God's word is a sword!
October ?? Not sure - but I do know it is Friday!
My favorite verse has always been Jeremiah 29:11, but never has it had so much meaning in my life until the day I made the decision and followed through totally trusting Him with my life. Letting go of my comfort zone simply because I knew at that time it is what He called me to do - without a plan - truly helped me understand what it means to totally surrender everything.
The only reason I have made it the last 6 weeks is because of the hope and direction He provides us in His word. I wish that I had the ability to capture every blessing and every experience that has happened over these days since - to help everyone who reads this grab a deeper understanding of the importance of reading the Bible and applying it into your life.
The very first day I was unemployed - I was out the door at 8 A.M. Not one day did I sit around and think I just needed to pray and hope. I knew, because of His word, that if you want to win, and you want change, you have to remain active. "Passivity and wishing never win the battle" (Meyer in Never Give Up page 106). I had no clue what I was going to do, where I was going to go, who I was going to meet, or what it may look like to others - and I did not spend any time or energy sitting around thinking about any of that either. I was able to do this because of God's word and the empowerment it provides when we put Him first in our day.
Each day as I took action, the meaningfulness of what we find in His word began to manifest in a way that I could have never experienced without taking these new steps toward a new path. I have always loved birds, and one of the reasons is because of how free they are - and determined they are to reach new heights. Especially eagles. One of the most special memories I have is when my in-laws, whom I absolutely adore,
flew me to Spokane, WA for Christmas and took me out to Wolf Lodge to see the Bald Eagles coming in for the salmon during this huge salmon run. The beauty of it left me speechless. Every pine tree was decorated with one or two Bald Eagles. They were everywhere! They are absolutely gorgeous, massive, and their presence alone overwhelms you with peace and awe. But not even then, did I really understand, what it really means in Isaiah 31 - where the Lord promises "But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint". You see, it was not until starting over, and having only my trust in His word to lean on, that I can really understand and experience that this verse is packed with how we can truly experience the fullness of joy and a truly abundant life - and it is through taking action, staying committed to His purpose, not walking away from His word, and knowing that above all things - His word NEVER changes and that is what we should rest in. Not opinions - not other peoples good ideas - not man's acceptance - not status quo - not what most people do, but God's approval, His design. Every single day I committed to my time with Him, His word, and then I took that direction and I have worked every single day on every door that has opened. Isaiah 41 is a great chapter to read - to help people really see that trusting God and staying committed bring victory - it is promised. Do not limit the work in your life by underestimating the power of this.
"With wings like Eagles"...have you ever really thought about the power of this promise? You can read about how eagles mate - and they mate for life, but the process of what they go through to find a mate is intense - and can lead to their own death - and the male eagle pursues his mate up to his death. This kind of commitment is what the Lord requires of us - to experience renewed strength. The time came in my life where I knew it was time to go to a new level. Like a baby eagle, I had grown, and matured, and a new season was upon me. But to make that happen, I had to commit to the process - no matter what it takes. Has it been worth it? Absolutely.
Here is the truth -
I walked away from a great income - knowing that I needed a change, called to do more, not having any idea what - or how - but I knew it was time. The results speak for themselves:
1. I have had several job opportunities - glory to God, because in this economy that is unlikely (but God is bigger than the economy)
2. The options that I have been given far outweigh where I was - and I am not yet where I want to be, but I am definitely NOT where I was
3. The perspective I have been given has helped me learn who I am, what I stand for, and allowed me to set boundaries and know that I can stand behind what I am called to do
4. In every circumstance, God has shown favor on my marketing and ministry building my confidence, and renewing my strength, giving me certainty that in Him I really CAN achieve and I do have what it takes to succeed.
God has more in store for you than you could ever imagine - but in order for you to receive clarity of His plan you have to be willing to take risks, stay committed, following your prayers with action. You are guaranteed fullness of joy if you follow Him. Experiencing this fullness of joy leaves me speechless - as I see now how empty material things are - and how rewarding and fulfilling life is when we just choose to follow His plan and not our own.
Life is exciting right now. Yes, I am broke right now -but only financially - and I know it is temporary - and I know even more that my spirit is stronger than it ever could have been staying in my comfort zone. No, I have no idea how the Lord is going to meet our needs. But I know as I live trusting Jeremiah 29:11 - that good news, hard work, brings success - and its just around the corner.
My favorite verse has always been Jeremiah 29:11, but never has it had so much meaning in my life until the day I made the decision and followed through totally trusting Him with my life. Letting go of my comfort zone simply because I knew at that time it is what He called me to do - without a plan - truly helped me understand what it means to totally surrender everything.
The only reason I have made it the last 6 weeks is because of the hope and direction He provides us in His word. I wish that I had the ability to capture every blessing and every experience that has happened over these days since - to help everyone who reads this grab a deeper understanding of the importance of reading the Bible and applying it into your life.
The very first day I was unemployed - I was out the door at 8 A.M. Not one day did I sit around and think I just needed to pray and hope. I knew, because of His word, that if you want to win, and you want change, you have to remain active. "Passivity and wishing never win the battle" (Meyer in Never Give Up page 106). I had no clue what I was going to do, where I was going to go, who I was going to meet, or what it may look like to others - and I did not spend any time or energy sitting around thinking about any of that either. I was able to do this because of God's word and the empowerment it provides when we put Him first in our day.
Each day as I took action, the meaningfulness of what we find in His word began to manifest in a way that I could have never experienced without taking these new steps toward a new path. I have always loved birds, and one of the reasons is because of how free they are - and determined they are to reach new heights. Especially eagles. One of the most special memories I have is when my in-laws, whom I absolutely adore,
flew me to Spokane, WA for Christmas and took me out to Wolf Lodge to see the Bald Eagles coming in for the salmon during this huge salmon run. The beauty of it left me speechless. Every pine tree was decorated with one or two Bald Eagles. They were everywhere! They are absolutely gorgeous, massive, and their presence alone overwhelms you with peace and awe. But not even then, did I really understand, what it really means in Isaiah 31 - where the Lord promises "But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint". You see, it was not until starting over, and having only my trust in His word to lean on, that I can really understand and experience that this verse is packed with how we can truly experience the fullness of joy and a truly abundant life - and it is through taking action, staying committed to His purpose, not walking away from His word, and knowing that above all things - His word NEVER changes and that is what we should rest in. Not opinions - not other peoples good ideas - not man's acceptance - not status quo - not what most people do, but God's approval, His design. Every single day I committed to my time with Him, His word, and then I took that direction and I have worked every single day on every door that has opened. Isaiah 41 is a great chapter to read - to help people really see that trusting God and staying committed bring victory - it is promised. Do not limit the work in your life by underestimating the power of this.
"With wings like Eagles"...have you ever really thought about the power of this promise? You can read about how eagles mate - and they mate for life, but the process of what they go through to find a mate is intense - and can lead to their own death - and the male eagle pursues his mate up to his death. This kind of commitment is what the Lord requires of us - to experience renewed strength. The time came in my life where I knew it was time to go to a new level. Like a baby eagle, I had grown, and matured, and a new season was upon me. But to make that happen, I had to commit to the process - no matter what it takes. Has it been worth it? Absolutely.
Here is the truth -
I walked away from a great income - knowing that I needed a change, called to do more, not having any idea what - or how - but I knew it was time. The results speak for themselves:
1. I have had several job opportunities - glory to God, because in this economy that is unlikely (but God is bigger than the economy)
2. The options that I have been given far outweigh where I was - and I am not yet where I want to be, but I am definitely NOT where I was
3. The perspective I have been given has helped me learn who I am, what I stand for, and allowed me to set boundaries and know that I can stand behind what I am called to do
4. In every circumstance, God has shown favor on my marketing and ministry building my confidence, and renewing my strength, giving me certainty that in Him I really CAN achieve and I do have what it takes to succeed.
God has more in store for you than you could ever imagine - but in order for you to receive clarity of His plan you have to be willing to take risks, stay committed, following your prayers with action. You are guaranteed fullness of joy if you follow Him. Experiencing this fullness of joy leaves me speechless - as I see now how empty material things are - and how rewarding and fulfilling life is when we just choose to follow His plan and not our own.
Life is exciting right now. Yes, I am broke right now -but only financially - and I know it is temporary - and I know even more that my spirit is stronger than it ever could have been staying in my comfort zone. No, I have no idea how the Lord is going to meet our needs. But I know as I live trusting Jeremiah 29:11 - that good news, hard work, brings success - and its just around the corner.
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