Tag Archives: love

On December 24th

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candleOn December 24, 1999, I sat in a candle-lit church sanctuary. My stomach was rounded by the second trimester of pregnancy with my first child, a son. The vocalist came out and began to sing, “Mary did you know?” The song goes through all of the wonderfully miraculous things Jesus, the child she would carry and deliver, would do. The song crescendos with how her son would deliver her and the world from their sins.

Believe me, I have no delusions about my own son. He is a normal boy who has been loved and disciplined along the way. Nowhere close to the perfection of Christ. But years ago, sitting there listening to all of the things the Christ-child would do only reminded me of all the things my child might do for Christ. How would my baby’s life play into the kingdom?

If you are pregnant at Christmas this year, or have young children, look at them just as Mary looked at her son who had a divine appointment from inception. Our children have a purpose for the glory of God. Pour into them the scriptures. Pray for God to reveal to them their role in His plan.

My son is 14 now and we are going through some of the stuff teen-agers experience. When he hits a bump in the road I don’t pretend to have all the wisdom and answers. Sometimes I sleep on a big question or difficult request. He knows it too. He knows that if I don’t have the answer, I’m going to pray about it and get back to him. I hope this is a lesson that is more caught than taught. May he continue to grow-up knowing that while we don’t have all the answers, God does.

The seeds are planted and each day I cling to Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

I wonder, how did Mary pray for her child? God incarnate. She was young and innocent. So much of what Christ experienced had never been seen before. She had no earthly reference point. But she had the scriptures and the prophecies. God gives what we need.

Unlike the Christ-child, our children will make mistakes and make bad choices. Haven’t we all. May they all land in the loving arms of Christ who was once a baby and then a man who grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).

Mother did you know?

Merry Christmas,

KK

P.S. — Enjoy this video while you pray for your child or children, Mary Did You Know? (Pentatonix free download)

 

 

 

Who are you better than?

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creative-inspirational-quotes-thoughts-part11-61What do you think about this statement? Are you on a journey to be ever-growing, learning and changing? Your core beliefs might remain the same, but there is something to be said for building wisdom around them.

Your thoughts,

KK

Purpose of Pride

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A haughty spirit is said to mean “disdainfully prideful”. That’s a lot of pride. The first part of this verse in Proverbs is the one we hear the most, “pride goes before destruction”. But if destruction isn’t bad enough to make personal changes, the completion of the verse states that a “haughty spirit goes before a fall.” So if the destruction doesn’t get ya, look out because more pride just brings more trouble; right?

On the other hand, if striving for excellence, a little pride and making a strong effort goes a long way especially when things get hard. Pride and desire to be great, gives strength in the most challenging times of work, a ballgame or relationships. The human spirit and its refusal to give up and determination to succeed are by-products of pride. In the end, even if success isn’t reached, there are other successes realized; stronger character, more wisdom.

Is pride good or evil?

Think about it,
KK

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Spiritual Myth #3 – “God Loves You Unconditionally”

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This article will make you think.  From retired minister Bob Russell,

Spiritual Myth #3 – “God Loves You Unconditionally”.

Would love your thoughts.

KK

6 Things I’m grateful for – One at a Time – Number 2

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Today I am thankful to be both a mother and a wife.  I have a teenage son who is becoming an outstanding young man.  Don’t get me wrong, we have our moments where I have to stop, take a deep breath and realize he will grow out of some of the typical teenage attitudes.  But for the most part it brings me great joy and great challenge to raise him.

There hasn’t been a stage of raising Cole that I have liked better than the other.  I loved cuddling and caring for him as an infant.  As a toddler and small child he was all smiles.  The worst part of my day was leaving him at daycare every morning, but the best part of my day was picking him up in the evening.  He was into super heroes for many years, so I never had to fear danger because Spiderman or Buzz Lightyear was never far away.  Elementary years were when things got a little challenging because his questions got bigger.  I realized I needed some wisdom to help him begin to enter the bigger boy world of friends, sports, and building character.   Every stage has been enlightening and has driven me to my knees more than once.  Next year we head into high school; I’ll keep you posted.

Believe it or not, I sometimes feel less equipped to be a good and Godly wife than I do a mother.  Five years ago I married a wonderfully Godly man who loves me and Cole with all of his heart.  There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for either of us.  Getting remarried in my forties, I found myself older and smarter about how to do marriage right.  First of all, I know Jay needs to know I respect him.  I appreciate all of his hard work to provide for us.  I love his personal convictions and character.  Secondly, we work together equally.  If I need Jay’s help, he is available and willing.  Just about every morning I ask him if there is something I can do for him.  He is a very independent sort and he may not ask me if there is something I can help with.  The other reason I am mindful to ask him is that I know it’s easy for me to get lost in my own to-do list and not consider others.  Cole teases us because he’s never heard us fight.  We don’t.  We love each other and work very hard to think of the other person first.  With both of us doing this, it really makes being a wife a joy.  Don’t get me wrong, there have been times when one of us has hurt the other’s feelings.  In those times a little communication goes a long way.  The hurt doesn’t stew, we talk about it and each of us is quick to apologize.

These two men make it very easy to serve them as mother and wife.  I am very thankful for the opportunity to do so every day of my life.

All the best,

KK

A Child Being Mistreated

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sad childOk, what would you do? I was sitting in a fast food drive-thru, had paid for my food and was waiting. Just as they passed in front of me the “mother” grabbed the little girl by the back of her head and yanked her hair clearly mad at her for something. The little girl screamed and began to cry. I almost came out of my car to grab the mother’s hair to see how she liked it. The scene hurt me to the core. The mother let go and went into the restaurant with the “grandmother” and the son. I still wanted to go after the mother, but decided all that would do would cause a fight with the woman not resolving her heart issue.

I said a prayer of protection over the children and for God to deal with the mother. I watched as the father comforted the child and she settled down. As they walked in I noticed on the girl’s t-shirt the saying, “God is on our side.” May she always know that saying as true.

What would you have done?

KK

Who’s the victim now?

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freedom  At some point in everyone’s life something bad happens.  The country music industry is proof of that.  How many songs are all about heart-ache and double crossing meanness?  Maybe you were shorted an opportunity as a child, as a young adult someone lies or breaks your heart, or as a professional someone discredits you to the point of losing your job.  Take a look at these three scenarios — what’s the commonality?  What could you control?  Finding yourself as a victim offers the opportunity for choices.

You have the choice to stay down in the situation and wallow, or you can take charge of your responsibility in the situation, how did it get as bad as it did?  What could you have done differently?  Answers to these questions allow the freedom to grow as a person, move forward and not remain stuck.

Even if it takes years to grow up and out of the situation, at some point in order to be free of the chains of victimization, you have to own the situation, learn from it and grow into a wiser person.

Hanging on to unfair situations in the past only burdens the future.  This process of overcoming injustices can be freedom3amazing and freeing.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is work on bettering yourself and breaking free when others around you don’t live by the same life-long values.

Consider yourself challenged to do some soul-searching and decide today what stronghold or area of your life needs addressing.  Can you see yourself as successfully walking away from being a victim and being free from whatever restricts you from being the best you were created to be?  Is it an area that at the end of your days you will be thankful you addressed?

All the best,

KK