
Okay, dear faithful Readers. And other types, lol. I know it has been MANY months since I used this blog as a platform, BUT I now find myself with a dilemma which I want to write about — if only to gain a more clear perspective of my options. I’m also HOPING that the Spirit will use my TYPING a bit like He does my manual prayer-writing, with my colored pens and multiple notebooks. THAT is why I haven’t written on this blog — because I pretty much reverted back to my more primitive, more private, physical rather than digital journaling and prayer-writing. In fact, it has developed into something so familiar and so helpful — writing sometimes several times a day and using all sorts of lists and doodles that HELP me see my life more clearly — HELPING me to make my own life less of just another inhabitant of the great Unknown (lol) — and a little easier to LET GO and give it to God, so that my little human self does not ruin it, whatever it may be, lol. :wink:
So, one of the last times I wrote HERE, I had tried turning at least SOME of my writing and observations into my /journey page — what I call my Jo Steps — in the Jo Journey. Not much there, if you WERE to click that link, even a full year or so later now, since I started that particular abandoned project (more on those later). BUT… despite loving having all those “cubbyholes” to fill… I found it somehow intimidating, not a format that I could write OFTEN for… expecting far too much of myself, as I am NOW, writing THIS. **sigh**
Now I can see that I MUST have grown during that year-or-so, since I no longer “punish” myself like I once used to — or at least not so much — for choosing OTHER projects to work on, and abandoning ones like the Jo Journey pages. I pretty much just accept MOST of my “abandoned projects” for whatever they ARE, realizing that if God wanted them accomplished, He would press them upon my mind to some degree of urgency… and if He doesn’t, why then they MUST just be something designed by me, FOR me — things to keep my mind and hands busy, to stay sane during these times. :wink:
Little samplings of what I HAVE worked on in the last year can be seen on my /WeMi page — but again, most is taking place off-site — my apologies again, if that helps.
I really think my casual attitude IS a sign of growth — yay! Time for a Scripture Intermission:
“Don’t save treasures for yourselves here on earth. Moths and rust will destroy them. And thieves can break into your house and steal them. Instead, save your treasures in heaven, where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will be where your treasure is. “So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. “If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? It’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small! Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries.”
Yep, so that’s what I am striving to do — whatever God gives me to do, and NOT trying to “figure out” the rest. Easier said than done, right?
Briefly, what has happened SINCE I last wrote (and started the Jo Journey)… there were FOUR deaths in the family — my nephew’s grandma who raised him, then my brother, then my other brother’s wife, then my husband’s father. You could say it was a tough winter. BUT the incurable optimist in me says, “Hey! I got to see my daughter and my ‘mommy sister’ two extra times than I otherwise would have!”
NOW, I am entering into a time of transition and change. My sister and her hubby return with their motorhome from Florida in a few days, at which point I will basically be moved back into my van. Yes, as in LIVING in my van. But it’s cool – I DO have everything I NEED, including a little potty and plenty of blankets and books, lol. April 30th to May 9th, I will be living in my van IN WeMi — my HOME that I miss soooooooo much! Which finally brings me back to the dilemma I wanted to write about…
I have been praying about HOW to BRIEFLY summarize each of my exploratory nature walks — both the few I have had already this spring, learning new plants on EVERY walk… AND all the daily walks I plan to have on BOTH sides of Michigan, in the coming weeks, months, and years. Last summer I wrote about several of my nature observation adventures on the Jo Journey — and that IS one of my options, to keep adding to THAT section. But I honestly do not know if I will EVER flesh out the OTHER topics on the main page, so I just don’t KNOW… I hate to build upon a perceived failure, or any type of abandoned project. Hmph! I WOULD like to get better at processing and uploading photos (and perhaps videos, eventually — but that REALLY triggers my perfectionistic inner creative), and posting from my PHONE, rather than relying on getting out my laptop… BUT my perfectionistic tendencies combined with my hatred for small screens to do ANY work (even checking email!) presents yet MORE problems. I COULD just add to a Facebook group or page… and I DO already have several of those that might work for this photo-heavy plant-learning writing adventure that awaits me. Besides, I figure SOME people out there might be interested to see just HOW I live out of my van so comfortably. Yet I must say, VIDEO is NOT my thing. I do not like the GLUT that is on YouTube, so much of it trash to me… and I MUCH prefer the written word over spoken, anyways. What to DO? In a nutshell, I WANT to keep a record — written and visual — of my coming adventures, living half in my van and half in the great outdoors, walking and wildcrafting, learning and creating… but I seem to NOT do it, if my inner critic is triggered – if I myself perceive the format to require much editing. I do NOT like the square format of Instagram, nor do I like being part of the crowd that is there or on most ANY social media platform. I suppose I like Facebook most, but I do have one son and a few others who avoid Facebook and Messenger…
So, I am praying that God will give me clarity, perhaps helping me to set up more than one option, perhaps an initial thing on Facebook and/or on my site, and of COURSE with the hope of turning what I learn (with some of my own photos) into more user-friendly printable and digital card decks, not only helping ME learn, but hopefully helping others learn things in the areas of wild edible and medicinal plants, observing nature, van living, AND… well, I have SEVERAL other target topics that I keep building, if only for myself, lol. Pray for me, if you feel moved to… and contact me using the little blue contact bubble, bottom right corner of this page, if that is on your heart to do. THANKS, faithful Reader! <3 HUGS! <3