Archive of ‘Goals’ category

Live on Purpose + Make it Happen Book Review

Lara casey

In Make it Happen, Lara Casey shares 5 ways to create a life of purpose and make it happen. What is your “it”? Maybe you have a goal that you have never been able to reach or a dream you have kept locked away – now is the time to make it happen.

Lara’s steps towards making it happen are not only practical, but very encouraging and thought provoking. I want to share with you her 5 steps and then a few of the thought-provoking questions that I loved most from each step. Believe me, her book is filled with hundreds of other questions that you will want to process though. (more…)

2015 Goals – Blogging with Purpose

2015 Goals New year, same mission – to have women experience Jesus, experience his joy, and experience his healing. I desire for each and every one of you to know how powerful your story is, that Jesus has a purpose and plan for your life, and that you are his precious beautiful daughter.

To reach even more women with this message, I have created goals for 2015. I need your help to reach every single goal. I need you to share this blog with the other women you know. Share it with the women in your small groups and the women you work with. Share it with your young cousins in middle and high school. Share it with anyone who you think the message needs to reach. Thank you for spreading the message of JP Ministries!

As we celebrate the new year, here are the goals of JP Ministries for 2015!

MINISTRY GOALS

  • To know and pursue Jesus with everything.
  • Make sure God is the center of every decision for the ministry.
  • To love others. Specifically for this ministry, that means always remembering who my audience is and what their needs are.
  • To write vulnerable, authentic, and real posts 2-3 times a week.
  • Start creating podcasts.
  • Create 4 YouTube Videos.
  • Speak at 2 Churches.
  • Double the social media and e-mail subscribers.
  • Create ministry resources. Including one free download a month.
  • Guest post on 2 other blogs a month. Including a monthly feature on Triple Braided Life.
  • Expand Etsy shop to sell Mugs and Journals and ministry resources.
  • Launch 2 new series. Here is a sneak peak at one of the titles — Let the Redeemed Tell Their Story.
  • Once a month share my favorite post from other sites. The blogger will be featured as my monthly favorite.
  • Plan one day a month to dream. Pray and ask God where he wants me to take this ministry and think about where I would like to see this ministry go in the next year.

It is so important to set goals for yourself and your ministry. Write your goals down and then hang them in key places that you will see daily.

I also wanted to share my personal goals for the year. I want to publicly write my goals as a form of accountability. My hope is to come back to this list at the end of each month and see how I am doing.

PERSONAL GOALS

  • Daily time in the Word & in prayer.
  • Make time for rest.
  • Make time to play.
  • Paint more.
  • Send a card or note of encouragement to someone once a week.
  • More of God, less of me.
  • Exercise 4-5 times a week.
  • Invest in the women God has put in my life.
  • Disciple women.
  • Take control of my personal finances. Budget my spending.
  • Elimination of the foods I’m allergic and intolerant to.

My personal and ministry goals are not set in stone. I am continuing to pray and work through them. If God decides to lead the ministry another way, I will follow his lead. The above lists are a way for me to dream about the future. Remember, I need you to reach these goals. Thank you for being a part of JP Ministries!

Check out these other posts on goals!

 

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2014 Reflections + A Heart of Thankfulness

2014 Reflections What an amazing year it has been for JP Ministries! 2014 is the birth year for this ministry and I could not have asked for a better first year. I’m so thankful for you, my faithful readers, who have helped this blog grow. Without you, this blog would not exist. After Jesus, YOU are the heart and soul of this ministry.

I want to list a few reflections from 2014 because I want you to share with me in the excitement of all the accomplishments of this ministry. God has continued to pour blessing on this ministry, and used the blog in ways I never thought possible. God gets all the glory! God has given me a passion for blogging, and I am so thankful that I get to use that passion on joypedrow.com. I write posts about topics you need and create resources that help you right where you are. Friends, I do this because I want you to grow closer to Jesus and experience all he has planned for your life.

I will share the 2014 accomplishments, thank the people who have encouraged me in this journey, and then in another post share the 2015 goals. This way you will know where JP Ministries plans on going and what to look for next.

How awesome is God! Here are a few of JP Ministries’ accomplishments from 2014:

I also wanted to take the time to thank a few key people who have been huge supporters to the start of this ministry.

Thank you: God, all of my readers, Mom, Dad, Ashlee Proffitt, Becky Turke, Alex Suarez, Mackenzie Meola, Brooke Durham, The Hartmans, my roommates, the Ville girls, my Aletheia Family, my Cru family, Rachael Conner, Cheyenne Prosper, April Easterly, Kelsie Vokes, Erin and Derek Davenport, John and Kerri Schneider, Plylicia Masonheimer, Bonnie Getchell, Ashley Motley, Tasha Rennels, Carol Osborne, Chad Young, Bonnie Silvestri, my SYI family, and Lindsey Balogh.

Each one of you encouraged and helped me in your own unique way. Thank you for everything you have done for me, this blog, and ministry. I love you all so much!

Stay posted for the goals for 2015 and sneak peaks into some exciting projects.

 

Check out your favorite blog posts from 2014 based on readership and shares!

Leave a comment to share what you would like to read about in 2015!

 

“I can’t” = “God, you can’t”

When we limit God, we are also changing his character. For example, saying “I can’t” actually puts us in disagreement with what scripture says about God.

Scripture does not say anywhere that we are powerless when God is with us. In fact, every part of God’s word tells us we can!

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” -Philippians 4:12-13.

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” -Matthew 19:24-26.

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -1 Corinthians 12: 7-10.

If you  are doubting the power of God, spend some time journaling and praying through these verses. You can also read two of my other posts about this topic: Stop Limiting God and “I’m not qualified”.

I pray that you will begin to understand that the power that created the world is inside of you. You can experience more life change than you ever dreamed possible.

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Stop Limiting God

JoyPedrow.com

Back in June, I wrote a post titled, “I’m not qualified”, about how we quickly believe the lie that we are not qualified for any leadership role. Think back to this key statement: God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. Do you still feel unqualified? Maybe the root problem is that we limit God. We don’t believe that he can qualify us.

Has God put something on your heart to do, but you have pushed those thoughts away?

Maybe you doubt God’s power to make you qualified. Maybe you keep telling yourself that God could never make you more_____(Fill in the blank.)

Friends, stop telling yourself lies.  (more…)

10 Tips for Setting Goals & Sticking to them!

Goal setting. JoyPedrow.com I always thought I was good at setting goals. I’m organized and great at making lists, but that is all my goals were: an organized list. I am great at starting something, but horrible at finishing it. That is why I started the June Goal Challenge. (Click here to read “Tired of giving up on goals?)

God has taught me powerful life lessons through the June Goal Challenge, and I wanted to share these insights with you. Here are 10 tips for setting goals & sticking to them: (more…)

I’m Not Qualified | The Biggest Lie Women Believe

I'm not qualified. | JoyPedrow.com “I’m not qualified.”

In my opinion, this is the biggest lie that women believe when they’re thinking about doing ministry or joining a leadership team.

This thought first entered my mind when I was in high school.

I was trying to figure out what God was calling me to do. I was confused, unsure, and it did not help that people always asked me, “What do you want to do when you grow up?”

Adults frequently ask this question. In high school, kids are between 14-18 years old. How do they expect someone to know what he or she wants to do for the rest of his or her life at such a young age?

During my 10th grade year of high school, I started to get the call that God wanted me to go into ministry. What ministry has meant to me has changed over the years, but I knew two things: that I wanted to help people and that God was pretty cool. Combining those two things seemed like a perfect option! But I believed a lie that I was not qualified.

So, when I was asked that question, I felt embarrassed to share with others my heart desire for my career, so I would always reply, “Orthodontist.”

This was the safest way to go. If I would say, “I don’t know.” Then, I would get additional questions, “Well, what is your favorite subject? Did you like math? How about teaching? Etc…  Thus, I realized the safest thing to do was reply, “Orthodontist.” There were no follow up questions, just a nod of agreement and maybe an encouraging statement.

For a high schooler, it is extremely difficult to fully trust God with this subject. It is difficult to share with others when you are not 100% sure that this is what you will do. Students also worry about what others will think of their choice. I worried people would not understand or try and talk me out of it.

When I was thinking about going into ministry, I believed the lie that one had to be perfect. How could I help people in their walks with God when I was not perfect?

Again, when I was asked to lead a Bible study in Cru my freshman year of college I did not want to step up and lead because I thought I was not qualified. How can I lead other women when I have my own issues to work through?

It is common to respond to God by saying, “I can’t. I’m not qualified.” I’ve heard this in high school. I’ve heard this in college.

My response now is, “Well what is qualified? Name one person in the Bible who was qualified.”

Abraham lied about Sarah.
Moses stuttered.
Noah was a drunk.
Jacob was a liar.
Joseph was abused by his brothers.
Rahab was a prostitute.
Jeremiah was said to be too young.
David had an affair.
Elijah was suicidal.
The Samaritan woman had multiple divorces.
Jonah ran away from God.
Peter denied Jesus.
The disciples fell asleep while praying.
And there are more examples found all over scripture!

Friends, if you are thinking of going into ministry, leading a Bible study, or joining the leadership team at your church, I want you to remember one thing: God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

JoyPedrow.com

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Tired of giving up on goals?

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This week I went to lunch with one of my best friends from high school. I absolutely love this girl and love spending time with her. She doesn’t realize it, but she always teaches me lessons about myself and God. During our lunch together, we were very vulnerable and both shared our current struggles. What struck both of us, was that most of our current struggles were the same as our past struggles.

She said, “This year is going to be different. I’m going to work on these issues. It is going to be a better year.”
Déjà vu. I’ve heard this before.

I told her that she said the same thing last summer, she said, “Wow, that is depressing.”

After lunch, I couldn’t get those words out of my mind. Like my friend, I am bad at following through on goals. At the start of new semesters I always have new goals. Here are some examples:

  • I’m going to stick to a healthy diet and work out regularly.
  • This semester will be different, because I will pray more!
  • Finally, maybe this semester I’ll actually understand how Jesus can satisfy my desire to be married.

Sadly, I never last longer than a week or two at attempting to reach these goals. I give up or just simply forget about the goals. The end of the semester comes, and I say to myself, “Wow, that is depressing.” I don’t want to continue this cycle. I don’t want to spend my whole life making goals only to never check off the boxes. I want to see growth in my life. My dad always told me that when we make goals they have to be specific and have multiple sub-goals to reach each one. Here are my main goals and sub-goals to reach them:

1. Grow closer to God

  • Spend time with God
  • Read my daily chapters of the Bible on my Bible app plan
  • Pray for 10 minutes

2. Live a more healthy life

  • Exercise at least 30 minutes
  • Healthy snacks
  • Don’t eat past 10

3. Be content in this stage of singleness

  • No more romantic comedies

For June, I am trying something new. I am putting my goals into a excel document and checking them off daily to help me remember them. I am sick of being depressed that my goals are not being met. Below is a screen shot so you can understand what I’m talking about.

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Important to note:

  • Make spending time with God a goal for this month. It is easy to look at this as a list of rules to follow, and think if I follow these rules then I will grow. That isn’t always true, because the change begins in the heart. God is the only one who can change our heart, so we have to spend time with him. As I was writing this, the same friend texted me saying she had been thinking about our conversation as well. In the car she heard a Christian radio station say, “We have to see God’s way in all we do instead of living by the rules.” Make sure you are not just following rules you made for the month, but that you are actively trying to follow God’s plan for you and become all that he made you to be.
  • If you miss a day, do not get mad at yourself and give up. It is okay. Some of the goals you set for yourself are going to be impossible to achieve every day in our busy lives. The important thing is to not give up.
  • Find a friend to be accountable with. For example, I’m getting my parents involved. The three of us are going to put our lists on the fridge to hold each other accountable.

What are some goals that you tend to give up on? Do you repeat them over and over again?

If yes, join me on this journey. Below there is a blank pdf of the chart I made. Print it out and fill in your goals.

Together we can experience growth.

 

Click here for pdf: Blank June Goals pdf

 

I hope this post has been encouraging! Be sure to add me on social media and share my blog with your friends! Thanks!