by Kimberly | Oct 4, 2016 | Books, parenting
Those who know me know I love snail mail. I think I always have, pen pals when I was younger, getting mail from my Mom when I was in college, and now writing letters and surprising people with a note or letter or fun little gift. It just makes my day to give!
I want to instill gratitude and snail mail love in my boys. What better way to do that? Here are some tips:
- Find cute stationery themed for boys or girls. Blogging for Books sponsored this post by sending me Wee Alphas – a book of cute and original animal post cards. I love them. They not only help my boys learn the alphabet, but it will be fun to use to write postcards to people as well. But, for us, it is going to be room decoration in the next house we live in come January. (Another good thing about Wee Alphas is that all the postcards are attached in an accordion book and you can rip each out as you go – so you don’t lose them.)
- Help them know what to write. Whether your children know how to write or not, you may need to help them know what to write. When writing thank you notes, or even letters (especially to grandparents), you may have to coach them. This is also a great way to teach them gratitude.
- Make it a habit. Maybe write one letter a week, especially older children, write letters to older men or women in your church, have them ask questions that will help them seek after God. Older men and women in the faith will be a great encouragement to you and your children. (I digress). Seriously though, making letter writing a habit might instill this in them when they get older. And, you can have fun field trips to the post office to meet the postmaster, talk about where mail goes, and look at the cool mail trucks (my younger loves them).
How do you encourage your children to write letters and/or reach out to others who are older than them?
All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Oct 3, 2016 | Books
I will never know God as fully as I can.
I definitely won’t know him perfectly this side of heaven, because of sin. Even in Heaven, God is eternal and so big – that every day in heaven (which will never end) will bring me new wonder of God – so I will always be in new wonder of him. I can’t wait.
This year, as I’ve been reading through the Bible (I’m in Joshua), I’m writing down in the margins of my ESV journaling Bible all the ways that I see God as He has revealed Himself to me. It is beautiful to see and know that God is the same God today as He was in the days of Moses, Joseph, and Job.
Sheryl Giesbrecht has written a really good study on the names of God. She takes God’s character and let’s us know how we can experience it in our lives. I found it helpful as I’ve been walking through the Bible to find out what the meaning of some of these names are. And they are short – so you could do a month study on the names of God, and add this to a little journal, a quiet time, and knowing God more in his perfection.
I hope you pick this book up and find out more of God’s beauty.
Thanks Litfuse for this book and all opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Oct 3, 2016 | Bible, Books
I’m one of those people who find it hard to stick to one thing.
Maybe blame it on a lack of patience, or always wanting to see results, etc. I really find it hard to believe I’ve been blogging for 11 years almost – that I’ve stuck to something that long.
For me, I like to jump around in my Bible study I don’t mean that I just pick out a verse and think about that. No, I like to do different things any given year. Maybe I’ll read through the Psalms while doing a Bible study. Right now I’m going page by page through the Bible to find out what God says about Himself.
Jesus and the Beanstalk would be helpful for folks like me, who may want to change up their quiet times or Bible study time near the end of the year. Lori Roeleveld has written a humorous but good study through the book of Second Peter. This will give you a lighthearted look at life while walking you the little book of 2 Peter.
She helps you look at the characteristics that you need as you walk the life of faith in Christ to battle any (and many) of the giants that you will inevitably face in this life.
Thank you to Litfuse for this book. All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Sep 24, 2016 | Books
Each of us is on a spiritual journey. Whether you consider yourself a Christian or another religion, all of us are on a journey that takes us outside of ourselves. Journeys are important. I believe that Jesus is the only true way to God – who created each of us and has a perfect wonderful overwhelming plan for our lives.
Part of my journey was in college where I was introduced to the writings and ministry of Henri Nouwen. My youth ministries professor and friend had us read many of his books and they were very insightful and spiritual.
Now, 20+ years later, I’m still enjoying Nouwen’s writings. I’m sure all of us would have different opinions on his writings, his life, and his beliefs…but I do know that he ministered to people out of his own brokenness and the healing that he found in his relationship with God.
Love, Henri is a collection of his correspondence over many decades of his life. I love the biographical nature of each heading – knowing where he lived his life and people’s lives that he helped…but mostly I loved how he intersected life and his beliefs in God into every breath. He hurt. He loved. He ministered. He traveled. He needed people. He needed God.
I hope you will pick up this book, read the letters, as if Henri was writing to you. And be encouraged.
And that is one reason I love snail mail – the opportunity to encourage others. And have the ministry that you do live beyond yourself.
Thanks Blogging for Books for this book. All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Sep 10, 2016 | Bible, Books
I minored in history, I grew up doing cemetery rubbings on vacation (put a piece of paper over old headstones and coloring it with a crayon), I love love love history, and honestly, confession here, I often times find the book of Acts boring.
I know…maybe it has something to do with its narrative and I’ve read it before so I know how it ends – or maybe there aren’t enough imperatives in it for me to live our in my daily life (like sharing the gospel and being a sold-out Jesus freak aren’t enough). Or maybe it is because I don’t experience the Holy Spirit and his work like that in the book of Acts on a daily basis. Maybe its because my Christian life experience is so different then those in the book of Acts.
A new study, written by Erica Wiggenhorn, helps me and hopefully will help you, learn to love the book of Acts. In this study, she helps you engage with a part of history that you might otherwise find difficult, she helps you personalize stories and the character of the Spirit that otherwise might seem distant, and she helps you see the power of the Word of God.
Here are some insightful questions that Erica took the time to answer for yall:
Most women have two thoughts about Bible Study that hinders them from digging into God’s Word : 1) I don’t have time. 2) I won’t understand it. How does this Bible study encourage women to step out of those two hindrances?
I love these two questions, because they encompass a couple of primary reasons why I felt called to write this particular study. I’ll start with obstacle #2 first! The very first page of this study begins with “Let’s Open Our Minds” and quotes Luke 24:45, where it says that Jesus opened the disciples’ minds so they could understand the Scriptures. My favorite thing about Bible study is how it allows the Holy Spirit to open our minds and understand Scriptures in a new and fresh way we had never thought of before. It allows us to access all of the time, research and background that an author has poured into a passage of Scripture and consolidate it for us, the reader, in such a way that we can achieve greater understanding without having to spend hours researching ourselves! The characters and circumstances come to life in such a way that we can relate to them as real people. So on to #1! What we discover in the lives of the early believers was that their lives were unexplainably changed due to their commitment to following Jesus alongside other believers and to studying His Words and teachings diligently. The truth is none of us “have time” but if we know in our soul that we are missing out on something in our Christian walk, we know in our heart that we are not as intimate with Jesus as we would like to be, and we know in our mind that there must be more to this whole following Jesus thing than we are currently experiencing, then we must intentionally choose to “make time.” Time spent with God in His Word will always return more to us than we ever spend!
The book of Acts can be such a compelling book to look at the work of the Holy Spirit. What are one or two of your favorite characteristics of the Spirit?
I love how the Holy Spirit personalized each conversion story. He never does the exact same thing twice in the book of Acts. It’s as if He knows each person’s heart and does all that He can to help us believe and overcome our unbelief! Another thing I love is how He works in the lives of those who already believe. Again, He does unique things in each person’s experience in order to give them the greatest chances to obey. Sometimes He sends an angel, other times He speaks directly, other times He operates through a vision, occasionally miracles happen, but each and every time the experience is personalized. It makes me realize that He is not some impersonal cosmic force, but a form of God Who knows me, sees me, loves me, and desires to be an intimate part of my everyday life!
How do you balance everything you do? Is balance the right word?
Well this is a funny question, seeing as I how I was just venting to my husband this morning that I “have way too much to do!”. I think balance may be a misnomer as every day contains new variables and unexpected circumstances for which we did not expect or plan. I think “prioritize” might be a better word! Despite what each day brings, am I able to keep my priorities in line with what pleases the Lord? Do I still spend time with Him, still talk to Him, still minister to my family above everything else that needs to get done? One thing that helps me immensely is to go back to the very beginning of creation and realize that the first thing God created was time. He is Lord of time and knows all I have to do and how much time I have to do it! When I intentionally make time for Him each day, whether I get everything crossed off on my to-do list or not, my perspective remains constant, my attitude is more likely to stay in check, and the people I love the most get the best of me rather than the leftovers! When I don’t start by investing in my relationship with God first, but frantically grab my to-do list, I’m usually less effective throughout the day and not nearly as gracious in my relationships :).
What are three things you are loving right now?
Only 3?! One thing I am loving is continuing my study of the early church! I am making my way through the rest of Acts and I am in awe of how the Holy Spirit continued to work in these early believers’ lives! I am starting to wake up and say, “Okay Holy Spirit, what have you got planned today? This cracked pot is your vessel- fill me and use me!” Secondly, I am loving David McCasland’s book Oswald Chambers: Abandoned To God, because it is the life story of my favorite devotional writer. I have gone through My Utmost for His Highest for the last several years and knowing the circumstances behind his devotional entries brings them to life in such a powerful way. It parallels the illumination that occurred in studying the historical and cultural background behind the stories in Acts and allows with me to connect with the apostles and early believers more deeply. Thirdly, I’ll confess I am loving Hannah’s Italian Ice! It’s a little cafe near our home and they mix flavored ice and custard in layers- super delicious! My kids and I love to go there after school and cool off from the hot Phoenix afternoons and share what happened during the day. It’s a little splurge that helps me connect with my kids and when you’re raising tweens, you’ll take every moment you can get!
To win a copy of her new study, An Unexplainable Life, which is a study on the first half of the book of Acts, just answer the following: what are a few things you are loving right now?
Thanks to Side Door Communications for this study and for the giveaway to one of you. All opinions are my own.
by Kimberly | Sep 10, 2016 | Books
In today’s world, as a woman with any title, career, family status, marital status, or body type – you have probably struggled with shame over something.
Maybe its your infertility and you think its your fault?
Maybe its over your husband’s sexual sin – or your own sexual sin?
Maybe its because your children regularly disobey you in public settings?
Maybe its because you binge or purge with your relationship with food?
Maybe its because your house doesn’t look like a Pottery Barn magazine like the rest of the homes in the neighborhood?
Maybe its because of the debt that you know has a hold on you – and your checkbook?
Maybe its because you are the only single woman at your high school reunion?
All of these situations can produce shame. But, they don’t have to. If you are in Christ, there doesn’t need to be any shame. You are righteous in Christ. You can not be condemned (Romans 8). He is yours and you are His. Sin, rightly so, needs to be repented of and turned away from – but you don’t need to feel shame. Shame even happens in relationships in our churches. Maybe we don’t live up to certain standards. Oh, friends, don’t let shame run your heart and mind.
Laura Dingman recently published a study on shame and how we can let the Word and Jesus help us. I got the opportunity to ask her a few questions (to help you get to know the book and her better). Keep reading and there will be a great giveaway at the bottom of this post:
Why this study? Why now?
I think a lot of writers end up penning what they’ve learned firsthand. That’s my experience, anyway. I feel like I can only write about that which I have lived. These are lessons God has taught me over the past several years. Lessons about who I really am in Christ. Lessons about why I really hide and how I deal with shame. Lessons about what it looks like to partner with friends for the sake of the Gospel. Lessons about God’s relentless love that just never quits pursuing. So, the short answer is it happens to be what I’ve been learning. The other piece is it seems to be a conversation I’m having a lot with people I’m doing life with—whether in ministry or just life in general. Shame cripples us and keeps us from so many things. The conversations about connection are growing right now as well. The Gospel story offers a solution to shedding shame and connecting with others. It seems to be relevant in our current cultural climate.
As you teach women to study the word, what is the one thing you hope they walk away with?
I pray they have a greater understanding of how Christ actually views them. That Jesus loves them enough to give his life away. That He values them and they matter to the Kingdom. I pray they know they were once lost and now have a place at the table with the King.
For those who want to be a writer, or ministry leader, how do you balance ministry life and personal life?
This is something I’m still trying to learn!
Don’t be afraid to say no.
Don’t be afraid to prioritize the relationships that matter most—the ones under your roof.
Beth Moore has a great quote: “God will never call you to sacrifice your intimacy with Him on the altar of ministry.” This is so true. I think it’s also true of intimacy in your most important relationships as well. If something is suffering—your family life, your relationship with God, the fruit of the Spirit, your awareness of God’s presence—you’re probably doing something God hasn’t called you to do. It’s that simple.
So much of the time we do more than we need to do. We are driven by “should.” Wayne Cordeiro wrote an excellent book called Leading on Empty in which he talks about your 5%. He explains that as leaders we typically focus on the 95% instead of the 5%. Your 5% consists of things only YOU can do. For me, I’m Matt’s only wife (and I’d like to keep it that way!), and Abigail’s only momma. No one else can substitute for me in those areas. No one else can care for or steward my body for me. These are the things in my 5%. I’m a writer. Other people can write. I’m a worship leader. Other people can lead worship. I’m a Bible teacher. Other people can teach the Bible. If I lose sight of my 5% because of the 95%, I’m out of balance and in need of recalibrating. It’s hard to say no in our culture because we don’t want to disappoint people. I’m a recovering perfectionist and a people pleaser, so it’s extra hard for me. But when I do exercise the power of a well-placed no—which ultimately leads to the even greater power of a well-placed yes—the difference astounds me.
The more my identity is secured in Christ, the easier it is for me to stay balanced. I’m not searching for approval and acceptance based on what I’m achieving. Instead, I’m allowing the Creator to love me and give me worth. And from that place, I can do good works He planned for me long ago.
Laura’s book, I Am Found, is helpful with Scripture, probing questions, and her desire is for you not to be perfect, but to rest in and pursue Jesus. His love for you – let that be where you find your identity. If you would like to win a copy, please leave a comment here or on social media with a verse that helps you when you have those less-than-perfect moments. Thankful that she wrote this study and allows women to come wholly to the Word to experience freedom in the gospel.
Thanks Side Door Communications for the book and the giveaway. All opinions are my own.
