"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him." -Psalm 37:7

Life never seems to follow the expectations we create for it. We often dream up elaborate stories of how we want our lives to go, and we are often disappointed when our life does not go this way. Perhaps that is where you find yourself now; in a life you never planned for. Or maybe you really are living the life you always dreamed of. If so, are you really living the life God planned for you?

Our plans do not often go the way we plan, because God's plan for our lives is always so much bigger. I did not start out wanting to write this particular book. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to write a book, but I always thought it would be an elaborate and entertaining work of fiction; , great for young girls. Hopefully, I will still write one of those someday, but for right now, God has been putting this book on my heart. I know that it would be wrong not to follow through.

God has called me to do many things in my life, but I was often in a struggle with Him. I hope that this book finds you in a critical moment in your life. I hope that it opens doors you never thought possible and that it opens your eyes to the amazing word of God and everything that He wants to offer you.

Asking God to lead our lives is a scary thought. Handing Him the keys to our hearts, and letting Him make some of the biggest decisions of our lives is not very easy. I don't know your story. I don't know how you came to know Christ, or if you've even let Him into your heart yet. What I do know is that Jesus loves you and there is a reason you have picked up this book. Whatever that reason, I pray that you will discover something more after reading this.

Please remember, when reading this, that what you have done does not define you. What will define you is what you are doing right now. Reading this book, making your heart right with God, is the perfect next step.

"You are my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear?" -Psalm 27

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."  -Proverbs 16:9

God's plan for your life began before you were born. He has always known the path He wanted for you. Free will often separates us from God, because we get to make our own choices. Often times, we choose to live life on our own terms. We fail to look to God when it matters most, instead relying on those around us. Sometimes, it can be difficult to know what God's plan is for our lives.

"Don’t be so tied to your own plans and sense of timing that you forget to trust in God’s." -Hillsong Church

To find God's plan for our lives, we need to take a step back from ourselves. We need to stop looking at the media, and concentrating on the opinions of others. With Jesus as our focus, we need to turn to the Bible and find our answers there.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” -Romans 12:2

As we learn more about God, we will learn more about ourselves and how we can honor God with our lives. The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity.

God has options. If you choose the wrong path for your life, God can not only get you back on the correct path, but He can change things so that you are still living a blessed life. A blessed life is not always an easy path, but if you are following God, you will never be disappointed.

You might find yourself in a different situation than you planned, but remember that you still have the same God. He will continue to deliver you.

"He who began a good work in you will be faithful to continue it." -Phil 1:6

God wants to do great things with your life, but He isn't going to give you something great until you can show Him that you are ready to handle something great. Make sure that you are centering your life around Him.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart....and soul and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." -Mt. 22:37-38

When God becomes the focal point of your life, your little problems won't seem as big anymore. Sometimes, this doesn't always seem possible in the midst of our biggest struggles.

I remember when I was trying to decide what to do after college. I really didn't want to go to Graduate School, but all of my friends were studying for entrance exams and writing essays. I just felt like it was something I probably should be doing. I struggled with the decision, but never once did I ask God what He thought I should do. I thought I was alone in the decision, and I felt awful.

I used to stay up late, staring at the ceiling and wondering why my life wasn't written out the way my friends lives seemed to be. They had a path written out for them, and even boyfriends to match. They were going to finish school, and then get married. Perfect lives.

I felt restless and ambitious. I wanted to get out of Wisconsin, and I didn't want to go to school anymore. After a summer internship, my ambition did not include a full-time job with a desk. I was antsy, bored, and ready to take on the world.

I may not have been seeking God for His will, but He hadn't given up on me, and He most certainly hadn't forgotten me. He decided to help me discover my path by sending a little messenger my way.

At some point in my college career, the thought of Peace Corps had crossed my mind. I had always wanted to travel, and it sounded like a great career move. My Junior year of college, I discovered that the rewards of the Peace Corps didn't help someone with my particular school loans. I also didn't like the two year commitment, since I tended to change my mind a lot.

Towards the end of my Junior year, a resident suggested I think about AmeriCorps. It stayed in the back of my mind when Senior year rolled around. I happened to run into that same resident, and I remembered what she had said. I started doing research and realized that I was really excited by this idea. I could still live in America, but I didn't have to be in Wisconsin. That was the perfect answer.

I have always wanted to live in California, and I applied to a job in "West Palm Beach" thinking it was "Palm Beach" in California. My geography has never been very good, and this was the perfect example. I received a phone interview for the job, and in the middle of the interview I discovered, in a not so pleasant way, that West Palm Beach was in Florida. I felt really silly, and I even actually admitted to the interviewer that I had thought it was California. God had big plans for me anyway, because I still got the job.

"A sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's a wonder what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." -Phil 4:7

Bringing me to Florida, God was able to open me up to a world of new possibilities. He knew things I could never have known. I may not have had God at the center of my life then (even though I thought I did) but he knew every step I took would slowly lead me right back into his arms in a big and powerful way.

"Let us go on...and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to be." -Hebrews 6:1

"You cannot serve both God and money." -Matthew 6:24

Who are you serving? What are you seeking most in this world? What comes first when you think about life? That is who you are serving.

There are some people who panic when they think about God and His will. As humans, we are often selfish in our thinking. This comes naturally, and do not think you are alone in being guilty of it. We think about what we want before we ever think about what God wants.

So the thought of serving God with our whole lives, and choosing to only follow His will, can sound really freaky. We immediately think of having to give up our whole lives to be missionaries in some foreign country.

Why are you so worried about your future? Do you not trust God?

God will never give you a life that you can not actually live. You might think you aren't strong for whatever God is calling you to do, but God knows so much more than you! The world God wants for you will always be a beautiful life. It just might not always happen the way we plan.

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" -Matthew 6:25-27

Our worries are so silly and we let them consume us. We let them RULE us. We need to remember that before we start worrying, we should pray.

"Hey, I've got this, okay? Relax!" -God

I personally love to worry. I can never seem to relax about the simplest issues. It's as though they consume my every thought. When I was little, I would hear my parents arguing. I was convinced they were going to get a divorce. If my parents didn't come home right away, I was convinced they had been in a car accident. Since this was just before cell phones, it was a lot harder to reach them.

I would worry that I was going to fail a test, that I wouldn't finish my homework or that I'd disappoint someone. I also worried that  I would never make true friends. I was bullied a lot as a child. I was teased and picked on, even punched and shoved in lockers. I never really told my parents, and I probably should have done that. I never thought to pray, or ask God to help me. I just kind of let it happen.

God hates that we let life rule us; that we let circumstances happen. He has so many good things planned for our lives, and He can't wait to share them with us. But if we keep worrying about everything, and forgetting to listen for Him, He will never be able to tell us what they are.

How many times have we changed God's original plan with our own selfish thoughts and desires? We know God has a plan for us, but we don't want to wait. We want all the good stuff to happen NOW. We want what we want, even if God is telling us to wait. To trust Him. We have lost our trust and our faith.

Often times, we want the blessing but not the journey. We want the reward, but we don't want the struggle to get there. It's during the struggle that God can teach us so many lessons about life and other people, and we can learn more about Him. God will get us where we need to go, but we will have to go through that journey first.

If we settle, or change the course God wants for us, we won't receive it. God will walk you through the journey, but you need to accept it first.

"By faith, he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isacc and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise." -Hebrews 11:9

God could ask you to do something that seems crazy; but most likely, what He is asking of you is just something new. Something different. We need to accept the change God is asking of us; we need to embrace the new path. 

"Do not clutter God's dreams with the smallness of your dreams." -Robert Ferguson