exceedingly abundantly above and beyond...

The Martin's had an album years ago call "Dream Big".  It's a fun song.  If you're gonna dream, dream big!  God is so much bigger than that for which we give Him credit.  The verse says that He will do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think.  I think about the goals and dreams I have had in my life and while some of them have been "silly", He is showing me more and more that He knows my heart.  He knows my dreams and he knows my longings and the more I fall in love with Him and His word, the more I see my dreams and longings fulfilled.  It is true that I was created to love Him and be loved by Him.  I was uniquely designed to worship Him in a way that no one else can.  As I pursue Him, the longings He placed inside of me are met in Him. At the same time, the things that He has created me to do...the specific gifts and talents that He has given me, are being drawn out in ways that I never imagined.

For example...While stuck in my 9-5 customer service job a couple of years ago, I was asked the question "If you could do anything, what would it be?"  My answer was to teach at the college level and to write. I have always wanted to write.  I have always wanted to teach.  I realized in college that elementary ed was not it, so I switched majors to Christian Ed.  I enjoyed junior high and high school more so I was a Youth Pastor for awhile.  When I spent time raising funds to go to the mission field I realized that my favorite part was educating people about the serious need for missionaries in the 10-40 window.  I was passionate about it and discovered a voice for speaking before a crowd that I didn't realize that I had.  I was beginning to understand that God given passion was the key.  When He places something on my heart I cannot keep silent.  He has placed His finger on my heart on many subjects; missions, keeping the first commandment in first place, the Song of Songs from the perspective of Jesus as  the Bridegroom, the House of Prayer movement,  inner healing, and Eschatology.

So traditionally speaking I was thinking college professor, maybe comparative religion.  I wanted to write something inspirational, but had no idea where to start.  When I left Kansas City and the IHOP-KC internship to move to Michigan, I wasn't sure what I was going to do.  All I knew for sure was that it would be through the context of the House of Prayer movement.  I was already partnering with Oasis House of Prayer in Canton once a month, but I wasn't sure if that would be permanent or if God had other plans.  I was bursting at the seams with everything He had downloaded into me during the internship.  I was looking for an outlet.

I found myself back in a 9-5 customer service job within 30 days.  It wasn't what I had in mind when I finally moved to Michigan, but it was a financial gift from God.  Within 6 months, the Director of Oasis and the leadership team had announced a God-given vision for ministry that would be expanding the current Oasis House of Prayer to include a church plant and a school of ministry.  Soon after the birth of Desert Voice Ministries, I was asked to consider joining the servant leadership team and to help build the school of ministry.  I found myself on the Education Team helping to write and develop curriculum, and preparing to help facilitate and teach the very topics that the Lord had been imprinting on my heart.  I can't believe I am part of something so amazing!  At this is just the tip of the iceberg.  Tonight I led my first worship set with my own team in the House of Prayer.  I have been prayer leading and working on building the Hospitality aspect of the the ministry...my expectations, my attempts at making my own dreams come true, have all been blown out of the water.  God's dreams for my life; His fulfillment of every righteous longing, are exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all I could ever imagine.  As I pursue His heart, He pursues mine.  And my heart is full.  Full of joy, full of contentment, full of peace...full of confidence in who I am and Who I belong to.  So many times the works of the Lord in our lives look nothing like we expected them to look.  I say praise the Lord for that!