Are you stuck?
Do you think you might be stuck but you aren't sure?
I just finished this book Unstuck by Pat Layton and realized that although I felt like I'd been treading water in certain areas, I never really looked at it as if I was "stuck".
What I've learned through this book is, if you are stuck, you can't really move forward into where God wants to lead you. We all have stories to share and others could benefit from hearing your story. Boy do I have stories! My biggest ones have stayed locked in the secret places of my heart. Maybe it's about time that I dust off the lock and begin to tell my stories. Not today though (smile).
If you want to get a good look at who you are, you get to take this quick "Garden Of Personality test. I scored a pretty solid ladybug but had hummingbird tendencies. I like that I'm a ladybug. I like red and I like polka dots!
I was really amazed at how spot on the description was and it was very much like me. After reading through the other garden creatures I could easily see some of my friends were hummingbirds and butterflies with a few fellow ladybugs and bumblebees sprinkled in.
The power of words was a pretty major chapter. How we speak of ourselves and allow the words of others make an impact upon us. Sometimes we allow those words to define us and make us settle for less than what we are destined for. "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3
Prepare yourself to be amazed. God wants to get our attention. He wants to surprise us with his goodness.
Just like the book of Habakkuk 1:5 He says to us:
Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am about to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
And in Psalm 103:8 She shows us how to apply each word of this verse to yourself! "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger,and abounding in steadfast love." If we really believed this about ourselves we could be world changers!
How do we address other issues? Hurts from our past, anger, bitterness, fear... So that we can become unstuck?
You'll have to read the book to find out all of the details but, it all leads back to forgiveness. This is the key to becoming unstuck in our emotions.
It's ok to be flawed. I know for the perfectionista (like that?) in me (and maybe you) it's hard to accept sometimes that we have flaws. We want everything in it's place and perfect. Hair smooth, skin pore less and unblemished, nails polished (can I offer that it really bothers me when I look down and see a chip in my favorite polish?). I have to remind myself daily, hourly sometimes that I am not perfect and you know what? It's ok. He didn't make me or you perfect. We don't get to be blameless and perfect until we meet him face to face. (Glory!)
You know how I talk about my plans always seem to get "divinely interrupted"? I could have a day planned out and It just never finishes out the way I envision. His plans always trump ours. Sometimes he surprises us. It could be a pleasant surprise or maybe a moment where you have to sit down, gather your bearings and say "wow, I never thought I'd see myself here." He does this because it's part of our story.
Pat says "When we give God our lives, He begins to give us a word, a promise, and a vision in return. He sets in motion things we could never dream of or imagine, but again it takes the Faith to see things the way God sees them."
Just like Forever31mama. He gave me this vision to write. I had known for a couple of years that he wanted me to start a blog but it was all so overwhelming (and still is at times) to me that I kept talking myself out of it.
When I finally took that step and hit the "publish" button on my first post I had no idea where this would lead.
I may not get thousands of hits daily but, I have my faithful few. I've met some pretty spectacular people along the way and made some very special friends that I've never met in person. It's nice having that support and encouragement when you are greeted by a comment telling you that you've spoken to someones heart. That what you've said, resonates and when they tell you to keep doing what you're doing.
When I first started reading this book, I honestly wasn't sure if I would be able to get into it. It started to sound a lot like other books that I recently read. The deeper I went into each chapter, I noticed a constant. We must become unstuck in order to move forward with what he has for us. In order to do that, we need to watch our words, tame our tongue, allow him to give us vision, rest (and really rest, don't feel guilty while you rest), Ask for favor and receive the good gifts He wants to shower you with.
A special thanks to Revell publishing for providing me a copy of this great book to review.
Blessings,
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