Friends-

It's guest post Friday.  (yeah!)  I am so excited to introduce you to my friend Laura who I have never met in real life, but she is a wonderful God sized dreaming friend. I cannot wait for you to read what she has to say.  It sure did make me come alive.  Please make her welcome, leave some comment love, and go by and visit her webpage. You will be blessed!

Laura Rath is a follower of Jesus Christ, a wife, mother, writer, blogger, and works in church ministry. She continues to grow daily in her relationship with Christ and loves the faith journey she’s on. Laura is a monthly contributor for 5 Minutes for Faith, and can be found at Laura Rath ~ Journey in Faith, where she shares from her heart and encourages others in their walk with the Lord.

Twitter: @LauraJRath

Facebook: Laura Rath ~ Journey in Faith

I was so excited when Jennifer asked for guest posts from members of Holley Gerth’s God-sized Dream Team. Although she couldn’t see me (thankfully), my reaction was a little like an excited school-age child…Oooh, oooh, me, me! I want to do it! I settled for I’m interested in a Facebook message.

I had some ideas, but as I thought about the theme here at Coming Alive Ministries, I realized that I didn’t really know what my dream was when I started out on Holley’s dream team months ago.

My dream has always been to be a writer, and a couple of years ago, God brought that dream to fruition as He led me to start my blog and an online Bible study for women. I’d always wanted to write, but I never imagined I’d be writing for women…and now I was.

I guess I thought my dream was complete. So, as the team got started writing about their dreams, I kind of felt like a fraud. My dream was already taking place. End of story. But Jennifer’s theme of coming alive has me looking back, and realizing that God had more planned. (He’s so cool like that!)

Early this year, I felt God urging me to take a break from the online studies. I was worn out. I knew I needed a break. But now, I was also confused. I didn’t know if this was a short-term break or if I’d hosted my last study.  To be honest, I wondered why He was taking it away. Had I done a bad job? Was I only supposed to do it for a couple of years? What was next?

I was so physically and emotionally exhausted at the time; I didn’t force the issue with God. I knew He had His reasons, and I was too tired to argue with Him. So, I rested and I waited to hear from Him. I took Holley Gerth’s weekly writing challenges, and over the weeks, I started to realize there was more in my heart than my dream of writing…

I want women to know and experience a personal relationship with Christ. And I want to encourage them in their journey.

Growing up, I didn’t know what that meant…a personal relationship with Christ. I prayed to God, but knowing Him as my Savior, my friend, and my constant companion—I didn’t know what that was or what it looked like. This has been my faith journey.

I love looking back now and seeing where God was capturing my heart. There are the little ways He was getting my attention…subtle ways, so I couldn’t resist. And there are the impossible-to-miss ways He’s walked me through one valley after another.

The journey continues today. Writing will always be a dream of mine, but it’s only a means to the end. I realize now that so much better and more fulfilling than writing is getting to know my Father…the way I’m leaning on Him, learning to trust Him in all situations, and my continuous conversations with Him. When my writing comes from my relationship with Him, it fills me in ways nothing else does. And if He chooses to use something I wrote to reach another of His children, well, that’s a bonus.

Writing today for Coming Alive Ministries feels like coming full circle…like I’m coming alive in Him, while God is using this opportunity to say See Laura? I’ve got this. It’ll happen. All in My time.

In Christ,

Laura

What Made you Come Alive Link-up Party

Hey friends-

I must admit, I am new to this, not sure if it will even work.. but I love me a party.

My personality type on the Myers Briggs personality inventory is off the charts extrovert so I just love a good party.

So I want to invite you to my blog on Thursdays to join a Come Alive Party.

What does that mean you might ask?

I believe God placed in each of us things that make us come alive.
Big and small things

Coffee makes me come alive.

Just looking at this picture (even though it was several years ago) makes me come alive...

I believe it is important to come alive. To look for those little things in life in the common.

And turn the common moments into praise to our awesome Creator Jesus Christ.

He created you unique and special

And when we invite Him into the common

more like notice Him, because He is already there

We come Alive!

It can be a hike in the woods

A moment with your friends

trying a new recipe

You can post a picture

or a story

but let's just come alive and party together.

Be sure to visit whoever blog is before you and leave them an encouraging comment!  

So for me this week:

Another thing that made me come alive:

 Coffee with Dad during daily chemo

 Buy One get one Free Bacon

Teaching Bible study around a fire pit

Turned these moments into praise of thanksgiving to Jesus.

Big and Small moments

What made you come alive? 

All you have to do to join the party is click on add your link, and add your link to your blog!  Let's party!  

Fear not

Welcome to Wednesday my friends-- midweek here we come!  Having a blast studying God sized dreams with you by Holley Gerth  .  We are into Chapter 2 You might have a God-sized dream if....  If you don't have this book.. don't pass go.. stop now.. go get it.  It will encourage and motivate you!   We can find the presence of the Lord in our God-sized dreams.    p.  38 love this quote, "  The per suit of any God-sized dream is ultimately the pursuit of the One who placed it within you!  "

But today I want to talk to you about Fear.  That really is a a small four little word-- but wow it sure does pack a powerful punch doesn't it.  Fear holds us back from so many things.  It is a nasty little trick of our enemy Satan.  (oh he makes me mad.. doesn't He make you!)

Fear will hold you back from God -sized dreams.  Even fear that you don't really have a dream worth pursuing at all. Fear will keep you in the mundanes, the normal , and then eventually /I believe will cause you to go numb.

Have you ever seen overseas driving in 3rd world countries?

um this is an actual picture of an intersection in nepal in the capital city I lived in.

Can you say Mass Chaos

While living there, I knew I would have to find a way to drive there.  Could not afford to use taxis every day for two years to get around.

Couldn't afford a car.

So my option.. drive a scooter.  I like to call it more a motorcycle because that sounds way cooler.  And it did have a motor .. and it went vrrmmm vrmm so !...

This bad boy is what i liked to call the purple pleasure.

Let's be honest:  I was terrified.. i mean that is a word not even strong enough to describe it

Terrified to drive in Nepal.

I mean I had been known to take out mailboxes when I lived in America.. (just ask my dad that story sometime.. and remember He was the one who taught me to drive)

Nepal involves NO driving rules, driving on the opposite side, getting so close you can defiantly reach out and touch someone..

Cows, people, small animals (I only ran over a ducks foot that ONE time)

Monsoon rain

Mud

Chaos.

Fear

I 

was

afraid

but I knew that driving would give me such an intense freedom.

So I buckled down and learned.

And learned to actually LOVE it.

Me and the purple pleasure had a great time.

If you would like to see a video sample of my driving click Here  it shows it in all it's glory!

Fear would have kept me from freedom.

God-sized Dreams p 39, "  The moment that changes everything is when we decide to fear God more then we fear what may happen."

So friends-- what are you afraid of.  

Stepping over fear and stepping into obedience to God brings freedom.

Coming Alive Ministries

Linking up today with

at my friend (even though I have never met her in person) Holley Gerth's place.  

Be sure to go there and check out some other dreamer friends!

Click here

Today's' Tuesday writing prompt:  Share about your favorite non profit organization

They are all God sized dreams in action

How have they inspired you?

Honest truth friends-- I almost skipped writing this post because I have alot of non profits I love but the Lord told me that I had to write about my favorite-- and I debated because I didn't want to seem pompous (wow that's such a big 10 cent word I just used) but I have to be honest.. my favorite non-profit (well it's almost non-profit... it's been on the desk at the IRS for 6 months .. and wow.. those tax forms were almost the death of me.. and the IRS is a year behind, so would you pray for a God sized miracle of getting official non profit status)  is the one that is my God-sized dream, the one the Lord allowed me to start.

a God-sized dream that was more then I could ask or imagine

Calling people to come alive in Christ

All over the world

From Haiti to Nepal

To turkey

To Chattanooga Tennessee

See God has woven together my crazy experiences in life, the skills He has uniquely given me and then woven in a beautiful body of Christ to take up the lots of skills I don't have to form this dream of mine that God placed in me -- Coming Alive Ministries.

See I wanted to teach the Bible since I was a child on the playground making my friends come to my Bible club.  I remember how I poured over my precious moments children's Bible.  I fell in love with God's word and teaching it through that Bible

Then God called me to be a missionary.  In Nepal.  I .. loved.. it....

But while there God kept whispered He had more to my calling.. that I was not done.

So not really sure what all that meant I came "home" after two years-- even though I thought Nepal would be my home.

I remember traveling all over to church's and speaking.  While doing that I noticed something that broke my heart.  I was in the Bible belt where people knew our living God.  I had been in Nepal where people worshipped thousands of dead gods and were therefore dead inside themselves.  But those I saw in American Church's seemed dead inside to.  God began to plant a burning desire inside of me to Call people to Come Alive in Christ through conferences and counseling.

So Coming Alive Ministries was born.

It was /is scary because it was my deepest dream.

I have poured my heart into it.

And as I have I have seen the heart of God-- and how God loves for His daughters and sons to take risks, to follow Him, to be obedient-- even when they are terrified.. And He does more!  

One of the hearts of Coming Alive was to encourage missionaries.

In October we got to give our first missionary retreat where they could come away and come alive in Christ, free of charge for a weekend of laughter, pampering, healing and fellowship around the word of God.

It was a dream come true.

We all came alive.

Another is to see woman and men set free in Christ through the power of His word at conferences.

We have now put on 4 Bloom conferences and it is a blast.  

Coming Alive home parties which just step into a lady's daily routine and provide a Coming Alive party to remind to come alive in Christ.

And Coming Alive Counseling and coaching-- helping cheer people on in life in Christ.

Also taking Coming Alive Conferences overseas to minister to both nationals and missionaries.  I love it.

From Haiti

to Nepal

It is such an exciting journey that makes me Come Alive!  

Would you pray for us as we continue to Come Alive!!!!