Funny how God teaches us.

God works in wonderful ways. Ways we can't even imagine. Especially while we are learning something. and we don't realize these things until after!

So the other day I was talking w my cousin. and he recently felt like God was asking Him to give up leading worship. and I was happy about that. He was curious as to why. And i told Him why. and after we talked about it...it hit me....at how true it is. and how God actually took me through that. and is going to take many others through it too. So i felt like sharing.

When living for God...most of the time...you will be asked to give something up. Yes...you are asked to give yourself up. your dreams. your desires. everything. But there is always something...that is just YOUR thing. Something you are gifted in. Something you love with all of your heart. Something you feel called to do. Something you just enjoy. Something you do everyday. Something you want to do for the rest of your life.
For my cousin, it was leading worship. For myself...it was being in ministry. You see...I spent a year and half right out of highschool being in full time ministry in Northern Ireland. I really learned a lot about myself and about God and who I am. I had never done ministry before. and i absolutely fell in love w it. fell in love w discipling girls, with being in the word...with being involved in people's lives. I fell in love with ministry. and was gifted in it.
Well friends...I let that love for ministry...overwhelm my love for God. I became obsessed with being in ministry. i thought i HAD to because i felt called to it. and therefore, because i felt called to do that, and i loved it, i thought i would forever and always do it. that is when my world crashed. and i mean...crashed. only i didnt realize it right at that moment. it took me a while...when my relationship with God horribly suffered...when past emotions arose...when ministry became a bother...and my heart wasnt in it.
God was letting me know...that I had put ministry before Him. and I believe we all at some point in our lives...do that. We become so in love with a dream...that we let it consume us. we let THAT become our identity...and now God.
so i feel like...God has taken me through that...and He is taking my cousin and others right now, and in the future through that. Where we need to give something up...that we love..and just be content in Jesus. in what He has for us..and to know that no matter what happens in our life...no matter where we are or what we are doing...as long as we have Jesus...we are satisfied. We are at peace. We are joyful.
Cuz honestly...all we need is Jesus. If we truly love Jesus...we are willing to give up our dreams and desires for His. trust Him. it is worth it. I've been through it...and still am. It doesn't mean He is going to take away your dreams and desires you have right now that you may need to give up. It may only be for a time. he just wants you to learn, and to trust Him, that his plans are way better than anything you can ever dream of. and that your life...is for Him...and not for anything else.

It is a beautiful thing to go through. Surrender. It is a painful thing. But blessing does come from it. Contentment and love come through it. More dreams. and Open eyes come from it. God has many other ways He would like to use us...than just one. Our lives are our ministry. Our love for Jesus...is our minsitry. Is our witness.
Be encouraged friends.
in Ezekiel..it says that God's word..always comes true. Do you believe that?!

Are we taking time to just hang out with Jesus?
are we taking time to be in AWE of God?
Are we taking time to pray to God?! and not just our little, God may this day be a great day for your glory prayers...but prayer....heartfelt. half hours of prayer. hours of prayer. cries?!
are we taking time to allow the Spirit of God to minister in us?! to move us? to use us?!

i realized the other night. that God has claimed my mind. and now He is working on claiming my heart. He already has a bit of it. But He wants even more of it. He wants my heart to feel anguish, to break for what breaks His. He wants me heart to be a compassionate heart. and i definately feel a call on my life to have a huge prayerful heart. He wants to claim every part of my heart as His.

So I ask you...as well as myself. Are we allowing God to change us?! No matter how hard it may be? Are we embracing it? Are we willing? Are we taking the time out of our own selfish lives and desires, to allow God to move in and through us?!
I was just reading about the heart a little bit.
And the heart is a muscle. about the size of a fist. and muscles tend to contract right. well when the heart contracts...its an all-or-nothing thing. The heart contracts with ALL OF ITS FORCE.
are we embracing God with all that we are?! are we loving with all of our heart?! or just a part of it.

the heart is a very incredible thing. its not just a muscle which brings life to our body and keeps up alive. its more than that. it allows us to FEEL things....
yes we can feel other muscles...like when we pull it or we can feel it twitch at times...
we can feel our heart breaking when we see children being uncared for.
we can feel our heart rejoicing when we see people engulfed in worship to our Glorious God.

its more than just keeping us alive.
are we taking time to see and to be in awe of what God created?! His beauty in us. and in this world. or are we just focused on our everyday life. and being complacent, and just seeing God as common...
HE is the farthest thing from common. so why do we live like He is?!


Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

sometimes you feel bad asking God for help. But the truth of the matter is...God doesn't mind.
we can't do anything without God's help. so why are we hesitant to ask?!
probably our pride.

A lot of people talk about how we think so much of ourselves....i don't. some people struggle with realizing that we actually are nothing in this world. i don't. I know, that compared to the God of This Universe....I am pitiful! I forever will be. But I also know, that His grace and His mercy and His love give me a worth. Make me worthwhile. In His eyes, in my own eyes, and in the eyes of other people.
Yes we all have our struggles. we all have a lot to learn, and sacrifices to make, and molding to go through. but i think we so often don't embrace it, because we are afraid to admit that we need help, and afraid to ask God help.
God meets us where we are. He wants to be close to us. He wants us to call out to Him. He is just waiting for us to call out to Him. So ask Him for His help. To mold your heart. To cleanse your heart, your mind. To have the strength and the joy to go through this life and to embrace everything and everyone that comes your way!


In Psalm 84 one of the verses says.
Blessed is the one who's strength is in the Lord. whose heart is fixed on the pilgrimage.


A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place or temple. Our pilgrimage is Heaven. Is being w Jesus face to face, in His full Glory. God gives us strength. Let's embrace that strength. and keep our hearts fixed on Jesus. and our eyes fixed on Jesus.
That is when our lives change, and when God can build us. When we are fixed on Him! We can see Him.