All posts by Beverly Kimball

I have learned to enjoy the blogging process of putting lessons I am learning into print. I hope you can grow and learn with me on this journey to be all that God has called me to be.

Splash Zone

I was out painting a bunch of boards today for a new adventure we are on.  As I was painting, paint wasn't only getting on the boards but on my hands, my clothes, the ground and I am sure everything within splashing distance.  After I was done, I came in the house to scrub the paint off my skin.  Most of it came off but some stuck really well.

I got to thinking, that is how my faith should be.  It should stick all over everything around me in the "splash zone" of my life. People should get some stuck in their minds.  Does my faith overflow in my daily life?  Do I talk about my faith enough that people get things stuck in their heads about God?  I need to be consciously "painting" the world around me with my faith.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit I can overflow into the lives of others.   How about you?

The Ride of My Life

When the Holy Spirit is my guide I feel secure no matter what life throws at me.

I have begun to draw as a type of therapy.  It helps me to get my thoughts and emotions out.  As a three on the Enneagram, I am a doer.  I do not like to take time to put into words what I am feeling or going through, so I find this is a great way to get those things out.  I feel like I am doing something but it is constructive for my emotion health.

This is one of my pictures that I love.  The ride of life has many ups and downs, twist and turns, and mountains and valleys.  I know that I am secure, just like on the many roller coasters I have ridden, because the Holy Spirit is my guide.

I hope that as you go through the ride of your life you know that the Spirit is guiding you and giving you the counsel and strength you need to grow and continue to give glory to God.

New Year Focus

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As 2023 gets moving along, I have tried to think of what my focus is going to be.  My new book will be coming out soon which focuses on how the Holy Spirit can help us become more than we ever thought we could be. So, as that is the exciting new thing happening this year, I think my focus will go along with that.

I want to focus on the Holy Spirit's power in my life and the lives of those I come in contact with.  I am meant to be a might warrior with the power of the Holy Spirit.  I am meant to be a compassionate care giver with the power of the Holy Spirit.  I am meant to love those who seem to be unlovable by the power of the Holy Spirit.  I am meant to become more for the Kingdom of God with the Holy Spirits power flowing through me.

Am I ready for that experience?  It seems scary but I have seen the Holy Spirit work in my life for many years and he is never something to be afraid of.  He is someone who loves me and wants the best for me.  What more could I ask for.  I am ready for a new year asking God to help me allow the Holy Spirit do his work in me and through me. Are you?

Seasons of Change

My Christmas traditions over the last two years have changed in many strange ways.  As I thought about it this New Year, I realized my Christmas season has changed dramatically over my lifetime. 

As a child, I remember the cardboard fireplace we put up to hang our stockings on, the toy catalog coming in the mail and my siblings and I circling all of the things we wanted to receive from Santa.  Presents and Santa were what made the season exciting.  I grew up in the church so, of course, I knew Jesus was part of the reason for the season.  We did the church Christmas programs and made gifts for our parents during Sunday school but that was to the side in my mind.

As a teenage, Santa fell to the background and the focus was enjoying the time off school.  Getting to sleep in and have fun outside in the snow instead of going to classes was the best. College days were celebrated by being able to come home from Oklahoma and see family and friends.  I was also able, during this part of my life, to be proud of being able to spend my own money to buy my mom and dad gifts.  

After having my firstborn, a precious little boy, my view of Christmas changed forever.  I remember holding my 4 month old in church when the song “Mary, Did You Know?” Was sung.  My heart broke for that young mother and put so much of the Christmas story in perspective for me.  I still can’t put into words what that moment did for my ability to understand the story of Christ in a personal way.

As our four children grew, Christmas again became about Santa and presents.  Trying to make it a magical time for my kids was so much fun. Then as they all began to grow and go off to college, get married and move away I held on to the moments during the season that we could all be together again.

Now, with grandchildren and kids living in different areas, I have come back to the true meaning of Christmas.  Christ has always been a part of my Christmas season but he has become the rock of my Christmas as I get older.  Last year my husband was not doing well in recovering from Covid.  We were not able to get together with family like my heart longs to do.  The time alone gave me the time to appreciate what Christ’s coming has meant to me personally.  I would never have all the blessings I have without him in my life.  This year, schedules, family struggles and sickness made the season seem like it could be lonely again.  However, taking the time to count my blessings because of Christ’s sacrifice of coming to this world has made this years Christmas another amazing time for me.

God is my rock and has been through all the seasons of my life.  I am now able to revel in that thought more and more.  Being thankful for the changes and embracing the life I have been given continues to make the Christmas season a blessing each year. 

Peace

Philippians 4:7 says, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  How can peace guard my heart and my mind?  I went through many trials over the last year.  I am taking time to look back and see how this verse actually played out in my life.

I think, in every instance, peace came when I remembered what I knew about my God.  The times I felt overwhelmed and not even close to being peaceful were the times I was focused on the problem.  Taking a moment, in the midst of the tears, and remembering who my God is and how much he loves me and those around me, are what brought me the peace that doesn't make sense.

My God is still in control.  My God knows the pain and the hurt. My God wants the best for me.  My God loves even when I can't. My God grieves with me.  My God forgives and offers grace.  My God is my rock and the one I will continue to lean on through it all.

I have sang a song many times in church that tells my story of trying to keep my eyes on Him.  It is called "It is Well" by Bethel Music - Kristene DiMarco.  The chorus goes like this:

"Through it all, through it all, My eyes are on You and through it all, through it all it is well."

If I am willing to take my eyes off of this world and the crisis that always seems to be looming, look Jesus in they eye as I talk with him and share my concerns, peace that is beyond my understanding does flood my soul and keep me standing.

Paint by Number

Painting a picture requires vision, patience and time.  I have just completed a paint by number painting and learned this first hand.  When I started working on the painting, I did one color at a time, trying to find each small piece that had the specific number in it.  As I started to get the project completed, I began to pick a section of the painting to complete the different numbers in the area.  I was getting inpatient at not seeing the picture forming.  As I tried to speed up my desire to see picture emerge, I realized it was taking much longer.  Cleaning my brush between each small piece and finding the right color number made the process much longer.  I switched back to one color at a time.  

As I thought about this, I became aware of how God pieces together our lives.  He works in so many different areas to create a beautiful picture of our life.  It may not seem like it is the right timing or the area we think needs to be fixed but God know the colors to work with at the right moment.  The coming together may take time for us to see but the picture he is creating is guaranteed to be the best possible painting from the colors of our lives.  Understanding God has our best as his goal, patience and seeking his will will lead to an amazing outcome. 

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Paint by Number

Word of the Year

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@socialcut?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">S O C I A L . C U T</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/story?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

It took me a little bit of time to figure out what my word of the year would be.  I have come to the conclusion that the word STORY is my word of the year.  I want to take time to really listen to peoples stories.  I believe Jesus did this as he was here on earth.  Most of the time what people tell me is forgotten before the next time I see them.  I want to be intentional about listening in a way that connects me to each person's story and helps me pray for them, check in on them and make them feel important in my life.

The second part of this word for the year is for me to be bold in telling my story.  Which, in essense, is the story of God's grace and love.  The song by Big Daddy Weave titled "My Story" is one that has resonated with me since it came out and that sums up what I want to be able to speak to the world around me.

What is your story?  I would really love to hear it.

A New Song

Psalm 96:1 says “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.

As I read this today, my mind stuck on the thought of a New song. For me, it means to always be learning new things about my God that I can sing new praises through each event in my life. I should praise God for the past things that He has done for me as well as praise Him for the attributes I have learned about who he is. But as I grow in Christ, I learn more and more about who God is to me. That should be the process of growth. As I learn these things about God, putting them into words may be hard to do, but as I do, I learn how to express that to others around me.

Lord help me continue to write new songs about who you are to me and share those songs with those around me.

INTERRUPTION

As I was driving across Michigan last week, I was reminded in an unexpected way that God was trying to get my attention. As you know, when you are driving, if you listen to the radio, you need to keep changing the station to find something good in the new area you are traveling in. Most people now just use their own music instead of the car radio, but I still use the old school car radio a lot of the time. As I was driving, I was listening to a news station, catching up on the latest events happening in the world around me. I was intently listening to a story when the station started fuzzing out. Another station was breaking through as I headed out of the area. It was a Christian music station. I would get some news and then it would get interrupted by a song about God’s love. It went back and forth for about 10 minutes before I could take my eyes off the road long enough to change the channel. I was irritated that I did not hear the complete news story. Then it dawned on me. God wanted my focus to be on what he is doing in the world, not what the circumstances of the world are around me.

I am not saying that I should not know what is going on in the world around me but that I need to keep my focus on what God is doing in the world around me and jump on board when I have the opportunity. Godly interruptions are good things, they should not be annoying or frustrating to me.

It was a wake up call for me to continue to train myself to see God’s world view and not rely on the world to tell me what is important. Let me know what you think and if you have any thoughts on this idea.

Godly Women

Godly Women

Tonight I was asked to speak on the HI (Holy Informed) Podcast and the topic is going to be Godly Women.  As I was working through what I would say tonight, I came to a very short conclusion.  A Godly woman is simply a women who follows the leading of the Holy Spirit.  There is no one "look" or "action" that makes us Godly.  It is our surrender to our Lord and being in a relationship that hears the voice of the Holy Spirit and uses that as our guide.  It may guide you into leadership, servanthood, the mundane, the extraordinary, the noble and the dirty.  It really doesn't matter what you DO, it matters who you are following.  So when asked, "What does a Godly Woman Look Like?" I would have to say "I don't know."  It is not a matter of what she looks like but how she listens. I would love to hear your thought on this. You can comment here or go over to my Facebook page: Beverly Kimball, Inc. and leave a comment there. Feel free to listen to the podcast tonight at 6 to find out more of what I have to say on the topic.