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For 2026, we have prayed many prayers and set our goals, and made our vision boards. We must not neglect our part in God’s ability to bless us. Quite often our blessings come through other humans, so we must operate in ways that give God the opportunity to bless us. In Genesis 37, Joseph, at age 17, was envied by his older brothers. After a series of events that served to solidify their negative feelings towards him, they decided to sell him into slavery to a group of Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. Genesis 39:2 states, “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.” In my years of knowing God, I think He gave Joseph the opportunity to prosper, as He always gives us choice. He likely gave Joseph the opportunity to show off his work ethic, his intellect, and his prudence - and Joseph did so! Verse 3 states, “When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” That’s a big statement. We don’t just invite anyone into our home and put them in charge. That person must have a proven track record of honesty and integrity in order to be given such responsibility. Potiphar must have observed Joseph to be responsible and prudent. Some time later Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of making a pass at her, a crime punishable by death. When Potiphar thought on the accusation and weighed it against what he knew and had seen of Joseph, he decided to have him jailed instead. Scripture tells us again, “But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” I believe Joseph faced choices and chose to make the best of the situation. He didn’t start acting like a prisoner just because he was in prison, he remained responsible and hard working. Some time later, Joseph, with all credit to God, correctly interpreted the dreams of 2 of the inmates. One of them, upon release, mentioned to Pharaoh when he needed to understand a dream, that Joseph could interpret dreams. Pharaoh sent for Joseph, but he didn’t just go. “When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharoah.”(Ge. 41:14) Before he listened to Pharaoh describe the dream, he gave credit to God for its interpretation. “I cannot do it, Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” (Gen. 41:16) Once the dream was interpreted, Pharaoh couldn’t believe his ears and knew that fast and responsible action must take place so he put Joseph in charge saying (v. 39), “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” For 2026, we have prayed many prayers and set our goals, and made our vision boards. We must not neglect our part in God’s ability to bless us. Quite often our blessings come through other humans - new jobs, job advances, strengthening our marriage, improving relationships with family and friends - we must always do our part. God will be with us, but we must demonstrate our commitment to growth everyday. Notice the bold text above. Potphar likely didn’t just say, “Hey, Joseph, I want you to come lead my household.” He had to have observed him to be a hard-worker who always showed up and got the job done with integrity. The lead jailor didn’t just decide to put Joseph in charge, he likely observed Joseph to be someone who was responsible and had a positive attitude. Although the cupbearer didn’t immediately think of Joseph, but later he remembered him as a young man who left an impression on him he recommended Joseph to the King. Joseph was in jail, but he didn’t let it get him down. As we wait on the Lord in 2026, remember you are also responsible for your blessings. To receive the answers to your prayers that you desire you have to be working in that direction, God is not likely to elevate you to a high position that you cannot maintain due to your being irresponsible, dishonest, and less than distrustful. In 2026, let’s work hard, show up - on time, be positive, take ownership, and leave positive impressions, as we pray and wait. Watch what God will do. Amen.
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A few years ago, in our first meeting of the new year, my then supervisor shared that she had been reading a book that encouraged readers to choose a word as their focus for the new year. She said, by choosing a single word it simplifies our list of goals and helps us focus on a single goal that can be summed up as one word. Recently, at our church, our pastor asked us to choose a word that will be our prayer focus for 2026. If you have never done this, it’s not easy. According to a quick Google search, the 2nd edition of the Oxford English Dictionary contains 171,476 entries - and that’s just English! I wanted to choose a big word, a complicated word, a multi-syllabic word! I have a big birthday coming up in a couple of weeks and it’s been on my mind, so I thought my word might be related to that. Instead, after much thought and prayer, my word only has 4 letters and 1 syllable. Used.
Yep, used, that’s my word for 2026. And no, it has nothing to do with my shopping on Marketplace. No, I’m not shopping for a used car. In 2026, I want to allow myself to be fully used by the Lord. I am a thinker and a planner, I am analytical, and logical, and some would even call me strategic. While I can use these thought patterns to do what I believe the Lord wants me to do, for 2026, I want to put these thought patterns aside and allow Him to guide me in the ways He wants to use me. My own thoughts, plans and analytics can dissuade me from obedience. My prayer is that I can be led by the Spirit and not by my own mind. I know that I have a call to ministry, and I use it in writing this weekly message as well as in other ways, but if there is more that He is calling me to do, I want to be fully obedient. So, what’s your word for 2026? Last week, I wrote about Matthew 3:8 NIV “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” This is John the Baptist’s advice that we should prove by our fruit, that we have repented and now live for Christ. If you need a word for 2026, you may find one in the verse below: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23. If you need more word ideas, please see this link. Think about your own life, habits and goals for 2026 and post your word in the comments so that I and others can be in prayer for you in 2026. Amen. Happy New Year! What's your word? Please post it in the comments so that I and others can be praying for you. Please be in prayer that I will be USED in 2026. Amen. Thank you for reading! Kim Matthew seems to be the book of choice for me this month. During Thanksgiving, I finally accepted the fact that I would not be traveling to Hawaii for my 50th Birthday in January 2026. I pondered what other exciting thing I could do to celebrate this milestone. To write a book and publish it on my birthday became the goal. This would be the fastest I ever produced a book, if I could think of something to write. I started praying about it, but no book would come to mind. I started writing my blog on Nov. 29 and it was getting long, too long for a blog post. Then I realized God had answered my prayer. He gave me a short book to write and publish for my birthday! I finished it this morning, and ordered my first (hopefully only) author copies this afternoon. It’s a memoir, of sorts, called Teach Like Jesus. In the book, I use examples of Jesus’ teaching from the book of Matthew, to counter the idea that effective teaching can take place without engaging the students. Look for it to debut on January 16, 2026! As I pondered and prayed about a message to end 2025 and begin 2026, the book of Matthew came to mind again. In Matthew 1, we learn the lineage of Jesus and some of the details of His birth. In Matthew 2, we read about how His birth was announced and received at the time. In Matthew 3, we are introduced to John the Baptist who announced the beginnings of Jesus’s ministry to Israel and surrounding people. Baptising all who would come, in the Jordan River, he advised the people to repent. Once word spread that he was baptising, the Pharisee began to arrive and John called them out! The Pharisees were the religious leaders and teachers of the law of that time. They were known for being very legalistic, promoting rules for other rules. They were not known for following the rules and laws they set. Jesus calls them hypocrites! (Mat 23:13) As they approach John the Baptist, he calls them a brood of vipers. (Mat 3:7) Not a very welcoming way to say hello! He then emphatically advises them, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Mat 3:8 NIV) When I read that statement, it seems super important, but I do not understand it from the NIV translation. Because it seems so important, I consulted other translations. The one that makes sense to me is the New Living Translation, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” (Mat 3:8 NLT) That should be our collective New Year’s Resolution. Mic Drop. 🎤 John advises that when someone looks at our life, it should be evident that we have repented of our sins, we should not still be living in sin! To repent means we first have realized our sin, then we asked God to forgive our sin, and we have turned away from our sin. When we turn away from sin, we turn to God and adopt His ways. As we live our lives and people observe our behavior, whether it be at work, at the game, at church, after church, on Facebook, on Instagram, in the grocery store - wherever we may be or whatever we may post, it should be evident that we have repented of our sins and are trying to live a life that honors God. While I understand the NLT translation better, it does not use the term “fruit” as the NIV does. The word fruit is a reference to the Fruit of the Spirit discussed in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Once we have repented of our sins and turned to God, we must conduct ourselves with love, peace and kindness. We should try to understand other perspectives offering other forbearance. We should seek to do good, do what we say we will do, be gentle and controlled. The Fruit of the Spirit is evidence of our relationship with Jesus. Our constant display of the Fruit of the Spirit is how people know we have repented of our sins and turned to God. Why is it important that others know? This world is full of people who act on the flesh. The number of people who live in sin far outnumbers those who live for Christ. While many people don’t know Jesus, they have heard of Him, and they know traits to look for in someone who is saved. Often, the unsaved look for the fruit in people to ask questions on how to become saved. If the unsaved cannot tell by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and are living for Christ, because you bear no fruit, then you aren’t truly saved and you need a different new year’s resolution. “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” (James 2:24) “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:26) Sorry to give you a tough message on the last Sunday of the year, but I’ve got to share the truth. Either produce fruit in keeping with repentance, or repent and begin to produce fruit. As I stated last week, Jesus is going to return for His people and only those who are ready (producing fruit) will be taken to Heaven with Him. Amen. Happy New Year!!! I thank you for reading! I love reading your comments - I read them all! Please share with someone else who could use a reminder to produce fruit in 2026 - which is everyone! Amen! Kim When I was little, every couple of years we would spend Christmas with my dad’s parents in Greenville, SC. It always made me nervous to do that because I could never be sure Santa knew we were there and not at our home in Sumter, SC. It would have been devastating if he had delivered all of my gifts to Sumter, 3 hours away and we weren’t even there and wouldn’t be back for a couple of days! On the evening news, they would report Santa sightings in the sky. Multiple times on Christmas Eve night, I would go to the hall bathroom, close the door, and stand on the toilet to look out the window to see if I could see Santa and his reindeer in the nearby sky. Eventually, although I tried, desperately, to stay awake to hear a rumble in the chimney, or the pitter patter of reindeer feet on the roof, I would fall asleep. Each year we were in Greenville, when I awoke, sure enough, Santa had been there - never did he get it mixed up!!! St. Matthew recorded one of Jesus’s parables in the first 13 verses of chapter 25. There were 10 women (virgins), each hoping to be the one chosen by the bridegroom. They knew he was coming, but were not sure when he would arrive. Jesus says 5 of the women were wise and took extra oil to keep their lamps lit once they ran low, but 5 were foolish and took none. As they waited expectantly, they fell asleep. At midnight, the announcement of the bridegroom was heard. The foolish women’s lamps had burnt out so they asked the wise women to share their oil. The wise women refused saying they didn’t bring enough to share, “Go buy some!” While the foolish women were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived and entered the wedding banquet with the wise women and the door was shut. When the foolish women returned with oil, they begged to be allowed to enter, but were told, “Truly, I tell you, I don’t know you.” The moral of the parable is that we should keep watch because we do not know the day or the hour that Jesus will return for His people. As I wrote in last week’s message, “Scripture tells us that Jesus will return, one day, to take His people to Heaven and leave all of the evil, unbelievers here on Earth to face judgement. When will that be? Soon!” As a child, I believed in Santa Claus. I was sure I had been a good girl, so he definitely was not going to skip me. Like the 10 virgins, I knew Santa was coming overnight, and I tried to stay awake, but I fell asleep. I thought it was foolish for us to be in Greenville and not at home. Lol! While the people of Jesus’s time had been made aware that a savior was coming, they did not know when it would happen. The prophets had spoken of His coming, but no one knew when exactly when it would happen.
While God told of the Messiah’s coming, He did not say when. God has told us Jesus will return for His people, but He has not told us when. Being caught off guard by Jesus’ birth would bear no consequences, but if He returns and you’re not ready, there will be consequences. Like the foolish women who went to get oil for their lamps because they didn’t think ahead, the door will be shut and He will not know those people. When Jesus returns, there will be no time for preparations. He is coming for the prepared!
Why wait to get prepared? Why wait to believe? Why wait to start living the kind of life Jesus demonstrated we should live? You may think this world has so much to offer that giving it up to live for Jesus would be a burden, I promise you are wrong. Don't be foolish! Life with Jesus is more fulfilling than than anything this world could possibly offer. It’s hard to explain, but I was in the world for a portion of my life, then my eyes were opened and I began to see how God was working in my life and I was taking credit for it. I began to realize that the life He planned for me is way better than anything I could plan for myself. Try it. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Amen. Come. Lord Jesus.
It is my prayer that you and all who read this week's message have joyous time with family and friends this week as you celebrate Jesus' birth. If the opportunity arises, share Jesus, the meaning of the season with someone who may not know Him. I know your comments shouldn't matter to me, but they do! I read all comments posted on this blog each week. I appreciate them, and they really encourage me to write the next week. Thank you all for your support. Kim [email protected] Like me, you started seeing hints about Christmas and Christmas shopping way back in October! Maybe you participated in Prime Day shopping back in July - I didn’t. I am, however, a frequent Amazon shopper. I caught myself waving at the Amazon truck one day, as it passed my home, as if the driver was a friend of mine. I receive Amazon notifications to my phone daily - today’s was, “Your cart is calling! Tap now to purchase.” I told you in last week’s post that my shopping would be extremely light this year, and that’s still true, but what an excellent marketing strategy!
I have items in my cart that I am undecided about, but if I put them in my cart, that means I have considered the price, the color, the size - yet I remain undecided. I know that only 12 days remain until Christmas, so I will soon have to make a decision. Soon is one of those words that can be certain or uncertain. When I turned 48, I thought, “Whew, I’ll be turning 50, soon!” When we travel with kids who ask, “Are we there yet?” We say, “Not yet, soon!” We may be driving a car that’s beginning to show signs of wear, and we think, “I’ll probably have to buy a new car, soon! Soon means some time in the future. We may know the exact date in the future, in the case of my birthday; but to a child who wants to be there already, soon is just an appeasement. When your car has had enough, soon is relative to multiple variables. What’s always certain, is that soon now, is sooner than soon was then! Jesus’ return is spoken of in many instances in the Gospels, and Revelation 22:20 states, “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” John wrote Revelation between 90-95 AD, and he said “soon!” More than 1,900 years have passed and Christ has not returned, so we can be assured that He is coming sooner now than He was then. What does this mean? I could never explain it all in a single blog post, but Scripture tells us that Jesus will return, one day, to take His people to Heaven and leave all of the evil, unbelievers here on Earth to face judgement. When will that be? Soon! If I knew when, I would tell you. Matthew 24:36 says, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” If you are reading this post, consider this a notification that Jesus is calling. You can choose to believe at no cost. We know we have 12 days until Christmas, but we don’t know how long we have until Jesus returns. It could be tonight, in the morning, next week - who knows Jesus may come on His birthday 2025! I can only advise you to be ready and to alert those you know to be ready as well. If you have not chosen to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior, today is a great day to make that decision. Don’t be like me and let the decision (referring to my Amazon cart) linger, you have the information, it’s time to decide. John 10:10 states, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." I encourage you to decide today, to choose Jesus and begin to live life in righteousness and truth. If you have questions, I invite you to email me at [email protected]. I am happy to answer your questions and discuss salvation with you. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Thank you for reading! Please, if you haven't before, please share this post with someone you know and love! Kim We (I) usually put up our Christmas tree on the day after Thanksgiving. For me (us) Black Friday is for decorating for Christmas. This year, however, I drove to Atlanta and back on Thanksgiving Day, so Friday was a day of rest, and Saturday we watched Clemson beat the Gamecocks. On Sunday after church, I told my husband, I guess we need to put the tree up, right? He didn’t really answer, but I said, “Part of me doesn’t want to even up a tree this year, but if I find out I can have Christmas without a tree, then I’ll never put up another Christmas tree.” I went upstairs for a while and when I came back down he had taken everything out of the Christmas closet, everything - even the St. Patrick’s wreath! He just didn’t know when to stop! Since it was out, I took the opportunity to decorate for Christmas. And it is beautiful! A few years ago, I wrote a blog about how I felt when my stepdaughter introduced me as someone who did not like Christmas. I am very much on-guard now, because I don’t want to give off that sentiment, but I do become frustrated by what I perceive as Christmas expectations. I am committed to paying off each year’s financial damages by the end of the calendar year, as I do not want to carry debt into the new year. I do this by paying my credit card balance down to zero, usually by Oct. 31. Property taxes on one car are always due Nov. 30 and another Dec. 31. For the past several years, I have had my son’s college tuition due mid-December, but this year I have two sons in college so both tuitions are due - there goes any savings! Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not sore about these realities! It’s a blessing to have vehicles that are in good, running order, and taxes just come with the territory. It’s a huge blessing to have two children in college, and if I want them to return in January, their fees are due in December. What’s left for me to give? Love!
Tis the season of thanks and giving! On Thursday, we spent time with family and friends sharing a meal and thanking God for our many blessings. Friday began the season of giving. While we like to believe everyone spent Thursday with family and friends sharing a meal - that’s not true. While the news would have us believe everyone went shopping on “Black” Friday, that’s not true either. There are countless people in need right now. If you don’t belive me, join some community groups on Facebook. People are asking for help with gas, help with rent, an extra turkey, a twin mattress, help getting their children’s names on the Angel Tree - you name it, someone needs it. Proverbs 22:9 The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. On Friday I had a taste for a BLT - yes, there were turkey leftovers in the fridge, but that’s not what I wanted. I wanted bacon. I felt a little crazy going to the grocery store the day after Thanksgiving, but I really wanted that sandwich, so I went. The parking lot was nearly empty and inside, I only saw a few people, but one of the people I saw was an older woman with a tattered jacket and shoes. She had a shopping cart with 2-3 items in it, and she was counting some balled up $1 bills from her pocket. The Holy Spirit spoke to me suggesting that I give her some money. My heart started beating really fast, I don’t know why, but it did. Then I starting trying to think of a strategy. (Stupid, I know!) Then I questioned, do I even have any cash - because normally I don’t! I looked in my purse and I did have some cash! I took out what I would give the lady, then she was gone. I walked around trying to locate her again and she was in the checkout line, so my time was limited. I decided to walk up next to her and bend down with the money in my hand and pretend I picked up money next to her foot then ask her if she had just dropped it. (More stupidity!) I did it. I said, “Ma’am, did you drop this?” I held a $20 bill out to her. She said, “Oh, yes, I did! Thank you!” I was not expecting that!!! I thought I was going to have to convince her that she dropped it, but I suppose she was praying for some more money and the Lord answered her prayer, so no need to fight it. I still had not found the bacon, so I went back through the aisles. There was a lady doing some serious price comparisons on the cheeses, then she walked away without any cheese. I decided to give her some cash, too. This time, I didn’t even try to come up with a strategy, I just walked upto her and said, “Ma’am, the Holy Spirit told me to give you some money, so please take this to help with whatever you need.” She was amazed and thankful, she turned her cart around and went right back to the cheese. I found the bacon and a few other things. As I waited in the checkout line a man, missing a limb, entered the line behind me. I was reminded of the conversations I had with some of the patients in rehab during clinicals a few weeks ago. My items rolled down the conveyer belt and the employee scanned them. Next was the man’s single item, a loaf of bread. I told the employee, “go ahead and put his bread on my tab.” That man’s face lit up! He was thankful. Luke 3:11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Please, before you comment - this post is not about me, please don't make it about me. Scripture says when we give to the needy, our giving should be in secret. (Matthew 6:1-4) I started not to share any of this, but my blog is where I am transparent with readers and my experiences on Friday illustrate the points of this week’s message. 1) People are in need. 2) People in need can be found everywhere. 3) You don’t have to find an organization to volunteer with in order to help someone. You can find an organization, but don't let looking for an organization cause you to delay in helping those in need. 4) You can help others out of your own abundance. Regardless of how abundant you believe your blessings to be, remember that what you have is from the Lord, if He gave it to you, you can share to someone else. 5) You could be the answer to someone else’s prayer. The Lord didn’t tell me to try and be creative with my giving, He just told me to help a fellow grocery patron. 6) When possible, help others in the presence of your children. They need to see that you SEE others in need and are willing to help. They hear you talking about bills, so they need to see you being a blessing. Notice, the underlined phrase above, “The Holy Spirit spoke to me suggesting…” I don’t know how the Holy Spirit speaks to you, but typically when He speaks to me it's quiet, gentle, not commanding. Sometimes, I can recite what He said in exact words, but yesterday it was more a feeling than an actual sound. I say it was a suggestion, because He gave me a choice. I could have chosen to pretend I didn’t hear it. I could have told myself it was just a thought, not the Lord speaking to me. I could have listened to Satan reminding me of the bills I have due in the next couple of weeks. None of those bills were dependent upon the cash I had already withdrawn from my account. Finally, I’ll add that through these experiences on Friday, He answered my prayer. I was praying for a new blog topic for this week, as what I thought was the blog may become my next book! Thanks + Giving! Be a blessing! Amen! Psalm 140:12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Proverbs 14:21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy. Thank you for reading! Be a blessing to someone this week! Amen! Please take a moment to share this message with someone you know! Kim [email protected] I haven’t made an announcement yet, but I guess my blog readers will be the first to know! I’ve just completed the 112-hour course required by the state of South Carolina, to become a Certified Nurse Aide. I haven’t taken the state exam yet, but my coursework and clinical experience are complete!
I was in a class of eight students and six of us made it through the entire course. We had a wonderful instructor who had never taught before, but had many years of nursing experience to draw from as she taught and illustrated the concepts. The final 40-hours of the course were off-campus at a local in-patient rehabilitation center. It was there that I realized, once again, that life, health, and strength are not to be taken for granted. In a rehab center, from one room to the next, there are patients who have recently suffered a fall or an accident that resulted in surgery and the need for physical and/or occupational therapy. There were patients who suffered a stroke and lost the use of one side of their body. We cared for patients who were recent amputees. Some of my classmates cared for a man who was a quadruplegic. As we did our “rounds” checking for vital signs, it gave me the opportunity to chat and smile and be friendly. I didn’t encounter anyone who was grumpy or down about their condition. Everyone’s primary goal was written on the board in their room, and that’s what they worked towards each day with the various therapies offered by the facility. One evening during clinicals, my instructor assigned me to feed an elderly woman on the hall. A rule we learned is that when feeding a patient, the nurse aide must be seated so as not appear to be in a hurry. After about 30min of feeding, and she was eating well, a nurse from the facility stopped in and told me I shouldn’t feed her, that therapy was teaching her to feed herself again. Yikes! I tried putting the spoon in the woman’s hand, putting food on it, and guiding it to her mouth, but that absolutely was not going to work. I was seated so I didn’t appear to be in a hurry, but I did want to practice some other skills that evening! I resumed feeding her and she ate all of her food - it took an hour and fifteen minutes! As much muscle memory as I’ve developed putting my own hand to my own mouth, I realize that I may not always be able to do that! I expected that a great deal of the CNA curriculum would be about Biology, a subject I taught for many years! There were aspects of Biology, but applications thereof. Biology students learn the organs and enzymes involved in digestion; CNA’s are taught to read each patient’s chart to know if they have any dietary restrictions such as NPO (nothing by mouth), or if they may only have thickened fluids. While I expected Biology parallels, I didn’t expect Scriptural parallels! Our 3rd chapter was titled, Understanding Residents. We had a refresher on the basic human needs, both physiological and psychological. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” We learned the importance of showing respect to residents of all cultures, and how to treat residents with dignity. Romans 15:1-2 tells us, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.” In a rehab center, patients are there to regain strength, and learn skills to be independent. There was great emphasis on confidentiality of patient information and providing privacy to patients during care. Philippians 2:3-4 tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Amen! This week, as you enjoy Thanksgiving, remember to thank God for your life, health, and strength. Pray for those who are sick or recovering from injury or illness. As well, pray for the medical personnel who often work long hours and understaffed. CNA’s are in high demand, and the rehabilitation center where we completed our clinicals would be happy to hire all six of us! I took the course to gain knowledge of this new program that I lead. I am still praying about whether the Lord is actually calling me to work as a CNA, even part-time. Please join me in praying that the Lord reveal to me what I should do with the knowledge and skills I have gained through the course. Amen! Thank you for reading! If you feel so inclined, please share! In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name! Amen! Kimberly G. Massey [email protected] You probably know the song, I Won’t Complain, by Rev. Paul Jones. I frequently listen to this on my way to work to remind me that, “He’s been good to me!” It’s easy for me to get to work and see a pile of emails, requests that each require a number of steps to complete, and start complaining. I don’t necessarily complain to my colleagues, but I do roll my eyes and grumble under my breath.
One thing I most certainly complained about was my employer’s announcement that they were changing our pay schedule. I’ve been employed and paid once per month since 1998. I know that a monthly pay schedule would be a hard NO for most people, but I was accustomed to it. Bills come once per month, so once I paid my bills, the rest was mine. From 1998 until 2024, my paycheck hit the bank on the 25th of every month. In July 2024 it changed to the last business day of the month - and that was an adjustment for me! The announcement that we would be paid on the 15th and 30th - whew - I complained! When we received the email about the change of pay schedule I walked to the office of a coworker and shared my distaste of the change. He said, “Kim, you know you’re suffering from a first world problem…” True, but what was I going to do with half of a paycheck? All of my bills were set to draft on a particular date, now I would have to change them; and what about the fact that I have my paycheck split between two different banks? Did this mean I would need to tithe twice each month - I had all the questions! I just went through changing dates when my paycheck moved from the 25th to the last business day of the month, now I’d have to do it again! I seriously dreaded this change! I prayed that the Lord would make it alright! I consoled myself by thinking maybe He was preparing me for a future job that would pay twice per month, so He wanted me to get accustomed to it now. On September 30, we were paid a full month’s salary, then on October 15 we received our first half of a paycheck, then on October 30 we received half of a paycheck, then on November 15 we received half of a paycheck, and you know what - I kinda like this! My account doesn’t get nearly as low on this schedule! I haven’t received any notifications stating, “Your account is trending towards $0.” My finances seem more stable. I didn’t even change my drafts, and they are fine! Honestly, I feel pretty stupid for dreading something that the majority of employers have done for years! I wonder how many more good employees we can attract with this semi-monthly pay schedule! Complaining is not a Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, in fact, complaining could taint our fruit. One who complains may be perceived as lacking in joy, peace or forbearance, so we must quell our complaining spirit. When we complain, we voice a lack of trust in the One who is, was and is to come. As mankind, our knowledge and wisdom are severely limited. Our brains think and plan all day, and sometimes our minds venture beyond their boundaries into the realm that only God knows. When we don’t know the answer we worry, we complain, we become fearful, and fill-in the unknown blanks with answers that may not be from God. Job 38:4-7 4Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-- 7while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Another song I really like is Every Blessing by Brian Courtney Wilson. The chorus, “Teach me how to receive every blessing.” This song is a reminder that while I go about my days working, being a mother and a wife, and just doing things I see that need to be done, that God is working too! There are countless things He is doing that go unnoticed. I pray that God will open my eyes that I see and receive every blessing. When I say I was worried about this pay schedule change, I was worried and complained to everyone who would listen! And now that it’s in effect, I realize that I was dreading a blessing. This change was for my good. As Brian Courtney Wilson says in reference to Romans 8:28, “Give me the wisdom to understand how things work together for my good in your plan.” Amen! Thank you for reading! Please share with some others you know! Have a blessed week! Kim Sometimes it takes a while for me to figure out the topic of the week and how the Lord may be speaking to me about what to write. At other times, the topic is clear by Wednesday. Last week, I attended a Franklin Covey Leadership Training where we learned the 4 Essentials Roles of Leadership. Trust is at the core of leadership. It was emphasized that leaders must be models of trust and character. On last Sunday, I was to assist with baptism, and saw a group gathered in the room adjacent to where we check-in the baptism candidates. I assumed it was the candidates for baptism and their families gathered for prayer before we walked them all into the sanctuary. I tipped inside, and was immediately called out - “Hey Everyone, make room for Kim!” As I listened to the commentary and the subsequent comments by others in the room, it was clear that I was at the wrong gathering. These were leaders in the church who had all read the same book about leadership and they were sharing their thoughts about particular chapters. I had not read the book, I didn’t even know what book they were referencing, but I identified with many of the comments being made. Eventually, I raised my hand and confessed that I was crashing their party. They all laughed, but insisted that God had meant for me to be in that room! Near the end of the session, we were all to turn to Matthew 25:14-30 - yep, the Scripture that caused me to restart my blog - about talents. On Wednesday, I was registered to attend the Women’s Leadership Summit hosted by our local Chamber of Commerce. A few months ago, when I first heard of this event, the draw for me was that the President of York Technical College, Dr. Stacey Moore, where I work, would be the Keynote address! She advised that we figure out our strengths and capitalize on them. She said too often we exert our energy on trying to overcome our weaknesses, when we could really have more impact by focusing on our strengths. She said our strengths are the areas in which we are able to provide consistent, near perfect performance in a variety of situations. Then she did it, too - she talked about talent. She defined talent as our natural patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. She said the things that come easiest for us are our genius! That’s a lot of leadership training in a short period of time! Our local school district subscribes to a program called the Leader in Me. Its aim is to help students find the leadership skills they possess and begin to put them to use. Paul tells us in Romans 12:6-8 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” According to Romans, we each have different gifts. According to the parable Jesus told in Matthew 25, we each have been given talents according to our abilities. 1 Peter 4:10 says “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” I’ve been to all the leadership training, but there’s a leader in you, too! In your quiet time this week meditate on your natural patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors - what activities come easy for you? Once you have identified them, write them down. How can you use what comes easy for you, your talents, to serve in the Kingdom of God? How can the leader in you be used to lead someone else to Jesus? A few more Scriptures to meditate on this week as you try to identify your talents:
Thank you for reading! Please share with others you know and love.
Kimberly G. Massey [email protected] |
Kimberly G. Massey, AuthorI am a wife, a mother, and grandmother! Categories |
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