It's officially fall. My flaming maple tree is nearly bare-boned naked with only a third of the leaves left attached. The nights have turned crisp with days that hold a coolish-warmth.
I can't believe this Sunday I turn 42.
I can't believe we are finally in a permanent church home building at Thrive Church.
I can't believe my daughters experienced God personally this past weekend.
I can't believe I have finished writing blogs about each chapter in the book, Just Be.
I can't believe I finished draft one of book two.
I can't believe all this happened in just a month's time-frame.
When I say "I can't believe," it's a sort of an I'm-so-blessed-God's-promises-are-true type of I can't believe statement. A deep thankfulness.
God has, by far, surpassed what I could imagine He would do - and the best part is, He's not done yet. He's not finished with me and He's not finished with you.
You don't see the beginning from the end like God does. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us of that when God speaks and says "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (NIV). When God tells you to do something, don't have dragging-feet obedience. Obey the first time and simply trust that He has your best interest at heart.
My encouragement to you today would be this: Don't underestimate the power of your simple obedience to God.
Obedience to God leads to many "I can't believe" moments. I have been writing consistently and am in the final stages of publishing book two, a companion to Just Be, entitled: Courage to Walk. It has been such a timely writing for my own life as I've leaned into the voice of God and tried to write down a specific beautifully-challenging and deeply-life-changing lesson He's been teaching me over the last several years. I'm so excited to release this in the first quarter of 2022.
"I can't believe it God," in other words, I'm so thankful that You are consistently blowing my expectations out of the water.
Over the next several weeks I'm going to be writing about a variety of things in the blog. All of which will be "I can't believe it God" moments. I pray it stirs your faith as you enter into this holiday season reminding you that each day is a gift. My hope in it all is that it brings an aspect of God's truth to your life, encourages your heart and refocuses your mind on the good, amazing blessings that surround you.
In some ways I hope it blesses your socks off.
In conclusion of this short blog ... I wanted to make you aware of a free Study Guide that my husband and I put together over the summer. If you have read my book, Just Be, this is a beautiful accompaniment. You can download the guide on your phone, computer or ipad.
I wrote it in hope that you could go a little deeper in God. Digging into His word like your favorite home cooked meal. Succulent fragrance awaiting you as you open your front door from a long day at work. Table set. Dinner waiting. It does not disappoint. Similarly, digging into God's word for yourself never disappoints. I hope you enjoy what we created.
Thank you. Thank you for purchasing a copy of my book. Thank you for all the emails and texts and posts about what God is speaking to you as you read, Just Be. Thank you for subscribing to this blog and allowing me a precious place in your lives.
Below is my official "I can't believe it God" picture and I'm sharing it with you.
"Remember: your life is making a difference."
Photo Credit: Milan Klusacek
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