Tag Archive - writing

3 Excuses for Failure to Meet the Goal

January 20, 2012 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife, Leadership with 2 Comments

The New Year began and already our resolutions have waned. When should we actually start doing what we said we wanted to do? When will we stop reading about it, or stop talking about it and just go do it? I faced those questions head on and decided they were partially a scheduling problem, partially a priority problem and partially fear-factor problem.

Stop Making ExcusesWe’re simply making excuses.

Excuse 1: I’m too busy.

We are too busy to add one more activity to our schedule, but if our goal is important enough to be resolved on, spoken of or dreamed about, then we need to be disciplined enough to make the time for the steps to accomplish it. We don’t have to do it all in one day, but spending a little time towards the goal each day will get us there eventually much faster than dreaming, reading or talking about it.

Excuse 2: I don’t know what to focus on.

Some of us get our priorities mixed up and don’t accomplish what we set out to do. I can waste so much time studying what to do and how to do it that I can become an inexperienced expert on the subject and never get any closer to getting it done. Amongst us are both doers and talkers. Who wants to be the one who always talks like a know-it-all and never does anything? I want to be a doer.

Excuse 3: I’ve never done this before. I’m scared.

A huge block to accomplishing goals is fear. What will others think if I try? What if I fail? I can be seen successful if I never try. If I try, I’ll fail for sure. But what’s so bad about failing? Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Failure is the means for us to learn better methods, a step towards sharpening our skills. Success is getting back up after a setback and working at it again. Mr. Edison also said, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” When on the brink of quitting, we should laugh at fear. Fear is what keeps us from success.

What’s on your bucket list? Something you’ve said, “Someday, I’ll…” How much time do you spend studying it, talking about it or dreaming of it? If it’s that important, why not take some steps to lose that weight, start that company, read the Bible through in a year, learn a craft, read a book, run a ½ marathon, or cook your way through a Julia Child’s cookbook?

What do you want to do and what keeps you from doing it?

Tomorrow, I’ll post 5 Steps to Reach Your Goals. Click to get new posts in your email or RSS reader. Be sure to check out the steps and add insights into how to do what we say we want to do.

This post is part of the Insights into Ministry & Leadership Series. If you enjoyed it you may also like the Living and Working on Mission Blog Series, the Spiritual Journey’s Gentle Nudges Series or the other Blog Series.

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*picture from davidwygant.

3 Steps to an Incredible Journey with God

June 9, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife, Ministry to Women with 2 Comments

A couple of days after speaking at a Prayer breakfast on the topic of a living relationship with God, I had several people who asked for a refresher. They wanted to know more about taking a deep breath and pausing our busy schedules for a few minutes to focus on God. I will answer their questions by outlining the method I use for taking a breather to join God on an incredible journey.

writing prayer with God
Creative Commons License photo credit: juliejordanscott

I’ve read the Bible, studied the Bible, prayed, kept the famous Quiet Time and done all these things since my early teens, but it wasn’t until I asked God to speak to me that I learned what it looked like to have a living relationship with God. This forever changed the way I read the Bible and pray.

Here are the steps I take to join God on life’s journey:

  1. Take Time to Hear God

    As I exhale a physical deep cleansing kind of breath, I ask God to speak to me. I sort of sigh out all my racing thoughts and get ready to hear God speak. Careful to keep my spiritual ears open, I read a short devotion and the Bible. I don’t exegete the biblical passage or parse the biblical language. I’m not looking for in-depth Bible knowledge during this time. Rather, I’m simply reading to hear God speak–to give life to our conversation and depth to our living relationship. Reading the Bible with God conversationally has deepened my journey with God.

    I keep a journal of my journey. The things God shows me during my reading, I put on paper. Sometimes it is a little unknown-to-me fact, or at others, it’s a bigger ah ha moment–like the day I was creeped out. (Recorded in Why Following God in Living Relationship is NOT for the Faint-Hearted).  After writing what God says in my journal, I respond.

  2. Respond in Prayer

    My response to God is a prayer of praise–celebrating God’s continued relationship with me. I use the acrostic: P.R.A.I.S.E. Writing the acrostic down the page and my prayer according to these categories:

    • Praise – Think about God’s majesty, power, mercy, grace and love. Praise him for speaking to you and thank him for who he is and what he does.
    • Repentance – Ask God’s forgiveness for your wrongdoing, sin. Be specific. Ask for a clean heart.
    • Acknowledgement – Recognize God as sovereign master and humbly yield yourself. Submit to him.
    • Intercession – Make requests of God for others: your family, friends, church leaders, etc.
    • Supplication – Make requests of God for yourself: your needs, health, job, etc
    • Equipping – Ask God to help you fulfill your purpose in life: to fill you with his Spirit, to help you be victorious over evil, to empower you, to have eyes and ears to know God and a heart to respond to him.

    After finishing the acrostic P.R.A.I.S.E., I ask God to confirm any specific actions I need to take.

  3. Act on the Priorities

    Wrapping up my breather with God, I think about all I need to do. On more than one occasion, God has prompted me to do something specific during my conversation. I write my refreshed to do list making sure God’s tasks get first priority.

After I finish this exercise, I close my journal but carry on the conversation with God. That’s how I know what to do to be living on purpose–going on an incredible journey with God.

How do you keep up to date with your life with God? Please share what works for you in the comments section.

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Mismanaging Self Is Wicked

February 15, 2011 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 5 Comments

Those of us who manage have a grave responsibility. Whether it’s managing the kids while they clean their room, or the money in the family banking account or associates while at work, it’s a privilege of great responsibility to do the work of a manager.

The manager’s effectiveness is reflected in that which they manage. A problem exists when the managers can’t manage themselves. Mis-managers can be terrible organizers, communicators or just plain lazy. When managers mismanage, they create issues for who or what they manage. As an example, check out this biblical story.

“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:45-51).

Managers must learn to manage themselves. In the Bible story, the good manager is the one who manages himself with sensibility and commitment. The other couldn’t manage his passions and therefore had no ability to manage his tasks. He was given to chasing after his own whims and all sense was lost to him. He’d loose his temper, play instead of do his work and ignore moderation in his eating and drinking (See Titus 1:6-9). He had no control over any aspect of ruling his own life and therefore he couldn’t manage anything else.

Hearing this story causes me to question my abilities. Do I mismanage my own life? Am I managing well my passions, my tasks, my time and the people in my life? What kind of manager, wife, mother and witness am I? Am I doing what I should be: sharing God’s love, making disciples, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and imprisoned, clothing the poor, etc.?

Maybe we all need to work on some areas. I know I do. The master will come at any moment and even though we can’t see Jesus, he sees everything we do. We must set our hearts on being sensible and faithful to task. Don’t we want to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)?

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(Images courtesy of sxc.hu)

A Leader Worth Following: iGETitLIFE Keynote, Vonda Skelton

July 10, 2009 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 1 Comment

Vonda Skelton, iGETitLIFE Keynote SpeakerHow do the successful deal with challenges? What is their strategy? And what can we learn from them? I look for people of passion, people who love God and have a single-hearted devotion to be and do all God wants. Vonda Skelton is one of those people.

I met Vonda years ago at a Christian leaders conference, and I’ve invited her to join us today. She is the keynote for Capture Me!, the 2009 iGETitLIFE Women’s Event, and the author of Seeing Through the Lies and the Bitsy series for children. She’s the mom of two and MaMa to a crew. Vonda lives with her husband, Gary, in South Carolina. You’ll fall in love with her feisty yet gentle Southern ways as she shares where she’s going and how she’s getting there. Join me as I glean tips for leading and living my life. Let’s get started and don’t forget to ask your questions or leave comments.

Robin: Vonda, what would you say is your mission, your purpose? Why do you do what you do?

Vonda: I know this sounds silly to some, but I do what I do because I can’t NOT do it. I’ve always loved writing, loved the stage, loved the creative process, but for most of my life I considered all that stuff just selfish self-indulgences. And even though I’d never done any of these creative things professionally, I found they always seeped into my life. They just appeared in my nursing school projects, neighborhood children’s parties, birthday party entertainments, children’s SS classes, children’s church or Bible School programs, and Christian Women’s Club leadership roles. I didn’t set out to be creative in these areas, it just crept its way in time after time. I’d be working on something and POOF! there it was—a skit, a song, a costume, a monologue. They wouldn’t leave me alone!

The day God revealed to me that He could take all those passions and interests and use them to bring Himself glory was an exciting day! For the first time in my life, I felt I was doing what I was created to do! So, to get back to your question, I do what I do to bring glory to God.

 

Vonda Skelton, iGETitLIFE Speaker. The look of a leader worth following!

The look of a leader worth following!!

Robin: That’s awesome. I read a great book, The Dream Giver, about living and serving in the passions and interests that God places in us. Our life’s work becomes an act of worship. When you write or speak, how do you sense God’s pleasure?

Vonda: The best way I can describe it is that it feels like climbing up into a big ol’ cushy recliner, snuggling up to my Father, and hearing His heartbeat. I remember so vividly doing that with my daddy…and all would be right with the world. I love sharing His love, His grace and mercy, His forgiveness. I love that He can take my messes and use them for His glory. I love that no hurts are wasted in God’s economy.

Robin: That’s a comfy feeling, but doesn’t these same acts of worship become a chore at times? A drudgery? How does that happen?

Vonda: Oh, I know the answer to that one! It’s when I get too busy doing all the “stuff” of the ministry. You know, the bookkeeping, the letters, the contracts, the paperwork. It’s when I get away from my calling and have to work outside my area of passion and gifting. But it has to be done. I keep reminding myself that I’m sure Jesus didn’t enjoy everything He had to do to bring His message to the people.

Robin: Ouch. I guess you’re right. Jesus probably didn’t enjoy the cross. Since some things about your mission are enjoyable and others aren’t, how do you decide what you should do?

Vonda: That’s just it—there are too many things that I love to do, that I feel called to do. I love teaching God’s Word, love sharing stories of God’s grace and forgiveness, love sharing my mistakes in hopes that someone else can avoid them, love watching kids’ eyes light up when they realize they can write, love giving women the opportunity to laugh at my mess-ups of life, love letting women know that none of us has it all together but that we’re all struggling to live up to His calling and be who He created us to be.

Some say, “Just make a mission statement and don’t do anything that doesn’t fit that statement.” Great concept but doesn’t work in reality for me. Whether I’m speaking to a group of women or a group of writers or a group of kids, for me, it’s all ministry and it’s all good.

Mission Statement from http://www.getentrepreneurial.com

Robin: Sounds like your mission statement would have to include lots of inspiration and encouragement for others. What helps you determine you’re headed in the right direction and making progress? How do you evaluate your success?

Vonda: I don’t know that success is the word I would use because that has such a negative connotation in today’s society. Today’s success is measured by the paycheck, the notoriety, the name recognition. By those standards, few of us ever qualify. But when I look at what I know God has called ME to do—minister to women, writers, and children, I feel His nod of approval through the confirmation of those I speak to. I mean, how can I feel that I’m not on the right track when a precious sister comes to me and says, “Your message changed my life”?

Listen—it’s not me, it’s not my good works or anything I’ve done to reach any definition of success, it’s only through the story of His power, the demonstration of His love, that anyone can be changed. I feel like the woman at the well who went back to her town and said, “Let me tell you about a man who told me everything I ever did!” The Bible tells us many in her town were saved. Was it because of her? No. Was it because she was a great orator who knew the techniques of persuasion? No. Was it because she was successful by their standards? No. It was because of the message. His message. His grace. His love.

Robin: That’s a powerful picture. A struggling woman used to share God’s message. I’m curious. When setbacks come, and they always do, how do you deal with them? How do you get back on track?

Vonda: I just stay busy. I find if I have lots of different projects going on, I’m not so focused on the “success” of one particular one. So when I have a project that I just know is going to be the next Christy Award winning book, or the next Oscar winning movie, and instead it ends up in the rejection pile, I can whine to my close friends (who love me in spite of the whining) and then move on to the next project. But then there are those times…you know what I mean…those times when you get up and fall down and get up and fall down…and nothing seems to be working…and people won’t leave you alone so you can do what you know you’re supposed to be doing…when you feel pulled in a hundred directions and you think you can’t take another…uh…um…what was the question?

Robin: Hmm, I guess you might get a little frustrated when things don’t go your way, but you always return to your mission of inspiring and encouraging others. A mark of a good leader is not giving up when the road gets rough. Besides being remembered for faithfulness to your mission, is there anything else you would like to say?

Vonda: Oh, how I want to pen words that will make a difference for eternity! I want heaven to be different because of my obedience to His calling. The money truly isn’t the focus. (Although I wouldn’t be OPPOSED to making gobs of money if God decided to send it my way! I mean, just imagine all the good I could do with a gazillion dollars! Wouldn’t that be AWESOME?!?!?) But I sincerely want to be remembered as someone who wrote the truth, shared the truth, believed the truth, and lived the truth. If I made a lot of money and achieved the world’s standard of success, but didn’t portray the Truth on the pages of my life, my life would have been nothing but a lie. And that, dear friends, would be true failure.

Robin: And we don’t want to be failures. Do we? Thanks Vonda. Can’t wait to be with you in September at Capture ME!, the iGETitLIFE Event.

Check out Vonda’s book, Seeing Through the Lies: Unmasking the Myths Women Believe, to find out how to live in the Truth.

Make a comment. What is your individual calling or sweet spot? How do you handle obstacles? What standard evaluates your success?

Related leadership posts: Stepping into Success, Successful Life and Leadership, 5 Tips to Lead a Successful Life

*picture from www.getentrepreneurial.com

Clearer Vision

June 8, 2009 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 4 Comments

I’m feeling a little down today. Tired. Dirty contacts messing with my vision. Girls gone to camp. Feeling alone…

Too much to do. Too much strain in my faith (that God would use me). My turn to whine.

Girlfriend calls. Wants me to fix lasagna for the fellowship tomorrow night. I want to stay home in pj’s.

Writing? How can I do that when I need to call every women’s ministry contact in God’s creation on behalf of Capture ME! ~ iGETitLIFE 2009 Women’s Event. At least I’m not laid up in the hospital with a spinal leak like the iGETitLIFE coordinator. She just had a baby and the epidural caused spinal fluid leakage (pray for Jamie). And I want to whine!

(sigh)
Look. It’s like this. I obey God and still I have troubles. 

 

Clearer Vision Robin Bryce readjusts her vision (pic from gizmodo.com)

(picture from gizmodo.com)

 

I’m trying to not be despondent. I know God’s in control. I’m doing what he asked, but I just don’t see his hand at this time. My faith doesn’t require sight, but my sense of security sure likes it.

"If you will…firmly exhibit your faith at the precise moment, you can sometimes actually snatch victory from the very jaws of defeat… lifting your heart to God in a moment of genuine faith in Him can quickly alter your circumstances…He can turn defeat into victory in a split second, if we will only trust Him." ~Streams in the Desert

Going to cleanse my contacts for Firmer Faith and Clearer Vision.

Relax. Enjoy the Moment.

May 26, 2009 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 2 Comments

Relax. Live in the Moment.

My life whizzes by in increments that seem like decades instead of minutes. Moments slip right by without even a nod. I’m too busy, preoccupied, or focused to relax and live in the moment. And I hate it. I don’t like how I’ve become. Are you like me, missing life’s little joys, or do you have a sure fire way to enjoy your moments?

 

Memorial Day with family at the lake

 

This Memorial Day, it was all I could do to simply sit and enjoy the sun, family, and rest. My mind ran through all the stuff needing to be done. Writing projects. Speaking preparation. And event planning. The pace threatened to consume my moments relaxing with family. Guilt ridden, I managed to keep away from the computer and work, but when I relaxed I was horribly sleepy.

 

Robin Bryce's Girls walking on Water "look I'm Jesus"

 

Memorial Day Jesus Practice: My girls walking on the water . . .

 

I needed a “debriefing” after the previous two week run. Each day piled more stuff on the list, and left no time to accomplish anything I spent five days at the Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference and came home with lots of requests and new friends needing follow up.

During a brief unload, wash, and reload of my suitcase, I watched my super-organized daughter destroy all that was sacred about my office space as she “moved my cheese” to another room.

I tried to be organized with the hotel information in Dallas/Ft. Worth where I was headed, but I couldn’t find the name, address, or metro area of the hotel in which I was supposed to sleep. (Many thanks to Twitter friends and husband’s work associates who helped me find my way.)

 

Ready to Win with Thelma Wells Robin Bryce

 

Awesome Worship with Thelma Wells at her Ready to Win Conference

 

On the road again to Thelma Wells and the Ready to Win Conference, I spent three days with my dear friend Lou. We met more friends, experienced great worship, and yes, more stuff piled on. I can’t even see the top of the to do list any more.

 

Kindred hearts, Tammy Trent and Lou

 

Kindred Hearts: Lou and Tammy Trent

 

When I got home, I put my suitcase into another car along my family’s luggage and off we went for Memorial Day at the lake with my mom and brother’s family. One would think I would want to relax, enjoy the moments with my little nephew and other family members. And I did, but I couldn’t turn my mind’s switch off and never fully engaged the moment.

Did I tell you I hate feeling this way?

Now, I’m back at home in my new space that still has my “old cheese smell” with stuff piled high on this to do list. I want to throw the list away and start over. Can I ignore all that stuff on the calendar, the sticky notes, the promises to deliver, and e-mail alarms?

What’s this? A jury summons! (sigh) Maybe they’ll arrest me for contempt of court or whatever for not showing up. Then I can rest.

What helps you relax and enjoy the moments of life? How do you deal with life’s stuff that piles up stealing from you that little something precious?

Oh, by the way, I was instructed to “Relax. Enjoy the moment” in the Colorado Rockies when this two week run started. A shoot ‘em straight kind of girl shared pointedly that I needed to live in the moments, enjoy the mountains. She’s a truth-filled friend, Suzie Eller. You might want to look her up. 

 

Suzie Eller (right), Renae Brumbaugh (center), and Robin Bryce (left), speakers and writers

 

Suzie’s the smiling one on the right, and Renae Brumbaugh, smiling in the center, is my roomie and the funny girl that has joined the platform for the iGETitLIFE events.

 

Suzie’s counsel was profound, but I’m still trying to figure out the how. I need all the help I can get. Please send me your tips.

Climbing the ladder to glimpse the top of stuff to do. . .Back to sorting the priorities and work . . .

If you got a moment (yeah, I know), please pray for me to live in my moments.

May the blessings of moments be alive and real for us all.

Writer Going Totally Apples? Or Bananas?

August 27, 2008 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 2 Comments

 

What does Michael Hyatt know? That’s what I wanted to know. I have been frustrated with PC elitist mystical knowledge. I’ll never know enough to keep the thing running right, or to recover the files it loses upon crashing. I’m always taking it in for some expert geek to make it behave. I hate the thing. It’s driven me beyond bananas.

I’ve drooled over the ease from which all things Apple seem to work. The iPod is so user friendly with only one button that a grandmother or kid, either one, can use it with ease. Actually, I think a happening dog could howl along with his choice of tunes from using the friendly device.

My husband’s iPhone is absolutely amazing. (I must be careful not to drool profusely on it. He found out they don’t swim well.) As a Blackberry user, the iPhone is whoa so cool. The display, the internet visual, and usage exceeds all I’ve been using with my PDA.

I wondered if a writer’s business could be done in its entirety with the same ease and pie-in-the-sky dream of Apple tools that actually work without the major headaches of the PC.

I took my wonder to Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Apple fanatic. Counting on his knowledge about business, writing, and Mac’s, I asked him why I should or should not do the switch from PC to Apple, what might be the weaknesses of doing my business all in Apple. (It seemed the advantages were obvious.) Basically, I was a beggar looking for a crumb to keep my life and ministry running.

Mr. Hyatt said, “I think the biggest issue will be accounting software. You may have to run what you are using in Parallels. I do this on some other software, and it works flawlessly.”

There you have it. Flawlessly. That’s what I want. So I drove to the Apple Store and purchased all things Apple. Now, I have to learn a few new tricks, transfer info from the PC, and set all the Apple stuff to work for me. The learning curve and set up are slowing me down some, but I still have dreams of working flawlessly. I purchased OnetoOne for training and questions as I learn. These geniuses know Mac AND are always ready to share all they know every time I enter the store. One day cyberspace, business space, and personal space will all be unified in one place with one button. I’m so excited. Could it really be true that tools do what they are supposed to do? Pinch me. I pray I’m not dreaming.

Consumed

March 4, 2008 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 2 Comments

Ever wanted something so bad you could taste it? No, I mean so bad it hurts? A longing that if left would eat you alive, a feeling that seems so right when a taste of the desired is given. A desire and consuming passion that remains foremost in your mind. One might even say head over heels possessed with love for it.

It sounds like I’m talking about some passionate romance, and in a way it might be. It is them. I love them. I want the best for them. I can’t stand not reaching out to them, offering friendship, relationship, and acceptance.The other night, Chuck (my husband) and I went to see a single man our age in the hospital then took his parents and another woman in her 60’s to dinner. We were in a college town, the home of a big college. Our friend said she had never seen so many young people in one place before. Chuck and I had a great conversation with our waitress all during the dinner. I felt at home and in near frenzy in such a target rich environment. We dropped our church members off at their car then went to Starbucks. The place was full, inviting, and very open.

Feelings stirred deep within, a desire to meet each one and offer friendship with them all. I really can’t explain this feeling any better than the feeling of that first love. (Remember the first crush on a guy and the desire that accompanied it.) I want to be around them and give them all I have. That is the best description I can come up with.

The Spirit moves both Chuck and I to love them. He’s wondering what, how, when, especially since he already holds two full time jobs. Pastoring is part time pay, but always full time job. And I’m a financial drain, in other words a well kept woman.

I know I must write, speak, and whatever, and this love is the reason I do it. I am going to Mt. Hermon with all the trappings, proposal, one sheet, yada yada, but . . . I feel all this is only a step to reach my real love. Am I so wrong to spend a thousand dollars on writing chances when it isn’t my first love? If I must do this writing to reach them, it is worth all I have and all any will give me. Writing is more of a discipline than a passion. Will this be understood by editors and agents? Does anyone in publishing want to link up with someone who is more passionate about something else besides writing? Oh, I pray to God that someone wants to.

Just call me Consumed.

Antsy

November 27, 2007 in Confessions of a Preacher's Wife with 0 Comments

I’m antsy. Pacing the floor, starting a fire for the night’s chill, beginning dinner and washing dishes. I’m sitting, watching smoke, trying to keep a paper flame going long enough to ignite the wood. My heart aches; it races with anticipation. Impatience. Readiness. Anxiousness. Desiring to get rolling, see the flame roaring, and NOT the smoke in the fireplace. NOT the buying of a book proposal. NOT the increasingly busy speaking schedule. No, it’s the vision…I am driven.

I must go, do. I’m to work, reclaim people as Christ’s, first in North America then the world. The vision is so much more than a book or a speaking schedule. It drives me, inflames my passion. IF God can use me according to all he asks of me, lives will be changed restoring God’s kingdom, redeeming the lost. I’m ready to get going. Or I think I am.

This aching is intense and makes my adrenaline run. I feel the ‘Here I am. Send me.’ of long ago has me in the starting blocks pointed in the right direction having to wait for the gun to go off. Settled, relaxed, and resolute in mission. Tensed and ready for action.

Am I crazy? Why does my heart burn so hot? Do you think I am abnormal?

I do. I am a nobody, but God gave me this passion—a vision that consumes me. Every day I pray for God’s direction. Bit by bit, step by step, in all He has led me through, I come closer and the steps of the vision become clearer. Please pray. Pray I don’t lose my first love, and that I keep after God, not running ahead or lagging behind. I want to consistently follow God’s lead at all times. I need Him excruciatingly. What to do with this ache? All I know is… to remain close in prayer.

Will you join me? Pray “Here am I; send me.” Or “Use me.” If you mean it and believe it, your life will never be the same. Mine hasn’t, but what an adventure.
Robin