Faces In Your Family Tree

THE FACES IN YOUR FAMILY TREE

There was a piece of paper lying around at the church, just in a pile of other papers. I picked it up because of the quote that caught my eye, it reads:

By the age of forty everyone has the face they deserve.
~ Oscar Wilde, author (1854-1900)

It is saying that our faces take on the outward expression of what we have lived and our attitude toward life. It shows up on our face in many ways.

The name of the lesson was Renovating The Heart - 'Facing' the Facts...

It went on to say that over time, our faces take on the outward expression of what is inside our hearts. Saying that if we continually wear a scowl, which is an indicator of how we feel inside, or if we have smile lines around our eyes, that is also the indicator of how we feel inside. Saying if we had lines of stress stamped on our foreheads, it might indicate that we have chosen to allow ourselves to be angry and stressed about life. What shape our mouths take on, if curve upward, it may mean we have chosen to face life with a positive attitude. All of which reflect our trust in the Lord or our lack of trust in the Lord.

It was good about citing things about genetics also, saying that genetic structure of our faces should be partially considered.

Next time you are at a family reunion, at July 4th celebration, at the mall, or any gather of folks, without being judgemental or mean spirited look at the faces of those over 40 and consider what thier facial structures tell you.

In the quote above Oscar Wilde is saying that our faces reflect the choices we have made over the years. That the choices come from our hearts.

Let's ask the Lord to be the "owner" of our hearts and minds allowing Him to be the reflection on our faces. Let us look in the mirror at our own faces. This is the face that the Lord God has given us. Let us allow Him to guide us in our choices, our views, our judgements, our thoughts, our perspectives, and how we function in the world around us.

Investigate my life, O god,

find out everything about me;

Cross-examine and test me,

get a clear picture of what I'm about.

Psalm 139:23

Listen....

"Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.

Blessed is the man who listens to me,

watching daily at my doors,

waiting at my doorway."

Proverbs 8:33-34 NIV

My first book "Confessions of a pastors wife: He speaks can you hear Him?" (which I am thrilled to say is due out in October!) was given to me by the Lord. I had no intention of writing a book before the day that the Lord "spoke it into me." Many times we are hearing the Lord speak something directly into our Spirit. We really need to learn that we have a Spirit that is divinely connected to Christ Jesus, who is divinely connected to our God. When Jesus left His humanness behind He promised to leave us with the Holy Spirit. He did this in order for each of us to be able to "connect" with Him.

When I began the writing of this book the above Scripture was given to me by the Lord immediately so that I would be sure to listen to Him and not ignore Him. He knows our tendency to ignore Him when He has given us a huge task to do. He knows that we don't feel capable on our own to do what He has asked of us. He's telling us it would be wise of us to listen, and that we will be blessed for doing so. I think that a large part of society wonders why they have an emptiness in their lives, wondering what their purpose is and why they don't experience the blessing of fulfillment. I would venture to say that it's because they are not listening to the voice of the Lord. Therefore, missing out on working in tandem with Him, missing out on the blessings that would be given if they would.

The last part of the passage says "watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." Oooh, I love this! He has doors of opportunity just waiting to swing wide open for you if only you were there daily watching with expectancy and faith in what our awesome God is going to do with you!

Listen to Him, He still speaks today, to you, and to me! Be wise and don't ignore it! Experience the full blessing of what He wants you to have!

I will leave you with this final Scripture passage and I ask you to meditate on both of them, hear what He has to say to you...

"This is My Son, My Chosen;

Listen to Him!

Luke 9:35

Thank God for Fathers

Today is Fathers Day and our oldest daughter Tabby (that's her on the right, she is a shining light!) and her husband Gerald came to visit. The wonderful thing about today was that she surprised her Dad! She didn't tell him she was coming. My husband is a pastor, and I am on the praise team at church. He comes and stands beside me and joins me in song each Sunday when he's able to through out the service.

Tabby had called me previous to her coming and let me know that she and Gerald would be coming to surprise Dad, and of course she swore me to secrecy! I kept looking for their arrival with anticipated glee for Bruce, and the joy that glee would bring her. They were running late because they missed an exit on there way in. However they did make it just before the service started. :) I see them and Bruce does not, I greet them both with joy and hugs and rush back up to my place on the stage.

Anyway, I am standing on the stage with the praise team, and Bruce comes and stands next to me. We are singing and praising God. Tabby and I are waiting for her Dad to notice that she is there. Then Bruce, as he is standing there with me scanning the congregation, he spots his daughter, and I see the smile come across his face, and the small tears well up in his eyes. How wonderful it is to see your child standing there looking at you with love so big it can be felt. Bruce whispers in my ear "Tabitha is here to surprise me on Father's Day!" We look at one another and smile. This moment was particularly sweet for him, and of course for me.

After church, we go to lunch, and she reminisced on many of the sweet things he did for her growing up. He is all smiles, thrilled that the little things really were the big things that she remembers to this day. Oh, how special the love between father and daughter.

I give such thanks to you God for the way you have joined our family together!

Blessings to all dads out there, you really do make a HUGE difference in the lives of your daughters. Thanks for all that you do to bring them up to be lovers of the Lord.

Kathryn

Beautiful Love!

Everyone wants to feel loved and special on their birthday. At the very least remembered. Your birthday holds something beautiful, holds something that each of us can understand. It's a day that we feel loved, and honored because we are "here" and we each hope that our friends and family are "glad" that we are here. When we are remembered by those that we love it brings joy to the soul. It causes us to know that for one day it is OK to make it "all about me." We know that all of the other 364 days can not be. So the 1 day that it can be, that it's OK to say, "this is my day, this is the day that you let me know you are SO glad that I am here!

Take a look at the photo above, (that's their dog Dayton too :)

I did not download this from some place on the web, this is an actual photo of the breakfast my sweet wonderful son-in-law Gerald cooked for my daughter, his wife, for breakfast on her birthday! Aren't they the cutest couple?!!! Am I a proud mom or what? :)

This was not something that cost a fortune, but was worth a fortune to her and to her heart! I am so thankful to have a son-in-law that loves my daughter this way! I praise God for this!

So for those of you celebrating your birthday... Happy Happy Birthday! It is YOUR day! Enjoy it fully!

Thanking God for you today,

Kathryn

Are you living a "Death"-style or a "Life"-Style?

What voices are you listening to in your head? Those voices can be life-giving, or death-giving. This makes a HUGE difference in how you function in your life. What do you want, who do you want to be? Who do you want to listen to? God speaks into your life if you will listen to Him. He wants to give you life, fully and abundantly.

What came immediately to your mind when you read the title of this blog? This question is prudent to ask. I believe that in order for us to experience our lives in the most positive way we need to examine this question. This question needs to be posed and pointed to the many facets of our lives. Lets take a few of the facets and review this question in regard to them. But before we do let us read the following Scripture passage...

"Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!" 1 Samuel 25:6

Many times when we are in the work place environment we behave as professionals, careful with the way we respond to those around us. Careful not to offend, careful to be respectful of others, careful to work diligently on our projects at hand. The opposite could also be true. Many folks can be offensive, trying to Lord over those that they supervise, demanding respect that has not yet been earned. Are you living a "life"-style or a "death"-style in your endeavors?

Grace or No Grace? Do you allow for grace among your employees, and not with your family or vice versa? Do you you provide yourself and others with good "mental" "spiritual" "physical" health?

Do you feel like you have been living this way so long that it is too late to change? Do you believe that the people you "lead" would not welcome a change in your "style" of leadership? Wouldn't it be a huge relief to let go of the heavy handedness?

Ask yourself the following questions and pray about the changes you want in your life.

• What do you want LESS of in your life? (make a list)


• What do you want MORE of in your life? (make a list)


• To live more fully into your LIFE-style what is the first change you are going to make and when will you commit to making the change?

I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now, CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

Value yourself and all of those that the Lord has placed in your life. Take the time to journal the above questions. Commit to no longer live a "death"-style, but to live a "life"-style...

Praying for you in your "life-full" journey!

Kathryn

http://www.awakeningslifecoaching.com/

Awaken to your life!

So, what does having an “Awakened Life” or “Holy Spirit-connected life” mean? It means to live wholly holy. Don’t think that Jesus expects this way of living as “having to be perfect”… For me, it means to be completely in step with the Holy Spirit, to make a choice for Christ. Within that choice is an amazing freedom. He carries our burdens, instills us with His Holy Spirit! This is amazing love! This is the ultimate in creative intelligence.

Keeping in step with the Spirit takes active concentration, commitment, and discipline. Unfortunately, many people (including myself) can pay attention to so many other things that keep us from living and walking with the Holy Spirit. One of those obstacles is pride, which CS Lewis says, “is spiritual cancer that eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.”

It’s been said, and I believe this with my whole heart; that we speak to God with every word and breath that we release. And with each and every breath we breathe in He makes Himself known to us. After all He is the breath of life. We are never apart or separated from God, although we can miss “hearing him speak to us” if we are not tuned in to His message. Too often we tune Him out, like so many other things in our lives.

From my heart to your heart…I want for you to be in connection with the Lord, the giver of life, who stretched out his arms on the cross, and offered himself, a perfect sacrifice for you and the whole world, so that you would have life everlasting.

He has joy for you, plans for you to prosper, and to love, even in the midst of struggle. I want to give of you hope and joy in your journey. The choice to live in every moment with love, faith, and glorious expectation is mine and yours! Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from living in the glory that the Holy Spirit provides.

For those of you who have God given dreams, keep dreaming. Make sure that you dream big enough dreams that you must include God!! Push beyond the limits of your comfort zone! You do realize where those dreams come from don't you? Do you trust where they originate? Step out in faith, don’t just sit there sitting on your dream, embrace it! Love it, and live it!

What are you doing with your mind? How are you choosing to live your life? What thoughts, what character do you want or do you long for? What kind of leader do you want to be? What changes do you need to make to be that kind of leader? Be transformed by the renewing of your mind!

As a Life Coach, I partner with you (check out my website www.AwakeningsLifeCoaching.com) in discovering the dreams God has given you and I encourage those I coach to begin praying, about the plan that the Lord has. Always pray about the choices you make and why you make them. My prayer for you is to Awaken your Spirit, transform your life into a breathtaking and joyous, Holy Spirit life! Live for God, because He lives for you!

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit"~
Gal 5:25

"He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple."~
Isaiah 50:4b

My prayer for you is to Awaken your Spirit, transform your life into a breathtaking and joyous, Holy Spirit life! Live for God, because He lives for you, I know this to be true! Listen with ears to hear, a heart prepared, eyes gazing up into the clouds, and experience the enormity of His love! Dream, pray, bask in His glory; discover the beauty He has just for you! Discovery is one of the best parts of the journey!

Here's to your Spirit being Awakened each morning by His voice!
Kathryn

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