Kimberly's Expressions

He [the Lord your God] will never leave you nor forsake you . When we think of the Scripture in Deuteronomy 31:6 that God will never leave us or forsake us, we usually get an immediate and general concept of all that verse entails. Through these words, we are particularly reminded of God's goodness and great love for His children. But these comforting words also point us to another awesome aspect of God - His power and authority. If you, as a child of God, find yourself in a place where the climate is evil, God is with you. You are not alone - God Almighty remains with and within you. My husband's job is at a particularly spiritually dark place. If we could see the atmosphere through spiritual eyes, I'm sure we would shudder (Ephesians 6:12) . But when my Spirit-filled husband opens those doors to go to work, he is not alone, and the power of Christ within him supersedes every other presence. Darkness and evil may surround you, because you have found yourself in...

There are so many wonderful songs and Scriptures about God's grace and His faithfulness. We are right to be so thankful for these amazing and undeserved works of God which every child of God knows about first hand! We enjoy thinking, studying, and shouting about God's gifts to us, but are we skipping out on the importance of what we as God's children should be giving to Him? Faithfulness Is Critical Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26), and our lives should be producing it. I like to think of faithfulness as "commitment in action." It encompasses repentance, obedience, and heartfelt devotion. Faithfulness to God's ways and His word is necessary to our walk with Him. Without faithfulness, we become purposeless. If you're going to take a dog with you on an important hunt, you'd better take a faithful dog, because only a faithful dog can help his master achieve the purpose of the journey. God's Word commands and ...

If you are a parent, you've been through it before. In the distance you hear your child shouting out for you. You don't know if they are in danger, if they are hurt, if they are excited, or if they are just over-reacting to something. But when you reach them, you assess the situation in a quick second and respond. Depending on the circumstance, what you say will differ. You may respond with a fast and loud, "Watch out - get out of there!" or an affirming and pleased, "Wow, buddy! Great job!" or a disappointed, "I told you not to do that," or an understanding, "It's okay, I'm here." In the same way, God is tuned in to His child's voice, and when we call out for help, He is faithful to respond. Our cry for help often sounds the same - something to the tune of, "God, I need this now!" God's response to us, however, isn't the same each time, and it isn't always how we expect Him to respond. Why...

If you have kids of any age and you want a great, thorough, flexible, and free resource to teach them Godly behaviors and character traits, visit www.kidsofintegrity.com . The site is through Focus on the Family - Canada, and it is outstanding! Each of the 19 characteristics has its own .pdf file you can download to your computer and then refer to it that way or go ahead and print it out on your printer. Each characteristic's download includes suggested prayers, suggested discussions, Bible stories, memory verses, activities and projects, object lessons, and practical suggestions. We just spent the month of August on the topic of "Respect," and it was terrific! I took an unorganized approach, and each day I just flipped through the pages and selected what I wanted us to talk about or do that day. For September's characteristic I chose "Self-Control." While we are doing a little each day over a month, you certainly don't have to do it that way, an...

It's Easter! My spiritual birthday! I'm so glad that we can celebrate the resurrection of our Savior! How do I know He's alive? Because I know Him personally. He speaks to me and guides me. He encourages me and corrects me. He blesses me to feel His presence. Jesus is most definitely alive, most definitely saving souls, and most definitely worthy to be praised! Here is a wonderful song, I would like to share... and/or you can read on below. O THE BLOOD If you don't know Jesus personally, you can! It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. God loves YOU right NOW. Jesus took all your sin upon Himself when He died on the cross, so that you can live a life of freedom and a life (now and eternally) close to God. He already made the way possible for you to know Him, He just wants you to receive Him into your heart and let Him be your Lord and Savior. You can't do enough good works to get to heaven. You can't be good enough on your own. You need ...

Well, I just can't help it. I just can't get enough of the book of Acts. I have on several occasions begun to stop reading and start writing a post on something wonderful from Acts, but I'm so eager to keep reading, that I ditch the post. This has happened so many times over the last several days, that I have about given up on writing anything at all. My posts simply cannot compare to the perfect, exciting, tremendous words that have already been written in the Bible. So, I guess I would suggest that if you are reading this blog right now, you just leave and pick up your Bible! To the Christian, particularly the Spirit- filled Christian, the book of Acts is more exciting and thrilling than any swash-buckling story of pirates or any adventure movie. It is a deep-seeded truth in our spirit that grows as we read. Faith rises, truth is found, boldness is desired, and the Holy Spirit is sought on a new level as one reads of the many miracles, the anointed sermons, the bold te...

Sometimes as Christians, we tend to focus in on a particular attribute of God that we like or that we have experienced in our own life. That is not to say that we don't recognize or appreciate all of who God is, but sometimes it's easy to get carried away by a specific part. For example, I tend to focus in on the victorious aspect of God - overcoming, deliverance, power, etc. Some people focus in on the loving aspect of God or on healing or another wonderful part of who God is. This is why when I have heard Gateway Worship's song "You Are Good" in the past, I have always thought, "What a pretty song." But it never really "got me" - until today. If you haven't heard the song, you can listen to it here. If you are already familiar with it, you can read on... :) Goodness is not generally one of the attributes of God that I get all excited about. But it should be! Today, the Holy Spirit reminded me that if it were not for His goodness, my...

Luke 1:26-38  26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”   34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”   35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow...

Now that Landon is a little older, it is pretty rare that he falls asleep on me anymore. Our bedtime routine is to read a book together in the rocking chair, sing a couple of songs, pray, and then lay him down in his bed. The end. But today, after reading our book, he fell asleep in my arms. It felt so good. And no child falling asleep in my arms could feel as good as my own dear son or daughter. I sat for a few minutes just holding him and taking in the sweet moment, before I reluctantly laid him down in his bed. You know, just as it felt wonderful and right for Landon to rest in my arms, it also feels wonderful and right when we rest in the Lord. Sometimes life is a whirlwind of uncertainty and upsetting experiences, but while our brain is scrambling, our heart is torn, and our body is exhausted, we can still know what it is to rest in the Lord. Our spirit can still be rejuvenated day by day. And while our circumstances are causing us to feel frantic or drained, we can still fi...

I have been so hungry for God. I have felt empty. So, naturally, I've been asking God to feed my spirit and revive me. I've been wanting Him to take me to a deeper place with Him. It should come as no surprise that He answered my prayer. He has been feeding me Holy Spirit given spiritual food that I have never had before, and it is SSSOOO good. It's so good, that I have been wanting to post about it for a week, but I can't find a way to articulate just what I feel, just what I want to share, just how He is changing me. So for now, I would like to share with you a small "lesson" which I learned at church on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Better understanding these parts of His name, have really opened up the Scriptures to me and caused me to more fully appreciate their usage in the Bible. If you are a Christian, your mind and spirit already have a grasp on the full meaning of "the Lord Jesus Christ", so what I am about to share won't surprise...

I love Easter! At the age of 5, I made the decision to give my life to Jesus, following an Easter play at my grandparents' church. I still remember the scene of the crucifixion and realizing what Jesus did for me . After the play, an altar call was given, and I remember telling my mom that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart. Twenty-five years later, Jesus is more dear to me than ever, and following Him is the most wonderful and meaningful part of my life! As I ponder Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, I love to consider just how He did it. An angel didn't come to John in a dream and tell him to get up and pray for Jesus to be raised from the dead. God didn't speak to Peter and command him to strike the stone at the door of the tomb three times. God didn't tell the disciples to rally together and march in front of the tomb until God gave the victory. And no one stood before the tomb and shouted, "Jesus, come forth!" The simple, beautiful, powerful, comp...

There is SO MUCH study material in the verses of Scripture I have typed below, that I cannot even begin to do them justice in this post. So I won't try. Instead, I invite you to read these powerful verses for yourself and allow God's words to penetrate your own heart. At the end, is a video of a song by Paul Wilbur I would like to share with you. Check out the words Moses spoke to all of Israel and directly to Joshua... from Deuteronomy 31:1-8 1 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said. 4 And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land. 5 The ...

Many times we pour our energy, time, or heart into things that don't leave us feeling very appreciated or thanked for our hard work, much less rewarded. Your supervisor may not recognize all the ways your work is benefiting the company; your spouse may not thank you for doing the seemingly minute, but important, tasks that keep your home running smoothly; your teachers may not understand the effort you are putting into your studies; your friends may not realize the sacrifice it took for you to do that something special for them. But God sees. He knows. And He honors your hard work. So, what is it that you do? Whatever it is, go ahead and give it all you've got, because your work is service rendered to the Lord! Somehow, knowing that makes everything more important, more worth the doing. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward; it is the Lord Christ yo...

I have been blessed by God with a wonderful life and wonderful people around me. I often think of all the troubles many people go through, and I think to myself how I haven't been through that kind of turmoil. I meditate for a moment on my life and the challenges I have been through; then I realize, it isn't that I haven't faced my own troubles and fears, it's that I relied on the Lord through all of them and He brought me through them with a smile on my face. Even now, my family is going through a difficult time that has challenged me in more ways than I can describe. However, through all the thoughts, fears, and feelings, there is the underlying, indisputable truth that I am the Lord's and it is the peace that can come only from Him which stabilizes and calms me. Knowing the Lord, loving Him, and being steadfast in my commitment to Him has not only blessed my life in numerous ways, but I have spent every day of it with the peace of God settled in my spirit. G...

As a teenager, I was very blessed to have incredible youth ministers, great youth conferences to attend, and many other resources and support systems. Of course, the most important were my family and my personal relationship with God. All these people, organizations, and opportunities gave me a huge and deep grounding in the subject of, the reasoning behind, and my desire for purity. I chose at an early age to stay away from people, places, and situations that would pressure me to compromise my beliefs and give up my virginity. There were numerous quotes, illustrations, and Scriptures that I learned during those intense years, which stuck with me and came to mind when I needed them. One such illustration was that of comparing one's purity with a bouquet of roses. I can't credit the person or place from where I heard it, because I don't remember, but it went something like this.... Think of yourself as being a full bouquet of beautiful, perfect, roses. Now imagine that some...

I am writing out of a very thankful heart, and I can't help but want to let you know how thankful I am to God that He not only answers prayer, but that He allows us to come before Him with our petitions in the first place! What a marvelous God we serve! I can think of countless times that I have poured out my heart to God and He has moved in a big way. There have also been times that he has laid a particular person upon my heart and encouraged me to continue praying for them until He gave me peace about it. There have been times He has instructed me in exactly what to pray for someone whom I didn't know. And there are other ways the Lord has had me pray, as well. The key to an effective prayer life, is following God closely. Living a righteous life and loving Him. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. My God doesn't sit on a throne that I can never reach. My God allows me to come directly before Him and talk directly to Him. He listens to me, and He responds. What a wonderf...

I think at times we become so wrapped up in our own circumstances and our own needs that we lose sight of the true greatness of God. That while He is everything we need on a personal level, He is also working on a much larger scale. Perhaps we would find our personal faith in God growing at a greater rate if we gave more attention to meditating upon and celebrating God in his greatness. Perhaps it is time we remember that He is a BIG God, who is not to be belittled, who sees the history of the earth from beginning to end, and who is not weakened by our perceptions. The universe was created by Him. The entire earth was flooded by Him. Entire cities have been obliterated by Him. Whole nations have trembled at the mention of His Name. Entire rivers have parted at His hand. The hearts of kings have been hardened by Him. Nations have been spared by Him. And our hearts and souls can belong to Him!!! He is an awesome God, and to be part of His kingdom is an honor and a great...

Lately, my family has been facing some big challenges that seem to have no end. As a result, I have leaned heavily on two things in my spiritual walk that have upheld me and sustained me and kept me sane... The first is the Bible. The only book that is alive. The only book through which God speaks directly and you never have to question, wonder, or work through whether it's what He wants. The only book that gives clarity and direction straight from God when everything else is silent. The only book that is all truth, completely dependable, and penetrates to the soul. The second is my history with the Lord. You see, God and I have a past together. He formed my very being. He came into my heart and changed my life. He has filled me with His Holy Spirit. He has comforted me when I was heart-broken, protected me when I was in danger, held my hand when I was scared, and directed me when I didn't know where to go. The most amazing part is that through my entire life with Him I hav...

Generally when friends want to communicate with one another, we do it through words. We say it or write it. If we are excited and are jumping up and down, the other person probably doesn't understand what we are excited about unless we tell them. In the same way, our words are important to God and they are powerful. However, our relationship with God is not limited in the way we communicate with Him and He with us, like our communication with a friend is limited. Besides the words that we speak, God also sees the meditation of our hearts, the actions of our hands, and understands our very being. So, why do Christians limit their worship and praise to God with just singing songs. Why do we not allow our whole being to glorify God? He understands it. He created it. He deserves it. When I think about what the Lord has done for me, I can't help but be moved (literally). I want to dance or shout. Sometimes I want to bow down or be still. Sometimes I want to sing at the ...

No input from me this time - just the perfect Word of God... Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of y...