Lent journey: PRACTICE

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

2 Peter 1:5-8 (The Message)

Personal reflections:  Practice is something that is done over and over and over again to master a skill, to develop self discipline, or to create a new pattern in one's life.  Upon meditation of this word, I discovered that I am TERRIBLE at this in my life.  UGH!  This is a huge weakness for me!  I have focus at the outset of something new or regarding a project or in accomplishing a new goal, but the things that I must practice over and over and over again fall short the majority of the time - or I have to CRAM to accomplish something, which means just pushing through to get it done; no mastery of skill involved when that happens.   

Now, I have practiced making pies over and over and over again - so the expected outcome nearly always occurs.  So.....why can't I apply the skills I've learned in one situation to others?  Why is it so difficult for me to practice these things?

• eating smaller portions and no grazing in-between meals
• getting outside to walk a distance daily
• starting a project and completing it in a timely manner (I've laid out all the fabric mid-January for a new bed quilt, for Blaine and I, that I started in 2007....I'm still struggling to take up the practice of making time regularly to complete this project.  And there are other projects still awaiting my attention!  I should have finished this quilt by now.  sigh.)
• Books - I love books (and we have ALOT of them in our home), but I need to develop a practice of reading, at least, a chapter daily to make progress on my "to read" list.
• This Lent practice - a word "each day" - post a photograph (don't even need to say anything, if I don't want to), but I struggle to post daily.  And yet, I am determined to see this practice through, as I am learning alot!
• Bible study - I have really struggled with disciplining myself to develop a practice of participating in an organized Bible study.  Yes, I do read my Bible (not always as regularly as I should) - but I cannot seem to finish a Bible study I begin..... 

I could go on and on, for I am seeing the pattern repeated over and over in my life.  My practice is starting and not finishing.  I've watched other friends who accomplish ALOT in their day or week plus farmers who write new blog posts regularly....  Hmmmm...   Lord, please help me to develop a better practice in my life in multiple areas!  I really, really need Your help!

Today's verses have awakened my awareness that this is a BIG area of my life that needs concentrated focus and God's help to make a change - for the better!