Lara Casey's Blog, page 23

Bible Journaling with Kids

‘I oftentimes forget. I forget the good that has happened in my life and focus on what’s hard or undone. I forget that I don’t have to be perfect, and I try do it all. I forget the big picture and instead find myself focused on the narrow list of what feels urgent today.

I forget the way home.

In the thick of it, I want to hold something in my hands that brings me right back to what matters.

I want Grace, Josh, and Sarah to know the way home, long after Ari and I are gone. There’s a pit in my stomach thinking about it because I love them so much, and I don’t want to imagine not being with them. But the truth is I’m going to leave this earth one day. Ari will too. It’s a hard truth to hold in my hands, but it’s potentially the most life-giving seed we can plant, friend. It’s the seed of legacy.

I want to cultivate truth in my children. I want to equip them to plant their own gardens in this world and learn how to thrive God’s way. I want to cultivate a life that is focused on growing what will last longer than I will—not what seems exciting or enticing right this second.’ – from Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life

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Bible Journaling with Kids




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Bible journaling with Grace

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The Cultivate sticker book

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She Reads Truth Bible

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Painting in the Bible!

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She Reads Truth Bible

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Photo by Grace : )

So, I began doing something that has been surprisingly easy and impactful: Bible journaling with Grace. Now, let me tell you that the whole idea of Bible journaling seemed too scrapbook-y for me. I tried scrapbooking and I enjoyed it, but I couldn’t keep up with it. So, when I saw people posting photos of their colorful Bible pages, I was hesitant. Until I had a life-changing conversation with Illustrated Faith founder, Shanna Noel. She talked about Bible journaling as a way to connect with the Word and worship God with art. She talked about it as a way to plant seeds of legacy.

It all clicked. This was something Grace and I could do together. Our creative brains could run wild in the pages of the life-giving Word! I gave it a try one night. Grace was instantly hooked and so was I.

I have gotten a ton of questions this week about Bible journaling with Grace and how we do it.

Here are a few tips and resources!

- We use the She Reads Truth Bible, which I LOVE. It’s beautifully crafted, thoughtfully designed, and it has great wide margins on pure white paper–a great canvas for Bible journaling!

– We also have a bunch of Illustrated Faith supplies from Dayspring and we use stickers from the Cultivate What Matters sticker book too.

– Having shared those things though, you can use anything! We sometimes just use crayons : )

Photo by Grace : ) 

We have done it like this so far:

– We start simple. We pick a verse and highlight it. I ask Grace if there’s a verse she wants to do (she might recall a song she learned in Bible class at church or a story we read at bedtime that week) or sometimes I pick one that I highlighted from my own Bible reading that morning.

– I read the verse a few times and talk about what it means in words she can understand. Sometimes we talk about the history behind the verse, and sometimes we talk about life application.

– Then I ask her what “pictures” come to mind when she thinks about the verse so we can begin thinking of what do draw, paint, or put on the page.

– We draw or make those pictures on the page. I really try to follow her lead here with what we create together.

– Lastly, we write either what we’re grateful for that day or comments about the verse and what it means to us. One of us writes the date and that’s it!

– Sometimes I write a little love note to Grace in the margins too. (There’s much more about that in my upcoming book!)

– We leave the pages we journaled open on the kitchen counter to see the next day till we do a new one. We have a stand for our Bible in the kitchen. The one we have isn’t available anymore, but I found this one as a suggestion for you to try.

– An essential tip: make it easy to get your supplies out at the drop of a hat. We have an Illustrated Faith bag in one of the kitchen cabinets that we can easily bring out and easily toss all the supplies back into when we’re done.

Bible journaling with Grace has helped us have meaningful conversations about the Bible while engaging her full attention with a creative activity. One of the best benefits for me, besides having good conversation about God and closeness with Grace, is letting a smaller portion of scripture really sink in. I end up memorizing most of what we journal.

When Grace is older, I’ll give this Bible to her as a gift–as a way to always remember the way Home.

I hope this post has encouraged you to give this a try–whether with kids or yourself. Have you considered Bible journaling? I’d love to hear from you!

To help you get started, I have a great giveaway for you today! Win a She Reads Truth Bible, a copy of my upcoming book, Cultivate (releases June 27th!), a Cultivate What Matters sticker book, Illustrated Faith supplies from Dayspring, and one of our SOLD OUT Write the Word journals (we will have more in stock in August!). Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mid-Year Goal Setting with PowerSheets + $25 sale!

Want to know one of my top life tips?

Ask questions and be open to unexpected answers.

Think about it. How did you learn about the things you love most? You asked questions. You sought answers. When we stop asking questions, we stop growing. I love the questions you all have been asking me lately.

The top three questions I get asked:

1. How do you begin to figure out what your goals/passions are?

2. How do you overcome the fear of failing in your goals?

3. How do you stay motivated?

I created the PowerSheets goal planner because I kept asking those questions too. They are my safe space to get messy and dream and pray get outside of my comfort zone. They are the place I uncover goals that motivate me, how I prioritize, and how I take action.

My goals and progress for June so far.

And that fear of failing? It doesn’t magically go away. Even better: your good goals become more important than your fear.

After I did my mid-year goal refresh in my PowerSheets, I put my refreshed quarterly goals up on my bulletin board so I always see my priorities.

This might be crazy, but in an attempt to help a whole lot of people finally do the things they have always wanted to do–whether in motherhood, business, marriage, a career, or in cultivating what you have right where you are–I have a surprise for you:

The six-month undated PowerSheets are on SALE for $25! (regularly $40)

As of me typing this, we are already sold out of Teal, but we have a few Pink and White left. Once these are gone, this is it until the 2018 release! I shared my goal progress from the last six months on Facebook live today and answered some great questions. Listen in…

It’s time.

Time to do the things that have been burning on your heart.

Time to dig in, right where you are with what you have

July 1 could be your January 1, my friend.

Get yours now.

I’m excited for you!

LITTLE BY LITTLE / It’s Time

Hi, friends! I had grand plans to write an inspiring intro for you today about how it’s time for mid-year goals and how the mid-point of the year is such a great opportunity for reflection and redirection. But, it’s time for me to close up shop and get the kids in bed soon, so here are some fun and helpful links for your week ahead. I hope you enjoy them! : )

A little peek at our office on this quiet Friday afternoon. : ) 

1. Get the first 43 pages of my upcoming book, Cultivate, for free! Thank you all so much for the flood of encouragement about this sneak peek. I can’t wait to share the entire book with the world on June 27th! Download the first 43 pages for free here. Enjoy!

2. Find hope in waiting seasons. I had my first guest post on the blog last week, and it was a powerful one! 

3. It’s okay to grow slow. Read my 3 reasons why slow growth is more powerful than fast–and get the new It’s Okay to Grow Slow e-book!

4. Listen in, kiddos (and parents). Grace and Ari have been listening to a fun podcast for kids called, Wow in the World. Highly recommend! Another one to listen to? I did one of my favorite podcast interviews ever last month.

5. Don’t just sit there. I have gotten so many great questions this week about my standing desk and stepper, so I made a page for you with all the details. I have LOVED the messages I’ve been getting from friends with pics of them on their pink steppers!

5. Cultivate your prayer life. So many of you have asked about my prayer journal. I love it so much! It’s from ValMariePaper.com.

7. Get growing! It’s not too late to start a garden–no green thumb required. Start here. I have my first-ever garden tour coming to the blog next Wednesday!

8. Climb to the summit. (Ha! I couldn’t come up with a better lead-in to this one!) We had our fourth-annual team summit a couple months ago, and it was awesome! See the photographs and get a peek into what we did on SouthernWeddings.com.

9. Embrace the mess. I chatted with Natalie Brenner last week about motherhood and how I face challenges. Read our interview here.

10. If it matters to you, cultivate it. Did you know that I have three free e-books on the homepage of LaraCasey.com? Get your Marriage, Faith and Goals e-books for free here!

Happy weekend, friends! I’m so grateful for you!

May Progress + June PowerSheets Goals

Woooeee, May was a big month! We pulled things out of the garden and planted new ones, set my homeschool schedule with Grace for the fall (I’m teaching her two days a week and she’ll be going to a “homeschool school” the other two days for the Kindergarten year), had an amazing Team Summit, added two new team members (who we will introduce you to soon), and I became a mama to a kindergartener!

Grace named our bike and trailer, “Electric Blue Lightning.” She is not technically electric, but she sure has some cute passengers!

It was also a month of praying big prayers and receiving unexpected answers. We had several FaceTime conversations with Sarah’s birth mom, and hope to have her visit us soon. This is such a wonderful and unexpected turn of events after a year of no contact. We also started meeting with our new church family group, which has been refreshing. Instead of meeting at night when our little ones are sleeping (which meant one of us could go, but one of us had to stay home), our new group meets on Saturday mornings at our house. We are SO grateful!

My little buddy exploring the Fearrington gardens.

Here’s a recap of May goal progress and my PowerSheets goals for June are below too.

My May PowerSheets progress:

– Plant the garden. Yes, little-by-little we are pulling out the pansies and replacing them. It’s looking great, and we are having fun getting out in the dirt!

– Cultivate book launch prep. Yes! It’s time! Pre-order Cultivate here. (Pre-ordering is so helpful to ensure retailers have enough books in stock on launch day. I am so grateful for the many friends who have already reserved their copies!)

– Create the budget with Ari. We have made very little progress here because I haven’t made the time to dig in, but this is a focus for May. In fact, I put it on my calendar just now to have a finance date with Every Dollar next Friday afternoon.

– Lead a refreshing team summit. This. Was. Awesome. A full recap is coming soon!

– Prayerfully launch summer products. Yes! Our new collection has been such a huge help to me personally, and I have loved seeing many of you get your first set of PowerSheets and the new Fruitful Friendships workbook!

– Implement new team meeting structure. Yes! We have completely re-vamped our meeting structures and schedules. Instead of one weekly team meeting and two Cultivate What Matters marketing meetings, we now have a weekly Tactical meeting for the entire company (that is scheduled to the minute and so helpful!), as well as a monthly Cultivate What Matters meeting and a monthly SW meeting for more long-form conversations and decisions. We have also implemented daily standing check-ins, which has been awesome! We stand (no sitting as it’s supposed to be a 4-minute meeting to kick off momentum) and quickly share our top priorities for the day. We also see who needs help with tasks, and that’s it. Four minutes a day, first thing in the morning before we open our laptops, has been so valuable!

– Create a new date night plan. Huge thanks to my friend, Joslyn, for offering to help us make this happen. We love her and the kids love her too!

– Hire a new caregiver. This is still in process and I would be so grateful for your prayers as we find the right fit for our family.

- Pray impossible prayers and be open to new possibilities. Yes! As referenced at the start of this post, I’m so grateful for the fruit that grew here.

We pulled lots of pansies and violas out of the garden to make room for new flowers. Grace was not at all excited. ; ) 

June is already shaping up to be a big month, too. The PowerSheets include a goal refresh every three months, and I was especially grateful for the summer goal refresh this month. Here is a video of me doing my PowerSheets for June and a peek at the new color coding process I’m testing (and LOVE!).

June PowerSheets Prep with Lara Casey from lara casey on Vimeo.

If you don’t have a set of PowerSheets yet, now is the perfect time to get one because they are 6-month undated sets. June is an ideal start time!

And here are my monthly PowerSheets goals for June:

– Prayerfully and praisefully release Cultivate. It took two years to write this book (with a complete start-over and two babies in between) but in 26 days these pages will be out in the world. And I have something special just for you–the first 43 pages for free! I am admittedly nervous to share this. When you write a book in the middle of one of the messiest seasons of your life, it can give you butterflies to think of people reading the words you wrote in the thick of it. But, so much good grew out of that season and I hope these pages help you in your season too–right where you are.

– Pray impossible prayers and be open.

– Steward our budget well and passionately.

– Hire our new caregiver.

– Write a homeschool “starting” plan. 

– Grow closer to our family group.

– Solidify new team roles and rhythms.

Join Jess and me every Wednesday this summer to talk about how to make friends as an adult–it’s possible! And the best part? No perfection required. Mark your planners: noon EST each Wednesday through June and July LIVE at Facebook.com/laracasey. See you then! Photo by Olivia from Nancy Ray Photography.

June weekly goals:

– Bible journaling with Grace. We have loved using the She Reads Truth Bible and supplies from Illustrated Faith!

– Writing in the margins of the Bible to Grace. (More about this in Chapter 10 of Cultivate. : ) )

– Love others as I have been loved–lavishly!

– Stretch my perceived limits to grow strength and endurance in my fitness

June daily goals:

– Continue reading my chronological Bible reading plan for my Number 1 goal!

– #RunLiftPraise

– Eat more raw foods.

– Stay active in my work days –see how I do it here!

– Share why I have the hope I have

– Praise Him!

Oh, June, you make me nervous and excited all at once. It’s time to send these pages out into the world! Pre-order Cultivate here. (Pre-ordering helps to ensure retailers have enough books in stock on launch day. I am so grateful for the many friends who have already reserved their copies!)

Your turn! I’d love to hear: Do you have goals for June? I’ll pick one of you to send a special surprise box of goodies to from the Cultivate What Matters shop. I love sending real mail, and I love hearing your thoughts! Congrats to May’s winner, Sara Ward!

10 Lies and 10 Truths + The First Three Chapters of Cultivate!

I used to believe that gardening was a gentle hobby for those who had more time on their hands. Well, I was wrong. So very wrong. Don’t ever let anyone try to tell you that gardening isn’t hard work!

Last weekend, I tilled up one of our garden beds with a cute helper who had a very practical broom as his garden tool of choice.

After two hours of shoveling, pulling, hauling dirt and manure, and pruning trees, I had to lay down and watch Daniel Tiger with my three little garden helpers!

Tilling the hard ground of winter in my garden each year leaves me sore the next morning—a good kind of sore that reminds me I woke up some muscles that had been dormant and made some progress in that dirt. It’s the same with our lives. Confronting what’s holding us back–pulling the lies out of the ground and digging into truth–takes some muscle.  The act of digging into what feels messy or broken may feel challenging or uncomfortable, but it’s necessary to grow new things. The hard work of cultivating will be worth it.

In my upcoming book, Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life, I confront 10 common lies we believe (sometimes unknowingly). I use my story and the lessons I’ve learned in the garden to give each one a strong dose of truth. Life is too short and too valuable to waste it telling ourselves (or listening to) lies about who we are, or what we can or cannot do. So, let’s expose them and bring them into the light where we can do something about them!

Here are the 10 Life-Sucking Lies and 10 Life-Giving Truths from Cultivate. As you read each one, mark in your mind which stands out to you the most:

Lie 1: I have to do it all.

Truth: I can’t do it all and do it well.

Cultivators pay attention to what matters.

Lie 2: I have to be perfect.

Truth: It’s in the imperfect that things grow.

Cultivators dig into the season they’re in.

Lie 3: My life needs to look like everyone else’s.

Truth: I have a life to grow that is as unique as I am.

Cultivators think big picture to uncover their unique path.

Lie 4: It’s impossible to start fresh or move forward.

Truth: I can move forward by digging in and breaking up the lies.

Cultivators nourish their soil with truth and let God redeem their dirt.

Lie 5: I have to know all the details of the path ahead.

Truth: Forethought is important, but faith is essential.

Cultivators have faith, believing in what they can’t yet see.

Lie 6: Waiting is not good or productive.

Truth: Waiting is a time of ripening.

Cultivators ripen in the wait.

Lie 7: Small steps don’t make a difference.

Truth: Little-by-little progress adds up.

Cultivators tend to what matters, embracing little-by-little progress.

Lie 8: I will be content when I have it all.

Truth: I will be content when I live grateful.

Cultivators intentionally savor the fruit.

Lie 9: I can do life by myself.

Truth: I need meaningful relationships.

Cultivators embrace awkward and grow in community.

Lie 10: The past isn’t valuable; it’s all about the future.

Truth: Remembering God’s faithfulness helps us cultivate a meaningful legacy.

Cultivators preserve what matters for future seasons, and future generations.

I’d love to hear from you! Which lie and which truth stood out to you the most?

To help you break up the lies that have been holding you back lately, I have something for you today. I am admittedly nervous to share this! If you’ve been following my book writing journey over the last two years, you know it has been one of imperfect progress. I wrote Cultivate in the thick of one of the hardest seasons of my life and even had to start over half-way through the process. But, like working in my garden, all of this hard work and digging in was worth it. I’m grateful for how my journey has changed me (and our family!) and I hope this free preview of Cultivate encourages you to grow right where you’ve been planted. Download the first pages of Cultivate (for free) by entering your email below.

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If those first pages encourage you, I would be so grateful if you would consider pre-ordering your copy of Cultivate here. This is so helpful for retailers to have enough copies in stock on launch day. Thank you in advance for pre-ordering! As a thank you, if you pre-order the book before the release day on June 27th, you’ll get these amazing pre-order bonuses. Claim your bonuses here.

And lastly, thank you. Thank you for encouraging me on this journey. I am so grateful for you, friends!

Finding Hope in Waiting Seasons

I have a treat–and a first–for you today, friends!

In my upcoming book, Cultivate, I share something I have learned in the garden: “I always thought it was unattainable, this elusive thing called “balance.” But as I’ve observed my garden over the years, I have noticed something. In the seasons, we find balance. The seasons allow my garden to rest and grow at just the right times, and it’s the same with our lives. The seasons teach us how to do life well, revealing a life-giving rhythm: we flourish through intentional periods of stillness, growth, hard work, and rest. We need this rhythm in our days, in our weeks, and in our everything.” – Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life. And challenging seasons–seasons of doubt, grief, transition, and waiting–can become unexpected gifts.

My friend, Elizabeth Thompson, was a prayer warrior and great encouragement as I wrote Cultivate right in the middle of one of the hardest seasons of my life. I’ve known Elizabeth for many years and her husband played a part in helping Ari grow his faith. She also happens to be an incredible writer, and after reading her new book, When God Says “Wait,” I knew you would be blessed by her too. So, here’s a first on my twelve-year-old blog: a guest post!

My seven-year-old holds up an apple core, eyes shining. “Mommy, I have decided to be a farmer.”

I raise an amused eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“Yes!” She is breathless with excitement. “I’m going to plant the seeds I got out of my apple”—she opens her palm, revealing a pile of shiny brown seeds—“and they are going to grow into trees so we can eat free apples and save money.”

I swallow my skepticism—Can you actually grow apple trees from seeds taken directly from an apple? Don’t they have to pass through a bird’s digestive tract or something disgusting like that?—and try to mirror her enthusiasm: “Oh, that sounds great, Sweetie! Let’s plant them in the pots out back.” But even as I speak, my heart gives a painful squeeze, because first: She knows I’ve been worried about money and she’s trying to help. And then: Please God let these seeds grow. I’d hate to see her disappointed.

So we head outside and Little Farmer presses her seeds into three pots on our back deck. And then we wait. And wait. And wait some more.

Meanwhile, life is happy but hard. We—my preacher husband, four young kids and I—are alone in a new town. We are struggling to start a church, find friends, forge a new life from nothing. Money is tight. The kids always sick. The rental house mildewy.

I feel stuck on pause, waiting to feel less lonely. Less inadequate. Less homesick. I’m waiting for life to change. Get better. Get easier. I pray, I read, I do my part—as much as I can figure out my part, anyway—and I wait for God to do His. I know He’s planted us here, I know He is doing things in us, growing things in us, but most days it’s hard to see.

Still the little apple seeds rest underground, hidden from view, and Little Farmer starts to get anxious: “Are my seeds growing? Is anything happening?” The first week, she keeps plucking the seeds out of the dirt to check their progress.

“Honey, you can’t take the seeds out once they’re planted,” I tell her, laughing. “They can’t grow if you keep bothering them. Seeds need time.”

Time.

Seeds need time.

The lesson hits me hard. I’m not sure if I want to laugh or cry.

God has uprooted me and my family and planted us in unfamiliar soil. He has initiated several beginnings in our lives—new church, new friendships, new baby, fast-growing kids, slow-growing careers—but right now there’s no evidence of growth.

Like my daughter, I’ve been impatient. I keep digging in the dirt, yanking up these seeds God has planted, holding them up to the light, scrutinizing them for sprouts, swelling, any sign of progress: Why are we still lonely? Why isn’t money getting easier? Why does my career feel stalled? Why is life so HARD?

But it’s too early yet. Whatever God is doing, it’s still small, still subtle, still internal—all invisible to the human eye. And I realize that the waiting, the inertia, the stalls, the in-between, it’s all part of God’s plan. Part of His process. I need to stop obsessing, stop trying to rush God’s methods. I need to stop pulling His seeds out of the dirt to study them. I need to relax and rest and let Him do His thing, as long as it takes.

And that’s not all. God hasn’t just planted seeds in my life—He has planted me. I myself am a seed. His seed. I am lying in the dark, covered in dirt. Waiting for God to reveal more of His plan, to grant relief and grace and growth to help us through this painful season. And a scripture springs to mind: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John12:24).

My Little Farmer’s seeds need their time in the darkness. Their time to wait for death—the moment they cease becoming seeds so they can become something bigger. Something better. If they aren’t buried, if they don’t die, they’ll never be reborn. They’ll stay stuck—forever dormant, forever seeds.

But I’ve been fighting it, the burial, the darkness, the death. I want out. I want light. I want fruit. I don’t want to be an inconsequential seed facing death and change and transformation. In fact, I don’t want to be a seed at all—I want to go straight to being a tree, tall and impressive and fruitful.

But I’m not a tree yet—in fact, I’m not even a sprout. And there’s nothing I can do to skip all the steps between. There is a growth process, one God designed with infinite wisdom and care. Against my will, I realize, I have to trust His process.

And that means being okay with waiting.

It means being okay with burial, with periods of darkness and confusion. Times of frustration—I can’t find the guy, can’t catch a break, can’t get pregnant. Times of disappointment—I can’t find a friend, can’t conquer debt, can’t kick this weakness. Times of heartbreak—I can’t turn back time, can’t move back home, can’t bring back my little lost baby.

It means being okay with death—dying to my old ways, my own plans, my old self (Luke 9:23–25)—because one of these days, God will turn death to life.

One warm afternoon, my Little Farmer sprints into the house shrieking: “My seeds are growing, my seeds are growing!” The whole family rushes outside and sure enough, nine baby sprouts are nudging out of darkness, reaching for light.

The family cheers and I’m pretty sure God is having a chuckle at my expense. The little apple seeds have made it—survived their days in the dark, their first small death—and God, wise Designer, gentle Farmer, has called them forth. Brought life from death. The little seedlings have many difficulties ahead—autumn is coming, then winter and frost—but their first hurdle has been conquered. Their first wait has ended. And I know my time in the light is coming, too. I’m not sure when, but these seeds give me hope.

I don’t know what you are waiting for, what you are suffering through—growing through—but I pray you find comfort in these words. Hope. Even when we are suffocating in darkness, staring down death, we can take heart knowing that a good Farmer is watching over us.

In His time and with His help, we will see growth and hope and light again. If we’ll stop checking for progress and make peace with His process—more, if we can find comfort in the Farmer’s great love for us—then one day, like my Little Farmer’s seeds, we will unfurl from the dirt and stretch in the sun. We will laugh in His light. And the Farmer will continue to protect us, prune us, and nurture us until we grow tall and strong, bearing seeds and fruit of our own.

—

Whew!!! Friends! Didn’t that bless your socks off? Thank you, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth Laing Thompson is the author of When God Says “Wait”: Navigating Life’s Detours and Delays Without Losing Your Faith, Your Friends, or Your Mind. She writes at LizzyLife.com about finding humor in holiness and hope in heartache. Elizabeth lives in North Carolina with her preacher husband and four spunky kids, and they were totally worth the wait. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Are you in a season of waiting? What is God teaching you in this season? What do you hope He will grow in you?

Photos in the garden by Gina Zeidler

Three Reasons Why Slow Growth is Better than Fast

This is called a no-fluff intro. I don’t have an inspiring anecdote for you–I have something better: an honesty challenge. Ready? Fill in the blanks:

If I could hit the fast-forward button on something, it would be _____.

I wish I was better at _____ already.

I wish I was done with _____ already.

Maybe you’re feeling restless in an area of your life that’s not growing as fast as you’d like. Maybe you’re craving change–and you want it yesterday. Or maybe you want to know all the details of the path ahead before you take action on something that you’ve always wanted to do.

We don’t like imperfect starts or slow progress, do we?

We want perfect and finished right out of the gate.

Ready for some life-altering truth? All plants grow through the dirt, and so do we. The best things grow little-by-little over time.

The first zinnia of the season bloomed in the garden this week. This little plant is about the size of a popsicle stick right now, but it will be four-feet tall by July.

For example, if plant a zinnia seed and dump a bucket of water on it, can I expect a full-grown plant and flowers the next day? We create those kinds of unrealistic and unhealthy expectations in our own lives, don’t we? We chase after fast results, only to feel inadequate when they don’t happen.

Have you felt that?

We often think of slow growth as flawed growth, but the truth is that all good things grow slow–babies, fruit, relationships, and big dreams.

Here’s some encouragement for you from my upcoming book, Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life

How will nurturing growth and embracing small bits of progress get you anywhere fast?

Maybe fast isn’t the goal.

Maybe cultivating an intentional life means aiming for what happens over time—like the richness of relationships—rather than getting to the finish line. When something matters to you, you don’t focus on how slow the journey is to get there; you keep moving forward because the path forward is worth it. The world says do more, grow fast, be big, use these tricks, analyze, do it like those people, get ahead. But that’s not how good things take root.

New homeowners like trees labeled “fast growing” to fill in a space quickly. But fast-growing trees don’t have deep enough roots to last through storms and drought. Good things grow and take root, little by little.

Maybe, despite everything everyone tells you, slow is richer than fast.

Maybe a slower pace will help your roots stretch deep and wide.

It’s okay to grow slow.

Here are Three Reasons Why Slow Growth is More Powerful Than Fast (and three tips on how to harness the power of slow starting today!):

What happens over time is better than “instant” results because:

1. When we only focus on the finish line–or on perfect outcomes–we miss all the life that happens along the way. We miss the good things growing right in front of us on the journey. And you know what else? We miss potentially better outcomes.

Grow slow tip: think back to some of the dreams and plans you had as a kid. What if you made a list of dreams and had to stick to that list, no matter what? What if you weren’t allowed to change your mind, change course, or consider new paths as you grew and explored the world–and your talents? If that was the case, I’d be a very unhappy geologist right now. And I likely wouldn’t have met Ari because I wouldn’t have become a personal trainer and worked at the gym where he first asked me for workout advice. I am so grateful my path didn’t follow a linear plan–it was more of a zig zag : ) Slow growth allows us to see better outcomes–and take action on them!

2. Slow growth allows us time to prepare, learn, and… grow! Little by little progress adds up and, in the wait, we are ripened and readied. Trust that what you want to cultivate matters enough to allow it to grow over time as you take small steps forward—and some big leaps along the way too. Your cultivated life matters enough to tend it like a garden and trust that the effort invested over time will add up.

Grow slow tip: When something feels hard because I feel like I don’t “know” enough or I feel like I’m not equipped for the task, I think of Moses. He didn’t feel capable of doing what God asked him to do, and you know what? He didn’t have to be! God helped him and He grew Moses’ character over time. He readied him along the way, not all at once. When you feel unprepared or like you’re not ready, celebrate. Maybe what’s ahead of you is a time of major growth. I often think to myself that the more incapable I feel, the more opportunities I have to grow my faith and put my trust in God’s strength–not my own.

3. Fast growth doesn’t last. Little by little, we learn to care for what we’ve been given. According to multiple studies, a majority of lottery winners end up going broke and filing for bankruptcy. They aren’t equipped to handle financial gain that fast.

Grow slow tip: Most of the time, what holds many of us back isn’t fear of failure, but rather, fear of success. But, here’s the thing: most success does not happen overnight. And you have permission to change your mind or change course along the way if that’s what God says to do. It’s unlikely that you’ll win the lottery–literally or figuratively–and that is a great thing! Instead, you get to go the path of real progress–the path of slow growth. Fast fixes didn’t heal my marriage, grow our company, cultivate my faith, or strengthen my bond with friends. Little-by-little progress added up, and it continues to!

Want more? You got it! Get my new (FREE!) It’s Okay to Grow Slow e-book by entering your email below. This 26-page e-book is full of practical encouragement from people who are cultivating intentional lives and embracing slow, right where they are. I can’t wait to hear your favorite tip!

IT'S OKAY TO GROW SLOW

26 Pages of Advice and Encouragement on How to Embrace Little-by-Little Progress Versus Overnight Results

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Your turn! What have you been anxious about lately, and which tip above (or in the e-book) resonated with you the most? I love hearing your thoughts. I’ll send one of you to send a Cultivate Shop goodie box.

How to Set Summer Goals + The Fruitful Summer Giveaway!

We get one shot at this life. We can waste it on things that are fleeting or we can GRAB THIS LIFE BY THE HORNS. This is not motivation. This is truth. If you’re reading this, you have breath. You have decisions in front of you. You can take huge leaps of faith to love, to give, and to spend yourself well or…. you fill in the blank.

You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them.

What is that thing for you (and what has been holding you back from doing it)?

Need to get motivated, refresh your goals, or a get kick start? Catch the free replay of my one-hour Summer Goals webinar that will inspire and equip you. You’ll learn the top 10 keys to making good goals happen, practical tips, and ways to get–and stay—motivated. Best of all, this is grace-filled goal setting. No perfection, striving, or perfect track-record required. This powerful hour will help you focus on progress, not perfection.

And to encourage you in your summer goals and in making fruitful friendships, I have an amazing giveaway for you today. Are you ready for this?

Welcome to the Ultimate Fruitful Summer Giveaway! We brainstormed all the things we would want to have an intentional and joy-filled summer, and we’re giving all of these things away to one lucky winner. This summer prize bundle includes everything you see here including our NEW Fruitful Friendships Workbook, a fresh set of PowerSheets, our new Fruitful Summer encouragement postcards, and even a copy of my upcoming book!

Enter below…

The lucky winner will be selected at random. U.S. entrants only as shipping costs are prohibitive on some of these things. (Thank you to all my international friends for understanding! I wish I had a plane to come deliver these items to you myself!). 

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