Coffee with Kel

Building relationships, encouraging hope

Bible

My thoughts on our new President Elect…

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This morning I have been thinking a lot about the outcome of our Presidential election. I expected that I would be disappointed if McCain didn’t win because he was the candidate our family had chosen to support. I will say that I am somewhat disappointed that he didn’t win, but I am a far cry from “devestated” or upset about it. There would be no point in letting an election affect my life to THAT degree, in my opinion. I decided a long time ago that whichever man won this race would get my full support. I stand by that and will fully support President-Elect Barack Obama. I will pray for him and hope that he leads our nation with Christian character, upstanding morals and unfailing integrity. I believe he will do that. He has a whole nation to answer to, not to mention the God he also serves.  I believe him to have a true heart and a desire to work hard for this nation. I would like to see us all unite in support of him because he has some challenges ahead and he NEEDS prayers and support as he goes forward.

Despite “my” guy not winning, I will say that it feels pretty cool to be living in this historic moment. Our first “non-white” President has been elected. That’s HUGE. Really huge. I have never been really sure that we’d see that in my lifetime and we have. That excites me. That shows progress from a nation that was once so racially torn. I’m all for unification on the racial front. After all, we’re ALL God’s children. He designed and created every race, every individual in His own image. We should embrace and appreciate His work in people.  1 Samuel 16:7 has a passage that states this better than I ever could. It says this: “…The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Amen!!

I encourage all of us to really put our prayerful support behind Barack Obama and the other leaders of our nation. A change is coming and we can pray it to be change for good. I won’t go into this whole “God bless America” business either because I don’t believe in my heart that God will bless a nation that doesn’t turn to Him prayerfully and faithfully. I think that has to be first. I will pray that God guides America and that our leaders turn to Him for guidance, wisdom, courage and discernment. I hope we will all do that. Let’s move forward with hope and trust. Let’s pray this through, shall we?

Emerging Butterflies…

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This morning, our family has had the blessing of watching butterflies emerge from their cocoons. What an awesome experience and opportunity to remind ourselves and our girls about God’s wonders. It’s so cool!

We ordered this Live Butterfly Garden from Amazon for Macey’s birthday. We received the kit and sent away for the caterpillars. Within a couple of weeks, we got five caterpillars in a habitat with their food. When they first arrived, they were tiny little squigglers, but they soon grew. We went to the beach for a long weekend and when we got back, we had five cocoons in the habitat. Yesterday we finally moved the cocoons over to the mesh habitat so that the butterflies could fly about when they hatched. This morning at breakfast I looked up and noticed one of the cocoons moving. Sure enough, the first of the butterflies was emerging. And, we got to witness it!! How awesome!! Mickey took the habitat down from it’s hook and we put papertowels soaked with sugar water into the habitat so that the butterflies would have their food. About half an hour later, Macey and I got to watch the second butterfly emerge. She was in awe as much as I was at that point. We keep checking back to see if any of the remaining three butterflies have begun to emerge. Once they are all safely out of their cocoons, we will release them into our backyard.

This has been a terrific experience for all of us. I am so glad we found this gift for Macey’s birthday. Even Mariana enjoyed watching the caterpillars and is now enthralled with the butterflies. Mariana pointed to the mesh habitat with the cocoons yesterday and told me that the baby butterflies lived there. How cute! So, it really has been fun and exciting for the whole family.

Watching this process has been so inspiring. These caterpillars weren’t much larger than eyelashes when they first arrived at our home. And now they are beautiful painted lady butterflies. Isn’t it just incredible to watch God’s work unfold? God takes the “ugly” and transforms it into beauty. Not just with caterpillars, but with our human hearts as well. What a miracle!! Praise God for His wonders!!

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Psalm 139:15-17

What do I have to show for it?

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Today I had one of those days where I worked all day on the house, but you can’t walk in any room and tell I’ve done a thing. I was on the go most all day and yet things look pretty much the same as they did this morning. How can that be?! I did laundry, ironed clothes and put them away, washed dishes, changed linens, put away laundry, straightened up the girls’ rooms and just picked up clutter in general. And, I never got finished. It was one of those days.

As I was sitting here thinking about that this evening, I wondered if that is how God must sometimes feel too. He works and works and works on me and I shamefully admit that I don’t show His work nearly as much as I should. That realization hit me this evening and really made me think. God is so good to just never give up on us, isn’t He? All the love and work He puts into me doesn’t yield much many times, but He is faithful and true. Amazing love. I will never come close to earning it, but I am so blessed to know God gives of that love so freely. So, realizing that made me feel a little bit better about my day and made me realize yet again how I need for my works to reflect His works. Sometimes we all need some humbling and I got a dose tonight.

Psalm 66
Verse 5 – Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man’s behalf!

Verse 20 – Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

Prayers for Kenya Mission

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Our church just had a mission team depart for Kwambekenya, Kenya yesterday. They will be there performing God’s outreach until April 26th. It is my honor and privilege to be a Prayer Partner here at home for those who are serving in Africa. I had hoped to go on a mission trip to Africa this year as I feel God is laying a calling on my heart for me to serve there. But, for me, this is not the year. Still, I can do my part here at home by remembering the mission team and those they are serving in prayer. If you feel so lead, please join me as I pray over them all.

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Mark 16:15 (NIV)

Peaceful Slumber

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Is there anything more peaceful than a sleeping baby or child? Oh, I just love watching my girls when they sleep. I just love the peace that washes over them. It’s such a sweet thing to witness.

This morning Mariana was tired and wanted me to hold her, so I did. She fell asleep in my arms. It was just incredible to feel her sink into me a little bit closer and to feel her breathing get into that steady sleeping rhythm. I almost hated to put her into her bed, but I knew she’d never get a decent nap if I didn’t.  Once in awhile I tiptoe by her room now just to see her sleeping all peaceful and snug in her bed. I really can’t describe it, but it’s just special to me. I thank God for our girls and my heart is blessed to know that they are filled with such a peace.

The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26