Do you ever struggle with being judgmental? I want to be transparent about some things that annoyed me at church, but how the Holy Spirit convicted me and changed my heart.

I was being judgmental, but I’m grateful that God showed me a new perspective and softened my heart.

I hope this can help you recognize maybe some ways that your heart is hard (something we all struggle with as humans) so that you also can have a change in heart.

We are all a work in progress, we all need to become more like Jesus.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” - Ezekiel 36:26

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For years, she did not know what was wrong with her body. The symptoms, the tests, the experimental treatments - the doctors were uncertain. Until finally, Whitney was diagnosed as the very first person with a rare gene mutation which is normally fatal for babies in the womb. 

Whitney’s miraculous life goes beyond survival - she named her disease using a word that weaves hope into the name: MAGIS syndrome. She also volunteered to undergo many painful, tiresome medical tests to help others in the future with the same disease.

With all of this, Whitney does not pity herself. Rather, she sets big goals and dreams for herself to accomplish. For example, she has her master’s degree in education, she is now able to work full time with the help of her medication, she has written books, and she does public speaking. For Whitney, the important thing is finding a balance of work & rest as well as working together with the body of Christ.

Through all of these things, Whitney is more than a conqueror through Jesus and she stewards well the gifts God has given her to be a light in the world.

Check out Whitney’s website (including her books): https://www.whitneylaneward.com/ 

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This project has cost me lots of sleep and caused lots of stress - so I decided to take a journey with God, and He helped me realize a fear of mine. 

I was watching a Christian video with Bible verses, and instead of just taking their word for it, I took hours to write out the scriptures and study them myself. 

I prayed and God helped me realize that I struggle with fear of man. 

Check out this episode to hear how to battle fear of man and ways to dive deeper with God in scripture and prayer to help you get through difficult times.

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I listened to a nudge I felt from the Holy Spirit and it completely changed the outcome of my day. I had to get some bloodwork done and through listening to the Holy Spirit, I had an amazing encounter with a healthcare worker. When He nudges us to do something, it can be tempting to focus on fear or awkward social situations, but instead we can focus on Him and obedience. God always knows best!

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Dr. Amber Langley Gill was working 12 hour shifts (with a 2.5 hour commute!) as an Emergency Critical Care Veterinarian. She felt God telling her to step down and didn’t listen for five years. One day it finally hit her - Amber was in a serious car accident on her long commute that totaled the truck. Work asked if she was still coming in for her shift that day. Instead, she listened to God and quit her job. Now, she’s been finding identity in faith, marriage, writing, and motherhood - as a full-time homeschool mom to twins. 

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The power of obedience and praying for others! I went outside to play with my dog and pray for people like I normally do in the mornings. But this time, I felt nudged by the Holy Spirit to reach out to the people who I’ve been praying for. Instead of listening, I could have focused on my tasks for the day, but I obeyed and reached out to friends, family, clients - telling them that I’m praying for them. Little did I know that it would lead to beautiful conversations - people sharing prayer requests and asking how they can be praying for me! I wanted to share this ripple effect of joy and connection by just obeying the nudge to reach out instead of just praying.

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Audrey shares her amazing journey of starting a successful food pantry to feed the community and the unexpected letting go process led by the Lord. It started with a whisper from the Holy Spirit on a mission trip in Haiti - even though Audrey is a nurse, she felt called to serve her community with food. A part time ministry grew into a full-time food pantry and farm (raising chickens, cows, and pigs, growing fruits & vegetables, and producing local honey) serving over 70 families each week. With growing up in many different homes and often experiencing hunger in childhood, Audrey understands the importance of helping care for families that don’t have an abundance of resources. That is why it was such a surprise when Audrey felt a nudge to slow down. It was this unanticipated nudge which helped prepare Audrey & her family for something they never could have seen coming - a car accident. Through the recovery process, Audrey has been learning to slow down and let go.

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Stephanie shares a recent story of making an only God connection while traveling when she obeyed the Holy Spirit. She emphasizes both the importance of taking time to rest and also listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Because of her obedience, she and her husband were able to connect with an amazing woman and comfort her in a difficult time. God is good, and we can listen to His still, small voice.

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Ashleigh Peterson shares her recent journey with her work in healthcare, a difficult postpartum season (including a stay in PICU), and trusting God in the process as He works all things together. After landing her dream job working in women’s health, Ashleigh experienced a very hard postpartum with her third child. Shortly after her maternity leave, she was wrongfully let go from her dream job - on Mother’s Day! During this season of postpartum and unemployment, there were many ups & downs, including a stay in the PICU for her third child, who they were not sure would survive. Through all of the trials, God used it to help her start her own business to help women in their motherhood journeys!

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Many couples struggle with infertility. In the previous episode, Matt shared that he and his wife went through a season of infertility and now they have five children. My journey is different from theirs: my husband and I experienced 10 years of infertility - treatments, IVF - and we do not have children. This is to offer encouragement and hope to those on similar journeys. Don’t wait to live your life as you are waiting on what God is doing for you. Continue to live and pour out to others as you wait expectantly for whatever God has for you - whether that’s pregnancy or not. He is good, and He has great plans for you!

Let's Connect!

Instagram: @Giving_Gal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GivingGal 

YouTube: Shine Forward Creative

Website: https://shineforwardcreative.com/