Answer Two or More

You may have more to offer than you realize.

Are you a note taker? Do you have little slips of paper laying around with scribbled words? How about the margins of books you read, do you write on those margins? Do you pull out a pen and paper when the preacher preaches? Are the notes on your phone full of things you write down? Are your tweets or facebook status' of strong conversational wisdom you and God have discussed? Do you blog? Are you a leader?

If you said yes to 2 or more of these questions then consider yourself a writer. Although you don't have some fancy platform of readers yet doesn't mean you are not a writer. You may be further in your writing calling then you realize, whether it's the early stages or advanced stages. In Gods timing, He will prompt you in the direction you need to go. Make yourself available to His calling on your life as a writer. Now is the time to be okay with what stage of writing you are in. It shall pass. You shall grow.

Continue on the 2 or more questions you answered yes to. Build on a few more from the list. This may require you to drop one of the ones you already answered yes to.

You don't have to have a book published to be a writer.

If you write, you are a writer.

Say it, "I am a writer."

You need to see yourself as God does. You are valuable to His kingdom. He loves you and your worth is greater in Him than mankind. Don't deny the value He already created for your life.

Matthew 10:29-31 TLB

"What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.

Write.

I said God

Saying something about God in written words is easy.

Saying something about God to the guy at the cash register is a little harder. I handed him my receipt along with the item I was exchanging. We walked over together looking on a table for the new item. Once we found what I was looking for, I proceed to ask him about another item. We walked over to a shelf on the wall. 

This is a store I've shopped in for years. So knowing their normal sales procedure and knowledge of the products, I could almost guess he'd not worked there long. 

After helping me find the second item, I asked him how long he had worked there. His response, "about three weeks". By this time we were back at the register, I smiled nodding my head. "Oh, three weeks. That's cool." 

"Yea, my wife got me this job for now. I used to work at such and such police department."

My eyes lit up, "really". I proceed to tell him I was very familiar with that line of work as it's in my family. "Yea, the administration was a little off and I just needed a break." Expressing I understood, "will you ever go back into law enforcement?" He wasn't quite sure. 

It happened in that moment, I said, "You know, God could have been using the struggle to remove you from there. He could be pressing you on to something bigger and better He has in store for you. Don't give up on law enforcement. There's a need for it more this day and time than anything. I know it can be scary to be out there."

He nodded his head. We talked a little more, I showed him how to combined punch cards. Paid. Said, "You have a good day." Walked out of the store.

This part right here is between you, the reader, and me only. "He'd be better off on the road."

I know without a doubt God was using me in this guys life. This was a store, I typically don't like to go in. Simply, because it's way out of my way. It was something on my to-do list I set out to conquer. I could've gone any other day. He might not have been working another day.

God is good like that. He is tiny stepping stones for some of us. And big gaping leaps for others.

What a great opportunity to shine His love in this guys life. It's easy to share a word from God or even scripture on Facebook, on my blog, in a book, at church or Bible study. This was the real deal. I didn't set out to say this. It rolled off my lips before I knew it. I felt His empowerment. Hopefully, this guys soul ruffled with His spirit like mine did. 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Act 1:8

I pray this equips him. And is used as a piece of his story one day. May he remember it for life. 

My thoughts are: 

This guy may have been saved as a child but not currently walking. He may have been out of church for awhile needing this reminder to follow Him again. He may have never had someone mentioned God to him and draw closer to knowing Him. Or he may have been already listening for Gods favorable voice and heard it in that moment. 

Go beyond what you normally do. Ask God to show up in places He wouldn't normally in your walk. Ask him to use you in others life in public in your daily routine.

Say, God. 

Character Test

Aiming to humble oneself before the Lord grows Christ-like character. 

Yesterday, the Lord placed a verse on my heart. A verse, I wrote on a notecard 2 years ago. Deuteronomy 8:2 It says, "Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness, humbling you and testing you to prove your character..."

At the time of originally writing the verse, I was walking through some things to me just didn't seem right, seem fair. Who can relate? Walking through that time frame, I wrote verses on notecards. No certain verse just verses I came across. A stack of versed notecards accumulated. 

Over the Thanksgiving break this year, I pinned the notecards with clothes pins to a decorative piece in my dining room. Yesterday, while serving my family doing things around my home, I stopped at the verses. The first and only one I read was the Deuteronomy 8:2. A rush of refreshment washed over my body enlighting my soul. 

My thoughts then transferred over to a friend. Whom I know is walking through something that "just doesn't seem right". I've been praying for her while walking alongside her. 

It was in those moments, reading His words on the notecard, I put two and two together. Thinking about what I walked through and thinking about what she is walking through. He answered me in ways back then I couldn't see. I shared all of this with her. Cultivating her struggle was helping me with something I struggled with almost 2 years ago. God is good if we listen. If we anticipate His goodness.

I know he was growing my character. At the time walking through it, I knew it was happening but was like "God, I am grown. How could you grow me anymore? Just please let me be, let me be the obedient child of yours and do what you have called me to do." Let me say, "we are always growing." Isn't that awesome? I want to grow more. I want to help others grow too. 

I grew spiritually. He bumped me up a notch. Knowing I had some junk inside me, only He and I knew about (stupid pity stuff-darkness-self doubt-etc.). Stuff you just don't sit around talking to people about for reasons you just don't know how to say it, people will think your crazy, admitting it to others just isn't happening, because we don't even want to admit it to ourselves or know how to or that we need to. I know now all those funky feeling was Him awakening my soul to a deeper relationship with Him. 

So think back over the verse again. I see two major words: wilderness and humble. 

Wilderness is an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region. Think of boondocks, boonies, desert, bushland and the wilds. When I think of wilderness, I think of very unfamiliar places. Unfamiliar places can show up as a hard time: conflict, disappointment, difficulty, temptation, times of dryness, and delays. 

Humbling is to have or to show modest of one's importance. Humbling ourselves before the Lord is releasing pride, arrogance and understand our flesh is inadequate. It's a form of truly worshiping Him. Think of submissive and respectful among being strong in the Lord. This doesn't mean we are wimps or we shouldn't say things to others in those hard time because in fact we should. He could be using the time to grow others around us in the same setting on different levels. It's understanding humility in the Bible and putting it to practice; you are a winner even if you don't win. Joy and pleasure wash over us out of acts in a godly manner making for our influence greater in situations. 

Bumping those two words, wilderness and humble, together grows character. 

Understanding this allows us to response quick in God's way during character building situations. We have the choice to be more like Christ by our simple reactions. 

He wants us to be like Him.

He wants us to grow in character.

He wants to test us. 

How has He grown you?
Do you know His character?

To write, To teach

I am at a point in my life of wanting

to find a balance. A different kinda balance,

a balance that will fit my life at the moment

of being the stay home mom that I am.

One reason I rid photographing weddings,

by putting my camera on the shelf is the amount

of time it took away from my family on Saturdays.

Needing to find something more to do during

the week while every ones at school and work.

No ones getting married during those hours,

well at least not in my neck of the woods!

So for the past year after launching the sales

of my book (a tiny glimpse of inspiration of

my life already) I 've given myself alittle

free play time, still in the art world

with paint brushes, canvas, journals

etc. but I am thinking it's time to

move forward into alittle more.

More being one of two things or both:

1. writing another book, something fun,

something beyond what I've mentioned

in the past I would do, my list of books to write!

2. teaching an online art class, a personal

mix media art class.

Writing a book from my already list would

require me rumbling in some old emotions

and because I've done that with my first book

and the point I am at in my life I am thinking it's

not healthy. Being called to do something alittle more

fun, alittle more of a challenge, away from something

I am not so already attached to, I need a place

I can dream, dream and be free! A relaxing playground

yet that would still be inspiring to others.

I already have an ISBN number

I already have the knowledge, the in's and out's

of publishing a book. (layout, design, print, proof)

I just would need to plot out a good story,

have lots of time for hours of writing, have an editor

on stand by, etc.

I've always wanted to teach something, something

I am knowledgeable in. Teaching an online mix

media art class would so be up my alley. It would

be video classes taught so that the students could

work at their own pace in the comfort of their

own home. All I would need is a good video

recorder, editing, uploading videos, have private

class access, a private facebook group-for students

sharing class work, plan the class, create prompts,

etc. Even though this may seem like more to do it's mainly

because I've never done it before. And boy, oh boy, do

I love a challenge, a time to learn something new.

My thoughts are what do others think!?

Which one should I do, or should I do both!?

Tell me, tell me....