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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 10/31/2008 10:18:43 AM
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BlessedAngel1983
Posts: 11817
Joined: 6/8/2007
From: South Carolina
Status: online
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I'm sorry, but does anybody else have that song stuck in their head now?
_____________________________
Reflecting with Terri
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings
AKA AngelInWaiting1983
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/1/2008 12:22:32 PM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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i'm doin okay, cam...thanks for askin. and you are welcome to stop in anytime. my PFY's more of my own personal blog...but i do get the occassional visitor. (lol) i just like to be able to reflect on my devotions. and it means a lot to me when someone else tells me it blessed them, too.
but...uhhhh...terri....you lost me. what song, sweetie? (excuse the mama for being so slow...i'm fighting a weather-related headache this morning.)
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/1/2008 3:54:22 PM
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BlessedAngel1983
Posts: 11817
Joined: 6/8/2007
From: South Carolina
Status: online
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The song you were talking about in your blog.
_____________________________
Reflecting with Terri
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings
AKA AngelInWaiting1983
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/10/2008 7:56:00 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion........
Hiding My Junk
Phil 3:8-9 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
My husband and I put our house on the market this week. We've been prayerfully considering moving closer to our families, but couldn't settle in our hearts the ideal timing for such a change. God answered our prayers for clarification when we discovered that we are pregnant with our third child. That means three babies, three pregnancies, three varied and growing sets of stretch marks in less than four years. God has been so faithful and gracious. So, we are moving closer to home. Here we grow...
We spent all weekend cleaning our house to get it ready to show it. It's amazing how much more junk I notice when I think about strangers walking through and evaluating our home. It was a full day's work. We cleaned out, threw away and hid an obscene amount of really unnecessary stuff (i.e. junk). I have watched enough HGTV to make this process a little bit easier. I knew ahead of time that less stuff equals more open space. Without the visual interruption of clutter, the eye can take in the full size of the room, the bones and beauty of the space. We all know that buyers appreciate a clean slate. It's easier to see the good stuff without all the junk around. I know this, but in the midst of all the cleaning out, I still questioned if people really care.
Let me be a little more specific. Could a buyer overlook the winter coats and hats dropped in the bottom of my pantry floor? Would they mind the empty video game boxes stacked neatly in the corner? I know they'll look in my junk drawer to see empty medicine bottles, matches, broken sunglasses, playing cards and takeout menus. But doesn't everyone have a junk drawer? Surely, visitors won't mind boxes of the boys’ winter clothes clogging up the closet space.
During the process, I couldn't help but wonder if it was time for a spiritual open house. I sense that I've been storing unsightly clutter for far too long. It's a lot of junk really. I think I could make a better use of the space if I'd just let some things go. I'm afraid when people look at my life they see spiritual clutter (i.e. sin). Can they appreciate the bones and beauty of the work of God in my life or does their eye stop on all the junk? Do they see an overcrowded life that squeezes out the space God longs to fill with His peace, presence and holiness? Will they notice good but unnecessary things that fill the void?
Let me be a little more specific. Could someone look past my too-often indulged habit of gossip? Will they really mind the irritability I often display with my husband, and what about the petty jokes made at his expense? I know they will look at me and see gluttony, pride, a love of television and a lack of discipline. But doesn't everyone have stuff they struggle with? Do they wonder about a woman who leads small group, teaches women's conferences and disciples youth, but has a hard time regularly sitting and being still before the Lord?
My personal challenge for the next few days is to look at my life not the way a perfect stranger would, but the way a Perfect Savior would. It's unlikely He will look past the things that I'm far too complacent about. Once I've taken a spiritual inventory I'm not going to just hide the junk. I don't know about you, but that junk always seems to reappear and at the worst possible time. No, I'm going to do my best to let my junk go. Friends, I'm moving closer to my Father. Here I grow...
Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
Lord, I want to live free of the junk of sin. Forgive me, and help me make the move to living according to your Word.
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/18/2008 7:58:23 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion...
Home: More Than Just a Word
Honor the Lord
Obey His Word
Minister to one another
Establish walls of truth
I was glad I took a look at this forward, because it made me think about whether or not these four components are present in my home. When looked at it in this light, the word “home” means so much more than just a place to live. Isn’t that what we want all of our homes to be? More than a place to sleep and eat and occasionally clean, we want our homes to be a place where lives are shaped into God’s design. This little acronym zeroes in on four important goals we should have for our home. The exciting thing is, no matter who lives there, or what problems we are facing, or what limits we feel like we have, with effort and intention our homes can be places where these four things happen.
Honor the Lord: We can honor God with our lips, but yet our hearts can be far from Him (Mt. 15:8) — and the people who live with us will be the first to know when we do this! Let’s seek to honor Him behind the closed doors of our homes, living out our devotion to Him in a visible, gentle way as we realize that our families are watching.
Obey His Word: Obeying His Word at home is not always easy. The Bible tells us to be submissive to our husbands, to love others more than we love ourselves, and to pick up our cross (as we pick up after our children, or care for our elderly parents). When we do these things with humility, those we most want to impact will notice. More than that, they will file it away in their hearts, and our lives will echo in theirs in ways we can’t possibly foresee.
Minister to one another: Ministry requires us to love others, to reach others, and to lay down our lives for the sake of those God has placed in our sphere of influence. This must happen at home first. And yet, if we’re honest, it’s usually the last place it happens. We go out and give the best of what we have to offer to others, then give our leftovers to the people we profess to love the most. Let’s minister to those in our own homes first.
Establish walls of truth: When I first read this, I will confess that something ****led in me. Establish walls? How is it Biblical to establish walls? I questioned. However, I soon realized I was thinking of walls as a means to keep people out. When in actuality, we need to be building walls of truth—God’s truth, designed not to keep others out but to guard our hearts and give us a safe place to retreat and to rest. These walls of truth make our homes into fortresses—a place to run to when our daily battles wear us out.
These are not things we can just do once and move on. They are daily requirements, regular sacrifices, and even personal struggles. We won’t ever do it perfectly and there will be days we feel we are taking one step up and two steps back. But with God’s help, we can keep working to make H.O.M.E. mean so much more.
Isaiah 32:18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.
Proverbs 3:33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
Lord, make my home a place that includes these four components. I want my home to be more than just a place to live in—I want it to be a place where lives are impacted and relationships are strengthened. Lord, I need Your help to do these things...especially when I'm alone most of the time. Don't let me get lazy just because I don't have eyes on me at home. Thank You for Your promise to always help me when I ask.These things I pray...in Jesus’ name...amen.
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/19/2008 8:01:55 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion...
Making the Christian Life a Reality
I Cor 1:9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
For a long time I was confused about the Christian life. After I trusted Christ to be my personal Savior, life didn’t change as I had hoped.
At first, I was filled with genuine joy and passion. I couldn’t get enough of God and His Word. I prayed a lot, attended church a lot, shared my faith a lot, and spent a lot of time reading my Bible. But somewhere along the way, I grew weary. My attempt to live the Christian life in my own strength quickly gave out. Why didn’t it last? I wondered.
I’m not alone in my struggles. Many believers I meet are just as confused as I was. Guilt ridden, some give up while others choose to just pretend. Then, there are those that still desire but question, “Is a changed life even possible? If so, why isn’t it a reality in my life?” It’s often why we came to Christ in the first place – for freedom, forgiveness, peace, and purpose. Yet, instead of living an empowered life, many of us are living an exhausting one.
I could sense there was something more, but I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing. Discouraged, I’d speculate…Could it be that God isn’t holding up His end of the agreement? Or, is it me? Maybe you’ve asked yourself the same questions.
It took a long while before I realized that the Christian life isn’t about following a bunch of rules. It’s not even about trying my best to be good. The Christian life is all about relationship. It’s about knowing and loving the God who already knows and loves us. It’s about being a friend of God. This changes everything.
Friendship requires commitment. The same is true in our companionship with the Lord. We often neglect vital portions of our relationship with Him. Sometimes that neglect is due to a lack of understanding in how to commune with Him. Other times it is sin or apathy in our lives causing us to overlook our need to fellowship with God.
In order to stay passionate about our faith, and live an empowered life free from sin, you and I must participate in our friendship with God by:
1.) Abiding in Christ. (John 15:4, NIV)
2.) Praying daily. (Mark 1:35, NIV)
3.) Meditating on God’s Word. (Joshua 1:8, NIV)
4.) Putting off the old and putting on the new. (Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV)
5.) Being continually filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18, NIV)
6.) Exercising God-given gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, NIV)
7.) Actively sharing the gospel with others. (Mark 16:15, NIV
Which of these areas are you lacking in? Could that be the key to jump-starting your empowered-by-the-Spirit life?
The Christian life is real, satisfying, and available to all who are willing to have an on-going daily relationship with the Lord. Once I came to understand my role and participate in the relationship, I found the empowered life I was looking for. I’m convinced you can too.
2 Cor 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
John 10:10 b "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have life more abundantly.
Lord, I have been so focused on how others are disappointing me in my life with their failure to commit to our frendship...and all the while, I have neglected my relationship with You. Forgive me. Lord. Help me to bring my focus back where it should be. I want to know You and Your ways. Reveal Yourself and Your power in my life as I commit to uphold my friendship with You. For You truly are the only friend who will never disappoint me. All these things I pray...in Jesus’ name...amen.
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/20/2008 7:44:04 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion...
Power Surge
2 Peter 1:3 Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One [Jesus] who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received!
After another act of childish disobedience, my tiny cousin stuck out her chin, grit her teeth, and spat out the phrase that had become her signature: “I didn’t do it, and I won’t do it again!”
Unfortunately, her slogan is often too close to the truth of my own life. In my own strength and with a huge dose of denial, I struggle with my weight, plus trying to control my wagging tongue, and to fight my self-sufficient attitude. Now, I’ve aired my (partial) list of dirty laundry and bad habits. Do you have a list of your own?
If you do, you can take a trip to Barnes and Noble and find a whole shelf or two of self-help books to aid you in overcoming these. There will be authors who address everything from negative thinking to bad behavior in your marriage. However, I’m not convinced about the power of the human spirit to overcome these problems. I have gone from Weigh Down to weight back up. I’ve moved from South Beach where the beautiful people live, back to the North Beach where those who could stand to lose a few reside. I’ve done “Weight Watchers,” only to rejoin Cake Watchers. I’m pretty disciplined in lots of areas, but in others I fail over and over again. As many times as I repeat “...and I won’t do it again,” I end up doing it again.
Our struggle with sin is the same way. I think everyone would say they want to be a good person, but most of us also often feel powerless to do so. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that He Himself gives us the power. All we have to do is tell Him that we need Him, ask forgiveness for past sins, and build a relationship with Him personally. In 2 Peter 1:3 in the New International Version it says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness”.
The truth is, I really am powerless to overcome sin on my own. The Good News, though, tells me that God has provided all the power that I need through a relationship with His son Jesus. I think I’ll head back to Barnes and Noble to return that stack of self-help books. I’m definitely a work in progress, but I have all the help I need.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through m.” (NIV)
Rom 10: 9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Lord, I turn to You for help. I can’t deny that I act in ways that offend a perfect God, and I acknowledge these things as sin. I'm sorry...and I ask for Your forgiveness. I want to give my life to You and build a personal relationship with You. Thank You for loving me and accepting me. I’m so grateful that, in You, I find the power for change. These things I ask...in Jesus’ name...amen.
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/21/2008 7:58:24 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion...
What If I Don't Want To Trust?
Prov 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…
I hated middle school. It was one of the worst times of my life. I constantly felt my life was like one of those snow globes. As soon as things would settle and seem normal, something would come along, turn life upside down, and pieces of my scattered world were suddenly tumbling all around me.
Interestingly enough, my daughter who is in middle school right now, collects snow globes. Oh, the ironies of life. And her life has taken some upside down turns lately. Friendships, academics, emotions - they all seemed to be in constant upheaval.
I know a lot of this is normal for middle school. I've lived through the angst of these years with my two sons and my oldest daughter. But with this particular child, I was sensing a change was going to be needed.
For over 3 years, she has been attending a small Christian school that I love. The classes are small. The students get lots of attention and hands on learning. And they start everyday with a beautiful devotion time. This seemed to me, to be the very best environment for her to be in.
But this year, things just started falling apart. Doors started closing. And as much as I wanted to force the doors to stay open and to make things work for her in this small schooling environment, I knew I had to back off. I love to fix things... a.k.a. control things to make them easier to deal with.
Then the Lord started challenging me to turn all my fix-it energy to prayer and embrace what He was doing. I won't lie, it was very hard.
Things unfolded that I didn't want. Tears were shed over things I could have fixed, but knew the Lord was challenging me not to. And then one day my precious, full-of-life girl refused to get out of bed and go back to school.
So, I embraced another option. The option the Lord had been impressing on my heart that I'd been so resistant to even consider. I took her by the hand and walked her into the halls of our local public middle school containing over 1,400 kids.
I got her enrolled and watched the tears roll down her cheeks as it was time for me to leave her in her first class.
I pressed a card full of handwritten Bible verses into her back pack that I had also doused with my perfume that morning. I reminded her that every time she smelled it, to remember the many, many prayers I'd be praying for her all throughout the day. I gave one last hug and walked away.
Everything in me wanted to run back and whisk her away. I think just about everything in her wanted me to do some whisking as well. But I knew the Lord was challenging both of us to embrace this. To trust Him. To lean not on our own understanding but to press into His.
And you know what? She survived.
She got into her big brother's car that afternoon where I was waiting on his cell phone. Breathlessly she exclaimed, "It was great. I made two new friends but I don't remember their names. I didn't like my first or last class but I can deal with those. I loved everything else."
Now, I'm no fool. I know there will be hard days to come. But our plan is to keep embracing what God has for her today. To trust Him with today. And then tomorrow. And then the next day.
Jer 17:7 But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
John 14:1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.
Lord, forgive me for sometimes having a hard time trusting Your plans. Forgive me for trying to lean on my own understanding rather than embracing Yours. Help my faith and trust in You grow, day by day. All these things I pray...in Jesus’ name...amen.
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/24/2008 7:47:28 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion...
The Best I Can Do
James 5:13 Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is any one happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
I waited for my friend’s small group leader to finish her conversation with another lady before I shyly asked her if she had heard from my friend, whose husband had left her just a few weeks before. I knew my friend was probably not going to be at Bible study but I wanted to make sure she was doing okay. Her small group leader told me she had spoken with my friend and that she was, considering the circumstances, doing well. I told her I was glad to hear that, and asked if she knew of anything I could do for my friend during this difficult trial. Her leader put her hand on my shoulder and replied, “I told her that people will say that all they can do is pray. But really, that’s the best we can do. We can pray for her. We can storm the gates of heaven on her behalf. She needs our prayers right now so we will just keep praying.”
As I walked away, I thought about our conversation and wondered how many times I had idly commented that praying was “all I could do.” What I meant was that my prayers were a last resort, something to do when there was nothing else I could do – no meals I could bring, no Band-Aids I could apply to the hurt, no actions I could take. And yet, I was missing the best possible response I could have. I needed that reminder that praying is not a last resort, it’s a first response. It’s not the action of a powerless, hopeless person whose hands are tied in every other way. It’s the powerful, Heaven-summoning activity of a warrior who doesn’t want to fight alone. Praying, as I learned that morning, isn’t all I can do, it’s the best I can do.
Are you facing a situation right now that you can’t do anything about? Maybe you are watching someone go through something that you can’t help with. Do you wonder what good it will do to pray? Do you despair of anything changing, or of your prayers helping? Have you, like me, shrugged your shoulders and commented that all you have left is prayer—when really your prayers are exactly what is needed?
Let’s focus today on doing what’s best. Let’s get on our knees for ourselves, our family members, our spouses, our children, our neighbors, our friends and our nation. Let’s focus on the power in our prayers. Our intercession, and nothing more, might be exactly what God desires. Let’s not forget that we can offer the most help when we are on our knees.
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Psalm 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.
Lord, Thank You for being there any time I need to come to You. Thank You for giving us a way to talk to You and for Your promise that You will hear us when we pray. Help me to remember that prayer isn’t all I can do, it’s the best I can do.
I know that recently, I've spent more time praying for others...because my faith in my prayers being answered for my own needs has dwindled. Help me to remember that You think I'm important, too...that You will answer my prayers, too. So I'm laying my worries about my finances, my worries about a job, and my worries about my "love life" at Your feet this morning. I pray You will take them and do with them what You know is best. Grant me peace and patience, Father, until You bring Your answers to me. I will wait on You...for I trust Your will...may Your will be done. In Jesus’ name...amen.
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/25/2008 8:25:41 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion...
Thank You Power
1 Thes 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
In my (part-time) job as a university teacher, I’m frequently reading research. I know, I know … it sounds as dry as an over-cooked turkey. Sometimes it is, but often I find interesting stuff in that scientific prose. For example, this week I read about a study from the University of California that showed just how great it is to be grateful.
The researchers found that grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, more satisfaction with life, and more vitality and optimism. All good qualities I want more of in my life. They also found grateful people show lower levels of depression and stress - two things I’d like to experience less in my life.
What’s more, they found that people who keep journals about gratitude on a weekly basis are healthier. They exercise more regularly, report fewer physical symptoms, and feel better in general than people who journal about neutral or negative life events. That sounds great, and I’ll take all the help I can get in the exercise department.
Finally, the research showed that people who daily count their blessings report higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, and energy. Wow, the benefits of being grateful are remarkable and many! I guess that shouldn’t surprise me after considering today’s key verse. The Bible urges us to give thanks … all the time … in every situation … because this practice is the will of God.
Let me be clear, there are terrible things that happen to us that may not be the will of God, but us praising God and giving thanks in spite of them certainly is the will of God. As Christians, we can always find reason to give thanks – thanks for the salvation of Christ, the nearness of God, and the counsel of His Spirit for starters. The psalmist declared, “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High” (Psalm 7:17, NIV). We can do that too.
Christian poet John Milton once wrote about every grey cloud having a silver lining. Purposing to give thanks, no matter the weather, will train us to look for it. Continuing in this manner day after day ensures that gratefulness will become our normal mode of operation.
No wonder those researchers found that people regularly counting their blessings grow happier, healthier, and more optimistic. After all, that research wasn’t discovering anything new, but rather confirming the will and wisdom of God. God already knows how great it is for us to be grateful. Now “science” does too.
What can you give thanks for today?
Psalm 118:19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your Son, and Your Spirit, given to me. Thank You for the provision of shelter and food I have today. And Lord, thank You for this reminder to become more mindful of my blessings. I have so many people and things for which to be thankful....help me not to continue to dwell on the hard or bad stuff. Keep my eyes and my heart on You, Lord...for I know this is Your will...may Your will be done. These things I pray...in Jesus’ name...amen.
Good devotion.......God knows how grateful I am for the opportunity to meet my 'old' friends, Nessa and Katy for the first time today!  Thank You, Father, for special lil gifts like today!
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/25/2008 8:34:37 AM
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JustJeannie
Posts: 5125
Joined: 6/14/2007
From: the state of confusion
Status: online
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Very good devotion today.
_____________________________
Jeannie
Mah brain...it hurts...
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/25/2008 8:40:22 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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thanks........you're another one of those people i'm grateful to have in my life, gf!
_____________________________
Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/26/2008 8:09:59 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion...
I'm Right There With Ya'
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
“I’m right there with ya’!” a mom of a three-year-old boy commiserated to another mom of a three-year-old boy. We were at an all-day volleyball tournament for our daughters and the little tikes (as well as the moms) had already had about as much excitement as they could take. We were all having a late-afternoon meltdown.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I overheard this exchange, and I thought, “I wish I was right there with ya’.” My son Jonathan, had he lived, would have been three also.
Before the trickle of tears could become a raging river, God’s truth proclaimed in my heart, “I AM right there with ya’!” I smiled through my tear-blurred vision and thanked God for His comfort, and for the hope I have in Him. I thanked Him for sustaining me through this journey of grief.
I am thankful that I can be content that I have Christ and He is all I need. As our key verse tells us, Jesus will not leave us comfortless. He will be there. It is a journey to get to that place of contentment in Him, and wanting more than anything else on this earth to be right there with Him. It is also a destination that can be reached if we don’t misplace our hope.
My experience has made me realize there are hurting people, especially as we approach special days during our holiday season, who will be grieving and missing a loved one. This grief may feel all-consuming at times, and they may forget that Christ is right there with them. They will have misplaced their hope. Just as mine had been misplaced in the past, their focus will be on what they don’t have instead of Who they do have. The temporary will displace the eternal, leaving them feeling empty.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 says, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (NIV). Having hope when others do not is a choice to believe that this scripture is true.
Now there’s where I really want to be. As Isaiah 35:10b says, “Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” That’s what a life filled with hope looks like.
It’s incredible how the grief still sneaks up on me sometimes – how moments like that one at the volleyball game make me feel so alone and how my heart is still so tender especially around those special dates. At those times, the journey continues as I draw closer to my true Hope. He is right there with me as I remain right there with Him.
Ps 42:11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Ps 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Jer 31:13 Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
Lord, in times of grief, help me remember You are my Hope and You are right there with me. I pray You open my eyes and heart to others who are hurting and help me remind them of the Hope. Please give me boldness and compassion during this season to introduce the ultimate Hope to others in need of hope. These things I pray...in Jesus’ name...amen.
This was a good follow-up to yesterday's devotion on being grateful. 
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Kimberly (aka KJ)
Shifing Gears w/ Kimberly
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/26/2008 12:50:29 PM
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Tinkerbell_
Posts: 8690
Joined: 1/25/2008
From: NeverNeverLand
Status: offline
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I got teary just thinking about Him saying, "I'm right there with ya!"
Sometimes we forget that and just go about our business thinking we're alone.
How wonderful is it to know that we're not?
Soooo grateful for you, girlfriend!!!! *huggles*
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/26/2008 12:53:46 PM
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JustJeannie
Posts: 5125
Joined: 6/14/2007
From: the state of confusion
Status: online
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TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINKerdoodles! What the heeck are you doing online??????? Do you have IM abilities where you iz????????
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Jeannie
Mah brain...it hurts...
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/27/2008 7:27:40 PM
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BlessedAngel1983
Posts: 11817
Joined: 6/8/2007
From: South Carolina
Status: online
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Happy Thanksgiving Mama KJ!
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Reflecting with Terri
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings
AKA AngelInWaiting1983
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RE: Shifting Gears with Kimberly - 11/29/2008 10:37:38 AM
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kj88il
Posts: 2167
Joined: 3/3/2008
From: IL (NW Central)
Status: offline
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today's devotion.......
What If?
Esth 4:15-16 Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai: ’Go and gather together all the Jews of Shushan and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; and I and my maids will do the same; and then, though it is strictly forbidden, I will go in to see the king; and if I perish, I perish.
“Are you afraid of snakes?” my friend’s son asked with a smirk.
I felt a surge of fear at the question. Then I noticed his hands hidden below the kitchen counter. I swallowed hard as I realized he probably held a snake in his twelve-year-old hands.
What if I answered, “Yes”? What if he tossed it in my lap to watch my horrified reaction?
“Not much,” I answered. Sure enough, he came around the corner holding a wiggly, white and orange snake. However, my answer had clearly deflated his mischievous intentions. He brought the harmless critter closer but held it tightly in his hands. Bored with the result, he left the room, with the snake in tow, to find a different surprised soul with a phobia of snakes. I breathed a sigh of relief and unclenched my sweaty palms.
Don’t we often react in the same manner with God? We fear that if we decide to trust Him, He will allow something horrible in our lives. We ask ourselves all sorts of fear-filled questions. What if God sends me to be missionary in a remote country? What if I get cancer? What if He wants me to live a life of poverty? What if He takes one of my children? What if He desires I stay single? What if? What if? What if?
An ancient queen, Esther, faced a tremendous “what if” in her life. She was called upon to stand up to an evil man, Haman, at the risk of losing her life. At first, she reacted with a stout refusal. But her cousin Mordecai challenged her with these words, “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Esther overcame her fear and responded with the words found in our Key Verse, “though it is strictly forbidden, | | |
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in fact, great devotions. I'll have to duck in here more. 
