Last week, I took a brave, crazy step and opened up my journals exposing all I've been thinking about and what I feel God is doing in my life in my post What Was It All For? This week, I'm picking up where we left off with the Why. Why am I opening up my private thoughts and sharing them with you and why you should, too. I'd love to know your thoughts as we go along.....ready, set go!

(Story originally published 1.20.16)

[title subtitle="The Why"][/title]

The big overall reason of why I truly believe God put me on a pause last year is to learn to live intentionally and totally abandoned to the call God has on my life.

To help keep those two words in front of my mind and heart daily, I’ve decided to take my private journals of my struggles and triumphs public to give you a peak into my secret places. I hope that's okay!

Today, as we journey through proactively living an intentional lifestyle, listen to what God is telling you through this process. I will be recording it all for myself so that I can tangibly see the hand of God moving throughout the year. And you can do the same!

The Bible says in Habakkuk 2:2 to write down the vision and keep it in front of you. Pull out a journal you have lying around or make a run to Barnes & Nobles and get a shiny new one with fancy writing. My favorite trend right now is the beautiful gold letters that are on everything! Makes me feel fancy and special.

While we write and pray and grab hold of our purpose, you can hold me accountable and I will do the same! Call me out when I'm off track – not being intentional or keeping my eye on the cause with total abandoned or picking up anything that’s not mine. What are your top three goals for 2016? What is your why? Write them down. For this life is short. I've got to finish my race and run with endurance and so do you. If we don't then what is it all for?

I no longer want to write a good blog that makes you think or gets the most likes, shares & comments. I want to write in a way that brings about change. Real change. You might like it, you might not. My purpose in life is not to have the prettiest Instagram or the most followers on Facebook, but to empower women right where I am through writing and speaking. If social media doesn’t follow me, that’s okay because I’m still a follower of Jesus and in the end, I win the prize knowing that I took what was in my hand and gave it away. God said “Go” so I’m going.

I'm ready to be unashamed and abandoned, pausing to see the real truth and putting down things that are not my own.

I no longer want to care or worry if I'm measuring up in a certain circle or if certain people are reading. My thoughts, desires, gifts and talents are all unique. I do things differently. And so do you. Those differences that no one else can do are needed in this world. So, I'm taking my eyes off others – comparison is stealing my joy and clouding my purpose anyway – and putting my eyes and ears back to the floor on my knees so I can hear what and where God is leading me. It might look different then what I thought or what others predicted. And that's completely okay. Because that's what a life abandoned looks like.

Today, right now, I’m living on purpose, in my purpose. If I don’t, the women who were supposed to be changed, helped, or heard are not because I ignored the call.

So here I go. I’m pulling the rug out from under myself and others and not looking back.

Journal entry #2 √

Intentional – Abandoned

I’m living the dream that God has put in my heart full force because God-sized dreams are not about us but about the purpose and legacy we are building for generations to come.

XO,

Heather

 

Habakkuk 2:2-3

And then God answered: “Write this.

    Write what you see.

Write it out in big block letters

    so that it can be read on the run.

This vision-message is a witness

    pointing to what’s coming.

It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!

Speaker:

Kirsten Dickerson, CEO and Founder of Raven + Lily, is a leader in the social business and ethical fashion industry. Motivated by a belief that each person is valuable and uniquely created, Kirsten is dedicated to empowering women to discover their full potential. She is passionate about promoting social business models as a means of providing a dignified way to alleviate poverty, especially among at-risk women.

Kirsten and her filmmaker husband live in a “tiny house” in the country outside of Austin, Texas on Green Acres, a boutique retreat for artists, families and sojourners. They have a minimalist lifestyle, and are enthusiasts of slow food and slow fashion, and the positive impact they have on people and the planet.

 

 

An evening of fashion and faith meant to refresh her through power messages, dinner, pampering and a time to share, create and grow with other dreamers and women of purpose.

There’s something special that happens when women who live on purpose gather around a dinner table. The conversations are life changing causing a shift in momentum in where we are going.

~ A movement ~ An awakening ~

That’s why Created Woman has designed a monthly gathering called CW: Gather Her for women who desire to and are living on purpose and for a purpose on the 3rd Thursday of every month at the Arthouse Austin.

Click Here for tickets

Facebook Invite and details

Pictures courtesy of Austin Art House and Leandra Blei Photography