Let's Say Thanks!

Just a Quickie Post for right now, since I posted a long one earlier. I saw this as a link on my friend's Facebook and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share!

www.letssaythanks.com is a website where you can send a card to a soldier fighting for our freedom. It's simple! Select one of the cute cards provided, and write your name and hometown in the specified areas. Choose a message that reflects how you feel towards the unknown soldier, and hit send! Xerox will then print and send this as a postcard to a soldier serving overseas. They sacrifice their lives for us daily, so shouldn't we at least thank them for this amazing duty?
Also, remember that we are nearly the holiday season, and these soliders are away from their families and homes - two crucial parts of the holiday spirit! Why don't you send a quick note to them reminding them that we are all praying and caring for them this season, and all the time?
Jesus tells us in John 13:34 -

"A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Your NR challenge for this Quickie Post? Take the 3 minutes out of your Facebooking, surfing the web, or whatever you may be doing, and send a postcard to those overseas reminding them we care and thanking them for what they're doing for us. Jesus loved us so much He died for us; shouldn't we share this amazing love to those who are willing to do the same?
Are you in?

-Kimber.

Giant Mistake.

Things are looking rough.

 So, I'm sitting here trying to get a final project finished before Sunday night. It's a HUGE portion of my grade for my Special Education Technology class, and I have to get it done or else I'll be in major trouble. I have Pandora radio on, trying something new for a change. Normally I have Grooveshark or, lately, Christmas music playing. I found a good station for Contemporary Christian songs, because I needed a lift - lately life has been pretty wild, and sometimes it's just obvious that Satan is using every advantage and chance he has to kick me where it counts.
I started thinking about this, and different aspects that Satan has been pushing in my life started coming to light. I've been tempted with thoughts lately, and my attitude has been less than ideal, and I'm losing my temper fairly quickly now. I've been blaming it on the hectic schedule that I've had lately, with trying to get time to study in, finishing projects, and getting ready for finals next week for school, and all of the other pressures from the outside, like trying to get hours at work which isn't happening, making it to church even though I have class Wednesday nights, and making time for my friends that I've been neglecting because of school. However, it really isn't any of those things, I think. I've been opening myself up to Satan's blows, because, first and foremost, I've been so "busy" that I haven't read my Bible. While this may not seem like a big thing, this is actually a HUGE deal. I normally read it every day, but I haven't because I've been "busy" like I said - with Facebook, trying to catch some sleep, studying, and all of that other stuff.
Because of this, I've started a "chain" of holes that Satan has definitely grabbed a hold on. I haven't read my Bible, like I said, and this led to me not giving everything I have to make time to pray. Sure, I say some short ones through the day and I say one at night, but like Francis Chan said at IYC (see my post on that here), if you aren't giving everything...it doesn't mean anything. We aren't talking to some random person when we pray. We're talking to the creator of the universe, that gave us life and controls everything.
When Satan finds one opening, you can sure bet that he's going to try everything to find another and use it. It's like a domino game - one falls, and shortly all of the others follow. So whenever this happens, it can seem like there's a huge cloud following you that you can't get rid of - like a giant mistake that will never, ever go away, no matter what.
As I said earlier, I had Pandora on when I was thinking this. Remembering everything that was going on - and how I wasn't handling it - automatically killed my spirit and mood. I felt horrible, and it was like I couldn't do anything about it. Just then, Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns came on Pandora. This song is probably known by everyone - it's one of the Sunday morning staples at my home church - and so sometimes it's just another song in the background. This time, however, the lyrics couldn't have helped more.

"Oh, what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone, surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor wishing they'd had the strength to stand. But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me, reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed. The giant keeps on telling me, time and time again, 'Boy, you'll never win. You'll never win.'"

Hello, irony.
This was the absolute perfect song that could have come on at this moment. Why? Because not only does this verse capture everything that was going through my head at that time, but it also has a killer chorus that nails exactly the response that I needed - and the truth.

"But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story. The Voice of Truth says, 'Do not be afraid!', and the Voice of Truth says, 'This is for My glory!' Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth."

Exactly.
This reminds me of the verse that I repeatedly tell my girls that I counseled at camp this summer. When things get rough, and it seems like everything is too hard, I remind them of Philippians 4:13.

"I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."

This verse is one of my favorites, because it reminds me that, no matter how big the challenge - or the giant - God will give me the strength to overcome it. It's pretty amazing.
Your NR challenge for this post is this - take a lesson from this story - and don't get me wrong! This isn't a "made-up post" that sometimes come on here or other people's blogs, where they use a story someone has told them. This is real. It's my personal deal. - and remember that, no matter how big your giant is, he's nothing compared to God.
There's the saying that I think is appropriate for this post. "Don't tell your God how big your storm is, tell your storm how big your God is."
I'll choose to listen to that, instead of making a giant mistake. What about you?
Are you in?

-Kimber.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks today!

I woke up at 6:00 this morning to hear my mother laughing as she and my father tried to put all of the biggest turkey I've ever seen inside the oven. Ever since then, I've been tortured with the amazing smell of everything that is cooking. We have two turkeys - 30 pounds, I think! Maybe more - potatoes, gravy, pies, and all of that good stuff - not to mention all that will be coming with my family.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. While Christmas probably comes second, Thanksgiving just wins. Not only is it a holiday where you actually have an excuse to drop everything you're doing (goodbye, Psychology), eat until you feel ready to explode, and watch football all day, but Thanksgiving is a holiday where you don't have to worry about the stress of buying gifts or hoping that the person likes what you got them. (That comes the next day, but that's a different matter entirely.) To me, it's a holiday where family and friends can gather and just enjoy each other's company, relax, and give thanks for all the many blessings that they have.
Times are tough now -unemployment rates are high, the economy seems to stay at rock bottom, and jobs are hard to come by. For many people, life is tough. However, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate not the hard things, but everything that you have been blessed with - no matter how small. Did you take a shower today? There's a blessing. Are you going to go to a family member's home and spend time with them? There's another. You have clothes to wear, food to eat, water to drink, and a house to live in - all blessings that, unfortunately, we sometimes overlook.
When we look through the Bible for an example of people giving thanks in times of trouble, there are plenty of examples! King David loved to praise God in both the good times and the bad. Daniel was in a den of lions, but still he praised God and gave thanks. When I searched for a verse with the key word being "Thanksgiving" on biblegateway.com, I had 10 results in a matter of seconds, with several more to find and choose. In Psalm 107:1, it says this:

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His love endures forever."

In Psalm 69:30, we read:

"I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving."

And, lastly, in Psalm 95:2 it says:

"Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."

See? All through the Bible there are references saying that we, as God's children, need to give thanks for all of the amazing blessings that He has given us. So this is your NR challenge for today: I challenge you to thank God for everything you can think of, and everything that you can't. From a house, to a computer to read this on, to the eyes that He gave you so you CAN read this. Give thanks.
Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone.

Are you in?

-Kimber.

Think Again.

Idol Worship « Videos « The Skit Guys

This is just a quickie post, because I found this link earlier and I wanted to put it on here.Take a few minutes and watch this video - it isn't long, and while it's not a funny skit like Tommy and Eddie (The Skit Guys) normally do, it's still definitely worth watching.

Watch it!

Are you in?

-Kimber.

Wow!

Thank you, Mam! :)

Wow, what a crazy past few days!
I just wanted to say a big thank you to Mama
Ang, who highlighted my blog in the church newsletter this month. How awesome is that? This crazy blog - filled with the random Gaga and weather posts - highlighted so people are told to visit it. Thanks a ton! :)
This is just a quickie post (you can tell by the label!) but I just appreciated Mama Ang doing that for me! It makes me excited to see that other people can stumble across my little corner of cyberspace now and hopefully get interested in something that they read which could lead them a little closer to Jesus!
I'll stop before my head gets too big, but thanks again to Mama, and to those that are here reading for the first time, I encourage you to explore around a bit. Check out my archive on the right sidebar and look for something that catches your eye. Hopefully a title, photo, or idea will jump out at you, and that you like what you see.
No specific challenge for this post, just a small one to challenge you to explore the blog and let God speak to you. Who knows, maybe all you need is a little post about Lady Gaga to reignite your faith!
Are you in?

-Kimber.

Party Time!

2012 - The End?

We gonna party like, party like it's the end of the world.
We gonna party like, like it's 2012.
You know that it doesn't matter as long as we got each other.
Turn it up, turn it up, mash it up, it ain't the end of the world.
- Jay Sean, 2010

I don't really listen to popular radio stations, and so I'd never heard this song before I found it on the popular Grooveshark list. I've listened to it a couple of times, and never had really paid attention to the lyrics - I think I was typing a paper for my psych class at the time, until I switched to classical (yes I'm lame but it helps me think!) - but when I finally listened to them, it gave me an idea for a blog post. Ta da!
In this song, Jay Sean sings of partying like it's the end of the world. According to popular belief, the world is supposed to end in 2012 - December 21st, according to some reports from this website: http://www.december212012.com/ - and so Jay sings of partying then and forgetting that it's all going to end soon.
Are the Mayans right? Is the world really going to end in 2012, and leave us all...where, exactly? What's going to happen to us? Will we die? Or just kinda float around and chill, waiting for something to happen? No one knows.
Except one person, of course.

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." - Matthew 24:36-44

Now, after that ridiculously long passage - sorry about all the reading, but it's worth it! - we learn that no one will know the hour of Christ's return or know the "end of the world" as the Mayans seemed to know. Jesus gives us examples in this passage that let us better understand what He means. He gives the example of Noah, where Noah and his family knew the great flood was coming, and tried to warn the people of it. Those people didn't believe him, and went on living their sinful lives. Then, suddenly and without warning, the flood that they insisted wasn't happening...happened. They all drowned because they didn't listen to Noah and heed his warnings about the flood. Jesus also tells us that His coming will be swift, and people will disappear suddenly and without warning. When there may be two men working outside, one could be gone in an instant. This also goes with two women working - one could disappear suddenly, the other staying there.
Jesus goes on to tell us to stay awake and be ready at any time for the end of the world. He gives the second example of a man who would stay awake if he knew that a thief would try to enter his house that night. He tells us that we should be like this man, ever ready for His return.
So what does all this mean? It means, basically, that the Mayans couldn't know that the world is going to end in 2012 - because only God knows when Jesus will return and what will happen. Does this mean that Jay Sean's song is wrote? Partly. Obviously the 2012 part could be wrong - who knows, it could happen! I'm not one to say it will or won't! - but the rest is right, in a sense. We should be making the most of every day and living like it's our last day! Of course, we should be living these days out in a godly way that He would approve of, but nonetheless, we should be partying like it's our last day!
So here's your NR challenge for this post. I challenge you to forgo the hype and belief that the world is going to end in 2 years. Read the Bible, and listen to what it says - only God knows the hour of His return, and so we constantly need to be on our guard, as well as living a life that would be pleasing to Him!
Are you in?

-Kimber.

It's war.

It's go time.

All over the news you can hear reporters saying how various countries are constantly at war with each other. Every time one seems to come to a conclusion, the other changes its mind or goes to war with another country. Even the United States is still involved in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan - almost a decade after the 9/11 attacks. Almost every country has been involved in a war or struggle of some sort, whether political, religious, ect. - people can find a reason almost anywhere to fight.
Before I continue with this post, I want to make it clear that I'm not arguing or blaming anyone for being at war. I support our troops 100% and thank God that they are sacrificing every day to protect us. I much admire them and am proud that they stand up for our freedom.
But, anyways. Everywhere you turn there is someone starting a conflict. All around are people arguing and trying to overcome each other for...what? In the end, after the issue is resolved, someone is going to be unhappy and eventually it'll start over!
We spend so much time debating wars and conflicts worldwide. While some of this is ohk, I think that, sometimes, we spend too much time arguing about arguing! Instead of debating over things like that and spending time on that which could be used elsewhere, there's something else that should really capture our attention. It's the biggest war that has ever happened in the history of, well, ever. While it should be something that all of us think of and try to impact, in reality we tend to put it farther down than it should be in our list of priorities.
For those that know what war I'm talking about, do you agree? And those that don't, let me enlighten you:
It's the war over us.
Since the beginning, God and Satan have been in a fierce battle over something extremely important - us. As humans, it doesn't really seem like something that we realize - after all, it isn't a war that's covered by the media so we can see the Tweets, updates, or photos that relate to it. It isn't a war that "affects" us everyday - God and Satan don't "show up" every day visibly, trying to tug at our arms and pull us onto their "side."
Or is it?
See, there's this pretty awesome - especially awesome, since it came from the most awesome being that ever was - media source that covers this never-ending war. It's called the Bible, and while it may seem old, it actually is way before it's time - as in, it chronicles what is supposed to happen at the end of the world as we know it, and tells of Christ's second coming.
In this world of constantly being updated about the progress of any given war, conflict, or battle, this is war that sometimes can leave people in the dark. Who is winning? Who is losing? What's the deal and where is it taking place?
As for answers, I'm not saying that I know either. Nobody really knows except those involved - God and Satan. However, Satan's a little off. As the days go on, he becomes more and more convinced of his victory. Think of all that is in the world - all the pornographic images, the fighting, and hate and lies and all of that nonsense. That's Satan gaining ground. Sure, he unfortunately has a lot on his side. But what he doesn't know is this. At the end of time, when Jesus comes back after taking all of the Christians on earth (see the book of Revelation to get the whole story; it's a great promise!) Satan's in a big heaping amount of trouble. God is going to defeat him, and Satan will be thrown into a lake of fire for all of eternity - making him the loser. Revelation 20:10 tells it clearly:

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

You may be thinking that there isn't any way that we can help - and guess what! You're wrong. It's recruiting time boys. You can help with this. How you ask? Simple.
Lead someone to Christ.
An act that may take 5, 10, 15 minutes could mean an eternity for that person to spend in Heaven with Christ, instead of an eternity away from Him, which is simply the worst punishment that ever was or ever will be. We're called to do this anyway, from Jesus Himself, in Matthew.

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." - Matthew 28:19.

So, here's your NR challenge for this post. Get involved in this war that's invading in our personal lives day and night, no matter where or who you are. Take a stand for Christ and lead someone over to the winning side. And don't give up hope - while it may seem like things are going rough, and that your efforts aren't food enough, think again. Satan's probably cringing right now as you read this, hopefully mentally toughening up and realizing your call in this fight. Remember in Ephesians 6 it tells us to put on the full armor of God - the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit. Put these on, and we become unstoppable.Together, we can make a difference. Strap on your helmets, ladies and gentlemen. As one of my favorite quotes says, God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
Are you in?

-Kimber.