Take It In To Get Detailed

Last year, at our local Bible study, I heard my friend Nelya telling another lady how great her car looked because she had just gotten it back from the detail shop.
They inspect and clean every bit of the inside of the car, even using q-tips and tiny tools to get the hidden "gunk" out of the small spaces. I remember thinking how great that would be to take my car to get detailed...but the cost, the pre-cleaning,maybe even a little embarrassment if they found old smashed cheerios under the hard to reach places all made me a little anxious.So, I never took the car in. I just tried to clean it up a bit better myself. I'm guessing I may have missed some spots!


I was just thinkin' this morning, I want to take myself in to the shop... to God's detail shop. Will I have to pre-clean before I hand myself over to Him? Would I be willing to let Him clean up every spiritual spill or crumb? Would it prove too costly? Would I be ashamed of what He finds hidden?

Well...I've decided:

Pray for me gang....I'm going in!!!!! Like the above picture...I want to be CRAZY CLEAN! You?

Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Just Thinkin',

Kathy

You Gotta Open It Up To Get The Good Stuff!

I was looking through an old journal yesterday. I love seeing where God has carried and kept us. This journal was dated 1990. I had written about my then two year old daughter, who is now a Senior in college:

~~ Lord, it is Easter. My children were in the front yard searching for plastic eggs filled with treasures of candy, coins, stickers and such. I noticed Kaylee picking up each egg, rapidly shaking each one, saying to herself, "Hey...waaassss in dare?" (Hey...what's in there?) Then she would drop the egg she had and move on to find another without ever putting the egg in her lovely basket or opening the egg to reveal the treasure.
Her brother Jacob, 20 months older, eventually noticed she was missing out. He walked over to her and said, "Silly, you gotta open it up to get the good stuff!" and he showed her how to do just that. Well Little Sis did not waste anymore time shaking and asking, "HEY...WAAASSS IN DARE?" She gathered every egg into her basket to treasure and enjoy.~~


That is why I love listening to sound bible teachers. We all could use a brother or sister to come along side us to show us how to study God's word. I try to follow the lead of those brothers and sisters who walk the walk and have discovered how to reveal the treasures of God in Holy Scripture...they don't just shake things up..they dig for buried treasure!

Thanks to the Pastors, bible teachers, small group leaders and mentors that have given me the example to crack open my Bible.

Colossians 2:3 (The Message)

2-4I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we've been shown the mystery! I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret."

Well, the words of my precious Jacob... Silly, You gotta open it up to get the good stuff!

Open the book friends, there are treasures that will outlast the trinkets we buried in Kaylee's Easter eggs that day.

Just Thinkin',

Kathy

He Wants Our Love...Not our Stuff

A father and his young daughter were great friends and much in each other's company. Then the father noted a change in his daughter. If he went for a walk, she excused herself from going. He grieved about it, but could not understand. When his birthday came, she presented him with a pair of exquisitely worked slippers, saying, I have made them for you."
Then he understood what had been the matter for the past three months, and he said. "My darling, I like these slippers very much, but next time...buy the slippers and let me have you all the days. I would rather have my child than anything she can make for me."

Some of us are so busy for the Lord that He cannot get much of us. To us He would say, "I know your works, your labour, your patience, but I miss the first Love." ~ G. Campbell Morgan

Have I spent more of my time "doing for" God and not just "being with" Him?
Have you?

Just Thinkin',
Kathy
HOSEA 6:6 tells us what God wants from His children:

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

Darn Magnets

Well...some of you know I'm working on "Out Popped This Cow" or My book of excuses to the Lord. Here's my thought (excuse)for today:

We all make excuses for poor choices. Today my challenge is food. Now that I have been feeling better and my appetite is back, I seem to keep ending up in the kitchen.
Well, now I know it is not my fault...It is part of my medical condition. I realized I have a lot of metal fillings in my mouth and an equally ridiculous number of refrigerator magnets. See, it is not my fault--I'm magnetized by the refrigerator...might as well have a snack while I'm in there...right?
or
Matthew 26:41 (New International Version)
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Just justifying,
Kathy

Have I Done What I Could?

In Matthew 26:7 we read the story of a woman bringing a very costly perfume/ointment in an Alabaster box to pour over Jesus. This gesture of love and honor must have been from an overwhelming desire to serve Him. I did not read a portion of scripture here that describes her stopping to make a list of pros and cons. She found the only way she knew how, in this given circumstance, to give what she could to express her love for Christ. She found that which was "costly" and dedicated it her Savior. She was ridiculed by those around her. She was welcomed by the LORD! Have you ever been so moved to honor your LORD in whatever way you can without worrying over the difficulty, sacrifice, cost or ridicule you may suffer in the act of giving to HIM? Have you looked around to see what you could give to love and honor your Lord, the one who gave every drop of His life's blood for you? She did what she could: I will ask the question, Have I done what I could? Have You?
We don't all have an Alabaster box. Some of us have time with a shut in. Some of us have a voice to sing praises. Some of us can meet a need of a neighbor. What's your expression going to be?


Just searchin',
Kathy

Sometimes...God Is At The Laundry Mat

So often people ask, "Where is God when I am hurting?" or "Why doesn't God help me?"

There are times even in the believer's life that God seems very silent. Imagine...400 years of silence between the Old and New testaments of the bible. I can hardly stand not seeing Him at work in my life for a day much less years, but He often allows periods of what seems to be silence in my life. Yours?

Some of you have read bits and pieces of our family's rough patches in our walk the past few years. Maybe you knew we had just moved to a new town for a job promotion for my husband, Richard in Dec. 2000. Maybe you also remember, we had not yet sold our home in the town we were leaving so we had twice the living expenses for 10 months. No big deal right? I mean, after all we were yuppies! We made enough to cover both places for awhile. We had made all the right decisions financially for 15 years and saved and invested and ....blah, blah, blah! Who knew a decision by suicide pilots to fly through the Trade Centers would leave fall out that landed in our living room in Oklahoma so far away.
Rich was an aircraft manufacturing manager and within one week of 9/11, he lost his job. So...2 house payments, 4 kids, 3 cars payments and 0 jobs did not add up to financial freedom.

One afternoon, before the kids were out of school, I loaded up the weekly clothes and headed to the local laundry mat. I had now done this for 6 months since our home had not sold and we had not officially moved everything including the washer and dryer to our new home. The housing market was not great after the layoffs and our funds were running out waiting for our homes to sell by this time. After years of saving for kids college and our retirement, we were now living off of that savings. Before this time in our marriage, I would at least have enough cash on hand for necessities and a few non-essentials too.
But now, here I was at the laundry mat with my broken pride and bag-0-quarters and just enough time to get things dry before picking up the kids from school. I mentioned I had been going to this place off and on for almost 6 months. Well, being the good little Christian that I was, I scoped out the gal behind the counter months earlier and thought to myself,"I should get to know her and tell her about Jesus". I just never got around to it! Now, here I was, putting my last quarter from the baggie into the dryer to try and get the jeans dry. So why would she want to know anything about what I had to say? I mean, we were broken. Richard's mother had died only a few months earlier, we were in a new town and the kids missed their friends, I had been a stay at home mom for 15 years and Rich could not even get a job flipping burgers because they would say, "you are over qualified" which meant they would not spend money to train someone they thought would leave when the economy picked up, and believe it or not, I somehow had stopped being invited to even go with ladies from our bible study to eat lunch because it must have been uncomfortable asking,"has Richard found a job yet" after months of the same question. There was a lot of loss in our nation and in our home and at this point my cheerful outlook had dropped like that quarter into the machine. I felt like God had forgotten our family. Where was God? Why did He let this happen to our family? Why was He so silent? Again, Where IS GOD?
As the clock ticked and it came within a few minutes of time to get my children, the dryer beeped the sound that signifies you have a minute left to add another quarter for more time. I reached in to get the jeans out and they were still wet! Now, I know, in the scheme of life this seems rather insignificant. However, if you have ever been to that place where that last proverbial straw shows up...it was likely rather insignificant to the world but HUGE to you. I just needed a quarter...is that too much to ask? I would have made a mad dash to the car to try and dig up loose change but we had passed that milestone about a week earlier when class picture money was needed! About 30 seconds into the final beep...Brenda, the gal I thought I would someday share Jesus with, walked over to me and said,"Kathy, you don't seem like yourself today. May I pray for you?" and she wrapped me in her arms and prayed in Jesus name that I would know how much HE loved ME! At the end of her sweet moment of prayer, I heard a clank against the dryer door window...and a quarter had fallen from the pocket of one of the kids jeans. With tears in my eyes and a lump (I suspect from humble pie going down) in my throat, I opened the door to retrieve the quarter to finish drying my children's clothes.
All I could say through the tears to Miss Brenda, was...sometimes, God is at the laundry mat!

It's been almost 10 years since that happened, and some of you know we still trust God from day to day financially. Recovery is slow, but God is good. He has taught our family to trust in Him no matter what our circumstance may be saying or even shouting.
How many months I missed out on a true time of fellowship with a sister in Christ because I poorly assessed another person. God does not play favorites...but we do. Just because I lived in a $250,000 home (which we could now not afford) and Brenda worked very hard for her minimum wage job, did not make either of us more significant in our Lord's eyes. Her prayer comforted me, and His provision answered my question...Where is God? He was there all along, I had lost my focus.

I wonder if there is a Brenda in your life today. Maybe someone you scoped out as in need of your wealth of information...when really...you could learn from them?

Acts 10:34
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons

Humbly,

Kathy

I Hate it When That Happens!

Okay...so I smacked into a pole looking back at something behind me. I hate it when that happens! Don't act like you've never done that! What? Just me? Oh.

Well, have you ever done what I do all the time...the "trick sidewalk" stumble? You know...the sidewalk has a huge bump you trip over and then when you look back...nothing was there. Mean ol' trick sidewalk! I hate it when that happens!
Don't act like you've never done that! What? Just me? Oh.

Then,Guess what?
I'm a dork! No explanation or excuses. Every time I stumble like that, I am not paying attention. I hate it when that happens! Don't act like you've never done that! What? Just me?

Guess what else? Every time I stumble spiritually, I am not paying attention...to GOD's WORD! I hate it when that happens! Don't act like you've never done that! What? Just me? Oh.....I don't think so... You?



Just Thinkin',
Kathy

...To That One

The Legend of the Starfish

A vacationing businessman was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy. Along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide and were sure to die before the tide returned. The boy was walking slowly along the shore and occasionally reached down and tossed the beached starfish back into the ocean. The businessman, hoping to teach the boy a little lesson in common sense, walked up to the boy and said,

"I have been watching what you are doing, son. You have a good heart, and I know you mean well, but do you realize how many beaches there are around here and how many starfish are dying on every beach every day. Surely such an industrious and kind hearted boy such as yourself could find something better to do with your time. Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?"

The boy looked up at the man, and then he looked down at a starfish by his feet. He picked up the starfish, and as he gently tossed it back into the ocean, he said,

"It makes a difference...to that one."

-------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes we wonder if any effort on our part to change a life makes a difference. If we are not a TV talk show host with millions of viewers, or a missionary with large groups of people to minister to, or a famous star with a following that will donate to the latest "save the ......fill in the blank" cause, we may feel inadequate to make a difference in our world.
But I believe God gives each of us the opportunity to serve, great or small, one or many.

Sometimes our stranded starfish is a fatherless child. Possibly you have a co-worker that just needs a willing ear to listen to them. Maybe it is a homebound friend. Perhaps your very own child just needs a moment of face time with mom or dad.

Has God placed a stranded starfish on your beach?
Make the difference...to THAT ONE!

Matthew 25:40
"And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"

Enjoying spending an evening with all four of my children tonight. They make a difference in my life.

Just Thinkin',

Kathy

Blog Post 100...Who'd A Thunk It?

I have been avoiding you. No, not you the reader, you...blog number 100. You see I need to evaluate why I post what I post and if anyone is out there reading. So, it has been a battle to find time to think. When we started this (Richard and I) we wanted to use the experiences and struggles God has allowed in our life to encourage others and hopefully bring glory to HIM.
Finding time to update this or think of what to write about is at times a joy, and at times a battle.

Some days seem like one big battle. If not physically then spiritually. You have battled with us through my Crohn's diagnosis, The loss of my Grandfather, My mother's all clear to breast cancer round two, Richard's knee replacement, Jacob's terrible car wreck, Kaylee's adventures into the world of The Thunder NBA team's intern and college, Joshua's story of craniotomy at birth and now migraines and Jason's precious words, stories and antics with Shadow the wonder dog! I hope you've laughed and cried and rejoiced with us. But mostly, I hope you have come to know how much we adore each other, and you! Don't get me wrong, we are a normal family and have our own battles just as you do.

If our battles are not against the flesh but against the “principalities and powers”
How do we fight?

Flesh is, after all, inherited selfishness. We want something and we want it NOW…Veruca Salt!
Flesh fights battles with the weapons of politics, boycotts, actual weapons of destruction.
I fought a battle with Peanut Butter Captain Crunch at lunch today at Captain Crunch won.
I wanted it….I surrendered with not much of a battle. It says right on the label NOW EVEN BETTER TASTING! Who can stand against that?
I fought a battle with a sharpie that exploded on my dress on my way to a wedding this evening. Sharpie won!
But those things are just small battles in our daily life. What about the battles described in the bible? Against evil, principalities and powers?
If our battle is against spiritual forces, how do we fight?

After putting on the prescribed armor in Ephesians 6:13-17, we must fight with the power of the Holy Spirit living in us.

Our weapons will be
Truth
Love
Righteousness
Prayer

The truth is we are flesh living in a world of ugly sins and evil choices. We can’t isolate ourselves and just wait for Christ to return. He put us together on the earth with others who are also naturally selfish. I did not teach one of my four children to cry when they did not get their way. They instinctively knew how to be selfish. I did have to teach them to share, to pray, to read, to wait, to love, to trust. It was exhausting but I had to purpose to do what was best for my children in order that they would grow to be whole, productive human beings.
We will face battles and we must be prepared spiritually to stand….then stand some more. We are taught how to do this through the instruction given to us by God in His Word, the Bible.

Well as I finish blog number 100, I want to thank you for reading about the thoughts and experiences my family has gone through. I hope you have been encouraged to study scripture and trust our Lord Jesus Christ. You encourage us with your comments and feedback and we know as we have prayed for you, many of you have prayed for us.
We appreciate you.
So...I will see you on post 101 but until then...
We must continue to purpose to learn to be strong spiritual warriors who pray.

I’m going to work on it. You?

Just Thinkin’,
Kathy