TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS KINDNESS

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Giving in an authentic way doesn’t mean checking off a list and walking away announcing to the world your good deeds. It is giving with your whole heart. It’s taking the time to sit with someone, look them in the eye and tell them what they mean to you. It’s praying for that person. It’s hearing a prompting from the Lord and acting on it…. whether it be a gift of time, money, act of service or love… It’s not expecting anything in return. It’s giving and then thanking God for the opportunity in a quiet humble way.

Pay for coffee for the person standing behind you in line at Starbucks. Ask their name and pray for them when you get back to your car.

In your mother in law or daughter in laws Christmas card include a heartfelt letter about the things you admire about her.

Bring a neighbor something home made and yummy. Attach the recipe and a bible verse.

Engage a checkout clerk in conversation…you never know what her heart may be longing to hear.

Give your grandmother a foot massage and ask her to talk about her childhood with you. Tell her she is beautiful.

Offer to babysit your neighbor's children without wanting anything in return. Yes, the ones with the 6 kids and a dog! While you’re there, do the dishes or bake some cookies. Get on the floor and PLAY!

Write your husband a love letter and leave it in his car.

Make breakfast for your friends. Use your fancy dishes. Pray for them. Tell each lady what makes her special to you and how you see the Lord reflected through them. (someone did that for me recently and I felt SOOOOOOO special and loved! It made me want to pass it on.) Do this for your husband. Your in-laws. Your children.

Live in the moment and cherish it. While putting your kids to bed don’t be thinking about the tv shows you are missing or the laundry you have to put away. Just lay in bed with them and listen to their sweet hearts. Giggle with them. Love them. Pray for them.

Invite someone to church. Sit with them. Give them a hug. Tell them you care.

Give a homeless person some warm socks. Tell them you may never know what it’s like to walk in their shoes but you would sure like to make their journey a little warmer. Ask them their name. Pray for them.

The gift you can give yourself that doesn’t cost a penny….

Tell yourself: I am the daughter of a King. I want for nothing but His love. I need not change for the world. He made me just as He intended.

(So when the world screams at you that you need to be THINNER PRETTIER RICHER YOUNGER SMARTER FITTER BETTER. Throw your head back in laughter and stand firm in what you KNOW to be true. )

May you and your family see in each other God’s reflected love and kindness and may the gift of forgiveness through his only son renew and restore us all.

Merry Christmas dear friends!

Gratitude

Recently, my husband has been travelling quite a bit more than usual and I am just discovering that everything “happens” when the husband is away i.e. colds, flu, muscle spasms and tantrums, leaky rooftops and technological complications that most men are so gifted at fixing. Anyway, if you have a travelling man, you know just what I’m talking about. Needless to say we were anxious to have our traveling man home on this particular week.

On the day my husband was to reunite with us (much to the delight of our two little girls who ask the second Daddy leaves when Daddy is coming home), I got an email from him that started with “Everything is okay”. Now when you get an email like that you know that something is wrong. I braced myself and read further. “ A pilot has had a heart attack and we are re-routing to Reno Nevada. Okay, so now I am visualizing the plane being flown by a professional Nintendo game player and my husband’s last words to me will have been in an email. Gulp. Email is a funny thing. No feelings or emotions can be conveyed…no wink of the eye or wide and comforting smiles, just words on a screen. “The pilot has had a heart attack.” As I read further, I learn that the pilot was indeed a pilot…just not THE pilot. He was a passenger and he was stable. Everything really was going to be okay. My heart swelled with GRATITUDE. When my husband finally got home I hugged him extra hard and thought to myself… colds, flu, muscle spasms, tantrums, leaky rooftops and technical complications…BRING THEM ON. Just bring my husband HOME safely.

Gratitude. Every day. For every little thing.

This thanksgiving season may your heart be filled with gratitude for the people you love, the life you live and the opportunity you have to spread the joy of knowing our Heavenly Father.

…You shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.”

Deuteronomy 26:11

Speak the Truth in Love.

Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15

This verse excites me because it promises that when we speak the truth in love we will GROW in Christ. So just how do we speak the truth in love? Does it mean telling our best friend that she looks terrible in green or mentioning to our husband that there’s a sale at Walgreens for men’s hair dye? Maybe not, but when opportunity knocks will you be ready? When someone reaches out to you, will you let the fear of rejection cloud your ability to gently lead your friend to the Lord? The enemy would love to flood your mind with thoughts of “what ifs”. What if she thinks I’m being self-righteous? What if I don’t know what I’m talking about? What if I don’t feel like getting involved?

If you’re not sure how to handle a situation seek the advice of a wise Christian mentor you trust to keep a confidence. Asking ten friends for their opinion will just end up becoming a gossip fest.

Seek the Lords counsel. He will equip you, give you the words, and bless your commitment to giving Him the glory by growing your faith and understanding.

Speak the truth in love. Simple. Amazing!

How Did I Get Here?

Do you ever ask yourself….How did I get here?

Wasn’t it a heartbeat ago that you were a sweet five-year-old little girl trying to be quiet, sit still and behave? Being a good girl was hard for me. I wanted to express myself with my body and my voice! What were you like at five? What happened to that little girl from so long ago?

Did she get married, have kids and fall into routine and structure? Did that five-year-old girl all grown up ever say to her own daughter “ be quiet, sit still, and behave?” And when she did say those things did she catch herself and ask: how did I get here?

Did that girl pack her children’s bags for college and close the door to her quiet house? Did she keep busy with her career or linger in her garden because she could? Did she look in the mirror and see her mother and ask how did I get here? Where is the girl? The girl?!

Maybe you will always look for the girl in the mirror. Maybe we all will.

Whatever season of life you are in, whether newly married or a mom or empty nester, in the blink of an eye you will be in the next season and then the next. It’s all so fast. When you look in the mirror you will see the girl and the woman and the grandmother all in one and you will ask the Lord… Are you pleased with who I’ve become Lord? What HAVE I done? Has it been enough? Am I ENOUGH? Do you still love me as much as you loved the little girl? How did I get here?

Today as you reflect, pray and give thanks, ask the Lord to pour into you and give you understanding, purpose, direction, peace and affirmation as you move toward the next season and know that by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

Will you pray with me? I got here by your grace Lord and by grace I shall move on to the next season of life. Thank you Jesus for every season because even though THIS season may seem especially hard I know it is in your plan for me and me alone. In Jesus name AMEN.

I encourage you to think about the word Grace. What does it mean to you personally? Ponder it, pray about it, look it up and dig deeper.

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!

You can register by clicking on the link below. Pass this on to your friends. If you have any trouble registering, please email me personally so I can assist you at kare2write@hotmail.com I hope to see you there!

ACF Women Fall Brunch - Lineage of Grace

When: Saturday, September 18th, 9:30-11:30 am

Where: ACF Auditorium

Why: For teaching, fellowship, food and lots of laughter

Who: You – your friends / neighbors / co-workers

Details: Guest speaker, catered brunch, door prizes

Cost: $20 per person

Join us as we begin the journey to explore Biblical Womanhood as God defines it.

Register Online Here!

Summer Soul Food

If you are a voracious reader like I am you likely have a summer reading list. Books that have been recommended to you by friends, the New York Times best seller list, biographies you have been curious about and books you’ve been meaning to read that have piled up on your night stand collecting dust. Ah summer. An invitation to ignore routine and bask in the laziness of unscheduled days. Seems like the perfect time to whittle away at the list. Alas, my reading list has become just that…a list, while I indulge in less challenging choices like magazines that offer a myriad of mind numbing headlines such as “Angelina gives birth to Jennifer’s baby. Shocking fertility mix up that is causing heads to roll. “ Okay I made that up…but well, aren’t ALL the stories in these magazines made up?

I have two baskets in my living room. One is packed full of literature and the other basket overflows with “light reading.” Okay, trash. So why do I gravitate to the trash? Perhaps because after a day of running through sprinklers, trekking to child friendly activities in 100 degree weather and coming home to 18 loads of laundry, I am not exactly energized enough to read Anna Karenina. Let’s face it, magazines offer a 10-minute escape. No brainpower required. Is there a happy medium? A quick read that can actually feed my soul? Yes! Yet as I pass the checkout counter I am still drawn to my friends Angie and Jen. I’m working on it.

I’ve challenged myself to fill my baskets with more God pleasing material. Check out the link below and subscribe to a little summer soul food along with me.

Top 10 Christian Magazines

(Why you won't find a bible in my reading baskets? My bible has a place of honor in a fancy tray in the living room.)

Making a Difference One Pancake Breakfast at a Time

1 Peter 4:10
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

Imagine you are 10 years old. You wake up from a great nights sleep to the smell of buttermilk pancakes wafting through your bedroom. You go to the kitchen and see your mom in her apron, smiling. She tells you that several of your friends are on their way over for a pancake breakfast. Juices line the countertop. You watch as your mom scoops up a handful of chocolate chips to sprinkle in the pancake batter. The griddle sizzles and fills the room with a buttery smell so delicious you salivate. The doorbell rings. Your friends are here!

You think to yourself… mom is good!

Flash forward six years later. It’s Friday and you’re up early. You and your mom share stories as she makes the first batch of pancakes. You notice as the morning sun illuminates your moms blond hair. A girl arrives at the door. It’s 7am. You read with her from the bible and have a laugh over an inside joke. She finishes, thanks your mom and heads to her school, 45 minutes away. It’s a long way to come, but she wouldn’t miss it for the world. 5 more kids show up. Laughter, fellowship, sharing and prayer fill the kitchen.

You think to yourself… life is good!

You’re now 20 years old, on your own and a college student. Every weekend you head home to the familiar smell of pancakes and mom’s smiling face. Friends you’ve had since you were a kid make their way over to your house too until there you all are at the counter again, just like old times, laughing, sharing…eating moms pancakes.

You think to yourself… GOD is good.

Nicole Bryant has made pancakes for her children and their friends every Friday morning before school since her first born son was 14 years old. The tradition continues for her daughter. Yes, she’s been told she’s a fabulous cook, but her passion for teens and her ability to love on them, serve them, and build lasting relationships while sharing the Lords message with them has been her greatest gift.

I met Nicole for the first time a few weeks ago and when she shared her story with me she literally glowed while talking about making pancakes for these kids and how through the years, this simple tradition has blessed so many, herself included.

“It’s not about the pancakes,” she told me. “Sure, the kids love them but it’s really about providing a safe place where the kids can look forward to coming every week. In this kind of environment, the kids really feel like they can open up and share what’s on their heart. They feel loved, cared for and know that this is a home where Jesus is served. We were never the “party house” and the kids still came. Every week they came because they wanted MORE than a party. They wanted to feel special and to belong to something special and at my house they did, every one of them.”

Gifts come in many forms but they all start with KNOWING and LOVING our Father in Heaven.

When you meet Nicole it’s obvious that she knows, loves and serves the Lord with all of her heart and she is truly using her gifts to make a difference…one pancake breakfast at a time!

The Women We Know

When you share with your girlfriend intimate details of your life, shortcomings, disappointments, fears, joys, successes, challenges, health issues, family drama, and the "Ins and Outs" of navigating through this thing called life and the person you are sharing with meets you with prayer, support, a shoulder to cry on, a smile, a Kleenex, hope, humor, and looks at you with understanding do you not just want to yell THANK YOU GOD! Thank you for this gift of a friend because when I'm with her, I feel normal.

Human.

Understood.

Loved.

I am just so grateful for my friendships and for all the ways they touch my life. I really feel like the women we know are the threads that stitch up the biggest warmest invisible quilt that we wear when the storms of life come.

Celebrate the women YOU know in every season of life and Thank our Heavenly Father for the spools of thread that adorn your quilt.

Job 12:7‑10

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

My husband woke up before sunrise, cleared his schedule, drove for two hours and then hiked a mile to photograph this breathtaking scene. It made me think how in life if we truly want to see the beauty of our relationships, we have to wake up early, walk the mile and clear our schedule to give our all. If we become distracted by temptation, get off track, or decide to quit, we miss out on the greater blessing that waits. Like this picture, I want to reflect God's amazing beauty in all my relationships...peaceful, breathtaking, God inspired beauty. His hand IS the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind! Have a blessed day. I hope you find YOUR waterfall.

How Pure Is Your Water Tank?

As per Wikipedia: Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from raw water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose. In general the methods used include physical process such as filtration and sedimentation, biological processes such as slow sand filters or activated sludge, chemical process such as flocculation and chlorination and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light.

The purification process of water may reduce the concentration of particulate matter including suspended particles, parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi; etc.

Have you ever had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with a good friend and said to her after; “You are so refreshing!” Can you think of a time when someone has said that about you? I remember my husband saying it to me on our first date and eight years and two kids later I am wondering how often I am “refreshing” in the eyes of my family.

In our fast paced world filled with daily demands, pressures, heavy burdens and disappointments it’s hard not to feel like there is nothing left to give to those you love most.

When a woman is truly living life as God created her to be, she is like a drink of water to her family.

So the question is, what kind of water do you want to be? Contaminated river water or purified spring water? If your heart is harboring something that is inhibiting you from being a true blessing to your family what can you do about it? This week in my bible study group we discussed forgiveness. One sweet woman pointed out that as Christians we often assume that because we are Christian we think we should have it all together. Our leader said that being a Christian is all the more reason to make asking for forgiveness a daily part of our journey.

Like the process for purifying water, we too need to be filtered through God's amazing grace, which cleanses us from all unrighteousness, purifies our hearts and fills our tank so we can be that refreshing drink of water for our family.

How pure is your water tank?

2 Corinthians 7

¹Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Putting God On Speed Dial

Recently my husband went on a business trip. While he was away, my phone system broke down. I could not get a line out and because I don’t own a cell phone I was completely disconnected from him. It was strange not being able to hear his voice, ask for his opinion about the kids, get his feedback on the Olympics or find out how his day was. I missed him and I had no way to tell him so.

It made me wonder how often I am disconnected from God. I think I sometimes take for granted that God is even an option. Can you relate? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve consulted a friend, my parents or even Google for answers, comfort and understanding while the Lord waits for my call like a gentleman. Isn’t that an awesome visual? God, the perfect gentleman, waiting for you…waiting to hear your hearts desires, wanting to know the details of YOUR day, wanting to connect, to speak, to heal, to love. That’s it! I’m putting God on speed dial!

Three years ago while attending the ACF women’s retreat, Susie Davis gave an inspiring talk about slowing down. She encouraged us to find a quiet spot to just be with the Lord. I walked through the woods until I found a small clearing where there were logs placed around a fire pit. I sat and prayed and listened and watched for God to show me, speak to me, and connect with me. At that time my husband and I had been trying to conceive our second child. After three years and no baby, doctors had called it “unexplained secondary infertility.” All I ever wanted was to be a wife and mother and to struggle with getting pregnant just tore at my heart. Wanting something that badly is tiring let me tell you! As I sat in the quiet, the breeze around me, my eyes became fixed on three hawks that were gliding in the sky. Their wide wings flapped only periodically allowing the wind to carry them. When their wings were still, they were graceful and beautiful. That’s when I heard God’s message for me. He said: You and your family are the birds. See how when they are still, the wind carries them? I am your wind. I will carry you. You don’t have to work so hard to achieve your goals. Let me. I wept and thanked him for freeing me. If I had been in the woods texting or talking on the phone, or even reading a book, I never would have heard God’s very important message for my life. Two weeks later I found out I was pregnant. The power of connecting to God is life changing and although he doesn’t always answer you in the way that you hope…he DOES answer and he delights in hearing from you. Will you put God on your speed dial and connect with him more often? He waits, a gentleman, and wants nothing more than to answer your call and be the wind beneath your wings.

Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God.

My Greatest Love

My Greatest Love

I met him when I was very young. I accepted him easily and spoke to him often over the years going to him to help me work out feelings of loneliness. He was always there for me and I took him for granted.

In my 20’s I still had a relationship with him but it was distant. I had my own agenda and no longer listened to his whispers of wisdom. I had a plan of my own and believed that I could achieve my goals without his guidance. I thanked him for the good things in my life but rarely consulted him in the decisions I made. My decisions were sometimes poor and clouded by my desire to be loved.

I eventually stopped listening to him altogether.

When I choose to dwell in a dark place, he forgave me before I even asked him to. I fell hard in the darkness and tried in vain to swim out of the murky water I dove into. Finally when I thought I might drown, I called for him, surrendered my life to him once again as I had as a child and he swooped in without questioning me, breathing new life into my soul. The love that overcame me was like a peace I had forgotten existed. I no longer had to strive and struggle only to sink…my life was in his hands and I could trust him completely. The love I had with the Lord freed me from my insecurities, my fears of being alone and gave me the knowledge that I could do all things through him that strengthened me.

I live a fulfilling life with my loving husband and two beautiful daughters and I know it is because I listened to God's plan for me that I am where I am. Life is not perfect and I do struggle like everyone else, but I know that during THOSE times, I can lean on Him and He will carry me through, whispering wisdom in my ear like he did when I was a child.

Today and everyday I will listen and know that He is Lord of my life, my greatest love.

Have a Happy Valentines Day.

May you love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul!

Intentional Living

Intentional Living.

This morning I drove my parents to the airport in the dark. New Year’s Day waiting for the rising sun to announce it’s presence. 2010! How many resolutions made? How many sworn diets already broken by a breakfast croissant smothered in butter? I tend not to make New Years resolutions.Things like eat less, exercise more are more of a daily challenge than a yearly promise. Still, as I drove home from the airport I started thinking about my life and how the older I get, the faster the years seem to slide away and the importance of “to do” lists seem more urgent. My young children are such a measure of time. It’s as if I blinked and my baby marched her way into kindergarten. Six years gone and committed to memory. As I pulled into the driveway I thought for a minute about how I got there…to my driveway in the dark, the road I travelled often, committed to memory as if I drove on autopilot barely thinking about my route. Had I been living my life like this also? On autopilot!? Sleep, eat, work, sleep, eat work. Sleep, eat, get married, have children, do laundry. Sleep, eat, do laundry. And suddenly in the dark of my garage at 4am I knew that my New Year’s resolution ought to be to LIVE INTENTIONALLY…to be aware of the speed at which the days pass and to live each one with purpose. To live each day for Christ. I know for sure that I will struggle with this but I also know that it is worth the struggle and that driving on autopilot in the dark is a spiritual journey God wants us to take so that we may see the light beside us glowing over the head of our savior…the pilot.

Happy New Year!

To read more about “Intentional Living” refer to the women’s ministry page for a list of studies available.

Intentional living studies will help you learn what God has to say on various life topics so that you will choose to live your life for HIS purposes. These studies will include video series, books by Christian authors, and teachers from our own Women's ministry. Personal study time, small group discussions, and lectures will help you in this process.