Oh wow! What a book! The tag line (is that what it's called?) that's under the title reads 'Daring to do what God calls you to do' and this is what I was really focusing on when I read this book. 

The ideas that the husband and I have about our future ministry are a bit woolly at the moment so we're spending the next few years refining and getting prepared for what God has planned for us. Well, what we think God has planned for us. So far, He is slotting things into place but it's often hard to distinguish between what is our idea and what is His. What we feel we're being led to do is also going to take a massive leap of faith and this book has been so helpful. 

A few things stood out for me:

- God makes each of us specifically for a good purpose to be worked out in our time on earth and He equips us to do those things for which He created us. 

- What is impossible with people is possible with God. We just have to believe that He has called us to go into the world in His name, and not listen to the limitations imposed on us by others. We cannot allow them to daunt us. 

- Stop making excuses. There are people in the Bible who would have missed out on their moment in history if they'd been allowed to get by with excuses. I want God to refuse to accept my excuses. I want to accept His assignment because I know that He will provide me with everything needed to succeed in it. 

- We were each chosen for a particular important task, so we need to be diligent in listening to God's voice calling us to that task - and in encouraging others to be similarly obedient. That means caring enough for everyone we encounter in a day. God made them all. 

- God gives us opportunities to reach out to people all the time but often we just don't 'cross the street'. But He never asks us to go alone. He goes along; He goes ahead. This means that while we may think we don't have enough time, money, resources, or knowledge, God will use what we have. 

- What if we looked for people who need help, instead of just seeing what we want to get done? Greet each interruption with a question: Lord, what is it you really want from me here? 

- Allow God to continually soften your heart so that it beats for what His heart beats for - people. When our hearts are changed, we see things we never saw before, hear cries we have never heard before, and act out of a compassion that we did not have before. 

With God's help, I'm going to be undaunted in preparing for our ministry.