What's God Doing In Your Life? ~ Jessica's Story: Physical & Spiritual Transformation

A few months ago, I ran into a beautiful blog, Forever Convinced, ran by an even more beautiful lady, Jessica. Of course, the first thing that caught my attention was the fact that Jessica loved Jesus, chocolate, and iced coffee. =) I then read her weight loss story and became so inspired by the determination she had to lose as much weight as she did! However, what really stood out to me wasn't the amount of weight had lost, but the way that she had to completely rely on God to transform her--and not just physically. I am thrilled to have her at my blog today to share her transformation story, and I'm sure it'll bless you just as much as it has blessed me.

~~~

As a girl growing up, I developed a weight problem at a young age. By the time I was in high school, I was at least 20 or 30 pounds overweight. As a Christian, I really began to question my faith in God at this point in my life. “If you really loved me God…then why would you allow for me to have weight problems at such a young age? Why are you ruining such an important part of my life by making me feel completely insecure with my body type? Why can’t I just be skinny like all of my other friends?” These were some of the many questions that I would ask God on a daily basis.

As time went on, I did anything I could to distract myself from my disappointment of being overweight. I joined the swim team in high school, and even became relatively good as I began to compete with other teams. I made friends with the popular crowd at school, and I loved the fact that they had accepted me into their “elite group.” I distracted myself from my disappointment of being overweight by finding other ways to receive attention through my personality, and also by putting my identity in the different activities that was involved with.

But my weight didn’t stop piling on as time went by. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I officially was labeled as “obese” based on the weight that I was at. I had never felt as insecure as I did at that point in my life, and to make things worse I also was developed horrible acne all over my face. My parents desperately wanted to do anything they could to get me at a healthy weight and fix my skin problem, because they saw how much pain it was causing me as a young teenager. They knew that it was simply the bad genetics that had been passed down from our other relatives and they felt bad for me.

Toward the end of my high school experience, I learned that putting my identity in the popular crowd and in the swim team wasn’t working out. Eventually my friends in the popular crowd rejected me, and I was heartbroken. The swim team became too much of a commitment, so I quit. I couldn’t believe the circumstances that I was in, and it felt at the time that the Lord had forgotten about me. My friends that I loved rejected me, I no longer felt the same passion to swim as I used to feel, and I was obese with acne. This is when the depression set in. I decided that God was mad at me forever, so I forgot about my faith and put God on the back burner. I decided that it was time for me to do life my way, without God’s help.

Fast-forward to a few years later when I was a junior in college, still struggling with my weight and battling depression. I was sitting at a coffee shop with one of my close friends, who had been telling me about a guy named Jesus. She told me Jesus loved me, and I didn’t believe her until about 5 seconds later when I heard a soft whisper in my heart that to this day I will never forget.

“I love you Jessica, please return to me.” The voice said.

I don’t even know how to explain it, but it was in that exact moment that there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that it was God Himself who had just spoken into my heart loud and clear.

From that moment on, I knew I had to let God into my life to fix the mess that I was in. When I finally let God take the wheel and stopped doing things my way, Jesus transformed me from the inside out. Through consistent prayer, God taught me to respect my body by fueling it with healthy foods and by eating smaller meals. I went on a healthy meal plan where I learned how to maintain my metabolism by eating 6 small meals a day. After a period of 6 months with committing to eating differently, I lost 50 pounds and I felt amazing.

It has been two years since I lost the weight, and by the grace of God I have kept it all off since that time. No my weight loss story did not happen overnight, and it certainly was not in easy in any way. There were many times where I wanted to give up, but as I continued to lean on God for strength during that period of my life, He helped me get through the struggle of it all. I not only grew closer to the Lord during this time but I also discovered my hearts deepest satisfaction was found in God alone, and not in people, activities, food, or anything else. God also lifted me out of my pit of anxiety and depression, by completely renewing my mind and teaching me to conquer every single fear that I had in my life.

As I look back on the past couple of years, I am amazed at how God truly cared enough about every detail of my life to bring me to where I am today. He loved me enough to renew every single ugly part of me. He took away all my brokenness and replaced it with His wholeness. He made me feel beautiful, and He still continues to demonstrate His love for me every moment of every day. My blog is called “Forever Convinced” because I truly am forever convinced that if God was able to transform me into the person that I am today from the person I used to be, then there is hope for anyone out there to know the real Jesus Christ.

“Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Jeremiah 33:3

~~~

Visit Jessica's blog,
"Forever Convinced".

Thanks for sharing your story with us!

If you'd like to share

what God's been doing in your life,

click here for details.

Be Like Jeffrey: Thanking God Despite Circumstances by Tara Hall

I hope you all are having a great Thanksgiving! I love how this season reminds us that no matter what is going on in our lives, there is always a reason to be thankful. My sister, Tara, is here to share some of her thoughts on this, as well as a recent encounter she experienced with a homeless person.

~~~

Living in New York City, you see the most interesting people, to say the least. But recently, I have noticed the massive collision of those who "have it all" and those who "have absolutely nothing." Just by walking down one single block, you can count on seeing both of these types of people.

I’d like to tell you about one of my most recent friends, Jeffery. I guess you could say he is one who "has absolutely nothing." At least that is what I assumed about him at first glance… but I was proven dead wrong. Jeffery caught the attention of many the other day on our first snow day of the season by walking down the street barefoot on the Upper West Side. Being stubborn yet polite, he would immediately decline the offer of any stranger who wanted to buy him a pair of shoes. “No thank you. I’m fine. I’m fine.” He would say while walking away, until suddenly one guy showed up who went ahead and bought some for Jeffery, along with a pair of thick socks. This is the time Jeffery finally gave in, sat down, and put them on with a massive smile across his face. “You have to promise me two things if I give you these,” said the guy who bought them. “1) You cannot sell them and 2) you have to actually wear them.” Jeffery just shook his head in agreement, and the generous guy soon went on his way.

But I couldn’t just yet. The sight of all that was going on had stopped me dead in my tracks. It looked so beautiful outside, but these same gorgeous snow flakes were causing the people who "have absolutely nothing" to freeze. And how could someone so desperate repeatedly turn down the offer of help, but when it was right in their face, gladly accept? I felt compelled to do more for him and after I did some begging, Jeffery finally agreed to go to the diner on the next block so my roommate and I could treat him to a hot meal. After some strange looks, the waiter finally sat this odd looking party of 3 at a large booth. Jeffery, looking around worriedly, warned us that he may be kicked out because he didn’t “look nice”… but he never was.

I’ll never forget the conversations we shared for those 45 minutes. It was mostly a lot of listening on mine and my roommate's part, and the rest was Jeffery talking about his past and experiences. We learned he was in the military, he has two children living in Georgia, he was divorced, and he talked about his experience on September 11, 2001 while being homeless. Somewhere between all of this is when we realized his indescribable joy. His compassion. His determination. His strength… each and every day when he wakes up and before he finds a place to “lay his head,” he recites Psalm 23. His other favorite scripture is Psalm 91. He carries a small dilapidated Bible in a plastic bag inside of his shirt every single day. It is his only possession besides the thin, worn out clothing on his back (and his new leather boots!)… but yet his joy was so evident. He was beaming with gladness! That is when we quickly realized that this "have absolutely nothing" actually "has it all"… all that really matters and is truly necessary to live a life of fulfillment.

"I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances.I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry,hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." 

~Philippians 4:12

After finishing most of his meal (and taking the leftovers to go), Jeffery thanked us over and over for everything. “Man, I never would have thought this would have happened when I woke up today! You girls made my year! This has never happened to me! People give me food all the time, but no one has ever sat with me to eat it.” This was my first time ever taking the time to do exactly this, but I can boldly say it will not be my last. Jeffery made a huge impression on my heart that snowy day that will never ever go away… no matter what your circumstance, every single one of us can be the type of person that "has it all."

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name's sake,.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
~Psalm 23

~~~

Visit Tara's blog
"Anchored With Love".

Thanks for sharing your story with us!

If you'd like to share

what God's been doing in your life,

click here for details.

(I'm on a blogging break for Thanksgiving and will return Dec. 3rd.)

What's God Doing In Your Life? ~ Jeremy's Story

Today my awesome cousin Jeremy is here to share a bit of what God has been teaching him about overcoming the mountains in his life through faith and hard-work. And just so you all know, this guy has a lot of faith. Seriously. And he is probably one of the most hard-working 19-year-olds that I know. God has blessed him for this, too. So when he tells us about what God has taught him on "heading up the mountains", he knows what he's talking about! (And yes, that is me in the picture with him.)

Heading High

You know that exhausted feeling you get while you're doing a strenuous task or workout, when you feel as if you can no longer continue? Yes, that one. The one that cuts the time of your task almost in half.

Okay, I know you know what I'm taking about because I believe we've all tried it at some point or another. We run, but when we reach a mountain we try to go around it. We become fearful when we see our enemy face to face. We get discouraged when we see how big and vast his armies are. Not only do we go around them, but the speed we once had - our confidence - is gone. How could we ever charge up that mountain, let alone run again? I'll tell you - when you reach a mountain in your life, instead of backing away, run up!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

~Joshua 1:9

Whenever temptation is placed in front of you, withstand it! You have to submit yourselves to God, as James 4:7 says, and resist the devil so that he can flee from you. If you start thinking that you can't do it, read Philippians 4:13~

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

With God on our side, we won't just be jogging up mountains. We'll be charging up them! Whenever you feel like you cannot face whatever task is set before you, clear your mind of the negative thoughts and equip yourself with your new confidence - God. Equip yourselves with His armor. Remember these verses so you'll be equipped the next time an obstacle is in the way. Don't run around it.

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."

~Ephesians 6:11

So the next time your enemies are mocking you and blocking your path, go the extra mile - show your confidence. Sure, your enemies may be strong, but God is much stronger. He's got your back! Don't listen to the voices, the thoughts, or whatever it may be that keeps telling you that you can't do it. Listen to your heart, and let God's confidence burst through you. Give your all for God! I mean come on, didn't he give His all for you? Don't make excuses or find quick shortcuts. Do as Colossians 3:32 says and work as if you're doing it for God, not for people.

Ever since I've taken this mentality I've gotten a lot more accomplished, have had no problem overcoming temptations, and have traveled up many mountains that I myself would never have been able to go up alone. Don't think twice about heading up a mountains' steepness. Just charge up. God won't just be leading you to the top, but He'll lead you to victory and high-soaring rewards. You can be sure of that!

~~~

Visit Jeremy's blog
"The Storms Within".

Thanks for sharing your story with us!

If you'd like to share

what God's been doing in your life,

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What's God Doing In Your Life? ~ Katelyn's Story

Learning to Ask for Grace

Hey! My name is Katelyn. I’m a twenty-year-old junior in college. I’m pursuing a career in trauma therapy mission work. I’m an extrovert, a big dreamer, a new believer in love, a music guru, and a coffee connoisseur.

I wish I could explain the depths of what God has done in my life lately, but I’m daily learning how He moves.

I’m in a place now where I can feel God’s presence daily in my life. We’ve been so in tune lately. I was in a two-year rollercoaster of heartbreak and healing (with extra rinses and repeats.) I was so deeply hurt. Even when I was happy, I had this pocket of pain and fear in my heart. I felt like my depression was a bottomless valley that I would never have the strength to climb out of.

God, however, has immeasurable strength.

I reached a point over the summer where I completely surrendered to God. I laid all my pain and fear at His feet, and asked Him to heal me so that I could be a better servant for Him.

After a month of endless nights, in the weight of the struggle, I woke up to a new life.

I woke up to a heart empty of pain and fear, and full of love and peace. It felt almost as if anything else was foreign. I was new. I was whole. I was free.

I could end here and tell you that was all He’s done for me lately, but it simply isn’t. With this new life, came new maturity. I started understanding that, on my own, I am inadequate. I’m a flawed human being that was showed grace and love.

So, I’ve started daily asking for grace. It is such a simple task that fills my life with so much joy. It’s as if I daily ask God to personally walk with me as I make my way on this journey. I know He does anyway, but I know He loves being invited into my life.

Grace has taught me the meaning of God’s love, the use of pain, and the strength of those two united.

~~~

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Katelyn!

If you'd like to share

what God's doing in your life,

click here for details.

What's God Doing In Your Life? ~ Funto's Story

Hi everyone! My name's Titi (or Funto on the web). I live in a beautiful diverse little city in Europe and also study here. I'm a 20 year old law student in my second year of uni who loves all things literary. I enjoy singing to God, appreciate every opportunity spent with friends and family laughing over one thing or the other, enjoy watching silly cartoons that make me feel ten years younger with my big sis while laughing till it hurts. 

 Since the end of 2011 till this day, my God's been teaching me several lessons most of which come down to the same point. There’s a void in ALL of us that only God can fill. The more you draw closer to God and the more you go out of your way to know Him, the more that void will be filled. It got to a stage where I realized I had such a void. I realized there was a void in my life that needed filling. But truth is, the void had been there for some time, I just didn’t realize it. It wasn’t that I’d drawn away from God. It wasn’t that my love for Him had diminished. It wasn’t even that I’d started to pray less or read my Bible less. It was that more was demanded of me. 

This race of faith is like climbing a mountain. And that climb starts the day you fully give your life to Jesus. I didn't go rock-climbing much while I was younger, but I’ve done it enough times to realize what a laborious task it is. Oh man, it is tough. One of the times I went, a friend of mine got to a point where she felt she couldn’t go any higher because her legs started to shake terribly. She was weary. But coming back to the climb referring to our relationship with God, the thing is, I’d gotten to a point in that climb, to a level and I felt I could take my time before moving forward. Maybe I was scared that if I kept climbing, I’d get to that stage where my legs would start shaking from the strain. Maybe I just wasn’t in a hurry. Maybe I felt I had all the time in the world. Maybe I just wanted to take a long break before continuing on that journey. But one thing was for sure, I’d stopped climbing and remained at a level before God said it was time. 

You see, in this climb you cannot move on to the next level, you cannot move higher without having acquired the strength necessary for that level in the previous level. It’s like when you’re playing a video game, you can’t move to the next level without having fulfilled the tasks required. In the “relationship with God” climb, you simply cannot climb higher without dealing with certain things or overcoming others or fulfilling certain tasks, most of which involve ourselves. So before continuing on the journey, God will take you through all the necessary in the previous levels.

I remained at a level when God was saying, “okay, you can keep climbing now”. I just didn’t realize it. So, God demanded more of me. But the fact that I was still on a level I should've left created a void somewhere. And I didn’t even realize there was such a void. So I tried to fill it up with the wrong things. Part of my joy sometimes depended on who I saw that day and who I spoke to and what they said and a bunch of other insignificant things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying people aren’t good. What I'm saying is that your joy should not depend on them or any other thing. People or any other thing you value in your life is not supposed to be in anyway the source of your joy. They’re supposed to add to that joy! When your joy depends on people and certain circumstances, there is something wrong somewhere. 

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” 

Galatians 5:22-23

God should be our source of joy. But the many blessings He blesses us with are only meant to add to that joy. At the time, I didn’t realize my joy had started to rely on certain trivial things. Because God loves us, He teaches us certain lessons, but only for our own good. I guess it got to a point where I had to learn one. My awesome God didn’t strip me of all those things I’d started to build my joy on, no. But He showed me what it would be like if He were to do so. In a matter of days, I realized that all of those things and people my joy depended on, all of those things and people I had tried to use to fill up the void only God could fill could easily not be there for me every day of the week. You see, people come and people go. The world is always changing. When people leave you, it’s okay to be sad, it’s perfectly normal to miss them like crazy but when your joy is built on the solid rock which is Christ, eventually you will be okay. God has a purpose for those people too, and that purpose might not involve them remaining in your life.

Well, my heavenly Daddy showed me what that could be like. And it hurt. Believe me. I found myself thinking “why?” I cried. But He didn’t just let me cry, he wrapped me in His loving arms and speaking through a spirit-filled someone very close to me, He simply spoke the words, “I AM ENOUGH”. Wow, what a word!

That truth is GOD IS ENOUGH. He is enough for you and He is enough for me. After Job lost EVERYTHING he still held on to his God because he understood this. Only God could ever fill any type of void we might have, anywhere we might be lacking. When all else fails, He is enough. You don’t need a bunch of irrelevant things to make you happy. You don’t need to have what everyone has. Stop chasing after trivialities. Job's life was turned upside down in no time. But he knew in his knowing, that come rain or shine, I’m gonna be just great because God’s got me, and He’s enough. 

We live in a world where it’s easy to get carried away even when you’re not doing the things of the world. It’s easy to get carried away even when you’re still that good God-crazy person you’ve always been. That is why it’s important to examine and search our own hearts once in a while. Daughter of Zion, son of the Most High, God is enough for you! Walk in that confidence! Every other thing comes from Him.

 ~~~ 

Visit Funto's personal blog at Tell The World. 

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Funto! 

If you'd like to share what God's doing in your life, click here for details.

What's God Doing In Your Life? ~ Rebekah's Story

Hi! I'm Rebekah, a seventeen year old growing up on a farm in the Midwest. In my free time you'll find me either outside with the animals, spending time with my family, snapping photos, chatting with friends in cute lil' coffee shops, curled up with a good book, or doing something with my horse. But more than anything else, I pray that my life brings glory to my Savior. He is truly worth living and dying for.

God has planted a desire in my heart. A desire to be full of His love and mercy for the lost, hurting, and starving people of this world. It didn't spring up overnight, it's been a gradual process. In 2009 I went to visit some missionary friends in Africa for a month, and it was one of the most amazing months I've ever experienced. It opened my eyes to a whole new world outside of our American way of life – a lifestyle that I knew existed, but something that you almost have to experience first hand for it to really become a reality. I can still see the hunger. I can still see the poverty. I can still see the children who have huge grins on their faces even though they are living under less than ideal circumstances. And it's something that I'll never forget.

Sometimes it's easy to let myself get caught up in my own little world and then forget about all of the hurt that is going on around me. Between juggling schoolwork and a busy schedule, it's too easy to let other things be pushed out of my mind. But over the past few months I've become more and more aware of the hurt, pain, and need that there is around the world, and it's made me want to do something about it. I've also come to realize that it isn't just in third-world countries that there is hurt and pain... it's all around me right here in America.

I co-lead a girls Bible study, and one of our lessons in the past few months just happened to be on mercy. Since the person who is teaching always seems to learn more than those who are listening, I was again challenged in this area. God has called us to live lives of mercy, reaching out to those in need and showing them the love of Christ. One verse that stood out to me comes from Luke 7:47:

"Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Once we realize how much mercy we have been shown and how much God has forgiven us, it brings about a new motivation to share this love and mercy with others. We often hear "God loves you" and I think that we've started to take it lightly. But when the full reality of that love hits us, how can we not want to share it with others?"

Sometimes I question if I can really do anything that will matter. I'm just a teen growing up in the Midwest - can I really do anything of importance for the Kingdom of God? Through this, God has been showing me how small I am and how big He is. Without Him, I am nothing. He has given His all for me, and all He asks for in return is that I live my life for Him. Is that too big a price? God can and will do amazing things in and through us when we surrender our all to Him and allow Him to multiply it. He isn't looking for those who have it all - He's looking for those who are willing to give their all, no matter how insignificant it may be. Over and over again I'm reminded that we only have one life to live, and we need to live it for the glory of God.

Maybe someday I'll have the chance to go back to Africa, but honestly I don't know what God has planned for me. What I do know is that for now God has placed me here. I'm not in Africa. I'm not in Europe. I'm not in the town fifty miles from here. I'm right here in my little town in the middle of the USA. I don't want to wait to serve the Lord until it seems like the right time. He has placed me here for a purpose, and I pray that He would equip me to serve the people in my community. I keep reminding myself that there is no wrong place to serve the Lord – I need to serve right where He has placed me, no matter where that may be.

~~~

Visit Rebekah's personal blog at Treasuring Today.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Rebekah!

If you'd like to share what God's doing in your life,

click here for details.

What's God Doing In Your Life? ~ Lexi's Story

Hi everyone, my name is Lexi. I am a seventeen year old - freshman in college – photography crazy - pretzel loving - girl whose full ambition in life is to love the Lord with all I’ve got and make the people around me know how special they are.

I’m what you’d call a dreamer. I read. I write. I laugh. I strive to live out each day so that I look back with no regrets. I mess up. A lot. But I know that I’m here for a purpose, something that’s bigger than my mistakes, fears, and insecurities.

This post will only take minutes to read, but I hope it will be a post that will leave an impact that lasts far beyond the boundaries of this blog. In these moments I have you as my audience, I don’t want to try and prove myself/anything to you. I don’t want to share what’s bugging me about today’s culture. I just want to be REAL and leave you all with a piece of the girl whose writing this.

I’m only 17 years old, but my life has been flipped, flopped, and scrambled more times than I can count. I’ve had really bad days. Days where all you want to do is crawl in bed and pretend that when you come out, all the wrong will suddenly become right. Days when no matter how bright the sun shines, your heart still feels like a tattered mess. I hated those days. I still hate those days. But one of the main reasons why I hated them so much is because I never had the courage to face them. Confront them. Tell them to “get the heck out of here because I wanted a good day.”

About a month ago, I realized that one of the biggest problems in my life was that I put off confrontation. With just about everything. Mostly, I was insecure. I wanted those things to change themselves because I didn’t believe I had the ability to make anything better. Recently, through a lot of prayer and a really hard decision, I realized that I DO have the ability to make a situation better by simply being in it. I can’t change people. I can’t change fate. But I can change how I deal with the problems I face and make it a GOOD day by first changing myself. I only have the power to change me. And you know what? That takes off such a big load that I was trying to carry for so long! It’s not easy to let go of, and it certainly takes time/discipline/and a whole lot of God’s help – but trust me when I say that it’s worth it. Oh so worth it.

If you are currently struggling with a heavy load that you should not be carrying, I know this sounds so incredibly cliché, but LET GO AND LET GOD. Seriously! I’m not even kidding you; it really does work. Your insecurities, the problems you face, the words people throw your way, the situation you are living in – none of it defines who you are and what you are capable of accomplishing. God gave you this life. He wants you to enjoy it and make the most of it for His glory. He didn’t make a mistake when He made you, and even though we all doubt it every once in a while… He honestly did not make a mistake when He put you where you are. Yeah, it can be 100% difficult and draining, but it is for a purpose…maybe one we’ll never completely know or understand until heaven.

But even on those yucky days that I hate, I want to live them out like days that I LOVE because in everything I do I want to make sure that I’m living, and not merely existing, in the best way that I can. With no regrets.

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

~Romans 5: 3-5

~~~

Visit Lexi's personal blog at I Got Sun

and her photography blog at Alexis Nicole Photo.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Lexi!

If you'd like to share what God's doing in your life,

click here for details.

What's God Doing In Your Life? ~ Clare's Story

Hello! My name is Clare Kolenda. I'm seventeen years old and I'm number seven in a family of nine. I love all things hockey and jazz music and I like to dance almost as much as I love to write. Almost. Writing is my passion, but my heart's desire is to help Christ change the world.

But I didn't always know that. Even at the beginning of this summer I had no clue what God had in store for me. To be honest, I was pretty annoyed with Him. My best friend had moved away, I had no job, no car, no money. I though my summer was doomed. I felt like Rapuzel stuck and confined... only without the awesome hair.

After moping around a little bit, I realized I shouldn't waste the time. That I should give it to God and see what He did with it. And what did He do? He helped me write all summer long. He gave me contests to enter, and helped me place in several of them, and He showed me in countless ways how much He loved and cherished me. It was a period where I was showered with grace. And it was during this summer that God showed me that He wanted me to help Him change the world with my stories. My favorite part about writing is the fact that I have the ability to touch someone somehow. Whether it just makes them laugh, gives them a reason to smile, or offers an escape, if one of my stories can do that for someone, it's completely worth it. Knowing that God wanted to use my writing, I thought that was wonderful, but He wasn't finished yet.

I applied for a job at the end of the summer for a seasonal position at a Christian bookstore nearby. Again, God opened the right doors and I was hired later. Becoming an employee, part of my job is to ask our customers if they will be willing to sponsor child who could live from any part of the world so they can have a better future. It helps change the kids lives. It could even be the difference between them getting sick and dying, to staying healthy and strong. When I ask customers, I hear a lot of "no's". Either the customer says they don't have enough money to commit to a month-to-month plan, or they already support another charity organization, or some other personal reason. Hearing a "yes" is like a spotting a jewel shining among coals. Sometimes an employee will go months without getting a child sponsored.

But just this week, I've gotten three sponsorship's for three different children. And it's all because God is asking me to help Him change the world. By helping these kids get sponsored I am helping change their lives. I'm transforming a part of the world. How cool is that?

It's quite hard to believe that just 6 months ago I was still mad at God because I was bored and alone. I'm so grateful that I gave my summer to God to use, and He gave me the opportunities He did. Because at seventeen, I am fulfilling my heart's desire, my life's work. I am changing the world.

~~~

Visit Clare's blog at United In His Love.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Clare!

If you'd like to share what God's doing in your life,

click here for details.

What's God Doing In Your Life?

Everyone has a story. This is the main reason why I love writing so much, as mentioned in my recent post. Because every one of us is unique - created by God to live out the life that he has planned for us.

I've been having this idea stirring in me for a while, but have yet to act on it since I've been so busy with school and Purple Moon. However, I am going to try it for a while and see how it goes. Every now and then I'd like to start featuring different people on here to share your story, what God is doing in your life, or just anything that you'd like to share. I'm hoping this will be an opportunity for you to encourage others while sharing your testimony.

If you would like to be featured, all you have to do is leave a comment below or send me an e-mail. You have to be ages 13 - 23 to participate. I will be asking you a few questions about yourself, then you will be asked to send me "your story", as well as a photo of yourself.

Please let others know about this. Since I'm not yet sure how many people will contact me about this, I can't make a commitment right now to post this once a week - but I will definitely try doing that eventually.

We are all so unique... different hobbies, different stories to tell. Why not share these stories?

~~~

"God is writing it out, sometimes with a heavy pen;

but when complete, it’ll read like one great poem,

magnificent in its plan and perfect in all its details."

~Charles Spurgeon