The Realm Where All Things Are Possible

When individuals get what life is all about, they don’t shrink back from hard stuff, strategically moving forward, willing and wanting to live better than the day before.  I’ve watched one friend go through grief when her husband left their marriage, learning to be single after being married most of her adult life.   To survive she went through the process of getting a new job and a new home, changing how she had lived for years, choosing to intentionally and deliberately step into the power that makes us new each day, determined to live the best life despite the hurt and loss, believing all things are possible.   I just look at her and want to celebrate life.
The thing is . . . she lives in complete contrast to the individuals who give up what God offers . . . absorbed with their stuff, consumed and overwhelmed, missing the gift of the day.

When something hard comes to the door of our life, we do not give up.  But.  We choose to push through it, stepping into the realm where are all things are possible, renewed every day to do whatever is necessary to live the best life God has planned.  

Consider.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day (2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT),

When we receive God’s grace, we enter into a new life, into the realm of powerful living as the Spirit makes us new each day, giving us a new perspective, a new passion, a new strength to live courageously.  Even when the stuff of life seems too hard, nothing can compare with the power of grace that enables us to push through it.  So. When we go through changes we do not want, when someone does something which impacts what will happen to us, when we wonder if we could possibly go forward, we need to realize nothing and no one has the power to take away the best life God has planned for us, if, we seek Him first, stepping in to the realm where all things are possible, refusing to give up.

Refuse to give up.
Be renewed.
Walk in the power of God given to you through His grace, in the realm where all things are possible.

Learning to Kickstart the day, renewed, living in the realm where all things are possible,

Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Resting In The Rhythm of Grace

I am always interested how individuals manage the pressure caused from the stuff of life, when there is one change after the other, when there does not seem to be a safe place to fall, when the gift of the day is missed because of difficulties and challenges.  I have learned in order to change the course, we must intentionally stop and disengage from the stuff of life, to rest, and to enjoy the gift of the moment.

Think about the thing in your life that stresses you the most, what would it be like to live free from the pressure of it, to stop focusing on it, to rest rather than struggle over it?  

It's easy to avoid what stress is doing to us as we run out the door consumed with managing it all, believing we are doing what we must do.

We miss the gift of what God has provided when we are consumed and pressured with the stuff.  

While we may put the blame on something or someone, no one and nothing is doing it to us, we are doing it to ourselves,

Though it sounds like an unrealistic religious statement, we have the choice to give it all to Jesus.  The thing is . . . we are made to live free . . . rather than being stressed over the stuff we have no control over, we need to rest, if, we want to live the best life.  Anyway, it is not about religion but about going deeper in our relationship with Jesus, accepting the invitation which has been issued:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message).  

I like this translation of Jesus' invitation to come and receive the kind of rest that frees us from the pressures of the stuff:
Go to Jesus.
Get away with Him. 
Walk with Him. 
Work with HIm.
Watch how He does life.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 
Keep in relationship with Him.
Learn to live free.

So. Today-
Stop.
Breathe.
Move away from the stuff . . . pray . . . intentionally release it all.
Look for the gift of the day. Intentionally walk and work in Christ, choosing to live the best life, resting in the rhythm of His grace.

Learning to Kickstart the day resting in the rhythm of His grace,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Cast It

I love to travel, not only to experience life in another place, but to meet others.    Apparently, sitting close, very close, to one another in a plane for a few hours expedites the process of telling intimate details about life.    I got to know one couple in the air as I listened to their story, the good and the bad, the dreams and the nightmares, the beginnings and endings, all of it. Life had become too much to manage.

The thing is . . . the stuff of life seems to be coming at us faster than ever before . . . causing us to look for ways to manage it all, regardless of our story.

Consider.

Cast your cares on the LORD  and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken (Psalm 55:22, NIV). 

Stuff happens. I’ve learned the hard way that it can control our thoughts, words, and actions. To be healthy, we need to be free of the pressure and power of the stuff coming at us. The Psalmist's words are worth taking some time to meditate on, cast your cares on the Lord.  To cast is to take action, literally meaning to throw and release all the stuff to God.  When we cast anything and everything, we are promised God will sustain us.  Nothing and no one has the power to consume us when we cast it all to God.  But.  There is a condition to this promise, we need to be righteous, to be right with God and others.  Put simply, when we do something against God and others, we need to make it right to be able to receive the strength of God.  Then, we will not be shaken, pushed, pulled, and controlled by the stuff.

Remember the stuff will not control you when you cast it all.
Take action.
Make things right.  Own what you have done against God and others. Confess what needs to be confessed. Receive the power of God's forgiveness. Ask for forgiveness where you need to be forgiven. Forgive what you need to forgive.
Face the stuff of life.
Cast it all . . . "God this is yours.  I give it to You."
Receive the sustaining, sufficient power of God.
Intentionally and gratefully walk in the gift of His strength today knowing the stuff is contained.
Learning to Kickstart the day casting it all,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Listen

He came to talk, explaining "things needed to be fixed."  I didn't say anything, waiting for more. Finally, he said it.  He said what his wife had told him, "We're done."   I waited.  He explained what he had done, which explained why she was done.  Though he owned his actions, I understood his wife's words had broken him.  Sometimes we don't want to hear what someone has to say.  The thing is . . .  a conversation is more than words . . . it is a way to express who we are, a way to reveal what is within us . . . and a way to understand and give acceptance.  In the end, a conversation is as much about listening as it is speaking.   While it is part of my job to listen, I have learned the power in listening is not just taking time to hear but understand.  There is an art in listening to understand, allowing space for silence as a gift of acceptance for whatever the other person as to say.  We are changed, when someone cares enough to listen with understanding and acceptance.  It is the first step to a new beginning.

Of course, when people are at war with one another, silence can be a weapon as the listener withdraws from the conversation, refusing to understand and give acceptance, especially when words become the method to attack and harm one another.  

Most people are surprised to know, regardless of what the other individual does, the war ends when one individual determines to listen to understand and accept, rather than to reject.  Everything shifts, when one person chooses to listen.  Too many times, we demand the other person to be the first to listen.

If, God, who knows everything about us before we speak, will take the time and listen, who are we to do less?
Consider. 

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you (Jeremiah 29:12, NIV). 

There’s nothing comparable to knowing God personally listens, understanding and accepting us, regardless of what we say.  Wherever we call out to Him, whatever condition we are in, God will listen.  When we tell God everything,  give Him the burden, trust Him with the stuff, we are made new.

Call out to God.  Pray.  God will listen.  You will be made new.

Learning to Kickstart the day grateful God is listening,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

BIG WORD

Madelyn has developed a new and big response to almost everything, "OKAY!"  The dynamics of the moment, regardless of how simple it is, are changed into an exciting big deal.  By the end of the day, she has inspired me to say a big OKAY to anything and everything.  

The thing is . . . though it might seem like a small thing . . . our response is big, bringing something more to the day.  There is something rare and even sacred, when we can see the gift we have in the day, regardless of the problems and pressures.

It is why Jeremiah 29:11 impacts me; it's God's big word, changing the dynamics of the past, present, and future, shifting the details of the universe.

Consider.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). 

The words of God are big, giving reassurance and hope that everything will be OKAY.  We need to know we are not alone, especially when we enter into the hard and difficult places of life. And. We need to know there is something on the other side of the stuff we are facing. To begin with, we need to believe God's big word, which requires us to give up some things. We need to give up the desire to go back to what was; we need to give up our control of what is;  we need to give up our fear of what could be; we need to give up all the things we have listed as impossible and step into the possibilities of God, believing His big words, "I HAVE PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU,  PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE."

Regardless of where we are and what we are doing, we need to press into God's big word of hope and a future, to experience the gift of the day.

Believe God's big word, knowing He will shift every detail in the universe, to bring about His plan for you.

Step into God's realm of possibilities. 

OKAY! 

Learning to Kickstart the day in believing God's BIG WORD,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Stop Assuming

I learned in nursing school never to assume but to get the facts; I learned it again in seminary and, also, multiple times in daily life. So.  This is my confession, I still assume, even though I know it's better not to.  It happened yesterday.  I assumed our office alarm had been turned off since someone had arrived before I did. The alarm had not been turned off.  Police officers, who are friends of mine, responded right before church services began. Let's just say it will take awhile for the "mocking" to end.

Got it.  Check.  No more assuming.

In the end, assuming something can be destructive, especially during difficult times of life.  When we assume things won't change, when we assume we are stuck, when we assume we are at a dead-end, we miss out on what God has planned for us.

To assume is a lack of focus, to fail to see through faith, to let something go which is ours to do because we can't see a way to do it, disengaging from life.

The writings of Jeremiah (Old Testament) clearly delineates the people's assumption of defeat when they were overpowered by the Babylonians, taken into captivity, oppressed and enslaved.  But.  Jeremiah pushed back on them, making it clear that hard times should not define people of faith, calling them out for assuming there was no way out of slavery, for not seeking what God had planned, for living like victims.
Consider.  

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again (Jeremiah 29:10, NLT).  

God said He would release the people from oppression, would bring them out of captivity, and would do all the good things He had promised to do. The thing is  . . . the people needed to take action . . .  to press into God, to believe He would do what had been promised, and to take responsibility for living a life of faith.  But.  There were those then, and those now, who will let circumstances overpower them, assuming what is will always be.

It may seem safe to assume what is will always be; yet, when we invite God in, when we see life through faith, nothing and no one can overpower us.

Stop assuming.  Focus on God.  Believe God will do all the good things He has promised.

Learning to Kickstart the day focused on God rather than assuming,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

All You Need

He made a decision without thinking about the consequences.  His world crashed when he was caught, so, he confessed to his wife and came to my office with her.  I listened to their stories of pain. They said they wanted to start over with God's help, clearly broken, reaching out for something beyond themselves, speaking without the religious words people often say when they want to be rescued but not necessarily changed.

We prayed a simple prayer, using only a few words, asking God to come.  And.  God came.  There is no doubt God is present when there is peace where there has been chaos, when there is hope where there has been hopelessness, when there is a commitment to start over where there has been an ending, when there is change.

This was the kind of change which is from God's grace, a power which will never be contained, a power which changes the dynamics of any and every thought, behavior, and choice we make, a power which makes life new.  

Consider.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT).
The words cause me to stop and pay attention to the powerful gift of grace,
My grace is all you need . . .
my grace is all . . .
my grace.

When all is said and done, grace, the power of Christ which works through us, is all we need, is all, is from Him.  

Thank God for the power of grace you have received.
Learning to Kickstart the day in grace, the power of Christ working in us,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Made Free

One of Tricia's first sentences continues to be used by our family, I just mad.  It expresses our mood without specific blame; however, we have made it clear, to anyone and everyone, we are irritated, frustrated, and unhappy.  There are times a bad mood will come over us and we are not sure why.  Whether we blame our mood on someone or something, in reality its about the stuff of life we have let reside and rule within our mind and heart. To be sure, the stuff of life can be hard. But.  To be healthy, to be well, to experience the best life, we need to evaluate the stuff residing within us.  If, we fail to face the stuff and acknowledge its grip on us, we will become its hostage, missing out on what more God has for us.

The thing is . . .  we have the choice to allow circumstances to have power over us  . . . and ultimately choose whether we will live free of the stuff.   

Consider.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8, 31-32, NASB).

In the ancient days, the Jewish followers of Jesus seemed to have blatantly disregarded the rules and tradition of their religion.  Their peers, family, and leaders of the day, became consumed with the perceived wrong, persecuting the followers for the way they had chosen to live.  At first glance, it would seem the followers of Jesus chose the more difficult way to live.  But.  In reality, they went the way of true freedom while their persecutors were locked into a life of unhappiness, anger, and even rage.

Jesus said, if, we continue to be in His word, live the way He lived in the reality of truth, then, we will be made free.  When we are made free, we are no longer held hostage by the power of past or present circumstances, when we are made free, we will experience more in life than our wildest dreams, when we are made free, we discover the reality of freedom Christ talked about and revealed.

So.
Ask Christ to make you free.  Refuse to let the past or present circumstances rule your life.  Choose peace over revenge, healing over hurt, love over hate, freedom over being consumed with something or someone.  Experience the miracle of being made free.  When it's over, when a specific circumstance or individual does not hold power over you, take time to celebrate the freedom you have received.

Learning to Kickstart the day going His way,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Faith

A phone call interrupted our meeting.   The caller said what they thought was going to work, what they had counted on, what they had hoped for, was now impossible.  The word, impossible, is irritating to me.  Really?  Impossible?  The thing is  . . .  someone will always think something is impossible . . . explaining the reasons, why we should not, can not, and dare not think it can be otherwise.   But.

 It comes down to a faith issue.  

Consider. 

 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible" (Matthew 17:20, NLT).

Jesus made it clear, faith will move the mountains in our life, those obstacles that appear to be impossible.  And. Only  a small amount of faith, the size of a mustard seed, is needed to make the mountain move.  Nothing is impossible.

How do we have faith when things seem impossible?
Faith is a conscious, intentional, confidence in God.  Faith does not come from ourselves but from the presence of God. So. Ask God for faith.  Open yourself up to faith.  Receive it.  Intentionally live with faith, placing the truth in your heart and mind, "God will move the mountain.  Nothing is impossible with God."   I am not saying faith makes life problem free.  But.  Faith changes the way we live life and face the mountains. When we step into faith, leaving fear behind, we trust God is able to do more than we can imagine, we believe God has a plan of hope and a future, we refuse to forge ahead on our own, taking the time to pray, listening and responding to God's direction, knowing God will provide a way, even when we are in the darkest valley with a mountain in front of us.  

Stop.  Breathe.  Respond in faith.  Intentionally take the word, impossible, out of your thoughts and conversations, out of the space you live in.  See the mountain move.  

Learning to Kickstart the day with a little faith,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

To Live

I often wonder if people would treat each other differently, if, they knew they would die within the next 30 days, or, if, their words and actions were being recorded for others to hear and see, or would their response change, if, the person became powerful, famous, or rich.  But. My friend, who has finished a year of chemo and radiation, told me the diagnosis of cancer as well as the reality of some tough days did not give reason for everyone in her life to change their ways.

Ultimately the way we approach life changes from within ourselves, when we open ourselves up to something or someone, whether it is from good or evil, faith or fear, courage or despair, light or dark, hope or hopeless, life or death.  

The thing is . . . we must choose . . . who we are and how we will live.

To be defined by the living presence of Christ in us, is to choose to live life well, to intentionally follow the pattern of behavior and words of Jesus, regardless of what is going on, who is watching, listening, or spending time with us, or by the pressures and stress we experience. 

The choice to live for Christ takes the power out of every other choice in life.  We are freed to live in the more of God. Yes, there are times we may lose our focus, forgetting the value of living, the truth of what it means to live, becoming lost in the stuff we face.

Consider. 

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:27, NLT).

Pause. Take a break and meditate on the four words, "to live is Christ."   When we choose to filter life through these specific four words, we leave the power of  every other choice behind, all things become new, loss gives way to gain.

Live.  Christ.

Learning to Kickstart the day, believing to live is Christ,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Fresh Start

Today, is Madelyn's official "gotcha day."  It's been a year since Madelyn left the orphanage in China to join our family.   I imagined getting to know Madelyn to be wonderful.  But.  I would never had guessed we would discover so much about life through one little girl.

The thing is  . . . it is so clear that God has a plan for each one of us . . . a plan of hope and a future.

It wrecks me to think how God made this child to be who she is, a child of hope in a world that has lost hope.  I am lost in wonder of how God has shifted the details of the universe to make something good out of heartbreaking circumstances.  There were significant individuals who suffered loss and I thank God for them, for those who had Madelyn in the beginning, willingly experiencing loss to give this baby girl the opportunity for a new life, for her biological parents who were strong enough to believe there was life beyond her medical circumstances, and for the care providers at the orphanage who loved her, preparing her to leave.  They gave all they had to her, willingly experiencing loss to provide a way for her to get the medical attention she needed, a new life, and a fresh start.

Madelyn also has experienced loss; she has grieved this last year, missing the only life she knew.   As the days have gone by, in the shelter of her family's love, she has had time and space to become who she is, to discover happiness, and to develop an inner joy and anticipation for life.  I can only imagine what the coming years will be like  as she experiences more of life, discovering the gifts of the day.

And, the story of Madelyn brings me to something greater, something I need to remember, something we all need to keep in mind, each day, which is what Jesus Christ endured, the unspeakable suffering and loss given to provide the way for us to experience a new life and a fresh start.

Consider.
 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.  Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:20-23, NLT)

This is our hope:  regardless of how hard life becomes, God is faithful, providing the way for us to be made new, to begin the day with a fresh start.  He provides the shelter of His love, for us to become who we are created to be, to discover the gift of life, to learn what it means to be freed of the darkness, to experience the continual presence, power, and peace of Christ, covered in fresh mercy.

Begin a new day with a fresh start through the mercy of God.
Be made new.
Put your hope in the unending faithful love of God.
Anticipate what new thing God has for you today.
Remember the mercy of God provides a fresh start each day.

Learning to Kickstart the day with a fresh start through the mercy of God,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Disturb Us

They told me they were satisfied with life, they did not need anything else, they did not need to change, they did not need God.  At some point, we must choose if we will settle for where we are at in our life, living without belief God has something more. Whether or not we have asked God to come into our life, we all tend to settle for living life less than what has been planned.  The thing is . . . as the stuff of life stacks up we begin to lose our passion, weary from the daily battles . . . and miss the gift of the day,  the celebration of living beyond our abilities, circumstances, and dreams.

We need to be disturbed, refusing to settle, refusing to just make it through, refusing to miss what more God has. 

Consider.  

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us . . . (Ephesians 3:20, NIV). 

Each day becomes an opportunity to be disturbed with where we are at, daring to do more than we can ever ask, think, or imagine, courageously following Christ, praying as Sir Francis Drake prayed in 1577,
 Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.


Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.


Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.


We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Risk it.  Ask God to unimaginably disturb you with more.  Courageously receive what God has for you.

Learning to Kickstart the day, asking God to disturb us,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Words . . . To Be Anchored

When I was a teenager, my cousin and I had gone to the river that ran through her town to hang out on a summer day.  The thing is . . . no one knew where we were or what we were doing . . . because we were supposed to be somewhere else.  We had a great time, swimming and enjoying the day, until we were in too deep and the rushing waters overpowered us.  The swirling, muddy, powerful water would have took our lives except for the man who saw us from the bridge above and saved our lives.  The one thing that I remember is the grip fear had on me when it seemed we would drown.

Fear can overcome us when the stuff of life gets too much, when we feel  we are in too deep, when it seems like nothing will work or no one can save us from it all.  

Consider.  

 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” (Matthew 14:27, NLT)

It was in the dark of the night, in the middle of the sea, when a storm overpowered Jesus' disciples.  It seemed they would drown.  But.  Jesus came to them in their need.  Nothing stopped him from getting to them, not even the sea that separated their boat from Jesus on the land.   Jesus walked on the stormy sea to reach them with words that echo throughout time:

"Don't be afraid.  Take courage I am here." These are the words that anchor us to make it through the day, to face the hard stuff, to have faith that He will get us through the overwhelming moments, even when we feel like we are drowning.  

Don't be afraid.
Take courage.
Jesus is present.

Learning to Kickstart the day with courage, anchored by Christ's promise to be present,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Seventy Times Seven

Life is messy.  And.  The messy stuff of life can be painful.  There are some
people who attempt to let go of the pain by creating a painful experience, experiencing a momentary release.  But.  It is short lived.

How do we manage the people in our life who strike out in pain?
There is one word--forgive.
To forgive, we let go, releasing the power of the pain.

The thing is . . . when we forgive . . . ourselves and others . . . we remain aligned with the forgiveness of God, a power which impacts not only ourselves but everyone around us, a power that changes the world, a power that overcomes the darkness, a power that brings light into the darkness, a power that releases us from the things that take life away.  

When we hold on to pain, refusing to forgive, we become filled with bitterness and hatred, missing life, unaware of what really matters.

Consider.

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”   

“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! (Matthew 18:21-22, NLT). 

Jesus made it clear to not forgive seven times but seventy times seven, to not forgive as little as possible but continually, to be free of the power of the pain, released to experience the gift of each day, and to be empowered to move forward.


Forgive. Seventy times seven.

Learning to Kickstart the day, forgiving seventy times seven,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

The Answer Will Come

Sometimes we want something to happen more than anything else, we think about it all the time, we plan how we can make it happen while we ask and beg God to just do it.

The thing is . . . while we may feel that everything else in our life seemingly rests on the one thing happening, believing whether we live in heartbreak or happiness rests on the one thing, thinking we can't live without it happening . . . we need to surrender it to God in order to experience a full life.  Turns out, the one thing will not define our life but,  if, we put our confidence in it or in God.  

 I have learned that no matter how difficult that one thing is, even when it is darkness in our life, when it means other things don't go the way we want, when it all seems broken and wrong, when we can't see how we will go on without it, God will answer with a plan beyond our comprehension. We can look ahead with confident hope.  

Consider.

This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.  It will not be delayed (Habakkuk 2:3, NLT).

God's answer will come.  But.  We must decide whether or not we will wait, surrendering it all to God, trusting Him when we can't seem to live beyond the one thing.  Life changes when we put our confidence in God, releasing it all to Him, resting in Him, rather in the one thing.  Let me say it, surrendering the one thing can be incredibly difficult and, yet, when we finally release it, placing our confidence in Him, we are freed to experience the gift of today and tomorrow.

Put your confidence in God. Wait.  Rest.  Trust.  Believe.  

Learning to Kickstart the day confident the answer will come,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

New, Not Old

We had lunch with some friends, who are good inside-out, who are honorable, who make a difference wherever they are, and who I aspire to be like.   These friends define love.  So.  It seemed they were talking about someone else when they told stories about their messed-up lives of the past, how they did not care about others, and how eventually they hated themselves and life.  Broken, they looked beyond themselves, and asked Christ into their lives.  Seriously. Change does not define what happened.  It can only be described as a process of being made new . . .

New life.  New hope.  New faith.  New destiny.  New way of thinking.  New attitude.  New confidence.  New boldness.  New courage.  New way.

Consider.

No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wineskins. Both the skins and the wine will then be safe.   (Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, and Luke 5:39, CEV).

Jesus made it clear "new wine" does not belong in "old wineskins."   To live new, not old, we must intentionally move out of the old way of thinking, behaving, and speaking, seeking the new thing God has for us, open to the power of the Spirit to make us new each day. So. Surrender the old, anticipate the new.

Examine the details of life, asking is this thought, behavior, attitude, or word from the "old" or "new" way of living?  

Intentionally step into the power of being made new . . . moving farther away from the old stuff of life . . . to experience a fresh beginning today . . . with anticipation of the new thing God has planned for you.

Learning to Kickstart the day anticipating living new, not old,
Kerrie

(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)