Pray to Remember – AVAILABLE NOW!

As a writer, I believe our words matter. In this book, I share how the words we speak in prayer shape our perspective and make us moldable in God's hands.

Comment on Christian Art and the Sacred Imagination by emilybrookswriter

In reply to <a href="https://emilybrookswriter.com/2025/04/16/christian-art-and-the-sacred-imagination/comment-page-1/#comment-3743">Ericka</a>. Thank you, Ericka! I hope you enjoy the album! It really helps me immerse myself in the story.

Comment on Christian Art and the Sacred Imagination by Ericka

Thanks for sharing, Emily! Listening to the Resurrection Letters now! And love this: "We still pray when we remember to, go to church, maybe even read scripture every now and then. And there’s nothing wrong with doing those things and not feeling much—because, again, feelings aren’t the point." So important to point out. This isn't about our feelings but His constant love for us, culminating in the sacrifice He made to atone for our sins. How easy to forget when we're not staying mindful of all He's done for us. Great post!

Comment on Christian Art and the Sacred Imagination by emilybrookswriter

I love that! It's so easy to read scriptures we've read before and kind of glaze through them. Trying to read them with fresh eyes as if you've never heard them is powerful.

Comment on Christian Art and the Sacred Imagination by Judy

Great post, Emily! Every year during this time of Lent I do something different. This year, I’ve simply been reading the book of Luke, attempting to imagine what these real people were like, and how they would have responded to having Jesus among them, not knowing who he was! To read this story again, as though it’s the first time I’ve ever heard it, is my goal.

Christian Art and the Sacred Imagination

Have you become bored with Scripture?

Comment on Remembering the Courage You Have in Christ by emilybrookswriter

In reply to <a href="https://emilybrookswriter.com/2025/04/09/remembering-the-courage-you-have-in-christ/comment-page-1/#comment-3728">Ericka</a>. Thanks, Ericka!

Comment on Remembering the Courage You Have in Christ by Ericka

This is where renewing our mind is so important. Us humans love to forget to remember! Great post, Emily!

Remembering the Courage You Have in Christ

I believe in Christ, but I also have to remember that I believe in Christ.

Have We Made Prayer Harder Than It Should Be?

What if I recognized my need for God even in the good, normal, or busy days? What if prayer could be as simple as paying attention?

I’ve Been Ungrateful: Reframing Negative Thoughts —April Newsletter

First, some updates What’s Coming Up *I will now be sharing posts on WEDNESDAYS instead of Mondays April 2nd: Have We Made Prayer Harder Than It Should Be? April 9: Remembering the Courage We Have in Christ April 14th: Using Your Imagination for Holy Week April 22nd: Pray to Remember RELEASE DAY What I’m Working […]

Comment on When Your Testimony Doesn’t Seem Like Enough—the Miracle is You by emilybrookswriter

In reply to <a href="https://emilybrookswriter.com/2025/03/24/when-your-testimony-doesnt-seem-like-enough-the-miracle-is-you/comment-page-1/#comment-3662">Iona</a>. I'm so glad it resonated with you!

Comment on When Your Testimony Doesn’t Seem Like Enough—the Miracle is You by Iona

"The miracle is you"--and being alive in a future we once feared, that stuck out to me. Things like that, we can never take for granted! Emotional healings are important too. That you for this sweet reminder <3

Transformational Nonfiction Deals

Two of my books are included in this book promo for transformational nonfiction! See all book offers here! About Write Anyway: Giving Yourself Permission to Write No Matter What WRITE ANYWAY: Giving Yourself Permission to Write No Matter What encourages and supports you as you choose to WRITE ANYWAY in all circumstances. Don’t know where […]

Comment on When Your Testimony Doesn’t Seem Like Enough—the Miracle is You by New Subscriber Features - Emily Brooks - Little Did She Know - Hope, Cou...

[…] Click to Open […]

New Subscriber Features

If you're already subscribed, you will continue to get all of the free options, including the free sample of my 6-week prayer guide when it is available!

Comment on “Her Mother’s Moss”—A short story by The 10 most important things I’ve learned about mental health in the past decade - Emily Brooks - Litt...

[…] also write fantasy. You can read my short story, Her Mother’s Moss, […]

Comment on How to Prioritize What Really Matters into Your Schedule by The 10 most important things I’ve learned about mental health in the past decad...

[…] means prioritizing our mental health in the day-to-day. I rarely have panic attacks anymore, but when I do, I can usually pinpoint where […]

Comment on What I Mean When I Say Jesus Saves Me From Anxiety and Depression by When Your Testimony Doesn’t Seem Like Enough—the Miracle is You - Emil...

[…] my last post, I wrote about what I mean when I say God saves me from anxiety and depression. While God never instantaneously healed me, God’s gives me peace and hope, and this […]

Comment on Our Story: How God Helped Me Say Yes by When Your Testimony Doesn’t Seem Like Enough—the Miracle is You - Emily Brooks - Little Did She Kno...

[…] right thing that helps me with an issue I’m struggling with. When I “just knew” that I should date my husband. Or when, recently, someone I barely know said they were praying for me, and it was just what I […]

When Your Testimony Doesn’t Seem Like Enough—the Miracle is You

Have you ever begged for a miracle, and it didn't happen? In Church, I was told powerful testimonies of lives physically saved by God's power. But my own testimony is different, and I often wondered it it was "good enough."

Comment on What I Mean When I Say Jesus Saves Me From Anxiety and Depression by emilybrookswriter

In reply to <a href="https://emilybrookswriter.com/2025/03/10/what-i-mean-when-i-say-jesus-saves-me-from-anxiety-and-depression/comment-page-1/#comment-3627">Stephanie</a>. Thanks, Stephanie!

Comment on What I Mean When I Say Jesus Saves Me From Anxiety and Depression by Stephanie

Wow! This is beautiful and powerful! Taking away the NEED to fear. Excellent thank you for sharing!

Announcement! Devotional on prayer coming in April!

I am so excited to announce that I’ll be adding a devotional on prayer to my store in April! Prayer is one of the most important things we do as Christians, but it is also one we struggle with. I want to offer you guidance and practices that will help you make prayer a part […]

Comment on Trusting Amidst Disappointment by Prayers of Affirmation: How to Pray with Confidence in What God is AlreadyDoing - Emily Brooks - Little D...

[…] I have been reminded of what God has already done for us (see “Even though he loved”: Trusting Amidst Disappointment) and what God promises to do for us. When I remember that, many of my prayers change from […]

When You Don’t Know What to Pray: The Prayer of St. Patrick

Not only was St. Patrick a compassionate and courageous man who served the very people who enslaved him, but he also wrote a beautiful prayer you have probably heard in songs.

Comment on Nourishing your mind by emilybrookswriter

In reply to <a href="https://emilybrookswriter.com/2024/07/15/nourishing-your-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-3576">Sheila</a>. I'll have to look into Dr. Caroline Leaf! She sounds like a great source for learning more about this! Thanks for sharing, Sheila.

Comment on Nourishing your mind by Sheila

You are spot on! Dr. Caroline Leaf, a neuroscientist has been teaching on the combination of food and anxiety, and what happens in our brains as these neurotransmitters create the electrical pathways. It’s absolutely amazing! I have dealt with anxiety and fear for years. I use the tapping method as well as micro nutrients for the brain to aide in calming my brain and body.

What I Mean When I Say Jesus Saves Me From Anxiety and Depression

Does Jesus heal us of anxiety and depression?

Comment on From Coping to Growing: Resisting Stagnancy in your Mental Health Journey by Why You Can’t Rely on All Coping Mechanisms — and what to do i...

[…] week, I published a post about coping verses growing and the importance of not relying on fragile coping mechanisms that prevent you from growth. Just […]

Why You Can’t Rely on All Coping Mechanisms — and what to do instead

My coping strategies failed—and I had to do it anyway

Comment on The Best Books on Writing by Writing Women: Physical Descriptions - Emily Brooks - Little Did She Know - Hope, Courage, Imagination

[…] The Best Books on Writing […]

Comment on How to Use Your Imagination for Hope Instead of Fear by From Coping to Growing: Resisting Stagnancy

[…] what your life would be like if you really let yourself grow. Because I believe that, often, our imaginations are too limited. We don’t even want to grow, comfortable in our stagnancy, because we can’t imagine what could […]

From Coping to Growing: Resisting Stagnancy in your Mental Health Journey

Mental health strategies aren’t meant for coping, but for growing…so that we can embrace life when it’s easy and when it’s hard.

Stop and Notice: Finding Joy in Small Things

In a survival situation, our instincts will drive us towards food, water, and shelter before anything remotely adjacent to happiness, though we may experience happiness by accident on the way if our fish net brings in our next meal.

What Bonding with My Unborn Son is Teaching Me About Prayer

To me, every move he makes is a reminder that he's with me. While not quite communication, it's the closest thing we have right now. And it feels a little bit like prayer when I'm sitting there, listening. Waiting. In many ways, it feels even more intimate, and I wonder if that says something about how I pray.

Comment on When the Fear Does Not Subside by An Anxious Student’s Guide to College - Emily Brooks - Little Did She Know - Hope, Courage, Imagination

[…] my first post on this blog, When the Fear Does Not Subside, I describe how I stood in a bathroom stall, professors waiting in another room, wondering if I […]

Comment on Travel anxiety: How I learned to prepare for life’s anxieties without shame by The 10 most important things I’ve learned about mental healt...

[…] a prepper. I even wrote a post years ago about how I prepared for my first flight. I always feel better when I consider all […]

Comment on Overwhelm, Acts of Hope, and Localizing Our Influence by Social Media is Perpetuating My Fears: How I’m Seeking a Different Way - Emily Bro...

[…] written about this in other posts, such as When the News is Depressing and Overwhelm, Acts of Hope, and Localizing Your Influence, and it’s especially true if you are overwhelmed by the […]

Comment on When the News is Depressing by Social Media is Perpetuating My Fears: How I’m Seeking a Different Way - Emily Brooks - Little Did She Know ...

[…] written about this in other posts, such as When the News is Depressing and Overwhelm, Acts of Hope, and Localizing Your Influence, and it’s especially true if you […]

Overwhelmed by the News and Social Media? 6 Articles that May Help

I've had so many conversations with people lately who are overwhelmed by the news and struggling with their mental health. Social media content and conversations tend to perpetuate these feelings rather than help.

Comment on Tress of the Emerald Sea: Brandon Sanderson’s First Secret Novel is a Beautiful Gift by Social Media is Perpetuating My Fears: How I’m Seek...

[…] search about “Brandon Sanderson’s wife Emily” and you’ll probably see my review of Tress of the Emerald Sea on the first or second page. Why? It’s not because I know anything about Emily Sanderson but […]

Social Media is Perpetuating My Fears: How I’m Seeking a Different Way

Instagram has decided to teach me all of the different ways I could accidentally harm my child.

You’re Not Afraid of What You Think You Are

We aren't afraid of venomous snakes or illness or flying in an airplane. We're not even afraid of death. We're afraid of ourselves afraid.

Comment on Be Addicted to Growth by I Lost My Wedding Ring—Here’s What Happens to Our Brains When Disappointed – Emily Brooks

[…] I could cope with, the more I was able to do knowing that it felt incredible to succeed. I became addicted to growth, looking for new fears to break […]

I Lost My Wedding Ring—Here’s What Happens to Our Brains When Disappointed

I’ve searched everywhere I can think of, including places that don’t make sense, but I still can’t find my wedding ring or engagement ring. The bands are welded together, so losing one means losing both. I lost them about a month ago, and the first several days I wasn’t worried. To be honest, I lose […]

Comment on Stepping into the Unknown: Overcoming the Fear of Change and Embracing New Beginnings by Conquer Uncertainty: Tips for Embracing Life's Cha...

[…] we move forward, learning to handle uncertainty and grow personally is key23. Studies show that most people worry too much about change. Only about 3% of the bad things we fear […]

Core Beliefs Matter: Insights from Inside Out 2 (Part 3)

In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), it's essential to acknowledge your core beliefs and where they came from. These go beyond our sense of self but are also made up of "if" and "when" statements about reality.

Comment on You Can’t Prepare for Everything: Choosing Motherhood with Pregnancy Anxiety by It’s a Boy!—And Pregnancy So Far – Emily Brooks

[…] written about this in an earlier post, but I can go deeper now that I am farther along. While I feel great now, I know what’s […]

It’s a Boy!—And Pregnancy So Far

On Monday, December 30th, we got to see our son on an ultrasound. His growth since our first glimpse at eight weeks was incredible. We could see his bones, his heart, his organs, his sweet little nose and lips, and his wiggly fingers and toes. And as this life is beginning to move inside of […]

Comment on Winter Music Playlist by Anonymous

I love this.

Winter Music Playlist

After Christmas is an awkward time for music. It’s still wintery outside, and, at least in Tennessee, it’s about to become even more wintery. While I’m happy to leave my Christmas playlist behind after listening to it on repeat for a month, I’m still not quite ready to jump back into my regular playlists. So […]

Two Mental Health Podcast Episodes

I haven’t shared a new post in a few weeks as I’ve been resting and seeing family. But I have been sharing new episodes of my podcast, Write Better Together, and these episodes relate directly to what I write about on this blog. Even if you’re not a writer or artist, these episodes are focused […]

Comment on Anxiety isn’t a Disorder—Lessons from Inside Out 2 (Part 1) by Reimagining Your Future—Insights from Inside Out 2 (Part 2) – Emily Brooks

[…] Part 1, I shared how Inside Out 2 beautifully portrayed how anxiety is part of growing up. Anxiety […]

Reimagining Your Future—Insights from Inside Out 2 (Part 2)

When Anxiety takes over our imaginations When you imagine the future, what kinds of thoughts and emotions come up? For me, my thoughts often default towards negativity, not just about the events I’ve imagined but about myself—how I’ll handle each problem and what that will say about who I am and what I’m capable of. […]

Comment on Why I Take Antidepressants by What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? – Emily Brooks

[…] “Why I Take Antidepressants“ […]

Comment on What I Wish I Had Known About Anxiety Sooner by What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? – Emily Brooks

[…] “What I Wish I’d Known About Anxiety Sooner“ […]

Comment on The 10 most important things I’ve learned about mental health in the past decade by What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? – Emily Brooks

[…] “The Ten Most Important Things I’ve Learned About Anxiety in the Past Decade“ […]

Comment on How I Learned to Halt Physical Anxiety by What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? – Emily Brooks

[…] “How I Learned to Halt Anxiety Physical Anxiety” […]

Comment on Breaking the Chain of Anxiety by What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? – Emily Brooks

[…] as I dreaded more physical symptoms, which became an endless chain. This is why I had to learn to break the chain of anxiety in cognitive behavioral […]

Comment on Anxiety isn’t a Disorder—Lessons from Inside Out 2 (Part 1) by What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder? – Emily Brooks

[…] promise I’m still going to write a followup to “Anxiety isn’t a Disorder: Lessons from Inside Out (Part 1),” but for today I wanted to share a conversation from my podcast, Write Better Together, […]

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Emily Brooks and Jon Meyers discuss generalized anxiety disorder on the podcast, Write Better Together.

Comment on Our Story: How God Helped Me Say Yes by Christians, Can We Talk about Sex? – Emily Brooks

[…] See also “Lies I Believed About Christian Dating,” “How to Know if You’re Dating the Right Person,” and “Our Story: How God Helped Me Say Yes.” […]

Comment on How to Know if You’re Dating the Right Person by Christians, Can We Talk about Sex? – Emily Brooks

[…] also “Lies I Believed About Christian Dating,” “How to Know if You’re Dating the Right Person,” and “Our Story: How God Helped Me Say […]

Comment on Lies I Believed About Christian Dating by Christians, Can We Talk about Sex? – Emily Brooks

[…] also “Lies I Believed About Christian Dating,” “How to Know if You’re Dating the Right Person,” and “Our Story: […]

Comment on The Best Books on Writing by Setting and Tracking Writing Goals (with downloadable Excel sheet) – Emily Brooks

[…] —Want more writing tips? Here are MY FAVORITE BOOKS FOR WRITERS— […]

Comment on The Best Books on Writing by Writing Women: Physical Descriptions – Emily Brooks

[…] —Want more writing tips? Here are my favorite books on writing!— […]

The Best Books on Writing

The best books on writing for all kinds of writers!

Anxiety isn’t a Disorder—Lessons from Inside Out 2 (Part 1)

Anxiety is portrayed as a good thing that can go wrong—just like Riley's other emotions. I loved this because it took the negative connotations out of the word "anxiety" so that we can see the positive effects of using anxiety as it was intended.

Comment on Anxiety doesn’t have to ruin a whole day: How to turn your day around by You Can’t Prepare for Everything: Choosing Motherhood with Pregnan...

[…] veteran of panic attacks. I know how to handle them and how to recover, which is why I wrote “Anxiety doesn’t have to ruin a whole day: How to turn your day around” a week later (and had to do it without spoiling that I was […]

You Can’t Prepare for Everything: Choosing Motherhood with Pregnancy Anxiety

Just a few years ago, the idea of a positive pregnancy test terrified me. But at the end of last August, I felt ready.

Happy Thoughts on Spooky Tales

Through these stories, storytellers can create physical (or etherial) monsters from our spiritual or mental failings, then have the characters come up against them.

Comment on Anxiety doesn’t have to ruin a whole day: How to turn your day around by Baby Brooks Coming May 2025 – Emily Brooks

[…] wasn’t completely without fear, and the anxiety finally hit me the next week. I had to write about that week without sharing why I was so anxious. But the fear has been manageable, rather than the vicious […]

Baby Brooks Coming May 2025

It took me a long time to get here. Fear of pregnancy hit me hard when I married Jon six years ago. But when we decided it was what we wanted, I started therapy again to prepare. Two years later, I couldn't be happier with that decision.

Comment on Gratitude in motion: What are you looking forward to? by Contentment in the Waiting – Emily Brooks

[…] week, I wrote about the importance of having things to look forward to for your mental and spiritual health. But what about when the things we look forward to seem far […]

Contentment in the Waiting

Last week, I wrote about the importance of having things to look forward to for your mental and spiritual health. But what about when the things we look forward to seem far away or even impossible?

Gratitude in motion: What are you looking forward to?

Contentment is a skill that can be learned. As someone who struggles with negative thoughts and anxiety, I have to practice better thought habits that transform my attitude towards the present and the future.

Comment on Do You Want to Be Healed? by A Christian’s Guide to Overcoming a Season of Depression – Emily Brooks

[…] something what works once may not work in the same way next time. The important thing is to try. You have to want to get better, and you have to believe that you will get better. For me, just the act of trying reminded me that […]

Comment on Why I Take Antidepressants by A Christian’s Guide to Overcoming a Season of Depression – Emily Brooks

[…] prescribed medication gives you comfort and you notice results, go for it. I increased my medication at this time, and I think that it was helpful for me. But don’t rely on medications alone. Think […]

A Christian’s Guide to Overcoming a Season of Depression

The important thing is to try—to choose joy, and to keep choosing it.

Anxiety doesn’t have to ruin a whole day: How to turn your day around

Even the bad days can be good days. Here's how to turn around a "bad" day.

How to Respond to Worry as a Christian

A word on worry from Pastor Matt Hastings.

How the “Shy” Girl Became a Public Speaker

I'm not scaling multiple mountains. Just the same one over and over again, each time with more tools and experience that make the climb easier.

Why we wrote a book that addresses mental health for writers

Write Anyway about inspiring and equipping you to pursue your writing dreams when you really need it.

Write Anyway: Giving Yourself Permission to Write No Matter What

WRITE ANYWAY: Giving Yourself Permission to Write No Matter What encourages and supports you as you choose to WRITE ANYWAY in all circumstances.

“Her Mother’s Moss”—A short story

My short story, "Her Mother's Moss," was published this week in The Fantastic Other, "a place for the discussion of dreams, the analyses of fantasies, the prodding of popular larks."

Overwhelmed by Your To-Do List? Me too.

Today I’m overwhelmed by everything I have to do—including writing this blog. Honestly, I don’t have much to do compared to others. I don’t have kids (yet), I don’t have a full time job, and I don’t have a farm bustling with animals that need to be fed (yet). But I do get overwhelmed. I […]

An ode to the little things

A spontaneous poem about the little things I'm grateful for today.

Nourishing your spirit

God's truth challenges the internal workings of fear and depression.

Nourishing your body

When I feel healthy physically, I have more energy and strength, and I feel good, which helps me feel mentally stronger and happier as well.

Nourishing your mind

If I'm overly anxious, stressed, or obsessive about something, it often means I've been lazy with my thought-work, just letting thoughts come in like unscheduled guests without evaluating how they'll treat my house.

Nourishing your life for whole-being wellness

For the next three weeks, I want to explore this topic deeply, sharing how I am learning to nourish my body, my mind, and my soul.

Why I wrote The Redeemed Imagination: A Daydreamer’s Journey from Fear to Faith

I grew up with a powerful imagination that was both my friend and my enemy. The same imagination that clung to the creative worlds of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien also conjured tragic endings to my own life or happiness.

Update: New book in August!

As we prepare to launch the book, we are looking for people who are just as excited as we are to join our team and spread the word. If that's you, send me a message, and we'll find a way to get you involved!

How to write powerful Christian fiction without abusing Deus ex machina

If we believe God is like a genie who will fix everything, then our stories will probably end up reflecting that by abusing the Deus ex machina device where God, rather than the characters, solve all of the problems.

SIGHT (2024) reveals biopics are perhaps the most powerful stories Christian writers can tell

I loved SIGHT and am excited to see more biopics about Christians that show God working in real people's lives.

The life of a busy blogger: How I try to serve you each week

So, first of all, writing a new blog post every week is hard, especially when I'm also writing a novel and a nonfiction book, revising another novel, editing a book for my dad, reviewing work for my writing group, teaching an online class, and podcasting.

Comment on I’ve Been Ungrateful: Reframing Negative Thoughts —April Newsletter by Anonymous

Comment on New Subscriber Features by Anonymous