I recently attended the Flourish Writers https://www.flourishwriters.com/ online conference and had the pleasure of listening to Jevon Bolden discuss her book, Pray, Hear, Write. Her words of encouragement inspired me to set goals in areas of my life that have become stagnant and to chase God-given dreams that have never seen the light of day.
So here we go…
I’ll be tracking 3 areas of my life: Health – Home – Writing
As a healthcare worker, the past year has taken its toll both mentally and physically so it’s time to lace up those walking shoes, pull out the blender, grab the Bellicon and get back on track!
Next, it’s time to plant a future harvest. If I’m learning anything about God’s word and the spread of COVID its the necessity to be wise in my harvesting both for now and in the future. One of the biggest blessings that came out of COVID was a love of gardening.
Now that the gardening season is upon us here in the Pacific Northwest and I have 2 dozen Roma tomato plants eager to sink deep into the composted soil. Oh my! Can you just imagine what my kitchen will look like in early October as I try to can up 50+ quarts of tomatoes??? I think I might have my mom fly in to help!
Finally, here’s my scariest goal: writing. Specifically my dream of becoming a published Inspirational fiction writer.
This last goal has been buried for many years and now it’s time to pull it our of obscurity, dust it off and breathe life back into what I believe God is calling me to do.
This dream came to life years ago when a good friend of mine got me hooked on reading light romance novels. There was one secular author in particular I really enjoyed because the story lines were strong, the characters had a good moral compass and there wasn’t anything graphic about the books. The only thing missing was God. But despite this one area, I’d finish reading one of her books and think,“This is what I want to do. I want to write.”
At the time, I didn’t know Christian fiction existed so I floundered in secular writing groups. I’d show up to the group wanting to write a great story with God being showcased and ended up leaving the because the of the huge amount of nastiness directed at my efforts, “my story was too sweet or not trashy enough.”
Eventually I shelved my books and focused on being a mom of littles. I figured…one day…
This month I’ll be using Jevon Bolden’s Pray Hear Write as a fasting resource to jump start my writing and then I’ll see what is an acceptable writing for subsequent months. Let’s face it, when you’re just starting out, who knows how much you can accomplish? One thing is for certain, “You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” ~ Wayne Gretzky
Stepping Out Isn’t Easy But God Knows The Way
Before I get started, my first real step is to seek the Lord. I don’t want these efforts to be self-gratifying. I want them to glorify the Lord. I want to look back on future successes and give Him all the praise! So each morning, again with Jevon’s chapter prompts I’ll be seeking the Lord for His wisdom and guidance.
Want to come along?
If you have goals, restarts, mulligans, do-overs that you want to reach, then join me! I love having company. Tell me what you’ll be working on so I can add you to my prayer list and we can hold one another accountable. We’re in it together my friend, and the good Lord willingly, there is a new beginning for each of us! Step up and step out, I’ll be cheering you onto the finish line!
May Goals
Health
- Exercise 3 times a week
- Drink 72 ounces of water per day
- Lose 3 pounds
Home & Garden
- Time to get the garden planted – tomatoes, pole beans and herbs
- Spring clean the house
- Time away with The Hubs (1 small getaway & 1 Rail Trail ride)
Writing
- 2 blog posts
- 1 chapter outlined for the Daniel bible study
- 2 Friday morning mini-bible studies
- Edit chapters 1 & 2 in fictional book
- Read 30 minutes each evening
Ok friends, those are those goals…let’s be real, those seem a bit hefty, and they might be. I’ll figure it out as I go along. Doesn’t God tell us that He wants us to live life abundantly? Doesn’t He say that He wants the best for us? Yes!
I’ll be praying for you as you step out in faith, listen to the Lord’s promptings and go for your goals.
May you achieve success in reaching and in failing because both bring knowledge and growth.
To God be the glory this month as we start anew!
Until next time,