Recalculating Direction, 
Laurie Williams

 Fear to Freedom, 
Rosemary Trible

WHAT'S YOUR STORY? Lesa Ankney Monday May 23, 2011

This topic is based upon the book called, A Million Miles in a 1000 Years, by Donald Miller, (who is the same author as Blue Like Jazz.) This is a story about story.

Everyday it is your choice about what your story is going to be. Is the story you are writing with your life a story that others would like to read?

God has uniquely gifted you for a purpose that is for your good and for his glory.

Creating your story will bring passion to the passionless. This is all waiting for you to discover, but are you willing?

Does your story sound like this:
I get up, I go to work, I eat dinner, I watch TV, and go to bed. The next day it is the same. I get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV and go to bed. And the next and the next. The Same as the days before. Occasionally, my story is different: I go to the park and go kayaking after doing the laundry or cleaning the kitchen.

There are things we have to do, like if you have kids, to take great care of your children. If you are responsible for your aging parents, you need to take great care of them and honor them. If you are a business owner, you need to take care of business. If married, honor your husband. We need to  take care of  our homes. I am talking about rewriting the story of your life with choices that move you closer to your destiny, the thing you were called by God to do, but not neglecting the things you need to do. If this exercise makes you feel frustrated, call us, come to The Circuit during regular hours and someone there will help you get through this process.

Answer these questions honestly. Finding your passion will change your story.

1) What do you see as the world's greatest need?

2) What can you do to meet that need?

3) What are your three most favorite movies of all time?

4) Think about each movie and determine: What is the common thread in each of these three movies? Write it down.

5) What is your one thing, (the one thing you are most passionate about, that you talk about, think about etc...)

Ask a few people who love you, who you are close to, those who encourage you,  to tell you what they think your one thing is. Work this out this week.

Once you have asked these questions you can begin to reorient your life around your answer and make the difficult decisions to do what you were uniquely created to do.

To help guide you, think about this: What has been the best day of my life so far? (do not include your wedding day or birth of your children). Then answer, why was this the best day of your life?

Permanent marks are left on us for days that leave an emotional stamp on us. All who were adults can remember where we were on 9/11 when we heard the devastating news about the attacks on America. Most of the days of our lives we won't remember, but the days that we do, have strong reasons why we remember them. Sometimes we remember them because we experienced great joy, or great pain. Then there are days we have to respond to like 9/11. Fortunately, days like that are the exception.

Being in a place of pain or hardship does not mean you are not moving forward toward your destiny. Consider these verses: