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

Sunday, June 30, 2013

There Are No Guarantees in Life. . .OR are there?


 
Benjamin Franklin once said “There are no guarantees in life except death and taxes.”  Well, isn’t that just a cheery thought!  It’s a good thing babies don’t understand words and meanings in the beginning or they would just want to crawl right back in the womb and stay there.  I disagree with this statement and I’ll tell you why.  First, let me tell you what I can guarantee:

 

A cow will moo instead of clucking.

A dog will bark instead of meowing.

When it rains, something will get wet.

If you make bees mad, you WILL get stung.

If you get bit by a mosquito, it WILL itch.

If you break bones, it WILL hurt.

If you build a garden, there will be weeds in it.

If I sang a solo in church, I would never be asked to again.

If you put roller skates on me, I WOULD fall down.

If a woman has natural childbirth with out medications of any kind and says 

   It wasn’t that bad, she’s lying.

If I go into my son’s room as he is falling asleep, he will ask for a backrub.

If I ask my husband to do a job, he will always find a way to accomplish it.

When I talk to my momma on the phone, she will ask “How’s my darlin’”

If you are around someone having a laughing fit, you will at least giggle.

Each spring, the trees will leaf out and the flowers will bloom.

You have a past.

You are living in the present.

You do have a future. (Someone might argue this last one…just hang on)

 

What is a guarantee?  The web offered definition and these were the best:

Anything that assures a certain outcome.

A collateral agreement to answer for the debt of another.

To assume responsibility for a debt.

            (And my favorite)

To undertake, to free the prisoners.

 

I bet a lot of you know where I’m going.  But there are some who don’t and this is who I’m speaking to now.  Someone has given us the guarantee of an abundant life, to have everlasting joy and peace regardless of our circumstances, unconditional love, to never leave us or forsake us, and to give us a home in a paradise one day, Heaven instead of the other awful, fiery alternative. What an awesome guarantee and who could make such a promise?  Jesus Christ.  What is the collateral?  We repent of our sins and give them over to Him, and He takes the guilt away.  Once prisoners to our sin, we are now freed! 

 

The world can be so negative and people can be such downers.  I know, because I’ve been one of them.  Because I let the hurt of circumstances become stronger than my focus on the Lord of my life.  But when I drew my focus back on Him and placed my circumstances in His hands and let go, the peace and joy came back.  I started to move past those circumstances and go on with my life. I didn’t leave them behind.  I put them in the hands of the one I knew could take care of it all and I daily trust Him with the outcome.

I, for one brief moment, took my eyes off of Him and concentrated on what the devil wanted me too.  I wised up and said to him “NO MORE!”.  My eyes are focused once again in the right place, they are wide open, and a smile is back on my face.

 

Are you smiling?  I know bad, gloomy things happen in our lives and He gives us a time to grieve, but when the time is right, it is time to move on. 

 

If you’re wondering how to do this kind of life, it’s really very simple.  You just bow your head humbly before the Lord, repent of your sins asking Him to take them away and come into your heart and be Lord of your life.  That’s all there is to it.  It’s not hard, it’s not complicated.  Then you step forward with a renewed way of living.  Once a prisoner, now set free, no matter where you are sitting.

 

Wouldn’t you like to be debt free?  Wouldn’t you like to be set free? Hand the sin over to Jesus Christ and accept the gift of forgiveness that will last forever.

 

You want a guarantee?  How about John 3:16…’For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

4 comments:

Cecilia Marie Pulliam said...

That's been the guarantee I have lived my life on since I was a child, and I as I have aged, I have only become more convinced. Excellent post, Kristin.

Denise said...

Wonderful post.

Anonymous said...

Good Afternoon Kristin,

I went to this link after i typed in " are there any guarantees in life?", at this point I would like to ask you please do not take what I say personally, I can only relate based on what I have learned, I would like now to relate to you what I have learned, it may or may not be true, and I am delighted you have found some peace. Well I believe in god, but I do not get on with him, I have found that many of the passages in the Bible are totally untrue, for example that one that says, "God is not partial, but in every nation is there someone who fears him is acceptable to him." I find quite the opposite to be true, to me he is no different to fuel/utility companies who say" sign up with us, we are the best deal in town, " and as soon as you do they move the goalposts and raise the prices. Please may I ask you one question Kristin?
If you had your heart set on a beautiful home or some other item which was dear to your heart, and you wanted to purchase it with your life savings, you looked at all the features and all of a sudden the seller says to you" There is no guarantee." Would you still buy it? I know I wouldn't,to me, god is no different to Laban, the father for whom Jacob worked for 7 years and who promised Rachel to him after the 7 years and he tricked him, and made him work for him another 7 years. If you can convince me there is a god who is fair let me know, he does not seem to like me very much. My email is georgealexhenderson@hotmail.com
thnak you for at least reading my post.

Kristin Bridgman said...

George,
I e-mailed you.