I can’t tell you how often I have heard this question since arriving home.
And I had a plan worked out, a great plan!
Move to Tennessee for a few months, visit South America over the summer and pursue the Lord, then go to Spain for 9 months for an entrepreneurial, discipleship school. Then a tornado, a pandemic, and a season of bewilderment later, I had no plans! So I did what I, Ashley, do best… I figured out the best logical solution. Postpone the school, get a job for the next year, and an apartment. Wait out the crazy and pray things settle down. Makes sense, right? Just this week I actually got my final email saying I got a really well-paying job with the state and would start in the next few weeks. It was all coming together.
But the tension was also building.
So a little over a week ago I started talking to the Lord. A week ago I was awakened to the fact that I had taken on a victim mindset. COVID stopped all my plans. COVID stopped me from pursuing my next. COVID has me on pause. While it did stop certain plans, I realized it stopped MY plans. God clearly says “nothing can stop God’s plans for your life.” Isaiah 14:27.
God began challenging me. Was I going to allow logic to overpower God’s plans? But God, I haven’t even started fundraising. I wasn’t going to until things in the economy got better. Luke 12:31 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.” For a week I sought the Lord, His plans, His peace and I knew I had to follow His plans not the logic of this world. I literally received 2 emails one day asking me if I was still interested. One was from my plan, one was from God’s. He was clearly setting the decision before me asking for an answer.
So, what’s next?
Well, I’m not going to discipleship school in Spain because to a certain extent, COVID is physically stopping me from going there. So the school made a change, they’ve relocated to the States for this next semester! Still discipleship, still Holy Spirit activation, still pursing the individual calling God has placed on our lives. New location.
Sure, instead of a beautiful home along the sea in Spain, I’ll be in a summer camp cabin. But it’s not about location, it’s not about the economy. It’s about what God is saying.
This school is called G42 which is focused on a transformative curriculum of equipping for leaders who are passionate about establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. In the middle of the 9-month program, I will complete a 3-month, hands-on practicum to apply what I’ve been learning a pursue the passions God has placed on my heart.
G42 is set to begin on September 7th in Tennessee! The next 2 months will happen quickly but I can’t wait to see God move!
I would love for you to partner with me on this journey!
1. Prayer. Prayer for all the open doors as I walk through them and continue to see God’s path clearly. Prayer for financial provision. Prayer for my heart to be good soil for the seeds that are going to be planted and grown in this next season. Prayer for continuing growth in my faith to follow the difficult paths.
2. Financial. While I’m sure I’ll be fundraising the rest of the year to meet my goals, I need $4,500 in my account by the time school starts. I already have $500 in and the Lord has promised this will come!! Any gift is a huge help and monthly partners are a major blessing while embarking on this journey. If this is something you can help with, in any capacity, you can Venmo me or donate at https://www.generation42.org/donations I am under the September 2020 class.
3. Coffee dates! I would love to spend time with you and talk about the dreams God has placed on my heart and all the incredible ways He spoke to me this week confirming that it is what He is calling me to do!!
4. Special Fundraisers! I am currently working on a T-shirt design that I plan to sell where all proceeds go to support this journy! I’ve also gotten into water color painting lately and I’m going to sell bookmarks, small paintings and personalized greeting cards to help me on this journey as well. Keep an eye out for these or you can ask me about them too!!
Thank you all for your support the last few years. I am redeemed, I am new, I am transformed, I am called. I can’t wait to see how God continues to add to that!
Love you all!
