release

Cruise Control with Jesus

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Sharita

As of late, I have been driving (and riding) in a car a lot more than normal. In fact, by the time this week is over, I will have logged three round trips to Atlanta (3 hours each) and two round trips to Fort Stewart. (Those are difficult– 8 hours in a car and back without ending up anywhere that involves sandy beaches.)

Driving (and riding) in the car is great “think” time for me. Actually, the car and the shower are my top two places for blog epiphanies.  As I was driving, I had one. Hence, today’s post.

When we drive, we are typically going somewhere. (Or at least I hope so.) And I don’t know about where YOU live, but traffic in these here parts can get a little… ridiculous. Apparently, speed limits are merely a suggestion. Pretty sure it is like that in most areas of the U.S.

Here’s my philosophy with speed limits. I like to hover right around the “5 mph over it” rule. Any less, I feel like I am going to get run over. Any more, I start seeing visions of triple digit speeding ticket fines. (Not from my experience. But you should ask my beloved about that one.)

Thus, I really love cruise control. I can set it at 75 and roll towards my destination. I once made the mistake of getting a rental car to drive from Jefferson City, MO to Wichita, KS that did not have cruise control. Bad idea. Longest. Trip. Ever.

I get in trouble when I don’t use cruise control on long, open stretches of highway. I start to go with the flow of traffic. Which can be very, very… fast. I am caught in the traffic flow, and before I know it, I am driving a good ten (or fifteen… or TWENTY) miles per hour over the speed limits. Sorry, officer.

Getting caught in the flow of traffic is a lot like living our lives with an earthly viewpoint. If we get right down to it, going over the speed limit is essentially breaking the law. And according to 1 John 3:4, sin is lawlessness. See the comparison? We live in a fallen world, one of sin, one where the people around us can influence us to “break the law” (aka sin) almost without our conscious knowledge.

But there is great news. We have God as our cruise control. He can be The One to set the pace. To direct our path. To bring us back when we are breaking the law. However, we need to remember that it is going to be difficult not to WANT to follow the flow of traffic. I tell you what– I get puh-lenty of dirty looks (and one-fingered waves) from driving only five over the speed limit from the speed racers that pass me by. The same is going to be true of those in our world who don’t understand how or why we would follow Christ.

The other positive point about Jesus Cruise Control? We don’t have to work as hard to maintain a constant speed. Sure, we still need to be conscious while driving, ready to stop or go at red lights, exits and bathroom breaks. But if we set our life cruise control with Jesus, He will help us avoid fluctuating speeds and arrive at our final destination in one piece–with minimal “traffic tickets.”

In what areas of your life do you struggle with not following the “flow of traffic?” Where are you challenged when it comes to following Jesus or following the world? I would love to hear from you. Comment below!

So the next time you are caught up in the flow of our worldly traffic, zig-zagging in and out of the lanes, ignoring that speed limit suggestion, tap your brake, slow down a smidge and set your cruise control with Jesus.

Cruising with Christ on the highway of life,
SGK

“Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God’s law, because sin is a breaking of the law.” ~1 John 3:4 (GNT) 

Categories: adventure, Christ, God, life, relax, release, sin, travel | Tags: , , , , , | 17 Comments

He Forgave You– Now Forgive Yourself Too.

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Sharita

“If only I hadn’t… I wish I didn’t… Why can’t I go back… It’s all my fault.”

Regrets. Mistakes. We all have ‘em. We’ve all made ‘em.

So what are we supposed to do?

This week,  we have been working through reasons why our hearts can be blocked and how we grow apart from Christ. (Click to read the original post here.) Yesterday was all about forgiving others… a hard but necessary topic.

Today we touch on a subject that I feel is sometimes overlooked in our Christian world. Forgiving ourselves.

Our hearts are really complicated. When you add our brains and flesh to our heart mixture, things can get super confusing… And kinda messy. Fortunately, God can clear things up for us.

See, here’s the deal. God forgives us WAY more than we deserve it. Yes, we screw up. Yes, we repent and apologize to Him. Then He forgives us… And thanks to our human nature, that cycle repeats. (And thanks to God’s love, He continues to forgive us. WHEW.)

We can get stuck when we refuse to let it go  and let God do His thang. When we hang onto our past sins, hurts, regrets and don’t allow God to take them… It is like we are saying that The Cross was not enough.

Let me say it again… When we hang onto our junk (blockages), we are essentially saying “Thanks so much for sending your beloved Son to die on The Cross, God… but that’s not quite good enough for me. I need something more.”

Uh. Yikes? I think a mindset like that might be offensive to The Big Man! I sure wouldn’t be happy if I made the biggest sacrifice of my entire existence and somebody said it wasn’t “good enough” for them. Sheesh.

So what do we do? We need to get over ourselves. Seriously. (Yeah, I said it.) Yes, we are God’s loving creation, but we aren’t better than The Cross. And we don’t have the power to mess up more than Jesus’ sacrifice can cover.  We must GENUINELY believe with our heart, soul, mind and strength that The Cross WAS enough. God made a promise to us through His Son. The action of Jesus’ death on the cross FORGAVE us of ALL of our transgressions. Not just the little ones. Not the easy or simple ones.

ALL. OF. THEM. Every last lousy sin, from stealing a pack a gum, to hurting someone else to… well, you get the picture. After all– a sin is a sin is a sin. (But that’s another blog post :-) )

So today’s challenge for unblocking your heart is to FORGIVE yourself of any past hurts or hang ups. If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior* then YOU. ARE. FORGIVEN.

Period. The End. IT IS FINISHED. (Does that sound familiar?)

Do you struggle with forgiving yourself? Have you forgiven yourself in the past? What did you experience? Please comment here… I would love to pray and/or rejoice with you!

Let God do the work. Give Him your hurts and regrets. He loves you more than you can imagine. Let it go and let God do His thang, covering you with mercy, grace and forgiveness.

He has got it covered. The Cross did that for us. He Forgave you– Now go ahead and forgive yourself too.

Thankful for forgiveness,
SGK

“…If we admit our sins…he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.” 1 John 1:9 (MSG)

Forgive Yourself

(*If you haven’t accepted Christ and aren’t sure what  all that involves,  shoot me an email via sharita{dot} knobloch{at} gmail{dot} com. I would love to talk with you about it.)



Categories: attitude, Christ, cross, faith, forgiveness, freedom, God, health, heart, Love, peace, promises, release | Tags: , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Check it at the gate

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Sharita
“Attention passengers, flight 324 to Rome, Italy is now boarding.”

I am far from a professional flier. In fact, I was nearly a sophomore in college before I had the chance to fly for the first time. After that flight from Kansas City to Washington, DC (which was a little nerve-wracking as my co-traveler was also flying for the first time), I started to gain confidence on how to navigate airports in a timely fashion.

I’ve had the privilege of flying to DC, Atlanta, Spain, Chicago, Denver, Portland, Orlando, Rome, and China (and probably a couple others that I am forgetting.) Compared to my first time flying my nerves are much more in check.

Now I really don’t stress too terribly much about missing my flight because I do all I can to plan accordingly. But there is one place in the airport my blood pressure tends to rise.

The security line.

Yes, I am THAT girl. The closer I get to the front of the line, the more thoughts are racing through my head. I am strategizing on how to keep my boarding pass on my person while ripping off my shoes and/or belt, emptying my pockets, unpacking my laptop as I gracefully walk through the metal detector trying not to look like a bumbling fool and tick off the person in line behind me.

Meanwhile, other thoughts are racing through my head. “Where did I put my plastic baggie with 3 ounce liquids? Did I take my mini-pocket knife out of my purse? Are they going to confiscate my dried apple slices? Does a fingernail file count as a weapon?”

I also suffer from OPS… Overpacking Syndrome. I never fly without a carryon. If I did, it would eliminate a majority of the above thoughts/worries… But then I might  arrive at my destination without a spare set of clothes.
This is how the Knobloch’s travel… Rome to Home.
We were on our honeymoon. Can’t you tell? ;-)

I couldn’t help but wonder if we are sometimes like this in our faith. Are we carrying too much baggage that in the end just weighs us down? The more baggage we carry around, whether it is insecurity, things from a past relationship or worry about future “stuff” the more likely Satan is going to be like the TSA agent who digs through your bag and finds that nail file. He will pick through our “baggage” and find the one thing that will bring us down and ruin our day.

Jesus asks that when we are traveling with him to leave our baggage behind. Don’t believe me? Check out what he says to his disciples in Matthew 10:9-10 as He is sending them out to the world:

“Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.”

The Message version is even more direct:

“Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don’t need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.”

If I was there as a disciple, I am sure I would the one in the back to raise my hand and say, “Um, Jesus? Yeah. Are you sure about this? I mean, I would really like to have a toothbrush and change of clothes. Oh, and what about my cell phone and charger? Jesus? Hey, where you going, man…”

While we all may still choose to fly with a carryon, (hey, I trust Jesus way more than the airlines) we can travel luggage free with Christ. He gives us everything we need. He has called us to come on a journey with Him. So what about all that extra baggage? Yeah, lets go ahead and check it at the gate.

Flying Free,
SGK

“Then Peter chimed in, “We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?” Jesus replied, “Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.” –Matthew 19:27-30 (MSG)

Categories: baggage, faith, release, security, travel | Leave a comment

LET IT GOD

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Sharita

Apparently it’s “Sharita-needs-to-confess-random-things-on-her-blog” week.

That being said, guess what? I have (another) confession. I like to have control. There. I said it. Be in charge, drive the boat, run the show, whatever you wanna call it, I like it. Rephrase: I thrive on it. I might even admit I-gotta-have-it. (Now that just reminds me of Cold Stone’s ice cream size choices. Random.)

This discovery was brought to a very profound point a week ago at CCC Women’s retreat (have you noticed it was apparently kind of a big deal in my life?) Last Saturday night, Mama Carol spoke about “Totally Surrender” when it comes to God. Naively, I thought I was… but as I examined my heart, it was clear that I thought wrong.

My husband always asks me why I “worry” so much. His favorite line with me is from Matthew 6:27– “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” I denied that I was a worrier– It had to be something else. Why would I “worry” about things I couldn’t control like the army, family, location, babies etc… Well, God revealed to me during the retreat (through all of the speakers, but especially Mama Carol) that yes, I was a worrier.

That “worry” was rooted in lack of complete and total trust in the Lord.  And I didn’t fully trust Him because I wanted to rely on myself and my own strength, which I know as well as anyone else fails on a regular basis. Carol said it best when she said “If you don’t think something is strong enough, you aren’t going to lean on it.” Gulp. Could that really be me? I worry because I don’t trust because I like having “control?” 

Enter stage left: Ton of bricks. OUCH! Needless to say, many tears were in order at that point (don’t worry– they were good Holy Spirit tears… He was working on my heart in such a sweet way!) I went outside for evening solo processing quiet time… As I was sobbing in the dark by the lake, I used my cell phone as a flashlight to write furiously and desperately in the last few pages of my journal (It was no coincidence that my journal was finished the final day of retreat and I was able to start a new one last Monday as I moved forward with a transformed heart.)

I went back inside for our group processing time and decided to read from my journal what I just scribbled down. Throughout my self-plea/prayer combination, I had written LET IT GO!!! multiple times in all capital letters. I continued to read my plea/prayer out loud to my table– suddenly I reached the middle of my entry and noticed a “typo.”

But it wasn’t just an accidental “Ok-I-am-crying-and-writing-this-in-the-dark” typo. It was directly from God. Of this I have NO doubt.

I had attempted to write “LET IT GO!” but instead my “typo” came out “LET IT GOD!” Yeah, that was no accident.

God didn’t want 95% of myself. He wanted it ALL. Complete, total, utter, drop-to-your-knees-turn-every-thought-trust-Him-fully SURRENDER. I was still clinging to my own power. But at that moment, I gave it up. It was time to LET IT GOD.

I have since been praying for God to allow me to completely surrender to Him. In His endless love for me, He made me a strong-willed person, so I knew he wasn’t going to just wave a magic wand and say “TA-DA! There ya go, Sharita. Complete surrender. Wish granted.”

Instead, He has already presented many opportunities to surrender to His will and let go of my desperate need to control. Every time one of those worrisome thoughts mentioned earlier (health, army, babies) would creep into my head, He gave me the power to give it back to Him. “It’s all you, man. Take this God. You got this. I gotta LET IT GOD.”

He worked a surrendering miracle on Thursday night in my living room during a “discussion” that my husband and I were having. We decided to pray, holding each other and asking God to help us from being selfish and stubborn, to surrender to Him. It was absolutely amazing. The moment that my heart sincerely uttered those words, the feeling of hurt, selfishness and frustration was LIFTED off of my heart IMMEDIATELY. I just had to LET IT GOD.

Are there things in your life today that you are clinging to? Do you desire control? Trust in the Lord– for He is STRONG enough, WORTHY enough and ALL-KNOWING enough to deal with your worries, troubles and struggles. He knows more about them and cares even more about them than you do. Think about it my friend– is it time that you gave 100% away and LET IT GOD?

Surrendering it All,

SGK

“In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise— in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” –Psalm 56:10-11

 

 

Categories: God, release, retreat, trust, worry | Leave a comment

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