Real

I'm trying something new today. I'm linking up with Gypsy Mama in her Five Minute Friday. Simply, I will write for five minutes flat without editing or backtracking--today's topic is Real.

Go.

The beginning of the year brings out a flurry of New Year's Resolutions. I admit, I make them too. But it seems to me that they are a defeating way to start because they almost never stick, and you get to the point of almost not expecting them to. They do not bring real change. It makes me wince to read stuff like, "I'm really going to start exercising this year," or "I'm going to try harder to blog every day." Real change isn't happening, despite best intentions--mine and, it seems, most people's.

So what can effect real change? Change of habits, change of mindset, progress toward being who I want to be and where I want to be? The power of the Holy Spirit. Discipline. Habit. Starting small and building. Real change is long-term, long obedience in the same direction, vision for the future. If I want to exercise, it has to be for bigger reasons than looking good. If I want to blog more often, it has to be for more than upping my following. His glory in my health, His glory in my words. His will in my life (and me healthy enough to embrace it). His will in my writing (and me honing my craft by disciplined practice).

Real change.

Stop.

Okay, that was way harder than I expected, more rambling than I wanted, and I went a little over the five minutes. It's hard to write something short with a point when you start with no idea where you're going. I don't even know if that made sense or said anything worth while at all. This is hard, putting unedited words out there for the world to read. Yikes. Okay, publishing. :)

(By the way, the whole blogging more thing is not one of my resolutions. It's just all I could think of at the moment, so if you don't see more blog posts from me, you know why!)