Writing the Next Chapter

Photo Credit:Unknown 

Self-Discovery 101

On my recent mission trip to Guatemala I learned so much about myself. I learned I could walk farther than I thought possible. I learned that sweat, though stinky, can smell like a sweet perfume if it is made in service to the King. 

I also learned that I am able to do what He has called me to do. 

The Rub

Sometimes we know what our purpose is, what our call is, but we do not walk in it. This leads to dissatisfaction and overall unhappiness with life, and sometimes with our relationship with God. At least, I know I have felt this way. 

You see, I knew I was called to "preach beyond the hills" (a personal word I received when I was just sixteen). I knew I wanted to be a missionary since I was about 19, but I thought I had either "missed it" or God had changed His mind about using me since then. After all, a lot had changed for me. 

I got married. I had kids. I had an affair. I did not have a completed degree. I was "just" a blogger. I am overweight. The list goes on.... Jon Acuff says in his best-selling book Quitter "sometimes living your dream is an act of recovery more than of discovery." (sic) 

These things are only part of my story. Not the whole of who I am., or who I was created and called to be. Yet, I let them stand in the way of doing everything God has called me to. 

I am a writer. I know the work there is basically this: butt in chair and type away. This is doing the work of a writer, I am a mother, I know the work there is multifaceted and includes being a chef, taxi service, disciplinarian, loving listener, quality time maker and so much more. I am a wife. I know the work there is being a confidant, a lover, a friend, a cheerleader, a shoulder, etc. 

I walk and function in all of these callings on my life, but neglected the call I heard as a kid.

Sometimes we disqualify ourselves before the game has truly begun. TWEET THAT

The Truth

The truth is I am called. Jeremiah 29:11 tells me so. I am usable, because Romans 8:28 says that God can use anything and everything, even the bad stuff, to bring Himself the glory through us. Ephesians 2:10 says I am His masterpiece called to do good works. Isaiah 55 says God is in covenant with me, and the nations are given unto me. This is the Word of God breathing life into me, and the voice of my Father leading me. 

"And that same Christ gave these gifts to people: He made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to care for and teach God’s people. Christ gave these gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.This work must continue until we are all joined together in what we believe and in what we know about the Son of God. Our goal is to become like a full-grown man—to look just like Christ and have all his perfection" Ephesians 4:11-13 

Jeff Goins in his book Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life says this: 

"What we have to learn to do is lean into the things that hold is back, to move through the pain and push forward." 

I felt held back, I felt bad about myself, and I felt justified in my excuses.  I was my problem, not any thing else. So when I felt prompted to take a step unlike any other I have ever taken in my life, I knew that I could no longer be held back. I am called to missions and I will serve where I am called. 

I could not stand on the sidelines letting life and my call pass me by any longer. I want what ever mantle God trusts me with and that means I must obey. 

After all, God is the author and finisher of our faith and He is starting the next chapter for me. I want to be on the same page with Him. 

The Next Step

The next step for me was applying as a leader candidate at Adventures in Missions. This group is the one that lead the Wrecked Vision Team to Guatemala. It is doing some amazing work. I have been interviewed and invited to attend candidate training camp in April 2013. I will travel to Georgia and see what God is preparing me for. 

This is a scary, yet beautifully exciting thing for me. 

I cannot do it alone. Here are four ways you can help: 

• Pray for me - as I embark on this great new leg of my journey. 
• Support me - going and doing does cost money. Even Jesus had a ministry account. 
• Like My Page - I have a page on Facebook just for all things missions related. There you can get updates and share encouraging messages.
• Subscribe - to this blog. Updates and stories will come here first and foremost.  

Thank you for all you do to advance the kingdom of God and for me. You are a great group of readers and I would not trade you for anything. 

Join the Conversation: 

What is next for you? 

Wrecked and A Beautiful Mess

I Had Faith...Kind of....

Photo by Stephanie May  copyright 2013

I heard the whisper. That still small voice the Bible talks about. God. So when in my heart He asked will you go, I said...maybe...and if. 

I will be honest, I was scared. I was overwhelmed by the logistics of what a missions trip would mean: to my finances, to my family, and to my heart. I threw out a fleece. I said "If I am supposed to go then..." and filled in the blank with conditions and proposals. 

Since God is faithful, He met the conditions..... and then He went up to the line of my need and stopped. I walked onto a plane to travel to another country with only $80 to my name and my passport. 

Photo by Stephanie May copyright 2013

Stripped Bare

When I got to the hostel, I noticed the razor wire on the fence and walls. I felt God prod my heart and begin to tug on the wire I had wrapped around myself. 

I heard that small voice once more whisper. I began to break. Open. I began to open myself before a God who already knew what was in my heart, He already saw what a mess I was, and He began to to pour into me His heart. He began to wash me clean of my pain so that I could see the pain that needed healing in others all around me. 

"Clara" Photo by Stephanie May copyright 2013

People like Clara, who sat crying, staring into my eyes, holding onto my hand and kissing my arms asking me to pray for her. She suffered dementia and the only clarity I saw in her face was when she called out the name of Jesus. 

Left in an orphanage for old folks, the place was full of men and women who were abandoned by their families. My heart broke. My Father's love poured and I felt His heart for the lonely, the lost, and the forgotten. 

Rehoboth Home for Children in Guatemala Photo Credit: Stephanie May copyright 2013 

I saw joy in the eyes of kids, like this one, who had been saved from a life of abuse and neglect and sent to a place where he thrives in the safety and love of men and women who have hearts after God's own heart. 

"For sure, I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of My brothers, you have done it to Me." Matthew 25:40

Marlon Photo Credit Dayna Bickham copyright 2013 (the date was set wrong on the camera- sorry) 

I heard a story of hardship and hope and people who society devalued became treasure before my very eyes. Marlon scavenged for trash to make a living, but God has planted a dream in him, and He has plans bigger than Marlon's circumstances. 

The Call Confirmed

Me and members of the team look on as kids play. Photo Credit: Katie Axelson copyright 2013

As I experienced these people, the country, the work God was doing I began to hear God calling me out of my comfort zone and into the fray of His calling. 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke 4:17-18 KJV

I begin to see that He was calling me to love more freely, to give more deeply and to speak more openly about His love for His children. 

I will never be the same. 

At the end of it all, as I worshiped the Lord with my friends and fellow travelers, the Lord brought forth a beautiful word: "We are beautiful messes". This struck me like a bell tower striking midnight. 

I was a mess, laid open and bare before my God. My spirit stripped bare before Him. He loved me anyway and wanted to use me to show His love to others. 

Others may not "get it" as my friend and fellow traveler Alene Snodgrass writes about today, but I do. I get that the pain and brokenness of the world cries out for answers. I cannot adopt every child I see who needs a home, and I cannot give money to every cause, but where I am, no matter where "there" may be, I can be the hands and the feet of Jesus. 

I can love by feeding the hungry when I see a person in need. I can go an extra mile and walk with someone that just needs to tell their story to someone who will listen. 

I can. 

You can. 

Before this trip, I worried about the hows and the whens of it all. Now, I just long to go again, and love again, and do again: not for the experience of being in another country, but for the chance to show Jesus to the world - one person at a time - to live in the tension - to dive into the fray. 

Won't you go? 

Join the Conversation

Have you ever been "wrecked" by an experience that left you breathless and knowing you will never be the same again? Tell us about it: leave a comment below. 

Wrecked: When God Slams Into My Brokenness

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Meet Holy Spirit Barbie

I hung up the phone with her and tried to quell the panic attack beginning in my mind. 

I had just invited someone I had very little in common with to be my mentor. If I had not felt God tell me to do this, I would wonder if I had gone mad. 

She is like Holy Spirit Barbie. So beautiful and Christ-like you want to play with her, but God is already busy moving her around and blessing her with a "Dream". Or so she sometimes seems to me. 

I know this is not the case...not really, but my skewed opinions of myself projects onto her more value than I give myself and I know this is just one of the things God wants to change through this relationship. 

At this invitation I now will enter the realm of accountability and change. On the surface this sounds honorable and noble and completely benign. In my head my "self" begins to scream one long "Noooooooo!" 

The problem is this new mentoring relationship will begin to peel back the layers of all the things I have held onto most of my life. "My" identity will be exposed and I will have to truly choose to either hold on to the old version of me or welcome the changes that will come. 

Let's Examine This

Unpacking the fear I have, I turn it over and examine it. 

I have been asking God to change me into His image for over a year now. He has been faithful and done so much. Why then, when He prompts me to foster a new relationship that will allow someone I admire speak into my life on a regular basis, do I suddenly want to run as fast as I can in the opposite direction? 

I do not fear the result. I want to look more like Jesus. 

I do not fear the time it will take, I have plenty of it.  

I fear the pain. The pain of letting go of the lies I have chosen to believe about myself for years. 

I fear the ugly. The ugly of mid-metamorphosis.... no change from one thing into another is pretty. With this relationship there will be someone there, up close, seeing all those ugly bits of me I have tried to keep hidden. 

Exposed

On my recent trip to Guatemala, God spoke some powerful things, and one of the things He said was this: 

"How long will I have to convince you that you are chosen? Stop it! Stop with the defensive comments and let down the wall you hide behind. Stop it!" 

With those words, spoken through someone I now consider a friend, I wept. I actually bawled....ugly cried...in public.

Immediately after that word, someone else said this: "I feel like God is saying 'Tell her she is my favorite and she can't say anything snarky about it'"  

"Snarky" is how I describe myself. So I knew this was God and when God exposes your mask, it begins to get real....fast! 

I was wrecked by God's love slamming into me and challenging me to let Him have my brokenness.

Obedience is Better than Sacrifice

That night I just soaked it in, or tried to. Some things God lets marinate before He holds you to walking through the Refiner's fire. I thought I was doing better. I thought I had pruned out the snide and snarky comments about myself. 

After I hung up from the conversation with my new mentor, my best friend - who was with me - turned to me and said "This is a good thing. I am glad you are doing this, because while you have been "better" about not putting yourself down as much, you have still done it and that is disobedience." 

Slapped in the face by the Holy Spirit. That stung. 

The truth is this is more than just "changing a bad habit". This is open heart surgery. I could go through the motions and learn to have more decorum, or speak less harshly about myself, but as long as I still think the same way, it would all be just another mask I put on. My heart would be the same. 

God is faithful to finish what He began in Guatemala...of this I am certain. The Word says in Philippians 1:6 (AMP) "And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you."

Join the Conversation

Do you have a mentor? 

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If you like what you read here and want to get more great content, then click the "Subscribe to our Newsletter" link below. Fill out that short form and confirm your subscription by checking your email. It is as easy as that! I won't sell your info and I won't spam you. Oh- and I will give you the PDF version of my children's story "The Gardener and the Sapling" for FREE. You can print it up and read it to your little ones, or share it with someone you love. The message in it is timeless!

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Send in the Clowns: An Act of Recovery

Photo by Dayna Bickham

My Pity Party

Just over a week ago I sat on a fountain, sharing my story with a new friend in the heart of Antigua, Guatemala.

This mission trip was a long time coming, and God had sent me on the most circuitous route to get there, but there I was.

Doubting.

I doubted myself, I doubted God, I doubted my call, I doubted my abilities, and I doubted my heart.

Doubt sucks the life out of you. It steals your joy. Sitting on that fountain, I was completely self-absorbed and focused on myself.

Totally not where God wanted my focus - at all.

I was supposed to be listening for His voice and looking through His eyes. To see the heart of the Father, we have to look for His children. Since I was not looking, God decided to send in the clowns.

Ladies and Gentlemen....

The sound of this cry "señoras y señores, hoy en día para su entretenimiento, artistas de rendimiento impecable", which means "ladies and gentlemen, today for your entertainment, artists of impeccable achievement" caught my attention and brought my self-absorbed story telling to a halt.

Soon, I saw the bright shining and very made-up faces of three beautiful children. They began to act out a slap stick play full of comedic timing and over 400 lines of dialog. The oldest "clown" was about nine. The little fellow pictured here was about five, and the other was about seven.

They were amazing artists, full of passion and purpose. They were creative and focused. They came to entertain and entertain they did.

I gave them a few dollars. I took a few pictures. I thought that was all. But then, as they faded into the crowd, and my mind began to focus again on myself, I heard God whisper.

You are.... 

I had wondered why I was there. I had wondered if I was qualified. God reminded me that 13 months ago my heart cried out to Him because I wanted to help other missionaries. His answer was to give me the idea for this blog. I did not understand it then. I thought that a small blog in a remote corner of the world wide web would reach a few people, but did not fathom the fullness of God's plan.

In the last year, He had groomed me and moved me and yes, even set me up, to be in Antigua at that moment, and had I not spent the last year learning to write and seeking out people like Jeff Goins, I would have never learned of the opportunity to go to Guatemala. I would have been on my couch in Texas watching the 49ers lose the Super Bowl.

Instead He whispered "You are a missionary." 

My heart began to recover a dream in that moment. One I thought I had lost with time and bad choices years ago. I am a missionary.

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8

 When We Don't "Get It"

God is in the business of redemption. He redeems us, our dreams, even the time. I did not understand 13 months ago how a blog was an answer to a prayer "Lord, help me to give more to missions." I did not know that the pain and the struggles of sharing my thoughts and prayers and devotions with you would lead me back to a dream that I had as a young girl. To be honest, I had forgotten I had the dream...until that moment in Antigua.  

God excavates what life buries and He reclaims us for His purpose...even when we doubt. 

So if you find yourself in the middle of a journey, and you can't quite see the destination, don't worry. Trust God. He is working all things together for your good and His glory. 

Join the Conversation

What thing has God redeemed for you?

Subscribe

If you like what you read here and want to get more great content, then click the "Subscribe to our Newsletter" link below. Fill out that short form and confirm your subscription by checking your email. It is as easy as that! I won't sell your info and I won't spam you. Oh- and I will give you the PDF version of my children's story "The Gardener and the Sapling" for FREE. You can print it up and read it to your little ones, or share it with someone you love. The message in it is timeless!

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The Journey of Promise: My Wrecked Vision Trip Begins

Tomorrow I take off for Guatemala. Photo Credit: Creative Commons

The Time is Now

Tomorrow I will rise at 3:30 in the morning, don my traveling clothes (you should always wear something that hides stains well when you travel and that does not wrinkle) and drive an hour to the nearest airport. Then I will get on a plane, travel across the US and after a couple more planes and hours of air time, I will arrive in Guatemala. 

My journey may culminate tomorrow, but it began long ago. 

The Call

When I was 16, I went to church camp in the hills of Texas. It is beautiful country and our church services were outside. There I experienced God in the most intimate of ways and there I "heard" (not as a physical voice, but a clear direction of the Spirit) God say this: 

"You will preach the gospel beyond these hills." 

Now, over twenty years later, with lots of life (the good and the bad) lived in the in-between, I am going past the hills of Texas to preach the gospel. I may not have much to say, mostly because I do not speak the language, but actions speak louder than words, right? 

I will bring toothpaste and hugs to an orphanage and a children's story to a hospital, and not much else but the love of Jesus via a broad smile and a boisterous laugh. 

Gospel means truth, and the truth is I do not know what is waiting for me on this trip, but my expectation is that God has an experience of a lifetime planned. 

The Promise 

There are a few scriptures that I always seemed to gravitate towards. Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:28 are the main ones. But today, as I hold in my heart the wonder of what God is doing I cannot help but think of this: 

"I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be in my mouth. I praise the Lord— let the suffering listen and rejoice. Magnify the Lord with me! Together let us lift his name up high! I sought the Lord and he answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to God will shine; their faces are never ashamed. This suffering person cried out: the Lord listened and saved him from every trouble." Psalms 34: 1-6 CEB

God promises are yes and amen. I know that He has delivered me and He longs to do the same for you and for the people of Guatemala. I am honored and humbled that I get to tell people about Him, His plan for us and His loving kindness to the ones who suffer. 

Join The Conversation

 Here are a few ways you can join with me on this journey: 

• Pray - pray for safety, a move of the Spirit, salvations to take place, provision, and peace and continuity within the Wrecked team

• Read Along - I and many of the people going will be blogging through the trip. Join us by reading along. If you are not subscribed, then join the blog newsletter now so you do not miss anything! 

• Give - The costs are still accruing for this trip, and my goal is still not yet met. If you intended to give and just never got around to it, it is not too late! Give here. 

Don't Quit Your Day Job: The 5-Fold Purpose of Work

Photo Credit: Creative Commons edits by Dayna Bickham 

Work Stinks

When I was a kid, I bought into that lie that we all do at one point or another: "When I grow up I am going to do what I want to do, and nothing else!" 

Then we find out that doing what you want costs money, or conflicts with something else and reality begins to set in. The truth is work stinks and it is not always fun. 

Some of us have gotten "What do you want to be when you grow up" mixed up with what I should do until my dreams become reality. 

The answer will always be work. 

We have to put our hand to the plow and not look back. In work, whether it is for a family business, a corporation or somewhere in between, we grow and learn and change. Working matures us. Sticking to the job when we don't want to stretches us. 

In Jeff Goins' book Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life he says this: 

"Committing to certain things- a job, a wife, a calling- has taught me a lot about character and integrity  discipline and honor. There's something about the process of giving up on other possibilities and sticking to a path that brings life in ways that other thrills do not. And I'm a better man for it, no matter how much I kick and scream along the way." 

More Than A Paycheck

There is a purpose to work besides putting money into your pocket. Work teaches us and develops us. Here are a few ways it does this: 

• We Learn Commitment - stick-to-it-ness. We learn the value of hanging in there when the going gets tough and we glean the benefits of coming out on the other side. 

• Work Develops Character- Doing what you said you would do is not always as easy as it sounds. In today's society we often flake out because we heard "just follow your heart" too often. Our heart should not be dictating our actions, but what God says, and He said "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." 

• We Develop Skills- Work strengthens skills you already have and teaches you new skills. Sometimes our dreams require more of us than we can bring to the table. That was the case with Joseph. He was a spoiled kid in his father's house, but after serving Potiphar, and then becoming a leader in prison, then he was ready to lead a nation through a drought and save his family. Then his dreams could come to pass. 

• Work Hones Your Focus. If you want to know more about who you are, get dirty. Work, the sweat of our brow actually tells us more about our strengths and weaknesses. It builds us up as people of character and makes us focus on things by forcing us to prioritize. We get rid of the fluff and take care of the stuff that matters.  Tweet That 

• Work Opens Doors- Opportunities we never thought we would have, or chances to do things we never dreamed may just come as fruits of our labor. Without putting our hand to the plow and just doing our everyday work, we would not get the benefit of opportunities. Do not think less of your job because it is not the one you wanted at first. Do not despise your small beginning, because you never know where it might lead.  

The Purpose of Work

Work prepares you for more. In my book, The Purpose of Chosen I talk about this very thing. We have been chosen for a purpose, but that does not mean our skills dictate what that purpose is. Instead our purpose dictates what skills we should be learning. The calling is never after the gift, the gift always comes second. Preparation for your purpose may be in the mission field, or your home church, or it may be like Joseph- in prison. Where ever you are, put your hand to the plow. Do the work. It will prepare you for more, and it will make reaching your goals and dreams that much sweeter! 

Join the Conversation

What are some lessons you have learned through work? 

Subscribe

If you like what you read here and want to get more great content, then click the "Subscribe to our Newsletter" link below. Fill out that short form and confirm your subscription by checking your email. It is as easy as that! I won't sell your info and I won't spam you. Oh- and I will give you the free PDF version of my children's story "The Gardener and the Sapling"  for FREE. You can print it up and read it to your little ones, or share it with someone you love. The message in it is timeless! 

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CAN YOU HELP ME GET WRECKED?

HELP SEND THE GOSPEL AROUND THE WORLD

The Bible is clear: we are supposed to go.

I know I am called to go. To preach the gospel, to love on and minister to the sick, the hurt and the broken.

That is why I am asking for your help.

I have a hard time imagining a world where there is no running water, no doctor, or no school for my child. Maybe you do too. After all, we live pretty blessed lives. But the world is full of places just like that.

The mountains of Guatemala is one of those places. There is a missions trip scheduled in February to go minister to the people there and I would love to go, but I do not have the funds.

This is where you come in.

Matthew 25:34-40 says (ERV) 

“Then the king will say to the godly people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has great blessings for you. The kingdom he promised is now yours. It has been prepared for you since the world was made. It is yours because when I was hungry, you gave me food to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I had no place to stay, you welcomed me into your home. When I was without clothes, you gave me something to wear. When I was sick, you cared for me. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.’ Then the godly people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear?  When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’

COUNT THE COST (AND COUNT IT ALL JOY) 

I know that this may not be the best time of year to ask for help. I get it. I also know that people frown on giving money to "preachers", but I am not a preacher. I am just an ordinary woman who is trying to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of other ordinary people: people without food, electricity, health care, or hope.

It will cost almost $900 for the trip but I will have to get from Houston to Miami first, so that will add another $400. This is a lot of money for me.

$1,300.00 to be exact!  (See how much has been given already and how far I have to go!) 

But you could help send me there. To make a donation of $10 or more, click this link:

This will make a secure and fast donation directly through Crowd Funding and will help me minister to the people of Guatemala.

If for some reason this trip does not work out (space is limited and may fill up before I raise the funds, I will use the funds for another trip) I am going to travel with Adventures in Missions, so there is always somewhere to go and something to do. Should every thing fall through, the donations can be refunded. Just remember this: 

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27 NLT

So please, if you have just three minutes and at least $10 to spare can you give now? Just click the Crowdfunding link now to make your safe, and secure donation now.

If you have questions, feel free to email me at ayearinthespirituallife@hotmail.com.

*** I am not a Charity and do not function as a 501c3. Therefore, your donation is really a gift and not tax deductible. Thank you for sowing into this ministry. *** 

I Am Not Getting Paid to Say This: An Interview with Jeff Goins

Jeff Goins

The Initial Attraction

There have been many people in this world who have influenced me. Some, like teachers, family members, and friends I have met. Some, like Jeff Goins, I have not had the privilege of meeting. Yet somehow, he has impacted me on many levels: some personal and some professional. 

(He even gets a "thank you" in my upcoming book The Purpose of Chosen: Discovering You Are Meant for More and a quote in the book as well. -More on that later!) 

It may be his lopsided grin, his honest blue eyes, and  ginger hair that grabbed my attention (having tons of gingers in my family I have a fondness for them) but it was his honest and bold writing style that kept my attention. 

Jeff's had an amazing rise in the blogger world and as a writer his work is gaining notice in more ways than one. Jeff's first books were self-published works about writing and following your dreams. Since then he has put a ton of work in, and seemed to instinctively know how to build a platform of readers, engage an audience, and build a following. 

So publishers came knocking. (This is unheard of!) 

These are skills people pay to learn, and Jeff seemed to become adept simply by trying. This, along with his unique and genuine personal world view has launched him into the bloggosphere as a bit of a guru, and I am not too proud to say I usually pour over anything the man writes with ferocious zeal. 

Yep. I Am a Fan

When I learned Jeff wrote a new book called Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into your Comfortable Life, I was intrigued. This is a bit of a departure from his previous books, but not a departure from who Jeff is. 

By night, Jeff is a Superwriter (of graphic-novel-proportions: able to leap over large word counts in a single bound), and a diaper changing, bottle warming, Instagram snapping, new dad to boot. 

By day he is Communications Director at Adventures in Missions in Nashville, Tennessee. His heart for making a difference is certainly something that shaped the penning of his most recent book and one I want to share with you today. 

I am not getting paid to say these great things, though, I should think about sending Jeff my resume when and if he ever needs a publicist. I did not even receive a free copy of his book. I had to by it the old fashioned way: Amazon. (that is an affiliate link) But it was worth it in the end.  As a matter of fact, when Jeff asked for applications for his launch team, I applied and then did not make it. So when I asked for an interview I was pleasantly surprised to say the least when he said yes. 

Now, months later, I get to share with you what I learned by interviewing Jeff, and introduce to you a book that will turn your world upside down and inside out if you let it. 

The Interview

Dayna:  Jeff, your life has gone through some amazing changes in the last few years. A successful blog, a couple of great eBooks, a new son, and now your other "baby": Wrecked. How are you handling the ride? 

Jeff:  Well, Dayna, as you well know (since I promised a reply to you months ago) that it's a bit overwhelming. It's frankly hard to keep up with everything. Much to my own regret, I've had to make some sacrifices just to stay healthy.

My two main priorities are my family and what I consider my "art" — writing content that I can be proud of. Somewhere in there, I also try to put food on the table, pay the bills, and interact with my "tribe" of readers, but if I do all that at the expense of the first two priorities, I've failed. And it won't be long before everything else fails, too.

For me, it's important to have that solid foundation.

Dayna:  If someone asked me this question I would hate them, but I have to ask anyway: What makes Wrecked so special? Why is it different? 

Jeff:  I wrote Wrecked, because I couldn't find a book like it out there already. I have lots of friends and colleagues who have had paradigm-shifting experiences that have left them confused or paralyzed.

I wanted to write a book about what to do after you feel like your world has been turned upside-down — why that's a good thing and where to go from there.

I think there are a good number of books about changing the world and living for others, but most seem to err on the side of commitment or adventure. 

That is, you either feel like you're not doing enough or that you're doing too much and need to focus on just one thing.Wrecked is not answering that struggle but learning to live in the tension. It's where we all need to live more of our lives.

Dayna:  In that moment when we are "wrecked" lying on our backs waiting for the worst like the tortoise on the front of your book, what is the most important thing to remember in that moment? 

Jeff: This isn't about you. It's not about you lying on your back. It's about the sky that you can now see. So look up.

Dayna: I love that. "So look up."  How have you been able to filter the events in your life and use them to propel you forward? 

Jeff: A wise man once told me that God can only bless or redeem. In other words, there are two filters for the things that happen in our lives:

1. "This was supposed to happen. Be grateful for it."

2. "This wasn't supposed to happen, but good will come of it."

Saying "everything happens for a reason" is a bit Pollyanna for me. The truth is sometimes bad, terrible things happen. But our response to them is what shapes our character.

Dayna: I write about purpose with a particular singularity. It is my thing. How important do you think finding your purpose in life is? 

Jeff: Essential. And plenty of people don't.

This is something you will have to fight for, and without it, life will seem meaningless and empty. Because without a clear understanding of your calling, it is meaningless and empty.

If a person doesn't find her purpose, she will fill that longing we all have with anything — even harmful substances — that offers some temporary satisfaction or gratification.

Dayna:  How can people buy your book? 

Jeff: However they want. They can find out more, including a list of places where it's for sale here http://wreckedthebook.com.

Dayna:  I have heard you are offering an incentive to purchase your book. What is that about? 

Jeff: That's actually no longer available but people can pick up a free study guide at wreckedthebook.com/guide/.

Dayna: If you had to sum up in one sentence your purpose in this life, what would it be? 

Jeff: Make a difference by making a ruckus.

Dayna: What is one moment that stands out that has helped shape your purpose in life? 

Jeff: The one time my dad told me he wasn't proud of me (and he had every right to not be). It made me realize how much honor and integrity really matter to me. I never forgot that moment and have tried to make him proud ever since.

Dayna: What role does faith play in those "wrecked" moments of life for you? 

Jeff: Faith is essential. It's the hope of things to come — not in a "I hope it doesn't rain today" wishy-washy way, but in a steady "this too shall pass" way. My faith is the lens through which I view all things, and without it, I'm lost.

Join the Conversation: 

Do you have a question for Jeff? Leave a comment below. (Oh, and I bet some well wishes and new-dad advice would be welcome too!) 

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True Confessions of a Christian Blogger

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Let's Get Real

In the moments when I feel undone, when I am at the end of my self and feel unable to give anything else, I learn that God’s grace is truly sufficient.

By writing almost every day I have learned more of what I do believe and what I have yet to learn. I have reached the end of “me” many times since starting this blog. Every time that has happened, God has honored His word, and His grace was enough.

Writing is not glamorous. Sometimes, it isn’t even fun. Yet, when I do not write I feel like I have missed something; like dreaming you have no pants on at work, which is just weird.

The last nine months have stretched me like never before. I have worried about comma splices and I have worried about hacking up the Word. I have worked out my faith in front of you and I have struggled. I have shown you the world’s most unflattering picture of myself on this blog and I have been raw and open about my past and about my present.

Soon the year will be up. I have only a few more months to share with you and I wonder if I should continue doing this beyond that time.

I have written about marriage issues in the church, how to set priorities, finding your purpose, following your dreams, and my everyday foibles. Some posts have gotten wonderful responses, and some things have barely registered.

I have never “gone viral” but I have typed away while battling a virus. I have gotten up at five a.m. and I have prayed over this endeavor many times.

Now, I am sick of “I”.

How do I write stories that are effective? How do I reach more people? Should I keep doing more of the same or should I stop when the year is up?

When I read Jon Acuff’s Quitter I burned from within to get to the “next” thing. Then I read You are a Writer by Jeff Goins and I knew I am a writer, and this is what I was called to do. Next came Michael Hyatt and Platform. I began to focus on building an audience, on gathering a following, on publishing my name.

I am sorry. 

I am not enough. I never was and never will be. I am not the solution to any problem; I am not some all-knowing swami, and I am not some big time minister: I am just me, Dayna.

I struggle with my temper and my kids have their own set of issues and rebellions. I struggle with maintaining friendships and over the course of the last nine months I feel like I have turned into a whiney baby. You have been there through it all. Thanks for that.

If you have gotten anything out of this blog, and I hope you have, I want you to know, it has very little to do with me and everything to do with my Father.

He gave me a gift. I have struggled to use it correctly. He has given me favor where I deserved none. He has given me ideas when my mind was bogged down by emotional clutter.

Ultimately, He will be the one that says keep going forward or stop. For now, we have three more months together, and I will keep plugging away to bring you content that hopefully speaks to you.

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The Power of Personality

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"Why I Oughta!" 

She was spunky. Full of life, and oh so loyal. Little Orphan Annie (Columbia Pictures, 1982) was an icon of my childhood.

I loved that she never left a room without leaving people changed forever.

I love that she could break out into a fight or break out into song just as easily!

My childhood was filled with loud and off key renditions of "Tomorrow". I wanted a shaggy dog and a brood of orphans to lead.

When someone asked me, "who do you want to be when you grow up?" I answered "Annie!"

So here I am, all grown up...now what?

Reality Is...

If I had to measure my expectations to my reality I would fall short. I think we all do. No one can live up 100% to a childhood icon. However, if I take stock of my life and look at the core of who I am I can say I am a close match.

I too can break out into a fight or song with ease. I rarely enter a room and people don't notice. When I leave, eventually the quiet that follows announces I have left the room. Whether that is a good thing or not I cannot say!

My hope is that I have an impact that is positive and not negative on the people I encounter.

When God made me, I did not get curly ginger hair. Though, I am sad about that more than you know since so many in my family are gingers. (Maybe this is one reason I like Jeff Goins so much!)

I was however given a decent singing voice and a penchant for leadership. I am spunky and pretty loyal. I love people and I have been in tough times in my life too: just like Annie! These things in me identified with a fictional character who was brought to life on the big screen during the 1980s.

They are the same characteristics that drive me today. I have developed other areas of personality and character over the years, but the ones I admired as a child are still very active in my life. They are part of my design.

I am sharing this with you because I want to touch on something that isn't as spiritual as we normally talk about, and I think we miss out in the body all the time: personality.

Everyone Has One

Personality is as individual as a fingerprint. It is what makes you an individual distinguishable from all other humans. We all have the same physicality, but personality is first designed by God then developed throughout our life.

Sometimes circumstances or insecurities affect our personality. If we are naturally a more introverted person, then our quiet natures might be amplified by an insecurity or because you married an outgoing person you may just become even more quiet in the public moments.

If you are loud like me, you may feel like it was not a fun and successful night out with friends unless everyone talked and laughed at least once. If you find a shy person in the room, you may spend extra time talking to that person just to make everyone happy.

Regardless of your personality leanings, whether you fall at one extreme or another or sit comfortably somewhere in the middle, you were designed that way for a reason.

Paul covers this in 1 Corinthians.

 "If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn’t hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn’t smell a thing. But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best. A body isn’t really a body, unless there is more than one part."

Be You

Be the person God designed you to be. Life may have kicked some dust up onto you, but that can be washed away. If you notice there seems to be something stuck or clinging to you that is not true to your design, then that can be refined out of you too. 

You, your laugh, your smile, your quirks, YOU were made you for a reason. Be the best "You" you can be and let God continually have way in your life. With God adding to what He already made you to be, there is no where you can't go and nothing you can't do! 

As a friend of mine says, "personality is required!" 

Join the Conversation

When you were a kid, did you strongly identify with a TV, movie or comic book character like I did? Who was it? 

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The One Key to Finding Your Purpose

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Want to find your purpose? Then start doing. 

There is a certain magic in doing. 

Grabbing a broom and sweeping, or picking up pen and writing, both are doing. 

One for me is a chore, one helps fulfill my purpose. 

How do I know this? I started doing and found out one made my house clean while the other sparked a fire in my heart. 

You may be sitting there thinking, “But I don’t write”. Good. Not everyone is a writer. 

You will find your purpose by doing something else. The key is doing.  

Where Does Talent Fit in? 

Are you good at finding a place for everything? Do you like things in small boxes, labeled and neatly stacked? You may be an organizer. 

Do you see an old piece of furniture and know, in your gut, that it can be re-purposed and made beautiful once again? You may be an interior designer. 

Do you love to swing a hammer and have a talent for building anything? Then your purpose may be church building. 

Your talents will always have something to do with your purpose, but your purpose is not based on your talents at all. Talents are tools. 

Purpose is a Mission. 

Missions stay the same. Missions always move in one direction and grow as we grow. Talents help accomplish the mission, but talents are not the be all and end all of who we are. 

Those God calls He equips, so stop worrying about whether or not you’re talented. 

Jeff Goins says “stop waiting to be picked”. I will go a step further. Stop waiting and get to work. 

Put your hand to the plow and do not look back. Start doing! 

It may be taking out the trash for the church, or keeping the nursery on Sunday mornings. It may be sitting in a file room organizing years of paperwork. It could be joining the praise and worship team or a Christian dance crew. 

To borrow Nike’s phrase: JUST DO IT! 

As you do the mundane things, the simple things, the fill in the blank things, then the heart’s desire things become clearer. They are the things you will think about with regularity. They are the thing that you see a need for more than any other. Your heart’s desire will make your pulse race and your palms sweat a little. 

It will be bigger than you. It may even be a little scary. 

I have been there. I know. 

However, you will never get those things unless you begin now! 

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” Luke 16: 10

Before you are the next Natalie Grant, you will probably be in the church choir for a while. Before you are the next president, you may be on a local school board first. Do not despise small beginnings. 

Someone once told me this: God does not start you at the bottom and make you go up. That is the world’s way of doing things. God starts you off where you are meant to be (at the top) and then allows that place to grow outward as you are faithful. 

So take the trash out with a JOYFUL heart. Sweep the floors with pep in your step. This is only the beginning. There is more to come. 

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Just do something. Stop waiting for life to fall into your lap, and go out there and start doing! This is the key to finding your purpose! 

With complete honesty, can you name one thing you know you could be "doing" but were secretly waiting for someone else who is more qualified or willing? What is it? 


Share in the comments below! 

The Things That Make You Go "Whoa!"

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Amazing Things Come With Surrender

When we pursue our dreams, grab a hold of God’s plan for our lives and fully surrender, then wonderful things start happening. 

The Bible says, God lays our paths straight. 

Psalms 37:23 says “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”

Look around you. Are there people in your life that are impacting you on more than just a natural level? Are there people challenging you emotionally, spiritually, and mentally, to be better? Are there people suddenly popping into your life teaching you new skills, or make connections for you that you could have never made on your own? 

This is God ordering your footsteps. 

Dreams Take a Team 

I once heard Walter Hallam say “God either gives you a vision, or adds you to a vision.” 

Dreams are bigger than one person. Behind every NBA star there was a mom or dad taking the kid to practice, or a coach that saw something great in the player. We cannot accomplish everything on our own. 

For Joseph (Genesis 37-45) it took family, slave traders, a businessman, a cook , a butler, and a Pharaoh before his dream, the one he had at 17, could even begin to take place. As unlikely as the team was, as unusual as the circumstances were, Joseph determined to serve God above any other. God added those that were necessary to accomplish what He had showed Joseph. 

Keep Working 

When Joseph was wrongly thrown into a well and sold by his brothers into slavery, he could have given up. He could have done only what was required by his new owner, but he did more than was asked of him and he was promoted. He did the work. 

When he was thrown in prison after he was falsely accused of rape, he could have given up, but he kept working, and ran the prison for the warden. 

His work ethic and his faithfulness to God opened doors that were unforeseen. 

The Things That Make Me Go “Whoa!” 

Recently, after being chosen for the Platform Launch Team, I have had amazing opportunities to meet some amazing writers, publishers, videographers, and spiritually adept men and women. After taking Jeff Goins’ advice I invited one of those people to coffee. 

Dana Pittman is an author, a lawyer, a mom, a homeschooler, a wife, a videographer, a runner, a crafter, a blogger, and a pretty awesome woman of God! Our first meeting was actually more like a reunion and a brainstorming session all wrapped up into one. Soon we will be doing a series together and sharing it with you here and on her website. 

Why am I telling you this? Because I believe my footsteps have been ordered. God has brought Dana into my life (and by extension into yours) for a reason. 

If you look around in your life, I bet you can find your “Dana” too. 

Keep Seeking 

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matthew 21:22

Do not get distracted by the cool things that are going on around you. God has a plan, but your relationship is not about the plan. Relationship is about getting closer to Him. Don’t get the two things mixed up. Martha did and Jesus rebuked her in front of a houseful of guests. 

Seek ye first the kingdom of God (the work) and His righteousness (the relationship) and (then) all these things will be added to you! 

Question: Has God ever done something for you that made you stop and say “Whoa!”?