tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34399176375174789422024-03-13T08:55:20.218-07:00Thoughts about God and lifeKaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-35901290971045926262013-02-19T20:26:00.000-08:002013-02-19T20:31:22.356-08:00WAKE up!I don't know about you, but if you have school age kids you will understand mornings are often very hard, to wake my kids up is literally like waking the dead at times! When they have to get for school anyway, on Saturday they are commonly awake bright eyed and bushy tailed at day break!<br />
I wonder if God views us this way too...there are signs all around that His coming is well, coming and we seem to be unmoved by it! It reminds of the 10 Virgins in the Bible, 5 were wise, 5 were foolish, the verse says they all slumbered and slept while they waited for the Groom, but at the time of His arrival the 5 wise were ready and had oil in their lamps and went out to meet Him! While the 5 foolish were fumbling around trying to buy more oil to trim their lamps. Humans get too wrapped up in drama and other distractions to focus on the main thing, God is coming back for the wise...He is coming back for a people that has slumbered and slept, but are still watchful of the day He will crack the Eastern sky and call us home!<br />
The Bible also tells us to encourage one another with these words...when we see the signs there needs to be an excitement not a fear of the Rapture...so I wanna encourage you,<br />
Be ready the Lord is coming soon!!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-3441179929006319932012-08-28T18:05:00.002-07:002012-08-28T18:05:31.818-07:00Rocks in your shoes....There are two types of pearls, natural pearls and cultured pearls….the difference between these two are solely in the process. <br />A natural pearl is created when a piece of sand slips into the shell of an oyster causing an irritation this irritation continues until a natural pearl is formed. A cultured pearl is created with help, a slit is made in the tissue of the flesh of the oyster and an irritation is inserted thus beginning the process of developing a cultured pearl. Both processes create a pearl..both processes involve an irritation too.<br /> When God is working on us we as humans want to “help” the process along on our own when all God wants us to do is let this process continue naturally…the irritation, frustration or discouragement is allowed by God to perfect these “pearls” in us not to make us quit, if you are struggling with the process don’t quit now something important is happening in you. The key in the formation of the pearl is not the environment, or even the shell, it is all about the piece of sand, it causes the irritation that eventually forms a pearl…God allows the enemy to put these irritations in us that create pearls… When we don’t use this irritation to our benefit we are settling for a spiritual cultured pearl…we have to allow the natural process to occur so we can gain the true pearl God wanted us to have!<br />Have you ever been on a walk or hike and you get a rock in your shoe? This can hurt really bad until you get it out of your shoe, sometimes it isn’t even super noticeable at first you just kind of feel like something just isn’t right. It is funny because most times it is a tiny rock that has been so bothersome to you! I have this one pair of shoes that I get rocks in my shoes all the time, but you know after a while you can kind of get used to it being there, unless it is a really big rock.<br />I feel like our walk with God works this way too, we can be walking along and all of the sudden we start dealing with some spiritual rocks, these could be come from another person, from frustration or just plain discouragement… We are walking along feeling great when all of a sudden you are hit with a rock from the enemy, it could be anger, jealousy or just carnality. We tend to want to become angry or frustrated when this happens but what God really wants us to do is save it, learn from it use it to build an altar in our life!!<br /><span style="color: red;"><strong>Deu_27:5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.</strong></span> <br />God was telling them to just use the natural stone to build their altars, God saw altars built with carved or hewed stone as unsacred and unfit to perform sacrifices on! I feel like He thinks the same about our altars when we try to interfere in the building process! We need to let God be God in us!<br />
Look at Naomi she endured the death of her husband her sons and the separation from one of her daughters in law, also she no longer had a name when she returned home. Those are some pretty rough rocks to deal with! But God gave her a sweet daughter in law named Ruth who cared for her so much she was willing to leave everything for her! Ruth was dealing with a lot of stuff herself, the death of her husband, and moving to a new country.<br /><span style="color: red;"><strong> Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:</strong></span><br /> She wanted to take care of Naomi and she took it very seriously she sought out a relative who could take care of them…she married Boaz and had a son. The beauty of all of this is that Boaz became a kinsman redeemer to Naomi this gave her former husband and her a name in their country again, and Ruth was put into the lineage of David and Jesus! They took the big rocks in their shoes and slowly built an altar to God and He honored them both for it!<br /><span style="color: red;"><strong>Ruth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. <br />Ruth 4:15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. <br />Ruth 4:16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. <br />Ruth 4:17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and</strong></span> they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.<br />
There are probably many examples we can think of concerning struggles, but two more I want to mention are Joseph and Job. <br />Job lost his wealth and children in one day…talk about rocks in your shoes this man had them and really he had every reason to give up…but he used those rocks to build an altar to God, and in the end God restored back to him all that he had lost and then some!!! In this story it seems to me he didn’t have anyone shouting his praises or encouraging him to go on….sometimes we won’t have anyone and that is the way God wants it because we will depend on Him…Just keeping piling up the rocks…keep building!<br />Joseph was a dreamer, not sure how many of you are dreamers, but I know I am a bit of one and for dreamers Joseph’s story could be scary! He told his brothers and father about his dreams he was having and they mocked him and because of the jealousy of his brothers they sold him into slavery, he went to prison after being false accused….but through all the rocks God gave him favor, He watched over him every step of the way! The altar he built before God led him to be a savior of his family…the dreams he had did come true, God made him a very powerful man!<br /><br />
My point is to make you realize we all have irritations, frustrations, hard times and stuff…rocks as I like to call them, but they are all coming because God is perfecting us, He is wanting us to build an altar with them so we can give ourselves as a living sacrifice…don’t quit God is still working in you, He wants the natural pearls not the cultured ones…but to get them there are going to be rocks and irritations, but trust Him in the process of building up your altar and remember…<br />The question is what will you do with the rocks you find in your shoes? Will you throw them at someone, will you let them destroy you or will you build an altar with them?<br />we know that all things work together for good to them that <br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Rom 8:28 And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<br />Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-10735515034522318792012-01-11T16:59:00.000-08:002012-01-11T17:25:49.606-08:00God is in the windThis year in Alaska we have endured several storms and some down right weird weather! Today I was looking out my window when I started thinking about these storms. In my yard there are limbs and small branches everywhere my mind began to race so here we go...<br />The Christian walk is filled with storms, some will be earth shaking others will just be mild, but both are still storms and there is a purpose for each. When we go through wind storms in our lives we wonder if it will ever end then when it does we begin looking around wondering why all our "stuff" is lying all over the yards of our lives, we question God, but I need that in my life to fulfill your will, but He just comes back to gently remind us that the word says we need to lay aside those weights that affect us...the branches coming off the trees are God's way of cleaning them up before Spring so there will be room for the new buds ready to pop through just as soon as it warms up! We are no different than those trees the collection of stuff that clung to us during our Winter season is affecting our walk with God, it gets in the way of our sensitivity to the Spirit of God, so we have to be shaken in the storms to rid us of those weights..our Spring is coming the weather is going to get warmer and God is going to bring life to the things we thought were dead. If you are facing a strong wind in your life just hold on, sit still and let the branches fall trust He is doing a good work in you and remember He is in the Wind!!!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-45813986515724124382011-05-10T10:29:00.000-07:002011-05-10T10:44:47.288-07:00Most Likely to Succeed...I was never the girl everyone went crazy over...attention was limited, never fit in with the popular crowd, was never voted best looking, or most likely to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">succeed</span>...I am constantly after myself about my extra weight that has been around since my last pregnancy...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ummm</span> that was 9 years ago!<br />It has been said that I am "odd" looking...my skin is not super great, never has been.<br />But, you know what God rejoiced the day I was born, He rejoiced the day you were born! He knew us before we were us...I was made in His image...I am a friend of God..I am a daughter of the King, my Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.. honestly, it only really matters what my God thinks about me..I am beautiful in His sight...and one glorious day, soon I will see His face and forever worship Him around the throne!!<br />If that isn't most likely to succeed, I don't know what is!!!!!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-53227579267832863802011-03-07T12:32:00.000-08:002011-03-07T12:52:26.413-08:00picture this...Imagine yourself being in a valley...all around you is dryness, dust and dirt...there are cracks in the ground from lack of water...there is no life to speak of either...just a bunch of scattered bones....dried out dead bones...Imagine how Ezekiel felt...I kinda laugh to myself when I think about it, not because I have no faith, just thinking how awesome it would have been to see life come to that valley again!<br />When it seems like all you see when you look around is dry, deadness...I'm talking about dead ministries, the future that used to look so bright has dimmed and is fading away...dryness of the spirit can kill a Christian! God amazes me, I love to watch Him breathe life back into that ministry, renewing that spark, it feels even better to have God do it for you, to experience that life again! I love to imagine being Ezekiel, my Pastor spoke of this valley yesterday, and I found myself imagining I was there...seeing the bones coming together and standing there in line, but still not moving...there was no life.. But when the prophet spoke the word the life came again...now even greater still is imagining being those bodies that were put together, do you think they knew what had happened?<br />I'm so thankful for the times in my life God has done that for me, He used a prophet to speak life into my spirit, now I wanna do the same for you...God has not left your situation, He sees the dryness whether it be from sickness, sadness, fear or just plain desires not being fulfilled...He sees it all...over time those bones decayed and became dry bones...the same thing happens to Christians they let time slip away or it just does until the dryness consumes them...but God won't let you stay that way if you ask, He will bring the pieces all back together....the sinew, the flesh, it all be back where it belongs in His time...the healing will come, that revival will come...the joy will come back, just wait and see...the moisture of God's presence will fill that place again! He amazed Ezekiel with the works He performed and He will do the same for you!!<br /><br />Love ya my friends!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-88940095092395617642011-02-07T10:34:00.000-08:002011-02-07T10:57:11.197-08:00You will be changed!I was thinking when I woke up this morning about trials...not because I am going through one, but because many of my friends are!<br />In church yesterday a dear sister sang a song called, "The Potter knows the clay," very good song, loved the words to it....it brought the question to my mind, does the Potter really know the clay? Then my pastor got up and said that it has been said that Master potters take a lot of time looking for that right piece of clay to make their next creation, guess that answered my questions...God does know the clay, he does know us, He knows what heat it will take to get us where we need to be! Some of the trials we face we feel like we are splitting in two, and no one understands where you are or where you are going...you know I believe that is true to a point, God understands, but unless a person has walked through what you are they really don't understand, trials are a very lonely time in your walk with God.<br />Another thing I was thinking about is landscape....when an avalanche, tornado, or hurricane come through an area that place is forever changed, the buildings may get rebuilt, but the landscape never looks the same..when trials move through our lives our "landscape" will never be the same again, we are forever changed! When we lived in Florida Hurricane Opal came through the panhandle, when the destruction was finished the place looked like a war zone! The beautiful white sand dunes that were once there were gone, oh sure they are probably built back up now, but the landscape was forever changed...<br />The changes that are brought about in our lives because of trials are for our good and the good of others, they aren't just for you...they work patience, not for you, but for those around us, so we can have the patience we need to be there for them!<br />If you are going through the storm look up, be encouraged, sit at the Master potters feet, stay on the wheel and let that beautiful work be completed in you! You will be amazed at the changes God brings in your landscape!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-42207671621486165962011-01-25T11:07:00.000-08:002011-01-25T11:18:28.150-08:00Why are you afraid?Fear is the number one thing that stops us from fulfilling the God called purpose in our life! Whether it be fear of failure, fear of success, not wanting people to see us, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves, etc...but the thing is when we are walking in God's will we really only draw attention to Him, not ourselves!<br /><br />And He said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Matthew 8:26<br /><br />In Matthew when they called on Jesus because of the storm, he was not upset with them because they disturbed His sleep, but because they were fearful and focused on their circumstances not on the answer! Jesus is the answer to everything! He wants us to come to Him with faith and trust that it is all in His hands...not fearful of what may happen if we step out into our calling. When Jesus rebuked the wind and sea there came a great calm, that same great calm will come into your life when you are where He wants you to be...you too will have peace!<br /><br />Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.<br />Proverbs 15:16<br />I like this verse...just come to God with what you have, little is much with God, give Him your life, your talents, your gifts and He will make it great, not you, but your ministries!<br />I just want to encourage you to step out in faith, don't fear and God will use you to change your world!<br />I love y'all...Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-2259481841282886072011-01-21T14:15:00.000-08:002011-01-21T14:24:16.449-08:00RecyclingSomething you hear a lot about these days is recycling. When we lived in Hawaii it was really big, I mean you would see people going through the trash and dumpsters to find things to recycle! There were trucks set up for recycling, people bring their stuff and they get their money. They can make just about anything out of plastic, paper, cardboard and glass, it amazes me! I took the kids to a free activity at the community college, and they were handing out rulers made out of old phone books and pencils that were made of recycled denim!!! Cool huh? I believe in recycling, because I think it shows good stewardship, but honestly I don't recycle all that I should! I realized a neat thing about recycling, God is the master of it! Think about it for a minute, we first come to him, a mess and not at all what we should be, but He takes what we have and creates something new in us, He recycles that negative attitude, that addiction, the sinful outlooks we had into useful tools to reach our world!! The kids and I walked to and from school a lot when we lived there, and along the way the sidewalks were just littered with bottles and wrappers, in fact Briana would mention often she wanted to bring a trash bag to clean up as we went, then recycle what we could, and then throw the rest out. Now that I think about it, there is a lesson in it, yes it is great that they waned to pick up the trash, but also about how God has came through each of our life's "picking" up the trash, He recycled the useful things and got rid of the rest! Who would of thought that there would be any use for that old phone book or used denim? That is how people used to see us, we weren't worth much we had no real use, you may even feel that way now, but God looks and sees the potential for "recycling" in us! Recycling or re-purposing is just turning old things into new things, that is truly God's business! Re-purposing is a great word, God takes our old, sinful purpose giving us a new purpose, a new perspective!! He gives us beauty for ashes, turning that old junky stuff into new beautiful useful gifts to use for His glory! Let God look into your heart daily, so He can get rid of the trash and make you a glorious example of His "recycling" power!!!<br />I love y'all...Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-17782202818302660002011-01-19T11:08:00.000-08:002011-01-19T11:25:29.149-08:00Do you hurt?I got inspired today when I saw a post by a dear brother...he was talking about taking time for yourself to heal, it pricked my heart, because I know we don't do that, God brought to my remembrance of the times He got alone to pray, don't you think He was wounded too? He says He felt the things we feel, well that means hurts too!<br />I remember as a child my family along with my aunt were at the beach, well we kids decided to play follow the leader, so my aunt jumped over a piece of glass, I tried, but I landed on it cutting my heal wide open. We were out the road so we had to drive into town to get to the hospital and by the time we got there the sheet I was using on my foot was pretty much red.... the experience at the hospital wasn't the best, they had to clean out the sand and rocks with water, and I still have a big scar after all these years, but the wound is all healed, but if my parents would have just taken me home and didn't pay any attention to the wound it probably would have turned out different, I probably would have dealt with an infection. The same thing happens when we don't deal with hurts and wounds in our heart...they become infected then bitterness comes..<br />Like the Eagle, there comes a time when an older Eagle must go up into the mountains to moult..they lay prostrate out under the sun, they rest and stay there until the process is finished and in place of their old worn feathers they now have shiny new ones! But it hurts at times, and they aren't themselves....<br />One great thing I have discovered about allowing yourself to heal is the process God takes you through...it really is beautiful, yes it hurts, but in the end your ministry has a new shine too it, because a price has been paid, it takes sacrifice to have a ministry, and sometimes that means hurts at the hands of others! Just remember to let yourself heal, sit at the Masters feet, soak in His <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">presence</span> every chance you get, and before you know it you will be on your feet again and completely whole!<br />I love y'all...Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-42676659786988126602011-01-16T23:38:00.000-08:002011-01-16T23:45:01.970-08:00A vesselOne time when I was little I remember being really thirsty and getting a big glass of water, but when I took a drink of it something didn't taste quite right...upon further inspection I saw little "floaties" in my glass...ugh! I don't know about you, but nothing can turn my stomach quicker than that..yuck! For some odd reason this story just came to my mind a few minutes ago...weird, but now I feel like it is because God wanted us to know our vessel must be clean, we have to be floaty free to be used of God! When God uses us He doesn't want us to taste weird, but we need to be refreshing to those around us...and to Him!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-10672404442680838672010-08-09T23:43:00.000-07:002010-08-09T23:55:54.520-07:00Hunger<span style="font-family: verdana;">Each night I go through the same routine with my cat, Buckeye, ...as I enter the kitchen I see Buckeye laying on the floor, and I'm sure if he could talk I'd hear him say, feed me please, I am wasting away to nothing....he rolls on the floor or rubs his paws on the cupboard door where he knows the food is. Tonight it struck me in a different way, God has been talking to me a lot lately about hungering for Him..like I do for food! The time for playing is over, we must devour His word, hunger for his spirit, desire to draw closer to Him every single day, we cannot take a day off from those very important things. I think a lot of our problems and struggles would be solved if we stopped starving ourselves, spiritually!<br /></span>Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-91960455386984585242009-10-07T07:05:00.000-07:002009-10-07T07:28:03.335-07:00Oh, rain!That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">maketh</span> his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45<br /><br />I'm not sure about you, but I love the rain! Living here in Texas has been a bit of a challenge in that department this past summer! We were wracked with a severe drought, it got so bad we could only water our lawns one day every other week! The dryness was suffocating to me, a person who was born in the rain, well at least I'm sure I was, because it rains nearly everyday in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ketchikan</span>, Alaska! I remember a month ago it began raining outside very hard, and it was at night when my family was sleeping, so I went out in it, and just got soaked, it felt so good on my dry skin...<br />This verse is referring to troubles, everyone has them, trials, hardships, loss, hurt, whether you are a Christian or not, they will come your way! I was thinking on this verse the other day, and I realized something though, the unjust are just in the "rain" without any hope of protection, it's them against the world, but as a Christian we have hope, Jesus is our "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">umbrella</span>, oh we still face the same things, but He gives us His promises, His protection. When you are out in a rainstorm even if you are using an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">umbrella</span> you are still gonna get a little wet, because it'll only protect you so much, but you <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">definitely</span> won't be as soaked as someone without one!<br />Recently I saw of a video of a funeral for a very young man who had left this world due to cancer, sad? Yes, but what moved my heart the most was his wife was dancing in the spirit at her husband's funeral...she was dancing in the rain! The rain was pouring down on her, but she danced through it, God wants us to dance in the rain! When these hard times comes if we will dance we will realize God ALWAYS has a reason for each drop of rain that falls on us! Over and over this goes through my mind, these trials are not only for me, but for someone else too, think about the impact it'll have on someone when they see you dancing in the rain that is falling? What a difference it makes in you too, that rain begins to feel good on your spirit, because growth comes with that rain!<br />My friends, mark it down, the rain will come, but just make up your mind that no matter what you are only going to dance....Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-49323636442584966102009-10-06T07:04:00.000-07:002009-10-06T07:19:23.388-07:00Circles have to be my favorite!There are times when God will do something that just causes me to take a step back and survey His greatness...<br />When I was 10 I lived in Ketchikan, Alaska, it was a rough time for me, we had just lost my little brother and my parents' marriage also folded under that pressure, don't worry, this blog is not about my suffering, I am just setting a scene. I was a kid that was broken down by circumstances, but you know I loved basketball! I would go to Valley Park elementary school and shoot hoops with my uncle, it was there that the light came into my life...his name was Brother Glover, well His name is Jesus, but the Jesus I saw was him! He let me know I mattered, he invited my family to church, and it was there in that little home church I first heard the gospel. God really stepped in there, but what I keep looking at is, I was born in Southeast Alaska..I love Southeast Alaska, now God is sending Brad & I to Southeast Alaska to Pastor! My mind has tried to wrap itself around that, but it is a big concept in the human mind. The benefits that He has given through this are, being near my Mom again, and Brother Glover will be doing our installation service! It is just so fitting, God wrapped that gift right up, even put a beautiful bow on top!<br />The saying goes, All things come full circle, well, I must say circles are definately my favorite!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-65421725515810900882009-09-23T06:46:00.000-07:002009-09-23T06:50:04.432-07:00The Sod CemeteryThe Sod Cemetery<br /><br /><br />My question for you today is, is the enemy truly defeated in your life?<br /><br />There is a tradition that the Florida state Seminole football team has, it started in 1962, after they defeated Georgia 18-0 they brought back a piece of the sod from Georgia’s football field, and that tradition continues today, when FSU wins a game on the road as underdogs they bring a piece of sod back home to their practice field where they bury that sod in the “Sod cemetery.” .It may sound crazy to some, but as a football fan myself it could almost be a motivating thing, especially for longtime fans of FSU.<br />God truly loves the underdog! David was looked at as small, not very valuable to the common onlooker, but with his faith and trust in God, he defeated a giant that had terrorized Israel, and those bigger guys were scared of him, they had forgotten what God could do! At the time of Goliath’s slaying, David had already killed a lion and a bear, with God’s help!<br />Then there is Gideon, he fought a great army with 300 men! Talk about underdogs!! I really believe God wants us to have the “underdog mentality” there is just a difference there, when a team or person is told over and over the feat they want to accomplish just can’t be done, that “underdog mentality” takes over, almost possesses them to the point where they know they will accomplish it! I’m not saying God wants us to walk around with a defeated attitude, only the attitude of realizing we are nothing without Him, we need Him to have our back and fight along with us!<br /> Is FSU taking it too far, well that’s up to you to decide, but the thing that I see there that just stuck with me is the sod cemetery gives them proof that they are winners, when the games aren’t going so great, maybe the victories just aren’t coming for the team, they can go there and remember..<br /> I think we should have a “Sod cemetery” in our lives too! We need to take a piece of every enemy we defeat to the cemetery so we can remember and celebrate the victories God has brought our way! The FSU football teams also make a marker for each sod grave with the opponent, score and date of the game. I think the reason we could benefit from this is because we all have days when we fall and feel defeated, but that is where that “Underdog mentality” will take over, because you see the underdog never gives up, they are never defeated, in their minds they will win that game! We need to grasp that attitude, and purpose in our hearts that through God we are the winners and because He is so big, we will never be defeated! We need to visit Calvary daily, because that day in time Jesus pulled off the biggest upset the world had ever or will ever see!<br />It’s funny…you can even learn something from a game called football….God is ever teaching us, if only we will pay attention!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-32989266792706150612009-09-19T05:28:00.000-07:002009-09-19T05:42:14.521-07:00PackagingLast night I was wrapping up a gift I made for a baby shower when I realized I didn't really have any nice gift bags, I had a Happy birthday one and a bright yellow one, so of course I had to go with the yellow, I got out some stickers and ribbon and Presto...an acceptable gift bag...well kinda!<br />I started thinking about packaging, our packaging. In the great scope of things does our "packaging" really matter? Does it matter if we are thin, heavy, short, tall, quiet, or loud? I feel like God was telling me in my frustration about the less than perfect gift bag, that the gift is really what matters anyways...the gift of God in us! You may be like me, we feel less than acceptable a lot, you suffer breakouts, your weight goes up and down, you lose your temper with your kids, you lack enough self confidence...etc etc. Remember the gift is all that matters! I personally feel self confidence is really God confidence , He will finish the work He started in you! Don't be so caught up in the packaging, realize God has put many gifts in you so use them in this world, and make a difference with them!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-88694059833205031282009-09-17T06:23:00.000-07:002009-09-17T07:02:47.137-07:00Scars that change us...When I was 12 I went bike riding with some friends, and about half way through our ride I crashed my bike, the result was two black eyes and a face that was a huge scab on one side, and to this day I still have a scar above my left eye! Not a happy memory, but I started thinking about that this morning, and began thinking what about the "good" scars, the ones that change our very being? I thought of soldiers who fight to defend our freedom...many of them come back from war with scars, ones they are proud to sport, knowing they received them defending this beautiful country! I thought about stretch marks...beauty at its best, without those marks you wouldn't have one of the things you cherish most...children! If we could take a peek at the hearts of people around us we would see scars on each of them, yes and a lot of those experiences have been hard ones, sickness, death, violation, brokenness, loneliness, depression, the list goes on and on! I want you for one second to look at it this way, those scars have changed you, and we can dwell on the hardship of each one or we can turn those things around to change so we are able to help others, after all that is why God allowed those scars to come, in them is born empathy, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, long suffering and love.<br />When a Gardener plants his crop it doesn't just magically appear in a matter of hours or days, it takes time and work, those plants have to endure rain, wind, and intense sunshine, but in the end they grow and produce fruit. These scars are one way God produces the fruit of the spirit in our lives.<br />Our humanness needs to be changed in order for God to perform through us that which we are called to do! Next time you see those scars, and feel the memories of the pain remember God is perfecting us, and trying to use those scars to change us..Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-27240124125509304732009-09-11T06:02:00.000-07:002009-09-11T06:42:37.613-07:00Faith...it's a muscle!Hebrews 11:1 tell us;<br />Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.<br /><br />I have always loved that verse, I mean really who doesn't? When I looked at it today though something jumped off the page at me, in the margins of my Bible it tells what each highlighted word means, well in this passage substance and evidence are those highlighted words. Out of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">curiosity</span> I took a little bit of time to look at each word and saw something I have never seen!<br />When I looked at the meaning of substance it means, realization, and evidence means conviction, so the verse could read this way;<br />Now faith is the realization of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. In the dictionary the word substance means, the actual matter of a thing as <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">opposed</span> to the appearance or shadow, reality. The word evidence means; something that makes plain or clear: an indication or sign. I know this stuff is a bit boring, but I promise we are going somewhere with this! Basically we need to have a "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">light bulb</span>" moment where faith is concerned, we need to realize the reality of the things we are wanting to come to pass...speaking of lights, I feel like it is an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">indictment</span> on me when I have more faith in a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">light bulb</span> working than I do in a move of God! We don't worry or wonder about electricity, yet we will bite off all of our nails or get an ulcer wondering if God will.....<br />A conviction, is a cause of sorts, people who have a conviction regarding something do not fall over and play dead when someone challenges them, they stand strong on the proverbial "soap box." We need to stand that way on those hopes, and dreams, the lost family or friends, or that promotion...whatever it is!<br />When we lived in Florida there were military members there who jumped out of airplanes regularly, well on one such day a young soldier jumped out of a plane to find out his parachute was not going to open! After falling 13,000 feet he landed in a field flat on his back, shattering every single bone in his body! The crazy thing is, he survived that fall with not one single compound fracture, the doctors said the reason he was able to survive was because his muscle mass was so strong it acted as a cushion to his fall, and kept his bones from coming out of the skin! That same man a year later was jumping out of planes again! There are going to be times in your walk with God that you will free fall not knowing whether your "parachute" will open, and honestly there will be times that it won't and you will land flat on your back, at these times though your faith will be the muscle that cushions your fall, you may lose your stability, but those muscles will be there for support, and when the time is right you will be back doing what God has ordained you to do! Use your faith, come to the realization that the evidence is all there the things you have been asking for are already done, and when challenged use positive words and attitudes to stand on the conviction of those answered prayers! I want to leave you with one last thing, going back to the word substance, it means reality, it isn't a shadow or a false front , it is your reality, the reality is God said "Whatsoever you ask in my name, that will I do!" That means to me, God won't or isn't holding a carrot in front of us only to let us down, faith in God is never wasted...<br />And that my friend, Is Reality!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-18258903774301862782009-09-10T10:43:00.000-07:002009-09-10T10:54:21.022-07:00lost..You know what drives me crazy? Losing things! I will literally freak out over a lost paper or shoe...<br />Yesterday, one of my dear children could not find the match to any of her shoes, she was getting ready for school, and her dad was not so patiently waiting on her ( again)...with everything I could muster I spoke calmly to her when I told her, "When you get home you will locate every pair of shoes you have!" So, I sent her off to school in a pair of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Croc</span>-like shoes, knowing they weren't looked upon highly by the school. I know in your mind you are like so? Hang on though, I can prove to you a lost shoe really has much to do with God and our lives.<br />Before we knew God we were so lost, but God looked upon on as a very valuable thing, worth searching for! You see when God is not living in us we are missing a part of our heart, I tell my kids it is a key shape, because only God can open our hearts!<br />After I freak out about the loss of something I look back and realize the importance of losing something material is of no real value, but oh to lose your soul and be lost for eternity...what sadness! We need to hold the same attitude towards lost souls as we do when we lose a piece of paper, because I know I'll search and search until it's found, God did with us, so why not them?Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-74650188465939446372009-08-25T10:39:00.000-07:002009-08-25T10:52:11.128-07:00Something that has been on my mind for quite awhile is the question, Are we worshipping worship, or the Creator?<br />Let me start by saying I am a very outward worshipper, always have been, always will be! I love to jump, dance, run, sing and clap my hands! My concern is do we realize how great our God is? Are we running, dancing, singing and clapping because He is that great? Or are we just going through those motions, because "we are supposed" to be that way? There is a song I love called, "The Motions", very touching song, there is a line that talks about looking back at your life realizing you've gone through the motions..wow! I so don't want that to be me! I want to worship my King, because He is the Alpha & Omega, and because the fullness dwells in Him! If we danced, sang or whatever every minute of everyday for our entire life, He still wouldn't be lifted up enough! Isn't that an awesome thought? He is that wonderful, yet He chose us to love Him and worship Him! Everyday that I live I just want to fall at His feet, not because I only love the worship, but because I love so much the one that causes to want to worship, because He is worthy beyond words!!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-34863152554509792822009-08-18T07:28:00.000-07:002009-08-18T07:45:30.524-07:00PlateausI have been on Weight watchers for 24 weeks now, and right now I'm experiencing my first plateau, partly because of my own doing, I must admit! The frustration level that is associated with these plateaus is very high! It got me thinking about walking with God, we can be even more frustrated by spiritual plateaus, but I look at it this way, it can be a time when God is trying to level us out and get us back on track! This week I have started back on my program, getting myself back on track, letting go of that junk food, I love so much!<br />I love God, and the way He does things is just perfect, He sets our feet on the rock to stay, plateaus in the spirit are just times of waiting on God, seeking direction or just to grow in Him...so I say thank you God for plateaus, in the spirit at least, not so sure about where weight is concerned though....I'll think more about that for awhile!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439917637517478942.post-11943070846214798362009-08-17T21:20:00.000-07:002009-08-17T21:29:21.525-07:00Back to schoolUnbelievably it is already that time again! Back to school....<br />Tonight we went out to get the last few things for the BIG day..shoes, clothes, backpacks..When Joshua tried on his new tennis shoes he ran all over the house, declaring his new shoes were helping to run faster than before! It took me back to my school days, I remember challenging neighborhood kids to races in my "new" shoes! Just something about those new shoes, they just seemed to transport me to a new place, a place where I reigned supreme in running, which of course was not true!<br />I love the newness of back to school..the excitement in my kids and the sadness I feel each year as I send them off with new clothes and freshly sharpened pencils..another step closer to independence! This time of year helps me cherish them and causes me to hold them closer...It encourages me to make our memories count!Kaylynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13836830555388311429noreply@blogger.com2