Let's Get Moving!

Well folks. 

It's happened. 

I'VE MOVED!!! 

More Precious Than Rubies is no more...  Thank you all so much for the love and support you have shown the last several months as I have grown my heart (and blog skills) as God has moved me. 

But don't fret, dear readers. "7 Days Time" has been born. It's still gonna be plenty "Precious" and no, I am not changing my writing style at all. Instead, I am moving with purpose.  I am so stinking excited for how God is moving in my life (and He told me to invite you to come along!) 

So if you would be so kind, pop on over to my new blog at 7 Days Time. Subscribe by email. Follow. Like the ministry Facebook page. Pray for me. Share with your friends. God has called me to go big or go home. 

And I'm not ready to go home yet. 

It's not just a blog. It's a ministry movement. And I am beyond excited to share this ride with you!! 

7 Days Time: Limited time. Spend it Wisely. Live for God. 

Precious Love, 

SGK 

"...God, our God, spoke to us: "You've stayed long enough at this mountain. On your way now. Get moving..." -- Deuteronomy 1:6

Moving on Up

Top Five Things on my List that Make me Happy: 

1. Jesus

2. Husband hugs

3. A great workout

4. A hot bath

5. Chocolate

You might notice that "moving" is not on that list. As an army wife, this is rather ironic. 

(Actually, I tolerate moving with the army because I am not required to pack our stuff. Otherwise, I break a lot of dishes, and require massive amounts of all of the things on my top 5 list.) 

Don't get me wrong, I love the new places and adventure of the whole experience. I just can't sit still at our new home until things are unpacked and everything is in place. It's a bit exhausting. And stressful. 

On that note... God has called me to move. 

Wait, wait, wait... I don't mean physical locations. Let's be honest. While Georgia isn't exactly my favorite of the lower 48 states, I have a wonderful hubby, house and puppy here. 

I mean move my blog. That's right. We are moving on up... Or at least over. 

So. What does this mean for you dear readers? 

First of all, don't panic. That's my job. (Just kidding. But seriously.) I ask for you to pray for me. Because technology and I are not BFFs. And I am trying to make this move on my own. I've learned more about CODEX and SEO and PHP today than I never wanted to know. 

But stay tuned the next couple of days. God has something huge planned, and I am taking a leap of faith. I am going to need your help to get this new site up, running and known by others so we can spread this awesome message of God. 

So yes, I'm moving to a different locale in cyber land. I'm changing the name. I am expanding to make this into a literal ministry movement. 

But don't worry. I won't be changing my writing style or content. You will still get plenty of sarcastic, off-the-wall, flat-out-in-love-with-Jesus messages from me. 

Are you intrigued? Well, you should be... we are moving up and making things happen. 

Walking by faith and not by sight (or blog coding,) 

SGK 

"On your way now. Get moving..." --Deuteronomy 1:7 (MSG)

Operation: Fortitude Fitness Update (Month #1)

Happy February Folks!!

Hopefully this post finds you still moving strong towards your "Getting SMART with 2012" goals... We are heading into month #2 and I'm hopeful that you are still hanging on to your goals and have not already fallen off track like a 6-year-old trying to use their dog to pull their Red Rider Wagon. 

Source Here

Anywho... As promised, I am checking back in with you, updating all of you wonderful and faithful readers on my personal progress. I don't write these things to say "LOOK AT MEEEEEE!" but rather I am using this blog as my accountability partner. It would be pretty awkward to repost each month and say "Yeah, I didn't do anything productive with the last 30 days." 

It's been a good month... (To view the original "goal" post, click here. Get it? Goalpost? It's almost the Superbowl? Ok, I'm done.) 

Here we go: 

SMART Change #1: Operation Fort-itude Fitness. 

This was obviously month number one. In short, my goal was to log 98 miles per the month via biking, swimming, running, elliptical etc to begin my "travels" from Fort Benning, GA to Fort Riley, Kansas. Also, in order to stay on track with my strength training, I needed to do 2,500 various reps per month. 

RESULT: GOAL MET!!

I started out slow on this one since the first week of January was super busy for my ministry... but the last three weeks I have really picked it up. I logged 160.5 miles!! (62.5 miles over goal) This puts me at Forestdale, Alabama on my route! (For all of you non-southern readers, that is on the northwest side of Birmingham. Glad I made it through traffic in one piece.)  As for reps, I completed 2,811. Oh... and I added a new 5K time improvement running plan to keep my running accountable. Totally thrilled with meeting this goal! 

I made it from point A to point B... Very encouraging!
Next Stop: Mississippi! 

SMART Change #2: Spend at least one hour per day in the Lord's presence by using my new Jesus Calling Devotional and studying the accompanying Scripture. I will also continue to keep a prayer request list in a notebook and/or iPad.

RESULT: GOAL MET!!

I've been faithful to this goal... and man oh MAN has it been amazing!! God has done a HUGE work on my heart so far and I have fallen head over heels deeper in love with Jesus. (Side note: Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks for some new, big, and exciting ministry changes coming!) Oh, and can I mention that He has already answered 27 prayers just in this month? 

SMART Change #3: Complete my 1000 Gift List (inspired by Ann Voskamp's book) by the end of 2012.

RESULT: ON GOING

I'm not at 1000 yet, but since  my first post, I have doubled the number of gifts on my list. As of today, I am at #422. I'm swimming in a sea of gratitude. Amazing. 

SMART Change #4: Memorize a book of the Bible, starting with 1 John. 

RESULT: ON GOING

Honestly, I am really excited and pleased how this goal is going. Out of all of them, I thought this would be the most challenging. Yes, it has been challenging as the NIV84 format of 1 John is what I have now deemed the book of "excessive pronouns and prepositions." I have learned a ton and made it all the way to 1 John 2:18. Very pleased with my progress. 

SMART Change #5: Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry and submit to God DAILY in all areas of my life. 

RESULT: ON GOING

Again, it's kind of hard to measure this goal... It's probably something I am going to have to focus on the for the rest of my life. BUT... The extra time in prayer and reliance on Him has been evident that there is work being done in my heart. 

How is 2012 shaping up for you? I would love to hear about your progress. 

Oh, and thanks so much for the support and kind words. But remember, I really didn't have much to do with this list... "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)

Stay SMART, 

SGK 

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back." --Philippians 4:12-14 (MSG)

Blow Your Circuits

"Ok, I have 13 minutes to finish blow drying and straightening my hair, slap on some make-up, throw my shoes on and be in the car. I can do this. Everything is fine..." 

POP!

Cue the moment when the surrounding area goes dark. 

Fantastic. WHAT HAPPENED? As I fumble around in the dark, I realize, that I blew a breaker because of overloading the circuits. SIGH. 

Fortunately, this doesn't happen extremely often these days, especially since we are living in a decent house on post. (Plus I have become an expert low-maintainence speed groomer.) However, when we were growing up in late middle school early high school in a single-wide trailer house, which had 6 people in it at one point (two of which were teenage girls) blown breakers were a common occurrence.

I would love to give a you a play-by-play account of how that happened, but the moment right after the loud POP and everything going dark usually included a profanity from someone. And I try to keep it clean.  Ish.

Other than overloading outlets and having too many things plugged in at once... have you ever thought of how magnificent and intricate God's creation is? Not just acknowledge that it exists, but REALLY thought about it. 

Now THAT will blow your circuits.

Seriously, think about it. How awesome is our God to create something a tiny and interesting as Seahorse? (one of my favorite sea creatures, BTW) Where did He come up with the idea of creating different climates and seasons? Why didn't He just keep it simple and consistent? What about different landforms: archipelagos (that's a group of islands for those of you who have since blocked out 4th grade geography), mountains, oceans, the sky? 

WOW. 

And don't even get me started on the actual human body. God is so creative that He made all of us completely different including hair and eye color, foot size and fingerprints. He could have easily said "Let's just make them all bald and purple with size 7 feet. Yep. That'll do it." 

But He didn't. We are made with love in His image. He loves us so much that he created us with such a deep complexity that I personally can't even wrap my head around. I mean seriously... He created goosebumps to keep us warm and sweat glands to keep us cool. I never would have thought of THAT. 

How about just the general homeostasis activities going on in our everyday lives?  (Homeostasis is the bodily systems that sustain us and keep us living everyday... Bet you didn't know you were going to get a geography AND science lesson today huh?) Just sitting in this chair, typing this blog, I am created for my brain to think of the words, my fingers to move at lightening speed to type them, my eyes to see what I am writing (and hopefully catch spelling errors in advance), my ears to hear the click, click, clinking of the key board. 

Not to mention that my heart is beating, my stomach is digesting my lunch, my lungs are breathing, eyes blinking, muscles recovering from my workout... Need I continue? 

I say all of this because God's love for us specifically seen through His creation of us and this world blows our brain circuits. I simply cannot comprehend it. IT'S AWESOME!!

When is the last time you stopped and thought about God's creative hand in our lives and world? He created us in love. Down to the last hair on our arm, fingerprint on our pinkie and beauty mark on our leg. 

Just thinking about it blows my circuits. And lemme tell you, while I am overwhelmed at the whole idea, I am thankful that I can revel in His creation. I challenge you to do the same... today. 

Here's to all things great and small, 

SGK 

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." --Genesis 1:27

Check it at the gate

"Attention passengers, flight 324 to Rome, Italy is now boarding." 

I am far from a professional flier. In fact, I was nearly a sophomore in college before I had the chance to fly for the first time. After that flight from Kansas City to Washington, DC (which was a little nerve-wracking as my co-traveler was also flying for the first time), I started to gain confidence on how to navigate airports in a timely fashion. 

I've had the privilege of flying to DC, Atlanta, Spain, Chicago, Denver, Portland, Orlando, Rome, and China (and probably a couple others that I am forgetting.) Compared to my first time flying my nerves are much more in check. 

Now I really don't stress too terribly much about missing my flight because I do all I can to plan accordingly. But there is one place in the airport my blood pressure tends to rise. 

The security line. 

Yes, I am THAT girl. The closer I get to the front of the line, the more thoughts are racing through my head. I am strategizing on how to keep my boarding pass on my person while ripping off my shoes and/or belt, emptying my pockets, unpacking my laptop as I gracefully walk through the metal detector trying not to look like a bumbling fool and tick off the person in line behind me. 

Meanwhile, other thoughts are racing through my head. "Where did I put my plastic baggie with 3 ounce liquids? Did I take my mini-pocket knife out of my purse? Are they going to confiscate my dried apple slices? Does a fingernail file count as a weapon?"

I also suffer from OPS... Overpacking Syndrome. I never fly without a carryon. If I did, it would eliminate a majority of the above thoughts/worries... But then I might  arrive at my destination without a spare set of clothes.  

This is how the Knobloch's travel... Rome to Home.
We were on our honeymoon. Can't you tell? ;-) 

I couldn't help but wonder if we are sometimes like this in our faith. Are we carrying too much baggage that in the end just weighs us down? The more baggage we carry around, whether it is insecurity, things from a past relationship or worry about future "stuff" the more likely Satan is going to be like the TSA agent who digs through your bag and finds that nail file. He will pick through our "baggage" and find the one thing that will bring us down and ruin our day.  

Jesus asks that when we are traveling with him to leave our baggage behind. Don't believe me? Check out what he says to his disciples in Matthew 10:9-10 as He is sending them out to the world: 

"Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep."

The Message version is even more direct:

"Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light."

If I was there as a disciple, I am sure I would the one in the back to raise my hand and say, "Um, Jesus? Yeah. Are you sure about this? I mean, I would really like to have a toothbrush and change of clothes. Oh, and what about my cell phone and charger? Jesus? Hey, where you going, man..." 

While we all may still choose to fly with a carryon, (hey, I trust Jesus way more than the airlines) we can travel luggage free with Christ. He gives us everything we need. He has called us to come on a journey with Him. So what about all that extra baggage? Yeah, lets go ahead and check it at the gate. 

Flying Free, 

SGK 

"Then Peter chimed in, "We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?" Jesus replied, "Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first." --Matthew 19:27-30 (MSG)

Regain your Breath

Ever had the wind knocked out of you? 

Source here

I am going to guess that the answer to that one is probably yes. It might have been the physical wind knocked out of your lungs... Like when you, as a 2nd grader, thought that jumping from the low bar to the high bar on the jungle gym at recess was a brilliant idea. Next thing you know, you are flat on your back on the ground, staring at the sky gasping for breath. 

(That's a totally hypothetical situation of course. I certainly never did that. Completely made up.) 

Or maybe your breath was taken away when you received some sad news about a friend or a relative. Perhaps the wind was whooshed away when your beloved proposed marriage to you. 

There are a million different possibilities. For me, specifically as an army wife, the wind-knockage experience will typically come from my husband either in person, on the phone or via text. 

It usually starts with the phrase "So, I've got some news..." 

Let me tell you something, readers, falling off the jungle gym or getting bucked off a horse can't compare to the "Hey-baby-got-some-news" army marriage wind-knocking conversations. Because whenever I get in that situation, I am trying not to panic while I keep my breath, fight back tears, AND not to throw up all at the same time. (Fortunately, ALL of those don't usually happen.  Not because I am a pro at keeping it together, but because it would  be a mess. And if I am dealing with profound breath-takingly uncertain conversations, I don't have time to clean it up.)

When you love someone as deeply as I love Brandon, it is hard to get "news." I am so thankful that news coming from first from Iraq and now here at Fort Benning hasn't resulted in reporting any injuries or catastrophically terrifying information. (Thank you, Jesus!)   

Instead, this "news" usually revolves around changing schedules. And time apart. So forgive me if you think it sounds a little melodramatic. But hey, I love the man, I love spending time with him and he is kinda my best friend. Plus, I am a planner, so when I get the "first news" I process it, pray and prepare. When the "news" changes, I have to do it again. It's exhausting. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I am a "strong, independent woman." (My Mama's words, not mine.) But when the Holy Spirit gets ahold of me, coupled with an awesome husband who's job takes him away on a semi-random yet regular basis, I become much more vulnerable. Which means I cry more. Which I hate. SIGH. 

I had one of those wind-removing moments yesterday afternoon. The past few weeks, I have been preparing my head/heart for Brandon to go to Ranger school. In a nutshell, it's a two month (ish) long training where he doesn't come home at night and communication is minimal. He was planning on attending pre-ranger school, which according to our calculations, started February 16th. 

Apparently, our math skills stink and our calculations were incorrect.  I received a text yesterday saying that it started on the 10th. Yeah, in like 14 days. Dear Lord. Cue living room breath-leaving-the-lung moment. (To you non-military spouses, six days might seem like peanuts... and I suppose big picture, it kind of is... but it's still hard to be like "Yay honey, we are going to be apart even longer!") 

If I am being completely honest, I have to say that yes, being apart is difficult... but the changing schedules and unknown of "Will he pass? Will he get recycled? How long will this take? etc" is almost overwhelming. 

But it's only overwhelming if I let it be. No, I was certainly not thrilled with this new information. My fleshly side of me, as I was trying to stay composed (and briefly failing) wanted to just jump off the deep end right there. I wanted to get down in my living room floor and throw a tantrum. Sobbing, snotty, kicking and screaming. Very adult. Real professional. 

Somehow I refrained. I'm not gonna lie, I did have a few tears... But I immediately engaged my newest army wife mantra. As I took deep breaths to restore my composure, I started saying out loud, "I trust you, Jesus. I trust you, Jesus. I trust you, Jesus."

It worked. I was able to breath again. And even managed to blog about this. Good work, Jesus. Very impressive. 

We won't always understand WHY things happen in this world, whether they are small-scale like 6 extra days of Ranger school/spouse mandatory separation or life changing-scale level like dealing with cancer of a family member. But we can trust the unknown to a known God. 

Trust all things to Jesus. He didn't promise that this life on Earth would be easy. But He does vow that trusting Him is worth it. Let Him restore your composure. Allow Him to be the air you breathe. Ask Him to help you regain your breath. 

In-through-the-nose-out-through-the-mouth, 

SGK 

"And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else." Acts 17:25

A January Thanksgiving

It came no surprise to me that I needed a drastic perspective shift yesterday. After all, I had written a ra-ra-shish-koom-ba post  and no doubt The Enemy saw it... and wanted to derail it.

But great news. He didn't win. 

Here's the very general back story: I posted "Your Personal Cheerleader" talking about how awesome God was, how we all need a pick me up sometimes etc. Well, between army stuff, normal life stuff, army stuff (oh wait, did I already mention that?), hormones, and general marriage stuff, I myself needed a pick-me-up. Things were wearing on me. Oh, and it's prayer week at Christ Community, which is great-- except God is (fortunately) using some of that time to create revelations in my heart, which makes my emotions vulnerable. (He know's what he is doing... but its never easy.) 

Needless to say: I was in a pretty rotten mood yesterday. SIGH. I despise being in a funk. It stinks. 

The mopey-grumbly feeling didn't show up til about noon yesterday. Due to some brief miscommunication with my beloved and/or the army, my optimistic cheerleader apparently decided to hibernate. Fantastic. 

For the next couple of hours, I grumbled to myself around the house, slamming cabinet doors, stomp, stomp, stomping, ignoring the whispers from God about what He was trying to reinforce in me about patience, self-sacrifice, forgiveness, being slow to anger etc. Yeah, all those super-sweet subjects. 

I made it to about 2:30pm. I had already done one workout at the gym totaling 10 miles (2 on the elliptical, 8 on the bike... it is my low impact day) I sat down to blog... and nada. Zippo. I couldn't get inspired to write anything positive. 

Suddenly, as I was staring at the computer screen, fighting back tears for the second (or was it third?) time that day, I had a revelation... A feeling of thanksgiving swelled over me. I was sick of moping, and I knew that if I sat here, letting things stew and boil before I could discuss them with my beloved when I see him next (which wasn't going to be until the next evening) things would not go well. I would be a mess. 

I slammed my computer shut and told (yelled towards?) Baby Dog Justus, "Screw this. We are going for a walk. And I WILL be thankful for today and smile if kills me!" (Can you say "Screw" on a Christian blog? Hope so. Cuz I just did.)

I slapped on my tennis shoes, grabbed my purse, keys, pen and pencil. Our normal walk around the neighborhood wouldn't suffice. I needed some nature. With God. Where I could give thanks. 

We stormed out of the house. (Sidenote: Is it really storming out of the house if no one is there to see it? Kind of like if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around does it still make a sound?) Justus and I hopped in the car, and off we went. 

I drove for a few minutes across post to a little pond nature-y trail area. We took off. 

We had thanksgiving in January. As I walked, I was intentional to breathe deeply and keep my eyes open to the gifts God had placed in my life. (That was what the pen and pencil was for.) 

Three miles later, I had captured the following Thanksgiving gifts for my 1000 gifts list. (Based on the book by Ann Voskamp.)  Not all of these things actually happened, but I was reminded of them on our walk. My mind drifted to thoughts of God instead of thoughts of annoyance and this world. 

347. Reading by the water

348. Warm wind blowing through my hair

349. Gazebos

350. January days that are warm enough to wear shorts

351. Puppy "smiles" that show white teeth and pink tongue

352. Seeing fish swim in a pond

353. The distant sound of rifle/gunshots at a range on post (I'm an army spouse. Don't judge me for this one. I think it is really sexy cool.)

354. Wet musty cool dirt smell

355. Ivy winding up a tree

356. The sound of a tractor

357. Eating fresh honeycomb

358. Hollow trees

359. Magnolia blossoms as big as your face

360. Leaves covering a path

361. My bucket list

362. Butterflies

363. Big backyards

364. Patio furniture

365. War memorials

366. Soldiers working crossing guard duty

367. The Infantryman's Creed

368. Being up high looking down

369. Laying on your back outside looking up

370. Random conversations with an awkward middle school boy on a bike about your "weird dog"

By the time Ladybug (our red Pontiac Vibe) was back in view, I felt great. Honestly, I felt like a new woman. My perspective shifted from incredibly ticked to incredibly thankful. I went from "poor, poor, pitiful me" to "blessed, thankful, God loves me." We don't have to wait til next November to be thankful. Start today. Right where you are. Even in the midst of a pending storm. 

I didn't have to have turkey, gravy and pumpkin pie to have my Thanksgiving in January. I just needed Jesus. And I don't know about you... but I am STUFFED. 

Enjoying His Gifts,

SGK  

"Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!" --Hebrews 12:28-29 (MSG)

Your Personal Cheerleader

"Our team is dynamite... our team is dynamite... our team is tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick BOOM dynamite! Boom, Dynamite!"

"Be Aggressive, be, be, aggressive, B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E."

"Go, go, go, go get electrified!"

Uh, yeah... Not sure if Columbia blue
was, eh, my color? Also, it seems that on
that particular day I has lost my cheer
part of the leader. Oh well. 

Oh, my cheerleading days. I would say I speak of them with fondness, but that isn't quite the truth. Sure, there were a lot of perks-- getting to the be the crazy one yelling and bouncing around all the time (if my high school had a mascot back then, I woulda been much better at that role), supporting our team and going to the games. (And yes, the cheers above are ACTUAL cheers I did back in the day... I remember several others. Maybe someday I will video blog the actions to them. Or not.)

I was only a literal cheerleader for three years of my life: 7th, 8th and 9th grade. Then as I ventured into high school my body shape/image continued to get out of hand (and out of shape) so I quit. Which didn't help the situation.

But THAT'S another blogpost.

While I only cheered in a red, white and columbia blue uniform for three years, God has shaped me to be a cheerleader for life. It is one skill that I LOVE... and has gained considerable substance when I answered the call to ministry.

So today, I would like to be your cheerleader. Pep talker. Pick-you-upper. Whatever you want to call it. Why? Because God loves you. He told me so.

If you are reading this, whether it's for the first time or the 130th time, this post is for you.

I don't know where you are right this very moment in your walk with God. But I want to encourage you to grab ahold of His hand and keep going. Know that He DOES have a plan for you-- a very awesome, very exciting plan. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) It's gonna be wild and it's gonna be great. He's holding up a "WE WILL ROCK YOU SIGN" to the Enemy. And by "WE" He means, you... and Himself... together. After all-- He IS The Rock. 

Is He calling you to step outside of your box and take a leap of faith? Don't be afraid, my friend. He LOVES you. The one who calls you is faithful and will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24) Our Father isn't going to ask ANYTHING of you that you can't accomplish. I promise you that He isn't going to say "Come on, honey, get in the game!" Then walk away, waiting to see if you foul out, win or get tackled. He will be right there beside you all the way, till that final buzzer sounds. 

Are you experiencing the storms of life and have a tendency to question God's goodness? Don't look at this as a nightmarish experience... Instead, lean on Him. He is there, waiting for you with open arms, toweling you off at halftime, pouring Gatorade down your throat. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4) Get in the game and play your heart out. Play the game for Jesus. 

It doesn't matter what you are experiencing right this moment-- if it is a heart full of peace or one that is struggling to find rest. Be assured that He is in complete control... Be bold in your faith. Step out. Turn your fears into faith. Be aggressive when facing the enemy. "All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we're in." (1 Timothy 1:16 MSG) The enemy doesn't play fair, but when God is the referee, you have nothing to worry about. 

Take heart my friend. God is in the game with you, coaching and cheering you on. Toweling you off. Keeping your refreshed. He's got is figurative pom poms and megaphone.  Keep the faith, because God is your personal cheerleader, and He never loses a game. Ever. 

So please, hear me today, when I say ""Our God is dynamite... our God is dynamite... our God is tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick BOOM dynamite! Boom, Dynamite!" 

Let HIM be your personal cheerleader. For life. 

Winning with Jesus, 

SGK 

"Stay with God. Take heart. Don't quit. I will say it again: Stay with God!" Psalm 27:14 MSG

Love, Peace and Jesus Cheese

"Would you like cheese on that?"

Talk about a moment of truth. You haven't really given any thought to the question prior to this very blip in time. It doesn't matter if the person behind the counter/at your table is asking about a salad, a Big Mac (ick) or Subway sandwich. 

For me, the answer is almost always yes. 

Cheese is awesome. I am a non-discriminatory cheese eater. My only stipulations are if it smells like a foot or comes in a can,  it is not going in my mouth. Other than that, bring on the cheese baby! 

Just last Saturday, my supervisor Kelli and I traveled to Macon, GA to do some SHAPE training for a church plant. As we were discussing each person's spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality and experiences, we got to the topic of "filling" holes in ministry with volunteers. 

Now, this is a baby church, just being planted and doing the work to get off the ground. Their numbers are small, so "filling holes" within their group was a challenge. But one participate piped up and jokingly said, "Holes aren't bad. Just think of swiss cheese. People love swiss cheese. We are the swiss cheese church."

This comment not only made us laugh, but it got me to thinking. We know that Jesus is all about love and peace... but how would he feel about cheese? Specifically, swiss cheese. (Hang in there readers... this will make more sense momentarily, I promise.)

We have already determined some types of cheese are "holey." And I don't know about you... but so are our lives. 

Let's start with our holey selves. We are full of holes. Looking to be fulfilled. Broken. Searching for something greater. Seeking love and peace. Completeness. 

So where do we find it? In Christ. Jesus fills our holes with His eternal love and neverending peace. We can be wholly His. ALL of us can live in Him. Lean on Him. Trust in Him... And ultimately we can become...

HOLY.  This is a good kind of holy. Fully, deeply and completely dedicated to Him through our actions, words and lives. We can live a full un-holey life by being holy. Our original holes are filled to the brim with love and peace through Him.  

So maybe Jesus is a cheese fan like me and you. He understands our "holes" and embraces our longing to be filled wholly with Him... to make us holy FOR Him. 

And let's not forget that Jesus STILL has holes... no, not the ones that are needed for perfection. He needs nothing, because He is perfect. But He himself has holes in his nail-scarred hands. The holes in His hands ultimately compensate for the holes in our lives caused by sin. 

Don't be ashamed or concerned if your life looks like swiss cheese. Mine does. Instead, find the love and peace from Jesus. And next time when someone asks if you want cheese on it, you can simply reply, "Sure, but I've already got some... I have love, peace and Jesus Cheese." 

Life is cheesy,

SGK

"They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence." Acts 4:31 MSG

The Simple Life

When I was in high school, I remember watching  a "reality" show called "The Simple Life." 

Yes. With the Hilton sisters. (You didn't know this was going to be a confessional type of post today, did you? But don't judge me. Blame my parents. They were the ones manning the remote) Still, I watched. I am not proud of it. But, much like reality TV today, it was kind of like a car accident... You felt bad for the people involved, but you just...can't...look...away. 

Here's the basic premise from what I recall: The Hilton sisters (note: They would be what some call, uh, high maintenance perhaps?) would be plucked from their inherited throne and deposited in some small town. Let's say rather podunkish. These girls would have to live the "Simple life" without the luxuries of being waited on hand and foot. They might even have to get muddy and do chores. 

You get the picture. 

It was a rather pathetic scene, and there were several times I wanted to jump through the screen and thump someone. But recently, my beloved husband and I decided to live the simple life. 

No, we didn't get orders to move to a 500 person town and work on the farm. (Both of us have been there, done that, so it wouldn't be new anyways.) AND I would like to think I am NOTHING like Ms. Paris Hilton in the fact that I like getting dirt under my fingernails and the only time I utter the phrase "That's hot" is when I gulp my steaming coffee too fast in the morning. 

But we wanted to live a simpler life. Looking at our budgetary plan for 2012 (we are 23 days in and doing well) we wanted to cut back and simplify some things. 

Not only has it saved us quite a chunk of cash, but we have been set free. It's awesome. 

We have simplified a few things in our life (baby steps, people, baby steps.) First we got rid of cable. Brandon is almost never home anyways and I barely even watch TV. On the rare occasions that we do get to sit down together, we figured Netflix or movies we had already purchased would do. 

Cut the cable. Saved some cash. I tasted freedom. 

THEN, we downgraded our phone plans. Brandon went back to a "flip phone" in December, saying goodbye to the Blackberry. I followed suit this month when I THOUGHT I was available for an "upgrade" even though I was downgrading. (It's a long story.) 

Convincing the phone store that my plan was legit was a quite the task. I told them I had an iPad gifted to me a month ago, so I didn't need phone email AND iPad email to-go. While they initially acted like I was trying to give up my first born child or part with a limb, I finally convinced them this was what I wanted to do. As I was staring at the "basic" phones trying to decide, I saw a "free" one (after rebate of course.) Beside it was a $50 slider phone. What to do, what to do... 

Suddenly, a wave of freedom rushed over me and I literally felt God saying "Live simply." 

Decision made.  I said so-long to my Android and picked out the simple, non-slider "free" phone that makes calls and texts. That is it. No email. No internet. 

I love it. FREEDOM! 

God has continued to affirm our baby steps of living simply. It has been amazing for our budget, but even more so in our relationship with Him. I am less distracted. I am more focused. I am spending more time frolicking outside taking in his non-technological gifts. I am more available for Him. 

Ultimately, living simply makes me thankful. 

In what ways can you simplify your life this year? It doesn't have to be drastic, but God will recognize and encourage any method you use to spend more time with Him, keeping your eyes focused upward. 

You don't have to move to a tiny midwestern town to experience this kind of freedom. Start right where you are and live the simple life. 

Living simply-er and loving it, 

SGK 

"A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life." Proverbs 13:7 MSG

Life-as-a-wife survival kit

God sure has a sense of humor. It still cracks me up almost daily that He had the idea to create man, then create woman, make us COMPLETELY different and say "Ok, live together for your entire life. Play nice. Love each other. I'm here when you need me. Good luck." 

Sometimes I think marriage needs a survival guide. Specifically, I need a survival guide (or kit) as an army wife. So today is my appeal for  either 1) every man getting married to give their wife the following kit, 2) every woman getting married to get this kit for herself or 3) for the army to standard issue the following items to all army wives everywhere. 

But before I get into the actual life-as-a-wife survival kit, I would like to address the survival kit needed for married men, military or otherwise. I am sure they are already feeling left out, and we certainly wouldn't want that. 

So here is the basic supplies needed for dudes in an I-wanna-be-a-husband-in-a-joy-filled-marriage kit. 

1. Food. Any kind will do. 

2. Shelter. Any kind will do. Preferably warm and dry. 

3. Beer and/or TV. Not any kind will do, and amounts with vary per man. 

4. A passionate wife. Why? To um, ahem, satisfy, eh, their, er "urges." (If you don't get this one... ask your spouse. I am sure he can clarify.) 

Welp. That was easy. 

Now, back to the life-as-a-wife survival guide in reverse ranking order. (United States Military, I hope you are paying attention. Seriously. This should be standard issue when anyone marries into any branch of the military. I will be waiting by my mailbox.) 

(Note: These of course are hypothetical. They certainly aren't based on MY experiences at all... right.) 

10. An upright punching bag. With accompanying hand wraps and gloves. There will be frustrations in marriage... and this is a healthy way to, um, release some tension without taking it out on your beloved. It works. Or so I've been told. 

9. Chocolate. Any kind will do... some might prefer a mint-chocolate combination, or dark chocolate varieties. 

8. Kleenexes. Emotional roller coaster breakdowns can happen at any given moment. I have known wives (again, not myself of course) to end up sitting on the couch tearing up a boxes of Kleenex telling their husband as she gasp's between sobs "I...(gasp)... don't... (hack)... know... (snort)... why... (sniff)... I'm...(honk)... cryinggggg... (waaaaaa!) *Also useful for happy and/or Holy Spirit tears as well. Those too are very common. 

7. A wine glass. I have hypothetically been told that some wives don't always even drink wine out of the glasses. A wife last week perhaps kinda sorta drank Diet Dr. Pepper out of a fancy wine glass. Wives are all about feeling elegant and keeping it classy. Do what it takes. 

6. A bathtub. This is best used for life-as-a-wife survival tool if combined with #9 and #7. (Just add steaming hot water and bubbles.) 

5. Tylenol.  For recovering from #8 and other semi-stressful and/or overwhelming experiences. 

4. A movie/TV show filter. Sometimes as a wife (especially army wife) we need a magical filter that blocks certain shows or movies from our viewing. AKA films that involve war, adultery, excessive tears, etc. They are seed planters and can be super un-survival-ish. 

3. A positive go-to person. This can be a friend, neighbor, mom, family member or fellow wife. When the husband is either the cause of the issue OR is not available (which is often the case), wives need to have a pep-talker on-standby, even if it is via phone, internet, text or Skype. 

2. A sense of humor. Marriage can either be stressful and painful or hilarious. Choose the latter option. It is way more fun... and WILL help you survive. (ESPECIALLY in the military.) 

1. A Bible... and the faith to go with it. This is easily the most important of all the survival supplies on this list. When our husbands are gone, busy, preoccupied, confused, deployed, injured, uncertain etc, we have ONE to lean on, and that is our Father in Heaven. Ultimately to survive as a wife and live in a joy-filled marriage, we must FIRST be married to HIM. Be so in love with God that your husband has to seek Him to get to you. And allow your husband to lead in your walk. 

Keep the faith-- it will ultimately lead you to both survival and revival of your marriage. 

Living and loving my life-as-a-wife, 

SGK

"Stay with God. Take heart. Don't quit. I will say it again: Stay with God!" Psalm 27:14 MSG

Stop suffering from DFD

It affects millions of people everyday. 

You might suffer from it and not even know it. 

It is most prevalent in married men... but if you are human, you are at risk. 

It's symptoms can literally change your life... for better or worse. 

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about Degenerative Filter Disorder, or DFD for short. Ok, ok... so it is really an issue that my husband and I made up. After doing much research (ok, two days worth) I really think it is a major problem in our world. My beloved suffers from it. I suffer from it. And I would guess you probably do too. 

Let's break this down. DFD kicks in when we begin to focus on one thing more in our life more than we normally do. Lemme give you a real-life example. Two nights ago, Brandon and I were hanging out in the living room and he was doing research for his potential experience at Ranger school. Whenever a big life event (in his case: profound army stuff) is on the horizon, his "filter" of thoughts, words and actions begins to break down (degenerate) and become less effective. Hence, the higher probability of saying or doing something that might potentially offend his darling wife (yes, that's me.) 

But this is not a husband bashing session, I promise. I am just as guilty. When I was finishing up my masters, specifically working on a big project, I too suffered from DFD. I would be WAY more blunt than necessary in normal conversation, wearing my project-focused attitude on my sleeve. 

See. I told you it would change lives. For better or for worse. 

Are you still not convinced you have it? Let me list some of the symptoms: 

• Focusing on one item or big event
• Memory lapse regarding important people surrounding you
• Lack of focus on other important aspects of life
• Excessive word vomit
• Red Face
• Frustration
• Heavy breathing in the form of exasperated sighs
• Eye rolling

It is not a pleasant disorder. But DFD is something we all battle... Especially when it comes to God. I have noticed that when I start to focus on my eyes on things of this world, my "filter" begins to break down... Negative thoughts come into my head. I am quick to anger. Slow to forgive. 

Yeah. Totally unfun. And potentially painful. 

But wait! There IS a cure. Instead of allowing our eyes to drift to the people, places or things in our lives, we can keep our eyes focused upward. 

Then and only then is our filter strengthened by God. And instead of word vomit, we overflow with love. We more easily handle the big life events. 

When we focus on Christ, our DFD essentially goes away... And honestly we don't even need a filter anymore, because we are focusing our eyes on things that are pure and trustworthy-- AKA Christ. 

You will no longer be suffering from DFD... but rather be an OWL... Overflowing With Love. 

With eyes focused upward, 

SGK 

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." --1 John 2:15-17

Handle with Prayer

Life can be distracting. 

Life can be overwhelming. 

Life can be stressful. 

Life can be uncertain. 

Any of these statements apply to you today? Then read on, dear friend. HOW do we function daily, putting first things first, without going off the deep end? 

Some might say they flip the "Don't Care" switch. (It works, but probably not the healthiest option.)  Others might consume copious amounts of chocolate. (Again... great theory, might not be super healthy.)  Still others retreat into a shell, shutting out the world.  

But for me, I pray. A LOT. No, I don't get to sit around all day in God's presence listening, talking, meditating on His word (as much as I would like to.) I still need to fulfill my role as an army wife, minister, friend, daughter, sister, FRG leader, blogger, exerciser, and general life cheerleader. But spending time in prayer helps me to focus on Christ in all things that I do. 

I spend one hour per day of what I like to call my "Jesus time" first thing in the morning. Then I continue to talk to Him (and attempt to listen) throughout the day. As I am working out, driving, showering, preparing to sleep... He is always around, inviting me to be in touch with Him. He is my everything. He gets me through the day. He is my eternal, my immortal, my ultimate chocolate-sleep-diet-dr-pepper-happy-place pick me up. 

Just last week, someone asked me if praying actually "worked." 

After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I passionately replied "YES." 

Prayer serves a lot of different purposes in life, several of which were covered in the paragraphs above. For example: ever since I got my shiny new iPad, I have been logging my prayers on a nifty $1.99 app. (I had a gift card, so the app was essentially free.) 

Best. Investment. Ever.

The app is called "Prayer List" and the design is simple but genius. It allows me to categorize my prayers (aka friends, healing, ministry, our life/family, the lost etc.) The app keeps me accountable to legitimately PRAY for specific people, places or things every single day. And the best part?

It archives my answered prayers. 

I have been using this app for 16 days. So far, I have entered 87 prayers... and already, in 15 days, TWENTY of them have been answered. 

Holy. Lord. (Literally.) 

Honestly, I had no idea how many prayers had been answered until Sunday... I was kind of in a "Jesus Funk" while preparing for church. So at the end of my quiet time, I quickly clicked over to the "answered" tab on my prayer app, expecting 3 or 4 to be in that category. I about fell out of my chair when the entire screen was filled up and I had to scroll to see them all. 

Talk about giving your faith a boost. 

I started looking at the answered prayers and got a teeny tiny glimpse of God's ability to work actively in my life. It is PROOF of what he has been doing in the last 16 days. In fact, I realized He actually used ONE event to literally answer three separate prayers that at first glance were seemingly unrelated. 

So today, let's take time to rejoice in His faithfulness. We can take heart that He listens, replies to our petitions/prayers, and is both ACTIVE and ALIVE in our lives. 

Consider logging your prayers. Watch how he is working in YOUR life. His answers are abundant and always perfect.  Approach life gently by first coming into The Father's presence. Life can be simple and wonderful if we handle it with prayer. 

In Gratitude, 

SGK 

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." --Ephesians 6:18

PS: Would you like to be added to my prayer list? I would LOVE to pray for you. Facebook me, send me a tweet or leave a comment HERE. 

Survival of the Faithful

My heart was gripped with fear. My body turned cold from the inside out. I had made a potentially fatal mistake. 

I didn't realize what I had done until I pulled into the commissary parking lot and wondered WHY on what I thought was a random Saturday the place was SO packed. 

It was not just any Saturday. But it was the Saturday after army families everywhere got paid. What had started as a quick errand to get eggs, milk, crackers and dog food was now a battle for my life. 

Safety side note: There are just some places some people should never, ever, EVER attempt to go on or directly after the general population's payday. Examples: Wal-Mart, anywhere Black Friday (exception to the payday rule-- but it's still dangerous) and any military post commissary around the 1st or 15th. 

Survival will be sketchy at best. 

Unfortunately for me (but fortunately for this blog post topic) I found myself in this battle of life and death. I had a choice. Lock my car door, throw Ladybug into reverse and peel it home... Or boldly risk my life for my small dinner party that was scheduled for that evening. (Another side note: I had all of the ingredients to make the food... but realized after the chili was already in the Crockpot that we were out of crackers. See grocery list above.) 

It chose the latter option. Oh, and I literally prayed before I got out of the car. 

I (obviously) survived. But it was touch and go there for awhile.  

In the midst of dozens of people, endless lists and screaming toddlers, I mentally created some survival techniques for making it out of your determined location post-pay day... with your goods. 

And maybe even your sanity. 

So next time you are forced to brave the crowds, follow my fool-proof survival techniques. 

1. Don't do it. 

There. That was easy. 

Ok, but seriously. 

1. Force yourself not to be in a hurry. 

2. Remember to breathe. 

3. Be prepared to dodge, duck and dive. 

4. Apologize profusely to those of you who you are trying to maneuver around. 

5. A smile won't hurt. 

6. Have a plan. Have your list in hand and if possible, know where to look for your items. 

7. Try not to laugh (ok, guffaw) out loud at the random husband that is clearly on the phone with his wife, walking at a brisk pace yelling "I CAN'T FIND THE STUPID TORTILLAS!" You will just make it awkward. 

8. Have less than 20 items in your basket... You can use a quicker line. Everything else can wait til a random Wednesday. 

9. Pray. Endlessly. Then check out. 

10. Do a victory dance when you arrive back at your vehicle.  

I learned A LOT about myself (and others) during this quest for survival. But believe it or not, I was able to look at the whole experience in a Godly way. Somehow, the two apples I put in my cart weren't the only fruit I had that day. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23) It was totally a God thing because He helped me get in and get out non-stressed with a smile still on my face. 

Let God be your survival tool... He is the giver of
the "Fruit" of our Spirit!

My actions to be patient, controlled, love others and be kind were very intentional and I couldn't have done it without inviting Him to help me "survive" this experience. God cares about our everyday obstacles and life experiences. So won't you invite Him to walk with you everywhere you go? He will accompany you to the commissary, Wal-Mart and even the bank at 5:00pm on a Friday afternoon if you ask Him to come along. 

God doesn't embrace the survival of the fittest... but He will ensure the survival of the faithful!

With Him always by my side, 

SGK 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” --Joshua 1:9

On an Adventure

(Insert intense sounding music here) 

"From the African deserts of the Sahara... To the Jungles of the Amazon... Across the desolate prairie.... Through the frozen tundra of the Arctic... Around your own living room... IT'S AN ADVENTURE!!" 

Did you start singing in your head "One of these things is not like the other?" If so, don't feel bad. I woke up the other day singing "This is the song that never ends" from Lambchop for absolutely no reason AT ALL. (This is the song that never ends... it just goes on and on my friend... some people, started singing it not knowing what it was, but we'll continue singing it forever just because this is the song that never ends...) 

Whoops. There I go again. 

Anywho, back to the point at hand. You might have noticed that those first few adventurous locations all fit together-- minus the whole living room part. We are a world who (typically) loves excitement and adventure, especially when it comes to watching others attempt to "utilize resources" to survive. I mean, look at all of the shows on TV right now... Man Vs. Wild, Survivorman, Man Tracker, Man-Woman-Wild, Dual Survival, oh, and I feel like there was some reality show actually called "Survivor" if I remember correctly. 

I have no desire to go on any of those shows to try my hand at surviving strictly for an adventure or entertainment purposes. While I do enjoy eating raw rattlesnake and drinking my own urine every now and then (kidding! Totally kidding... Did I go too far?) I will remain in the comfort of my living room if given the choice. 

But great news. We can still have an adventure in our everyday lives. 

We can have an adventure with God. 

I am a planner and organizer. I love nothing more to have my battle plan lined out for the day and for it to exactly as planned. 

But that has happened probably twice in my 26 years on earth. 

Yes, I do have a general idea about some of the "big rocks" I would like to accomplish each day, but my Jesus Calling devotional the other day reminded me to leave room and flexibility  to allow the Lord to take me on an adventure all His own. 

I did. And He delivered. I was still able to "do" a majority of the things I needed to get done, but he also put a lot of fun and unexpected things into my day that really strengthened my heart. 

He allowed me to have an unexpected phone conversation with one of my best friends. He charged me to cook a meal for a fellow drill sergeant wife and serve their family. He even took my husband and I on a very spontaneous adventure to the PBR (professional bull riding, for all of you non-rodeo-ish people out there.) 

It was one of the best days I have had in quite a while. All because I leaned and focused on God all day... He took me on a fulfilling adventure, that started in my living room. 

Leave room in your life to go on adventures with God. He has called us to follow Him. And we are going to be in for an awesome, rewarding adventure. 

No raw rattlesnake or Arctic tundra required. 

With an adventurous heart, 

SGK 

"Just think—you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that." 1 Corinthians 1:6-8 (MSG)

Six-word living

Today we are going to talk about dying. Death. Kicking the bucket. Pushing up daisies. Walking the golden streets with Jesus. The eternal nap.

You get my drift. 

I know, I know, death can be a very dark, trying and sad subject, especially if it is unexpected or painful. But hey, life is short (pun intended) so why not look at this light-hearted. After all... I know where I am going and I hope you do too. (Gonna be knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door. Someday.) 

But in order to die, a person typically lives some type of life before that point. So maybe today's post isn't about the actual dying process, but rather the LIVING process. 

One of my favorite songs that got me through one of the roughest points of my life (when I didn't know if I could keep going) was a song called How You Live by Point of Grace. (Watch the video and listen here.)

The best part of that song is part of the chorus when it says "Cause it's not who you knew... it's not what you did... it's how you live." 

Can I get an AMEN?!?

Let's take it a step even further. It's not just how you live, but who you live FOR. Think about it. What or who are you living for right this moment? 

For more information go to
http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/

Earlier this week, I was introduced to the concept of Six-word Memoirs. I was surprised that I had never really heard about it, but I am hooked. I have been walking around all week thinking about different memoirs... and perhaps what mine would be. (To read the history of Six-Word Memoirs, check out this article. 

Six word memoirs can be funny, sad, moving or somewhere in between. The basic concept is to be able to write your "life story" in six words. Here are some examples. 

"Most creative when avoiding a deadline."

"Would've, Could've, should've, didn't, didn't, didn't." 

"Living the dream, don't wake me up." 

"Born bald. Grew hair. Bald again." 

"Battled cancer, richly blessed with friends." 

"Rock bottom became the solid foundation." 

You get the picture. Hopefully, you are already thinking about what your six-word memoir might look like... 

And I have started to think about mine. Fortunately/unfortunately, mine varies by the day. Some ideas might include: 

Army wife. Supporter of chocolate industry.

Puppy mama who trains with sarcasm. 

Woke up Monday. Back to bed. 

Playing sports equals consistently broken face. 

Great housekeeper when company is coming. 

Professional pep-talker, even when not wanted.  

(Hyphens count as one word, right?) 

Oh look, that is another one.

Used AMERICA as random multipurpose expression.

Starts focused. Sees shiny. Epic fail.

I could go on... but I want to give you the chance to think of your OWN six-word memoir. How are you living your life? If you died today, what legacy would you leave behind? Please feel free to comment here and share one (or more) of your own six-word memoirs. 

Think about this... mediate on it. What would GOD like your memoir to look like? Remember, it's not who you knew or what you did but how you lived. And WHO you lived FOR. 

Oh, and I have figured out my six-word memoir, at least for today: 

Jesus called. Slowly followed. Richly rewarded!

Gettin' creative with random blog topics, 

SGK

"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life." --Romans 2:7