HE LIKES ME?

Love is complicated. There are people in our lives who are automatically commissioned to love us...parents, siblings, spouses. This group, though they must daily choose to exercise and walk in that love, is bound to us by either blood or covenant.

While these bonds of love are extremely powerful, at times you may feel you are only loved out of obligation. The same can even be true when pondering the love God gives. When you enter into a right relationship with God through Jesus, you are automatically swept under the protective, peaceful wings of God, covered by His everlasting love. Today you may be thinking, “Yeah, God loves me because He has to; He’s committed. I slipped under His blanket of grace, but would He love me if He hadn’t promised to?”

This morning I had a thought pop into my head. Not only does God love me; He LIKES me. God likes me!!! I took some moments just soaking in those three words and they were good medicine. It made me think of the verse in John 15:15, 16 (which I happened to flip right to) where Jesus said, “...I have called you friends...You did not choose me, but I chose you...”

God loves you with a love that moves mountains, conquers the most hopeless battles, pieces together shards of brokenness, breaks the strongest oppression, and heals the most hurting hearts. Not only does He pour out this love upon you without limit, He has chosen you and He likes you beyond measure...every millisecond of each day.

He doesn’t like you for what you do for a living, how fit you are, how accepted you are by others, not for your success level or for your educational achievements. He’s not impressed by your human feats...He’s touched by your faith and the fact that you desire to draw closer to Him.

Almighty God likes you for you; just the way you are...just the way He made you. He knit you together, knows the number of hairs on your head, and couldn’t be more proud to call you His child.

Deep inside, you may feel like no one in your world loves or even likes you. I’m here to remind you that God likes YOU. He likes you today, He liked you yesterday, and He will like you past eternity...will you take in this good medicine today?

Grace and Love,
Katie Marie

STRANGE WAYS

Hey everyone,

As I awakened this morning and just laid there spending some quiet moments with God, I was reminded of a story found in Mark 8:22-26. Jesus is met by a group of people who brought a blind man with them seeking his healing. This story has always fascinated me because of the way Jesus went about healing this man. But as I headed to my Bible to find the story, I was overtaken by a whole new detail in this story. Let’s take a look:

“He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.” Mark 8:23 (NIV)

I’m sure I have read these words before, but this morning I couldn’t believe my eyes. The compassion and love threaded through Jesus’ beautiful, yet simple act of taking this blind man by the hand and leading him outside the village is astounding. He could have allowed one of the others accompanying them to lead him, but Christ chose to put his hand in the blind man’s hand to bring him to the place of his healing. I can only imagine the sensation of having complete darkness around me, yet feeling the warmth and comfort of Jesus’ hand in mine...pulling me forward to an unknown destination. This is our daily walk with Christ...blind, unknown, yet ordained and led.

Now let’s talk about the healing that followed. Let’s imagine ourselves in the sandals of this blind man. He has just been led to a foreign place, positioned before Jesus. What must this man have felt? What thoughts swept across his mind as he awaited his healing? He was standing in front of someone his eyes had never seen, waiting for something to happen that he had never experienced before. Was he fearful? Did he have questions? If he did, they never escaped his mouth. He apparently stood quietly and allow Jesus to do whatever He wished, knowing in the end, he would receive what was promised him.

Suddenly, without warning, Jesus spits right on the man’s eyes. “When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” Mark 8:23 (NIV) What a surprise and shock that must have been! It seems he would have said something in response to what had just occurred. However, the man’s only reply is an answer to what he saw. He simply stood, allowed Jesus to work, and responded to the question before him. What faith! What trust!

I bring this story to you today to remind you as I remind myself. God is an untamed, “Out of the box” God. We can read countless stories throughout the Bible where God does the most unexpected things to accomplish His work. In this story found in Mark 8, Jesus chose to spit upon a man’s eyes and touch them to restore his sight. At other times, He simply spoke and sight was restored. He even spit on the ground, made mud, and covered a man’s eyes to heal him.

Almighty God wants to do miraculous things in and through us for His glory. Will we allow Him, no matter how He goes about it, to accomplish His work? What about the times when we’re lead outside our comfort zone, surrounded by darkness and unknowns? What are we thinking when we feel blinded and unsure of God’s future workings? What if Jesus chose to spit upon our eyes and cover them with His hands? Do we trust Him enough to quiet the fears and questions and let Him work?

If we simply stand, knowing He’s right before with us, working even when we can’t see what He’s doing, He will complete whatever it is He desires. And we know through God’s promises that His plans for us indeed laid out, they are good, and they will bring us hope and a future. No matter God’s strange ways, may we each stand in faith before Him as He works...

OFF THE HOOK

Hi, my blog friends,

I just wanted to share a few thoughts with you about a subject that has been heavy on my heart these last few days. In Romans 8:1, the Bible boldly proclaims that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And yet, it seems we are constantly fighting the spirit of condemnation wherever we turn.

I love how the Message version states the truth in Romans: "With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.”

Did you receive that? What a beautiful word to grab hold of DAILY. Our fateful dilemma is solved if we will just enter into the fact that Jesus is here for us, desiring nothing more than to release us from all condemnation. The key is, we must accept this gift and choose to continually renew ourselves in this truth.

Any time we have lies sweeping across our minds or infiltrating our ears, we must choose to cast them out in Jesus' powerful name. If Jesus never condemns us but acts as our constant defender, how is it so hard to receive this hard work He is doing for us every moment of our days?

Imagine all forms of condemnation as gigantic fish hooks. The enemy of our souls is constantly dangling these sparkling, unassuming barbed traps before us just hoping we will sink our teeth in. And it doesn't have to be a huge bite to be caught by these traps. It only takes a tiny nibble of the lies we're bombarded with for us to become immediately ensnared. The moment we entertain a single negative thought or receive the hurtful words of others, the devil has us.

Suddenly feeling the terrible tension and discomfort of this hook, we begin to pull away with all of our might. But, instead of using the truth of Christ to untangle us, at times we choose to try to release ourselves by our own means. The next thing we know, we've run into another hook and then another.

Without warning, we are trapped, riddled with hooks and tangled in lines of lies. We become nothing more than powerless fish squirming at the end of satan's lures. This is certainly no place for those who are given authority in Christ to boldly walk in freedom.

Let's allow ourselves the liberty today of letting ourselves off the proverbial hook. Let's allow Jesus the space and freedom to reveal our hooks of condemnation, whatever they may be, and simply rest where He has us today. May we proclaim out of our mouths God's words of truth to combat and defeat the constant lies being dangled in our faces.

Whether we feel it or not, we are each strong and mighty in Christ. He is fully able and longing to help us through this day. It is simply our job to allow ourselves to be content with where God has us today and know that He is more than delighted in us and He is desperately longing to direct the way for this moment. Join me as we let ourselves off the hook today - freedom is so sweet...

In His Love,
Katie Marie

FORWARD TODAY

We live in a world of constant motion. Life is in a fast-paced, fast food, fast-forward spin. We are all naturally prompted to move forward, yet there is a small, subconscious part of us that yearns for something in the past. Either we long to change details of our history or wish we could cement ourselves in the precious memories of distant, former days.

But, if we are constantly looking back, trying to relive or re-do the past, that is just how we will walk...backwards. We weren’t created to live this way - our heads, feet, and bodies are formed to walk into the future, not in reverse. If you doubt me, try walking backwards sometime and see how much ground you cover…I guarantee you’ll feel awkward, at best. It’s time-consuming, dangerous, and obviously counter-productive.

We are made to walk forward, to move on and conquer new territories. Even though most of our daily lives form a revolving circle from home to school, work, the store, and back home, we are always accomplishing something with each step taken.

Our minds need to do the same. We must not step backward in our minds; it’s not what they were made for either. Our brains were formed to be inconceivably complex so we’d have the capacity and ability to learn new things and hold new information, while also accessing former memories.

We can’t let our recollections of the past hold us back, be they fond or painful. They can each provide incredibly helpful reminders of past things we have experienced. These stored memories are meant to help us on our journey forward. Let painful lessons become flashing warning signs of future barricades, potholes, and dead-ends. See them, also, as blinking arrows directing to God’s grace and ever-flowing mercies that renew each day. Allow happy memories to be an encouragement; a source of loving road signs of God’s loyalty and delight in us.

May each memory vividly remind you of just how He rescued and lifted you higher than any place you could have ever attained on your own. Let them be tangible evidence that He was, is, and always will be faithful and true to you. Standing on His promises, survey future horizons and realize the adventure continues with a single step forward today…

“...Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

In Him,
Katie Marie

ARM IN ARM

Hey precious friends,

Have any of you felt distracted lately? Does it seem that you’ve been dealt a low blow somewhere in your life? Are you being ruthlessly attacked in your mind, your body, or even in your physical environment? Does it seem that recently you’ve been forced to switch your focus from loving on God to keeping diligent guard against the constant right and left hooks taking you by surprise?

Lately, as I’ve hung out with friends and connected with new people around me, it appears there’s a common theme sweeping through. We are being driven to spend our time and energy defending ourselves against attacks by the enemy of our souls so we will become distracted and pulled from our true focus.

Recently, as I was finding myself in the same spot, God laid it on my heart that I had gotten caught up in fighting off attacks while forgetting the most important detail in life. I had lost sight of who it is by my side. He reminded me that through this life, I am walking with the God of the Universe! It may seem like an elementary concept to those who love Jesus, and foreign to those who haven’t yet come to know Him, but this has been truly profound in my own life these last few weeks.

When you can deeply grasp the fact that the God who formed the heavens, earth, and all that exists within them is walking arm in arm with you, your world suddenly changes. You are free to move from the anxiety of “watching your back,” to the peace and quiet confidence that is yours to own in Christ.

What’s been distracting and filling your thoughts lately...friends, work, school, sickness, gossip, selfishness? Maybe even well intentioned striving has been pulling you away from your focus on God. No matter what you’re facing, beat distraction at its own game and choose to shift your gaze up to the Light.

Today, I encourage you to do what I am doing. Take your eyes off the constant attacks and kicks this life is throwing your way. Grab hold of your authority in Christ over every weapon aimed with you in its scope, and place each firmly under your feet where they belong. It’s simple; no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Period.(Isaiah 54:16 AMP)

Once that powerful truth has settled into your heart, take a moment to imagine the unseen reality that the Lord of all is right beside you, walking you through each moment of every day you breathe this earth’s air.

After all, when you’ve got God’s mighty arm entwined with yours, what is there to fear? Despite appearances, trust that your Maker is surely handling your battles, struggles and the attacks you’re facing today, no matter where they come from. He will wipe away each of your tears, calm every hidden fear, quiet your resounding questions, and comfort you with His perfect love. He is there to take you wherever you need to go this and every day, to celebrate those adventures, and rejoice in your victories.

Your job is simply to breathe and smile, knowing you are walking arm in arm with your God...

In His Surreal Love,
Katie Marie

GOD SENSE

Here you are. This is the very moment you have been waiting for...all of the scores have been added and every total has been tallied. You know you have won. The numbers are in your favor, but the game was apparently too close to call. The "powers that be" are deliberating, and the results are just a moment away. You know in your heart the way it will turn out.

Suddenly, to your utter shock and dismay, the verdict reveals the opposite of what you know was meant to happen. You lost it all. You didn't get the dream job. The promotion you deserved was given to a less qualified co-worker. The dice finally landed, the judge has ruled, and the headline of today's paper reads: "The nice guy finishes last...again."

The only sense you can make in these heartbreaking and dream-shaking situations is that it makes NO SENSE. The words bombarding your mind and rolling across your angry lips are, "This just doesn't add up. There's no way it can be right..."

In a world tainted with pain, destruction, ugliness, and heartache, the last thing we need is to be nailed by another of life's bitter stings. It seems no matter how hard we struggle, claw, climb, and crawl, we feel we can never quite get to the top of our hill. We are realizing it's made of quicksand. Without fail, the short end of the stick is ours yet again.

But, what if some of life's situations just aren't meant to "work in your favor?" What if you weren't meant to get that particular job, that promotion, that significant other? What if God's plan for you is different? Bigger? Is it possible He wants to keep you flexible and agile in your mindset, your trust, hope, and faith? Is that why He's allowing you these opportunities to EXERCISE these areas of life? Maybe He wants to free you up for something so much better and greater and higher than anything you've ever seen or known.

I think when it seems all of life's chips are down and we're at our very end, God is the closest to revealing His true, magnificent plans for us. The only thing that makes sense when life makes no sense, is that it must make GOD SENSE. You know He's really up to something divine when 2 + 2 doesn’t equal 4. He must be getting ready to bless us, to change our circumstances, to rearrange our lives, and to draw us into Him even closer...

How many times have we heard that God works in mysterious ways? Yet when it's time to put that on and apply it to our own intimate lives, it's as fun to hear as nails on a chalkboard and comfy to wear as our itchiest wool sweater. But if we can get past all of that to realize its deep meaning, we can see that He truly does work in mystifying ways and His ways, plans, and systems are much higher than ours. His ways are not our ways...they are so much better!

So as we find ourselves in a situation where the score has been added and we've won the game on paper, yet we're sitting there with the "2nd Place" trophy, let's look upon it with the understanding that when the only sense a situation makes is that it makes no sense, somehow it must make GOD SENSE...He must be up to something so much greater. The best part is that it's totally up to Him to work out all of the details; we've done all we can do and have come to the end of ourselves. He loves that! Our only job now is to stay on-board and hang on tight for the ride. This, my friend, is the ride of our lives...

“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 64:4 (NIV)

Love and grace to you,
Katie Marie :)

MY NEW BOOK

Hello, all of my blog friends!


HALLELUJAH! I wanted you to be among the very first to know that I just submitted my first devotional book to the Women of Faith Writing Competition!

This project has been in the works for over two years, and finally, it's headed off for review!

To all of you who have been praying, I can't thank you enough! It truly is because of you that I seek to have this book published. I long await the day AN ECLECTIC DEVOTION is in your hands!

Now that my editing days are over, I hope to bring you some fresh insights on this Mighty King whom I love and adore!

Please keep posted for book updates and new devotions.

God bless you in 2011!


Grace and Abounding Love,
Katie Marie