Tag: Goals

The Thankful Challenge – Day 3

A 365 day challenge to focus on being thankful.

Well folks, so far I have yet to make a post or really start writing a post before 10pm. Suffice it to say, I have not quite figured out how to work this into my schedule. I hope I can eventually shift to writing the blog before 10am but so far this is what we have. I came into this year long blog making a snap decision to start this challenge and didn’t give it too much thought. The one thing I did realize…if I started overthinking this thing I would never start it. That means I would never start writing. I thought If I start with little blurbs to dust off my keyboard and strengthen my typing fingers, I could build it into something more.

An interesting and encouraging thing has been happening in these first few days. Some people have read the first two posts and have offered positive feedback. Others are asking me how the New Year is going and if I’ve made any resolutions. While I don’t consider this a New Year’s resolution (people rarely keep their resolutions), I do share my Thankful challenge idea with them. Everyone’s reaction has been so encouraging and some have told me they want to start the thankful challenge with me. How exciting! I do hope more will join in with the challenge!

So today, for Day 3, I am so thankful for all the encouragement and positive feedback I’ve received in the first couple of days. It helps me realize I am actually doing the “write” thing. (Tee hee! See what I did there?)

Ok I better go to bed. So far I’ve fallen asleep with my finger on the eeeeeeeeeeeeeee and the nnnnnnnnnnn. Now I just need a ddddddddddd to make it to the eeeennndddd of this post! See you on Day 4.

The Thankful Challenge – Day 1

A 365 day challenge to focus on being thankful.

This morning while I was in the middle of my devotion, there was a focus on being thankful. As I stepped through the different focuses outlined for me, it occurred to me that I have become forgetful to be thankful. I’m not sure what happened over the last few years to pull me away from my generally positive, thankful, bright side personality but I decided this morning (yes this morning) that I needed to make a change in 2024. Was it a snap decision? Absolutely! Although, I do want to focus more on writing this year. What better way to get started than with a thankful focus? I know a lot of people pick certain months out of the year to be thankful (especially November for some reason) but I thought to myself, “What if I take on the whole year?”. Could this be a life altering experience? Quite possibly. Am I biting off more than I can chew? Probably. Will I succeed? Who knows? Is it worth a try? Most definitely!

So here is the first post of (hopefully) many to get this year started. What am I thankful for today? It is hard to figure out where to start. What is the best first thankful post for 2024? As the clock ticks down toward the end of this day, I probably need to go ahead and figure it out so I am not behind before I even get started. I’ve been thinking about this all day, and it turns out I truly have many reasons to be thankful, big and little reasons, funny and serious, joyful and grace filled. I’m not sure if it makes sense but I’ve also been thankful in sadness. So to get the year started, is it cheating to say I am thankful I have so many things to be thankful for? Seriously! I tend to focus on the big things but as I was thinking through it today, there are so many little things out there as well. I cannot expand too much on it because, well, I need to be able to keep this up for 364 more days. If I write about everything now, what will there be to write about the other days this year? So for now, I am thankful I can be thankful. Short and sweet, but very true.

If anyone wants to join me in this challenge or just wants to chime in from time to time, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.

PS: I’m especially thankful I was able to figure out my login for WordPress. It’s been a while (read: years) since my last post and the struggle was real! My thankful quest was almost over before it began.

My Plan Failed

Proverbs 16:3,9

3Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

9In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

Eighteen years ago (Oh my!  I can’t believe it’s been that long!) I took a giant leap, moving far away from my family for the first time and to a place where I knew not one single person.  Before I moved, I was comfortably surrounded by my loving family and friends.  When I moved, I went clear across the country to a place I had only visited once, with no “built in” friends.  I really like having friends because I am not someone who thrives in solitude.  (Although now, with kids, solitude is a precious commodity at our house.)  Thankfully, God quickly supplied some amazing friends and a wonderful church family for me while I was in this new place.

Even though I felt I was doing the right thing and following God’s plan for my life, I was so scared.  What if I failed?  Everyone knew I was moving and why.  The local news paper even did an article about my move. What if I didn’t come back with my goal accomplished?  How embarrassing would that be!?  Funny thing about the goals we set for ourselves, they may not always be in line with God’s goals for our lives.  While we might feel like a failure for not reaching our goal, God might see something altogether different.

I worked excruciatingly hard to meet my goal.  The training was intense, emotionally and physically demanding.  Even though I put in the work and did everything I felt I was supposed to do, breaking 3 of my ribs along the way, I did not succeed in meeting my goal.  I was deflated and discouraged.  I was angry at God for sending me out there and then letting me fail.  I was embarrassed to come back home without accomplishing the goal I set for myself.  It took me years to recover from this major disappointment in my life.  Even now, talking about it brings up some very raw emotions.

It’s been 15 years since I gave up on my dream of becoming an Olympian.  I came within 5 seconds of realizing my dream but did not make it.  Only recently am I beginning to realize why God had me make that cross country move all those years ago. I was so hurt by what I perceived as failure, I couldn’t see how God would, in the future, use my experience to help me reach out to others.  Only recently have I been more open and willing to talk about my experiences with others.  The response I’ve received, after sharing my story with others, has been overwhelming in a good way.

Proverbs 16:3,9

3Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

9In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

God is helping me see, in His plan, my perceived lack of success was not the epic fail I once thought it was.  God’s plans are long term.  He sees the big picture and knows the real plan, His plan.  While I may never fully understand why my plan did not end the way I wanted, God’s greater plan was (and still is) at work in my life.  I pray that He will continue to use my experiences to reach others.  I pray that He will open my heart to be more willing to share and that He will change my self-perceived failure into success for Him!