Greetings, Dear Friends!
And to those visiting, I say welcome!
I post every Wednesday, and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.
Before I get into my topic, I have a gift card to give away. And the winner is...Rebecca Marshaw! Congratulations and thank you for stopping by week after week. Please email me at info@susielarson.com to claim your gift card.
Each month I give away a $10.00 gift Caribou Coffee gift card to someone who has posted on my blog. Leave a comment; you may win a nice treat!
I'm excited to announce the release of my new book, "The Uncommon Woman"
We have lots of exciting things going on as a result. Visit my website for more information. One thing I'll share is especially for you. In August instead of giving away a $10.00 gift card, we're giving away a $50.00 VISA card as well as several copies of my new book. Each week I will post on what it means to be uncommon and I want to hear from you! If you post, your name will go into the drawing. Drop me a line and say hi!
Ahhhh...And now on to my topic...
I've talked to a lot of people lately (myself included...yup, that's right; I do talk to myself on occasion) and you know, there's a whole lot of shakin' goin' on!
Many people have expressed an unsettling feeling; a sense that change is coming; and a profound awareness of their own frailties and weaknesses (myself included).
Whatever is not grounded in Christ, whatever is not nailed down in our character is being stirred up!
This past Sunday, before church, my husband and I sat out on the deck and talked about the countless ways God has been faithful to us. I turned to Kevin and said, "You know, five years ago, I sought hard after the Lord and asked Him for a vision for my next place of promise..."
If you've heard me speak, you know I firmly believe that we are called to go from strength to strength; from glory to glory; shining ever brighter until the full light of day (See Psalm 84:7 and Proverbs 4:18). The righteous shall live by faith. Without faith it's impossible to please Him. And there's a 'next place' of promise for all of us.
I continued with my husband, "Five years ago, God gave me a very clear sense of His plan for me and since then, all of those things have come to pass. But with all of the 'shaking' going on, I've not asked God for a fresh vision for my future. I've been more motivated by fear than by faith. I'm more aware of my weakness than I am His strength."
Together we came to the conclusion that the Lord deserves our highest and best. We bowed our heads, we confessed our own lack of faith, and we asked God for a fresh perspective and vision for our future. As soon as we said, "Amen" I was filled with faith and peace.
Within the past few days, some mighty opportunities have come our way. Not what I expected. Not something I feel qualified for. But instead of looking down, my faith compelled me to look up.
This morning during our prayer time on the deck I told Kevin, "You know, I'm glad God allowed that little sifting time because it forced me to reconcile every shred of unbelief in me. In so many ways it feels like our lives are about to change, but I can trust Him. I know it."
Are you currently experiencing a time of sifting or shaking? Pay close attention to what God is putting His finger on in you! Maybe you're trusting more in your ability than His. Maybe you're more motivated by fear than faith. Just maybe, He wants to do a BIG thing, and you're expecting He'll do noth-ing.
Put everything on the table, all of your hopes and dreams and fears, and then step back and say, "You get to decide how this goes, Lord. My times are in Your hands."
If He's shaking that which is unsettled in you, it's only because He wants you prepared to go to the next place He has for you. And be sure of this - He has a next place of promise for you.
Be blessed and full of faith this week.
He is faith-FULL.