I Love You More

Frequently, my toddler Tyler and I will have these little fights that consist of me saying "I love you"! and him saying back "no, I love YOU! And then I'll say "NO! I love YOU"! "And he will say "No, I love you!" And sometimes I'll say "I love you MORE!"  And it goes back and forth like that for a little while.  I can't help but picture a fight like that between us and the Lord.  It would go something like this: "Lord, I love you!" And He would say "No, I love YOU!" and we would say "NO, I love YOU!" And He would say "Well, I love YOU MORE"! And at that point we would have to throw up our hands and say:

"Ok, Lord, you win."

"God demonstrates His own love for us in this:  while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Not Our Responsibility

I admit it. I have judged people.  Looked at them with disgust.  Looked at the outward appearance, rather than what could be going on inside. Recently, I felt like the Lord really impressed upon my heart that as Christians, we need to stop judging the sinner, and start loving and reaching the lost.  It's not our job to judge and convict a person of whatever they've done wrong, or whatever wrong they're doing right now.  We've all fallen short of God's perfect will.  God didn't give us the job description of judge.  That's His job. When a person comes to Christ and gets born again, the Holy Spirit does the work on a person's heart that is necessary to change their behavior.  This takes such a load off of our shoulders!  I feel like so many of us are focused on the wrong thing.  We can hate the sin, but once we start loving people to Christ, rather than condemning people to Christ, I believe that's truly when real change will happen. We need to show people the character of our wonderful Savior and God.  He alone is the judge of this world. BUT He is also the  lover of our souls. He is love. It's His nature. It's His personality.  Our job is to love people and bring them to Jesus, not to change them.

Relax. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.


"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier." Luke 6:37 the message

A Father's Call

When I was younger, my dad used to whistle for my brothers and I to get our attention.  He would do that if we weren't in plain sight or if we were in a huge crowd of people.  Through the years he did it so much, and we grew to know it so well that even to this day, if I'm in a crowd of a thousand people, and my dad whistles, my ears recognize the sound and my head turns in that direction as if it were second nature.  I don't even need to think twice about it, it's as if my whole being responds!   My point is, we need to know the voice of our Heavenly Father like that.  When He wants to get my attention, even in a crowd of a thousand people, it should be like the whistle of my earthly father, where my ears are tuned in and trained to respond to the sound.  I've been a born-again Christian a long time, and I'm still learning to hear the voice of God, but I was reminded of the fact that I'm in tune with the call of my earthly father, therefore I NEED to be in tune with the call of my Heavenly Father.  That's my prayer.  That whether I'm alone in a room, or surrounded by a million people, I would hear the "whistle" of my Heavenly Father.
Love, Kristin

"When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them." Zechariah 10:8

No blenders please!

"Where does Jesus live?" I asked. "At church", replied my innocent 2 1/2 year old.  As precious as that is, that reply isn't far from what many people in this world think.  They think that God lives in church and that as soon as they step outside of the beautiful building, their behavior doesn't matter anymore.  The truth is, God doesn't actually live in the church building. He simply shows up there when our hearts are right and we invite Him to join us.  Really, He lives all around us, and in us, if we ask Him in.  How you are in church on sunday morning, should be who you are when you're at home or out in everyday life.  A building shouldn't dictate your level of integrity.  He is everywhere around us.  We are constantly in His gaze.  Either that totally freaks you out, or it gives you great comfort.  No one is perfect except for precious Jesus, but we are called to a higher responsibility as Christians. We are to show the world our King.  How can we show Him to them, if we're merely blending in? 

"For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!" Eph. 5:8

Precious Moments

Today's post isn't really some special life lesson, just a precious moment I want to remember.  Today I gave my 2 1/2 year old, Tyler, a bath and let him play for a little bit.  He's growing up so fast. After he was done with his bath, he drained the water, put his toys in his little turtle toy holder, got out of the tub and placed the turtle in the bathroom sink (like we always do to dry the toys).  He did all of this without me asking him to!  He's so smart!  I just wanted to share that precious moment.


Love, Kristin

Child-like Faith

Recently I was in another room while Tyler was sitting at the kitchen table eating a meal.  I suddenly felt the urge to pray for something in particular, and so I began to talk to God.  While I was praying out loud, Tyler wanted to know who I was talking to, so I told him I was talking to Jesus.  Then I told him I was talking to Father God.  He said "you're talking to Father God?", and I said "yes."  He then proceeded to say that he couldn't find Jesus, and I told him that he could find Jesus, because He's everywhere!  Then, out of the blue, as I was still sitting in the other room, I heard Tyler say in his own 2 1/2 year old language, "Oh, there you are! Thank you for helping me find Jesus, mom!"  I was totally amazed.  Keep in mind that I was not in the same room with Tyler when he said this and he wasn't talking to me when he said "there you are".  WOW!  I can only imagine what my precious little boy saw with his own eyes of faith. 
You know, Dave and I are believing God for some really big things that are requiring on our part some really big faith.  I fight my flesh almost daily when I look at circumstances rather then promises.   Just like a child has the faith to not just believe but to know that his or her parents are going to take care of their every need, we need to have that same right-heart attitude with our Heavenly Father.  He promised in 2 Corinthians 9:8 that He would "generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plently left over to share with others."  He always keeps His word.  He never breaks His promises.  I'm reminding myself of this as I am typing.  I think faith takes a step further than just believing God will do something to KNOWING He will do it.  I'm working on the child-like part of my faith :o). I know my Heavenly Father will fully take care of the things we've asked of Him.  He knows what we need and when we need it.  Just imagine what we could see take place in our lives when we come to God like a child!  Anything can happen!

Even so much as possibly catching a glimpse of our Creator. 
Love, Kristin

He Remembers

This morning I was doing my devotions and talking to God and I asked Him to show me somehow that He loves me and that He's pleased with me.  I know He loves me, it's just that I wanted some encouragement.

As I was reading the Bible in Acts chapter 16 about a woman who heard the good news about Jesus and accepted it, a thought came to my mind and I sensed that the Lord was telling me that He remembers when I came to know Him.  As I sat there and thought about that, it occured to me that just like a mother always remembers the moment her child was born and treasures that moment in her heart, God always remembers the moment that we were born again into His family.

And He treasures it.

Love, Kristin

Psalm 21:2

"For you have given Kristin her heart's desire; You have withheld nothing she has requested."  Last week I asked the Lord for a specific amount of money to go shopping for some new clothes.  A couple of days later, a friend from church came up to me and handed me a card with a beautiful note along with the exact amount of money I had asked the Lord for.  I had told no one about it. My Heavenly Father was the only one who heard me pray that prayer.  A couple of months ago, just after I had found out that I was going to go through a second miscarriage, I asked the Lord for a word from Him and a vacation.  I was very upset (to say the least), but I needed my Father to encourage me.  A few days later I was on stage at the end of a morning church service and my pastor turned around and looked at me and said, "I'm excited about your future Kristin. God has His hand on you and David in an unusual way. You will be like a tree planted by the water bearing fruit in season and out of season. Your leaf shall never wither ever again in the Name of Jesus."(Psalm 1:3)  Then after I walked off stage, my husband Dave met me and handed me a card that a friend had given him.  Inside was some money and a note that specifically instructed us to use the money to go on a little getaway.  God had provided a word and a vacation just like I asked Him.  He heard me.  He always hears us.  I serve a really good God. 
Love, Kristin

created to be moved by the Divine

I want to be a light shining bright, alive in Your eyes; restore my soul; I want to be disguised in You, Holy Father. With a beauty that heals a weary heart needing a shield. Your life rescued mine; created to be moved by the Divine.
Love, Kristin

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