Valleys Low, Mountains High

We all go through Valleys those places when we feel that our Spirit is dry and it needs a refreshing of the Spirit, I felt that way at the end of my time at my previous church not because of anything the Pastors did, in my opinion they should not have been called out the way they were, fellow members of the church people who called themselves Christian acted in a very unchrist like way, making accusations without the facts to back them up and hurting two of the sweetest people I ever knew, they were both kind and generous, and were called out of the church in a very negative way, but something postive did come out of all of this, after that we decided to move closer to my niece and nephew, which has been a blessing and a trial, getting an eleven year old to do homework is always fun, but I digress, the good thing is I went back to a church I had attended long ago when my niece was little, and I am once again getting that spiritual bread I needed, and my Spirit no longer feels as if it needs a major watering, which in itself is a blesisng.

Encouraged to Be An Encourager

In Jill Briscoes book Spirtual Arts: Mastering the Disciplines for a Rich Spirtual Life Briscoe talks about how we need to be encouraged to be an encourager and I believe that is a large part of the reason I write what I do, whether it is fiction or non fiction, because I want to encourage others, I believe that is a large part of my calling as a Christian. I want to offer hope in situations that may seem impossible to get through with some but the fact of the matter is that what is impossible for man, is possible with God.I pray that I have offered at least a measure of encouragement to the people in my life, though I know there have been times when I have fallen short, times when I have failed, when I have let my flesh get into the way of the working of my Spirit.I know what it is to be encouraged as well, before I went through the death of my best friend, I did not think I could ever get through something like that, but with the comfort of family and friends, and especially with the comfort of the Lord I got through it, and as I write about it I am not only able to help myself heal, but maybe help someone who is going through something similar.

I Believe She Has a Place With Jesus

I Believe She Has A Place with Jesus
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Bhutto, a prominent opposition leader, was assassinated Thursday as she was leaving a political rally, part of her campaign for parliamentary elections scheduled for January 8.Police say a suicide bomber fired shots at Ms. Bhutto, then blew himself up seconds later, killing at least 20 other people. Ms. Bhutto was in an armored car at the moment of the attack, but was exposed, standing up in the sunroof and waving to her supporters. She was rushed to a hospital, but doctors could not revive her. She was 54 years old. http://voanews.com/english/2007-12-28-voa4.cfmSince hearing this news I have been reflecting and praying for this women who I have been following on and off for a few months now. I want to believe that heavens gates opened up to her because in the last monements of her life as she faced death she gave her heart to Jesus, but who am I to say one way or another, what I am going to say is I believe she was doing something good working to change the Pakinstani ways, and I believe in my heart that she does have a place with Jesus, just as Mary Magadelene did, and so many men and women who were not deserving, I believe Jesus was working in her heart from the very start.

Rhyme Or Reason (A Political Blog of Sorts

I am currently in the middle of reading Ann Coulters book If Democats had Any Brains They'd Be Republicans, she once again brings some valid points, but the way she brings them about can be maddening at times. I have for awhile now admired Anne Coulters guts, in the ways she speaks about things, but when she calls Katie Couric the equivallent tot Hitlers Wife, I grow upset. I do not believe as Christians we should stoop that low.One area I do agree with her is in the are a of abortion, we really can not sugar coat the fact that a baby is being murdered. I have reasearched what happens in abortions because I often write about what the baby and what the Mother go through and when a baby is being aborted, the chances are they are going to feel pain, because the pain receptors that come along as the pregnancy progresses are not there yet, so we can imagine how it would feel to us, and intensify that by about a hundered.In the book I also found a quote she used that I liked about President Bush, like her I am Conversavtive and a Christian and I support Preseident Bush, although I do not think I could ever say some of the things she says, at least I hope I never get to the area where I do, that's not what Christ asks of us, but I digress, this qhote however hits the nail head on."President George W Bush is evidently the first mentally retarded person to get a Harvard M>B>A graduate from the U.S Air Force Flight School, be elected governor of Texas and be elected president of the United States Twice."The truth is far to often President Bush is judged as something he is not for the mistakes he has made, instead of being looked at for the things he has achieved.Copyright Michelle R KidwellNov.27.07

Don't Let the Sunset (Fiction)

We fought that morning, over something pety, I don't even rember what, but we fought. " God why did it have to be like that? " I remember him storming out of the house, something about being late for a buissness meeting, kissing the kids, who were both laying on the floor watching Seaseme street, telling them you loved them, promising them you'd read to them that night. We didn't even kiss each other that morning, didn't even say goodbye. We never got so mad we didn't say goodbye. We always made up, why not that day? I dropped the twins off at their Granny's and went to the library. I needed time to myself, time to think, time to write, time to read. Oprah's book club had a good selection that summer, and I hadn't read it, maybe I would see if they had it in. First I'd sit down at one of the round medal legged tables and write. I'd write Gary, and tell him I was sorry we got in argument, later when I got home I'd copy it on to lavender scented stationary and place it on his pillow, he'd read it while we were laying there. Jessica and Jimmie would probably come and crawl in between us, claiming there were monsters in their closet. Gary would fly them into there room, one at a time. lifting the child over his head, telling them to lay their arms and legs out straight. I'd smile as they gigled all the way into their room. " Daddy could you check the closet for monsters?" Jimmie would ask in that sweet way of hers. Gary would go through the closet until the girls were satsified there were no monsters in there, then they would smile that of their's that could melt the hardest of hearts and say: " Daddy we love you, you're the bestest Daddy in the whole wide world. " " And Mommy's the Bestest Mommy." One of the girls would add. Gary that night wasn't like that though. It was the nightmare that never ended. " The Towers have been hit, two planes have flied in to them. " Someone cried. Men, Children, Women, women carrying little children, running for there lifes. " Oh God where's Gary? " I held on to hope until the Sun began to set that night. I remembered we had once vowed never to let the sun set on our anger. It was a promise we had kept until that day. " Oh God I hope he knew I loved him, loved him from the very depth of my soul. " I didn't go back to that house until late that night, knowing that when I did I would feel, hear, and smell Gary everywhere in the house, but I had to go back, something told me I had too. When I saw the flickering red light on the answering machine, I knew who it was , before I even played the tape. " I love you vicki, I love you more than you know, if I don't get out of here I want you to know I died thanking God for you. " Oh Lord how am I going to explain to the girl's their only four? How do I tell them there Daddy's gone to Heaven, in a way they can understand. (c)Nov.14.2002 Michelle Renee Kidwell I've written about the 9/11 events before but never in the point of view of the wife of a victim. This is fictional, but the event was all to real!..

The Obedient Heart

Deuteronomy 5:3 "You shall have no other gods before [a] me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 "You shall not murder. 14 "You shall not commit adultery. 15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." 18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." 20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." 21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Idols and Altars 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: 23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. 24 " 'Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, [b] your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. 26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.'
Working with Children, I know the importance, of teaching our children obedience. I have seen how children act when they have no guidelines set before them. Children who are obedient, are more likely to succeed in life, because they already have those rules set down before them, and we need to teach them that obedience is important from a very young age. The guidelines the Lord has given us is the ten commandments, and we can teach our children the commandments in a simple way at a very young age. We want the children to understand that Jesus wants them to be obedient, Jesus loves an obedient heart.I am not a Mother, but when I have my nieces and nephews over, they have a few guidelines they know they must live, by and they know that when they are bad there will be punishment. It is important that they know that when they disobey God’s laws there will be repercussions as well. We need to follow God’s laws because just as our earthly parents set down rules for our own good so does our Heavenly Father. The Lord gives us these laws for our benefit, just as we teacher our children not to touch a hot stove for their benefit.As a child I learned the importance of being obedience, because when I wasn’t obedient I knew that a punishment would come. My parents were not overly strict, but they knew the importance of teaching me obedience, and because of that I am able to live by that example. I may not have always agreed with the punishments given to me for disobeying, but I learned quickly what was acceptable and what was not and I am able to pass those lessons on to the children I work with. I am able to show them by example what it is like to have an obedient heart, and serve Christ.Having an obedient heart and being perfect are to very different things. We can live our lives to serve Christ, and still not be perfect. Only Christ himself walked this earth living a perfect life, but we can repent when we are disobedient, and ask the Lord to forgive us he will forgive.Being obedient to Christ, in a world that more and more seems to be going against the very values, the very ways we as Christians are brought up by isn’t always easy. Our children are getting conflicting images of what is right and wrong, which makes it even more important that we teach our children what Christ wants from us, and we teach them what it means to have an obedient heart. We also need to teach our children how to make decisions that Christ would approve us, that is a very large part of having an obedient heart.Today I worked with the kids as I normal do, and the three year old decided she did not want to be obedient, so we had to discuss with her the importance of doing what Jesus would want her to do. I told her that Jesus wants her to be obedient, in the way a three year old can understand. She had to be told that Jesus does not like it when we are disobedient, it may not be easy for a three year old to understand, but if we share the lesson with them over and over again, they will understand.The three year old is the youngest child I work with, we go to a small church, and there are generally only a few kids, so I find it important that I lay down the rules in a way that they can all understand. The older children also know that they are expected to set an example of what it means to have an obedient heart. They know that the younger children are watching them, and that the younger children tend to follow by example, and if the older children are respectable generally the younger children will be too.I know too that as a member of the body of Christ, I need to lead by example. If the world sees that I am not leading a life that is pleasing to the Lord they will think that they don’t need to be a believer, because I am showing them that I do not follow the Lord’s commands, but if I lead my life with an obedient heart, and show the joy that I have in serving the Lord, that example will shine through in my walk with Christ. As I have stated it is important to show our children and non believers what it means to be obedient to Christ, babes in Christ need to have an example set before them just as parents set rules and boundaries before there children. The rules and boundaries are set to show what is acceptable and what is not, and are set for the good of us. We can not live our lives in a way that is not pleasing to the Lord, we have to follow the guidelines set before us by the Lord, through his word. The Bible.

Fight On (Life with NMD)

Fight on
But sometimes
I am so tired
I pray
And get the strength
I need for the day
But slowly things progress
Throat issues now
Falling a little more frequent
New meds help
Finally a doctor listens
But other issues as well
Sometimes I feel as if I am
Viewed as helpless
That I am not
Don't Judge Me please
I am going to Fight on
And in the end
I will have victory
Either way.
Copyright Michelle R Kidwell
Oct.20.07
11:46 P.M PST