Who You're Meant to Be

"But Moses said to God 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' And God said, 'I will be with you.'" (Exodus 3:11-12).

I have some good friends that I've made on this journey called Life. They are friends who just seem to settle in to who they are, and how God has wired them. They have embraced the gifts that they have, bought into them, held them and owned them, and walked them out in their everyday worlds.

One friend, Guy, told me that he saw the world with different eyes behind his camera. I had to stand in amazement as I accompanied him to a photo shoot of a father and son, and saw what he could do with camera and lighting.

As a child, Guy knew that he loved photography. I believe that God instilled that gift in my friend, whose last name is Grafius, when Guy committed to his gift and opened his business, "Photografius." Guy sees things through a lens that others cannot.

Then there is my friend, Tammie, who's as calm as can be in the middle of crisis. People around her can be choking, bleeding, or screaming, and she remains calm, while assisting them. Her grandfather was a doctor. Her mom and sister are nurses. And she is one of the best nurses I've ever known. Even as a friend, it's in her very character to be helping someone. Blood makes me pass out. Blood makes her thrive.

Or there's my husband. At age seven he was out driving a tractor. His happiest moments are in the sunshine working with animals. When he is breathing fresh air, driving his tractor, and completely covered in soil, he is fulfilled and content.

In the place in time, where who you are and what you do, come together, you must be willing and able to listen to the Creator. He has crafted you, woven your specific traits together and made you exactly who you are....the way you are....for a reason. The desires in your heart, the things that you love to do, the talents that you have, are all created on purpose for a purpose!

In Exodus 3, we read about Moses and God's calling on his life. Moses is out in the field tending sheep. A burning bush is what pulls his interest, and he walks slowly towards it (Exodus 3:4). As his old broken down sandals meet the ground, we see him walk into the world of leadership. From leading his sheep on a grassy hillside, to traveling on foot to find freedom for his people, Moses is made to be a leader.

But Moses is afraid. The dreaded "what-if-I-can't-do-it" hits him, and confidence and comfort are replaced with challenge and fear. God resolves to show Moses his purpose. He is here on earth, using the gifts, talents and substance of who is he, to lead sheep. Think bigger, Moses!!! Stretch your mind....God is saying. Because the sheep of a wooly kind will no longer follow Moses, but instead the sheep of the human kind will. And God will be with him.

Today, God has placed inside you a treasure of talents. Perhaps it is the gift of music or art, or maybe it's teaching or photography. Maybe you love to work with food or you are an avid gardener. You know what it is that is deep within your very being, that makes you feel like you could soar and fly.

Whatever that something is....whatever talent makes your heart lighter and your energy heightened, that's what God is calling out of you today. It is your time to meet Him in the burning bush. It is your time to seek Him for what that gift is. You know it...you've seen it....you understand it. Now....get busy and do it, and be who you were created to be. 

Bill Hybels Lead Pastor, WillowCreek

Give all the money you can give.

Give all the service you can give.

Give all the prayers you can give.

Give whatever you have to give, because for all eternity you'll look back over your shoulder and be glad you did.  

God's Plan for Being a Non-Conformist 

By Keith Tally

Our culture celebrates those who are "true to themselves," sometimes to ridiculous extents. A friend of mine, while he was walking through a department store, saw a rack full of identical T shirts with the phrase, "Dare to Be Different!" emblazoned on them.

God's plan for us to be "true to ourselves" is so much better. He created us, and knows exactly what is best for each of us.

Paul wrote to the Romans, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

One of the problems with this world's pattern is that it's unpredictable; the ideal is a moving target.

As a young employee at the midwestern site of a large, multinational corporation, I had managers who would encourage me to "be more assertive," and to feel free to speak up and share my ideas in meetings. A number of years - and managers - later, I knew I had arrived when a manager "challenged" me to "be more concise in your communications."

That same corporation seeks to maintain a "high performance culture," which is one where no matter how well you do, they can always find more work for you to take on as part of your "career development." As a young husband and dad of two young children, I reached a point in my career where I had to choose between striving for the top ratings, or spending more time with my wife, kids, neighbors, and my church family.

Jesus encouraged his followers to "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
 

I'm convinced that the reason God's yoke for us is easy is that it fits. The burden that he gives us is one that is actually designed for us to carry. It's not one that is designed to extract the maximum amount of work and profit from an employee, with little concern for the negative effects on his health or the health of his family.

We Christians have our own "high performance culture." Being "busy" seems to be the norm. As a joke, I once posted on my facebook page that I was thinking of writing a book entitled, "A Million and One Ways to Simplify Your Life." Some of my Christian friends thought I was serious, and started offering their own suggestions for me to include. What I intended as a self-contradictory title came across as something very practical for some.

I take great comfort in Jesus' description of the greatest commands. The first was to "love God," and the second was to "love your neighbor." There is great simplicity in these. In our family's decisions on where to focus our efforts, we give extra, prayerful consideration to our "neighbors," those needs that are closest to us, and the needs that are least likely to be met by someone else. It doesn't solve all the problems but it helps.

God's expectations are so much simpler than the world's. Micah said it well, when he wrote,

"And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) 

Photo by Josh Garland

Dream Big...

Pray diligently and Seek God's Will for your life.

God has put in every life a path, a journey, that only you can take. Following His daily directions, you can set out to discover the path He has made for you and for me... but we can only move as far down on that path as our feet will take us. That means growing, changing, trusting in faith, that God is with us...

and we're never alone.

Kathy Weckwerth
 

"Oh, that my steps might be steady,  

keeping to the course you set."  

Psalm 119: 5

The Message Bible 

The Gift of Artistry: The Master's Plan
An Interview with Riley Erickson

At what age did you first know that you loved art?

I can remember using drawings as a form of getting my ideas down from as early as my elementary school years, but it was not until I took my first art class in high school at the age of fourteen when I finally realized how much fun I could have with art.

Artwork by Riley Erickson

What is your favorite thing about creating?

I think my favorite thing about being creative is that it is not necessarily limited to one aspect. I can be working on oil or acrylic paintings one day and then dive into a digital or hand drawn piece the next. God tells us that He has created every person in His image and if we believe that, we realize that each person has a creative spark in them. Some people are creative with numbers, others with music and notes, and still others with words or writing. There is creativity all around, and the opportunity to participate in the excitement of making something new continually spurs me on.

Have you ever felt misunderstood with your passions and worried about other people's opinions?

Being in a position of creativity, there is a heightened awareness of public perception. A creative person is essentially putting a part of themselves out on display to be critiqued and judged, which comes with comments of praise and others that are difficult to hear. Criticism, whether favorable or poor, is a part of art and in life.

It is easy to fall into the trap that I need to try to please everyone, but that is unrealistic. If I weigh my actions and goals in terms of what God has required of me, then it better prepares me to move past putting too much emphasis on other opinions. I have been fortunate and blessed to be surrounded by friends and family that have always encouraged me in my endeavors creatively, whether or not they fully understood what I was pursuing.

Artwork by Riley Erickson

When God looks at Riley Erickson...

what do you think He sees?

The one thing about being creatively driven is that nothing ever really feels truly completed; there is always something that could be added or improved upon. I think that is how God looks at me. I feel as though I have grown tremendously in my faith these past few years, but I know that I am still a "work in progress." I am a continually growing vessel that will further learn and grow in Christ until the day His work is finished in me. In a very real way, God is the master artist, and I am just one of his many brushes used to fulfill his masterpiece.

My World 

By April Tvinnereim

The stove timer is beeping, Bjørn is crying to be nursed, Amber is yelling out to the 3 girls that are outside, Andrea is daydreaming AGAIN, our dog is barking to go out back, Söryn just woke up from his much needed nap and my Hubby's alarm clock just went off! Welcome to "MY WORLD!" Or the "Tvinnereim Circus" as my sister calls it. Every day is not like this, some days it is more organized, others it's a bit more flexible or chaotic to some. I love when people see my family and ask, "Are they all yours?" or "Boy, you have your hands full!" I just smile and say, "Yes, I am blessed." I am a busy mother of 7, a supportive wife, home-schooling parent of 5, work part-time outside the home and volunteer in my community. It is not always easy. I have my moments when I wonder how nice it would be to have a hot bath without interruptions, drink a cup of coffee without "nuking" it four times, or a piece of 2 oz. chocolate to myself.

Our journey started eight years ago when we decided I would stop working outside the home as a Medical Assistant. I wanted to raise my children rather than some stranger at a daycare. After much research and prayer, God showed me Proverbs 22:6, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Then we started the adventure of homeschooling! We have been able to teach them our religious beliefs, family closeness, allow child led learning, and to protect them while educating them on worldly issues. I have found peace & encouragement in this verse. I was given (in church) Psalm 127:3-5, "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."This opened my heart to more children and forever changing me. We have allowed God to control how many children He blesses us with. I love my family! I love the softness of a baby, the snuggling of a toddler, the excitement of a child learning something new, how a child loves unconditionally, and how a child loves to learn and explore.
 

I love following our God! God blesses us each with gifts (Isaiah 11:1-5 & Romans 12:3-8), experiences, and will allow trials and tests. I have learned that God has given me the gift of serving others, being selfless, and showing others compassion and kindness. I have experienced things in my life (like abandonment, rejection, abuse, trials, and unworthiness) that made me realize that I want to make sure EACH person knows they are special, acknowledged, and encouraged! I want people to know they are created by God's design and each serves a purpose in this world. I coordinate for a local poverty group, Friends & Families First, that volunteers in our community. Our goal is to reach out to others by giving them hope, encouragement and a sense of belonging in the community. I have learned to be happy with what I have, thankful for the lessons He gives me, trials that strengthen my faith, and the blessings I receive, even if other's see my blessings as burdens. I trust in HIM and that is how and why I am able to accept "MY WORLD." 

By Kathy Weckwerth

Chandra (my middle daughter) asked me if I believe that God created each person to have the desire to work at a specific job. She wanted to know if the hopes and dreams that she had since she was 3, to become a chiropractor, were placed there from God. I believe it! Each one of us is crafted with unique gifts.

From the minute our family took over the job of cleaning her grandpa's clinic, until today, she has twirled and danced and spun around the room telling us someday she would be in that office as a doctor. At twenty-four this year, she is in graduate school on track to become a chiropractor.

God is good in providing the very desires of our hearts and matching them up with opportunities to serve Him with that skill. But without putting those desires into action, without looking for the "hows" in the journey of life, we'll never get past our own front door. Risk taking isn't always easy. Finding the motivation to get to where you want to go, isn't always easy. But asking God for your hopes and dreams to become realities is just a prayer away. And how you work with God to get there is the exciting part of the journey.

Five Steps to Become Who You Are Meant to Be:

1. Discover what's in the doors and closets of your heart, and bring those desires out to the light. Look at the things that you love to do: that make you feel fulfilled.

2. Seek God if this is His will in your life's journey. Read your Bible. Seek God. Ask for advice from those who know you best.

3. Write your desires down in a journal. Get it on paper and realize those gifts.

4. Pray, meditate and seek God for how He's going to accomplish this in your life. Begin making goals and plans help make things happen... is this a job interview? Is this a trip? Is this a tool, computer, class that you must obtain to get started?

5. Make tangible steps to attain these desires. Make the call, send the email, set up the meeting, take the class, interview for the job, begin the hobby.

Newsletter Archive Now Available

NEW! Read past issues of our newsletter online at www.bestlifeministies.com

• June 2011 
• May 2011 
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View entire archive - click here! 

Pieces of Life

We have an exciting eBook in the works! Look for it on our website next month, our eBook, Pieces of Life: 12 inspiring views on living your best life, is a Devotional Collection from Best Life Ministries.

Catch a glimpse of the unique pieces of the lives of our Best Life Ministries friends. You will discover personal stories and strategies that will inspire you to notice the things you think and do, day in and day out, towards stepping out and becoming the very best version of you. This collection will compel you to start living your best life today!

"I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of."     John 10:10. 

A Letter to My Son 

by Kandy Stevens

Life Lessons: In It For the Long Run 

by Kathy Weckwerth

Divine Appointments

by Pam Mertz

Donate

Best Life Ministries has purchased a van! We still need $400 for logo decals on the new van. Donate today! Click here.

We have an awesome online auction happening for a fall family getaway! Enjoy MEA Weekend in a Condo in the Dells! Townhome at Christmas Mountain Resort, Wisconsin Dells October 16th to 23rd, 2011. Proceeds going to Best Life Ministries. Click here.