He loves the process of me | learning & growing

God loves the process of me. And He loves the process of YOU.

He loves the raw imperfection, and the heart that sincerely desires to grow.

He is blessed by a spirit of contentment, and is honoured when we are thankful.

Today I am thankful for the little things I have been learning this past year from the people in my life God has given me to grow with and learn from. This is a snapshot of what’s been on my heart lately.

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1. Accept the gift of solitude. Learn what it means to reflect and rest with God. It is a blessing. It will unite my mind, heart, and soul.
2. God will give me just enough time in the day to do His will. If I do not have enough time to do what he desires for me to accomplish, I am too busy with things that do not matter.
3. Meekness is power under control.
4. Don’t fill every minute of the day. Book long periods in the library to go deep, walk without a phone in hand, drive without the radio on…God might have something to say or show me.
5. God desires me to enjoy the mystery of ministry.
6. The best choice I can make every day is to make the most of every day.
7. Focus on being timeless instead of trendy. Be part of God’s u.p.s.i.d.e d.o.w.n economy.
8. God’s love is always action. 
9. Respond always in accordance with my faith and my mission.
10. I cannot be a people pleaser and love well at the same time. Both cannot coexist.
11. Pride has no room in ministry.
12. Jesus is willing to be disturbed. We can ask him for help, even if he appears to be sleeping.
13. Wisdom is a big deal to God.
14. The more I live doing holy activities, the more my brain is wired and transformed to continue on that trajectory.
15. With calling comes the need for character.
16. God is ordaining my steps so that what I am doing now is preparing me everyday for the things he has for me to accomplish.
17. God wants to teach me something in the stormy times. 
18. Have the attitude of: “God, this is my schedule but I give you permission to interrupt it.”
19. Expect nothing and appreciate e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
20. The four Ms –Meet in small groups – Muse in scripture – Mentor – Missions. 
21. We serve a hospitable God.
22. Don’t get caught up in the doing, but rather in the being. Be where my feet are. Always.
23. ‘God taps’ are an idea from God for someone else’s good.
24. The Bible is my sword. I can fight any battle with it.
25. Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly (Micah 6:8)
26. My family is my circle of best friends.
27. Be present while in a conversation with someone. This shows that I value them.
28. Comparison is the thief of joy.
29. God didn’t create me to live under an umbrella. He created me to be his ambassador.
30. The Lord is my strength and my song (Psalm 118:14)
31. We are here to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
32. Honour is treating someone as special, and doing more than what is expected.
33. PUSH – Pray Until Something Happens.
34. My desire should be to accomplish things that are of eternal value.
35. I once was confused + purposeless. Now I am confident + hope-filled because Jesus is my friend.
36. God loves a teachable heart.
37. There is beauty in underlining verses, colouring, and writing notes in my Bible.
38. Action can often be more powerful than words.
39. Strive to live in a way that is reflective of God’s character.
40. Experience new things. Don’t keep all of my eggs in one basket.
41. My mood, my energy level, my Godly knowledge, my time, my thoughts, my words… all matter. My presence makes an impact.
42. My days will be richer if I choose to embrace a spirit of gratitude and contentment.
43. Social media is a tool that should be used well.
44. The degree that I am working towards is not for me. It’s for those who are hurting.
45. Pursue relationships with mentors. But don’t wait for them to find me – be proactive and look for them.
46. Take seriously the life I have been given by God.
47. When I don’t know what to do, the best idea is to continue doing the things I know I should do, while doing it with God.
48. God wants to make me more like him every day. Let him.
49. Self-reliance will keep me from my faith in Jesus. I was not created to stay the same. The goal is to grow.
50. Receive God’s grace and loving kindness – always. It’s a gift.
51. Learn to love learning, because God will always gives me something new to learn.
52. I am a work in progress.
53. Aim to rediscover who God is when life gets hard.
54. God is always doing 10,000 things in my life constantly, and I’m aware of only 3 of them.
55. God created me for community. Be involved.
56. God’s love mobilizes me so that I can then love.
57. Humility is not thinking less of myself, it’s thinking about myself less. [C.S. Lewis]
58. My life is a sermon! Preach it.
59. God doesn’t love us all equally – he loves us uniquely.
60. We are all the same distance from the cross.
61. God desires me to be completely and overwhelmingly thankful for who he created me to be.
62. The ability to speak is a gift, and choosing to speak with purpose is priceless.
63. Follow God’s cloud today.
64. God is ALWAYS telling a better story. Have a ‘God is always at work’ bias.
65. I get to write exams.
66. God has plans for me that are bigger than what I could possibly imagine. B.e.l.i.e.v.e it.
67. Whatever I’m doing, I’m getting better at it.
68. A negativity bias will prompt me to miss what God wants to do through my life.
69. My education is a gift – not a product or a transaction. Use it w.e.l.l.
70. God didn’t create me to live with the “what can I get” attitude. He created me to live with a “what can I g.i.v.e” attitude.
71. Be thankful for the season that God has me in r.i.g.h.t n.o.w. 
72. God is saying to me “look at me! look at me! I love you. See, touch, know, believe.
73. Friends are a gift from God to us.
74. God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.
75. Give the next 3 breaths to God if you don’t know how to pray.
76. Don’t take time for granted.
77. God answers all of my prayers. Sometimes His answer is no. 
78. When in a hard spot, say to myself; “this is a moment of suffering. Suffering is a part of life. Let me be kind to myself.” [Kristin Neff]
79. I need to do well with whatever I’m doing at this moment. 
80. Start the day saying, “God help me know you better and love you more today.”
81. Character development and integrity must come before gift reliance.
82. Raise the bar high wherever I go.
83. Ask God to think for me (ie. ask Him for wisdom regularly)
84. God’s opinion matters in all aspects of my life.
85. Wisdom is a mark of spiritual maturity.
86. Be open to constructive criticism from spiritually mature people.
87. Do the heavy-lifting and heart surgery with God before the crisis hits.
88. As a Christian, it is not the matter of whether I want to be an ambassador for Christ or not. It is whether or not I’m a good one.
89. I desire to be a woman of fruitfulness.

90. It’s not about me.

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I encourage you to write a list of the things God has been teaching you. It is truly life-giving and special.

Happy Thanksgiving, Friend. You are loved.

-Sharaya.