Personal Growth
I just wrapped up a fun project with author Chrissy Whitten. Chrissy wrote a guided reflection journal to accompany her first book, The Fight. Now, readers can think through their grief and circumstances in light of the Scripture and songs God used to carry Chrissy through a heartbreaking loss.
In 2010, Chrissy gave birth to a precious baby girl named Lilian Grace. Doctors diagnosed Lily with heart problems and Edwards Syndrome (trisomy 18), yet she fought valiantly through three months of life, allowing God to work in the lives of those around her. The Fight is a compilation of Chrissy’s 2010 CaringBridge posts about that difficult time.
The Fight Reflection Journal allows you to tap into the strength God gave to Chrissy through that experience. You’ll write key Bible verses, answer thought-provoking questions, listen to music, and complete simple, inspirational activities like setting goals or coloring graphics. It’s one of the best self-help books I’ve seen.
If you’re in the market for a Christian personal growth book and/or a grief therapy workbook, The Fight and The Fight Reflection Journal are for you. The set would also make a great Mother’s Day gift!
Editing
Chrissy and I teamed up for line editing/copyediting, formatting, and publishing. This was our fourth project together, but it was the first of its kind for both of us (a workbook). We used Microsoft Word to track changes and communicate. The questions were tempting to think about! It was hard to stay focused on editing. For example,
“Imagine you are confiding in a good friend right now. She tells you to be real and raw about how you’re feeling today. What would you tell her? There will be no judgment. Just spill it out to your imaginary friend and know that God is listening too.”
I look forward to going through the journal myself. There are 103 chapters, each corresponding to a chapter in The Fight, plus a bonus section in the back. Before publishing, Jami Bennington proofread and made some good suggestions. Jami and I are members of The Christian PEN (Proofreaders and Editors Network).
Design Details
I continued using Microsoft Word for formatting because that’s the type of template we used for book one, and we wanted the journal to look similar to its companion. Chrissy also wanted to incorporate the same Microsoft graphics. The journal chapter heads are the same as the book, only with an empty date line for you to fill in. This journal is about you and your life.
I’ve never used Word to design a document this complex, but the program cooperated. Click here for tips on formatting a book or document in Microsoft Word. The journal includes pictures, icons, shapes, SmartArt, and text boxes. I often used the tools under Picture Format. The Navigation and Selection panes were invaluable.
The journal is black and white inside, but we added gray shapes and background images to jazz up the design. It’s your job to add color! The creative prompts are enough to satisfy but aren’t time-consuming.
“Color the cupcake and note a few sweet memories around it.”
If you’re thinking about publishing a journal or planner, beware of printing and binding costs. We looked into spiral binding services outside of KDP, but in the end, Chrissy stayed with KDP and went with an 8.5” x 11” sized workbook to keep the sticker price as low as possible.
Publishing
The Fight Reflection Journal is available on Amazon and is related to the Journals from a Warrior’s Mother Series. When uploading the book to Amazon’s publishing platform (KDP), I used Publisher Rocket to strategically select Amazon categories and popular keywords. That should boost visibility.
We also updated the back matter of Chrissy’s first book, The Fight, to include descriptions of the other books she’s published (book two, book three, and this journal).
The Blurb
The Fight Reflection Journal is a transformative guide designed to help you navigate life’s challenges with faith and resilience. Drawing from each chapter in The Fight, this companion journal is filled with reflective prompts and creative activities on topics like loss, past hurts, relationships, stress, emotional well-being, community, overcoming adversity, a positive mindset, God’s provision, setting goals, gratitude, and hope for the future.
Whether you’re coloring a lotus flower to represent resilience, listening to a powerful song, or writing out your favorite Bible verses, each page is crafted to inspire and uplift. Jump into your own journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth, and let The Fight Reflection Journal be your key to a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Coming Next
Chrissy is relieved and excited that this first reflection journal is now available! Look for her fourth book and three more reflection journals to come. There’s a light at the end of this massive project tunnel, and Chrissy is here for it, knowing God will help her finish the race.
About the Author
Chrissy L. Whitten holds a bachelor of science in leisure service management and a master of interdisciplinary studies in educational psychology, REMS, and leisure service management from Oklahoma State University (OSU). She has over thirty years’ experience working in youth programming and teaching fitness. Since the passing of her first daughter, Lilian, in 2010, Chrissy has come alongside others in their grief, speaking at funerals (celebrations of life), church events, and universities, helping with birthday anniversaries and angelversaries, and communicating with people when grief strikes.
She founded the Warrior Princess Foundation after Lilian passed away and ran it for five years to raise money for trisomy 13 and 18 children. During that time, she worked with Ken TZ Childress and numerous donors and volunteers to organize seven fundraising race events. Chrissy then worked for Calm Waters in Oklahoma City for five years. Both were healing experiences.
Chrissy resides in Tuttle, Oklahoma, with her husband, Michael, and their two daughters (on earth), Piper and Daphne. Church and school activities keep them busy, but they enjoy traveling when they can. Chrissy is a caregiver and fitness instructor. Despite health issues, Chrissy returned to running in 2024 at the Tunnel Hill 100 Mile and Snowdrop Ultra 55 Hour races. She gained two more buckles for her collection, representing the hundred-mile and fifty-mile finishes!
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