Stirrer Friends

September 18, 2016 by Kela In Faith, Friendship, Uncategorized Leave a comment

I’ve written a couple of times of how friendship has been a difficult journey for me.
It may be, or may have been the same way for you.

It’s the reason there are probably more “friendship” books written for women than any other topic.
We’re made for intimacy and community with women that we’re surrounded by.

Living a life of faith takes special kinds of friendships.
There are those that see in you what you can’t see in yourself.

They’re on the outside looking in, and if it’s a friend that walks closely with God,
they see HIS gifting in you.

pursuing-what-is-excellent-stirrer-friends

I’ll call my friends that encourage me in my calling; that challenge me to push a little harder; that “come and get me” when I need a perspective check, my “stirrer friends”.

They help stir up the gifts. When they give me a good word, they stir up my spirit!

We all have something that needs to be done and we need those stirrer friends in our lives!

SHE GETS IT!

I’m privileged to be surrounded by women that have amazing, creative gifts.
On any Sunday morning I can walk straight up to her (whichever one it is) and before I can open my mouth, there’s that knowing nod that SHE GETS IT!

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She gets it because she deals with so much of what’s on my heart! Its a kindred spirit.

This yields the opportunity to be stirrer friends.

Have you found your stirrer friends?
Better yet, have you stretched yourself enough to go and stir someone else on?
The thought of being open and vulnerable may be more than you’re willing to risk.
I know! I’ve been there…several times!
I’ve been encouraged, so I can encourage you to not close or
harden your heart to a friendship that may end up being a balm.

See the beauty of friendship. Hold tight to God’s faithful hand, and stir on! #stirrerfriends Click To Tweet

Living to Worship Him,
Kela

Flight Plans

September 15, 2016 by Kela In Bible Study, Faith, Mentorship, Ministry, Prayer 2 Comments

pursuing-what-is-excellent-flight-plans

Blessings upon blessings.

How many have I been missing out on because I wasn’t being led by the Holy Spirit?

As my husband and I discussed this, the conversation turned toward an airplane analogy.

If you miss your plane, you can almost always catch the next flight.

Your original flight may have already had a special itinerary attached to it.
It could have been a direct flight and you would have reached your destination on time; maybe even with time enough to relax.

If you’re left with the need to catch the next flight, you may have a couple of layovers for connecting flights; putting you behind,
irritated, frustrated and discontent.

What if it’s that way with our blessings?

God has already set aside that specific thing and way for us.
But instead of hoping on that plane, we look for something or someone else to fill that need.

Now…a blessing is still available, but there are now delays and layovers.
Frustration ensues because we think that its taking God too long to answer that prayer request for a blessing or breakthrough.
We worry because we needed things done yesterday.
Worry then leads to trying to work things out ourselves; making the need the object of all our attention.

Don’t get mad at Him. He’s laid out the plan.

More times than not, we miss our blessings because we miss Him.

Take the time. Slow down the pace of the racing mind.
Give God room AND TIME to do what He does best.

God is always “on the ready”.

Every decision should fall under the Holy Spirit’s leading.
It may mean the difference of boarding that first plane and heading straight for my destiny,
or having to catch the next flight!

Living to Worship Him,
Kela

I’m In My Place

September 9, 2016 by Kela In Faith, Ministry, Training, Worship 6 Comments

I’ve been over here for the past year or so asking God, “Where’s my place? What’s my calling?”

As He opened more and more doors for me to serve, I didn’t see that as “fulfilling my call”.
I didn’t see where He has me for what it truly is!

Things that I thought I was doing someone a “favor” in or doing it only because it sounded fun, was as far as it went.

My family serves in a church that is phenomenal at placing people where they’re most effective because of the care they take to get to know the hearts and giftings of people that want to serve.

God has placed something VERY valuable in my hands; servanthood.
I am first His servant, and He chose one of the best places to put my in my place.

For some reason, discontentment kept creeping in.
I’d read books about “finding your calling”
and listen to messages on “knowing your place”.

After all of my seeking God brought me full circle when He showed me:
”You’re in your place.”

EXACTLY what I’m doing RIGHT NOW is my calling; is my place!
No need to reach beyond His purpose in the now.
A call is not the same as already being developed.
Where I am now is part of the development process.
We may not even know what the fullness of the picture will look like,
but we will know that we’re pleasing to God when we’re faithful in every step.

I believe that we can, indeed, get to the place of knowing, but one doesn’t get there by accident.
When we give ourselves to our calling (where we are right now), we’re separating ourselves for training.
We can’t do everything we want to do and STILL develop in our gifting and call.

Where you are. right. now. is your place.
Don’t grumble in it. Don’t wish it away. Don’t despise it (Zechariah 4:10).
Embrace to process of developing it. We need the training.
It could lead to the biggest opportunity you’ve never had the guts to dream of!

Living to Worship Him,
Kela

What Other’s Words Create

August 11, 2016 by Kela In Faith, Ministry 2 Comments

Pursuing What Is Excellent -- What Other's Words Create

I’ve recently started reading a great book that I know will be beneficial for me.

I wasn’t a few pages in before a simple, tucked away in a paragraph, sentence stirred me.
There was something there that I couldn’t put my finger on. I journaled and also asked God to reveal if there’s something that I’m overlooking.
Nothing has come up yet.

As I was able to sit still for a few minutes, my heart started pounding so rapidly.
I had to get serious with myself and ask, “What lens are you reading through?”
I know my tendencies of taking on other’s emotions. They don’t even belong to me.
For seasons I have to stop reading certain types of blogs because of my tendency to put on someone else’s problems and start to see them in my life..and they aren’t even my reality!!

When I read, I will now have to start asking myself:

Am I taking something into my spirit that doesn’t belong to me?
Am I assigning something to my heart that should not be there?
How long will I stick with this book before I realize that its doing more harm than good?
If there is something that I need to deal with, do I have someone to talk to that can help me?

Reading ANY literature is thought provoking. What thoughts are being provoked, though?
Captivate those thoughts just as the Bible says (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)!
Human reasoning can get our imagination flowing and can create things that should’ve been squashed at its conception.

We have to be mindful of the thoughts we hang out with. Reading fills our minds with whatever the author has crafted.
What we read could’ve been the most beautiful, godly and Spirit-filled written content that will make a positive impact! And that’s a wonderful thing! Don’t throw out great reads!
I am an avid reader and really enjoy the majority of what I read! Y’all know that because I recommend lots of books.
While that is true, I have to be mindful of the lens that I read a book through.
I must stick to what I know about myself, and tendencies.

Some may think that my stance is a sign of weakness and that I’ve allowed my emotions to be all over the place, but how many times have you heard someone say that a book has changed their lives?
See, those words had power!
Words create.
I want something created in me that glorifies God, that helps me to see any sin in my life and repent, that lead me to know my Savior better, that express gratitude for those around me, that helps me to rightly minister to others.

What are other’s words creating?

Living to Worship Him,
Kela

Everyday Peace Small Group Bible Study

July 29, 2016 by Kela In Bible Study, Faith, Ministry Leave a comment

What a whirlwind of a Summer it has been! It’s still going strong but the dates on the calendar indicates that we’re winding down.

Fall is soon upon us and that usually means getting back into routine and looking forward to fresh beginnings. Season changes seem to have that effect on folks!

In comes new Bible studies and new fellowship; whether in our local churches, ladies gathering in homes or at coffee shops, or in small classrooms.
That also means online groups that have us perched in a quiet corner with our favorite hot beverage or water that we’re trying to get in from the start of our day.
We also find ourselves with our Bibles, pens, books, and journals sprawled out across the kitchen table.
However it finds you, I’ll bet you’re longing for that sacred connection; between you and God, and with other women that feel your heartbeat!

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I have a great opportunity, desire, and excitement to lead such an online group Bible study with you!

Katie Orr, author of many wonderful Bible Studies, gathered a small group of women together in the beginning of Summer to be a part of her Everyday Peace pilot study.

In the times that we’re living in, peace can seemingly be hard to find. But, my friend, it CAN be found!
Focusing on Philippians 4 and using Katie’s FOCUSed15 study method, we’ll dive into finding

Peace in Everyday Stress
Peace in Any Circumstance
Peace in Dissension

Everyday Peace is a four week study that I’ll be leading in my closed Facebook Group, Word Treasurers starting Monday, September 12 – Friday, October 7!

Space is limited, and for women only. Request to join the Word Treasurers Facebook group today, and pre-order your copy of Everyday Peace!

Find out more about Everyday Peace here, and about Katie’s FOCUSed15 Bible Study method here. It has been pivotal in the way I study God’s Word no matter what I’m studying.

I look forward to studying with you!!

Living to Worship Him,
Kela

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