The days that hurt...

I remember that day so vividly it is still hard to breathe when i think about it:

Grade school...the playground...on the merry-go-round...the world is spinning faster and faster...then BOOM...I am on the ground...i can't breathe...i can't catch my breath...i am so scared...someone help me!!!

It was the first time I physically got the wind knocked out of me; I did not understand what was happening.  Years have passed and I have not had the wind knocked out of me physically since then...I have had the wind knocked out of me emotionally.

When life hurts and you can't seem to breathe...go to the foot of the cross...lay before the Lord...He alone is our rock and salvation...He alone can heal the hurts that don't go away...let His love fill you. Only then...YOU CAN BREATHE AGAIN.

Our AWESOME!!! AMAZING!!! GOD!!!

The Bible tells us that,  "All things work for good for those who love him."

                Look carefully at the words above...
                                                                          ...it does not say that all things are good.

It says God can work all things for good, for those who love Him

This promise can be yours!  If you haven't asked God into your heart...please do it now. He so desperately wants to be a part of your life and will...all you have to do is ask!





This is the Day...

"This is the day the Lord has made; 
                                              Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
                                                                                        ~ Psalm 118:24

The glare as sun shines on melting snow in the stubble fields. 

The sound of snow splashing on my tires as I drive the muddy roads.

The drip, drip, drip of water sliding off our metal roof.

Spring has come!

Christ has come!

This Easter season let us rejoice in the gift of Christ!  

     The gift of forgiveness and a fresh start with each new day!

REJOICE!

Blessings ~ Karlee 

 

The Danger of Hate

"You must not hate your brother in your heart." ~ Leviticus 19:17

 "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." ~ Matthew 5:44

"Love your neighbor as your self." ~ Matthew 19:19

 Scriptures like the ones above can be tough to understand.  

Have you ever read any of these and thought...

         "But God, you haven't met my brother/neighbor/enemy. Don't you know what they did to me!?!"

In the past, I thought these scriptures where for the benefit of others... 

                           In fact, these scriptures give wisdom that protects us and our souls...

HATE IS SELF-SERVING AND SELFISH

Hating someone does no good, the cost of hate is a high price to pay!

Love and forgiveness draw us to the Lord as we depend on Him to make things right.

Hate separates us from God.

"But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness,

walks in the darkness, 

and doesn't know where he is going, 

because the darkness has blinded his eyes."

1 John 2:11 

Blessings ~ Karlee

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