October Newsletter: Returning With Intention

Hello dear friend,

Welcome to October.

There is something about reaching this point in the year that naturally makes me more reflective. We are entering the final few months of the year, and while it can be tempting to immediately start thinking about everything we still want to accomplish before December arrives, I have been thinking instead about the value of returning to what matters with greater intention.

Sometimes we return to something after a period of rest and discover that we see it differently. The pause has given us perspective, our priorities have become clearer, and we are able to begin again without simply repeating what we did before.

That is very much how October feels for me.

After taking some time away from the podcast, I am excited to return this month with fresh ideas, a new book of the Bible to explore, and a slightly different approach to the conversations we will be having. There has been plenty happening behind the scenes during the break, and I am looking forward to finally sharing some of it with you.

As always, thank you for being here and for continuing to make The 6Eleven Life part of your walk with God. Whether you read the blog, watch the YouTube videos, listen to the podcast, enjoy the poetry, use one of our resources, or simply visit from time to time, I am grateful that you are part of this community.

A Month of Preparation

When I look back on September, much of what stands out happened behind the scenes.

The podcast was still resting, but I was not. I have been thinking, praying, planning, writing, and preparing for its return, while continuing with the blog, YouTube channel, illustrated poetry, and the other parts of The 6Eleven Life.

I have come to appreciate that preparation is valuable work in itself. We often celebrate the visible moment when something launches or returns, but there is usually a great deal of thought, prayer, learning, and adjustment that happens before anyone else sees the finished result.

September gave me space for some of that work, and as we enter October, I am excited to begin sharing what has been taking shape.

The 6Eleven Life: Continuing the Journey

The Blog

The blog continues to be one of the central parts of The 6Eleven Life, and throughout September we continued exploring Scripture and the practical realities of living out our faith in everyday life.

From prayer and trusting God to spiritual disciplines, identity, Scripture based encouragement, and the questions that arise when God’s plans look different from our own, my hope remains that every article gives you something practical to take away while ultimately leading you back to God’s Word for yourself.

October will also bring the return of our podcast companion posts as Bible Stories with Biyai begins again. These posts are not intended to simply repeat each episode, but to provide another place to reflect on some of the themes and lessons that emerge from the stories we explore together.

The blog is becoming an increasingly rich library of resources, and I love knowing that you can arrive looking for encouragement about something very specific and find an article, prayer, Scripture collection, or reflection that meets you there.

The 6Eleven Life Podcast

I am especially excited to say that The 6Eleven Life Podcast returns this month for Season 4.

After journeying through Genesis in our previous series of Bible Stories with Biyai, we are continuing the story by stepping into the book of Exodus.

This time, we will be going through Exodus with intention, giving ourselves room to do more than simply retell familiar stories. We will slow down, pay attention to the people, choices, questions, struggles, and encounters with God within the text, and consider what these ancient stories reveal about God and what they can still teach us about faith today.

Exodus contains so many stories that many of us have known since childhood. Moses and the burning bush, Pharaoh, the plagues, the Passover, the crossing of the Red Sea, the wilderness, the Ten Commandments, and the building of the Tabernacle are familiar accounts, but familiarity can sometimes cause us to move through Scripture too quickly. I want us to return to these stories with curiosity and allow ourselves to notice what we may have missed before.

There is also something new that I am particularly looking forward to this time.

We will be welcoming a guest to the podcast who will join me in telling and discussing some of these stories. I have wanted Bible Stories with Biyai to feel like an invitation into Scripture rather than simply a lesson, and I think bringing another voice into the conversation will add a different perspective and create space for thoughtful, engaging discussions as we work our way through Exodus.

I am genuinely looking forward to beginning this journey with you again. If you listened throughout our Genesis series, welcome back. If you have never listened before, October is a wonderful time to join us from the beginning of this new chapter.

The 6Eleven Life YouTube Channel

The YouTube channel continues to give us space to explore the practical questions that arise as we try to live faithfully in a busy and often confusing world.

Alongside our regular teaching videos, the illustrated spoken word poetry videos are now becoming part of the creative rhythm of the channel. I have enjoyed discovering how poetry, visual storytelling, and faith can work together to communicate something differently from a traditional teaching video.

It has also reminded me that there are many ways to share biblical truth. Sometimes we need to sit with Scripture and study it carefully, while at other times a story, an image, or a few carefully chosen words can help a familiar truth reach us from another direction.

The illustrated spoken word videos can also be watched on The 6Eleven Life Instagram, so if you prefer shorter form visual content, you can follow along there as well.

The Resource Library

The Resource Library continues to be available whenever you need a little support creating intentional space for God.

Whether you are beginning to read the Bible for yourself, trying to rebuild a prayer routine, looking for Scripture to anchor you through a difficult period, or simply wanting something that helps you slow down and spend meaningful time with God, there are both free and paid resources available to support you.

As the podcast moves into Exodus this month, I also hope that the resources already available across The 6Eleven Life encourage you to become an active participant in what we are studying rather than simply listening. Keep your Bible nearby, write down the questions that come to mind, revisit the passages for yourself, and allow the conversations to become a starting point for your own study.

Journals and Planners on Amazon

If you enjoy writing as part of your time with God, remember that our collection of journals, notebooks, and planners is available on Amazon.

The Abide Bible Study Journal provides a dedicated space for recording what you are learning as you study Scripture, while Conversations with My Father was created specifically for prayer journaling and recording those personal conversations with God that we sometimes want to return to later.

You will also find our collection of Scripture inspired notebooks and planners, which can be used for journaling, sermon notes, prayers, reflections, planning, or simply keeping the words and thoughts you do not want to lose.

With Bible Stories with Biyai returning this month, this might also be a lovely opportunity to begin keeping a journal alongside the Exodus series and recording what stands out to you as we work through the book together.

Scripture Inspired Apparel and Gifts

Do not forget that you can also visit The 6Eleven Life shop on Etsy, where you will find our growing collection of Scripture inspired apparel, mugs, and gift items.

These pieces were created around simple biblical truths and reminders that can become part of everyday life, whether you are choosing something for yourself or looking for a thoughtful faith inspired gift for someone you love.

As we begin moving towards the final months of the year and eventually towards Christmas, it is also a good time to start thinking ahead if you prefer meaningful gifts that reflect your faith. Between the Etsy collection and the journals, planners, and notebooks available on Amazon, there are several options for the readers, journalers, tea drinkers, and faith filled women in your life.

Poetry, Spoken Word and Story Telling

Wordplay Wednesday continues each week for subscribers, giving me a quieter space to share original poetry and reflections directly with you.

The illustrated spoken word project has also continued to develop, and I am enjoying the process of taking a poem from the written page and thinking about how its story might unfold visually. It requires considerably more preparation than simply recording a spoken word piece, but I think that additional layer of storytelling gives each poem room to become something more immersive.

You can find these illustrated poetry videos on the YouTube channel and The 6Eleven Life Instagram, and I am looking forward to gradually adding more stories to the collection.

What began as an experiment is slowly becoming another meaningful expression of what The 6Eleven Life can be, and I am allowing it to develop without placing unnecessary pressure on what it needs to become.

Behind the Scenes

September involved a great deal of preparation for what is coming next.

Much of that work has centred around Season 4 of the podcast and thinking carefully about how we approach Exodus in a way that remains accessible for someone encountering these stories for the first time while still offering enough depth for those who have known them for years.

I have also been continuing to plan future YouTube content, write for the blog, develop the illustrated spoken word project, and think about how all the different parts of The 6Eleven Life can work together without losing the simplicity at the heart of what I originally wanted to create: a place that helps us make room for God in everyday life.

There is still plenty I am working on, but I am becoming increasingly comfortable with allowing some things to remain behind the scenes until they are ready to be shared.

A Gentle Reflection for You

As October begins, perhaps there is something in your own life that God is inviting you to return to with greater intention.

Maybe it is your Bible, which you have been reading quickly rather than allowing yourself time to sit with what you are reading. Perhaps it is prayer, a creative gift you have neglected, a project you stepped away from, or simply a part of your relationship with God that has become more habitual than meaningful.

Returning does not mean that what came before was wasted. Sometimes the distance gives us the perspective we need to approach something differently.

The question I am carrying into October is not simply, “What should I begin?” but also, “What is worth returning to with greater intention?”

Perhaps that is a question worth carrying with you too.

Final Thoughts

As October unfolds, my prayer for you is that you would resist the pressure to race towards the end of the year and instead become more attentive to what God is asking of you now.

I pray that you would rediscover the richness of His Word, approach familiar Scriptures with fresh curiosity, and remember that there is always more to learn about the God we serve.

I also hope you will join me as Bible Stories with Biyai returns and we begin our journey through Exodus together. I am looking forward to opening these familiar stories again, welcoming a new voice into some of our conversations, and discovering what God might show us when we approach His Word with intention.

Thank you for being here, for reading, and for continuing to walk this journey with me.

If you would ever like to share a reflection, a prayer request, or simply say hello, you can always reply. I would love to hear from you.

With love and grace,

Biyai