Saving the Butter Bucket

I love to read. Even as I sit here and write my mind is wandering to a captivating book that took me to places of covered wagons and colonists. The Lord and I have often spoken about this place. You see not too long ago I was certain that the Lord has accidentally dropped me into the wrong century. You may be thinking that seems like a bit of a stretch - considering God does not make mistakes- but at the moment of my reading about this woman settling her own frontier, I was rather hurt that I had not been chosen for the job myself.
I questioned the Lord on a few things: did he not think I could too churn butter? Yes, I realize I am culinary handicapped but I think I could have mastered butter churning. Did he think that without makeup I would have scared people? I am sure fellow townspeople could have adapted to my face! Was he unsure of my river-washing clothes skills? Was he nervous I would get lost in the wilderness and certainly be lost to the colony forever?
These were the questions bouncing around my crazy brain! Why, oh Lord, was I not a prairie person? Why had I been overlooked for that era? And let me tell you, in my Job-like questioning state, I was starting to get insulted!
And the Lord simply reeled my mind back in - as he has to do all too often- and reminded me, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…" (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
You see God has a purpose for me here. Now. At this time. Not back in the time of log cabin homes and outhouses- but in the time of computers and pre-packaged butter. He has a purpose for you as well. Right now. At this moment. Are we tuning in to his instruction? Are we placing our set-apart selves in his hands?
Acts 17:26 speaks to me on such a personal level, "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands."
According to this scripture - You have been placed perfectly. Your birthday and your current location are no accident. The God of heaven has ordained your life to fall into place in such a way that even where you live at this moment is for a very purposed reason.
What reason? Check out Acts 17:27, "God did this so that they (we) would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any of us." What intimate involvement the Creator of everything you see has with your own heart.
I wonder today how many of us are looking for something more? Something bigger than ourselves. If we are honest something inside of us speaks aloud that there has got to be more than this. More than this ‘everyday America’ we experience. I challenge you today to consider that Christ has placed you right in the midst of this 9-5 work focused country to get your heart wondering…to get it seeking. And to perhaps reach our for Him and find Him. I promise, just as His word says, He is not far off from any of us.
(As a side note I would like to add by the time I had stopped reading my prairie life series, while drinking a French Vanilla Latte, it came to mind that I would have surely died in the wilderness while cleaning clothes in the river… probably after dropping a bucket of butter. He sure does know what He is doing. I am so glad I remember to place my life in his hands!)

For Me, He...

For me, He…

Humbled Himself (Philippians 2:8)
Became obedient to even death (Philippians 2:8)
Was Condemned (Matthew 27:3)
Was Betrayed (Matthew 27:3)
Was Mocked (Matthew 27:29)
Was Flogged (John 19:1)
Was Tempted (Hebrews 4:15)
Suffered with weakness (Hebrews 4:15)
Suffered (1 Peter 2:22)
Was and Is an Example (1 Peter2:22)
Carried my sorrows (Isaiah 53:4)
Was pierced by my transgressions (Isaiah 53:5)
Was crushed by my iniquities (Isaiah 53:5)
Was punished so I could have peace (Isaiah 53:5)
Was wounded so I could be healed (Isaiah 53:5)
Was oppressed and afflicted (Isaiah 53:7)
Gathered and brought us back (Isaiah 49:5)
Was forsaken (Psalm 22:1)
Was crucified (Matthew 27:35)
Rose from the grave! (Luke 24:6)
Became the source of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9)
Is exalted (Acts 2:33)
Was, is and will be glorified (Acts 3:13)
Is the answer to the mystery (1 Timothy 3:16)
Is blameless, holy and pure (Hebrews 7:26)
Meets needs (Hebrews 7:26)


He is My:

Maker (Isaiah 54:5)
Husband (Isaiah 54:5)
Portion (Jeremiah 10:16)
Teacher (John 3:2)
King (John 12:15)
Protection (John 17:12)
All in All (Colossians 3:11)
Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Hope (1 Timothy 1:1)
Refiner (Malachi 3:3)
Purifier (Malachi 3:3)
Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
Restoration (Psalm 23:3)
Healer (Luke 9:11)
Master who serves (Luke 12:37)
Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Holiness (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Peace (Ephesians 2:14)
Helper (Hebrews 13:6)
Rest (Matthew 11:29)
Knowledge (2 Peter 3:18)
Grace (2 Peter 3:18)


Jesus Is…

Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32)
Savior of the World (1 John 4:14)
Immanuel, with us (Matthew 1:23)
Sovereign (Isaiah 40:10)
King of Glory (Psalm 24:8)
Mighty (Psalm 24:8)
Strong (Psalm 24:8)
Our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)
Was, is and is to come (Revelation 1:8)
Creator (Colossians 1:16)
Fullness (Ephesians 1:23)
Builder/Carpenter (Mark 6:3)
The Same Yesterday, Today and Forever (Hebrews 13:8)
Radiant (Hebrews 1:3)
Sustainer (Hebrews 1:3)
The Exact Representation of the Father (Hebrews 1:3)
The Righteous One (Acts 7:52)
Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)
Supreme (Colossians 1:18)
The Word (John 1:1)
The Messenger (Malachi 3:1)
Our desire (Malachi 3:1)
Our Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15)
King of kings (Revelation 19:16)
Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16)
The Witness (Isaiah 55:4)
The Leader (Isaiah 55:4)
The Commander (Isaiah 55:4)
The Precious Stone (1 Peter 2:6)
Life Giver (John 6:33)
Our Provider (Hebrews 1:3)
The Power of God (1 Corinthians 1:24)
The Lamb without blemish (1 Peter 2:19)
The Lamb Slain (Revelation 5:12)



Jesus says to me…

“Come with me…” (Matthew 4:19)
“I will come…” (Matthew 8:7)
“Take heart! Your faith has made you well! (Matthew 9:22)
“Don’t be afraid…” (Matthew 14:27)
“It is all possible with my Father.” (Matthew 19:26)
“Hello…” ( Matthew 28:9)
“All authority is mine.” (Matthew 28:18)
“Tell your family how much the Lord has done for you…” (Mark 5:19)
“I feel you reach out…” (Luke 8:46)
“When you pray say, ‘Father’…” (Luke 11:2)
“Do not worry…” (Luke 12:22)
“You are free…” (Luke 13:12)
“Peace be yours!” (Luke 24:26)
“I am the light; nothing is dark for you…” (John 8:12)
“I tell you the truth: I’m the only door…” (John 10:7)
“Even in death you live.” (John 11:25)
“Believe and then see!” (John 11:40)
“Come out…arise…” (Luke 11:43)

And my personal favorite…

“Come and have breakfast.” (John 21:12)

Open Heart Surgery

Deuteronomy 30:6 (New International Version)
“The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.”


I’m the kind of girl who gets a paper cut and is sure gangrene is setting in. Perhaps it has to do with all of the war games I was subject to as a little child with two younger brothers. Or perhaps it has to do with the fact that when you have two younger yet much stronger brothers you live life thinking, “This could be my last day.” I haven’t quite figured it out yet. What I have figured out is rather simple: I don’t like pain.
The problem with my deep dislike for pain is my supreme stubbornness. This presented quite a dilemma for the boys in the war games and most sibling activities growing up. To this day, if one of my brothers bends my hands back in an effort to make me say “uncle” I would rather my fingers break off one by one than forfeit and whisper that dreaded word. I don’t like pain but I disdain losing more.
Hence my puzzling relationship with the Lord. You see it was my belief that if one loves Christ that one not only lives pain-free but also lives in constant scoreboard brilliance.
You can imagine my horror when sickness came knocking on my door and I seemed to experience loss after loss. Now imagine my sincere confusion when I felt the Lord telling me it was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn His decrees! (Psalm 119:71)
So I just had to confront the question and ask point blank, “Would Christ allow or even more shocking, would He welcome pain and loss in the lives of those He loves?” I think the answer still has not quite worn off just yet.
Deuteronomy 30:6 tells us, “The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants…” The Message Bible says, “GOD, your God, will cut away the thick calluses on your heart and your children's hearts…”
A few months ago this verse was the motto of my life. I’d wake up in the morning and it would be running through my mind. I just knew something was being ‘cut out’ and let me tell you, the process was anything but enjoyable. So, I’d walk around with this knowing that something was being cut out but without the understanding of why I felt a deep pain.
It wasn’t until a friend of mine boldly spoke, “Kristen, circumcision hurts!” that everything began to click! How could I have missed that? Circumcision of the heart just like circumcision of the flesh hurts! Seriously intrigued I spoke this to the Lord and I felt Him nodding in approval. The process was going to hurt a bit.
The Israel of Deuteronomy had a stubborn issue just like me. Actually, again and again in Scripture there are accounts of God telling the people their hearts needed to be circumcised. Acts 7:51 pinpoints the excess issue: “You stubborn and stiff-necked people, still heathen and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. As your forefathers [were], so you [are and so you do]!”
Do not forget Christ is about activity. Any time we get complacent and stagnant He is sure to swoop in with the breath of His Spirit and begin actively torching house. I love this Acts 7 treasure, it’s almost as if Christ is speaking, “You stubborn girl! Stop actively resisting me!”
Which brings me to my next question: What would happen if we actively allowed Christ access to the excess areas of our hearts? What if we dropped our notions of pain-free/touchdown dance Christianity and embraced Christ’s scalpel-like precision work?
I cannot beg you more to check out Deuteronomy 30:6 for yourself. The next piece of the verse answers our questions of why. Why, Jesus, are you cutting me? Why are you allowing pain to remove my stubbornness? Why is this lesson necessary?
“So that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.” The Message version, again, speaks with such awesome accuracy, “freeing you to love God, your God, with your whole heart and soul and live, really live.”
I challenge us to lay down our pre-conceived impressions of who Christ should be and stop resisting the work of the Spirit. Let us with unveiled faces approach Him and in stunning humility welcome His open heart surgery.
Speaking from experience, there is no life I would rather live than this life of devoted love in whole heart and soul. This is real life…not some distant idea of what it should be. Only Christ could cut away at my heart and somehow manage to make more room for Himself.
I pray He will operate on you as well.


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%207:9-11;&version=65;

Early Morning Decisions

Deuteronomy 32:45-47 (New American Standard Bible)

‘When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. "For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life and by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess."’

I was up late last night. Or rather up until the early morning hours of this day. I believe I officially went to bed somewhere around 3:30am. Not without good reason. You see there is this guy who makes me laugh like no one else and I was on the phone talking to him. As a matter of fact I still stand behind my 3:30am bedtime and if I had to do it all over again, I most certainly would.

Early this morning (around 6am-ish) I made the serious decision to roll over and go back to bed. I convinced myself in my sleep-induced state that this was indeed a life or death situation and if sleep was not found well, then surely my life would be at risk.

I also made the decision to sleep near the wall; wake up and put on my red robe not lavender one. I chose to wear a white tank top and sweatshirt with a matching pink heart. I chose to wear simple makeup and my hair down. With a sparkly headband of course.

I didn’t eat breakfast. I did, however, down a bottle of water. I didn’t buy the ‘How to Start a Business in New Jersey’ book that caught my eye at the bookstore. Mainly because I live in New York. I did buy a fiction book that looked kind of cool.

I proceeded to order a latte. Smile at the older gentlemen who opened the door for me and held it while I walked on by. I smelled flowers that are displaying creation’s glory on the kitchen table. I opted not to kick the dog in the head even after I almost tripped over her for the one thousandth time.

More to the point: Today decisions were made. Some more important than others. Have you noticed how many choices we are faced with throughout the day? Our preferences? Our constant need to decide?

I woke up this morning, after the roll-over-or-die decision to this scripture staring at me: “Choose for yourself this day whom you will serve…” (Joshua 24:15) Something about it has been tugging at me all day.

I am reminded of the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 32. To set the context keep in mind Moses is just about to die. And in his final speech to the house of Israel he chooses to say, "Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life and by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess."

Moses in his final words to the people he has led speaks something so profound. I am marked forever by his words. Moses doesn’t recommend they work out more. Or find good looking mates. He doesn’t challenge them to quit the bickering they have for so long boggled his brain with. He doesn’t coin a cool phrase and leave his verbal mark on the community. Nope. Moses says to the people: Learn the Word and live it out.

Wow. I wonder what Word decisions we are making every day. The Word is our key to life. It is our birth certificate, constitution, marriage certificate, compass, love letter, disciplinary tool. This Word speaks over us lessons for living. I firmly believe that we will not experience the true freedom of Christ without knowing and living out His Word.

Moses is known as one who spoke to the Lord ‘face to face’ as one speaks to a friend. Don’t you find it interesting that in his final moments, this man who knew the Lord intimately, encouraged with a life or death seriousness the study and action of living a life rooted in the Law?

How do we choose today to serve a God we do not know? How do we follow hard after Christ without understanding what He wants from us? How do we get to know Him without learning His Word?

Inactivity is our enemy in these days. It’s simply not good enough. We need more. And do not be fooled we will seek out things to fulfill. We have been designed to desire more. Where are we looking for our fill? In the things of this world? Or in the Word and relational closeness with Christ? We are all hungry for something to satisfy. Will we bring our starving stomachs to Christ? Will we choose this day to be filled at His feet? I pray so.

Blessed are you who hunger and seek with eager desire now, for you shall be filled and completely satisfied! (Luke 6:21) Let us be Word hungry and seek with eager desire. Let us make strong decisions today that will surely affect our tomorrows.

A New Tomb

Matthew 27:59-61
“Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.”


For my New Year’s resolution I like to think big. You know the type: ‘I will lose three thousand pounds before Valentine’s Day and keep it off all year long’; ‘I will donate the excess fat lost to a lipstick company willing to work with inner city children’; ‘I will not only date someone who enjoys rainbows and still can be an outlaw but marry him as well’; ‘I will own a Summer Home on the Riviera’. Sounds more like a wish list to many, but such wonderful dreams…don’t you think?
Actually, in all seriousness, I’ve created a fool-proof resolution guide. First of all stop calling them resolutions. I prefer ‘New Year Goals’. More inviting. Second, make a short list. Start with areas you know you need work in (i.e. dating, eating, sleeping, working out). Now scratch off all of those and continue on. Make a new short list. One that is more fun and has at the very least five goals.
For example my list last year actually included ‘own a complete pink luggage set’. Consider it done, baby. Item checked off! Now go on and create four more that are fun and non-threatening just like that one. My theory is if you accomplish one of the five than you‘ve just lived a year worth remembering.
I wonder what Christ thinks about our need for new-ness and our drive to accomplish more and more with every passing year. While He was here on earth he didn’t have much in the way of new possessions. Right up until His death, Jesus was making gardens his living room and hillsides his classroom. The one nice thing Jesus did have - a garment woven in one piece from top to bottom- was gambled over as He was redeeming humanity upon the Cross.
Enter Joseph: ‘Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews.’ Joseph chooses an interesting time to make his allegiance to Christ known- at His death. “With Pilate's permission, Joseph came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (See John 19)
Joseph gave Jesus a new tomb. His own tomb. A tomb that had been carved out of the rock with his own blistered hands. After placing Christ into the new tomb Joseph rolled a large stone over the opening and went away.
Let’s not miss what the Word is speaking to us even on this day. Joseph gave to Jesus the place where he was to be buried. I have to wonder what Joseph thought about as he worked on the construction of his family tomb. How could one not wonder about their life and what would follow in their death? Did Joseph, at the time of his rock cutting, wonder where the promised Messiah was? And if he would see Him in his lifetime?
Can you imagine? Joseph giving to Jesus his own new tomb. A place reserved for death. Finality. A home of mourning. A grave built for Joseph’s own personal loss. And yet he gave it over to Christ. So that our Jesus might have a place to be rightfully, according to Jewish custom, buried.
I wonder what new tombs we carved for ourselves over the last year. With our own hands what places set up for death have we created? What thoughts or hurts have we carried to caves ? What rocks have we been cutting with finality in mind? You tell me, where have you resigned to collapse?
Matthew 27:60 tells us Joseph situated Christ in the new tomb, rolled a stone over it and went away. Verse 61 goes on to say Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sat across from the tomb. Because of religious regulation the women were forced to leave the tomb for one day but the moment they could the women returned.
And do you know what they found? The women went with mourning in their hearts and left rejoicing! They brought with them devastation and were met with heavenly restoration. Christ had risen! He had gone on ahead of them and He gloriously revealed Himself.
I wonder where Joseph was. What would his reaction have been had he stayed as the women? What if he had not let fear rule his heart? I believe he would have been consumed with the praise of beholding Christ’s death-defying glory. But no matter Joseph’s location on this Easter day - we can be sure one truth rang aloud to him once he heard the news: His new tomb was the first to see New Life.
Let us this year hand over to Christ any new tombs we have carved and let us wait at the foot of the cave. Let us mourn. And cry out. And ask for Christ’s resurrection power to be known. We have this promise of New Life - you give Christ your newly carved places reserved for death and I assure you He will restore and revive to the point of Glorious Revelation. And worshipped filled adoration. Let’s give Him what we have this year…ever last bit of us; right down into the depths of who we are. I challenge us this year to take our new tombs, before climbing into them ourselves, and hand them over to Christ. This is the power of His death: the promise of Righteous Life! Embrace it and wait as the women. You will not be disappointed.

Contact:

Kristen currently writes for the following formats:

• Study workbooks for both corporate and personal study

• Devotionals series for women and youth ministries

• Small group materials

She is also available to take existing lessons, such as sermons and lectures, and expand on the material for a more in depth study.

If you are interested in Kristen writing for your ministry or project, please provide the details of your curriculum need by contacting her at

exemplified (at) rocketmail (dot) com

She welcomes project pitches of any size.

About Kristen

Out of commission with a severe back injury and recently dumped by her at-the-time boyfriend, Kristen found herself shell-shocked at the turn life can take in a matter of days. Somehow, amidst the grace of heaven and the encouragement of her mother, instead of eating pints of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, Kristen devoured the Word of God.

Life hits hard at times, and while chocolate can make many things better, it cannot mend the brokenhearted. Thankfully, she found, Christ can and does and will.

Over the months following her devastating break up and aching back, instead of hanging her head in defeat, Kristen’s head bowed in prayer. It was here, in the midst of heartbreaking loss, she fell even deeper in love with Christ and His Word.

Opting out of a family vacation, Kristen hung back in an empty house and decided to “retreat” with her Savior. Though her memory does not recall just what occupied her time for an entire week spent alone, she vividly remembers reading Acts 3 and writing a little devotional on it. Nudged in prayer to send it out to her friends, Kristen reluctantly – and she stresses reluctantly!- typed out an email and sent it to everyone in her address book.

The response to her paragraph of writing on Acts 3 was so humbling; she found herself facedown in awe before the Lord. Not only did her friends ask her to continue sending out writing but they expressed one constant: They were hungry to know Christ.

Kristen has tried to consistently release a weekly devotional since that day over four years ago. She has also completed writing an in-depth bible study called “The Invitation- A Study On How to R.S.V.P.” The title clearly sums up the mission within the pages, as it is Kristen’s deep desire to see others living the free life promised to them in Christ.

She could ask for nothing more than for readers of the study to respond with an R.S.V.P. of “Yes!” to the invitation of Christ. The “Invitation” takes an in-depth look at the exodus journey of biblical Israel and brings their heaven-taught lessons into modern light.

More recently, Kristen has begun to write study materials for church leaders to use in both corporate and personal study. She is also in the process of authoring her second in-depth study.

Kristen desperately hopes her writing points readers to dig deeper into the Word and get to know Christ more. Using humor, day to day situations and, of course, Scripture, it is her desire to see fellow believers actively participating in the biblical study of God’s Word.

Knowing what hopeless feels like, Kristen echoes Paul’s heart in Titus 1:2, as he wrote, “My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end.”

Familiar with the ache of a broken heart, Kristen knows there is nothing more pleasing to God than when tired feet meet the pavement and follow hard after Christ even still…

Today, thankful beyond measure that she chose her Bible over the pint (okay, gallon!) of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, Kristen warmly speaks to her Savior, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Indeed, even sweeter than the creamiest of ice cream.

Newly married to a Man,who puts her childhood dreams ofher “knight- in –shining- armor” to shame; Kristen Schiffman, recently transplanted from Long Island, New York, resides in California and spends most of her time writing curriculum for biblical study.

She considers it her life’s greatest privilege to see others getting a taste of what the full life in Christ is all about.