Connection means we must be seen which means being courageous and willing to be imperfect and to be vulnerable.
We need a strong sense of love and belonging, which gives us a strong belief that we are worthy.
We need a strong foundation of love. Gaining a deep sense of worthiness will change our lives. To get there we need to know we are enough.
We must treat ourselves kindly. Letting go of who we thought we should be and allow God to intercept us and love us completely. We need to be willing to let go. ♥
Sharon and Jana discuss Kingdom readiness. It’s important we begin preparing ourselves for this next move of God. He is ready and waiting for us to be willing to receive and help others to prepare. ♥
Hardwired for Life’s community meeting group, Kingdom Foundations discusses the current acceleration of our Spiritual walks. We are always learning and growing in Christ Jesus and it feels like we are moving ahead rapidly. ♥
Sharon and Jana begin a discussion about listening to God. Does He have a still small voice? Why is it important to learn to have a more connected relationship with Jesus?
Hearing God Podcast #0009
John 10:1-10New American Standard Bible (NASB) Parable of the Good Shepherd
10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Except from book: Hardwired for Purpose: Blazing Trails to Follow God’s Lead from a Creative’s Perspective by Jana Rawling
My purpose was illusive. I was busy doing things that fulfilled a part of me, but I knew something was missing. I was searching for the missing pieces to the puzzle of my life, because I was coming closer to God and felt there had to be more. I had lived a turbulent past and as I watched the people at my church get involved in ministry I got hungrier. At this point in time I had no clue what having a personal relationship with Jesus was.
I said the sinner’s prayer many years before, but I didn’t understand that God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit wanted close relationship with me. I couldn’t wrap my head around actually connecting with Them on an intimate level. At the time, I didn’t think They would want to be close with me. I was a mess and had lived messy, so why would the God of everything care that much about me? I was sure He was too busy with more deserving people and bigger issues of the world.
I wanted to know my purpose. I was tired with my career and I wasn’t sure of what to do next. I hoped I would wake-up one day and have it all figured out. I thought if I just knew, I could jump right in and things would go better for my life from that point forward. I wanted to change my circumstances and felt deep down it was possible. I needed to get serious with God.
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.” — John 3:16–18
I learned so much from that hike , and I learned more over the next several years as I replayed the encounter with Holy Spirit and my imagination. I needed those years to receive the bigger message. I’m still learning from that day. I had to heal and mature as a child of God before completing this book, and I will probably add to it one day in the future. ♥
