Marsha DuCille - Called to Inspire: 52 Life-Changing Questions

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CALLED to Inspire: 52 Life-Changing Questions

Copyright 2019 by Marsha DuCille. All rights reserved.

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ISBN 978-1-4964-3598-9

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IN 2007, WHEN I LAUNCHED CALLED MAGAZINE, my life was headed in a different direction. My plan was to practice law and shape public policy. Me? Start a Christian magazine?God had to be out of his mind! But the Lord is an out-of-the-box God with out-of-the-box ideas, and hes constantly stretching us to new heights. So when the Lord decided to call my name, I boldly dared to answer.

God has called you to do something special, and the world is waiting. If you feel weak, fearful, or unprepared, CALLED to Inspire will guide you along the way. Each chapter presents a life-changing question that every woman should answer. The Bible-based devotionals delve into real-life issues because your journey demands real-life answers. Theres also a prayer, declaration, and journal prompt included with every chapter.

CALLED to Inspire was written especially for you. Dont you hear the Lord calling your name? You can cling to this companion week after week and dare to render your answer.

~Marsha DuCille

THE BIBLE IS FASCINATING FOR MANY REASONS, but the diversity of its characters makes it remarkable. Kings and queens, believers and doubters. Virgins and prostitutes, saints and liars. Through the Word of God, we come face-to-face with the triumphs of imperfect people who dared to answer their call.

Being called doesnt mean that were perfect or even qualified. It simply means that God has a purpose for our lives. It also means that he has a plan for everything in our lives. It can be hard to fathom Gods purpose for our hardships, but the Bible teaches that God always has a greater plan: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation (Romans 5:3-4).

I marvel when I think of Harriet Tubmans calling. Born a slave, she escaped to freedom and became the most renowned conductor of the Underground Railroad. The appalling conditions of slavery offered only two reasonable options: freedom or death. After Harriet escaped, she returned to the South a myriad of times and escorted hundreds of slaves to freedom. Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison called Harriet the Moses of her people.

Like Harriet Tubman, you are called to do something special for God, so dare to do it! It might be hard to imagine, but even your struggles are paving the way to your purpose. Therefore, dont be bound by your past or enchained by your limitations. Let the Lord set you free. For in due time, your freedom will free many others.

Dear Lord,

Set me free from everything that keeps me from fulfilling my purpose.

In Jesus name, amen.

The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

God has a calling on my life, and I will answer it.

What do you sense God calling you to do? Write down your dreams and passions.

Journal away!

Let the Lord set you free.

IF I WERE TO ASK YOU TO LIST YOUR GIFTS, you would likely name attributes that someone brought to your attention. Maybe a teacher praised you for being a math whiz or a skilled writer. Perhaps a relative called you an excellent cook or a beautiful singer. The positive words spoken over our lives influence what we call ourselves. In fact, the opposite is also true. Some adults are still trapped by the characterizations that they were given as children. Even as grown-ups, the deprecating voice of a parent or teacher continues to hold them back.

In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, Jabez refused to accept his mothers negative definition of who he was. Because of her insufferable labor pains, she named him Jabez, meaning He will cause pain. Jabezs name announced that he was a conveyer of grief, not a source of joy; he was an affliction, not a blessing. But Jabez prayed and asked God to redefine his name: Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain! And God granted him his request.

I dont know what youve been called in the past, but the only definition that matters is the one that God gives you and the one that you give yourself. You have the power to define your name. If youve been called a failure, redefine yourself as a winner. If youve been called broke, redefine yourself as prosperous. If youve been called unloved, redefine yourself as treasured. Today, you can replace every negative definition.