Archive for the ‘Growth’ Category

Winners - Top Ten Blogs for 2009

Monday, January 25th, 2010

The Beauty of Blogs

As I look back over my life, I realize that a deep passion for my Lord has been more often caught than taught. Don’t get me wrong. I love to read, learn, and sit under fabulous teaching. But all too often, I walk away smarter but not a bit more like Christ.

It’s hard to know how learning the names of the 12 disciples will help me when the kids are up all night, the dog throws up on the carpet, and my husband calls from work to say the boss will be coming home for dinner. Tonight.

On the other hand, when I see God’s wonderful truths lived out in someone else’s life day by day, I get it. Call me a little slow, but walking alongside women in love with God ignites within me a fire that nothing can put out.

No More Isolation

Alas, this doing life together used to be a dream with no hope of ever coming true. I work on the phone. From home. I live in a small town and I barely know my neighbors’ names.

No more. With a high speed internet connection and a shiny black keyboard, I am no longer alone. Godly Christian women exist. And better than that, they blog. They blog about cooking and cleaning, spoiling and spanking, love and life. Best of all, these humble, generous women write about the Christ who is in the midst of it all.

Thank You

Dear bloggers, you have made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. You have shown me Christ. Thank you. I can never repay you but I can try to pass on this amazing blessing. To that end, the Living in Love with Jesus blog at Life Coaching for Christian Women recently hosted a contest to discover the top ten Christian women’s blogs for 2009.

All the winners were chosen by majority vote from participating Christian women.

So, in no particular order here they are. I hope you enjoy each and every one.

The Winners

  1. To Love, Honor, and Vacuum
  2. Mud Pies for Mom
  3. Beauty in the Storm
  4. In the Heart of my Home
  5. Holy Experience
  6. Mom Unplugged
  7. Mel’s World with Melissa Mashburn
  8. Hooking Stitches
  9. Take Root and Write
  10. Heart Choices

There are hundreds of great Christian women’s blogs. I hope you will take a minute to let our readers know about yours. Simply enter your blogs name and url below.

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Posted in Best Blogs, Growth, Kim Avery | 5 Comments »

Tend to Your Own Lawn

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9
I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché, “The grass is always greener on the other side,” where we think about trading in our life for another because ours seems way too complicated or boring. Even though we understand intellectually that that’s an absurd way to measure our life, from time to time we still look longingly around, considering what it would be like to tend someone else’s landscape rather than our own. We look at the life we lead every day, at our own familiar yard, at the same situations, challenges, and hurdles as the day before, and we get complacent about taking care of it all. We glance around at the lives of others and we see something that seems just a little bit better; a little bit easier. What we don’t realize is that we’ve got blinders on, and it’s high time we take them off.

Scripture speaks directly to this in 1 Peter 5:9 – “Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” I don’t know about you, but what I see there is, “You’re all in the same boat, people!” Well if we’re all in the same boat, I suppose I can stop wasting my time wishing that I had someone else’s life, right? Right. But how do I resist the urge to covet a trade-in?

The answer is found in knowing and believing that you are loved by God, and that you were created by His hand for a very specific purpose. Scripture is overflowing with exactly that kind of love and promise. Just rest for a moment and consider these:

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5

I will be your God throughout your lifetime; until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
Isaiah 46:4

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand.
Psalm 139:17-18

There is so much more, my friends – so much more. The Bible is a veritable love letter, written by God and addressed to you. These few scriptures aren’t even the tip of the iceberg. I would have to type for days to even put a dent in explaining how much the Lord adores you. But with every promise you read and discover, your side of the fence and your grass will be just as green and lush as you dream of. Not because the day-dream fairies sneak in and re-landscape for you, but because the Word of God nourishes and fertilizes the life you already have.

Thank You, Lord, for helping me to realize that my life is exactly the one You chose for me. When I feel tired, bored, or overwhelmed, please remind me that I’m not tending to my life on my own. You are always there, ever present, offering support, guidance, and love. Please nudge me back to Your promises any time I start to lose my focus. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Posted in Devotional, General, Growth, Melody Jo Hamor | No Comments »

Scrapbooking God

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

This year I got just what I wanted for Christmas. Okay, I bought it for myself, so I guess that helped. Nonetheless, it was the perfect gift, a new digital camera.

Why a camera? Well, have you noticed, as I have, that life is passing at the speed of light these days? Wonderful moments come and then whoosh, they are quickly gone. I don’t know how many times I’ve thought, “I’ll remember this moment forever.” Ha, some days I’m lucky if I remember my own name. (It’s Kim, right?)

Remember

In the Old Testament, one of the most frequent commands that God gives His beloved children is ‘remember.’ Remember God’s goodness, His faithfulness, His commands, His promises, and His love. Remember. Lay out stones, put tassels on your coat, recite God’s Words in your home – whatever you need to do, do it. Remember.

If Only…

I can’t help but think how much easier it would have been for Moses to remember the mighty acts of God if only he had owned a digital camera. When the way got long, he could have just pulled out his scrapbook, relived the waters of the Red Sea standing up like a wall and bravely marched on.

When the Israelites complained, he could have whipped out a snapshot of the dust kicked up by Pharaoh’s pursuing hoards and then watched the Israelites tremble back into submission.

Plain-dwellers who were too shy to approach the mountain of God would have still been able to rejoice at seeing the finger of God engrave commandments on stone. They could recall, remember, and be renewed. A camera would have been a very good gift.

Scrapbooking God

Alas, the only pictures of ancient times are the ones I conjure up in my own mind. But for my life, I no longer have to do the same. I can now immortalize images of the blessings God lavishly gives. I can compose elegant portraits of the people I love. I can capture scenes of outrageous family fun. I can zoom in on God’s creation in breathless worship.

I can remember.

Say Cheese…

God gives good gifts. I want to savor and save each and every one. Now thanks to my new Canon Rebel I can. Watch out! A flashbulb may be lighting up your face very soon.

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Posted in Devotional, Growth, Kim Avery, Nature | 3 Comments »

Happy New Year! Happy New Day! - by Melody Jo Hamor

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit,
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)

So, it’s already that time of year where I dive into the New Year’s Resolution craze. Yup - it happens every year. What’s up with that?! Why is the first day of January such a monumental time of renewal? Who really knows? All I do know is that clean slates feel absolutely wonderful.

I call it that “new box of un-opened crayons” feeling. They’re all sharp and pointy, the paper covers are all in tact, they smell so good. Oh come on now, you know you love the smell of new crayons. :)

Seriously though, new beginnings are AWESOME!

What I think we forget is that every single day of our lives can be a Happy New Year kind of day. In fact, every hour could be like that if we just make a decision to live that way. It’s all about knowing who and who’s you are. When we belong to Christ, everything is made new. EVERYTHING! That’s not a once a year event. It’s a continuous, never ending flow of new life.

Crayons by Trisha Shears

Crayons by Trisha Shears

Even still, it’s hard to ignore the wondrous feeling of taking down the old calendar and hanging up the new one. It’s un-blemished, clean, wide open with possibilities…and it’s not covered in giant permanent marker scrawl. :) So, as we begin to think about the approach of 2010 (I can’t believe it’s going to be 2010) there’s a special verse that we should keep in mind and never let go of.

It is not by force nor by strength, but BY MY SPIRIT, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

How many changes have you desperately tried to make during 2009? What did your resolution list look like from January to March? Any check marks? Any scratch outs? How many things did you give up on before Valentine’s Day? Most importantly: what kind of prayer life did you have concerning that list?

No matter what you want to start doing, or stop doing, remember one thing: God is the source of this change you seek. God is the source of it all. From Him and only Him will come the power to develop or release habits. From Him and only Him will come the courage, strength, and persistence to accomplish even the easiest task on your list.

Thank You Lord for reminding me of this powerful verse in Zechariah. As 2010 approaches, You know the goals I have in mind, yet I know that none of them will come to fruition unless I seek You as the author and finisher of it all. Please develop my prayer life so that I willingly acknowledge you as the source of all that I seek to change. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

Posted in Breaking Down Strongholds, Growth, Melody Jo Hamor | 1 Comment »

Following Christ Is Not a Spectator Sport - by Kim Avery

Monday, December 14th, 2009

As a committed spectator, I am having the time of my life. Three members of my family have planned, plotted, trained, and sweat so they could run in this half marathon today. I encouraged them every step of the way.

For months, Ron has set his alarm for an unheard of hour, rolled out of bed, and lumbered to the treadmill for his early morning run. Faithfully, I’ve rolled over in bed and given him an encouraging grunt.

Week after week, Ron has watched his diet, turned down dessert, and cheered with each lost pound. With my mouth full of cookies, I’ve congratulated him every time.

Yesterday, Ron packed his bag, loaded the car, coordinated routes with our daughter and drove 8 hours to the site of the race. In the passenger seat with my feet propped up and pillow in hand, I sat by him every mile of the way.

Today, Ron, John, and Bethany rose before dawn, pinned their numbers on, laced up their shoes and headed out. From the warmth of the rented room, I cheerfully waved good-bye.

A few hours ago, the weary racers returned. Sweaty, tired, with medals in hand they stumbled in. Blanket wrapped around me, I welcomed them home.

As a committed spectator, I can’t help but notice the difference between them and me. They are lean, muscular, confident, and glowing with health. As for me, well, I remain unchanged.

God compares this life to a race that must be run. He exhorts us to run long, hard, and well. I am to train, sacrifice, invest, and commit. There will be days that are dark, weeks that are long, and months when all I want to do is quit. Frankly, there are many times when sitting on the sidelines sounds mighty good, but if I do, by the end of the day – I will arrive unchanged. Today I am reminded that the Christ-followers life is NOT a spectator sport.

“Lord Jesus, help me to count the cost, pay the price, and run the race for the prize of knowing You.”

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Posted in Growth, Kim Avery | 3 Comments »

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