Another check off my 'to do' List!

I will never forget how I felt when I stepped onto the stage to speak at my first ever Women's Tea. I was asked to speak (along with my best friend) by my dear, precious Jean who was my spiritual mentor for many years when I attended my church in my hometown as a youth, teen and young married woman. She is the "mom" of the High School ministry then and still serving the Lord in that ministry as well as the Women's Ministry Director.
The first time she sent me the email asking, "Do you speak?" I had to hesitate and really think about what my answer was going to be. I have done almost everything in my ministry and Life Coaching biz that I had sought out to accomplish, all but one thing I had on my "someday I will do" list. That was to "speak at a Retreat or Women's ministry event".  When I wrote that 'to do list' I was writing it stating my dreams and goals and what I felt God is calling me to do, not because I felt worthy, equipped or able to. To be quite honest, I am not the best at getting up to a microphone at all, and to be really honest, I don't think I should be on a stage speaking, I feel I stutter a bit, I know I ramble, and I also am aware that I have a little stage fright.
Well, I finally responded to my dear friend and spiritual mentor and told her, "yes!" I will speak for their Tea. Then I asked her after I said yes, how many women will be there in attendance? She told me roughly 200-270. My mind immediately went to "wow Lord, I was thinking 20-40 for my first speaker invite, not almost 300!" I then got instant butterflies in my stomach and also floods of doubt mixed with total and complete joy! I started to pray about this, and asking God to confirm to me that I should still do this.  I was searching for a scripture verse or passage to encourage me about this leap of faith, with mostly the feeling of thinking I should back out, for I began to compare myself, beat myself up about the many reasons why I am not capable or able to speak publicly, until the Lord did end up confirming it with the following verse at that moment in Jeremiah 1:9, "Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, "behold, I have put my words in your mouth." At this moment I realized that He was going to guide and direct my note taking, my ideas of what to share on the stage with the women. I felt a sense of peace, joy and excitement for my faith, my story and my passion for ministry. I re-wrote my entire 'speech' and allowed the Holy Spirit to breathe in me as to what to prepare for my 20 minutes on stage.
When I got to the day to be a part of this event ministry, I was introduced and all fear and anxiety left me, I got on stage and shared my new "notes" from my heart. I know I was rusty and new, and I am sure it showed, but suddenly I didn't care. God had taken over, he was showing me what to say and I real and raw in my life's journey.
I share this story with you because I feel very passionately that we have to write out our dreams and passions and always challenge our faith. If I had said "no" to this Tea speaking invitation, I would be giving in to fear and lack of confidence. In Proverbs 29:18 it says, "Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained." Also, in Habakkuk 2:2, The the Lord answered me and said, Record the vision and write it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run."
We have to write down our visions, our dreams and keep checking them off one by one when we accomplish each one. If you doubt yourself, it's not of faith, we are meant to get out of the boat of fear and plunge into the waters of faith.
What is on your check list of passions and things to accomplish for His kingdom, for your own personal growth or life? Why not start today with the list!