God-centered Thoughts

I have a friend who routinely reports the latest news with a tagline of  how the days ahead will be darker than ever.  I'm never encouraged by his thoughts of the latest world reports.  The thing is . . . our thoughts merge together, creating a map . . . directing us in the way we go in life.  I do not want to live with a hopeless mindset.

 I've learned the importance to begin the day with prayer and  meditation on the Word, which directs me to a supernatural perspective, beyond the pressures and weight of the stuff of life.  

Consider:
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires (Romans 8:5, TNIV).

Romans 8:5 is really an "if, then," statement.  If, we live in the way the Spirit leads, then, our mind is set on what the Spirit desires. Another words, when we're God-focused, we're engaged with God-thoughts; however, when we're focused on self, our thought process is limited.

Whatever dominates our thinking will dominate the outcome of our day.  When you get down to it, one of the greatest components to a successful day is developing God-centered thoughts. This requires daily reformatting, through prayer and mediation on the Word.  So.  We need to dump worry, fear, and dark thoughts from our mind, handing them over to God on a daily basis, thinking the way God desires us to think: with strength, courage, and hope. 

Be successful today.
Ask the Spirit of God to form your thoughts, directing you in the way you should go.
Dump the things that don't belong in your thoughts.
Commit to developing God-centered thoughts through prayer and meditation on the Word.

Learning to Kickstart the day with God-centered thoughts,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Live A Life That Matters

The people I admire most are the ones who do not give in to the stuff of life, but live courageously moment by moment for Christ.  These are the individuals who understand why they're put on earth, living purposefully in the moment.  As I'm writing this, I'm thinking of many people, young and old, who've walked through my life, with the simple mission to love and to serve.  One individual, Chuck, a pastor by title, a true healer of souls, has used his gift of listening with compassion rather than condemnation to change the world.  I know, because even though he lives several states away and is technically retired, he continues to listen to me, encouraging me to do things that require faith, reminding me not to become complacent or comfortable, to live purposefully for Christ.

The thing is . . . I've wasted days of my life . . .  doing things that really don't matter.   Wasting time comes from a lack of living fully in faith, engaging with God moment by moment.

There's so much more God has planned in a day than for us to just live it.  

Consider the words of Jesus: 
But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20: 26-28, NLT). 

Christ came to love and to serve.  And, through love and service, Christ changed the world forever.  To be a servant is to live a life that matters.  It requires looking at the day differently than most of the world does, to see God has purposefully marked each day of our life with the opportunity to love and to serve.  When we're faithful with the time God gives us through love and service, we can be certain we're living a life that matters. 

Refuse to just live.  Live a life that matters.
Begin each day by asking God what to do and where to go.
Intentionally love and serve others as Christ demonstrated.
Change the world.

Learning to Kickstart the day to live a life that matters,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

HOPE

Seriously, it's inconceivable to think we've entered the Christmas season.  It seems time moves more quickly than ever before.  Or, maybe I'm just getting older. Anyway.  Life changes for many in the Western world during this season; people not only schedule decorating, buying gifts, and going to parties, but look for ways to help others.

While there is the well-worn worthy argument of being too busy, buying too much, consumed with trying to make a perfect picture moment in time, most of us have the underlying desire to be a part of what Christmas is about: HOPE, the "more" of God.  

Hope continually surprises me. There's more to be found in each moment when we live with hope, when we are surrounded with its optimism, confidence, and conviction, when we turn away from discouragement and depression, when we live with expectancy in what "more" God has planned.  When you come down to it, we either accept the gift of hope or reject it.  While hurt is often an obstacle to living with hope, I've been amazed at the people I've met along the way, who despite their suffering, have held onto hope with tenacity.  There's so much more to experience in life when we keep our grip on hope.  Conversely,  our story changes when we let go of hope, allowing discouragement and depression to take over.

The thing is . . . hurt and pain often creates fear of more of the same . . . so, hope is refused.   

True hope, the kind that does not disappoint, is found through Christ.
Consider.
This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary (Hebrews 6:19, NLT). 

Hope is strength, an anchor, stability in this changing world, leading us close to God.
Meditate on hope each day during this season.
Invite hope to invade you, allowing it to be your anchor, and the power that opens the door to live the day with the "more" of God.
Make it your goal to be a part of the message of hope to the world.


Learning to Kickstart the day in hope,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Bold

There are things I know are mine to do; however, I spend time defending my reasons why I'm not to do something rather than taking the time to strategize and plan how to get it done.   The issue must be addressed.  There is a world around us that hears and sees our response, waiting and wanting a touch from God.  People never forget when we reach beyond our comfort.

Years ago, I was asked to voluntarily help out a friend who needed nurses to care for her at home so she could spend the last days of life with her husband and three boys.   I knew I needed to do it.  But. It seemed too much  She was my friend; I did not want to be her nurse.  And.  I was busy, too busy, with two baby girls, work, ministry, and general day-to-day stuff.

I finally said yes, not because I saw the light and surrendered everything, but because I knew it was a divine request from God. And, since I knew God is God, I said yes.  In the end, no matter how difficult or how much sacrifice something requires, when we say yes to God, we can be sure all of the details will work together.   God calls us to reach out regardless of our comfort level, many times to do something  beyond our comprehension and ability.  I will admit, after agreeing to help out, I still thought of reasons not to do it.  I felt relief when I imagined myself saying I could not do it.  There were two problems that stood between myself and God's request:

1. I did not have enough space in my life to do the things that really mattered.  So.  I needed to let go of some things that were not mine to do. I've often thought our schedule should look more like crisis living, when we have no choice but to clear out the stuff that does not matter, doing only what is ours to do.  
2. I saw myself on my own rather than in partnership with God.  I needed to trust the Spirit to be at work in and through me.   

And, finally, I'm just an idiot if I fail to miss out on living a Spirit-led life.  Consider the problems Christ followers had as they formed the Early Church.  I'm sure there would have been a sense of relief to step out of the battle so they could live a quiet and comfortable life.  But.  We are told in Acts 4 they were given boldness to go forward.
Consider:

After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31, NLT).

What a difference it makes to pray so intently as the Christ followers did in Acts 4, waiting for the intense power of the Spirit. God gives us supernatural boldness, if, we are willing.

All the details worked out so I could go to my friends house; however, I still dreaded going.  Until. I touched the door.  It was amazing,  I would literally be given the strength and power to enter in and care for my friend.  The funniest moment occurred after she repeatedly asked me to sing.  I explained each time she asked me, "I don't sing."
 But.  She was dying.  So.  I timidly sang "Amazing Grace." After singing the chorus, she interrupted me and said, "You don't sing."
We laughed for a long time.  And, then she said to me, "Thank you for bringing life into our house."  I promptly told her it was not me, but Christ.  And.  She said.  "Yes, I know. We now have Christ in our home."
There's no doubt, I've missed several opportunities to experience the work of the Spirit of God because my personal comfort, schedule,  and limited abilities became self-imposed obstacles.  It's clear to me that we must build space in our schedule to be available for the supernatural work of the Spirit, to be willing to be bold despite our personal struggles, and to say yes, regardless of how difficult it all seems.  With God life is an adventure waiting to happen.
Be ready.
Be bold.
Learning to Kickstart the day boldly through the Spirit of God,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Just an idiot?

I started in full-time ministry twenty years ago.  In the beginning, I found myself driven by the pressure to perform. It's been a journey to learn there's a difference between being driven by pressure and living  in the power of the Spirit.  While it might seem ridiculous, Christ followers often live powerless.

It happens.  

During those first few years of full-time ministry,  church services were more formal than most are today.  It was in those days when I experienced the memorable life-lesson of what it means to be an IDIOT.   It occurred on a Sunday.   To say it was a big-deal day is an understatement.  I sat on the platform, we did that in that era, on a three-seater pew situated on the side.  I was positioned nearest the edge of the platform, our senior pastor on the other end, and in the middle sat a general superintendent, an individual highly regarded, who was in charge of Nazarene churches in part of the world. Notice the two words, “the world.”    Yep.  Big deal.  The massive choir, positioned on risers filled the rest of the platform, making everything seem even more intimidating.  By the way, all of us, the men, the women, and the children, looked the same, stiff and formal.  And, yes, this self-proclaimed hippie had given in.  I not only wore a suit but I had really big hair, the kind that would not move in an  earthquake, hurricane, or tsunami.  It all seemed so important, a really big deal.

There we were, big hair and all, standing and singing out of our well-worn hymn books until the music pastor motioned for us to sit down as the robed choir began their “special."  But.  Turns out, I did not sit down.  As the two men sat down, the end of the pew went up,  launching me up into the air, past the steps, and on to the floor.  About half of the thousand people saw it happen and, of course, spontaneously erupted into loud laugher.   I lay on the floor feeling like an IDIOT, slowly picking myself up, and repositioning myself onto the pew.  People laughed for days afterwards.  Seriously.  And. There's more.  To add insult to injury, the two men had kept their eyes on the choir, ignoring the laughter, never realizing I had been missing.  To this day, I don’t remember anything else about the service except feeling like an  an IDIOT.

No one escapes life without seeing themselves as an IDIOT at one time or another.  I love the fact that the word, IDIOT, was used in the original text in the book of Acts.  Dr. Luke, one of my favorite Biblical writers, wrote the Gospel of Luke describing the life of Christ and then the sequel, Acts, giving a glimpse of the birth of the church. In both books, Dr. Luke wrote as a doctor would, giving a report of the situation and the resulting outcome.  In the book of Acts, he is very persuasive in explaining our need for the Spirit of God to take complete hold of us.

So, it comes as no surprise that in chapter 4, he describes the reality of the battles the early church faced and how the Spirit of God empowered and enabled the Christ followers to win over everything they encountered.  And.  There it is, chapter 14, verse 13, the New Testament Greek word, "idiotes,”  which Dr. Luke uses to contrast Peter and John, two disciples of Christ, as individuals who did not have any special skill, education, or position to do what they did except through the Spirit.

Consider Dr. Luke's writing:

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13, NLT).

These two sentences, describe a profound difference in how life can be lived.  The leaders of the day considered the men to be  IDIOTS.  But.  The Spirit-filled men held the attention of the leaders, visibly filled with power, enabled to speak boldly.   Luke makes the point that it was recognized they had been with Jesus.  Simply put, their relationship with Christ had not been discontinued when Christ ascended to heaven, they remained in relationship through the Spirit, living in supernatural power, on fire for their assignment on earth, so bold that they amazed the leaders of the day.  To put it succintly, they won the battles and changed the world because of their boldness which came from the Spirit of God.

The thing is . . . we are invited to live in the same way . . . we don't have to be just an IDIOT . . . but we can be bold, changing the world we live in.  Even so, the stuff of life can become an obstacle, leaving us with the feeling that we are IDIOTS, unable to do anything.  I'm often reminded that I need to be launched from the pew, the place in life where I'm living within the constraints of my limitations, being driven by the pressure to perform, missing out on what more God has for me.

I'm convinced we need to break through the need to be someone we're not, to be liberated to be who we're created to be, to understand that on our own we will accomplish nothing that matters in the end, regardless of how important something seems.   When we surrender it all to God, when we determine to live not by our own strength and power, but by the Spirit, when we determine not to waste one moment, we discover the freedom to be bold and to stand firm with courage, despite our circumstances, even when we're IDIOTS.  

Most importantly, the world is changed far beyond our own reach because it's Christ in us who has empowered us to do more than can be imagined.

Learning to Kickstart the day not just as an idiot, but living boldly for Christ,
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Carlisle Palmer © 2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Light From Heaven

Some days seem to be more out of our control than others when there does not seem to necessarily be one thing more chaotic than the other, when everything collides to make one very messy challenging day.  And, though I seem to be living in a season of collisions, experiencing things that don't make any sense or serve any possible good, I've learned to step back, to be still, and to intentionally know God is present.

One of the most important things I've learned is this: if we try to make it through the day without God, the problems and stuff of life will eventually overpower us, holding us down and eventually ruling everything we do, but if we intentionally move through the day with God, there’s nothing better or sweeter.

When I'm intentionally aware of God . . . I am able to believe there is possible in the impossible, to respond in faith rather than fear, to have peace rather than worry, and to have confidence there's more to see and to experience . . .  because God is God.

Consider: 
“Because of God's tender mercy, 
the light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness 
and in the shadow of death, 
and to guide us to the path of peace." (Luke 1: 78-79, NLT).

The moment, regardless of how messy it seems, changes when we move out of the darkness into the Light.  I'm not saying difficulties are easy but-- when we realize God is in our story, we are able to walk through it with courage and peace as the Light from heaven breaks upon us in the midst of it all.

• Move out of the darkness into the Light. Stop.  Be still.  Intentionally know God is present. Let the Light from heaven break upon you.  

Learning to Kickstart the day in the light from heaven.
Kerrie

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

Grateful?

Life isn't always easy, especially when the hard stuff of life comes at us without warning.  Yesterday was one of those days.  Until.  The guys I work with decided we needed a break from it all.  So.  We left work and spent a couple of hours together.  My perspective changed as we connected away from the stuff.  I saw the gift of friendship at work.  And, I'm grateful.

The thing is . . . the simple act of being grateful . . . changes how we manage life.   Gratefulness is important for our health--body, mind, and soul.   I've always been amazed how my perspective of life changes when I intentionally give thanks.  When I focus on the messiness of life, I can easily be irritated and feel a little crazy.  But.

Gratefulness, even for the most simple things, is powerful.   

One of my favorite and often repeated words of reminder to be grateful comes from Psalms 100--the Message has a great way of explaining the action of telling God thank you--which is really the best place to start with gratitude:
Psalm 100:
On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, 
sing yourselves into his presence. 


Know this: God is God, and God, God. 
He made us; we didn't make him. 
We're his people, his well-tended sheep. 


Enter with the password: "Thank you!" 
Make yourselves at home, talking praise. 
Thank him. Worship him. 


For God is sheer beauty, 
all-generous in love, 
loyal always and ever. 
(The Message)

When we're grateful, we're unable to be passive, we've got to get on our feet and applaud God in celebration for being in the presence of divine and complete generosity.  

Get on your feet.
Be grateful.
Use the password all day long: "Thank you!"
Thank God all day long--it will change the way you see and respond to life.

Learning to Kickstart the day with gratefulness.
Kerrie

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

ATTITUDE

Sometimes my attitude is well . . . an ATTITUDE.  A few nights ago, I reacted to something I have to do.  But.  I shouldn't have to do it.  I tried to tell myself that "what is . . . is."  I began to feel an ATTITUDE developing in me.  I was wise enough to have time alone to work it out with God rather than letting it impact others.  I'm not always wise when it comes to my ATTITUDE.

When my attitude becomes more of a reaction than a conviction, when it's more about getting my way than impacting others, when it's about self and not Christ, I've missed the point of the moment.  

The thing is . . . attitude is the power behind our words and actions . . . which communicates our message of life.  Words and actions will either heal or harm, encourage or discourage, inspire or deflate, bring hope or leave others hopeless.

And.  We know attitude is a choice, but often fail to even think about its power until we mess up with an ATTITUDE, leaving victims along the way, changing the moment from good to bad in an instant.
Consider.
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:23-24, NLT). 

We're told to let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes.  In other words, the Spirit is present and ready to give us God-like thoughts and attitudes; however, it's our choice to let the Spirit be at work within us.

• Be aware of the power of your attitude in each moment. 
• Evaluate how your attitude is impacting your message in the moment.
• Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 
• Put on your new nature--intentionally choose for your attitude to be like Christ. 

Learning to Kickstart the day with a Spirit-filled attitude.
Kerrie

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