Made for More: What Does the Bible Say? {Introduction}

I have this dream.  I want to be a published author.  It's a big, lofty dream.  A seemingly unattainable one, really, since I don't have any way of going about getting a manuscript in front of someone who could take my random thoughts and organize them into a sellable book version and then present that to someone who could print it and make it look all nice and then present that to someone who could get it in the stores or even on the web for mobile downloads.  BUT, I have learned more than anything this past year that if God places a dream or desire or goal or vision on your heart, you need to just go for it.  Who cares how big or daunting or scary or impossible it may seem?! You will never accomplish anything if you don't at least try. You'll always be in the same spot if you never take that first step.  And so, today, I am taking that first step.  I have no idea where it will lead me.  But, I'm taking it anyway...

I feel as though God has been laying some things on my heart and I am supposed to share them.  I can't shake the words He is speaking to me.  Not when He has been telling me the same things over and over again, in various ways through various people.  My husband.  The songs I hear on the radio.  My children.  The books I am reading.  My pastor.  The verses I am studying in Scripture on my own.  My friends.  Maybe He's even used YOU to speak to me...

As I share my thoughts and more so my questions to what God has been revealing to me, I want to be sure I stick to HIS Word and not just relay my interpretation of it.  This morning our pastor reminded us of the importance of knowing God's Word and using it to combat Satan as he tries his best to derail us from the plans and purposes God has for us.  He wants to sidetrack us, trick us, deceive us, sideline us, or whatever he can to prevent us from doing and BEING all God has created us to be.  He lies to us.  He misguides us.  He trips us up.  He sabotages us.  Or tries to.  He even uses Scripture - God's very Word - to carry out his evil schemes.  He takes what God intended for good and twists and turns it, rips it out of context, distorts it, and more, but just enough that we don't tend to realize what he's doing.  So, we fall for it.  We believe his lies.  We listen to him, thinking we are listening to God.  And as we do, we miss out on all that God has for us.  We forfeit His wonderful, amazing, spectacular, out-of-this-world, life-giving plans and purposes for us and trade them in for the not-so-glorious, mundane, quite ordinary, life-draining traps Satan has set ever so carefully for us.

My hope and prayer is that we will return to the TRUTH of God's Word and see for ourselves what God Himself has to say, that we will hear from HIM, that we will listen to HIM, that we will believe HIM, and that ultimately we will CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE because of what we learn from HIM.

This is not about me.  It's really not about you either.  It's all about Jesus.  The awesome thing is, though, as we focus on Jesus OUR lives get better and better.  That's how God works.  And that's what I want us to see.  I want us to understand that we are MADE FOR MORE, so much more than what the world tells us, so much more than what Satan tries to convince us is good.  But only as we "dig deep into God's Word" will we discover the "Father's heart" for us, only then can we break free from the chains Satan has used to tie us up and hold us back, without us even realizing it.  Only then can we RUN and do and be all that God has created us to be.  Only then can we live the ABUNDANT life God offers us, if we will just come to Him and drink from His flowing water and let us wash over us.  Only then can we THRIVE...

I hope you will join me on this journey into God's Word.  I am excited to discover with you what the Bible says about God's rich, lavish, gracious, ever-abounding love for you and me.  I have goosebumps just thinking about the humanly insane, ridiculous, mind-boggling plans He has for each and every one of us.  I get tears in my eyes as I pray for us to truly believe God and take Him as His Word.  I can hardly wait to see what God will do in and through as we surrender our hearts and minds and lives over to Him.  As we come to realize we serve the God who can do the impossible, may we also understand that this same God is living inside of us and equipping us with His power - the same power He used to raise Jesus Christ from the dead - to accomplish incredible things!  Things we could never even begin to hope or imagine.  Things beyond our wildest dreams.

But before we get started, I invite you to listen to a song God has used to spark this fire and ignite this dream inside of me...

As you listen, let God's Words penetrate your heart: YOU ARE MADE FOR MORE!

House to Home to Heart

Took a break from cleaning and organizing and laundry and such to take a walk.  Was a good time to think and pray and reflect.  Couldn't help but notice all the black spots on driveways and sidewalks and the road from all the fireworks set off last night.  Had I counted, I am sure I would have found thousands of bits and pieces of firework remains.  As I stepped on and over these shreds and scraps, I wonder how much money was spent...

This week, I have thought quite a bit about how we (myself included) spend our money.  Hear me out, as I am simply sharing thoughts.  No judging or comparing or anything.  Just thoughts and emotions that are jumbled up and trying to make sense in my head...

We have done some shopping to "transform" our house into our HOME.  We have spent money, BUT we have tried very hard to be extremely practical and reasonable and save every penny we can.  We bought chairs and a little table for the porch.  We had a set picked out at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  It was 50% off, and a great deal!!  BUT, then we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart and found something much simpler and WAY cheaper.  We saved over $100!

We bought chairs for a den/office.  Fun ones.  We are still looking for an "accent" chair.  Can't seem to find one we like that doesn't cost as much as the groceries for the entire month.  We did find a rug, but once I unrolled it and laid it out, we realized it was more like a yoga mat (in size).  We rolled it right back up and are returning it today because we are pretty confident we can find a better deal somewhere that gets us more rug for our money.

We bought new bedding, towels, and a rug for our master bedroom/bathroom.  We figured our 7.5 year old towels were up for replacing!  We found some we liked that went with our bedding, which we saved about $100 on by getting a duvet cover to put over our current comforter.  We picked out some fun pillows to add a splash of color, but Lawrence and I both agreed we couldn't see spending almost $100 on pillows!!!  So we put them back.  Found a set for $16 total instead of $20 a piece!!!  We figure we are really the only people who will ever use or even see these pillows (except when I post a picture of our finished room here on FB).  Why spend money on pillows just to make it look like a room in a magazine.  We don't live in a magazine! :)  We also decided not to get new sheets, that will be under the comforter and seen by no one ever except us.  We will sleep just fine on blue striped sheets as we would on plain gray sheets.  Who cares that our new bedding is yellow and gray and white and doesn't match our blue sheets in the least?!  We have a bed!  We have covers!  That is so much more than so many people in this world - and not just in other countries either, but right here in our own city!!!

All the other rearranging and transforming we have done has been free. Simply moving things around and getting rid of a lot actually.  Feels super good to simplify and eliminate things that have caused stress in our lives.

We have spent money though.   Paying cash for everything.  And I am uber excited to invite you all over to our house to enjoy everything with us.  Our house is your house.  We want to be sure our doors are open and people feel welcome here!

I am hesitant to share what I feel God has been whispering in my heart.  I know what He's been telling me isn't the same as what the world shouts at me from every angle every second of the day.  I know the way He is showing me is not the popular route, but definitely the one less traveled....

You see, I feel as though the world tells me I need to have the newest, biggest, nicest things.  I need to have designer clothes.  I need to have manicured nails, painted with fun designs.  I need to live in a "dream home" furnished with appliances that make my life easier.  I need to have a landscaped lawn.  I need, I need, I need...

And yet, all around me people are wearing the clothes on their back and don't have a closet full of clothes at home.  Or even a home at all.  I'm concerned about pillows and sheets and bedding and everything looking just so for a picture I want to post on Facebook, and there are countless thousands (maybe even millions) of people all around the world who don't have a bed to sleep on at all.  What they would give for a pillow and blanket, without a second thought to their color scheme or pattern!

So should I sell all my possessions and give everything I have to the poor?!!  Is that what I'm saying?  No...

But, I do feel God is at work in my heart.  Our pastor talked last week about how it's okay to have things but it's dangerous when things have you.  It's not wrong to have a house.  It's not wrong to have nice things inside your house.  What counts, what truly matters is the condition of your heart.  Your lawn can be perfectly landscaped and not a weed in sight.  Your house can be decked to the hilt.  Your closet can be full of designer clothes.  None of that matters.  Not to God, at least.  

Possessions.  Things.  Social status doesn't impress Him.  He doesn't care how many 0's are in your paycheck.  He doesn't need your money.  

But He does want your HEART.  More than anything.  He wants to make YOUR heart HIS home.  

I think as we transform our house into a home, God keeps reminding me of this foundational truth over and over.  His message is very different from what the world bombards me with everywhere I look, and so I must fix my eyes on Jesus instead.  I have to plug my ears to what the world is shouting at me and listen closely to hear God's whispers.  

This post may not make me very popular and numerous times as I typed, I wanted to select all and push DELETE.  I was THISCLOSE to letting fear of what others would think keep me from sharing what I truly feel God has laid on my heart.  Even now, as I finish, I am shaking and nervous and scared....

So I closed my eyes one last time.  Quited myself.  And heard the lyrics to Casting Crown's song once again.  "I was made to THRIVE..."  I was made for so much more than what the world has for me.  The world tells me I can have it all, that I need it all, that I deserve it all, but God asks me to give my all to Him.  And in so doing I lose absolutely nothing but gain EVERYTHING.  

Yes, I was made for more.  And so are YOU...

86,400

If you found a bag of money laying on the ground and opened it up to discover $86,400, what would you do?  Before you rush to say you'd be a Good Samaritan and return the bag to the bank or the police station, I want to sweeten the deal a bit.  Let's say there's a tag on the bag that reads, "If you find this, it's YOURS to use however you want.  BUT you HAVE to use all the money TODAY."  Now, what would you do?  How would you spend your new-found wealth?  Remember, you have to spend it all in the next 24 hours...

You could be responsible...
*pay off student loans
*pay off your house
*pay off any other debt (cars, medical bills, credit cards, etc)
*put aside money for kids' college funds

You could be adventurous...
*take a trip around the world
*go to Disney World
*enjoy a Caribbean cruise

You could be spontaneous...
*buy a convertible
*do some landscaping or decorating
*buy a boat or jet skis or both
*change out your entire wardrobe

You could be generous...
*give to charities
*donate to families wanting to adopt children
*support ministries
*start your own non-for-profit to benefit a cause near and dear to your heart

You could do a little of everything.  You could do pretty much anything you wanted.  $86,400 is quite a bit of money.  A lot to spend in one day for sure.  The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination...

We can think of countless things to do with $86,400.  We can touch and feel the money.  We can sense its value fairly easily.  And a pile of bills that large might overwhelm us just a bit at first.

What if you were given a bag of something even more valuable than $86,400?  What would you do then?

What if I told you that you ARE given something even more valuable, every single day?  And just like my bag of money scenario you are required to use this valuable "thing" within 24 hours...

Did you realize that every day we are given 86,400 seconds?  We are pretty much required to use those 86,400 seconds in 24 hours.  Of course, each day we get a new set of 86,400 seconds to use.  However we want.

Sometimes we don't even realize we are using up our seconds.  Far too often we don't use them as wisely as we should.  At least I know I don't.

What if we started being more intentional about how we use our time?  What if we stopped to consider the incredible VALUE of that time?  What if we then focused our efforts and energies into making the most of the time we are given?  What if we truly did our best to make every second - all 86,400 of them - count?

How would your life change?  What would you do differently?

Yes, finding a bag of $86,400 and being required to spend the money in the next 24 hours would be quite the treat.  BUT, we are given something so much more valuable every single day.  We don't have to stumble upon this treasure or even go looking for it.  Every single morning we are given this incredible gift.  How we decide to use those 86,400 seconds is totally up to each of us.

And another good thing is that we get a new set of 86,400 seconds every day.  If we blew it yesterday, we get a fresh start today.  BUT, we aren't guaranteed we will get a tomorrow. So, let's make today count, all 86,400 seconds of it... 

Run, Lawrence, Run!

Almost 7 years ago, I married my best friend.  On that windy day, when I said, "I do," and promised to love him for better or worse, in sickness and in health, rich or poor, until death do us part, I thought I loved him as much as was physically and emotionally possible.  I don't admit this very often, but I was wrong...

I love him more today than ever before.

And I fell more in love with him yet again last night and then again this morning.

Yesterday, he got up and went for a run.  That might not seem like a big deal, but for my husband it is.  He hates running.  He does not get any enjoyment from it.  BUT, he knows the exercise is good for him.  So, he did it.

He did it again this morning too.  2 days of running in a row!  Now, that is blog post worthy!!!  It's even more meaningful to me than his helping me fold 5 loads of laundry last night, which was pretty huge to me since I am never able to keep up with all the clothes my 3 little girls go through during the week, especially when they seem to think they need to change outfits every 2 minutes! :)

When he got back from his run this morning, he was a bit discouraged about how fast - or rather how slow - he was going.  He was frustrated that it took him about 20 minutes to run 2 miles.  He thought he should be able to go faster than a 10 minute mile pace.  I assured him that his going out and running slowly was better than not running at all.  Your speed isn't what's important; it's the fact that you are out there doing something good for you, even if you don't particularly love what you are doing.  I am beyond proud of him for investing in his health, and thus showing me he LOVES me and wants to be around as long as possible and be able to go and do stuff together and make memories as a family.  I don't care if it takes him 20 minutes to run one mile.  Just by running, my husband declared his love for me in a new, fresh, and DEEP way.

As I was reflecting on his desire to run faster and discouragement at his current pace, I thought how that perspective applies to life in general, not just running.

How often do we choose not to do something because we think we're not good at it or we're of the mindset that we won't like it?  How often do we compare ourselves to someone else and convince ourselves that because someone else is "better" than us, we shouldn't even bother trying?  How often do we miss out on an opportunity because we're not even willing to take that first step?  How much do we forfeit when we're not willing to start where we are and realize that as we do it more we will get better and improve and maybe even excel at it?

So, I want to challenge you today.  Take a look at your life.

Is there anything you are putting off or pushing to the back burner or trying to ignore or whatever?
Is there something you want to do but are afraid or scared or nervous about?
Is there something you feel like trying but are worried that you will fail?
Is there something you need to do but haven't started yet because you're comparing yourself to others and focused on how you might measure up to them?

Well, stop it.  
Actually, START it.
Do what my husband did.  Just run.  Who cares how fast, or slow, you go.  Just GO!

If you need help taking that first step, I would love to help you.
And then I would love to encourage and support you and cheer you on as you take that second and third and fourth and fifth step.  I would love to run (or even walk) along side you as you continue on this journey, whatever it may be and wherever it may take you.

The important thing is that you START.  Who cares how long it takes you to reach the finish!  One thing I can guarantee you is that you will NEVER get there unless you take that first step.

So, are you ready?
Are you willing to go for it, whatever IT is?

If so, I'd love to hear what God has called you to do and how you are going to get started...
I'd love to pray with you and for you as you begin this next chapter of the adventure God has for you...

She Asked THE Question

Kids ask question after question after question after question.  All day long.

"Why do strawberries have little white specks on them?"

"How come the baby bird died?"

"When is my next gymnastics class?" (asked as we are pulling out of the parking lot from the gym, 5 minutes after her class ended that day)

"How much longer until we get to Grammy's house?" (asked as we are leaving our city and getting onto the highway and have about 3 more hours to go)

"Why do I have to clean up my toys?"

"Can I have a snack?" (asked as she hands me her empty bowl that 2 minutes later had her breakfast oatmeal in it)

"Why does the monkey have a long tail?"

"How come the car in front of you isn't going yet?"

I'm sure you could add your own list of questions that your children bombard you with throughout the day.  Some are funny.  Some are NOT.

Asking questions is what kids do.
They are experts at it.

They have mastered the art and know exactly what questions to ask and when.
Well, really any question seems appropriate and timely and most urgent and thus must be asked as soon as it pops into their head.  And really, whenever you appear busiest - carrying the baby on one hip and a basket full of laundry on the other, while talking on the phone to the insurance company about a medical bill that needs to be covered, after being on hold for 24 minutes - is obviously the most opportune time.

As I said, some questions are ridiculously funny and you feel as though you must share your child's humor with the world via facebook, that very moment.

Other questions push your buttons and infuriate you and you feel as though you must share with the world how annoying your children are being and how tired you are of their endless questions, again via facebook, at that very moment.

Well, my 4 year old has asked 2 questions this past week that have made me want to write this blog post, but since I also have a 2 year old and almost 7 month old baby, I didn't quite have the time to write them down at the very moment she asked them.  But, I haven't forgotten them.  Not questions like these...

Or more importantly, really, the NERVE my daughter's questions struck deep within my heart when she asked them, completely unaware of what she had done.

Question #1: "When are we going to Disney World?"

Oh so innocent, especially since I have told her we will go.  As an adult, I understand that means we have to plan and save for this special vacation.  To her and 4 year old brain, we should be packing and on a plane headed that way right this very second.  Sorry, sweetie, but we're going to have to wait a bit.  And sell a few more wraps.  And get a few more team mates to sell them (and greens and vitamins and skin care products and more) with me.

So, when she asked me when we are going to go to  Disney World and kindly reminded me that I said we would go, it struck a nerve.  In a good way.  Her question, and her HEART, motivate and inspire and push me to hand out ONE MORE wrap coupon, to talk with ONE MORE person, to send ONE MORE message, to make ONE MORE call.  I can't let her down.  I made a promise, and I'm the type of person who keeps her word.  BUT, the only way we will be able to afford a trip to Disney World is if It Works pays for it.  And so I post on facebook and send texts and make calls and meet new people everywhere we go.  All so I can capture the joy and excitement on my little girls' faces when they see the Disney castle and meet the princesses in person!!!  That is one picture I can hardly wait to take!  Which is saying A LOT if you know me and my tomboy self and complete LACK of interest in anything related to pink and princesses...

Question #2: "When is Daddy's last day?"

Again, innocent.  But my 4 year old's second question penetrated even deeper into my heart.  She wasn't awake this morning when my husband left for work, so she won't see her Daddy until around 4:30 this afternoon (which is earlier than normal since he's only teaching summer school and it's not as demanding of his time).  That means she'll get about 4 hours total with him today.  And every day of the work week.  That's not much time to squeeze in playing outside, going on a bike ride, running through the sprinkler, reading books, paining a picture, eating supper, watching a movie, doing a silly dance, practicing gymnastics, having a campout, or whatever else my 3 little girls' hearts might desire that day.  We didn't even get in brushing their teeth, taking a bath, getting into their pajamas, reading a Bible story, and saying our bedtime prayers...

More and more I am becoming passionate about having MORE time together as a FAMILY.  I am LOVING all the time I have with my 3 girls this summer since I am no longer doing daycare. We have the freedom to go to the park, library, nature center, zoo, spray park, and more!  I LOVE it!!!  But, I can't help but think of all the little memories my husband is missing out on since he is teaching summer school.  It's a very nice stipend, and so every year he ends up teaching.  I've come to realize, however, that time and memories don't have a price tag.  They are worth so much more than the money my husband will make.  And yet, we need that money to pay bills and buy groceries and put gas in the cars.

My goal, though, is to have It Works replace that summer school paycheck.  Heck, I want them to double, triple, quadruple it!  Next summer, I don't want my little girl to have to ask when Daddy's last day is.  I want us to be able to spend the entire summer together, having fun and making memories (big and small).  I would love to go to Disney World next summer!  But, that means I need to sell some wraps (and greens and vitamins and skin care products and such) first!  That means I need to hand out ONE MORE wrap coupon.  That means I need to send ONE MORE text.  That means I need to make ONE MORE phone call.  That means I need to book ONE MORE wrap party.  That means I need to meet ONE MORE new person at the grocery store or library or park of wherever we may be going that day.  That means I need to invite ONE MORE person to join my team.

So I do.  So we can go to Disney World.  So my husband's last day will be THIS summer and my little girl won't have to ask that question ever again.

What about YOU?  Do your kiddos ask questions that innocently cut you to the heart?  Do you get tired of not having an answer, of not knowing what to tell them, of not knowing yourself how things are ever going to change?

What if It Works could be the answer.

Now, you probably have questions! :)
I know I did when I first heard about the company and the products and the opportunity.
I had LOTS of them.

I would love to answer your questions.
I would love to share more with you about how It Works is blessing our family and letting us pass that blessing on to others all over the world!

Please send me an emal: sarahsmithyoung@gmail.com
Please call me: 660.281.8266

Let's talk.
Let's put a stop to those questions - yours at least.
And maybe that can help you put a stop to your children's questions, or at least some of them! :)

Home Is Where the Heart Is

You've probably seen the sweet little phrase counter-cross-stitched and hanging in someone's entry way, but have you truly thought about the message behind those threaded x's?

Today, as I was driving home with my 3 girls, we passed some nicer, upscale homes.  Not mansions, but houses that definitely have more square footage than ours.  Some of my friends have recently bought or built their dream homes. Some other friends are in the process of doing the same thing.  It's easy to get jealous, to think I need to jump on the band wagon, to believe that we really do need a bigger, nicer, more updated house ourselves.

And then I think about how many bathrooms I would have to clean (or ask my husband to clean, because he's pretty amazing and actually does quite a bit of our house work).  The thought of that many toilets helps remind me that I am quite content with our 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home.

So I keep on driving, but as I do, I can't help but hear God whisper to my heart of hearts, "Don't worry about a dream home there on earth.  I'm making the home of your dreams up here anyway.  It will blow your mind!"

I start to picture it, but I can't get past the street of gold I'm walking on.  And I really don't know where to begin in trying to figure out a blueprint for this heavenly mansion, but I realize I am more excited about being with God Himself that I don't even really care about the house He has so carefully and caringly designed for me.

He brings a verse to mind, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." ~Matthew 6:19-21

It's as if He's telling me, "Home is where the heart is."
And in doing so, He's inviting me to make HIM my home, to love HIM with all my heart, to want HIM more than anything else, including a dream house here on earth.

I'm not saying it's wrong to have a dream house.  I know many of my friends who have recently bought or built dream homes or who are in the process right now have good hearts and will uses these marvelous homes to entertain friends, to host parties for their kiddos, to provide a place for family and friends to crash, and to bless others in so many other ways.  

I think maybe God is trying to help me fight the jealousy bug and remind me that a dream house is not in His plans for me, at least not right now.  And that is perfectly fine.  I feel in a way that we are already in our dream house - we certainly have everything we need and more.  We are definitely able to carry out the ministry we believe God has laid on our hearts and called us to do at this time.  We are blessed, beyond measure.

Instead of a dream house, God is stirring up other desires deep within my heart.  To provide a HOME for children who need love.  To help support ministries like Selah Freedom who are rescuing those caught in human trafficking and giving them a place to call HOME.  To bring attention to what ministries like Children's Cup are doing to make sure families in Africa have water and food and a HOME.  To pray diligently and earnestly for children who need to be adopted, for the kidnapped girls in Nigeria, for the mother who was imprisoned simply for being a Christian, for others who are hurting right here in my own neighborhood.

As my It Works business grows, all because of GOD, my hope and prayer is to use those funds to bless others.  I'm not sure exactly what all that is going to look like, but I do know it means using the financial resources God blesses us with to make a difference in people's lives.  Above all, it means inviting them to make Christ their HOME, to enjoy a personal relationship with Him, to travel the journey He has laid out for them, and to enjoy spending eternity with Him forever.

Within minutes of Him reminding me to be content with my current HOUSE, I believe He also had Casting Crown's new song Thrive play on the radio.  Yes, I can be satisfied with my house, BUT I am NOT to be content with an ordinary life.  Oh no!!!  Quite the opposite -- God wasn't just whispering this time but shouting as if to make sure I heard Him loud and clear, "I am made for more.  I'm not supposed to survive. I am called to THRIVE."  My life purpose, above all else is "to know Him and make Him known."  As I do, as I spend time with my Jesus, He will fill me with "joy unspeakable, faith unsinkable, love unstoppable" and the mindset that "anything is possible" as I let Him do His work in and through me!

I may not need a dream house, but I am not settling either.
And nor should YOU!

We are both MADE FOR MORE, so much more!
I don't know what plans and purposes God has specifically for you, but I do know they are BIG.  HUGE.  Beyond anything you can even begin to think or imagine or dare to dream.

I don't care what kind of house you live in now or if you have a dream house (or want one).  I am, however, deeply concerned about your HEART.  As God works on MY heart, I feel compelled to share what He is doing and to ask others to join me.  It's probably more for my benefit, really.  I need all the help I can get to stay focused on what God is doing and the plans He has for me.  I can't do it alone.  I NEED encouragement and support.  And I know you need that too.  We're better together.

My biggest prayer is that Christ would be at HOME in my heart, and in yours.
As we invite Him in, He will transform our lives and do AMAZING things in and through us.

If that sounds at all good to you, let me know!!!  I would LOVE to pray for you and with you!

 

On Future Olympians, Kidnapped Girls in Africa, and a Beautiful Adoption

So much is going on in my heart and head these days...

I am full of hope and dreams and joy.  I marvel at what God is doing and am brimming over with excitement about what He has yet to do.

At the same time, however, I am overwhelmed with sadness and grief and pain.  I am left not knowing exactly what to do, except pray.

Let's start with the good stuff first...

I can feel God's presence and power at work in my life.  He is on the move and bringing people into my life in ways I never imagined.  He is blessing me with new friendships and countless opportunities to impact people all over the world and change their lives in so many ways.  I believe He is taking my dreams - even the big, wild, crazy ones - and fulfilling them for His glory.  I read a verse recently and it seemed as if God was whispering to my heart, "This, THIS, this is what I am doing in your life right at this very time.  Keep trusting Me.  Keep living by faith.  If you think what I've done so far is good, just you wait.  I'm just getting started..."

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. 

May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 

Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, 

and you will be honored along with him. 

This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

May I continue to live in faith and watch with anticipation as God takes my crazy ideas, my high hopes, my impossible dreams and brings them all to fruition in His way, in His timing, and for His glory.

As I am learning to walk by faith and not by sight, I feel compelled to challenge others to do the same, so they too can experience God at work in their lives in a new and fresh and incredible way.  And so, last night when we talked with the Bible study kids about leaving a legacy, I wanted more than anything to instill in these young boys and girls the strength and courage to take God at His Word, to dream big and then pray bigger.  As we shared how Timothy set an example for others at a young age, we challenged them to do the same and asked them to think about how they want to be remembered.  Then, reminded them, of course, they needed to be living that way now.  One of the girls shared how she wants to be an Olympian swimmer.  Did I laugh at her huge goal?  Did I shrug off her audacious dream?  Nope.  I told her I would be there in 2020 watching her swim!  And I truly believe this girl can do it.  She knows that being an Olympian isn't just going to happen -- she will work for it.  She's already training and putting hours in at the pool, and loving it!  I am loving it too.  I am inspired by her.  At 11 years old, this girl is setting an example for ME!

I can't help but smile when I think of this young girl's dreams and aspirations.  At the same time, though, my heart is broken over the fate of so many other young girls.  Girls I don't even know.  Have never met. Probably never will meet them.  But I am praying for them, as if they were my own daughters.  You see, these girls live in Uganda and were kidnapped recently.  Abducted from their school by a terrorist group who is against education for women.  Most likely forced into "marriages" with men twice their age.  How can your heart not break?  How can your spirit not be crushed?  Things like this should enrage you.  And bring you to your knees.  I don't really know what I can do, other than pray (which is powerful)...but I will ask you to pray with me.  As we join together, may God hear our cries and pleas for these girls to be returned to their families, to be given the opportunity to live out their childhood and receive an education and dream their own dreams...

As I weep for these young African girls, I am also crying tears of joy for a little girl over in China.  My friends Jamie and Doug Becker became a family of 4 yesterday evening as they met their daughter Katie for the first time.  I look at pictures of them grinning from ear to ear, laughing and clapping and hugging and kissing each other, and can't help but praise God for His amazing goodness.  I rejoice with my friends and thank God for the way He brought this little girl into their family so they can introduce her to Jesus and shower her with His love.  And my heart is once again full...

Until I think of all the other orphaned and abandoned children...

Until I remember how many children are in homes, but not truly wanted or loved...

And that anger, that frustration, that despair moves me to start dreaming again.  Prayer is indeed powerful and our greatest resource, as it allows us to tap into the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  I will pray, but I want to be able to GIVE too.  

Until God opens doors for us to adopt, I want to support my friends who are currently in that process or who are simply waiting on funds to make those dreams a reality. 

I have other hopes and desires and dreams as well.  They all revolve around helping others and making a difference in people's lives. All around the world.  As God blesses me and my family, I want to pass those blessings along to as many people as I possibly can.  Those hopes and desires and dreams require funding...quite a bit of it.  Good thing I serve the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  Good thing I serve a God who has unlimited riches.  Good thing I serve a God who delights in lavishing His children with His love and pouring out His blessings upon them.  Good thing I serve a God who specializes in taking the impossible and turning into DONE.

As I try to make sense of all that is going on in my heart and head right now, I am focused on praising God and thanking Him for all He is already doing.  I also implore Him to keep acting and showing Himself faithful and true in other situations.  I want to ask you to join me in both.  Let's come together and share the GOOD He is doing in our lives.  Let's rejoice together for those wonderful things.  Let's also do just as God asks and bring our requests before Him, trusting Him to work in our lives and the lives of those who need Him all around the world.  Let's watch in eager anticipation together for our prayers to be answered...

Let's dream big and pray bigger today (and every day)!!!!