Few Reminders!

Just a few reminders today...

• Tomorrow (Wed 11/24) we are having a Thanksgiving service at our church. I will be filling in for Tonia in Mission Friends...unless someone is itching to take my place...haha...y'all know how gifted I am with preschoolers...LOL I am sure it will be a blessing to attend!
• Please bring microwave popcorn and square sticky notes for the JCC Christmas bags!
• Also bring Backpack Buddy Food...the holidays will be long for those children!
• Any last minute OCC shoeboxes can be turned in before Sat Dec 4th.

Pray for safe travels for those travelling this week!

What are you thankful for?

It's that time of year!
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? I am thankful for so many things...they are beyond counting! But the Bible (and the song...haha) tells us to count them one by one. And I don't think we do it often enough. I think our thankfulness should be overflowing to the point that everyone around us thinks we are weird. I think folks should be able to glance at us and see the thankfulness running out of us.

What do people see when they glance at you? Do you scowl like me without even realizing it? Do you look annoyed at your children when they ask a question? Do you huff when you are waiting in line? Do you roll your eyes while your husband is talking in a crowd?

It is frightening to imagine that I could be the ONLY Jesus that some people get a glimpse of in life. How do I portray Him to every contact I make? What if there is no second impression and the first glance is all someone gets? Will they want a relationship like mine or will they feel pity towards me thinking I must be miserable as a Christian???

Counting blessings can encourage you to be thankful even when folks think in your situation that you shouldn't be! So list them...what are you thankful for? Here are just a few of mine...Salvation, the privilege to pray, an intimate relationship with Jesus, HIS WORD!, family, friends, health, employment, food and shelter, clothing, transportation, the nice weather!, entertainment, Breezy (our dog), etc....

Happy Thanksgiving to you!
In Him,
Kristy =)

SMC - Nov 15th (a little early!)

Happy Friday! It has been the longest week. Not sure if it is because Travis was travelling or because vacation is next week! woohoo!

My verse this time is Romans 8:28. I try to reference it often, and I never know where it is or exactly what it says...so I am putting it in memory!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (NIV)

Let's hear your verses! Hope everyone is having a Jesus filled week! Have a great weekend and week next week!

Desperately Seeking Him,
Kristy =)

From Religion to Relationship

Billie has been doing sermons on the topic of Religion to Relationship for some time now. And I have been trying to wrap my mind around the best way to say this...but I struggle finding the words. This will probably come out all wrong...and rambly...but here goes.

I think people are misled in understanding that being saved and having eternal life is what God truly wants out of us while we are here on earth. I think we miss the point entirely if that is all we believe. I think God desires so much more than that...I think He desires an intimate relationship with us that can only be obtained by first being saved but then being intentional in seeking Him first and living life by the example His Word give us. (Which means we have to be IN the Word to KNOW the Word).

I can remember being saved as a teenager...praying the sinners prayer and accepting Jesus in my heart but then being TOTALLY clueless what that really meant. I believe that it did mean I was destined for heaven at that moment but nothing really changed. I still had the same friends, did the same things, made the same bad decisions (mostly with the same friends), etc. I missed the point. And no one told me I had missed it...because as I look back at that small church...they were missing it too. Kind of like the Seventh Sign movie or whatever it was called..."seeing dead people and they don't even know they are dead".

When we started at WMBC and the first Discipleship Training session rolled around. I signed up because everyone else did. It changed my life forever. Henry Blackaby taught me what it means to develop a relationship wit Jesus. Mr Joe and Mrs Jackie guided me in reading the Bible and seeking Him first. I can still remember my very first Scripture I ever memorized...John 15:5. It was week 1 of Experiencing God...and I experienced Him in ways I never imagined over those 12 weeks. I don't ever want to "not" have a Bible Study going...because you know what they say about idle hands...haha

Last night Billie talked about Discipleship and I remembered Henry Blackaby. And John 15:5 and the way I felt the first year I completed the one year Bible reading guide. And the affirmation God gave me ALL along the way.

I cannot wait to see what God is doing in our church...if you are not in a Bible study...contact me...I will recommend a good one and I will even do it with you if you need the encouragement and accountability. Because if you are saved but do not have a relationship...you are missing out on so many blessings that God is wanting to lavish upon you. It is not all about you...it is all about the relationship! Without it...you are missing out!

Love ya!
Kristy =)

HE LIVES

Well...last night was the BEST reading ever...Jesus arose from death in victory! I might read it again tonight before I read the Nov 10 section! ha

I really just wanted to tell y'all that I love Wednesdays! I need refilling by the middle of the week and hearing the message and interacting with fellow believers is the highlight of the work week! I don't know how folks at churches without Wed night service survive the week. On the weeks I miss for sick children I am a mess by Sunday! If you are not a WMBC peep and your church does not have a Wed service...you are invited to ours...anytime!

Just so you know...I will probably post the Nov 15 scripture memory on Friday because we are driving down to see Mickey and Minnie for a few days...pray for safe travels please!

See ya at church tonight!
Kristy =)

the randomness of life...hope it encourages someone

Happy Monday! I have a few random things to share....purely for your entertainment! 1 - This one is really random...it comes from people telling me that I am too busy. Hello? How can one determine if another person is too busy? I get plenty of sleep and balance my family, my church, my work, etc. Who is to decide how "busy" I can be? I am a firm believer in the old cliche..."Idle hands are the devil's handiwork"...my Granny said that so many times in my life...I could quote it at age 2! Well, a few months ago I found this awesome expression that illustrates the way we try to live in the Gardner household. I have hung it over the living room walkway so visitors can know where we stand..."Hands to Work - Hearts to God" It makes Peyton roll her eyes! haha But it is my ultimate goal. I want to live life so that people say...gosh Proverbs 31 could have been written about her! And I am SOOOOOO far from it that I need the visual reminder every time I enter the house! I told someone last week that "I want my tombstone to say "except for her"!!!" referring to the Beth Moore So Long Insecurity Simulcast which I reflected on here. But maybe I'd rather it say...She lived a life that was so busy walking with Jesus that folks had to find Jesus to find her!

2 - Harvest Festival was so much fun! Everyone who worked so hard has a special jewel waiting for their crown.

3 - Veteran's Day is this week. Thank a veteran...you are free to read this blog because they stood up for our nation.

4 - nogs is AWESOME! If you need a Bible study to fill the gap between the fall discipleship training classes and the spring...buy a copy of No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. You can absolutely do it solo...and you WILL be blessed by it. I admit I was worried about being the "Guider" (I like that term better than Leader) of it because it is solely discussion with no dvd. But it has stretched me and I recall a recent sermon that if your _____ doesn't hurt...it isn't true worship because worship should cost you something. (or it went something like that!) Well...this semester my Bible Study hurts and it is such a blessing!

5 - Jesus dies tonight. I will be weeping with the ladies by the tomb. Most of you know that I have been reading the Bible through once a year for the last couple of years. Well this year (year 3!!!) I decided to read a Chronological Bible. Tonight Jesus dies. Last night they led him up that mountain and I almost cried. Tonight I know I will. I asked Travis the other night did he ever read something that he had read before and knew the ending to but hope in his spirit that it might be different. He looked at me lovingly (like I had four heads) and said "no....can't say that I ever have". And I confessed I do it ALL the time reading the Bible. And finally last night at nogs I put it into words...the Bible is SO ALIVE to me that I sometimes get so caught up in it being current that I think it might change...I am quite sure God shakes his head and giggles when I offer up "please let Judas change his mind....can't he kiss someone else this time???"

OK...so now you KNOW without a doubt I am weird. Hopefully if you read nothing else encouraging...that little tidbit will encourage you...I am weirder than most folks! There you go.

I challenge you to pray now...like RIGHT NOW...I am going to issue the 15 minutes a day for God challenge again the end of this year and do the old reading guide that I like so much in 2011...I WANT ALL OF YOU TO DO IT WITH ME!!!! 15 minutes a day...and it has ETERNAL VALUE. Not much else that takes you 15 minutes can say that...now can it? And if you plan to say no and have a good excuse...read this. haha

love you!
Kristy =)

SMC - Nov 1st

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. If you were at church yesterday I hope you had on steel toed boots! If you were not there...I am sorry for the blessing you missed!

I had on boots, but not steel toes...and my toes have not recovered yet! As Lisa Ives would say, "Billie shucked corn yesterday morning!" It it was so crazy. A good portion of the end of his sermon was eerily similar to our nogs Bible study. I would not even look around to see if the nogs girls had their eyes on me...lol And I am certain Billie does not have a copy of the workbook!

Anyway, it is scripture memory day!!! And while I am not quite perfect at last time's I am close enough to bite off the next one!

Psalm 78:35 "They remembered that GOD was their ROCK, that GOD MOST HIGH was their Redeemer." (NIV)

Can I get an amen? How often do we forget this truth? satan puts all grades of lies in our head and we believe them...and sometimes it takes us way too long to "REMEMBER". It is reassuring to realize that others before us also forgot. Really, people in the Bible are not much different than people today. We're sinners just as they were sinners. We can learn so much from their mistakes and experiences if we get in His Word and remember He is our ROCK, REDEEMER, and MOST HIGH!!! So ladies...remember today and give Him glory!!!!

Let's hear your verses!!! Use mine if you'd like!

Praise Him!
Kristy