Hi! I’m Kelly.

My life goal is to convince as many people as possible that nothing compares to simply knowing Jesus!

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The Importance of Recognizing Loss for Adopted Children

Jun 5, 2019

Jun 5, 2019

Jun 5, 2019

The Tension in Our Hope

Mar 19, 2019

Mar 19, 2019

Mar 19, 2019

The Gift of a Friend's Rebuke

Feb 21, 2019

Feb 21, 2019

Feb 21, 2019

I'm Writing a Book

Jun 8, 2018

Jun 8, 2018

Jun 8, 2018

Connecting with God through the Word

May 1, 2018

May 1, 2018

May 1, 2018

Replicating Our Faith

Apr 24, 2018

Apr 24, 2018

Apr 24, 2018

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"The writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." - Ecclesiastes 12:12-13⠀
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This verse echoed in my ears frequently as I worked on Friendish. Writing it was so hard that I kept thinking, "at the end of the day, everyone has a Bible and that's all they need! Why work so hard on something that will one day find itself on the shelves of Half Price Books and in people's donation piles?"⠀
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But that question is exactly what the book of Ecclesiastes seeks to expose and diagnose. Yes, it is true, in 100 years, no one will be reading Friendish, and very few people will remember my name. But that shouldn't be the reason I write anyway!⠀
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My writing should be out of a fear of God and a desire to obey his commands. And if all that happens is a handful of people are helped and I am forgotten, then praise the Lord! I can find contentment and joy in the fact that I obeyed the Lord in what he gave me to do and that I was able to serve the people he had in mind for me to serve.⠀
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Our world pushes us to work for our own significance and our own reputation. And so when it seems our work won't be remembered or noticed, we can get discouraged. But the work God has for us today isn't meant to be done so that we can be remembered, but so that Christ can be remembered.⠀
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Whatever you have to do today, may you find joy in doing it out of reverence for the King of the Universe. May you find satisfaction in your work without any concern for if you will be noticed, remembered, or praised because your Heavenly Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you!⠀
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PS- I would highly recommend "Living Life Backward" by David Gibson if you want to learn more about Ecclesiastes!

I know it's never fun to discuss the ways we might be getting friendship wrong, but it's so important. Why? Because there are many counterfeits--ways of doing friendship that look good on the outside but at their core are missing the essence of friendship. And because real friendship is too precious to miss out on!⠀
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You can hear me discuss these things with @thegirlnamedblake on her podcast, Confessions of a Crappy Christian today! Head over to her page to find the link or search for my name in your podcast app.

I’m headed out today with my favorite people for a week long break at the beach! Woohoo for family vacation!
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For those of you who check into social media frequently, I’ve scheduled some posts to keep you updated on what’s going on as we move toward the release of Friendish as well as some posts to encourage you and spur you on as you seek the Lord in your life.
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My hope, in person or on social media, is always to convince you that knowing Jesus is a far superior joy to all others! That following Him and joyfully obeying his voice is where true life is found! Don’t we need the reminder often?!
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I may post a few pics on my story from our trip. If you think of it, please pray for rest and refreshment for our family and for good memory building with our kids!
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Grateful for you, friends!

“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”- Matthew 22:37-39
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We often reverse the order of these two commands. We spend our first and best energy fighting for good friendships and good marriages, fighting to love others well and find others to love us well.
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But we’re called to first fight to love God with all that we are. This is the first and great commandment. Only after we give our attention to loving God does it make sense to seek to love others well.
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Jesus has to be priority number 1. Above our jobs, our spouses, our kids, our friends, our neighbors.
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When we give our whole selves to loving God with all that we are, we’ll find that love for others comes much easier! Because love for God delivers us from selfishness and moves us to love others out of gratitude for how God has loved us!
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Keep the commandments in order. Love God first. Then consider how you can love your neighbor. The order matters.
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Friendish—available 8•27•19
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I've been reading through 1 Samuel and asking myself what I can learn from Saul, Israel's first king. For all he had going for him, his story is pretty tragic. There's one thing that has stuck out to me: his refusal to listen to God.
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Here's the thing... Saul *heard* God. He understood the words spoken to him. But he didn't heed them. He didn't act on them. He refused to let the words of God bring about changes in his activity and behavior. He didn't listen. Instead, the thing that governed his behavior was his own opinion of the situation and his tight-fisted grip to his rule and reign.
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I see this same dynamic at play in my kids. When I call to them saying, "Kids, please go make your beds," there's one sure-fire way to know if they are listening: if they move. It's all about the actions. If they remain undisturbed, still immersed in whatever activity they were doing, they are not listening. They may have heard my words. They may have understood them. But it's not until they move that I know they are listening.
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I'm praying that God will make me a good listener. That I wouldn't simply hear what God says, but I would act on it. I wouldn't remain in my slothfulness or self-centeredness or apathy, but that when he speaks, I jump up and move.
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“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." - 1 Samuel 15:22
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"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food." - Isaiah 55:2
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"And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!'" - Luke 9:35
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📸: @charityclaytonphotography

Joy, satisfaction, and delight are found in God! He is the fountain of living water, there is no other.
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“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” - Psalm 63:1-8
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Notice the verbs in David’s psalm are not good things he is doing for God. He is simply enjoying God and seeking to delight in Him!
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Seek him. Look to him. Behold him. Praise him. Remember him. Bless him. Meditate on him. Cling to him. He’s better than the best meal and richer than the best wine. True religion is to find all your joy and delight in knowing God through Christ his son.
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Where’s your joy? Where’s your delight? Is it in Jesus? If you don’t really want to seek God yet, then ask for thirst. Beg God to deepen your hunger for him. That’s one prayer he’s sure to answer.

By what standard do you evaluate things? Whose opinions are shaping your own?
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As Christians, we must make God’s word the the lens by which we evaluate everything else. It is the mirror that shows us our true selves and gives us the clarity of where change is truly needed.
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The world (especially the world of Instagram) tells us outward appearance matters supremely. What is visible to the eyes of others is to be your primary focus—your body, your stuff, your job, your money, your accomplishments.
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But in 1 Samuel 16, when a man walks in with everything right on the outside, God says, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
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The world prizes what is seen, God prizes what is unseen. So who’s opinion will matter most to us? Will we chase external goals that uplift us in the eyes of people or will we chase internal, hidden goals that uplift us in the eyes of God? If we’re not intentional about renewing our minds, we’ll live for the world every time.
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I don’t know about you, but it takes daily bible reading to keep me from drifting along in the current of the world. It takes daily exposure to God’s upside down kingdom through bible reading to remind me of what really matters.
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Here’s how my bible reading is renewing my mind lately:
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I don’t need to lose a few pounds for the summer, I need to shed the dead weight of vanity. I don’t need to impress others with my accomplishments, I need to be impressed by all Jesus has accomplished for me and boast in Him. I don’t need to increase my following, numbers, likes, or engagement, I need to pray that Jesus would gain more followers, even at my expense.
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Man looks at the outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart. Oh may our hearts be pleasing to the Lord. May the unseen character forming inside us glorify Jesus. May we not fall for the world’s trap that only what is seen matters. And may the Word of God be the lamp to our feet and light to our path.
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Keep the word in front of you, friends, and let it renew your mind each day!