I’m thrilled to have another awesome giveaway today. Be sure to read the bottom of the post for more details.

Hey Friends –

Welcome to 31 Days to Fire Up Your Faith!

If this is your first visit you may want to get caught up here. Thanks for stopping by! I’m am glad YOU are here!

So far over the past 15 days, we’ve been reflecting on our faith journeys (and I disclosed my personal story), and I’ve shared if God can do a miracle in my life — He can do it for you (or any of your loved ones) too!

Wherever you are on your faith journey, God can ignite you with fresh faith, passion and purpose. Guaranteed!

During this 31 Days journey, I’m excited to share the powerful stories of some amazing fired-up women! Don’t you love hearing how other women are weaving our 3 “keys” — Presence, Promises, & Purpose — into their every day lives. I sure do!

Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to my good friend Paulette Stamper.

Paulette and I met at the She Speaks 2013 Conference. We immediately connected, and have creatively found ways to meet IRL despite our 5 hour travel distance. Let’s just say when I think of a passionate, purpose-filled, prayerful, fired up woman — Paulette is at the top of the list. Next to Beth Moore, I’ve never met someone as deeply in love with Jesus Christ! The girl is on fire!

Here’s my passionate friend Paulette. Y’all are gonna love her —

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The parting of the Red Sea.

The walls of Jericho falling.

Gideon changing from a big chicken into a mighty warrior.

David taking on a giant with just a few small stones.

Three men walking into a blazing furnace and believing God would not forsake them – no matter the outcome.

Peter getting out of the boat.

These are just a few example of the stories I grew up hearing and believing. I don’t think there has ever been a time in my life where I doubted the stories in the Bible. I also grew up hearing stories of missionaries in other parts of the world, their great faith, and how God moved through them to do amazing things. I’ve always enjoyed praising God for what He was doing in and through others.

Then I got irritated.

I started looking at my own life. Boring. Mundane. Predictable. And to be honest, there was no need for me to have extraordinary faith because frankly, I was just hanging out in my comfortable and safe boat. I had been content my entire life just watching and hearing about everyone else who had enough faith to actually get out of the boat and walk on water with Jesus. I had been content merely hearing stories of other “water-walkers.”

But then I started to wonder, “What if?”

What if the stories in the bible were meant to fuel my faith?

What if God really hadn’t changed and He still delighted in doing the extraordinary through ordinary people, just like me?

What if the Jesus that told Peter to come to Him on the water was the same Jesus that would empower me to do the impossible if I would just step out of my boat?

So. I tried it.

Yep. That’s right. Boring, predictable, mundane me actually stepped out of my comfort boat and trusted God to be God. Guess what? I didn’t sink.

Was I scared? You bet I was. Was I in over my head? Absolutely. Was it worth it? A thousand times YES. Has Jesus had to pull me back up when I let the waves overtake me? Many times. But He’s never let me sink.

Once you get a feel for wet feet and windblown hair, you won’t want to climb back in your boat. You will begin to crave the intimacy that grows between you and your Savior as He walks next to you. You will begin to crave the exhilaration that comes from trusting Jesus to do the impossible both in you and through you.

I believe God puts a desire within all of us to experience the Divine. All of us crave to see Him move in ways we could never, ever take credit for.

Many years ago I started praying that God would send a holy revival among His daughters. I prayed He would raise up a generation of women who were willing to leave their comfort boats behind, throw off everything that hinders and every sin that entangles and run the race He has marked out for us (Hebrews 12:.1). By golly, I believe He’s doing it! More and more I am seeing a movement of women who are strong, courageous, sword-yielding, Jesus-loving water-walkers, and it fires me up! It’s an exciting and opportune time to be a woman on fire for God!

So now what?

God planted a dream deep in my heart a few years ago. I dreamed of a place where women of all ages, races, and denominations could come together in unity and be equipped by God’s Word, empowered to live out their faith in every area of life, and to work together to change the world. That’s right, you heard me –

A massive unleashing of believing women to CHANGE. THE. WORLD.

I know those words are often thrown around with nothing of substance to back them up. But what if we really could change the world?

I think we can. Together.

And I have a crazy plan to do it. And I believe it will work. But I’m going to need your help.

Imagine a place where you could be in community with other women who are willing to share the wisdom they have gained through life experiences such as divorce, step-parenting, trauma, anxiety, depression, and many more.

Imagine a place where you could participate in Bible studies with other women from across the world that will deepen your knowledge of Scripture.

Imagine a place that offers tailored groups where you could find hope, healing and encouragement from other women who have been hurt by the church, whose husbands wrestle with a porn addiction, who are recovering from sexual abuse/trauma, and who are navigating the waters of addiction recovery.

Imagine meeting other women who can help lead you down the sometimes difficult and confusing path of the adoption process, both domestically and internationally.

Imagine learning from seasoned leaders that will empower and equip you to enhance your leadership skills.

You can experience all of that and much more as a member of Ignite Women. And as if all that wasn’t awesome enough, it gets even more awesome –

Ignite is strategically partnering with large Not For Profits that are doing amazing work across the world to help end poverty, help end abortion, help increase adoptions and help end human trafficking in our generation. We are not messing around! A portion of every membership dollar will go to empower them to do even more.

It IS possible.

Together, we really can change the world.

I invite you to visit Ignite Women and check us out. I’m confident you will find a place where you can invest in your own spiritual growth and simultaneously join with other women to change the world!

Paulette has an unwavering desire and dedication to equip and empower as many followers of Christ as possible so they can live out a radical faith. Paulette’s God-sized dream is for believers everywhere to discover their God-given purpose and live out their God-given destiny resulting in a movement that will change the world. She loves Jesus and is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word. She has authored two Bible studies, Sand Surfers and Rescued, and one book, Straight-Up Crazy. She is the founder of Ignite Women, serves as a counselor at a local Christ-centered community center, and leads the local Ignite group at her home church. Paulette loves her husband and family and the awesome people in her life (including the cute but obnoxious furry white dog that rules her house). She loves a good commentary and eagerly consumes at least three good cups of coffee a day.

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Wow! Isn’t Paulette’s faith inspiring? She fires me up like crazy, and then she’ll remind me, “Cindy, we get to do this!!” Woo Hoo!

In the comments section, I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights. Are you currently sitting in your “boat of comfort,” or experiencing water-walking? Share with us please!

May you hear God calling you out of your boat of comfort, so that you too can live with Straight Up Crazy faith!

Sweet blessings

P.S. My Bible study — Red Hot Faith: Lessons from a Lukewarm Church— is going to be offered as an on-line study with Ignite Women this fall! Woo Hoo!

Starting October 29th, you can participate in Red Hot Faith (including watching the DVD teaching sessions) from the luxury of your own home through Ignite Women. Paulette Stafford Stamper & her team will be facilitating the online study each Wednesday night. And guess what else? In honor of Ignite Women’s national launch, they are offering free membership through November 30th.

If you know anyone who might benefit from this amazing opportunity, please feel free to share. For more info go to www.IgniteWomen.com.

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