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Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part VII

8/26/2013

“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you...”~1Tim. 4:14a (NASB)

Today we wrap up a seven part series dealing with Greatness...God's plan to bless the world through us. Today's key wraps up my three points on "Greatness Displayed" by touching on the one aspect of Greatness that truly allows our values, gifts, passion, confidence, and integrity to have impact: Selfless Sharing.

Selflessness is a vital part of true character and brings me to my final suggestion on greatness displayed. It is simple: find a way to incorporate everything that is at the core of who you are, your values, into everything you do. We can not effectively display greatness by being passive.

Marianne Williamson wrote:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we subconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Talents are not given to be possessed. They are given to be shared. Whatever your gift/talent, find a hobby, career, or ministry that will allow you to share it. And then go a step further. Share not just your gift/talent, but share who you are: your sense of value and passion with everyone you know. Not in the sense of pushing your own values and passions on others; but, let them see the confidence you have in your own abilities, values, passions, skin; and, then give them permission and encouragement to do the same.

To summarize, Greatness displayed is:

First and foremost through confidence. Confidence comes from having a clear understanding of our God, how He made us with our values, and the gifts and passions freely given to each of us.
Second through integrity. Use discipline to develop integrity that will allow us to stand by our values and live in excellence day in and day out, in great accomplishments, and extreme pressure.
Thirdly through selfless sharing. Selflessness of heart will help us actively seek to make a difference through confidently, not aggressively, sharing our values, gifts, and passions in every situation and circumstance we find ourselves.

Friends thank you for taking this journey of Greatness with me! These best practices have allowed me to rise above mediocrity, wavering of heart and mind, and weak character. God desires Greatness for all of His people....not for selfish gain, but to make a difference. I pray that these practical points will help you as much or greater than they have, and continue to help me! Make Mondays Matter!

God Bless,
Dawn~
(running my race!)

"Run Your Race"
I have put the blinders on
I am coming around the home stretch
Finally the race has come down to
  the battle between what I have accomplished
  and what I am capable of
I have never bet more on the latter
Risking it all has never felt more right
The goal never more in sight
Throwing off weariness, discouragement,
  distractions has never been more vital
I'm running my own race now.
~dlb

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Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part V

7/16/2013

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“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you...”~1Tim. 4:14a (NASB)

To truly display Greatness, confidence must be woven into the fabric of our character like the engine that drives a plane... Proverbs 28:1 says, " The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions." (NLT)

The first step to walking in confidence begins with deciding what kind of person you are going to be; and then decide to be ok with it. Make your decisions on right and wrong. How are you going to let the past and your experiences factor into your future? Clarify your views on family, Faith, finances, "success," and priorities. Put an end to indecisiveness, and make a stand on the choices that will become your values. Too many people change their values and definitions of right and wrong based on situations and circumstances; who comes and goes in their life; the trends and views of society. It’s refreshing to meet someone who will not change with every opportunity or setback. And that person’s essence screams of confidence!

Secondly, and most importantly, confidence comes from a knowing of who God created us to become, and what He hid inside [of us]. What passions and talents lie at the core of who you are? God has given each one of us the ability and opportunity to effect change. He has placed in us a gift and talent that we have the ability to be passionate about. It may take no time or a long time to uncover that passion – that thing we would give up everything for; that which we would do for free if we could. But no matter how long it takes, it is important to make both of these steps happen! Much of the Greatness God desires to ignite in the world doesn't happen because many of us either don’t have the confidence, or we don't have the character (i.e. integrity -- which we will discuss next week) to achieve true greatness. As a result, opportunities and generations are lost without heroes. Ideals and standards become blurred. Values are lost to superficial desires. True greatness becomes the exception when in reality it is not for the exclusive – it is highly inclusive.

To wrap up, a great key to helping us on the road to confidence is to remember that GOD is the one who designed us for greatness, so let HIM lead and not the voices and opinions of others. Get those blinders back on! ALL EYES ON HIM!!!

God Bless,
Dawn~

"Run Your Race"
I have put the blinders on
I am coming around the home stretch
Finally the race has come down to
the battle between what I have accomplished
and what I am capable of
I have never bet more on the latter
Risking it all has never felt more right
The goal never more in sight
Throwing off weariness, discouragement,
distractions has never been more vital
I'm running my own race now.
~dlb

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Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part IV

7/8/2013

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“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you...”
~1Tim. 4:14a (NASB)

Today Heavenly Father I pray that you would bless us, bless us indeed; and, increase our work in influence and impact. Let us live a life of Purpose and Grace. Let our hearts, minds, and spirits be fulfilled in Kingdom and personal business. Let us find Peace on the path that you have prepared. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Greatness Displayed
The most basic display of greatness is confidence. In any person who has been hailed in a display of greatness, there lies at the heart of that person confidence: a boldness to grasp and assume the calling of their heart; the courage to step out on the wind and take flight; the surety to rise above mediocrity.

True confidence comes from an internal compass that directs the path of those who possess it.
True confidence is birthed out of a firm grasp of self and one’s purpose.
True self confidence is internal – has no need to be displayed – and therefore has nothing to prove and no one to impress.
True confidence is only concerned with living up to the internal values, standards, and abilities dictated by its owner.

But true confidence only comes when we take the time and effort to define ourselves; when we know who and whose we are, confidence becomes a natural byproduct of who we are. To do this takes, first of all, making a clear stand within ourselves about what we believe about life, and how it should be lived. Next week we will go into further detail about gaining the confidence to live out the Greatness God has planned for us. Please join us, and make it a GREAT week Friends! D~

"Run Your Race"
I have put the blinders on
I am coming around the home stretch
Finally the race has come down to
the battle between what I have accomplished
and what I am capable of
I have never bet more on the latter
Risking it all has never felt more right
The goal never more in sight
Throwing off weariness, discouragement,
distractions has never been more vital
I'm running my own race now.
~dlb

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Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part III

7/1/2013

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“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you...”
~1Tim. 4:14a (NASB)

Good Monday Morning! Today we are picking up from last week and finishing out the first leg of our series on Greatness. Last week we spoke about understanding and embracing whatever degree of complexity God has designed our "Greatness." This week we find that the first key to our Greatness is identifying the gifts and talents God gave us.

Whether we find ourselves among those who are "labelled" or not, one thing is true, God has given each of us specific “talents.” He has entrusted us with these valuables to benefit us and mankind; and, they have been given to us freely. It is our responsibility however to recognize, cultivate, and utilize these gifts. What a waste if we are not aware, or worse, too afraid to acknowledge the gift within. And what a blessing for mankind, yes even a miracle (as we have pointed out above), when we confidently embrace and lovingly share our treasure with those in need. Acknowledging and embracing our greatness is not arrogance, it is humility. Leaning on that greatness keeps us both humble and submitted. It helps us realize that greatness is nothing we have done, it is simply what was given to us as the likeness and image of God. And then it compels us to use that greatness in honor of the One who gave it. That is true humility!

So to wrap of defining Greatness I will say this: The true definition of greatness is as unique to each individual as the individuals themselves are unique. It is to be defined for the individual, by the individual, based on their internal gifts and talents that become worth pursuing and sharing with passion and the intent of making a difference. Although our greatness can not be defined or restricted by life, it can be stagnated by we ourselves. We are our only hindrance to greatness as we can often be our own biggest skeptic. Therefore, once we realize that we have the ability to achieve greatness (by using what God gave us), and that only our personal definition of greatness is what really matters, then we can begin to actively engage in the practice of being that great individual we were designed to be.

So, Friends, as we continue this journey by moving on to "Displaying Greatness," please remember that Greatness is not defined by those you compare yourself to. Greatness is just part of who we are and how we are designed; we all have one Gift that is universally the same: We are all created "In God's Image!" What a GREAT blessing to have that understanding!!!

"Run Your Race"
I have put the blinders on
I am coming around the home stretch
Finally the race has come down to
the battle between what I have accomplished
and what I am capable of
I have never bet more on the latter
Risking it all has never felt more right
The goal never more in sight
Throwing off weariness, discouragement,
distractions has never been more vital
I'm running my own race now.
~dlb

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Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part II

6/24/2013

2 Comments

“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you...”
~1Tim. 4:14a (NASB)

To reiterate from last time: Greatness can mean different things to different people, but regardless of the definition, one thing is universal: when you see it, you know it.

Sometimes Greatness can be less obvious in the individual when God's design for us is bigger than a single life, our own. This level of responsibility requires heightened awareness and diligent perseverance of our God given purpose; and an exceptional level of humility in submitting to the purposes of God. Let's take a look and an example!

We hear stories all the time about physically or mentally handicapped persons doing great things and making a difference in their communities. We hear of children saving lives. We hear of minorities and the disadvantaged making great impacts on the world at large. We hear of the “under-educated” redefining the way we live. Many of these events were not meant to create a "name" for themselves. They came about by many simply following their passions or instincts. Many more came about through the world’s most desperate hours of need and tragedy, simply by being or doing what comes naturally. These "labelled" individuals somehow find ways to consistently see beyond their individual life in order to display something greater than personal ego: humility enough to live a life or conduct an act of Greatness!

Here is one of my favorite examples:
A former pastor of mine would often tell the story of how his mother was focused and intent on being the great mother she was, and how she left her mark on the world. No matter what she endured, she was determined to raise her four boys with all of the God she had. He shares in one of his sermons how her entire purpose for living was to be the mother God designed her to be. Some may see this as a thankless job, especially since today she is not even able to enjoy the fruit of her labor because of her severely diminished health. Yet she accomplished her purpose with Greatness and the world has been changed through the life of at least one of her sons as a result. And the testimony of her life has encouraged thousands of mothers all over the country, and the world. The humility she showed in giving herself over to the gift of motherhood, with God as her Guide, became her Greatness...and her legacy!

Friends and readers, no matter how basic or how complicated the call, we can make a wonderful impact on our world! So if your blinders have fallen off or gotten weak over the past two weeks since we met, tighten them up!!! We are on our way...still defining what the Greatness of God is in YOU!

To my sisters in Christ
Elect Ladies indeed!
You represent the church of God
And those He send to follow and feed
Your words, your walk
Your work, your worship
Your gifts, your creations
The ministries you birth
You are the full representation of God
And His Christ here on Earth
I love you, I'm praying for you
And I'm always in your corner
Your sister,
Dawn~

"Run Your Race"
I have put the blinders on
I am coming around the home stretch
Finally the race has come down to
the battle between what I have accomplished
and what I am capable of
I have never bet more on the latter
Risking it all has never felt more right
The goal never more in sight
Throwing off weariness, discouragement,
distractions has never been more vital
I'm running my own race now.
~dlb

2 Comments

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world!

6/9/2013

2 Comments

“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you...”
~1Tim. 4:14a (NASB)

Today I begin a blog series that will be intermingled with the blogs by our other writers. I don't know how many weeks the series will last but, unknown to her, Angela Hayden's blog from last week became the perfect launching point for this series to piggy back off of! The past two weeks she and I have been using the terms “purpose” and “destiny” which are two ways of saying the same thing: God had GREATNESS in mind when each of us was conceived!

My new series will be called, “Greatness in you, God's gift to the world!” And our theme verse for this series will be 1 Timothy 4:14a.

To start I will share a short poetry writing that I will use to wrap up each blog. Let's use this as a focus tool to remind us of what we read last week, and to help us press toward the Greatness gifted within:

“I have put the blinders on
I am coming around the home stretch
Finally the race has come down to
the battle between what I have accomplished
and what I am capable of
I have never bet more on the latter
Risking it all has never felt more right
The goal never more in sight
Throwing off weariness, discouragement,
distractions has never been more vital
I'm running my own race now.” ~Run Your Race by Dawn L. Bedingfield

Let's start with the term GREATNESS. Greatness can mean different things to different people, but regardless of the definition, one thing is universal: when you see it, you know it.

In our society, the eagle is our highest symbol of greatness, and few birds have the ability and character to compare with an eagle. The only bird qualified to soar with an eagle is an eagle. We all want to be “birds of a feather” where eagles are concerned; however, we seem to frequently have a problem with our soaring ability. The problem is that we have a wrong definition of what Greatness really is.

Because of our limited experience with those we consider great (including the eagles we so highly esteem), we usually assume that greatness is rare. Greatness is neither rare nor hard to achieve. We all have the ability to spread our wings and take to the wind. We can bring joy and laughter to the loneliest of homes. We can become a channel for miracles in the most desperate hours of need. We can rise above the worst of storms. And most amazing of all, we have the ability to save, change, and impact lives! If that is not the ultimate definition and display of Greatness, then I don’t know what is!

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” This promise is relevant to ALL of God's creation, IF we would received it by Faith, through obedience to His instructions. So keep your blinders on friends, and join me next time as we continue to define Greatness as it relates to the single solitary life He created in you when He called you by name, and gave you great purpose and destiny!

Until Next Time,
Dawn~

2 Comments

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part VII

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part V

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part IV

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part III

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part II

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world!

Make Mondays Matter

~dlb~
dawnlbedingfield

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Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part VII

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part V

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part IV

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part III

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world! Part II

Greatness in you, God's gift to the world!

Make Mondays Matter

~dlb~dawnlbedingfield

Archives

Categories

~dlb~
dawnlbedingfield