M@*$&#%@%…

Daily writing prompt
What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?

I was born angry, raised on the streets, and have plenty of scars to prove it. But, the most tell-tale sign of my origins… is my mouth!

It didn’t help that I spent a good five years riding in a Semi truck with my husband, soakin up the lingo from other truckers, while we sat waiting to load or unload.

They employed such colorful ways to express one’s immediate feelings, re-tell another truckers incredibly embellished stories, or build up their own tales of fiction. It was like taking a crash course at the Potty Mouth Institute!

I got so good at makin a man blush that it went to my head, and since there weren’t any kids around, I just started letting my own brand of foul words fly free. I didn’t really think I had a problem, but my own husband started giving me raised eyebrow looks. He actually started cutting back on his own bad language because of me, I think.

Then, about two years ago I just got sick of listening to my own vile utterances, so I decided to stop.

Honestly, I can say that it was one of, if not the most difficult goals I’ve ever set for myself. It ranks right up there with quitting a 40 year old smoking habit, though God carried me through that one. For this reason, I can’t technically say that the smoking was the most difficult goal.

Looking back now, I see a number of things that lost their charm, once God began reshaping and remolding my life to match His purposes. The more time spent in scripture, in prayer, and in fellowship with my heavenly Father, the less I struggled with my language. Over time, foul words began to bother me more. As I listened to other people use profanity, whether on television, in public, or on the gaming chat channels, I was convicted by my own discomfort at listening to others…. I sounded just the same when I swore!

I realize that words are just words, but for myself, I feel that it grieves my Holy Spirit. And, not just that… it could cause offense to another person! That was the part that sealed the deal, for me. There would be no more fence-walking on this one… foul words found the door, and I made sure to let the door hit them as they went out.

How bout them cookies…

Ok, so maybe the cookies are a bit large, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t taste good… well, maybe don’t eat the ones that landed on the road, as they’ve become soggy and gross.

It’s a Twofer…

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or maybe a Threefer…

Daily writing prompt
What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?

This girl likes a deal! I go shopping for an item that I want and come home with a whole bag of other stuff… why? It was on sale! Today, I will answer the prompt and give you extra as well… why? As Castle says, “It’s what I do!”

Upon thinking over the years and what my goals and accomplishments might be, I find that I can actually name not just one… not just two… but three goals ladies and Gents… three!

The first goal was my children. I was told not to hope too much for a baby, due to permanent damage done by medications my mother took while pregnant with this girl. I conceived 8 times in my motherhood years, losing all but 3… but it was worth all of the effort, pain and struggle… They are such lovely creatures!

The second was to quit smoking tobacco… I started when I was 11 years old. I smoked for many years, stopping during the years of my childbearing goal. This girl did that part by the book, as they say! Finally, after 40 years I lay my last cigarette down and walked away.

It was one of the most difficult times and yet one of the sweetest. Why? Because God walked with me through the whole process. I was not alone through the night sweats, the headaches, nausea and agitation that comes with withdrawals. For the first time in many attempts at kicking the habit, I kind of just knew it was God removing this burden from my life… I had inner will power that had never been there before. Whatever you want to call it, I call it a Gift from my heavenly father.

The third goal was to write a book! Well, thanks to each and every person who stops by and visits the Lobby, I was able to finish writing my own story, which had been on my heart for many years. You kept coming back week after week to read the next part, so I found myself compelled to finish the painful parts. Thanks for that, by the way.

I always wanted to steal away somewhere quiet and serene and type out a story that maybe, just maybe would help another hurting soul. I never did find that special somewhere to write out my life, but I wrote it out none the less… and now I am diving into my next book! I cannot seem to stop writing, now that I’ve started.

This sort of stuff is what God can do, for me anyways. Not one of these goals could ever have been accomplished on my own, not my babies, my strength to kick the habit, or my ability to write. Every thread of my life belongs in His tapestry by his hand, not mine! There is so much power in surrender…

Maybe that got a bit heavy there for a minute so lets lighten the day back up with a treat.

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