I Wish You Knew.....Get Unshakled

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~MLK

"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals." ~MLK

I wish you knew my Lord like I know my Lord. I wish you’d give him a chance, take a listen, give it a shot, hear him out, get to know him, make an educated decision, not an emotional guess. I know you don’t want to hear about Christ, and I’m not sure why you protest so much. You might just find what you were looking for, you might just find something you didn’t know existed, you might stumble upon a treasure you didn’t know you were searching for…you might just find your home. Why are you waiting? What holds your feet? What binds you…what has you trapped? Why do you insist upon your shackles? Why do you deem yourself unworthy, unforgivable, unlovable or unavailable? Don’t you know we’re all unworthy, unforgivable, unlovable and unavailable, that’s why he came to save us…the almost unsaved, the unsavable. Not one of us is worthy. Only He is. The one, our Lord, our King, my prince…I Am. Why do you think you’re so special to be unspecial? We’re all the same, and the gift is for all, but again…a gift is not a gift until you accept it. Why do you reject it? Call it names? Trash it? Flog it? Spit at it and toss it away? Its not really the gift you hate, its yourself that you hate. Why can’t you accept that he loves you even if you don’t love yourself. He loves you before you can admit to loving him or yourself. His love is greater than any mind can comprehend or any one heart can contain or hold….his love is massive, biggie sized, grande, gianormous, uncontainable, but available to all. Its unconditional, prefect sized, gift wrapped and cleansed by his own hands, his own blood. Why do you stumble do you think? What has you caged and distant…or rather whom. You don’t come to him because you don’t think you need saving, can be saved, deserved to be loved, deserve a second, third or fourth chance. But he thinks so. You don’t have to love yourself for him to love you first, you just have to admit, confess and surrender. You just have to stop believing the lies and delve into the truth. Why do you think you’re not worth it, a lost cause, a basket case, a mess up or a loser? Don’t you see you’re not so special…he is. Don’t you see you’re not so worthy….he is. Don’t you see you’re not so lovable….he is…don’t you see…its not about you….but it is for you….don’t you see…its about him? Change your focus and change your life. Become who he wants you to become and become a person that can give, receive, honor, cherish, bless, hold and love Christ, others and…yourself! Love Christ first and then you can learn to love yourself. 

Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Happy Sunday Friend OR Is That Sundae? LOL yum   Hugs & Love...Kim

Love Never Fails.....

It's no secret - I love to sing!  I have never sung in a band, karaoked only a handful of times out in public and have only been in the church choir for about 3 years...but none the less, 2-3 times a year I get the opportunity to share a special song with my church family.  It is quite an honor to get to share a song I have selected, a song that for me is more than just a quick pick. 

I really find my voice quite awkward, but I share it with other's because I've been asked to, some would say even called to - honestly though I feel I sing quite aweful. LOL!  I never forget who I am singing to though and that is what gets me on my feet to do it!  Although the congregation is listening in, my audience is truly that of one.  For this reason I put a lot of thought into the song I sing - it must have a special message, one that I think God is calling me to sing that particular week. Many times I have a song selected and God lands a brand new one in my hands - sometimes with less than a week to learn...but when it fits - it fits! Who am I to argue.  Yes, I still get nervous but I focus on the message and what it means to me and I hope that those who are watching this intimate expression of love find meaning in it as well.  I always pray before I sing in church, I ask that God uses it in a mighty way - that it touches someone, even JUST one!  I ask for God to be with me, give me courage, take my nerves away and let me NOT mess up so bad that the message is lost.  I also ask that he works through the song to bring someone nearer to him, for his glory.  With that said, against my better judgment, I give in and let him take over!  Only through his strength am I able to sing in front of hundreds of people without passing out or crying....I say crying because when I sing I really feel the song, I feel the words....and I just let it come out however he wants it to!  Many times I know a song has a great message when I can't sing it without crying and I know when it's ready to be sung: when I can sing it WITHOUT actually crying during it! LOL  I never forget though, that by him I can do all things, and without him I can do nothing worthwhile and of true value.

Here are the lyrics for the song I'm working on now, it is quite timely in my life!  It's called "Love Never Fails" and it is preformed by Brandon Heath:

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

At A Loss For Words - Naw, Sometimes They Just Gotta Simmer….

I am never at a loss for words, am I? LOL No, but sometimes I find I need to hold my words in, let them stew around for a bit - I like to put them on simmer and see what God says about them - he‘s the master editor. And we all know that “flesh” many times needs editing.  Some great sadness has reached my doorstep on many occasions and once again I find it is knocking at my door. But add to this pain, more pain of a drama maker of the family coming out of the woodwork to make my mother's diagnosis all about them.

We all have them in our family, the drama queen that doesn’t have the time of day for you unless you have a twenty dollar bill in hand. The liar that can spin a story out of the blue that would make you ask yourself, did this just actually come out of her mouth. The family deserter that leaves town and blames you for their bad decisions and the poor outcomes that have resulted. The story weaver that will re-work a story about their thievery and handiwork and make herself come out the victim somehow in the end. And the flat out evilness of spreading such lies about dead people that would make my dog throw up in his mouth - again. Sometimes it's hard to believe the actual size of nuts they have. LOL This is my flesh speaking but it has been edited by many days of ‘simmer’! But yes, I said it, hahoneys, gumbauts, nads. Somehow they think they are all THAT when actually they haven’t even arrived to the party. You know, the deserved ones…responsible for nothing yet deserving of everything. The ENTITLED ONES! For real?

I can never understand selfishness and unkindness. I can never understand greed and hatred. I can never understand the inhumane and the corrupt. I understand being upset and misspeaking or mis-stepping....but all in all most people have compassion and empathy. It all comes down to self centeredness and how can they benefit from a situation….what can they get out of this? Whether it’s loot, sympathy, pity, a chance to yell or just because you like to throw a wrench into someone's life just to see if you can stir up chaos and pain. I am just not a drama sort of person. I never have been, so I tend to avoid the drama queens of the world.

I‘ve gotten so good at spotting these people that I can usually read them just after a quick few minutes of conversation…it is the discernment that I have prayed for. It has never failed me and I cling to it…THANK YOU GOD!  They‘re not hard to spot, it's just really disappointing when they trample across my path. I'd really like to post the note I received in my inbox a few days ago, but I have taken the high road instead of the path that leads to destruction. I am a truth seeker and a truth teller, but I am not mean spirited so I will keep the details of such nonsense to myself.  Most times now, unlike my past, I do hold my tongue and choose my words carefully while still shining the spot light onto corruption or just plan mean, heartbreaking, dream robbers. But I do believe what is most important in these situations is to let your light shine, because the more we shine our light the less places there will be for darkness to hide!  Everyday I choose again, to love him and to keep his word in my heart - I choose daily to reflect the son!

(NLT) Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

I figure that eventually these sorts of havoc wreaking, drama starting, mean-spirited people will be figured out by everyone anyways: so I won't post the note! I'll just post what has given me great comfort...the love of God and the true love of his faithful children…my brother's and sister's in Christ (and not those with ‘said faith‘ yet a heart of fire and a tongue filled with venom).

If anything, today has taught me that I have grown in God's love more than I ever could have realized...and for that, I smile through the garbage that the enemy tries to throw at me...in fact: HAHAHAHAHA I laugh in his face! My dear Aunt Dorothy (loving know by C-man as Auntie Em)  reminded me of something I already knew but need to hear again...."the Devil rises up in times like these and tries to pit family against family". True words and a great reminder! A testament to the fact that this new creature has truly come much further than she realizes. Because again, you may be able to steal my time but you'll never be able to steal my joy OR Jim's pie! LOL 
 

Here are some words to live by - they have always brought me peace and understanding. And they remind me of why it is okay to be the nice one, and why I do what I do - most importantly who I do it for - for His Glory!

One of my favorite quotes from Mother Theresa:

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.

　

Peace & love dear friends!!!

I Prefer To Call It Nag-ga-licious....

SO a few months ago (cause I’m of course cured of this) I proceeded to tell my husband (as he gets home from a 10 hour day at work) all about all the things that I WANTED to nag at him about throughout the day. In a very NON nagging way, sort of like…these are the things that I let bug me all day. I’m not mad at you for them and I know that they are irrational, but I still in those moments wanted to nag you over every one of them. After my laundry list I tell him, "I don’t want you to do these things NOW, just in the moment I wish that you had or wondered why you hadn’t taken care of my irrational list" yeah guy, the list of items that you should just somehow KNOW I want or need to be done (you mind reader you).  He of course, because he's Mr. Fantastic, laughed at me and gave me a huge hug. AWE! 

I now wonder, does giving him the list so plainly and in a non argumentative way have the same affect on a him as they would have had I nagged him over them. Even though I wasn’t nagging, but told him I had WANTED to nag him, does it make a difference? Does it lessen the blow? Or am I still a nag? I think it probably still makes me a nag….but a nag on the road to recovery! At least I have acknowledged that on RARE occasions I find the need to vent, or as some misinformed folks may call it: nag - isn’t that the first step to my healing? Nagging is a disease right?

Does Blue Cross cover some sort of treatment in a specialty center for this Naggarosis - like somewhere in the Caribbean? Just until the snow here has melted - Mr. Fantastic is welcome to come along to support me in perfecting my jet ski skills...oops, I mean my Naggarosis recovery…..sigh!

Mr. Fantastic is so cool - I bet that if you asked him if I'm a nag he'd say "No, she doesn't nag ever"! LOL  I have to admit, I'm not very good at nagging - I hate be nagged so I hate TO nag.  In fact, when I'm in the middle of a NAG-O-RAMA moment I apologize the whole way though.  It's pitiful - naggers around the world be ashamed of me!  He likes to tell me "It doesn't bother me, it's just because you're tired".  He is right, I don't nag often and when I do it's in moments that I am exhausted or had a day that dragged on and on with nonsense. I have begun to learn that these "long & draining" days are, if I let it, only meant to steal my time and my joy.  Once I learned that fact, I started to live by this motto: "You might steal away my time, but I refuse to let you steal my joy ever again"!  Hugs and love friends......

You're Unique....Oh Yes You Are!!!

There has never been or will ever be another one like you. You are unique, special and made to order. You are one of a kind and unique especially in the eyes of the Lord. You were put here on earth for a special purpose and plan that is only for you to fulfill. Your true purpose will always be God honoring and within his will. His love for you is uniquely yours, the highest, truest and purest love there is and it’s yours to receive. It often boggles my mind to hear how unaware people are in knowing their true worth, their value, their potential, their “fantasticness”.

Please never doubt how special you are and never underestimate how valuable you are in God’s eyes. Knowing this fact has helped me to come to the realization that everyone is special including myself. On the outside I may appear to be “together”, maybe even confident and comfortable in my own skin. I have to admit, I am these things most of the time, but not always; and only after battling years to overcome self doubt, missteps and a lack of self worth. Only through coming to know Jesus have I begun to realize that everyone and everything has purpose, has value and needs to be treated as a treasure…treated with respect and cared for in a way that is God honoring.

When we loose sight that everyone is valuable and has a purpose we loose the ability to have compassion and empathy for one another. Even more so, when forget that we belong to one another, we lose a piece of our humanity and it becomes easier to be dismissive, hurtful, spiteful, maybe even hateful, cruel and vengeful. When we remind ourselves that we are all God’s creation it is easy recognize that we are his treasure, a unique work of art, his masterpiece….and that is something everyone can find peace in!

   "People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway."

                                                                                                                   ~ Mother Teresa

   "If we have no peace, it is because we forget we belong to each other."
                                                                                                                  ~ Mother Teresa

　

Psalm 139:13-16  For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Jeremiah 1:5   The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

Hugs & love to all.......Kim

He Greets Me And Meets Me Where I Am....

Even when you feel ungiven, unloved and unhugged…..God will take care of you….even when you’ve forgotten how to take care of yourself…..he hasn’t. And he’s watching and ready to help pull you out of the darkness and put you back on the path of becoming the new creature he’s creating you to be. The full you….YOU IN THE FULLNESS, you in God’s eyes. How does God see you…..as his!

St. Joe's Beach - Summer 2010

Sometimes I write and I don’t even know where it’s coming from. Sometimes I think it’s divine intervention upon my behalf, my betterment. It’s God, hammering out the dents and shining up the chrome. Sometimes when I type he tells me things I didn’t hear him say, but I get to read as they come out onto this page. I know he has great things in store for me….he has always been faithful and has only THE best in store for me. To be in his hands - what safer place could I be?

When we begin to believe the lies of the world, we loose sight of the bigger picture…his plan! His plan is the divine plan, Satin’s plan is the lie. Traps and hidden doors, smoke and mirrors…all there to throw us off course. Don’t even listen. When you hear an ounce of lie starting to form in your head…call it out…stomp on it….put it under your feet. For you know it’s a curse and it isn’t from your creator. It’s meant to keep you from him…meant to put fear into you! I will not be afraid. For I know my God hears my prayers, my God knows my needs and my God greets me everyday.

Sock it to me baby...

You’ll probably hear a lot on this blog about my 3 sons. They are ages 12, 8 and 4 and are the loves of our life. All 3 are very similar in personality, in looks and in likes and dislikes, but I am more surprise that with all these similarities that they are SO different in so many other ways. One thing that they are identical in: they all 3 have a sock “thing“. They have to fit a certain way, they have to feel a certain way and when they’re at home chilling - they have to be OFF! LOL Its funny, I think they may get this sock thing from me but in a “mega dose”.

The moment that each one of these darling boys come home, instantly the gear gets removed and tossed at the foot of the front door. It starts with the shoes, hats, gloves, coats and then they run to the bathroom and wash up. And then it begins, one by one the SOCKS come off - sometimes socks never get put on in the first place. Normally this shouldn’t bother me but the quirky part to the story is that whenever the feeling hits them, that no matter where they are, the socks have to come off and are left in that spot. Which means on any give day you can find one of three sizes of stocks left in random places all over the house. They leave them wherever literally!!!

Come on over, you can find them in the middle of the living room, on a dining room chair, underneath any given chair or couch. Take a peak under the bed, in the bed or the side of the bed. Hey, sometimes they come in pairs and sometimes they get separated from its mate.  You can also find one by the television stand and another one in the toy box. One time, I found an itty bitty sock…guess where? My refrigerator! Really and truly its that random. No matter how hard I try to drive home to them that they need to put them in their dirty clothing basket or in the laundry room it just never happens. I one day told Jim I'm going to have him or grandpa build me a sock tree - so the minute they get home they can just hang their socks on the sock tree and I‘ll know where to find them for laundry day! LOL



C Man dancing sockless & pantless!



My children dislike socks so much that many times they would prefer to leave the house sockless....even during snow storms. Just this weekend Cameron started off his Sunday morning dressed for church WITH socks and shoes on and ready to go. By the time we made it into the car he had shoes on his feet with NO socks. I have to do a sock "call out" GET YOUR SOCKS ON and then I have to do a foot check, a “pre” shoe screening so to speak. After this weekend I guess I need to add a sock “door check” to my to do list!





Hey, 2 out of 3 is not bad!



I suppose we really are a bunch of shoeless, sockless hillbilly wannabes. We like to watch tv and play video games sockless, dance sockless, eat sockless, sleep sockless, visit grandma’s house sockless and now we can add going to church sockless. In fact, you’ll be lucky if we even bother to put our shoes on at all. With all this socklessness going on in my house, it makes me wonder why in the summertime my boys socks look like they’ve ran a marathon in a pig race. They are so dirty…I get it…they only like to wear their socks when “shoeless” and only when they outside…we’re all messed up and confused! There’s been times when all five of us have ran outside to stop the ice cream man, yes, in our socks! LOL

So maybe it’s a motivation thing? Maybe it’s just a "who can resist ice cream" thing?  Maybe it’s a feet to constriction ratio sort of thing? Or you so want to go outside barefoot but who knows what’s lurking in the grass and socks just give you that extra “bug” shield security we need with out all of the constriction of a shoe? Or maybe you just want to drive your mama nuts with filthy socks?  Is there a filthy sock constest among boys that I don't know about?  If so, what's the prize and can mom's enter too? Maybe there's just no reason at all.

We even decorate our Christmas Tree sockless!



The worst (or best) part, my husband just informed me that I do the same thing. He said look, there’s two under the kitchen table right now! LOL I give in…I give up…I’m part of the sock haters club and didn’t even know it. I’ll have to be more respectful of where my socks land from now on…tee hee…it was pretty funny, I just saw a pair of Jim’s socks balled up on the steps. Jim says, “that’s Poochi, he drags them out of my laundry to play tug of war with”! LOL sure he does….he does that to mine too…didn’t you know! J

Expectations.....

Expectations! Expectations start at home. Teach a child what you expect of them and then they’ll know what path you want them to choose. Make a child guess at your expectations and he’ll run all over the road, in my flower beds, through the candy isles, hitting and screaming and calling people names just to find the right path, to please you, to please himself. No expectations = no direction. No direction = a kid starved for guidance and attention. A kid starved for attention = the trouble makers of tomorrow….and the dude who gets yelled at for letting his dog poop on my yard! I see you owner of the random pooping dog…I expect you to not pretend you don’t see your dog pooping on my snow, I expect you will know that I know what you know….I expect you to pick that up! LOL

I bet YOU were expecting me to take expectations in a totally different direction, weren't you!  But this will work too!  Have a great day....hugs & love!

Doesn't that dog realize we like to sample our snow, play in our snow and build temporary friends with it! Protect our snow quality for the sake of the snowmen of the world...no pooper dogs allowed! LOL