Tending my PASTURE

Happy New Year my friends!!

I hope this post finds you with your house back in order after the 2016 Holiday Season. I must admit now that our decorations are boxed and tucked safely into the attic my house looks a little barren. I’m thinking I may need to find a way to add the warm glow of twinkle lights into my everyday decor :-).

Over the last several weeks I’ve spent a lot of time praying over the direction God wants to take me in 2017. And I’ve got to say I’m really excited!! Some of you know 2016 found me stepping WAAAY out of my comfort zone to follow God down the path of submitting a book proposal at the Proverbs 31 Ministries Writers and Speakers Conference She Speaks. If you would like to see my video posts from the conference you can find them on The Calm of His Presence Facebook page by using the word “video” in the search box.

Monday was my birthday and as a way to say Happy Birthday to myself I spent a full day in God’s Word planning and praying over his direction for 2017. I am super excited to share a little of that direction with you today.

Towards the end of 2016 I worked through the study Wait and See by Wendy Pope with Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study. God began to whisper to my heart “Mary you need to ‘tend your pasture'”. Over and over again I responded with, “Ok Lord, but where is my pasture?”

I knew where I wanted my pasture to be. I wanted it to be focused on the “bigger picture” of an online ministry through writing on The Calm of His Presence. I wanted it to be focused on writing a Bible Study and Morning Prayers. While God hasn’t said no to those things, he is focusing my attention on the “smaller picture”.

Those areas are…
1. My Home – Family

2. My Church – Small group,
Women’s Ministry/Bible Study, Mentoring

3. My Online Ministry – The Calm of His Presence,
Volunteering with P31OBS

I looked up the word Pasture in wikipedia and found this…

“Pasture lands in the narrow sense are distinguished from rangelands by being managed through more intensive agricultural practices of seeding, irrigation, and the use of fertilizers while rangelands grow primarily native vegetation, managed with extensive practices like controlled burning and regulated intensity of grazing.”

Seeding…Irrigation…Fertilizers… these words stood out to me the most and then caused me to ask these questions.

Where do I need to plant the seed of God’s Word? Who needs to hear of the amazing love of God?

Are there areas God is asking me to share His Living Water? Who around me is dry and thirsty for God’s Word?

Is God asking me to help be the catalyst for someone who needs the extra nurturing and encouragement to grow in their walk with Christ? Who needs someone to come alongside them and help them step out of their comfort zone to share the love of Christ?

So my friends, this is what God is placing on my heart for 2017. I will be sharing more on the blog in the next few weeks but wanted to share with you a little behind the scenes of what God is working on in my life.

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In His Calm,

Mary