Thursday SHINE.....
Today's Reading: Mark 7-9
Happy Serve Day Thursday, sweet SHINE girls!
Let me just say this: I KNOW the reading is a lot this week. Don't stress over it though. Do what you can, and catch up this weekend. You CAN do it!
How is your November to Remember going? Are your pretty little eyes being opened to some serving opportunities around you? I sure hope so. I would LOVE to hear what the Lord is laying on your heart! Email me or comment and let me know.
Keep serving today, girls! Be extra intentional in your serving today and love the living daylights out of some folks in your path!
Continuing with our SHINE Girls serving stories this month---my friend Kim Jaynes is sharing her heart with us today.
Kim serves by nature. She really does. It just comes naturally for her. She is such a blessing to all who know her.
If I ever need help with ANY thing, Kim is the first person I call. She jumped in head first this Summer when I asked if she could help with a camp for underprivileged kids in the area. She came EVERY week with a heart to love and to serve. That's our Kimmy. :)
Grab your coffee or hot tea and be blessed by her story, sweet girls.
Happy Serve Day!
Kim's Story:
/
Happy Serve Day Thursday, sweet SHINE girls!
Let me just say this: I KNOW the reading is a lot this week. Don't stress over it though. Do what you can, and catch up this weekend. You CAN do it!
How is your November to Remember going? Are your pretty little eyes being opened to some serving opportunities around you? I sure hope so. I would LOVE to hear what the Lord is laying on your heart! Email me or comment and let me know.
Keep serving today, girls! Be extra intentional in your serving today and love the living daylights out of some folks in your path!
Continuing with our SHINE Girls serving stories this month---my friend Kim Jaynes is sharing her heart with us today.
Kim serves by nature. She really does. It just comes naturally for her. She is such a blessing to all who know her.
If I ever need help with ANY thing, Kim is the first person I call. She jumped in head first this Summer when I asked if she could help with a camp for underprivileged kids in the area. She came EVERY week with a heart to love and to serve. That's our Kimmy. :)
Grab your coffee or hot tea and be blessed by her story, sweet girls.
Happy Serve Day!
Kim's Story:
Jill
asked me to write about an area of in my life that I’ve committed to serving
the Lord! Specifically, she asked me to
write about a Tuesday morning Bible study we do before school each week!
I,
without hesitation, said yes!
Then
thoughts came flooding in…………….I really do not have time! I really do not know
what I will say! I really do not think my post would be meaningful…..I really,
really do not have time…time, time, time!!!!
She
requested I have this to her by November 1.
Well….that is today and I am just now getting around to it! I actually emailed and told her I forgot (which
I did). Then asked if she still wanted it (which she did)! I had my fingers crossed hoping she would say
no…but she didn’t! J
I
have been so bogged down with “stuff” that I have not thought another second
about this post. And, to be honest, have not had the TIME!
This
seems to be the resounding theme for me lately….go here, go there…..keep up
with all of “it” and there is never enough TIME to get all of “it” done! (Whatever
it is)
In
the midst of trying to decide on the best way to introduce this post…..I hear
God saying to me………”All this going you
do, my child, is great but is MY will being done in the midst of all these
things? Are you being my hands and feet?
Are you joyful? Are you content in the place I have put you? Are you answering
the CALLS I AM MAKING TO YOU?”
Gulp……don’t
you love it when God calls you out!?
Me
either, but it’s just the way it is when a loving parent cares about their child(ren)
isn’t it?
True….we
are BUSY! With a traveling husband,
three children, and a full time job it gets crazy. I could list out all the
“its” that keep me on the go. But I will
just say…”it” is a lot and not all of “it” is bringing glory to God!
I
am also just a little bit high strung so I can manage to get several things
going at once….but lately; the results have not been so good!
So,
here I sit, to tell you about this wonderful Tuesday morning Bible study that
was started last year! But God is leading me down another road to discuss!!
Let
me go backwards in time, and then I will come back to all the gibberish
above! Because I believe God has used
this to open my eyes…….eyes that I did not even know where closed!
****************************************************************************************************
God
calls us all to serve! Jesus was a man
of service! Think about it….all the
things He did were for the benefit of another! His mission was never about
himself!!
If
you Google “Bible verses on serving others”
your hits will result in over 80 verses!
We
are to share what we have, teach others the way, do good, help the needy, put
others interest before our own, give of our time, money and resources, love
others, be a light, be generous…..and the list goes on!
All
of these things above basically infer that….SELF comes last!
I
am wired to serve by nature. Any job I have ever excelled at involved service
to others…not necessarily Christian service but a position where my services
benefited others….waitress, mommy, teacher. I have always gotten so much more
joy from giving than receiving (not that I do not like to be a recipient every
now and then)!
So
as my walk with God continued and strengthened I felt the desire to fulfill a
larger purpose for Him!
Enter……the
7am Tuesday morning Bible Study for faculty and staff of our school.
I
wish I could say it was my idea, but that would be lie! So, I will not lie!
Haha :)
A
precious teacher friend I know started a Tuesday morning Bible study at the
Primary school down the street. I heard
about it and thought…..that would be nice for us to have.
After
a few weeks, I heard God saying…..YOU need to organize the same thing at the
Elementary school.
WHAT?
Umm, no thank you!
(Note:
if you ask you shall receive. Looking for a way to serve? God will point the way)
After
a few more weeks of debating with God…I surrendered! (After all, He is going to
get His way!)
For
the past year, every Tuesday morning from 7:00am-7:30 anywhere from 5-15 women
gather in my room. We study God’s word,
share testimonies, share prayer requests, share praise, share our hearts, share
food, support and lift one another up, and pray!
We
have watched video clips, listened to God speak to us through music, read God’s
word, had guest speakers come in, and had daily devotionals.
Currently,
we are reading a book together, “What
Women Fear” by Angie Smith……….we have been relating the author’s story to
our own, connecting the chapters to God’s word, and walking away each Tuesday
with a renewed mind and spirit!
At
the conclusion of each week’s meeting, I send out an email to those who want to
stay connected but cannot get here by 7:00am. The email goes out to about 45 women in the building.
It
has been great! I mean really
great! I have had many people comment on
how much a message meant to them or how a verse spoke to them!
It
has not always been easy though and I often lose my focus.
I
know this Bible study is not about me but about God. However, I cannot help but feel………….I am not
enough.
Like,
I am not doing enough, I am not listening enough, I am not making it meaningful
enough, God is not being showcased enough.
*******************************************************************************************************
Back
to the gibberish…….BOTTOM LINE………..I have not been serving with the right heart. My focus being off and my lack of faith have
resulted in these feelings of insignificance where this area of service is
concerned! I have felt something was not
quite right for a while but could not pinpoint the problem! This post has given me a chance to see a need
for change on my part!
Today,
the light bulb has come on!
The
problem…….My faith has faltered………….my focus has shifted from what God wants
this to be………….my purpose has been sidetracked! I am the salt that has lost its
taste!
WHY?
All
of the stuff I am trying to do! All the outside things calling my name/attention
are taking time away from God’s purpose of this weekly meeting! (and we all
know who is behind that!!)
If
I would just slow down and listen to what God has to tell me….HE could/would
make the weekly meeting ENOUGH through me and not by me!
Today…I
prioritize!
Today….I
will be intentional on service! Not just
any service for my own personal glory but service for God’s glory!
Dear Lord,
I come before
you with a heart heavy with feelings of failure! Please forgive me for allowing
external distractions of life that, I allow to, take my focus off of you! Give me the will to be intentional in service
for the glory of your kingdom. Give me
the discernment to choose things in my life that are important and cut loose
those things that are not! Give me the strength to withstand temptations that
pull me away from your word! Give me the ability to maintain a steadfast faith!
I know my purpose here on this earth is to be a servant for YOU! Let your voice be audible so that I do not miss
a calling of service! Help me to be the salt and light in this dark world so
that your name will be honored by my service! Wherever you put me to serve,
help me to do it to the best of my ability so that it honors you and not me!
In your
precious name I pray!
Kim
Salt
and Light
13 “You are the salt of
the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under
people's feet.14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a
hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it
under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a]
they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
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| Kim and Cali Rose Halloween 2012 |
