Are You Activating the Gifts God’s given You?

Birthday Boy Ethan with Sister Bella 

In route to wish my nephew a happy 3^rd birthday, I patiently waited for my flight to begin boarding and noticed the majority of the people around me reading books.  It’s not uncommon and usually how travelers pass the time, me included.  But not this time.  

What was I doing?  I was writing!  Writing, writing, writing, my little heart out.  But more than that I was ACTIVATING the words God has spoken over my life. 

Last summer I heard God say, “Start writing.”  Start writing what? I wasn’t entirely sure, but I knew to start.  Therefore, these past months have been an adventure in discovering the gift, passion, and joy He has put in me to write.  I am still learning and growing, as He shows me my style and my voice, trying to enjoy the process, rather than throw in the towel each time I get frustrated.

It’s a process for sure, but I have been encouraged, as I have heard the Holy Spirit whispering the word “activation” to me.  To activate the gifts I have been given, activate the words over my life, and activate what I want to see manifest in my life.   

The word active means being in a state of existence, progress, or motion.  Of course it’s important for me to pray for God to answer my prayers, but sometimes I need to take it a step further, and actually put into motion these hopes. 

I know it’s God who makes everything grow (us included) but He still requires me to plant, water, and tend the seeds He’s put me.   

So as I looked around at the travelers with their heads in a book, I smiled to myself knowing that one day someone might be on a plane reading my book all because I was obedient to activate what I know God has put in me. 

So, today what gifts do you want to activate? 

What could you do today that might set into motion your dreams and desires?

This story below articulates the heart of activation, and I pray it ACTIVATES you into your destiny today!

Lottery Ticket

A story is told of a woman in desperate need of changing her financial situation so she goes to church to ask God for help.  “Dear Lord,” she prays, “if I don’t get some cash, I am going to lose everything.  Please let me win the lottery.”  Lottery night comes, but she doesn’t win.

The next week she prays even harder, “God, I am counting on you.  I need your help.  Please let me win this once.”  Lottery night comes and again no luck. 

A week later and still no richer, the woman prays one more time, saying, “God, I don’t seem to be getting through to you.  I have been really good.  Give me a break and let me win the lottery.” 

Suddenly, the Heavens open up and there is a blinding flash of light and a deep voice says, “Give me a break, lady! Buy a ticket!” 

What would you do if you had no limits?

What would you do if you had no limits?

Would you write a book?  Would you start a business?  Would you travel overseas?  Would you become a rockette?  Would you work at a zoo?  Would you adopt?

It’s interesting, as I asked this question to a few different people over the past few weeks, I have been met with more questions than answers.  Less people seem to stop and dream and more people seem to question, doubt, and worry. 

A few months ago, I heard God ask me this very question, “What would I do if I had no limits?”

I must confess, I too didn’t quickly spat off loads of answers, but the more I started to dream, the more I couldn’t stop!  In doing so, my faith has increased and at the same time I have had to stand fear in the face and say, “You have NO place here.”  I am so tired of fear and letting a false nothing hold me back from what God has for me, but I digress that’s for another post!

Recently I read this prophetic word from Tim Sheets which said:

Right now God is opening doors for us to leap forward.  He is opening doors for us to surge ahead, and we are now going to run through open doors and spring into the future. 

Amen, Tim Sheets! I am ready to start running through open doors and leaping over what the enemy wants to put in my way.  I am tempted to start leaping places.  Seriously I am.  The Holy Spirit keeps whispering the word “activate” to me so I am doing my best to “activate” or set into motion His words.    

It’s a time for dreaming, it’s time for the dreamers to arise, and as we do we must get ready to LEAP, to BOUND, to FLY, into the calling God has for us.  

So today, as I got out of bed, I leaped to the bathroom.  I think I might make it part of my morning routine.  That may seem a little extreme and weird to you, BUT did you know the word weird actually means to pertain to destiny and suggesting the supernatural?

Count me in for more weird!

Lastly, I will leave you with a poem of Limitless Leaping!

Limitless leaping that’s what I do! 

I leap, I bound.

I transcend sound.

I leap to my destiny, I leap so high.

I leap out further, I touch the sky!

Leaping is my middle name.

Leaping never brings me shame.

Leaping is my very inner core.

Which means my life never is a bore.

Leaping is worth every cost.

Only then are limits lost.

I jump, I prance, I dance today. 

This freedom in me paves the way.

Limitless leaping is all I know.

As He forever runs the show.

Not a ceiling above or a box around.

But discovering what seemed lost has now been found.

Leap higher and wider and push the door.

Leap into your destiny, and you’ll discover so much more.   

A simple solution to get you the BREAKTHROUGH you need!

Do you feel stuck in this season? 

Are you questioning why you can’t seem to get to the next level? 

Do you wonder when your breakthrough will come? 

The solution might be simple.  It’s time to burn the ships. 

The picture above is the Sea of Cortez and was also my view for the past week from my 9^th floor bedroom window (rough I know).  In 1519, Captain Cortez landed here and commanded his sailors to burn the ships.  Yep, burn the ships!

Why? He didn’t want them thinking there was an option of returning.  Cortez forced his sailors to get established and figure out how to survive and thrive in this new land. 

Often as one season ends in our life, we find it hard to move forward and completely let go.  Currently many of us are in a season of transition and if we aren’t careful this season will never end.  We all have meet people, who are still in the same place of frustration they were 5, 10 years ago.  Their “transition” has become a permanent season.     

Again, maybe the answer is easy.  We need to burn the ships.  What this looks like is different for everyone, but the principle remains the same – if you always have one foot in the past, you can never fully run in the future.

Looking over this beautiful view, I am trying to put myself in the shoe of the sailor, as I watched my Captain burn the very vessel that brought me here.   Even if I thought my Captain had seriously lost his marbles, I would still be forced to move on.  My mindset would shift to the new task, opportunity, or challenge at hand, with no option of Plan B (return to the ships).  With only Plan A in front me, I would start to strategize how to take the land and forge ahead.  I would be ALL IN, with two feet running forward, equipped with a new mindset and new perspective all because my Captain burned the ships!

So, where are you today? 

Are you looking back at the ships, wondering if you might hop back on? 

Do you recognize you need to burn the ships? 

Are you forging ahead, taking ground and discovering new land? 

Maybe it’s time to have a BIG ole bon fire!  Smores anyone? 

Are you READY for what God has for YOU?!

I strolled in late to church on Sunday and found myself near the back behind a family of four.  Two cute boys were in front of me, maybe around 4 and 5 years old.  Seeing as it was Palm Sunday, the two boys were absolutely loving waving around these palm branches!

Finally, I figured I better close my eyes and focus on Jesus, otherwise I will end up watching these boys have fun for the next 20 minutes.  It wasn't but a minute later, when WACK!  Palm branch straight to the face! I looked down and they had no idea what had happened, or at least they continued on as they didn't! From there I decided to sit down (out of the danger zone) and get out my journal.  The minute I did, God slowly started to speak these words below to me.

As my pen went to the paper, I pray these words hit your heart! 

I am about to stir something magnificent in the Heavenlies.  Something like you have never seen before.  Full of wonder and full of might. 

My vastness you have yet to see.  The vastness and greatness of my Glory. 

Those who have seen my heart will start to see in greater measure.  If you ask, you shall receive.  There is no limit to my resources and to my love.  So ask, ask, ask. 

I have enough for you. Enough is found in me. 

I am shaking and stirring in the Heavenlies, there will be a battle like you have never seen or heard. 

Pray, pray, pray for hearts to be awakened and for my word to be awakened.  For my glory to be released in the hearts of my people. 

This great work is not accomplished by those “committed” but by those who have surrendered to the heart of the Father.

 I am stirring deep, deep things in the hearts of my people.  So, get ready. 

Get ready to host my presence. 

My army is being raised up.  My army is made of many parts, and I am putting my people in their rightful place.  Don’t doubt where I am leading you, and what I am doing with you, and where I have placed you.  It’s for such a time as this.

Army rise up, so that praise, praise, praise will be on your lips, and worship, worship, worship will be on your hearts.

It’s not business as usual anymore, it’s not life as usual.  There is a new wave, new gifts, new anointings, and a fresh wind coming upon this land.

Will you hide in a hole and miss it? OR  Will you stand letting it move you where you are meant to go?

A covering is coming upon my people and this land.  My glory will be known, my glory will be seen.  My breath will blow.  It’s about to get windy. 

Army, are you ready?

Are you ready to host my presence? 

Who knew a good ole palm branch smack to the face is just what Thee Doctor ordered?! :)