Lesson 9 of "From Challenge to Change to Courage...God's Master Plan" for you life!

" From Challenge to Change to Courage...God's Master Plan" 

for you life!

Lesson 9

by Sharon Leaf

My brother John and me in Zion 2020
Stage 4 cancer doesn't keep my brother from enjoying God' beautiful country!

Today's women are facing many Challenges. 

Challenges that call for Change.  

Speaking from experience, I can tell you that Change can be scary, but ... 

... as we trust in the Lord we realize that God allows Change for our benefit.

However, when we're going through these Challenges and Changes we sometimes 

cannot see the forest for the trees.  

But when we allow God to direct our path, 

Courage comes on the scene ...

then anything can happen!

Part 1 ~ Learning to listen ~ Believing God for direction

   Why would God make a plan to know us and love us, yet not talk to us?  

For example, just as Jesus communed with His Father, we are also able to commune with our Father, in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We have all the tools.  Now it's up to us to use them.

In I Corinthians 2 Paul states, Who would ever believe we have with (us) the very thoughts and mind of Christ, and have with us the power to move the hands of God by prayer.  This verse should motivate our desire to increase our understanding towards the things of God.

   How do we know what God wants for us?  We ask!  In James 1:5,6 we read, If you want to know what God wants yo do do, ask Him and He will gladly tell you, for He is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask Him.  And remember, if you don't ask with faith, don't expect the Lord to give you any solid answer.

   Hearing God's voice is a personally unique process that grows with our desire to hear, and it is lived out by practice and the faith to believe God can and will talk to us.  When Rob and I lived in Sweden for a year while attending an international Bible School, we literally had to live by faith on a daily basis ... to provide our monthly rent, food, supplies, bus fare, etc.  Because of that experience, my faith grew by leaps and bounds.  It was the same when we were volunteers on the WWII ship Restoration for fourteen months.  We again prayed, and lived by faith.  When I think about it, living by faith were some of the best years of my life.  And guess what?  I'm still choosing to live by faith!

   God knows how to direct our success, our happiness and our decisions.  He desires to use us to bring joy to others and receive joy in return.  The Holy Spirit motivates desire and if we continue to seek Him, the desire will grow.  We grow as we walk on our journey.  Some travel the journey more quickly, others more slowly.  It's important to remember to travel at 'your own pace'... don't compare yourself with others.  The unknown should intrigue us.  We have a void until we begin to find answers to our naturally inquiring minds.

   Before we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit is considered to be upon us, gently leading us to Him.  Once we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit is then inside us, and enables us to grow and serve at the level we desire. Our growth process takes time spent studying God's Word, time spend with other believers who will help us along our journey, and most important, our time spent in prayer, seeking the Father.  It's amazing what we can accomplish when we acknowledge Him in our lives.  Ephesians 3:20 says, Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of.  Infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.

Famous church in Barcelona, Spain 2017

Part 2 ~ Our love for the Father is very personal.     

   The Bible assists us in knowing God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Since Jesus is the only one on the trinity who walked on earth, it makes it easier to have a relationship with Him.  We read of His kindness and compassion towards others.  Since Jesus no longer walks on earth, God sent us the Holy Spirit to give us access to His thoughts.  I found out many years ago that God is only a prayer away.

   God is as real as you want Him to be.  Can you think of times when you were going through a crisis when God seemed more real than ever?  Through the death of a loved one, health problems, the loss of a job, and life's failures in general, we pray more, we listen more, we depend on Him more.  This recently happened to me!  My daughter and son-in-law tested positive for the China Flue (Covid-19)!  For a moment, my heart stopped and my world stood still.  I prayed, I listened, and I'm depending on my Lord to bring healing to them!*  Plus I'm surrounded by lots of prayer warriors!  

(*Note: They are both now healed!)

   Jesus will take every opportunity to make Himself real to us, but He cannot come to us without our permission, acceptance, and desire.  There were times during my divorced years that I still loved God very much, even went to church and read my Bible.  However, I did not want anyone even suggesting that I was doing wrong for going out dancing with my girlfriends, or dating a non-Christian.  But through time, I came to my own crossroads when I knew that I had to give everything up and turn passionately back to my Lord.  And that's when my life began turning around for the better!  Yep, that's when Rob stepped into my life (read my novel Lady and the Sea to get then whole story). 

   As David states in Psalms 95:7, "Oh, that you would hear Him calling you today and come to Him."

Thought for the week:

If you don't believe you can hear from God,

then you won't.

The turning point is when you open yourself to the

possibility that He can and will

share His thoughts with you.

  Whether near or far,

remember to keep reading and 

keep that body movin'!

www.amazon.com/author/www.sharonleaf.com

Birthdays, BeLeaf, and Patience

Happy days in California (Shawn, Bosco, and me)

Today is my son's 39th birthday.  Shawn is my miracle child.  Thirty-nine years ago, after extensive tests, our family doctor said it was not likely that I would conceive again.  His words brought me temporary sadness, but they didn't shake my belief that all things are possible with God.  I wanted a baby now, but the Lord had a different plan.  Unlike us, He doesn't stress over the timing of things.  My trust was in Him, so I waited, and waited, and waited.

I already had a darling daughter from my first marriage, a child that was conceived out of wedlock when I was nineteen.  Yes, I admit that thoughts of abortion entered my mind, but deep inside I could not do something that was against my moral principles.  So I made a choice that would change my life forever.  I would not do away with my unborn child, and nine months later, Jacqueline Shane was born, one of the biggest blessings of my life.  But I wanted a brother or sister for her to  grow up with.  I was twenty-seven and time was running out.  I laugh now, but back then my clock was ticking loud and clear.

So I would exercise faith, and patience, for my miracle baby to arrive.  But things don't always happen in a day.  If you have ever wanted something now--a job, a mate, a book published--but had to wait, and wait, then you know what I'm talking about.  Many have lost the joy and reality of God's abundant life due to frenzy and lack of patience.  We try to force our own plans on God, who becomes more of a delivery boy for our flesh than the Almighty One.  Many times we have missed God's best because of our impatience.  Selfishly running about, comparing ourselves with others, we bustle into something that never was God's plan.

Therefore, patience is a great strength.  It is the ability to remain focused and to rest assured that even though weeks, months, and years pass, the earth will eventually yield its harvest.  Life involves constant growth.  Life is sowing and reaping.  If we do not grow weary, we will reap in due time.

A few years later I finally said, "Okay, Lord, if you want me to have another baby, I'll be elated.  If not, then I'll accept your will and be content."  Two years later, I delivered a healthy baby boy, Shawn Christopher.

Today, thirty-nine years later, I'm still exercising patience--presently it's regarding my novel, Lady and the Sea.  It is so easy to get swept away into hours of marketing research, wondering if perhaps I should be doing more -- book signings, speaking engagements, blog interviews, and such.  But I admit as time goes by that it's becoming easier to lean on God's timing and to see what He has for me, not what I can conjure up.

So today I wish a very Happy Birthday to my miracle son.  I pray that he is learning, like his mother, to have patience for those dreams that God has placed in his heart.  And I pray this for you too, my dear bloggy readers.

I wish you smooth sailing, sunny days, and oceans of blessings!