Happy Anniversary to us <3

I held my breath this week, just like I have from the first day I sat in the Mosaic Coffee shop at our church and Fred, the FCC tech genius, helped me set up this website.

Every year I frantically log into the server that backs up and runs the innards of Journey Onward multiple times to make sure all the domain registration and site fees are going through, even though I marked the auto-renew option years ago.

And yesterday, just like every year since I tapped out my first post on October 11, 2013, I sat here with tears in my eyes and hands lifted that the hosting company knows what it’s doing…because….five years later…I still don’t have a clue.

I just know that God has called me to head in here as many of the Monday through Friday’s as I can and send out something.

Something silly…something serious…something fun…something about our life…something about what God whispered or shouted into my heart…some quirky observation.

I am so thankful to the people God has sent over the years to help me:

First off…Russ for encouraging me to do this and for believing in me when I sure don’t believe in myself.

For Fred and Robin to help me along the way with some of the more difficult aspects of running a website.

For She Speaks in 2013 and 2014.

For Declare Conference in 2017 and 2018.

For so many of you who like, share, comment – but most of all…when you just come up and tell me you read this stuff…you bless me more than you could ever know.

I often wonder why I do this…like daily…but I can’t not do it so…there is that.

Every year God has shown me next steps and I am sitting quiet as we finish our fifth year journeying onward.

I am listening to where we will head…what we could do to make this more of what He wants it to be.

And now…in honor of the day…here is a repost of my very first blog entry <3

Original posting October 11, 2013 <3

I hope your day is going well. Mine started a little earlier than planned. Apparently, the coffee clock is set ahead an hour and the call of caffeine beat out my alarm.

The extra time is great because it allowed me no excuses to head to the Y. Turns out the place is pretty empty at this hour. This works for me as I am a little intimidated by the whole workout thing.

By the time I had made my way through the machines and headed to the free weights part, the late crowd was filtering in. As I pumped iron, my core pulled in and my lip curling in agony with each repetition, I took in the scene around me thanks to the big old mirror we have to face.

To my right was a guy with 40 pounds in each hand, doing some kind of bicep thing with the same amount of ease that I flick my curling iron. He had a spider tattoo on his arm that was roughly the size of my upper torso.

Behind me and to my left was a young man that I think should have been at school today. He couldn’t have been more than 15. He was doing push ups. A lot of them. And with his legs not only straight out but one crossed over the other. Seriously.

I considered asking Spider Man to help me carry my 5 pound weights back over to the rack and calling it quits, when another gym rat rolled by in her wheelchair. Her weights were resting on her one and only leg as she maneuvered into an empty spot next to me. As she began her exercises, I put on my big girl pants and finished my work out.

We are all at different levels based on our abilities and limitations, and the amount of time we have devoted to the discipline of exercise. As I walked to the car, I remembered that a year ago I was sitting on the couch recovering from a surgery, which worked well since I was unable to walk on a foot plagued by plantar fasciitis. Progress.

It’s like that in our faith walk as well. We have a mixture of abilities and disabilities, a life that has dealt us some great things and some tough things. But with discipline and diligence, we apply the tools of training – reading and study of the Word, prayer, worship, fellowship, obedience – and we grow and prosper in the Spirit. We are all at different places with varied levels of progress. But we are working toward the common goal of bearing the image of Christ.

I pray today you are encouraged by those around you who are seeking to grow in the Lord; not comparing yourself to others. Sense the joy of growing in God’s timing as you rejoice in what He has done in you and look forward with great expectation to what lies ahead. Keep at it and don’t grow weary! Stretch and strengthen and grow!