Dear Gentle Readers~ You're going to enjoy this guest blog by my lovely friend, Heidi McLaughlin. If you'll notice, the word 'laugh' is part of her name. Heidi brings laughter and smiles to people all over North America. She's one of the best encouragers a woman could ever have. You're going to love her heart for God.
Heidi has offered to give away a few of her books, so please leave us a thought or two in the comments for a chance to be receive a free book!
Grittiness to Greatness
I am so thrilled and
honored to be a guest blogger for Barbara today. We met on Twitter! God has
unique and wonderful ways to accomplish the most beautiful concepts. Read on to
see what other great things He can do.
Often I am asked the
question, "Heidi what do you think is one
of women's biggest struggles these days?" Without hesitation I respond, "I believe many women feel tired and
overwhelmed with the daily demands of life."
Every morning when my feet
hit the floor I am on my way to greatness, but before I know it, I have
encountered grittiness. Grittiness is all around us. Fatigue, broken
relationships, regrets, divorce, jealousy, consumed with the "what if's" and powered by all the
"shoulds." Some days we feel hurt, disappointed, rejected and hopeless. But I
am excited to tell you that we are not powerless.
God knows I am a visual
person; and one day He gave me this great audio visual display of the formation
of a pearl.
I stood in awe as I grasped
the miraculous concept of the creation of a pearl. Then the Holy Spirit gave me
an epiphany that put an exhilaration and anticipation into my heart. If God can take a tiny, insignificant piece
of grit, that ended up on the bottom of the ocean in the wrong place at the
wrong time, and through time and process, because
of the irritation transformed it into a unique, magnificent pearl, imagine
what HE can do with us. You and me. His Creation. His daughters. Created in His
image.
Not only that; but in 1
Corinthians 2:16 it tells me that you and I have been given the "mind of Christ" so that God can communicate
with us to help us with the transformation process from grittiness to
greatness.
God so lovingly and gently
guides us through this transformation process, but you and I have to do our
part. We have to begin to learn a new way of living, but we
also have to begin to make bold choices to unlearn bad habits, patterns, and
destructive ways of thinking. In Romans 12:2 the Bible tells us, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect
will."
When we begin to give God our
"patterns of this world" and let Him cover them with His love, forgiveness, and
grace, He will begin to make us gorgeous from the inside out.
This miraculous process
compelled me to write my latest book, SAND TO PEARLS: Making BOLD Choices to
Enrich Your Life. Each chapter is focused on some of the destructive
patterns of this world that we have bought into, but then I do not leave you
helpless. At the end of each chapter I give 12-15 sample bold choices that you
and the Holy Spirit can begin in your own life. We are standing on the
brink of a brand new year. Why not make ONE CHOICE to unlearn a destructive
habit and let God show you a new way of living?
A life of greatness!
I am so passionate about
women grasping this concept that I speak on this topic all across North
America.
For more information about my HEART CONNECTION MINISTRY, stop and visit my
website at www.heartconnection.ca and
watch a 6 minute interview on this particular topic.
You can also see a T.V. interview with Moira
Brown on 100 Huntley Street, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5poRsKqCFKQ
or go to my book store at:
http://www.heartconnection.ca/store.htm
Heidi is an international speaker and author.
Her latest book SAND TO PEARLS: Making BOLD Choices to Enrich Your Life, has
been a tool to inspire women across the nation. Heidi is married to Pastor Jack
and they have a blended family of 5 children and 9 grandchildren. They live
among the beautiful vineyards in Kelowna, B.C. Canada.
Follow Heidi on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidiheart
Face book: Heidi McLaughlin
What an inspirational message, Heidi! Thank you for sharing your ministry with us at Gifts by Grace. Friends, be sure to leave us your comments, and we'll enter you in Heidi's free book giveaway! And don't forget to sign up for our blogs. Until then,
All Gifts by Grace,
Barbara
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