Give Praise

In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Isaiah 12:4

From time to time I will get on the "Bible Gateway" web site and read the verse for the day.  The verse above was posted for today.  As I read it,  I began to think of how I could apply it to my everyday life.  The first part of the verse would be easy; "Give praise to the Lord".  I do that now.  I try to remember to praise Him in any situation I'm in.  It's really not that hard because it is a personal thing.  Something I can do it by myself with no one watching. Other times I can do it among a group of follow believers. But the next part of the verse, "proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted", is more difficult for me.  I have never been one to really go out and witness to people and "talk about God".  As an adult I have been on mission trips with the youth including my two girls, and I have watched kids witness to strangers with a confidence that I still don't have.  I know that this is an area of my life that I really want to work on.  But I also know that while I may not be bold enough to witness with my words, I can witness with my actions.  I can continue to try and live a Godly life through Christ's grace and I can show others what it means to have a relationship with God by the way I handle myself in certain situations.  It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  I can see the picture of Jesus hanging on the cross everyday, and I am speechless.  He said very little on the day he died, but he showed us through his suffering who he really was.  Jesus "proclaimed His father's name among the nations" when sacrificed himself for us.  Such an unselfish and painful example of being a witness.  With that in mind, I can surely be a witness today with a kind word or a smile.  I can be a witness with patiences and understanding.  And I can proclaim that His name be exalted by giving Him and others the best that I have. 

Peace,
Kelly  

Where Am I Going

Even though I have been in my new town for almost two years, I am still trying to learn my way around.  I have been accustomed to roads with names instead of numbers as is the case here.  My poor husband has had to endure my directional challenges as I try to navigate from one place to another.   Over and over again he has tried to instill in me a sense of direction; odd number roads run north and south and even number roads run east and west.  Maybe that is true, but what road is Target on?  I don’t like the fact that this area is unfamiliar to me.  I also don’t like the fact that I have to ask for help sometimes to get around.  I am used to getting in the car and getting to my destination without worrying about making a wrong turn and going east when I should have been going north. I think what bothers me the most is that I really don’t want to take time to learn; I just want it to be easy and familiar.   

Isn’t that how we are as Christians sometimes?  We want to take the easy road, the one that we are used to and familiar with.  We want the ride to be stress free with no wrong turns.  But of course that isn’t how it is.  We are always making wrong turns and ending up in places we don’t want to be.  It would be so easy to just take a few minutes and learn our way around with the help of God, but like me, we don’t want to take the time.  We rather get lost and then complain about it. 

I have found that the more I begin to pay attention to where I am, the easier it gets.  I have finally given in to the fact that if I want to get to where I’m going without getting lost, I must give up my old way of “driving”.  I must be open to learning new routes and asking directions when needed. 

I’m so glad that God is patient with me as I continue to learn my away around in my life.  He is always there pointing me in the right direction.   It comforting to know that with His help, I know I will be heading in the right direction when it is time to go home; NORTH!

Peace,

Kelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solitaire

I must admit that I am hooked on playing “spider” solitaire on the computer.  Whenever I have a free minute during the day, I sit on the couch and start playing on my computer.  Before I know it, I have played several games.  Of course it becomes a challenge after a while to win just one!   I try to justify playing by telling myself that it keeps my mind active (I need that) and it causes me to think instead of just sitting and watching TV.   As I was playing just a few minutes ago and feeling guilty for spending so much time on the computer, it occurred to me that the game of Solitaire is much like someone’s life (mine).  Of course it is a game for one, but it is much more than that.  It is a game that requires one to think and make a move that will effect or cause another move.  If I move this card here, then I can move that card there.  If anything, the game has taught me to look beyond just one move at a time.  Isn’t that what we should be doing in life?  We shouldn’t be living life just one “move” at a time.  We need to be consistently looking beyond the “moment” and seeing what our actions may cause in the future. If we move the wrong card just because it seems to fit, we may be blocking our chances to line everything up just right.   Another thing I like about playing solitaire on the computer is that I can click the “hint” icon when I am stuck and don’t know what my next move should be.  A card lights up and I can see where I should place that card so I can continue the game.  The hint is usually so evident, that I can’t believe I missed the move on my own.  Many times I have to admit that it was a move that I was just too impatient to look for.  I usually wanted to draw a new set of cards to see if they were any better than the ones that were dealt to me. I often found myself in the same position and before I know it “game over”! 

So who is my “hint” icon in life?  Of course it is God.  If I just seek his advice in my next move, I wouldn’t lose so many games! And yes the advice may be something that I could have come up with on my own, if I were just patient enough.  But I’m not, that is why I need God.  Sometimes I must admit that I am too lazy to search for Him, and spend most of my times making the “easy” moves.  I may not be an expert in solitaire, but I do know that I don’t want to spend my life alone trying to figure out what my next move will be.  I don’t want to wake up one day and see the words “game over”  with nothing to show for it.  I want to constantly live my life seeking His advice for my “next move”.    I want to live the life I was dealt, and strive to seek His will daily.  We all have games that we play, but our life is not a game.  It is a gift from God and should be treated as so.  Follow the rules that God has set before you in your life.  When you do, you will see the rewards, and realize that “game over” is just the beginning.

Peace,
Kelly

The Valley

In the valley there is pain

In the valley there is rain

In the valley the sun sinks low

In the valley I lose my soul

In the valley my ears are deaf

In the valley there is no rest

In the valley my eyes are closed

In the valley of sorrow and woes

But a Savior stands close by

He is listening to our cries

Waiting for our cries of pain

Standing steadfast He remains

Hands stretched out He reaches down

Pulls us up to hallowed ground

Arms around us, peace within

Christ has come for us again

Always waiting, watching close

Knowing when we need Him most

In the valley I will see

Just how much He means to me

Footprints

Whose footprints are you walking in?  Who guided your live?  Is it a parent, or a brother or sister? Is it an Aunt or Uncle you have admired for years?  Or perhaps a person you don’t know very well.   Maybe it could have been a grandparent who raised you as their own child, or a teacher who believed in you.  Whatever the case, I think we have all known someone who has made an impact on our lives. Someone who has had a quiet voice,  but heavy footprints.   ]Someone whose work had not gone unnoticed, but was not talked about.. Someone who served but didn’t want to be served.  I have known someone like that, and he is no longer with me. I don’t’ want to dwell on my loss, but rather acknowledge his victory.  I want to learn from a man who I only knew for a short time, but a man that I admire for his quiet confidence and kindness.  A  man whose smile said hello instead of his words.  A man who showed his love by his actions.  A man who was always there.  Loss is sadness and sadness is loss.   But peace and understanding comes with the quiet confidence that God is in control.  We are left with the knowledge that God knew exactly the time and the place He  would call His servants home.  Do not mourn for those who are gone, but instead rejoice in knowing that they are helping prepare a place for us!  What a privilege for them, that they were chosen first to be waiting for us to join them In glory…Praise God!

Peace,

Kelly

Meeting God

We had discussion in Sunday school a few weeks ago about remembering how or when we became a Christian.  There were many wonderful testimonies that gave us all a lot to think about.  

We all look back on our faith sometimes and wonder how we got to where we are today.  I can’t remember a certain time when I said okay today is the day I’m a Christian, but rather remember just being raised to worship and love God.  I must admit that sometimes I envy people who have experienced that one moment when they got down on their knees and accepted Christ into their lives.  But I do feel that we all have very different and powerful ways of becoming God’s children.  He certainly wants that from the start for us, the moment we are born and even before!  But I also feel that it is a process that continues every day.  I feel that God knows exactly where we are in our walk with him.  Some may be jogging very slowly, just trying to finish another lap, while others may be in an all out sprint.   We all know someone (maybe us) who is standing on the sidelines just waiting for some encouragement.  And then there are those who are the constant cheerleaders.  The wonderful thing is no matter where we are, God will meet us there if we only ask. 

 I am reminded that when I taught Kindergarten, some of the children came to me in the fall knowing all of their letters and numbers, while others could barely write their name. As a teacher had to learn to recognize what level a child was on, and meet that child there in order to teach he/she in a way they could learn and achieve.  I didn’t expect every child to be on the same level at the beginning of the year or even at the end of the year. And I never made a child feel that they were “behind” if they weren’t at the top of the class.   I feel that is how God is.  He is there waiting for us to come ready to “learn”.  He doesn’t care where we are.  He doesn’t care if we were raised to know Him and made the decision years ago to be His, or if we just met Him yesterday.   He’ll meet us where we are, and raise us up. 

What a comfort to know that He accepts me for who I am, not for where I am. 

Peace,

Kelly