Live

My one word for 2012 is Live.  I keep hearing this song and today I said ok what do I need to hear from this song because I hear it...a LOT.  So I listened.  I got keyed into the word "live."  Take a listen to this song:

  

Weak and wounded sinner 
Lost and left to die 
O, raise your head, for love is passing by 
Come to Jesus 
Come to Jesus 
Come to Jesus and live! 

Now your burden's lifted 
And carried far away 
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so 
Sing to Jesus 
Sing to Jesus 
Sing to Jesus and live! 

And like a newborn baby 
Don't be afraid to crawl 
And remember when you walk 
Sometimes we fall...so 
Fall on Jesus 
Fall on Jesus 
Fall on Jesus and live! 

Sometimes the way is lonely 
And steep and filled with pain 
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then 
Cry to Jesus 
Cry to Jesus 
Cry to Jesus and live! 

O, and when the love spills over 
And music fills the night 
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then 
Dance for Jesus 
Dance for Jesus 
Dance for Jesus and live! 

And with your final heartbeat 
Kiss the world goodbye 
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and 
Fly to Jesus 
Fly to Jesus 
Fly to Jesus and live! 

This song says this about living:

• Come to Jesus and live
• Sing to Jesus and live
• Fall on Jesus and live
• Cry to Jesus and live
• Dance for Jesus
• Fly to Jesus

Going to let that soak in for a while...

More later...Love to you!

Kim

(forgoing topic schedule for now)

The Purpose for My Heart and Yours

I want to make clear now as I start being more consistent in sharing my heart and concentrate on what I want to write about so it does not get scattered and unfocused.  I am learning in my heart to be just who God created me to be.  In doing that, I am learning to surrender to Him more every day and to fall in love with Him more every day.

What God put on my heart about this blog is to share from my heart what I learn from Him.  I want to be real.  I want to be authentic and transparent.  It is from His heart to mine that I share what is on my heart to yours...or from God's heart to mine, my heart to His, and His heart to yours and my heart to yours.

Lord take this blog, it's yours.  Use all of my words (typing) as you want and for your purpose.  Guide and direct all that goes on here.  Guide each person that reads to hear Your voice and You alone.  In Jesus Name, Amen

More later...love to you!

Kim

Mom Monday

Since I want to write about my heart and yours, and really it also means, God's heart and mine, I want to write about what I need to hear and what I am learning about being a mom.  Because maybe from what I am learning in my season of life I can then turn around and help others going through the same thing.  


2 Corinthians 1:4  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Walking by the Spirit.  In mothering.  Knowing that in each day, in each moment, I have an opportunity in each circumstance, to let the Holy Spirit who lives in me because I gave my life to the Lord July 2003 and He gave me His Holy Spirit to live in me forever, to let Him teach me and shape me into who He wants me to be.  This is a challenge for me, why, because I want to be in control and I do not like to be still and listen.  I drag my feet and I struggle with God in being still.  I do not like this about me because it causes me to not grow as quickly in the Lord as I could if I would listen and do what He says more promptly.  Of course, I know that in my sinful nature it is not natural to just desire everything God wants easily, but my prayer is that I am able to handle each day and each circumstance as a mom, yielding to the Holy Spirit more and more instead of taking the reigns myself and not growing and feeling more miserable.


So for example in a temper tantrum, what can I learn from that?  I can be still, I can listen to the still small voice that I ask for guidance (and self control) from Him, and do what He says.  I really think Matthew 6:33 can apply to every situation every day...seeking first the Kingdom of God and all else will be added unto you.  So in the tantrum, in my heart I say God help me, what do I do to handle this situation, and as I wait on Him and rest in Him, then things will flow and work out.  Will it be easy, um no, sorry to say.  But in the end I will grow from that situation because I listened to Him, and I will have peace and contentment and joy.


What is hard for me, point blank, I want it my way, I want to run the show.  Where I need to grow and pray about in this area is for surrender.  I pray for the desire to want to surrender and for the willingness.  God's way is perfect and my way is not.  


Psalm 4:3 says, "You can be sure of this:  The LORD set apart the godly for himself.  The LORD will answer when I call to Him."


So I can be sure that if I call to Him, He will answer.  I will rest in that.  


Join me in resting in the Lord through your parenting circumstances this week?  


More later...love to you!
Kim

Fun in the Kitchen Friday

I have learned so much about the kitchen and how it is SO the heart of the home these last few years.  Through a lot of prayer, reading, searching, and experimenting I have seemed to come a long way in cooking for my family, even considering all of the allergies to work around.  The scripture Proverbs 3:6 it says "In all your ways acknowledge the Lord and He will direct your paths."  So in every area that is what I do in my life.

So what can I share this Friday about fun in the kitchen or things that have helped me in the kitchen.  Number one, pray and give it all to God and ask for wisdom in how to handle your kitchen needs for your family.  Then dive in and pick something to start with and go for it.  For me one of the first things I started doing was meal planning.  When I make my grocery list, I started on the back of my list writing what meals or snacks I would make with the things I was buying.  I would see if I had any of the things I needed already on hand so I didn't buy duplicates.  I try to make 5-6 meals a week, leaving one night for kind of a leftovers night or maybe a dining out night.  I also tried to find a few desserts I could make to spoil my family each week.  Before starting my grocery list also, I make note of all I already have in the house and what meals I can make from those things or just add to my list a few extra things needed to complete a meal.

That is helpful.  It really has been for me.  Have fun with it!  I think I can look at it like I won't enjoy it and then guess what, I really dread it and I don't enjoy it and I feel icky about it.  But if I try and make it fun and just enjoy it, then I tend to really enjoy it and my family ends up really enjoying it as well.

Do you have any helpful tips that have helped you be more organized and enjoy cooking and having fun in the kitchen at your house?  Share with me, I am so wanting to keep learning more!

Also if you want delish recipes and even some allergy friendly ones, I get so many from this awesome lady, Janelle, at Comfy in the Kitchen.  Go see her some time!



More later...love to you!

Kim

Home Lover Thursday

Okay disclaimer here to begin with, this is a huge area for me to deal with...because I am SO not a natural cleaner, at all!  Okay now that is out of the way.  The reason I call it, "Home Lover" Thursday is because it is a term I learned while reading through the book, "A Woman After God's Own Heart" a few years ago.  Since I wanted to do what God gave me with a cheerful attitude, what better than to do the thing that we mostly think of as misery, cheerfully.  So instead of begrudgingly doing housework, I started trying and doing it all for the Lord, happily.  One tip that has helped me as I am learning along slowly is to find 3 things to do every day that would keep things more smoothly running.  I read it as a tip on Flylady.net from a reader.  She called it doing her "1, 2, 3's" for the day.  So I did some thinking and tried to find three things that I would help me feel better about the unorganized cleaning in my home.  So here are the three things I chose for me:

1. Empty the dishwasher in the morning and by end of day empty sink and load dishwasher.
2. Do one load of laundry, wash dry and put away.
3. 10 minute declutter-of the counters and spaces I tend to let clutter gather.

I also thought about whole house tidy up, setting a timer for 10 minutes and just picking up the clutter all over that was not in the right place.  I thought of cleaning bathroom counters and swishing the toilet with some soap and toilet brush daily.  But the above three are now my goal.  If these three things get done each day, I feel a bit better about my home and things are not completely falling apart.

I then read this ebook, which was so good, http://tellyourtime.com/ (only 2.99!), and I created a bit more of an organized schedule for my day.  I chose to do about a 10-20 minute cleaning task each day of the week, Monday through Friday.   So I chose a different room for each day...Monday is the kitchen, Tuesday is the bedrooms, Wednesday is the bathrooms, Thursday is the living room and front door/porch area, and Friday is the day I clean van, make meal plan and grocery shop (sometimes) and balance money and organize finances.  Doing these things seems to keep things in order...that is, when I do them.  This is my goal to move more towards in the coming weeks.

Now this is a start, kids chores and chipping in is all being added slowly as well.  I will share more of that later.

That is all I have to share about being a home-lover, loving to take care of the home that God has blessed me with.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether you eat, drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.


Take a listen...



More later, love to you!
Kim

Visit this wonderful inspiring woman of God to learn more about being a home lover, I have learned many good things from her, she is a great mentor for us ladies.

Wife Wednesday

Wife Wednesday.  I have been thinking to myself lately...what is the first thing I learned about being a wife?  At first when I started thinking about what I thought about marriage before being married it started out being thoughts like what can I do to change my husband to make him who "I" want him to be...what does he need to do to make "me" happy...and those thoughts even carried into my marriage once I got married.

Well the simplest thing that I have learned about being a wife is I can't control how it all works out, but I can control my part of it and work on that.  When I do that, things seem to start working much better.  One of the scriptures that I read a few years ago that made me say, "WOW, I'M TEARING MY OWN HOUSE DOWN...with my own hands..."

Proverbs 13:1

A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

I did not realize it AND I did not want to be that girl anymore!


Then...I learned that I can be a crown to my husband.  


Proverbs 12:4
A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.


My goal would be to continually become a nicer and nicer crown for my husband and it's something that has to be intentionally worked at daily and with God's grace (help).


Now I am going to stop thinking/talking about all of the above and going to say this...due to what I am thinking/feeling right now...


IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.


If I try and satisfy all of my needs from my husband, I am going to be sadly disappointed.  God is the only one who can satisfy all of my needs and it is pointless to try and get anything like that from my husband or any human being.

Isaiah 58:11  
The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.


^{Philippians 4:19
19} And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.


That is all for now...more later...love to you,
Kim 

God is My Personal Trainer Tuesday

Through my personal journey and struggle to find the right way to treat my body and to have a body size that I felt was healthy and proper I have read and learned and studied so many things, probably way too many.  I always wanted to have the perfect program and do it the perfect way in order to achieve what....perfection.  Then not just achieve it, but maintain it forever.  Is that even possible, yeah right!!!

So after having my first little one and becoming a Christian a few years thereafter, I started praying about this.  Now there is too much to write in one post to describe all that I went through and learned trying to find that right answer for me, but in the end (or really the beginning of the journey I'm now on in my eating) it was a simple answer God gave to me and He made it very clear.  I still struggle and ask the question, are you sure this is the right thing?!  But I give Him my doubts and press on when there is no reply.  The clear answer that He gave me, and has confirmed it in many ways over the last several years, is to eat when I am truly hungry and stop as soon as I am satisfied (yeah that's right I did not say FULL, but satisfied-meaning I have had enough.)  

One clear scripture as I was reading my Bible asking the Lord to show me what is it that I need to hear and learn regarding my eating was this:

Proverbs 30:8

⁸ First, help me never to tell a lie. 
   Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! 
   Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

Did you see that?!  Just enough to satisfy my needs.  So I had to start learning what that meant in eating.  Boy did I rebel in this and am still learning to not rebel daily with His help.  I actually agreed with Him around the time my youngest babe was born in 2008, and did what He asked with His help and released all extra weight on my body.  But it was not long before I started trying to take things into my own hands (and over about two years put on about 50 pounds) because I felt His way was too difficult for me.  I had never sat still long enough and enjoyed each moment each day without numbing any emotion or circumstance with food, even if it was non-fat, 0-calorie food.  It hurt to sit still in what I was not used to handling day to day in life.  

I believe it was about a year ago that I asked God, who really is the Lord of my life and I gave it all to Him when I was saved in 2003, to be my personal trainer.  So that is what He is and will always be, because He created me and knows exactly what my body individually needs.  

I will continue each Tuesday sharing more and more in this area, what I have learned and what God has taught me, and more and more as I grow as well.

Psalm 139:13-16:

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body 
      and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
 ¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! 
      Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 
 ¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, 
      as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 
 ¹⁶ You saw me before I was born. 
      Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
   Every moment was laid out 
      before a single day had passed.

Have you ever prayed and asked God what He intended for the way you should eat or drink or exercise?  Ever asked God to be your personal trainer?  I think that is the best choice I've ever made (albeit challenging) and I encourage you to go for it and see what He does in your heart and life.

More later...love to you!

Kim

5 Topics in 5 Days

Here are what I am thinking right now.  This will be fun!!  Perfectionism has to be kicked to the curb and stepping out in faith to do what I enjoy and feel led to do is coming in.  Jesus help me! My writing fun begins...

1. Mom Mondays!  Brainstorming:  Enjoying, smiling, training them up in the way they should go, love, passionate, guide, gentleness, did I say enjoying, fun, closeness, building relationships, memories.
2. God is my personal trainer Tuesdays.  Brainstorming:  Spirit-led eating, letting Him fill me, smiling, joy, exercise I really enjoy!  The real Bread of Life.  Freedom.  No longer bound by chains.  Being authentic.  Being real.  Being my real self.  Authentic.  I will not be mastered by anything.
3. Wife Wednesdays.  Brainstorming:  Wife giving 100% of me and my efforts, not 50/50.  Ephesians 5:23-25.  Selfless.  God takes care of me when I take care of my priorities.  What I'm working on and learning in me regarding marriage.  Helpmeet, best friend, companion, #1 earthly relationship, work in progress. 
4. Home Lover Thursdays!  Brainstorming:  Cleaning routines and chores for kids, home management, finances, making home a haven!
5. Friday's Fun in the Kitchen!  Brainstorming:  Recipes, meal planning, what works for your family, allergies and allergy friendly recipes and fun cooking, resources that have taught me.

Listen to the sound of hope that's rising!

More later...love to you!

Kim

Take Time~Mom Monday!

Take time to realize were the words that came to mind this evening when I sat down to share some thoughts.  There was a song that came along with it, although not all of the words really made sense, the first few really clicked.

In being a mom, I am seeing how I want to take much more time to enjoy this season of life!  I want to not miss little moments throughout the day that are memories in the making.  You know I've heard from the more seasoned women who are older than me that this time when children are young goes by so very fast and to enjoy it...THAT is what I want to do.

I would rather start now trying to take time each day enjoying the smiles and laughs and little moments of each day than to have to look back wishing that I had done that.  There were laughs and jokes today, there were memories made, peace in the home, time spent together, growing relationships in our family, these things will not be taken away (I believe they are a treasure in heaven being stored up, that won't be destroyed by rust as Matt 6:20 says below).  They are forever memories.

Did you have a weekend full of any sweet memories that you won't regret?  Are there things that could happen this coming week intentionally to make more sweet memories.  That is what I want to do with God's help, not ignore the chance to make those memories, but to slow down and take time.

Matthew 6:20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. (NLT)

More later...love to you!

Kim

Blogging and me!

Happy Saturday!  I wanted to chime in and share that I am going to work on regular posting now because that is what I enjoy and what I feel led to do.  I will have Monday through Friday posts or Tuesday through Saturday posts, 5 days a week, 5 different topics.  The topics I like the most that I can share from my own heart and life.  So I hope you enjoy reading along with me as I start this journey of regular blogging me.  Here the messy imperfect, but authentic me as I can be, journey continues :)

Here is to this journey!!

Have a great weekend!!

More later...Love to you!

Kim

Intentional

Some short thoughts for this Saturday.  This word has been circling around in my head the past several days.  In order for me to live each day to the fullest, I have to be intentional in things.  If I sit around and wait for things to just "happen", then I am going to be disappointed with the outcome.  I think the most important thing for me right now that I am learning to be intentional about is waking up each day and intentionally looking to God first and giving up the day, myself, and surrendering all over again.

Matthew 6:33 comes to mind..."Seek first the Kingdom of God all else will be added unto you."

Happy 2012 and my One Word

Hello there!  I have not written in a while and have been trying to learn direction from the Lord in all areas of my life.  Trying to stop being so busy (online, social media, Bible studies, activities,projects, plans, etc) so I could listen.  I feel some direction, but it is not all clear yet.  I did want to share here though my "one word" for 2012.  I don't know if you have heard of this, but I first did on K-love radio the beginning of last year, 2011.  I prayed and sought about what my one word for 2011 would be.  Refresh.  That was my word.  I wanted my relationship with the Lord refreshed, and all areas of my life refreshed.  It was a very challenging year, and I held on to things the Lord said to let go of.  I can be so stubborn.  That being said, I did grow, and I did learn.  Change happened and areas were refreshed (although not perfectly from "my" perspective).

I was led to visit a new church, growth happened.  Circumstances came my way and I clung to the Lord with all I had.  He was faithful.  My faith grew and my ability to trust Him grew.  Was let go of a job I had done at home for the past 6 years.  Adjusted to a new at home job that required harder work but but less time, and I adjusted to being more of a stay at home mom.  Finances were renewed and more organization happened in that area.  Towards the end of the year my weight started releasing as I sought Him in how He wanted me to eat and actually listened to what He said and did it by His grace, and continue doing so even now.  There were many areas.  He was there.  He did not leave me and never will leave me.  No matter what may come my way, ever.

So here is 2012.  After praying and seeking about a word that would fit for 2012, what was next?  The word that ended up being THE word was.....LIVE.  That's right, live.  Not live like a live audience, but live, like live your life to the fullest.  Live each moment to the fullest.  Learn how to not numb myself out with the things of this world and with burdens and trying to figure everything out and trying to live for pleasure and trying to control.........but live.  Live each moment, yielded to the Holy Spirit who is alive and thriving right inside of ME.  I believe that.  Why haven't I lived it out?  So starting each day knowing I will live today, live each moment, is what 2012 holds.  Seeking what God's best is for me in each moment.  I can't make a plan in life that will make sense and then live it out having it play out all perfectly and wonderfully and then be completely satisfied with it.  I have tried.  It doesn't work that way.  But what does work and makes a beautiful organized, fruitful, controlled life...is surrendering/yielding it to Him who created me each moment each day doing what His Holy Spirit leads me to do, and then let the results be all His.  It turns out fabulous.  So I am going to give it a try.  I am going to get messy in life, imperfect, learn to not be afraid of messing up and falling down or doing the wrong thing and strive to do what God leads.

Join me in living today?  Live surrendered to the One who has it all in His hands and will make a wonderful beautiful organized fruitful life....and best of all, it will satisfy our deepest desires and needs.  He does that.  Or do you have a one word you feel led to live out by the Grace of God in 2012??  Do share!  Here is the website to read more about it if you want http://myoneword.org/.  

More later...love to you,

Kim