New Creation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, she is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

Baptism.  A public celebration, a declaration of faith in Christ, a new creation.

And I’m madly in love with You.

“I’m searching for a life that hasn’t been there before.  Speak life into the darkness. Speak life into my lungs.  Fill my soul as deep as the ocean.  Reaching for your love.  All that I can do is give it back to you. You take my old skin and made it new again.You have made me new.  A new creation. Bring out the colors my heart’s yet to see.  The night’s on fire for the warmth of your love. Speak life into the darkness.” -“New Creation”

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?  Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4

“I will betroth you to Me forever.” Hosea 2:19

“I am the Lord’s.”Isaiah 44:5

“Beloved.” Romans 9:25

“Belonging to the Lord.” Isaiah 44:5

“My delight is in her.”Isaiah 62:4

“So, let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.” Hosea 6:3

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name: you are Mine… Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past.  Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth…I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:1,18-19,25

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12

“I am enough because He is enough.” -Alece

Meetings

Meetings.  Some people absolutely loathe going to another meeting.  I tend to actually look forward to them.  I see the opportunity they give for the larger group to get together, recapture vision, share passion and information, and live life together in a “work” setting.  I find this to be especially true of our Staff Meetings at Thrive.  I love that we start off with sharing testimonies of how “God is Big” and what He is doing in each of our lives.  I am so blessed and encouraged through hearing these.  We also spend time on “development.”  We value continuing to learn more, being transformed by Christ, and “developing” ourselves in Him.  Today’s message hit home and I even had a chance tonight to live out my own reactions to confrontation and to my commitment to continue to change and experience life in Christ.  Here are some bullet point thoughts to chew on from the message “Keys to Confrontation” by Danny Silk:

• We need to strategically apply pressure to expose areas that need strength and grace
• Confrontation is an invitation to strengthen a relational bond with someone (so true! through confrontation tonight, I’m excited to further develop relationships)
• Confrontation is not about punishment, but about setting each other up to win and to put us back on the track that we left
• Relationships are where we manifest everything we get from heaven
• Confrontation is about helping people find the need and find the remedy to the need–when you’ve fallen in a hole, you need something–you lost control of you to the thing that put you in the hole!
• Questions to ask: What are you going to do? How’s that working out for you? Do you want help with this problem? I am wondering if…?  …didn’t it?
• Godly sorrow leads to repentance
• Find out what the problem actually has to do with
• Live a life that no matter what external pressure comes, you get to be YOU.

Scenic Route

Here are a few quotes from WIld Goose Chase:

• He loves leading us down the scenic route because that’s where we learn our most valuable lessons
• “Alexandria, Minnesota” !!!!!! whoohoo
• Because we have a natural tendency to remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember.

I’m on the scenic route.  Although, let’s be honest, sometimes the scenic route toughing it out through the skunk, cow, or chicken smell.  There are valleys and mountains.  Somedays I find myself saying, “I’m done.  I don’t want to. I don’t want to do this anymore.”  Other days, the sun peaks out a little and I’ve got a speck of hope keeping me on the road.  I’ve learned some lessons so far, but I know more will come.  I’m learning to let go of the “whys.”  I’m trying so hard to differentiate between truths and lies.  I’m seeking Him.  I’m begging Him to tell me the truth so I don’t keep buying into the lies.  So, today, in response to a longing in my heart, I’m unplugging from the internet and going on an adventure. Alone. Because I don’t need to always have a boyfriend hold my hand. Not saying that I don’t desire one nor that they aren’t ridiculous fun.  Just saying that I need to learn another lesson. 

Signing off until I’ve gone on an adventure.

Bursting at the Seams

“if we were given all we want here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next” -Elisabeth Elliot

Earlier this week this post that included the quote above greatly encouraged me.  I have asked and planned for a lot of things in my life.  If my plan had gone accordingly, I would be honeymooning right now.  Instead, I got to go to an engaging discussion about prayer tonight.  I struggle with prayer.  I struggle with how to pray, when to pray, how to not “program” prayer.  I get nervous.  I don’t speak because I’m afraid.  Yet, after I’ve spoken to the Lord, I come away with an overwhelming sense of relief and awe.  Not only do I get to speak to Him, but He listens!  Even to the minute, petty details of my life.  I want to be a prayer warrior and infuse my life with prayer that it bursts at the seams.  I want to ask and receive as well as rejoice when I see the amazing things that happen.  I can’t wait to see the awesomely cool things that are going to come about due to the changes in my plans.  So here goes.

p.s. I won’t be typical and ask everyone to comment with a prayer request, but if you would like to leave one, know that I will be praying for you!  If you have something you don’t want to publicize (I definitely know how that goes!) feel free to e-mail me at kigkat@gmail.com 

 

A Few Points to Ponder

I’ve read some great posts lately so I thought I would share:

How many more coffee cups are being thrown away today??

I’m skipping along in life without stopping to search for and see the beauty within.

I haven’t felt “safe” with someone for a while.

I am so thankful that I have a great culture to go to each day.

I am not content.  Time to shake things up a bit.

Bars of Soap

I hate bars of soap.  They sit there and collect gross-ness.  Plus, they always slip out of your hand!  So, if you use soap bars instead of body wash or anything in a bottle, I’d love to hear why they’re so great because I have yet to discover it.  

Oh, the Opportunities!

Here’s the post: Please Don’t Shoot!! I’ll Write I’ll Write

Here’s the question: What would you want to do in life if YOU HAD to do something different than you are doing now?

Here’s the answer: Writer, baker–minus the early hours,go to seminary and then be a counselor, church planter/missionary wife, owner of a ceramics studio, bookstore owner, personal trainer, professional athlete. (yeah…I wanted to add some more!)

So Many Thoughts

Wow, I feel like my head has been turned upside down and is ready to burst with all the thoughts I have running through it.  Thank-you Carrie.  Yikes.  I have so many blog topics that I want to run with and embrace but now I’m overwhelmed to the point where I don’t know how to pick!  So, I’m going to give you a snapshot and then decide later (aka tomorrow or later this week) which topics I want to pursue further with the written word

Me: “How do I live a life with purpose, with meaning, with passion?  Does this mean that I have to change jobs? What if I have to move? Will I give up the comforts I’ve embraced to chase after Jesus?  Wait a minute…do I even know how to follow Him, yet alone where He’s leading me!?”

“Big ideas…am I thinking too small?”

“Am I an F or a T? Who knows…but personality types sure are interesting”

“I love the deep, searching talks yet so often I leave wondering where to begin and what I need to do.  I want to change so many things and figure out things, but…”

“Alright, life…what are we waiting for?  I don’t want to live in a ‘when this happens’ life begins kind of state.  I want to live life now and embrace my current situation-the good, the bad, all of it.  Help me let go of the ‘when I get married or when I have money’ ideas.”

“I’m waiting for someone with passion.  I’m not settling.”

“I screwed up. I’m sorry.  I sinned and now what am I going to do about it?”

“I got hurt. So what? Jesus was betrayed–he didn’t throw a pity party so neither should I.”

Ragamuffintop Challenge Week 1

With the official start of June 2 minutes ago, I’m completely up for a new challenge.  I’ve been reading Ragamuffin Soul for a while now and decided this could be a fun little thing to participate in.  Here are the rules:

1. You must have a measurable goal.

2. You must place a photo or video on your blog each weekend and give us the scoop on how you did.
3. You must link back here so that the readers of your blog get to see how the rest of us are failing or succeeding.
4. You fill out the linky thing below and then people can get to your blog from my front page and we can cheer each other on.

 

 

I don’t own a scale nor do I necessarily want to…(I’m a bit obsessive sometimes–not good).  So I won’t be going that route.  Instead, I’ve got a few measurable things that I’m going to work on.  

 

Now in the pictures these pants look fine, but let me tell you…they are a bit tight–too tight to wear for 8 hours at work.  I’m a BIG fan of comfy clothes so simply put I don’t wear uncomfortable things pretty much ever.  So the main goal will be to be able to fit comfortably in these again  Along with this goal I want to be able to participate in a triathlon if I decided to do so toward the end of summer.  I haven’t figured out a way to train for the swimming part yet.  The rest is measurable.  13 miles of biking and 3.1 miles of running.  Lastly, another subset goal is to complete the Biggest Loser 6 week program.  I have gone through 4 weeks of cardio and just gave in and bought the power sculpt dvd as well.  So I want to do the cardio 4 times a week and the power sculpt 3 times a week.  Yikes, who knew there could be so many things to do!  Here we go!  

p.s. I’m planning on posting a “why am I doing this” blog soon

Romans

Apparently not having roomies around turns me into a blogging fiend.  I’m quite surprised with how many posts I have posted so far this month.  Crazy!  Anyway, onto some biblical thoughts tonight

Romans 7:22-24

“For in my inner inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work.  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Reading through Romans has opened my eyes to everything that we have said in our series at Hope.  The series is titled “Be Killing Sin or Sin Will Be Killing You” or something to that nature.  This verse reminded me greatly that it is WAR and who will come to my rescue? Jesus. Plain and simple.  Jesus will rescue us from this body of death.  

Romans 8:5

“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace…”

What am I setting my mind on lately?  Am I thinking about what the Spirit desires or am I thinking about my desires?  Do I constantly seek God or has God been put on the back burner as a nice warm cup whenever I feel like it?

Romans 8:26

“…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

When I am weak and ready to give in, normally I call a friend.  Yes, friends are awesome, but my first cry should go out to God.  For some things, I have become dependent and thankfully friends don’t always answer so I am forced to choose between fighting by myself or turning to God.

Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Thank goodness!  Notice the *ALL* things.

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

I absolutely love this verse.  So much so that on the bottom of all my pottery you will find 12:2.  If I had to pick a “life verse” this might be it….or maybe Ephesians 5:2.  Love that too.  

 

p.s. While writing these verses, I kept wanting to write down the whole book because let’s be honest.  Most people get a LOT more out of the entire book in context than a few random verses.  As such, I encourage you to go read Romans  I like it, maybe you will too.