Category Archives: Faith

Are you wearing that?

Posted on by
2

Apparently, people have forgotten how to dress appropriately.  We were raised that you dress for the occasion.  For example, going out to dinner a play, the orchestra or fine dining restaurant meant a dress or skirt, blouse or sweater and dress shoes.  Going to church meant dressing up, because in the words of my mother, “if you can’t dress up for God, who can you?”  Holidays at a relative’s house meant wearing our dress cloths as well.  After college when I began interviewing for jobs there were very specific rules for what to wear to a first interview, second interview.  As well, there were rules about what NOT to wear.

Dressing appropriately does not mean you have to be uncomfortable, it simply means you need to dress for the occasion in an appropriate way according to what you will be doing and the people with whom you will be.  Failure to teach our children this is as atrocious as not teaching them table manners or to respect authority.

What happened to taking pride in how we look?  What happened to taking time to plan our outfit for a special occasion or outing?

Recently, on a Saturday evening we went to the ballet at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.  My husband wore slacks, collared shirt and jacket.  I wore black dress slacks and a dressy sweater.   There was a group of girls sitting two rows in front of us all dressed in skirts and sweaters.  It was obvious that their ballet instructor had brought them and had “coached” them on behavior and what they should expect.  In contrast, I saw a woman with her two daughters wearing dingy sneakers, Capri pants and t-shirts.

Before you call me a snob for pointing out that the mother and daughters were not dressed appropriately, read on.  Do you think they were comfortable among others who were dressed up?  It does not take a lot of money to dress up a little more than Capri pants and sneakers — even to put them in Walmart brand dress cloths.

I’ve heard preachers explain from the pulpit while wearing cargo pants and sandals that “ties just weren’t them.”   That’s fine, but could you at least wear long pants and a collared shirt?  You want to present yourself as a credible source of information.  I’m not sure I can take someone in cut-offs seriously when he is trying to lead me to salvation.  Tell the congregation (especially those checking church out for the first time) that you are a believable.  Isn’t worship time our gift of ourselves to God?  Why wouldn’t we want to look our best?

Ok, while I’m on the subject let’s talk about the “baggy pant syndrome” that so many of our teens are lost in.  We were in the park watching some kids play ball while on the other basketball court older boys were playing a shirts and skins pick-up game.  The whole time he was playing this one guy was struggling to run, be ready for the ball, shoot and hold his pants up.  I was scared that I was going to learn more about this boy than I needed to know.  Besides how fun was that for him to not just be able to run and enjoy the game? 

Let me encourage you to take a look at yourself.  You are a precious child of God, a special person.  Take pride in looking your best and presenting yourself appropriately.  If you are a parent, teach your children what it means to dress and present themselves with pride and confidence.  How we wear our cloths says a lot about how we feel about ourselves.

What do you think?

All the best,

KK

P.S. — I also believe appropriate dress for a day off at home or running errands is sweats, no make-up and hair in a pony tail. 

Take Ten

Posted on by
1

I don’t travel long or far without a book to read in my car, bag or purse.  It may be a novel I’m reading for fun, a how-to book on writing or editing techniques or a business trend book.  Many times I have a variety of all three going at once.  Having these books handy means that if stuck in traffic I can get a page read, or by chance I’m early for an appointment, a chapter could be consumed, or if I’m at ball practice watching Cole, I might get a little reading done.  These opportunities give me minutes that I use to take in a story or information.  Why then, didn’t I mention the Bible?

Before we state the obvious, think of the books of the Bible in terms of the stories they tell.  Family histories, trials, triumphs, love, drama and a happy ending – the same kinds of stories we pull off the shelves in the fiction section.  The Bible provides the “how to” and “self-help” for any situation or season of life.  And yet, it’s not in our quick read pile.

Why not pick up the inspired word of God for a verse, chapter or book?   The Bible comes in all shapes and sizes.  It can be taken anywhere.  Yet, we leave by the bed, on a shelf or in the car only to carry into church on Sunday morning.

The one, five or ten minutes in traffic or waiting on others when we pull out our other reading materials, we could use to connect with God’s word and the people He used to teach us.  I certainly am not saying to exclude a good fiction or informational book from your reading.  I’m encouraging you to keep the Bible in your regular reading pile.  Treat it like the life handbook and great literature that it is.

Let me know how it goes.

All the best,
KK

Welcome to the Creation

Posted on by
Reply

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

Posted on by
Reply

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…

Posted on by
Reply

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?

Posted on by
2

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