Tag: growth

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Revisiting Themes

After I uploaded last week’s blog post, I had a funny feeling I had already written about it before. I went to my blog and typed “doing it anyway” in the search box. To my amazement, two posts came up: The one I had just uploaded, and one from January 10, 2020. It had the exact same title and I had written it almost exactly one year before.

I was a little embarrassed at first, and then I got a bit concerned. I’ve written hundreds of blog posts. What if I have nothing new to say and I just start repeating myself from week to week? People will get bored, or confused, or annoyed!

But as I read the two posts, I realized that I had nothing to worry about. The content had the same title, but I was a year older and I was writing from a different place. Yes, I was still struggling with the temptation to quit when things got hard or when I didn’t feel like doing something, but I had moved ahead and done something anyway—two years in a row.

Even though I haven’t accomplished everything I’ve planned to do, I have finished many things in recent years. I have to keep training my mind to celebrate those successes instead of dwelling on the times when I failed and didn’t push forward.

It’s not bad to write about the same things over and over. If I continue to deal with procrastination, doubt, fear, anxiety, and depression from time to time, I can assume some of you need a reminder as you deal with those things as well.

The themes you revisit may be different than mine, but it’s perfectly okay for us to keep going back to the same words, ideas, and struggles. Hopefully, every time we revisit them we’ll be a bit further along in our journey and we’ll have learned some new insights that will help us get unstuck a little more quickly and we’ll be able to see progress.

You’ll probably see me writing about many of the same themes here on this blog, but I’ll try to at least make the titles different from now on.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9–10 NIV)

Are there certain themes you keep returning to over and over? How can focusing on God help you to grow so you move forward each time you revisit a theme?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on the Strain

I came across these thoughts in a devotional recently:

“God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome. The strain is the strength. If there is no strain, there is no strength.” (My Utmost for His Highest, August 2nd)

The idea kept coming back to me. No strain, no strength.

I thought about it when I spent time exercising each morning. I used to spend a while doing strength exercises at the beginning of my workouts. I did leg lifts, pelvic thrusts, planks, pushups, and some time on the weight machine to work my arms and legs.

In recent months, I had gradually abandoned that part of my routine. It was much easier to turn on the TV, hop on the exercise bike, and pedal half-heartedly as I watched a show or movie.

I wasn’t getting stronger physically because I wasn’t adequately straining my muscles. (For info about how our muscles work, check out this article at popsci.com.)

After reading My Utmost, I got back down on the floor and moved my body in ways that were challenging and uncomfortable. I sat at the weight machine and worked my arms and legs until they hurt.

It felt bad, but it also felt good, and I know my muscles will keep getting stronger if I keep at it.

I’ve been pondering “strain” all week, wondering what other areas of my life would improve if I accepted the strain and kept working hard.

My writing?

My overeating habits?

My relationships?

The devotion in My Utmost for His Highest goes on to say, “God never gives strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the minute.”

We can do this, friends. Concentrate on asking for the Holy Spirit’s help to get through the strain of each minute. He will help us and we will find ourselves getting stronger and stronger with each experience of pushing ourselves.

Do you want to be strong? Accept the strain.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12 NIV)

Do you try to avoid any strain in your life? How can focusing on God help you to accept the strain and grow stronger?

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Terrific Tuesday: Let’s Focus on Spring

Yes, it’s Tuesday. I could probably just skip a post and catch up this Friday, but I decided to write a short one just to remind you of spring and all of the wonderful possibilities it brings.

I chose a snowy pic for my graphic because it seemed fitting for the weird weather we’ve “enjoyed” lately. While Gary and I were traveling last week, we missed a snowstorm back here in Platte that dumped about fourteen inches of snow. In April! Thankfully, most of it had melted by the time we got home.

No matter what kind of spring you’re having, I hope you will take time to notice the trees budding, the flowers blooming, the birds chirping, and the world emerging from months of being cooped up indoors.

Spring seems to bring more hope to our hearts, doesn’t it? We see more sunshine and better weather and we just feel better.

As we get ready for Easter this Sunday, I want to also remind you that it can be “spring” in your soul. Thinking about and celebrating Christ’s resurrection reminds us of the living hope we have in him. No matter what kind of “weather” you’ve been enduring in your heart, you need to hold on to the hope you have in Jesus.

The dark times you may have experienced recently can give way to new discoveries in the light of God’s love. God may show you new growth in your life that you couldn’t notice during the winter of your soul.

Praying that God will do amazing new things in your life this spring.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,…” (1 Peter 1:3 NIV)

Have you had a long, hard winter? How can focusing on God help you to experience new growth this spring?