Waiting for God – Chapter 7 – F.R.O.G. Faith

“The Lord has established and fully intends to use every moment of the wait to refine us into His likeness, to bring glory to His name, and to magnify the persevering power of His promises” (Waiting for God, Xochitl Dixon, p. 42).

As I read this statement again, I’m praising the Lord! He has “established” every moment before He even created us. Hallelujah! God “fully intends to use every moment of the wait,” every moment. Not one second will be wasted as He works to bring glory to His name. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

I can experience the fullness of His overflowing love for me as I soak up His infallible words. And when my feelings fail me, when my understanding or patience or wisdom wanes, I can follow Him faithfully and trust He will remain reliable. I can’t trust the ever-changing circumstances or feelings I face each day. But I can place my life in the hands of the One who created life itself, the one who determined all of my days before one of them came to be. Hallelujah!

As you read F.R.O.G. Faith in Waiting for God, I pray the Lord will encourage you through Bob and Betty’s story.

I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts as we prayerfully consider today’s reflection questions.

Reflection Questions

  1. How can considering God as creator and sustainer of all help us trust He won’t forget us, even when we forget Him in the wait?

When I think of how God manages the Universe day-to-day, it’s easier for me to remember that He can manage my life. I feel comforted when I focus on His sovereignty and limitless power. It sure beats gazing upon my never-ending weaknesses or my past, present, and inevitably future failings.

  1. What situation are you dealing with that seems to have no end in sight?

My healing journey. It’s often frustrating when I consider a lifetime of pain management and fatigue, a lifetime of not being able to help my husband, a lifetime of struggling. But it helps to know I can be fully reliant on God. I can count on His trustworthiness. God is using my experiences to help me grow closer to Him, to refine my character so I can be more like Him, and to serve others as I point to Him.

  1. What makes it most difficult to be fully reliant on God when your circumstances don’t seem to be improving on this side of eternity?

It’s difficult to confess my weaknesses. Fear and worry can make me focus on my limitations instead of God’s unchanging character and dependable faithfulness. To rely on God is to depend on Him with confidence, to bank on His trustworthiness, to hope in Him . . . completely. In order to accomplish this measure of faith, I need to surrender to the Holy Spirit, to allow Him to empower me to believe what God says is true, to invite Him to be all I need . . . my strength, my peace, my hope . . . even when my circumstances feel unbearable and the wait feels endless.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below the original post on my website.

If you’re just joining the conversation and would like to share your thoughts on the previous chapters, I’ve posted the links below.

End-of-Chapter Questions

Chapter 1 – The Weight of Waiting

Chapter 2 – It’s Not All About Me

Chapter 3 – Holy Vision

Chapter 4 – Just Say the Word

Chapter 5 – Resting in God’s Refuge

Chapter 6 – Enough for the Wait

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*** Thanks for joining me to discuss the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. Please remain focused on what God is doing in and through your life and refrain from sharing full names or personal information (yours or anyone else’s) so we can keep this blog family a safe place to share. All comments will be monitored and modified to maintain a loving and encouraging atmosphere that is glorifying to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to growing with you.

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Waiting for God – Chapter 6 – Enough for the Wait

Over the years, I’ve met several people on the brink of death. Though it’s natural to fear the unknown or struggle with grief and worry about leaving loved ones behind, those who had deep and personal relationships with Jesus and were well-seeped in Scripture seemed to handle facing death with a supernatural peace, like Ms. Patricia, Mr. Charles, Kim, and my mom.

My friend Louise, a new believer who wasn’t that familiar with God’s Word, became fearful during her cancer treatment and on her death bed. By God’s incredible grace, I was able to assure her that her feelings were proof of her humanity, not a lack in faith.

I pointed her to Scripture and affirmed God’s faithfulness as we prayed together in the hospital. Though I wasn’t with her the moment Jesus welcomed her into His loving arms, I’m sure He made His presence known.

Still, it’s hard to deal with loss, to face trials in life on this side of eternity, to come to terms with our frailty as humans, to admit our desperate need for total dependence on God, our Maker and Sustainer.

When life feels unbearable, when the pain feels impossible to endure, we can rest in the certainty of God’s sufficiency. But we can’t do this in our own strength, so it would be wise for us to learn to live and breathe this simple prayer: Oh, how we need You, Jesus!

I’m looking forward to reading your responses to today’s reflection questions.

Reflection Questions

  1. When is it hardest to remember that being in Jesus’s presence is enough?

When my loved ones are hurting. When I feel helpless to lift their burden or stop their pain. I’ve been asking the Lord to help me remember He is more enough for me, so He is definitely more than enough for anyone else.

  1. Why is it often hard to admit we need God?

When we admit we need God, we’re admitting our weaknesses and our total lack of control. It’s scary to feel vulnerable, to confess our desperate needs, to risk rejection or disappointment. When I’m afraid or hurt, I tend to puff up and pretend I’m stronger than I truly feel. Instead, I can ask the Lord to be my strength, to be my peace, to guide me and empower me to walk by faith and face my real emotions . . . and to help my loved ones do the same.

  1. Whose testimony has God used to help you place one more rock-solid stone of truth in the foundation of your faith?

Every single testimony I’ve read in the Bible, every snippet of a story I shared in Waiting for God, and every testimony a person shares with me becomes a rock-solid stone of truth in the foundation of my faith.

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Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

If you’re just joining the conversation and would like to share your thoughts on the previous chapters, I’ve posted the links below.

 End-of-Chapter Questions

Chapter 1 – The Weight of Waiting

Chapter 2 – It’s Not All About Me

Chapter 3 – Holy Vision

Chapter 4 – Just Say the Word

Chapter 5 – Resting in God’s Refuge

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Thanks for joining me to discuss the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. Please remain focused on what God is doing in and through your life and refrain from sharing full names or personal information (yours or anyone else’s) so we can keep this blog family a safe place to share. All comments will be monitored and modified to maintain a loving and encouraging atmosphere that is glorifying to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to growing with you.

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On September 25, 2019, I’ll return to sending you weekly encouragement and prayers. But to fulfill a commitment to readers of Waiting for God, from August 19, 2019 to September 20, 2019 I’ll be sharing daily posts with my answers to the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. I hope you’ll join the conversation at your own reading pace. I’m praying for you and looking forward to growing with you as we trust daily in God’s plan and pace.

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Waiting for God – Chapter 5 – Resting in God’s Refuge

Trusting God seems so much easier when we’re sitting on top of a heap of abundance. Losing our sense of security and our false sense of being in control breeds fear, doubt, and impatience.

I walked by faith with trembling and dropped to my knees when Alan lost his job, when my health took a nosedive, when our oldest son wandered away from the Lord. At the time, my shaky trust frustrated me. But as I look back, I see how the Lord used His Word and His people to deepen my faith as I leaned into Him.

I am so excited to hear your testimonies!

Please share your comments or your answers to the reflection questions in the comment section below.

Reflection Questions

  1. How has God helped you or a friend through a time of financial, physical, or emotional need?

The Lord has provided in so many ways over the years. But recently, I praised Him with grateful tears after He helped me with my financial, physical, and emotional needs.

After my doctor informed me that pain management “could be my life,” I grieved and considered the possibility of living with limited mobility. I called Jake and Amanda Guell at Tails for Life.

Though the cost for Callie’s service dog training would be an investment, my husband committed to making it happen . . . somehow. When my insurance denied my request for a procedure that would help me with pain management, I called Jake to cancel the training. He suggested I do a fundraiser. After prayer and discussion with my husband, I shared the story on my blog and on social media.

God’s people sponsored Callie’s training in four days!

Some people messaged me with stories about how the Lord moved in their hearts during prayer time. And when we were only $530.00 away from our goal, one woman messaged me and informed me that the Lord had nudged her to give $500.00 toward Callie’s training.

These amazing sponsors partnered in ministry with me, making it possible to Callie to serve with me at the Our Daily Bread chapel on August 7, 2019. We’re looking forward to sharing God’s truth and love to the ends of the earth . . . together . . . thanks to God’s faithfulness and the generous love of His beloved children. (You can watch the video of Callie and me sharing with the Our Daily Bread Ministry family during chapel on their Facebook page.)

And now, I have the privilege of helping Tails for Life raise funds to train a service dog for a child with autism!

Hallelujah!

If you want to make a difference in the life of a child in need of a service dog, you can join me in raising $5,000.00 for Tails for Life with a tax-deductible donation.

Please let Jake and Amanda you heard about the fundraiser on my blog . . . and be ready to praise the Lord as He provides above and beyond all we can even begin to imagine!

  1. How can sharing your testimony or hearing the testimonies of others increase the faith of those who are struggling with a lack of worldly security as they wait on God to provide?

As I interviewed people while writing Waiting for God, the Lord used their stories to strengthen my faith and refresh my spirit. As readers begin sharing how God is using Waiting for God to encourage them, the Lord is igniting a fire in me to share His truth and love with even more boldness and overflowing love for Him and His people.

  1. In what situation can you trust the Lord’s promised provision and protection this week?

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve struggled with pain management and fatigue. Though dealing with chronic pain daily often exhausts me physically and emotionally, I am leaning into God and asking Him to help me trust Him. I know it sounds funny, but He’s even using this blog series to encourage me. As I read each chapter He helped me write and answer the end-of-chapter questions, God’s helping me walk through each day with Holy Vision. Hallelujah!

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If you’re just joining the conversation and would like to share your thoughts on the previous chapters, I’ve posted the links below.

 End-of-Chapter Questions

Chapter 1 – The Weight of Waiting

Chapter 2 – It’s Not All About Me

Chapter 3 – Holy Vision

Chapter 4 – Just Say the Word

*** Thanks for joining me to discuss the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. Please remain focused on what God is doing in and through your life and refrain from sharing full names or personal information (yours or anyone else’s) so we can keep this blog family a safe place to share. All comments will be monitored and modified to maintain a loving and encouraging atmosphere that is glorifying to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to growing with you.

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Waiting for God – Chapter 4 – Just Say the Word

When God blessed me with the opportunity to serve as Emma Mae’s writing coach, I never expected He would use her to ignite my faith and free me from the chains of unforgiveness I thought I had broken and left behind me.

Though I believed I had forgiven the people who hurt me in the past, I allowed their behavior to hinder me from moving forward in Spirit-empowered courage and confidence. When I forgave them . . . with all my heart . . . God wrapped me in peace and assured me that He would not be wasting the heartaches.

When I remain focused on the Lord and tuned into His Word, I won’t be so worried about my reputation or bound by what others think about me. Spiritual growth requires the ebbing and flowing of surrendering our wills so we can submit to His authority.

I’m ready to praise the Lord as you share your comments or your answers to the reflection questions in the comment section below.

Reflection Questions

  1. Why is it hard to wait for God to handle our reputations when we’re feeling attacked?

When I feel like I’m under attack, it’s not easy to remember that God is working behind the scenes. The Lord is working all things out for the good of all who love Him. But I don’t always want to care about the “good of all who love Him” when I’m the one hurting and waiting for Him to work things out. If I keep focusing on my feelings, I won’t be able to release my grip on my desire for my definition of justice. But when I focus on Jesus, He will help me cling to what I know is truth‒Scripture‒and help me shrug off the lies I’m tempted to believe.

  1. What lies or opinions of others have you chosen to believe about yourself?

Someone told me that “no one would ever love me” and that I was “useless.” When I first heard the Gospel, I struggled with the thought of Jesus dying for me because He loved me.

 

  1. How can knowing what God says about us help increase our confidence and courage as we wait for Him to work in and through our situations?

When we read the Bible, God plants seeds of truth in our hearts and minds. The more time we spend with Him, the more we get to know and trust Him, the more we will understand He does not lie. Through our intimate relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit can help us believe the unchanging words of Scripture. We can remember the God-breathed words of Scripture are God’s words, infallible and unchanging. Jesus is the Word and He is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hallelujah!

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To find out more about Emma Mae Jenkins, check out her Facebook page and her YouTube channel. You can read the article about Emma Mae’s response to being bullied on CBN.

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If you’re just joining the conversation and would like to share your thoughts on the previous chapters, I’ve posted the links below.

End-of-Chapter Questions

Chapter 1 – The Weight of Waiting

Chapter 2 – It’s Not All About Me

Chapter 3 – Holy Vision

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*** Thanks for joining me to discuss the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. Please remain focused on what God is doing in and through your life and refrain from sharing full names or personal information (yours or anyone else’s) so we can keep this blog family a safe place to share. All comments will be monitored and modified to maintain a loving and encouraging atmosphere that is glorifying to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to growing with you.

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To order your copy of Waiting for God or to love your neighbor by ordering extra copies to share as gifts, please take a look at my book page.

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I look forward to having you join the conversation!

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Waiting for God – Chapter 3 – Holy Vision

When I met Diane, she was a newbie at a Christian writers’ conference. Her radiant smile made me forget my pain for a few seconds. Her contagious joy enthralled me. But her story . . . her story changed the way I thought about my attitude in the wait.

After she agreed to let me share a snippet of her story, I asked God to show me the verses He wanted me to study for the chapter message. The Lord changed my direction for the book as I studied Hannah’s story. He reminded me that my heart settled where my eyes landed. If I wanted to completely surrender my heart to the Lord, I needed to shift my focus.

I’m excited about the stories you’re going to share as we explore the life-transforming impact of Holy Vision.

Please share your comments or your answers to the reflection questions in the comment section below.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does focusing on the holiness of God increase our depth of trust in His motives and mercy?

To be holy is to be specially recognized as sacred, consecrated, entitled to worship. When I recognize God’s holiness, I can remember that He belongs first in my life. God deserves to feared (revered), honored and praised, as we stand in awe of His transcendent power and His intimate presence. He is reliable and trustworthy in every way, so He can be trusted to decide what’s best for me and everyone else. The Lord sees beyond what we can see and knows more than we’ll ever know, so we can count on His perfect will to encompass all we need and more.

  1. What aspects of God’s character affirm His reliability and feed our hope through the twists and turns we’ll encounter in the wait?

God is faithful, just, good, loving, eternal, and constantly present . . . God is with me! He is the way, the truth, and the life, not just one of the ways, or one of the truths, or one of the sources of life.

  1. What is God asking you to release your grip on this week?

I experienced a flare-up of nerve pain and muscle spasms in my back, shoulders, and neck while walking my service dog, Callie. She did a wonderful job caring for me until the pain became manageable enough for me to continue walking home. She stopped and leaned into me when I said, “Help Mama.” She remained still as I adjusted her leash and slowed her pace, stopping whenever I needed another break. My pain levels have increased since that day but are still less intense than they were before my last procedure. Praise the Lord!

Though I became discouraged when I missed a full day of work, the Lord reminded me that He is in control of my schedule. I can rest in the surety of God’s lovingkindness. I may not be able to work as fast as I used to work, but I’m always able to meet the deadlines God places before me. My mighty and merciful Father won’t allow the enemy to stop me from sharing His truth and love to the ends of the earth. Every time I say “yes” to a writing project or a speaking event, the Lord always comes through and gives me all I need to do all He places before me.

Hallelujah!

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I pray the Lord used Diane’s story in chapter three of Waiting for God to encourage you.

Today’s Featured Author, Diane Dokko Kim, has served over twenty-five years in local church leadership. In 2004, her first son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD/ADD at age two, which triggered profound personal, professional and spiritual crises. Since 2008, she has served as a disability ministry consultant, and launched an online ministry in 2012 for special-needs families. Diane and her husband, Eddie, live and serve in the heart of Silicon Valley with their two young sons. She blogs on being wrecked, redeemed and repurposed.

In Unbroken Faith, Diane comes alongside you as a fellow special-needs parent to help you reconcile the premise of a good God with the devastating realities of raising a disabled child. Kim’s biblically-based encouragement will help you understand that you are not alone, that God gets it, and that God’s Word is entirely relevant to the raw and messy yet hallowed spaces of special-needs parenting.

For an extended excerpt of Unbroken Faith, free resources, and more, please connect with Diane on her website.

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If you’re just joining the conversation today, you may want to drop in and share your thoughts for Chapters 1-2.

End-of-Chapter Questions

Chapter 1 – The Weight of Waiting

Chapter 2 – It’s Not All About Me

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Thanks for joining me to discuss the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. Please remain focused on what God is doing in and through your life and refrain from sharing full names or personal information (yours or anyone else’s) so we can keep this blog family a safe place to share. All comments will be monitored and modified to maintain a loving and encouraging atmosphere that is glorifying to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to growing with you.

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Waiting for God – Chapter 2 – It’s Not All About Me

Looking in the mirror can force us to see things we’d like to ignore . . . like our need for growth.

When I wrote chapter two of Waiting for God, I had to do some serious soul-searching. It wasn’t easy to admit my impatience or pride. But I felt a weight lifting when I decided to stop trying to control my life and the lives of those I loved. I didn’t have to do God’s job. Whew! What a relief!

I can hardly wait to hear what the Lord showed you during today’s reading.

Please share your comments or your answers to the reflection questions in the comment section below.

Reflection Questions

  1. How can considering how closely our lives are intertwined with the lives of others help change our perspective regarding trials and the time we spend in the wait?

When I’m struggling with relational conflicts, it helps me to remember that “God’s sovereignty and power cannot be thwarted by the actions or attitudes of the people He created” (Waiting for God, p. 15). But when I’m wrestling with private and personal affliction, the Lord helps me remember He’s not wasting the heartaches or pain. As I trust in Him and share the ways He’s working in and through my trials, He can use my mess to encourage others who are suffering . . . others who are looking for a purpose in the pain and hope in the wait. When I hear how He’s working in the lives of others, their testimonies ignite my faith, too.

 

  1. Why is it often tempting to ask God to change others quickly instead of focusing on the ways we need to change and accepting the time required to make those changes stick?

It’s so much easier to point out where others are needing growth. When someone hurts me, I don’t want to explore how I contributed to the issues. Looking into that mirror, facing my ugly or immature attitudes, and opening myself to the painful process of pruning can be scary. Growth takes time. Bad habits are hard to break. Sinful perspectives are difficult to face and even harder to surrender into God’s pruning hands. But when I remember God’s love for me results in His desire to make me more like Him, I have to trust He knows what He’s doing . . . even when the process hurts and seems endless.

 

  1. How has the Lord used the time you’ve spent in the wait to help prepare you for something you never expected?

Wow! When I picked up that piece of paper in September 2012 and dropped to the floor writhing in pain, I never expected the difficult road ahead and a life of chronic pain and fatigue would lead to ministry opportunities.

As I share how the Lord has held me close and changed me through this painful and ongoing healing journey, I’m in awe at how He uses each moment to point to His unfailing love and grace, to prove His unending faithfulness, to demonstrate His unlimited power, and bring comfort through His enduring hope.

Writing this book‒Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace‒has been a part of my healing process. Even when my current pain, fears, or frustration levels tempted me to feel alone, forgotten, and hopeless, God used the people I interviewed to help me hold on to His promises, to know what He says is true.

I expected Waiting for God to be a devotional about persevering through suffering. But by the time I wrote the last chapter, God showed me so much more . . . so much more.

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If you’re just joining the conversation today, you may want to drop in and share your thoughts for chapter 1.

*** Thanks for joining me to discuss the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. Please remain focused on what God is doing in and through your life and refrain from sharing full names or personal information (yours or anyone else’s) so we can keep this blog family a safe place to share. All comments will be monitored and modified to maintain a loving and encouraging atmosphere that is glorifying to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to growing with you.

 

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Waiting for God – Chapter 1 – The Weight of Waiting

Welcome to the Waiting for God online discussion!

I started reading Waiting for God so I could seek the Lord with you. I know the Lord gave me the words to share with you, but He’s also using each chapter to remind me how much I need Him, how much I need His daily reminders, how much I need fellowship with His people.

In chapter one I shared a little bit about my healing journey. As I read the chapter today, I struggled with pain management and fatigue. Discouragement snuck up on me.

As my heart became “heavy from the weight of waiting,” the Lord lifted my chin and reminded me to look toward His unchanging and infallible Word.

I look forward to hearing what He revealed to you as you read through chapter one of Waiting for God. Please share your comments or your answers to the reflection questions in the comment section below.

Reflection Questions

1. How does remembering that God’s Word is eternal help us trust Him when our wait feels endless?

Though my life and my seemingly endless seasons of waiting are just blips on the radar of eternity, God’s Word was and is and always will be the same. So, when I’m weighed down by my ever-fluctuating circumstances or emotions, I can trust God’s unchanging truth will always be enough for me to stand firm no matter how long I have to wait for Him.

2. Return to Psalm 119 and read verses 92–93. How can delighting in God’s law preserve our lives and keep us from perishing in our affliction?

To delight in God’s law means to be content, satisfied, and joyful in the safety net of God’s loving commands, which are intended to guide us, secure us, and keep us walking and waiting with surefooted confidence in the center of His perfect will.

3. Which verses from the Bible help you focus on God’s power, love, and faithfulness instead of on the burdens in your personal walk through the wait?

There are so many verses that I run to when I need a reminder of God’s power, love, and faithfulness. However, the Lord anchors me to hope when I read Psalm 3:4-5 (NIV):

“I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the LORD sustains me.”

These verses remind me that the Lord Almighty always hears me, cares for me, and watches over me as I rest in the surety of His all-sustaining power and constant presence.

 

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I’m looking forward to hearing how the Lord is working in your life. Please share your answers to the Chapter 1 questions below.

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***Join the Chapter 2 Discussion***

*** Thanks for joining me to discuss the Waiting for God end-of-chapter questions. Please remain focused on what God is doing in and through your life and refrain from sharing full names or personal information (yours or anyone else’s) so we can keep this blog family a safe place to share. All comments will be monitored and modified to maintain a loving and encouraging atmosphere that is glorifying to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to growing with you.

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Waiting for God – Welcome and Book Giveaway!

Some of you may notice my website looks different.

I’d like to thank Juanita Johnson for sponsoring the makeover and Marty Longe from Umbrella Graphics for working with me to create the new design.

Now that the brand-new website has been launched, I’ll be adding a quarterly newsletter that will include exclusive giveaway opportunities, ministry updates, and new content.

On September 25, 2019, I’ll return to sending you weekly encouragement and prayers.

But from August 19, 2019 to September 20, 2019, we’re going to rejoice in the Lord as we discuss the end-of-chapter questions on my blog.

Those who join the conversation and share their answers in the comment section under the daily posts will be included in the weekly giveaways.

“Together, we will inhale the truth of Scripture, exhale prayers of honesty and belief, and find rest in God’s enduring love . . . all while we’re still waiting and trusting daily in His plan and pace.” (Waiting for God, p. 7)

— Book Giveaway —

I’m grateful for every person who participated in last week’s book giveaway by leaving a comment or emailing encouraging notes.

Rebecca Grabill will receive the signed copy of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace with a free tote.

But to thank you for being a member of my blog family and to welcome new subscribers as we celebrate the release of Waiting for God, I’m also offering a FREE prayer book.

Please take a moment to download Wait Like a Warrior: 1-Minute Prayers to Refresh Your Spirit When the Wait Feels Endless (pdf) from the FREE GIFT section on my Homepage.

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If you know someone who will be encouraged by reading Waiting for God and joining our blog family, please invite them to subscribe today.

I look forward to growing with you!

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Praise, Updates, and Waiting for God Book Giveaway

Waiting for God - Callie at ODB - Aug 7, 2019“My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:1-2 (NIV)

So much has happened since I’ve the last time we met here, Blog Family.

I’ve wrestled with God and my jumbled emotions through prayer after my doctor said, “This could be your life. Pain management may be all we can do.”

I pouted with pity-party sobs and praised Jesus from wah-wah-whining to worship-filled tears as He lifted my eyes toward hope and breathed a little faith into my prayers.

My last test procedure intended to help manage my severe back, neck, and shoulder pain worked better than my doctor expected, so we submitted a request to the insurance. In hopes of a successful treatment, I planned to enroll Callie into the service dog training program with Jacob Guell at Tails for Life.

Within weeks, reality dashed my high hopes.

The insurance refused to pay for the procedure that had given me more pain relief than any other procedure I endured over the last seven years. The treatment fell under what they dubbed as experimental. So, I would have to pay out of pocket.

Imagining six-figure bills in my mind, I feared calling to find out how much the procedure would cost.

To my delight, the money we’d earmarked for Callie’s training would cover the costs. Hallelujah!

But I would not be able to pay for Callie’s program with Tails for Life.

Disappointment stirred in my heart as I surrendered the situation to the Lord and called to cancel Callie’s training. But Jake encouraged me to consider a fundraiser.

I requested help through my blog and social media on May 26, 2019.

Within four days, sponsors paid for Callie’s training in full.

 Thank You, Jesus!

I’d like to give a shout-out to the generous sponsors who have joined me as ministry partners by investing in Callie’s service training.

Callie started training at Tails for Life on July 9, 2019 and she already did a fabulous job at her first official ministry event.

On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, we celebrated the release of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace and shared a message at the Our Daily Bread Ministries chapel.

You can join us for worship and watch the video at Behold: The Power of Living with Holy Vision (Facebook).

MEME - Waiting for God Available Now - Love Neighbor - Aug 7, 2019Through this awesome launch party and the help of my wonderful group of Praying-Peeps who have shared Waiting for God online and through in-person encounters, the Lord has been placing copies of Waiting for God into the hands of readers.

God’s wonderful people have pre-ordered so many books that Amazon was out of stock the day after we launched the Waiting for God!

And at 4 pm on August 11th (four days after our release date), Amazon posted this message under Waiting for God: Only 16 copies in stock (more on the way).

Thank You, Lord!

Please join me in spreading the word about Waiting for God so that Amazon will place multiple orders for more books.

Waiting for God is also available at Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook, and Discovery House Publishers.

And you can bless this writer by leaving a review of Waiting for God on one or more of these sites. Reviews make a difference!

Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord! The good news is not over.

 I’m excited to announce that I’ve been working with a talented designer who has given my website a makeover. After the reveal, scheduled for next week, this website will look different . . . better . . . and be easier to navigate!

Current subscribers will continue automatically receiving new posts and will be invited to request the free gift I’m offering new subscribers.

I’ll be posting new encouragement devotions and prayers weekly and will add a quarterly newsletter that will include exciting updates, upcoming events, and exclusive new projects that will not be available online.

For the first thirty-three days after we reveal the new website, I’ll release behind-the-scenes stories, photos, and reader testimonies as I share my answers to the end-of-chapter questions and invite you to join the conversation.

Subscribers will receive special invitations during this celebration month to participate in fun giveaway opportunities exclusively designed to show my appreciation for you‒my blog family.

In my next post, I’ll invite you to return to this cyber-spot and explore the new website.

I hope you’ll join me for the adventure as we rejoice with Spirit-empowered courage and confidence while Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

 But today, I want to thank you for being a part of my blog family.

BOOK GIVEAWAY: I’m giving away one copy of Waiting for God to one person in the continental U.S. on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 8 p.m. (CST).

To participate in this giveaway, leave a comment under this blog post. I’d love to hear more about your waiting season so we can pray together as we trust daily in God’s plan and pace.

I’ll randomly choose one person who lives in the continental United States to receive a signed copy of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

Even if you already have a copy or have already ordered copies of Waiting for God, don’t worry.

After reading a few chapters of Waiting for God, some readers have emailed me to let me know they are loving their neighbors by ordering extra copies to give as gifts.

 To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise, praise, praise!

I’m looking forward to growing with you!

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Congratulations, Rebecca Grabill! I’m looking forward to sending you a signed copy of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace. Please email me your mailing address.

I appreciate everyone who took time to leave a comment. I’ll be sharing more giveaway opportunities soon!

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