A Call to Worship

“I pray that as worshipers we learn to sing in every season… Not because we are good but because He is worthy.” –Elizabeth Ramsdell

These words have resonated with my heart after reading them one late night a few weeks ago. It is so easy for us to get caught up worrying and seeking God about on our behalf, and too often do we forget that He is worthy of our praise not only in the good times, but the tough ones as well. Our God is the same God, yesterday today and forever. There is nothing more comforting than knowing that He is faithful through trials and moments where we know that we cant not operate without His strength.

I don’t believe that everyone is called to sing. I don’t believe that everyone is called to a stage. But I do believe that we are called to worship in spirit and in truth, with everything that we have, and in all that we do. We have a duty to remain faithful in our love and devotion to the Father. He is the one fighting and advocating on our behalf and it is our job to use the platform and influence that He has given to make His name known among all men.

My prayer is that the Lord minsters to your heart in a way that you could never imagine. I pray that His grace is evident and real for you. I pray that the Lord shakes your heart, and begins to press you into a lifetime of relentless pursuit of Him.

I pray that you take advantage to use the voice that God has given you.

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I’m Blessed.

I’ve been gone for a while.

So much has changed in the past 6 months. Doors have opened and closed. Friendship have come and gone. I’ve experienced success, and I’ve experienced failure.

But one thing hasn’t changed…

I’m blessed.

The Lord has shaken up my world in ways that make me trust him with everything that I have, and He has blessed me beyond measure.

This year I move on campus at Oral Roberts University. This is a new journey for me and my family. Keep us in your prayers as I move into the next season of my life.

More coming soon,

Ralph E.

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GUEST POST: Leaving a Legacy by Holly Hwrynak

Leaving a Legacy

By Holly Hrywnak

I received news last week that my grandma wasn’t doing well. She’s been up and down for the past few years, dealing with a variety of health issues. My mom has been having to go take care of her more often than before and it’s becoming painfully aware that grandma is aging.

That’s a sad and difficult realization to have– to know that someone won’t be here with us forever. Reminds me, I won’t be here forever, either. When faced with death, we are often confronted with the question: “What kind of legacy will I leave behind?”

As a child, I’d spent almost every Saturday night with my grandma so that I could attend church with her Sunday morning. Saturday afternoon, I’d pack up my Sunday best and head over to grandma’s house and we’d spend time together. Sometimes I’d help her with chores or we’d play Dominoes or Checkers. Afterwards, she’d make dinner as I set the table. Actually, she’s the one who first taught me how to correctly set a table– instructing me on the proper placement of the fork, knife and spoon.

Grandma would let me stay up late with her and watch Carman and the Power Team on TBN. If you don’t know who they are I’m afraid that you have missed out on epic Christian TV. My very first Christian cassette tape was “Addicted to Jesus” by Carman. (Don’t tell grandma, but my actual first cassette tape, even before Carman’s, was TLC’s “Crazy Sexy Cool”.) The Power Team was a bunch of beefy weightlifters who would break boards and tear phonebooks in half. They talked about Jesus, too. If I fell asleep before my shows came on, I’d tell grandma to make sure to wake me up….and she would.

My grandma took me to church faithfully each and every Sunday. When we didn’t have a Sunday School teacher for awhile, my grandma stepped in and took over. I still remember the games she taught us to help us memorize scripture. The songs she taught me as a child often come to mind and when they do, I smile, knowing that was a seed she planted in my heart.

Grandma was the first person to show me Jesus.

Every moment I was with her, my grandma would use it as an opportunity to teach me something about Him and His love for me. She’s always been so steadfast in her faith even when life handed her a crappy hand. My grandma married my grandpa at an early age, and a few years after the birth of their third child they found out my grandpa had MS. The disease slowly stole my grandfather’s mobility and ability to work. At which point, my grandma picked up the financial burden of her family. My grandma stands less than 5 feet tall and would bathe, clothe and take care of my grandfather who towered her by over a foot.

Never once did I hear my grandma complain or question God. Not once.

Often, she’d talk to me about faith and trusting God. Seems like she’d be the lady to talk about it since hers seemed to be tested and tried every day. Even now, my grandma holds onto Jesus unwaveringly.

I have no doubts about the legacy my grandmother will leave. She’ll be known as a woman who loved God wholly and spent her life in service and adoration of Him. She didn’t waste any time complaining about the difficulties she faced, but used each day to worship Jesus with her life. If that meant holding church services for those in nursing homes, praying diligently for those in need or taking her granddaughter to church each week.

Each of us will undoubtedly leave a legacy.

Our legacy is the sum of our days. What did we spend our time doing? Saying? What was our focus? What did we pursue?

I don’t know about you, but I want a legacy that’s marked with a lasting effect. I want my life to leave ripples on the generations–not because it’s about me, but because I’ve allowed God to use me in whatever way He’s deemed fit. From the big events to the everyday monotony, I want to be someone that was found faithful. Who loved lavishly even when it meant not receiving it in return. Who gave herself fully to Jesus and didn’t waiver in the face of uncertainty.

But that’s me–who is someone that has left a lasting impact on your life because of the legacy they left? What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

Holly is a 30ish year old writer who strives to share honestly and transparently in hopes that it will encourage others to be open about their own struggles and lessons learned. She’s been accused of being sassy, which she finds to be an admirable attribute. Her favorite things include: making people laugh, chocolate, sweatshirt weather and authentic conversations over coffee. One day she hopes to find herself a bearded lumberjack to call her own. You can find more her writing at http://www.thecommonqueen.com

holly

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GUEST POST: Why Are You in a Job You Hate?

Hey friends! Here is a little awesomeness to end your week with! Shayla Eaton is a connoisseur of the writing and editing process, having edited over 150 books and countless articles, blogs, social media posts, and marketing campaigns. She now helps authors and organizations in her own business, Curiouser Editing. Of course, Shayla loves coffee and is an admirer of all things creative and bookish. 

http://www.CuriouserEditing.com

Why Are You in a Job You Hate? by Shayla Eaton

It’s no secret that there are people in the world who flat-out hate their jobs. Every day, there is someone who falls out of bed, curses his alarm clock, puts on a suit and tie, drives to work, and sits at a desk at a job…that he hates.

So why does he do it?

1. To have money

2. To be successful

3. To put food on the table for his family

4. To work up the corporate ladder and become a big wig

5. To put his business degree to work

But he’s unhappy and hates his job. So let me ask that question a little differently:

Can he accomplish those goals without hating his job?

I used to know someone who hated her job. I mean, abhorred it. If it were possible to kick the actual job, this person would do it. Have you seen Office Space, where Michael beats up the fax machine? It would be something like that.

So every time I talked to her, she would tell me how stressed out she was, how annoyed she was with her co-workers, how her boss was an idiot, how every single day was a battle just to walk in there.

So I would ask her, “What’s your plan then?”

“What plan?” she’d ask.

“What are you going to do about it? You hate working there, so why are you still there?”

She would list one or more of the listed reasons above. And as far as I know, she’s still in that job, hating every minute of it.

One day, you have to ask yourself, What are my dreams and how can I fulfill them? instead of What are Mr. Big Wig’s dreams and how can I fulfill them?

You can make 101 excuses as to why you can’t leave a job that you loathe (and start your own business). Here, I’ll do it for you:

1. I have a family to feed

2. I have a car payment or house payment

3. There are too many startup costs

4. I’m not good at anything else

5. I can’t just quit my job because I hate it; I have to push through

For those of you who are stuck with this thinking, let me ask you this:

How much fun are you around your spouse and kids after work? Do you come home and say, “Boy, I just had the best day of my life! Every single day at Ultra Corporate Big Wig Executive America is my dream. Let’s go have a picnic, kids!”

If we’re being honest here, you probably trudge through the door, fall onto the couch, and lie there with a flat expression as you realize you have to get up and do it all over again the next day. You probably are so exhausted from hating your job that the idea of having fun almost seems…like work. If anything, you just want to keel over and sleep for three days.

So how do you fix this? How do you get out of a job you loathe? Can you really start your own business?

You have to have a plan. If you complain about your awful job and have no plan whatsoever of getting out of there, then you are not allowed to complain.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Make a list of all the things you love doing. It does not matter how farfetched they are. Make a list, and be honest with yourself.

2. Start the Internet search. Brainstorm. Think of ways that you can take your passion and make a profit. Are you amazing at Kenpo Karate? Could you teach a class? Are you a gourmet chef in your own kitchen? Why not start a catering business?

3. Come up with three jobs that you would just love to do for a living. Make a second list and compare the pros and cons. Is catering a great option but has a large startup cost? Would teaching karate be perfect minus finding a building?

Proceed to step 4.

4. Save. Your. Money. I don’t care if you start a savings account or if you keep it in a jar. Save your money and make that dream happen. Just because your dream job has a startup cost doesn’t mean you give up. You acknowledge the con and provide a solution.

5. Make it happen. “But…but…there’s so much to do!” Exactly. Don’t waste time.

You’re wasting time right now in a job you hate. Take that energy and put it toward something you love.

You can ignore this entire post and plug in dozens more excuses as to why you shouldn’t bother with getting out of a job you hate, but doesn’t that sound really boring? Wouldn’t you rather challenge yourself and see what you’re really made of?

Wouldn’t you like to love your job?

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Being vs. Doing

“I am a human being, not a human doing. Don’t equate your self-worth with how well you do things in life. You aren’t what you do. If you are what you do, then when you don’t, you aren’t.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

As I sat in the library of my high school, this quote blew my world up. All of my life, I’d been focused on the things that I was doing, the next steps to where I wanted to go. All of this had opened doors for many opportunities to present themselves. Opportunities that could change my life forever. Many that I took advantage of..

Until I realized that I was missing the opportunity to be. To be a role model. To be a son, a cousin, a nephew, a brother, a friend.

I was devoting my time to staying busy all the time, filling every second of everyday doing something for me. To make sure everything was benefitting me.

I was becoming a human doing instead of a human being.

It was at this moment that I realized that life was more than just how well I did things. I realized that life was much more than being busy all the time.

2015 is the year of purpose.

It is the year of intentionality.

Let everything you do, be on purpose. Be intentional in your work. Be intentional with your interactions. Be intentional in your relationships with your family and friends.

Be.

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Guest Posts: Rick Theule

Hey guys, here is a little awesomeness for your morning. Today I have Rick Theule (Too-lee) who is a proud dad, faithful husband, lover of Christ, and looking to inspire you to be awesome. Enjoy!

 

Leadership.

Communication.

Connections.

Passion – Speaking, Writing, Leading.

Get In the Banana.

 

As I was preparing to write this post for Ralph, I took a few minutes to stroll through his blog. These

are some of the topics that grabbed my attention. Banana?? Really? In his defense, I’m an old fart

comparatively. The banana post may be significant. You should probably begin reading it first.

The other topics are much more familiar to me. In fact, I’m quite passionate about those topics.

 

Leadership.

An unbelievably important topic. There are so many ways to lead, and so many ways to lead the

wrong way. It is important to spend time learning from those who already display leadership

traits. As I work on developing my own leadership materials and content, I find myself leaning

heavily on a few people. Michael Hyatt, Jon Acuff, John Maxwell, Andy Stanley, Michele Cushatt,

and more. I read blog and books. I listen to podcasts. I intentionally connect with people I

respect and look up to. Commenting on blogs and sharing content from these people help me

strengthen my own position and beliefs in the area of leadership. I believe the best way to learn

how to be a great leader is to lean on the experience of others.

 

Communication.

How we communicate in 2014 is very different from even a few short years ago. I use social

media to communicate now more than any other method. A few years ago, many of these avenues did not exist.

Blogging, the medium we’re using here, didn’t exist 20 years ago when I was

finishing college. Communication has changed so much, yet we still experience many of the

same problems. Clarity is an issue. Many times, even when speaking to people face to face, our

communication can be misunderstood and twisted. Recently, in a closed Facebook Group I am

in, some poor communication skills caused a problem. Ideas and opinions being posted by an

individual were not coming across very clear. Many of us in the group did not understand what

the person was trying to say. It was difficult to straighten it out. Would face to face, or a phone

call (FaceTime??) have helped? Maybe. My point is, communicate well. Learn to use multiple

methods in order to provide clarity.

Connections.

Connections kind of go right along with communication. Without strong communication we

often fail to make connections with people. Proper connections can propel us along to great

rewards in business. Connections can also bring us to meaningful relationships that may last a

lifetime. Without connections, we become stagnant and stuck. Many times in life, connections

will move you forward to achieve more in life than you could ever imagine on your own. A

perfect example for me is the book I’m writing. Without some very strong connections to some

very key people, I wouldn’t be writing my blog, let alone a book (or two, or three).

Passion – Speaking, Writing, Leading.

I have found my passion in my life. My passion revolves around speaking, writing, and leading

people to a more awesome version of their own lives. How do you find your passion? Look up.

Read the above paragraphs. Communication and connection with leaders will help you find

your own passion. Don’t hold back thinking it will magically come to you. Seek out your passion.

Seek out leaders. Ask those leaders how they discovered their passion. Make connections with

people you believe may be able to help you discover your passion.

I’m still not sure about the banana but, I do know Ralph Edwards is on the right track with regards to

Passion, Communication, Connection, and Leadership. Subscribe to his blog. Learn from him. Learn from

his guests. Engage and ask questions.

 

And most important of all, continue to live a life full of awesome.

 

Connect with Rick!

Website: http://ricktheule.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RickTheuleWriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RickTheule

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/RickTheule/

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Guest Post: What’s Stopping You?

Hey guys! Here is a little awesomeness for your Monday morning! Today we have my good friend and published author Corie Clark, who lives in Southern California with her husband and three kids. She is passionate about helping people find their purpose and truly live it to its fullest. Join the Simplicity Project conversation by following her on Facebook and Twitter and visiting her website, corieclark.com. 

  We all long for a life of more. For living a life of passion and purpose, filled with hope and dreams. A life that makes a difference and changes the world.

     But all too often, life just gets in the way. Sounds like a paradox, right? We dream bigger dreams, we struggle, we strive, and we search for meaning and then somewhere along the way, life gets in the way of living. We’ve got mouths too feed, launry to do, email to answer, and deadlines to meet. On top of that, we have clutter filling our homes and our minds and there really seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

– The Simplicity Project

For years I believed the lie that life was just going to be normal. I was doing all of the things I was supposed to do. I was a good wife, a good mom, a good friend. I cooked and cleaned and played with my kids. I did all of those lovely things that make up the American dream.

Then, something shifted. I wanted more. I wanted to live with purpose. As I began to realize that I was made for more, I was doing anything I could to fit that “more” into my life. But life was too crazy. We Americans cram as much of anything into whatever space we have, right? More food, more possessions, more jobs, more debt. More is better, right? WRONG!

What’s Keeping You From the Life You’re Called To?

We can’t keep casting blame elsewhere. We have to take the bull by the horns and live the life we want. The life God has called us to live. The excuses of not enough time, not enough money, too fat, too tired, not enough room… those are poor excuses. We technically have control over each and every one of those.

If we want to live out our dreams and follow the path God is leading us on, we need to make some changes. When we are stretched too thin we have no room for the miraculous. We have no room to dream or laugh or even just breathe. Margin is necessary for our dreams. It’s necessary for God. When we don’t have margin in our lives, we’re essentially telling God, “I’ve got this. I don’t have time for your plan.”

Enough is Enough

Towards the end of 2013, I was approaching my breaking point. I was sick and tired of life getting in the way of living. I decided to make a change. It wasn’t going to be easy and itt wasn’t going to happen over night. I created The Simplicity Project, which I would navigate through over 28 days in February. And I made it.

It saved my life. It saved my family’s life. I learned to create margin in my health, home, finances, and time. Margin that God needs so he can work His miracles. Margin that I needed to follow my dreams. It was even enough margin for me to write a book about it.

I challenge you to take an assessment of your life. Look at each area and see where you can create margin. If you’re overwhelmed in any area, I’d love to help you. You can learn more about The Simplicity Project at TheSimplicityProjectBook.com.

It’s time for you to start living the life you were created to live. A life of purpose and passions. A life that changes the world. What’s stopping you?

 

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Guest Post: Change the World by Becoming RICH by Matt D. Ham

Matt Ham is dedicated to guiding others toward rich living.  His own experiences have led him to the understanding and freedom of a rich life, and through his RICH Principles he helps folks uncover true richness, identifying real treasure and discovering true joy and contentment.

Change the World by Becoming RICH, a guest post from Matt D. Ham

I graduated high school third in my class. I won numerous awards and was given a couple of small scholarships. I was a competitive athlete and planned on playing baseball in college. Life was great and I was riding high.

In a card my parents gave me for graduation, my father wrote, “Don’t let the world change you son; you change the world.” Such heavy encouragement, but, at that time, I believed I could. I thought that if I could become rich, I would use my wealth to help others. I had the noblest aspirations of building an empire for the purposes of blessing others, and myself in the process. It sounded like a perfect plan.

Here was the curveball: I was invited to attend a mission trip with an organization called Young Life the summer after my senior year. Not wanting to interrupt my schedule and plans, I decided to say no. However, it weighed heavily on my heart. A few weeks later, the event chaperone called me. Someone had dropped out and they needed to fill his slot. A second chance was right in front of me.

My desire to go on this trip was so strong, but it was far from anything I had ever done. So I did the only thing I could; I took the opportunity. I even forwent the first game of the State Baseball Championships since it was played during the time I was away. For ten days, I lived on a sailboat with twenty of my peers and led a Vacation Bible School for the native children on the small island of Bimini in the Bahamas.

I was completely out of my element: showering by dousing myself in dawn dish detergent and jumping off the dock into the ocean, sleeping in the hull loft of a sailboat, working tirelessly to serve these children.

I began to be stripped of my accomplishments and ambitions. At first it was incredibly difficult. I stood on the sidelines and watched the others most of the time, terrified to get in the game. However, I felt drawn to the children we were with, and also drawn toward God. But as my eyes were opened, I began to see what was happening around me. In the poorest environment I could have ever imagined, I was being taught about true riches.

Wealth that finds its investments in people. A life that seeks gratitude in all circumstances. A humility of heart that finds confidence from above rather than in accomplishments.

I was learning how to live richly.

I’d like to say that when I returned from the trip I was a changed man. To some extent I was. The accolades lost their attractiveness in exchange for a stranger’s smile. The achievements found their roots in service rather than stature. But, when I graduated college, I felt that familiar pull again—that pull toward worldly riches.

As the money came in, it took a strong hold of my affections and I traded them in for the world’s appeal. I needed to return to Bimini. Not literally, but figuratively. I needed to be stripped of what I held onto in exchange for His presence. I needed to loose it all in order to find my true self.

It was another second chance. And this time, I would learn. I would learn to redefine what it means to be rich, and then I would learn how to live richly.

This is my passion; it is my heart. It doesn’t have to do with abandoning material possessions; it has to do with stewarding them properly. It has to do with diversifying the metric of richness to encompass many areas of life. And just like the children on Bimini taught me, I am still learning how to do this every single day.

Connect with Matt!
http://www.mattham.com/

Book – “You Make My Life Rich” Coming September 2014!
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Guest Post: Obedience and Blessings

Hey guys! Here is a little awesomeness to end your week! Enjoy!

Today we have Nicole Shute, a recent Biola graduate who is passionate about sharing God’s love and hope with people around her, especially those who have disabilities. She is currently a speech-language pathologist assistant with the dream of going back to school to drop the “assistant” part of that title. In her free time she loves to plan, to dream, to travel/explore, to talk with friends, and play Hay Day on her iPad. 

Obedience and Blessings by Nicole Shute

50 states in 14 months.

It sounds crazy, right? I thought so too.

I’ve always loved sets. Anything that comes in a “collect them all” format is a dangerous trap for me! So I thought seeing all 50 states would be an amazing “set” to complete.

And so with excitement I announce that my friend and I will be leaving in May 2015 for a 14-month trip driving around the country and serving with different non-profit organizations!! We are both SO excited about this opportunity to travel, explore,serve, AND see all 50 states!!!

Yet the coming Road Trip is about obedience more than anything else. Of course I am excited for all of the adventures and time to travel and explore (which we both love!), but it is also means sacrifices and hard work. If all I had was my desire to travel, this trip would be called off. Right now it consumes my thoughts, much of my money, and many of my decisions. It has to be deeper than a personal desire. The driving reason behind it applies to more than just this trip.

Obedience to God makes sacrifices and hardships worth it because we are bringing glory to our Creator and Savior who gave US everything.

I don’t like to talk about the sacrifices I make to obey because it feels like I am searching for a “poor me” response. Yet I think to fully understand the depths of obedience to God, the cost has to be disclosed.

One of the biggest things I am giving up is going to graduate school on the time line that I would like. I would love to be able to become a Speech Language Pathologist in the next 3 years, instead of the next 6! But I know there would not be peace in going back to school before I have finished the task God has placed before me.

I’ve also given up traveling expansively this summer, so that I have the resources to make the Road Trip more possible. For a girl who loves to travel, this is quite a sacrifice!

More than anything else I am giving my energy, time, and thinking to this trip. So many of my decisions have to be “what would be best in light of the Road Trip?”

Much of my time is spent either planning or raising funds for the trip. While I do most of this with delight, there are times I would much rather just relax after work.

Yet knowing that this is what God has called me to be faithful with during this time gives me a reason (and more importantly a Person) to cling to when the going gets tough.

On the trip I will be able to finally spend devoted time serving (and exploring!). Right now we have plans to serve at two camps for children with disabilities through Joni and Friends! I have wanted to serve at one of these camps for years, especially after having the chance to meet Joni last year. I have also been in contact with an organization called 99 Balloons that does respite nights for families once a month. The plan is to include as many of these respite nights as possible! There are also other opportunities to volunteer with Joni and Friends as well as Ronald McDonald House and Habitat for Humanity. All of these opportunities make the sacrifices more than worth it!

In light of eternity though, all of these are temporary! My time, talents, and energy are to be given back to the Lord. What better way to do this than following in obedience in the task He has given me?

Amazingly through this obedience, God gives us blessings beyond anything we could imagine, even though we do not deserve any of it.

The first pull on my heart towards a year mission trip came through a booth that World Race had at my school. 11 countries in 11 months seemed like such an amazing mission concept! It was at that moment that I began thinking that God was calling me to take a year after college to give back to Him.

Yet my heart didn’t feel peace about going on World Race. I would love to serve overseas, but I am passionate about the United States and seeing the unseen in my own “backyard.” (In addition, my health would make it difficult to be gone from the US for a year.)

It wasn’t until a year later (almost exactly!) that God placed a 6-12 month US trip on my heart. But I still thought 50 states was too ambitious. Plus, it felt more like my idea than God’s. So I laid it down. God could choose the route—and I would relinquish control. It stayed that way until I was creating the tagline for my blog.

As I wrestled with what to write, I felt God whisper “50 states in 14 months.” In that simple moment, God gave me back my dream! This time though it was also His vision for the trip!

Of course, God doesn’t give everything we lay before Him back, but this is an example of a surprise blessing that came through obedience.

Other unexpected blessings have come out of this too. One of the biggest blessings has been the friendships I have built! I have gotten to know people (mainly thanks to 30 Days of Hustle!) that I never would have know if I was not going on this journey. And I know this is just the beginning of the people I will learn to love through the process of this journey.

Obedience has brought both sacrifice and blessings. Yet through it all my prayer is that I am bringing glory to the One who gave me these desires!

Why did I agree to write this post? Was it just to get the word out about the Road Trip? It was my first thought. But as I began to write, I realized that more than sharing about the adventure in MY life, I want to be an encouragement for obedience to God. Is it easy? No. Does it mean sacrifices? Yes. Is it worth it? YES!

We bring God glory through our obedience. If you are struggling with this, I would encourage you to take a step of faith towards obedience—and see where God leads you!

Connect with Nicole!

 

 

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Guest Post: Why We Settle

Hey guys! Here is a little awesomeness for your Monday morning! Today we have Holly Hrywnak (Rye-knock) a 30-year old, coffee drinking, blog writing, sassy jokester who enjoys sarcasm and loves Jesus. She strives to be genuine and transparent in her writing believing, in doing so, people will not only relate but find freedom in knowing they aren’t alone in their struggles, feelings and disappointments. Her writing has been described by some as raw and real and she wouldn’t want it any other way.

 

Why We Settle by Holly Hrywnak

Settling comes easy.

Take it from someone who has made that mistake one too many times.

There’s that guy I dated to try and cover up the loneliness I felt inside, even though I knew he wasn’t right for me.

There’s the dream I stalled for far too long.

There’s the moments I chose to remain silent, when speaking Truth was needed.

Why do people settle for less than best?

I think there’s a few reasons:

Fear. Fear has a way of whispering in our ears, “Are you crazy? You can’t possibly do that. You’ll fall on your face if you even try.” There’s fear of failure, fear of what others will think, fear of not being in control, etc.

Go ahead, punch that fear in the face. I give you permission. More importantly, God not only gives you permission, but the power, the abilities and the gifts to accomplish anything and everything He calls you to do.

Bam! Take that, fear.

  1.  We believe the lie that says we aren’t worthy of more.

Bill Johnson recently posted this on his Facebook page, “When we believe a lie, we empower the liar.”

The enemy is a liar and a deceiver and one of his greatest attacks against you is convincing you that you are something less than what God has said about you. Essentially, when you believe what the enemy says about you, you are calling God a liar.

Let that sink in for a moment.

I don’t know about you, but things just got real.

You see, it all boils down to one thing, really, and that’s the issue of identity. We are going to continue to settle, struggle, and choose the easy way every time we look to something or someone besides God to tell us who we are and what we are capable of accomplishing.

And what God says about you is vastly more important that anyone else. .

He calls you loved. Unconditionally. Wholly. Without restraint.

He calls you chosen. You are not an accident, but hand picked for good plans and purposes.

He calls you a treasure. A treasure so desirable in fact that He would go to any lengths to find and rescue.

He calls you pure. Your sins have not stained you, but you have been washed and made new.

Part of our problem is that we are busy staring at the past. We see our slip-ups, our failures, our unfaithfulness and we define ourselves by those things. First off, our past is forgiven. In Hebrews 8:12, we are told God remembers our sin no more– so why do you think you need to?

A few years ago, I heard a pastor speaking about people stumbling over their past mistakes and he gave each of us a small sticker that said “forgiven”. He encouraged us to put it on our rear view mirror, so every time we looked behind us, we’d be reminded that everything back there has been forgiven.

My sticker is faded, but still sits as a reminder that I don’t have to be held back by my past. I can confidently move forward as a new creation.

Sure, it may be easier to settle, to allow the lies, the fear and the false identity to direct you. I assure you there is a prize more costly than gold that is awarded to those who have committed to living life based on God’s Truth. For those who lay hold of the freedom found in their true identity as His sons and daughters.

At times you may question whether its worth it.

It is.

Don’t waste another moment believing anything less.

 

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