the path to your God-given dreams

I had the privilege of speaking at “Ladies First” last Wednesday morning. I spoke about how we all have been given a God-given dream and destiny. Along the path towards that destiny there are steps that we can take to make sure we are positioned for greatness. The 2 steps I talked about were: surrendering your will to Him and believing for the impossible. 

Today, I was reminded of another step along the path… trusting in God. There are always going to be set backs along the journey, but it’s important to remember that no matter what happens, when you know God has called you to do something, trust that He will make it happen. It doesn’t matter if people don’t see it in you or if they think that’s it’s not going to happen. Keep believing; keep trusting in Him; keeping praying for the right doors to be opened, and trust that God will work it out.

There’s no need to strive to make it happen on your own. It will come to pass. Relax and watch what God does.

A move of God

I don’t know about you, but I am hungry for God to move… in me and in His church. I was reading a book and this line jumped out at me: “Jesus is present in his church. When people take his presence there seriously, God moves.” How often do we come to church thinking that we know what to expect. We’ll sing a few songs, maybe watch a video clip or have a special performance song, then the pastor will get up and talk for a while, we’ll all flow in and out of listening, he’ll pray, we’ll give tithe and offering (maybe, when we feel like it), and then we’ll head out thinking about what we’ll have for lunch.

Is this how church was meant to be? What happened to the church in acts where thousands came to believe in Christ, were baptized in water, then filled with the Holy Spirit. Do we expect for God to move like that where we are? Are we expecting God to move at all really in our churches? What would happen if you came into church on Sunday and “took His presence seriously?” What would happen if each of us prayed and sought Him to do something radical in our church? Are we ready for it? Are we too afraid that it actually might happen? Are we like the Israelites who said to Moses, “You go into the tent and meet with God, we’ll stay back here, and you just tell us what He says.”? 

Our world needs Christians who have encountered the living God. People need to know that He is real. They need to know that He still speaks. They need to know that He still performs miracles. We need to be radical Christians. 

My prayer is: God, I want to encounter you today. I want to be filled with your Holy Spirit today so that I can be used to influence others in their walk with you. I don’t want to play it safe. Help me to not hold back. I’m willing to do whatever you have for me to do. I’m willing to make a fool out of myself for you, as long as you’ll be with me and as long as you’ll guide me. I want to see you move in my life, in the people around me, and in your church. I believe all things are possible with you, and I am waiting with expectation to see you move mightily.

Getting excited

So, I’m really excited about some things that I have coming up. For the last few months I have been seeking direction about what other things I should be doing with my life. Finally, I feel like I have some of those answers. I’m the kind of person that functions better when I have a million and one things to do; I know that some would argue that this is a bad way to live, but for me it is definitely true. 

One of the things I’ve decided to do is go back to college. I have about a year left of school in order to get a Bachelors Degree in English. I’m in the process of submitting all my paperwork in order to get started again. There are 2 other things that I’m going to be working on/towards during the next several week, so I’m feeling good about things. One of which, I’ll be sharing soon because it may involve some of you as well.

Anyway, please pray that God will continue to open the doors that need to be opened and close the ones that aren’t for me. He has been so faithful to me throughout my life to give me VERY clear direction, and for that, I’m am forever thankful.

a little inspiration from a great poem

IF 
By Rudyard Kipling

 

If you can keep your head when all about you 
are losing theirs and blaming it on you, 
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you 
but make allowance for their doubting too, 
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, 
or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, 
or being hated, don’t give way to hating, 
and yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master, 
if you can think-and not make thoughts your aim; 
if you can meet with Triumph and Disaster 
and treat those two impostors just the same; 
if you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken 
twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 
or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, 
and stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 
and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, 
and lose, and start again at your beginnings 
and never breathe a word about your loss; 
if you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 
to serve your turn long after they are gone, 
and so hold on when there is nothing in you 
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, 
or walk with kings-nor lose the common touch, 
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; 
if all men count with you, but none too much, 
if you can fill the unforgiving minute 
with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, 
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it…