Prepare the Horses

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.”

Proverbs 21:31

7:15 am – Wake up

Make myself get out of bed – remind myself that there is purpose in this season.

7:30 am – Stumble downstairs, get coffee, and settle into the couch to read my Bible/pray

            Try not to stress out over the fact that I don’t have a job to go to.

            Pray. Ask. Seek. Read Proverbs and ask God what to do with my day.

8:00 am – Read EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey or Platform by Michael Hyatt

Encourage myself through continual learning. See how successful people wake up at 5am and work until 6:30pm. Feel bad about waking up at 7am.

9:00 am – Take kickboxing or body power at the gym

Convince myself that strengthening my muscles is a good thing, even though it really hurts and I’m not seeing immediate results. Try to mirror it with my life.

10:30 am – Shower and get ready

Sometimes you wear pearls with sweat pants and straighten your hair even though no one will see you.

11:00 am – Respond to emails and look for houses and jobs

Stress out or get encouraged by the lack of or bountiful amount of homes available. Brainstorm another reason to email the jobs I’ve applied for. Follow up, Re-follow up, send reference letter, thank them, repeat.

12:15 pm – Eat hummus and chips while working

            Try to eat to calm anxious stomach.

2:00 pm – Read blogs, write my own blog, and catch up on social media

            Stay up to date. Write to exercise the creative muscle.

2:30 pm – Make calls for houses, send follow up emails for jobs, ask people to write reference letters

            Introduce. Sell. Thank. Pray.

4:15 pm – Watch a clip of The Office to humor myself

            It’s just necessary.

5:30 pm – Dinner with family or a friend

            Great food with amazing people. Being intentional about this time.

7:30 or 8:00 pm – Go to coffee with someone, watch a movie, or spend quality time with people I care about.

            By this time I am calm and collected. I am re-centered, and ready for a new day.

Repeat.

Repeat.

Repeat.

WAIT.

I prepare the horses, but Jesus brings the victory.

What to Do in Transitions

I’ve been through four major transition seasons in my life: going from high school to college, transferring from college to another college, post college, re-entry into America from The World Race, and currently, moving from Atlanta to Nashville. Each season has been a tiny bit different, with some similar, underlying currents:

1.     When a transition season takes place, you will find yourself in new and uncomfortable positions.

2.     Your faith will be tested. 

3.     Your trust in yourself will decrease, and your faith in God will increase.

4.     You will re-evaluate your past, and re-think your future.

When I graduated high school, I thought about the courses I excelled in and how they might translate into a major. After college, I evaluated the degree I received and prayed about the career I wanted to pursue. That turned into a professional job, which lead to a year of travel, which landed me into a career: public relations and writing. As I worked at an organization for over a year, I began to realize my desire to live in a community-centered town and pursue a career in book publishing and management. Thus, here I stand in yet another transition season reviewing my dreams and visions and trying to make them into actionable goals.

To help me along the process, I picked up a book I’ve been meaning to read and started to dissect the pages. I’m reading EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey and prayerfully converting my dreams into actionable steps. Through Dave’s recommendation, I’ve set some new goals for the next season in Nashville:

1. Career goal: I would like to pursue a career in book publishing or creative leadership management.

a.     Action: I’m applying to several different book publishing firms and leadership organizations.

2. Financial goal: I want to remain debt free for the rest of my life, besides a mortgage.

a.     As of next week, my car will officially be paid off and I am setting a budget to remain debt free. God is so good!

3. Spiritual goal: Follow the Spirit’s leading always and love my Lord Jesus with all my heart, soul, and mind.

a.     It seems odd to set an ‘actionable’ goal for this, nonetheless I’m trying my best to actively listen to the Spirit daily and trust in him. Start the day in the word – everyday.

4. Physical goal: Make exercise a daily activity and an important part of my lifestyle.

a.     Take a class at the gym 3-5 times a week with cardio being 60% of my exercise and conditioning being 40% of the work out.

5. Intellectual goal: Read two leadership books over the next month.

a.     EntreLeader and Good to Great.

b.     Attend a conference for creative/innovators within the next 6 months.

6. Social goal: Live in COMMUNITY! I want to live in a smaller town with loads of young people, a creative atmosphere, great food, room for professional growth, and a Christ-centered community.

a.     Move to Nashville before October 1.

When God has you in a waiting or transition stage, it’s wise to remember where you’ve been and why He is taking you to the next season. It also helps to write it down.

“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that the herald may run with it.”

Habakkuk 2:2

Feeling Like Gumby

Anyone remember Gumby? He was that green, slightly awkward claymation character with his own show on PBS. He bumbled around with his orange ‘pony pal’ Pokey, and found himself in scrapes and the midst of adventures. I don’t know how a show centered on a green claymation man and his pony lasted so long, but it did. I think we still have our Gumby toys somewhere in my parent’s house -- it was a big Smith family hit.

This week I felt like Gumby. Well, technically I felt like pre-production Gumby. I’m in one of those lovely transition phases, where God is taking me into a new season. A good season, but a new season nonetheless. Which is hard. Really hard. It feels like I’m being stretched and maneuvered around until just right, just like that silly green claymation man.

Faith is hard – simply put. In my heart, mind and logic I know God is faithful. I’ve seen Him come through in a pinch and has yet to leave me ‘without’. But every new season when change comes, that not-so-friendly foe comes around called Anxiety. And in the midst of God molding and stretching me into the woman of faith I'm meant to be, Anxiety pokes along the whole way.

You are being so foolish. You can’t do this – I don’t know if you noticed, but your friend Sam has been trying to get into that profession for months. What makes you think you are any different?

Why do you think THIS is going to be any different? Why would you put everything on the line for Him? He doesn't have the best for you. You had it pretty good right here. 

All of a sudden, with all of the progress you’ve made, you sit in fear for a while. All of the verses you committed to memory and encouragement you've received along the way vaporizes. You start to ask, 'Does God really love me? Is He really faithful?' (This is the point where I envision myself with my feet and hands bound and I am being stretched apart, ever so slowly.)

And it's P-A-I-N-F-U-L.

That is the exact season I am in. The Lord is slowly stretching my faith, eliminating my flesh, and making me rely more on Him. It’s a long, hard process, but I know it will be worth it. When I’m completely settled into the next season, it will be worth it.

At least we can all say we're not a green claymation man with a pony for a best friend, right?