If you are called

These are the words that spurred my pastor, Chuck Tate​, to finally write the book he has had inside of him for about 15 years. The same book that won a publishing deal with Tyndale House Publishing this weekend.
 

Before I started this blog,
Before God rescued me from myself, 
Before I was ever homeless,
Before God started my business,
Before I was even an adult,
Before I understood that God called people to do anything.
Before I even understood Who God is, I knew I was called to write.

Lately I've been feeling the pull to write more and more, but I don't always have actual words to put on the page. I open the laptop and stare at the keys and nothing comes. Some call it writers block. Some look at my life and wonder how I have time to write at all, much less pull together a readable post.

I would say that God recently showed me the source of my writer's block, but what He actually showed me is the source of my drive and gift and love for writing. It's HIM. When I am in the Word, when I am praying, when I am focusing on and fighting for His will for my life, the words flow more easily.

It truly believe this is another gift from God. I am busy. I am easily distracted. (Really, easily distracted. Like, between the last two sentences I checked Facebook twice.) I run my own business. I have four children. I REALLY like sleep... sometimes (often) more than reading my Bible. God knows sometimes I need a little incentive right now, to focus on what He wants for me instead of all the distractions.
   
I hope that some day my walk with God will be so solid that I won't need writer's block to remind me I haven't been in my Bible in a couple days. But for now I'm grateful. He is equipping me to do what He has called me to do, and the encouragement to do so just keeps coming. 

Today I not only had a new blog post accepted as a "guest post" for an awesome blog site (bravegirlcommunity.com), but the women I submitted it to read through my previous posts here and asked to use an older one for another post later this spring. What an awesome blessing!

I wanted to share my news, and then I want to leave you with this thought:

Mark Batterson's quote about living 

in disobedience applies to more than writing. 

What is God calling you to do? 

Are you doing it?

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

~Philipians 2:11

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

~1 Thessalonians 5:23-24