Word Count Wednesday...Writing!

In my pursuit of writing I wrote about my 2015 Goals.  Today on Word Count Wednesday I want to begin a followup of how I am doing at maintaining my goals. I do think I need to use this sign more!!!

My 2015 Goals:

1. Write1000 words a day!  

Update: I have only missed a few days over the past two weeks and that was due to illness!!!  I am very happy with the habit I am forming to write each day.  As for the 1,000 words a day I haven't been so good.  I have written each morning in my morning pages.  This is where I get up in the morning, select a writing prompt, set my timer for 10-20 minutes and write.  Having a house full of college kids over break meant the rest of the day was spent cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes!!!  I loved every minute of it, time is fleeting with all the kids at home so I put my writing aside, without guilt and love on my family!

2. Write one Christian devotion per week.  

Update:  I wrote a devotional this week and posted it on my Monday Blog.  It felt good to get back to devotions!

3.  Write a proposal by March 2015 for a Non-Fiction book.  

Update:  God help me!!!  This is not going so good.  I have allowed a great deal of doubt to creep in.  Who would read it?  How do I do this?  Why would I do this?  Please pray that I overcome the fear and obey God's call, not my fear!

4.  I will post EVERY Monday on Walking Through Seasons!  

Update:  This is a habit I am happy to say I have missed none of this year!!!  (that means two Mondays!)haha  I have been nurturing this habit since last May and with the #MondayBlogs on Twitter I have been diligent in my posts!

So have I kept up with each goal, no. Have I stopped just because I didn't do it perfectly, no.  I will not give in to a few minor set backs, but I will stand strong and continue to do what I feel God has called me to do!!!

Are you meeting your goals for 2015?  Have you had a few set backs?  What is stopping you from continuing even though there have been a few set backs?  Let's stay strong together!!!

God of Hope

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 5:13

Many times in my walk as a Christian I come to points that I feel like I am falling into a pattern of the cutout Christian.  We know what to say and how to say it to look like the strong Christian.  We know the signals from others to know if they believe or not.  We know how to recite scripture when needed.  However there are some times that I feel I have allowed my cutout Christian life to fill my spiritual life rather than Jesus himself. 

I recently went through a time of conviction, a simple nudge from the Holy Spirit to go deeper.  Suddenly this verse from Romans kept coming up in readings or teachings or simply opening my bible.  I began to look at this scripture multiple times daily, praying the scripture, memorizing the scripture and questioning the scripture.  Not questioning the validity but questioning how I needed to go deeper in the hope, joy and peace God and only God has for me.

There have been times in my life where things are not easy and the trials overwhelm me.  In these times I tend to look toward material or outward things that give me hope; when we get to a certain point in my husband’s career, when the kids get to a certain age, when we make a certain amount of money I will find joy.  During these times I go into a darkness of not seeing hope nor joy in anything.  I lose sight of what the real source of hope is.  The source of all hope is God, “the God of Hope.”  Paul is telling us here that Hope comes from God and God alone.

 “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” Psalm 62:5

This is my starting place in centering my spiritual life, finding rest in the God of Hope.  The hope of all the promises He fulfilled in the birth and death of Christ.  The hope of what is yet to come.

Prayer:  Lord please convict me of the simple cutout Christian life I sometimes fall into and show me to the depths of my spiritual walk with you.  Let me continue to find my rest in the God of Hope.

Suggested reading:  Romans 4

2015 Goals

Goals for the New Year!

Each of us go through seasons in our lives that drive us in new directions.  Sometimes they are exciting and full of adventure and sometimes they are full of sadness and uneasiness.  In this upcoming season in my life that I am already venturing is a combination of both.  

I am in the depths of the season of Empty Nest!!!  Our baby boy will be graduating in May from high school.  It is a season I had not thoroughly been prepared for all that came with this season of life. However, in every season of life God pops in and guides me through the season without me really knowing.  I don't see His hand in the guiding until I slow down and focus on His plan.

In the last few weeks I have been looking over the last year and have seen how things that have happened over the past 12 months has all been preparing me for the year ahead.  In this new year the scripture I have chosen to focus on is...

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

My goals this year are based on where the Lord has led me over the last year, writing!  I have been on a journey over the past year and it has led to more writing!  I am so excited to see where it goes and where it will bring me!  However, I am more realistic with goals this year and I am going to reevaluate at the end of each month and see where I am in that season and where I need to go.

So at last........drum roll......My Goals for 2015

1. Write every day!  This is goal is also to fulfill a commitment to 10 Minute Novelists Facebook Page's 365K Challenge.  In this challenge we are writing 365K words in 2015.  That is 1000 words a day!

2. I am going to write one Christian devotion per week.  I write for Baseball Chapel Women's Devotions and have not been as committed over the last year.  I want to do more of that!

3.  I will write a proposal by March 2015 for a Non-Fiction book.  God help me!!!  I have never thought about publishing, but with the encouragement of a very good friend I will give it a try!

4.  I will post EVERY Monday on Walking Through Seasons!  Please join me through this journey of life!  The beginning them will be Joy, Peace and Hope!  Don't we all need more of these?  Let's do it together in 2015.

Praying for you all to have a Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

May you find peace and joy in the New Year!!!!!

"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, 

for it is now that God favors what you do." Ecclesiastes 9:7 

"Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." Isaiah 12:6

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, 

but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit," Romans 14:17 

Happy New Year!!!  

May 2015 be a year of focus on HIM!!!