OK...so the night before last the Lord sent quail and manna to the whining Israelites. And I could hear in Moses's voice...one of my daily pleas...."God they are your children...you deal with them!". Because honestly...we all belong to Him. I empathize with Moses...because the Gardner house last night was FULL of whining! lol
Then last night came the 10 Commandments. I have a confession...as studious as I try to be...and as much as I dive into the Word because I LOVE IT...I failed a basic Bible test last summer.
It was at WMU Associational training...and Phyllis Elvington was the speaker...I just love her. Anyway she asked us to rate our selves on Bible knowledge. 1-10 with 10 being a scholar and 1 being a beginner. Well I was trying to be modest in the crowd and rated myself a 7. I mean come on...at that time I was in my 3rd year in a row of reading the Bible cover to cover. I am the Beth Moore Bible Study Queen, and I have read more Christian books than most women because of my LOVE to read about my Jesus! So I honestly thought a 7 was holding back. She had us get into pairs to do a quick test.
AND I FAILED! And I drug Ms Amber down with me...LOL
The test...list the 10 Commandments in order. It sounds so simple. I mean they are in many sermons, books, etc. We have been exposed thousands of times to the list. But I have to fess up...we did not even get all 10!!! We missed 1 (I think...maybe 2!) and I think we only had 3 in the right order. I was humiliated but not alone. EVERYONE of us failed. There were like 35 ladies mostly 20 years older than me...and we all failed!!!! so I vowed to study them...only I haven't yet! I completely forgot! So last night I made me a study guide while I was reading them!!!!
Because...you know Phyllis will be at Caswell this year....and she is speaking at WMBC in March...and I am so afraid the test will come again...and I might fail again!
So do what you want...but I recommend...REVIEW THIS:
1 - No other gods
2 - no idols
3 - do not misuse the name of the Lord
4 - remember the Sabboth
5 - Honor your father and mother
6 - Shall not murder
7 - Shall not commit adultery
8 - Shall not steal
9 - Shall not give false testimony (lie)
10 - Shall not covet your neighbor's anything (greed)
Have a blessed day!
Come to church tonight!
In Him,
Kristy =)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Missed it!
Well...I missed the awesome sermon yesterday morning. I have heard it was wonderful and I hate that I didn't hear it...BUT...I was loving on some babies in the nursery instead! And there were plenty of babies to love! ha The toddler nursery can be so rewarding at times. Yesterday was one of those days where a couple wanted to snuggle. Granted I think one or two were just trying to wipe their snotty noses on my shirt...lol But I'll take the hugs and smooches anyway I can get them!
So last night in my reading the Israelites made it across the red sea. It is one of my favorite stories. I remember Pastor Tim preaching on it once and explaining that there is much speculation that the place the Israelites crossed was really only knee deep. And folks say it wasn't really completely parted. And some folks had even changed their mind based on these "scientific" studies. But there are a couple things I would like to mention...1) the Bible says they crossed on dry land and I believe it was bone dry...like the desert 2) the Bible says there was a wall of water...and I have not seen any knee deep walls so I believe it was a wall (taller than a person!) 3) if it was only knee deep (which I do not believe) ...then what a miracle it truly was that all the Egyptian men and horses drowned in knee deep water! I could see infants drowning...but grown men...and horses! =)
Anyway...the point (if there was one) to this post is to ask do you know what you believe when it comes to the Bible? Can people make you doubt? If you don't know what the Bible says...you are sitting prey for satan to devour...so put your head in your Bible!!!!
If you need more challenging from someone else...read the book Radical (I finished over the weekend). There is a year long radical challenge to do 5 simple things:
To pray for the entire world.
To read through the entire Word. (in a year)
To sacrifice your money for a specific purpose.
To give your time in another context (ie week long Mission Trip).
To commit your life to a multiplying community. (your home church!!)
So last night in my reading the Israelites made it across the red sea. It is one of my favorite stories. I remember Pastor Tim preaching on it once and explaining that there is much speculation that the place the Israelites crossed was really only knee deep. And folks say it wasn't really completely parted. And some folks had even changed their mind based on these "scientific" studies. But there are a couple things I would like to mention...1) the Bible says they crossed on dry land and I believe it was bone dry...like the desert 2) the Bible says there was a wall of water...and I have not seen any knee deep walls so I believe it was a wall (taller than a person!) 3) if it was only knee deep (which I do not believe) ...then what a miracle it truly was that all the Egyptian men and horses drowned in knee deep water! I could see infants drowning...but grown men...and horses! =)
Anyway...the point (if there was one) to this post is to ask do you know what you believe when it comes to the Bible? Can people make you doubt? If you don't know what the Bible says...you are sitting prey for satan to devour...so put your head in your Bible!!!!
If you need more challenging from someone else...read the book Radical (I finished over the weekend). There is a year long radical challenge to do 5 simple things:
To pray for the entire world.
To read through the entire Word. (in a year)
To sacrifice your money for a specific purpose.
To give your time in another context (ie week long Mission Trip).
To commit your life to a multiplying community. (your home church!!)
Loooooooook at #2...I have been challenging you of this for quite some time. Some of you tried and did not make it all the way.....TRY AGAIN! Some of you never attempted it...START NOW!!! Pray for God to help you succeed! You have to stand firm in what you believe...and the only way to stand firm is to KNOW it!!!!
Also...thanks to everyone who came to the WMU Celebration yesterday! There were like 150 people there! It was AWESOME!!!!
Have a great week!
Be a blessing to someone!!!
In Him,
Kristy =)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Just call me Moses...
I am reading in Exodus right now...and Moses cracks me up! It is a wonder God did not strike him down and move on. I mean, can you believe the nerve he had basically telling God no FOUR different times (ex 3:11,13 and 4:1,10). And afterwards in verse 4:14 it says "Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses...". Right there I would expect lightning bolt from heaven but instead God brought in Aaron and gave an alternate plan that still included Moses but made it more bearable for him. Talk about slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness!!!
And then I realized as I was shaking my head thinking how CRAZY it all sounded and that Moses was walking on thin ice and if I was in God's shoes I would have...it hit me...I AM MOSES!!!!
Ashamedly floods of thoughts came washing in of times that I felt the prick in the heart to do something and I ignored it. The simple little tiny things that I didn't even do! It is amazing God hasn't send me a lightening bolt! He is so merciful! Praise Him! It is so easy to judge how others should respond in situations, but how about how we should respond? What if we spent more energy judging ourselves and our own heart than trying to play Holy Spirit and convict others??? Might be interesting...might be helpful in Kingdom building...might be a challenge to us all...
Hope you had a good Friday!
Go home and judge yourself tonight =)
In Him,
Kristy =)
And then I realized as I was shaking my head thinking how CRAZY it all sounded and that Moses was walking on thin ice and if I was in God's shoes I would have...it hit me...I AM MOSES!!!!
Ashamedly floods of thoughts came washing in of times that I felt the prick in the heart to do something and I ignored it. The simple little tiny things that I didn't even do! It is amazing God hasn't send me a lightening bolt! He is so merciful! Praise Him! It is so easy to judge how others should respond in situations, but how about how we should respond? What if we spent more energy judging ourselves and our own heart than trying to play Holy Spirit and convict others??? Might be interesting...might be helpful in Kingdom building...might be a challenge to us all...
Hope you had a good Friday!
Go home and judge yourself tonight =)
In Him,
Kristy =)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Quiet
That's what my house is right now...QUIET! It is a miracle!!! Actually...it is just late! haha
The kids are in bed and Travis hasn't made it in from the road yet. Why is it that bed time is a fuss almost every night? I know I will look back and miss these days...but while you are living it...it's hard to imagine missing it!
Tim talked on Prayer tonight. One of my favorite stories from Daniel. We should all take lessons from Daniel and his committment to prayer. In Beth Moore's Bible Study, Daniel, she says something similar to "Nothing shakes the heavenlies like the prayer of God's people". I wrote it down because I just love that thought...reminds me of the story in Acts where the people prayed and the "place was shaken". Jack gave an example of having to "disengage" a situation and pray about it. I absolutely LOVED that example! How often am I so engaged in a situation that I forget to stop and pray and turn it over to God!!! I think "disengage and pray" may be my new goal!
Honestly, prayer is one discipline I need to improve on. I keep meaning to start a prayer journal but something always distracts me. I keep intending to have a dedicated period of prayer each day but something comes up in the time slot. I am really good at praying immediately when there is a need, but I am sporatic at the deep prayer/listening that needs to be done daily. I know that you can't hear God's whisper if you do not take time to slow down and listen...but I need help in making it happen!
So if you have a spare prayer tonight...lift me up...and my quest to be more disciplined and to disengage and pray in the process!
In Him,
Kristy =)
The kids are in bed and Travis hasn't made it in from the road yet. Why is it that bed time is a fuss almost every night? I know I will look back and miss these days...but while you are living it...it's hard to imagine missing it!
Tim talked on Prayer tonight. One of my favorite stories from Daniel. We should all take lessons from Daniel and his committment to prayer. In Beth Moore's Bible Study, Daniel, she says something similar to "Nothing shakes the heavenlies like the prayer of God's people". I wrote it down because I just love that thought...reminds me of the story in Acts where the people prayed and the "place was shaken". Jack gave an example of having to "disengage" a situation and pray about it. I absolutely LOVED that example! How often am I so engaged in a situation that I forget to stop and pray and turn it over to God!!! I think "disengage and pray" may be my new goal!
Honestly, prayer is one discipline I need to improve on. I keep meaning to start a prayer journal but something always distracts me. I keep intending to have a dedicated period of prayer each day but something comes up in the time slot. I am really good at praying immediately when there is a need, but I am sporatic at the deep prayer/listening that needs to be done daily. I know that you can't hear God's whisper if you do not take time to slow down and listen...but I need help in making it happen!
So if you have a spare prayer tonight...lift me up...and my quest to be more disciplined and to disengage and pray in the process!
In Him,
Kristy =)
Monday, January 24, 2011
Personal Sacrifice...ouch
So my man stepped on my football loving toes last night...haha He did point out when we were at home that he did not throw me under the bus by announcing that some nights I do my Daily Bible Reading with the tv on mute...on a ball game! Honestly...I am just too lazy to get the other remote to turn it completely off! I never look up...but it is there flashing quietly in the background. Maybe tonight I'll get the remote BEFORE I get in the chair! :)
As women, I think we sacrifice a lot and don't even count it as sacrifice. We sacrifice ourselves for husbands, children, etc. But do we sacrifice ourselves for Jesus? I know I sacrifice daily for my loved ones...sacrifice my time, talents, finances, etc. In ways I never dreamed I would serve others...ha! But do I daily sacrifice for Jesus those same things? Do others see me sacrificing daily for Jesus? When folks look at my life do they think "wow, she loves Jesus enough to give up anything she has" or do they say " wow she loves living in this world"? Despite what I once thought....it is VERY important what others see when they look at you. You can't witness very well if you are not highly thought of by folks!
Travis gave us a few personal sacrifice examples. We can add countless others to the list. But because it is a PERSONAL sacrifice...your list is not like anyone else's. Sacrificing ball games on the tv might mean nothing to you whereas it is important to me. Sacrificing financially might mean nothing to you if you have more money than you can spend. Sacrificing is personal and every person is different.
Examine your life...what can you give up for Jesus? What can bring you out of your comfort zone in His name? For Travis...he didn't say it...but preaching two Sunday night services in a row is WAY out of his comfort zone. But God was with him to guide him and give him calmness and peace.
What is God calling you to do for Him as a personal sacrifice???? Be a blessing to someone today! If you don't know who to bless...contact me...I have a list of women needing an uplifting touch!
In Him,
Kristy =)
As women, I think we sacrifice a lot and don't even count it as sacrifice. We sacrifice ourselves for husbands, children, etc. But do we sacrifice ourselves for Jesus? I know I sacrifice daily for my loved ones...sacrifice my time, talents, finances, etc. In ways I never dreamed I would serve others...ha! But do I daily sacrifice for Jesus those same things? Do others see me sacrificing daily for Jesus? When folks look at my life do they think "wow, she loves Jesus enough to give up anything she has" or do they say " wow she loves living in this world"? Despite what I once thought....it is VERY important what others see when they look at you. You can't witness very well if you are not highly thought of by folks!
Travis gave us a few personal sacrifice examples. We can add countless others to the list. But because it is a PERSONAL sacrifice...your list is not like anyone else's. Sacrificing ball games on the tv might mean nothing to you whereas it is important to me. Sacrificing financially might mean nothing to you if you have more money than you can spend. Sacrificing is personal and every person is different.
Examine your life...what can you give up for Jesus? What can bring you out of your comfort zone in His name? For Travis...he didn't say it...but preaching two Sunday night services in a row is WAY out of his comfort zone. But God was with him to guide him and give him calmness and peace.
What is God calling you to do for Him as a personal sacrifice???? Be a blessing to someone today! If you don't know who to bless...contact me...I have a list of women needing an uplifting touch!
In Him,
Kristy =)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
It left me...
I had this great thing to share but I can't remember what it was...lol
Let me think...it was something Tim sparked in his message...I'll save this as a draft and maybe it will come to me...hehehe
OK...It never came to me =)
So..instead lets talk about disciplines. Not like spanking but like structure, regiment, you know...being a "disciplined" person. I have tried SO hard over these last years to be disciplined in a few areas...Bible Reading daily, Bible Study, and regular exercise to name a few.
Well...I think I told y'all I was back on weight watchers so I am trying to be more disciplined in what I eat too. But I am not. I have made it almost 3 weeks on WW stayin gin my points but I am hungry....and now at work these mean people have started a pool. I told them I could make it until 3/31 without falling off the WW wagon. And here is what they did to my white board at work:
Let me think...it was something Tim sparked in his message...I'll save this as a draft and maybe it will come to me...hehehe
OK...It never came to me =)
So..instead lets talk about disciplines. Not like spanking but like structure, regiment, you know...being a "disciplined" person. I have tried SO hard over these last years to be disciplined in a few areas...Bible Reading daily, Bible Study, and regular exercise to name a few.
Well...I think I told y'all I was back on weight watchers so I am trying to be more disciplined in what I eat too. But I am not. I have made it almost 3 weeks on WW stayin gin my points but I am hungry....and now at work these mean people have started a pool. I told them I could make it until 3/31 without falling off the WW wagon. And here is what they did to my white board at work:
Yes...none of them think I can make it until the end of Feb!!!! They know me too well!
So I am going to turn it over to God...if He can make me disciplined in all those areas I listed...I know He can make me disciplined to stay on WW. He is bigger than the white board!
What do you need to give to Him in your life and ask Him to help you stay disciplined?
In Him,
Kristy =)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday Night Event!
TONIGHT IS wOMEN ON MISSION
Sorry I did not know caps lock was on and I am too lazy to erase it and start it over...which is hilarious since I just typed an extra two lines to explain that!
Anyway...Women on Mission is tonight at church at 7pm on the Adult SS Hall. Not sure which room yet...there was a schedule conflict. If you have never been...COME and bring a friend. (and yes, I knew caps lock was on for that one!). I am going to try and make it for the first time in MONTHS. Your WMU Director of the year(haha) has had a conflict all of 2010!!!! But tonight...might be the night! Pray for me to get there girls! I have missed it!
Or if you don't want to go to WOM...you can go prayer driving at 6:30.
Opportunities for Christian fellowship and activity are abundant these days! Which bring me to today's ponderful thought...how do you spend your minutes? I read somewhere...Lord only knows where and when...that life can be measured by minutes. We get 1440 of them every day. How do you spend them? Do you spend them on yourself? your family? the lost? praying? reading the Bible? (uhhhmmm 15 minutes is all I am challenging you to!!!) sleeping? watching tv? whining? arguing?
What do you do with the 1440 minutes each day that are a gift to you from God? How many are spent on ETERNAL activities? versus worldly activities? Make a list of your minutes...it is eye opening!!!! Example...most of us work an 8 hour job so that is 480 minutes to our bosses. We eat 3 meals a day and clean up behind the household...that is about 180 minutes. Some of us have to go to bed at 10pm to keep from turning into a pumpkin...and we MIGHT be too lazy to get up early...so we spend 510 hours sleeping. That ONLY leaves us 270 minutes to give to eternal activities or to the world. Where did you spend your extras today?????? or yesterday??????
So tonight...with your extra minutes...come support your church...or you can stay home...and spend your minutes doing something else...
In Him,
Kristy
Sorry I did not know caps lock was on and I am too lazy to erase it and start it over...which is hilarious since I just typed an extra two lines to explain that!
Anyway...Women on Mission is tonight at church at 7pm on the Adult SS Hall. Not sure which room yet...there was a schedule conflict. If you have never been...COME and bring a friend. (and yes, I knew caps lock was on for that one!). I am going to try and make it for the first time in MONTHS. Your WMU Director of the year(haha) has had a conflict all of 2010!!!! But tonight...might be the night! Pray for me to get there girls! I have missed it!
Or if you don't want to go to WOM...you can go prayer driving at 6:30.
Opportunities for Christian fellowship and activity are abundant these days! Which bring me to today's ponderful thought...how do you spend your minutes? I read somewhere...Lord only knows where and when...that life can be measured by minutes. We get 1440 of them every day. How do you spend them? Do you spend them on yourself? your family? the lost? praying? reading the Bible? (uhhhmmm 15 minutes is all I am challenging you to!!!) sleeping? watching tv? whining? arguing?
What do you do with the 1440 minutes each day that are a gift to you from God? How many are spent on ETERNAL activities? versus worldly activities? Make a list of your minutes...it is eye opening!!!! Example...most of us work an 8 hour job so that is 480 minutes to our bosses. We eat 3 meals a day and clean up behind the household...that is about 180 minutes. Some of us have to go to bed at 10pm to keep from turning into a pumpkin...and we MIGHT be too lazy to get up early...so we spend 510 hours sleeping. That ONLY leaves us 270 minutes to give to eternal activities or to the world. Where did you spend your extras today?????? or yesterday??????
So tonight...with your extra minutes...come support your church...or you can stay home...and spend your minutes doing something else...
In Him,
Kristy
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