Nightfall

Night had fallen and it was pitch black. There, about twenty feet away, was a man staring at each of us. He appeared to be smoking a pipe and wearing an intimidating hat. I’ve got to be honest with you, I was seriously scared. Slowly my inner circle and I inched our way over to the place where this bulky guy was sitting and one brave soul among us shouted, “Hey! Who’s there?!?!?!?!”
Crazy guy did not answer. He just continued to stare us down. Pipe in place, hat secure, arms folded, body seemingly getting larger by the second. Those of us in my ‘inner circle’ who were scared before were now just downright terrified. Indeed, night had fallen and with it darkened enemies were revealing themselves.

The Camping Trip of ’99 was an eventful one for my brothers, cousins and I. Amazing to me that what was actually a tub of pretzels, a baseball cap and a lighter looked like a hired killer waiting for his targets (we, the teenage campers) to be within range. Since that trip experience I have never forgotten what night has the ability to do: Manufacture fiction as fact.

What a powerful spiritual lesson for each of us. How many times have we found ourselves in seasons of hardship and pain; loneliness and loss? How many of us have watched the sun set and found ourselves standing under the veil of night? I wonder how we react. Do we doubt and question the love Christ has for us in these seasons or do we rise up and offer praise even in hours of darkness?

Recently, I have been confronted by a powerful statement Elihu makes in the book of Job.

“But no one asks, ‘Where is God my Maker,

who provides [us],

with songs in the night…’”

(Job 35:10)

Again I wonder in times of deep darkness and depression what cycle we fall into. Are we on the lookout for Christ and His provision of songs in the night even then? Or are we at a loss, sure that His grace has surely been tapped out?

I’ve got news for you: The Christian walk is not one set with a cheery soundtrack and constant sunny days. It is hard. Challenging. Refining. We are called to walk in a world that Christ himself has told us hates us because it hates him. Night has fallen and the enemy, just as with Job, is desperately trying to strip us. These are turbulent times. Rise up. Shine your light. Make noise for Christ so that others may find their way. Let us be a group that sings the songs provided to us in the night.

And as we strive forward, hard as it is, let us cling onto Romans 13:12, “The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

So let us under the veil of night expose what is deception

and point to who is Truth: Jesus.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Bagel-Like Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-10
“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love never dies.”


You know what I am talking about. The love that makes your stomach flip and somehow encourages you to make pathetic jokes. The love that makes you think you are on to something. Like all along you’ve known all things pertaining to love would be yours. The kind of love that makes you think you are now licensed to give advice to the single people of the world: urging them to hold out for their ‘other half’. The whole idea of even using the words ‘other half’ in any other sentence not dealing with a bagel, makes me laugh aloud.
My wrath was almost once taken out on a poor, unsuspecting, ‘bagel like love’ couple. They were adorable. Cute. Probably perfect for each other. Of course I know no such thing because I don’t even know their names; just saw them with their hands clasped walking together. I loathed them instantly. And now I am as they were, and hopefully, still are.
Love. It does something to you. Makes you feel alive. Makes you feel like everything matters somehow. Like every word is important. Every rhyme is romantic. Every song is self-descriptive. Every movie has a line that is just so ‘us’. This is what love does to us - we, its too eager pupils- love gets its hands on us and leaves its fingerprints forever.
We are marked forever. Regardless of how it ends - and I know our story is one of promise and purpose in Christ- but even for those who are not so fortunate, love marks them. For better or for worse.
I love how Christ has called love to, “never give up, care for others more than itself, to not want what it does not have, to not strut, to not have a swollen head or force itself on others, to not always be ‘me first’, he doesn’t want love to fly off the handle, or keep a score of sins, doesn’t want it to revel when others grovel. He has called love to take pleasure in the flowering of truth, put up with anything, trust our Father always, to always look for the best, to never look back, to keep going until the end. For us, Christ has purposed love to never die.”
May we be so blessed to mirror His love. May our love for Christ never die and in the overflow of our absolute unyielding love for Him, may our love for one another never die, as well. May we forever be marked by the fingerprints of this love. Let me tell you, the hands of this Love we are a part of, are indeed marked forever. Nailed to the cross so that you could know and experience a love that lives!
Talk about a love story. We are written into eternal existence by the very blood shed by our Love, Christ Jesus. This love is enough to make me smile for no reason. Sing too loudly to the radio. Hold out for more. This love is enough to make me spout a thousand clichés and support the ‘bagel-like love’ people. Now that, of course, I am one of them.
Colossians 2:10 tells us we have been made ‘complete in Christ.’ Now unless something was missing in us that statement would not be necessary. Christ is our other half! Join Him and all the ‘bagel-likes’ of this world. How rewarding and delicious this love is…

Psalm 34:8, Kristen

Everyday, Ordinary Life

Genesis 29:20
“So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.”


I feel like this day is taking forever. Dramatic? Perhaps. Warranted? You bet. Let me give you a quick recap of my day: If God were in the business of forsaking things He would have started with the hour I woke up this morning. Not only did I wake up before the roosters; I awoke to the face of my brother shouting inquiries about where my Mom was. (Sadly enough for her she was up and out even earlier then I! God bless her soul.) Anyway, my brother began drilling me about school projects, cat food and dinner before my eyes were even open and registering that it indeed was a new day.
My sister shrieked when I woke her up. Not the average shriek, this was your pre-teen-not-in-the-mood-for-you shriek. It was piercing. I believe it may have actually done damage to my inner ear – you know, the cochlea, ossicles and auditory nerve that we need so desperately? Those very things met their demise this morning when they met the shriek of an 11 year old.
Then there were the giblets. Oh my. This chicken moment of the morning was enough to send me into early homemaker retirement. Yesterday my Mom thought it would be nice if I made my siblings a delicious chicken dinner while I am manning the house. I had no idea that chickens: a) were so slimy b) can be stood up and danced around in a funny manner c) have their inner body parts still inside of them when they are wrapped up and sold in the supermarket. Now, honestly, what genius thought this was a good idea? If people can take the time to wrap the things in blue and yellow plastic, slap a price sticker on them and stock ‘em – surely we can find someone who will remove the inner parts that way none of us ever have to touch such a thing in our lives.
The cat almost got her claws on the giblets. Sad but true. The fact that she still even has claws is a whole other debate but she was meowing for a piece of chicken liver and let me tell you – twice I thought my entire dinner was going to be sitting in her dish. She was ready to pounce. I feared for my life by this point.
I don’t recommend washing a red chenille bathrobe with black pants you would like to wear today.
This was lesson number 3,000 of my day. As a matter of fact I cannot be sure I will ever be able to wear these black pants again. They are no longer black. If anyone is in the market for a matching red bathrobe/pants set, let me know. I’ve got just the one for you.
Very early today I set up my laptop with the sole intent of charging my iPod. Everything was plugged in and set. Three hours later I returned to grab my iPod and listen to some tunes while I worked. The charge did not go through. No music for me. Which, looking back, may be a good thing considering the inner ear damage I suffered earlier. However this was about the time I found myself at the edge of reason.
This was also around the time the phone calls began. Thousands. Maybe even millions. I had no idea one could use so many words in one day. I think I may be tapped out for at least the next two weeks. Salmonella also made her debut around this time. Overcome with the feeling that I was for sure in the beginning of some kind of crazy inner-chicken bacteria sickness – although no symptoms had appeared – got the cleaning part of my day in high gear.
This house and just about everything in it – not including the cat and dog- have been in the last few hours sprayed with every bacteria killer known to man. Taking no chances! The way this day has been salmonella would not be a surprise. Hence the spray bottles and rubber gloves.
Romans 12:1-2 tells us to, “Take [our] everyday, ordinary life—[our] sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.” I pray that the events of our day – however boring, entertaining, annoying or thrilling they may be- we willingly present to Christ as an offering. I don’t just want a life in ministry offered to Christ, although separate that is great and wonderful. I want a life offered to Christ. Every aspect. Every area. The before- the- rooster -crows -mornings, the ear piercing shrieks, the giblets, the red bathrobe sagas, every ounce of my every day to be placed before the feet of Christ. As a labor of love for His name sake, I pray that we can live our lives out to the fullest; taking every moment to glorify Him more.
I have been stunned to the core by a simple verse in Genesis 29. Verse 20 of this chapter tells us that, “Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” I want to love Christ like this. That every day I set out to work – whether it be in an office with Donald Trump or in my home among laundry and crock pots- the hours fly by because of my deep love for Jesus. I would like to say to my Christ on the day I meet Him, “All of that hard work seemed like nothing more than a breath leading to this moment because of my absolute love for You.”

Today I challenge you to love your Maker deeply. He wants to be seen in every area of your life. And yes, that includes the salmonella scares and all!

Be Blessed. Kristen