Walk It Out

October 17, 2017 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Walk it Out Stories: When God Asks You to Give Your Life Away | Gina Smith

My husband and I were newly married and we lived in on campus housing while my husband finished seminary. A staff member’s wife made herself available to me, and began to show and teach me how to love a husband, children. She brought to life what I had longed for as long as I can remember. Not only did she authentically live her life and love her husband and family. She gave her life away; she drew me into her circle and lived life in front of me.

For about three years, I had a front seat and was able to watch her as she loved her husband, her children and be a keeper at home, and she did it in such an appealing way that it was used by God to create within me the desire to follow her Christ like example.

“You are precious!” She would say. “I’m so proud of you!” Her words lifted me. They were words I had never heard before. Words that filled me with confidence and helped me to see that God had created me, with giftings meant to bring Him glory.

Eventually we moved far away from my mentor, and I found myself feeling overwhelmed, with young children, and desperately in need of prayer and encouragement. I remember one particularly difficult week I was feeling alone and weary. After church I walked up to a woman, whose children were grown, and asked if I could talk with her for a moment. Fighting back tears my shaky voice emerged. “Would you have time to get together and pray sometime?” “Oh, Gina,” she said. “I am so busy. I’m sorry. I really don’t have time for that. If you email me, I will pray for you.” That was it. She never followed up the conversation to see how I was. She never asked what was going on or how she could encourage me. There was no probing to find out what was going on. Nothing.

As the years passed, I continued to look around for older women I could spend time with. There were very few who were making themselves available. Through that tough season, I collected and read any book I could get my hands on that dealt with Titus 2 or mentoring. I was on a quest to learn all I could about mentoring, so that when the time came for me to answer the call, I would be ready!

During the long years of having a limited amount of fellowship, and very little input from older and wiser women, I found myself searching the Scriptures to find out the responsibility of the body of Christ. Something wasn’t right. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to be alone in this journey. Little did I know that this was the path God was using to prepare me to become passionate and committed to what He has called each of us to do: Give our lives away.

I’ve had the privilege of being involved in the lives of young women for several years now. We have had the honor of pulling lonely souls into our home, serving, living life with them, and making them a part of our family.

As we continue to be involved in these young people’s lives, we see that Satan is working overtime, trying to undermine what the Scriptures teach in the areas of personal holiness. Humanistic and worldly philosophies are subtly taking over the mindset of many, distracting women, tempting them to immerse themselves in the sinful ideas of our culture.

I believe we are all called to give our lives away and look for ways to help, guide, and influence the younger generations for the cause of Christ. And I believe that now is the time! It has been more than 25 years since I have had an “official” mentor, but my time spent with her changed me. I have never been the same. My time with her gave me the desire to learn how to do for others what she did for me!

I trace the steps of my life, and see how God has gently led me to a greater knowledge of Himself. I look around me, and I see that I somehow have gotten to a point where I am available and living daily life with people. Even though I wasn’t sure what it would look like, God orchestrated my life so that I would be immersed in people. I am so thankful! He took the desire, the resolve, the willingness, and turned it into real life.

Even when I didn’t know it, every step of my journey has been leading me to this place. I look back over my life and I trace God’s hand and His grace. In and of myself, I really have nothing to give those that we pull into our lives. But add God into the equation, and I can’t do anything but give! He has done so much for me and is such an amazing, grace filled, merciful Savior, that I have no choice but to give my life away in the same way that my mentor gave her live away all those years ago.

He has called each of us to give our life away. Read Gina Smith’s #WalkItOut story here:

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For the past 20+ years Gina Smith and her husband have served on a Christian college campus as the on-campus parents, and her husband has been a professor and dean of students. They have lived on the campus where they homeschooled and raised both of their children. In her spare time she loves to write and recently authored her first book Grace Gifts: Celebrating Your Children Every Day.

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What Happens When We Read God’s Word and Actually Do What it Says?

Bestselling Author Tricia Goyer demonstrates the powerful work God accomplishes if we are willing to step out in obedience to Biblical commands and His quiet urgings, no matter our fears or feelings of inadequacy.

Walk It Out illustrates the real-life results of listening to the Scriptural mandates such as care for the orphan, serve the poor, go into the world to spread the gospel, and love others of all races. The author’s journey, from accepting Christ’s forgiveness and telling her story of redemption to answering the call to adopt seven children when she least expected, is filled with the exhilarating, radical, unexpected life that we experience when we walk into God’s plans for us.

“I neither planned or expected any of this—from the ten kids to the stamped-up passport. I didn’t accomplish these things by making a list and checking it off. They happened as I took steps of faith to follow God’s directives.” ~Tricia Goyer

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October 12, 2017 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Walk it Out Stories: When God’s Call Is Not What You Think | Lynn Cowell

“If you feel called to make that commitment, come forward!”

You may have responded to an invitation at some point in your life that began with similar words. I’m going to guess that this one that I responded to was a bit different.

I may have only been in 9^th grade, but I was already familiar with that pounding heart thing that the Holy Spirit did inside of me when He wanted me to move. This particular night, the beating was so profound, there was no mistaking God’s intentions. The speaker had asked if anyone had felt called to full time Christian ministry. Honestly, I am not sure I knew what that meant, I only knew I wanted to give my all to Jesus and this seemed to be the next step.

Fast forward three years. High school graduation was over and I was so set! My application was accepted, a roommate assigned and in just a matter for a few short I’d be leaving home to attend a Christian college still committed to the full time Christian ministry decision I had made years prior.

As a female growing up in the ‘80’s, it seemed to me that my options for serving the Lord in this capacity were limited. I assumed this direction I was taking would involve me marry a pastor and spending my life supporting his call to share the gospel from a pulpit. This idea was mostly glamorous to me; a position that was both seen and honored.

Before driving me to the next state to go to school, my parents planned a family vacation that included a long road trip south. Grabbing magazines and books to keep me pre-occupied, I hunkered down in the backseat, preparing to pass away the long hours in the car.

You know that feeling you have when you’ve been broad sided? That’s how I felt as I read a magazine article titled “What it Means to Really Serve God”. A young Christian singer named Keith Green challenged Christians, bringing a raw message on the true meaning of ministry. Ministry meant serving, lowering and humbling yourself. His words gnawed at me, causing me to question my why behind my own pursuit of ministry. I couldn’t honestly say that serving others was the answer.

The next evening of our vacation, my family attended a service where the minister also delivered a hard message: loving God means serving God. Humility and lowering yourself were the key points of his message. God had my attention now.

On the long drive home, once again the magazine drove home the word God wanted me to hear: my plan for ministry for me and His plan for ministry for me were not the same. In fact, not only was the end going to be different, but the path to get there would be too.

When I returned home, I unenrolled in college and stepped out into an entirely different means of ministry training: through service.

I had no idea as a young woman why God would go against the conventional way of going to college for my life plans. Of course, He knew all along that the way He had for me was not to “stand by my man” as he preached, but instead for me to become a “preacher” of sorts. Had I gone my own way, I am sure my faulty me-built confidence could have never held me up. Pride never does. Instead, He had to take me down a humbling road of failures due to my own pride and learning what it means to truly serve in ministry so I could build a Christ Confidence that could stand.

What does it really mean to serve? Read Lynn Cowell’s #WalkItOut story here:

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Lynn Cowell is a Proverbs 31 speaker and the author of several books, writing for young girls, teen girls and women of all ages. Her newest book Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You is written for girls ages 8 -12. Make Your Move: Finding Unshakeable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures a Bible study for women releases this fall. Lynn calls home North Carolina, where she and her husband, Greg and the occasional backyard deer are adjusting to life as empty nesters. Along with their three adult children, the Cowells love hiking, rafting and anything combining chocolate and peanut butter.

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October 9, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk It Out Stories: Choosing To Believe in God’s Goodness When Life is Hard | Alexandra Kuykendall

I sat in the pediatric wing of the hospital, in the ground floor room we’d been assigned after our night in the E.R. I wondered how we would survive as a family. A toddler hooked up to tubes, breathing in the oxygen she needed, not wanting me to move even two inches away from her in this strange world of linoleum floors and stark overhead lighting. I needed to stay right there with her, pretending like this was simply a new place to snuggle and watch episodes of Barney, but I was worried about my daughter and the crew I’d left at home.

It is often when we come to the end of ourselves that we meet God. When we no longer have the patience, stamina, energy, or interest to do the next thing, we find him standing in that dark space with us. I was stressed in that hospital room. The girl next to me, not her first turn in this pediatric wing, the bills I knew were piling up with every inpatient visit, the other children at home sick and a husband who was trying to figure out how to manage his work responsibilities while holding down the home front. I was indefinitely captive in the hospital and I didn’t know how or when our circumstances were going to change.

My prayers were inaudible because I didn’t have words to say what I was feeling or what I needed from God. I was exhausted and overwhelmed. And this is where my faith took over. When the praise wasn’t automatically on my lips, when I was full of doubts about how God was going to work this one out, when all I wanted was a good cry, I decided to still believe. Walking it out in faith can sometimes be easy. We feel inspired, excited, and expectant as we choose to do what we think God is asking of us. But when we’re afraid and unsure of our circumstances, that is when faith is a choice.

“And those who have knowledge of your name will put their faith in you; because you, Lord, have ever given your help to those who were waiting for you.” –Psalm 9:10. The knowledge of God’s promises kept pressing me forward. I had a choice to keep believing that he would care for us, all of us, no matter the circumstances. That he would care for my very sick girl, he would comfort the ones at home missing mommy, that he would provide for my husband’s energy and our financial insecurity. That he would meet my needs right there in that hospital room. Or to let the darkness take over.

Sometimes walking out one’s faith simply means saying, “Yes, Lord. Today I choose to believe you are who you say you are.”

Choosing To Believe in God’s Goodness When Life is Hard. Read @alex_kuykendall’s #WalkItOut story here:

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Alexandra Kuykendall lives in Denver with her husband and four daughters. Her newest book, Loving My Actual Christmas, is now available wherever books are sold.

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October 5, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out Stories: 7 Ways to Walk It Out When Eternity Hits Close to Home

Life is short. Eternity is long. We need to be reminded of that. Here are 7 ways to walk it out when eternity hits close to home.

My stomach tightened as I felt my eyes begin to water. Opening my Facebook feed is a regular morning routine that I consider a vocational necessity. My usual morning check-ins were immediately detoured by the photo before me. It was one of those moments when eternity hits close to home.

I stared at her grinning face in the wheelchair my husband pushed and a heavy sigh escaped my lips.

“How could she really be gone?” I pondered for the umpteenth time.

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. We were supposed to be raising cousins side by side.”

A smile escaped my lips as her humorous often taunting voice echoed. She had loved to tease and I imagined even from heaven she would be chiding me with a “Come on. It is what it is. Time to move on.”

Moving on from my husband’s twin sister Jennifer’s death this past year hasn’t been an easy task — especially after our family rapidly observed the two year anniversary of her husband’s passing.

Even with great guardians such as my husband’s brother and his wife, I observe their kids regularly face the reality of life here on earth without their parents. My own children who having witnessed a child’s worst nightmare, struggle with the knowledge that two parents really can die. I hate that my son’s entire childhood memories will be tainted by the grief we all bear.

Walking beside Jen and her husband Dwight face eternity was a life-changing experience. Faith takes on new meaning when fear of death is a daily experience for so long it becomes the norm.

Walking alongside these two brave souls taught me many things.

7 Ways to Walk It Out When Eternity Hits Close to Home.

1. A highlighted eternal perspective. When “cancer” is terminal, families learn to turn to God begging for daily grace. We also found hope that human life as we know it isn’t the end and one day will there ever be a heavenly reunion.

2. When eternity hits close to home it gives you a hunger and thirst for what matters. When life is counted in days, choices change. Priorities become clear. Faith and people become essentials while many earthly treasures and distractions fade.

3. Perfection is no longer a struggle. Gratitude for the good days and shaking off the bad become a way of life. You do what you can and that’s all there is. All of us have days where we wish or actually barely get out of bed and life goes on.

4. When eternity hits close to home then relationships matter. The love of their church family and ours filled in so many gaps none of us could humanly fill. Memories become priceless and family traditions from the past evolve into treasures of the heart.

5. Fun is to be savored and pursued because life is short. I’m so grateful for all the family birthdays, double dates, holidays, and celebrations we observed and eventually fought for in her final days.

6. Tomorrow is not a guarantee and there are moments to be seized. During the years of their cancer battles, I freely without my usual obligatory guilt escaped the realities of our lives visiting Paris alone on a group tour over a Thanksgiving holiday. Another year, I joined my sister a popular Bible study author and speaker along with all of the women on my mom’s side of the family on an inspirational cruise. My bucket list is shrinking and I embrace a life of more spontaneity with fewer possible regrets.

7. Our opportunity to leave a legacy has an expiration date. Facing cancer times two has imprinted on my very soul a desire to daily answer God’s call and imprint this world for His glory. I want to leave that imprint on every soul I touch, the clients I counsel, the counselors I train, and in the hearts of my children who will hopefully grab the torch of faith and run the race for future generations.

Grief comes in waves that ebb and flow. When my heart is overwhelmed, I cling to verses such as 2 Corinthians 4:17.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (NIV)

I’d love for you to share how facing the death of a loved one or even your own diagnosis impacted your life for the better. Suffering and grief can be emotionally devastating, but walking out a life of hope grants us peace as the reality of eternity moves from being a spiritual concept to life reality. It is a good thing for our hearts when eternity hits close to home.

Want to dig deeper into the topic of facing eternity? Tricia Goyer’s chapter “Heaven Over My Shoulder” in Walk It Out encourages us to make the most of the life lessons we learn as we hold the hand of someone stepping into eternity.

Michelle Nietert, Licensed Professional Counselor and Clinical Director of Community Counseling Associates, has been passionately equipping audiences in the community, church, school, and private practice office setting for over twenty years. Her articles have been published in ParentLife Magazine and on the MOPS blog. She is currently working with a publishing agent on a book for parents equipping them to engage in Uncomfortable Conversations with their Children. Michelle and her husband Drew work diligently at being happily married for almost 15 years and have two children they almost adore too much. Michelle loves inspiring readers and audiences alike to discover Solutions for Life with Practical Teaching and Biblical Wisdom.

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October 2, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out Stories: Lessons from a Cage Fight in the Minivan | Lea Ann Garfias

J.C. Penny’s isn’t a great place to start a fight with your husband, come to find out. When we realized our increasingly tense voices were garnering the side eye from more than one customer, we high-tailed it out of there. There was only one place to go: the minivan.

It was a cage fight in the minivan. Don’t tell me you’ve never had one.

Enclosed in the seemingly soundproof vehicle (in order to have a minivan cage fight, you must first pretend your minivan is soundproof), we allowed our voices to raise. There may have been some slaps on the dashboard and stomps on the floormats, too.

Yep, it got ugly real quick.

What started the brawl? Just your run-of-the-mill “you aren’t paying attention to me” “well, you’re too busy for me” “because you’re engrossed in work” “like you look up from your schedule” “I’m doing the best I can to hold everything together” “are you saying I’m not running myself ragged” kind of fight.

You’ve had that fight, too.

Because we all do. We run, run, run the race of family life and work and soccer games and homeschooling and ministry and volunteering until all of the sudden WHAM! We hit the brick wall. And our spouse is usually standing in front of that brick wall, getting squashed by our frustrated fatigue.

And it’s there, bouncing off the wall bruised and broken, that we start to look around and wonder, “What in the world am I doing here, and what’s it all for?”

After a good 30 minutes of yelling, we finally got to that question. Midway through our lives, we looked at each other thru tears and gasped, “What are we doing? Where are we headed?” And we didn’t like the answer.

What should we be doing? What needed to change? We each came up with half a dozen different, albeit small, changes we wanted to see: our relationships, our family, our ministries, our schedules. But there was something looming larger. A calling we had stifled for years that God wouldn’t stop shouting in our ears.

“We should be adopting now,” David put words to our hearts’ cries.

“I told ya’ so.” Just couldn’t help myself.

You know that feeling. That sinking knowledge in your gut that God wants to drag you deeper into His will.

How? Where? Could we? How can we pay for it? Would our family survive such a change? Do we have what it takes?

So many questions. So many worries. So many sleepless nights.

We took one small step at a time. We asked friends who had adopted before. We followed the path down one suggestion to the next. We kept our minds and hearts open and notebooks and phone at the ready.
We learned more than we wanted to about the need. We learned more than we imagined about God’s grace.

You will, too. God will show you, each step at a time, the ugly He makes beautiful, the painful He heals, the scary He makes bright. He gives courage and assurance.

He makes His calling beautiful in you and in your work for Him.

And just as we joyfully welcomed two of the most beautiful children we’d ever seen into our wild and crazy family of six, you, too, will excitedly celebrate God’s miraculous blessings on your ministry.

All because you were willing to cage fight for Him.

He makes His calling beautiful in you and in your work for Him. Read @lagarfias’s #WalkItOut Story here:

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More about Rocking Ordinary:

Can your everyday life make a difference?

If you admit failures, can God still use you?

How can you influence those around you intentionally and biblically?

In Rocking Ordinary, Lea Ann Garfias comes along-side you like a true friend and shows you how an ordinary life can be lived with extraordinary influence. A gifted teacher and storyteller, she meets you exactly where you are — in the everyday, messy, stressful, kids screaming, laundry piling, everyday life, and encourages you, loves you, and roots for you as you begin rocking your ordinary.

Purchase a copy here:
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Lea Ann Garfias is the author of Rocking Ordinary, Homeschool Made Easy, and Homeschool High School Made Easy. Besides author,, Lea Ann also bears the titles homeschool mom, soccer mom, professional violinist, and wife of a hot Latino. She has remained madly in love with her husband of over two decades, David Garfias from Peru. They live with their six hilarious children in the Dallas area.

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More about Walk it Out

What Happens When We Read God’s Word and Actually Do What it Says?

Click here to pre-Order a copy of Walk it Out and receive the e-book 30 Days of Prayer as You Walk it Out FREE!

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September 29, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out Stories: When God Says “Not Yet” | LaToya Edwards

It had been a long 2 years. Walking through divorce (again) and trying to heal from abuse was more than I ever bargained for. After all this time I was weary and battle worn.

I received some amazing words of encouragement and lots of messages of hope and victory. So many people were praying for us. I just knew that this week was the appointed hour where God was going answer all my prayers and put an end to my suffering.

It wasn’t. He didn’t.

The whole experience sent me reeling. I felt sick to my stomach all the time. I wasn’t eating or sleeping. I struggled to keep it together.

It seemed like things went backwards. Like God took something away from us.

I wondered if I’d done something wrong. Did I make a mistake? Was my faith not enough? Did I hear God wrong?

I bet if you have ever walked through a trial you’ve asked yourself some of the same questions.

I don’t have all the answers. But I am resolved in this: God is still in control. He is still fighting my battles. And all His promises are true.

I believe that God is faithful, never makes mistakes and doesn’t change His mind about His children.

But still, I wanted answers. I wanted to feel better. I wanted things to go back to how they were. I wanted revenge!!!

Those were my feelings and thoughts at the time and I needed to be honest with myself and with God about it.

BUT I DIDN’T STAY THERE!

I began to tell myself everything that I know to be true about God. I re-read the words of encouragement I received. I spent some time reading (and crying) in the Psalms. I reached out to close friends for support and prayers.

We are not in this battle alone! Even when God feels far away He is there.

Never give up. No matter how bad it seems. Keep standing. Keep fighting. Stand on God’s word.

DON’T GIVE UP!!!

If you need to cry go ahead. If you need to scream go ahead. Get it out. Just don’t stay there.

God has the final say. It’s not over until He says so

Are you facing something that seems impossible? Keep fighting! Keep praying!

I asked God many questions that week. I was very honest with Him about my struggles. I’m so glad that He can handle it all!

I began to ask Him if there was something He asked me to do that I didn’t.

Did I do something wrong?

What did I miss?

God was clear that I hadn’t done anything wrong in this situation.

Umm, okay God then what gives? If I did everything right where is my blessing?

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 NLT

This verse screamed at me! I had grown tired to doing what was good. It seemed like it wasn’t making a difference. And I mean if I was going to suffer anyway why should I go out of my way to be nice when all I got was evil in return?

Perseverance. That’s why.

What I have learned is that sometimes there are things that we need to learn and it’s not always a quick lesson. That doesn’t mean that God isn’t going to come through. It just means we have to press on.

Trials come to make us strong. To teach us how to fight. To bring us closer to God and His perfect will for us.

No it doesn’t feel good most of the time. But it is for our good.

Look at Jesus. I’m sure it didn’t feel good to be betrayed by Judas. To be humiliated and beaten. But He did it. He pressed on because He knew that something good would come from it.

Same for you and me. If we keep going, especially when it’s hard God will do something that blows your mind!

Hang on! Keep fighting the good fight!

We are not in this battle alone! Even when God feels far away He is there. Read LaToya Edward’s #WalkItOut Story here:

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More about Come to the Well:

Ready to take your faith to the next level?

If you long for a closer relationship with God and a deeper faith but quiet time is a struggle, Come to the Well is the just what you are looking for.

Daily time in prayer and Bible study are key to spiritual growth but with busy schedules, families to care for and hard times there just doesn’t seem to be anytime left for God.

Is it even possible to grow spiritually?

In a word, yes!

Through personal stories and biblical truth, this book will equip Christian moms to make real and lasting changes to their relationship with God. Come to the Well is real , honest and speaks to the heart of the matter — how can you grow closer to God in the midst of hard times.

Are you ready to connect with God on a deeper level and finally be consistent with your daily quiet times? Come to the Well will empower, enable and inspire you to be consistent with prayer and Bible study so you can live a life full of joy, hope and peace.

Purchase a copy HERE.

LaToya Edwards is a Christian Life Coach with a passion for equipping women to grow spiritually through consistent time in prayer and Bible study and by embracing their identity in Christ during life’s trials. She believes that you can come through any trial stronger in your faith, closer to God and with a joy and peace that cannot be shaken!

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What Happens When We Read God’s Word and Actually Do What it Says?

Click here to pre-Order a copy of Walk it Out and receive the e-book 30 Days of Prayer as You Walk it Out FREE!

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September 28, 2017 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Walk It Out Stories: The Life We Truly Crave | Elisa Pulliam

Has your life turned out how you expected or do you feel like you’ve been re-routed to places you never imagined?

We were newlyweds busy plotting our course while God was about the business of “determining our steps” right into an unexpected job interview (Proverbs 16:9). Within a week of that divine appointment, my husband was hired, or should I say, we were hired. As is the case with boarding schools, it’s an all-hands-on-deck commitment. We were assigned to live in a boy’s dorm, where my husband would serve as an assistant head, and I took a position working in the Admissions Office. So much for our plans to return to his boarding school a decade later with grad degrees under our belt and our own teens ready to enroll.

Sometimes . . . maybe all the time . . . things don’t work out quite how we planned.

I never did get that grad school degree, although my husband squeezed his in somewhere between juggling dorm duty, teaching Chemistry, and becoming a new dad. That child we dreamed of seeing enrolled at her daddy’s school came to pass fourteen years later, but alas she never did become an alum, as God rerouted my husband into a new job in another state right before her junior year.

In the unexpected twists and turns, and often trials, God is about the business of giving us what we need rather than what we want.

We could never had seen what God was about to do through that one unexpected job interview, but from this perspective His provisions and purposes are so graciously evident. In that nearly two-decade long season at the boarding school, God transformed me from the inside out, using the love of friends and priceless mentors to spur on His healing work. He not only changed me but in doing so changed my legacy and birthed a ministry devoted to equipping women to embrace biblical transformation for themselves for the sake of impacting the next generation.

In the middle of whatever feels like unexpected re-routings, God is sovereignly at work fulfilling a plan much greater than the one we have in mind.

His mission is to complete the good work He began in us. He is about transforming us to make us more and more like Him. Yes, we can dream, hope, and pursue the desires of our hearts. But while dreaming, hoping, and pursuing, we might be called to something altogether different. The good news is that there are blessings to be found in both our fulfilled dreams and rerouted ones. That’s because the life we crave isn’t found in the plans we make — it’s found in the intimacy of walking in fellowship with the One who ordains every breath we take, every move we make, every single day of our lives.

God is about the business of giving us what we need. Read @ElisaPulliam’s #WalkItOut story here:

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Elisa Pulliam is the author of Meet the New You and founder of the ministry More to Be. She is a certified life coach, mentor, and speaker who is passionate about inspiring women to experience a fresh encounter with God for the sake of impacting the next generation. Elisa and her husband, Stephen, savor life together with their four children. Connect with Elisa at MoreToBe.com.

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More about Walk it Out

What Happens When We Read God’s Word and Actually Do What it Says?

Click here to pre-Order a copy of Walk it Out and receive the e-book 30 Days of Prayer as You Walk it Out FREE!

Are you new here? You might want to subscribe to my email updates, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

September 26, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out Stories: Stepping Out to Do What I Promised Myself I Never Would | Janet Holm McHenry

There is a stirring, a restlessness, an unsettling feeling that builds up within me just before God leads me in a new direction.

That was certainly true right before I had The Dream. Or rather, a literal nightmare.

I was on a tour bus filled with reporters and dignitaries set out on a tour of a new housing area in Sacramento. The city fathers were impressed with how they had replaced a blighted area with beautiful, new homes.

However, as we came down off the interstate into the housing area, there was an awful scene. The brand-new houses were on fire—but even worse, there were children playing on the porches, waving from the windows, dancing on the rooftops. And they were seemingly unaware that they could die from the fire.

I looked around me on the bus for someone else to notice the problem, but the others were nodding and applauding as the bus driver’s commentary pointed out the highlights.

Suddenly I realized that I alone could see that the children would die if no one would stop to help them.

I ran to the front of the bus and screamed at the bus driver, “Stop the bus! I have to get off!”

And then I woke up, trembling—certainly from the horror of the dream but also from the realization that God was dramatically nudging me.

I knew right then that there was no way around it: he was calling me to teach.

For years I had joked that I would never do two things: teach or become a nurse. To this day I still never look when I’m getting a shot or my blood drawn. And teaching was my mom’s thing—not something I would ever do. Kids are messy. They have runny noses and untied shoes and way too many emotional problems for me to deal with.

Nonetheless, God called me to teach.

Within two months I started taking graduate classes to get a teacher’s credential and finished the program in less than a year. Last year I retired after 26 years—most of those teaching high school English to juniors and seniors.

For most of those kids I also had a direct influence in helping them choose their college or career, as I also became our small, rural school’s academic advisor. Recently, it was a personal thrill for me to work with many of them again as we together created 50 Life Lessons for Grads. The book was an opportunity for me to pause and realize that while I went into teaching with the idea that I could help them, I, too had been changed in the process. Along with the work sweat of grading countless essays and preparing lesson plans, I laughed and loved those young people so much!

But even after my teaching years now, I am much more easily nudged to do God’s work—he no longer needs to send me a nightmare to make me move. I’ll take a dinner to a sick friend or support a school in Nigeria or even just help my husband with a chore.

There still is much more selfishness in me for God to whittle away, but Tricia’s new book Walk It Out, which I devoured last week, reminded me again that God can work through me. I just need to stay in his Word, listen to his whispers, trust him for the details, and walk that path set before me.

Stay in His Word, listen to His whispers, trust Him, and walk the path. Read @LookingUpFirst’s #WalkitOut Story here:

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More about 50 Life Lessons for Grads (coming soon!):

Who better than a recent graduate to help you navigate life after college? With encouragement and advice, fifty young women and men share what they learned the hard way so you can better prepare for the same challenges.

From “Money isn’t Everything” to “Real Friendships Take Effort,” these short, but insightful essays address the real struggles, opportunities, and fears that you might face as you finish your education and begin your independent adult life. Following each essay are five bulleted life lessons to encourage and equip you on your chosen path.

Pre-Order a copy here:
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Janet McHenry is a national speaker and the author of 20 books, including the best-selling PrayerWalk and PrayerStreaming. Health, Family Circle, and many other publications have recognized her as the go-to teacher on devotional prayerwalking, and she walks out her faith in her small town and in The Bridge Church in Reno, where she serves on the board and as the director of the prayer ministries. She and her rancher Craig live in the Sierra Valley, where they raised their four children. She loves to speak and may be contacted at www.janetmchenry.com.

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More about Walk it Out

What Happens When We Read God’s Word and Actually Do What it Says?

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September 25, 2017 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

Walk it Out Stories | Katherine Reay

I’m delighted to be a part of Tricia’s work with Walk It Out. She writes so many truths within her book. One resonated with me and that is what I’d like share here: You never know what God has in store. Simply trust him.

In December 2008, I was severely injured. For a time, slowly moving from my bed to an armchair then back to bed was the most I did in a day. I could not define myself as I had for years, I barely recognized myself. I could no longer run with my husband, play tennis with my son, study tae kwon do with my daughters, volunteer, drive carpool, fix meals, work as freelance marketing consultant . . . I had always moved fast and done much . . . Then one day, I faced months filled with pain, slow movement, books and prayer time.

Three months into recovery, and having read about sixty books in that armchair, a character came to me. She had a voice, anger, fear, issues and she wanted to be heard. God made it very clear I was to write her story. I had no experience in novel writing. I had no experience in fiction writing. But, with prayer, I began.

Eighteen months later, I titled my manuscript Dear Mr. Knightley and started querying agents (sending pleading letters to agents). In the following months, I received over thirty rejections and began to suspect God wanted the story for me, not for publication. After all, I had learned something in the process. I had grown. The moment I reconciled myself to that idea, a small publishing house offered to buy it.

The risk seemed low. As I printed the contract, my inbox beeped with an email from a writers group. I opened it and found my picture staring back at me (a random galley shot taken a year earlier at a conference) under the headline “Why You Need An Agent.” I’m not kidding. I immediately wrote the head of the group and asked if I needed an agent, basically demanding an answer as he’d used my picture and that was my exact predicament. He wrote back immediately that an agent was necessary. He didn’t recommend signing any contract without one.

But who? Almost forty agents had turned me down. I went to my bookshelves and pulled down books I admired. In the acknowledgments, one agency’s name turned up in three books out of ten. I looked up the website, saw a man’s picture, and clearly heard God say, “That’s your agent.” But the website said, not to call, to write a query and patiently wait — six to eight weeks. I didn’t have six to eight weeks. I had a contract with a deadline. So I called — and left a three-minute frenetic, highly embarrassing, message.

I was shocked when he called me back, and humiliated when I couldn’t answer any question.

Lee: “Give me your elevator pitch.”
Me: “What’s an elevator pitch?”
Lee: “Give me your story in three minutes.”
Me: “It’s complicated. Can I have ten?”

After what I am sure for Lee was a very frustrating half-hour, he closed with “I’m not taking you on, but I will help you out. Send me the manuscript and the contract and I’ll call back Monday with my best advice.”

Monday came with no word. Tuesday too. I didn’t have the emotional fortitude to pursue other agents so, on Wednesday, I planned to sign the contract. That morning, a one-line email arrived:

Don’t sign the contract. I’ll call tomorrow . . . Lee

The next day, Lee opened with “Where have you been?” To which I replied, “Right here.” We talked for over an hour, he agreed to represent me, and he walked me through how to write a proposal. We then met two weeks later in Dallas, proposal in hand, to pitch Dear Mr. Knightley to anyone who would listen. He sold it a month after that to HarperCollin’s Thomas Nelson imprint, along with two subsequent novels.

The story is extraordinary because I had little to do with it. God made his presence known every step of the way and in such ways that I can never seize credit — for almost at every step, I did the wrong rather than the right thing. The story, however, doesn’t end there. God doubled down on his love and grace when he gave me Lee for an agent. Lee was not just any agent, or any man. He was one of the most Christ-like men I’ve ever known. In the year we knew other, before he died of cancer, Lee taught me not only how to navigate book writing and publishing, but how to be a more loving and considerate person.

On days when I get caught up in my own problems, irritations and little frustrations, I cast back to this time and I remember. I remember God’s extravagant love — and his sense of humor — and I trust in him.

You never know what God has in store. Read @Katherine_Reay’s #WalkItOut story here:

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Katherine Reay is a writer, wife, mom, continually rehabbing runner, compulsive vacuumist and a horrific navigator…

She graduated from Northwestern University and earned an MS in Marketing from Northwestern as well. She then worked in marketing and development before returning to graduate school for a Masters of Theological Studies. Moves to Texas, England, Ireland and Washington left that degree unfinished as Katherine spent her time unpacking, raising kids, volunteering, writing, and exploring new storylines and new cities.

The Reay family (with a great sense of permanency) now resides outside Chicago, and Katherine pursues writing with more focus. She writes character-driven stories and non-fiction that focuses upon examining the past and how it influences our present experiences.

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More about Walk it Out

What Happens When We Read God’s Word and Actually Do What it Says?

Click here to pre-Order a copy of Walk it Out and receive the e-book 30 Days of Prayer as You Walk it Out FREE!

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September 22, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out Stories: My Journey to Mr. Wonderful | Arlene Pellicane

When I was in high school, I was blessed to have a lot of titles. Cheerleader. Honors Student. Student Body President. Youth Group Leader. But there was one title I was very displeased with. Dateless. I think I was the only one to graduate from high school without being asked out. No roller rink dates. No fast food jaunts. Nothing. But God had given me a promise.

I went to a Christian school and one day after chapel, I was praying about my dateless state. To my surprise, the speaker came up to me and said, “I believe God has a message for you. He’s preparing a man of God for your life.” I cried tears of joy because like Hannah at the altar, I felt like my prayers had been heard.

Mr. Wonderful was coming!

Starry eyed, I began attending a Christian college where I thought for sure I would meet my match. After all, there were so many new, cute Christian boys everywhere! But once again, dateless. Four years later, I received my BA but alas, no MRS degree. But I did come close.

My senior year, I began dating a terrific young man. He was involved in youth group and studying to be in the ministry. He was kind, smart, quick to smile, captain of the volleyball team and cute to boot. The more I knew about him, the more I liked. I was in love! I thought beyond a shadow of a doubt, “This is the Mr. Wonderful I’ve been waiting for all my life!”

We continued dating after graduation, and I waited. Would he propose? God was about to prepare me for the answer.

One night, I felt terribly sad for no apparent reason. I began to cry in my bedroom. When I asked God why I was crying, I was drawn to the story of Abraham and Isaac. Was I willing to sacrifice my Isaac on the altar? Was I willing to let my relationship die? Tearfully, I said yes to God. A few days later, my boyfriend broke up with me.

I felt as though life had stopped.

One day, I was walking along the beach and felt impressed to sing “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” I declared out loud that God was faithful and struggled to believe it with everything in me. I prayed that God would either restore my relationship or take away my desire for my college sweetheart and bring another man into my life.

Months went by and God had clearly chosen the latter. So I waited for the real Mr. Wonderful to walk into my life. And waited. And waited.

The months turned into years. I was in my late twenties and once again, dateless. But God had given me a promise.

I’m very happy to say Mr. Wonderful did come along. The first time I ever saw James, he was flipping hamburgers at a welcome barbeque at the graduate school we both attended. It wasn’t love at first sight at the condiment bar, but he did catch my eye. We became good friends and it was perfectly clear to me that he was THE ONE. Unfortunately, it took him longer to catch this revelation so once again, I was waiting.

After months of being only good friends, I had to re-evaluate my desire for James. I was growing weary of the crazy way my heart beat when I saw him. My theme verse was Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I prayed that God would take away my desire for James, or that God would place that same desire in James’ heart. In that time of waiting, I learned to surrender my wishes to God.

A few months later, James asked me on our first date to Outback Steakhouse. Thank God he talked to a friend who discouraged him from taking me to Dairy Queen! At dessert, he pulled out a red rose and a yellow rose which he had discreetly hidden in his jacket. He said, “We’ve been friends for a long time and I want to date you and see if there’s something more.” From that moment forward, we were inseparable. Five months later we were engaged. Mr. Wonderful had truly arrived and he surpassed all my high expectations.

That was more than 18 years ago and marrying James was definitely worth the wait. If you’re waiting for your Mr. Wonderful, take heart. God is at work even when you don’t see anything progressing in your relationships. Continue to focus on God and delight in Him then watch how He will give you the desires of your heart. And if you’re married, don’t forget your story. It’s one way to truly appreciate the Mr. Wonderful you already have.

Author @ArlenePellicane shares her journey to Mr. Wonderful. Read her #WalkItOut story here:

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Arlene Pellicane is a speaker and author of several books including 31 Days to a Happy Husband and Calm, Cool, and Connected: 5 Digital Habits for a More Balanced Life. She lives in San Diego with her husband James and three children.

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More about Walk it Out

What Happens When We Read God’s Word and Actually Do What it Says?

Click here to pre-Order a copy of Walk it Out and receive the e-book 30 Days of Prayer as You Walk it Out FREE!

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September 21, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out Stories: Serving Him Wholeheartedly | Trisha Goddard

At the young age of six years old, I was challenged to walk out my faith and go beyond the borders of my country to an ethnic group that did not have access to the truth of God’s Word. Now, I did not truly understand what serving Him wholeheartedly meant, but I did know that it was something that I wanted to do. In my early childhood, I heard stories of ethnic groups in Papua New Guinea in need of someone to tell them about God.

My life verse became Romans 10:14-15 NIV: How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

During my growing up years, serving the Lord overseas became my passion and focus, and I took steps — doing what I could right then. I remember using my birthday money to buy a baby doll to take overseas to give to another First Nations girl. Once I got a job at the age of 15, I began supporting a missionary family in Papua New Guinea monthly out of my paycheck. I went on three overseas short term missions trips to Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, and Mongolia to serve other missionaries. For me, each missions trip just confirmed, that this — serving Him wholeheartedly overseas — was exactly what I wanted to do with my life.

At the age of 17, God brought a man into my life with the same heartbeat. Mike, a third generation MK (missionary kid) who grew up in Paraguay, knew that he too wanted to serve God overseas among the least reached. We were married once I turned 18, and together, we attended two years of missionary training, took a year to raise our financial and prayer support from individuals and churches, and moved to the country of Paraguay in 2004 with two small children. I can honestly say that learning Spanish, building relationships, mobilizing the Paraguayan church, mentoring young ladies, and walking alongside First Nation leaders and their families is beyond anything the young girl at the age of 6 ever imagined when she said, “Yes” to missions.

Tricia Goyer said, “God may sometimes call you to something beyond your natural bent or abilities, but trust that as you follow Him you’ll discover more about yourself and your capabilities than you ever dreamed possible. More than that, you’ll discover more about God – His character and His ways.”

My passion remains the same, and I have learned more — and am still learning — what serving Him wholeheartedly in my home, in my city, in my country and beyond looks like. I do know that it is not easy. Sometimes, the foundation and core of my faith is challenged. It requires daily dying to myself, “walking out the Word of God and daring to do what it says,” even when it is uncomfortable. It requires selfless acts of love. It requires serving, even when I feel as though I cannot serve anymore.

“God designed us for a purpose that will impact His kingdom. The purpose we all share as Christ followers is to worship God, love Him, love others, and live a godly life.” – Tricia Goyer

My desire is to be faithful to obey His Word and bring Him glory while serving Him wholeheartedly with my family in Paraguay. Christ followers, will you join me? Let’s obey God’s Word and do what it says! It is time to “Walk It Out”!

A challenge when she was six-years-old led Trisha Goddard to Paraguay. #WalkItOut

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Trisha’s passion is serving Him wholeheartedly in her family and in ministry. Married to Mike since 2001, they have three children, Michael, Lea, and Kaleb. They have lived in Paraguay, South America since 2004 and serve as field workers of Partners for Paraguay. Trisha loves to read, spend time with her family, and travel. Connect with her at mtgoddard.com, Facebook, and Instagram.

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More about Walk it Out

What Happens When We Read God’s Word and Actually Do What it Says?

Click here to pre-Order a copy of Walk it Out and receive the e-book 30 Days of Prayer as You Walk it Out FREE!

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