Today I posted a devotion on the Radical Revolution site (teen ministry site for Proverbs 31 Ministries). It's about experiencing dry, "desert" times in your spirituality.

To read it, visit http://radrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/01/dry-times.html

Have a beautiful & warm weekend!

~Kristen

Caribou, Coffee, and Conversations

Yesterday, I got the blessing of beginning my day with coffee with my friend Teri (we work together at Proverbs 31). I'm totally loving Caribou, coffee, and conversations with Teri!! We have some great spiritual conversations and she's such a great listener and encourager!!



"...Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." (Proverbs 11:25, NLT)

Thanks for refreshing me with your friendship, Teri! :-)

More Power!!!!!!!

One thing I want to experience in my life this year is more of God's power. I want to see more of Him, I want to feel His presence more strongly, I want to experience His empowerment to do big things for Him.

As I've been thinking and praying about this for a few months now, I've been trying to understand how to experience more of His power and identify the things that keep me from experiencing it. I attended a conference recently at which the speaker said if we want to see more power in our lives, a good formula is what is used for current: I=V/R (Current, or power, = Voltage / Resistance). Voltage is the Holy Spirit's power and Resistance is our level of surrender, submission, or yieldedness to His power. So, the more yielded we are to God, the more of His power we will experience in our lives.

I concluded about myself that the things that most keep me from seeing God's power in my life and ministry are busyness, exhaustion, and disobedience (or not being yielded to God). Even my busyness and exhaustion are a result of not being yielded to God, because I'm trying to essentially "be God" by doing everything and trying to be in control of it all, rather than trusting Him to show me what I need to do and doing only that.

So here's a song which is my prayer that God would empty me of all of myself so I can be filled with Him. Please pray this along with me. Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing." He also said, "My power is made perfect in your weakness."

“Empty Me” by Chris Sligh

I've had just enough of the spotlight when it burns bright
To see how it gets in the blood.
And I've tasted my share of the sweet life and the wild ride
And found a little is not quite enough.

I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with You.

I've seen just enough of the quick buys of the best lies
To know how prodigals can be drawn away.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with You.

‘Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to You, compared to You.
‘Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to You. So, I surrender all!

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with You.
Oh, filled with you.
Empty me.

Back Again in 2010!

Hi Everyone!!!!

Yes, I know, it has been FOREVER since I last posted on my blog. It has been a very busy few months...I graduated from seminary and I started a job officially at Spirit of Joy.

As we start a new year, I am so excited for what God has in store!!!!

I feel incredibly blessed as I look back and see God's guidance through this past year. He brought me through 4 years of seminary at CIU and allowed me to graduate with a master's degree! How cool is that?! Even more than the degree and what I've learned academically, I'm so thankful for what I've learned on a personal level.

CIU was like a healing spring for me, and others have said the same thing from their CIU experience. I think God brought me there not only to train me for ministry, but also and perhaps even more so to bring healing to some of the broken places in my life. And He did this to show me His love for me and for His glory. He totally could have left me in my "broken" state, but He loved me enough not to leave me where I was. Thank You God!! I leave CIU transformed, forever changed by the relationships I found with my professors, girl friends, guy friends, and especially God.

And then, He opened the door for me to work at Spirit of Joy!!! Double blessing. At Spirit of Joy, I know that I know that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be during this season of my life. It is a huge joy serving God and my church "family" there!

Looking forward in 2010, I have no clue what God has in store, but I believe it's going to be very good and is going to blow my mind.

For 2010, one of my goals is to write on my blog on a regular basis. I can't make any promises but I'm going to make a diligent effort. So, I hope you'll come back and visit from time to time. :-)

Love,
Kristen


Pic of sister & me at Christmas