Then I Prayed Some More

If you have read my post from May 30th, entitled Answered Prayer, you will know that I am getting ready to attend “She Speaks.” You will also know that I have been attempting to pull together a book proposal to be presented to a couple of publishing houses.

Well, after many attempts at writing the content for the proposal, nothing is really working the way I would like for it to be. So, although I still am convinced that the book is worthy of writing, and I believe that I have much to share through this book; I have decided that this is not the year for me to move forward with presenting my ideas.

I called the Proverbs 31 office and requested that my book presentation appointments be given to the first person on the waiting list. I have prayed earnestly for the woman who will be ‘pitching’ her idea to these people. I have a great peace about this decision, so I am feeling that I made the right decision. I am feeling as if a weight has been pulled off of my shoulders and I am excited about attending the conference without that added stress. I am looking forward to just being quiet before the Lord and allowing Him to speak to me. Having the distraction of meeting with publishers last year seemed to impede my listening skills.

I will continue to work on my book, and as I said before, I will accomplish the goal of putting together a complete manuscript. I will trust the Lord with this project, and I will continue to seek to glorify God in every aspect of my life.

Answered Prayer

As I am preparing to attend “She Speaks” I have been trying to work on a book to present to a group of publishers. To say the least, it has not been going very well. As I have struggled for many days with this project my prayers have gone something like this, “Dear Lord, I believe that you placed a calling on my life to write. I believe that you gave me talent to string words together that are clear and concise and that point readers to you. But God, you know that right now I am struggling with this current project. I seem to not have the words, the tools, or the inspiration to get the job done. I have a deadline to meet if I am to present this book at the conference I will be attending. So, Dear Lord I am surrendering this project to you, if it is your will that this book get written please clear away all of the distractions. Please give me the very words you would have written, and take away any selfish ambitions or areas of sin in my life that would keep me from living out your plan for my life.”

God’s timing is perfect and so is His plan, if only we can release ourselves to wait and watch for His hand to move, then follow along with Him. Today, three weeks before I needed to have two sample chapters put together to take to “She Speaks” to present, God lead me, during my daily devotion and quiet time, to the verse in Ephesians above. How fitting and how divine are the words, “He’s using us all – irrespective of how we got here – in what he is building. . . . Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together.”

God led me to scripture that described this very book that I feel He was compelling me to write. As I read the words in my Bible this morning, my eyes flooded with tears. How could there be any doubt that I am to write this book? How could I ever doubt that indeed my life has been built brick by brick to serve God?

I know that, short of a miracle, I won’t have the book completed before I go to “She Speaks,” but what I do know is that I will make the presentation, and no matter what comes from my meetings with these publishers, my book will be written, it will be read by someone one day, and most importantly, God will be glorified!!

Praise His Name!

Oh, BTW ~ The Title of the book is: Brick by Brick, Building a Life for Service to God

“SHE SPEAKS” 2008

Oh Boy, Oh Boy! Just three weeks from today I leave for the Proverbs 31 “She Speaks” conference for 2008. I am so pumped! I know that Lysa and all the team have worked so hard to make everything bigger and better than ever.

What makes this event so wonderful? Most importantly, I think, it is that each attendee can rest assured that the P31 team has spent many hours in prayer preparation for the event. Seriously y’all, they cover every aspect of the conference in prayer and they pray specifically for every person who will be attending; by name. This year that means that they have prayed for at least 500 women. Talk about prayer warriors!!

I know that lives will be changed, hearts touched, that Jesus will be praised, and women will be equipped to carry the gospel message to many more because of this event.

For those of you who will be attending, I hope to get to meet many of you. (With 500 women running around I know I won’t get to meet everyone.) For those of you who cannot go this year, I pray that you will be able to attend next year.

Blessings all!

Shhh, Quiet Please

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3: 17 NIV)

I love the verse of scripture above. It has become an intense prayer of my heart.

“Lord, please quiet me with your love.”

Webster’s dictionary gives many definitions for the word quiet, but the ones that I like most, that fit my prayer, follow.

· restrained in speech, manner, etc.; saying little: a quiet person.
· free from disturbance or tumult; tranquil; peaceful: a quite life.
· Free from disturbing thoughts, emotions, etc.; mentally peaceful: a quiet conscience.
· Said, expressed, done, etc., in a restrained or unobtrusive way: a quiet reproach; a quiet admonition. 1

In the recent weeks I have been struggling with discipline issues for my 3-year-old son. My running prayer has gone something like this,

“Lord, I need a daily portion of your manna in the area of strength, patience and wisdom. I am feeling so incapable of being the Mother my son needs me to be. His father and I seem to be at an impasse in reaching him. In getting him to understand and follow the rules of the house. Temper my heart with love, grace and compassion. Help me to teach and not punish, allow me to guide with grace.”

Then, as so often happens with God, one morning as I was reading my Bible, God graciously led me to Zephaniah 3: 17. Although, the whole verse is good, the section that took my breath away was, “he will quiet you with his love.”

It was as if God gently flooded my soul with the answer that I had been searching for. God spoke to me and said I needed to allow Him to quiet my spirit, and my manner of addressing my son.

I would love to report that things in our household are now running 'quietly' and smoothly all of the time, but that would be incorrect. But, what is changing is my reaction when my son breaks or violates the house rules. These seven very simple words permeate my actions and my reactions, and keep me on track with God’s plan.

I may never be the mother I would like to be; but God, when I get out of His way and allow Him to work through me, is more than able. I praise His Holy Name for that great gift today!

1 From www.websters.com - “quiet”