trusting God

June 14, 2023 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Live Your Life’s Dream… Inspired by God

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)

As a speaker, one of my favorite things to do is encourage the audience to “dream big.” Too many times we put God in a box.

We’re afraid to step out of our comfort zones. We forget that God created the universe and can surely He can help us with our small dreams. There are many dreams God has helped me fulfill: starting a crisis pregnancy center, leading a mission team to Europe, and writing books for a living, to name a few.

Since I’ve seen dreams come true in my own life, I like to encourage others to dream big. Yet, lately I’ve been adding a P.S. to my message. Why? Because in my good intentions, I may have led people to become discouraged instead.

One of the problems with the message “dream big” is that we let our human minds measure what “big” is. We think it has to be fame or success or a huge blog. We think it has to involve starting a ministry or sharing Christ in an atheistic country.

This doesn’t always have to be the case. What is “big” to God? The “big” thing to God is obeying what He asks you to do. You could become famous, make it big, and become well-known—and it would amount to nothing. Or you can ask God what big is to Him – you might just be surprised.

Many years ago, my husband and I felt God telling us to walk away from some of our ministry opportunities in order to adopt several children from the foster care system. I will not become famous leading family Bible studies, watching my kids play soccer, or carting kids to homeschool co-ops. But after seven adoptions, I realize that to God, these are big things.

What dream is big to God in your life?

It’s a question you need to ask. It’s wonderful to dream big… just as long as you are sure you know that the direction of your dream was inspired by your loving heavenly Father.

Faith step: Take a minute and think about the dreams God has been speaking to your heart. Write them down, even though they may not seem big to the world’s eyes. Now, what is one step you can take toward them? Write that down too.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

October 25, 2016 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

My Journey to Adoption {Listen to my Interview on the Restory Show}

Recently I had the joy of chatting with Mary DeMuth on her Restory Show. We talked about my story: growing up needing love, finding it in boys, being a pregnant teen, then turning my life over to Jesus. The bulk of the episode we talk about my family’s journey of adoption. Click here to listen our chat, and keep reading to learn a little more about how my adoption story began!

I first thought about adoption around 1999 when I was reading an article about orphanages in China filled with baby girls. At the time, John and I had three young kids ages 10, 7, and 5. I had also just gotten my first book contract.

I talked to John about adopting an orphan, but he didn’t think it was a good idea. The idea of adding more kids into our chaotic life wasn’t appealing to him. Not to mention the cost, which was $20,000+. Oh, and I should mention my propensity to take on more than I can chew. One of John’s roles in life is to protect me from my good intentions.

Years later the kids grew up, and John was the one to bring up the idea of adoption with me. I jumped on the chance. I was SO excited about adopting a baby girl from China, but just as we turned in our paperwork, in 2008, things changed. They slowed down the number of adoptions. It looked like a 4-5 year process. I was heartbroken.

I clearly remember one day when I was crying out to God, “Why did you even put this on my heart if it’s not going to happen?” (And by “happen” I meant in the way I wanted, with the beautiful, Chinese baby girl that I imagined.)

I mentioned children from the Heart Gallery a few times in passing, but I didn’t think much more about it until I read a book called Kisses for Katie. It was about a young woman who adopted thirteen children in Uganda. I read the book on the way to a MomLife retreat, and I was moved.

I felt God speaking to me, “If she can adopt thirteen children in a third-world country, can’t you open your home to a few more?” I felt led to ask a few friends to pray that John’s heart would be open to adopting from the foster care system.

Later that night, when I called home, these were the first words out of John’s mouth, “Did you know that adopting from the foster care system is free?” As I heard my husband’s words, my faith grew. Adoption wasn’t “my” thing that I needed to “talk my husband into.” Adoption was on God’s heart.

For more posts and information on adoption, check out my adoption directory!

Hear @TriciaGoyer share about her foster-to-adoption experience on Restory Show with @MaryDeMuth

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May 29, 2015 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

The Brave Writer

I’ve never considered myself a brave person. I’m not one to bungee jump, and the best I’ve done on the ski slopes is the beginner’s run. (And with much trepidation at that!)

Stepping out and deciding to pursuing writing was one of my bravest steps. Writing about the deep pain and struggles in my life—in my fiction and non-fiction—has been the bravest.

Yet I’ve done other things that are brave. Here are a few:

Adopting kids. John and I have adopted three kids in the last five years, and we’re in the process of adopting four more.
Moving to Arkansas. We moved for a ministry position and found a new place to call home.
Inviting my grandma to live with us. She’s lived primarily with our family since 1999. She’s a joy to have in our home.

But as a writer there are other brave things I do, too. These are small, daily choices:

Putting aside my writing to take the kids on a nature walk, even though I have a pressing deadline.
Babysitting my two young grandkids and playing with them in the backyard, even though I have a pressing deadline.
Taking our kids to Disney on Ice, even though I have a pressing deadline.
Spending a day at Magic Springs theme park, even though I have a pressing deadline.

As I write this, I’m five days away from that pressing deadline. (Prayers are appreciated!)

As I write this, I’m also considering what it means to be brave.

To find out what it means to be brave, hop on over to Inspired By Life and Fiction to read the rest of this post!

What does it mean to be brave? Find out from @TriciaGoyer here:

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April 16, 2015 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Start Your Own Rescue Journal

So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials. 2 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

Grace is an amazing thing. God’s grace saved our souls for eternity, but God often shows up with daily graces too. The important thing is having a soft heart and attentive spirit to see them. Grace is God doing for us what we could never do ourselves. It’s preparing for our rescue.

Grace is God doing for us what we could never do for ourselves! @TriciaGoyer

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Our family witnessed God’s grace when he provided a house. We had moved from the Northwest to the South several years ago, and the hardest part has been settling down. The first condo we rented—sight unseen—was old and moldy.

We moved into a nice apartment after that, but when my grandmother decided to move back in with us, we didn’t have enough room, so we chose to move. After that we found a large, spacious house, but it was old, drafty, and expensive to heat and cool.

I was thankful, but my heart hadn’t settled. There were many wonderful houses in the area, but with my husband’s new ministry position the cost was out of reach. So I started praying.

The answer came in an unexpected way. I offered a book to a new friend. When she came by to get it, I asked if she happened to know of a house that would fit our large family. Not only did she know of one, she owned one!

Because of her husband’s job they had to move across town. The house was a perfect fit and the right price. And our presence there was an answer to her prayers for good renters too.

Are you facing a trial today? God not only knows how to rescue you, but He has a plan for that very thing. The rescue may look different than you imagine, but His way is perfect. Trust Him in that.

Faith step: Create a small “rescue” journal. Start today by writing down how God shows up and answers your prayers. Every day add to your journal. Each page—each entry—will increase your faith!

Read the original post at Guideposts.org. Want more devotions? Check out Mornings with Jesus 2015.

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January 3, 2015 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

How Your Prayers Change the Future

How Your Prayer Change the Future

I’d like to think I’m an expert pray-er. I can clearly see how my prayers changed things. For example, I have three little kids—not birthed from me—running around my house who are examples of that. Yet the way that my prayers changed the future is different than you think.

God is not a genie in a bottle. My prayers weren’t effective because I figured out the right words to make God do what I want to do. I used to think that. As a young Christian I’d try all sorts of things:

praying in the morning
praying at night
praying on my knees
praying out loud
journaling my prayers

I wouldn’t admit it out loud, but I believed deep down if I said the right things, at the right time, in the right way, that God could be swayed.

What I’ve since discovered is God has good plans for my life. He has hopes for me and a future. And the number-one thing that changes when I pray . . . is me. Prayer opens up the connection between me and God. Prayer softens my heart to His will.

My prayers change the future because as I connect with Him, I’m willing to submit my will to His. As as I submit and walk in His ways . . . my future is different than the path I would have taken myself on in my own according. And the future is changed.

Prayer changes the future because:

I connect with God.
I submit my will to His.
I walk in His ways—not the ones I try to figure out.

I have dozens of examples of this, but I’ll quickly share one: adoption.

To find out how God answered my prayers of adoption, read the rest of this post at thebettermom.com.

The #1 thing that changes when I pray is me. @TriciaGoyer

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December 3, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

A Heart Wide Open Christmas: Day 4 | When Jesus Gives You Surprise Gifts

When we yield our wills to God’s, the question, “What’s in it for me?” is answered with a resounding, “Everything!”– Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

A few years ago I was under a major writing deadline that put a hinder on my Christmas preparations. I’d been asked to write a special book that would reach a lot of teens with the gospel, but I knew it was going to come at a price. Yes, the gospel would go out … but my Christmas preparations were going to be seriously hindered in the process!

After sending in the book to the editor, I had ONE WEEK to do the shopping, the activity planning, and even the decorating. It was December 17th and not one red or green decoration was put out … not even the tree.

We usually bought a real tree from a local tree farm, but as I was zipping through Costco I saw a beautifully decorated tree on display. It had lights, ornaments, bows, and even adorable elves decorating it’s branches. I paused before it, wishing I had a tree like that and wondering how much it cost.

Too much for me to afford, I thought to myself.

Still, something inside urged me to ask one of the employees. “How much is this tree? There is no price.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, those trees are sold out,” the man apologized. “All we have is this floor model left, and I don’t even have a box for it …” He paused and looked at me and my kids. “ … But if you want this one I’ll give it to you for 75% off.”

I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. Can you imagine the looks we received when I was rolling out an assembled, fully decorated tree to my van? I didn’t mind the stares. I’d just been given a wonderful gift at 75% off!

We’ve been using the same tree for the last fifteen years. And every year as we pull it out and re-assemble it, I remember how God gave me that unexpected gift. Sometimes—especially at Christmas—we worry about so many things: the food, the presents, the decorations. And sometimes we feel silly being so concerned about trivial things. Yet when we seek God and do His work, He likes to show up. Sometimes He provides the necessary things, like food and clothes. But other times He surprises us with extravagant gifts, too, like my tree!

When we seek God’s kingdom first, we’re often worried that we’ll be left out. The opposite is true. When we seek God first He gives us more than we anticipate. He gives us good gifts, and mostly He gives us Himself. What more can we need? We need nothing compared to His everything! Don’t you agree?!

Download the printable at Shellie’s website!

When we seek God first He gives us more than we anticipate. #HeartWideOpen

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July 24, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 6 Comments

Just Be Available to God- Answer the Call

Tricia Goyer shares her three-part series “Just be Available.” If you have not read part one, make sure you do so HERE. Today Tricia shares the challenge to answer the call.

Just Be Available-

4 Truths That Make You Willing to Answer the Call.

Do you have trust issues? I do.

I mean who hasn’t been hurt? Abandoned? Left behind. There are those who say they love us, but then turn their backs on us.

And then there is God. He wants us to follow Him, to answer the call and be available to Him … but it’s not as if He speaks to us in a clear, audible voice, right? He wants us to trust Him, but we have so many questions and concerns.

When it comes to being available to follow God, how can we be sure that we’re not going to mess everything up?

How do we take steps forward when everything within us yells for us to stay in our “safe” zone?

After John and I moved to Montana in 1995, I really started seeking God. Once you get out of your comfort zone and see God work, it gets easier to open one’s heart to more that He’s going to do.

But when it came to asking more from me, God didn’t start with a list of demands. Instead, He started speaking to me about who He was–and showing me who I was in His eyes.

I thought I could hide from Jesus.

I thought that I could hide from Jesus, well, not really …

I’d been a pretty good person all my life, but there is one sin that reminded me I wasn’t just bad, I was horrible. When I was 15-years-old I found out I was pregnant. Scared, ashamed, and overwhelmed, I chose to have an abortion. And I’d carried that burden like a chain around my neck for ten years.

I stayed away from God, in my heart, because I felt unclean in His sight. Yes, I’d asked Him to forgive me. Yes, I gave my life to Him, but still, I felt that I’d done too much for Him to really love me. Because of Jesus, I knew God was giving me heaven, but I felt far from deserving it.

The truth that set me free and made me able to answer the call.

The breakthrough came when I started attending a Bible Study for women who’d had abortions. It was through that study I realized that no matter what I’d done in the past, God saw me as forgiven.

God saw me as a beautiful child. God had good plans for me. Plans to give me a hope and a future.

Through personal Bible study, God pointed out the flawed people that He used for His glory. For example, King David was a nobody before God made Him a somebody.

And even when David was a somebody, He committed sins that would make anybody cringe: adultery and murder just to name two. Yet God called David, “The apple of His eye” and “A man after His own heart.” Why? Because King David made himself available to God—to fight God’s enemies and lead God’s people, he was obedient to answer the call. To worship God no matter what anyone else thought.

Even at the end of his life, David gave God glory for every good thing that had happened to him.

In 2 Samuel 23:5, we read, “It is my family God has chosen! Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is eternal, final, sealed. He will constantly look after my safety and success.”

As I read that statement, I realized God’s promises weren’t just for David, but also for me!

Will you accept what God’s done for you?

Will you trust how God sees His agreement with you? You are His child: eternal, final, and sealed.

God just doesn’t want to put up with you. He wants to constantly look after your safety and success.

Sure, solid, enduring love.

But these plans aren’t for David alone. In Isaiah 55:3, The Message Translation, we read:

“Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.”

We are only available to God when we trust Him completely. When we trust in His sure, solid, and enduring love.

We are only available to God when we trust Him completely. @TriciaGoyer

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We need to know that whatever He asks us to do, He has us covered. We must answer the call.

2 Corinthians 12:9 reads: “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.”

When we’re available to God, He helps us in our weakness.

And in order to trust Him, God wants us to believe 4 truths about who He is. These are 4 truths about HIM that will help you answer the call. He is:

1. A BIG God with BIG dreams for you.

2. A God who has made an agreement with you that is eternal, final, and sealed.

3. A God who will constantly look after your safety and success.

4. A God who will be strong in your weaknesses.

Can you trust Him like that? Can you answer the call?

Can you trust that whatever God asks you to do is the natural outflow from his sure, solid, and enduring love?

[Read Part 3 here.]

Prayer

God, give me the strength to let go and trust you fully. I want to understand fully that your grace is all I need and that your strength comes into its own in my weakness. I want to pay attention and listen to your life-giving, life-nourishing words.

April 25, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 4 Comments

Are Your Kids Empty Vessels?

When my first set of kids were younger, I used to think of them more like empty vessels. I was the mom, and I believed it was my job to fill them up with all the good things of life—things to make them well-rounded and—let’s face it—better than any other kid who’s ever been born.

I signed them up for sports, for music, for dance, because there was a lot to instill in these few, soon-to-pass child-years. But no matter what activity I shuffled them around to, I discovered that my kids were not empty vessels. God had already done a fine job designing them, thank you very much!

It’s sad to think of all the time I wasted trying to mold my children into who I thought they should be. Instead, I wished I’d realized sooner my children’s Creator knew them from the beginning–had designed them from the beginning. King David knew this. Psalm 139 is one of my favorites. In it David sings about God creating us and knowing us, forming our bones and preparing our days.

It’s silly to think that God didn’t make my kids right. @TriciaGoyer #parenting

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It’s silly to think that God didn’t make my kids right. Or that He missed an important element (like artistic genius and athletic aptitude) when forming them. Even though their talents are different than what I’d envisioned, their designs were well thought out and beautiful.

God knew Leslie’s strong will would help her as she lived away from the rest of us as a missionary in Europe. (And you’d have to be pretty stubborn to not give up in learn the Czech language!) He knew Cory’s loving, hugging nature would help him be a good dad, and that Nathan’s propensity to having a wandering mind would make him a great novelist. (I know that now, but man it was hard homeschooling that kid!)

There are still things I would have liked to change in my kids (through either subtraction or addition). There are ways they need to grow in godliness, but no one starts off perfect. I have so far to go myself! I know that just as I’ve grown and changed over the years, with God, they will too.

I’ve taken away a few lessons that I’m using with our 2nd set of kids:

1. God makes everything beautiful in its time. Understanding this earlier would have helped save me time and energy as I attempted to form my kids into something they’re not.

2. When my kids refuse to be put into the molds of my making, that doesn’t make me a failure as a mom. With the first set, I would have been more tuned into the kids, and how God created them. It’s what I’m trying to do with this 2nd set!

3. Different is beautiful. God’s design is different than anything I could have come up with, and that’s just fine. God knows what He’s doing after all! God did not create empty vessels for us to fill, but well-designed people for His purpose!

Do you trust God with the way He created your kids? @TriciaGoyer #parenting

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What about you? How are your kids different than what you tried to mold?

Steps to Take

Pray that you would trust God’s design concerning your kids.
See your kids as works-in-progress.
Post a sticky note to remind you to trust God’s beautiful design!

Daily Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help me to realize my kids are empty vessels, but they’re not for ME to fill—they’re for YOU to fill! Help me to trust you in this; I know it will be a process, but I know you’ll guide me through it.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Resources You Might Like:

Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World
Raising a Daughter after God’s Own Heart
Parenting the Wholehearted Child: Captivating Your Child’s Heart with God’s Extravagant Grace

I have a few books on sale right now! The Swiss Courier and Chasing Mona Lisa are only $1.99! And Generation NeXt Marriage is $2.99. You can also get my four World War II novels in the Liberators Series for $13.99.

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