Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh start every dawn. The day is beginning again, and it’s a new chance to rise and get right today what you missed yesterday.

A new day to turn toward God and follow His leading into the promised land. Each of us have our own promised land. Things the Lord has in store for us. It could be healing, it could be breakthrough, it could be new positions, or new relationships. Our promised lands are places that the Lord has set aside for us long ago. They are places the Lord has designed for us to enter. They are part of His good plans for us.

• It could be an emotional place like a peaceful mind at rest.

• It could be a relationship you’ve been praying for.

• It may be a physical location like a home.

• It could be a job set and prepared for you by God.

Promised Lands are places the Lord has set aside for us to walk into and possess as we lean into His guidance and learn to trust in His provision. In order to possess the promised lands He provides, we have to be willing to move our feet and go into them. To take action and obey God when He gives instruction. Sometimes there are giants living in our promised land. Don’t allow the giants to drive you backwards into the wilderness.

If God has led you to something, then the sight of something in the way is an opportunity to turn to God and trust His power to carry the promise all the way to fulfillment. Move ahead, pray hard, listen for instructions, and be prepared to move ahead with the equipping grace of God.

He will tell you when to move and when to stay.

Last school year, I was in the midst of repeating the same cycle I have begged the Lord for help with again and again. I tend to pick up way too much, and each year about February all of the deadlines hit at about the same time.

Each year, I question whether or not it will all work out. And by God’s grace it all does. Each task gets accomplished, and it all comes together. But it’s not pretty or healthy for me. I am stretched farther and farther each year because I continue to add things on to my plates, but not take anything off. I thrive in the busyness, but long term it’s dangerous. We are not designed to run at full speed without cycles of rest.

My struggle is and has been the inability to slow down and rest. I go full speed at home, at school, and at anything else I pick up. Part of it is my wiring and that won’t change. God designed me for productivity and He has great plans in store to use my gift of zeal. However, He also designed me to slow down and rest in His Presence. He designed me to rest in the special moments all around me, and to savor this beautiful life He has given to me.

If I continue to run at full speed carrying stacked plates in both hands, and continually adding more without taking any off, a disaster is bound to occur whenever I come to a bump, unexpected twist, or turn. I can just imagine the crash landing with all of those plates.

The Lord in His protecting grace has prevented that crash landing, by giving me wisdom of which plates have to go. So one by one last school year, I started to remove a few plates that were no longer mine to carry. I also bravely and courageously put in a wild request at work.

I filled out my intent form in the spring and made a note on the back that I would like to work 4 days a week the following school year. I turned it in and thought, “Well, I’ll just leave that in God’s Hands.” I didn’t hear anything for a few weeks, but then I got confirmation from my principal that yes, I could work a 4 day week!

So, even though it feels strange and uncomfortable right now, I won’t be going into work today. I have a mountain of things on my desk and piles of projects all around my room, but my promised land from God is a balanced life. So, the work will wait. One day a week will be set aside for me to rest, write, run my home, take kiddos to dr. appointments, and handle the many more things that will come up!

With five children, teaching 4 days a week, providing respite care for children in foster care, keeping this blog space updated, and caring for our home my plates are still full even with one day off a week! But with God, a caring and helpful spouse, and a few plates strategically removed, it is manageable again.

Here is an I am statement for you as you pray for and await the next promised land:

Gorgeous Girl, there are promised lands awaiting you! Lean into God, pour out your struggles, lean into Him for guidance, and be ready to move and take action when He tells you to move your feet.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Open our eyes to our promised lands. Give us a glimpse of what you have prepared for us, and then guide us toward possessing the promise. Give us courage to take the next step ahead. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Blessings to each of you,

Vanessa Lynn