walk it out stories

October 23, 2017 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

Walk It Out Stories: Finding Purpose One Step at a Time | Kristi Clover

Following God’s will. Finding your purpose. Discovering your calling. Those were all the things I heard through the years that seemed to plague me more than inspire me. There have been so many sermons given and books written on this subject of vocation. My heart’s desire was to discover what God had for me. I wanted to live my life fully for Him. Yet, despite my efforts to find answers, I never really felt like I could figure out what God’s unique plan was for my life.

In my early twenties, I was bothered by the fact that I hadn’t had some big revelation as to what I was supposed to be pursing. I’d get new books and pray for God to enlighten me. I searched His Word for some secret passage that would speak to my heart and say, “This, Kristi! This is what I created you to do!” I had no real “Aha!” moment. His answer came softly and gently. It came to me through the years in moments when I was doing more than just thinking about what I should be doing.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23 (ESV)

I can’t even remember the exact moment when I felt like the light bulb finally went off in my head about the deeper meaning of this verse. I had studied the various spiritual gifts and taken several tests to figure out what my strengths were. However, it really was in the mundane moments of just living out my faith that I felt like God was sweetly whispering to my heart, “That’s it!” It was in showing kindness and patience as I waited in line with impatient people around me. It was taking the time to make eye contact, compliment others, and smile. Every so often strangers would tell me that they saw something in me that seemed different. They weren’t seeing me, they were seeing Jesus. It always threw me off, too. I was waiting for some big, flashy service opportunity to really feel like I was serving the Lord fully. Yet, God showed me that even in the little, behind-the-scenes moments that He was at work.

“…Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

I know I’m not alone in the over analysis of discovering my calling. I know God speaks to everyone differently. Some people really do have “Road to Damascus” moments like the apostle Paul did when God called him to the ministry and literally stopped him in his tracks. However, for the rest of us, it feels like there is so much pressure to pinpoint this one thing that God is pushing us toward. It’s taken me time to figure this out, but I’ve learned through the years that it’s the daily choices that really count.

In Psalms 119:105 we read that God’s Word acts as a light to our path and a lamp to our feet. I often picture myself holding a lamp out in front of my feet in order to see the next step on a dark night. Lamps only give us enough light for the step that’s right in front of us. It’s natural to want to see the big picture, but sometimes we just have to trust God with the next step.

Now that I’m in my forties I see this at work as I look back over my life. This little step of faith and that tiny skip to obey His Word through the years have all added up to a walk with the Lord through many seasons of ups and downs. Sometimes that next step feels insignificant and other times you know it’s going to be life changing.

God uses His Word to prepare us for His Will. He gently nudges us as we read His Word to step out in various ways. He equips us with His strength as we move forward with Him. We just have to be brave and take that next step.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only…” James 1:22

Blessings and joy,

Kristi Clover

“His answer came softly and gently.” Read @KristiClover’s #WalkItOut story here:

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Kristi Clover is a homeschooling mom to five kids and wife to her high school “crush.” Aside from her family (and chocolate), she’s passionate about encouraging women in their faith and inspiring them in their daily lives as moms, wives, and homeschoolers by offering “simple solutions for a more joy-filled life.”

Not surprisingly, you can usually find her at home trying to bring some order and fun into the mayhem of daily life. Kristi is a down-to-earth writer and an energetic speaker who loves to share about her adventures in marriage, motherhood, and homeschooling at KristiClover.com — and on her podcast, the Simply Joyful Podcast! Kristi is also the creator of the Ultimate Homeschool Organization Course and the co-author of Homeschool Basics: How to Get Started, Keep Motivated, and Bring Out the Best in Your Kids, co-authored with Tricia Goyer.

Be sure to connect with Kristi online for an extra dose of encouragement for your day —and get a free copy of her book, Sanity Savers for Moms, by clicking HERE.

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Bonus! I am on Kristi’s podcast today chatting about life, writing, and walking it out everyday! Click the image below to listen!

More about Walk it Out

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 20, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out Stories: When You Let Go | Jessica Smartt

When Tricia asked me to share my “walk it out” story, my immediate thought was, “My story isn’t enough! I haven’t adopted any kids. I’m not traveling anywhere scary or starting influential organizations. I’m just a mom!”

And yet as I thought about it, I do experience on a daily (even hourly) basis, both the scary and also abundant fruit of walking in faith with Jesus. In I Peter we are commanded, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that he may lift you up in due time, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

All my life I have struggled with anxiety and worry. Eight years ago I became a mom and was given the best gift of my life…and a million more reasons to worry.

This is my story of “walking it out.” For me, that has meant obeying the Lord’s commands to not live life in fear, but to humble myself in God’s hand, and let him carry my worries.

Easier said than done! My eight-year-old son has several life-threatening food allergies. He’s had them about all his life. Some of these allergies are foods that are extremely common and very difficult to avoid. A few years ago, he had one tablespoon of this food accidentally and it took four epi-pens, oxygen, steroids, and two days in the ICU for him to recover. I sat in the pediatric ICU just stunned. How could just a small SPECK of his allergens could be a life-threatening situation? How could I live with this? What was I to do?

My first reaction when we realized how severe his allergy was to control. I called all the companies of all the foods he has ever, or will ever, put in his mouth to find out if there was any chance they contained any allergens. I washed and rewashed dishes, made nearly everything from scratch, purchased back-up epi-pens, laminated his “allergy action plan,” and basically never left his side. A part of this was necessary, but gradually, the scary truth became evident. I COULD NEVER DO ENOUGH. It would never, ever be enough to guarantee my son would be safe.

One night in shaking tears I knelt by my bed and sobbed out a prayer to the Lord. I admitted that despite all my very best efforts to keep my son safe, I WAS NOT ENOUGH. I could never be alert enough. I could never be present enough. I could never be aware enough, or smart enough, or in control enough. I HAD TO RELINQUISH CONTROL.

I have to tell you the weirdest thing. The moment I finally admitted out loud that I could not keep my son safe — it was so oddly freeing. Instead of terror at this awful truth, I was comforted. I realized I was actually in the safest place, a place where I needed to rely on the Lord. I realized that my son is in the Lord’s hands.

There are many scary moments. When I hear of a food allergy death, when he is in an environment with his allergens, when I’m just not *sure* his food is really safe – in these times I lock myself in some quiet bathroom (it’s a weird habit, but I talk to God in bathrooms). I fall to my knees, and I say, God, I am not big enough or strong enough or in control enough to protect my son. Will you do it, God?

This is what it is like for me to walk it out. I place my most precious possession in His hands. I work really, really, terribly hard to keep him safe. But when (not if) I know it is not enough, I give my son — give my life — to the Lord.

Only when Jessica Smartt relinquished control did she feel peace. Read her #WalkItOut story here:

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Jessica Smartt is a former teacher, current homeschool mom, and passionate Christ-follower. She’s been published on The Huffington Post and has written an ebook on How To Introduce Your Child To Jesus. Her passions include: helping moms to detach from the ever-present lure of technology (which can feel way more fun than parenting), helping women recover from worry (been there, done that!) and how to be a confident, purposeful homeschooling mom.

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October 19, 2017 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

Walk it Out Stories: When the Five-Year Plan Falls Apart | Katie M. Reid

When my husband and I got married, I worked full-time until he was done with school. After that we planned on working for a few years, and saving quite a bit of our salaries, so when we had kids, and I stayed home with them, we wouldn’t be used to living on two incomes. It was all set, our beautiful five-year plan.

But, surprise, surprise, that isn’t how it happened—quite the shocker to my plan-it-out-and-execute-it-effectively self.

I taught until our first child was born. Adam graduated and looked for a job in youth ministry. We never got used to two incomes after all.

Our five-year plan frayed at the edges.

We experienced ups and downs during this season, like the surging waves of my post-natal hormones. But, finally, it seemed like things were steadying out and calming down. It looked like Adam was a shoo-in for a youth leader job and we were waiting on the details of a financial package. Adam stopped applying for other jobs because we felt confident that God was leading us to this one. We anxiously anticipated the phone call that the church was indeed going to hire him.

Interrupted by the Unexpected

During the wait our family of three had our picture taken. Little did we know that our happy grins, forever captured, would serve as a bittersweet reminder of the hardest day in our marriage.

After the picture, Adam stayed home with our baby girl while I went to the store by myself. I came back home rejuvenated. As I walked up to our front door, Adam opened it. Tears were streaming down his face.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“The pastor called,” he struggled to get the words out. “I didn’t get the job.”

I came through the doorway of our white Cape Cod and we hugged hard there in the entryway.

My husband was undone. No job. A wife and baby to care for. A mortgage.

We cried ourselves out. We were confused. We had stepped out in faith like never before. Had we heard incorrectly? Were we being punished?

We decided to get out of town and go see our mentors, who had recently moved to a Bible camp near the Michigan/Indiana border.

Tipping Point

We arrived with heaviness and were welcomed in our brokenness.

We took in the beautiful sights of camp: blue sky, tranquil lake, cheery dandelions blanketing the grassy field, deep green trees lining the grounds; life all around.

On the second night of our stay, our friend sat us down for a heart-to-heart. We had questions.

We had sought God and thought that the youth leader job was what we were supposed to do. What had gone wrong?

He said something to this effect, “What if God led you to step out in faith about the job in order to bring you to a place where you could see what was around the corner?”

It seemed to make sense, although I wondered if it was just a nice way of explaining away something hard.

Our friend asked Adam if he might consider being a part of the discipleship program at camp. He described the spiritual and vocational benefits and laid out the practical details too. There would be minimal pay but valuable training. A mere 480-square-foot bungalow was available for housing but it overlooked the lake. There wasn’t a lot of counter space in the house’s kitchen but many meals were provided in the dining hall.

After this conversation Adam and I retired to the guest room.

“So, what did you think?” Adam whispered.

“You go first,” I insisted, worried that he didn’t feel the same way I did.

“I haven’t felt this excited about something in a long time!” he confessed.

“Me too!” I declared.

When we fled town, we had no idea that God was up to something big. God made it clear that we were to move and Adam was to be a part of the discipleship team.

We were scheduled to return to camp in two weeks. There were mountains to climb, like how to pay our mortgage. But we knew that somehow God would provide.

We drove back home with full hearts. Packing became an act of worship as we prepared for this unexpected adventure.

Weeks beforehand God had led me to read Isaiah 55. I reread it after our camp visit and started laughing—it was the perfect passage for the Bible camp on the lake.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes from My mouth, it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. –Isaiah 55:10-12 (ESV)

Soon the last moving box was loaded onto the trailer as we headed back to camp.

We left behind our once-sure plans and chose to follow our covenant-keeping God.

As we pulled onto the oak-lined road that led to the 480 square foot home, I think the trees of the field were clapping.

What happens when your 5-year plan falls apart? Read @Katie_M_Reid #WalkitOut story here:

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Katie M. Reid is an author and speaker who encourages you to find grace in the unraveling of life. She inspires her readers and audiences to embrace their identity in Christ and live out their God-given purpose. Katie delights in her hubby, five children, and country living in the Midwest. She is a fan of cut-to-the-chase conversation over hot or iced tea. Katie and her husband host the popular Facebook Live show, “Stop! Hammock Time” (which airs Wednesdays, 9pm EST).

Subscribe for free at katiemreid.com to receive weekly encouragement. Connect with Katie on her website, Facebook and Twitter. And look for Katie’s first book coming out next summer with WaterBrook!

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October 18, 2017 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walk it Out Stories: Loving Courageously | Kim de Blecourt

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

The international adoption of our youngest was anything but typical. However, our God is faithful, and after living in a Russian sector of Ukraine for almost one year, God brought my son and I home to Holland, Michigan. What a year that was . . .

I am often asked how I did it. God simply asked me to be patient, and I did my best trusting him. What I desire to share is what I learned.

During that time of heartache and separation, I learned about the character of God. Our God is multi-faceted, and I continue to learn more about him as I study his word. However, there are three characteristics I have taken away from our adoption experience.

We serve a God who never leaves us. Oh, he may allow us to grow in our faith. It may feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, but in reality, he is right beside us the entire time. When I felt I could not remain separated from my husband and our daughter another day, God sent me encouragement, usually through another person. When I became fearful we would never get to be the family our son so desperately needed, God moved our adoption forward, however slight. When I became fearful of being imprisoned in a foreign country, God comforted my trembling heart with peace and sleep. He allowed my shaky faith legs to gain strength, but he never abandoned me.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

We serve a God who loves us beyond our understanding. God loved us while we were still covered by the filth of our sin. God loved us so much, he sent his son to live on earth and die by crucifixion – that was the cost of my adoption to his family. I cannot imagine sacrificing a child of mine for someone else like that. When I consider my whining, how uncomfortable I was outside of my own country, and my stubbornness…I do not understand why he would do this for me. His love mystifies and overwhelms me.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

We serve a God who calls us to imitate him. I am more convinced than ever that God allows things in our lives for reasons only he understands. He whispers for us to follow him, to become more like him, and to imitate him. God loves others through us. God ministers through the work of our hands. God embraces this hurting world through our open arms. This is an area I still struggle with – what exactly am I to do? God only calls me to learn more about him, and love accordingly. I am his disciple.

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 37-39

As Tricia so beautifully portrays in Walk It Out, we have been called to love others in an unconditional way. Whether sharing our testimony reveals parts of our story we would rather others not know, or not. When we know what we are doing, and when we don’t. When we are being asked to do what the world considers crazy, and doing it any way. We have been called to love with a courage only God can instill. God asks us to love as we have been loved. Nothing more and nothing less. Tricia displays this beautifully through her life and her book. Thank you for sharing your life with us, Tricia. May God continue to use you to love courageously and inspire others, as you inspire me.

What does loving courageously look like in your life? If you don’t know, continue to ask God to help you learn more about him. Ask him to reveal himself through his word. Ask him to help you see others through his eyes. He is trustworthy. He will not leave you wondering. He will answer you.

God simply asked me to be patient, and I did my best trusting him. Read @KimdeBlecourt’s #WalkItOut story here:

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What does loving courageously look like in your life? Read @KimdeBlecourt’s #WalkItOut story here:

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Kim de Blecourt is an inspirational author, an international speaker and an orphan care advocate. Kim is the author of Until We All Come Home: A Harrowing Journey, A Mothers Courage, A Race to Freedom (Faithwords, 2012). She is the Executive Director of Nourished Hearts (nourishedhearts.org) and works with an orphan care team in Yuzhny, Ukraine. Kim is wife to Jahn, mom to Jacey and Jake, and caregiver to their cat-like dog and talkative parrot.

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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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More about Walk it Out

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

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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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More about Walk it Out

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

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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!

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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?

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.