2019 Mid-Year Goal Check

“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11)

We’ve reached the halfway point of 2019. Yikes! Where did the time go? Before any more of 2019 slips away, I’m evaluating my goals for the year. In the past, I’ve broken my larger, yearly goals into smaller, monthly goals. I didn’t do that this year, and I’ve noticed my progress has lagged.

I set goals in seven different areas: health, financial, work, personal writing, Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI), spiritual, and relationships. For each of these categories, I set two to three overarching goals for the year.

Having so many goals felt necessary in order to move forward, but overwhelming at the same time. I decided to focus most of my efforts on one area: health. Continue reading “2019 Mid-Year Goal Check”

Longing for Peace

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is 9:6)

Peace is elusive. With the invention of the smartphone, we are constantly connected and bombarded by dings, rings, and chimes. Instead of finding activities to engage our minds, we pull out our phones when we’re bored and pass the time on mindless games or scrolling through social media. We have email on our phones, so even when we’re away from the office, we’re still available and always on call. “Downtime” isn’t a word that’s even in our vocabulary anymore. Continue reading “Longing for Peace”

Strangers Among Us

“Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.” (3 Jn 1:5)

Recently, an older gentleman with a small dog about the size of Lilly approached me when we were leaving the park after a walk. I needed to get to work and stopping for him was a minor inconvenience. But something about this man and his dog made me pause, and I waited for them to reach us. Continue reading “Strangers Among Us”

Forming Deeper Connections

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” (1 John 1:7)

People are social creatures, and even the most introverted among us craves human companionship from time to time. We need to connect with each other. We need support and encouragement and love. Continue reading “Forming Deeper Connections”

Lingering with Lilly

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Rom 12:12)

Lilly pulls me down the street, tugging hard at her leash. She stops abruptly to sniff around the bottom of the neighbor’s trash can. She walks two steps and sniffs a spot on the ground, and then wanders into the road to sniff a piece of gravel. Satisfied, she takes off again, only to careen into the yard two houses down to sniff something in the grass that I can’t see. Continue reading “Lingering with Lilly”