That's White

I have so much to share about the Women's Retreat I attended this weekend... so many stories, so many crucial lessons learned, and so many blessings. However, that post is going to have to wait. I feel a much stronger desire to write about something even more important to me.

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Those who know Chris, know that he's truly a "one of a kind" man. I mean this in the funny sense and in all seriousness. He makes me laugh every single day, and laughs right back at me. He makes an elephant noise when I blow my nose from a cold because it really sounds like that. It makes me feel so much less self-conscious when he helps me find the humor in these moments.

I love how protective he is of me. He's so concerned about my health and this nasty cold/fever that I've had for two weeks. Without me asking, he walks over to me with a cup of water and medicine every time he sees me. Sometimes we'll be in the middle of talking and he'll hand me a glass of water and say, "Please take a drink, sweetie. It will help your throat." He makes me tea (and tries to make it taste as good as possible because he knows I'm not a fan of tea), and brings over ginger ale and saltines to help my stomach feel better. When he goes to the store, he gets things for when I come over to visit... things that he would never eat himself, but thinks would help me feel better.

When I came home from the Women's Retreat he and I went to The Rock Church. After the service we went back to his house and he made me some soup for my throat. I always like to brush my teeth after I have dinner, and so I had been using a spare toothbrush at his house whenever I came over for dinner. When I went to brush my teeth I noticed the former little blue toothbrush I had been using was gone. He had gone out and bought me a brand new pink toothbrush just because he knows I like pink.

My very favorite moment was him sitting next to me and listening to me go on and on about the things I learned this weekend. He had already finished eating his soup and I hadn't even touched mine, but his eyes never left my face. He smiled sweetly and held my hand as I talked for over an hour straight. When I was done, he put both of his arms around me and with the most tender voice he said, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in all of my life. You are absolutely amazing."

I have never known a man so tender and loving as Chris is. He blesses me and serves me in ways that I don't think anyone else would even think to. He is so selfless and always gives without ever expecting or hoping for anything in return.

The Lord gave me a more incredible man than I even prayed for... and I must say, he looks mighty handsome with his new "army" haircut. :) Oh sweet Lord, am I ever grateful and undeserving!


-Kelley

This Weekend

My sweet and cherished friends,

I will be ready to leave for the Women's Retreat in just a few hours. The Lord has been preparing me for this weekend for some time now. When I was asked a few months ago to lead worship, I knew that it was a gift from God. I had been praying that He would expand my music ministry and, since then, He has presented many additional opportunities as well. If our wonderful Lord is anything it's faithful.

I ask that you please keep me, as well as the other 40+ women attending, in your thoughts and prayers. The lesson being taught is in regards to Satan's lies versus God's Truth. I feel deep within that what we are going to be discussing this weekend is what each of us needs to let soak deep within our hearts. Women have more influence than we think, and we desperately need to make sure that we are being influenced my the Truth and nothing but the Truth.

Please also pray for me... that the Lord would use me to bring these women into the heart of worship. That the words of each song would go deep and would not leave them unchanged.

Please pray also that the Lord would use all of my spiritual gifts fully this weekend. That I would be able to reach out to unexpected people and make a difference for His Kingdom. "Give me a boldness, Lord."

"For what do I have if I don't have you Jesus?

What in this life could mean any more?

You are my rock, You are my glory,

You are the lifter of my head."

-Kelley

~ Encouragement Heals ~

Being sick is no fun at all! I hate being sick. Cold, sore throat, fever and flu all at the same time? Really?! I'm definitely a sick puppy right now.

... don't you feel bad for the poor little guy? :(

I have waaay too many important things going on the rest of the week to let this bug get me down. I'm feeling better than I was this morning, so I have that to be thankful for! Thank you to all who lifted me up in prayer!

What else do I have to be thankful for?

God must love me a lot to bring such wonderful people into my life. Here are a few blessings I received that turned this "sick in bed" day into a "sick in bed but blessed" day:

Blessing #1.

My sister Sarah (who is pregnant and due in a couple of months) got up at 3:00 this morning to get me some medicine and water from the kitchen. When she got home from work today she went straight to my room to see how I was feeling. It was such a comfort and encouragement to know that she cares so much. :)

Blessing #2.

My parents and other siblings (Heather, Becca, and Paul) prayed for me all day and my brother said that he wanted to ask his Youth Group to pray for me as well. What an encouragement!

Blessing #3.

I called AAA today and spoke with a woman there named Delaney in hopes to get a situation sorted out with my auto insurance policy. As I explained the situation to to her, I was amazed at how kind and understanding she was. She even asked me if I was feeling alright. With my raspy sore throat I told her that I've been sick in bed all day. This sweet woman said that she was going to get everything sorted out as quickly as possible so I could "get some well deserved sleep and feel better!" I was completely humbled by her sweet spirit and asked if I could speak with her supervisor so I could tell them what excellent service she gave me. The Manager was so grateful for my compliment and told me that it was a great encouragement because most people don't take the time to give someone a compliment. I cherished each moment I spent in prayer over Delaney after I hung up the phone. I know that the Lord will bless her for blessing me.

Blessing #4.

This loving sister --> http://dnwfamily.blogspot.com/ wrote me the sweetest response to my last blog. It was an incredible encouragement to me and gave me an even deeper passion for my ministry. What a blessing you are, Natalie! Your thoughtful words brightened my day!

Blessing #5.

This beautiful sister --> http://luvmyarrows.blogspot.com/ sent me a sweet card in the mail that she made herself! In the card she put a picture of my beautiful future family-in-law at Sea World...

... and the sweetest picture of Chris and me outside of Buca di Beppo on our double date with Veronica and Tim.




Her card was a blessing, complete with Scripture (Jeremiah 29:11, which is a favorite of mine), and truly the kindest words. In addition to the card, she also sent me an e-mail letting me know that she is praying for me to feel better and encouraged me to stand strong against any plans Satan may have to ruin my ministry this weekend. You are an absolute gem, Veronica!

Blessing #6.

Last but not least, there's my wonderful and Godly man. This incredibly loving man drove all the way over to my apartment this morning to bring over saltines and ginger ale to make me feel better. I have never known any man in my life who is as selfless and giving as he is. He's driving up North for the 3rd time in a row this week so that he can read the Bible and pray with me. I thank my sweet Savior every day for giving me such a tremendous man. There's nothing I could have ever done to deserve having him by my side.

Thank You, Precious Lord, for whispering words of encouragement to me through such wonderful friends. Help me to always be thankful for these precious moments in life.

"He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever." ~ Job 36:7

-Kelley

It's A Slow Fade...

I have been pondering many things in my heart today. It is difficult for me to find words to express them, but I feel that the Lord wants me to try. The lessons I learn from Him are new every morning, and I am truly thankful that He continually challenges me to reflect the image of His Son. It is my honor and privilege, as His cherished child, to share with you the words the Holy Spirit has given me. Since I cannot find the words on my own, I will share with you the cry in my heart and allow His words to speak through the imperfection of my own.

As I have spent the past month preparing to lead worship for the Women's Retreat this upcoming weekend, over and over again I have found myself undone. Rarely can I sing through any of the songs without tears welling up in my eyes or breaking down and weeping. I've often heard it said that it's not our destination that measures our character, but the steps we took to get there.





I believe that the Lord has chosen me to lead these women in worship, not because I am qualified, but because I relate to the message more than they could ever know. The theme of the weekend is about Satan's lies versus God's Truth. My heart breaks as I realize how many times in my life I have chosen to believe the lies of this dark world and left the precious Truth behind.

In my Quiet Time this morning I found myself daring to ask a question that I never imagined I'd ever have to face the answer to. A question that would force me to face the reason for the personal struggles and sin in my life...

"Am I living a lie?"

I was not prepared to consider this question, much less dig deep enough to find the answer. The truth is, every sin in my life is a result of choosing to believe the lies of this world instead of the Voice of Truth that lives within me. The struggles of my adult life are no different than those of my childhood. Satan's not creative, he's just persistent. Day by day, the more I exposed myself to the corruption of these lies, the more I started to believe them. I soon found myself believing that I was only worth what others told me I was. How painful it is to recall the nights as a child when I would cry out for the Lord to make the lies in my head stop. I longed to hear the sweet voice of my Savior whispering the words of Jeremiah 1:8: "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you."

I made a choice 3 years ago to give up everything in my life that hindered me from hearing the Holy Spirit's whisper. I knew that, if I was ever going to hear His whispers through the lies, I would need to spend more time around the Truth than the world. I gave up television, movies, music, relationships, hobbies, books... anything that hindered instead of helped. Since I worked in a secular environment, I spent my drive to and from work listening to worship music and praying. I would spend my hour lunch break in the Word, and spent my mornings and nights in prayer, Scripture, and Christian fellowship. I wanted desperately for the Lord to use me to witness to the world, but I knew that I needed to break free of my worldly chains before I could help others do the same. We cannot save others if we do not first save ourselves.

The only thing more painful than breaking the chains of sin is not breaking them. They will strangle us and steal from us the joy and peace that are found in allowing ourselves to be freed from sin by the Truth. There is nothing more difficult and painful than breaking each link one by one. In some ways, we feel like it has become part of us. We have come to identify our self-worth from each link... each lie that we have believed. "People never crumble in a day. It's a slow fade..."

"Be careful little eyes what you see...

... it's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings.

Be careful little feet where you go...

... for it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow.

Be careful little ears what you hear...

... when flattery leads to compromise the end is always near.

Be careful little lips what you say...

... for empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray."

"The waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me...

... reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed.

The waves they keep on telling me time and time again...

... 'You'll never win, you'll never win.' "

"But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story.

The Voice of Truth says 'do not be afraid!'

And the Voice of Truth says 'this is for My Glory.'

Out of all the voices calling out to me...

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth."

"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world."

~ John 16:33b

-Kelley

(Song lyrics: "Slow Fade" and "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns)

~ The Real Truth ~

It's official... I CRAVE the Word of God! Like a chocoholic with a Hershey bar or Chris White with his coffee, I am completely addicted!

There's nothing like starting your morning with quality time spent in the Word of God. This precious gift makes my head spin and my heart leap all at the same time! I'm always astonished at how much more there is to learn about passages that I have already learned about. I am completely convinced that the Holy Bible is alive and active, and holds the answers to the deepest questions in our hearts.

One of my very favorite pictures of myself (that I really wish I could find) was taken when I was about 7 years old. My mom had searched the house trying to find me and finally decided to look in my room. She opened the door to find me sitting in the middle of the floor reading my Precious Moments Bible. I had been in my room for hours looking at all the pictures and reading the amazing stories that went along with them.

As a young child, there was nothing quite like my Bible. Even though thousands of other kids had one just like it, somehow I felt like the Bible was something different to me than to everyone else. When I felt sad it gave me words to make me happy, and when I when I was lonely it told me that Jesus was with me. It was almost like it knew the secret thoughts of my heart and wanted me to know that everything would be okay. I cherished my Bible more than anything else that was mine and I carried it with me everywhere I went.

As I think back on these precious times in my life, I can't help but recall Christ's words in Matthew 18:3-4: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

One thing I learned last Summer from serving at an orphanage in Haiti was that children have far more to teach us than we have to teach them. They have such a refreshingly honest view of life... one that hasn't been tainted or corrupted by the outside world. There's an incredible purity and trust that comes with youth, and I believe that these attributes were precisely what Christ was referencing in Matthew 18.

As I continue to spend time in the Word, I find it incredible how much my view of God has changed. It's as though I am seeing Him through the eyes of a child and not through the imperfection of my own.

There has been such a huge transformation lately in the way I look at life. I find myself praying for my enemies, showing kindness to the heartless, and loving the unlovable. It's a gift to know such such joy and peace... to trust and to have learned to "Be still and know that (He) is God." (Psalm 46:10)

This week at The Truth Project Bible study, they posed the question: "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" The question took me aback and made me really consider what I truly believe reality to be. What is the basis of my beliefs in life and what do I consider to be the Absolute Truth? Christ says in John 14:6 that He is "the way, the Truth, and the life." If God is "Truth" and all Scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16), then the Word of God is the Source of Truth.

What would it be like to live in a world without Truth?

To live in a world void of Truth is to live without purpose, direction, or boundaries. Insignificance overwhelms us and all we are left with is the eerie feeling that we are hopelessly lost. Like a child separated from their parent is what we are without Truth. Fear is our master and we live our life, our entire life, never knowing the safety of belonging. We feel worthless... utterly and completely alone.

Do you consistently turn to the Source of Truth for the answers to your questions or do you keep searching the world hoping you'll find the answers there?

The Word of God, the precious Source of Truth, is far more to me than merely an answer to my questions. It's a source of comfort, joy, knowledge, and conviction. To turn and search for the Truth elsewhere is to return empty-handed. Christ used Scripture alone to defeat temptation from Satan in the desert. If the Source of Truth was powerful enough to defend Christ from Satan himself, surely it holds the key to our simple-minded questions. There is true power in the Word of God, and if we are going to defeat the darkness of this world, we best remember to bring our Sword. If it's a gift to be simple, how much more of a gift is it to be free?

"Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."

~ John 8:32

-Kelley

"Check, please!"

Asking for the check at the end of a meal is probably considered one of the least pleasurable experiences of dining out. Admit it, you know it's true. Afterall, who wants to know how much financial "damage" was done in order to stop your stomach from growling for a few hours? Don't believe me? Take a look at this man's face...

... ring a bell?

Because of the displeasure most people receive from this process of dining, paying the check is probably one of the most neglected opportunities for a Believer to witness. Once we see the bill (which somehow always seems to be more than we expected), we begrudgingly place our credit card or cash in the pouch. No matter how we attempt to disguise it, it's written all over our face: "I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST PAID $50.00 FOR A STINKIN' STEAK AND POTATO!"



At this point, you're probably looking around hoping to find someone else who seems equally as shocked at their bill so that, together, you can start a "We've been swindled out of our hard-earned money" protest. You imagine the situation in your mind so vivdly... After receiving a heartfelt apology from the Manager you leave the store with a full refund and a complimentary slice of pie.

Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit. Most of us aren't quite that dramatic, but we do probably feel a little bit annoyed. At this stage of the game, because of the exorbitant bill we just paid, most of us scoot out of there having left the customary 10% tip and not a penny more. What a missed opportunity to give and to serve someone who took the time to serve you (whether it was done well or not). Remember that the Lord loves a cheerful giver! (2 Corinthians 9:7)

One of mine and Chris' favorite things to do when we eat out is to bless the person who is serving us. We take the time to pray for them before and after they have served us and have a special tradition that we carry out at the end. Once the bill comes, Chris pays the check (tipping well, even if the service wasn't great) and promptly hands me the receipt. (This is my favorite part of the whole thing...) I take the receipt and write a special note of thanks to our server on the back of it, complimenting them on something we particularly loved about them (their smile, their sense of humor, their promptness, etc.) and include special words about the Lord's love for them. If we can't find anything we liked about their service, we write that we sensed there was something troubling their heart and hope that they find a reason to smile before the day is through. We conclude our message by letting them know they are in our prayers and include a special Scripture at the end.

Chris and I have had the pleasure of knowing in our hearts that even the worst of servers were softened by the words the Lord gave to us. I have known many people who leave a penny or no tip at all to a server who did a terrible job. This always troubled my heart and caused me to seek the Lord in prayer over the issue. Seeing this person through the Lord's eyes and putting myself in their shoes, I can see that leaving such a lousy tip can quickly turn a bad day into a worse day. What a sorely missed opportunity to cheer them up with kindness!

It is my heartfelt prayer that we would realize how much an undeserved act of kindness makes a far greater impact than giving someone what they truly deserve. May we daily make the choice to pray for those that we are tempted to curse, and remember that we could never give a gift to another that is more undeserved than the one Christ gave to us on the cross that day...

Let us take each opportunity the Lord gives us to bless others and, in doing so, reflect the grace and mercy we have been given through the precious gift of Salvation. May we search and pray for opportunities that we may otherwise miss, and ask the Lord to give us a heart to love the unlovable. May we never forget, dear friends...

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." ~ Aesop

-Kelley

~ Love Letters ~

Ah… love letters. Does there exist a more tender way of expressing love for another than by writing a letter from the heart? As a woman I so cherish receiving such a valuable gift. Along with this treasure comes a sense of adoration, commitment, declaration, and sincerity. Who has not been touched at least once in their lifetime by this precious display of affection?

Love letters come in all shapes and sizes and from people of all ages. Don’t let the world fool you into thinking there's a standard for receiving them. Your adorable 2 year old is just as capable of giving you a love letter as your husband or cherished one is. If we open our eyes to those around us we will see just how full our love letter mailbox is.

SO WHAT EXACTLY DO LOVE LETTERS LOOK LIKE?

In the traditional sense, love letters are most commonly recognized as a hand written letter with romantic expressions or poetry...





Sometimes love letters come in the form of a thank
you note or a note of sincere gratitude...




You know you've received a love letter if your 7 year old has ever given you something that resembles this...



Or your 3 year old says they drew you a picture of "mommy when she wakes up in the morning...





There is something about a love letter that captures our heart and leaves us feeling as though we've won the emotional lottery. It serves as a reminder that someone is thinking of us and loves us enough to take the time to show us.

One of my favorite things to do each morning is write a love letter to the Lord. In my letters I refer to Him as "My First and Truest Love" and often leave them on my pillow or next to my Bible for Him to read. Since I constantly sin and fall short of the glory of God, the least I can do is tell Him every day how grateful I am that He loves me in spite of my unworthiness. It makes my heart smile to imagine the look on His face as He reads each word from my heart.

Although I'm clearly a romantic, I must admit that it was not me who came up with the concept of writing a love letter each day. It was actually God who started the tradition. Not only did the tradition begin with Him, but to this day there exists no greater love letter than the one He wrote to you and me...

God's love letter to us is most precious of all letters because it is the only one that can both be used to comfort and to defeat. It is sharper than a double edged sword and gentle as a dove.

It brings a tear to my eye as I recall the days I have chosen not to read the letter the Lord wrote to me that day. Can you imagine how you would feel if you wrote someone the deepest words from your heart and they wouldn't take the time to read it? Oh how I pray for the Lord to give us a fresh desire to read His precious penmanship every day. May we never miss the opportunity to be swept up off of our feet by the One who holds our hearts in the palm of His loving hands.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." ~ Matthew 6:21

-Kelley