Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . What’s in a name? “What you believe about yourself will determine the direction of your life.” [1] When you see Amazon , what comes to mind? It's probably the online retailer that carries everything from A to Z, right? Our name is our brand. It’s who and what we are. But more than that, it can be who we become. Amazon did not always carry 12 million products. They began as an online bookstore. Amazon grew into their name. Clearly, God recognizes that names are tied to destiny. For this reason, he sometimes renames individuals to align with their calling. Abram (exalted father) was renamed  Abraham (father of many). At the time, he had no child with Sarah. But Abraham would eventually become the patriarch of Israel. [2]   When the Lord first appeared to Gideon, he called him a mighty warrior . [3] At that moment, Gideon so feared his enemies he was hiding in a wine press. But with God’s help, Gideon defeated the Midianites and grew into his calling. [...

Welcome to Real Life . I was teaching on the topic of surrender and needed a strong example. Abraham came to mind. Abraham Series | Part 1 | Genesis 11:26-12:5 God asked Abraham to surrender something huge—his only son Isaac—and offer him as a living sacrifice. Amazingly, he did it. But, before we talk about Abraham, let’s talk about surrender. My spiritual journey began with an act of surrender: I gave my life to Christ. However, it doesn't stop there. Surrender is a continual discipline for a believer. Full devotion (to God) is a state of our hearts when our understanding of truth is equal to our level of surrender. –Mindy Caliguire [1] God won’t force me to surrender. I decide. I live with the consequences. Though, when God does ask me to give up something, he has a reason. While preparing to teach, I kept asking the Lord if there was anything I needed to surrender. I sensed him saying, “Peggi, you have the wrong focus. You fear what I might ask you to give up. W...