Monday, April 29, 2019

A Life of Creative Purpose



"You'll come away with a clearer understanding of how you are uniquely gifted to contribute to the world, and why it's imperative that you honor your creative calling." ~Michelle DeRusha, author of Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runway Nun and a Renegade Monk

"TH Meyer delivers on her promise to help people embrace uniqueness, explore boldness, and encourage faith." ~Amy Young, author of Looming Transitions: Starting and Finishing Well in Cross-Cultural Service

What might be sabotaging your uniquely gifted contribution to the world around you? Discover the obstacles and barriers standing between you and your God-given purpose. In this book, you'll learn how to identify ways to strengthen your calling that'll encourage you to confidently operate in the gifts and talents that God designed you to do. Through the lens of T.H. Meyer’s own journey, you’ll recognize the universal struggle in embracing your whole person as she encourages you to live a life without regrets.

For the individual reader looking to examine more deeply their life purpose or a group seeking to collectively spur each other toward their God-given gifts, talents, and life. This book can be used as a 12-week, 6-week, or 4-week study guide, with exploratory questions at the end of each chapter the assist you in listening to God's voice and revealing your unique purpose, path, or direction.

My thoughts: A great book about all of us having unique gifts that we can share with the world around us through pushing through fear and realizing that God made each of us to be part of His plan. I enjoyed the thought provoking questions that T.H. provides with each of the chapters. This is a thought provoking book.
I received this book through Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review and is in no way influenced by receiving a complimentary copy.

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About the Author:
“T.H. Meyer enjoys sunsets, porch dates with her husband, and Sonic tea. Her family built a home on their Texas farm in 2011 where their two mini-Australian shepherds share the couch and ice cubes from the fridge. Tammy is a Purpose-Focused life coaching strategist who authored A Life of Creative Purpose and co-authored A God of All Seasons. She is a mother to three beautiful kids and grandmother to one. You can find her at her website: www.thmeyerauthor.com “

More from the Author:
A Purposeful Life & the One Thing that Trumps Fear
Most my life, I’ve been afraid of failure. However, I might’ve been even more afraid of success. For too many years, I was immobile because the magnitude and pressures, or vulnerability, required to do what God had called me too, paralyzed me.
I’ve written a lot about this. I even originally named my blog, The Art of Fear Not. I decided on that title because God always told His people to not fear just before sending them into battle.
Armies Against Us
Even though His people were informed that they’d win the skirmishes, most times they were still afraid. I can’t say I blame them. They were up against sword-wielding armies that were willing to cut a man down and spill blood.
We may not have the same scenario, but we don’t need the threat of hand-to-hand combat to experience fear. Our own thoughts can attack us with feelings just as real a danger. I know mine did.
The enemy uses fear to hide us or blind us from our God-purpose. He’d prefer to lock us up and throw away the key. The enemy attempts to bully us. His demonic realm would prefer to rip out our vocal cords or cut off our hand from writing or burden us with every insecurity until we began to believe our worth was lower than the dirt itself rather than seeing us live our God-given purpose.
But bear in mind, when you’re in bondage, suppressed, oppressed, silenced, or held back, it also holds back blessings too—our blessings through your God-given contribution of gifts and talents.
Fighting Back
Several years ago, I decided to tackle my own issue with fear, head on. I looked in the mirror and met with God on my internal mess. And I also asked questions like, “Was it me or God who wanted to do a such-n-such thing? And if it’s God, why am I hamstrung with fear?”
After spending time in prayer, and laying down a good dose of self-preservation, a clear path emerged. I then decided I’d follow wherever it led. Not that the path was open and wide or easy for traveling. No, this was more of a narrow thicket where I couldn’t see ‘round the next corner—making the journey less about self-reliance and more about placing one steady foot in front of the other.
Don’t get me wrong. Fear didn’t entirely flee on this trek with God. There were times it tried to gore me like daggers from a thorny locust. But instead, I chose to trust and move forward anyway.
I fought back too.
A Warrior’s Call
During that time, anxiety would creep in only for me to replace it with intercession. I meditated on scripture. I bombarded my mind with worship music and reflected on His beautiful handiwork in creation.
I took opportunities to reverse fear into faithful action. I’m sure the devil didn’t take kindly that his demonic attacks turned into prayers, worship, and a yielding to the sword of the Spirit inside my heart. But that’s what fighting does—the good fight—positioning myself for a (God) purposeful life.
But oh how we also need to be each other’s champion for freedom too!
Power & Purpose
I continue to be amazed at the power of prayer. Prayer moves mountains, y’all. And sometimes those mountains are skyscrapers inside us. I’m not perfect at prayer or even at instantly returning to it, but when I finally do—why did I wait so long?
When we receive God’s wisdom, we become bold like lions, warriors ready to rise above insecurities, frailties, or fear and charging into battle in order to advance His kingdom.
I want to live in obedience to Christ, despite trepidation of what it might require of me.
Which also means, I need the Holy Spirit to help me get over myself.
Truth That Sets Free
We all need each of you. We need you to press into your God-purpose. Except, we don’t want to be something you’re not. You should be exactly what God’s called you to be and nothing more. No pressure to run off and save the world.
None of us in this Body of Christ are too small and Lord have mercy, none are too big and important either.
Instead, we pursue our God-purpose whether it’s raising our family or speaking on a stage. Or writing a book called, A Life of Creative Purpose.
And let’s not allow our muddied past to undervalue our worth inside God’s kingdom. I’ve done that. I once disqualified myself for many of God’s ministries because of condemnation and shame. Learn from my mistake.
Truth be told, the spirit of fear is afraid of you—afraid of the Spirit inside you, the same Spirit that sets you free.
Courage Rises to the Top
The enemy knows your God. The ruler of this world attempts to draw away your attention with clanging gongs, hoping you’ll never notice how big God really is.
Scripture says that God’s perfect love casts out fear. And that means, we have to first let God love on us, receiving it. Once we do that (& never stop), courage rises to the top.
Let’s make this a year where we pay attention and live with more intention.
God’s gifted you beautifully unique.
Don’t grow weary of the fight.
What might God be asking of you? How might He be challenging you to change or step out or persevere this year? What are your biggest struggles or hurdles right now?

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Giveaway!
Grand prize giveaway of $100 Amazon gift card and a copy of A God of All Seasons. Go here to enter.

7 comments:

  1. I would have appreciated a little more in-depth review. Why did you enjoy it? How was it thought-provoking? But the author's story makes me want to read it.

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    1. I really appreciated her reminders that we need to take responsibility for our talents and what we do with them. I also loved the questions that she includes with each chapter to help the reader dig deeper. Honestly, I think that was my favorite part of the whole book!

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  2. The book sounds great and I appreciate getting to hear about it. Thank you for sharing!

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  3. We have some pretty big prayers going up right now about our family. I definitely believe in its power!

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