perfectionist. people pleaser. oh, help me Lord.

This past week has given me time to think/reflect/realize a few things that need some work. Unrelated to this topic entirely, my handy-man daddy and artsy brother came down to help Brandon give our outdated-not-so-cute kitchen a facelift. Santa did some work at my house! It looks top-knotch, we had a lot of fun doing it, and I’m super exhausted and even more grateful for this long “welcome 2010!” weekend. Back to the subject… I had time to think. Mostly while I was sewing curtains for our fab new kitchen. I hear the Spirit’s guidance when I’m sewing. Odd, but true. My heart is quiet to everything else when being creative and alone. What He’s teaching me: I grew up a people-pleaser without even knowing it. I think back at all the people I tried to please, always feeling like I was letting them down and always wanting to do more. I haven’t changed. I know my hope is in Christ and He alone; I know my identity is in Him. But I don’t know it–I don’t live in it…I don’t remain in Him.

I am merely a clay jar molded in His likeness, not in my own–to show His power belongs to Him, not to me (2 Corinthians 4.7). I don’t have to try to be the best, but be obedient and humble myself before the Lord (James 4.10). I do not boast in myself or seek other’s approval, but should desire for Him to be lifted and Him to be glorified (Romans 11.36). Am I trying to please man or please Him? If I’m trying to please man, I’m not even a servant of Christ! (Galatians 1.10)

These are things He is teaching me. I hate this self-absorbing heart I own. Lord, continue in sanctification no matter how much it hurts. I pray I grow in your likeness and know you are worthy of my humble admiration and praise. Father, I want to make much of you. (and not care when that makes less of me.)

hope.

My flesh wants to complain. But I’ll try to live by the Spirit. Christmas came and went. Christmas Eve is usually spent at my Papa and Mama’s, beside the tree, watching the little ones opening presents…with chili and cornbread and my Papa making jokes. This year, my Papa was in ICU after two strokes in a 5-day timespan. We spent Christmas Eve in the waiting room then spent an hour eating greasy fried food at a Carolina Fine Foods (does the name say it all?). Brandon even saw a drug deal in the bathroom. Of course, he said “hey” to the guys and they awkwardly watched him the rest of the meal. My Papa can’t move his right side and can’t really speak. He was miserable on Christmas Eve because he’s such a family guy and just wanted to be home. Our Christmas was tiring, awkward, long (yet quick) and not normal. But, as I prayed over my grandfather, I was reminded that our hope isn’t in Christmas Eve’s spent by a fire or family in a circle with laughs all around. Those are good, good things… but our hope is in Christ–He alone. Emmanuel, God with us. Brandon sent me a blog from some guy talking about Matt Chandler and everything that is going on with his health right now. It’s quote worthy so let this sink in:

Sometimes desires are not fulfilled. But, our hope is. Hope does not disappoint us (Romans 5.5). Our hope is certain and sure…our hope is that in Jesus we are forgiven, given his Spirit, adopted as sons and daughters of God, and will one day be revealed as such (Romans 8.14-16, 1 John 3.2-3)….our hope is that if we have been united with him in death like his, we shall certainly be united to him in a resurrection like His (Romans 6.5). And our hope is that Christ, who is our great treasure, will be exalted as such whether by life or by death (Philippians 1.20).
http://jrvassar.posterous.com/thinking-of-my-friend-matt-chandler-and-the-d

May God continue to teach me where my hope is found.

he yuvs us.

Remember Sylas from Little Green Pastures blog that got his first set of “wheels” and we all cried as we watched him walk? I’m so thankful that Court pointed out their blog to me… it’s so encouraging! This post is so joyful and I just had to share.

I mean really… can you have a bad day after that??
He loves us…oh, how He loves us.

Rescue.Restore.Prevent

“For He delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.” -Psalm 72

Here are words of women girls that are modern-day slaves:
I am without a voice.
I must do everything I am told.
Only those who pay can see my face.
I did not choose this way of life.
I feel helpless…there is no way out.
I want out! Will you become the difference?
Will you show me hope?
http://www.projectrescue.com/

Let’s do something that can house 10 girls in India as they are rescued from captivity, given a safe place to stay, provided with counseling to help them overcome their past, enabled with teaching that will lead them to the Gospel and ultimately to Jesus Christ that will redeem their life. Let’s pray these girls know our God and are able to recite Psalm 55.16-18 with utter dependence on their Lord…”But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.” What will you do to make a difference?

Do something. Don’t eat out for a week. Don’t drink Starbucks for a month. Don’t put up outside lights this Christmas and put that money towards this cause. 10 girls. Saved from slavery, people. Saved.

Email me if you’d like to give to Midtown’s |giv| campaign. We are trying to raise $20,000 to provide a safe house for 10 little girls in India.
kgclements@gmail.com

but you can help change all that.

http://blog.compassion.com/infant-mortality-rescue-me-video/

watch this video. notice how many. and let God move you.

savannah.

We went to Savannah this weekend for our anniversary. It was so beautiful! The sun was shining and it wasn’t too hot or too cold. Perfect weather. Besides spending quality time with my man, here are my favorite parts:

• The candy shop that gave me 456,193,854 samples of pralines. I could barely eat lunch or dinner on Saturday because of being full on candy.
• The “Pirate’s House” restaurant. Brandon turns into a kid when there’s a place that has anything to do with pirates, no matter what. The last five minutes did unfortunately include getting a lame tour from a lame pirate about lame scary stories. But, it was a really cool place besides the last five minutes of lame-ness.
• The cobble stone streets. Enough said… so old and full of character.
• Antiques! Even Brandon likes antique shopping It was so much fun wishing I had hundreds of dollars to spend on beautiful pieces of furntiture then realizing I have free antiques in my house thanks to family hand-me-down furniture.

You should go to Savannah… there is so much history there and the city does a heck of a job preserving it and explaining it via monuments/statues/etc. Oh, and watching the game Saturday night was a WIN for Savannah, as well! Go Tigers!

october 20, 2007.

The day I married “the man of my dreams.” I do love Brandon with all I am and continue to love him more and more. I’m not going to break out in my own rendition of Brad Paisley’s “I thought I loved you then” song… but I could. I continue to grow in my love towards him and our marriage and our family (we must include Pacey, of course.) And I can’t wait to see how that grows year after year and day by day. I wish this for everyone in marriage and am so blessed to call it mine. Last year for our anniversary, I made a list of a few reasons I love him. That’s pretty ridiculous to do two years in a row, so I’ll spare you the mushy gushy stuff

Happy Anniversary, B. I love you more than I can say and am so thankful that you’re him for me. Thank you for loving unconditionally, forgiving quickly, working your tail off, loving Jesus, pursuing me, teaching me about freedom in Christ, and daily showing me a tiny picture of the love that Christ has for His church. (oops, I made a list!)

lately.

I’ve been feeling pretty quiet lately. I think it’s mainly because of the rushing-around-24/7 of life that has me so tired. I feel like from work to weddings to traveling to bachelorette parties to throwing surprise anniversary parties to mud run to missions conference–I finally got the chance to look up and it was October. And as I finally realize that it’s October, it is mid-way through the month! It’s Christmas in like 2 months. (Yikes, that’s the first I’ve seen that written out. It made me count on my fingers to make sure that was correct, ha!)

Things I’m learning: I’m trying to capture every thought I have and speak Truth into those thoughts before letting lies that I tell myself reign. I want all of my thoughts to be pushed towards obedience in Christ. I’m (still) learning to “be all there.” I’m learning through Philippians 4 that it’s not about my location…or my circumstance, but when I really get it–when I really understand who Jesus is–I am content wherever I am, doing whatever I’m doing.

I am thankful for the fall weather, rainy Wednesday nights (my sabbath), pumpkin spice candles, college football, my man that loves me unconditionally and a weekend get-away coming up so soon that I get to take with him.

“Behold, congenial Autumn comes–the sabbath of the year.” -John Logan

 

insanity.

describes my life right now. Not just “busyness” in activities or ministries… but busyness in my thoughts.

God is growing me a lot right now. That’s good news. I feel very tired, though. But, it’s worth it.

Go read Romans 8. Even if you have read it a bazillion times, go read it. And let it soak in to your life and don’t simply know it “by heart” and never live like you believe it. The Holy Spirit is powerful. Do you really believe that?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208&version=ESV

h1n1.

• I just found out Toni has the swine flu. It’s crazy that so many people are getting it, now. The flu is bad enough… I’m sorry, Toni. Pray for this sweet girl to get well soon.
• I just heard about this awesome new show coming on called “Trauma”… some of you may not know that my life before the SCBC world was in the trauma bay @ Richland ED. I’ve got some crazy stories if you’d ever like to hear them
• I really like Monday’s. I mean, yeah, I hate that I have to get up and stop living in “weekend world.” But, Monday’s fly by! There’s so much to catch up on from the computer being MIA all weekend. Friday’s are what kill me!
• I want to make this:



• Call me old, but this is what I will be found doing tonight…