Ensuring ENJOYMENT

From the moment I first heard about the Blogging from A to Z Challenge 5 months ago it’s been somewhere in my thoughts each day. Way back then I began organizing my posts, selecting the photos to accompany them, and visiting the Challenge blog to further fuel my excitement. Enjoying the process was just a matter of course.

That was with my other blog. Then on the spur of the moment and literally at the last minute I decided to truly challenge myself. I started this new one, signed it up,,,and then totally panicked.

Just a week ago my sister and a friend were talking to me about joining the Challenge. Both first time bloggers, I encouraged them ruthlessly, insisting that they would love it if they just had fun with it and didn’t stress out about it. Their blogs are terrific; I am so proud of them both. But now my words to them are coming back to haunt me.

Just have fun with it. In my life before The Challenge I worked on a post for about two weeks before publishing it. “Blog Day” was the culmination of two weeks’ worth of writing bliss as ideas took shape on the page before me, thoughts were organized and a post appeared out of what was formerly just a jumbled mess of notes on scattered pieces of paper. The process was actually more important to me than the post. I simply love to write.

Don’t stress about it. Funny how easily those words came out of my mouth to my new bloggers and how difficult I find they are to live myself. I did little but stress after signing up with the intent of writing spontaneously. I have to constantly remind myself that this is a writing exercise for me, an experiment of sorts that I was meant to enjoy. There’s a purpose behind it that doesn’t include producing a masterpiece of literary perfection every time I sit down at the keyboard and begin to type. Mostly I want to…

Finish strong. A competitive person by nature, I love the fact that this is an individual challenge that I am completing side by side with others of the same mindset. We’re not competing against each other, rather encouraging our fellow bloggers as we move through the alphabet a day at a time.

I find that's a good way to live life, as well. Truly God meant us to enjoy our days on earth and the multitude of blessings He sends our way. Repeatedly He tells us not to worry about things, to give our problems to Him to deal with. We’re to take life simply a day at a time, getting to know and love the Author of Life himself, to focus on our purpose for being here and the prize we’re headed for, and to devote ourselves to encouraging others we meet in the process. Living life His way makes it easy to enjoy each day.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
(Psalm 118:24 NIV)