Power of One

Have you ever imagined the power of your smile; word of encouragement; or small monetary help to another?



My life has drastically changed since I became Quality Assurance for this 7 county Census 2010 office. Change brings immediate emotions good and bad to me. I've felt somewhat guilty because I'm not plugged into the church ministries I have become accustomed to being an active partner.



Last night I was praying and asking God if all was well with me. Suddenly I remembered the week: There was the phone call to a new hire... she needed someone to hear how much she appreciated this job. She went on to tell me how dire it had become for her. I never rushed her.

One of my friends is in a new place. Her husband is permanently disabled and they have extreme financial issues. I took some of my increased pay to buy Angel Food groceries for them each month.

Fellow workers have had different things come up and I've had the time and energy to help them out.

I know my order of priorities: God, family, church and work. I'm finding wonderful ways to stay connected with my grown children. In fact, we seem closer because I can more easily identify with their work life.

My church appreciates my increased tithe and offerings monetarily. But I am developing new connections for some of the ministries that will open doors for resources, etc.

Amazingly, I am seeing that God is using me with the little I have after work powerfully. As I looked at all of this it hit me that I have "adopted" this one family with a disabled husband. They know when the hot water heater blows I will be their bridge/patch until they can pay me back with money or services. Sometimes God directs me to bless them with surprises such as the monthly groceries. I cannot help any more families this way and survive myself, but I am loving "being there" in Christ, for this one family.

Wonder if God calls on those of us working with "enough" to adopt one family to be their backup? No medals, no speaking of it....just quietly in the name of Jesus Christ: Being There. The Power of The One in one!!!

I am called to do the works of Christ - John 14:12

Trusted and Tried

some census workers from our spring operation were called into the office today. It's been months since I had seen or talked with any of them. Decades separate us in age but oh, the experiences we share from the tough work makes us "family." One young man said, "I feel like I ought to hug you, Ms. Kay." So we did an imaginary hug several feet apart....you know all those rules about behavior etc.

The bond between us can only occur in the heat of a severe challenge or a battle. We are all looking forward to being team members again. I thought all day about the power of the trust we each have earned in the heat of it all.

I committed today to treasure that trust as I assume this new expanded responsibility among my tried and true friends and team members. Completing the mission accurately and on time is key, but simultaneously honoring this trust and faith in one another we each now have is eternally important.

Got a tried and trust story?

Wow! You bloggers rock! Listen to my dialogue...can you tell I'm getting to hang out with some young people?



Thanks for coming back. After that extended pause in posting I had resigned to bouncing back by starting all over again. I'm still short on time, but I have a reservoir of posts in my draft file that I will dispense day by day. Perhaps the connection will only be that to me they speak of living life fully and thriving! That is my mission on this blog...for you and me.



Here goes one from a year ago.... Many years ago my mentor would listen to my rant of all my “spiritual” works and my fatigue; and when I would finally pause, she would speak slowly with authority, “Kay, rest in the Lord. Rest, rest Kay.” Being a driven striver I had no idea what she was talking about. We still have chuckles remembering my fight to get to the rest of God. I literally laid down and felt only boredom. Blonde, eh?



Through her prayers and much Bible mining I live in the rest of God. I seek to live and abide in that beautiful rest every moment of my life.

In Hebrews 4:1-3 Paul helped me with these words, “Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest.”



In Strong’s concordance this Greek word for rest is katapausis (Strong’s G2663): Putting to rest; calming of the winds. A resting place; metaphor: the heavenly blessedness in which God dwells, and of which He has promised to make preserving believers in which God dwells, and of which He has promised to make preserving believers in Christ partakers after the toils and trials of life on earth are ended.



Since that struggle with my mentor over resting in the Lord I have faced much greater issues, but I have not struggled and suffered as I did before I had this revelation of living in rest. "My soul finds rest in God alone"



Psalm 62:1. Rest in this verse is the Hebrew word - damiy -- quietness. Charles Spurgeon said this about this verse "The presence of God alone could awe his heart into quietude, submission, rest and acquiescence.”



After years of seeking with a passionate struggle I finally collapsed from self effort, looking to other people and trying to earn my right to the “rest and peace of God.” Finally I realized that my main problem was unbelief... Verse 19: "They were not able to enter [God's rest] because of unbelief."



Until I faced that I believed in my problems more than I believed in the power of God and that He was on my side, I had no rest. Now I fear unbelief more than I fear my problems or other people. My question now is, “Is God able?” If I believe He is in all things I am in His rest.



I live everyday diligently placing my mind on the awesome God I surrender all to. It is my intention to see every problem and challenge through my knowledge of God in my life, God in the Bible and God working in others’ lives. I work at remembering His promises instead of dwelling on the calamity of the day shouted through the media.



This does not come to me automatically. I come to my day with healthy fear of God and diligently trust Him anew in all things. That great sermon of Stephen as the “stoners” were warming up said, "the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands" (Acts 7:48), and quoted God's statement from Isaiah 66:1: "'Heaven is My throne, and earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me?' says the Lord; 'Or what place is there for My rest (Greek katapauseos)?'" (Acts 7:49).



Those of us are in the "household" that Jesus Christ has built (3:6), in the church of the living God, in Christian people. Having "Christ in us, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27). I see this individually and corporately.l Years ago I was so conflicted with church religious performance and the inner "rest" of relying on God's grace. Through the love of God, and my mentor; God led me to Himself. I accomplish more these day and my work is my delight (most days it doesn’t feel like work). Oh could we all comprehend Paul….” "the better rest of God" and cease from their "works" as God has rested from His works in Hebrews 4:10. Jesus Christ is enough.




Rest in the Lord Always

Kay's back at the keyboard

Blogging friends, I have missed you. Life filled up for me and I truly had no time or strength to write a post. On the last post I shared with you that someone in my family was ill.

The good news is that the doctor got the tests back and was relieved his fears were not confirmed by the tests. A slight nutrition changes is all that's needed. Whee! Thank you for your prayers.

Then my new management job Assistant Manager for Quality Assurance cranked up and I have been in intense training out of town continually for weeks. I love this work in management with census and I have an extremely important job overseeing several hundred workers in 7 counties. I know there is no way I could be selected for the job with so many people needing work unless God's favor had been working in my life. I am focused to give this position all that it needs for me to do my job well.

I could have written a post on Thursday or Friday, but procrastination raised his head. As I write today I wonder why, but then it hits me. After so much time away I wanted to wow you and me. Ain't it just awful how that ole' performance monster comes in and messes with us?

Vanilla, plain and no drama.......but life is good. I've never needed my Lord more and appreciated Him and all who live with Him as Lord of their lives. Thriving as His daughter is still my passion. As I live this life I want to live it wide open in Christ. I have some challenges facing me in a few weeks with this assignment with the census that will only be accomplished as I lean into Him. May you begin this week with me: Knowing He is Enough...no matter what!!!

My Prayer is Moans & Groans; But Hears Me

A dear loved one received bad news from the doctor this week. Six huge vials of blood were drawn to be sure no horrific diseases are working in this person. For many I am viewed as the mighty never fail prayer warrior. After all we've been through in the last few years all I can do was moan. Thankfully the Bible tells me the Holy Spirit interprets my moans and groans and sends word to Heavenly Father God.

But I wantto pray....I've tried to pray. Finally I phoned a mighty man and woman of God who have been there for me for decades. These pastors are well known and I will not divulge their names, but we have prayed for one another and God has always been faithful.

When I heard his voice; I calmed down. When she came on the phone I felt we were in a group hug. Heaven came down and the one thought that had remained in my mind was what he spoke what He was believing God in doing in this matter. Whew!!

He will phone this person wrestling with the what-if's until we hear on Tuesday. Since my husband was a great physician we feel his loss the most when one of us is ill. He would spend whatever time needed talking us through all the possibilities, etc until we were calm. Now we're just patients and the great doctors give us reasonable time; not daddy/hubby doc time.

I sit here in peace today. With this couple on board all in my family are back at work. All of us are concerned, but not overwrought.

BE THERE for one another is so key to thriving christian living. I've been there for this couple and now they are there for me. Knitted together through the years we have a seamless relationship with prompt loving responses. Plural is a key word in thriving Christan living. It is tempting to pursue God as a solo might warrior, but it can't work. These times come in every one's lives. Tight loving relationships are God's plan and I believe they are what He uses to bless and protect us.

Locally I have a group who work in ministry with me. They are all praying and many others connected to my family. I feel like a Verizon commercial with one huge Heavenly component: through Jesus Christ all of Heaven is backing up this miracle.

I'll moan and groan with all that is in me. I'm just the backup singer to the main ones calling up to God and thanking Him for what He has already done!!! Wholeness, healing, and manifestation of His Glory is going on in this hurting place.

Starting is Easy...

Starting is Easy Finishing is hard.

I have this saying hanging over my desk. In my kitchen redo this could be my motto. Hoping all would be completed this week I began to get ready to enjoy my new kitchen. But the counter top man didn't complete his work and now everyone has to wait on him.

Finishing becomes harder when anyone on the team fails to deliver their part on time. I hope I hold the disgusted looks on the plumber, carpenters and appliance workers as we discovered the promised counter tops were not ready. Why do I want to hold onto those looks? If possible I never want to be the one who holds up the rest of team from completing tasks on time.

Finishing is hard, but it will come sooner and easier if we all work to best performance, on time.

Tiny Things Matter to Greatness

I'm tiling a bathroom floor and cutting tiny pieces to finish the design is critical to the overall look and use of the floor. As I tediously measure and cut I remind myself that sometimes I see myself as a tiny insignificant part of society, church and life. In American culture age is not an asset. I never want to be anything but American but I do look at Oriental cultures are turn a bit green. My white hair and wrinkles speak to the Orientals as wise and experienced. If I pay attention to the media I'd feel utterly over the hill.

But I as I carefully cut these last pieces I will treasure those times that I may only have a little to give in tithe in the offering plate. Perhaps my strength is limited in some offerings for jobs coming up in ministry. I don't exude youth and vitality in my appearance. But I matter as does every single person.

The tiling of this floor is getting to be more fun now that I identify with the tiny finishing pieces!!!

I have so much sweat and time in this bathroom I'm threatening to make it a toll only use bathroom!!!