The Ministry of Presence: Presence Filled Fridays

Hey sweet friends!


I have the joy of guest blogging for a fellow She Speaks Sister today. Michele Montgomery, brave mother of 6, writes a powerful blog over at The Journey North. 


Realizing that God has a ministry for us that does not involve a specific task is quite difficult for us to imagine. But I am realizing that often that is exactly what He calls me to do. Just be there...join me as we discuss a ministry that often goes unnamed and overlooked.

Click Here to visit the Journey North and read the rest of the blog post!

Don't forget to comment over there or over here or both! Have a great weekend! See you Monday...you won't want to miss our special blog featuring a friend, a book review, and another giveaway!!!!

Unwrapping the gift of being,

Kelli

Purpose in the Process

I have come to the in your face realization that I spend an awful lot of time trying to figure out what in the world I am supposed to be doing here on this earth. I know that comes as a shock since I write about purpose every week...  Yet, I struggle with "Am I getting it right?" You know, I have this fear of looking back at my life when I am older and having regrets. So, I pray, I read, I write, I research, I do life plans, and so on. And all of those have been extremely helpful. 

I started this whole On Purpose Wednesdays writing about the fact that we can't live life "by accident." We must be intentional.  And I still very much believe that and preach that. I also believe that we must have goals and life plans, or we will spend a lot of time wasting time. Being willy nilly, with no vision or direction. I believe we must seek Him with our whole hearts and He will show us the way -- 

but not necessarily the destination. 

I don't know about you, but when I go on a trip, one of my least favorite parts is the actual traveling piece. I am extremely prone to motion sickness. So whether I travel by car, boat, plane, or train, (yes, I have) I most always have to take a Dramamine or this girl is going to yak. Sorry, it's true. I really wish our scientists would figure out the whole "Beam me up, Scotty!" thing so that I can just be momentarily and motionlessly transferred to my destination. I just want to get there, for heaven's sake!

So, when trying to discern MY PURPOSE in life, I am equally as impatient. I want to just get there, ok? Why do we have to do all these trial runs? Make mistakes? Listen? Research? Seek counseling? I just want to get THERE, for heaven's sake! 

And so, last week as I was "researching" purpose for my sake and yours, I came across this written by Oswald Chambers...

What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome,that is glorifying to God.

What????  His purpose is in the process itself, ever drawing me near to him; ever growing my trust in Him; ever wooing me into relationship to Him; ever demonstrating His absolute love and grace and presence in my life.

While I spend (and waste) my time considering and agonizing over His purpose for my life, He is there in the moment ready to reveal that seeking Him, walking with Him, listening to Him -- well, that is my purpose. 

You see, God is not about having us ARRIVE. He is about having us JOURNEY.

-- and Dramamine is not required. 

Are you like me and find yourself just wanting to find that ultimate PURPOSE...to reach that destination? Please share so that we can encourage each other and pray for each other.  You have no idea how much your comments mean to this "newbie" writer. 

Unwrapping the gift of the journey with Him!

Kelli

linking up with my friend at 

and Courtney for the Women Living Well Blog Bash!

Come Away and Enjoy My Presence: Presence Filled Fridays

"Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to them, 'Come away with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'" Mark 6:31

Ever been so busy coming and going that you didn't even have a chance to eat? I have to say that this has been the norm for me the last two weeks. But I am also excited to tell you that this weekend, I am going away with God (and 58 sweet women) to a quiet place and get some much needed rest. I am excited about the opportunity for rest. For the relief from all things social media (sorry!) and cell phone. But more than anything, I want to be with my Jesus. I long to be in His Presence. Though I walk with Him each day, I am desiring time set aside to just enjoy Him and to listen to Him.

I know this is not easy for everyone. Some people have responsibilities that make it nearly impossible to get away. Others have never retreated with God and don't know if they will like it or not.

I just want to encourage you to spend twenty minutes with Him this weekend.  That's about as long as a sitcom. Twenty minutes to read a few scriptures - start in John if you have never read them. If you have read John, then start reading Isaiah 40. After you read the Scriptures, just sit and listen. Pray. But mostly listen. I can assure you He has something to say to you. (If you get distracted, write down your random thoughts, so you can refocus.) I am hoping that after you spend twenty minutes with Him, you'll want to spend more.

And I'll be praying for you. I'd appreciate your prayers as well. 

REtreat     REfuge   REst    REstoration    REdemption    REnewal of the Mind    REbirth   REfreshment of the Soul    REvival of the Heart    REpentance     REturning REady    REly on Him

What is your favorite place to get away with God? What helps you focus when you spend time with Him? Share your comments. I'd love to read them. 

Unwrapping the sweet gift of His presence,

Kelli

Joy in His Presence: Presence Filled Fridays

Today seemed like a great day to link with Five Minute Fridays:


At Five Minute Fridays, you take a topic and just write for five minutes with no critical editing and no need to perfect it. They should call it Freedom in Five!  Anyway, the topic today is JOY. And since we always talk about His Presence here on Fridays, I thought it was a perfect match.

Joy in His Presence


Bekah and I had fervently prayed for her for several months. Keisha, my sister-in-love's sister, had been diagnosed with Wegener's disease, an auto immune disease that attacks your entire body. She was barely 30 years old with a husband and three children at home. She had her ups and downs in the hospital. Some days looked hopeful. Other days seemed desperate.


Bekah was on her way to her first grade classroom the day we received the dreaded phone call. I decided to wait until she got home from school to tell her about Miss Keisha's death. 


"Bekah, I have some bad news."


"Yes, Mommy?"


"Bekah, Miss Keisha died last night."


"So...what's the bad news?"


"Bekah, sweetie, that is the bad news."


"But, Mommy, Miss Keisha went to be with Jesus. How can that be bad?"


Words spoken confidently and beautifully by my six year old daughter challenged my heart and my thinking. To Bekah, joy was and is and will always be found in the the presence of Jesus. You see, Bekah had just accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior and Joy just a few weeks before Miss Keisha's death. Seemed like she totally understood Paul's words, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21) Oh, to have the childlike faith that says...


"My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16: 9 - 11


So tell me, friend, have you found the joy that only the presence of God brings? Please share! And if you are struggling right now with finding joy in the midst of your circumstances, I would love to pray for you. 


Unwrapping the gift of JOY in His presence,


Kelli

The Turtle in the Road: Presence Filled Fridays

I recognized Him. I often miss Him because I am not looking for Him or because I don't choose to see Him or because I am in a hurry.  But today I knew it was Him.

It was an ordinary school morning. Ryan and I got in the car to make our 12 minute trek to school.  We began to go over his spelling words just to make sure he was ready for his test.  You know, multitasking. The thing that mothers do well. As I continued to drive,  I saw cars stopped in the road and on the side of the road. I thought there had been an accident and so I slowed.  When I came closer, I didn't see any evidence of an accident.  No damaged cars, no people out of their vehicles. Only cars stopped. I thought, "What is going on here?" And then I saw it. The biggest, oldest turtle I've ever seen in my life. It was most likely a snapping turtle and based on its size, it could have been 75 years old. The gigantic turtle was not moving, but it was not dead. It was just sitting in the middle of the road. And the cars were all stopped. Everyone was just mesmerized by this turtle. It seemed like life just stopped. And we waited. And waited. And finally, the old turtle stood up on his four feet with his big heavy shell and began to move, one foot at a time. We laughed because we thought, "At this rate, it will take him the rest of the day to get to the edge of the road!" But he finally made it to the grass. All of us watching him sighed relief and then we got back to our normal, hurried routines. Now we might be late to school!

And God whispered, "Slow down." See what happens when you slow down? You don't miss out on the good gifts I have for you. Your children's laughter. A friend's conversation. A moment with your husband. A meal with family. A morning with a 75 year old turtle.

A friend shared this book excerpt with me recently:

Not long after moving to Chicago, I called a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction. I described the pace at which things tend to move in my current setting. I told him about the rhythms of our family life and about the present condition of my heart, as best I could discern it. What did I need to do, I asked him, to be spiritually healthy?

Long pause.

“You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life,” he said at last. Another long pause.

“Okay, I’ve written that one down,” I told him, a little impatiently. “That’s a good one. Now what else is there?” I had many things to do, and this was a long-distance conversation, so I was anxious to cram as many units of spiritual wisdom into the least amount of time possible.

Another long pause.

“There is nothing else,” he said. 

(Excerpt from The Life You've Always Wanted:  Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by John Ortberg)

"Ruthlessly eliminate hurry." 

Yes, I recognized Him. God placed the big, ole' turtle in my road to make me slow down. And to listen. And to enjoy.

What about you? Need to eliminate some hurry in your life? Is slowing down hard for you? Are you missing out on the turtles in your road?

Would love to hear your comments.  If you are reading by email, you may comment by clicking here. The rest of you can post below!

Unwrapping the gift of slowing down,

Kelli

Presence Filled Fridays

We are introducing "Presence Filled Fridays" today and I am so excited to talk about Emmanuel, God with us! 

Have you ever felt like the Lord may have forgotten you? I hope that you will read this post today filled with God's Word and encouragement and learn to trust His Presence!

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains!

For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.

But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands... Isaiah 49: 13 - 16

Shout! Rejoice! Burst into song! Why? Because we have a God who COMFORTS us. That word comfort means to breath forcibly, console, or have mercy. Our God intentionally and powerfully breathes His sweet breath of grace and mercy on us in a way that we feel it. We recognize it. We are enveloped by it.  


And the Lord has compassion (deep love, tender mercy) for HIS afflicted ones. He knows when we are depressed -- in our mind or in our circumstances. And He longs to express His deep love and tender mercy toward us if we will receive it.


But we are sometimes like Zion (Jerusalem) and say, "I feel like You have left me all alone, God.  Are You oblivious of me? Are You even aware that I exist? You seem to be blind and deaf to me and my circumstances. Have You forgotten me?"


I have been in that place. I have felt like I was no longer on the Lord's radar.  That somehow I was no longer of concern to Him. I was totally engrossed in my own situation and felt alone and abandoned. How could God forget me?


It is difficult for us to imagine a mother forgetting her child. Even more so, a mother who is nursing will be reminded by her own flesh that she has another life in need of her. But in the darkest of situations, unfortunately, it can be possible for a mother to neglect the baby at her breast. But our God will NEVER, NO NOT EVER  forget us. It is impossible for Him to forget you, friend. It is against His very nature. He is in covenant with us and He will never leave us or forsake us. Rest in the promise of His presence even when you don't feel it. Even when we don't feel that breath of comfort and tender mercy. Trust Him. Trust His Word. 


God has engraved and inscribed our individual names, our very lives on the palms of His hands. When those nails punctured our Savior's hands on the cross of Calvary, our lives were literally "cut into" his gentle, caring palms. He cannot forget us. He is our God. And we are His people. 


So what about you? Have you felt forgotten? Overwhelmed or depressed by your circumstances? Let the God of Comfort remind you that He has you etched in the palm of His hand. Rejoice knowing that He is there to comfort you, to love you deeply, to soothe you, to have mercy on you. Trust His Presence. 


Where are you today? Feeling abandoned by Him? Or maybe today you are very aware of His presence.  Please share and comment below...I would love to hear from you and pray for you. If you are reading by email, please click here to comment.


Unwrap the gift of His loving Presence today,
It is yours to unwrap!


Kelli

Linking with Soli Deo Gloria...

Out of Gas

Photo Credit


I know better. I really do.  My husband has taught me well. He always encourages me to fill up my gas tank when I get to 1/4 tank, NOT when my light signaling empty comes on.  

But I did it anyway.  I let my gas tank get to E, my light came on, and I continued to drive.  Don't judge me. You know you have done it, too.  I saw the light come on, I recognized it, and I quickly forgot about it as I carried on my "dailyness."

When my car cut off in the middle of the road and all I could do was try to coast into a nearby yard (literally!), I remembered. And I had just passed a gas station, but I was talking on my cell phone and didn't notice. What do I do? I called my neighbor who was a few cars behind me and to make a LONG story SHORT, my neglect of my fuel tank was responsible for ruining the mornings of my neighbor, the other four people who tried to help me, and my dad who finally brought enough gas to make my fuel injector connect. 

I didn't tell you that I had planned on taking a sabbatical day of prayer on this crazy morning of an empty fuel tank, did I?  My pastor encourages each of us on equipping ministry staff at Christ Community Church to take one day each month just to pray and be in God's presence.  I wish I could say that I was faithful to this every month. And though I spend some quiet time each day with the Lord, I find it difficult to cast everything aside to spend a day or even a few hours with Him.  My last sabbatical day noted in my journal:  May. Three months ago. 

I know better. I really do. My Jesus has taught me well.  He always encourages me to fill up on my "spiritual" gas tank, before I hit EMPTY.

But I do it anyway. I let my spiritual gas tank get to empty, and I continue to walk, serve, minister, write, speak, teach, and lead. Don't judge me, you know you have done it, too. God prompts me through His gentle nudges and His calling me to come away with Him. I recognize Him and His nudges and calling, but I quickly forget about it as I carry on my "dailyness."

I finally made it home yesterday morning with a full tank of gas, thanks to a few gracious people giving up their time and energy. And though I didn't get the full five hours with God I was hoping and planning for, I did get two hours alone with Him to rest in His presence, pray for direction, and listen to Him telling me how much He loves me. He didn't condemn me for not letting my spiritual gas tank get so low. But the special, sweet time with Him reminded me of how much I absolutely need Him to fill me up so that I can do what He has called me to do. 

What about you? Running on empty? Need to fill up on the sweet presence of God? Don't let the "dailyness" of this world allow you to forget your need to just "be" with Jesus. 


Practical application: Maybe a day away with God sounds great, but it is impossible for you.  How about trying to plan a couple of hours a month to listen to God?  Even 30 minutes a day?  The point is to make Him a priority so that we don't run on empty when we are serving Him and ministering to others.  


Would love to hear your comments! And if you subscribe via email, don't forget to click the link to return to the actual blog to comment. Otherwise, I don't ever hear what you have to say.  

Unwrap the gift of His sweet presence today,


Kelli

The Dream of the Gift

Three years ago I had a dream. The vividness of it brings it ever close today. 

The dream.  I walk into a room. And I see Him...Jesus.   He is beautiful. He is sitting on a beautiful throne. And He is holding something. As I look closer I see that He is holding a beautifully wrapped gift.  It was wrapped in exquisite paper and topped with a perfect huge bow.  I look into His eyes and ask, "Is that gift for me?" He peers into my eyes, into my soul, and gently gestures me to come closer. And then I wake up.

When I had that dream three years ago, I was going through one of the most painful and difficult times in my life. That painful situation had left me feeling raw, numb, and abandoned. I felt unworthy, inadequate, unusable.  Though I had been very involved in ministry, this situation had made me seriously doubt my identity, my mission, and whether or not I would ever be involved in ministry again.  

Then the dream.  Though it took me a while to process what God was saying to me, I realized that His main message was that the painful trial I was going through was indeed a gift. A gift only realized if I came closer to the Gift Giver Himself. That's why when I asked Him in the dream if the gift was for me, He only responded with a gesture to come closer to him.  My trial a gift?  I didn't understand, but I trusted that He would continue to reveal Himself to me.

That painful situation necessitated that I leave a very comfortable zone and head straight into one that was unknown, uncomfortable, even unraveling.  I enjoy new things, new challenges, but I don't enjoy discomfort.  I am just being honest.  But I was devastated and needed restoration and rebirth.  As Ann Voskamp shared in a recent post, "It's only in the uncomfortable places that we can experience the tenderness of the Comforter." It was in that place that I received the gift of His intimate Presence. He longs to meet us all there. He is the God of all Comfort, the Father of Compassion.  

2 Corinthians 1: 3 - 5, says "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comes alongside of us when we go through hard times, and before you know, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us."  (NIV, MSG)

Looking back now, I realize what a gift that painful experience truly was. For it was in that pain, in that open wound, that I sought the comfort of my Savior in a way I never had before. His Presence was soothing, healing, and life-giving.  He was IT for me...and He was enough.  He was truly my All in All.  He restored my soul and my mind.  He reminded me that my identity could only be found in Him, not in other people, titles, or even ministry.  He not only restored my mission and ministry, He expanded it!  

Unwrapping the gifts of His presence, purpose, and power has now become the message I feel He has given me to share with others. Sharing and marketing that message is another trip out of my comfort zone! However, this time, I take the trip out of my comfort zone, not out of obligation, but out of desire. Because I know that being out of my comfort zone means being in the arms of the God of all comfort. And that's a gift!

As I write this, I am praying and preparing to go to a conference in July offered by Proverbs 31 Ministries called, "She Speaks Conference." I have known about this conference a couple of years, but have been unable scared to attend. Lysa TerKeurst, author of Made To Crave and When Women Say Yes To God, is one of the women on the Proverbs 31 team and I look forward to learning lots from her and many other women.  The conference is for speakers, writers, and leaders "to receive the tools and the confidence to answer God's call on your life." I consider it such a blessing to be able to go and I look forward to listening to God and being obedient to His leadership in my life.  

I am asking for your prayers as I attend the conference.  I am on the Speakers Track and will present a short message to two different groups for evaluation.  I am excited about receiving feedback and encouragement from women with similar callings and love for the Lord.  In addition, I am FINALLY meeting with someone to discuss the bible study I wrote based on 2nd Corinthians.  And it scares me to death, but I also have two meetings with publishers to "pitch" my bible study.  I don't know if it's because I am turning 40 in October, but I have gotten really brave  crazy these days.  As I write this, my heart beats out of my chest.  Literally- and I am sitting in a chair!

Please pray for God's divine wisdom, guidance, and timing in all these things.  And do me a favor, if you  will, and click to follow my blog on the left hand side of the blog posts.  They say this is important when trying to pitch a book.  Anyway, I hope to blog at least twice a week on God's gifts to us.  I hope you will join me in unwrapping those gifts...  as we move closer to the Gift Giver.

I attended the conference since this posting and it was truly life-changing.  If you would like to read about my trip, you can go to He Speaks and She Listens.  

Any recent gifts from God that you want to share in the comments?

I'd love to know what they are!

Much love and gratitude for your friendship,

Kelli