Is it Yoga??? No it's Jesus!!!

I crack myself up at some of the thoughts that run through my crazy mind! After dinner tonight I decided to take a stroll along the Mississippi riverfront down by the park in La Crosse, WI. People were literally stirring from every direction this afternoon and from afar I noticed this group sitting on the ground in a circle. The thought crossed my mind that it was a group about to do yoga and then as I got a bit closer I could see there was a man talking with a group of youth. I ended up parking myself on the concrete base of an old monument in the park so I could hopefully hear what this man was telling this group of youngsters. As I listened for a moment it didn't take long to figure out that this group was sharing about Jesus! This was music to my ears and a blessing to my heart:) The guy sharing with the group was encouraging the youth to prayerfully walk around in downtown La Crosse seeking God's direction as to how He wanted to use them. He was sharing from his own heart how God had really revealed Himself in this very park on many different occasions. Immediately, I began to pray for God to lead me in this moment. What was I to do if anything? Did God draw me over just to listen or was I to share something from my heart?

After the group prayed, I asked a lady standing near me what church group this was and she told me they were from First Free Church. I promptly walked over to the guy that was the obvious leader of this group of youth and told him I needed to share something quickly with this group if that was okay. I told them I was from KY and that I was traveling back and forth weekly to work in this area. I shared my experience about how God does want us to be bold and allow Him to work through our lives. We may not always understand or even realize the impact we are having on someone else. I shared the following story: Two years ago I was on a flight into La Crosse when I sat next to a lady that I was sharing my personal testimony about Jesus. This past March I was traveling back into La Crosse for work again and a lady asked me if I remembered her and she started to jog my memory as to who she was when I DID recall her! As it turns out this lady was the very same lady I sat next to and shared my journey with Jesus! It was my friend Shelly that I mentioned in a few blog posts ago titled "Sometimes we just need a big 'ol splash of Jesus". Shelly shared with me how two years ago God had placed me into her life at a critical time when she was searching. She told me God used me to help literally change her life. She got involved with First Free Church and started attending some Bible studies and connecting with other women in this fellowship. I wanted this group to know that God is already using the Christians at First Free Church to bless others and they should be encouraged as they step up to reach out to others. I wanted them to know that just there very presence in the circle at Riverfront Park was a blessing to my heart and gave me tremendous encouragement as I watched God's people gather with intentions of reaching out to others with the love of Jesus Christ!

Is it NOT just crazy AmaZing that God would put a lady in my path from two years ago to let me know how she connected at First Free Church and then tonight I walk right into the midst of First Free Church youth gathering in the Riverfront Park? I live for seeing Jesus ALIVE in the hearts of His people! First Free Church is yielding their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm forever thankful that He is giving me the privilege of seeing this all the way form KY!

After sharing my little experience with the youth, I talked more with the young lady, Darlene that I had asked what church this group was with. We ended up sharing with each other how amazing Jesus is and how people in general have really abandoned just loving people and having authentic compassion for others. We exchanged contact information and plan to connect by e-mail and possibly have dinner some evening before my time in La Crosse is over. Only God can ordain such connections and meetings and I am forever honored and humbled by his divine hand intervening in my life! Thank you Lord Jesus...I love you so!!!

A 'lil detective work in the sun!

God watches all things at all times and if you are willing He will allow you to be a part of what He is doing in the lives of others around you…get this!

We arrived into Key West late Saturday night and were so very ready to hit the pool early Sunday morning! I had prayed for God to use me to touch the lives of others however He wanted to this week. This made me nervous as I prayed these words, but my heart truly is to be used by God regardless of how uncomfortable it may be at times. It is always worth any discomfort I may initially feel and His blessings far outweigh the discomfort!

Here’s the scoop…

I got to the pool on our first morning at the resort and the entire area had already started to get packed out. After all, it is Memorial Day weekend. I sat my bag on the ground in hopes a couple of chairs would soon open up. Shortly, this gray-headed guy began moving his things over a couple of chairs that made two chairs available to me. Super nice guy he was! He was a smoker and was even so kind to walk away from our area so not to bother us with his cigarette smoke. He kept us informed of all the freebie stuff going on like popsicles available at the concierge everyday at 2 p.m. etc… In spite of his super nice demeanor, I began noticing that he was always getting up and down never to stay in one location for very long. It was like he had ants in his pants! I started to watch him through my dark sunglasses to try and figure out what he was doing. He certainly had the appearance of a lurker.

To my left there was another family at the pool with a baby so they were quite busy entertaining their little one. They were up and down a lot from their chairs. I guess you could call me a “people watcher” of sorts. Traveling around over the years has made me more sensitive to who is around me, and what they are doing for my own safety. I don’t even think about it anymore, it just happens.

After several hours of soaking up the sun, I was taking my last dip in the pool before going to the room. Greg and Kayla were down at the beach and I was also waiting on them to return. Again, I observed the gray-headed man standing up next to the water’s edge reading the newspaper. I thought to myself how odd that looked and wondered why he would just stand there instead of getting comfortable in his chair. He didn’t even have a toe in the water. S-T-R-A-N-GE! I then looked up a few seconds later to find this man seated on the chair that belonged to the family with the baby. I watched him cover his legs with the newspaper and reach into a bag that was left placed on the chair. There was some obstruction to what I was able to see, but it had the strong appearance of this man taking something from the bag. He placed the newspaper on the ground and promptly walked over to his chair. He grabbed his messenger bag and placed a towel over his legs and the bag opening while he placed something inside. I almost could not believe my eyes as I was watching a real theft take place and I was positioned right in the middle of it with a birds-eye view! I immediately swam like crazy to the ladder because I thought to myself; I need to get a picture of this dude so I can report him! I swam like a mad woman to climb out the ladder to get my camera and snapped a great picture of the man’s backside as he was exiting the pool area. I then thought…now what?

Soooo, I grabbed a pool waitress and reported what I witnessed to her and she went to get the resort security. In the meantime, the lady returned to her chair that had been the “victim” in all of this so I informed her of what I had observed. She checked her bag and sure enough…her wallet was gone! At this point, he had only been gone from the scene under 5 minutes. Resort security came over to gather information and walk the grounds after viewing the picture I managed to snap from behind. Within 10 minutes, Key West Police Department was notified.

Claire was the name of the young lady that got her wallet stolen. Claire, her brother James, and myself walked up to the general manager’s office to await the arrival of the Key West PD to file a police report. In the meantime, Claire started notifying credit card companies to report stolen cards. She was on the phone with Bank of America and in real time they were able to give her an address of where the guy had just attempted to withdraw money from an ATM machine. The police went immediately to the area of Bank of America and with the picture showing his clothing were able to detain him for questioning until we could identify him as the same man who had in fact been inside the resort moments earlier.

Key West PD drove Claire, James, and Myself to the scene and had us each identify whether or not this was the guy we had witnessed at the Casa Marina Resort by the pool. Without any doubt at all…this was indeed the man! Needless to say, on day one of my vacation I was not expecting to be cruising around with the Key West police!

While I had a few moments alone with Claire and James, I shared with them how my husband is a pastor and usually we are in church on Sunday morning. I shared how I had prayed just this morning for God to use me in some way to make a difference in someone’s life today. I told her this was how He had chosen to use me. They were both very appreciative and blown away at how “easy” this entire thing had went down from start to finish. I believe the word Claire used is “miracle”. Indeed it was a miracle that someone would see such a crime, report it, and catch the guy in a matter of about an hour total. I would say…”miracle” led by the divine hand of God would be right!!!

This was Claire’s last day at the resort. She and her family were leaving Key West in a few hours to make the drive up to Miami to catch a flight home to Ohio. We talked for a bit after the entire ordeal was over and she gave me a big hug goodbye and once again thanked me for my help. She was even so sweet to have a gift basket delivered to our room at the end of the day full of Key Lime goodies to enjoy on the rest of our trip. She wrote the nicest card of thanks to me and also said she would NEVER ever forget me! I just hope she thinks more about how God used me than me☺

If you have ever thought that walking with the Lord was a bit humdrum; look out because He might just have you rolling with the 5-0! I’m not EVEN kidding!

Bad Weather, Delayed Flights, & Extended Stays...

Long story short, I should have flown home Thursday and weather related issues caused an additional overnight stay. Honestly, I just wanted to get home because “officially” my vacation had started and I had laundry to do so we could leave for Key West at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. Oh the anxieties of travel and uncontrolled circumstances, but then this whisper came…like a peace within me…there is a reason for this…

I arrived into Minneapolis Friday morning with a few hours to kill so I decided to mosey over to the mall area of the airport for a sit down breakfast. My waitress was so super nice and honestly made me a bit uncomfortable in some weird way. She had a raspy voice, made intense eye contact, and I hate to admit this but she gave me the impression that she might possibly at one time been a man…not sure about that one though. She just had features that gave off this impression coupled with the way she carried herself. Isn’t it just like us to profile people that are a bit different than we are? Regardless, I began thinking about how God loves her and none of those things that may or may not be true make any difference in the fact that God sent His son Jesus to die for her just like He did me.

As I was eating my breakfast, I had the strong thought come to my mind that I should get a book out that I have been reading and perhaps my waitress might ask me about it. The book is called “The Missing Elements of Worship” and I actually bought it earlier in the week at a Goodwill store in La Crosse, WI for two bucks. I must admit I had doubts anyone would notice my choice of reading material much less my waitress.

Moments later my waitress caught a brief glimpse of the book cover and she DID lean in to ask me what I was reading. Needless to say, this was the first bit of the encounter that profoundly gripped my attention! As I flipped the book over and told her I actually bought the book a few days ago in the Goodwill store she proceeds to tell me that another lady was reading that same book a few days ago. She nor could I believe this was in fact the same book! With much excitement in her voice, she proceeded to share with me how this other woman was such Godly woman and travels around speaking about the Lord.

My waitress was so animated in our conversation at this point she was saying to me that it was kind of interesting as to how all these Godly people were everywhere last week and now again this week because she had been thinking of getting her family into church. She even said it sounds like God is knock, knock, knockin’ on my door! I said yes I would say that He is my friend! I was able to briefly share with her a small bit about how lately I was concerned with how the church was allowing “religion” to overshadow the love of Jesus and his invitation to come to Him just as you are. I mean honestly… I had just sat in this very restaurant and been somewhat guilty of the very thing that gripes me inside the church! I had already had the very thought about this woman that “might” be a “man” and was scanning my thoughts as to how messed up she might actually be. I was weighing in my mind the chances of God being able to reach her. We tend to give up on people based on appearances and trends of behavior that we brush elbows with in society. Praise God He NEVER gives up on us! My mind quickly re-oriented and returned to the days that I am sure my life looked such a mess there were people thinking there was no way God was going to be able to reach me. I was terribly self-absorbed. God reminded me AGAIN where I have been delivered from through the blood of His precious son, Jesus! I told this young lady in our brief conversation that I used to be a drug addict and that if it wasn’t for Jesus I don’t know where I would be today.

Before I left the restaurant to catch my flight I felt that I couldn’t just leave and not say something encouraging to this young woman. I wrote her a brief note telling that I could clearly see God knocking on the door to her heart and encouraged her to pay attention and yield to what He wants to do in her life. I shared with her a bit about salvation and how God had used her to bless me this very day. I told her how God had prompted me to get my book out because the thought entered my mind that she would ask me what I was reading. I confessed my doubts that I had and how through this encounter God had increased my very faith! As I was leaving, I made sure to find her so I could hand her my note. She immediately expressed such heartfelt gratitude and hugged me while bidding me farewell with a God Bless You. Amazing!

As I was walking to my gait to fly home, my mind raced with excitement, and it was clear as to why my flight plans had changed the night before. God had a divine appointment for this gal that waits tables in an airport restaurant called Ike’s. He started working in her life last week through that other lady. He wanted her to see my book and do what God can only do…blow her mind and confirm His presence in the tiniest of details. God is so very good and I am just once again honored that he allows me to be involved in anything He is doing knowing how completely nasty I can be some days. Thank you Jesus for loving me anyway! Help me to always LOVE like you do…

Sometimes we just need a big ol' splash of Jesus!

Ahhh...and how refreshing it is my sweet friends!

I am reminded of Proverbs 11:25



A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Monday evening I was in Detroit awaiting my connecting flight to La Crosse, WI. I was seated in 2c of the plane and when I boarded there was a lady in seat 1c that looked up and said, "I think I know you". I was so caught off guard initially, I cannot recall if she asked if my name was Kelli or if I was a nurse, but then she asked if I was spiritual?

I replied with a cautious smile and somewhat of a giggle and said Yeah:) The words gushed from her lips, "You changed my life two years ago!" This got my attention!!!

I took my seat behind her and as we continued to recall the past it all came back to me. I worked in La Crosse exactly two years ago and had met Shelly on a late night flight into La Crosse where we became fast flight friends. We talked and shared various things about our lives and I shared what all Jesus was doing in my life!

Who knew...but a Holy God in complete control of all things?

Two years ago at that very moment in time, God was working in Shelly's life and He allowed me to be a part of His work by just simply sharing from my heart about His precious son, Jesus!

The really neat part to all of this... I was in such need for a big ol' splash of Jesus to refresh me on Monday evening and He appointed Shelly to do just that! It isn't often that you get to see how your life may have impacted another soul on this earth especially those that you meet flying around the country...I mean really...what are the chances? That is why this experience is so super amazing and just oozes with God's mighty presence!

I'll say it again! Jesus is alive and dwells within the hearts of His people!

Needless to say, I was so filled and refreshed I could hardly sleep. All I wanted to do was pray and talk to God about this exciting blessing He has given to me. I have this new sister in Christ in La Crosse, WI that I am forever thankful to God for placing into my life!

I am once again reminded of just how very good God is to me! Thank you Jesus...thank you!

Too Much Information...

Facebook launched in 2004 and as of 2012 there are over 845 million users. I became a Facebook user in 2008 and later added the Facebook app to my iPhone for on the go monitoring of my account activity. I currently have 848 friends that are made up of old high school friends, college friends, friends of friends, colleagues, and just random connections through travel, work, or ministry.

Lately, I have entertained the thought of shutting my Facebook account down because it truly steals away small segments of time that add up to large blocks of time. I am finding that my involvement in following 848 friends on Facebook is anything but relaxing. In fact, I am noticing that I have become greatly frustrated at many of the daily posts and sometimes even embarrassed for my said "friends".

Don't get me wrong, Facebook can truly be a wonderful tool to get connected to people that you have lost touch with over time. I have even shared Jesus by way of private chat. I have been able to send words of encouragement to people that I would otherwise have no connectivity information. However...all the in between status postings, game requests, and picture posts...I find myself having a judgmental spirit, rising resentment, and even frustration and anger towards others that talk a big talk and walk and entirely different walk.

Some days I tolerate this amount of information just fine and chalk it up as pathetic entertainment, but other days when I am super busy and my stress level is elevated just a bit, I often feel this is just too much information...

I wonder if other people feel this way also?

So why do I stay? That is a great question and actually is the question that I am currently working through!

I think it may come back to balance once again. Too much of a good thing just isn't good for any of us and we find ourselves in the land of bondage.


Balance is the key to all things:
Physical
Emotional/Mental
Spiritual

Our Sunday school class is starting another book on developing an effective prayer life. My prayer life has suffered in the last few months and I clearly identify areas of much distraction. I know for me, I must nail down what has to go in order for me to refocus on Jesus so that I may seek Him with an unhindered heart.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) ~ Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

It comes down to discipline... God has an amazing plan for each of us and to get into that perfect will of God... discipline will be required. We WILL have to deny ourself and submit to the way of God in order to taste the greatness of His glory in our lives!

I am called to love God and to love people...can I do this most effectively by infiltrating my mind hourly with the drama of 848 "friends" that are all over the map in balancing their lives?

Seek ye First the Kingdom ... and NOT Diet Mt. Dew~

I love love love "Diet Mt. Dew" and God was able to show me just this week that I love it so much so that I have allowed this powerful 20 oz. drink to cloud my view of the very work He is doing in my midst. I hate to admit to you, but I must...I'm so ashamed!

Here's the deal...

I have been living at a Hilton in New Jersey 3 nights each week since the first week of November. There is a gift shop located in the hotel right next to the elevator and I would frequent this locale daily for the purchase of my diet mt. dew stash. There was probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 5-6 different employees that waited on me during the duration of my stay. I always paid $2/bottle except for when this one guy checked me out...he charged me $2.50/bottle. He was from India and spoke with broken English. I speak with country English so you get the picture... I asked him one day if the price had gone up and he insisted that they were always $2.50/bottle. I tried to explain to him that I was being charged $2/bottle by all of the other employees working in the gift shop. I was never able to get the message through to him without seemingly offending him. I finally decided that this must be a cultural barrier and perhaps he perceived me as a female questioning him which was not settling well. Sooo, in my persistence, I decided to let the front desk at the hotel know that this was happening. I assured them I was not angry just wanted to understand the correct pricing of diet mt. dew if I was going to continue purchasing them in the weeks ahead from the gift shop.

Fast forward to our final week at the Hilton...

My friend and co-worker came to join us for the final week of the project to complete some computer training. She is a Christian and so full of energy while also never having met a stranger! She bopped into the gift shop first thing in the morning on her first day with us and began talking to the gift shop worker. She actually shared her morning devotional with the gentleman working and on the way to the hospital shared her experience with me. She told me that she had a great morning devotional that she wanted to share with me, but couldn't because she had left her book with the man in the gift shop to read today. He is Hindu.

After we arrived back at the hotel at the end of the day we stopped into the gift shop and much to my amazement there was the guy that always charged $2.50/bottle for diet mt. dew. He was smiling from ear-to-ear at my friend as he slid her devotional book across the counter. The book is titled "Jesus Lives" by Sarah Young.

My stomach ended up in my throat and I made an about face to exit the room. I honestly could not believe that my friend had been successful in connecting on a relational level in a few short minutes that morning in order to afford her the opportunity to place a "Jesus Lives" devotional into his hands for the day. He told her he wanted his own copy and she immediately told him she would mail him a copy if he would provide her with a mailing address.

Needless to say, I felt like the ultimate failure! I was so overwhelmed with sorrow and shame that I immediately went to the Lord in prayer over my horrible shift of focus. I asked for the Lord to forgive me and expressed my deepest sorrow to my merciful Lord and Savior.

Through this experience, I was able to see how not paying attention to God's kingdom first results in missed blessings. I wanted that blessing so much when I watched the slow motion replay in my minds eye of that man sliding the "Jesus Lives" book across the counter to my friend.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

I missed it folks...

I was so focused on the fact that diet mt. dew was being sold at a higher price. I forfeited my opportunity to befriend the gift shop worker and share Jesus.

I praise God that He is able to teach me such a valuable lesson in the midst of my boo boo and still accomplish His will of planting the seed of Jesus into the life of that Hindu man.

Be Mine

Happy Valentines Day! I have been thinking about this day for a few weeks now. There is a great deal of hype that comes with this day...all in the name of St. Valentine! I am sure it is a day that stresses most men out far greater than they care to speak about, but oh what a debt they fear paying if they don't somehow rise to the occasion!

Really ladies? Let's take a moment to think about how ridiculous this whole thing really is! What we really want surely doesn't rest on one day of the year set aside to acknowledge by default what we long to celebrate with our spouse all year long.

Can I get an Amen?

After all, how many of us really need a box of chocolate candy to promote an increase in dress size? Flowers on the other hand, are much nicer coming on a day when there is no special occasion. A surprise out of nowhere is a mind blowing treat in my book! What I really desire...is just a heartfelt love letter to remind me of those little things I long to hear all year long, but because men are only good at expressing emotions like tired and hungry...the love letter never seems to come or does it?

There is a love letter written to you specifically and it is called God's Holy Word, the Bible! Every longing your sweet little heart desires can be filled from the life giving words that leap from those pages. We just get so busy and bogged down that we fail to get into the word and drink in that life that fills every longing our heart has ever felt.

The best Valentine ever is told in John 3:16!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

The eternal life-giver wants to be the lover of your soul and fill every facet of your heart with just what you need if you will surrender and receive. You may be saved, but find yourself floundering about in a life that still feels like bondage.

Until we stop trying to meet our own needs and run to the one who is our only need, we will be unable to truly love.
Your heart desires it, the world tries to celebrate it, but you won't find true love until you give your heart to God...then follow your heart!

Jesus just may be saying to you, "Be Mine"!

Happy Valentine's Day 2012!