Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s (own) handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, (born anew) that we may DO GOOD WORKS which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time), that we should walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.)
Day # 3 Date: Saturday September 12, 2026
Mrs. Smith *Social Pathologist MS (Weekly Blogger @AmenWeekly.com)
*Blogger of 75 -Day Hard as a Spiritual Journey! *49-Year old *Mom of 4 *CEO & Social-Behavioral Skills Trainer @ Sweet Home California (Proverbs 22:6) *Retired Home School Mom *CFO & 1st Lady @ AeroComInc.com
Day #3 75-Day Hard Journaling & AmenWeekly.com Blog Testimony
Testimony: Around the beginning of September, I was aiming to begin my 75-day Hard Challenge with my oldest daughter officially on September 10th. In the meantime, my son’s new girlfriend (pic to the right) was over and we were talking about the challenge and she said she was going to be doing a 75-day Hard also but she was adding journaling (to the list of challenge rules) to make it more of a spiritual journey.
Problem: The problem is journaling everyday is extremely HARD for me! Much harder than reading 10 pages of non-fiction! I have been trying to journal daily since I was a little girl (Dear Diary) but more importantly around 13 years ago, I had felt God’s call to write a weekly blog and name it AmenWeekly.com . The goal of the blog was to write a weekly family testimonies journal with a scripture message as a legacy to our children and hopefully 🙏future grandchildren, great grandchildren and beyond! The testimonies would be about everything the Holy Spirit was doing in our family and bu$ine$$ life.
Since then (2013), I have started and stopped writing the blog-journal for AmenWeekly.com numerous times! Daily Journaling or Blogging (even once a week) is very difficult to follow through with for anyone but especially as the CEO of our house trying to train up 4 young children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6).
As my son overheard the conversation between his girlfriend and I, he pointed out that everyone struggles with trying to journal regularly. He reminded me that there is even an episode on the hit TV show Friends where Monica finds Rachel’s Journal and the first page reads,“Dear Diary, My New Year’s Resolution is to write in you everyday.” Then Monica fans through the rest of the journal and reveals that it is filled with blank white pages and says, “See, NOTHING!”
This got me thinking seriously about adding journaling to my challenge and making it more of a spiritual journey for me as well. God-wink timing, for me, because I had just watched a YouTube video by Makai (video suggested through my Epoch Times subscription) on how scientific research has found journaling rewires your brain and adds a ton of benefits like less anxiety and better sleep!
Solution: The solution for me was to modify the rules of the 75-Day Hard Challenge by adding journaling/blogging daily as a challenge rule. Time wise, in order to accomplish this goal I knew I would need to cut (modify) the challenge rules in regards to the amount of non-fiction reading from 10 pages to 5 pages per day. At 49-years-old, my goals are different then most young people taking on the challenge. I have loved and been reading non-fiction my whole life! A secret about me is I don’t really care for fiction😬 but that’s another story (don’t tell Oprah)!
I especially love reading the Bible but I also love true love stories, family stories, business stories, famous leaders in history stories and testimonies (how God is working in a believer’s life) ever since I can remember! I have read so many self improvement non-fiction books, based on the Bible but others on business, time-management, parenting, health,you name it, but I know for me (right now), writing a journal entry everyday for 75-Days would be very Hard for me. Much harder than reading 10 pages of non-fiction.
The whole point of the 75-Day HARD challenge is that it is Hard! My issue is with writing daily, not with reading non-fiction! Reading non-fiction is easy! I’m being entertained! I already easily read about 5 pages of non-fiction per day through Joyce Meyer’s Starting and Ending your day write, the Catholic Daily readings, my bible study homework and many articles from the Epoch Times.
Journaling/blogging even once a week is HARD for me to follow through with because I am creating! Writing one page (well) can take days amid writes and rewrites. I just saw an Oprah podcast (via youtube) interviewing her favorite authors (from the last 30 years of her book club) and they talk about how writing is a gift/spiritual gift but takes a ton of work!
The creator of the 75-Day Hard Challenge says, (on his website) by completing the challenge, most people end up accomplishing all sorts of personal goals in their life (not just physically changing their body) but by using the self-discipline it requires to succeed with the challenge. Afterthe challenge, they continue on to make all kinds of changes in their daily life towards other dreams/goals they have!
I read Joyce Meyer’s devotional, Starting your Day Right, religiously and she talks a lot about what the bible says about adding self-discipline, one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) to your daily life in order to live your best life!
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s (own) handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, (born anew) that we may DO GOOD WORKS which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time), that we should walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.)
Joyce says, “In order to enjoy the Good life we have to have self-discipline to do GOOD WORKS! The Bible is not a rule book! It is about liberty and freedom to live the life that reaps good things. If we do what the Word says to do, blessings will chase us and find us where we are!”
The entire challenge takes self-discipline but individualizing my goal to include daily journaling (for me) gets me doing what is in God’s purpose for me!
I have to be honest that as I’m finishing this blog journal entry for Day #3 I am actually currently on Day #26 of my 75-Day Hard!!! The first 3 entries have been so difficult! It reminds me of high school Hell week for football players. If you have had a family member or friend who has played football you know what I’m talking about! I feel like writing a daily blog-journal to actually post is my football “hell week” and if I modify and complete the daily challenge rules for the 75-day Hard challenge to journal-blog, daily I will easily go back to my original goal of writing a weekly blog for amenWEEKLY.com !!! After all these years of start and stops, God-willing, this 75-Day Hard challenge could finally help me not only get to my goal weight but complete a weekly blog-journal for AmenWeekly.com ! Amen!
-Mrs. Smith *Social Pathologist MS (Weekly Blogger @AmenWeekly.com)
Day #3 of my 75 Day Hard! 9/12/2026
*75 Day Hard as a Spiritual Journey Challenge Goal: I buffet my body (1 Corinthians 9:27) and get even stronger (mentally, spiritually <3, & physically) through a modified 75-Day Hard which will have me living even more of my very best life by the time I turn 50 this February 2027! Philippians 4:13 “I kick & I stretch and I kick;)”