Thursday, August 29, 2013

I. Am. A. Writer.

I realized today I haven't blogged in several days and one goal I had was to write every day during the #StartExp. Then I realized I HAVE been writing every day. Something has changed.

I. Am. A. Writer.

I have been writing a lot, but some of it is stuff for articles, some possibly for my book... some of it just rambling and I don't want to post that stuff in my blogs. There is already a lot in my blogs that will probably be in my book... but I realized today... as I was driving down the road talking into my phone trying to get out what was in my head before I lost it...

I. Am. A. Writer.

So - for now... let me say I have been writing, I have been working on things to send for publishing. I have 2 article ideas... the first is a letter to my 12 year old self. I think it will be SO helpful in doing some serious healing that needs to happen so if it never gets published I think it still needs to be written. My second I got the idea for as I was driving to work this morning. That's the one I had to talk into my phone to get down.... still working on figuring some of it out as it didn't translate everything correctly from my voice. I am really excited about this possibility and see it as having a lot of potential.... an article about silence. I have always been the girl who had to have the radio or TV on in the background NO MATTER WHAT. Lately I have found I am enjoying the silence. That's all I'm going to say about that here... you're gonna have to wait for my published article on the subject and then I'll post a link to it.... because, you know...

I. Am. A. Writer.

And, while I use the computer or phone apps a lot, I DO sometimes use pen and paper... and this writer - she has a box of a dozen GREEN pens, because that's just how I roll.

Sincerely,

Sherri... the writer :-)

Monday, August 26, 2013

The Hater in My Mind

I got today's assignment first thing this morning from Jon for the #StartExp (I can't believe it's Day 15 already!) Here is the assignment:
Today is national “Ignore a hater day.”

Oh, you didn’t know? That’s because I just invented it. Today, I want you to ignore one hater you’ve bumped into in the last week. Don’t respond to their tweet or facebook comment. Don’t answer their angry email. Don’t jump in the mud with them. Ignore them and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a little less negativity in your day. 

I thought, "This is easy - I haven't really had any haters hating on me." Then, when I got home from work I thought I would purchase my own domain name and set up my own blog. I chatted with someone from my #Start group on Facebook and they recommended a site and said they would walk me through it and said it was pretty easy. I logged on and took the plunge and was met with nothing but frustration. I even spent 30 minutes on the phone with tech support and then got disconnected. I got a refund and decided to just stick with Blogger for now. Then the voices started,
  • "You don't know what you are doing!"
  • "Who do you think you are to have your OWN website?"
  • "Does anyone REALLY want to hear what you say?"
  • "You're not good enough."
Then I realized what was happening and I realized my own voice was the hater and I began to ignore it. I am so good at listening to the lies that play on repeat in my own mind. I decided then and there to ignore those voices... to ignore the lies. That negativity has no place in my life anymore!

I know that what I have to say matters. I have had comments from people about things I have written and I know that my story can touch people's lives. God has made it clear to me that this is what He wants me to focus on and work hard on - whether it is all for my own healing process or also for others doesn't matter - I must follow where God is leading. I know that I am doing exactly what God wants me to do and THAT. IS. ALL. THAT. MATTERS.


Ignoring the hater voices and pressing on to all that God has called me to,

Sherri

Sunday, August 25, 2013

What a Difference a Week Makes

Last week, I had to push myself to get out the door to church and while I was there I felt like I was in serious battle with satan. That punk was putting doubts in my mind and heart while I was singing. I sang through the tears, sometimes I just prayed through the music, I was fighting with everything in me and asking God for strength to just stand. I knew that punk satan wanted me to bolt out the door and there was a part of me that wanted to just run and go home and hide under the covers. But God got me through by His power and His strength. I was wiped out the rest of the day but I was obedient to do what I knew God wanted me to do.

Then - I had the BEST. WEEK. EVER. I don't know what happened - my attitude was different, my focus was better, I enjoyed myself every day at work. Even stupid things didn't bother me - I just let them slide and kept doing my job and had a great time doing it. Friday came and it wasn't the normal, "Oh - TGIF!" I was pretty indifferent about it being the weekend. Sure, I had things I wanted to do and sleeping in sounded wonderful, but I would have been OK going to work Saturday morning - my week was THAT GOOD.

Saturday I did just that - I slept in. It was wonderful. Then I went to Solid Rock Coffee House with my book that I planned on plowing through that day. God had other plans. I had a wonderful visit with a girl I have known since she was about 5 and she is now a senior in college. It was such a joy hanging out, talking about her future and just catching up. Then another friend came in and we ended up visiting for quite a while. I then had some "work" to do entering some things on a spreadsheet for our Wednesday night Grace Nights at church. I can't go right now or help with anything, but I offered to help with the registration - I can do spreadsheets... totally up my alley! :-) I did get some of my reading done, but had a great day - wasn't what I planned - but God showed up and planned my day better than I could have imagined.

This morning I got up, after less than 5 hours of sleep and I woke up before my alarm went off and I was wide awake and was SO EXCITED to get to church to worship our Lord. On the way to church I heard the song Overcomer by Mandisa and was jamming to it as I drove. I had just posted in the #StartExp how this was "my" song - God has shown up time and time again, keeping me from going under - He has held me and kept me from feeling completely hopeless.

We sang and it was awesome worshiping my Lord with my church family. I was in awe at what a difference a week made. Last week I was feeling so defeated and I was in the midst of battle and this morning I was free.... free to worship and love God and thank Him for all He has done! It was awesome.

We just started a series on Heaven and today's passage included these verses:


When we were reading the passage and got to these verses I wrote in the margin, "Overcomer - Mandisa" I was floored with how God was reminding me that through Jesus I ALREADY have the victory. That punk satan is going to keep throwing punches. There will be times he gets me down again. But through Christ I HAVE VICTORY.

Filled with awe, hope, and gratitude,

Sherri

#StartExp Day 14 - Time Magazine Article

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This morning I woke up to this assignment in an e-mail from Jon (I can just use his first name by now, right? I mean we ARE following each other on Twitter and everything - we can be on a first name basis, right?) Oh... and yes, as a matter of fact I posted this picture on a friend's Facebook wall just to taunt him... he's like a brother to me - I'm allowed to do that too, right? ;-)

Anyway - this was the assignment:

This one will feel a little, maybe even a lot, silly. Today, I want you to write 100-250 words from your Time Magazine article. Didn’t realize you’re in Time? You’re not, yet. But someday you might be and right now I want you to write what that article will say. Mine would say, “In the summer of 2013, Jon Acuff turned a corner. In the midst of a long hot June, he decided to sell out his event. And he did!” It doesn’t have to be well written. Just write it!
This was a pretty easy and exciting assignment for me. I found myself at the keyboard right away just typing away. so here it is... MY Time Magazine article...


In the Summer of 2013, Sherri Adelman found herself at a crossroads. She was having a crisis of faith, going through a serious bout of depression, feeling completely hopeless, really just wanting to die and for God to take her home. Then she had an idea - she had this blog and knowing that she didn’t actually own it she decided she needed to copy and paste all the posts into a document since there was no way to export the text.  She had to do this for her own sanity because her heart and soul was poured out in this blog. In the process of doing this she saw how God had worked in her life in the past, she saw His hand in her life and she was encouraged by her very own words. Then Jon Acuff rolled out the #StartExp (round 2) in his blog and she saw it - "Willing to take a risk? Willing to step out of your comfort zone? Sign up here. This post will disappear in 24 hours." (or something to that affect) She signed up without a second thought not knowing what she was in for. She got the first e-mail from Jon about a week after she had been near rock bottom. She identified her risk - she was going to write a book, something friends had told her she should do for years. This was a defining moment and it changed her life. Sherri “punched fear in the face”

For the record - this came in at exactly 250 words - phew.... I didn't want to fail this assignment! :-)

Loving this journey and all that God is doing through it!

Sherri