Have you ever wasted time trying to help people make sense of a calling God gave to YOU?
Maybe after prayer and confirmation all we need to do is get to work.
What are you going to walk boldly into that God has called you to do?
Your sister,
Monica
I want to write. I miss blogging. But seasons change and I’m doing more talking than writing these days.
I love sharing the Word and breaking down difficult topics, now I just do that differently.
My days are spent caring for six children on my own, sermon prepping, hosting community events for the church, and in discipleship meetings/calls.
It’s all I’ve ever wanted. And yet it’s SO tough.
“When you know you are called, quitting is not an option. Nothing can deter you.”
So let’s about dreams today.
What does it look like to actually walk in your calling and see your dreams come true?
Defining what you want to do is important.
Understanding what you are called to do is more important.
And knowing you are called will sometimes be the only thing that keeps you going.
There are days I wake up and the enemy is in my ear with a megaphone before I open my eyes.
But his words fall on deaf ears.
I’m deaf to the sound of lies because I’m filled with truth. Still, sometimes the lies seem like they’re coming from my own mind. I am that entrenched in battle right now.
So what do you do when your dreams are coming true but it doesn’t feel like they are?
Keep trusting the Lord.
Keep walking.
Don’t.
Ever.
Quit.
When you know you are called, quitting is not an option. Nothing can deter you.
At least that’s my humble experience today. I hope it is helpful and please keep me in prayer.
I’ll try to pop in and drop a blog post more often now that things are leveling off a bit.
In the meantime, head over to YouTube and subscribe to my channel where I post weekly messages from New Wine Community Church!
Thank you all for taking the time to read what God puts on my heart and letting me speak into you life. I consider it the greatest honor.
Praying for you all as you walk out the dreams God has called you to give birth to.
Your sister,
Monica
Read all about it!
Yes, I know I’m being totally “extra” right now, but it’s also totally warranted!
All in ONE MONTH…
I have been invited to speak (plans changed but you still NEED to check out this conference),
launched our home church,
got an AMAZING coach & new friend to walk with me during this church plant,
shared on the Third Millennial Church podcast about my passion for people and social media,
finished an e-book (I’ll post the link as soon as it published)… and SO much more incredible stuff I can’t even share yet!
So, I’m super sorry I have been out of touch on the blog. Definitely thinking of you all and praying for you every day!
I’ll be back to posting soon about what God is doing in this next season of my life.
For now, check out this timely word on your social media use.
See you on the flip side 😉
Your sister,
Monica Gary
Sixteen years ago I spent my nights working on a puzzle into the wee hours of the morning.
While I should have been resting for school the next day (I was only seventeen), my mind was too busy for sleep. I was carrying a baby no one knew about. No one who cared anyway.
I told him.
I told him and he didn’t believe me.
I knew something was off when I got sick leaving Woodson High school that evening.
We were supposed to be in night school. We were both there, him a legal adult trying to earn a diploma and me a recovering, lonely young girl.
I went to the True Love Waits purity conference. I recommitted myself to God. I meant it. How could this happen?
So now, each night I focused on piecing together a puzzle until my eyes were too heavy to keep open… piecing together something felt good.
My life could never be put back together.
Not with a baby on the way. I would never go to college. I would never teach like I dreamed of; like that prophetess lady told me at revival.
“I was carrying a baby no one knew about. No one who cared anyway.”
I would have a baby. Then I would struggle for years with alcohol, drugs, working in the sex industry, and ultimately fight for my life trying to leave the abusive relationship that this pregnancy commenced.
But God knew the big picture even when I was blind.
I am in college now. Only four classes from completing my diploma in theology. Will I go on to get my MDiv? Why not?
That baby I became pregnant with was a boy. Brian was born weighing in at 1 lb 8 oz and they said he wouldn’t live.
He is sixteen now. He is honest and has a strong love for the Lord. I birthed four more after him.
At this moment they lay sleeping peacefully upstairs along with my husband who basically rescued me from that horrible relationship with my ex.
And I sit here piecing together a new puzzle, recalling all Jesus has done in my life.
I hear the still small voice reassuring me that, though my desperation looks different these days, He is all I need. I hear Him tell me that it’s ok if I go alone because I am never truly alone.
I see visions of the ministries yet to be birthed through my dedication to Him. I can see it now.
I’m finally starting see the big picture.
It’s beautiful!
I hope you learn to see yours as well. Keeping our eyes fixed on the faithfulness of Jesus always helps the vision.
Till next time.
Your sister,
Monica
Weak isn’t the same thing as wimpy.
American culture would say otherwise; especially for men.
You aren’t allowed to show weakness.
To make matters worse we’ve taken to inferring weakness from normal human emotions. If you get hurt, you must be weak. If you cry, you must be weak.
Everyday life struggles are taken as a sign of weakness for the men enduring them.
Your marriage is struggling: you must be weak.
You lost your job: weak.
You’re not making enough money: weak.
Can’t send your kids to private school, take the family on vacation, have the “right” car & house, or solve world hunger…
Weak, weak, weak!
Yes, by this fallen world’s definition it may be true. But we live by a greater standard.
One that requires recognition of true weakness and ultimately shows our God strong in us.
“we’ve taken to inferring weakness from normal human emotions”
You’ll never be able to provide enough… because you aren’t the Provider.
You’ll never love your wife enough… but you can point her to the One who does.
You’ll never be void of negative emotion… and that’s a good thing because God hears the prayers of the broken.
So men, will you be our confidently weak heroes?
We don’t need you to be strong. We need you to be real so you become strong.
We need your leadership as broken, humble men who rely on Jesus; not as pompous, “self-made” fakes.
We need to walk alongside each other as husbands & wives, brothers & sisters, mothers & sons, fathers & daughters who know our failings and choose to bare them that God may be glorified instead of our egos.
Here’s to all the real heroes out there! May God strengthen you in your submission to Him.
We honor you for choosing humility amidst a world full of pride.
Your sister,
Monica
Sisters, this one is just for you. For us.
First of all I want you to know how incredible you are. I pray for you all each day. I thank God for you and I absolutely LOVE hearing what our Father is doing in your lives!
I want to share some encouragement I received this past weekend when I was in Nashville, Tennessee. (HUGE thanks to NorthStar Women’s Network for making this possible!!)
There were so many incredible communicators (church lingo for ‘speakers’) that I was more than full at the end of the three day Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum.
The moment that set the stage for me to take it all in was my first breakout session led by Christi Straub.
“We stood in our weakness and became powerful in our unity in Jesus”
Christi challenged us to walk in the life God intends for our leadership, our marriages, and our lives in general… but it wasn’t her powerful speaking that made the deepest impact (though that was awesome!) It was the unity she helped us realize.
“If you are going through a trial right now, would you stand?” she requested.
Most of us have experienced this before. A few people stand in a church service and the rest of us (those who are coasting along in the joy of the Lord, *eyeroll) lay hands on the few and pray over them.
That day the few became the many. Almost the entire room of women stood to their feet, myself included.
We prayed together for one another. Voices cracking, snivels scattered throughout the crowd… we stood in our weakness and became powerful in our unity in Jesus.
Each woman that the enemy had desired to isolate and conquer, many in leadership positions that do not afford them the liberty of sharing their struggles so publicly; each of us were strengthened by the other that morning.
I left that place changed forever.
I’ll admit that a life of ministry is not easy. It’s worth it but it comes at a cost and there are many battles along the way.
In the past I have wondered,”How can I possibly overcome this trial? I feel like this will be the one to take me out. Maybe I should quit?”
As I stood among these powerful, humble women the lie that I was ever alone became clear as day. The question now is, “How could I lose?”
I can’t lose! Ladies, WE CAN’T LOSE!
Yes, there is nothing new under the sun. Yes, Jesus is with us through it all.
Those things are true and necessary, but know this to be true as well:
Every women in leadership is battling alongside you. Every trial you face, thousands of other women have stared down in faithful prayer… and many have overcome.
The simplest truth is that we have already won. Your spiritual enemy knows this. That’s why you get hit so hard.
Now go throw on some worship music and praise the God who is faithful! Praise the God who has brought you this far! Praise the God, our Father, who has trampled the enemy and is bringing you into victory for His glory!
Praise Him!
Your sister,
Monica
(Oh… I also met *and got a hug from* my sister Jackie Hill Perry so basically everything I do is super anointed now, just saying 😂🙌)
(Ps- be sure to check out these other awesome Jesus followers: Dr. Lorg, Lori McDaniel, Lauren Chandler, Denise Pass, Selma Wilson, Jennifer Rothschild, and so many more I will have to post another blog with recommendations later)
We have all criticized this man. Verbally or in our mind at some point. We would be foolish to never have wondered what is really up with him.
I have been an outspoken opponent of his ministry. Viewing videos made by other naysayers and dissecting them for inspection. I have shuddered at some of the misspoken words that have come from his wife.
But it doesn’t matter what I think. We all know the old saying about opinions.
What really matters is what does Jesus think?
I’ve only got partial information about Osteen because I’ve never met the guy. The best intel I have is from a trusted source (my own pastor) who is amazed by Joel’s heart for the lost. If that really is the case then we should stop badgering the poor man (haha, sorry I can’t help but laugh at the irony in what I just typed).
But seriously. For sake of argument, let’s assume that our worst fears about Joel Osteen and his ministry prove to be true.
Worst case scenario, what would Jesus say about him?
Let’s look at the book of Mark. Chapter 9, verse 38-40 says this:
John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”
“Don’t stop him,” said Jesus, “because there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name who can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”
Notice the disciples were complaining that the people were not following them.
They had removed Jesus from the equation or He wouldn’t have had to remind them of the awesomeness that His name was being preached!
Jesus is far more concerned with us finding freedom than He is with how “right” our theology is.
He knows that in Him we find freedom so that relationship is always paramount to everything else.
A right relationship with Jesus will correct any faulty theology over time. Nevertheless, none of us can say we have it all figured out; “it” being a sovereign, Holy, incomprehensible God of the universe. (Please email me if you do because I would like to meet you, Jesus!)
Jesus says leave Joel be. Let him preach because, even if the worst suspicions are true, our Lord is being glorified and people are finding freedom and eternal life!
Is my opinion of a man’s bank account more important than your salvation? God forgive me that it has been. How arrogant I was.
God will hold every teacher accountable for how he has stewarded what was given to him in this world.
Our job is to love one another and be one. That includes the preachers we love to criticize and (let’s be honest) compare ourselves to.
Every preacher of the Word thinks he/she would be the best steward of resources like Joel has if we were blessed with them. We judge our hearts more capable of handling wealth than men God has chosen to bestow it upon.
I’m not declaring that you should start trusting every pastor that preaches the gospel. I’m simply saying we should trust God and be about our Father’s business instead of publicly calling foul every time we disagree with someone.
I’ll be doing exactly that today. Preaching through blogs and Instagram and phone calls… whatever it takes. Personally I’m glad someone like Joel is utilizing that massive platform to point to Jesus.
Your sister,
Monica
