Faith

Normalize kindness

January 19, 2021January 19, 2021 Kellye Marie

Let’s normalize being kind and expecting nothing in return.

There was a time when someone was kind to you when you had nothing to give. They shared a smile when all you had were tears, bitterness, and a broken heart.

Someone blessed you, randomly, financially… when you had absolutely nothing and didn’t know when or if you could ever repay them.

Someone forgave you after you wronged them.

Someone gave you the benefit of the doubt when you were acting mean and ugly when your life seemed to be falling apart.

Someone cared enough to call and check on you when you had checked out and darkness was creeping in.

Kindness is powerful. It has the ability to bring about change; to turn someone’s life around for the better.

Be kind because it’s the right thing to do. It feels good. It makes others feel good.

I think about how Jesus was kind to the woman at the well. I think about how His being kind changed her life. -John 4

I think of the woman caught in adultery and how Jesus’ kindness saved her from the crowd. -John 8

I think about how Joseph was kind to his bothers after they betrayed him. -Genesis 50

I think of how David was kind to Saul’s relative Mephibosheth even after everything Saul did to harm David. -2 Samuel 9

It may sound crazy to others, but it sounds beautiful to God.

Each of us holds the power to bring about change with a single act of kindness. Imagine what we could do if we were intentional with kindness. Whose life will you impact when you are kind to them? Whose life will be impacted by seeing you be kind to others, especially when you are well within your right to be angry or unpleasant because of how they treated you?

Let’s give it a try and be kind for kindness sake. Let’s smile, compliment, serve, encourage, forgive, protect, give, be compassionate, be considerate, extend grace… and on and on.

Kindness is powerful.

#bekind

Kellye Marie

Faith

Is my heart in it?

January 3, 2021January 3, 2021 Kellye Marie

There are sports fans and then there are SPORTS FANS!

Sports fans mark their calendars, buy the jerseys and may even paint their faces and have season tickets. Sports fans show up in the stadium and they enjoy the crowd, they cheer for their team and high-five their friends. They might even host a game day at their home. They look the part.

Then, there are SPORTS FANS. They look very similar to sports fans however upon further inpection it is clear that something is different. There is a deeper level of involvement.

Not only do they look the part… their passion takes it to another level. They know the names of the players on the team. They know their history; childhood, high-school, college, special moves, their victories, their defeats, their previous teams. And not only do they know the players…they know the history of the team itself. They know the coach; the coaches history. They know the game and the history of the game. See, they’re more deeply involved. This is personal to them. They love it!

When we see them, they seem the same. But, once a SPORTS FAN starts talking in depth to a sports fan…it is clear that they aren’t so similar afterall. The passion isn’t there…the love isn’t there. The sports fan has the look but the SPORTS FAN has the heart.

I think we have a similar situation in the Body of Christ, the church. We have church goers and we have followers of Christ. At first glance they look very similar. But, upon further inspection… there is something different. And to the human eye and understanding it may not be clear which is which; but God knows. *And let me just say…it serves us not to merely be showing up. God desires a deeper connection. He is looking into our hearts and He can see if you are just showing up, and if you are invested.

Now, I am not pointing the finger at anyone. Clearly, I don’t have a heaven or a hell to put you in and it is certainly not my job to be the judge of your heart.

I am writing this to encourage you to examine yourself. To take a moment in the privacy of your own space, your own life, and your own convictions and ask, “Am I a fan or a FAN?… Am I a church-goer or am I a follower of Christ? Does God have my heart?”

If you want God to have your heart and have made the choice today to take a step to start a relationship with Christ, pray this prayer:

Dear God,
Thank You for loving me and for sending your Son Jesus so that I can be made right before you. I accept the free gift of salvation. Forgive me of my sins. James 4:8 says that if I come close to You, You will come close to me. So, I give my heart to You and I desire a closer relationship with You.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. (Psalms 143:10)

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Well, what now??

Make time to read the Word of God, the Bible, and ask God for understanding. Read different translations to compare the text (NIV, NLT, ESV, AMP etc).

Spend time each day talking with God (prayer)…and don’t forget to be quiet and listen for Him to speak to your spirit.

Super important >>Give yourself a little grace! You won’t be perfect and you’ll take some mis-steps; we all do. But, talk to God about it and ask for forgivenesss.

Oh, and remember – don’t give up, the journey is just beginning!

I pray you had a thought today. Be encouraged brothers and sisters!

KellyeMarie

Faith

What eggs revealed about growth…

November 23, 2019 Kellye Marie

Growing up, my mom made a hot breakfast every Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes I would put a slice of cheese on my eggs.

Out of nowhere… I wanted some cheese on my eggs. So, I made breakfast this morning and added the cheese. As I’m sitting here eating a breakfast reminiscent of my childhood, the very thing I used to enjoy, I realize I don’t have the same taste that I used to. I didn’t want to waste my efforts, so of course I ate them.

But, I can’t help but to think of how sometimes we find ourselves returning to things of our past that made us happy then only to find out that we’ve outgrown them. Our taste has changed over the years as we’ve matured, expanded our palates, and have come to love new things through new experiences.

I think of 2 scriptures…

2 Corinthians 5:17 – That means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

And

1 Corinthians 13:11 – When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

Throughout life, the things we do tend to fit that time.

When we come into a relationship with Christ and we grow in our relationships and start to focus on living a life that pleases God… the old things that used to fit our previous life will no longer fit.

Like how my adult self feels about those cheese eggs from my childhood.

Ha! Be blessed.

Faith

Inventory of Worship

February 24, 2019February 24, 2019 Kellye Marie

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:2 NLT

I think we need to pause and take inventory of our worship.

It seems like recently, more often than not, the acts of worship are attached to the desire for things, for blessings. Whether they have been given already or we have yet to receive and are waiting expectantly for the Lord to open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that we don’t have room to receive.

Now, there is nothing wrong with blessings or wanting or even asking for them. But when that is most of what we do… When our worshipping him is only in expectation of blessings…have we lost sight of who He is?

This has been on my heart for some time now and I simply cannot go another day without saying that we need to stop. Stop and take inventory of our worship. Stop. Stop asking and pleading and just focus on who He IS.

He is our Savior. The Messiah. The Christ.

When I read the verse, I paused. I paused because it spoke to what I have been seeing. It spoke to what I have been feeling needed to be said. We all, myself included, need to come to this place.

“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:2 NLT

Before Jesus was born, it was prophesied that the Savior would come. And at that time, as an infant, He had prefomed no miracles…He just…was. He had arrived. And the belief in who He was…was enough. He fulfilled the prophecy, just with His birth…and they wanted to go to Him and worship Him. Why?…Because He is our Savior! They traveled to be with Him; not for a healing or a miracle…just to worship Him.

Let us all take inventory. Let us all remember who He is. Emmanuel. God with us. He is God in the flesh, sent to save us.

Our Savior. The Messiah.

So, just for a moment…let us stop focusing on all of our request and expectations and worship Him just for who He is. Let’s worship Him with songs, with instruments, with our gifts, our talents and most of all…with how we life our lives.

I pray that this message stays in your heart and mind. He deserves our worship, not just for the things He does…but for who He is.

Be blessed.

Blog, Faith

It’s God’s way…not ours.

December 1, 2018 Kellye Marie

Have you ever had something “bad” happen and think, “Not today devil!”?

Most of us have, but what if I told you that the devil needs God’s permission? What if we have been giving him credit instead of looking at the bigger picture to see what God may be up to? So instead of talking to the devil…we should be seeking God.

So there have been some instances in the last 2 years that left me unsettled. People who were supposed to be supporting me spiritually started to rub me the wrong way with their actions. It became clear that something spiritually was affecting them…and thus, me. Mean words were being said, hurtful actions were being done and quite honestly I was really sad, and disappointed by their reactions as it was brought to their attention.

I wrestled with myself because I thought…is it something that I had done? Are they going through something? As I prayed through it, the feeling didn’t changed and neither did the situation really. I was so upset. How could what began as a huge part of my spiritual growth now be causing me be pain?

The Holy Spirit gave me peace about it all and also direction. So, it was time to move on to a new place. No hard feelings, nothing bad to be said… just at peace with moving on. It was scary thinking about leaving a place that I had been for so long but, I knew that God had a reason for what was happening even if I really didn’t know. Honestly, I was still unsettled because I felt like the devil had tried coming for me, and that…well, I didn’t like thinking about.

As I transitioned to a new situation, I continued to seek God about what purpose He had for me in this new place. A place I had not myself chosen… but instead, was led to. A lot of new experiences and adjusting took place and is till taking place. But, I do believe change is good…not always comfortable, but good nonetheless. As I waited, I just trusted that God had a plan…He HAD to have some plan for this and I wanted to see what it was but I also knew that all things are according to God’s purpose, not mine. So, I waited.

Sorry that I am not going into too much detail but hopefully you are getting some of this and it is making sense. (I don’t need to name names to make a point.)

Well, today I was at an event and it dawned on me what God was doing. He was taking me into my purpose…not all of it…but some of it. I know long term what He has shown me, but not the steps to get there. Today, as I sat and listened to announcements being made…it became clear.

God allowed my previous situation to become unsettling. Wait what? Yeah…that’s right. It was not the devil just barging in and causing issues. God was up to something.

As I drove home I began to think about Saul and David. David had been anointed as a young man to be the king of Israel. But, before that…Saul was king. In 1 Samuel 16:14 it says, “Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.”
‭‭Saul then sends for David to come to play the harp to calm him. He becomes fond of David. After that, David slays the giant, develops a bond with Saul’s son Jonathan, and then Saul becomes jealous of David’s success.

Honestly, this is great stuff. So, if you have not read this…you have to check it out.

So, David is super successful at everything he did because God’s hand was on him. And the more successful David got, the more jealous and mad Saul got. David loved Saul and his son but still…was a bit unsettled that Saul would treat him poorly. But Saul, well…he kept disobeying the Lord…and kept letting his fleshly man to act up and try to hurt David. So, eventually the Lord just allowed some things to happen to Saul. And well, sin… leads to death and … well, he died. (And no, it was not some bedside peaceful death either.) So, while David was running for his life, because Saul was trying to kill him… God had a plan all long. That plan ultimately lead to Saul dying and David becoming king and fulfilling God’s purpose for his life.

I TOTALLY just made a long story short so, you’ll have to read 1 & 2 Samuel to get the rest of the juicy details 🙂

So, back to what I was saying before…

So yes, God allowed my previous situation to become unsettling because if it wasn’t…I would have never left. And I would not have been able to fulfill His purpose.

Even when it looks like things are falling apart…take a step back and see if maybe, just maybe things are falling into place.

I pray that this blesses you in some way! And when things are not quite making sense…get scary, sad, or even hurt…seek the Lord and He will show you what He’s up to …in due time. Because after all…

It’s God’s way…not ours.

I am SO excited for what God is going to do. I am honored to be his servant. Use me Lord that You may be glorified!

Blog, Faith

In the Midst

September 6, 2018March 21, 2020 Kellye Marie

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:23

While many are familiar with the verse, very few realize what is happening while this is being said. Israel is experiencing the wrath of God and His rage. The Israelites have been disobedient over and over, and being punished, and are crying out in lament (a passionate expression of grief or sorrow). And in the midst of their worst suffering, they start to praise God, just for who He is. I love how the Word has stories to help us…even stories that help us in our darkest hours.

While God is a gracious, merciful, and forgiving God, He also will correct us when we keep being disobedient. God has emotions too; and when He is angry…we will know.

Emotions of God:

• Anger – Psalm 7:11; Deuteronomy 9:22; Romans 1:18
• Laughter – Psalm 37:13; Psalm 2:4; Proverbs 1:26
• Compassion – Psalm 135:14; Judges 2:18; Deuteronomy 32:36
• Grief – Genesis 6:6; Psalm 78:40
• Love – 1 John 4:8; John 3:16; Jeremiah 31:3
• Hate – Proverbs 6:16; Psalm 5:5; Psalm 11:5
• Jealousy – Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Joshua 24:19
• Joy – Zephaniah 3:17; Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 32:41

So, like I was saying, the people of Israel are being punished severely for their disobedience. And God loves us, but part of love…is correction. You know all of those timeouts, weeks of being grounded, and spankings you got as a kid…well, you were loved. Your parents were trying to save you from making bad choices in the future that could possibly hurt you by correcting you with a form of discipline. And if you didn’t learn the first time…your consequences got worse…right? Right. Well, God is our Father…and He disciplines us too.

(And if you were abused, that is not what I’m talking about and I am sorry that happened to you. All parents, unfortunately, don’t always do what is right… just felt the need to throw that in there…because there is a difference between abuse and discipline.)

As you read through the bible you can see this struggle with the Israelites and God. One minute Israel loves God, then they are complaining about what they have been blessed with and end up mad. Then, begin worshipping idols because he didn’t give them what they wanted. Then they get what they want but something bad happens to them because they put whatever it was before God…so they beg for help, get corrected, they repent, then they love him and live to please him, then forget the Lord’s goodness and start complaining… all over again. It really is a vicious cycle. (hmmm…kinda sounds like…us? Can you see how we are Israel? That’s for another day.)

Anyway, the Lord gets angry and just releases His wrath. Like terrible, horrible, devastating, gut-wrenching, wrath. Lamentations is even hard to read. I mean… they had no food, no water, starving, they were too weak to run from their enemies so they lost wars, tons of people died, their women were raped, their children were taken to far away places, their enemies laughed at them and mocked them. Generations wipes out. Women ate their children to survive.<<AH! Crying and sadness… and no comfort. So, like, yeah. Um, most horribleness ever. Just like when we keep acting up and the discipline intensifies to the extreme. Like, how did it come to this! I’m sure we all know that person who just keeps messing up and seems to never learn…and their punishment/situation keeps getting worse.

But even in the midst of the worst time ever… the Israelites begin to praise God and declare His goodness. ‘Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.’ They were not praising Him because they were blessed with some ‘thing’. Not because He had delivered them from their suffering. NO. They praised Him simply because of WHO HE IS.

In the midst of their suffering, they praise Him.

I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” Lamentations 3:18‭-‬24 NLT

There is something special about seeing someone’s devotion to God when they are at their worst moments. Whether those situations are self-inflicted (due to disobedience) or just a test of our faith, like Job, where we see that no matter how bad it got… prayer and praise was still happening. Hope in the Lord was still there. Expectation of change was still there. At the worst moments, when they lose everything, they still hope in the Lord. It takes a big amount of strength to, in the midst the worst times, to stop and focus on the Lord, and who He is.

We get so consumed in our mess, that we forget to focus on who God is. That may have been the problem in the first place. How does that even happen, right? Well, work, family, trying to get through the day…busyness. Busyness leads to tiredness and then the next thing you know you aren’t praying like you used to. And you are now focusing on all of the things, the problems, instead of the One who is in control of it all.

Just like Israel, we get distracted….and the cycle starts. Seriously, we need to stop it. Just for a moment, before we lose it, just stop. Stop with the phone, the emails, the networking, the streaming, the music, the job, the house, the kids, the sickness, stop worrying about the bills, thinking about the hurt of the past, the __________. And start speaking the Word of God, out loud. Right there in the midst of your WORST…start to exalt the Lord. Praise Him, raise Him up, honor Him! Just for who He is.

Right now, in the midst of your trials…and anything you may be facing… Just read this out loud and your focus will begin to change as you focus on Him:

Lord, your love is faithful and it never ends! Your mercies never cease! Great is Your faithfulness, Oh God! Your mercies are new each and every morning! Lord, You are my inheritance; so, I will put all hope in You!” (Lamentations 3:18‭-‬24)

Lord you are my refuge and strength! You are always ready to help in times of trouble.’ (Psalms 46:1)

Thank you, Lord! You are SO good! Your love never fails! It goes on forever! You are faithful to all generations! Psalms 100:5

You are Yahweh Yireh — “The Lord our provider” (Genesis 22:13-14) You are so full of love and compassion! Just like you did for Isaac, you provided a sacrifice in my place! Thank you for your Son, Jesus!

You are Yahweh Rapha — “The Lord who heals” (Exodus 15:26) You healed the lepers, gave sight to blinded eyes, the lame walk, demons are cast out, the dead rise, the woman with the issue of blood touched of the edge of your clothing and was healed. You healed the Centurion’s Servant but just saying the word! You are so powerful that Your Words can heal. Hallelujah!

You are Yahweh Nissi — “The Lord our Banner” (Exodus 17:8-15) It is in Your power that my enemies are defeated! When I lift you up, you cause me to be victorious!

You are Yahweh Shalom — “The Lord our Peace” (Judges 6:24) Lord, you are in control of everything! Even the wind and the waves obey you Oh Lord!

You are Yahweh Ra-ah — “The Lord my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1) You watch over me like a shepherd does his sheep! You keep me safe from predators seen and unseen, you guide me through my life. And when I wander astray, you leave the 99 and pursue me until I’m found! Thank you, Lord! Oh, how marvelous you are!

You are Yahweh Tsidkenu — “The Lord our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6) Hallelujah, you are so merciful! And we thank you Father God for your Son Jesus! It is through our faith in Him that we can be made righteous.

You are Yahweh Shammah — “The Lord is present” (Ezekiel 48:35) Lord you are always there! We thank you for your promise! You will never leave us or forsake us! Your Spirit dwells in us Oh Lord!

Lord, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”’ Revelation 22:13

I will praise you in the midst, because You are good!

No matter what you are going through, no matter what it looks like, God is still good! He still loves you. And His promises still stands.

‘For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.’ Psalms 30:5

Faith

SHAME

August 8, 2018 Kellye Marie

When I was younger I made a really bad decision and the news spread through the little town I lived in like wildfire. One person told another person, who told a group of people and so on. By the time I got home that day…a bunch of people knew. And not only did they know, they started gossiping and adding to the story. In a matter of days, most of the town knew my name, my family, and ultimately the skewed truth…about me.

I could tell you more of that story but the point is, I made a mistake, I felt horrible, and the people talking about it made it worse.

There are only so many times you can hear…things like,

“You’ll never be nothing but a _____”.

“I bet she _____.”

“I heard she_____.”

“She this.” and “She that.”

Until you start to think that…maybe…they could be right. Maybe I would forever be ‘my mistake.’

I was so ashamed.

Isn’t it funny how easily we will believe the worst about ourselves? Believing that because we did something wrong, we deserve to pay for it for the rest of our lives. Or that somehow all we’ll ever be… is our mistakes, our failures, our shortcomings. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we believe that because of what we’ve done we are not good enough and therefore are not worthy of anything good. So, we continue to make bad decisions.

SHAME is ugly y’all! Shame can keep you in bondage. It can keep you from receiving your blessings, from living a full abundant life. Shame can keep you from God’s plan for your life.

During the years that followed, I continued to make bad decisions. No, I was not on a complete mission to self-destruct…well, not completely…I was an honor student, a recognized leader in school by many of my teachers and peers, an athlete, an advocate of people who were being bullied (man, how I wish someone would have stood up for me). I became a college grad and so on. Even though I had many good things going for myself…there was an underlying belief that I never really deserved anything good.

I can’t put my finger on exactly when, why or how…but at some point my eyes opened. Maybe…it was during or after yet another toxic relationship when I realized I was better than what I was doing to myself. It’s like when you keep dating the loser type…and find yourself saying things like…”I deserve better than this!” And then it dawns on you like…Wait, I do deserve better than this! Why do I keep allowing this person to treat me like this? I’m a good person. I’m caring, loving, faithful and loyal…I don’t deserve this! ANDDDD “I’M DOING THIS TO MY OWN SELF!…HOW STUPID!” HA! Yes, I took the blame…because it was ME who allowed this to happen. I believed the lies of the enemy and it was me who had to choose to stop letting it affect my life.

And then BOOM! I realized that I was living in bondage. The bondage of shame! Shame led me to relationships that were not good for me…to people who were not good for me. To situations and behaviors that were not good for me…over and over again.

We all have choices. We can choose to stay chained to our mistakes and live in bondage or we can believe what God says about us, repent and accept a new life. And let me tell you, it wasn’t like I was clueless about God’s Word while all of this was happening. Oh no. I prayed often. I was faithful in my attendance at church…week after week…I sang along, lifted my hands in worship and yelled out my amens. All the while, dragging my ball and chain right there into the Lord’s house and plopped it right down beside me in the pew. In chains, living in shame.

The enemy will do whatever he can to make you feel shame and keep you in shame…to keep you embarrassed so you will stay defeated. When that happens, you can’t fulfil God’s purpose for your life. The enemy doesn’t want you to feel God’s love, receive forgiveness or see yourself the way God sees you…so he keeps telling you the lies that you are not worthy of God because of what you have done. Or maybe it isn’t something you have done…maybe it is just a circumstance that makes you feel ashamed…like your intelligence, the way you look, your financial status or title etc..

Shame has many of us in bondage. Let me say this, when we allow shame to take control…we STAY in bondage. And when we are too embarrassed to talk about it…we run the risk of never being delivered. We need to talk about it! The bible tells us in James 5:16: ‘Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. ‘ That means to be healed we need to confess it.

Trust me when I say that everyone, yes everyone, has something they are not proud of. You are not alone. It is important to know that God doesn’t keep reminding us of the bad that we have done. HE STANDS UP FOR US!! God loves us and wants us and gives us an opportunity to start over. NEW.

This makes me think of The woman who committed adultery.

‘“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, ~~(‘they’ refers to the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees)~~ “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:4-5,7, 9-11

You see, everyone has some thing. He called out the accusers, the shamers and then said that she has no condemnation. Jesus stood up for her and she was forgiven! She can start a new life…freely!

Sometimes, it is not other people shaming us…it is us. In our minds…we shame and condemn ourselves. That is the trick of the enemy! Kick him out of your mind!

We can overcome shame.

We can overcome shame by learning what God says about us, in his Word. Yes, when those thoughts pop up…start to speak the Word to yourself and over your life and cancel out all of the lies. Yes, speak it! There is power in the things you say! James 3:3-5 & Proverbs 18:21 These are some of the things that I speak when I need to cancel out the lies and remind myself what God says.

I am LOVED! John 3:16

I am FORGIVEN! Ephesians 1:7

I am not my past. I belong to Christ, and I am a new person! 2 Corinthians 5:17

I am a WINNER! I am victorious! Deuteronomy 20:4

I am God’s MASTERPIECE! Ephesians 2:10

I am More Than A Conqueror! Romans 8:37

I am FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY MADE! Psalms 139:14

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! Philippians 4:13

When I am weak, He is strong! He supports me! Isaiah 40:29

I am cared for! Matthew 6:30

God has my back! He is on my side! Psalms 56:9

I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people! 1 Peter 2:9

I am the head and not the tail; I am above only and not beneath! Deuteronomy 28:13

He pursues me! Matthew 18:12 & Luke 15:4

If you are struggling with shame, you can overcome it! You can be delivered. Speak the Word over your life…and believe what God says about you!

Faith

Kick fear’s butt!

July 8, 2018July 14, 2018 Kellye Marie

COURAGE noun | cour·age | /ˈkərij/

the ability to do something that frightens one
mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

In October of 2017, my friend and I were sitting at the dining room table talking about how a year had gone by since a certain event had happened. I was shook thinking that a year had gone by so quickly. I mean, I was seriously disturbed.All at once I thought, “OMG, what have I done in that time? I didn’t get my health and/or weight in check, I am still at the same job, I haven’t started the things I wanted to start – needed to start. WHERE DID THE TIME GO?!

Over the next few days, I had spent some time in prayer and some time in quiet and was led to write several goals to be achieved by the end of 2018. Something about writing it down, makes it so real and attainable.

I wrote down 9 things and the first one was, “kick fear’s butt!“. Now, I am not saying that I live everyday and every moment scared and fearful. No, not at all. I am bold and courageous quite often in many areas of my life. But I will admit that there are some things that keep getting postponed for fear of failure…or fear that I will mess it up. It’s time to get over that! The enemy will use fear to try to keep you from fulfilling God’s plan. It’s time to have courage and do it in spite of those fears… even those things. God wants so much more from me and has so much more for me to do!

When I think of courage, I think of Joshua…’After the death of Moses the Lord ’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you. “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”’ -Joshua 1:1-9

I imagine that there may have been some level of fear when the Lord God told Joshua what he wanted him to do. That’s a pretty big job! But the Lord assures Joshua that the promises of Moses are promised to him as well. He tells him that no one will be able to stand against him, that the Lord will be with him, will not fail or abandon him and tells him to “be strong and courageous” 3 times; the last time commanding him to be strong and courageous, and to not be afraid or discouraged because the Lord will be with him everywhere he goes.

I too hear that same voice speaking to me to ‘be strong and courageous because my time has come’. And I will rest in His promises to protect me, lead me, guide me. I will study the Word and meditate on it day and night. I will prosper and succeed in everything I do.

I am strong and courageous because God is with me! And I am kicking fear’s butt!

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”’ -Joshua 1:9

Faith

I’m Batman

July 4, 2018July 7, 2018 Kellye Marie

I believe we all have defining moments in our lives. Moments of hurt, abandonment, humiliation, loss, sickness, abuse, defeat etc. Some of these moments just happen on their own, sometimes people do bad things to us or to our family/friends and some of them are a result of a choice that we made. Either way, they happen. And if you have yet to experience one of these…honey, just keep on living.

Even though there are bad things that happen to us, it’s what we do next that that will have the most impact.

Batman was one of the first movies I remember seeing as a child.

Before there was a ‘Batman’, there was a little boy named Bruce Wayne. One night something terrible happens, his parents are killed. This horrific event becomes a defining moment for Bruce.

We can choose live in our pain, wallow in the hurt OR we take that pain and use it to fuel our purpose.

Bruce decided to take that pain and position himself in order to help others. Yes he was rich, but richness is not his superpower. His superpower was his courage, his determination, his desire for justice, his compassion. He is just a regular man that made a decision to not become defeated by what happened to him, but instead to use it as fuel to help others.

Sometimes we may not be able to actually do anything except choose the attitude that we have about it and during it. And even choosing to be at peace or be happy when facing some of the most difficult trials can impact someone’s life and give them hope and strength.

There is a question that Bruce’s father asks and answers, “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up”. If something in life knocks you down… you can choose to stay down OR you can pick yourself right back up, dust it off and come back from it. Yes, you can!

I simply cannot tell a story without thinking of an example from the Word

So….this reminds me of Joseph. His brothers really had it out for him. They were jealous and became mad because their father favored Joseph. Their jealousy caused them to plot against their brother and sell him into slavery. (Genesis 37)

Jealousy is dangerous y’all!

So Joseph gets sold to a man named Potiphar who was an officer to Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt. The Bible says that the Lord was with Joseph in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:2). Potiphar noticed that the Lord was giving Joseph success and put him in charge of his entire household. Okaaaay! *snaps fingers* Then, Potiphar’s wife…well, she acted a fool, lied and got Joseph thrown into prison. First slavery, now prison…and for something he didn’t even do. (Ever feel like when things are just beginning to get better, something else bad happens? Don’t give up!) But even in prison, the Lord made him the favorite with the prison warden. Again, okaaay! Next thing you know, Joseph is in charge of the prison! (Genesis 39)

I just want to say that even in the midst of our trials, God is still blessing us! (don’t miss it focusing on the negatives) Ok, back to the story…

Years later (yes, years in jail for something he didn’t do) Joseph stood before the Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, and interpreted the Pharaoh’s dreams. The Pharaoh saw God in Joseph and then BOOM, the Pharaoh says in Genesis 41:40, “You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting my throne, will have a rank higher than yours”. Then Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of ALL of Egypt! YES! Just like that!

Oh, it gets better…

An extremely long famine soon ravishes the land (the dream that Joseph interpreted), and Egypt is the only place that has food. Due to the Lord blessing Joseph with the gift of interpreting dreams, the Pharaoh was prepared for the famine. So, Joseph’s brothers have to come to Egypt during the famine to buy food. And who do you think they have to ask for that food? RIGHT, Joseph! But they don’t even recognize him until Joseph reveals his identity to them. Can you imagine what the brothers must have felt, bowing down to the same brother they tried to wipe out?! For sure, Joseph would have the best revenge, right? WRONG; he blesses them! He explains that God sent him ahead of them (in this time of famine) to preserve their lives.

Yes, God allowed Joseph to face all of these trials, to save them. Someone is thinking, why could He just save them…Well, God’s ways are not like ours -Isaiah 55:8-9. God doesn’t say we won’t have trials, but that He will be with us in them -Isaiah 43:2. If He would have ‘just saved them’ we would not be able to see His Glory. We would not be able to see how even in the midst of hard times that the Lord is with us, protects us, shows us favor, causes us to succeed, promotes us; that when we are down to nothing, He is up to something; that He is kind and helps us to forgive when we are wronged; that He blesses us and blesses those around us; that He shows compassion even to those who don’t deserve it; He is a provider and He is a deliverer! I could go ONNNN because God is just that good. But God does things HIS WAY, and I’m ok with that!

Ok, now….so then, Pharaoh blesses Joseph and his entire family (70+ people)! And Joseph, in his position of authority, saves the lives of the people of Egypt too. (Joseph’s story is in Genesis 37-50)

When we face trials, we often get stuck focusing on the negatives and start the “woes”. Oh, woe is me! This happened to me and that happened to me. But how often do we ask God to help us in that moment? To ask him why, not as an attempt to place blame, but truly seeking understanding of His will in our lives. That’s right, His will. It’s not about us folks.

Joseph’s brothers tried to take him out…but God had other plans. Hallelujah! And He has a plan for you too, no matter what it looks like.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20 NLT

You may feel like the hardships you’re facing are trying to take you out. But I want to tell you today that the things you feel may be pulling you back, are actually just positioning you to saves lives, to change lives, to encourage someone, to make a difference! You, yes even you.

What are your trials leading you to?

Be encouraged.

Faith, Lifestyle

Women of Excellence 2018

July 2, 2018July 7, 2018 Kellye Marie

This weekend I attended my first W.O.E. Conference. It was such a blessing! The theme this year was RESTORED: Regenerated, Reactivated, Renewed.

On the first night, Mrs. Alisha Ramsey of New Life Worship Center really outdid herself. Her play, entitled “Me, Myself, and I” was truly amazing.

Day two featured Ms. Minnie from Little Women Atlanta was there and shared her testimony. Dr. Verna Du Pont brought the message and spirit-filled message about Power that shifted the atmosphere.

I took advantage of the health fair! I stopped by the table for St. Vincent and stepped on the body “composition analyzer”. It measured my BMI, fat %, BMR, Fat massI have some work to do, to say the least.