What Does God Want FROM… and FOR You This Year?

You have a decision to make.

Will this be the year you decide to step out of complacency and into the call that God has placed on your life… or will you continue to dodge what you know He is asking of you?

I get it, though.

Sometimes playing it safe seems like the smarter move. 

It’s less risky. 

There’s a smaller chance of failing.

Sisters, I don’t have time for that.

To be honest… WE don’t have time for that.

God has given each of us a specific role to walk out for the Kingdom, and we cannot afford to be content with doing… nothing.

Remember those famous words that Mordecai whispered to Esther to spark her out of fear and into action?

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) 

Well I’d like to suggest that just like Esther, you are on planet earth for a time such as this…too.

It’s not a coincidence that you are here… now.

And as daughters of the King, you too hold a royal position.

You’re in the family business.

So I’m humbly calling you on to the battlefield.

No more of the same ole’ excuses.

No more desire to sit in complacency.

No more ignoring God’s call.

This year… 2013… is YOUR year to step out of your comfort zone and into your calling.

Are you ready?

When God first called me into ministry 8 years ago, I fought it tooth and nail.

• The walking-it-out concept was scary and it seemed too big.
• What God wanted of me required a lot of trust, which I struggled with.
• He was asking me to do something I wasn’t comfortable doing.

And to top it off, I was fresh off a tough season in my marriage and I just wanted to chill.  I wanted to coast for a while.

But God had different plans.

A wise friend of mine said this to me, “When God calls you… He equips you.”

She reminded me that He would give me what I needed to do what He was calling me to do.

Hint:  He will do the same thing for you.

So, I said YES to God… and I’ve been so blessed through the process.

Has it been easy?  No. 

Has it been a smooth ride?  Not at all. 

Have I wanted to walk away at times.  Yes.

But I love being a part of something… bigger.

I love knowing that the God of the Universe uses… me.

I love being on the front lines of the battlefield, uncovering the Enemy’s plans.

It’s a wild ride.

Sisters… it’s time to step out of your complacency and into your calling.

Not sure what that “calling” is?

Start by telling God you are ready to co-labor with Him.  And then ask Him what He has in store FOR YOU… and what He wants FROM YOU this year.

Ask God these questions:

1. In what areas should my heart be tendered towards Your children?
2. Do I need to change my direction to stay aligned with Your will for my life?
3. Where do You want me to engage in a more significant way?
4. Is there a particular scripture that You’d like me to walk out?
5. Do You have a specific word that will help focus my efforts?

I continue to say “yes” to God, and I’ve been asking Him to show me what He wants from me in 2013.  He did.

God gave me direction through a specific WORD He wants me to live out loud for this year.

Wanna know that word?

C O L L I D E

To be honest, I’m not sure what that is going to look like.  But I am stinkin’ excited to walk this one out.

So friends… what’s your plan?

Maybe instead, the question should be… what is His plan for you?

• Ask God to show you what He wants from you and for you in 2013. 
• Keep asking until He reveals it to you.
• Be listening for His answer through consistent, persistent messages.
• Meditate on these trust-building verses:
  • Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
  • Jeremiah 29:11 – “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.”

Then once you know what God is asking of you, be obedient and say YES to His vision for your 2013.

†††

REALITY CHECK:  Make a decision to allow God to use you.  Trust that He doesn’t call the equipped… but equips the called.  That means YOU. 

© 2012 careyscotttalks.com

Check out my resources HERE.

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Christian New Year’s Resolutions…

 

How can I use the New Year
To better serve my Lord?
I’ll read my Bible every day,
And be more in accord.

I’ll find new ways to serve others;
I’ll love my neighbor, too.
I’ll focus on “give” instead of “get”
In everything I do.

I’ll forgive the people I’m mad at;
Angry feelings I’ll discard;
I’ll try to love my enemies,
Even though it’s hard.

In the new year, I’ll lift people up,
Instead of putting them down.
I’ll fill my heart with love and joy,
And never wear a frown.

I’ll let go of my worries;
I’ll put it all in His hands;
I’ll repent and try to sin less,
And obey all His commands.

These new year’s resolutions
Are difficult, at best,
But there’s something I can do each day
That will put my soul at rest:

I’ll love my Lord with all my heart,
With all my mind and soul,
And if I do that essential thing,
All the rest will be in control.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 © 2012 careyscotttalks.com

Check out my resources HERE.

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Joy to the world… YOU have come!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Joy to the world… YOU have come.

♥

♥

Let all the world rejoice…

 

that Christ is with US!

 

A Christmas Poem…1 Corinthians, Chapter 13

CHRISTMAS VERSION OF I CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 13
(Author Unknown)

♥♥♥

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family… I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family… I’m just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not how love to my family… it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ… I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things. Believes all things. Hopes all things. Endures all things.  Love never fails.

Video games will break. Pearl necklaces will be lost.  Golf clubs will rust.  But giving the gift of love will endure.

Wishing you a joyous and meaningful Christmas!

♥♥♥

© 2012 careyscotttalks.com

Check out my resources HERE.

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What If We Allowed MARY Moments In Our MARTHA Days?

Thanks for unpacking this with me over the past few days.

I’ve enjoyed digging a bit deeper with you by looking at the sisters, Mary and Martha, and the fact that they celebrated the arrival of Jesus so differently.

Mary sat at His feet, letting go of all worldly expectations and responsibilities. 

Martha worked to make others happy, and missed the heart of the celebration.

I’m wondering which sister you more resonate with.

My guess is that most of you feel a closer kinship with Martha.  As women, we are just naturally “doers” aren’t we?

And because of that, our hearts are sometimes not in it.

But what if we could find a happy medium between these two sisters?  What if we could find a way to knock out our seemingly endless to-do lists AND connect our hearts with Jesus?

Well… I’d like to suggest an idea.

Why can’t we have Mary Moments in the middle of our Martha days?

What would that even look like?

Maybe something like this…

My family was decorating Christmas cookies – a tradition they love, and one I loathe. 

Why? 

Because the icing ends up everywhere but on the cookies and I have to resign myself to sweeping up sprinkles for the next 3 weeks.

I do it because every good mother bakes with their kids, right?  

The truth is I had a million things that needed to get done.  But instead of letting my Martha tendencies to take over, I decided to grin and bear it.

Well in the middle of the chaos, I begin to tear up as I looked at my sweet family.

• I remembered being told we couldn’t have kids… but God provided.
• I remembered how close we came to divorcing a few years ago… but God intervened.
• I looked at Sam remembering how he stopped breathing his first day of life… but God restored. 
• I remembered when Sara contracted RSV when she was only 8 weeks old… but God healed. 

And in the middle of that VERY Martha afternoon, I had a sweet Mary Moment.

I could have let it pass… I could have blamed it on allergies… but I’m so glad I allowed my heart to be tendered by the Spirit.

God blessed me with a Mary Moment.

And you know what I’ve come to realize?

Being a Martha with Mary Moments is not difficult… it’s just deliberate.

Friends, take the time this season to experience all God has in store for you.

Allow Him the opportunity to tender your heart. 

Appreciate those He’s placed in your life. 

Be open to His leading. 

Let yourself connect with your emotions.

When you do… you’re leaving space in your day for God’s Holy Spirit to bless your sweet Martha hearts with precious Mary Moments.

What a gift.

And remember, when you are deliberate in allowing yourself to soak in those Mary Moments… you are teaching your children to do the same.  It becomes normal.

Let’s decide to be women who love God enough to allow Him space to tender our hearts regardless of our schedule… the season… our mood… or our location.

As a matter of fact, let’s ask God to bless us with those Mary Moments all year round.

© 2012 careyscotttalks.com

Check out my resources HERE.

Let’s Connect!  Subscribe to my newsletter, Follow me on Twitter, Book Me to speak at your event, Like my Facebook Ministry Page, Visit me at Moms Together.

Are You Celebrating Christmas Like… Martha?

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  (Luke 10:38-40)

Yesterday, we discussed about how Mary chose to sit with Jesus while her sister sweated it out in the kitchen.

She refused to sacrifice her time with the Messiah by getting caught up in worldly expectations.  Mary challenged us to examine our priorities during the holidays.

If you missed Monday’s post, you can read it here.

Today we’re going to see things from her older sister’s perspective.  Martha offers a different approach to the Christmas season because unlike her sister… she worked her tail off.

Being the oldest… Martha had the irritating tendency to take control. 

If there was a job to be done, she was your (wo)man. 

This sister could multi-task with the best of ‘em.

Martha wanted everyone to relax and enjoy their time in her home. 

Sound familiar?

With all that needs to be accomplished at Christmas time, we need Martha’s.  They play a vital role in making it all come together.  And without them… we’d be in quite a pickle.

• No presents would be under the tree…
• The house would be empty of yummy treats to munch on…
• Visiting family would sleep on dirty sheets…
• The tree would be barren…
• The family Christmas letter wouldn’t happen…

Amen?

Without a doubt – I’m a Martha.

Chances are you’re one, too.

We make sure the family is fed, the bills are paid, the house is presentable, the trash is taken out, and the homework is done.

But… we have to be careful.

Why?  Because unlike Mary, as Martha’s we can struggle with missing the heart of the holidays.

We become so engrossed in tackling our “to-do” lists, that we lose sight of why we’re even celebrating the season.  In our minds, we don’t have the time to just sit and celebrate Jesus.

• We work behind the scenes to make everyone else comfortable.
• We don’t seize the moment to sit with Jesus, because we have laundry to fold.
• We miss experiencing Christ, because we need to go to Wal-Mart.

As Martha’s, we must be intentional in engaging our heart…. because while our brains and our hands are fully awake and on task… our hearts may be asleep.

And if our hearts are asleep, we’re gonna miss the joy of Christmas.

Am I describing you? 

Let’s check.  You might be a Martha if…

• You are already looking forward to the ball dropping in Times Square signifying the end of 2012.
• You suggest skipping church because your ankles are swollen from shopping.
• The employees at the grocery store know your name.
• You have a VIP parking spot at Target (actually that would be kinda cool).
• Hallmark wants to hire you for your wrapping skills.

Anyone?

Well, back to the story.  Our girl Martha was getting angry with Mary’s decision to abandon her hospitality duties, and so she marched right up to Jesus in her frustration.

… She tattled on her younger sister, hoping for sympathy.

But listen to Jesus’ response.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

Hear this, sweet Marthas friends.  Jesus wasn’t blaming Martha’s efforts to make her guests comfortable.  He was only asking her to examine her priorities.

While Jesus was in her living room… Martha was in her kitchen.

She was missing it. 

Are you?

Martha (yes, I am speaking to you)…

Remember to keep your heart in what you are doing this season.

Make sure your priorities are in the right order.

Be intentional about engaging your heart, because in our craziness… we can miss the reason for the season.

And ask yourself:  Am I celebrating Jesus like… Martha?

© 2012 careyscotttalks.com

Check out my resources HERE.

Let’s Connect!  Subscribe to my newsletter, Follow me on Twitter, Book Me to speak at your event, Like my Facebook Ministry Page, Visit me at Moms Together.

Are You Celebrating Christmas Like… Mary?

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  (Luke 10:38-40)

Mary sits with Jesus… while Martha works.

I appreciate how these two sisters perfectly contrast the holidays.  Each one suggests a different approach we can have to the Christmas season.

The question is, which one of them has it right?

Today, we’re going to look at Mary. 

Tomorrow, we’ll turn our sights on Martha. 

And on Thursday, we’ll make sense of it all… so make sure to read all three!

In this scripture, we find Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus.  If she had plans, she pushed them aside. If anyone needed her help, it could wait.

Her priority was to celebrate Jesus.  She wanted to press in and she wasn’t going to let anything or anyone stop her.

By doing this, Mary broke protocol because as a women in that day, she was not allowed to be a part of a teaching moment… but it didn’t matter.

She also chose to let down her sister because she didn’t help out with hospitality… but that didn’t guilt her.

Mary didn’t get weighed down by the world’s expectations.  When she had the chance to be with Jesus, she took it.

At that moment, it was all that mattered.

And later in that same passage of scripture, Jesus recognized that her priorities were right.

… Are yours?

This Christmas season…

• Are you celebrating Jesus like Mary did and sit at His feet? 
• Are you focusing on His holy birth.
• Are you taking this opportunity to press in and bask in His glory?

OR

• Are you celebrating in a more “secular” fashion by getting caught up in the world’s festivities? 
• Are you focusing too much on the sales and bargains, blowing your budget?
• Are you working hard to compete with others, seeing who has the most elaborate Christmas decorations, the best gifts, or the biggest parties?

So, friends… who is getting your time and attention this season?

Mary’s example of having the right priorities really challenges us.  She sets the bar high.

… right where it should be.

If we follow her lead, then we’ll be intentional to let go of our self-imposed schedules as well as the holiday protocol dictated by the world… and just sit with our Jesus.

Are your priorities in the right order?

Are you choosing to celebrate Jesus like… Mary?

© 2012 careyscotttalks.com

Check out my resources HERE.

Let’s Connect!  Subscribe to my newsletter, Follow me on Twitter, Book Me to speak at your event, Like my Facebook Ministry Page, Visit me at Moms Together.