I made my first inspirational bucket list for Valentine’s Day in 2021. It was a collaboration with my mama who is the most creative person I know. We started the bucket lists because she has a lifetime of scrumptious recipes that we wanted to seasonally share. My mom currently is taking care of my grandma who has Alzheimer’s and also loving being a grandma to babies again, but she still really loves to bake. You can find her “artwork” on IG at TastesDivineSweets The pic below was our very first Inspirational Bucket List post.
On my side of the fence, I share ways to help women live out love, self care, creativity and hospitality in every season. Specifically, inspirational bucket lists help me to “list” distinct ways to grow good seeds in oneself and out in the community. Below is a short explanation of where the four “bucket list” inspirations come from and why I think living them out contributes to joyful, peaceful, hopeful living.
LOVE
Love is about sharing acts of kindness and encouragement daily, weekly and in big ways from time to time. This outward love comes from the deep love of the Father who first loved us. It’s not possible to genuinely receive God’s love without also being filled with time, energy and gifts to serve others. You will always find several simple ways in my inspirational bucket lists to love others.
SELF-CARE
The bottom line is that most women find it easy to lose sight of the handful of things that make them strong and fill them up. Most of the women I know have an easier time with output than input. Poet Amena Brown gave me insight that the golden rule – – Love your neighbor as yourself – – implies that you must first love yourself in order to love others well. You will always see lots of ways to reconnect with yourself. The end game here is to be revived so that you can continue to do whatever it is you love to do.
CREATIVITY
Creativity is for everyone. Yes, you! Author and Spiritual Director Emily P. Freeman taught me that there a million little ways to live out art. Art doesn’t necessary require a paint brush or easel. We live out art in our vocation, through relationships, parenting, hobbies. Whatever you were made to do, that’s your art. The problem is that, as life goes on, we usually drop creativity down on the list of priorities. In that manner, we lose some of the fullness we were made to experience. My inspirational bucket lists invite you to linger again with creativity so that you can find your way back to living with “lightbulb” moments – – lightbulbs that bring on more joy in your every day.
HOSPITALITY
You can find versions of hospitality in the Danish lifestyle of Hygge, Cozy Minimalist living/decor and all sorts of social supper clubs. I think all of these versions and the hundreds of others have exceptional value. There is a ton of joy that comes from hosting friends or couples for a potluck dinner party in your home. Small acts of kindness like sending encouraging snail mail cards or delivering a basket of food are significant components of hospitality – – which is really just a way to help someone feel loved and seen. There is no real formula for hospitality. In fact, I wrote a whole blog about my hospitality failures and wins. The heart of hospitality is that it flows out of a God’s love. We give joy and find a measure of it from loving others through hospitality.
SUMMER BUCKET LIST
Two years ago, I created this Summer Bucket List. That year, I printed the Bucket List and mailed it to about 200 of you. As you know, I love snail mail and I love the idea that maybe the Bucket List could help even one of you find more joy, peace and hope in your every day. I revisited the bucket list this summer. There are a few things I decided to do, again.
Independence Day Mani
I decided on the red, white and blue mani. I was rather excited about this and it turns out that the manicurist was also. She took pics before I left last Thursday. Double bucket list win.
SUMMER LOVE STORY NOVEL
I decided not to read a summer love story novel. Instead, I chose to watch all three Divergent movies. My daughter and I watched the first one again on the plane home from vacation. I always liked the love story between Tris and Four. In May of 2021, I put a few life lessons in place, which allows me to choose this over that, even if I once wrote a list about that. You can read the keep it simple rules I wrote for myself. I know they will resonate with you.
SUMMER GET TOGETHER
I decided not to invite friends over for Kitchen Sink ice cream or for mocktails. However, I am inviting friends over to make Summer Time Capsules. If you are local and are interested, please send me a message at skatz@skatzlaw.com and perhaps you can join us.
THE MAYBES
The rest of my bucket choices are maybes related to things I used to do. Do I welcome them back? Is my life too different now? Do I let these pass without sticking to me? What is my Best Yes? Even small things take time and resources. Small decisions matter in the big picture.
Do I get involved again in one of the social justice organizations I financially support?
Do I try again to learn the art/skill of Creative Lettering?
STAY IN THE MOMENT
It’s only July. But there are probably fall decorations in Michael’s and Target already. We could be tempted to jump ahead to fall and lose sight of all that God has for us this summer. Push back on the temptation to leave summer early. Take in these days because you won’t get them again. Take what you may need or want from the summer bucket list, or write your own. No matter what, stay here in the summer moment.
Questions to Help Stay in Summer
Which of the four areas could I use the most right now? Love, Self Care, Creativity or Hospitality?
Chose 2-3 bucket list items in the area that would bring the most peace, hope and joy.
Take a look at your choices. Now, choose one more that is outside your interest or comfort zone.
Pick an end date to complete the bucket list items.
Feel free to share this post or download the bucket list right here. (page one, page two)
Dear Sisters, it’s time! The season is changing. It’s time for a spiritual reset! I won’t begin to list the emotions or circumstances that you’ve been walking through, but I do know that now is a good time to refresh yourself. The facts of your life may not be changing at this exact moment, but God is present and here with us to increase our peace, encourage us to growth and lead us straight to joy. Take your time reading over these nine steps. You may read them over a few days or a few weeks. And, if you’d like to download the Spiritual Reset Card, click here. Love you girls so very much and pray this Spiritual Reset is just what you need!
Wake up Hopeful
Because of God’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
In pressing, stressful times, I have found that the harder the struggle, the harder you will have to fight for your hope. Much of what makes hard times hard is that we don’t get to see the outcome in the trenches. As we fight for the people we love and work through circumstances to the best of our ability, hope can wax and wane – – not for any other reason than we are human.
This past year, when I was walking through a long term difficulty, troubled over the future, scriptures taught me that God is not only the God of Love, but also the God of Hope. In the same way, when I look back to a season when I was suffering from depression and panic, again, it was hope that I learned to fight for. When I sit with people I love who are suffering, they also could use a showering of hope and encouragement.
May the God of Hope fill you with peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Each day that we go through hardship, we have a choice to shift our mindset from worry and anxiety to hope. We take our focus off the circumstances and turn our gaze to Him for an overflow of hope. As we cling to His promises, our hope grows and our flame does not go out.
Even if today is excruciatingly hard, God’s mercies and compassions are new every morning. Our merciful, compassionate God is fully good. It is true that God does not always deliver as we expect or in our timing, but he always shows His goodness. He has good outcomes for our lives, our families, and those we hold the dearest. Goodness will always prevail and His mercies are every morning.
Challenge Yourself to Strengthen your Temple
At the start of summer, I had such a good surprise!
A few years ago, I sat across from two good friends and told them that God had showed me that I’ve spent a lot of time growing my mind and spiritual self, but had neglected my body. God showed me a tangled bougainvillea vine as a representation of the state of my body. I had greatly overlooked how hard my body works to house my mind and soul.
Like most journeys, they begin small. I slowly stretched and moved and prayed in the darkness of the yoga room. God met me and strengthened me. He untwisted the vine and eventually showed me pretty pink blooms. Sister, your temple matters. Take some time to find something you can truly enjoy so that you can strengthen the beautiful body that God gave you.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Honor God with your bodies. 1 Corin 1:6
EnJOY and Savor the Small Things
Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life (with the people you love) . . . Ecclesiastes 9:7-9
That’s right. Eat. Drink. Celebrate. Wear Fun Clothes. Invite People Over. Wear blue eyeliner. (I’ve been all summer.)
True, there is so much to worry about in this unjust, unpredictable world. Yes, there are dark days and grey clouds. Many things can’t be fixed. And, there is a lifetime of work to be done. But, scripture tells us to enJOY our days with a MERRY heart. So. Eat the good meal. Make a fun mocktail. Buy fresh flowers. Be festive and enjoy the small things every day.
Find Your Sacred Spaces & Meet your Father Often
I’m not against the prayer closet. I’ve just never had one. I have a few favorite spots to spend time talking and listening to God. Here are mine. What are you sacred spots?
My bed: I could start by saying that I’m one of those people who loves her bed. But that’s really not the whole story. Years ago, I learned what life can be like for neglected kids and trafficked kids. I also began to understand poverty and how special it is to have a safe roof over your head and a comfortable bed. From that point on, my bed became a place of gratitude. With an open, grateful heart, I spend a lot of time talking to God in my bed at night, sometimes in the middle of the night and in the early morning. This has become one of my sacred spaces.
Walking near the beach: I like walking beside the beach on the side walk. I walk by restaurants, through little parks with benches and pass the tourists and retirees. Most of what I see sparks creative thoughts that I talk to God about or ask God about. The beach is a special place for me.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
Love Others Through Hospitality & Invite People to Your Table
What does home feel like to you? It doesn’t have to be your actual home and it doesn’t even necessarily have to be a place. What makes you feel like home?
I feel like home when . . .
I’m covered with a cozy blanket on a comfy couch with a yummy drink.
I talk on the phone with a dear friend.
I’m with people who have welcoming hearts that are open to listening and giving feedback.
I receive a personalized present or card in the mail.
My mom bakes dessert from scratch or goes to a special bakery and shares with me.
A friend picks up the bill after an enjoyable coffee or meal together.
I’m invited to a special event or someone else’s family party.
This is how you love others through hospitality. You make a list of what feels like home to you and you do that for others. No-frills, no pretense, just do it.
I’m sharing some pics that represent a spring and summer of hospitality for me! Some are on the giving side and some are on the receiving side. (Starting from left to right/description below)
Spending the day with M prepping for her mom’s bday
Looking at pics with my grandma at the nursing home
Being surprised with a beautiful bday cake at my sister in laws
“Welcome to the Table” celebration for my daughter
Two girls who show up & with flowers (always)!
Bonding with the next generation
Speaking into each other after a women’s conference
Creating welcoming arrangements for my home
Our foster dog and Swiss foreign exchange student (Ha! He’s really like our nephew!)
Hospitality Verses:
Luke 19:1-9 (Jesus’ first words to Zachaeus are let’s get together today!)
Luke 10:38-39 (Mary and Martha invite Jesus for a meal and to spend time with them)
Find Rest, Time is on your Side when you Walk with God
I came across this quote on Pinterest. You’re probably familiar with it.
This is actually true when you are walking with God.
Remember the sabbath and keep it holy. Exodus 20:8
Rest isn’t only about setting apart one day of the week. Sabbath is a mindset.
Let’s state the obvious: there are seasons when we are strapped for time with little rest. Newborns sleep deprive a mama. Tax season drains the accountants’ body and brain. Finals week is the single focus for the college kid. Overwhelming seasons exist. However, the mindset of sabbath is a way to live.
One of my favs, author John Mark Comer tells us that rest is one of the ways of Jesus. Comer shares in his books that Jesus was never too busy and he made rest an attainable rhythm in his life.
I am going to leave your personal definition of rest and how you schedule it to you and Jesus. You know your quirks and stressors and God will help you find your way to a sabbath mindset. Here are a few things to think about:
Define rest with your particular life and schedule in mind.
Your rest doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
Throw off any guilt you may have about getting the rest you need.
Choose a Practice to Spark Creativity
I feel strongly about the life rhythm of creativity. My strong feelings have little to do with whether you or me can create beautiful art. Instead, creativity is a way to mirror our Father who has been creating since before time began. When we set aside time to ponder and be in awe of God‘s creation and the beautiful things of this world that he’s orchestrated through human expression, God has an opportunity to spark creativity within us.
For me, this is the reason I always find my way back to writing. I spend time looking at God’s creation and beautiful things in this world. Eventually, I feel in awe of God and it comes out, at least in part, by writing. When I engage in creativity, the act of expression truly fills a part of my heart that feels pleasure when it speaks.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
My Creative Sparks:
Baking every week – – it’s fun and rewarding to make and share something good.
I have a mindful lettering workbook on my home desk that I occasionally practice in. I have a goal to write prettier letters to my friends.
Beach walks so that I can look around and see what the Lord is showing me through my surroundings.
I create Pinterest boards in certain areas of interest. Collecting things brings me joy.
Dr. Curt Thompson tells us (in my words) that the awe of beauty and creating beauty is actually part of what rewires our brains and helps heal us from suffering and trauma. Creativity is way to connect with your Father and grow deeper in your relationship with him. If that idea feels very distant to you, then think about your childhood or a season in your life when you felt extremely free.
More Creative Sparks:
Try adult Legos. You can make all kinds of fun things like a succulent garden.
Put a puzzle on your dining room table.
Learn how to make charcuterie boards.
Reinvent your closet by creating new and fun outfits with thrift or consignment pieces.
Get a job in an industry you love, i.e. my friend Donna became a beauty consultant out of her love for the theater.
Go to a convention or special event with a group of friends to learn and grow in an area that sparks your creativity for months to come.
With love, God created you with the ability to have creative sparks popping in your mind and soul regularly. If you’ll make time for creativity, the Lord will meet you there and life will become lighter, sweeter and deeper.
Sleep Well, God is Singing Over You
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
When the night falls, He is singing over you. He is present in your deep sleep. He is there when you lay awake, whether in peace or panic, or somewhere in between. Even with the best evening practice to prepare for rest, sleep can be a struggle. Even when we pray and employ all the tools for getting a good night sleep, we may not get the rest we desire.
I don’t have a hack for sleeping peacefully, but I do know that, whatever sleep cycle you are in, He is with you, singing over you. I challenge you to worry less about the sleep cycle you are in and let the night be a time for God to minister to your body, mind and soul. In other words, if sleep escapes you, let that time serve as time with God to grow in peace. Let that time diminish the anxiety, worry or panic you may feel in the night. Of course, we all want deep, renewing sleep, but if it’s not where you are, let go of the concern and find peace while God sings over you in the night.
Remember Truth
Finally, remember that you could very well think of yourself as a master of everything on this Spiritual Reset list. But masters, we will never be. We have a master to follow, mirror and grow into his reflection. We have a master that will make all things new one day, but not so much today. Go and do and be all of the things. But in your heart of hearts, know that all of it will fall just a little bit short. And, that’s okay because another day is coming. Remember what your King says to you:
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Whoever has ears, let them hear… Revelation 3:11-13
Dear friends, it’s been awhile for very good reasons. I’ve just had my second high school senior year as a mom. If any of you have asked me for senior year advise, I’ve told you to resign and decline from all the extras before this very unique year begins. Senior year as a mom is like having a part time job of the heart, mind and mom (man) power. For that reason, I resigned and declined from my writing to you in this season.
New Thoughts About Dreams
Now, I come to you with some new words. I’m sharing a poem or perhaps better described as prose that I wrote one night in between texting with my beloved sisters. I am sure you have a similar band of sisters. We keep in touch by text and by meeting every two months or so for a pow-wow as deep as the sea.
I was the one of the sisters who was letting a child go. Because they know the feel of this season, they served me compassionately like a was a new mom finding her way. Soon before my daughter graduated, I had a wave of grieving. Good Lord, for so many reasons. In that time, I wrote a poem called, Just Like That – – which became one of the gifts I gave to my daughter as she moved into her new college season.
I’ve written about dreams over the years, including a bunch about dreams dying. For a person of faith, it may not sound like the most likely topic. I am extraordinarily grateful to embrace a philosophy that offers the utmost hope. I’ve also lived long enough to know that beauty from ashes treads a lot of pain. Dreams dying is a space of vulnerability and authenticity for me. I have to talk and write about it. I have a few new things to say.
The Story of Senior Year (In Part)
My daughter was badly injured during a dance performance ten days before her college auditions began for about ten fine arts programs. She was unable to dance for about two months and then quickly had to audition in the Spring for almost all the schools in a short span of time.
Many of you know that my son had an injury his junior year of high school that ended his plan for college sports. My daughter’s injury immediately felt like another dream dying. We have these moments where our heads feel like they are being spun around in the washing machine with all we know to be true but having no understanding of which truth will be true in this set of circumstances.
Dreams dying applies to a future you thought you would have and even worked very hard for. Dreams dying applies to relationships that look differently than you had hoped or planned for. Dreams dying applies to shifted plans and unexpected courses fueled by sin and choices that you don’t have control over.
In the months that my daughter recovered and continued her path, I prayed scripture as I walked around my neighborhood. Really just one scripture specifically. Over and over.
May the God of Hope fill you with joy and peace so that you may overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
When Dreams Die
Dreams die a few times in a lifetime. We are not privy to outcomes in the thick of the difficulties of this life. This particular scripture was central for me because it excluded circumstance and outcome. Romans 15:13 directed me to my prayer for hope because God does not disappoint even when He doesn’t speak to life our dream the way we imagine it. The road to hope appears to be Joy and Peace, as we choose to believe in Him. So I asked for that too as I invited the Holy Spirit to overflow me with Hope.
Isn’t that the real answer when all may be lost? Lord, give me Joy & Peace so that Hope may come by the power of the Holy Spirit. And, while God is the God of Love, this scripture tells us that God is also the God of Hope. That truth became so real to me. When it feels dark, He is not just there to love us in the moment but to give us the gift of Hope. We have the sustaining gift of Hope separate and apart from circumstances and outcome.
What Shall We Do When Dreams Die?
The following encouragement comes from a continuing conversation with one of my sisters. We believe that moms especially need to know the Gift of Hope when it comes to dreams of your child and for your child. Over a lifetime of mothering, some of these dreams will shift even when you do not wish for it. Some will be delayed and it will hurt. Some will not be as you imagined and there will be pain in the loss.
Dear sisters, prepare your hearts for this. If you don’t know your Lord as your God of Hope, some of these dying dreams could crush you. The dark side will try to use a delayed or shifted dream to kill a handful of other dreams that didn’t need to fall out. What shall we do?
In the thick of the mess, there is a higher calling to love like and hope like your Jesus. You will need to mirror Him over and over again in the holy ways of love and hope that make no sense to this world. You can choose love and hope even when you think all is lost. You can choose love and hope when your heart is breaking and there is no apparent return for the Christlike path. You can choose love and hope in your pain while you walk a road you didn’t plan for. My sister, you can choose love and hope by endurance and the encouragement of sisters and scripture. These are God’s promises. Romans 15:4-5. Love and hope is our only hope.
Just Like That, Seasons Change
The title of my poem is Just Like That. The poem is about fighting and believing again and again until Just Like That, the season changes.
My daughter’s season did change. God miraculously allowed her to have a number of spectacular auditions with many open doors. Her story is not over with dance or outside of dance. Her story will be her own hike with Jesus through mountains and valleys with the most gorgeous views from both sides. I’m not the author of her journey, but I will gladly be in her periphery offering love and hope in every season. Until Just Like That, the season changes.
Just Like That
Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ. You are worth more than many sparrows. You are beautiful. Never give up. Let go. Become. Keep going. The sun will rise.
You are chosen. It’s going to be okay. Beauty comes from ashes. Put on the full armor of God. Cast your cares on Him. Trust that He’s figuring it out.
You are loved. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Feel deeply. Enter into peace. Be courageous. Fight. Scripture is being fulfilled.
Let the light run wild. Stand up to the boisterous sea. Tell God’s truth. God is within you. Change the narrative. Clear the path. Be made new. Rise again.
He is near. The best is yet to come. Fan the flame. Try again. Make up your mind to persevere. Get unstuck. Grace will catch you. This is your moment.
You are more precious than rubies. Dwell in what you do have. Be patient. Express authenticity. Be brave again and again. Remember the fullness of summer. Love with your whole heart. And, just like that, the season changed.
I didn’t grow up with the tradition of the season of Advent. Over the last few years, I’ve learned that it is a simple way to prepare your heart for Christmas.
Advent celebrates Hope, Faith, Joy and Peace as we eagerly await the light of Christmas.
First, we celebrate HOPE. Advent opens with an invitation to PAUSE.
We are offered the chance to pause the push of the holiday merriment . . . This is a small but significant cultural resistance we can practice in our homes, minds, emotions and relationships.
– Tsh Oxenreider, Shadows and Light, A Journey Into Advent
As I look back to my Advent HOPE notes from three years ago, I see that I hoped to learn something new during Christmas. I journaled that I was grateful to need so deeply so that Jesus could show himself to me so deeply. I desired to remember the oppressed with generosity and to savor Christmas.
I ended the week of HOPE with this entry:
God, you are working in the shadows. Even the dark is light to you. I pray for shadows to be revealed so that the light may come in and shine. You are so kind. Your ways are gentle. Your voice is like a homecoming every time. Help me be gentle and kind like you.
Second, we celebrate FAITH. We believe that something GOOD is on the way.
It takes a lifetime to sharpen the tool of faith with the belief that there is always good ahead. Do you have a realist in your life? I do. My realist often tells me the obvious, fact based doom and gloom coming on the horizon. I tell the realist that God has been good before and he will be good again. Everything will work out as it should.
I am a woman of faith + optimism + imagination for the good things of God. At the same time, I haven’t always believed my own words to the realist.
I have been up many nights thinking about the breadth and kindness of God. Do both extend to me in this set of circumstances? Will God use his power and love to work out this scenario?
There used to be an “off limits” part of my heart that gripped onto self reliance in case God didn’t decide to help. God has a good sense of humor since most of the important things that have worked out in my life have had little to do with me. God is funny that way. He changes our understanding of him without our help. I love that.
Third, we celebrate JOY as we ANTICIPATE the birth of Jesus.
Intentional joy is hard to pursue. Life has an abundance of commitments where we put others before ourselves. Serving others at home, work, in friendships and the community is a huge source of joy. There is, however, another side of joy. This joy springs forth from within. This joy is the difference between an internal self that resembles a parched garden and a well watered garden whose waters never fail.
The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose water never runs dry.
Isaiah 58:10-12
I mentioned that I found myself parched this Fall. The combination of low grade anxiety, sadness and tiredness brought me to pursue intentional joy. I aimed to replenish my joy one day per week with one small intentional act. My list may be small, but it has mattered to the state of my soul.
I walked with my mom in an outdoor nursery with calm music playing.
I ordered fun paper and embellishments to wrap holiday gifts.
I listed to the WHOLE original soundtrack of Mary Poppins in bed on a Saturday morning.
I wrote holiday cards to all of my Devoted sisters (my community group).
I filled an older purse with toiletries, food, cosmetics, two books and drinks. I am waiting to see a woman in need on the road to give it to.
I am pursuing joy in anticipation of the day of Jesus’ birth. He is the whole reason.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore.
Isaiah 9:6-7
Fourth, we embrace PEACE as we dig deep into GRATITUDE.
Gratitude is a popular word. We hear it everywhere. We see it on the cover of journals. We are told by the secular and religious world that peace and joy grow from living a life of gratitude. To me, gratitude came alive in learning St. Ignatius Loyola’s Prayer of Examen. To break it down, each day we ask ourselves:
How has the Lord provided for me today? What am I thankful for?
How did I move toward the Lord today? How did I bring him glory through my words and actions?
How did I move away from the Lord today? Where did I miss the opportunity to bring him glory through my words and actions?
Listen and Respond
At the base of every difficulty that etches away at our internal peace, gratitude awaits. God sweeps in with peace as we count what we have instead of what we don’t. The last week of Advent is the time we express gratitude to him as we celebrate the Prince of Peace.
Sisters, I made for you an Advent Inspired Bucket List. I hope you enjoy as you embrace the season of Advent and Christmas this year.
If you have breath, you have a call. No exclusions or exceptions. No mistakes or passing over. As God breathed your soul, spirit, and body into existence, He also infused you with passion and calling. Like tea steeps into water, God imbued you with individual purpose and calling.
Calling Vs. Identity – Understanding the Differences
Your calling is part of who you are made to be over your lifetime. Your call is woven into your personality, gifts, talents, and good deeds prepared for you before your life began. Because of the intimate dance between your true self and your calling, pursuing your passions will always be key to realizing inner peace. Without the exploration and pursuit of your passion and calling, your inner self can feel dry or even bankrupt.
Calling, however is not the same as identity. Your identity is the understanding of who you are in light of your relationships. Your identity is not the same thing as pursing the passion God gave you to take ground in His name. For women, calling can be easily rolled into our identity as a mother, sister, friend, daughter, and wife. We value our relationships the most and are wholly devoted to them. We want the same inner peace we desire for ourselves to flow into our most precious relationships. Consequently, our value is often tied to key relationships, but that is not the whole story.
Coming from a legal background, when I think of calling, I think of the word ‘summons’ which is defined as “an authoritative or urgent call to someone to be present or to do something.” It’s God’s individually crafted “summons” over you – the combination of God infused passion and action made for you and you only. Calling goes beyond the roles (identity) we live out in our lives. Certainly, your call may bring you to a specific focus as a mother, sister, friend, daughter, or wife, but the call does not begin there. When we roll calling and identity into one, we angle ourselves to the left or right of inner peace.
Calling is the standing God gave you as His child with a purpose and mission to live out in the service of others. When we focus on our roles instead of our calling, we miss the intersection of our passion and purpose. We miss the fullness of who we were made to be. The resulting tragedy is the simultaneous unmet longing of so many women: Inner Peace.
Five Reasons Why Pursuing Your Calling is the Key to Inner Peace:
1. Knowing your calling provides purpose for your soul
What makes your heart beat fast? What fires up your desire for justice or equality? What causes tears to stream down your cheeks? What could you just keep doing forever because you love it and you thrive from it? What keeps you up at night or gets you up early? What do you want to stand on a podium and talk about? Is there something that breaks your heart and you can do something about it?
Purpose gives life to the part of you that was intended to be active and alive. When we verbalize and memorialize our calling, we are invigorated with energy and determination to do the thing we were made to do. When we are in sync with our God given desires and can name them out loud or on paper, the inner self invites and welcomes peace.
2. Living out your purpose satisfies the cravings of the soul
Women often fear that they have missed the mark. With the exception of the failures and mistakes that are part of living, the fear of missing the mark is related to whether a woman is pursuing her calling. There is an internal craving that exists inside of us until we live out our calling. Just like many describe salvation as the God-sized keyhole of the heart, calling is a go button waiting to be pushed. The green go button lights up again and again as it waits to be pushed. The blinking light continues until activation and so does our craving. Inner peace is not realized until the self is living out who the self was made to be. When your calling is unleashed, pursued and active, the soul is at peace, satisfied and fulfilled.
3. Avoiding or setting aside your calling disrupts inner peace
Pursuit of a good cause, intention, project or relationship that is not in line with your personal calling may be a factor in thwarting inner peace. In a recent survey of passionate, intentional women, I found that almost all the women were pursuing projects and building relationships. The same resourceful, creative women also stated they desire inner peace the most.
We cannot ignore the difference between pursuing positive projects and relationships and pursing projects and relationships that are aligned with your God infused passion. There is correlation between inner peace and whether you are pursuing the calling that your Creator designed for you. Inner peace does not arrive until your pursuit becomes a pursuit that was God breathed into your being.
4. Pain is healed by pursuing your calling
Women experience deep pain arising from their own self-image, difficulties in parenting and marriage, financial uncertainty and death and loss. The pain is not just in the season of difficulty but in moving forward from the hardship. If we are not careful, we will take our pain with us far beyond the season. We will see our lives through the lens of pain. We will live our lives consumed by wounds and brokenness. In effect, we will narrow the course of our lives instead of expand the ground we take for God and for his glory.
When we have pinpointed our passion and calling and pursue it, our pain is met with purpose and hope. Healing comes. Healing does not necessarily come from the resolution of the hardship, but it comes from gathering up your gifts, talents and abilities towards your God imbued passion and calling. Pursuing your calling is not about distraction from pain, it is about working through the pain by honoring a part of yourself that is meant to be expressed no matter the circumstances. Pain disrupts inner peace, but passion and calling are a spring board for healing.
5. The pursuit of your calling connects you to community
Women often hide their struggles. Strong women hide their fears. Balanced women hide desperation and hopelessness. Confident women hide idols of perfectionism. Grounded women hide how lost they feel. Together women hide how undone they really are. Hidden struggles chisel away at inner peace. Hidden struggles strip down and immobilize passion and purpose. Connection, however, gives way to voice, revelation and freedom.
Connection breaks down the walls of silence that are marring the self-worth and self-image of women. As we verbalize struggles and passion among sisters, we become connected. When we set out to pursue calling, our team of sisters support us, act as resources for us and remind us why our passion matters. When we are supported and heard, inner peace increases. Our passion and peace grow side by side in community.
The pursuit of passion and calling is the key to inner peace. The soul craves purpose. The soul finds healing in the path of passion and calling. The soul finds her voice in the presence of community. The one thing she desires most for herself and her family can’t be found in her roles, although exponentially important. The one thing she desires most can’t be found when calling is side stepped or avoided. Inner peace is found in living out the God-imbued calling over her life. She will find peace when she lives out her calling.
