I am not your average woman.
For example, right as I began to type that sentence over there, I thought "average girl."
Your average woman probably wouldn't think of themselves as a girl. For some reason, I still have that kind of thought. Who would think that someone nearing 47 (at lightning speed no less), would remotely have a blindness when it comes to a word that defines what stage she is in life? Sure I can embrace that I am a mother, but a woman? I just do not feel pulled together enough for that.
I am that wife who will just begin to speak in a cockney accent for the sheer purpose of making her husband laugh. I am that mom who will stop the television while channel surfing to enjoy a Flintstone's cartoon (when no child is present). I bust into laughter over a funny thought in my head. I also create conversations in my mind when people watching. I still feel ALL GIRL.
But yep...I'm a woman, and today I praise.
Long and short of it is. I have been in the midst of a crazy couple of months. Does eight count as "a couple of"? Because really it has been that long. About eight months ago, I took a leap to boldly reach out to be a writer. Or live like a writer, and all the things that I had confidence in went...
Life as I knew it inside my own mind went a little haywire. I dived head first into my Bible and began to pray like crazy, and I saw that I needed a big ole life changing lift. The kind only God can provide (let's face it, He really has to be the center).
In my search for direction, I came across "The 30 Day Praise Challenge" by Becky Harling. I realized that one of the things I needed to do to gain perspective was to reach out in praise and thankfulness to my creator. I know that when I have experienced struggles that the moment I simply praised God, things changed. Not always my circumstance, but at the very least my focus shifted.
Anyway, for now, my focus will be shifting to praise. Praising for 30 days for at least 20 minutes a day. I do not know how this will impact my life. I am not doing it for some spiritual fitness program. I am doing it, because in lots of ways I am at the end of my rope. Not in my faith, but in other things so it is time to let go of the rope and cling to my God.
Over the next 30 days I do plan to share how things are going. Today, I just want to share what I am doing and invite you to check out Becky's book (I bought mine at Family Christian Store) and Becky. She has been through the ringer (cancer and more) and her journey of praise and thanksgiving could be a blessing to you.
Here is a little book blurb from Goodreads:
Discover the Power of Praising God When Becky Harling was diagnosed with cancer over ten years ago, she begged God for healing. A friend of hers had another idea. She challenged Becky to spend twenty minutes a day in praise. Becky thought, What if I’m not feeling thankful? But as she intentionally praised God, she began to experience new joy—and her relationship with God has never been the same. Now, in The Thirty-Day Praise Challenge, Becky guides you in praising God for twenty minutes every day for one month. Arranged topically, the book includes music selections to enhance your praise journey and creative ideas for continuing the habit of praise. As Becky writes, “If you take this challenge, your faith will grow more than you dreamed possible. You will experience more joy, less insecurity, more courage, less anxiety. Thirty days of praising God. Are you ready?”
Publisher: David C Cook
