God’s purpose

You’re Already Amazing LifeGrowth Guide Review

Trudy Den Hoed , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Do you want to embrace who you really are? To become all God created you to be? To better share Him in your own amazing way wherever He places you?

Holley LifeGrowth GuideIn the You’re Already Amazing LifeGrowth Guide, Holley Gerth leads us through an interactive journey of discovery of who we are and into a deeper relationship with the God Who has created each of us to be an amazing masterpiece for a special purpose in life. The LifeGrowth DVD is meant to be used along with it. With each session, Holley sits with her cup of coffee and offers additional hugs of encouragement. Both are intended to be companions of the book she previously published – You’re Already Amazing. These resources can be used whichever way works best for you: a group study, an online study, one-on-one, or an individual study.

Sometimes I still fear that thinking of ourselves as “amazing” is prideful. According to the church we grew up in, it was prideful to say anything good about ourselves. And for sure we were not supposed to love ourselves. I still struggle with this, and it’s hard for me to grasp the thought that it hurts God when we condemn ourselves just as much as when we condemn others. I’m learning, but I’m still a work-in-progress. Holley’s books have helped me a lot in this area. I can no longer ignore those two words at the end of this verse – “as yourself.”

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-39

Holley believes that “seeing who God made us leads to praise, not pride.” Her purpose in this book is to give God praise and to encourage us to go out and love as only each of us can, equipped with the strengths and skills God has uniquely gifted us with.

“For we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things
He planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:10 NLT

you're already amazingThere are six sessions:

1. Who God Created Us to Be
2. What’s True No Matter How We Feel
3. Our Amazing Journey with Jesus
4. God’s Plan for Our Relationships
5. God’s Purpose for Our Lives
6. How We Can Thrive for a Lifetime

Each session is filled with heart-freeing truths along with questions and activities that help us to better understand who God really made us to be and to discover our LIFE (Love Is Faith Expressed) statement.

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
nor uncircumcision has any value. 
The only thing that counts is
faith expressing itself through love.”
Galatians 5:6

With the help of lists of specific strengths and skills, the choosing of which ones fit me, and the guiding prompt Holley gives, I have discovered my LIFE statement: “I am created to express my faith through love, especially by bringing encouragement and hope in Jesus to hurting hearts through words.”

Probably my greatest “aha” moment of this book is that I’m exactly where God wants me to be. I have been beating myself up far too much that I’m “not doing enough,” but I need to just be me, the me God created. I need to quit putting so much pressure on myself and to let go of fears and insecurities that are holding me back.

As Holley writes – “Insecurity or fear of rejection keeps us alone.” And when this happens “we let the world miss out on who we are, what we have to give, and the beauty God has placed within us.”

Friends, we all have something to give because of the beauty God places within us. I encourage you to prayerfully read and personally interact with the truths in this book. Try to discover your own LIFE statement, and let it guide you and free you to be who you really are.

Perhaps your shoulders will droop and your eyes will look blankly at the lists of strengths and skills and think – I don’t have any. I remember thinking that the first time I read Holley’s previously published book You’re Already Amazing. That’s what happens when we’re all down on ourselves. I hope you will not give up on yourself as I often have. I believe as surely as I am writing this that everyone who reads this does have God-given strengths and skills. Sometimes we may have to dig deep past the garbage of our insecurities and toss out lots of lies to find them, but they are there.

Once we’re more clear about who God created us to be, will it always be easy? No way. Satan doesn’t want anyone to use their God-given gifts for God’s glory, so he will sometimes sock us right in the gut of our vulnerabilities. There will be days where we feel so weary that we don’t think we can take the next step. Days we will fall down. Days we will feel like failures. But let’s remember that in our weakness we are strong in the grace of Jesus. With His power in our hearts, we will keep putting one foot in front of the other.

And remember that no matter what, God loves you just as you are.


“God loves you for who you are.
You don’t have to earn His love.”
~ Holley Gerth

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GIVEAWAY – Visit Lori Schumaker for a chance to win one copy of Holley Gerth’s “You’re Already Amazing” Book and Study Guide.

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Linking up with: 

Holley – Coffee For Your Heart 

Jennifer – Tell His Story 

Kelly – Cheerleaders of Faith

Barbie – Weekend Whispers

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The LORD Himself Watches Over You!

Trudy Den Hoed , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lordwatches

A male house finch chirped and scolded “That’s mine, so back off!” to a twice-his-size robin who was seeking out a place to nest close to where his mate was settled on eggs. After the robin flew away, he stood as a devoted husband protecting his bride from harm.

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My thoughtful husband took a wreath, wrapped more greenery around it, and nailed it up under the eave right outside my office window. A pair of house finches built a nest not inside it but on the top. The female is hidden to the left, but sometimes we can see her head or her tail. 🙂

God’s creation can teach me so much of God’s character if I open my eyes and ears to it. As I watched how jealously this finch guarded his mate, I thought of how sometimes Satan steals away my peace with all his lies and false promises, but he’ll never get past God. He can never knock me out of God’s nest of love, because God stands guard powerfully proclaiming, “She’s mine, so back off!”

As I watch the lives of these finches, I notice the male is not always there. I don’t always see him, but I know he’s always close by. Once in a while he eats at the feeder and then flies off again. Sometimes he sweeps into the nest and his head bobs as he feeds his bride. Other times he stands on the rooftop above the nest and belts out a cheerful melody.

God is like that. He never lets us out of His sight. Never. We can’t always feel Him, but He is with us always. Constantly watching out for us. Sometimes we tune in to His voice and other times we don’t realize He is calling us. And once in a while He swoops in to hold us near, to feed us His promises, and to cheer us on to believe He is always here for us. To remind us we can trust He sees, He hears, He knows.

There was a time in my life that I thought if God is always with me, why did bad things happen to me? If He has infinite power and He cares so much, why didn’t He protect me from so much pain? Is God punishing me for something?

Once in a while those questions still pop up, but now I realize God gives people choices. GOD didn’t hurt me. We live in a sinful world, and a perpetrator chose to harm me. I still don’t always understand why God didn’t keep me safe, but for now I’ll trust He knows why.

I just have to believe there is a purpose in pain. I do know I wouldn’t have such a deep empathy for hurting souls if I hadn’t gone through such pain myself. I think also it has led me deeper into what Jesus has willingly suffered for me all because He loves me so deeply. He was willing to be rejected so I will never be rejected by God. That’s why I know God is still watching out for me.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
(Jeremiah 29:11)

I don’t know what you’re feeling right now, but God knows. He sees. He hears. He’s got your back. Like this house finch jealously guarding his bride, God is watching over YOU. I know it doesn’t always feel that way, but He does. You are His bride, His beloved. As a faithful Husband, he cherishes you and watches over you with such love and tenderness.

The same God who created the birds and takes care of them so one feather will not fall without His permission will watch over us, faithfully tending to all our needs.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground
outside your Father’s care.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
(Matthew 10:29-31)

A Child's Trust

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A Soft Gentle Voice

Because God Sees

Trudy Den Hoed , , , , , , , ,

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Bloom Wherever God Plants You

“But my work doesn’t really have a purpose. Nobody really sees or appreciates it.” The painful piercing of insignificance hidden in the woman’s eyes brimmed over during a Bible study on The Purpose-Driven Life.

What kind of work did she do? Washing hospital sheets day after day. A behind-the-scenes job that many people don’t appreciate. She felt so insignificant in making a difference for anyone in this life. But truly, because of her, sick and weary souls could rest on crisp, clean sheets.

She taught me to look beyond the privileges we have each day to who is behind it. The next time I was in the hospital, I hugged those sheets around me and thanked God for people like her who slave away trying to make a hospital stay more comfortable.

Many of us may have thankless jobs, whether it’s as a cleaning woman, a mother or a chimney sweep. But it’s not about what we do or what other people see us do. It’s about God and what He wants us to do wherever He has planted us in life – to bloom to His glory.

In The Invisible Woman: When Only God Sees – A Special Story for Mothers, Nicole Johnson recounts a story of a rich man who came to visit a magnificent cathedral while it was being built. When he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam, he was puzzled. “Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.” The workman replied, “Because God sees.”

Perhaps you think, “But still I feel like I’m so insignificant. I feel like what I do makes no real difference in this world.” Take heart in the truth. It doesn’t matter whether or not people realize or appreciate what you do or have done for them. You are an important cog in the gears of life. God sees and knows. Wherever you are planted, He just wants you to bloom to His glory. God sees you carving your tiny bird hidden away from human eyes in the magnificent cathedral of life. And to Him, your bird is unique, exquisite, and absolutely necessary!

A Child's Trust