Have you ever thought about this, is there anything that God cannot do?  I mean he seems to have everything under control, but is there one thing, even the tiniest of something that God cannot do?  The answer is yes, stick with me.  God tells us in Romans 8:28, "that God, causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them."  Two things, he works everything, not just some things, but everything out for us.  Second he works them out according to His purpose for us, not our purpose, not our plans, what He has specifically predestined us to do with our life...ahead of time.  He knows every time we fail, every time we try and never get noticed, he notices when we set out to do something nice and get caught in a cross fire between a spiritual warfare.  God knows it all, so what is left for us to do?  What is left for us to try to plan, he has already done the prep work, he has already fixed the dents, he has already laid the pathway, our job, to follow Him.  To constantly seek out a way every single day to take the high road, to take the road less traveled, to follow the narrow path that avoids painful triggers or scars.  He did all that for us, why, because he loves us and because God knew that living in a world full of selfish, self-seeking hatred would cause us to stumble over and over and produce so much temptation we would fall over and over again. So why do we start out on a journey with our goals in mind?  Why do we say I am going to follow my dreams?  Why do we take matters into our own hands and have it out for someone?  Why don't we sit back and grasp the reality that God has already decided way before you mom and daddy got busy that you would do this particular thing on this particular day with this particular outcome.  It's very simple, we get wrapped up in this world, this senseless, pathetic hell on earth world that produces nothing but selfish, vain, conceded messed up mental pictures that lead us into a pit of darkness.  I am no saint trust me, I derail daily, but I do know one thing, whatever I do has a consequence, and whatever action I take towards someone or towards myself has as human effect.  I can do things right, or I can manipulate and be fake to everyone around me, offering a fake persona of my life and what I stand for.  I don't want that, I want the picture to be a clear reflection that I am willing to do whatever it takes to save a tear, whatever it takes to save a stressor, whatever it takes to be a friend, to listen, be compassionate and above all eventually reflect an image of my maker.  Vance Havner said it best, "Faith doesn't wait until it understands; in that case, it would not be faith."  We have to be willing to dodge the odds of this world, to step out against this society of how the world thinks things should be and go against the flesh.  We have to do the right thing, have a backbone that God gave us to brace us through the storms and use the strength that comes only from the Lord to ride the waves of confusion. 

So how do we push through the tough times to see the grace that God has already put before us, it's not easy because if it were more of the world would be on board.  You have to get to a point where you have been mentally slammed against every single wall there ever was, you have to have gone through every single black cloud forming moment and weathered the storm.  If you get to a point where you can smile in the storm, see the good of why the storm might be happening or even see what is most important in the storm you have almost made it.  If something happens in your life that you have no control over, you feel helpless you have two options, make it about me, which ends in selfish gain and reflects that you are all about yourself, or look around you to find the beautiful flowers that sit among dry soil in the desert.  I have took the selfish path a lot of times and guess what that path is setup in a neighborhood that has a "no outlet" sign, you just keep going up and down streets trying so hard to find a way out.  But....if you choose to find that one truth in the midst of the problem, that one thing that makes the situation better then you have learned self control, grace, mercy and obviously forgiveness.  I have heard it said a million times before that the greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else while you are going through your own storm and I have never really gotten that, until today.  I learned the hard way that life is not always as it appears, that the picture you have before you could be merely a mirage of what the devil flashes as something good, when in reality as you get closer and closer you will see it's simply a painful puddle of what if's.  Losing ourselves among a crowd of what if's is not God's plan, His plan is for us to fully surrender every single detail of every single minute to Him, let him preview it before you write the final draft of your life, if it is not in His plan, toss the rough draft and start over.  We are fortunate enough to have that option, to have the freedom of choice, but if we act on that freedom with our own will power we have picked the selfish road, and it always ends in destruction....However if we pick the choice that is most favorable to God we can never lose.  

So if you find yourself in a situation, a storm, or a moment of the day where the papers are piling up, the phone never stops, the countless interruptions knock you further and further behind stop and breathe, evaluate your situation.  You are there because that is the plan that God has for you at that moment, if His plans change so do yours, but for the time being you are right there.  Your work load or life is as crowded as you allow it to be, meaning if you think you have too much going on then you will see it like that.  If you think you have too many hands in the pot then you will see it like that.  Hands in the pot helping to stir the tides of life is simply helping you from sinking.  I took a long hard look around me last night and I realized that yes I have a lot going on and no life doesn't seem too fair in this storm, but there are some pretty cool cheerleaders in my stands, because I have made a point to be there for them every time they needed me.  So even though the storm is horrible right now God is there, he was there yesterday and he is definitely here today and with His mercy anything is possible.  A bonus, is to know that you have made an impact on those around you, when they go out of their way to call you or drop you a line to say you are missed, you are needed, you are cared for.  And the best season of all is seeing God open doors during storms, I mean right smack in the middle of a storm God comes paddling in tossing me a life jacket to wade out the waves, but today he tossed me a boat a huge boat, with lots of treasures that I call friends.  When a wife of a coworker emails you and tells you that your commitment and kindness have blessed them both, and she feels blessed to know her husband's stress is lessened because of how deeply I care, it makes my heart smile.  I have one goal in life to do my best in everything that I do.  To be there for anyone who needs me for any type of issue.  That my gift to others, that's the least I can do when God gave His only son to save me.  Everyday is not easy, there are waves of life that crash all around me daily, my family daily and at work daily, but if we can all remember that peace doesn't come from a lake with no storms, peace comes from having Jesus riding in the boat with you.  So to answer the question, is there anything that God cannot do?  The answer is yes, God cannot ever break a promise to always pick you up, lift you up, or set you up for greater things to come.  Have you walked into your house when a storm was coming and the minute you try to slam the door another door across the house tries to open from air pressure?  Translate that into life, you close the door to potential harmful things, or it closes on its on, but at the same time God is across the room saying come to me, this door will lead you to a much better place of happiness.  Follow him, do what is right, don't wrong a right, don't fight a fight, don't have to be right, but keep Jesus in sight.  Finally, when you feel like you are drowning in life, don't worry your lifeguard walks on water.

K

The Bases of Life….. May 2, 2014 By: Kylie Davis

Last night as I headed upstairs to give my three children a kiss goodnight, they were all in their rooms sleeping like beautiful angels.  The house was quiet, the intense chaos level had dropped to an almost silent decibel, nothing pressing was on the agenda, and I was tired.  I went to bed as usual, drifting off to sleep as I cradled Jesus close to my heart and prayed.  However, at 11 pm my husband called to tell me of the passing of a little boy my sons age.  Michael Blake was playing baseball in Fountain Inn last night.  I am sure his parents were watching as he hit the ball, rounded the bases and cheered him on.  There is something about being a mommy and seeing your little guy all dressed up in his clean crisp soon to be dirty uniform, rounding the bases while you scream go, go, go, but this was not one of those games.  God chose that moment to bring Michael home.  As medical crews that were present tried their best to revive Michael, God had other plans.  As my husband was telling me this, even though I was half asleep, my heart sank.  The lower area of your stomach that normally holds all the “butterflies” starting feeling very weird, there was pressure almost immediately in my chest and it felt hard to swallow.  I immediately felt pain for this family, complete brokenness for them in what they must be going through.  For a parent it’s heart breaking to hear about a little one going home to heaven sooner than we had expected, but especially for a mother, it makes every emotion even more tender.  I hung up the phone with my husband and I just laid there staring at the window.  My son, Hunter will be ten in June.  He plays baseball every other weekend and my husband has a heart disease.  It was raw emotion and just took over my body.  

Right now, ten hours later, my heart is still heavy, the tears are so close to falling not because I knew Michael, but because as a Mother, my heart is aching for her and their family.  Mother’s Day is next weekend, the day dedicated to us as a Mother, a nurturing, loving individual God hand picked to love and adore our own children.  Normally I would ask why, but today I know in my heart that God doesn’t need to tell us why, he simply tells us when.  It’s very difficult being on this side of life where nothing seems to make sense, but God knows why.  It’s hard not understanding the purpose of taking such a young, innocent boy home to heaven this early, but God knows the purpose.  It’s hard to fathom or know how to go forward in life without this son, brother, grandchild….but God knows how.  I know that grasping a hold of the concept that God knows all and is above all is hard during a difficult time like this because we as humans have compassion and we feel “real” feelings, but we are in a borrowed body, loaned to us by God to come to earth for the purpose he has set for our lives and that's it.  Once that purpose is finished we are called back home.  We as humans tend to think it’s our life, it’s our decisions, it’s our race to finish, but it’s absolute NOT, it’s God life, His will, His decisions and His race to get us where we are not finished, but merely done with our earthly duties, and called back home to live peacefully without fear, in an eternal home with God.  

Would I be this strong if it happened to me, absolutely not.  Would I cry, kick, scream, and get mad at God, absolutely and probably more.  I cannot say that I have nor would I ever want to walk in those shoes, but it’s not my shoes to fill, it’s Gods.  We can lose everything around us, but we can never lose God, Hope, Faith, and the drive to cast our burdens off our own shoulders and give them to Him.  He knew us before we knew ourselves, he knew the tasks we would need to accomplish before he brought us home, the days we would have, the impact on the lives we would touch and the inspiration we would leave those to carry on without us.  We cannot fathom that, we are only human, but God knew that and that’s the reason he sent himself in human form as Jesus to let us see that through him we can face anything and still have hope.  

When we are in the darkest places and feel that life is over as it seems due to the circumstances around us, we can still cling to hope.  God doesn’t promise us an easy life while we are here, in John 16 verse 33 he tells us in this world we will have hard times, but have peace because he has already overcome the world.  God knows it’s not easy for us, and he doesn’t expect us to be okay with that, he expects us to come to him when we are struggling to remember that He is in control.  I can imagine it’s very hard to look to God when things like this happen, and all of us that have children may be a little fearful of what underlying conditions may be going on in our children, or be a little scared when our little ones go onto a ball field, basketball court, football field, dance competition, whatever it may be, but we have to remember that our life was predestined before we knew about life, and it is clearly written in God’s book of life, what we will go through, and how we will be brought home...and when.  

We have to rest in peace knowing that times will be hard, confusing, and doubtful.  We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world, striving to be led by a perfect father.  Fear, doubt, struggles, they all go hand in hand with learning that everything that happens is out of our control, and once we understand that God is the one holding the cards of our life, we can put aside those emotions and just focus on Him.  He says to constantly look upon him, always, to never look right or left, but stay on the path of truth.  His truth is the light under our feet, the light that guides our path.  So the hope for me in this situation is that one day the question to why, will be answered.  The quest to know God, see God, hear God and understand the bumps along the roads we travel will all be explained.  God doesn’t want us to be tormented with grief, he wants us to look to Him and to understand just how much he loves us.  If you feel lost he is there, ask him to help you see him through the storm.  In Psalm 31:9, “Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress, my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.”  In Lamentations 3:31-33, “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.  Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love.  For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.”

As Perry Noble said, “if it ain’t good, God ain’t done yet,” and I believe we can apply this to every avenue of our life.  Things in this life aren’t going to be “good,” just okay, trouble isn’t “good,” its hardship, death isn’t “good,” its painful, growing in him through trials isn’t “good,” it’s confusing.  All these things don’t equal “good,” but we learn to push forward knowing since it “ain’t good” God ain’t done.  He is there as our father, not to harm us, not to bring pain, not to burden us down with grief, not to lure us in to disrupt our lives, not to shove us into despair, not to cause us to lose everything in an instant, not to bring a wave of affliction over our heads, not to cast down our hopes with arrows of hate, not to break all our dreams with one diagnosis of disaster, not to bring death, not to bring pain, not to bring sickness, none of these…  He simply loves us, and has a perfect plan for us, but it won’t be here, on this earth.  The seasons we spend on this earth are the grooming process for perfection to be instilled in us.  The installation is not complete until we leave the testing zone and head to the flight zone.  I believe Michael is in the flight zone right now, he is healthy, happy, and home free.  God is holding him and celebrating the life that he had planned for Michael, the life that is now finished on earth, but just beginning in heaven.  And above all else, the greatest news is that there is a chance to see those we love again, to be reunited with them in perfect holy peace, to know the answers to why and be content within ourselves for the rest of time, but it’s only through God that any of this can happen.  

So at this moment in your life, if you are lost, if you think this world is full of hate, cruelty, unhappiness, unfair, you are right and God would agree with you, but it doesn’t have to end there.  God wants you to fully submit your life to Him so that he can show you in His time the greatness that surpasses all the evil in the world, the greatness that takes every hope to life, and the greatness that shows you the eternal way to live in perfect peace & harmony.  It only takes a moment to accept Jesus into your heart, but it takes the life you have here to develop that relationship, always trusting and believing that even if you cannot see the why, God does and one day it will all be clear.  Hold on to that hope, let go of the wheel of life you are steering, release your life to Him.  He loves you and wants to guide you all the days of your life.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow, we only have right now.  

So right now, do you have the peace to know if tomorrow doesn’t come, is your life over, or will you meet those who have gone ahead of you when you cross through the gates.  It’s a small step to take for a lifetime of eternal peace, and it can be done right where you are at, quietly praying to our Father in Heaven.  With your eyes closed and your head bowed, pray this prayer:

Pray:

God I don’t know where I am at or what I am doing, but I know that my life without you isn’t right.  My life is nothing without you God.  Please come into my life, release me from this burden of living without you, forgive me of my sins and wash me clean in  blood of Christ.  I boldly accept you into my heart by confession of my faith.  I promise to live every single day as a child of God, and put God first in my life, In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

If you did this, tell someone, it’s a huge deal, I proudly welcome you into the family and look forward to seeing you all again, in Heaven.  If you are already a follower of God, the one thing I can leave you with that has helped me the most in the last week is in life throughout whatever you face, “if it ain’t good, then GOD ain’t done yet,” it’s the best outlook on life.  If you do not have a pastor you listen to, I highly recommend Pastor Perry Noble at Newspring, his messages are not sugar coated and will make you feel uneasy at times, but just know that is God wiggling the wrong out of ya!  

God Bless,

Life's mishaps and then an angel

I haven't written in a very long time.  I guess life has a way of showing up and knocking you off course.  Some call it life, I call it the devil getting in the way of my walk with God.  I am not perfect, I have never proclaimed to be perfect, I sin daily.  I get mad and yell, fuss for no reason and make mountains out of mole hills.  Just today I yelled at a lady who honked her horn at me to move over so she could slide by a wreck that was in front of me, my words "be patient."  The same patient I need those in my life especially God to have with me.  I am a work in progress, and I am no way near my goal.  I am not what I want to be, but not who I was.  Each day brings new challenges of it's own to conquer, fires to put out, fights to break up, attitudes to triumph, two year old battles to fight, bill collectors who just don't get that my life is no different than their own, interviews that don't pan out, kids grades that slip and on and on and on.  I could sit here and proclaim I have all the answers, but I don't.  I could sit here and tell you everything will be fine tomorrow, but it won't.  I can sit here and shout scriptures until I am blue in the face, but it won't make your walk closer.  I can sit here and tell you I walk in the light of God with no mishaps, but I don't.  I sin, plain and simple.  Why?  I'm human. 

God sees me as I am, you as you are and everyone as they are in this moment right now.  Does he want us to stay that way?  I don't think so, but he accepts us as we are, because he, unlike us know the final chapters.  We are merely words on the page that make up sentences in His book.  He wrote the book, each chapter and the conclusion.  We simply get to live each page as the day turns.  I can sit here and write this and feel confident in myself as a christian woman and turn around five minutes later and getting into a screaming match with my kids over taking out the trash, folding their laundry and being in bed at 8:30 which they know to do every single night.  Does that make me bad, NO, it makes me a work in progress.

I sin daily.  I ask forgiveness daily and I go to the next day.  I try to not go back and do those same sins again, but sometimes I do and yet another forgiveness is needed.  God loves me, I know this to be true.  He sent his own son, to die on the cross so that you and I might have everlasting forgiveness and eternity with him.  That's a huge sacrifice.  I have never lost a child and would never ever want to, but to even fathom it takes my breath away.  Jesus knew what was expected of him and yet he asked no questions, but carried out God's plan.  How could we ever be so brave?  I have lost one relative to death and it still pains me every single day that my Poppy left this earth seven years ago.  Time is all we have in this moment, and I am very guilty of taking advantage of time.  The mentality of I will get to it tomorrow, forgive tomorrow, talk to them tomorrow, its such a disgrace.  I feel in my life I need to speed up my approach to forgiveness, and more freely.  I need to slow down my life and see the simple things, the things I can surpass, overcome, stand up from and move forward.  I need to get on my hands and knees and plow through the weeds to find that flower, see that person in the light of Jesus, and know just like my heart is not perfect neither is theirs and learn to accept others just as I am accepted daily.  I need to wash off the pain of those who have hurt me, let them go, move on with life. 

God brings people into our lives for a reason.  Maybe not for a lifetime, a season or more than a day, but for a purpose.  Every person we meet serves a purpose in Gods plan.  Each obstacle, distraction or course off track is a puzzle piece in Gods plan to eventually get us to where we need to be.  Each obstacle is a chance to grow, reflect and repent.  Each hardship is a trial set in motion to break us down to believe.  Each day of no job, yelling kids, bills piling up is a chance for God to show us faith.  Every single day I vow to start on track.  I may not end up on a good note, maybe a flat key here and there, but I am aware of this and I know what I need to do to get my chords flowing right again.  The only way to reach God is on our knees with our hands lifted up.  The only way to get us to our knees is sometimes just to have your feet swept out from underneath you.  I live that daily.  You live that daily, we all live that daily.  My sad notes are no deeper than yours or more important than yours.  We all hurt the same, cry the same and cry out for God the same.  In the end its how we faced adversity in the midst of a struggle that sets us apart from who we were to who we have become.

As I looked into my beautiful 3 day old nieces sparkling eyes today, it reminded me how small and precious life is.  How such a small, tiny innocent miracle can be the most precious gift from God.  How she stretched and fit right in my lap, the wrinkle in her nose and the innocence of not knowing any pain.  Just as a baby enters the world unaware of the dangers of life, we to have to get to a place where the sin rolls off our back as lessons learned during difficult times.  To recognize our weaknesses and strengthen our faith.  To remember with every storm there is a rainbow awaiting.  With every tear there is someone lending a hankie to wipe it away.

Every tear tells a story on that book of Gods love and plan for our life.  Mix in the laughs, the stories of loved ones doing funny things, family, my husband, children and all life's ups and downs and you have a full novel of His plan.  I am just along for the ride when I let him drive.  So today I am reflecting on the miracles of Gods love for me, for you and for us all to remember we are not perfect, we sin.  We aren't hypocrites, we are works in progress.  So take your day and make it what you can, don't try to overcome all your obstacles.  When trials surface hit them head on with the confidence that God has your back.  He has the beginning like my sweet niece, he has the middle and the end.  He knows how everything will align with His plan.  So just take a deep breath, close your eyes and pray:

Father I do not know how to get from this moment to the next and I am not going to try.  I am simply going to ask for you to lead me in the right direction.  The course that you have laid the foundation for in my life.  I cannot change the way things are, how I have done things or go back to yesterday, but I can rely on you from this moment on.  God I know you close doors just as you open them and for the next few minutes I am going to clear my head of all negativity and let you enter my heart.  Lead me through troubled waters, over the obstacles and through the trials.  Remain by my side and help me to be recognize my sins and repent.  Help me to be all that you expect me to be in this moment.  I love you God, I need you in my life and I praise you for accepting me just as I am.

In Jesus Name, Amen

KD

Gods Strength, me backing off.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalms 27:14

Waiting can be the hardest thing to do when it comes to God.  We all want to take control of all situations ourselves and make them just perfect, but can anything be perfect? No!  God knows that we have all these different situations going on in our own lives and at times they can seem overwhelming.  The hardest thing for me to constantly remember is that I am not in control of my life.  Even though I want to be able to make situations better or subside, the challenge is letting go and letting God lead.  I know that my life was mapped out for me before I was even conceived and yet it is the hardest thing to understand.  God knew every decision I would make good or bad and how I would handle them or let Him handle them.  He knew that I would do this or that with my life and in what order and he loves me the same. 

God is probably very frustrated with me lately because I have been very guilty of letting the world get to me.  I have a very horrible family situation going on that I have had to completely walk away from because it is toxic.  I have been lied about, talked about, had nasty things written about me and spread around and hurtful things shared with other family members in hopes they would not talk to me.  This person is winning on their own side and can walk around jabbing punches in me wherever they turn.  I have to remember it is not the battle I am supposed to fight.  God says in 2 Chronicles 20:14-15, "The Spirit of God came in the midst of the congregation....saying, Be not afraid nor dismayed....for the battle is not yours, but Gods."  So I have to let that go.  I have to remember that even mockers and hateful people said horrible things about Jesus and yet he continued on his journey and never let them take the most precious gift, the gift of Gods eternal and everlasting love.  Jesus had a plan that God had given him and he was faithfully carrying out that plan.  We may not know the plan or how the cookies will crumble, but God does.  I have to be faithful in trusting God to provide the knowledge of the whys, when He is ready.  It cannot be in my own timing, because everything we go through has a lesson and if I jump ahead of Gods plan the lesson cannot be fully revealed.  I have also learned the hard way that God is going to teach us the lessons he has planned for our lives whether we want to get them or not.  We may jump ahead and do things our own way to avoid the pain, but the lesson will come again and once again you will be faced with a renewal of that pain.  So my biggest issue right now is sitting back and letting the mocker take the road they want to take, to destroy themselves by creating their own misery.  As much as this hurts me inside God sees and hears the truth, he knows that I am beautiful, remarkable and have a huge heart.  He knows that I am not what these people say or think, I am better than that because I am a child of the most high God. 

On a side note and away from my pain I try to focus on those that are less fortunate of their own situations, the ones that feel so out of control they cause destruction of their lives and others.  I am very grateful that I have been blessed and born again through God that I can see situations for what they really are and know that God is in everything if I just believe.  The holidays get distorted with fancy lights, elaborate gifts and everyone trying to do more than they really can.  The true meaning of Christmas is Jesus, his birth and the celebration of his life so that we can have ours, eternally.  I heard on the radio just yesterday the hosts were having a discussion about Christmas and what you should be thankful for at Christmas time.  They were talking and laughing about gifts and this and that.  A young girl called in and said, "we should be happy for the birth of Jesus and the eternal life that he brings."  They laughed at her and said, "well we can be happy for that but wheres the gifts, we want gifts."  I immediately turned the station.  How could they be sooooo unchristian.  How could they mock this girl and have the nerve to belittle her beliefs which were exactly how we should be.  I thank God that I am able to see in situations like that the true meaning of what we should and should not believe. 

So focusing on knowing that I do have God in my heart and I can see him in every situation gives me hope that I can press forward during this difficult time. 

Another area I struggle with is seeing the good in front of me past the bad.  I have an amazing husband and three beautiful children.  I may not have the love of immediate family on one side, because of the hateful lies and destruction, but look what God has abundantly blessed me with.  I have family that God has brought into my life that love me for me, see me for me and build me up emotionally and spiritually.  I have friends that listen to me because I have gifts of voice.  I love to take time every single day to bless someone by words.  I love to pick someone out that is having a tough day and give them inspiration.  I love my family that God has brought into my life and they love me, honestly and wholeheartedly.  So why do I let this one person step between my God and the family he has given me that love me so much.  The devil.....  I must disregard the devil and tell him to get thee behind me.

I will push forward with Gods love and be more aware of those in front me.

Happy Holidays, God Bless

KD

How do we really parent with a SANE mind?

Happy  Halloween (even though I do NOT care for Halloween AT ALL)

I don’t know about you, but I have daily struggles with my children.  Do not get me wrong by any means, I love my children with every single inch of my heart, but my gosh they drive me insane sometimes.  Like in the mornings my daughter can NEVER find anything to wear, nothing, she has nothing.  Nothing fits, nothing looks good, huff and puff, stomp and whine.  My son, hardly ever wants to get out of the bed during the week days, but come the weekend he is up at 6am on the couch watching TV asking “mom what’s for breakfast.”  What gives?  My little toddler just goes with the flow; he of course is not even 2 yet so he has talked enough to voice his opinion other than the out of the blue squeals that sound like a pig is caught in a trap.  So how do I get through everything that I need to do in a day when every single day seems to start upside down on the happy meter?

The Bible says in Proverbs 13:24, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”  So even though my children are hard to get along with especially in the morning and even more so with each other, I am supposed to continue to discipline.  What if the discipline is kind of going in one ear and out the other with regards to the children?  In Proverbs it also says in 22:15, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”  I believe this is saying that a child is born innocent and doesn’t know until you teach them what an acceptable and unacceptable behavior is.  In other words they test your patients and waters to see what you are going to let by.  If you put your hand up and say “enough, we do not act like that in this house.”  They will probably move on to another trying tactic, however they just got a taste of medicine that says, “Wow I may not be able to get away with everything.”  I know this is tough.  I discipline my kids daily, over and over.  I get NO WHERE.  I end up having to yell and scream for my children to get busy doing what I need them to do and it all seems redundant.  Like do your homework for the 15^th billion time.  Over and over I find that I am repeating myself and I don’t know about you, but I cannot STAND repeating myself when the person heard me perfectly clear the very first time.  All day I struggle all day getting the kids to listen, get along and just knock the edge of loudness off the room. My husband can merely step his foot inside the back door and their daddy radars go off; they straighten up and are suddenly QUIET???????  WHAT GIVES?  What power does this Daddy have after being absent all day?  A LOT!    My husband tells the kids to do something and they know immediately that he means it and to not question it.  They are not scared of him by any means, but they do know that Dad means business.  I am louder than him, but I guess not consistent.  He is the key word, consistent. 

The verse Ephesians 6:4 comes to mind, “Fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  Now my husband probably would not know that verse, but he does bring them up in discipline and instruction that is the same every single time.  They know the boundaries and bridges they can and cannot pass with him.  Like the DVD player in the car, yes it is supposed to be played while driving, however my husband loves music.  So when we all ride together as a family he never wants to use the DVD player.  They know this and will say immediately is Daddy riding with us? 

Kids do not forget a thing; they may turn their head mid-sentence and walk away, but trust me they hear every word you are saying.  How they interpret it and act on it is a completely different story. 

So how do we parent with a powerful, but loving attitude when they drive us crazy?  We reflect on the following:

No parent will ever "perfect" these two skills: consistent training and guidance - with a warm smile as much as possible.

So I have to tell myself to stop trying to make every single day a pleasant and happyville land of fun.  Life is hard, and training a child up in the way they should go is our number one job.  Think of it this way, our children we have borrowed from God.  We are to train them as mighty little soldiers ready to brave the world and put more God in it.  To follow the right paths and to know without hesitation what is right and wrong.  To never question their inner beliefs and always know they have a place inside their heart to call home when all else has failed.  We are to act as a role model on all life’s hard moments so that we reflect a positive image of Christ. 

I know this is hard and you are probably shaking your head right about now, but listen each moment we are renewed in spirit by having a personal relationship with God.  So if you mess up each minute then ask God to pick you back up, forgive you for your mistakes and plant you back on your feet.  Kids are very resilient, they bend and move freely.  Kids can bounce back from hardship while they are still young, so a mistake here and there is okay.

How you handle the mistake is what matters most.  You can lose it in the midst of a hard headed screaming match, but how do you clean it up?  After the tension has cleared the air, sit down alone with your child and remind them of your love.  Remind them of your genuine care and concern.  Tell them how much you want them to behave the right way, but you may have been out of line yourself.  Ensure that you are trying to parent them to be a responsible person, but even you struggle sometimes.  Allow them to make mistakes, because the only way we stand up and truly learn from our mistakes is to suffer.  To see the mess we have made and clean it up ourselves.  They will be stronger for this and will pick an alternative route the next time they are faced with this struggle.  So after a long screaming match with my daughter this morning over her not owning a pair of pants which is just as ridiculous as it sounds, I have to step back and let it roll off my back.  I have to think through the steps and do two things.  Think of a way she could have handled the situation better and think of a healthy solution.  So I will propose that she pick her clothes out before she goes to bed and think about her words this morning.  After we spend time thinking about our actions I will ask her if this is a happy way to love each other.  Is yelling and screaming the way you reflect on loving someone?  No, she will say and we will make up, but the scars will build and build over time.  I know I have been there with my own mother. 

I do not want my daughter to resent me as a parent, or my sons.  I want them to see me for the fighter (through life) that I am, to see the never doubting mindset that I truly have inside that everything will work out because God is in control.  I want them to see that I never doubt God that I truly believe in him and know that every single day God closes and opens doors for the GOOD of those who trust Him.  I want them to see my inner strength the beauty that comes from within, to stand strong in the midst of any storm, rising to the top every single time.  I want them to see that I laugh, dance, sing and praise God for every single thing I have even though I may not show it all the time.  I want them to realize that we are not guaranteed every single day to be a bed of roses, but we are promised a safe place to fall and a mighty God to catch us.

So keep trying, if you fail, try again.  Remember it’s your most important job.  You will not be perfect, but you will be remembered.

Love in the midst of anger, confusion and frustration.  Like just now when my baby boy just dropped about 100 crayons on my floor………

KBD (Dented Bucket)                 www.thedentedbucket.blogspot.com

dentedbucket@charter.net

Do you ever wonder what you should be doing at this very moment in your life?

As I sit here and think about the whirlwind of emotions that have occurred over the past 6 months it almost takes my breath away.  I mean I prayed about a job I couldn’t stand, a job where I felt so dirty after working all day because I couldn’t find God in the building anywhere.  I literally felt dirty of being around such sinful talk, walk and actions.  It was a job that left me standing further back after 6 years than when I started and losing my passion for the one thing that excited me the most networking. 

A door opened that I know was God answering a prayer, but I was so wrapped up in seeing how it was going to help me escape the current job that I missed the whole message behind Gods answered prayer.  My son has struggled with ADHD and ODD since was about 4 years old.  He could never sit still, comprehend the seriousness of any conversation or focus at any given moment.  We had bounced around from doctor to psychologist to behavioral counselor.  And NO ONE could figure out a good diagnosis, matched treatment or continued care.  So as he suffered and became more and more frustrated within his own body, our family became frustrated as well in wanting to help him and being able to do nothing, but pray.  We were literally at wits end on how to help our son succeed.

So along with praying for another job, I was also praying at the very same time for guidance and answers on how to treat our son.  The place that I would be going to work for was a new ADHD medical center primarily for children/adolescents.  It was a perfect fit for my son, but would very soon turn out to be a NOT so good fit for me.

I don’t claim to know everything and I struggle with most things, because I am severely hard headed.  I hope my husband does NOT read this because this is one of those things you would never admit to anyone, but God. (ha)  However, I am 100% positive and without a shadow of doubt sure about the following:

1.     God is in control

2.     His timing is everything

3.     Everything has a plan & a purpose

At the present moment thought WE MAY BE BLIND TO THE PLAN & PURPOSE.

So the door opened on April 21^st.  I left the sinful job that I could no longer stand and set out on a completely different career path as an office manager for a new medical practice.  I know that God had brought this opportunity to me so I poured my heart & soul into the job along with getting my son & daughter the treatment they needed.  Well about a month after I started and my children had been helped they started overloading me with tasks, multiple positions and more work than I could handle.  They wanted me to quit, I now know that.  However, I did not quit because I am not a quitter at anything.  They said I was not performing up to speed; I was doing this wrong and not enough of that.  They basically found a complaint in everything I did after they initially wanted me to be that way and praised me in the beginning for it.  It made no sense at all, and I now realize that GODS DIRECTION FOR US DOES NOT HAVE TO MAKE SENSE TO US, ONLY TO HIM.

I started getting very overwhelmed and my anxiety kicked in.  I had not had issues this bad with my anxiety since I was at my old job.  So I immediately knew something was not right.  That was God sending me a warning signal, I blew it off.  I was emotional and felt like I was being setup to fail.  On 9/21, just 5 months after starting the position I walked into work on a Friday morning and was immediately met at the door by my administrator and let go.  I was not given a rhyme or reason as to why, I was just told to pack my things, and have them go through all my personal belongings as if I were just read my Miranda rights and put into a  cop car.  I was humiliated, upset, enraged, confused, you name it, I was THAT.  I had done all these amazing things, and helped the practice to grow.  The patients and their parents loved me beyond belief and BOOM, the rug was jerked out from under me and I did NOT see it coming, or maybe I just did not pay attention to the warning signs that a blind curb was ahead.  I just kept driving full speed and was extremely confused when I crashed off the side or maybe I should say thrown off the side of the mountain.  Either way I was unprepared for this moment, shocked and extremely upset.  I cried so hard that day I think I could have helped Noah get the boat going just off my tears.  They were tears painted in every single color of life.  What would I do, how would I bring money to the table, why me, what did I do and on and on.  I was too blind to open my eyes to the truth that had literally smacked me right across the face. 

God closed the door as quickly as he had initially opened it.  All the time I did not see this as the ending to an answered prayer.  All I could see was the pain, rejection of not having a job and not being able to meet my husband in the middle with a stable income.  I was embarrassed.  I felt lost and confused.  I WAS BLIND.  God did answer a prayer in those 5 months.  My children were no longer trying to find corners in a round room they were diagnosed and treated equally.  They now had treatment plans that although very different from each other were perfect for their individual bodies.  My son would no longer struggle every single day in school.  I wrote a letter of testimony 2 weeks before I was fired of the amazing help my son had received and how over the moon ecstatic his dad and I were.  I see now that writing that letter was my acknowledgement from God that the prayer was answered and the door would be closing on that chapter in our lives helping us to move forward to other prayers. 

So I had to realize after a few weeks of moping around and processing everything that:

1.     God really does hear us when we pray

2.     He really does answer prayers if they are in HIS plan

3.     It is all in HIS timing

So I started trying to figure out what it was that I was supposed to do to make ends meet.  I prayed about what I should do and the whole time I felt a strong voice telling me over and over, “Do nothing, be still, wait patiently, the perfect job will come, be strong, but be still.”  I could almost hear the voice every time I surfed to craigslist, or Google, or any search engine looking for a job.  I even went to a staffing agency that said they had a perfect fit for me.  They said it was almost God send like.  I was very eager to see because the tone of this man’s voice on the phone was like they had found a position and it was like God has spoken to them that this was perfect for me.  He said I sounded like a very strong Christian woman and the way this opportunity fell on his desk was in his own words “freaky.”  So I was very eager to hear about this and ideas flowed through my head of what it might be like managing a new self-esteem group for girls, or heading the start up of a new missions program, things like that.  I tried to meet up with this guy several times and it never seemed to work out.  I finally did get to go and meet with him and it was not at all as what I expected.  They had a job that they felt passionate about but it was not a thrilling Christian job that would have been spoken down from God.  It was a job that would make me settle for a salary that was more than ½ of what I used to make.  It was doing medical work and would not advance me anywhere and they only reason they felt that I was a perfect match is because the doctor wanted a spiritually grounded person.  I was a dollar for them.  In fact I did get a little ill with the lady that was joining the meeting because she was not the nicest person in the world.  Because I could not in a matter of words tell her exactly what I wanted to do she was getting frustrated with me.  I told her from the start I did not know, which was not a lie.  She looked at me after asking what I needed to make and said, “I just don’t think you are ever going to find that in this market.”  I found it twice already, but those were not positions God wanted me at.  I started to respond with “well I know my God and I know who I am, and God will lead me in the right direction because I have those qualities,” but I was nice and smiled.  She then asked me “If you could start a job tomorrow what would you do.”  I responded with “write,” and she laughed at me.  Promoters of God’s word do NOT laugh at the face of another Christian being honest.  So I left that meeting as fast as I had pulled in saying to myself, “I am worth every penny, God created me to be amazing and I have amazing gifts, talents and qualities about me that he hand groomed himself,” and on and on and on.  I was on a rampage.

So the bottom line is I was going to wait on what God had for me and it turns out after cutting back a little, taking the kids out of daycare, and drawing my unemployment, I was only $200 dollars shy of my previous bring home pay.  Answered prayer!

I have spent the last 4 weeks at home with my beautiful 21 month old little Rex.  He was not talking at all when I lost my job and now he is saying words, understanding my reactions and bonding with me more than ever.  I have never had this opportunity with any of my three kids and I would not trade the last 4 weeks for anything in the entire world.  Spending the day with my little man, making quality time for all my children, my husband and the things that matter are what life is all about. 

So I realized that I was running a race I thought was my own, but it turns out that I was not running my life in a positive direction.  In fact, I was running myself ragged trying too hard to please everyone and not giving God enough praise for what I did have.  I have an amazing family, they needed me, ALL OF ME, and I was neglecting their needs for what I thought was a positive affirmation of what God wanted me to do, but turned out to be driven by selfish gain.  GOD REELED ME BACK IN.

So the question, WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING?

I don’t know and I don’t think it is my place to decide that.  Honestly, see life can be very confusing and very uncomfortable if we allow it to be.  It can seem huge & unreachable if we allow those feeling to setup camp in our hearts.  However there is amazing news that says it doesn’t have to be this way, are you ready??????

It does NOT have to be confusing or uncomfortable because the same God that molded you planted you in your mother’s womb and set in motion the future for your life is in control.  Your life was planned before you took your first breath.  So sit back, take your foot off the gas, because guess what GODS PLAN COMES WITH LUXURY CRUISE CONTROL and it even comes with spike strips of faith you can just toss out when the devil comes your way.  Dig your heels into Gods word and let Him direct your steps.  When we try to run the race ourselves it does become overwhelming and very confusing because it’s not our race to map out.  It is however Gods, but our choice to follow His directions.

Bob Marley said it best, “everything gonna be okay, everything gonna be alright.”

Trust Him.

So my answer is……IT’S UP TO GOD & I WILL SIT PATIENTLY UNTIL HE LEADS ME TO MY NEXT DESTINATION.

PS:  I also have to tell you I have been trying to write for 4 weeks now and every single time I would pick up a pen I drew blanks.  So this is another answered prayer.

GOOD NIGHT

Scriptures:

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and shield.  I trusted him with all my heart.  He helped me, so I am happy.  I sing songs of praise to him.

Psalm 56:3

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Jeremiah 1:5

When I am afraid,     I put my trust in you.

KDB

Website:       www.thedentedbucket.blogspot.com

Email:           kylie.davis@charter.net

Reversing on life a little…..

Reversing….--à TO THE LIFE GOD WANTS ME TO HAVE!!

2 Corinthians 9:8

 “And God can give you more blessings than you need.  Then you will always have plenty of everything, you will have enough to give to every good work.”

***

This sounds amazing especially when you apply it to the Moms world.  Having plenty of everything and enough to go around to all avenues of life.  I often feel like as a mommy I get pulled into a million different directions.  I didn’t realize just how many direction until God closed a door on September 21st.  I entered into work and was laid off.  Utterly feeling broken and lost inside I didn’t know what I was going to do.  I cried my eyes out; I couldn’t for the life of me even fathom the reason for this lay off.  I had literally given my all and more, but God wanted me in a different place.  God opened that door on April 23rd and closed it on Sept. 21st.  That was His plan, and I will NOT argue with His plan.  I will recognize the gifts that are in my life and apply myself to them wholeheartedly until God opens another door. 

I have realized over the past week that my life was really busy.  Being a full time mommy to three beautiful children, one that plays two sports, one that loves group therapy sessions and the other that is a little wild man terrific two’s little one, consumes my world.  Then add in that I am married to an amazing man that I absolutely adore with all my heart, life, bills, the house and on and on.  God knows exactly what he is doing when he sees the need to slowwwww things down a bit. 

Or…… maybe God saw that I was saw that I was putting my everything into my job to be the best that I could be and neglecting the things that mean the most.  I always wrote my devotions daily until I accepted the position on April 12th.  I started putting that extra focus into well we will just say the “old job.”  I started putting me into my job more than my God, my husband, my kids, ME.  Maybe God said ENOUGH, there is more to life than a job. 

It’s funny, but it just looks as though if everything plays out the way we think it will, then God had a plan for me to stay at home for a while.  I love being with Rex during the day, he keeps me on my toes.  Being able to pick up my babies from school every single day is a blessing and seeing more of my husband is an incredible joy. 

Just slowing life down a bit and getting back to the things that really matter to me.  So this is to all the moms who are overdoing it out there, and NO this does not mean go back from lunch and quit your job, but just remember what is most important and the job can only own you if you let it.  At the end of the day, clock out, leave it there and go home.  Open yourself up fully to the family that loves you more than life itself.  Don’t bring your work home and if you have to, start setting some boundaries on what is acceptable and not acceptable as an employee.  Do NOT be taken advantage of by a boss; they don’t have the right to consume your life.  You had a life before and you can have it without them.  Jobs are a dime a dozen and you would be better off climbing the ladder again having people smile and respect you along the way than to have someone treat you disrespectfully by making your night time be filled with work when it should be filled with hugs, love and kisses.  God can and will give you more blessings than you need, but he can also take blessings that you thought really mattered (job) if you are not careful.  But it does not have to ruin you or your life.

Remember God loves you he created you, he knows what you need and when you need it.  Trust God even in the tough times.  Trust God when you don’t have a plan, because he does.  Trust God when it looks like the only thing you can do is cry, because he is there to wipe your tears.  Stop looking at those that write you the paycheck as the ones that deserve all the appreciation and your best.  The ones at home that loved you in the beginning love you unconditionally and without circumstances deserve the best of you.  If you cannot clone yourself into doing both at the same time, then one has go and believe me, the family needs to stay.  God will make a way.

So with all that said, be yourself, the true self that can continue doing what matters most in your life every single day, being the mom, wife, leader, and if you cannot do that 100% and juggle all of life’s struggles with working, then something needs to give. Pray to God, trust in Him.

Just do NOT question Gods plan, if the door closes it is for a reason.  I found the best article on that while watching my son play football the other day, yes I was browsing for inspiration while at practice, but hey I was there…. 

This is a really great article @ http://www.lovesark.net/everlastinglove/closeddoors.html

Points to remember from (Everlasting Love)

It is God who opens and closes doors

·        Closed doors signals change and points to new directions

·        Closed doors is an incentive to pray more

·        Closed doors prevents trust in man

·        Closed doors make you await God's time

·        God closes prepare you for the task ahead

·        What God opens no one can shut

·        Closed doors are a blessing

So I will be content in the life that God has prepared for me right now.  I will slow down and understand that the verse is true God can and HAS given me more blessings than I have EVER needed.  He has ALWAYS given me PLENTY of everything and I have neglected everything.  He HAS given me ENOUGH to give to every good work, but I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE IT, UNTIL NOW……

The Dented Bucket written by K. B. Davis

www.thedentedbucket.blogspot.com

dentedbucket@charter.net