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)

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

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

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

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

The Devil's Copyright

I found Satan yesterday. 

No, that's not a typo. You might have figured out I already found Jesus long ago (hence the Christian blog,) but I met Satan head on yesterday. It. Was. Intense. 

You might be curious where I ran into this sneaky literal devil. He was in the copy machine at church. 

Are you confused yet? Probably, but that's ok. I was too until I started thinking. Here's the back story: I have been working like crazy this week to prepare for a big team launch that I am heading up our church. I love teaching, teambuilding and leadership, so this is right up my alley. While it is a TON of work, it has been very exciting. We are doing our official launch of the team tomorrow, hence why I was making copies of everything imaginable. 

And, as we have discussed, The Enemy doesn't want us doing great things for God and sharing His message. Which is why he was hiding in the copy machine. Waiting for me. 

A job which should have taken an hour or so consumed my entire afternoon-- as well as our administrative assistant's afternoon, the copy machine/printer guy's time, and a big chunk of valuable time of my boss and her daughter. 

While I am beyond thankful that these folks jumped in to help me out, it would have been even better if things went smoothly and I could have slammed this project out on my own. However, Satan had different plans. Nearly everything that could go wrong and/or slow down the process did (minus my computer actually melting into a puddle, and I think God's grace saved that one.) 

Long story short: My computer wasn't hooked to a printer, there were only a few methods on how we could print color, the margins weren't lining up, things that originally were spelled correctly (seriously) somehow got changed between my computer, Janell's (admin asst) email inbox (since I had to email all of the docs to her) and the copy machine, ETC. 

So why do I tell you all of this? Because I was surprised how I reacted. Yes, I was frustrated and a little stressed. Annoyed. Exasperated. In need of a Diet Dr. Pepper and huge bag of chocolate. But I still confident that God was going to figure it out in His time. I have been in these same situations in previous jobs and spent most of the time fighting tears (and usually lost that fight.) 

But yesterday, as we were FINALLY nearing the end of this debacle and Satan was starting to loosen his grip, Janell walked up behind me and started to rub my shoulders for some encouragement. She gasped and commented how my neck and shoulders weren't tense AT ALL. I laughed and realized that all day I had been praying... outloud, under my breath, knowing God called us to this and was going to bring us through it. After about 12 hrs of ministry work (5:30am to 5:30pm) I found myself singing praise and worship music in the admin wing of the church. In the copy room.  

Wow. Good work, Jesus. You win again.

Oh, and did I mention... after I got home, I power-cleaned my house (because it somehow vomited on itself and one of my best friends from KS is coming to visit) for THREE hours straight. I contribute this motivation of course to the power of God, but also because I gave him my firstfruits of time today. Between my personal quiet time with him and CRAVE, I spent nearly two hours in His presence. Not to mention all the time that I spent talking (begging) Him to help throughout the day. Even with a huge to-do list. My heart is at peace. And I almost can't believe it. (Almost.) 

Moral of the story: be on the lookout for the The Enemy-- you never know where he is going to be. He might be in your living room, car or even church. 

Hey, he might even be waiting for you in a copy machine so he can attempt to exercise his Devil's copyright. 

Well, I've got news for Him. When Jesus is involved, the devil ain't gonna get nothing but a copywrong. Christ will win. Every time. 

Victory in Christ, 

SGK

Has The Enemy tried to sneak attack you? Where? When? I would love to hear your story of how Jesus won! Leave a comment here. 

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." --1 Corinthians 15:57

Be Original: Don't forget the Squirrel

I  can't help but remember the first time someone copied me in school. It wasn't on a test or assignment, but rather it was a nature shadow box for science class in the third grade. I have always been the one to think outside the box (get it? shadow box?) and this third grade project was no exception.

Instead of using just paper, glitter and a few real twigs and leaves, I went a little crazy with this assignment. I remember making a "real fake tree" and even putting a pretend squirrel in it. After I shared my shadow box with the class, I noticed when a classmate presented his the next day, there was a "real fake tree..." and a squirrel. 

I cried. 

I was so upset that my genius, creative idea had been jacked by some booger-laden third grader. (I know, I know... I was a booger-laden third grader too. But you get my point.) I went home upset and cried to my mom. She tried to explain to me that imitation is the highest form of flattery. 

Yeah, whatever. I would have said "That's crap, Mom" but I know that would have found me hanging over the bathroom sink trying to get the taste of dial soap out of my mouth. 

We live in a society where fads and trends can dictate our lives if we allow it. With the new year here, everybody and their brother has set resolutions. Probably the most popular one? Lose weight. Other areas find us following the crowd, buying the expensive name-brand jeans or teasing the kid with glasses at school because that's what the cool kids do. 

But we were born original. So let's not die a copy. 

There is nothing wrong with following trends or learning new things to better yourself. It is when those fads start to take priority or blur your vision and we cease to think with our own, unique and wonderfully  made-by-God brain when things start to go south. 

So how can we love God more deeply in 2012 even if it isn't the most popular choice? Let's be like Jesus. He didn't follow the crowd. The crowd followed Him. He was an original and certainly didn't die a copy anyone. 

We can share his message and provide an avenue for others to follow us in His steps. If we share His message, then others will "copy" us-- which, unlike my third-grade mind decided, CAN BE a very good thing. 

Think outside the box (literally and figuratively) on ways that you can share the love of God with others. Open a door, bake cookies for a neighbor, pay for a stranger's lunch, pray...  If you are original by being bold in your faith, others will surely follow. That isn't the highest form of flattery for us, but rather one of the highest forms of loving and glorifying God. 

Build your "real-fake" tree OUT of your box. Be original. Let others follow YOU. 

Oh. And don't forget to add the squirrel. 

Embracing bold faith, 

SGK 

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Mark 8:34


I would love your feedback. Leave a comment here. God bless you!

Seeing... Or Believing... The Light

The temperature had dropped almost to the point where we could see our breath. The sun had set a couple of hours ago, so we bundled up and headed outside. We climbed aboard the bus, snuggled in and prepared to see something amazing. 

We were on a girl date. 

My lovely friend Sara graciously invited me to be her "date" last weekend to a Christmas party event hosted by her work company. Since her beloved was gone to Ranger school and mine was essentially nonexistent per Basic Training Red Phase Drill Sergeant duties, I was totally up for an adventure. After all, us army wives gotta stick together!

So I was Sara's date to a "romantic" weekend getaway at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. Ok, so it really wasn't THAT romantic, but it sure was fun. We determined that having a two-night girl slumber party was just what we needed to recharge our hearts and reconnect with God. Probably the highlight of the weekend (other than awesome God time) was the Fantasy of Lights tours we took through the gardens on an open air trolley. (Close second: when I crashed my mountain bike. I'm not coordinated. But that's another blog post.) 

Fantasy in Lights was awesome. (See first paragraph for set-up details.) Long story short, millions of Christmas lights (8 million to be exact) are arranged and displayed throughout 12 different scenes in  Callaway Gardens. All are timed to music and use 32 total miles of extension cords. Totally worth it. 

But as usual, God didn't just take us on a "date" to show us cool lights and eat good food. He was at work during our time at Callaway. Yes, he helped us to relax, rest and fellowship... but He also made me think. (Dangerous... maybe that's why I crashed when riding the bike?) When we checked into the hotel on Friday night, there was a sign out front advertising the Fantasy in Lights tour. On the post it said "SEEING IS BELIEVING." 

Apparently, God was at the forefront of my mind and immediately thought "No it's not!" Those words "Seeing is believing" made me think of faith... or rather, what faith is not. All throughout the Bible we hear of verses talking about living by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) or that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1.) 

I continued to think about the concept of seeing is believing when related to faith for the rest of the evening and was led to re-study the story of dear ol' doubting Thomas during my Bible study/quiet time the next morning. 

"Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

-John 20:24-29

I would love to scoff and say that Thomas was simply an unfaithful epic fail of a disciple... but THAT would make me a hypocrite. Because I am my own version of Thomas. I am gonna take a guess that we all are to some degree. As humans, we are inclined to want to have tangible proof before we believe something... we desire to SEE it to BELIEVE it. But Jesus Himself said "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 

Are there areas in your spiritual life that you are trying to walk by sight and asking to "See it to believe it?" We can't test the Lord... Sure we can ask for signs and guidance (that's what He is there for!) But we also must believe that He WILL come through for us, "tangible proof" or not. 

Today, let's think about ways that we can certain of what we do not see. God's promises are steadfast. We don't have to see it to believe it... we just have to believe it then experience it. Take in it. Love it. Revel in it. Rejoice in it!  We don't have to see the light to walk in it... we just have to believe it is there. 

Believing is seeing with the heart, 

SGK 

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9

PS: Don't forget to leave a comment here and share this blog with your friends now though next Monday for a chance to win the "Leadership & Faith" prize package to celebrate the completion of my masters and upcoming 100th blog post. Check out "Happy Dance Celebration" for more information. 

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

No Panic Needed

My beloved and I just returned from a four-day anniversary mini-vacay in the North Georgia mountains. Ahhhhhhhhh....

"Sans Souci" means "Without a Care" in French...

First of all, it was awesome. Nature is cool. Mountains are legit (not many of those in Kansas where I come from.) The cabin we stayed in was cozy. And our baby dog Justus behaved (it was his first overnight road trip.) 

That being said-- we have left what we like to call "pretend-land" and returned to reality. I have heard many folks say "I love to travel, but I hate the moment that I arrive home." I have to admit, I used to be one of those people, easily overwhelmed by the TO DO list waiting at my doorstep the minute I check out of pretendland.  Time to hit the PANIC BUTTON!!! But not anymore. 

Admittedly, this week is going to be busy for me. It is finals week for my masters. Unlike most school weeks, this week doesn't end on Sunday at midnight, but rather Friday at midnight...  which shaves two days off my paper writing time for finals. Thus, I have to figure out how to squeeze out 31 pages of semi-profound (and coherent) text between now and then. I am certainly not a procrastinator, but due to the anniversary-ish nature of our trip plus the lack of internet, I wasn't willing/able to work on this paper writing excitement in the woods this weekend. 

Ok, so 31 pages of writing to do... plus my blogs this week... gotta do some church-work too... oh, and my running training program kicks up a notch this week as well (still need to go trot-jog 5 miles today). Did I mention I am teaching a class on servant leadership for the youth Wednesday night? 

I don't tell you this to gain sympathy. Yeah, no. In fact, I hope that you are empowered by the fact that I don't feel the need to panic. That's right. No freaking out here. I have some profound school-ish things to do, but in the last 4 semesters of school, God hasn't let me down yet-- and I know he will help me to make it happen yet again. 

Our beloved baby dog...
 Pre-puke. SIGH. 

I had been praying for the last week or so for God to empower me to make it through this second to last finals week of my masters program with minimal stress and maximum efficiency. We've been home about two hours, and I have accomplished a lot already, all for God's glory...  Even though upon arrival, I was greeted with my husband's truck door being left open all weekend because he apparently forgot to shut it which equals dead battery (sigh-- men and their aversion to closing things) I was also greeted by a pile of baby dog vomit in the backseat from the four hour car ride (we are still working on Justus' ability to enjoy vehicle motion.) 

God has already granted my request of "No panic needed." It's Monday-- do you have a crazy stressful week ahead of you? If so, never fear-- instead, pray for no panic needed. I have spent the last 63 days of morning God time and Bible study working through the book of Romans. I landed on Romans 12:11 today... and it was certainly no coincidence. 

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."

I continue to pray that my 31 pages of writing and all of the things on my TO DO list will be a choice of power granted from God. That I can do it with zeal and spiritual fervor, smile on my face know that this time next week will find me in a 10 day break from school (the first that I have had since the beginning of May!) And that all of my TO DO list items can be used to serve the Lord and glorify Him. 

May all of YOUR TO DO's be Soli Deo Gloria, for the Glory of God alone... Oh, and remember: there is no panic needed. 

Writing for His Glory, 

SGK 

“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” --Proverbs 19:20-21

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

No More Cornflakes

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I feel like my faith is flakier than a box of Kellogg's  Corn Flakes.

I would love to say that I am strong pillar of faith, unshakable, undoubting at all times. But then that would be a lie. And last I checked, lying is a sin. True, I never lose faith that God exists, but sometimes I forget (doubt? worry about?) HIS faithfulness and sovereignty. Just last week during my morning quiet time at the kitchen table, I was studying Romans 4 where it was discussing Abraham's faith and salvation through righteousness, not works. Before I could stop myself, I was praying for God to give me faith like Abraham.

Then, midway through the prayer, I panicked. Literally. I remembered all of the things that God commanded Abraham to do, including the near-sacrifice of his son Issac. I freaked out!! I tried to take back my prayer. God, I can't handle anything that big. Developing faith involves potentially scary stuff. I was just kidding. Please cancel my request. 

THEN I realized the ridiculousness of my "please disregard my previous prayer." Why shouldn't I want faith like Abraham? Sure he was challenged and much was asked of him, but seriously, MUCH was given in return.  Where was my faith?

It turns out that as a woman, my natural flesh allows the enemy to sneak in doubt, fear and worry when it comes to our faith in God. Amidst homework, blogging, devotional writing this week, I felt very (surprisingly) calm with my busy schedule-- then actually caught myself starting to worry that I wasn't worried! Seriously, Satan? BACK OFF.

We have to lean on our Father at all times, because he gives us the weapons needed to combat the enemy. We can come away with Him daily and know that He is, was, and will forever be faithful to us. He can and will leave us without worry, and their will be no more "cornflakes" for breakfast (or any other time of day for that matter)

Do you have the courage to pray for faith like Abraham? What worries or doubts are keeping you from it? Ask  for His strength and glory to shine down on you... He will take away your fear,  and replace it with faith.

Say no to the "cornflakes" in our faith. Let's chow down on God's Promises for breakfast instead. 

SGK

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1