Summer Challenges

Summer 2016 delivered a new adventure in the form of the Blog Your Brand 30-Day Summer Challenge. There's something powerful behind the word "challenge" that penetrates into the depths of my core and I can't ignore it. When I hear that word, I feel that somebody is insinuating that I can't do something and I don't like to be told what I can or cannot do.

Today is the first day of this challenge, and I hope you will spend the next 30 days looking forward to a new post and also cheering me on to complete the challenge. I do not know these folks personally, but there is a common thread running through the internet community that brought us together and I am grateful for this journey.

2015 was the first year I realized summer challenges were a thing. I participated in two and found I completed the one I expected to drop within a week and dropped the one I fully expected to finish. However, they were both successes.

Index Card A Day (ICAD) was the one I was excited to join. The concept is simple - be creative once a day for 60 days. The format was also simple - an index card. It's a fantastic challenge - go check them out at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ICAD2016 or http://daisyyellowart.com/icad-base

I consider myself a creative gal but I don't often take the time I should to reward myself with times of creative expression. I knew this was for me. Then I complicated things by having to do it all perfectly and technically instead of following the simple heart behind this - do something creative today. I completed 7 cards.

Failure? No. Success. You might be asking how I could possibly consider this a success story. I call it a success because two friends joined me in this who don't consider themselves creative...and enjoyed it! Furthermore, one of them wanted to do it again this year and so did I.

The second summer challenge was one I believed I should do but didn't think I would - a read through the Bible 90-day challenge. I have never read through the entire Bible, much less at a 90-day pace. I gave myself permission to quit within the first week and hoped it would simply plant a seed to want to read at my leisure. I am happy to report that I finished in 89 days and would gladly do this challenge again.

Summer brings with it many challenges including heightened yard care requirements, scheduling more outdoor activities during our few months of summer weather, bug infestations, house painting projects and more. I would invite you to find a way to challenge yourself to do something that is important for you, for who you are and that will make you feel better about how you spent at least part of your summer.

Transitions

A number of years ago, I worked for a pastor who wrote his thesis on the topic of "transformational transitions." By the time this project was over, and I had typed that phrase what seemed like 10,000 times, I thought I would be just fine if I went through the rest of my life never hearing either of those words again.

Yet, I find myself in the midst of living it out.

One of my jobs has had so many staff transitions in the last several years that I lost count, but something like 26 people have come and/or gone in the almost 11 years I've been there.

One of my jobs has had a transition in leadership, but the new guy is working out beautifully and all is well.

We are transitioning again to a new senior pastor at my church.

Maggie

My personal life has included a recent transition from our beloved little dog, Maggie, when we lost her unexpectedly and abruptly. We do have a new little guy in our lives now and we are adjusting to life with a puppy, although he is 10 months old, but still routinely grieve our little girl.

Fremont

I am currently on a one-month sabbatical, trying to "breathe deeply and resume normal behavior." The effects of living through multiple transitions can sneak up on you if you aren't paying attention. I'm trying to find the balance in life again and this will mean another transition - one that incorporates learning how to relax and be creative again while still being responsible and effective.

YOUR TURN:
How do you handle change?

How do you relax?

Challenges

"Create a website in one hour." That's what the software box said. I suppose that is true, if you wanted to simply pick a layout, type your words and move on. I, however, apparently had other ideas. My "one hour" project long ago crossed somewhere over into the 100+ hours project. But, instead of simply creating a website, I received an amazing lesson about challenges.

I am a recovering perfectionist. I do not like to learn new things, because until I learn, I am not good at it. Therefore, I usually won't "boldly go..." - this way I can say that what I do, I do well.

This time was different - it was important to me to create a website and I didn't have anybody I could turn to. So, I worked some and ran into a challenge...and quit. Then, I would start again a few days later, run into a challenge...and quit. This cycle repeated itself a few times before I could finally state "I did it. I met the challenges, learned, made mistakes, kept going, realized that I didn't have to be perfect, and now I have a website."

It's not perfect, but I accepted the challenge I gave myself. My life has another chapter because I said "yes."

We all face challenges: family, jobs, time, bad habits, fear, etc.  What challenge are you facing that you need to practice saying "yes" to, instead of just giving up?

Don't be afraid to say "yes" and go for it. Yes doesn't mean perfect, but it means you will always know you gave it your best shot and not have any regrets for doing so.

My prayer for you today is that you will say yes to your next challenge, then say yes again when you want to quit.

Now...go visit www.RedTennies.com and bookmark it so you can visit it often and share it with your friends.

Comfort Food

Tonight was one of those nights when I needed comfort food.  At our house, this usually takes the form of breakfast for dinner.  Rarely have I happened to plan out a crock-pot roast and had the coincidence of it being "one of those days" that leaves me reaching for comfort food.

It was a double comfort food night this time. Most of my "go-to" food items for days like this originated in my youth; some are family traditions and some are widely recognizable.  Tonight it was egg and potato scramble along with buttermilk bran muffins and homemade pomegranate jelly.

How simple - hash browns (any type) with eggs scrambled around it when it's done.  Such delight, such comfort.

The buttermilk bran muffins are a recipe that produces enough batter to bake muffins for your neighborhood for a month!  This keeps in your fridge until the buttermilk expiration date so it's a delight that will be ongoing.  They are so yummy and soothing - the perfect blend between a crispy muffin top and tender breadiness. Top that with the homemade jelly and you can't go wrong.

Yes, things are better now and the worries of my day are squelched and forgotten.


YOUR TURN:
What is your comfort food?

Is it something you discovered as an adult or something from your childhood?

Dusty Lemons

You are likely familiar with the phrase "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." I have always chuckled at that phrase and found it to be a positive way of looking at things.  It's cliché, it's cute, it's an all-American phrase we can relate to that makes us feel better about things.

However, it doesn't always bring me optimistic thoughts due to one thing - procrastination. I had this fancy (discount store) fruit bowl and thought it would look gorgeous on the counter with some bright, cheery yellow lemons. It did look lovely until the day I noticed they were still there, and...dusty. Sometimes I find that I run out of time to make the lemonade and so my lemons gather dust. I had great intentions but lacked the follow-through.  It's so easy for me to say "I'll do this one more thing, and then..."

Optimism is one of the best things in life and it can sustain us through difficult times.  So, how sad is it that lemons can get dusty?  Did you know that they can? Do you dust yours from time to time and put them back in the bowl or do you make lemonade promptly?

Do you realize that procrastination dates back to the Bible?  When Pharoah was asked about setting a time for Moses to pray to have the frogs removed, he replied "tomorrow." (Exodus 8:8-10).  We see Elisha and Esther each use the phrase "and then I will" (1 Kings 19:20-21 and Esther 5:8).  We are adept at making excuses, at procrastinating, at delaying what we should do.
 

One More Thing...

Do you dust off your lemons with the intention of making the lemonade later?

Would you consider yourself an optimistic person?

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

21%

I have 21% battery power left on my laptop and 3 blogs to write to meet my goal.  No pressure, right?

I have joined a writing group, and it is truly a wonderful component of my life.  However, I have yet to turn in any items to be reviewed, discussed and critiqued by them.  They are why I'm sitting here with 21% remaining battery life.  I started my day with 100%, so I have indeed been busy, but I have the "pressure" of submitting something before our next deadline.

I would say it's really more of accountability than true pressure.  It doesn't impact their lives if I don't write, it impacts mine.  I respect them for checking on me to see if I am progressing and I value each one of them and my life is better for knowing them.

12% left - yikes!

Powered down at 11%, but I'm back now.

Goals, accountability, deadlines, pressure - do those words scare you or excite and empower you?  I believe we each need a balance of these to help us live a full life, along with the fun things.  I know I need that accountability and the dwindling 21% power to push me to meet my goals. Actually, it looks like I needed electricity to help meet that deadline.  Oh, how I can take power for granted. 

One More Thing...

What pressure do you feel right now? Do you have friends that push you to be your best?

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Fully Awake: Last Highlights from Wide Awake

I am still feeling motivated and encouraged by the words of Erwin McManus in his book Wide Awake, so I am here one last time with excerpts that affected me. I hope you will also be inspired.

To imagine costs you nothing. Not to imagine could cost you everything. To live a life that moves dreams into reality – that’s where the real risk comes in. Imagination is adventure without risk. Your imagination is a playground that is for more than child’s play. It is the art house where we begin to create the lives we will live. 

Do you need to rethink who you are and who you will become? Maybe you need a fresh vision or a new voice in your life telling you who you really are – the gifts and talents, intelligence, and passions, the potential, the undiscovered uniqueness waiting formant within you. The only One who knows this fully is the One who created you. The One who created you is the One who longs to awaken you.

This is what God is saying: The reason you need to be in conversation with me is that I created your imagination to be a playground where you and I can get together and I can blow your mind away. I’m going to stretch the boundaries of your dreams. Just ask me, and I will begin to share with you the dreams I have for your life and for all of humanity. You can talk to me about the small stuff, or you can listen to me, and I will let you in on what I am thinking. It’s going to be big!

Isn’t it possible that the life that your soul longs for is beyond even your imagination? Is it possible that no matter how big your dreams are, how expansive your imagination, how ambitious your goals, they pale in comparison to what you would begin to see for your life if you would invite God into your life conversation?

Wake up! Strengthen what remains. Reclaim your life. Strengthen what remains and is about to die. You can feel when your soul is dying and you are drowning in the mundane. You can barely make it through the day. You never really live – you just exist.

One More Thing...

Is it time to rethink some things? It is for me.

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Still Waking Up: More From Wide Awake

I was truly inspired by so many things in this book, that I must share more with you. I hope you find some encouragement in these quotes from the book "Wide Awake" by Erwin McManus, and maybe some friendly kicking in the pants to motivate us all.  

Are you settling for a life that puts you to sleep? Wouldn’t it be better to dream with your eyes open?  Is the only reason you keep your job because it’s the one you’ve got?

 

To achieve great things, we must be willing to make great sacrifices.

 

It’s easy to surrender not to evil but to average and to ordinary and to give up your dreams, not realizing that God is calling you to more.

You essentially self-medicate with apathy to keep yourself under control. You took care of all those out-of-control, un-realistic dreams and passions, and now you’re just like everyone else. Instead of harnessing your energy, you decided to conserve it. When a person’s light shines too brightly, everyone else will complain about its intensity.

Focus allows you to live a life of full intensity with all your passion fueling your momentum in a singular direction.

You have to decide to focus and lock in on the direction God has called you to live your life.

Without a sense of destiny, you will diffuse your energy. When you are focused, you are your most powerful. A destiny is not something waiting for you but something waiting within you.

The Creator, as the ultimate act of creativity, has created you to be creative. This is both your birthright and your destiny. To create is in your essence and is essential for living the life God created you to live.

If you’re going to create the life of your dreams, eventually you have to stop thinking about it, dreaming about it, imagining it, hoping, scheming, planning, or even praying, and you have to actually do something. You have to act. You have to execute. You have to step into the real world and bring the change that you can only see through the eyes of faith.

If you choose to dream with your eyes open, you will eventually have to start creating.

Go and enjoy yourself. Do whatever you have to do, but find time to laugh and appreciate your life. This isn’t supplemental to living an awakened life – it’s lifeblood. You can only give to others what you have. You have to be alive to resuscitate the unconscious, much less raise the dead.

We have to make a personal commitment that our goals, ambitions, and dreams will never overtake our value for people.

One More Thing...

I'd love to hear your comments as to which one you resonated with the most.

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Distractions

I have the day off.  I dream of being a writer - I want the fantasy writer life I imagine waiting for me so I pack up the laptop and go to hang out at a restaurant to "be a writer".  I have an agenda, I have topics in mind, it's beautifully sunny outside and I'm sitting in front of a bank of floor to ceiling windows. 

Did I mention that I have been living obsessed with the desire to be doing this while being at the beach?

I'm settled, I've ordered, I'm good.  I'm waiting for the computer to boot up and then two men are seated at the table behind me. 

For those of you guessing ahead of me...no, THEY were not the cause of my distraction.  At least, not in the manner that you may be thinking.  I don't even know what they look like, but they are talking about cruising to Mexico.  You know - sunshine, surf, beach, great Mexican food, time off, etc.

Oh sure, and I was supposed to write.  I immediately shoot off an e-mail to my writer friends and brilliantly, they all quickly sent back the same reply, "write about it."  So, you can blame today's topic on my friends.  Unless, of course, you are enjoying this.

So today, my distraction is my longing for the coast, a specific type of coast.  Yesterday, I was distracted by wanting to organize a new art studio section in my basement.

I find this particularly ironic because earlier this week I was reading about the need to focus.  Ha!  Glad I only borrowed that book instead of buying it.  (Actually, I would like to buy it, it was great.)

One More Thing...

What is your current distraction? What is hindering you from doing what you want to be doing?

Note: I did not ask you about what you NEED to be doing, but what you WANT to be doing.

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn

Four Little Words

This morning as I casually began my day, minding my own business, I was sideswiped.  No, not by another vehicle, but by my e-mail!  I am signed up for Groupon so I wake daily to a list of messages with the day's special deals.  But today, today is a day I will not quickly forget.

Today I was greeted by four little words - Weight Loss Hot Pants - and there was a picture accompanying the ad.

I was stunned, I was shocked, I was briefly intrigued, I was cracking up!  All day long I kept having visions of various people and body types trying this item.  I wanted to take all of my friends and have them try them on, but I knew we'd never stop laughing.  I was also afraid we'd have to buy them because we wouldn't be able to get them off.

I could picture Ellen Degeneres doing a stand-up bit on these shorts!  For some reason, this cracked me up all day.

Now, if you own a pair of these - all power and courage to you.  I applaud you; I am not laughing at you.  I am laughing at the thought of me wearing them.

To begin with, the model wearing them doesn't need them - that didn't surprise me.  I kept thinking, probably anybody that COULD wear them, wouldn't need them.

Those that need them, would probably never be able to get them on.  Then I debated with myself - what would make them contribute to weight loss?  If an overweight person did indeed get into them - would they work? 
Was it the infrared technology that makes them work?  Maybe.  Personally, I believe it would take a week or two of not eating before you could take them off.  So, OF COURSE, THEY WOULD WORK...EVENTUALLY.


There is one thing that has me concerned...do you only lose weight where they are compressing your body?  That would make for some very interesting body shapes!

So, the question is...would you try them?  If you've tried them, do they work?  Do you fear they would get stuck on you also?  

One More Thing...

Just for fun this time...what's the wildest thing you've done to try to lose or gain weight?

Take care, and I'm always here to pray for you or simply to connect with.

Lois Lynn