On July 7^th, I made my 3^rd Olympic team. I have the honor to represent The United States of America for a 3^rd time. I would not have thought that I could have done this more than once when I was younger. Time, faith, determination and perseverance has showed me something different.

What’s track season without struggle?

For me there is no such thing. Each year brings it’s own set of difficulties. This year would be no different. As I prepare for the Olympic trials, I had to make some tough decisions. We will talk about that another time. That story is still working it self out.

There are times in the process, where you have to trust the process. You have a goal, but the way you get there will vary. My plans took a different turn than what I wanted, but my goal remained the same. To make the Olympic team. I did just that!

The path that I took to make the team was not in my original blue print.

It’s like renovating a house. The structure is there, you just have to go in and make some updates.

Each year My Dad and I, have to renovate the program. We map out all we think is necessary to accomplish my goals. We gut the program based on last year’s finished product and see where we can make some improvements. Then we decide what we need to keep and what needs to be thrown away. When you renovate something, you don’t have throw it all away, you just pull out want you don’t want, need, or doesn’t work.

It’s like renovating a house. You have a blue print (a plan) on what you would like for the house to look like. While you are renovating there are a few surprises that force you to go back to the blue print and make some changes (detours, challenges, test, trials, difficulties).

If you watch HGTV, like I do, with out fail, there is always something the renovators never see coming. When they come across a situation they can a) give up and find another house or b) change the original plan. Not once have I seen them give up on a house (perseverance), they always finished what they started. It may take them longer (time), cost more money (sacrifice), or/and look different than what they wanted(God’s Will), but some way it turns out to be exactly what they needed.

Your path and my path will have different blue prints and it will change quite often. Never give up on the house you are building. It may not turn out the way you thought, you may not get all you wanted, or you may get more house than you planned for. At the end of the day it’s yours.

God’s blue print for your life is different than the one you laid out for your life. Knowing that He has the final say, leave some room for some changes. Go with the flow, because one thing He will never do is leave you during the process.

I trust the process (faith). He has changed my blue print so many times (perseverance), I had to wait my turn (time), but its for His will to be done and for my good (determination).

Don’t stop building. Keep moving forward. You will be surprised what you will get at the end.

I’m waiting on my finished product.

Until Next Time,

Michelle