We all understand unconditional love to a point but do we really SHOW unconditional love to everyone the way Jesus wants and expects us to? We love our families and friends but we also tend to judge others who are not like us, have a different social status, are differnts nationalities, those who have different body types and looks, have disablilites, have different morals or values, and spiritual beliefs . Why, because we are human!
The Lord has taken me on a journey through learning about Love and loving everyone equally. I am one person who still struggles with this but know that with the Lords help I will learn fully to love the way Jesus loves. Jesus looks at each and everyone of the same and so should we. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ who are emotional, dirty, snotty nose Orphans loved and cared for by Jesus. So why should we treat one person any different than any other?
I believe the Lord placed Josh and I where we are living today to teach me a little patients and as an opportunity to learn more about loving thy neighbor, LITERALY. We live in a developement with a lady who is mentally disabled right across the street and We never anticipated it to be different than living in any other neighborhood. We were wrong...There are many times we feel like we are being watched constantly, can't have time outside without her running over or wanting to talk to us, and just no privacy what so ever. We have lived here going on eight years now and are finally learning to love our neighbor as part of our family. I have a love for her like one of my children now and even though its hard at times I am so greatful for being placed here and a part of her life. My own children are learning to stick up for her when others are putting her down and to respect her even though she can be more childlike than them. She is a child of God and needs love and affection just as much as any of us. I must say our neighbor is the prime example of love she is always wanting to help, giving constantly, and always wanting to please everyone else.
When we loose someone we love or one of our own children gets hurt or sick we feel our hearts sink and feelings of sadness, pain, agony, and stife take over. But, in the same situations with an aquaintaince or a complete stanger the feelings just aren't the same. Why is this? Jesus mourns for each and everyone of us equally, right? Aren't we all called to do the same? Mourning and praying with those who have lost or reaching out to those who need help to show them the love of Christ. The love should be equal...no greater no less wether they are blood relatives or not!!! I am so greatful for all my adopted family in Christ and for those who have reached out to me in times of need throughout my life even when they didnt really know me...it is a touching experience and I hope to do the same for others as well. The more we add new family to our families the more the light of Jesus will shine in this world and the body of Christ will grow.
I encourage everyone to reach out to others, even if it feels unconfortable at times, and let God work through you to bring new children to him. Visit a nursing home and adopt a new grandma or grandpa, go to a youth organization and make new relationships with children and teens who just want someone to listen and accept them, Give to the person on the corner begging even if you see them all the time and know its a scam, volunteer your time is places you normally would not, help an elderly woman unload some groceries from her cart and into her car, make friends with those who are disabled and need help with simple daily tasks or someone to just talk to when they are lonely, befriend the person who everyone turns away from and talks about because they are dirty and smell, help someone with an addiction get the help they want and need but are afraid to step out and do it on their own, hug a crying stranger and tell them Jesus loves them, Love your enemies and the ones who continue to hurt you, smile, be encourageing to all and above all else simply love the way Christ loves us!!!! Dont let Satan discourage you or try to hold you back with excuses because with Christ ALL things are possible.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Walking in Faith
I am in constant awe about how Jesus loves me and wonder how I am to love him back in the same way he shows so much grace, mercy, and love to me. I can't even grasp the idea because I fail him daily yet he always welcomes me back to his comforting arms, with a smile on his face saying "It's ok, I love you and your always be my girl just keep your eyes on me and you'll be just fine daughter."
For those of you who are parents this is a simple easy way of understanding our walk of faith and our relationship and love for the Father.
I will always remember the feelings I felt with my first, second, third, and now forth baby when I sat in the bathroom and waited for a faint pink line to appear on a pregnancy test and then once I finally saw it appear how in love with our baby I already was. Even though I couldn't feel, see, or touch the little growing baby inside me I loved it with all that I was and believed it was there.
This is just like the first steps in our walk of faith with Jesus, when we are children and taught about Jesus we can't see him, feel him, or touch him but because of teachings from the Bible (our pink line) we develop simple faith and love for our Father in Heaven. We just know he exsists and are excited that he is a part of our lives.
As the pregnancy continues I begin to see changes in my body, some good some not so good, and that little baby is getting bigger and bigger. Morning Sickness, growing body parts, mood swings, and the feelings of excitement and love grow even stronger because I can actually see these little things happen.
This is also the same as with our faith in our Heavenly Father. We see things around us begin to change as we learn to pray, begin studying the word, and watching others' examples of living a Christian centered lifestyle. When we see the amazing changes takeing place in our own hearts and minds our love for God grows stronger, deeper, and more interesting than we imagined possible.
I also realize I now have to make some important pregnancy choices regarding prior habits, the way I eat or do things and simply anything that could affect this growing child. As a mother I love this baby so much already. I want to make the best choices possible to protect this sweet child from any harm.
When we fall more and more in love with Jesus we do the same. We make "eternal life" choices to better ourselves and better our walk with God. Sometimes we have to let go of things we once loved (this can sometimes even mean loosing friends or family who don't share your beliefs or think you've gone crazy or off the deep end and this is ok because your eternal life is way more important than your earthly life) Even Changing daily habits becomes important and learning to prioritize. This can seem hard but with our hearts and minds fully focused on God he is willing to hold your hand through the process.
Now the most amazing thing happens...MOVEMENT! I feel a little flutter, a small punch, a soccer kick, and then a gymnist making my belly look like the rolling ocean waves. Wow, just a short time ago something so small that the eye couldn't see to now watching and feeling a real growing baby who will make its way into my heart and life in no time at all. I now am beginning to know the sleep patterns and active times of this new life. I am growing a little more uncomfortable each day as well and can't wait to just be done being pregnant.
Jesus now "MOVES" in my life in the same way. From my simple childlike faith I have grown into a mature relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ!!! As Christians in this "movement phase" We can now see and feel his work in everything. We know him intimately through studying his word and learning to live a little outside of our own comfort zone even though it can be hard and sometimes we just want to be done.
Birth Day finally arrives!!! The pain begins but the excitement is just beginning. After hours of labor a small sweet little baby is layed in my arms and I feel as if I couldn't ever love anything or anyone more. All the Pain was worth the love I had for this baby. I can finally see, feel, and hold my baby in my arms...It took only nine short months to fall in love with my children and the Love I have for them is unconditional!
Now imagine the day we meet Jesus, our one true King, We suffered a lifetime of different pains and heartaches. We also experience many blessings but when we see his face nothing will matter. It will be pure joy, unconditional love, all because of the time we invested into relationship with him.
If we can fall in love with our children in nine short months and invest the time into knowing them before they even enter the world we can diffinately use our time here on earth to fall in love with Jesus and make a choice to have a relationship with Him and Love Him as much as he loves us before we meet him face to face!!!
God wants relationship with us and our walk of faith to grow daily. He speaks to us through his word (the Bible) and one on one time with him (meditaion and prayer). I can't even tell you how important this is in spiritual growth. I always use to think "I hate reading and the Bible? Are you kidding me? How am I ever going to understand it or even have the time?" God proved me wrong! I LOVED reading the Bible, I even understood it, actually everything I would read related to something in that particular day or week that helped me get through it in the way God wanted me too and I had more time in my day than I ever thought possible. I finally finished my Life Applications Study Bible and I can't wait to start a new Devotional Study Bible so I can learn more about my Amazing Abba because reading it once or even twice just isn't enough. We need to continueously speak and fill our minds with the word of God.
For those of you who are parents this is a simple easy way of understanding our walk of faith and our relationship and love for the Father.
I will always remember the feelings I felt with my first, second, third, and now forth baby when I sat in the bathroom and waited for a faint pink line to appear on a pregnancy test and then once I finally saw it appear how in love with our baby I already was. Even though I couldn't feel, see, or touch the little growing baby inside me I loved it with all that I was and believed it was there.
This is just like the first steps in our walk of faith with Jesus, when we are children and taught about Jesus we can't see him, feel him, or touch him but because of teachings from the Bible (our pink line) we develop simple faith and love for our Father in Heaven. We just know he exsists and are excited that he is a part of our lives.
As the pregnancy continues I begin to see changes in my body, some good some not so good, and that little baby is getting bigger and bigger. Morning Sickness, growing body parts, mood swings, and the feelings of excitement and love grow even stronger because I can actually see these little things happen.
This is also the same as with our faith in our Heavenly Father. We see things around us begin to change as we learn to pray, begin studying the word, and watching others' examples of living a Christian centered lifestyle. When we see the amazing changes takeing place in our own hearts and minds our love for God grows stronger, deeper, and more interesting than we imagined possible.
I also realize I now have to make some important pregnancy choices regarding prior habits, the way I eat or do things and simply anything that could affect this growing child. As a mother I love this baby so much already. I want to make the best choices possible to protect this sweet child from any harm.
When we fall more and more in love with Jesus we do the same. We make "eternal life" choices to better ourselves and better our walk with God. Sometimes we have to let go of things we once loved (this can sometimes even mean loosing friends or family who don't share your beliefs or think you've gone crazy or off the deep end and this is ok because your eternal life is way more important than your earthly life) Even Changing daily habits becomes important and learning to prioritize. This can seem hard but with our hearts and minds fully focused on God he is willing to hold your hand through the process.
Now the most amazing thing happens...MOVEMENT! I feel a little flutter, a small punch, a soccer kick, and then a gymnist making my belly look like the rolling ocean waves. Wow, just a short time ago something so small that the eye couldn't see to now watching and feeling a real growing baby who will make its way into my heart and life in no time at all. I now am beginning to know the sleep patterns and active times of this new life. I am growing a little more uncomfortable each day as well and can't wait to just be done being pregnant.
Jesus now "MOVES" in my life in the same way. From my simple childlike faith I have grown into a mature relationship with my Lord, Jesus Christ!!! As Christians in this "movement phase" We can now see and feel his work in everything. We know him intimately through studying his word and learning to live a little outside of our own comfort zone even though it can be hard and sometimes we just want to be done.
Birth Day finally arrives!!! The pain begins but the excitement is just beginning. After hours of labor a small sweet little baby is layed in my arms and I feel as if I couldn't ever love anything or anyone more. All the Pain was worth the love I had for this baby. I can finally see, feel, and hold my baby in my arms...It took only nine short months to fall in love with my children and the Love I have for them is unconditional!
Now imagine the day we meet Jesus, our one true King, We suffered a lifetime of different pains and heartaches. We also experience many blessings but when we see his face nothing will matter. It will be pure joy, unconditional love, all because of the time we invested into relationship with him.
If we can fall in love with our children in nine short months and invest the time into knowing them before they even enter the world we can diffinately use our time here on earth to fall in love with Jesus and make a choice to have a relationship with Him and Love Him as much as he loves us before we meet him face to face!!!
God wants relationship with us and our walk of faith to grow daily. He speaks to us through his word (the Bible) and one on one time with him (meditaion and prayer). I can't even tell you how important this is in spiritual growth. I always use to think "I hate reading and the Bible? Are you kidding me? How am I ever going to understand it or even have the time?" God proved me wrong! I LOVED reading the Bible, I even understood it, actually everything I would read related to something in that particular day or week that helped me get through it in the way God wanted me too and I had more time in my day than I ever thought possible. I finally finished my Life Applications Study Bible and I can't wait to start a new Devotional Study Bible so I can learn more about my Amazing Abba because reading it once or even twice just isn't enough. We need to continueously speak and fill our minds with the word of God.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Who am I?
Who am I? This is a question we all ponder during some point in our lives and we think we know who we are, but do we really? I know I started out as a daughter, sister, granddaughter, neice, and cousin then made friendships/co-worker and became a friend to many. Later on in life I then recieved the titles wife, in-law, and mom, mommy, mama, and an adopted mom to some kids in which I watch in my home while their parents work . I sit and wonder "WOW!!! I am one person with many names and titles but really who am I and what do people expect of me?" I think I finally figure it all out and then something or someone new comes into life and changes it all. The one thing for sure that I know now is that I am a child of the one True God, the daughter of the Most High, and He is the lover and keeper of my soul and everything beyond that shouldn't matter to much. It has taken me quite a few years to get where I am now and through this blog I hope to share more of my spriritual journeys and battles that I face on a regular basis with those of you who may be experiencing some of the same things in life and just need to know your not alone.
My name is Kristin and I am just your average small town girl living the crazy fun caotic life of a stay at home mom of three girls and for you that are stay at home moms you know this life is anything but easy but I wouldn't change a thing about it. I am not your typical "blogging" person either so bare with me through my english, spelling, grammar, and so on and I will do my best. I feel that God has been pulling on me little by little to open up and share experiences I have encountered in life that have brought me to where I am now. Even though all the experiences are not all good nor wise, they have in some way made me a stronger better person. I also don't pour my heart out to many (mainly in fear of being hurt or critisized) and through these blogs somethings may be very emotional and even heart wrentching for me to share so I ask that if your reading these to be sensitive to my emotions and know that I am NOT here to judge anyone, tell you how to live your life, and deffinately not here to say that the ways I choose do things in certain sitiuations is the best or only way to live a happy spiritual life full of joy. Only God can do those things for you and you NEED relationship with him!
I have been a Chriatian my whole life. One Sunday morning, when I was four, I was at the little old Baptist Church on the hill, here in Prosser, by the cemetary and I chose to ask Jesus into my heart. This is a day I will never forget. Even though I was young, I was choosing to follow Jesus and be a good girl so that someday I would get to go to heaven! My journey began here and was so simple. Our family was not your typical go to church EVERY Sunday family. We went off and on and ventured out to different churches often. As I got older and our family grew we seemed to go to church less often but I almost craved it and wanted to know more (and of coarse wanted be part of all the fun activities) so I began to find friends that went to church and attend with them and their families as well. I have to say I have probably been to just about every type of church possible. But my simple faith stayed just that, simple! I loved Jesus whole heartedly and knew I wanted to follow him but I still didn't understood the true meaning of Relationship vs Religion. I believe my main growth in my relationship with Christ began about a year ago when I fell very sick. This is where my story begins...
My name is Kristin and I am just your average small town girl living the crazy fun caotic life of a stay at home mom of three girls and for you that are stay at home moms you know this life is anything but easy but I wouldn't change a thing about it. I am not your typical "blogging" person either so bare with me through my english, spelling, grammar, and so on and I will do my best. I feel that God has been pulling on me little by little to open up and share experiences I have encountered in life that have brought me to where I am now. Even though all the experiences are not all good nor wise, they have in some way made me a stronger better person. I also don't pour my heart out to many (mainly in fear of being hurt or critisized) and through these blogs somethings may be very emotional and even heart wrentching for me to share so I ask that if your reading these to be sensitive to my emotions and know that I am NOT here to judge anyone, tell you how to live your life, and deffinately not here to say that the ways I choose do things in certain sitiuations is the best or only way to live a happy spiritual life full of joy. Only God can do those things for you and you NEED relationship with him!
I have been a Chriatian my whole life. One Sunday morning, when I was four, I was at the little old Baptist Church on the hill, here in Prosser, by the cemetary and I chose to ask Jesus into my heart. This is a day I will never forget. Even though I was young, I was choosing to follow Jesus and be a good girl so that someday I would get to go to heaven! My journey began here and was so simple. Our family was not your typical go to church EVERY Sunday family. We went off and on and ventured out to different churches often. As I got older and our family grew we seemed to go to church less often but I almost craved it and wanted to know more (and of coarse wanted be part of all the fun activities) so I began to find friends that went to church and attend with them and their families as well. I have to say I have probably been to just about every type of church possible. But my simple faith stayed just that, simple! I loved Jesus whole heartedly and knew I wanted to follow him but I still didn't understood the true meaning of Relationship vs Religion. I believe my main growth in my relationship with Christ began about a year ago when I fell very sick. This is where my story begins...
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