Journey of a Thousand Miles

There was a guy I met at a dance hall that was a pro at swing dancing. Any time I danced with him, he would swing me up in the air, turn me in flips, and throw me around the dance floor as if I'd been dancing for years. The truth is, I knew nothing  about swing dancing, but because he was such a good leader, he made me look like a pro. As long as he guided my every step, and I followed him, I looked as if I'd been dancing for years. Lately, when I've been asking for God's advice, He's been telling me the same thing: "Follow My lead." "God, what should I do about my love life?" Follow My lead.  "God, when should I quit my job?" Follow My lead.  "Father, who should I record my next album with?" Follow My lead.  It was getting frustrating because I felt like I wasn't getting any answers. I'm the type of person who likes to see the whole picture and be prepared for what's coming next. That way, there...

Hey fine peoples! I decided to update you all on life since I haven't spoken to you in awhile. Everything is going gravy. Today I came home from work and took a walk with God. I talked to Him about everything that was on my heart, and I was completely honest with Him. I think it helps to just lay everything out with God, exactly as it comes out of your mouth. Sometimes I can have a tendency to not be frank with Him because I'm afraid I won't please Him, or that some of my thoughts are sinful. Well, that just wasn't going to fly today. So as I was walking, I just told God exactly what was on my heart, exactly as it came out of my mouth, and I didn't try to filter it or make my words beautiful. And lemme tell you, it helped so much. Sometimes I feel like a little kid with God, like my words and thoughts aren't fully mature yet. And I think it's okay to not sound like an adult when you're talking to God. It's okay to sound like a hot mess, or like a...

Well life is going by slowly but surely. I don't always get everything done that I need to, but sometimes you just gotta live life and let interruptions happen. Some days I wish I could expedite my success and reach my goals sooner. There are lots of days that I wish the music industry was still like the old days when record labels still signed and developed new artists. They don't anymore because the industry isn't making money like it used to. Nobody wants to pay for music when they can hear it for free. It's aggravating for someone like me who wishes they could make a living with music, but it feels like an upward battle, like swimming upstream in a waterfall. Some days I wonder if I should pursue a new dream and give up on music entirely. Then somebody will hear my music and love it and tell me not to give up. So I don't. I keep plucking away on my guitar, writing new songs, wondering when I should record and whether or not I'll ever "make it." L...

God has been making Himself very known to me today. I watched videos about people who had gone to heaven and come back, and all of them remark about how much God loves us, knows us, and has a plan for us. They said His promises are true and can be trusted. One woman was turned away at the gates of heaven because her purpose wasn't done yet. It made me think of God's purpose for my own life and how there's a reason for everything I have today: my job, my living situation, the people in my life. God has a reason for all of that. And how do I thank Him? I complain. I complain about my job, my salary, my unanswered prayers, and what not, and I can't feel God's presence the way I want to. But He is there. Everything about my life is sovereignly purposed by God, and He will not take us home until our purpose is done here. After listening to these people talk about how beautiful life is and how much God loves us, it made me relax today at work because I realized that...

Today I just needed a break. The slow progress of daily living was getting to me. I was frustrated with my day job getting in the way of my life, and all I wanted was for God to open a door to get me out of my status quo. Then I opened an email and found this from rachelwojo.com, and it couldn't have come at more impeccable timing. It's almost like she was reading my mind: "Many times we feel like giving up because it seems the effort we are making is so small. We think "Why should I keep trying to move forward? I've hardly made any progress." But small effort over time is better than no effort. You never know when God is going to kick in the momentum you've been longing for. He only asks for our obedience in the present moment. Take that, Wednesday!" It made me realize that my steady progress is still moving somewhere. I may not see the results as fast as I want to, and sometimes it seems like I'm taking two steps back, but God will open d...

I get the feeling that I overwork myself. Today I was dealing with a lot of frustration and impatience over technology. Let me tell you, it can be frustrating when it doesn't work. But anyhow, when I get frustrated, I have to take a step back and give myself time to breathe and relax. Take a time-out and just inhale...exhale...inhale...exhale. As much as I want to accomplish my goals in one lifetime, I just have to be okay with not getting everything done in one day. Now that I'm single again, I have a lot of time on my hands to plug away. It has been a blessing, that's for sure. But on the other hand, I set too high expectations on myself, which causes frustration. I got a lot done today, but I want to make sure I am making time for relationships as well, especially with my parents. I live with them, but sometimes I lock myself in my room and don't come out until I "get all my work done." Well, that's never going to happen with my laundry list of goal...

Today ended up being a better Monday than I expected. It started off slow and gloomy. I had no motivation for work, no motivation for my goals, I was feeling sad about my breakup, and I just wanted to stay in bed. I guess cloudy days can do that. Then I met with my new mentor from church, and she changed everything! We talked about everything: my recent breakup (she encouraged me that this was a GREAT idea, and she's glad I'm no longer with him), mission trips, different cultures/religions, the differences between men and women, the hardships of marriage and children. It gave me perspective that I am exactly where I need to be. I am now ok with being single. I have the time I need to accomplish the goals on my heart, and I thank God that He is giving me this time in His ultimate wisdom. He truly knows what's best for me, and He knows that the demands of being a wife and mother would pull me away from my music, the book I want to write, and the business I want to start. I ...

Today I wrote down every single goal I have in life, then I made a list of every step required to achieve them. I am excited for all my goals. Now that I see a step-by-step map, I know what I need to do daily, weekly, monthly to achieve them. Little by little, I will see progress. Little by little, I will get to where I need to go. It may take longer; it may take shorter. And there may be new obstacles in the way, but at least I can move forward. And I will keep God at the center. If He decides not to take me down the same route I want to go, that's ok. I can take a detour. If anyone deters me from my path, I may have to remove them from my life. I can still love them as a Christian, and I can still serve the people God wants me to serve. But if someone is pulling me away from God and the path I need to be on, I need to let them go. I went on a detour this past year in the wrong relationship, but I am excited to get back on track. No more fighting. No more tugging and pulling. No m...