I have been blogging for several years now and my blog has often taken on a life of its own. There are days and weeks when I feel so inspired that I write and write and write… then, there are the other kinds of days and weeks. Today was sort of one of the “other” kinds of days. I found myself asking, “Where is my passion? Where is the wild innovation I often feel bubbling under the surface?” I found the answer in an unlikely place; I found it in reading my own blogs posts! It is crazy, but I went back and started reading some of the things I had written and all of the sudden it was like a fog lifted and I felt inspired. I thought, “wow! Did I write that?” So if you ever find yourself in a funk, here is a bit of encouragement: Keep a journal, start a blog, keep a diary, do something that keeps a record of your thoughts and doings. It is a powerful way to look back and see how you have grown. It shows how God has been faithful even in our unfaithfulness. It will encourage you and it will help you remember where you have been.

One of my favorite ways to remember is by counting “gifts” along with Ann and the thousands of others over at her website. Her book truly has changed my life.

So join me and take the challenge. Start small. No perfectionist legalistic rules, just start to take note of the joy and gifts around you everyday. This is a crazy, fast, and wild life we are living. Go ahead and take the advice of an old saying:

Stop and smell the roses!

the first sign of spring in my flower bed...