My heart is overflowing this morning. I just finished days 4 and 5 of week 9 of "Jesus the One and Only" from Beth Moore. I mentioned this Bible Study yesterday. (Still LOVE IT!!)
Day 4 is titled "The Kiss of Betrayal". Speaking of Judas' kiss, as his sign of pointing out Jesus to those who were coming to betray him. -A bit off topic, but leading to where I'm going: I love how God reveals different things at different times when we get into the Word. He's so awesome.- My "reveal of the day" today was in Matthew 26:49-50, "Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, 'Greetings, Rabbi!' and kissed him. Jesus replied, 'Friend, do what you came for.'" Did you see that? HE CALLED HIM FRIEND!! Not enemy, not betrayer, not you SUPER, MEAN JERK!! (Yes, that last one is what probably would have come out of my mouth. I use the word "super" to accentuate almost anything.) But friend. He called him friend. Judas was not his enemy. Jesus loved him, he was his companion. They'd done a lot together. It makes me cry, as a human, to even imagine the betrayal that Jesus must have felt.
I have friends. I have people that I consider "companions". They are ones that really know me. They are the ones that I am able to be "real" with. A lot of people see me, and know about me, but not everybody knows my passions. Not everybody knows my heart. Not everybody gets to see me in action. Only my friends get that "privelege"!! My friends are the ones that I don't have to clean my house for. (Although, I do try to make sure my toilets are clean for them!!) My friends are the ones that I can call on a Friday night and they'll be over an hour later for pizza and some games. My friends know my weaknesses, and they're okay with them. My friends are the ones that I trust to take care of my kids. The ones that I get the privelege of taking care of their kids. My companions in life.
This was the kind of relationship that Jesus and Judas had. They had done life together. Judas knew what he was doing. I wonder when he realized the extent of it. (The Word does say that the devil "entered him" in Luke 22:3, so I'm sure that Satan found a very convenient time to "exit" him.) Was it at that point when Jesus called him, "friend"? I'm thinking it must have been. That moment is followed pretty quickly by Matthew 27:3-5 MSG, "Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, 'I've sinned. I've betrayed an innocent man.' They said, 'What do we care? That's your problem!' Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself." He had betrayed his friend. He couldn't handle it. I wonder if he maybe thought Jesus would get out of it. In vs 3 says, he "realized that Jesus was doomed." Did he not think it would get to the point that it had gotten? After all, being his companion, he knew the power that Jesus had. He had seen the miracles that Jesus had performed. He'd seen him walk on water, feed thousands with a few fish and a bit of bread. He saw him RAISE THE DEAD!! I'm not trying to "stick up for Judas" at all. I'm just wandering a bit.
That's all I have time for right now. I would love to write about Peter's betrayal right now, too, but I have a certain little girl asking for cheese. Gotta go!!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
One of those days
I am having one of those days. I blame it on hormones. Ya know, the days where nobody can do anything right and you snap and think to yourself, "who am I?!!" This post is going to probably be pretty random. Fair warning!!
My girl (Aubrey)-We are fighting lately. A lot. She is stubborn. I, too, am stubborn. Wade tells me that I just need to be more patient, as he steps in to save the day. (Or to save Aubrey from her mama's wrath!!) Patience...not something I want. In the heat of the moment, I want to win. I want to prove who is stronger, who is the MOM!! Grrr. I know I need to pray more for her, (and for myself), rather then fight with her, but I really do struggle.
My Man (Wade)- He is just funny. We got a new tv...from the dump. Well, a guy was dropping it off at the dump when my crazy man intercepted it and upon asking him if the thing worked, talked him into dropping it off at our house instead. It is HUGE. It's a projection screen tv and is now in our playroom, which we have now dubbed the rec room. It is now too cool to be a kid's "play room". We got the tv inside and decided that the white room where our children have been playing for the last six years was not "fancy" enough to house such a monument. So we ran to the store and grabbed some paint. We now have a fancy new room in our home, encouraging us to get on the ball and get the rest of the house looking almost as fancy!! My friend is coming by this week to recommend colors!! Ha ha!!
My boy (Nathan)-What can I say about Nathan. He just is. He's as steady as can be. Always up, unless you tell him that he can't bring a toy somewhere that he thinks needs to go with him. (Today it was a mini video game to church!! I ruined his whole day by vetoing that one!!) We met with his teacher this week for parent/teacher conferences. He's a smart kid. He loves, loves, loves to read and has already told me that he can't wait for 2nd grade so he can have harder work!! Ha ha!! Crazy kid!! I wish I was able to keep up with him. My mind whirls sometimes with that boy.
Me -I am currently on day 14 of a 90 day challenge to read the Bible through in it's entirety. I'm in Deuteronomy right now. I am very glad to be done with Leviticus and Numbers, and now in Deuteronomy it's Moses' recap of the 40 years in the wilderness and then how to proceed in the future. It's interesting, but I can't wait until they get into the Promised Land!! I'm ready for some more excitement!! Ha ha!! This challenge has taken me about 45 minutes each day, but it is totally worth it. I really am loving it. Like I've said before...I love a good challenge. I need something to "finish". (I was gonna say conquer, but that would probably not be the correct terminology for finishing the Bible!!)
I'm also in my last week and a half of Beth Moore's "Jesus the One and Only" Bible Study. It's AMAZING! I love Jesus. I love everything about him. I have tears in my eyes right now just typing about it. He is so awesome and He loves us so much. He was such an awesome man. He loved people in a way that is beyond what I can imagine. I have thoroughly enjoyed this study, and have challenged and stirred up in so many ways. It is one that I want to do again, with a new group of ladies. I think it's priceless.
I am also feeling bad. Not only hormonal and grumpy, but I have had a cold for about two months. Actually, I think I'm on my 3rd cold in two months. I have coughed so much, that I now have a muscle that is super tight and it hurts to cough, sneeze, or even move in some ways. I'm going to have to go in tomorrow for a dr's appt. It's been a week and it's not getting better. This has effected my exercising, which I know adds to my over-all not feeling well, also, because I like to be able to exercise. It helps me be able to eat more food and it is that time of year, when a girl likes to eat!!
Well, that's it for now. Wade just called. He and the kids are heading to DQ with the group that just finished our nursing home ministry. (Yes, he saved his children from me this afternoon!!) I'm gonna get my house in some kind of order and get ready for relaxing in our new "rec room" with my family and a dvd!!
My girl (Aubrey)-We are fighting lately. A lot. She is stubborn. I, too, am stubborn. Wade tells me that I just need to be more patient, as he steps in to save the day. (Or to save Aubrey from her mama's wrath!!) Patience...not something I want. In the heat of the moment, I want to win. I want to prove who is stronger, who is the MOM!! Grrr. I know I need to pray more for her, (and for myself), rather then fight with her, but I really do struggle.
My Man (Wade)- He is just funny. We got a new tv...from the dump. Well, a guy was dropping it off at the dump when my crazy man intercepted it and upon asking him if the thing worked, talked him into dropping it off at our house instead. It is HUGE. It's a projection screen tv and is now in our playroom, which we have now dubbed the rec room. It is now too cool to be a kid's "play room". We got the tv inside and decided that the white room where our children have been playing for the last six years was not "fancy" enough to house such a monument. So we ran to the store and grabbed some paint. We now have a fancy new room in our home, encouraging us to get on the ball and get the rest of the house looking almost as fancy!! My friend is coming by this week to recommend colors!! Ha ha!!
My boy (Nathan)-What can I say about Nathan. He just is. He's as steady as can be. Always up, unless you tell him that he can't bring a toy somewhere that he thinks needs to go with him. (Today it was a mini video game to church!! I ruined his whole day by vetoing that one!!) We met with his teacher this week for parent/teacher conferences. He's a smart kid. He loves, loves, loves to read and has already told me that he can't wait for 2nd grade so he can have harder work!! Ha ha!! Crazy kid!! I wish I was able to keep up with him. My mind whirls sometimes with that boy.
Me -I am currently on day 14 of a 90 day challenge to read the Bible through in it's entirety. I'm in Deuteronomy right now. I am very glad to be done with Leviticus and Numbers, and now in Deuteronomy it's Moses' recap of the 40 years in the wilderness and then how to proceed in the future. It's interesting, but I can't wait until they get into the Promised Land!! I'm ready for some more excitement!! Ha ha!! This challenge has taken me about 45 minutes each day, but it is totally worth it. I really am loving it. Like I've said before...I love a good challenge. I need something to "finish". (I was gonna say conquer, but that would probably not be the correct terminology for finishing the Bible!!)
I'm also in my last week and a half of Beth Moore's "Jesus the One and Only" Bible Study. It's AMAZING! I love Jesus. I love everything about him. I have tears in my eyes right now just typing about it. He is so awesome and He loves us so much. He was such an awesome man. He loved people in a way that is beyond what I can imagine. I have thoroughly enjoyed this study, and have challenged and stirred up in so many ways. It is one that I want to do again, with a new group of ladies. I think it's priceless.
I am also feeling bad. Not only hormonal and grumpy, but I have had a cold for about two months. Actually, I think I'm on my 3rd cold in two months. I have coughed so much, that I now have a muscle that is super tight and it hurts to cough, sneeze, or even move in some ways. I'm going to have to go in tomorrow for a dr's appt. It's been a week and it's not getting better. This has effected my exercising, which I know adds to my over-all not feeling well, also, because I like to be able to exercise. It helps me be able to eat more food and it is that time of year, when a girl likes to eat!!
Well, that's it for now. Wade just called. He and the kids are heading to DQ with the group that just finished our nursing home ministry. (Yes, he saved his children from me this afternoon!!) I'm gonna get my house in some kind of order and get ready for relaxing in our new "rec room" with my family and a dvd!!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sun Stand Still
I just got this book by Steven Furtick. I'm only three chapters into it and already, I am EXCITED!! In so many ways, what this book is about is confirmation to what Wade and I are believing God for right now. We are truly stepping out into what he has called us to do. It is scary, it is different, it is intimidating, it is....well, you get the picture. God has called us to do things differently. We are setting our sights on Hayward and the surrounding area and claiming it for God. We want these people to know God. We want these people to know that God is real, that he is good, and that he loves them. We are believing that God will send people to us that have a passion, just like he's given us. A passion to see lives changed, to see our city changed, to see a movement of God that hasn't been seen yet in this generation. We are believing God...for this vision that he has given to us to come forth.
In the book, (so far) he is talking about Joshua, and the faith that Joshua had. What an audacious prayer to pray, that God would cause the sun to stand still. But God did it. He extended the day, and Joshua was able to fulfill what God had called him to do for that day. Wow!! He also talks about himself, his family, and the vision that God gave him when he was only 16, about starting a church in a large city. He started it when he was 24, and 4 years later he has 5000 members. WHAT?!! Seriously!
God is increasing our faith in amazing proportions. He is showing us that he is faithful and that he is truly our provider. He has shown us that the time is NOW. In fact, we strongly believe that if we don't start stepping now, we are in rebellion towards HIM. This isn't about us. This is about Him and the movement that He has started. But he's invited us to be a part of it. I count it an honor!!
In the book, (so far) he is talking about Joshua, and the faith that Joshua had. What an audacious prayer to pray, that God would cause the sun to stand still. But God did it. He extended the day, and Joshua was able to fulfill what God had called him to do for that day. Wow!! He also talks about himself, his family, and the vision that God gave him when he was only 16, about starting a church in a large city. He started it when he was 24, and 4 years later he has 5000 members. WHAT?!! Seriously!
God is increasing our faith in amazing proportions. He is showing us that he is faithful and that he is truly our provider. He has shown us that the time is NOW. In fact, we strongly believe that if we don't start stepping now, we are in rebellion towards HIM. This isn't about us. This is about Him and the movement that He has started. But he's invited us to be a part of it. I count it an honor!!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
All about ME!!
I've felt for a long time that I needed to start a blog. There's always something going on in my life, something that is on my heart, something that is bothering me, something that I've been challenged with. I read blogs that my friends write, or blogs of other ladies in ministry and I always think to myself that that is something that I need to do. So...here I am. With my own blog, to let you know the thoughts that I think!! Ha ha!!
For those of you who just stumbled on this blog, I will tell you a bit about myself. My name is Karlee. I have been married to the man of my dreams, Wade, for ten years. Wade is currently serving as the assistant and youth pastor at our church. He is an amazing husband. He makes me feel like the most beautiful and most well loved woman in the entire world. We have two crazy kids. Nathan, who is 7, and is always up for a laugh and has recently informed me that he likes to talk. This was said after he has persisted in talking after many requests for him to stop. He's having trouble with this at school and at home, so we are constantly reminding him to use the fruit of "self-control" that he has!! He is HILARIOUS. Aubrey is 4. She is my promise from God after two miscarriages. Aubrey is in her first year of pre-school. She is not as out-going as her gregarious brother, but once she warms up, she is not one to stop talking either!! She is so sweet and fun to be with. We laugh constantly, but she can turn on an attitude like nobody I have ever met. Often Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde come to mind when I think of my Aubrey. She is currently my child that I talk to God about the most!! Ha ha!! How to deal with her attitude is beyond me!!
But really, that whole last paragraph was not about me, but about my family. Now, I'll talk about myself!! I, Karlee, have been a born again Christian since I was small. I have been aware that God's will for my life included a strong call to ministry since I was in high school. In the last couple of years God has really began to move me out in that call. I have such a strong love for people, women and families, in particular. I desire to see people know God, really, really KNOW him. It is my desire to lead and to guide people to discover who they are in God. God loves us so much, not because we're good, but because he created us, we are called to be his children. I want everybody to realize that. I want to see families healed. I want to see people restored, so that they can serve God to their full capacity. I want to see people saved!! I want to see the person that nobody thinks will ever turn to God, turn to God. I want the people of God to realize that it all comes down to JESUS, and that without him we are nothing, but with Him, we are more than conquerors. That is my desire, and lately God has been opening up new doors of opportunity to Wade and I to really see what his next steps are for our lives.
My loves...I love Jesus. I love my family. I love my parents and my sister. I love my husband's family (He's got a good one!!). I love my friends. I love to read. I love to shop. I love to throw parties. I love to go to parties. I love to sing, (although nobody else really loves it when I sing). I love people. I love pizza. I love ice cream. I love warm homemade bread with butter. I love to be home by myself. I love coffee. I love summer. I love Christmas time. I love a good challenge, (both physically and spiritually)!! Those are just a few of my loves!! Ha ha!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)