Finding Fulfillment

Romans 9:21 (NIV) - Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

Ps. 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

Have you ever felt floppy? Like a fish out of water, just flopping. You know that your purpose, your design is not to "flop." Inside you, you feel unfulfilled, searching, trying to find what really makes you happy.

Part of unfulfillment comes when we are not following the calling and assignment on our life. We each were put on earth with things innately programmed within us to accomplish. We were pre-programed to achieve. Our calling is surprisingly easy to discover. What brings you joy? What are you good at? What feels like no work at all when you are doing it, it actually is fun to you? A mechanic loves to work on cars. Hours can go by seeming only like minutes as he tinkers away fixing and making this car hum. Just as a mechanic works on vehicles, a writer writes, a baker bakes, a speaker speaks, a coach coaches. The list goes on, someone is real estate, seeks out the real estate deals effortlessly. When walking in your calling, fulfillment is one of the first things that judges if you are following God's plan for your life.

Recently, I heard a sneak peek of an interview on The Success Edge podcast, where my brother James Ellis was being interviewed (I believe his interview will be out in May/June 2014). The pre-interview and actual interview brought to light some interesting insight that I hadn't thought of regarding Psalm 37:4. Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. 

I have always thought of this one-sided as if I delight in the Lord, HE will give me what it is I desire in my heart. Well Jamie (as we call him - he goes by James now), Jamie took a different spin on the verse which I thought was very interesting. When we delight in the Lord, GOD will place inside our hearts desires, God will give us desires. When we maybe never had a desire to pursue __________, a singing career, acting career, owning our own business, writing a book, becoming a nanny, starting a ministry, whatever it may be, but when WE delight ourselves in God, HE will place the desire into our heart.

Duck Out of Water
When we aren't pursuing what we were placed on earth to do, we are like a duck out of water. Misplaced. Unfulfilled. Floppy. If someone with an amazing voice was told they could never sing again, it would be like dumping cold water on their fire. If a writer couldn't write, it would take the joy out of where they can give the best. If someone called to be a teacher, nanny, Pediatrician could no longer work with children, the light in their eyes would go dull.

Friend, you and I were created with a purpose! We were created to pursue the purpose that God placed us on this earth for, we were created to accomplish and fulfill the calling on our lives!

I've heard by several people (Mike Murdock, Terri Savelle Foy, John Maxwell) speak about how to FIND your calling if you don't know currently what it is, and here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. What are you good at? What could you do to pass hours a time and it not seem like work?
2. What makes you happy? What brings you tears of joy?
3. What makes you cry? What makes your heart melt and draws you to compassion? 
4. What makes you mad? What makes you furious? 
5. What bumper sticker, when seen, makes you mad or happy? 

These are some questions to ask yourself when seeking out your calling. You really could work your entire life without working a day in your life WHEN you are doing what you are called to do! When you are doing what you are called to do, joy and fulfillment will be the end result. When you are operating in your gifts, even money will follow. No one can do better what YOU were called to do!  Friend, YOU were destined to do great things! Now GO, LOVE LIFE by using your gifts and doing those great things that you were called to do!

What is Your True North?

Psalm 67:2 - That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations. 

Psalm 68:3 - But let the [uncompromisingly] righteous be glad; let them be in high spirits and glory before God, yes, let them [jubilantly] rejoice!

I sit here this morning with a great realization of how much I do not know! After spending the last four days with family and celebrating the life of Tyler's grandfather, I am beginning this week with a lot of things I've learned. As we sat in the funeral on Saturday, I marveled at how great this man was. I marveled at all the many things this man quietly did for the Kingdom of God. The lives he helped, served & invested in. The ministries he impacted because of his generosity and love for the Lord. The obedience he displayed in following the calling that God had specifically on his life. I still sit and marvel.

As I reflect on the simplicity of this great man, I realize how much I do not yet know and the qualities I still have yet to possess. I reflect on the areas God has to mold me, twist and turn, change and recreate, but all the while realizing that it still begins with me. Me. It begins with my willingness to SEE myself. It begins with my willingness to be open to the areas that I need to change. It begins with ME being willing to open my heart, and as difficult as it may be, open myself up to rebuke, to facing the ugly areas in my life that I have been hardened to.

Why? Because the #1 purpose of myself and each believer should be Psalm 67:2. That HIS way may be known upon the earth. That HIS saving power, HIS deliverances and HIS salvation my be known among the nations! How easy it can be to lose sight of the greater importance in life. It is not about the houses, the cars, the money, the trips, the clothes, the jewelry, the purses, the experiences. I learned from a man who was indeed blessed with all of those things, BUT I learned where his heart remained all of these years. I learned that his #1 focus was allowing the saving power of Jesus to be the greatest legacy he left on earth. Through the increase he received, he did not lose sight of his calling. He did not lose sight of blessing the Kingdom of God. He lived out HIS PURPOSE on this earth. With humility, he lived out his calling.

Praise God that we have something to jubilantly rejoice in! Psalm 68:3. We can be in high spirits and glory before God. We can JUBILANTLY rejoice! Why? Why can we be jubilant? Because the end of the story says that WE WIN! The end of the story says that we, believers, win! We will be walking on streets of gold with the King of Kings! We will enter through pearly gates and glory for eternity with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

What about you? Do you have any areas that need to be refocused? Like me, do you have any areas in your life that need to be tweaked? Has "true north" moved off course just a few degrees? I challenge you to take a few minutes to check your true north. Check your direction.

#175 - Divine Sense of Purpose

Good morning! Hope you are doing well. If you are feeling a bit down or out of sorts, the Word is there to encourage, lift up, and give you answers to whatever it is you may be going through. The Word truly does have the answers we are looking for! Let's get going.

Eccl. 3:1, 3b, 11a - TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: .... a time to break down and a time to build up... He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]...

Where are you at in life right now? Are you happy? Are you sad? Are you experiencing frustrations and valleys? Or, are you on a mountain top of success & accomplishment? Debt? Or financial abundance?

Ecclesiastes begins with the Preacher talking about the great abundance of wisdom & material things in which he was living. He decides to apply himself to seeking out what appears to make others happy. In chapter 2, you'll see that he builds houses, vineyards, pools, brings on servants, gathers silver & gold, wine. He acquires great substance, and even remained wise is says in verse 9. Whatever he desired, he acquired. At the end of his pursuit for happiness, he concluded that it was all vanity and amounted to nothing.

A man of such great substance, but joy did not come from the acquiring. Joy did not fill the home filled with so many 'things.' Chapter 3 then dives into talking about the 'seasons.' There is a season for everything. Sowing, reaping, mourning, dancing, peace, war, etc. Seasons. Seasons do not last forever. Seasons pass. Praise the Lord! Are you tired of the cold winter? Spring & life are coming! Buds on trees, flowers in bloom! Summer is coming! Beaches, pools, sand, grilling out. Summer is coming.  Seasons last for a period and then the tide changes.

Have you been in your season for awhile? Are you ready for the change? Have you been in a time of 'breaking down' and you are just thinking, "When is it time to build up? When is it my time to win? When is it time for joy, abundance, fulfillment?" Your season is coming! Your season to win is upon you! Wait it out. Don't quit.

Make sure your motives are right. We see this preacher pursuing every material thing, yet it did not bring fulfillment. Eccl 3:11 answers a question, and brings clarity to what our focus should be, let's re-read it: "He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]..." A divine sense of purpose has been placed in YOUR heart & mind! A DIVINE sense of purpose! Nothing but God can satisfy that yearning you have in your heart & mind. God Himself, has placed a divine sense of purpose on the inside of you. In the flesh, you may yearn for the house. You want to move from an apartment to a house, you want to upgrade your vehicle, you want bills and bill collectors not hanging over your head, you think that just to accomplish and move up in those areas, you will be happy. Only to arrive to that place and there be something else, something new.

A divinely implanted sense of purpose which only GOD can satisfy. Success in your business, will be futile. Success in your job, futile. Success in your finances, futile. Unless the underlying focus for ALL you and I pursue is to fulfill the purpose and calling that God has placed on our lives! To purge the underlying things that we "think" will make us happy, and pursue with fervor His purpose. Helping people. Changing lives. Drawing people to His Kingdom. Pursuing with excellence the calling He has placed on our life, the specific way He has called us to make a difference for the Kingdom. We were ALL put here as a piece to the puzzle of God. God's big master-plan, and WE have a part to play. We have a job that needs to be done.

An unhealthy focus on "acquiring things" can pervert our ability to pursue with purity of heart. In our purity of heart, in our pursuit of God, the other things will eventually follow. His desire is to bless His children! His desire is to provide. He is a good God! But we must not stray from our first love. We must not stray from the pursuit that only God alone can satisfy. Pressing in to Him. Pressing in to the One who makes all things possible, the One who gives us life, air to breathe, love.

A divinely implanted sense of purpose. What is yours? Are you pursuing it? Go make YOUR eternal difference in the world. God accomplish YOUR purpose! It is YOUR SEASON! The tide is changing for you! Take a deep breath. It's your season! It's your time! 

#161 - Guest Post: Clarity of Purpose

Good morning! It has been a great morning so far and I anticipate the whole day will just continue to be awesome! It is my Day of Rest (DOR)! :) :) :) OK... I know some people (MOM!) may be thinking, "You have lots of Days of Rest Amy!" Well... let me explain! Yes... I have a DOR every week! A Sabbath, a Day of Rest. AND... since I'm a MOM, it is usually nice to rest without Tyler Junior... without having the "mom/wife/cook/cleaner" hat on! Do I hear an AMEN from anyone out there? I am blessed to have a husband that has a somewhat flexible job and does have some office days. It doesn't happen all the time, but it allows mom to sometimes get to slip out and enjoy some "alone time" without Junior! Often a very needed break! SOOOO... even though I just had a DOR on Friday... today was the most convenient day for Tyler for me to have my DOR.... so.... I'm starting the week of RESTING! YIPPEE! I'm so blessed to have such a great husband! A major SHOUT OUT to TYLER MCCART! I love you and appreciate you! Thank you for valuing my "rest time" too! 


Check out his post from this morning! It's not every day that he posts... but this one is short, sweet & impactful! 

Clarity of Purpose (check out Tyler's blog!)

Ok. This will be quick blog again, but I just wanted to share something that IMPACTED my life, yesterday.

I was at church and Pastor Donna was ministering and she was talking about making a quality decision about being SOLD OUT to the plan of God for your life. The last verse that she shared was this:

Proverbs 19:21 (Amp) "Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand."

She said, "What are the reoccurring thoughts and desires that have been coming up inside of yourself for your entire life? Well, think about these things because it will bring clarity to you about the plan and purpose of God for your life."

Chew on this!! Take some time and ponder this.

Is your "Life" in line with those thoughts or at least are you taking those small steps toward that plan??

Impacting your world!!

#125 - Guest Post: FAILURE IS NEVER CONSIDERED

Today I'm posting something that I think is DEFINITELY worth the read. It is a post from my husband's blog (http://themccartteam.blogspot.com)  that he wrote yesterday! For both of us, it was very freeing. Enjoy! 

Failure is Never Considered by: Tyler McCart

I was talking with Amy on a date night and as usual we are talking about what we are learning and about our team!! These are popular topics.

Well, I was listening to a CD in my car and it was an interview of a college professor (Dr. Sirkumar Rao) that has the ONLY self-improvement course in a MBA program at an Ivy League school. So this was a pretty big time accomplishment because it had never been done.

So the person conducting the interview asked the professor, "Did you ever consider failing at the idea of creating a self-improvement course and making it part of an MBA program?" The professor's answer really did catch me off guard.

He stated, "I never thought I would fail." When he made that statement, I was like wow!! He never considered failure. The thought of failing never crossed his mind. And then he went on to say this, "The reason I never thought about failing was because this was what I was born to do. So therefore, if I was created to do this, then I could never fail at this." WHOAAAA!!!!

I pondered this in my heart for several days. Then Amy and I began talking about it and as we were talking I made a statement about my realization. Amy was so excited about it that she told me to stop talking while she typed the statement into her Blackberry.

The statement, "If you are doing what you were born to be and do, then failure should not even be a consideration. Because you were born for that very purpose."

That is good stuff!! If you were born for that very purpose, then YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON that can carry that purpose out. It helped me stop thinking about "what if I fail or do not succeed?"

To reinforce this mind-set, the book The Slight Edge (by Jeff Olson) is a key to fulfilling the purpose you were created to for.

Failure should be called lessons.

#105 - YOU ARE MEANT TO DO GREAT THINGS!

Hello! I'm BACK! :) It's so great to be home!! You know when it is exciting to leave, but it is also exciting to get back to "life". Get back to the routines & normalcy. My parents came into town last Saturday for the boy's birthday party. Then on Sunday we left to go to Orlando (except Tyler Sr staying home. :-(''' ) I drove back home on Thursday night, and Tyler and I left for a conference in North Carolina, Friday-Sunday.  SO... I'm HOME now. It's nice. What an amazing last week though! SOOOO many amazing things happened.... I wish I could share them all, but it would take WAY to much time. 


Well... let's go ahead and get started...

Psalm 82 - ¹GOD STANDS in the assembly [of the representatives] of God; in the midst of the magistrates or judges He gives judgment [as] among the gods. ²How long will you [magistrates or judges] judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! ³Do justice to the weak (poor) and fatherless; maintain the rights of the afflicted and needy. ⁴Deliver the poor and needy; rescue them out of the hand of the wicked. ⁵[The magistrates and judges] know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in the darkness [of complacent satisfaction]; all the foundations of the earth [the fundamental principles upon which rests the administration of justice] are shaking. ⁶I said, You are gods [since you judge on My behalf, as My representatives]; indeed, all of you are children of the Most High. ⁷But you shall die as men and fall as one of the princes. ⁸Arise, O God, judge the earth! For to You belong all the nations.

Proverbs 31:24 - She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them 

As I was reading Psalm 82, I was interested when I got to the phrase "complacent satisfaction." As I read and re-read the chapter, that was what the chapter encompassed... complacency. God being frustrated with magistrates and judges for showing complacency, for allowing unjust things to continually take place. Complacency had set in. What is complacency equal to? Darkness! When you walk around AVOIDING doing what you KNOW you are suppose to do, you begin to grow not only complacent, but your world begins to become a world of darkness. Complacency begins to not only affect your joy, but the longer complacency sets in, it allows your self-image to take a hit as well. When you know the calling God has on your life, if you have been complacent about it and not PURSUING it your self-image gradually gets worse and worse until hiding and being at home is the easiest thing to do. The passion and fervor for living life has dissipated and a midweek movie, or TV program becomes a normal thing to take part in. Pursuing your "Calling" would require effort and un-comfort in your life, so it is easier just to try to avoid it, all the while, it almost feels like a gnawing in the deep parts of your brain and heart is taking place. You KNOW you are CAPABLE to do great things! YOU KNOW if you just CHOSE to pull out that GREATNESS that you KNOW is in you, you would most definitely be a WORLD CHANGER and make HUGE difference to countless numbers of people. Deep down you KNOW how great you really are. You know that you were not created just to be living the average life you have been living. This is just NOT how it was suppose to turn out. That is what Psalm 82 is talking about. Complacency. 


The scary thing. Allowing complacency get to a point of "complacent satisfaction." At this point, even though deep down you KNOW you were MEANT, really MEANT, CALLED BY GOD to do really GREAT things. The complacency, the gnawing sensation in your heart over time stops "gnawing" as much. Over time of "doing nothing", not progressing towards your goal, or calling, your complacency turns into a complacent satisfaction. You begin to be OK with just being AVERAGE. You begin to be OK with the life that you are living. You begin to be OK about NOT pursuing your calling, the calling GOD has set for your life. You begin to be OK about just being AVERAGE.


Do you really want to just stay average? Do you really want to remain in a life knowing you COULD HAVE done so much. Knowing every day you are living UN-TAPPED. Do you really want to live and ultimately finish life like that? I heard someone say this weekend, what would the day be like in 20-30 years from now when you meet up with the person you COULD HAVE been? How would you feel?  When you meet up and you SEE the person that you SHOULD HAVE been? You see all the great and amazing things you were SUPPOSE to accomplish, how you were SUPPOSE to live, if you just would've gotten out of the place of "complacent satisfaction." 


WHAT IF? What if you chose to pull that person out now. What if you chose to live the life pursuing your ultimate destiny, living out the calling God has on your life. And then, when you get to the end, you look back and see all that you did, how fully you lived, all the you accomplished for the Kingdom of God, all that your children accomplished because they watched an awesome example in you. How different would things be if you just BECAME the person you are SUPPOSE to be. That you chose not to have fear, but to just pursue God's calling. If you just chose to NOT be average. If you chose to be GREAT. If you chose to pull out that AMAZING YOU that you know is deep down inside you. 


The Holy Spirit told me something interesting this weekend. As I was sitting in a leadership conference with so many winners and world changers, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Proverbs 16:9, A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. I had been waiting for the LORD to just tell me what to do, for the LORD to make a "plan" for me. But that's not what the Word says. The Holy Spirit proceeded to tell me that if I, AMY, made a plan, HE would direct it and make it sure, make it successful. It was up to me, I needed to make a plan. Those things that I have been uncomfortable about doing, but deep down have KNOWN that if I just started, I would be really GREAT at... those things, HE would make them succeed. And ANYTIME you begin to do something over and over, it gets easier. 


I know God has made me great. I know deep down I have really GREAT things to do and share. Great things to BE. I know that I was not meant to be average. And you know what, neither were you. 


What have you been afraid of? What has been holding you back? Choose today to leave complacency behind. Be the GREAT YOU! Live out your potential. And when it is all over, have the satisfaction of knowing that you will look back over your life with NO REGRETS. 

#72 - Slow Down and Ask

Good morning! Welcome to the 1st reader in Nigeria! :) HELLO! Great to have you joining us in the Word! :) Well... so far this morning I have completed 2 cups of yummy blonde coffee, 1 fruit smoothie, just took my vitamins and am drinking a glass of water with a red straw. A nice, thick, red bendy straw! I love straws. I am a straw user! It's so much more fun to drink with a straw, don't you think? 


Today's Reading Schedule: Proverbs 20, Psalms 20, 50, 80, 110, 140, Proverbs 31:10-31 (AMP)

Proverbs 20:18 - Purposes and plans are established by counsel; and [only] with good advice make or carry on war.

Psalms 20:1a, 4 - MAY THE Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May He grant you according to your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans. 

Psalm 140:6 - I said to the Lord, You are my God; give ear to the voice of my supplications, O Lord. 

Proverbs 31:16 - She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]... 

The alarm clock goes off. She rolls over in bed and knows that this time she must get up. She can't afford to hit snooze again. Rubbing her eyes, she crawls out of bed squinting to read the red numbers on the clock. Dang it, she thinks. I need to get moving. Hurriedly, she rushes into the bathroom, jumps in the shower, quickly washes off, wakes up and gets out. I'll just pull my hair up again today. No time to wash it this morning. She throws on clothes, brushes her teeth, grabs her make-up and heads downstairs. 'I don't have time to put on my make-up, I'll just have to do it on the way to work again. I guess I won't be doing eye-liner today.' As she passes the kitchen table she sees her Bible laying where she laid it yesterday after getting home from church. 'Man, I really need to wake up early to have a Quiet Time. Maybe I'll get around to it tomorrow.' She pours the coffee that is left over in the pot, grabs a banana and heads out the door.


Another day in the life of a busy American Christian. The gnawing sensation there, in the back of her mind... like many people, she knows a quiet time would be a 'good idea' but she just hasn't been able to make it happen.  


As I read Psalm 20, immediately verse 1 jumped off the page. The words "ANSWER YOU" rang in my mind. In order to "answer" a question or cry needs to be made. It's hard to answer when there is no question. The verses today expressed dialog, expressed that of the need for conversation. The verses expressed plans and purposes being divinely orchestrated via counsel of godly men and women of God, or counsel directly from the Holy Spirit. But the prerequisite to COUNSEL, the prerequisite to ANSWERS begins with a QUESTION. Begins with DIALOG. Begins with time, set aside to seek the ONE and ONLY. To seek our Savior, our Guide, our Help. To spend the time with Him that will draw us into our direction, the time that will draw us into His will for our lives being discovered. So that OUR PLANS would divinely line up with HIS direction for us. Like what it talks about in Proverbs 16:3 (amp), "Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed." Isn't that AWESOME?! When we ROLL our works upon the Lord, HE will cause our thoughts to become agreeable with HIS will. And then, with our thoughts in agreement with what HE wants for our lives, WE are able to establish plans. OUR PLANS. And HE will cause OUR PLANS to not only come into play, but to succeed. But it all begins with dialog! It all begins with TIME spent before the throne of grace. Time spent, where the alarm clock is set early, we REFUSE to hit the snooze 3-4 times, but that we DEFY our flesh and get up. We get up, KNOWING in advance that our time getting with the Lord WILL BE BLESSED. That He will talk to YOU. He will direct YOU. He will ANSWER YOU! And we are able to truly say that our plans and purposes are being directed by COUNSEL. Counsel with the ONE and ONLY true God. Because of that time with Him, that time in HIS presence, our desires are coming into alignment with His desires for us. They are becoming ONE. Our plans are coming from a time spent with Him. Our desires, that are becoming our very own are born out of a time spent before the throne. Our desires and His desires are ONE. 


Our Proverbs 31 friend has established priorities. Sure, in this verse it is talking about how she is CONSIDERING taking something else on. She is CONSIDERING it. But, BEFORE she commits to adding another thing to her plate, she looks at her current obligations. Would bringing this "one more thing" on disrupt her current obligations. Would she not be able to fulfill them? Since she is the ULTIMATE WOMAN, and we know from Proverbs 31:15 that "she rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food..." She IS spending time before the throne of grace. If things or obligations would get in the way of her FIRST priority, spending time fellowshipping with her Lord, after consideration she would CHOOSE NOT to take on this additional thing. She CONSIDERS wisely before accepting more to her plate, and she knows when it is best to say NO. What a Spiritual, Biblical, wonderful word.... NO. Sometimes a word more of us need to know. NO. 


What's keeping you from regular time with the Lord? Are you too tired when you wake up? What's keeping you from going to bed earlier? Do you need to say NO to that late night movie? Do you need to say NO to Facebook? NO to twitter? NO to the 11:00 News? Or, do you just need to jump in a cold shower to wake you up in the morning? 


I'll close with some Words I felt the Holy Spirit told me this morning.... 

Those rushing out to their jobs, waking up to late to spend time with Me, feeling rushed and a sense of chaos accompanies the rest of their day. 'Slow down to speed up.' Priorities. Many people are too busy and do not even have a list of priorities. They do not slow down long enough to even see where they are going, they are just in a hurry to get 'there'. For many, I would change their direction. They would be able to do what they love for a living, not just make a paycheck at a job. Their un-fulfillment would change to a daily excitement  to embrace the day. But so many don't slow down long enough to ask. 

Today, tomorrow, slow down and ask. Slow down to speed up. Slow down, get quiet before the Lord and watch how a normal "chaos-filled" day, will change to a day filled with peace. A day where things just line up. A day where you actually get things done early. A day directed. 


Slow down to speed up. Slow down and ASK for direction from a God who is longing to spend time with YOU!

#68 - YOU were called to make a DIFFERENCE!

Good morning! A beautiful morning! :) I have a little brown lizard running around on my porch right now. He's pretty cute. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't touch him... but it is pretty interesting to watch his little legs run so fast! That was one thing I didn't see growing up in Indiana! No lizards up there! Well, it's better than a spider! *deep breath* YUCK! 


Ok... well, let's get going and see what the Lord has to say right today. 
Oooh... just looked off my porch... I have a nice red tomato on my tomato plant! Yummy! Ok... focus Amy, focus!


Today's Reading Schedule: Proverbs 14, Psalms 14, 44, 74, 104, 144, Proverbs 31:10-31

Proverbs 14:34 - Uprightness and right standing with God (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) elevate a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

Psalm 14:2, 5, 6b - The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity]. There they shall be in great fear [literally--dreading a dread], for God is with the generation of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright and in right standing with Him).... but the Lord is his safe refuge.

Proverbs 31:29 - Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.

I believe if we were all honest about it... whatever country you are living in, we would like to see God BLESS our country. We would like to see our country be elevated and favored? Well.... YOU make a difference in that happening for your county! Do you live in the US? Canada? Denmark? The UK? YOU MATTER!


I've heard before this statement, "You can't change God's mind." BUT.... through reading scripture, I believe you can! Let's take a look back in the old testament, you all probably remember the story of Sodom & Gomorrah. Let's pick up where Abraham is talking to God in Genesis 18:23, "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?"


The Lord goes on to say, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."


The conversation continues.... Abraham asks what if there are only 45 righteous? 40? 35? 20? 10? At each question, the Lord says basically, Ok... I will spare the city. If you remember in the story, the city did get destroyed because of the great wickedness, the righteous of the city are spared. But the point I want to make is this, we CAN cry out to God, we can plead with Him. On behalf of OUR righteousness, He will hear our cry! We can, like Abraham CONVERSE with God (the Holy Spirit). We CAN make a difference on behalf of our nation. And it all begins with OUR UPRIGHTNESS. OUR RIGHT STANDING with God. OUR INQUIRING of Him and REQUIRING Him to be the center of our lives!


God is with the generation of the RIGHTEOUS! The RIGHTEOUS need not fear, because WE have a place of REFUGE in the Lord! 


BUT... let me ask you this? Are you not happy about what is going on in YOUR COUNTRY? Do you not like the way things are going? Then, YOU BE THE RIGHTEOUS so that YOUR nation is elevated! Like it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."


Today... make a difference in YOUR nation. ONE person can make a difference! You may not think it... like I recently heard a family member tell me, "One person can't really make a difference." I disagree. One person CAN make a difference. Recently my business mentors saw a need for a Christian School. No one was doing anything about it. They decided to take it upon themselves to be DIFFERENCE MAKERS! They said, "There is a need in our area for good Christian Education, no one is doing anything about it, so WE are going to step up to the plate and do something!" THEY, Doug & Amie Weir, began the process, learned about education, began campaigning, started a 2 year project of STARTING A SCHOOL!!! Well, this fall, August 23rd the doors of their school were opened. They filled their first year to capacity with over 100 students, and have a waiting list already of over 100 more students. ONE PERSON CAN make a difference. Because of Doug and Amie, over 100 families are going to be impacted with a positive Christian education. 


You may not open a school, but YOU CAN make a difference. Praying for your country. Choosing to be one of the righteous. Praying for your family. Friends. Or, just listening to God to MAKE SURE you are following HIS CALLING for YOUR LIFE, and not just going through life "Ho-Hum" living by YOUR agenda. 


YOU WERE CALLED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! YOU ARE A WINNER! I mean think about it.... excuse my analogy... it's kinda interesting to think about... but when your parents came together and your mom got pregnant, YOU were the fastest little swimmer! YOU WON! You beat out all the "other little guys" who were swimming trying to find the egg! YOU were the fastest! I know... I can see my sister Kimmi laughing at me now... but from the beginning of time, when you were even born, you started out a WINNER! NOW, LIVE LIKE ONE! 

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Random Health Tip: Are you drinking enough water? Half your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 140 pounds, you should be drinking 70 ounces. Did you know, that drinking water can help you to loose weight and stay healthy! Water helps flush things out of your system. It can also help to get rid of a cold, or prevent you from getting one to begin with. Water does a lot of good things! Fill up a bottle of water and take it with you today! Then RE-FILL it and drink another!

#36 - Trust - To Do & To Be.

Wow. So... what a morning. You know "those" mornings? Let's just say it's been interesting. One of the exciting things that have happened this morning is the toilet overflowed. :) Exciting!! I mean, it overflowed! I'll spare you of the details... but, all is well, life is good and it's a beautiful day out. We are blessed! Ms Sherrie is here right now doing some laundry, so ROCK ON with that. And she loves, loves, loves Tyler Jr. Her and her husband Kevin, just love him like a grandchild. She was telling me this morning, "Please Amy, if you ever just want to bring him over, if we don't have plans, we'd love to watch him." Kevin was asking her to call me on Saturday to have "the boy" come over. He just adores Tyler Jr... and Tyler Jr adores him. It's so cute. Kevin wants to be called "Pat-Pat". So... Pat-Pat it is! :) Praise God for local "grandparents" that love your child and want to watch him!! Let's say, Date Night!?!? :) 


Since I'm super behind schedule, we better roll.... 

Proverbs 19:21 - Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand.

Proverbs 31:11 - The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.

The bottom line is, the Lord's Will will prevail. The Lord's Plans, will come to pass. Nothing is a surprise to Him. His plans and purpose for our lives has been laid out before time.... we don't surprise him by our "response" or our "actions"... He has known it all along. It is the LORD'S PURPOSE that will stand! I heard a bald guy recently say, "Despite whatever I would want to do, I have come to grips with the fact that I will never be the star of a Shampoo commercial. It's just not going to happen. It was not in the make-up or design of what I was called to do. What I was suppose to do. What I was meant to do." And that is the same with us! God has placed in us a very specific calling that WE are called to accomplish. Our passions are a clue to what our calling is. What we LOVE to do, is a clue to why we were put here on earth. The LORD has placed that purpose in our heart... it has been weaved into our make-up... that was why we were designed. For example... it FLOORS me that there are some people that love to do things with "sound" and "light" for events. Making sure that microphone's work properly, that sound comes through speakers at the correct pitch and volume, that projectors work, screens work, that all the intricate details work when putting on a conference or "event". That floors me. That would be the last thing on the planet that I would want to do!!! I have no desire to do it, no gifting at it... and honestly, it would be very toilsome and taxing on me to try to do something like that. God did not put that in my make-up. I was not designed to be the "sound person"....or "I.T. person".  But PRAISE GOD there are people out there that are called to do that! So GOD has designed the purpose within us, and our purpose is important! We may have plans or thoughts or ideas... but ultimately it is the PURPOSE why we were put here on this planet that will PREVAIL. 


Called to cook!? The Lords purpose will stand... the path will lead you there. Called to entertain? The Lords purpose will stand... the path will lead you there. Called to speak? The Lords purpose will stand... the path will lead you there. Called to lead? Make money? Start business'? Be a mom? Be a teacher? Be a nurse? Write books? Be a missionary? House orphans? Adopt kids? Help the needy? Build houses? Clean houses? Climb mountains? The LORDS purpose will stand... the path will lead you there! Don't ignore what you love. There is a good chance that is the path that the Lord will lead you on. It is NOT an accident that you are reading this. I was called to write THIS... THIS exact blog post.... and right now at this time, God knew that YOU were going to be reading it. It is part of HIS plan. It wasn't a mystery. Before time, He knew this would be written and He knew you would read it. This could be one of the tools that gets you on the path of HIS PURPOSE for you. The ONLY purpose that will stand. The ONLY purpose that is important for you to complete. 


As a wife, it is a responsibility of mine to be a wife that my husband can trust. In Proverbs 31:11, it says the heart of her husband trusts in her confidently. Tyler should be able to, without hesitation, trust me fully. Let me give you a few examples of that. My husband should be able to: 

1. Trust in my ability to listen to the Holy Spirit. - Tyler should know and be confident that I, as his wife and as a Christian woman am listening to the Holy Spirit. I am being directed by the Holy Spirit. This "knowing" that he should & does have brings him great comfort. He knows I am being directed, not just being flighty, not knowing what way I am going. Not wishy washy or unsure. Not being tossed and turned at the next thing I hear from anyone. He can have confidence and rely on my ability to be LED by the Holy Spirit.
2. Trust in my ability to be productive on the RIGHT things. - Not being productive in what the Holy Spirit wants us to do leads to us doing and accomplishing things in vain. Things that don't matter. Things that could wait, or things that may never need to be done. So... as a "stay-at-home" mom... the world often views those people as, "Oh. You're a stay at home mom. (*All the while they are thinking - "You have it made then, you must do nothing but go to the pool, make lunch, eat bon-bon's, look sporty as you go to the grocery store.... you basically have a "nothing" job...you are insignificant."*)" - IF I am going to be who I'm called to be as this Proverbs 31 woman, I am NOT off the hook for being an income producer, even AS A STAY AT HOME MOM. This Proverbs 31 MOM, was an entrepreneur. Her husband isn't lacking in "honest gain" because SHE is bringing gain in. She is also diligent and even amidst her "mother" duties, she is being productive on the RIGHT things. She has more of a purpose than JUST BEING A MOM. Read Proverbs 31:10-31. Her purpose extends MUCH farther than just raising kids, changing diapers, feeding her family. My husband should be able to TRUST in my ability to be directed by the Holy Spirit AND be productive doing the RIGHT things. For me, part of the "right" things includes writing books. 
• A few clues that it is part of my PURPOSE: 
• (1) It's been directed by the Holy Spirit. He TOLD me to begin. 
• (2) It's something that comes easy to me. 
• (3) It's something I have a great passion to do. 
• (4) It's something I LOVE. I find joy in it. I find excitement in it. 
• (5) It's something that allows me to add value to people and see a difference in others. 
• (6) It is something that glorifies God & points back to Him. 
3. Trust in my ability to be OBEDIENT to do what the Holy Spirit says EVEN IF it is different than what he says. - Recently Tyler mentioned some things that he wanted me to do, or that I "could" do. He was just talking. He was talking about things that "sounded like a good idea." This happened twice within a few days. Both times I had a "flag" go up in my spirit. Like a "warning". The Holy Spirit then proceeded to tell me, "Don't feel pressured to do what Tyler is saying. Whose plan are you following. Whose purpose are you accomplishing. Mine or Tyler's? Don't feel pressure. I have told you the 2 things you are suppose to be working on, continue to do that and I will release you for more things when those are completed." So, Tyler had great intentions. He was speaking out of "Tyler"... he was not telling me to do those things because the Holy Spirit told him too, he was just talking to me. I told him about what the Holy Spirit told me, and he was ALL FOR IT. He was on board. He knows if I'm working to accomplish "Tyler's Will" and it's not "God's Will" I would be working in vain. And, my ultimate responsibility is to God, even above that of my husband. Tyler knows God is first in my life, and I know God is first in his life... and we wouldn't want it any other way. The moment I became first in Tyler's life or vice versa, that would be called "having an idol". Anything before God is an idol. So, Tyler trusts in my ability to be OBEDIENT to the Holy Spirit. 

Obedience can yield $$$$. Recently, the Holy Spirit was very heavy on me and would not let up about something I was suppose to complete. I could not get away from it. The Holy Spirit would not let up. I had to turn down invitations to do things because the Holy Spirit was deliberate about me completing the assignment He had given me. He is not always that persistent about the "timing". So, I completed it and it ended up yielding us a lot of money. Let's just say about what I made in 5-6 months at my job. The Holy Spirit knows what he is doing. He knows what you will need before you know it. And your obedience to Him is ALWAYS the best thing. 

Trust. To Do - Trust the Lord. Just to it. His purpose will prevail and you will enjoy it because it encompasses what you love to do!  

Trust. To Be - Be trusted by your spouse. May they be fully reliant on your judgement and your direction from the Holy Spirit. 

#20 - Past the Point of Sacrifice

We had such a great weekend. We spontaneously did go and meet new Baby Bella. She is so little. We enjoyed seeing Jill & Doug as they adjusted to the new life of parenthood. We obviously had a blast with Pop & Yaya (Tyler's parents). We also had the opportunity to spend some time visiting Grandmother & Granddaddy & Mama (maw-maw). A blessed weekend & a blessed Father's Day. Tyler Jr had Mama write a note to dad for Papa's Day & daddy started to cry. That's always fun when you can make a grown man cry out of joy. :) Just thought I'd share a few pictures with you and then we will dive in to this mornings devotion. 

SO CUTE! - So, there's Tyler Jr, Mama, Papa & Baby Bella... - I know Baby Bella is super cute IF you can get your eyes off of the DOLL BABY Tyler Jr! And his 2 little teeth. What a little ham! For 7 months, you would've thought he knew what it meant to say "Cheeeeeze!" I can hardly stand it! He's so cute. He is definitely Mama's little man. His Papa isn't too bad either! ;)

(left) Another Doll Baby picture of my boy. Cuter than a Gerber baby in Mama's opinion. He was sitting on Pop's Tractor! 

(right) Daddy & Jr riding the bike at Pop & Yaya's. The boy had such a good time. Of course any time that everyone just focuses on him is a good time! He definitely didn't lack on the attention this weekend!

Alright... there is a little insight into the life of Tyler & Amy McCart (and family). LOVE life! Before diving in to our verses for today...I read something interesting in the notes of my Bible...a specific call out to the young men out there, check this out: "...invaluable chapter that one realizes that it is first of all intended for young men. It is the mother's God-given task to provide youth with this information..." So, single men... if your mother did not teach you about this Proverbs 31 woman, it is now YOUR responsibility to study who she is, to study & know what she is all about, and if you are willing to wait for & believe for this Proverbs 31 woman, she can be YOUR WIFE! She can be all you ever wanted, needed, dreamed of. She can be the woman who you never thought was possible to be in existence... designed specifically for you, not only to meet your needs but to be SOOO much more than that. To excel, to stretch you, to make you look good among city leaders, to be more than a wife & mom doing dishes, cleaning dirty faces & doing laundry, but a LEADER, a business woman, and like David, a woman after God's own heart. Young Men, I challenge you to study this woman. She is there for you if you want it. But FIRST, would you recognize her if you saw her? If not, it is time to know, to learn who she is! And ladies, it is time to become this woman! Last but not least....moms, it is never too late to begin teaching your boys what to look for in his future wife... begin teaching him today! Small but true, slide in those truths about what his wife is going to be like. Let's go ahead and dive in this morning....

Proverbs 21:3 - To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Proverbs 31:29 - Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all. 

Where do I believe the Lord wants us to be? Where are we suppose to get too? I believe Proverbs 21:3 is taking us to a place of fullness. A place complete in every aspect. A place of love & devotion. In the Hebrew, the word "sacrifice" breaks down as some of the following words: sacrifices of righteousness, sacrifices of strife, sacrifices of dead things, the covenant sacrifice, annual sacrifice, thank offering. Those are what we are looking at as far as "sacrifice". Not that they are not "acceptable", but there is something even MORE ACCEPTABLE. I believe, MORE pleasing, MORE complete, MORE full. 


I believe Proverbs 21 is trying to take us to a deeper place. I believe Proverbs 21 is trying to take us to a place free of sacrifice, free of trying to "prove our love" or "commitment".... I believe that Proverbs 21:3 is trying to take us PAST the place where Abraham brought Isaac to the alter, where he was about to "sacrifice" what was most precious to him out of obedience (See Genesis 22). Abraham was proving to the Lord that HE was the most important. That HE was the truest source of his love. That above ALL else, Abraham was committed to his Father. The familiar story you know, Abraham continues in obedience, in faith that he will leave with his son ALIVE... all the while he binds his son, lays him on the alter, wood ready, knife in hand and just before Isaac is sacrificed, a ram appears in the thicket. Love has been proven. Faithfulness has been proven. I believe that is where Proverbs 21:3 is trying to take us. Past the sacrifice of your favorite food, past the sacrifice of chocolate, of TV, of internet... past the sacrifice of your love or passion. I believe Proverbs 21:3 is trying to take us to a place where our love has been proven. Where it is evident that ALL has been on the alter, and that our true love & focus is our relationship with our Heavenly Father. 


I believe it is a place where we are in tune...a place where "our thoughts become agreeable with His will, so our plans are established and succeed" (Proverbs 16:3 amp). I believe the ultimate goal is to be in a place where during your quiet time with the Lord, during YOUR time of study and YOUR time of listening to his voice, you are able to get out your planner and plan out your day. As you write down what you feel like you need to accomplish, you ask the Lord, "Is this what you would have me to do today? Am I missing anything? Am I on track to accomplish my assignment and why I was put here? Are my daily tasks what YOU would have me do Lord?" And then, there, as you quiet yourself and listen, in your mind you hear His voice.... at first you go back and forth within yourself thinking... "Is that just me? Am I thinking that? Are those just my thoughts?".... but you continue to allow yourself to be quiet and you hear, "I am pleased. You are beginning the process of allowing Me to lead your life. You are beginning down a path where you will experience blessing beyond what you could plan. As you put Me first, as you listen to Me, I will line up what you could not have imagined. Continue to listen. Continue to seek Me. I will direct your steps. I will take you to places you never even dreamed. Continue. Continue in Me."


What about our Proverbs 31 friend? It tells us she has arrived to that point. She is past the point of sacrifice. She has proven her love, her devotion, her commitment. It says she has excelled them ALL. Who has she excelled? My Bible lists out the women whom our Proverbs 31 woman has surpassed..... it is quite an extensive & impressive list...

• Miriam, the one who led a nation's women in praise to God (Exodus 15:20-21)
• Deborah, the patriotic military advisor (Judges 4:4-10)
• Ruth, the woman of constancy (Ruth 1:16)
• Hannah, the ideal mother (1 Samuel 1:20, 2:19)
• Shunammite Woman, the hospitable woman (2 Kings 4:8-10)
• Huldah, the woman who revealed God's secret message to national leaders (2 Kings 22:14)
• Queen Esther, the woman who risked sacrificing her life for her people (Esther 4:16)

Our Proverbs 31 friend has excelled ALL of these women. 


So....what can be your take away from today? I really think it boils down to a deeper passion, a deeper love. Where you go past the point of sacrifice. Sacrifice may be required in order to get there. As YOU listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say to YOU, yes He may reveal an area of sacrifice that is needed. Maybe a love that you have that IS greater than your love for the Lord. An addiction that you have that is exalted above your walk with Him. The way you dress? You like to look pretty and right now showing off your "goods" has been a greater priority than dressing in a modest trendy fashion. Your association? You love the people you hang out with, you love the parties, the fast life, the  feeling of importance? Maybe the drugs, maybe the alcohol... or it could just be as subtle as an addiction to having to always KNOW what is going on in your Facebook world.... or having to be in the "know" with your blackberry messenger contacts? Only YOU know what it is for you. It may take sacrifice for you, and it may not. As you listen, you may just hear the Voice drawing you in, saying, "Come. Just come as you are. Just come. Come closer. Draw nearer. Just come."


Draw nearer to a point that your love has been proven... that as Proverbs 21:3 talks about, you are past the point of sacrifice. Your daily actions have been directed. You are walking & living in FULLNESS. You are in the CENTER of where the Lord wants you to be. You are on the path to pursuing what you were put on earth to pursue. You are walking in your calling! You are living in the center of your PURPOSE. Draw near to the Lord today. Come.

#16 - Pursing your Purpose in Peace

Good morning. :) Sometimes I am curious when I wake up.... "What is the Lord going to teach me this morning." In my own knowledge, I have no idea what it's going to be. I don't even know the direction He is going to take. I keep waiting on Him to have a devotional on fitness (see the latter part of Proverbs 31:17).... but as of yet, He just hasn't led that way. That would be something easy for ME, because of the knowledge "I" have.... but can anyone say, "PRAISE THE LORD"... when we get before the Lord, it is not about what WE know, but about what HE knows and how HE directs us. This morning was good & HE had a lot to say about the subject we are going to talk about, so let's dive in. 

Proverbs 14:30 - A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body...

Proverbs 31:17 - She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task]...

Before we really jump into things...let me make mention of a couple of areas in regards to your time with the Lord. There have been seasons of my life when my quiet time consisted of 15 minutes in the morning, or when it did seem a little rushed, I was running out the door to get to a meeting on time, to see a client, to help a banker. I have not always enjoyed a nice morning, just me, the Lord, my Bible & a cup of coffee. I want to encourage you, wherever you are & whatever the time constraints you have, do not feel pressure. Whatever you can give God as far as "time", he can bless it. I was reminded of this at church yesterday as Pastor Jenkins mentioned, "Even if it's just on the way to work, turn the radio off & just spend time with the Lord." Beginning last June, that is what I was doing. My "quiet time" consisted of my 20 minute drive to work.... this is what I did. I had Proverbs 31:10-31 saved in the "Memo Pad" of my blackberry. Each morning, I would pull up the "Memo Pad" choose a scripture, copy it, make a "memo" just for that scripture, and I would drive to work meditating on the verse. I would read it, several times over, I would say it out loud, I would ask the Lord: "What is it you would have me to know about this verse?", I would pray, and thoughts and ideas would just come to me. I would jot these thoughts and ideas in the "memo pad". Sometimes the Holy Spirit would bring a story to my mind that related to the verse. Sometimes just ONE word would jump out at me. But, I can tell you this, the 20 minutes that I spent meditating on the Word, the Lord DID have things to say. He DID show up! So, whatever time you may or may not have, don't feel pressure, just use your time wisely. Give God some part of the beginning of your day, even if it's just 5 minutes. The time will compound & you will truly be blessed. 


Ok, let's jump in. 
The "undisturbed mind", "mental strength".... that's what I want to talk about today. The thought or picture that comes to my mind, which I'm sure has been a picture of me at times, is this: A person, a lady, frazzled, hair a bit disheveled, a look of partly frustration, partly fear & partly like tears are getting ready to burst forth. She even yells at herself as she puts her hands on her head, fingers in her hair and says outloud, "Get it TOGETHER! Get it TOGETHER!" She is definitely a bit on the "stressed out" side. 


Tangent....that reminds me of a quick funny story... my little nephew Karson who is 4 years old was walking down the hall looking for my sister, his mom... as he walked down the hall he was yelling (like most 4 year olds may), "Mom! Mommy! Mom! Mom! MOMMY!" He continued down the hall in search of "mom". In the meantime, my sister stood in her dark closet, no light on, not answering the call of her boy. "Mom! MOMMY! MOM! MOM!" As she stood there she thought, "Can I just get five minutes of quiet by myself? Just 5 minutes to change out of my work clothes & not have to cater to someone?!" She stood in her closet, still remaining in silence. The bedroom door opened, "Mom! MOMMY! MOM! MOM!" Karson didn't see her in the bed, walked to her bathroom, no mom there either. Didn't bother the closet, since the light was out. So, Karson leaves the room and heads back down the hallway, "MOM", hands flailing out in frustration, "MOMMY", hands flailing out bigger, "MOM! YOU'RE STRESSING ME OUT! WHERE ARE YOU!??" LOL. 


Stress. It's a bit obvious, Karson had heard that before. But, I'm sure a lot of mom's can relate, "Can I just get ONE minute to myself?" 


Our Proverbs 31 woman is mentally stable, and she works on it! The dictionary spoke of "gird" as the following: to encircle or bind with a belt or band, to surround, enclose, hem in, to prepare oneself for action, to provide, to equip, to invest. Our Proverbs 31 woman is INVESTING in mental stability. She is PREPARING HERSELF FOR ACTION in regards to mental stability, she is STRAPPING mental stability on as with a belt. She is EQUIPPED with mental stability. 


What are some signs, or red flags that you may NOT be mentally stable...or at least that it is something you may want to work on? 

1. Do you snap at people when they ask you a question? 
2. Do you cry often?
3. Do you feel like you can not get a handle on yourself? Your schedule? Your life?
4. Do you lack peace & often feel pressure or stress? 
5. Do you feel like sometimes you don't know which way you are going? You don't know heads from tails? 
6. Can you sometimes not see the forest through the trees. You feel surrounded, but don't see the light to know the direction to get out?

Did you answer "yes" to any of those questions? Mental stability may be something you want to work on. 
This is what the Holy Spirit said to me on the subject: 

I want you to enjoy the "now" as you pursue what I have designed for you to do. YES, your GOD-GIVEN TASK. You can pursue in peace. Pursue with passion but without being "frazzled" without being "caught up", without letting stress or pressure be the leader. Satan will try to "help" as you pursue your calling. It will look like a form of help, but in all reality he will try to pressure you into making premature decisions. His help will come in the form of pressure, stress & urgency to do it NOW. It will push you with deadlines versus the ease of following peace. DEFY Satan when pressure comes, DEFY Satan by walking slowly, by not being in a hurry. When pressure comes, "Cook an egg" as Pastor Jenkins says. Show him you will not be RUSHED, and just to prove your point, move slower than normal. Mental stability while pursing your purpose. 

A calm & undisturbed mind is LIFE & HEALTH to the Body. Have you ever almost felt sick when you have been stressed or running or too busy. Has your body ever almost started shutting down in areas causing you to be more tired than normal, more touchy than normal, light-headed, headaches, almost sick? In whatever area, arena, or decision... the biggest thing that I keep in mind is keeping PEACE as my Umpire. Peace comes from God, Pressure comes from Satan. Even if I'm having a hard time listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, I can still listen to whatever or wherever the "Peace" is deep down inside. I can be led in the direction that gives me peace & have faith that I am being led by my Father. 

Your GOD-GIVEN Task. Do you realize you were created for a purpose? You were created to complete an assignment. You were made for a very specific task. If you are not sure what that is in your life, here are some bullet points given to me by the Holy Spirit to figure it out:

• Your purpose is what you were born for & created to do.
• Your purpose has always been in you.
• In the back of your mind, you have always thought it would be cool to do or accomplish your purpose. 
• At one point, you may have even included your purpose in a list of goals for your life. 

Instructions: 

• Get the LISTS back out.
• Put them on PLAIN TABLETS, in front of you. Write them on paper. 
• RE-AWAKEN to your dreams. 
• PURSUE your PASSIONS!
• Many of those thoughts on YOUR LIST are GOD-GIVEN ASSIGNMENTS and YOU are needed to complete them!
• Too many people have brushed them off. It is simple. If they would begin to get quiet before Me, meditate on MY Word, Listen to MY Voice, I, I AM, will lead them. I will bring them to a place where they will NEVER "work" a day again in their life. When people are operating in their "GOD-GIVEN" assignment, it is as if time stands still because they are enjoying pursuing their assignment. It brings them alive. It is their passion.

So, today.... I encourage you to seek it out. Get out your LIST! If you don't have one, MAKE ONE! What is your passion? What makes you come alive? What have you swept under the rug but know with all your heart that you were MADE to do this very thing? It is what you are good at, it is what makes you happy. I encourage you to get before the Lord, seek Him, follow the instructions above. He will guide you. And who knows this, you can't loose with the Lord! :) 

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Additional helpful resources: 

If you are searching out your purpose, check out a few video's that discuss "Finding your Purpose" & "Seasons of your Purpose", I believe they will be very helpful to you. http://www.youtube.com/tylerhmccart 

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Consider putting a comment... I am interested in YOUR feedback. 

What was something that jumped out to you? 

Has anything been swept under the rug that came to your mind?