Loved Fiercely—Carly Van Laar

I loathe writing.  Really.  I do.  In fact, when I taught 5th grade and had to prepare the students for the standardized writing test, I wanted to pat each of their heads and say, “I’m so sorry I’m making you do this.”

This is where God has a sense of humor.  Why?  Because He is leading me to write and share Him with others through written words.  He knows that I will have to continually depend on Him to do this.  He will be made perfect in my weakness.

This past week, there has been NO DOUBT that I am being obedient to Him.  Over and over, I had this confirmed through different people.  Three people told me in person to not stop writing/sharing, that they were proud of me for doing what I was doing.  One person told a mutual friend, “Please tell your friend not to stop sharing.”  Facebook messages were sent with encouragement from people telling me what they are learning about God through my posts.

Okay, God, you are coming in loud and clear!  🙂

I received encouragement to broaden my audience.  Whew, that’s a tough one.  It’s one thing to share on Facebook with my friends, it’s quite another to put myself out there on the World Wide Web.  (Just typing those words made me hear the old dial-up tone in my head!)

So, I prayed and sought God’s will for this.  You guys, boy, did He ever answer!  Within a couple days, I had a ministry name & I could “see” the logo that would go with it.  “Loved Fiercely Ministries”.  I thought it was a perfect ministry name, pointing to just how much God loves us.  Again, wanting to make sure that this was God, and not me, I stopped to pray about it again.  The next morning, a friend had posted the following on Facebook under my post that ended with the tagline featured under the logo on my website:

Thank you again for your posts. Your sharing of these is a way of witnessing, not only to those who don’t know our Savior, but to those of us that need to be reminded of how awesome he is and the work he does in our lives because he loves us “fiercely. ” I needed this.

Danielle Cheek

There it was.  Confirmation to go ahead with “Loved Fiercely”.

Friday morning, as I was getting ready for work, I was praying over the “reveal” of this website, and I kept picturing Bambi’s mom.  Remember when Bambi wanted to explore the meadow, but his mom warned him not to go into the meadow, for he would be exposed, that the meadow is dangerous?  That was the image on repeat in my head.  BUT, the “funny” thing is that every time I pictured this, right behind it, I pictured my Lord leading me into that meadow.  It was His out-stretched hand reaching back for me to follow Him there.  I firmly believe that He was preparing me for what might come once I put myself “out there”.  With this image, I have no fear, and I know I’m supposed to follow Him into the meadow of the World Wide Web.

Okay, get ready…you won’t believe this….mid-morning on Friday, I receive this text from my friend, Amber:

Hey, sisterfriend!

Just want to let you know that God kept showing me your sweet smiling face this morning so I am making it my given job from Him to pray for you today and praise Him for you. He told me to specifically pray for protection for you from spiritual warfare. That as you are walking in such faith to share your heart for Him and broaden your “Publix Ministry” Satan wants to make you stumble and fail. Please know you can keep walking straight today, eyes focused on His glory and no need to look down for stumbling stones, or to look right or left for oncoming distractions. If there is anything else I can be lifting up today, just let me know and it will be an honor to do so.

Be blessed, dear Carly!!!

You guys, she had NO IDEA that I was planning on broadening my ministry.  I truly wanted to fall down & worship my Lord right there for having Amber pray for me.  How indescribably amazing is our God!!!  After telling her what I just shared with you all, she had more encouragement & then ended with this:

Now, get your fanny out there in that meadow and freely run through the grass with full abandon towards Him – ya know, like little Laura Ingalls running down that hill at the start of “Little House on the Prairie”.

Okay, so here I am about to share this site, running with full abandon into the meadow.  Following my Lord.

He wants you to follow Him too.  With every step you take.  Come to the meadow with me.  You won’t regret it.

The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 121