Do you recognize the steps you’ve already taken? Do you see how far you’ve already come?
I really do believe that when we are walking the path that God has set out for us, we attract the people, circumstances, and things we need to make to get closer to our God-given dreams.
Have you noticed the steps you’ve already taken?
- If you’ve done your 20 minutes, you’ve taken a step.
- If you’ve got some accountability in your life, you’ve taken a step.
- If you’ve read an article, you’ve taken a step.
- If you’ve looked for a class in the college catalog, you’ve taken a step.
And sometimes, God puts the steps right in front of you. Read this letter I received from a woman who attended one of my ME PROJECT presentations. God put the steps in front of her – but she’s the one who took them:
Kathi, when you came to our MOPS group last year and spoke to us, it was as if you were speaking directly to me. I believe it was your first time speaking on the “Me Project” and I have no doubt you did it because God told you someone needed to hear it. That someone was me! My husband work for the state of California and when he got hired into his department he had to go to the for training in Sacramento for six months. We are from Redding (northern Cali), all of our family lives up there, we had an 18 month old daughter and I was 4 months pregnant. After he was finished with training, we were assigned to an LA office so we had to leave everything that we knew and move eight hours away with a toddler and newborn, not knowing a single soul. It was tough, we made a lot of sacrifices and got through it, eventually being able to move to our current location. We’re halfway home! 🙂
My passion is photography. I’ve always loved it, I just never wanted to make the financial sacrifices for something that really only benefited me, not our family. When you spoke to us about the “Me Project”, you kept using photography as an example. If that wasn’t a big kick in the butt from God, I don’t know what is. For Christmas that year my wonderful husband bought me my camera. I have since started a photography business and am beyond happy. If it wasn’t for the support and encouragement from my husband to finally do something for myself I wouldn’t be here, but if it wasn’t for you, I never would have had the guts to try. I thank God for putting me in that MOPS group that day (it was my first day there) and having me hear your words and encouragement. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Nichole Seal
www.nicholesealphotography.com
www.facebook.com/nicholesealphotography
So here is my question for you: What step have you already taken?
Post it in the comments, and on Monday I will be drawing a winner for each day of the week. Today’s winner will recieve:
hey……. its reallly gud n grt thing….
bcz many of the people always be in thought of doing or starting something..,but now atleast they are going to start (or try to make a clear plan )
as a part of it initiation is great thing for any of the program.
daily 20 min makes alot of diffenence in our lives…….
from my part i want to start an organization. so ,let me start a plan of it …..n from 2day i decided to spend my time with the visually challenged(blind) people alteast weekly thrice n help them in their education.
thank u kathy
sahithi
Well, I’m going to jump in here with this challenge. I read several chapters in the book and am finding myself intrigued. Would this work for me? Will I commit to the projects? Who will be my accountability team? So many questions popping into my head. I so relate to everything that has challenged you, Kathy.
I wrote out my “not to do list” thinking it might be tough but noooo I had more than there was room for. I also thought, “I don’t have that many goals.” Yet more keep creeping into my mind.
I went to the CLASS Christian Writer’s conference in November. Came home feeling positive about the writing thing then, wham, life hit me hard devastating me lower than ever. Months have gone by and I’m still recovering. Now I have so many projects to do to get back to the writing one, it seems. I’m spending lots of time talking very seriously with God, admitting my downfalls, procrastination being at the top of the list. So enters The Me Project. Well, I’m ready to take it on and find a way to use my life more successfully, more productively, and more purposely for Him!
Thank you, Kathy!
I have been really trying to be a better, more organized wife and stay at home mom. I was fortunate enough to hear Kathi speak 2 weeks ago in Modesto, and bought not only “The Me Project” but also her wonderful cookbook. I took the first step to being more oganized when I made a menu from the cookbook, made a shopping list, got all of the groceries, and made and froze the meals. With Borders closing its doors, i was able to find a blank journal/cookbook to track the reciepies that my family likes. My husband and children are my “accountants”, keeping me on track for the progress I have made. So far I have had 2 “cooking sessions” to put together my freezer meals. This has been terrific for us, as another one of my goals was to eat more meals at home. I plan to shop, cook and freeze on Saturdays.
This dream of domestication has paid off in a HUGE way. Last Sunday on the 28th of Feb, my 9 year old was in an accident, and landed himself in the hospital with a ruptured spleen. He is home now, and will be on strict bedrest for at least 3 weeks, and may not be able to return to school this year. What a blessing to know that my husband and older child had good, homecooked meals to eat while I was staying at the hospital with my younger child. My husband did the grocery shopping while I was gone and now I have all the items I need to cook tomorrow and keep myself on track!
Thanks so much Kathi!
Hi, Kathi,
I have worked more than 20 minutes on my latest blog; my goal is to complete three per week. Check it out, people; I would love your comments! 🙂
Kathi:
I am closer to the completion of my speaker packet and website, got quite a bit of writing done this week, AND worked out 4/5 days this week as well.
I am feeling pretty sassy right now. Thanks for encouraging me to write things down. I am afraid had I not done so, I would be thinking about all the things I did NOT accomplish on my “to do” list instead.
You are a blessing, Kathi Lipp. I know you will be blessed for your selfless investment in others in Jesus’ name…
🙂 Amberly
Steps. I’ve taken steps forward! I’ve told Shepherd’s Gate, the homeless shelter I’m on the board for, that I would be willing to be their voice in the community if they needed me. My first (mini) speaking opportunity is in March! I met with the Spiritual Formation pastor at my church and she would like me to teach a class on the Discipline of Service! Steps!
But they also go backwards too, and I’ve taken those steps in my mind. “Can I really do these things? Will I be effective? This isn’t EXACTLY what I really want to be doing?” Then I realize the steps aren’t the final destination, they are what get you to that final destination. Kathi, you did not start with a wildly popular blog, a book published and speaking with your buddy, Max Lucado. No, you took the initial, needed steps to get you to that final destination. There was no elevator. You needed to take each step, one at a time, to get you where you are. They probably weren’t all fun and satisfying steps, but they were necessary to your journey. And in retrospect, when you were at the bottom step, you probably could not even imagine how you could ever share the headline with Max Lucado. So every step prepared you for where you are now, steep at first perhaps, but in time your muscles built and you developed the rhythm of climbing. Now you are a pro! 🙂
So here I stand at the bottom.. All it takes is to lift my foot…and step.
Here I go.
I’m guilty of not “celebrating” small steps. In my specific goal of going to work at the orphanage in Kenya this summer, I’m feeling a little motionless, since so many details are still not worked out, so there are not many steps that feel “real” to me that I can take right now. However, I did order “Love Mercy,” which is a book I’ve wanted to read for a while about a mother and daughter who went with Tom Davis’ Children’s Hope Chest team to Africa and about the life-transforming experience they had being part of the work God is doing and seeing the painful sights of sex trafficking, disease, poverty and death.
So I do have some small steps underway. And I agree with Pat, who pointed to the verse in Zechariah (is it 4:10??) about the Lord delighting to see the work begin! We have to all see our steps through the Lord’s eyes, because if we are seeking His will and obediently putting one foot in front of the other each day, even the steps that seem small to us are worth celebrating!f
My project is to write a book for single moms to encourage them during this stage of their lives. I started the book proposal last October, the blog in January, and I have decided today that I will schedule 20 minutes every day to write. My goal is to write a chapter per month.
I have three ladies that will kick me into gear if I slack. I was just in the Pink Depford sewing studio yesterday to help out with a little hand work and do a bit of networking.
Next step: organize sewing area at home now that my projects are all caught up!
Although, this mini ,book editing gig is kind of intriguing……
Hi Kathi,
Your mini-challenge has come at just the right time. I am really starting to write my book. I have 2 published Ph.D.s who want to help me write it! If they believe in the work, why am I so negative about it? I’ve committed to writing 20 min every morning. The scripture from Zechariah pops in my head … “for who has despised the day of small things?” I’m guilty of thinking small things don’t/won’t count for much. But if I write in 20 min increments long enough, I can write a whole book! Thanks Kathi, too, for sharing your own journey. You’re an inspiration to us all.
blessings!
I have a team for working out at the gym, and bought a membership!
I set my timer for 20 minutes and decluttered.
I am so happy and pleased with the positive actions in my life and in my plan for my life.
Thank you Kathi
Kathi,
Wow, this is hard! I feel like I take little steps forward and big steps back. I put myself out there to start an apron business on Etsy, but I don’t know how to set myself apart and really make my self “sell-able”. I’ve invested a pretty chunk of change and have fabric in the waiting to make aprons but there are no orders coming in. I thought maybe that area was too flooded so I’m going to try my hand at re purposing men’s shirts to make some (ADoraBle, If I do say so myself) craft smocks. I’m taking steps, but wondering if they are the right ones. I think maybe my goals are not defined or that I’m doing it for the wrong reason. My blog started out selfishly, but I worked through that and have come to a place of contentment with my list of followers pattering out at seven. Am I just being selfish with selling aprons too? Or am I just not good at marketing myself or my products.
I guess I’m saying it’s hard to celebrate the small steps when I don’t feel like they are taking me anywhere…
~sigh~ sorry to be a downer!
I love ya girl!
I have an accountability team! As of yesterday – wise and wonderful women who will be my posse to prayer, guide, offer feedack and insight. Hooray!
I’ve also just this week started to write a business plan – it’s due Monday to my posse and I’m about 3/4 finished. Hooray!
Not only did I write for 20 minutes, I wrote for an additional hour. Woohoo! Does that count for all three days? 🙂 JK