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This weeks guest post is from my friend and fellow writer Meghan Weyerbacher. We have been “online friends” for years, but this past June, we finally met face to face! I loved getting to travel to see Meghan, meet her family and speak at her church. I have always loved Meghans sense of humor and fun writing style. I have been honored to support her as a launch team member when she published her first two small town romance novels, and now again with her third one just having been released a short time ago. I am so proud of Meghan for stepping out and being obedient to write and get her stories and their messages out there. I am honored to call her friend and have her being a guest on the blog. When I asked her to write a guest post back in August, life happened and she had to delay. Then as she was writing, she messaged and asked if it could be a series. For the next three weeks, I am honored to share my space with Meghan. I pray you get to know her and fall in love with her the way I do. If you would like to purchase any of her books, you can find them all on Amazon! Click on the pictures below.
The Gift of Prophetic Story: A 3-Part Series
Imperfections = Partnership Invitations
By: Meghan Weyerbacher
“You do not have a story until something goes wrong.”
– Steven James, author of Story Trumps Structure
If you’ve ever written a story, you might be familiar with how halfway through, it reroutes itself despite all your attempts to neatly outline and stick with the program. Like flawed characters in fictional tales, our actual lives often end up on detours, showing us the scenic route of life, yet we inwardly fight it thinking, “This can’t be right.”
It’s disheartening when we show up to give our best, but it turns out looking like a Sunday morning gone wrong, which in our household, isn’t that hard to do. It looks a lot like good intentions met with harsh realities. A lot like a night well spent, planning for the morning ahead, only to be sabotaged by dog dung (you never want to come over now right?), pulsating headaches, or missing shoes that were right there—we promise.
Like flawed characters in fictional tales, our actual lives often end up on detours. Click To Tweet
I don’t know about you, but I want life to shimmer and shine like a plump computer animation. Like post-this-Earth. Give me The Land of Oz. Give me fresh sneakers or that fresh car smell. Maybe even give me one of those neat spotted turtle shells that Yoshi sports. Heck—give me wings so I can fly to other worlds because staying on the ground is boring.
But you can’t touch computer animation, Oz isn’t real, sneakers don’t last, and don’t get me started on the interiors of vehicles. Yoshi? He’s my pick out of all the above, but even he got too heavy for his own wings and had to lower to take a breath.
Sometimes, our unglamorous daily-grind-lives seem too simple and unseen, too muddled and unholy to be worthy of having a God-hand in them. But He’s in them, with no regrets.
How can God take our everyday, messy lives and make art from them?
How can He encompass our dirty air with love and vitality, and allow us to become an offering to a hurting world? I’m talking, like Jesus in the flesh to others, when we are so dented and prone to fall?
How can our, “I just swept that,” floor be a firm foundation for guests, neighbors and even strangers, to stand on?
How can our (insert frustration or lack) give way to glorify a perfect God? How is this possible?
I’ve been asking myself these questions because the longer I live, the more I am seeing with Jesus-brother, Jesus-friend eyes: the kind that adjust to the dusty, everyday life. The kind that are trying to get our eyes off the flaws and onto the possibilities.
How could a 33-year-long pit stop by the Son of God possibly be in The Plan? Wasn’t His kingdom lovelier without us messy humans? (And by the way, we’re not alone—he sent his own Spirit to come stay in our “houses.” Those houses are us!)
Author Steven James says, “…with no crisis, no struggle, no discovery, no transformation, no revelation…it’s not a story, it’s a report.”
We know from scripture (see Job 1:6) that angels report to God, but I love to imagine that they are reporting on how our story is coming along, as if we are part of an epic Choose Your Own Adventure with God the gentle Guide, there to help along the way.
“Angels get to report, but we get to help the Author of all authors, write what they are reporting!”
Maybe things that go wrong are an invitation to see from a different angle. Click To Tweet
Maybe things that go wrong are an invitation to see from a different angle.
Maybe the cracks in the ground and the dirt between our toes can be reminders we are part of an unfinished work.
Maybe holes in the story, unanswered questions and unsolved mysteries are ways we can remember we need a Guide and can’t go it alone.
Maybe what we see as imperfections, God sees as purposeful partnerships.
Maybe what we see as imperfections, God sees as purposeful partnerships. Click To Tweet
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With Much love and Appreciation,
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Debbie Kitterman is a natural born encourager who is on fire for God. She is passionate about equipping individuals, so they can go deeper in the relationship with God, reach their God-potential and claim their Kingdom inheritance. Debbie is a wife, mother, author, pastor, speaker and the founder of “Dare 2 Hear,” a ministry that trains individuals to hear the voice of God. She travels to churches internationally and is the founder and teacher of d2htraining.com, an online course designed to equip the believer in releasing God’s heart. Her writing and teachings inspire faith and build bridges for people to believe and expect the impossible. She is also an ordained Foursquare pastor, currently serving with her husband, John, as senior pastor of Restoration Church in Lacey, Washington. Learn more at: www.debbiekitterman.com
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YouVersion 7-Day Devotional
I am blessed and honored to have a 7-day devotional on the YouVersion Bible App. YAY!!! It is a great way to kick start the 7- days before my on-line Bible Study starts next week. I would be so blessed if you would check it out and share it with your friends. You can find it here: Be The Gift Someone Needs Today!
Have you had the opportunity to read my new book “The Gift of Prophetic Encouragement: Hearing the Words of God for others.” ? This book is about learning to hear the voice of God in our own life so we can respond to those God bumps and little nudges He gives us on a daily basis. God is calling us to be agents of encouragement and to be the gift the worlds needs today.
We live in a time, where those around us are in desperate need of a real encounter with Jesus and in need of encouragement. We are called to encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:13), and to build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). My book will teach you how to step out and do just that.
To order your copy today: You can find it at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, OR your favorite online retailer, Plus, newly added, you can now get a signed copy from me. Click Here to order yours today!
We all have the opportunity to #BeTheGift of encouragement others need today.
Do you wonder if God still speaks today? Do you wonder if He would ever speak to you personally? Do you long to hear the voice of God in your life?
Have your read other books on hearing from God, but long for hands on practical application? or are you looking for ways to move you forward hearing from God?
If you answered YES to any of those questions, then I have exactly what you need. I now have an online e-course designed to equip you in understanding that God still speaks today, and He longs to speak directly to you, through His word, and others. He longs to encourage you, strengthen you and comfort you. The training on this site, is fully based on Scripture, and taken from my training manual Releasing God’s heart through Hearing His Voice.
God is speaking, Can you Hear Him?
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Balancing the Warrior & the Princess We’re Called to Be
Trusting God When it Seems Illogical
Will You Sit with Me? (Jesus is Calling.)
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Such a gift to see Meghan here! I, too, wonder about all of this seemingly crazy, mixed-up life stuff and how in the world does God still choose to use me and all of it for His plan. But He is so full of a grace I cannot fathom, a love I don’t even scratch the surface of and a plan I can’t begin to imagine.
I want to wrap my head around it all, but that has never been His point, has it?
He is able to be known, but we can’t know all He *knows,* right?
It’s beyond me, so amen!
Love you, dear friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rebecca, I am delighted to host Meg as my special quest for the next 3 weeks. She is absolutely fabulous, isn’t she?!!!! Yes, it is so hard to wrap our heads around all the “things” but I praise zgod every single day for His grace and that I don’t even have to figure it all out. Blessings.
Meghan, if imperfections are “purposeful partnerships,” then God and I are in business in a BIG way! Thanks for sharing these great insights!
And Debbie, it’s always wonderful to find two friends in a space where you thought you’d only find one!
Ha, love this! It’s true!
It makes us so much more grateful.
Thanks for your words and friendship, Michele!
Did I ever tell you your last name inspired a character’s in book three?
I didn’t even realize it until I started writing it, and then thought, “Where have I heard that name?” Oh, silly me. So yeah–we have a Morin up in there. ^_^
Thank you Michele. I am so honored to have Meg here for a few weeks. 🙂 It’s always wonderful to have you link up each week. I loved Meghans connection between partnerships and imperfections too. Blessings
Meghan & Debbie,
Don’t you love when you are able to meet (in the flesh) writer-friends that you’ve met in cyberspace?! Thanks for sharing, Meghan, that Jesus came to meet us right in the middle of our “messy”? He’s not thrown off at all; I think it’s our pride that gets in the way. Oh how we need His “mess”age to us of grace…grace that meets us right in the midst of our imperfections. Beautiful reminder this am.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Oh, yeah–it’s a joy that still baffles me.
My first time was in 2017 and I cried on those ladies so much. God has truly grown my heart–healed it–in many ways from *these* very relationships.
I appreciate you, Bev, and the work you do.
And thank you for these words!
I hope you are well!!
Bev, YES!!! It is so much fun meeting online friends and meeting them face to face in the flesh instead over the interwebs. I think it takes the friendship to a whole new level. Thanks for being here this morning.
What don’t I love about this teaching from Megs? She is a well of deep water and here I thought she wrote clean romance stories. 😉 Love you Meggers.
HAAAAA. You made me laugh out loud, but you are talented like that.
Love you so much, Susan–and *we* still need to find our way to each other soon.
Bucket list goals?! I hope your autumn is a great one.
xoxoxo
Susan, I couldn’t agree more! Meg is a well of deep water – refreshing, joyful and bubbling forth! Blessings
I love seeing Meghan here in this space. Thanks for inviting her Debbie.
Meghan your words today left me with a lot to think about. I wonder what I am missing in my every day that is God-ordained and is part of the story He wants me to tell.
You are most welcome Mary. I love sharing my space with others, especially Meghan. She has such a huge heart to serve and bless readers and I lover her authenticity. Glad you enjoyed her post today. She will be joining us for a 3 week series. YAY
It’s easy to miss, yet I believe if our heart is in the right place, we can see Him at work everywhere. I want to be an eager child, wonder-filled eyes helping with that.
I pray you too, get daily satisfaction from bubbling expectancy!
Thanks for swinging by Debbie’s!
Purposeful partnerships. Love that. laurensparks.net
Thanks friend. Hope you are well this week.
Praying for you and your household!
I love this. Iam pinning and sharing on my page. No judgment here on the dog poop, lol.
Thanks so much!
I love writing real.
My dogs don’t care about my great big plans, ha!
I’m definitely part of an “unfinished work!” But so thankful He promises He will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6)
Loved this post!
We all are, amen! I love this verse. If I were to ever clutch a promise, it may be this one. Have a great week, Jerralea. Also, I love your name!
Me too! (I am rewriting this b/c there was a glitch I think and want to be sure to reply).
If there is a promise I love to cling to, it’s this verse you shared.
Also, I love your name!!
Thanks, Meg! It’s a combination of my parents names, Jerry and Carol Lee. Evidently, that was kind of thing in the 50’s when I was born!
You both are doing great work for our Great God. I’m honored to know you. (: Tweeted
Thank you, Sue!
I am loving seeing you move in your gifts too.
It makes me smile! I hope we can hug one day!
Beautifully written, Meg! I can relate to the Sunday mishaps after working ahead of time to prepare. One of our most recent is trying to wash wet paint out of my son’s jacket bc the painters came earlier than expected and boys do run! Oh for the joy of the Lord that day, lol. Friend, it’s so fun to see you here. You and Debbie are blessings. Love you both!
Kelly, you have been on my mind and my prayers–I miss you!!
YES, mom life is very challenging. I am like whoa at how fast it goes, but it is interesting when life gets crazy and the pace of my heart accuses me of not doing a good job.
Learning this is mostly normal was half the hurdle mentally, haha!
I hope you are doing well!!!
I loved this Meg!
As a fellow writer, I also often see life a story. It can actually help me calm down and realize that this is just a plot twist, not an ending!
It’s a hard path believers must walk, wading through the mess of this world while singing about the hope we have in Jesus. (We must look insane to those on the outside! :D)
Maybe that’s why!!!
See? This is why I need other believers in my life.
I have been asking myself that question, but didn’t think of it like that.
I guess because to me, I feel like I have always been close to Him.
Thank you for saying that.
Love the teaching and the words. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Thankful to be able to share, Patrick.
Peace to you!
“Maybe what we see as imperfections, God sees as purposeful partnerships.” I love how you’re reframing, Meg. I think God would rather us see things as purposeful partnerships rather than imperfections. I’ll try this on for size today! Thanks.