Happy New Year...

When Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan into the Promised Land, he directed them to follow the Ark of the Covenant, borne by the priests, because... “You have never passed this way before,"  Joshua 3:4.

As we enter this new year of 2014,  we too, will encounter many new experiences.  For some,  the coming 12 months may be the best we've known.  For others, they could be marked with sorrow and disappointment.  No one knows what lies ahead, simply because “we have not passed this way before”.  That fact can strike fear to our hearts, but need not, if we are trusting the Lord for direction in the following days and months.

In this year seek the face of God, keep an open mind and spirit to what God is calling, asking, us to do ... And do these things by the "renewing of your minds." (Romans 12:2)

Phillipians 4:8 (NLT) says... "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you."

....and for this new year...let's do this!

And I'm Just Sayin'.

-Kelly

Almost Christmas...

I should be saying something kind of "Christmas-ey."  So, I'm not going to.

Recently a good friend was challenged by the idea of success.  So I have thought, about that...a lot.  

What really makes us successful?

Let’s talk about the world’s view of success compared to God’s view.  

According to the dictionary success is "… the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors, the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or stuff like that".  -- This definition of success is based on tangible things and what other people think of you.  (O.K. I added the "stuff like that part.")

However, there is a path to success that is TRUE and FOUNDED upon God’s word.

1 Kings 2:3  (NIV)

3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: (1) Walk in obedience to him, and (2) keep his decrees and commands, (3) his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go

Success for the believer is based on the Word and not attempts at gaining worldly popularity or material gain. 

When you grasp the first three principles of success, a fourth principle becomes obvious.  If we read 1 Kings 3 - you discover what God adds. God asked Solomon, “What do you want?” And Solomon requested wisdom.

To be a successful Christian, we need to keep  three points in focus — what to eliminate, what to retain, what to evaluate — if we do that God will add a measure that will allow us to be successful with excellence.

In 1 Kings 2, Solomon had already shown wisdom. This is an example of spiritual giftedness being used as natural ability.

Spiritual ability and sensitivity is what the Holy Spirit gives beyond our natural ability. So ... Solomon gets to use his natural wisdom in 1 Kings 2, and his faithfulness results in the giving of supernatural wisdom in 1 Kings 3.

Once you've been as fair as you know how, let God direct what comes next.  The ultimate discernment for what you should be doing lies with God and the wisdom He provides to us all...that is true success!

Joshua 1:8  (NIV)

8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Hey friends...let go, - Let God - and you will always be a success!  Can I get an amen?

...and I am just sayin'...

- Kelly

The Storyteller

It's Christmas - time.  Time - to tell the story of Christmas.  No...not the story of crushing lines at Walmart, nor the story of a great meal prepared.  This is the time to tell the story of Jesus. Remember this..."I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.  I love to tell the story...because I know 'tis true..." Is this true for you?  I like to tell a good story...it's a lost art.  What if we told a good story...in the community of faith.  Remember - we used to tell stories ...some would call them testimonies. Revelation 12:11 (NIV) "They triumphed over him,  By the blood of the Lamb, And by the word of their testimony..." Sharing our faith, "our story" publicly is a step in spiritual growth and personal ministry. There is a great peace and joy that comes by honoring God with your life and your words.  You are The storyteller. We build up the church when we hear about God's working among His people. We gain strength from hearing about how God saw someone through a challenge. Our faith grows and our doubts are dealt with.  Our stories build the body of believers. The listener who identifies says, “Their story sounds like my story.”  In some way our lives connect with the storyteller.  Somehow what was shared gives hope where the listener thought there was no hope. They are not alone, they know now. Someone else has been through what they are going through. "I don't know Jesus..." proclaims the listener who is lost.  If I don't know Jesus, I have now heard how I could know Him. If I have not heard about how he can change lives, now I have heard it is possible. If all I have known about Jesus was political or tainted in some way, I can now balance that out with a true story according to a person like me. Tell the story of Christmas...."because we know it's true...." And by the way...I'm just sayin'. See Ya' Soon! Kelly