Ready For An Amazing Weekend

Well, She Speaks officially started today. Wow, I cant even believe the blessings I have already received over the past two days since our team has been here. We have spent time hanging out and in team meetings, meeting our special guests and publishers, recieving some great training, dining together, talking, catching up, and sharing the anticipation of all the breath taking things that God is going to do this weekend. Very motivating and exciting!

I thought I would take this opportunity to let you know I would covet your prayers over the weekend, if I happen to come to your mind.

I have been working hard and praying over the the message that I will be sharing during the conference, which is part of the womens ministry leadership track today, called Staying Filled Up So You Dont Get Burnt Out. I taught this session last year and several times at other conferences, but God led me to really change it up this year, so I hope it goes well!I just hope to successfully share the message that God has laid on my heart for these sweet women who have answered the call to serve in womens ministry.

I also will be meeting with 3 publishers and an agent this afternoon - I can already feel those butterflies making their way forcefully into my tummy. My proposal is for a book about how to tap into the power and presence of God so that we can control the stress in our lives, instead of letting it control us. I have no idea whether they will be receptive to it or not, but I fully trust in Gods plan and timing.

Please also pray for the nearly 600 women that will be attending the conference this year. Each of them comes with personal issues weighing on them, testimonies that need sharing, hearts that need healing, and dreams that need sprouting. They are each and every one nervous and anxious about what to expect, except those who have attended before, so they need prayers for comfort, peace and confidence. And also, please pray for the 200 women who were on the waiting list and unable to attend - I pray that God does amazing things in their life over the coming year, and that next year they will be able to join us and have God confirm 100% what His calling is on their life.

And guess what - I get to enjoy an extra special treat this year - my mom is coming to She Speaks! I still have to pinch myself to believe it. I cannot wait to see how God will move in her heart and life. And if that isnt enough, both Morgan and Kaitlyn (my daughters) are coming too! They will spend the weekend on the Next Generation track, learning about being Godly girls, living for Christ, standing up for what is right, and making new friends with fellow Christian teen girls from across the country. I pray God continues to mold them into the beautiful young women He desires for them to be.

Last, but certainly not least, I left the two most important men in my life, my two Michaels, at home for the weekend. Please pray for their well being until I come home, that they eat something healthy at least once while Im gone, and that they enjoy a great a father/son weekend together!

So..... did I say I was excited? :) Thanks for your prayers!

She Speaks Tips

I know that some of you who read my blog will be attending the She Speaks Conference this year, can you believe it is finally here? Whoo hoo! I get so excited about this conference every year, that I can hardly wait for it to get here! Although it is a lot of hard work and 5 days of enthusiastic ministry, I am always so sad when it is all over.

For those of you who are not familiar with She Speaks, you need to check it out next year. Its focus is being a "speakers/writers" conference, but oh my goodness, it is so much more than that - it is the conference that changed my heart - altered my direction in life - and provided me the assurance and confidence to follow God no matter what. It is truly life changing! I cannot wait to post about all the amazing things that God does at the conference this year. I know I will be burning up the keyboard!

My good friend Rachel put the below message on her blog, and it says everything so perfectly, why try to reinvent the wheel? (and I stole her message off of Zoes blog, who thought the same thing!)

So here are a few tips for you She Speaks attendees that you might be interested in knowing as you prepare to come. Oh - and one last thing - if you have signed up to be in a speaker evaluation group - please do not stress! You will be so surprised at what a laid back, comfortable and friendly environment that you get to share your heart in, so remember that God is in control, He has prepared you for such a time as this, and He will give you all the courage and confidence and ability that you need to do great!

_________________________________________________________________

I want to tell you how very excited we at P31 are about this year's conference, and about YOU coming! We're simply thrilled and honored that you will be sharing your weekend and your dreams with us.


We have SO MUCH in store, I know you are going to absolutely love it. Be sure you take good notes in each of your sessions, and after meeting publishers or leaders because by Sunday you will feel you're on information overload. What you were so thrilled to learn on Saturday morning, and were certain you'd remember, you'll be scratching your head trying to recall two weeks later. Each session has handouts, but also take good notes. Or even better, purchase the CD of the session before you leave the conference to listen to it again as needed.


Strike a BALANCE on social time and sleep time. This conference runs from early morning Saturday until nearly 10:00 pm. And as I mentioned, there is a lot to take in and learn so you'll want to be rested and at your best. That said, this weekend is a great time to make new friends and forge connections with like-minded women. So put yourself out there to meet, greet and network but make sure you turn in and turn out the lights before too long.


When I'm going somewhere, I always appreciate when the event coordinator gives me tips for how to pack. So let me give you a couple PACKING TIPS for this conference.

The hotel will have ironing boards, hair dryers, soap and little bottles of shampoo and conditioner for you. So you don't need to pack those things unless you want yours from home. There is also a little gift shop in the lobby that sells toiletries or medicines you might have forgotten or discover you need. And there is a small sink, microwave (I believe) and a small fridge in your room if you want to bring snacks or drinks with you.


I must warn you it is COLD in the conference rooms (if you're not menopausal). If you are in a cute summer skirt, strappy sandals, and cotton short-sleeved top, you'll be miserable .... very pretty, but miserable. I suggest long-sleeve tops, or a jacket (blazer/sweater), or both. I also suggest hose if you want to wear a skirt. I've been known to wear hose under my slacks there just to keep warm! Now if you are having menopausal hot flashes, you will probably think it feels great!


I also want you to wear COMFY SHOES because the conference center is fairly large and you will do a bit of walking. I don't mean Crocs comfy, you'd look a little under-dressed, but this is not the time to wear those super cute heels that kill your feet inside of a half hour. You want to look polished this weekend, but you don't want to be distracted by your temperature, clothing or shoes.


Bring your BIBLE and journal because God will have much to say to your heart through out the weekend if you yield it to Him. This is another case in which to balance your time. Make sure you carve a little time to steal away alone with God somewhere in the hotel to connect with Him personally each day. If your room is crowded and the lobby is noisy, I recommend the prayer room we will have set up. It is such a serene place - be sure to slip in there at some point in the weekend.


If you have a PUBLISHER MEETING and you're feeling clueless about what to say to them, relax. Remember they are just people, and they get this sort of thing all the time. Just be prepared to explain your book concept. Please avoid saying that God gave you this book (even if He did) as that puts them in the awkward position of having to accept or reject "God's idea." There's a free bonus session on How to Prepare a Powerful, Effective 15 minute Publisher Meeting at 1:15 on Friday afternoon you can attend for more tips.

Finally, I hope you will come INTRODUCE yourself to me when you see me. I want to meet you, hear your heart, and what drew you to She Speaks. You are the reason we do this conference every year. So I want you to know that the P31 team is always approachable and here to serve you.


That's it, but feel free to ask a question if you still have one. Or to leave a tip if you've attended before ...


THANK YOU RACHEL FOR CRAFTING THIS EXCELLENT MESSAGE!

What is sin anyway?

Happy Wednesday, and welcome to my blog! I am so happy you stopped by today for a visit.

Todays Proverbs 31 devotion talked about the fact that God sees our sin. Not just the big kahuna sins, but even the every day little sins that we commit purposefully, inadvertently, or even without knowing.

I also mentioned in the devotion that as we come to the understanding that God can see right through us, read our thoughts, and know every sinful behavior of our past, present and future, that we can begin to feel fearful of Gods judgement and hopeless for ever being the type of Christian that we want to be.

To give us all a little reassurance today, lets dont forget that God keeps no records of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says "It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." (NIV). The "it" referred to in this verse, is love... and what is love, but God. So regardless of whether our sin is small or big, God loves us and He forgives when we ask. He does not keep an eternal file folder of our every wrong doing. Once we repent and seek His face, He not only forgives, but forgets. Thank goodness!

The tricky part about sin is when we dont think what we are doing is really sinful, or worthy of being called sin. If its just a little sin, does it really matter? Is it sin if it feels good? Is it sin if it doesnt hurt anyone else? Is it sin if it doesnt violate any laws or covenants? Is it sin if nobody finds out?

Regardless of what the sinful action or thought is, the devil will try to convince us that whatever it is we are doing is okay, even if it goes against Gods laws. Have you ever convinced yourself that what you are doing is nothing compared to what someone else is doing, so God is probably more worried about fixing them, than you? I know I have! Wouldnt it be nice if that were actually how things worked?!

The devil is the culprit for that line of thinking. He wants us to believe that we are justified in feeling the way that we do, that we deserve what we are doing, and that life is all about getting our own wants and desires met. He wants us to think that we are fully capable of living perfectly good lives even though we continue with that sin, and that the sin in question will even help us get further in life. But the real purpose of his game, is to slowly tear us apart, and then have fun condemning us when we fall prey to his tactics.

In todays culture, there is very fine line between right and wrong. In fact, that line has become nearly invisible. Although Gods laws have not changed, the laws of the world have. So how do we know what is right and wrong? Do we just leave it up to each individual to make a determination for themselves, or do we just "do as the Romans do", thinking that if everyone else is doing something, then it must be okay.

If we follow any of these courses of thinking, we may soon find that our moral standard changes depending on what the current opinion is.

If we want be sure that we are living by Gods laws and not our own or those of the world, we have to be willing to follow Godly standards, even if/when they do not line up with how we feel or what we want to do. God provided the law, but we always have the free will to choose to follow it or not.

The main thing I believe we need to remember as we consider things in our life that we may need to work on, is that God sees the heart. He is not searching for impurities or sinful thoughts or behaviors on purpose, but He sees them because He looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 says "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Even if we manage to keep our sins a secret - we will always still have an audience - an audience of One.

Christ died to take the burden of sin from us and so that our eternal lives would be secure despite our nature to sin. All He asks in return, is that we try to live a life that would be pleasing to Him, by following Gods laws and repenting when we do sin.

Temptations lurk around every corner, and no sooner than we fight off one temptation, another one will follow along right behind it,and facing this truth about temptations can actually be very discouraging.

What a friend we have in Jesus though! He understands our weaknesses and our temptations (Psalm 103:14), but He loves us just the same. Although the Bible makes no allowances for excuses for sin, it does clearly say that if we repent of those sins, that we will be forgiven. Just as we would forgive our own child a million times for their wrong doings, we receive that same grace from Christ.

I want to encourage you to make today a day of 3 R's: recognition, redemption, and restoration.

1. R - Recognition of our sins - admit to God, and to ourselves, what our sins are - the public ones and the secret ones - and be honest about struggles.

2. R - Redemption from Christ - bask in the forgiveness that He will reign upon you the moment you ask for it; and forgive yourself for not being perfect

3. R - Restoration of your soul - allow God to restore your soul, strengthen your faith, rekindle your desire to follow His laws, and be infused with His power to fight off the temptations to backslide.

Remember - God loves you despite your sin - God forgives you despite the severity of your sin - and God has more grace available for you than you will ever even need.

Psalm 103:14 for he knows how we are formed,he remembers that we are dust.

Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

What are you packing?

This is definitely the time of year when our suitcases get a workout. In fact, I have kept my suitcase sitting in the corner of my bedroom half the summer, because every time I turn around, Im needing it! My daughters have been the same way, hopping from one camp to the next, and constantly packing and unpacking.

The week before last, both of my girls went on a Student Life Worship trip to Daytona, Florida. Boy did they have fun, but it was obvious that God touched their hearts in special places and in special ways while they were there.

As funny reminder of the week, one of Morgans friends took a picture of her trying to close her suitcase the day they were leaving. Trust me - I would never have thought it would close, based on the bulging monstrosity of dirty, unfolded clothing and other items that she piled into that suitcase! The picture taking was consecutive, and each little step to zipping the suitcase was documented. Apparently, it was a serious workout, and a true feat to get it all stuffed in there! Had the zipper popped, an explosion of clothes and shoes would have flown everywhere!

I told her when she was packing before she left, that she was taking way too many clothes. She only needed clothes for 4 days, but had enough packed to wear clean clothes every day for three weeks in the event they got stranded on a deserted island on the way home. (The bad thing is, that I think she inherited that trait from me!)

For some strange reason, I was thinking about packing this morning. Maybe its because I just helped Morgan pack for cheerleading camp a few days ago; unpacked my suitcase from last weeks conference recently, and am planning what I am going to pack for the She Speaks conference this week. Or maybe it was because God pricked my heart this morning, and made me think about what I was going to pack emotionally and spiritually this week, and not just what was going in my suitcase.

This morning at church, the sermon was about the return of Jesus, and the pastor outlined several "marks" of a true Christian, as opposed to someone who just says they are a Christian or says they believe, but do not live a life that would be indicative of a believer.

As we all know, Galatians 5 outlines so many traits that we should strive to have as Christians, and ones that we have probably memorized - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are definitely things that we should "pack" into our heart each and every day, and although we will fail each day in different areas, we should always plan to pack them again tomorrow.

But some other things we need to pack into our lives and hearts, if we are truly committed to following Christ, are things that might be a little harder to get stuffed into our spiritual suitcases - like integrity, devotion to Jesus, morals, ethics, being God-centered, and practicing Gods truth in our every day life.

All of the things listed above are often hard to pack. It is hard to show love to someone, who doesnt return that love. Hard to have joy and peace when turmoil is pouring into our life. Hard to always be patient with our husband and children. Hard to be gentle when we get frustrated and discouraged. Hard to have self control and not be quick to anger, desire things we dont have, stay away from fattening snack foods, and refrain from watching tv shows or morives that lure us in with things that do not honor God, but seem entertaining.

Trying to pack all that purity into life can make us feel like we are going to explode at the seams! Sometimes it seems near to impossible to be the kind of person we know God wants us to be.

As I thought more about this packing concept, it seemed to me like the fruits of the spirit are actually a step ladder to accomplishing the outstanding "marks" of a Christian. We cant have strong integrity, morals and ethics, without patience, faithfulness and self-control. We cant be devoted to Jesus, without love, joy and peace in our hearts. We cant be God-centered, without being kind and good.

It seems as if there is a lot of stuff to pack doesnt it?! I guess when we fail at being the good Christian we desire to be, we could blame it on not having enough room in our spiritual suitcases to put all these necessities! But I dont think God would really buy that excuse do you? I doubt it. Smiles.

However, arent we so blessed that He has promised to renew our minds each day; to refresh our souls upon the asking; to provide peace and joy when we cant find them on our own; to forgive us when we fall short of packing those important fruits in our hearts; to grant us grace when we are tempted to violate our own integrity and morals because of a situation we find ourselves in; and to shower us with mercy when we fail to be patient, loving or faithful to Him. What an awesome God we serve.

I love the saying that says "today is the first day of the rest of your life". Each day is a fresh start, a fresh morning, a fresh chance to be who God wants us to be. Each day is a journey that we get to experience, with all of its ups and downs. If you think about it, life is really a trip we set out to take every day, and each day we can decide exactly what to pack. And the good news is, that the more we can stuff in the better!

So give this some thought today - what spiritual items will you be packing for your trip with life this week? Is your suitcase overflowing, or is there room to pack a few more Godly essentials?

This Weeks Adventure

Hi friends! In case you have been wondering if I fell off the face of the earth, I didnt! Last week I enjoyed a great week at the beach with my mom and little Michael; welcomed my daughters home on Friday from an amazing worship trip they had been on to Daytona, Florida all week, and today was blessed by an awesome sermon at church and some family time this afternoon.

In addition to gearing up for the most amazing life-changing conference in the world taking place in a couple weeks, the annual Proverbs 31 She Speaks Conference, I have also have been preparing for a bible conference that I am speaking at on Monday and Tuesday in Flat Rock, NC. I am so excited about going - and not just because I get to stay in a beautiful mountain resort! I always look forward to these conferences with great anticipation and enthusiasm, because I know when I will leave, my heart will be overflowing with Jesus.

I have to admit though, that I am a wee bit nervous, just like I am before any speaking engagement - whether there will be 20 people or 400 people in attendance, the butterflies are the same! No matter how many times I have done it before, the next time always seems to feel like the first time...I guess that is how God keeps us humble!

The only exception, is that the very first time I was invited to speak at an event, the enemy filled my head with countless reasons of why I had no business being there whatsoever. And for a few moments, I believed those lies and my heart plunged into a pool of fear. I begged God to be by my side, since He was the reason I was in that predicament in the first place! But as I prayed for confidence, peace, and ability, I was reminded that it is my business, to do His business. He gently reassured me in my heart that we are all ambassadors of Christ, authorized to be His representatives - every day!

Even today, years after that first time, I still feel those butterflies before each event, but I try to be much more aware of whose voice I am listening to now. I know that God builds us up, and the devil wants to tear us down, so when I start doubting myself, I tell that mean old doubter to get behind me! But most importantly, and before every single event I ever do, I pray for God to simply take over. Take over my mind, my heart, my ears and my voice. It is His message Im sharing, not my own. My life, is His life. My story, is really His story. I cant explain it, but somehow, I can always feel Him take over, upon my asking. Hallelujah!

My messages this week are about listening to Gods voice, embracing the call He puts on our life, and having a positive attitude - all things that I struggle with sometimes! Ive always heard God has a sense of humor, so I guess He is getting a good giggle at my expense this week. But I know that His plans are so wonderful, and that He will show up in amazing ways at this conference. I cant wait!

While I am away, I want to give you an assignment, a little self examination test to take, and something to ponder in your private time with God this week.

Has God ever called you to do something that you felt completely unequipped, unqualified, unworthy, and incapable of doing? I dont mean just something in a public setting, but even privately, in your own home, with your relationships, your job, your parenting, or your faith walk? God calls us to live out our faith in our every day lives, and even that is sometimes out of our comfort zones.

Some of you may be in a state of indecision right now, procrastinating on doing something that you feel confident God has called you to do, but your fear is paralyzing you from moving forward. Remember this, courage is not the absence of fear, because our fears are real and normal, but courage is the mastery of fear. God is the fear conquerer, and real courage comes straight from Him.

Trust me, a few tummy butterflies are nothing compared to the pit in your stomach of knowing you are walking in disobedience of Gods desires for you. So if you have been hesitating on stepping out in faith, or struggling with something in your life, today could be the first day of an amazing adventure with God. Little baby steps are better than no steps at all. Just something to think about. :)

Ill give you an update on the conference when I return home mid-week!

Standing In The Gap

Yesterday, I tempted fate.

I teetered on the brink of death, gazed at hundreds of feet below me as I hung in the air upside down, and heard blood piercing screams of horror from all sides. I saw tears, and fear, in peoples eyes, including my own.

Yep, I rode a massive rollercoaster.

Not just any rollercoaster, mind you. The Nighthawk, at Carowinds. I not only made the crazy decision to ride this rollercoaster, knowing full well that I really did not like rollercoasters, but I suffered through an hour wait in anticipation of the 70 seconds of fear I would get to experience. ( I should also add, that the peer pressure from my 12 year old daughter to ride the ride with her was merciless, which was really my reason for giving in. What a mom wont do to keep her kids happy. Geesh).

Anyway, aside from those 70 seconds of sheer terror, of which I spent most of the time with my eyes closed shut (and when I did open my eyes I didnt like what I saw), I had a great day. The weather was perfect, not too hot, and the crowd level was low, so with the exception of this one ride, the lines were not long at all. We had a great time and hated to see the day end.

I did ride a few other coasters, which were not nearly as heart-stopping as the first one, and one in particular made me think about something. It was called The Ricochet, and was mainly a jerky ride, where you practically tipped off the edge of the track just before you were jerked back to safety.

Each time we neared the edge, my stomach sunk, and I had a quick thought about what would happen if a chain broke, a gear jammed, or a mechanism failed - and how close I would be to death if that were to happen. Now I know these parks are safe, but I cant help it! Although I have been known to take a few risks at times, Im not much of a dare devil. My kids call me a wimp, but I can live with that.

Anywhoo..... as I was teetering on the brink of death praying that nothing would break and that I would be abruptly jerked back to safety, I wondered how many other times I have been in impending danger, and was protected by God, whether I realized it or not.

I think back on my college years, and wonder how I ever made it out alive. God must have been there protecting me when I made bad decisions and gave little thought to the consequences of some of my actions.

I thought about how fearful I was that I would not ever be able to have a baby, but remembered how my heart was overwhelmed as I looked at the glow of Christs forgiveness and mercy shining through the big blue eyes of my first baby girl.

I thought about my son who was born with premature lungs and could not draw his first breath, but how God protected him and has helped him grow into an active little boy.

I thought about when my 18 month old daughter fell through an attic in a two story home, landing on the hard garage floor, and did not have one broken bone in her tiny little body.

I thought about how each of my children are healthy and happy, and how God has protected us from illness or harm.

I thought about how my marriage is still going strong, despite the challenges of marriage, family and finances, and the trend of divorce that plagues our country today.

And I remember how God was surely there that day that I was turning left in my car, with my blinker on, and just as I turned, a white truck going as fast as lightning came out of nowhere, passing me on the left, "brushing" against my car and then spinning wildly into a nearby yard.

Me and my three small children were in my car the day we had that "near-death" experience. Had that truck hit us, we probably would have been in serious, if not critical, condition - maybe worse. It is still hard to believe how we averted that accident - but obviously, God was there to push that truck away just far enough away to miss us. A millimeter of movement, in a millisecond of time.

In fact, it was so close, that the trucks bumper left an eight inch deep scratch on my front bumper. Now that is close. So close to leave a scratch, but far enough away that I didnt even feel the bump.

God had to have been there in these few circumstances, and so many countless others that I can remember. But what gives me chill bumps the most, is wondering how many other near-death experiences, or impending harmful or painful situations, that God has averted for me. How many other times was He present, wrapping His arms of protection around me, surrounding me with a cushion of angels, and I didnt even realize it?

These thoughts have prompted me to remember, that as we go through our daily lives, we need to try to not be so oblivious to the invisible Savior that is walking beside us.

For example, each time I get behind a really slow car going less than the speed limit, I admit that at first I may get annoyed, but then I tell myself that God must be protecting from something ahead of which I need to be slowing down. Maybe it is a deer in the road, a child on a bike, a car in the wrong lane - whatever it is, I have to believe that God knows what is best for me, and that He is protecting me, even though I dont understand it.

Each time I dont get a speaking engagement I was hoping for, or an opportunity that I had prayed for, I try to remember that God must have a reason for that decision.

I have to remind myself often to try to remember that God is with me, as I am sure you do too. Sometimes we get so caught up trying to be in control of our lives, and running around doing all of our important daily things, that we forget who is really holding the steering wheel of our destiny.

A close call with death is a stark reminder of Gods protection. I have never had that scratch on my bumper repaired, because every day when I go to get in my car and see that big long scratch, I am reminded of His love for me and my family. I am reminded of how He was there that day, standing in the gap between my car and the out of control truck. I am reminded of how angels caught my baby when she fell from the roof and how God breathed breath into my sons newborn lungs. I am reminded to thank Him for His goodness and protection, even during times I didnt acknowledge His presence.

It may seem silly to think that I need a scratch on a car to remind me of Gods omnipotence and greatness, but I am only human, and in such need of Gods grace and mercy. Thank goodness His mercies are renewed for us daily. That in itself, is a tremendous, undeserved blessing.

If the truth be told, I have lots of little reminders sitting around my house to remind me to praise God, to be thankful for all He has done that I know about, and that I dont know about it. To help me remember that He is with me every second of the day, even if I dont see Him, or know He is there. Ill try to share some of those reminders with you soon.

As you go about your weekend, be on the lookout for the invisible. You never know when He could protecting you from harm, standing in the gap for you, holding back pain that you cant even imagine, and filling your life with blessings that you didnt even know you wanted or needed.

Reckless

I opened my daily devotion, and the theme verse for the day was Matthew 14:29-30, "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

When I first starting reading, I thought to myself, "oh, I know this passage backwards and forwards and in my sleep - the story of Peter stepping out in faith onto the stormy waves. A great story of faith and keeping our eyes focused on Christ."

But today there was a different focus, and the key word used was "reckless". It went on to explain that we are to be reckless in our faith - not habitual, not routine, not guarded. But reckless.

If you ask me, reckless doesnt sound like a good thing, does it? Who wants to be considered a "reckless person"? I know I dont!

I looked up the official definition of reckless, and it said this: utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution.

Okay, so when it comes to doing stupid things in life without any caution or thought, reckless is definitely not a good thing. Reckless behavior usually results in negative consequences, pain and problems. Trust me, Ive been there.

But when it comes to our faith, recklessness would be an awesome quality to have.

Reckless faith would be a faith so strong that we live out loud for God, regardless of the consequences.

That we open ourselves up to be the hands and feet of Christ, in situations where most people are keeping their distance.

That we try to reach people who everyone else has deemed unreachable.

That we love people, who are not lovable and dont return that love.

That we forgive people, who dont deserve our forgiveness, making other people wonder if we have our head own straight.

Reckless faith. Faithful, without fear of consequence or judgement.

Peter was reckless, in earthly terms, because he jumped out of the boat during a raging storm without a flotation device, into waves that were big enough to capsize his entire boat. But actually, it wasnt Peter that was reckless, it was Peters faith.

He obeyed, without thinking. I bet Jesus liked that.

As I thought more about this term, I determined that by "reckless faith", God means we need to recognize and do what He would have us do - regardless.

Reckless in our faithful actions, our faithful thoughts, and our faithful words, and reckless in our service.

About seven years ago, I felt God calling me to lead the womens ministry at my church. At the time I was the poster child for the overwhelmed-overcommitted-stressed out-crazed eyeball career woman/mom trying to do it all. But after much prayer and anticipation, I agreed to assume the role. Reckless? Yes. Did Jesus like it? I bet so. And it drew me closer to Him than ever before.

A few years later, God called me again to step out of my boat, and asked me to share my testimony with others, and speak and write, knowing full well it would cause me embarassment and hurt. But after years of not obeying, I finally took that first step. I had to share experiences that I wasnt proud of, but God had called me to reckless faith. And I was blessed by that recklessness.

There may be a few other times in my life when I exhibited reckless faith, but there are many more countless times where I chose to stay safely in my boat.

It is so much easier to stay afloat in the safety of our comfort zone, than to step out into stormy waters hoping that Jesus will be there to rescue us. That my friend, is why it is called reckless. Reckless dependence, and reckless trust.

How is God calling you to be reckless for Him today?