Winter Wonderland

~Merry Christmas~

I have been driving through Oregon over the last couple of weeks......visiting friends, attending the Bailie wedding in La Grande and now staying with family in Central Oregon for Christmas.

I wanted to share what I woke up to this morning, Tuesday December 23rd.......

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11

Christmas

Family Friends

Great food Birth of Jesus Presents

Games Christmas Tree and Lights

Christmas Cards Family Pictures

Wrapping Presents Snow Shopping

Many Blessings Joy

Laughter Celebrate

Love

I pray that you have a blessed time with your family and friends this holiday seasons and that we all remember what Christmas is all about......celebrating the true HOPE of the world, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas

~ Kim ~

Feeling Crafty....

My Saturday

Sleep in until 9:15
Make myself a cup of tea


The day begins once I start to wake up.......


Pull out my scrapbook bag and the crafts begin........

Put in the six hour version of Pride and Prejudice

(the best version by the way!!!)

.......and the cards ideas start coming

For the last two weeks I have tried to start making Christmas cards and well.....I just haven't felt the ideas coming. My cards that I have Tried to make have been so ugly....and ended up in the garbage.

Today......today I was inspired

Today I made 20 cards

20 cards to give to my friends and family

Here's a look at my creations.......

Still in my PJ's....watching Christmas Specials on TV.....but I feel ACCOMPLISHED!!!

This was a great day!

~ Kim ~

Thanksgiving In Colorado

This Thanksgiving I was able to go to my sister's house in Colorado. I did a road trip with my Dad, Wanita, Shawna and Kevin. We left on Tuesday....driving through the night....arriving in Colorado at around one on Wednesday. We stayed for a few days, enjoy the holiday with family, and then headed home yesterday....finally arriving at my parents this afternoon. It has been a long time since we have been with Erica and the kids for the holiday's, so it was totally worth the long drive!

Terrell, 14 ~ Tevin, 12 ~ Eric, 9

My nephews are huge football fans. They have grown up eating and breathing football. This, of course, is something I can totally relate to. The one difference is, they are Dallas Cowboy's fans and I am a Denver Bronco fan. The talk all weekend was about how much they love their team and how much I love mine. I enjoyed playing around with they boys....throwing the football around before dinner and then watching the games on Thanksgiving day. I was so blessed to go to Colorado to be with family.

Tierra, 7

We had finished eating our Thanksgiving dinner...dishes were done and all the food was put away. While we were sitting in the family room at my sister's house, watching football.....my 7 year old niece, Tierra, said, "Auntie Kim, I want to paint your fingernails!" She chose the color blue, her new favorite color. I sat at the kitchen table and she paid close attention to what she was doing.

A little while later she wanted to check on her work, so she came over to me….looking closely at each nail to see how each nail at dried. Then she pulled off my slippers and started trying to clean off the paint on my toenails with a kleenex. She was scrubbing hard trying to get the paing to come off....but without the remover, it wouldn't. When Grandma asked her what she was doing….she looked up with a smile and said, “Just shinning them!” She is so cute!

I hope that you all had a truly blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends!

~ Kim ~

The Drive Begins.....

The journey began today....Medford to Terrebonne. I stay with my parents for the night and tomorrow we drive to La Grande to pick up Shawna and Kevin....then on to my sister Erica's house in Colorado for Thanksgiving.

"Slow down and enjoy the view", the Lord spoke softly to me today.

In the past I have driven from destination to destination.

Today I slowed down and enjoyed the beauty of God's creation!

Things on my mind as during the three hours of driving....
Quiet ~ Prayer ~ Beautiful ~ Thankful ~ Worship

How Long? ~ Waiting on God's Timing
Fasting ~ Laugh
His Presence ~ Family

the drive ahead ~ A Smile Refreshing




Many times we need to just slow down and enjoy the view. Too often we are so busy that we miss what the Lord wants to show us or speak to us. Nothing like a beautiful drive in Oregon to slow me down. I am truly blessed.

~ Kim ~

Mexico

After being in Mexico for almost a week, God did something that completely blessed me. I was in Mexico on a mission trip with the Anthem team. We went down to a place called Tepic where we worked with a church called LaFuente (The Fountain). LaFuente is planting their 7th church in the course of 10 years in a town called Compestella….and this is where our team mostly served. We were able to go to Compestella almost once a day, while in Mexico, to pray over the community and some property they would like to purchase for their church along with playing in a nearby park with children and adults from the community. It was an amazing experience!

On Sunday morning we went to LaFuente for breakfast and then spent some time praying with the leaders of the church for their Sunday morning service. While worship music was still playing and people were walking around the Sanctuary praying, I sat down and grabbed my water bottle. A woman from LaFuente came to me and said, “Bless You!” and then said something else to me in Spanish. I said “Bless You!” back to her and she smiled and walked away. She took a few steps and turned back around. She was speaking more Spanish to me, so I was not sure what she was saying….but all of the sudden I realized that she was praying for me. She knelt down and grabbed my hand, resting her head on my head, she began crying out to the Lord for me. I could only understand one word she said during her prayer and that was “persevere”. As she was praying for me the Lord told me, “I understand her prayer for you even if you don’t know what she is saying.” I was so blessed by this woman’s obedience to the Lord to pray for me. The prayer brought me to tears. Language was not a barrier….I knew that the Lord heard her!
As the day went on, our team went to one of the church plants in Puga to help with the morning church service. Pastor Verl, from our team, gave the morning message and then had people in the congregation come forward to respond to what the Lord has spoken to them. Our team was then asked to pray over the people who responded. It was amazing because again….language was not a barrier. Even though the woman I prayed over didn’t understand English, the Lord spoke to her. The Holy Spirit showed up in a mighty way that day…..and I was truly honored to be used by the Lord to pray for this woman.
The Lord is so good! Since that day the Lord has spoken to me either through someone or through something I have read about persevering. The woman who prayed over me heard the Lord and I am so grateful that she prayed for me. I am listening to all that the Lord is speaking to me….I am learning to persevere through all that comes each day.
One more pretty great thing that happened while we were in Mexico is that our team was able to meet some pretty amazing new friends. Chris and Stefanie were two of those friends that were with us most of the week. I just love how our team loved and included them as part of our team, our family! That is what we are to do everyday….love others! Chris and Stefanie and the rest of the crew from LaFuente will always have a special place in our hearts….and I look forward to seeing them again someday, hopefully soon!

~Kim~

FAITH

Psalms 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord,the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day,nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Yesterday Kevin and I went on a hike up Tablerock, here in Medford. As many of you know, Kevin was diagnosed with a brain tumor over a year ago. Kevin teaches me so much and I am so grateful for him being in my life. As we were walking up the trail he told me there was no way he could have hiked up this mountain last summer....but look at him now! It was such an accomplishment for both Kevin and I to make it up to the top....to see the beautiful view of the valley we now live in. One thing I have learned from Kevin is to hold on to the Lord and trust in him with all that I have. Kevin has done just that.....he hasn't given up on life but has surrendered his life completely over to the Lord. Everyday he is being used by the Lord to reach the lost and love them. Today as I was doing my daily devotions I read this in the notes of my Life Application Bible........

Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus

My faith in the Lord has grown so much over the past year. It started growing when I finally completely surrendered my life, my will, my dreams, my everything over to the Lord. That is when He could finally do what he wanted to do in my life. I started trusting in the Lord...trusting that he knows what's best and he will take care of my every need. I began trusting him with every step I take. I wasn't holding on to control anymore....I started seeking the Lord's face and his will for my life.

~Kim~

Learning To Rest

This past week I was at a conference at Bethel Church in Redding California with the Anthem students. The last morning we were there a man came up to share his testimony about how God had healed him completely of his lung cancer. This man was given 3 months to live and his doctor couldn’t do anything for him except take him to Bethel to be prayed over at a conference. While he was there, the Lord told him to rest. He said it was something he just didn’t know how to do. He is a type A personality and resting was just not in his vocabulary. After being prayed over by someone at the church, the Lord told them the same thing he told the man….he needed to rest. As he has rested in the Lord, waiting on the Lord to bring healing to his body….God has done just that. The man is completely cancer free.
I moved to Medford almost three weeks ago! Since I have been here the Lord has spoken to me many times about the same word the man at Bethel received. I need to REST. I am also a type A personality….and resting is also not in my vocab. I completely desire to do what the Lord has asked of me, so this learning how to rest is a process.
Medford has been so amazing. I moved to Medford without a job, but the Lord told me to go. Not having a job has been part of the learning to rest. I have been able to completely jump into helping with Anthem, the ministry I am helping with at Living Waters. Instead of going, going, going all the time, I am learning to hear God’s voice and only do what he is asking of me. I have been praying all the time about where does the Lord want me to get a job and when….but I just keep hearing rest. I don’t have any control of my life….it is all in His hands! I know that when it is time to find a job, he will tell me when and where. He has a plan and I desire his will to be done, not my own!
God has been blessing me so much through this time of rest. I have released all control and in this God has taken care of all my needs….from my financial needs to my emotional needs. My church family in La Grande blessed me more than I could have ever asked by sending me off with a wonderful love offering. My new church family here in Medford has been so loving and just opened up their arms and welcomed me in. God knows my needs better than I do, so there is no better place than to rest in Him.
As I start this new chapter in my life, I ask that you will be praying for me as I grow closer to the Lord every day and learn to rest in Him alone. I am really enjoying the new adventure I am on and I am looking forward to the Lord showing me more of him everyday.

~ Kim ~

My Life as a Book

I have come to realize lately that I am living my life like reading a book. Each day the Lord has me turn the page to see what is next, but I can’t see past that page. I can’t go to the end of the book to find out what happens. It is exciting and I love when the Lord shows me something new. I am in a place where I am completely surrendered to Him. I can’t take a step until he tells me to. What a wonderful place to be!
This past week I made a huge decision. It is probably the biggest step I have taken in my adult life. I am going to take a step back really quick and show you how this all began in my life. This past March I was with some friends at a retreat for Camp Crestview Camp Directors. When I left the retreat to come home, I felt a stirring begin to take place in my heart. Lately I have been very comfortable in the place where I live, in the job that I go to everyday and in the ministry I have been working in over the past 9 years. The Lord does not want us comfortable….he wants us in a place completely relying on Him and Him alone. When I am comfortable I don’t need to rely on Him….I have it all taken care of…at least that is what I thought. As I left that retreat and came home, my heart longed for more. I was talking to one of my friends and he said this….”Kim, don’t get comfortable! God has stuff ahead for you that is going to blow your mind. For years you’ve been ‘underutilized’. I think you are going to get to experience some years of being TOTALLY USED! “
Since that conversation the stirring kept happening in my heart. In my quiet time one morning I heard the Lord ask me to step down from youth ministry at the end of the summer. If you know me at all, you know that had to be God because there is no way that I would ever step down unless he told me to. I knew that God was up to something and I just needed to be obedient, so I went to Jeremy, our youth pastor, and let him know what the Lord was asking of me. I was not sure what God was doing because he told me that I was going to be totally used….so how would stepping down from youth ministry allow me to be totally used? I had to just trust that God had a plan.
Through this past summer I have seen the Lord change me in ways I can’t even explain. I have heard his voice so clearly and I have begun to step into all he has asked of me. I know that there is more and I keep turning the pages in this book I live to find out what is next. At the end of High School Camp this past July, my friend Ryan mentioned that he would like to have me come to Medford, Oregon to help with the “Anthem” program they lead at Living Waters Foursquare. Living in Medford has always been something I have wanted to do, but I have never felt that the Lord wanted me to be there….until now. I left camp with an excitement like I haven’t had in a very long time. I didn’t want to make a decision about moving to Medford based on my emotions, so I took a few weeks and didn’t think about it. I focused on Middle School camp, which took up all of my time. The second Middle School camp had ended, the Lord put Medford back on my mind. I prayed and prayed and prayed. I talked to Ryan some more over the phone about all the things he would like to see me doing this next year with Anthem…..and I knew I wanted to go. I talked to the pastoral staff at Faith Center and they began praying along with me as I waited on the Lord to direct my footsteps.
Like I said earlier, this past week I made a huge decision. I am moving to Medford this coming October. The stirring in my heart that the Lord began doing in March is all because he has called me to move to Medford for more. For more opportunities to do ministry that is so out of my comfort zone….but right where he wants me to be. As I begin this new adventure I ask that if you think about it, please be praying for me! I am completely surrendered to Him and in His will…..which is right where I want to be!

Camp Crestview

This past week I joined youth and leaders from all over our district at Camp Crestview. It was a week full of amazing times of ministry, worship, teachings and lots of laughs. I have been going to Camp Crestview as a leader for the past 10 years and I have to say….this camp was my favorite by far. I went in to this week ready to do whatever was needed of me. I had no idea what that meant exactly….I was just ready to go and be used. After the first night of ministry to all the leaders I was so excited to see the youth get to camp and be ministered to. I just knew that the Lord wanted to speak to each camper that week.
On the second night of camp, the speaker asked the campers to stand if they felt abandoned, rejected or like a disappointment. By the time he asked those three things most of the camp was standing. I was blown away. Then, as leaders we had the amazing opportunity to pray over these young people. We were told to pray the opposite of abandonment, rejection and disappointment over them. As we started to see the young people coming through the tunnel of leaders, the Holy Spirit started giving us leaders words for each student. We began to pray intensely over each student and speak into their lives. I have never been more stretched in my life. I saw other leaders who had a word for every student that walked by them….and I wanted to do the same. I started asking the Lord to show me his heart for these young people….give me words to encourage them. Let me see them through His eyes. It was amazing how the Lord showed up. I began to hear the Lord tell me that I was going to pray over someone’s feet…so every set of feet that stepped into the prayer tunnel I looked at. After about 20 minutes, maybe even longer, I saw the feet I was to pray over. Immediately I fell to my knees and began to weep over him and pray for his every step. After I prayed over his feet, I got up and looked this camper in the face. He too was crying. The Lord told me to tell him that he was going to be a missionary and that he would be traveling all over the world to places he hasn’t even heard of to share the love of the Lord to others. I was so blessed to be used by the Lord to pray over these campers. To watch them come in to the tunnel of prayer looking one way and watch their faces after they were prayed for was so beautiful. You could see on each campers face that the Lord had spoken directly to them and that the things of this world, the lies of the enemy had been broken off and that they were walking in the truth that the Lord had spoken over them. This was one of the most incredible experiences of my life!
The theme of camp this year was “Known”. On the last night of camp each camper received a piece of cardboard and a black marker. On one side of the cardboard they were to write what they were known as when they came to camp. On the other side they were to write what they were now known as. I was sitting in the back with some of the leaders watching each camper go across the stage, while the worship team was playing, and they would show one side and then the other. I sat there weeping because of the change the Lord had done in each of their lives. I saw one cardboard say that she was know as a Pastor’s Kid and now she is known as a Pastor. One said she came to camp known as Worthless and now she is known as Priceless.
The amazing work the Lord did at camp this past week will not be forgotten. I was changed just as much as each student that came to camp. I pray now for each camper that they would not listen to the lies of the enemy that would come at them, but that they would walk out the truth and promises God has given them this past week!!