles (and doing podcasts and teaching videos) here in other ways. We all could choose to use our time differently. But I’m really glad God led me to set aside some time each week to develop this Substack community called Transformed by His Love.

For one thing, God has given me some wonderful connections with friends from around the globe. I am very happy to have met all of you here! This really is a pretty amazing corner of the internet, and I’ve purposely chosen to keep my Substack as a sacred and peaceful place where we don’t talk about divisive topics.

So I want to welcome you here…to a place where we can simply pause and spend some time together in uplifting ways. As you know by now if you’re a reader, I am a Christian and my faith is central to who I am. But even if you’re not a believer, I think you’ll find encouragement and help in the articles here.

I love to write about ways that we experience growth, healing and transformation.

What if your biggest purpose today is fulfilled simply by loving God and being loved by Him?

When I started Transformed by His love almost a year ago, I framed my purpose in writing here in this way:

If you realized how deeply and thoroughly God loves you, how would it change you?

We grow and heal as we connect more deeply with His love and joy. I love to explore our joyful identity in Christ and how His Hesed brings stability and peace.

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I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first year as a writer here, and I thought it would be fun to pause and thank those of you who have been faithful readers and subscribers or followers.

I feel so grateful for each of you. As of today, we have 690 subscribers. I’m not sharing this to pat myself on the back or for any competitive reason…but simply to say I don’t take a single one of you for granted.

God has given me joy in writing and creating resources here, and I’ve seen Him use things published here to encourage and strengthen others. This is an answer to prayer!

Transformed by His Love is read across 45 US states and 47 countries.

We have 2,546 followers at the moment.

The reason I’m sharing this is to encourage you that God also can bring the people He desires to bless into your life through this means of His grace.

I think that sometimes we live in an age saturated with information and many of us are burned out on algorithms and digital relationships when this was NEVER meant to substitute for face to face friendships and being fully present to our families.

God created us for relationships and shared joy lights up an area of the brain that’s healthy for us. We NEED face to face relationships.

However, I have been very surprised and delighted at the friendships forged here, too! I would like to thank God for a few of those friendships, though I know I risk leaving many of you out. For that, please accept my apology.

Many of you have become rather dear to me, whether you realize this or not!

Devon Comp

,

Jeannie Ewing

(and your daughter Sarah),

Isis Bradford

,

J. Redmerski-Tacu

,

Hephzibah

,

Pamela S Dubois

,

Janet McHenry

,

Alice Chen

,

Alice Crider

,

Janet Ridsdale

,

Linda Stoll

,

Deborah T. Hewitt

,

Deb Gruelle

,

Debi Hassler-Never Forsaken

,

Deb Potts

,

Audra Powers

,

Eve Harrell

Kim White

,

Tiffany Chu

,

Kelly Flanagan

,

Blake Roberts, LMFT

,

Dr. Lee Warren

,

Chuck Phillips

,

Brian Causer

,

Kathi Torresdal

,

Kiran Blackwell

,

Guadalupe Muñoz

,

Young Woong Yi

,

An Immigrant's Journey To (early) Retirement

,

Rick White

,

Michelle Pehlman

,

Ruhie Vaidya

,

Victoria

,

Thalia Toha

, and

OCD New Mexico

…etc.

I know there are many other writers here, and faithful readers I could list, but you get the picture! I thank God for you.

I want to dedicate this first year celebration to

OCD New Mexico

. Zach, the writer and therapist behind his wonderful Substack had become a very dear friend. He and I were going to collaborate on some things but sadly right around Thanksgiving last year, Zach went to the hospital with some symptoms they thought might be quite minor, and he died unexpectedly. I have missed him very much, and his wife contacted me and asked me to keep his Substack going because it was something he treasured. As a retired therapist, I recognized what a talented therapist Zach truly was—he had so much to offer his readers and his counseling clients.

While I don’t have the ability to sign into his Substack, I do share his articles from time to time, and his help with the book I am writing will be honored when that book releases. Zach encouraged me so often in the short time we collaborated. One time he wrote me after reading one of my articles and he said, “You have the Holy Spirit veracity…please continue writing and finish your book. It’s needed.”

He and I had some long conversations and I was honored to know him.

I have been “pen pals” with some of you I listed above. I have done video calls with some of you. I have been blessed by many of you in what you write here. I also have prayed for some of you and been very grateful for your prayers and encouragement as well. This has been an unexpected place of blessing…the fellowship I’ve found here has been real and authentic. I thank God for you!

Soon after I started writing, I took the advice of someone more seasoned here and turned on paid subscriptions, though I didn’t plan to emphasize this. To my surprise and delight, a woman who had been a mentor to me in my younger years, Nancy Campbell Stearns, paid for an annual subscription! This surprised me so much, I wondered if I should call her and tell her most of my articles here would be free, so she didn’t need to pay! But I took this as confirmation from the LORD that my work here had value to someone. Thank you, Nancy! God has used you in my life since I was a kid, and I am grateful for your godly example and support.

Then over time, several others chose to become paid subscribers or founders here.

Here a few notes from some of my other paid subscribers. I just share these to thank them for their support and to thank God for inspiring me to start writing here at the end of March 2024.

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I still marvel at this, and want to say thank you to each of you who have chosen to become paid subscribers and to all of my readers.

I remember when I first started out, I felt surprised and happy every time I saw a new subscriber sign up. I’ve never tried to emphasize growth or numbers, but I must admit it’s a joy to see that someone else will hopefully be blessed or encouraged by my writing or videos here. The first few weeks I wrote here I know hardly anyone saw my articles. That’s okay.

Never despise small beginnings.

I didn’t choose to import subscribers from elsewhere. I used to blog on another platform, and though I told people about this Substack, I thought it would be more fun to just let God cause the increase and to watch things organically grow.

This has been a labor of love, and I’ll be honest, I have found renewed purpose and meaning by sharing my writing here. I love my work as a certified Relational Spirituality Coach (which is kind of like spiritual direction and biblical counseling all in one fun package), and I have built a nice library of resources here with my articles and videos. As a retired counselor and a human being, I recognize that we all need encouragement, hope, and reminders of what really matters most.

My prayer all along has been to blow on the embers of hope for those who are struggling. I personally have gone through some hard times, and I realize how vital encouragement and the love of God and others can be.

A week from today, I will be flying to Australia to visit some dear friends from my twenties when I taught in China. I’m looking forward to a vacation, and most of all I am eager to spend time with people I love. My house will be safe and sound because my burly husband will be working from home and he’ll keep everything going on the home front. I wish he could join me, and I’ll miss him. But I’m of the mind that missing people we love makes us appreciate them even more.

While I’m gone, I will grow a year older, celebrate my wedding anniversary, and most importantly, I’ll celebrate Resurrection Day (Easter) with my friends in Australia.

I’ve never been to Australia, and I’d appreciate prayers for this long journey across the ocean and for my adventures Down Under in their fall season. It will be strange to enter the fall season while spring flowers come out in full force in our home in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

I’d also appreciate prayer for safety, health for my husband and me, and for His divine appointments while I’m away. My husband and I married later in life, and when I get back I will celebrate a decade of marriage with him. His mom was a tax preparer when we tied the knot so we waited til after tax day to hold our wedding. That was a very happy day—one I will never forget. Having friends and family from different seasons of our lives all in one place, and forming a covenant with Jerry before God and loved ones was truly an unforgettable blessing.

I will miss my Sweetie and my pup, JiaYou while I’m away, but I am very grateful God has made this upcoming trip possible.

We’re both older and hopefully wiser now, and we have so much to thank God for as He has provided for our needs over the years. God is so faithful and I’m grateful to be growing older with my beloved husband.

I want to thank my husband for his support of my writing career. I’ve been working hard on a book, and I’ve written many articles here, and sometimes this takes away from time that would otherwise be spent with him. Of course, my relationship with God and my family need to be my priority, but you know how it is—having a husband or family who support our passions means a lot.

Last summer I did a project called Writing as Breathing: How Writing Changes Me.

In the threads and articles (which you can find by looking the tab at the top of Transformed by His Love on your laptop), you’ll find links to other relevant articles and some great discussions and reflection questions.

I’ve grown very fond of many of the other writers I’ve met here and I’m thankful for each of my readers.

Here’s to more years or creating memories and meaningful resources that can lift the spirits of others!

I hope to release my book later this year called Tenderly Transformed: Growing and Healing Through Turbulent Times.

I want to thank all of you who have engaged with things I’ve written, and shared your hearts and lives with me. It is truly an honor.

Happy reading and happy writing, my friends!

I’ll see you after I return from Australia. I’ll schedule a few articles to release while I’m away, but I may not respond to messages until I return.

With love,

Sue