Monthly Archives: June 2012

The Perfect Dancing Partner (Five Minute Friday)

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Sharita

Oh hey there, readers. Didn’t see you there. Welcome!

Thanks so much for stopping by on this lovely Friday. Pull up a chair. Grab your favorite Friday beverage. And maybe a snack.

It’s time for Five Minute Friday.

In short: Each Friday, I link up with Lisa-Jo , our favorite “Gypsy Mama.” She gives us a prompt. Then we write. Unscripted. Unedited. For Five. Minutes. Flat.

Simple. As. That. Five Minute Friday

Ready? Let’s do this.

Today’s prompt: DANCE

GO!

***

5, 6, 7, 8… One and two, three and four… Kick, spin, pop, BOOM!

I love to dance. (On that note– I haven’t been dancing in a while– Husband, are you reading this? AHEM. ) Anywho, I digress.

I love to dance. Now, just because I say I love to dance doesn’t mean I’m good at it. I’m not the most coordinated person on the planet. I’ve taken a few sorta dance lessons. (A brief few week stint in college in ballroom dancing til my partner flaked on me, then my hubby and I took salsa lessons for our wedding.) I was a cheerleader about a hundred years ago, so had some experience with choreographed dances.

But now… I’m dancing with Jesus. Everyday. Some days are slow and sweet, other days my dance with Him is a little crazy. Sometimes it’s beautiful, sometimes it’s straight up hilarious.

He doesn’t care what I wear, what kind of shoes I have on, or what I feel like. He invites us to dance with Him.

Christ is the perfect dancing partner. He never steps on your toes. He never lets you down. And yes, He insists you let Him lead. (I am still working on that one. Sorry, God. I’m a slow learner.)

You don’t have to sit in that sad little row of chairs on the sideline, staring at the floor. Because Jesus as already asked that sweet question:

“My beloved… May I have this dance?”

All you have to do is take His hand… get up… AND DANCE.

STOP

***

Alas, that concludes another Friday finger sprint. What did you think? I’d love your feedback. Leave a comment below. (And yes, I reply to every comment.)

May your weekend be filled with smiles, sunshine, sugar and spice and everything nice… Oh, and some sweet Jesus dancing.

Crank up the tunes and let’s get groovin!

To the Glory of God Alone,
SGK

“Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet!” ~Psalm 89 :15-16 (MSG) 

Categories: Five Minute Friday | Tags: , , , | 21 Comments

Spinning INto Control

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Sharita

I’ve been to my fair share of retreats and camps.

Back in my younger days, my retreat/camping experiences revolved around organizations like FFA (National Blue and Corn Gold, baby!) Alpha of Clovia Scholarship house, Blue Key and Agricultural Ambassadors. But it didn’t matter what organization I went “retreating” with, “recreation” was always on the schedule.

Recreation could mean a variety of things. Of course, it wasn’t a legit campout unless there was a bonfire big enough to make  Smokey the Bear instigate a new public service announcement.  Other “recreation” included the classic hide-n-seek in the dark, singing songs around the aforementioned scorch-your-eyebrows-off campfire, and telling “scary” (code for ridiculously predictable) stories.

At one retreat, I was introduced to a new game. Here’s how we played. After dark on a clear night, we would go out to a grassy, open area. Everyone would get in a big circle, then one person would be it. They would go to the center of the circle, pick a star directly above them, point at it with their finger and focus on it as they spun in a circle. Once they spun a certain number of times or for a certain length of time, they would take their focus back to their earthly surroundings and immediately try to walk back to their spot in the circle.

Goal: Don’t fall down.

Few every achieved the goal of making it back to their spot without taking a tumble. Those of us watching in the circle got a great laugh watching how hard they fell or when someone got a mouthful of grass.

Don’t judge us. We were in college. In Kansas. And desperate for entertainment.

#38 - Starry Sky

Source: Cliff_R (Flickr)

This game is a lot like our relationship with God. We start out strong, focusing our eyes upward towards heaven. We have a great time as we move and spin in our daily lives. Then suddenly, we get distracted. Someone or something takes our focus off   God and we look away. Once we shift our focus back to our earthy surroundings… Yep, we spin out of control, face plant and get a mouthful of grass.

We have a choice. We are all “playing” this game. When it’s our turn to be “it,” will we keep our eyes focused upwards at all time? Or will we repeatedly turn our focus to earthly things, causing us to fall?

Here’s the best news of all: When we DO get distracted (since we are on this side of heaven, it WILL happen on occasion) God picks us up and puts us back on our feet. He doesn’t laugh when we spin out of control. He gently calls us back to Him, inviting us to get back in the game.

What things in life distract you from focusing your life toward our Heavenly Father? How do you recover when you fall? What steps can you take to reduce the “mouthful of grass” incidents that occur in your life? I always L-O-V-E hearing from you. Leave a comment below.

The sun is going down, folks. The stars are coming out and the game is about to start. Let’s focus on our One Star and allow Him to help us spin INto His Control.

A little dizzy but still upright,
SGK

“We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts.” ~2 Peter 1:19-20

Categories: focus, God | Tags: , , , , , , | 18 Comments

The Race of a Lifetime

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Sharita

It’s early in the morning. People are gathering. Some are chatting with friends, others nervously fidgeting as they hang by themselves. Someone makes the announcement.

“Please move to the starting line.” 

Running a race is… intense. Some “professional” runners are in to win that trophy or a sweet medal. Others, like myself, simply want to run and not die. Or break our face.

I haven’t been a “runner” all my life. (Side note: the fact that I refer to myself as a runner is a HUGE breakthrough.)  I used to DREAD the “Presidential Physical Fitness Testing” in middle school and freshman year of high school. Especially the mile run. Whenever that time of year would roll around, I would head to gym class with a pit of nerves and fear in my stomach.

“Please Lord. Don’t let today be the day we run the mile. PLEASE.” 

I was embarrassed. I always finished last. I hated it. I wanted to cry.

But last Saturday, I finished my 3rd  official 5k race. Yeah, I ran 3.1 miles. ON PURPOSE. This fact alone still blows my mind. It was a great race in Americus, GA to benefit the Kisses From Katie cause.  I had been training hard and managed to shave 3 minutes and 4 seconds off my best ever race time.

Now before you think I am just writing this to write this, please know: This was the first time I ran for God. Him alone. Sure, I have been training hard, but I wasn’t running for me anymore. I prayed every day for the Lord to give me the strength and motivation to do this. Because if all thing are possible with God, then Him making me a runner ranks right up there with turning water into wine.

And guess what? I no longer hate running. I almost call myself a runner. That’s a miracle in itself.

On race day, I got up early for my quiet time. I was hoping for a fresh and inspiring word from the Lord as kind of a “race day motto,” so I flipped over to my concordance and looked under the word run. This is what it said:

“You’ve been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.” ~1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (MSG)

I was blown away. Wow. That’s just cool.

We are all running the race of a lifetime. But God is going to be the one who decides who “wins.” If we run for Him, we can win that eternal gold medal as we cross that heavenly finish line, weary and sweaty with a smile in our heart.

So I didn’t run a 5K. I was just running after Jesus. The mileage just happened to equal 3.1 miles. I prayed on the way to the race. I prayed before the start, as I nervously fidgeted (aka pretended to stretch.) I prayed with each step. I prayed when I saw yet another freaking hill in my path.

When I finished, I was completely spent. (The paramedics who were in attendance gave me a “look” that said “If someone goes down, it might be this gal.” But I didn’t. Thankfully.) Even in my exhaustion, my mind was still on Jesus, thinking about that award that never tarnishes. As I thought about this, they announced my name and handed me this:

Yes, 2nd place for my age division. Granted, it was a pretty small race, but I didn’t take this as an award from the race organizer. I took it as encouragement from Our Father. To me this red ribbon represented much more than finally not coming in last place. It was a message from God.  “You are doing great, my sweet daughter. You aren’t there yet, but keep running.  Stay faithful and your reward shall be great.”

 You don’t have to a literal runner to enter the race for God. We can “run” together. He is waiting at the finish line, cheering us on. How do you run with God daily? How does He cheer you on? Let me hear it by leaving a comment below!

The stopwatch is poised. Grab your iPod. Lace up your shoes. We are in the race of a lifetime.

Keeping Pace with Christ,
SGK

“I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.” ~1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (MSG) 

Categories: encouragement, God | Tags: , , , , | 27 Comments

Think “Fast” (7 Experiment, Week 3)

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Sharita

7…6…5…4…3…2…1…

The countdown is on, folks! We are ¾ of the way through our 7 Foods for 30 days fasting. We are really stoked that God is working so powerfully in our lives.

And very stoked that caffeine and ketchup are soon to be back on our menu.

Set the microwave timer, folks. We are almost done!

If you are just joining us on this journey, I might recommend you take a TV time out. (or a blog time out?) to check out our previous posts about this over the last month to catch up.

Think Fast
Think Fast (Week 1 Update)
Think Fast (Week 2 Update)

Here’s a few new thoughts as to how this process is unraveling:

~We are intentionally setting aside specific blocks of time to just shut everything off and sit reading the word. Obviously this is easier for me to do than Brandon, since I have much more control over my schedule. However, we block out at least an hour on Sunday afternoon/evening to just sit, plus other periodic times in the week. It’s great.

~I am still blown away with how easy and quick grocery shopping is. Seriously. Sure, I have to go a couple of times a week since we tend to run out of a these random foods at different times (plus avocados and fresh spinach don’t last forever) but shopping now takes 15 minutes MAX compared to at least an hour or more per week.

~It’s really hard to make a deluxe apple chicken spinach salad of epicness when you are nearly out of fresh spinach. (See point above.)

~Babysitting is difficult. (No, not babysitting my husband—I mean other people’s kids.) I babysat twice last week to help some folks out, which is fine, but seeing all the tasty foods they are chowing down on make for a challenging experience. (Specifically: Popcorn at the movies, grapes and mac’n’cheese.)

~I’ve finished my 3rd batch of sweet potato soup. It’s still a great go-to food when I have no other “brilliant” ideas.

~Kudos to my sweet husband for sticking with this—He was in the field pretty much all last week, which means he can’t just run home to grab some food (and I can’t bring him anything.) He has been able to survive on MREs (Meals ready to eat) of just a beef patty/bread, as well as apples, peanut butter and bread he brought from home.

~I am currently on a French toast with applesauce as topping kick. I’ve eaten it for several breakfasts in a row and even ate it for supper last week.

~Have I mentioned that God rocks? I really enjoy the simplifying part of this project. I am getting much more done and spending more time with Him.

~We still miss caffeine, cheese and ketchup. But hanging strong. Almost there, America!

Oh, and in case you missed the memo from the last couple of weeks—we are doing a giveaway. Leave a comment below your guess as to how many eggs we will consume in this 30 day time frame to win a gift card to your favorite breakfast restaurant.

If you have already guessed before, you can enter again with a new guess.  You only have 7 days left to enter—I will be announcing the winner on next Tuesday’s wrap up blog post.

One more thing: Many of you have commented/texted/emailed/facebooked us to say that you are praying for us throughout this journey. We appreciate it. We feel them working (and it has helped us to stay strong and not give in to the temptations of mac’n’cheese, sushi or beer (Brandon)/Frozen yogurt (Me.)

The end is in sight… Come back next week to see how this month turns out. I will announce the gift card winner as well as share any profound developments God has placed on our heart.

Until then… Can someone pass the spinach?

Simplifying our Snacks,
SGK

“The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.” ~2 Corinthians 5:5 (MSG)

Categories: food, God | Tags: , , , , , | 16 Comments

Jesus Likes to Party Too.

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Sharita

Balloons…Games…Cake…Hats…Loud noises…music… laughter…chaos…sugar…presents…toys…pictures.

Kid birthday parties rock.

When I was little, birthday parties were practically the highlight of my life. (It ranked right up there with our annual trip to the Missouri State Fair and calving season.) It didn’t even have to be MY birthday party… just the prospect of socializing, games and CAKE were enough to make us talk about upcoming party for weeks.

Being an adult, it is kind of hard to find that unbridled joy and anticipation that rivaled a birthday party of my youth. Now, we have to be all responsible and adult-like… Birthday parties can be more of a burden than a joy, and if we eat too much birthday cake, we spend the next two weeks in the gym trying to work it back off. (How a 6 oz piece of cake can make us gain two pounds defies all laws of science.)

But I still have a chance to party everyday. And so do you. Because Jesus likes to party, too.

Granted, Jesus’ way of partying doesn’t involve much Pin the Tail on the Donkey (I don’t think the live donkeys of ancient Israel would have appreciated that much) and birthday cake wasn’t a priority. (Although Jesus did turn water into wine once. And that’s better than sugary cake icing.)

We can party every day with Jesus, rejoicing in the good and wonderful gifts that He gives us. They come in so many different packages, all shapes and sizes. There is no specific location for our daily Jesus party– it can be in the car, in the living room or before you rise out of bed in the morning.

Think about the incredible promises that He has given to us. Unending love. Eternal life in heaven with Him. A daily invitation to experience Him.

Those things are better than ANY gift I ever received at one of my birthday parties in my youth.

God loves when we celebrate Him. Each time we say a prayer, open our Bible, or share the love of God with another, He rejoices with us. He shows up to the party every time– but we have to remember to send Him the invite.

Jesus isn’t like birthday cake. He isn’t only for special occasions. He is the bread. We can partake daily.

And make quite a party out of it.

How do you celebrate Jesus? When have you rejoiced in Him lately? Do you treat Him like cake or bread? I would love to hear from you– comment below!

We don’t have to wait weeks looking forward to the party with Jesus. We can party daily, complete with balloons, games, shouts of joy, gifts and all. Invite Him to your life. Make it a party. Because Jesus likes to party too.

Partying like a Jesus Rockstar Daily,
SGK

“So I answered, “I’m coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me, And I’m coming to the party you’re throwing for me.” That’s when God’s Word entered my life, became part of my very being.” ~Psalm 40:7-8 (MSG)

Categories: celebrate, God | Tags: , , , | 10 Comments

Bungee Jumping with Jesus (Five Minute Friday: Risk)

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Sharita

It’s Friday… AGAIN?!!?

Not that I’m complainin’ of course. Yay for the weekend!Five Minute Friday

Friday is such a fun time here at 7 Days Time. Each week I link up with Lisa-Jo for Five Minute Friday. She gives us a prompt. Then we write. For five minutes flat.  Without overthinking or drafting or editing. Just letting the words flow and see what God has to say.

It’s challenging. It’s fun. It’s (usually) enlightening.

And it encourages me personally not to strive for perfection– but instead, simple and immediate obedience.

Today’s Prompt: RISK

GO!

****

My heart is pounding out of my chest. Beads of sweat are on my forehead. My stomach flops. I peer downward. “Dear Lord… I. do. not. want. to. do. this.” 

I jump. The fear evaporates into a rush of adrenaline. I yell “THIS IS AWESOMEEEEEEE, GODDDDDDD!! Thaaannnkkkk youuuuuu!!”

Now, you will never catch me bungee jumping in real life. I have a thing about heights. And issues with jumping off of really tall things with only a rubber band around my ankles to save me. But I AM currently bungee jumping with Jesus.

Before I launched this ministry, I was nervous. Heck, I still am. Sometimes, when I forget that I am jump WITH Jesus and start thinking I am taking this risk alone, I begin to get nervous again, like the description at the beginning. Satan sees it as an opportunity to whisper half truth-lies into my heart. Back off, jerkface. 

But then I remember– Oh yeah. God has called me to take this risk, put myself out there, love on/attempt to inspire complete strangers online/in person with His word. He is faithful. He will do it. I just have to show up and strap on the harness.

What risk is God asking you to take right now? Do it. Take heart and know that when you bungee jump with Jesus, He’s much stronger than just a rubber band around your ankles.

Because He has already offered to save your life. Follow after Him. And jump. Because that’s a risk worth taking.

STOP!

****

Five Minute Friday cracks me up. I never know where the words are gonna take us. That wraps up yet another week of adventures here at 7 Days Time. What did you think of today’s post? Reading and responding to your comments brings me so much joy, just so you know :-) So if you feel led… Leave a comment below!

Taking the Leap with Christ,
SGK

‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb…” ~Matthew 25:28-29 MSG

Categories: Five Minute Friday | Tags: , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Cool story, Bro.

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Sharita

Our first dance started out all sweet and romantical… Then we busted out the salsa. With maracas. Seriously. I guess you had to be there.

“DUDE! It was awesome! There was like this guy and these three girls, and they sang some stuff, and then the stage lit up and sparks showered from the ceiling.”

Ever tried to share an incredible story or experience with someone and you are met with a dumbfounded look of incomprehension? When that happens in our household, my husband often says “Huh. Cool story, bro.” (Even though I’m not his bro. I’m his wife. But that’s besides the point.)

Or ever tell a story and realize halfway through that the other person just doesn’t get it? We usually end the description of our incredible experience with a comment like “And then I found five dollars” or ”I guess you had to be there.”

Well, sometimes you do have to be there. Some things in life are meant to be experienced.

Like bungee jumping. (Not for this girl, though.) Or a really great frozen yogurt flavor. (That’s more my style.) Or listening to a great speaker at a conference. Or maybe… God.

Experiencing God is much different from acknowledging that He exists.

“But Sharita,” you think in protest. “I don’t have time/energy/cash/ability to go to the top of a beautiful mountain peak or lay in a field watching clouds to experience God.”

Au contraire, my friend. (French lesson of the day: That means “on the contrary.” Just in case you were reading this blog for simply informational purposes.)  God can be experienced everyday, right where you are, in more ways than you can imagine!

Think about your five senses. We are made to feel. Hear. Smell. Taste. See.  When we experience the small sweet things in life that move our heart, it’s probably one of those little “Experiencing God” gift moments.

We can experience God…

When we smell that pot of coffee brewing on an early morning.

When we feel the protective, loving hug from a friend as we cry.

When we taste the explosion of flavors from a new recipe.

When we hear the mourning dove welcoming in another day.

When we see a baby take her first steps across the living room floor.

God is everywhere. He is meant to be experienced. But the key is we have to be aware of His presence. We have to be on the lookout for Him.

When/where/how do you experience God? How does God show up through your five senses? I have my list of God’s gifts and experiences that make my heart sing His praises. What are some items on your list? Please share your joy by leaving a comment below!

When we experience God fully in our lives in every moment of our day, it can become contagious. Pretty soon others catch our joy and instead of us just telling about it, they too can experience it. Then and only then, when we are sharing our incredible experiencing God moments with them, they can say “Cool story, bro…” And actually mean it.

Living in experience not just existence,
SGK

“I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God’s straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.” ~2 Peter 1:1-2 (MSG) 

Categories: excited, glory, God | Tags: , , , , , | 16 Comments

Stay In Step

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Sharita

“TTWWWWWEEEEEETTTTT!!”

Click, click, click, click… ”One, two, three, four…”

Oh, the glory days of marching band. Now, before you start the cracks about being a band nerd, know that my high school was kinda tiny. Tiny like I graduated with 18 people in my class. And had about 80 people in our entire high school.

Which meant you were either in the band… Or you weren’t. (And seriously– who really wanted to go to an extra study hall? Pshaw.)

So yes, I was in the band. Played the flute actually. From 5th grade to senior graduation. I wasn’t a stellar player. I mean, I showed up for band every day for 7 years, so I could play– just not awesomely. Oh, and I am really uncoordinated. Which is why MARCHING and playing the flute at the same time really caused some issues. (I tried to be a front line pom-pom girl or in the flag corp for most of my marching band career.)

Our tiny little marching band would hit up various local parades ever couple weeks from about September to the final Christmas parade in December.

We were a small group. Our band director Mrs. Buckle was incredible. And brave. She dealt with teenagers. With instruments. Which is probably why she yelled a lot. She had to contend with the trumpets and the bass drum. And those instruments tend to get a little noisy.

Plus, it turns out I wasn’t the only uncoordinated one in the group. Teenage boys and girls playing instruments, following music and trying to stay in step? Yeah, sometimes it wasn’t pretty. (Which is why we never had white shoes with our band uniform. Always black. Harder to notice when someone is blatantly out of step.)

Not a picture of our marching band. Our uniforms weren’t QUITE that nice.

I as I think about those fun memories, and Mrs. Buckle’s voice still resonates in my head:

“LEFT, LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT!!!”

“HEY TRUMPETS, GET IN LINE!”

“STAY. IN. STEP!”

Fun times. But seriously. As I thought about my experience with marching band and the importance of staying in step, I couldn’t help but think about how important it is for us to stay in step today… With God.

We have to trust Him, knowing that He is walking beside of us. If we stop to look at our feet, we will lose our rhythm and mess up the whole formation He has lined up for us. We have to let Him set the pace, not falling behind Him or  trying to gallop out in front. <<That would be me.)

Are you letting God direct your life like the a drum major or band director? Or are you trying to do your own thing? What does it feel like when you are out of step? In step? What steps can you take to make sure you stay in step with Him marching beside you? I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave your comment below!

We are all marching in this life. It doesn’t matter if you are lugging a tuba, a piccolo, snare drum or are a member of the flag corp. We all have to march. So the question is: Who is directing your band? Follow Him closely and you will always stay in step.

Marching to the beat of a heavenly drum,
SGK

“The very steps we take come from God; otherwise how would we know where we’re going?” ~Proverbs 20:24 MSG

Categories: challenge, God, obedience, path | Tags: , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Think “Fast” (7 Experiment, Week 2 Update)

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Sharita

Half. Way. DONE.

That’s right, peeps– my darling husband and I are halfway through our 7 foods for 30 days fast. (Click here to get caught up to speed on this crazy journey. Oh, and here is last week’s update. )

For fifteen days, I have consumed nothing but eggs, chicken, bread, sweet potatoes, apples, avocado, spinach and water.

Can I have a Diet Dr. Pepper yet? Just kidding. We are still holding strong. Ish.

It has been challenging. And intense. And rewarding.  We have had a few revelations since last week:

~My current go-to meal: deluxe spinach salad, that includes chicken, apples, hard boiled egg, salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of olive oil. Oh. And sweet potato chicken soup. I just finished my second batch of it last night and will be making another batch momentarily.  My husbands current go to meal? Anything that involves meat. Like chicken. Or beef (yes, beef made his list.) And tater tots. (I fought this point, saying he needed to eat “real” potatoes, but finally let him have this one… mainly because I was running out of ways to cook his potatoes.)

~I am developing quite the taste for pepper. I never used to use it hardly at all, but when it is one of your two choices for seasonings, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

~We. Miss. Cheese. The end.

Our latest invention: My hubby’s deluxe frittata, complete with eggs, steak, and potatoes. His thoughts? “It’s good, wife… But would be better with cheese.” Sigh. Isn’t everything, sweetheart?

~Traveling and fasting is HARD, especially with these dietary restrictions. I *almost* cried last week during our time at Chili’s when I was faced with another chicken avocado sandwich. But God turned it into a HUGE blessing through our latest Factor of 7. 

~Huge kudos to my hubby for sticking to his fast even after he hadn’t eaten for more than 18 hours last week after he got out of eye surgery. I had brought a partial loaf of french bread with me to snack on, so he chose to eat it, the provided peanut butter and apple juice post surgery. I was impressed, not gonna lie.

~Have I mentioned that we miss cheese? ;-)

~My time with God has been rich, rich, RICH. I am obsessed with my new Bible.

~It’s been challenging not to get distracted on thinking about how positive this is for our physical bodies and our budget. While those are definitely great, that’s not the point. The purpose of this month is for God to cultivate grateful hearts in us for all of our incredible blessings and to seek His will for our lives, not focus on the numbers on the scale or how our checking account is faring.

~We haven’t cheated. At all. Which kind of blows my mind. It’s been super tempting to say “I quit” or “Screw it, bring me the frozen yogurt/Dr. Pepper/somethingcoveredincheese/justonebiteofchocolate” but we have held strong. Thanks, Jesus.

~We are still eating a lot of eggs. (I am so glad it is a semi-cheap food! And so diverse. Reminds me of those old commercials “the incredible, edible egg.”)

Oh, on that note and in case you missed the memo– we are doing a contest to guess how many eggs my hubby and I consume in a month. To enter, just leave a comment with your guess. (If you posted last week, you can enter again with a different number by leaving your feedback and a comment below!)

The prize? A gift card to your favorite breakfast restaurant (Winner will determine what restaurant the card is for- perhaps Ihop, Waffle House, Starbucks, Cracker Barrel, Huddle House etc.) That way you can go get yourself a big ol’ plate of eggs for breakfast.

Or a heaping, steaming stack of fresh chocolate chip pancakes smothered and covered in syrup, strawberries and maple syrup with a side of bacon, fresh fruit and a Diet Dr. Pepper. (Typing that was a bad idea. I should go eat an apple. Sigh.) Again, leave your comment below of your “egg guess” to win your breakfast gift card of choice!

So that’s where we are– God is moving and we are continuing to seek Him with our heart, soul, mind and strength. (And stomach. Let’s not forget stomach.)

Now if you will excuse me… I am going to go pretend that my apple is a stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

Hungry for More Jesus,
SGK

 ”Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder.” ~Proverbs 16:26 (MSG) 

My breakfast frittata– eggs, chicken, spinach and sweet potatoes. (And for a dash of feisty, spread some smashed avocado on the top.) But yes, it would be better with cheese

Categories: attitude, blessing, food, God | Tags: , , , , , | 27 Comments

Making a Splash

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Sharita

It’s that time of year. Folks everywhere are donning their swimsuits to hit the pool, head to the beach, fire up the sprinkler in the front yard, or for those exceptionally adventurous– spend the day at the water park.

For me, the water rides at theme parks are some of my favorite for two reasons: 1) They usually aren’t too intense and 2) It is sooo refreshing when you have been walking for miles, standing in line and sweating all day.

Even if you have never been on one of those nifty water park rides, you most likely seen them on T.V. They load a ton of people into a boat/raft thing, haul them to the top of the ride then SPLASH!!! Down they go, squealing, squawking and dripping wet.

Most of these rides have one of those viewing bridges for onlookers who don’t want actually get on the ride. But if they stand in just the right spot– they get more soaked than the person in the boat. (And some have the gall to look surprised… That always cracks me up.)

As I was daydreaming about some water park splashing fun, I thought about how the same is true for our faith. Those of us in the boat, we are the ones radically following Jesus (yes, even to a water park.) Those unsuspecting peeps on the bridge? They are the people in our lives, perhaps the “lukewarm” Christians or the non believers. As we go on our ride of faith, we create a splash– and those around us might get a little soggy.

But it’s a good thing. After they get “splashed” from the boat (or a soggy enthusiastic hug from a rider) they have experienced the overflow of Jesus’ love. Sure, some of those folks who got splashed might be a little bit surprised or uncomfortable– but soon, if we sprinkle them with love, compassion, mercy and kindness, they will become refreshed… And eventually want to join us in the boat ride too.

Preparing to go on Splash Water Falls at Six Flags. Notice that some of us are less than excited.

Think to yourself for just one moment: Is there anyone around you that could you a little splash? Are they standing on the bridge trying to stay dry? How can you douse them with a little bit of love as they get their feet wet for Jesus? Don’t be shy– leave your response in a comment below!

Making a splash for Christ doesn’t have to just be a summertime thing– we can do it year round. Challenge yourself today to sweetly drip a little bit of that love onto those around you in every area of your life. After all, if you are in the boat– you are bound to make a pretty big splash.

Splishing and Splashing for Christ,
SGK

“And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you.” ~1 Thessalonians 3:12 (MSG)

Categories: adventure, God | Tags: , , , , | 21 Comments

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