It's A Wonderful Life

Everything looked different in McMinnville under a covering of ice fog yesterday. The ice covered world made it appear to be more like a winter wonderland.  Even so, I am holding out for the whole Bedford Falls-it’s a wonderful life-covered-with-snow type of day. I want and wait for it every winter, hoping for a true wintery transformation.  I’m not going to lie, it rarely happens in the world I live in.  But.  When it does, I insist on having a cup of hot chocolate to watch the snow come down while quoting great statements from one of my favorite movies about perspective of life, Frank Capra’s, It’s A wonderful Life.  The movie tells the story of how George’s problems had blocked his view of the gift of life, it did not seem worth living to him.  In the end, George comes to see he has received the gift of a wonderful life.There are some great lines like: “You've been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you.”

We see things differently when we look beyond our circumstances.  When you get down to it, our perspective is driven by whether or not we see the presence and power of God. When we let an encounter with God impact our perspective to the point it changes us, we see the gift of life and know nothing is routine when we live with God.  I’ve learned this kind of perspective comes from trusting God fully, without any reservation.  When we hold back trusting God, we mess things up.

Trusting God is looking beyond the stuff and seeing the unseen work of God purposefully bringing all details together for good. 

Mary’s life changed after she encountered God. Most likely, if, she had gone back home, no one would have seen the presence of God in her, but instead they would have viewed her as a sinner.   Consider what Luke wrote in his account:
During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.(Luke 1:39-44, NAS)

The word, haste, speaks of the urgency Mary had.   The harsh reality for a young unmarried pregnant woman was shunning, stoning, and even death.  Mary needed to be with someone that saw the bigger picture, the gift of the presence of God.  She had to trust God to guide and work out her circumstances. The Spirit of God confirmed through Elizabeth, Mary’s elderly cousin, God was present.  Her circumstances were the same; however, she knew God was present and at work in her life.

Do you see God?  Refuse to let your circumstances block your view.  We see God through trust, regardless of how messy life gets. Surrender all that is holding you back from trusting God; give every detail to Him. The thing is . . . when we trust God in all of it . . .  we see a wonderful life is not based on our circumstances but on the presence of God.  Celebrate: God is present. It's a wonderful life!

Learning to Kickstart the day seeing the gift of a wonderful life.
Kerrie

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

Dark Storms

Can you imagine the emotional storm Mary, the mother of Jesus, experienced?   She most likely stayed awake at night making plans for the day she married Joseph?  She certainly thought about having a family, settling down in their community, Nazareth, and sharing life with their family and friends.  But.  Life changed.  God came to her.  And.  She willingly stepped into God’s plan, which not only changed the course of her life but humanity’s history. Big.

The thing is . . . being a part of the big plans of God is never easy . . . there’s always a storm brewing behind the scenes as darkness attempts to extinguish the Light of  God.    

When the storm of darkness gathers strength, when dark clouds of oppression cover the light of day, when the high winds of adversity blow in, and when the rain of resistance strikes with force, a struggle ensues against our heart and soul, even when we know we’re on God’s path.  

I have no doubt Mary battled this kind of dark storm on her journey to Bethlehem, most certainly feeling the pain of rejection from family and friends who did not believe her, wondering who would help deliver her baby, wanting the familiar women back home to help as she struggled with the bigness of her assignment to be the mother of the Messiah.  

And, yet, there is an insight to her perception of the power of  God’s plan for her and the world:
But Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them (Luke 2:19, NCV).

Luke, a physician, writes this sentence after writing about the details of the birth of Jesus through his perspective as a doctor.  He understood this was hard stuff. So, he uses the word, but, to help us to understand Mary did not give into the storm of darkness.  When the storm's pain of rejection, childbirth, and an unknown future collided, Mary treasured what God was doing, focusing and thinking on the divine gift.  It was not only helped her to weather the storm but transformed her into a strong and courageous woman.

You and I are not exempt from the dark storms; however, we will not only make it through but become stronger, by seeking God, focusing on His work, and holding on to our faith that the darkness will not overcome the Light.

Refuse to let the darkness of the storms of life to overcome you.  See the storm as a way to grow and become strong and courageous.  So. Look for the work of God, treasure it as the gift of the day.  

Learning to Kickstart the day treasuring what God is doing even during the darkness of a storm.
Kerrie

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

Reconciliation At Christmas

A friend is in the process of reconciling with family.  It has been a matter of prayer for years.  This is the year of reconciliation for them.  Christmas Eve is their target date; it's been years since they celebrated Christmas together.  But.  The death of a family member caused them to reconsider their separation.

Have you noticed how relationships are more important than ever at Christmas to most of us?  At the same time, Christmas seems to highlight severed relationships, causing great pain from rejection and loss.  

It makes me wonder about Mary, the mother of Jesus.  I'm sure Mary had seen what had happened to young women who had become pregnant before marriage by another man.  There's no mention of her mother or father helping her through the pregnancy or delivery.  Most likely they had some kind of blow up, some kind of drama, some kind of bad ending.  And. We know Joseph was ready to divorce Mary after being told she was pregnant by God.

The truth has always been extremely important to me.  Tell me the truth.  We will work out the rest.  Lie to me and it won't go well with me.  And.  It clearly seemed Mary was lying when she pulled the God-card, "God did it."   So, with these things in mind, consider:
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1: 18, 19, NIV)

For Joseph, obeying the law was premium:  He was faithful to the law. And we know he was a good man:  He did not want Mary exposed to public disgrace. But.  He would've done what he had to do:  Divorce her.   Imagine the pain Mary had, she was not believed, but rejected by the one person who had pledged to live with her the rest of her life.

God stepped in: 
 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1: 20, 21, NIV).  

We are not told about any other reconciliation stores between Mary and her friends and family. But.  We have insight into the reconciliation between Joseph and Mary.  Joseph not only received word from God, but believed and surrendered to the truth of what God said.  We know they reconciled and their relationship was restored.  So.  We know Mary had to extend Joseph forgiveness, grace, and mercy for the not believing her and rejecting her.

Reconciliation is why Christ came, it's the reason for Christmas, to reconcile humanity with God. In the end, true reconciliation is the work of God.  There are some relationships that seem too painful to ever be restored.  But.  With God, nothing is impossible.  It begins with surrendering to the forgiveness, grace, and mercy of God, willingly extending it to the very one(s) who may have caused the greatest pain in your life.  When that occurs, reconciliation has begun and you will receive the peace of God, regardless of what the rest of the story looks like.  

Reconcile with God and others through the power of Christ.

Learning to Kickstart the day through the reconciling power of God.
Kerrie

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

Last Day

Tiffany called to tell me about the funeral of her school's student, Calli, who died tragically in an accident last week along with her stepfather.  One friend told the story about a day in the summer when Calli talked about heaven, asking her to have a relationship with Christ, to make sure heaven would be her destination, and to look forward to life in heaven.  Others talked about her passion for life, her energy, and her decision to ask Christ to come into her life after attending a camp at Triangle Lake.  And.  Then.  Calli's mother stood and spoke about her daughter and husband. This brave woman is left behind with two children and a baby.  Can you imagine the courage and energy it took to prepare her words and then to share them with the thousands that came?  And, my niece, Natalie, one of Calli's friends, sang with a couple of others to give tribute to her friend.  It had to have been extremely difficult to sing with the heaviness of sorrow rather than her usual joy.  The suddenness of death, especially in one so young, leaves an indelible mark. We grieve for the loss and for what might have been.  And.  We are comforted with the fact that Calli lived so well in such a short time, making each day count. The Spirit of God reiterated a familiar message to me as I listened to the stories of Calli:

Live like it's your last day. Do not die with regret. 

Consider: 
 . . . The Lord has told you what is good,
      and this is what he requires of you:
   to do what is right, to love mercy,
      and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8, NLT).

None of us know when our life on earth will end. It would be heartbreaking to die on a day which had not been lived well.  God's words speak to living the day as if it's your last day, a gift to be invested:  "Do what is right.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with your God." If, we live in this manner, we will live the day as it's meant to be lived and die without regret. 

Do what is right.  Seriously, we know what's right.  If, it aligns with who God is and what God says, then, it's right.  Even so, we seem to struggle with what's right.  I believe we are created to know what's right: what's honest, honorable, trustworthy, and just; however, we struggle with doing it, trying to tweak it to align with our individual needs and desires.  You've done it and I've done it.  There's nothing pretty about the mess that occurs from not doing the right thing.

Love mercy.  The thing is . . . mercy is an action, which I define as the collision of love, grace, peace, and compassion . . . which transforms a life.  Certainly mercy is not  based on what's deserved, but rather on what's on the heart of God.

Walk humbly with your God.   To be humble, we must surrender the stuff, confessing it all to God, going the way God goes rather than our own way.

Refuse to waste one day.  Remember each day is a gift.  Live the day the way God says to live it.

Learning to Kickstart the day by living it as if it's my last day.
Kerrie

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

Before You

This past weekend was filled with epic proportion incongruity . . . a school party with Tiffany's fourth grade class, "Breakfast at Tiffanys” . . . welcoming twin babies home from Ethiopia . . . attending a decorating cookie party with Miss Madelyn . . . celebrating anniversaries of friends and family . . . a renewal of vows ceremony . . . Tim's homeday celebration . . . mourning with a couple suffering from miscarrying their twins . . . grappling with the news of cancer with an individual . . . loving a family who is dividing. . . encouraging a friend who lost a friend.

Life.  Sometimes the stuff is too much to process.  But.  God entrusts us with what is before us, all of it.  

Consider  Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (NIV).

We are able to move forward without fear or discouragement when we believe what God says: "I will go before you."  Nothing we do or experience has gone unchecked; God has covered what is ahead of us with His presence and made a way through all of it.  

Change your perspective of the next moment.
Trust God has gone before you.
Go forward with courage--God has been there.

Learning to Kickstart the day trusting God has gone before me.
Kerrie

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

Wanting

Wanting reveals the two sides of the Christmas season.  It's one thing to want something that will not bring purpose and meaning to our life and another to want what comes from the heart of God.  

At this time of year we often talk about ridiculous spending which seems to go hand in hand with preparations for Christmas.  But.  I believe when it comes down to it, we know in the depths of our heart that all the possessions in the world will never compare with what God gives to us.

It's part of who we are, regardless of how hard we fight it, to want to know God is God, to focus on the purpose of our life, to make a difference, to believe when we breathe our last breath on earth there's something more. 

We want to be set free from the power of the stuff, to be focused on the tangible daily presence of God. We want to be our true self, to be accepted and loved for who we are.  We want to be freed from our past and healed from our hurts.  The thing is . . . when we realize what we really want . . . we want Christ.

Consider what the man named Paul wrote to the new church at Philippi in the ancient days:
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death (Philippians 3:10, TNIV).

Paul had come to the point where all his wants converged together to want to know Christ. Doesn't his ultimate wanting to know Christ, the power of His resurrection, and suffering, inspire you?   It's what our lifetime is to be about . . . to want to know Christ so well . . . that life is Christ, knowing nothing else compares.

Want Christ more than anything or anyone.
Want to know Christ.
Want to know the power of Christ's resurrection.
Want to participate in the sufferings of Christ.
Want to be like Christ in His death.

  Learning to Kickstart the day wanting Christ.
Kerrie

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

When Nothing Makes Sense

Tiffany, the elementary school staff she works with, and their community are devastated with grief.  One of their former students died, along with her father, in a car accident on the way home after a school basketball game. A wife and a mother is left to grieve with three children and a lifetime of questions. Nothing in this tragedy makes sense.

There are many things in life which disrupt what we thought was meant to be, things which do not make sense, causing us to grieve.  Grief weighs us down, putting an ache in our heart, and a deep sorrow in our soul.   There’s a silent narrative of questions that start with the word, why, which comes with grief.   The possibilities and potential of life seems to disappear as grief settles in.

The storms of grief are often unexpected and come with a force that knocks the strongest of individuals down. 

Consider what Jesus said:
 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, NLT). 

When nothing makes sense, when the stuff of life brings pain, when the storms of grief come your way, wearing you out and weighing you down, Jesus simply says, "Come to me." There's no stipulations, requirements, or demands; however, there's a powerful promise which comes with the invitation,  "I will give you rest."   Accept the invitation. Rest. 

Learning to Kickstart the day with rest when nothing makes sense.
Kerrie

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