Which...inch?

A major theme for me in 2012 is incremental living. Dreaming big and breaking it down into small, daily steps forward. Simple, right?

Well theoretically yes, but…

Have you ever noticed how the areas of your life tend to overlap???

Every area of life seems to border on at least one other area. Often several. And that’s where the process of inching forward can wrap around on itself in some pretty interesting ways.You can’t just say, “Hey, I think I’ll go deeper in my spiritual life” and expect your business to be untouched. You can’t decide to step it up a notch in your business without having to reevaluate your finances. (and you definitely can’t reevaluate your finances without having to go deeper spiritually!)

Not only that, but once you get inching forward in 2 or 3 areas at once, it can become quite a little dance. Ever noticed that to-do lists and juggling have a lot in common? Woops! Another dropped ball…and another…and another! Not to mention the almost hourly question of “which inch” should I be working on now? And suddenly this concept of incremental growth is’t nearly as simple as we thought.

Unexpected complications like these can keep us from making any actual progress forward in a given day. Or week. Or…let’s just stop there before it gets depressing! Or maybe we do make progress, but at a much greater personal cost than we feel we can afford. Stress. Burnout. Strained backs. Strained relationships. Or worse.

So today as I sit here at my computer, I can’t help but wonder…What’s the secret to SUCCESSFULLY inching your way forward…in more than one area? 

If you thought I was going to give you the answer in one pithy sentence, I have bad news: I don’t fully know the answer! But I do have some strong suspicions that I’ll pass on to you for your consideration. And maybe we can live our way into the answer together?

IDEAS ON “INCHING”

1. I’m guessing it has something to do with priorities. DOING FIRST THINGS FIRST. 
2. I’m also guessing it has something to do with letting enough be enough each day, rather than insisting on “full closure” on every task every time.
3. Another thing that resonates deeply with me is the gift of gratitude. Learning to be thankful for all  that DID get done on a given day, rather than only dwelling on what DIDN’T. I believe this is God’s gift to us, to ease our burdens and keep our focus on Him as the Giver, as well as a gift we can give back to Him.
4. I think it has everything to do with relying on God’s ability to get you where you need to be, if you stay connected with Him in the process.
5. And finally, I think it has to do with faithfully “inching” your way forward with the big picture in mind…and not staying in your bathrobe past lunchtime. (too often!)

Hope your Monday is blessed — and that you inch your way through this week, confident that God is the One who is working in and through you!

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever.” PSALM 138:8 (NIV)

Some say the bumblebee’s flight defies physics. That its tiny wings shouldn’t be able to lift its huge fuzzy body off the ground. But apparently no one’s ever told the bumblebee.  He seems to fly around unencumbered by the impossibility of his plight.

Today I could use a little bumblebee resilience. A little cheerful buzzing that drowns out the naysaying voices inside my head. How about you?

Ever have those days when all you can see is what ISN’T working? Or what couldn’t possibly add up to success? Me too. And believe me, that’s not the day you feel like writing a blog post. Or flying around the garden. Or much of anything.

We all have those days when problems seem big, solutions seem small, and flight seems impossible. Or days when we’re physically just not feeling “up to snuff.” Yet the truth is, even on those days…God can defy the odds. In fact, it’s on those very days that Romans 8:28 flutters its wings and takes flight in the most amazing way:

You know, more and more lately, I’m drawn toward “to-do list” items that spur me to GROW. Frankly, anything less just doesn’t hold much interest for me.

Yet I can hear some of your objections already…

…Well I have three kids and a full-time job!

…No kidding, my to-do list is made for me before I start!!

…Must be nice to have the luxury, but I live in the REAL world!!!

Fair enough. No one (myself included) has time to sit around and contemplate spiritual growth 24/7. In fact, if we did, it probably wouldn’t be all that healthy. True spiritual growth is birthed and refined in the crucible of everyday life. It’s where the rubber meets the road. And the truth of Scripture meets our Monday to-do list.

So like you, this morning I was faced with some tasks I wasn’t all that jazzed about. Yet nothing made it onto my list unless I saw a direct line between it and “growing” forward. Even if it’s just the chance to practice patience through yet another 2-minute tech task that drags on for 2 hours. Or stretching my faith by taking one more step toward a God-ordained goal. It’s all growth.

So I’m wondering…what’s on your to-do list today?

Any idea what sort of  lessons those daily tasks can help you learn?

Patience? Follow-thru? Faithfulness? Resilience?

Also wondering…is there anything on your list you actually ENJOY doing?

After all, not all growth has to be painful. If we’re training ourselves to live out the fruit of the Spirit, shouldn’t at least SOME of that training be joyful?

Hmm, let me ponder that one for a moment. Okay, I’m adding a joyful item to my list:  a Valentine-Eve chocolate break! Not spiritual enough?

Mmm…I beg to differ! 

“Taste & see that the Lord is good…” PSALM 34:8

Nooooooooooooot...quite...yet!!!

I gotta admit, I’ve LOVED this week…

There just hasn’t been quite enough of it.

In between my regularly scheduled tasks, for once I also managed to slow down and  get lost in the moment. I spent longer times with the Lord. I journaled and read and gave myself some “margin” around the edges. I organized my office and updated my calendar. I even spent delicious amounts of time roaming the aisles of Office Depot, looking for just the right color of thumbtacks and style of bulletin board.  (in case you’re wondering…aqua blue and dry erase/pegboard combo!)

I also gazed out windows and danced over snowflakes, giving myself permission to do the little things I often tell myself “there’s just not time for” in my busy life. I drank in the simple joys. I soaked in some peace and quiet. I even listened for God’s voice: and in the hush that followed, felt the thrill of realizing He also heard mine.

And after a while, I found myself writing out lists and lists of undone tasks that had been cluttering up my brain for ages, so much so that I’d had very little brain-space left for actual doing. And as I wrote, the tasks seemed to magically arrange themselves into categories…with very little effort on my part…as if some cosmic magnet were clumping them together like “birds of a feather.” What a blessed relief to view those unruly thoughts from a safe distance, like wild stallions finally corralled where they could no longer trample me senseless! And what a surprise. I’d put off dealing with them for so long precisely because I was sure they’d be impossible to tame. Had they been bluffing all along? It was too soon to tell, but my relief was hard to hide.

Then I organized my office to my heart’s content, excitedly placing baskets and trays and vertical files, and listing appointments on calendars and dry-erase boards like a woman obsessed. How long I couldn’t say, because I’d lost all track of the clock. I pondered and planned, dawdled and dreamed. I smiled. I giggled. I was bliss personified. And when it was done, I breathed out a long-overdue, beam-me-up-Scottie-I-can’t-believe-my-mission-is-finally-done sigh of relief. Aaaaaaahhh….

Which was followed by  all sorts of living-in-the-moment desires, which frankly don’t make it to the front burner of my life nearly often enough. Like brainstorming ideas and organizing my closet and (perhaps most radical of all) having people over for dinner and cooking from scratch! Not only that, but I’d rediscovered a childlike joy in living, through the simple act of slowing down and listening. Listening to God. Listening to my own heart. Listening to the rhythm of life and the quiet tic-tock/tic-tock of the clock on the wall.

Oh dear…the clock! That’s right. I was supposed to review my goals, and set priorities, and report back on the blog on Friday! And…and…and… Oh dear, oh dear…I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!!!

Til it dawned…

All that I’d been doing WAS preparing my heart to do exactly that. Yet apparently the process couldn’t be rushed. Or regimented. Or scheduled. And for once, I didn’t mind quite so much that I’d missed a deadline. Because becoming more PRESENT with myself and God…whatever the time frame or the cost…suddenly seemed a lot more important.

At this point, it’s hard to say how much longer this priority-setting season will last.  Another week…two weeks…a month? I don’t know. In a way, it feels like I’ve only just begun. All I know for sure is I’m grateful beyond words that my easily hurried/easily harried heart has finally slowed down long enough to begin the process.

See you Monday…hope you have a blessed weekend!

Mmm…yeah…what were those ingredients again?

I gotta admit, answering Ramon Presson’s questions for interviewing 2011  last week was quite an empowering experience. It really helped me articulate what I did (and didn’t) want to see in 2012, and the newfound clarity left me feeling all but unstoppable. You know, like you feel after watching twelve straight hours of the Food Network: you just know you could waltz into the kitchen and whip up a 7-course dinner out of whatever random tidbits you find in the pantry.

That is, til you remember you haven’t been to the grocery store in like…forever. And whatever’s left in the pantry is either moldy or so far past its expiration date the ants won’t even touch it. But I digress. (plate that, Mad Hungry…)

After a few days, though, I wasn’t feeling quite so unstoppable. In fact, I was verging on downright overwhelmed. Why? Because I couldn’t remember all the ingredients. All the things I’d gleaned from my interview with 2011 had begun to merge together in my brain. I couldn’t hold them all in my head at once, and so I began to lose focus and strength. I was pretty sure that one grey day in February or March, I’d find myself asking, “Mmm…now what were my priorities for 2012 again?” Or worse still, I’d just drift along and never even think to ask the question.

So I’m realizing that, for me at least, it’s important to distill those broader goals down to a few essential categories. Health. Ministry. Relationships. Stuff like that. Otherwise I run the risk of just hoping for better things, rather than making actual progress. I also feel the need to listen more closely for the lessons God’s wanting to teach me this year. I know they’re there…I just need to slow down long enough to hear them.

So that’s my objective this week. To let all my good intentions “boil down” to their basic elements, and see what I’ve really got. Like when you toss a bunch of vegetables in a pot of water and let ‘em simmer. Once they boil down a while, you’ve got a satisfying meal. Until then, they’re just some random things you threw together.

I hope today is the beginning of a blessed week for you. And if you haven’t already, I hope you start noticing the categories God is speaking to you about in 2012: broccoli, carrots, pasta…love, joy, peace…who knows!

In many ways, this week has been a giant leap forward…

I’ve commented, categorized, tagged, and tweeted like never before. I’ve learned to hyperlink, shortlink, and interlink. I’ve blogged, Facebook’d, gotten LinkedIn, and locked out. I’ve forgotten passwords, invented passwords, and changed passwords…often several times in a row on the same sites.

I’ve copied, pasted, deleted, edited, saved, previewed, and published. I’ve scrolled, scanned, perused, and confused. I’ve emailed, interacted, introduced, and invited. I’ve launched, lunched, linked, and liked. Skype’d, searched, shared, and subscribed. I’ve connected, contributed, followed, and friended. Voted, emoted, promoted, and winked. Replied, denied, blocked, and blinked. I’ve downloaded, defragged, uploaded, and upgraded.

And all for what?

For the chance to make a genuine human connection with those who long for the growing edge. To truly encounter God in the stuff of everyday life, and open ourselves up for the transformation that only He can bring.

It’s all a bit counter-intuitive, I admit. Braving the world of techno-lust in order to embrace the “simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” Frankly, it’s probably downright impossible, short of the grace of God. So today that’s what I’m praying for. GRACE. Gentle droplets of it. Boatloads of it. Timely infusions, when my soul is parched and depleted from the insatiable drain of the social media giant and my own tendency to get caught up in it.

G-R-A-C-E.

Everything else is just chasing after wind…

Oh Jesus, fill us with Your grace and goodness today. Even our efforts to connect and embrace Your ways are utterly futile without Your help. Fill us to overflowing with that which only You can give, that we might respond with that which only we can choose…only by Your matchless, irreplaceable, we-love-you-because-you-first-loved-us grace.

And thankfully that…and only that…is truly enough.

Happy Friday, dear friends.

Good grief, is it Monday again?

I can’t believe it’s been a whole week since last Monday. Or almost a month since January 1st. At this rate, we’ll be talking about 2015 before you know it!

Which makes me feel like I need to rush even faster to keep up. “Hurry, hurry…before it all passes you by!”  But truth be told, I think it’s really the opposite. My guess is, to make the most of 2012 I actually need to slow myself down. To experience it fully before it catapults past and is lost forever. Utterly counter-intuitive, I admit, but I’m gonna test the theory just the same.

So today, though I feel like rushing forward like a chicken with my head cut off, I’m gonna force myself to slow down for just a moment. To drink in God’s goodness. To listen to my heart. To set some simple goals that reflect who I truly am in Christ…and who He wants me to become.

Aaaaaaahh…there, I can almost feel my legs again. And the psalmist’s words begin to echo in my spirit: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Maybe you need to slow it down too, as your week gets started? You may only have five or ten minutes to spare, or maybe you have the luxury of a longer period of stillness. But it doesn’t always take as long as we think. Breathe in, and out…and let your heart truly be still in His Presence for a few precious moments.

And as you bask in His Presence, simply for the sake of doing it, clarity and direction have a funny way of opening up…like the wardrobe door into Narnia!

Onward...and upward!

Well, the results are in!

This past week I took the plunge and interviewed my 2011 using Ramon Presson’s four simple questions…and gazillion follow-up questions.

I came away from the experience with a couple of distinct feelings. One was gratitude. I realized that I seldom take the time to write down the things that went well. And when I did, God’s blessings in 2011 were very clear to see. 

Yet as I reviewed my answers, I also felt a bit overwhelmed. How could I possibly process a whole year’s worth of information? And I almost started to lose focus.

Then I noticed a pattern emerging. I realized that my 2011 had basically given the same answers to almost every question I posed, just stated different ways. I wanted to stay connected with God and live life out of His strength, rather than just mine. I wanted to love and be loved. I wanted to have an impact for the kingdom in my personal life and ministry. I wanted to bring pleasure to the heart of God. I wanted to hear His “well done”…not just at the end of my life, but at the end of each day of 2012.

Yet beyond the generalities, there were also some specifics. I wanted to live a healthier life. To work out more and eat junk food less. To rediscover my ab muscles. To put first things first, instead of second or third, or getting derailed by whatever shiny object crossed my path. To work harder at my craft–to write and speak words that bring love and truth and laughter to those who hear them. To enjoy the daily rhythm of creativity for its own sake, not just for the “end result.”

To get to the grocery store more often, and eat take-out less. To actually cook from scratch once in a while. To see my husband smile more often, and try his patience less. To love more deeply. And laugh more easily. To cultivate a grateful heart, and learn to worship God over every little blessing that crosses my path. To worship Him when things go wrong, knowing that He’s awesome enough to work even that for good. To be present more often, and distracted less. To touch eternity by living in each little moment in simple childlike faith.  To let God train me in His ways, rather than simply “trying harder.”

And naturally there were some personal goals that mean something to me, but wouldn’t mean much to anyone else. I imagine you have some of those yourself. I noticed that some of those were things that I MEANT to do last year, but didn’t quite get to. Which is one of the reasons I really like this interviewing the past year thing. It’s a very handy “elbow inyour back” to do the things you’ve been putting off, or never quite made time for like you meant to.

Like for example, I’ve been meaning to write a new book for a couple years now. I didn’t realize quite how long I’d procrastinated that particular goal. But when you see it written out on a list more than once,  it’s pretty clear. You want to write a book. But you haven’t made the time. Hmm, maybe that should move closer to the top of the list?  Or maybe it needs to be broken down into smaller steps so it’s not quite so daunting. For that matter, maybe I should start with a blog post. Or an article. Or a pamphlet. But for heaven’s sake, don’t just keep adding it to next year’s list! You get the idea.

I’m curious, what sort of things showed up in your 2011 interview? I’m dying to know! Anyone out there brave enough to share an answer or two, or at least a trend you noticed? I’m sure we’d all benefit from hearing…and once you share a goal with others, it’s always that little bit easier to move toward it . Hope to hear from some of you…

But whether you have the courage to post a comment or not, I’m praying we can all learn a thing or two from our past year, and carry it forward with us into 2012. As the old saying goes, “those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” May we be those who learn from the past and move on from glory to glory in God’s strength!

Blessings and new beginnings in 2012!

I must admit, I’ve always found Mondays a bit daunting.

Sure, on Thursday or Friday, or over the weekend, Monday sounds like a great idea. “I’ll get back to you Monday.”  “I’ll finish that project on Monday.” But do I love the day once it actually comes? Mmm…not so much.

The truth is, I actually love the idea of Monday much more than the actual day. Once it gets here, I usually feel a lot of pressure to perform. “Better hurry up, it’s Monday.” “Better not slack off, it’s Monday.”  “Better cram a whole week’s worth of work into one day to make up for running behind, it’s Monday!” Maybe it’s just me…but somehow, I doubt it.

This morning an idea popped into my head that made Monday feel not quite  so…well, Monday-ish. It was the concept of priming the pump. Remember the old Helen Keller movie where she finally realizes that W-A-T-E-R is the wet substance pouring out of the outdoor pump? I can still see her furiously cranking that handle to get more W-A-T-E-R to spill out over her hand as the “aha” moment spilled out over her thirsty mind. It was a revelation!

That’s how I felt when the idea of priming the pump occurred to me this morning. M-O-N-D-A-Y. Suddenly it dawned on me that I’d been doing Mondays wrong my whole life! I always thought of them as the day you hit the ground running “ready or not.” And nine times out of ten, I wasn’t ready.  But suddenly I realized that Mondays could be different. I could set them aside as a time to actually get ready for the rest of the week. To organize new tasks. To fill the fridge with food or put away laundry. To think out what my priorities were for the following week. To prime the pump.

Maybe some of you figured this out years ago, but to me it was a whole new way of looking at the week. So I spent the day doing things I usually just spend Monday feeling guilty about. I went to the gym. I made a grocery story run. I deep conditioned my hair and did a facial mask. I made a TO-DO list. I wrote this blog. Some of you may be thinking, “That’s great for you, but I have a full-time job.”  Good point. Maybe priming the pump works better for you on another day. Or maybe you have to do your “priming” in small steps all throughout the week. Everyone’s situation is different. But even for someone with a full-time job, my guess is that a small amount of Monday priming might just ease the “shock and awe” of that first day back at work.

As I was pulling in from the grocery store today, I heard a guy on the radio talking. His statement grabbed my attention. He said, “Monday is the Doberman of the weekdays.” He went on to explain that most people are scared of Mondays and feel intimidated by them. (sound familiar?) He then closed with, “But like a Doberman, I think you’ll find that the fault is usually not with the day, but with the owner. Learn to master it, and it will become your best friend.” (and conversely, let it master you, and well…you get the idea)

As I listened to the radio I blurted out, “Priming the pump!” Or at least I wanted to. After all, it’s not often that you experience an epiphany before unloading the groceries. Or conditioning your hair. Or, quite frankly…on a Monday!

See you on Friday, when I’ll be sharing about my experience of Interviewing 2011.  I hope some of you are giving it a try too. If so, I’d love you to post a comment and share about your experience…or even some of your answers, if you dare. See you Friday!

2011...the roadmap to 2012

Is it just me, or does it sometimes take the whole month of January to get the new year in gear? Maybe it’s because I was traveling the first few days of the month, or maybe I’m just a slow starter. (or both) But the way I figure it, I’ve still got 11 more days til February 1st when 2012 is irrefutably in full swing.

That said, I find myself wanting to begin the year purposefully, rather than slipping back into old ruts “just because.” Ideally, I’d like to learn from my mistakes, clarify God’s goals for my life, and give the new year my very best.  But how to begin?

My author-therapist friend Ramon Presson has a yearly ritual he calls “interviewing” the past year. Each December/January he asks himself 4 questions that help him press “enter” on the past year and gain clarity on what he’d like to see in the year to come. It’s a simple, non-threatening process that sounds like something I’d like to try. If you’d like to try it along with me, here’s the link to Ramon’s 4 questions:

COMMENTARY BY RAMON PRESSON: How to review and interview your own year

If you want to go even deeper, here are some questions Ramon suggests for clarifying your goals/hopes for 2012:

What do I want to experience?

What do I want to achieve?

What do I want to start?

What do I want to finish that I’ve already started?

What do I want to learn?

What do I want to see?

What do I want to know how to do?

What do I want to know (inside) with more certainty?

What do I want to add or increase?

What do I want to reduce or completely let go of?

What do I want to feel?

One more question that comes to mind as I read the list: What do I want to contribute?

For those who’d like to join me by interviewing your own 2011, feel free to post excerpts from your answers here on the blog. I’d love to hear what you’re thinking…and will be sharing some of my own answers next week as well.

Happy reviewing!