Just got back from a surprise date with my husband. He took me to see the movie "Fireproof" and then topped it off with a stop at Starbucks on the way home. If you are married and have not seen the movie, I suggest that it is worth the time and money. It is a great reminder to keep your spouse at the top of your earthly priorities. If you are married and having problems, it just might help you see things in a new light. I have heard wonderful things about the book "Love Dare" that goes along with the movie. I don't have a copy yet, but will be picking one up soon.
It can be difficult to always keep our spouse as our first earthly ministry and priority when so many other things are constantly competing for our time and attention. And yes I meant that your spouse is your first earthly ministry. How many times do our spouses take the brunt of a bad day or a stressful situation? How many times do the ones we love the most get it shown it the least? I have been so guilty of this at times. Our spouses need ministered to just like anyone else. They need to be affirmed and edified and built up just as you would any other member of the body of Christ. In fact they deserve it more. Our spouses need our prayers. We should be interceding for them on a daily (maybe hourly) basis; not to fix them, but to bless them and protect them.
I praise God for my husband. I praise God for a great date and for the blessing of marriage. And I praise God for keeping us 'fireproof'.
Humbly His,
Kim
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A little shout of praise
Okay - I just have to give a shout of praise to God. Every Tuesday night I do a bible study with several women from various churches at a campground about 15 miles from our house. Love these women! Can't wait for Tuesday to come every week. We have been meeting for over a year now. That is a praise all by itself. So "Praise you Jesus!"
But the real praise . . . my husband meets in our home for a bible study every other Tuesday night with a group of men. They haven't been able to meet for a few weeks and tonight was the first time they have met since we moved. As I pulled into our driveway tonight, I could see all kinds of trucks (and cars) parked all over. OH HALLELUJAH!!! What a thrill to know that these men meet in our home and that they come seeking fellowship with other godly men. Want to know what is even cooler than that? More than one has been set free from alcoholism, one is a new believer, one is free from drug addictions, more than one free from pornography addictions, more than one celebrating a restored marriage and so much more. All to the Glory of God! All of them seeking to live out a life worthy of the calling that God has placed on each one of them. What a picture of the body of Christ and they are sitting in my living room as I type this.
If you would have told me several years ago that my husband would be a believer and would be leading bible studies, I would have said you were insane. But oh how good, mighty and gracious our God is. He had a plan for my husband's life and for each one of those men.
So God - thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! And praise to the name of the Most High. Praises, praises and more praises. I would shout it out loud if I thought I wouldn't scare those men half to death! Love you Lord,
Humbly His,
Kim
But the real praise . . . my husband meets in our home for a bible study every other Tuesday night with a group of men. They haven't been able to meet for a few weeks and tonight was the first time they have met since we moved. As I pulled into our driveway tonight, I could see all kinds of trucks (and cars) parked all over. OH HALLELUJAH!!! What a thrill to know that these men meet in our home and that they come seeking fellowship with other godly men. Want to know what is even cooler than that? More than one has been set free from alcoholism, one is a new believer, one is free from drug addictions, more than one free from pornography addictions, more than one celebrating a restored marriage and so much more. All to the Glory of God! All of them seeking to live out a life worthy of the calling that God has placed on each one of them. What a picture of the body of Christ and they are sitting in my living room as I type this.
If you would have told me several years ago that my husband would be a believer and would be leading bible studies, I would have said you were insane. But oh how good, mighty and gracious our God is. He had a plan for my husband's life and for each one of those men.
So God - thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! And praise to the name of the Most High. Praises, praises and more praises. I would shout it out loud if I thought I wouldn't scare those men half to death! Love you Lord,
Humbly His,
Kim
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Cleaning House
We moved into our new home less than a month ago. The day we moved in the carpet was swept, the floors clean, the bathrooms sparkling and dust was nowhere to be found. For the last three weeks or so we have been unpacking boxes, hanging pictures, decorating and putting furniture in place. Still some boxes to go, but for the most part we are settled in. I was certain that after everything got put away I would be able to sit down in my nice clean house, enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book. Not so. I now need to clean. Dust showed up, the bathrooms are a little grungy, the laundry is overflowing, the mirrors are looking a little foggy and the list goes on. What happened? I didn't move dirt, I moved boxes. Apparently, dust and clutter are no respecter of address! They followed right along behind me.
Right before we moved (the last time), I had found a wonderful website, www.flylady.net, that I was using as a guideline for cleaning. When I used their practical ideas I found my house was less cluttered, cleaned more regularly and I was actually getting my drawers, closets and cupboards in order. Hallelujah! I was getting rid of junk and keeping it that way. I will be starting over again this week using the website ideas since the dirt and clutter have found where I live.
As I looked at the dust bunnies under my kitchen table, it reminded me of how much our physical homes are like our spiritual homes. Matthew 12:43 - 45 says: "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ' I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
How often do we find ourselves thinking that because we have a relationship with Christ, conquered a stronghold or went to church on Sunday, that we are good to go and don't need to pay as much attention to the cleaning or upkeep of our souls and lives. I know that in my own life I will have found myself walking in the glory of a victory and then not spending as much time on my knees or in the Word, only to find one morning that the enemy moved back in and brought the seven evil spirits with him! Christ told us in Matthew that we need to pay attention. We might kick the enemy out of one area of our life, but if we don't stay steadfast to the Word and spend regular, and yes daily, time with God we can quickly find ourselves in a heap of spiritual dirt.
Just like I can't go three weeks without tending to my housecleaning, I can't go three weeks (or days) without tending to my spiritual needs. If I don't keep my spiritual life maintained with regular prayer, fellowship, bible study and praise, the enemy is more than happy to dump his 'clutter' right in the midst of my life. We would never think of not taking the trash out at home, so why do we think that we can allow the trash of this world to go into our minds unchecked?
So back to the housecleaning I will go and in the process may I remember that God wants to keep me spiritually clean as well and that I need to fill those cleaned out areas with things of God. I certainly don't want the enemy moving back in!
Oh Father, help me to have clean hands and a pure heart. Keep my mind stayed on you and not the things of this world. When I start neglecting my time with you, please remind me that You are all I need and that I need to put you first. When I put you first each day, you will help make sure that my earthly home is in order. May my priorities be your priorities. Continue to clean me up and fill me with your Holy Spirit, so much so that there is no room for the enemy in my life. I praise you Lord and I thank you for all that you are. I love you - In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Humbly His,
Kim
Right before we moved (the last time), I had found a wonderful website, www.flylady.net, that I was using as a guideline for cleaning. When I used their practical ideas I found my house was less cluttered, cleaned more regularly and I was actually getting my drawers, closets and cupboards in order. Hallelujah! I was getting rid of junk and keeping it that way. I will be starting over again this week using the website ideas since the dirt and clutter have found where I live.
As I looked at the dust bunnies under my kitchen table, it reminded me of how much our physical homes are like our spiritual homes. Matthew 12:43 - 45 says: "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ' I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."
How often do we find ourselves thinking that because we have a relationship with Christ, conquered a stronghold or went to church on Sunday, that we are good to go and don't need to pay as much attention to the cleaning or upkeep of our souls and lives. I know that in my own life I will have found myself walking in the glory of a victory and then not spending as much time on my knees or in the Word, only to find one morning that the enemy moved back in and brought the seven evil spirits with him! Christ told us in Matthew that we need to pay attention. We might kick the enemy out of one area of our life, but if we don't stay steadfast to the Word and spend regular, and yes daily, time with God we can quickly find ourselves in a heap of spiritual dirt.
Just like I can't go three weeks without tending to my housecleaning, I can't go three weeks (or days) without tending to my spiritual needs. If I don't keep my spiritual life maintained with regular prayer, fellowship, bible study and praise, the enemy is more than happy to dump his 'clutter' right in the midst of my life. We would never think of not taking the trash out at home, so why do we think that we can allow the trash of this world to go into our minds unchecked?
So back to the housecleaning I will go and in the process may I remember that God wants to keep me spiritually clean as well and that I need to fill those cleaned out areas with things of God. I certainly don't want the enemy moving back in!
Oh Father, help me to have clean hands and a pure heart. Keep my mind stayed on you and not the things of this world. When I start neglecting my time with you, please remind me that You are all I need and that I need to put you first. When I put you first each day, you will help make sure that my earthly home is in order. May my priorities be your priorities. Continue to clean me up and fill me with your Holy Spirit, so much so that there is no room for the enemy in my life. I praise you Lord and I thank you for all that you are. I love you - In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Humbly His,
Kim
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
GOD DOES NOT CHANGE!
Several days ago another factory closed in our county leaving hundreds without jobs and families with now uncertain futures. A friend of mine was recently laid off unexpectedly due to lack of business. Another friend is waiting to hear if their company will stay open. A sweet sister of mine has been fighting an on-going battle with cancer for years where she will be in remission, on chemo, in remission, on chemo. Stock markets plummet. Gas prices soar. And in a few weeks we will know who the new president of the United States will be. On the upside of change: babies are born, couples marry, good health reports are received and each day the sun will rise and it will set and God's mercies are new each morning. Life changes.
So often it is easy to look at our circumstances and base our value of life or our hope in what we see or in what others tell us. A few years ago when the gas prices first soared panic seemed to prevail among many. I, too, remember wondering how it would effect our family budget. My husband and I had both made significant job changes, had a daughter in college, a son about to enter college and our budget just didn't allow for large fluctuations in gas prices at that time. One morning I heard someone preaching and part of her sermon was about the fact that God is in control. Not the government, not Wall Street, not the oil companies. It is God who is our provider and the one in whom we place our hope and our trust. From that moment on I took a hold of that and claimed it mightily every time I felt myself looking to others for my security or provisions. Yes, governments, employers, oil companies and family can have an effect on our lives and change our circumstances. But it is ultimately God who is our source of security, food, peace and day-to-day provisions.
James 1:17 tells us: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." I love the Lord's words in Malachi 3:6 "I the LORD do not change". How reassuring is that! Can't you just hear Him proclaiming his steadfastness?
Remember that no matter what changes you face or are presently weighing heavy on your heart - the LORD DOES NOT CHANGE. He is and will be the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8) That you can count on. Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, thank you for being a God who does not change and a God who is jealous for us. You have promised us in your word that you will fight for us, that you will provide our daily bread and that your grace is sufficient for each one of us. You are so amazingly good to us. For those today Lord whose hearts are heavy with uncertainty and burdens, I pray a special blessing of peace and prosperity upon them. You know their needs and I ask that you would show yourself to them today. Lord, I rejoice in who you are, who you have always been and who you will always be. Glory to God Almighty! In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Humbly His,
Kim
So often it is easy to look at our circumstances and base our value of life or our hope in what we see or in what others tell us. A few years ago when the gas prices first soared panic seemed to prevail among many. I, too, remember wondering how it would effect our family budget. My husband and I had both made significant job changes, had a daughter in college, a son about to enter college and our budget just didn't allow for large fluctuations in gas prices at that time. One morning I heard someone preaching and part of her sermon was about the fact that God is in control. Not the government, not Wall Street, not the oil companies. It is God who is our provider and the one in whom we place our hope and our trust. From that moment on I took a hold of that and claimed it mightily every time I felt myself looking to others for my security or provisions. Yes, governments, employers, oil companies and family can have an effect on our lives and change our circumstances. But it is ultimately God who is our source of security, food, peace and day-to-day provisions.
James 1:17 tells us: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." I love the Lord's words in Malachi 3:6 "I the LORD do not change". How reassuring is that! Can't you just hear Him proclaiming his steadfastness?
Remember that no matter what changes you face or are presently weighing heavy on your heart - the LORD DOES NOT CHANGE. He is and will be the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8) That you can count on. Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, thank you for being a God who does not change and a God who is jealous for us. You have promised us in your word that you will fight for us, that you will provide our daily bread and that your grace is sufficient for each one of us. You are so amazingly good to us. For those today Lord whose hearts are heavy with uncertainty and burdens, I pray a special blessing of peace and prosperity upon them. You know their needs and I ask that you would show yourself to them today. Lord, I rejoice in who you are, who you have always been and who you will always be. Glory to God Almighty! In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Humbly His,
Kim
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