New Year Archives | Lynn H. Blackburn

2018 In Review – Here’s What Worked and What Didn’t

Lynn Blackburn — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 21:28:42 +0000

For my first post of 2019, I thought it might be fun to share some of my “what worked/what didn’t work” list with you.

I got this idea several years ago from Anne Bogel (Modern Mrs. Darcy). It’s simple and filled with grace. This isn’t a “beat yourself up over your mistakes” method, but a calm approach to evaluating what is or isn’t working so that you can work to eliminate the negatives and repeat the positives. I like to use this method of reflection to help me think well about everything from vacations to book launches. (If you’re a writer, you might find this post interesting- it’s about how I use this method for my writing life).

Here are a few things that made my lists for 2018.

What worked, and what didn’t work for me in 2018. #NewYear #DiveTeamInvestigations
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What Didn’t Work for Me in 2018

Scrolling. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but my phone and I have an unhealthy relationship. It’s just so easy to scroll—when I’m tired, when I’m frustrated, when I’m bored. How many hours of my life have been lost to … what? The latest Instagram post? Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy social media and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with letting your mind disconnect and scrolling aimlessly. For a little while. But I found that it was becoming my default—standing in line at Costco, waiting on my kids’ during sports practices, at the end of a long day. There are much better ways I can spend that time.

Not Reading Enough. I love to read. I was a reader before I became a writer. Books are my first love and best friends. Oh sure, I read my own words over and over and over again, but I didn’t spend enough time reading other people’s words.

Traveling. I love to travel. But this fall I scheduled too many trips in too short a period of time. It wasn’t good for me or my family. Lesson learned.

Running on Empty. I’m a very task-oriented person and it’s hard for me to give myself permission to relax when there’s work to be done. But when I don’t take the time to recharge my tanks—creatively, emotionally, spiritually, physically—I can’t do anything well.

What Worked for Me in 2018

Audiobooks. I’m a visual learner and audiobooks are not my favorite way to consume stories and information, but they totally count as reading, and in the last half of 2018 I finally jumped on the Audible bandwagon. I’m so glad I did. Not only did my kids and I enjoy listening to books as we ran errands and zipped back and forth from ballgames, but I was able to “read” while I did laundry and cooked dinner.

Saying No. I hate to say no to people. Truly hate it. But 2018 was the year I learned to say No more than I said Yes. Finally. There’s something very freeing about knowing your calling and knowing when saying no is the right thing.

Learning New Things. I learned to scuba dive (barely – you can read my thoughts on the beginner life here) and I learned to crochet (you can read about that here). There’s something both terrifying and frustrating about being a beginner, but it’s also so rewarding.

Choosing to Fuel My Creativity. My sister and I purchased season tickets to the Broadway series at our local performing arts center. It was a splurge and it felt very indulgent, but three shows in (and five more waiting on me in 2019) and I’m already planning for next year. I know that live performances are one of the best ways to recharge my creative well. Having set times to do that, already on the calendar and paid for, has already proven to be a true investment in my career. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun!

As we dive into the new year, I’m contemplating all of these things (and many more) as I prayerfully consider what 2019 needs to look like.

I hope you’ll continue to join me on this journey! It’s going to be fun!

Grace and peace,

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Resolved, To Trust Him More

Lynn Blackburn — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:00:00 +0000

It’s resolution time.

Whether we make them or not, we are all thinking about them.

Because deep down, we know something is missing. We aren’t who we want to be. We aren’t living the life we want to live.

We don’t understand it, this need, this desire, we just know we long for more.

But more what?

We know what it isn’t more of. It isn’t more food, more money, more sex, more stuff, more wine, or more leisure.

Oh sure, we want some of that. We joke about what we’d do if we won the lottery. We like to imagine what it would be like to never worry about the price tag, the deadline, the calorie count, or the consequences.

We forget, because we are human and easily distracted, that we are immortal beings. Our bodies will die, but not our souls.

We were made for eternity.

Made for communion with God.

Made for so very much more.

We want the “more” and we look for it everywhere.

We eat one more piece of pie, because daggumit it tastes great so we don’t think about the headache, weight gain, or intestinal distress that we know is coming.

We go out with one more person who we know will ask for more that we should give and we don’t think about the way the euphoria of the moment will flee and leave us empty, again.

We take one more drink, buy one more outfit, make one more deal under the table because we are addicted to the rush, the thrill, the chase and the last time we got a hit of fulfillment was too long ago.

We keep trying to make ourselves happy.

We keep failing.

But the Creator of our soul, the One who created us with that hole we cannot fill, He told us where satisfaction can be found.

The only place it can be found.

In Him.

So why do we turn our back on Him?

I can’t answer that for you, but I’ve been thinking about it, and for me, I think it’s because somehow, I’ve bought into the lie that all that other stuff is better than anything God can offer me.

Or the lie that says that living a life sold out to Him requires too much sacrifice because I’ll have to give up too much of what I want.

I grow blind to how doing it my way is making me miserable. I can’t see that doing life His way, while not easy, leads to a satisfaction and contentment that nothing else offers.

It’s just like with food (feel free to insert your own vice here). I know certain foods make me feel gross, but sometimes I eat them anyway. I get tired of being “good”, start feeling deprived and then all I can think about is what I’m missing out on. “Why can’t I eat that? Why can other people eat it when I can’t? What does it really matter if I have another donut/cookie/Coke/bagel/piece of fudge?”

I forget how good I feel when I exercise a little self-control. I ignore the fact that when I feast on good things, I don’t feel hungry or stuffed. I feel amazing.

The Bible tells us, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” In another passage it says, “Taste, and see that the LORD is good.” And in another, the Psalmist says, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” (Clearly the Almighty knew that at least some of us would relate to food

analogies.)

What if we took Him at His Word? What if we believed that the One who CREATED US, longed for us enough to come to earth and BE WITH US, loved us enough to DIE FOR US, might actually be the key to SATISFYING US?

If you don’t know Jesus, and you’re afraid to get to know Him because you think He’s going to ask you to give up everything awesome, can I beg you to reconsider? To think about how He gave His life so that you could have abundant life? To look at that empty place and dare to imagine what it would be like to finally have it filled?

If you do know Jesus, but you’re afraid to give Him everything because you think He’s going to ask you to do something you don’t want to do, can I ask you to trust Him more? You’ve trusted Him with your eternal destiny. Can you not trust Him with your day-to-day? Can you dare to imagine how amazing you could feel when you wake up each morning—not knowing what the day will bring but knowing it will be an adventure worth taking?

What if we made our 2015 resolution this….just this….

To Trust Him More.

What would that look like?

Let’s find out!

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Let Him Decide Where to Put You

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:49:00 +0000

Several years ago, my dad made a beautiful mirrored coat rack. I had the perfect wall for it and it hung in a place of prominence in my home where it received oohs and ahhs from friends, family, and guests.

Then we moved.

Our new home has an open floor plan with short walls. Most of the long walls are full of windows. There isn’t a single spot in the house that made sense for the coat rack. I guess I could have hung it in the dining room. It would’ve made a great conversation starter, but it also would’ve made it functionally useless.

So with nowhere to put it, I placed it in a hall closet where it sat unused for six months before I realized I was being an idiot.

Because there was one other spot.

But it was so wrong.

I’m blogging today over at The Write Conversation…so click on over to read the rest of this post!

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My One Word

Lynn Blackburn — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:44:00 +0000

Happy 2013 everybody!

I hope your Christmas was extra merry and your New Year is off to a great start!

I’ll be talking about my One Word for 2013 over the next few weeks, but since today is the first Thursday of the month, I’m over at The Write Conversation and I’m focused on how my One Word applies to my writing.

I’d love for you to stop by and join the conversation!

Photo credit: The very gracious Melanie over at Only A Breath designed my One Word button. She did it for me and a whole bunch of people she doesn’t know – for FREE! If you think that’s as cool as I do, maybe you could pop by her blog and check it out!

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New Year – One Word

Lynn Blackburn — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000

A new year.

What’s a task-oriented, planner-toting, stressed-out-mom-of-three, wanna-be-writer to do?

There’s a part of me that longs to open a spreadsheet and plan the next twelve months.

There’s another part of me that knows just how long that spreadsheet will hold up under the steady stream of daily life.

So this year, I’m trying something new.

Well, it’s not new. It’s new to me.

Instead of resolutions and detailed plans of attack, I’ve chosen one word for 2012. One word to focus on, to filter decisions through, to pray for and about.

One word.

And let’s face it. For a word-loving girl like me, narrowing anything down to one word should have been challenging. But this word floated to the surface with ease.

I tried a few other words, let them bob along in my mind for a few days, but they couldn’t stay afloat. So I’m stuck with this word. For 366 days.

My word for 2012?

Intentional.

My prayer for 2012? That I’ll use this word to remind myself that I don’t want to bob along without direction. I don’t want to parent by accident. I don’t want to write on whims. I don’t want to worship only when the mood strikes. I don’t want to be so busy ordering my day that I fail to rest in His plans for me.

Ten years from now, I want to be able to look back on this time of my life and see trips to the library, the zoo, and the children’s museum, sprinkled in with Bible studies, date nights, and, dare I say it, maybe a novel—or five?

Life is short. I want to live on purpose.

Not regimented. Not legalistic. Not even with a ten-page spreadsheet. But I don’t want to miss the things that matter. And it would be so easy to let that happen in the whirlwind of everyday life.

So here’s to a year of intentionality. I hope you’ll hop Out of the Boat and walk the waves with me.

How about you? Do you have a word for 2012? I’d love to hear about your New Year’s plans and possibilities!

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