Quiet Time Ruined by Plastic Lizards!

I like to have my quiet time in the gym/cafeteria in the morning before class. I journal some, pray some and just enjoy having a nice time sitting with my friend Jesus. Until about 9am. That's when the daycare kids start playing in the gym. Today they're getting a little more used to seeing me in there, so they're coming up to me to give me hugs, high fives, and plastic lizards. So ended my quiet time with God...or so you might think.

But God comanded us (Matthew 19:14) to be like these little children. To emrace how they play and act. So my quiet time wasn't ruined by the kids running around and laughing - it was a good reminder that God wants me to be like them. To run up to Him and ask for hugs, high fives and share my plastic lizard with Him.

May you be blessed as your experience some good "quiet" time with God!

Blessings,
Kelley <><

Community Outreach

Saturday we had a community outreach for a woman who's husband died in November from cancer. As winter has hit she has realized just how much she did around the house-even little things like place a lighbulb by a pipe so it wouldn't freeze overnight. She's also raising a 9 yr old son who has now had to change schools due to transportation and fianances.

We raked and burned leaves (guess that's not illegal in Texas!), cleaned out a garage and shed, put together an entertainment system, and other odd things. Things that would have taken her months, took the 18 or so of us 5 hours.

I know that she was blessed, but I also know we were blessed in being able to help her. I was able to speak to her about the death of her husband and his being on hospice - and gave an opportunity to tutor her son during this crazy time.

So be blessed! Enjoy the day :) Tell the people around you that you love them.

Blessings,
Kelley <><

Stop Horsing Around!

I'm trying to get better about blogging more...

Today we learned about hearing God's voice, the still small voice. It's much like training a horse really. Some of you know that I had the privelge of riding a horse named Joannie while I was in Sioux Falls. I loved training her and teaching her to listen to me, because when I trained her to do the task of running barrels, we had more fun together because we did it with ease. She was able to sprint hard like she liked, and I was able to fly around corners in a relaxed state with her knowing I was in control to stop at anytime. (Trust me...very important in an arena!)

But when you start training a horse, you need to teach it that you as a rider are in control of their every move. When you want a horse to go left and he goes right...you take control of the horse and make him go in circles (yep, literal circles). Circle so much that you almost get dizzy. You do this every time a horse does something you don't want it to do. It wears the horse out, and puts the control back in the saddle. If you don't circle the horse immediately, the horse will know he has gotten away with something, and will try to have control all the time, rather than letting the rider have control.

God is much the same way as a horse trainer. When the Israelites were called to the Promised Land, they wandered for 40 years! The actual walk to that land was only a couple days away, but they were disobedient to God - so He circled them in the desert for 40 years until they were finally listening!

Today, it's still much the same in our lives, we try to control things. We want to go right, or do this...but wants us to go left and do that! Eventually after enough times of God "making us dizzy in circles", we listen. We don't have to be taken around in circles anymore, in fact...we just go left. So I hope that you can listen to that still small voice in every area of your life so you don't have be dizzy anymore!

Blessings,
Kelley <><

Intercession

We've started learning a little bit about Intercession in our discussion groups lately. I was waiting for this BIG revelation about how to intercede for people...but you know what? I was already interceding for people and I didn't even know it. I wanted to put this big all-heavenly term on it, but it didn't need one! Intercession is quite simple really, so simple I thought it couldn't be right. The dictionary term for intercession is "pleading on the behalf of others". Yep, that's it! I'm so glad to know that I was doing things right.

So soon and very soon (yeah, the song...sorry) we're going to find out where we're going on International outreach. We're all really excited! I really don't care where we go, since I want to go everywhere, but I'm still anxious to know! I have some ideas...but I'll have to let you know if I was right later.

Thank you so much for all of your encouragement lately! I love and appreciate you all so much.

Blessings,
Kelley <><

Forgiveness makes chili better!

Tonight I went to the Prayer Chapel with all good intentions of taking pictures of my fellow students worshiping...mm hmm! Let me start with what we were discussing in class today...

Steve Rockmore was speaking on the Father Heart of God. Meaning, what a man/husband/father should be for his family, and if he is not certain aspects of provider, protector and priest...certain ramifications happen. (Please note, that women/mothers/wife play just as vital a role in this, but we were talking about fathers). Most of you all know, if not all of you...that I have the most loving, thoughtful, fantastic, super-duper dad in the whole world! So I really didn't know how to approach this subject, because he was speaking on subject that I didn't have any difficulty in. BUT...isn't God amazing, that through this subject He dealt with me on several other issues dealing with people??!! Ah! God is good. I came to realize that I had a root of unforgiveness, and bitterness towards certain people in my life that have caused me heartache and pain. None of this was prompted by anyone at all-only God.

So as I sat at a table making a little drawing of my pain (let me tell you, this was Spirit-led...I don't draw stick people very well!) But I knew it was the Holy Spirit, because I didn't have control over the pencils that were coloring on the sheet of paper. At one point I couldn't even write "I forgive", I literally couldn't. I started to weep. I kept writing. Weeping. It is so hard to forgive. It's much like an onion, it's coming off in layers.

Well, by the end of this little session I had with God, of forgiving myself, forgiving others, blah blah blah...I picked up that piece of paper and wrote over it in large charcoal..."I FORGIVE". It was so huge. I didn't even realize that I hadn't forgiven these people.

My forgiveness didn't come like a snap of the fingers. It's like an onion, and it's going to make me cry as God and I cut to the center. When it's all said and done, my onion will be added to a nice big crock-pot of chili and it will taste yummy! mmmmm.

Many blessings to you! May God find the ROOT of the unforgiveness in your life...then go and make some chili. Love and Blessings!

Kelley <><

Day 1...

So day 1 here is over. I was hoping it was a little warmer, but it was raining and cold. And yes...40 degrees anywhere is cold! It's been challenging for me by being the oldest woman here, and there is a man that is about 6 months older than me, so we're kinda in a boat by ourselves. I would have liked to have more people my age, but God has me here for a reason and I hope I listen to what God wants to teach me.

We had a speaker on "Quiet Time With God", it was a really good presentation on how to use our time in practical ways rather than just asking God for things. Always a good refresher, and a good reminder that I need to be more obedient in that. Our 2nd speaker today was about intercession. All in all the day was good! I'm excited to hear from God the next steps He has for me.