find joy in the waiting

Life is hard, y’all. Some days I have no desire to do anything productive because it feels like I’m always striving. Always trying and searching for more. When is it ever enough? When is my ship gonna come in?

It can feel like you are being overlooked, forgotten, when things aren’t happening as quickly as you want them to be. How do you get past this feeling? You take control of what you can and trust God to handle the rest. Find joy in the present. Don’t wait to live your life…

1. Do some good – volunteer for a soup kitchen, coach Girls on the Run in your area, help the elderly with their daily tasks, do something nice for a friend or family member, etc. Find something that you enjoy and help others with that gift you have.
2. Praise and worship – instead of constantly praying for what you want, try spending some time in gratitude for what you do have.
3. Read a book – I know. What could reading a book do?? Well, it could distract you OR if you read a personal development book, or memoir, it could give you hope and action steps that you can take to get the results that you want. Have you had your heart broken? Read “Rising Strong” by Brené Brown. It helped me get over mine, as well as seeing a well-timed Instagram post by Christine Caine quoting Psalm 34:18 –
   

   The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

4. Get a hobby – What is something you like to do? Take photos? Get yourself a good camera and go exploring. Do you like crafting? Check out Pinterest for some inspo and head to Hobby Lobby or Michael’s for supplies and you’re set for the duration of that project.
5. TRAVEL – Get out of town. See some new sights. Take in a new city or a new landscape or both! There is nothing like experiencing a new culture, even if it’s just an hour away. Take a trip. Do something by yourself.

Most of all, I want you to know that you’re not alone. There are others out there going through exactly the same thing as you. And, God has not forgotten you. His timing is perfect.

What helps you get through the waiting?

there is nothing accidental about you

Woah! It’s been a while, right? Well, I’m back and I have decided that I am writing a book, soooo I should be practicing my writing, right?

I have just started reading Without Rival by Lisa Bevere. I happened to pick this book up by “accident”. My friend and I were at Lifeway and I got this feeling. I told her, “There’s a book I’ve been wanting to read but I don’t know what it’s called, or even what the cover looks like.” Big help, right? ha! We did some browsing but none of them felt “right”. I picked up Present over Perfect, but I knew that wasn’t what I was looking for. We eventually left. I forgot about it.

Then, we went to Hobby Lobby (not looking for books, I swear.) As we were headed to the checkout line, I saw the books. I asked her if we could look really fast. I still had that “feeling.” Then, I saw this title and this cover and I knew it was what I was looking for. Now, subconsciously, I know that I have seen this book on Instagram or somewhere and I had stored it away for a time when I needed it. The time was now.

When you are in business for yourself, there is always going to be time to compare, to feel less than everyone else doing just what you are doing. I had just recently experienced this when an online friend chose another health and fitness coach over of me. It cut so deep. I wondered why and I pondered for a full day what made her “better than me” In other words, that whole “why am I never good enough?” voice came raring its ugly head. ugh. That is NEVER a good look…on anyone. I, thank goodness, have been doing so much personal development and self-care that I didn’t let this keep me down too long. I know that this happens, but that doesn’t mean that my tender heart has been hardened.

As I began reading Without Rival, I came across the line,

Marvelously loved one, there is absolutely nothing accidental about you.

Ahh! Can you just feel that exhale. No one else is you. No one else can ever compare to you because you are you. You are youer than you, as Dr. Seuss says. God has made us each unique. We have been set apart so that we have no “rival”. We shouldn’t be competing with anyone, whether it be for friends, boyfriends, jobs, contests, clients, etc. Our only competition should be ourselves, to be better than the person we were yesterday.

It’s not lost on me that the last time I sat down and wrote a blog, it was about comparison. Obviously, this is a struggle. One that I believe many women, and, likely, some men, deal with all throughout life. But, the truth is that it’s a no-win situation. We cannot be winners when we are looking at our competition rather than looking up to our Creator for what He wants from us. So today, join me in locking arms and taking in all that we are, as individuals, and what we can do as unique beings during our time on Earth.

Have you ever had a rival? How did it feel? How do you believe that you are unique and without rival?

keep my eyes above the waves

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

Grace.  fear.  failure.  These words so often go hand in hand for me.  I know that what I can do is nothing.  What Grace can do is everything.  If it wasn’t for Grace, who knows where I’d be now or what I’d be doing.  But, God, He takes care of me but yet sometimes I still doubt, I still fear, I still wonder.

Crazy things happen every day.  Nothing ever completely out of hand happens to me.  Sometimes I fear that I’m living a life of too much comfort.  That I can’t be that dependent on God because I don’t need him.  I hear the words to this song and I know that I just need to take that leap.  I’m ready to free fall with Him into this life that I would love to live but is such a “risk”.  Can I really do this?  Is it a calling or is it a selfish endeavor?  How do I know?  Well, I know because this is something that I could never ever do on my own.  This is beyond me.  Out of my hands.  Out of my control.  Spirit lead me…

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Take a moment and worship.  You’ll be better for it.