What kind of Christian are you?

October 28, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Sometimes it’s necessary to step back & see what we have going on in our lives. We get so caught up in the hustle & bustle of life, that sometimes, we might lose sight of what our real purpose is. Sometimes we may just need to stop & ask,

“What kind of Christian am I?”

Do we try to follow God by doing our own thing? Do we go to church just whenever we get ready? (Hebrews 10: 25) Are we kind, whenever it strikes us, which is not very often? (I Cor. 13:4) Do we open our Bibles, anytime between Sunday & Wednesday night or Wednesday night & Sunday?(II Tim. 2:15) Are we praying….at all? (I Thess. 5:17) Are we judgmental of others?(Matt. 7:1) Listen to what Jesus has to say about doing things our own way-

John 10:1 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2. Do we do the bare minimum? Do we say, I show up for church on Sunday, that’s good enough, right? Well, what are you doing the other 6 days of the week? Do you look around & see what’s the very least you can get by with doing for the Lord & leave the rest for someone else to do? Let me ask you, did God send just anybody to die on the cross for our sins? No, He sent the very best He had. His own Son. God doesn’t hold back for us. He puts everything He has into all He gives us. He’s just awesome like that.

My Daddy has always said, “If you never learn to ~~like~~ LOVE the things of God, you will always be in a struggle. God does not hold anything from man that is not good for them. You have to learn to love what God gives us, only.”

Do we give back to God, the least we can get by with? When we learn to love the things of God, we won’t have any problem giving back to God with all our hearts. We will never be able to out give God. So, buckle down & give God your all!

3 . Do we do everything we can with excitement & knowing it is for the greater good? Or do we throw a hissy fit when somebody says something wrong or does something that just don’t sit quite right with us? Are we on fire for the Lord? Or are we just on fire with anger & resentment? You can’t express love if you are angry. When you help someone to the top of the hill, you can’t help but get closer yourself. That’s love, that’s putting others before yourself, that’s doing what God wants. The apostle Paul said in his letter to the church at Rome in

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Get excited by loving God’s will & doing what His word says, just because it’s the right thing to do.

So, I want you to not only ask yourself, “What kind of Christian am I?” but also, “What kind of Christian do I want to be?” Then, launch out in faith & be everything God wants you to be. I promise you, if you will make prayer a fierce warrior in your life & not a last resort, God will work in your life. Make sure you are praying for our leaders of this great country of ours, too. My Mama always said,

“If you can’t say anything nice about somebody, don’t say nothing.”

Don’t complain about our government leaders, be in prayer for them! Let God work in their lives, so that we can live, with God as the center of our country.

Thank you so much for coming by to visit with me today. I am so thankful and feel blessed that you want to come spend some time with me! As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

**Parts of this was from a lesson I listened to taught by Bro. Brad. Thank you Bro. Brad for always being a straight shooter.

God’s Power

October 11, 2013October 10, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

photo credit: fbcoverlovers.com

I read a very thought provoking statement the other day:

“God’s power to restore is stronger than Satan’s power to destroy.”

Hmmm…this got the wheels to turning in my head. I started plugging in all of the problems of my life into that statement. I thought about some of my relationships that have turned from love to indifference. I thought of my own child, who has fallen by the wayside, and lives a life not pleasing to God. I thought of the things that hover over me daily, that try to weaken my faith. I thought of my family, that is not in church. I thought of how some people enjoy being critical & judgmental. I thought about all the material things others have, that I don’t. Goodness gracious! It didn’t take me long to really get a list going & to think “what in the world do I have to be happy about?” Well, let me just tell you. I am fortunate & blessed to have Jesus in my life.

I John 4:4 says Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

That means Who I have in my heart is bigger & better than anything in the world! I then thought about my children who are in church. I thought about those family members, who are a Godly bunch . I thought about how there are things & people in life that I cannot, and would not want to, control. However, I have an avenue of prayer to bring all of that to the Lord. I thought about how even when those around me are rude or mean, I have the power to not imitate the same behavior. I thought of the wonderful church family I have & how they share my journey with Christ. I thought about how life is unfair, but God’s not. I thought about how I pray for my son each & every day that goes by & I believe, with all my heart, God has a plan for him. I thought about how I am surrounded by good people who really care about me. I thought of how no matter what comes my way, my God is able to restore anything back better than it was in the beginning.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Ephesians 3:21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I also considered King Solomon. He had all the riches the Earth could give him. He turned from God, trying to chase his own rabbit, to find happiness. He involved himself in the lusts of the world. At one time he had 300 concubines, 700 wives & princesses, & he turned his heart to other gods. From the world’s view, it might have seemed like he was living the life. But, his morals went to pot pretty quick. Without God, he found contentment for a season, but ended up with emptiness inside. The wisest man of his time, ended up giving this advice about how to really live life:

^{Ecclesiastes 12:13}Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
¹⁴For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

And you cannot even think about a life being changed & restored without mentioning Job. His latter days were better than the beginning (after he went through some really hard times in his life).

Job 42:12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. ¹³He also had seven sons and three daughters. ¹⁴And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. ¹⁵In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.

God even made Job’s daughters beautiful. What a wonderful God is that? Nobody wants ugly kids! He just slipped that right in there. That was just icing on the cake.

So, today I ask you, do you dwell on Satan’s power to destroy, much more that the Lord’s power to restore? It’s so easy to do. But know that the Lord has plans for our lives that are bigger than anything we can ask or think. We just have to live by His word & leave Him to do his job. That’s my problem sometimes. I try to take on worries & troubles that aren’t mine in the first place. I get tired of the struggles & troubles of life & want to give in to something easier. However, my job is to have faith & believe God will take care of it all. When I do that, I begin to experience the peace & love God promises. And that feeling is really good. Like sweet tea & fried chicken good.

Thank you for coming by to spend some time with me. I enjoy our visits together! Just know & believe that better things are coming. We are all going to have trials & heartache. Isn’t it better to have trials & heartache with Jesus? I hope you have a wonderful day. As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Preparing For Winter in the South

October 1, 2013 / kstrick7 / 2 Comments

Fall is in the air, in northeast Mississippi. It seems just like yesterday, we were complaining about the hot, humid, weather. Now, it seems we may be getting a much needed break. This time of the year puts me in mind of my grandmother & preparation.

You see, as I was growing up, both sets of my grandparents planted & grew gardens. Me and my brother stayed with my Mama Boyce & Papa Clyde, (Daddy’s mama & daddy) while Mama & Daddy were at work. This meant after school & summers were spent, doing whatever it was we could get away with, at their house on Leedy Hill. Papa Clyde & Mama Boyce always had a big garden every summer. We affectionately referred to it as the truck patch. I never really knew why it was called a truck patch. It wasn’t even close to a truck. If anyone out there knows, please enlighten me. Anyways, we worked in the garden all summer long. We would get out in the hot morning sun & pick whatever it was that was in at the time. We picked purple hull peas, squash, tomatoes, okra, corn, cucumbers, butter beans, green beans, pretty much anything you could think of. Then, there were plums, apples, strawberries, mucadines, peaches, pears, all kinds of fruit trees, too. My brother can still tell you the exact whereabouts the pear tree was on the property. I’m sure because he picked up many a pears off the ground, before they ruined. Mama Boyce made sure little went to waste around there. We shelled peas & butter beans, snapped green beans, shucked corn, & basically helped to work up the vegetables, so that Mama Boyce could put them up. She canned & froze the vegetables. She made pickles out of the cucumbers & okra. She would call my Aunt Edna over to make jelly.

My Aunt Edna laughs & says, “Mama had a child for everything. If she needed something from town, she would call on Mary Helen. If she needed to go to the doctor, your Daddy took her. If she had to go to the hospital she wanted Tooter to help her. If she needed help when she got out of the hospital, she would call Nancy. If anyone was coming to visit or if the garden came in, she called me.” Looking back, summers were dedicated to preparing for winter. It was a canning, freezing frenzy of a time. Mama Boyce & Papa Clyde were determined we were going to have plenty to eat, while it was cold outside. We had a big family, so that was a lot of preparation. They most certainly knew the importance of working & not being lazy. The result, from the summer garden, was food in abundance all winter long. It was a matter of taking care of their own. Not haphazardly tossing caution to the wind, just sitting around waiting for someone else to provide for us. They realized things just did not happen. They taught us hard work & preparation is key to success & survival.

Proverbs 6:6 says Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

There is a method to the madness of an ant. It’s preparation. Just as my grandmother saw the importance of preparing for the winter. There was no rest for those few months. But, in the colder months, when our bellies were full of warm comfort foods, we understood why she insisted we be such worker ants. It’s easier to appreciate the bountiful harvest, once the hard work is over.

There is something else that’s being prepared right this minute. That’s our home in heaven.

John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

²In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

I am so thankful for my preparing grandmother, but I am most thankful for my preparing Savior. What a blessing to know Jesus is making preparations for me to come be with Him. That makes me smile! I hope it makes you happy, too. His preparations for us as Christians, in the end, will make everything worthwhile. Just as my earthly grandmother was so thoughtful in her preparing for our needs, the Lord is thinking of us right now, while he prepares for us to be with Him for eternity. That should just make us feel really good. Like chocolate gravy & biscuits good.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. I always love when you stop by. I hope you are getting some good fall weather wherever you are. Enjoy the rest of your day! As for me, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Is the ‘Like’ button really important?

September 23, 2013September 23, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

How many of you like to be liked? (My hand raised higher than anyone else.) There’s just something about other people approving what we think, say, or do, that gives us a smile. I don’t know anyone, who at any age does not want their parents to be proud of them. Feeling as if someone admires us is similar to getting up to a breakfast of biscuits & chocolate gravy! We are excited and it just makes us feel good down in our belly. We are creatures that crave to be praised! We want to be popular & feel as if we matter. When I post a new status on Facebook or pin something to Pinterest, I am always super excited to see how many “likes” I get. Even on this little ‘ol blog here, I am loving the “likes”! Each “Like” is similar to getting a present. (And who doesn’t love presents?) I always look to see who my likes are from. Because it’s important to see who’s agreeing with you, isn’t it? It’s great to feel like you are favored! I don’t think I am alone in this. I read in an article there was a study of 200,000 employees. They were trying to find out why their productivity was low. Do you know what the outcome was? It did not involve wanting more money. A need to feel appreciation & affirmation topped the list, of what they wanted from their superiors. You might say, affirmation was a basic human need

If the church at Corinth had a Facebook page today, I think the apostle Paul would use the “Like” button, to show his enthusiasm for them. He surely was one to be an encourager to the church at Corinth.

I Corinthians 1: 2-5 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

Paul continually & purposely showed his appreciation to God for the church. When we see others who are striving to obey God-let’s show our appreciation to them. There’s not a person on Earth that does not like to feel appreciated & loved. We need to thank God for the work He is doing through them.

I am so thankful for you & that you came by to visit with me today. It has been such a whirlwind, since school started. You know better than anybody what it’s like to be busy! Please think of someone you can encourage today. Then, go do it!! I will do the same, but for now, I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes!

**Parts of this was borrowed from Our Daily Bread-MarvinWilliams

Sin that can’t be forgiven

August 31, 2013August 30, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Did you know there is sin that God can’t forgive? Those sins are sins we don’t ask forgiveness for! Yes, God can forgive any sin there is known to man. We have to bring those to him & ask forgiveness. Otherwise, how does the Lord know we are truly repentant? I want to share with you a personal story about a conversation I had with a loved one. This is a story of repentance & forgiveness.

After much prayer & ~~faithful patience~~, (What I really mean is sleepless nights, asking, “Why Lord?”, what could I have done to prevent this?, what can I do to help this?, slight wringing of hands, shortness of breath, and did I say A LOT of prayer??) I had a wonderful, uplifting, repentant, tearful & grave conversation with a loved one about the Lord. This person had been out of church for some time. They came to the realization, things in their life just wasn’t right. They knew the only way to make it right was repentance. Finally, they bravely took that step to say I am sorry, Lord, please forgive me. Since that conversation ,this person has certainly been living up to a Christ-like standard. Just the other night I heard them say, “Things are so much better since I started back to church. Everything just seems easier. I am so much happier!” Isn’t it amazing the peace you get from letting go of the sin that weights you down? How many times do we keep ourselves from that happiness & peace? All because of our stubbornness & pride.

Psalms 32 is a wonderful explanation to what this disease sin does to you & how you can get rid of it.

Psalms 32: 3 & 4 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

When we don’t admit that we have sin, we wear ourselves out physically. We lose sleep, we can’t eat, we worry, we stress. Wouldn’t it just be easier, just to admit our sin? You would think. I know personally,sometimes I get stubborn & try to dismiss things. Or I make excuses to myself about it. However, I should know by now, life is circle. What comes around, goes around. You reap what you sow. If I don’t confess my sins to the Lord, it’s not good.

Psalms 32:5 says this- I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

The Lord forgives me when I ask for it. So, it’s probably a good idea to let go of my stubborn headed, I can do this myself attitude & humble myself- daily. This means 1. having a humble heart to forgive others. 2. Having a humble heart to say I am sorry to others. And by all means having a humble heart to keep my mouth shut so that I don’t have to worry about number 2. Hurting feelings is like breaking a dish. Sure you can pick up the shattered pieces & put it all back together. No matter how hard you try to make it just like it was, it will never be the same. That’s no excuse for not trying to make things as right as you can. How can you ever be in a right state with God if you have those who you have hurt & are too prideful to ask for forgiveness? Jesus says you can’t.

Matthew 5:23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember your brother has something against you,

v. 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Pretty self explanatory. You do someone wrong, go make it right, so that you can stay in a right relationship with God. Or if you know someone has something against you, no matter if it’s your fault or not. Try to make it right. But if you can’t move on. Do not hang around to let those people drag you down in gloom & doom with them! Ya’ll, it’s just not worth it!

That is all I am going to say about forgiveness from others, in this article. I will post another time about what to do when you are at odds with others & you did nothing to cause it. Because Lord knows it’s bound to happen. Just keep an open line with God. We all need forgiveness. Each. And. Every. One. Of. Us. (Bless our hearts!) I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. You always brighten my day. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day. Make it happy! As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

August 26, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

II Corinthians 7:4 …I am filled with comfort, I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

photo credit: gospelgifs.com

Do you ever get upset when something unwelcome happens in your life? Why, a harsh comment, a financial problem, a sick loved one, a relationship that’s just not what it should be, an unruly child, dealing with addiction,*** any of these things can just take the friendly right out of you! It just seems like the weight of the world is hanging on our shoulders. How could things be any worse? How could anyone really understand? Then, those feelings of woe, depression & anxiety begin to follow you around. This week, I read about someone who loved problems. He even said they made him really glad. No, it’s not a man who’s cornbread wasn’t quite done, or who was a few bricks shy of a load. It was the apostle Paul.

Do you think the apostle Paul a little “cooky” for finding troubles joyful? I have to admit, joy is sure not my first knee jerk reaction, when problems come around in my life. However, Paul had accomplished something we all should work toward. He had trained his mind to see the good in all things. He had made his thoughts so pure, that no negativity was going to enter in his mind, to rob his joy. I kind of see it like a barrier, like a hedge around something. You make joy the center of your mind. When troubles start to come in, bad thoughts don’t get past the barrier. They just sort of bounce off. I think it would take a lot of prayer to keep that hedge up. But, I truly believe, it can be done. It’s all about what we practice & discipline ourselves to do. We have to include God in it. How else could it be done, than with the Lord’s help?

Have you ever come across someone who lives in the state of gloom & doom? Where nothing is ever right? The glass is always ½ empty. No one or thing has ever been created that could ever please them. Do you like being around people like that? Don’t be one of those people! Griping & nagging is not only not lady-like, it does not make you pretty (or most importantly Godly). I hope this doesn’t describe you.

When it rains, look for the rainbow.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

And remember-life is only as good or miserable as you make it.

The apostle Paul was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned, and people did not want to believe what he said. Goodness gracious! What did he have to be happy about? He had Jesus. Sometimes things might get so rough, in our lives, Jesus might be the only thing we can see that’s good. That’s o.k. Because that’s all you need anyway. You have choices in your life. Choose joy!

Thank you for coming by to visit with me today. You would not believe the clothes, I have piled up, that need folding. It makes me think of how my friend refers to it as “Mount St. Laundry.” Both my girls, that are still at home, are in school. My husband & I typically enjoy wearing clean clothes, daily, as well. That makes for lots of clothes changes. I hope you have a good week. Come back to see me, soon. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes…..

photo credit: Naomi-cru.deviantart.com

***Small side note: Up in the 1st paragraph, I make mention of several things, that could really upset your world. On my first read over, I laughed out loud, when I realized I had actually listed dealing with addition, as one of those horrible things. I did correct it. However, am not so sure that for me, I did not have it right the 1st time! To read more about my dislike of math, click here.

Women of Christ

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

photo credit: righthandedreader.tumblr.com

God never ceases to amaze me. I mean, Lord have mercy. Just right when I think nothing good in the world is happening. That’s when He just comes right in & shows me He is still working diligently in our lives. Today I want to tell you about how I met with a group of young ladies, that has started meeting,-to support each other in their journey with Christ.
It all started out when my 18 year old daughter told me about this Christian ladies devotional at a friend’s house.

She said, “ I really want you to go with me. I think it will be fun.” Not to be the one to skip any fun, I decided to be her date.

The speaker, at this 1st meeting, was a friend of my daughter’s. She is young, married, & works as a preschool teacher. On Wednesday night, at church, I asked her about this gathering, she said, “It’s just a group of ladies that wants to study the Bible & I’m going to hold the devo!” She was so excited & nervous. She made me excited!
When we arrived at the hostess’s house, with our plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies, there were several young ladies, already there. We went in, introduced ourselves around, & had a seat in the living room to socialize. Some other young ladies were preparing spaghetti & alfredo sauce. My daughter’s friend told us she had cooked special noodles, especially for my daughter, since my daughter does not love spaghetti noodles (Even her friends spoil her, lucky girl!). A dining room table held a display of salad with lots of topping options & dressings. Desserts were plentiful, too. In the meantime, there was lots of laughter & hugging & “I am so happy to see yous” going on.
After enjoying a meal together, we all settled down in the living room, kitchen, & some down the hall way, to listen to what our friend had to talk about. She had a wonderful devotional about prayer. She talked about how we need to be praying for each other & with each other. It was so thought provoking. She let us give our insight & comments. She also shared some personal experiences with us. It was really a good time, with good company. I walked away with some new goals in my own prayer life & some much needed fellowship with a wonderful group of young, Christian ladies.
We have decided to meet every 3rd Friday of the month. For the next several months, some very dear ladies have already volunteered opening up their homes to us for this fellowship. I am so encouraged that with everything going on in these ladies’ lives, some with children, some with husbands, some working, some being stay at home mothers, that they have the desire to further their relationship with Christ. They want to make their homes stronger & become stronger Christians. What family would not benefit from a Godly, mother, wife, or daughter? I am so anxious to see what marvelous things God has in store for this group of young , sweet, Christian ladies.
I don’t know if it’s just a Southern thing, or if it’s because my Daddy is a preacher. It just means the world to me, to be able to visit with Godly people & share a meal. We did a lot of that growing up. It’s just right up my alley! Nothing is more Southern than Jesus & food. I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. Come back anytime. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.
On a side note***At this particular event, I expressed my concern regarding how I was the oldest one there. (From my view point the age range was 18-30 years old.) My daughter’s friend, was so kind about my apprehension. She said, “You are young! There are ladies here who are not going to all be at the same place in their lives, even if they are close to the same age. I’m glad you’re here.” Then, she added me to the group on Facebook. So, I guess I’m pretty obligated, now. (Seriously, I think they are just letting me come because the don’t want to hurt my feelings. Hey-whatever works.)

When you get tired of it all, God’s there

July 29, 2013September 12, 2016 / kstrick7 / 26 Comments

(The Living Bible translation)

Sometimes I get tired. I am tired of my problems, tired of my circumstances, tired of things not going my way, tired of people not listening, tired of feeling upset, angry, disappointed, irritated, unappreciated, anxious, irritated, sad, & by the way, irritated! (Isn’t there a pill you can take for some of that? Sheesh!) I normally try to be an upbeat person, but you know, it can be tiring. That’s when I start to realize,

“What am I doing?”

I am trying to “do” all this life stuff by myself.

Well, that’s just nonsense. There is Someone who promised me They would help, if I would let Them.
Matthew 11:28-30 says this, about that:

v. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
v. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
v. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Our preacher spoke about this on Sunday. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Jesus invites us to Him. We have a tendency to want to do things our way. Jesus will not snap His fingers & take away all the problems we have created for ourselves, by bad choices. He will give us comfort, if we seek Him. Often time we struggle with messes we make. Our struggles could be from forgiveness to or from others. It could be from our finances, our family, addictions, to a lustful heart, envying, jealousy, or hatred. But, Jesus forgives. The apostle Peter had one of the biggest mouths of anyone. He was notorious for speaking before he thought. However, Jesus saw him fit to preach the first gospel sermon.(Acts 2) In the end, Peter was humbled. In I Peter 5: 6-7 he said, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

2. Take my yoke. Lay down your old ways & pick up a different set of priorities. In a yoke, it takes 2. You are connected to the Lord & His care, when you are yoked to Him. We should do what Jesus wants us to do instead of what we may want to do.

3. Learn of Me. If you continually do the things of the Lord, you will learn to love those things. We must make it a priority to follow Jesus in our lives. Only then, will you find rest.

My husband has always been taken back with how well I sleep at night. He says it does not matter what kinds of situations we are in, or what kind of storms of life are brewing, that I can sleep no matter what. Well, I guess I have conditioned myself to let a lot of things go, when it gets time for bed & be at peace with whatever it is going on. My only reasoning for this is the peace that passes all understanding that’s talked about in Philippians 4:7. (and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.) I just say my prayers & leave it with God. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. But it’s not impossible!
I hope if you are feeling tired of it all, you will know, there’s an answer to it all. Jesus! He will care for you & keep you as close to Him, as you will let Him. I can’t tell you how the love of God feels. It’s something you have to experience for yourself. I can tell you it is the best feeling in the world to know you are loved by Him. Just remember God is ABLE to do anything we ask. Ask for peace. I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today. It was wonderful to spend some time with you. I hope to see you again, soon. However, I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes.

I was inspired, yet again, by Bro. Brad, to write this post. If he is reading this, he knows I was listening…. Thank you, Bro. Brad for preaching the Word in it’s simplicity.

Understanding God’s Grace

July 10, 2013September 18, 2015 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

II Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficent for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”…

Do you know how many times I have asked God to make certain parts of my life, not so hard? Probably 26,439 times… a day. Maybe not that many, but you get the picture. Sometimes I just pray & pray & pray to God to help me, & to make things easier, & to help my loved ones, & to bless me & my family & to not let this happen & to not let that happen & then I end it up with whatever Your will is, help me to bear it. But, do I really mean that?
I feel a lot like the apostle Paul did when he was praying for his thorn in the flesh to be taken away. Now, we don’t know what this thorn in the flesh was. Some say it might be that his eyesight was not the greatest in the world. Some say it was either a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction. But it really does not matter. What matters is, it was something that Paul hated dealing with. Something that he would really just rather not have happening in his life. Paul may have thought if he did not have this “thorn in the flesh” he might be able to have a better ministry. Perhaps he thought he could serve God more effectively without this happening to him. Whatever it was, it kept him humble. He prayed to the Lord 3 times for it depart from him. But the Lord just said, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”

” In II Corinthians 12:7-10 the apostle Paul talks about what he has going on:
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was give to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
v.8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
v.9And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
v.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
It’s not specific what Paul’s thorn in the flesh is, maybe so that we can relate to him. “My grace is sufficient for thee.” could very well be our answer, too. Why don’t you try plugging in your trial? With this method, Christ teaches Paul, we could use this as our answer, as well.
When we feel discouraged & just want to give up remember Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” When it seems like everybody & everything is against us, remember Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” When our health fails, when loved ones turn their back on us, when we lose our job, when our child is sick, when we just don’t have enough money in the bank, when we don’t look like the gorgeous size 2 models that are plastered all over the t.v., magazines & internet, remember Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”

We just don’t need anything else but the Lord’s blessings. And we have so many of those. Food to eat, clothes to wear, cars to drive, air conditioning to keep us cool in the summer, heating to keep us warm in the winter, shoes to wear, people to love us, see where I am going with this? We don’t have to have it all, to have it all. We don’t have to have all of the material things money can buy, to have all the love God gives to us freely. He takes care of us. No matter what. God did not take away the apostle Paul’s thorn in the flesh. He just showed him how to handle it. This goes to show us, even the most important people to the Lord, still do not miss out on the problems of the world, the flesh. Jesus gave Paul a way to bear his problems, but did not take them away. I just think sometimes if I had a lot of material blessings, would that make me humble? Maybe not. Jesus wants us to be humble so that we may serve Him & tell others about Him. It humbles me to think God’s grace is sufficient for me. Grace -being the Lord’s love, salvation, blessings that we do not deserve, but is given to us anyway. Wow. That really is sufficient for me!

Thank you for stopping by to visit with me. I love it when you come by for a while. Today I need to remember-I need to quit looking at what others have & be thankful for the blessings God has granted me. Little ‘ol me! I am important to Jesus & he blesses me. He does the very same for you. God won’t take away all of our problems, but he will always, always show us how to handle them. I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes.

***This blog post was inspired by our preacher Bro. Brad’s lesson Sunday. Thank you Bro. Brad for proclaiming the Word.

Into the Word Wednesday

July 3, 2013July 2, 2013 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Can’t believe it’s Wednesday already! Since we have the holiday tomorrow, today is really my Friday, work wise. After today, I will be off work until Monday, So glad to have some R & R with my family & friends. Today, I am linking in with two sweet ladies over at Upward Not Inward. Each Wednesday, they get together & tell what the Word has been saying to them, that week. They are kind enough to share this with others. Without further delay, I give you what the Word has been saying to me this week.

Reading along about the story of Solomon in I Kings, I ran across the beautiful conversation God & Solomon had. In chapter 3: 3 it says that Solomon loved the Lord. In verse 5 the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream.

God tells Solomon, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

Solomon starts out by acknowledging what God has done for him & his family. Then, he says to God in verse 9,

Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and veil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?

Solomon, one who has been chosen by God to rule His people can ask for ANYTHING in the world. He could have asked for riches, fortune, or fame. He did not, though. He asked for an understanding heart to aid him in making the best decisions possible for others. What a humble & amazing thing to ask for. Truly, God was impressed with this. v. 10 says,

The speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.

Because he was so proud of Solomon for wanting to do the best job possible, God blessed him. v. 11

Then God said to him: Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice. v.12 behold, I have done according to your words, see, I have give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. v.13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches & honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings of your days.

It is so easy to get caught up in the “I want, I need, I have to have” attitude. I will not want or need a thing. Then, I go to the mall & WHAT DO YOU KNOW! Stuff everywhere, that I don’t know how I was making it without all of it!! If God asked me what He could give me, I am so afraid I would ask for something so superficial that I would never get anything I really could use. Like a wise & understanding heart.

Geez Louise, Solomon, you really nailed it on the head.

I just pray that I can be selfless, always thinking of others, & a servant like Solomon was.

Thank you so very much for stopping by to visit with me today. Go on over to Upward Not Inward & link in with Falen & Laura. You will be glad you did! I hope you have a wonderful day! As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.