Run for the Son

June 11, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Recently, I have begun participating in 5k races. Most often, on the last mile, there will be someone, that has already crossed the finished line, which comes back to encourage those of us, who have not made it, yet. When I was racing Saturday there was a runner, who had crossed the finished line. He then, came back into the race to give other reassurance, that they could make it to the finished line, as well.

When that guy came by me & said, “Good job! You’ve almost made it!” It made me think of how Jesus cares for His own. Even though we are out in the world, Jesus is there to cheer us on to the finished line of life.

He gives us comforting words in the Bible, to help us along.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

He cares when we have troubles.

Psalms 34: 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.

He mends broken hearts.

Psalms 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

He wants us to have a rich & fulfilling life in Him,

John 10:10 …I have come that they may have life & have it more abundantly.

As Jesus waits on us, He keeps the avenue of prayer open to the faithful. In that, we may petition Him in prayer & He will hear us.

John 9: 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will He hears him.

He wants us to be faithful to the end.

Revelation 2:10 …Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

As we keep running our journey of life, we can know Jesus is there. He is in our hearts, cheering us on to the finished line. Let us always strive to run our race of life, for the Son.

When nothing seems right

May 31, 2012May 31, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

There are times that it doesn’t take much to get us down, does it? Maybe some unkind words from a friend, bad news from the auto mechanic, a financial set back, or a misbehaving child can put a cloud of gloom over everything (even on the sunniest of days!). You know you should be joyful, but everything just seems to be against you, making the simplest task a struggle.

The psalmist David must have been feeling a lot like that when he wrote Psalm 6. He felt weak & sickly (v. 2), troubled (v.3), forsaken (v.4), weary (v.6), and grief-stricken (v.7). But he knew what to do when nothing seemed right. He looked up & trusted God to take care of him & see him through.

When we look up & focus on God, something wonderful happens! We get our eyes off of ourselves & gain a new appreciation of Him.

Next time you think nothing is right, consider looking up to God for guidance. He is sovereign (Psalm 47:8). He loves you (I John 4: 9-10), He considers you special (Matthew 6:26), He has purpose for your trials (James 1:2-4).

Keeping our eyes on God will make us happy!

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden & I will give you rest.”

He didn’t say go out & buy something to make yourself feel better. He didn’t say turn to eating, drinking, or drugs to help you cope with your problems. He said come to Him.

Yes, life can seem unbearable at times. But don’t let it keep you down. Meditate on God’s goodness, talk to Him, and know that He hears you (Psalm 6:9). That will give you the strength & courage to get up when nothing is right.

When life knocks you down, you are in a good position to pray!

Parts of this was taken from an article in Our Daily Bread, written by Dave Branon. It was such a great read, I had to share it with you all. Life is hard sometimes, isn’t it? But if it were easy all the time, what lessons does that teach us? How would you know how others felt, in their times of pain & sorrow, if you had not been through things similar. In that case, you can help another person who doesn’t think anything is right! That’s how Jesus wants us to be. Caring for each other. Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love to stay & visit but I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes!

Chocolate Revelation

May 20, 2012 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

I don’t know about y’all, but my Mama could cook. She made not only wonderful meals, but she made fantastic desserts. One that she used to make us was a chocolate eclair dessert. I thought I would attempt to make one for my family. So, I got all the ingredients together & set out to fix it like Mama would. There was, however, a certain ingredient, that I had not used before. It was Baker’s unsweetened chocolate bars. When it got to the part to melt those babies up, I was gettin’ all happy & excited. I had a big ‘ol smile on my face. Just smelling the chocolatey goodness brought thoughts of yumminess to my mind. I’m not sure what kind of cooks y’all are, but I like to take a “taste” of whatever I cook. You know, just to make sure everything’s going alright. I stuck the tip of my finger in the bowl full of chocolate. Then, I could not wait to have a taste. But when I did, I could not get that strong chocolate out of my mouth quick enough. It was awful! It had no sugar whatsoever in it. It was bitter & nasty! The claims that the label of the box had of “unsweetened chocolate”. They really meant that.

That incident got me to thinking about what Jesus tell us about sin. Just as I had realized about the chocolate, I thought, will I stand before Christ in judgment & say the same thing, “Wow, He really meant that?” There are several sins pointed out directly in

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are :adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, v. 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, v. 21envy, murders, drunkeness, revelries and the like: of which I tell you beforehand just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I know that we understand adultery & fornication are wrong. But do you mean lashing out at people in anger is a sin? I know we understand killing someone is not right. But do you mean being jealous is catagorized on the same list of sins? What is the other thing the apostle Paul says about a person who makes these things parts of their lives? Verse 21 in Galatians 5 says they will not go to heaven. So, what does that mean for me? I have to keep my heart in check at all times. Knowing that when I stand before God on the day of judgment, I will be accountable for these kinds of sins. Let’s make sure we are watching our actions, controlling our mouths, and keeping our lives acceptable in the Lord. Otherwise, we may have that awful taste of sin in our lives before we know it. There are consequences to all of our decisions we make. Whether they be good or bad. Always knowing that when God says thou shalt not……He really means that.

The culprit-when it says “unsweetened”, they really mean that.

Stumbling block inventory

May 9, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Finding faults in others is a popular pastime. Unfortunately, a lot of us find it’s easy to join the fun. Concentrating on the flaws of others can be a great way to feel better about ourselves. That’s typically, the problem! Avoiding the faults that need to be fixed in our own lives, not only dampers our spiritual growth, it too gets in the way of God’s work through us. God’s effectiveness through our lives is made better or is hindered by the way we live.

In Romans 14:13 the apostle Paul tells of the character we should have.

Therefore, let us not judge one another, anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

Back up in verse 10 he states:

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

We are all in this together. Why be so petty about things?

If we want to be authentic & useful for the Lord, we must continually take a stumbling block inventory. At times stumbling blocks are things that in and of themselves may be real. Yet in certain contexts, may be inappropriate. But sin is clearly a stumbling block to others. Gossip, slander, boasting, bitterness, greed, abuse, anger, selfishness, and revenge all close the hearts of those around us to the message God sends through us. Just to think, our lives, may be the only Bible some people ever see. Now, that’s a big responsibility that we have. To keep ourselves clean & unspotted from the world. (James 1: 27) You may say, “but you just don’t know how mean this person is or how hurtful they have been to me.” I do know this, there is no problem too big that you & God can’t work out. Let God have His way with people. In life people will be mean, rude, unfair, gossipy, hurtful, and greedy. Pray for those people. Don’t let their hatred consume your heart & make you the same things they are. We must be the bigger person.

In Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus preaching his sermon from the mountain said this:

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. v.44 But I say to you, love our enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

Now, that’s a tough pill to swallow! Pray for someone who has said bad things about me? Pray for someone who has embarrassed me? Pray for someone whose selfishness has caused me to hurt? You may ask,”Why does that person deserve my prayers?” If you look at it from God’s perspective- these prayers are for your benefit. For you to keep a heart that’s willing to mention a person who does not deserve God’s graciousness. Those people are the ones who need it the most. And it’s hard to keep bitterness locked up in a heart full of prayer. God does not want us to be angry. He wants us to love. And what better way to keep that love in your heart, than to lift up someone in prayer? It’s hard to be selfish or mad when you are asking a blessing over someone who’s wronged you. Get the picture? God loves us & does not want us to be someone who lets a situation eat at them. He wants us praying for each other & not being someone with so much emotional baggage that His work can’t be seen in us.

I Cor 13: 4-5 says thatprov love is kind, does not envy, does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.

We should strive to condition ourselves to be kind, no matter what. God says in order to love, we must be kind. In the end, our kindness is what matters the most. We have to be responsible for what we have done in our lives, how we have acted & treated people, not how they have treated us. God will have His day with those folks! He even says so –

Romans 12:19…”Vengence is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Now, don’t you think God can handle these hard to deal with people better than you? Of course He can. A dear friend of mine has said her mother used to say, “Kill them with kindness.” I think that is a very good lesson. When someone hurts your feelings, just be kind. When someone says mean things about you, be kind. When someone is rude to you, be kind. That way, they can see God living in you. That will either turn them toward God, or just make them mad. Either way, you have done your part by being what God wants you to be- kind.

So, let’s replace our faults with the wonderful ways of Jesus. This will help others to see our Savior more clearly.

Some of this message was taken from an Our Daily Bread article written by Joe Stowell. I have so many thoughts about this subject. Maybe I will write more about it later. But for now, I have to go because I should be washing clothes………..

Respect for Someone wiser

April 17, 2012April 17, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

My 17 year old daughter, just recently, had the privilege of being a Page for the Senate of our awesome state! When she got back home, she told stories of how she met all different kinds of people, how she heard many opinions & witnessed bills being turned into laws. She got to meet the governor & have her picture made with him. She got to have a great experience learning about how our great state functions, in the heart of the capital. One thing that really made an impression to her was how the house of representatives & the senate conducted themselves. She said at times, there was yelling, squabbling, and even a representative doing a compelling depiction of a snake (to get his point across about how he felt regarding other representatives votes). It was very entertaining. However, she noted there was one senator, that had the floor when he spoke. She said it was as if everyone was in awe of him. That their respect for him was great & no one would fancy the idea of being anything less than attentive when he made his thoughts known. She said it was if when he spoke, he imparted wisdom.

Jesus is the perfect example of someone people wanted to listen to. In Luke 6, it is told how the multitudes followed Christ.

In verse 17, “He came down with them, and stood on a level place with a crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases.”

Can’t you imagine such a large group of people listening & hanging on every word of Jesus? Following Him around, just to see what He was going to say next? These people were hungry for the Lord’s words of wisdom. They fed on his righteous teachings. That’s why where ever Jesus went, there was always a crowd. Sometimes He would have to “withdraw” from the group of followers, just to get some rest. (Luke 5: 16) Those folks were longing for the love & saving grace Jesus had to offer to the lost & dying world. It says in Luke 4:32 that Jesus’s word was with authority. These people knew they had someone magnificent in their presence.

When did we quit wanting to listen to Jesus? Was it when we got that job that takes up so much of our time, that we hardly have a minute to spend reading the Bible? Was it when we bought that new car or house or boat, that we think we paid for with OUR money? We get too worried with what I can gain, what I can do, what I can be, to remember, we would be nothing, have nothing, or even be in existence without our Lord & Savior. Let’s take a minute to be like these multitudes, that followed Jesus around, in awe of His presence. We should respect Him, when He speaks to us through His word. By faith, we can be like these weary people, who’s main concern was listening to Jesus. In Luke 4: 42 it tells how the crowds sought Jesus & tried to keep Him from leaving them. Their hearts were in the right place. Is yours?

What we leave behind

March 14, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

A friend of mine wrote recently, “If we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family left behind would feel the loss for the rest of their lives. Why then do we invest so much in our work & so little in our families’ lives?”

Why do we sometimes exhaust ourselves rising up early and going late to rest “eating the bread of sorrow” Psalms 127:1-2, busying ourselves to make our mark on this world, and overlooking the one investment that matters beyond everything else-our family.

We should strive to love our families. I Cor 13 says a lot of things that love is. Love suffers long & is kind v.4 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, & endures all things v. 7. That’s a lot of wonderful things we should be willing to share with our loved ones. On the same token, here’s what love is NOT: Love is not rude v. 5 Love is not prideful v.4 Love is not provoked & thinks no evil v. 5 We should always be mindful that our families ought to be the most important people in the world to us. We should not be rude to them, think we are better than them, provoke them, or cause evil to come from them. This is not the behavior that the Lord sets before us as love. However, are we nicer to the people we work with than our own families? I know I have been guilty of bringing frustrations & aggrivations, from work, home with me. I must keep in mind the verses in I Cor 13. I should strive to be more like the person in this chapter, to make sure I am showing Christlike love. In the end, it all hangs on these three things: And now abide faith, hope, & love, these three, but the greatest of these is love. v.13 Loving our family is the most worthy thing we can do. There is no need for “anxious toil”, working day & night, for the wise man Solomon proclaimed, for the Lord does take care of us (Psalms 127:2 …for so He gives His beloved sleep)

I have seen love in action, so much through out my life. My Daddy’s love for my Mama in her last years, their unconditional love for me, my wonderful in-law’s love for me, my husband’s love, my children’s love, my brother’s love, my niece & nephews’ love, and the list goes on. I want to be sure that I have returned that special Christ like love to them, as well. When my days are over, I want them to know that God is most important over everything. We must live a life acceptable to God, to receive that crown of life. I pray that they will understand that the Lord will provide for us in all ways, if we trust in Him. We must be determined to leave an investment we will never regret.

(Parts of this was taken from “Our Daily Bread” devo book – devo written by David Roper)

This is something to think about & to ready ourselves for. However, I will think more on it later. Because now I should be washing clothes….

O ye of little faith!

March 3, 2012March 3, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

With the natural disasters going on, I thought it appropriate to blog about how God takes care of us.

In 2004, the Tsunami that ravaged the seashore of India was devastating. People were killed, homes destroyed, the land in total chaos. I heard some interesting facts, not long after this happened. Supposedly during this time, there were about 150,000 people in dozens of countries, that lost their lives. However, there were very few animals found dead. It is said their natural instinct told them to seek higher ground. Eyewitnesses reported elephants screamed & ran for safety. Dogs refused to go outdoors. Flamingos abandoned their low-lying areas. Zoo animals rushed into their shelters & could not be enticed to come back out. The believeth that wild & domesticated animals possess a sixth sense is intriguing. It is completely amazing to me how this happens. How God takes care of animals. Christ clearly states in Matthew 10:31 that we are more valuable than many sparrows. In Luke 12:24 He says for us to consider the ravens. God feeds them. Of how much more value are we than the birds? Aren’t we more important to God than birds? Of course we are! And from reading about how he takes care of animals, why, we must be really special to Him!

Luke 12:27-28 Consider the lilies, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin: and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith!

God has divine purpose for us all. He would not forsake us. He loves us too much. Whenever you get down & you think things are hopeless, remember you are loved by the One who created the moon & the stars! If God had a refrigerator, He would have your picture on it! Our Father is a king! That’s quite an inheritance we have there. We should go out & see that we live up to it . Always mindful that our Lord cares for us.

How good it feels to know I have a Lord that takes care of me & my family! I could blog about God’s love for us, all day. However, I have got to get going, because I should be washing clothes!

Never Go Alone

February 29, 2012 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

My 8 year old does not like to be by herself. When she goes to a part of our house, where no one else is, she always calls for someone to go with her. She does not like to watch t.v. alone, sleep alone, or walk up the sidewalk at school alone. She doesn’t understand it now, but she’s never by herself. God is always with her. He never leaves us alone. In Romans 8:38-39, the apostle Paul explains, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

I think that covers about any place you could be. And where is God? Right there with you! I have heard if God seems far away, who moved? This is so true. It plainly states in the scriptures that God is with us, if we want Him to be. I know some people may not know God, & may not care. I don’t mean to be blunt, but boy, they are missing out! They are missing out of the most terrific, comforting, loving, peaceful spirit they could ever experience, in their lives. Isn’t that a wonderful comfort? Just to know God is with us & protects us & loves us.

We should always strive to be close to God. One way to do this is by praying. We can pray at anytime, anywhere. It does not have to be quiet, head bowed, with no one around. You can pray in the car, at work, taking your kids to school, or at the check out line at the grocery store. Why, I have even heard of stop light prayers. When you are stopped in your car at a stop light, look around at a vehicle next to you & say a prayer for that person. Who knows what blessing it could be for them! It’s so important to talk to God. It’s hard to feel alone, when you are talking to God. I heard a preacher’s wife, who was speaking at a Ladies Day I attended, talk about this: Another way to be close to God is to read His word, the Bible. Can you imagine wanting to be friends with someone, but never letting them talk to you? This is when you allow God to talk to you, when you read His word. Doesn’t that make sense? Read your Bible, let God talk to you. How could you feel alone with someone talking to you?

I firmly believe we can enrich our lives & live them to the fullest by walking with God. We do this by praying & listening to Him in His word. My prayer is that you keep God in your heart. That way, you will never go anywhere alone. I so hope you ponder these things for awhile. I have enjoyed being here with you today. However, for now, I must go, because I should be washing clothes……..

Keep your head up!

February 11, 2012 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

God loves optimistic people. He wants us to have a positive outlook & bring good news & peace, rather than strife & contentions. (Proverbs 15:18, Galatians 5:20). When my oldest son & his girlfriend had been in a terrible car wreck, my heart was blessed to have met his girlfriend’s stepmom. Although his girlfriend’s prognosis was very touch & go, each time I had a conversation with her stepmom, she was always very positive about her stepdaughter’s condition. We were both doing a lot of the same things, camping out in the ICU waiting room, hearing good & bad news from the doctors, sleep deprived & hearts hurting. However, my new friend always spoke of what good was happening, not the grim side of it. It seemed she just refused to take something detrimental as the outcome. She always lifted my spirits. Her attitude was wonderful, at a time that did not appear, much hope was left.

It makes me think of Paul & Silas’s attitude when they were imprisoned. Beginning in Acts 16:20 Paul & Silas were going through a terrible ordeal. Not only did a crowd of people come at them for healing a demon possessed girl, their clothes were torn off of them. They were beaten with rods. After that, they were thrown in jail. However, instead of looking at how bad their situation was, they looked up to God. They were determined to not let their situation get the best of them. They were not telling God how big their problems were. They were telling their problems how big their God was. When they they considered God, they were found praying & singing hymns to glorify Him in their trials. (Acts 16:25)

What an inspiring attitude! Even when things were the worst, they still were optimistic & praised God. The encounter I had with my new-found friend had an everlasting effect on me. It taught me that no matter how grim reality may seem, there’s good in everything. May we always see God’s goodness in every situation.

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news,

who practices peace,

who brings glad tidings of good things,

who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion,

your God reigns.

Expiration date

February 10, 2012February 10, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

As I was pouring a glass of milk, the other day, I looked at the expiration date. Then, I thought, it seems like everything now a days, has an expiration date. Soft drinks, medicine, even canned foods give dates of when they should be used by. It also made me think–I even have an expiration date! Of course, only God knows when that will be. However, I must work dilligently for Christ, until I expire! When I do expire, I will have a home with Jesus forever. Isn’t that wonderful? Just knowing the prize I strive for, makes me not be so concerned about my expiration date. I must not get stale or sour before then. I have to be serving the Lord by faith & my works. James 2:17 reads “….faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” I can’t stop doing good, for any reason. May we always be aware that we have an expiration date & be prepared at all times.

Revelation 2:10 …Be faithful until death & I will give you the crown of life.