A few months ago I started a new devotional book with my littles. Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado adapted by Tama Fortner. These have been great little devotions and have sparked some good conversation. But truthfully, many times I get just as much out of them (if not more) as my children do. God's word never returns void, Amen!?!
A few weeks ago that is exactly what happened in the devotion titled " The Fire in Your Heart". The daily scripture read from Psalm 40:8-
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8
The beginning of the devotion began with a series of questions.
"Want to know God's will for your life? Then answer this question: What sets your heart on fire? That is, what do you feel that you just have to do to show God's love or to help others? .........
Pay attention to the fire in your heart! Do you love to sing more than anything? Then sing! Does your heart hurt for the sick and the lonely? Then comfort them!"
God set a fire in my heart roughly three years ago. I had just gone through my "life changing" fitness transformation and knew that this was something I HAD to share. But, God also gave me a specific vision to share my new passion for living healthy. God calls us to do EVERYTHING for His glory, right? This fire He set in my heart was no different. My transformation was largely spiritual, not just physical. So I knew that by sharing this passion for healthy living, it had to be from a biblical perspective. So many ideas have flooded my head over the last few years, many of them pieces of what I felt were part of a puzzle....... pieces of the vision God was giving me. Much of this time I have felt like I was inching along and not making progress or simply just struggling through it.
So much has happened in these last few weeks that I can't say this single devotion was the sole inspiration for the clarity I have found recently. I might just say it was timely confirmation in moving forward. As God always is......... timely! Who would have thought that God would speak to me about a calling He placed in my heart three years ago through a devotion for my little people. I'm learning as a homeschooling Mom that many lessons I intend for my children are often meant for me as well. YES, then there is THAT!!! But, I digress. (Truthfully it is relevant but not the point I'm trying to make at the moment.)
The point I'm trying to express here is that "that fire in my heart", God ignited three years ago, has started to take its form. I feel that along with some new elements I have gained clarity and motivation that didn't seem to be fully there before. If you've been reading the blog over the past couple of weeks then you have seen the manifestation of what has been in my heart.
Ah, yes the blog.....this is the thing that seemed to be slow moving. Yet, this is the one spark of the vision that seemed to continue to burn inside of me. Though so many times it seemed that I just couldn't write, it still burned. Friends, this is so, so significant to me. You see, I NEVER intended to be a writer (of any kind). This is totally and completely God! Although writing has become a labor of love, it is non the less labor-some for me. It's hard most of the time. I struggled through high school and college writing papers. I don't even recall taking a creative writing class. IT WAS and IS PURELY GOD! That is the amazing part in this! When there is a burning desire to do something you would never dream of.......It must be God's will for you! Right!?! That's what I've experienced.
Interestingly fitness was never on my radar either, yet God perfectly orchestrated that into my life as well.
Two passions, two sparks..........How did it make one fire in my heart? It wasn't always clear but I kept taking small steps towards what I believed God was putting on my heart. Quite honestly it's still hard to put into words. But, writing about what God is doing in my life is what I feel led to do. Discovering that a healthy lifestyle and taking care of ourselves physically, mentally ,and spiritually is part of our worship to God is also something I had to share. So what you see as I continue writing on my blog and develop the tools on my website is the unfolding of the vision, "That Fire in my Heart".
As Max Lucado beautifully and simply shared in his devotion for children, I also ask you:
So much has happened in these last few weeks that I can't say this single devotion was the sole inspiration for the clarity I have found recently. I might just say it was timely confirmation in moving forward. As God always is......... timely! Who would have thought that God would speak to me about a calling He placed in my heart three years ago through a devotion for my little people. I'm learning as a homeschooling Mom that many lessons I intend for my children are often meant for me as well. YES, then there is THAT!!! But, I digress. (Truthfully it is relevant but not the point I'm trying to make at the moment.)
The point I'm trying to express here is that "that fire in my heart", God ignited three years ago, has started to take its form. I feel that along with some new elements I have gained clarity and motivation that didn't seem to be fully there before. If you've been reading the blog over the past couple of weeks then you have seen the manifestation of what has been in my heart.
Ah, yes the blog.....this is the thing that seemed to be slow moving. Yet, this is the one spark of the vision that seemed to continue to burn inside of me. Though so many times it seemed that I just couldn't write, it still burned. Friends, this is so, so significant to me. You see, I NEVER intended to be a writer (of any kind). This is totally and completely God! Although writing has become a labor of love, it is non the less labor-some for me. It's hard most of the time. I struggled through high school and college writing papers. I don't even recall taking a creative writing class. IT WAS and IS PURELY GOD! That is the amazing part in this! When there is a burning desire to do something you would never dream of.......It must be God's will for you! Right!?! That's what I've experienced.
Interestingly fitness was never on my radar either, yet God perfectly orchestrated that into my life as well.
Two passions, two sparks..........How did it make one fire in my heart? It wasn't always clear but I kept taking small steps towards what I believed God was putting on my heart. Quite honestly it's still hard to put into words. But, writing about what God is doing in my life is what I feel led to do. Discovering that a healthy lifestyle and taking care of ourselves physically, mentally ,and spiritually is part of our worship to God is also something I had to share. So what you see as I continue writing on my blog and develop the tools on my website is the unfolding of the vision, "That Fire in my Heart".
As Max Lucado beautifully and simply shared in his devotion for children, I also ask you:
" What is the fire in your heart? What is it that you just have to do for God?"
Dear Ruby,
Find your passion.
Find the Fire in Your Heart.
Discover Beautiful!
Find your passion.
Find the Fire in Your Heart.
Discover Beautiful!
" Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
Blessings,
Melissa
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