Established in Him

Give When You Think You Can't

2012-01-28T08:55:00.004-05:00

I just love random acts of kindness... both receiving and especially giving them!

The other day at Starbucks I was getting my free coffee (which will end when January does!) and there was a man who's been there a lot lately. From what I can gather, he's middle-aged, doesn't have a job, nor does he have a place to live other than the camper that he drives. When I passed by him, he had a scent of not having bathed for a few days and it seemed he was doing school work on his laptop.

God was tugging at my heart to support him in some way. I decided to get him a Starbucks gift card. Even though I had looked at my finances just the previous night and knew things were tight, even when I thought I didn't have anything to give to this man, I did it anyway.

God blessed it. And He ended up almost doubling what I received in return when a friend paid for something I had anticipated paying for.

This small circumstance reconfirmed for me what I already knew to be true: you can't out-give God. And when you think you can't give anymore, even though you hear God calling you to give more, when you do it, He will meet you there with more blessings to give back to you.

He is, after all, the King of unlimited resources.

The apostle Paul talked about this when addressing the church at Philippi after they had generously given to meet his needs: "I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received... the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Philippians 4:18-20

Finances. Time. Gifts. God gave all of these to us to use appropriately for His glory, and there's so much more where those came from. Give when you think you can't afford to. And watch what God does!

To God be all the glory.

A Starbucks Supercharge... Or Was it Jesus?

2012-01-05T08:48:00.007-05:00

During December, Starbucks had a special holiday deal on a SB travel mug which you could take into SB every day in January to get free brewed coffee. Guess what? I received this for Christmas. :) So, taking advantage of this great deal of free coffee gifted to me by my mom, I made my visit to SB this morning.

On my way out of the store, two gentlemen greeted me with a friendly "Have a great day!" and a smile. Had never met them before in my life. Didn't even interact with them in the store, other than that momentary passing by. And yet they saw fit to bless me with those four words.

A gift of God's grace.

It's amazing what even the smallest act of kindness can do.

Starbucks' coffee can supercharge me -- especially considering the crazy amounts of caffeine in it! But this morning my small interaction with those men supercharged me even more.

I began to think, What if my one New Year's resolution were to bless someone with a smile and "Have a great day!" every day? It takes only a few seconds and yet it can speak volumes to another person. It says, "I acknowledge your presence. And I truly hope your day goes well for you."

Those men at SB were like the face of Jesus to me. And in their faces, I saw a reflection of what I want to be. Other-focused. Blessing others. Every day.

That is where the true and lasting supercharge comes from... the infilling of the Spirit of God and His joy as we seek to bless others.
Not from my Starbucks coffee.

"...I will bless you... and you will be a blessing." Genesis 12:2

This is NOT Comfortable!

2012-01-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

In the church, we celebrate a season of preparation in the weeks leading up to Christmas, called Advent. It's a time to wait and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus coming into the world. This year, I decided during Advent to give something up for those few weeks to make a little more room in my life for Jesus.

Coffee. Yes, one of the things I think I can't live without. But I did it because I love Jesus. I wanted to prove to myself that Jesus is really the One I can't live without. Plus, it made me feel the discomfort that comes with waiting for the fulfillment of things you long for.

I tend to try to avoid pain and discomfort.
But what if pain and discomfort are part of God's plan to sharpen us and make us stronger?
To help us identify with the pain of others and be able to minister to them better?
To shape our lives and hearts to look more like Jesus?

I certainly don't want to miss out on that!

It's a choice. We choose to either embrace or shun discipline and training in our lives. And we choose to either embrace or harden our hearts to the pains and hard times that come without asking our permission.

If we allow God to mold and form us through these things, His magnificent beauty will be manifested.

"Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms,
you would never see the true beauty of their carvings."
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Unless I Had Believed...

2011-12-28T09:35:00.015-05:00

Christmas just came and went, seemingly so quickly! I hope you had a great Christmas with family and friends! Mine was wonderful.

It's comical to me how after Christmas Day is over, people are immediately counting down the days until Christmas of the next year. Speaking of, as of now we have about 362 days and 14 hours until next Christmas.

I wonder why? Maybe it's because Christmas is a time of hope, of celebration, of believing. And quite honestly, our world continues to throw at us reasons not to hope, not to celebrate, not to believe.

I can't help but wonder what the people of God were thinking and feeling before Jesus, the Messiah, their long-awaited Savior, came into the world. For centuries they waited. Centuries! Did they still have hope? Did they find anything to celebrate? Did they still believe the Messiah would still come one day?

I'll be honest, I have a hard time holding onto hope and continuing to believe God will answer a prayer or fulfill His promises after only a few short weeks. I can't imagine being one of the people waiting for the Messiah for years upon years upon years! I'm afraid I would have given up all hope & just started believing that God had forgotten me or was punishing me by leaving me in my miserable state.

The reality is that we're going to believe something. The question is, what do you believe in times that seem hopeless, when you see absolutely nothing good happening, when the world tempts you to quit believing in goodness, to quit believing in God? Do you believe God's promises, or do you believe that nagging voice that speaks against everything Scripture and faith say are true?

One of my favorite Scriptures that I cling to in hard times is Psalm 27:13-14:
"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." (NASB)

I can't imagine where I'd be without Jesus in my life and without God's words of truth to give me hope and help me keep believing. And I can't imagine what I'd do without friends who help me keep hoping and believing. These are entirely gifts of God's grace for which I am eternally grateful, and they're available to us all.

Worthy of All Praise

2011-12-16T13:58:00.012-05:00

What speaks to you of God's greatness and majesty?
As for me, it's nature. And particularly the sky.
It's also Christian music.
Mix them together and I'm in Heaven. :)

One of my new favorite songs is one that's actually been around awhile but has been re-recorded in a new edition:
"How Great is Our God (World Edition)" by Chris Tomlin

Not only does it have the original words in English, it also includes these other languages: Hindi, Indonesian, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Zulu, Africaans, and Mandarin.

Listening to this song, I can't help but think of these words of Revelation in the Bible which talk about the end of time when people from every nation and tribe will worship God:

"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, 'Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!' And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell face down before the throne and worshiped God. They said, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever. Amen!'" Revelation 7:9-12

God just leaves me speechless sometimes. This is one of those times. There's no limit to His greatness and even our best words of praise and thanksgiving to Him can't begin to express this. I love Him so much!

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

Not Chosen... Or Am I?

2011-11-16T08:55:00.003-05:00

Ugh. I am so tired of being single!! Seriously, I’m beginning to question whether there is anyone out there for me.

But what’s so bad about that? Why can’t I just be content being single?

It would be fine, except for the uncomfortable underlying sense that I’m not wanted. Not loved. Not chosen.

And yet, as a friend pointed out a few days ago, my perspective is so not the perspective of others. In her eyes, she instead sees me as someone who knows she is chosen and is waiting for the man God has chosen for her, rather than settling for someone else.

The Bible also tells me my perspective is not God’s perspective. God says I am loved. He believes I am beautiful in every way. I am His. He has chosen me.

Not only do friends and the Bible remind me of the truth, but God has also given me a precious dog as a companion to remind me. If I’ve ever questioned whether God loves me, sees me, or has chosen me, I now know He does because I’ve seen it through my dog, Tipper.

Sweet Tipper loves to love me. His favorite place to be in sitting in my lap, laying his head on my stomach and looking up at me. Every moment he’s awake, he’s intently watching me. He doesn’t take his eyes off of me. He is enthralled with me. He loves me, and I know it because he shows me.

Tipper’s been in my life for about 5 years, but it’s only recently that I’ve begun to see his love for me as an expression of God’s true and extravagant love for me. Maybe because I’ve been asking God to show me how much he loves me. Praying for God to satisfy me with his unfailing love so I can again be content and joyful, rather than discontent and always longing for more.

“The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.” Psalm 45:1

“All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” Song of Solomon 4:7

“…You are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.” Isaiah 43:4

“I have loved you with an everlasting love…” Jeremiah 31:3

“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” Psalm 139:17

“…You are the God who sees me.” Genesis 16:13

“…You are…chosen…royal…holy…God’s very own possession…” 1 Peter 2:9

With one look, Tipper’s eyes express all these things to me – different facets of God’s love for me, without even a word.

And no longer do I need to question whether I am chosen. Whether God sees and cares. Whether I am loved. It is clear. Thank you, God.

If you’re struggling with some of the same questions I have been, I pray that God would give you little revelations of His love for you too. Through pets, friends, and His very personal words to you in the Bible. You are very loved. Wanted. Chosen. LOVED. WANTED. AND CHOSEN.

Beneath the Surface

2011-11-04T10:01:00.003-04:00

I just spent a few hours with my friend Teri. In the course of our conversation, we talked about dry ground. Friends we know are experiencing “dry ground” in their lives right now. The two of us in our own ways have experienced dry ground in our lives recently too.

But unlike we frequently think, though we only see dry ground, that does not mean nothing is happening. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface, things that we can’t perceive or imagine.

Maybe you’re in a place of dry ground right now. God’s not speaking nor is He making His presence known. Be encouraged that God is doing a beautiful work below the surface of your dry ground.

Did you know there was a period of 400 years in which the people of God heard nothing from God? The prophets had no more messages to deliver to the people because God was not speaking. The people had heard the prophecies of a coming Messiah, the promised Deliverer of God’s people. And yet, where was He? Where was this Hope of the World? Talk about incredibly dry ground – not hearing from God for centuries, nor seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises. And then…

Then Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the long-awaited Deliverer of God’s people, came into the world. “[He] grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground” (Isaiah 53:2).

Earlier in the prophecies of Isaiah, the prophet wrote this about the coming Messiah:

“Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot – yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

He will delight in obeying the LORD. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.” (Isaiah 11:1-5)

When this promised Deliverer, Jesus, came He was such a breath of refreshment and new life for those who had prepared their hearts for Him, who were ready to receive the Promise.

As we look toward the season of Christmas, at the end of the month we’ll enter a season called Advent. Advent is a period of preparation and expectancy, when we’re watching and preparing for the coming of our Deliverer.

If you’re weary and wondering if the promises of God will ever be fulfilled in your life, hold fast. God’s promises will always, always, always be fulfilled.Let this dry time be a season of preparation for you, a time to wait expectantly for the coming of God’s promises fulfilled.

You are dearly loved, and God working something beautiful beneath the surface of your dry ground.

“If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.” Habakkuk 2:3

God's Intervention in a Place of Longing

2011-10-19T07:38:00.006-04:00

When we're seeking God in trials, God will answer our cries for help and will intervene, but sometimes his intervention is not what we expected or were hoping for.

Sometimes his intervention comes as a testing of our faith. In trials, we're "thirsty" and longing for satisfaction and to feel better, but he often allows a "drought" and for our "thirsts" and longings to go unsatisfied for a while so he can do a greater work in our lives.

What does it mean for God to test our faith?

It seems that he wants to see whether we'll turn to him in the drought or whether we'll try to find water and satisfaction elsewhere. He wants us to answer the question, "Do I really believe that God is enough, that he satisfies all my thirsts and longings, even and especially as situations continue to prove unsatisfying and disappointing?"

Whatever we believe is what we will act upon. If I really believe God is enough for me, then I will live like it. I won't continually be chasing after other things for satisfaction because my satisfaction and contentment will be found in him.

When I'm looking for satisfaction and contentment outside of God, I will feel like what I have is never enough; BUT if I'm looking for satisfaction and contentment in him, then no matter how my heart has felt - all the discomfort, pain, and longing - those things will be washed away, overpowered by the wave of realization that God is more than enough for me.

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." Isaiah 30:15

"...Those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing." Psalm 34:10

To See the World Be Changed

2011-10-15T10:59:00.005-04:00

Throughout this year, I've been writing weekly devotionals for my church, talking about various ways we can experience more of God's power in our lives. Each week, I focus on one of five different areas: Prayer, Outreach, God's Word, Expectancy (expecting God to show up), and Relationships.

This week's focus is on outreach, and it's one of my favorites because of what God's been doing in my mind & heart lately, so I thought I'd share with you.

P.O.W.E.R. Point

Experiencing More of God's Power in 2011

+ Outreach +

I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give
With the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

Lyrics from “The Power of Your Name” by Lincoln Brewster

Lord, break my heart for the things that break your heart. Recently, I’ve prayed this as God’s been opening my eyes and heart in new ways to the needs of the poor, oppressed and marginalized of our world. It began with understanding the balance Jesus lived in his relationships – UP (God), IN (family & friends), and OUT (the world) – which is his model for us as His followers.

Recently, God has reinforced His call for me to live my faith OUT in the world like Jesus did through a friend, a song, and a book—a friend with a heart of compassion for those in need… the song above… and an eye-opening book called The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision.

Did you know that…

*In America, the average income is $38,611 per person, or about $105 per day, while 40% of the world’s population lives on less than $2 per day

*22,000 children die each day due to poverty

*About 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation

*Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities, not to mention fatalities from other infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS

Statistics taken from: http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

These statistics are just the beginning. In America, we’ve been given so much. Most of us have all our needs met and have extra for luxuries such as an iPhone, tickets to football games, or the occasional Starbucks coffee (yes, I’m guilty of this one!).

What if, however, God has entrusted us with what we have not to keep it all for ourselves but to share with others in need?

I want my life to count for God. I don’t want to sit idly watching from a distance those in need suffering without or enduring injustice. I want to see the world be changed by the power of God’s name, as the song above says. But I believe that it’s not going to happen by my sitting on the sidelines. It’s going to happen as each of us steps out into the world in faith and calls on Jesus’ power.

“…I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power…” Isaiah 52:6 (NLT)

On the Giving End of Hope

2011-03-08T17:06:00.001-05:00

I don’t like to ask for help. I like handling things on my own, especially if asking for help would be putting me in a place of vulnerability. Yes, I still tend to be prideful in this way and worry too much about what people will think.

Recently, however, I’ve been reminded of the beauty of reaching out and asking for help.

I’ve been on the giving end of help. And hope.

We often think that having a need and having to ask for help shows weakness. In reality, however, asking for help is a sign of incredible strength. It shows humility, authenticity, and trust in God to meet our need. Beautiful.

When we are without hope, we turn our eyes to the only true Hope-giver: Jesus Christ. And we also look to the people in our life who are instruments of God’s hope. If it weren’t for people with us in the hard times, loving and caring for us, and showing us the hope we have in Jesus, where would we be?

I’m so thankful for the people God has put in my path to help me when I’m fallen.

Here’s to those special people in my life. Thank you for being there for me in my hardest times.

And here’s to those special people who have reached out to me for help and hope. Thank you for reminding me that true strength is in reaching out for help!

May God continue to bless us with special friends who laugh & cry with us, speak Truth over our lives, pray for us, and let us borrow their faith when ours is so little.

“More Than You’ll Ever Know” by Watermark

Something brought you to my mind today
I thought about the funny ways you make me laugh
And yet I feel like it's okay to cry with you
Something about just being with you
When I leave I feel like I've been near God
And that's the way it ought to be...

CHORUS:
'Cause you've been more than a friend to me
You fight off my enemies
'Cause you've spoken the Truth over my life
And you'll never know what it means to me
Just to know you've been on your knees for me
Oh, you have blessed my life
More than you'll ever know, yeah, yeah, yeah
More than you'll ever know, yeah, yeah, yeah

You had faith, when I had none
You prayed God would bring me a brand new song
When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing
And all the while I'm hoping that I'll
Do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me
And that's the way it ought to be...

You have carried me
You have taken upon a burden that wasn't your own
And may the blessing return to you
A hundredfold, oh yeah...
A hundredfold, oh yeah...

The Kingdom of Heaven ... and Hundreds of Birds

2011-02-25T17:08:00.006-05:00

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches."
Matthew 13:31-32

Yesterday morning, I was taking the dogs out and not only saw a beautiful sunrise but also heard the sound of hundreds of birds chirping, perched in the trees beside my neighbor's house.

And I mean literally hundreds.

I tried to capture them with this picture, though my camera phone isn't the best for taking pics. If you look hard you may see black dots in the top of the big tree past the neighbor's house.

It was such a beautiful image to me of what Jesus meant when He spoke about the growth of His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God started as a tiny mustard seed, but it is growing and will continue to grow until the end comes and the Kingdom has reached its fullest capacity. Then, millions of birds will fill its branches.

God never ceases to amaze me.

Distracted or Discouraged?

2011-02-23T17:12:00.003-05:00

Have you ever found yourself distracted or discouraged but can't quite put your finger on why?

I've been there recently. Ministry has been going really well, and I've seen God's power in awesome ways as He's used me to share truth and hope with others.

At the same time, I also recently found myself distracted and discouraged. I went to a small group (that I lead) and found it challenging to focus, to listen as people shared their reflections, and to respond in a way that seemed relevant. In a haze. Distracted.

Dis*tract*ed : mentally confused, troubled

But what was I distracted by? I can't even tell you.

Not only that, by the end of the small group meeting I also found myself discouraged. Not feeling joyful. Wanting to leave and go far far away.

Dis*cour*aged : deprived of courage or confidence

What's up with that?!

My conclusion: I was under a spiritual attack. I believe the devil was trying to take me off the track that God had me on and was trying to take away my courage and confidence to continue speaking up and stepping out for Christ.

The Bible talks about spiritual attack: "We are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world..." (Ephesians 6:12) and "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith..." (1 Peter 5:8-9)

I'm aware of how the devil likes to work in my life, and distraction and discouragement are some of the primary ways he's used in the past.

Thankfully, I shared my feelings with a friend, who immediately prayed for me and reminded me of truth. Distraction and discouragement are not from God. Instead, they're the devil's plan to keep us from God's path and from being powerful and effective for the Kingdom of God.

God is so incredibly good, and the devil is just a liar.

With that, I'm praying the Lord's Prayer (personalized for this situation), asking for God's intervention. If you're in a place where the devil is trying to distract or discourage you, you may want to pray this prayer too, personalizing it for your situation. And together, let's remember this: "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2). It's his truth that drowns out all the distractions, discouragement and lies of the enemy.

My Father in Heaven, may I always honor and adore you with my life. I praise you because you are such a good, loving and gracious father.

May your Kingdom come and your will be done in and through my life here on earth, just as your will is done in Heaven. Use me as an instrument in your Kingdom breakthrough in people's lives.

Give me today everything I need, including recognition of the truth and the ability to walk in it, focus on your priorities for today, and the ability to live confidently and courageously for you. Thank you for my friend who spoke truth and encouragement to me when I needed it.

Thank you for forgiving me for my sins. Help me know the extent of your forgiveness and mercy, and help me to extend that same forgiveness and mercy to others.

Guide me away from temptation and its distraction, enticement, deceitfulness, and condemnation.

And protect, shield and deliver me from all evil.

Father, please do all these things because the Kingdom, all the power, and all the glory belong to you forever.
Amen.

Spiritual Battles

2010-04-23T10:22:00.014-04:00

Lately I have been so aware of the spiritual battle that we face as Christians. I feel like I've been under attack from the unseen forces of evil in the world. I have to say that I didn't always understand or believe these forces of evil existed. But as I've grown closer to God (which is only only by His grace) I have seen just how much the devil and his helpers do not want me to get closer to God because that means they are losing their power in my life and the ground I had previously surrendered to them.

So, what does this mean? It means the devil will do everything he can to pull me away from God. We all have weaknesses or areas of vulnerability. The devil loves to jump in and attack us there. For me, my greatest areas of vulnerability have to do with what I believe about myself, others and God. So, to get to me, the devil in the past has lied to me, deceived me, and accused me about myself, others and God.

For instance, I was meeting with a friend the other day, and as we talked, in everything my friend said I heard something else. It caused me to feel really hurt and not trust this person. (The devil was accusing me and lying to me about who I am and trying to deceive me about who my friend is... Essentially I heard, "Kristen, why are you even trying? Why don't you just quit now? You don't have anything good to offer. And by the way, your 'friend' does not really care about you or love you. You can't trust them.")

HOW DO WE COMBAT THE LIES OF THE ENEMY? With the TRUTH. Where do you find the truth? In the Bible. The Bible tells us what God says is true about ourselves, about other people, and about Himself. God also reveals and reconfirms His truth through other means - including Christian friends and songs.

In the midst of my meeting with my friend, God knew my heart was hurting. I was wounded on a deep level. But God is so amazingly good. Because He was right there at the point of my pain, listening to the lies the devil was spewing at me and speaking the truth to me. "Kristen, I am with you dear one. I love you. Let me hold your heart. What you're hearing is not a true reflection of reality. LOVE your friend despite what you feel they are telling you. Stop running from where I've called you. Quit trying to run from pain; quit trying to always 'play it safe.' Step out in faith. You are beautiful, I love you and I've called you to do these things for me. I'm right by your side and I will help you and will complete everything in your life that I have planned."

I first heard these truths in the Bible. Then God stepped in and assured me that these were indeed true (He just gave me an unexplainable assurance and peace inside that what the Bible says is true and I can trust it and I can trust HIM). He also reconfirmed these truths to me by repeating them to me through a few songs on the radio.

Ephesians 6 says,
^"10 ... Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

What's God's plan for dealing with these spiritual forces of evil and darkness?

"¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

One more story (and joy) to share from this week ...
Recently I was faced with a temptation, one that is very familiar to me. Temptation is another one of the devil's many schemes to draw us away from God.

This temptation is something that in the past I have always caved into. Well this time, I was able to resist this temptation!!!

I can't take any credit for it. I totally give God all the praise for this because it is Him in me giving me the desire AND POWER do do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13).

The Bible says to "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7b)

Luke 9 says: ^"23 Then [Jesus] said to the crowd, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. ²⁴ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. ²⁵ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?'"

If we want to see God's power in our lives, we must be willing to surrender to Him and let Him direct our steps every single day. It's a daily "dying to self." One of my favorite songs about this is "Crucified with Christ" by Philips, Craig & Dean. My favorite line is "His cross will never ask for more than I can give, for it's not my strength but His." If God asks me for a complete sacrifice of myself, He will make it possible ... not by my strength, of course, but by His.

I have read the Scripture multiple times that God won't allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. When temptation comes, He will provide a way out for us (1 Corinthians 10:13). Yet for such a long time, I longed for the day when I would see this promise fulfilled in my own life. I wanted to believe it was true for me, and yet every time I faced a particular temptation, I felt powerless to resist it. I felt like I didn't have a way out. You could say I felt enslaved to it. This is a place where I believe the devil had deceived me in the past. He wanted me to truly believe that there was not a way out, that God does provide a way out for some people but not for me. The devil wanted me to feel discouraged and defeated. He wanted me to not believe and to even forget who God says I am - His dearly loved child, who has been given victory over my weaknesses and temptations through His power (1 John 3:1, Ephesians 3:18-21). Though there may be more times in the future that I cave into temptation, today is a new day. God is doing something new. I pray that God would complete this good work that He has begun.

The devil is such a liar and deceiver!! I'm praying that you would see God's power in your life in whatever you're going through. And I'm praying that we would all be able to distinguish God's truth from the devil's lies, and believe the truth and walk in the truth!

"... You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

Love & blessings,

Kristen

2010-01-29T22:51:00.004-05:00

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

2010-01-20T12:11:00.004-05:00

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!!!!!!!

2010-01-17T12:00:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-01-16T14:51:00.010-05:00

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

5 Blessings for EASTER!!!!

2009-04-12T23:22:00.002-04:00

1. Hanging out with my sister last night and today.

2. Catching up on some emails yesterday.

3. Realizing that I am almost done with school...finally! It's kind of bittersweet...

4. Church today!! Awesome! I especially loved the choir's anthem "Hallelujah, Jesus Saves."

5. John 11:25-26: "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.'"

God's love for us is so incredible. He is our hope and the reason we live.

During the season of Lent, I have been posting on my blog every day. Since Easter Sunday officially marks the end of Lent, that means that I am finished with posting my daily 5 blessings. I have to admit that some days were harder than others to find 5 things to be thankful for. However, there are always things for us to be thankful for...we just have to search harder for them sometimes.

Thank you for joining me in this journey and I pray that you have been blessed by reading and have also been able to reflect on the blessings in your life. I will continue posting on my blog, however it will be more sporadic ~ and almost certainly not daily. :-)

Take care & enjoy your Easter!!

Love, Kristen

5 Blessings for April 11

2009-04-11T20:12:00.004-04:00

1. House and dog sitting for some friends this weekend...it's kind of nice to spend the weekend by myself, and help my friends out, of course.

2. My new pal Bailey...He's kept me company at my friends' house. :-) (In case you're wondering, Bailey is a miniature greyhound.)

3. The song "What Sin?" by Morgan Cryar. If you've ever struggled with forgiving yourself for sins you've done in the past or wondered if God has forgiven you, this song is a great reminder of God's forgiveness & wiping our records completely clean.

4. Learning to be real about myself and my life. I am amazed by the grace and love I have received from various people when I have shared the ugly truth about me and my past mistakes. If we can't be real with others about who we are, then we can't be loved for who we are. All people can love is the facets of ourselves that we present to them.

5. Psalm 27:13-14:

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD."

Yesterday was the remembrance of the death of Jesus, but Easter is coming tomorrow and we'll celebrate Him rising from the dead. In the meantime, we must wait...and look to Him in hope because He is our hope.

5 Blessings for April 10

2009-04-10T23:40:00.003-04:00

1. The fact of life that death must occur for something beautiful to be born.

2. The movie The Passion of the Christ

Check out this clip from the movie set to a song called "The Reason"...it's incredible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNgbBYdDZA8&NR=1

3. Romans 5:6-8:

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

4. What God has done in my life:

In the last few years, God has been doing great things in my life. He brought me out of an unhealthy relationship and brought me to an open and loving church family. Now, I am finishing up a master’s degree at Columbia International University and am completing my counseling internship at my church, Spirit of Joy. Both CIU and Spirit of Joy have played an integral role in my life in helping me understand and experience the truths of God and to grow in my relationship with Him. The ways that God has grown me in the last few years have been amazing. However, my life has not always been this way.

In March of 2003, I broke up with my fiancée whom I was supposed to have married two months later. This was devastating for me, but it was what God wanted. It took many months of praying and a great lack of peace in my heart, though, before I finally realized it. Even though I knew our break-up was what had to happen, it still did not make it any easier when it finally did. That was probably my lowest point ever. I had grown up in a Christian home and knew that God was supposed to take first place in my life. I think God did take first place in my life until I met this man. During the four years that I dated him I put him first over everything, including God. This led to a skew of my morals and values and suddenly I began doing the things I used to think were wrong to do, things I thought I would never do. My life was completely out of control. Anything that I wanted, I let myself have—indulgences of all kinds. Through all of this, thankfully God continued to call me back to Him. When I finally surrendered and let God have control of my life, i.e. when I broke up with my fiancée, I had to let God take control of all the areas of my life that were out of control. This was very difficult because I wanted to be in control.

The Bible passage that became my theme passage during this period of time and continues to be is Matthew 16, a passage in which Jesus was speaking to His disciples. He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” Basically, through this passage God was saying to me that I needed to give Him control of all the areas of my life that I had tried to control for so long—I needed to “lose my life” for His sake. All this time, I had been trying to save my life for myself, doing whatever it was that pleased me, but in the process I was really losing out on the best part of life—an intimate relationship with God.

Of course, there was the problem of my sin. During the four years of my fiancée’s and my relationship, I disobeyed and dishonored God in more ways than I care to admit. So, how could God possibly forgive me for my sinful choices? How could I become right with God after being wrong with Him for so long? There was certainly nothing I could do to change my past or to erase my sins. But the answer lies in Jesus Christ. God sent His Son Jesus to die on a cross to pay for my disobedience. God freely forgave me and turned my life around when I confessed my sin and surrendered my life to Him. Therefore, God no longer sees my sin; all He sees is a clean, new person.

God used one of the hardest times in my life for the greatest good in my life. Today, I am living in a restored, amazing relationship with God. I am very thankful that God loved me enough to send His Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins so that I am able to have this personal relationship with Him. Though my life is certainly not easy now, it is a lot more manageable and fulfilling because I am not living it alone. Jesus is with me every step of the way, and I look forward to the day when I will spend eternity with Him in heaven.

5. Do You Know Jesus?

5 Blessings for April 9

2009-04-09T23:12:00.001-04:00

1. Learning how to simplify my life.

2. All the people at SOJ...they're like family to me.

3. The power of prayer and godly friendships & accountability.

4. Our Maundy Thursday service at church last night...and getting to help strip the altar of all its items by carrying the altar Bible out of the sanctuary (we do this in preparation for Good Friday...the day which commemorates Jesus' death).

5. Isaiah 53:3-6:

³ He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.

⁴ Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.

⁶ All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.

5 Blessings for April 8

2009-04-08T23:10:00.001-04:00

1. 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." ~ what an awesome gift

2. Seeing an old friend I haven't seen in a while.

3. Starting a new prayer journal.

4. The incredible mentors in my life both now: Al, Doris, Lissa, LeAnn, Pastor Ed ~ and in the past: Andrea, Wayne. I'm so blessed to have (or to have had) the opportunity to learn from the wisdom and lives of these individuals.

5. Laura's having a boy!!

Scripture meditation verse of the week:

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." - John 15:13-14

5 Blessings for April 7

2009-04-07T20:50:00.003-04:00

1. The caring conversations I had with LeAnn, Samantha, Barb, Karen, and Pastor Ed today.

2. It's true that you can never out give God.

3. That just because I'm a Christian doesn't mean I have to be happy all the time. I can just be...

4. Remembering that there's always beauty in the desert...even when you can't see it.

5. I can rest in the fact that God is in control in all circumstances and I can trust Him.

5 Blessings for April 6

2009-04-06T21:06:00.003-04:00

1. Facebook...Awesome way to keep in touch with everyone & see what's going on in their lives.

2. Having food in the pantry.

3. Natural light in my office.

4. Extra time that I hadn't planned on this evening.

5. Isaiah 40:28-31:

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

I heard someone explain this last verse, and that person said that sometimes we're at different stages along the path of life. There are times in life when things are going great (we're soaring), other times when life is a bit more challenging but we're still going at a steady pace (we're running), and still other times when all we can do is manage to keep putting one foot in front of the other (we're walking). Wherever we're at, if we put our hope in God, HE will give us renewed strength to continue moving forward.

Today I'm walking, and God has kept me from fainting. How about you ~ Where are you at?

5 Blessings for April 5

2009-04-05T23:10:00.000-04:00

1. An afternoon of peace and quiet by myself.

2. Painting my toenails.

3. Making the commitment to make certain sacrifices for God this week in remembrance of the sacrifice He made for me.

4. Incredible weather outside.

5. A 20 minute nap this afternoon.

5 Blessings for April 4

2009-04-04T20:06:00.003-04:00

1. Charles Stanley's 30 Life Principles...Good stuff to remember & live by. My favorite principle: "Brokenness is God's requirement for maximum usefulness."

2. Romans 15:13, "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (NLT) ~ God is our source of hope, and He enjoys pouring out hope, joy, and peace in our lives as we trust in Him.

3. Getting to meet with a guys' small group this morning and talk with them about prayer.

4. Finishing two internship projects today.

5. Energy and alertness all day to get things done...totally from God!

5 Blessings for April 3

2009-04-03T23:01:00.000-04:00

1. Three months from today till I turn 28 :-)

2. Paying off my car last month & now officially having the title to my car (my first ever)!

3. Exactly 40 counseling hours left to go to finish my internship.

4. Burberry London ~ my fave perfume ever.

5. People in my life who are striving to be totally set apart for God...it's so refreshing.

5 Blessings for April 2

2009-04-02T17:10:00.004-04:00

1. Realizing (again) the reality of my fallen human nature but the incredible goodness and grace of my God.

2. Playing the piano as a form of prayer (praying the words of the songs I'm playing) for my life circumstances and those of others who come to mind ~ family, friends, and counselees.

3. Lindsey Kane's song "Measure of Beauty" ...absolutely awesome...it's a great reminder (especially to women) of God's love for us and the way He perceives our beauty.

Lindsey is going to be at P31's annual She Speaks conference this summer!! She's one of the most awesome & down to earth musicians you'll ever meet.

4. Getting to see Jackie on her birthday. :-)

5. The nice big window in my counseling office at church...lots of light. Nice.

5 Blessings for April 1

2009-04-01T22:17:00.004-04:00

1. Getting to wear jeans today because I didn't have any counseling appointments.

2. Getting my taxes finished.

3. No Bake Cookies...a.k.a. Preacher Cookies...mmmm...

4. Getting to see my mom's friend, Maxine, who I haven't seen in years.

5. Getting to see my sister :-)

Scripture meditation verses of the week:

¹ What mighty praise, O God,
belongs to you in Zion.
We will fulfill our vows to you,
² for you answer our prayers.
All of us must come to you.
³ Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
you forgive them all.
⁴ What joy for those you choose to bring near,
those who live in your holy courts.
What festivities await us
inside your holy Temple.

⁵ You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth,
even those who sail on distant seas.
⁶ You formed the mountains by your power
and armed yourself with mighty strength.
⁷ You quieted the raging oceans
with their pounding waves
and silenced the shouting of the nations.
⁸ Those who live at the ends of the earth
stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
you inspire shouts of joy.

⁹ You take care of the earth and water it,
making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
for you have ordered it so.
¹⁰ You drench the plowed ground with rain,
melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
and bless its abundant crops.
¹¹ You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
¹² The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
and the hillsides blossom with joy.
¹³ The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They all shout and sing for joy!

~Psalm 65 (NLT)

5 Blessings for March 31

2009-04-01T22:06:00.002-04:00

1. I cleaned the house...It sure does help to have a cleaner environment.

2. Knowing I can call my best friend and share prayer requests with her and she will pray for them. Love you girl! :-)

3. The opportunity to pray with Karen in the sanctuary at church today...Karen you're awesome!

4. Sensing God is making my calling clearer and I'm learning who I really am ~ very exciting stuff!

5. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. - Micah 7:8 (NRSV)

5 Blessings for March 30

2009-03-30T21:49:00.004-04:00

1. It's almost April!!

2. "Revelation" by Third Day... They're not my fave band, but I LOVE this song!!

3. One of my favorite poems is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I love this poem because it reminds me of my relationship with God. Life is hard. However, despite this we always have God with us. He’s behind us encouraging us, beside us helping us (and sometimes carrying us), and in front of us guiding us. He’s all around us. When we come to a fork in the road of our lives and have to decide which path to take, He doesn’t leave us there to figure it out for ourselves. He is our faithful friend and guide who will lead us if we let Him.

4. Charles Stanley's radio broadcast on 106.9 ~ The message today was "Confession and Our Forgiveness." Click here for his audio archives so you can listen to his messages.

5. Being inspired and encouraged by the faith of my spiritual leaders, mentors, and friends.

5 Blessings for March 29

2009-03-30T21:03:00.003-04:00

1. A prayer by St. Francis of Assisi:

Lord,
Make me an instrument of your peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

2. Hearing stories from others today of God's faithfulness.

3. Getting to serve communion at church today.

4. "God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him." - Jim Elliot (I already wrote about this on March 22 but I thought it was worth repeating...the question is, Am I willing to leave the choice with God?)

5. The ability to feel pain for friends who are suffering.

5 Blessings for March 28

2009-03-28T21:13:00.002-04:00

1. The youth lock-in at church last night & today turned out great!

2. Watching the faith and strong leadership of our student leaders as they planned & led the lock-in at church. They're awesome. :-)

3. Comfy recliner at home I got to chill in this afternoon...very nice after a night of little sleep. I did pretty much nothing this afternoon except rest in the recliner. That rarely ever happens...ask my mom.

4. Lots of rain this afternoon.

5. "Free" movies that come on T.V...I watched "Nim's Island" today.

5 Blessings for March 27

2009-03-28T21:04:00.001-04:00

1. My grandma's 82 today!! I'm so blessed to have her in my life & the older I get, the closer I get to her and the more I appreciate her.

2. My mom, grandma, Jamie, and Martha (Jamie's mother-in-law) got to have lunch & spend time together for my grandma's birthday.

3. A new friend, Cathy, who helped me with some things I needed help with yesterday.

4. Under 50 counseling hours to go to finish my internship. :-)

5. Good sales at the grocery store.

5 Blessings for March 26

2009-03-26T22:10:00.003-04:00

1. Veggie Tales' recording of "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (on their 70s CD). This song reminds me that God is the sunshine of my life...and He thinks the same about me. :-)
Even if you're having a bummer of a day this CD is so fun & uplifting. You should totally get it!!

2. La Unica Mexican Restaurant...my fave Mexican restaurant.

3. Getting to have dinner & chill for a little while with my mom & LeAnn.

4. Going shopping with Mariauxi for the youth lock in this weekend.

5. I've gone 200 miles on this tank of gas in my car & still have 1/2 a tank left.

5 Blessings for March 25

2009-03-25T20:51:00.006-04:00

1. When God gives me His vision for what He wants me to do next...and I don't have to question whether it's from Him or not.

2. Being challenged by one of my internship supervisors in a way that was slightly painful but in the long run will be very helpful (as a matter of fact, almost every conversation I have with him is like that!)

3. Cell phones...yay for modern technology.

4. God is Jehovah Jireh ~ My Provider ~ so I don't have to worry about whether I'm going to have enough of whatever I need, whether it be time or money or (fill in the blank)...He always always provides.

5. Relationships with people...I'm such a task-oriented person that sometimes I put my "to do" list before everything else, including people...However, God has been working on me with this over the last few years of seminary and while I am no where near perfect, God has helped me make improvements because people and relationships really are more valuable than any "to do." Lord, help me to live it.

Scripture meditation verse of the week:

¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

¹⁹ to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.

²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

²² May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

~Psalm 33:18-22 (NIV)

5 Blessings for March 24

2009-03-24T19:41:00.001-04:00

1. The smell of fresh spring air.

2. All the things God allowed me to get accomplished at work today.

3. Being inspired by the incredible faith of one of my counselees.

4. All the awesome articles and resources on www.crosswalk.com, including an article on overcoming fear written by one of our Proverbs 31 speakers, Micca Campbell. (To see the article, click here.)

5. Ponytail holders...for when my hair gets in my face! :-)

5 Blessings for March 23

2009-03-23T23:20:00.005-04:00

1. Pastor Ed's sermon yesterday about the "wilderness" experiences of life and the importance of looking for the beauty (and essentially looking for God) in those experiences by slowing down, looking deeper, and embracing the journey...SO true!

2. "And there is nothing impossible unto those who believe. Lively and unshaken faith can accomplish great miracles in the twinkling of an eye." - St. John of Kronstadt - I just love believing in miracles...God is so able!

3. Silk Chocolate Soymilk...tastes like a Yahoo but better for you I'm sure!

4. Having 3/4 of a tank of gas rather than 1/4 of a tank. :-)

5. Butterflies & their symbolism of being totally transformed from something plain and "ugly" to something totally different and beautiful.

5 Blessings for March 22

2009-03-22T22:20:00.000-04:00

1. Hearing a few different people say they felt God brought them to Charlotte to come to Spirit of Joy...

It makes me think of how God worked in my own life to bring me to Spirit of Joy (which I started attending after a change of life plans, reluctantly at first). It was at Spirit of Joy that God brought a new level of healing to my life. It was there that He showed me His love and grace in greater measures than I had ever experienced. It was there that He enabled me to experience community unlike ever before. It was God's working in my life through Spirit of Joy that enabled me to sense the Holy Spirit's presence in my life for the first time. It was also during my time at SOJ that I heard God call me to seminary.

I followed His call, almost reluctantly at first because I didn't want to leave this incredible place of grace. But then, I discovered another incredible place of grace...

2. CIU ~ Columbia International University. I began attending seminary here in the fall of 2005 and during the last four years discovered that God led me there not just to get an education, but also (if not more so) to bring healing to my life, develop my character, & deepen my spirituality.

I was incredibly sad leaving SOJ to go to CIU because I feared I would never get to return to the place where God began a renewing and incredible work in my life (SOJ). However, God opened the door for me to return...

3. I came back to SOJ in August of 2008 to begin my counseling internship...almost reluctantly at first. I say this because my original intention was to do my internship at a larger church in Charlotte which had an already established pastoral counseling center. Needless to say, that didn't work out, and as God would have it, He opened the doors to do my internship at SOJ.

4. Where is God calling me next? I don't know. But what I do know is that wherever it is, He's already there. One of my fears when I first left SOJ to go to CIU was that I would lose the Spirit which I had found at SOJ. However, when I got to CIU I found the Spirit was there also and was just as powerful there. So, even though I don't know where God will take me next, I know that He is with me every step of the way...and He's already there, wherever "there" is!

5. I have learned many invaluable lessons through each of these experiences, including:

--There's a valuable lesson to be learned in every circumstance.
--No matter where I go, God's already there and He's with me every step of the journey.
--God is completely trustworthy (Time and time again he's shown me that, Yes, He can be trusted).
--When I depend on God, He will never let me down.
--God is full of compassion, grace, and unfailing love.
--"God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him" (Jim Elliot)...and God's best is always better than I could have imagined!

5 Blessings for March 21

2009-03-21T21:14:00.004-04:00

1. Seeing a beautiful pink & orange sunset

2. Saving money by choosing to forego buying certain things

3. Having clean water to drink...what a blessing that I so often overlook

4. An afternoon nap with my grandma at her house today

5. Realizing that in two months I will have officially been graduated from high school for 10 years!!! Woo hoo Class of 1999! :-) (Gosh...I'm getting old!)

5 Blessings for March 20

2009-03-20T15:35:00.002-04:00

1. The vision God gives me when I work out at Curves that Jesus is my personal trainer, who’s with me every step of the way challenging and encouraging me.

2. Going to Hickory for the first time in I don't know how long...I get to see me grandma, dad, and my friends Laura & Brad, Dale & Jon, Sarah, Amari, and Cadence!!

3. Our grand piano at church...I spent a while playing it this afternoon :-)

4. That I live in the south. I don't think I could take the cold weather in the north...I'm totally more of a "tropics" than "arctic" type girl.

5. The GORGEOUS sky...what else is there to say?

5 Blessings for March 19

2009-03-19T20:38:00.002-04:00

1. I’m becoming pithier (able to express thoughts with less words…okay, well except for yesterday’s post)…thank you Al, and God :-)

2. Being able to call my co-workers at P31 and SOJ my friends and mean it! I truly am so blessed by each of them!

3. Wireless internet at church…makes life so much easier on my laptop.

4. That I'm not who I used to be and I'm not yet all that I'm going to be

5. McDonalds chicken nuggets for dinner tonight...ahhh the memories from my childhood!

5 Blessings for March 18

2009-03-18T22:31:00.003-04:00

1. I’m blessed with so many friends of all ages from high school, HPU, CIU, SOJ, P31, Mexico & Bolivia.

2. Free gift bag at Curves today filled with all kinds of goodies.

3. Yay for comfy pajama pants to lounge around in at home!

4. He gave me a good attitude & enough energy today to accomplish what I needed to. Thank you Jesus!!

5. God’s sense of humor & how, when He wants me to understand something, He will show me over and over again until I get it. :-) Gotta love him!

Take, for instance, this week. Last Wednesday, the Scripture meditation verse I posted was about God’s power and strength & how He gives these to His people (Psalm 68:34-35). Then at youth group on Sunday night, the theme was God’s power & how we have all the power and strength we need when we’re connected to Him. The next day, a friend encouraged me by saying that God’s power flows through me. It’s so funny thinking back to these things, because at the time (especially Monday and even yesterday), I was totally not feeling like God’s power was flowing through me. I was absolutely exhausted, unable to think, and not able to hear God’s voice clearly in any circumstance (including counseling appointments). I felt like I was not getting anything accomplished and like I was not being an effective counselor. Today has been quite a change, as I have experienced God’s power strongly and tangibly, not only in counseling appointments but also in what He enabled me to get accomplished today. What’s up with that?!? I don’t know. But what I do know is that God is not limited by how I feel. Even when His power flowing through me is not evident to me, it does not mean that it’s not evident to others or that His power is not there.

So with that, let’s praise God for what He does…

Scripture meditation verse of the week:

“Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing His praises. Our lives are in His hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. You have tested us, O God; You have purified us like silver…We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance.” – Psalm 66:8-10, 12b (NLT)

5 Blessings for March 17

2009-03-17T17:36:00.001-04:00

When we experience hard times, we can appreciate the good times that much more…

Hard… / Good…
1. Sickness & pain / Health & healing
2. Sadness / Joy
3. Conviction / Repentance & forgiveness
4. Bondage / Freedom
5. Death / New Life

We have to remember that no matter how bad things get, the best is yet to come. After the rain comes the sun. It makes me think of the song “Brighter Days” by Leeland.

God can use the hard times in our lives if we let Him. So keep looking up.

5 Blessings for March 16

2009-03-16T20:30:00.001-04:00

1. Looking at mission trip photos, remembering my time in Bolivia in 2006, and longing to help people financially all over the world

2. Soft Lips lip balm – pretty much the best lip balm ever!

3. Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." – pondering what it means to be still and how God can be exalted through my circumstances and my stillness

4. That God loves to spend time with me

5. When I read a Bible passage I’ve read before but get a whole new perspective from it & see something different in it that I didn’t see before

5 Blessings for March 15

2009-03-15T21:53:00.001-04:00

1. Getting to sit with my mom during church today (I'm usually up front participating in some way).

2. Conversations with friends at church who I have not been able to talk with in a while.

3. Our youth at church...it's just such a blessing to know them & love on them :-)

4. A Target gift card from a friend which has afforded me some opportunities that I don't usually take...such as a Grande Vanilla Bean Frappuccino from Starbucks :-o (I was trying to go caffeine free this evening).

5. I'm going to bed at 10:00 pm!

5 Blessings for March 14

2009-03-14T23:45:00.003-04:00

1. Rain - and its correlation to refreshment, new life, and abundance in the Bible

"You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land." - Psalm 68:9 (NLT)

2. New tires dad bought me for my car for Christmas which made it much safer for me to drive to Columbia in the rain today :-)

3. Getting to spend time with my friends in Columbia to celebrate the marriage of two of my close friends...and especially surrounding and prayer for God's guidance and blessing on them in their marriage.

4. Praying for counselees and friends by listening to and meditating on the lyrics of Christian songs.

5. No rain on my late night drive home from Columbia.

5 Blessings for March 13

2009-03-13T18:58:00.001-04:00

1. The opportunity to work at Proverbs 31 Ministries and serve as Next Generation Coordinator

2. The awesome staff I get to work with at Proverbs 31, including our sweet intern Kirstie, from Liberty University

3. Seeing how God has grown our Radical Revolution ministry and is using it to touch young women’s lives.

4. Knowing that God has great plans for all of our lives & will use each of us to do great things for Him if we let Him guide us – “God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.” – Jim Elliot

5. It’s Friday!!! :-)

5 Blessings for March 12

2009-03-12T18:56:00.000-04:00

1. Coffee…to wake me up :-)

2. Being able to write on my blog

3. Getting to talk to my friend Josh, who I haven’t talked to in a long time

4. Realizing I’m only 63 counseling hours away from completing my counseling internship at my church!

5. How the Bible is relevant for every situation & God uses it to speak to me no matter where I’m at in my life

5 Blessings for March 11

2009-03-11T20:39:00.001-04:00

1. A two hour long heart to heart conversation with a friend & mentor

2. Taking a walk in our prayer garden at my church

3. Extended prayer time this morning (which hasn’t happened in a while) because of an appointment cancellation

4. Playing the piano as an outlet for expression (which hasn’t happened in a while either)

5. Getting to work out at Curves & see people there which I haven’t seen in a while (yes, I was still working out, but just went at a different time today :-))

Scripture meditation verse of the week:

“Tell everyone about God’s power. His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” – Psalm 68:34-35 (NLT)

5 Blessings for March 10

2009-03-10T21:30:00.002-04:00

1. Dinner with some of my P31 friends ~ Kirstie, LeAnn, and Van

2. Humbling conviction about a situation in which I did not honor God

3. Spending time in self-examination

4. Hearing God speak to me through my counselees (I thought it was supposed to be the other way around!)

5. Being silent & still, listening for God to speak to me

5 Blessings for March 9

2009-03-09T18:24:00.001-04:00

1. Driving with the windows down, feeling the wind blowing, & listening to my fave music

2. I got to talk to one of my best friends (Laura) on the phone today

3. Having Kirstie help me at P31 this week!

4. Getting my office area at P31 organized and cleaned (at least partially!)

5. Getting to wear sandals…yay for warm weather :-)

5 Blessings for March 8

2009-03-08T20:22:00.000-04:00

1. It’s still sunny later in the evening because of the time change

2. The opportunity to pray for people I don’t know who are attending a spiritual retreat this weekend

3. How God met me in every counseling appointment this past week and gave me the wisdom and words for every person and circumstance

4. A beautiful starry night, budding trees, and sweetly singing birds

5. Free Route 44 Drink from Sonic…mmm…yummy!

5 Blessings for March 7

2009-03-07T18:21:00.000-05:00

1. Getting to spend the afternoon with a family who’s very close and dear to my heart

2. 80 degree sunny weather! Yay!

3. Watching the joy of young children as they enjoy life

4. Enjoying the first Saturday in a long time when I did absolutely NO homework or housework

5. Blessing friends with a gift that was God-inspired & that He enabled me to create

5 Blessings for March 6

2009-03-06T21:09:00.000-05:00

1. Getting to meet Kirstie, our Proverbs 31 intern for the spring (she’s even nicer in person :-))

2. Quietly sitting and letting God speak to me through music

3. Getting to go to bed and not have to get up at a specific time tomorrow morning

4. Seeing the willingness of a believing family to live out 1 Peter 4:9 in less than 24 hours’ notice to house our intern, Kirstie, for the weekend

5. Listening to “Beloved” by Tenth Avenue North and thinking about the significance of God’s love for me and that He wants me – a dirty, unfaithful sinner – to be His bride

5 Blessings for March 5

2009-03-05T18:05:00.000-05:00

1. God using me for His works despite myself

2. Crying out to God for friends who are hurting

3. Being humbled time and time again, reminded that I don’t have all the answers & reminded just how much I need God

4. Seeing God come through and carry me through every moment when I didn’t see a way or think I could go on

5. Two minutes of stillness this morning as I sat and listened to “Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone” by Chris Tomlin in my car before work

5 Blessings for March 4

2009-03-04T20:54:00.001-05:00

1. God’s strength to keep going & get through the day

2. Many counseling and other appointments today

3. The gift of being able to create art

4. Curves, a fitness gym for women of which I am a member

5. Having a friend who will say yes to helping me out

Scripture meditation verse of the week:

“O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.” – Isaiah 25:1 (NIV)

5 Blessings for March 3

2009-03-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

1. My internship advisor’s concern for me

2. The beautiful stained glass dove LeAnn gave me – it reminds me of the promise of the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life & ministry

3. Singleness…because honestly…how could I fit anything else into my schedule??

4. My Utmost for His Highest, an awesome devotional book by Oswald Chambers. It challenges me every day! (It’s also online at http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php)

5. www.biblegateway.com – This website is a great way to access many different translations of the Bible all in one place

5 Blessings for March 2

2009-03-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

1. Having more counseling appointments on my schedule for this week than I ever have!

2. Snow day! (And thank God for indoor heat!)

3. Staying in my pajamas all day & resting.

4. Having dinner prepared by my mom.

5. The song “Sufficient” by Adie Camp…such a great reminder to me that when I’m weak, weary, and worn, God is sufficient for me & is everything I need…He’s my El Shaddai (My “All-sufficient One”).

5 Blessings for March 1

2009-03-01T17:35:00.001-05:00

1. Wayne

2. Dawn

3. Steven

4. Tyler

5. Curtis

This is our awesome church youth & family minister (Wayne) & his wife and three boys whom we celebrated and said goodbye to today after church. I just want to take a minute and say how blessed I am that God allowed our paths to cross. They are like family to me – Wayne’s sort of like the goofy big brother that I never had, Dawn’s a sweet friend, and Curtis, Tyler, and Steven are just plain cool & lots of fun. I love you guys!

5 Blessings for February 28

2009-02-28T17:13:00.000-05:00

1. Having a comfy bed to come home to.

2. Watching Dale feed her 4 day old baby girl for the first time…This made me think about how God cares for us so much like a mother cares for her newborn (Isaiah 49:14-16a)

3. The way God built our church student leader team and enabled us to plan more youth events than we expected.

4. Getting to anoint our student leaders with a cross on their foreheads and saying the words of John 15:16 – Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit..."

5. Seeing a dramatic change in a close friend of mine who a year and a half ago was only a nominal Christian and is now on fire for God and is leading others to Him.

5 Blessings for February 27

2009-02-27T16:59:00.002-05:00

1. How God – when He has something to say to me – will keep speaking to me until I get His message (even if I don’t understand the message at the time) – Before, the song “I Will Not Be Moved” by Natalie Grant kept coming on the radio…I could not understand for the life of me what God was trying to tell me. Now I think I understand. He was preparing me for some difficult circumstances that would come. Now, His message to me is to wait on Him. He’s shown this to me through various Scriptures, as well as devotions I’ve read…still pondering what exactly I’m waiting on…maybe the answers to prayers I’ve prayed.

2. My Lenten counseling appointments are filling up! Woo hoo!!

3. My “Sanctuary” Bible – it’s a devotional Bible for women (New Living Translation), and I love it!

4. The unconditional love of our two dogs, Tipper & Fuzzums.

5. Cadence – my friend’s newborn baby girl. :-)

5 Blessings for February 26

2009-02-26T16:51:00.002-05:00

1. CIU Friends who I got to spend quality time with yesterday and today – Angela, Chris, Julie, Andrew, Lena, Linda, Mika, Hannah…

2. Humbling experiences that God is using to teach me & grow me (sitting in with the counseling internship class – sharing one of my case presentations & receiving constructive criticism; youth ministry at church)

3. Experiencing God’s love, grace and prayers through more people than I can count

4. Just being at CIU today was like refreshing springs for my soul

5. Seeing good friends start dating

My 40 Day Commitment

2009-02-25T16:40:00.005-05:00

Hello friends and family,

I know it’s been forever since I last updated my blog, but I am making a renewed effort starting today. As most of you know, today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the church season of Lent. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Lent, it is the period of 40 days leading up to Easter (not including Sundays). For Christians, it is a time of greater reflection and contemplation on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s life and what that means for us.

In the past, I’ve given something up for Lent, such as soda or chocolate. This year, as I prayed about what intentional steps I should take during Lent, I decided that rather than taking something intentionally out of my life, I would add something in...actually two “somethings.” The first I’m calling “5 Blessings.” Every day between now and Easter Sunday, I am going to list five ways I’ve seen God working in my day or in my life. And I’m not going to just keep the list for myself…I’m going to post it on my blog for you to read also. The second thing I’m going to do is meditate on one Scripture a week which relates to joy/praise/God’s goodness. I will also be posting these verses each Wednesday.

The reason I’ve chosen to do these two specific things is tied to two Scriptures:

Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (NASB)

Philippians 4:8, “…Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (NLT)

I sometimes have a tendency to think about the negative and be a little pessimistic, particularly when things aren’t going the way I had hoped. Therefore, I’m making a more intentional effort to transform my thinking and what I allow myself to dwell on. I have to say that this effort is partly because of the wisdom of a dear friend of mine who challenged me to look for small miracles rather than just the big ones. After all, God is all around us, but we might miss seeing His hand working if we’re focused on the wrong thing.

Here are my “5 Blessings” for today:

1. A hug and a little encouragement from a church friend when I walked into church this morning.
2. Hearing the heart of another friend who is struggling with issues in her marriage but is continuing to persevere, believing that God is calling her at this moment not to give up.
3. The opportunity to drive to Columbia and clear my mind.
4. The opportunity to hang out with my Columbia friends tonight – most of whom I haven’t seen in 10 weeks or more.
5. Hearing the song “Blessed Be Your Name” on the radio this morning and being reminded that God give and takes away and whatever the circumstance, I need to praise Him and be thankful.

Scripture meditation verse of the week:

“Sing to the Lord; praise His name. Each day proclaim the good news that He saves. Publish His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!” – Psalm 96:2-4a (NLT)

End of the Semester

2008-12-13T21:45:00.003-05:00

So, the last time I posted I said that in the coming weeks I would be talking about all the things I'm thankful for. Here's my first one:

I am THANKFUL that I am finished with this semester!!!

I took the last exam of my entire MA in Pastoral Counseling & Spiritual Formation degree this past Wednesday...Woo hoo!! (In case you're curious, it was my Crisis Counseling final) So now all that's left of school is to finish my internship.

A quick update on my internship...I am now at about 70 hours of counseling completed, which means I have 130 left to go. While I was hoping to reach 100 hours by the end of the year, I don't know that I will, BUT I'm still pretty stoked to have gotten this far! Thank You Jesus!

One more thing to leave you with for now...This is one of my new favorite quotes, and a prayer for my life (and yours too):

“Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued
above all.” - Augustine

Lots of love!!

Kristen

Thankful Times...

2008-11-26T22:10:00.006-05:00

It's been forever since I last posted...Life has been hectic the last few months, to say the least.

But just to give you a quick update from my life: I'm still keeping my head above water! (or should I say, God is.) Something to definitely be thankful for!

Life is so hard and so many people I know are suffering with some major tough stuff. With all that going on, sometimes it can be hard to find something to be thankful for. I personally have had a particularly hard time keeping a positive and grateful attitude...

But let me tell you, God has been so good in my life even within the last 24 hours. He has showered His grace on me in many small but powerful ways - and mainly through the listening ear, encouragement, support, prayers, and hugs of different people. (Thank you dear friend who spent 2.5 hours with me today listening and praying for me!! God has restored my soul through you! "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." - Psalm 23:1-3a ) I love my God and I'm so thankful that He loves me this much! Without Him, this past week would have been much harder than it was.

Thank You God for Your constant love and faithfulness - even when I'm unfaithful to You. Lord, help me give You all I've got because You deserve it. When it's hard to find something to be thankful for, please remind me - remind all of us - of the gifts You've provided in our lives and may we ALWAYS remember to praise You.

And a quote to leave you with...

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Lord, please help us all to live out gratitude!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! And find something to be thankful for!

Take a minute to post a comment about what you're thankful for. I'm making a list of all that I'm thankful for....I'll be posting these in the coming weeks, so come back to visit. :-)

Love you!
Kristen

Failure...Unless God Steps In

2008-10-03T16:43:00.004-04:00

My mom gave me a really sweet card a few weeks ago and this is what the front of it said:

“Attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed…unless God steps in.”

I think this sentence was written just for me...This is how I feel about my counseling internship!!!

It's so awesome to see how God fills in the gaps where I have holes, makes my inadequacies adequate, and equips me when I'm unequipped.

I'm kind of glad for the "holes" in my life because they make me realize how much I have to depend on God.

It's like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

"He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

As I write this, I realize that I already made reference to this Scripture in my last post, but I guess it's pretty important to me right now. :-)

Anyway, do you have any thoughts? How is God speaking to you lately?

Love you! Have a good weekend.

Raining, Pouring, Flooding

2008-09-15T14:00:00.002-04:00

Sometimes life just seems like more than you can handle.

How true it is that when it rains, it often pours. Even things that are good can be stressful and overwhelming. When was the last time you felt stressed out and overwhelmed? The past month, I have been overwhelmed with the struggles my friends and family are facing, as well as the stress and excitement of beginning my internship.

This past weekend was especially challenging for me, with activities and commitments all day on Saturday & Sunday from 8 am to 8 pm both days. Getting insufficient rest and just being physically exhausted, I was at the end of my rope with literally nothing left to give. But God met me there. He reminded me that His grace was sufficient for me and that His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). His grace and power are what brought me through this weekend and are helping me moment by moment now.

I get stressed out when there’s a lot of stuff to do and not enough time to do it, when life and relationships don’t meet my expectations, and when God takes me out of my comfort zone. I also get stressed when I can’t see how God will make everything turn out alright and when I question His goodness, wondering whether the God I think I know is the God who really is. (Of course, He is the same God, though I can’t see it at that time.)

Basically, I get stressed out when I’m being a control freak and when I’m not trusting God or believing His promises. Is anyone with me?

Listen to the sentiments of the psalmist:

“The floods have risen up, O Lord. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore – the Lord above is mightier than these!” - Psalm 93:3-4 (NLT)

Oh, the floods of life. Yes, life sometimes does seem like more than we can handle…and you know why? Because IT IS!!

We’re not supposed to be in control of every single detail of our lives. We have a mighty God who is so much mightier than anything life will throw at us. We’ve got to love Him and lean on Him, because He’s our greatest ally!

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today…The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:13-14

Be still and let Him fight for you in the floods of life. Let His power be made perfect in your weakness. His grace truly is sufficient for you too.

Peace, Be Still

2008-08-22T09:04:00.005-04:00

This past Sunday, I was commissioned to begin my counseling internship at my church, Spirit of Joy. Wow. It was an amazing weekend. As Sunday approached, my excitement and nervousness were growing as I thought about this incredible opportunity the Lord was placing in front of me...and the fact that He was also pushing me forward out of my comfort zone to speak. (I team-preached with Pastor Fran during both Sunday services.) But through it all, God was singing His love over me. Below are the lyrics to the song that He showed was his love song to me in the midst of everything:

Peace Be Still by Rush of Fools

Come to Me, you who are weak
Let My strength be yours tonight
Come and rest, let My love be your bed
Let My heart be yours tonight

*chorus*
Peace be still, Peace be still
Please be still and know that I am God
and know that I am God

Come empty cup, let Me fill you up
I'll descend on you like a dove tonight
Lift your head, let your eyes fall into Mine
Let your fear subside tonight

*chorus*

bridge:
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
(repeat)

*chorus*

Here's a link to the song if you're interested in hearing it: Peace Be Still by Rush of Fools

Maybe this love song is for you too. If you're going through a tough time right now, be reminded through this song and through the words of Scripture that He is God, He is WITH YOU through what you're facing, and HE LOVES YOU!!!

"When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...
You are precious and honored in my sight,
and...I love you...
Do not be afraid, for I am with you."

~Isaiah 43:2-3, 4a, 5a

For those of you who wonder how last Sunday turned out, let me just say that God showed up in a BIG way. Here are some pictures (Sorry I don't have more. I forgot my camera!):

Sitting with the children during the children's message:

These kids were so precious...After the message, all of them placed their hands on me and prayed for me! :-)

Here's a goofy picture of me decked out in full Lutheran garb:

It was a really special day which I will not forget. I am soooooo blessed to be able to come home and serve at Spirit of Joy!

I hope you all have a great weekend soaking in the peace and love of the Lord.

Love you,
Kristen

Welcome!

2008-08-08T20:22:00.004-04:00

Hey!

Welcome to my blog. Yes, I've entered the blogging world...The ladies at Proverbs 31 made me do it! Just kidding. Anyway, I decided it would be easier for me to let everyone know what's going on in my life through my own blog. So here it is...I'm going to try to update it every week or two, so keep coming back! :o)

Love you,
Kristen