Friday, November 27, 2009

'I'm Free To Be Me...and You're Free To Be You'

At twenty years of age
I'm still looking for a dream
A war is already waged for my destiny
But You've already won the battle
And You've got great plans for me
Though I can't always see, 'cause...

I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me

When I was just a girl
I thought I had it figured out
See my life will turn out right
And I'll make it here somehow
But things don't always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt, 'cause...

And you're free to be you

Sometimes I believe
That I can do anything
Yet other times I think
I've got nothing good to bring

But You look at my heart and you tell me
That I've got all You seek
And it's easy to believe, even though...

And you're free to be you


-Free To Be Me-Francesca Battistelli (Yes, another one)


So, look at these lyrics. We all have a couple dents in our fenders and rips in our jeans...and lets face it, perfection is our enemy. On our own we are clumsy (even though we like to think otherwise), but on His sholders we can see we are free to be ourselves.

God didn't make us robots, we are free to be ourselves. It is because of this freedom that we have dents in our fenders. But if we didn't, we'd be robots, and God didn't want that! He wanted us to be FREE.

-K

Thursday, November 26, 2009

My thoughts on being truly thankful

So, I've been thinking. Are we REALLY thankful in our everyday lives? I know I'm not always.
Think about that homeless guy you pass on your way to work. Yeah, maybe he could get a job at McDonalds, and chooses not to, but the fact is, he IS less fortunate than we are. We (including me) pass him many times locking the doors. What if we at least prayed for him? God still loves him.


It disturbs me when people say 'FML' or 'My life sucks'. Really? Really? There ARE kids in Africa that are dying of hunger! I KNOW you have had at least one meal today. Yeah, I don't know the answers to every aspect of life, but I do know that we are all made in God's image. When we say that our life sucks, or that we hate the way we look, we are dissing God. Think about it before you say it the next time.

I made a ringtone a couple months ago of the song 'Thank You' by 33 Miles, and I use it as my alarm. It gets you thinking as you wake up. The ringtone goes like this:

'What if in the morning when I wake up,
Even before I fill my coffee cup, I said 'Thank You, Thank You'
What if I looked at the day and the hours ahead and before I moved forward
I bowed my head and said 'Thank You', oh I said,'Thank You'
What if I looked at my life in a different way,
Took a little more time to stop and pray,
I know it would change all the moments in between'



Are you REALLY thankful this thanksgiving? I know I am not nearly as thankful as I should be.
Practice being thankful in your everyday life.

-K

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

It's your life, what you gonna do...

This is the moment
It’s on the line
Which way you gonna fall?
In the middle between
Wrong and right
But you know after all

It’s your life
What you gonna do?
The world is watching you
Every day the choices you make
Say what you are and who
Your heart beats for
It’s an open door
It’s your life

Are you who you always said you would be?
With a sinking feeling in your chest
Always waiting for someone else to fix you
Tell me when did you forget

To live the way that you believe
This is your opportunity
To let your life be one that lights the way


-It's Your Life by Francesca Battistelli

Yes, I know, I blog about her songs a lot..but, think about the words. This song was perfect for the series finale of 'Jon and Kate Plus 8', because seriously. It's YOUR life. What ARE you going to do with it?

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Facing YOUR Giants

If you didn't know, 1st Samuel 16 and 17 is about Samuel (Of course :D),Saul, David, and Goliath.

The Lord told Samuel that he needed to go find Jesse and tell him that his son, David, would become king. He did as he was told, but Jesse only showed him his biggest, strongest sons. Samuel knew David wasnt one of them. He asked for David. Samuel annointed David with oil, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Then, David went to Saul, and Saul loved him. When Saul was troubled by the Spirit of the Lord, David would play his harp and make Saul feel better.

Then, in the 17th chapter, Jesse, David's father, sent David out to feed his brothers who were fighting against the Phillipines. David found Saul and told him he would fight against the Phillistines, and defeat Goliath(Goliath is described, a man that was over 9 feet tall, while we are told that David is a small shepherd boy) ! You can imagine everyone's reaction there! A small boy wanting to fight a giant! David chose to go without armor, because it felt too heavy on him. He took 5 stones from a river and had a slingshot. No spear, No armor, NOTHING! He found Goliath and quickly put a stone in the sling, and hit him right between the eyes! The giant fell and was dead!


Can you imagine?! A small boy being told that he would become KING! Then, going out to battle with a giant. When I hear this story, it reminds me of the movie 'Facing the Giants' We all have giants of some sort that are bigger than us and we are told we can't fight. I know for a fact that God was with David and that sling. God can help us with our giants. We just have to let him. He will never leave us or forsake us. Seriously, think about this for a minute. He IS omnipresent. You don't have to wait your turn until someone else is done to talk to Him! He is everywhere and he knows all things. He is always there for you when you think that there is no way that you can stand up to your giants.

Think about it this week. How God can help you face your giants.

-K

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Some thoughts for the day

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. -Judges 21:25 (NAS)

We have been studying Judges on Wednesday nights, and this study has really taught me a lot. many people confess (including me) that they have, at one time or another, written the Old Testament off as something that is not applicable to our everyday life. Well, SURPRISE! It is applicable to our lives! Look at Samson in Judges, he was a Nazarite, and was set apart for God, yet he chose to reveal the secret of his strengh, something that God told him never to do.

We all sin, and if you have read any part of the Old Testament, you may think that their sins are huge compared to our own. Another surprise, our sins are just as big if not bigger.


Matthew 5:21-22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

God sees calling someone a fool, or even kiddingly a 'retard' the same as murder. You see, God made us in His image, so when we say that we are a retard or something of that sort, we are dissing God's creation. I have really had this on my heart that I need to work on it.

Hopefully this little blog changes some of your views on the Old Testament.

-K

P.S. I was baptized today. :-)


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Today is Wednesday!

Hey bloggers!!!
Tomorrow is my last day of drivers ed in the classroom! YAYYYYYY!
My grandparents flew in for Jenna's birthday (Sunday is her 18th BIRTHDAY!!!)
I am going to be baptized on Sunday, too!

-K

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived

Here is a man who was born in a lowly manger, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in an obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty, and then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never went to college. He never owned a house. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.
He never did one of these things that usually acompany greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He had nothing to do with this world except the power of his divine manhood.
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him.
He was turned over to his enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. he was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was dying-His coat.
When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed tomb through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone. Today he is the center-piece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress.
I am within the mark when i say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ver built and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has THAT ONE SOLITARY LIFE.
-Phillip Brooks

Sunday, November 8, 2009

More Sermon notes. (I LOVE this series on "doing faith")

Doing Faith-Defining Faith
"James 2:14-25"
Dr Steve Washburn
-James is giving us special attention to the definition of faith.
-"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" No!
-"In the same way, faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action is dead."
-Real faith is faith that SAVES.
"John 1:1" 
-The Word was God
"John 20:28" 
-Jesus is God
-You believe there is one God? The demons even believe that! And they know it, too! But demons are not saved.
"Matthew 7:21" 
-Only he who does the Father's will will be allowed into heaven
-I am saved ONLY by a serious faith that commits my life to Jesus.
-God doesn't accept applications. Only commitments. 
-The only faith that saves is REAL faith
"Mark 8:32"
-The faith that saves is the faith that abandons everything and turns it all over to Him!
-The only faith that saves is real faith that is under the management of Jesus.
-Faith that lives is faith that doesn't just believe things, it DOES things.
-"What we DO in this life echoes in eternity!"
-Faith without deeds is dead and useless. But, faith that is full of deeds is faith that is alive!
-Faith IS more of an action than a conviction. 
-Am I doing faith? Is my faith useful to my Savior!
-Is my faith lifeless or full of life?
-Real faith:
• is faith that GROWS! 
• grows and changes me.
• lifts me
• allows me to be stronger than I was before
-Abraham's faith was always growing. It was always lifting him. His faith was made complete by what he DID! Abraham was called God's friend. My faith is Christ can SAVE me!
-When I make a choice to put my REAL faith in Christ, it grows me, changes me and lifts me!
-You CAN have that kind of faith! It doesn't matter what has happened in your life.
-Perspectives are different, Jesus sees the big picture, we can't.
-Now that we know what faith means, let's do it!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

"When the rain is falling there's silver lining and you just can't seem to find the light..."

"When you need a reason to help you keep believing, let my love be your blue sky" (My favorite uplifting song right now.. "Blue Sky" by Francesca Battistelli)
It is true, Im quite overwhelmed...we've had company,
combined with driving school and being sick... I have so much to get done. Don't worry, I'll prolly get it done sometime. Today would be nice....
I made my dad a Caramel Toasted Marshmallow latte.. It relieves some of my
stress, oddly enough... (it's kind like baking for some people) I also made a Caramel Macchiato for myself
in hopes that the espresso will help me today!
Today is day 11 of drivers ed, btw :)
-K
PS ALL of this was typed on my iPhone :)