Phases to Your Dream-Come-True...

 

Happy Wednesday, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. I was supposed to announce the winner for May last week but it slipped my mind since I was writing my blog post while on vacation. :)

May's winner for the $10.00 Starbucks giftcard is...Megan Kaeb! 

Congratulations, Megan! Just email me your mailing address and we'll get your gift card in the mail. Thanks for being a part of this online community.

Win an I-pod Shuffle!

Just a reminder to you, my friends: I am giving away a 4G I-pod Shuffle in July. How do you win? Pick up a copy of my newest book, "Growing Grateful Kids" - post a review on Amazon and send me the link. Contact me for more information.

Now on to my topic...

Maybe you've read the famous Hudson Taylor quote before. I love this quote: I have found there are three stages to every great work of God: It is impossible; then it is difficult; then it is done. 

This has certainly been true in my own life. What about you?

Years ago - right in the midst of the worst parts of my battle with Lyme Disease (and the financial stress that followed), God put it in my heart to write a book. I knew that my budding dream was from Him because it was way out of my comfort zone, it made my heart beat faster; it stirred up all kinds of fear and excitement and anticipation; and wise mentors confirmed the gifts within me. And yet, I still had a process to go through in order to lay hold of such a promised land.

Currently, I am in a new place, about to lay hold of a new land, and here again, I find myself in the familiar place of unfamiliarity. If I hadn't walked through this series of emotions and feelings before, I'd be tempted to think that maybe I'm not suited for this next place. 

If you have dared ventured to a new place that God has for you, I'm sure you've encountered the same questions and feelings. But we must remember, the Bible says that even Moses felt like a foreigner in his Promised Land. Even though we have promised places to lay hold of, it doesn't mean that we'll lay hold of those new places without effort, obstacles, and whole lot of conflicting emotions.

Many years ago, out of the ashes of my pain, my writing career started this way: I self published my first book, then I started writing for Focus on the Family, and then I was contracted to write a devotional journal. All of those steps were necessary and exciting steps in their own way. But when my first big book contract finally came through (the thing I was dreaming about), I was utterly surprised by my first emotional response. You know what I felt? Instantly depressed. Does that make any sense at all?

It didn't to me either until I heard a story about when Beth Moore received her first contract. She knelt down on the floor and cried - not for joy - but out of sheer terror that she might fail the Lord in some way. That's exactly how I felt. 

When the dream is far away, it is typical to experience intermingles feelings of excitement and impatience. But when the dream is suddenly within your grasp, and it starts to touch your human-ness - and you become very aware of your own potential to make a mess of things - well that's just downright scary.

As far as I can see, the phases of our 'dream-come-true' journey look like this:

A dream far off - exciting, waiting, wondering, impatience

A dream up close - fear, second-guessing ourselves, stepping out of our known zone and into the learning zone, wondering about the cost now that the dream is so close, wondering if God made a mistake in choosing us; we can't go back - we're not the same after having this dream - but feeling unsure and unsteady about moving forward.

A dream realized - once we begin to take the land and we find a new normal, our learning zone becomes our known zone, we become more seasoned and strengthened to stand in this place, but not without effort, fatigue, faith, and trust; we wouldn't have it any other way, and yet, no one but God knows what it took for us to step and step out like we did. This is the life of faith.

Anne Ortlund wrote these beautiful words: Lift up your eyes. Your heavenly Father waits to bless you - in inconceivable ways to make your life what you never dreamed it could be.

Dream big. Dream with Him. Then walk forward unafraid - to places you've never been. Be willing to be stretched and strengthened. Embrace the unknown places with Jesus at your side and experience God's miracle of life working in and through you. What a way to live.

God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! (Ephesians 3:20).

~Until next week.

And More Will Be Given...

 

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog.  So leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a fun treat this month!

I am thinking of changing things up on my blog and posting shorter pieces twice a week rather than a longer piece once a week. Let me know what you think of that idea...

One more fun piece of information:

Post a review of my new book, "Growing Grateful Kids" on Amazon and enter to win a 4GB I-Pod Shuffle! 

Now on to my topic...

Well, as some of you may know, I've got a new radio show! We started recording this week (we're set to air in June). Here is the link in case you're interested: Live the Promise with Susie Larson

Anyway, yesterday I interviewed author and evangelist Matt Brown, and let me tell you, we had a powerful-God-time in that studio! I can't wait for that interview to air. Matt is a young twenty-something guy who has already evangelized tens of thousands of people. He is a young Billy Graham. When I asked Matt about his passion and conviction for his generation especially, he answered (my paraphrase here), "Even if Jesus doesn't come back during our lifetime, it's the only lifetime we've got; the only chance we have to reach the world for Christ, and to live powerfully for Him." 

That statement set the stage for the rest of the interview. We could literally feel God's presence in the studio as we went on to discuss what it means to live for God. 

Well, this morning as I prayed about today's blog post, the words, "And more will be given" kept running through my mind. And I think it's a great topic for today. Especially in light of Matt's comments about making the most of the hour in which we live.

May we give God our listening ear, our hopes and passions, our gifts and talents, and even our weak and feeble attempts to serve Him. God is the Divine Multiplier! He takes our puny little offering and He makes something of it. And, He deposits Heaven's resources into our lives because He is after a return on His investment in us.

Let's look at a couple of verses that speak to the 'more' that He wants to give to us:

Matthew 13:12

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

What's exciting to me is that God calls us to LISTEN, why? Because He has some things He wants to say to us! God wants to speak to us!  In fact, the Bible also says that God - the Creator of Heaven and Earth - confides in those who fear Him. He leans in and whispers profound secrets of wisdom and truth to those who honor and esteem His Name. Isn't that just amazing? But since that's true, oh, we must remember that He is God and thus, be ever listening for that still, small voice.

How many times throughout the Bible do we read these words, "Listen!"? In the New Testament, God speaks out these words, "This is My Beloved Son. Listen to Him." 

To whom much is given, much is required. Since God has given us His Son that we might have access to His presence and promises, He expects that we will listen and respond to His direction and leading in our lives. And it's not because He is a control freak. He is LOVE. He is GOOD. He knows BEST. And loves us MOST. He has our best interest at heart and is very protective of our lives and our dreams. He knows that we can't go this alone. 

For those who heed the gentle voice and who do what He says, more clarity will be given. More insight and inspiration will be entrusted to them. Imagine, God's voice becoming clearer to you; more distinctive; more profound. What a priceless gift He has offered us here.

But there's a downside to this promise. Those who get so busy with life that they miss what He says, will lose their sense of spiritual receptivity. Those who coddle their fears more than they cling to the promises of God, will not hear God's voice when He calls them to a more spacious and free place. Can you think of a more devastating loss than to lose the sense of God's voice in your ear? 

It matters if we listen or if we don't. 

Here is another verse to consider:

Matthew 25:29

To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

Here again we are called to steward well what we've been given. If we take for granted the gifts of God, they will, in due time, slip through our fingertips. 

What have you been given? If you've received any encouragement from others, give some away. If you have food in your cupboards, give some away. If you've been offered a forgiveness you don't deserve (which, you have) offer forgiveness to someone who doesn't deserve it. 

And how about the gifts and talents God has given you? Whether you work in the ministry or in the corporate world, whether you're raising children or caring for your elderly parents; all of these are sacred when done with Jesus in mind. Bloom where you're planted. Use the gifts God has given you for His glory. Live with passion, conviction, courage, and compassion. Sow seeds of faith. Embrace hope. Walk in love.

Let everything you do, be done with Him in mind. And as you pour out your life to a world in need, more - much more - will be given to you.

~Until next week

(PS - I'll be away on a media trip next week so it might be tricky for me to post on my blog - but I'll do my best). :)

No Condemnation!

 

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. For the months of March AND April I will give away away a gift card and a couple of copies of my new book, "Growing Grateful Kids" so leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a fun treat this month!

Post a review of my new book, "Growing Grateful Kids" on Amazon and enter to win a 4GB I-Pod Shuffle! 

Now on to my topic...

Okay, I know I've addressed the 'no condemnation' issue to some degree in the past few weeks, but it's not going away for me. In fact, the whole idea is growing within me; it's changing my perspective of how I see God and how I view myself. 

I think there is something here for all of us. Do you struggle with being more self-aware than God aware? Me too, sometimes. But as I ponder and meditate on the truly finished work of Christ, everything changes for me. 

Because of Christ's victory over sin and death, you and I have been made righteous in God's sight. Not just on good days, but on bad days too. We have a right standing with God even when we fall down. Not to say that our sin doesn't matter. Of course it does. But if you have truly accepted Christ's sacrifice for your sin, and the Holy Spirit truly resides in you, you won't want to take Christ's gift, walk all over it, and take it for granted. You will gradually become more and more like Christ, and cherish the very thought of becoming so.

Read this powerful passage:

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God (1 John 3:8-9). 

and again...

We know that when He appears, we-shall-be-like-Him, for we shall see Him as He is. EVERYONE who has this hope IN HIM, purifies himself, just as HE is pure (1 John 3:2-3).

Hope in HIM, purifies us. And yet, we tend to put our hope in ourselves; we hope against hope that we will get it right or that we won't get it wrong. So often we feel that we need to focus on our sin and our badness lest we get too prideful or we misinterpret life-in-the-Spirit as a license to sin. I've wasted far too many hours of my life despairing over my badness when my day could have gone better had I instead, simply reveled in His goodness. 

When - in the face of one's own frailty, selfishness, and sinfulness - a true Believer focuses on the fresh mercies of God and His abundant, amazing love - do you know what her response is? It's definitely not, "Well, hey then, let's run out and sin some more!" No! For me anyways, it's a drop-to-my-knees moment that compels me to soak in the fresh love of God with a truly grateful heart. 

Grace saved us. But grace also keeps us. We are sustained by grace. We breathe and live and serve and love because of the beautiful grace of God. We can do nothing apart from Him. 

I used to think that this next passage only spoke to the unbeliever whose mind is set on running amuck with sinful desires. But now I think differently:

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God...those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God (Romans 8:5-6,8). 

Now hear me correctly. This passage is of course speaking of the unbelieving, carnally minded man. But it also applies to the Believer bent on living under the law; being controlled by a tally of sins and things done right; overwhelmed with despair for mistakes; and maybe pride for what she does right. If you think about it, that's like accepting God's grace for salvation, but then adding in the law in order to live righteously.

To truly live by the Spirit, is to embrace grace, every hour. And when we mess up, we look up, and we pray, "Lord, it's me again. Forgive me for forgetting what I possess in You. Thank you, so much, for Your forgiveness, for the power of Your finished work on the Cross, and for giving me access and right standing with You. I am free, I am whole, and I am clean because of You! Even here, even now, I can wrap my arms around grace. I can embrace Your precious gift that allows me to get up again and move forward in my walk with You. I am Your Beloved, and You always love me; on good days and bad. I refuse to be sin and self aware! There is no shred of condemnation in me. I choose to be fully and completely aware of You and of the righteousness You provided for me! It is a gift of God, not a result of ANYTHING I have done! What a gift! I celebrate the priceless, unfathomable gift of grace today! Amen.

Be encouraged today. No one can snatch you out of His hand. Because of Christ's finished work, you are beautiful and clean and you're a wonderful work in progress. Every day, becoming more like Him. And when you see Him, you will be like Him. You are His. Amazing grace. 

~Until next week.

Thinking Rightly About God...

 

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. For the months of March AND April I will give away away a gift card and a couple of copies of my new book, "Growing Grateful Kids" so leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a fun treat this month!

Now on to my topic...

Last week I wrote about an experience my brother and I had when we were little children (please check out last week's post if you haven't already).  We were playing a game and got stuck inside a heavy cedar chest. We were in there for an hour. My dad had to break us out of there with a crow bar. When they found us, we were listless. Needless to say, that experience deeply affected both my brother and I.

Today I received the best gift in the mail: a letter from my sister along with the Willow Tree (brand) Keepsake (pictured above). In the letter my sister these beautiful words:

"My prayer for you both is when you think of that traumatic event in that chest, instead of feeling overwhelming fear, or wonder why it ever happened, or just having that pit in your stomach when you think of it...instead of those things, think of these things (look inside the box)."

Inside the box she placed little pieces of paper with the different names of God: Deliverer, Sustainer, Defender, Life Breath, etc. 

When I looked at the two little children sitting on top of that chest, I was instantly overwhelmed! Isn't that a picture of how God delivers us? Though the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, God will not let him have the last word.

Today I read from the Gospel of Mark and noticed a couple of different insights. In chapter four I read about the time when Jesus fell asleep in the boat during a storm.  I've never noticed this before but when the disciples woke Him up, their first question was not, "Can you do something about this storm?" 

No, their question was, "Don't you care that we were about to drown?" 

Isn't that the same question that rises up from us when we encounter painful and traumatic experiences? Don't you care, Lord? Where are You? Where were You? 

But Jesus responds to them (and us) with another question, "Where is your faith?"

In other words, Jesus is saying, "I'm right here" because He is. He wants us to trust Him even in the scariest of times. 

Jesus exhorted His disciples not to be afraid. Then He rebuked the storms and the storms obeyed. And the disciples' response? Read the verse (Mark 4:41):

They were absolutely terrified. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "Even the wind and waves obey Him!" 

Imagine what it was like to be them. Picture Jesus telling them not be afraid. First they were afraid, thinking that He didn't care, then they were terrified of His great power. The Greek translation for the fear described in verse 41 is this: they feared a great fear.

They were afraid of the notion of a disinterested Savior. They were even more terrified at the thought of His overwhelming power. We vacillate in the same way: Does God care for me? Will His supernatural influence overpower and consume me?

After Jesus calmed the storm, they all headed across the lake. Jesus met up with a demonized man (possessed by many demons). The tormented man could not be restrained even with shackles because he could tear them apart. He lived among the tombs. Night and day he would cry out (I'm sure it was a horrifying sound) and cut himself with stones. Imagine this poor man.

Jesus, filled with compassion, delivered this man and restored him fully.

When the towns people gathered around and saw this once-crazed man sitting fully clothed and in his right mind, what was their response? They were afraid! So afraid in fact, they begged the Restorer to leave town. They preferred the comfort of 'what they knew' over knowing a Power that could change them forever. 

Imagine that!

If we don't think rightly about the Love of God, we will doubt that He cares, especially when the winds feel stronger than His presence. 

If we don't think rightly about the Love of God, we'll be afraid when He moves in power. We'll prefer our captivity to the uncomfortable-glorious process of being set free.

Yes, we the storms will come against us, and yes, God will seem absent at times. But, when the storms rise up and try to tell you they are bigger and stronger than the God you serve, declare this verse at the top of your lungs: 

But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord's GREAT love, WE-ARE-NOT-CONSUMED. His compassions they never fail; His mercies are new every morning; His faithfulness is great (Lamentations 3:21-22). 

May we not doubt God's love and care for us when He presence doesn't seem real. And may we not prefer captivity or shrink back from Him when He moves in power. We will not be consumed. We can get close to Him and live, because He loves us.

Isn't that amazing?

Lord, God, help us to think rightly about You! Help us to trust that You are always good, always near, and always a prayer away. Because You love us, we have everything we need! Help us to see Your hand in our past experiences - because You have intervened on our behalf, whether we can see it or not. Help us to see Your hand in our present circumstances - because You are working in our midst, because You love us. And help us to see Your hand as we face our future - because You have a plan to prosper and not to harm us; to give us a hope and a future. You are always with us. Thank you, Lord. 

Until next week~

Fear Masquerading As Wisdom...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share a story or an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and friend!

It's time to announce this month's winner...

Joy Ballard, congratulations! Email me at: info@susielarson.com with your mailing address and I'll get your gift card out to you within the next week or so. Blessings to you all and thanks for your posts!

Now on to my topic...

I like Wednesday mornings. I wake up extra early to do my Watchman Prayer (an hour designated to pray for the families and ministries at my church), I get to talk to one of my mentors when I call to hand the prayer baton to her. Those few minutes of deep spiritual dialogue give me food for thought the rest of the day. And, another great thing about Wednesdays is that I get to connect with YOU!

This morning, my mentor and I talked about what it means to venture out in faith to the unknown zone. God is moving in our midst. Are we willing to go where He leads? 

My mentor said something struck a cord with me. Here's what she said: "All too often, we don't want to look foolish or take certain risks, so we stay safe and miss God. Which is really just fear masqueraded as wisdom." 

Just what kinds of fears are we talking about here? Fear of man, fear of the unknown, fear of discomfort, and fear of looking foolish; these are the ones that come to my mind. What will people think if I fail or look foolish? What if God asks me to do something that really costs me? Do I really want to take the risk of being uncomfortable? 

But let's look at Jesus' life. Is there anything about His time on earth that catered to other's opinions, looking foolish, or personal comforts? At some point we have to get free from such things if we want to live Kingdom lives here on earth!

God is on the move! And He wants us to move with Him! 

Are you clinging to safety and comfort and calling it wisdom?

Sometimes it is wise to stay put when everyone else is running. But sometimes it's just safe, and not wise at all. 

Here's an excerpt from my book, "Embracing Your Freedom":

"Being a believer involves faith. And faith involves risk - calculated yet heroic steps that lead us out of places of self-protecting and into places of God-provision. Embracing our freedom means we are willing to press past our fears because freedom is better...When God says, 'Go!' it's more dangerous to stay behind. There is less risk in moving into the unknown than in lagging behind in disobedience and unbelief" (p.210).

Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along HIS path. He will honor you, giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed (Psalm 37:34).

Here's another verse that I love:

Do not fear ANYTHING except the Lord Almighty. He ALONE is the Holy One. If you FEAR HIM, you need fear nothing else. HE will keep you safe (Isaiah 8:13-14).

May we embrace faith and be truly wise. 

~Until next week