Going Beyond

Yesterday and today I spent time at an amazing women's conference with an amazing bunch of women!!!  I am so privileged to be able to call these women my friends.  To each one of you, words cannot describe what you mean to me... and there are some of you reading this that did not attend the conference and I don't want you to feel left out... I feel the same way about you!  

I have said many times over that I KNOW, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God placed me and my family at FBC!  His hand was on it, and His timing was perfect.  I look over the past 4 1/2 years and marvel at what God has done.  But, I also look at the years before and see how He was preparing us for what He had in store for us.  God uses every moment of our lives to prepare us for the next.  I don't believe in coincidence, I don't believe in chance. I believe that God has a plan for our lives and if we allow Him, He will use us to our fullest potential... but, that's the scary part.

It's easy to say, "okay, God, use me...", but how many times do we say that and add that "but" to it.  I know I do!!!   "God, I want you to use me, but I want to do this right now..., God I want you to use me, but that's not really where I want to serve...". Most of us have been there, most of us have had the same insecurities.  I still do.  When I think about serving, it's like, WHY do you want ME???  What do I have to offer?  I'm sure there is someone that is MUCH MORE QUALIFIED THAN I AM!

Going Beyond... the name of the conference that we went to.  Those two little words have so much meaning, especially to me, after today.  Going Beyond my comfort zone.  Going Beyond what I think I am qualified to do.  Going Beyond the little box that I have placed myself into and allow God to SHOW me and ALLOW HIM TO WORK THROUGH ME!!!  SCARY STUFF!! But why is it? Why am I so scared of what God may do in my life?  I KNOW He is FAITHFUL to me!!! I KNOW that He only wants what is BEST for me!!!

Priscilla Shirer used Jonah.  The Lord spoke to  Jonah and told him to go to Niniveh, but (there's that little word!) instead Jonah went to Tarshish; which, by the way, was 2,000 miles from where he was... Niniveh was only 300 miles.  Does this sound familiar?  It does with me.  Have you ever gone WAY out of your way to do something that you thought was a better idea?  How much easier it would be if I would just do what God asks me to do in the first place!!!  Like she said today, we can go our way but He's going to bring us back to where He first spoke to us... He doesn't forget what He wants us to do.  It's just up to us to decide how long it's going to take to do HIS WILL and receive HIS BLESSINGS!  As most of you know, Jonah did what he wanted to do, but he reaped the reward of his waywardness... and God brought him right back where he started... BUT, this is the BEST PART!!!  God gave Jonah A SECOND CHANCE!

When we don't do what He wants, He doesn't turn His back on us and say, "I'm not messing with her anymore because she doesn't listen to anything I tell her."  Instead He says... "I LOVE YOU! I will pursue you as long as I have to... I will pursue you even when you don't pursue Me."  Isn't that AMAZING!!!  Thank You God!!!  

Going Beyond... I challenge each one of you to go beyond what you think you are capable of doing.  Because honestly, if we only did what WE are capable of doing, it wouldn't be very much... each and everything that we have done is part of what HE has done in us to bring us to where we are right now!  Go Beyond your comfort zone!!!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  John 13: 34 & 35

"Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Mark 9:23