This isn't the "I Dream of Jeannie" show, it's practice.

One of the biggest moments I had in choosing to do this blog, was to start.  A co-worker had started one and I only thought I had something to say.  Little did I know where this little blog would end up or turn up.   I didn't know that I could fill a page back then.  Years of writing in a journal has shown me otherwise.  I didn't know that  a blog would be so demanding and require so much attention.

I didn't know that it would be a beast sometimes.  I didn't know how I could be inspired to be a better writer.  I did know to practice often.

"You write a lot." someone once told me.  Yes, I do.  But I have a confession to make there have been some dry seasons too.  There have been those times my mind has felt like a brittle sagebrush flying down the Kansas highway bouncing off anything in it's path.

One of my biggest moments in writing for this blog is the daily practice that I invest in it.  This isn't happening by simple wishes or my good looks.  I pray consistently for the content.  I ask to be inspired, and then keep my eyes open for opportunities to experience a story.  That's what a good journalist does.

I keep a small notebook and pen at the ready.  (yes, I say that all the time).  I keep my tools handy and at hand.  I have to.  When you ask for divine inspiration, you never want to miss the opportunity to take notes.  By the way, I understand there will be a special gate in Heaven for us scribblers who take notes during Sunday worship.  Look for me there....I'll be the one with a red wagon full of journals.

A big moment for this blog was to finally embrace the desire to publicly speak in this.  That might have sent me over the edge of no return.  Upon starting, God birthed a bigger desire in me to continue.

I wasn't prepared for he hustle it would take to put some muscle to it.  I was a fool to think it would come easy.  Anything worth doing requires some effort.  I had to dispose of my ideas of what I thought this should look like, and let God show me what it means to follow in Him in writing.  I had to choose to let Him lead me in this versus me trying to find my own way in this.

This practice of embracing God's ways have spilled over into many areas of my life.  I like to call life my content provider, while letting God write His story in me.  It just so happens that by following the Great Story Teller in this, that there are new chapters my story that are evolving every day.

I call that something of value.  I call that progress.  I call that practice.  I call this a daily pursuit of my heart lining up with His words to me and me taking a few notes.  As you know there are millions of blogs out here, I had to choose a direction and I had to choose to be inspired by something.

I had to choose to let God be the keeper of these words.  As I follow Him in the purpose of this blog it's my practice.  I want to do this in the most excellent way.  That means in His time.  Our God, who created time, has plenty of time for you and your inner design development too.

Ever consider great things of worth take time to develop?  Just like you can't lose 100 pounds overnight.  Don't you wish we could just snap our fingers, and poof...100 lbs are just gone?  No, this isn't the I Dream of Jeannie" show.  Doing something of worth, the things that matter, takes practice.  And more practice, and practice again.  Building an audience takes practice.  Endurance is found in the dry spaces.  Faith is exercised in each post.  Tenacity is strengthened.  Patience is developed.  Your craft is practiced.

I trust God to be the keeper this blog and grower this blog.

In these practice sessions, it's honing my public voice.  As I fine tune my words, I am spiritually sharpened by hearing the One Voice that inspires me.  As long as I let the Holy Spirit inspire me, I will have a well-spring of blog posts.  Recently, I heard God's whisper to "Remain in this place, you will write from MY overflow."  All the while, I've been reading and remaining in John 15.

My almost four year old grandson is a chatterbox.  Avery is constantly asking questions, so much so he strings question to question.  I have to remind him to breathe sometimes.  Some waking hours he spews questions at rapid-fire pace.  One afternoon, he didn't even allow time for one thoughtful answer.  It reminded me of that word-dry season I had gone through, when I constantly asked God why I couldn't finish what I had started.  I was asking my questions so fast and furious that I couldn't hear His answers.

That was big moment to realize that if I am spewing words at God, I can't hear His whispered answers.  Oh don't you wish you were watching an episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" now?  Can you relate to this?  Don't you wish you could know God's plan before we choose to follow God's plan?

When we ask God to intervene in ways that only He could we have to still our hearts before Him so we don't miss the practice sessions He requires of us to build our faith, our tenacity, our strength, our endurance, and our story that's worth telling.

Show up for practice, your attention matters.

Lessons from bowels of my kitchen rennovation

No truer words were ever spoken over me.

This cute little sign now hangs in my new kitchen. You've been waiting for this, so thank you for your patience. I don't need to give you a play by play of my recent kitchen renovation project but you can know that I'm still licking my self-made wounds over this little project.

The main thing is our kitchen is still standing, it's complete, and we are all alive.  Here are a few things I learned while living in transition and a big mess:

1.  Change requires a lot of time.  Every waking moment.
2.  It requires energy.  Every ounce of you have.
3.  It requires hard work.  Every drop of blood, sweat and even a few tears.
4.  It requires team work.  Everyone doing what they can to work together.
5.  It requires you to show up.  Bring your winning attitude and check your ego at the door.

Unless, you are financially stable enough to afford someone else's labor, you can kiss about 6 weeks of your time, that you will never get back, good-bye when you say that you want to change a few things in your kitchen.  A few more lessons:

1.  Say good-bye to clean.
2.  Say hello to sea tickle blue on your fingernails.
3.  Tuck your regular to-do list away for a rainy day.  
4.  Say good-bye to your friends and Friday nights.
5.  Learn the international symbol for "I can't breathe".  Repeat, breathe deep.

That sinking feeling when seeing your stove like this, good-bye all clean spaces.

Unless, you are a saint, or can do perfect and do things right the first time, remember there will be some frustrations along the way that will cause you to run outside your house and scream a little.  Here are some good things to remember in the middle of a mess:

1.  Remember the end result will be worth it.
2.  Remind yourself who you are doing it for.
3.  Forget the words that are spoken at the end of a moving drill bit.
4.  Clean a little space everyday, even if it's just your coffeemaker.
5.  Practice kindness and bite your tongue.

Making changes can be hard, especially when you encounter some unexpected bumps along the way.  Things usually don't work out like you had planned or expected.  But a good attitude helps win over the worst flub-ups.  Mistakes can always be covered up or corrected if you just refocus and get some rest.

Ta-Da!  My like-new place to steam my broccoli and make my coffee!

One thing remains, change is hard but worth it.  There were days I didn't know what to do but cry.  But in and through all of the changes to my new kitchen, I rose above the challenge of what was ahead of me and just did the next thing.  It was hard work, and seemed intense, but I had too much invested in it to give up on it.  

Perseverance, patience and endurance pays off.  I now have a clean kitchen and am proud of the work that was accomplished.  Our family worked together as a team, and had much patience with each other.  We did the next thing and did it with kindness.  We worked together for a common goal of a now clean, uncluttered, tidy, shiny and like-new space.

We made some small adjustments along the way to accommodate the few problems we had but we rose above the challenges and just kept the momentum going, working forward instead of letting ourselves get overwhelmed.

We had a vision, a dream, a goal worth pursuing and we did it!  High fives everyone!  Why is this so important to me?

1.  It's my place in this house, everyone woman can testify that the kitchen is her space.
2.  I end my day with a shiny sink, smiling good night and sweet dreams.  
3.  Each day begins clean.  I want clean to remain.  
4.  I worked hard toward a goal and lived through it to now enjoy it.
5.  I not only survived a kitchen re-model, now I'm writing stories to share, all from my new kitchen.

(Bonus - No one was killed in the process.  I know that was a little dramatic but sometimes in the heat of the battle, you have to remember who's idea it was to start such havoc in the first place.)

As we make changes, we grow.  As we work towards a goal, we change.  We adapt, we get better at what our hands touch.  We learn, we stretch, we do hard things, we do new things.  We chose to overcome the hurdles and just work through them.

We choose victory and the end result is always worth it.  Results take work and determination.  Results take practice.  

Special emphasis on the large print.

Practice.  Over and over, day by day, with time you will get to your goals too.  Whether it be 10 lbs, 10 blogs, 10 books, 10 miles, whatever personal goals are haunting you on repeat right now, just bite your tongue and practice doing them.  You won't be sorry if you honestly show up with your winning attitude and check your ego at the door.   

Choose to overcome.  Rise above what's telling you can't succeed.  Practice.