A Beautiful Marriage in Process

Hi Friends! 

I am super excited about the book that I started this week called: Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe.

At the beginning of 2018, God put it on my heart to shift my focus to my mind and my marriage.  

Dave and I have a really good marriage-he's my best friend! But I'd been super distracted for a long time with some other things and the Lord wanted me to give those distractions to Him, let Him handle them, and focus on my amazing husband. 

Honeymoon 2004

Dave and I have been married for almost 14 years and have been through many ups and downs in our relationship. It has not always been easy. I know this is hard to believe, but Dave is not a perfect husband and I am not the perfect wife. Say what?! LOL! But I can honestly say that I love him more now than I did when we were first married! This is because along time ago, two really imperfect, immature, inexperienced, (and might I mention) incredibly stubborn first-borns named Kristin & Dave, decided together that they'd stick it out, do the hard work and cooperate with God to have a thriving marriage. There is always room for growth and improvement so that's why I got this book.  I wanted to be intentional toward Dave and our marriage. And honestly I need a little help and direction in praying for my husband. So that's ALSO why I got this book.  It's packed with wisdom from a long time married woman and has 30 days of specific prayers for your hubby, so it's easy to follow and do each day of the month! A husband could even pray these over his wife too. What a great privilege! God actually created us as wives to be our husband's helper. To be his teammate. To be a warrior for him in our prayer time. God created marriage, and He made it to be AWESOME! But it doesn't come naturally any more than riding a bike or driving a car and it certainly won't grow without nurturing it and making it a priority. You have to put the time and effort into it, not be afraid to seek help when needed and humble enough to go to our Heavenly Father and say "I need You to show me how to do this right!".  And a little side note: it really does change when you have kids. That's not said to scare anyone! It's just that, at least in our experience, you have to discipline yourself to make it a priority even more then. But I think it's really good for all of us. For Dave and I, it's added weights to the barbell of our marriage, making it stronger and more toned and refined. 

Dave and I had an intense conversation recently (aka argument) where both of us felt the need to be heard and validated (SHOCKER!) During which point I felt the need to declare that I was really good at being patient, kind and careful with feelings when it came to our children. To which he very seriously responded: "well, treat ME that way." That's when my eyes were opened and the Lord spoke to my heart about shifting my focus. I realized I gave Dave what was leftover rather than what was the main course. In all reality, my hubby is who I should be the nicest to! He's my number one, just under God. He was there from the beginning. We were just Us first before we became all of us. And I think it's normal when you're in the season of raising children because your focus is diverted in so many directions, and you fall into a habit. But the temperature and tone of your marriage will affect everything in your household, including your kids. I actually thought to myself "how can I have time to nurture my marriage AND be a good momma. But I realized that by taking the time to treat each other with love, honor and respect, it actually overflows in how we parent. Kind of like a trickle effect. By keeping things in proper order, it actually makes room for you to parent really well. I know that might not make sense, but that's just how God works. Everything is a seed or investment, including time. And what an honor and privilege to give our children the gift of two parents who really love each other, who really like each other and honor and respect each other. What a wonderful and powerful return that truly affects the generations to come. I'm so excited about this new prayer journey for the man God gave me and I pray that it becomes a part of my normal day to day life.  I say that, because intercessory prayer has not always come easy for me. It's also a discipline that takes time to develop.  
But anyway,  I really like our marriage and our story. I like the person that God is creating me to be through being married to Dave. Its been both a gentle and aggressive refining of he and I. It's been really good, that's for sure. Dave and I have an amazing story of how God has restored and redeemed many things through our marriage, that I'll share another time. Dave once told me years ago, most likely after one of our many heated arguments in the first few years of marriage, that we can either be happily married or miserably married but either way we're staying married! And I'm thrilled to say we chose happily. I'm a very wordy person, so this was a long digression from "I am so excited about this book I started this week." But that's just how I roll. (Literally I can tell when I've said too many words to Dave and I have to take a pause for him to process, LOL!) There's a quote from the author that sums up how the adventure of marriage has been for us so far:

"I don't have a big bad story of how God took our terrible tumultuous  marriage and miraculously transformed it into a storybook romance filled with white knight rescues, relentless romance, and rides into the sunset as we left all danger and darkness behind. Even though we've had our share of both tumult and romance, our relationship is no fairytale. Our marriage reads more like a daily journal, one page after another, one day after another. Some entries are smudged with tears; some are dogeared as favorites. Some pages of our story are marred by unsuccessful erasures that wouldn't quite rub away the words said; others are finger worn by reading of precious events time and time again." 

Oh the words that have been said! And the "I'm so sorry, please forgive me's" that have followed. Thank God for forgiveness and grace. Thank God for prayer and answers to prayer! Our own personal journey of marriage is becoming a beautiful symphony year by year; an ebb and flow; a writing and rewriting and editing process complete with a Master Collaborator Who is so passionately faithful.  And you know what? The BEST is yet to come!

You see, real success starts in the home. And I've been learning that oftentimes it starts on our knees in prayer for our spouses. There are few things more powerful than that!

So here's to realizing we can't do it on our own and for praying for our husbands (or wives if men are reading this) and reaping rewards from our Heavenly Father beyond our wildest dreams! 

Love, Kristin 

The Ministry of Home

Not long ago my good friend contacted me asking for prayer because of a big transition her and her husband were about to make. You see, they’re both in full time ministry and they decided together that it would be best for their family if she became a stay-at-home mom.  She wanted me to pray for a number of reasons, but the first thing she said was that she was nervous that their pastor would think she was giving up on her calling of full-time ministry. Immediately I felt led to encourage her that directions in her calling can change; they can look different in different seasons, but to know this: a stay-at-home mom is in FULL-TIME MINISTRY! Right away, I had a Holy Spirit, lightbulb moment. Being a spouse and a parent in general is a full-time ministry! In encouraging my sweet friend, I suddenly felt empowered by the role the Father had me in right now, in this season as a stay-at-home mom. Cleaning the kitchen, taking care of my children, doing laundry, planning meals, managing the budget, buying groceries and much, much more, began to look different to me. I used to ask myself if what I was doing at home was important or if I was doing enough at church, serving in enough places or just DOING enough in general. But in that Holy Spirit moment, I was set free from those high-pressure thoughts brought on by the enemy himself. It made me feel like my role was vital and necessary and beautiful. It radically changed my perspective and allowed me to shake off any unnecessary pressure when I realized that what I do every day for my family is not only important but it’s more than enough. In fact, it’s ministering to them similarly to the way I would in church or in the community. And to top it off, my husband and I are growing disciples right in our own home as we raise our children. Don’t get me wrong, serving in church and caring for people in the community are important, but our priority is first our family. When I said a firm “goodbye” to the pressure to do more than what I am called to do right now, in this season, it freed me up and empowered me to take care of my family in peace and in love.  Dear friends, don’t allow the enemy or the comparisons to what other people are accomplishing diminish the value of loving and serving your family. When those things are in proper order, everything else flows from that place so beautifully. It’s world changing stuff! I pray that right now, in this moment, your eyes would be opened to this revelation: that what you do for your family is incredibly powerful, important and eternal in nature. I would even go so far as to say that there is no higher calling than the ministry of home.

Blessings!

Love, Kristin 

“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” -Mother Teresa

The art and gift of Rest

This is a message I wrote about over 2 years ago, but never published it. As I was looking over some of my old unpublished blog drafts I read this one and feel it's still a really important message of receiving the promise of rest and learning to rest in God all the time.

January 2015

There's something very important I've been learning about lately.  I've been listening to a series by one of my favorite speakers, Graham Cooke, called "The Practice of Rest," and let me say...

It's been life changing.

Father God has been trying to get me to pick up on this concept for awhile now, through other people.  Whether it was my friend who, while talking to her about the season I had been in, told me I just needed to rest in God; or my husband who has said over and over, "you seriously need to learn to rest!" I'm finally getting it! At least I'm getting the clue that I need to learn how to rest, so that I can  in fact really live a life of rest.

Now, the rest I'm referring to isn't necessarily the kind of rest where you go on vacation, take a nap each day or get 8 hours of sleep a night (although that type of rest is extremely important and necessary). It's the kind of rest that says, "I am unshaken by circumstances, so much so, it doesn't matter what kind of season I'm in, I can and will remain joyful, calm and anchored in the Lord, knowing he's in control. I'm blessed and highly favored, and He has good plans for me." When you know deep in your heart that no matter what, He has everything under control, you can have a peace of mind and heart that sleeps (or relaxes or rests) through anything, rain or shine; calm waters, or stormy ones.

Maybe you're familiar with the story in Matthew 8, where Jesus calms the storm?

"Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”'

Did you catch that?
They were in a boat. There came a fierce storm. Jesus was sleeping. And they had to literally WAKE him to do something about it.  Now that's my kind of rest!

"Jesus responded, '“Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”'

When a storm came, Jesus could sleep right through it because he was truly at rest.

How do you handle challenges in life? With panic & fear? Or with faith, peace and trust?  I've tried it both ways, and let me tell you, that handling circumstances with faith is so much easier and quicker than panic and worry! When I've responded in worry or unrest, I end up messing everything up and it ends up taking twice as long to get through it.  But when I've responded with faith and trust, it always worked out so much better, and I could actually get excited to see how God would work it all out. It turned into an adventure rather than a burden. When you're at rest, you can handle anything with the help of Christ! Because either way he's going to work it out, it's up to you how you choose to respond.

Don't be deceived that worry will bring you the results you want or need. Jesus said it very plainly in Matthew 6:34 NOT to worry about tomorrow. And in Luke 12 He says not to worry about everyday stuff because worries won't add anything to your life.  All it does is slow you down, and puts a weight on your shoulders you were never meant to carry.  Rest is not just available to us in Christ, it's also a command! Entering into God's rest is actually an act of obedience. This should drive deeper how very important resting is. Learn the art of rest.  It's a promise for you TODAY!

Blessings! 
Love, Kristin 

"Although God’s promise still stands—his promise that all may enter his place of rest—we ought to tremble with fear because some of you may be on the verge of failing to get there after all. 2 For this wonderful news—the message that God wants to save us—has been given to us just as it was to those who lived in the time of Moses. But it didn’t do them any good because they didn’t believe it. They didn’t mix it with faith. 3 For only we who believe God can enter into his place of rest. He has said, “I have sworn in my anger that those who don’t believe me will never get in,” even though he has been ready and waiting for them since the world began.4 We know he is ready and waiting because it is written that God rested on the seventh day of creation, having finished all that he had planned to make.5 Even so they didn’t get in, for God finally said, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6 Yet the promise remains and some get in—but not those who had the first chance, for they disobeyed God and failed to enter.7 But he has set another time for coming in, and that time is now. He announced this through King David long years after man’s first failure to enter, saying in the words already quoted, “Today when you hear him calling, do not harden your hearts against him.”8 This new place of rest he is talking about does not mean the land of Israel that Joshua led them into. If that were what God meant, he would not have spoken long afterwards about “today” being the time to get in. 9 So there is a full complete rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 Christ has already entered there. He is resting from his work, just as God did after the creation. 11 Let us do our best to go into that place of rest, too, being careful not to disobey God as the children of Israel did, thus failing to get in.12 For whatever God says to us is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for what we really are. 13 He knows about everyone, everywhere. Everything about us is bare and wide open to the all-seeing eyes of our living God; nothing can be hidden from him to whom we must explain all that we have done."   Hebrews 4:1-13 TLB

From Headgear to Glory.

I want to share something shocking with you; something a little hard to swallow. Perhaps you'll cringe and your brow will shed a bead of sweat. But, here goes.....

Sometimes you have to do something uncomfortable or inconvenient to get to the next level in life.  

*Cue the scream of terror. 

Are you still with me? Ok, good.

When I was 13 years old, my parents took me to an orthodontist because my teeth were crooked and I desperately needed braces. I was actually pretty excited about the whole thing because I knew that my smile was going to be radiant and beautiful when the process was finished. I was excited about picking the colored bands on my braces, but of course, I didn’t think about everything I would have to endure to get there; all I could think of was my gorgeous teeth. So in 7th grade, I began the 2 year journey of orthodontics. And let me tell you, it was an uncomfortable one, to say the least! I started off with a lovely appliance that was placed at the roof of my mouth, complete with a key, to turn every day to expand my jaw. Then they added the braces, and finally, to top it off, I was given headgear to wear 14 hours a day for 6 months. Talk about an awkward stage for a girl! For a season in my life, I looked pretty funny and went through some physical discomfort. BUT! I was faithful to do everything they asked, never giving up even when it was tempting to do so, and at the end of 2 years, when I was 15 years old and a freshman in high school, they took off those braces, revealing a perfectly gorgeous smile; the one I’d envisioned a couple of years earlier when I began the long journey.  
                                                             Summer of 1997

Another situation that comes to mind, is one that Dave and I are journeying right now. A couple of years ago, Dave strongly believed that the Lord was directing us to have no mortgage on our house. Now, I personally believe that God could drop a load of cash right in your lap at any moment to pay off your house, but I think most of the time, to get to that point, you have a little bit of work to do, with the Lord’s help of course.  So even before the Lord had laid that idea on Dave’s heart, we had already made an investment in the house we lived in, purchasing a foreclosure, fixing it up and living in it for awhile. Almost 5 years later, when the market was just right, we decided we’d sell our house, with the intention that we’d find another foreclosure to purchase. This time we’d buy a house with cash instead of a mortgage.  The only catch to this plan? We’d have to move in with Dave’s parents for a short season until we found another place. So, after talking it over with them, and doing some necessary final repairs, we listed our house for sale.  Within 4 weeks we accepted an offer on our house for more than our asking price!  This gave us nearly double what we paid for originally when we bought the house, so we were able to pay off the mortgage and still have a substantial amount left over for our next home.  It took some time, in fact longer than I expected, but at just the right time, the perfect house for us went on the market and we made an offer that was accepted in less than 12 hours! We were able to purchase this house without a mortgage and we began the process of fixing it up the way we wanted. To top it off, this house is an excellent investment that will make us money in the future. Our motto is buy low, sell high. It has worked wonderfully for us. But we had to be willing to do what a lot of people aren’t willing to do, and it has gotten us to the next level, a place that most people never see, while we’re still in our 30’s.  All things are possible with God!

I share these personal stories with you because they’re just a couple of examples of some uncomfortable or inconvenient situations we endured to get to the next level in our lives.  The bible is full of examples of people like Moses, Abraham and Job moving from one level to another, even when at times it was painful or seemed inconvenient.  But it was necessary for them to grow to the next place, making them stronger, more full of faith, and unstoppable!  2 Corinthians 3:18 says: “And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another.”

We simply cannot get too comfortable in one place expecting to get to the next level in life. This includes our personal lives and our relationship with the Father.  It’s good to enjoy where you’re at right now, but we have to continuously be moving from glory to glory, growing and thriving in this wonderful life God has blessed us with. Don’t be afraid of the process; learn to enjoy it as an adventure. Celebrate each and every level you reach, even take some time to enjoy it, but like Paul says in Philippians 3:14 “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”

                                                                          10th year of marriage (2014)

Blessings :)

Kristin 

God made YOU to be sound inside and out!

   "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

(2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

God's will is for you to be healed and whole physically, emotionally and mentally. 

Period. 

There are many places in the Bible that talk about this, but this one passage hit the nail on the head for me. I read this in Psalms today (33:4-5, MSG) in His word and it encouraged me greatly!!

"For God's Word is solid to the core; EVERYTHING He makes is sound inside and out.."

There's more to the verse, but I was captured after the first sentence, because the word "Sound" stood out to me. Then I felt like the Holy Spirit led me to look up the definition.

There are many definitions for this one word. But I scrolled down to the adjective part and it had 7 different meanings under the adjective category. But the very first one was the one that made me practically jump for joy:

"FREE FROM INJURY, DAMAGE, DEFECT, DISEASE, ETC., IN GOOD CONDITION; HEALTHY; ROBUST." (see here for full definition)

Let that soak in for a minute. If God made you and I (which He did), then He made us to be sound. It says in His word that EVERYTHING He makes is sound inside and out. Soo, His plan all along was for us to be completely healthy and whole from head to toe; from mind to heart; from start to finish. But life happens, we live in an imperfect world, sin came in and because of that we needed a savior named Jesus to come in, rescue us from ourselves, and make things right again. Thank God, because of Jesus, we can get back to God's perfect plan for our lives! It's truly up to us, it's really our decision. All we have to do is receive by faith what He offers, and it's as good as ours (1 John 5:13-15 MSG). I hope this makes sense. I was so excited to share it with you!

This is my declaration today. Say it with me:

"God, you made me, and your Word says that EVERYTHING you make is sound inside and out. Because of the blood of Jesus, I am free from injury, damage, defect & disease. I'm in good condition; healthy and robust! I belong to you, so I thank you that I am and always will be SOUND both inside and out!"

Amen :)

Love, Kristin

Hearty Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

Hello friends!

I started blogging about something this week, but I just couldn't finish it in time. So regardless I wanted to share with you a wonderful vegetarian Daniel-fast friendly recipe that tasted so good! I know sometimes when you do a Daniel fast you think you have to eat really basic things, and if you feel convicted to do so, then by all means! But I think you can get really creative, have fun with and enjoy what you eat even when you're fasting meat, dairy, sweets etc.  In general, this is also just a great meal if you're wanting to give your body a rest from meat one day a week. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Blessings,

Kristin J.

P.S. Keep asking and believing and you will receive :) Matthew 7:7

Hearty Vegetarian Quinoa Chili (adapted from this recipe)

Items:
1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 can of white (northern) beans
1 can of black beans
1 small can of diced green chiles
2 white potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 can of diced tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
4-15 oz cans of tomato sauce OR 2 large cans
Juice of 1 lime

Seasonings:
3 Tbsp. of chili powder (or more depending on taste)
4 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste (I like salt, so I use a lot, but some of you may not like it as much)

Cooking Directions:
Place all items, including seasonings in a crockpot and stir until well combined. Cook on high for at least 6 hours, stirring (if able to) around the 5 hour mark.  Check to make sure the potatoes are thoroughly cooked after 6 hours. What I like about the quinoa, is it adds a meaty texture to this recipe.

When finished top with *creamy avocado "sour cream" and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

*Creamy Avocado "sour cream"

1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Blend ingredients in a high powered blender until whipped and creamy.

One of my Greatest Privileges.

There's a man I know really well.  He's a really good man :)

He's consistent.  Unmoved by circumstances. Anchored in the Lord.  Handsome. Strong. Sensitive. Humble. Passionate in his calling.  Trustworthy.  Full of integrity. Super Encouraging. Loyal.  Stubborn. Wild. A real rabble rouser (with the kids ;).

Many of you know him already.  But if you don't, you should. His name is David Johnson, and I have the privilege of calling him my husband (or babe, or honey, or "David Johnson!" depending on the day).

We've been married for 10 years, and through those years I've known the desires of my husband's heart. You see, he went to college to be a pastor.  It's his calling to be in ministry, and his desire for that never wavered even when he worked in ministry as a volunteer. He volunteered his time for years. His dream was to work at our church, and even more than that, to serve under the man who discipled him as a teenager, our youth pastor at the time.  But then our youth pastor became the executive pastor and eventually the senior pastor and a new pastor took the youth pastor role, and Dave served the new pastor with the same faithfulness that he had before. Through leadership changes, he remained consistent, waiting patiently on the Lord. Even when he had days where he was discouraged about God's timing, felt like it was never going to happen or when someone was hired instead of him to work positions I thought for sure he was more than qualified for, he still remained solid in his vision. Even when I, as an emotional woman, would get upset about the "unfairness" or the times we both wondered if God was calling us elsewhere, no matter what, he would say, "We don't move until God moves us." And then he'd brush off the dust of discouragement and doubt and continue faithfully, all the while working jobs that weren't his calling so he could provide for his family.

But God's timing is literally spot on.

One day about 5 years ago, we both decided that maybe we were supposed to find ministry work elsewhere. Not because we were disgruntled, but just willing to do whatever God wanted us to do to fulfill the vision God had given Dave, one that I fully supported.  It was kind of exciting actually. But as soon as we began sending out applications to other churches, God opened the door for Dave to be hired at our church! Isn't that hilarious?! So, Dave was hired part time at first, and then before long he was a full time staff member, eventually filling the Helps pastor role, serving the very man he had longed to serve so many years before, the pastor of our church. I watched my husband pass test after test after test, never giving up. And to top it off, just this week, God answered the biggest part of Dave's dream; one that he has been believing for for over 10 years: he was promoted and is now officially the Associate Helps Pastor! I'm so incredibly proud of my man. What an honor and joy it is to serve at our church together. And the funny thing is, this surprise from the Lord was one of our fasting rewards and He gave the reward even before the end of this year's fast, totally catching me off guard! God is so amazing! He always amazes me, and usually catches me off guard with His sheer amazingness :)

I'm continually amazed by the man I get to spend my life with.  I get to be a part of his dreams as well as my own dreams! He has taught me so much about perseverance, faithfulness and selflessness. He truly is a shining example of Jesus. And he's my best friend.

During this fasting season, or whatever season you're in, I want to encourage you that God has great plans to accelerate the vision in your life this very year. He wants to promote you into something greater than where you're at right now.  Stand strong and remain faithful.  God WILL fulfill your wildest dreams! He will give you your hearts desires! Never, ever, ever give up!

Love, Kristin :)

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." [Ephesians 3:20]

P.S. I have another fabulous Daniel Fast-friendly dinner recipe to share with you below. OOOh, I'm so excited about this one!!! It is addicting! I modified it from this recipe, making it completely Daniel fast friendly.

.:The original recipe calls for 1 egg, which I would normally use, but since there aren't eggs on the Daniel fast, I replaced an egg with 2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 6 Tbsp water and let it set for a few minutes. It gets slimy and perfect for binding the recipe together like an egg. Worked great:.

Sweet Potato Corn Cakes with Garlic Dipping Sauce

2 Sweet Potatoes
1 Cup frozen corn
2 Green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/3 cup ground cornmeal
Coconut oil for frying
Garlic sauce for dipping from your nearest Mediterranean restaurant (here in Lansing, that's Woody's Oasis or Zaytoon). Or make your own using this recipe here.

Poke the sweet potatoes with a sharp knife and bake them in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour.   When they're done, scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.  Add the corn, onions, cilantro, spices, cornmeal and flax-egg replacement. Mix it all together completely and allow to set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat a skillet on medium/high heat and add the coconut oil. I prefer coconut oil because it's a good high heat oil. When you see the oil get wavy (not smoky), it's ready.  Shape the mixture into small patties and place in the hot oil, allowing to cook, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown on each side.  Place on a paper towel to drain the oil. Serve with garlic sauce on the side.

Oh my holy smokes these are AMAZING!

Kid and Ninja Turtle approved ;)