Each year I compile a list of some of my favorite Bible verses, quotes, nuggets, inspirations, etc. I know who said most, but not all, and with some I have hidden the person’s identity for various reasons. I hope something in all of this will make you smile. I have had many reasons to smile this year. I had no idea how many until today.

My family rejoiced this Christmas. This year we had an emergency appendectomy, what could have been a fatal car wreck –no two of those, filet o’ ear and a broken collar bone due to flying motorcycles, loss of a job, reactions to medications, a car that went kerplunk, damage due to a drunk driver, loss of friends, friends with battles of addiction, friends with disease, friends with loss of marriage and trust, a heart that didn’t beat correctly, stress, dangerous situations, and a broken heart. Yet, we stand.
We stand blessed and whole.

I prayed that next year would be uneventful and peaceful. You know me…I would hate to end my 2008 without a bang…on 12/31/08 the ceiling, air ducts, electrical cords, light fixtures, etc. in my home were in the floor…not covered by insurance. Have no idea when this happened, but the best we can figure is faulty installation.

Someone said to me on 12/30/08, “I have learned in life that I am either facing a trial, in a trial, or coming out of a trial.” Amen. But it is okay…

I have learned through all of this that we cannot keep hitting snooze every morning. We have to get up and do this life. This thing God wants us to do. Face the trials. We live among a “prozac fogged” people a doctor said. The verse is not, With Prozac all things are possible, but instead, “But with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 — We don’t have to keep hitting snooze through life because we can do this life. “with God”.

God has fulfilled Psalm 23:4 for me repeatedly over the past year.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Amen.

Hey, and I started my year with 4 straight spares, a strike, and another spare in a row (bowling)…stay tuned.

Enjoy and Happy 2009,
Love to all,
Kim

“Never try to hurt your spouse because they hurt you. Show your spouse more love when they seem unloving. Always share the work at home. Have frequent surprise gifts and parties. Always share your feelings or the smallest problems grow into monsters. Always treat your spouse better than your favorite pet. Ask your spouse what is important to them – don’t suppose you already know. You will be surprised.” Chad

Tibby:
“You know what the problem is? The problem is that every time I try to get close to someone there’s something out there that just says, ‘Ope, Tibby’s about to be happy. We better get her. I don’t really know what to say.”
Lena:
“Or maybe you’re just scared.”

“People do have a power over us even after they are gone. I ran away from the pain, well because, well…I guess I was afraid, but the past is always with us and I guess it is time I stopped running.” Run to Jesus.

Costas to Lena:
“We are terrible at not loving each other.”
Lena:
“I tried to stop but I couldn’t.”
Costas:
“I tried too.”
Lena:
“So what do we do?”
Costas:
“We figure it out.”

Isaiah 30:15, “In quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

Is. 40:4;43:4

“Enduring love is to allow the blending.”

“Darkness is my point of view, my right to myself; light is God’s point of view.”
Oswald Chambers

Beth:
“What is peace?”
Devin:
“Not allowing anything to come between us and God.”

I do not ask to walk smooth paths
Nor bear an easy load.
I pray for strength and fortitude
To climb the rock-strewn road.
Give me courage I can scale
The hardest peaks alone,
And transform every stumbling block
Into a stepping stone.
Gail Brook Burke

“God changes your n into an v. You go from lonely to lovely.”
Max Lucado in Traveling Light

Emergency stops to take pictures of frozen water on windmills. Priceless moments.

Prayer with a friend on our knees in an altar. Thank you, Megan. On our knees..try it.

“I cannot do this. You cannot do this. It is impossible. He (God) can.” Ryan Whitley

“Help all the grandfathers. I’m gonna help all the kids.” Prayer of a sweet 1st grader…How long has it been since you heard a child pray? Asked a child to pray?

“A telescope magnifies the star. It is a distant ball of gas that is a million times larger than the image your eyes sees. Believers are like a telescope for Christ. He is far more radiant than we could ever imagine or communicate, but he purpose of our life is to magnify Him. Paul in prison – Phil. 1:20, “Christ will even now, as always be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” (I’m just not sure who said it. I wrote it down but I don’t know if it was my pastor or a professor. Sorry.)

Privilege to suffer.

Jesus came to bridge the gap between man’s sinful nature and God’s glory.

Courage is not the absence of fear but calmness and stability in the midst of it. Although we do not see God, we believe He is at work. A resolute spirit is required if we are to wait on God.

Psalm 23:4 Promises fulfilled. 2/23/08; 3/09/08; 3/18/08; 3/31/08; 4/03/08; 4/08/08; 04/22/08; 04/28/08;

“She will have strength.” Sandy

“She is obedient. I saw her standing tall with something holding her up straight and she was looking down on the muck.” Leigh

Prepare me to be a sanctuary. Pure and holy. Tried and true.

God’s Holy Word is so powerful that it’s presence, even when it is not open, has power. Tried and true.

Thank you Lord for promising me that if I commit my work to you, my plans will be established. That you will make peace with my enemies if I (and I need your help) walk in pleasing ways. Thank you for reminding me that you put the weights in my bag for a balance of your purpose. If I have discernment and use sweetness of speech it will increase my persuasiveness with my enemies. I should use gracious and sweet words so that they will sweeten my soul. That I should have a soft answer to turn away wrath.
“…and now behold we are in Your hand – whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” Joshua 9:25 Amen

Lord, I’m believing your grace is sufficient. 06/10/08

Lord, I’m believing your ways are perfect and I can draw strength from you. 06/29/08

New friends.

Disciple – One who follows Christ in order to learn from Him, resulting in imitating Him, and bringing Him glory.

Self-denial – Setting aside personal desires and putting others first. Lose my life.
Take up my cross. Deny myself daily. As imitators for Christ it will spill over to others. Stay focused.

Psalm 23:4 Promises fulfilled 7/22/08

Beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.

Lord, you are great and greatly to be praised.

Psalm 23:4 Promises in puddles and a puppy. 09/11/08

Lord, I believe you come near to the brokenhearted. Come near Lord. 11/07/08

Psalm 23:4 Promises fulfilled 12/17/08; 12/24/08; 12/25/08; 12/26/08; 12/28/08; 12/29/08; 12/31/08 (Praise God!); 01/02/09

Call on Jesus.

The lamb is defenseless unless it is guided by the Shepherd.

“If we know God deeply, we will worship Him wholly.” David Platt

“God’s fight – not ours.” Sandy

Easier to pull someone down than bring someone up.

“I’ve been walkin’ through this world like I’m barely livin’, Buried in the doubt of this hole I’ve been digging’, But your pullin’ me out…Cause all my hopes and my dreams and my best laid plans, are safe and secure when I place them in Your hands. “ Lay It Down by Jaqi Velasquez

“God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome.” My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

“I will stumble, I will fall down, But I will not be moved, I will make mistakes, I will face heartache, But I will not be moved. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.”

And I learn
That I really can endure…
That I really am strong…again
And I really do have worth…in Jesus.

“Out of the heart proceed…” Matthew 15:18-20

“A woman’s heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.” Maya Angelou

“You can’t keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep him from building a nest in your hair.” No temptation becomes sin without our permission.

“Learn to say Whoa instead of Uh-oh.” Kim

Each one of us is a piece of His puzzle.

How do I apply my life to that Scripture?…not how do I apply that Scripture to my life.

Listen to your brothers and sisters in Christ to find out your spiritual gifts.

Worship is a lifestyle.

In order to go high you must go deep…into the Word.

“If we look for Christ we will not be disappointed.” Prof. Piell

What would you do differently?

His mind was not jumbled with junk.

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you the way you are.

If we turn and run there is no armor on our backs.

Words hurt worse than sticks and stones. Edify, Encourage, Build-up…Try it.

How do we “do” theology every day?

Beware of cycles in your life as a believer.

Call the sin what it is. Repent.

In the Beginning God. Any more questions?

Know
His voice John 10:4
His comfort 2 Cor. 1:6
His sufferings 2 Cor. 1:7
His abundant love 2 Cor.2:4
Him in your heart 2 Cor. 3:1
His mercy & grace 2 Cor. 4:14
Fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 5:11
That He knows 2 Cor. 12:2
He knows you Ex. 33:12; Psalm 139; Psalm 91:14
Knowledge of God Prov. 2:3-6

Best friend.

You are presenting yourself to others…not your perfect self.

Isaiah 61:1-3; Psalm 18; Romans 12:2; 2 Chron. 19:3; James 1:17; Micah 7:19; Nahum 1:3; Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” 1 John 1:18; Ephesians 4:22-24

If we really believe God is sovereign then we need to live like it.

“All the kings of the world have asked people to die for them but one King said, ‘I’ll die for you’”. Jay Mattox

They can tell we are Christians by our love…how we treat one another.

The physical pain Jesus felt on the cross was nothing in comparison to the pain He felt from our sin.

The Trinity..if you try to explain it you will lose your mind, if you don’t believe it, you will lose your soul.

On a rock above a waterfall I realized I love God’s creation more than new clothes.

“There were lots of days when my mom would remind me that there will be times in life for you and for all of us when Jesus is our only friend and you need to embrace it. There is more to life than trying to hide the things that are wrong with us but God tells us that we can go to Him in the pieces that we’re in, and with the flaws that we have, or the embarrassing things that we have that we don’t like about ourselves. We can take all of these things to Him. He weaves those things in with His grace & makes just a beautiful story.” Ginny Owens

Old man with a dog standing on his shoulders said, “This is Eddie and that is his favorite place to be.” His favorite place was on his master’s shoulders.

Same eyes seeing differently.

Fillet/filet – they both exist and are correct. Who knew?

“We are all a little weird and when we find those people whose weirdness is compatible with ours we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness and call them our best friends.” Corey from Boy Meets World

“I wonder what Piglet is doing” thought Pooh “I wish I were there doing it too”.

“Are we going to be friends forever?” asked Piglett, “even longer” answered Pooh.

“For beautiful eyes look for the good in others. For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness, and for poise walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” Audrey Hepburn

“If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together there is something you must always remember…You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think, but the most important thing is even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.” Winnie the Pooh

“Look, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are; good mood; bad mood; ugly; pretty; handsome; what have you. The right person’s still gonna think the sun shines out of you. That’s the kind of person that’s worth sticking with.” Paraphrased from Juno’s dad in Juno

“…I’m sending my heart…that is why I’m sending you.”

“Your worst is other people’s best.”

“She is right here.”

Mary (Meg Ryan in The Women):
“You have no idea how this feels” (betrayal)
Her mom:
“Well, let me try…It feels like someone kicked you in the stomach. Feels like your heart stopped beating. You feel like that dream…you know the one where you are falling and you wake up before you hit the ground, but it’s all out of control. You can’t trust anything anymore. Your life has changed forever and the only thing to come out of the whole ugly experience is that no one will ever be able to break your heart like that again.”

Mary:
“I hate the game playing. It does feel good to get some control though…This would be so much easier if I didn’t love him. There should be a pill you can take to make love go away.”
Mom:
“Why would you want to make love go away? It’s hard enough to find it in the first place.”

Mary to her friend about a break-up:
“This feels like that phantom limb syndrome. You know that thing where you lose a part of your body, like an arm or something, but you still have the sensation that it’s there.”

Copyright Kim Crawford 2009