Trapped in the Struggles

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." - Psalm 91:4

Many times we feel trapped in our struggles as if there's no way out and no way for anyone else to get in. It's a lonely (and sometimes terrifying) place to be. Crazy diagnoses, loss of family/friends, feeling ripped away from all that you know, plans going awry, and the list could go on and on and on. The PROMISE to hold onto during every single struggle is that God is in control through it all - we are in His hands and He is not going to let go, no matter what happens. Psalm 91:4 says, "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." The visual of that is so stunning and such a comfort.

For the believer, all that happens is for the glory of God - even our struggles - I think so that we turn to Him in complete surrender and abandon, giving Him control and seeking Him in the next steps.

I first heard this song at the SBC Annual Meeting and it has been popping up here and there since, ministering greatly to me ... and I hope will to you as well. Hang in there, God's got you!

kjk<

America Voted...and the World Fell Apart

"If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone." - Romans 12:18

Disclaimer: This post is not supportive of any political candidate or my viewpoints on the election.  It is about the aftermath of Election Day.

On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, America voted....and then the world started falling apart.

I have refrained from sharing anything about the election on social media because I just really feel like it does more harm than good to post about my views/feelings concerning politics as so much can be taken out of context when you aren't talking face-to-face with someone.  Think about it.  How many things have you read on Facebook or Twitter and believed AND shared, just to later find out that it wasn't true or that you interpreted it the wrong way?  How many times have you read something that someone else wrote, and judged them based on what they said only later to find out that the way they formed their post didn't really or appropriately express the thoughts they truly had?  Give me a human being to talk to any day.

Admission: I am over it.  Over the negative posts about the candidates and about other people.  Over the name-calling of one another.  Over the bullying from both sides.  Over the hatred of someone believing differently than another.  It was old months ago during the election season and it most certainly is old now.  This isn't about Republicans or Democrats.  This isn't about particular candidates or supporters.  It's about everyone...all of it.

Ya'll it's bleeding into our children's lives.  In the past two nights since the election results, I have had to personally deal with kids bringing up to me the election and their fears and anger about it.  And honestly, it hasn't been just a certain race that's talked about it; it's actually been all races.  Some of them are on Facebook (yes, 13 year olds are still children).  Some of them hear it from their parents at home.  Some of them have television or internet access.  Children learn their behavior from adults and I can speak from personal experience, they certainly are watching.

I'm fairly certain that those of you who read my blog are followers of Christ.  I'm speaking to you.  A number of Christians have been just as yucky about political posts as non-Christians.  So take a minute to hear me out.

Jesus commands us to "love one another" (John 13:34) ... that includes people we don't like or have strong disagreements with (aka: enemies) (Matthew 5:44).  People are gonna disagree...we're all different, God made us that way.  Accept those differences; love them through those differences; show them the grace and mercy of Jesus.  And if you feel as though you need to speak truth, then speak it in love.  Ephesians 4:15 says, "But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head - Christ."  Let me just stop right here and say, a bunch of posts have not been very loving - instead they've been insulting and harsh; and again, I'm not speaking to one particular side...I'm talking to all sides.

No matter what the outcome on Tuesday night had been, God was in control.  And He still is...He really is.  He knew the outcome before the world even began.  It's not a cliche or a "Bible phrase."  It's truth.  Now it's up to us to carry this truth to the world.  We are the light in the dark world (Matthew 5:14).  We are to do unto others as we would want them to do unto us (Luke 6:31).  We are to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).  **side note: Jesus - the Savior of the World...the man who died on the cross for you - said all of those things.  Just FYI.

So friends, as you are posting on social media or encountering someone who has differing opinions than you do, remember these things.  Be gracious in your speech to one another (Colossians 4:6).  Encourage and build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  And love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).  

Finally, I leave you with the words of Paul in Romans 12.  Here was a man who encountered a lot of differing opinions in his lifetime.  He had, in fact, been a man who believed differently in his earlier life - I mean he was so dead-set against Christians that He tried to kill them.  But after his conversion experience and after his experience of many hardships and people who didn't agree with him, he found a way to learn how to get along with others without being hateful.  I think Romans 12 is a glimpse into his mindset about that.  I hope you will take a few minutes to read, reflect, and apply to your own life.

God is in control, people.  Don't freak out. 

Romans 12 (HCSB)

A Living Sacrifice

1 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.[fn] 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Many Gifts but One Body

3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:

If prophecy,

use it according to the standard of one’s[fn] faith;

7 if service, in service;

if teaching, in teaching;

8 if exhorting, in exhortation;

giving, with generosity;

leading, with diligence;

showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

Christian Ethics

9 Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His[fn] wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay,says the Lord. 20 But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

For in so doing

you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Keep Calm and Don't Quit

“…Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

Worry.  Dread.  Frustration.  Obstacles at EVERY. SINGLE. TURN.  We’ve all been there.  These feelings many times lead to giving up and quitting whatever is the source of these emotions.  Many times throwing in the towel seems SO much more appealing than having worry/dread/fear/frustration and the like consuming your every thought.

Oh, I’ve been there too.  There have been times I was not happy about certain situations and thought the easiest and seemingly worry-free solution would be to just quit and do something else – surely that would bring some peace to my chaos.  It doesn’t though.  Things may slow down, but other negative feelings seem to pop up – disappointment, regret, and sometimes even more unhappiness.  Disappointment that I didn’t accomplish something.  Regret that I gave up too soon.  Unhappy that I let someone down. 

Time after time we hear teachers or leaders tell us, “Don’t quit!  Persevere!  You can do it!”  Those phrases seem so cliché, but they are so true.  When we listen to encouragement and advice during our times of wanting to give up, this support can take a hard situation and help us see it from a different angle.  It can come from parents, teachers, church leaders, others who have been through those same situations, and also through prayer.

I can’t think of a better encouragement, however, than the Bible.  It’s His Word to us!  There are so many ways in which the Bible can encourage us in life…especially in the instance of not giving up.  Look at how The Message paraphrases Psalm 119:1-6: “You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right - you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.” 

What would’ve happened if Noah had given up on building the ark?  Well…there would definitely be no zoos, that’s for sure.  What would’ve happened if David had stopped running from Saul in the wilderness?  He wouldn’t have been king of Israel because Saul probably would've killed him.  What if Paul had quit going on his missionary journeys after all the troubles endured?  He wouldn’t have reached thousands for Christ.  We will endure hardship and frustration in this life, but God has a plan for us and will use us for His glory...we must trust Him in that and not give up!  Paul has great encouragement for us.  Look at Romans 5:3-4, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."  I also love what he says in Philippians 1:6, “[Be] confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Paul is telling us, “Don’t QUIT!  Jesus, the Guide of your life, is doing a great work and He will complete it! Stay the course.  Don’t give up!” 

I recently posted part of the following poem on Facebook, but I wanted to take this blog post to show the poem in its entirety.  It’s not a Christian poem, but I think it combined with the scripture I have shown above both speak to the same message…don’t quit, even when it’s hard.  In middle school, my science teacher asked us to memorize this particular poem.  He was a cross country coach, and to be honest, in 7^th grade, I thought that’s what the poem had to do with (no I was not in cross country).  When I got to high school, I happened to have this same teacher again, and again, he asked us to memorize this poem.  By this time in my life, however, I understood that it was much more than a poem for cross country runners….it was a poem that anyone could relate to…a poem that speaks to perseverance and not giving up in the tough times of life.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen this poem in its entirety and I couldn’t recite it to you word-for-word, but I’ve never forgotten the message of it…even after all these years…. “don’t you quit.”

Don’t Quit

by Anonymous

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and its turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When they might have won, had they stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than, 

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!

An Unforgettable VBS

“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” – Psalm 56:3

Words can’t describe how much I love Vacation Bible School.  Whether it be at my local church…at the Pregnancy Crisis Center Backyard Bible Club…or in my heart city of Hong Kong, each VBS I am/have been a part of brings such joy, excitement, and so much fun to my heart.

Last year when I found out the theme of this year’s Lifeway VBS, I thought the Biblical truth that the kids would be learning was brilliant.  “Facing Fear!  Trusting God!”  I can’t think of a better truth for children to learn at an early age than the truth of trusting God no matter the circumstance.  I wish I could travel to Hong Kong this summer and teach the Chinese kids this same truth…they so greatly need to hear it too!!!  Verses like Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear for I am with you” or Psalm 56:3 “when I am afraid, I will trust in you”…what terrific truths that our kids can carry with them through their childhood years, into their teen years and beyond!  Most definitely for our church kids here at FBC Morristown, learning this truth after the events of last year was extra-specially important.  No matter what happens in our lives, we can ALWAYS trust that God is and will be with us.  I must tell you, hearing the kids sing the songs and recite the verses from this year’s VBS was especially uplifting.  These kids can now carry the truths in the tunes and remember them for years to come!

FBC Morristown's AWESOME VBS 2013 kids!!!

When I began planning for VBS, I kind of thought that this year’s theme would be more of a reinforcement theme for me.  Yes, I know that I can trust God in any circumstance.  Yes, I know that God will never leave or forsake me...I’ve even written a bunch of blogs about this theme.  When we finally got to VBS week, however, the truths I had been learning about through my planning would never be more prevalent than they were that particular week.  You see, VBS week was the week my grandfather began going significantly downhill, health-wise.  I must admit, it was hard to put on a brave face every day and teach the kids about truths that I was having to strongly depend on myself.   In fact, one night I was getting something ready in the VBS worship rally room (sanctuary) and I just burst into tears over everything.  I knew God was with me, I knew he was taking care of me, but I was sad…so sad…that my grandfather was suffering.

Then Friday night at the Family Concert, the 300+ VBS kids sang the Day 5 song for their families and the words they sang couldn’t have been more poignant.  My eyes filled with tears as the kids sang these words:

I’m not afraid, afraid to let go.

I know you’re holding me.

You are the One I’m leaning on.  You are my hope and my strength.

For every breath I breathe, and the ground beneath my feet, I will trust You. 
I will trust You.

In every circumstance, no matter where I am, I will trust You.

I will trust in You.

I knew as they sang that song that everything would be okay.  I wasn’t afraid to let go of my grandfather.  I knew God was holding not only me, but my grandfather too.  I knew I could lean on God.  I knew I could trust Him with this situation.  Period. 

Literally 24 hours later from the time the kids sung that song, my grandfather passed away and entered into heaven.  Ever since that night, after hearing that song, I’ve had such a peace about everything.  Oh, yes, I miss my grandfather, but I’m at peace with his passing.  I know I will see him again and I can’t wait for that day!

This past week, I taught music at the Pregnancy Crisis Center Vacation Bible School/Backyard Bible Club.  On the last night, I taught the kids the Day 5 song.  I just smiled to myself as we sang through the words - smiling because I fully, wholeheartedly knew these words.  I lived them. 

I pray that all the kids who learned this particular song this year remember it for the rest of their life.  I pray they also remember this year’s verse and theme.  They all have life-changing implications. 

Thank you God for your promise and for allowing me to place my trust in You.  I wouldn't be a sane person without it! :)  Thank you Lifeway for developing a theme this year that so many of us can relate to.  I didn’t think I’d be relating to it like I did, but God knew I would.  You have changed so many kid’s lives through this theme…that I know.  Thank you to my sweet VBS leadership team.  Your encouragement and help during our VBS week brought so much relief and peace to my heart.  Finally, thank you to all the precious kids that sang that night at the Family VBS concert.  Many of you I know, some of you I don’t, but each one of you changed my heart and I will never forget that.  Ever.

To the Class of 2013....

“For I know the plans I have for you…” – Jeremiah 29:11

Pomp and Circumstance….times two!!!  Yesterday marked the second time I had heard this song within the past week.  Granted yesterday’s version was much, much shorter than the almost 2 hour one I listened to last week…but I digress. J  If you didn’t already know, I have had the distinct blessing to witness two very special graduations in the past week!  One of my sisters graduated from Liberty University while the other graduated from East High School in Morristown, TN.  It’s definitely made for a long and tiring week, but it’s also made for a very proud and exciting one too!

As my sisters…and all of you other 2013 graduates…step out into this new world of career, college, etc., my one piece of advice is to always remember that God knows the plans He has for you and you have to trust Him - always.  Trust Him that He is providing and will provide for your needs.  Sometimes that can be oh so hard, but those are the “testing” times…those are the times you need to trust Him the most.  When I graduated high school, Jeremiah 29:11 was definitely a strong verse that I clinged (and still cling) to in my life.  Since gradation, however, Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a verse that has carried me through every high and low.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”  Psalm 37:4-5 speaks to this too, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.  Commit everything you do to the Lord.  Trust Him, and He will help you.”  God will help you…He promises to…there’s only one thing you must do.  Trust.

Trusting God isn’t something that will just go away, either.  You will need to place your trust in God and His Son, Jesus, every single day from here to heaven.  Even though I graduated with my Masters a year ago, I’m still trusting God for His plans for me…and I have no clue what they are.  The fear of the unknown should evoke feelings of fear or worry…but you know what I have?  Peace.  I know the plans God has for me are to give me a future and hope…and I also know that when I trust Him with all my heart He will direct me to those plans…in His time.  I’m trusting Him…daily…and it’s hard, but it’s oh so worth it.

Now that you’ve graduated, don’t run from God.  Run to Him.  You need Him now more than you ever have before.  Get involved in a church that teaches you and helps you grow in your walk with Him.  So many college students don’t go to church and it is 1,000x harder for them to grow in their walk with Christ as adults.  Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and make a difference in the name of Christ.  Reach others for the gospel.  Be a light in a dark world…even as it gets darker by the day.

My sisters have exciting futures awaiting them, as am sure the rest of the class of 2013 does as well.  One will be interning with an accounting firm while the other pursues her dreams at college.  I can’t wait to see how God uses them for His kingdom.  They are extra-special and I am so proud to be their sister.

Congrats Class of 2013!!! J

"Memory Monday" - Memories of a Purple Dinosaur

Memories are cool things aren’t they?  Things that make you smile when you think about them…things that make you warm and fuzzy inside…and things that can cause you to burst out laughing for seemingly no apparent reason.  I’ve definitely had a lot of those kinds of memories J  I would love to be able to share some of those with you.  So…I’ve decided to institute “Memory Monday.”  Not that this will happen EVERY single Monday…but on Mondays once and a while I will do my best to share a special memory with all of you my dear blog readers.

Today on our first installment of “Memory Monday,” I want to share a special memory I have about a purple dinosaur and a young boy’s lifelong dream to meet said dinosaur.  Ok, you know in your mind who this purple dino is, right?  Yup, good ‘ole Barney.  I grew up as a kid watching the TV show Barney because it was both of my younger sisters’ favorite TV show.  I knew all the songs and dances, and could recite them by memory because frankly when you have two sisters who are four years apart, you pretty much go through about 6-7 years of Barney non-stop.  Not complaining at all…just stating a fact.

Who knew that all this Barney knowledge would come in handy as a teenager?!  Yes…I said a teenager.  Now don’t go thinking I had a mid-teen crisis and suddenly became an avid Barney watcher…I didn’t.  Here’s the story…

-----------------------------------------

My junior year of high school, while living in Birmingham, Alabama, the pastor’s wife of my church, Traci, told me about a very sick boy whose life-long wish was to meet Barney the Dinosaur.  This boy had severe cystic fibrosis, mental challenges (which made him talk and act like a young child), and he had recently had surgery.  It was going to be his fourteenth birthday and his family didn’t think that he would make it to his next birthday so they asked Traci if she could help them fulfill his wish.

Traci was able to get one of the real-life Barney costumes donated for this special surprise.  The costume was very similar to the one on the actual television show...not the cheap Halloween-looking ones.  All she needed was someone to bring Barney to life.  She asked me if I would be interested and of course after I heard his story, I most definitely was!

I was so excited, I went out and bought a Barney CD that I could play for him.  I also planned to do the motions to many of the songs I knew from those days of watching the show as a loving and dear sister in those early childhood years J

So one day after school, Traci and I made our way to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.  When we got to the parking garage, she unloaded the costume and began putting it on me.  We figured it was best to do it this way so as not to traumatize other kids we would pass if we had walked through the hospital with the costume in our hands.

Do I make a convincing Barney? :)

I will never forget walking through the hospital in the Barney costume to get to this boy’s room.  The gasps and happy screams of so many kids filled the hallways and there were times that parents had to pry their kids off my tail so I could walk J  There were literally 5 children on me at one point...two around my legs, two on my tail and one by the hand!  “Barney!  I love you” was a sweet phrase I heard as I passed many of the kids, most especially the preschool aged ones.

We were soon ushered by one of the hospital staff into the area where this precious boy was staying.  There was a small, black-mesh partition in the costume which allowed me to see everything around me.  As I entered the room, the boy’s mother said, “Sweetheart, look who is here to see you!”  I watched the boy turn his head and when he realized who was at the door, his fragile body began to tremble uncontrollably.  “Baney!” he said, his alert eyes glowing.  Traci turned on the Barney CD I brought, and as I danced along to the words of the songs, his face began to light up.  I ended my performance with the popular song “I Love You” and when the song ended, this sweet boy reached out for my hand. 

Holding the sweet boy's hand

As I held his weak hand, he said to me “Baney, I can’t believe you came all this way to see me.  Tank you Baney.”  Those thirty, joyous minutes went by so fast.  I wished I could've stayed longer.  We said goodbye and as I turned and left the room; I knew his family felt blessed, just as I was, to see him smile and laugh because he had not done these things in a long time.  I went home that night so humbled and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of making this sweet boy’s dream come true.

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What a sweet, sweet memory I have of that experience!  You never know what kind of opportunities will come your way for you to brighten up someone’s day.  The Bible says to “encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and that encouragement could come in the form of ANYTHING!  It could be something simple like speaking encouraging words or a giving someone a vase of flowers.  I could be something you do like an act of service.  It could even be through dressing up as a purple dinosaur!  You never know! J God works in mysterious ways!!! J

You've Got a Friend in Me!

 “A friend loves at all times” - Proverbs 17:17

Lucy and Ethel.  Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.  Woody and Buzz Lightyear.  These are just a few of the many examples of friendships that we see on television/movies or read about in books.  Here are friends that laugh together, work together, and yes, even get in trouble together; if these friendships were real, I think they would most definitely be friendships that last a lifetime.

I am SO thankful for my friends.  They offer encouragement, advice, a listening ear, and a huge hug.  Some I’ve known for a long time and others I’ve only known for a few years.  Some are older than me (no…I didn’t say they were old… J) and others are my age.  Some I get to see often and others not as often as we both wish.  No matter who they are or where in the world they are, my friends are individuals who are a text/call/Facebook message away and I know they will be there to rejoice, laugh, cry, and/or pray with me about whatever is going on in my life.  My dear friends are individuals who truly take Proverbs 17:17 to heart and “love [me] at all times” and I pray I can be as good a friend to them as they are to me.

Did you know that as believers we all have a mutual friend who is one that “loves at all times?”  This person is my friend and your friend and even the friend of people we don’t even know!  The awesome thing about this friend is that He is with you no matter where you are or what you’re going through.  If you’re by yourself, He’s there.  If you’re with other friends, He’s there.  He never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!  No matter what is going on in our lives, He promises to never leave us or forsake us.  All we need to do is to stay in constant communication with Him (through prayer and Bible study) and He will direct and help us.  His name?  Jesus.  “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.  What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”  Thank you Jesus for being our everlasting friend.

Do you have someone who has been with you through thick and thin?  Offered advice in a time of need?  Laughed at your not-so-funny joke?  Rejoiced with you in the good times?  If so, these are people who have “loved you at all times.”  Take a minute to pull out your phone or write them a message letting them know how much they mean to you…it doesn’t have to be long or wordy.  Let your message come from the heart.  Be the friend to them that they are to you.