Welcome

Why a blog from me, someone who has never been a writer, someone who has never been articulate or had a solid grasp of the grammar world. Because God told me to write. Several years ago a life storm invaded my family. God kept telling me to write it all down. I argued, but He would not let up. This went on every day for a couple of weeks until one day out of frustration, (I'd like to say it was out of obedience), I picked up a pen and paper and wrote for 7 hours straight! Do you think maybe I needed therapy and God knew it?

I've been writing ever since and have learned to love it! I started out sharing my stories with friends and family. I've now been published in a Nashville church paper, Our Daily Journey (a devotional site of RBC Ministries), PCCWeb Daily Devotional, Ruby for Women Ezine Magazine, and I am a contributor in the book Alabaster Jars, Life in Abundance Collection 2.

Why Ponderings? During this life storm, God led me to a pond in the woods behind my home. There He met me each time, teaching new lessons, reminding me of old ones, showing His presence and allowing me to feel His love through the surroundings of that pond. I found myself returning over and over to ponder, pray and praise. A healing of my heart took place and out of the experience came my first book, Ponderings From the Pond, then a second book, Ponderings From My Porch, and now a third book is in the works along with a memoir about my storm.

Why am I making myself so vulnerable? Because God has done so much that I cannot keep quiet. I have to share. Jesus's last words to his desciples were, "Go,tell." We are his disciples too and this is just one of my ways of telling.

I'm no scholar but I have heard God's voice in my spirit, experience His love daily, and have a desire for others to experience this also. I would love to share with all who visit and I would love to hear from you. If my sharing gets just one to ponder, to be quiet with the Father, to see and hear from Him or to be reminded of something from Him, then this is worth my vulnerability.

As you visit me, sometimes we will be at the pond, sometimes we will move to the front porch, and sometimes we will just be here, there, and yonder. Thank you for coming and please feel free to come back anytime, you are always welcome here.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

*****EXCITING NEWS*****

My first book, Ya Know What I'm Say'n, has been released.


Ponderings

Ponderings

Monday, April 1, 2013

Church Outside the Walls




My husband Keith and I had just experienced a wonderful morning at church full of fellowshipping, praising and teaching one Sunday morning recently. But it was as we were heading out the doors to go home that another sort of church began. We were introduced to a homeless man who had come to our church for the second week in a row.  He said he was walking by and loved the name...Living Hope...and he was needing hope.

Keith and I talked with him for just a few minutes and he grabbed my heart as quickly as Greg had. We invited him out to lunch. Over food, the three of us shared about our lives and the goosebumps began to raise on the back of my neck.  I kept invisioning God and Greg high fivin'. 

The man was so ariticulate, so humble.  He was not your typical homeless person, as if there were a typical homeless person.  As he said and I believe to be so true, homelessness could happen to any one of us just by two or three bad decisions. He had a good job at one time. Things happened and he began traveling looking for another when he became stuck here in my town. He was not angry. He was not upset. He talked about his eyes being opened since being on the streets to what was really important in life and it was not about things. I couldn't help but smile big as did my husband because I was on day 38 of a 40 day give away of our own things. My eyes had been opened too. . .to how unimportant things were.  "People are what is important.  People need to be loved. . . not things", said this humble man next to me. I nodded in agreement. I asked him if he would share his whole story for my book. He teared up saying he would be honored. No mister, I would be honored.

As we were finishing up our lunch, it began to rain hard with heavy hail. Our lunch guests eyes became huge with worry about his shopping cart that he had left back at the church parking lot with all of his belongings.  We rushed back to the church and put his things into the back of our car.  Then Keith and I did something we have never done before.  We paid for a room for two nights at a motel for our new friend.  I didn't hesitate at all to spend the money and neither did my husband.  We are not rich people. We live very frugal so as to be able to put our son through college and to not be in debt.  Years ago, even though we never had a lot of money, I would spend it on clothes and shoes and other pretty things.  But being in this ministry, it has done something to my soul and those material items are not that important anymore.  It's the souls of those walking out there just trying to survive. The money we spent on that room was more gratifying to me than any other money I have ever spent. 

This whole experience of the Blanket Ministry has made me be much more aware of the people around me. It has made me even more sensitive to the people around me than ever before. It has made me listen more intently to that whisper than comes my way from the Lord and to the touch of His pushing me when He is leading in a certain direction.  Nothing is more rewarding than to follow that push and that whisper and to say "Yes, Lord, Yes."

Church outside the walls of the building with a cross. . .the cross is out there, everywhere. . .do you hear?  Do you feel the push?  What do you say? If I wasn't out right ignoring Him, I used to say, "I can't Lord, I'm too scared, I'm too weak, I'm too unqualified, I'm too this, too that." And then I read in a book...I can't do it. . .but with God all things are possible and I've learned over the years with God, things are exciting and life is much more rewarding when we let Him take control and we just become obedient.

Yes, the church experience is not just for inside the walls where it is safe. . .it's there on the outside as well where you might feel vulnerable. . .but you have One walking with you who will guide, whisper and maybe even push, but it will always be in the right direction.

Our new friend was hired at Panera this past week.


linking with

11 comments:

Denise said...

God is so amazingly awesome.

a joyful noise said...

Thank you for sharing this amazing story at "Tell Me a Story." I am so happy you obeyed the Lord, and your prayers went before him to give him favor to gain new employment.

Thoughts for the day said...

wonderful story and you know what? your new friend is not afraid of working at a sandwich shop... money is money and if it is honorable it is a help. Good job for helping that man.

Thoughts for the day said...

wonderful story and you know what? your new friend is not afraid of working at a sandwich shop... money is money and if it is honorable it is a help. Good job for helping that man.

Beth Zimmerman said...

Praise God! =)

Shelly Miller said...

So glad to know your new friend found a job, you must've been so excited. May God continue to use you right where you are. Thanks for linking up your post as we find the wonder of God in the every day.

caryjo said...

Wonderful sharing, as usual. What's truly true is that any of us could be homeless when/if our world changes. Being a kind and caring homeless person, being cared for by the members of our Lord's family. Quite a world out there... and thank you for sharing with him, with us.

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Cora from Hidden Riches said...

Awesome, Kristin!!! Our God is awesome, isn't He? All I could think of was the verse that says, " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." We just never know what will happen when we say "Yes, Lord." It's people like you, "Yes people", who have the greatest of stories to tell. I Cor 2:9 is right!

Jenifer Metzger said...

Oh girl preach it! We need to take Jesus OUTSIDE the four walls of church!!!

Winnie said...

Hi Kris,
My name is Winnie. I was introduced to your blog by my daughter Stacie at noidlebread.blogspot.com. I am interested in finding other bloggers to follow and others who may want to follow my blog.(surrenderedone.blogspot.com). I've been blogging for a while and had to start afresh because malware got on my old blog.
I really enjoyed your post on the church outside the walls. My husband and I just attended a conference in Phoenix that has this same type of ministry of which we are interested and have been engaged.
Thanks for sharing and today I'm going to start following your blog. :) God's Blessings to you!
Winnie