I've Moved!

Our Very Breathe Testifies to Our Maker

As I read one of may favorite blogs today, this quote resounded in my spirit so I thought I would share it with you.

“The letters of the name of God in Hebrew… are infrequently pronounced Yahweh. But in truth they are  inutterable….

This word {YHWY} is the sound of breathing.

The holiest name in the world, the Name of Creator, is the sound of your own breathing. That these letters are unpronounceable is no accident. Just as it is no accident that they are also the root letters of the Hebrew verb ‘to be’… God’s name is name of Being itself.^”

~Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

You can read the whole blog here: A Holy Experience.

Don’t for get I’m moving…

 

Bright and Morning Star

This morning, through the leafless branches in front of my bedroom window, I had an impeccable view of the morning star as the sun began to glow on the horizon. 

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.” Rev 22:16

As I watched the sun illuminate the dark sky with light blue and then pink, this verse kept resounding in my mind.  Jesus IS the bright and morning star.  He is the Rock on which we build our lives and the guidepost which set our path after He does not leave nor forsake us.  He is always there…even when we can’t see…he is there.  He is an ever-present help in time of need.  He is our Deliverer, Saviour, Brother, Friend and Redeemer.

I am thankful for the beauty of the morning star I marveled at today. It is only shadowed by the Majesty of a Saviour who left his rightful seat in Glory to live as a humble, yet perfect life on this Earth, to be tortured and crucified on a tree for all of humanity…just because he loves us so

Don’t forget I’ve moved and this site will redirect soon. Find me here

Newness abounds!

I began setting up a website with the intention of moving the blog over about 6 months ago.  Well…it is finally ready! I am very excited and hope you all will enjoy the new home and the shorter URL! Haha!

I have moved my entire blog over and will set this page to redirect in February... Hope to see you all there!

~Don’t forget to look for the subscribe box on the new website so you may be encouraged.~

A New and Fresh Beginning

I love the new year.  I don’t make resolutions.  I do pray and commit myself to the Lord afresh. His mercies are new everyday and His love never fails.

As the New Year approaches, I am continuing to pray for clear direction in many areas.  I know that the Lord will be faithful. I know that as I put my hand to the plow, if it’s God’s plow, the work will not overtake me and I will find joy, peace and rest while carrying and walking out the burden Christ has laid on my heart.

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

What a beautiful picture! I want to live life in obedience to God…carrying His light load as he carries my cares and worries.

Happy New Year to you all!  May your Year be FULL and INTENTIONAL!

In the Presence of Hunger

The last couple days have been pensive here. No negative happenings spurred the inquisitive and contemplative time…quite contrary actually…my sweet husband has been HUNGRY!

HUNGRY? I know, what can cause so much contemplation?  Well..he isn’t hungry physically. He’s hungry for the Truth that is only found in the Word Of God.   As he has read and prayed and pondered and wrestled and prayed and read and pondered, I have had such a difficult time reading his expressions and body language. It’s funny how our very countenance is changed by the presence of God.

Just as Moses’ countenance was change after he met with God on the mountain, so is our countenance changed when we earnestly seek and find God. 

I am thankful for a husband who still seeks to KNOW the Living God.  Who studies “to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.  I also love that he is humble and will be very embarrassed that I wrote such admirable things about him…but they are true.

He is a wonderful example of a husband, father and friend…but He has spurred me to hunger this week as well.

May we all be changed to look more like Christ.  May we glow with His presence like Moses so others may wonder and marvel at God’s awesomeness.

Merry Christmas to you all!

   Katie

Resolve

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."   Psalms 118:24

I love that the Word of God is alive and fresh!  I love that every time I read it, it speaks to me. This is the day the  Lord has made...I've always loved this verse.  I've often quoted this verse as a reminder that everyday is a gift from God and my thanks to Him should be on my lips from the moment I rise to the moment I sleep.

Today, as I was reading Psalms, I read the same words but saw the need to emphasize WILL...we WILL rejoice and be glad in it. The Lord is good ALL the time but I don't always rejoice in His handy work.  Not because I don't appreciated it, notice it, or love it...but because I don't intentionally resolve to voice my rejoicing!  It is a choice....as with all areas of our lives.  To say I WILL rejoice...I WILL honor Christ...I WILL look to the King of Kings for my needs, desires and daily food.

The living Word of God...speaking to me again, about intentionality, resolve, choices...How sweet it is to know the King Of Kings, Lord of Lords loves me enough to write His words in paper form to love on me, correct me and raise me up in His power and grace.

I pray that today I WILL rejoice and be glad...no matter what the day holds for me.

There IS Hope...

I love the Biblical accounts of Mary as she was being filled with the Lord...her journey...her obedience...Josephs obedience!  What an awesome testimony and heritage she left for the world...being found righteous in the sight of the God Almighty. God had an Awesome plan laid for Mary and Joseph's life.  He has a plan for each of us as well...each one just as important as Mary and Joseph's, for it is the same.  The call to follow Him...to show His Love and Grace to those around us...to teach our Children about His great Love and Sacrifice...to be Obedient in walking after His ways, with His character and His heart of compassion.

 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."Jeremiah 29:11-13

I am not always obedient, not even in the little things sometimes, but I know that God is merciful, and if I am seeking Him, He will change this heart of mine into a willing and obedient heart, that He may find pleasure in my actions. Meanwhile, I thank the Lord for the 'hope and future' that He has orchestrated for me, and YOU, as followers of Christ. This year, I am being intentional to enjoy the Christmas Season.  I have a wonderful family around me, whether immediate, extended or my family of friends and I am rejoicing before the Lord for the Symphony of people he orchestrates in my life! 

Take time to thank the Lord for being Jesus (Saviour), Emmanuel (God With Us), today.  Even when Life is difficult and despairing, he IS with us. It's WHO and WHY He IS.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Intentionality

Intentionality...to be purposeful on purpose. This is how I defined Intentional to my children today as we discussed Christmas.  I asked them "Why do we celebrate Christmas." They answered "to honor Christ's birth."  I then asked them "What do we do to honor Christ's birth?"  And they reminded me how we read the Biblical account of the birth of Christ, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and even have a birthday cake.  Then I posed yet another question..."How many times do we do that during the Christmas season?"

ONCE, on Christmas!

Being intentional about not participating in the secular bustle of Christmas, has NOT, by default, made us intentional about celebrating and honoring the birth of our Saviour, Jesus. Sure, we talk about Jesus...but that is NORMAL in our home.  It is our daily conversation.  We try to focus on others and how we can bless them with gifts instead of making lists and being self centered during this season. BUT, we have to purposefully make a choice to be purposeful! We must choose to, on purpose, honor Christ. As a parent, I want to have traditions that kindle a flame for Christ...middle ground is gray, stagnant water and can lull us to sleep!

This year we have been brainstorming ways we can be intentional about honoring Christ this season...what that means and how to tangibly remember the Awesome God we serve. I know as we seek to bring honor to Jesus, he will show us how!

I am still learning. I don't care for the middle ground. I am pressing in.  As I draw near to God...He chastens me.  He burns away the chafe. He purifies me more...and yet I see my need for Him grow stronger.

Go Light Your World

This Song is on my Heart tonight. The video is a little dated...but the Words Are Powerful!

Go Light Your World...Even your Hometown!

Martha...AGAIN!

The last few weeks I have been praying and pressing in to seek after God with a whole heart.  One of devotion, compassion, zeal and intent.  Tonight, as I listened to the message at church...I was completely caught off guard by the enemy.

Tonight's message was about having the Fire of God burn in us.  That it is a choice we must willingly make to be a Holy and Living Sacrifice.  It's our choice to be consumed with God's Holy Fire.

Here enters the subtle...almost slipped by me...attack!  "Did I turn on the coffee pot?"  There you have it!  Right in the middle of this powerful and challenging message I am wondering about the coffee pot!!!!  GIVE ME A BREAK!

Martha, AGAIN!  Martha is just like you and me. She had guests in her home and was trying to be a hospitable hostess. I think the enemy just consumed her with her responsibilities in order to blind her from the LIFE that was sitting in her living room.

Don't let life sneak up and steal the LIFE that is meant for you!  Pray and put on the armour so you can extinguish the fiery darts...even if the look like the coffee pot!

What Do I LOOK Like?

The last couple of days I have been drenched in the presence of a Holy and Loving God.  He has allowed me the privilege of praying for people I know, and even those I do not.  I have been reading a great book...it's been stepping on my toes, but that is good, too. I have been reading one of my favorite blogs.

In all these different avenues of my life...God is speaking to me. Showing me new things. Building a heart of compassion in me.  I am seeing differently. Feeling differently. Wanting to LOOK differently.

I have so many whispers in my heart from God.  So many seeds that want to grow, and are...little by little. I have come so far in my walk, yet I have so far to go. I fail. I get up. The Lord gingerly whispers again to my spirit.

I am pondering the holidays quickly approaching. Thanksgiving...Christmas...A New Year...What do I look like to those who spend time with me, even if for the minutest moment?  Do I look different from the masses?  Do I show God's splendor in my expressions? Does my Home point to the creator?  Do people See JESUS when they see me, or do they see hypocrisy?  Of course there is a little of that in everyone...we are after all, human and in being so...we are less than perfect.  Do I talk the talk and forget my walk? Do I live out my passions, convictions or just talk about them? 

The upcoming holidays have struck a chord in me.  I want them to look different.  I want them to be MORE than the shoe box we pack for a few children.  More than buying gifts for people who have everything they could possibly need or want.  More than just reading the birth of Christ from the Bible or saying our thanks to the All Powerful God of the Universe around the Thanksgiving meal.  More than empty Resolutions for the coming New Year.  I want to DO more.  I want to LOOK different. I don't know how to do that...people already think we're weird... No Santa...No Tree...No Stockings....but that is just the baby steps to what God is laying on my heart. I want to be INTENTIONAL.

Lord, use this vessel.  Pour into me what you would have me pour out to others.  Change my countenance like you changed Moses' when he radiated as he descended the mountain from being in Your presence. May I walk in your presence and look to you for ALL things.
 

Longing for LIFE

I am longing in my Spirit for MORE.  I am longing to live everyday to the Fullest.  What does that look like?  I don't fully know but I have a picture in my mind's eye.

I know that I long to spend more time in the Word and Prayer...just getting to know my Savior better.  I long to radiate like Moses did when he came down from the mountain after spending time with the Lord.  I want to be moved with the same compassion as the Samaritain.  I long to spend time with my children laughing and crying...LIVING.  I long to be a wife that brings honor to her husband.  Who lift him up and doesn't tear down with words.

I am longing for LIFE.

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" John 10:10

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:35-36

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men." John1:4

" I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."Galations 2:20

"Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it."

1Peter3:8-11

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." (John 14:6) That is the LIFE I am longing after!  The living Savior who directs my paths...who pours out his compassion on me, so that I may have compassion on others.  The one who beckoned the Little children so that my heart, too, will be soft toward my own.  What layed his life down...not only to save mine, but to be the example of true love, friendship...and LIFE.

I am not ALL I long to be...I have days that it's two steps forward one step back...but I am Longing for Life. 

What do you LONG for?

Standing Together

Today I woke praying for a few women God had placed on my heart, thanked Him for the beautiful trees I see out my bedroom door and asked him to please guide me as I accomplished the mounding list. I got out of bed...and got to it.

I made good time with the tasks at hand. I even enjoyed my kiddos while working. (When I am concentrating that is not always the case;)) I had pressing things to take care of, not important in the grand scheme of things, but pressing and fun. I also had some things to take care of for church. This, I was already praying about and trying to assimilate as I was going about my other business.

So about 1:00 I sat down to work on church business. I was still sitting there at 5:30, with NOTHING accomplished, crying out to God in desperation and crying out to my hubby for help.  Church started in 1 1/2 hours and I wasn't finished...really, I wasn't even started, nor was I dress and hadn't fed my kiddos either!  After we all prayed together, everything just came together. In 30 minutes I had accomplished what usually takes me about 1-2 hours!

I say all this to say that sometimes we need people around us, standing with us in prayer.  It's not always enough to "go it alone".  I had been earnestly seeking the Lord from the time I woke, but still hit a wall and was unable to move forward until I asked Jason to help.  Thank goodness he had the wisdom to pray with me, which also led to my children praying as well.  When we stood together,as a family, and God moved. 

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20

I am thankful for family and friend who will join in prayer and service, in HIS name!  I am thankful that He is faithful to His word and meets us everytime! What an AWESOME God we serve. 

Mom Heart Conference

Click the button for more information!  I have always loved this conference!

Stand Strong

On Monday, I had to take a trip to the hospital due to cutting my knuckle open working on a clock.  I am no stranger to the hospital!  I've accompanied my hubby, son and by the time my daughter was 4 she had visited our local hospital 6 times! I too have had an occasional visit.  This was not a huge catastrophe. I thought I'd get a couple stitches and we'd go home.  Well, no stiches, just glue and a tetanus booster.  This is where the problem began.  You see, I DID NOT want to be administered a tetanus shot (and NO, I'm not afraid of shots).  I said no...several times, and of course I was countered by the people in the room.  After several minutes of arguing and protesting...I gave in, against my will, totally upset and angered...I gave in!

For the last couple of days the words Stand Strong have been resounding in my spirit.  I know the booster shot was not of eternal significance in the grand scheme of things, but it has given me pause to think.  I believe PASSIONATELY that I did not need, nor want the shot, yet I was unable to stand up and refuse, despite signing papers during my admission process that I could refuse services. 

So...what happens when I faced with eternal choices in my physical life?  What happens if some one asked me to choose...will I Stand? Is my Faith strong enough to Stand and not succumb to the pressures of others? I am asking myself these questions...

The Word of God has much to say about standing. It tells us to Stand Fast...Stand Firm...Stand over and over. 

Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we Stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”  
1Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye, Stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” 
2 Corinthians 1:24 “…for by faith ye Stand.”
Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to Standagainst the wiles of the devil.”
1 Thess 3:8 8 “For now we live, if ye Stand fast in the Lord.”
2 Thess 2:15 “Therefore, brethren, Stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”

It also says to Stand together, united as one voice.

Isaiah 48:15 “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they Stand up together.”
Mark 3:24-26 tells us that house divided will not Stand.
Philippians 1:27 “that ye Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”

I am praying for increased faith that will Stand. One that will not back down. One that Honors my Savior, God, Friend and Lord.  I do not want to fall short.

Overflowing

It's impossible to spill out if you are empty!

As Americans, who run with both ends burning about 99% of the time, we can get lost in the business of life and forget that we need  to refuel.  As Christians...we are of no use if our cup is empty! We must take time to stop, listen to the Holy Spirit, read the Word and Worship the King of Kings.  We are vessels for filling...we can do nothing without His presence in our lives.

If you we want to love our husbands, siblings, parents, children, friends...others...we must be filled to overflowing with the source...Jesus! 

Lord, I want to be filled and overflowing...prick my heart...lead me to you.  Help me seek you every moment of my day. I am yours.

5 Scariest Things You Can Do This Halloween…

Read this article this morning...thought I'd share.

By Doug Phillips

Our country is in the grip of a fear crisis. The tension because of this fear is almost palpable. There is fear over elections, fear over the economy, and fear over hundreds of other issues ranging from the environment to terrorism.
The one fear that America is missing is a fear of the Lord. As a people, we no longer fear God. Because we do not fear God, we no longer hate evil (Proverbs 8:13).
Instead of hating evil, Americans toy with it. We toy with holidays like Halloween that were conceived in evil and that promote the “cute-ification” of evil, whether that evil takes the form of witchcraft, sorcery, ghoulishness, or some other form of malevolent imagery paraded before our children. We laugh at the very things that the Lord describes as “abominations,” and we find ourselves obsessively fascinated by, and attracted to, all things dark.
Yet we do not fear the Lord.
Those who “hate evil” are very scary to a secular society that fears man more than God. They are scary because they dare to declare that there are absolute standards by which society must be governed. They are scary because, if they are successful, industries like Hollywood that make billions of dollars by promoting ungodly fear will lose their influence. They are scary because such people will not be swayed by political candidates who use fear as a tool for manipulation.
With this in mind, I offer you the five “scariest” things you can do this Halloween:

1. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to not make light of evil. Halloween was conceived in evil and has remained a celebration that uses children to promote a fascination with darkness and superstitious fear. Simultaneously, it makes light of things that the Bible describes as evil. Stand against such things, and the world will find you very scary indeed. The fear of the Lord makes men turn from evil (Proverbs 16:6).
2. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to not be fearful. The media wants you to be afraid of everything from overpopulation to global warming. The politicians want you to be afraid of the economy and political instability. God wants you to do what is morally right, trust Him completely, and never be gripped by an ungodly spirit of fear. You can place your trust and hope for this nation in the King of Kings. Jesus said: “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4-5). Believe this, and you will be light to the world.
3. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to completely skip Halloween and remember Reformation Day. It was 493 years ago that Martin Luther nailed his world-changing 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church. These theses included rebukes to ungodly fear and superstition. 501 years ago, sometime near October 31, a baby named John Calvin was conceived who would dedicate his life to eradicating an ungodly fear of superstitious beliefs and proclaiming the gospel of grace. His emphasis on reformation, revival, and the sufficiency of Scripture had such far-reaching implications for nations like the United States that he has been described by Christian and secular scholars alike as the true founding father of America. The Reformers did something that was very scary to the world of their day. They stood against all forms of dark superstitions which grip the minds and souls of men. It was their emphasis on the fear of the Lord and the wisdom of Holy Scripture that was used by God to liberate untold numbers of men and women. But to remember the Reformers instead of Halloween is very scary to the world. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
4. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to refuse to watch or allow your children to watch any of the toxic Halloween and horror films emerging from Hollywood. America’s fascination with ungodly fear has made horror the most popular and fastest-growing film genre amoung youth. When parents allow their children to toy with this genre, they promote ungodly fear, and they contribute to the fear-factories in Hollywood that prey upon the youth of our culture. Say “no” to Hollywood horror and you will be dangerously scary to the media elite. “Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence....?” (Jeremiah 5:22).
5. The scariest thing you can do this Halloween is to get on your knees as a mother and father and pray that the Lord will send you many, children who will fear God, not man — children who will especially shun the glorification of witchcraft, the bondage of ungodly fear, and the “cute-ification” of evil that is promoted through holidays like Halloween. Cultures that toy with evil end up being cultures of death. The Christian response is to be a people of life. That means babies. It means fearing God by honoring His command to “be fruitful and multiply.” It means remembering that the Scripture describes children as a “blessing” and a “reward.” Raise children that fear God more than man, and that will be answer enough to our Halloween- and darkness-obsessed culture; for if you trust God over your womb and commit your children to a holy education, you will be very scary to the modern world. “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 34:11).

A Holy Experience

One of my favorite blogs is Ann Voscamps blog... Holy Experience. Ann is an incredible writer, photographer and a is very passionate about Christ and being FULL of Christ in our daily lives....

If you have a heart for others in need...or your heart is hard and you are happy living in mediocrity...I recommend this read. I hope you are moved...

When you're dying to live radical: Fight Middle Ground blog entry

Admonishment

As I read in Ephesians 6 this morning, I read verse 4 that says "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."  I have read this verse many times and even quoted it in jest to my dad as a kid...but today I was wondering, what does admonishing mean? I had always remembered it being translated as instruction, and although nurture means tutorage and training, admonish does not. 

So I looked up the Greek word. "calling attention to, i.e. (by impl.) mild rebuke or warning". That is different. The directions from the Lord are to tutor or train our children and call attention with MILD rebuke! I know that I would rather the Lord show me in his Word how I am supposed to live, and give me ample tries to walk out His instructions, than for Him to tell me once and then strike me down if I fail.  I am thankful for a God that shows men and women how to love their children.  I am thankful that even when we mess up, He is Faithful and can remedy the situation if we turn to Him for help. I am thankful for a husband who leads with a soft hand and words of instruction.

I am praying for Fathers...that they would have a heart of instruction and mild rebuke after God heart.  That a hard hand and a loud bark is not what our children remember about their Dads. We are Earthly example of our Creator.

My disclaimer:

(I don't think that the term mild rebuke means you simply lecture your children on what all they need to be doing and aren't.  Using time-out, redirection and even spanking...I know...the S word...are all tools that help train and rebuke children. The Bible does say in  Proverbs 22, 23 and 29 that spanking is a tool to be used in discipline. I think to do that Mildly means to not act out of our anger and to use it WHEN appropriated by "in your face" rebellion, not just because the child made a mistake.)