| Living the word of God each day by using your | | | | life is truly about. |
| spiritual gifts and passion for your faith is a challenging | | | | Letting go of the pieces of our lives we don't want |
| but remarkable way of life. Letting God truly take over | | | | God to have control of can be confusing and |
| the reigns of your life is a process that ultimately | | | | uncomfortable. However, as you depend on God more |
| enriches the well being of those whose lives you touch | | | | and more for strength and guidance, your passions |
| and brings joy to your soul and life. Learning to | | | | and purpose in life will be liberated. Your confidence in |
| ultimately trust God is liberating. | | | | your decisions on life's journey will grow and you'll |
| To begin the growth of God's spirit within, you must | | | | experience a deep sense of peace. Asking not, "What |
| first come to understand the passions and spiritual gifts | | | | ought I do with my life?" but, "Who am I? or, What is |
| God has given you. Thus begins a period of reflection | | | | my true nature?" are the essential questions that lead |
| and inner searching through prayer, trust in God's | | | | to answering vocational questions. If we walk this earth |
| mercy and love for you, and a desire to follow God's | | | | to be the gifts that God created, then what will bring |
| lead. | | | | our deeper selves peace and joy? Frederick Buechner |
| God wants to have an intimate relationship with you. | | | | says a true vocation is, "the place where your deep |
| God is fully aware of your inner passion, spiritual gifts, | | | | gladness meets the world's deep need." |
| and the challenges you face in opening your heart to | | | | As we learn in James 2:17, faith without works is dead. |
| God's guidance. When you pray, understand that God | | | | We can say we believe but if we do not trust God's |
| wants you to know Him on a more intimate level. As | | | | desires for us even when in doubt, our faith will not |
| you begin to open up your heart to this experience, | | | | grow. Acting upon God's desires for us takes a |
| praying and longing for the will of God to be present in | | | | combination of listening quietly in prayer and putting our |
| your actions, you must also spend time listening for | | | | faith into action. God will even provide you opportunities |
| God's voice within you. Many occurrences throughout | | | | to have significant impact on people's lives as Jesus |
| the Bible point to the fact that God reveals God's own | | | | continually draws you into a deeper personal |
| self in a secret and quiet place. To understand Gods | | | | relationship with God. |
| plan for our lives, we must open our hearts to quietly | | | | Being afraid of the unknown is a major factor in the |
| listen and then follow what our heart is saying to us. | | | | hesitation to surrender your life to God's calling. Losing |
| Every day we must place our self in God's hands, | | | | your comfort level and not really knowing what God |
| letting God guide us in our actions with others in our | | | | will do with you is difficult to take on. God has revealed |
| jobs as well as our relationship with friends and family | | | | through the Word, (John 3:16) that we are to surrender |
| and for those in colleges and universities with their | | | | our gifts so that God can refine them and give them |
| classmates. | | | | back to us wholly and fully within our hearts to share |
| Learning to place our complete trust in God is | | | | with others and the world. God will indeed liberate your |
| sometimes hard to do. As we learn in the book of Job, | | | | soul. Opening your heart to God may lead to |
| the how's and why's of God's actions are beyond our | | | | wonderful surprises you could never have dreamt of. |
| understanding, but it is by following God's will that we | | | | Pray and listen for God's guidance in finding and using |
| receive every blessing. It is in following God's will | | | | your passions and spiritual gifts. Trust that God will use |
| through our emotional pain, that we experience spiritual | | | | them and follow God's calling when you hear it. Enjoy |
| growth and redemption. Following God's will is | | | | a faith filled life rich in love and human kindness. Best of |
| discovered in the deepest part of your heart by | | | | all, enjoy an intimate and inspiring walk of faith with |
| listening to your life and trying to understand what your | | | | God as your constant companion! |