Monthly Archives: December 2011

Army of God: “Wilco”

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Sharita

For any of my new readers, I need to bring something to your attention that is vital not only for this post specifically, but for this week and my entire blogging library.

I am a nerd.

Many of you are probably nodding your heads thinking “Uh, duh Sharita.” I personally like to think of myself of somewhat of a sophisticated nerd, but I really do get quite a thrill out of lists, journals, weird numbers concepts/facts. And, as you may have noticed, I love learning new words. Hence the weeklong discussion we have had about Army of God vocab.

(Random vocabulary note: Did you know that splendiferous and fantastical are both real words? As in, they are found in the dictionary AND Microsoft word doesn’t do that squiggly red “you-spelled-this-wrong underline?)

See. Told you I was something of a geek.

Back to the topic at hand: it is the culmination of our weeklong study of Army of God words. Today’s word is an abbreviation:

“Wilco: The abbreviated version of will comply, often used in quick conversations or text messaging.”

Easy right? Will comply. Like will do. Roger. Loud and clear. I get it. Gonna make it happen.

How often do we respond to God with wilco? I know as for me, I sometimes pretend like I didn’t hear what He told me, instead of being immediately obedient to him and surrendering to make it happen.

Iron Mike @ Fort Benning, Georgia.

“I am the Infantry, Follow Me!”

Shouldn’t we do the same if not more for Jesus?

(Photo taken by John D. Helms) 

As I was thinking about this week’s lesson via this particular blog topic, I couldn’t help but think of the main themes: Voluntold and America dealt with obedience, Stuff with Things and Frago focused on trust. Today, when it comes to Wilco, it’s about submitting to the awesomeness of God and agreeing to comply with whatever he has called us to.

This thought continued my thinking process. (I know, scary.) Obedience, Trust, Surrender. Huh. I wonder if there is an army acronym for OTS? Knowing our beloved military, I was confident that at least one existed…

When I looked it up online, I was right. At least one did exist. I actually found about 237 acronyms that OTS could stand for on one website. (237? Really military? Really?)

But the coolest part? Out of that entire list, a quick scan had my eyes land on OTS that meant “One-Time Source.” Coincidence? I think not. God IS our one time source. All we need, we get from HIM. Wow.

Voluntold, America, Stuff with Things, Frago, and Wilco.

Obedience, Trust. Surrender.

OTS.

One. Time. Source.

So this week, as those new vocab words swirl in your brain, I leave you with this newly invented Army of God prayer.

“Dear Heavenly Commander: I pray that I can be obedient to all of the stuff with things you have voluntold and called me to. Help me to trust you when my plans become frago. When I want to run, instead let me embrace you, rejoice and yell America! God, please change my heart so that my first instinct every day is surrender to you, take up my cross and follow you. When things get tough, allow me to press forward, clinging to your love and softly whispering “Wilco, sir.” Father I salute you for the love you have given me when I least deserve it.  Lord, you ARE my OTS, my one time source. Then. Now. Forever. In your precious name, AMEN.”

I’m in the Lord’s Army,
SGK

“Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered, and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…” Hebrews 5:8-9

Categories: God, obedience, surrender, trust | Leave a comment

Army of God: "Frago"

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Sharita

“Yeah that sounds great… Do you still want to meet at the mall? <ssrrrrtttpppp> Wait are you there? <psssrrrrrrrrkkkkktttt> Can you hear me? <ttttsssssssffffff> Hello? Hello? HELLO? <beep beep… call dropped.>

Sigh. Just typing that one-sided conversation above raises my blood pressure a bit. But we’ve all be there– we have plans, think we know what is going on, then beep, beep, call dropped. Were our plans staying the same or was our compadre on the other end about to share a new idea with us? OR someone calls very last minute and either cancels or completely changes the game plan. Frustrating, huh?

So today’s dropped cell phone conversation and change of plans is brought to you by the word “Frago.” It means “Fragmentation order” which essentially deals with a last minute change of plans (aka breaking original orders)  especially when carrying out an operation or previously determined path. (If you get nothing else from today’s post, you at least have a cool word to say… seriously, pronounce it outloud… FRAGO. Funny.

As a drill sergeant’s wife, we have a lot of “frago” in our house sometimes. In the army… and with God.

Frago follows right along with the other discussions we have been having this week about obedience and trust. Now we add change into the mix. If you would have asked me about my original plans five years ago, I can guarantee it wouldn’t have sounded like this:

“In five years, I will be married to a soldier and working in ministry. We will live in Georgia and have a puppy. Oh, and I will have gotten my masters and my husband will be an Iowa boy who currently serves as a drill sergeant and plans to make a career out of the military.”

Uh, yeah, no.

Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond thankful for the path God has put me on to get me here. As much as a joke about the military, I really do love our life. We are blessed. But honestly,  I feel like our lives are one big “Frago.”

Is your life a little frago too? I am going to guess the answer is probably yes. You had ideas of where you wanted to go and how you wanted to get there, then our Upstairs Commander put the whoa on that and took you in a completely different direction. Change of plans. See? Frago!

Maybe you are in the middle of a big Frago or your life (like mine) is a bunch of little fragos all jumbled together… you might be wondering what in the name of chocolate cake God is going to do with you. Maybe your communication with Him is a little fuzzy and you can’t quite make that “cell phone” connection clear.

Don’t fret, dear reader. Every change you experience in life is all part of “THE PLAN.” No, we don’t have the notes or the completely order of operations in front of us. But we do have an awesome God that we can trust with all our heart.

So don’t fear frago… feed off it!

Changed by God,

SGK

“He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”– Daniel 2:21

Categories: challenge, change, listen, obedience, trust | Leave a comment

Army Of God: "Stuff With Things"

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Sharita

I know, I know… when a person says they have a “favorite” something that usually indicates that they  have only one. HOWEVER… I am writing this blog, so I make the rules. And today is another one of my favorite vocabulary phrases used by the Army (specifically, my husband.)

Stuff with things: The abstract phrase used to describe a plan of action or agenda that is yet undetermined or completely unknown to any or all parties involved.

In civilian terms, “stuff with things” is a great way to say “We are going to do something that will take up time and may or may not be productive, but honestly, I have no idea what that is going to be.”

When I hear this come from my beloved it is usually in one of two ways: either he really has no idea what is going to happen that day (with the Army, that can happen at any given moment) or when he is attempting to recount his day and it happened to be exceptionally chaotic.

“What did you do today sweetheart?”

“Um, Sharita… I really don’t even know. We worked for 20 hours. I think we did stuff with things.”

<Note: This phrase can also be used in a sarcastic manner… as can most unofficial army terms. Didn’t know if you were catching onto that pattern with “voluntold,” “America” and now “Stuff with things.”>

As with most of the army terms I have been introduced to and really like, this one has also made it into my everyday vocabulary. (I actually said it while leading a task force meeting at church yesterday. Sigh. It’s ingrained.)

While voluntold and America primarily focus on being obedient to God, “Stuff with Things” also deals with obedience, but even more so with TRUST. God, being the all-knowing, all-loving guy that He is, very rarely (if ever) reveals the entire picture to us. He feeds us bits and pieces along the way. Our future might look very uncertain and we live our days being obedient to Him, doing “stuff with things” but not completely sure where we are going with it until He shows us.

That’s the key. He doesn’t call us to just be busy, rushing around and filling our time with stuff. However, when we enter into His presence and obey without seeing His bigger picture (which only He has access to) it can feel like we are running around, almost chaotically, doing “stuff with things.” But take heart. He wouldn’t ask you to do something without purpose. Listen for His voice so you can do HIS stuff for HIS things and HIS purpose. It’s all part of HIS plan. So trust that He’s got it under control.

Now if you will excuse me… I gotta go do some “stuff with things.”

Trusting Him and Living with Purpose,

SGK

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”– Psalm 31:14

Categories: army, hope, obedience, trust, vocabulary | Leave a comment

Army of God: "AMERICA!"

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Sharita

Today’s army word of the day should come as no surprise to those of you who know me…

AMERICA!!!

Yes, I am an army wife… But I started saying this before I became a wife… I think Brandon got me started on it early during our dating relationship. And here we are, almost three years (seriously?!?) later. I also started saying it before that movie “The Other Guys” with Will Ferrell came out (he says it after he guns the gas petal… it was grand.)

But wait… Before I get to far into this post, I would like to make an announcement…

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!! (AMERICA!) <sorry, I’m getting carried away in my excitement>

The winner of our Happy Dance Celebration “Glad-Sharita-finished-her-masters-and-survived-to-post-her-100th-blog-today” Giveaway contest is…

Mr. Ryan Wilkerson!! 

Congratulations Ryan… I will be in touch with you ASAP to arrange delivery of your super-awesome prize package of 3 books (Share Jesus without Fear, Winning with People and Wild at Heart) and two “buttons” for office/desk/home entertainment (Easy Button and Panic button.) Thanks to all who entered. God blessed me with a fantastic turn out, which just makes my heart swell with joy and holler AMERICA!!

Let me chillax for just a second so I can explain the whole thing with “America.”  (Breathe… in through the nose, out through the mouth.) Ahhhh… Ok, now I am focused. Ish.

The word “America” in this context doesn’t necessarily mean anything patriotic (although it certainly can.) Rather, it can be an expression of excitement, which you probably already picked up on earlier in this post. It can also be used somewhat in the form of a sarcastic question (but yet obedience), like when I get some slightly jumbled info from the Army.

“So we have to do what when? Ok… <sigh> America.”

Oh, and there is a diction piece of this I should address– I don’t annunciate the word fully. I don’t mean any disrespect, but usually I say the word with such fervor it comes out ‘Mericah! I know I am not the only person that uses this phrase, but it is certainly one of my favorites.

So what does this phrase have to do with God? Well, it’s a sign or expression of joy. It is exciting. Even in times of question, I use the word “America” as a form of agreement (obedience.) When God does something awesome in my life (aka, masters, 100th blog, awesome husband, upcoming holiday block leave) I have a flurry of thoughts going through my head, usually in the form of “Praise the Lord!” “That’s awesome!” “Mericah!”

This last week of doing the giveaway and really focusing more on my blog has blown me out of the water. (Or, in this case… off the map.) It is amazing to watch God accomplish His will and to rejoice– we are a part of that will!! Here’s an example of “America” coupled with joy and obedience.

Yesterday I had a huge to do list to try and hammer out. After my morning work out and breakfast, I had my quiet time with the Lord… Then proceeded to “officially” start my 1000 Gift List (inspired by Ann Voskamp)

While that sounds like it took a while (I wrote down 100 simple gifts that God had given me) I ROCKED through the rest of my day’s list. I gave my first fruits (time) to God, and He gave it right back in ways I couldn’t imagine. WHOO! AMERICA!

What moments has God planted in your life lately that have excited your heart so much that you can’t help but get a rush from it? We are celebrating together… God’s gifts… blessings… and love… with an awesome expression… Praise the Lord…

AMERICA!

With a Full and Joyful Heart,

SGK

“The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.” Job 39:23-25

Categories: army, excited, God, joy, Love | Leave a comment

Army of God: "Voluntold"

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Sharita

When one gets involved with the army, there is A LOT to learn.

It doesn’t matter if you are actually joining the ranks as enlisted or officer, OR you have been called to marry a beloved soldier… There is going to be a learning curve involved.

Early on in our marriage (ok, let’s be honest, it’s still pretty early… we are only 14 months in) I had to stop Brandon every other sentence and have him translate the gobbledygook that he was trying to communicate.  Even now, I have to put the words through a filter in my army wife head to understand them.

On a typical night, I hear something like this come from my beloved:

“Hey Sharita, the CO and the BC were talking today, and since we are done with ARM and getting ready to do FTX, I got voluntold to do CQ on 12 December.”

<insert wife brain scrambling sound here>

Translation:

“Hey Sharita, the commander and the battalion commander were talking today, and since we are done with advance rifle marksmanship and getting ready to do a field training exercise, I am working overnight charge of quarters duty on Monday, December 12.”

Um, ok. Roger?!?

This week, I am going to share with you some of my favorite “army” words/phrases… And since this is a Christian blog (not sure if you picked up on that yet ;-) and we are all fighting in the “Army of God,” I will of course be drawing some kind of parallel to how God lovingly directs our paths.

So are you ready? I hope you are standing at parade rest and anticipating todays “Word of the day.”

This word of the day is BY FAR my favorite word taught to me by the army. I use it in my civilian life… and it is awesome… Ready?

“Voluntold: the inadvertent nomination of an individual to comply with orders or plans through being commanded to do so… or else.”

A lot of the less then awesome duties that Brandon gets to do (and I get to deal with) in the army are typcially voluntold to him. This happens when someone says “Who wants to pull CQ tomorrow?” When everyone remains silent and avoids eye contact because they were hoping to sleep a full night and eat food other than from the DFAC (Dining facilities) and the answer comes from the same person who asked the question: “Knobby… you pull CQ.” And Brandon says OK (most of the time, because that is the kind of awesome soldier he is.)

God does the same thing– sometimes he asks a question or gives a subtle command that He of course already knows what will be the result. Maybe He says “Sharita, do you want to be called to ministry?” (Insert brief moment of blindness/eye contact avoidance here) “Thanks Sharita! Way to step up. You will do great. Now… get to work, girl.”

We all reserve the right to say NO to being voluntold… but it is going to cause a lot of issues, especially when we are being voluntold or called to do something by our Lord. We can say no… but then we have the whole issue of disobedience to deal with. While that sounds like a less than winning situation, let me assure you that living a life of obedience and embracing those calls of voluntold-ness is worth it. God knows what He is doing, and if he gave us choices all the time, we would probably be in a bigger mess than normal.

Have you been “voluntold” to do something lately as a soldier in the Army of God? Have you complied and followed through or tried to say no? Take heart and have faith… God is the ultimate commander– He isn’t interested in making you hurt or live in a pool of bureaucracy. He loves you… So when He has voluntold you to do something, let’s head into battle, together. Look up, smile and say YES SIR!

You won’t regret it.

Thankful to be Voluntold,

SGK

“Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.” Philemon 1:21

PS– The giveaway for the free “Leadership and Faith” package is still going on… BUT TODDAY IS THE LAST DAY! (Entries close at 8pm EST) You don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity. To enter comment or see my celebration post for more information!

Categories: army, God, life, obedience, vocabulary | 1 Comment

Christ in a Cow Pasture: The REST of the Story…

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Sharita

Seventeen days ago, I had the opportunity to lead my beloved Dad to Christ (In case you missed it, get the whole story here. It’s a pretty awesome recount of God’s love and power!)

So today, in the words of the late Paul Harvey… Here is the REST of the story.

First, a little background: since October of 2008, my Dad has been struggling with his health. Up until that point, he had been in ok physical condition, minus the extremely random heart attack at age 45 when I was a senior in high school (but again, that is another post.) Anyway, on Halloween night 2008, I got a call from my mom that they were taking my Dad to the ER for “nerve issues.” I can’t remember all of the symptoms, but we were concerned.

(Sidenote: never try to google the symptoms and come up with a diagnosis before the doctor does… you won’t sleep for a month. Yikes.)

Ever since that point, my Dad’s health has been all over the place… the nerve issues continued and it has been over three years and they have yet to determine a legit diagnosis. Not long after the nerve stuff showed up, his stomach/digestive system got all out of whack. Needless to say, for the last 3+ years, my dad has essentially felt like crap.

The doctors (from small town to KU med) have pretty much just passed him back and forth because when he goes, he shares ALL of his symptoms (which is what I thought you were supposed to do.) Unfortunately, the neurologists say “I don’t do stomach stuff” and the gastroenterologists say “I don’t do nerve stuff.” “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.” You get the point.  It’s been over three years of bouncing around with minimal answers and resolution. Until…

He found Jesus in a cow pasture, sitting in the cab of a yellow work truck. (Seriously… link up to the other story and this will make A LOT more sense.)

Dad and I prayed for Jesus to come into his heart that day in the cow pasture late morning/early afternoon. After that, we headed home for lunch, scarfed down some food and headed back to the cattle. As we were bouncing along in the pasture, suddenly I blurted out “I wonder if you have a gluten allergy.”

Now, before all you medically inclined people out there start teaching me about the differences between gluten allergy, gluten intolerance, celiac disease, just let me say… I need to know these things. Because I have had ZERO, zippo, nada experience with this and have NO IDEA where this thought came from.

I immediately got on my handy dandy Android and googled “symptoms of gluten intolerance.” Good thing I was sitting down in the truck with the door shut or I would have fallen over. People with gluten issues can have extremely random symptoms… Everything from headaches (check), attitude changes (check), stomach stuff (lots of checks,) and nerve issues (holy frickin’ check.)

My heart was POUNDING as I read the list of symptoms out loud to my Dad. Now, there is something to you need to know about my Daddy. I love him. Dearly. But he is a red head. He is very stubborn. And he is a straight up pessimist.

After the junk he had been through the last three years of feeling like EWW, he wasn’t very optimistic, but at that point willing to try anything, even if it meant giving up beer and “real bread”… which says a lot for that red-headed Missouri Mule.

We got home, I encouraged Dad to share what had happened to his heart that day. It took some coaxing… (Profess it with your mouth!) but he hugged Mom and sobbed out “I accepted Jesus into my heart.” It was beautiful. (Pause for Kleenex break.)

THEN, I shared with Mom the idea about the gluten allergy/intolerance whatever it could be. We read through the symptoms again and out of the 40 random ones listed, Dad had 18 of them. Hmmm…

Mom was also desperate for Dad to feel better and we noticed that the research said typically in adults (especially older adults) gluten issues often go undiagnosed. Interesting…

So, with a one day notice, we enacted “Operation-Gluten-Free-Thanksgiving-Please-Jesus-Let-This-Be-From-You!” (GFTPJLTBFY for short :-)

We had a gluten free Thanksgiving, thanks to the surprisingly large selection of gluten-free products at our local small-town Wal-mart. I even created a version of a food diary, complete with the pain ranking scale (the one you see at doctor’s offices with the smiley and sad faces.) I said we were going to do this experiment, recording Dad’s “pain” ranking throughout the day, along with what he ate (gluten free of course.)

Well, it has now been 17 days. I called Dad yesterday to wish him happy biological birthday (I think it is pretty sweet that he gets TWO birthdays within a 17-day time span.) And guess what? My pessimistic, seemingly hopeless Dad said… He felt better. “ALMOST good.”

That says A LOT!! I was so excited and am now celebrating for ANOTHER reason! He is not completely pain free (he has been a farmer for nearly half a century– I know he has back/nerve issues in general) but the stomach/digestion thing is GREATLY improved… and gluten free.

This isn’t a post to say “Yes, I am genius and thought up this gluten theory.” It’s a God thing. Dad, after struggling and clinging to control for 53 years, gave his life over and submitted to Jesus that day n the cow pasture. He gave up control.  His illness and health issues were part of his recovery testimony. God had the loving plan all along to put him through those health trials to bring my stubborn Daddy to his knees before the throne. Within HOURS of saying YES to Jesus, Christ gave us the answer to start the physical healing process. Can I get an AMEN??

From Christ in a Cow pasture to God and a gluten-free lifestyle… What an awesome way to tell the rest of the story.

The Testimony Continues,

SGK

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!” –Hebrews 12:9

PS– The giveaway for the free “Leadership and Faith” package is still going on… You don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity. To enter comment or see my celebration for more information!

PSS– If anyone out there has any stellar recommendations for living a gluten free lifestyle (specifically: recipes) please comment and let me know!

Categories: evangelism, health, hope, Salvation | 5 Comments

The Gloves are Coming off: FIGHT BACK!

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Sharita

“LADIES & GENTLEMEN…(gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen…)

WELCOME…(welcome, welcome, welcome…)

TO THE  FIGHT (Fight, fight, fight…)

OF THE CENTURY!!!!!”

I took a boxing class my senior year of college (my 5th year at KSU.) It wasn’t because I aspired to be in the ring, listening to the announcer’s echo of my mad skills as I faced my opponent. Nor did I plan to learn how to properly punch people who annoyed me. I took the boxing class because I was a 5th year senior and it was an excellent alternative to any “real” class I might have to take… like biochemistry. Yeah, no thanks.

My boxing class was a ton of fun– our teacher was terrifyingly awesome… She threatened us that if we used the skills from class to start any kind of fights outside of class, that we would flunk. She also said she WOULD find out because her husband was a cop. I don’t know if she could legally do that, but I sure as heck wasn’t going to find out.

You probably don’t have to take a boxing class to know the number one rule of the class: Fight clean. We have all heard the phrase about “hitting below the belt.” Yeah, that definitely wasn’t allowed. But isn’t it funny how when Satan fights with us, he doesn’t follow that rule. He will hit wherever he can, usually where it hurts the most. He fights DIRTY.

Let me explain.

I was having a conversation with a dear friend and mentor of mine a couple day ago. She was telling me about the weekend she had– it was literally a weekend from Hell. Satan was doing a number on her life. I chimed in with my own experience, and she reminded me that the more successful we become in glorifying God and sharing His message, the harder Satan is going to fight us.

Here’s the kicker– The Enemy isn’t going to attack us in our strongest spots. I would say that it is pretty unlikely that Satan is going to show up in my grill when I am elbow deep in ministry at church, surrounded by other spiritual leaders. I am strong there. Close to God. Rather, he is going to attack my soft spots, my weak spots, probably when I am not looking.

Last week, Satan decided to try and attack my relationship with my husband. But Brandon and I came together in the name of Christ and plowed through it, which brought us closer than ever. So this morning, when I was feeling good, emotionally and spiritually,  he tried a new tactic and The Enemy punched me in the gut when I was least expecting it.

So, I’m a woman. (Hopefully you were aware of that.) As a woman, I am conscious of my physical self– I try to work out and eat healthy and monitor my weight. I hadn’t stepped on the scale in several days (I do an accountability check about once a week– don’t worry, I’m not obsessed with the numbers) so decided this morning was a good time to check it out and make sure I wasn’t way off.

I stepped on the scale first thing this morning, looked down… and smiled. I thought “Ok, that works.” Not terrible. I will take it. I walk away, go to my bathroom, pull my hair into a pony tail. For some stupid reason (Satan?) I decide to go back in an weigh myself again, with a few less articles of clothing (I don’t want to get graphic here, but I don’t know many woman that like to get a “home weight” wearing a lot of clothes.)

I go back to the other room, step back on the scale literally 3 minutes later… and I am 4 pounds heavier.

I about flipped out. I stepped off… Stepped back on. The same number, 4 pounds more than the very first. Granted, I was not a physics superstar, but I am relatively certain that my pink elastic ponytail holder did not weigh four pounds.

I try a third time, and it says the same undesirable number AGAIN. Right when I am on the verge of grabbing that scale to chuck it out of the nearest second-story window while yelling words unsuitable for a Christian blog, I have this weird flash of a vision in my mind. I felt the devil on my back. I saw myself with the weight of Satan ON me, pulling, weighing me down.

I’m not sure if anyone knows what weight class Satan is in… but this morning in my bathroom, he weighed four pounds. I laughed at the realization and said, “Ok God… you fight this one for me.”

Here’s the best part: I went jean shopping today and fit into a size of jeans that I had never fit into during my adult life. AND when I got to the car, I saw a rainbow in the distance (which I take a sign from God… it’s in the Bible.) I gave my day to God. He fought the battle for me. And made me a winner. Satan=KO (knocked out.)

Remember that Satan doesn’t wait for the “perfect” or fair conditions to fight, with both of you in the ring, God on your side, hands wrapped, paying attention, warmed up, and gloves on. He doesn’t wait in his corner for the bell to ring… He comes after us, at any given moment. Fortunately, God has our back. So sure, we might end up with a black eye or the wind knocked out of us from a shot below the belt by The Enemy, but as long as we ask God to help us fight our battles, we will ALWAYS win.

Oh, one more thing. You know how at the end of the day people naturally weigh more than they did in the morning? Well, I stepped back on the scale tonight, after drinking over 80 oz of water today and eating 3 meals and 2 snacks… and I weighed LESS than my four pound up number this morning.

Take that Satan. The gloves are coming off. I’m fighting back.

Cross, jab, hook, uppercut,

SGK

“Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” –Psalm 35:1-3


PS– The giveaway for the free “Leadership and Faith” package is still going on…  You don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity. To enter comment or see my celebration post for more information! 

Categories: fight, God, power, Satan, weightloss | 6 Comments

Don’t just say it… LIVE IT!

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Sharita

I am terrible at saying “No.” Anybody out there with me on that one? (If you say “yes” because you can’t say no, then yes, you are in that group…)

Honestly, I have gotten a little bit better at saying no over the years, thanks to the spiritual growth I have experienced. When it comes to big life decisions, I at least usually stop for a breath before I blurt out the word “YES.” And since getting married and becoming an army wife, I think twice about agreeing to excessive commitments that might interfere with the minimal hubby time that could end up on the calendar…

But if there is one thing I am worse at than saying no, it is changing a yes to no. Those are some awkward moments when I have to de-commit myself to something. Fortunately, I don’t have to do that very often… but when I do… YIKES. (Insert awkward moment here.)

As a birthday present, my beloved boss Kelli gave me a copy of Ann Voskamp’s book “One Thousand Gifts.” I am trying to read it slowly so I can fully absorb the richness that is woven throughout the pages of this book. I always thought I was a person filled with gratitude… but lately, in my “YES” excitement, I started to wonder.

To learn more about this awesome book, check
out One Thousand Gifts.com.

I came across a quote last night in her book that REALLY struck me: “If I’m ruthlessly honest, I may have said yes to God, yes to Christianity but really I have lived the no.” Oh dang. This sounded familiar to me.

For the most part, I am an optimistic, upbeat and enthusiastic person (if you haven’t noticed the excessive exclamation points throughout my blog posts.) I have done a lot of things that some people might call crazy if they didn’t know my God (master’s degree, call to ministry, marrying into the military.) But the quote about saying yes but living the no really struck my heart.

Saying YES to God and living the YES are two different things. I can say YES to Him all day long at work, throughout my blog and personal ministry… but its those times when I’m struggling or am about to blow a gasket per army “logic” that I stop living the YES and transition to living more of a “maybe” or even a straight up no.

When I start to doubt/question or even start thinking I need to see to believe is the point of living the no. But here’s the thing– God doesn’t want me to live the NO. I don’t want to live the NO. But The Enemy does. Enter stage left the sin of ingratitude. Sigh.

Here’s the awesome part… by simply being aware of whether or not we are living the yes or no can help us to pray to live a life of YES.

Have you said yes to God? How about Christianity? If not, take a few moments to pray and invite Jesus into your heart.

If you have already said yes to God, let’s live a life of yes. With this constant answer YES, there is no awkward moments when you try to back. You can’t back out– Because God has our back.

So don’t just say it… Live it!

SGK

 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. –Colossians 3:16


Categories: Ann Voskamp, God, gratitude, Live | Leave a comment

Seeing… Or Believing… The Light

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Sharita

The temperature had dropped almost to the point where we could see our breath. The sun had set a couple of hours ago, so we bundled up and headed outside. We climbed aboard the bus, snuggled in and prepared to see something amazing.

We were on a girl date.

My lovely friend Sara graciously invited me to be her “date” last weekend to a Christmas party event hosted by her work company. Since her beloved was gone to Ranger school and mine was essentially nonexistent per Basic Training Red Phase Drill Sergeant duties, I was totally up for an adventure. After all, us army wives gotta stick together!

So I was Sara’s date to a “romantic” weekend getaway at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. Ok, so it really wasn’t THAT romantic, but it sure was fun. We determined that having a two-night girl slumber party was just what we needed to recharge our hearts and reconnect with God. Probably the highlight of the weekend (other than awesome God time) was the Fantasy of Lights tours we took through the gardens on an open air trolley. (Close second: when I crashed my mountain bike. I’m not coordinated. But that’s another blog post.)

Fantasy in Lights was awesome. (See first paragraph for set-up details.) Long story short, millions of Christmas lights (8 million to be exact) are arranged and displayed throughout 12 different scenes in  Callaway Gardens. All are timed to music and use 32 total miles of extension cords. Totally worth it.

But as usual, God didn’t just take us on a “date” to show us cool lights and eat good food. He was at work during our time at Callaway. Yes, he helped us to relax, rest and fellowship… but He also made me think. (Dangerous… maybe that’s why I crashed when riding the bike?) When we checked into the hotel on Friday night, there was a sign out front advertising the Fantasy in Lights tour. On the post it said “SEEING IS BELIEVING.”

Apparently, God was at the forefront of my mind and immediately thought “No it’s not!” Those words “Seeing is believing” made me think of faith… or rather, what faith is not. All throughout the Bible we hear of verses talking about living by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) or that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1.)

I continued to think about the concept of seeing is believing when related to faith for the rest of the evening and was led to re-study the story of dear ol’ doubting Thomas during my Bible study/quiet time the next morning.

 

“Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”


A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

-John 20:24-29

 

I would love to scoff and say that Thomas was simply an unfaithful epic fail of a disciple… but THAT would make me a hypocrite. Because I am my own version of Thomas. I am gonna take a guess that we all are to some degree. As humans, we are inclined to want to have tangible proof before we believe something… we desire to SEE it to BELIEVE it. But Jesus Himself said “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Are there areas in your spiritual life that you are trying to walk by sight and asking to “See it to believe it?” We can’t test the Lord… Sure we can ask for signs and guidance (that’s what He is there for!) But we also must believe that He WILL come through for us, “tangible proof” or not.

Today, let’s think about ways that we can certain of what we do not see. God’s promises are steadfast. We don’t have to see it to believe it… we just have to believe it then experience it. Take in it. Love it. Revel in it. Rejoice in it!  We don’t have to see the light to walk in it… we just have to believe it is there.

Believing is seeing with the heart,

SGK

 

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9

Categories: believe, faith, God, hope, light, trust | 2 Comments

Happy Dance Celebration

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Sharita

Cue the confetti! Crank up the dancing tunes! Get out the party hats! Release the balloons!

Uh huh, uh huh, uh-huh-uh-huh-UH-HUH!!

Why are we celebrating? A few reasons:

1. God loves me (and you) :-) We have a lot to be thankful for!

2. I FINISHED MY MASTERS DEGREE!!!! I hit the final “submit” button last Friday for my Masters of Arts in Christian Leadership… So excited, relieved and thankful that I no longer have to write research papers.  From start to finish, my masters degree took me 310 days. Yes, I was “booking” it (literally!) and the completion of this big life step is clearly an indication of God’s power working in my life. I’m celebrating whatever He has in store for me next!

3. Today is my 94th blog post… so I am rounding up and preparing for my 100th blog post, which according to my calculations will be next Tuesday. In honor of this upcoming milestone, I am doing a giveaway to YOU…

ALL. THIS. WEEK. The winner of the “Leadership by Faith” prize package (that’s what I am calling it) will be announced on the day of my 100th post (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)

The prize package will include:

  • Book: “Share Jesus without Fear” by William Fay
  • Book: “Winning with People” by John Maxwell
  • Book: Either “Wild at Heart” (for a guy )or “Captivating” (for a gal) by John and Stasi Eldredge
  • An “Easy” button (Staples)
  • A “Panic” Button (Hoops & Yo Yo) Note: both “buttons” are hilarious/fun… and productive-ish for home/office use.
Sound good? AWESOME! Now, you might be asking: “Um, Sharita, how can I enter this awesome celebration giveaway?” Pick one of the following ways:

1. Leave a comment on this blog or any of my daily blogs between today and next Monday.

2. Spread the word about his giveaway via Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. and let me know that you did that by leaving a comment so I can make sure you are included in our auto-generated number drawing.

3. Follow me on Twitter (@SharitaKnobloch) If you are already a faithful follower, leave a comment and let me know :-)

4. Follow this blog by either signing up for it via email, Google Reader, or Networked blogs. (You can do this all via the side bar.) And, as the pattern has shown… leave a comment to let me know you are a follower.

Folks, my heart is SO joyful right now!! God has brought me through some awesome (and challenging) life experiences… but through it all, He had (and still has) a plan for my life in ministry & leadership. I want to share that joy with you… This giveaway is not for my glory, nor is the request to share this blog/link to make my name “known…” Rather, it is an opportunity to share the gospel throughout the nations and for us to grow spiritually together as a family of Christ. The glory ALL goes to God. He called me to it… and is faith and continues to do it!

Excited to share my joy with you! 100th blog post & masters diploma, here we come.

Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go do a happy dance in my living room.

God rocks my socks,

SGK

 

“For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.” –Deuteronomy 16:15


Categories: accomplishment, celebrate, glory, goals, God, leadership, power | 18 Comments

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