The Fruit of The Spirit Series: Self-Control

Happy Friday! I can't believe this series is already coming to an! I am so glad to have had each one of these women sharing their heart on The Fruit of The Spirit! It was my first guest-post series and it was so much fun! So thank you, to each one of you who participated! Sarah from Life with The Casterlines is going to be closing us out today! She is so sweet and so cute, so funny! Be sure to check out her Facebook, Twitter, Follow her on Instagram and Bloglovin' you won't regret it!!

Hello friend! My name is Sarah and I blog over at Life With The Casterlines {although I am taking the remainder of the year off as I re-brand and prepare to re-launch in 2015.} I am so excited and honored to be a guest on Mary-Keith’s blog today! She and I have come to be such great friends, even though we’ve never met before in real life. I love her blog, her fun personality, and her heart for Christ. When she invited me to be a part of this series I just knew that I had to say yes. Today I’m wrapping up the last of the fruits of the Spirit with self-control.

Self-control. Out of all of the fruits of the Spirit, I think self-control is the hardest for me to emanate. After all, what is the opposite of eating all the chocolate I want? Self-control. What is the opposite of talking bad about my husband when I’m out with my girlfriends? *gulp* Self-control.

I wish I could write to all of you sweet, beautiful people and give you a 10-step guide to how I conquered this fruit of the Spirit. Maybe bring you along on a riveting story with lots of twists and turns and a victorious ending. But unfortunately, my struggle against my flesh and my pursuit of total self-control is still very present and very near.

The good news is—that’s okay. After all, until we take our last breath we will all be in this process of sanctification. Not one of us is perfect {even when we pretend we are} and that’s the beauty in all of it. Rather than pointing out each other’s’ faults, we can choose to link arms and fight against our faults together by encouraging one another and pointing each other back to Christ. So while I can’t tell you how I managed to have a perfect “10” on my self-control score card, I would like to link arms with my sisters today and offer you some encouragement.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” -2 Peter 1:3

His divine power has given us everything we need. This right here is life. Glorious, shining, life. Sweet sister, through the power of God Himself, we have everything we need! We can look at every trial, every temptation, every heartache and respond with this one verse. We already have the victory over our flesh because we already have everything we need to live a godly life! Hallelujah!!

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -2 Peter 1: 5-8

Increasing measure. Did you catch that as you read the Scripture? Peter didn’t say, “If you possess the qualities and are never-failing with them….”He said, “increasing measure.” This means that we are growing and increasing these qualities in our character, and as we continue to grow we will continue to be effective and productive in our knowledge of Christ!

“Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” –Psalm 25:4-5

Show us Your ways, Lord. Is this your prayer? It certainly is mine. And this is the key to unlocking healthier fruits in our lives. The cry of our hearts should be, “Show us Lord! Teach us how to live for you!!” His divine power has already given us everything we need to live a godly life, and as we continue to grow in Him we are guaranteed to be effective and productive. So the only thing we need to do is ask! Apart from Him, we can do nothing. But with Him, we can do anything! By His divine power and our willingness to learn, we can and will grow in all of the fruits of the Spirit…even self-control.

I have so enjoyed reading this series and I’m so thankful for Mary-Keith and our friendship—and for all of you! The community I have gained through blogging has been absolutely incredible and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. As we close out 2014 and begin a new year, will you join me in asking the Lord for a fresh teaching of His ways? Will you ask Him to show you how to live for Him, and have a heart that is willing to be taught? I know that this one request will be far greater and have a far wider impact than any other New Year’s Resolution ever could!!

What fruit of the Spirit do you struggle with the most? Has the Lord shown you anything during this series that is making an impact in your life?  

December Goals

Most people can't believe it is December. I, personally, am so glad December is FINALLY here! I love Christmas, I love this time of year! Every day a new neighbor puts up Christmas lights, is it SO EXCITING! I would drive up and down the street all night oohing and awwing, sipping hot chocolate and eating Christmas cookies if that wasn't a giant waste of gas. And, no I will not be walking up and down the street it's cold out there. 

Let's get down to it! December Goals! 

Recap on November Goals:

1. Read 100% of my Blogging for Books book! If I finish that - start Interrupted again. Well I am 1 for 2 on this one. I haven't cracked open my Blogging for Books book. I started reading Interruppted again but I don't really agree with what I am reading so far so it is kinda making me mad. I did, however, start reading Blog, Inc and bought another Amish fiction book. I am going in the wrong direction!
2. Yoga 3x/week again  I am back in my yoga ways and it feels great
3. Not only blog 3-5 times a week but good content - come up with a game plan for December yes and no. I am proud of everything I have put out so far (mainly The Fruit of The Spirit Series) but I don't have a game plan for the rest of December.
4. Find at least 2 guest post idea for December and contact people to do them Right after I made these goals I came up with my Fruit Series. So, I nailed that one!
5. Get Philip a great birthday gift I really was on fire this month.I got him a book he asked for, a board game he wanted, and a shower speaker so he can rock out while showering
6. Make a meal planning schedule and meal plan for 2 weeks And that is where it ended. I didn't even think about this one.

December Goals:

1. Finish one of the 6 books I have going.
2. Keep up with the She Reads Truth Advent reading plan
3. Finish Christmas gift shopping and wrap presents
4. Launch Yoga page
5. Plan trip to Germany when Vanessa my sweet German cousin/little sister comes to visit
6. See a Christmas play
7. Research Pastor/Ministry Wife Series 
8. Be a better wife

A bit ambitious maybe but I believe in myself. and Maybe I can be able to ride a bike!

What are your goals for December? Did you have a productive November? ARE YOU PUMPED FOR CHRISTMAS!?!?!

Fruit of The Spirit Series: Gentleness

Hello! Am I the only one who canNOT wait until Christmas? Just me?? Anyways I put on in my first post in this series that I was looking for more guest posters and Ms. Kent emailed me and asked if she could be one! She has a name but I always refer to her in my head as "Ms. Kent" not sure why! Anyways LAURA and I talked about which fruit she would like and we settled on Gentleness for her. 

 I have always wanted this series to be truthful, and I wanted my guest posters to be real and talk about their struggles with the fruit that they chose. Because, frankly, life is not rainbows and lollipops. Being a Christian is hard. But we can look to each other for understanding, and encouragement. So this is why I am SO excited for Laura (Ms. Kent) to be sharing her heart with my amazing readers today! Please go check out her blog The Kent Happenings, then follows her on Bloglovin' and Like her Facebook Page for updates! 

But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God.
1 Peter 3:4 (AMP)

I find it interesting that when we focus on a specific gift of the Spirit, we suddenly find ourselves in situation after situation that requires such a gift.  When Mary-Keith & I spoke about which gift I would write about, “Gentleness” jumped out at me. I knew I had some growing to do in this area, but since that day, I have been absolutely everything but gentle, and I’m fully aware of why I needed to write about it!!

What is gentleness? It’s the polar opposite of the way I’ve found myself behaving over the past week.

Gentleness is often translated as “meekness”, and while this doesn’t mean weakness, it does mean kind, loving, patient and plain-ole NICE. Gentleness doesn’t seek revenge for a wrong, it doesn’t chastise in hurtful ways, and it is slow to react when the full details of a situation aren’t had.  Gentleness is lovingly correcting a behavior, forgiving a wrong-doing, and it doesn’t assume the worst in someone.

We should always allow the spiritual gift of gentleness to work in our lives, but especially during the holidays. We never know what emotions the holidays will bring to people. Some may be struggling with the loss of a loved one, others are terribly homesick, some are struggling just to provide a single gift for their child, or maybe they anticipated spending this season with a new baby but their bodies rejected this possibility. We are to be the light of the world, and we can’t light the world with a mean, vindictive attitude. We must allow gentleness to take up residence in our lives – so much so that you can’t get it off the couch! And we need to ooze gentleness if our true desire is to show others the love of Christ.

Is what you’re about to say being spoken with gentleness?

Is your behavior in this situation shining light, or will it put someone else’s out?

Thanksgiving Recap: Jail, Family, Food & Games

Happy Tuesday, Friend! I am so glad you found your way here today! Last week was Thanksgiving and it was unlike any Thanksgiving I have ever experienced. We started the day at the Genessee County Jail. Our church was given the super rare & awesome opportunity to make all 700 inmates a Thanksgiving meal and share The Gospel with them.

A little background on me. I love jail, and jail ministry. I have no idea why. Maybe because when I was in middle school my youth group went to the Juvenile Detention Center and did dramas, sang, and presented the gospel and I saw how impactful it was. I am not sure where it stemmed from. It goes beyond jail ministry I have watched every single jail documentary Netflix has to offer. I have watched specials on prison, jail, death row. I sob when I watch Scared Straight. I have no idea why I like jail BUT I DO!

So when this opportunity came up for the church to get to on Thanksgiving I was SO pumped. I basically counted down the days! So - ok - Thanksgiving.

Our church had dropped off a homemade Thanksgiving dinner for all 700 inmates the night before. On Thanksgiving we got the jail and we split up into 3 groups, one group per floor. Our group went to the top floor. We were in the cell block with the inmates, not in a visiting area. They opened all the doors to the cells and if they wanted to come out they could just wander on down and listen. I knew this, and even knowing this I got SO nervous right before we went into the block. Every scene from Prison Break and those documentaries flooded my mind. There was nothing in-between me and them. dun dun dun.

I took a deep breath and they let us in. The tables were filled with men, most of them had come out of their cells. Some had Bibles, some looked like they could not care any less that we were there. The jail's chaplain announced who we were and that we had brought them homemade food and, literally, the whole place erupted in applause. Next my husband lead them in some hymns. Some men lifted their hands, some men gave blank stares, some men stood up in respect. 

At this point I could barely keep the tears from rolling down my checks, I did, but barely. Something came over me. I just began to be so moved and these men probably think that no one cares about them, that they are not deserving of love or attention. Thinking that God could not possibly love them or forgive them. And yet here we are telling them, showing them: "Hey God still loves you, even if..." "God sees you, He knows you, and He has already paid the price for you" 

I don't know man - it just really hit me. Like, these are the least of these. The people Jesus hung out with. 

Then Nick gave a message on Zacchaeus from Luke 19 how he was a sinner just like everyone in that room, but he didn't miss the opportunity to know Jesus. This was their opportunity to turn to God and He would forgive them, and that God loved them despite what they did. 

At the end people who wanted any sort of prayer raised their hand and Nick prayed for everyone. Then we lined up and we shook each one of their hands. Some people didn't look us in the eye, some people seemed geniunely shocked that we came on Thanksgiving, some just said "God Bless you for coming!" or "THANK YOU for coming to see us" Beautiful

This was the group that went into the jail and were the hands and feet of Jesus to the inmates, and the officers who work there.  And - Philip's guitar front and center.

Then we went down to my cousin's house for family Thanksgiving! I love my family. We all sat around and watched the Lion's victory over Chicago. Ate some amazing food and way too much dessert. The rest of the night we played games and took turns holding my nephew. As I was looking through all of my pictures I realized every single one of them had Tommy in it. My brother and sisterinlaw prefer him not to be on social media so essentially I don't have any pictures of Thanksgiving. Except for this one when I was testing the lighting. That's my brother, his brother in law, his dad, my cousin Liz and my Sister in law's mom. Men- watching TV Women- looking at the baby! ha!

How was your Thanksgiving? Did you see Family? Friends? Have you ever done Jail Ministry? 

The Fruit of The Spirit Series: Faithfulness

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“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!” Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Such beautiful words, sung to a beautiful tune. Lyrics that speak truth and strum at our very heart strings.

Faithfulness is a bit of a roller coaster. As humans we are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But glory be to God that he never gives up on us. His faith for us is perfect and unfailing.

Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

There have been times in my life when I have stood at the foot of a mountain to big for me to climb on my own. I have questioned and fought against everything that came my way. When I was in middle school my family went through a really rough time. I was going through confirmation classes at my church and I could not convince myself that it was in my best interest to be learning about a God that I thought had forgotten me and my family in one of our darkest times. I was so lost and angry. Then it came time for me to travel on a mission trip to Washington D.C. with my confirmation class to work with those in need. Again I in no way shape or form wanted to go. I was not in the mood to help people in the name of Jesus Christ when he did not care about me. But to make a long story short, we were helping to cook and serve breakfast to the homeless at a local church. In the mist of my state of unbelief a lovely older homeless lady approached me. She said. " Sweetheart I just wanted to let you know that God wanted me to tell you that your brother and your mother are going to be okay. Keep the faith." Well I immediately burst into tears. God allowed this beautiful child of his to enter just went I was about to lose all faith in him. But as always God took me by the hand and showed me that his love never fails. That he is always faithful to a fault. And that even though I had given up on him, he never gave up on me.

Psalms 91:4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

So when the mountain looms or when the road gets bumpy remember God allows U-turns! Allow him to take you by the hand and let him show you the true meaning of faithfulness.

May God bless you and keep you, may his face shine down upon you and give you peace. Now and forever more. Amen!

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A special thanks to Mary-Keith for allowing me to be a part of this beautiful series. May they continue to bless you as we enter this advent season. Keep the faith as we wait for the most glorious gift given, Jesus Christ.

The Fruit of The Spirit Series: Goodness

Happy Friday! And on a Holiday weekend?? Score. 

Today I am continuing my series on The Fruit Of The Spirit Series. The Fruit today is going to be brought to you by: Me! No guest poster today. 

So, Goodness huh? I gotta be honest, this one was a toughy for me. Goodness isn't as easy to define and talk about to me as lets say - Love, or Kindness. 

Think about it. Goodness. Is that like Kind-ness? Slapping a "ness" to the end of the word. The act of being good? So is that, what, being a good person? Is one of the attributes of being one who believes in The Lord and is seeking after Him - being Good? 

Seems too simple.

So I started thinking about all the times I use the word "Goodness" Here is what I got: "I can't wait to enjoy this mocha and all it's  chocolately goodness"  "oh my goodness! look at those cute boots!" 

That really got me no where.So then I started thinking about God and all the times I think/ talk about Him being good.

 "God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good" 

So that's when it hit me. That's the angle I am going with. God is good. He is so good to me. He is generous, gracious, He has a plan for me, He is loving, He knows the depths of my depravity and He still loves me.

God is good. 

Even though life isn't perfect. Life is hard. Nothing, and I mean nothing, in life is certain (which if you're me can lead to anxiety). But even though nothing in life is certain. God is still God. He is still good. I still have a reason to worship Him. I still have hope. 

Well after I had established that I still wasn't really any closer to figuring out how to apply this to my life. I am not God. I am not able to forgive sins, and save people. Then it hit me. Being Good/ having Goodness just means being like Christ. All the things about Him we would label good - I, we, should strive to be that way.

Serving people, loving people, forgiving people, forgiving ourselves. 

I apologize for this rambling, incoherent, not super conclusive post. I don't have it all together. I don't have a lot of the answers I am searching for. But I am trying. Thank you for stickin' around. 

What do you think Goodness is? How do you see Goodness in your life?

The Fruit of The Spirit Series: Kindness

Hello Reader! I am so glad you found your way over here today! Today I am continuing with my Fruit of The Spirit Series and the lovely Katie from Hot Tea and the Empty Seat is guest posting! I have gotten to know Katie through her blog and emails we have exchanged. She is adorable and a great writer! Be sure to check out her Blog, Follow her on Bloglovin' and Like her Facebook page to get the haps over in Katie's world - you won't regret it!

Hey friends! I am so excited to be guest-posting on the fabulous Mary Keith's blog today! She is such a sweet friend that I am blessed to know. I have so loved reading each post in this series. What an encouragement it is to be refreshed & reminded of the power of the fruits of the Spirit!

Today's focus is on Kindness.

"How precious is your lovingkindness, O God!  And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings."

Psalm 36:7

If you are a daughter (or son) of the Most Awesome God, chances are, you have experienced God's lovingkindness! He has lavished His kindness upon us in so many ways. By sending His son into the world to save us, broken sinners to blessing us with food and water and life and friends and coffee. The Lord is so kind, there is no doubt about that!

What amazes me is that this same kindness that God possesses is in those who are His redeemed children.That awesome, powerful kindness is in you and me!

 To be honest, sometimes I'm not the greatest steward of that specific gift. Am I the only one?

Let's be real. There are days when showing kindness will seem impossible. Whether you're late for work, the kid poops on ya, your husband isn't understanding, or you flunked a test, it's hard to be open to showing kindness when our circumstances aren't prime. But the Lord gives us strength to do just that.

Jesus showed ultimate kindness on the Cross and that circumstance wasn't even close to being good or ideal. It was actually the hardest struggle anyone in history will ever endure. Yet He endured it and conquered it. For us. His kindness to us was that great. This gives me courage to push through the bad days and choose to show kindness even when it hurts.

Our Lord is selfless and the key to being kind is to be selfless, to always be looking outwardly to the needs of others and less focused inwardly with what we ourselves want, need, or desire.

Look around you. People are in need of genuine, pure, & honest kindness. It's something this world can't give. The world tells us to be nice in order to get something in return. But Jesus wants us to give our kindness to our family, to strangers, and to everyone we meet... without expecting anything in return!

How can you show kindness to your family today?

How can you show lovingkindness to your husband today without expecting anything in return?

How can you give kindness to someone who may not know Jesus this week?

How can you speak  kindness into your sister in Christ's heart who is struggling?

When we show genuine & pure kindness to others, we are glorifying the God who shows us kindness like a waterfall, every minute, never-ending!