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

Getting SMART with 2012

Welp. It's a New Year, America. 

Sorry. That was kind of an obvious statement. But obvious or not, Happy 2012. I hope you are excited... because I am!! (After sitting in church yesterday morning, I have a feeling God has some BIG plans for us this year.) 

I used to be a person of big "resolutions." I would have all these grand plans of losing a bajillion pounds in a week and reading one letter of the encyclopedia per week. (Only a slight exaggeration.) Then of course, in about 3-5 wks  (if it lasted that long) I would lose steam and be back where I started... If not further off course. 

So. What's the key to setting successful goals? They have to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Bound. 

It's okay if your resolution-ish statements don't lend themselves to all of these traits. But let's try to make it happen... Together... With God's help. 

I am going to make myself pretty vulnerable here. By sharing with you my SMART lifestyle changes (note: I did not say resolutions) I am calling you out as my accountability group. GULP. (That being said... I would LOVE if you would comment and share a 2012 lifestyle change of your own.) 

Here we go. Deep breath. Saying some prayers. Annnnddd... 

SMART Change #1: Operation Fort-itude Fitness. Let me explain. I had this idea during our time on leave in Kansas. I knew I needed a new workout routine... I have done Couch to 5K, P90X and even used a personal trainer. But I want something new. And free. Heres the idea... 

Over the next ten months from January 2nd to October 2nd I will "travel" from Fort Benning, Georgia to Fort Riley, Kansas (Fort-itude-- get it?) by walking, running, swimming, biking and elliptical. It is 980 miles total and breaks down to about 24 miles per wk. I will log my progress on a wall map to see where I am hypothetically "traveling." But Sharita? What about strength training? Never fear, that too shall be incorporated into my routine... I will log 25,000 reps of strength/core work by the time I "reach" Fort Riley. (Average: about 104 reps per day or I can do a couple hundred reps a few times a week.) 

WHEW. That was a big one. Here are some more, yet simpler SMART lifestyle changes that I will incorporate or continue to improve on. 

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. 

SMART Change #3: Complete my 1000 Gift List (inspired by Ann Voskamp's book) by the end of 2012 (although I believe it could be much sooner than that... if so... I will just keep adding to it!) 

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

SMART Change #5: Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry and submit to God DAILY in all areas of my life. (Not super specific, I know. But I do know what I am supposed to be doing with it and have been working on it for a few months now anyways.) 

Some of these SMART changes will flex up and down throughout the year... some new goals may surface or God could lead me in a whole different direction. But now is the time for change. We worship a God of fresh starts. Ask Him to wipe the slate clean and join me in getting SMART with 2012. 

With a heart of anticipation, 

SGK 

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." --Roman 12:2


Share your SMART changes and leave a comment here.

True Reason for the Season

About a week ago, my husband and I were preparing to depart for our holiday block leave road trip that would take us from Fort Benning, Georgia to South Dakota to Kansas and back. Our car was loaded down, ready to depart early the next morning. Our refrigerator was completely bare so we could reduce the possibility of growing penicillin in it while we were running amuck. Thus, we went out for a quick supper and on our way home, I decided I wanted to peruse through the neighborhood and check out the Christmas lights. 

Some people in our neighborhood went all out for Christmas. Inflatable Santas, Frostys and Rudolphs bounced in front yards. Icicle lights sparkled and multicolored light glowed. Trellis and porch decorations were abundant. I was impressed. 

I continued to drive (which probably wasn't the safest decision, as I was much more interested in gawking at the Christmas lights than my husband) and I kept commenting on the decor. We didn't do any outside decorating on our house mainly because 1) We weren't going to be home for the holidays 2) We didn't own the supplies necessary and 3) I sure as heck wasn't hanging that stuff up by myself as my husband was rather occupied with his job.  (Something about training future soldiers to defend America  took take priority over Christmas lights. Scoff ;-) 

We drove around for about 15 minutes in our neighborhood, guessing who might "win" the yard decorating contest and living vicariously through their glowing decor. Suddenly Brandon said, "Hey, do you know what? I didn't see one nativity scene in all those yards." 

I stopped the car, right in the middle of our street. He was right! Not only was I surprised at that revelation, but I also was shocked I didn't realize it at all until he brought it up. Huh. 

Before you get all riled up, I am not about to get all up on a soapbox and preach about the rumors of Santa Claus' existence or how anyone who mentions him is in the wrong. I am 26 years old and still get gifts from Santa... and our future kids will be getting gifts from Santa Claus as well. 

Brandon and I joked about our "decoration" strategy for next year... I said we should get a live nativity scene, complete with camels and sheep to set up in our yard. He agreed and said he could get some of the trainees/privates to pose as Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and Wise Men. He could force them to stand in our yard for 6 weeks. Or he said we could just spell JESUS in our grass in Christmas lights. 

We laughed. It was awesome. But obviously that revelation about the nativity scene (or lack thereof) stuck with me. 

Do we really take time to remember why we celebrate this holiday? I know it sounds cliche-y, but we gotta remember the real reason for the season: That baby born in a manger over 2000 years ago. And that baby wouldn't have had any impact on us had it not been for the Cross. We have been set free-- all because of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection! 

It's not about the gifts, the awesome food, the lights, ornaments, snow (or lack thereof), cheesy movies or men in red suits with excessive facial hair. 

It is about our Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ. Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus... And thanks for being the true reason for the season! 

Partying it up for Baby Jesus, 

SGK 

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:9-11

We have... A Remedy

I do NOT enjoy being sick. 

Ok. That might have been a slightly pointless statement. I don't really know anyone who is like "Yay, I don't feel good today." Duh, right? (Don't judge me... It's Friday ;-) 

The best part about getting sick? (No, it is not having strict ownership of the remote or excessive sleeping.) The best part is getting better. Kinda makes you appreciate feeling top-notch, huh? 

This week we have discussed 4 symptoms of being human. Today, we reveal that cure, aka THE REMEDY. And yep, you guessed it... That remedy is Jesus. 

Don't believe me? Let's take a look: 

Symptom #1: We have... A Power Shortage

"You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!" --Psalm 68:35

Symptom #2: We have... Ego Issues
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." --Proverbs 11:2

Symptom #3: We have... Memory Loss

"I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever." --Psalm 45:17

Symptom #4: We have... A Heart Condition

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." --Psalm 119:11

I would say if we have all of these symptoms and no cure, we are gonna be pretty messed up. (Which I am for sure) BUT I have Jesus! Hopefully you do to! 

Check out Rachael Lampa's song called "Remedy." Kind of sums up our awesome, majestic, ever-loving cure! 

"Remedy"

(By Rachael Lampa)

I know where to go

To heal my heart to soothe my soul

When everything-things spinning out of control, I know

I know just living life can get so crazy day and night

But I've got somebody by my side, by my side

Every time I cry and I wanna hide

Feeling like I'm damaged on the inside

You know just what to do

CHORUS:

You've got what I need

You're the remedy

That's why I'm keeping you close, you close

You know what's best for me

My only therapy

Jesus your love is my hope, my hope

You're my remedy, you're my remedy

On point, off track

One step forward, two steps back

Some days are gonna be just like that

Just like that

You're my medicine

Relieve my pain again and again

Always take me back no matter where I've been, where I've been

Every time I'm hurt and it doesn't work

Feeling like it never could get any worse

I go running to you

REPEAT CHORUS

And every time I come knocking at your door

You make me feel like I'm the only one that you adore

The only one you do this for

The only one that you call yours, I'm yours

Today is simply a day of rejoicing that we have a cure for our "illness" caused by sin. God is the ultimate healer. He fills the gap of our power shortage. He tames our ego issues. He restores our memory loss. He clears up our heart condition. 

We have... A Remedy... In Jesus!

Healed by His Grace, 

SGK 

"O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me." --Psalm 30:2

A Family Tradition

“Pass the green bean casserole.”

“White or dark meat?”

“Bahhaaahaa! Look at Dad… He’s snoring on the couch!!”

“Hey, who took a bite out of my pumpkin pie?!?”

“Let’s pray…”

In case you didn’t get the memo, it’s Thanksgiving. I know that folks have been blogging, talking and preparing for this festive holiday for days, ready to discuss of overeating, conversation, football, worship and in my family’s case, activities that involve shooting rifles and/or hunting.

Just like the quotes above, families throughout the world have a variety of traditions. Some do the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes route. Others order a pizza and watch football until their eyes go googly. Others are busy mapping out their Black Friday shopping domination strategy. Some gatherings have dozens of people present (high blood pressure anyone?) and others might just have a wife and husband with their new baby, or some due to circumstances or choice, fly solo.  My family here in Kansas has a few traditions as well…

We usually have the staple Thanksgiving foods listed above, but add things like cornbread stuffing (Grandma Neva’s recipe) and fried okra. We usually dine early afternoon and then our tryptophan-induced activities post-gorge include lounging, TV (maybe football… eh) and maybe even doing some target practice in the front yard. Then, after a light supper of leftovers (since we are typically still reeling from the afternoon feasting activities) we bundle up, strap on our headlamps and head to the trees for a round of coon hunting with our hounds. (But that’s whole ‘nother post…)

Regardless of your personal family traditions, there is one that we all can share together. If you are member in the family of Christ, we can worship Him for the sacrifice of The Son. No matter how you slice it, I firmly believe He is the reason we are here, with the ability to give thanks today.

I’m thankful for my faith. And that, my darling family of Christ, is a family tradition we can all share.

Thankful for Jesus,

SGK

"These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng." -Psalm 42:4

Christ in a Cow Pasture

Bless the Lord, O my soul! My Dad came to Christ yesterday… In the middle of a cow pasture!

As I write this, I am still in awe of how the Holy Spirit works… He really does show up anywhere, anytime, even in the cab of a work truck in the middle of a cow pasture in southeast Kansas. Ever since I completed an evangelism class for my masters program, I have had a new outlook about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I realized it was something that I could do—and that I didn’t have to do much, other than have the courage to bring up the subject and allow the Holy Spirit to move.

Praise the Lord for such a wonderful earthly father
AND heavenly father! 

A little background on my Dad… He has always been very supportive of my Christian walk, from the time I was saved and baptized at age 11 to present day. I had a feeling he was potentially open to the idea of salvation through Christ, but no one had ever asked him that question. Side Fact: Did you know that 95% of Christians remain silent about their faith and never evangelize another person their entire life? Until yesterday, I was essentially part of that statistic.

Anyways, after my evangelism class, I started to pray for those friends and family (and even acquaintances) that I thought didn’t know Christ.  My Dad was on that list. I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me, encouraging me to bring up the topic over my time at home in November… Yesterday I went to work with my Dad, riding in the truck, opening gates, helping check cattle. The whole time, I prayed for an opportunity to bring it up.

I could almost feel a mini-battle going on my heart between the Holy Spirit to tell my Dad about Jesus, that we are sinners, He loved us so much He died for us and we have hope versus the Enemy trying to induce nerves and talk me out of it.

Finally, as we bounced across a pasture and put out a hay bale for yet another herd of cattle… I finally just told Satan to shut his mouth. I blurted out… “Dad… I have a question for you.”

I would love to give you play-by-play of our conversation… but I have no idea what I said (primarily because it wasn’t MY voice but the Holy Spirit doing the work.) I do remember it involved statements surrounding The Cross, Jesus’ love for us, forgiveness, sin, hope and how to pray to ask Him to come into Dad’s heart. After I stated whatever I said, I remembered one of the best tips from my class… “THOU SHALT KEEP THY MOUTH SHUT.” (Ok, it wasn’t exactly in those words, but you get my point.)

I knew I had to keep my mouth shut and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work. I sat. Silently prayed. And sat. Prayed. Watched. And sat. The truck rumbled. My Dad’s eyes started to water… Then the Holy Spirit broke through and Dad began to sob. I somehow managed to keep it together, mainly because I knew I had to help him through a prayer to ask for forgiveness and invited Jesus into his life.

I got out of the truck and went around to the driver’s side door. I opened the door, Dad got out and right there in the middle of that cold, muddy cow pasture, we got down on our knees and prayed for Jesus to enter his heart.

Holy Cow. (Literally.)  Talk about "pastoring" in a pasture! 

That was the first time I had led anyone to Christ. And now we can all be assured that no matter what happens tomorrow, next year or 20 years from now, someday we will all be reunited and I will be able to dance with my Dad (and Jesus!) in heaven!

Dancing with my Daddy on the day of my
wedding. 

We are all called to “Go and make disciples throughout the world.” It’s the Great Commission, which is another word for command. It’s not the “Great Suggestion” to do if you feel bold… If you are unsure about how to go about sharing your faith, check out William Fay’s book “Share Jesus Without Fear.” It helped me to rely on the Holy Spirit… And my Dad has a hope and future in Jesus Christ because of it! PRAISE THE LORD!

Keep your eyes open. Pray, pray, pray. Trust the Holy Spirit to help you to share the gospel with others… You never know when you will have a chance to change another person’s eternal fate. It can happen anytime, anyplace… someone might even find Christ in a cow pasture. 

Soli Deo Gloria,

SGK

PS: Please pray for my Dad, a new baby Christian born again yesterday, that he may be discipled and grow as he lives in the footsteps of Jesus! 

"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." --Psalm 13:5

Marriage on "The Rock"

Big news from the entertainment world, America. Are you sitting down? Ready? 

Another celebrity marriage has failed. 

Yep, Kim Kardashian's marriage has failed after 72 days. Honestly, I have never watched her show or anything associated with her other than the commercials that sneak in between whatever program I am watching. But the "news" of her divorce is all over the media, so it's hard to miss it. Which started me thinking... 

I am not going to judge her and get all fire and brimstone... Because my mom always told me not to play with matches and I am not even sure what "brimstone" involves. But the fact that I was completely not surprised by the failed marriage actually took me by surprise. It saddened me. What has happened to us that we are no longer SHOCKED about marriages that fail? 

In 16 days from this writing, I will turn 26 years old. I can name off the top of my head at least five couples around my age-ish (many younger) that are already married... and divorced. If I actually thought about it, I bet I could name so many folks that have gotten divorced that I would run out of fingers and toes.  Every time I see a friend's status on Facebook switch from "Married" to "Single" or hear about a pending divorce, I get knots in my stomach. I have literally sat WEEPING over Facebook pages looking at the broken hearts of those getting divorced. 

I wish we were still at a place where people splitting up within marriage WAS big news... but sadly, it's not. A lot of folks get married for the wrong reasons. They are physically attracted to each other, get along with each other, are compatible, etc... These are all important to be INCLUDED, but cannot be the sole reason for walking down the aisle. Because life happens and things change. If the marriage isn't based on something stronger and deeper, they too might be another "status changing" victim. 

One of the main reasons I hear of why people get divorced is because the other person doesn't "make them happy anymore." Guess what? They aren't supposed to make you happy. Sure, it would be great if you enjoy marriage (and you will if it is based on a solid foundation) but if we were happy all the time with no changes, challenges and struggles... then that would be HEAVEN. And we aren't there yet. Life sucks sometimes... and divorce isn't the answer. 

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 "To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife."

That being said, let's take a look at the "traditional" wedding vows: 

I, (name), take you (name), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

Note the bolded words. These "traditional" vows mean what they say... Not how people sometimes "modify" them in their head: 

I, (name), take you (name), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold for a little while, for the good times and rarely the challenging times, as long as we always have enough cash, whenever we feel health and morale is good, to occasionally love but reserve the right to ignore you if needed from this day forward until I get bored, unhappy or something better comes along.

Big difference huh? I would like to think you are shocked by what I wrote... but I believe the second set  of vows are heartbreakingly true for so many couples in this world. Marriage is a wonderful, sacred and blessed experience given to us by God but yet we change it to make it a potential source of pain. 

There are a few very rare and potential biblical exceptions for divorce,  such as adultery (ish), abuse, and being "yoked" (together) with an unbeliever.  This topic gets WAY sticky and would require at least another blog post (or twelve) to cover. Know that I'm not condemning those who have divorced. Not at all. God still loves ALL of us, unconditionally, no matter what. But consider what marriage truly means... Jesus doesn't divorce us from his love whenever we mess up or make him "unhappy." 

I want to encourage those who ARE married to evaluate where your marriage is built. Is it built on Christ, the solid rock? Or some other characteristic that is like sinking sand? It's not too late to get on the rock. For those of you single folks, understand the gravity and awesomeness of marriage, so that if you are called to be married, your eyes, ears and heart will be open and ready to build it on The Rock. 

Realigning the sanctity of marriage (especially in this country) seems like a tall order. It isn't going to happen tomorrow... but remember that a quick bailout in the form of divorce isn't the best immediate solution. Instead of running away from a marriage on the rocks... pray and seek to built it as a Marriage on THE ROCK. 

A "ROCK-y" marriage is a good thing, 

SGK 

PS-- Please, please let me know if I can help you in any way-- via prayer, marriage resources etc... I'm not a pro by any means, but I want your marriage to succeed... not simply become a statistic! Let's celebrate our Marriages on THE ROCK! 

No Fear Here

Fear is... well, scary. (Duh, right?) There are a lot of different types of fears, big, little, valid, irrational, profound, imaginary etc. But being humans, it seems to be a part of our life. But it's amazing how relief comes to alleviate our fears so awesomely and suddenly-- in the most surprising places. 

Yesterday was my first time to do staff devotional at our weekly staff meeting. I was excited, and a smidgen apprehensive, almost kind of intimidated. I mean seriously, our equipping staff (aka pastors/minister-ish people) totaled it up a couple weeks ago and determined that they have 99 years of ministry experience between them. Yeah, I'm going on like 4 months. No pressure, right? 

I knew my devotional day was approaching, so I started to pray for God to reveal to me what to say. Each time I would start to feel butterflies (aka fear), I would pray even more. Over the past two weeks, He has led me down this bunny trail that I personally wasn't sure made sense... but again, who I am I to question? 

So I shared His message. He tied together the lessons I learned from the movie Courageous (for more info, check out See and Be Courageous) which lead me  sharing a previous post entitled No More Cornflakes when I discussed the occasional "flakiness" of my faith.  Fear seems to be the opposite of faith. Whenever I take my eyes off of Him, I get scared... What do I get scared about? I get scared about whatever little seeds Satan plants in my brain. (Big jerk!) Some of those fears include (or used to include at some point in my life): 

Fear of abandonment/loneliness

Fear of betrayal 

Fear of disease

Fear of death (before I knew Christ)

Fear of failure

Fear of not being a good wife

Fear of a variety of little dinky stuff that really doesn't matter but Satan decides to mess with my head anyways

Look closely... the inscription is starting
to wear off, but it is still there...
 "No fear in love..." 1 John 4:18

As I have previously discussed, I wear a ring everyday that says "No Fear in Love" from 1 John 4:18. In the context of the devotional I shared, it wasn't necessarily about the earthly love of a man and woman-- but rather that of Our Father and ourselves. His love IS perfect... and it says in that verse that there is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear. What an awesome promise! God loves us... so what should we be afraid of?

However, it's not quite that easy to turn our fears into faith simply by remembering that God loves us. Instead, it will require prayer. Pray specifically for God to turn your fear of ______ into faith that ______. This method can cover all kinds of fears, big, little, in between. Here are some examples: 

God, please turn my fear of abandonment/loneliness into faith knowing that you are always here and never leave me. 

God, please turn my fear of failure into faith that you give me strength to accomplish things within your will. 

God, please turn my fear of not being a good wife into the faith that you called me to serve as an army wife, you are faithful and will help me succeed in the name of Christ. 

As my devotional time drew to a close, I shared a thought that God had given me on the difference between bravery and courage. While they are practically interchangeable in Webster, they are very different in a spiritual context. 

Bravery comes from the Spanish word "Bravado" and reflects more of a knee-jerk reaction... something you do without thinking or motivation, but you just do it. Courage, on the other hand comes from the French word meaning "Heart." It is a deeper kind of feeling, often pre-mediated, rooted in love and faithfulness. Cool huh? 

Think about and maybe even consider making a list of your fears... Pray to turn your fear of _____ into faith that ______. Meditate on God's love for us and root the actions of your heart in love and faithfulness... Be courageous in faith and live a life with no fear here. 

Here's to no fear, 

SGK  

"Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” --Isaiah 44:8

True love is...

I can think of a variety of descriptions for "True Love," specifically within marriage. Some of these ideas include rewarding, challenging, refreshing, educational, hilarious, frustrating, growth-oriented, blessed... Oh, and we can't forget that true love in marriage is precious (both truly precious and also sometimes a little sarcastically precious.) 

We've already talked about the aspects of the first year of marriage that Brandon and I have experienced in a previous post entitled A Butterfly Year. But I was reminded today (and for the last year or so) how truly precious true love can be, especially within our marriage. 

Some might say that true love is small acts of kindness, roses, chocolates, hugs and kisses. While all of those things are great (and I love them all) here are a few different ideas about what true love is for us. 

True love is... a husband and wife constantly debating the appropriate temperature  on which to set the thermostat, and still being able to suck it up when the "other" temperature wins out for the day. 

True love is... not completely freaking out to the point of hysteria and/or silence when a wife realizes that her husband has used her toothbrush simply because his bathroom was "too far away." 

True love is... a husband that remembers to roll the garbage out to curb on Thursday nights without being asked. 

True love is... a wife "babysitting" her husband's brewing/fermenting batch of beer that has to be kept cool and adding ice to it while he has overnight staff duty without being asked. 

True love is... receiving a text from a husband asking you to ice his fermenting beer and the wife has already completed the task 10 minutes before. 

True love is... a husband grilling a steak willingly and hesitantly steaming some veggies for supper while a stressed out wife works on homework/church stuff.

True love is... a wife submitting to weekly trips to Buffalo Wild Wings. 

True love is... a husband supporting a wife's fitness goals, while at the same time reminding her that she is beautiful just as she is. 

True love is... a husband trying new foods cooked by his wife, even though he initially said he wouldn't like it-- then being humble enough to admit it was awesome. 

True love is... going to church together whenever the army schedule allows it. 

True love is... doing each other's laundry and dishes, no matter who's turn it is. 

True love is... an army wife remembering to be frustrated with the army and not her husband when schedules are jacked up and less than productive decisions are made. 

True love is.... a husband patiently holding his wife while she cries for a reason that cannot specifically be determined. 

True love is... a husband and wife willing to lose valuable sleep to talk out issues just to avoid going to bed angry. 

True love is... praying together for others and remembering to turn to God in prayer in the middle of an argument. 

True love is... awesome to experience, blessed by Christ and an opportunity to grow together. 

This list might be a little bit unorthodox... but for us, it's all true (and precious.) Another sign of true love is sacrifice. The greatest form of sacrifice that I can think of was the body of Jesus Christ-- what an incredible representation of true love! I am not only thankful to be in a marriage that is based on true love, but also in a relationship with Christ that is the epitome of True Love.

So what IS true love? True love is sacrifice. True love is Christ. 

Truly, Madly, Deeply, 

SGK 

"God, God, a God of mercy and grace, endlessly patient—so much love, so deeply true—loyal in love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin." -- Exodus 34:4 (MSG)

Behold the Beauty (Part 2)

My beautiful family... (Don't worry,
Dal, I think you are beautiful too,
this is just before your "time." Ha) 

Think of a time that some one has sincerely told you that you are beautiful. Maybe it was a spouse. Perhaps a best friend. Maybe even a stranger. Oh, and don't forget God (He always calls you beautiful!) How does that make you feel??

I don't know about you, but if someone tells me that, I get all fluttery and blushy warm all around my heart. It feels SO GOOD. It's OK to feel good about that-- embrace it, don't deny it and start picking yourself apart... YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Hopefully you were able to catch yesterday's post (otherwise you are probably thoroughly confused at this point. But hey, it does say "Part 2" at the top ;-) It's all about beholding our own beauty. Today we are taking it to an even deeper level.

As a music lover, I have noticed there are ton of songs out there about beauty. And I'm not talking about the superficial rap songs "tap that" kind of beauty (yeah, I said it.) I mean the true beauty-based songs... A few examples:

More Beautiful You-- Jonny Diaz

Beautiful-- Christina Aguilera

You Are So Beautiful To Me-- Joe Cocker

Beautiful-- Bethany Dillon

Don't You Know You're Beautiful-- Kellie Pickler

I am sure there are a bunch more songs that I couldn't think of right off the top of my head... So if there are so many great songs out there about being beautiful (inside AND out) then why is admitting and embracing our own beauty such an issue?

We all know that old adage that "beauty is only skin deep." Well I say PSHAW to that... I think that it does much deeper than that, and internal beauty can "seep" through, up and out, overflowing over your skin, all over you and everywhere around you. If you have a beautiful heart, I firmly believe your gorgeous factor shoots through the roof!! Don't believe me? Let me prove it.

Let's pretend that you are single and there are two individuals of the opposite gender across the room. One is the your DREAM... blonde hair, blue eyes, or maybe the tall/dark/handsome... whatever. The other one looks "average" or "normal" (whatever "normal" is...) So the DREAMY one approaches you... but turns out to be a big dumb jerkface, a heart consumed with self. Beauty factor drops out the bottom. Yuck. Not so pretty now, huh?

I think Mama Lex is most beautiful when she
is being silly... not that we do that often
together... 

But the "normal" (again, I scoff) person approaches you... and you find out that their heart is pure-- full of humble love, overflowing with awesomeness and they just so happen to be deeper than a summer rain puddle. BOOM. Beauty factor skyrockets. Get it?

Need another example? Ok, I will make it personal. I will admit that I was immediately physically attracted to the sandy-haired blue-eyed man that eventually became my husband... but I didn't swoon in the corner, overwhelmed by his beauty-- until we began to talk and get to know each other. Holy cow, he turned out to be a hottie!! Brandon's heart is gorgeous, so generous and full of the love of Christ. He is by far the most swoon-worthy man I have ever met (which is the way it should be.)

But it gets even better-- when I asked him was first attracted him to me, do you know what he said? My hips. MY HIPS! The one part of my body I despised the most! And just as it happened with me, he said that as he got to know me and realized "I had a brain" (his words, not mine) that I went from cute to beautiful. Why? Because he got to know my heart. And if you get to know your own heart, you will see that you too can be beautiful-- inside and out, "child-bearing hips" or not.

Think about some of your closest, bestest best friends... How would you describe them? Mine would be beautiful. I have always said that I didn't know how I was so lucky to get such gorgeous friends. Becky, Emily, Kally, my Mama and Lex all physically look different than one another, but as far as I am concerned, they are the most beautiful women who have ever walked the face of the earth. Why? Because I love them all, and I love them so deeply-- they all have beautiful hearts... Which again makes both their insides and outsides drop-dead gorgeous.

You know your friends are GORGEOUS if they can make
faces like this and because they have such amazing
hearts, it just makes them more beautiful!

You know what? God's love for you is so incredibly deep and wide, that he thinks YOU are the most beautiful thing in the world... We are all different, fearfully and wonderfully made, so we can't compare ourselves to others. If you have a heart that loves Christ, you can rest assured that he loves you inside and out... down to the last pimple, hang-nail and last fly-away hair on your head! Behold your internal AND external beauty. God does-- and he KNOWS you are beautiful!!

You are so beautiful to me (and God!)
SGK


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

A Simple Gift... That means so much!

We have been talking about gifts lately. 

Gifts can come in many, many forms from that engagement ring promising a lifetime of commitment to that forced smile when we open up a "fashionable" sweater from Grandma. God's gifts also come in many shapes, sizes and colors... 

I ran across the following a few weeks ago when working on a project for church and was reminded of it today. The Lord loved us enough to create laughter and allow us to feel joy in our heart. (That's a gift) He has also given us GRACE. (There's another one) Sometimes he combines them. (My favorite gift! )

How to Get Into Heaven 

A woman dies and meets St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. Peter says to the woman, "Here's how it works. You need to have one hundred points to get into heaven. You tell me about all the good things you've done. They are all worth a certain number of points. If your total is 100 or more, you can come in." 

"Well," says the woman. "I was happily married to the same man for 52 years. I never looked at another man. I was attentive and loved him dearly." 

"That's great," says St. Peter. "That'll be two points." 

"Hmmm," says the woman. "This is going to be harder than I thought. Well, I attended church regularly, volunteered my time and tithed faithfully." 

"Wonderful," says St. Peter, "That's worth another point." 

"One point!" says the woman. "Okay, okay. I was involved with a woman’s prison ministry for twenty-five years. I went into the prison, at least monthly, and shared Jesus with them." 

"Wow!" says St. Peter. "That's another two points!" 

"Only two points!" says the woman. "At this rate, it'll be only by the grace of God that'll I'll ever get into this place."

"Bingo!" says St. Peter. "That's 100 points! Come on in."

Praise God for the gift of His grace... because just like this example above, we can't earn our way into heaven-- but he has given us that nonrefundable present. It seems like such a simple gift with no fancy wrapping paper or ribbon, but instead by the body of Christ.  That alone means so much! 

No Receipt Needed, 

SGK 

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." --Ephesians 2:8-9

Excited & Can't Hide It

 When was the last time you were excited? 

I am not talking about the "Oooo Monday is over" kind of excitement or "Yay a new season of my favorite show starts tonight." I mean the "brain-churning, stomach-fluttering, pulse-pounding, heart-gonna-burst-outta-my-chest, can't-wait-to-tell-my-boss/spouse/family/friend about it" kind of excitement. I love that feeling. WHOOT!

Some of you out there might be saying <scoff> "Sharita, nothing profoundly exciting ever happens to me." But before you get stuck on that thought, let me clarify something. The type of excitement I am addressing isn't "I won the lottery" or "WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD" excitement. Instead it includes the little things in life that help us get through each day. It could be a new opportunity, a new project that capitalizes on using your strengths, a favorite meal, someone telling you that your ministering really helped them, a short upcoming vacation, reunion with family etc. 

I have had a few moments that so far today. One is a new project for work writing some speechy-workshoppy curriculum (I know, I am nerd), another was finding out that I might get to take a mini anniversary vacay with my beloved and the final one includes a potential future ministry opportunity next summer. Tell you what-- my brain was definitely churning and heart pounding as I drove home today. 

While these small things add excitement to my life, I can't help but think of a greater promise that we can all be excited about all the time... Our future glory. Yes, I admit it thinking about heaven and glorious things of the future are kind of challenging to grasp in the busyness of life. But just as I mentioned a couple of days ago in my "Lifted by Being Gifted" post, many of these little things that God gives us in life are reminders of His love... all of which will someday be reflected via our future glory we will experience. 

The reality of being an adult/big kid seems to distract us from being excited, especially when it comes to getting and staying excited for Christ. Remember when you were a little kid and there were events that you were SO EXCITED you could barely sleep? Maybe it was Christmas Eve... Or a birthday... For me, it was the night before we left for the Missouri State Fair. I also remember from my freshman year of high school being so excited to "skip" class the next day to decorate for homecoming as a member of student council. I long to rediscover that level of awesome excitement from my "youth" and reapply it to my love of Christ. 

Are you excited for Christ? In what ways can you show it? What small things in live via gifts from God get you pumped up. Do you accept the challenge to find new ways to get excited for Him? 

After all of the awesome things he has put into my life, I have to admit that I am excited for Christ... and as you might have noticed on this blog, I just can't hide it!

Excited for Future Glory, 

SGK 

"He quivers with excitement, and at the trumpet blast races off at a gallop. At the sound of the trumpet he neighs mightily, smelling the excitement of battle from a long way off, catching the rolling thunder of the war cries." --Job 39:24-25

Squeaky Clean & Lemony fresh

My house is *currently* clean.  Please excuse me for one moment as I do a happy dance. 

Ok, I'm back. I don't really like to clean. Seriously, ask prior roommates (Kally Hood-Smith, specifically) and they will back me up on this one.  I mean, I will TRY to keep a slight handle on the clutter and do dishes often enough to avoid growing anything fuzzy in my sink, but as far as deep cleaning, I really need an outside reason to make it happen. Thanks to being brought up by my wonderful mama, my motivation is found when "company is coming." 

My sister Kathleen and brother-in-law are currently en route  to spend a few precious days with us. So a large portion of my Friday was dedicated to cleaning this house plus or minus, top to bottom. About a month ago, my beloved parents-in-laws came down, which resulted in a cleaning frenzy so extensive that my husband lovingly yelled down the stairs from his own personal bathroom: "Sharita, sweetheart... WHY does my bathroom smell like FLOWERS?!?" (I am submitting my name for "Wife of the Year" for tackling THAT man zone of ickyness.) 

Floral fragrances aside, I don't necessarily clean for those people coming... Honestly, they could all care less if there is a spot on the mirror in the bathroom or the carpet hasn't been vacuumed in two months. I do it for the feeling of relaxation... I can focus on their company and take pride in this house God has blessed us with. 

Just like that awesome fresh feeling after a clean rain to replenish the air, a hot shower to wash away the sweat from a workout, or a florally-smelling bathroom... God has done the same for us with the sacrifice of His son. 

One of my favorite songs to sing while I am cleaning is "Nothing but the Blood" by Matt Redman. Check out the chorus lyrics: 

What can wash away our sins?

What can make us whole again?

Nothing but the blood

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can wash us pure as snow?

Welcomed as the friends of God

Nothing but Your blood

Nothing but Your blood King Jesus

God loved us SO MUCH that he didn't just volunteer to clean our house, do our dishes, send rain or give us a bath. He sent his His beloved Son to DIE for us via a painful death on the cross so that we might have a hope for a future with Him. I can barely wrap my head around that. 

The blood of Jesus is the ONLY thing that wash away our sin.  Let's rejoice in that clean, fresh feeling today. His blood has made us make us squeaky-clean and lemony-fresh in a way that we could have never achieve on our own! 

Cleaned by His Grace, 

SGK 

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." --Psalm 51:1-2

All We Need is Love... And a Towel

Well, the learnin' continues in my classes this week... We were charged to respond to the following prompt, regarding our ability to listen, love and represent Christ via servant evangelism... Really got me to thinking and digging deeply into my heart! 

*****

In McRaney, page 128 he states "The questions and issues for lost people have changed. I am not sure that we are listening to the questions any longer. Is it possible that in our efforts to communicate we are simply shouting our answers at a higher pitch?" He further states on page 131, "Could it also be true that if we do not love one another, people will struggle to know that we are His disciples? And even worse, whether Jesus is the one real God?" Based on the Servant Evangelism approach, how do you respond to these statements? Do you agree or disagree?

I completely and wholeheartedly agree with both of McRaney’s statements. Due to the changing of times, culture and introduction of social media, lost people are definitely asking different questions. The effectiveness of our ability to share the gospel with them goes back to the lessons from John 4 about listening and truly caring about the women at the well. If we don’t listen to what they are saying or care about their hearts or desires, we are living like the disciples instead of like Jesus. 

I believe it is a negative feedback cycle—the less we listen, the less we look like Jesus. The less we look like or follow the example of Jesus the more hypocritical we become. The more hypocritical we become, the less likely we will be able to genuinely reach the lost, they are pushed farther away and begin (or continue) to doubt the existence of Jesus Christ. And well, if we cannot reach the lost… then the Enemy has won. We are tools of the Holy Spirit, and we must practice servanthood evangelism in everything we do in order to allow a full work to be done via the gospel in others.

It really comes down to “ Practicing what we preach” as opposed to “Do as I say, not as I do.” Just as Dr. Wheeler said in the video: “We get mad at lost people acting like they are lost.” When we do that, we are not practicing servanthood evangelism or fulfilling the legacy of Christ. We have to understand that we too were once “eggs in the microwave.” We had to be cooked from the inside out until POW the Holy Spirit transformed us. Now, in our transformed (and continually transforming) state, we can help other “eggs” to be cooked from the inside out by truly loving on them, not judging, and essentially humbling ourselves to wash our feet. We can evangelize through love in our relationships.

Just as it says in Earley and Wheeler, people desire to be loved. If we are able to fulfill THAT need in the name of Christ by servanthood evangelism by simple acts of kindness, we might be opening a door and allowing the Holy Spirit to begin to cook them from the inside out.

I truly appreciated Dr. Wheeler’s additional comments in the videos this week. "Kindness is a language that mute can hear and the deaf can understand." What a powerful statement! And so true! By living a life of servanthood evangelism through love and kindness from opening the door for someone, to handing out balloons in a grocery store parking lot to sincerely listening to the concerns of a lost person’s heart, we are living out the message of who Jesus truly was. 

It is important to remember "You cannot divorce the message from the man." Never did Jesus preach one thing and practice another. We are representatives of Christ. In order to reach the lost, we must do so empathetically with love and kindness, living it in our daily lives. After all, the towel is our greatest tool. We can wash others feet—but we have to carry that towel with us at all times, not leave it at the bottom of the laundry hamper at home or shoved in a drawer. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, all we need is love... and a towel.

*****

So what do you think? Do you have your towel and basin ready? It is a humbling business-- but more rewarding than our hearts and minds can comprehend!

One foot at a time, 

SGK 

"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13:12-17

Puppies & Potato Salad

This mission I have dubbed Operation: Commissary of Christ. Lace up your "army" boots. Put on your helmet. For we are not an Army of One, but rather An Army of the Son! AMERICA! 

It happened last Saturday and was very spur of the moment. I had just finished this week’s reading and viewing this weeks videos for my masters class a few hours before summoning the motivation to go to the commissary here on post at Fort Benning. I have discovered that while the commissary is a place of convenience to buy groceries at a decent price, it is rarely a place of peace or joy. As I drove to the commissary, I felt God tugging at my heart and the messages from my daily studies were ringing in my ears. I felt as if I had been transformed. I wasn’t just going into the commissary to get groceries. I was going as a representative of Christ. I began to pray for God to allow the Holy Spirit to work within me to be a servant evangelist while doing my grocery shopping. 

It was the typical Saturday afternoon chaos at the store. But instead of adding to the chaos, I walked slower. I made eye contact with people. I smiled. I took at number and waited at the deli counter. The deli worker who started filling my order was named Brian. He looked very disheveled and overwhelmed. He had to ask me several times to remind him what I wanted; I did so with courtesy, patience and a smile (obviously brought by the Holy Spirit.) He kept apologizing and said with a sigh “It is just that time of day.” I maintained eye contact with him and told him sincerely that it was ok. When he filled my order, my heart was pounding and I knew what I had to do. I took my lunchmeat, looked right into his eyes and said “Thank you so much, Brian. You did a great job. May God bless you.” His entire face changed. It softened. You could see the gratitude. I am pretty sure that I purposely said it loud enough that the gruff old soldier standing in line beside me raised an eyebrow then cracked a smile as well. Operation: Commissary of Christ, Mission 1: Complete. 

I proceeded to the check out, with a genuine smile still on my face. I got in line of a cashier was dealing with a difficult customer who couldn’t find the potato salad he wanted. He was already checking out and my cashier went back to retrieve potato salad from the deli. You could the cashier was very upset, and obviously worried about my reaction. I just smiled as she apologized and told her to take all the time she needed. She returned with aforementioned potato salad, and I got a closer look at her. In addition to the stress written on her face, her right eyebrow was pierced and she was wearing a green shirt that said “I would smile more if you were less of an idiot.” OH SNAP.  My heart beat faster, and I asked God to show me what I could do for her. The potato salad issue was finally resolved and it was my turn to check out. I asked how she was doing and she replied, “I am working overtime today. I am so tired. It is not easy.” As she scanned my last item, I choked out “Well, I am getting ready to go home myself and eat supper. How can I pray for you? Oh, and what is your name?” 

Her reaction made my heart thud with glee. Just as it was with Brian, her face softened and she smiled. She stuttered for a few seconds caught off-guard, saying that her name was Meghan. I asked if I could pray for the remainder of her shift and for her to get some rest this weekend. Meghan’s face lit up, smiled even bigger and said that would be perfect. As I gathered my stuff to walk away, she looked right back at me and whispered “You have a very blessed day, ma’am.” I was flying! Thank you Holy Spirit! Operation: Commissary of Christ Mission 2: Complete. 

I did the same thing with my carryout associate. We struck up a conversation on the way to the car. As my groceries were loaded into my car, I continued to smile and asked her name and if I could pray for anything for her. A smile spread from ear to ear, and Brooke replied that she needed prayers for her and her mother to sell her puppies because they were expensive and costing the family money. Can do! As I realized as I got in my car to drive away, I still had her tip in my hand because I was so excited about her reaction. So I got out of my car, sprinted back up to the door and gave Brooke her tip. Her gratitude was overwhelming. Operation: Commissary of Christ Mission 3: Complete. 

It doesn't really matter if the folks you interact with have serious life issues that need praying for or if they just need sleep and help selling puppies. People want to be loved. They want to be cared for. By treating folks this way, we can represent Christ. Has your attitude reflected that of Christ today? I know we can't all be on our "A-game" accomplishing evangelistic missions through love 24/7, but do the most you can, where you are, with what you have... We have God... What more do we really need? 

Mission Accomplished (for today anyways), 

SGK 

"For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you." --Joshua 22:3