Prayer

Back in February (Feb. 21st to be exact: Unanswered Prayers) I had posted a blog on pray, but it is a daily thing so I’m going to write about it again. Prayer was the awesome topic for devotion tonight, which was lead by Aaron. It reminded me of how I need to take the time and pray daily not just once but several times. Does it matter how you pray or when you pray…the answer is no. (that means the old Sunday school thing of bowing your head, closing your eyes, and folding your hands…doesn’t really matter) Prayer is like that direct line to God. There is no charge for going over your minutes with Him because the call is free and we have unlimited minutes with Him. There is no call waiting or voice mails and calls won’t get lost or disconnected. We don’t have to go through anyone or thing to talk to Him we can go directly to Him. Prayer should be an important part of daily lives. The way I look at is…looking at old friends and over time you talk less and less until you are not talking at all and you don’t even really notice it is just something that happened, now there is a great distance between two people. The same thing happens with God. If we stop communicating with God (having daily chats) then we leave the door open for that connection to die off or not be as strong. Aaron read off what prayer meant to him today and I thought it was cool, I had never heard it before. How should we pray. We should focus on being able to:

Praise
Repent
Ask
Yield

I can remember when I was taught how to pray and the first prayer I learned to say was the one Jesus taught his disciples Luke 11:1-3 1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2He said to them, “When you pray, say: “ ‘Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] 3Give us each day our daily bread.

2 Thessalonians 1:3
[ Thanksgiving and Prayer ] We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

I pray tonight that you may take a look at your own prayer life. Amen
Love Peace and Groovy
Kris

Christ is Risen!

Wow, so today was Easter. I greeted at church today...meaning I wore a nametag and repeated the words "good morning" or to change it up "Happy Easter" while shaking hands and smiling at those passing by. I realized that I didn't recognize a lot of the people coming through the door. I know that I don't know a lot of the names of people at church, but I recognize people week after week. Today was different. It looked like quite a few student, ones that had never gone before. I was one of the last ones to walk into the church, which happened to be packed, and always feel out of place when walking down an aisle while everyone looks oddly at ya. I wanted to know if they just woke up this morning and thought to themselves…oh it is Easter…I better go to church? I think it is the same when it comes to Christmas too. I thought to myself there is a lot of pressure on the pastor to make his sermon really meaningful and memorable cause this might be the only time to reach these people and remind them why it is so important to have a relationship with God. While the Easter message is extremely joyous if people make it to church at the same time every year just for that one sermon…maybe the church should mix it up a bit, celebrate Easter the week before and focus on the life Jesus lead and the importance of the message that lead up to Easter. (just a random thought)

What Easter means to me….

Easter is a wonderful day that we can take a look at the resurrection of Christ. It is a day to rejoice that our eternal death was defeated by His own death. If you don’t know the Easter story check out anyone of the Gospels.

In pastor’s sermon today he asked the question “Where do we go from here?” So where is that? Tomorrow Easter will be a word of the past until next year. Shouldn’t we really be celebrating daily? Using the Easter message to connect with other messages in the Bible…..cause it is all about the connections. The old testament lead or fore told the death and resurrection of Christ, Take a deep look at the beauty of the message.

God Bless You All,
Kris

I walk alone....

I was bored out of my mind tonight and decided everyone else is gone home for Easter weekend or has put me on the sidelines, which seems to be pretty normal. Right now I feel like a yo-yo. So I decided I would take a walk around campus by myself (it is safer than walking through the park by myself) I tried to walk around and clear my head, but ended up just putting everything in a blender...I have decided that no matter whatever I do I'm alone. This isn't a new development for me, but something I put in the back seat and only deal with when everything else is on my plate. I know God is with me, but sometimes I pray that I'm not walking the emty streets by myself. I'm still alive and kicking, counting down until the end of the semester...can it come faster?
God Bless,
Kris

I walk alone...the story of my life

Video code provided by MusicVideoCodes.com

I went there to make connections with the family and with the people that I went there with. I went to have a great time and to get messy! This trip was a BLESSING to me to say the least.

To recap what a group of us did....ripped out a floor and put a new one down and built a railing and painted...do I call it work? Sure, but I did it with a smile and loved almost every minute of it.

The wonderful snow in Kentucky, my first snowman of the year! This jolly fellow is sporting a magical hat made out of foam found in the yard, a pop bottle and a checker piece for the eyes, yellow beads for a bright smile and the socks she used as mittens durning our snowball fight are wrapped around the neck.

For those of you who aren't on facebook.com or on my msn here is one of my favorite pictures from Kentucky. Here I am with a Pepsi machine that is out in the middle of nowhere, on the side of the road, in the the mountains....who would have thought it would work and better yet it was cold and was only 50cents.

Who would have thought a simple bag of marbles would be so much fun and hours of enjoyment. For one small six-year-old with no toys she could make that bag go a long way.

Remembering what a good time I had on Spring break with my new friends. James, Pastor Mark, Brad, Dan, Erin, Me, and Kimberly. Some days I wish I was back there.

Dare You To Move...Dare You to Lift Yourself up off the Floor

There was a music video from switchfoot here....but it sounded a little funny with more than one song playing so i had to remove it.

Connection

I love taking songs, listening to the words and making a connection...I'm all about the "connections"...being a future educator, those are important words. "I dare you to move, I dare you to move..." What kind of connections can you make with the music you listen to? To me this song is saying don't just sit back and take a back seat, what you do in life can make difference in the life of someone else if you take the step to do it....to move. The time is now to figure out who you are and who we can become if we take the steps to get there.

May God Bless Your Life,

Kris

GRACE

Bottom line I’m a Christian….taking a look at my religion and taking a look at my faith are two very different things. Just a little background my family is part German and the other half Norwegian so the Lutheran way of life has always been in my family. I grew up going to a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church most of my life with both sides of my family (we make up ½ of the congregation when everyone is home…small town church) I went through 4 years of confirmation and was confirmed by the end of 8th grade. However, when I got into high school I really started to question my church, not my faith, but the foundation the church was giving to me. For over 2 years I think I checked out other churches in my town and some times I would drive 45min just to go to a church service. I wasn’t once questioning what I believed in, but I was having a hard time always staying focused on a proper path and wanted fellowship of others like me to keep me grounded. I was a very active youth in the church and was one that brought religion into the public school system. I looked at other denominations and other religions to help me find answers and still came back to my father of theology Martin Luther. What is a Lutheran you may ask…."A Lutheran is a person who believes, teaches and confesses the truths of God's Word as they are summarized and confessed in the Book of Concord."-The Book of Concord to check out more click on http://www.bookofconcord.org/whatisalutheran.html being a Lutheran is something I chose, it is just a title that helps me to relate to those of similar beliefs…I’m a Christian as my religion, but my faith is what I know when I look a scripture and aid by the doctorates of Martin Luther. I think the main word to look at when dealing with what I believe is the simple word GRACE. “Ephesians 2: 8For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9not by works, so that no one can boast.” Definition of GRACE to me is gift, something given to us that we can’t even imagine giving something back in return that would even compare to what was originally given. It is a gift we don’t deserve. Grace is so important to me because it is that gift God gave us when His son rose from the dead on the third day, it was his defeat of death for our eternal life. There is nothing we can do to ever match up to the death and resurrection of Christ. He was the ultimate gift, the ultimate sacrifice for us. We can’t work our way to heaven, there is nothing we can to earn the right to be there. Does that mean that we shouldn’t try to be a good person and to do honorable things….no that isn’t what I’m saying. I’m saying that by looking at GRACE and looking at the love Christ shows us we shouldn’t want to keep it to ourselves and our lives should reflect that love and that gift. In doing so we should want to do good deeds in honor of Him not wanting anything in return. We can’t earn our way to heaven it was already paid for. 2 Timothy 1: 8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and GRACE. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Those were my thoughts for today. As we look into the end of the Lenten season take a look at your own faith…what do you believe and why?
Sorry for the typos…please forgive. Have a wonderful day…if it is like mine it might be a little gloomy with the rain and the stress of class projects and things to come.
Peace and the GRACE of the Lord be with you,
Kris

Passion

Wow, I guess with everything I have going on and having class Wednesday instead of going to Lenten services really made Easter sneak up on me….I’m having a hard time taking in that it is coming up in like 5 days. Last night in Bible study we took a look at The Passion of the Christ (you know the big Mel Gibson movie that opened last Lent season, which if you haven’t seen it you should go rent it) It opens with the words from the old testament....Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression [a] and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken. [b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes [c] his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life [d] and be satisfied [e] ;
by his knowledge [f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
-by the way there is a lot of symbolism in the movie, but that he a whole nother blog in itself-
When people think about Easter they think about spring and things like that….I think that Easter is a wonderful celebration of what makes us Christians. It starts at Good Friday, with the death of Christ just like what was predicted in the OT and then leads to the rebuilding of the temple in three days or the resurrection of the body of Christ on Easter, what more is there to celebrate. Easter is like the Fourth of July….celebration of our FREEDOM…freedom from eternal death.
I look at back at Christ’s life and recognize that he was a man (he cries, he feels, he hurts, he bleeds, he loves, he is yet a child, he falls, he was born and dies), but more so that he was given a purpose to live and walk on this earth…and that purpose was to die. Does it make a difference how he was murdered and how he suffered?
Moving on to other thoughts in my head. When thinking of what Good Friday you have to take a look at what Christ did before his death….He prayed His father on the Mount of Olives while His disciples kept watch….but what happened before this? The Passover meal where Jesus told them flat out what was going to be happening. Luke17:After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Look at Isaiah 53:12 how do they connect? Ok so from the Passover to prayer then to the betrayal by a kiss from one of Jesus’s friends and the betrayal by Peter…everything leads to what was written and what Christ told his followers what was to happen. How blinded they were though. Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed at dawn and he did (how true is this in our own lives, denial that is,…how many times do we deny that we know Christ, either through our actions or our own words…?) Peter replied “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Matt 26:33 and then Jesus told Judas flat out that He would be the one to betray the son of man…they all start looking at each other I’m sure with the questionable look is it you?…is it me? Matt 26:23Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Is also written about in Zech. 13:7.
So what is important to me is the path that leads up to His death, the predictions made not only by Christ, but what was written in the OT. His death on the cross and the most wonderful resurrection ever recorded. I’m so excited to celebrate the upcoming holiday in remembrance of Him! Don’t forget that even in the busy schedules you may lead this week to take the time to reflect on Easter and what it means to you as a person. I look at betrayal, denial, guilt, life, death, and wonder how they all pertain to me and are thoughts in my daily life.
Sorry for the random thoughts…I’m not really feeling well and I think my medication is making me crazy.
God Bless,
Kris

Apple at Cha

I had every intention to write before I left for spring break. The movie from the last blog was Simon Birch. Great movie that looks into are place in life and why we are here, what is our purpose. Any ways I'm back from spring break. It was an awesome trip and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for someplace to go to have some fun and meet some really neat people. www.asphome.org. If I didn't tell ya where I was going....I went to Chavies in Kentucky for a week with 23 others from school and met there about 30 or more high schoolers from Rhode Island and one man named Jim from Wisconsin. We got there on Sunday and realized we already didn't like the one lane roads which was like every road in the county and they wrapped around the mountains, I personally didn't like the rumble lines on the inside line and on the ouside line of the road. We took 2, 15 passenger vans there. We all squeezed in nicely together. We were divided into small teams or work groups for the week. about 5 people in each one. We were then given a job for the week some were building retaining walls, others working in someone's bathroom, or putting on wooden siding. My group got to work on a floor and build a safer railing on a deck. Everyday we went to are job site about 30mins away from Chavies to work, then came back to the center for dinner and to shower (very important seeing as how we wore the same clothes for the most of the week.) we all had chores in the center to do whether it be dishes, cleaning bathrooms, or sweeping. Then we would play games or hang out. The last night we had a giant bonfire with the scraps that had built up for the week from our work sites. The week went by great just a few minor accidents, but nothing to stop us. I really got to know the people in my group and in the van, which was great. I loved being able to not only go into someone's home to help them, but to interact with them. I didn't have a lot of fun the first 2 days at our work site because the family wasn't really there. Wednesday when it snowed the little girl was home and we had so much fun together. We didn't accomplish very much work wise, but yet we accomplished why we were there and that was to give love, to share our gift of love, and receive love in return. this family or the 2 that we met had so much love to give.

1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues[a]
of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a
clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all
mysteries
and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains,
but have not
love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and
surrender my body
to the flames,[b]
but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient,
love
is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is
not rude,
it is not selfseeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs.
6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the
truth. 7It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love
never fails. But where there are prophecies,
they will cease; where there are
tongues, they will be stilled; where there
is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For
we know in part and we prophesy in
part, 10but when perfection comes, the
imperfect disappears. 11When I was a
child, I talked like a child, I thought
like a child, I reasoned like a
child. When I became a man, I put childish ways
behind me. 12Now we see but
a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see
face to face. Now I know
in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully
known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.

I know that what gifts or talents I had at that point where not the only thing that was important. What they could give to us was so great and was an eye opener to say the least. I know that I could have spent break in Florida or stayed home and done nothing but work. This was by far the best experience I have ever had and I'm glad I spent my break there. There are so many stories that go along with this trip. (inside joke but had to through it out there- "the trip was alligator" ) Oh and I always thought Pastor O was saying the name wrong for Appalachia, but now I know that he is right or for at least where we were it was called (apple at cha)

Well that is all I have for now. May God Bless you all and may we learn from and love one another.
sorry for the errors, it has been a week since I've touched a keyboard.
~Kris

still to come

note to self...when fully awake write about devotion. Great movie you need to see title will be posted later....it is a surprise! The movie relates to what is our path in Christ, why are we really here. I know what you are thinking...wow she writes about this a lot...i seem to get hit over the head with that question all the time
Peace love groovy
Kris

Unsuspected Doors

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” ~Helen Keller

Today I was nothing but smiles! I can’t really say why, but for some reason everything seemed to fit together in my life. For once I feel like I have looked into the right window, walked into the right door. I just hope it stays open and I can keep walking down the hallway. Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. “ So many times I often walk the wrong path, walk by doors that are closed and I get frustrated when I don’t feel like the puzzle in my life is coming together.
5 days to go until spring break trip to Kentucky and I can’t wait. I hope this is a great open door for me to meet knew people and open their eyes to Christ. Life is all about the connections…..in a business sense and in a life journey sense. I pray that the connections I make there with the people I’m going with and the people I am going to be working with will be ones to be remembered. It is the simple things that I want to be able to treasure. For instance I remember going to Florida this summer or to Okoboji this winter and the thing I remember most is the connections with people not just the event. Last night we got our first rain storm….how beautiful it was to be able to sit out and listen to the thunder, watch the lightening strike across the sky, and see the rain hit the sidewalk. I watched them fall. It was a moment so simple, but is something that I will treasure.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:20-22 I want my heart to be in the right place all the time, I know that it isn’t always possible but I would like to think that being happy is something that is so full filling that no matter how simple something is or how strenuous something can get that I can find a positive way to look at life and smile. “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” ~author unknown I pray that all of you have a great spring break and really take in what should be important like a hug or a smile that makes a day brighter to someone else. Yep I said hug….for those of you who don’t really know me, a true way to my heart is a hug. I love hugs…some people are really good and hugs and others need to work on their other talents! I love hugs that make me feel safe and when they squeeze me tight that all of my worries and pressures just leave me….such a great experience that it is hard to explain. “Hugs are a great embrace into the heart.” ~my own quote. In the Bible it says that we should greet each other with a holy kiss…no lie it is written in four different verses in the Bible….1 Thessalonians 5:26, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Corinthians 16:20, and Romans 16:16. Now of days we greet each other with handshakes…..you know where I would stand on this front! Well these are my thoughts for this evening. God Bless, Kris

little quotes to sleep on

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. ~Chinese proverb

There will be many people who will walk in and out of your life but only true friends will leave footprints behind. ~unknown

Integrity

What is it? Integrity looks at acceptance, accountability, behavior, citizenship, confidence, determination, ethics, friendliness, honesty, manner, morals, patience, reliability, respect, self-control, tolerance, trustworthiness, values…and on and on. When I think of integrity I think of what is right and what is wrong. In class tonight we talked about is it ok to bring our beliefs (not just religious beliefs) into the classroom. In my opinion my beliefs should show in how I live. I know that this isn’t always true (for example I showed ½ way decent behavior while being a little intoxicated this past weekend.) but for the most part I try to live a life that reflects my beliefs and shows my integrity. I always wonder how people see me, am I who I say I am? When I was in high school I ranked 2nd in the nation for one of the highest integrity awards given at that time. I look back then and this is something I didn’t deserve. Back in the day my life was a mess…I remember the suicidal thoughts, the cutting of skin, the lost thoughts and how hidden it was from everyone. I was in search of my faith, but knew that I had to put up this picture for everyone else to see that I had it all together otherwise I would have had to see disappointment in the people around me. (these are thoughts I have kept to myself for a long time…I am trying to be more open.) I look back and see what really got me through it I wish I could say it was family and friends (most never really seemed to know me) The only thing I can remember is that I would pray....sometimes sit in the church while it was pitch black with tears rolling down my face…I never let God go, I just struggled with Him, searched to understand Him. I look back and wonder if the choices I make in my life are right or wrong. Do I tend to take the easy way or the path not taken? What about your life seems to be a little muddy right now? Right now I feel like I tend to take a stand let my opinion be known. I look for what is right to do and what is the moral thing to do. I think integrity is a very important quality in a person and I hope that now I show it and am it unlike before when it was just a mask.
May God bless you in your daily walk,
Kris

forgive the typos it is early in the morning!

Top (spinning)

Where is my attention drifting? This very moment I’m sitting in class (I’m listening and getting things out of class…hard to believe…I know) Sitting in class I have so many things going through my head….what do I have to do tonight, tomorrow, next week, next year, and where am I going to live, work, and teach….my head is spinning. Lately I have been feeling stressed and worrying about what is to come. Don’t you ever wish you had a crystal ball that would tell you where your path is going…just so you wouldn’t have to worry?

Matthew
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life
more important than food, and the body more important than
clothes?"

I know I have written a blog on this before, but I just like to remind myself and do a little light reading in the Bible about it. I know I need to put trust in Him is knows all….that my path is planned I just need to breath!