Taking a trip down memory lane today – just the past 3 years –
Ever kind of wonder what Gods up to because you just kind of feel adrift? Maybe feeling like you don’t have a definite direction or that you don’t know what you should do next?
The past 3 years have been really life-changing for me and I wanted to share a bit about that today.
Ever had a thought that just wouldn’t leave? An idea that just keeps circulating and it starts to get almost intrusive? I had one of those about 3 years ago. A title for a book popped into my head and my mind kind of went reeling because I don’t write books. I have always liked to write, and this served me well in college but write a book? Never had that thought past a teenager’s passing thoughts about what it would be like to write books or be a photo journalist.
This thought just kept pressing in…it WOULD NOT LET ME GO…
I decided to open up a word document and see what came to me. I have no idea where to start so I just write a sentence about something random…then another… Pretty soon I was typing away. I wrote a few pages and then put it away never really thinking any more about it. That lasted a few weeks, and I felt prompted again to get my computer out and tap away. I ignored it… For a couple months. I think it was about 6 months that I went back and forth, not really taking it seriously because it was exactly that. I didn’t know why I was feeling the need to write but I did have a topic and that should have told me something.
I was pretty much just rambling around in neutral when I experienced a nudge to write again but I didn’t want to so again, I ignored it. And then the nausea started to roll in. With it came the physical realization that If I did not get to writing, I was going to throw up.
God wasn’t taking my obstinance any longer. So, I headed off to the coffee shop and complied…for a while…I’m a regular old Israelite over here. Know what I need to do – God impressed on my heart – gave me the ideas – but I am being a putz.
This went on until I finally realized I was not getting out of this and I started to write in earnest. I even took a trip by myself to Utah, driving by myself all the way from MN- car camping the whole way – this was October – kind of cold between MN and Wyoming.
Utah was great! Camped on BLM land – it got dark around 7 pm each night so the only thing I could do was build a fire and write on my computer. I met a friend for a few days to hike but mostly I was by myself for those first 5 days, just camping, writing and solitude. God even provided me with the best campsite I could have ever wanted. Huge bluff and babbling brook 30 ft from my car – it was amazing. My friend then joined me, and we camped our way north through Utah and then hit the freeway for home.
I published that book 1 year after I had the first nudge to start to write.
I thought I was done but God kept laying out plans for me
The next project was a youtube channel – the idea came to me out in the north woods with my snowmobile – the realization hit me that here I am 50 plus and I am still out here doing things – I’m NOT DEAD YET!! My first thought was – I have to call Angie( car camping friend)
Enter learning to edit videos and getting used to filming every adventure – and planning more adventures.
The past 2 years of creating content for the notdeadyet50 channel has been so much fun and I learned so much and we now have 725 subs at the time of writing this!
1 year ago I felt another nudge – a deep desire to increase my impact for God and feeling like it was supposed to be on the internet. I fought this one too. I said – I have already written 1 book, started a youtube channel – I think I have enough on my plate.
He does not listen very well to me. I was again dragging my feet – I could not get away from Gods prompting. I even tried to just listen to a youtuber I follow named Allan Parr. I chose the video about his testimony – was excited to listen to it while taking a walk on a beautiful day – was 5 minutes into the video wondering when he was going to start talking about his life – clicked back to make sure I had the right video – nope, I had not clicked on this but the one playing was about Alan Parr telling everyone to start a youtube channel – flood the internet with scripture- God hates me
Why….
Fine – Coffee with Kari was born – keep in mind I have whined to God through this whole time period even though I ended up feeling really good about writing the book and I found out I love creating videos and even love the editing process!
I have had this channel for a little over a year and I have become more and more consistent with putting up content. It’s taken my structure and consistency in seeking God to a much deeper level. I am excited to look for things to share with all of you! I am starting to think I could become a full-time content creator – what on earth…
Enter the next thing – God gave me another idea for a 2nd book – and then has proceeded over the past 4 months to continue nudging me to keep writing and will out of the blue just have thoughts pop into my head that I know were not from me. He gave me these ideas for content that could never had come out of my own head – they are just too good!
I am almost finished with book 2 and I can say that I am becoming less of a putz and more excited to just get started when God puts something in front of me
Why do I tell you all of this?
Gods got a journey for all of us. He has a hope, and a plan for our present and future!
You can drag your feet or ignore His pushes but if it’s like what I experienced – He is not going to let you off the hook – He is going to get meaner! The nudges getting harder and pretty soon you’ll be like me and saying
OK OK – put down the 2×4 – I’ll get going!!!
I was out of my comfort zone – a fish out of water – but God – His ideas are the best and He knows the desires of my heart. With all of this, I keep wondering if He has heard what I would love to do with the rest of my life, and that is reach more people, impact with my videos and writing and explore His earth and share it with everyone.
God has great plans and He is not put off by your fears. He can dig up talents you never knew you had and use them in ways you could never have imagined.
If you have asked me 3 years ago if I would have written 2 books and be actively sharing on 2 different youtube channels I would have told you, you were crazy. I don’t know anything about editing videos (I do now – and I love it)
This is my encouragement – when you feel an idea come to the surface, pray about it. I don’t think that every crazy idea we have is God speaking to us, but you owe that thought to bring it before God and ask Him if there is something He wants you to do with it. Talk to trusted friends, pray until the heavens open up. Take little steps and see where they take you.
He doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called 😊