Learning Appreciation

I am writing my first book. I started writing it in July 2022, I plan on having the first draft complete by February and aim to have it fully published by July 2023.

I am sharing this because it keeps me accountable and while I have community for accountability for the other areas of life I am trying to grow in, I don’t have a writing community yet. I will get there. Funny story actually, I randomly met a local author at the Corunna Library this week and we had a good chat. She was so generous in sharing her knowledge of the process of writing, publishing and marketing a book and I started following her on Discord where she runs sprints with writers for everyone to stay accountable to their books. How cool is that! Maybe its not cool to you but I totally geeked out on that. I am also sharing this because I am declaring that I have a plan for this book. This is no longer a dream without a plan which we know is simply a wish, this is a project in the works and I need to get to work.

So far my writing is happening mostly in early mornings during my morning routine some days. I journal almost everyday and then I work on writing my book in blocks anywhere from 15 mins to 1 hour right now. This is how I accomplish everything, in little chunks and if you think I am patient for enduring this process you are absolutely wrong, I am not patient but God disciplines those He loves and patience is a fruit of the spirit and so its accessible to me as His daughter and I am accessing that gift everyday right now through prayer. If I had it my way I would go to a nice hotel for a week and bang this bad boy out then and there. For this season in my life, thats not what God has for me. Everything has purpose when God is involved and so I trust Him and I do what I can.

This morning I am writing about my career and entrepreneurial path as I am currently feeling frustrated about where my accomplishments are at right now. I am not where I want/think I should be and I hate it! As I write about the path my career has taken my perspective is shifting a bit from frustration to gratitude. God has brought me through a lot and I needed every single phase of that career path because it all taught me something and guess what parts taught me that best lessons, SIGH and MASSIVE EYE ROLL, the hard ones!

So, to stay the course and continue persevering or do I quit because the question is this “who is this crazy to keep going?” yes I ask myself that often.

I am not where I started but I am not where I want to be but what about what I have gained? Looking back allows me to see Gods incredible provision on the journey and our world ties the word provision to money and things but what I am talking about is the deeper relationship with Him, the personal growth in me and the richness of creating a life I love to live, all be it filled with messes and imperfection.

This book writing process in itself is a gift because it’s causing me to look back so much and realize what has been accomplished and gained in my life. The enemy is so tricky guys, he is a lier and he comes to steel, kill and destroy and he wants to take you off course.

So I started writing about my frustration with where I see myself right now but after reflecting on the path that has lead me here, I am filled with more appreciation now than frustration. Every hard thing I have faced has taught me something, every moment of grief has brought me closer to God, every time I hit a wall and wonder how I will move through, I have seen God miraculously open a door.

I want to be sure my path is purposeful, honours God and aligns with what He created me to do and sometimes when I am not where I think I should be, I question if I am even on the right path. Here is something I am learning, it is not always the easiness of a road that defines its one of God because if that were the case I wouldn’t need Him as much and would never learn how to trust Him. Sometimes the challenge is confirmation that I am on the right path because in the hard parts is when I see His glory, in my weakness He is strong.

So on a morning like today when I feel like I just need something to blow up with my business to confirm and validate I should keep working away at this road God has me on, what I really need to do is recognize my weakness and weariness for my calling and look to Him and all He has done to carry me this far and trust that He will continue to do so the rest of the way.

Two verses that have been helping me to persevere in this current season.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

James 1:2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

God is sovereign over everything. He cares about the mundane. The mundane daily tasks matter to the creator of the earth.

Keep going.

xoxo

Heather