Category Archives: Faith

Welcome to the Creation

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On a cloudy rainy day, you might have a headache.  During the winter months when our days are shorter, you might feel blah.  On a night when the moon is full and its rays light the darkness, you might feel more restless.  On sunny afternoon you may struggle to stay inside.  You are drawn out of doors for a walk or to relax in the sun.  When you see the first blooms of spring, does something inside you feel hopeful?

These are pretty rudimentary examples, but I encourage you to think about your connection to God’s creation.  We don’t live outside of the creation, we are part of it.

I’ve been thinking recently about the connection humans have with the creation.  Too many times we don’t consider that we are part of it, the earth and world.  Man was created just like the earth, sky, light and darkness.  God reached down and formed Adam from the dust of the ground – from the earth, He created Adam.  Think about it.  Ponder for a moment that our Creator took His creation a step further.

After the seas and the sky, animals and even the garden, God created a man and breathed into Him from the same breath that put air in our atmosphere.  Why don’t we consider more often our connection to the creation?

All the best,
KK

…and the soul felt its worth

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One of my favorite Christmas songs is Oh Holy Night.  And my favorite phrase is “…and the soul felt its worth.”  The soul felt its worth.  It doesn’t say, your soul or my soul, it’s the soul; a universal statement that tells us that as a collection of souls — believers then, now and in the future experienced the purpose of Jesus.  The purpose of Jesus was at His birth and through his life to give us worth.

What is our worth?  What is your worth?  What is my worth? Can we really measure our worth?  What I do know is that if you were the only one on earth that needed saving, Jesus would still have come, ministered, and died.  That is your worth and mine. Do you know this in your mind?

Let’s talk about your heart and soul.  How do we move the knowledge of Jesus to the truth in our heart?  Consider how Jesus came to us.  He wasn’t born into an earthly family of affluence.  He understood what it was to see his parents struggle to make “ends meet.”  He watched his father work endless hours to provide and when he was old enough, he joined his earthly father in his earthly work.  He wasn’t born into a royal family, because he left his throne in heaven.  It was never His purpose to reign on earth by our means.   I remind you of this because Jesus truly understood and experienced our total human experience.  He didn’t just observe and learn; He felt it.  He lived it.  He knew hunger and physical need.  He knew rejection from those he loved.  He knew temptation straight from the devil himself.  He had no home and lived simply on the day to day provision of His heavenly father.

Jesus knew His worth and purpose and on that silent night with little fanfare and only the animals in a barn, God showed believers then, today and forever their worth.

Does your soul felt its worth? Be encouraged at his moment to not click another button before you take some time, close your eyes picture the birth and life of Christ and know He did it for you.  You have that much worth in the eyes of the God of all creation.

Merry Christmas,
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

Can we COEXIST?

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Recently I have noticed a bumper sticker with the word COEXIST on it written in symbolic letters representing different genders, religions and beliefs.  The first couple of times I saw it, I tried to figure out the symbols, but then I saw it on three more cars in the same day.  This made me think.  Is it possible to truly coexist?  It is my hope that those who know me see that I try to live my faith and beliefs.  But what if my faith and beliefs disagree with yours?  Can we work together or be friends?  Can we respect one another and our differences?  The answer is yes.

 I will not compromise to be your friend, but I’m mature enough to agree to disagree.  Actually, I will respect you if you live your beliefs even if I disagree with you.  At least you are being consistent and true to yourself.

I might share with you my beliefs and invite you to make them yours, but don’t take them unless you are really going to live them.  Be yourself don’t lose your self trying to be my friend or anything special to someone else.

There are people very close to me who disagree with my political views.  Over the last several months of election and change of administration, we have had several conversations about politics and the priorities of each party.  We bantered back and forth several times making various points that made the other think a little, but neither changed sides.

Coexisting with different beliefs spiritually or politically is one thing among friends or co-workers, but it’s a whole other issue when it’s a dating relationship.  I do believe that a couple needs to have similar spiritual beliefs to make a relationship work.  Relationships are hard.  Marriage is a blast, but has its challenging moments.  In those times – those seasons – that aren’t all chocolates, roses and googly eyes, you have to have a belief system that follows the same guides.  Otherwise, when it comes time to figure it out, one of you is going to come at the problem from one side and the other from a whole other direction.  If your convictions are weak, you may cave in.  When you do that, you are losing part of your self.

My encouragement to you is to respect others and accept them where they are.  But don’t get sucked into believing something you have no good reason to believe.  Do your own research and choose your beliefs wisely – be it moral, spiritual or political beliefs.

All the best,
KK