Just a few things

I've been hearing some amazing stuff recently about how no matter how hard we try to be great at seeking God's face, reading his word, doing good for his kingdom, and no matter how many times we mess up and feel like failures. God loves us still. When we try to do, do, do and be better, better, better, and tell him that we will be better, that is the thoughts of religion, what the world thinks. And sometimes what life has been like for us in our homes and in the workplace and everywhere else and we try to place that in Christianity/ our relationship with God. But that's not how it is. When you are in a relationship with someone, they don't want anything from but you're best and if you can't, that's okay, they still love you anyway. They see you through your faults and hurts and everything and love you anyway.

I'm also hearing about when you are in a difficult situation or things are getting harder for you, then you are in God's will. When you feel like giving up, throwing in the towel, just not giving your all anymore and letting someone else do it, then you know very well that you are at the exact place that God has for you. That's not an easy thing to hear because it's sooooo much easier to give up and do something easier and let someone else handle the issues that you don't want to face but when you hand them over to God and he take is care of them and it makes life ten bajillion times easier. You will be practically throwing them at him and saying "Take this stuff, this mess, I don't want this anymore. You know how to handle it better than I do."

Okay last thing, that I saw this morning and this is really cool.
Typically when we read Philippians 4:12-13, we think about the tangible things, like food, clothing, money to pay bills, and so on, but have you ever thought about contentment in our spiritual lives. I'm not saying we need to stay stagnent what I'm saying is there are those times where we are soooo desperate to hear from God, so hungry for more of him, it hurts worse than the worst stomach pains, you feel so distant from him. Then there is the other extreme where we are soooo full of Christ's love and joy and grace that all we can do is just jump up and down, sing shouts of praise, pour love to others, whatever the Spirit leads. In either one of those times, we are to be content in knowing that God is with us and never leave us nor forsake us. He will strengthen us and guard us from the evil one. So we have NOTHING to fear.
Web stats

ATTENTION ALL PASTORS/SPEAKERS/WRITERS!!

ATTENTION ALL PASTORS, SPEAKERS, & WRITERS !!

I have some questions for you. Being a young woman wanting to do what you do, what is best step in that direction? I have no job presently due to health issues. I went to college for one year right out high school back in 2003, and am still dealing with student loan. I have been since 2003 I have volunteered in every capacity known to man pretty much. I journal like crazy. I have struggled with reading the Bible all my life, up until last year I hardly read through it even though I have gone to church my entire life. I had a bad view of the Bible from past experiences. But thankfully God has changed that. I know that there is something worth getting out of the Word and it's not just the paper. It's what God says.

My questions are to figure out why is it so hard to talk to you? There are so many of you out there that I admire. I see what you do, I read what you write, and I hear what you say. I know that alot of people may like all those things but do you ever miss the time when you could just talk to someone about whatever? When you could have a good long conversation with someone?
I think every pastor, speaker, writer, and person deals with this on some level. We are in a rush. We have family obligations to attend to. We have dinner to take care of. Friends to hang out with. Appointments to go to. Whatever it may be.

But the big question is: Do we stop and breath and take in? Talk to/listen to the people that need to be heard? Do we spend time with our family instead of in the office or out in the bar or where we know we shouldn't be? Most importantly, do we spend time with God and let Him speak to us?
Those are challenging questions for everyone, not just for those in the title. We all could learn something for that.

KAS

Web stats

Meeting the Surgeon Yet Praying for the World

Here I am in the corner of one of the student buildings at MUSC, just a few hours away from meeting with the doctor that will be doing the surgery and the only thing is on my mind is what is going on in the world.

• My mom mentioned to me awhile ago how the doctor that will be on rounds when I'm in the hospital, is an atheist. It breaks my heart and makes me wonder what in the world will happen when he sees all the people that come and visit me, (hopefully alot), and are praying for me. I hope he sees faith in me, he see God's light in me, and God's love in me.
• I'm sitting in a student building beginning to have students wander in and the thing that make me think, is there a group/club like FCA or InterVaristy where students can come together and learn about Christ, step away from the stress of studies and school and just fellowship?
• There are doctors that are coming onto shift right now that going to have to say to families that their loved ones are not going to live through the rest of the day, they are going to be a vegetable the rest of their lives, they are going to have to give their organs to others to help them to live or not, or better tell families that they have baby boy or girl or they have multiples or for some its a relief to not be pregnant. There are doctors telling patients that they are going to live or are cured. I could go on.
• There are people in Haiti, Chili, New Orleans, India, Rwanda, China, and all over the world that are still suffering from the after effects of all the natural disasters, and the genocides and wars that they couldn't control.
• There are young women in the world that are being placed into prostitution by their OWN parents for money.
• There are young men in the world that are being handed a machine gun/machete and taught how to fight/kill.
• There are people everyday that go hungry, that don't have shoes, that only have one set of clothes, don't get to bathe and don't hear about GOD'S LOVE.

AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW.

I am just one person. I hate to focus on myself. What do you see that makes you hurt when you think about it?

KIM

Tithing

Last night in hope group someone brought up tithing and how if you don't bring it with a loving heart it like bringing it with a grumbling heart. I started to wonder when that was said, since I have been approved of disability and have been receiving money, have I been giving to God with a grumbling heart? Like a kid who has an extra piece of candy and their parent is with them and they see a child that wants a piece and may not get any candy unlike that other kid. Am I being a grumbly child that is saying "Mine, this is mine! You can't have!" or am I looking up at God "Do I have to?" and they sheepishly give the piece of candy to the kid. But there is another perspective of tithing. Am I being one of those kids thats so willing to just give not even having to be told? They share their toys, they share their food, they share their friends, they share their money, whatever they share. They just do.

What am I? What are you?

Web stats

Who Are You?

I am A Child of The Most High God!
I am dearly and cherishly
I am masterpiece made by The Ultimate Artist.
I have torn and tattered, ripped apart, beaten and battered
but The Ultimate Restorer of Life has rescued me for destruction.
He taken placed me above all earthly possessions and taken time
to mend my broken heart, to heal my hurts and to turn me into a NEW CREATION.
I am Forever in being changed by Him.

I am not what I do but who He has made me to become.

Who are you?
Web stats

Starting All Over

So... I took kind of break from this blog and focused on just not publishing what I wrote, mostly because I had alot that needed to be let out and I don't anyone should read it except me and God. I focused on myself and my relationship with God and trying to get my life in line with God. No I don't think I'm perfect but I know I'm getting there.

Anyways, since then one question that has been roaming around in my mind about this blog is what I want to do with it. I mean this a way of connecting with different people all over the globe. If I could say one thing to people all over the globe, what would I say?

- I would say don't judge people who are/have lesser than you. I know we all too quickly do that.


If you could say one thing to people all over the globe, what would you say?

KAS
Web stats

Do we want to live like an ADD child or Focused adult?

At the church I go to, I see on a pretty regular basis new people coming in receiving God's word, becoming baptised and then alot great things changing in their life. Where before they have had a hard time paying their bills, finding a job, putting food on the table, whatever the case maybe, God supplies their needs because they started to come church, they received His Word, they accepted him in their hearts. They are diligent for a good period of time, coming to church on Sundays and if they were coming to morning devotions, sticking to it, and making a point to come to Hope groups (small groups), but then as they are doing well with their jobs and God give them more and blesses them and take them out of difficult situations, I've seen many fall in the trap of the devil. Where all of us are easily swayed.

It seems as though when I watch them, I think "Oh I could never do that. I've made bad decisions before I won't make the same ones that take me away from God. I couldn't risk losing the one who loves me. " Well I think its easier to follow God when you have nothing, then when you have been given what you need or maybe I should what you think you need. We are soo easily entangled by the world and by what it has to offer us. When a new thing/a new change is thrown our way, its easy to get wrapped up in that and not remember what is constant in our life. I think when we focus on the things that are thrown at us and not the things that are constant, we lose a part of ourselves in the process. In trying to figuring out how to live with those things, we forget about what is most important, GOD.

God is our ever constant. He keeps us on the straight and narrow path.

Passion

Every Tuesday and Thursday I go downtown and help out at a church in the inner-city of Charleston. The first thing we do is an hour of devotional where we are reading the Bible in a year and spend about 45 min praying for the city, state, country, the church , whatever God lays on our hearts. Then the last 15 mins or so we discuss what God brought to us in the passages that we read for the day.

Well currently we are in the area of Ezekiel 23, Isaiah 51, & Philipians 3. While I was reading Ezekiel, specifically 16 & 17, something came out to me.

Chapter 16 verses 49-58 says:
" 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done. Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you. So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.
" 'However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before. You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the LORD."

Here Israel, God's chosen people, were more wicked, detestable in God's eyes than Sodom (the destroyed land) and Samaria (the land where people live that Jews refuse to touch them). God said in this passage that He was going to destroy all three but the disgrace was going to be on Israel. The guilt, the shame. Sodom didn't know what they were doing was wrong. Samaria had yet to learn. Israel had known from the start.

What am I saying in this? Sometimes we look at someone else think we are better than them, just because they may or may not be a believer or may be starting they're relationship with Christ. That doesn't mean we are better or they are worst/lower on the totem pole. It just means they have some things to learn just like we do. WE ALL DO!

This life is not about being better than everyone else. It's about learning more about Christ and applying it to our everyday lives. Making mistakes is normal. If we fall, then we just ask God for forgiveness and He'll pick us up.

Remember to run for God passionately, and to not look at everyone else like a judging contest but equally. Mistakes are inevitable, learning is growing.

Web stats