Category Archives: Encouragement

Living the Word

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God is strong.  His hands formed and sketched the nature we ignore half the time.  His reach saved Peter from drowning and his voice calmed the storm.  And yet, as believers, with that strength at our request, we wait and we try to carry it all on our own.  There are hundreds of verses in the Bible we love to hear and they bring comfort or reassurance.  But recently, I’ve been living a verse that while it brings comfort, it is also a challenge for me to grow up spiritually.  Second Corinthians 12:9 “…my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  The context of this verse is when Paul asked the Lord three times to remove the thorn from his flesh.

 We all carry thorns of our sinful nature.  Some reading this post may carry a thorn of an emotional or physical struggle.  In God’s infinite wisdom, he knows better than to just poof heal us.  Let’s face it, we already live in a time of instant gratification (I won’t go there now), but how silly of us to think that we know better than God.

In living out this verse over the past few weeks, I have found myself learning to reach out to other believers and ask for help or prayer; I’ve learned to lean on my husband more and feel more of his unconditional love; I’ve reached for the scriptures more.  In my weakness, I have found God in a new light, one that has led to a deeper walk, and greater searching to know Him more.  He is my heavenly father, and I want to run to Him and feel his comfort and wisdom.  Not that I am a fake person, but I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve.  Those closest to me are those with whom I confide.  It is those believers who have shown me Jesus.

Yes, in our weakness or brokenness God is strong, but He is strong anyway.  Will we ever learn to not wait until we are completely down to look up?  Will we ever learn to lay our burdens at the cross sooner?

Be encouraged to take the hand of the Father and walk with Him.  Let me know where he takes you.

All the best,
KK

Social Media and Birthday Greetings

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Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin changed the way I celebrated my birthday this year.  First of all, you need to know that I like having a birthday.  If it didn’t mean getting older, I’d do it more often.  But anyway, whether you like having a birthday or not, it is fun when others remember it (especially when you don’t remind them to remember it).  To me, a birthday is a day to remember that in God’s plan for my parents’ life he put that day and that time in place for me to be born.  The God of the universe knew my birthday before anyone else.  Pretty cool; and He knew yours too.  How much more special can you feel?  That’s why I like my birthday, because it reminds me of how important I am to my heavenly father.

Something else struck me this year though.  I was surprised and blessed by the number of Facebook and Linkedin greetings I received on my birthday.  People I don’t hear from on a regular basis or haven’t had the opportunity to speak to in years sent me birthday wishes.  How kind of them!  I was so touched that I responded to every one of them.  If they were going to be kind enough to take time out of their day to wish me well, I could take time to show them appreciation.

For all the cold, impersonal or weird status remarks we see in our various social mediums, on my birthday there were a lot of warm, kind wishes and thoughts sent.  Think about what this shows us, with the stroke of a few keys and two minutes out of our day we can encourage others.  Why wait for a birthday?  Choose a friend you haven’t heard from in a while and drop them a word to see how they are doing.

All the best,

KK

A Guy and his dog

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A couple of weeks ago I was driving on I-64E near the Gene Snyder.  When I describe to you what I saw remember I was traveling 65 miles an hour (or so) and was trying to not miss my exit.  As I made my approach to the exit there was a hitchhiker with a small dog.  The man had a beard and a full size pack as if he had everything he owned in the pack or was just prepared for a long journey.  Ok, so we’ve all seen hitchhikers or backpackers, but what struck me as unusual was the small dog he had on a leash with him.

Then just today I was the exit at I-64 and Hurstbourne lane.  A man was there with a red and black back pack and a dog on a leash.  It was not the same man or the same dog.  While waiting for the light to change I observed a woman in an SUV stop.  That’s right, she didn’t just hand him some odd change or a dollar, she pulled off the road, got out of her car and asked him if his dog had been fed.  She then proceeded to open the back of her car and pull out a opened bag of dog food and bowl.  She poured some food in.  While the dog was wagging its tail, it didn’t seem too hungry; even when she pulled out the milk bones.  She gave him some extra dog food for later.

Our light turned green and we had to leave the scene.  It just made me wonder about the man and his dog and even the woman.   Driving past them, I couldn’t help but remember the other man I’d seen.   Two men probably homeless each with a companion, a dog.  I wondered about the woman who stopped to help one of the dogs.

Tonight as we said our bedtime prayer, we prayed for these people who God created for a purpose and that He would take care of them.

What are your thoughts?

All the best,

KK

Step outside your own perspective –

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From inside my house looking out I can see snow, lots and lots of snow.  Looking to our front yard I can’t see the landscaping wall.  It’s all blended in with nearly seven inches of snow.  The street and sidewalks are covered.  Looking out our window, it’s obvious that there is too much snow to go anywhere.  But I did.

I drove two blocks down to the main entrance of our neighborhood and the site was much different.  The road at the end of our street was clear.  It has a few wet spots, but for the most part is it was dry and easily passable.

Sometimes our perspective on things keeps us stuck where we are.  If I judged whether or not to go out based on what my yard and what the neighborhood looked like, I would be at home for the next month.  But a trusted source told me it was ok to venture out, in fact, once at the end of my street, things were better than they were in front of my house.  I would never had known or experienced the difference had I not left my driveway.

Have you limited your options because of your perspective?  Have you not trusted someone to help you pull out of your comfort zone to something better?

We have all done it – in our jobs, in our relationships (or fear of relationships), in our life experiences.  We have stayed inside our safe, warm homes thinking there was snow and ice everywhere, and not trusted those who have gone before us.

Sometimes at work if I’m trying to work out a problem or detail on a project I will sit on the other side of my desk in the visitor’s chair.  Changing my point of view, changing my perspective many times brings new ideas or fresh answers.

Be encouraged today to step out and explore a little, change your scenery and you might change your mind and heart about some things.  Let me know how it goes.

All the best,

KK

Joshua did it and we can too…

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The water of the Jordan was at flood stage.  Not being a very wide river, at flood stage it raged.  The leaders, the priests who were carrying the ark, the sacred ark. were told to go to the waters edge and then take one more step.  That step of faith that was not made out of being rational, but out of their faith in God to protect or teach.  In this situation, God taught the Iseralites about His mighty strength.  His strength to stop the flood waters to make a way for His people to pass.

The priests were told to go and stand in the water, so it was more than one step, it was several.  I wonder what the priests on the front of the ark thought when they took the very first steps into the raging waters.  Did the waters slow to allow them to keep their footing?  Or did God allow them to feel a little unstable at first and then as the water was held back they stabled themselves?  Did the two guys in the back think as they followed?

What would you have done?  Would your palms have been sweaty?  Could you feel the ark slip a little?  Feel the cool water as you first step in, steady, ok, still standing…

We have the waters of challenge every day.  Sometimes they are at flood stage and stay awhile only to crest just below our chin.  It’s the Lord who carries us through those floods.  While it may not feel like it, it is God who holds the water just enough so as to protect us through the flood.

There are those who have gone before us and are on the other side of whatever flood stage river you are trying to cross right now.  Are you on the waters edge and afraid to take the next step toward the promise, the life, the blessing God has for you?  With every step God is there to teach, to hold and to love you.  Yes, you will feel the waters try to knock you down.  Yes, you will feel the slippery steps.  But the steps of faith, the steps toward God while may seem shaky are still steps toward the God who voiced those waters into being.

That’s what I’m counting on.  Not the flooded river, or the slimy rocks, or my ability to navigate across, lead me dear God.

Be encouraged today that while God can do anything, we can do something – a single step of faith into the waters of the world.

All the best,
KK

Hey moms, what do you do for you?

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Recently after a family dinner at my sisters we were sitting around the table talking.  My mother began to ask us (my sisters and I) how we managed our lives; full time work, kids, kid activities, housekeeping.  You have to understand that my mother is 73 years old.  She is from that generation of women who were raised to be homemakers.  They would get married and their “job” would be to raise the children and run the house – cooking, cleaning, and carpool.  You know the drill from reruns of Leave It To Beaver.  June Cleaver made running the vacuum in pearls look appealing.

Anyway, mom continued to ask questions to try and understand how we managed our time, children and home.  After reviewing a weekly schedule with her, she asked when we had time to clean.  My answer was that I find a chunk of time – a couple of hours that I can blow through my thousand square feet with a vacuum.  No, my house may not be ready for “the boss to come to dinner” every night, but we manage to keep from being on the haz-mat top ten list.  We keep it within an hour of being “company ready”.

It was clear in our conversation that each of us manages our time differently, but we all agree that we would rather spend our time with our kids and family than worry about buffing the kitchen floor.  Kids go to sleep, then we can clean out the closet or finish the dinner dishes.

The last question mom asked was “what do you do for your self?”  In unison my older sister and I said, “We soak”.  Most of the reading for fun I do in a day is done in the 20-30 minute soak in the tub.  It doesn’t matter what kind of day I’ve had, that soak can melt away most stressors.  I come out of the bathroom a new woman.  Even my son and husband know to not bother me while I soak.

My soak may or may not include bubbles and almost always includes a good book.  When bubbles are in order, usually it’s a soft citrus or peppermint scent.  If I really need my brain to disengage, I will put a little candle on the side of the tub and just be – low light, bubbles and a warm bath.

Mom’s today do have a full load.  Our day is as full and our priority is still the family.  The way we serve our families is just different then our mothers or grandmothers.

Tell me, what do you do for yourself?  At the end of a long day or week what is your “special thing”?  If you don’t have something that is all yours that helps you relax and re-center be encouraged to  find it or rediscover it.

Keep me posted…

KK

Something Extra-Ordinary

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Have you seen or experienced something extra-ordinary lately?  Something that was different in a good way that made you stop your hustle and just experience the moment? My moments lately have involved birds for some reason. 

A couple of weeks ago I was leaving a business meeting and on a rail outside the building was a mother bird feeding her young a moth.  First of all I thought birds only ate worms, but evidently, this family had a broader menu.  The site of this stopped me in my pace.  There in midst of a busy downtown Louisville, a mother took care of the most basic need of her young.

She flew to the rail where the young ones were perched and she leaned in close to allow a bird to feed.  After a peck or two she turned to her second child and fed it from the same moth. 

The amazing thing is that nobody taught her how to feed her young.  She just knew her responsibility and did it.  My day was blessed and my attitude was changed by just taking 5 minutes of unscheduled time to take in this extra-ordinary site.

Be encouraged today to allow yourself to expect the unexpected blessing in your day.  Don’t forget to stop and enjoy a moment of something unusual or refreshing.  Take a deep breath and be in that moment.  It’s a moment that will carry you. 

All the best,
KK

Shout to the world and make a difference…

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For the past couple of days there has been a dog on the beach.  A beautiful Labrador type dog would just stand on the edge of the surf and bark at the ocean. There were no boats or swimmers for him to bark at, he was just barking.  It made me wonder, what was that dog thinking?  What was he trying to say?

If you stand on the edge of the ocean and scream some great message that will change the world, the sound of the waves breaking may drowned you out. 

If you stand on the edge of the ocean and throw a rock you have started a ripple that will last until some force stops it.  Ripples work alone.

If I go into the ocean then I can carry my message to others.  There will be times when the waves try to knock me down but if you go with me and hold my hand, then we can strengthen each other against the waves.

IF is a big word that carries a lot of weight.  It’s the difference between thinking about doing something that will make a difference and actually DOING it.

Be careful, you could IF your way through life and get to the end having never experienced the strength something as big as or bigger than the ocean has to offer.  If you have something to tell the ocean or those who live on its edges, carry your message to anyone who will listen and invite them to join you in your journey to making a difference.

Think about it,
KK

Things not to miss – be in the moment

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In our hurried schedules and rushing lifestyle, what are we missing?  One of the life lessons that has come to me recently is “being in the moment.”  Short of an emergency, I have the time to slow down when the opportunity presents itself to experience, truly experience something wonderful in a given moment.  There are times when multitasking is good and necessary.  For those other times let me encourage you to take a deep breath and look around.  Are you missing something?  Are you sacrificing the experience of life on the altar of productivity?

Recently I was hustling around running errands trying to squeeze in the opportunity to drop off dry cleaning into a packed schedule when a family of geese decided to cross the street.  They took their time with no regard for the long line of cars filled with professionals headed to the nearby office buildings.  It struck me that they really didn’t care about my schedule or any of the others.  The young geese have fluffy down coats and followed mom.  Her only concern was the safety of the young. 

As I slowed down to a stop and watch, a smile came to me.  The simplicity of their lives, the peacefulness of their way – reminded me to pay attention and take in the moment.

Yesterday on my way to work I saw a couple riding a bicycle built for two.  It was totally out of place crossing traffic at rush hour.  The site rattled my thoughts away from my “to do” list and onto something refreshing.

What have you seen lately that makes you stop and think?  Let me encourage you to not to miss what is going around you.  Is there something that is extra-ordinary, that gives you a smile or breaks your mundane thoughts and stresses of life?

All the best,
KK

Just go ahead and embrace it…

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Someone once said that there are only two things you can count on:  death and taxes.  Well, I am here to tell you that there is one thing grossly missing from this list – change.  The last two years have more than proven to me that death and taxes happen far less than change.

As one of those individuals who loves a good checklist, and never lets the first week of January end before my goals are written, change didn’t come smoothly.  Changes in our lives can be good but even good can be stressful.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all about personal growth and improving ourselves.  But sometimes external forces bring us situations that cause change in our path, attitude or situation – all of which can be embraced and really used as a life learning opportunity.  Easier said than done, but let me encourage you to take a look at where you are in life and consider what the last five years have brought. 

Did life happen and did you struggle through?   Having done this little exercise, I can tell you that I made some mistakes, and a lot of things changed in my world that weren’t on any list or in any of my goals.  I’ve learned more about myself and what I want in this world and my purpose in this world.

What better way to embrace change than to take advantage of the opportunity to check ourselves and ride the wave of change.  Fighting it may get you caught in the undertow.  If that happens, just stand up, the water may not be that deep.

Think about it.

 All the best,
KK