Go Team!

Genesis 2:18 "The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone, I will make a helper suitable for him."  My brother just got married.  He loves baseball. In baseball you need a good team.    In marriage you also need a good TEAM!   I like what Genesis 2:18 states,  " a helper suitable for him." When we are given to each other in marriage it is important to remember we are on the same team.   We are to help each other.   We are to help each other.   As brothers and sisters in Christ we are also on the same team.   Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be over powered , two can defend themselves and a cord of three strands is not quickly broken."  Our best "team" includes Jesus to make us a three fold cord.    Today whether you are married or single remember you are on the winning team, help each other walk a good walk.   It's important to be careful when choosing your team pick people that help you not hurt you. On my way home from the wedding I met a high end baseball player at the airport.   He was getting married for the second time.   He told me in his first marriage, they forgot they were on the same team.     I hope this helps you today be a Christ centered team, as you try hard to help each other be Evrything God created you to be!!😇❤️💃. Go TEAM!!!

Be like the tree!

Jeremiah 17:8 "He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of draught and never fails to bear fruit."    "I want to be like that tree!" Is what my lovely daughter in law wrote by this passage.  I do too!!! Many things come up, doubt and fears try to steal my joy.  Jeremiah 17:7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him."     To be like this tree we FIRST need to TRUST God in all things.  

Plan B

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord whose confidence is in Him.”    TRUST!!  Wednesday, my Dad dropped me off at the airport in CA.  I was sad to leave, but looking forward to time with my grandson on Thursday.   I had a tight connection in Chicago and missed my flight.    I watched the plane sit there for a good 15 minutes with the gate closed.  i was not allowed on.  No exceptions!  I was so frustrated I just wanted to cry.   All I could think of is that if I was going to be gone an extra day, I would rather be at my Dads’. A man at the airport comforted me with Romans 8:28.  He didn’t know I was a Christian.  That is just the way he comforted me. I was so refreshed by his big smile and him reminding me of scripture.   I made it home Thursday night.  My plane ride back to Wisconsin was glorious!!   I had views of full fall colors, and amazing clouds, none of which I could’ve seen if my flight would’ve been at night.   God gave me a silver lining.  During my down time, I was able to accomplish work for a project I have a deadline for.  Everything worked out and I get to spend time with my grandson today.   I felt pretty hopeless and very teary, as I looked at that plane at the gate.  Sometimes,  the things that make us very teary open the doors to something else.  TRUST He will make you a way.

3 Near death experiences

Romans 8:18 "I consider the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."   

Romans 10:13 ""for,"Everyone that calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

Near Death, I have heard of three testimonies of it mine is one.  1.  "It was cold black and scary."   2. "It was like nothing, like falling asleep".   3.  It was the most alive I've ever been!  It was glorious!  I was surrounded by a warm white light and I felt a peace that surpassed all understanding and I knew that I knew I was going "home" I could feel my beloved welcoming me.   When I was wooshed back to my body and woke up on the recovery room table I wanted to go back.   I didn't want to have to do this life because the next was so much more. ".   Number 3 is my testimony.    I wasn't living a great life or going to church regularly when I had my near death experience, what I did, was in all sincerity of heart called out to Jesus to save me and immediately I was surrounded by a peace that surpasses all understanding!!   The beautiful thing is you don't have to wait tell death is knocking at your door.   You can call upon the name of the Jesus now.     I have problems in life just like everyone else, but in my here and now I am able to have His peace knowing I have amazing to look forward to.      I hope this helps you today too.   Simply call upon the name of the Lord with all sincerity of heart!😇🙏❤️

One and done!

Hebrews 10:10 "And by that will, we have been made holy, through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Once and for all!!!    I was reminded yesterday that I don't have to keep asking for forgiveness over and over again.   Jesus said, "It is finished".   One and done!! He takes our sins and removes them as far as the East is from the West and He remembers them NO More!!!!  ( Psalm 103:12) He paid the penalty for all our sins yesterday's , today's and tomorrow's on the cross. Our sin debt has been paid in full!!!! Believe and receive your full pardon .    I think it'd be impossible to identify all my sin and confess each one.   I am by nature a sinner, we all are.    It's our sanctification process of identifying our sins, confessing our sins and trying to improve our lives, by turning from sin and turning to God.   That is sanctification.  Our salvation has been bought, ONCE And for All!!   Walk in your salvation today. Jesus did this for each of us Once and for All, end of story!!!😇🙏❤️Don’t keep beating yourself up over something that has been forgiven and forgotten!!

Forgiven; even in the horrible

 Psalm 34:4-5 "I sought the Lord and He answered me;  He delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." One of my very best friends used to say, "If you have Jesus in your heart, it shows on your face!"  I recently heard of a horrible sin, that a 17 year old girl committed, during an act of rage.  She went to prison.  A prison guard reported, “All she does is cry.”  I'm thinking of her and praying for her this morning.    The picture I have of this child is the opposite of the radiant face described in Psalm 34:5.  No matter how many or how horrible our sin; Jesus died to pay the price of all of our sins!!!!  He died once for ALL, all of us, all our sins!!!   I used to think it wasn't fair that someone that intentionally murdered many people could be forgiven the same as a gossip and complainer.   Sin is sin, it all separates us from God.  Jesus is the great uniter!!!  Praise the Lord we can be forgiven and made new in Jesus Christ!!! Yesterday is gone!  No matter how horrible or good someone is, we all fall short of perfect,  which is Gods standard.   The Good News is Jesus was and is perfect.   He is the Son of God , He lived a perfect life, then gave himself as the perfect sacrifice for each of us, so we can be forgiven,  restored and made right with God.   Jesus rose from the dead and has prepared a place for us in Heaven, which is our forever home.  There, we get to live forever without being plagued by sin!!!!   All we need to do to is TRUST Jesus as our Savior, simply believe!!!! 1.  Know you are a sinner and can't save yourself.   2 Believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the price of all your sins and make you right with God.   3 Believe Jesus rose from the dead.  John 3:16. " For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." We need not perish in our sins.  We can be restored, and radiant!! TRUST Jesus as your Savior today!!😇🙏❤️

“Yes” Lord!!!

2 Corinthians 1:18 “But  just as surely, as God is faithful our message to you is not “Yes”and “No”.  19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me, and Silas, and Timothy, was not “Yes”, and “No”, but in Him it has always been “Yes”. 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.  And so through Him the “Amen”  is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.  He anointed us, 22 set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our heart as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

“Yes Lord!” Is the response I want to His Yes!!!   Sometimes I feel like Jonah and don’t want yo do what I know I need to do for Jesus.  Yes Lord,  opens doors!!   It can be hard to get out of our comfort zones and say “YES”.  2 Corinthians 1:20 “No matter how many promises God has made, they are “YES” in Christ.”   God does tell us no, but His promises are “YES” in Christ!    Today, I pray that each of us can have the courage and perseverance to say, “YES Lord!” In Him, it has always been YES, even when He has given us a no.     TRUST

Do you help your brother stumble?

Romans 14:15 “If your brother is distressed, because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by you're eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way, is pleasing to God and approved by men."   When I quit drinking, it was really important for me and it’s still important for me, to be around people,who do not drink alcohol.   I want to have good behavior and pleasing behavior to God.   I need to surround myself with other like-minded people in addition to reading my Bible, praying and truly wanting to be pleasing to God.  I need to surround myself with a good environment.  I also have to be a good environment for those around me. How are you doing with being healthy, peaceful, and joyful?  Are you helping others in your life choices and your attitudes?   Are you helping build others up or are you helping them stumble?   Today be inspired to be part of the solution not the problem.😇🙏❤️

What’s your earthquake?

 John 14:27 "Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."   

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Do not be afraid!!!  There are many things that can make us fearful.   I am visiting my family in California.  Yesterday, there was an earthquake a little north of here.  I received an earthquake alert on my phone.  When I got the alert, the idea of being in the middle of a significant earthquake frightened me.   Immediately, I fought the fright with "Gods got me, right where He wants me and if I die today, I can be in Heaven."   I thought about leaving my beloved children and grandchildren but went back to, " God I trust you in all things".   Perfect love casts out fear!   Gods love for each of us is perfect.   There is not a moment in time He is not with us carrying us through.   He is giving each of us His peace moment by moment even when we face death. California residents face earthquakes often.  It’s usually not a death facing event.   My fear or worry was all for not.   I have heard that 90% of what we worry about, never happens.   Today, don't worry, don't fear,instead let the peace of God rule your heart, no matter what your earthquake.😇🙏❤️

Strength arises as we Wait upon the Lord!!

Psalm 27:14 " Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."  My strength arises as I wait upon the Lord!   Wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord.    In the waiting, I can get anxious.   I get afraid God won't do what I want Him to do. ( Often He doesn't, after all He is God.   He sees what will be best.   I only see Kimberly's perspective).   I try to take things into my own hands this usually ends up disastrous.  We have to do some acting of course, in order to get a job, we have to apply.  In order to have money in the bank we have to save it.  I order for me to quit drinking, I had to enter treatment.    Wait upon the Lord, doesn't always mean do nothing.   It's a healthy balance of doing what you can and trusting God in all of it, trusting God in the waiting.    We live in a very instant gratification society.   God definitely doesn't work that way.  In our waiting He helps us with some of our greatest developments.    Be patient in your waiting today.   Trust God!! He knows what you are going through and He is doing a good work in you as you, wait upon the Lord!!!😇❤️🙏

What are you gazing at?

Proverbs 23:31 "Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! 32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper."   When I quit drinking I had to stop gazing at wine.  I had to stop fantasizing about being a "normal" drinker and embrace being a non drinker!   In order to change my behaviors I had to think on what I wanted, a deeper relationship with Jesus.  There is an old saying,"Keep your eye on the prize".   What we think about expands!! Is there something in your life that takes your heart off Jesus?  Confess it to Him, ask Him to help you change your thoughts and change your hearts desires to align with Him and His ways.   

Stay salty!!

Mark 9:50 "Salt is good, but if it looses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Have salt within ourselves!!!  Salt tenderizes.   Is the love inside of us strong enough to tenderize those around us?   Jesus said, love others as I have loved you. (John 13:34) If I start to get judgy or critical of others I'm not walking in a salty type of love.  I am not salty on my own, I need Jesus to help me have a love inside that shows on the outside.   When I feel like I'm loosing my saltiness, I try to remember how much Jesus loves me.     

We love because He first loves us.  (1John 4:19)

Today, be at peace with those around you, love them with a salty, tenderizing love regardless of if you approve or disapprove of their lifestyle. 😇🙏❤️

We enter naked and we leave naked

1Timothy 6:6-7 "But godliness with contentment is great gain.  7For we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it."

Naked, that is how we come into this world and that is how we leave this world.  My Great Grandma Holt at one point in her life had much financial means.   When she passed, she had no material wealth.  Yet in her poverty, she gave me the most!!  My Grandma made sure I was confirmed.   During my confirmation class I realized, "Jesus, loves me!"   That was huge!   That is HUGE!!   I was a child that felt no one could love me.   Then Jesus, through the Bible, told me He loved me.  He loves me so much that He died for me!!  My grandmas greatest gift to me wasn't diamonds or pearls, it was steering me to the Word of God!   She helped me know Jesus as my Lord and Savior!!  We come into this world naked we leave naked.   Will you share the gift that lasts forever today?  Will you share the hope we have in Jesus.   The hope that surpasses this life!!   Through Jesus we receive the greatest wealth of all!!   😇🙏❤️

An unexpected passing

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  

Today, I learned of an other young person who passed unexpectedly.  This beautiful soul believed Jesus is her Savior.  This beautiful soul is safe in the arms of Jesus, she has no more pain no more sorrow, only joy and peace.   It's not our behavior or good works that gets us to Heaven.  It knowing we can't earn it.  It's through Jesus, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins .   It's Jesus who rose from the grave.  It's the powerful gift of Jesus that ushers us to Heaven when we die here,  if we simply believe.   Take comfort, when our loved ones die in Jesus they 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 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Please pray for this family.   Even with the assurance  our loved ones are with Jesus.   The loss of a child is so very very difficult.  

I Believe! Help me with my unbelief!!

Mark 9:23 " " If you can?" said Jesus.  "Everything is possible for him who believes."  24 immediately the boys Father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief."    

Sometimes,  I get discouraged.  I start wondering; “why God why”, instead of asking God to walk me through it and show me what He wants me to understand.   Mark 9:23&24 really helps me; “Lord I believe, help me with my unbelief!”  Faith, the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.  When I cry out, “Lord I believe! Help me with my unbelief!”  It really helps me turn back to my faith.   Why do I waiver in trusting God completely?   Why do I ever doubt?   God has come through for me over and over again.   Still sometimes, fear enters my thoughts.   1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love.  But perfect loves drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  God love for each of us is perfect!!! We need not fear!   If doubt or fear is knocking at your door today; fight it with the simple prayer, “Lord, I believe help me with my unbelief!”

Let’s walk in the freedom Jesus died to give us! 😇🙏❤️

His love is Greater than all our sins!!

  Psalm 51:12 "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing Spirit."

When I had my born-again experience, I felt beautiful again as beautiful as a virgin white as snow. The old was gone. The new was here. I never thought that I would ever sin again.  I felt “set free”!!   I did sin again.  I don’t remember what the sin was; gossip, complaining, a lie? I remember how it made me feel.   I felt  dirty.   When I identify with my sinful flesh that’s how I feel.  Jesus died to forgive us for all our sins, yesterdays’, todays’, and tomorrows’!! When we identify with who we are in Christ Jesus; repentant, forgiven and righteous Our hearts become new and we want to walk in the light. Unfortunately we continue to sin.   We are not defined by our sins. We are defined by the righteousness of Jesus Christ!!  Every day we can turn from the old and walk in the new because of the glorious gift of Jesus Christ.   As we keep moving forward with Jesus, sin has a lesser hold on us.   ( James 4:7 “ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”).  We are saved by faith not by works!!!     We have a refining process here on earth, it is a battle of fighting off our sinful flesh.  Our salvation is free gift from God!!! Today be inspired to walk in who you are in Jesus, forgiven, redeemed and righteous!!! We are His most treasured possessions!!   In order for me to stay healthy and well I have to remember His love is greater than all of my sin!!!

Broken and contrite heart leads to fullness

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God, are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."  As I read this verse, I thought about when I quit drinking. I spent 29 years wanting to quit drinking.  This morning I’m remembering how devastating the disease of alcoholism was ravishing me and my family.   I had a broken and contrite heart,  I truly desired to live for the Lord, not live for my alcoholism. That was the beginning of my new life.  Sincere repentance lead me to Jesus, my forgiveness, my new right standing with God, was what I received!!!  I never want to go back to drinking.   It was destroying everything. To stay clean, I continually let go of the old and reach for the new in Jesus Christ.   He is the best health and wellness program I can imagine!!!    What ever hinders you from being all God created you to be, be inspired to let it go and latch on to Jesus!!!😇🙏❤️ Be truly well!!!

Do not fret- it only leads to evil

Psalm 37:8 "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil."   

I used to have a real temper. I would get so angry that I had nasty things to say.  I could just feel the rage vibrate my whole body.  It was a horrible thing.

All that anger, all that rage started with just the wrong thinking.   In the Bible. It says "it's better not to take offense in the first place".  Now, when someone  does some thing, that is seemingly against me, I remember; they too, are coming from a place of brokenness.

I ask God to heal their heart, fill them with His Holy Spirit, so they can trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and know His  peace.

Anger, evil speaking, course jestering, all that comes from letting my mind go down the rabbit hole of fret and stinking thinking.  When,  I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, I can love others as He loves me; loving people where they are, not where I want them to be.   Then, I don't get the rage inside of me.    Instead, I get His peace and true compassion for others.  

Today, if you are tempted to get angry, STOP, let Jesus fill your heart with His peace.  Do not take offense in the first place it only leads to evil.

Create in me a clean heart O Lord, What a beautiful prayer

Psalm 51:10.  "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."   I can say this verse over and over in my head and heart.   It's so beautiful!!!   I so long to have a pure, clean heart and a steadfast spirit.   Let's hold tight to Jesus today letting Him guide our hearts , that whatever we think, say and do may honor Him.   Dear Lord give each of us a sincerity of heart to seek You!😇🙏❤️

Eager Expectations!!

“And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. ”

—1 John 3:3 

Today, I woke up and sat outside as the night sky and the moon gave way to the day and the sun.   It's a warm morning in Minnesota, we don't have many of these left.   I am embracing it.    Sometimes,  I embrace things I need to let go of.  Sometimes, God has clearly shut a door.   It’s hard to leave the comfort of what I know to go to the unknown.   Todays verse reminds me to eagerly embrace what is next.    The main thing we are to eagerly embrace is Christ Jesus return!!!! Eagerly embrace Christ Jesus in our daily lives. He is the  true day that follows the night.    I hope this helps you today too.   "Look forward with eager expectations!!😇