Because HE first loved us. This you want to read.

Have you ever had the experience you were appointed for something you did now feel qualified for, but trusted it was God's path for you? This sums up much of the last couple years for me. Cancer, Motherhood, much of my day to day. What I thought this life would be as a mom looks different in reality than it did I'm my dreams. Our path took off on a way I didn't see coming and we must grasp and hold tighter to God's word and trust that he will give me the daily inspiration to walk forward in this life following him.

I have shared in a previous post about a ministry that God choose for us. I have waited many months to share exactly how it all came about. How we were "chosen" for this calling and why we felt we had no other choice but to follow where He was leading us. We are on the day of our first big event and I feel compelled to share the purpose in all of this. Where we have clearly seen God. Most importantly, that all along this was God's work and not ours, and in a way we have just been called to pay it forward.  God laid this in our hands for us to share HIM to the hurting. This sounds again cliche but what I open up and share with you today is the exact way that Radiant Hope came about. This was never about me and my story, or my supportive best friend and husband who made it come to frutition, but was always about him. Always about how he was working way before we even knew, God was prompting and stirring a heart, far away, that would be the birth of Radiant Hope. All his work from the very very beginning, and we pray that it continues to be until the very, very, end.

It's not all about paying it forward, but more so about showing love because by his good and perfect grace he loved us first.

"We love because he first loved us" 1 John 4:19

That is why we do good works, that is why we love big. "be doers not just hearers of the word." (James) He is worthy of it all, He loved us and with that gift of his love and sacrifice we honor him with our works, thus "paying" it forward to those around us that need to know his deep love for us. We don't come up with this overflowing deep love ourselves but I have it because he loves me. Everyone needs to know and feel His great love, that is why we do what we do. HE is LOVE. When he is in us, we cannot help but love.

Without any more explaining.. Meet my hero, Jenni. Take the time to watch this and hear her story. You guys this is a perfect example of following God's prompting on your heart. By this woman hearing Jesus speak and doing what she felt was a small gesture of love a whole ministry was birthed out of her faithfulness.

God put cancer in my life. I do believe he always had this path picked out for my family and for me. This was always going to be our life, He always knew what was coming our way. He was never surprised by events of any of our days. He appointed a woman in Ohio to serve and love me. She showed me what it looks like step out in faith. I had no special training but just the motivation to follow his calling. I still don't know what I am doing many days. God provided a new place for me and my family, and new people to share our lives with. It was never my idea, never my intentions, but clearly God was making a way for me to follow him to this place where he would use me, and my story to shine HIS light.

"I want you to know, "friends" that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Philippians 1:12

Where can you start? 

What does love in your place look like for you?

Don't discount for one second the small act of love and kindness and what God can do when you are falling his call. 

Start by changing your heart and mind. Jennie allen says, "look at it this way. "Are my neighborhood, my workplace, my school, my life stage making me happy" to.. are my neighborhood, my workplace, my school, and my life stage the most strategic places for my kids, my life, my personality, and everything I need to preach the gospel." 

You have a place. Start there. Do one thing. Pray about it. Watch God move. He will. 

The thing I love most about this whole story is just seeing how God works in his awesome ways. In the little things and big things. I love telling this story because you can't deny seeing him. You can try but it too clear. This is why we need to share our lives and our stories more so that the whole world can see. 

"Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were everyone of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself count not contain the books that would be written." John 21:25