DO NOT GIVE UP

God gives us hopes and dreams for "ON PURPOSE "things to happen in our lives, but He doesn't always allow us to see the exact timing of His plan.

Although frustrating, not knowing the exact timing is often what keeps us in the program. There are times when we might give up if we knew how long it was going to take, but when we accept God's timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working out the final destination . We know that God's plan for our lives is good, and when we entrust ourselves to Him, we can experience total peace and happiness.

God wants us to live by discernment—revelation knowledge, not head knowledge. It's difficult to exercise discernment if you're always trying to figure everything out
. But when you're willing to say, "God, I can't figure this out, so I'm going to trust You to give me revelation that will set me free," then you can be comfortable in spite of not knowing.

Trusting God often requires a comfort in not knowing how God is going to accomplish what needs to be done.
 We often say God is never late, but generally He isn't early either. Why? Because He uses times of waiting to stretch our faith in Him and to bring about change and growth in our lives.
 
I love this scripture... Habakkuk 1:5
"For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told"

WOW, That is so powerful!
God has a plan to work a work in our lives. Something so amazing.

What I am learning is while God is working His work we need to...WAIT  WATCH and  LISTEN.

We spend a lot of time waiting because change is a process.
Many people want change, but they don't want to go through the waiting process.

If we decide to wait God's way, we can become patient and enjoy the wait. It takes practice, but as we let God help us in each situation, we develop patience, which is one of the most important Christian virtues. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22). It's developed only under trial, so we must not run from difficult situations. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing (James 1:4).

The book of Genesis tells the story of Joseph, who waited many years for the fulfillment of the dream God had given him.

He was falsely accused and imprisoned before the time came for him to do what God had shown him he was to do. Exodus 13:17-18 tells us that God led the Israelites the longer, harder way on their journey to the Promised Land because He knew they were not yet ready to go in. There had to be time for their training, and they had to go through some very trying situations.
 They wasted a lot of time wondering about God's timing, but God never failed to take care of them and show them what He wanted them to do.

The same is true in our lives. It has been many years after I received my call from God in June 2000 before I  began to see bits and pieces of  our talents and gifts lining up with His plans. Still today I am dreaming bigger yet waiting on HIS timing for the bigger plans.

 look at the waiting as God's training period!

This time requires us to do what He tells us to do when He tells us to do it...without questioning or trying to figure everything out.

Proverbs 16:9 says, A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

 Proverbs 20:24  Man's steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way?

 When God directs our paths, He sometimes leads us in ways that don't make sense, we're not always going to understand everything.

If we try to reason out everything, we will experience struggle, confusion and misery.

Proverbs 3:5-6  Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

 When Dreams develop the desires of your heart begin to manifest— you see your bigger dreams.
  
Are you frustrated, crying out, "When, God, when?" Then you need to understand that God's timing is often a mystery.
He doesn't do things on our timetable. 

 His Word promises that He will not be late, not one single day.

 "But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day" (Habakkuk 2:3 )


I just love that scripture!

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time!
Your job is not to figure things out but to keep your mind focused that you won't give up until you cross the finish line.
You will then line up with the radical, outrageous blessings of God!

Trusting God brings life

Believing brings rest

OBEDIENCE is the key to keeping the momentum. When God is silent, He is really working in those secret places!


Keep on Keeping on!

HIS VISION, IN HIS TIME

Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about'" (Gen 22:2).


Have you ever wanted something so bad that you would do almost anything to get it? Have you ever gotten so close to fulfilling a dream only to have it disappear right before your eyes? Such was the case for Abraham.

I have been desiring something for a long time and believe God has moved my family the past year to line me more up with my dreams and passions. I left a great place to explore something bigger and better. During the exploring stages it can feel as if the DREAM has died but I promise you that GOD is at work in the secret places!

God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. He would have a son. However, Abraham panicked when Sarah aged beyond child bearing years and tried to help God by birthing Ishmael through Sarah's servant, who was not the promised son. Eventually, Isaac was born, who was the promised son.


However, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son on an altar to demonstrate his obedience to God. Truly, this is one of the hardest instructions given to one of God's people in all of scripture. It compares only to the Heavenly Father sacrificing His own Son. God intervenes and allows a ram to get caught in the bushes nearby, symbolizing the Lamb of God as a prophetic sign of what is to take place in the future.


God often births a vision in our lives only to allow it to die first before the purest version of the vision is manifested.

  This is the story of my own journey.

 Oswald Chambers observes, "God's method always seems to be vision first, and then reality, but in between the vision and the reality there is often a deep valley of humiliation.

 How often has a faithful soul been plunged into a like darkness when after the vision comes the test.

When God gives a vision and darkness follows, waiting on God will bring you into accordance with the vision He has given if you await His timing. Otherwise, you try to do away with the supernatural in God's undertakings. Never try to help God fulfill His word."*


When God's vision is finally birthed, nothing will stop it. Our job is to allow God to birth His vision through us His way and in His timing.

keep dreaming friends!

SEIZE THAT OPPORTUNITY

Isaiah 57:11-12 (TODAY'S MAIN VERSE)
CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF TODAY'S DAILY READING
11 The LORD will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

I beleive God daily leads us to opportunities to help us repair and restore so we can line up with His overall purpose for our lives. If we do not SEIZE the OPPORTUNITIES we will miss our destiny.
Opportunities. Every one of us has them. Opportunities for greatness, success, to better ourselves, and to serve God in a greater capacity. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "seize the opportunity!"


Opportunity is defined as a combination of circumstances favorable for a purpose. To seize means to take possession of suddenly and by force, attack, or strike.


Why do you suppose it's important for you to take possession of it suddenly? Because opportunities do not wait around for the fainthearted nor the slow to move. They must be seized! Opportunities are being presented to you on a daily basis. You will either seize them or you will let them slip by.


Many times the reason we let them slip by is because we are insensitive to them.
It's work! Most people want accelerated results before dark. A lot of people want what has happened to others but they're not willing to do what others have done to get there.


Have you ever said, "I wish I would have thought of that?" That means you only recognize opportunity after you see someone else doing it first. We're going to have to become more sensitive to the opportunities and the open doors that God presents in our lives.

For a great door and effectual is open unto me and there are many adversaries.
(1 Cor. 16:9)

The Amplified says it this way, "For a wide door of opportunity for effectual service has opened to me there; one great and promising and many adversaries."


Notice Paul says that a wide door of opportunity has been opened unto him but with adversaries. It would be wonderful if he had left that part out. But he didn't. The devil is not going to sit down, roll over, and play dead and let us seize this opportunity without some kind of fight.


Every opportunity that God gives you demands a steadfast, persevering spirit. Ambition alone is not enough. You've got to be willing to take risks, lay it all on the line, and even be willing to lose it all in order to seize an opportunity.


Your attitude and perspective about the situation has everything to do with your outcome. When the armies of Israel saw Goliath, they said, "He's too big to kill!" When David saw Goliath, he said, "He's too big to miss!" Same problem, different perspective!


Someone once said that if all you see is obstacles, then you've taken your eyes off the goals. You're no longer focused on your vision. You're no longer focused on Jesus. If you hear someone talking about all their problems, that's a good indication that they've taken their eyes off of Jesus (The Answer)!


God never gives us opportunities without first giving us the ability to achieve them. So, quit making excuses.


Negative excuses that will keep you from success:


1.It's impossible.


2.It can't be done.


3.I don't have what it takes.


4.It's too risky.


5.What if it doesn't work?


6.What if I lose every thing I have?


Get these out of your vocabulary! If you lose everything you have, then start over. You'll never seize an opportunity hanging on to what you think is security. The only secure thing that you and I have is the Word of God. Your future will look bright when your attitude is bright.

Opportunities become realities to people of great passion.

 When God gives a vision, you have to put your all into it! Progress is never achieved by people who have no passion. Successful people become successful people because they don't know when to quit.


The fear of failure will keep you from seizing opportunities. All of us have failed at some time in our lives, but failing is not final. Setbacks are not permanent. We cannot allow ourselves to become stagnant and non-operative because of the fear of failure.


Get rid of negative thinking. Maintain a positive perspective and attitude and become more sensitive to the opportunities God is bringing before you.


You can seize your God-given opportunity if:


1.You have confidence


2.You have courage.


3.You have conviction.


4.You are constant.


When God gives you a vision, don't quit until you seize it! In order to seize your opportunity, you must be willing to stretch yourself, take risks and aim high!

JUST DO IT!

ONE DAY

One Day

A great post about your personal dreams was written by Steven Furtick. He is an amazing pastor whom I learn and grow from! I wanted to share His word today because it went so well with yesterdays post!

CHECK OUT STEVEN FURTICKS BLOGS!


Two words can disqualify every dream you’ve ever had:


One day.


One day I’m going to start my own business.


One day I’m going to move overseas.


One day I’m going to live wholeheartedly for Christ.


One day I’m going to lose weight.


One day I’m going to make a difference.


If you’re not careful, one day becomes the next day, and the next day becomes the next day, and the next day becomes…


The best time to start a diet is tomorrow.


The best time to start making a difference tomorrow.


The best time to do anything is tomorrow…


…if you don’t want to ever actually do it.


Tomorrow always comes but the dream never happens.


Stop waiting.


There’s only one day that’s appropriate to start chasing your dream:


Today.


Make today your “one day.”

CATCH THE DREAM AND DO THE SOARING

Todays mentor moment

Isaiah 40:31
31 but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S ENTIRE DAILY READING!

Isaiah records an inspiring vision for anyone looking beyond or above their current circumstances, of life or heart: "Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (40.31). That's a passage that has lifted my heart a lot of times, especially when facing uncertain times or in some personal griefs.

But inorder to sore like eagles we need to DREAM!


Dream. Dream up new thoughts that put us above lifes trials and give us the ability to sore in the storm.



Remember, no one else can do the soaring for us. The way a dream or vision becomes reality is when you and I take wing with it, no matter what anyone else does or doesn't do about it.


Start dreaming up ways for change. We do not want to face a trial and say "Will I make it through?" we should say "How will I make it through?"
 Don't wait for someone else to dish up hope or change.
 Dream up ways to bring your dream to reality.


And whatever you do, don't let anyone dump on your dream


 It'll never work. You don't have the resources. You don't know where to start. You don't know what to do or how to get there. You don't, you can't, you won't. 
 So what if you don't know what to do?
Neither do most other people who have an idea, vision, or dream; they set out anyway, and discover it all, or make it up, as they go. 


It's not that it "can't" happen; it's just that we were counting on someone else doing the soaring, when it really always happens from us. YOU need to catch a dream, a vision, and do the soaring.


No dream has died, or fallen flat out of the sky, or in any other way been squashed. It's actually still as alive as we are, as alive as we want it to be, and it can stretch its wings and head toward takeoff any time we're ready for it to.

Dream up what you can, talk with other people who dream, watch the examples of people who have brought their dreams into reality (or are still in the process), join ranks with likeminded dreamers, join hands and link arms and band a lot of those dreams together to make a broader dream for more people. Nobody changes all at once, of course; they just keep figuring out a step at a time. Nobody sees a whole plan or vision at once, or draws up plans for a building at one sitting, or plans anything else in one step, let alone does or builds it in one step; every dream is a kind of construction project. The world has always changed ... for better or worse ... on the power of ideas and dreams, and every dream is a process, not a sudden event. But don't let someone else do the dreaming ... unless you catch it yourself, spread those wings, and really make that dream yours now~

 Yes, of course every person's circumstances and resources are different; but different, that's the point. It's not as if there's some magic formula, where life has to line up in a certain way for some vision or dream to unfold; people, whoever they are, with whatever is at hand, speak out, stand up, draw others together, make their dream contagious, and in whatever way they can dream up, they do something about it. And keep doing it, and learning how to do it as they go.

Start dreaming today, spread your wings and meet me in the sky

Blessings,

ARE YOU ROOTED?

OCTOBER 10 DAILY MENTOR MOMENT CLICK HERE!

the Lord brought my attention to a passage that continues to shape my life as a Christian.


So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:6-8 NIV

Aspen trees are connected though a central root system and are the largest living organisms on earth. Like Christians connected to Christ and through Christ to one another. Supposedly the roots are representative of the branches in a 1:1 ratio. So as I grow deeper, being deeply rooted, there are more branches of my life which will bear fruit.


This is how I desire to live as a Christian, connected with deep roots to Jesus and to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Deep roots are going to lead me to an abundance of fruit and an abundance of fruit is characterstic of the abundant life of Christ.


 Deep roots of knowing the truths of God’s Word intimately and being obedient to them will protect me from being swept away by the struggles and sin that will entice you in this life.


I look forward to my weekly small group and weekly church service because as a believer and I have been working to sink my roots deeper and deeper into God through his word and his ways.
I am big on the Bible. I am persuaded the WORD changes me!


 As a Christian, not only do I need to have one but I need to read it and study what’s in it.


 Stay rooted.  The tree that survives through drought, windstorms, and floods is the tree that has its roots down deep.  Even so, those of us who have our spiritual roots deeply anchored in Jesus will come out ahead!

Where are you rooted? do you have a good church home?
Do you have a small group? Do you attend any bible studies?

I had a friend tell me last year when she was going through some storms... that the "church" stuff was not her thing. My response was "You cannot afford for it to not be your thing!"

People are rooted in so many areas like our careers, sport teams, relationships and social networks yet some never invest in their faith! I know its easy to get off track in these areas but I have noticed that Gods word keeps me on track.
Take time to let today's word stir your heart to move toward change.

BEAUTIFUL COLORADO ASPENS!

-Stay Rooted Col. 2:7-

A PURPOSE IN THE PAIN

TODAY'S DAILY BIBLE READING CLICK HERE!

When you were first saved, God began a new work in you; but you were certainly not a finished product. You had a lot of growing to do. God started something in you, and He is the one that will complete it.

The Bible says in Philippians 1:6, “… He which hath begun a good work in you will COMPLETE IT."


I want to take a minute and encourage my friends that may be finding themselves in positions of adversity or failure, God has a plan for you!

Many times when things end on a bad note we count it as a loss and walk away with guilt and anger. I want to speak vision upon you today, please use this time as an opportunity to see God advance your life and situation. God has a plan for you so I urge you to not drift away from His mission.

My entire life changed during my marriage trials. I was made even more complete in Jesus and found my true purpose and calling in this life. Now I am not saying my marriage is forever complete and perfect but I am complete in Christ Jesus.  Now friends, my marriage would be the best if my husband liked to shop and sit in coffee shops while talking for hours but those are his least favorites. 
 The differences we have should not be what completes us. The purpose we have together in Christ is what gives us purpose and a mission together!

Let me share  5 things that Purpose during the pain has done for my life.

1. A PURPOSE motivated me in several areas of my life.
    I wanted to become stronger physically and spiritually.

2. A PURPOSE helped me keep my priorities straight.

3. A PURPOSE began to develop my potential in areas I did not see God working and preparing me for.

4. A PURPOSE will give you power to live in the present.

5. A PURPOSE will help you evaluate your progress.

God will enable you to stay on mission and see your purpose no matter where we find ourselves in this life.

A sense of PURPOSE works on you.

Purpose during your pain will help develop a positive attitude within you and that attitude will determine your altitude.


Let me share a personal example, I was reminded of this yesterday when I prayed and mentored with a hurting women over her marriage.

During a crisis point in the marriage it's normal to think that everything that was good is now over.

 I was at this point 12 years ago. I sat completely broken, hurt and devastated. I wondered how my dream wedding ending like this......
However God had a purpose for my entire life and I allowed Him to get into the cracks which then gave me a new sense of purpose. It placed my attitude above the pain of the marriage situation. (this took time my friends)

 I promise you will smile in the battle!

The battle will then become a victory because it brought me closer to the heart of God.

I pray friends you find a sense of purpose in the battle. God will complete everything in a perfect way if you surrender to Him.

God has a plan in place of your pain. Its more important to revitalize your purpose then to focus on the past. This will motivate you to carry out your mission no matter what!

Have a blessed day friends

If you would like me to pray for you in a specific way please email me heather@hbministries.com