Slowly but surely

Be of good cheer. Do not think of to-day's failures, but of success that may come to-morrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will have a joy in overcoming obstacles—a delight in climbing rugged paths which you would perhaps never know if you did not sometimes slip backward, if the road were always smooth and pleasant. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.
—Helen Keller.

Pressing on.

Persevering.

Crawling forward.

That has been my "mode," for the most part, over the past several months.

I've been the fabled tortoise, plodding along on my various projects, making bits of progress as I go, sometimes feeling like I will never get there.

Yet, as Aesop (and the hare!) wisely discovered, slow and steady wins the race. It may take a while, but it will happen.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12

I am in the midst of several projects right now, and some of them feel like they will never come to an end. Yet, if I persevere, they will, slowly, but surely.

1. I am writing a book
2. I am organizing my home
3. I am training my children to follow Jesus
4. I am becoming a more submissive wife
5. I am growing in Christ
6. I am developing my writing gift
7. I am building up my editing business
8. I am developing and growing my ministry of encouragement
9. I am doing other things I'm not remembering at the moment

With only two days left of 2008, I can honestly say I have not achieved any of these goals. But do you know what? I'm further along today than I was at this time last year. I am pressing forward. I am getting closer each day (though occasionally--maybe more than occasionally--I "skip a day," or even slip back a bit). But the point is, I am moving forward.

As I look over the past year, I realize that it's okay to not achieve my goals (though I actually did achieve some goals - just not these!) as long as I'm moving in the right direction. And I am.

So, I am claiming the Helen Keller quote above as my "theme quote" for 2009, and Philippians 3:12 as my "theme verse." I hope some of you will join me--either in encouraging me, or grabbing one of these as your own direction for the new year.

And my goals? I only have one "completion" goal. Because of a "deadline" of sorts, my goal is to finish my book, and get it polished enough to redeem my half-priced editing from Finesse Editing and Writing Services, run by the wonderful Deb Porter.

As far as the other items listed, I want to press forward on each, and be able to say, with confidence, that I am further along in December 2009 than I am today.

Because slow and steady wins the race.