Empowered & Released…stories of woman who dare to live

Romans 9:17 (NIV) says, “…I raised you up for this very purpose [EIS], that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” The Greek word for purpose is EIS. By definition it means: Towards. A marker of purpose. Moving forward towards a result or goal.

My passion and hope is that you would see and believe the truth about who you are. God has marked you with a purpose to make a difference on this earth.

May God move upon your heart as you read today’s story about Ashlee Best, a young woman who is empowered and released.

Angela Craig:  How have you been empowered to walk out your calling?

When I was 14, I felt called to music ministry at the altar of a winter camp; that feeling was later confirmed by three people, and then completely established when I went home and told my parents what I was feeling, who, to my surprise, told me that that calling had been prophesied over my life when I was 4 years old, but they had waited to tell me so the Lord would reveal it to me when I was ready to receive it. My family has been in ministry my entire life, with my Dad serving as music pastor for over twenty years, until just recently when he stepped into a senior pastor role. My parents patterned the example for me in music ministry my whole life; I have always had the opportunity to watch their example and leading and had the opportunity to see all the “behind-the-scenes stuff” of ministry. I didn’t know it at the time, but the Lord was preparing me for my own call to ministry, through the model that my parents set. Beyond my parents, the Lord has always provided strong, spiritual mentors to walk beside me and challenge/encourage me. Through my parent’s ministry we have served on staff in many churches, in multiple states, but it has brought me into contact with so many people who have impacted my life and helped shape me for my own ministry.

 
Angela Craig:  How have you been released to practically live out your calling?

I love the fact that, not only is God interested in our personal and everyday lives, but He is invested in it. When I was looking for employment a few years ago, I had a really hard time in finding places that were hiring. The Lord opened the door for me to work at my church as one of the secretaries, but it has evolved into also being involved in the music and media ministries, which corresponds directly to what I want to do in the future. Therefore, not only do I continue to have the experience in ministry through my parents, but now I have personal ministerial experience as I learn what it looks like to work in a church, how to keep services and departmental ministries functioning and communicating, which is excellent training as I head towards being a music pastor on staff a church someday.