Tag: Bible

blessings, children, faith, Family, freedom, God, God's love, God's grace, God's will, Jesus, parenting, religious, scripture, spiritual, Uncategorized

Defenseless Driving

katietkennedy

Recently, I have been driving with my daughter, who has her learner’s permit. This is a new season for our family. As I walk around the car, moving from the driver’s seat to the passenger’s seat, I can feel my sense of control escaping me.

I sit in the passenger seat trying to give the best advice I can, as she nervously drives around. While I can give her instruction and guide her to stay centered in her lane, in reality, there is very little I can do if something major were to happen. Grabbing the wheel would probably only make things worse.

This reminds me of our faith journey. We usually envision ourselves in the driver’s seat of our life, and to some degree we are. If we decide to turn right and find there is a dead end ahead, God lets us make that wrong turn and learn from our mistakes.

God sets the course, the speed, and the hazards in our way. Sometimes we may feel in control of our vehicle, and other times we are reaching over from the passenger side trying to grab the wheel and turn it away from what God has planned. We are unsure and scared about His plans for us so we try to take over and gain a sense of control.

Other times, we sit back in the passenger seat and trust that God knows what He’s doing, and submit to the fact that He is actually in control of my life, not me. Those are blissful moments filled with peace and joy until the enemy interrupts those thoughts with doubts.

While I will continue fluctuating between feeling confident and apprehensive with my daughter’s driving abilities, we will do the same in our faith journey. Maybe one day we will learn to fully submit and relax into His plans for our lives. Until then, we will keep practicing faith by knowing His plans are good, reminding ourselves that He loves us, and He is always there with us no matter how many wrong turns we take.

“All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10)

America, Bible, blessings, children, courage, faith, faithful, Family, freedom, God, God's love, God's grace, God's will, Jesus, religious, scripture, sin, spiritual, Uncategorized

Selfless Sacrifice

katietkennedy

One fall afternoon, I waited in our local country market for sandwiches to be made for my girls. An older couple walked in and approached the counter. The woman behind the counter noticed the man’s veteran hat and thanked him for his service. The man’s response left me dumbfounded. He looked the woman in the eye and said, “You were worth it.”

His response was loving and heartfelt. The woman humbly muttered something about not being sure about that.

His response surprised me. I expected him to say something like, “You are welcome,” or “Oh, it was no big deal.” He didn’t. He turned a compliment for himself around and made it about her and her value.

This reminds me of our faith journey. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. He accepted torture, mocking, and death because it was the Lord’s will for His life. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, we don’t have to carry around the burden of our sin. As we express our gratitude, Jesus’ fulfillment of the Father’s will shows us we are worth it, just as the veteran in the store verbally modeled.

We don’t always feel worth it. Realistically, we don’t deserve what Jesus did for us, but He did it anyway. He did it because it was the Father’s will. His sacrifice provides us the ability to live freely in a world that could weigh us down with sin.

Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to offer us liberty from sin. True freedom is found in Christ alone. Let’s not forget the sacrifices that were offered on our behalf. Let’s show our gratitude by living with the freedom God intends for our life.

Bible, blessings, children, courage, enthusiasm, faith, faithful, Family, God's love, hospitality, Jesus, religious, scripture, spiritual, Uncategorized

Barely Brunch

katietkennedy

One Sunday we sat in church listening to a guest pastor preach the Word. It was no ordinary Sunday in our church because there was an inordinate amount of guests. Our church denomination was having their annual meeting in our town the next day so our pews were full of visitors from various places.

My husband Jonathan, the social butterfly he is, decided to invite the pastor and some folks over for brunch. He casually mentioned that he might do this a few nights prior, but we made no formal plan and I did no prep.

By the end of church, Jonathan had invited a handful of folks, including the guest pastor, to our house. We have three girls, so the girls and I took off to figure out what to feed some twenty people without notice or preparation. We stopped at the local produce stand (normally I don’t shop on the Sabbath but I made an exception) and picked up eggs, fruit, and a pie. We raced home to beat the guests.

When we got home my girls jumped into action. My two oldest (fifteen and thirteen) started making a massive batch of pancakes and waffles. All those hours in the kitchen letting them bake and cook paid off. They were awesome. Somehow, with the Lord’s blessing, we pulled off a nice brunch.

This reminds me of our faith journey. Being part of God’s family means stepping into opportunities that maybe you weren’t expecting, or looking for. You never know how the Lord will use your willingness to say yes.

One of the guests was a young dad who had his daughters with him. His wife was joining up with him the next day. We provided a place for his older daughter to run around, rather than in a hotel room. His baby was held and loved on by our pastor’s wife. I remember those days with young children and I am glad we could provide a respite for him.

I don’t tell you this story to boast. I tell you this story to illustrate when you say yes to God, even when you are unsure, He blesses your time and efforts. Our brunch was not the greatest brunch our guests had ever experienced. It didn’t need to be. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We gathered a group of the church, fed them, and provided a place for them to hang out.

Sometimes doing God’s work is having a quiet conversation with a child who is having a rough day. It might mean bringing a neighbor a treat so they know you were thinking of them. Occasionally it means opening up your home to host folks for a meal when you weren’t planning to. When our hearts are open to serving God, He can use us in many wonderful ways.

Bible, blessings, faith, faithful, forgiveness, freedom, God, God's love, God's grace, Jesus, religious, rucking, scripture, sin, spiritual, Uncategorized

Backpack Burdens

katietkennedy

My husband bought me a rucking backpack with a weight included. He will often do a rucking workout and thought it might be a good option for me.

I use the backpack on occasion during a workout. By the time I am finished, my shoulders are very sore no matter how tight I fasten the other buckles. I think it’s just a product of carrying additional weight on your back. When I remove the backpack there is a huge relief. My shoulders are delighted to have the surplus weight gone.

This reminds me of our faith journey. We often carry around burdens we are not meant to carry. We add weight that doesn’t need to be there. Where does this extra weight come from? Sin. Sin separates us from God. When we sin, we distance ourselves from God and add extra pounds to that backpack by feeling unworthy, ashamed, guilty, or too full of pride to admit our mistake. All these weights are added by Satan, not our Heavenly Father.

God has not meant for us to hold this unneeded load. When we come to God humbly, repent, and cast our burdens on Him, He receives them. He unloads them from our back. Jesus carries the weight of our sins, worries, or anything weighing us down. He knows we are not made to handle that heaviness. He loves us too much. This is why God sent Jesus down to die for our sins so we wouldn’t have to live afflicted with our burdens.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

Find peace in the words of Romans 8:38. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Cast off those burdens and live in the freedom God intends for you.

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Terrific Translating

katietkennedy

When my girls were little, people had a hard time understanding my youngest daughter Charlotte. She was young, shy, and her speech hadn’t fully developed. Her immediate family could understand her, but people outside our family had difficulty.

Her older sister Samantha did a lot of translating for her. When Charlotte would talk and the folks around her didn’t understand her, Samantha would repeat what she said. Her older sister wasn’t asked to do this, she did it naturally, and never thought twice. She did it so her sister’s voice would be heard, and her questions would be answered. She did it because she loved her sister.

This reminds me of how Jesus is our mediator, our intercessor. He takes our prayers and purifies them for our Holy God. He translates them on our behalf, just like my daughter translated for her younger sister. Jesus does that for us. He does this for the same reason, He loves us. Jesus wants our voices and prayers lifted up to our Heavenly Father.

What a blessing it is to have Jesus as our mediator. We don’t even have to ask, He automatically fulfills this role. How do I know this? “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)

Thankfully we have Jesus to clean up our prayers and make them worthy of our amazing God.

Bible, books, courage, faith, faithful, Family, fortitude, God, God's love, God's grace, God's will, Jesus, perseverance, religious, spiritual, Uncategorized

Finishing the Book

katietkennedy

My husband gave me a fiction book to read during Christmas break. He finished it and passed it along. He warned me it was intense, but was important for me to read.

When it comes to selecting the books I read, I’m extremely choosy. I try to guard my heart and mind with the things I consume. When it comes to books, I get very invested, and some books are too much for me to handle. This particular book isn’t an end-of-times book, yet it is. It tells a story of a very possible catastrophic event that could happen to our country and the struggles we would face in the aftermath.

After I read the first three chapters, I gave him the book back and said I can’t do it. It was putting me into a fear cycle. Jonathan gave me a brief summary and shared the ending, who lives and who does not. After finding out the major losses, I was better equipped to finish the book. I knew the ending.

This reminds me of our faith journey. Just like I needed to know the ending of the book, we get to know the ending of our world. God was kind enough to give us the conclusion. Spoiler alert. God wins!

While we can become overwhelmed with the evil in our current day, God has won the war. We know, that if we forge ahead, take the narrow road, and persevere till the end, we can feast at the table with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:11)

While we all get discouraged at the state of our current world, we must keep in mind God is in control. Keep your eyes on Him, and keep running your race.

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

faith, faithful, Family, family trips, fortitude, God, Jesus, religious, scripture, spiritual, travel, Uncategorized

Always Alert

katietkennedy

I recently took a quick trip back home to attend a family Christmas party. On the return trip my father, who was driving us to the airport, pulled over at the terminal so we could get out. We grabbed our bags and headed inside.

As I looked down to step up onto the curb, I noticed a one hundred dollar bill on the ground folded up. I quickly assessed the situation. The bill looked smaller than normal and why would it be lying here in this heavily trafficked area? I looked up and saw two baggage handlers staring down at the bill. I walked by it and then looked back at them as they picked up the bill. Our eyes met and they started laughing. I gave them a hard time, in a jovial manner, about creating their own entertainment and messing with people.

They had planted the bill intentionally to catch people thinking the bill was real and watch how they reacted. It was early in the morning so I could see how someone would mistake the bill for real. Thankfully I was alert enough not to fall for their trick.

This reminds me of our faith journey. While this was an innocent prank, it did make me realize we must stay alert.

The Bible says to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

While the game the baggage handlers were playing was fairly innocent, the devil’s schemes are not. He is seeking to destroy. We must be on alert, always ready, constantly praying for wisdom and discernment, being vigilant to his tricks and attacks, especially when the stakes are so high.

Bible, blessings, challenges, children, communication, contentment, faith, faithful, Family, God, God's love, God's will, Jesus, parenting, perspective, positivity, religious, scripture, spiritual, Uncategorized

Greener Grass

katietkennedy

One afternoon I was trying to encourage my eight-year-old daughter in the kitchen. She was feeling discontent about her current situation and was lamenting she wasn’t doing something else. I reminded her of the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” To which she replied to me, “Not unless you water it.”

I’m not confident she understood the meaning of what I said, nevertheless, her reply stunned me. Her comment was innocent and unknowing. As I pondered what she said, I realized how much depth there was to the statement.

While my daughter’s response was meant to be literal, it has a greater meaning. When we find ourselves discontent with our life or a situation, instead of coveting what others have or cycling in self-pity, invest in your lot. Your neighbor’s grass may be greener, however, instead of desiring their home, seed and water your grass.

This reminds me of our faith journey. We can easily covet those around us, or wallow in the things we don’t have. Instead, change the things you can. Invest in yourself and the people around you. Make your grass greener.

One way to make your grass greener is to water your soul with the words given to us by our most Holy God. There is a reason He left us the Bible, because we need it! We need its guidance, comfort, and encouragement.

Feed your soul with the only living words available. Psalm 23:1-3 sums up this message nicely.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Water your grass with the only thing that brings contentment, comfort, and peace.

beauty, Bible, blessings, faith, faithful, flowers, forgiveness, gardening, God, God's grace, nature, refresh, religious, scripture, sin, Uncategorized

Zestful Zinnias

katietkennedy

I was discussing flowers one day with a friend who is more knowledgeable about floral care than I am. I was bemoaning how the deer had snipped off all my sunflowers, yet left the flowers immediately in from of them.

She asked me what kind they were. I showed her a picture and she told me they were zinnias. She said if I trim the flowers when they bloom, more will come, lots more. I thought this odd because in my experience that’s not how the other flowers had worked. I decided to try it and sure enough, she was right.

I cut flowers to enjoy in my home and more grew back. The best part about these flowers is the deer left them alone. Zinnias also attract beautiful butterflies.

This reminds me of our faith journey. When we trim the sin in our lives, it allows God to help us bloom in other areas. When we eliminate sin or idols we draw closer to Him. If we repent of the things we do wrong, He washes us clean and makes us new in Him.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

We are never going to be sinless, but the more we prune and trim sin from our lives, the more space we give God to help us grow. Sin infects our lives, using up valuable resources. If it stays there untouched, or worse continues to grow, it will wreak havoc. It will remain and grow bigger until we become aware and take action against it, with God’s help.

On our own, it’s very hard to eliminate a sinful habit or indulgence. Have you ever tried and failed? I have plenty of times. When I go humbly to my loving Father and ask for His help, that is when I am able to mortify the sin.

The result of trimming my zinnias leads to a colorful array in my kitchen. Whereas, defeating our sin guides us closer to the Lord, and the peace and joy that follow.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Bible, faith, God, God's love, Jesus, religious, scripture, sin, spiritual, tennis, Uncategorized

Ready Position

katietkennedy

I was playing tennis with some friends one day, and my partner mentioned twice during our friendly match that I consistently keep my racket in ready position. This means I hold it up above the net, ready to hit the ball if it comes my way (similar to Djokovic shown in the picture). I never thought much about this. I guess it’s ingrained in me from years of playing tennis as a kid.

Regardless, this comment got me thinking. I hold my racket in this position so when the ball comes my way, I am in the game. I might not hit the perfect return shot, heck it might not even go over, but I am prepared. This position allows me to turn either way depending on where the ball goes.

This reminds me of our faith journey. Are we in ready position? Are we prepared for Him to use us in any way He wants? Are we equipped to be an encouragement to our friends or neighbors? Are we trained to discuss our faith with strangers?

Are we prepared for when Christ comes back? Are we taking His return seriously so we can join him? Have we repented of our sinful ways and committed our lives to Him?

“Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.” (Mark 13:33). We need to be ready to thwart sin when it arises tempting us to stray from God. We must be primed to be His servant doing whatever He asks. We need to be prepared to push aside our selfish ways and stand firm for the Kingdom.

Are you ready?