can’t we all just get along

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

- Psalm 133:1

 

Once again, I find myself heartbroken by people.

Just because we have a difference in opinion does not me that we can’t still love each other.

Just because someone keeps quiet about their opinion on a subject, it doesn’t mean they don’t care.

Politics, race, religion, money have all become huge topics of conversation and many times the final blow to a fragile friendship.

In recent years we have watched families divide due to differences in their outlook on one subject or another.

Back in 2016, a friend wrote to me:

“I wish we would live like Jesus lived.  Families lived together.  Everyone in Nazareth knew each other, everyone knew who was a good person and who could not be trusted, and they all encouraged each other to live their lives in peace. 

There were no phones, no TV, no PCs, no one really travelled far away to work and live… that was the exception and not the rule.  

These close personal relationships bound people together. I know we would not have all these luxuries, but then God never gave all those things to Adam and Eve, and He loved them with all His being.  He didn’t even build them a home; He made a garden for them.   It wasn’t until after the flood that the scriptures speak of rain or cold …the need for shelter.”

I agree, I wish that we could live in unity as they did back then.

Today’s world is too full of pain.

I am taking a break again; spending time with family and just trying to refresh after the personal stress from the last year. 
I will be back on August 16^th.

Until then, please be good to each other.

#dailybreadbykitty

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friends like that

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

- Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

 

There is a saying “with friends like that, who needs enemies”.

I think that it refers to people who were once considered friends that have done something we consider unforgivable, and we terminate the friendship.

I have had friends like that.

Or people that take advantage of us in every way imaginable and some unimaginable.

I have had friends like that too.

People that call themselves our friends yet cause us grief and hardship, that constantly disappoint us, those “friendships” are toxic.

We should avoid associating with those toxic people, no matter how appealing their “friendship” seems to be.

These are "friends" that seem to always find misery in every situation, that find wrong in every person, that feel they have the right to judge others.

I have a lot of friends on social media, some have been in my life for many years, some for mere months. 

It doesn't matter how long we have known each other, if you are in my circle, I will do anything I can to help you when you are need.

I am so blessed because I have friends that feel the same about me.

There are a select few friends that I would quite literally lay down my life if they needed me to do that for them.

God speaks many times in the Bible about friendship and companionship, even in the beginning in the book of Genesis, God felt that man should not be alone.

Friendship is discussed in the books of Genesis, Amos, John, Proverbs, Samuel, and Romans just to mention a few. 

I guess, in my humble opinion, that if God mentions it so many times in the Bible it must be important to Him.

Friends come and go during our walk of life. 

Human beings were created to be social creatures, meaning that we are most comfortable when we have family, friends, and acquaintances.

Friendship is an important element in a fulfilled, contented life, and those who have close friends, whether one or two or a multitude, will usually be happy and well-adjusted.

If you ever wonder about someone, ask yourself “are we friends, or am I just a convenience?”

Sometimes we need to weed our own gardens.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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concentrate

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” Jesus said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

- Matthew 14:28-30 (NIV)

 

I totally copied this from someone else, but it rings true:

When you can’t change your circumstances, change your concentration.

Peter walked on water until his concentration broke.

Once he took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind and the waves, he began to sink.

Likewise, if you concentrate on your circumstances, your soul will sink. 

But if you can concentrate on the Creator, fixing your eyes on Jesus and all that you have to be grateful for, you can rise above any situation.

Whoa.

Pretty powerful, yes?

I find myself getting annoyed at the people who are always posting “woe is me” stuff on social media, if you don’t like something, change it!!!

Then something happens and I start to sink (usually though, I don’t put it out there for public review).

While I am struggling for air and trying to regain my footing, I realize that I lost my focus.

We all have the right to a reset or reboot so we can regain our perspective, especially when we are going through difficult times.

Even when we feel like our circumstances are out of our control and cannot be changed, shifting our sight to the One who can save us often makes the horrible much more bearable.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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true love

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

- Mark 12:30 (NIV)

 

This is hard sometimes!

God wants us to love Him with every fiber of our being but sometimes it is hard to truly put all our trust and faith into something that we can’t always see.

We hurt and we feel alone.

We feel lost and scared.

We don’t always see the way out.

Pouring out our heart and soul, our mind and our strength and giving it all to God is one of the absolute hardest and scariest things we will ever do.

But we do it, because we do love Him because we know that no matter what, He loves us.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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where the path takes me

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

- Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

 

We all come to a point in our lives where we must decide on which path to take for our future.

How do we decide?

Do we make our decision after weighing all options, or discussing with friends and family to get their vote on the choice?

Do we “go with our gut” and choose immediately regardless of the consequences?

There really are two paths we can take.

Both paths will have trials and troubles but only one path will lead us home.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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it’s scary out there

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

- Psalm 56:3 (NIV)

 

There are a few things that truly terrify me.

Spiders. Storms. Breaking bones. Being alone. Ruining relationships. Wrecking my motorcycle.

Those are just a few of my fears, not necessarily in that order either.

I try to be brave.

I’ve killed multiple spiders (don’t try to talk me out of it), I’ve survived many storms and a few broken bones.

But no matter how brave I try to be, there are some things that I just can’t get through.

David tells us in this psalm that no matter what we are afraid of, we can give our situation to God and ask Him to take away our fear. 

We aren’t necessarily asking God to change the situation but asking Him to change our response to it.

There are still very scary things out there, but when we erase our worry and fear and replace it with trust, we get through the situations a little less stressed.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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shameless

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

- Romans 1:16a (NIV)

 

I have a lot of friends on Facebook.

When you find something in common with someone it is only natural to become Facebook friends.

Facebook can be a scary place though, I mean, some people air out all their dirty laundry there.

It’s a dark place where family and friends suddenly hate each other because of a difference of opinion.

I always tell people when they want to find me on Facebook to not be afraid because I post a lot of God stuff.

I am not a religious nut, I am not judging other people for their choices, but I am also not ashamed to tell people about my God.

I believe that there is power in God’s word, and that God’s word is meant to be shared.  

I am not ashamed.

Everywhere there are people that try to make Christ followers ashamed about our faith, claiming that we are stupid, insensitive, judgmental, and hypocritical.

I feel like I can safely say that the majority of my friends know my heart and know that I am none of those things.

I am still not ashamed!

I try to share my faith humbly and gently with those who do not know Jesus.

According to the Bible, we are obligated to share His word with “both the wise and the foolish”.

That means, if you already know His word, I am sharing it to remind you and if you don’t know His word, I am sharing to introduce you.

Come, let me tell you how wonderful my Savior is.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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finding strength

Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.

- 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)

 

Some anniversaries are wonderful celebrations, the anniversary of your marriage, a work anniversary, an anniversary of a sobriety date.

Others are a bit more somber, the anniversary of the death of a loved one or the day that something terrible happened.

I have a friend who dislikes the month of July because it reminds her of a lot of loss that she has experienced.

My mother was certain that only bad things could happen on the 18^th of the month after my brother died on June 18^th. 
It is hard to stay strong when you are feeling defeated for whatever reason. 

We were on our way home from an overnight trip this weekend and we passed a convoy of military trucks, there were so many and based on the timeframe, we are assuming that it was the National Guard returning from their two weeks annual training. 
I suddenly found myself in tears because I remembered getting so mad at my brother because he was always gone on my birthday, like there was anything that he could have done to change those dates.

When sad memories bring us to our knees we need to look up, seek God and let His peace fill us.

I mean, we are already on our knees, we might as well pray.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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guardians

For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

- Psalm 91:11 (NIV)

 

Have you ever wondered if you have guardian angels?

I am pretty sure that I do because I have been in some very precarious situations and have come out unscathed.

When you put God first in your life you will feel His protection, you will experience His angels.

Don’t go play leapfrog in traffic to test the theory, but know that when push comes to shove, God’s got your back.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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shine on

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

- Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

 

Shine.
Make 'em wonder whatcha got.
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored.
Shine.
Let it shine before all men.
Let em see good works and then
Let em glorify the Lord.

I love the Newsboys almost as much as I love MercyMe.

Shine may have been one of the first songs labeled as “Christian rock” that I heard, and I still like it.

Dull as dirt,
You can't assert
The kinda light that might persuade
A strict dictator to retire
Fire the army,
Teach the poor origami.
The truth is in,
The proof is when you hear your heart start asking
What's my motivation?
And try as you may
There is no way
To explain the kinda change
That'd make an Eskimo renounce fur
That'd make a vegetarian barbecue hamster
Unless you can trace this about-face to a certain Sign

Shine.
Make 'em wonder whatcha got.
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored.
Shine.
Let it shine before all men.
Let em see good works and then
Let em glorify the Lord.

Out of the shaker and onto the plate,
It isn't karma it sure ain't fate
That would make a deadhead sell his van
That would make a schizophrenic turn in his crayons
Oprah freaks
And science geeks
A rationale that shall excuse this strange behavior
When you let it Shine
You will inspire the kind of entire turnaround
That would make a bouncer take ballet
Even bouncers who are unhappy
But out of the glare
With nowhere to turn
You ain't gonna learn it on "What's my line?"

Shine.
Make 'em wonder whatcha got.
Make 'em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored.
Shine.
Let it shine before all men.
Let em see good works and then
Let em glorify the Lord.

Shine.

 

Some of the lyrics are pretty silly if you read them but I like silly sometimes.

And when you read “When you let it Shine/You will inspire the kind of entire turn around/”

That is the kind of shine I am talking about, and I sure hope that there is a light in me that shines so bright that it does inspire people.

Let’s not plan to barbeque any hamsters though, that’s kind of gross.  

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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today is the day!

From birth I have relied on You; You brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.

- Psalm 71:6 (NIV)

 

For those of you that don’t know me super well, today is my birthday!

Fifty-three years I have been on this earth despite a few close calls where God could have taken me home but didn’t.

There are a lot of people that I give credit for me being here today, for the person that I have become.  

When I reflect of the last fifty-two years, I know that there were moments where I was not a shining example of a child of God.

I have learned to rely on God, He knows me, He made me, He calls me His own.  

Somewhere I read “Birthdays are a celebration of another year of living, God is the one who gave us life, and we should not forget to glorify Him for all that He has done and will do.” 

So today while I am excited about celebrating, I am also remembering to thank the One who made me.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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great expectations

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

- 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

 

I mentioned learning something new yesterday and I know that there is so much that I still need to learn as I continue to grow.

In addition to knowledge, we also need grace.

We need both grace and knowledge and often we humans tend to pursue one or the other.

I notice though that something just isn’t right in my soul when either of those becomes more important than the other.

We need to keep grace and knowledge together because we see them together in our Savior.

Where do you need to grow in your walk with the Lord?

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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it is well

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

- 3 John 1:2 (NIV)

 

We learn something new every day, right? 

I did not know there was a book “3 John”.

It is a relatively short book, being only one chapter, but it is there!

This verse was written to Gaius, a friend of John’s commended for his hospitality to traveling preachers.

I like it.

My husband and I are involved in a program that allows traveling motorcyclists to reach out when they need a place to stay for a night or two during their adventures.

As a result of this program, we have had many guests turn into lifelong friends.

I think that I would like to pray this verse over each of our travelers as they leave, as a blessing for their day.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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healing comes

He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

- Mark 5:34

 

Hopefully you recognize the words Jesus said to the woman who dared to touch his robe as He passed by her.

How many of us have faith that strong?

This woman suffered for years with an illness and she just knew that if she only touched His clothing she would be healed.

I am ashamed to say that I am not that strong in my faith.

I cry and pray and yes even beg for God’s intervention when things are not going the way I want them.

And there is the rub – things are not going the way I want them to go.  

I feel like the lesson to be learned here is twofold.

One, I have to have faith – we have to have faith – that God knows what He is doing.

Two, we have to be willing to reach out, to touch Him so we can be freed from our often self imposed suffering.

The healing we receive may not be what we asked for or expected, but healing comes, when we have faith.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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all good things come to an end

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

- Matthew 24:35

 

I returned home Sunday from what was supposed to be an epic motorcycle ride with my husband.

It was an epic fail - July in Oklahoma and Texas is super hot, ya’all, I didn’t make it as far as Arizona like I had planned.

Seems like I don’t react well to the heat, because not even 500 miles in I started feeling myself dehydrating and the beginning of heat exhaustion, even though I was drinking a LOT of water, the heat was just pulling it right back out of me. 

My husband made the decision that it was no longer safe for me to ride and we stopped.

I tried to convince him to let me rest and we could continue our journey, that once I got into the cooler air of the mountains I would recover, but then we looked at the forecast for our route home and it was about five degrees hotter. 

That was the end of my epic motorcycle trip.

All good things come to an end, right? 

We have heard those words since we were little, all good things must come to an end.

Maybe we utter those words to help us overcome some disappointment.

One thing will never disappoint, will never come to an end, that is the word of God.

While I am heartbroken that I disappointed myself and my husband, and that I didn’t finish something that I started and very much wanted to finish, I know that we did the right thing by turning back. 
God promises that He will keep His word, no matter what happens as we walk through this life.

The weather may not cooperate, but God will always place us where He wants us.

Count on it.   

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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almost home

In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling.

- Exodus 15:13

 

Can you imagine for a moment what it must have been like for the Israelites to see the promised land but not be able to enter it?

Longing for something that we just can’t have?

Yes, I have another song reference:

Are you disappointed?

Are you desperate for help?

You know what it's like to be tired

And only a shell of yourself

Well, you start to believe

You don't have what it takes

'Cause it's all you can do

Just to move, much less finish the race

But don't forget what lies ahead

Almost home

Brother, it won't be long

Soon all your burdens will be gone

With all your strength

Sister, run wild, run free

Hold up your head, keep pressing on

We are almost home

Well, this road will be hard

But we win in the end

Simply because of Jesus in us

It's not if, but when

So take joy in the journey

Even when it feels long

Oh, find strength in each step

Knowing Heaven is cheering you on

We are almost home

Brother, it won't be long

Soon all your burdens will be gone

With all your strength

Sister, run wild, run free

Hold up your head, keep pressing on

We are almost home

Almost home

Almost home

I know that the cross has brought Heaven to us

Make no mistake, there's still more to come

When our flesh and our bone are no longer between

Where we are right now and where we're meant to be

When all that's been lost is made whole again

When these tears and this pain no longer exist

No more walking, we're running as fast as we can

Consider this our second wind

Almost home

Brother, it won't be long

Soon all your burdens will be gone

With all your strength

Sister, run wild, run free

Hold up your head, keep pressing on

We are almost home

Almost home

Almost home

I feel like we are closer than ever to finding our way to God’s house.

The ways of this world do not look favorable for life as we know it.

I am confident though, that God will lead us home.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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finding help

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

- Isaiah 41:13

 

Have you noticed that it is easy to be happy when everything is going well?

I learned early in life that I let things bring me down very easily, and all it takes is one tiny thing to send me spiraling down.

There are so many times that I would like someone to just do things for me, times when life crashes in and I wish I could be a child again just to have someone take care of me and protect me.

God can do that for us. 
When we find ourselves struggling, let’s just reach up and let God take us by the hand.

We will be OK.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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we have freedom

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

- 2 Corinthians 3:17

 

It’s Independence Day in the United States!

This is one of my favorite holidays because it is in the summer, there is no obligation to buy gifts for people, you just get to hang out, eat food, play in the water, and watch the sky light up with fireworks. 

But there is more to it than that, I grew up in a military family, so there was always a somber moment, remembering the lives that were lost for our freedom.

Still, there is more to it than that because we are living in the land of the free and the home of the brave, we do not have to fear the oppression that some Christ followers do, where merely owning a Bible can get you thrown in jail (yes, that still happens!!!).

I hope that sometime during the picnics, swimming, boating, and fireworks that we stop to remember what true freedom is, the freedom that we find in surrendering our lives to Christ Jesus, because of His sacrifice we are truly free.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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a test of strength

I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.

- Philippians 4:13

 

By the time you read this today, I will be on another journey. 😊

This journey will test my endurance and my strength as I get on my motorcycle and ride farther then I have ridden before.

I’m not doing it because someone told me that I can’t.

I’m not doing it to show off.

I’m doing it because I want to.

Riding my motorcycle is such freedom for me, I clear my head, I work through problems, I pray.

Today I will face some pretty worrisome challenges, but I know that I will be fine.

I can do this through Christ who strengthens me.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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