Rock Climbing

Have you ever been asked to go someplace or to do something that you thought utterly impossible or didn’t make sense? Or maybe you find yourself in a place that isn’t comfortable and you’re searching for a way out. I’ve been there!

One summer we took our kids and our then future son-in-law to Yellowstone and the area that surrounds it. We love going there and find much to do as we like to watch nature, hike and white water raft. My family likes to rock climb so we searched for some kind of rock face that they could climb. We stopped at the ranger station and a kind ranger directed us to a place that we could climb that was off the beaten path. He was careful to tell us that a grizzly bear had been in the area and that we would need to make a lot of noise going up, that was to keep bears away…I guess? We found the place, it was one of those places that has a sign-in and sign-out sheet at the entry point of the trail, just in case you sign in and don’t sign out they will come looking for you or what remains of you! Off we went on a narrow trail that snaked up the side of the mountain. The trail was only wide enough for one, so we looked like a parade going up the mountain. Every once in a while someone would recognize that we were being too quiet as we navigated the trail. They had obviously had a thought of a grizzly bear; they would break out in a song like This Is The Day and clap their hands loudly. We would all laugh hilariously and sing along. When we arrived at the face, the kids noticed that the face was loose and they would have to climb without ropes or tying in. They would take three steps up and then slide down a bit, regroup and go again. Jim didn’t think I should try it, which made me laugh because I don’t think that thought ever entered into my mind! So off they all went three lunges forward and then slide down. I was standing on a narrow ledge with a drop off of about twenty feet below me, a raging river at the bottom of the ravine and a mountain face on the other side that my family was creeping upward on. It then hit me, I was alone and what about the bears!!! Great, Jim really wasn’t thinking about me having a hard time climbing, he was using me as bear bait!! I sang, clapped my hands, watched my family and prayed for them as they struggled to navigate the rock face. All of a sudden my family froze, a mountain goat had scampered out on this face that literally had very little angle to it. I know he had to be thinking what are these things clinging to my mountain?! That goat must have been stunned, because he stood there long enough for me to get my camera out and take a picture, then he scampered away effortlessly. I was delighted and couldn’t believe how wonderful it was. My family continued to struggle to get their footing and made it to the top. I realized that they were able to see things from the top that I was never going to see from the semi-safe ledge below. Although the climb was difficult, as proof by the torn clothing, dirt covered, scraped and bleeding family that returned to me…it was all worth it!

High places are not easy places to get to usually. They require determination and wisdom to navigate. Sometimes there are scrapes, bruises and blood accompanying the climb. The high places in our lives are the places that the Lord desires to take us. And although difficult, it is usually in the climb that we know Him more intimately as He teaches us things that would not otherwise be learned. My high places are not your high places. The difficult things that have come in and out of my life probably don’t look the same as yours, but we all have them. His promise to us is to be with us, to guide us, and to equip us for the climb. Even when my climbing looks like taking three steps forward and sliding backwards or just hanging on, digging my fingernails into the dirt to cling and keep my footing. He knows the way I take! Never thought I would pray, make me like a goat…give me hind’s feet!

Ever climbing,
Kim

Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.

Job 23:10 He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Inquiring Minds Want To Know?????

I'm always on the hunt for a good book or study or teaching that is out there. I try every January to make a book list for the coming year, most years I never read the whole list! I thought I would share a few books that I have read lately, a couple of them I read a while back and have re-read them. Also a couple of teachings and devotionals. Would love to hear from you what are a few of the books, studies, devotionals, that you would recommend.

Books:
The Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan
They Found the Secret by V. Raymond Edman
One.Life Jesus Calls, We Follow by Scot McKnight
Grace For the Good Girl by Emily Freeman
Invitation To Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton

Teachings:
Jonah by Priscilla Shirer (I didn't do the workbook, just watched the teaching DVD's)
Wrecked Not Ruined by Beth Moore (this is a teaching done on Life Today with James and Betty Robinson and is a 5 part teaching done in November and December) lifetoday.org

Devotionals:
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
A Lamp Unto My Feet by Elisabeth Elliot

Ok, if you have a minute would you leave me a comment and let me know what you are reading or a teaching series that you think is really good, or a devotional that you reach for that really speaks to you. Can't wait to hear your responses!!! Thanks for taking the time.

Blessings,
Kim

shhhh

Has God ever asked you to be quiet?

What an exercise it is for me to be quiet! Those closest to me aren’t used to it; in fact, Jim says it makes him nervous when I’m quiet and not verbally processing everything! All through elementary school, it was not unusual for my report card to have a note from the teacher that read, “Kimberly is a good student, gets along well with her peers, but is too talkative.” I actually had one teacher that put me and my desk behind a cardboard tri-fold. I’m not sure that worked?! As I got older and went to junior high and high school, I had some insightful teachers along the way that steered me into speech, drama and debate. Even in those early years, the Lord was forming me. As He became my Savior and Lord, the adventure began. He would ask me to cooperate with Him by walking into new places, loving the adventure, and talking! (Teaching) A teacher always wants to share what the Lord is teaching her. But sometimes the lesson is just for her and Him. He puts a cardboard tri-fold around her, not because she is in trouble, but because He wants to teach her and have her undivided attention. There flows a sweet intimacy that isn’t up for discussion. I have stepped into this “blog world” and have been grateful for the opportunity to let some of the lessons spill from my heart to written word. They are the expulsion of some of the words that He is writing on my heart and allowing me to share. It has been a joy to converse with those of you who have been emailing me. (Keep it up, I love hearing from you!) Honestly this lesson in vulnerability leaves me feeling naked most days when I hit the “post” button. But there are those things that I think are in every woman’s heart; things that are just between her and the Lover of her soul. These are things that Mary treasured and pondered in her heart, the places we are asked to walk alone. For over six months I have had words, His words in my ears saying things like; “Be still, stop striving and know that I am God” Ps. 46:10 and “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, will be quietness and confidence forever” Isaiah 32:17. Being still and being quiet, not things that I’m very good at but things that I’m learning. For years I thought about the declaring of truth more than the living of truth…about the doing more than the being.

I am constantly learning that one of the things that the Father is doing is preparing us for what is coming next whether that is a trial, a new season of life or the next assignment. The following is an excerpt from Streams in the Desert that has spoke to me over and over. “There are times and places where God will form a mysterious wall around us, and cut away all props, and all the ordinary ways of doing things, and shut us up to something divine, which is utterly new and unexpected, something that old circumstances do not fit into, where we do not know just what will happen, where God is cutting the cloth of our lives on a new pattern, where He makes us look to Himself.” I like the expected, I like sameness, and I like props! To be honest they bring me comfort! I gently hear Him say, “Not this time my child”.

Forever learning…
Stilled by His love and grace,
Kim
kimday1964@gmail.com or
jimlouisday@yahoo.com

Mistaken Identity

I have two really great sisters-in-law. They both make me laugh and it has been so much fun being able to spend more time with them in the past six months of life. I have pet names for both of them, although they don’t know it. I call one Ornery and one Feisty! Trust me when I say this is a true analysis of both of their lives.

This Christmas a part of my extended family from my Dad’s side gathered. It was wonderful to see aunts and uncles that I don’t get to visit with often. At this gathering I was able to catch up with one of my cousins that I haven’t seen in years. I met one of his children for the first time and observed what an amazing daddy and husband he is. He also is extremely shy, so to have a conversation with him took some doing. I saw him multiple times sitting quietly with his children playing a game in one corner of the living room. To an extreme introvert, a house brimming with children and loudness can be painful. There was another observation that I made, he seemed to be a little shyer around one sister-in-law, “Feisty”. After everyone left, “Feisty” and I helped clean up and were talking. I asked her about my cousin’s shyness, to which she responded; “Well, I probably know why he is a little skittish around me!” She had that smirk on her face and I pressed her to tell her secret. Our family also does a yearly fishing trip, it was on one such trip Feisty saw my brother, her husband bending over his tackle box. She looked around and saw no one, so she thought she would seize the opportunity to add a little spark to their marriage. She walked up behind him, put her hands on both buns, and gave them a little love squeeze! He stood up and swung around in a hurry…you guessed it…it wasn’t my brother; it was my extremely shy cousin!! All she could get out, as the color drained from her face and returned in multiple shades of red was, “sorry!” He stood there dumbfounded and said nothing! No wonder he acted like a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers!!! I laughed until I cried and have been giggling and chiding my sister-in-law about it now for a month.

Mistaken identity…..how often we make assumptions, only to find out what we convinced ourselves to be true, isn’t true at all! As a woman seeking to follow Christ, this identity thing is big. The question is always, what am I going to believe? Do I believe; what I think, what the world says, what the enemy of my soul whispers or what other’s opinions are? Let’s be honest, this is an issue where the rubber meets the road, and will be the determining factor as to how I will live. Left alone to my own thoughts and influenced by the things listed above, I think of myself as; unaccepted, rejected, insecure, inadequate, not the right size, not good enough, doesn’t have what it takes, and all of that is Mistaken Identity! The struggle is always to shut the door on lies and embrace truth. To know my identity, to embrace and renew my mind to who God says I am.

Literally, FOOD FOR THOUGHT;
I am God’s child John 1:12
I have been justified Romans 5:1
I have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, sealed Ephesians 1:1-14
I am complete in Christ Colossians 2:10
I am adequate in Christ 2 Corinthians 3:5-6
I am free of condemnation Romans 8:1-2
I can not be separated from the love of God Romans 8:35-39
I have not been given the spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7
I am God’s workmanship Ephesians 2:10
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Philippians 4:13

Choosing, (and not always with boldness, sometimes with a voice that is more like a mouse squeaking rather than a victorious overcomer!) to shut the door to lies and embrace truth.

Amazing Grace…how sweet the sound!
Love,
Kim

Living Water

Living Water, that was what He told her he could give. Jesus met a woman that day who was dry and thirsty. Her life was cracked and showed all the signs of drought.

This land of Oklahoma has been in a drought for a long time along, with Texas and other states. As a result, there have been devastating fires, crop failure and loss. Some time this summer as I was taking a walk out in the pasture, I noticed a crack, a place where the earth had opened up because of lack of water. As I stood there and looked at it, I thought to myself, what a picture it was. Often our lives get to the place of drought. Because of that, fires happen, things die and cracks appear.

The fires are circumstances that are trying to get us to recognize Jesus the Living Water, the Source of all we need. The things that die are the very precepts that He has spoken to us as they cease to be the guiding truth, perception and filter for our lives. As a result parts of us die also and we lose the empowering grasp of the Holy Spirit. He has not moved but we grow harder, like that earth, and joy, peace, gentleness…life…seems to drain from our splitting open. As cracks become evident in our lives and allow all sorts of enemy attacks, worldly thinking, self absorption and deceptions to enter in.

I have tasted this water and know it’s satisfaction. But, I also know the arid winds of drought on my soul. It is in those moments that I too, like the woman Jesus met, have reached for something else to quench my thirst.

Standing in a Thai prison one hot afternoon I saw the truth of John 4 come alive. There was a woman in our English class, who was the only non-Thai woman in the prison. Because she spoke English she came to be our helper. She was there because she had shot and killed her husband. Upon arriving each week at the prison, we would be escorted to our room full of women and our one non-Thai woman. Someone would come by with two bottles of cold water for me and my friend. One day as we arrived to the class, we immediately noticed that our English speaking woman didn’t look well. Her eyes seemed sunken, her skin was washed out, and her whole countenance seemed altered. When I asked her what was wrong, she explained that she had never drank the water from the prison and that daily someone would bring her water from the prison store. Because of prison regulations, the water could absolutely not be purchased anywhere else. The store had been out of water for four days and our friend had not had anything to drink. She asked for a drink of the water the guards had brought me. I was about to give her some, when the other prisoners began to say no, that she or I would get into trouble for doing so. I thought for a moment and then asked, “Does this water belong to me?” They all nodded. Then I asked, “since this water belongs to me, then I can give it to anyone I want, can’t I?” They nodded again. I was not prepared for what happened next, as she grabbed the bottle of water and drank with total abandon, as if none of us were there with her. Water was rolling down her chin and splashing all over her prison uniform. When she quenched her thirst a little bit, she slowed down and looked around the room. She seemed embarrassed by her display as she realized that she had water all over her. But the moment she came in contact with the water, all else faded and her only desire was for what could satisfy her thirst. We had the opportunity that day, because of the example that had been lived out before us, to share the story of a woman at a well that met Jesus for the first time and how He quenched her thirst. Our English speaking friend did come to know Jesus in that Thai prison.

One of my prayers for this New Year is to learn to drink with total abandon. To be so filled with desire for Him that ALL else fades. I’m asking the Father to keep me mindful to recognize the signs of drought in my life and to sink my roots deeply into streams of Living Water.

Face tipped towards heaven and mouth opened,
Kim

John 4:7-29, Jeremiah 17:5-8, Isaiah 58:11

O Come Let Us Adore Him

It’s Christmastime! Houses are decorated and glowing, trees are twinkling and stores are filled with music. It seems to lend itself to those who are sentimental, nostalgic and okay, sappy in nature. That would be me! We bake the same cookies every year and all of us in the family agree it wouldn’t be Christmas without them. Our Christmas breakfast will consist of the same menu that it has always been and we spend a lot of time looking back over Christmases past. It is a time of remembering. But isn’t that what Christmas really is? Remembering that,” there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

When our children were young, we wanted to do things that would remind them that Christmas was about the baby in a manger who is our Savior. One of the things we used was an Advent wreath. It was a very simple wreath with five candles. Each candle represented a part of the Christmas story leading up to the birth of Christ. There was a Prophet’s candle, Bethlehem candle, Shepherd’s candle, Angel’s candle, and the one in the center was the Christ candle. On each Sunday leading up to Christmas we would light one candle and Jim would read that part of the story. When God led us to the Ozarks and to our first church, we took the Advent wreath. It became apart of our worship as the church would gather on those December mornings. I can still see the children running up to Jim after Sunday school asking who was going to light the candle that Sunday. I have such treasured memories of our own children around our table and the children of that sweet country church at Christmas time around the advent wreath.

Advent is the anticipation and celebration of the arrival of our Christ. And just as I witnessed children circled around a wreath, it is us turning our focus and desiring our lives to circle around Him, as we remember Him coming to earth as a baby to rescue sinners. To rescue me! I have attempted to do this through the years that have been void of an advent wreath on our table and little children to constantly remind what Christmas is really about. I read through the prophesies of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament and Luke’s account of Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels and a baby in the manger. I ask God to allow the words to be fresh again and that I will not just read them like a story that I have memorized but that He will give me new eyes and nuggets of truth.

This week as I read the names of our Messiah in Isaiah, I was amazed as I thought through who He really is. “His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father and Prince of Peace.” The world and many around offer counsel; He knew we needed the Wonderful Counselor. Little gods abound and give no strength or power; He knew we needed a Mighty God. This life and most of what is in it is temporary and offers no security; He knew we needed an Eternal Father. Most of the places that we seek peace have no authority and are fleeting; He knew we needed the Prince of Peace. He promised to meet all of our needs. They were and are and will be met in Jesus! May we remember.

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him….

Isaiah 9:6, Philippians 4:19

In His Hands

She calls me, “my momma D” and I call her “my Bella Boo”. I am convinced her sole reason for being given to us is to steal my heart. She will turn three in a couple of weeks and with that comes so many things that come with being two-almost-three. She loves pretend play; in fact I’m pretty sure Buzz Light-year, Woody, and Jesse were all at our table at some point over the Thanksgiving holiday. She loves books, running, and singing….and….I love her! She is also at the point in her little toddler life that she loves to assert her independence. I heard often the words, “I do it by self, Momma D”. Now, I know she meant to say, I will do it myself, but when you’re two-almost-three, your sentences kind of come out in code and it is up to the adults around you to figure it out! On one such occasion we were about to cross a busy street, Jill had the baby and multiple other things in her hands, so she said to Bella, “take Momma D’s hand”. Bella looked at me, crossed her arms across her chest and said….you guessed it, “I do it by self, Momma D.” Which I just responded, "not this time,sweetie", grabbed her chubby hand and crossed the street. I kind of giggled to myself as I thought about my daughter raising this little strong-willed, brown eyed, delight. She was not ugly or throwing a fit as she stated her independence, just very confident that she was capable and strong enough for the task. I know the type, I have raised one myself, and to be completely honest, I am one myself! God has shown me over and over how I always try to be the strong one and am convinced that with the right planning, surly I will be capable enough to pull off or fix whatever is necessary. WARNING: This is a lie, it does not work, and should not be attempted at home…or any place for that matter!

As I grabbed Bella’s hand that day, a story that I was told years ago came to my mind. Jim and I knew an elderly pastor that visited our church when we were first married. He told a story of how he wanted to take his granddaughter out to play in the snow; it was the first snow of the season, and she could not wait to get out in it! The porch had iced over during the night and was dangerous if one was not cautious. He told his granddaughter to take his hand. She would grab her grandpa’s hand, only able to clutch a couple of his fingers. Inevitably, she would slip off and he would catch her, before she fell and hurt herself. This happened a few times and then he said, “instead of grabbing grandpa’s hand, let me take hold of your hand.” He held out his big hand and she placed her little hand inside of his. As he grasped her hand, it totally disappeared inside of his. As they walked across the ice covered porch, her feet slipped and wiggled but she never fell because he had her and she was going nowhere outside of his control.

In this season that I find myself in I am in control of nothing and I cannot plan the next step. Not one part of it plays to my strengths and my weaknesses are glaring like a flashing neon sign! How often have I looked at my heavenly Father and said,” I do it by self.” Oh that I would let my hands, plans, and weaknesses disappear in His hand and find rest in the fact that the Blessed Controller of all things has me in His hands.

John 10:27-30, Psalm 37:23-24