Love is Kind (Re-post)

Love is a verb, it must be done; kindness is an expression of this love that flows from the heart of the Father. God is love, God is kind.

“Love talked about is easily ignored but love demonstrated is irresistible.” Jim Mooney

Kindness speaks volumes. It opens doors; it breaks down walls; it builds others up and makes them feel appreciated and valued; it brings hope; it softens the heart and ministers to the soul; it can improve someone’s life for a moment, for a lifetime or anywhere in between.

Some people just seem to exude kindness; it comes so naturally to them. Others of us really have to work at it which takes effort, thought and intent. For me thoughtfulness and kindness go hand in hand. There are many verses in the Bible that focus on kindness. It is from an understanding of the kindness that God has shown us that the same kindness can flow through us.

Psalm 145:17, “The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.”

Ephesians 1:7-8, “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”

The Holy Spirit at work within us produces kindness and God commands us to show it to one another:

Proverbs 3:3, “Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.”

Ephesians 4:32, “Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you.”

2 Timothy 2:24, “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, to be able to teach and be patient with difficult people.”

Wow, that last verse is quite a challenge! “Be kind to EVERYONE.”  How many of us can say that we’ve got that down? I’ve heard it said that it’s easier to be kind to strangers and that we can often neglect to show kindness to those closest to us. Others have said that it’s easiest to show kindness to their friends. One thing is clear; the kindness we are to show is inclusive of all people.

So what does kindness actually look like? Here are a few ideas – smiling at a stranger on the bus; encouraging someone with kind words; looking after a friend’s children (even when you already have a few of your own!) so that they can run an errand, work, or have some ‘me’ time; welcoming new neighbours with a plate of freshly baked biscuits; visiting a neighbour who is sick; cooking a meal for a family who have just had a baby; doing laundry for an elderly couple; arranging a surprise trip for your family; sending a care package to someone on mission in a faraway country or to a student who is away from home; taking time to pray with someone who is sick or in a difficult situation; paying for the petrol or coffee of the person behind you in the line; leaving love notes all over the house for your children or spouse; cooking a meal for your parents; cleaning the house of a very busy person; comforting someone who is bereaved. There are so many ways we can express the love and kindness of God, we just need to keep our eyes, ears and hearts open.

Will you pray this prayer with me today?

Thank you Father for your kind heart towards me and the ways that you express your love to me each day. Lord, help me to show your love and kindness to everyone that I come into contact with. Help me to live a life of kindness with the Holy Spirit helping me daily. Guide me and give me creative ideas of how to reach out to people, to see and meet their need or to just bless them, and when to do it. Help me to put others before myself and may kindness become more and more a part of who I am. Amen.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!

~ Kathi ~

Embrace the season you're in (Re-post)

The collective blog that I have been writing for over the past two years (Completely Devoted) has come to a close so I thought I would re post my contributions over the next few weeks as they are no longer available to view. I hope that they will be encouraging even if you have read them before). 

Life is made up of seasons, and praise God for that as it would be pretty dull otherwise! As King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

I am a mum of three little ones ranging from 4-7 years old and since having my first baby I have gone through many different seasons – some physical, some emotional and some spiritual. The thing I have learnt (and I am still learning) is to embrace each season I find myself in and recognise that God is working on so many different levels through it. There have been many times where I have found myself thinking, and even saying, ‘this is not fair!’ Not fair when I can’t go out somewhere and have fun with friends because a poorly child needs looking after at home; not fair when I can’t join in fully with the worship time at church because my child is having a strop that morning; not fair when I don’t have enough time to look the way I used to before having kids. I’m sure you’ve got a list of your own ‘not fairs!’

As mothers I believe we have a high calling from God:

“You are as much serving God in looking after your own children and training them up in God’s fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts.” Charles Spurgeon.

God has blessed us with our children and entrusted us to take care of them on this earth but our calling is more than that – we are to raise them according to God’s will and plan for their lives so that they become Kingdom-builders and nation-changers. The seasons we go through are all for purpose, nothing is wasted in God’s economy. Seasons shape us and they shape our children. God’s blessing comes as we fully immerse ourselves in the season and devote ourselves to the high calling of being mothers. He will strengthen you; He will give you rest in your soul; He will encourage you and empower you to be the best mum that you can be.

Embracing the season we are in and not fighting it means that we make a conscious decision to be one hundred per cent there and to do everything for the glory of our Heavenly Father.

I love the recent song by Stephen Curtis Chapman, ‘Do Everything.’ I can certainly relate to the first verse:

You’re picking up toys on the living room floor for the 15th time today
Matching up socks
Sweeping up lost cheerios that got away
You put a baby on your hip
Colour on your lips and head out the door
While I may not know you,
I bet I know you wonder sometimes, does it matter at all?
Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long
As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
‘Cause he made you,
To do every little thing that you do

To bring a smile to His face
Tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do

This is what I am learning to do each day – to do even the boring mundane things for the glory of God. It’s an attitude of the heart. Your worship to God is changing your little one’s nappy, putting their socks on for the hundredth time in the day, waking up with them in the night and stroking their hair because they’ve had a bad dream, changing the bedding because they’ve been sick. God sees it all and He is at work in the little things and the big things. The time, effort and love we give and the sacrifices we make are all for eternal purpose and when we have that perspective it changes everything!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!

~ Kathi ~

God's Great Dance Floor

Wow! What exciting days we live in! God is up to Kingdom business and Holy Spirit is moving and breathing amongst the people of God.

At City Church Leeds we've been hosting Encounter Gatherings for the last week - God gave us a passion for it and we had a church building so we were obedient to His prompting and it's just been amazing. We've had about 40-50 people each night and there has been salvation, healing, words of knowledge and answered prayer! We're going to continue this next week too.

I feel so alive and passionate and emboldened to see God's Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. And I know so many others would say the same too.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I had the privilege of being at the HTB Leadership Conference at the Royal Albert Hall and on one of the nights, Martin Smith (Delirious?) sang a song from his new album and it's become a bit of an anthem for us - so here it is for you to enjoy :)

Have an abundantly blessed week!

~ Kathi ~

The effects of the wind

On the way to school this morning my oldest son who is nearly six asked me how big God is (he has an inquisitive mind just like his Dad!). I said that was a pretty big question. My son suggested that I ask Siri (on iPhone) because Siri knows everything! I told him that if Siri did know everything then Siri would indeed be God. I did ask Siri but it gave me a random selection of websites that couldn't give me an answer.

I told the kids that as humans we want to be able to measure God and understand Him better but he can't be put into a box like that. I explained that God is like the wind (remembering the famous Billy Graham quote) - you can't see the wind but you can see the effects of the wind. They understood that.

As I walked home from school this morning I pondered our conversation and Holy Spirit spoke to me. It is so important that we talk about the effects of God - our testimonies of what God is doing and saying and of who He is. If the effects are not seen, not shared, not imparted then people do not see.

On the way home from school I walked part of the way with one of my neighbours who opened up a bit about what she is going through at the moment. I was able to pray for her just outside our front gate, a blessing on her and her children and that God would give her hope for the future. I don't believe that she and I are on the same street by coincidence but that God has a purpose. I look forward to seeing the effects in the days and weeks to come! I have shared that to encourage you to seize the moment and walk in obedience because God will use you wherever you are.

Have a blessed week!

~ Kathi ~

Extra Grace Required

I don't know if you've come across The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren but it's a must read for any Christian regardless of where you are on your journey with God. In one of the chapters, Rick talks about people who test the limits of our love, our patience and our acceptance and for whom extra grace is required.

I think I am relatively good at being gracious towards people, obviously there is a massive 'could do better' that hangs over that. But there is one person where extra grace is most definitely required. She is someone who puts a lot of pressure on herself and expects much more than anybody else does of her; she has her fair share of bad attitudes and thoughts; she sometimes speaks badly of people; she sometimes shouts at her kids, she sometimes believes things about herself that she shouldn't, she sometimes takes out her frustration and tiredness on her husband; she sometimes just wants to give up when life seems to be more than she can bear; she thinks that if she is not doing then she is not being productive; she falls short of the glory of God ALL the time!

Do you know someone like her? That 'her' is ME!

We can be so good at extending grace towards others and loving them but we do not extend the same level of grace to ourselves. Especially as women, there are so many demands on us and our time and we expect so much of ourselves, putting us under enourmous pressure. But God's grace is exactly the same for us as it is for anyone else and we need to bring ourselves constantly under it. Of course grace doesn't mean that we can get away with stuff and not care but when we try our best and still fall short we are assured that we can pick ourselves up again and carry on because of God's amazing grace.

"Some days the grace of God allows you to enjoy what is happening and some days the grace of God allows you to endure what is happening. But don't think of good or bad anymore, just enjoy the grace that is present. And out of that grace will come an expectancy. There are no good days anymore, there are no bad days. Just days of grace."  ~ Graham Cooke

Do you need to apply some extra grace to yourself today?

Blessings!

~ Kathi ~

Weekends are for building community

It's been such a wonderful sunny spring day today in Leeds and being able to be outside with the kids has been a real blessing.

My youngest had a lunchtime party and it was lovely to catch up with some of the mums from school that I only get to chat to briefly at school drop off and pick up times.

Then this afternoon the kids asked if they could go and play with our new neighbours so I reluctantly said yes. I say reluctantly because I was thinking of all the jobs I needed to be doing at home. But I am so glad we went as I got to chat with the parents and then the other kids from up the street joined in and we went between the three houses, the kids playing happily and the parents chatting and drinking tea!

I told our three lots of neighbours that this is what we had really been hoping for - more families on our street. But it's actually been a lot more than just hoping for it, we have been actively praying for it for the last few years. And it's happening! Community is being built in our very midst. What an answer to prayer :)

I'm sure that the summer months are going to give even more opportunity to get together. We even talked about getting permission to close off the street one Saturday to have a street BBQ and playtime. Watch this space!

In a couple of hours I go to join people for our 24 hours of prayer at City Church Leeds. Can't wait to hear what God is doing and saying to His people. More opportunity for building community too.

Hope you are having a wonderfully blessed weekend!

~ Kathi ~

My prayer for today (and every day)

Lord ~
Help me.
Help me to be all that you've made me to be.
Help me to be all that you want me to be.
Help me to see things from your heavenly perspective,
not from my own small-mindedness.
Where I can see failure, help me to see your bigger plan.
Give me hope where I feel despair.
Give me fresh joy where I feel weariness.
Help me to know your grace in the fruitful places
and in the desert places.
Help me to help others any way that I can,
to serve you and serve others.
without thought of self.
Help me to be the best version of myself that I can be.
Only for your glory.
~ Amen.