the day after Thanksgiving;

It's the day after Thanksgiving.
I have so much that I am thankful for; mostly, my salvation and that my Lord continues to lead, guide and TEACH ME according to His good & perfect will for my life.

The rush to be prepared for Christmas begins; but for me, I marvel at the love God has for me, for humans. God has been leading me, teaching me, disciplining me, drawing me ever closer to Himself.  I am thankful for all these lessons, although not all lessons are pleasant.
I watch the mother dear with their fawns, they are preventing them from nursing now, teaching them to be alert & wise; watching for danger, how to find food.  No-one taught these animals how to do these things, they just 'know' to do it.

There is so much I do not know; The Lord gave us His Word, it tells us how to maneuver in this world.
Psa 119:105 NLT - [Nun] Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Psa 31:3 NKJV - For You [are] my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name's sake, Lead me and guide me.
Psa 48:14 NKJV - For this [is] God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide [Even] to death.
Psa 73:24 NKJV - You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me [to] glory.
That we are pilgrims; this is not our home, it is temporary.
1Ch 29:15 NKJV - For we [are] aliens and pilgrims before You, As [were] all our fathers; Our days on earth [are] as a shadow, And without hope.
We are living in temporary houses, (our bodies), when the body dies, our spirit returns to the spirit world, either with God, or without Him ; for eternity. 
Ecc 3:20 NKJV - All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.
Ecc 12:7 NKJV - Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
I know that's pretty heavy stuff, but none the less; true.

God tells us how to 'put off the old man' & 'put on the new man' ...
Eph 4:22 NLT - throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
Eph 4:23 NLT - Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
Eph 4:24 NLT - Put on your new nature, created to be like God--truly righteous and holy.
how to die to our own desires, and live seeking & serving Him, and amazingly, there is PEACE & HAPPINESS in serving the one true living God.
Rom 14:8 NKJV - For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
Phl 4:7 NKJV - and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Living in Montana is amazing. The landscape, the animals, the birds.  On Wed while in Missoula, I saw a BALD EAGLE sitting in a tree. How I wished I had a GOOD camera to capture the amazing wildlife that is everywhere around me.  How I wish I could paint, and it look like what I see. 
Until either of those things happen, I will continue using my phone camera.
below are a few of the pictures I have been able to capture. I continue to be AMAZED at the dear that are EVERYWHERE, including my yard!! lol

May our Lord bless you as you seek Him daily;
Kim

view of horses in pasture near us

little flock of Quail that live here;

they are a trip to watch

I saw this rainbow as I was leaving home; BEAUTIFUL

Trapper Peak; beautiful view from valley below

horses in pasture

Pheasant in yard

home grown carrots; super sweet tasting

Elk in our pasture

snow on Nov 23

dear in yard looking for the dear block we put out for them

Elk in our pasture

close up of Pheasant in yard

we had 7 dear in our yard last night

a young buck, a younger fawn, and doe

 

May our Lord bless you daily as you seek the beauty in your life

 

 

 

 

Montana Living (3)

Living in Montana has been an awesome experience. 
Everywhere I look, I see wildlife. Nature at its best, the open pastures, horses, Hawks gliding on the unseen breeze, Eagles that have an amazing wing span! Elk, dear, & Coyote. Not to mention all the varieties of birds.  It is so serene and peaceful watching animals that are wild & beautiful.

For about 6 weeks there was A LOT of smoke in the valley, it smelled bad, and you could see ashes on the ground & cars. The fires were in the next town, and also in Idaho; that smoke came over the mountains and literally, got stuck in this valley!  Then the rains came, soft & gentle washing away the smoke and leaving behind beautiful fall colors and a blue sky.

In one afternoon, I was able to take pictures of peacocks, Owl,  wild turkeys, Elk, Dear, & Horses. Including some scenery. At the end of this post I will add some of the pictures. please excuse the poor quality of some of photo's s they were taken with my phone.

My friend and sister in Christ, put a challenge to read and do a study in the book of James. I found it interesting, as I progressed through the set of questions, my understanding grew!  I'm now reading in the book of Titus.

The Lord has continued to encourage me and REMIND me (again) that He will NEVER leave me nor forsake me. I obviously have abondonment issues, but am so thankful to MY Father God, for His loving kindness toward me, for providing a way for me to be with Him, forever, and for ALWAYS being with me as His Holy Spirit dwells in me. 
Jhn 14:16 NLT - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
 THINK OF THAT!!  God lives in me! (& YOU; if you have accepted Christ as your personal saviour)
Hbr 13:5 NKJV - [Let your] conduct [be] without covetousness; [be] content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
It is an amazing thing, to age, to become older. We all do it, we all have 24 hours a day to use; as we choose. I've been quite reflective about the life I've lived.  I know that many times I have let the Lord down, let my family & friends down, even strangers. That my behavior has not been 'becoming' at times, I am so thankful to the Lord for His GRACE & MERCY!  For His forgiveness;
My lesson lately has been to learn, HOW to forgive myself! How odd, that the Lord, God Himself has forgiven me, AND by CHOICE, forgotten my evil thoughts and deeds, yet I choose to hang onto them.??? WHY?  I must choose my thoughts, and think my thoughts 'on purpose'... not allowing random negative thoughts to rule me or my day. :)
The Word of the Lord says this about our thoughts:
Phl 4:8 NKJV - Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things [are] noble, whatever things [are] just, whatever things [are] pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things [are] of good report, if [there is] any virtue and if [there is] anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. (THINK ON THESE THINGS)

There is SO MUCH that is beautiful, the Lords word is beautiful in its TRUTH... as I continue reading the Bible, (His word) and praying for understanding, He is faithful to give me understanding, at the level I am at.. just as one does not give a baby a steak to eat, the Lord starts us out with milk, then a little bit more solid food, and so on. haha, not sure where I am at in the 'dinner menu' but I do know, my understanding continues to grow, and so does my knowledge of WHO I AM IN HIM... and allowing Him to live through my life, that is what I am learning, how to DIE TO MYSELF and MY self will and ALLOWING HIM to live through me.  How powerful is that!! the Lord God desires to live inside me, and draw me closer to Him, glorifying His name is my desire. PRAISE GOD, PRAISE GOD.
Jhn 11:26 NKJV - "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
this is Jesus talking, IF you believe this you also can be saved, saved from an eternity away from God, but rather to spend it with Him.
2Cr 13:4 NKJV - For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

Living here in Montana has been a wonderful experience. Last night was the first snow. With the changing seasons, the beauty changes, but yet, it is the same scenery. We grow and change also; becoming more like Him, becoming more beautiful, from the inside out.

1Pe 1:24 NKJV - because "All flesh [is] as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,

1Pe 1:25 NKJV - But the word of the LORD endures forever."  Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

2Ti 4:22 NLT - May the Lord be with your spirit. And may his grace be with all of you.in Him;
Kim
 

dirt road

 

dear laying in pasture as cows graze

Owl in our yard looking out over pasture

Doe in our yard

baby fawn rests as Doe (above) grazes

Elk herd in pasture across from our driveway

notice BULL elk standing in center,

he is AMAZING to watch

me

(notice dirt road from previous pic at top)

from attop a mtn looking over valley

a beautiful home & pasture

Elk along side road as we were driving

cow (female elk) looking at us as we stopped to take this picture

horses in pasture... so many horses in this area!

more of Elk alongside road

male peacocks

tree in our yard (before snow last night)

wild turkeys

wild turkey next to irregation ditch

view from our barn

our barn

 

Montana Living - pictures

A collection of photo's:

MONTANA LIVING

 

view from back porch; notice two dear just outside of fence

in backyard

a Hawk above; Hawks are amazing to watch

view looking down yard/driveway

Buck Elk and his herd of cows in pasture across from us

same Hawk, beautiful & graceful

different day; Hawk resting on our fencepost

this is one of three young dear in our yard,

it just saw me

these are some little birds (a colony of about 25-30)

Quail or chucker, can't remember?

that regularly hang out in our yard

fawn resting in backyard while mom eats a few feet away

mother doe

mother doe & fawn

Elk up close, they are looking at me

Owl I mentioned in previous post. ignoring me in this pic

the cows that were in our pastures a month ago,

now moved on to 'greener pastures' haha

 

These are just a few pictures I have taken. hoping I get a GOOD camera to

take amazing pictuers and document 'life in Montana'

 

PRAISING OUR LOVING FATHER for ALL HE IS DOING AND HAS DONE;

be blessed today as you rest in Him,

Kim

Montana living

Hi my dear brothers & sisters in Christ;

WOW; again months have passed and so very much has changed!! How could one ever imagine the turns one life will take!  Praise God He does not allow us to view our future before we are ready for our 'present'!!

My last post was on May 21, on June 3 I met my soon to be husband!! no wonder the house fell through and I did not get the job at the Sheriffs Dept!  God HAS A PLAN and A PURPOSE for MY LIFE!!  LOL imagine that!!
Jer 29:11 NKJV - For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jer 29:12 NKJV - Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Jer 29:13 NKJV - And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart.
 how easily we 'each' forget the promises the Lord made to EACH of us individually.  He is so amazingly GOOD, beyond MY comprehension.

'let my life be the proof, the proof your love' how you lived , how you died, ..... (song by king & Country)

I am now married, living in a small community in MT.  What changes my life has taken on, When I left NC in the spring of 2011, how could I have imagined THIS?? He has continued to express to me, 'do not fear, be brave & courageious' 
I've had emotional times, challenging times, and times of AWE at how absolutely amazing our God TRUE LY IS.  I'm very excited to be on this path, HIS path, and to see what He will do in the months to come!!

I've continued in my reading.. slow progress as I tend to do 'other' bible studies, but as I continue in 2 Chronicles, I am constantly reminded that IF we will OBEY the commands of the Lord, He will bless us, but if we turn from our God, then destruction will come. God can not protect us when we are outside of His will, He can not bless us if we are disobedient children.  He can, and thankfully does, correct us, discipline us according to His good & perfect will for our lives.  When we realize that ALL we are is His, when we submit to Him, we rest in the knowledge that He 'protects, directs & corrects' us for our own good, that the Lord wants to bless us, THAT is why He obeyed God, He took MY punishment for MY sin. oh yes, I am a sinner, each one of us is;
Isa 53:6 NKJV - All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(thank you Jesus for going to the cross, for taking my sins upon yourself)

Each morning as I sit and have coffee, the quietness of this beautiful valley overwhelms me. The animals are so amazing. Each day, there are dear in our yard, does & fawns.. some still having their spots! I've walked in the yard to get 'a closer' look at the Elk in the pasture below our place, and while walking in our yard, notice on the fence post by the pine tree, an OWL sitting there, haha WATCHING ME... to cool... weird to see how an Owl can turn his/her head around and the look in their eyes.. WOW... AWESOME I tell you!
The various little birds that live in groups that come in our yard to eat the berries and bugs .

here is a touching story;
about 2 months ago, a doe was hit and killed near our driveway, she had a milk bag & we wondered at her baby, I believe I even prayed for it.  Then about a week ago, as we were approaching our driveway, a doe & fawn ran across the road behind us, I turned to watch them, they suddenly stopped in the next field, and were looking ahead, focused, so I followed their gaze, & I saw an older dear and fawn laying in the field.. all of a sudden the fawn jumped up and RAN to the doe & other fawn, and immediately began nursing from the doe.  What a moment when I realized this doe had adopted the orphaned fawn. The other adult doe continued to lay in the grass, as if she was the 'baby sitter' ... I felt so blessed to be able to view this scene of nature, and Gods provision. He says: Mat 6:26 NKJV - "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?I am so thankful God is patient with me, I must remember to be thankful in & for ALL things ... even when I do not 'feel' thankful.. Let's face it, somethings are more difficult to be thankful for than others, yet that is what we are called to DO; BE THANKFUL...
Col 3:15 NKJV - And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Psa 100:4 NKJV - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, [And] into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name.

Psa 116:17 NKJV - I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD.
When we are obedient to be thankful, peace does rule our hearts for we realize, we really do not have anything to fear, for we are HIS. He is our King. He set us free from bondage, shouldn't we be thankful for that??
Jos 1:9 NKJV - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God [is] with you wherever you go."
Rom 8:31 NKJV - What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us?
AMEN; PRAISE BE TO THE KING MOST HIGH

I will post some pictures of this magnificent valley, and the creatures that live here.. haha including myself!

May our Lord bless each of you this day as you seek His face in ALL you think, say & do according to His good & perfect will for your life. Amen

in Him;
Kim
 

The Ripple Effect

The Ripple effect

Here we are in May already. Time is passing at a rapid rate.

I need to catch you up on things the Lord has been working with me on.
TRUSTING HIM... haha, imagine that! Who else has been dealing with this one on a day to day basis?
As He is leading me, daily, day to day, not allowing me a sneak preview of what my future holds, but just holding on , now. Being PRESENT with Him, in the present. not dwelling on the past, nor trying to fortel the future. As certainly we simply can not do.
I was in the process of buying a house. What a long drawn out process....what a roller coaster ride. (have I ever mentioned how roller coasters make me sick??) lol, well, this one did too.  After months of ups & downs, the house FLOODED. (that's right, flooded) within a week of closing. the entire house was flooded. I had been praying; "God if this is not your will, PLEASE shut the door"   He sure did!
I was physically ill as I accepted this realization. BUT, I also then felt a RELIEF.  So I know it was the Lord, guiding me, since I am such a stubborn wilful child.
Then, I also had applied to the Sheriffs dept. About a month ago, I was told the position had been filled. So, I accepted the info and continued on with my day to day stuff. Then I got a call from a Detective for a 3 hour interview the following week.. WOW... I'm back in the running.  So, I go to this interview with 2 Detective's, spend 3 hours and 45 minutes having a very transparent conversation about MY LIFE... YIKES.. oh let me tell you; it was hard to be HONEST with myself, let alone two total strangers. Things I had swept under the rug for YEARS had to be discussed.  These two men now know more about me than any one human alive... only God knows 'the rest of the story'.
I had prayed that if the Lord wanted me in this position, that they would find favor with me, BUT, if the Lord did not want me there, that He would 'shut the door'... well, the door SLAMMED shut. The Detectives told me that I had indeed found favor with them, however, my past behaviors as a youth and in my early twenties was preventing me from being able to be hired. (I had quite the childhood!)
I again was CRUSHED... cried, and cried some more. It had been very painful to have to relive my childhood and then be rejected... THEN the Lord revealed me to me, He has a plan and purpose for my life... (Romans 8:28) Which I knew already, but once again, needed to be reminded of His everlasting love and compassion toward me, His child.
Don't we have compassion for and toward our own children? They may 'think' they know what is best, but simply can not understand, so we guide them toward 'the better choice'. This is what God has done for me. I PRAISE HIS HOLY, HOLY, HOLY NAME.

I have been reading in 2 Kings.. and realize that if the king were obedient to God, Worshipping the Lord, the people were blessed, including the kings family.  BUT, if the king was wicked, the people in his kingdom were led astray, worshipping idols and giving in sexual behaviors & other wickedness. They were cursed and destroyed.... including the kings family. Sometimes this curse would not be immediate, but 1 or 2 generations later.

It is the 'ripple effect'.. such as when a pebble (sin) is tossed into a pond, the ripples continue for a long distance,  then toss another pebble (sin) in and then there are double ripples.
The ripples of my childhood are affecting me now. some 35 yrs after the fact. Who would have guessed? certainly not me, especially when I was a child. 
Today in church, the Pastor was talking about Truth, and being 'good' but compared to who? To what standard of good? another person, perhaps, but NONE of us compare to Christ's goodness.. He was /is sinless, NONE of us compare to Him. We are as filthy rags to the Lord.

Isa 64:6 NLT - We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
But He clothes us in His white robe of purity & taking our sins upon Himself.  That is love.
1Jo 5:21 NLT - Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.
More to come~
Peace be with you;
in Him;
Kim

fields of harvest

the fields are indeed ready to be harvested.  Everywhere I look, I see death in the eyes of ppl I pass by. It is so sad that the majority of the world is LOST.  We, as His disciples, have a comission to spread the word of Life.
be blessed today and rejoice at every opportunity to plant a seed, or water, or harvest for the King. :)

seeking & finding

greetings to my brothers & sisters in the Lord;

We are now in mid February.  I had written a blog in Jan. but it evidently did not post, nor can I find it saved? So; HAPPY NEW YEAR a little late. :)

The Lord has been and continues to be so AWESOME.  Ha~ and I continue to BE AMAZED by Him.  Isn't it amazing in itself, that we as His children are 'amazed' by His love, protection, direction and correction in our lives???  We recognize that He IS thee one eternal God, so why are we soooo amazed?? He has promised us He is love, and if we obey Him, accept Jesus, whom He sent to save us from our sins, we would indeed spend eternity with Him... NOW THAT IS AMAZING!!
WOW factor right!!

Ok, so moving on;
for a few months now, (yes I'm abit slow on the uptake at times, but He is patient and teaches without anger or sarcasm.. as some human teachers would) the Lord has been dealing with me about digging deeper into His word, learning about His character, who He is... and who I am IN HIM. That's an important thing many of us do not see, or acknowledge, who we are in Him.
He has given us His power to overcome the enemy. Yet we listen to the enemy tell us we are so undeserving... this is true, BUT; praise be to God, who loved us even then! AND PROVIDED A WAY OUT OF BONDAGE OF SIN.  (which is our fleshly inheritance since the fall of Adam & Eve years ago). God has given us, (those of us that have accepted His son, Jesus) a heavenly inheritance that will not rust, rot or be taken away. For no-one can snatch His children from His hand. Therefore, we ARE SAFE in Him. :) how cool is that!! thank you Father for loving me even when I was filthy covered in my sins. Thank you for washing me clean, and giving me the robe of Jesus to cover my sins so that you may look upon me.

In digging deeper into His word, OBEDIENCE to His word is a continuous thread through out all that I read in the Old Testament and New.  There is punishment for dis-obedience and rewards for obedience both for the saved & the un-saved. We ALL shall stand before the Lord God and bow down, and have our lives examined by Him who has the power of life & death in His hand. Our souls are eternal just as He is. But our flesh is not. Our eternal souls live in a flesh house called the 'body'. When the body dies, the soul lives on... for eternity.  Now the question is this:  will your eternity be WITH the God of Love? or with out the God of Love?  He gives us a choice. He can not abide sin, He can not look upon sin for He is Holy. (sanctity or purity, consecrated or set aside as sacred. standing apart from sin and evil; He is PURE)
So, it comes back around to obedience again.  God has given us HIS Word, His word is alive, still applicable TODAY in our culture... in any culture.. for He is alive and knows the human heart and how evil we are. He loved us enough to send His ONLY son, Jesus into a world fallen to sin, knowing He would suffer, but He loved us enough to allow His son to die in our place.  Jesus loves his Father, God enough to OBEY Him, even to death on the cross. (which at that time was the WORST punishment for the worst people) Jesus was punished for obeying God in direct opposition of the 'religious' leaders of the day.  The religious leaders were more interested in their power and position in society, instead of being concerned about the people knowing the one true God. The religious leaders made their own 'traditions' and did not follow the commands of the Lord.  Jesus defied them, they hated Jesus for being obedient to God and exposing them as false leaders.
Now;
if God would allow His very son to be punished for us, does that not SHOW US that He loves us??
so again; why am I so 'amazed' when He reveals Himself to me or shows favor on me?  do I STILL have unbelief in my heart?? I pray not. For I desire to serve the One true Living God all the days of this life on earth. I thank Him this is not my home, but my home is with Him for eternity.
This life here, is but a breath in the big scheme of things, a short pilgrimage in a foreign land... I look to the sky for His return.
Psalm 121:7-8  (NTL STUDY BIBLE)
7; The Lord keeps you from all harm and watchers over your life.
8; The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

I encourage you to read His word, ponder His word, apply His word to your life.. ASK HIM TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO YOU & He will for He says:
Pro 8:17 NKJV - I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.
Jer 29:13 NKJV - And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart.
Rev 22:21 NKJV - The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you all. Amen.
in Him;
Kim