Embassy of the Kingdom of Heaven

Hi friends, miss you all! 

 I came across this as I was doing my devotion on
 YouVersion Bible app  

(Life Church for those of you looking for a great Bible app.)  Email me if you need help finding it, or if you want to be friends on it.  I feel like it is a better way to sharpen each other than some other things that are offered out in the great big world today.  I love it and digging in the Word is so good for us!
*my email is on the sidebar.
 

Need a lift to your sagging spirit? 

 Do you need God to help you move out of stuck and into a new realm of Kingdom business? 

 Well, I might have just the opportunity for you. Click and watch and then bow your head and see what our Father will do!  I was humbled as I watched, but also inspired to ask God to use my life in such a way.

A piece of what God is putting on my heart... Asking Him how we can accomplish this vision He has given me through this

beautiful 82 year old inspiration

 to my soul.

Thankfulness to Chew On

Thanksgiving is an underrated spiritual discipline.  Being thankful stops you in your tracks and

forces you to rest in the midst of your "doings" to reflect on God's absolute goodness. It changes the atmosphere and invites the Holy Spirit into the moment. Thanksgiving gives eyes to see and a heart that is open to receive from Him. Thanksgiving is a practice we need to embrace.

 We need to be constantly aware of His workings, constantly casting up thanksgiving and praise to Him. We need to acknowledge His work, His goodness and our desperate need of Him.  A thankful heart is rooted in the reality of His goodness and presence. 

Thank you Lord for this day.  Thank you Father for giving me this day to submit my life into your hands.  Help me to walk in gratitude to You this day and let it open the door of my heart to Your presence.

Come Holy Spirit come!

 

When Christmas Seems Dark

A thought came to my heart as I was spending time with God.  I am learning to listen ever so carefully to what He is speaking to my heart.  I am asking Him to allow me to grow in this area, as it is a gift that I must confess that I buried for a good portion of my Christian walk.

May this bless your heart as you walk out today and the days that are coming, that draw us into celebrating the joy of our Savior, Jesus, being born in a dark and cold stable.  He came into the dark world to bring us Light and Hope.   May it fill you today my friend.

A song of David

The Lord is my shepherd.

I will always have everything I need.

He gives me green pastures to lie in. 

He leads me by calm pools of water.

He restores my strength.

He leads me on right paths to show me He is good.

Even if I walk through a valley as dark as the grave,

I will not be afraid of any danger, because You are with me.

Your rod and staff comfort me.

You prepared a meal for me in front of my enemies.

You welcomed me as an honored guest.

My cup is full and spilling over.

Your goodness and mercy will be with me all of my life,

and I will live in the Lord's house a long, long time.

 

Psalm 23 

Easy-to-Read Version. 

The only thing I would add is that a long, long time isn't the true translation...

slip in the word 'forever' and now we are talking truth.

I am praying for you.  ((hug))

 

Bittersweet's Embrace

For those of you who are struggling.  

My heart is praying for you now.  Please stop and talk to God about it.  He loves you and cares for you.  He hasn't left you and never will. I pray you find comfort in his arms and that the lies of the enemy will be silenced.

Asking Him for love to flood your spirit and heart and peace to rule your mind.

 

Teaching Children to Bless Others

Teaching Children to Bless Others

 

 As a mother, my heart is that my children will love others and be a blessing.  I don't think this comes naturally, as we often as humans think of self before others.  However, God wants us to love Him with our whole hearts and to love others, self coming way down the list of priorities.  

From Jesus use of the word blessed in the Sermon on the Mount it was the Greek word makarios, mean happy or blissful.  It is also is understood as a self-contained kind of happiness.

Whatever our age, our life situation, we can choose to not be directed by the external around us, but to live out of the internal happiness we have as a beloved child of God.  When we live our lives applying His truths, we find joy, bliss and happiness!

How do we teach this to our children?

Let's decide to purposefully talk to our children about how Jesus came to show us the way to live.  Jesus told us that He is the way, the truth and the life.  If we ask Jesus into our hearts, then the Holy Spirit resides inside us.  

We don't have to be moved by circumstances in our day to make us blessed (happy), but by reminding ourselves that God has given us the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit goes with each of His children all day- we can live out of that truth! It is so much easier to be a blessing if we get that we are blessed ourselves.

Jesus lived to show us how we should live a life that reaches out and blesses others.  It is something He actively did while He lived here on earth.  We need to actively live to do the same.  How can we do that today?  How do we then take this and begin applying it to our children's hearts?

We can show them first off by doing it ourselves.  You know what they say, more is caught than taught.  We need to be in the Word of God each day, and teaching our children to do the same.  We need to be asking Him for opportunities to live as Jesus did in blessing others.  We need to train our ears to hear His voice and allow our children to tune the ears of their hearts as well.  Practice in this makes perfect! 

Challenge our children to count the ways that we can do this in the hours we have been given today.  As you sit together around the dinner table, or head out somewhere in the car, talk about ways God has opened your eyes to see opportunities to be a blessing to people.

The Holy Spirit will be so excited to join us in this blessing adventure.  And how great it is when we activate our children's hearts to live a life that aligns themselves in following after their Father's heart!

Jesus began and ended His ministry in blessing people.

Worry and Prayer

Think this says it all. Plug it in to your life and see God do amazing things!

Encouragement for Today

Today in the grocery store I ran into a man who I went to church with as a child.  He was now older (as am I!)  and the only reason I recognized him was he asked me where a particular kind of macaroni and cheese was located.  I didn't so much as recognize his face, which had changed over time, but his voice made me say, "Are you Dave (I also used his last name)?"  

I think it startled him, as he asked me why I wanted to know.  I told him who I was, and we began to reminisce.

He was super positive and though he had been facing some pretty big life struggles the past few months, he continued to thank God for his blessings.  Sweet Dave and I prayed right there in the aisle fourteen.  He slipped his well worn hand into mine and we stormed heaven together for his wife, who had gone through brain surgery and suffered a stroke.

After we prayed his eyes began to twinkle even more.  He told me he had but one request before He went home to be with Jesus.  

I asked him what that one request was.  

Bless my soul,

  he said he wanted to read the Bible 100 times!

He said he got saved when he was 30 and had been reading it 2 times every year since then, or trying to.  He currently had read it 56 times!  I think my jaw dropped down and he told me he wasn't doing it just to do it, but that he loved God's Word and just couldn't get enough.  Sigh, me too, but I have only read it 8 or 9 times, and already have lost count.   

He encouraged me with his eye twinkle, he encouraged me by his devotion to the Lord and for His Word.  Dave also encouraged me, because he has a son that isn't walking with the Lord, but continues to believe that one day Mark will understand who this Jesus is and will say yes to Him too. Not out of fear, but because of understanding how greatly He loves him.

My soul needed to meet this dear man today.  Life has been hard this year and I have been feeling more negative than positive as of late.  The battles have piled up one upon another for me this year and boy have I been feeling it physically.

Thank you Father for sending me encouragement and helping me to change my perspective.

 

Joy for Today

Simple joys:  a swing, a push from someone who loves you, dirty knees, laughter at unexpected moments...

 all these and so much more. 

 Choose joy today, no matter what comes your way, stop and pick joy to accompany you throughout today.

Love-In-Action (Parenting Help)

In the midst of life's storms; my heart turns to the One who can carry me, to the One who can guide my steps, to the One who holds all the hidden things and is able to bring them to the Light. 

 I will call on the name of the Lord in my times of trouble.  I will not fear, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I know God is with me.  Not only is He with me, but He is 100% for me!

 And as a mother, I can put my confidence and trust in the fact that He also holds the life of my children lovingly in his mighty hands.  Where He has called me; He indeed will enable me. {He is our best counsel and help}

He alone is our help in times of trouble.  When it all seems to be closing in around you, or on top of you, remember:  

'Things aren't always what they appear.' 

 Turn your heart and eyes to God and let Him show you and teach you in your day of trouble.

I hope this ministers to your heart too!

On Giving

Proverbs 19:17 (Easy to Read Version)

Giving help to the poor is like loaning money to the Lord. 

He will pay you back for your kindness.

I remind myself again and again that we can never out-give the Lord.  Here He is asking us; or reminding us, that all He is asking of us is kindness.  Kindness is just another name for mercy; which is another name for love. Kindness works like cash in the Kingdom.  We give it and it goes into our heavenly account. 

 As we do it, the Lord sees it and counts it as reaching out to help Him.  Remember what He said about that...

Jesus

I have been asking God to help me be kind to those who have less; there are so many who are hurting all around us.  Each week He has given me the energy to rise early on Saturday, to reach out his heart to the poor.  He goes ahead of me, bringing them and then gives me the words and the strength to begin to love them. I am amazed at how often they are flipping it and being 'KIND' to me. 

How often do we not step out because we feel like we have nothing to give.  I think most of us equate giving with dollar and cents signs, instead of acts of love and kindness. Many times, I am giving more from my heart than from my purse, but the Word says that the Lord sees this kindness and sets aside a reward for us.  How often does the enemy come to us and tell us we aren't doing enough for God.  Right here we can claim it isn't how much we are "doing", but how much we are being who we were made to be.

Be Kind.

It's not that hard.  Let the love flow and God will move to do His part!  

Self Image

Self-Image

As a woman I have fought a battle with self-image.  

Many times it seemed as if I was losing in the battle and doing major injury to my soul in the process. I don't think it is uncommon for American women to find a battle in this area of self-image.  Now that I am an older woman, I am seeing a much different me in the reflection of the glass. 

Today, a young BEAUTY-FILLED (BEAUTIFUL!) mom sent me a text.  She has had her own battle. A battle that left deep scars in her story, but one that Jesus has brought her healing in.  We were discussing something in our small church group last night, just she and me off in a corner.  I was warning her about comparing ourselves with other women.  I told her just the day before that I had to push myself away from a situation, I could feel it stirring up the 'devil of comparison.'  It wasn't good for me, so I unplugged from it. I was being plunged into the depths of self-image.  The Spirit within me warned me that I was moving into an area of danger.

My young friend said this to me in her text:

"Hi Kimmie.  I wanted to tell you that you are beautiful. 

 I meant to tell you that yesterday when we were discussing ....  Love you."

To which I responded.

"Ahhh thanks.  Love you too!"

As I thought more about self-image my battle and her personal battle,
 I felt the Holy Spirit  lead me to share:

"My self-image is changing.  Instead of seeing me and all my imperfections, I am beginning to see His transformation of me 'into His image.'  It doesn't happen from the outside,
 so the mirror doesn't always capture it (or contain it!) ...

but it IS SHINING from the inside out.

Instead of self-image my heart says, "Show me Jesus in me!!!"

Her sweet response:

"Amen!! That is awesome. 

 That is my heart's and eye's desire for sure!!"

Oh Lord, change our hearts and eyes to see us as You do. 
 Let the world look at us and see You too!

The First Day of...

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life...

...the words ran through my head, as I thought of what has been going on around me lately.  

Today a close friend of mine closed a door in his life and opened a new one.  Well, that is not really the whole story, it is a God story, so with it are so many more details about his new direction in life.  

Today my friend, Justin, became a Youth Pastor at my church.  He walked away from a job he was good at, a job he went to school and had to trained long and hard for.  A job that was difficult to say good-bye to, but you see he realized that God had something else in mind for him.  Today was the first day of the rest of his life, in doing what he was made to do: being a Youth Pastor.

My friend is embarking in something he really knows very little about personally.  Sure he has been to church for most of his life, but really he has had no training in being a Pastor.  No schooling, as of yet, in shepherding people.  But he knows that God has called him.  He understands that his life is not his own, but that it was bought at a very high price by Jesus.  And because of this, 

today is the first day of the rest of his life.

He is going to trust God and follow His lead into this new day!

True for me and you too.  Each day God gives us is a new opportunity to use it for Him.  It may not mean a job change, or it might.  It may not mean we get stretched as much as Justin, but it might and it probably will be way out of our comfort zone. 

 The comfort zone is over rated. Sure it is safe, or so it seems, but really it is a dangerous place for us.  We easily become self focused.  We easily become complacent and often lose sight of what it is we are supposed to be doing with our lives here on earth. Our souls grow fat, but our Spirit grows weak and small in comparison.

Each of us was made for a purpose.  Each of us needs to grab hold of God and ask Him to show us (this day) what it is that He is asking of us today.  We need to have willing hearts and eager spirits to follow hard after Him, even if it means we are not 'COMFORTABLE' in it.  Growing in our faith, just like physical growth from a child to an adult, causes stretching and sometimes pain. 

 Are we willing to be stretched?  Are we too comfortable?

I will be sharing what stretching God has been doing in my own life lately.  I'd love to hear how you too are being stretched and what you are learning in it.

As I look out my window it is dark here, this day has nearly ended.  Tomorrow is coming.

"Come let us get ready.  Because today will be the first day of the rest of our lives.  Let's give God our hearts, our wills and our time.  Let's let Him take us out of our comfort zone and into whatever it is that He has prepared for us."

Don't be scared, God is already there waiting for us. 

 Remember, wherever He calls us to, He enables us in it!

Fragments, Pieces and Parts

Does it ever seem like you are needing super-human strength

 to make it through your 'just normal' day?

Life for me is full.  Full meaning busy, full meaning I sometimes don't sit down until I really am ready to collapse.  I often just get so busy that I forget to eat, then suddenly I realize it is dinner time. I never do it intentionally, it just seems that one minute runs into the next and before I know it my Knight is due home and the last leg of the day has come once again.

We had a special guest speaker at church this week.  A week set aside as a "renewal" week (a time of refueling and refreshing) at my church.  As I sat worshiping God, I realized how fragmented my worship must seem to him.  How many times during my singing and worshiping Him, does my mind wander back to the ordinary of my life.  One minute I am raising my hands and singing out my love for Him, the very next I am thinking if I took the meat out of the freezer for tomorrow's dinner.  

I jotted this down in my notes as the sermon was being preached:

'I am offering God the bits of my day, the pockets that spill into an open moment that becomes worship to God.  Sometimes I can't stay within the worship. (I become unfocused and wander from worship back into worry, planning or plain distraction).  Forgive me Lord, you deserve it all, not fragments or broken bits.  Help me to stay centered, focused, intentional.  Help me to give you a whole life of worship."

I catch myself and try to stay centered on just Him.  But again and again I find that my flesh rises up against my spirit, trying to draw me away, back into the world of  'to-do', that never-ever-ends.  

I found my eyes full of tears, big heavy tears, in wanting God to know that it bothered me.  Not a little, but  A LOT!  I found myself at service's end standing in a prayer line with maybe 75 others who felt like me, that they somehow were only giving God a small portion of what they really wanted to give Him.  

As the preacher from South Africa closed up his sermon, he caught my eyes that were welling with tears.  He came down off the altar and put his hands on my head.  He asked the Lord to give me more glory.  To fill me back up and to continue to show His glory through my life.

His prayer wasn't long, but as I chewed on it today I realize that God is using my life and all the ordinary moments to bring glory to Himself.  I don't see it.  Maybe random glimpses, but He does.  Those around me do too.  But sometimes this Mama is just to full to stop and look at what it is that I am daily doing for His glory.  

 He doesn't see my day as meager offerings, or fragmented worship,

 He sees it as a love offering given fully to Him.

He doesn't see my busy as self absorbed, but as a woman who has a servant's heart and serves others in the choice of how she lives and how she serves her family. He doesn't see anything about my day as fragmented or broken.  He sees it as whole and a beautiful fragrant offering.

He has heard my continually cry for more of Him and less of me.  He has seen me begin my day in his Word, often in tears. He has heard me pray for those He puts on my heart and into my life.  He knows that the time is in continual sacrifice to Him, though I don't always understand it as that.

Thank you Lord for your reminding me that the work you have called me to is important, that child raising (in training them to love Him and serve Him) is huge in Kingdom business.  That I am not only influencing those in my home, under my hand, but those who stand around us through the week that are watching God be glorified.  As they look on, they see Him glorified,
 clearer that I see where I am standing.

(that is what He is telling me).

Busy is, as busy does.  
True, true.  

So don't mind my sigh.  But I am full.
 I am being emptied rather deeply each day,
 but He is filling me up to pour me out like a drink offering,
 before His throne and for His glory!

Homeschool (and Parenting) Wisdom

Slow down.

Do less.

Breathe deeply.

Choose to be present.

(which means not half present, 

not multitasking,

 not keeping an eye on your Pinterest

 or email

 or texts.

And certainly it means that phone 

shouldn't be an extension of your arm!)

Make a list of things that you would like to do together.

(then do them...

one at a time

 in a slow chew your food,

 so you can savor it,

 kind of way!)

Hug your kids.

Kiss your kids.

Make food together.

Go on a picnic 

(you can even do it in your living room floor

 when the weather just isn't quite outside picnic worthy!)

Do messy and not so messy crafts.

Go to the library...

you will never regret time spent together gathering books.

Read together.  

(sprawl out together in one room. 

 Tea and snacks make it perfect!)

Enjoy the outdoors.

Go for a walk.

Go for a hike.

Go in search of something new.

Get in the car and take an old fashioned ride...

like we did in childhood before gas prices were so outrageous. 

 Choose to live extravagantly just for a day.

Reach out and be kind to someone who needs it.

Find an elderly person to befriend. 

 It will mean the world to everyone involved.

Don't become overwhelmed and lose focus that your time is short

 and slowing down actually reduces stress.

Say no to activities.  

Weed down to the ones that are necessary.

Be brave and say no to them for a season. 

 (trust me you will live!)

Thank God for what He has given you.  

Pray together.

Teach them to love God.  To love family.  To love others.  

Read your Bible...it is full of wisdom.

Teach your kids to read theirs each day

 and tell them it is God's love letter to them 

and to you!

Childhood is fleeting.  

You blink and your kids are grown-up.  

Make a decision to live in a new slow downed pace...

and in it I promise you that will find joy unspeakable!

If you are a new homeschooling parent I welcome you to your new year!  

Don't be afraid!

Enjoy it. 

 I encourage you to stop and ask God to speak to your heart.

  Ask Him to help you keep it simple and learn to love the spot He has you in.

*If you are a parent minus the homeschooling.  Ditto!

Remember...children grow so fast. 

 Be intentional in how you live out their childhood

 and your days as their loving parent.

Making A Fortress

How often in life do we put walls up, trying to protect our hearts. It might begin as a mini-fortress of self protection, but it ends up being more like a prison that we are entrapped in.

  How often do we forget that we put those walls up.  We then begin to wonder why life isn't going so well. The fortress of our heart can be penetrated.  The fortress can be removed, but not in our own strength.

I challenge you today to give your heart a good checking.  See if you don't have protective walls in place that need to be taken down.  If after you ask God to search you, you discover that indeed there are 'walls' that need to be removed, then ask God to forgive you and help you to break them down.

Originally the box we put our self in seems like such a great idea, but walls always manage to keep out so many other things, besides the things that were hurting us.  They keep out people who might just be the one God sent to minister to our lives.  They keep out blessings that are trying to reach us, but can't because the walls divide us from them.  They keep out God's joy, which indeed is our strength, because walls or things that keep us separated don't allow joy to rule or reign. 

 His strength (and joy) come as we trust Him.  As we open up our hearts (and fortress) before Him and allow Him to bring us to new understanding of where our strength and protection must come from.  If we chose to be our own fortress, He will allow us that option, but it means that we forgo His strength and joy.

As children we enjoy a mini-fortress made of cardboard and paint, but as children- sons and daughters of the Most High God, we must realize that this is not the way in which we should live our lives out as His children.  

May today be the day that God helps you to break free and live with a new sense of joy and strength in Him.

After all the Word says that no weapon formed against us can prosper,

 I double dog dare you to let the 'fortress go!'

When Life is Hard..."Don't Quit"

Don't Quit

 When things go wrong as they sometimes will, 

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don't quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about,

When he might have won if he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow-

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than-

it seems to a fair and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late when night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so afar,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,-

It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

Author unknown

I hope this give someone some encouragement today.

Here's what God's Word has to say about giving up...

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous. 

 Do not be frightened, do not be dismayed, 

for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 

Psalm 37:24

Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.

Don't Quit.  Fight the good fight.  If you are feeling overwhelmed and tired, take some time to rest.  Bow your head now and tell the Lord how you are feeling.  Ask Him to help you, to bring you strength and courage to continue on.  Ask Him for rest for your body and soul.  

Don't Quit.  If you need prayer, I'd love to stand with you.  

Quitting isn't a good solution.  It won't solve the problem(s).  The best way is to come to Him.  Lean on Him.  Ask Him for wisdom.  Invite Him into the situation and then give Him room to move in it.

May your heart find strength in knowing you are not alone and that God cares about you.

Grief....The Journey

Living in a fallen world, most of us have had a face to face with loss.  The kind of loss that makes you stop life and pushes you into grieving.  Though I am thankful to not currently be grieving the loss of someone dear to me, I have chosen to walk the road with someone who has.  For the past 6 weeks we have been riding together to a church in a neighboring town, and sitting with a small group of beautiful souls who are in the midst of grief.

I have wanted to share with you the experience, but like other things over the past year, they are so close to my heart that it is difficult to find the right way.

  It has been a holy experience for me to have the people who are pressing in to life, as their loss grips them and wants to drag them down to hopelessness.  Each week they open their most personal thoughts with me in their midst, knowing I have come with my widowed friend Betty, as her support.  I am the only one in the group that isn't in the midst of battling grief, though I bear my own scars from it.  (23 years ago, while pregnant with my homemade, I lost my dad to a massive heart attack).  I am allowed to come into their most holy place of grieving and share in their journey to joy.

My group is lead by the Pastor of the church.  He lost his wife in August to complications with a long battle with diabetes.  His church has offered it several times before, but this time he is leading it, as he wanted to benefit from the program himself.  Each person has their unique story to tell, with the pain that comes with it.  A box of tissues is ever present, and I am amazed at the strength of those who come and share their hearts so transparently.

Our group is small- three widows;  Carolyn who lost her husband to cancer but 2 months ago, Giselle lost her husband in September (she is co-leading the group), after a long term illness, my friend Betty who is 3 years into mourning her beloved Paul.  A couple who lost their son after a surgery complication, he was only 23 years old and had a life time of health struggles.  A woman who only came once, she was struggling with depression .  Gail a woman who lost both her mother and then a brother recently- she is left to care for her father who is depressed. Ron, a sweet older man, who popped in during week 5, he lost his sweetheart a year ago. He was struggling with getting past anger and enjoying the rest of his life-he said he was 79.  He didn't come back this week, hoping he will, as I was hoping to hear more of the story of his life that he so beautifully and openly shared with us~ strangers to him.

As I shared, I have grieved in this life. Some times it was things that most people don't see as something that would put you on a path of grief, like infertility or loss of a child through adoption.  You are welcome at Griefshare for these losses too. I didn't ever have a Christian support group like Griefshare.

  Oh, how I wish I did. 

   I encourage you to find one near you if you are finding yourself in the place of grief.  

How it works...

first you find a group.

then you show up (do it, even if it is a terrible struggle to get there...)

YOU WILL BE SO GLAD YOU DID!

We greet each other and have a bit of time, as people wander in from near and far,

 to see how we are doing this week.

We sit down and Pastor Howard leads us into what we will be learning on this particular meeting. 

Griefshare has the book I shared above, each week there are lessons we do together and then activities to do during the week.  The book/guide was $20 (optional to buy)- it is beautifully laid out and full of helpful information. 

We watch a short video on the topic pertaining to the week we are in in the Griefshare guide.  Each week is not based on the previous, so anyone can join the group at anytime- the meetings are free. The book has 13 sessions or segments of study, so this is how many weeks we will be meeting with each other.

After the video 'we circle up,' as sweet Pastor Howard calls it.  He invites us, if we are willing, to share our hearts.  The leadership guide has select questions, that help us dig in further to our week's topic.  The atmosphere in our group is very gentle and loving.  We spend an hour or so, with a break for snacks, sharing our lives with one another.

Love flows.  Encouragement is given.  Tears are sometimes shed.  Wisdom is imparted.  Friendships form.  The Spirit of God moves in our midst and it is a beautiful thing.

I am sure I haven't done Griefshare justice.  Maybe you would like to visit their website and read more about their offerings or find a group for yourself.  If you are grieving- it's for you.  If you know someone who is grieving tell them and offer to join them!  

Griefshare

If you happen to be in a place of grieving and need someone to talk to- leave me a note and I will be happy to be an ear for you.  If you need help finding a group, the website has links that can help- but again if you need help, I'd be happy to help you.  I pray that God helps you in this lonely place of grieving and puts your life on the path from mourning to joy.  Griefshare is a wonderful resource and one that I think so many are unaware of.  (so I am trying to help get the word out!)

 I am praying for you...if you want more prayer leave me a way to contact you!  There is a link in my sidebar with my email address if you would like to keep it private.

How Do You See Yourself?

  I stumbled across this today...but not accidentally.
 I was speaking with the Lord this afternoon and He said something I didn't quite understand.  This is what He spoke to my heart, 

"You are not what you think you are."

I wrote it down, it was part of my homework for a class I am taking at church.  We are reading a book called Keep Your Love On by Danny Silk. 

My Pastor asked us to write a letter to God and then let Him write one back to us.  It might seem weird, or hard, but he encouraged us to do it and that we would hear (as he says most people do that try it).  So I did.  The first thing I got from God was this sentence I just shared with you. It didn't make much sense, but I wrote down what came to my heart and figured I would reread everything that came later when I could study it in quiet again.

And then post me tucking my kids into bed, I "stumbled upon" this.  Actually, it was weird because after I watched this, I couldn't even remember how I had found it, but I did.  He wanted me to, because I could have been one of these women describing myself.  My picture would have been hard and heavy, but God says I have it all wrong, just like these women did.  

How about you.  Watch this and see what stirs in your spirit.  

adding a version with closed caption for my Deaf friends

but I have to add... this needs to be followed up by this....

Closed Caption option: (be blessed Linda!)

Please leave me a note...as I am more than curious about what you got from this.

Thanking God for my time with Him and for how He speaks
 (to you and to me!)

Teaching Children How to be a Blessing

(part one)

After looking around the Internet, I became greatly aware that there is a great lacking on 

 teaching children to be a blessing.
 I found many posts on how to bless your children,
100's of ideas of how to bless them.
  But I couldn't find one such list of how children can step out to be a blessing.

  Now, don't get me wrong, blessing your children is great.  I do it - you do it, but are they doing it?  If they are or even if they aren't, wouldn't you like them to live this way.  Like the kind of living that doesn't require you to walk around behind them reminding of them to do it. (smirking). 

As a homeschooling mother, I have decided that this needs to be put into our curriculum.  So my children will be memorizing this scripture.  We will make a list of ways to be a blessing and writing essays on how we are blessed and why?  (see below)  We will also, as they say, 'take it to the streets.'  The ministry of blessing is about serving, really that is what is meant by ministry; service to others.

I think the Bible clearly tells us that we are blessed so that we can pour out blessings to others.  The whole blessed to be a blessing idea. Now the Bible doesn't spell it out exactly like that, but it does point us firmly in that direction. I am going to do a few more posts on how to be a blessing, with Scripture added in to help us.

 We are told to love God with all our hearts and to also love others (God used the word neighbors) as ourselves.  Now, here in America I don't think we have a problem loving ourselves, our society is based on self-focus.  We as humans are born not only sinful, but selfish in our ways. My children are no different and need continued guidance in training them to walk in ways that please God.  I want my children to spend less time on thinking or pondering self, and to instead focus with greater intent on becoming one who blesses.

As their mother, I am encouraging them to think on how they can bless me (and others) throughout their day.  God promises them that if they honor their parents (honor means- love, respect, caring for, obedience to...) that he will bless them because of that life style choice with a long life.  Those who honor God, He honors.  

So imagine this "Little Blesser" having the favor of God over their long little lives.  Makes you want to get busy at working, "How to be a Blessing," into your parenting plan.  I want my children blessed by God and in turn, poured out to be a blessing on the path they trod upon.

Here is what I wrote on our fridge (*dry erase makers):

Philippians 2:3-4  

Expanded Bible/ with some Mama Notes added in

When you do things

do not let selfishness 

or pride

(me-me-me-me)

to be your guide.

Instead be humble and (stop and choose) 

give (action)

more honor (regard/value)

to others than to yourself.

Do not  be interested only in your life 

(again either me-me-me or  an I-I-I attitude),

but be interested

in the lives of others.

(be a blessing to make others happy).

Homework:  (this was for my kids- also written on the refrigerator door)

• write out a list of how you are blessed (my children are doing it in essay form)
• God blesses you so we can be a blessing to others- how will you choose to live this way today?

Trusting God

Trusting God~ Walking by Faith

 

Having faith is knowing God is in control, which by the way means that we acknowledge we are not.  However, acknowledging God is not enough, knowing is actually not even enough.  What is faith then?  It is applying that knowing, our past experiences with Him, into how we live today.  In applying what we know, we are able to make decisions that line up with what we believe. 

 So faith is like a math problem

believing (knowing) + action (how we live) = faith (trust)

The best thing about this kind of math is that the more we do it, the better at it we become at it.  So this math when correctly applied brings Kingdom increase!  Our faith and trust increase and we mature as Christians!  Maturity brings us more opportunities to serve Him and opens up new doors in our faith.  

So if you are feeling rather stagnant in your faith, or rather stuck with not much motion in growing in your faith...then perhaps its time to get into Kingdom math.

We also need to understand that sometimes faith means trust, because honestly His ways are just not our ways.  The Bible tells us that His ways are higher (better) than ours.  Sometimes it just doesn't make sense, but we take a stand by trusting in Him and resting in His goodness.  We need to remind ourselves of our past experiences with Him, remembering that indeed He is faithful!

How can we increase our trust in Him?

1. Seeking God for all your needs

2.  Knowing what He says

 * read His Word (it is full of what He thinks!)

* spend time with Him (pray, with thanksgiving, worship and praise!)

*hang out with people who love and follow Him

*ask Him for a mentor

3. Trust God's ways- even if you don't understand, step out with faith in Him

* if it is hard, stop bow your head and ask Him for the ability to trust Him in the situation.  Remembering we walk (live) by faith and not by sight.  He gives supernatural power to those who ask.

4. Stir up faith 

by recalling God's past faithfulness

 for future trials (or for what you are facing today!)

 We can have fantastic, awesome, sparkling faith, but if it isn't the will of God~ 

no amount of faith with change God's will.

Hope you step into greater faith and trust as you walk into today.  The best time to start is now.

Asking God to strengthen you, to empower you and to draw you to Himself.

Have an awesome weekend friends!