Kindness...

My dad emailed this to me and I thought I would share it.....

Your Kindness Quotient

by Max Lucado

How kind are you? What is your kindness quotient? When was the last time you did something kind for someone in your family--e.g., got a blanket, cleaned off the table, prepared the coffee--without being asked?


Think about your school or workplace. Which person is the most overlooked or avoided? A shy student? A grumpy employee? Maybe he doesn't speak the language. Maybe she doesn't fit in. Are you kind to this person?


Kind hearts are quietly kind. They let the car cut into traffic and the young mom with three kids move up in the checkout line. They pick up the neighbor's trash can that rolled into the street. And they are especially kind at church. They understand that perhaps the neediest person they'll meet all week is the one standing in the foyer or sitting on the row behind them in worship. Paul writes: "When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers" (Gal. 6:10).


And, here is a challenge--what about your enemies? With the boss who fired you or the wife who left you. Suppose you surprised them with kindness? Not easy? No, it's not. But mercy is the deepest gesture of kindness. Paul equates the two. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph. 4:32 NKJV).

Jesus said:
Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you.... If you love only the people who love you, what praise should you get? ... [L]ove your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy. (Luke 6:27-28, 32, 35-36)


Kindness at home. Kindness in public. Kindness at church and kindness with your enemies. Pretty well covers the gamut, don't you think? Almost. Someone else needs your kindness. Who could that be? You.


Since he is so kind to us, can't we be a little kinder to ourselves? Oh, but you don't know me, Max. You don't know my faults and my thoughts. You don't know the gripes I grumble and the complaints I mumble. No, I don't, but he does. He knows everything about you, yet he doesn't hold back his kindness toward you. Has he, knowing all your secrets, retracted one promise or reclaimed one gift?


No, he is kind to you. Why don't you be kind to yourself? He forgives your faults. Why don't you do the same? He thinks tomorrow is worth living. Why don't you agree? He believes in you enough to call you his ambassador, his follower, even his child. Why not take his cue and believe in yourself?
Be kind to yourself. God thinks you're worth his kindness. And he's a good judge of character.

From A Love Worth Giving
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2002) Max Lucado

Compassion Sunday...

This is amazing!



~K

Smile! :)

"Smile"
By
Kutless

On a plane somewhere again
I take my place in line just like every other time
I slide into my window seat
She was sitting there
One seat over so I said "Hello, how are you today?"

With my smile I could see the hope within her eyes
And I knew that something's different today

[CHORUS:]
Though everything's the same inside there's something real
A faith which causes me to change. (But what's different now)
A spark is gleaming in my eye like diamond stars that fill the sky
I think a smile says it all
A smile says it all

The conversation presses on
As miles pass below, she said I have to let you know
You seem so different to me
There is a joy inside
The love of God is all I know from which this could originate

With one smile I could see, the faith we share inside
And I know that something's different today

[BRIDGE:]
I see what a smile can say about me
I know that words are not always what speak
Sometimes it's not what I say
That the world around me seems to understand

Psalms 3:8

"Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people"

This verse jumped out at me today. What a lovely verse.

~K

Wonderful post!

Here is a wonderful post that really helpful to me.

This is the link to the blog that it was posted on:

http://practicalpurity.blogspot.com/


I look forward to every post and enjoy reading them very much.

"Encouragement is so important, isn't it? It's amazing what a difference an encouraging word can make in someone's life. And it doesn't always have to be words, I know that there have been different people who have encouraged me with something as simple as a hug or a smile.
One of my favorite "Hide 'Em in Your Heart" songs is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV ("Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing").
But encouraging someone isn't always as simple as smiling at them, is it? Sometimes it means getting out of our comfort zone and risking rejection or embarrassment (even though not many people reject encouragement, we can sometimes still feel like they will). Unfortunately, I don't know any way of getting over the awkward feeling of stepping out of our comfort zones except to do it over and over. I have to confess that I'm not very good at this, but "practice makes perfect", and I'm going to give you a few ideas on how to 'practice' starting with the least awkward. :-)


1. Smile at people! You might be amazed at how attractive and uplifting a smile is. If you've ever smiled at someone and not had them respond, you know that it's always a bit of a let down when you don't get a smile back. I've had bad days where I went to the store and a total stranger smiled at me and it really did make my day better. :-)


2. Serve people. Now I'm not necessarily talking about painting someone's house or doing their laundry. Simply getting someone a glass of water or helping them cut up vegetables for lunch can encourage them.


3. Give a hug! A hug is a very efficient and simple way to encourage someone without words. Sometimes you might find that someone gets tears in their eyes when you hug them and, assuming that you weren't just squeezing them too hard, that's a sure sign that they really needed that hug. (Now, obviously there are people that you wouldn't feel comfortable hugging, and that's fine. You should never hug anyone that you feel creeped out by, and probably you would only want to hug your friends and family anyways.)


4. Write a note or send an e-card to someone telling them that you are glad that you are friends (or sisters, or cousins, or whatever), and say something that you specifically like about them. (i.e. "Dear Martha, I am so glad that we are friends. Your patience with the little children really challenges and encourages me to be more patient. Thank you so much for your example! Love, Joy" ~ of course you're supposed to insert your friend's name and your name in the place of "Martha" and Joy! ~)


5. Listen to them. Simply listening can make a huge difference to someone and be very encouraging.


6. Tell someone something that you like about them ("I love the way you reply to letters so quickly").


7. Encourage them in the area that they really need it. This can be a little more tricky because, unless they have specifically confided in you, they might feel as though you are picking on them instead of encouraging them. Even if they have confided in you, sometimes this idea backfires and they get upset so use at your own discretion.


When you are a wife, you will be your husband's main encourager and 'cheerleader' (can anyone think of a better word than 'cheerleader'?), so if you can practice encouraging and cheering on your family, friends, ect. now, you will have a head start on knowing how to do it when you get married.

There are many ways that you can encourage people, and some of them are as simple as doing the job your Mom asked you to the FIRST time she asks. Use your imagination and encourage people in your everyday life. (On a side note, did you know that simply living a Christian life can encourage others?)"

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

~K

Update:

Well as I mentioned a few post ago we were putting an offer in on a house about 3 hours from here, But the deal fell through. The owners weren't being very cooperative so we are still praying God will show us what he wants us to do.

Thanks for your prayers!
~K

Low expectations

So as you may know I have been reading Do hard things.

Today I was reading about low expectations that people have for teens. They quoted a education expert that said "Our current ceiling for students is really much closer to where the floor ought to be." YIKES!! That is rather scary!!

As I was reading I was thinking about a lot of low expectations that people have for teens. It was pretty scary!! Can you think of any? I would love to hear what you guys think up!!

~K

P.S. If you guys ever get the chance get Do hard things. It is REALLY good!