Be Good, Do Good, Live Good!

I've always known this ........There is good in the places and spaces that we inhabit even when all you hear are the hurts and tragic events of everyday life.

Sometimes to know and see the good is to go and look for it but, there is something better you can do. Be good, Do good, Live Good! When all else fails and your buried by the weight of this world, get up, get out and be the Good news! Be the light in this ever darkening world.......

Touch a heart. Feed a soul. Help the poor. Make someone smile. Hold their hand and lend them an ear. Look for ways to be the Good News....Every day all day. In your home and out.

I always make a point to let someone a head of me in line at the grocery store. Actually it's become a small habit of mine. The Good doesn't have to be big. Lot's of times it's the small and simple that make the biggest impact. Showing someone patience especially when you have 6 kids and a full grocery cart and your still insisting they get in front of you....Oh if I had a picture for all of the shocked faces!

Yes there is still Good out there......Especially if you are the one doing Good!

Here is a Good News story I found. It should make you SMILE!

Be Contagious

For a while now there has been an old song that keeps playing over and over again in my head. It's the times we live in that bring it to my mind........"Good news" by Anne Murray. In the chorus she sings "I sure could use a little good news today."

It seems no matter where you turn, this world seems to get darker and darker by the day. There just doesn't seem to be any good news to be found.....

But then again I really haven't been looking. If your not careful you can drowned in all the muck and the mire this world  shovels out, and before you know it you have forgotten how to breathe. I've been feeling like that lately...So helpless. Really doubting if I can really make a difference on this huge round circle we call earth.

And in small ways He keeps whispering "Oh but Kimmy you can, you are making a difference. Right there where you are." You see, I think if we all start where we are the good news will spread out and become contagious. Just like bad news becomes infectious. Good news is the anti-biotic for the bad news germs.

We are all here for a purpose. We all have a job to do. Our job is to spread the "Good News"!

We have to start somewhere and in our home is where it begins. I truly believe that the fall of a Nation is turning our backs on God and our Family! Daddy and Mommy need to work on their hurts and stay together. Marriage is not just something you do and then when your tired of it, you just walk away. It's worth fighting for! Your kids are worth fighting for!

Jesus is the healing for all that bad news. He's what helps keep Daddy and Mommy together. He gets you through the muck and mire. Washes you clean, dusts you off and sets you on your way to be the contagious one. Have you ever smiled at a grumpy person? It's contagious they have no choice but, to smile back!

For the whole month of December I'm devoted to bringing you "Good News" and who knows, maybe it will be contagious and spread.

I challenge you to join me. Each week won't you find a little good news and share it with everyone? Leave your good news story in the comments below the post on Face Book, and watch and see how contagious it becomes!

I came across this video and I wanted to share it with you! Please watch! It's worth it!

Elf On The Shelf And Santa Too!

As a little girl I remember believing in Santa Clause and the wonderful memories I have. Now that I'm all grown up and have children of my own, my man and I have carried on the tradition of good ole' St. Nick.

Four of my children are old enough to know the difference now. They all figured it out on their own and at quite an early age. I always answered their questions honestly when they started to doubt. I wanted them to figure it out and I wasn't going to lie to them when they asked for the truth about him. When they would ask if he was real, I would always ask them, well what do you think? And then the conversation would go from there. I always told them that Mommy and Daddy had so much fun pretending with you! And in the end there were no hard feelings only lot's of good memories that we still cherish today!

I was once asked "If you teach your children to believe in Santa Clause then how can you expect them to know that Jesus is real?"

And my answer was: Well, we don't go to church to worship Santa and we have never claimed that Santa can give you salvation. We have never prayed to Santa. He is just a jolly, chubby old man who gives gifts.

There is a great little movie put out by the makers of Veggie Tales that explains the story of St. Nicholas. It's absolutely wonderful to pull out when your littles begin to have their doubts about Santa. You can find it HERE.

Think back to when you were a kid and how much fun it was to make believe and pretend. We used our imaginations! That's how dreams begin and new creations and inventions are born! With out an imagination childhood would be very boring!

Last year I bought elf on the shelf for my youngest daughter but, I never got him out of the box. I feared that I was taking too much away from the real true meaning of Christmas. I was trying to figure out a way to incorporate fun and still have Jesus as the center of our attention,but I never came up with any thing, so the elf on the shelf literally sat on the shelf!

Until I ran across this one blog on Pinterest. She has come up with a creative way to use elf on the shelf and to keep Santa alive in their home with out putting Jesus off to the side, so to speak. You can find her thoughts and ideas HERE. She has put into words exactly how I feel about Santa. She also writes a letter to her children from Santa and in the letter Santa talks about Jesus and how Santa wants his little elf to get to know Jesus. She goes on to say that Jesus is all about grace.  Santa wants his little elf to learn how to make good choices. Well you will have to visit her blog to read the whole letter, it's very good!

So this year our little elf, Bo Jingles, is coming down off the shelf to play!

 I had also purchased some friends for him. It's a lot more fun to get into mischief when you have friends!

 So on Monday morning these little creatures will be on our front stoop waiting for little Autum.

 I have to tell you I'm not sure who will have more fun.......I bet it will be me!

I want to add that I am not against others not believing in Santa or not wanting to play with elves. I do understand and you have the right to raise your children the way you see fit......Just as I do.  *Smile*

The Pause Button

I often talk about putting a hold on life. If there were a big pause button I would of pushed it several hundred times by now. As a matter of fact if there were a rewind and fast forward button I would of used them many, many times as well.

I would of fast forward all the moments filled with pain, hurt and broken pieces. I've often wanted to rewind to the places where I can hug the neck of a loved one that is no longer here this side of heaven. Just to be given the chance to tell them all the precious things I never did when they were here. Just to see their sweet smile and hear their cracklin voice......To hear their laughter just one more time. To be given the chance to take it all in...to breathe in their life and never exhale.

But I know why the power to FF, RW or Pause was never ours to possess......

We would never learn if we kept pushing buttons to skip life's lessons. Never experience the true meaning of GRACE and LOVE.  We were meant for change because it's in changing that we grow. While our Faithful God remains the same, always good and just. Putting life on pause would never reveal how precious life is. Time flies for reasons un-seen until we are forced to see.

I've grown stronger...I've loved harder...I've forgiven much because much was forgiven of me. I would of never known how precious this life unless life had not been given.

When I'm feeling blue and this world seems so full of hate. And the heart aches just keep coming and loved ones keep leaving.......

I am blessed with the promise of Forever Heaven. And one day when my heart no longer beats I will be reunited with those who share in the promises of the redeemed.

I will go on living this life in the time that God has set for me. Living it for Him, keeping each precious moment tucked sweetly in my heart. Loving passionately.....Living so there are no regrets.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

Live this life with all the love that was given. Love came for you ...for me, to rescue us from all that this world tries to bury us with. He is our HOPE, our REFUGE, our PEACE.....He is LIFE!

Even In The Bitter Cold

How do we live this life when life happens in ways you never thought it would? When people change into people they were never meant to be.......How do you make one see how one is living (or not living) effects those that love them passionately.

When all the pain of this life settles into the bones of one who has lost hope.......And no amount of convincing and begging can bring one around....What do you do then?

When praying seems pointless and you can't see a flicker of light in the eyes that once sparkled with meaning and purpose....... Do you keep praying the same prayer? Do the words fall in silence just as Autumn's leaves fall into a blanket on the forest floor? And yet to bring about change He sends the first frost...the first bitter cold.

I'm praying, I will always keep praying, even in the bitter cold.

Praying this bitter frost will bring about change.......

I hear it in my soul, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

My heart's prayer is that the new things are allowed to come....Even through the bitter cold and no matter how much it can make one numb; This promise, this covenant clings tight to the soul of the broken hearted, to bring about change.

And I remember even now to give Him praise because even in the bitter cold the colors quickly fade into a wintry glistening blanket of white. Change can be beautiful if you choose to see it through His eyes. And even though the change can be oh so painful we also know that.....

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him; who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

We just have to believe, buried deep under the leaves and the snow, always, in the Spring comes bursting forth His new creation!

Looking Up A Whole Lot More

When life comes apart at the seams and the choices and decisions unravel all that was made good, look up.

 The other night I wept but, the next morning I was given peace and He told me through His word that I am to look up and set my eyes on Him. Not on Leaders of Nations and the worries of tomorrow. This place that I hold dear, The Mountains and meadows........ The Freedom and Liberty......Old Glory....

She was fought for by many and so many more were lost in the name of FREEDOM. If you read History there is not a nation in this world ever, that has stood strong with out GOD. They have all collapsed when the nation's people refused to look up.

And America, she is ripping apart at the seams. How do you save her? How do we save her?

We as His people have become too complacent. We have backed down when we should of stood up. Turned coward and lost our boldness. Leave our kids to people who will indoctrinate them with anything but, the truth! And when they come home we forget to ask what they have learned so that we can bring them back to truth. We have given up and become passive. Let go of what we hold dear.

We let men decide what is right and wrong instead of measuring our life to God's standards. We put the Bible down and become desensitized robots to the very people our Fore Fathers were battling to break free from.

WE accept that Islam is okay to be taught in our schools when "our little Johnny" can't even bow his head in prayer.We have forgotten our roots and let so many rewrite our History...Our heritage is being lost! If you don't remember History.....History will keep repeating itself!

My heart is torn at how divided our Countrymen have become!

Marriage is sacred! Life is Precious! Family is to be valued! But God must come FIRST!! We leave Him out of the equation and His hand of blessing will no longer hold our Beloved country together!


So as she is being torn apart I choose to stand strong and educate myself and those around me. I am here just passing through...This is not my home, but while I am here I will look up as I keep my eye on the prize. Love passionately, Help those in need, reach out to the lost and hold God's word to be the undeniable TRUTH. And if you challenge me I will be ready to confront you in LOVE and in TRUTH! I won't back down! I'm not one for confrontation but, isn't that why we are in the mess we are in?

1 Timothy 1:5:
But the Goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere Faith.

I want to live with a sincere faith. I will not be complacent or passive. We have already sat on our hands and closed our mouths for far too long!

What I have learned.....What I am doing now more than ever is TRUSTING Him a whole lot more. Praising Him a whole lot more. I am asking where I can serve. I am looking up a whole lot more! Because putting your trust in leaders of Nations...in mere mortal men will ultimately unravel what is good.....

Becoming Real, Because We Were Made For Grace

Is it okay to always show the better side of you? Because He never promised us that this life down here would always be perfect.

And how do you become real without clanging like a resounding gong? How do you let people know you've messed up with out stripping down raw to the shameful nakedness of it all?

I've been known to have horrible days all mangled and derailed off course...I've been that resounding gong. And instead of asking for help I complained and clanged loud. There was never comfort in any of it, for anyone.

To be real I had to rediscover GRACE all over again and then let it wash over this sin soaked Mama. I had to TRUST in Him who gave this life to me. I found Mentors who took my hand and hugged my neck while bathing me in prayer. Because they've already walked this road and stumbled on the rocks of reality.

I believe it's uplifting to show the better side of you but, at the same time it's encouraging to show the real you, the one who messes up and still through it all you can reveal His GRACE. Because always complaining never gets you any where.....But asking for help, learning from the mess and sharing what He has done to help you clean up your mangled and derailed day is BECOMING REAL.

And honestly, I do believe you have to strip raw and sometimes it's shameful........But GRACE soon covers up what makes us cringe and turn from embarrassment. And somehow your ashes are turned into wisdom and beauty. It's a wisdom you were meant to share with that one Mama struggling to see life clearly, struggling to see the beauty in it all......

In this journey it's knowing that your not alone. Your never alone. Because being a Mama isn't always easy and I have yet to find one who has it perfectly mastered. And can I just tell you, beware of the ones who seem like they do......you will be disappointed when you find out that she is learning to be REAL just like you and me....

Because we were made for GRACE!

If you need to be bathed in prayer this morning, just quietly slip me a note and I will be faithful in prayer to you.