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!!!!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
awesome quotes to share
I don’t know exactly HOW that I have found the time…other than a pure “part the red sea miracle from above”…but I am very excited that I have been able to get back to some reading again! I am such a book nerd and I have been so busy with stuff that I have only been reading my Bible and my Bible Study…and I have missed my leisurely reading! I was ½ way through “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan when LIFE happened and I had not picked it up in a few months. Somehow this week I have been back to it and I have determined that God wanted me to read this section NOW instead of months ago…because it applies to my current “busy” season! He is so awesome like that! So I wanted to share some quotes from the book. I am truly a nerd…never have tried to deny it…and I absolutely LOVE a good quote! You know…one that you feel in the inner parts of your being. Hope someone else is blessed or inspired by them!
1 - "Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
2 - "Physical sickness we usually defy. Soul sickness we often resign ourselves to."
3 - “God was saying that no worship is better than apathetic worship. I wonder how many church doors God wants to shut today.”
4 - “We need to realize that how we spend our time, what our money goes toward, and where we will invest our energy is equivalent to choosing God or rejecting him”
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#1 made me near about hit my knees in the customer lounge at Massey Tire. It just resonated through my body because I struggle daily in trying to figure out how to teach my kids to be afraid of this exact thing. For so long I did not “get it” myself…and I want them to learn it earlier in life! Everything I participate in now makes me wonder if it really matters. And I try so hard to remind myself that it doesn’t unless it relates to winning souls for Jesus (even as simple as just by acting like a Christian in daily living so others see it!). To me this is the foundation of true authentic following after Jesus whole heartedly …understanding what truly matters in life. And understanding that nothing on earth truly matters except maybe for intangible things like relationships!
#3 was in reference to a passage in Malachi. Mal 1:10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.” The people had been making sacrifices with blemished animals and with a half heart. Basically God told them “if you can’t do it right then don’t do it at all!” My first thought was that how many times have I wanted to say that to folks??? =) And then quickly I realized how many times God wanted to say that to ME. And it wasn’t funny or light any longer. In fact…it hurt.
And then #4 just about ripped my heart out! I guess it is not a new concept…just one that I have ignored for convenience! Never did I truly think of those things listed as black and white…yes or no…choosing or rejecting Him!!! Oh my! Forget money…you either tithe and offer or you don’t and I think that is between you and God. But time and energy…did you ever think of that as accepting or rejecting God? Where does my time and energy go? When God looks down from heaven (Ps 53:2)…what does He see me doing? Where does He see me spending energy and time?
Out of a week…60 minutes x 24 hours x 7 days…10,080 minutes are available to me. Of those minutes what does God see me doing with the majority of my time and energy? To think that my choosing the world and some of the activities and pleasures it has to offer over spending time in His Word is completely rejecting Him! This morning I chose to hit snooze an extra time (or two!) instead of getting up so I could read today’s Bible reading. In my sleepy stupor I figured I would catch it tonight. I rejected Him in that moment. I fell short! So now I have to repent and turn and learn from it and move on. Bet you can guess what I will be doing tomorrow morning! =)
Where are you spending the majority of your resources (time, money, energy)? The key word is MAJORITY! Pray for God to show you…but be ready…it might hurt like it did for me!
And be careful…it is so easy to lose sight of Jesus in the summer…I know from experience…so find you an accountability partner and stay in His Word ladies!!!
Y’all have a great holiday weekend and be a blessing to someone!
In Him,
Kristy =)
PS - If you want to join us for the Duty or Delight Bible study…let me know so I can order the books mid-June! You can email me or post a comment to the blog.
1 - "Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
2 - "Physical sickness we usually defy. Soul sickness we often resign ourselves to."
3 - “God was saying that no worship is better than apathetic worship. I wonder how many church doors God wants to shut today.”
4 - “We need to realize that how we spend our time, what our money goes toward, and where we will invest our energy is equivalent to choosing God or rejecting him”
----------------------------------
#1 made me near about hit my knees in the customer lounge at Massey Tire. It just resonated through my body because I struggle daily in trying to figure out how to teach my kids to be afraid of this exact thing. For so long I did not “get it” myself…and I want them to learn it earlier in life! Everything I participate in now makes me wonder if it really matters. And I try so hard to remind myself that it doesn’t unless it relates to winning souls for Jesus (even as simple as just by acting like a Christian in daily living so others see it!). To me this is the foundation of true authentic following after Jesus whole heartedly …understanding what truly matters in life. And understanding that nothing on earth truly matters except maybe for intangible things like relationships!
#3 was in reference to a passage in Malachi. Mal 1:10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.” The people had been making sacrifices with blemished animals and with a half heart. Basically God told them “if you can’t do it right then don’t do it at all!” My first thought was that how many times have I wanted to say that to folks??? =) And then quickly I realized how many times God wanted to say that to ME. And it wasn’t funny or light any longer. In fact…it hurt.
And then #4 just about ripped my heart out! I guess it is not a new concept…just one that I have ignored for convenience! Never did I truly think of those things listed as black and white…yes or no…choosing or rejecting Him!!! Oh my! Forget money…you either tithe and offer or you don’t and I think that is between you and God. But time and energy…did you ever think of that as accepting or rejecting God? Where does my time and energy go? When God looks down from heaven (Ps 53:2)…what does He see me doing? Where does He see me spending energy and time?
Out of a week…60 minutes x 24 hours x 7 days…10,080 minutes are available to me. Of those minutes what does God see me doing with the majority of my time and energy? To think that my choosing the world and some of the activities and pleasures it has to offer over spending time in His Word is completely rejecting Him! This morning I chose to hit snooze an extra time (or two!) instead of getting up so I could read today’s Bible reading. In my sleepy stupor I figured I would catch it tonight. I rejected Him in that moment. I fell short! So now I have to repent and turn and learn from it and move on. Bet you can guess what I will be doing tomorrow morning! =)
Where are you spending the majority of your resources (time, money, energy)? The key word is MAJORITY! Pray for God to show you…but be ready…it might hurt like it did for me!
And be careful…it is so easy to lose sight of Jesus in the summer…I know from experience…so find you an accountability partner and stay in His Word ladies!!!
Y’all have a great holiday weekend and be a blessing to someone!
In Him,
Kristy =)
PS - If you want to join us for the Duty or Delight Bible study…let me know so I can order the books mid-June! You can email me or post a comment to the blog.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
A lesson from King David
I don’t have any exciting announcements today…sorry! So I will just share with you a verse I found in the Old Testament last night that might encourage someone like it did me. Beth Moore had talked about it in Bible study a few weeks ago…but last night I stumbled across it again when I was doing my daily Bible reading and WOW! It is kind of funny that my daily reading has brought me EXACTLY where my Bible Study homework is at the moment…coincidence? Absolutely NOT! A God thing and lesson that I had better be understanding and learning…YES!
2 Sam 7:18 “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? “
I will not lie to you…I cried. I stopped right then and cried and prayed…”Lord who am I and what is my family that you have brought us this far? “. You see I believe that we are all just one breath away from heartbreak maybe not even caused by us (and possibly absolutely caused by us…but heartbreak nonetheless). Call me weird...but I really think at any given moment tragedy can strike either as a result of a poor decision made by us or just out of the clear blue (and in that case it is no respecter of people). Just think of the folks you know that have faced a major “out of the clear blue” tragedy in the last months…from tornadoes to cancer to victims of a house fire to countless other circumstances…tragedy does not only pick certain kinds of folks…it can happen to anyone.
If you are not facing a tragedy right now thank God and then pray for mercy for someone who is facing a tragedy. I firmly believe it is not because you (including I) have done anything special to protect yourself from tragedy striking…it is just God’s mercy and His will for you at this season in your life. But the season can change in the blink of an eye…so showing the same mercy and grace of Jesus to others is probably a good thing to do while you are tragedy-free!
That’s all I got today…that verse just shook my soul and I wondered if any of you were feeling the same but not sure what to do with so I wanted to share what King David shared with me last night in how to handle that feeling of complete and utter gratefulness and awe…go to God and pray “Lord who am I?” And give thanks to Him and worship Him for being HIM! And if you are not reading on a Bible Reading plan right now…WHY NOT…(just kidding)…seriously, go read 1st and 2nd Samuel…they are probably my favorite Old Testament stories and they will bless your socks off!
Be a blessing to someone today! =)
And tomorrow night GO TO CHURCH (somewhere...anywhere) and get refueled for the rest of the week! If your church does not have a Wed night service…come to ours! You are always welcome!
In Him,
Kristy =)
PS – Pray for my friend Tammy…it is chemo day for her!
2 Sam 7:18 “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? “
I will not lie to you…I cried. I stopped right then and cried and prayed…”Lord who am I and what is my family that you have brought us this far? “. You see I believe that we are all just one breath away from heartbreak maybe not even caused by us (and possibly absolutely caused by us…but heartbreak nonetheless). Call me weird...but I really think at any given moment tragedy can strike either as a result of a poor decision made by us or just out of the clear blue (and in that case it is no respecter of people). Just think of the folks you know that have faced a major “out of the clear blue” tragedy in the last months…from tornadoes to cancer to victims of a house fire to countless other circumstances…tragedy does not only pick certain kinds of folks…it can happen to anyone.
If you are not facing a tragedy right now thank God and then pray for mercy for someone who is facing a tragedy. I firmly believe it is not because you (including I) have done anything special to protect yourself from tragedy striking…it is just God’s mercy and His will for you at this season in your life. But the season can change in the blink of an eye…so showing the same mercy and grace of Jesus to others is probably a good thing to do while you are tragedy-free!
That’s all I got today…that verse just shook my soul and I wondered if any of you were feeling the same but not sure what to do with so I wanted to share what King David shared with me last night in how to handle that feeling of complete and utter gratefulness and awe…go to God and pray “Lord who am I?” And give thanks to Him and worship Him for being HIM! And if you are not reading on a Bible Reading plan right now…WHY NOT…(just kidding)…seriously, go read 1st and 2nd Samuel…they are probably my favorite Old Testament stories and they will bless your socks off!
Be a blessing to someone today! =)
And tomorrow night GO TO CHURCH (somewhere...anywhere) and get refueled for the rest of the week! If your church does not have a Wed night service…come to ours! You are always welcome!
In Him,
Kristy =)
PS – Pray for my friend Tammy…it is chemo day for her!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Exciting Announcement and Misc News
I have an exciting announcement…I picked the Backporch Bible Study we will do this summer! For those of you that do not live in the Princeton area…I will pray for you…haha just kidding! Seriously, I will offer to get your books and possibly even meet at the Selma Bojangles three Saturday mornings to discuss the study as a small group. (But if you can make it to my house…the porch is an awesome experience! Can’t beat the serene sound of screaming kids in the yard…haha) The study is “Duty or Delight?”. I am including the synopsis at the bottom of the post (actually I can’t remember if that is the right word…anyway it’s the summary of the book on the back cover – don’t tell Mrs. Wallace! haha).
We will meet on Jun 28th at 6:30 to get our workbooks and just chit chat and eat snacks =). The workbook is going to cost between $16-$20 depending on shipping and qty we order. We will meet every other week to discuss two weeks of homework. Jul 12, Jul 26 and Aug 9. I need to know by Sunday June 12th if you want me to order you a workbook. Feel free to invite a friend we just might outgrow the porch...haha Just email me (kgardner1@aol.com) the qty of books you need.
In other news…tomorrow is the JBA WMU Luncheon. You are welcome whether you are Baptist or not…we would love to have you! It is going to be fun!
And here is breaking news…I just got an awesome text…my friend Tammy drove her car today!!! She feels that good…Praise the Lord! She has had an excellent week this week…Praise Him! Please continue to pray for her.
There are so many sick in our midst it seems. But I saw another beautiful sight last night…Xander Pond the little boy from Princeton with cancer was running amuck at the ball field with a crowd of youngins. He was playing tag it appeared. Please pray for him as well. I don’t know his family personally but I am sure they covet prayers right now. My favorite memory verse to pray over sick people is Jer 17:14 “Heal Tammy and Xander, O Lord and they will be healed, Save them and they will be saved, for you are the one we praise!”. Because I think this Old Testament verse shows us two awesome characteristics of our Lord…HEALER and SAVIOR! Amen!
Y’all have a great weekend and be a blessing to someone! And pray that I can give my devotion I practiced on y’all this week. I get nervous speaking in front of lots of people!
We will meet on Jun 28th at 6:30 to get our workbooks and just chit chat and eat snacks =). The workbook is going to cost between $16-$20 depending on shipping and qty we order. We will meet every other week to discuss two weeks of homework. Jul 12, Jul 26 and Aug 9. I need to know by Sunday June 12th if you want me to order you a workbook. Feel free to invite a friend we just might outgrow the porch...haha Just email me (kgardner1@aol.com) the qty of books you need.
In other news…tomorrow is the JBA WMU Luncheon. You are welcome whether you are Baptist or not…we would love to have you! It is going to be fun!
And here is breaking news…I just got an awesome text…my friend Tammy drove her car today!!! She feels that good…Praise the Lord! She has had an excellent week this week…Praise Him! Please continue to pray for her.
There are so many sick in our midst it seems. But I saw another beautiful sight last night…Xander Pond the little boy from Princeton with cancer was running amuck at the ball field with a crowd of youngins. He was playing tag it appeared. Please pray for him as well. I don’t know his family personally but I am sure they covet prayers right now. My favorite memory verse to pray over sick people is Jer 17:14 “Heal Tammy and Xander, O Lord and they will be healed, Save them and they will be saved, for you are the one we praise!”. Because I think this Old Testament verse shows us two awesome characteristics of our Lord…HEALER and SAVIOR! Amen!
Y’all have a great weekend and be a blessing to someone! And pray that I can give my devotion I practiced on y’all this week. I get nervous speaking in front of lots of people!
In Him,
Kristy =)
Duty or Delight? Knowing Where You Stand with God is a women’s Bible study (print only) with six weeks of study. Author Tammie Head leads you on a journey of taking your relationship with God from a duty to a delight. This is a subject she’s lived, and you will enjoy her candid transparency.
God is not looking for us to perform for Him, He’s looking for us to delight in Him. Many of us hit invisible barriers when we seek the Lord with questions like:
Is God happy with me?
Does He really love me?
Am I doing enough?
Why do I feel guilty all the time?
Why can’t I seem to grow more spiritually?
Join Tammie on a journey to overcome spiritual insecurity using six foundational truths from Ephesians 1:3-23. You will discover the beautiful news that God has not only chosen you for a deep, soul-satisfying relationship but He also constantly supplies everything you need to know Him this way. If you’ve been longing for a deeper relationship with God, this study is for you!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
A LONG winded Prayer Request and other rambling
OK – so I started this post as a tribute to the nominating committee and encouraging everyone to plug in somewhere and had scripture references and everything in case any of you think that it might be a good idea to take a break from serving at church…BUT I decided it was too brazen and maybe not really God-inspired. And the last thing I want to do on this blog is to offend or come across as just plain mean or take glory from God and hand it to satan. So the subject shifted…drastically…BUT if you are thinking of taking a year off from church service…email me…I have a few things to tell you one on one =) maybe we can have coffee…except I don’t drink it in the summer so maybe we can have a milk shake and discuss things…haha (and here are just a few scriptures to reference if you want to research...biblegateway.com search words service, serve, body of Christ, deeds...came back with hundreds here are my favorites - Matthew 9:37-38, 1 Cor 12:1-31, 1 Corinthians 3:8-10, James 2:14-18, 26 etc!)
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Where does time go? I cannot believe we are already meeting as the nominating committee. We have had two meetings so far and we have so much work to get done in the next 2 months. The annual “interest” surveys will be going out soon. This year we are shaking them up a little and breaking them into smaller chunks. The one HUGE survey has gotten so huge that I think it freaks out people. Go ahead now and be praying over where God is leading you to serve next year. I hear the pitiful WMU Director is looking for a replacement =).
OK…I need y’all to pray specifically for something for me. Most of you know that I am called to minister to women…not children! But for the next little bit I am going to be filling in for Acteens Leader…if you don’t know…Acteens are middle and high school girls. When I realized that my friend Tammy would need a break and her assistant likes being an assistant instead of a leader…my heart nearly stopped. So I did what every other good Women’s Ministry Leader would do…I whined to God about how I didn’t know anything about leading teenagers to be mission minded and couldn't someone else do it??? And He did what He always does…gave me His infallible Word in the form of a 2x4 upside the head and said USE IT woman!!!
2 Tim 3:16-17 16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Heb 13:20-21 20
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
How do you argue with that???? He ROCKS!!! So I researched and found us a 10 week Small Group Study that I hope they will enjoy. Honestly, I liked it for me even if they don’t…haha
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Where does time go? I cannot believe we are already meeting as the nominating committee. We have had two meetings so far and we have so much work to get done in the next 2 months. The annual “interest” surveys will be going out soon. This year we are shaking them up a little and breaking them into smaller chunks. The one HUGE survey has gotten so huge that I think it freaks out people. Go ahead now and be praying over where God is leading you to serve next year. I hear the pitiful WMU Director is looking for a replacement =).
OK…I need y’all to pray specifically for something for me. Most of you know that I am called to minister to women…not children! But for the next little bit I am going to be filling in for Acteens Leader…if you don’t know…Acteens are middle and high school girls. When I realized that my friend Tammy would need a break and her assistant likes being an assistant instead of a leader…my heart nearly stopped. So I did what every other good Women’s Ministry Leader would do…I whined to God about how I didn’t know anything about leading teenagers to be mission minded and couldn't someone else do it??? And He did what He always does…gave me His infallible Word in the form of a 2x4 upside the head and said USE IT woman!!!
2 Tim 3:16-17 16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Heb 13:20-21 20
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
How do you argue with that???? He ROCKS!!! So I researched and found us a 10 week Small Group Study that I hope they will enjoy. Honestly, I liked it for me even if they don’t…haha
Here is the trailer…
You've seen the reality TV shows, but sometimes it's still hard to know what's "real" today. It can get especially confusing if you're learning what it means to follow Jesus and become more like him, yet society has a different idea of what you should be like. But when you focus on the right things, you start the kind of makeover that turns you into the real you God has created you to be. Head to Soul Makeover is a 10-week small group study that will help you become more real like Jesus as you develop your humility, confidence, courage, self-control, patience, contentment, generosity, and perseverance. Each lesson is tied to a reality show like American Idol, My Super Sweet 16, and Fear Factor, and you'll take quizzes and try the Makeover Challenges to help you grow your faith and deepen your character. It all culminates with the "Big Reveal Party" where your group will celebrate your transformations.
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Doesn’t it sound awesome???? So if you know ANY middle/high school girls…send them on Wed nights starting June 8th (on my birthday…how nice we might have cake to kick off the series!).
And please pray…pray for wisdom, discernment, peace, joy, excitement, lots of girls to show up, etc! Pray specifically for me to be able to relate and connect with these girls over the next 12 weeks or so. But do NOT pray for me to have patience…my Granny Capps always said if you pray for patience you had better be ready to walk in the shoes of Job because the only way God could give you patience was for you to earn it through experience…and I don’t want to earn it right now! Haha
I will be in Acteens tonight pumping up the girls for their new curriculum. Y’all have a great Wednesday!
Don’t forget Saturday is the JBA WMU meeting…come one come all!
In Him,
Kristy
You've seen the reality TV shows, but sometimes it's still hard to know what's "real" today. It can get especially confusing if you're learning what it means to follow Jesus and become more like him, yet society has a different idea of what you should be like. But when you focus on the right things, you start the kind of makeover that turns you into the real you God has created you to be. Head to Soul Makeover is a 10-week small group study that will help you become more real like Jesus as you develop your humility, confidence, courage, self-control, patience, contentment, generosity, and perseverance. Each lesson is tied to a reality show like American Idol, My Super Sweet 16, and Fear Factor, and you'll take quizzes and try the Makeover Challenges to help you grow your faith and deepen your character. It all culminates with the "Big Reveal Party" where your group will celebrate your transformations.
--------------------------
Doesn’t it sound awesome???? So if you know ANY middle/high school girls…send them on Wed nights starting June 8th (on my birthday…how nice we might have cake to kick off the series!).
And please pray…pray for wisdom, discernment, peace, joy, excitement, lots of girls to show up, etc! Pray specifically for me to be able to relate and connect with these girls over the next 12 weeks or so. But do NOT pray for me to have patience…my Granny Capps always said if you pray for patience you had better be ready to walk in the shoes of Job because the only way God could give you patience was for you to earn it through experience…and I don’t want to earn it right now! Haha
I will be in Acteens tonight pumping up the girls for their new curriculum. Y’all have a great Wednesday!
Don’t forget Saturday is the JBA WMU meeting…come one come all!
In Him,
Kristy
PS - I am looking for a summer Bible Study for the back porch girls...anyone got any suggestions? I need one that does not need the dvd to meet...one that you can only use the member book and then have discussion about the homework.
Monday, May 16, 2011
SMC - May 15th (a little late!)
OK...so I admit that I had NO CLUE it was already May 15th yesterday! LOL Only this morning when my computer booted up and reminded me to post the smc verse did I realize I was late! It is a theme for me today apparently because my running partner was patiently waiting when Travis kicked me 15 minutes AFTER my clock was supposed to have gone off. Someone had turned down the volume all the way so it was playing just on mute! ahhhhh! But nonetheless...3 miles are behind us and Monday has started!
This time I choose Psalm 53:2. It has been on my list for a while. I think Billie preached on it a while back...noting that God is always looking down to see who on earth is seeking Him. And y'all know I want so bad to be a woman after God's own heart! So this little gem will remind me...to seek Him in everything because He is ALWAYS looking for someone that "gets it" and I don't want Him to pick someone else! (Yeah...I know...the "I gotta be the teacher's pet" thing just went through my mind too...I told y'all I was Miss Goodie Goodie haha).
Ps 53:2 (NIV)
God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
Let's hear your verses!
In Him,
Kristy =)
This time I choose Psalm 53:2. It has been on my list for a while. I think Billie preached on it a while back...noting that God is always looking down to see who on earth is seeking Him. And y'all know I want so bad to be a woman after God's own heart! So this little gem will remind me...to seek Him in everything because He is ALWAYS looking for someone that "gets it" and I don't want Him to pick someone else! (Yeah...I know...the "I gotta be the teacher's pet" thing just went through my mind too...I told y'all I was Miss Goodie Goodie haha).
Ps 53:2 (NIV)
God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
Let's hear your verses!
In Him,
Kristy =)
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Proofread this for me please...
Hey y’all! I hope the two of you reading are having a great week =) I am getting excited about the JBA WMU Luncheon next weekend! I am getting a little nervous though because since it is at our church I have to do the welcome. And then they asked me to do a short devotion. And despite what you might think…I hate public speaking! I am really not very good in front of a big crowd. I get really nervous…then couple that with the fact that I just don’t do “short”…and I am starting to sweat! =)
So I thought I would use you guys as the guinea pigs to see what you think. I think I am going to do the devotion on Hebrews 12:1. The WMU theme verse for 2010-2012 is Hebrews 12:1-2. And when we did our 5k last year I memorized verse 1 because it was also the theme for the race. In fact…as I reflect back it kind of became a life verse for me. So I think it will make a good devotion…here is a rough draft of what I am thinking of saying:
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Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
How many of you are moms or grandmas? Have you ever tried to do housework or cook supper with a baby on your hip? (I promise not to sing it Gretchen Wilson style *wink*) Or a toddler clinging to your leg? Or a young child hanging on your back like a monkey? I spent many Saturdays with a vacuum cleaner in one hand and a 2-3 year old on my hip…and I can testify that it takes three times as long to get the living room floor clean! Not too mention my back was aching and my vacuuming arm was overworked. That extra weight and awkwardness was a major hindrance to daily activities. Not until my children were big enough to go into another room by themselves away from the noisy vacuum did I have a peaceful cleaning experience again…that is if you can call cleaning peaceful! ha
So why is it as Christians we try to live life everyday with a child riding piggy back? Why do we carry around on a daily basis the things that we know are going to trip us up and hinder our Christian walk? Every piggy back rider is different. My piggy back rider might be the hindrance of pride or selfishness. Your piggy back rider might be the hindrance of jealousy. Someone else’s piggy back rider might be addiction. Others might be hindered by holding a material possession too closely. Think for just a moment of what hinders you daily in your walk with Jesus. What are some ways we can drop those piggy back riders onto the couch and tell them we are not carrying them around any longer?
I’ll share an example from my life. I struggle with the hindrance of pride. One of the most liberating moments in my life came about 8 years ago. It was the first year I was WMU Director of this church. I was constantly trying to do mission projects and other things to make me look good and feel good about myself. I have always been a people pleaser…and when folks would set me up on a pedestal I would soak it up like a sponge. I really didn’t do anything for Jesus’ name…it was all for Kristy’s recognition. That first few months as WMU Director I was prideful in our accomplishments and I was self serving in the way I went about completing things. Everything we tried to accomplish through our WMU was hard, barely supported, and just plain miserable!
Then I enrolled in a Discipleship Training class we offer called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. And I experienced the power of God like I had never imagined. I developed a thirst for seeking Jesus that I had never experienced. I learned how to listen to God for direction and to follow Him instead of my own desires. Seeking Jesus wholeheartedly became my desire. And suddenly being WMU Director became a much different role. It became a “joyfully serving others role instead of a taking the credit and setting myself up high” role. We began making differences in the community through our mission projects and a lot of times we even did it anonymously. I am convinced that nothing can bless you back like doing something anonymous for another person. Seeing the joy they experience without receiving any credit is priceless!
I learned that first year through some very hard lessons from God that life is not about me. I learned humility like I never want to forget it. I learned firsthand the true meaning of Phil 2:3 “Do nothing out of self ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
Once I threw off the hindrance of pride and began to truly put others before myself with humility…life has never been the same. Serving Jesus as WMU Director and Women’s Ministry Leader at this amazing church has blessed me more than I could ever express. And recognizing that I am nothing without Jesus has been the most freeing and wonderful realization of my life; understanding that it is not about me and is all about Jesus puts a lot of this world and what it offers into perspective.
Please don’t think that my life is now perfect, and please know that I still slip into my prideful nature from time to time, but with the help of Jesus I recognize it quickly, repent and turn and put someone else in front of me. Nothing seals repentance from pride and self absorption like immediately finding someone else to serve and thank. So think about what hinders you. And how you can throw it off and seek Jesus unhindered. And experience life serving Christ like you have never experienced life before!
Let us pray...
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So what do y’all think? Too long? Too boring? Too personal? Too weird?
I can’t decide…email me if you have feedback =) Thanks ladies!
In Him,
Kristy =)
So I thought I would use you guys as the guinea pigs to see what you think. I think I am going to do the devotion on Hebrews 12:1. The WMU theme verse for 2010-2012 is Hebrews 12:1-2. And when we did our 5k last year I memorized verse 1 because it was also the theme for the race. In fact…as I reflect back it kind of became a life verse for me. So I think it will make a good devotion…here is a rough draft of what I am thinking of saying:
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Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
How many of you are moms or grandmas? Have you ever tried to do housework or cook supper with a baby on your hip? (I promise not to sing it Gretchen Wilson style *wink*) Or a toddler clinging to your leg? Or a young child hanging on your back like a monkey? I spent many Saturdays with a vacuum cleaner in one hand and a 2-3 year old on my hip…and I can testify that it takes three times as long to get the living room floor clean! Not too mention my back was aching and my vacuuming arm was overworked. That extra weight and awkwardness was a major hindrance to daily activities. Not until my children were big enough to go into another room by themselves away from the noisy vacuum did I have a peaceful cleaning experience again…that is if you can call cleaning peaceful! ha
So why is it as Christians we try to live life everyday with a child riding piggy back? Why do we carry around on a daily basis the things that we know are going to trip us up and hinder our Christian walk? Every piggy back rider is different. My piggy back rider might be the hindrance of pride or selfishness. Your piggy back rider might be the hindrance of jealousy. Someone else’s piggy back rider might be addiction. Others might be hindered by holding a material possession too closely. Think for just a moment of what hinders you daily in your walk with Jesus. What are some ways we can drop those piggy back riders onto the couch and tell them we are not carrying them around any longer?
I’ll share an example from my life. I struggle with the hindrance of pride. One of the most liberating moments in my life came about 8 years ago. It was the first year I was WMU Director of this church. I was constantly trying to do mission projects and other things to make me look good and feel good about myself. I have always been a people pleaser…and when folks would set me up on a pedestal I would soak it up like a sponge. I really didn’t do anything for Jesus’ name…it was all for Kristy’s recognition. That first few months as WMU Director I was prideful in our accomplishments and I was self serving in the way I went about completing things. Everything we tried to accomplish through our WMU was hard, barely supported, and just plain miserable!
Then I enrolled in a Discipleship Training class we offer called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. And I experienced the power of God like I had never imagined. I developed a thirst for seeking Jesus that I had never experienced. I learned how to listen to God for direction and to follow Him instead of my own desires. Seeking Jesus wholeheartedly became my desire. And suddenly being WMU Director became a much different role. It became a “joyfully serving others role instead of a taking the credit and setting myself up high” role. We began making differences in the community through our mission projects and a lot of times we even did it anonymously. I am convinced that nothing can bless you back like doing something anonymous for another person. Seeing the joy they experience without receiving any credit is priceless!
I learned that first year through some very hard lessons from God that life is not about me. I learned humility like I never want to forget it. I learned firsthand the true meaning of Phil 2:3 “Do nothing out of self ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
Once I threw off the hindrance of pride and began to truly put others before myself with humility…life has never been the same. Serving Jesus as WMU Director and Women’s Ministry Leader at this amazing church has blessed me more than I could ever express. And recognizing that I am nothing without Jesus has been the most freeing and wonderful realization of my life; understanding that it is not about me and is all about Jesus puts a lot of this world and what it offers into perspective.
Please don’t think that my life is now perfect, and please know that I still slip into my prideful nature from time to time, but with the help of Jesus I recognize it quickly, repent and turn and put someone else in front of me. Nothing seals repentance from pride and self absorption like immediately finding someone else to serve and thank. So think about what hinders you. And how you can throw it off and seek Jesus unhindered. And experience life serving Christ like you have never experienced life before!
Let us pray...
------------------------
So what do y’all think? Too long? Too boring? Too personal? Too weird?
I can’t decide…email me if you have feedback =) Thanks ladies!
In Him,
Kristy =)
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