Protection

The Bible Me: Promise you won't get mad? GOD: I promise. Me (frustrated): Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today? GOD: What do you mean? Me: Well I woke up late, GOD: Yes Me: My car took forever to start, GOD: Okay.... Me (growling): At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait GOD: Hmmmm.. Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call GOD: All right Me (loudly): And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work. Nothing went right today! Why did you do that? GOD: Well let me see..... the death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that. Me (humbled): Oh... GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that might have hit you if you were on the road Me (ashamed): ............ GOD: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work Me (embarrassed): Oh..... GOD: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered Me (softly): I see God GOD: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark. Me: I'm sorry God. GOD: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me.........in all things, the good and the bad Me: I WILL trust you God GOD: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today. GOD: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after my children. Mike S. Isnady We sometimes forget the PROTECTION God gives us as we go through our busy days. I pray when I start to get aggravated with things that are out of my control or even somethings I have a little control over but don't go my way, I remember maybe that is when God is protecting me the most. hugs and prayers~ Kim

#Empowered

Empower

 verb

1. to give or delegate power or authority to; authorize

2. to give ability to; enable or permit

Instead of a setting resolutions at the New Year, I choose a couple words :

Crave and Intentional.

Then I had to decide what I was going to Crave and be Intentional about.

I have been a this road the last few years of craving God, one bible study after another. So when Online Bible Studies decided to do Made to Crave and sign ups started I wasn't sure if I was going to join again or not. I very much enjoyed the last two studies and my Group 63 ladies. But I wasn't sure about the book. I really don't struggle with food or my weight.  And I knew this book was more than a food/ weight thing. So I prayed about what to do. Then my answer came when I knew I wouldn't have the accountability I so craved with my Group 63 ladies. There are days I am closer to them then people I see everyday, weird how you can be close to ladies that you have never met expect for one. We have gotten close the last year. and shared our struggles with each other and that only happened because of God. He has done that. So I told our leader Cindy, I was staying in the group and signing up. So here I am in this study Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. Along with this study I am also involved with Community Bible Study as a 3 year old teacher and am joining in the Good Morning Girls bible study of Intentional Focused. And just because I am doing all these studies trust me when I say I still struggle with the bible but I am soaking in God's Word even if I don't feel as I am. So with these studies it helped choosing my words for the year: Crave and Intentional. It means not  being at the beck and call with my phone, iPad, computer, buying clothes or stuff. It means I'm going to CRAVE God,  and be INTENTIONAL with God first, my husband second, our kids third, family and friends fourth.

As I said I don't struggle with food or weight but I do struggle with my time management, shopping, not exercising, generally zoning out, rushing to do all these bible studies on time, my prayer time. Putting everything else before God but I pray this is the year I turn it all around and truly put him first. Exercise more and really dig deep into these bible studies and my prayer life. So the first word being EMPOWERED is a great word to start out with. You almost can't say the word without feeling it it deep inside. 

And as Psalms 84:4 states:

My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.

Our whole body wants to be empowered for God.  Just as a child cries out for their parents when they want something. Our soul, heart, flesh Cry out for God who is our Father.  The word, empowered, means to give or delegate power or authority to. So to me, who or what I give power to is what I crave. This year I choose to Crave God and be EMPOWERED by Him because He is inside of me as a believer.

1 Corinthians 6:19

  Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

	~hugs and prayers~ kms

Jesus Sandwich

The last few months I did an online bible study through Proverbs 31 Ministry and we read the book, What Happens When Women Say YES to God by Lysa Terkeurst. This book really made me stop and think about my walk with Christ. During the course of this study the leaders encouraged us to step out and let go. They also showed us great examples or physical things that we can see or touch to remember that God is with us when we feel alone.

One of the chapters we looked at was titled: You never know how God will use you until you let Him. In this chapter we learned by letting go it can be the stepping stone for what God can do in our lives. And then with this stepping stone we can be AMAZED how God is working. 

So what does it mean to REMAIN?

Choose to stay connected, to stay put, stay connected

So what does this have to do with being AMAZED.?.?

If we choose to REMAIN where we are not moving things more than likely will not change but if we choose to REMAIN in Christ then things are going to change. So what holds us back from Letting Go and Letting God use us? Fear, the loss of control, the unknown, outside our comfort zone......

But for God to use us we must remember, " God must be Lord of All if He is our Lord at All."

So how can I let God use me???

I must CHOOSE to Him.

I must stay CONNECTED to Him.

I must stay FOCUSED on Him.

Remember He is INSIDE of me as a believer.

In John 15:4 Jesus states:

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ~NIV 

He is with me through every minute to every second of the day. If I move from one thing to the next guess what He is still there. Jesus is physically moving me, not me moving Him. 

 So what happens when I get discouraged or forget my way? I need to remember to to REMAIN in Jesus. Those little nudges I get  are the Holy Spirit, Jesus inside of me, working, moving me to let go and let Him. He promised that when He left the disciples he wouldn't leave them alone or us. He would send another counselor in His place,  

John 14:16,

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.

Through this chapters in John we learn Jesus is with me always and not just Jesus but because of Him we are in the God our Father.

John 14:20

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in Me and I am in you.

So to help us as a group to remember this verse and that Jesus is always with us the Proverbs 31 team gave us this example to see, touch and share.

 

Take 3 envelopes in varying size and one index card.

On the biggest envelope write the name GOD, the next size write Jesus, the smallest envelope write your name (in my case I wrote Kim) and on the index card write Jesus again. Shown below.....

Also on the GOD envelope write the bible verse, John 14:20 and if you want to flip the index card over and write the bible verse, John 15:4. As a reminder to REMAIN in God and in Jesus.Now take the Jesus index card and put inside your name envelope then add this into the Jesus envelope and last but not least put them all into the GOD envelope. Now you are a Jesus Sandwich because

In that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in Me and I am in you.

John 14:20

So what do I have to fear. God and Jesus are EVERYWHERE I go! I just need to CHOOSE to REMAIN.

Because I am a 

JESUS SANDWICH!

This visual had a big impact on me when I first did it and ever since then. What a great thing to have stuck in places that I will see and so I can remember I am not alone.

hugs and prayers~ KMS

Family Trip 2013

Bayse, VA to the Real DC

Our Family Big Family Trip for 2013

 

We loaded up the suburban with our clothes, food, drinks, kids, us and my mom and headed on our surprise family trip  for a week of family fun. So glad my mom got to go with us. I say a surprise trip because we don't usually tell the kids where we are going just that we are going somewhere for a certain amount of time. It drives them batty but it is so worth it for the looks of happiness on their faces.

On Monday we spent time visiting with my Mom's best friend, Mary Jane at the Udvar-Hazy Center that is a part of the Smithson, it houses the extra stuff from Air and Space Museum. Tuesday was a  full day in DC touring All the sites.We surprised the kids with a trip to Washington DC. They didn't have a clue where we were going until they walked out of Union Station to catch a double decker bus tour. They kept asking, "Is this the real DC?!?!?!"  It was so worth the planning for a day of fun! The rest of the trip we stayed close to where we were staying in Bayse, VA.  Wednesday we stayed around the resort for a day of swimming and canoeing. Thursday we went to the Shenandoah Caverns where the walls looked like bacon afterwards we saw some old parade floats that were used in the Presidential Inaugural Parades. Also on Thursday we toured the Route 11 Potato Chip factory where we got to sample the chips, all for free. Friday was a day of rest. Saturday we celebrated Isaiah turning 4 with a Scooby-Doo cake, I hand drew using a butter knife, topped off with swimming and hot dog supper. Then Sunday we traveled back on with a stop in Bristol,Tn so Daniel could see the Speedway for Father's Day. 

 June 2013

Rest stop in Virgina for a picnic lunch

So cool to see the space shuttle Discovery up close

Mary Jane and Starr, best friends since they were kids

the Metro heading into DC

Still no clue we are in DC, about to walk out of Union Station

Our reflection in the Vietnam Wall

Going in to see the sites from the old Clock Tower

Our transportation in DC. Worth the time and money

Amelia Earhart plane

outside of Air and Space

View from our room

Bacon in the cave

Add caption

more bacon

one of the many floats

Daniel, Amos, and Carter canoeing. I took this picture from the deck of our room. Thank goodness fro zoom.

Barns were like this every where we looked.

Gorgeous old churches

Isaiah's birthday cake

total miles of this trip of Fun

Good Morning God

Start of the day

What is the first thing you do as that alarm goes off in the morning? For me it's usually telling Daniel to shut it off as he hits the snooze button multiple times. Then finally I usually say, "Daniel it's time for you to get up." sometimes in a nice way and sometimes not so nice, "I'm ready to throw the phone out the window." Depending on how I sleep depends on my reaction. We both like to sleep because we stay up late and get up early. We are up early getting kids to school on time and Daniel to get either to the fire department or to go mowing. We stay up late because sometimes that's the only alone time we have together, to ourselves, to watch a certain TV show, Daniel to study for test, me reading a book, up and down with kids, playing catchup on bible school lessons, or bible studies and the list could go on and on. But come the next morning we are dragging because of the lack of sleep, not always but most times. I know people are always saying get up early in the morning and have your alone/quite time with God. And I really, really want to do that but I just don't.  In this time or season of my life my alone/quite time just doesn't work out for me in the early morning and I use to beat myself up because of it. I don't now because to me what the important part is, is not the time of day completely, its taking the time to just do it. So I have found myself as I go through this study and read What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, starting my day with a prayer, more than I have in the past, before I even lift my head from the pillow. It is a great way to start my day. It even tides me over until I can sit later in the day for my alone/quite time. Some mornings the prayer is long and sometimes short. 

Here is a sample of what I will say......

Lord, Good morning. Thank you for a peaceful night of sleep. And a good start to my morning. Lord, you know what today is going to be like and you know the path I will choose. I just pray that I listen to you as I walk today. I ask you to watch over my children at school and that they be a blessing to each person they come in contact with. I pray for Daniels safety as he does his job today. I ask for my head, my heart and my ears to be clear of the jumbled stuff that keeps me from you and that I listen for your voice in the direction I take for the day. I pray that I say Yes Lord as you call on me today. Lord, you know, there are more times than not I truly would like to slap some people or lose my cool. Lord I ask for help to keep it together and strength for control of my actions. You also know I need to keep my thoughts good and not let negative things bring me down.  I pray that I am your blessing to someone who needs you the most. I pray that you use our family as shining lights  and that others will want to know you through our actions.  I want to accept what ever is thrown my way today Lord to help build your kingdom. I want my palms up, for whatever you ask of me, so I can be amazed with your strength and I'm going to stick with it because you love me and have my back. I love you Lord.......in Jesus name......Amen

  

Or it could be as simple as....

Lord, Good Morning. I love you. And I need your strength for what lays ahead. 

in Jesus name... Amen

Like I said somedays are different in what I may say but I always ask for his strength to say Yes to the tasks ahead. I have found if I at least start my day with, "Good Morning, Lord", I have more energy for the day. Also what helps me to is not just starting my day with a prayer to God but to end my day with a prayer. I try to recap what the day has held and where I've seen God or how He has used me. And tell Him, 

"Good night, thank you and I love you." in Jesus name.....Amen

This has helped with a peaceful night of  sleep. 

Don't think I have it all together because trust me nothing is further from the truth but I am TRYING each day to live a life of Yes God Use Me Today. Somedays are much better than others.

hugs and prayers ~KMS