Childlike Faith

It is not very often that it snows in Iowa Park, TX.  The stars were, apparently, aligned perfectly this year because the white flakes came down on Christmas day and did not stop until half a foot was covering the ground.  It is still a winter wonderland outside and I have woken each morning smiling like an idiot when I see the white stuff.

One of my gifts this year was a french coffee press.  If you have ever drank coffee from a press, then you should know that the coffee is Strong with a capital s.  Yesterday morning I made coffee with my new press and was wired for the remainder of the day.  Because of this over abundance of energy, I decided to go on a run...through the snow and ice.

For the past several years, I have had to play it safe.  I would never have gone on a run with ice and snow for fear of falling and breaking something.  I would have stayed in and run on a treadmill.  I hate the treadmill.  If I slipped and fell on ice and broke something, then I would not be able to compete in track and the renewal of my scholarship would be hanging over my head.  I was not as carefree then and fun came at a price.  But now, there is not scholarship, there is no coach I have to please, and I do not have an upcoming race.  I am carefree.

The roads in Iowa Park are still a bit sketchy and quite icy, but yesterday was too beautiful to not run.  It was 25 degrees, sunny, and no wind whatsoever.  I left my house and hopped from small patch of asphalt to small patch of asphalt.  Despite my hopping technique, I slipped a total of 3 times before I had even made it 200 meters.  I decided that running on the grass in people's yards would be my safest bet for a while.  I did this until I reached some of the old alleyways in town.  The alleyways are dirt and grass here and I knew no ice patches would be underneath.  The alleyways proved to be challenging and extremely entertaining.  Even though it had only snowed half a foot, the snow drifts in places were much higher and they were definitely much higher in the alleyways.  It felt like I was doing high knees the entire time but no matter how tired I was getting, I didn't care.  I was having the time of my life and smiling like a kid in a candy store.  I got out of the alleyways and reached Gordon Lake.  There is a mile path around the lake and some parts were melted but others were solid ice.  I slipped about 37 times at the lake and half the fun of this was trying to not fall flat on my face (which I did not).  I got back to the alleyways and ran through foot high snow again because, why not?  It was fun.  No matter how many times I slipped or how hard it was to run through high snow, I was having fun.  I felt like a kid romping around in the snow without a care in the world.  Then a thought hit me, what I was feeling is what childlike faith should feel like: free.  I was happy and I was free.

To me, childlike faith is not letting the stresses and circumstances of this world effect you.  Most children have no worries and no stress.  Their goal in life is to make any situation a fun one.  They have an incredible imagination and can play anywhere, at anytime, with anything or anyone.  Children are carefree and they have fun.  Childlike faith, to me, is being able to choose joy at anytime, anywhere, with anything or anyone.  This type of faith lets stress, worry, anxiety and fear roll away without a second glance.

Go with me for a minute, think of your life here on earth as my run yesterday.  There was a definite danger in what I was doing.  I was slipping on ice, I was traversing through deep snow, but there were also a few easy places to navigate.  It could have been very easy for me to get annoyed or frustrated with my run but instead I chose joy and I chose to have fun.  Life is full of easy places to navigate, it is full of places where we have the potential to slip and fall, and it also has places a foot deep with snow that may take more time to get through.  You can get frustrated with life or you can choose joy and choose to have a childlike faith through it.  You have the ability choose how you will walk through this life.  Either you choose to let things affect you and get frustrated or you can choose to take what comes at you like a child and move forward with a smile on your face.  It's your choice.  What will it be?

Kelsey J.

Fear Vs. Fear

Fear - A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. whether the threat is  real or imagined. 

We live in an imperfect world.  Within this imperfect world, there is a myriad of imperfect people.  You and I fit into this category whether you want to accept that or not.  There also happen to be people in this world who are imperfect and have the ability to be extremely dangerous.  Last week was a representation of that during the shooting in Newtown, CT.  It is hard for us to trust our surroundings and also to trust people that are complete strangers to us.  Whether you want to admit it or not, we all live in fear.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of our surroundings.  Fear of strangers.  Fear.  Fear is the emotion aroused by a perceived threat whether it is real or imagined.

The other day I went on a longer run.  I decided to run a loop outside of the city limits here in THE Iowa Park, Texas.  The loop was on back country roads without a single car on these roads.  A thought hit me as I was running.  It was a fearful thought.  What if something happens to me out here?  I became fearful.  I picked up the pace because of this imagined fear and kept running.  After a few more minutes of thinking things through, I realized something: if we live in constant fear about something that may or may not happen, then how can we ever live?  This world is 110% imperfect and there is nothing we can do to change that.  HOWEVER, there is a God in heaven who is 110%-times-infinity-plus-one who is perfect.

So, lets take a 180 on things.

Fear - reverential awe, especially towards God.

The only fear that we should have in this world is the fear of God Himself.  Here's the thing: Perfect love drives out fear.  What is perfect love?  Perfect love is God.  God drives out fear.  If we are consistently seeking after God who is perfect love and He says that perfect love drives our fear, then the only fear we should have is the fear of God.  A reverential awe towards a being high above, all around, and in everything that surrounds us.  A reverential awe for a being who created us out of dust and will return us to dust one day.  A reverential awe towards a being who created the entire universe and all that it contains.  A reverential awe of the one and only God and the one and only perfect thing in this imperfect world.

Don't live in fear or things out of your control.  You will never truly live if you are fearful about everything.  Live in fear of God.  A fear like none other.  A fear that, believe it or not, will allow you to live without fear.

Kelsey J.

Decisions

In a story, a character is faced with a string of decisions that must be made in order to move forward.  Our days are filled with decisions.  Do I want cereal or eggs for breakfast?  One cup of coffee or five?  Do I really want to run and workout today?  We face many a decision on a daily basis.  Some are small and insignificant such as those above, but some are extremely important and perhaps could even change the course of our lives.  Decisions.


I have been learning about decisions lately.  This has come mainly because I have been faced with important decisions.  What I am learning about decisions is that they should be made now without worrying about what the future may hold.  It is our naturally tendency to worry about the future and what is to come without focusing on the here and now.  We all do it.  If we are constantly living in fear of what may or may not happen in the future, then how will we ever truly live?  We will never make decisions in the here and now because our focus will always be looking ahead towards the future.  I'm not saying that looking ahead is a bad thing.  What I am saying is that it is a bad thing if we lose sight of where we currently are because we are trying to look too far into the future.  There is no verse in the bible in which God tells us to have a five year plan lined out.  Each day is a gift and there is no promise of a tomorrow for any of us.  We fear the unknown and we think by planning out our future, we will have some sort of control over the unknown.  This is far from the truth though.   We have no idea what our futures will hold and our efforts to control them are futile.  Try as we might, we can never truly control our future from afar.  However, we can make decisions along the way that could change our future.  Decisions.

For example, you could be in college months from graduation and already thinking ahead of what you will do after graduation.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but what are you missing right now because your focus is on the future?  You could be so set on having one particular job or living in one particular place.  There is nothing wrong with that but what are you missing right now because your focus is on one thing?  Decisions.

What are you missing out on right here and right now because you are focusing entirely too much on the future?  Our future is never certain.  Tomorrow is not guaranteed. When we truly realize that, we will start to make decisions today that have the ability to change the course of our lives.  Decisions.

Kelsey J.

Stop Being Eustace

Lately, I have loved reading stories and seeing them from a different perspective.  I am able to see them from a different perspective now because I see that our lives are stories and God is the master storyteller.

Because I have an inordinate amount of free time as of late, I am reading the Chronicle of Narnia series.  I am currently about 50 pages into the fifth book and something within these pages struck me.  I saw myself in a character.  Actually, I saw each and every one of us in a character.  We are all a boy named Eustace.  We need to stop being such a Eustace.

Eustace is an interesting character.  He complains a lot for one thing, and is never satisfied with anything.  Sound familiar?  Eustace gets dragged into a Narnian adventure with his 2 cousins through a framed picture of a Narnian ship in his house.  Don't ask me how this is possible, I am learning about stories not magic.  Anyway, Eustace is not there by choice and is very unhappy indeed. Eustace immediately becomes sea sick and begins a long string of complaints that I hope will cease as the book progresses.  What I noticed about Eustace is that I am annoyed by him because his perspective about his current situation is so skewed.  He sees his life and the world around him in such a way that is far from any truth.  Then I realized something, I am Eustace.  You are Eustace.  We are all Eustace.  

Eustace writes in his diary on the first night that waves were crashing over the side and he saw the boat nearly go under several times.  He also wrote that the boat is not much bigger than a lifeboat, the food is terrible, and he is currently living in a dungeon.  The fact of the matter is that the weather is completely fine and there has not been a storm, the boat is of good size, the food is the best in the land, and he is not living in a dungeon.  Eustace dislikes very much his current circumstance and because of this, his perspective is skewed.  Now, do you see that we are like Eustace?  As I was thinking about Eustace and his current "disposition" I couldn't help but think about myself, the reader, as God.  Go with me for a second: I was getting frustrated with Eustace because his perspective was so skewed and he couldn't see the truth but I could.  I am sure that God gets frustrated with us because in a circumstance we did not choose for ourselves, our perspective is skewed but God knows the truth.  He knows that our situation is not nearly as bad as we think it is.

In a situation that we wish to not be in and did not choose ourselves, we tend to complain and focus on the negative things.  We only see what we want to to further our point that our situation is terrible.  The fact of the matter is that we have the wrong perspective.  We forget that we serve a God who will put us in situations to grow us and make us rely more heavily on Him.  We forget that God will work everything out for our good.  We forget.  I forgot.  I was being Eustace.  My goal was to have a job and place to live in Colorado immediately after my internship ended.  I am at home in Texas and unemployed.  This is not exactly what I had imagined and because I did not choose this for myself, I started thinking like Eustace.  My perspective was skewed. I asked God to give me perspective into my situation, and He did.  The end result?  I stopped being a Eustace.  I realized that I am only a few weeks out of my internship and that I am just impatient.  I realized that my day doesn't have to be boring if I am proactive about making it interesting.  I bought a basketball for crying out loud.  Instant entertainment for at least a few hours.  I like not being Eustace.

How is your perspective currently skewed?  Pray that God gives you the right perspective into you situation.  I am more than positive that it isn't as bad as you originally thought.  Seek God.  Stop being a Eustace.

Kelsey "not Eustace" J.

P.S.- I am sorry if someone near to you is named Eustace.  This blog isn't a jab at your loved one.

Choose Joy

"Be joyful always, pray continually"

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Be joyful always.  Pray continually.

These were the verses I decided to carry into my summer as a camp counselor.  I knew that if I applied them to my life, I would be an effective counselor.  So, all summer I chose joy and prayed continually.  Because of this, I was more joyful than I have ever been in my life.  I chose joy.  Choosing joy is simple acts that translate into bigger ones.  For instance, I chose joy by choosing to wear a tutu and dance on a table during girl time.  I chose joy by racing my campers to the next destination.  I chose joy by playing a prank on the cabin next to ours.  Little instances of me choosing joy led to the bigger picture of me being joyful always.

I carried these verses into the fall but somewhere along the way, they got lost.  I was still choosing joy and I was still praying continually, but I forgot something important.  I forgot that there was another verse tacked on to the ones above. "and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (vs. 18)  Towards the end of my internship this fall, I let my circumstances get in the way.  I was trying to choose joy and I was still praying, but something was missing.  My expectation was that I would have a job and place to live immediately after my internship ended.  This did not happen.  I became stressed.  I became anxious about my next step.  Then these verses, once again, came to mind.  Be joyful always.  Pray continually.  Give thanks in all circumstances.  I realized that I was not giving thanks in all circumstances.  I had forgotten about the verse tacked on the end.  

Today, I choose joy.  Like I said earlier, choosing joy is simple acts that will eventually translate into an overall picture of joy in your life.  I chose joy by driving to the store to buy a basketball so that I could shoot around after my run.  I chose joy by listening to the Katy Perry pandora station because inside everyone, there is a Katy Perry fan.  Do not deny it.  I choose joy.  Despite the fact that my circumstance is not the one that I would have chosen, I will choose joy.  I will pray continually.  I will give thanks in ALL circumstances.  How will you choose joy today?

Kelsey J.

A Story Inside of a Story

"I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps." - Jeremiah 10:23

I like to plan things out.  I like to know exactly what my next step will be because I fear the unknown.  I always have.  I think that many of you can relate to that.

Donald Miller writes a book entitled A Million Miles in A Thousand Years.  It is an amazing book about stories and what makes up a good story.  He more or less describes God as the master storyteller.  We are each living out a story but our story fits in with a much larger story of creation, love, and redemption.  As humans, we all have free will.  We have the ability to use our own creativity and write into our story.  We can either make it a better story or make it story not worth reading about.  Within our free will and creativity, there is still God.  God still has ultimate control over our story but it is whether or not we allow Him to write into it.

God spoke all of creation into being.  All of creation involves you and I.  He chose us to be characters in His story.  We can either allow Him to use us in this story or opt out and live a much worse life than what God has to offer.  When we allow God to write out our story, He still gives us access to the pen.  God isn't a dictator, He still allows us to make our own decisions.  We will make decisions in our life that may not be inherently bad, they seem like really good decisions.  However, they do not line up with the story that God has set out for us that fits in with His larger story.  When this happens, God will gently lead us back into the story that He has envisioned for us.

Going into college, I knew for sure that I should major in Food and Nutrition and become a nutritionist.  False.  God took that decision and gently led me into a major in Communication Studies.  I then thought that I should go straight to graduate school after I got my bachelor's degree.  False.  God gently led me to the mountains of Colorado where I was a summer camp counselor and then an intern this fall.  After my internship ended I thought that I needed to have a job and place to live the day after it ended.  False.  God gently led me back home where I currently am.  He lead me here to rest and to continue a job search and apartment search from home.  God allowed me to use my own creativity and make my own decisions.  However, God knew that these decisions were not the best for me.  None of them are inherently bad, they just are not what God has planned for me.

We can try to direct our own steps, but our life is not our own.  We are a part of a much larger story.  We have freedom in this story but if we are continually seeking after God then He will always lead us back to where He wants us.  Never fear that you are making the wrong the decision.  Even if you make a decision that is not in God's plan for your life, He will ALWAYS lead you back where you need to be.  Remember, God is the master storyteller.  Allow Him to write you story.

Kelsey J.

Floating Axehead

They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees.  As one of them was cutting down a tree.  The iron axehead fell into water.  "Oh my Lord," he cried out, "it was borrowed!" The man of God (Elisha) asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place.  Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.  "Lift it out," he said, then he and reached out his hand and took it. - 2 Kings 6:4-7

I don't know if you know this or not, but iron does not float.  Ducks float.  Iron sinks.

Every time I read this story, I am reminded of the greatness of God.  At first glance, you may think that Elisha is the one to make iron float.  No, no it was more than definitely God who made the iron float.

In my life, I have noticed a cycle that I am continually being caught up in.  I think that I am able to do things out of my own will and strength.  I soon find myself failing.  Then after I fail, I realize that there is a power that far surpasses my own.  God can quite literally do anything.  He created everything that this universe holds and can bend any law of science or physics in order for His power to be displayed.  When we have accepted Christ into our lives, we have the power of God living within us.  It wasn't Elisha who made the iron axehead float, it was the power of God within Elisha that made the iron axehead float.  Elisha understood the greatness of God and that with the power of God living within Him, anything was possible.  This story is a reminder that we are only human.  Without God we can accomplish very little.  With God, however, there is no limit of what we are able to accomplish.

The iron axehead in this story can be used as a metaphor for things that are impossible with our own strength in our lives.  What in your life seems impossible right now?  Are you relying on your own strength or the strength that is living within you?  Realizing the power of God is simply realizing that you can do nothing on your own. Once you realize this power, the seemingly impossible can happen.  With God nothing is impossible.  Rely on His strength.  Believe that the impossible can happen.

Kelsey J.

Chosen

"For He chose us in Him before before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.  In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will." Ephesians 1:4-5

Something that keeps being brought to my attention through what I have been reading, conversations I have had, and sermons I listen to is the concept that we are chosen by God.  God chose us.  God loves us.  God finds pleasure in our fruitful work.  God has a plan for our lives in accordance to His will.  Who we are is because the Creator of the universe took the time to form us in our mother's womb.  God created us in His image, He created us with awe and reverence, and He created us in love.  We now carry around identity traits because of this.  Chosen.  Loved.  Source of delight.  Living with purpose.

To bring this idea of being chosen home even more, I want to share something that has stuck with me since the moment I heard it.  At the end of this summer the nurse on staff at camp gave a bible study to all of the counselors.  Marcie Calandra is an amazing woman of the Lord and she has wisdom from not only the Lord but also from her medical knowledge.  One thing she talked about has not left my mind since.  At birth, each baby girl has 150,000 eggs in her ovaries and each baby boy has 3,000,000,000 sperm.  It only takes one egg and one sperm to make a baby.  That means that each and every person here on earth is 1 in 3,000,150,000.  That number right there is why this has stuck with me.  Chosen.  Each and every person here on earth is chosen for a specific purpose.  The fact of the matter is that if any other combination of egg or sperm took place then you would not be here.  You are chosen.  God chose you, created you, and has a purpose for your life.  Don't ever think that you are not worth anything.  Don't ever think that you are not loved by God.  Don't ever degrade yourself or others.  You are chosen.  The people in your life are chosen.  The people half way across the world are chosen.  You were created to do something special.  You were created to spread the love of God and the message that each person is chosen for some specific purpose set in motion by God Himself.  Will you sit back and keep believing you are worth nothing or will you start moving and believe with every fiber in your being that you are chosen?  You are 1 in 3,000,150,000.  Never forget that.

"The world could be fixed of its problems if every child understood the necessity of their existence." -Dwight D. Eisenhower

Kelsey J.

Produce Good Fruit

"I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.  He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines.  He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well.  Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit." Isaiah 5:1-2

I had to read this a few times before I finally started to fully understand the meaning of this passage.  This passage is talking about God and what He has done for us.  He requires very little of us in comparison to what He does for us each and every day.  However, we have taken what we have been given and not used it to the best of our God given ability.  I have been wrestling with how to explain this and let you guys into my thought process.  The easiest way is for me to break this down phrase by phrase and let you guys in to Kelsey's thought process.  Here we go...

My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside: God wants the best possible situation for all of us.  He wants us to succeed and thrive here on earth.  That is why God has done so much for us.  He wants us to be as effective as possible to further His kingdom in heaven and be fruitful here on earth.  God has done the dirty work and all He requires is that we produce good fruit.

He dug it up and cleared it of stones: God has done all of the dirty work for us.  He made sure that we would have the most fertile ground possible clear of anything that would hinder us from producing good fruit.  He took care of the little details that we didn't want to do ourselves.  All He requires is that we produce good fruit.

Planted it with the choicest vines: God has given each and every one of us a specific skill set to be used for His glory and to further His kingdom.  All that He requires is that we use them to produce good fruit.

built a watchtower: God is continually watching over us and not just watching over us to protect us but also watching over how we are using what He has given us.  He is always with us and will never leave us.  All He requires is that we produce good fruit.

cut out a winepress as well: You would think that at some point God would have stopped doing the dirty work for us.  No, no He has not only done the things that we wish not to do but He continues to bless us beyond measure.  All He requires is that we produce good fruit.

Here's the thing, God has literally done more than we could ever think or imagine.  God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is contained in them.  God sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for the payment of our sins.  God did all of the dirty work for us.  All He requires is that we produce good fruit.  However, we tend to produce bad fruit because we take what God has given us and defile it.  We either don't do enough or we try to do too much.  We either forget about all that God has blessed us with and we let the vineyard go to waste or we forget that God has already done all of the dirty work and try to do things ourselves.  The fact of the matter is that ALL He requires of us is to use what He has given us and produce good fruit.  That's it.  Producing good fruit just means that we are using what the Lord has blessed us with and using it for God and to further the kingdom of heaven. It is nothing fancy.  God has blessed each and every one of us beyond measure.  Don't try to do things on your own.  Don't completely forget what God has blessed you with and let it go to waste.  Use what you have been given.  Produce good fruit.  Keep Moving Forward.

Kelsey J.

Who Turned the Light Off?

"The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." Revelation 21:23

When I read this verse the other day, I immediately fell in love with it.  In heaven the source of light is not the sun or moon like it is here on earth.  No, no the source of light is God Himself.  The glory of God gives light to the entirety of heaven!  That absolutely blows my mind and shows how big and awesome our God really is.  

My takeaway from this verse relates to the dark times that we have all had, are having, or will have this side of heaven.  Everyone will have some sort of darkness step into their life.  This could come in the from of the loss of a loved one, job loss, breakup, etc.  Regardless of what it is, we have all dealt with some form of darkness in our life.  Even in our darkest times though, God is there.  God is our source of light and when it seems like the light has been completely turned off, seek after God.  When you seek after God, the light will begin to shine amidst your darkness because God Himself is light.  

One really awesome example of this is in Exodus.  The Israelites had just left Egypt and they had begun their journey in the wilderness that would end up taking them 40 years.  This was by no means an easy time for the Israelites even though they had just escaped captivity.  God could have taken them on an easier road but He chose to lead them on a longer, much harder road.  He chose.  He did this so that the Israelites would rely on God each step of the way.  "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.  Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." (Exodus 13:21-22)  God was always there.  He was there during the day and He was there to give light to their darkness at night.  God was always in front of the Israelites leading them along the long, tough road of life.

God may choose to lead you down a tough, dark path in life.  Even if he doesn't, we as humans have a free will and we may stumble into our own dark alley.  Are you currently experiencing darkness in your life?  Seek the ultimate source of light.  Do you feel like you will never be able to find God amidst your darkness?  Remember that God is always with you.  God is always in front of us guiding us through life.  He will be our source of light during dark times to shed light on the situation that we are experiencing.  Remember, the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years because they chose to do things their own way.  Don't be like the Israelites.  Trust God with your life.  Don't try to do things on your own and escape your own darkness.  God will provide light and God will provide a way out of your darkness if you seek after Him.  Will you seek him for guidance and for light?  I hope and pray that you do because when you seek after the ultimate source of light, you will find that it becomes easier to keep Moving Forward...

Kelsey J.

Warrior Princesses

Monday nights are girl time during the summer at camp and it is by far my favorite day of the week.  Just ask anyone who has worked with me.  One of the reasons I love it so much is because of the girl time cheers.  Dancing on tables while eating brownie batter isn't too shabby either though.  Anyway, one of the cheers involves an awesome woman named Esther.  Someone screams Esther and then everyone else says her famous line, "If I perish, I perish!"  Then, because we are warrior princesses like Esther, we commence in an indian cry.  I have been studying the book of Esther lately and I want to share some things that God has been teaching me through it. 

Esther became queen to King Xerxes.  God is never mentioned in the book of Esther but you can see His hand throughout the entire book.  It may seem like a random set of circumstances that led Esther to greatness but in all reality it was the hand of God leading her every step of the way.  She was Jewish by birth but the king never knew of this.  Haman was a terrible man in the kingdom who wanted to annihilate the entire Jewish population.  A decree was sent out and Mordecai, Esther's cousin, immediately starting fasting and praying to God that this would not happen.  Mordecai told Esther that she would have to be the one to stop Haman from carrying out his plan.  He tells Esther that she became queen for such a time as this.  Esther had not been invited into the presence of the king in 30 days.  Back then, you couldn't just go into the king's presence without permission.  If you went unannounced then the chances of you being punished were very high.  The only way you would not be punished is if the king held out his golden scepter to you.  Esther was willing to take a chance and put her life on the line for a cause that she believed in.  She responded to Mordecai and said if I perish, I perish.  

I love this story not just because it is a part of girl time but because it shows the boldness that a woman of God should have. Esther was bold.  Esther was confident.  Esther trusted in God above all else.  I want to be more like Esther.  We will all have and  have all had "Esther-like" moments in our life.  God puts us places for such a time as this.  Will we step up or back down?  The boldness of Esther saved all of the Jews in the land because of one simple act of boldness,  courage, and confidence in the Lord.  The Lord gives us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline NOT of fear or timidity (2 Timothy 1:7).  "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord you God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6) 

As women of God, we must be bold.  We must be courageous.  We must be confident.  God did not create us to be fearful, timid, or filled with anxiety.  He created us to be strong and courageous because God will ALWAYS be with us.  There is no power on earth or anywhere else that could overcome our God.  Our God has defeated death itself.  He promises that He will ALWAYS be with us and He will NEVER leave or forsake us.  With God on our side, all things are possible.  God has placed you at this current stage of life for a specific purpose.  Be like Esther.  Be bold.  Be courageous.  Be confident.  You will find that when you do, it becomes easier to keep Moving Forward...

Kelsey J.

Lay 'Em Down

Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things,  and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:8-11)

I read these verses this morning and I wanted to share them with all of you.  This is such an incredible depiction of what our lives serving God should look like.  When you break these verses down, you can easily see how this can be applied to our every day lives here on earth.  These verses are talking about life in heaven but we are the walking, talking, and breathing kingdom of God here on earth.  Each and every follower of Christ here on earth is a tiny piece of heaven for this world to see.  

Day and Night:  The creatures before the throne never stop worshipping God.  They worship Him day and night by acknowledging that 1) He is holy, 2) He is the only God, and 3) That He always was and always will be.  

Fall down before Him:  The twenty-four elders around the throne literally fall down before the throne of God.  This is an act of humility and acknowledging that God is so much greater than we could every think or imagine and that we are nothing without Him.  God is constantly working in and through us.  He chooses to use us for His glory and because of this we need to humble ourselves before Him and realize that we can do nothing without God.

Lay their crowns:  The crown is a representation of not only one's accomplishments but ultimately of someone's identity.  Any king or queen in history has worn a crown and it signifies their accomplishments to get to that point and it also signifies that they are in fact the king or queen.  The twenty-four elders lay their crowns before the throne of God.  As they do this they say that God is worthy to receive glory, honor and power because ALL things have been created by God.  The significance of this for our lives is that we need to realize that our accomplishments are not of our own doing but actually God working in and through us.  Because of this, God deserves all glory, honor, and power.  Also, the significance of the elders laying their crowns down signifies that we are not defined by our accomplishments, we are defined by who we are because of God.  Christ at work in our lives defines who we are.

These few verses pack a lot of practical ways that we can live out each day.  Worship God day and night in all that you do, humble yourselves before God, and give all glory, honor, and praise to Him who was and is and is to come!  When you apply these verses to your life, you will find that it becomes easier to keep moving forward...

Kelsey J.

The Father's Love

"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:16-18

I will be speaking Monday night at camp to all of the girls and I wanted to write my thoughts down here before I did so.  I have been blessed with a very loving dad and a dad that I know will always be there for me.  He loves me unconditionally, supports my decisions, and has and will always be there for me.  I love him deeply and because of the love I have with my dad, it has made it easier for me to accept the love from my Father in heaven.  Some people have a hard time with accepting the love of God because their earthly father has failed them in some way.  I have never had this problem and I have grown up such a daddy's girl.  In this blog, I want to talk about a few instances with my dad that can easily be related back to our relationship with God.

When I was younger, I would sit on my parent's bathroom counter every morning and watch my dad shave.  I would time it perfectly so that I would get there just in time knowing that if I did, he would put some of his blue shaving cream on my nose.  I looked forward to this each day when I woke up.  Whether or not I was there, my dad was ALWAYS there first thing in the morning to shave.  I could choose to spend time with him or not.  God will ALWAYS be here for us.  We can choose to spend time with him and get to know Him better or we can choose to not spend time with Him. If we choose that path, then we will never get to know the full extent of His love and all of the many things He wishes to give to us.

My dad would get home from work about the same time each day.  I would hear the back door open and I would literally sprint from my bedroom into the kitchen and then jump straight into his arms.  Before I got too big, he would set me down and I would then cling to his leg and he would carry me back to my room like that.  This happened every day and it is one of my favorite childhood memories with my dad.  I clung to my dad each day when he got home from work.  In the same way, God wants us as His children to cling to Him and seek Him for comfort.  In the life we will have hardships and struggles but God wants us to rely on Him and cling to Him when the going gets rough.  I love sprinting into my dad's arms because I knew that he loved me, he would protect me, and that he wanted the best for me.  God loves you, will always protect you, and wants the best for you.  Sprint into His arms that will always be held wide open for you.

Also when I was younger, I had this heart shaped paper.  One day during church, I wrote "I love you" on one and gave it to my dad.  He still has that piece of paper in his wallet.  He also still has a voicemail on his phone from last year when I sang him happy birthday on his birthday.  The cool thing about God is that He stores our prayers up in heaven.  In Revelation it talks about how our prayers are like a sweet incense to God.  Our prayers are a sweet fragrance to God and He remembers what we say and He stores them up in heaven with Him.

The love that our Father in heaven has for us far outweighs any love that we will receive here on earth. He created each and every one of us and loves us deeply and passionately as His creation.  God gave each and every one of us a dad here on earth to show us a small portion of the love that He has for us.  Some father's fall short and don't show their children the love that they should.  Regardless of whether or not we have loving father's though, God will love us unconditionally no matter what.  God longs for us to spend time with Him, God wants us to cling to Him always, and God loves it so much when we pray to Him that He stores our prayers up in heaven.  Accept the love that the Father has to show to you and when you do, you will find that it becomes much easier to keep moving forward...

Kelsey J.

P.S.- I love you dad!!!!

#1 Super China Buffet VS. The God Buffet

"And my God will meet ALL your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

The them this summer at Camp Timberline is Provision.  Because of this, I have been learning a lot about all that the Lord is able to provide for not only me but also for everyone who is a follower of Christ.  I have started to notice more of everything God provides on a daily basis and realize how much I need Him in my life.  I have realized that my life will be much easier when I am relying on Him for my provision instead of trying to go about things my own way.

The title of this blog may seem weird but hopefully once I fully explain it, it will begin to make more sense and strike a chord with you.  At the #1 Super China Buffet, you pay a cheap price to eat an unlimited amount of mediocre food.  More than likely, a few hours after eating here, you will regret your lack of judgement and realize that was a poor life choice.  You will have consequences from eating here whether that shows up in the form of a stomach ache or something even worse.  The #1 Super China Buffet can easily be related to the world and what it tries to offer us.  We think that the world has so much to offer, but it will never satisfy us like we originally thought. In the world, we try to make our own way and we search for satisfaction in things that will later leave us with regret.

Now, lets relate the God Buffet to a relationship with God.  The doors are always wide open here.  There are a ton of signs everywhere that say "Free Buffet".  It's absolutely, without a doubt, no questions asked FOR FREE.  You have one of two options: believe that it is too good to be true or believe this as truth and accept this free gift.  The doors are always open and it is your choice on whether or not you enter in.  You see, Jesus Christ was your payment into this buffet.  He payed the penalty for your sin on the cross and if you choose to believe this as truth then you will get to enjoy all of the free gifts awaiting you on the other side of that door.  If you enter through these doors then you will have an unlimited supply of God's provision.  When people hear the word provision they automatically think money or material things.  God gives us so much more in the form of hope, eternal life, wisdom, identity, security, unconditional love, and the list goes on and on and on.  God offers us more than we could ever think or imagine.  What is offered at the God Buffet will not leave you feeling empty of unsatisfied.  All that is offered here is good and will ALWAYS satisfy you and it will NEVER leave you with regrets.

So here's the deal, why waste your time trying to pay your own way only to be unsatisfied when God has something so much better for you?  The Lord's goodness and His provision goes way beyond what we could ever think of imagine.  Enter through the doors of the God Buffet, accept His gift, and find the satisfaction that only God can give.  When you do, you will find that it is easier to keep moving forward...


“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” - C.S. Lewis

Kelsey J.

Wonderful in Every Way

The world will continually feed us lies and tell us that we are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or skinny enough.  We are fed these lies through magazines, television, movies, etc.  No matter what we do, we will never be able to live up to the world's standards.  The world's standards are impossible to reach but there is a standard that has been set by the most high God.  A standard that is immovable and is the same for every single person.  We are His creation and He loves each one of us dearly.  We will never be able to live up to the standards of this world but we can believe what God says about us and live by those truths instead.

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27

God created us in His image.  That means that He places qualities of Himself in each one of us.  He loved us so much that He quite literally placed a part of Himself in us.  How could He not think that we are valuable, beautiful, or worthy if qualities of Himself are within each one of us?

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

We are fearfully and wonderfully made.  What does that even mean?  Fearfully means that we were made with awe and reverence.  Wonderfully means that we were made with excellency.  That means that we were made in the image of God with awe, reverence, and excellency.  I like where this is going.  I can only imagine that after God created us He took a step back and lost His breath because He was amazed at how beautiful we are.  The God of the universe took His time to create each and every one of us and we are His masterpiece.  

"The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your lord." Psalm 45:11

The king is enthralled by our beauty.  What does enthralled mean?  Enthralled means that God is captivated by your beauty.  You attract the affection and the attention of God.  Do you know what this means?  God loves absolutely everything about you. Everything.  There is nothing that you could ever do to separate yourself from the love that God has for you once you accept His gift of eternal life.


The world and everything in it will continue to tear you down and tell you how unworthy you are and that you have to do something to be better.  The world will continually tell you that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or skinny enough.  Know that the same God who created the heavens and the earth created you and He loves you more than you could ever know.  You were made with awe, reverence, and excellency and He cannot get enough of your beauty.  God loves you inside and out and thinks that you are beautiful and wonderful in every way.  Believe these truths.  Live by them.  Don't believe what the world says about you.  You'll find that when you do, it becomes easier and easier to keep moving forward...


Kelsey J.

Feed My Sheep

The third time Jesus said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"  Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?"  He said, "Lord you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." -John 21:17

Throughout the Bible, Jesus is depicted as a shepherd.  But more than that, THE shepherd.  Jesus Christ is our shepherd and we are His sheep.  In Psalm 23 it tells us that our shepherd will lead us beside quiet waters, restore our soul, guide us, comfort us, and in Him we will lack nothing.  Our shepherd is a good shepherd. 

As his followers, what does he require of us?  To simply feed His sheep.  It has taken me a long time to figure out what exactly this means and John 21:17 came to me at the perfect time this summer.  For those of you who don't know, I am a camp counselor at a Christian camp in Colorado this summer.  God showed me this verse one morning at the exact time I needed it.  We had a cabin full of brokenness and all I wanted to do was fix it.  I wanted to heal their brokenness and make sure that they knew how much the God of heaven and earth loved them more than they could every fully comprehend.  But the fact of the matter is that I am only human.  I am completely inadequate on my own and there is only so much difference I can make in this world on my own.  The wonderful thing about being a follower of Jesus Christ is that I have the Spirit of God living within me and He makes up for my inadequacy.  What God taught me one morning as I was facing Twin Sisters on the porch of the lodge at camp, is that on my own I can do nothing but with Christ I can do all things.  All He requires of us is that we feed His sheep.  He does the rest.  He leads them beside quiet waters, comforts them, restores them, guides them, and gives them everything they will ever need.  I was humbled that morning as I realized that it is God working in and through me.  My job is to feed these campers by speaking truth into their lives, loving them unconditionally, and making sure that everything that I do glorifies God.  God will take care of the rest and heal their brokenness and show His sheep the fullness of His love, mercy, and kindness.  My job is to simply feed them.

Rely on God in every situation.  Remember that it is the power of God working in and through you.  He is THE shepherd.  Humble yourselves and rely on His power.  Feed His Sheep.

Kelsey J.