1 - Meet Ashley & Why "Called to Build"

In this first episode I want to share a little bit about my own journey and what it has been like to pursue what I feel God has called me to do. I don’t want to give you the impression that I have in some way “arrived” because that is certainly not the case! I am still always really trying to trust God, never knowing exactly which direction He might want me to go. I have not always been confident in this “calling”. More than anything it was this underlying feeling I had to use my story and gifts to help build God’s Kingdom, but more often than not I struggled with huge fears. Fears that serving Christ in this way was somehow a disappointment to Him, that I was self-deceived, that somehow I was always getting it wrong. The mocking laugh that you might know all too well that says, “And who do you think you are?” was always sitting there, waiting for me. Over time I was so sick and tired of these things holding me back and I would wrestle them out with the Lord. One by one He helped me face these fears, what drove them and where they were rooted in order to start move forward. We’re still in that march in one way or another to this day. The reason I wanted to start this podcast is because over all this time I have done so much research and God has done so much work in me, that once again I want to share in hopes that it might help someone get through more directly, rather than circling the stupid mountain endlessly like I did. I want to help you with the inner things and I want to share what I know about the practical things I have learned a long the way; from blogging, to graphic design, Instagram, to …hey, even starting a podcast! I want to talk about comparison and authenticity, mental health, judging others, or what about, letting our calling become an idol in our lives? Saying we are called to do something sounds so simple, but often we have a hard time connecting those dots on how to get from where we are now, to that thing, whatever it might be and I am hoping this podcast will be a place that will help with that. When we hear the parable of the talents this seems to be the question that Jesus is asking of all of us. “Here this what I have given you, now…what are you going to do with it?” I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find myself telling God all kinds of excuses like, “But God, I didn’t have enough money”, “but God I was never 100% sure”, “but God, not everyone was OK with it and actually a lot of people thought it was super weird”. God’s not going to say, “Oh OK then”. He is going to respond like He did in the parable to the man who was unfaithful with what he had been given. The man was scared and so buried it and the master calls him a wicked servant and takes what he had been given and gives it to someone who had taken steps of faith to do something with it. Listen, I don’t have to be Beth Moore, but I do have to be Ashley, and you don’t have to be anyone else but you do have to be yourself and walk in all of who God made YOU! We won’t know what is the next thing God might have for us if we don’t take the risk of stepping into the obedience of the thing right in front of us. It won’t be easy, it won’t be fast, but we can do it with God’s help and the boldness of the faith He has given us. Let’s get building…. READ THE SHOWNOTES: https://www.ashleymorganjackson.com/podcast/2019/10/1/podcast-ep1-my-journey-in-my-calling-amp-why-this-podcast CALLED TO BUILD FB COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/calledtobuildcommunity/ CALLED TO BUILD INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/calledtobuild/ FREE "WHAT AM I CALLED TO?" WORKBOOK: https://www.ashleymorganjackson.com/called Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/called-to-build/donations