I am amazed at the faithfulness of God and how it’s in the small things He blesses my life. I can testify daily that God makes away for the desires of my heart, and He knows my needs before I know them myself. These past months have been difficult for me to pin point how and why God was teaching me the way that He was –usually when you’re walking through a season you don’t understand the purpose – and now here I am near the end of a brief yet precious season and I see fully what God was trying to reinvest in my heart.
Throughout my life after the age of probably 14 or so I have been a part of leading kids younger than myself, informally usually and with my parents’ ministry every summer and was actively a part of a number of things all the way up until summer 2010, and then school kicked into a whole new gear and I started dating my now husband, leadership inadvertently took the back seat. In anticipation of school being over, starting last summer, I began to ask God what He wanted me to focus on in this new season I was stepping into and I knew for sure it would have something to do with music – another part of my life that has been on the back burner for the past 2 years specifically – hoping that I would have some kind of leadership role and music would once again take its place. There are several songs that have been written but never fully played out. I find myself frustrated with my music or even my voice because nothing is as good as it was when I would be practicing everyday…it makes sense really. I’m sure many reading this can understand where I’m coming from.
Anyways…all that to say, those were the two things specifically I was asking God to show me how these dreams and desires of my heart would take a place in present day, Bethany Sharon Warner.
Welcome 2013. We began a Daniel Fast with our church. I have only successfully finished a fast if I have specific things I’m praying and asking God for. I firmly believe that if you don’t have anything specific you’re asking God for or you don’t have time focus on God more than your regular allotted time, you shouldn’t be fasting because then it just turns into starving yourself (this is what happens when I don’t blog for 2 months, I have wayyyy to many thoughts). During the fast, I was asking God for opportunities to walk in the things I desire and am dreaming for - AKA – leading something and getting more involved with music.
Two things related to my prayers popped up. One was helping my Mom by subbing in for her class she has taught at Hearts for Jesus Christ since I was a sophomore there, Mission’s In Action (MIA) and the second was trying out for a position on our church’s worship team. I was excited for my Mom’s class and rather hesitant on the other, but not willing to let the opportunity pass by.
I had been reading, and still am reading the book “Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman” – by Anne Ortlund – and essentially what I knew God was teaching me through that was about the word discipline. I hate that word, I’ve always hated that word. I would much rather deal with the words: challenge, change, train, etc. – anything BUT discipline. However… God disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 13:24), therefore I have always felt as if I need to learn to love this word. I have picked up this book several times and always started reading it, and actually liked what this woman had to say, a lot. As I began to pray into this discipline idea – I complied it along with how fasting and discipline go hand in hand…and further that for any excellence to come in our lives, discipline must play a part. I related that immediately to working out and eating right, something I have previously devoted a lot of time too, but just got lazy. I have been implementing the word discipline back into my life, in more ways than one. The result of discipline is one of positive, whereas that word usually has negative connotation attached to it, for me now it means my focus will be different and my end desire will look different. As many aspects of my life have been entirely disciplined (i.e. nursing school) other parts have not, music for sure, among other things. When the worship team slot didn’t work out, I prayed almost initially that God would open my eyes to the reason why. Almost immediately God showed me that He wanted me to himself in this season of me rediscovering my music love, how exciting! Actually am really excited about it. My awesome husband bought me a very nice keyboard for my birthday and it’s sitting in our kitchen and I try to on a daily basis pound through my frustration over lack of present talent or strength of my voice and just simply worship Him. There is so much freedom in that and not having the pressure of performing at all, yet practicing and blocking out specific time is disciplining my life and preparing me for a season that I know God has for me.
Wow, I really should blog more often.
Maybe re-reading the first paragraph will help refocus of what I was talking about.
As I am writing the last part of this, I am sitting at a hallway at Hearts for Jesus Christ, the homeschooling group I graduated from and have currently taught at for the past 6 weeks. Because of my orientation for NURSING (!!!!) begins on the 25th and Lord-willing I will pass boards, I will not be able to finish out the school year teaching. It is with sadness and yet joy in my heart I let this brief phase go with high hopes of what next school year will bring for me. This was an answered prayer, and I had no idea how awesome it would be. I simply believed I would be rusty and not know what to say to these kids and that I would at the very least haphazardly lead them through the end of the school year. However God met me every step of the way and spoke to me about and through these young amazing people. My heart has been awakened to previous desires and I am incredibly pumped to have time for dreams once again.
In conclusion, I want God to be continually demonstrated in my life, actions, thoughts and time…and by His grace He will help me through that. I am excited to be alive again and feel passion and calling after many seasons of putting my head down and keep on keeping on.
Please pray for me as I am preparing to take my nursing test at the end of this month, I’m nervous and excited and trusting God that He knows my plans far beyond the present here and now, orchestrating everything around me to bring Him glory.
Promising more blogs (lol) - Bethany
March 15, 2013
present day me
I am amazed at the faithfulness of God and how it’s in the small things He blesses my life. I can testify daily that God makes away for the desires of my heart, and He knows my needs before I know them myself. These past months have been difficult for me to pin point how and why God was teaching me the way that He was –usually when you’re walking through a season you don’t understand the purpose – and now here I am near the end of a brief yet precious season and I see fully what God was trying to reinvest in my heart.
Throughout my life after the age of probably 14 or so I have been a part of leading kids younger than myself, informally usually and with my parents’ ministry every summer and was actively a part of a number of things all the way up until summer 2010, and then school kicked into a whole new gear and I started dating my now husband, leadership inadvertently took the back seat. In anticipation of school being over, starting last summer, I began to ask God what He wanted me to focus on in this new season I was stepping into and I knew for sure it would have something to do with music – another part of my life that has been on the back burner for the past 2 years specifically – hoping that I would have some kind of leadership role and music would once again take its place. There are several songs that have been written but never fully played out. I find myself frustrated with my music or even my voice because nothing is as good as it was when I would be practicing everyday…it makes sense really. I’m sure many reading this can understand where I’m coming from.
Anyways…all that to say, those were the two things specifically I was asking God to show me how these dreams and desires of my heart would take a place in present day, Bethany Sharon Warner.
Welcome 2013. We began a Daniel Fast with our church. I have only successfully finished a fast if I have specific things I’m praying and asking God for. I firmly believe that if you don’t have anything specific you’re asking God for or you don’t have time focus on God more than your regular allotted time, you shouldn’t be fasting because then it just turns into starving yourself (this is what happens when I don’t blog for 2 months, I have wayyyy to many thoughts). During the fast, I was asking God for opportunities to walk in the things I desire and am dreaming for - AKA – leading something and getting more involved with music.
Two things related to my prayers popped up. One was helping my Mom by subbing in for her class she has taught at Hearts for Jesus Christ since I was a sophomore there, Mission’s In Action (MIA) and the second was trying out for a position on our church’s worship team. I was excited for my Mom’s class and rather hesitant on the other, but not willing to let the opportunity pass by.
I had been reading, and still am reading the book “Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman” – by Anne Ortlund – and essentially what I knew God was teaching me through that was about the word discipline. I hate that word, I’ve always hated that word. I would much rather deal with the words: challenge, change, train, etc. – anything BUT discipline. However… God disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 13:24), therefore I have always felt as if I need to learn to love this word. I have picked up this book several times and always started reading it, and actually liked what this woman had to say, a lot. As I began to pray into this discipline idea – I complied it along with how fasting and discipline go hand in hand…and further that for any excellence to come in our lives, discipline must play a part. I related that immediately to working out and eating right, something I have previously devoted a lot of time too, but just got lazy. I have been implementing the word discipline back into my life, in more ways than one. The result of discipline is one of positive, whereas that word usually has negative connotation attached to it, for me now it means my focus will be different and my end desire will look different. As many aspects of my life have been entirely disciplined (i.e. nursing school) other parts have not, music for sure, among other things. When the worship team slot didn’t work out, I prayed almost initially that God would open my eyes to the reason why. Almost immediately God showed me that He wanted me to himself in this season of me rediscovering my music love, how exciting! Actually am really excited about it. My awesome husband bought me a very nice keyboard for my birthday and it’s sitting in our kitchen and I try to on a daily basis pound through my frustration over lack of present talent or strength of my voice and just simply worship Him. There is so much freedom in that and not having the pressure of performing at all, yet practicing and blocking out specific time is disciplining my life and preparing me for a season that I know God has for me.
Wow, I really should blog more often.
Maybe re-reading the first paragraph will help refocus of what I was talking about.
As I am writing the last part of this, I am sitting at a hallway at Hearts for Jesus Christ, the homeschooling group I graduated from and have currently taught at for the past 6 weeks. Because of my orientation for NURSING (!!!!) begins on the 25th and Lord-willing I will pass boards, I will not be able to finish out the school year teaching. It is with sadness and yet joy in my heart I let this brief phase go with high hopes of what next school year will bring for me. This was an answered prayer, and I had no idea how awesome it would be. I simply believed I would be rusty and not know what to say to these kids and that I would at the very least haphazardly lead them through the end of the school year. However God met me every step of the way and spoke to me about and through these young amazing people. My heart has been awakened to previous desires and I am incredibly pumped to have time for dreams once again.
In conclusion, I want God to be continually demonstrated in my life, actions, thoughts and time…and by His grace He will help me through that. I am excited to be alive again and feel passion and calling after many seasons of putting my head down and keep on keeping on.
Please pray for me as I am preparing to take my nursing test at the end of this month, I’m nervous and excited and trusting God that He knows my plans far beyond the present here and now, orchestrating everything around me to bring Him glory.
Promising more blogs (lol) - Bethany
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So excited to read more, Beth! :)
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