Fill with hope for purity of heart

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you TRUST in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Hope floats!! Today we have fresh fallen snow.  I love the snow even when it comes when I'm looking forward to green grass and open water.  Snow reminds me of purity.  Hope helps me with purity of heart.     When my Hope is in the Lord even in my worse case scenario I can still have joy and peace.   "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."   Simple beautiful!!😇🙏❤️🌸🦅

Peace here

Last night I had a beautiful conversation with my mom.   My mom has been known for her love of the song,"My Way" by Frank Sinatra.   My mom has often said, "I have no regrets".  I have repeatedly told her I have a few for you. My mom really struggled with alcoholism, as her daughter I suffered too.   When she would say I have no regrets,  I would take it personally, I felt she didn't care how much damage was done.   Last night she confessed how much damage was done and how she felt bad about her part in all of it and told me she was sorry.    Not because I brought it up.  But she brought it up randomly. Then she confessed she has a peace in her heart that she has never had before.  She said her peace was from Jesus.    😇🙏.   It was the most beautiful conversation I think I've ever had with my mom.   I am so thankful I have confidence that when my moms journey here is over she will be in Heaven.  And I'm so grateful that while she is here on this earth she can know His Peace.   Praise the Lord!  Romans 10:9 " 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."  ....10:13" For everyone that calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Your unique service?

Matthew 3:10 "Jesus said to him, " Away from me, Satan! For it is written: worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." Sometimes I seek filling my own pleasures ahead of doing Gods work.  He does give us different gifts and talents, can we serve Him in the middle of seeking our pleasures?  One of my dear friends has a bicycle minisrty.  He loves to bike and loves to help people know Jesus.    What can you do in your unique environment to serve God?    

Trust the one that can

Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You."    Clear thinking..... I had minor surgery on Wednesday when I awoke from the being put under I was very "loopy".  I just couldn't focus.  The instructions said don't make any major life decisions during this time.  Stress, drugs and alcohol, lack of sleep; all can get us a bit "loopy".  Things that take my focus off of God, His hope and peace can also make me a bit loopy.   If I base my decisions on my emotional feelings I'm likely to make poor decisions.   When I patiently take everything to God in prayer and peacefully respond to life with His hope and peace I have clarity of mind.  His way, not mine.    I often don't like the plans God has for me.   I can think Kimberly's way would be better.   Thank God, I'm not God.  I can not see the big picture I will TRUST in the one that can.   😇🙏🌸❤️

Picking Good Friends

Proverbs 11:25 "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others, he himself will be refreshed."   Generous and lifting others up what a good way to be!   Have you ever been around people that make you want to be better? Sometimes people that help us “ be better” call us out.  They don’t let our bad behaviors go unchecked, they point out things we don’t see.  This is loving and  helps us be better people.   They also point out the good things we do.  They bring out the best in us.  We need people we admire and want to be more like, we want to be people think of this way too.  It’s good to have friends that help you be your best you.  We are to be generous and refresh eachother.  “ you make me want to be a better man” is a line in a movie I have never forgotten.     When we pick friends pick people that help steer us in the right direction not ones that will bring us down.   When my boys were in kindergarten the teacher had a sign up:  Good friends are caring, trustworthy, generous and have good citizenship.  Bad friends lie, gossip, cheat, steal and are prejudice.     Be careful who you allow in your life it makes a difference!!!  😇❤️🌸🙏. Be careful you are acting like a “Good Friend” too.  

Let me fix it first God

John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me. ". I am a doer.   I see things to do and get it done,  if it's something I enjoy doing. Unfortunately I am

 also a procrastinator especially if I'm not excited about the task.     Eventually,  if I've procrastinated long enough I decide not to do this or that.  It's really not a very productive way to live.   Trusting God is often like that for me.  I’ll trust Him if I want to.  Usually it’s after I’ve done everything I can to get what I think is best.  My ways usually fall short and my heart gets troubled.   He is the great healer.   His ways always lead to His glory.  Today and each day Let us trust His ways are greater then ours  even if He's guiding us on a path we'd rather not do.   God's got this!!  Is a saying that helps me have true wellness in my soul.   Trust Him first then; Do, what He says in His Word.😇🙏🌸🦅❤️

Love like He loves us

 John 15:12 "My command is this; love each other as I have loved you."  These are the words of Jesus!!   What a command!   When I was a child of 14 things were very, very hard.  My mom had married a man that was not good , she coped with alcohol and valume.  my dad and all our healthy family support were 500 miles away.  I felt no one could love me, that I was completely unloveable.  Then my grandma Holt came to live with us and she made sure I went to confirmation class.  In this class I studied the Bible and I realized JESUS loved me!!!!! He loved me even when I did the behaviors that would land me beatings, He loved me when I was in the dark places where  I used to hide.  Jesus loves each of us ALWAYS!!!  We can trust in that!!!!   Wow!!!  Jesus loves us and is with us always. Not because of how good we are but because He made us, just the way we are so we can love Him and He can love us!!!   How simple, how beautiful.    Someone said I need to work on my self esteem..... self esteem never gets me out of the muck.  Christ esteem delivers me.   I am the righteousness of Jesus Christ, because I believe He died on the cross to pay the price of my sin and He gives me His right standing with God and His resurrection.    He did this for each of us while we are still sinners.   Knowing I am the righteousness of Jesus gives me Christ esteem, even when I feel unworthy.  He loves us in the middle of our muck, that is how we are to love others.  Love each other with a pure heart not  because people are acting the way you want them to, love them because that is what we are commanded to do.   I'm not saying let people hurt you.  I'm saying love people with a forgiving sincerity of heart,even the ones you need to distance yourself from.   😇🙏🌸❤️🦅

Sing God’s song!

Romans 15:13 “ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you TRUST in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Hope!!! Look at what you are hoping for, sing God's song over your troubles.  He's got it all.  He has you just where He wants you and He is doing a good work in You!!! Romans 8:18 " I consider the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."   Hope.  Helps a bunch in being well!!😇🙏☘️❤️🌸. 

Pride or humility? Defeat or victory!

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”  Pride kept me from step one at AA. I had a tuff time with powerless and unmanageable.    It was hard for me to " let go " of the illusion that I could be a normal drinker.   I have other illusions in my life that my pride wants me to hold unto.  

True wisdom is the fear of the Lord.  Recognize when you are in pride doing life "your way" and turn to Letting God be God, humbling yourself to His way.    

“Love deeply”

1 Peter 1:22 "Now that you purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one an other deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."    Today my heart is troubled.   I am in conflict with people I love.   Love is enduring, we can love people even when we are at odds with them.   Love each other deeply even when you disagree!!   There are many things in this world we can disagree with each other on. The Bible says to love each other.  One way to do this is have mutual respect for opinions opposite of yours.   This is hard.    This take God.  Today I will ask the Holy Spirit to fill my heart with humility and open mindedness, so I can appreciate opinions and reasoning opposite mine.   I have no control of how others think of me. All I can do is truly walk in love and TRUST God will work things out in His perfect timing.   😇🙏🌸🦅♥️. Today be love even in conflict, you don’t have to be right , just be 💕 love.

Live!!!

John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"  John 3:16 " For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son , that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  JUST BELIEVE!!! No acts of works.  God did all the work on the cross!!  He paid the price for our sins, He gives us His right standing and eternal life.  We can not earn salvation on our own. Our good works are like filthy rags.   His perfect life, death and resurrection is what saves us!!!   TRUST in Him!!! Sometimes it's hard to simply believe, my mind plays games.  When it's hard for me, I cry out, "Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief!"    John 14:6 Jesus answered, I am the way the truth the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."   This is a powerful truth.   TRUST Jesus with your life, your fear and ultimately with your passing.  He is the way, the truth and the life.    Believe This!!😇🙏🌸🦅♥️Live!!! You will see your loved ones again, who have died in Christ, because with that we live in Heaven!!!

Buck up!

2 Corinthians 7:10 "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."  Godly sorrow over my poor behavior produces a true desire to turn away.   Sin is so alluring, satisfying my flesh is momentarily fulfilling.   Worldly consequences usually don't keep me from my bad behaviors especially in todays world where everything is okay.  But we know better, we know gluttony is wrong, we know over spending is wrong we know gossip and complaining are wrong we don't live by the worlds standard we live by a higher standard.   We know in our hearts and through reading the Bible the direction God is calling us to go.  When I don’t do what I know He is leading me to do I have two choices.  1 Buck up and just do it!  2 Ignore His word and keep on the Kimberly spiral.    When I find the courage and strength to do life Christ centered,  it's not easier but it's deeply fulfilling.   Godly sorrow truly keeps turning me to salvation.   It's Jesus that saves us, with His finished work on the cross we don't earn our salvation it's a free gift!! When I keep ignoring my sin I get a hardened heart and that leads to me forgetting He is my Savior.  With Jesus assurance of my forgiveness,  I can keep bucking up when I fail!!   On my own I get a hardened heart.  Be inspired. Buck up today!!!😇 What ever you do do it heartily  for our Lord Jesus Christ!!!  Don’t be a man pleaser but a God pleaser!!

Thought about giving up…., not a good option

Proverbs 3;7 “ Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear God and depart from evil.”

James 4:7 “ Submit yourselves, then to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.”   Wash your hands, purify your hearts, want what God wants for you.   Resist the devil, the things and the behaviors you know God wants you to resist.   Draw near to Him, so He can direct your path.   In order for me to resist the desires in my heart that I know God is leading me to let go of.     I have to stop thinking about them.     I spent 29 years thinking about giving up drink but meanwhile fantasizing how I could be a normal drinker... Dreaming about what is bad for me is completely unhealthy. Being thankful for the wonderful things I do have and praising God for them keeps me in a good place.  😇🦅🙏🌸. Not always easy to keep my mind right.... always worth it!!   Yesterday I was in a Fat Tire race.  I didn't take the time to fill my tires, my race was painfully slow.  In the middle of it I could hear a voice in me wanting to grumble, complain and give up.   One guy ahead of me did.    I chose to thank God that I could do it, in the first place and decided to enjoy my ride.  One of my dearest friends says, " God didn't bring me this far to drop me now".     Keep on keeping on today.  Let go of the wrong and press toward the right.   Know through Jesus you continually are getting a fresh start!!!

Try again!!

1 Peter 2:25 "For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepard and Overseer of your souls."  We are all sheep that go astray!   All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God.  No one can earn their own salvation. We all need Jesus to pay the penalty of our sins and give us His right standing with God and His eternal life.  We can not do it on our own!! I have always been a fearsomely independent person.   At a young age my father left and my mom was very broken so buckling up was the only choice.    Being dependent of Jesus, His way, not mine is not easy for my independent, I can do it mind set.   Psalm 46:10 " Be still and know that I am God".   Be still, trust God His ways are greater then mine. To stay healthy and sober; I need to keep coming back to the throne, accept his forgiveness and try again,  every time I mess up.   When I first quit drinking, I had born again, again experiance (a rededication of my life to Jesus an illumination of my soul)  I experienced a 24 hour period that I truly felt there was no malice in me.  It was an amazing gift from God.   But even as a born again Christian sin still enters in my heart.  I still have evil desires.   God knows and understands my every thought.  He loves me through it all.  Over and over again,  He picks me up dusts me off and says, your forgiven now go and sin no more....  when I fall He is there.  Just as a parent teaching their child to walk.   He picks me up and has me try again!!!    Today let’s shake off the dust and try again!!

Tests for testimonies

1Philippians 1:14 " Because of my chains, most of my brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly."   Our Pain can help others look to His promises. Our tests become our testimonies!!   It difficult to go through trials. God will use what we go through for His ultimate good.... TRUST Him in all things!😇🙏🌸🦅

Hospitality without hostility

1 Peter4:8 "Above all love each other deeply,because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in various forms.”    ♥️.   Love each other deeply, offer hospitality without grumbling or complaining.    Sometimes I am quick to offer hospitality and then loose my desire to be hospitable.  How hypocritical!!   I can over extend myself then “feel” stressed.  I have been convicted that my yes be yes and no be no with sincerity of heart.  So when I offer up hospitality and later get anxious about it, I need to stay with my commitment having a pure heart.  I have to intentionally look forward to my commitments with excitement, not look at them with a feeling of overwhelmed.  God gives us every perfect gift to do His will!!   Today let’s take on our commitments with excited hearts!!!😇🙏♥️🌸

Power love and self discipline

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline."   Power, love and self discipline!!   Stand strong!!!  

Lead me to the way of everlasting 😇

Duplicity of mind..... ?    Why is it I want to speak what I think but I worry about offending people.   I still speak what I think, but  to people other then the ones I need to talk to.....why?   If I'm confident in who I am as a child of God and if I have a rational mind why don't I say exactly what I'm thinking to people who I want to share my opinion with?   When I was a child I was raised in an unsafe environment.   I didn't feel like anyone could ever love me.  I'll be 60 in May certainly not a child,  yet sometimes I coward like one.   It's a thorn in my flesh.  When I stand in the strength of Jesus  I can find determination to be bold.  Too often I walk in my fleshly fear and speak to others about what's wrong and not speak to God about what's right.  One of my dear friends suggested I speak blessings over those im concerned for, when I’m tempted to go down a worry and fear path.    Today, when I am tempted to be anxious in my thinking, I will try to speak directly to those, I have concerns for, pray blessings for them and TRUST God in it all with sincerity of heart. His ways are always greater than mine I can't understand, but I can TRUST.    Psalm 139:23-4 "Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting."

Idol worship? Not me…. We’ll maybe me

Psalm 44:17 "From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, save me; you are my god."     Idol worship, it's easy to think...not me, but is it me?   When I was drinking I turned to alcohol to help me relax, celebrate and cope.  It is what I used to "save me".  As an addict I also struggle with codependency. Sometimes I think a person can be the one who "saves me".   Years ago I used to dream of the big diamond and the big house that if I had that I'd be better off.   One of my best  friends said to me, "Don't love something that can't love you back."  I never liked it when he said that but......it’s true.    When I find myself seeking comfort for my heart in anything outside of Jesus first, it’s like I am putting that behavior, person or thing as my idol….it’s ok to want beautiful things and enjoy healthy relationships, those are gifts from God.  When we think, things, behaviors or people can “save us”watch out.   That could be idol worship.   😇🙏🌸🦅🎈

Take every thought captive!!

2 Corinthians 10:5 "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ".  Take every thought captive!!! Proverbs 23:7 " As a man thinks in his heart so is he."   What we think about expands!!! It's so important to control our minds.  We can't control random thoughts that enter our head.   We all have some crazy things that come in.    We all have the ability to train ourselves to take captive the thoughts we know are evil and let them go!!!!   When we nurture a thought three times we get an emotional response and if we keep thinking a thought four times we are likely to take physical action.  I learned this in recovery

An example is if I keep thinking about drinking eventually I will go get alcohol.    Taking every thought captive is HUGE in Christ centered wellness!!  We have to be able to recognize an invasive thought and let it go.   Today let's think well so we can be well!!😇🙏🌸🦅🎈

Purity of heart to avoid impurity of mouth

 Luke 6:45 “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”   

Sincerity of heart, Through the powerful gift of Jesus.    Recently I got caught being two faced.   It’s embarrassing to admit but it’s true.   It made me take a deeper dive into who I really am and I realize I think things should be a certain way and of course they are not.   So I get irritated and manipulative.   Not a very good quality for a Bible teacher.    In my notes from one of my studies I had written, “believe it and leave it!”   If I truly believe God's ways are greater then mine and He is in control of all things then I should be able to be ok and content in all situations even the ones I don’t like.   I should be able to be sincere in heart with never being two faced.   Have your ever heard the saying, “ you can’t would have, could have, should have?”   I am convinced I will not be at peace in life if I can not learn to have true contentment in all things. Dear God, please help me TRUST you’ve got it all, let me believe it and leave it!  Let me have purity of heart so I don’t have impurity of mouth!!😇🙏💃❤️🦅

John 3:16

John 3:16 “ For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”   When I was skiing last weekend, someone passed me that had a bib ending with 316.  I was able to quote this verse to myself and it helped me find strength.  This morning Andrew Womack quoted this verse and spoke of how eternal life starts now!! John 10:10 “ The thief comes only to kill steal and destroy, I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”    When I first quit drinking I didn’t drink because I was afraid of returning to drinking.  But fear never kept me clean. What keeps me clean is embracing my new life.  I've learned to enjoy my sober life with Jesus so much, that I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.  If I put others things ahead of God.   Then I jeopardize my relationship with Him.   He  always love me but I won’t be living life to the full and in abundance.  When I put my problems or emotions ahead of Him those things consume me.  There are many things that can steal our joy, let’s look up!!! So we can keep our chins up!!!😇🙏🌸🦅💃. Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  I love to take this time frame to intentionally honor God each and every day.

“NEXT”

When I talk with my son and it's a subject he doesn't want to talk about he simply says, "Next".    Sometimes I try to push the issue and continue to talk then he will say, "Mom, if you keep going there, I'm going to hang up."   I don't like it when he does this.   I do respect it.   It saves our relationship to simply agree to disagree.   When I hit the tables at AA I didn't agree with everything people were saying.   Someone told me, "Take what you can, leave the rest."    That was great advise.   In the Bible it describes the end times as times families will be divided against eachother.   I can see that now.   Our political and religious  views can be passionate and dividing.    Today,  I'm going to take the words of Jesus to heart and action. I will 1st concentrate on loving God and secondly on loving others with a pure heart.    That might mean saying, "NEXT" and simply agreeing to disagree.   John 13:34. "A new command I give you: Love one another, as I have loved you , so you must love one another." 

Matthew 22:37 "Jesus replied: " Love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments "