Challenges and Growth

Every year, every day is an opportunity for growth. If I can't look back a year and see growth, or a change, then what have I been doing this entire year?  Spinning my wheels?  I can read back through my journal entries and see where I have grown, and how that has made me a different person. 

To begin with, I have increased my reading. I was somewhat sporadic before, but I've been much more consistent in my daily Quiet Time with the Lord.  I'm not necessarily writing out all my prayers as I did earlier this year, which I do need to get back to.  Sometimes, I'll admit, that's difficult when I'm writing the exact same thing from day to day.  The prayers haven't changed much.  They are pretty much the same as always for my children:  additional support and spiritual growth for Amanda, wisdom in relationships, spiritual growth, and career guidance for Matt, a return to the Lord for Dianna and wisdom in finances and raising children for Chuck and Jodie.  Those have been my prayers for a long time for them, changing as a specific need arises.

I’m also reading other books a lot more. I’m sure some of that was prompted by the constant reading I was doing while taking classes, but I’ve kind of forced myself to continue reading. I really am trying to get to the point where I am constantly reading a good, edifying non-fiction, or a fiction book that serves the purpose of providing a comfortable escape.  I’m also reading to challenge myself, either academically, or challenge my thinking on certain topics.  My current reading list is pretty broad: Missions in the 21st Century, by Tom Telford – an assigned reading for the Missions Committee; Kate Megill’s book Silver Threads, Weaving Godly Wisdom Into the Lives of Younger Women;  Overcoming Sin and Temptation, an ancient text by John Owen, which I’m reading as part of a blog challenge; and finally, From Good to Great, by Chip Ingram. 

I’ve been interviewing for a job.  It’s a different job setting than I’ve ever been in before, since it’s in a church.  In all my other jobs, they highly valued being task-oriented, so I’ve been trained to think that way. That the job is #1, getting it finished is much more important than anything else.  People skills were important, but not as high (in the positions I held) as staying focused on completing assignments.  In this job, the opposite is true.  I hope I communicated well enough that I can relate to people, but for so long I’ve had to focus on the job at hand that it may take me a bit to get my mind re-set!  It’s rather scary being under the microscope of a job interview once again, and thinking of the BEST answer AFTER I leave, of course.   Getting this job will certainly offer more opportunities for growth, in so many ways. 

I found an interesting quote by Gary Busey, who I wouldn’t normally go to for quotes, but this one is so very true right now:  “You know what 'FAILING' stands for? It stands for 'Finding An Important Lesson, Inviting Needed Growth.'” * I’ve failed so many times, but I’ve seen lots and lots of growth.  

I’ll close with this quote from John Maxwell:  Success is due to our stretching to the challenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from them.  **
Lord, help me face, not shrink from the challenges ahead of me.

*http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/growth.html#BWhMx5zvuJOyyVyR.99
**http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johncmaxw600864.html#D8DVafgUsyFhzraa.99