"Whys" of Life

They're waiting for their adopted son to come home.  His homecoming has been delayed because of the inefficiency of two governments.  So. A U.S. senator tried to kickstart the process.  Even so, the little boy remains caught in the sludge of bureaucracy.   It doesn't make sense.  It's one of the things that I've added to my "why" list.

There are times the stuff of life doesn't make any sense.  The list of "whys" is long and challenging. BUT.   Despite our unanswered questions, God will make a way through the "whys" of life.  Throughout the years I've learned more about how to get through the "whys" including the time we waited for our son to come home during the adoption process:

• Completely trust God.  We will get through the "whys" when we trust God, even when something doesn't make sense. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding.
in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV). 

• Believe God is always at work. The "whys" produce the opportunity to look beyond our immediate circumstances, developing a perspective through God's promise to bring all things together to accomplish His plan, which has been set before time. 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28, NIV).

• Be strong.  There's unexplainable divine strength given to those who trust God.   The ancient Hebrew language explained the word, strength,  as the process of an army being equipped and prepared for battle.  So.  When we're armed with the strength of God, we're in an ongoing process of receiving what we need to win the battles of the day, even when we have more "whys" than answers. 

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
      They will soar high on wings like eagles.
   They will run and not grow weary.
      They will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31, NLT).

God will make a way through each and every "why" of life.  Trust.  Believe. Be strong.

Learning to Kickstart the day with trust, belief, and strength in the midst of the "whys" of life.
Kerrie

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

Value

I've been engaged in discussions with people who have felt dismissed as they've aged.  There's often a disconnect between the young and the old when it comes to doing life together in our culture.  Years ago, I had a very heated discussion with a doctor about my grandmother, who had been hospitalized with several health issues.  When I asked him about the plan for her, he responded that there was not much left to do except to ask hospice in  and make her comfortable in the last few weeks of her life.  I had no idea she was at the end of life; however, he explained that there was nothing to do because she was old.  I was mad and responded, "Someday you will be old and sick.  I wonder if you will want people to give up helping you because you're old."

But.  My response was nothing like my grandmother's reaction.  She was furious, dismissed hospice, and lived six more years.  The doctor would be in his eighties now.  I wonder how he sees himself now.  Just saying.

The thing is . . . it seems the youthful spirit is often dismissed . . . because  of an aging body.
One individual told me to look at top photographer web sites.  I did.  The sites do not showcase anyone with wrinkles.  It's eye opening and worth thinking about our own responsibility when it comes to how we perceive aging.

And, when you come down to it all, how we perceive aging reveals how we see the gift of life.  God has something more for us to experience each day of our life.  We have a daily opportunity to powerfully be used by God in the most simple ways wherever we're at in life.  

Consider. 
 I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
Even on your servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days (Joel 2:28-29). 
And.
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty (Zechariah 4:6, NIV).  

I love how the book of Joel tell us the Spirit will be poured out.  It creates a picture of a powerful connection between heaven and earth for all,  changing who we are and what we do as servants of God.  And.  Zechariah 4 makes it clear that we are not to measure ourselves or others by what we do on our own.  What really matters comes from the presence of the Spirit.  

Look at the true gift of life.
Determine your own value as well as others to be from God.
Receive the Spirit pouring out in the day.
Live through the Spirit . . . dream and see beyond the moment. . . empowered to be and do more than any could imagine in the most simple ways.

Learning to Kickstart the day as God pours the Spirit out.
Kerrie

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

Step Back

I don't want to minimize anything; however, sometimes we need to step back and take another look at life.  It seems to me that we need to look at all of life to be a good gift, including the difficult times of life.  Writing this statement makes me stop and underline the fact that I don't want or welcome hard times.  There are times when nothing feels easy, making it hard to put one foot in front of the other, painful to do what needs to be done, tiring to do the most simple tasks.  Even so, I've come to realize that life itself, regardless of what's faced, is a gift.

Turns out, no matter what, believing life is a gift, focusing on the Giver of life rather than on self, brings a new perspective and ability to manage what comes at us. 

In the ancient days, the people sang Psalm 92 on the Sabbath, the day they stepped back to focus on God, rather than on the stuff of life.  Consider:
For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; 
   I sing for joy at what your hands have done (Psalm 92: 4, TNIV). 

When we step back from the pressure of the moment, taking notice of the presence and work of God, we're changed, released from thinking we need to control it all, freed from fear, able to move forward in faith, focused on God rather than the stuff we're facing.

We're renewed and refreshed, despite the challenges, when we step back and acknowledge God with the simple words of gratefulness from Psalm 92:4:  "You make me glad!" 

When we come to the place where we know God is present regardless of our circumstances does not remove the "whys" of life but gives us the perspective that regardless of how things are going, God is present, faithful, and will not leave us, which is reason enough to be glad rather than to move into a distressed state of being and missing the gift.

So.  I'm not saying the battles of life disappear when we step back to focus on God, but that our perspective changes, enabling us to face all things differently, trusting God to oversee the "whys" of the day, glad for the gift of His presence.

• Refuse to be driven by the circumstances of the day, acknowledge the Giver of the good gift of life. 
• Intentionally step back. 
• Focus on the gift of the day.
• Tell God, "You make me glad."

Learning to Kickstart the day stepping back to see the presence of God.
Kerrie

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

Time

I have this thing with keys.  I lose them.  All the time.  I don't pay attention to where I put them and then spend a ridiculous amount of time looking for them.  Friends and family know I have this problem.  So.  They go about doing their own thing while I'm frantically searching for my missing keys.  It happened again last night.  I'm not sure why I've let this bad habit continue for so long, wasting a good portion of time.  It's time to make a change.

There's no reason to waste any amount of time, which is a divine gift given to each one of us.   

The time of our life is to be lived well.  But, and this is a big but, we often are confused about our responsibility with the time we're given, thinking we've got to do everything.  It requires a change of thinking:

Time is not given to do it all but to do it well.  To live well, we must turn away from the mania of wasting life with things that don't matter, giving our time to what counts for the purpose of why we are living today.  

There's a process in changing some things in our life to intentionally say no to the things that waste time.

Consider: 
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him (Colossians 3:10, NLT).

The verse is clear . . . we put on the nature of Christ, studying the way He used time on earth, intentionally changing what needs to be changed, with the goal to live like Him.  The word, "put," not only indicates an intentional action but a choice to do it.   To make a complete change we need to evaluate each area of our life, honestly determining what we've done with the gift of  time.   Change requires intentional action . . . removing what does not belong . . . purposefully putting on the nature of Christ, determined to make time count.

Live well.
Evaluate how your time has been used.
Determine how you waste time.
Change what needs to be changed to live like Christ.
Put on the nature of Christ.
Study the Bible, learn how Christ lived on earth.
Make each day count.

Learning to Kickstart the day determined to live well.
Kerrie

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

"Breathe."

"Breathe."
I often tell people to just breathe.  Their stress is obvious.  The thing is . . . the stuff of life collides with busyness and overbooked schedules . . .  which opens the door to stress invading life.  No one is immune to it, everyone needs room to breathe in order to experience the gift of the day.  But.  When we're not attentive to slowing down, to pacing ourselves, something will tip us over.  It's usually something that's not a big deal, something that's a part of the ordinary stuff of life, something that's nothing but becomes everything, pushing us past the limit of the manageable, leaving us breathless and questioning the point of it all.

So.  We need to breathe . . . to be aware of the presence . . . the power . . . and the peace of God.  It's a powerful moment when we let go, surrendering all of it, trusting God to be God, living in the midst of the miracle of the day rather than on the edge.  

Consider what Jeremiah wrote in the book of Lamentations, a story of high stress in the midst of devastation and hopelessness:

Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:19-21, NIV)

The Spirit has used these words, over and over in my life,  reminding me of God's all consuming love.

 I imagine Jeremiah to be speaking the words of Lamentations 3:19-21, loudly reminding the world to stop and breathe, to refuse to let the stuff of life to be all-consuming, to intentionally wake up each day to God's great love, to trust this great love to be fresh and new every morning.  These words capture the gift offered to us each day.  It makes me wonder how often I've wasted this gift on stuff that doesn't matter.  

So.

• Stop.  Stop right now. 
• Breathe.  Take another breath.
• Intentionally become aware of God's great love surrounding and invading you.
• Take note of the gift throughout the day.
• Tell God "thank-you" with enthusiasm and genuine gratefulness. 
• Celebrate the gift of each day.

Learning to Kickstart the day taking a breath,
Kerrie

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

Not Yet

Parents are waiting for governments to give the okay to come pick up their children and begin their life together. The wait seems long.  So.  We had a party for two of the babies, twins, who need their legal consent to be released to their waiting family.  Waiting for the "not yet" of life is a life-changing reality.

In some ways waiting feels like we're holding our breath until something happens as, if, life has paused.

Even so, waiting is a time of growth, a season of asking the "whys" and "what" of life when we realize we're not in control of the world around us, when we struggle with what we want and what might be, when we beg God to work circumstances out, when we want more in the "not yet " than what we see in the "now," a time to decide whether or not we will trust God.

Consider:
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31, NKJ)

Look at the picture Isaiah depicts when we wait.  It's a picture of movement towards God, believing what Jesus said, "With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)."

To live well in seasons of waiting, we must seek God first, surrendering what we want and when we want it, trusting God to be God in the "not yet" of life, receiving supernatural infusing strength and power to manage it all, believing all things are possible.

So.
Wait on God, renewing your strength to mount up above the stuff of life with wings like eagles, running without weariness, walking without becoming faint.

Learning to Kickstart the day trusting God for the "not yet" of life,
Kerrie

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

To-Do

I'm a list maker.  I love to make a to-do-list and to check it off.  Even so.  A list is a list.  There's always something to do, there will always be more tasks to do than time to get it all done; however, the gift of the day will be missed when our priority is checking off the list.

We need to know what's ours to do and what is not.  And.  I've learned, especially in the last few months, to enjoy the process of doing what's mine to do. 

Of course, doing too much is nothing new.  It was an issue for Moses in the ancient days.  Consider what Jethro, his father-in-law, told him:
You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. (Exodus 18:18-19, NLT)

Moses needed to make a change in his life.  He had become burdened by the doing, unable to see beyond the tasks.  When we focus on the to-do-list we'll eventually experience stress, feeling overwhelmed.  In other words, we become enslaved by what needs to be done, weighed down by it all.  So. It's imperative to seek God first, asking for wisdom and direction, letting go of what's not necessary to do.
Experience the gift of the day, refusing to miss it. ~Change the way you see what needs to be done. ~Lay down the burden of doing. ~Ask God what's yours to-do and what's not yours to-do today. ~Enjoy the process of doing what you're given to-do.

Learning to Kickstart the day freed from the burden of doing.
Kerrie

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

The Word

I love hearing the stories of people finding God.  No one has the same story; however, it's always miraculous to hear about an individual meeting God for the first time.  So.  There's been another miracle.  It occurred a few weeks ago when a teenager feeling alone, lost in the bigness of problems, needing direction, wondering what to do, heard God for the first time. And, he listened, receiving the divine words. In that moment, peace came.

The thing is . . . in one moment life changes . . . when we listen to God.    

I love how Mother Teresa explained it:
"There is a light in this world, a healing spirit
more powerful than any darkness we may encounter.
We sometimes lose sight of this force
when there is suffering, too much pain.
Then suddenly the spirit will emerge
through the lives of ordinary people
who hear a call and answer
in extraordinary ways."

 A radical shift occurs when we hear and receive the Word of God.  The darkness of this world no longer has power over our life, we're freed from anything that's claimed our attention, we're freed from it all.
Consider: 
In the beginning there was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1, NCV).

• Ask the Spirit of God to speak to you right where you are at today.  Receive the Word.  Let the Word change you.  Respond to the Word in extraordinary ways . . . in peace, in joy, in kindness, and love  . . . live in the miracle of hearing the Word.

Learning to Kickstart the day listening to the Word.
Kerrie

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

God-produced Opportunities

Sometimes the best advice I give to people is to stop, breathe, step back, and refocus.  The times I've followed this advice for myself are the times I've seen opportunities in the crises of the day.   I like how the Chinese write the word "crisis" with two characters:  One character means danger, the other, opportunity.

Our perception of a crisis directly impacts the outcome of a crisis.  Is it possible to see an opportunity when all things seem too hard?  

Consider how the report of twelve spies sent to determine the condition of the land God had promised them.  Ten reported the land to be dangerous, filled with giants.

"The land we explored will swallow up any who go to live there. All the people we saw were huge.  (Numbers 13:32, NLT )

Two others, Joshua and Caleb disagreed:

Joshua and Caleb, two spies of the twelve saw it differently: And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the Israelites, "The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. (Numbers 14:6-7 , NLT )

Ten perceived the people would not survive if they went forward into the land; however, two saw the land not only as good, but exceedingly good.  Both Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes, emphasizing their distraught over the others' point of view.

Our perception becomes our reality.  

And.  The people chose to follow the report of the ten spies, missing out on the opportunities God had planned for them in the land.  They were blind to what God could and would do.  How many opportunities are missed because we do not see in faith?

Sometimes we need to take a breath, step back, and refocus, looking for the God-produced opportunity in a crisis.  It requires perceiving life through faith, believing God is able to more than what anyone would ever think possible, making all things new, changing a dangerous place of life into a great opportunity.  Then, we must trust God to give the necessary courage and strength to step forward and enter into the opportunity.

Look for the God-produced opportunities of the day.

• Stop~Breathe~Step back~Refocus~Choose to see with faith~Step forward and enter into whatever God has planned for you. 

Learning to Kickstart the day looking for the God-produced opportunity.
Kerrie

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

The Reality of Surprise

I've always loved surprises, all kinds and sizes.  The greatest surprise has been the revelation of the presence and goodness of God, especially when life does not make sense and things are not going as planned.   I've often thought, if. we were able to watch episodes of our life with the full vision of the presence of God as well as angels surrounding us, then, we would see life differently, realizing living in faith is not a risk but the wisest and best life.

I know for sure, we would see there's no room for fear, if, we could see the reality of the supernatural.  The thing is . . . God is never contained . . . despite our limited perception of what is.   

But.  When we see life through our limitations, we miss the surprising miracle of living.

Consider the Message: 
If I were in your shoes,
I'd go straight to God,
I'd throw myself on the mercy of God.
After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts;
there's no end to his surprises. (Job 5:8a, The Message)

When we hang out with God, we're changed.   We step into the realization God is not only present but will not leave us, entering the space of life that allows us to receive the unexpected and surprising activity of God into our daily life.  It's the place where more is experienced than what could be thought, asked, or imagined with the promise that there's more to come.   Trust comes and worry dissipates as we become more aware and attentive to the great and surprising active work of God on our behalf.

• Stop seeing life without God~Go straight to God for everything~Refuse to see life through limitations. ~Believe in the unexpected work of God. ~Live in the reality of surprise.  God has more planned for you than you've ever asked for, thought about, or imagined. 

Learning to Kickstart the day in the reality of God's surprises,
Kerrie

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

Longing For God

Sunday is a busy day for me.  Busyness is a reality for all of us.   I ran into an elderly couple.  Literally.  I was running into the church building as they were going out.  We laughed and talked for a moment.  Their to-do-list was long, however, their peace was evident.  Too often, we allow busyness to take away our peace.

The thing is . . . the key to our peace is not based on what we are or aren't doing . . . but being in the presence of God.  

Once again, I've been reminded that in each moment of the day, irregardless of the level of activity or how important or unimportant a task may seem, we're invited to be engaged with the presence of God, experiencing divine peace and power, living with a purpose beyond what's seen.  Even, so.  Somewhere along the busyness of life we lose our attentiveness, our desire, our thirst and hunger for God.  There are seasons of life when the stuff of life gets in the way of what our existence is all about.

When we're immersed in what must be done, worried about what's ahead of us, and consumed by busyness, we find ourselves overwhelmed, driven by the stress of it all.  In seasons of stress, it's wise and necessary to stop in the midst of the chaos and craziness of the busyness and seek God.
Consider:
As the deer longs for streams of water,
      so I long for you, O God.
 I thirst for God, the living God.
      When can I go and stand before him? (Psalm 42: 1-2, NLT). 

There's an amazing interaction of peace and energy within an individual who longs for God.  The chaos and craziness coming from the stress of busyness no longer take precedence as the Spirit answers the longing, revealing the fullness of life, giving hope, making all things possible, transforming endings into beginnings, issuing peace in the all-consuming stuff of life.

~Intentionally long for God.  ~Thirst for the living God.  ~Live each moment in the presence of God. 

Learning to Kickstart the day longing for God,
Kerrie

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

Daily Legacy

Are you ever ready for someone that focuses on the negative of life?  Seriously.  It's a challenge to spend much time with an individual stuck on what's wrong, unable to see what's working.  I don't know all the reasons an individual allows the negative to become all-consuming, but I do know it comes from a place of hurt.   Eventually a negative individual is unable to see there's more to life than the negative.  The day is definitely impacted by the individual who lives in the negative places of life.

The thing is . . . negativity is contagious . . . and the challenges of life make anyone susceptible to it. 

How we live is how we impact others on a daily basis.  Whether, it is intentional or not, we leave a legacy each day. So.  Ultimately, the message of our life is our choice, regardless of the negative stuff that's been a part of our personal life.

Consider the Message: 
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 (Ephesians 1:1-12, The Message).

Christ transforms our story, changing our daily legacy from negative to the supernatural good and great of life.   It's a process to step away from living in the negative of life and to live new each day, but we're given the supernatural gift to see the day as a new beginning and the ability to purposefully give up negative thoughts, intentionally keeping quiet rather than complaining, learning to build others up rather than to destroy with negativity, focusing on the message of Christ as our daily legacy.

    "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!!" (2 Corinthians 5: 17, NLT)

Start the day fresh.  The old is gone, the new has come!
Purposefully see the day as a marker of becoming new.
Give up the negativity.
Make your daily legacy to be the message of Christ in you.

Learning to Kickstart the day leaving the message of Christ as a daily legacy,
Kerrie

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

Now I See

My friend was struggling with his life.  If, it was going to go wrong, it did for him.  Each time I talked with him, something more challenging had occurred.  Difficult, hard things happened over and over.  He described himself as burned out and over the edge.   He prayed desperate prayers of release.  Then.  He woke up one night and literally knew God was present.  He said he had always thought he was a good Christian but he had kept his distance, barely thinking about the fact that God could be or actually was fully present.

The thing is . . . we often miss seeing God is present . . . because we allow the stuff of life to blind us.

Consider the Message:
"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!" (John 14:15-17, The Message)

The reality of life changes when we become aware, acknowledge, and believe GOD is present.  In other words, to experience the presence of God is to be changed.  To see the presence of God,  our spiritual eyes must be wide open.  It's through the powerful gift of grace, we've been given the opportunity to receive a love that frees us from blindness to see the Truth of Reality. When we do see, our perspective changes, we realize the power is the presence of God, not the stuff of life.

When we are no longer blind to the presence of God, discouragement and fear dissipate, courage and faith increase.   It really goes back to what John Newton wrote centuries ago:
Amazing GRACE, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see. 

Be changed through God's grace.
Open your eyes wide and see God.

Learning to Kickstart the day seeing the presence of God,
Kerrie

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

This Is Your Time

Waiting.  It's what we do.  Yet.  There's so much to experience right now, wherever we're at, whatever we're doing, whoever we are.   Even so, we often miss the gift of the day in this hurry-up-over-stressed-problem-filled world we live in.

I am convinced the pressures of the daily stuff of life is one of the greatest obstacles from experiencing and celebrating what we've received in the moment.

The thing is . . . we're created to experience the moment . . . by giving attention to God who gives us the day, responding with faith and courage.   

But.  It means we need to release the stuff that weighs us down, resting and trusting God, believing there's a purpose and plan for the time and space we're in.

Consider what Queen Esther's uncle said to her about a moment in time: 
If you keep quiet at this time, someone else will help and save the Jewish people, but you and your father's family will all die. And who knows, you may have been chosen queen for just such a time as this." (Esther 4:14, NCV). 

There's a moment in each day, when we're given the opportunity to purposefully respond with faith and courage.  It's really what we've been waiting for, a moment in time which counts.  And.  It's what we choose to do with the moment that matters in the end.

This is your time, this very moment, to experience the gift, responding to it with faith and courage. 

Breathe.
Release the pressures, surrender the busyness, trust God.
Experience the gift of the moment, trusting you were born for it, responding with faith and courage.
Celebrate the time you have received with gratefulness.

Learning to Kickstart the day grateful for the time,
Kerrie

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

A Day

A lifetime is one long day of sorts, a day of problems and possibilities, a day of sorrow and joy,  a day of endings and beginnings, a day of fear and faith, a day of hopelessness and hope,  a day of of hurt and healing, a day created through the purposeful love of God.  The specifics of the day may change from one to another; however, it's a gift.

The thing is . . .  it's our choice to wisely invest the time we're given. . . paying attention to the day with respect and gratefulness for the gift of it.  

But. When the day is marked by difficulties, trials, loss, and hurt, we're drawn to focus on what might have been rather than on what could be through the presence and power of God.
Consider. 
A thousand years in your sight 
   are like a day that has just gone by
   or like a watch in the night . . . Teach us to number our days, 
   that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:4;12,  NIV). 

The Psalmist explained the brevity of life by measuring a thousand years as a day.  When you get down to it, there's little time on earth.  So.

We pray:  Teach me to value (number) the day through a heart of wisdom.   

The Spirit of God gives us the ability and power to learn to live beyond the stuff that comes at us, to see each moment as a gift, to gain wisdom about what we have received, purposefully valuing the day.

Value the day.
Surrender the stuff.
Ask the Spirit to teach you to live the day well.
Respect and be grateful for the gift of the day.

Learning to Kickstart the day with respect and gratefulness for the gift of it,
Kerrie

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

The Look

I talk with people when they're desperately trying to make sense of all the hard things of life. One woman, looked at me with visible pain, explaining how things in her life had worsened with time, making it hard to believe something good would ever work out.  I listened and shared what I know to be true about the good that comes when we trust God.  But. When we face an ongoing difficulty, it's a challenge to grasp the possibility of something good working out, let alone a positive outcome.

It takes intentional faith to refuse to let any circumstance weaken our faith, to continue to believe there's  a possibility of something good in the impossibilities of the stuff, to live strong in the power of Christ, standing firm despite the hardship and pain produced from it all. The thing is . . . it's a matter of believing Jesus . . . "with God all things are possible."   

Consider what Jesus said to the disciples:
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26, NIV).
Jesus not only communicated the truth of that all things are possible with words, but by looking at them.

So.  What did Jesus communicate by looking at them?  Was it a look that made them understand this was important to remember?   Or did He give the teacher look?  Or was it an incredulous look, wondering how they could have missed the point of it all?   Or what?   At the very least, Jesus' look must have emphasized the importance of what His words.

So.  To believe what Jesus said, is to surrender the fear of a situation, especially the things that seem too hard and impossible, intentionally attaching ourselves to his words:  With God all things are possible!  

Breathe.
Meditate on Matthew 19:26.  What do the words mean to you?  How would Jesus look at you when communicating this life principle?
Turn away from the power of difficulties to the truth of what Jesus said.
Surrender your fear.
Step into the power of Jesus' words.
Attach yourself to the truth of the life principle, regardless of impossibilities of the stuff of life.
Experience the situation with God, rather than trying to manage it on your own.
Walk in faith that with God all things are possible.

Learning to Kickstart the day believing what Jesus said,
Kerrie

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

Living In The Shadows

They need work.  Now.   They moved, hoping for a new opportunity. But.  Nothing has opened up.  They're focused on their needs, wondering if anything will change, wanting life to work out, worrying about everything, wishing for a miracle, magic, or something to happen.  They've imagined the worst case scenario, fearing they will lose everything, knowing it could be reality, if, something doesn't change. It's as if they live in the shadow of darkness, waiting for the day to begin, and life to get started again.

We fail to perceive the reality of the Light of God in the shadows of our circumstances.

The thing is . . . we either walk in the pathway of Light or in the shadows of the darkness. . . it's a choice.  

Loss, hardship, and suffering will give way to a season of hope, joy, and new beginnings when we intentionally and purposefully walk in the Light.

Consider. 
"In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:4-5, NASB)

The darkness does not comprehend the Light within us.  So.  The darkness is unable to win.  Ever.  We get this concept when we enter a dark room and turn on a light . . . the darkness is gone, unable to exist in the Light. Transformation occurs when we intentionally walk out of the shadows of darkness into the light.  But.  When we make it a daily habit to allow the stuff to be front and center in our life, we have to take steps to break free.

 So.  We need to stop and see where we're at.  Sometimes we don't see we've situated ourselves in the shadows of darkness.  Anxiety, worry, and fear are key indicators we're walking in the shadows. When we admit where we're at and that we need help, the Spirit will not only empower us but guide us out of the shadows of darkness into the Light.

Learning to Kickstart the day moving out of the shadows of darkness into the Light,
Kerrie

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

Art and Attitude

Rain.  It's back for a while in our neck of the woods, a reality in the Oregon valley we live in.  True Oregonians enjoy a walk in the rain,  listening to the rain fall on the roof, the smell of the earth after a good rain, and even watching it pour from the skies with a hot cup of coffee, a good book, and a fire going.  There's a certain peacefulness about it; however,  I question how grateful I am for shelter when I think of those who are living without it.  The days of darkened skies, wind, and rain become a huge challenge for the homeless.

As I listened to the rain pound on the roof down last night, I thought about a family, three generations, who had been living in a tent for several months.  A way had been found for them to get into an apartment.  I am certain they're grateful for being provided with shelter.

Gratefulness is a way of life, an art and an attitude.  The thing is . . . gratefulness comes from paying attention to God, the Giver of Life . . . intentionally giving thanks.

Consider: 
 Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20, NCV). 

The words, always and everything, require our attention.  Seriously, Ephesians 5:20, has some big implications in the way we live, making it clear we're to ALWAYS give thanks for EVERYTHING.  Look closely at what this means.  There's no condition put on it, which means we're to give thanks in the good times as well as in the times when life is not going the way we want it to go.  I have no problem giving thanks for what I define as good and great.  It's far more of a challenge to give thanks when life is messy, inconvenient, and even down right difficult.  But. The true art and attitude of gratefulness comes from taking the focus off of self and our circumstances, recognizing God to be the Giver. It's humbling, isn't it?  It takes the exercise of intentionally saying thank you for everything to develop gratefulness.

Giving thanks makes us mindful of what's really important and what's not.  If, we're not careful, we will feel we are owed everything.  We're not.  Life itself is a gift from God.  So.  The first step to being grateful is to pay attention to God rather than to ourselves.  When we lose sight of God, we tend to stop giving thanks.

• Pay attention to God.  
• Intentionally develop the art and attitude of always being grateful for everything.  
• Take time throughout the day to pray the simple and powerful prayer: Thank You!

Learning to Kickstart the day grateful for everything,
Kerrie

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

Adversity and Uncertainty

Miss Madelyn is a reminder that God brings good to us in the midst of suffering.  I think about her biological family and the loss they feel every day without her; they unselfishly made a way for her to experience the best life possible.  On the other side of their pain is joy.  Without question, our family has experienced joy as she has become a part of our life and we have become a part of her life.  But.  I also think joy is for her biological family, if, they live in faith, certain God is at work though they are unable to experience Madelyn's life personally.

How do we experience the kind of faith that results in joy when we face adversity and uncertain times? Jesus told us simply and powerfully to seek God first in Matthew 6:33.  When you get down to it,  seeking God first is key to developing a faith which produces certainty and joy in adversity and uncertain times.

Sometimes life is more difficult than anyone could ever anticipate it to be. But.  Something miraculous occurs when humanity seeks God first in times of adversity and uncertainty: Heaven and earth collide and divine power moves in, producing possibilities out of impossibilities, good out of  difficulties, joy out of suffering, beginnings out of endings, healing out of hurt, and hope out of hopelessness.  In other words, God never leaves us alone or does less than what He has planned and promised to do.

The thing is . . . there's a desire in all of us for a happily-ever-after ending . . . but there's something deeper to be experienced when we seek God first and pay full attention to Him: a divine certainty that God is at work fills us, producing joy in the "now" of our reality, regardless of what we're facing. 

I think that's why the end of the book of Job is so profound; we see that though he went through unimaginable adversity, Job had a full life :   So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning . . .  Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life (Job 42: 12, 16-17, NLT).  

The story of Job should change our perspective in the midst of adversity, giving us a bold certainty that God is present and bringing the good work He began in us to completion.

Regardless of what the day holds, we are given assurance that all things will work together for good.

• Trust God.  
• Live beyond the circumstances of the day, be certain of the work of God, whether you see it or not.  
• Experience the joy through the grace of God, which though it's undeserved and unmerited, is a blessing in the midst of the adversity and uncertainty. 

Learning to Kickstart the day with a full life,

Kerrie

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

The Power of Honesty

I talked with a couple who felt they could not be honest about their circumstances.  They described their struggles as beyond difficult.  Even so, they felt criticism rather than compassion from others.  There was an aloneness in their words and demeanor.

There are times it feels like like no one could possibly understand or help us when life is challenging.  

It may appear to an observer that someone has it all together; however, even when there's a list of good things in a person's life, there's a list of challenges which have come their way.  And. Many times, they've kept their challenges secret, afraid to be vulnerable with honesty.

The thing is . . . when we fail to be honest . . . we feel more alone than ever.   

Honesty is key to healthy relationships, including with God.  When we finally get to the place we're willing to be honest before God, we will receive new strength to face all things in the day.

Consider:
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
      Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
   I will strengthen you and help you.
      I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10, NLT).
Failing to be honest about our circumstances with ourselves, others, and ultimately God comes from the root of fear that we will be found out and rejected; this fear separates us from God's promise recorded in Isaiah 41:
1.  God's presence: "I am with you."
2.  God's intimacy:  "I am Your God."
3.  God's empowerment: "I will strengthen you and help you."
4.  God's passion: "I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

Refuse to live in fear.  Be honest about your life. 
Remember the stuff of life, no matter how big of a deal it becomes, is worth hiding.
Intentionally live in the presence of God who is passionate about you, always present, giving you supernatural power to face the day.

Learning to Kickstart the day honest before God,
Kerrie

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