Archive for the ‘Devotions’ Category

Posted on April 8, 2010 - by kelly

Things I Love About My Grandpa

Proverbs 17:6

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

 

I had the fortune of growing up in an awesome family steaped in tradition and old-fashion family values.  This wasn’t always something that I appreciated, but as time passes, I have grown to honor it a great deal.  I’m certain these roots lie further back in time, but in my memory, they start with my Grandpa. 

Last week I was able to celebrate the life of Norris Acy Wing, aka Grandpa.  This man was the kindest person I ever had the honor of knowing, and the legacy he leaves behind is entwined in all the lives that he touched throughout the years.  When reflecting on a snapshot of his 88 years of life it could have been one of great sorrow and loss, but Grandpa  triumphed at every challenge, never choosing to look at the negatives, only the possibilities of what lie ahead.

These are a few of the things that come to mind when I think of my Grandpa:

• Grandpa had the best laugh of anyone I ever knew.  It started as this deep chuckle, with the sides of his mouth turned up just so, and would grow into a deep belly laugh, rich with emotion.
• Grandpa had the softest skin.  I loved to hold his hand or kiss his cheek.  His skin was like velvet.  (My mom has the same feel.  One of my favorite childhood memories was sitting in church tracing my fingers over the vein lines on her hands feeling her silk skin beneath my little fingers.)
• If you ever met my Grandpa you would never forget his voice.  Rich, deep, warm, perfect.  If heaven has a choir, he’s singing lead.  One of my favorite memories is him singing at his 80 th birthday an old hymn about Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendigo.  Better than any modern day tune ever.  Shannon and I still stop and dance anytime we hear “It Had To Be You,” which Grandpa sang to us for our first wedding dance the day we got married.
• Grandpa was so gentle.  Wether it was holding a great grand baby or swinging a golf club, everything he did was gentle.  He had a grace about him that was indescribable.  Even as he got older and wasn’t as sturdy, he walked with this peaceful grace.
• Grandpa was never mean.  I can honestly say I never heard him say a negative thing about anyone, ever.  I know of no one else in the world that I could say this about.  He always looked at the positives in people. 
• The list is endless, but my favorite thing about my Grandpa was that he loved Jesus.  He taught his children to love him, his grandchildren to love him, and anyone he came in contact with knew he loved Jesus.  The legacy he leaves behind has not only impacted the lives of those here on earth, but it will have everlasting impact on how those people spend eternity.

I am a lucky girl to have loved such a great man.  Selfishly I was not ready to say good bye, but I am thankful for the heritage and the memories I will always have of this incredible gift I called Grandpa.

Posted on December 21, 2009 - by kelly

What’s in a Name?

Matthew 1:21-23  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people form their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  ”The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

God with us.  What does that mean to you today?  As you prepare for this busy week and finish up the last minute details that make your Christmas yours, I encourage you to take a moment and contimplate the meaning behind the name given to Jesus, Immanuel. 

The thought of naming my first born was both a priveldge and a burden.  I wanted to choose the most perfect name because this would define who this little girl would be for the rest of her life.  And then again with my son; what name would he be given that would define his character along with the traits that I hoped and dreamed he would possess? 

Immanuel, God with us.  What a beautiful image.  God, a name above all names, here on earth.  Walking roads with weary feet, rubbing shoulders with friends and enemies, thirsty and hungry, joyful and sad; God in human form.  He could have chosen another way.  There were no guarantees it would work, but he made himself vulnerable and came to earth non the less to be a living sacrifice for our wrongs.

This Christmas, take a moment to remember the meaning behind the name.  Jesus, “”he will save his people from their sins.”  Immanuel, “God with us.”

Posted on September 28, 2009 - by kelly

Time Off + Reflection = More Productivity

I recently had the opportunity to “retreat” with other churches in the Northeast involved with church planting through the Orchard Group.  This was an amazing time of sharing, team building, reflection, and reminders of why it is I do the job I do. 

During this 2 day experience I was prompted to reflect on my obedience to one of God’s simple commands: Deuteronomy 5:12, “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy as the Lord your God has commanded you.”  Most people look to Sundays as their Sabbath, but working for a church, that can not be the case for me.  At CCV, we as a staff try to take Friday as our day off, but it is so easy to log onto the computer, make a few phone calls, run up to check on just one thing, meet someone for lunch; and before you know it, the day has slipped by and a few minutes has turned into a couple of hours and the rest and reflection time of the Sabbath has been stolen. 

It’s no wonder that I become less productive during the week.  Work that is normally challenging and a joy becomes drudgery.  God has given me a gift, a command even, to take time to care for myself, and I have politely said, “No thank you.” 

As I was reading this morning, by no accident I came to Acts 3:19, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.”  “Time of refreshing,” who couldn’t use that?  If I never take intentional time to repent and allow God to speak to me and fill me back up, I end up doing his work on my power.  

Visions of trying to push my car instead of filling it up at the gas station and allowing the gas to power my car comes to mind.  It would be a bit ridiculous (and impossible) to push my car everywhere I needed to go, but that’s what I try to do with work.  Instead of taking time to fill up, I continue to run on empty.  It isn’t healthy for me, my family, my team members, nor the families I’m trying to serve.  Instead of getting further, I get further behind. 

I am taking this reminder as a challenge to take my Sabbath day seriously, to plan and spend my time wisely so that I can have those refreshing moments with God.  It is a privilege to serve on God’s team, I just need to make sure that I invite him to play.

Posted on February 9, 2009 - by kelly

How deep are your roots?

Posted on October 16, 2008 - by kelly

Fear

I never thought of myself as a scaredy cat kind of person. I like scary movies, I don’t have to check under the bed for possible hiding people in hotel rooms (my husband), I am not afraid of my dark basement (Brian Jones), you get the idea. So recently I was faced with this fear thing, and it took me by surprise.

Last week some of our staff went on a retreat and Stephanie and I had the opportunity to go on a ropes course during some of our free time. It was a beautiful fall day up near the Poconos, the leaves were starting to change and there wasn’t a breeze to be found. We get harnessed up and Stephanie takes off cruising through the course like she was part chimpanzee. So it’s my turn, and I froze, completely scared out of my mind. I could no more take a step off that platform than I could lift a building. What was crazy about the experience was that the fear was completely unexpected. So I stood there frozen while a wrestling tournament was taking place in my mind. The logical side of my brain argued that my harness would hold me, the rope swing before me was something I had used a thousand times with my kids in the backyard, and Steph. was right in front of me cruising through the course with ease. The irrational side of my brain was arguing every reason that I would plunge to my death if I were to even think about stepping off that ledge.

Needless to say, with Stephanie’s encouraging words (or the threat of telling my kids what a chicken I was if I didn’t do it), I managed to take that first step. After that I was fine, the fear subsided and I made it through the course and was able to crash land like no other.

So the follow up left me thinking, what else scares me? Do I let fear stand in my way of doing things that would help me do my job better, be a better friend, wife, mother? I have to say, fear probably stops me from doing a lot of things that I’m unaware of. I am trying to be more in tune with that feeling and not let it keep me from accomplishing what God has set me out to do.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Posted on June 9, 2008 - by kelly

Legacy

Sunday we had Gene Appel as a guest speaker at our church. He spoke on the topic of leaving a legacy. The message was one of the most moving I have participated in awhile, one of those that won’t let you sleep.

What is my legacy? What am I doing that will make a significant impact on the world around me long after I’m gone?

Having moved several times in my life I have the advantage of seeing things in a temporary light. I have learned the hard way that we don’t have infinate time to do the things we want to do or say the things we want to say. Wether it is a job relocation or a death, time is a temporary measurement and I am challenged to make sure I am using mine efficiently.

So I left here Sunday thinking about how I am using my time. Starting the preschool last year was valuable time spent, now as I set out to oversee the direction of our weekend ministry I want to make sure I am leaving a legacy of growing families in our church while not sacrificing my own.

Gene asked us to end the service by writing our Legacy statements. My statement was this: “I hope to leave a legacy of loving God with all of my heart by honoring my family and maintaining a healthy balance of home and work.” I want my husband and children to know each day how much I love them.

Posted on May 8, 2008 - by kelly

Because I can’t, he can

Today was one of those gloomy weather, my son is home from school sick, my husband is out of town, feeling a little down kind of days. I find that on days like this my mind begins wondering and that voice of self doubt creeps in. I started looking around thinking about all the ways I have slacked off on house cleaning, how I had a to-do list a mile long at work that wasn’t getting done, phone calls to friends that were way over due, surely I’m not the person God wants me to be.

So I decided to sit down and pray. I thanked God for my unclean house, thanked him for my children who made it that way. I thanked God that my husband has a job that he loves, I thanked him for my job and the friends that I had made over the last year. I thanked him for having enough faith in me that he trusted me with the task of leading our children’s area.

The more I prayed the more I realized that it really is true, through my weaknesses, he is strong. I opened up my bible to James chapter 4:7-10

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.

I am thankful that God finds me useful, honored that he is able to work through me, and painfully aware that I am nothing without him.

Posted on April 29, 2008 - by kelly

Elijah

A few weeks ago I was reading about the prophet Elijah. Here is a guy who is fleeing for his life. He sets out to climb Mount Sinai and talk to God. As he stands on the mountain top God sends a crazy windstorm, next he sends an earthquake, and follows the quake with a fire. Now these are God sized calamities, I can only imagine what it must have been like to stand at the top of the mountain and witness God’s power through these storms. But the bible repeats, God was not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire. God shows up after all of these mighty acts in the sound of a gentle whisper.

As I was preparing to go out of town to a children’s conference last week, I felt myself behaving like a natural disaster. Everywhere I went was rushed, too busy for my co-workers, husband, kids, friends. I was creating the perfect storm around me. When I got to this conference one of the speakers reminded me of the story I had just read.

Sometimes I get so busy with doing “God’s work” that I forget to seek him out. I think if I can work a little harder, get a few more things checked off my list, connect with a few more volunteers, I will be worthy of the title I have been given. Funny thing is, I create this storm around me and God’s not there. He just wants me to take some time to hear the gentle breeze of his whispers.

Posted on April 29, 2008 - by kelly

Sit and Be Still

I have never met a stranger, a gift I inherited from my father. Grocery stores, restaurants, out of town museums; he can, and will talk to anyone. As a child this brought me great amounts of grief. It took an extra hour to go anywhere because of the conversations that would inevitably come.

I inherited this “gift of gab” from my dad; I love to talk, I love to meet new people, I love the sound of my own voice. I am what you would classify as an extrovert.

Last year I went to work in a cubicle environment, a large room divided by small partitions. I thrive in the buzzing environment of conversations and activity, but not everyone around me shares my enthusiasm. I started noticing my colleagues wearing headphones and even shushing me on occasion. Have you ever been shushed as an adult? It’s not a nice feeling.

Last Sunday our Pastor, Brian Jones, was talking about the different personality traits of introverts and extroverts. He gave a humorous demonstration of how different an introvert and extrovert would go through the motions of looking for lost car keys.

The contrast between the two was humorous. I laughed at the comedy of what I must sound like from an outsider, but it got me to thinking. How can I ever hear what God wants for me to hear if I’m the one always talking? The bible tells us to sit and be still. How often do I take the time to listen, not verbalize the first thought that comes to my mind, not speak the many words of the voices in my head, but just listen. I have to admit, not often.

This is my goal for the week: to sit and be still. I will earnestly stop and listen for God. Who knows what he may be trying to tell me.