Living Daily Committed To Christ

Psalm 91

2011-09-04T02:27:00.002-04:00

Psalm91

¹Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
      will find rest in the shadow of theAlmighty.
² This I declare about the Lord:
   He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
      he is my God, and I trust him.
³ For he will rescue you from every trap
      and protect you from deadly disease.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
      He will shelter you with his wings.
      His faithful promises are your armor andprotection.
⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
      nor the arrow that flies in the day.
⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
      nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side,
      though ten thousand are dying around you,
      these evils will not touch you.
⁸ Just open your eyes,
      and see how the wicked are punished.

⁹If you make the Lord your refuge,
      if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
      no plague will come near your home.
¹¹ For he will order his angels
      to protect you wherever you go.
¹² They will hold you up with their hands
      so you won’t even hurt your foot on astone.
¹³ You will trample upon lions and cobras;
      you will crush fierce lions and serpentsunder your feet!

¹⁴The Lord says, “I will rescuethose who love me.
      I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
      I will be with them in trouble.
      I will rescue and honor them.
¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
      and give them my salvation.”

United

2011-08-04T16:56:00.000-04:00

I am not really into tattoos, but I kind of like this one. Two hearts joined together by a cross - symbolizing Christ being the center of the relationship and also a visual representation of Christ completing each of us individually as well as bringing and keeping us together.

Marriage

2011-07-20T00:54:00.000-04:00

From a single woman who would like to believe that there is hope for a lasting and fulfilling marriage: I feel sad when I see so many marriages struggling and people unable or unwilling to fully commit to their spouses. Marriage is supposed to be about loving each other so much that each person would give of themselves completely in every way, committing to go through all aspects of life both good and bad, while each person puts in their effort to confront and overcome every obstacle that might come their way. Sadly, instead of being a part of a team, many marriages are now looking like two people who care more about their own individual interests that they end up becoming rivals within their marriage, and that was never how God intended marriage to be :( #seekingHISoriginalplan!

PS. This post is my general observation of marriages in the US overall. I recognize that there are many marriages where one partner is willing and committed and the other is not, thus making a team effort impossible... my heart really goes out to those people, as I cannot even begin to imagine how that must feel. I also recognize that there are still many good, healthy and functional marriages in existence today. But in light of the reality of so many broken and wounded marriages, I just wish and pray that people could really open up their hearts and love completely, the way it was originally planned for us and that they would find value in their spouses and in their marriages.

Never Alone

2011-05-27T10:37:00.002-04:00

Eager, anxious, tired and frustrated... needing the winds of change to blow through life... just barely getting by day to day, hoping for the best, yet living through the worse... wishing for so much, yet seeing so little... I know so many people have gone through these kinds of moments and its such an unsettling place to be. In these moments we cry out in prayer to our Heavenly Father and many times experience the strain and loneliness of His silence... We want to trust Him completely, but feel so insecure in our disappointments in life and His silence provides us no comfort... Where do we go? Who can we seek for help? Where do we get answers from? We run to friends and/or family members... some who can understand and relate to us, others who with good intentions try to help us see things from another light, and yet others who do not understand and may even belittle us with their responses to us. Usually no matter where they come from or how much or little they can connect to us in these times, a void still remains... an emptiness that needs to be filled... and there is only ONE person who can fill that in our lives... Our need for Him is always present, expanding from every height, depth and width... nothing else can comfort, satisfy, or fulfill us but Him... He is our one and only Savior, our King and our Father... GOD... So how can we receive good from Him, when we feel He is distant and silent with us... when in our biggest needs, He does not always run to us quickly to save or rescue us? The answers are individual for each of us... based on our love for God and trust in Him... How much are we willing to hold tight to His Word and His promises for our lives? How much are we willing to have faith that He has a good plan for our lives and that He is working on our behalf? Each of us in our journey in life will come to the place where no one else's words can comfort and we have to decide for ourselves how much or how little we truly live for God and where we want to go with Him. Usually we will cross this path several times in our lives... we overcome one struggle to later be confronted with another one... I pray for each person who is facing these moments in their lives, that you will be filled with love and hunger for more of God in your life... that you would find the strength to hold tightly to Him and find all you have ever needed and wanted in Him.

Barlowgirl - Never Alone Video

I waited for You today

But You didn't show

No.No.No.

I needed You today

So where did You go?

You told me to call

You said You'd be there

And though I haven't seen You

Are You still there?

I cried out with no reply and

I can't feel You by my side

So I'll hold tight to what I know

You're here and I'm never alone.

And though I cannot see You

and I can't explain why.

Such a deep, deep reassurance

You've placed in my life oh

We cannot separate

'Cause You're part of me

and though You're invisible

I'll trust the unseen

I cried out with no reply

And I can't feel You by my side

So I'll hold tight to what I know

You're here and I'm never alone

We cannot separate

You're part of me

and though You're invisible

I'll trust the unseen

I cried out with no reply

and I can't feel You by my side

So I'll hold tight to what I know

You're here and I'm never alone

Raising the Standards

2011-04-19T21:28:00.000-04:00

I just finished listening to a sermon in which the speaker mentioned that Christian singles are raising the standards of purity in our generation. The thought sounds great... however, it made me wonder how true this statement really is. In the culture we are living in today, where sex is so openly displayed just about every where we go, including but not limited to television, movies, music, billboards, magazines, the internet, cell phones, schools, and among peers... and in a culture where Christians are often times as likely as non-Christians to have sex before marriage and/or even to engage in extra-marital affairs after marriage... To the world, though they ultimately know that sex should be reserved for marriage, is the testimony of the few single Christians who have reserved their sexuality for marriage really raising the standard? Can a hand full of purity seeking singles really make an impact to raise the standard for purity in our generation?

In these times remaining pure until marriage is quite a challenge... Many engage in sexual activity before they get out of their teen years, but for those who stand firm in their purity, how can we use that to impact our generation and really raise the standard of purity? What can we say or do to make a difference in our world? How can we help others see the benefits of remaining pure, when this world has corrupted our view of sexuality and all God meant for it to be. I really don't have answers for these questions. But it breaks my heart to see and hear of so many people who give in to premarital or extra-marital sex, and the heart break, suffering and hardships after such relationships repeats itself time and time again, yet few open their eyes to the damage caused by it.

I truly believe that God knew what He was talking about when He established the boundaries for sex to be only within marriage. He established the boundaries so that we would be able to share ourselves wholly and completely without any reserve or fear, with one person to which we would be committed to loving and sharing such a beautiful bond of intimacy with for the rest of our lives. Within these confines, our sexual relationship with our spouse would be without the pain and suffering from past relationships that did not work out before, without the fear of abandonment or having to compare to another, without any form of stress or complication. Yet the world has taken something that God intended to be beautiful and distorted it, thus causing all kinds of complications in our relationships, hearts and minds and negatively affecting the gift God intended sexuality to be.

For those of us who are still single, regardless of whatever our past might be or what experiences we may have had. I pray that we find strength in God to remain pure until we find the right person and unite our lives together in marriage. I don't know what kind of impact we might be able to have on our generation, however I know that it will make an impact in our lives and in our marriages. There is a time and a season for everything under the sun. Making poor choices in our singleness will create heartache and hardships that are unnecessary and difficult to deal with, and making wise choices in our singleness will help us live greater lives of satisfaction in the future as God intended it for us from the beginning.

He has made everything beautiful in its time...

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

Ecclesiastes 3:11a;12-14a

Adult Dating

2011-04-06T08:07:00.000-04:00

I would love for other single adults to weigh in on this topic if they have any experiences of their own that they would like to share. Most of my closest friends have married young and so at times I feel that there is a gap between my experiences in dating as an adult and their experiences. On a more personal note, this is a topic I had never wanted to have to experience or deal with. I prayed long and hard in my youth to avoid remaining single through my adult life and lived all of my youth believing that I would find love and marry young. Not only did that not happen for me, but the dating experience has been scarce as well.

Having said all that, I was always taught by good Christian leaders that dating was for the purpose of marriage, that one should never date another unless they saw the possibility of marriage resulting from the dating experience. I was also taught that if you did things right before God that He would bring you the right person and everything will fall into place. So for me these two teaching have presented quite a challenge! First every potential date I meet gets placed on the marriage scale early on... if not determined marriage worthy, the relationship is cut off immediately and we keep on going waiting for the next opportunity to meet someone. If they are found marriage worthy, I almost expect that they have made the same reviews in their mind and heart, in the same time frame I was able to determine that in and that they also should find me marriage worthy very early on in the dating relationship.

The problem is that its not that easy, and not very many guys (of the ones I have met) view dating like that. So for me it has been rather difficult adjusting to not only searching my own heart and determining for myself if I want someone to be of significance to my life or not, but more difficult (for me) is experiencing the other person weighing their options as well, and the time frame they take doing so. I am quite positive that I have made some very big mistakes while dating simply for weighing things too heavily too early on in a dating relationship and having expected the same from the other person as well. Of course, you never learn these things until you have experienced negative results from such practices. And those negative results often times create within us insecurities and fears that we carry with us to the next dating opportunity we encounter.

I think the disappointment and/or frustration comes more from believing that if you do things right that things will fall into the right place for you. As if we can earn Gods rewards through good behavior. There is more to dating than just meet someone, determine if they are marriage worthy and start hearing the wedding bells ringing. It takes time for both parties to weigh their options, to learn to trust each other and grow together, to evaluate how much they want or don't want a certain person in their life, and to allow the other person to go through their evaluation without having predetermined expectations of them through their process. I had this idea that after all the unwanted waiting I have already done, that I would meet someone, our hearts would connect and things would work great, quickly and the waiting period was over. Now I realize that once you meet someone, there is more waiting... waiting as you spend time with someone and get to know each other more, waiting as both you and the other person both weigh your options and balance what is happening in the dating relationship and what experiences you have had in your lives and what this might mean for the future. And not only waiting, but truly giving the other person a chance to process their thoughts and feelings as they need to and giving them the right to also make their evaluations and make decisions that fit their lives as well, regardless of where that might leave you.

I have learned that in every step of the way, we need to keep our focus on Jesus. Know that He is good, and that He wants good things for us. That doesn't mean that He is obligated to make good things happen for us. But we need to trust that even through our extended waiting, God is with us and as we learn, grow and share with others, as we learn to love and allow others to go through their processes as well, God will lead us to new opportunities. Remain confident in Him always, things may not always work the way we want them to, but each learning experience brings us one step closer to where we want to be. Be encouraged, learn, grow, share, keep moving forward, keep your eyes on Jesus, learn about yourself and believe that through it all God is on your side. One day, we will learn what we have needed to learn and grown in the areas that we have needed to grow in and through that, we will find results we have prayed for and wanted. Be strong and do not give up!

Being Real

2011-04-06T00:32:00.000-04:00

This blog is going to be more personal to me and my life experiences. One thing that I believe is one of the greatest values in our journey through life is the ability to be real about who we are, where we are in life and what motivates us to do what we do. All too often people start something with all the right intentions and with time they allow it to become a routine or an obligation. They may not necessarily have the same passion they once had for something, yet they continue to stay there and even when sometimes they resent being there. Truth is, I did that for way too long myself. One thing that I have truly grasped is that I want to be real in all things.

I have gone through very discouraging moments in several ways over the past few years, but I love God with everything inside of me, and ultimately I know that He is good and I always want what He wants for me above and beyond all other things. Through these years I have learned many things and I have used them to grow and become even more grounded in my relationship with God. One thing I realize about myself is that I have a tendency to become fearful of situations and circumstances that surround me. Why would I become fearful? Because I have gone through many situations that were hurtful and difficult, and making it more difficult is knowing that God Himself allows me to go through so many and such difficult circumstances, often times not stepping in when I feel like it was a good moment for Him to step in for me.

Panic mode kicks into full effect within me with all those I love the most when I feel like they might be able to do something that would hurt me. The areas in life that I value the most are the same areas where I have been hurt the most... some examples of that are: friends that have abandoned my friendship, potential love interests who have rejected me as a possible partner in their life... and even ministry opportunities I gave everything to be a part of, opportunities to serve my God that were always just beyond my reach. At times I felt like I was serving a God who continuously lets me stay in the most disappointing and frustrating moments of life for way too long. Feeling undesirable in love, and at times unappreciated in friendship, in ministry and all that I most wanted to do for His Kingdom. BUT, I love God with everything inside of me nonetheless, and even when I feel like things are unfair and He could have done something to make it better, I still love Him entirely and wholly. I recognize that even in those moments, I am still much better off living for Him than I am for even one second living without Him.

My life is not what I wanted it to be, in any way, and the truth is, its really not. But its much better than it would have been if I didn't make the choice to live for God every day of my life and to love God through every moment of my life. Nothing good or bad could every separate me from the love of my God, nor from my desire to continue living for Him and loving Him. Some times we just have to endure the hardships, learn through the difficulties, continue to persevere through all things, no matter how long it takes. God is a good God, and in time, He will make all things right. I know that all I have to do is continue to remain focused on Him and He will get me through all things, He will move in my favor, He will bless my life.

I pray anyone who took the time to read this is blessed. This isn't the typical, do everything right and everything will work out just fine type of blog, but its more just me wanting to be real. Sometimes we struggle to see things, to understand things, to accept things, and that is not entirely a bad thing. God understands that we are human and that life can be challenging. To struggle is not a sin, to have moments where we think or feel less than perfect is not a sin. To acknowledge that we have weaknesses and flaws is not wrong. Thats normal for all of humanity, God already knows that! What is important is that we keep our focus on Him, that we trust Him and love Him through all of it. We can make mistakes, we can be weak in faith, we can struggle to accept things, but if we love Him, if we live for Him, He is more than happy to help us, to lift us up, strengthen us and fill us with His peace. And in all things His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Mistakes

2011-04-05T22:41:00.001-04:00

For my fist topic of choice, I have decided to write about Mistakes. For most of us, mistakes are something we avoid as much as possible, but the reality is that people make mistakes all the time. Some people intentionally make bad choices, which at that point we cannot call them mistakes, cause they make poor choices intentionally and willingly. But, what makes a mistake a mistake is the fact that we honestly did not intend to go that route. Having said that, this blog is regarding genuine mistakes, I will hit up the topic of poor choices another day.

Have you ever made a mistake, and then spent days, weeks, months or even years kicking yourself in the rear for it? I know I have! Why do we become critical of ourselves and/or others when a mistake has taken place? When mistakes take place, often times the result of that is that we become negatively affected by our mistakes, and often times others around us, generally the people closest to us, are very likely to let us know how much that mistake has affected them as well and/or their thoughts/feelings about us. And if the person who committed the mistake is a genuine person, they will already feel poorly about having made the mistake.

So how can we deal with mistakes we have made or that others have made that affect us? The best answer is to be honest and as open as possible with yourself and with the people affected. When a person makes a mistake and realizes what has happened and how it has or will affect others, there are a few things they can do to attempt to correct their mistake:

Take responsibility for your mistake:

The first and best choice is to own up to it. If it was a genuine mistake, it wasn't something planned or willingly intended to happen, so its okay to admit that through the course something took a turn and the result was not what was originally intended. There is more anger and hurt behind a hidden mistake than there is when someone accepts responsibility and is willing to try to correct their mistake. Hidden mistakes are often seen and received as intentional poor choices that someone tried to get away with.

Be willing to do what it takes to correct your mistake

Not all mistakes can be corrected. But there are always ways to accept responsibility for and take preventative measures so that a mistake is not repeated. If there is a way to correct the mistake, be willing to take the steps necessary and go through the process. Sometimes it can be a lengthy and difficult process, but when someone commits to going through the process, they gain the opportunity to grow and learn from their mistake and at the same time they make it easier for others who have been affected by the mistake to bring healing and restoration to the situation.

Be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of anyone else affected:

In addition to having to deal with their own thoughts and feelings about their mistake, there will likely be others who will also be affected and their reaction to a mistake will be greatly influenced by how the person who committed the mistake reacts to it. Someone who hides it, brushes it off as if it was not a big deal, or refuses to accept responsibility for the mistake or its consequences is seen as someone who is not trust worthy, dependable or truthful. But someone who admits it, takes responsibility and works to correct the mistake is seen as someone who is trustworthy, responsible and even if the mistake has caused great pain, this person is more likely to receive forgiveness for their mistake.

Learn from the mistake:

Recognize what led to the mistake and avoid revisiting it. A repeated mistake converts from making a mistake to making poor choices really quickly. Learn from the situation and the results that are brought out from the situation. All things work together for good to those who are called according to God's purpose. Allow God to bring good out of every situation and circumstance.

Each situation is different, there are mistakes that are more complicated than others, there may not be a step by step remedy for each situation we may find ourselves in. There are times when actions need to be taken and quickly, there are other times when we need to stay still and allow God to work on our behalf. Learn to distinguish between those moments, pray and ask God for guidance and He will provide a way, through all our situations and circumstances. He will teach us, lead us and guide us with His loving care.

Back to Blogging!

2011-04-01T02:36:00.005-04:00

Hello there!

I realize that I have not written in a while, shame on me! I know there is no real excuse for that, but I have been wanting to begin blogging again, so I been praying for God to give me ideas of what to write about. I have decided that I am going to start blogging on specific topics as they come to mind... I may revisit a topic if I learn some new insight I feel is worthy of sharing... but I hope to build a library of topics covering a wide variety of topics that will be encouraging and that will promote growth in our faith, love and desire for God and ALL that He has to offer each of us! I will write mostly from my understanding of the Word of God, my personal convictions and from experiences I have lived or observed in life.

Before I begin with topics... I would like to re-introduce myself... I know I have previously introduced myself on this blog, feel free to reference my original introduction as well, however that was written a few years ago, so here is he updated introduction:

My name is Kelly, I am a 31 year old single woman. I would have loved to have met my prince charming by now and have a family of my own, however, God has not seen it fit to take me down that road yet, so I am continually exercising my patience and trust in God. That has not always been easy for me, I am not patient by nature... but I have grown quite a bit in this area over the years... I have not yet mastered it, but I am not mastered by it either! I am a work in progress!

Even more important than all I just mentioned, I love the Lord with everything inside of me! God is my world... without Him, I am nothing! I am so grateful for His unconditional love for me and for all humanity. I am forever grateful for all He has done for me and will live everyday of my life loving and serving Him! I strive to live pleasing to Him daily in all I do and all I say... I am in no way perfect, but I do try my best to always do my best so that my actions and words always bring honor and glory to my Heavenly Father.

Well, I shall wrap up this introduction now. I welcome you to my blog! Feel free to comment and/or request a topic that might be of benefit to you. I hope and pray that every person who reads my blog would be blessed and encouraged to grow in their faith in God and their relationships with Him!

God bless you!!
><>Kelly<><

Single Life and the Church

2010-05-06T01:48:00.003-04:00

Single life, in my experience, is one of those things in life that people do not know how to encounter. Many have their beliefs about single life and God’s provision of a spouse… but when time keeps passing, all theories have been discussed, tried and singleness continues to prolong itself in the lives of this generation… I have noticed that it gets to a point where there are no more explanations, there are no more insights or methods or even words to soothe the hearts and minds of those who get caught in a single lifestyle they never chose or wanted for themselves. I know I do not have all the right answers, but from my heart to yours, here are some things I believe about single life based off my experiences and my relationship with God and my understanding of who He is in my life and the interpretation I have of His Word and His heart.

Some believe that God has predestined and selected one person for every one person… and eventually God will make that connection take place… Others believe that we get to choose our lifetime companions among the many different personalities we encounter through our lives, and when chosen wisely, thus person would be the right choice in our lives before God.

I believe that, as everything else in life, the selection of the person you will spend the rest of your life with is a choice that you and that person make. I might be wrong, but we live in a fallen world, people make mistakes and go in the wrong direction all the time, even Christians... If it were true that God has preselected only one person for every one person, then what happens when one of those two people chooses to marry someone else that is not the "one" person God has chosen for them? Perhaps they had not yet met the "one" that God had for them or they were outright not looking for God's direction, and they got involved with someone else... Does that now mean that the other person, who is still waiting on meeting the person that God has for them, that now they cannot marry, is now out of luck and doomed for life if they marry someone other than the "one" that was for them? Even though it was not their fault that the other person chose poorly? If God chose only one person for every one person, then each time any one person wrongly chose outside of what God had preselected for them, that wrong choice would equal an uncountable amount of marriages that are not according to God's will and plan. It would become a domino affect, because the one waiting would then marry someone else who was predetermined for someone else and the pattern would continue. And when would that destructive pattern end?

I believe that there are thousands of people and different personalities, and some people may be more compatible than others. There are certain personality types that most definitely should never get married together under any circumstance, because there would be huge clashes between personalities or characteristics, things that cause unequal yolks, etc... But there are others that can be of good benefit to each other. I believe God mentions unequal yolks in the Bible, because He gives us the choice and that's part of His guidance and instruction for us when looking for a lifetime partner. If we only had one predetermined person for us, we would have no need to consider yolks, because God would have chosen that for us and He would certainly never choose someone who was not equally yoked for us. I believe God gives us the wisdom and the guidance to choose someone who will be a value and benefit to our lives. He allows us to cross paths with people and sometimes even makes it happen where particular people meet up at a specific time and place without even knowing, like a divine appointment type of thing. Some find and establish great, strong relationships and with God's blessing are able to accomplish many great things for God, in life, establish great households and families. But I believe that comes from seeking God and allowing Him to guide you to find someone that will compliment your life. But I cannot believe that God only has one person predetermined for our lives. I cannot believe that God knowing how many people would fail and choose the wrong person, because they didn't want to wait or they just didn't care to seek His direction, then there would be another person, and a whole trail of more people, out there doomed to wrong relationships, or to having to be single forever because the "one" God had chosen for them chose someone else. God is mysterious in His ways, and for some He works in one way and for others He chooses a different path. He is never obligated to do the same thing twice, nor does He make the path for finding and establishing relationships exactly the same for everyone.

Now, having said all that, I believe that happiness in a relationship is also a choice. Each couple has the ability to make of the relationship what they want. If both people involved choose they want a happy, strong, loving marriage, then they will both work at it to make it to be just that. They invest time and love and patience, among other things to get or keep things where they need to be. But when one or both partners decide they do not want to take the time to communicate or work on the difficult issues they face, one or both partners accept and allow trouble and hardships in, thus making the relationship less than what the relationships should be. I believe it cannot always be done with our own efforts and strengths, there will be times when one and/or both partners will have to really seek God and His guidance and intervention, but when BOTH are willing to seek God and at the same time work on the issues they face, I believe anyone can make their marriage happy and filled with love. There is nothing too difficult or impossible for God! It is up to us to choose what we want in and out of our marriages and seek His help to make it happen.

So, the question has been asked many times before; how can the church advise a single person to be patient and to wait in the Lord? Personally I think that the best thing a fellow Christian can do is just listen to and care about what the single person has to say about it and reaffirm the single persons value and importance despite their relationship status. There are times where we do not have all the answers and we cannot explain the things that happen in life… and its okay to recognize those moments. We don’t have to always have a “right” answer for someone. Single life can stir up many thoughts and feelings in a single persons heart, not many people want to live life with no partner to love and share their lives with. And the most common advice given to singles by other Christians is "be patient and wait on God" which we all know is true and something we most definitely have to do. BUT, we have heard that MANY times before... sometimes we just need to be allowed to express ourselves, our thoughts and feelings and feel confident that someone cares and is willing to relate or at least try to understand us. Simply telling a single person to be patient and wait on God, leaves a single person feeling like others do not understand them, or genuinely care about their concern, or like they are not important enough for their concern to be heard and taken seriously, and those words might even develop a distance between God and that single person. Not that we want to blame God or be mad at Him, but when someone is struggling with something, which is important to them, and no one around them can relate or understand, its only a matter of time before they stop talking about it to others, cause they don't need to be misunderstood or feel that their concern is not important... and the only person we can run to MANY times is God, yet He still allows that area to continue unanswered... It can cause deep pain and a sense of insecurity within... Then hearing that we need to "be patient and wait on God" as our only or most common advice from other Christians, and especially hearing it from ones that got married at a young age, carries little to no value to hear those words, and may stir up more feelings of insecurity and unimportance, not only to fellow Christians, but also to God. Because who can understand why God doesn't answer something that is important to ones heart and life?

I do in part speak from my own experience living as a single woman, long beyond what I ever wanted for myself, but not exclusively… I have also spoken from what I have learned in hearing and speaking with other singles who have also lived in the same frustration. I think that the church (in general) should also take into more careful consideration what is happening to the single adults as they continue to age and do not find who to marry. I have seen countless young adults leave the church and seek partners in the world. Some come back, but others don't... There is a gap between what is the youth group in the church and the adults. Almost all adult ministries and gatherings focus on marriage and families, which a single person does not fit into, yet there comes a point in time when its necessary to move beyond what the youth group has to offer, even if you have not yet married. Singles often fall into that gap, and are often not given the same opportunity to get involved in leadership positions or in things that may interest them, because they do not fit the mold of what is expected of the lifestyle an "adult". But perhaps if we could establish something for these singles so that they do not feel so lost in the gap, if they felt like they had worth and value in the congregation and/or in leadership, as they are (single), we may have better success at keeping them in church and giving them a better opportunity to find a good Godly partner, rather than leaving the church to find their way and their partner in the world.

I am not saying that it is impossible for a single person to find their place in the church, but I am saying that it is very difficult, most singles are not single by choice, they want to find someone to share their heart and life with, someone to love and make them feel special and important, and many will not put the time or effort into finding their place in the church, if they feel they do not fit in or they are not cared about or understood, when they are living in a stage they do not want to live in. They rather invest their time finding a place to fit in where they fit in automatically and easily, where they can invest their time and energy into finding what is important to them, and that is when the enemy fools them into making their own path, among people who will encourage them to build relationships, healthy or not, and do whatever it takes for them to find what they want with no rules or judgments or criticisms in their methods of doing so or their thoughts and feelings about it along the way.

I recognize that all paths in life have their challenges. Married people, teenagers, singles, etc... we all face hardships and difficulties. Each living case scenario has its own list of pros and cons, and not every single person struggles with single life or to the degree that another might. Many may or may not wish to find a partner, and yet find joy in life without one. We know that God gives the ability and strength to each who seeks Him to conquer all circumstances in life and we thank Him for those who rise above and do overcome and continue their path in the Lord regardless of what situations come their way. But this was written for those who do struggle, who have felt and carried the weight of a lifestyle they did not choose nor desire. My heart goes out to singles who have no desire to be single… and even more so to those who have no one they can open up to and share the very real thoughts and feelings deep within. I pray the church finds a better method to help those who struggle with this area of their life because its become more common and though it may not seem as important as family ministry or youth ministry… each person carries value and each life deserves concern, love, acceptance and to be embraced for who they are, as they are.

Masked Christians?

2009-06-27T02:18:00.002-04:00

Have you ever found yourself wondering why things happen the way they do, or questioning the situations or circumstances you live through? I find myself there sometimes… although, for the most part I am happy with my life… I have lots of things I appreciate and love… but that doesn’t take away that sometimes there are moments in life that I do not necessarily like and/or that make me wonder or question…
Over the past few years I have put a lot of thought into life. How and why we do things… what motivates us or holds us back… One thing I have noticed is that people (in general) seek acceptance and approval. Whether it is from family, friends, employers, or anyone else, we all have a need to find acceptance within the people we find most important in our lives.
Because of this need for acceptance, we learn what is acceptable for us to say and to do within our circles and we easily fall into doing and saying things so that we can stay within those lines. This can be a good thing when we cut out bad habits and make real changes in our hearts and lives to improve ourselves because we feel convicted to do so and especially if we are drawing closer to God and building a stronger relationship with Him through it.
My concern is more for when staying within those lines might become harmful to us. When we are acting only because we know what is expected of us or when we speak only what we know will be approved. Sometimes we have thoughts, feelings, desires or struggles that we know will not fall within what is acceptable or approved by others in our circles, so instead of being real about those things, we remain silent about them. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that they are still there.
So, we learn how to put a mask on… say all the right words, do what is expected, make sure that on the outside we look like we have it all together, when in reality there can be things in our minds and hearts that we really need to deal with. It becomes a real problem when we are not free to talk about these things because they don't just go away… even though many times we pray and ask God to help us get rid of them.
Why exactly is it that we are not free to speak of such things? Is it because we fear that speaking of them will make us appear weak? Is it because we may loose our status or level of approval? Maybe we fear that others will question our integrity? I read something recently that impacted me so much. The author of this book stated that we reward people by showing love, and punish them by withholding it. That simple statement blew my mind, because I have seen it done time and time again.
When people know that they are loved and accepted because of what they do and say, if they want to remain in that love, they will continue to do and say all the right things. Even when they might have real issues with the thoughts, feelings and/or desires they have inside their hearts and minds. If they know that love will be withheld from them for stepping outside the lines of what is acceptable, they will hide things, often times for many years, until one day it explodes.
This is why we have so many pastors, leaders and church members who fall into sinful situations or have “sudden” addiction problems or very critical family issues. They did not have the freedom to speak about what was real in their hearts and in their minds, because they knew that doing so was might have withheld the love they received and their acceptance among those who were important to them.
So in our venture to help people draw near to God and build long, lasting and fruitful relationships with Him, we also create a trap for them. Then when one falls, we blame them for not having a strong enough prayer life or for not reading the Word enough. We speak of how they should have been more committed or how they needed to do things differently so they wouldn’t have fallen into anything. But we never stop and think about how WE could have and should have helped them.
How could we help? By allowing people to be real, without the fear of losing their status or love and respect within their circles, letting them know that they will not be judged, condemned, seen or treated any less because of whatever battles they might be fighting. By allowing them to speak freely of their weaknesses, of their thoughts, feelings, frustrations, desires… any of it, all of it… the good and the bad… Allow them to be real in whatever way that is to them without withholding love or anything else that person might hold important because of it.
As people are free release these things in confidence, God then has the power to heal and restore those areas because they were able to bring the truth to light. The enemy no longer has a hold on them because his nasty tricks have been exposed. This is what God really wants from His people. This is what Christ came and died for. To remove the masks off God’s people, allowing them to reveal what was really within their hearts and be transformed by His mercy and grace.
I have decided in my heart and life, that it is far more important to me to be real about anything and everything I face in life. I speak transparently about what is in my heart, even when I know that it may not be within the lines of what is acceptable within my circles. I rather run the risk of never moving up in status or rank, than to put on a mask and appear to be something on the outside while knowing that something else is happening inside my mind or heart. I am a great person and I have a great heart, but I am real all the same. This may work against me at times, but even then, I prefer to be real about everything in my life.
I pray that wherever you are in your journey with Christ, that you find the freedom to be real. First and most importantly with yourself, second with God, and then with those who are important to you within your circles in life. If you find yourself hiding behind a mask, I pray that you find the courage and the strength to seek God’s direction and find someone you can talk to that will not punish you by withholding love or acceptance of you. I pray that as you remove the mask, that you find healing, restoration and a greater relationships with God our Father than you could have ever imaged possible!
May you be blessed, free and fruitful in Him always!
Forever His!
><>Kelly<><

Insights from Job’s Trials…

2009-02-09T02:24:00.002-05:00

For the last few weeks now I have been thinking about the story of Job in the Bible… I have pretty much known that story all my life, but with all I have been going through this past year, it really called my attention in a different way, so I decided to study the story a little more in depth. I may dig deeper into it to gain even greater insight, as I know there are many valuable lessons to learn from it. However, I wanted to share a few of the things I have learned from this story…
All my life, I have heard how Satan had asked God for permission to try Job… But in all reality, one of the first things I noticed when I started reading was that Satan did NOT ask for permission to try Job! When Satan presented himself before the Lord (chap. 1 v.6-7) and was asked where he came from, he simply stated that he had come from roaming the earth and going back and forth in it. The next verse (v.8) blew my mind! Now, I know I have read this before… but it really didn’t have the same meaning for me back then as it has in these last few weeks. The verse states that God asked Satan "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Wow!!! I was shocked when I read it… It never occurred to me that God basically put Job out there like bait to the sharks! The following verses go on to explain that Satan states that Jobs righteousness was only because God had protected him and if that was taken away that Job would curse God, and that was when the Lord permitted Satan to try Job. But the beginning of Job’s test was when the Lord drew Satan’s attention to him.
I really had to concentrate on and question why God would put Job out there like that! Had it been that Satan himself came to God and brought Job up to God’s attention, it would have been different cause Satan seeks to destroy… But God is love, he seeks to build up and bless His people… I know God knew that Satan would want to try Job if God thought so highly of him and noticed that he was an upright man who lived right and avoided evil. And that right there is the answer! God only put Job out there, because He KNEW Job’s heart and had noticed that there was something different in him. God felt confident in letting Satan know that He knew that this man would not turn away from Him, thus opening the doors for Job to be tested and proven. What an amazing insight!
Of course, at the time Job was living through this, he had no idea what was going on… His life went from all going well, living in prosperity and happiness to complete and instant devastation. He didn’t know what conversations took place between God and Satan prior to anything happening to him. He didn’t know what would come next, once he had come out of the trials that he had just experienced. All he knew was that he was hit with some very real and difficult situations in his life and he experienced a lot of heartache and pain. He suffered his losses, just like any other human being. In his own understanding he thought he was being punished for something, and struggled to understand what he was being punished for. In Chapter 2 the Bible states that he was in mourning and in chapter 3 he begins 35 chapters worth of whining and complaining about his circumstances… When I had heard as a child growing up in church, that Job had never cursed God, I thought that meant he never complained or suffered his losses. But he did, just that in all of his cries and suffering, Job never failed God.
In chapters 38-42, When God finally speaks to Job in regards to all of his cries, God humbles Job, making him recognize that his wisdom, understanding and power are nothing compared to Gods. Job recognized that God has control over everything and that he was foolish to question the circumstances he did not understand and he repented. Job never failed God by denying Him or turning away from Him. But nonetheless, Job had a lesson to learn, and having passed the test that was brought upon him, God returned to him the prosperity he knew before and blessed him twice as much as he was blessed before.
We know this story beginning to end, and we might be tempted to judge how foolish Job was to cry so much or to question God, when we know how it ends. The thing is that Job never knew that he would be blessed once again, nor that it would be twice as good as what it was before. All he knew was what he was living and feeling at the moment. He acted like any other human might have reacted to such circumstances. Job was real in his thoughts and feelings and did not hide that from God.
As I go through and have gone through so many things in my own life… I have taken my moments to cry and suffer, because I don’t know what God is doing or why He is allowing things to happen. Because I don’t know what he has planned for my future. All I know is what is in front of me today, the circumstances I have been through and how I feel about. But I have to stop and consider, why is God allowing this to happen? Perhaps God sees in me something that is different, and He knows that I will not turn away from Him? Perhaps He has allowed this time of trials in my life to help me recognize my weaknesses and for me to build greater confidence in Him and His provision for my life? Perhaps He has something greater than I can ever even begin to imagine in store for me? The question I now have for myself is… Do I want to cry for 35 chapters of my life? Or can I recognize that Gods ways are greater than my ways and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts? Can I be confident that He who began a good work in me will carry it to completion? Can I learn to be still in the midst of the raging storms and know that He is God and that He will not allow for the storm to drown me?
Its not easy when we live through difficult moments in life. We want to believe that God only brings good things. prosperity and happiness to our lives. We reject the idea that God may sometimes put us in situations that are less than perfect, where we will suffer and experience moments of fear, loss, pain and suffering. But God does allow these moments in our lives, and He may even possibly put us in positions where we will be tried, as He did with Job. It is in those moments that we recognize our own weaknesses and are able to see how small we really are in comparison to God Himself and His perfection in planning and ordaining every day and moment in our lives, in the world around us and in every detail of His great creation. Its in these moments that we recognize our need to repent for thinking higher of ourselves than we ought to and for thinking that we have any right to question God for our circumstances or dislikes in life. Its in these moments that we recognize our need to reaffirm our faith in Gods faithfulness to us and His provision for us and thus open, once again, the pathway for Gods blessings to pour upon us in greater measure than ever before.
If you are living faithful to God and yet find yourself facing difficulties and hardships, consider that God may be boasting about you in the heavens, proclaiming that He knows your heart, and trusts that you will not fail Him. Trust not on your own understandings, but continue to seek Him and live faithful to Him. He will bring your suffering to an end. He will comfort you once again and He will bless you for enduring the trial! God is faithful and His children will never be in need!
Be encouraged and God bless!
><>Kelly<><

Walking on Water

2009-01-11T22:12:00.007-05:00

As I was sitting in church tonight, I came across a note I made to myself several months ago about when Peter walked on water. This is a lesson that has been very real to me personally this past year, so I decided to share it. You can read the story in the Bible, in Matthew 14:25-32. In this story Jesus was approaching the boat where the disciples were and they became afraid. When He assured them that it was Him and they were safe, Peter called out to Jesus saying, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water."At that moment, without hesitating or thinking about it, Jesus called him and Peter climbed out of the boat and began to walk on the water towards Jesus. It must have been such an amazing moment to be there, walking on water, doing what we all know is impossible by all human strengths and abilities. Yet, Peter was very much human and very aware of his own limitations and abilities. As he was walking towards Jesus, he noticed the wind blowing and became afraid. The moment he allowed that fear into his heart, he began to sink and cried out to Jesus to be saved. Jesus didn't stand there and watch him sink. He immediately reached out His hand and rescued Peter, but in this He had a lesson. Saying to Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they climbed in the boat, the winds died down.

Peter was given the ability to do something completely impossible, and he had the courage to step out of the safety of the boat. But even though he had Jesus right in front of him, he still took a moment to look at the circumstances around him and allow the wind to instill fear in his heart. How could Peter doubt when Jesus was right there in front of him? I wonder what I would have felt if I was in Peters position. We know the story and we know how it ends, but at that moment, Peter didn't know what was going to happen next. All he knew was what is known to all of us, it is impossible to walk on water, and the wind could easily blow him down. He simply reacted in a very natural way to what he knew about his limitations.

How many times do we do the same thing in our Christian walk? We want to be used by God and we seek opportunity. God opens doors, gives us strength and ability to face new challenges. We rise to the occasion, build up the courage and climb out of our boats, out of our safety zones, and venture into the unknown. Then we remember who we are and what our limitations are. The winds begin to blow and we allow, if even for just a moment, the fear of our limitations to enter our hearts. Thus stopping the flow of what God had planned for us. Why do we become fearful? Why do we doubt? Because we are human, its difficult to separate from what we know about our own strengths and abilities and fully put all of our trust, wholly and completely in God. Our flesh does not incline to that naturally. It is something we have to put into practice and develop; something we must intentionally make the effort to do in every circumstance in our lives. Even Peter having Jesus right there, struggled with this. Yet it is not impossible!

All of us pass through times in our lives where we are experience doubt and fear. God understands this about us. That is why Jesus did not hesitate to save Peter and take the opportunity to teach Peter that he could accomplish anything he was empowered to do, as long as he did not allow doubt to enter his heart. Jesus allowed the winds to blow, not to frighten Peter, but to provide a lesson for everyone. When God calls us to do something, the enemy will try to put things in the way so that we feel incapable of fulfilling the call. Notice that once they got back on the boat the wind died down. Our circumstances will not last forever. It is up to us to keep our eyes focused on God and not allow anything we face to stop us from continuing to move forward. We must do so knowing and having complete faith that if God called us, He will empower us to accomplish and protect us from anything that may come against us.

I encourage you today, to follow hard after Gods calling in your life not allowing anything around you to discourage you or hold you back from fulfilling what He has given you the ability to do! Be courageous, full of faith, and completely confident in God, and You will see great and mighty things you could have never dreamed of or imagined!

Where are all the God-filled young people?

2009-01-08T23:15:00.006-05:00

In my blog yesterday I mentioned that my church did the 21 day Daniel's fast last year. We are doing it again this year as well, we started this past Sunday and it will last through Sunday January 25th. I really, really enjoyed the fast last year, but this year, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I didn't feel ready to start and the more my pastor announced it, and the date was getting closer, the more I felt like I wasn't ready for it. So, Sunday came and I started the fast, and for the first couple of days I just kind of felt like I was going through the motions, but it hadn't quite really sunk in yet. But, along with the 21 days of fasting, we are also having nightly services, which let me tell you... they have been GREAT!!! Each night is more powerful than the night before! We have had our first 5 nights/services and they have been a real great blessing to my life. I am really appreciating this time of seeking God and drawing in nearer to His presence and I have come to embrace this fast the way I wanted to from the beginning.

All that said, when I look into the congregation each night I notice that its mostly adults in the services. There may be a handful of youth there, but where are the rest of them? I know that in our church the leaders love and really reach out to this generation as best as we can... and I know even in other churches and youth groups, there are so many great men and women of God that are out there giving all they have to impact this generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So where are all the God-filled, God-seeking young people? It seems that with each new group of young people, there are less and less of them that actually get real with God and make a solid decision to follow Jesus Christ and commit to live and serve Him.

I have been observing this long before this fast... Statistics say that only 4% of teenagers today fit the evangelical criteria... 4% and I question myself on this often. What are we as leaders doing wrong? How can we make a real lifelong impact in the lives of the young people who we work with. I know that leaders all over the United States love the young people they work with, but is there something that we are missing or doing wrong? Why are our young people not embracing a faith based commitment and lifestyle? Or is it not necessarily something we as leaders are doing wrong... maybe in today's world, where we have so much available to us at the tips of our fingers... Maybe our young people are just being bombarded in almost every aspect in life at a greater level and capacity then we were when we were their age? Maybe we need to have a more aggressive approach at ministering to them and really reaching them where they are?

I am curious, if there are any youth leaders out there who can relate to what I am saying, or perhaps might have some ideas that have worked for your youth group... Please share your heart, your thoughts, ideas and/or testimonies... Is there more that we can do, within our reach, to make a real life-lasting impact on the young people in our churches?

Go the Extra Mile!!!

2009-01-08T16:21:00.003-05:00

This is a blog I wrote back in May of 2008. I wanted to post it here too. I hope that it can be of help and benefit to someone :)

Go the Extra Mile!!!

We all face moments in life when we are not happy or satisfied with the way things are going or the way people are treating us. In many of these situations in our lives, we can easily see how God needs to work in those around us, in those who may be causing these problems in our lives. However, regardless of how true it may be that God needs to work in the lives of others around us, the fact that God is allowing us to go through it means that He also wants us to learn something through it as well. We can easily make the mistake of brushing it all off our shoulders and simply stating that God needs to work in someone else, while missing the lesson God has for us.

If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles (Matthew 5:41 NIV). Notice the verse said if someone forces you to go one mile. Meaning that perhaps someone is creating a situation or a problem and taking you down a road you do not want to travel, even then, we should not only walk the mile, but also go an extra mile as well. I do not believe that God is asking us to walk down a road of sinfulness, if that is what is presented before us in our daily walks; but I believe that when it comes to difficulties and problems in our friendships and relationships, God wants us to do everything we can to maintain healthy relationships and live at peace with those around us. This verse and the verses surrounding it encourage us not only to sacrifice by giving what is asked of us, but to take it to the next level and give even more.

We can easily become discouraged, lose our focus, and/or get so caught up in our problems that our emotions can block out everything we know and value. It's up to us to keep ourselves in line with the Word of God and to remember that we are to reflect the Love of Christ to everyone around us, regardless of what others are doing whether right or wrong, we need to make sure that we are acting and reacting correctly and that the choices we make not only benefit ourselves, but those around us as well. We cannot change the way people are and the way they do things. But when we live according to the Word of God and allow God to be in control of the situations we face, God defends us and will honor and bless our efforts to live according to His Word. Walking the extra mile will take you to a higher level in life and to a higher level in Christ... Don't let the small, insignificant things hold you back from reaching greatness!

Standing Firm

2009-01-07T22:50:00.006-05:00

I have so many thoughts and ideas of what to write about, I don't know where to start... I am so excited about my new blog site that I have been thinking about what to write all day long! So, I finally decided to narrow it down to something that has been very real to me this past year. My topic of choice tonight, Standing Firm...

2008 started out really well for me... My church did the 21 day Daniel's fast and I was so excited every day of the fast, it was so amazing and powerful. At the time I felt like my life was at a peak, I felt great in my relationship with God, and life was falling into place the way I wanted things to go. Sure it wasn't perfect, nothing ever is, but it was great! I was loving the direction my life was going in and I had such high expectations for the rest of the year.

Little did I know what was coming my way... about a little over a month after the fast was over, things started to fall apart for me. One thing after another... it was a constant flow of disappointment. Everything that I cared about seemed to be falling apart... and when I thought that things couldn't possibly get any worse, I would get notice of something else that was going south for me. Man! I took so many hard hits I didn't know how to handle it all. Needless to say I became frustrated and stressed with so many circumstances all at once. What is one to do when all is falling apart around you? I did all I knew how to do as well as taking all the things I was going through in prayer before my Lord Jesus Christ... The crazy thing is that all of those circumstances I faced are still grim situations in my life right now. Its been months, and under normal circumstances there would have been that final blow in many of my circumstances, but here I am, still standing and recognizing that despite how frustrating things may get, I am not down yet! Only God knows how much I can handle cause I thought I was done months ago, but even though things haven't really gotten better for me, I am still standing.

How do I do it? The truth is, I can't do it alone! I have cried out to God countless times. I know that the reason why I am still standing, the reason why I can still look at the world around me and find pleasure in life, why I can still love people and share whatever God allows me to share with them, why I can have peace in the midst of everything, is because my strength is not my own, but God's power becoming perfected in me. He is my strength! Its not easy, I am human, made of flesh and blood like everyone else. I have my thoughts and my feelings and there have been many moments where I have lost my cool. But, even in those moments I always look to God for direction. I have made mistakes, plenty of them, but God has been merciful with me and despite how imperfect I am, He has been with me by my side helping me through every situation I have faced. I don't always feel Him and many times I have felt alone, but I know that He is always there. It doesn't matter how bad things have gotten or how bad they might get, I know that He is here with me. I have been faithful to Him to the best of my ability and I know that He is much more faithful than I could ever dream of being! He gives me the strength I need, He calms me and gives me peace that only He can give. I know I am always safe in His loving care! Nothing that comes against me can overcome me because my God, who is in me, is greater than any other power in this world!

If you are going through hard times. I encourage you to call out to God and have faith that He will be there with you through your circumstance(s). Even if you don't feel Him, have faith and believe that He is there and will help you, faith moves the hand of God! Seek Him and all He has done and is doing for me, He will do for you and possibly even in greater measures! It may be hard, but despite whatever comes your way, let me encourage you to keep standing firm! Gods love is so great for us, when we call out to Him, He responds!

Be blessed and encouraged in Christ!

Till next time!

Hello!

2009-01-06T21:54:00.005-05:00

Hello and Welcome to my blog site. Since this is my first blog on this site, I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Kelly, and for the next week I can say that I am 28 years old. I was born and raised in a Christian family. My Dad has been a pastor all my life, so my siblings and I were not only raised in church, but also very close to involvement in full time ministry. That has affected us each in our own way... some of us better than others... but for me, I have really learned to love the ministry. I gave my life to God when I was 15, and the only thing I regret is that I did not do it sooner! I have had many great times in the Lord and being involved in ministry. It hasn't always been easy or fun and games. I have also had many difficult moments throughout my walk in Christ. BUT it doesn't matter how hard things may have been for me, I know that I am always in a better place when I have God by my side. There is no trial or circumstance too big or hard for Him. When I am weak, His power is made perfect in me... So, as I write I will pour out more of who I am and what I have to share. I hope that you are blessed by my blogs and that through my writings, I can share how wonderful it is to love and serve God wholeheartedly. I am not perfect, I have my flaws and shortcomings, but I have made a decision, which I know is the best decision I could have and ever will make in my life and that is to live my life Daily Committed To Christ!

God bless you all and I look forward to sharing more with you through this site.

Forever His,

Kelly