Catching on Fire!

Not a pretty picture but one that proves a point.

My morning ritual...

• My eyes flutter open
• I grunt out my "good mornings" to the Lord
• Let my dogs out of their crates if my hubby hasn't
• Make my way to the bathroom
• Find my house-shoes
• Shuffle down the hall to the coffee maker
• Flip the switch hoping it hurries before a bad mood sets in
• Make my way to the sliding glass door to let the dogs out
• Grab my cup of coffee and find my Bible
• Move my chair in front of the fire if I haven't left it there the night before
• Sit down...coffee in one hand Bible in the other
• Stare into the fire...sipping coffee...asking the Lord to overcome my deficiencies so that once again I can hear Him.

It was at this exact moment that the picture above came into sight. I sat there watching the flames lick at the pieces of wood and soon felt the heat of the energy they produced together. I am hoping that you can see the two pieces that are standing on both sides of the flame. They stand erect, balancing on their ends. They are much taller than the other logs that are laying down in the midst of the flames. It got me thinking...
There are some people who when asked what church they attend quickly reply, "Oh I don't go to church. You don't have to go to church to believe in God." Agreed. Or how about this reply, "I don't attend a church because I haven't found one that I like." Really? Even better yet is "Oh I am not a church going man. There are too many hypocrites there for me." I love that excuse. As I watched the flame flicker some things became so evident.
First of all, the heat was being produced by the collection of wood feeding off each other in order to stay lit. Secondly, while the pieces of wood that stood alone on their ends were smoldering, that is all they were doing. The others were being consumed by the heat and the flames were the evidence of all that was taking place. As the fire burned the wood settled in and as it did it popped and hissed as if it almost begged for more to be added. While the concert of sounds were being given the heat that was being generated was to my benefit. I was warmed to the core as I realized this is the body of Christ in so many ways.
We who stand together in the midst of others have so much to offer to those who are in need. Producing heat and light for someone who has nothing to offer back is amazing. But it's so much more than that. I was designed for this purpose and so were you. When I stand before the Lord at the end of my life I want to know that I was in the midst of what was taking place. That I was right in the middle of Him doing His thing and because I was He was able to use who He created me to be for His purpose. I don't want to be a log standing alone only smoldering with His presence. Neither giving light or heat. Oh the pride of those who choose to stand on the outside will soon lead to their smoldering faith. My prayer for myself and for you is that we jump into the fire. That by the presence of many we burn with the faith that is generated when we come together to live out our lives. Funny thing is that the fire this morning could have been even brighter and hotter still. If only the two pieces would have joined in. The Bible tells us over and over that we are One body. Not our own...but One that is of Christ.
Corinthians 12 talks a lot about the body of Christ. The 27th verse is one of my favorites...
"Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it."
Did you realize you were necessary? Absolutely without a doubt ...necessary! You may not feel it or think it, but you are. God said so...so unless you want to argue with Him you must make a decision today. Will you live in the midst of your mindset, your discomfort with the church, your ideas on what it means to be a part of something bigger? Or will you live out of the bodies (that being Christ's body) necessity?
I love you all so. You have all been so supportive in this endeavour to speak positively into lives of brother's and sister's in Christ regardless of what church you do or don't belong to. You have written email upon email that have stated that you love coming here for encouragement. Please don't get me wrong when I say this...as much as I love hearing what God is doing through this blog...this in no way takes the place of God's church. He created you to be IN the midst of the fire. He created you for relationship with like believers. He created you as family. Please if you don't have a church family find one. In fact don't waste time....run to one. It is there that you will find more Holy Spirit heat than you know what to do with. Again I love you and can't wait to hear from you and how God is using you to spread heat and light to others.


Blessed to be His
Kim

Tongue Taunts!

Sorry I know this is two posts in one day.  No one person should have that much to say, but I couldn't resist.  When I was trying to take Shiloh's picture for the last post my sweet Gerdie thought she would get in on the action.  She hates it when another member of the family gets attention and she doesn't.  You can tell by her tongue.  It is her way of saying, "I don't like you right now."  Maybe I should quote her Scripture.


"Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel."  Proverbs 11:17


Blessed to be His!
Kim

Don't Zap Them

Shiloh the only "Old Man" at our house!

It seems that God uses my dogs, of all things, to make a point with me. I have five dogs in all...4 girls and 1 boy. The one boy, Shiloh, is the old man of the collection. He has never been a dog that minds. In fact, if you ask some of my dearest friends they would tell you stories about all the shenanigans he would pull on the nights we had Bible study. He doesn't hangout with the other dogs and you rarely see him playing with them. I guess you could say he is kind of a grumpy, old man. That is not Shiloh's only problem however. You see Shiloh likes to runaway from home. In fact a few years ago we put a fence around our entire 2.5 acre piece of property in an effort to keep him contained. Well, it worked for about a week until he realized he could just dig under it. The other dogs learned quickly that there were consequences if they went off the property...Shiloh, however, is a wanderer at heart. We have yet to master the level of obedience that would convince him to stay home just because we say so. We tried putting wood in places where he most often dug. That didn't work. We tried putting stuff we bought from the pet store that was guaranteed to stop dogs from digging. That didn't work. We tried spanking him whenever we found him out. That didn't work. Stan and I were at our wits end. Then I had an idea. My dad has always had hunting dogs. He would often use a collar that when a button was pushed the collar would make a slight beeping sound. This sound signaled the dogs to return. If they did not return then there was a second button you would push and it relayed a slight shock. I know some of you disagree with this method of training, but we were desperate. I didn't want to find him dead on the side of the road! Or worse yet...what if he chased and killed one of my neighbors cats. Now that's cruel. Anyway, we decided to give it a try. We put the collar on Shiloh and waited for him to make his escape. Oh it wasn't long before we realized that once again he was on the run. We had just returned home from an evening out and the happy trio that usually met us at the gate had become a duo. Shiloh was gone. We quickly came inside grabbed the control went outside and quickly pressed the button that delivered the shock. I hit it so quick I wasn't even sure if it would register. I didn't want to kill him I just wanted to zap him back home. The minute I hit it I heard a yelp and was sure he was on his way back home. I waited and waited. What was he doing? I hit it again, this time leaving my finger on the button just slightly longer. Again I heard him yelp but this time he sounded further away than the first time. While I waited for him to return, I called his name hoping he would come to me instead of hiding out in his condo built for one. Again no response. I looked at Stan and asked, "What do you think he is doing out there in the dark?" So I hit the button again this time I held my finger on it for longer. At first I heard a yelp, even further away than the first two. In fact he yelped a couple of times and then nothing. I pressed the button again....no yelp...no Shiloh. All I could think was, "Oh my goodness, I think I've killed him. NO I'm sure I have."
I couldn't sleep that night imagining his fate that was orchestrated by my hand. The next morning I woke up hoping to find him safely back home. I went outside with his favorite treat...no Shiloh. He was still gone. So I did what every God fearing dog owner does...I started praying for my dog.
I learned something that day. First of all, dogs are much smarter than we think. I don't know how he did it but I believe he figured out it was me who was causing his discomfort. His natural response was to run.

Galatians 6:1 says...
"Brothers, if someone is causing a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently." (emphasis mine)


I think sometimes we have a tendency to try to "enlighten" people regarding their straying from home (Jesus) in a not so gentle way. We try to shock them into a submitted life in Christ. I learned from Shiloh that it doesn't work so well. Most often they will run from the thing that brings them pain.
I think of the words Christ said about himself, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29
I want to be the kind of person who is a safe haven for those who don't live perfect lives. Don't get me wrong - this is not the same as allowing hypocrisy to grow in our midst. We are told to rebuke and restore, we just shouldn't do it using the shock method. We can show a person the truth of Scripture without beating them up with the Bible. Remember Christ gave us all free will. If they choose to play out in the dark there is a good possibility that they might get hit by a car. So I want them to stay at home with the Master, however I cannot force them.
Oh by the way...Shiloh no longer wears a shock collar. Yes he is still leaving home at times. My prayer for him is much like my prayer for us. "Lord, give us the desire to never want to leave our Master's side. Teach us that our waywardness will eventually lead us into a path of something that has the potential of running us over." Let's agree to give way to gentleness.
Blessed to be His,
Kim
ps...Click the link below to see what is happening just outside the frame of Shiloh's picture.  Guaranteed to make you smile!
http://feastingoncrumbs.blogspot.com/2011/01/tongue-taunts.html

Water My Garden...PLEASE!

This is an actual picture of the Dust Bowl that took place in 1935.
Those are not mountains behind those houses they are clouds of dirt.

Many of us either weren’t alive or can’t remember the particular time in our history known as the “Dust Bowl” era. With the onset of drought in 1930, the over-farmed and over-grazed land began to blow away. Winds whipped across the plains raising billowing clouds of dust. The sky could darken for days and even well-sealed homes could have a thick layer of dust on the furniture. In some places, the dust drifted like snow covering farm buildings and houses. Over 30 states in the heartland of the United States became a vast dust bowl.
Then on April 14, 1935 a new day literally dawned clear across the plains. After weeks of dust storms, including one at the end of March which destroyed five million acres of wheat, people were so grateful to see the sun. Many went outside to do chores, go to church and to picnic and sun themselves under the blue skies. In mid-afternoon, the temperature dropped and birds began chattering nervously. Suddenly a huge black cloud appeared on the horizon approaching fast. At first it seemed as if rainfall might be approaching the desolate lands but then it was realized that the cloud approaching was once again a cloud of dirt. It was the worst storm yet, it was known as Black Sunday.
There have been times in my life when I feel as if spiritually I am standing in the midst of one of those storms. The air around me is thick with muck and my loved ones seem to have been lost in the storm. I can’t see clearly, I can’t hear clearly, and all I can think about is keeping the dirt of this world out of my own spiritual temple. Sound familiar?
In the book of Hosea, the 6^th chapter contains a great promise that I hold onto in times like these.

1 "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; he has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." Hosea 6:1-3

You see in the midst of all that is going wrong, God still promised the nation of Israel that He would be their healer, their reviver, their restorer, and their living water.

You might be in the midst of one of these storms right now. The Christian community likes to call them a “crisis of belief.” It is when all you once knew, no longer seems true. All that you thought brought life is now only a reminder of what you once had. There you sit wondering if life will ever make sense again. Take heart dear one. It will. For it is out of the living water that we will be healed, restored, and revived. Believe it!
Do you remember when you accepted Christ to be the Lord over your life? There was something in you that cried out for a Savior. Like me, you probably had to stop trying to make sense of it all and accept that a Savior was right there for the taking. You had to decide to believe. Listen to what Colossians 2:6 says…
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him."
Could part of that “continuing” be that we have to stop trying to make sense of it all and just believe there is One who will bring rain to our dry and parched land? The“crisis of belief” we experienced at the time of our conversion is not much different that our "crisis of belief" in the midst of our own dust bowl. Where He whispers so gently in our ear, as a Father who is trying to quiet His child, “Take heart dear one, I am close at hand. Quietness and trust is your strength. Come return to me.“
I am always encouraged when I stand on the cliff of life overlooking the places He has made green again and realize that the flow of living water isn’t dependent on coincidence.
"The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail." Isaiah 58:11


Blessed to be His!
Kim

Eye Catching

I recently spoke at a MOPS (Mother's Of Preschoolers) group in Fresno, and as I prepared God brought back so many memories of when my children were small. Some of them I enjoyed once again with a giggle, others brought a tinge of sadness and the onset of tears. The Lord and I had such a good time looking back at the history of my parenting methods. In the midst of those memories God began speaking to me about His faithfulness.

My Beautiful Brittney Now

I remember a time when Brittney was small, probably about 4, and we were shopping at Macy’s around Christmas time. It was so crowded, and I warned her of the dangers of being separated from me. I told her there would be times when I would be unable to hold her hand and asked her to hold on to my pants. This was difficult for her because people were pushing and trying to get in front of us at the counters. She did pretty well for about 15 minutes. Then it dawned on me, she was no longer hanging on. My heart immediately leaped into overload as it beat out of fear. I quickly took a scan of people walking away from me to see if they had convinced her to follow them, but I saw only a sea of adults making their way to their next big purchase. Then I noticed her tiny little frame standing near the jewelry counter. You see she was not allured away by some evil person planning to do harm, she was lured away by something that caught her eye. She was mesmerized by what she saw and didn’t even realize I was not standing next to her. In fact it was at that very moment that she grabbed on to a strangers pants thinking they were mine. As she gazed up to instruct me to look at what she had found, she realized she had grabbed the wrong leg. She began looking around. I simply stepped back into the isle out of her sight. She raised her body up on her tip toes, straining her neck as she tried to see around and over people. I could tell she was beginning to feel the panic I had felt just moment ago. I watched her walk a few feet from the counter. She began to cry and call out, “Mommy, mommy where are you?” I didn’t immediately step forward. Now I know there are some that will see this as mean, but I wasn’t doing it for my own entertainment. I was trying to impress on her the danger she could get into without me. After a few moments I stepped out from behind the counter and knelt down to her eye level. In a soft calm tone I simply called out, “Brittney my love, here I am.” She quickly ran back to me, and hugged my neck as if she hadn’t seen me in years. She didn’t move from my side the rest of the day.

I have to admit I am very much like that little girl of 4. There are times when Satan tries to lure me away with the intent of destroying me and then there are times when I simply begin to wonder away because of something else that has caught my attention. Regardless, He is never far from us. Hebrews 13:5b says, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’" I believe however there are times when we can’t see Him clearly. There are times when He reminds us to stay near to Him, by making us search for Him. I know in my own life I have called out in panic, “Daddy, where are you?” To which His reply is always with a calm soft voice, “Kim my love, here I am.” I can hardly believe His love for me, it brings tears to my eyes even now as I write this. How I pray that we hold on to Him for dear life, because without Him...well I guess you could say there is no life at all.

Blessed to be His!

Kim

I Got It!

Reagan at 5. What a delight she is!

I find so much joy in the faces of children. There is something so adorable about the innocence you see in their eyes. I am so drawn to my nieces and my nephew. There are 6 in all, and each one of them holds a special place in my heart. Reagan, who is now 8, is a child rooted in determination. There are many things that she does that make my heart swoon, but it is her independence that makes me laugh with delight. When she was three she would often be heard saying two very simple words. “Got it.” Now these don’t sound like much, but when you understand their meaning you realize that to her, they are the very words that expresses who she is. There would be a cup sitting on the counter much to high for her little hands to reach and the minute you would go to grab the cup for her she would say, “got it.” Or she could be climbing over an obstacle that was in her way, and the minute you would put your hand on her, then tiny little frame, to help her over she would yell, “got it.” In fact she would ask for your help and the minute she realized that you had gotten the task to a level she could complete she would look at you with those sea green eyes, red hair falling around her shoulders and once again the words “got it” emerged from her lips. You see she really wanted to accomplish everything by herself. She'd say these words so often; my brother and sister in-law bought her a t-shirt with “got it” spelled out on the front of it. I remember a day when she was over visiting and she asked for some juice. I went to the kitchen with her on my heels. Once I had gotten the glass from the cupboard, and the juice from the refrigerator, she immediately started saying in her tiny 3 year old voice, “got it…got it.” So I bellied her up to the table, set her glass down, and handed her the juice. With her two chubby hands she began to pour. She missed the glass several times while pouring, but the kicker came at the very end. She saw it was getting full, but she didn’t have the strength to stop it in time. You guessed it the juice flowed over the rim of the cup like the waterfalls seen at Yosemite. Juice everywhere! She was no longer saying, “got it,” now she was saying “ah oh.” She knew that by insisting on doing it herself she had made a mess. As I walked over to the sink to grab a rag, the Lord spoke so softly in my ear. “She didn’t rely on you for her provision.” I knew another lesson was coming. “I know Lord, but it is not a big mess. It will only take a minute to clean it up.” I am sure you can almost guess what her words were when I approached the table to clean things up. “Got it,” she began saying, with her hands outstretched towards the towel. I gave it to her of course; thinking this would help her understand she needed to clean up after herself. After several minutes I released her from the table, and looked at what use to be a contained pool of sticky juice. It no longer knew any boundaries. It had been scattered all over the table, chairs and floor. Again the Lord spoke, “She didn’t rely on your intervention.” As I sopped up the mess, He continued to speak to my heart. “My dear sweet Child. There are so many times that you have made a mess because you have chosen to do things on your own. Got it, is not something that comes from your mouth. It comes from every man’s heart." Then He reminded me of Matthew 11:28-29. “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” I don’t know about you, but I am so tired of making messes. I am so tired of trying to clean them up, only to find I have spread that which I tried to contain. When will I take Him at his word and let him teach me the simplest of tasks. My weariness comes from my own lack of submission to His authority, ability, and power. Oh how I pray, we learn to rely on Him for who He is. The Alpha and the Omega, and the everything in between.

Blessed to be His!

Kim

More Oatmeal - Less Milk

A word of warning to anyone preparing oatmeal for a five year old's breakfast...go easy on the milk. My son who is now an adult was a very particular child. Ok in all reality he still tends to be much more like his daddy than myself. From the time he was very small he has had a strong affection for honey nut Cheerios. In fact I bet I could call him today and ask "What's for breakfast?" and his reply would be said with a chuckle in his voice, "Honey Nut Cheerios." It was not uncommon that we would go through two boxes a week. One morning I realized we had run out and I had yet to replenish my supply. (Have I mentioned I hate grocery shopping) Anyway I decided he would have to settle for oatmeal. So as he got dressed to go to kindergarten I started the process of preparing his bowl. I decided to make it a little sweeter than normal in hopes that he would skip over my mistake. He came to the table took one look at the bowl and let a escaping sigh of disappointment. I figured once he tasted it all would become right with the world again. I had put a little cinnamon, some honey (I also was out of brown sugar) and apparently a little more milk than was needed. As he began to stir he looked at me with a frown and said, "Mom you put too much milk. All the honey is at the bottom." "It's ok buddy" I said as I began to stir "I will get it mixed up for you." "No mom you put to much milk. I don't like it this soupy. Can I have honey nut Cheerios?" I look at him and realized I was going to have to tell him the dreaded news. "No honey you can't because we don't have any. I need to go to the store." As only a 5 year old can do, he looked up at me with tears in his eyes and a look of disgust on his face and whinnied, "You put too much milk in my oatmeal." He was so cross with me. The next words were a reflection of his anger and I knew smiling at his next statements would be highly inappropriate. "For your consewishes (consequences) you are not going to get to talk on the phone today. And you can't wear dresses anymore. (Huh like that's a punishment) And one more thing...you can't ever leave the house again." This was all over the fact that his oatmeal had too much milk! Imagine if I had done something really serious like burn his toast. Oh the ramifications! I can't bear to think. Because he was a child his response was childlike. I couldn't have imagine if my husband had behaved this way.
In my faith and my relationships with others I find that at times I behave in a childlike way. Trying to punish for mistakes and make others pay for not being perfect. I don't want to be a child who decides to throw a fit out of frustration. I hope you don't want to either. So let's agree together...
For those who speak against us...that we would bless them with our tongues.
For those who have owed us money for way to long....let us bless them with the wealth of patience.
For those who have been hurt by us for no apparent reason...let us offer them the Band-Aid of understanding.
For those who feel we are too loud...let us love them in our silence.
For those who feel we are too quiet...let us love them out loud.
For those who always have a better way...let us offer them the support in carrying it out.
For those who spend their time in negative thought...let us show them the grass really is greener on the other side.
For those who know it all...let us find value in what they really do know.
For those who like to complain...let us hear their true concern.
For those who want to see us fall....let us lift them up in prayer.

You see our response really is our responsibility. No one makes you behave in a certain way. You choose it. As do I.
I love the account of Moses in the midst of the nation Israel who didn't see the sin as clearly as he saw the people. In fact he saw the people so clearly he not only prayed for them but he also offered himself up in payment for their sin. Sound familiar? You and I have got to come to the conclusion that people are offensive but never the less we are called to love and sacrifice for them. In the midst of other's flaws we should, as brothers and sisters in Christ, be willing to stand like Moses and say, "But now forgive their sin, but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." Exodus 32:32 Moses was willing to be removed on behalf of others. Am I?
Remember..."Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city. There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others." Ecclesiastes 7:19-21
Just for the record....to this day Jarrod is not fond of oatmeal but has decided that I can now wear dresses if I want and go outside.

Blessed to be His
Kim

Drive By Hawking

It was terrifying, heart wrenching and positively car stopping. As I drove to Fresno, (I know what your thinking...and yes I spend a lot of time in the car) what looked like a big black basketball was quickly approaching from the northern sky. At first I was unsure what it was but it didn't take me long before I could identify this flying object. It was a huge bird of some sort. It's broad wings flapped like the long flowing strides of a painters brush that seem to beat in rhythm to some distant drum. As it approached the road that I was on I could tell that part of what I thought was it's size was not the bird itself but something foreign. In his talons he carried a fur ball that I later identified as a cat. Not a kitten and not a full grown cat but one that would be considered in their difficult teenage years. Just about the time I thought the bird would cross over my car, the fur ball was let go and fell quickly to the ground. I held my breath as it dropped not wanting to see the outcome of it's fall but at the same time I couldn't pull my eyes from what, I thought, was surely it's demise. Just before the unfortunate animal hit the ground I saw the hawk make a quick u-turn and start to dive towards the ground as if it was going back to pick up it's dropped package. Then it hit me the bird had intentionally dropped the animal to kill it and was going back to see if it had succeeded in it's mission. I have heard stories of how hawks, especially chicken hawks, will find their dinner many times roaming the country side, pick them up, fly high into the air and then drop the poor animal to it's death only to return to eat it. If it's not successful the first time they will return, pick the animal up again and repeat the process until their mission is complete. I was in shock at what I was watching and without thinking sprung into action. My job - save the cat. I slammed on my breaks, pushed my gear shift into reverse and stepped on the gas. Good thing there wasn't another car right behind me. While my car quickly responded with backwards motion my finger found the window button and I began to yell. "Get out of here. Get! Get! Leave that cat alone!" Clearly I presumed all birds spoke English. The hawk with little effort changed it's direction and quickly took to higher skies. As I came to a stop close to the scene of the crime I saw the cat struggle to get it's bearings. I had done my job....I, Kim Takemoto, saved the cat. I quickly looked to see if the hawk was still in sight. Oh it was still in sight and was circling as if to taunt the poor cat into death. Instincts must have told the cat to run because before I knew it the cat was up and making every effort to find hiding. The bird wasted no time and quickly saw his opportunity to finish the job. Because the cat ran away from my car I had no choice but to sit and watch what would happen next. As the bird swept down the surly frightened cat made a split decision to roll on it's back and put all four legs straight in the air. As the bird hit the cat you could hear the commotion. The cat whined, hissed, and grunted all at the same time. However, that is not where most of the noise was coming from. The screech that left the birds body was tormenting at best. It flapped it's wings to rise once again into the sky but was not able to move out of the reach of the cats claws. Yes you guessed it...the cat's reason for flipping on it's back was to use the only weapon he had against the hawk. It's claws. They danced around with both animals making noises that could only come in the heat of a battle. It all seemed to end as quickly as it started. The bird had broken loose and flew into the sky...not circling this time but in one direction, as if to get as far away from it's once-to-be dinner. The cat stayed close to the ground as it surveyed it's surroundings. The scene was over. I put my car in drive and began to drive. As I did I thought on what I had just witnessed. I was able to hold off the attack of the hawk but I could not save the cat. The cat at some point had to decide to save itself. It had to decide to use the one thing God had equipped it with in it's defense. Isn't this so true when it comes to our Christian lives. There are times when Satan attacks and many times that attack takes us by surprise. Another will see the impending danger and back their car up to pray and try to protect us. That prayer buys us some time to get our bearings. There comes a point however when we just have to roll on our backs and start fighting our attacker ourselves. Just like the cat, we have something that lies within that was given to us for those spiritual battles. It is more effective than anything that can be seen by the human eye. It is the Holy Spirit.

The difference is that the claws that allow us to defend ourselves are not ones of a teenage cat but the claws of the Lion of Judah. We don't have to be carried away by a surprise attack of Satan, nor do we have to rely on others to save us at every turn. We have the power within to fight and win! We have the power to take charge and become the one who walks in victory. We have the power to let the hawk know that his antics are a wasted effort to destroy us. We have the power! That power comes in the claws of the Lion of Judah. Let's stretch out our claws as the battle cries ensue knowing with confidence that if our God is for us then who can be against us. I love how this passage reads out of The Message translation...

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us - who was raised to life for us! - is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: Romans 8:31-35


You and I have nothing to fear as long as we fight with the claws of Judah.
I love you dear ones and hope that today instead of scurrying around like a rat in a field you find yourself praying prostate before the Lord fighting with the strength of the Lion.


Blessed to be His!
Kim

Remarks From The Peanut Gallery

As I was driving to the office yesterday I had to chuckle to myself. Waiting patiently for the stop light to turn green I decided to "make the most of my time" by making up stories about people in the cars next to me. In the car on my left was a young man smoking a cigarette. So the story in my head went something like this: When the light turned green and he accelerated and the cigarette he was smoking slipped from his hand and landed on his leg. It not only burnt a hole in his pants but also left a pretty nasty burn on his leg. Not wanting to be in pain all day he drove to the nearest walk in clinic to get some burn cream. Little did he know that he would meet the woman of his dreams, Pam. Pam was in the healthcare profession so he decided to quit smoking and they lived happily ever after. In the car on my right was an older lady named Kathryn who (in my mind) had just left the hospital where she watched her 6th great-granddaughter be born. New granddaughter's name...Kathryn Louise. Ok you get the picture. So I am sitting there making up stories when I notice a man standing on his driveway blowing packing peanuts, you know those little Styrofoam things, off of his driveway and into the street with a leaf blower. I am not sure how they ended up there, but there were quite a few...more than 25 and less than 3,000. Needless to say it looked as if it were snowing very large blue flakes. I was impressed by his skill with the blower. He worked from one side of the driveway to the other blowing them just a few feet at a time. As he approached the end of his driveway a question crossed my mind. What was he going to do when he got them all out to the street? Well my question was quickly answered. As the last one made it's way into the middle of what was now looking like a small blue pond in the middle of the road the man reached down flipped the switch to turn the blower off and turned his back. "What?" I mumbled to myself. "You are just going to leave them there? Out in the middle of the road like that? You have got to be kidding?" Then I witnessed, with a great amount of joy I might add, how at times there are somethings that seem to come back and haunt us. As the man walked back up his drive with his back turned a gust of wind kicked up. Not a kind of wind that signifies a storm is on it's way but the kind of wind that is almost unnoticeable. Well in most cases that is. You see when that slight breeze kicked up those blue Styrofoam peanuts took flight. First it was just a few and then as if the few gave permission to all the others, they all skated on the wind together. You wouldn't believe it but they skated right up onto the man who was toting his blower up to the lawn. There he stood on his nice clean driveway looking at the sea of blue that now covered where green grass used to be. Of course this all happened very quickly and just about the time I was going to make up a story for it God spoke. "These peanuts that you see represent sin that lives in your life. Because you are not willing to do the work to remove them but instead try to blow them off I have no choice but to blow them right back in your face. You are so worried at what people might see when they look your way that you use the fastest easiest way possible to remove undesirable items from the front yard. Those things will continue to pop up, or in this case fly in, because they are not really gone they are sitting just outside of who you are. Kim if you will do the work to remove those pesky peanuts, not just blow them off, you will find that your yard will stay much cleaner. " There was my story. It had nothing to do with the people in the cars next to me, or even the man holding the blower. It had to do with me. I don't just want to blow off my sin as if they will just rest comfortably outside my front yard. I want to remove them and remove them I will. With God's help I will bend down, pick them up one by one and offer them to the one who can truly dispose of them.
Thank you Jesus that you don't mind helping me pick-up my trash and then haul it away!

If You Build It They Will Come

"If you build it they will come." I am sure you remember this famous line from the Kevin Costner movie, Field of Dreams. As I was driving a couple of days ago I passed a beautiful home. I marveled at the pristine manicured lawn and the way the cement driveway seemed to rhythmically wind to and fro until it met the street. The windows sparkled like diamonds in a soothing setting of buttercup stucco. "Wow," I thought, "I wonder what it's like to live inside those walls." That is when that line from the movie came flooding back to me. But what did it mean? So I started searching the deep things of my heart asking God to reveal all that was within concerning my consumer mentality. "If you build it they will come." "Who will come Lord?" As I allowed God to take me to a place I am not proud of, I was startled by my reaction to the question. I was confronted by the worlds idea of happiness and prosperity. If you build it, peace will come. If you build it, friends will come. If you build it, happiness will come. If you build it, the perfect marriage will come. If you build it, comfort will come. If you build it, popularity will come. Power will come. Success will come. If you build it, everything you have ever wanted will come. Isn't that really the message that our world continues to nag us with.
Then very softly I heard the Lord speak. Not in an audible voice but in a soft knowing in my spirit. "If you come, I will build it." I knew the meaning instantly. If you come to Me, I will give you all that you long for. I am so often confused just exactly what it is I long for. Gratefully God is not. He knows that my longing goes much deeper than the stuff of this world.
As I sat there thinking of the words just spoken I came to the same conclusion I have so often when confronted by the reality of my own wants. I can spend the rest of my life trying to obtain all the things I THINK will make me happy or I can spend the rest of my life pursuing One thing knowing that that One thing will open the gates of over abundant blessings. In that One, the person of Jesus Christ, I have the opportunity to live in peace given to me by the Peacemaker. I can have comfort given to me by the Comforter. I can live in joy given to me by the only One who understand the root of all joy. I can live in the midst of so many things that the world will tell me I have to build for myself. All the while Jesus just says, "Come to me and I will build it." In fact He says it this way in Matthew 11...
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."


Ahh rest. No more striving or clawing to get what I think I need. No more grasping so tight that my fingers turn white to keep what I already have. I just need to do the one thing He has asked. "Come to me." My prayer for you and for myself today is that we would do just that. Go to Him and ask Him to build. He was a carpenter you know!


Blessed to be His

Feed Me! Feed Me! Won't You Feed Me!

Sophi and her bowl!

From the time I wake up in the morning until the time I lay my head on the pillow at night there is constant nagging for my attention. Oh it doesn't come from Stan or even one of the kids...it comes from my dog Sophi. Bless her pea picking heart, you would think no one ever paid attention to her. I wake up in the morning and she starts right in. As I stumble down the hall to the bathroom she follows along biting the hem of my pajamas and pulling as hard as she can all the while growling and whining. I am truly surprised she has any teeth left the way she yanks. I have a regular routine to my morning as does she. As I walk to the front of the house to make coffee and a fire during this cold time of year she walks in front only backwards. Crouching down and growling and then popping up like a jack in the box. I walk to the door and open it to let her out. Upon finishing her morning routine she races inside through the doggie door and comes and sits by my feet as I start my morning pot of coffee. As it brews I prepare my cup for the much anticipated cup of joe. Usually about the time it is done and I am pouring it into my mug Sophi has figured out that I am going to be putting something in my mouth and to her that equates...yes you have guessed it breakfast. She immediately takes off leaving my feet in search for her bowl. Once she has located it she picks it up and brings it to me letting me know she would like to eat also. If I don't recognize her efforts to let me know she is ready to eat then she will throw the bowl in the air and then bat it down with her paws. Yes she does become quite talented when she wants to eat. Unfortunately for her however, nothing gets in the way of my first cup of coffee. So I drag my chair in front of the fireplace with my coffee in hand. I have a great need for things to be calm at this time of the morning and Sophi has cued in on this. So as I sit down in my chair and grab my bible she makes her way...with her bowl in her mouth to a spot between my lap and the arm of the chair. And she waits...and she waits and she waits. She knows that if she continues to be a distraction I will make her lay down in her own bed. After about 20 minutes or so I am ready to move and start the second cup. This is when Sophi takes the opportunity to make her request known once again. The antics she will go through just to get a bowl of food.
In thinking about it I have decided I want to be Sophi. Well I don't want to be her but I want to learn from the lesson she has taught me. Sophi gets fed before any of my other 4 dogs. I know what you're thinking and yes when I get old I may be that crazy dog lady. Anyway, because Sophi not only makes her request known but will go to almost any length to receive it, she most often will get her request of food before any of the other of my furry friends. What if I took that same behavior and applied it to my desire to know God more. To sit beside Him and beg Him to feed me. I don't mean the complacent desire that many approach this relationship with. But a full force "this is the focus of my morning" kind of attitude. The kind of desire, the want, the need that says if I don't get this I might die. What if I approached the Lord in the morning with the vivaciousness that Sophi approaches me with? The "Wow I am so happy we are up and I can't wait to get started," type of behavior. How much more would I spiritually eat if I made it my focus? Would I feed Sophi eventually? Yes of course I would but by her asking, ok no...begging for it she gets it much sooner and really in bigger portions than if I just did it out of responsibility.
I love at times how God will bring a passage of Scripture up in my life over and over again. I will hear it on the radio, see it in an article, read it in my morning devotionals and someone will use it in a prayer. I have an opportunity at that time to say..."Feed me Lord. Feed me please. Use what you have and nourish my Spirit. For I am hungry and need the substance only you can provide. I cannot do it on my own. I don't have the resources to obtain my own nourishment. Won't you feed me. I am counting on you." In that instance God says, "Wait until I get my first cup of coffee." NO...that is not what He says at all. He takes all that He is and He begins to pour into that spiritual bowl. Now we have a choice to make...will we eat? Will we truly take in all that He has provided? We begged for it didn't we?

"You have multiplied, O my God,

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told." Psalm 40:5

This is a passage that has been woven into my life over the last couple of weeks. When I think about the statement.."your thoughts toward us" I almost cry. You see Sophi does what she does so that she is not forgotten. When I think of the fact that God thinks of me. He Thinks Of ME! He also thinks of you. It is then we realize that we don't need to whine and cry, we don't need to jump and turn circles. We just need to grab our bowl and sit at the Master's feet. The food is ready and waiting. Will you partake?

Because I spoke of dogs and you know I love mine, I thought I would share a dog treat recipe.


For all of our furry friends...

Dog Yumms!

1 1/2 C Flour

1/2 C Water
3/4 C Uncooked Oatmeal
1/4 C Honey Crunch Wheat Germ
1/4 C Peanut Butter (we recommend natural peanut butter – no sugar added
1/4 C Salad Oil
1/4 C Honey
1 tsp Baking Powder


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the water and 1 cup of flour with other ingredients until well blended. Stir in remaining 1/2 C flour. Knead on well-floured surface until dough holds together. Roll out to 1/4" thick. Cut into desired shapes. Bake on large un-greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Turn off oven but leave cookie sheet in for 1 hour. Remove cookies and store refrigerated in an air tight container.

The Dreaded Hangover

You know the feeling. The holidays seem to bring out the worst when it comes to my most harmful habit. Yes you guessed it...my name is Kim and I am a food-aholic. And after the holidays I am suffering from the dreaded hangover of my actions. My extra fluffiness is now hanging over the waistband of my pants along with several other clothing items. Over indulgence in any earthly thing, in this case food, is never good. As I sit here writing I have to ask myself, "Why?". "Why do I always seem to fall back into this pattern that is unproductive and really so destructive. While others can see the consequences to my physical self, no one will really know about the damage to my inner self. Feelings of failure, disappointment, and defeat are just to name a few of the emotions that are associated with any stronghold that is holding on strongly. Like most other people I have a decision to make. Let my past dictate my future or let God's vision for me dictate my path. My past is not a picture of health. It is one of continued over indulgence and lack of exertion of energy. I know some of you can relate even if it is not in the area of food. Who knows maybe it is dealing with anger or exaggeration? It maybe even something as common as shopping. You see, when we have an area in our life that gets the best of us instead of us getting the best of it, and it happens on a continual basis, what we have is a stronghold.
I have chosen that my recent failure to give this stronghold over will not drive me into despair but will motivate me right back into the arms that are strong enough to break chains. The loving arms of Christ accepts my failure and replaces it once again from that which is mine to that which is His. In fact when He hung on the cross it was for this very kind of thing. You see it was to demonstrate to us and to Satan that He had power even over death. I am thinking if He can conquer death He can conquer this little habit of over indulgence. So I will not try to change myself. I Will Not! I have tried before and it has not worked. In fact I have tried for 40 some odd years and it has yet to work. I will instead ask that He makes some core changes within me. That He fills the place where food once held. That He will guard my spirit from Satan's attacks. That He will free me once and for all of the stronghold that has held on so strongly.
I don't mind being transparent here with you my friends because I know so many of you struggle with your own strongholds. I say we give Jesus the opportunity to link by link free us from all that encumbers. Romans 6:22 (MSG) says, "But now that you are found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way!" I love this! I don't have to listen to whatever drives me back into the place of bondage but can DELIGHT in listening to God. Whenever I have thought of trying to break this stronghold my mind has taken me to places of discomfort. "It's going to be so hard. I have never been able to beat it before. I will have to give up to much." These are just a few of the thoughts that come to mind. However, the Word of God says I can delight as I listen to God speak to my deepest need. I will chose to celebrate His goodness, faithfulness and power. Thinking less on my humanness and more on His Holiness!


Blessed to be His

It's All In The Preparation!

Early morning crew. We work well as a team!

New Year's for my husband's family has always been something of a big deal. In fact I spent years at his mother's table trying to learn how to prepare traditional Japanese dishes. I knew that someday this tradition would have to be handed down to the next generation or it would be lost. I can remember waking up early in the morning on New Year's day and making my trek to her home. There would be times when we would start as early as five in the morning. Ok that is what time I started. You see I didn't realize until last year that she probably started much earlier than this.
The time has come when it is now my honor to try and put together this meal that honors her memory and keeps this day a special one in my family. This year I started the process on Wednesday with the usual pouring over recipes and grocery shopping. I cooked and cleaned and cooked and cleaned for the 3 days before hand with the help of many of my family. Friday we rolled sushi, cleaned shrimp, and stuffed Agi. Friday night came with a sigh of relief that once again we were almost done with all the preparations. In the morning there would just be a few last minute things that needed to be completed.

Pealing shrimp can be fun when done with those you love.

As my eyes fluttered open New Year's morning I immediately started making a list of the last minute things that needed to be done and who I would assign them to. In our family we operated on the old saying, "Many hands make light work." My sister and her girls had stayed the night so I knew we had more than enough help. As one person vacuumed another made beds. Some put food on serving platters and others prepared the drink station. I stood in the kitchen at the sink loving the commotion of getting ready for our guests. As I was thanking the Lord for His many, many blessing I started dwelling on the fact that this one day took a tremendous amount of work. This led me to ask the question of "why?" Why was I working so hard? Why did I care if the floor was vacuumed? Why did I need to make sure I had enough food to not only serve my guests but probably most of their relatives? Was it pride? Was it that I needed to look good in the eyes of others? Was it because I wanted in some way to earn their kudos? As I washed my last dish before everyone arrived John 14:2-3 popped into my head. It says, "In my Father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (emphasis are mine). Then it dawned on me...the reason I work so hard, the reason everything has to be top notch is not because of how it reflects on me. The reason why I want things to be prepared in the best way possible is because I want my guests to know how important they are to me. They are so valuable and so loved that I have prepared for their arrival. I have not just thrown things together in hopes that it would be enough, but I have actually prepared for them.
Oh dear ones....Christ has prepared for you. He has planned for you. He is waiting with a great amount of expectancy for you. So much so that it is clear that He did not leave the preparations to anybody else. He wants you to know that if He takes the time to prepare He will be back to claim what is His. You!
Like a parent expecting a child...the colors have been picked. The room has everything that will be needed. Every detail has been planned and put into place. Nothing is left undone. Nothing out of order. And He waits patiently for the arrival of something so valuable. Something so precious...so loved.
Please don't misunderstand me. Jesus, if you have accepted Him as Lord, lives with you right now. He lives within you as the Holy Spirit.  What He is waiting for is for you to go and live with Him. What a glorious day that will be! All the preparation He has done will be enjoyed by both Him and I.


Blessed to be His!

A New Resolution?

Every year at this time we hear over and over again about New Year's Resolutions made.  Oh most of them are pretty generic.  You know the old; "To eat healthier," "To read more," or my personal favorite, "To lose weight.  There are words spoken like, "This year I am going to be kinder," or "I am going to get done everything I didn't do last year."  I am sure all these are spoken with the utmost sincerity, but statistics will tell you that by the end of January most resolutions have been broken.  In fact they are not only broken they are forgotten.
What if this year instead of making a resolution that even if accomplished will only have lifetime effects, we make a resolution that if kept will not just effect your tomorrows but will have eternal consequences?  What if this resolution also had a ripple effect?  That by the end of the year your loved ones could stand back and marvel at the person you are becoming.  What if this resolution grounded you in truth and inspire others?  Does this sound daunting?  Out of reach?  Impossible to accomplish?  I have GOOD NEWS!
This resolution takes two to accomplish it.  One of the individuals has never failed at anything.  He is always on time, always on task, and always true.  He is faithful, merciful, beautiful, graceful, loving, understanding, patient, and so much more.  He cannot be beaten.  He cannot be persuaded to give up.  This individual is Jesus.
The second man, or woman, in this case is you.  What do you bring to the table?  Nothing more than a willing heart that says..."This year my resolution is to know Him more."  A whisper spoken from a faithful heart will start the ball rolling.  You don't have to offer anything more than what you possess right now.  What can you give to this New Year's Resolution?  A few minutes a day?  An extra 10 minutes before bed?
I know one woman who started her journey to know Jesus by setting a timer for 1 hour.  When the timer went off she stopped what she was doing and asked, "Jesus? Are you there?"  Then she would listen.  She would record in a note book any thought, feeling, or impression she received at that very moment.  To read some of her responses was comical.  There was one that read, "Put pineapple on the ham before baking."  Then there were others that would bring a tear to the eye of the most harden of hearts.  "My hurt is so deep it is cutting into others.  When I open my mouth I slice them open with the pain I feel.  Lord heal me!"  GOD replied "I've already started."  You see, this resolution is an easy one because the responsibility doesn't just rest on your shoulders.  If you will give it the smallest amount of effort, the gains will astound you.  He takes your effort and He multiplies it by His power...Kaboom!  In the process of knowing Him better other things start to take place.  Hurts are healed, sicknesses are cured, lives are restored...miracles happen.
My resolution this year....To know Him more.  How about you?

Blessed to be His!