Rain Down Bread From Heaven

 One friend is going through severe financial crisis, having to foreclose his house.

He has done everything possible to prevent it from happening; however, he is drowning in debt and says iit is the worst time of his life.

One friend is buying foreclosed homes, flipping them, and making a profit.

He has cleared all his debt and says that it is the best time of his life.

Both love God.

One is suffering.  One is enjoying life.

From the outside it would seem that God has blessed one over the other.  What we need to understand, is that circumstances do not delineate if God has blessed us or not.  It is important to note, the blessed are those who personally experience and engage with the activity of God. Trust is the key component to engaging with the blessings of God.  At the end of the day, each one of us must make the choice whether or not we will  trust God in the best and worst of times.

Trust, is at the crux of our relationship with God.

We tend to put conditions on God because we lack trust.
Whether we admit it or not, lack of trust usually is centered on a difficult challenge that we have had to face and perhaps blame God for allowing it to occur in our life.  One thing I know is that we can trust God to be trustworthy. The thing is . . . trust doesn't always makes sense . . . making it difficult to choose to trust God.  

The Exodus people set out on a journey with God that required trust.
Along the way, doubt and trust collided.
Sometimes they chose to trust God to be God.
Other times they felt alone on the pathway to Promise and doubted God.
Even so, God continued to be faithful and rained down bread from heaven:

 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."(Exodus 16:4-5)

God promised to rain down bread from heaven, providing for all the people's needs.  But, God's provision was not one-sided; God asked the people to obey and follow His instructions. It was their choice to obey or not obey. 

Obedience boils down to choosing whether we will or will not trust God.  Choice is an amazing gift from God.  Choice can be hard; however, we do not need to manage the choice we make in our life alone. The Spirit of God will enable us to choose to obey and empower us to trust when we ask for help. 
The result of trust is being blessed . . . experiencing the activity of God . . . the bread from heaven raining down:
You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
   You're blessed when you follow his directions,
      doing your best to find him.
   That's right—you don't go off on your own;
      you walk straight along the road he set.
   You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
      now you expect us to live it.
   Oh, that my steps might be steady,
      keeping to the course you set;
   Then I'd never have any regrets
      in comparing my life with your counsel.
   I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
      I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
   I'm going to do what you tell me to do;
      don't ever walk off and leave me.(Psalm 119:1-3)

Trust.  Be blessed.  God has promised: I will rain down bread from heaven for you

 Learning to KickStart keeping on course . . . blessed to be in heaven's rain.,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

On Your Feet Now

Good times seem to bring excitement, anticipation, and gratefulness for life; however, when we experience challenges there is a tendency to lose enthusiasm, easily tire, and complain. A battle for our attitude, thought process, conversations, and reactions ensue with the onslaught of problems and pressures.

We are enabled, through the Spirit of God, to enter into the place of faith regardless of our circumstances.  It requires surrendered, grateful trust.

Can you imagine what the Exodus people had gone through?  They had been on a "walk" of a lifetime. The thing is . . . they were grateful for the miracle . . . . but they failed to see through it.

On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, "Why didn't God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You've brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!" (Exodus 16:1-3)

So, no one could see the presence and power of God? Really?  Seriously?  That's it?  They responded with  a group tantrum?  Life didn't look the way they wanted it to look.  They needed to get on their feet, thanking God in unmitigated faith.  God had clearly delivered them . . . provided water when they were thirsty . . . told them how to respond to life: to listen carefully, to do what is right in His eyes, and to pay attention to His Word . . . and then led them to an oasis before they continued their journey.  Yet, they ALL complained, failing to see God and to understand their role of obedient partnership.

We have two choices:  sit down and throw an adult-sized tantrum or to get up on our feet in obedience with gratefulness.  Being thankful  draws us closer to God's heart; complaining moves us away from Him.  The thing is . . . we are called into obedient partnership with God . . . but sometimes we miss seeing the miracle of it.  And, when we fail to see the miracle,  we complain.  Perhaps we miss the miracle because we close our eyes to the invisible realm where we can only see with faith.

The answer?  Enter into the place of faith, obey, and give thanks:

 ^1-2 On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter,
      sing yourselves into his presence.
 ³ Know this: God is God, and God, God.
      He made us; we didn't make him.
      We're his people, his well-tended sheep.
 ⁴ Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
      Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
      Thank him. Worship him.
 ⁵ For God is sheer beauty,
      all-generous in love,
      loyal always and ever. (Psalm 100)

Learning to KickStart the day on my feet ,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

OASIS

Stress.  Say the word and people feel it.  Stress lives so close to the surface of our lives that it is not just a word but a reality of every age and circumstance.  I can't count how many people that describe the stress that lives in their homes, relationships, works, and within their mind, body, and soul.

So.  How do we battle stress?  I have been thinking of  the lessons I learned from the conference I directed for many years called  OASIS.  I stepped into the position after Rubena Poole, the founder and director retired.  Rubena had been assigned with a task to start a conference in an extremely stressful time of life.  It was the one-more-thing-to-do that took life to an overwhelming level.  Completely exhausted, she went home and took a nap.  And, God spoke to her.  He gave her a picture of rest in the midst of the stress from the obscure book, Ezekiel:

Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:12)

The vision was the Sanctuary, representing the presence of God, an OASIS where we could be saturated with the River of Life.  In the OASIS we would be reborn, restored, and renewed as we gave ourselves back to God. And, after being in the Sanctuary, we could return to our lives realizing that the source of our life comes from the  Living Water.

God provided an Oasis for the Exodus people . . . they had a lifetime of oppressive stress . . . they needed an experience of new life.

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water (Exodus 15: 27)

Can you imagine the relief of the people when they entered Elim, a true Oasis?  They no longer were under the thumb of their persecutors but could stop . . . breathe . . . rest . . . and experience the healing presence of God.  

We, too, must purposefully stop and go to the Sanctuary to be reborn, restored, and renewed each day.  An Oasis in the midst of busyness will not  happen unless we intentionally stop what we are doing and enter in. The OASIS invitation seems more important than ever:

Come to the Living Waters!
Lay down your stress.
Step into the Sanctuary.
Experience a rebirth . . . restoration . . . and renewal.

Learning to KickStart the day in the Living Water ,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)






When all was said and done, God provided an oasis for the people.  They came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp there by the water. Exodus 15: 27

Afterward Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem, but they stayed in Judea for a while and baptized there. (John 3:22, NLT)Imagine being one of the individuals Jesus and his disciples baptized. The point of the baptism was for the individual to demonstrate the decision to enter into a new life. The individual was freed from the old way of living, leaving it all in the watery grave. The baptism signified a new beginning based on a relationship with God.

That's it . . . we are to live every hour of every day in an active participating relationship with God.
The messes of life are impossible to face without God. With God all things are possible.

Concentrate on the presence of God rather than the circumstances of living.
Use 96 minutes (one minute of sixteen hours of every day until next Sunday)of this week to become more aware than ever of the presence of God.
Respond to the presence of God rather than the messy parts of the day.
Participate with the work of God in every part of the day.
Refuse to activate your old ways and habits of living.
Remember nothing is impossible with God. Nothing.
--

Learning to KickStart the day taking captive every thought in alignment with Logos,

Kerrie

Captive Thinking

They told me how they thought their friends had rejected them.  A few days afterwards, they received news about their friends.  What they thought had been rejection was  actually a reaction to the news that some of their family had been in a devastating accident.

The way we think changes how we respond to life.

Intentionally working on our thought life is imperative to live a healthy and whole life. We are different people when we learn to think as Christ would think.  Our relationship with God shifts, when we realign our thoughts: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

In the Greek translation, to take captive every thought is written as a present tense ongoing action. In other words, in this moment . . .right now . . .  we are to take the thought captive . . . . make it obedient to Christ . . . . constantly . . .  without stopping.
How is that possible?

When we ask Christ into our life, we receive a new way of thinking. Rather than thinking through the power of our own logic we are invited to think through the presence and power of Logos. We are limited when our thoughts are constrained to our own logic and empowered to think beyond our limitations when we take every thought captive to Christ.
John 1:1 introduces Christ as the divine Logos, translated as Reason or Logic: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The thing is . .. there are thoughts such as doubt, worry, and fear which become an obstacle to take each thought captive.  It happened after the people had watched the Red Sea open up, walked on a dry path bordered with walls of water, and turned around to see their persecutors destroyed.  Their Red Sea experience must have been etched into their minds forever; however, after being thirsty for three days they responded through their own logic rather than to God:   There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, "If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you"  (Exodus 15: 25-26).

The essentials to responding to life were delineated:
Listen carefully to God.
Do what is right in God's eyes.
Pay attention to the Word of God.
These three essentials are essential to living life through the presence and power of the Spirit. So, rather than responding to a circumstance through our own logic,  we respond to it through the Logos . .. rather than our response being dictated by what we see . . . it is through what God says.  (See Hebrews 11 for more.)

Take captive every thought in this moment of time.
Renew your mind through listening to God, doing what is right in God's eyes, and paying attention to the Word of God.
Think in alignment (obedience) and  power of Logos.

Learning to KickStart the day taking captive every thought in alignment with Logos,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

The Space Between

When God does something big . . . I am referring to Red Sea big . . . how is it that we could possibly walk away unchanged?  The thing is . . . we become so immersed with our personal life that we fail to believe God  . . . . even though we know He provided a way through our Red Sea crisis in the past. 

Read the book of Exodus.  It is clear that the people were  focused on their circumstances rather than on the presence of God:   Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. (Exodus 15: 22-25, TNIV)

The people faced another "Red Sea" crisis.  They needed water. 

Could it be that the people were unchanged by the Red Sea miracle?   God opened the Red Sea and provided a dry path with the water pushed back; however, their response to the next Red Sea crisis had not changed.  How could they have missed that God would provide everything they needed to conquer the obstacles?

In reality, the story could be about you and me. 

Just because we don't know what to do in a situation does not mean that we are at a dead end. 

What can we do to respond with belief that God is present . . . good . . . and working on our behalf to make a way through the Red Seas of our life?
One thing that is imperative is to renew the mind.  Reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God renews the mind, enabling us to respond to God rather then to a circumstance.  

So.  Let the Word anchor into the mind such as Jesus' promise in Matthew 19:26: Jesus looked at them and said, "With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  (Matthew 19:26, TNIV).

The mind is renewed as we move from thinking that something is impossible to the truth that with God all things are possible.  Our perception changes.  We are able to see there are solutions, regardless if we can't see at the moment that God  will provide a way through every obstacle.

I don't know about you, but I am changed by Matthew 19: 26; however, there is a space between knowing the promise and experiencing its fulfillment. It is in the space that we learn to trust, believing God.

God will open the Red Seas of our life.

Renew your mind.
Respond to your Red Sea through believing God..
Trust.
Believe God will provide a dry path in the Red Sea.

Learning to KickStart the day trusting God between the space of knowing the promise and experiencing its fulfillment,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

ONE

One.  It is a powerful word.  One choice. One way.  One person.
One fights their way through an exhausting journey of life, while the other surrenders their life to Christ.
One perceives that nothing is working.
One believes that with God nothing is impossible.
One is focused on problems.
One is focused on God-solutions.
One blames.
One forgives through the power of Christ.

One will experience pressure in difficulties.
One will experience peace in Christ.
One will say, "Nothing is good."
One will say, "All is well."

The thing is . . . God has made a way . . .  for each one of us to take this journey called life.  The contrast of whether or not we choose to go God's way is written in the book of Exodus:  

For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the Israelites walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea (Exodus 15: 19) 

The Israelites chose to go God's way and lived.  Pharaoh and his men refused to go God's way; it was their choice that led to their death.  Going God's way is not just a one-time decision but a daily choice that leads to a life well-lived:
Christ is the One who is theWay to living a God-directed daily life:

 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. (John 14:6, NCV)

Christ is the One that changes the way we live:

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. (Ephesians 1:1-14, The Message)

Christ is the One who goes before you and I to make a way:

I will go before you
And make the crooked places straight . . . (Isaiah 45:2, NKJV)

 Learning to KickStart the day with the One who is the Way,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Waiting

Life is unpredictable. Even so, we can face whatever comes our way, if, we wait on God. Isaiah 40:31 has helped me to understand that waiting on the Lord is the key to managing the things that we must face.
But those who wait for the Lord
[who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
shall change and renew their strength and power;
they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God]
as eagles [mount up to the sun];
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
(Isaiah 40:31, AMP).

We open ourselves up to the renewal of strength when we wait on God.  When we are weak, God will make us strong.  

How do we wait on God?   One thing I do know is that when we fail to take the time  to wait on God, which includes meditating on His Word and praying,  we become weak and less discerning of what to do and where to go. An important concept of waiting is to open God's word . . . mull it over . . . and anchor ourselves to it.  Waiting on God requires us to intentionally be in continual prayer, surrendering our control, trusting God with the unknown of life.  As we surrender, we stop trying to manage life on our own.

Surrendering everything to God, allows us to see that God will make something good out of everything we face, which  is exactly what happened to the people of God in the story of Exodus.  They faced an impossible situation without power, position, or the resources to take control of their destiny.  In their weakness, God revealed His strength, rescuing them. 

 Many others became afraid of the people of God because of the power demonstrated in their lives:

 When people heard, they were scared;
      Philistines writhed and trembled;
   Yes, even the head men in Edom were shaken,
      and the big bosses in Moab.
   Everybody in Canaan
      panicked and fell faint.
   Dread and terror
      sent them reeling.
   Before your brandished right arm
      they were struck dumb like a stone,
   Until your people crossed over and entered, O God,
      until the people you made crossed over and entered.
   You brought them and planted them
      on the mountain of your heritage,
   The place where you live,
      the place you made,
   Your sanctuary, Master,
      that you established with your own hands.
   Let God rule
      forever, for eternity! (Exodus 15: 14-18, The Message)

The people of God were not rescued overnight.  They waited on God.  And, you and I both know that waiting is stinkin' hard; however, waiting is clearly a part of living the best life possible.

There is a point in the waiting process that the choice to continue to believe that God is in control must be made. The waiting process reveals if we actually believe God. When the waiting is finally over . . . we will not only see  the incredible power of God in the present . . . but we can look back and see His presence when life seemed impossible. 
Wait on God.
Experience the power of God today.
Learning to KickStart the day waiting on God,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Awareness of God

Have you ever been changed by God in the midst of hopelessness?
My friend felt hopeless after his marriage failed
Few knew he struggled.

God knew.
God came.  

One night, my friend woke up and knew God was present.
In the darkness, God gave him hope for the future. And, in that hope he experienced joy and peace, aware of  the presence of God. 
My friend experienced what the Apostle Paul prayed  into the lives of the Romans: “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing with hope.” (Romans 15: 13,Amplified Bible).
As we read and study the passage, it is clear that hope is the work of the Holy Spirit . . . an inward  movement of Christ . . .  strengthening us in the midst of good times as well as adversity . . .  creating an eager anticipation of something more in life  . .  revealing the presence, power, and peace of Christ.


Exodus 15 is the expression of  the hope of those who know God is not only present but working on their behalf.  As the story of an oppressed people unfolds . . . it is apparent they become hopeless when it appeared that either their oppressors would once again enslave them . . . or that they would be swallowed up by the Red Sea.  They looked back and could clearly see God had been with them in the place of their hopelessness and that only God could have rescued them.
Their hope was restored.
They worshiped God with joy and peace: In your mercy you led the people you redeemed; in your strength you guided them to your holy dwelling (Exodus 15:13, NASB).
  
Have you experienced a place of hopelessness in your life?  Have you experienced restored hope when you became aware of the presence of Christ in the midst of hopeless moments of life?

The awareness of the presence of Christ changes the perception of circumstances.
The awareness of the dynamic power of Christ changes the management of circumstances.
The awareness of the peace of Christ, changes the impact of circumstances.

And . . . the awareness  that Christ will not fail us . . . produces joy.
Refuse to be stuck in hopelessness.

Stop whatever you are doing.
Just STOP. 
Become aware of the presence of God.
(Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10).Receive hope . . . the kind that fills you with so much joy and peace . . . that hope flows out of you. Worship.

  Learning to KickStart the day with the kind of awareness of God that brings hope,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Fear and Discouragement

Fear and discouragement go hand in hand. We all have fear and become discouraged at one time or another. The thing is . . . fear and the resulting discouragement usually comes when we have not looked beyond our circumstances . . . or ourselves. Fear and discouragement invade our life when we choose to allow either one or the other to take territory in our mind, body, and soul.

Eventually fear and discouragement trap us until we are consumed.  When we see life through fear and discouragement, we live in an unshakable state of fear and discouragement.  

The thing is . . .  there is more to our reality than we often see . . . the presence . . . and power of God is our reality.  The Israelites saw it . . . the presence and power . . . beyond anything they had ever experienced. They had been trapped in fear and discouragement, thinking they would have to go back to their oppressors or they would drown in the Red Sea.  When they were rescued they sang their prayer:
"You stretch out your right hand,
       and the earth swallows your enemies."

God can part the sea and make a dry path.
God can do more than whatever we think, speak, or imagine.
God's power is greater than anything or anyone.

God's presence and power had always been their Reality; no one and nothing could have overpowered them.
We, too, need to see Reality.  The Word of God speaks of the Reality that we need in our thoughts, attitude, conversations, decisions, and actions.  
Deuteronomy 1:21-
See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Deuteronomy 31:8-
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Joshua 1:9-
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 8:1-
[ Ai Destroyed ] Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.
Joshua 10:25-
Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight."
1 Chronicles 22:13-
Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Do not fear.
Do not be discouraged.
Surrender.
Trust.
Know that God is present and powerful.
God will do more than can be imagined . . . including opening your Red Sea of life . . . there is no reason to fear or to be discouraged. 

Learning to KickStart the day with the decision not to have fear or be discouraged,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Alive

Can you imagine receiving a phone call that changes everything in your world?
My friend described the night his world changed.

One phone call . . . with words . . . so powerful that life has never been the same again.  

Loss.
Pain.
Devastation.
It was as if he had been thrown into the deepest and darkest place on earth. He described it as being in a continual state of drowning.  There was no end to it.

He repeatedly replayed and reviewed the past in his thoughts, conversations, and even in his dreams . . . "If only . . .

If, I only had done . . .
If, I only had said . . .
If only . . .

He had regret after regret. It was all he could think about.
There was no way to go back.

If, you are unable to relate to this kind of life-changing situation, I encourage you to pay attention.  There are few, if any, in this world that escapes some kind of pain that turns life upside down.

Life shifted with  words that were more powerful than the words said to him on that one fateful night.
It is difficult to imagine that anything could overpower the force of the words he had received from the phone call; however, it was the honest words from the recorded conversation between Jesus and Martha, a grieving woman, that shifted my friend's mind, heart, and soul: :

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"  (John 11: 21-26).

The words became alive in his spirit. The impact of the words surprised him; he had felt numb for so long. 
He had blamed God . . . thinking God had not been present in the circumstance . . . and in some way God had let him down. 
The things is . . . he knew God . . . but he did not actively live in a relationship with God.  He gave everything to God . . . the anger . . . the hurt . . . the devastation . . . asking Christ to be his life. 
His life was resurrected.
He became alive in Christ. 

God will make a way in the Red Seas of our life, resurrecting our life. 

The story of Exodus tells how the people sang to God after they walked through the Red Sea rather than drowning in it.. It was like beginning all over again . . . a new life . . . in the place God had provided for them through the pathway in the sea:
Who among the gods
       is like you, LORD?
       Who is like you—
       majestic in holiness,
       awesome in glory,
       working wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

We do not need to drown in the difficult life changing places.
God will provide a way to go through the Red Seas of your life, the places that are difficult, devastating, and even dark.
Choose to be alive in Christ each day.
Pray, seek Jesus as Martha did.
Be honest with Jesus.
Receive and allow Jesus' words to change you today: "I am the resurrection and the life."

Pause and celebrate being alive in Christ.

Learning to KickStart the day alive in Christ,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Free of Ownership

We choose what, if anything, owns us.  There are times we let a circumstance, conversation, or a person take possession of our thoughts, attitudes, actions, and words.  The thing is . . . it is always a choice . . . of who or what takes ownership.  When you get down to it, ownership begins in our mind. How we think and what we think reveals ownership.

Internal chaos occurs when we allow something or someone take a hold of us. 

Freedom comes when we deliberately focus on God. Peace is the fruit of a  free mind:
You will keep in perfect peace
       those whose minds are steadfast,
       because they trust in you.(Isaiah 26:3, NIV)

Perfect peace often seems beyond our reality.
So.
We need to:

Stop.
Breathe.

Confess whatever or whoever is consuming our life. 

Focus on what God has said.
Meditate on what God has said. Think on it over and over.  Refuse to let the "stuff" enter back in.

 We are free when our mind becomes steadfast on God.
 The song recorded in Exodus 15 tells the story of the people finding freedom from slavery.  They had been owned by others for centuries; however God released them:

 "The enemy boasted,
       'I will pursue, I will overtake them.
       I will divide the spoils;
       I will gorge myself on them.
       I will draw my sword
       and my hand will destroy them.'
But you blew with your breath,
       and the sea covered them.
       They sank like lead
       in the mighty waters.

The enemy could not own God's people.  God provided a way out. 
Be free of something or someone owning you.
Receive freedom through Christ.
Keep your mind steadfast on God.

Learning to KickStart free of being owned by something or others,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Don't You Get It?

Looking backwards, I see all the things that seemed impossible. In fact, there were things in life which seemed so impossible that I could not see the possibilities of the future.  Now, I see that God is always faithful and makes all things possible. The truth of life is powerful:  "With God all things are possible."

It was communicated in a conversation between Jesus and the disciples:

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26, NIV).

The conversation was not only words, but a look.

 So, what look did Jesus give the disciples? 

Jesus' look could have communicated "don't you get it?"  One thing I know is that it was the kind of look that comes with an active growing relationship.  The closer we become to one another, we communicate effectively without words.  And, a look often says more than words. 

How we see God  impacts our reality of living.  The Israelites could see God more clearly when they recounted that with God the impossible became possible:

In the greatness of your majesty
       you threw down those who opposed you.
       You unleashed your burning anger;
       it consumed them like stubble.
By the blast of your nostrils
       the waters piled up.
       The surging waters stood firm like a wall;
       the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. (Exodus 15:7-8, NIV).

Have you seen the faithfulness of God in the impossibilities of life?
Look backwards today.
See the faithfulness of God in your past.
Would Jesus be giving you the look that says, "Don't you get it?"

Look until you see that with God all things are possible.

Learning to KickStart the day looking until I get it,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Call Out

It is a new day today.
A day that we can confidently walk in the power of God, knowing that no matter what we face, God is with us and will not fail us.

God has said: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13: 5b, 6, NIV) 

Do we understand what it means to live in the power of God?
The book of Exodus delineates what the power looks like. The people had been consumed with the power of their oppressor. Time after time they saw God's power without realizing that the power had always been present. They had a choice to deal with the power of oppression on their own or to call out to God for help.

Divine power was accessed when they called out to God:

During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. (Exodus 2: 23-25, TNIV). 

 God listened and answered by releasing them from slavery. Even so, they continued to be afraid of their oppressor's power. When God opened the Red Sea, the eyes of their spirit opened up and they realized that as powerful as their oppressor had been, there is nothing in comparison to the power of God:

"Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy. (Exodus 15:6, NIV) 

How do we access God's power? 
Call out to God. As we call out to God, we open ourselves up to the power of God. Centuries and centuries ago, Paul wrote a prayer in a letter to the early church that continues to impact Christ followers today:

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1: 18-23, NIV) 

Do not be afraid.
God is your helper.
He will make a way through the Red Seas of your life
with incomparable great power
through Christ
who has all authority and dominion
not only today but tomorrow.

Call out to God. 

Learning to KickStart the day through calling out to God,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

New Heart & New Spirit

Angry.
Exhausted.
Alone.
No hope.
Until . . . they heard a message . . . words of Truth . . .  words they had never heard  . . . and the words  changed them.  They mulled, meditated, and talked over the words. 
The truth of the words became evident, providing clarity, and producing transformation.  

What happens when we open ourselves to words of Truth?

 The impact of Truth changes who we are and what we do:  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  (Ezekiel 36:26)

The heart defines who we are.  We become hardened . . . described as a heart of stone . . . without Truth.   Yet . . . we are transformed  . . .   with a new heart and a new spirit . . . as Truth breaks the stronghold of untruth.

They were grateful for the words that changed them.  The words were not just one chapter of their life but became  their new story.  We are not free until we receive the words of God . . . thinking, speaking, and singing words of Truth just as the people did in the ancient days:
Pharaoh's chariots and his army
       he has hurled into the sea.
       The best of Pharaoh's officers
       are drowned in the Red Sea.
 The deep waters have covered them;
       they sank to the depths like a stone. (Exodus 14:4-5)

The words of Truth declared a new life on the other side of the Red Sea.   The thing is . . . we become new as the power of Truth breaks the stronghold of untruth.  Jesus gave clarity to the power of His words of truth:  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32)

Be freed by receiving words of Truth.
Evaluate and get the words that are untrue  out of your mind.
Read, study, and meditate on God's words of Truth.
Think, speak, and sing the words of Truth over and over.
Let the words of Truth transform you.
Live this day with a new heart and new spirit.

Learning  to KickStart the day through the power of the words of Truth,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Warrior

They were scared . . . scared that it would only get more difficult. They argued.  Their problems consumed their thoughts, conversations, and decisions.  No matter where they were or what they were doing, they could not seem to escape the pressure of the stuff of their life. It had seemed so different when they had first begun their life together.

There were two choices. . . to live in despair . . . or . . . to believe their dreams were not lost. As simple as it seems, the first thing we must do is to take a stand . . . to take the position of hope.  It goes against what makes sense at the time; however, when we live in the hope that comes from Christ . . . we are positioned in the hope that  does not disappoint.:"hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5, NASB) 

How?  Is it possible  to survive hopeless situations?  

The people in the ancient days sang about the hope that does not disappoint when they crossed over from oppression to freedom:
The LORD is a warrior;  the LORD is his name (Exodus 15:3). 
Zephaniah says it this way:  "Don't be afraid. Dear Zion, don't despair. Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you.  Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs. (Zephaniah 3:16-17, The Message).

God is not only present, but our strong warrior. God will make a way through the problems of life. 

Regardless of how hopeless the situation looks, hope in God will not disappoint us, the Spirit of God pours out the love of God into and out of our life, fighting for our life.
Take a stand in hope.
Have faith in the Hope that does not disappoint.
Trust God to be present and your strong Warrior.

Learning  to KickStart the day with God as my Warrior,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Dedication

 Ever so often days come along that we can put the faith stake in and say this day is to be remembered.  So it will be for this Sunday, 10-10-10.  Madelyn's life will be dedicated to God.   We are taking a stand . . . to the best of our ability . . . to see that Madelyn will go the way God has planned for her. 

Generation after generation, the people of God have dedicated themselves to God.  Look at the people in the ancient days.  They had broke free of the generations of slavery and were able to see that it was God who brought them across the line from oppression to freedom:
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my victory.
He is my God, and I will praise him; he is my father's God, and I will exalt him! (Exodus 15:2, NRS)

They came to the place of realizing God was not just God but their God.  When you get down to it, we are freed from the pressure of the stuff of  life when we realize the God of this universe wants to have an intimate relationship with you and I, and we enter into it.

The thing is . . . we are enslaved by the things in  life that are not of God.  It matters when we do the things that separate ourselves from God.  Alignment with the ways of God, in other words obedience, not only releases us but strengthens us. 
Everything within us becomes right on a day that we dedicate our life to God.  It is summed up with Madelyn's life verse:
I'm bursting with God-news;
I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It's exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.
(Luke 1:46-55, The Message)

Mary dedicated her life to God and was . . .
Bursting with God-news . . .
Dancing the song of Savior God . . .
as
God's mercy flowed as the waves of the sea  piled high.

Dedicate yourself to God.
Live.
Celebrate . . .  bursting with God-news and dancing the song of Savior God
Remembering
God is your God just as those in the ancient days remembered that God had provided the way . . . a  dry path on the bottom of the Red Sea and piled up walls of water . . . to freedom.

Learning  to KickStart the day in dedication to God,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

When The Morning Dawns

As the morning dawns we are given  the opportunity to begin a new day . . . a day that God is present . . . and a day we live and breathe because God has said it is to be so.  Ultimately, the way we recommit to living the day dictates the way we live. What a difference we make for ourselves and the world around us  when choose to see God at the center of our day.

The Psalmist reminds us that each day:
God is our refuge and strength,
         A very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).
and
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
         The holy dwelling places of the Most High (Psalm 46:4 ).
and
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
         God will help her when morning dawns. (Psalm 46:5)

With God as our very present help . . . we can respond to the day by faith . . . even when the world is falling apart . . . and it seems the mountains of our life quake and fall into the sea.  And, regardless of  what is going on, there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God . . . where God is in the midst. . . . extending help as the morning dawns.


When we recommit to living the day intentionally for God, we are reminded that when the morning dawns, it is a new day and a new opportunity. 
Can you imagine the Israelites waking up as the morning dawned after walking across the dry path on the sea floor and watching their oppressors drown? They knew God was very present and had helped them cross over. As the morning dawned the next day, they must have had an incredible experience of fresh faith with the realization that they had been given the opportunity to begin life again.  It was a day of celebration:


THEN MOSES and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider or its chariot has He thrown into the sea.(Exodus 15: 1, AMP)

The Israelites lived a life of oppression and persecution. Their persecutors terrorized them to the end.  The power of oppression had been removed from their daily life. They began a new day worshiping God.

Imagine the sound of music as over 2 million people sang to God as the day dawned. 



As the day dawns recommit to live it as a new day with new opportunities.

Trust God has something more for you. 

Sing.

Celebrate.

Learning  to KickStart the day as the day dawns,


Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Put Your Faith Where It Belongs

Do you ever put your time and energy into focusing on the presence of God?  It is the presence of God that shifts the way we think and respond to what is occurring in our life in faith. As life goes . . . the circumstances in our life take our attention . . . and we must decide where we  will put our faith.

Humanity is surrounded by the presence of God; however, it is easy to respond to life as if God is not present or in control. Awareness of the presence, power, and peace of God changes our perception and ultimately how life is managed.  Think about it, the Israelites were in the presence of God along the way, but they did not always pay attention to God. 
Did they understand the miracle of being  in His  presence?
Did they understand God was at work?
Did they have peace in knowing God was with them and would not fail them?
Do we?
The story of Exodus began . . .
God . . .
Heard their cries . . .
Took action . . .
Liberated them from the oppression of slavery . . .
Provided a way to a new life . . .
Protected them from the enemy of their past . . .
Opened the Red Sea and provided a dry pathway through . . .
BUT . . .
It was when the Egyptians drowned that the Israelites put their faith in God.
Along the way, the Israelites perceived that the oppressors, the Egyptians, had enough power to conquer them regardless of the presence and power of God. Until that day: When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had displayed against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD and put their faith in him and his servant Moses.
(Exodus 14: 31, NLT)

They put their faith in God.    
Take a break.
Breathe.
Recognize and acknowledge the presence and power  of God.

May God give you and I an awareness of His presence . . .  covering . . .  work . . . and  love . . . wherever we are and whatever we are doing.

Be at peace.God is present.
Learning  to KickStart the day putting faith in God,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Out Of The Darkness

Have you ever wondered why we go through dark times, I mean . . . most-difficult dark times?  I have some friends that felt blessed because they had not experienced dark times.  As you might guess, dark times came.  And, after they went through  dark times . . . they realized God had blessed them  . . .  in ways they would never have experienced had they not gone through dark times. 

That said, they don't want to experience dark times again.

But, isn't that true?  In dark times we are more desperate for God and more willing to pay attention to what God has for us.

The people did not walk in the middle of the sea on dry land with water standing like a wall because times were good but rather they lived continually in dark times . . . oppressed . . . and enslaved.  They had no freedom . . . no choices . . . no life of their own:  
"The people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides". (Exodus 14: 29, NLT).

The thing is . . . we are called to trust in the dark times . . . when life seems hopeless.  We are promised that the light will shine out of the darkness: 
For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ( 2 Corinthians 4:6-8, New American Standard Bible)

The Light provides a way out of the darkness.
Humanity . . . you and I . . . are invited to live in the Light of life.
The darkness does not comprehend the Light . . .  moving the darkness out.
In the Light . . .
humanity is not alone . . .
in the Light . . .
the presence of the Spirit of Christ is seen.

Trust God will make a way out of the darkness.

Learning  to KickStart the day out of the darkness, into the light,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

For Nothing

There are times we bend to anxiety, which, moves into our thoughts and imagination impacting the way we respond to life.  God has more for us than to be enslaved by anxiety.  Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6, NASB) 

The point Paul was trying to express is elementary:  God is present.  When we study the context he wrote in it is clear that we share the same issue as the people of ancient times did:  the response of anxiety when we realize we do not have control.  BUT, Paul makes it clear that  it does not make sense to be anxious . . . God is present . . . and . . .  rather than respond with anxiety we respond by praying.  Before we skim over that . . . we need to let the fact that what Paul is saying to sink into our mind as well as heart . . . prayer is the answer to anxiety. 

So, we are commanded to be anxious for nothing!  The thing is . . . it requires intention to make the decision to be anxious for nothing. The key words are "for nothing."  That said, it is impossible to escape anxiety at some point in our journey of life without the help of the Spirit of God.

 There is a way to be anxious for nothing.  God has promised us that He will be our strength in our weakness, in and through the power of Christ that dwells within: "And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" (2 Corinthians 12:9, NASB).

It really is a miracle to experience the strength of Christ and to be anxious for nothing.  I can only imagine how easily it would have been to freaked out with anxiety as the high-powered Egyptian army chased the Israelite people through the Red Sea. Yes, God provided them with the way . . . but . . . the Egyptians continued to pursue them and took the same pathway to capture them.  When they turned around, they saw their pursuers disappear into the sea: "The waters covered all the chariots and charioteers -- the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived" (Exodus 14: 28, NLT).


The Israelites were free. Their pursuers were gone. Not one was left. 

Be anxious for nothing.

God never fails.  Never. 
God will make a way in the Red Seas of life.

Learning  to KickStart the day intentionally being anxious for nothing,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)

Hope Comes

The storms of life are never invited but they must be faced. At times, the power of the storm is unfathomable. The thing is . . . in the storm . . . we are not alone.  God invites us to pour out our heart to Him and to let Him be our refuge in the storm:
Trust in him at all times, you people;
       pour out your hearts to him,
       for God is our refuge.(Psalm 62:8, TNIV)
 Pouring out our heart to God in honesty releases the power and pressure of the storms of life, preventing us from being enslaved. And . . . hope . . . comes.

It would seem that the Egyptians of the ancient days did not understand that they were enslaved as they kept their hearts shut off  from the presence of God.  At the time, the Egyptians most likely thought they were just trying to take back what was rightfully theirs.  In the culture of the day, slaves were not considered equals as individuals but property.  Without the slaves they would undergo an economic collapse. They had been given God's message time and time again to let the people go; however, they refused. 

The problem that resulted in the Egyptian's demise resided deep within them in the unseen place, the heart,  that drives and motivates us: So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea. The water roared back into its usual place, and the LORD swept the terrified Egyptians into the surging currents. (Exodus 14: 27, NLT)

Time after time, the Egyptians had disregarded God.  The more they disregarded God, the more resistant they became to God.  As Moses raised his hand over the sea, the Egyptians died without hope.

True hope can only be experienced when we keep our heart open to God.
God is the only hope.
Pour out your heart to God.
Let God be your Refuge.
Hope will come.

And, the point is . . . that with hope . . . we live.


Learning  to KickStart the day pouring out my heart ,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie L. Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)