Overwhelmed

Someone asked me today, “Kendra, do you ever get overwhelmed?”

Um. Yes.

He was asking a simple question, but truly there’s a loaded answer…

Yes – I get overwhelmed with:

*Responsibilities at Home – “watching over the activities of the household” (Prov. 31:27), dealing with five unique personalities and working to “live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18), keeping everyone clothed, fed, entertained, educated and hopefully trained “in the way they should go” (Prov. 22:6), loving, submitting and encouraging my hubby… Yeah. All that gets overwhelming.

*Ministry – Yeah. bearing the burdens of many people – overwhelmed with how much heartache there is in one body and wanting to meet every need, trying to stay positive among negative people, the fact you’re never really ‘off the clock’, frequently facing criticism, feeling under-qualified and inadequate, trying to keep people encouraged and growing in their faith, wanting to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those He’s called us to serve, never really getting enough help for the above said tasks, there’s always more “to-do” than time on the clock… A recent USA-Today Article (discussing depression/suicide among pastors) describes being a pastor “a high-profile, high-stress job with nearly impossible expectations for success.” Yeah. All that gets overwhelming.

*Personally – wanting to live a life pleasing to the Lord, trying to be a godly, faith-filled example to my family and others, knowing how much I fall short that, fears of failure, expectations I place on myself, wanting to be healthy physically and spiritually, hoping to fulfill my purpose in life and follow His calling, sitting still enough to hear His voice so I can clearly hear His leading and obey it, desiring to be a good wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister etc. Yeah. All that gets overwhelming.

BUT – more than being overwhelmed with my inadequacies, struggles, burdens and responsibilities, I am overwhelmed with the promises of God!

*He promises to set me FREE – 2 Cor. 3:17

*He promises to be WITH ME – Deut. 31:6

*He promises to MEET MY EVERY NEED – Phil. 4:19

*He promises to be MY STRENGTH – Psalm 28:7

*He promises to ENABLE ME in whatever He calls me to – Ex. 4:11-12

*He promises me that I’m not the same person I was – 2 Cor. 5:17 – HE HAS MADE ME NEW!

*He promises me that He CARES FOR ME – 1 Pet. 5:7

*He promises to PROTECT ME – Psalm 32:7

*He promises to HEAR MY PRAYERS – Psalm 6:9

*He promises to FORGIVE MY SIN – 1 John 1:9

*He promises to LOVE ME – 1 John 4:19

*He promises to LEAD ME – Psalm 23:3

*He promises to SATISIFY ME – Isaiah 58:11

*He promises to DELIVER ME – Psalm 144:2

*He promises to help ME LOVE OTHERS – 1 John 4

Yeah. I’m overwhelmed! I’m overwhelmed with His goodness. I’m overwhelmed with His grace. I’m overwhelmed with His love.

I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

GIFTMART

GiftMart - What is it and HOW can you be involved???

What

is GiftMart?

GiftMart is an outreach to the families of Lincoln Elementary School here in Findlay. We’ll be gathering NEW gifts until Sunday, December 6^th that we will then package together and sell them for $2 to parents/guardians of children at Lincoln on December 12th. All the money raised at GiftMart will go BACK into the school, toward needs that they have (ex. shoes, coats, school supplies etc.).

You can get involved!!

.

1) GiftMart Donations being Accepted

GIFTS (1200 needed – in order to do 3 gifts per child) - As you start (continue) your holiday shopping, grab a few extra things to donate to GiftMart!!

We also will need:

Giftwrap

Tape

Ribbon

Hot Chocolate

Baked Goods

Monetary Donations – will go for the craft the kiddos will make while their parents are shopping, GIFTS, supplies etc.

2) Volunteers Needed –

GiftMart will be Sat. Dec. 12th - 10am -2pm @ Lincoln Elementary School in Findlay!!

Man the GiftMart

-Check Out

-Check In

-Security

Refreshment Table

People to Bake for the Refreshment Table

Craft Table

Gift-wrap Table

If you, your church or business would like to get involved, please contact kendra@lifepointfindlay.com for more information. Monetary donations can be made online at our website or by mailing to LifePoint Community Church, 1400 6th St., Findlay, OH 45840. Please indicate "GiftMart" on the memo line.

Sponsored by LifePoint Community Church

Shine The Light

Halloween. Love it. Hate it. It's a hot topic among Christians. One side thinks the other side just has hangups. The other side thinks the other side just doesn't get it. Personally - I've had issues for years with Halloween. I researched the background. I know of people who are a part of Wicca and others who claim to be witches. I know some things that happen STILL today on Halloween - and me no likey...

However, this Halloween season I've really been stretched to think - what would Jesus do? Would he avoid the crowds? Would he be OUT amongst all this evil (even though little kiddos in cute costumes isn't evil, obviously)??? Several scriptures show that Jesus not only went to the demon-possessed or evil, but allowed them to be brought to Him (Matt. 8:16, Mark 5:15). Matt. 5:16 says that we're not supposed to put our light under a basket and hide it (hide in our basements during trick or treat or at the 'Fall Festival' in our churches). Instead, to let our light SHINE and bring glory to Him.

This year, LifePoint participated in the Halloween Parade here in Findlay... some guys from the praise band dressed up and sang the "Cartoon Song" while many dressed up like the cartoon characters named in the song. It was a blast - in fact, we won "best in show". Not that that matters in the scheme of things, but fun nonetheless. What did participating do? Well, hopefully it showed Findlay that we can still have fun as Christians, that Jesus is worth singing Hallelujah to and maybe, just maybe someone will come to LifePoint and hear s'more about Jesus...

If I stopped there, that would've been stretching enough... But, NO! Strangely, I didn't feel right about staying in and avoiding trick or treat like we have in the past. I know, crazy, right? I mean, I'm all cool with being in a parade, shining His light, doing a 'trunk or treat' outreach... but hang out IN the midst of trick or treat? We haven't done that since Emma was a BaBy! Kevin and I discussed all week if we would hang around at home this year. In fact, we didn't decide until Thursday afternoon that we would do it (Thursday night!). It's a hot topic in the blogosphere - like here and here. Then I read "Jesus With His Lights Turned Off on Halloween." I just can't get it out of my head that Jesus wants me to shine His light... even from my front porch. We live in a neighborhood with a LOT of kiddos - a lot of families to share His light with. So we did. On one hand, it wasn't all that... I thought there would be a lot more kiddos than we had - but on the other hand, it was fun to see the kiddos, smile, give them candy (YUM!) and hopefully make some connections with people we wouldn't have otherwise met.

My kiddos - well they were shocked and excited, and they had a great time!!

Halloween isn't the only hot topic out there. There's plenty of other issues... All things that each person must seek God's direction for and come to a decision based on His leading. I'm not saying that if you choose not to participate in Halloween festivities it's a hang up for you. I certainly wrestled (wrestle) with it long enough and did what I felt was right at the time year after year (this year included). One thing to be sure, don't be quick to judge the other side. Just because someone doesn't celebrate Halloween doesn't mean they're legalistic or narrow-minded. And just because someone does participate doesn't mean they're living in all kinds of evil. Be lovers, not haters :).

Feel free to share your thoughts on the matter - but remember - no haters!! Like Veronica mentioned at Clutchtalk, "The Bible teaches us to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." I don't know what we'll do next year. I never thought God would lead me to be doing what we're doing this year... Guess it's all part of the "working it out" - it's a process.

PS - Kevin is performing a wedding tonight - so that's how we'll be spending Halloween. How cool is that?

What if... (The Dad)

What if there was a Daddy that would love you in your foolishness as well as in your self-righteousness? What if, even though all you did was live for yourself and do (or not do) anything you felt like, there was a Daddy waiting with open arms? What if your so stuck on yourself and everything you do right, that same Daddy offered ALL HE HAS to you? No matter how STINKY we become, He's running to us.

When we read through the parables in Luke 15, we see that when the little sheep was LOST, he left everything else to "GO AFTER" the one that was lost. When the coin was missing, the woman turned on the lights, searched, and swept until she found it. Just like that, in our lostness - We don't find God - He finds us. I love that in verse 4 where it says he dropped all to go after the one that was lost. What things do you go after? What goals do you set? What things do you pursue? Man, when I want something in life, I go after it with all I've got!!

God - well, He goes after us!

No matter if we're stinky because of foolishness or self-righteousness - the Father is coming after you, and me - running - with a love so great we can't even fathom! 1st to become His child, then continually He is pursuing us and drawing us to be close to Him.

What a 'hallelujah' picture!!

What if??? (The Other Foolish Son)

What if we did everything right?

What if I...

read my Bible for 10 hours every day
ate only healthy meals and snacks... ever
exercised 5x's a week
kept my house impeccably clean
led my children in their devotion time every day
only spoke "sweet nothings" into my hubby's ear
gave all my money to the poor...

Meet the 2nd son. He did everything right, but what problem crept up with him??? Pride. Jealousy. Self-Righteousness. Just like the Pharisee who said in Luke 18, "God I thank you that I'm not like the other people, - greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I get..."

What if I did everything right? Then I'd be prideful and self-righteous. When that takes over, we judge other people, we think well, at least I don't do that... I don't know about you, but that also sounds foolish... and if we stay in foolish living, as we learned yesterday, we get stinky.

Have you ever been a little smug in your own righteousness? I know I have.

Part 3 tomorrow

What if??? (The Foolish Son)

What if we did decided what it is we would do or wouldn't do each day based on if we felt like it?


I don't know about you, but I don't always (for some of these, ever) feel like:

waking up early
doing the dishes
exercising
praying
teaching the kiddos
paying the bills
eating healthy
reading my Bible
submitting to my hubby
going to the Dr.
flossing my teeth
doing laundry
being nice

The 1st brother in Luke 15, did just that. He took his share of the inheritance and took off... "in foolish living."

That's what would happen if we took on this attitude. We'd be foolish. It would be foolish to never brush my teeth - I'd have stinky breath and all my teeth would fall out (thus keeping me from eating more unhealthy food). It would be foolish to never do the dishes - the kitchen would smell, mold and other grossies would grow, and we wouldn't have plates or bowls ready (for the unhealthy food that we feel like eating.) It would be foolish to never wash our clothes - we'd be stinky (hmmmm, are we seeing a theme here?), dirty and they'd get worn out.

Have you ever just wanted to live for yourself, do what you feel like? I know I have.

The 1st brother was foolish and where did it get him? Stinky.

Part Two Tomorrow...

Lady in Waiting for Little Girls BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY!!

And the winner is......... MATT V!! Congrats Matt! You guys will love going through this book with your little 'princess'. I'll FB you for your mailing address!!

“We must accept our children where they are, and pray passionately for where they need to be.” That quote hit me like a ton of bricks, because often my reaction to ‘where they are’ isn’t praying…

When I received the book, “Lady in Waiting for Little Girls” (by Jackie and Dede Kendall) I was initially worried that my Little Ladies would be too old for this book, because my girlies are kind of over the princess thing... So, I decided to ‘do’ this book with my 9 year old, something special, a time just for us.

Each chapter focuses on a “Tiara Truth,” like obedience, security, patience and keeping Jesus number ONE in your life. These truths are shared through stories, Bible verses and hands on activities. I have to admit, I was given a ‘look’ at a few of the activities… but my Little Lady is at the high-end of the age range for this book. In fact, she’s 9, but she’s not really 9… know what I mean? That being said, I love using ‘hands-on activities” to illustrate lessons and used some of them for all three of our kiddos’ devotion time, which we learned and enjoyed very much.

Nice thing about this book, you can take as long as you want on a lesson, or breeze through it in one session. I do recommend “Lady in Waiting for Little Girls” for Moms and teachers of these Little Princesses. And sooooooooo……

Thanks to the generosity of New Hope Publishers, I’m giving a copy of “Lady in Waiting for Little Girls” away today on my blog! Just leave a comment and you’ll be in the running to win!! Not sure how to comment, click HERE. If you’re not the blessed winner today, you can purchase your own copy HERE or HERE.

Oh yeah, I’ll be picking the winner at 10pm tonight!!

Have a wonderful week, friends!!