Coffee Cup Hangers!

So, I have created a new coffee space in our home. Laying in bed this afternoon I was pondering a new way to hang these coffee cups. This is what I came up with. I took some wooden picture frames and spray painted them red. Once they dried I filled the frames with adorable scrapbook paper, cut to a 4x6 size. We drilled holes in the frames and screwed in door pulls, then attached them to the wall. It looks so cute over the coffee bar and is so very functional!

Life Mission Statement

So, here is my life mission statement...a document I had to create for class. I am so glad I did. I would encourage anyone to sit down and figure out what they are passionate about, and who God is calling them to be.

My Life Mission Statement:

I will use my gifts of teaching, and prophecy to become an effective wife, mother, mentor, minister and counselor. I will also use these gifts to encourage ministers to return to holiness while speaking the truth in love.

The Task:

This task is not an easy undertaking. Determining a mission for my life involves so much more than just an evaluation of self. Being married and having children means that my life and the mission God has called me to must also involve my husband and children. I am grateful to have their support. Without this support I could never fully embrace all God has called me to do and to be.

Reflection:

Understanding God’s call on my life was a joyous task. I have enjoyed looking back over the past several years and recalling those times where I was most fulfilled in ministry. What I have uncovered is that my life is made up of many components, all interconnected and all important. I cannot separate one part from the other, just as I cannot divide myself into many parts and still function.

My Calling:

In all honesty I am still not certain what God is going to do with me. My experience has proven that it is not until He says MOVE that I know where I am going. However, His call on my life is certain, and rather specific. My call to ministry is “to support people who are called to ministry”. Joyfully I accept this calling and over the last several years this has meant many things. I have served as a babysitter for a Children’s minister needing to work full-time during the summer. I have served as a Ministry Assistant in a church office, supporting the staff as needed. I have done life-coaching with several students seeking to solidify God’s calling on their life. I have worked alongside those called to Pastoral Ministry as they prepared sermons and helped Youth Ministers prepare for camp. I have been a sounding board for many Seminary students as they wrestled with their calling, and their purpose. I have come alongside minsters and offered a listening ear and counsel as they worked through a difficult time in their ministries. Each of these experiences is individual, unique and very affirming in my call to ministry. It seems diversified because it is. Having a calling of this nature really allows me to find great joy in such a variety of things God has called me to do. Each of these tasks I plan to continue to participate in throughout the future. I want to be available to assist ministers and come alongside them in completing whatever tasks God calling them to carry out. A task I see as equally important, of not more so is the call to support my husband in his ministry to our family. His role as the leader of our family is one he takes very seriously. He leads us in devotion, spiritual formation, prayer, and much more. Although I am the one with the formal religious education, he is the one who is called to carry out the spiritual leadership in our home. I cannot take that role away from him and still be the woman of God I am called to be. Supporting my husband is not always a fun task, simply because it means that I have to speak hard truths to him as well, in the privacy of our time together. We have cried together, prayed together, and served together – all stemming from my husband’s leadership. His love for the Lord overflows into the love he shows me and our kids. I am supportive in the things God is calling him to do, and refrain from contradiction. This involves trust. My gifts of prophecy and teaching are also used in the home. These gifts allow me to support my husband with disciplining the children, and planning out activities for our family.

My Values and Who I am:

I am about restoration. Restoration comes when we are right with God, ourselves, one another. I am called to help bring about restoration in the Body of Christ. I am a wife, mother, student, friend, daughter, sister, mentor, minister and more. Each of these relationships is unique and individual, yet very interconnected. I embrace God’s calling on my life as a teacher and a prophet. I want to be someone worth knowing. This has little to do with me, but more to do with the God I serve. I want to point people toward God so that they too might experience the restoration that comes through a relationship with the Creator. I want to be a person of integrity, someone trustworthy and wise. I want to be a person from whom others seek counsel, and I want to be discerning when it comes to people and the will of God. I want to be a lover of people, all people, regardless of how they treat me. I want to be a leader, someone worth following.

A Lasting Legacy:

The greatest legacy I could ever leave is an impact on the Kingdom of God. I hope to participate in the restorative work of the church through ministering to those in ministry and calling them back to holiness. I want to know my work in the church has impacted lives, and made the church a healthier place, emotionally and spiritually. I want to be a mom who sets an example for her children by loving them and their father properly. I want to be a wife who serves her husband joyfully, and I want to have a marriage worth emulating. I want to have a God-fearing marriage. I want to have a family that communicates with one another. I want to have children and a husband who respect me. I want to have a home where people feel loved, cared for, and welcome. I want to be a woman of God who leads younger women in the ways of the Lord. I want to have a mentor, and be a mentor. I want to have children who love the Lord, and me. I want to have space to breath and relax in my day. I want a schedule which will allow me to redeem the time, and make the most of every moment. I want to be fully present. It would be my great joy to look back at the end of my life and see these things have happened.

Dreams, Goals, and Visions:

My dream and my passion is to eventually establish an organization allowing Ministers and their families an opportunity to be counseled in times of crisis. I see myself counseling ministers, and families of ministers through crisis –both in the church and in the family. It is my hope that through this counseling we will have healthier ministers and lay leaders in the church, making the church itself healthier. I see myself using the gift of prophecy to call ministers to return to holiness, and seek God again. I dream of meeting with ministers and their families from all over the world to share the love of Christ, and encourage them through crisis. I plan to start a non-profit organization, and a foundation specifically designed to meet the needs of ministers and their families. I will have pastoral staff, and counseling staff as well as those gifted in hospitality and encouragement. I will partner with an existing Bed & Breakfast, or build one, to house these families over the course of a week or a weekend. They will enjoy fellowship with one another, times of prayer, fasting, counseling, and encouragement. They will spend time with other ministry families who are also going through crisis. It is so important for individuals to know they are not alone in their struggles. 1 Peter 5:9 says, “Resist him (The devil), standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (NIV) This verse will serve as an anchor for the ministry provided there.

Leading myself before leading others:

I respect greatly the work of Tim Elmore. He has written several books on leadership, but those I am most drawn to are the “Habitudes” Series. These amazing and short books focus on the art of leadership. The series is broken into four distinct categories: The Art of Self Leadership, The Art of Connecting with Others, The Art of Leading Others, and finally, The Art of Changing Culture. This progression is something I have personally developed into my leadership lifestyle. I find it imperative that I know myself, and how to become disciplined before ever entering into a discipleship relationship with others. If I am not in the Word, I have no business counseling from it. If I am not praying, and seeking God’s direction, I have no business telling others how to live. Finally, if I am not spending time in God’s presence, I have no business loving others, because it will certainly not be out of an overflow. Once I have learned how to lead myself, I will be better suited to develop relationships with others, and eventually become a leader among them.

The impact:

I hope that the wisdom and discernment God has given me can be used to benefit the Kingdom. I have already seen how God uses these gifts to change the lives of those around me. Through the gift of prophecy I am able to speak words into the lives of individuals. I see the power that comes from a simple word. In addition, I am able to offer wisdom, grounded in scripture to individuals seeking advice. I am blessed with a great range of life experience from which to advise as well. Although I would not expect my great contribution to be known on a world-wide scale, I do, however, anticipate impacting one life at a time over the course of a life-time in hopes of having a world-changing impact. My heart, above all things is for the Church. I love everything about the Church, and believe if those who minister to the congregation are healthy - emotionally, physically, and most of all spiritually - our congregations will be stronger and healthier as well. This is my calling, and God’s mission for my life.

My Idol Worship - The Ideal Me

So, this is my little confession. I have created an idol, and I worship it every day. It consumes many of my thoughts and determines even more of my behavior. This idol is the “Ideal Me”. I have grown to love this unattainable version of me because failing to meet my personal expectations only fuels how I already feel about myself. I have recently learned that fear is not an idol, it is what binds you to it. My fear of failure, of not being “good enough” has bound me to this ideal (and unrealistic) version of myself. Don’t get me wrong, I believe God is certainly in the business of changing people, and I am open to this change. However, I focus more on this person I have always wanted to be than on the person God is forming me into. So, what does “Ideal Kim” look like, act like and do? Let me tell you:

She wakes up early, spends a great deal of time in prayer and Scripture reading.

She irons her families clothing for the day, laying it on the end of each bed.

She then makes breakfast for her family. (without ever burning the biscuits)

She packs perfect (healthy) lunches and leaves notes in each one.

She kisses her children and husband as they head out the door. At which point she is instantly filled with enough energy to throw in a load of laundry while she is taking her daily 30 minute run.

When she arrives home she showers and prepares for the day, always having her hair done and her make-up on!

She goes about her day perfectly multi-tasking between washing laundry, dusting, cleaning, preparing dinner, and running errands. Don’t forget couponing…because “Ideal Kim” saves money. (All while praying without ceasing)

She begins dinner for her family and has it ready on the table when her husband walks in the door. The children are no longer starving because she has baked homemade cookies (which fill the house with the perfect aroma) and given them milk as an after school snack.

She sits around the table with her family and after her perfect husband offers prayer for dinner she engages each person in conversation.

After dinner, we will spend quality time together as a family watching TV, playing games, and exercising.

She will approach her computer to do the days homework and finish quickly, making perfect grades, and having a perfect understanding in how to apply everything she is learning.

She will open the mail, pay the bills, and close down her computer right about the time the news is coming on.

She will sit with her husband on the couch and watch the news to become perfectly informed of the days events, because “Ideal Kim” knows about current events and politics.

Before turning in for the night she will shower, shave her legs (always), wash her face, brush her teeth, lotion her feet and legs, and then crawl into a perfectly made bed.

She will always kiss her husband goodnight, says her final prayers and then falls asleep quickly.

I am thankful for a God who loves me and my special form of crazy! I love this song by John Rueben, and wanted to share the lyrics with you. If only I could really let this sink in today!

All I have – John Rueben

Are you disappointed?
Is this world a letdown
With your head in the clouds it’s time to get down
Head on collision crushed by dreams
So we leave our hearts at the accident scene shattered pieces scattered
Who told us it was okay to allow our thoughts to be flattered
And entertained with ideas that can’t sustain
And our future once so confidently proclaimed
So where do you go from here when it all disappears
Apathy dries your tears until you don’t care or you live and die
Occupied with disclaimers and reasons as to why realize life isn’t lived in fantasies
No matter how much planning or strategy
Joy comes along with tragedy I own them all gladly
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/john_reuben/all_i_have.html ]
(chorus)
I’m alright I’m okay
I kind of like doing things this way
All I have is what God gives
And that’s all the life that I was meant to live
I’m alright I’m okay
I kind of like doing things this way
All I have it what God gives
And that’s all the life that I was meant to live

We’re not taught trial and error
We’re not taught nor are we prepared
So we fail against everyday opponents
All the while we’re still living for glorious moments
And the media feeds the youth a false reality of what it takes to make yourself happy
And since they’ve got about a one in a billion shot
Why try and make them think it’s something that it’s not
No this ain’t a movie this is real life
The spot light don’t shine quite as bright as some might like
But that’s alright cuz the starlight at night is more of a highlight than the highlife
The air I consume from the breath of creation renews my soul everyday I awake
Ah man tell me who knew that simply being content was the dream come true

Solitude - Another Outward Discipline

Here is a continuation from "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster.

On Solitude:

I struggled through this chapter knowing conviction was coming. I was not surprised to see the correlation between solitude and silence, however I anticipated it to be more about silence when seeking solitude alone, instead, Foster discusses the additional option of practicing the discipline of silence while in a group. This comes from an inner solitude. “Under the discipline of silence and solitude we learn when to speak and when to refrain from speaking” (Foster, p.98-99) Foster also addresses how an inner solitude allows us the freedom to let “God be our justifier” (p.101) which removes from us the need to correct individuals of their wrong behaviors. Most interestingly Foster spends time discussing St. John of the cross and his writing about the Dark Night of the Soul. I am familiar with the writing, and the experience. I have recently come out of such a period. I struggled to see the benefit from this until I read this: “Be grateful that God is lovingly drawing you away from every distraction so that you can see Him clearly. Rather than chafing and fighting, become still and wait” (Foster, p.103)

Over the last few months God has reminded me of what Moses said to the people of Israel, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again” (Exodus 14:13) The Egyptians never to be seen again referred to a version of myself God was trying to purify and redeem – he needed to rid me of part of myself. There is a time for reflection, and a time to evaluate the plans God has for our lives. This must be done in solitude apart from the distractions of the world. It is only fair that as we spend time seeking to be alone with God he will remove a sense of selfishness and replace it with something greater. Because, “The fruit of solitude is increased sensitivity and compassion for others.” (Foster, p.108) When things are calm inside, it becomes much easier to focus outward.

Simplicity

I have spent the last month reading through Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. This book is intense, insightful and rather encouraging. So, after reading each chapter I am recording a brief synopsis of what God is teaching me. The following is my reflection on Simplicity - An outward discipline.

“Simplicity is freedom. Duplicity is bondage” (Foster, p.79) When I read this it immediately brought to mind Jesus’ teaching about serving two masters. A duplicitous life is one that is divided, serving both God and something of the world. This leaves us in bondage to the thing which is not God. That thing, which can be rid through a simplistic lifestyle, is for us a functional god. In addition, we complicate things of life even further when we allow ourselves to be influenced by external sources. “One moment we make decisions on the basis of sound reason and the next moment out of fear of what others will think of us.” (Foster, p.80) If we are not being drawn away from God by things we are being drawn away from God by people. In his letter to the Galatians Paul provides a great picture of how we should behave in respect to both God and people. “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10) The principals presented to help us develop this life of simplicity without becoming legalistic come to an apex with the final notation, “Tenth, shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God” (Foster, p.95) It is clear that God desires for us to be simplistic so that we might focus on Him and not the things of this world.

The Best of Intentions

So, most of us do things with the best of intentions. Blogging is one of those things for me. I started a blog as an outlet, uncertain if anyone would ever read it. Today, I am in a new season of life, serving a GREAT BIG GOD who is teaching me GREAT BIG THINGS about Him, myself, and others. I am thrilled to record this journey and hope anyone who comes along for the ride enjoys it as well! So...here we go!