90 Days Unafraid: Day 80, Good Tired, Cultivating Community

Day 80. I have chosen to live intentionally toward the goals, dreams and desires God has placed on my heart for the last 90 days of 2019, pressing past fear, excuses and discomfort toward fullness of life. Goal: cultivating community

I crawled into bed, body aching, mind swirling, no words left, melting into a peaceful smile. This is good tired. Twenty hours of ten-year-old boy sleepover. Pizza. Twizzlers. Fortnite. Star Wars Battlefront. Caffeine. Light Saber battles. Staying up all night. 5 hours of thirteen-year-old girl’s birthday party. Ran for gifts. Detour. Family. Friends. Latinx culture: the party ends when the last guest leaves. I hope my daughter takes this all in. These are the parties I never want to leave. Now, she is the one invited to partake of friendship, family, community, and food, navigating the beautiful bilingual, cross-cultural landscape. Surely this is how Jesus ate and partied, with papi, mami, abuelita, tia, and tio, and all who came, wrapping each guest in warm embrace and unhindered welcome. Once friend now family welcome. Welcome.

At 7:00pm I laid flat on my back, staring at the ceiling:

Did I eat today? It was good to make homemade granola and scrambled eggs for Isaiah and Salvador. Not bad for 20 minute Granola!

Did I take care of everything? Body aching. Mind swirling. No words left. Peaceful smile. Yes, yes I did.

What do I have to do tomorrow? Delight. Share stories. Lean into the good tired that comes from being wrapped in the love of friends who know you, see you, share their culture with you and welcome you. Once friend now family welcome. Welcome.

I breathed deeply. I had nothing left to give. We are thriving, leaning into the good tired of friends who reorient our perspective because they remember our true name. Friends who call forth our destiny from our souls, letting us borrow their courage when we’re afraid. Friends for whom we’ll do the same. Once friend now family welcome. Welcome all of me, welcome all of us, unapologetically welcomed. Welcome.

ACTION STEPS: Community grounds us, enlivens us, and reorients us toward truth. There are times when we long for community, and we will tell ourselves, “I have no friends.” Often times, those friends are just a phone call or a text away. Who might you reach out to this week? Maybe a simple text or phone call will be an encouragement to them and you. Maybe a simple text or phone call can lead to a much needed meal, coffee or hug. Text or call one friend this week. Take note of what God does through that one small step of investing in your friendships.

Photo by Kristina Bratko

90 Days Unafraid: End of Day 82 & Day 81, They Are Okay, Self-Care & Sabbath

End of Day 82 and day 81. I have chosen to live intentionally toward the goals, dreams and desires God has placed on my heart for the last 90 days of 2019, pressing past fear, excuses and discomfort toward fullness of life. Goals: Self-Care & Sabbath.

I crawled into bed, body aching, mind swirling, no words left. Seventy-two hours of advocating for our son, and we developed clear next steps to further address the racism. A call from my daughter’s school led to a trip to urgent care, a diagnosis of a concussion, and we were all home at 9pm. By 10pm, bellies were fed, teeth brushed, and goodnight hugs and kisses were given. It was 11:30pm, and they were asleep. Quiet release. 

I laid flat on my back, staring at the ceiling:

Did I eat today? Pause.Ah yes, those fries were really gross. 

Did I take care of everything? Body aching. Mind swirling. No words left. I think so.

What do I have to do tomorrow? I jotted down a list of follow up for Friday.  

I breathed deeply. No quiet release. There was tension in my shoulders and pain in my chest. There was aching from the battle we’d waged on the frontlines for 72 hours and aching from the past traumas that built our muscle memory. As I thought of what was ahead, body aching, mind swirling, no words left, I knew it was enough for today. It was time to stop, rest and take care of myself…to take care of us. I had nothing left to give, but they were okay…they are okay. They are thriving, but now fast asleep. Quiet release. Tomorrow, tomorrow will be our sabbath, and so it was. 

ACTION STEPS: Ruth Haley Barton says, “Our bodies often speak to us what our souls already know, but our minds are rejecting.” Are you listening to your body? When we take care of ourselves it empowers us to pursue the goals before us, and it strengthens us to love well.

What is your body saying to you in this season? Pause. Listen. Write it down. Pray. Strategize. Act. 

90 Days Unafraid: Days 84 & 83, Racism and Muscle Memory

Days 84 & 83. I have chosen to live intentionally toward the goals, dreams and desires God has placed on my heart for the last 90 days of 2019, pressing past fear, excuses and discomfort. Goals: fostering an embodied faith.

“We emailed your teacher. Remember, if she talks to you, you will need to use the words racial slur. Okay? This will give her the best likelihood of hearing you. I’ll be praying for you. I love you.” My ten-year-old, biracial son, sat up straight, took a deep breath, offered a stern nod and with determination, stepped out of the car. Tuesday. This was not how I planned to send my son off to school on Tuesday…Tuesday. 

Author, speaker, and leadership coach, Jo Saxton, explains the daily monotony of systemic racism, “For people of color, racism isn’t an occasional experience. It happens every day. When people ask me, ‘Have you had that experience?’ I respond, ‘Yeah, Tuesday.’ Because for us [people of color], we experience racism every day. Yep. Tuesday.” 

I wish I could tell you this was our first “Tuesday,” but it wasn’t. Certainly, it will not be the last. Our advocacy is now muscle memory: call the school, write the email and include professional credentials, speak with teachers, talk to administrators, press for justice, hold them accountable, and advocate for systemic change. When we advocate in person—muscle memory: unwavering eye contact, firm handshakes, my husband lays out our concerns, and we wait. Who will they address? Me? Both of us? If only me, I divert eye contact, stare at my husband, refuse to respond, and remain silent until they address him. We force engagement of both of us. We allow nothing less. Muscle memory. How I hate the incessant, evil of the “Tuesdays” which have built this muscle memory. Tuesday. Every day.  

For the last 72 hours, we have advocated for our son once again. The evening of day 85, days 84 & 83, and much of day 82 were spent doing the holy work of holding space, listening, validating, lamenting, mourning, bearing burdens, letting tears flow, holding and upholding, naming injustice, dissecting systems, empowering voice, honoring experiences, respecting personhood, advocating and razing hell.  We will persist, as we empower him, bless him and continue to seek justice.

ACTION STEP: Often the work of embodying our faith is raw, real and messy. It requires fortitude, and God’s strength in our weakness. It can leave us saying, “Yes, God, even if my voice quivers and my knees shake, I will press.”

Reflect on the ways God is allowing you to advocate for those whom you love and care. Thank God for the work that has been done in you, which allows you to persist and advocate. Pray and listen. What privilege, power and position do you have to advocate for those you love/others? With/for whom may God be inviting you to advocate more fully?

90 Days Unafraid: Day 85, Racism, Sexism, the Church and Refugees, Fostering an Embodied Faith

Day 85. I have chosen to live intentionally toward the goals, dreams and desires God has placed on my heart for the last 90 days of 2019, pressing past fear, excuses and discomfort. Today’s goal: fostering embodied faith.

During seminary, when my husband and I could not find a church who would welcome us, a black/white interracial couple, or who would not welcome me, a female pursuing pastoral leadership, the journey of faith was quite lonely. We became accustomed to the looks, comments, reluctance to serve one or both of us communion and blatant gestures of disrespect. Our experience in the church in our early years of marriage was inhospitable and hostile.

Even still, I pursued church internships for two years, but the doors were always closed. The final door slammed in my face, as an enthusiastic pastor set up a phone interview via email with candidate, Kim Whetstone. Within 30 seconds, the interview abruptly came to an end as he realized this Kim was indeed female, and in his eyes, unfit for ministry. I began praying about places I could serve, and the door opened to intern at World Relief in refugee resettlement.

For two years, I taught ESL for pre-literate learners, welcoming, equipping and learning from refugees from Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Liberia, Rwanda, and Eritrea. On my first day, in their limited English, they smiled, hugged me, kissed my cheeks three times, and giggled as they shouted, “Teacha! Teacha!” and watched me scramble from table to table.

When I was expecting my first child, they stood to their feet, shouted for joy, clapped their hands and danced. They drew pictures of their homeland on pieces of cloth that were sown together into a baby blanket, which I have to this day. Christians, Muslims, religions I never knew of, embraced my family and blessed the little life in my belly. Hospitality. Kindness. Welcome. This is what my refugee teachers showed me.

When Fatima*, was in a horrible car accident, my husband and I went to visit her. Unannounced, we were welcomed into her small, two bedroom apartment where her family of 9 lived. Kindness. Enthusiasm. Hugs. Claps. Three kisses for our cheeks.vThis is how we were welcomed. Her cupboards were bare, except for 9 eggs, 1/2 jar of peanut butter and two cans of orange soda. As we sat down, Fatima shouted orders in Arabic into the other room. Soon 6 boiled eggs and two cans of orange soda were placed before us. With her wide smile, she gestured “Eat.”

We navigated our way through her limited English and my even more limited Arabic with an elaborate game of charades. Toward the end of our time, she gestured to her beautiful, dark brown skin. Then she gestured to my husband’s beautiful, dark brown skin, observing, “You look like me. You and me, the same.” She then gestured, to me, “You love him.” She gestured to my husband, “You love her.” Then she said, “You love him, and he is like me. You are my sister. Allah Akbar. I thank God for you.”

In the living room of a Muslim refugee who bore the physical scars of flames and machetes, we were seen, welcomed, embraced and celebrated. We were loved…radically, loved, and shown hospitality like we had never experienced it before. When people ask me why I am so passionate about refugee and immigrant rights, this is why. When the church had no place for us, we found love, care and welcome and Jesus in the friendship of refugees, whose hope, resilience, deep faith, perseverance and radical love and hospitality, challenged us to love more deeply.

For day 85, I signed a petition at www.blackout4refugees.org. to advocate for a law, the GRACE Act, which would guarantee the Presidential Determination for refugees would never fall below 95,000. The current administration has proposed only 18,000 for the year a ahead, far below the 95,000 yearly goal for admissions since the Refugee Act of 1980. Will you join me in loving our refugee neighbors?

ACTION STEP: Go to www.blackout4refugees.org become informed. Act. Let your faith move your body to action.

*Named changed to protect confidentiality.

90 Days Unafraid: Day 86, Sabbath Rest

Day 86. I have chosen to live intentionally toward the goals, dreams and desires God has placed on my heart for the last 90 days of this year, pressing past fear, excuses and discomfort toward fullness of life as we countdown to 2020. This post reflects on yesterday’s goal. Day 86: Sabbath rest.

I am an enneagram 3. For those of you new to the enneagram discussion, a 3 is an achiever. This means I come to life, thrive and feel most fully myself when I am learning, doing, building, accomplishing, becoming and helping others to do the same. I feel valuable and worthwhile when the work I am doing is valuable, purposeful and peppered with encouragement. Sometimes the encouragement comes in words of affirmation and sometimes the encouragement comes from achieving the goal itself. However it comes, as a 3, encouragement is like gasoline—it keeps me running.

The Enneagram Institute explains the three well, “They (3’s) want success because they are afraid of disappearing into a chasm of emptiness and worthlessness: without the increased attention and feeling of accomplishment which success usually brings, threes fear that they are nobody and have no value.” This rings true for me. If I am finding my value in others, I can get trapped in a cycle of chronic fear of insignificance. As a result, I work harder to do more and be more. Where affirmation is lacking, I will relentlessly press to fulfill to the vision and goals of the organization or the dreams of others often at the expense of my own desires, dreams or needs. This toxic cycle, if not interrupted with rhythms of rest which help me stay rooted in my identity in Christ, will lead to workaholism, detachment from my desires, chronic discouragement and at its worst, physical illness.

The truth about threes is that many of us spent our formative years in environments where love, acceptance and value were connected to performance: If you do well, you might we worthy of love. If you achieve what I think is success, then you might be worthy of acceptance or value. The love we received was often disproportionate to the accolades we acquired; sadly, often the accolades we acquired weren’t enough to garner love.

My three-ness is exactly why sabbath rest is so essential for me and why I resist it so greatly. The Sabbath is a day set aside for rest which finds its origins in the creation story in Genesis where God, having created all things, takes a day to rest. It is a day in which we turn to God, release our doing, our burdens and our desire to prove our value, while trusting God has it under control, and we are found in Christ. It is a day where we lean into the truth, as Ruth Haley Barton says, “The most valuable, productive thing we can do is to be in Christ for the sake of the world.” In its countercultural beauty, the Sabbath teaches us that fruitful work only flows from fruitful rest, and we are loved and held by God before we do a thing. We embrace the Sabbath, knowing the love, strength, power, rootedness and rejuvenation we receive during our time with God is the only way we can do the work of making disciples, loving our neighbor and pursuing justice that Christ has set before us. Further, resting, slowing and finding ourselves in Christ is the only way we can develop the internal fortitude to resist the external challenges to our identity that come with daily life.

Day 86 I sought to embrace Sabbath rest. I wish I could say it was easy, but it rarely is for this 3, as those grooves of doing and performance have been carved into my soul so deeply. But in stillness, rest and silence, with all I had to bring I could hear God say, “I created you to run, but all runners need rest so they may have what they need for each leg of the race.”

ACTION STEPS: Reflect. Is rest hard or easy for you? What barriers exist to you obtaining rest? Jot down two ways you may incorporate rhythms of slowing or rest into your week. Journal about your experience. How might God be inviting you to embrace Sabbath? Embrace rest?

90 Days Unafraid: Day 87, Softball, Beef Bourguignon & Practicing Presence

Day 87. I have chosen to live intentionally toward the goals, dreams and desires God has placed on my heart for the last 90 days of this year, pressing past fear, excuses and discomfort toward fullness of life as we countdown to 2020. This post reflects on yesterday’s goal. Day 87: practicing presence.

When I was 6, I dreamed of playing softball. A commitment to softball was not only a commitment of time and financial resources, but also a commitment requiring my parents to get me to and from practice without the help of a nearby carpool because we lived in the country. With both my parents working, playing softball was simply not a possibility, but even still I longed to play. 

My softball dreams persisted through the ages of 7, 8, 9, and then ten came. At ten, my already performance-oriented, developing-perfectionist self, decided I had aged out. The other girls had four seasons on me. Though I had played in my backyard, I was certain there was no way I could catch up to their expertise. So, at the age of ten, I had determined I was too old and too inexperienced to play little league softball in our small, rural town of 3500 people where I had perceived the stakes were so high. 

I wish I could say it was the last time I disqualified myself from a deeply rooted dream, desire or goal, but sadly it was not. There are other opportunities in my life I have not pursued. Opportunities I have closed the door on or failed to run toward because of some deficiency I perceived in myself, a distorted fear of failure, or imposter syndrome, a collection of feelings or inadequacies that exist despite evident successes I’ve experienced in my life.*

I have found that when I allow myself to be consumed with my real or perceived inadequacies, I step into a vicious cycle of overthinking and perseverating. I get anxiously locked in my thoughts of all that seems wrong, is wrong, will go wrong, or all I perceive to be fundamentally flawed with myself. My overthinking prompts hesitation and inaction as I struggle to move from my thoughts, into the grace-filled place of God-directed action and simply doing and being fully present with Christ.

When I look at Scripture, I am in awe of the way Jesus pulls people out of their heads, invites them into the present moment. In Mark 10:46-52, Jesus comes across a blind man named Bartimaeus. Bart is shouting on the side of the road, trying to get Jesus’ attention. Socially, Bart is an utter mess. He is poor, blind (this carried tremendous social implications), helpless and some scholars suggest he is sitting there nearly naked with only a cloak covering him. His ailment is the only thing on his mind: how to heal from it, how to get away from it, how to experience something different. He is so consumed by this very real and life-limiting ailment, he can do nothing but cry out for mercy under the weight of his condition and its oppressive and dehumanizing social implications.

I love Jesus’ response. First, Jesus tells his disciples to call Bart over. In doing this, Jesus lets Bart know he has been heard and they are now in this together, acknowledging Bart’s utter distress over his condition. Second, as Bart responds to Jesus’ invitation to come, he runs. This is a blind man who just seconds before was sitting on the side of the road shouting and begging for mercy. The invitation to come was an invitation to trust Christ and to allow his faith to move through his body into action. It is an invitation for Bart to not just be consumed with the thoughts of his ailment or inadequacies in this head, but rather to get out of his head and to actively embrace the very real opportunity that was before him.

Upon his arrival in Christ’s presence, third and finally, Jesus asks Bart a tremendously empowering question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Socially, people didn’t ask Bart questions like this. No one really cared. He was just a beggar at the side of the road, whose life was dictated by a set of social norms and oppressive systems that ensured his social status as a disempowered outcast. But Jesus saw more. Jesus saw faith, humanity and healing, so he asked the question. Bart, having responded to Jesus’ empowering invitation to come, is no longer consumed by his ailments, How will I get well? He is no longer begging at the side of the road, Have mercy on me! Instead, Christ has awakened him to his power, strength and value. Bart, standing nose to nose with Jesus, responds to Christ boldly and with clarity and certainty, “I want to see.” To which Jesus declares, “Your faith has healed you,” and Bart, a man whose faith allowed him to believe that transformation was possible, who responded to Christ’s invitations to move toward healing, who stepped out of his thoughts and questions about how healing might take place and ran to Jesus, follows Jesus down the road, healed, renewed, empowered and transformed.

I, like Bartimaeus, need help getting out of my head and being present in the given moment, where Christ is with me, for me and transforming me. Like Bart, I too, need practical, tangible activities, which lead me out of my life-limiting and perseverating thoughts and invite me to be fully present with Christ in my body, so I can awaken to what I am feeling, needing and truly longing for, and experience God’s empowerment to take my next steps toward what he has for me.

For day 87, I engaged in the practice of presence, stepping away from worry, thoughts of shortcomings and things to be fixed, and instead chose to be fully present with my children, my husband and myself. For me, cooking is an activity that pulls me into the moment and away from overthinking or perseverating. It is truly a mindfulness practice for me because it requires focus, as spices awaken my senses, temperatures demand my attention and flavors illicit an embodied response. So today, I felt rain on my skin as I carried in groceries. I listened to my children as they shared about their lives. I took the time to slow, taste, touch, smell, feel and savor as I prepared, slow-cooked and delighted in beef bourguignon. At the end of the day, I could hear Jesus ask, “What do you want me to do for you?” After practicing presence, I am more fully aware of my God-given identity, strength and power and this is a question I am now prepared to answer. 

ACTION STEP: Pursuing our goals requires us to be aware of what we are thinking, feeling and believing about God, others and ourselves. Often, when we awaken to how we are feeling in our bodies, we get out of our heads. This halts the perseverating thoughts and causes us to experience empowerment and gain perspective in the present moment.

Take time to reflect on how much time you spend worrying or consumed by thoughts or fears regarding your own perceived inadequacies. Some introspection is good, but when it becomes stifling and hinders healthy, effective action, we must put practices into place, which interrupt the thoughts and bring us into the present moment where Christ is with us, for us and empowering us.

What physical activities and practices help take you out of your head and draw you into the present moment? Jot them down. How might you practice presence this week by engaging in these life-giving, perspective clarifying activities? 

*Imposter Syndrome definition from an old HBR article.

90 Days Unafraid: Day 88, Cultivating Community

88 days. As of yesterday morning, there were 88 days left in 2019. I have chosen to live intentionally toward the goals, dreams and desires God has placed on my heart for the last 90 days of this year, pressing past fear, excuses and discomfort toward fullness of life. Today’s goal: cultivating community.

There are seasons in life when the phone goes silent, friends disappear, and it feels like we are walking life’s journey alone. An extrovert through and through, these seasons are exceedingly painful for me. When left alone with my thoughts, I drift. I drift toward depression and anxiety, or I cling tightly to staunch individualism, putting on my armor of self-protection and proclaiming, “I can do this alone!” 

The truth is sometimes it feels safer to do it alone especially if our path to true friendship has been marred by the jagged cliffs and sudden drops of disloyalty and dishonesty or the bounding boulders of judgement, a lack of reciprocity, or toxic discouragement. It is not only painful to feel unseen or unheard by one we have thought to be a friend, but it is even more painful to learn that the one we trusted and cared for was intentionally discouraging us because he/she struggled to embrace their own gifts and light and could not bear to see us awaken to ours and shine so brightly. 

Foundationally, our desire for true friendship is driven by our deep desire for love, belonging and community. We are made in the image of God, who exists as three in one, in perfect community, perfect belonging, perfect relationship. As image bearers, it is in our spiritual DNA to hunger for true friendship and to live in transforming community—community fixed on Christ and open to transformation for the glory of God, the abundance of our own lives, and the sake of others. 

However, when we have been hurt, when our self-esteem has taken a hit, when our lives have been marked by betrayal or when our own brokenness tells us its always our fault, true friendship and community can be hard, vulnerability may feel impossible and believing we are valuable, lovable and uniquely gifted may seem beyond our reach. And still, we are invited with all our bumps and bruises to take risks, be vulnerable and share ourselves with others, because we weren’t made to walk through this life alone. 

Today, I intentionally spent time with friends. I texted. I encouraged. I spilled my guts. I named by brokenness. I had coffee and laughed. I listened and celebrated. I loved and embraced. Today, I showed up for a few dear friends, and you know what, they showed up for me too, and I opened my soul to receive what they had to give. The drift that can begin, that drift toward depression, anxiety or individualism, well, they reminded me I wasn’t alone. They reminded me God wasn’t done. They reminded me I wasn’t done. They helped me to breathe deeply and refocus once again.

Healthy friendship encourages, builds up, calls out unhealthy mess, works through conflict and is not abusive, toxic, conniving or dismissive. Healthy friendship celebrates, invites us to greater health and greater boldness and pushes us to walk in bold obedience to the God who loves us, created us and has placed God-sized dreams in our heart. Healthy friendship boldly proclaims, “When one of us rises, we all rise!” because one look at this world and it’s clear that it is all hands-on deck when it comes to bringing hope, offering encouragement and reforming unjust systems. Healthy friendship chooses truth over lies, naming for us the lies we are believing, calling us to repentance and inviting us to live in truth. True friendship laughs, loves, listens, celebrates, mourns, confesses, repents, is present and celebrates life with us. True friendship never lets us do it alone. In the pursuit of our dreams, desires and goals, true friendship says, “I got your back. You can do this. This is who you were made to be.” 

Action Step: As you pursue your goals for the rest of the year, who are your ride or die, gonna intercede, stand between you and discouragement type folks who will call you into God’s greatness for your life? Jot those names down. Put it on your calendar and spend time investing in your friendships this week. If no friends come to mind, pray that God will help you identify and cultivate friendship. You can’t reach your goals alone, but you were never created to do it alone!!!

#bettertogether #leadership #selfleadership #friendship #vulnerability #90daysunafraid

Living 90 Days Unafraid

90 days. As of today, there are 90 days left in 2019. September has come to an end, and as I step into the final 90 days of the year, I find myself asking: Have I lived life on purpose? 

The truth is in some moments I have, but in a year that has known grief, crisis, change, celebration and illness, some days I thrived. Some days I got by. Some days…well… PJ’s and Netflix made perfect sense.

As I reflect on my year so far, I wonder, how is your year going? What goals, desires and dreams have you pursued this year? What dreams have you put on hold because life happened, disruption happened, and the pursuit of your dreams was overwhelmed by the needs of others, demands of life, an all or nothing attitude, perfectionism, imposter syndrome or fear?

Sometimes 365 days is a lot to wrap our minds around. We all start the year with good intentions and then life happens. What if you decided to refocus on your God-given dreams, desires and goals and chose to live the last 90 days of 2019 on purpose, with intentionality? What if for 90 days, each day, you took one small step toward your goals? What if for 90 days you placed your self-care goals, vocational goals, spiritual desires or relational goals before your eyes once again? What if your last 90 days of 2019 were your most intentional, courageous, bold, unapologetic, refreshing or enlivening? What if you finished 2019...the next 90 days...unafraid to pursue your dreams?

Your dreams matter. You matter. God’s not done. You’re not done. Keep pressing on one small step at a time. Will you join me?

#onestepatatime #press #leadership #selfleadership #90days #noexcuses #livewithpurpose #90daysunafraid

ACTION STEPS TO ESTABLISH GOALS & FINISH STRONG

1) Slow and Reflect. Slow down and reflect on the goals or dreams with which you started the year. Jot them down once more. Evaluate them. Do they still make sense? Do they still ring true? What doesn’t fit anymore? What have you already accomplished? (Celebrate what you have accomplished.) What new goals or dreams might you add? Reflect of Matthew 6: 25-34. 

2) Pray and Listen. Spend time in prayer asking God about your goals and dreams for the last 90 days (or whenever you begin this journey) of 2019. Listen to what God has to say. 

3) Edit and Revise. After listening in prayer, edit and revise your list. Though you do not have to use all criteria, it may be good to look through the lens of SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. The more specific you can make your goals, the easier it will be to develop a strategy to move toward them. And yes it may just be 1 or 2 goals or dreams you or moving toward. 

If you have a large dream on your heart, then ask, “What one step might I take toward making this dream a reality?” This may mean developing a business plan, filing the paperwork to start your nonprofit, establishing a rhythm of writing each day so you may pursue your dream of becoming a published author or any number of things. Then, break that one step down into one small step for today. Do you need to get the paperwork? Fill out the first section? Fill out one section a day? You get the point!

4)Share. Share your goals with friends you trust. These are your ride or die folks. These are the friends who you trust, who desire to see you become most fully who you were created to be. Let them know what you’re moving toward and ask for their prayer and support. If you need accountability, ask them to hold you accountable. 

5) Act. Take one small step each day toward fulfilling one of your goals. Have grace with yourself for these small steps. The truth is, sometimes sleeping in is a step toward your goal especially when your body needs rest. Sometimes our one small step may mean game night with family or friends because community and laughter restores us and gives us energy for the road ahead. Whatever it may be, intentionally name the small step/steps, and act. 

6) Celebrate. Once you act, celebrate your step of obedience. Share it with a friend. Talk to God about it, or record it in a gratitude journal. Each step you take matters and is worth its own acknowledgment. 

7) Keep GOING!!! When you feel like giving up KEEP GOING! When fear rushes in KEEP GOING!!! When you wonder if it’s worth it, lean into your friends and KEEP GOING!!!

Ending the year strong is not about perfection. No. It is about self-compassion, grace and the determination to choose to wake up each day and live a bit more fully into your God-given identity as a courageous, beloved, empowered, emboldened, gifted, sent, powerful, world-changing, unjust system overthrowing, Child of God. 

Now, go on! Get down with your bad self! 

***For the next 90 days, I will be blogging daily and sharing my own journey as I press forward toward the goals and dreams God has placed on my heart. I hope you can join me and find encouragement for your own journey.