Friday, November 30, 2012

Standing in the Place of Prayers for 1972 Babies_Nov.

It is another joyful day to declare; Praise awaits You O'God in our hearts. You Who hear and answer prayers. To You shall all men come - Ps 65: 1-2.

We declare this with thanksgiving to God Who answers our prayer of intercession on behalf of our 1972 Babies with awesome deeds of righteousness.

We give thanks to God on behalf of Ehi and Erik who celebrated their 40th birthday during the month of November. We also give praise for the breakthroughs recorded during the month - Mary got her letter of appointment for a job.

Let us stand on the authority of the word of God and pray for our precious friends born in 1972:
- that the Lord will bring them near to dwell in His courts and satisfy them with the goodness of His house.
- that God will crown 2012 with His bounty and goodness, and cause their carts to overflow with abundant fruitfulness in every sphere of their lives.

We have 2 new additions to the list - Dayo and Evelyn. I look forward to sharing many testimonies next month as we wrap up this call to pray on the 31st of December.

Please spare some moments and join me as we pray for these precious children of God? Praise be to God Who has given us the Holy Spirit to help us make intercession according to the will of God.

For background information, please read the following blog post:

I encourage you to enlist others around you to join us to pray. Do find below names of those born in 1972 shared with me. I ask you also to keep sending the names. I will update the list as new information becomes available.

January
     Temitope      

February
        Dotun
        Subomi
        Kemi
        Bola
        Dayo

March
        Folabi
        Evelyn

April
        Yemisi

May
        Gbenga
        Bola
        Sarah
        Tokunbo
        Mary
        Funmi
        Simon

June
        Grace
        Au Huen
July

August

September
        Taiwo and Kehinde
        Kayode
        Rosemary

October
        Femi

November
        Ehi
        Erik

December

Let's join you to give thanks to God for this wonderful year of fulfillment of God's promise in the lives of 1972 on December 31st. Please share with us the testimony of what God is doing in your life if you are a 1972 or in the life of your 1972 sibling, family and friend in the comments box below or by email.

Now, let us pray….

Thursday, November 29, 2012

When I Don't Know What To Do.

"There is a problem,"  his words jolted me out of sleep. I sat up at alert.

"What happened …?"

"I honestly don't know what to do," he groaned.

My chin snapped into my chest. My head felt as heavy as lead in my hands.

Why? How? Confused. Tons of questions reeled across my mind.

We prayed: "Lord, we need the help of Your Holy Spirit. We need counsel and wisdom. We need You to intervene on our behalf. Thank You, Father, for taking control of this situation."

At one time or the other, everyone of us will find ourselves at such a point like this, when for a moment everything looks bleak, and the questions outstrips the answers, if any answer at all.

Times when you feel …
… hemmed into a very tight place
…at loss of what to do
Times when
… the unexpected happens
… the best laid plans lay in disarray;
… and life goes out of control.

The horizon is bleak
The clouds, dark and ominous

Your heart beats fast
Yearning to understand
The mysteries around you
You hold your head in hands
As your world spins on its axis
"I don't know what to do" —
the cry from the depth of your soul.


"God is good all the time"—like a lightning bolt through the dark clouds—flashed in the recesses of my mind.

Even in all of these?

Yes, God is good ALL the time!

God is a God of knowledge.
    God is perfect in knowledge.

These words swirled around my head. As the minutes turned into hours, the truth of these words sank deep into my heart and took roots in my spirit. He knows all things. Nothing catches Him unawares. He does not make mistakes. There are no accidents with Him.

The more I meditated on this truth, the clearer my vision became, and the more things I found to give thanks for in the situation. So I kept my mind fixed on it.

"God has perfect knowledge of everything—past, present, and future—both of what is actual and what is possible. As a godly woman named Hannah said in a famous Old Testament prayer, “For the LORD is a God of knowledge” (1 Samuel 2:8). God’s knowledge is perfect—comprehensive and all-encompassing. There is nothing that lies outside its scope. Nothing can possibly happen to us that God does not already know and has not known eternally. And that includes every trial we face in the course of a lifetime" - Richard Strauss.

"He knows everything: everything possible, everything actual; all events, all creatures, the past, the present and the future. He is perfectly acquainted with every detail in the life of every being in heaven, in earth and in hell" - A.W. Pink.

"You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue. You know it completely, O Lord" - Ps 139: 2-4.

God has a full knowledge of me—in every posture, movement and occupation. I can not put myself out His sight. He is fully acquainted with all I say and all I do. He has a personal knowledge of our lives from the beginning to the end. He is the Author of all knowledge.

He knows and discerns the thoughts and intent of our hearts. Nothing can be concealed from God. The struggles I have. The questions in my heart. The burden I bear. My dreams, my desires and my hopes are all plain before His sight. God knows the things that come into my mind, every one of them according to Ezekiel 11:5.

He Who knows it all, knows it best. He will work it together for our good. In all circumstances, He does good. He acts on our behalf even when it is difficult to see. Even when I have acted in error, He is able to work all things together for my good.

So when I don't know what to, I know I can trust in Him and depend on Him Who knows all things to take care of all that concerns me. I can put my hope in His infinite knowledge, power and ability. Because He is immutable, His knowledge does not vary, it does not increase or decrease! WOW!

When I find myself in a situation where all looks bleak, when all seems incomprehensible, when things do not go as planned, when the unexpected happens and when life visits me, I can lift up my head to the heavens and say with confidence: God, You know all things. You know what this is all about. I know You are in control and You can make a way out for me. I know my sighs and tears will not escape Your notice.

"God's knowledge of the future is as complete as His knowledge of the past and the present … The infinite knowledge of God ought to fill us with holy awe. Nothing we do, say, or even think, escapes the cognizance of Him with whom we have to do… (Hebrew 4:13)" - A.W. Pink

When I don't know how to pray, I can trust in Him Who knows my thoughts, my heart and desires to meet me at my point of need. Because He promised that before I asked, He has heard and while I am asking He has answered.

Like light breaking out at the dawn of a new day after a long and dark night, it dawned on us that there is purpose in this situation. And as it unfolds, it became obvious that this was not a chance event. God is working out something in all of these.

This knowledge continues to fill me with incredible joy and hope. God is working out the purpose of His will for our lives through all these events—the highs and the lows, the trials and tests, the difficult and the challenging—He knows is all and He has it under control.

Praise be to His name for ever and ever!!!

Knowing that God knows all things and that He is a God of knowledge has been a source of great encouragement to me.

I pray that this knowledge will keep your heart at peace and from agitating fears during those moments when you are at loss of what to do.

I share with you When I don't know what to do  by Tommy Walker.

Reference:
http://www.gobible.org/bible/job/perfect_in_knowledge.html
http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Attributes/attrib_03.htm
http://bible.org/seriespage/perfect-knowledge

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Profuse in Praise

Who am I that You are mindful of me
That You hear me, when I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me
How You love me, it's amazing. - Israel Houghton


How many times in 2012 did I cry to the Lord? How many times did call upon His name this year?

Countless.

When the nights were long and dark. When buffeted, distressed and unable to rest. When I needed help, counsel and guidance. When I needed His touch. When I needed His presence.

He harkened to my cry. He heard me when I called and He answered me. He turned towards me and paid attention to me. He held me in the center of His watchful care.

I am so overwhelmed that the King of kings, the Lord of lords and the Creator of the Heavens and the earth is mindful of me. Who am I that He should be this mindful of me, that He knows my name, my every thought and hears me when I call upon Him.

I am captivated by the immensity of God's love for me.

My Response:

Praise, Praise and more Praise. Profuse praise. Overflowing, copious and superabundant praise. My praise shall ascend to the heavens like a sweet smelling perfume.

Praise the Lord O my soul and let all that is within me praise His holy name. Praise the King of Heavens, to His feet I bring my tributes. I who was ransomed, healed, restored and forgiven.

I command my soul to praise the Lord. I command my feet, my hands and my lips to praise the Lord. Let everything that has life and breath praise the Lord. I have life and I have breath, and I give praise to You, O God.

I will praise You while I live. I will lift up my hands in Your name - Ps 63:4

My mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. My mouth shall be filled with His praise and I will declare His splendor all day long. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Him (Ps 71: 8, 23). I will remember Him upon my bed when I rouse out of sleep at the crack of dawn, and I will meditate on His loving-kindness. For He has been my help.

Praise be to God. For it is good to sing praise to our God (Ps 14:1, 92:1). He is gracious and lovely. Praise is fitting for God. How pleasant and lovely it is to praise Him. It is appropriate to give praise.

What informs my praise? Why do I want to lavish so much praise on God?

Psalm 145 (The Message)
I lift you high in praise, my God, O  King!
    and I’ll bless your name into eternity.
I’ll bless you every day,
    and keep it up from now to eternity.
God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough.
    There are no boundaries to his greatness.
Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
    I compose songs on your wonders.
Your marvelous doings are headline news;
    I could write a book full of the details of your greatness.

Praise is prompted by the unique nature of God. God has been generous. In response to His generosity, we want to honor God by giving praise and thanks to Him.

Praising God is a God-appointed calling. We have been formed to proclaim the praise of God (Is 43:21). Praise is both a duty and a delight (Ps 63: 3-8). An intimate relationship of a person with God is sufficient reason for praise.

God is Great:

He is infinite. His greatness is beyond what our human mind can fathom. We praise God because we know and acknowledge that God's greatness exceeds what our mind can grasp. God does great, unsearchable and marvelous things without number (Job 5:9).

In Ps 145, David praised God for His mighty acts, for His gracious provisions and for the way He responds to those who love Him. David is a man who knew what it means to be faced with challenging situations, to be betrayed, hunted, distressed and grieved. Yet despite the bad experiences he suffered, he was a man who knew how to praise God. He vowed to praise God everyday because He is great.

I will tell of the splendor of His majesty, meditate on them, and compose songs of praise about them.

God is Good:

God is good all the time. He put this song of praise in this heart of mine
- Don Moen

He is the definition of goodness. The epitome of all that is good. God's goodness is great and abundant. His works and words are of goodness and grace. He does good to all the children of men. He satisfies the desires of all those who fear Him.

Even when we do not understand all the plans He has for us. His very nature of being infinitely good is sufficient argument for us to praise Him as long as we exist, whatever situation we may be in.

I will lift up my hands in worship, in praise, in joy and in thanksgiving. I will celebrate God's abundant goodness.

God is Loving:

God is rich in love. He is full of loyal love. He is faithful to His promises. Everything He does is suffused with grace. Everything He does is right. The trademark of His works is love. God's love is truly precious. His love is enduring.

We can rejoice in the knowledge of His love and the assurance that this knowledge gives even if we do not momentarily feel it. There is satisfaction in praising God for His loyal love. It brings joy and comfort to the soul.

He listens to all who pray. He is near to all who call upon Him in truth. He hears the cry of those who fear Him. God is present everywhere. But He is near to those who call on Him. He is an ever present help in the time of need.


Overflowing with Praise:

My mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. My mouth shall be full of thanksgiving in response to the mercies received from God. Those who see His mercies in my life also should hear His praise from my lips. Openly I will make His glory known and tell of His goodness.

I want to employ the tongues of a million angels to praise the King of glory. I want to heap praise on God,  adorn Him, cloak Him and decorate Him with praise. I want to lavish praise on Him. Praise looks good on God.

I praise You O God from a grateful and thankful heart. I will praise You with my whole heart. Such praise has to be untainted by bitterness but from someone who is truly thankful.

It is a good day, a day to give thanks and praise to God. Let us join our friends in the US to pause and ponder on the goodness of God. Let us with a grateful and thankful heart give thanks and praise to God.

As we approach the end of 2012, it is a good time to reflect on His mercies this year, and with praise express our faith and confidence in Him to take care of all our desires, hopes and dreams for the year. He is able to do exceedingly more abundant than we can ask or imagine.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving. Sing your thanks to God in a song.
Make music and sing songs of thanks to the Lord.


Reference:
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/d/don_moen/god_is_good_all_the_time.html
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/treasury-of-david/psalms-63-3.html

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Igniting Hope

When we see "Breaking News" flash across the TV screen, we know the newscaster is going to set aside all other news items and give attention to the news breaking.

That's what happened to me. I had all the materials gathered and some portions already written of the message I wanted to share on the blog this week. But something happened on Tuesday, which I was still pondering on when I roused out of sleep early on Wednesday. Suddenly, a light flashed in my spirit. I knew I had to set aside my plans to focus on the news breaking in my heart.

Twice on Tuesday, I came in contact with the same message from different sources.

The first source was a devotional plan: God's Joy in Jesus: Devotions with John Piper on YouVersion Bible. I had inadvertently skipped a day which I went back to. The Bible passage for reflection was Matthew 12: 18-21. Verse 20a caught my attention.

It re-kindled a memory.

A couple of hours later, checking my emails, I found a message from Derek Prince Ministries (DPM) sent on Nov. 9th — "Glimmer of Hope." Again I had missed this. As I read, I found the key Bible verses were Matthew 12:20a and Romans 15:13.

By the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. This was not a chance occurrence.

God was breaking a news to me through these scriptures.

The third witness was the fact that I had done an extensive study of Romans 15:13 a few weeks back but I caught something new and fresh in that verse on Tuesday which further confirmed the message in my heart.

The outcome of my reflections on Rom. 15:13 formed the basis of the blog post - Cartwheels of Joy published on August 30th, 2012.

God is the Source and the Giver of hope. We are filled with continued peace and joy because we trust in Him which brings us a copious and superabundant flow of hope by the working of the Holy Spirit in us.

"He is the God of hope. You can not know God without having hope. He is the ultimate source of all true hope, the God of hope. God wants to fill us with all joy and peace so that we may "abound with hope." That means that we may have more that just enough hope for ourselves but we may have hope to minister to others too. And it is by the power of the Holy Spirit." - DPM.

This message from the verse sprung alive and afresh as I read the mail from DPM—we overflow with hope so that we can have hope to minister to others too. This took me back to Matt 12:20a.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench,…


He will not crush a bruised reed but He will hold it upright gently and tenderly until it heals. He will not put out a flickering candle but cup His hands around it and gently blows it until it burns again.

"He will not crush those who are weak, or quench the smallest hope" - New Living Translation. Jesus does some of His finest work in our lives when all hope is almost gone.

His actions brings hope.

It was at this point the name of the blog flashed back at me:

Enriching Lives. Inspiring Hope.

This is what this blog is all about, the Holy Spirit ministered to my heart —to be used to inspire hope, to give words of encouragement and to point those who are downcast, in despair, and facing challenging situations, to God the Source of hope and to the Holy Spirit, the only Agent who can minister this kind of victorious hope in our lives to the fullest.

This is my heart's deepest and earnest yearning—to be a vessel God can use to inspire hope. Such that the way I comport myself in my trials can bring hope to others. This is "Breaking News."

That is why I am here (see blog post -  Why I Am Here- Nov. 1. 2012).

The second message confirmed in my heart was a reminder of an unfinished work.

In February 2011, I started writing my first novel - an inspirational fiction - The Ice Queen. Nicknamed the Ice Queen, Abigail Davis is cold-hearted, intelligent and a fierce competitor. Edward Sagoe knew from the first moment he set eyes on her that she would be his wife but he saw a bruised reed in a dream and a gardener called to tend it. What has this got to do with Abigail? Can he melt her heart first with the love of God and then, his love for her?

I read a lot about the bruised reed while researching for this book. Matt 12:20a was pivotal in this. It therefore called my attention to this unfinished work.

The reed is light and fragile in nature. It is an emblem of feebleness and weakness. To be a bruised reed is to be poor (in the spirit, without hope), feeble—oppressed by loads of care, disillusioned and in despair.

The lamp that flickers, He will not extinguish. The smoking flax is like the wick of a lamp when the oil is exhausted. It represents feebleness and infirmity. He will not oppress those with little strength—whose hope is fading.

One rough touch will break the bruised reed and snuff life out of smoking flax. But Jesus with matchless tenderness, love and skill lifts up meek, strengthens the weak hands and firms up the feeble limbs. He replenishes their oil and blows the flickering candle into flame.

Jesus always come through for us at our weakest and lowest moments. He will not leave us without hope or let us despair but with great compassion He will gather us up in His arms and hold us up.

"Igniting hope is what Jesus does best" - DPM

When in our trials and tests, we latch on to hope and refuse to give up, and we are filled with joy and peace as we trust in God, that peace and joy from God in us radiates as hope overflows from our lives to touch the lives of others. Thus igniting hope in them as well.

We can replenish the flickering lamp with oil through our words of encouragement. You can be the one to lighten  someone's burden or put a smile on someone's face today.

How is your action, attitude and words affecting the lives of those around you?

Crushing the already downcast or tendering them with kindness.

Are your words putting out the flickering candle or are you with compassion fanning them to flame?

Copy Jesus' example:

Be an encourager and ignite hope in others.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

I Missed The Cue.

The last two months of the year is an intensely busy period in many organizations. It is the period when annual programme reviews are conducted which provides the opportunity to track achievements of goals and targets set at the beginning of the year.

Many people go into the overdrive mode in the bid to complete planned activities in preparation for these reviews.

This is also applicable at personal level. It is the time we look back to the beginning of the year and evaluate how far we have gone in the pursuits of our dreams and personal goals.

I did the same too. I reviewed the year during October and I made some interesting discoveries.

I took note of the number of activities and tasks I had initiated which remained unfinished, and made a determined decision to follow through on them.

On top of the list is the book I have been writing for the past few years, which I had set a goal to complete this year. However, for several months during the course of the year, I experienced a series of what I have come to know as "resistance" to the work.

But a closer examination revealed that the problem I am experiencing with the work is not just about this resistance alone but I had contributed to the stagnation of the work.

How?

Every writer knows the crucial nature of creating regular backup files, right?

I heard this over and over again. I had a system of backing up my work but for a period of three months and for reasons which I can not seem to understand, I deviated from normal practice. Each time I was reminded, I told myself I would do it later.

I procrastinated. Then last August, the "unexpected" happened—my external storage drive crashed!

Time stood still.

In a flash, I recalled vividly that moment three days earlier when the Holy Spirit nudged my heart to backup my work. I remembered responding that I would do it as soon as I finished doing what I was doing. I did not.

I ignored the prompting of the Holy Spirit and I lost 3 months of work, which I struggled against "resistance" to do. I have no backup anywhere for some of them—not even hand written.

The help of the Holy Spirit is always available to us in everything we do. He is a friend and a partner we can not do without in our daily walk and work. We need His guidance, help and leading to navigate the minefield of life.


He leads the humble in doing what is right, teaching them His ways.
The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness.
He will show us the path to choose.
He will instruct those who fear Him in the way they should go.
He is a friend to those who fear Him. He teaches them His covenant
(Ps 25: 9 - 12 paraphrased).

I can testify of the many times He had revealed truths to me, granted me insights and inspired thoughts which ballooned to make impact beyond my imagination.

So why did I fail to listen to Him when He prompted me to backup my work—I delayed and procrastinated.

The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He will not struggle with us. He will not force us against our will. He speaks in still and small voice, nudging, prompting and giving us cues.

In the busyness and many distractions we face in life, it takes effort to develop a deep intimate relationship with Him. We have to intentionally find a quiet place and a quiet moment to listen to His voice.

It is important to tune our spirits to be in harmony with the spirit of God, to live each day in the consciousness of His presence and be aware of His function in our lives. As we take the time to dwell in the presence of God, our spirit become intertwined with His spirit making us sensitive and responsive to His voice and leading.

I know now that I must be careful not to miss any of the promptings of the Holy Spirit because the work He does both in me and through me are for eternal purposes.  So much is lost when we do not listen or respond to His voice which includes opportunities to make a difference to someone's life

The cost of not responding to the nudging of the Holy Spirit became glaringly clear this week when I realized that the IT guys could not recover any data from my crashed disk and I took note of how much I have to rewrite.

I asked for God for forgiveness. My disobedience is going to cause a further delay to the completion of the book. I felt truly sorry about that.

I prayed for the grace and strength to focus and get the work done without feeling discouraged.

As we approach the end of the year, with all the preparations for Christmas on top of all we still hope to accomplish this year, staying in sync with God and in tune with His Holy Spirit will position us where God can work in us both to will and to do of His pleasure.

It pays off here and in eternity to be lead and guarded by the Holy Spirit. He knows us intimately and can influence us at the deepest level to make our walk with God and our daily work more fulfilling and satisfying.

I encourage you to make conscious effort several times during each day to …

… PAUSE.
…Tune in to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
… He is waiting to give directions and teach you the way to go.

We simply can not afford to live a single day without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Why I Am Here

During the past few weeks I had the opportunity to listen to messages and watch events, which compelled me to ponder on why I am doing the things that I do.

It was timely. I stepped into blogosphere a year ago today.

Why did I start out on this journey?

Why do I write?

I checked my heart and my motives, reviewed my personal statement and read again my first blog post.

Listening to the messages I mentioned earlier, I realized that if I am not doing this for the right reasons, it would be a waste of energy and effort - an exercise at futility.

I love to use words. I love to craft words skilfully  to deliver a message and touch lives for good—encouraging and inspiring hope. The ability to skilfully craft words is a gift bestowed by God. And when God gives a skill, it is because He wants it to be used to accomplish His purpose.

Sometimes, the trials and difficult situations we go through provides opportunity for a skill to be developed in us—squeezed out under pressure. All the women, who skilfully spun with their hands in blue, purple and scarlet materials and in fine linen, and brought these for the building of the tabernacle, learnt the art of tapestry while they were in bondage in the courts of the Egyptian princes.

They acquired the skills they used for God's purpose while they were in bondage—something beautiful and good came out of their difficult experience.

That is why I am here. I have learnt and grown through the fiery path I have sometimes  walked. I have experienced God's awesome love in such an uplifting way that I can not but write and share about them.

I can not NOT write. Writing connects me to the world out there. Writing is the opportunity God has given me through my trials and afflictions to touch lives for good. Ultimately, it is for God's purpose to be fulfilled in my life and in lives of those He brings my way that I am here. And it is He only Who must get the glory in all I do.

"Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people, citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another."
- Carl Sagan

In the past one year, I have cultivated new relationships and connected with so many people who I never knew. The blog has been visited from at least 40 countries. I could never have imagined such a reach when I started out last November.  I am so grateful to God for blessing me with each of you who have visited, commented and subscribed. You  are an encouragement to me.

How am I doing with my writing?

A leap of faith:
For many years, I dreamt about writing and did some writing without due diligence of learning. In February 2011, I laid down my excuses and started learning about the craft while writing.


I was inspired by DiAnn Mills' words - "How sad to hold onto a dream, know it is from God, and yet have too many fears and doubts to take a leap of faith" and was encouraged by her prayer to let my enthusiasm and inspiration for the craft of writing grip my heart and keep me creating and learning!

I have learnt more about the art and craft of writing since I started blogging on November 1, 2011. I am still learning as I strive to give my best. I am also wading in the waters of poetry which will enhance my writing skills. But the journey has not been without challenges.

Empowered For Victory:
A compilation of inspirational stories to encourage those facing difficult situations. It shares the stories of the victories God has given me and  the testimonies of how He is keeping me, day by day, come what may, living with a chronic respiratory disease. The book has been in the cooler for a few months now.

I am compelled to finish this book, there are those who God wants to use this book to touch. As long as it is unfinished, it can not be a tool for God's service. I ask God for the grace to overcome every resistance to the completion of the book.

Writing for Magazines:
God gave me a unique opportunity this year to write for Effectual, a magazine published six times a year which is impacting the lives of many women across many countries.

Novels - Inspirational Fiction:
I initiated a number of novels in the last two years. Fired by a strong desire to address all my unfinished work, I have gone back to the drawing board on one of them which I plan to give more attention as soon as I finish with the non-fiction book.

Watch out for updates on these projects on the blog in the coming months.

Next Steps:

I ask you, my friends, to help me take the blog to the next level by doing the following:

  • Let me know in the comment box below which blog post ministered to you the most?
  • What kind of improvements would you like to see in the blog to make your visit more enriching?
  • Please share the blog post you identified above with two of your friends and invite them to visit.

I am willing to do the workwriting, leaning on God who has equipped and skilled me for His purpose. I am determined by His grace to keep at it and to be available for His service through writing.

What about you? How are you doing with the skills God bestowed on you?

I encourage you to strive to be the best in the use of these skills for God's glory and service.

Thank you for letting me a part of your life through this space. It will be lonely here  without you. I pray that your experience here will continue to enrich your life and inspire hope in you.  God bless you richly.

1. DiAnn Mills is the Craftman Mentor for the Jerry Jenkin's Christian Writers Guild. http://www.christianwritersguild.com/blog/the-climb/