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Happy Sunday Folks!**
It’s raining here. Yea! I know - how weird do I have to be (publicly anyway) to wish for rain? It wasn’t a thunderstorm but it was enough to cool things off, wash some things down and help quiet my spirit. So, me happy…me very very happy.

Earlier today I was thinking about goals and plans that I set for myself at the end of last year. I always carve out a little time in December to think about what I want to accomplish in the new year, how I want to show up in my life & interactions with the rest of the world. Those goals span personal/relationships, career, finances, writing - the whole gamut. It’s June - we’re half way through the year so, what better time to review and make adjustments, right?

Needless to say, I’ve done “ok” but I had a few curves thrown my way from the time we crossed over into 2007. I was having this inner dialogue with myself that went something like this, “Well, I had a few things that came up and basically caused me to be SIDE-TRACKED.” I don’t know if it was the combination of early morning atunement, lit candles, rain, or Najee playing softly in the background but you know what came next right? *Sigh* Yep - revelation.

“SIDE-TRACKED”. Apparently, in some areas of my life, the sidetracked road sign looks EXACTLY like the STOP sign. Caue that’s exaclty what I’ve done. STOPPED. Completely. Yet…I tell myself (and anyone else who’s listening), that I’ve been sidtracked which signifies to the average person as a temporary condition. Oh but to us who know EXACTLY what we’re doing, “sidetracked” becomes a virtual playground where our penchant for procrastination can run free, play to its heart’s content. And people (most) make allowances for us not moving forward because “sidetracked” is normally a temporary thing. To quote Beyonce (and I’m loathed to do so…but, it fits): “You must not know ’bout me, you must not know ’bout me”.

Yeah, I take sidetracked to a whole new level. Yes, life did throw some things at me. And? That’s what life does. But being sidetracked isn’t about STOPPING, it’s about ADAPTING, finding another way to get back to that place where you were headed to start with. And honestly, I’m wise enough to know that my being “sidetracked” for prolonged periods of time, has nothing to do with me being distracted - it’s about me being lazy, comfortable with the status quo. Thankfully, my spirit will NOT let me linger in this playground - it will rust out a slide, pop the chains on the swings, dry up the pond.

I was looking out the window, counting raindrops, when this thought entered my mind: me proclaiming that “I’ve been sidetracked” for extended periods of time is a lot like the mom who says, “this is baby weight” when her child is five years old. Just like that mom has to accept the fact that she’s um…well…overweight, I have to accept the fact that sometimes, I’m lazy, afraid, disobedient, or lacking focus. Having accepted that fact, the question becomes, “Now what? Whatcha gonna do?”

So, this week, I’m dusting off my goals for 2007. Making revisions, noting progress, mapping out a plan for moving ahead. Movement is necessary. It’s a requirement for one who is blessed in any way, shape, form or fashion - no matter how big or small the blessing may be.

As I sit here listening to the rain, I flashback to something that God spoke to my spirit a few years back: “You’re holding up the line. Somebody somewhere is waiting on YOU to do what you’re called to do so that they can then do what they’ve been clled to do. Don’t let your getting out of order or being sidetracked cause someone else to play a positionthey weren’t called to play.”

So, this week, I’m dusting off my goals for 200. Making revisions, noting progress, mapping out a plan for moving ahead. Movement is necessary. It’s a requirement for one who is blessed in any way, shape, form or fashion - no matter how big or small the blessing may be. Movement is a requirement for blessings. So my friend…what YOU gon’ do?

** This was originally going to be my Sunday post but I was um…sidetracked by the rain, mellow music, and a highly active imagination. **

Live DELICIOUSLY!

*~* J *~*

Quotable:

“If I have even just a little sense, I will walk on the main road and my only fear will be of straying from it. Keeping to the main road is easy. But people love to be sidetracked.” ~ Lao Tzu