This coming Advent, join four women authors offering diverse perspectives on psalms of adoration, lament, repentance, and thanks, in our new devotional: Show Me Your Ways, O Lord. During a time of chaos and confusion, these daily devotions will help you stay anchored in the knowledge that “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and all who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).
For those of you who have enjoyed our author Q&A posts in the past, this one is a little different since the book has four authors! Today we hear from two of them: Beth-Sarah Wright and Kathryn Nishibayashi. Learn more about their writing process – and their Advent traditions and hopes – in today’s Q&A. (And don’t forget to order your copy of Show Me Your Ways, O Lord from the Forward Movement website!)
How did you get started as a writer?
Beth-Sarah: I started writing in earnest when I was 15 years old, after graduating from high school in my home country of Jamaica to complete my A-levels in Edinburgh, Scotland. I attended The Edinburgh Academy, a boys’ school, where I was one of only 20 girls. It was a pivotal moment in my life—filled with homesickness, a joyful curiosity about living in a new culture and discovering new capacities for achievement and excellence when I became the head girl of the school. Effusive journaling became my way of making sense of it all. Writing was my solace, a dear friend in whom I found peace, vented frustrations, spoke to God, prayed, and celebrated joys and hopes.
Since then, writing has been my constant companion. Through writing, I discover more about God, the world, and myself than reading or pure observation. Writing helps me see differently, deconstruct and build back up. Writing holds a particular power and depth that resonates with me deeply and has shaped me ever since.
Kathryn: I’ll admit, I kind of laughed when I read this question. I don’t really know when or how I started writing. I always enjoyed writing, but I first found myself good at editing, both my own and other people’s work. In high school and college, friends would often ask me for editing help on papers. I occasionally had small paying gigs for editing publications for our local children’s hospital.
I guess being a good editor at some point translated into me becoming a writer. And somewhere along the line, folks at Forward Movement must have liked my writing, as I have written for AdventWord and Forward Day by Day and now this Advent meditation book. I remember a conversation with my spiritual director a couple years ago when she helped me realize that perhaps I do have a gift for writing and clearly people providing me with these writing opportunities see me as a writer, so it might be time for me to embrace the “writer” part of my identity!
What was the most enjoyable part of the writing process? What about the most difficult?
Beth-Sarah: The most enjoyable part of the writing process was grappling with the Psalms. Though I cherish many parts of scripture, the Psalms have always been closest to my heart. Diving deeper into their rich layers felt like a joyful exploratory journey. Writing about Advent, a spiritually profound season in the liturgical calendar, only added to this experience. Advent’s call for deep preparation provided fertile ground for asking new questions, reflecting, and conducting a personal spiritual audit. It was both a time of introspection and a celebration of the mystery and promise of what is to come.
The most difficult part of the writing process was tackling Advent many months before the season arrived. Imagining how these reflections on the Psalms would resonate with readers during Advent required a bit of mental gymnastics. It was challenging to put myself in the mindset of the Advent season while being so far removed from it. Yet, this challenge also deepened my appreciation for the preparation and anticipation that Advent embodies, even in the midst of the writing process itself.
Kathryn: It was really helpful to be able to be writing during the Advent and Christmas seasons. As I was working on the meditations, having the assigned psalms for the week in the back of my mind ended up giving me a new perspective on the Advent season. I enjoyed being able to connect my personal stories and experiences with these psalms. Sometimes I surprised myself with the connection I was able to make, but I am pleased with how the meditations turned out.
There were times when I felt constrained by only being able to choose from verses from 3 psalms. I wondered if I would have enough material to write seven meditations. But whenever I reached a point of “writer’s block” I would try to put whatever meditation I was working on aside and come back to it later. Usually when I returned to it, I found something new to add or a new angle to pursue. Clearly the Holy Spirit did some work as I put it aside and later returned to it.
Where do you typically write?
Beth-Sarah: I love to write in my office, a space filled with my favorite things—photos of my beloved family, images of hummingbirds, palm trees, and the Caribbean sea. The room is flooded with bright, natural light, and I enjoy the warmth of scented candles and the softness of the rug beneath my feet, surrounded by colors that bring me joy.
Kathryn: On my couch. It may not be the most conventional but it’s more comfortable than a desk and I usually have pretty good lighting coming in and can sometimes open the sliding door to get a breeze.
Do you have a favorite psalm?
Beth-Sarah: When I was a little girl and couldn’t sleep because of bad dreams, my father introduced me to Psalm 27. He told me, “Read this, and your bad dreams will go away, and you’ll be at peace.” It became the first psalm I memorized. I treasure it not only for its connection to my father but also for introducing me to a God who cares deeply about me and my dreams. Psalm 27 has journeyed with me through many stages of life, from moments of anxiety during exams to the c-sections that brought my children into the world. Even now, when I recite it, it still brings me peace.
Kathryn: My favorite psalm is probably Psalm 23. I have very distinct memories of learning it in my Sunday school classes when I was in about 2nd or 3rd grade. Then as I grew older and became a bit of a “choir geek,” I was introduced to a choral setting of Psalm 23 by Bobby McFerrin where he changed the pronouns from male to female. It resonated with me and deepened my appreciation for that psalm.
Do you have a favorite Advent or Christmas tradition?
Beth-Sarah: I particularly treasure the tradition my family and I share when we decorate the tree. As we hang each ornament, we tell a story—a story that intertwines the birth of Jesus, the love of our family, the memories we hold dear, the joy, the sadness of those no longer with us, and the promise of new life, hope, joy, and new beginnings.
Kathryn: One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making toffee for friends and family. It is a family tradition. My grandmother taught my mother how to make it when she was a child. Then when I was a child, I started helping my mother with it, and eventually I learned how to make it from start to finish. As the seasons of our lives change, some years I make more of it, some years my mom makes more of it. We know that family and friends who receive it look forward to it every year and when the toffee making season starts, I know it’s almost Christmas.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Beth-Sarah: If there’s one thing I’d like to share, it’s an invitation: be astonished by the world we live in. Look at it with new eyes—observe. Jesus, in the Great Commission, said, “Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” When we truly see the world differently, it invites us to act differently—to close gaps, to right injustices, to center and respect human dignity in everything we do. Let us be intentional about exuding joy wherever we can, and let’s invite others to join us on this journey of joy and transformation.
Kathryn: I hope that something in the book resonates with you and helps you celebrate Advent in a new or different way this year!
To learn more about this book or purchase a copy, visit our website.