Welcome to another Writer’s Journey Wednesday! (Dawn here) I hope you’ve been able to join us this month for Angela Breidenbach’s series, “Five Things Writers Forget First.” I’ve appreciated her heart and vulnerability in sharing how God has worked in her life. Each week she’s brought personal stories many of us could relate to from our own experiences. Today, enjoy “God Weaves Our Dreams.”During March, on
Writer’s Journey Wednesdays,
Angie is sharing:
Part 1: I’m Using My Brain, Right?
Part 2: Mental Integrity
Part 3: Emotional Stability
Part 4: Spiritual Sense
Part 5: Courage & Confidence
Ways to write better, faster, and stronger
Part 4
Spiritual Sense
God Weaves Our Dreams
For five years I've wanted to fulfill my calling and use the gifts I felt God had given me. Last year, I said it again. It was burning in my gut!
I went to Seattle on a financial management business meeting with my husband and son and wrote myself out of our business! The story is so much longer, but I prayed and prayed. And that is the important part, because I couldn't see the outcome. I had no idea how it would happen.
God asked me to give him my paycheck, all of it. I was so scared that I battled God for months. Recurring thoughts about needing that paycheck for groceries went nose to nose against trust. When I finally verbalized it, accepted it, and gave it over...he brought along what he had in store for me. I'm still pinching myself! As I thank God, sometimes he brings to mind the steps it took and I marvel at how I didn't see it back then or along the way.
I couldn't recognize something as mundane as a paycheck was actually a part of God's miracle weaving. I'm stunned at God's creativity in even using teensy incidents. Sometimes decisions that I kicked myself for because, at the time they seemed so smart, but later cost money I didn't have. I'd regret the decision, and then God turned it back around to have been totally necessary to His result. It felt like a tilt-a-whirl, often dizzy with confusion. Why wasn't it happening? Why was I making such wrong choices? Like I was going round and round and not getting anywhere but to Nausea Worry Land.
What I am doing now is a culmination of dozens of seemingly disconnected experiences, those I thought were wrong or off track, God wove together so tightly I would not be able to do this without each strand, each fine thread.
I want to encourage all of you to keep praying for your dreams, keep moving into your decisions, and keep on planning because He knows what He's doing with all that weaving even if we don't. Remember it took five years to get me here and I was often in the dark, thinking I was lost. What I found was God had simply turned off the theater lights in order to show the special feature.
With Creative Cooking for Colitis coming out in the next few weeks, several freelance projects coming through, and wonderful speaking engagements I understand that each one had a completely unrelated pre-requisite. Had I not gone through those difficult learning times, I wouldn’t have the expertise I need now to live my dream of writing and speaking.
Trust that God has a plan for everything in your life. Won’t it be amazing to see how the various pieces weave together?
Courage isn't from having courage—it's from doing in the face of fear because it needs to be done.
Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009 working with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, the American Heart Association, the Jadyn Fred Foundation and drawing awareness to Fair Trade practices. Angela also teaches online classes and coaches one-on-one in courageous confidence, personal growth and powerful living. She’s certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and Assisting Minister. She serves as the American Christian Fiction Writer's Publicity Officer (2009-2011) and is a multi-award winning inspirational speaker and author, writing freelance and inspirational nonfiction. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain, but she is also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. She is married, has a combined family of six grown children, one grandson.
You can interact or learn more about Angela Breidenbach at these sites:
http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/
http://www.angelabreidenbach.com/
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/
http://colitiscooking.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AngBreidenbach
http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbach
http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays each week.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/angiebreidenbach
http://www.christianwomenaffiliate.com/
