Change

“casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7

     Why is change so hard? Have you ever tried to lose weight? How about, changing jobs? Maybe moving or changing churches? Again, I ask why is change so hard? I have a theory or two behind this. The first theory is that we all want to be accepted, loved and appreciated. We are meant to have those around us who will help us during this journey we call life. “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 When we start the process of changing we feel that people will no longer accept, love or appreciate us. Our fear of what others think or how they will treat us once we have made the choice to change our lives can take a toll emotionally and physically. The best thing to do during this time is to pray to God and give him ALL your fears, and concerns. Let him send down his peace and accept that change is hard but can be good. 
     My second theory is we all fear change because of the comforts we have come to know. When you’re trying to lose weight, you have to change your lifestyle. So, eating differently and exercising more can cause people to view you differently. To be honest, giving up comfort food is hard for me to do. When you change jobs, you don’t want to lose contact with those you have come to know and care for. When you have worked somewhere for a while you have a routine down and the change of routine can be hard. This can be hard on you and your family. When you move or change churches you have to give up the comfort of being in a town/church you are familiar with. The biggest reason change is so hard is because we can’t see into the future. We can’t be 100% sure that we are making the changes in our life and all will turn out just fine. I’m a firm believer that God will put you where you need to be, but since I like to control things….not knowing what lies ahead is hard for me. Even when change is for the better for you and your family it's hard to let go of who and what we know.
     So, to answer my question, why is change so hard? Change is hard because we are afraid of things not turning out how we want them to. We are afraid of being wrong. We don’t want to lose our friends because of the choices we make. You have to know that while change is hard what lies ahead is better than what you ever thought it would be. I would like to say this…if you are making a big decision that will change your life make sure you are praying to God and that you have His will for your life at the forefront of your change. You will never go wrong by following His will. It may not make sense to anyone but you/your family but keep praying and keep moving in the direction God tells you to go. The hard part about it all is no one can tell you what God is telling you to do. You have to know that you are listening to what God is telling you to do and just do it. Take the words of Jeremiah to heart. “The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.” Jeremiah 17:7 Lean on God and look to him and remember change isn't just hard on the one making the change it’s also hard on those who will be affected by it. (ie you, your family, your friends) Until next time may God Bless you and Keep you! 
 *Bible verses used  from HCSB.

Thoughts to ponder

Have you ever read a book, other than the Bible, that makes you think about your life? What about living your life for God? I just finished reading a book that has shaken me to the core. While I would love to rant on and on about this book I'm not going to. Why? Because I want you to read it for yourself, and if you would like I will let you borrow mine. I mentioned the title in my last post but I will put it here. The book that has made my mind swirl is titled "Anything the prayer that unlocked my God and my Soul". This book is written by Jennie Allen. I will put a link to her website at the bottom of this post...please check it out. I'm not sure what to write about, my mind is still swirling and to be honest I could probably write a lot. There are so many questions that she asked that made me ponder, but I'm going to pick two and share my thoughts on them. The first question: "What if my life was going so beautifully because I wasn't chasing after God?" (p.108)
    Wow, stop and read that question again. I'm sure your life, like mine isn't perfect...in fact I can name plenty of things that I would change right now if given the opportunity. Is there anything just horrible with my life...no. As a matter of fact until recently my life has been pretty laid back, kind of on a flat track. Things have been changing for me and my family, but....have I been chasing after God? Sadly, my answer to that is no. Do I go to church? Yes. Do I read my Bible? Yes. Do I live like a Christian....well the best that I can. I have been chasing this world though. I want a nicer house, and we just bought new cars almost two years ago. I want the newest technology that's out there....even though I can't afford it. The Bible clearly states we can not love this world and love God too.  "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. " Matthew 6:24  Here I am, thinking that I am doing what God wants me to do because my life isn't bad but really I'm not. I'm chasing after my other master....the one that provides instant gratification here on earth. The one that allows me to get what I want fairly quick. Don't get me wrong, I'm not rich, but who doesn't own some plastic these days? Have I used any of that plastic to help those in need? What do I have a lot of that others don't? By the worlds standards, or at least America's I don't have enough, or make enough or do enough. Should I be living for the world's or America's standards? Not if I am living for God. My life has truly been all about me and my family and what we want. Not until recently have I said, OK God, what do you want for my life. Which leads me to the next question that I hope will make you ponder...like it made me.  "What if we wanted what God wanted most?" (p.132)
     Hum, what does God want most? God, wants us to know him. He wants us to love him. God wants us to share him with others. So, what if I wanted what God wanted most? Would my life look like it does right now? I wish that answer was yes, but honestly I'm just barely brushing his hand. God is reaching out to me and you, but most of the time we are too busy with our lives to worry about what God wants. I want my life to be easy, but no where in the Bible does it say follow Jesus because your life will be easy...and nothing bad will ever happen. My friends,  I'm tired of chasing after this world and what it says I should have. I want to chase after God and what he wants me to have and do. I want God's love to be known and shown to others. I want God to reach out his hand and say my child walk with me. So, now that I have shared this with you. I don't want to go to heaven and be shown what I could've done or would've had here on this earth if I would've stopped and focused on what God wants. Instead of writing more, I'm going to stop...and issue you a challenge. Read the bold questions again...pray that God would show you the honest answers to those questions. I have so much more to share....but I will wait for another day. God is alive and moving in my heart friends....will you allow him to stir your heart like he has stirred mine? Let me hear from you. Until next time May God Bless you and Keep you!
* Bible verses used are from NIV.
Please look at Jennie Allen's website. I follow her blog and I have read Anything.
http://jennieallen.com/

Update

Good Afternoon,
    I pray all is well with you. I'm not going to write today like I wanted. My family and I are taking a short trip to Dallas to the Ranger game and then to Six Flags tomorrow. I wanted to let you know that I will start back writing once a week and you can expect them sometime Friday afternoon. I have been reading a book titled, "Anything" by Jennie Allen. I will tell you more about this book next week and where it is leading me. I just want to say God is moving in my heart, my house and my life. I am so blessed and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I want to say one thing, change is hard for every one involved...even the people who are doing the changing. It's hard  letting go of what we're use to and knowing that there will be some who don't understand why you are doing what you are doing. When God says do something....we are to listen...and that is where my family is at. We are listening and obeying...although it hasn't been easy. More to come next week.  Until next time may God Bless and Keep you!

"Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

Embrace Who You Are

What do people mean when they say embrace who you are or I am embracing who I am? First, you have to know who you are and second we are every changing. Can one really embrace who they are? I decided to look up the definition of embrace on dictionary.com to help me answer that question. I found two definitions that seemed to shine some light on the answer. 
   The first definition that helps answer the question is as follows: "to take or receive gladly or eagerly, accept willingly." In other words, we are to take or receive gladly or eagerly who we are. As a child of God, I need to remember that I am made by His hands. "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female." Genesis 1:27 That means everything from my hair color, to my personality was given to me by God. In order for me to embrace who I am I have to willingly accept that God wanted me to be this way, and He created me for His purpose. He made me short, with blue-green eyes, a love for competition, to care for others, a heart to teach and cook all for the good of His kingdom. "For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13 
    The second definition of embrace that is helpful in answering my question is: " to avail oneself". You are to value yourself. BINGO! In order to embrace who you are, you not only need to accept who you are but you need to value who you are. There isn't a better verse in the Bible to tell you how much God values you than John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." I know how much God loves me and you, but it doesn't make it easy for me to embrace who I am. Why? Because, I see my faults, my mistakes, and the things the world says isn't pretty and I believe it. This is what Satan wants me to see. I am working on seeing me as God sees me. To value who I am because God created me and I am His daughter. I try to embrace who I am one day, one hour, one minute at a time. The goal is to see yourself through God's eyes and not the worlds. We shouldn't worry about the worldly things. I'm getting better about not worrying especially about things that I can't control. God doesn't want us to worry. "Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself." Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 Enjoy where you are at in life at this time. Make time to do things that will bring glory to God. Slow down and spend quality time with your family. Embrace who you are daily and remember you are constantly changing which means embracing who you are today is more important than embracing who you were yesterday. Don't forget who created you and why He created you, it's always a good place to start. Until next time may God Bless you and Keep you. 

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday. Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans." Psalm 37:5-7

*Bible verses used from HCSB

What or Who Defines you?

Matthew West has a new song titled, "Hello, My Name Is". This song has made me think about the things that define me or that I tend to let define me. (Please bare with me and keep reading)   :) 
I am: Carolyn and Mark's daughter
          Holly and Joel's sister
          a granddaughter, niece, and cousin
          a little girl without a father
          sad
          afraid
          a teenager without a father
          an athlete
          a band nerd
           rejected
          depressed
          a college student
          a bride without her father to walk her down the aisle
          a wife, Nick's wife, Mr. Hardy's wife, the drummer's wife
          happy
          jealous
          David and Val's daughter-in-law
          a mother
          Alex's mom
          a college graduate
          Bekah's mom
          a teacher
          afraid
          dealing with a miscarriage
          hurt
          a disappointment
          confused
          a church secretary
          no longer able to have children
          frustrated
          alone
          remorseful
          forgiven
          servant
          happy
          child of God
Isn't it funny how quickly we identify ourselves as belonging to someone or something else. We enter every place we go with a list of " I ams" that we assume people see, but how often do you see the " I ams" of another person? When you meet someone for the first time, you only know them by how they introduce themselves. How about the people you see? We can't see all their "I ams". So, why is it we assume everyone can see all our I ams? We enter a place timid, not real sure how we are going to be received. When really we set the tone (accept/reject) ourselves. It's almost as if we have a sign on us that says I am and it lists everything we "think" others see or think about ourselves. At the bottom of our list (at least my list) is child of God-except he doesn't make the front. Nope, He makes the back, so people can only see that I am a child of God as I am walking away. There is something wrong with that-I am a child of God should be the first thing people see. Before other people can see it, you have to believe it, remember it, and walk securely in it. I admit, most days I walk in with my list of assumptions and not I am a child of God. I am striving to put I am a child of God first and to stop dwelling on my past and present circumstances. I want God's light to shine through my brokenness. I am starting to embrace who I really am-Kimberlea (Kim) Sue Whitmire Hardy-child of the one true King, saved by His amazing grace.  How many lives would change if we walked in confidence and put I am a child of God first as our identity and not last? Until next time may God Bless you and Keep you.

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

"Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. " Romans 8:12-14

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1

The following link is the Matthew West video of Hello, My Name is. I hope you enjoy! 
http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=0F9EB1NU

Facebook Withdrawls

O how I love Facebook....not. I have realized that Facebook can be a major stressor in my life. I started realizing how much I checked Facebook a couple  of weeks ago. I found myself grabbing my phone to check the status of others frequently and to be honest it started to bother me. I started thinking, why am I constantly checking the Facebook? Sometimes five minutes would go by and I felt the urge to check Facebook again, like something of major importance was on there. I started feeling a tug on my heart telling me I was so caught up in social media that I was neglecting the most important thing in my life. That important thing I was neglecting was my relationship with Jesus Christ. I could have been using the time on was on Facebook to study God's word. In a way, Facebook was becoming an idol in my life. It was taking my focus away from God in a sense that I wasn't using my time wisely. I would rather sit on my couch and check Facebook over and over and over again than I would pick up my Bible or read a devotional on my Bible app. While Jonah was in the stomach of the whale he cried out to God in a prayer. Towards the end he said, "Those who cling to worthless idols forsake faithful love." Jonah 2:8 I take this at this point in time of my life as this, when you cling to Facebook constantly checking it, you are forsaking God's faithful love.  God wants me to draw close to him, and I was neglecting that.
 Was I using Facebook to uplift and encourage others? Yes, but the truth remains that I couldn't go one day without checking it at least two-three times an hour. CRAZY!!!!  I should be consumed in God's word the way that I was allowing Facebook to consume my time. Not everyone is addicted to Facebook like I am and I'm not addicted to other things like others are. Each person has their own struggles and to be honest you have lean on God's word and allow Him to show you if something is keeping you from knowing him more. 1 Corinthians 10:14 says, " Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." I have deactivated my Facebook account and I am fleeing from my idol.  I have picked up my phone several times with intentions of looking at what is on Facebook and remember I no longer have an account. I do not know how long I will stay away from Facebook, but I do know that I will never look at Facebook the same. My prayer is that we all will see what in our lives is keeping us from truly spending time with God and flee from it. My friends are confused as to why I no longer use Facebook, and hopefully this will help answer that question. I am choosing to step away and see how my life is without it for a while. Take care...and be on guard against the "little" things that are time consuming. Until next time May God Bless and Keep you!
*Bible verses used are from HCSB*

Fog

"The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130

   A week ago I was driving in the country on my way to work and was in awe of God's creation. As I drove down a winding road I noticed the fog was just starting to rise. I have always thought that fog was magical/mystical. I blame it on my romantic heart, but maybe there is more to it. I found myself thanking God for the beautiful pastures with the cows and the trees. I love my drive to work. The beautiful blue sky fading into the rolling pastures and the towering pine trees saluting the sun makes my morning peaceful. This morning seemed different though, the fog was about a foot off the ground in every direction. It wasn't a real dense fog but enough for me to realize I needed to slow down and pay attention. I felt as if God was speaking to me. He wanted me to see that our lives are just like that winding road with fog. Our lives will take many turns to get us to our final destination but we will have obstacles like fog to travel through. All we need to do to arrive safely is slow down. I knew where my final destination was that day and I knew the road well enough to not be concerned with the fog, but being aware of my surroundings and the possibility of animals traipsing across the road I knew I needed to proceed with caution. If you are saved then you know the road you're on leads to heaven, but the twists and turns that we have to get through are not going away until we reach our final destination and we should proceed with caution. I slowed down a little more as I approached a more dense patch of fog because I was sure I wasn't going to be able to see very far in front of me. As I drove through that patch I was actually able to see my surroundings, and I thought wow this is what God wants us to do. He wants us to slow down, and take the time to pray and read His word but to see our surroundings. Once you do that you can see just far enough ahead of you to keep going with confidence. The obstacles in our lives are hard to get through or even to see past and that's when God wants us to slow down, lean on him and allow him to get us through what seems unnavigable. When we do, we will see that His word can make our lives simple. "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130
By me slowing down I was able to not only see far enough in front of me but I could see the fog rising in the woods just on the other side of the road. In the middle of the fog I was able to thank God for allowing me to see what was around me and what was ahead of me. I could see far enough to know what was coming my way. So, today I ask have you slowed down and thanked God for his blessings and for seeing you through your fog? I love that as the sun rises the fog burns off because it reminds me that as the son shines brighter in me my personal fog is burned off too. God doesn't see me like I see me, he sees His son shining bright in me and His daughter to whom he can't wait to welcome home.The fog is just part of our journey, will you cry out I can't see or slow down and allow God to open your eyes for you? "But everything exposed by the light becomes visible," Ephesians 5:13  Until next time may God Bless you and Keep you.
Bible verses taken from NIV