Sometimes God uses the things in life that you least expect to be the catalyst for the biggest changes. I am currently reading a book for our church women's group. I will be honest, I started the book with a bad attitude. I didn't like the title, I questioned the motives of the author and I had recently done another study on the same topic. All those put together, I was reading the book without expecting to get a lot out of it.
Every month, we meet as leaders before our women's study meets. At that meeting, the other leaders were raving about how much they loved the book. I was honestly a little shocked. How could they love something so much that I was having trouble even finishing? What was I missing?
As I started to explain my frustrations with the book, floods of emotion came rushing in. Now, I'm not typically a very emotional person so this response surprised me. I realized that I have some hurt and unforgiveness that has been holding me back. I have been blaming past situations and circumstances for my current position. I was expecting someone else to open the doors for me instead of putting in the work to open them for myself.
As my precious friends poured encouragement into me and graciously handled my bad attitude, I was convicted. It is so easy to play the victim. It is easy to allow the actions of others to hinder our own forward movement. Sure sometimes the actions and attitudes of others might create an obstacle, but God is bigger than any obstacle.
When I went to the leaders meeting, I was not expecting much. I expected a nice conversation about a book like we usually have. However, God used that meeting to reveal to me some areas of wrong thinking in my life. He showed me some thought patterns that were holding me back and preventing me from accomplishing the very things He has called me to do.
I cannot move forward while holding onto the past! I can use it to propel me forward, but I cannot sit in frustration and blame.
I'm so thankful for my friends! Before I was even home from the meeting, one of the other leaders sent me an email outlining steps I could take to move forward. She sent me a list! My favorite!
I believe that meeting was a catalyst for what God is about to do in my life. I believe He wanted to remove the wrong thinking so He can open the doors to my future and I will be free to walk through them. I believe this is exactly what the Bible is talking about when it says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." (Galatians 5:1) I was set free from wrong thinking so that I would be free to fully pursue God's plan for my life. Freedom has purpose.
Oh, it's not always comfortable. It is often easier to continue with our wrong thinking, blaming others for what is happening to us. But the reality is, freedom is where the Spirit of the Lord lives! (II Corinthians 3:17) Freedom is where we walk in the full possibility of what God wants to do in our lives. No longer do we have to be a slave to our circumstances or to our wrong way of thinking; but instead, we can renew our minds and live in the truth of God's amazing grace!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Not My Job
What an amazing first retreat for the NTD women! (North Texas District) We were blessed with amazing speakers, powerful worship, and precious community.
As retreat coordinator, I will be the first to admit that I feel the pressure to make sure everything comes together smoothly. Putting together a retreat for 650 ladies is no small task. When I arrived on Thursday, my brain was working overtime trying to make sure there was nothing that was being missed. If you saw me and I looked frazzled or deep in thought- I probably was :)
Thankfully, I had a sweet friend who spoke truth into my life. She told me to sit down and rest, enjoy my supper and remember, "it's not my job." At first I disagreed with her, actually it is my job. I'm the Retreat Coordinator. But over the next several hours, God spoke to my heart. It was not my job. Sure, I was the one who was available if any issues arose; but ultimately, finding the solution was not my job. God reminded me, that was His job.
We had covered this retreat in prayer (and I believe the ladies could feel that the moment they drove onto the campgrounds). We had planned in advance. We had thought through the schedule and the events of the weekend. This was not just something we had decided to throw together last week, this was months of praying and planning and preparing.
God's quiet whisper said, "This is not your job daughter, this is my job." I was not responsible to make sure everything was happening perfectly. It was not my job to remember every detail that could possibly come up. It was my job to obey my Father and listen for His voice. If He reminded me of something to do, then I could do it. If someone came to me with a problem, it was not a surprise to God. He already knew the problem and He already had a solution. I merely needed to ask Him how I should handle it. He was Faithful to answer.
I did not need to worry or stress. I needed to trust that God is Faithful! God is not just Faithful in the big things, He is faithful in the little things. I cannot tell you the number of times God was Faithful. For example, during one of the services a lady came to our leadership team. She had hurt her hand and needed some ice. As we left our office to find the nurse, the nurse walked by the office. Out of 650 ladies, the one we needed walked by at the exact moment we needed her. That is God's Faithfulness!
There is story after story of those small moments when God proved Himself Faithful. This was not our retreat, this was God's. Yes, we were His hands and feet on the ground, physically doing the labor. But the ideas, the planning, the results, those are all God's. We never wanted them to be ours. The cry of our heart has always been, more of you God and less of us. We want God to meet the ladies at the altar. We want Him to speak to their hearts. We want Him to do what only He can do. It's not us. It is God through us.
My prayer for you today is this. Trust God. Listen for his instruction, in the big things and in the small things. Do not fret or worry about the details of life. Instead, trust that if you have asked God to lead you, He is faithful to do it. Ask Him to remind you if you are forgetting something. He will. Ask Him to help you make decisions and to guide your steps during the day. He will be Faithful!
I Thessalonians 5:24, "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (NIV)
As retreat coordinator, I will be the first to admit that I feel the pressure to make sure everything comes together smoothly. Putting together a retreat for 650 ladies is no small task. When I arrived on Thursday, my brain was working overtime trying to make sure there was nothing that was being missed. If you saw me and I looked frazzled or deep in thought- I probably was :)
Thankfully, I had a sweet friend who spoke truth into my life. She told me to sit down and rest, enjoy my supper and remember, "it's not my job." At first I disagreed with her, actually it is my job. I'm the Retreat Coordinator. But over the next several hours, God spoke to my heart. It was not my job. Sure, I was the one who was available if any issues arose; but ultimately, finding the solution was not my job. God reminded me, that was His job.
We had covered this retreat in prayer (and I believe the ladies could feel that the moment they drove onto the campgrounds). We had planned in advance. We had thought through the schedule and the events of the weekend. This was not just something we had decided to throw together last week, this was months of praying and planning and preparing.
God's quiet whisper said, "This is not your job daughter, this is my job." I was not responsible to make sure everything was happening perfectly. It was not my job to remember every detail that could possibly come up. It was my job to obey my Father and listen for His voice. If He reminded me of something to do, then I could do it. If someone came to me with a problem, it was not a surprise to God. He already knew the problem and He already had a solution. I merely needed to ask Him how I should handle it. He was Faithful to answer.
I did not need to worry or stress. I needed to trust that God is Faithful! God is not just Faithful in the big things, He is faithful in the little things. I cannot tell you the number of times God was Faithful. For example, during one of the services a lady came to our leadership team. She had hurt her hand and needed some ice. As we left our office to find the nurse, the nurse walked by the office. Out of 650 ladies, the one we needed walked by at the exact moment we needed her. That is God's Faithfulness!
There is story after story of those small moments when God proved Himself Faithful. This was not our retreat, this was God's. Yes, we were His hands and feet on the ground, physically doing the labor. But the ideas, the planning, the results, those are all God's. We never wanted them to be ours. The cry of our heart has always been, more of you God and less of us. We want God to meet the ladies at the altar. We want Him to speak to their hearts. We want Him to do what only He can do. It's not us. It is God through us.
My prayer for you today is this. Trust God. Listen for his instruction, in the big things and in the small things. Do not fret or worry about the details of life. Instead, trust that if you have asked God to lead you, He is faithful to do it. Ask Him to remind you if you are forgetting something. He will. Ask Him to help you make decisions and to guide your steps during the day. He will be Faithful!
I Thessalonians 5:24, "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (NIV)
Friday, July 17, 2015
Paused
I am so excited to announce that Paused: Protecting Your Faith When God Says "Wait" is now available on Amazon!
Read a sample of Paused here:
Read a sample of Paused here:
Week 4 Day 2: Waiting for the Miraculous—
Mark 2
We learned last week about the importance of not relying on the faith of others. Instead, we must grow our own faith. Yet, there is a time when the faith of others can carry us to our faith opportunity. Or perhaps, our faith will create an opportunity for another person to meet with Christ.
• Read Mark 2:1-12.
What type of situation did the men encounter when they arrived at the home where Jesus was?
Instead of giving up because they had to wait to receive their miracle, how did the friends of the paralytic man use their faith to create an opportunity for their friend to meet with Jesus?
We learned last week about the importance of not relying on the faith of others. Instead, we must grow our own faith. Yet, there is a time when the faith of others can carry us to our faith opportunity. Or perhaps, our faith will create an opportunity for another person to meet with Christ.
• Read Mark 2:1-12.
What type of situation did the men encounter when they arrived at the home where Jesus was?
Instead of giving up because they had to wait to receive their miracle, how did the friends of the paralytic man use their faith to create an opportunity for their friend to meet with Jesus?
These men had to wait to see Jesus. They arrived at the home where Jesus was, but they
could not get the answer they sought right away. They had some work to do. They had
to remove the barrier between them and their miracle.
What would have happened if they had given up and gone home when they encountered difficulties?
What would have happened if they had given up and gone home when they encountered difficulties?
The paralytic man’s friends truly believed that Jesus was the answer they were looking
for. They were willing to go to any length to get to him. Sometimes we must labor in
prayer to see our miracle.
Have you ever had to battle in prayer in order to help a friend receive their miracle? If so, explain.
Have you ever had to battle in prayer in order to help a friend receive their miracle? If so, explain.
What did Jesus say to the paralytic man when He saw the faith of his friends?
Do you think this was the response his friends were looking for? Why or why not?
I’m not sure the man’s friends understood the value of the man’s sins being forgiven. They had just carried the man up on the roof, dug a hole, and lowered him through it. I’m sure they were hoping for his healing. I’m guessing they did all that because they wanted Jesus to heal his legs so he could walk home. They probably did not plan on lifting him back through the roof so they could carry him home. It is very likely that they were more focused on their friend’s physical condition than his spiritual condition.
Have you experienced a time where you didn’t receive the physical miracle you were praying for, but instead received a spiritual miracle? If so, describe what happened.
Thankfully, Jesus was not done. He not only forgave the man of his sins, but he also healed him. It is easy to become distracted by miracles. We can begin to seek the miracles, instead of seeking Christ. We can become so focused on the answer to our prayers that we lose sight of the Answer to our prayers- Jesus!
• Read Luke 10:17-20.
The disciples were excited that they were able to perform miracles, but what did Jesus remind them to keep their focus on instead?
I’m not sure the man’s friends understood the value of the man’s sins being forgiven. They had just carried the man up on the roof, dug a hole, and lowered him through it. I’m sure they were hoping for his healing. I’m guessing they did all that because they wanted Jesus to heal his legs so he could walk home. They probably did not plan on lifting him back through the roof so they could carry him home. It is very likely that they were more focused on their friend’s physical condition than his spiritual condition.
Have you experienced a time where you didn’t receive the physical miracle you were praying for, but instead received a spiritual miracle? If so, describe what happened.
Thankfully, Jesus was not done. He not only forgave the man of his sins, but he also healed him. It is easy to become distracted by miracles. We can begin to seek the miracles, instead of seeking Christ. We can become so focused on the answer to our prayers that we lose sight of the Answer to our prayers- Jesus!
• Read Luke 10:17-20.
The disciples were excited that they were able to perform miracles, but what did Jesus remind them to keep their focus on instead?
Why did Jesus encourage the disciples to shift their focus?
It is so important to develop character that can handle miracles. Jesus reminded the dis- ciples in these verses that it is not the miracle we are to focus on, but our salvation. Be careful as your faith grows and as you step out and begin to pray powerful prayers that you do not forget it is your relationship with Jesus that matters most.
It was not the faith of his friends that healed the paralytic. He still had to exercise his own faith to stand up and pick up his mat. However, it was the faith of his friends that brought him to the place where he could receive from Christ.
What are some practical ways that you can be the kind of friend who creates opportunities for others to meet with Jesus?
Is there someone in your life that you need to carry to Jesus? How can your faith pave the way for that person to receive a miracle?
In your own life, do you see yourself more as the person who needs people to bring you to Christ or the friend who is bringing the person to Christ? Why?
To order your copy of Paused visit Amazon: Paused
To order 20 or more copies, please contact kellyfjestad@hotmail.com for discount pricing.
It is so important to develop character that can handle miracles. Jesus reminded the dis- ciples in these verses that it is not the miracle we are to focus on, but our salvation. Be careful as your faith grows and as you step out and begin to pray powerful prayers that you do not forget it is your relationship with Jesus that matters most.
It was not the faith of his friends that healed the paralytic. He still had to exercise his own faith to stand up and pick up his mat. However, it was the faith of his friends that brought him to the place where he could receive from Christ.
What are some practical ways that you can be the kind of friend who creates opportunities for others to meet with Jesus?
Is there someone in your life that you need to carry to Jesus? How can your faith pave the way for that person to receive a miracle?
In your own life, do you see yourself more as the person who needs people to bring you to Christ or the friend who is bringing the person to Christ? Why?
To order your copy of Paused visit Amazon: Paused
To order 20 or more copies, please contact kellyfjestad@hotmail.com for discount pricing.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Coming Soon!
COMING SOON!!
PAUSED. Protecting Your Faith When God Says "Wait" - A six-week Bible study
Read the back of the study here:
Have you ever felt like your life was paused? On hold?
Waiting? Standing still? Not moving forward?
There are so many times in life when we are called to wait.
Perhaps you are waiting for a promise from God to be fulfilled. Maybe you are
being mistreated or experiencing persecution while you wait. It’s possible you
are waiting for the miraculous—a healing, a supernatural provision, or a divine
intervention. Maybe you have been waiting and waiting and waiting, and there is
no end in sight.
Waiting can be hard on your faith. It is in the pauses of
life that our faith is tested. Do we really believe what God has spoken to us?
Can we persevere even when our prayers seem to go unanswered? Will our faith
withhold the test of time? Literally!
This six-week study will examine many Biblical examples of
people who waited. We will look at their stories and see how they protected
their faith while they waited on God. We will learn how to build, grow, and
protect our own faith in the process. And we will see that through it all, God
is Faithful!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)