Welcome to day #1 of #giveup40 If you don’t know what Give Up 40 is, check out this post before continuing ;)
I nailed it! The perfect cup of coffee this morning! I was THRILLED!
This may not seem like a big deal to you, but to me, the perfect cup of coffee can make my day.
With all of the traveling that I do, my nerdy barista coffee snobby skills, and my desire for only Organic Decaf, Swiss Water Process Coffee, it’s HARD to get a quality cup of coffee.
Some days I nail it! The coffee is perfect and I’m satisfied. Other days, bleh….not so great and I long for a good cup of coffee ;)
And the same is true with my walk with God. Sometimes, like yesterday and today, there are rich times in His presence.
I see a cardinal on a nearby tree against the fresh snow and I feel Him drawing me to stop and listen to Him speak to my heart. And I actually STOP and take that moment with Him.
Other times God is doing the equivalent of fireworks and screaming in a megaphone at me, and I’m distracted by the cares of this life. Even though I might read my Bible or sing worship songs, it’s lip service and my heart isn’t connected.
There are days where I think, “I nailed it!!!”, and other days where I’m like, “Why didn’t I make more time for Jesus?!? He is so much more important than _____”.
He loves my heart that seeks His heart and He is always speaking. I just need to position myself to listen, to let His love fill me, and let His word ground me.
This is what these short 40 day devos are about–stopping and taking time to spend with Him. He is the giver of life, the lover of our souls, our HOPE.
Question(s) of the Day:
What keeps you from spending time in His Presence?
What ways do you connect most with Jesus? Prayer? Worship? Word?
What can you do to eliminate distractions and let your heart stop and hear Him more these 40 days?
Scripture(s) of the day:
Mark 6:31–Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Worship song of the day:
A favorite of mine, Beautiful the Blood (Bryn Waddell version)–available on iTunes and can be viewed at this link ;
How’s your first day of lent going? What did God speak to you today? Use the “hashtag” #giveup40
Wanting to give up something for Lent this year or desire a more strict focus on Jesus as you head towards Easter season?
Why not give up your time to spend in His Word?
I used to give up Oreos in Middle School for lent…no joke ;) It was a sacrifice for me back then and likely prepped me for more food fasting later on.
While I absolutely believe in and do fast food, if you just fast without adding time with the Word of God and intentionally seeking His heart during a fast, it’s more like a diet;)
This past year I shared a message that I believe God dropped in my heart titled, “Give in or Give Up”. I spoke at a couple of young adults service in Kenya. It’s a lot like 3D for those of you connected to my home church in Tulsa :-)
The concept came from this scripture;
Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true life. (Matthew 10:39 NCV)
We can either give in to the enemy’s plans for our lives, OR surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ and give up our lives for Him.
So what does this have to do with lent?
Whether or not you participate in this 40 day fasting ritual, there’s something to be said about going deeper with Jesus and learning to give up our lives for Him.
In the hour that we’re living, there’s certainly a constant need to surrender ourselves to the way of the cross and allowing Jesus to truly be Lord of our lives.
I think of the 21 Egyptian men who were just martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ in Libya and I recognize their life was not their own. Their lives weren’t taken from them, they willingly gave them up to Jesus long before the moment of their physical death.
We too are invited to submit ourselves to His way and to learn His heart.
I invite you to join me on this journey of “Giving Up” our lives to be more like Jesus during the 40 days of Lent.
I’ll be posting short devotionals of scripture and questions to guide us into a more intimate fellowship with His heart and His way for our lives. Let’s give up our time for something intentional–more of Him! :)
Feel free to comment or hashtag your comments with #giveup40
**Warning: this blog contains sexual content. Please be advised before continuing.
Let me starts off this blog by saying that I know nothing of the details of the book or movie, “50 Shades of Grey” and I’m not going to pretend that I do because I don’t. I’ve seen enough circulating through social media internationally, read an article from Focus on the Family, and I have heard from people I know who’ve struggled with “reading porn” as they’ve described it by say this book/movie is sexually impure.
I’m not about to go researching and opening myself up to it’s content of just how sexually perverted it is to further a point.
My purpose in writing this is not to discuss something I don’t know anything about, but my intention instead is to write about what I do know something about; purity.
The definition of purity is freedom from adulteration or contamination, freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature.
To be pure is to be in an unadulterated state. The color white for example is pure when no other colors are added to it. You have to begin adding other colors to it to make even the slightest shade of “off-white”. Once you do this, the color is no longer white. It becomes a compromised shade of white, but not true white.
When we give into an impurity in our lives, we are changing the original state of purity God has given to us through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. Even if it seems only like a slight toleration of sin, it contaminates our spirits.
Jesus didn’t die to give us an opportunity to go from living in darkness of sin to a life of compromising shades of grey. He says in the book of Revelation to the “Lukewarm Church” that “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” If black and white could be compared to hot and cold, then…
Grey=Lukewarm=vomit to Jesus.
Jesus goes on to say,”I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent”
He desires that we gain purity from Him and see Him rightly. He gives us an opportunity to repent (or turn away from) our sin and tolerance of the sin in our culture. There is only 1 shade the LIGHT of Christ can have and he desires that we be “hot” for Him. That our lives display radical love and devotion to Him. When we walk in this light, we avoid the various shades of compromise.
I’m speaking from a place of knowing both sides of the sexual purity coin so to speak. I am not hurling accusations and judgments of “you are wrong!”. I am however sharing a much better way to live in the freedom and purity Jesus Christ died to give us.
MY SHADES OF GREY
I know the heart wrenching gut piercing pain of sexual immorality. I know what it’s like to feel like all you are is a sexual object to the opposite sex. I was raised in a way where all I saw from media particularly MTV was that women are sexual objects. As a woman, I was supposed to be sexy, men were supposed to like my butt, and I was supposed to do everything to make myself look and act in an appealing way. From Britney Spears music videos to “The Thong Song” (yes that was a real song) to obsessing with boy bands like *NSYNC, I knew sexual hype as well as any American MTV watching teenager would. I went to a school where sexual sin was happening on my school bus rides home in 6th grade! I too found myself in the hands of sexual sin later on and while I didn’t ever have sex, lust was in my heart and in those of many around me.
When I truly gave my life to Jesus as a 16-year-old girl, my life drastically began to change. I wish I could say that was when the sexual sin ended in my life, but it was a couple more years before the bondage truly broke. While my heart desired to be free and I wasn’t pulled towards lust, my identity hadn’t completely changed and I allowed myself to be in a poor unhealthy relationship.
MY SHADE OF PURITY
Thankfully, Jesus is relentless in His pursuit of us and His word speaks. I got free from that relationship and was truly free from lust and sexual sin. Real freedom was in my life for 8 full years before meeting my husband, Stephen. During those 8 years, I didn’t set my eyes on movies, TV shows, or books that had impure sexual content. I did not listen to any secular music that was sung by anyone who dressed inappropriately or who sang about seduction and lust. Not because women who dressed seductively bothered me, but I wasn’t about to open myself to their seductive spirit and embody that in my life. I now had a deep satisfying love in Jesus.
I was labeled by many terms as, “strict”, “prude”, and “legalistic”. I was told even by Christians that, “I’d never get married”, “my standards were too high” & even that “it was ok to ‘mess around’ when you found the right one”.
WHY wouldn’t I listen to “so and so”? It was just a song with fun lyrics. WHY wouldn’t I go to “whatever” movie? It was only PG-13.
My heart would respond within myself, “Because I’ve found a greater love”.
I had experienced the deep radical life changing love of Jesus Christ. He turned my sin and my heartache into a new life full of His joy and His peace…AND His purity. I was washed as white as snow. I was and still am NOT PERFECT, but I was content in my love for Him. Even though I was a normal 20-something young adult and noticed Godly and attractive men around me, I wasn’t ever fixated on being in a relationship. I loved them as brothers in the Lord and learned from my interactions with them what I desired or didn’t desire in a husband.
Jesus had my gaze. He had my FULL heart and I cherished the newfound purity I’d found in Him. The freedom was real. The LOVE that replaced lust was fierce and released my heart into the healthiest view of what real love was.
PURITY IN MARRIAGE
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Hebrews 13:4
When my husband and I dated and were engaged, there was NEVER a single moment where I felt unsafe, felt lust from him, or entertained lust in my own heart.
Even as I prepared to be married and what would eventually take place between us sexually, my heart and mind were guarded by such a healthy purity based in the peace of God. I wasn’t scared, intimidated, fearful, or felt the need to be seductive. We never compromised our sexual purity and we got to learn together which is SO BEAUTIFUL and SO WORTH THE WAIT!
In my marriage now, I am completely secure that my husband is never going to cheat on me, lust after other women, secretly look at porn, criticize my body, make impure sexual requests, or violate me in any way.
I likewise can truly say the same. There is no one else that my heart desires. There is no other man on the planet of 7 billion people who I would ever desire or fantasize being with sexually or emotionally! When I said, “yes” to marrying Stephen even before we said, “I Do”, I ended my search. When we committed to marriage, we vowed before God and invited Him into the middle of our marriage as the “glue” so to speak to unite us together.
When one continues searching, lusting, filling voids in their heart with impure things, they are denying God’s work in their lives and in their marriage/future marriage.
The subject of sexual purity is not favorable in our world today, because few are willing to pay the price to have it.
I’m not saying that I am, “holier than thou” because I have am walking out a sexually pure life or because our marriage embodies this. It is nothing I could’ve ever done on my own or Stephen on his own. This was why I shared a piece of my testimony with sexual sin above.
What I am saying is that it was because we gave our lust and our sin COMPLETELY over to Jesus so that HE alone worked purity in our lives by showing us what REAL LOVE is.
While sex is definitely important and necessary in a healthy Godly marriage, it’s NOT the most important thing or the only thing! I’m just being honest about my life with you because if sex was the complete basis for our marriage or if we were both “in lust” and not walking in the love Jesus has given us for one another, we wouldn’t be able to walk through the challenges that life brings. If we only related to each other sexually, our marriage wouldn’t last because we need the love of Christ and His purity to relate to one another emotionally and spiritually as well as sexually. Without His love, the door for lust and the need for sexual entertainment would be WIDE OPEN.
There are enough marital problems in the world today that I would say are indicative of various “shades of grey”. We have an opportunity to receive Jesus’ love, redemption and invite Him into the center of our marriages. This will cause us to stand out against all of the grey and be marked with the purity of His great light.
I realize some might read this post that don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ and/or don’t believe in being accountable to the Bible. That’s why I’m not just quoting what scripture says about sexual sin. To those that the above applies to, I leave you with the hope that my testimony has of how Jesus Christ has changed my life in this area.
I am so grateful I don’t have to walk in the shame, guilt, and weight of lust any longer. I’m thankful that I have a pure marriage and a healthy sex life with my husband who loves me. Thankful that beyond my spouse loving me purely, I have Jesus and I don’t need a book or movie or celebrity idol to fulfill a void in my heart.
To those who do claim to love Jesus and hold their lives into account of the Word of God, I leave you with this scripture that applies far beyond “50 Shades of Grey”. Revelation 2:20 “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”
YES Jesus embodies love and His love is patient, His love is kind…but He still IS JUDGE. He, not Bailey Kuert, will judge your entire life one day according to His standards, not my opinion. He sent guidelines AND warnings in His word to prepare each of us to live holy and to seek Him. I know we all won’t be perfect and will struggle with things in this life, but He has paid the price to give us freedom in Him. He has given us the gift of His life to have peaceful lives, to not live struggling with sexual sin. He tells us to repent and if we say our lives are under His Lordship, there is no excuse for compromise.
When God calls something sin, that’s the final word on the matter. Our justification or tolerance of it won’t change the truth.
Let’s call this book and the other sexual immoral entertainment we have in our lives for what it is, sin. Let’s bring it to the foot of the cross of Jesus, repent, and replace it with a perfect love that brings life and hope! Let’s embrace the 1 shade of purity and ask for His empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live holy lives.
**Please feel free to share this blog :) I deeply desire people to know there IS freedom in Jesus Christ to live a pure and holy life.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality-1 Thess 4:3
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.-Col 3:5
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.-1 Cor 6:18
I am not one to use face make-up like foundation or concealer.
If anything I dust some light homemade bronzer on my face for a subtle glow. HOWEVER, I recently bought concealer a couple of weeks ago.
The reason for this is that for the past two years as I’ve had some complications mainly resulting from a car accident and international travel, I’ve had such poor sleep. It’s not that I CAN’T SLEEP, it’s that I have a bleeding kidney and other crazy things so I’m in the bathroom most of the night.
Truthfully I’ve not been very open about what I’ve been walking through because for the most part I look “fine” to the outside eye. It’s been a looooong long road and a few close friends know, but it’s hard to talk about and even writing this much is vulnerable.
I feel cold sweats writing this. Just kidding! :-P
I share this to say that most nights I sleep under 5 hours and sadly, I don’t have an adorable baby/toddler or a PHD for getting this amount of sleep.
I’ve had puffy eyes from the urinary issues and the concealer was a must-grab for the dark circles particularly on days when make-up is more necessary than other days.
That being said, here’s a recap of my morning yesterday…. We were in a town in Oklahoma at one of our supporting churches for a missions convention to help them raise funds for missions in 2015.
I was up all but 3 hours of the night.
Stephen had to speak at 2 morning services and he ingested food he was allergic to and sparing details, it was a fun night for both of us.
I dozed off finally for another 30 minutes before I had to leave for the 2nd, NOT the 1st service because I’m already that cool ;)
I was pushed for time and I had to pack up our hotel room.
It had poured all night and the freshly curled before bedtime hair was now a mess.
On went the concealer and eye make-up.
I went to curl my hair, dropped my curling iron and grabbed it…WITH MY HAND! If I didn’t have my lavender essential oil, I would’ve been in major pain, but I applied it quickly and then I tried to do something with my hair and ran out the door.
((Yes I brushed my teeth too—don’t worry! I lost my toothbrush in all of our traveling on Saturday, but grabbed one at the front desk the night before…actually Stephen did—my hero! ))
I was a hot mess walking out of this hotel and the wind was SO intense that all the attempts at making my hair look in any way decent are now gone…
…and honestly I was not in the best mood. I was trying to think of a worship song and nothing was coming to me. I had just had worship on in the hotel room, but my tired brain was now drawing a blank.
I ended up at a GOLF COURSE, NOT the church and had to drive a little further to get to church late. Awesome.
“Hi! I’m the Guest Speaker’s wife, late and distracting everyone as I make my way to the front row. Keep your eye on me because with my kidney issues, I WILL be distracting you more and going to the bathroom during service.” Sighs.
I took my place on the front row and thankfully worship was absolutely powerful. I immediately was grateful for the words to a song in front of me and my tired brain and I belted out singing SO loudly (and likely off key).
I didn’t want the enemy stealing my praise even after a hard night.
The Senior Pastor got up to pray for healing in the service and instructed people to press in with worship and focus on Jesus.
His wife, who was on the platform directing the choir leaned over and whispered into his ear.
He then called out for a gentleman by the name of “Mike” to come forward.
As Mike walked forward, his wife and a friend assisted him. He is fighting cancer and has been given a short amount of time to live.
A few gathered around him to pray and I darted across the sanctuary.
Compassion flooded my being and I began to weep over this man.
I saw his frail state.
I saw the pain in his eyes.
I felt a glimpse of the hurt he had been walking in.
More than that, I felt the love of God.
I stood adding my faith in agreement for his healing. My heart broke.
I knew my husband’s message would be good and I was expectant.
But I was distracted.
Distracted by the love and compassion that I felt over this stranger I’d never even had the privilege of meeting.
I am far from perfect and have some really rough days especially with crazy sleep, but I can’t hold back compassion. I’m thankful for God revealing His love and heart for others through difficult times.
You see while I might not share the details of my health journey with everyone, I’ve allowed God in to the details.
I’ve allowed His hope, His great love, and His compassion into my heart.
I’ve stood with close friends in desperate need of healing with a greater awareness of their suffering.
I’ve had some ugly things said and done to me during this journey from people who don’t understand what I’ve been walking through. And that has taught me even more so to be aware of what others might be walking through.
In the midst of all of this, I’ve felt God’s love through my suffering in a way I’ve never experienced.
It would be easy to shut down and not feel. It would be excusable to wallow in self-pity all day and not reach out to others.
With minimal sleep, there are so many excuses I could have for not partnering with God in this season.
The easy way would be to conceal what I’m going through and not allow God in.
I think of the song, “Let It Go” and how when the character Elsa is singing it, she looks down at her gloves and recites what her parents told her, “Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know….”
While the story line in the movie Frozen is a bit different from what I’m sharing here ;) , I think it’s very telling of where some of us find ourselves.
We conceal our feelings. We conceal our bad times. We shut down. We cut God out of the equation questioning Him and believing lies. We get angry and act from a place of hurt, rather than a place of love and compassion.
This is what the enemy would LOVE for our lives. He would LOVE for us to feel alone.
He fears us feeling the heart of God. He fears what would happen if we will allowed God to turn bad things around for good in our lives.
He wants us to suppress what we feel so that we will never move out of our comfort zones and minister to others with compassion.
And ultimately the enemy wants us to deny God and conceal the hope and confidence we’ve established in Him.
While concealer might be helpful for dark circles under our eyes on some days, it’s not fixing the dark circles. It’s only covering them up.
While we need healthy boundaries in our lives, we need to be an open book to the Lord and allow His purposes and love in our hearts even in difficult times.
There are “Mikes” out there waiting for your obedience to not conceal your love and zealousness for the Lord.
Take off the concealer and/or your Frozen hand gloves and step out and share the love of Christ with someone.
Please agree with me for Mike and his healing as well as peace and grace for his loved ones in this time :)
Yesterday I shared a quote that is constantly in my head thanks to my husband. “One life twill soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last.” -C.T. Studd
This quote helps me put things into perspective for 2015. While I hope to find better health, deepen relationships, spend our finances wisely, I want to be found more in love with Jesus more than all else.
Yesterday I talked about the importance of Prayer in the New Year. Speaking to Him and cultivating His heart to be used in and through our lives.
Today I want to talk about Reaching Others :)
2. Reaching Others
Sometimes the distractions of life keep us from focusing on God and on those around us. I can attest that walking through physical challenges and life adjustments can certainly cloud your responsiveness and interactions with others.
HOWEVER, as believers and Christ followers, we are here to serve others, not ourselves. Yes we need to take care of ourselves, set healthy boundaries so that we don’t burn out, but we need to be looking to serve and love others.
Let’s look at a few ideas of how to reach others with the love of Jesus in the New Year.
1. People who already know Jesus
Just because someone knows Jesus doesn’t mean that life is peachy ;)
Matter of fact these people need encouragement to keep the faith, seek Jesus and love Him rightly. It is in times of discouragement that they need their faith renewed.
Listen to what they aren’t saying. Just because they can keep it together in front of you or smile even in midst of trials doesn’t mean that they aren’t hurting and don’t need prayer.
Remind them of the word of God, include them in social gatherings, give small gifts or gestures of encouragements through the year to remind them that you’re there for them.
Sometimes the easiest thing we can do is to send a text saying, “I’m thinking of you–how are you?” We can’t change people’s lives for them, but we can be there for them in the good and bad days.
Make it a point to pray for your brothers and sisters in the Lord and love on them. We’re in this together! :)
2. People who don’t know Jesus
People who don’t know Jesus certainly need our love and patience. We can reach out to those who are without Him by doing more than smiling and being “polite”.
We can be sensitive during the day to listen to God’s voice over someone. Sometimes people are on the brink of very difficult days and one word from God or one act of His love would change their lives for eternity, not just change their day.
Be BOLD!
Don’t shrink back in intimidation or let the time constraints of your day keep you from reaching out. If you feel you should encourage someone and be there for them, do it! Jesus wants His heart made known.
If you have daily interactions with people who don’t know Jesus, begin to get to know them! Find out their struggles, hardships and victories. Celebrate and comfort them. Invite them to your local church or your home for holidays.
Some people just feel lonely and want to feel loved and accepted. We are Jesus’ hands and feet–invite them into your world!
Pray…implement yesterday’s post and pray for those you know to receive His love. Don’t take for granted your own salvation
3. The Nations
Of course being a missionary I couldn’t skip reaching out to the nations!!! :-)
You may not be able to GO to Madagascar or any other country for that matter in 2015, BUT you can be a part of what God is doing in the nations.
If your local church is not involved in global missions, I’d recommend connecting or partnering with missionaries you might know or someone your church might be connected to.
If your church is involved in missions, one of the easiest ways is to give finances! Your church is involved in going to certain countries, partnering with certain missionaries, or doing specific projects because they believe in them! Ask your pastor/missions pastor how you can get involved beyond finances.
From working in different missions offices I can tell you, there is always something to help with! Maybe you are creative and can think about how to better promote missions in your church? Maybe you can help assemble packets for a trip or help plan a missions banquet.
However God leads you to partner with His heart for the nations, I promise it will be one of the best investments in your life in 2015!!! There is a LOT of work to be done and people are His heart.
Reach out beyond yourself and encourage others with the love of Christ this year! You’ll be thankful at the end of 2015 that you purposed to start the year off focusing on His heart and growing in love with Him.
We are approaching a New Year…2015. Does anyone else feel weird seeing that number already?
I feel old…
There are SO MANY things that if I sat down and was my detailed planner self that I could think of to do/improve in 2015.
I’d LOVE to say I’m going to be that lady that gives up sugar and all sugar substitutes in 2015 and writes a blog about it all year, but let me be honest with you right now…I’m not that lady and this is not that blog ;) I don’t eat excess sugar, but I feel like I NEED dark chocolate occasionally…and my husband would likely agree that I NEED it too;)
While there are some thing that I am considering and praying about working on or towards in 2015. But foremost at the end of 2015, I want to say that I am more in love with the Man I said yes to than I am right now on December 30th, 2014.
The “man” I’m referring to is not my husband Stephen, although I want to love him more too ;) I’m referring to Jesus Christ.
One of my husband’s favorite quotes is by C.T. Studd and it says, “One life twill soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
ONLY WHAT IS DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST…. hmmmm…
As I’m ending this year of 2014, I have to be honest with myself and ask, “Did I love and serve Jesus well this year?”
I’ve had a crazy year filled with all kinds of fun things like typhoid and surgery in Kenya that I’d like to not repeat. I’ve done many “good things” and things “in the Name of Jesus” or “for missions work”. But I have to ask myself, did I seek Him well? Did I love Him well? Did I let Him search my heart?
If I am honest, I could have sought Him more. I was often distracted by so many things in life, mainly health issues. But other things like stress, concerns of others, “things about Him” and “works for Him”, were in front of my, but seeking Him wasn’t always first and foremost. I’m not coming down on myself or condemning anyone else who is in my boat ;) BUT I am keeping this in mind to be intentional about seeking Him in 2015.
I want to know Him more.
I want to understand His heart more.
I want to hear Him rightly.
I want to hunger for His word.
I want to lose fear in His perfect love.
I want His love to be more perfected in and through my life.
How can I do this? How can WE do this?
Here are a few thoughts that I have for seeking Jesus in 2015. While I am a huge advocate for good health, healthy relationships, wisdom in fiancee etc., I believe if we don’t have Him in first place and priority, we are lost in things that eternally don’t matter and lost sight of what matters.
Many of us want things to change in our lives, but many of us aren’t willing to PRAY things to change in our life. To me, this is where I know I can always grow and be intentional in my relationship with Jesus.
1. Prayer
I’m not talking about boring religious or uncomfortable “prayer”. I’m talking about cultivating a relationship with the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit through speaking and listening.
What I tell people who are struggling with their prayer life to do is literally sit down with a cup of coffee like you would a friend or a counselor. Speak to Him and share your heart, ask Him questions, get to know Him. Sometimes it might feel awkward, but press through that.
Your prayer time might begin during a routine event you do everyday; like the coffee example, in the shower, blow drying your hair, your drive to work, sitting on the toilet (but seriously moms know…it’s sometimes the only quiet part of your day) :-P
Wherever/however it is or looks like, just begin it.
Do it everyday. Even if it’s while buttering your toast! Try these prayer tips;
1.Share your REAL and honest heart with Him
2.Ask Him questions and be ready to hear an answer
3.Make a prayer list if that helps. Use scriptures, personal requests for yourself and make sure to include praying for others and their prayer requests on this list.
4.Pray for the nations. A lot of people think “missions” is for those who feel called to live overseas, but I wouldn’t be willing to live overseas if I hadn’t first prayed for the nations.
Prayer is our way of being able to talk to God, hear His heart, and partner with His heart to make His word come alive in and through our lives.
My prayer is that in this new year, you would pray everyday and at the end of 2015, you’d know Him more through this aspect of your life.
Tomorrow I’ll share some thoughts on reaching others and giving of ourselves for Christ in 2015 :) Happy last day of 2014 tomorrow!!
It’s BLACK FRIDAY…and I am not shopping ;) BUT I am working on some craft items for my Etsy shop Kibibi Design.
Kibibi means “Princess” in Swahili and that’s what SK calls me.
Right now there are several different ornaments and I am giving one away for FREE!
4 Different Christmas Character Ornaments (available individually and as a 4 pack)
There are melted “Olaf” from Frozen ornaments
Girly Gold Letter ornaments
Here’s what you have to do;
1. Subscribe to my blog by entering in an email address on my homepage.
2. Share this post on your social media site mentioning the Free Ornament Giveaway along with the hashtag #KibibiDesign (upload a pic of an ornament if using Instagram and enter baileykuert.com)
3. Write which ornament from Kibibi Design is your favorite and wait to see if you win!
My picture of being content for some reason looks like sitting on a patio watching the ocean with a cup of coffee in hand.
This would need to take place at sunset as opposed to sunrise, because,… well I’m not a morning person. Hence me writing this blog at a time at night when let’s just say everyone in this house is asleep and my friends in Africa are awake ;-)
Of course my cup of coffee at evening time would need to be decaf. And not just any decaf since most are filled with more chemicals and craziness than regular beans, but a swiss water press decaf.
Oh yes, that’s more like it! ((Oh and not just any cup of nasty watered down or cardboard coffee, but strong rich, not to acidic, full body, medium to dark roast decaf.))
With just the right amount of cream…and maybe a dash of raw cane sugar ;-) ((don’t judge me)).
Ah yes! A GREAT cup of coffee makes me feel content.
Thank you Starbucks for your contribution to turning an employee into a coffee snob and to East Africa for satisfying the snobbish desires in me.
Where was I????…
…Oh yes, contentment. The ocean. The breeze. The colors of the sunset. The quietness of hearing only the waves. The excellent cup of coffee…*sighs*
Can someone transport me right now?
That picture of contentment is literally the farthest thing from my current view or scenario. Again, it’s nearing 1am, I’m freezing, my back is….ouch, my husband is asleep in another room, and I’m listening to the sound of my baby brother flushing his toilet (ok, so maybe not EVERYONE is asleep yet). We are home from Africa going through medical treatments with my back and kidneys and…I love Tulsa and relationships here, but I want to be elsewhere.
I’ve realized that a lot of the time I allow my thoughts to drift away into a more “ideal” or content place.
When I’m discouraged, I walk through my days like a zombie looking for something to make me feel alive again.
I walk on past people, events, and conversations dreaming of a better moment to feel “present” for.
This all reveals that I am not content.
Goodness! I can’t even be content with a cup of coffee most days…but really it’s a struggle!
I have what I’d like to refer to as the Goldilocks syndrome.
You know the story, Goldilocks wanders into a house belonging to the 3 bears while they are away. She finds 3 bowls of porridge only finding one to her liking and the same goes for the chairs and the bed. She looks for what is “just right”.
I saw a cute little girl dressed up as Goldilocks for Halloween this year and her family was the 3 bears. The baby bear was adorable too and the oldest sister was super girly and loved her costume. SK had her laughing and playing around.
I’m not as cute like her, when I’m acting like Goldilocks. This looks like me trying to find ideal and or perfect circumstances all of the time.
One thing I can justify in my behavior like this that “I know what I want”. I knew what I wanted in a husband and I waited for him. That’s a positive example, so doesn’t that justify my attitude with other arenas? :-/
The not so positive example is when I’m like “This day is too____”. “I wish life could be more like____”. “Everything would be JUST RIGHT if____”. “I want to be____ doing____”. And so forth and so on….
I end up finding the one that “is just right”, but it’s usually only in my IMAGINATION and Pinterest board. (you know it’s true for you sometimes)
That my friends is dangerous. This disconnects us from embracing the present and what is in front of us right now.
Honestly, we aren’t going to find ideal scenarios everyday. Most of life will be during the mundane.
Yes you, the mom with the baby(ies).
Yes you the administrative assistant.
Yes you the cashier at the store.
And you whomever you are and whatever you might do. You have to eat, sleep, put clothes on, drive places etc.
Since most of our life will consist of not-so-great coffee and limited ocean views (unless of course you’re someone with a daily ocean view, in which case can we be best friends?!), why don’t we make the most of it?
Why not learn to be content no matter the storm.
No matter the challenge, let’s learn to throw off our Goldilocks ways.
This new attitude will produce in us a new outlook. One of gratitude for the “just right” moments that we do encounter.
When that “cup of Joe” tastes perfect, the kids aren’t being a mess, our loved ones are healthy and strong, and financially we are taken care of, we will be even MORE grateful.
It’ll be like a bonuson top of the gratitude that we already have from choosing to be content in whatever we are facing.
We can’t choose what happens to us, but we can choose how to respond to what is happening to us. Choose to see a scenic ocean-view through your difficult scenarios and learn to be content.
The Apostle Paul wrote this is Philippians chapter 4, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.”
When we see Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things…”, we don’t normally picture Paul being in a lack or in a difficult situation. However the context of this passage pertains to Jesus strengthening us to be content, no matter our circumstance.
He learned to be content no matter what. And so should we. It’s in that place where we can do all things, LIKE… being content, through Christ who gives us strength.
After all, if you have Jesus, you have the most important thing :)
I LOVE walking around Hobby Lobby and letting my creative part of my brain go wild. I get inspired and it’s a de-stress for me to take a trip there. I love the Greene family and all that they have done for ORU, Christian communities, and for crafting ;-) Really though, it’s a great place and I take full advantage of the 40% coupon every.single.time. (If you don’t–use that smart phone of yours to be smart!)
I love how accessible hot glue guns, ribbons, and picture frames are. I missed these things in Africa, BUT there are some REALLY odd things at times. By odd, here’s just a recap of a few things that I saw today. I didn’t spend any extra time looking for these, but I’m sure I’ll add to them in the days to come :-)
I first of all wanted to start out with the picture that began my picture-taking journey today because it’s a deal that no one can pass up… HURRY EVERYONE!!! The 40% off of the 5′ tall Poinsettia isn’t going to last forever…but who buys these really??
The “just in case a 2012 Graduate takes two years to frame their picture”
…here’s to an under $5 sentimental Christmas gift that I can get for my youngest brother who graduated High School two years ago…or not…(act surprised Evan)
Who DOESN’T look at themselves in the “aisle of mirrors”? I found a bossy sister telling her younger brother that he wasn’t “doing what she was doing in the mirror” properly.
It may be hunting season, but if your man isn’t really “into” that or can’t get a kill, just hang this in his office :-)
Everyone is worried about Ebola outbreak while CLEARLY there is a Zombie outbreak that we all should buy signs for our shelters and warn people about it…
Lastly, I found several foxes today scattered around the store…
^^I mean we couldn’t unwrap the fox…?? And is it a cookie jar?? I’m terribly confused!
I know people like the song, “What does the fox say”….but do we all like to decorate our houses with them too??? Just wondering ;-)
You’re welcome for that song playing in your head now :)
Lastly, I overheard the word “Pinterest” at least 3 times that I counted. Good for YOU Hobby Lobby! Crafting queens all over America will see something online and try to recreate it by shopping at your store!
Ok that concludes my quick/not so quick trip to Hobby Lobby to get something for my husband’s sermon which turned into laughter, pics, and this post! I love you HL and I’ll be back for some more fun I’m sure.
“We know what it is to lose health and wealth and reputation, but what is the loss of all things compared with the loss of the soul?”-D. L. Moody.
I realize my title is a BIT morbid, but hang with me for a minute. If you haven’t heard, Brittany Maynard, a beautiful 29 year-old woman who is battling cancer with a stage 4 brain tumor is planning to end her life on November 1st. She is newlywed who recently moved to Oregon with her husband, mother, and step-father so that she could take advantage of the state’s “Death with Dignity Act”. This would allow Brittany to end her suffering by taking medications that will allow her to die from something other than suffering in pain from her brain tumor and the complications that would result.
“I don’t want to die but I am dying,” Maynard tells PEOPLE in a new interview. “My [cancer] is going to kill me, and it’s a terrible, terrible way to die. So to be able to die with my family with me, to have control over my own mind, which I would stand to lose – to go with dignity is less terrifying.”
While I have my opinions on this story, that is not the point of my blog. My heart absolutely aches for this girl and I’ve thought about her many times day and night and prayed for her this past week once I heard about her situation. I walked closely with my cousin, Tess who battled cancer for 7 years while we were kids. I remember the pain and the suffering that she faced and how hard it was for my aunt to walk through. It’s horrible and I can’t remotely comprehend having a brain tumor like Brittany so I’m not saying this to be insensitive, but I’d say that dying of a brain tumor is not the worst way that you can die.
A theme for some of our denomination’s missions work in Africa has been centered on this concept of “Lostness”. I wrote about it a little bit last year here. In short, there are many conditions in which a person can die particularly as we look at Africa. There are diseases like Ebola that are prominent in the news right now along with AIDS and other various diseases. There is extreme poverty and unsanitary and unsafe living conditions that many are faced with. However, even as horrible as any one of the above mentioned conditions are, the absolute worst condition for a person to die from is being separated from Jesus Christ.
What has deeply troubled me about Brittany’s story more than her terrifying medical diagnosis or her controversial decision to end her life, is a statement she made about her death.
“When my suffering becomes too great, I can say to all those I love, “I love you; come be by my side, and come say goodbye as I pass into whatever’s next.”-Brittany Maynard.
“Into whatever is next” indicates to me that she sees no hope for her eternal future. That she has no assurance that Jesus Christ is alive, that He died for her, and that she can spend eternity with Him. I realize that I am stepping on some toes here and some people will disagree with this blog, but that’s ok :-) While I don’t want to judge if she knows Jesus for certain, her words seem to indicate she doesn’t have an assurance. I pray that she does. I pray that if she doesn’t at this moment, that she will. I pray that before she dies from either medicine, brain tumor, or else, that she comes to a TRUE PEACE in her soul that can only come from salvation in Jesus Christ.
And I pray the same for all who are lost. All who don’t know Jesus are truly in the worst state possible. For those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and live rightly for Him, there is an assurance of where we will step “into next”. We have a HOPE that this world and these present sufferings are not our home. That we will live forever with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit in Heaven forever where there is no more tears or pain. One can die naked, one can die blind, one can die poor, or one can even die of a brain tumor, but if that person knows Him, they die in peace of spirit.
The worst way to die is not being naked, blind, poor, or even of a brain tumor or Ebola. The worst way to die is without the peace of knowing where we are going eternally.
Brittany Maynard thinks that the best way to die is as she stated above, with her loved ones nearby and peacefully in her sleep. She wants to be able to control the timing and forbid the horrors of what the tumor could do to her body. I think everyone if they thought about it would choose to die peacefully and surrounded by those we love. My cousin did this even though she was in great pain. Yet even if we were all assured that we wouldn’t be in pain when we die, that doesn’t assure us we will step into a pain-free peaceful eternity. If we are without Christ, our eternal life (which is FOREVER unlike our physical one) will be anything but pain-free and peaceful. Since we don’t know how, when, and where we will die, the best way to die is to know that you’ve made Jesus the Lord of your life.
Hebrews 9:27 says, “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment”
For those who know Jesus, we will live eternally with Him after our physical death. There is a hope available to everyone no matter what we are faced with that we can call on Jesus and be born again in spirit.
If you are suffering right now, I pray healing over you reading this in every area; that physically your body would be healed, that your emotions would be healed, and that your mind would be at peace. I pray that no matter what you’re facing today, that you would know that there is HOPE in Jesus Christ. If you’ve never made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, I invite you to pray this simple prayer;
Jesus, I acknowledge that I have sinned against You. I believe that You died for me, that You rose again, and that You are in Heaven. I want to live for You on this earth and live with You for all eternity. Be my Lord and my Savior. Fill me now with Your love, Your grace, and with Your Holy Spirit so that I can live for You. Thank You for saving me and filling me with hope.
Congratulations!!! You’ve now found the best way to die (again that sounds morbid, but who cares–you’re saved!!)
Revelation 21:14 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.
Romans 8:24-25 – For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
Titus 1:1-2 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies,promised before the ages began
