Solomon's Wisdom

In case you live near me and you don’t remember what this looks like…it is rain!

I was so hoping to wake up and have to run in the rain or at least on damp pavement…oh well…still not our turn. Maybe next time =)

I was reading in 2 Chronicles early this morning and I was struck by Solomon’s request for wisdom. Not because I had never read it or known it…but just because I never thought long and hard about it. Basically God gave Solomon a blank check. God said in 2 Chron 1:7 “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” And Solomon picked wisdom and knowledge to lead God’s people. As I sat there thinking several thoughts popped in my head…so I will share them and you can laugh at how RANDOM my brain functions.

1 – Why didn’t Solomon ask for something selfish? Most humans would ask for riches, power, good health, long life, or even safety from enemies (I mean his crazy brother had already tried to steal the throne to be sure Solomon was scared someone else might turn against him and try to hurt him)…so why not something selfish? Why something that would benefit countless others?

2 – I wonder if Solomon had heard so many Moses and stiff-necked Israelite stories as a boy that he knew it would take lots of wisdom and knowledge to lead God’s chosen people. Maybe he was afraid without wisdom he would buckle or snap when they started whining again.

3 – What would I ask for? Would it be something to benefit others or just myself? What is the true desire of my heart? Is it in line with God’s will for my life? And how can I daily ensure my desire and God’s Will are in line? Is Bible reading and prayer enough…or am I missing something obvious that I need to do?

So I prayed…go read it (2 Chron 1) and put yourself in Solomon’s place (that is my FAVORITE way to read the Bible by the way…in first person…what would I do/say??)…and then you pray too…because I already prayed for you this morning. Love you ladies!

In Him,
Kristy =)

Self-Disciplne...lately I lack it =(

So yesterday I decided to FINALLY get around to going through my entire scripture memory binder to make sure I was still retaining them all. I was sorely disappointed in myself. The first 24 I learned I could still spout out like nobody’s business. The second 24 I struggled a bit. And this year’s 12 were rough to say the least. So I made a commitment to get back to the ways of the first 24. The reason I still know them so well is because once per week I said them all…rarely missing a week. But now that there are so many and it takes a longer amount of time to say them…so I make up excuses for lack of time and I get lazy…and it shows! I tell myself that I will review them in line at the grocery store since I go there weekly…but…I shop at Princeton Food Lion and in 4 years I have waited in line maybe 2 times…or maybe even only once. So needless to say…I am lying to myself that I will find time at the gro-sto!!! I need to get to the root of the lack of memory skills…self-discipline!

It is amazing how lack of self-discipline can be so disastrous in so many areas of my life and most times I do not address or correct the situation because then I would have to accept responsibility for whatever is going wrong…and I’d rather ignore it or blame it on someone else. =) (just being honest!!) So I spend time making excuses and justifying my inability to do whatever I need to do and never own up that it is something totally controlled by ME! Anyone with me? If I would instead exercise a little self-discipline and just do the thing I try to avoid or avoid accountability for…life would be simpler.

Yeah…that got a little rambly…do you get the point? Actually I might have lost it myself. *grin*

I guess the cliff notes version is that so many things in life require just a little self-discipline and after you exercise it…God will bless that act of self-discipline (i.e. obedience) beyond your wildest imagination…but lots of times we miss the blessings because we lack self-discipline. And there is no one to blame but US!

Take daily Bible reading for example…y’all know that is a hot one for me. In the last 4 years as I have steadily read through the Bible using a daily reading guide…God has made those scripture take on new life and used the stories in my life in ways I could never explain. If I had not exercised a little self-discipline and stayed true to the reading (even on days/weeks I wanted to just STOP and read something more exciting than Deuteronomy or as this week…1 Chronicles!)…I would have MISSED so many blessings...and some in the form of witness opportunities…which provides a double blessing (one for me and another person)!

So I will try a new approach to my scripture refreshing method…the ride home from work EVERY Friday afternoon. It might get a little dangerous these first weeks while I am having to cheat and read some of them…so look out between Clayton and Princeton. But Friday afternoon is a consistent time alone for 20 minutes…so I dedicate it to scripture refreshing…ask me how I am doing in a few weeks...please and thank you!

What is something you lack self-discipline in that you can practice with me???? I’ll hold you accountable if you hold me accountable =)

Be a blessing ladies!!!

In Him,
Kristy =)

Just Checking In...

I’m back…did ya miss me? I missed y’all.

My family took a short vacation…just the right amount of time away. We have never been week long vacationers…we just don’t roll that way. Personally, I like taking long weekends and stretching my vacation days out over the entire summer. =) Last year we took a full week and we were about nuts by day 5.

We went to see the Atlanta Braves play the Texas Rangers and then to Myrtle Beach with Travis’s parents. The Braves game was awesome! It got rain delayed so we bailed and went for supper instead of hanging in there for the over 5 hour ball game! But supper was good and 5 innings is enough at one time for my crew. And I took some really good pictures of Josh Hamilton like we are BFF’s or something. I told Travis they were so good that I should send them to his momma. And he just shook his head. Maybe he thinks she has better pictures from ESPN or something…hmmm oh well.

The beach was also awesome. It always reminds me of how BIG that God is! And I love the sand and salt…and so do my children. That is one thing they definitely get from me because if we NEVER went back to the beach my hubby would be just fine with that. The weather was perfect and the sunscreen worked well so we made the most of our two days hanging out with Meema and Papa. And there is just something special about reading your Bible at the beach…it’s just so serene and calm (when the kids are IN BED that is!!!).

I am ordering the Summer Bible Study today…so if anyone last minute wants to jump on with us…come on…see this post…http://wmbcwomensminstry.blogspot.com/2011/05/exciting-announcement-and-misc-news.html

Just reply to the comment or send me an email if you want me to order you a book.

Hope you all have a Jesus-filled week! Its church night…go somewhere and get refueled!

In Him,
Kristy =)

smc - June 15th 2011

Good morning ladies!
I hope everyone is having an awesome week and is ready to be at church tonight to get filled up to survive until the weekend! I don't know how folks make it each week with no Wednesday night service. If you don't have a Wed service...find one! ha

OK...not much time to chat today...so here we go...I am continuing my 1 Cor 13 LOVE passages this time.

1 Cor 13:5 “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ” (NIV)

Let's hear your verses!

Stay in His Word!
In Him,
Kristy

King David's dying...and I am about to be crying...

David’s dying this week and I am so sad about it. I almost cried this morning reading how fraile and weak he is. And regardless of his lack of strength...he is still worshipping God from his bed.

I am finishing up the last week of Beth Moore’s David: A heart like His Bible study and it is crazy to me at how sad I am that David is dying. I mean…I have read the books of Samuel and 1 King’s at least 4 times now (four years in a row on the Annual Bible reading plan…come join me…*wink*) and I still am sad to see King David die. I guess it is because he is my absolutely, positively favorite OT character. And I want so desperately to be similar to David and be seen by God as a woman after His own heart!

Anyway…it makes me wonder if other folks get as wrapped up as I do in the lives of Bible characters while you are studying them. I catch myself praying “Lord let it be different this time”. Please tell me someone else does that and I am not completely crazy…

See ya back tomorrow for the Scripture Memory Challenge =) I can’t believe how quickly the 1st and 15th rolls around!

Be a blessing today…tomorrow is church night…woohoo!

In Him,
Kristy =)

PS – I sent my oldest to GA Camp alone for the first time and I feel a little strange! I drove away yesterday thinking…WHAT AM I DOING????? But I didn't cry...thought about it...but didn't! haha So if you have a spare prayer…throw one up for me to be at peace and for her to be having a blast!!

Motivation

Last night we had our first lesson in our new Acteens Bible Study! It was really good. I think I enjoyed it as much if not more than the girls! We had six participate and the discussion was fun and enlightening! I think I will learn a lot from these girls over the next 10 weeks!

In other randomness…have you ever thought about what motivates you? I am weird so I think about stuff like that sometimes. And while I really want to say that I am motivated by some deep theological notion…today I am afraid that I have decided it is probably something un-holy like spite or stubbornness. Here’s why…last night I was laying out my running clothes while knowing that my running partner could not make it this morning. (and you need to know that I was like 3 minutes late meeting her yesterday because I hit snooze once). So I commented to my hubby that I was “pretending like I might actually get up and run by myself at 5am” and I laughed. He commented back “you can’t even get up when you have someone meeting you how do you think you will do it by yourself”. So…whether he was kidding or not…I got up and ran alone…3 ½ miles. =) You can stop laughing...

I think I need a t-shirt that says “I run…because he said I wouldn’t” =)

Seriously…what motivates me? Is it the world, my flesh, or something bigger? I think until we realize that only Jesus matters…we will never be motivated by the right “forces”. It is a daily struggle for me to look past the world and see Jesus in the back drop and do everything in His Name and for His Glory. It is much easier to just trudge along being motivated by worldly pleasures and flesh…there seems to be less conflict when you fit in to the world around you and blend in being motivated by worldly things.

But at some point we must realize that we don’t fit in. We were never made to fit in. It’s not in THE Plan.

I think one of my favorite stories is the first story of Abram. Genesis 12 captures the story. God tells Abram to leave his country, people and father’s household to the land I will show you”. Verse 4a says “So Abram went, as the LORD had told him…”. That is it. Abram went. No question, no discussion, no let me pray about it first, no give me a sign. He just went.

What do you think motivated Abram? Clearly not logic, clearly not worldly possessions (such as land or a nice house), clearly not family closeness (he only took Lot and Sarai and the people and possessions they had acquired…not his mom, dad, in-laws, etc. not his buildings), clearly not self-ambition or political power, clearly not anything relating to friendships, or local community ties because he simply left. I would say the thing that motivated Abram was…obeying God!

What motivates me? What motivates you? Think about it…

In Him,
Kristy =)

Minutes - wasted or invested?

The other day I mentioned “waiting”. I wanted to come back to it and elaborate for the two of you reading along. =) Waiting sounds like a word that describes nothing…specifically doing nothing. Waiting sounds like a boring word because mostly we relate to it as the boring time leading up to tasks. Like waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting for a table in a busy restaurant, waiting at a stop light, waiting for your month end job to finish running so you can move to the next report =) or waiting for a child to be born when you are two weeks past due and have been in labor FOREVER…you get the point. We think of waiting as boring, nerve racking nothingness.

What if we took all of the time we spend “waiting” and turned it into eternal minutes? You know, minutes that we spend investing in our relationship with God instead of wasting them on worldly pleasures and things.

A year or so ago I received an e-mail devotion from “Girlfriends in God”. It was regarding TIME. The first statement was really all I need to read…”Every minute of every day is either wasted or invested.” Whoa! The devotion went on to discuss setting priorities, scheduling those priorities, and sticking to them among the changing chaotic environment we call life. When I started looking at my minutes…I admit I was ashamed. I always thought I was very organized and great at time management…but when you break it down so simple…to how many minutes you invest vs. waste…I was shameful. So I began praying Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom”. (NLT)

Here is another excerpt from the devotion that I would like to share with you… “Time is a precious gift! Every morning we are credited with 86,400 seconds. No balance is carried into the next day and every night erases what we fail to use. If we use it in the wrong way, that time is lost forever and cannot be reclaimed. Un-budgeted time gravitates to our weaknesses, is stolen by others or wasted on the unimportant. We must budget time, just as Jesus did.”

God freely gives us 1,440 minutes per day. How many do we invest and how many do we waste?

Think of ways we can use our “waiting” minutes to draw nearer to Christ in a busy world. Some ways I thought of were to take my scripture memory cards with me everywhere and practice them while in lines (grocery store, bank, doctor, etc), let the kids quiz me on the scripture cards in the car ride home (they LOVE to do that!), crochet a scarf for the cancer center while waiting at ball practice, and read my Bible at night while waiting for bed time (instead of TV!!!).

What ideas do you have? Please share!

Be a blessing this week!

In Him,
Kristy =)

SMC - June 1st 2011

My scripture is going to be a series…one verse at a time =)

1 Cor 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

I plan to go through verse 8 eventually unless God changes my mind. Here is why…some of you heard me say this during the Sunday evening worship service this week. Sorry you can skip to the bottom =).

I think I told y’all I am reading “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. And I am pretty sure I posted about the whole Massey Tire come to Jesus meeting tears flying episode last week with the 4 toe stomping quotes I read while there. Well the other piece of the puzzle is this…Francis speaks of how we are to represent Love. God is Love and we are to live as Christ therefore to live as Love would live. Francis references a bunch of scriptures that you just have to trust me on to support that point because I did not write them down. Then Francis challenged us (yes we are on 1st names…haha not) to read 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verses 4-8 and insert our name in the place of the word Love. Because if we truly represent LOVE then we should be interchangeable with the word…easy enough I thought. So I started…Kristy is patient (bahhhahahahaha), Kristy is kind, Kristy does not envy, Kristy does not boast, Kristy is not proud….

You get the point. And if you read my devotion for the JBA luncheon you know that the last phrases sent cold chills down my spine. The giggles stopped and the tears started. I never finished through verse 8! OUCH is all I can say!!! So I decided since God was clearly ripping my heart out with it that maybe I should learn these verses and LIVE THEM. Hopefully it will be easier to live it if it is etched in my brain and heart!!

So let’s hear your verse! If you don’t have one…use mine!

In Him,
Kristy =)

See ya tonight…it is Wednesday!!!! Praise the Lord for church night!!!!