A Call to Greatness

1 Kings 4:22-23 - Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, sixty measures of meal, Ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl of choice kinds.

Have you ever stood in awe of someone. Have you ever thought, "Wow, to be that great!" Have you craved to have the success of someone else. If only I could be as good as ___________. If only I could accomplish what they have accomplished. If only I could make it to where they have. If only..... If only.... 

I spent some time this morning actually studying on 1 Kings 4:22-23. The word "provision" really caught my attention. I was astounded to read about what King Solomon needed for only ONE day, surely I could at least get to a fraction of that one day (a larger fraction than I currently contribute too...aka... us having provision for more than just our household).

Anyways... here are some of the numbers that I did the math on....

King Solomon needed for the Month:

• 310 fat oxen

• 620 cattle

• 3100 sheep

• 1 Cow = 1,600 servings of 4 ounces (1/4 pound)

• 1 Sheep = would feed 70.5 people at 1/2 pound serving each.

• 1 Ox = approx. same as 1 cow (maybe a bit more since it was a fattened ox) 

• 10 fattened oxen = 16,000 servings of 4 ounces

• 20 cattle = 32,000 servings of 4 ounces

• 100 sheep = 14,100 servings of 4 ounces

• Grand TOTAL: 62,100 servings of 4 ounces/day OR 31,050 servings of 8 ounces/day.

SO... IN ONE DAY.... How many people was King Solomon feeding.... well, let's just look at some of the numbers. 

According to WebMD, averaging out men (56 grams) and women (46 grams), we should get about 50 grams of protein/day. That is equivalent to 8 ounces of meat. 

SO... if all the meat alone was used for taking care of King Solomon's household (I'm sure maybe some of the cattle was allotted towards milk... but let's just say it was all for eating), King Solomon was given that provision to feed HIS household of 31,050 people PER DAY! That is pretty amazing!

I got to thinking... "Wow...if I could only be a fraction of that great. That would be pretty neat." I could not even fathom how great King Solomon was. As I sat and thought, I couldn't even fathom the great responsibility he had. Then, as always, the Holy Spirit was quick to correct me. 

His responsibility was extremely great and totally different than yours. A few things to consider... EACH has a different calling in life. Do your best not to compare your calling to someone else's. I have put seeds of greatness in everyone. YOUR gifts are different than the next person. YOUR goal should be to MAXIMIZE your OWN gifts & calling. It should NEVER be; "to be as good as ________," or "to accomplish as much as _____________." What if MY desire is for you to accomplish more than say ________________. If you set your goal merely on where you see them today and where you want to be today, you will miss it! You will miss my best. Focus on MY best. Focus on MY calling for your life!!

As we look at the greatness of King Solomon, we may have never desired to be "that" great. But... what about your neighbor? Your boss? The Joneses? Your best friend? Your uncle? A business associate? Are your sights on what they have accomplished? I challenge you today, reset your sights. Set your sights on what GOD would have you accomplish with your life? He did say in Ephesians 4:20 that He, is at work within us, is able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. 

Today.... allow your imagination to run! Can you focus on the calling God has for YOU to accomplish.  Because if you can, your highest prayers, desires & dreams can come to pass on this earth. He would not have placed them in your heart if they couldn't. YOU, my friend, were called to greatness! Your job? Seek HIM and find out exactly how you should accomplish the assignment that HE has set out for your life! 

#163 - For Such a Time as This

Good morning! Get ready for this. The Word for today is for MANY people. MANY. I'm excited to allow the Holy Spirit to really show out and open eyes through what He has shared with me this morning, and what He is about to reveal to you. It is amazing! Buckle up! Strap on the boot straps & get ready! This is a Word from the Lord!

Proverbs 6:6-8 - Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise! ⁷ Which, having no chief, overseer, or ruler, ⁸ Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest.

Esther 2:2b, 12, 13 - Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. ²Now when the turn of each maiden came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the regulations for the women had been carried out for twelve months--since this was the regular period for their beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet spices and perfumes and the things for the purifying of the women-- ¹³Then in this way the maiden came to the king: whatever she desired was given her to take with her from the harem into the king's palace. 

Matthew 25:2-4 - ²Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent). ³For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them; ⁴But the wise took flasks of oil along with them [also] with their lamps. 

Wow! This is good. I was sitting here listening to the Holy Spirit as I journaled some of my thoughts.... and this was one of his opening lines to me: "Amy - just relax your brain. You seem so uptight this morning." Do you ever wake up like that? Even though you may be in quietness and peace, nothing in your brain feels or seems like that. Your brain is going a million miles a minute thinking of a million thoughts, concerns, situations, etc, etc. It's like... how could you have so much going on in your brain so early in the morning. You just woke up! So, I listed out all the things that I had in my brain that was causing a bit of question or even potential stress. The Holy Spirit reminded me that I needed to RE-CAST those cares on Him. I was allowing the baggage of my load to weigh me down, which in turn was hindering my ability to Care Less and be Care Free!

OK... all that was bonus. Let's roll into the Word. Above you read about 3 different accounts. The first one, in Proverbs talks about how the ant is prepared. The ant prepares during harvest and when winter comes is ready. Proverbs tells us to learn from the ant. Let's skip down to the Matthew scripture. Here's an account of the story of the 10 virgins. If you remember, they were waiting for the bridegroom to return so they could enter into the party. 5 of the virgins came prepared with extra oil, not knowing how long into the night they would be waiting, and not wanting to run out of oil. The other 5 came unprepared, and later ran out of oil. When the bridegroom returned they were not there because they had to go get more oil... they missed the opportunity to enter into the party. They were left behind closed doors in the dark. A real picture of heaven & being prepared for the return of Jesus. He is coming back, the question is, will WE be ready?

Esther... the key thing here that I wanted to point out is this... virgins were going before the King so that he could decide who would be the NEW QUEEN to replace Queen Vashti. The King was going to choose. A NEW QUEEN! Someone! A young woman from among the people. It reminds me kind of of the Cinderella movie with Drew Barrymore.... where the women of the region are invited to go to an elaborate ball so that the Prince can choose a wife! Well... that in essence is similar to what's going on with Esther, EXCEPT before going before the King, the women go through a 12 MONTH PREPARATION period! They go through 12 MONTHS of beautification treatments! 12 MONTHS!

How does that affect me? What does that have to do with me? As I was sitting here listening... well, just feverishly writing what the Holy Spirit was telling me... He reminded me of these accounts. To sum it up, He basically said, HEY... even ESTHER had a time of preparation! Her season JUST for the beauty treatments was 12 months before she would go before the King. Her ASSIGNMENT was huge! We all know the "For Such a Time as This" statement. Queen Esther saved an ENTIRE NATION! She saved the Jewish people! BUT she had to go through a preparation period. 


Put your name in here: AMY (Tarra, Kim, Angie, Galen, Renee ___________________) will YOU be patient enough during this season, during this time for me to PREPARE YOU? Great things are on the horizon, but I need to prepare you! You don't have to be in a rush. My timing is perfect. Will you please just continue to let me? Before the fullness of manifestation... before your dreams truly ARE a reality, in the current quietness, will you allow me to get you FULLY grounded so you are FULLY prepared?! You will not lack any good thing! The day and the hour is not important right now, it will come. The important thing right now is that you focus on the time you are in and that is PREPARATION! Will YOU prepare and allow me to prepare you? Continue to draw near to me! This is part of the preparation! I will guide you in what to focus on, what to prepare. Your time is coming, the time that will be famous for you and you will recognize it as: For Such a Time as This! You will know you had been prepared for this moment and for this time. So.... please.... will you just be patient. Will you let me do My work in you? Your time is coming. 


Need I say more? My time, Your time is coming. Will we be faithful in the preparation? Will we be faithful so that at our VICTORY, at the FRUITION of the desires we've been waiting upon... we will be able to say, "I see it now... For Such a Time as This, I have been made ready. I'm so glad that I am prepared!"

#122 - Tardiness Delays HIS Best

Hello! Welcome back! I'll tell you what, it is good to be home and beginning to get back into a routine! The Holidays are packed with fun & family, but it is equally exciting to get back and be progressing towards the goals, directions and assignments from God. Amen?!


Well... Tyler and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on Thursday, January 6th. Over our Holiday traveling tour, we were blessed to be able to spend 5 days at a Ski Resort in Northern Michigan while the boy enjoyed time with grandma & grandpa & his cousins. What a fun time! He even ate snow and made a snow angel up in Indiana! I'll share some pictures with you at the end! :)


Let's get started! If you want to be updated on the reading schedule, click on the link above to see our schedule. :)

Proverbs 10:17 - He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. And he who neglects or refuses reproof [not only himself] goes astray [but also] causes to err and is a path toward ruin for others.

Proverbs 31:25 - Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]! 

As many of you know, for the last several months I have been working on writing my first book. I kind of piddled around writing it sporadically early in the year, but would go sometimes a month between entries. At the beginning of September, as I was in my quiet time with the Lord, He gave me specific instructions about completing it, how to do it, and when to have it done. It was quite interesting, but wonderful because He broke it down into attainable objectives. One hour of writing, first thing when I got up only four days per week. That's not so hard, is it? Well... great! I had the daily action plan. Then, comes the completion date. The Holy Spirit had directed it to be done by December 31st. Cool! So, as I entered into December, I realized, "Wow! I really am almost done with this book! God really did know that this would be a realistic goal when following the daily action plan that He instructed me to have." 


Well... let me just fast forward a bit. December 31st came and went, the book, not completed. Almost completed, but not completed. I probably only had 2-3 hours of writing left to complete. And... on December 29th, while on our ski trip, was a day that we chose to be a relaxing day. No skiing, just enjoying each other, swimming in the outdoor pool, relaxing in the outdoor hot-tub, going to the water park on site of the resort, having a nice dinner, taking a nap... just doing things that seemed relaxing. That, would have been the perfect day to complete my book. And... I could have! So... yesterday, I was driving home from church (the boys stayed home), and I literally got an OPEN rebuke as I was praying and talking to the Holy Spirit. WHOA! It is not often that this happens so blatantly. This is what the Holy Spirit told me, "You delay my blessing because you are late. I told you to finish the book by 12/31/10. It's 9 days late. Tardiness delays my best." 


Whoa! Right? That was like getting a spanking as an adult. He was right though. He did tell me and I did not complete it on HIS time table. If you know me that well... you would also know that 'in the past' one of the areas in my life that I REALLY need to improve on is being ON TIME! I remember exactly when the bad habit of being late started. I was in High School. Cheerleading practice. I hated waiting for the cheerleaders who were late in order for us to be able to start practice. I felt like I was wasting time. Not that it was right, but then I decided, 'I will just be the last one here then, then I will not have to wait.' OK... put your stones down... I'm not saying that was right thinking, but that is what I began to do. I was then, the last person at practice. The beginning of a bad habit that I am working on breaking. 


"You delay my blessing because you are late." Think about that! How many times do we pray and ask God to do this or that. Or we ask for a material blessing, a financial blessing. And how often is it that the blessing takes a LONG time to manifest, NOT because of GOD, but because WE have not done our part. Proverbs 10:17 - He who heeds instruction and correction is [not only himself] in the way of life [but also] is a way of life for others. On the way home from church yesterday, I most definitely took correction. I had to ask forgiveness for not being on time. Then I read this verse. In heeding, accepting, receiving correction I am a WAY of life for me & my family, but ALSO a way of life for others! How so? How could I be a WAY of life? Well, a few that I can think of are.... financially. My writing and future books will provide income for my family, a livelihood. It will provide a WAY of life for others? In encouragement, instruction, salvation, as an example to follow in serving the Lord. This specific book is entitled, "Fairytales Do Come True." This can and will specifically be a WAY of life for those who are single and seeking to date in the proper way, the Biblical way. It will hopefully help young woman (and men) who decide to save themselves for marriage, for their spouse. It will add ammunition to save the virginity of many young people. 


I worked on the book yesterday and I finished it this morning. 69,622 words. It is now completed. The process of editing will now begin. AND I will give a copy to my discerning friend Stephanie who will begin the process with me. 


What else? It's interesting because this morning the Holy Spirit told me WHY I needed to have the book done. He said with all the snow here in Columbia, everything shuts down, people don't go out and drive, everything is canceled. He said that she would have time to get a lot of reading done today and tomorrow. But PRAISE GOD for Grace & Favor. He said, "But it is OK. Yes, I will even make your mistakes to prosper. But moving forward, be obedient even to the details. I tell you these things for a reason!"


Praise God!


So today... I encourage you.... what was the last thing the Holy Spirit told you to do? Have you been obedient to completing it? Do you know WHAT the time schedule is? When are you supposed to have it done? HE IS WAITING TO BLESS YOU! Do not delay HIS blessing by being late! Tardiness delays HIS best... complete what He instructed you to do. Speed up the blessings He has waiting for you! Complete what He has instructed!

______________________________

My little SNOW ANGEL! :) 

We stopped off at the World HeadQuarters of our business.
Here are the Multi-Billionaire private holders of the family owned company.

View of the slopes from our suite at Boyne Mountain.

A ZipLine Adventure for ME! 

Me -ZipLining Upside-down! 

#43 - Who do you Employ? Angels or Demons?

I would say Good Morning... but it's really good afternoon. I guess if you are reading this at night, Good Evening! :) Buenos Noches. How are you doing this fine day? I am blessed. My alarm went off this morning and after snoozing about 3 times, I finally shut it off all together and slept. AND, my boy continued to sleep too!! God is SO good to me to give me such an awesome boy!! We have been very thankful for Grandma & Grandpa's Christmas money to him. :) He has gotten a lot of new clothes! Yippee! Thanks Grandma & Grandpa! Your gift is coming in handy now, when it is needed!! :) 


Well... there is always more and more to be found in the Word. It is very humbling! Just by looking up the original Greek or Hebrew meanings to just a single WORD can bring a whole new meaning to a verse!! Like, for example.. we aren't going to plant on this verse... but check out this verse and see what you think: "The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks." Proverbs 30:26. So... what is your thought about that verse? First of all, what in the world is a coney? Second, "feeble"... I guess they are weak? And my thoughts continued with this, if these weak animals, I pictures older people that couldn't walk good... if these weak animals are walking in the cliffs and rocks and mountains... why? Why would they do that, they could fall?? Well... looking up ONE word changed the whole meaning! In this verse, the use of the word "feeble" means the following: mighty, vast, countless, strong in number, numerous. Whoa! So my original picture of little, old, animals walking with canes and almost falling off the cliff was a totally wrong picture! And, coney... I thought goat. But, no. When I looked up coney... coney is a rabbit, a rock badger. 


We could go on and on. But all that was just BONUS for you! :) hehe! Just some things I found interesting. We'll call it some "extra credit" study. :) But wasn't it interesting?! Would you have thought the same as me about "feeble" and "coney"?? 


Let's get rolling in our word for the day. 

Proverbs 30:32 - If you have done foolishly in exalting yourself, or if you have thought evil, lay your hand upon your mouth.

Proverbs 31:26 - She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].

Let's look at some of the Hebrew definitions for the word "foolishly" in Proverbs 30:32. It could read like this: If you have fallen down, become faint or lost one's strength, If you have drooped or faded as leaves on a vine fall, If you have lacked in firmness, resilience, vigor or energy becoming stupid & dull - My take on that... if you have screwed up. If you have really messed up. Your shoulders are drooped over. You know you have messed up. You have sinned, you have fallen short. Maybe it is a sin that has continued to pop it's head up and you just want to overcome it. You feel low. You feel upset. Disappointed. You just don't know how you can overcome this on your own strength. You have let yourself down and you feel like you have let God down too. How could you mess up again. That word... again... ringing through your ears. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! 


If you have exalted yourself, put yourself above others, bragged on yourself, given yourself a better position than others... you have become first and others last. If you have thought evil....the Hebrew further describes as this: If you have fixed your thoughts upon, considered, purposed, planned, devised, plotted with evil intent. If you have done these things... if you are considering or planning out evil, lay your hand upon your mouth. Why would you lay your hand upon your mouth? Seriously? Why lay your hand on your mouth? 


WORDS WORDS WORDS! At this point you have only gotten to the "thinking" stage. Your words have not been released. They have not been given LIFE! As soon as WORDS are released, they bring life! They either bring life or death. Your words either employee the action of angels or demons. If the words of evil that have been going on in your mind... that you have been considering... if those words come out, you then employee demons to work on your behalf, to bring those thoughts or plans to life! To bring them to pass. (Is. 55:11, Hebrews 1:14, Ps 103:20, Eph. 6:12, Jude 1:6) Angels obey the Word of God. We need to SPEAK it to give them their assignment! To bring to pass God's Word! Employee them with your words! Don't just have them sit around doing nothing. They are ready to help bring God's word to pass... they need to be employeed with the WORD. 


Our Proverbs 31 friend is speaking Words of power. Wisdom. What comes out of her mouth sets a good example for us to follow. If evil thoughts have come into her mind, she has covered her mouth. The WORDS that come out of her mouth are filled with LIFE. Kindness. Love. She speaks words of LIFE. 


What a HUGE topic that we could study for a long time!! The POWER of our WORDS! Satan can not read our minds... he can try to place thoughts into our minds, but he can not read what we are thinking. The moment WORDS are released, he is filled in. When we speak the WORD, we speak what God would have come to pass. When we are sick, but we speak, "BY JESUS STRIPES, I AM HEALED", we speak the ANSWER to come to pass. We line up our WORDS with GOD'S WORD and with GOD'S WILL! We are lining our words up with LIFE. Proverbs 18:21 - The tongue has the power of life and death... Let's bring LIFE! Sometimes that may mean just covering our mouth. Sometimes that means getting our words in agreement with the WORD OF GOD. 


Who is your employee today? Angels or Demons?
___________________________


Some good books: 

• Hung by the Tongue by Francis P Martin
• What you Say When you Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter

#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. 

#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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