Purpose
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What’s Your Motive?
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV). Years of my life went into a little 6-foot flower circle. Why? Because sometimes it takes a while to learn what God is teaching. And, He makes it funny, painful, or both, until we get it. It started many years ago when we had a large oak removed from the backyard. My goal was to let that area sit for at least a year, so I could plant a beautiful, little flower garden…
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Boundaries, Habits, Routines- Oh, My!
“You have established all the boundaries of the earth; You have made summer and winter” (Psalm 74:17 NASB). When you hear the word, “boundaries”, do you think restrictive or freedom? I have to admit, I’ve always associated boundaries with something I can’t have or do. God has tucked me away for a while now, learning the “ins and outs” of setting boundaries and developing habits and routines in various areas of my life. My calendar has a few extra white spaces, compared to the overloaded schedule I’ve tried to maintain, in the past. I think God just opened the gate at some point to see how many activities I would…
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Using God-Given Talents
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17 NIV). It’s a beautiful thing to watch someone use their talents and spiritual gifts for the glory of God! What are your God-given talents? How are you using them to bless others and fulfill your purpose? Recently, some of our family members were able to gather together for my mom’s 80th birthday celebration. It was wonderful watching them jump in and do what came naturally. God opened my eyes to really appreciate how He gives everyone talents to serve. Talents and…
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We Are Better Together
“Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well” (1 Peter 4:10 CEV). God keeps bringing the phrase back: “We are better together.” When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and gives us one or more spiritual gifts. One of mine is “giving.” Romans 12:6-8 says, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in…
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Simply Talking to God
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12 NKJV). After the Louisville trip, God began showing me a “trail of clues” that was different from those He had strategically placed along the journey in Kentucky. It was an extensive list of what seemed to be unrelated items and I could not see the logic in how to put the “puzzle” together. I kept thinking, “Can I live long enough to do all of these things?” Finally, God, in His timing, revealed I was not to DO all of these things. Rather, I was to PRAY for all…
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Seek God Early
“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You” (Psalm 63:1 NKJV). One of the first prayer groups God led me to was a Tuesday, 5:30 a.m. meeting with the pastor’s wife and a small group of ladies, at their home. Yes, that was a.m., not p.m. I could not have imagined being anywhere at 5:30 a.m., except tucked away cozy and warm in my bed! Yet again, I wondered why God would ask me to do something that didn’t match my body rhythm or ability. Some are early risers- that was not me. But, God has a way of stretching us to take the steps needed to accomplish His…
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Called to Pray
“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:1-2 NLT). The trip to Louisville, Kentucky led me from Nazareth to Calvary, and beyond. God continued placing “clues” in my path to reveal my purpose. He strategically arranged for every detail to be discovered, on this treasure hunt, that would not only reveal my purpose, but also His power. As I traveled towards Calvary, I was led to a church. Upon entering, I picked up prayer cards displayed in the lobby. These were to lead me to my calling…
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God Grows the Bible Ministry
“For the body is not one member, but many” (1 Corinthians 12:14 NASB). You’ve heard it said, “We are better together!” And yes, we are! Has God put on your heart to do something that could affect more people than you are personally capable of reaching? Maybe it’s time to partner with others to grow your calling into something global! Think of the impact you might have as you join with others, who use their God-given gifts to compliment yours, in order to expand the reach you have for God’s kingdom. The Bible says, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor” (Ecclesiastes 4:9…
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God Leads
Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21 NKJV). We’ve had a handful of yard sales over the years. My husband is not a fan. That’s why I was so surprised when God gave me a vision that included having a yard sale! We were traveling at the time. As I gazed out of the window, God unexpectedly brought to mind an image of a large, black garbage bag. It was the kind you overstuff when decluttering, as you are heading out the door to a local…
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Giving Children’s Story Bibles
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV). “Under someone’s umbrella, you will give away children’s Bibles.” This was the message from the “clues” gathered at 3 Best Western Hotels on my trip to Louisville, Kentucky, in January of 2000. Upon arriving in Louisville, I had no idea where I would stay for the 3-night trip. However, God had already arranged that I would stay in 3 Best Western Hotels. Each hotel had a “clue” to collect that, when combined, would lead me to a purpose in my life. Ephesians 2:10 tells us…