WHAT WAS A TURNING POINT IN YOUR LIFE?

WHAT WAS A TURNING POINT IN YOUR LIFE?     A turning point in your life can be a minor incident, a major event, or a sudden realization which causes you to change, either for the good or bad, the course you are on. It is a time during which you take stock of your situation and then take action. It can be a dramatic wake-up call to stop doing something, or it can be a simple, conversational affirmation that makes you finally pay attention to one of your life dreams. What in your life has caused you to turn from Plan A to Plan B? And what was the result of that change in direction? God wants to be intimately involved in all the turning points of your life. He knows there is much at stake for his kingdom-building plans, and he wants to see you through!     DID YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE?   A turning point in your life could have been an illness, accident, graduation, household move, betrayal, major disappointment, or the realization that you were "bored out of your mind." It could have been a joyful conversion to Christianity or complete surrender to Christ as Lord. It might have been an inheritance that dramatically improved your lot in life or unleashed sin in your life. It could have been a baby's birth or the death of a loved one. It could have been a job lay-off or a crumbled marriage. Janet Congo, cofounder (with her husband) of LifeMates, was thrown a curve ball that caused her to head in a new, unexpected direction.     JANET CONGO'S LIFE TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TURN     Janet is a wife, mother of two adult children, marriage and family therapist, life coach, university instructor, nationally known speaker, and author of eleven books on topics including marriage, stress, love, and self-confidence. Her ministry, Life Mates, strengthens Christian marriages through regular Date Nite events in churches around the United States.     Janet describes herself as having been "set free by Jesus Christ's sacrifice, empowered by his Holy Spirit, and deeply  influenced by his Word." She says that, as a result, "she exists to love consistently, learn continually, live courageously, and leave a legacy with God's principles as her guide." She seeks to empower, encourage, and inspire women to love God, to be loved by God, to discover who he meant them to be, and to infuse their marriages with that divine love.     A major turning point in Janet's life came when the United States Immigration Department informed her that, even though she had been hired by a California college as an instructor, she could not teach because she was Canadian and would be taking a job away from an American. She remembers well the shock of hearing that news and having to restructure her career. So, she purposefully and tenaciously changed gears, began writing books, and is thrilled with the alternate path that God made available to her!     Janet believes that "turning points occur when our plans and reality collide. Disappointments, failures, tragedies, and dead ends all provide an opportunity to ask 'Why?' and become a victim or to ask 'What next?' and cooperate with God about the next phase of our life!"     What Was a Turning Point in Your Life? Saul Had a Major Turning Point     Saul, a persecutor of Christians whose name was later changed to Paul, experienced a 180-degree turnaround in his life when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Read Acts 9:1–22. Have you allowed your turning points to draw you closer to God or to push you farther from him?     SCRIPTURE TO PONDER     Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8)     SUGGESTED PRAYER     Dear Lord, show me, _________, the way I should go today, for to you I lift up my soul. I pray that I will continue to learn from my past experiences and decisions, letting you turn my life around 180 degrees, if necessary. I thank you in advance for any turning points I have yet to face that will ultimately bring me closer to you. Guide me to those moments that will take my breath away in gratitude for your direction in my life.     So . . . What Insight, Prayer, or Action Step Has God Laid on Your Heart Today?

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