gifts

A Giving Heart: Christ-mas, Christ-More

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Sharita

It’s 5:45 am… I throw back the covers and my eyes pop open. It’s go time.

I swing my feet over the side of the bed. Oh, that floor is cold! I creep out of bed, down the hall, and take a deep breath. The moment of truth…

There, in the gentle glow of Christmas lights are piles of presents. Santa showed up and he did not disappoint. I grab the nearest gift with my name on it and violently shake it. Nothing. Dang. It’s probably clothes. Socks. Maybe even underwear. Sigh.

Yes, I have grown up and matured over the lasts couple of decades. I still love receiving the gifts, but now I love the family time even more… Especially since I am married to a soldier. That’s a whole new level of not taking that time for granted!

God designed my heart to give. I love giving presents and showering people with love, sometimes in the form of “stuff.” Each year at Christmas, I would go all out thinking, marinating, pondering strategerizing, and planning what I deemed were “perfect gifts.”

Last year for Christmas, my beloved suggested that we do something different and forego the hoopla of dropping wads of cash and buying presents. He suggested we give something perhaps more thoughtful like donating our money to a good cause.

I flat out told him NO. Absolutely not. Negative. Nada. So we went with the “traditional” gift giving. It was great.

That was last year. Apparently God wanted to do a little bit of work on my heart… And I suggested we do Christmas differently this year.

So we did. And, it was also great, just like last year, only in a different way.  This week’s posts are all about giving… Not giving stuff, but rather giving a piece of our heart for Jesus. For the next several days, I will share with you the heart gifts that Brandon and I gave to our family.

The gifts weren’t much, but they were ones that will hopefully keep on giving… Just like that gift that God gave us when he sent His son to die on the cross.

Just because Christmas has passed for another year, doesn’t mean our Jesus heart of giving has to stop… Christ-mas is one day… But we can celebrate Christ-more all year long.

Never stop giving,
SGK

“But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7

Categories: Christmas, gifts, giving, joy | 1 Comment

Twas the Night Before Christmas: My Gift to you

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Sharita

Dear Readers,

This is my Christmas gift to you… A tiny reminder of WHY we celebrate this wonderful holiday. We are free to celebrate thanks to two different sources: Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, and our beloved American Soldier.

May you have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

SGK

*****

Twas the night before Christmas,

And all through the base,

Soldiers were last minute shopping,

Running all over the place.

It has been a crazy year,

Full of missions and drills,

But serving in the military,

Had made them very fulfilled.

The soldiers had learned,It has been a crazy year,

Full of missions and drills,

But serving in the military,

Had made them very fulfilled.

The soldiers had learned,

That military service involves giving,

Boots on the ground charging enemy lines,

Was one way to make a living.

Some of them were traveling,

Going home to see the family or friends,

Others were sitting in a desert,

Only thoughts of home to bring grins.

Their faithful wives and their kids,

At home in beds did they lay,

Whether together or separated by duty,

Prayers of love they did pray.

Christmas morning arrived,

The military family gathered by the tree,

But before opening presents,

They prayed for the reason they are free.

On a starry night long ago,

A baby in a manger did lay,

Sent as the son of God,

For our sins he would pay.

God sent us a piece,

A tiny portion of his heart,

In his Son Jesus Christ,

So from Him we wouldn’t part.

Our soldiers and our Lord,

Stand to sacrifice and give,

Willing to die for our freedom,

So a life of love we might live.

As we approach another Christmas,

Remember it’s not about the gifts or the food,

Nor the games, shopping or decor,

But rather a thankful attitude.

For only two have ever offered,

To die for you and me,

Jesus Christ and the American Soldier,

One saved our soul and both made us free.

Praise the Lord for both freedoms,

That we can live in His light,

Merry Christmas to all,

And to all… a good night.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

Categories: army, Christmas, freedom, gifts | Leave a comment

ThanksVember

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Sharita

It is the 8th day of November. You might have noticed the massive amount of folks on Facebook and Twitter taking time each day to remember what they are thankful for… Today, I roll my entire month of “ThankVember” into one post.

Honestly, I try to keep an attitude of gratitude a majority of the time. But we all need a reality check. As motivated and focused as we are, sometimes the crazy drivers, endless TO DO lists, kids/spouse/pets driving you bonkers, sore throats, etc really distract from all of the incredible things we have in our lives for which to be thankful. (I did a modified version of this about amazing gifts in our live a while back… Click Lifted By Being Gifted to check it out.)

Here’s my “month” list. It is a reverse countdown with the things I am most thankful for towards the “lower” numbers. Sort of… (a few are a little out of order, but you get the point) Keep in mind, these are all gifts given to me from God… He is so awesome!

30. I am thankful for the “sweet” things in life… Open to interpretation (think: chocolate, great foods, amazing friends etc… more specific to follow.)

29. I am thankful technology– of all kinds (medical equipment, phones, computer etc.)

28. I am thankful my health.

27. I am thankful for a marriage based on Christ (more on this… see #2)

26. I am thankful for the ability and heart to give.

25. I am thankful for smiles.

24. I am thankful for hugs.

23. I am thankful for an optimistic heart.

22. I am thankful for the ability to read and write.

21. I am thankful a full stomach, a warm/cool (depending on the season) house, dry clothes, shoes and a vehicle.

20. I am thankful for God giving me a courageous heart to face more and work harder for things that seem impossible.

19. I am thankful for a love of traveling and discovery.

18. I am thankful to get an education… from my high school diploma, to bachelors and (almost) my masters.

17. I am thankful for the members of our armed forces… especially my husband (See #2 below) God bless America! (Tune in Friday for a post honoring Veteran’s day!)

16. I am thankful to live int he United States of America… our freedoms are such a blessing!

15. I am thankful for God’s continual provision… He always provides and comes through… even when we don’t expect it!!

14. I am thankful  for growing up in an agricultural community– it gives me such a deep appreciation for those produce our food.

13. I am thankful for God calling me to blog daily… it has been a challenge, but the rewards and support from my loyal readers (like you!) have made this ministry remarkable.

12. I am thankful to work at such an awesome church with incredible Christian leaders. I learn something every day. (As I write this, we are at a three-day long overnight staff retreat… that’s dedication.)

11. I am thankful for my faith– without it, I would be so lost. But I am found and do have hope! Praise the Lord!

10. I am thankful for laughter. In general.

9. I am thankful that God has given me the ability to work out, strive to be in shape, enjoy it (most of the time) and find success!

8. I am thankful for my motivation. (Open to interpretation)

7. I am thankful for my personality that God has given that lends to coaching, pep-talking and ministering to others.

6. I am thankful for my call to ministry. It was completely unexpected, but has already been so rewarding, challenging and rejuvenating all at once.

5. I am thankful for our baby dog Sweet Justus– his demeanor and personality can bring a smile to my face anytime. Plus, who doesn’t love puppy cuddles?

4. I am thankful for my siblings and friends who always support me… no matter what hairbrained idea I have thought up. (Or they speak the truth in love and tell me to go ahead and rethink my crazy plans)

3. I am thankful for my parents who raised me to be a strong and independent woman.

2. I am thankful for God giving me a husband who is so patient with my moments of emotional roller-coasterness and that he is so dedicated to his job as a soldier, drill sergeant, infantryman and to myself and our marriage that is based on Christ.

1. I am thankful for a God who loves me SO MUCH He gave His son for me… No matter what I do, how bad I screw up, He is always there ready to pick me up and love on me. He never leaves me and His love NEVER runs out. He’s never disappointed in me.  So thankful for my salvation!

I challenge you just take a few moments today (or each day) this month to think about and thank God for the blessings in your life. I can guarantee that if you keep it up, you will experience an amazing transformation within your heart. And you never know… you might even carry over this tradition of Thanksgiving into other months of the year. Embrace an attitude of gratitude this “ThanksVember.”

With a Thankful Heart,

SGK

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” –Colossians 2:6-7


Categories: attitude, gifts, God, gratitude, thanks | Leave a comment

Technically Speaking, It’s a Gift

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Sharita

Social media is a HUGE deal right now. Ok, that was kind of an obvious statement– but it  needed to be made for the purpose of this post. To prove my point, I would bet that most of you out there in cyber-land probably found out about this blog via Facebook or Twitter. (Thanks, internet.)

On that note, I can’t really complain about social media. But if you listen to the way some folks talk, connecting digitally is more of a curse than it is a blessing. Honestly, I believe it all depends on how you use it… when the social media craze first began several years ago, a lot of people argued against it saying that it disconnects us from each other, making face to face interaction rare. I will admit that it is a great source of procrastination and does have it’s negatives. But I also feel that God gave us social media as a gift in disguise. And as with most of His gifts, it all depends on how you use it.


I have found out that while some people choose to air their dirty laundry or share WAAAAYYYY too much info on Facebook or Twitter, it can also be a great way to reach out to other via witnessing, ministering and discipling. Heck, that’s the basic purpose of this blog. There are people who read blogs, follow others on Twitter and be “Friends” on Facebook that may never meet face-to-face. But if social media allows just a single seed to be planted in someone’s mind about the love Christ has for them, then I think it is so worth it. Thank God for the gift of technology.

On the wall in my kitchen, I have two huge posters. I ran across them on the internet about a year ago and finally purchased them for display a couple of months ago. They are “Faithbook” posters that have “profiles” for God and Jesus. Not only does it make me laugh, but it is a great way to sneak attack witness to folks that might come over and peer at our wall. This adaptation of social media uses humor based on biblical principles to provide a “modern” twist for the tech-savvy folks of the 21st century.

I make it a personal policy not to post dramatic or negative stuff on Facebook or Twitter… Yes, yucky things happen in my life, I feel frustrated about a variety of things each day (sometimes every 20 seconds) but instead of posting something diva-drama-driven, I try to post something Christ-driven. I can ask for prayers, hope for God to inspire me to share something positive, or (here’s the shocker) remain quiet until the Enemy no longer desires ownership of my Facebook status.

Personally, I am thankful for the technical gift  that is technology and social media. I firmly believe all things in moderation, so there is no need to be addicted to FB… But if God presents a chance for me to share the gospel on Facebook, Twitter or a Blog post, I am going to make it happen to the best of my ability. Has God called you to share something Christ-driven? Post it… reach out… embrace technology and social media in a positive way… Because “technically” speaking, it’s a gift!

Likes, Comments and Re-Tweet galore,

SGK

“Souls are saved by truthful witness and betrayed by the spread of lies.” –Proverbs 14:25

Categories: disciple, Facebook, gifts, social media, technology, Twitter, witness | 1 Comment

A Simple Gift… That means so much!

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Sharita

We have been talking about gifts lately.

Gifts can come in many, many forms from that engagement ring promising a lifetime of commitment to that forced smile when we open up a “fashionable” sweater from Grandma. God’s gifts also come in many shapes, sizes and colors…

I ran across the following a few weeks ago when working on a project for church and was reminded of it today. The Lord loved us enough to create laughter and allow us to feel joy in our heart. (That’s a gift) He has also given us GRACE. (There’s another one) Sometimes he combines them. (My favorite gift! )

How to Get Into Heaven 

A woman dies and meets St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. Peter says to the woman, “Here’s how it works. You need to have one hundred points to get into heaven. You tell me about all the good things you’ve done. They are all worth a certain number of points. If your total is 100 or more, you can come in.” 

“Well,” says the woman. “I was happily married to the same man for 52 years. I never looked at another man. I was attentive and loved him dearly.” 

“That’s great,” says St. Peter. “That’ll be two points.” 

“Hmmm,” says the woman. “This is going to be harder than I thought. Well, I attended church regularly, volunteered my time and tithed faithfully.” 

“Wonderful,” says St. Peter, “That’s worth another point.” 

“One point!” says the woman. “Okay, okay. I was involved with a woman’s prison ministry for twenty-five years. I went into the prison, at least monthly, and shared Jesus with them.” 

“Wow!” says St. Peter. “That’s another two points!” 

“Only two points!” says the woman. “At this rate, it’ll be only by the grace of God that’ll I’ll ever get into this place.”

“Bingo!” says St. Peter. “That’s 100 points! Come on in.”

Praise God for the gift of His grace… because just like this example above, we can’t earn our way into heaven– but he has given us that nonrefundable present. It seems like such a simple gift with no fancy wrapping paper or ribbon, but instead by the body of Christ.  That alone means so much!

No Receipt Needed,

SGK

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” –Ephesians 2:8-9

Categories: Christ, faith, gifts, heaven, works | Leave a comment

Lifted by being Gifted

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Sharita

So you might have noticed yesterday that we talked a bit about looking for Goodness of God everywhere… Today, I wanted to keep this simple (it is Friday after all, let’s be honest) and share with you a few of the A-MAZ-ING gifts God has given me. They lifted my heart as I typed them– I prayerfully hope that as you read them, you too are lifted by being gifted.

*Drinking wine on the front porch on a cool evening
*Early morning walk-jogs
*Nutella sandwiches with a glass of milk
*Waking up early feeling rested
*Sleeping late and not feeling guilty
*Hitting the final “Submit” button after completing a large project
*Laughing til it hurts
*Dessert (chocolate involved) with zero guilt
*Comfy pants
*Deep conversations with a close friend
*Puppy cuddles & high fives
*Sweat from an awesome workout
*Fresh bed sheets
*Standing on a tall hill looking down
*Fancy coffee on a cold morning
*The smell of a library
*Eating pasta… in Italy.
*Fitting into new, smaller sized clothes
*Blingy, feisty shoes… that are comfortable*Catching a fish
*Cuddling on the couch
*Really inky pens
*Starting a cute new journal
*Purchasing large quantities of bargain books
*Roadtrips
*Reaching your destination
*Fuzzy socks
*Feeling extra cool when strapping on barefoot/minimalist shoes
*Baby calves
*Good smelling candles
*Paying off a debt
*Brightly colored fingernails
*Mama’s homemade salsa
*Shiny, dangly earrings
*Fresh baked banana bread
*Christmas decorations
*Wearing a flower behind your ear
*Bubble baths
*Waking up in the middle of the night praying
*Hot fresh popcorn with a cold soda
*The nerves, excitement and relief when getting off a plane in a foreign country
*Warm rainstorms
*The smell of the farm: dirt, straw, cows
*Missouri State Fair
*Movie marathons
*Being completely surprised
*Feeling extra close to God

This isn’t my complete list– it grows almost daily. Do you have a “Lifted by being Gifted” list? If not, consider starting one today. Not only will it make your heart lighter and tingly when you read back over it, but it helps us to remember that God loves us so much that he exerted extra effort to give us these seemingly small but oh-so-significantly impacting gifts. Plus, it gives us a reason to smile– and who doesn’t need more of THAT?

I would love to hear about some of your “gifts” in your life… feel free to comment below!

Not returning THESE gifts,
SGK
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” –2 Corinthians 9:15
Categories: gifts, God, happy, heart, Love | Leave a comment

Back to School Bonus

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Sharita

Our dog Sweet Justus loves elementary school days.

I am not talking about MY school days– because for me, working on my masters online, everyday is a school day– and I don’t have to go anywhere. (Praise Jesus!) But Justus loves little kid school days. Brandon and I obviously don’t have kids of our own yet, but  there are passels (flocks? gaggles?) of small little school children all throughout our neighborhood. Fortunately for our lil baby dog, we usually time our morning walk-jogs just right for the kids to be waiting at the multiple bus stops to head to school.

There are two primary reasons why Justus loves these early morning school-day walks:

Reason #1: He gets excessive attention from small children screaming in a shrill voice across the street “OOOOOOHHHHHH LOOK AT THE PUPPY!! I LOVE YOUR DOG!!” followed by their mothers awkward look and under-the-breath-comment about Justus’ ears. (It doesn’t matter to the dog… He likes attention regardless of present sarcasm)

Reason #2: The children throughout our housing complex seem to follow the pattern of children-esque habits… They are messy eaters. Justus always seems to find some “special treat” dropped on the ground from either a lunch, an afterschool snack, and sometimes an entire portable breakfast. (Today he snarfed down three pretzels before I noticed what he was doing.)

So what can we learn from this little dogs intense focus for food and attention? Just like Justus is searching for acknowledgement and the occasional on-the-ground- pretzel, we should be searching daily to find those God-given gifts of Goodness. Unfortunately for us, our nose/eyes/ears are slightly less attuned to the awesome gifts around us… especially when you are huffing and puffing on mile 3 with your iPod in.

God is the ultimate craftsman. There are so many things that are incredible gifts from God, but our society and flesh drives us forward in such a quick speed we sometimes forget. I know I can’t meander every day, taking a slow romantical stroll through the neighborhood with my pup… but there ARE days where I can stop, take a deep breath, tune out the distractions and thank God for the glorious gifts that he has placed in our lives. Ahhhhhhhh… “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” –Psalm 27:13

So are we looking for God’s goodness everywhere? Or are we blinded by the urgent/important (or unimportant) stuff in front of us?  How can we reduce those distractions? What small amazing things are present in your life today that is a gift from God waiting to be unwrapped?

Unwrapping His Good Gifts Today,

SGK

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” — 2 Peter 1:3


Categories: gifts, God, Goodness, Justus, running | Leave a comment

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