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

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. 

On an Adventure

(Insert intense sounding music here) 

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

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

Whoops. There I go again. 

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

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

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

We can have an adventure with God. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No raw rattlesnake or Arctic tundra required. 

With an adventurous heart, 

SGK 

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

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

Army Of God: "Stuff With Things"

I know, I know... when a person says they have a "favorite" something that usually indicates that they  have only one. HOWEVER... I am writing this blog, so I make the rules. And today is another one of my favorite vocabulary phrases used by the Army (specifically, my husband.) 

Stuff with things: The abstract phrase used to describe a plan of action or agenda that is yet undetermined or completely unknown to any or all parties involved. 

In civilian terms, "stuff with things" is a great way to say "We are going to do something that will take up time and may or may not be productive, but honestly, I have no idea what that is going to be." 

When I hear this come from my beloved it is usually in one of two ways: either he really has no idea what is going to happen that day (with the Army, that can happen at any given moment) or when he is attempting to recount his day and it happened to be exceptionally chaotic. 

"What did you do today sweetheart?" 

"Um, Sharita... I really don't even know. We worked for 20 hours. I think we did stuff with things." 

<Note: This phrase can also be used in a sarcastic manner... as can most unofficial army terms. Didn't know if you were catching onto that pattern with "voluntold," "America" and now "Stuff with things."> 

As with most of the army terms I have been introduced to and really like, this one has also made it into my everyday vocabulary. (I actually said it while leading a task force meeting at church yesterday. Sigh. It's ingrained.) 

While voluntold and America primarily focus on being obedient to God, "Stuff with Things" also deals with obedience, but even more so with TRUST. God, being the all-knowing, all-loving guy that He is, very rarely (if ever) reveals the entire picture to us. He feeds us bits and pieces along the way. Our future might look very uncertain and we live our days being obedient to Him, doing "stuff with things" but not completely sure where we are going with it until He shows us. 

That's the key. He doesn't call us to just be busy, rushing around and filling our time with stuff. However, when we enter into His presence and obey without seeing His bigger picture (which only He has access to) it can feel like we are running around, almost chaotically, doing "stuff with things." But take heart. He wouldn't ask you to do something without purpose. Listen for His voice so you can do HIS stuff for HIS things and HIS purpose. It's all part of HIS plan. So trust that He's got it under control. 

Now if you will excuse me... I gotta go do some "stuff with things." 

Trusting Him and Living with Purpose, 

SGK 

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”-- Psalm 31:14

Christ in a Cow Pasture: The REST of the Story...

Seventeen days ago, I had the opportunity to lead my beloved Dad to Christ (In case you missed it, get the whole story here. It's a pretty awesome recount of God's love and power!) 

So today, in the words of the late Paul Harvey... Here is the REST of the story. 

First, a little background: since October of 2008, my Dad has been struggling with his health. Up until that point, he had been in ok physical condition, minus the extremely random heart attack at age 45 when I was a senior in high school (but again, that is another post.) Anyway, on Halloween night 2008, I got a call from my mom that they were taking my Dad to the ER for "nerve issues." I can't remember all of the symptoms, but we were concerned. 

(Sidenote: never try to google the symptoms and come up with a diagnosis before the doctor does... you won't sleep for a month. Yikes.) 

Ever since that point, my Dad's health has been all over the place... the nerve issues continued and it has been over three years and they have yet to determine a legit diagnosis. Not long after the nerve stuff showed up, his stomach/digestive system got all out of whack. Needless to say, for the last 3+ years, my dad has essentially felt like crap. 

The doctors (from small town to KU med) have pretty much just passed him back and forth because when he goes, he shares ALL of his symptoms (which is what I thought you were supposed to do.) Unfortunately, the neurologists say "I don't do stomach stuff" and the gastroenterologists say "I don't do nerve stuff." "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know." You get the point.  It's been over three years of bouncing around with minimal answers and resolution. Until... 

He found Jesus in a cow pasture, sitting in the cab of a yellow work truck. (Seriously... link up to the other story and this will make A LOT more sense.) 

Dad and I prayed for Jesus to come into his heart that day in the cow pasture late morning/early afternoon. After that, we headed home for lunch, scarfed down some food and headed back to the cattle. As we were bouncing along in the pasture, suddenly I blurted out "I wonder if you have a gluten allergy." 

Now, before all you medically inclined people out there start teaching me about the differences between gluten allergy, gluten intolerance, celiac disease, just let me say... I need to know these things. Because I have had ZERO, zippo, nada experience with this and have NO IDEA where this thought came from. 

I immediately got on my handy dandy Android and googled "symptoms of gluten intolerance." Good thing I was sitting down in the truck with the door shut or I would have fallen over. People with gluten issues can have extremely random symptoms... Everything from headaches (check), attitude changes (check), stomach stuff (lots of checks,) and nerve issues (holy frickin' check.) 

My heart was POUNDING as I read the list of symptoms out loud to my Dad. Now, there is something to you need to know about my Daddy. I love him. Dearly. But he is a red head. He is very stubborn. And he is a straight up pessimist. 

After the junk he had been through the last three years of feeling like EWW, he wasn't very optimistic, but at that point willing to try anything, even if it meant giving up beer and "real bread"... which says a lot for that red-headed Missouri Mule. 

We got home, I encouraged Dad to share what had happened to his heart that day. It took some coaxing... (Profess it with your mouth!) but he hugged Mom and sobbed out "I accepted Jesus into my heart." It was beautiful. (Pause for Kleenex break.) 

THEN, I shared with Mom the idea about the gluten allergy/intolerance whatever it could be. We read through the symptoms again and out of the 40 random ones listed, Dad had 18 of them. Hmmm...

Mom was also desperate for Dad to feel better and we noticed that the research said typically in adults (especially older adults) gluten issues often go undiagnosed. Interesting... 

So, with a one day notice, we enacted "Operation-Gluten-Free-Thanksgiving-Please-Jesus-Let-This-Be-From-You!" (GFTPJLTBFY for short :-) 

We had a gluten free Thanksgiving, thanks to the surprisingly large selection of gluten-free products at our local small-town Wal-mart. I even created a version of a food diary, complete with the pain ranking scale (the one you see at doctor's offices with the smiley and sad faces.) I said we were going to do this experiment, recording Dad's "pain" ranking throughout the day, along with what he ate (gluten free of course.)

Well, it has now been 17 days. I called Dad yesterday to wish him happy biological birthday (I think it is pretty sweet that he gets TWO birthdays within a 17-day time span.) And guess what? My pessimistic, seemingly hopeless Dad said... He felt better. "ALMOST good." 

That says A LOT!! I was so excited and am now celebrating for ANOTHER reason! He is not completely pain free (he has been a farmer for nearly half a century-- I know he has back/nerve issues in general) but the stomach/digestion thing is GREATLY improved... and gluten free. 

This isn't a post to say "Yes, I am genius and thought up this gluten theory." It's a God thing. Dad, after struggling and clinging to control for 53 years, gave his life over and submitted to Jesus that day n the cow pasture. He gave up control.  His illness and health issues were part of his recovery testimony. God had the loving plan all along to put him through those health trials to bring my stubborn Daddy to his knees before the throne. Within HOURS of saying YES to Jesus, Christ gave us the answer to start the physical healing process. Can I get an AMEN??

From Christ in a Cow pasture to God and a gluten-free lifestyle... What an awesome way to tell the rest of the story. 

The Testimony Continues, 

SGK

"Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!" --Hebrews 12:9

PS-- The giveaway for the free "Leadership and Faith" package is still going on... You don't want to miss out on this great opportunity. To enter comment here or see my celebration post for more information!

PSS-- If anyone out there has any stellar recommendations for living a gluten free lifestyle (specifically: recipes) please comment and let me know!

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. 

We have... Memory Loss

Think about your most prominent memory. Where were you? What time of year was it? Was it a good memory? A challenging experience? What type of details do you remember about it? 

Reminiscing can be a lot of fun. It might also be a little painful. Personally, my memories can be triggered by a location, sound, song, smell, person or experience. Some memories are so prominent that I literally get goosebumps-- it feels like I am traveling back in time, experiencing the specific event all over again. 

I don't want to brag, but I have a memory like a steel trap (much to my husbands occasional dismay: "How or WHY do you remember that, Sharita?!?)" I remember the most ridiculous things from kindergarten experiences, weird and random facts from some of my college classes and even  direct quotes of conversations I have had years ago. But even with this amazing memory, I still have memory loss... and often forget some of God's promises. 

Let's think about this for a second. We almost NEVER forget promises made by other people, especially when they don't come through for us. How many times (especially as children) do you remember saying "Heeeeyyyyy... YOU PROMISED?!?!" 

We don't forget the promises made by people in this world. But I always find myself saying "Whoops, sorry God... I forgot you already promised me that." God often says to me "Heeeyyyyy, Sharita... I PROMISED?!? Remember?"

Oh. Yeah. All those things I worry about or am uncertain about... yep. He already promised to help me out with it. God's multiple and never-failing promises can be found in His word.  His amazing promises are found in the Bible, in every book, every chapter. 

Concerned about your path? Check out Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Don't know if God is involved in your life and knows what He is doing? Look at Jeremiah 29:11. "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."  

Unsure if all things that come from God are legit? Take a peek at Romans 8:28-- "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

God never promised it would be easy. But He said he will never stop loving. Never leave. Never forsake. His love never fails. It never runs out. It endures forever.  "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever." (Psalm 136:1) He PROMISED us this!! 

I vividly remember when and where I was the moment I began remembering parts of His word. I was parked outside of the Schnucks grocery store in Jefferson City, Mo in the winter of 2009, around 10:30pm. I did NOT want to go to work that night at midnight. I had brought my Bible with me and needed a reminder from God about His promises because I was in the middle of what would eventually become my recovery testimony. (Check out No Bologna Testimony Part 2 for the full story.) I forgot that God was in control and had a plan. 

I grabbed my Bible, trusting God to give me the reminder I needed.  I didn't have the verses memorized, but from the last few months of spending time in the word, I had a general recollection of where to look in the Bible. I (guided by the hand of God) narrowed it down to a book... then chapter... then read through and BOOM. Found the verse. "Ohhhh... NOW I remember. Thanks for that promise, God."  Memory: restored. 

Spend time in the word. Relish His promises. Overcome that memory loss. You never have to say "HEY GOD, YOU PROMISED." Instead, He says to us, "Hey you... I promised! TRUST ME." He ALWAYS comes through. And boom. No. More. Memory loss. 

Remembering fondly, 

SGK 

"O LORD, you are God! You have promised these good things to your servant." 1 Chronicles 17:26

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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