Plans are Thwarted

Some of you already know this, but for those of you who don't, I am an education major. In September, I started my methods classes which allowed me to put the concepts I have been studying for years into practice. I had big plans for my first day. What could go wrong? I mean I already knew my mentor teacher. I knew exactly where the school was and how long it would take me to get there. I planned what time I was going to leave. I laid out my clothes the night before... Everything was going to go smoothly or so I thought.

The next morning, I woke up at 6:40. My alarm wasn't set to go off until 7:10 so I tried to go back to sleep. At 7:10, I rolled over to check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, e-mail and of course my text messages. I don't know what I was thinking when I set my alarm Sunday night but at 7:12 I realized I needed to be at school by 8am. I darted out of bed and got ready to go in less than 20 minutes.

Thankfully, I didn't hit any traffic on the way and I was so grateful I knew where the school was. I got to the school that I was sure was where I needed to be and guess what? That was the wrong school!! Keep in mind now it is 7:52 at this point. I quick pull into the parking lot to turn around and of course, I can't get out of the parking lot because there were tons of cars headed my way. At 7:55 I pull out of the parking lot and which leaves me with 5 minutes to get to school. My GPS tells me I am only four minutes away so I stay hopeful but know I will hit every light along the way. To my surprise, I hit all green lights and I pulled into the right school at 7:59. I grabbed my bags and ran into the building.

That afternoon, I got home and opened my Jesus Calling Devotion. It was exactly what I needed to hear and it just so happens the devotion was written for today, January 20th so I thought I would share it with all of you.

Approach this day with awareness of who is boss. As you make plans for the day, remember that it is I who orchestrates the events of your life. On days when things go smoothly, according to your plans, you may be unaware of My sovereign Presence. On days when your plans are thwarted, be on the lookout for Me! I may be doing something quite different from what you expected. It is essential at such times to stay in communication with Me, accepting My way as better than yours. Don't try to figure out what is happening. Simply trust Me and thank Me in advance for the good that will come out of it all. I know the plans I have for you, and they are good.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. "Jeremiah 29:11

Thankful for You!

I always share the devotions I write to my team. Although I do not serve this weekend I wanted to send out an e-mail to my team wishing them a Happy Thanksgiving! Here is the e-mail I sent out a few minutes ago:

Hi Team!

I was reading Jesus Calling this afternoon and wanted to share today’s devotion with you.

Let thankfulness rule in your heart. As you thank Me for blessings in your life, a marvelous thing happens. It is as if scales fall off your eyes, enabling you to see more and more of My glorious riches. With your eyes thus opened, you can help yourself to whatever you need from My treasure house. Each time you receive one of My golden gifts, let your thankfulness sing out praises to My Name. “Hallelujahs” are the language of heaven, and they can become the language of your heart.

A life of praise and thankfulness becomes a life filled with miracles. Instead of trying to be in control, you focus on Me and what I am doing. This is the power of praise: centering your entire being in Me. This is how I created you to live, for I made you in My own image. Enjoy abundant life by overflowing with praise and thankfulness.

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Psalm 100:4-5 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all that you do for the kiddos and families in our church! I am so thankful to serve alongside each one of you. Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to you and your families!

Gratefully,

Elizabeth Mary

Timing

I always share the devotions that I write for church on the weekends I serve. I didn't write this one, but it is good so I thought I'd share it here anyway. It is an excerpt from Jesus Calling. I read it in January, but it is really hitting home with me now. Enjoy!

I am with you and for you. When you decide on a course of action that is in line with My will, nothing in heaven or on earth can stop you. You may encounter many obstacles as you move toward your goal, but don’t be discouraged- never give up! With My help, you can overcome any obstacle. Do not expect an easy path as you journey hand in hand with Me, but do remember that I, your very- present Helper, am omnipotent.

Much, much stress results from your wanting to make things happen before their times have come. One of the main ways I assert My sovereignty is in the timing of events. If you want to stay close to Me and do things My way, ask Me to show you the path forward moment by moment. Instead of dashing headlong toward your goal, let Me set the pace. Slow down, and enjoy the journey in My Presence.

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3

“For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Starting Point Week 1

Every Sunday I try to watch North Point Online. This weekend, they started a new message series called Starting Point. 

Lot's of great takeaways from today's message:

"The Bible says" was never intended to be the starting point for Christian faith. 

"The Bible says" is not an adequate returning or starting point for adults. 

How and when did you begin your faith journey? How well has your faith held up under the rigors of life?

THE starting point is a question. And the question is... Who is Jesus?

God has given us insight, confidence, and proof. He took the "un" out of "unknown", Acts 17:23.

The proof of the resurrection moves us from "hope so" to "know so."

The starting point for the Christian faith wasn't a book but an event. 

WCAGLS and Bob Goff

Bob Goff is hilarious and so full of wisdom! I loved his stories and could have listened to him talk for at least another hour. He was great! I think him and Patrick Lencioni made the Global Leadership Summit. I bought Bob's book, Love Does months ago, but have not gotten around to reading it yet. But now, after hearing him speak, I am more eager to read it than ever! Just like my other posts, below are notes from Bob's session. 

Love God. Love People. Do stuff.

Let it develop over time. Do not rush it, it ruins it.

Live a life worthy of the call you have received.

See people for who they are becoming.

Say to people, "It's good to see ya!" 

Let all that you do be done in love.

I want to hear God say, "You are who I made you to be."

Put the exclamation point after the right stuff.

I used to want to fix people, but now, I just want to be with them. 

Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God.

God's ability to forgive us is not limited by our ability to get it.

God wants to blow your minds. He took the foolish things of the World to shame the wise so that no one can boast. 

If you create some margin, Jesus will shove some terrific things in that space. 

Too often, we are posers. Don't be afraid. Be you. Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Leadership is more than giving pointers.

If we lead strong, we will lead people towards Jesus.

1 John 3:18

WCAGLS and Chris Brown

Another guy I had never heard of but man, he knocked his session out of the park! Chris Brown is a passionate Pastor at North Coast Church. I have this dream of traveling the U.S. to visit giant mega churches. I would give anything (well almost anything) to visit Elevation Church and North Point in a heart beat. In addition to those two churches and numerous others, I have now added North Coast Church to my list. Hopefully, I'll make it there someday, but for now, I have notes from his session at the Global Leadership Summit to reflect back on.

The Bible says, "Tell leaders the heart they are going to suffer with."

Sin is sin. Call it what it is. 

With spiritual leadership, you serve your staff. 

Your pride and ego are going to constantly hurt.

Our calling has to trump culture.

Can we empower other? Even if they take our power? 

Ask yourself, "How can I be the best Jesus I can be?" 

Can you celebrate people even when they are better than you?

Do I expand His kingdom or my reputation?

What difference does the Holy Spirit make in the way I lead?

If a non- believer had my job would they be doing it differently? The answer better be yes!

It will cost you a lot to be like Jesus, but it cost Him a whole lot more. 

Joseph lost his colorful coat, but found character.

Jesus said, "Out serve your team and make them better." 

Don't let the great things of leadership distract you from the God things of leadership.

As leaders, we might have the title, but whose kingdom is it? 

It's not about greatness, it is about serving others.

Spiritual leadership will always be different than secular leadership. 

If you read this, THANK YOU, Chris Brown for all the wonderful thought provoking questions!

Jesus Calling Devotion

I wanted to share an excerpt from “Jesus Calling” from last week:

Bring me all your feelings, even the ones you wish you didn’t have.  Fear and anxiety still plague you.  Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin.  Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly.  Use your shield of faith to extinguish those flaming arrows.  Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel.  If you persist, your feelings will eventually fall in line with your faith.

Do not hide from your fear or pretend it isn’t there.  Anxiety that you hide in the recesses of your heart will give birth to the fear of fear; a monstrous stepchild.  Bring your anxieties our into the Light of My Presence, where we can deal with them together.  Concentrate on trusting Me, and fearfulness will gradually lose its foothold within you.

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians 6:16

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

CHRISTmas

Keep Christ Alive this Christmas.

What You Need:
1 bag of M and M's (Christmas ones were $5 so I opted for these instead)
Favor Bags 
Printer (To print poem)
Cardstock (To back poem on printer paper)

Steps:
1. Pour M and M's into a favor bag
2. Type poem
3. Print poem
4. Paste poem on cardstock
5. Fold favor bag
6. Staple poem on bag

The magic of Christmas isn't in the presents, but in Christ's presence.

**This gift idea can be found on my Pinterest page: http://pinterest.com/pin/34762228345495601/

Sun Stand Still

I finished reading Steven Furtick's book, "Sun Stand Still" a few weeks ago. The book is about audacious faith. Below are a few quotes I wrote down:

- " If you're not daring to believe God for the impossible, you may be sleeping through some of the best parts of your Christian Life."

- "If the size of your vision for your life isn't intimidating to you, there's a good chance it is insulting to God."

- "If we have the audacity to ask, God has the ability to perform."

- "God gives people the exact experiences he wants them to have in order to shape the specific destiny he's designed for them."

- "When you examine the lives of people who are called to do great things for God, you'll notice 3 things:

They offer God a long list of excuses, God doesn't seem surprised, and God doesn't change his mind." 

- "I'm not raising two kids to survive the world. I am raising them to change it."

- "Extraordinary moves of God begin with ordinary acts of obedience."

- "Faith opens your eyes to see the potential to serve a God who is already at work on your behalf."

- "Audacity is believing that God's promise is bigger than any (my) perhaps."

- "It's not wrong to feel fear. It is wrong to let that fear have the last word in your life."

- "The level of you impact will be directly proportional to the price you are willing to pay."

- "If your problem is to big for you, it is just the right size for God."

- "The image that comes to mind when you think of God is the most important thing about you."

- "Build your confidence in his goodness and his greatness and He will do the impossible."

- "If your faith isn't rooted in God's promises, it's not scriptural faith. It is just wishful thinking."

- "You can't claim God's promises if you don't know God's promises."

- "God's grace is so audacious that he will use failure itself to show off just how capable He is."

- "Nothing you've ever done is so repulsive that God can't redeem your potential and love you through it."

- "The very sin you've been ignoring and minimizing may be the one that's limiting your ability to rise to greater heights in Christ."

- "Sometimes we get to see the miracle; other times we get to be the miracle."

- "Sometimes God lets the sun go down so that he can be our only light."

- "Most of the time, if you don't move, God wont move. That's just the way He designed faith to work."

- "People who walk in audacious faith don't stop and pray. Audacious faith teaches us to push and pray."

- "Vision begins when you hear the sound of God's voice speaking something to your heart. It's not an audible voice. It's more like an unshakable impression, an inner sense." (2 Cor. 5:7)

I had 13 pages of notes so this post was very brief and doesn't get into the book like it could, but I encourage you to check it out. You won't be let down!