Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Three Word Wednesday: God Created Us



God created us.

"Long before He laid down earth's foundation, God had us in mind, and had settled on us as the focus of His love..."  ~ Ephesians 1:4 (MSG)

He custom designed us.

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." ~ Psalm 139:13-16 (NLT)

He sent His son to die for us.

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." ~ John 3:16-17 (NIV)

The Holy Spirit lives in us.

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." ~ Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)

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I know I've promised to tell my story but right now those words are not coming. It leads me to believe maybe I went ahead of God's plans and that is why writing has been so hard. Maybe He wants me to be free from my past before I share those chapters with you. To find freedom I must believe in His truth.

"...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." ~ John 8:32 (ESV)

If I believe God created me, sent His son to die for me and the Holy Spirit lives within me, why do I still question my worth?

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" ~ Mark 9:24

I desperately miss who God created me to be when I believe the lies of the enemy. So instead of focusing on the pain from my past, what if all He is asking of me is to embrace and celebrate this truth:

My life has value.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." ~ Romans 8:1

He has a purpose for my life.

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 1:6

Would you walk with me as I ask Him to help me overcome my unbelief? Maybe you are struggling with unbelief too.

I'm no longer sure of a God-sized dream to write a book or stand and tell my story. I simply want to appreciate the gift God has given me to share my heart with you here. Instead of seeking something bigger, I need to believe this right now is enough. I need to believe in Jesus I am enough.

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God had only wonderful thoughts in mind when He created us and still does. Let's embrace and celebrate that truth!

"Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation."
~ Psalm 100

47 comments :

  1. Hi Beth, lovely post as always. I have been wanting to write my story and am unable to do so yet. I need to pray and stay close to HIM. Thankfully I have a God centered psychologist that prays with me before and after our sessions.

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    1. God will let us know when the timing is right. In the meantime, I'm sure I will sure bits and pieces along the way. Thanks for all your encouragement, Debbie. Blessings to you.

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  2. Good Morning Beth - Sometimes I wonder if our stories are not meant to be shared with everyone. I wonder if it is as we allow God to work in our hearts & lives & then He brings those to us whom we are to share with. I don't have a definitive answer to this as of yet. I do know this - He will lead you faithfully! Blessings & hugs today!

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    1. Yes, He will lead us and His plans are always far better than ours. Love you, Joanne. Thanks for your love and encouragement.

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  3. Good morning, my friend. I hope that I've not taken advantage of your gracious hospitality by linking up 2 posts from this past week ...

    ;-}

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  4. Beth, Take a break from all your plans and seek to know Him and He will direct you. He will guide you and lead you Home. I know your wrestle. Praying for you to be on your knees, asking him to give you the faith to move forward. He gently leads us like a shepherd. Always amazing grace.
    Walking with you on this journey. Much love to you,
    Rebekah

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    1. Thank you for your prayers, Rebekah. I'm resting in Him. Grateful for you. Thank you for walking this journey with me. Much love.

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  5. Hi Beth; I know it's not easy (for me!) to open up my heart and soul and let everyone see inside. Little by little as I place my trust and faith in where God leads me, I have learned to open up more and more. I think when God places it in your heart to share your story it will be the perfect timing to encourage and inspire not only you but others as well. You are a beautiful writer, and until then I pray you continue to bless us with your lovely posts! :)

    Blessings and love,
    Denise

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    1. Thanks for your encouragement, Denise. I'm trusting Him to let me know when the timing is right. Maybe He will have me share bits and pieces along the way. Grateful for you. :)

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  6. "I desperately miss who God created me to be when I believe the lies of the enemy. So instead of focusing on the pain from my past, what if all He is asking of me is to embrace and celebrate this truth:My life has value." So so true. Why is it so hard to believe? Maybe that's because Satan spends a lot of energy on that particular attack. Thank you for those doses of Scripture this morning- I needed to read them! Love and hugs to you!

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    1. Satan has needed a big kick in the butt these past couple of weeks! :) God is good. All we need to do is lean into Him. Love you.

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  7. Beth, such a sweet post today. It's so easy to get ahead of where God may want us to be today. I struggle with it when I feel like He has given me a glimpse of what will be and I want it now! :-) Let's keep encouraging one another to do what He has called us to do just today! You might need to remind me of that more than once! Much love.

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    1. Amen, Holly. And I love how we are always encouraging each other. This blogging world is a beautiful thing. Love you.

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  8. Beth, I want to encourage you today. I have struggled with the same thing and at 63 years old I am finally realizing that God loves me, I mean really loves me, just the way I am NOT the way I think I'm supposed to be. It is a freedom long in coming. About five years ago I began a reading journey to help me figure this all out. I started with the book, HE LOVES ME by Wayne Jacobsen. Then I began a voyage of truth with Brennan Manning's writings. Sweet Beth, it is HIS GRACE that brings us to the "knowing". Liz Higgs short little read EMBRACE GRACE is powerful and I highly recommend it. HE LOVES YOU. HE LOVES ME. I pray for you as you walk through this season.

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    1. Thank you for the book recommendations, Susan. I will be checking them out. And thank you for your sweet encouragement. I was truly touched by your comment. THANK YOU!

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  9. I love that God has put dreams on your heart and that you are discovering that He wants to do something in you first... It is like the quote I just put on my FB page. Basically, sometimes God asks us to wait because it is during the time of waiting that He is encouraging us to go deeper, much deeper with Him. He is preparing us and strengthening us for the things that are on the path before us. You are such an encouragement with how you are listening to God and allowing Him to shape you. He loves you, Beth! Rest in that truth!

    Love, Joan

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    1. He is growing and strengthening my faith so much during this time of waiting. I'm so grateful for the friends He has placed in my life to walk with me during this time. I'm so very grateful for YOU!
      Much love,
      Beth

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  10. Beautiful heart words today! Beth I can sense your pain and I believe through scripture and truth God is healing those dark places.

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  11. Ah, sweet Beth. Praying for you! I want to encourage you in this walk... Know that God IS healing you and the words will come in His time. But also know that sometimes the healing comes with sharing our stories (and Satan will try to tell us otherwise to keep us from writing.) Praying for strength and clarity as you walk forward. Love you girl.

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  12. Beth, I totally goofed! I forgot to change my title to just three words!!! I'm so exhausted right now.

    Your honest post really spoke to me today. I am feeling overwhelmed, and not understanding if any of my dreams matter. I wonder all the time how God could be doing something in my life, when I feel so blah. But, you have reminded me that HE created me, and these days were also written in His book long before they arrived.

    May I be content to know HIM, and realize (yet again) that THAT is all that matters - the rest is blessed *gravy*!!

    GOD BLESS!

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    1. Your dreams do matter, Sharon. You matter. I say those words as a constant reminder to myself too. We need to keep seeking Him. He will see us through. Sending hugs your way, friend. Love you.

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  13. Praying for you friend, that just at the right time He will release those words. You have a powerful story, of this I am sure, and it will minister and bring hope and freedom to many. Can I just say..... I MISS YOU! <3

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  14. You're a beautiful testimony to God's glory. I know you're in a hard writing season and thinking through many things. But God's got you. He's not going to let go, not even on the hard days when the tears come. You're his. Always. Thanks for continuing to encourage and inspire with your words right here.

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    1. Thank you for your beautiful and encouraging words, Kristin. I truly am so grateful for you.
      Much love,
      Beth

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  15. Sweet Beth, your words have value, and your story will encourage others, so don't let the enemy badger into thinking that you should stay silent.

    "Lord, help my unbelief." -- I find myself praying that prayer a lot. I am so thankful that it's in the Bible. I don't think we have to have it all figured out. We just need to admit that we are seeking Him and need His help.

    Just a thought, but have you considered attending the Proverbs 31 Conference for Writers and Speakers? I hear it's great.

    Hugs and prayers, my friend. He will make your path clear as you keep leaning into Him

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    1. I have looked at the She Speaks conference. It's a little pricey and not sure the timing works for me but keeping it in the back of my mind and also considering what other conferences I might be able to attend. I find them to be a great opportunity for refreshment. Love you.

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    2. The price has held me back as well, but I am a big fan of Lysa's ministry mindedness.. so I am keeping it on my bucket list for now. Thanks for linking up this poast at Thought-Provoking Thursday. :)

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  16. Go where he leads when he leads you Beth. You will know when the time is right. Be encouraged.

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  17. Beth, it is a privilege to walk this path with you. The term God-sized Dream is so confusing to me. Do you know what God dreams of? You, Beth. He dreams of a closer relationship with you. He doesn't need you to be more or do more or strive for more. YOU are the God-sized Dream. And I have no doubt that He will direct your steps. Love you!! Heart Hugs, Shelly <3

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    1. Amen, Shelly. You have encouraged me :)

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    2. I love you, Shelly. You encourage me daily and I'm so very grateful.

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  18. Beth, if you're considering writing a book, a good place to begin is ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). You may already know about this. I think an annual membership is something close to $50. You can submit your work--whether it's fiction, nonfiction, short story, a speech or whatever to a critique loop. There may also be small critique groups in your area to build skills. God teaches us through stories, and for his glory, we tell them, too. Look forward to hearing what steps you take next. Blessings, Diane

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    1. Thank you for the recommendation, Diane. I will be sure to check out ACFW as I did know now about this site.
      Blessings,
      Beth

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  19. oh my friend- I relate to you yet again. First the military, and now eating/body image. I encourage you to rest right now in the gracious and patient arms of your Heavenly Father. You DO know the truth and it is setting you free, but for me, healing and accepting is a process. Just because my mind accepts truth, doesn't mean my feelings quickly follow suit. God does have plans for you and is at work in your life (one degree at a time, right? :) ) even when the words don't come right away. I too, look forward to seeing what God has in store for you! Prayers and hugs, Tracy

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    1. Thank you, Tracy. I believe God has connected us in this blogging world for a reason and I'm so grateful He did. Yes to this --> "Just because my mind accepts truth, doesn't mean my feelings quickly follow suit." Thank you for your encouragement and prayers.

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  20. You, my dear friend, are more than enough. You are wonderfully made. I just adore you. I love your brave heart. Something I have learned through writing is sometimes the writing isn't for anyone else... it is for the writer. In time, He will show you when your heart is ready to share your story. You transparent heart ministers - even in your broken places. We so desperately need to see each others broken places. Love you dearly. xo

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    1. Thank you for your love and encouragement, Karin. I love you dearly too. xoxoxo

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  21. Beth,
    You've written such beautiful words and they really touched me tonight. I am feeling sick and worn out. I need to rest.
    Thank you for your writing. <3

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    1. Praying you get the rest that you need, Elizabeth. {Hugs}

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  22. Beth, I can hear your heart through your words. I understand how you feel. I, too, have a story to tell. I feel like God is only allowing me to tell bits and pieces right now. I don't sense a full "release" yet, and I trust that I will feel that when the timing is right. You are enough, right where you are right now! Thanks for how you minister to all of us through your words.

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    1. Your words were wonderful encouragement, Anne. I know He will reveal to us when the timing is right and maybe that will be sharing only bits and pieces along the week. Thank you. I'm glad He has connected us in this blogging world. {Hugs}

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  23. Somebody reminded me recently that God called David long before He gave him a throne; I know from experience that it's hard to wait when you know God has given you a calling that isn't yet fulfilled! Praying that His timing will be abundantly clear to you, and more than you could have ever dreamed or imagine.

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Much love to you.