So it seems like forever since I've been here. But the last week and a half has been so indescribable, I had to take a moment and get it out.

Hurricane Irma made her appearance and devastated areas of our county, while me and my family have the luxury of our home, power and all of our belongings. Today, we stopped by to check in on some friends from the ball field. They were not so fortunate. They were some of the more than 300 people that were rescued by boat. This had never happened to them. Their house had always been high and dry. They have lost everything... their home that has been in their family for decades, their cars, everything in their kitchen, their piano, their mattress and bedroom set, and the list goes on and on. They did salvage some clothes and all of their children's mattresses. By the time we showed up on the scene, they had already been ripping out dry wall for days. They said their neighbor, an older lady across the street, needed some help because she had it worse than they did. We walked over and jumped in to help this stranger. Pulling wet dry wall, hauling it to the roadside. The homeowner was as sweet as she could be, as she walked around in her wet boots, working alongside us and the teams of others there to help. There are probably thousands of stories like this in our community. 

We got home and were able to shower and are relaxing, but I couldn't help but think about God in all of this. I kept thinking about all of the ways God used my senses today:  giving hugs, smelling the stench of rotting dry wall, seeing the piles of people's belongings in the front yard, hearing the sounds of people scooping up squishy drywall and tossing tiles into the wheelbarrow and then there is tasting. God brought to mind his word in Psalm 34:8: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. I don't ever want to forget God's faithfulness through all of this. He is hope, even when there seems to be none.

I also come back to the stench. It was so strong, so overwhelming, so distinct, so horrific, so sad. But then God reminded me about the sweet aroma of worship.   2 Corinthians 2:14-15 says: "But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."  

This is our community right now... rebuilding lives from the ruins, being Jesus' hands and feet to friends, neighbors and strangers, tasting and seeing the Lord is good, all the while spreading the aroma of knowing He is everywhere and our loving kindness toward one another is pleasing to Him. Thank you, God for the privilege of loving and serving others and giving you glory.

Staying Clay County Strong!  

2015: Magnify

Wow!  Coming off the year of SO was quite interesting.  Either I'm not paying enough attention in the beginning of the year or I am a slow learner, because God always seems to bring it on the last quarter of the year.  I learned more about my pride and strong-will than I ever expected and thankfully was humbled which led to my submission and obedience both at home and on the job.

So, this brings us to 2015!  I've been praying about the theme for this year since November and struggled really until this morning.  I love how God has tied it all together!  At first I was thinking it would be the year of Worship.  Then, it was the year of taking thoughts captive.  Then it was preserving my heart.  And where I've landed miraculously wraps all of them up into one word:  Magnify!

I was on my way to a conference in December and heard a Tony Evans sermon in which he simply asked the definition of magnify.  He made it simple:  to make bigger.  In our walk with Christ, it is our honor and privilege to make God look bigger than the stuff we face in life, whatever it is.  It stuck with me, but I had no idea to what extent until this week.

Today I made time to do a word study on the word magnify.  I love that God has such deeper meaning in his word than is presented at first glance!  This is what I found:
In the Greek, magnify is the word "megaluno" which means to make great, enlarge or magnify.
In the Hebrew; magnify is the word "gadal" (pronounced gaw-dal).  The primary root is to twist; to be or make large (in various senses as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride).  It's translated as magnify (32x), great (26x), grow (14x), nourishment (7x), grow up (6x), greater (5x).  It means to become strong, grow up, be greater, wealthy, evidence oneself as great, be powerful, significant or valuable.  In the intensive stem it indicates that this rearing up has occurred (brought up children) and may also imply permission (when Samson's hair was to grow Numbers 6:5).  But primarily it is to magnify or to make large.

My theme verses are Psalm 34:3 (but I like the entire chapter to get the full effect!) and Psalm 69:30,  Psalm 70:4, Philippians 1:20.

What does this all mean?  It means this:  my 2015 will be focused on making sure that I remember that God is truly bigger than anything that I face and therefore my reaction and response to the things that happen in my life should reflect that.  When I make that intentional choice (taking every thought captive), I grow in my relationship with Christ and worship Him in a variety of different ways.  Not only that, but I then give Him more permission to preserve my heart which means I can be braver and bolder when He leads me to be.  At the end of the year, I hope I will have grown in my relationship with my God and truly magnify him in every way possible.

Here's to 2015... Magnify!  Hope you'll join me in magnifying His name!

2014... the year of SO

Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
    but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.--Proverbs 29:18

2013 was the year of Awakening.  I must say I was surprised to what I was awakened to.  I enjoyed being awakened to all the good stuff:  Jesus' presence, His teachings, His ways, His gifts to me and enjoying the moments more - being more awake in the moment.  But I was also awakened to some sin in my life that had really been stopping me from growing closer to God, hindering my marriage and leading me down a slippery slope.  

I've always been a strong-willed woman, but I had no idea what that was really doing to my marriage until I heard a Focus on the Family broadcast of the author of "The Strong-Willed Wife".  Listening to her, scared me and humbled me.  She spoke as if she had been living my life.  Her statements were my thoughts too.  Needless to say, God is working on me.  What this revealed to me is that I really have a submission problem.  Truthfully, if you have a submission problem, you also have an obedience problem.  Therefore, 2014 is the year of SO (Submission and Obedience).  

I've made some unwise decisions this past year and am paying the consequences.  I also know that God's love never fails, He is making me new and He is SOvereign.  

SO, in 2014 I look forward to the new wife that my husband will have (yes, it's still me!:), the new mom for my boys and the new daughter to the King of Kings.  

Love & Prayers, 
Kim
Romans 15:13

Awakened to...

Awakened to...

• the richness of His word
• how everything that I hear, read and see seems to point to Him and every area He is chiseling
• the gift of being known by a few courageous warrior daughters of the King
• the joy of the desire to attempt to memorize my boys' faces as they sleep
• the kindness in his way of pursuit
• the bondage and depth of my sin
• the hope of freedom and victory only experienced by His chisel and my surrender
• the excitement of the first day of school
• the reality of overwhelming love
• the choice I have to receive that love
• little ways the enemy steals, kills and destroys
• crazy ideas that may really be God ideas
• how admitting failures is true success
• how He is delivering me from the bondage of living in the picture of looking like I have it all together
• the power I've given other people instead of My God
• the shields that He has made available
• the gratitude
• the desire of my heart
• the power of dependence on Him vs. independence and self-reliance
• the willingness to say "I can't do it"
• the fun of dance night at the Morgan house (my favorite part is when Ryan will dance with Ian and say, "Dad, it's your turn to dance with mom.")
• the pure love that flows from your child
• the understanding of what wholeheartedness may look like
• the dancing picture that is messed up in my head
• the strength that supernaturally appears when I have nothing to give
• the need for rest and Sabbath
• learning that Jacob's wrestling match with God was his first honest fight he had ever had which prepared him to meet his match:  Laban.  (Hmmm)
• tissue warnings
• my yearning to write
• boundaries 
• peaking out of the pit, preparing to stand on solid ground and dance wholeheartedly!

Awakened to His Love

His Love Never Fails - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_o6s5X5LSw

Awakened to... His Love

• Listening to the wee one pray all by himself
• Laughing with my elder boy love
• The prayers of the wee one:  "God, please always be with me so that I won't be afraid." "God, I love you too!"
• When I pray a prayer and He answers so overwhelmingly via song that I'm weak-kneed, light-headed, tear stained red faced and thankful.
• Older boy love's spiritual questions, i.e.:  Are the priests good guys or bad guys (the Sunday school lessons went from Easter where Jesus was handed over to the priests to be arrested to the Old Testament where they're carrying the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.)  Never thougth about it like that!
• Hearing about the elder boy's adventures of trying new foods
• Seeing my boys helping Scott put the new grill together
• Celebrating my husband
• Getting glimpses of more of how He's working in our story
• a "thank you" from the new boss
• the reminder that He pursues me
• Passion comes before the Resurrection
• when the same scripture that you've read gazillions of times comes alive in a new way!
• Rain
• Sunshine
• Cool breezes
• Sistas that love me no matter what!
• Christian radio stations
• Warrior Princesses

All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  Matthew 26:41

Awakened to...
my fears
my failures
my sin of unbelief
my sin of worry
my sin of idolatry
the joy of being the donkey (the means that the King goes to the people)
the joy of the amazing rescue mission of Christ
the joy of surrender
laughter of sweet boys playing together after my long day
my need to have more fun
thoughtfulness after the wee one busted his lip/mouth and then gives his brother a piece of chocolate
thankfulness that the wee one's busted lip/mouth wasn't as serious as it looked
thankfulness for paying down debt
gratitude for friends sharing their hearts
thankful for surprises that no one would believe possible :)
enjoying going to sleep in my husband's arms
the elder boy love's growth spiritually, physically and emotionally
snuggle time
fun, movie popcorn days
sweet prayer times of 2nd graders
the need to love on widows all the more
the need and privilege of being His hands and feet
the challenge to be intentional all the time
the need for self-control
love

Celebrating Resurrection Day!

2013 - Awaken

I've been on a journey with God over the last couple of years.  Instead of making New Year's Resolution's that I rarely keep, God gives me a theme for the year.  It's been so interesting to see what He has taught me and it is a bit easier for me to see what He may be up to in my life.

2011 was the year of Living Victoriously.  It truly was.  I discovered areas of freedom that I didn't even know I needed.

2012 was the year of Passionate Pursuit.  While the first half of the year was invigorating and definitely lived up to what I thought the theme should look like.  The latter part of the year left me with more questions than answers.  What does passionate pursuit of Him look like?  So He gets glory?  When no one else is watching?

The thing that I love about what He's doing with these themes is He's building.  He's basically rebuilding me into the woman He's already made me to be.  He's just revealing that woman to me in doses that I can take when I need them.

So looking forward to 2013, through prayer and much confirmation over the last couple of weeks, the theme is Awaken.  While my first thought, was "God, I thought I was awake..." I had to live victoriously and fight the condemnation that came with that ugly thought from my enemy.  Then I had to passionately pursue His word and discover what He had in store.  This is where He is leading me...

Romans 13:11-14 (The Message) - But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

Ephesians 5:13-15 (The Message) - Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,

Climb out of your coffins;Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

"The only way to rip out the tape of self-rejection is listening to the song of His serenade.  Because as C.S. Lewis adamantly argued, the most fundamental thing is not how we think of God, but rather what God thinks of us.  How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important.  Giving thanks awakens to a God giving Himself."  --- Ann Voskamp (Dec. 22, God in the Moment - One Thousand Gifts Daily Calendar)

Song - Awaken by Natalie Grant - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yngKB7pykaA  

"Awake" in the King James version of the above verses have great meaning in the Greek.  Egeiro (eg-i-ro) simply means any of the following (and all fit for this year's theme!):
rouse (literally from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death, or figuratively from  obscurity, inactivity, ruins and nonexistence), rise, raise, arise, raise up, rise up, rise again, raise again, awake, lift up, rear up, arise, stand, take up.  

I'm in the midst of reading "Lioness Arising" by Lisa Bevere.  (it is a great and challenging read!)  One of the chapters is titled, "Dangerously Awake".  Here are some key points I took away from that chapter...

• "There's nothing more dangerous than being in the presence of lions when they are fully awake."
• Unfortunately we often live as tranquilized Christians, sedated by the day-to-day
• "Be up and awake to what God is doing!"
• "I have no idea what all this (the wake-up process in Christian women) may look like once we are fully awake, but I'm pretty sure we will look dangerous in teh dark and glorious in the light."
• "I have come to believe that the expression of a fierce, wild lioness of a Christian woman is yet to be defined."
• "A how-to, step-by-step Christianity leaves us void of much of the mystery of God. So this is not a how-to message.  I want you awakened - to rise up a lioness and walk in your unique expression of what that means.  Only you and God can define what that lioness will look like when she is fully awake in you."
• "God did not save you to tame you."

Looking forward to what He has in store for 2013 and discovering the new ways I will learn to give Him glory.  

Happy 2013 to you!  Praying you experience His presence like never before!