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Welcome to the Determined to Dance podcast with your host, Jennifer Hallmark. Today’s episode, Still Determined to Dance, is an impromptu episode on persevering when life gets weird.
Are you ready? The world would have us march to its chaotic beat but God invites us to dance in His will and His way. Let’s take a moment to be energized, refreshed, and motivated to face the day, one spin and twirl at a time.
Show notes: Still Determined to Dance
Today’s episode is supposed to be about dancing during ordinary times. I had a plan about talking about going on with God and dancing with God when days are just day in and day out ordinary everyday stuff that doesn’t seem to be getting us closer to goals or maybe doesn’t help us in reaching our goals and the success that maybe we think we need.
But life has a way of cutting things off, mainly my internet’s been down for several days and I finally have it back today, on the day I normally load my podcast. So, I thought I’d just take some time and talk to you a bit.
Talk about dancing when things are not quite what you want them to be. Maybe it is about being ordinary because it seems like, over the last couple of years, life has been ordinary but in a different way than what we want it to be.
We still have to stay determined to dance regardless. I think the thing on my mind the most right now is reevaluation. I read this verse recently in Colossians 3:23 of whatever you do, do from the heart. I realize lately that my heart has been kinda tired. I’ve called it post-covid burnout. I’ve held so strong and kept moving and kept toward my goals and kept going in the direction I needed to go and that God was leading over the last eighteen months. It’s finally catching up with me.
I think I’ve mentioned this before and I don’t mean to whine about it (sorry about that) I’ve reached a place where I’m going to have to stop and reevaluate where I am and what I’m doing and all the things in my life. What is still needful? What is not needful? I believe that’s something we need to do, probably twice a year. And I normally do that but over the last couple of years, I haven’t done it as I should have. It’s going to help me; I think it could help you too.
Maybe you’re at the place that I’m at, and you need to reevaluate where you are and what’s going on. I was listening to an episode of Novel Marketing, one of my favorite podcasts for writers. Thomas Umstattd Jr. talked about reaching a place where basically he said he couldn’t even get out of bed and he realized he was way overcommitted. He had kept adding things but hadn’t done any subtraction in the process.
I tend to be that way; the type of person that thinks I can do it all and feels like I could do it all. Suddenly, I’m so overloaded and I realize, oh, well maybe I can’t do it all. Some of you might understand where I’m coming from. So, I’m going to take the next few weeks and I’m going to really evaluate where I am. I’m going to look at everything I do in my writing life, my podcasting life, my blogging, my physical health, my mental health, my spiritual health, of course, and what I do at church, what I do for my family.
I think I just need to do a little pruning. Our guest speaker at church last Sunday talked about pruning. And I thought that’s where I’m at. I need to do some pruning. There are some things that just need to go. That’s the only way I can put it. There are some things that need to go. I’ve known it for a while, and the rest of the year is going to be low-key for me. I’m waiting to hear from several publishers that have different versions of my book; have actually two books.
And the waiting game has been hard. It’s been hard on my heart. It’s difficult when you wonder, do people like what you wrote? Do people want what you wrote? Or do you need to reevaluate your writing? Do you need to take what you’ve done and maybe make it better? Do you need to put it aside? Do I need to start something else? I’d like to start a new book. I have two or three new book ideas. But is it time to start it?
So, I’m going to take the next several weeks and I’m encouraging you to join me and do the same thing. Let’s get some points here because I like to do three points.
- I’m going to make a list of everything I do. I’m going to make a list of physical things I do. Spiritual things I do within my own spiritual life. I’m going to make a list of the church things I do. A list of writing and a list of blogging. Podcasting, and a list of what I do for Word Weavers. I’m a mentor with Word Weavers International, a really good group for writing critiques. A good Christian community to join if you want to further your writing. And I do a lot for them. So, I’m going to take all these things in my first point and write them down.
- I’m going to say, Okay, what, right offhand, can I see that I don’t need to have anymore. What can I do without? What is something that’s old, from the past, something I don’t need to do anymore? So, number one, I’m going to make a list, and number two, I’m going to cross out the ones that stand out.
- I’m going to start praying over my list. I’m going to take each item and really lift it up to God and not just do it one time, but do it over the next several weeks, and say, okay, God, I’m at this point, and I need some help. And I know you can help me, and I know you gave me the Holy Spirit, to be in my heart to show me to teach me and to be my helper and to be my God. And I’m just asking you, help me to see which areas I need to prune, I tend to think I can do it all. And you know that, of course, I can’t, and only you can help me to make these decisions.
I believe, over the next few weeks, it’s going to be a good journey. My podcast and quality might not be as good because I don’t usually talk off the cuff like this. And it makes it a little bit harder when I don’t have my nice notes to go by. But maybe that’s what we need to do for a few weeks, I plan to take this first season up to 40 episodes. I have nine episodes left/ We’ll see if I can talk off the cuff for nine episodes. If not, I’ll go back to more notes in a written script. But I thought we’d just try it this week and see how it turns out.
I’m just asking you to join with me to go ahead and make your list to take the things off that you know, right away you don’t need. And then to pray over that list and see, you know what and where you are going to go from there.
I’d like to hear from you, I’d like you to add something in the comments of my blog post on whatever place that you listen to me, whether it’s apple or Spotify. Whichever one just let me know how this is affecting you. If it’s making a difference, I’d like to know, if you’re in the same place that I’m in. You just need to let go of some things, release some things to God and believe that he can still use you. That He’s still making a way and that he’s still opening a path for you to move forward in your life with him.
And that dance on the dance floor. We’re taking his hand and we’re doing wonderful tangos and foxtrots and macarenas, and all the other dances of today with God. In His timing, in His will, and in His way.
Let’s pray. Father God, I thank You so much for being with us. Being with me and my listeners and all the people that are determined to dance with you. God, we just want to do it right. And sometimes in doing it, right, we think right is doing too much. We ask you to help us to prune what we’re doing. Help us to let go of things and to release things to you. To pick up anything that you want us to pick up in its place, or just to leave those places empty. If that’s what you want. We want to be in Your will more than anything. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
I’m so glad you joined me. I’m glad you’re on this journey with me. I don’t think anything’s helped me as much lately as being the host of a podcast and sharing my heart each week with you. I hope to hear from you, and I’ll see you next week.
Until then, stay determined to dance.
Links:
My debut novel, Jessie’s Hope
Remember: Still Determined to Dance
Video of the week:
I absolutely love music and each week I’d like to share a relevant song we can enjoy together.
