When God Turns Your World Upside Down

photo credit

In the most reverent of ways, I say, Oh My God... I feel awesome wonder, great humility and incredible excitement all at the same time.  What you have done these last few days is indeed a spiritual high, a pivotal moment that I will never forget. It has truly been one of those a-ha, write-in-your-journal, and blog-about-it kind of experiences. Only You can take a workshop meant to teach Spiritual Leadership Coaching and turn it into divine encounter with You. We make plans, but ultimately You do Your thing. And we are thankful.


You have completely turned my world and the world of about 35 others UPSIDE DOWN. My prayer is that others can tell we have been with You, Jesus. That others can see that we have experienced God. You have sure been with us. In us. Around us. On us. Through us. Now overflow from us!

 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.  Acts 4:13

Let it be said of us. Amen. 


Note: I have a lot swirling around in my head... not to mention I am exhausted. But I plan to write a full post about my experiences at the Blackaby Ministries Spiritual Leadership Coaching conference. Until then... Acknowledge the work of God in you and around you and feel free to share!


Kelli

Simple, Obvious, But Powerful: On Purpose Wednesday

thanks, Dom Dada, Flickr

"I just can't figure it all out. I want to know what my purpose is. What I am here on earth for? I want to know God's plan for my life."

I hear this statement often as I counsel people. They are often perplexed and confused. I totally understand. I have been there and honestly, still find myself there from time to time. We all want to make sure that we are being obedient to God, that we are fulfilling the calling that He has placed on our lives.

A few weeks ago at a women's retreat, I was introduced to a new and wonderful song called "Come Away" by Jesus Culture. One of the verses says this:

I have a plan for you,

I have a plan for you,

It's gonna be wild,

It's gonna be great,

it's gonna be full of Me.

As I sang this song again this past Sunday morning, I was so focused on "the plan." I get so excited that God actually has a plan for me - a great and wild plan, how exciting!  So, what is this plan, God? And am I already on this plan? And then it hit me like a ton of bricks.  How I know that what I am doing is God's plan is not its wildness or its greatness. Because honestly there are a lot of plans that can be wild and great. The difference is that God's plan and purpose will always be full of Him. If I am caught up in a plan that is wild and great, but full of me, chances are it is not God's plan. Wow. What a simple, obvious, but powerful revelation.


Are you trying to figure out God's plan for your own life? Ask yourself, is this plan full of Him or full of me? If you struggles with this, I would love to know so that we can pray for each other! 

The song finishes out with, "Open up your heart and let Me in." Lord, if our plans and our hearts are full of ourselves, help us to open them up and let You in. Fill us, Lord, with You.


Unwrapping the gift of surrender,


Kelli

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 

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

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.

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.

linking up with 

Living On Purpose

I was putting his clothes in his drawers when I noticed it. The wonderfully engraved name and doodles on the top of his dresser veneer. Ryan. Etched in wood. Forever. I cannot tell you some of the words I thought, but I can tell you that I gasped and then quickly yelled for that precious name etched in wood forever to come to me.

"Why did you do this, Ryan?  You know that we don't damage furniture.  Furniture is expensive.  We want it to last a long time...and this piece now has your personal autograph. Forever."

"Oh, mom, I am sorry.  I didn't do it on purpose.  It was an accident."

"I didn't do it on purpose." Those words clearly infer that there was no meaning behind the action.  There was no specific intent for the deed. There was no clear goal. Now we know that Ryan's actions most likely did have a goal (ha!), but I think about the times in my own life when I don't live on purpose. My days are not filled with meaningful moments, but rather aimless wandering. I treat time as waste, and throw it away.

Dear friends, God has purpose for our lives.  He longs for us to live in the fullness of His love, mercy, and grace. He has great and wonderful plans for us that flaunt hope and anticipation. But we have to choose to live on purpose. It will not happen by accident. We have to choose to give our days to the One who is the Perfect Planner. We must "take up our crosses daily and follow Him." That is when we find purpose. 

"Run in such a way as to get the prize. We do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air." 1 Corinthians 9: 24; 25b; 26

What is keeping you from living "on purpose?" Comment below. Or if you are reading by email, go here to comment.  I would love to pray for you.

And join me each week, for "On Purpose Wednesdays." I can hardly wait! We will:

• discover and embrace the unique design God has given each of us
• seek to live a life "on purpose" using our God-given gifts and passion

Unwrapping the gift of His purpose,

Kelli

I am joining Soli Deo Gloria today @ Finding Heaven sharing what God is doing in my life.

Different... In a Good Way

In 2009, my daughter was 10 and I came across this very challenging blog written by Lysa Terkeurst.  "She Seeks the Uncommon" is a precious outpouring of Lysa's heart for her daughter, Hope. How she begs for Hope to be uncommon in this world. I was moved then in such a way to begin praying for my daughter, Bekah, as Lysa was praying for Hope. And for two years this word uncommon continues to be the descriptive adjective I desire for my Bekah.  

When Bekah was 18 months old, we were at the pediatricians office for a well child check-up and the doctor said to me, "Bekah is precocious." No, not precious (although she absolutely was), but precocious. Not wanting to sound baby-brained, I did not ask what it meant.  I did what any really smart mom would do.  I went home and looked it up in the dictionary. This is was it said, "having developed certain abilities at an earlier age than usual."  The thesaurus used words like, "advanced for one's age, mature, gifted, talented, clever, intelligent, quick."  Wow.  

Fast forward ten years. My Bekah can definitely be described as all of those words the thesaurus listed. Well, except for quick. She might be quick to catch on to things, but she MOVES in slow motion getting out the bed, taking a shower, folding clothes, all of the mundane things.  

In January of this year, Bekah approached me and asked me if she might could try homeschooling this next school year. Well, trying homeschooling is not like trying sweet potatoes. If you don't like it, you can't just spit it out. And homeschooling requires one major thing...me. You have to know that I have many friends that I love and admire that homeschool. But that was never a word that I wanted as a part of my vocabulary. I love my freedom between the hours of 8am and 3pm. I love my ministry that requires me to be available to people. And I love being able to do what I want to do, when I want to do it.  

When I asked her why she wanted to be homeschooled, she had three answers.

1.  "I want to move at my own pace. When I understand something, I want to be able to move on to the next thing. " I get that. She is intelligent and pretty quick to catch on to things.

2.  "I don't want to be at school for 7 hours and then come home and do homework for another hour or two. I want to be able to participate in other things - like drama, extra church activities, and I don't have time to do all that right now because of school." Ok, I get that, too.  I am really vigilant about guarding our family time and I do not allow either of my children to participate in more than one thing at a time. Because we would never see each other or have dinner as a family which I think is super important!

3.  "I want to be different. I feel like God has called me to be different and it is super hard to live that out with all the pressure from people at school. I want you, Mom, to spend at least the next year teaching me how to be bold." This was the clincher.  How could I say no?  


Yes, my precious (and precocious) daughter can be described in many terms. But the adjective that I pray most for her is different. Uncommon. And when the world begs her to conform, I  beg for God to continue transforming her. When her peers encourage her to fit in, I pray that she stands out. When she feels like giving in to the pressures of this world, I pray for the boldness to fight for what she believes in and to remember WHO fights for her.

So, am I homeschooling my 7th grader? Yes. Do I know what I am doing? Not exactly. But God does. He is shaping and molding a precious and precocious girl into a young woman who is different...in a good way.


Who are you praying for today? Your children? Your spouse? I would love to pray with you.  Leave a comment, please!


Unwrap the gift of praying for someone,

Kelli

I am linking up with Women Living Well today...go check out their site!



Linking up with Imparting Grace as well!

She Listens... (She Speaks Takeaway Part 2)

If you didn't read my previous post, you might want to do that now.  http://kelliwommack.blogspot.com/2011/08/he-speaks-she-speaks-takeaway-part-one.html  I just don't want you to be reading this and realize that you have been left out of the conversation.  :)  

http://flic.kr/p/cLpVx

In the words of my daughter, "Isn't it cool when God speaks like that?"  Yes!  And we know it is Him, when we hear Him speak repetitively through His Word, His people, and circumstances.  We also know it is Him when He calls us to do something that is bigger than us.  In her book, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, Lysa TerKeurst lists a Five Question Filter to know if you are hearing God's voice.  Number four is "Is it beyond me?"  (If you want to know the other five questions, get her book, it is great!)


So, is my call to write and speak bigger than me?  Absolutely!  As I try to sort out why I haven't pursued the writing and speaking more before now, excuses abound.  Not enough time.  Inadequate.  Other things require more of my attention.  I am not as good as others.  No one wants to listen to me or read what I write. I am happy the way things are.  And so on.  (You ever give those same excuses?)  Honestly, all the excuses have one greater source.  FEAR.  I am afraid.  I am afraid of disappointing God.  Afraid of missing the mark.  Afraid of ridicule.  Afraid of rejection.  Afraid of the future.  Afraid of...failure.

"Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:9 (Message)


God not only wants us to be bold and courageous, He commands it!  Why?  Because fear is paralyzing.  Fear renders us ineffective for the Lord.  And His perfect love casts out fear!


In a recent journal entry, I wrote, "Fear surfaces all too readily.  It creeps into my thought patterns, affects my body, and my way of life.  Where is my trust?  Do I really trust God?" It pains me to write those words.  It pains me even more to share them with you.  But maybe you experience this when God calls you to do something bigger than you.  So, what do we do?


He Speaks, We Listen.  Our response to His speaking is to listen.  That may sound obvious, but do your children always listen when you speak?  (Thought so.)  We want to learn to listen to the Father's voice over our own voice and the voice of others.  Over the noise and the static.  


The New Oxford American Dictionary says to listen is "to take notice of and act on what someone says."  So listening to God is to realize that He is there speaking and then do what He says!  Many of us listen and we hear Him.  And then we sit...in fear, complacency, disobedience, laziness.  We don't act on what we hear.  


I am listening, God.  I hear You.  Please give me the strength and the courage to obey.  I want to see You do something in my life that is way bigger than me.  


Do you struggle with listening or obedience?  Share your thoughts. I would love to pray for you!  




Unwrap the gift of listening to a God who speaks to us,




Kelli

He Speaks... (She Speaks Takeaway Part One)

It has taken me a long time to process She Speaks 2011.  In fact, I am still working through some of the things God was speaking to my heart.  But I wanted to go ahead and share my initial responses. 

It all began in May of 1990.  I was near the end of my freshman year in college.  I was a part of a ministry on campus and decided to attend a state conference.  I don’t remember much about the conference sessions or even who was there.  What I do remember vividly is that I found myself walking the aisle on Sunday morning and stating that I was feeling called into ministry.  Vocational ministry.  I remember reminding God that I was a girl (ha!) and that I had no clue what in ministry I would or could do.

I was a Communications major.  I loved all the classes that most people hate...public speaking, interpersonal communications, etc.  My goal when I began college was to take Joan Lunden’s place on Good Morning America.  (I knew she had to get old one day.)  So, this day in May when I committed my life to vocational ministry, I had no idea how God would use the gifts and skill set He had given me.  I just knew that God had called me and that my desire to become known became engulfed by the desire to make Him known.  I pursued seminary. And that began 21 years of ministry...with youth, children, college students, women, and adults of all ages.

God has incredibly blessed me with opportunities to share His love and grace with so many different people in many different places...even internationally in Greece, Bulgaria, Venezuela, and Australia!  I feel humbled and honored that God would use me in these ways. 

So, why did I find myself at She Speaks in Charlotte, North Carolina a few weeks ago?  Because since September of last year, I have felt like God was leading me to step out of my comfort zone.  Though I have always enjoyed speaking and writing occasionally throughout my years in ministry, I have often found myself giving excuses to God as Moses did in Exodus 3 – 4.

“Who am I, Lord, that I should speak and write about You?  Why me?”

God:  “I will be with you.”

“Suppose I do speak and write and the world asks who do I think I am doing this?”

God:  “I AM has sent you...that is enough.”

“What if they doubt that You called me?”

God:  “I will reveal Myself to them through you.”

“Lord, there are many others who speak and teach so much better than I do.”

God:  “Go.  I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

One of my previous posts was about Preparing for the Amazing.  Well, the Amazing God did amazing things.  God spoke very specifically, very graciously through His Word, His people, and circumstances at She Speaks.

His Word:

The theme for my 3 minute message in my evaluation group:  “To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory!”  Ephesians 3: 20 – 21

God:  “Do you believe that verse, Kelli?  More than you could ever ask or imagine!”

My quiet time passage a week before the conference:  “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”  2 Timothy 4: 2

God:  “This word is for you.  I will work out the details.”

His people: 

A new friend at She Speaks says,  “I just feel the need to tell you to stick to your message.”

God:  “Don’t be swayed by flattery or attention, stick to the message I have given you.”

A gracious keynote speaker says to all of us, “You are uniquely, profoundly, specially gifted.”

God:  “I made you, what do you expect?”

My evaluation group leader writes, “You are so gifted at teaching God’s Word...Keep teachin’ the Word, girl!

God:  “Follow hard after me.  Study my Word.  I will give you opportunities to share.”

Circumstances:

I wish I could share with you all of the divine appointments and God moments, but there are way too many and several are very personal.  Let’s just say that God used several people to affirm me as a speaker and a writer.  From the evaluation groups to the publisher appointments, God used circumstances (crazy circumstances!) to absolutely confirm that He had a message He wanted me to share. 

God reminded me of my initial calling 21 years ago when I didn’t know what He would do with a crazy girl with my gifts and skill set.  Interesting that the Greek word for preach is kerusso, which can also mean:  to proclaim; to publish.  Did you get that? Proclaim and publish?  Speak and write?

God, You have spoken.  My response:  to listen.  And obey.

My friends, what is God calling you to do?  What will your response be?  Please comment so that I can pray for you!

Preparing for the Amazing

The day I finally decide to sign up for the Proverbs 31 She Speaks conference, I go to the website only to find out the conference is full.  Bummer.  I am placed on a waiting list that is who knows how long. Wait?  Wait.  That was mid-April.
May came and went.  Nothing.


June 9, I receive a phone call.  My name was up on the waiting list.  I have 24 hours to decide.  God says go...through the voices of some wonderful people in my life.


What now?  Do I prepare for a speaker evaluation group?  No, I am on the waiting list for that.  Do I prepare to meet with a publisher?  No, I am not ready for that.  


June 23,  I find out that I am in a speaker evaluation group, and that there are publisher appointments still open.  In a moment of crazy ridiculous boldness, I make two appointments with publishers.  I know that this means I will have to work on a proposal and a pitch sheet for my bible study.  The conference is a month away.  I am insane.


June 25, I leave to go on a week vacation to the beach with my family.  God clearly says do not work on She Speaks stuff while I am with my family at the beach.  The days are counting down.  I am resistant, but obedient.


July 2, I return from the beach.  I am rested.  It's a good thing because re-entry is always hard.  Laundry, emails, and snail mail demand my attention.  What about a book proposal or a pitch sheet for my publisher meetings?  And as I read the She Speaks attender Facebook page, I realize that I also need business cards, an awesome blog, a speaker promotional sheet, a twitter account, a Facebook page, the list goes on.  What????  There is no way.  

July 4, I wake up with a spring in my step.  I will do it all!  I begin a new blog (my old one had 3 entries in two years!); I create a Facebook page; I begin working on business cards, speaker biosheet, and my other things for my publisher meeting.


July 5, I wake up sick.  Stomach is all messed up.  Mind is spinning. God says STOP.  Though I don't take any medicine, the Lord puts me in a deep sleep for about 8 hours.  I worry I will not sleep that night, but I sleep another 8 hours. What is the Lord teaching me?

Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.  After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.  Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it." 
Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3: 1-5


"Follow Me, Kelli.  Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before...and consecrate yourself, set yourself apart for me, for tomorrow I will do AMAZING things among you."


July 6, and for the next 14 days, I am awakened every morning between 4 and 5 am.  And I am not a morning person.  It is as if this is the time that God is using to consecrate me.  I am prompted to pray for people in my church, people in my community group, women that will be at She Speaks. God and I also have some great conversations during this time.  I share with Him my worries, my needs, my wants, my dreams.  He reminds me of His deep love for me and His unique plan for my life.  


I write several more blog posts.  I work on my 3 and 5 minute messages for speaker evaluation. I create business cards, a speaker biosheet, and a pitch sheet for the publisher.  I  create a Facebook page and open a Twitter account.  I read about writing book proposals, but am not able to finish one.  But more than all that, I consecrate myself, I prepare myself, I ready myself for what God wants to do with me.  I spend time in His Word, on my knees, and in worship.


July 20, I meet with my community group.  This is an awesome group of people that prays for one another.  I share with them how God is waking me up every morning at 4 or 5 a.m.  to pray, listen, and commune with Him.  I talk about how incredibly sweet the time is.  And then I tell them how very tired I am.  That I need one good night's rest before I leave.  I am leaving the next day.  


July 21, I wake up.  The clock reads 7 a.m.  I have been asleep for 8.5 hours.  Wow!  Thank you, God.  I receive 3 emails that day from people in my community group.  They were all awakened between 4 and 5 am.  They took my shift!  After I finish packing my things, I leave for She Speaks.  


...And it is AMAZING.  Stay tuned.  I will tell you more in the days to come.


In the meanwhile, what amazing thing is God preparing you for?  And what is the hardest part about His preparation?


I am praying for you sweet bloggy friends...
May you unwrap many gifts today!


Kelli

How God Used the Food Network to Speak to Me

Ok, so I admit it.  I am a big Food Network fan.  There's something in me that enjoys watching others prepare gourmet meals.  Maybe I think that by watching, it will somehow magically change my cooking success or better yet, that watching it releases me from ever attempting such feats as a cook.  My favorite FN show is the Next Food Network Star.   So, I know the show isn't terribly spiritual.  But in a recent episode, God used the panel of judges' statements to finalists to remind me of some key spiritual truths.  

"You have so many parts of life that only you can talk about.  See where that leads you."  

Yes, this was said on the Food Network.  It moved me...spiritually.  It was if God was saying the same thing to me... "Why do you compare yourself to others?  Why do you wish for someone else's platform?  I have created you and shaped you just the way you are and you have a unique life story that only you can tell.  Stop trying to be someone else or speak and write like someone else.  Just be you...and see where that leads you."    

"Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." Galatians 5:25 - 26 (MSG)

"It's interesting to me when we find these finalists who are running from what is in their bones."

Not chicken bones, mind you.  These finalists were detouring from their passion, their backgrounds, their callings.  Why do we run from the very thing that God has placed in us...our calling?  Is it because of boredom, laziness, neglect, comparison to others, disobedience, or my personal favorite, FEAR?  Must I remind you of our friend Jonah who was called to go to Ninevah to preach the gospel and "he joined those going to Tarshish -- as far away from God as he could get."  Whatever the reason for running away from our calling, we need to run to the One who called us.  He is there to meet us, to equip us, to encourage us, to cast out fear.  Remember, "The One who calls you is FAITHFUL and He will do it."  1 Thess. 5:24

"She shows a lot of passion, she just doesn't have any focus."

Ouch.  I know this statement wasn't directed toward me personally, but it sure could have been.  The female finalist receiving this critique was very passionate about food, cooking, and even the show, but she lacked knowing who she really was and focusing on her unique perspective.  I have to admit watching her, she was all over the place.  She lacked focus.  I feel this way often.  I show a lot of passion for God, for His Word, for my family, for ministry, but I often lack focus.  I want to be a passionate woman of God...with focus.  God's Word tells us the only way this is possible is to focus on Him, get to know Him.  He provides the passion...and the focus.  Paul writes this for the church at Ephesus:  

"I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do..."  Ephesians 1:15 (MSG)

So, what part of this spiritualization of the Next Food Network Star resonated with you?  Do you stray from your originality...your story?  Do you run from your calling and if you do, why?  And finally, do you lack focus?  Comment below!