Thursday, February 21, 2013
$50 giveaway
I know it's been a long time since I've posted about any deals or giveaways, but wanted to share about this one. As many of you know, I love the blog Money Saving Mom! She's got lots of great stuff on her site! I really like her! Well, she recently also started a blog just for free and cheap ebooks! It's called eReader Girl and she lists a lot of great books! Well, right now she is giving away a $50 gift card to Amazon! The giveaway is here at Meet Penny (another blog). Check it out for your chance to win!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Call to Action
A few months ago I was praying and I heard God tell me that I had been in a season of preparation for quite awhile! But, that I was to begin seeking out ways to specifically be equipped because He was bringing me into a season of activation! So, I began to pray for God to bring me opportunities to be equipped! I kept my eyes open and asked others to be praying also!
I have been praying for God to use me in a way that no one can doubt that it's Him at work. To bring me to that place of being completely dependent on Him! That I would not do things on my own strength, but rely on the Holy Spirit to work through me. Well, a couple weeks ago He presented me with that opportunity. I had a chance to be used in a way that I have felt a call on my life to used. So, my first response should've been "Thank you, God! You are so good!" Right? What was my first response? I haven't been equipped yet! I know others who have been, God why don't you use them now? I am getting ready to be trained, you can use me later! I don't have the experience! I can't do this! God spoke to me through a friend who encouraged me to step out! At that moment, I knew what I was supposed to do. I said I would pray about it! (Really just buying me time to decide whether or not I was going to be obedient! I already knew what I was supposed to do!) I realized that if the Holy Spirit didn't work, this would fail! I had no training, very little experience and had no idea what I was doing or what it was going to look like! I thought God, I can't do this! His response? "Exactly, but I can! Isn't that the point? Isn't this what you have been asking for? To come to the end of yourself and your abilities and rely completely and totally on me?" "But, God, this isn't what this was supposed to look like! I haven't gone through the right steps yet! I need to do this and do that first! I will still need You to work because it will still be beyond me, but I'm just not ready!" I said.
Well, I decided that I would be obedient and allow God to work. In the days leading up to that day, God spoke some things to me about that day and everything that He told me would happen did! It was a simple but meaningful act of obedience and to many it may not have been a ground breaking day, but for me, God showed me that if I am willing to take the risk, He'll show up and do what He promises to do! It was a confirmation to me of what He had already placed in my heart! He has given me opportunity to take a class in this ministry that He has called me to, but I think He wanted to show me that being dependent on Him is always important! Even when I am trained, I need to rely more on Him than any training I have received!
I'll be honest with you, I am seeing God work like this all around me! I am seeing God take people who feel unprepared and unequipped being using them in amazing ways! I have talked to many of my peers and friends who are being pushed beyond their comfort zone and beyond their abilities and God is showing up and doing an amazing work! I truly believe that we as a Christian body are being brought into a season of activation! I believe that God is calling us as Christians to step forward and allow Him to work in a way He has never asked before!
So, what has God been calling you to that you have put on a back burner because you aren't equipped? You don't feel ready? You don't have the experience or the knowledge? Only you and God know what that thing is. You've been ignoring it because you are scared! You know what you are supposed to do, but you push it off saying someday, because you just don't think you can yet! I am encouraging you right now, stop allowing fear to hold you back! If God is calling you to it, He will show up and He will do what He wants to do! He's just asking you to be His hands and feet! He's not asking you to have it all figured out or even to do it! He's asking you to be willing to step out and take the risk so that He can show up and do the work! Are you willing?
I have been praying for God to use me in a way that no one can doubt that it's Him at work. To bring me to that place of being completely dependent on Him! That I would not do things on my own strength, but rely on the Holy Spirit to work through me. Well, a couple weeks ago He presented me with that opportunity. I had a chance to be used in a way that I have felt a call on my life to used. So, my first response should've been "Thank you, God! You are so good!" Right? What was my first response? I haven't been equipped yet! I know others who have been, God why don't you use them now? I am getting ready to be trained, you can use me later! I don't have the experience! I can't do this! God spoke to me through a friend who encouraged me to step out! At that moment, I knew what I was supposed to do. I said I would pray about it! (Really just buying me time to decide whether or not I was going to be obedient! I already knew what I was supposed to do!) I realized that if the Holy Spirit didn't work, this would fail! I had no training, very little experience and had no idea what I was doing or what it was going to look like! I thought God, I can't do this! His response? "Exactly, but I can! Isn't that the point? Isn't this what you have been asking for? To come to the end of yourself and your abilities and rely completely and totally on me?" "But, God, this isn't what this was supposed to look like! I haven't gone through the right steps yet! I need to do this and do that first! I will still need You to work because it will still be beyond me, but I'm just not ready!" I said.
Well, I decided that I would be obedient and allow God to work. In the days leading up to that day, God spoke some things to me about that day and everything that He told me would happen did! It was a simple but meaningful act of obedience and to many it may not have been a ground breaking day, but for me, God showed me that if I am willing to take the risk, He'll show up and do what He promises to do! It was a confirmation to me of what He had already placed in my heart! He has given me opportunity to take a class in this ministry that He has called me to, but I think He wanted to show me that being dependent on Him is always important! Even when I am trained, I need to rely more on Him than any training I have received!
I'll be honest with you, I am seeing God work like this all around me! I am seeing God take people who feel unprepared and unequipped being using them in amazing ways! I have talked to many of my peers and friends who are being pushed beyond their comfort zone and beyond their abilities and God is showing up and doing an amazing work! I truly believe that we as a Christian body are being brought into a season of activation! I believe that God is calling us as Christians to step forward and allow Him to work in a way He has never asked before!
So, what has God been calling you to that you have put on a back burner because you aren't equipped? You don't feel ready? You don't have the experience or the knowledge? Only you and God know what that thing is. You've been ignoring it because you are scared! You know what you are supposed to do, but you push it off saying someday, because you just don't think you can yet! I am encouraging you right now, stop allowing fear to hold you back! If God is calling you to it, He will show up and He will do what He wants to do! He's just asking you to be His hands and feet! He's not asking you to have it all figured out or even to do it! He's asking you to be willing to step out and take the risk so that He can show up and do the work! Are you willing?
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