There was a day I thought I could mess this up

The process our growing faith is God's delight for His children.

In Philippians 2: 12-13, Paul writes:  "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (NLT)

The last year has been a time of transition for me as I moved from my day job to my dreams.  One thing I didn't want to do is get ahead of God or mess up His plan for me.  Like I thought I could mess up His plans (uncontrollable laughter here).  I had to trust in what I didn't know or couldn't see at the time and instead of relying my own strength or try to make sense first.  

Stepping out to find out what God has for you is one of the most challenging things we do as His children.  We are the ones who make it harder than it should be.  We really need to rest more on His capable plans and trust that He is always working for us to benefit our faith and to bear His fruit in our daily lives.    

His grace has has really held me to believing that I can do what He has asked me to do as long as I keep seeking Him in this faith journey.  I also believe that this blog is like a spiritual bandaid.

Doing this process brings healing in many ways.  Research from the University of Texas  states that the art of writing allows people to take a step back and take inventory of their lives. Instead of obsessing unhealthily over an event, some write or journal their thoughts, therefore allowing their focus to move on or forward instead of dwelling on stress, conflict or a traumatic event.

My emotions are processed better on paper and before God.  For me it's the way I apply God's truth to study me and helps me be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.  My stress levels go down and my spiritual health correspondingly goes up.  

God's biggest desire for us is to bring His wholeness and fullness to our lives.   By seeking God in writing this blog it brings my heart to a place of stepping back to see how God is working out my faith, but also brings a ton of spiritual healing that results in His fullness and wholeness that is added to my life.

I couldn't get that on my own, but only through the work of the Holy Spirit bearing His fruit in me.  You can't mess up God's plans for you, but you can resist His best for you.  Submitting to God, or agreeing that He knows best is always the best way to live.  

God cares as much about our living out of His grace as much as our beginning of faith.  He cares about what He gives his grace to.  It's another reminder that I don't have to figure this grace thing on my own, that He is bearing fruit that only He can give and His grace keeps us from messing up what He already has figured out.  

It all boils down to the attitude of the heart and how we position ourselves before the Father. His grace paves the way, holds us steady and unwavering, and holds us close to protect us along the way.  

I love knowing that grace is something we don’t have to earn, and a gift we can’t lose - even when we blow it.” -Renee Swope, Proverbs 31 Ministries.  I would like to add my own little thought to this great wisdom...a gift we can't lose even when we need more faith to believe.    

How has God surprised you with His grace?

It just makes cents

For the past several weeks I have have been studying God's truth about being "rich", exactly what God means in the different aspects of being rich and living the rich life as believers and followers of Christ.

All God's talk about being rich just makes sense.  Let me explain.

The bottom line to God's economy is that it all comes from God and it all belongs to God.  So that is the basic truth in being rich and knowing how rich we are as a church.  What makes sense is that it brings one important truth from all what I've read...and for me it bottoms out at one word.

Gratitude.

When I acknowledge that it's all God's, and that all gifts come from Him, then I become more grateful for everything that God has richly given to me.

I don't need to make you a list, but the one big life-changing gift that God blesses us with is one we tend to take for granted.  When we look at what Christ has done for us, the gift of salvation, we must accept His love as a gift.  A love gift.  A gift of love... that just keeps on giving and that makes so much sense to me.

My pastor drills this home often...

"God has blessed me with more than I need. I'm rich. I will not trust in riches but in Him who has blessed me with more than I need. I will not trust in riches but in Him who richly provides."

I don't know where you are in your attitude of gratitude but when I think about how God has given me eternal salvation, something none of us deserve but is our most important need, then it makes sense to trust Him for everything else that I need to live in this daily enriched life of a believer and follower.

Just think....that God took care of my forever need, first and foremost...with His eternal love attached.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

When we acknowledge the gift of Christ from the view of the cross, everything else falls into place regarding who owns what, who should give what.  Because God loves us so and gives us more than we need, deserve, and could imagine, why wouldn't we want to give him our ALL our life in response to His greatest and most rich gift?

What a gift of great wealth and value, such a rich response of God's heart.

So when it comes to giving...I want to give as I have been given unto.  For me I tend to want to give it all away because I can't out give what God has done for me.  The important thing is that we need to give as a love response back to God in the tithe to the local church or a church that feeds you so that you can continue the work of feeding others.

And if God is asking you to give more than the tithe?  Our response is to obey what He says, but give it with joy.  You have to know that there will be more from God, His faithfulness has been tested and approved!  Perhaps in your time, talents or bank account.  Give as you have been given to and from what's been decided in your heart to give.

Yes, indeed, and that's the way I like it.

Now where is God challenging you to trust Him in giving?
Where is God asking more of you in your love response back to Him?
What are you grateful for today because of what you know about God's great gift?

Anyone need a worn pair of socks?

Ever think about what you are good at, but then fail to see and believe that it is a gift?  About three years ago with a workshop offered by my church, God showed me that writing was one of my spiritual gifts.  

I remember that weekend like yesterday, something snapped inside my heart. 

God was there to smile on the recovery my dream and gave me a sneak peak into how to have a written voice.  Plus He showed me a little of my own creativity by crafting my own mission statement!

Since then God has been at work and watered the seeds of faith and brought alongside some early believers in this dream.  Germination of a mighty dream began that weekend but God didn't leave it there..He sealed the promise with His truth.  

Habakkuk 2:2-4  "Then the Lord replied:  'Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald my run with it.  For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.  Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.  ....but the righteous will live by his faith'"( faithfulness as it says in the footnotes of my Bible.)

By telling you the start of my dream from three years ago, I see this verse as being HUGE now.

Don't you just love it when God connects your dreams?  Ever have those "aha" moments with God to say..."So back then you were leading up to this day?"  Those moments when your heart is filled with a little more understanding, and then you are caught wondering if God is showing you a little more than one little inch of a step ...oooh it's a little exciting over here in this little corner of the world...where's my notebook!

The important thing is not how I got here to this new day full of new things, new goals, and a new direction... but why I'm here.

I am at this point because back then, because I allowed my heart to be submissive to God's authority in my life.  I prayed a full surrender, trusting with my whole heart prayer that if God gives, then I had to trust Him with the results of the gift.  Also I have to trust Him for the opportunities to use the gift given.  

It's my love response back to the Giver.  Full trust in this.  

I know this about God that if I obey to "write it down" then, God will make my someday happen. 

But it's not without a lot of work, trust, and even more belief that God will.  God believes in your dreams if they are God-given dreams.  God keeps His promises to you. 

I have to tell you, from my little corner of the world, there were so many hurdles regarding my personal place, value, self-esteem and confidence to overcome before getting to a right place where God was calling me.  

I started as a journalist.  I started to believe God in this dream and in His faithfulness.   

The good news is that God is walking me through my issues.  This incredible journey honestly began back then on that Chazown weekend.  My heart couldn't wait for someday, so I gathered up all the gumption I could with just enough faith to start towards today.

When you show up before a Holy God with your heart surrendered, packed full of dreams, and lay it all down before Him then you have to trust God to show you what to do.  

Ever think about how we pursue His gifts more than the Giver himself?  

Even though it's hard, and this sounds big and deep, you know what?  I do it all over again, only the second time around I would have not delayed my obedience.  I would have come around sooner, to see God's truth.  When you invite God to your dreams, He will see your dreams through to His end for His glory.  (tweet this and link to this post!)

Just hold on to your socks, because He's gonna show you deep and unsearchable things. Even immeasurable and amazing details, and then for a little fun, He will mix it all up and show you some real truth to your heart.

Chasing dreams involves trusting God's process.     (tweet this! #janellekeithquotes)

When you trust God with your dream, He will speak life those unspoken places in your heart.  He'll dust out some of the cobwebs first, but will be all of up the middle of your dreams if you allow Him to do His tidy work first.  

My next step is to keep close to Him, keep believing in the Giver, and keep trusting in His process. Keep to what He has faithfully shown me back then, as I look forward to my new now. 

Anyone need my worn out pair of socks? 

It's Christmas!

As we celebrate the wonder of Christ's birth, let the eternal salvation message permeate our souls.

Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us".

God came to us in the form of a baby.

He sent Love to the cross in the man Jesus

The love that covers our sins is our Hope.

Love in it's purest form was enough then.  

Hope has a name and it's Jesus

Immanuel, God is with us.  

Hope is born in our hearts.

What a gift of Glory.

This Love is Enough. 

Merry Christmas!