Tag Archives: Purpose

Feb4

God’s Calling

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“I will go before you
   and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
   and cut through bars of iron.
I will give you hidden treasures,
   riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD,
   the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”

Isaiah 45:2-4 (New International Version, ©2010)

 

Sometimes the “mission” God places upon our hearts seems humanly impossible. God might be prompting us to do something extraordinary, and we can think of many excuses in our limited minds why it can’t possibly work. The above verse is a powerful reminder of this truth:

When God designs your plans, nothing can stop His purposes from being accomplished.

If you are following in step with His will, He will go before you and level any “mountain” of impossibility ahead of you. He will break through barriers in our path which seemingly bring you to a dead end along your journey. When you are in the midst of a plan orchestrated by our Heavenly Father, prepare to be amazed. His ideas are not limited to human thinking. His power is limitless.

He can perform miracles.

When you are following His call upon your heart, remember that He has “summoned you by name.” He specifically chose you when He designed your particular calling. He knows everything about you, and He knows that you are uniquely qualified to fulfill the purpose of His grand plan. Obedience to His calling simply requires that you take a step of faith toward fulfilling His mission. With each step forward, you will begin to receive His “hidden treasures” and “riches stored in secret places.” These heavenly rewards are the unimaginable blessings which God wants to shower upon His children for their obedience.

So if you feel God calling you by name, follow His lead. The job He has planned just for you will have eternal rewards. Have confidence in His ability to fulfill His plans. He will be with you every step of the way.

Sep12

Gifted

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Let Your Light Shine

"Let Your Light Shine" by cbcooksey

When someone has been given much,

Much will be required

in return;

And when someone has been entrusted with much,

Even more will be required.

Great gifts mean

Great responsibilities;

Greater Gifts,

Greater Responsibilities!

Luke 12:48

 

The Bible tells us that we are each uniquely equipped with gifts and talents.  These abilities are placed within us in order to fulfill God’s purposes for our lives.  Can you think of the capabilities that you possess and see them through the lens of God’s vision?  If we listen to God’s prompting, He will direct us in exactly the way He desires us to use our gifts.  The more we are blessed by Him, the more He requires of us.  The beauty of this is that the more we are obedient, the more His blessings will flow to us.  How have you used your gifts and talents for God’s glory lately?

Jan17

Getting Your Hands Dirty

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“Getting your Hands Dirty”


cbrown.cooksey


40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. Mark 1:40 – 42 NIV

Leprosy was an incurable, disabling skin disease which terrified people. In keeping with Jewish Law, lepers were considered unclean and were unable to participate in any religious or social activity. They were the ultimate outcasts of Jewish society. They were banned to live in leper colonies outside the main areas of the cities and were not allowed to mingle with the healthy population.

However, when Jesus saw this diseased, leprous man, he had compassion on him. Despite his visual appearance and all the dictates of Jewish law, Jesus reached out and TOUCHED this man with his hand of healing. This reaction went against every belief of all those people who were watching. Jesus looked beyond the disease and saw inside the man. In doing so, Jesus demonstrated a valuable example to his followers. The real value of a person is on the inside. Outward appearances of a person’s body may be deformed or diseased, but the person inside is no less valuable to God. No person is too disgusting or disfigured or diseased for God’s touch.

In a sense we have all been diseased and deformed by the ugliness and disfigurement of sin, and we could, therefore, be considered leprous in the eyes of God. Instead of looking away from us in disgust, God had compassion on all sinners when He sent His son, Jesus, who touched us with love and forgiveness and gave us the opportunity to be healed.

When is the last time you got your “hands dirty” in the name of Jesus? When your feel repulsed by someone, take a moment and think about how God feels about that person…and how he feels about you. Stop and ask yourself, “What would Jesus do in that same situation?”

Aug3

Go For It!

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Go For It!

 cBrown.Cooksey

This image inspires me. It motivates me and urges me to just “Go for it!” It makes me think about chasing my passions with unhindered enthusiasm and belief in myself. There are those of us who dream, and there are those of us who follow our dreams. The distinction between the two categories is enormous. I could sit around all my life and imagine what it would be like if I were truly pursing those “wildest dream” interests imbedded deep within my soul, but without action I would never achieve anything. In order to fulfill my aspirations, I must capture a vision of my goals and leap forward in unbridled pursuit. I must unleash myself from self-doubt, worry, excuses, fear, what-if’s and negativism, while allowing myself to jump off the platform of my sure-footing toward the direction of realizing my full potential.

 

Let this photograph be a motivational scene for you, as well. Is there anything that has always been in your heart that you know you were created to do? Have you defined your true purpose in life?  What action do you need to take to leap in the direction of your passion? Set goals for yourself and visualize your new future. Launch forward in pursuit of your dreams!

Jun18

Poem: Eyes that are Unseen

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Eyes that are Unseen

 

Let me see, with eyes that are unseen,

The window into my soul.

 

Let me love with a heart that does not feel

The scars from life’s battles.

 

Let me think with a mind that is wise

In lessons from above.

 

Let me hope with a spirit that is free,

And anchored in God’s care.

 

Let me shine with a heavenly glow

By reflecting the One who is Light.

 

cbrown.cooksey


Jul3

Hello world!

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What started as a simple idea has turned into my personal ministry…finding a way each day to encourage at least one person whom God has placed in my path.  As wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, niece, relative, friend, neighbor, co-worker, client, customer,  or acquaintance, there are moments EVERYDAY in my life that I can find a way to offer ENCOURAGEMENT to those around me.

There is a Proverb (11:25) which says, “He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”  Try it, and see how true this is.  No matter how badly things might be going in life, you can always look around and find people who are hurting more than you.  By reaching out to others, the focus is no longer on your own troubles. View life through a lens looking outward, as opposed to looking inward.  Your outward vista will be personal and unique because no one else walks the exact journey you are walking, making you uniquely qualified to touch those with whom you come in contact wherever you are.

I challenge (encourage) you to take one simple step toward someone in your path today.  Give a smile to the cashier at the grocery store, pay the waitress a little extra tip, call a friend who has been on your mind, take time to listen to the elderly person in line with you at the grocery store, send a note to someone going through a rough patch in life to let them know their situation is not forgotten, send a card to a co-worker going through chemo, or email a divorced friend who is spending the weekend alone without her children.  The list is endless, but you get the idea.  Who knows what a better place this world could be if we each made this our personal mission each day.  Try it and see.