KBR Ministries » Forum | Encouraging Girls to Grow in their Walk with Christ

August 1, 2010 KBR Ministries Leave a comment

What joy is found when we abide contentedly in the Lord’s timing and plan for us. Often it is our tendency to become discontent with our current stance in life. I have found that many of us waste so much of our youth away daydreaming about the future, missing the time at hand we can bless others while patiently trusting the Lord’s timing. I want to treasure this season the Lord has me in and treasure each day He gives me; right now that is as a daughter in my father’s home, learning to serve my parents and siblings.

The Lord has me here today for a reason and I need to rest in this beautiful moment! Why is there any hurry to “get on with life”? What is the rush for the next longed-for season that we each may be looking forward to? We need to prepare for that if it is God’s will for us, while at the same time enjoying the present season He has us in. Every season of life is a wide-open opportunity to witness for the Lord, to grow in the Lord, and to worship the Lord. We need to diligently focus on doing these things for His glory. If we are impatiently “waiting” in discontentment, we will miss so many of the blessings which surround us.

The Lord has encouraged me to simply treasure the moments I have right nowto spend with my family and to be a daughter in my parents’ home. I have so much to learn from my family and am very thankful for them, but because I can easily get in the habit of overlooking these “daily blessings,” I need to remind myself often of how important they are and take the opportunity to learn all I can during this season. So how do I remind myself to be thankful for the present moment, to make use of this day, and to treasure my family? How can I cultivate a cheerful and content attitude while resting in the Lord?

In the simplest things my attitude is determined. I can make the choice to wake up each morning thanking the Lord for the tweeting birds bidding me open my eyes and marvel at His beautiful creation; I can turn my thoughts toward Christ and His love so as to radiate it to my family; I can look at the stack of dirty dishes with joy that I have the opportunity to help my mother; I can help my siblings with their schoolwork wholeheartedly rather than brushing their needs away; I can take a walk outdoors and notice the beauties of world rather than complaining about the uncut grass. All these choices make the difference between being content where the Lord has me today, or instead I can pine away this season for one that may not come anytime soon! These decisions help me obey the Lord’s will to be content in wherever He has me, whatever the current situation. These choices divert my mind from a focus on the imperfections of life – and instead to all the joys of life. I love this verse:

“Rejoice evermore.”
(I Thessalonians 5:16)

Girls, make a choice to be thankful and content today. Stop worrying about your future and embrace today and its challenges and blessings. I encourage you to discover the joy and contentment that comes from trusting and abiding restfully in the Lord. Look at the blessings the Lord has given you all day long. You will be so much happier in the Lord! This will be such a blessing to those around you, as well. You need to treasure the day at hand, not fritter it away with eyes focused on some fairy-tale evaporating vision of the “future.”

“I have learned,
in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content.”
(Philippians 4:11)

We can chose to be discontent and unhappy, or we can choose to abide faithfully in the Lord and rest in His timing – and this attitude of life is far more abundant and joyful! Don’t waste your maiden days away, sister. Choose to be joyful and to bless others, focusing on their needs and use the time wisely. It is fleeting! So right now, go to the Lord in thanksgiving and praise Him for the blessings surrounding you today. Cultivate this joyful contentment!

Blessings to you, dear sister~

“Rejoice in the Lord always:
& again I say, Rejoice.”
(Philippians 4:4)

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2 Comments »

SAMANTHA » Thank you for sharing your heart with us once again, Sarah! Mom, Bekah and I were just talking about this very thing today. =) How important it is to treasure our “todays”, instead of sitting around waiting for our “tomorrows”! It is so easy to dream or boast about our future instead of making the best use of our time – today. James warns us of this in James 4:13-16. I agree that it is very important to be content in the Lord and wait on Him. Thank you for the reminder that I so need! Have a blessed day resting in the Lord!

MAGGGIE » Thank you so much, Sarah, for your encouraging and thought provoking words! It is too often that I forget to make the most of my time and fritter it away on this and that… Your point about using our maiden years is such a beautiful reminder. When I stop and think about the significance of these years the Lord has given us to prepare, I realize once more how amazing His plan is. Thank you for reminding me and may He bless you.

Blessing Others

July 1, 2010 KBR Ministries Leave a comment

“Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;
but the greatest of these is charity” (I Corinthians 13:13).

These words are so often forgotten in the rush of life and the hurry to accomplish our tasks! The admonition that Paul beautifully gives to us in this chapter in I Corinthians is the key to Christian life, the key to living Christ in every moment. In the Bible, the story of Mary and Martha is related with the resounding lesson – actions without love are not what Christ wants from us. He wants our heart (John 11). He wants our love. And when we love Jesus, and do all things for Him, our actions will bring glory to Him.

Let us seek to show the love and grace of Jesus in all our actions, in all of our work – and as my friend Samantha points out – in the work of our hands for our family.

Blessings to you,

~ ~ ~

Having a Heart of Joy in the Kitchen
by Samantha Parker

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” (Proverbs 15:17).

Have you ever thought about this verse before? What exactly does it mean to us, as daughters of the King? The book of Proverbs is so full of wisdom! I have found that there is always something new to be learned when I read Proverbs. My parents have often pointed out the principle of Proverbs 15:17 to me. One way our family seeks to apply this verse to our everyday lives is to focus on the attitude we have when we prepare food. Recently, this has been something that I have been especially working on. Many of you may enjoy cooking/baking in the kitchen (like me!). If we don’t have the proper attitude, though, all our hard work is naught.

There have been times when I am working really hard to get a certain meal on the table. Sometimes it is a special feast, but more often I am simply trying to get dinner on the table at an early hour. Since I am so busy (seeking to do a good thing by serving my family and friends), I can easily let my guard down. Then, angry and bossy words come spilling out. “Go get this – QUICKLY!!!!!…. Why did you do that – don’t you know any better?!…. Quick, quick, quick!” I guess since I am the oldest in our family, I tend to be the one leading. Sadly, all too often I lead in the wrong way. When this happens, sometimes my parents remind me of this simple truth: It is much better to have a “dinner of herbs” – a simple, plain meal that might be late, yet made with love and cheerful spirits, than to have a nice, fancy dinner -even if it does not include a fattened ox, but is “on time” and well thought-out, yet was prepared with strife. Do you see the difference?

I am not saying that making a well-prepared feast or having your dinner on time is not something to be desired. We should be careful, though, to not let those temporary things to ever distract us from the more important task of renewing our relationships with our families! Dear sisters, let us seek to bring glory to the Lord in everything – even in the most “normal” tasks of our everyday lives! True joy comes only from knowing Jesus. If fact, joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). As we serve the Lord with all our hearts, He will fill us to over-flowing with true lasting joy! May we seek to share that joy with all those we come in contact with. Keep pressing on with joy!

“These things have I spoken unto you, do it
that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy may be full.”
(John 15:11)

Because our Savior lives,
Samantha

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1 Comments »

BETHANY WARD » What a beautiful article! I have also been thinking a lot on this subject, I am afraid to say that even though I love cooking, I often look towards “getting it done now” no matter how I must act to get it done instead of being cheerful and kind in the way that I serve (and in the way that Jesus would want me to act). Thank you so much Samantha for writing on this, it has really blessed me!!!
Blessings, Bethany
P.S. Another good thing to do in the kitchen is cleaning with a cheerful heart. I LOVE cooking but I am not always so happy to get the cleaning up job. :) Most of older girls in bigger families usually get the cleaning job. But it is very important to be happy and cheerful in that job. “Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS”, but I have found that this applies to everything…even the cleaning job. I have personally been trying to work on this in my own life. It is always so much better to be cheerful than to be rude and grumpy. But anyway, thanks again for your great article!

SARAH LEE » Thank you for sharing your thoughts and encouragement dear Bethany. We all fall into this habit of “getting it done” and we must all just the same seek to overcome it through the example of Christ and His help. Blessings as you seek to do that in your home!

Blessing Others, Family Relationships

June 1, 2010 KBR Ministries Leave a comment

“Hummiimm” rumbles the vacuum. Annie haphazardly runs over stray particles on the carpet, thinking about the next cleaning task that needs to be accomplished. “This vacuum is not doing a very good job of cleaning the floor,” she muses. As she is in a hurry to complete the task, she calls it quits and rolls up the vacuum cord. Off she heads to clean the bathroom, but looking at this proclaimed “finished” vacuum job, one would wonder how a “clean” bathroom looks to her!

~~~

At some point in our lives, we probably all have rushed through our chores. The Lord has been showing me during the past few days that I need to work toward a higher level of perfection in my tasks. It is all too easy to leave that chore partially completed, or leave my room in disarray rather than taking the extra few minutes to put the clothes away in my drawer. In the long run, doing things right the first time, will take a lot less time! As our dad says, “It always takes more time to repeat a task than it does to do it correctly the first time.”

Beyond the purely practical side of completing a job and doing it well, this is important because it is God’s will! God is a a Lord of perfect completion. He never does things half-way. He completes all that He starts. And everything He accomplishes He does to the utmost – highest standard – of perfection. Because He is molding my life, I am so thankful for this as His child! I know He will not leave my life partially transformed into His likeness. He wants to completelytransform and sanctify me! He won’t leave the process undone for years and then complete it later when He comes around to it. Philippians 1:6 promises,“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Praise the Lord! Just take one glimpse of the Pentateuch and it is clearly evident that God is exacting – look at the specifications for Noah’s ark, for blood sacrifices and offerings, for His tabernacle – in all these things, clear instructions were given, so that man might meet up to the unwavering standard of God.

This standard of excellence will bleed into every area of our life, because it essentially reveals our core being. Our character is revealed by the way we complete our jobs. This is a habit, and a way of life. It is who we are. Do we meet up the the standard that is expected of us in every task we undertake? Do we please our parents – and the Lord – in all that we do? God commands,

“Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily,
as to the Lord, and not unto men.”
(Colossians 3:23)

We need to take initiative to do things without being told. If the trash can is overflowing, don’t wait for your brother to take it out later that night when it is chore time. If the bathroom sink is dirty, it does not take but a minute to wipe it out. Don’t wait to be told to fold that extra load of clothes on the couch. When we look beyond ourselves – what a difference we can make! We can bring the Lord glory through serving Him in these ways.

We should not seek to do a job well so we can judge those who do not do things as well as we do, to take pride in our ability, or to show off. We should do this in obedience to the Lord, to bring Him glory alone. When this is our goal, then taking the extra pains to do the smallest tasks to the best of our ability makes it all worthwhile – because our Lord sees it. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”(1Peter 5:6). We are to do these things to please our Savior.

Sisters, let us to all that we can to bring glory to the Lord – in every task that He puts before us.

“Let all things be done decently
and in order.”
(1 Corinthians 14:40)

A note to the perfectionist out there – my word to you is be a perfectionist for the glory of God – “as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

Now if you have chores to do, go do them!

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3 Comments »

BETHANY » Sarah, What an amazing article, it is exactly what I needed to hear today! Thank you so very much for taking time out of your day to share with us all!!! Blessing!

CHARIS H. » Those are some really good thoughts Sarah, just what I needed! Thank you!

Family Relationships

May 1, 2010 KBR Ministries Leave a comment

The gift of a godly mother is a priceless blessing, one which often is overlooked! While we should show our mom our appreciation and thankfulness for her sacrifices each day of the year, I am thankful for the day that is specifically set aside each year to honor our mothers for all they have done. Mother’s Day is a special time for our family to ponder the blessings that have been given to us through the woman that gave us life. Sisters, I encourage you to show your mother how special she is to you. Thank her for sacrificing so much to raise you to fear the Lord. Our mothers truly are raising up another generation for the glory of the Lord, by the power of God! Let us bless and lift them up in prayer, especially this week.

Here are some ideas for ways you can make your mom feel extra-special this Mother’s Day.

»On Mother’s Day, make her favorite breakfast, set the table nicely, and arrange a fresh bouquet of flowers for a special touch

»Give her a certificate for an afternoon of babysitting, a night off from cooking dinner; a gift of completing housecleaning project, ironing the week’s clothes, baking bread, or other chore

»Wear matching hair styles – arrange her hair special

»Write her a special card with 25 reasons why you are thankful for her and things that you appreciate about her

»Let her know that you are praying for her every day

»Sew a tablecloth or crochet some washcloths for use in the kitchen, or sew her a pillow, apron, or spring jumper

»Design a photo collage of family pictures with her favorite Bible verse on it, and frame it

»Buy a special mug and fill it with your mom’s favorite beverage

»If your mom likes write note cards, make a beautiful personalized set of hand-stamped cards, with envelopes to match

»Weed and water her garden for her

»Praise and thank her for what she does; take time to notice all the tasks that she does daily and the special touches that only a mother can add to a day

»Most importantly, show her your love and honor through serving her with a cheerful, helpful attitude – all year long!

This is not a comprehensive list, by all means! So please shareyour ideas with us, so we can encourage, bless, and uplift our mothers together. How are you going to bless your mother this Mother’s Day?

“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted...”
(Ephesians 4:32)

“Honor thy father and mother;
which is the first commandment with promise.”
(Ephesians 6:2)

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3 Comments »

BRIANNA » My sister and I are taking our mom out to lunch and to do a little shopping this Mother’s Day…and we’re taking care of all the expenses ourselves. It will be a nice little “lady’s outing”. The only hitch is that my mom will have to do the driving because I don’t have my driver’s license yet.

BETHANY » I loves this month’s monthly thought! This Mother’s day we made our Mom a bookmark with 61 reasons why our Mother is such a great mom, each of us kids gave some answers… she loved it! Thanks for all your encouragement!!! God bless, Bethany

BETHANY » Hey Sarah! I just wanted to drop you a note and let you know that I really enjoyed reading your May “Monthly Thought.” The pictures are lovely and it was great to see all the ideas for blessing our mothers. It is such a wonderful thing to be good friends with our mothers. On Mother’s Day this year, my sister and I prepared a breakfast and then all of my siblings and I presented Mommy with a pot of miniature roses…one of her favorite flowers. It is so easy to take all of what Mommy does for me for granted, that is why I’m glad, too, that there is a special day for doing a little something for her!

Walk With Christ

April 1, 2010 KBR Ministries Leave a comment

As I was sharing with a friend the lessons the Lord has been teaching me in the past few months, she said she was learning the same things about making the choice to focus on the Lord – even if it means blocking out sources that cause stumbling blocks in our minds. She shared, “I have really been thinking about the thought issue lately and it has really been interesting to come to grips with the concept that every thought should be taken prisioner and used in your own mind for Christ. I had heard that verse so many times, but it never really had that meaning to me.” She offered to write down her thoughts, and I am very blessed to be able to share her article with you. Here is Maggie, with encouragement to those who are struggling to keep their mind on Christ throughout their days.

My Thoughts About Thoughts
by Maggie Bullington

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,
whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report,
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
(Philippians 4:8)

In this age of technology and media, our minds are constantly encountering things that can so easily pull us off the path that Christ has set for us. Internet, books, movies and music, while they all have helpful uses, may also fill our minds with trash that will push our thoughts away from what should be the focus of our lives.

Lately, I have been feeling the Lord is trying to show me the importance of having pure thoughts – thoughts that will help me stay focused on the Lord and His will for my every moment. I’d like to share a few verses and things I’ve been thinking about.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” I have often thought about this verse and wondered how I could ever “bring every thought into captivity.” The only answer – turn to Him for help. I have found it very helpful to wake up in the morning and pray something like, “Lord, please help me have pure thoughts through this day and help me to stay focused.” Of course, there are some things that are just going to require our thought, like sewing a dress or making supper, but I also believe that it takes a conscious decision on our part to determine to take every thought captive. When you find your mind wandering, pray to Him for help, sing a song or hymn or recite a verse you have memorized to help refocus your mind on things that are praiseworthy. Also, try printing Bible verses and posting them where you will see them throughout the day.

Sometimes, we have a tendency to hold grudges and angry thoughts in our minds; this, needless to say, can cloud our walk with Christ. When someone wrongs you, make it up as quickly as possible to avoid storing these bad thoughts. Both you and the other person will feel better. A few days ago, a lady friend was telling us about her mother, who was having pretty bad health problems because of a brain injury. When she had an accident and her brain was injured, her personality suddenly changed and because of the type of injury, she could no longer control her impulses. Anger and problems that she had hidden away suddenly became evident, and she became very angry at times. Our friend ended this sad story by saying that we have to remember to watch our thoughts and the things that we do – storing up anger and bad thoughts can certainly be harmful in the long run to us and to those around us.

As mentioned above, internet, books, movies and music can all be harmful. When on a website or reading a book, always be sure that what you are reading isn’t filling your mind with bad things. Always practice discretion in these areas. Once you have seen, read, or heard something unwholesome it is hard and sometimes impossible to go back and undo it, so we are better off not to expose ourselves to it at all. The Lord can help you to overcome something that you have trouble with, so never hesitate to come to Him about it. James 4:7 says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

If you also yearn to have pure thoughts, seek the Lord. Be careful about what you set before your eyes and make the decision to take every thought into captivity. He will help you overcome any problem you may be facing!

“Commit your works to the Lord,
& your thoughts :
will be established.”
(Proverbs 16:3)

~Maggie Bullington

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1 Comment»

SAMANTHA AND REBEKAH. » Amen!
Thank you, sister, for sharing from your heart!! What a good reminder! It is so hard to take “every thought captive”, but with His help we are more then conquerors! “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer!”