Just Like That, It's Gone

 December 31, 2020

In an effort to bring some jovial send-off to the year, I’m met with a wave of melancholy. Scrolling through my social media, I see everyone giving 2020 the boot, with an astounding “good riddance”. My end to this unfavorable year looks very different from what I’m seeing all around me. 

This afternoon, we made it home from visiting my in-laws in Midland where we were greeted with a spectacle of snow all around us! We were beaming with joy! What a fantastic completion of an already joyful season of Christmas.

See, the God we serve isn’t confined to 365 days. He doesn’t wake up one day in Heaven and say “Hey, Gabriel- go downstairs and send people hope and good news! It’s January 1st again! Holy Spirit- set a fire in their hearts! We’ve got to get the ball rolling on this new year!” No. As funny as that sounds, I think we assume that. Instead, the word of God tells us that “His mercies are new every morning.” 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:22–24)

I think we’ve willfully operated in this New Year Hope because we’ve seen the past year as hopeless. Dear friends, if your hope is on a day of the year, your hope is in the wrong place. Jesus Christ died for you to have new hope every day. Every moment. Every second has hope within it! There’s no such thing as a hopeless year. No such person is a hopeless cause. When we are at a loss and brought to a feeling of helplessness on this earth- He is our ever present help in time of need. Hopeless, we are not. 

January 1, 2021 

It’s not that we didn’t want to celebrate the coming of 2021. I’m sure we were just tired. So we went to bed around 10. As the clock struck midnight, I was sound asleep atop a mattress on my guest room floor. My husband and daughter cuddled close as our baby boy slept in his crib. The roof had leaked onto my daughter’s room and my own bed had been muddied up by the snowy paws of my canine children. So there we were, snuggled in tight with a space heater to keep us warm. 

I woke up before the sunrise to a very chatty 1 year old. Yay, 2021. As we shared breakfast, I looked out my window and saw that the snow had faded. The sun invaded our front living room as the ice melted and rained onto the porch. I thought to myself- just like that. It’s gone. 

I know this year has been a tough one for so many of us. I’m not here to negate any of that. People have lost jobs, said goodbye to loved ones, missed the births of grandbabies, and so much more. But just like that, it’s gone. I can’t help but think of all the terrifying seasons I’ve walked through in my life, thinking there was no hope, no end in sight- and before I knew it- God had made a way. 

Disruption, destruction, death, dismay, discouragement, discord, and dissent. Such is 2020. Such is 2019, 2018, 2017, and so it will be with 2021 if we aren’t careful. 

We will always find reasons to carry hurt. This year, I pray we find more reasons to carry hope. 

Our God, He is a great God. He has the power to bring the snow and melt it away any day of the week. We only need to continue to trust Him, and seek Him out in every moment. Great is His faithfulness. 

Happy New Year, aka, Happy Friday!

Love, Kari 

Burdened By Blessings

Crisp yellow leaves scratched and crunched the surface of the concrete driveway. Buried underneath were the pudgy toes of my 11 month old son. In an effort to kill time, we found ourselves outside waiting for my mother to take us back to meet my husband in Lampasas. It had been four days since I felt the comfort of my own bed, put away my own dishes, or chased children within walls of my half-finished home in the country. So very tired of being away, I was itching to get back.

In spite of my mood, there was much gratitude for the leaves surrounding the driveway of my sister’s house. They kept my very restless boy fascinated, with his hands and feet occupied. We crumbled dead leaves, tossed them in the air, banged on tree trunks with twigs, and pretended to eat them… numerous times. A sweet end to a very tiring trip. 

My thoughts turned to earlier in the morning when my sister stormed into the house disgruntled, “UGH. All these stupid leaves! They’re everywhere!” She even told me that her husband was considering buying a contraption that would take care of the problem. The abundance of leaves had now covered their roof, carport, front and back yard. 

Problem? Too many leaves? I thought. How could something so picturesque bother someone so much? I think it looks gorgeous out here! 

Though I understood the problem they might create, I couldn’t understand the frustration. 

Yet, isn’t it so, church?

Aren’t we often bothered by our blessings? Burdened by abundance? If all that had been given by the Lord were laid out before us, would we be grateful, or would we find fault?  

The mind is a battlefield where Satan stays camped out right behind enemy lines. He’d like nothing more than to have us believe that everything given is a burden in disguise. 

We have way too much stuff in this house! I can never find anything!

All these bills are piling up. I can’t keep up with these payments!

I signed up to help but I’ve overcommitted myself with all of these things going on. 

These kids... Lord, help me... I need a break. 

If I have to deal with my family for one more thanksgiving, I’m not sure I’ll come out alive. 

What if all of this isn’t so bad? What if we spoke it into being something completely different? What if instead we said, “Thank You, Lord for these opportunities to serve you. To grow these beautiful children you’ve bestowed to me. Thank you for the warmth of a heater and the cool breeze of my AC. For the memories made in this house filled with things I can’t seem to part with. Thank you for where I come from, so that I can appreciate where I’m going. You are a God who has blessed me beyond measure.” 

In Philippians 4:12-13 Paul writes, I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

I must confess that while waiting for my trip to finally end, I had forgotten the abundance of love poured out onto me from my Father. I had neglected to find praise-worthy moments because I was so busy thinking that all of these people and circumstances were getting in the way of an otherwise successful visit. 

The truth is- My son had become ill overnight, and I nursed him back to health with the help of family members who had great suggestions! Instead, I had focused on how badly I wanted to find a way back home. My mother held a cook-out at her home so that I could see my grandparents, and all I thought about was how noisy it was in the house. I was blessed with the opportunity to attend my nephew’s birthday party, but my main concern was that I couldn’t drive there myself and that I had to be towed around by my sister who is always late. If we were even 5-10 minutes behind, I would mutter “ugh. Seriously?” I’m sure I wasn’t discreet about it either. 

God had given me an abundance!  How did I not see that?! Through free rides, free food, people who adored children, and patient family members who put up with my passive aggressive murmurs. Yet, I couldn’t see the leaves through the mess. My eyes couldn’t see the blessing anymore than my sister could embrace the breath-taking fall foliage in her driveway. I’m so embarrassed to say all of this, but I find hope in God’s redeeming grace. We’ve all been there. And there’s hope for all of us! 

During the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holiday season, we’ll be faced with times like this. I’m comforted by the fact that God loved me enough to open my eyes to these recent mistakes. I’m comforted that He loves me enough to help me recall the goodness He’s bestowed upon me. May He do the same for you. 

The next time we find ourselves burdened by our blessings, I pray we RISE to greet abundance with thanksgiving and praise! May we have eyes to see that which God has given us! May we utilize it to the fullest extent so that His name would be made great! 

Go Forth, Be Blessed, and See Good Things, 

Kari 

Prayer 

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.- Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT  

My friend Melissa Reasoner and I have both walked through a devotional associated with a book called Overwhelmed by My Blessings by Robin Meadows. It’s worth a read for women and men alike. You can find it at the link here: https://www.amazon.com/Overwhelmed-My-Blessings-Encouragement-Moms/dp/1721769927 

The Claustrophobic Christian- Sit or Serve?

When I read the story of Mary and Martha, one thing always used to come to mind. “God, I wish I could lay on the floor all day. Wouldn’t that be nice?” In my cynicism, I'd think “How unrealistic.”

I’ve been studying this passage of scripture now for about three weeks. It’s a short passage but it’s packed with so much. I’m sure you’ve heard it preached about from time to time or have come across some devotional regarding it. I think these 4 verses bring up a lot of emotions for the average woman. I think we’ve all been in Martha’s shoes or longed to be more like Mary. The standing challenge I’ve accepted for my life recently has been to look at scripture not with eyes to see what it has for me, instead- with eyes to see what it shows me about God. In this case, the person of Jesus. What does this passage of scripture show me about His character? How can it help me to better understand Him? 

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42 New Living Translation 

The language of this text varies depending on which translation you read. 

“Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Are they really that important? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.” The Passion Translation

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Or only one. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” English Standard Version 

“Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” The Message 

Jesus was only in this house for a short period of time. I’m sure He was aware of the effort made to welcome him and facilitate an atmosphere where He could continue His ministry. Why didn’t He appreciate Martha for allowing that? Why didn’t He affirm her dedication to His cause? What did He see that I might not be seeing in this situation? Sure, she tattled on her sister- but we’ve all been there. Why does Jesus hold Mary’s choice as more important and how can this help me to understand Him more in my own life?

In the English Standard Version, shown above, Jesus says of Mary “She is undistracted and I won’t take this privilege away from her.”

Well of course she’s not distracted! Someone else is doing all of the work! Again, what am I missing? Sometimes you can read the same passage over and over again but still miss seeing God in all of it. Maybe we’re reading it to find justification for ourselves. Maybe we’re reading it wishing the story ended differently. 

I unapologetically have so much empathy for Martha. She’s in a tight spot. I used to think the tight spot was “to sit or to serve” but I’m realizing it’s more than that. For Martha, the tight spot becomes, “how can I serve God and NOT think about how it affects me?” She’s trying to serve her Master and play hostess, put a smile on, and all she feels is bitterness and anger. She's designed to be a server and Jesus says sitting is better? She’s left feeling misunderstood and ashamed. I’m sure that’s not where she thought she’d end up when she invited the Master into her living room. I feel for Martha because so often, I am her. 

In this passage we see how Jesus reads the temperature of the room and invites us to draw near when we’re stressed or overwhelmed. He is quick to remind us where our priorities should be. Notice He doesn’t say “Martha, Martha, come sit with us.” He knows Martha’s role as the “do-er”, not the “sitter”- but He wants her to prioritize Him as the focus of her serving. Her serving had become about Mary. Every dish she washed or plate she served, she was probably thinking “ugh. I shouldn’t be doing all of this. She should be helping me.” Maybe even to the point of mocking her sister in her head “oh, Jesus. You’re the greatest. I’m just so happy you’re here. Can I sit here? Wow, you’re amazing. Blah blah blah.”

Comparison is the thief of joy. Comparison comes from doubting that what I’m doing or what I have is enough. Doubt comes from Satan, so Satan is the thief of our joy. He wants nothing more than to plant seeds of bitterness and doubt in our hearts when we are serving others. He undoubtedly wants our comparison to rob us of relationships and most importantly, the awareness of the presence of God in our midst. 

Friends, Jesus knows our heart. Not only that- but Jesus knows the heart of those we’re frustrated with. Perhaps if Mary had an attitude of refusal to help, Jesus would have called her out on it. He doesn’t though. His reprimand falls to Martha. Helping us to preserve His presence over all other things is His primary concern. Over serving, even! He’s basically saying to Martha “I am the most important thing in the room.” Not the people I brought with me, not even the lessons I am teaching. It’s me. In her service of Him, she neglected to acknowledge the importance of His presence to others and the varying effects it has on them. 

Jesus calls us out all of the time, doesn’t He? We feel the Holy Spirit calling us to stop being grumpy or bitter in our serving. Jesus uses the Holy Spirit to say “who is this about? Let’s make sure it’s about me. Because when it’s about me, You're never in it alone.” 

This week, Colette and I planned, executed, and hosted a Halloween party in our front yard. I must confess that parties are usually a stressful time for me. The planning is fun, but the days leading up can drive me to tears with the amount of pressure I put on myself to perform and entertain. Thank God for this passage of scripture. It was the least stressful party I’ve probably ever planned. Any time I started to feel overwhelmed, I’d think back to this passage and invite Jesus to send His Holy Spirit to comfort and redirect my heart. 

Jesus was most certainly present in the laughter of the children, the smudges on the cupcakes, and the joy in my heart was as abundant as the peace I felt having friends over. Every dish I washed and piece of trash I picked up the evening after? I didn’t do it alone. Jesus was there with me as we thought “this is the better thing.” Friends, you don’t have to be laying on the floor to be near God. The better thing is knowing Him and learning from Him in all things. Seeking His compassion and His character in all things. 

When faced with that tight spot “do I sit or do I serve?” Make room for both in your heart. Never let His presence leave you. In your chaos and your quiet. In your coming and your going. May He be ever with you. All the affirmation you’ll ever need is that you invited Him into your home and He came. 

*Join us next week over on my podcast where I'll be chatting with Ashton Martinez from Stacks of Grace and Kyilye Bradley with Spoonflour Cookie Co. 

We'll be discussing the problems we face in trying to find ways to embrace God's presence while balancing a busy schedule! In our discussion, we'll dive even deeper into this passage about Mary and Martha. You won't want to miss it! If you subscribe to the podcast on spotify, it will alert you when the podcast airs Monday! Check out Episode 1 and 2 of this series while you're there:)  

The Claustrophobic Christian- Choosing the Fire

So much of the world is on a 5-10 second attention span. Even when it comes to looking at scripture or the things of God. We throw our attention only to what pertains to us and then we quickly move on. Keep it short, paint some flowers or a mountainscape in the background, and make it feel comfy. I don’t need to tell you this. You already know. 

Most of us are cozied up to a nice blanket of self-affirmations by 9am. Scrolling through our phones, picking out the memes we like best, sharing them, or hiding the ones we’re not fond of. When someone sees us later in the day, they might say “Hey, I loved that meme you posted!” and we’re racking our brains trying to figure out which one. 

We build monuments to ourselves. Right here. In this little phone you’re holding. 

It makes sense, dear friends. The need to feel seen and heard is expected and the world banks on you utilizing it’s every move to benefit yourself.

Yet, you and I both know that there is only One that can provide divine connection and acceptance on a consistent basis, and His love for you cannot be contained in a meme. 

In the bible, there’s a King that lives much like this. Constantly building up his own sense of self-worth, though figuratively in his case. He even built a tower for people to worship. Then, when three young men refused to bow to it- he decided to do something about it. (For the full comedic commentary of this story- check out my podcast next Monday!)

Remember Daniel’s friends from my last post? The guys that probably sang him to sleep the night before they were supposed to die? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were given a cushy job after Daniel interpreted the king’s dream but here we find them in a tight spot with the king. They refuse to worship the golden image that the king has built and he’s threatened to put them into a blazing furnace.(Dramatic, I know) 

So basically, we have this narcissist throwing a fit saying “Worship me! Pay attention to me! Love me! Affirm me!... and if you don’t- I’m going to bake you in my giant oven.” 

“..If you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Daniel 3:15

This sort of reminds me of one of the opening lines of the blockbuster hit from the late 90’s- The Titanic. Remember when Cal says “Even God himself couldn’t sink this ship.”? I remember feeling like that was some serious foreshadowing. Just don’t go there, Cal. Now this entire ordeal is your fault. 

So, King Nebuchadnezzar does the same. “What god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

For these three boys the answer was simple. My God can. 

“We do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. The God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O King. BUT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18

Perhaps the most talked about verse in this passage- “Even if He does not”. Bottom line, world? We won’t worship any other god by King Jesus. 

On a daily basis, the whole of society is crying out "Come! Worship me! Pay attention to me!" and we do it. We are so terrified of being labeled “out of touch” or “that kind of Christian” that we assume that society’s agenda is God’s agenda. This happens in all facets of life. We fear that if we don’t affirm the actions of the world, we’ll be ostracized, ridiculed, or let’s be honest- left out. What if instead, we said “No, I trust in God’s sovereignty. I will bow to no other god. Not even the god of comfort.” 

In choosing to step into the fire, these three boys afforded God the opportunity to shine brighter than ever in the eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar. No matter the consequences, they trusted in the sovereignty of God. 

When faced with the choice of affirming the world or compromising our faith, we must trust that God will be glorified whatever the case may be. We may lose a relationship, a job, or an argument (heaven forbid), but knowing that God is sovereign and He is in control is winning. To the world, it may look like we are walking into a situation where we are going to get burned, yet God knows the outcome and He sees the seeds planted. The people on the outside looking in will some day see the evidence of Him working if we keep believing. Loyalty to Christ’s call on your life must be the only thing that gains your allegiance. 

When we trust in God’s sovereignty like they do in this story- it causes the enemy to forfeit his right to barter for our sense of security.

Just as with this King, much of society will not like you saying no. The king was furious for two reasons:

1. Furious because the boys wouldn’t affirm or justify his actions. 

2. Furious because he couldn’t do anything to punish them. 

You won’t gain any new friends, that's for certain, but scripture tells us that it's better to lose the whole world than your soul. You say, it's not that easy, Kari. I know. But it's worth it.

God is showing us in this story that nothing else matters. Your devotion should lie with Him, not with the persons and things around you. There’s nothing the world can do to us because we know in our hearts that our God would not send us into a fire that He’s not willing to walk in Himself.

Later on, the boys entered into that furnace. The king made sure it was 7 times hotter than usual and even the guards that threw the three men in were killed just by getting close to it. Yet- when the king looked down into the fire, he saw not only Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He saw what he described as “a son of the gods.”

Gives me chills every time I think about it. 

What is demanding your attention? What god is beckoning your worship these days?

Matthew 6:21 tells us “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Treasure His promises. Put your heart's hope in the fact that your God affirms you, beckons you, and stands by you in every imaginable tight spot. He will be your defense and His name will be made great every time you decide to trust His sovereignty over your own security. In choosing to worship Him alone, you will be left unscathed. 

Dear God, may we choose the fire every time. For we know that Your glory burns brightly inside it. May we start today, deciding that You are worth the risk. You are all that matters. May our feet stand firmly on Your promises for us and may Your Name be made great in our lives. There is no greater comfort than knowing You deeply. No greater security can be found than in Your love.

*Next week on the podcast, we have Amber Irving of The Strong Home joining us to talk about this story, God's sovereignty, and more! Tune in for that as it airs Monday October 26th! If you're riding in your car, taking a shower, going for a morning jog, or washing dishes- it's a great way to listen to the word of God unfold in a relatable way. Follow/ Subscribe at anchor.fm/kari-jones-banks

The Claustrophobic Christian- Interpreting the Impossible

Never in my life have I told someone to meet me at a location without knowing where it was. Nor have I promised money to someone without having it first. Ask me to predict the future or read your mind and I’d laugh in your face. These things just don’t happen in everyday life. It’s impossible. 

In the second chapter of the book of Daniel, we meet a young man who takes on the impossible. The kid is absolutely out of his mind. There, I said it. He’s crazy! Read the story- you’ll see. I’ll try my best to paraphrase it for you. (Click Here to Read for Yourself)

God’s people have been completely overthrown by the Babylonians, who seek out the best and brightest of young men to train at the palace as King Nebuchadnezzar’s apprentices. This kid Daniel and his buddies have already found favor with the King’s chief guard but now everything changes. The King is now demanding that someone interprets this weird dream he had AND he refuses to describe the dream first. 

Talk about ridiculous expectations! The most revered of the Babylonians can’t do it, so because of this- the king wants to kill all of the wise men in the kingdom including Daniel and his friends! What a psychopath!  Daniel hears about this and decides to set up a meeting with the king for the following day, saying he’ll deliver on the dream and it’s interpretation so nobody has to die. 

Here’s where the story really grabs me. 

Daniel asked for time with the king (vs 16) BEFORE the dream had been revealed to him. Talk about a tight spot. 

The more I read this story- I thought about my teacher friends. I thought what impossible tasks the kings of this world are laying on them today. My mind wondered about friends of mine who have littles they’re sending back to school or teaching at home, virtually. How in the world will they be able to pull this off? Who will give them the answers on how to proceed? 

Something we can learn from this story is this: 

When asked to interpret the impossible, Daniel started trusting God immediately. 

The great thing about this kid is that he wasted no time. He started trusting God immediately. It wasn’t like he had time to go home and figure it out first. He heard they were going to start killing people, and he threw himself at the mercy of God. So many of us would immediately start looking for someone to blame, or we’d start groveling about the insane expectations our bosses or our families have placed on us. 

If we were Daniel, most of us would have pleaded for mercy! And Daniel did plead for mercy. Just not at the feet of who you’d expect. 

“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.” (vs17-19) 

Can you imagine that night? He goes home and tells his three buddies. “So… yeah… King Neb wants to axe us…  like, with an actual axe...because no one could tell him what he dreamt last night…  but it’s totally ok… because I told him… I could do it. So now we need to start praying for God to tell us what this guy’s dream was!”  Imagine their faces! I bet they threw Daniel into bed, started playing some zen music on the harp and lyre, and sang Rockabye Danny all night long. What if on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night, Shadrack stubbed his toe and woke Daniel up? Well, we might’ve had a different story on our hands. But here’s what happened. 

God reveals the dream and it’s interpretation to Daniel in his sleep, so he was able to go to the king the very next day and deliver on his promise! God was made great in the eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar and so many lives were spared! The king even went as far as promoting Daniel and his friends in their positions!

While there’s no distinct timeline on God’s promises or His purpose in our lives, there are a myriad of opportunities that we waste while trying to figure things out on our own. Why did Daniel trust God immediately? Because God ACTS immediately- though not always in the way you’d think. 

If you’re struggling to find hope in your impossible circumstances, let me remind you that we serve a God who’s best in tight spots. No other God can do what he does. Not even Amazon Prime, while heaven sent, can keep up with how our God delivers. So we can’t afford to waste time. Don’t wait until you’ve exhausted yourselves to call on God for help. Say with a passion “my God can do it!” and walk in faith. 

What if the next time your boss sends out another email that leaves you groaning, you decide to trust God immediately? Print it out and write DONE on it. Decide then and there that your God is standing with you just as He did Daniel, when he went before the king. See, the wise men of Babylon said no god could do what the king had asked. Vs 11 “they do not live among men”. I can imagine whenever Daniel was before the King, the presence of God was upon Daniel and God was peering over his shoulder saying “tell em’, boy. Show them who I am.” What an amazing thing it is, to have a God who not only sends us out- but stands beside us while we do it! 

May we take every impossible moment and claim it for the Lord’s glory in our lives- so that others may know that our God is a God who delivers the impossible! 

NEXT WEEK 

Make sure you don't miss next week's podcast where we'll be discussing how to trust God immediately in tight spots, as we've seen in this blog. Hear how they've handled tough decisions regarding the changing school and work climate, trusting God along the way. 

Joining me will be 

Melissa Reasoner 

(Business owner and mother of two beautiful daughters who have returned to in-class learning at their elementary campus) Check out her blog at https://melissareasoner.wordpress.com/ 

Courtney Smith 

(Work-from-home mother of an online-learner. Also my sweet cousin.)  

Another blogger at workitoutmomma.blogspot.com

Hannah McDonald 

(Virtual and In-Class Teacher on two different campuses 

as well as my best friend:)) 

To subscribe to my podcast for this episode and more- click on the link below!

Not Surprised- Standing on the Promises

I'm not even surprised anymore. 

After the last few years we've had, I'm no longer surprised by what God's able to do in our lives. There was a time when my husband and I would both marvel at God, saying "I can't believe this is happening. This is insane." 

That's just not the case anymore.  

I have experienced such a consistent level of God's provision and completion of promise in our lives that it's become something we stand on rather than hope for. 

Here's the latest evidence of His unrelenting care.  

Two weeks ago on a Wednesday, my 2014 Dodge Durango stopped accelerating as I was driving to my favorite Mexican dine in spot- Taco Bell. At first, I thought it was a fluke so I turned the car off in the parking lot, switched it back on, and proceeded to reverse. Everything was fine. Ordered my 2 crunchy tacos, a bean burrito with no onions, and drove forward only to find out that the problem persisted. The husband was called, he confirmed this was not normal, and we carefully drove it to his place of work. From there we decided it needed to go into the shop. That's not the whole of it. Other things were happening in our little world, as is always the case. 

• I was headed for a 4 day camping trip with my daughter THE NEXT DAY
• Husband now had no way to get to work if I went camping.
• No sitter for my son if he couldn't be taken to the sitter's house. 
• We live 25minutes from town. 

God provided and Jared was able to make up that time not being on the job by catching up on some much needed paperwork that had been piling up. We went on the trip- had an amazing time- and honestly? I had forgotten about it until I got back home. 

It would be a week before anyone could even look at the car. What were we going to do? No car for two kids? This is crazy. Still, things were happening. God was working.  

• My boss lives in my area (which is 25minutes from town) so she brought me home each day. 
• Husband was able to make things work out to where he could pick up curbside groceries after work.
• Lots of people were praying for good news on the car. 

Good news on the car did not come. When we finally got it into the shop the following Wednesday- we didn't hear back on the car until Monday. Basically- we need an engine rebuild or a brand new engine to be sure that the car would run safely again. What? We can't afford that! We began to get discouraged. 

• We were SO close to paying off that car! Then we would have two vehicles paid off and no car payment!
• There would be practically zero trade-in value on the car now. 
• We can't cover the cost of a new engine right now! 

It's so easy to have faith when things are kind of bad, but when you feel like you've been cheated by life- or that there's a certain amount of unfairness going on, it's hard not to ask "Why me?" But we didn't. We tried to keep a positive state of mind. Meanwhile- so many other things encouraged us! We could definitely see how God had already been preparing us. 

• We had money saved away because of some changes we had recently made to the budget. Almost enough to buy an "in between car" until we could save enough for the repairs on the Durango. 
• We had friends who lived nearby that could give us rides if needed. A few neighbors offered to bring by groceries or give us a lift into town. 
• My sweet husband decided that God was calling him to have some humility and ask for help. He makes a post via Facebook, inquiring about a car we could purchase.
• We would be fine. God always comes through. 

Fast forward to this Tuesday. Jared's parents are in town and they brought our nephews over for a visit. While we hung out at the house, we explained our situation and the plan to buy a car to get us by until we could afford the repairs needed. The discussion was mainly focused around the idea that we needed to accept where we were and know that God would take care of it. 

Within a half hour of that conversation- I get two phone calls. 

First Phone Call 

A friend from church has a son that's getting married and they had a videographer cancel. They need someone to video their wedding for them and they want to pay ME $500 to do it! What? Me? Are you serious? YES! Praise God! Now I can put that money toward getting a vehicle! 

Second Phone Call 

Another friend that I used to teach with calls and offers to let us borrow one of her cars indefinitely until we get ours fixed!  I told her it could take a while and she insisted. Insurance would cover me. Nothing to worry about. A 2005 Toyota Camry. Just perfect for my little ones and me. 

So Many Things- Confessing a Discontented Heart

It’s hard for me to be still. Polly Pocket in the background on Netflix while Cola eats Fruity Pebbles for the letter P we’re working on this week. I told myself- I WILL make time to be still this morning. So much easier said than done. Perhaps that’s why we whisper it to ourselves. We’d look pretty foolish shouting out things that we don’t actually end up doing. So timid, we are, in declaring things for the Lord. Boy do I ever wish I was as vocal on my Instagram about my love for Jesus as I am for Tacos. 

I did my bible reading, pushing through by putting my headphones in and keeping the monitor close to me in case the baby woke up. Suddenly, it hit me that I needed to just stop. Stop doing and stop “working on being still”. Actually BE STILL, Kari! 

Pushing my bible and notebook aside, I put my head in my hands. As the music played in my ears, it was only a matter of seconds before I broke out in tears. Why do I have such a hard time listening? Why can’t I move forward? Is it too much to ask to feel good about myself for ONE day? What’s holding me back? Why am I trying so hard all of the time? What am I trying to prove? 

As swift as water from a stream, the words came out of my mouth (in a whisper, nonetheless).

I want so many things, God. 

There it was.

 My confession. 

I want a shirt to fit me the way it does that girl on her Instagram. I want my kids to sleep through the night. I want my daughter to know my intentions and not be so sensitive. i want my son to catch up to the other kids his age. I want movie theatre popcorn. I want to be motivated to do more than I'm doing. I want my friends to call me more. I want my house to be finished. I want my back to be healed. I want tacos delivered to my front door. I want people to stop misunderstanding me. I want my leaders to be genuine. I want to stop second guessing myself and others. I want to trust. I want to love unconditionally. I want. I want. I want. So. Many. Things. 

Teach me to want only You. Please. 

My whole body began to shake as I sobbed in the reality of still wanting so much, as if I had so little. I felt immense shame from the mere thought that what God had given me wasn’t enough! In that moment, I began to release the heart of covetousness and I began to think on the things of the Lord. His mercy in my life. His provision. His sense of humor and His embrace during times like this. 

Dear friend, if you find yourself in a place where you are having a hard time being content- please know that you’re not alone. There’s a lot going on in the world right now and when we feel cornered or limited, we start to act entitled. Out of deprivation, we begin to believe that we deserve more than what we’re getting. I understand. I’m in and out of that belief constantly. However, we must choose to stand on the word of God instead of the shifting tides of the times. 

His power is made perfect in the places where we feel powerless. Maybe the longing for more isn’t necessarily the issue. For God calls us to a higher purpose than we’re currently living out, I believe that. So the longing is valid, but where are you placing your hope? 

The psalmist said it best when he wrote Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:1-2) 

Jesus says - I Am enough. 

My grace is sufficient for you. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

I’ve given you all things for all times (Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 9:8-12)

I have called you to do my work, and given you the strength to do it well. (Ephesians 2:10, Romans 8:28)

We want so many things. That is our confession. Let’s ask God how we can live for Him in pursuit of these things. Place your head in your hands and tell Him- Teach me to want only You.