Real love

Odd as it may sound, Jesus is the only one who I don't "feel" judged by. Now before you e-mail me let me preface by saying that I understand that we all will be judged, and that like all of us, there have been plenty of things I will answer to God for. We have all sinned and fallen short of His glory. Nor am I saying that I'm not guilty in the judgement of others. I'm a sinner saved by grace. I guess what I mean is that Jesus has already shown each and every one of us that He values us. That love is His focus. He places a high value in us. Enough to become man and become the sacrifice for all sin, on our behalf. He gave it all. That kind of love is profound. And not something we often experience with each other. We have our moments of love toward one another. But as a whole we are in a broken and lost world. Where we feel judged, evaluated, our measure of character considered, our career movement equaling our ambition or laziness level called out, or what we say and do judged quietly, behind smiles. Our internal voice, quietly in our thoughts saying " you don't know what I've been through, How can you view me so harshly?" If all we have to sustain our inner life is the opinion of others we will at some point hit a wall and crumble. Living like that cannot sustain a happy healthy life. Though we all may know some folks who do indeed live that way, and struggle on a daily basis living in a world where meaning is found in the opinion of others, and or material goods and a worldly lifestyle.
 But with Jesus, even though I know that there are areas I have to work on, I know He is right there with me, like a life coach cheering me on!! Not pointing out my lack of ability, or questioning my commitment, or wondering weather or not I really mean it when I say " I'm a Christian". But by pointing out the obstacle in front of me, and providing strength to overcome it. By reminding me of my prior decision of loyalty to God and His leading in my life, helping me re-frame how I look at a situation, and people who have hurt me, by bringing scripture to mind to teach, heal. By teaching me to conform to His image which is perfect, and not to another person, or the worlds. Comforting me in my mistakes, or disappointments, always showing up in my life. Always. He is looking at me as His child, made in the image of Him. And like a loving father, He sees the possibility in me and you, not the lack of possibility.
There will be times in all our lives where we feel the unwarranted heavy eyes of disapproval towards us. Weather it's how much we weigh, or what we say, or whatever. Your words and your deeds are up for speculation in a fallen world. But in Christ, there is no condemnation! 

Romans 8:1" There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.."

the great mechanic of our souls is hard at work tuning up and repairing all the brokenness. Give your attention to Him, learn Him, and He will break every chain of bondage holding you. His primary focus is on our salvation, not our judgement. He is the great lover of our soul. 

Praise God for His love! And His gift of freedom in Christ! 
Blessings, Kim

Sail light

There's an old saying.." Empty your boat..when emptied it will go lightly."
I think one of the most diffacult things in walking the 'road' of life, is the inner dialougue that is going on inside of us. We venture onto the 'road' with a brazen positive attitude, combined with determination, topped off with the picture perfect smile. And underneath, we struggle with all of it . Will I have enough on the next paycheck. Does he love me enough. What others think of us. What we think of us .
It so taxing to constantly remind ourselves to 'knock it off!' Most battles are fought inside of us in our thinking. If I think back on my day. The times when I felt the most anxiety was when I was lost in the worries of my own inner talk. The crazy thing is, we worry about things that could potentially cause us grief, and yet that is exactly what worring does..it cause's us to have more grief.  But when our 'boat' or mind ,if you will, is emptied of the extra cargo of fretting, and the wheel is turned over to the anchor of our souls, Jesus, then and really only then can we 'sail light'. Having the assurance that the masters hand is on the steering wheel. Confidently navigating the channels of life, planning the course for Home.

Prepared for the best!

So many of us look to the future with a eye out for the approaching storm. We make sure that our toilet paper is stocked. As well as having our flashlights at the ready, and our foodstuffs stored up to the point that we could last out a month or more in the uncertain and climatic world we inhabit. This foresight will help us to "get by" in a time of crisis. When the winds of change start to blow uncertainty into our lives, being prepared for the worst case scenario can offer some comfort, some hope of getting through it. 

 But as a Christian, our Father calls us to prepare for the best. Instead of letting overwhelming worry and fear dictate our interactions, reactions, actions. God has given instead a blessed assurance that our home is with Him, blessed salvation through Christ! As a child of God I have the promise of never being alone in times of trouble. I also have the gift of the Holy Spirits guidance, instruction, and comfort as I face uncertainty. These are not for me alone. They are a gift and a responsibility. A gift because I didn't do anything to earn or deserve them. A responsibility because I have no right to keep it all to myself. I have been called to share His truth and love with a fallen world.

 Matthew 28:19-20  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Each new day we are blessed to enjoy is an opportunity to share Gods best with a fallen world. The Father has called us! What a privilege. And when we answer the call, we can be a part of the best God has to offer. Not only experiencing the freedom and love of Christ. But by being a valuable part of the salvation story in someone else's life. Just as the apostle Paul's commitment to Christ compelled him to preach the gospel, so salvation could reach you and me, Now we are the carriers of the torch of faith in this generation. Lighting the way for the best God has prepared for us. 

 Jeremiah 29:11

 " For I know the plans I have for you," declares The Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

 Hide it under a bushel? No! I'm going to let it shine!

 Blessings, Kim

Get moving !!

Man is it already 2011!! and January is almost over as well! Seems like a reminder that the year will speed by faster then we know it. You look up and boom, its already time to track down Christmas gifts again! Hahahah now that gets everyones attention. Don't know about you all but this girl is always trying to find new and better ways to re-organize, plan out my days, or should I say optimize it. As well as eat right , exercise , family time. The list is a long one for all of us. All you have to do is look around you to locate the disgruntled and disenfranchised people just trying to make a difference with their lives. Either that or those who have given up thinking that it is going to improve. Well I say GET MOVING !!! life is not for the faint of heart. But its not going to wait for you to gather your courage either. You must simply begin. Start small, and work your way to the goals. Thats where life really is . In the doing. In the loving of each other, In the helping of your fellow man. In saying this is what I would like be like, and then start being like!
So <> GET MOVING !!
<> O.k. Im going already let me finish this blog, then Ill go run on the treadmill, and have a salad for din din, maybe even lift some weights, groom the dog.................
Blessings

Manasseh

You know some days are better off in bed. I think i am having one of those days. no real reason. I am missing my mom , my sister is going to have an m.r.i. this week for some mysterious malady she is having.(and of course i am thinking right off the bat the big 'C'). And work is horrid every day with all the back biting and unkindness. ...sometimes i think most people do not care for anyone but themselves. I am sure that this is not the case but days like this..well you can see where i am going. Then i come to the name (biblical) Manasseh. it means causing forgetfulness. the literal translation is to take the sting away from a memory. I like that. The memory is still there but the sting.. the hurt is removed. Boy o boy Lord i am looking to the day when i can feel the memorys of my mom and not the sting of her dying. You know when you are grieving it is so easy to feel like 'hey you , dont you see i am in pain here' and walk around with your own personal chip of ' my pain in life is bigger then your pain'. Somedays its just hard to put the sting aside and live fully.Somedays its all we can do to move forward and do the daily stuff. Just remember ..Eventually this too shall pass. Heres to my future Manasseh. May it come soon!
Blessings