Guest Blog : HOPE on Presence Filled Fridays

I am so excited to introduce a friend of mine to all of you today. Amy D. Ward is a special, talented, godly woman with the skills of Martha Stewart and the heart of Mary, who sat at Jesus' feet.  I love her and I know you will, too. She has an awesome story of God's presence in her life. Show her some love by commenting! And I will see you back here on Monday.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 (NASB95)

What a privilege to meet you here at Kelli's blog today.  I am delighted she asked me to share with you on a Presence filled Friday.

I am a breast cancer survivor.  I have lived in God’s hope-filled Presence!

Throughout my journey with cancer in 2010, God allowed me to be in situations where I could have been hopeless.  But, through reminders of His constant Presence with me every step of the way, I would find evidence to continue to hold onto hope:  the word "HOPE" on a wall, a plaque, a shirt; or the numerous verses on HOPE I would mark in the Bible I took along to all my appointments, infusions, surgeries, and radiation. 

By the way, there are numerous Scriptures with this word in them.  Click here (http://net.bible.org/#!search/hope) to go to the NET Bible and see how many references there are.  

What a gift hope is!  I would find a word of HOPE wherever He led me.

A kind word from a nurse - hope.

A text message of Scripture, prayer, or encouragement - hope.

Forgetting for 5 minutes about the cancer - hope.

A card or call from a friend - hope.

The file I kept and labeled "After Breast Cancer" - hope.

The presence of my husband and our sons on chemo days - hope.

The presence of returning hair after chemo had done its work - hope.

I found new ways to appreciate simple things and that would bring on hope for a cancer-free tomorrow.

I like what Lawrence O. Richards says in his Encyclopedia of Bible Words regarding hope,  “…hope focuses attention on God and fills us with eager expectation.  No one who learns to hope in a biblical way will ever be overcome by disappointment but will be filled with patience, encouragement, and enthusiasm.”

I have said it numerous times and I write it here for you today:  

I would not trade having had cancer for not having had it because of the blessings that God poured out and continues to pour out.

Hope is just one of those blessings that the Presence of God offered me to unwrap.

Encouragement:

God has given the believer a life of hope through the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ, His Son.  Go back to the NET BIble link (http://net.bible.org/#!search/hope), to the references on hope found in the book of Hebrews.  Look at the exhortations there for the believer regarding hope.  Our eternal hope is in Christ.  Soli Deo Gloria (to God be the glory)!

Opportunity for Response:

Please share with me in a comment what spurs you on in your life to hold onto hope.  Thank you!

You can find Amy sharing God's hope at her blog, Digging Deep at www.amydward.com. Or on twitter at AmyDicksonWard or  Facebook at Amy D. Ward - Digging Deep. 

Amy Dickson Ward along with her husband Rob of 25 years is learning what being a near empty-nester is all about.  A graduate of Auburn University, she put her Vocational Home Economics Education skills to work at home after a brief stint teaching school.  Her minor in journalism has come in handy as she began a blog in 2008.  She enjoys teaching others in Bible studies in Columbus, GA, and occasionally has opportunities to speak at retreats.  Her passion is encouraging women to be in the Word and she delights in teaching them how to study the Bible.  Amy and Rob’s oldest son, Robert is newly married to Sigourney.  David, a student at Auburn University, is their youngest son.

Can you Hear ME Now?: On Purpose Wednesdays

I couldn't do anything about it. I was in front of the room being interviewed as one of the retreat speakers and I heard it. My cell phone. I had forgotten to put it on vibrate when the session started. Now, I was being asked about my family and my hopes for the weekend and I could hear my cell phone talking in the back of the room. You see, I have one of those old wonderful cell phones that announce the caller out loud! (I have had it for over three years and have yet to figure out how to turn that announcer off.) So here I was helpless in the front of the room with my incessant phone repeating something over and over again.  I couldn't hear what it said, but I knew it was my phone. 

After the speaker interview session, we had a break and I went to the restroom. As I stood in line, (you know how we have to do that with lots of women and three stalls) my friend Jennifer inquired, "Did you hear that cell phone talking in the back?" I was embarrassed to tell her that it was mine. She asked, "Did you hear what it said?" I told her that I did not have a chance to go check it because I came straight to the restroom. (You know, borderline emergency.) She said, "I wrote down what it said. It spoke volumes to me." I was confused. My cell phone announcer had spoken volumes to someone who had to listen to its incessant announcing? Jennifer explained, "Your cell phone kept repeating...PLEASE ERASE OLD MESSAGES."  

I ran and grabbed my phone out of my purse and this was on the face of my phone:

The God who created the Universe and me, the God whose love for me is wide and high and deep and long, that same God has a message for me. But I have rejected that message many times because my recent memory bank was full of lies, labels, and false perceptions. 

"You are not good enough."

"Quit while you are ahead so that they won't think you're crazy."

"You are ugly...inside and out."

"You have no message worth hearing. Why do you think you have been called to speak and write?"

"You are worthless."

"You are a bad mom, a pitiful wife, and a terrible friend."

"You are alone in this world. No one really cares about you."

So for me to really walk in the calling that God has for me (as we talked about on Monday,) I must erase old messages. I have to intentionally remove those false, deceptive messages about myself so that I can fully embrace God's beautiful message of love, grace, hope, mercy, AND purpose. 

How do we do that?

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

We have to erase and demolish every old message,thought, argument, pretension, philosophy and thought that is contrary to who God is and who we are in Him. 

Please erase old messages so that I can fill you up with My messages. ~God

Can you hear Me now?

Lord, we want to hear You. Please help us to tear down and erase any old messages that would keep us from hearing Your  voice.

I would love to hear your comments and I would love to pray for you as well. 

Unwrapping the gift of God's precious voice,

Kelli

linking with my friend, Joy at...

and 

Walk In It : eMpowering Mondays

I just have to say, GOD IS GOOD. 

I have just returned home from the women's retreat I told you about on Friday. God was wonderfully present, amazingly powerful, and extremely purposeful. His gifts were too many to count. But I am going to try to unwrap them for you so that you can share in them, too. 

Three words stuck with me personally all weekend. I shared them with a few people, but mainly tucked them deep in my heart for myself and asked God to continue to unfold their meaning for me.

WALK IN IT.

photo credit: St. Stev on Flickr

Walk in what, God? Walk in your footsteps? Walk in a door? Walk in peace? Walk in love? Walk in what, God?

WALK IN IT.

Since the end of March, I have been memorizing and meditating on the rich verses of Ephesians 3: 14 - 21. 

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 

These first five verses have permeated my very being with the vastness of God's love for me. How this kind of love beats out every bit of head knowledge I have about God's love. It is a heart thing. This love fills us up so much with God's heart that we don't NEED anything or anyone else. So hard to comprehend this. But I try.

Then I began to get excited about the last two verses. The idea that MY GOD IS ABLE. That His work is immeasurable. That He is not limited to my queries or my imagination. And He uses us to accomplish His work because He has empowered us with the kind of power that raises the dead! He is able and He is glorified.

I used these verses when I spoke to a church in Caracas, Venezuela in May. At a Kids Camp in June, I spoke on these same verses. And then again, at Bethesda Baptist's Homecoming Service, just a week ago. God has planted me here in Ephesians 3 and hasn't let me leave for some time now. But this weekend, it was the three words.

WALK IN IT.

Still not knowing exactly what this meant, I decided to do a word search for walk in the New Testament. Of course, with that word being so common, there were lots of references. But the Lord had me land on this one:

I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. (Message Version)

You know where these verses are? Ephesians 4: 1-6. Yes. The very next verses after the ones I have been planted in for six months or more. I think that God wanted me to realize His great love for me and believe that He is able...before I could walk on this road He has called me to travel.

I've got my bags packed, God. Full of your love and power, I am ready to WALK...EVEN RUN IN IT. Help me to run with humility and discipline, not allowing the enemy to speak lies of inadequacy or condemnation. Let me pour out myself on behalf of others. Let me walk in it with You at my side.

Do you know the vastness of His love for you? Do you know that He is able to...? And are you walking in His calling for you? Stay tuned...we will talk more about this on Wednesday. Please comment and allow me to pray for you.

Unwrapping the gift of walking in it,

Kelli

Linking up with one of my favorite groups...

Come Away and Enjoy My Presence: Presence Filled Fridays

"Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to them, 'Come away with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'" Mark 6:31

Ever been so busy coming and going that you didn't even have a chance to eat? I have to say that this has been the norm for me the last two weeks. But I am also excited to tell you that this weekend, I am going away with God (and 58 sweet women) to a quiet place and get some much needed rest. I am excited about the opportunity for rest. For the relief from all things social media (sorry!) and cell phone. But more than anything, I want to be with my Jesus. I long to be in His Presence. Though I walk with Him each day, I am desiring time set aside to just enjoy Him and to listen to Him.

I know this is not easy for everyone. Some people have responsibilities that make it nearly impossible to get away. Others have never retreated with God and don't know if they will like it or not.

I just want to encourage you to spend twenty minutes with Him this weekend.  That's about as long as a sitcom. Twenty minutes to read a few scriptures - start in John if you have never read them. If you have read John, then start reading Isaiah 40. After you read the Scriptures, just sit and listen. Pray. But mostly listen. I can assure you He has something to say to you. (If you get distracted, write down your random thoughts, so you can refocus.) I am hoping that after you spend twenty minutes with Him, you'll want to spend more.

And I'll be praying for you. I'd appreciate your prayers as well. 

REtreat     REfuge   REst    REstoration    REdemption    REnewal of the Mind    REbirth   REfreshment of the Soul    REvival of the Heart    REpentance     REturning REady    REly on Him

What is your favorite place to get away with God? What helps you focus when you spend time with Him? Share your comments. I'd love to read them. 

Unwrapping the sweet gift of His presence,

Kelli

The Sound of My Own Voice: On Purpose Wednesdays (or Thursdays!)

I am so excited to tell you that today I have the exciting privilege of guest posting over at the Southern Writers Magazine Blog -- Suite T!  (Have I told you how excited I am?)  In the article I talk about my constant comparison with others who are bloggers and writers and how I am discovering my own unique voice -- my purpose in writing. So, join me over at Suite T -- and pour yourself a glass of Sweet Tea while you read.  Enjoy!  Oh, and if you want to make a southern girl real happy, leave a comment over there and here...I am smiling already!
Here's the link:


The Sound of My Own Voice








Unwrapping the gift of my God-given unique voice,

Kelli

When Stress Starts to Strangle: eMpowering Mondays

Stress isn't always bad for me. Sometimes stress motivates me and makes me productive. But then there are times when I feel its nasty grip around my neck and I begin to suffocate, panic, and give up. Last night was one of those times when I felt like stress was strangling me and taking the very life out of me. I sent a Facebook message to a friend of mine and it said something like this:


Please pray for me right now. I think I am just tired and a bit overwhelmed. I had the opportunity to speak at a church this morning and that went well...but I have struggled ever since I got home. My house is a wreck, I have so many to-do projects, lots of writing to do this week, AND I am preparing to speak at our church's women's retreat this coming Sunday morning. Needless to say, I am not emotionally or spiritually prepared. I know this is an attack and I just need someone to pray for me. Your name came to mind. Would you please?


Have you ever felt this way? That's a rhetorical question. Because if you are alive, I know that you have. So, what do we do when stress starts to strangle us?

1. Pray and ask for prayer. Prayer ushers in the POWER of the Holy Spirit that comes alongside us, that strengthens us, encourages us, and motivates us. Don't be afraid or too prideful to reveal your stress to others so that they can pray for you. There is POWER in prayer.
2. Put it all on paper. (or your computer...whatever tool you use most.) Often when we actually write everything down that we need to do, it is less overwhelming. When things are just floating in our minds, we cannot manage them as well. So make a list. Write down everything that comes to mind that you need to do, or even want to do. Then...
3. Prioritize your to-do list. What has to be done today? What can be done tomorrow or even next week? Honestly, organizing your closet can wait. Cleaning out your kitchen catch-all drawer is not necessary today. (Oh, wait, that was my list!) You get the idea.
4. Pass on duties to others. Delegate! Are there things on your list that others can do.  My sweet friend that received the above Facebook message reminded me to even involve my children in sharing the load of duties. (Thanks, Melanie.) Yes! Bekah can fold clothes and Ryan can unload the dishwasher. Those responsibilities can seem minor, but when combined with many others, they can be overwhelming!
5. Procrastinate. NOT.  Oh, this one is a biggie for me. A friend just shared with me last week about this very subject. She told me I needed to read the book titled, Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. Though I haven't read it yet, it is on my book list. And, I just can't help thinking about going ahead and eating that "frog"(that one thing that I don't want to do) and moving forward with my list. (Good stuff, thanks, Teri!)
6. Plan some time with the Lord and with friends. Fellowship with God brings perspective and peace. When we spend time with Him, thanksgiving inevitably results. We realize how much He has blessed us and He gives us perspective on our impending to-do lists. Fellowship with friends provides accountability and much needed laughter and conversation. Don't ever estimate the power of spending time with God and friends!


I hope this list of six will help you with your to-do list of sixty. Stress will come. It is inevitable. But it doesn't have to strangle you. 


I would love to have your comments. I read every one and usually respond to each one. So, comment!!!!(And do it now, because it won't happen later! ) If you are reading by email, click here.


Unwrapping the gift of God's power over stress,




Kelli


Linking with Jen at...

Joy in His Presence: Presence Filled Fridays

Today seemed like a great day to link with Five Minute Fridays:


At Five Minute Fridays, you take a topic and just write for five minutes with no critical editing and no need to perfect it. They should call it Freedom in Five!  Anyway, the topic today is JOY. And since we always talk about His Presence here on Fridays, I thought it was a perfect match.

Joy in His Presence


Bekah and I had fervently prayed for her for several months. Keisha, my sister-in-love's sister, had been diagnosed with Wegener's disease, an auto immune disease that attacks your entire body. She was barely 30 years old with a husband and three children at home. She had her ups and downs in the hospital. Some days looked hopeful. Other days seemed desperate.


Bekah was on her way to her first grade classroom the day we received the dreaded phone call. I decided to wait until she got home from school to tell her about Miss Keisha's death. 


"Bekah, I have some bad news."


"Yes, Mommy?"


"Bekah, Miss Keisha died last night."


"So...what's the bad news?"


"Bekah, sweetie, that is the bad news."


"But, Mommy, Miss Keisha went to be with Jesus. How can that be bad?"


Words spoken confidently and beautifully by my six year old daughter challenged my heart and my thinking. To Bekah, joy was and is and will always be found in the the presence of Jesus. You see, Bekah had just accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior and Joy just a few weeks before Miss Keisha's death. Seemed like she totally understood Paul's words, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21) Oh, to have the childlike faith that says...


"My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16: 9 - 11


So tell me, friend, have you found the joy that only the presence of God brings? Please share! And if you are struggling right now with finding joy in the midst of your circumstances, I would love to pray for you. 


Unwrapping the gift of JOY in His presence,


Kelli

Identity Crisis: On Purpose Wednesdays

If you are new to On Purpose Wednesdays, you might want to read the first post and last week's post to catch up. I have so enjoyed sharing these personal insights with you as we desire to live "On Purpose" with God. The first week we discussed our need to make a choice to actually live with a purpose in mind, and not "by accident." And then last week, we discovered that to find our life purpose, all we really needed to do was "Seek Him." Sounds so simple, but so important.Today we lay another layer of that critical foundation necessary before we begin to live out our life purpose. Today we will talk about our identity in Christ.

For many years of my early adult life, I found myself in so many different positions trying to serve God. When someone asked me to teach middle schoolers on Sunday morning, I did. When someone else asked met to keep the nursery, I did it. When I was approached about singing in the choir, I said yes. When I was asked to lead a women's bible study, I did that as well. Are you getting the picture? I couldn't say no. But it wasn't just that. I couldn't say no because I thought that my relationship with God was rooted so much in what I did for Him. So, the more I did for Him, the greater our relationship would be. Somehow He would love me more. My service to Him served as the foundation of my relationship with Him. (Or so I thought.)

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." Matthew 3: 16 -17

These verses provide a beautiful picture of God's relationship with Jesus. God speaks a word of identity over Jesus, "You are my Son. I love you so much! And I am so very proud of you!" Interesting that these significant words of relationship were spoken before Jesus ever performed the first act of ministry or service. That would come later.

So, what was God so proud of? Why did God love Jesus so much? It wasn't what Jesus had done. It was WHO he was. God calls Jesus His Beloved Son and says how delighted He is with him before Jesus began serving God and the people.

This is so important! It is so important to know that our identity is that we are children of God. Our relationship with God is based on who we are, not what we do for Him. If we don't realize that we are His Beloved period, we will somehow confuse our identity with our purpose. 

So, as I matured as a child of God, and I allowed God to speak truth of His grace and love into my life, I realized that my service had to come out of the overflow of His love for me. In other words, I am so overwhelmed by His love, I must share it with others by serving God and people. What a difference! My relationship with God became the foundation for my service to Him.

We must put first things first. We must be poured into before we can pour out. We must be fed before we can feed others. We must know who we are before we understand what we have been called to do. Identity before purpose. 

So, what do you think about this? Have you struggled with this? I would love to hear your comments. 

Unwrapping the gift of identity in Him,

Kelli

Linking up with Women Living Well Wednesdays, today.

eMpowering Mondays: Life in my Deadness

^{Question: Do we live our lives empowered by the fact that our God raises the dead?}

In 2 Corinthians 1: 8 - 9, Paul describes some major gut-wrenching, devastating trials he was going through. Though he doesn't tell us exactly what the trials were, we can infer that they could have been internal (sickness, anguish, depression) or external (persecution, physical abuse, or even wild animal attacks!) I am actually glad that Paul doesn't tell us exactly what those trials were.  Not being specific enables us to apply this verse to our own lives, especially when we are in desperate circumstances.

^"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."(NIV)

This verse reminds us that:

1. Our difficult life experiences increase our need to totally rely on God.  Would you agree?  When life is going great and smoothly, we tend to lean on our on power and understanding. We run the show. But when life gets difficult, we are reminded of how inadequate we are on our own and of how much we need a Savior.  God is always worthy of our trust and reliance on Him. But we often make the choice to put Him aside and direct our own steps. 

2. Our reliance on God increases our realization of His power.  When we are at our wits end, and we decide to fully give ourselves and our situations to Him, He shows up in a mighty and miraculous way. We say, "I don't know what to do!"  He responds,"Great. I'll take it from here!" We realize how powerful He is. We realize He is able. 

Ever been in a situation you thought was hopeless? Ever thought a relationship or a dream or a circumstance was virtually dead? You did all you could do. You tried all you knew to try. And wearily, hopelessly, you laid it at the feet of Jesus. Paul says that in the most desperate of circumstances, it feels as we have been given the death sentence. And then Paul gives purpose to those painful circumstances - "that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God." And then he adds these four little words that make all the difference in the world.

who raises the dead. This is not about relying on just any god. This is about placing our lives in the hands of an Almighty God. Our God raises the dead! God can bring life to a dead situation. He can bring hope to your hopelessness. There is no one like Him. Are you living your life as if you are empowered by a god? A god who isn't real? A god who doesn't hear you? A god who doesn't love you and have a plan and purpose for your life?

Or are you living your life knowing that you are empowered by THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE? The Great I AM? The Lover of Your Soul? The God Who Has a Plan for Your Life? THE GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD?

Would you join me in praying that we can live empowered by the fact that our God raises the dead? 

Lord, help us to see our need to more fully rely on You and by doing so, see Your power at work in our lives.

Would love your comments!

Unwrapping the gift of Him bringing life to my deadness,

Kelli

Linking up with my sisters at:

The Turtle in the Road: Presence Filled Fridays

I recognized Him. I often miss Him because I am not looking for Him or because I don't choose to see Him or because I am in a hurry.  But today I knew it was Him.

It was an ordinary school morning. Ryan and I got in the car to make our 12 minute trek to school.  We began to go over his spelling words just to make sure he was ready for his test.  You know, multitasking. The thing that mothers do well. As I continued to drive,  I saw cars stopped in the road and on the side of the road. I thought there had been an accident and so I slowed.  When I came closer, I didn't see any evidence of an accident.  No damaged cars, no people out of their vehicles. Only cars stopped. I thought, "What is going on here?" And then I saw it. The biggest, oldest turtle I've ever seen in my life. It was most likely a snapping turtle and based on its size, it could have been 75 years old. The gigantic turtle was not moving, but it was not dead. It was just sitting in the middle of the road. And the cars were all stopped. Everyone was just mesmerized by this turtle. It seemed like life just stopped. And we waited. And waited. And finally, the old turtle stood up on his four feet with his big heavy shell and began to move, one foot at a time. We laughed because we thought, "At this rate, it will take him the rest of the day to get to the edge of the road!" But he finally made it to the grass. All of us watching him sighed relief and then we got back to our normal, hurried routines. Now we might be late to school!

And God whispered, "Slow down." See what happens when you slow down? You don't miss out on the good gifts I have for you. Your children's laughter. A friend's conversation. A moment with your husband. A meal with family. A morning with a 75 year old turtle.

A friend shared this book excerpt with me recently:

Not long after moving to Chicago, I called a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction. I described the pace at which things tend to move in my current setting. I told him about the rhythms of our family life and about the present condition of my heart, as best I could discern it. What did I need to do, I asked him, to be spiritually healthy?

Long pause.

“You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life,” he said at last. Another long pause.

“Okay, I’ve written that one down,” I told him, a little impatiently. “That’s a good one. Now what else is there?” I had many things to do, and this was a long-distance conversation, so I was anxious to cram as many units of spiritual wisdom into the least amount of time possible.

Another long pause.

“There is nothing else,” he said. 

(Excerpt from The Life You've Always Wanted:  Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by John Ortberg)

"Ruthlessly eliminate hurry." 

Yes, I recognized Him. God placed the big, ole' turtle in my road to make me slow down. And to listen. And to enjoy.

What about you? Need to eliminate some hurry in your life? Is slowing down hard for you? Are you missing out on the turtles in your road?

Would love to hear your comments.  If you are reading by email, you may comment by clicking here. The rest of you can post below!

Unwrapping the gift of slowing down,

Kelli

Three Ways to Identify Life Purpose: On Purpose Wednesdays

As I was preparing to write today's post, I googled "Living on purpose." I was struck by the results. Only two out of ten google results had anything to say about God. What does that say to me? That the world is searching for purpose, and they are finding lots of answers, but little truth.

This not only saddens me, but it drives me.  It motivates me to share the TRUTH about living on purpose and with purpose. Yes, I agree with some of these self-help gurus that proclaim that living on purpose means finding what you really love to do and getting busy doing it. I also agree that living on purpose doesn't happen overnight, it is a process of honing your talents and your skills. And finally, I would also concur that we all have unique purposes in life and our passion encourages our purpose. 

"We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God's purpose prevails." Proverbs 19:21 Msg

Finding out what we love to do is so important. Discovering and developing our talents and skills is also crucial to purposeful living. In fact, we will discuss all of these things as we progress through "On Purpose Wednesdays." However, I felt it critical to lay a strong foundation before we get going. 

We can plan and dream and work hard. We can figure out what our passions are and seek to pursue them. But if we don't involve God in the process, our efforts are futile. Why? Because we serve a God who desires relationship with us. A God who has a "plan for us, plans to prosper us, to give us hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) A God who loves us and has a purpose for our lives.

I wrestled with my life purpose for many years. What do I do? Where do I do it? When do I do it? How do I do it? I desperately wanted answers. I cried out to the Lord and every time I got the same answer. "Just seek me." That's it. It wasn't an answer I expected. It also wasn't the answer I wanted. I wanted details, but He provided the only answer that mattered. By seeking Him and walking with Him daily, He would show me what He wanted me to do, and where, when, and how he wanted me to do it. He didn't want me to seek a purpose in life, He wanted me to seek Him.

So, here are three ways to figure out your life purpose:

1. Seek Him.

2. Seek Him.

3. Seek Him.

It's really that simple. And when you seek Him, life in its fullest form abounds. 

“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” Jeremiah 29: 13  MSG

It's your turn to respond. Have you struggled with figuring out your life purpose? Are you seeking God or others for answers? I would love to know your thoughts. If you are reading this by email, you can click here to comment.

Stay tuned for next Wednesday...we'll be talking about identity.

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