Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Balancing Act: Juggling Life




"So, what was your high today?"



Seems like such a simple question. But it is one that everyone in my family can understand and answer and it fosters discussion and intimacy. At dinner time, we go around the table and all four of us share our high and low for the day. 

Chris and I taught a breakout session at the marriage retreat this weekend on balancing work and home. We asked everyone in the session to introduce themselves and tell us why they had chosen this breakout session.

The answers were all very similar. 

"It is hard to juggle kid's activities, school, work, church,...."

"I am exhausted when I do come home and don't have anything left to give."

"We never get to spend much time together as a family."

You get the picture. Does your family struggle with the balancing act?

Well, we sure don't have all the answers. But we have tried very hard to maintain some priorities throughout the 20 years we have been married and the almost 13 years we have had children.

One of those priorities is having dinner as a family. At least once a week, and hopefully 3 - 4 times a week, we gather AT THE SAME TIME and SIT DOWN and SHARE A MEAL and SHARE OUR HEARTS. 

That doesn't sound like such a big deal. But it is! 
It is a big deal to make sure it happens...because lots of things will come up that will make this THIRTY minute commitment difficult. Soccer season. Drama practice. Working late. Meetings. You name it. 

It is also a big deal when it happens. The lines of communication open up and we are sharing with each other what is going on in our lives. In today's society when we are all going different directions for at least a third of our day, it is super important to know the highs and lows of our family members' days.

I want to encourage you to hold that table time sacred. Look at the calendar for the next month. Schedule onto that calendar at least one time a week where you will have dinner as a family. At home. At the same time. Around the table. No TV on. No electronics. Do not answer the phone. Just share a meal and share your hearts.

And the food...it can be pizza! But if you want to do something easy and yummy, try this... Angel Chicken...slow cooker  (P.S. The Crock Pot is your friend!) This is a tried and true recipe at my house. My kids love it and it is easy for me!

The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10

How is today's society robbing you of your sacred time with your family? Or how do you implement this sacred time into your life? I'd love to hear. Please share in the comments!


Living for ONE,


Kelli

* I love my family! This is yet another installment of my love list. 


linking with Jen at Finding Heaven



and Courtney at Women Living Well


Thursday, February 23, 2012

I Have an App!

Ever had God provide you with something that you weren't even aware you needed? That's what happened to me last July when this spunky, young chic walked into my office. I knew God had an awesome plan for her life, but I had no idea that I might be a beneficiary of the journey. After a couple of heart-to-heart talks and a lot of prayer, she became my ministry intern. We are doing life and ministry together. Now, after six months of training and a solidified ministry calling, we have moved her into an apprentice role. I call her my "app", for short. And she is just like a really cool app -- helpful, innovative, productive, and snazzy. She is a beautiful child of God, a loving wife, a caring minister, great writer and speaker, and a faithful friend. Now show some comment love to my app, Sharita Knobloch...  I am certain that you will be blessed by reading her post today. This is a continuation of my love list, because I truly love this girl. She is such a blessing! ( And pray for me and my husband, Chris, as we prepare to be presenters for a marriage conference this weekend!)

Living for ONE, 
Kelli


I check my watch. “Ok… It’s 8:13am,” I say to myself.  “If I take a 6-minute shower, speed groom, and avoid all red lights, I will make it in time. Annndddd… GO!!”


I am gonna go out on a limb here and guess that some variation of this scenario happens to most of us on a daily basis. Personally, I’m terrible at math, but when it comes to calculating the exact minutes I have to get from Point A to Point B, I’m a whiz. For most of us, life is a race. With family, jobs, and Jesus… WHEN are we supposed to get this ALL done? GAH!

The answer comes in one simple word: Priorities. To some folks, “priority” might seem like a dirty word. We have told (ok, lectured) about it all our lives: “Get your priorities in line, prioritizing is a must, blah, blah, blah…”

Well guess what? It’s true. Priorities are… well… a priority.

Every single on of us on this earth is given 7 Days Time each week. That’s 168 hours. It doesn’t matter what job you have, how many kids you are wrangling, what your salary looks like. We all have the same amount of time. The question is: How are you using it?

Don’t get me wrong. I like to be busy. I produce higher quality work more efficiently when I am busy. It keeps my mind occupied and sharp (most of the time.) But amongst our busyness, we ultimately have to decide if we are going to use that 7 Days Time to Live for One.

I don’t want to sound morbid or cliché, but life really is short, especially when we are living the light of eternity. It says in James 4:14-15 “…What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes…you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”

That’s intense stuff, folks. God is calling us out.  We have to make a daily choice and decide for whom we are going to live our lives. Are we going to live for ourselves? Our spouse? Our boss? Our children? Our hobbies? Or for THE ONE?

Some of you might be shaking your head, thinking, “I don’t have time for extra Jesus stuff.  I’ve got too much going on in my life.” And I might partially agree with this statement. Depending on what season you are in life, you we possibly have a lot going on. But God knows that and He isn’t gong to ask more from you than you can give. I used to be the person with “no time.” But I’ve learned that for each moment I live for Christ, He gives it right back to me ten-fold.  It blows my mind.  

Don’t believe me? Try it. I dare you. It will rock your socks off.

God asks for our first fruits of time. He should be our priority. We can do this in so many ways. We can add a few extra moments to our quiet time with Him. We can spend time with our families/neighbors/strangers, loving on them in the name of Jesus, sharing our testimony of how we are Living for One. We have limited time. Let’s spend it wisely and live for Him. 

Much against popular belief, we don’t have to live our lives as a game of “Beat the Clock.” We don’t have to become time-mathematicians to get our To-Do lists done.  We have a choice. Will be consumed with the demands of this world, running at a pace that wears out our hearts? Or do we run this life race with enthusiasm, not just with the goal of finishing well but living well?

Make your choice today, knowing that God is our All in All.  Then the next time someone asks how you do it “all,” you can simply reply with a knowing smile: “I am Living for ONE in my 7 Days Time.”

Running on Jesus Time,
SGK

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” –Acts 20:24


A personal pep-talker and Jesus lover at heart, Sharita Knobloch is a chocolate-indulging, pseudo-running, creatively-sarcastic army wife and writer. She is SERVE Ministry Apprentice at Christ Community Church and enjoys every second of it. Sharita blogs daily and hosts a personal ministry called 7Days Time which encourages others to use their time on earth living for God. Whenever she gets the chance, she enjoys hanging out with her beloved drill sergeant husband and their hilarious puppy, Sweet Justus.




Connect with Sharita online on Facebook, Twitter or her blog.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

In Him We Live, Move, and Have our Being

I am sharing with you my love list during this month... a way for you to get to know me better and a way for me to be thankful for my many blessings!

One of my loves and great blessings is the opportunity I have had to travel internationally and share the gospel on various mission trips. Today I am sharing some pictures from one of my favorite places in the world...Greece. These photos were taken in September of 2009 and represent Athens, Sunion, and Corinth. As you look at the photos and read the Scripture, I would ask that you would say a prayer for Greece. The country that was once the birthing place for Christianity for the Gentile is now under great turmoil -- economically, emotionally, and spiritually. Pray for revival in the hearts of the people. Pray for God's mercy and grace. Pray for God to move.







The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.  Acts 17: 24 - 28 (Paul's appeal in Athens, Greece)

Living for ONE,

Kelli

Monday, February 20, 2012

A Date with the ONE and ONLY

It was a morning I would rather forget. Life seemed to be going so smoothly, so well. And then it all seemed to fall apart in a matter  of minutes. 

Ever had one of those days? The more I tried to fix things, the worse they got. 

I had been invited to attend a women's ministry Christmas gathering later that night. That was the last thing I wanted to do. After all, I would be surrounded by cheery voices and laughter. I just didn't feel cheery and laugh-y. 

I argued with God for a while about going. He nudged. I resisted. He paved a way for me to go when my sweet husband volunteered to watch the children. I finally gave in.

All the way there, I cried. Seriously, Lord? This is supposed to be a happy event -- I do not want to show up with a white-washed face with swollen eyes. I do not want my pain to be visible!

I walked in the door of this very welcoming home with my Apple Dump Cake in hand. Just as I had suspected, I was met with smiling faces and warm hearts. Ordinarily, I would have been so excited to be with other women and share such sweet fellowship. But today was different. I really wanted to go dig a hole, crawl in it, and somehow disappear from life for a while.

I reluctantly joined a few conversations. Then our women's ministry leader who is a sweet friend of mine explained to me that there were "reflection" stations scattered throughout the house.

The stations were all different. One had a board on which to post prayer requests and pray for others. Another station had some Scripture to read and offer reflection. The third station was near the fireplace and had a cross. The cross was to remind us that Jesus carries our burdens -- whatever they are. My eyes welled up.

But it was the final station that got me. There was a basket filled with small rolled up pieces of paper. We were to take one as a gift from Jesus. I assumed that these papers would contain words of affirmation, words of hope, words of love. This excited me as God knew I needed that, especially today. I opened my small yellow scroll slowly, anticipating what God may say to me. And this is what He said:

I wept. I actually had to excuse myself. 


One of the reasons this was so profound and so personal for me is that a few weeks prior to this I had gone to Starbucks while I was waiting for my daughter during drama practice. I had taken my journal and Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts with me. I approached chapter 7, "Seeing Through the Glass." The more I read, the more I cried. Right there in the middle of Starbucks. God spoke in volumes that night and I declared that Starbucks was a date venue for me and God. 


So, you know how much this little yellow scroll of intimate words meant to me. Yes, there was a gift card waiting for me on the fridge. Yes, anyone would have been happy to receive this token. But for me, it was a reminder to me that the God of the Universe knows me intimately. He knows when I am having a terrible, no-good day and I need to know He is still in control. 


I am continuing my Love List today. I know this post is long. But I wanted you to know that I LOVE the fact that my God, our God, is so very personal. He longs for intimacy with us. He desires deep relationship. And He loves us like no other. 


Whatever kind of day you are having, or whatever trial you are going through, God wants to be WITH YOU. He is GOD WITH US. I would love to hear from you and pray for you.


Now go...


He is waiting. (Maybe even at Starbucks!)


Living for ONE,




Kelli


Linking with Jen at 


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

When Night and Day Meet...

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!


I knew the morning during our honeymoon when my hubby asked me why I didn't always put the top back on the toothpaste that we were a little different. Solution: Two separate toothpastes.

If you want to know at least TEN more funny ways we are different, go to Keepingitpersonal.com where I am a monthly blog contributor...and today is my day! You won't want to miss reading this list!

That was almost twenty years ago. We have discovered and concluded that we are as different as night and day. 
Sunion, Greece at sunset

I spoke at our church's marriage retreat last year on personalities. Yes, I am an expert. :)  At the end of the retreat, I had a friend tell me that she and her husband were as different as night and day as well. She told me that really bothered her until God gave her a picture. The vision was not how different night and day were, but instead what happens when night and day meet. When night meets day, a beautiful, breathtaking sunrise occurs. And what happens when day meets night? A mesmerizing, magnificent sunset takes place. 


I love that picture! And I can honestly say that despite our differences in personality, I love my man more today than I did the day I met him. (By the way, he is my #1 fan. He always reads my blog posts, even though he doesn't ever comment. I am not sure he would know how.)

God has a plan...and a sense of humor. I am convinced that God gives us people in our lives (especially our spouses) to soften our edges, to make us less self-centered, to learn to love.  God can actually use others to deliver us from ourselves and our selfishness! 

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.” 1 Corinthians 13: 3 – 7 (MSG)"

Do you have someone in your life that is so very different from you? Perhaps God wants to use that relationship to create something beautiful in your life. I would love to hear your thoughts today. If you are reading by email, comment here.

This is a continuation of my love list today. Don't forget to acknowledge people that you love today as well!

Living for ONE,


Kelli



Linked with Jenn at 

and with Courtney at 

Thursday, February 09, 2012

My Love List: Words with Friends

With all the blog evaluating I have been doing lately, I realize some things.

* My first real blog post last year was July 4 and I plunged in with intensity, aka serious stuff.
* I haven't really told you a lot about myself.
* You seem to enjoy posts which involve family stories, so maybe I will share more of them.
* I have some of the most faithful, supportive readers in the world. I AM SO THANKFUL.

So, I decided for the next few or so posts, in honor of the LOVE month, I would share with you my Love List. Because I can be random at times, my list is in random order as well.

I LOVE Words with Friends. And no, I am not talking about the addictive interactive game of word-building that you can upload on your Iphone. I am talking about sharing thoughts, encouragement, stories, truths, funny things, and inspiration with others.

My undergrad degree is in Communications...surprise, surprise. But long before that I developed a love for writing, speaking, conversing, and chatting. But, I don't love it if it is just one way communication. Contrary to what the guys on my church staff believe, I don't just talk for the sake of talking. I communicate to engage. I desire response...even if it is a challenging response. (With the exception of my children's backtalk .)

You see, I love to engage about lots of things. Ministry. Life Stories. Children. Theology. Recipes. Speaking. Pinterest. Parenting. Marriage. Social media. Music. Reality TV. Writing. Books. My man. Family. Shopping. The list goes on. (I would talk about just about anything...)

But my favorite "Words with Friends" center around THE WORD. Jesus. He trumps it all. He is worthy to be praised...and talked about. So no matter what I start to speak, write, or blog about, I will always end up talking about the ONE who gave me breath to speak. He is faithful and His love endures forever. He is the reason I speak and write or ever have anything to say.

No offense, but He is my favorite when it comes to friends. He knows me, understands me, and loves me. And He is ok with my being chatty. And our relationship is definitely not just one way. He and His Word provide constant engaging communication for me. That is, if I am willing to listen.

"He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known." -- In the Garden, hymn

So what about you? What do you love to talk about? I would love to engage with you - through this blog, or on my Facebook ministry page, or on Twitter. Let's have Words with Friends... the kind that builds true relationship. (Don't be mad at me, WWF addicts.)

Living for ONE,


Kelli

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Wow! What a little bit of coffee will do!

Personal photo: Starbucks in Thessaloniki, Greece
Ladies and Gentleman, 


You all blew me away yesterday. Some things that I learned:

  • A chance to win Starbucks coffee will make people flock to your blog.
  • You people really do know where that comment button is...and for those of you that didn't, you asked for directions yesterday!
  • You are very opinionated and don't hesitate to write how you feel. (And, I LOVE THIS!)
  • I have readers like you who are very supportive of me, my blog, and my ministry. I feel loved. Thanks.
If you are clueless and missed yesterday's post, you might want to click here to read it.

Ok, I know why you are reading today. You want to know which title won. Well, it was a tie. Seriously.

1. Living for One. God. His Purpose. His Passion. His Glory.  received 13 votes for this title or some form of it. 
2. Living for One when Life is a Crowd received 13 votes for this or some form of it.
3. Get Off the Throne received a surprising 7 votes which means it is still on the table for a book title.

What does this mean? I am taking the first two titles and will spend some serious time in prayer asking God to tweak them however He chooses. Obviously, Living for ONE will be in there somewhere. And the verse I wrote at the end of the post yesterday, Ephesians 4:1 goes along with my word for the year. I hope to incorporate that somehow as well.

My message is that we all will realize that Living for ONE is the only way to live. I have been down the path of living for others and living for myself and both have wreaked havoc on my heart, mind, and relationship with God. Living for the ONE and ONLY brings freedom, purpose, and abundant life.

So, pray for me as I seek God's tweaking and clarification. I can't wait to share the results with you soon when I launch my new website.

You're still reading? Great!  Because now I will announce the winner of the $10.00 Starbucks giftcard. Drum roll please...


Laura, email your address to me via kelli[at}ccclive{dot}org.

For the rest of you, I would love to know your fave drink from Starbucks just in case we are ever there at the same time. Then, your drink is on me. And if you have any other comments about the title or my message, speak up! Oh, and if you haven't figured out where the comment button is, keep scrolling down, you'll see it. I would love to hear from you.

Living for ONE,

Kelli


Monday, February 06, 2012

Need Starbucks? I Need your Thoughts!

If you are wondering why "Unwrapping the Gifts of God" is no longer posted as the title of my blog, it is because I am getting ready to move to a Wordpress website. God is blessing me with new avenues to minister and a website will best suit my needs.  But before I do, I wanted to try some titles out on my favorite friends...you!

Change is good! 
So, I want you to vote today. Here are three choices...

1. "Living for One...God. His Purpose. His Passion. His Glory."

2. "Living for ONE...when Life is a Crowd." (This is a title of a message I am working on for an upcoming conference.)

3. "Get off the Throne...there is only room for ONE." (This is a title I have played with since 2002.

I had a sweet friend who evaluated my blog back in December and gave me some excellent feedback. She said that my blog was busy. (You know me, bright colors and swirls.) And though I like the bright colors and swirls, it can make it difficult to read and focus on the content of my blog. Therefore, as you can see, I am trying out the white. A little sterile for me, but much easier to see and read. 

She also told me that she loved the title of Unwrapping the Gifts of God, but that my title did not always match who I was or what I wrote about. She said, "After reading some of your posts, it seems to me that you are about encouraging and empowering people to live out their purpose -- to understand their calling." She hit the nail on the head. Wow. 

So, even though I loved the "unwrapping" notion and the generality of that title, I desire to be more specific and focused for my readers. And...I will be sharing bits and pieces of my work-in-progess book on my new blog. So, my new titles will reflect that as well.

So, what do you think?

Please, please, please, leave a comment to let me know if you vote for 1, 2, or 3. Or if you have another creative suggestion of a title or a way I could improve my blog, please let me know that as well. I write for you! 

And for everyone who comments, I will choose a random winner to win the first signed copy of my book to be released in June of 2013. (Oh, I dream. Sigh.) Seriously, I will give away a Starbucks gift card. So, get busy voting! Can't wait to hear what you think!

"Live a life worthy of the calling you have received." 
Ephesians 4:1

Kelli

And if you want to read a short blog post, I am guest posting today at www.leighgray.com

Linking with