That time change was a good thing

Notice anything different about me?

Don’t you hate it when someone asks you that? You are immediately put on the spot to come up with the right answer, because answering wrong means you aren’t that good of a friend, you don’t really pay attention to them, or worse, you don’t care. You scramble to find the right thing to say, without possibly offending them, trying to keep the sweat from showing on your brow.

My dear friend, I won’t put you through those ropes, so let me shout it from the rooftop.

I HAVE A NEW BLOG!

Wait, what? Isn’t this Noting Grace?

Why, yes it is, but Noting Grace just put on some Big Girl Pants, y’all! That’s right, the training wheels are coming off and I’m ready to take this show on the road.

When my sweet friend, Nancy French, asked me to join her group of talented bloggers here at Six Seeds, I did a little happy dance.

Okay, I completely threw down a groove and totally rocked the cabbage patch for about 10 minutes.

This is such an exciting opportunity to have a platform to share my DIY projects, my Almost Farmhouse, and my faith – something that I rarely did before, but if I’m to be truthful with you, I almost quit this whole blogging business. Let me tell you a quick story.

About two years ago, I had a heart to heart with my husband. One typical, exasperated, busy momma day, I exclaimed, “If I’m not seeing a difference in my blogging within a year, I’m ditching this whole thing!” The gaunlet had been thown down.

This happened around two o’clock, at the end of another tear-filled homeschooling day where I may or may not have screamed at my precious boys. I was still in my pajamas with my hair knotted on top of my head, wearing yesterday’s makeup. Teeth were gnashed and smoke was bellowing from my nostrils. I was I sight to behold!

All I wanted to do was make time for what I wanted to do, and was so sick of only having time to do what I needed to do. In that moment teeming with selfishness, I knew if I put qualifiers on myself, that I would buckle down, prioritize and master my editorial calendar and become a blogging success.

Then it happened.  Life.

Only a few months after my brazen proclamation, in order for all my spinning plates to not come crashing down around me, I had to let the blogging platter fall. I thought for sure it was the Lord letting me know that this door was closing. It was a season of focus on us as a family, on me as a wife and mother, and on Him as my Savior.  But I was wrong in thinking this chapter of my life was over. How many times have we mistaken the Lord’s direction, thinking that we have any capacity to know His will for us?

It was 8 months later that the blogging door began opening again. In February, I shared all about my hiatus and how I was learning to deal with anxiety issues. I was trying to step into a space of grace for myself (and still am). In that process of letting go of ownership of the stuff in my life, wonderful things started happening.  Blogging opportunities began coming to me that had never happened before – sponsorships, features, and collaborations, causing me to rethink this entire blogging business.

So what was different? What was the magic formula?

Perspective.

We are called to renew our minds and to not be conformed by the patterns of this world. Phew – that is not an easy thing for me.

I don’t like change. I mean, reaaaaallly, don’t like change.  I’ve made my to do list, I’ve lined up my plan for the day, from what I’m wearing to what I’m eating. If a bump in the road comes along, my whole day veers off course and I have an inner conniption fit, hurrying to reline up the rest of my day.

But life is like that, isn’t it? So many times we are challenged when we don’t get our way, and that inner conniption fit suddenly becomes an outer one. We’re caught failing at the ‘adulting’ game as you try not to lose all your marbles. Things can get overwhelming so quickly that the ugly can rear it’s head and not-so-nice-things may get said in the heat of the moment.

But, and aren’t we all thankful for that three letter word? But, by changing how I perceived and understood my circumstances, and reluctantly relinquished my false ownership over to Him, again and again, I was able to stop letting myself get in the way and allowing the doors to open when they are supposed to, in the appropriately appointed time.

Time mends all things, hugs and I’m sorry’s are given and normalcy becomes reestablished. Just like that, all the marbles are back in their pretty little dish. If you’re in the midst of change, here’s a helping of grace for you, weary one, that things will fall back into place eventually.  Even if the normal is a new adventure and not what you planned, the chaos will dissipate. It’s all about finding beauty in the blemishes.

I hope that you follow me on this new blogging adventure. I promise it will be a fun, fabulous ride!