Rebecca Nolting - Pieces of Faith

PIECES of FAITH

Pieces of Faith: Discovering God in My Life Puzzle

Copyright 2021 by Rebecca Nolting

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ISBN: 978-1-7376370-0-4

E-book: 978-1-7376370-1-1

Cover and interior design by Marisa Jackson for TLC Book Design, TLCBookDesign.com .

Ebook Conversion by Erica Smith for TLC Book Design, TLCBookDesign.com

First, I want to thank God for always being with me, especially when I didnt recognize him. There were many moments that I felt his presence while writing this, and this is my way to praise him.

Second, I want to thank Pastor Scott Schurle for being willing to read my drafts, especially the first two! Your encouragement and feedback helped push me to finish the task.

Third, a huge thank you to the team at TLC Book Design. Tamara has been patient with me. I have sent her many emails, and I felt her prayers as I pushed through the challenges. Her editor, Misti Moyer, helped fix all my writing habits I never knew I had and made me sound much smarter than I am. She challenged me to make it even better, and I am grateful for that. Her designer, Marisa Jackson, took my vision and turned it into something wonderful. She went above and beyond what I even imagined it would be.

Next, I want to thank Roseanne Cheng, who gave me great advice and connected me with the team at TLC Book Design. Her support meant a lot, even if I didnt write a book about teenage vampires. (I had to sneak that in somehow!)

Thanks also to the countless people who helped guide me on my faith journey, including family, friends, and church leaders who have shown me the love of Jesus.

Finally, I want to thank my husband Jeffrey for his support throughout the whole process. This is a new adventure for me, and I could not have done it without him.

Dear Friend,

Im guessing if youve picked up this book, you might be at a crossroads in your faith journey. Maybe youre just starting out, or youve been practicing for a long time. I understand that feeling of being overwhelmed, confused, and even doubtful. If thats you, youre in the right place. I am by no means an expert on the topic of faith, and I dont pretend to have all the answers. I still have a lot to learn.

I have always enjoyed expressing myself through writing, with poetry and journaling as a teenager and short stories more recently. In 2016, I started the blog Extraordinary from Ordinary . I chose this name because God is in everything, even the most common things, if we look for him. God makes those things extraordinary. I am just a regular person who has had the normal ups and downs of life. But as Priscilla Shirer said, He puts extraordinary tasks on the plates of ordinary people so that ordinary people can see what an extraordinary God can do through themThe enemys voice says, You dont have enough. Youre not able. You cant. The voice of the Holy Spirit says, I have enough. I am able through you. I can! I can admit that there is no way that I have written this on my own. God has been with me the entire time as my guide.

While working on a puzzle, I couldnt help but notice the similarities between the challenges of putting together a puzzle and ones faith journey. This includes the ups and downs, the obstacles and the successes. All these moments can and will shape someones faith journey. Since we live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7, New International Version), I hope that some of the ordinary objects and stories in my life can help someone else deepen his or her faith or explore it in a new way. Or, as the Casting Crowns sing:

Just to know You and to make You known

We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives

Its time for us to more than just survive

We were made to thrive

This book is called Pieces of Faith because my faith has helped me overcome the challenges and hurdles I have faced. These events have strengthened my faith and given me peace. These stories will hopefully help you piece together what Gods will is for your own life.

I have included questions at the end of each chapter for you to think and reflect on. You can use them as part of your meditation, prayer, and/or journaling. Writing about my own faith story has strengthened my relationship with God, and I want the same for you. You dont have to be a professional writer to tell your story. You just have to be open and willing to let the Spirit move you. Lets get moving!

Rebecca

ONE

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

If you can trust a puzzle company to make sure every piece is in the box to complete the puzzle, then why cant you trust GOD that every piece of your life is there for a reason?

The first step of faith is the hardest. The day we got a puzzle in the mail for my husband Jeffreys birthday was the same day I quit my job as a home health scheduler. I had been there for seven years, starting first as a caregiver and then moving up to working in the office. When I started that job, I was so grateful to have supervisors who were appreciative and positive. The last year of working there, many things had changed, including me. As I gained confidence in myself and found my voice, I felt more and more stifled at my job. I had conflicting feelings about the decision, but I knew, in my heart, it was right. The risk was worth taking because of the peace and freedom I received.

Like starting a new puzzle, I decided to take the first step, even though it interrupted my life. I wasnt planning on quitting without having another job lined up, but I felt like I heard a whisper that said, Itll be ok. It is similar to when Abram (later named Abraham) was told, Go from your country, your people and your fathers household to the land I will show you (Gen. 12:1). It wasnt a complete step-by-step guide to the rest of his life. Just the first step. Joyce Meyer addressed this when she said, As was true of Abraham, God has given each of us a degree of faith. For whatever we need to do, we have the faith to do it; but for faith to work, we have to release our faith, and the way we release it is to go in obedience. We have to go with our dreams despite all the what ifs and the doubts from the enemy. When we make our step, God shows up.

Now my story is not as drastic by any means, but it still has a first step of faith. While I chose to disrupt my life, I didnt know what would be in the future. I dont know how Abram felt the moment he chose to follow Gods command: fear, anxiety, excitement, peace, perhaps a combination of them all. The important thing is that he listened and obeyed. Beth Moore said, Coincidences are miracles where God chooses to remain anonymous. Since there are no real coincidences, two weeks after quitting my job, our ladies Bible study started Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer. From these lessons, I felt an urge to write. Even though I have felt this before, its about Gods timing and making the choice to listen to that voice and obey. The writing process started a new part of my journey. I reflected on many events in my life that influenced who I am today, from the more recent to those first steps in my faith journey.