The most beautiful ones...

Today my husband and I were laying hardwood flooring together.
                                                                                        As we laid flooring, I told him about my day.
                                                       It was not a day I would want to repeat. 
A close relative had said some things that hurt me deep.
                                                                             I was still hurting.
                                                                                                  As I grabbed the next piece of hardwood,

I noticed it was damaged...but absolutely beautiful.

                        
I said, "Do you noticed the damaged pieces are the most beautiful?"
                                   My husband said, "I agree." 
                                                     He was not looking at the flooring, he was looking at me.

We all have hurt and untold pain, give it to Christ.  
                      Only He can take the "damage" in our lives and make us into something beautiful.

We are never alone

God goes with us wherever we go...
                                                          ..He will follow us into the pit
...He will rescue us
                                                                                                ...He is there for every moment of every day
                           ...from birth 'till death

HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US

This is the ONE thing we can count on in life.

LOVE

Love comes from God.
Nothing has more value.
Nothing has more worth.
Money can't buy it.
It cannot be stolen.
It is a gift.
A perfect gift with no strings attached.

Thank you God for your love.

Blessings ~ Karlee

Take it or leave it...

When someone is negative around you or says something mean or hurtful to you; you have a choice:

Take it or leave it...

All my life I have been a "taker" taking on everyone else's problems and the things they say about me, now...

...I leave it! 

You see, the load on my back was just to heavy to lug around. 

How do I let the negative things around me roll to the ground?

I

GIVE

THANKS

TO
MY
FATHER

ABOVE

(Who gives nothing but goodness and love!)

Blessings ~ Karlee

Life As A Dirt Road!

It was late...pitch black...no moon...
      As I turned on the dirt road, my oldest daughter said, "I hate this road! Mommy don't take it! It is scary!"
                Her two younger siblings informed her that Jesus was in our car so she didn't need to be scared.
                       I smiled at their conversation in the back seat and drove slowly down the rutted dirt road.
                             Then I saw it...a big mud hole...I considered turning around and going back...
                                   Instead, I gunned the engine in my Impala and sloshed through the mud hole.
                                       Triumphant!  I told the kids, "The Duke's of Hazard have nothin' on us!!!"
                                           They had no idea who the Duke's of Hazarad were. 
                                                  I thought, "Now it will be easy to get home. The worst is over."

Then I saw it.  Another mud hole only much deeper and bigger.  I knew I couldn't back through the hole I just went through without getting stuck.  There was no turning back!  Once again I gunned the engine and the car plunged into the mud and water.  This time we weren't going anywhere!  My wheels kept spinning and spinning.  Then I remembered what my three year old son said, "Jesus is in the car."  I said His name, "Jesus." I could feel the smallest bit of tire catch on dry gravel.  That was all we needed to pull us out of the mud and mire to dry ground! 

Psalm 40:2 "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."

Life is full of mud holes...only Jesus can pull us out!

His ways are not our ways...

There are certain things in this life that we will never understand or make sense of.  

One can drive oneself crazy trying to figure out things like why bad things happen to good people or why sometimes evil people appear to thrive.

Isaiah 55:8-9

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 Romans 8:28 Tells us that all things work for good for those who love God.  

This does not mean that ALL things are good.  It means that ALL things work for good for those who love God.  Instead of worrying and trying to figure life out, focus on loving God and drawing closer to Him.  That is where true peace and joy comes from.  

Blessings ~ Karlee

This is love!

1 John 4:10 ~ "This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrafice for our sins."

God's love for us is pure. 

There are no strings attached. 

His love for you will never fail.

It is the one constant in this life.

GOD LOVES US!

How awesome!

Have a great day

Blessings ~ Karlee

What Satan wants...

The Bible tells us in John 10:10 that Satan has come to steal, kill and destroy. 

One of the ways he does this is by driving a wedge between people.  

The wedge may be driven in covertly - without much notice...

...or it may be driven in dramatically with a big blow-out.

 

However it goes in Satan enjoys it thoroughly:               

                                                               A RELATIONSHIP DESTROYED

                    A FRIENDSHIP LOST                 

                                                                      A MARRIAGE DEVOID OF PASSION

                                   NEIGHBORS FIGHTING

                                                                                   THE LIST COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON...

John 10:10 goes on to say that Christ has come so we may have life and have it abundantly.  God promises us the abundant life.  The way to that life is to trust in Him and to know deep down in our souls that whatever happens in life God will NEVER leave or abandon us.  As we embrace this truth the "wedge builders" in life diminish and we can go on with strength and purpose loving others and trusting in God's goodness.  AMEN!!!

Blessings ~ Karlee

A Word...

A word came to me today:

"How your family members treat you

may have more to do with the state of their heart

than how they truly feel about you."

May God grant you peace and rest.

Blessings ~ Karlee

Romans 8

Romans 8:1 "Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus."

If only I could let that sink into my soul...
                                                         ...NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS!!!

(That includes no self-condemnation) :)

Blessings ~ Karlee

He speaks to me...

It is twilight.  I am in the pasture with my husband trying to get the old grain truck to turn over (it hasn't been driven in two years).  It won't start.

There is something bigger going on here. 

While he is working with jumper cables, wrenches, etc.  I am looking around me at the tall grass, the clouds, the colors of the sky...the horses.  Horses running across the horizon just like the wild brumbies in the Man From Snowy River.  Ahh!  God speaks to me through moments like this.  Not with audile spoken words, but directly to my soul.  He speaks of love and mystery and something much bigger than a broken down grain truck.  I went to help with the truck, but God brought me there to touch my soul. 

How does He speak to you?

Blessings ~ Karlee

Open Your Eyes To ADVENTURE!!!

I used to plan...and plan...and plan. 
         When my plans went awry I would try to control...and control...and control.
                     
Then I let go of controlling each and every situation that came my way and embraced the fact that God has a big adventure planned for my life!!!

Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans for your life, plans for future and hope."  :)

Let go of control!  Entrust each moment to God!! He will blow your mind with his love and adventure!!!

It may not be what you would plan for your life...IT IS BETTER!!!

Blessings ~ Karlee

God's Grace

We sinned against God...
                                      ...over and over again
We promised Him we would stop...
                                                     ...but we didn't
We kept sinning...
                           ...we did not deserve forgiveness, but
God forgave our sins...
                                  ...He didn't have to, BUT HE LOVES US! 

Grace!  God's Grace!!!  Thank you Lord for GRACE!

Blessings ~ Karlee

Thanks for today...hope for tomorrow...

Dear Lord,

Thank you for today.  For giving us life and breath and your unending love.  Thank you for the moments we take for granted.  Help us to be present each moment of each day.  Grant us rest and peace tonight as we prepare our body, mind and soul for the morning.  Thank you for hope...AMEN

Blessings ~ Karlee

The Middle of the Night...

It's the middle of the night...
                                             ...a light turns on...
                                                                           ...a door opens...
                                                                                                      ...the sound of little feet in the hall...
                         ...and then...
                                             "Mommy!  I'm scared!!!"  

I go to him, my three year-old son.  Once I am there he feels safe and instantly goes back to sleep.  That is the relationship I want with Jesus...calling out His name and feeling peace in knowing He is there, watching over me and loving me. 

Blessings ~ Karlee

     

In The Garden by C.A. Miles

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The son of God discloses

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet that the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

All you who are weary and burdened...

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

~Matthew 11:28

What a delightful promise from our Lord! 

                                                    Go to Him...

                                                                       ...give Him your weary body...

                                                                                                                     ...your struggling soul...

What ever is burdening you...give it to God...HE WILL GIVE YOU REST!

Thank you God for rest. :)

Blessings ~ Karlee

Have you ever had that feeling????????????

Have you ever had that feeling...

                                                          ...the nawing, aching one

    ...the one that says, "If I only had that.." or "If only he/she liked me..."       

                                                                                                                   

It is the feeling that tells us something is missing in our lives.  When it comes our first instinct is to make it go away by turning to shopping, eating, tv, video games, etc.  We try and try to fill the void with things of this world...it may quench the ache for awhile, but it always comes back... a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE DO IT!!!!  THE ACHE IS FOR COMMUNION WITH GOD!!!

We were made for relationship ~ real life, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Lay your empty, aching heart at the alter of Christ and let Him meet your needs...He is the only one who can.

Blessings ~ Karlee

God is Love

When I was a young child in Sunday School we often sang the following song:

Praise Him 

Praise Him

All ye little children

God is love

God is love

 

How often do we sing and speak with our mouths without letting our words impact our hearts?
Proverbs 18:21 says the tongue has the power of life and death and those who love to talk will reap the consequences.  Let your song be one of praise! Let your tongue proclaim God's love!

Blessings ~ Karlee

The Quilter and the Quilt

Have you ever seen a quilter begin a quilt?

Fabric all over. Tools scattered. Irons. Sewing machines. Coffee. Small pieces. Needles. 

Large pieces. Scraps. Mats. Rulers. Pins. Directions. Thread. Cutting tools. Etc...

Everything needed to make the quilt is there, but only the quilter knows what the end result will be.

Without a clear picture of the end result, you many wonder if it will turn out at all!

Sometimes we feel that way... 

                    We lose sight of Christ and the purpose for our life.  

                                 We stop reading the "directions" for our life (The Bible).

                                              It feels like we have made such a mess of our life there is no hope. 

THERE IS HOPE! God is the master "quilter" in our lives.  He sees the beautiful "quilt" of your life coming together and He will see you through to completion. Your life is beautiful ~ a master-piece in the making!!!

                                                   

Philippians 1:6 ~ 

                "I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Hope In The Midst of Despair

She sat with tears in her eyes as she spoke to me...

                       "The water was coming so fast, we grabbed what we could.  As the Sheriff was knocking 

           on the door to make us leave, I grabbed my great-uncle's violin, but...

                         I forgot the pictures...

they were on the fifth shelf, we didn't think the water would get that high...

her wedding pictures, the ones she asked me to keep safe....  

The pictures..."

In the midst of this despair, loosing almost everything, selling everything else because there is no longer a home for it...THERE IS HOPE!


She said she saved the strangest things... 
                                            She is now giving those things to others...blessing them.

God is here...here in the aftermath of the flood!!!

                          To see someone in the midst of despair blessing others, is to see the Hand of GOD.
                          

An Everlasting Love

In Jeremiah 31:3 the Lord says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love."  WOW!

    Is anything in today's world everlasting???
                                  ...appliances and electronics break
                                                   ....marriages and relationships fail
                                                                  ....the best time's in our lives end
                                                                                    ...kids grow up and move away
                                                                                                      ...etc, etc, etc

The point of all this is not to depress you...it is to redirect you...to GOD! 
                                                    The one who is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). 
                    AND WHO LOVES YOU WITH A PERFECT, EVERLASTING LOVE!!!!

Blessings ~ Karlee

Love

Isaiah 43:4 states:
                  "You are precious to me and honored. And I love you."
                                                                          Loving words from a loving God!

There is RADIANCE in a woman who knows how priceless she is to God.

                                                                                                                   ~ Dayspring

You are loved!

Oats or grass...

Today I went to see the horses.
                             I offered them oats.
                                                     There was a puddle between the horses and the oats.
                                                                                                                       They chose to eat grass.

It made me think of God...
                                He offers me oats...
                                                     I choose to eat grass.

Lord help me to see and accept your good and gracious gifts.   ~ Amen

Rain and Rainbows

It has been raining here...
                         ...and raining....
                                       ...and raining...
                                                    ...and raining...
 My oldest daughter was complaining to her younger sister about all the rain.  
The younger offered a bit of perspective when she said:

                             "If we didn't have rain, we wouldn't have rainbows!"
  
                                                                              AMEN ~ Have a great week! 

Healing Hurts

My husband recently tore his achilles tendon.  It has been a long three month process of healing...
                                  ...lots of pain
                                            ....inability to do what he did before
                                                      ...no easy way to make it "better"
The process of physically healing is slow and painful, as it is with our hearts! 

Often when we can't heal an emotional wound or broken relationship quickly, we give up.  Never give up!!!  Emotional healing is slow, steady and often painful - if you rush it - just like a physical wound it can break open again.

Let go of control - Give it to God - Let Him heal you!  :)

Blessings ~ Karlee

It Ain't Always Easy!

I remember when I was a little girl and I got sick...I hated the taste of my medicine!!! 
There I was kicking and screaming, literally having to be pinned down to get me to drink it....
                                                 I fought what would make me well.

Here I am as an adult...knowing what will heal the wounds of my heart (grace and forgiveness) and fighting as hard as I can not to do it. 

They say hindsight is 20/20.  When I was little, all I cared about was how bad the medicine tasted; I did not understand that the healing it would bring would be worth the temporary discomfort of the bad taste.

Life ain't always easy...grace and forgiveness come with a decided effort...that is ALWAYS worth it!  :)


Lord, help us to extend grace, forgiveness and love.  Amen


Blessings ~ Karlee

My Favorite Blogs

Here are a couple of my favorite blogs:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

http://www.greenbriargoods.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!!!

Hello World!

We are not here...
            ...to balance checkbooks
                             ...to accomplish lists of to-dos
                                            ...to develop earthly asset sheets
                                                            ...to climb the career ladder

We are here...to Glorify God! ....to love others!  ...to extend grace!  Hello world!!!

The Glory of God

The Glory of God amazes me!
                       It is contradictory to this world...
                                                              It is not loud...it does not shout, "Look at me! Look at me!"
                                                                                                                     It does not demand our attention...

                                                       It captivates us!!!!
  
                   A snow filled mountain peak
                                                                                     Dew on early morning grass
              Soft baby skin
                                                             Fields of wheat swaying in the late summer breeze
      The laughter of children
                                                                                                           Softly falling snow
                                       Waves rolling gently onto white sand

God is amazing, glorious and grace filled.  His Glory and blessings surround us...
                                                                                           ...take time to rest in the Glory of God!

Blessings ~ Karlee

Trust!!!

Today as I left to run errands, my two year-old son yelled,
                                                                "MOMMY! MOMMY!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!!"

He did not care where I was going...
                       He did not care what I was doing...
                                          He did not need to know details or what time I would be home....
                                                                                                HE JUST WANTED TO BE WITH ME!

He knows that as his Mommy:
                                 Wherever we go,
                                               I will take care of him,
                                                                            protect him,
                                                                                     and provide for his needs.

Our Heavenly Father promises us the same things...
                        IT IS TIME TO DROP WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW AND TRUST IN GOD!!!

Think about a young child with his or her mother...you can trust God with the same kind of trust...
                                                                                                      HE WON'T EVER LET YOU DOWN.

Blessings ~ Karlee

An Everlasting Love

Malachi 1:2  ~  "I have loved you," says the Lord.

Why have I spent my whole life trying to prove to Him that I am not worth loving,

                                                                                                 rather than excepting His great love for me?

                    It may be because people have hurt and failed me.
                                                                          It may be because I have failed myself.

The truth is, I spend my time trying to "prove" I am worthy to those around me,
                                                                 rather than drawing close to the One who will never let me down.

             Matthew 10:30 tells us of God's unfathomable love when it says...

                                                               "but the very hairs of our heads are all numbered."

As I shared this verse in a childrens' sermon...

  ...a dear friend sat in a pew and stroked the strands of hair she has left after chemotherapy. 

                                                                "Where is God then?"

He was right there:

              counting the hairs as they fell from her head,

                                 collecting the tears as they fell from her eyes,

                                                          whispering "I love you" to the depths of her soul.

Jeremiah 29:11 ~ "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


Blessings ~ Karlee

Please visit the following website for a scholarship opportunity to the She Speaks Conference:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/03/how-christians-create-art-she-speaks-scholarship/
She Speaks Conference website: http://shespeaksconference.com/

Be Who God Made You To Be!!!

As humans, we have a tendency to compare ourselves to others. 
          When we do this we either:
                          A.  Determine we are better off than the person we are comparing ourselves to, or;
                          B.  Find ourselves lacking something they have.
                     
Comparisons do us no good. 
                    
            God made us unique!  One of a kind! 
                                  Let's stop the comparing and embrace who our Heavenly Father made us to be.

                                                    Thank you God for making me me!!!!!

Blessings ~ Karlee

Answered Prayer

Last night I prayed the following prayer:

          "Dear Lord, this has been one of the worst weeks ever.  I am so tired.  I just want to feel special. 
                    I think a Vera Bradley bag would make me feel better.  I know this is a shallow prayer. 
                            Please forgive me for praying it.  I have just wanted one for a long time...
                                 and this week has been so hard.  Give me strength Father.  Amen."

Regardless of what you think of the above prayer, please read what happened next:

     I got home and a friend called.  She said she wanted to give me a gift to lift my spirits since my week had
     been so hard.   She arrived shortly after and handed me a...Vera Bradley bag!!!

Lesson:  God cares about us so much the smallest things matter to Him. 
                         If we can trust Him with the small things, we can definitely trust Him with the        
                         big things!!!

Blessings ~ Karlee

The Greatest Generation

Within the last two months, my husband and I have both had a grandfather pass away.  Our grandparents are part of what is called, "The Greatest Generation." 

One of the things that made both of our grandfathers so wonderful was that no matter what - they had time for us.  Relationships came first - work and tv came second.

This is something we can all do...ENGAGE!  Take time for relationships...pause in your day for a cup of coffee with a friend...play with children.  Make others your first priority.  You won't regret it!

What God Has Promised

God has not promised

Skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways

All our lives thro':

God has not promised

Sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow,

Peace without pain.

God has not promised

We shall not know

Toil and temptation,

Trouble and woe;

He has not told us

We shall not bear

Many a burden,

Many a care.

But God has promised

Strength for the day,

Rest for the laborer,

Light for the way,

Grace from the trials,

Help from above,

Unfailing sympathy,

Undying love.

                              Annie Johnson Flint

Moments and Breaths

If each moment is a gift
                        and each breath we take a blessing....

         Imagine seeing all of the moments we live and breaths we take knit together;
                                                                                         we would see what God can see...

                                                 Our lives have purpose
                                                                 Moments + Breaths = A masterpiece in the making!!!!

When I Am Weak He Is Strong

I've got GREAT new for you:

                                          You don't have to do it all on your own!

2 Corinthians 12:19 ~  "My Grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." 

When we are weak, He is strong.  Rely on Jesus...Trust in Him...He will bring you through it all!

Blessings ~ Karlee

The Truth

We live in a world of relativism.

To be completely honest with you...this concept tires me out...especially when it comes to matters of faith. 

It isn't rare to hear comments like:
                                                       "All religions are equally valid."
       "We are all worshipping the same God in different ways. We will be in heaven together some day."

Those comments simply are not true.  The truth is that we, as Christians, serve the One and Only True God. 

A God of love and mercy who sent His only Son to wash away our sins.  God loved us so much He refused to let our sin cause eternal separation. In John 14:2-3, Jesus tells the diciples He is going to prepare a place for them.  Through faith in Christ Jesus we can spend eternity in that place also.  The way...the only way...is Jesus.

John 14:6 ~ Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."

That my friends, is the truth...the whole truth...and nothing but the truth.

Blessings ~ Karlee

Ask And It Will Be Given, Seek And Ye Shall Find, Knock And The Door Will Open

A few years ago, after the birth of my second child, I was feeling overwhelmed and lonely.  I remember hitting bottom one day and asking God for a friend.  I asked out of desperation and didn't think about it again. 

God, however, did not forget about my prayer....a few months later I met some of the most amazing women I know.

I learned then that God does hear and answer prayer.  What is on your heart?  Share it with our Heavenly Father. 

Blessings ~ Karlee

Matthew 10:30

Matthew 10:30 "But the very hairs on your head are all numbered."

This verse has captivated me.

God loves us so much and knows us so intimately that He has numbered the hairs on our heads. 

WOW!

A crazy day...

Today was a crazy day...  

     A day of not enough hours to do all that needed to be done.
               A day with keys locked in the car.
                       A day that didn't go as planned.
                                    For a moment I looked at the lives' of others and thought theirs' looked pretty good.

But then,
    I thought my life may not be what I thought it would be,
                                                                   it may not be just as I would have planned it.
                                                                                                      
God has a better plan:  

Jeremiah 29:11 ~ "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."                                                         

                      
When I reflect on the day, it was also a day of many blessings. It is easy for the blessings of each day to be lost in the stress of each day.   Take time to be still and thank God for the big and small blessings in your life.

Blessings ~ Karlee

A Hymn of Faith

In a visit with a good friend, he mentioned the below scripture.  A well known scripture, he told me.  I had never heard before.  Now that I have, this is what I want my hymn of faith to be:

Habakkuk 3:17
"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
                                        Nor fruit be on the vines;
              Though the labor of the olive may fail,
                                                         And the fields yield no food;
                                                                        Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
                                                                                                  And there be no heard in the stalls -
                         Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
                                                       I will joy in the God of my salvation.

   The Lord God is my strength;
               He will make my feet like deer's feet,
                          And He will make me walk on my high hills."

To have a faith that rejoices in God in the good times, the bad times, and the 'I don't think I can make it through this' times of life...that is what I want my hymn of faith to be!

Blessings ~ Karlee

"My Soul Magnifies the Lord"

(Today we find ourselves in Luke 1:46, the beginning of the Song of Mary.  Mary knows that she is carrying the Mesiah and has gone visit Elizabeth.)

Mary says: "My soul magnifies the Lord!" Wow!  We can learn a thing or two from Mary...

When she saw Elizabeth - Mary did not say:
     "My back hurts."
                  "I had to leave home and travel far."
                              "I cannot do this."
She did not focus on her self or her weaknesses, she magnified the Lord's greatness!

When we are called to do something we often focus on our weaknesses and shortcomings and end up talking ourselves out of doing what we are called to do.  Instead, let's turn our eyes from ourselves to Christ.  Let's magnify the Lord and trust in His strength to bring us through what we are called to do!

Ask yourself today: How can I magnify the Lord in all I say and do?

Sidenote: The very hairs on our heads our numbered (Matthew 10:30).  If God knows all the hairs on our heads, he also knows all of our weaknesses and ALL OF OUR UNDISCOVERED POTENTIAL!!!  Trust in Him. 

The Gift of Each Day

Recently I read the following quote that made me take a good, hard look at my life and how I live it out:

"On every levle of life, from housework to heights of prayer, in all judgement and efforts to get things done, hurry and impatience are sure marks of the amateur." ~ Evelyn Underhill

Hurry and impatience are marks of the amateur! In our society they seem to be the marks of the pro, the more you can cram in a day...the more impatient and demanding your are..the more you accomplish...the better you are...right? There is a cost to all of this rushing around.  The still, small moments, the true blessings in life, are lost in our daily hustle and bustle.  

Consider the sunrise.  The sun does not rise into the sky in a matter of seconds screaming, "I'm late!!! I have so much to do today!  Get out of my way!!!!"  No, the sunrise is a beautiful gift from God.  The sun rises slowly - unfolding a beautiful display of colors as it ascends the heights of the sky.  It is like the unwrapping of a gift...the gift of another day from God to us. 

How will you spend this day?

Blessings ~ Karlee

BLOOM Where YOU Are PLANTED

So often we say things like: "When this happens..." or "When I move here or there..." or "When I do this or that...", then I'll get it done...  Excuses don't accomplish anything!

Why wait? Flower seeds don't wait around in the ground for years before they grow. When they hit the ground, they start growing.  They know their time on earth is limited and the seasons of life are short.

Just like flowers, our time on earth is limited.  Don't wait for tomorrow.  Do what God is callling you to do today.   Don't worry about failing...God will never give up on you.  :)

Blessings ~ Karlee

GOOD SEEDS

An old saying goes, "You reap what you sew."  If you plant good seeds: kindness, love, peace, gentleness, patience, self-control, joy, contentment; You will walk through a garden of daisies. 

If you plant bad seeds: anger, discontentment, lying, gossip, strife, mean-sprit, sarcasm; You will walk through a field of thistle.

What are you planting in your life?

The Storms of Life...

As I look out my window...ALL I SEE IS WHITE.  A North Dakota spring blizzard is raging outside.  Flights are cancelled, roads are closed, and events scheduled for today will not be held as planned. 

It reminds me of the "storms" we face in life.  Things happen...plans change...dreams die...and there we stand in the midst of the storm:
      -unable to see the hand in front of our face for all the snow swirling around us
                     -unable to hear the voice of God due to the roaring wind
                                     -unable to think clearly due to the chaos around us

In the midst of the storm we are never alone...  
God's promise in Joshua 1:5 holds true for us today:   "I will never leave you or forsake you."

First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9 states: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  Let that verse settle into your soul....
     -God has all we need
               -His strength is made perfect in our weakness
                         -We don't have to do it alone

Look at the two verses above:
                     God will never leave us ~ His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
How is that for comfort in the storms of life!  :)

A few years ago I observed a duck on a large body of water during a storm.  The whited capped waves were rolling one after another.  The duck sat calmly on the water and rode each wave as it came.  The storm raged around it, but the duck was calm and unruffled. 

That is how I want to live my life:  Peaceful ~ Grounded in Christ

The storms of life will come with varying intensities, but when they come I will deal with each wave individually knowing that I am never alone and God's strength will see me through. 

Love always,  Karlee

Just a sip...: Happy New Year!!

Just a sip...: Happy New Year!!: "12:01 AM....Saturday, January 1, 2011..... A whole year has passed by, a new one is beginning. Where did the year go? How did t..."

Happy New Year!!

12:01 AM....Saturday, January 1, 2011.....

A whole year has passed by, a new one is beginning.  Where did the year go?  How did the time fly so fast?  What do I remember about 2010?  What do you remember?  Is the stress of life; the hurry, hurry, hurry? Or is it the small moments; the tender, loving ones that make this life worth living?

"I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."  Jeremiah 29:11

As we face this new year, lets face it without fear.  Let's look fear right in the face and say "I don't need you anymore!"  Perfect love casts out all fear, and we live in the midst of that perfect, Holy love.  This year, let's embrace it.

Blessings to you in 2011 ~  Karlee