2015 was a landmark year for our son Adam as he traveled to Africa and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, proposed to Jess, moved into his first house and worked hard to finish up most of his MBA. 2016 will bring his wedding and more changes as he and Jess start their life together.
Meanwhile things here in Sugar Valley have stayed pretty much the same. We lost our sweet kitty Nellie and our big oak tree, planted a garden, added some new flowers, painted the kitchen. Keith and I finally took a vacation together and had a nice time watching giraffes and zebras from our balcony at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney. I ran two half marathons and a wet Peachtree 10K. I did my first team half marathon in Rome and a few 5K’s here and there. My cross country team grew to over 40 kids and did not come in last at our county championships! I’m having my best year ever as a media specialist, doing my best to connect kids to books and helping my teachers as much as possible.
So overall, a great year. Yet I always have this nagging feeling of something left undone – I stay very busy, I never have enough time to read all the books, see all the friends, run all the miles I want – but am I missing something? Am I staying too busy to hear what God wants me to be doing?
As I have prayed about God’s direction for me at this phase of my life, the desire to write keeps coming back. This summer I started attending the Calhoun Area Writers , a very supportive, fun group of folks who have inspired and motivated me to pursue this calling to get my thoughts out of my head and onto some platform for others to read. At the first meeting I attended, the guest speaker was Sarah Rowan, a speech therapist who has published a devotional book, Authentic Happiness: Devotions for the Slumbering Believer. She talked about how she never intended to write a book, but started getting up an hour early each day and reading her Bible and praying. She began to write in a journal and that progressed to a book which has been very successful. I know God wanted me to be at that meeting because I have thought so many times about her testimony and the way the book flowed from her willingness to be obedient to God’s calling in her life.
Throughout my life I have had many experiences that were truly led by God, and others that were led by me. The times that I followed God’s lead, events flowed as easily as floating down a river. The times I was doing the leading, I stumbled and struggled. So with this pull to write, I have prayed over and over for it to be “God led” and not “Millicent led”. I feel God has given me some small degree of talent and a desire to share what insights I have, but my constant prayer is for it not to be about me. I keep praying that I will just get on the boat with Him and sail along!
Through the inspiration of the Writer’s Group and many of you, I am working on finding that creative voice and trying some options to get published. I am not sure where this river will take me, but I am doing my best to listen to God’s direction. Thank-you to all who have encouraged me, followed my blog and supported me.
I love this quote from author Neil Gaiman, and send it out as my wish for each of you:
Under the Magnolia Tree 
Thanks Millicent. I hope your year is wonderful and that God leads you down the path to your dreams. You might want to contact Godposts about writing for them. I used to get their magazine but now get their daily devotionals in Guideposts through the year. This year is their 40th anniversary. It is amazing how often it says just what I need to hear that day. I think you would be perfect as one of their group that writes the daily devotionals. They post their pictures and what they are doing in their lives at the end of the book each year and I am excited to see each year how they have progressed in their lives. They become your friend. Blessing for you and yours this year.
Cathy
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Enjoyed reading !!! So many of your thoughts made me think !!! Keep writing…. yes, I do believe you have a gift or flare for writing !!
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I really enjoy your blog. You always make me think! 🙂 Every piece of writing that I do now, whether it’s a blog or a meditation or working on a novel, I sit down and say, “Lord, just take it and use it.”
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me too Cheryl. I pray that just the right person reads it! Thanks for being such an encourager to me!
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