Gifts That Don't Go Under the Tree

God bestows to each of us personal keys to unlock the door of life. 

These keys in other words can be called gifts. Each person has a unique talent; whether it be creating food or a crochet project. Both are quite differing from each other and have such contrasting results, however, both stand as endowments from our Lord Father. 

We are also granted multiple gifts sent in abundance from God. One may have the talent of playing an instrument, but also have an expertise in knitting. 

Our skills should be in use to display the Lord’s power. Often people are wondering what their gifts are, and live life without finding them. Using your gifts helps you find a purpose in life. You see that God created you, and you are an element of the body of Christ. Each segment serves a purpose, and everyone is an essential member. 

"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;  if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach"

Romans 12:4-7

The Essential Interpretation

Christmas is a perfect example of how people defile the real purpose of something that is Christ based. This holiday is a celebration of the Son's arrival to save this damaged world. 

We steal the holiday and makes it all about gifts. You would be seen as a bit odd if your central purpose of enjoying the festivities wasn't all about presents and food.

Glorify the true essential meaning of the season, Christ coming down and saving us from death.

P.S. I wouldn't complain if I received a Garfield mug from someone. :-)

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: 

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, 

and shall call His name Immanuel."

Isaiah 7:14

"For unto us a Child is born, 

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6

"...behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.'

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which translated, 'God with us.'"

Matthew 1:20-23

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'"

John 8:12

A Jolly Giggle a Day Keeps Depression Away.

A good jolly laugh beats out any pain pill. God provides us silly little antidotes to assist us over the pot holes of life.  

One of the many great comedic outlets given to us from our Lord is Garfield! 

If that doesn't help you, there is always Moxy and Poe for you to visit.

"A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones."

Proverbs 17:22

Whisk Away Your Worries

Got yourself in a kerfuffle? Merely whisk away your worries with baking!

Coffee Cake Muffins
From Martha Stewart, with our own edits.

For the Muffin

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

For the Streusel Topping

• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1. Prepare streusel topping: in a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles large coarse crumbs; refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffins: butter and flour a jumbo 12 cup muffin tin (or two 6 cup muffin tins). In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. With mixer on low, beat flour mixture into butter mixture.
4. Divide half the batter among prepared muffin cups. Top with half the streusel mixture, then remaining batter, and top with streusel. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Varying Personalities

"Doppleganger: a ghostly double of a living person that haunts its living counterpart." *

Being your own doppleganger is a characteristic you should avoid at all costs. 

A Tom cat looks in the mirror and sees himself. He proceeds to step outside acting like a dog, carousing about searching for something to chase. Quite the contrary persona of a typical cat who just likes to eat and sleep.

This can be applied to one's Christian life. One can insinuate being a follower of Christ on a Sunday, however the rest of the week was spent carousing about. 

The idea of doing whatever sinful desire you want as long as your going to church is ok does not stand strong to Biblical standards. You should be feeding on the God's nature consistently; going to church once a week makes a weak Christian.

If you look in the mirror there shouldn't be a doppleganger, there should be only a single person before you. 

For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

Galatians 5:17

*Source: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/doppelganger

Livin' Life on a Whim

A Cat's and Christian's personalities oppose each other drastically.

The Christian persona is more as a fish or a whale, completely surrounded by water; just as we are called to swim profusely in the Biblical Word.

The feline changes his mind on a whim. For the cat will love siting on your lap, until it hears the snap of the food being delivered into their dish.

So just keep swimming in the Bible!

Servants of God

Discombobulated with day-to-day worries of life? 

There is a single route to terry to mend our daily struggles. To distract ourselves from worldly woes, we must become servants of Christ.

We are instructed by the written word of God to become stewards of His creation. When we focus more profusely on others, not so driven by ourselves, it brings joy (the antithesis of self-inflicted misery) to our lives.

Colossians 1:9-12 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might,  so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”

Gracias Pastor Bob Grenier for supplying me these uplifting ideas!

Turn on Life

Depart surviving mode and switch on thriving mode. 

Just as you use the remote control to decide what you are watching by tapping the channel button, you can also change your life into the upright mode and levy against the easy monotonous world.

We should always be on the road of thriving with Jesus. To arrive at this destination we need to be consistently in Christ every day, every hour, every minute. He will install the fruits of the spirit inside you.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."

Galatians 5:22-23

A way to thrive in life is to bear fruit from your daily life. Not buying an apple or an orange or berry (wouldn’t that make a great smoothie), but dedicate yourself into applying these characteristics.

The only way for you to be able to flourish is to put your eyes forward on Jesus Christ.

That merely means you will have to settle with existing in a peculiar viewpoint according to the world. You must be willing to be set apart for the Creator.

So therefore to live long and prosper on a day-to-day life, you must exist with the fruits of the spirit.

image via: http://www.photos-public-domain.com/2010/12/09/vulcan-hand-sign/

The Hidden Silver Linings of Carrots

Sow a thought, reap a habit

Sow a habit, reap a character

Sow a character, reap a destiny

(annonomus author from Bible Study)

Well isn’t that a fact. Your thoughts always transfigure your mind to uplifting actions. It translates all your attention to a more superb quality; not such a downward outlook on life. 

An example of this position would be looking at a carrot and instantly thinking it rather dull for dining, therefore when you eat it you find it quite unappetizing. 

Instead of looking at a carrot with a lackluster attitude, gaze at it saying, "Wooo, carrot! I can dip it in ranch!"

One can view at something with either a bitter perspective or finding the proper condiment to spice it up.

Two Hands are Overrated

I’m perpetually faced with my thoughts drifting from either everything is marvelous or (more abundantly) life is just way to hard.

Everyone else has it easy; such as cracking an egg with two hands.

However, I have discovered a technique to crack open one with a single hand.

And to boot, homegrown eggs!  

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, 

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Concerning the Matter of Jobs and Dogs

Jobs and dogs are perpetually changing; one moment you got a Pug, the next a German Shepherd. 

One thing that never changes while the sun is up or down is our oh so strong Father of Jesus Christ.  He endeavors past these unstable items; which seem rather insipid in comparison to our unwavering Lord. 

"The grass withers, the flowers fades,

but the word of our God stands forever."

Isaiah 40:8

"Of old you laid the earth's foundations:
the heavens are the work of your hands.
They perish, but you remain;
they all wear out like a garment;
Like clothing you change them and they are changed,
but you are the same, your years have no end."
Psalm 102:26-28

The Marriage Between Hupomone and Faith

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

Hupomone means to remain under God in trials and consistently having faith in the Lord in rough times. 

Or in other words, patience from a human's point of view. 

As a walnut stays in its shell until it is abruptly cracked open, we will never sincerely experience hupomone until we are fully broken apart by a trial.

Without faith during difficulties, there is no access to one's hupomone. These two traits play off of each other; they are matched because you can't say "everything is in God's hands" with out having some form of confidence in Jesus.

Keep retaining faith and endurance under pressure; we are going to make it in this world with the aid of the Abba Father if we hold onto these qualities. 

Once we grasp these attributes, hupomone can be extended to our everyday life; learning to depend on God consistently.

Nothing in this wold will stop us with God supplying us strength. We need to direct our eyes upwards with an inward knowledge that the Lord will help us persevere through all this life. 

Once we devote our daily lives to God in any situation, then we can truly find a sense of hupomone.   

A Path Towards Love

Love. 

The first route to go down to insinuate this trait would be to have faith. Without faith, there is no purpose in life to grasp, and you find yourself consistently pondering the question"why". 

Yet, when life is accompanied by faith the question transforms into "how". How can I endeavor to translate my everyday breath to be for more of a point?  

As we observe this monotonous world, we need to breath instead of searching for a temporary inhaler. If we keep on trying to please man, the result is only frustration. For the single source of happiness is not complete vanity, but is for our Heavenly Father. 

To display love, one needs to grow the root of faith. Both are received from Lord. 

"We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Thessalonians 1:3

A Fork in the Road

Residing in our brains there lives two entry doors. 

The first opens with a welcome sign; for there is rest in the Lord's path. 

The second is closed saying, "scat like a cat, you're not welcome!" It seems it would be logical that we should not be drawn to this wallowing passage. However, the devil is alluring; he intrigues us with this door, even if it stands with a knowledge that we should not proceed down such an avenue.  

We need to scurry up the Heavenly Father’s road, for it bestows a steadiness and the characteristics of the fruits of the spirit. When life revolves around God, and you hear and obey His calling, these qualities will abound. 

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry[...] and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:19-23

Find Your Lantern

What is faith? 

It's easily described as trusting in the Lord; continually or in other terms illuminating Jesus in every situation. Trusting that the powerful Creator is consistently residing in us. 

For if He is our lantern, nothing in this man filled world will snuff out your flame. 

Sure it may seem a bit unorthodox, however, if you find yourself in a kerfuffle merely put your trust in God’s hands. 

His strength will suffice past this crumbling world.

This is where the concept of faith envelops oneself. When applied to the cryptic persona of everyday life, one can truly walk the Christian road in hope. 

This carnal world will soon dissolve, however, there is something that stands to be worth while, that is the faith in our Heavenly Father.

"For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, 

a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, 

just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith'."

Romans 1:17

...and the Whale Jumps Over the Moon

A whale briskly riffles over the moon, 

this occurance is seen as less then likely to be perceived 

but a Being who can impart this incredible situation, 

is the One who by Himself produced this entire world;

 people and all our Lord creator of all 

He can have this whale, let's think of Shamu, 

jump over the moon while HIS eyes are closed. 

Don't get in a kerfuffle, 

that you can't get a whale to get out of the water

and jump over the moon;

that rests in God's hands.

"For nothing will be impossible with God."

Luke 1:37

I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy...

You can observe the core characteristics in people by watching their personality. Look at their sense of humor, whether or not they can prosper with merriment. Knowing how to relish witnessing life; enjoying it in precise order or even with an opposing strategy of going with the flow.

Not having the gesture of sadness or anger, for they figure out how to carry on living with their inadequacy. Whether it’s cloudy or warm, this sense is first established with the initial root from which all things are fashioned, that root is Christ Jesus our Lord.

"I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy

Down in my heart

Down in my heart - Where

Down in my heart

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy

Down in my heart

Down in my heart to stay

And I'm so happy

So very happy

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart

And I'm so happy

So very happy

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart"

I've Got the Joy

by George Willis Cooke

Spectacles

"I pray that the 'eyes of you heart' May be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people." 

Ephesians 1:18

Kathyism: Sometimes I am under the impression my heart needs some good spectacles.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Observe a way to obtain the concept of happiness. 

The first strategy is having a piece of cake; consuming it only leads to a brief a moment of felicity in complete vain. Or you could step outside to water your garden and carry on to mistakenly step on a goat head. A clumsy step on a sharp sticker changes the brief feeling of joviality into deep melancholy. 

Therefore, this short supply of prosperity is a bit futile. 

However, the second concept of contentment is attained from the ever living Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord. Who was ever gracious to come down from the peaceful place of heaven to this ever stressful place called earth, where the people of the world carried on to crucify Him. 

This is why these two perceptions of bliss vary. If you take the delightfulness of savoring a cake, it will easily drift away. However, if you enjoy the everlasting satisfaction in Christ, it will not be so flimsy. 

When a little trouble takes place, such as stepping on a goat head, your exuberance with Christ is still living. For a thorny sticker may sting very little, the facts still show that Jesus came down, was beaten and torn to pieces, but continued to take a place on the cross for our wrong doings. A gift none of us fully deserve but still are lucky enough to obtain. 

So even though we cannot find true happiness in cake, put a grin on, grab a fork, and dine on the tasty treat!

The Squalls of Life

Observe the benefits from a storm.

The first example is shown through a brisk garden of daises. A gardener cannot just squander away time by merely standing in place with a hose, perpetually supplying the flowers with water. They would soon drown due to overconsumption. However, take a storm which produces rain, placing ever needed water in the garden by not over endulging the flowers. Merely donating enough, not to kill the plant.

The second benefit from a storm would be from a human’s eyes. If you put a storm in life occasionally, like change occurring left and right, by nature people don’t know which way is up or down. Therefore we are supplied with an onipitent Lord who has turned the cloudy routes of life to have grand new spectacles in those situations  He makes you able to go through. He turns on the light in a foggy day.

"For you have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a rain storm against a wall."

Isaiah 25:4

Live Long and Prosper in Christ

Grin and bear it with the two necessities of life at hand.

The two necessities are double C’s; one being Christ, the other one (not as essential as Christ) is a nice cup of coffee. You can use the latter as an assistant for really getting engulfed with the former.  

Therefore, coffee is a helping hand into really getting quite enticed about the other C. If you travel with those two reinforcements in life, and merely leaning on Christ’s shoulder through all times, life is not that difficult. 

And to boot, if you need something more that you can touch and play with get a pug (that will never be an incorrect choice in life).

Use the force of coffee to get to Christ, carrying on to being able to live long and prosper...and if you're just not that kool enough to know what im reffering to, it comes from Star Wars and Star Trek. ;-)

Colassians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.

Take that verse and don't allow yourself to be caught up with worldly accoutrements; such as clothes or even friends (pish posh). Just get intrigued by the main morsel of life that will never say "hasta la vista", that piece of life is Christ or creator of all.

Therefore, if you have Christ you can't be utterly misled by the ever changing world.

The Whale's Tale

Life is but a whale's tale; consistently going up and then proceeding down. Every time water ascends then cascades, it still surrounds the whale. 

Exactly like water for the whale's tale, Christ is always there during our tale. Whether meandering up or when the story rockets down, He is with us.

Less Physical, More Abounding Spirituality

What would we do without braces?

Whether it be an arm, a leg, a knee, or even teeth; they are set to align something. 

Then hallelujah, they come off!

However, there is one more serious accoutrement that is never removed. It doesn't hurt, quite the opposite, it helps you tolerate certain situations in life while replenishing you with hope and joy. 

Doesn’t sound like a brace does it? 

Ask yourself what is your divine support? The answer should be the Lord God.  

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

1 Peter 4:12-13

Spiritual bearings do not hurt as physical one do. Nonetheless, they both work together to uncoil out your life. 

The Author of Our Book

Instead of "hats off", I will write "bow tie tied" to Pastor Mike for inspiring this Kathyosophy. 

Don’t ask the question to God, "Why me?" In contrast ask, "why not me?"

With the Lord’s authority, that is the proper way to grasp His footing during crummy situations. Just think about it, the Almighty obviously has undying strength. 

Look at each piece of life; everything was created by the Creator. So logically that makes sense to clutch onto His strength; there is a well planned intent for writing each one of our books.

Spiritual Tug-O-War

Watch over your heart with all diligence,  for from it flows the springs of life.   Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Proverbs 4:23-24

Sarcasm?

Look at the world and how it not only promotes a certain lifestyle of sarcasm, jesting, satire and angry venting, yet also makes a tremendous profit from step by step drifting from a Biblical lifestyle.

Meander through a store and turn your head right and left; products subtle and not so subtly play a spiritual game of tug-o-war.

Christians are not even aware that they are being pulled away from a lifestyle taught in the Bible.

Consumers are exposed to ranting journals, t-shirts encouraging sarcasm, and the list continues with products seemingly innocent and admittedly funny...but at the same time not spiritually correct....

Hence the term spiritual tug-of-war.

Now excuse me while I transform my "Why People Annoy Me" and"Ranting" journals into a "Be Thankful" notebook.