Navigating Change at Christmas

Navigating Change at Christmas, trusting God’s plan 

Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie

December 2015

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Last week marked the third anniversary of the death of my mom, and I began to ponder all the things that had changed in my life in the last few holiday seasons. Things look very different than they did a few years ago and with change, there always comes the period of transition, the in-between time, the time of letting go of the past and embracing the new. Change is often times a good thing, although it can also challenge us and, if we look at history, change has been around a long time.
I have encountered several recent changes in my life, family and work. The addition of my new husband, step children and grand babies was a wonderful change in our family. Although wonderful, it has been a time of adjustment and transition; we are all learning our new life together. Other changes I have experienced, or those I know have encountered, can also be challenging, such as changing or losing a job, a family member encounters a life-changing illness or gets cancer, losing a spouse, child or parent. Sometimes, we think we know the road map for our life, and God suddenly reveals that he has a different plan.
Think about Mary and Joseph. Those two young people had a huge shift in their plans and lives when God began to reveal to them they were chosen for a very special task in the world, to birth and raise Jesus. Here was a young couple, engaged to be married with dreams for their lives together, and suddenly they were told a very special baby was on its way, the son of God.
Luke 1 tells us that, at first, Mary is greatly troubled by the news and had questions. She did not have a grid or any understanding of the news she received, as no one else had been chosen to carry the Son of God. We can all learn from her ultimate response. Luke 1:38 recounts her response to the news with, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:46 states Mary’s response, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (NIV) When the unexpected came, Mary humbled herself, agreed with God’s plan even though she did not understand and worshiped God in her transition. I love that about her! She lived Proverbs 3:5 which states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will direct your path.” (NIV) She simply trusted God and his goodness.
Matthew 1 tells us Joseph first thought of ending the relationship with Mary, but after an angel appeared to him in a dream, and explained God’s plan, he changed his mind. Matthew 1:24 says, “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” (NIV)
Transition is defined as the process of changing from one state or condition to another. I have often felt like my own transitions make me feel upside down. God’s purpose in our lives is to conform us to his image. In our day-to-day walk, he wants us to be his representatives here on earth of his kindness, love, goodness, faithfulness and peace. He is all about changing us to be more like him and, often times, uses change or transition as a tool to shape us.We can tell from the Christmas story, that change might not seem like a good thing at first, but, ultimately, it can be our friend and birth something new in us, a better version of who we are, will affect the world around us. Mary and Joseph were chosen for special purposes. They embraced the plan and change, and simply trusted God.
Change has been around for more than 2,000 years and is here to stay. God is looking for people that will say “yes” to Him and make a difference in the world. What change has happened in your life since the last few holiday seasons? What change do you need to wrap your arms around? I wonder what special task God has chosen you for?
 I challenge you to have the same attitude as Mary and Joseph. Simply say “yes” to God’s plan, trust Him and grow from your changes. In that journey, our faith is upgraded, we can be conformed to God’s image, and we discover it’s a wonderful life.


Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie is a native to the Texas Hill Country, a writer and speaker. She is passionate about helping people discover their value and worth, and God’s love, You can reach her at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com or visit her blog at www.themaxwellminutes.blogspot.com.

BCFS Hill Country Resource Center Grand Opening

On December 4th was a great day! After working 4 long years on this project, the day finally arrived! It has been a 4 year pregnancy and the grand opening was all I had hoped it would be. I was hired by BCFS for this project in February 2012. Having a center in Kerrville that houses multiple nonprofits  that will share training rooms, computer lab, conference room and other common areas will be a great asset to a community I love. Currently, Art 2 Heart, Families & Literacy, New Hope Counseling, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hill Country Ministries, Goodwill and BCFS all are located in this 20,000 square foot building.
400 community members attended the event and the Tivy Band created a celebration atmosphere. For me, this has been a journey of walking with God to do something that was beyond my own ability and a journey of preserving. God is faithful and I'm thankful for His guidance to finish the project.

Grand Opening of BCFS Center- 

Board room

wonderful food!

Kathleen and Krista

computer lab utilized by all

ribbon cutting by major donors

CEO Kevin Dinnin

My sweet mother-in-law and step-daughter came to celebrate with me!

Getting ready for the big event!

Major donors

sharing the joy of the day with BCFS friends

Sue Tiemann and Kathleen

Overcoming Any Problem Begins with a Grateful Heart

Overcoming Any Problem Begins With A Grateful Heart

Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie

November 2015

copyright 

     Overcoming any problem begins with a grateful heart. Those are words to a song I heard 20 years ago. When I first heard them, I thought, “how could that be true?” I wasn’t convinced that the writer of the song knew what she was talking about so I began to check the words out against my problems. Sure enough, no matter what it was I was challenged with, I really did not begin overcoming the situation until I began to look at what I had to be thankful for in it. Now, thanksgiving is my “go to” starting place when challenged because I know it works.

      Thankfulness adjusts our attitude. Does anyone out there need an attitude adjustment?  I remember my mother telling me at times to adjust my attitude. She would do so with her hands on her hips which meant I better adjust it quickly. She would say, “Kathleen, get happy just like you got sad,” and it was said in a tone of voice that indicated she meant business.

      I Thessalonians 5:15 is our prescription for an attitude adjustment and just what Dr. God orders for His kids. It says, “Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) God is too good to tell us to do something and not provide what we need to do it. Our job is to obey and He will supply. Our job is also to ask Him for what we need and admit we cannot do it without Him.

     Sometimes overcoming begins with simply thanking God because He is good.            Psalms 107:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good and  his love endures forever.” When we can not think of anything to be thankful for, we can always start with thanking God for his love. No matter what we are going through, we can rest in the fact that we are loved by the creator of the universe. We may not always feel loved and actually be rejected by people, but nothing can separate us from God’s love for us. His love has comforted med on many a difficult day as I simply made the statement, “God I thank you that you are good and you love me.” Those words help me adjust my attitude and remind me of the truth. No matter what my circumstances, He is good and He loves me.

     Gratefulness is my quick access to the presence of God, especially on the difficult days. His presence is what comforts me, gives me hope, helps me and is my anchor. Some days I do better than others, but scripture says in Psalms 95:2 , “Come into his presence with thanksgiving...” (KJV) If you need more of His presence, try thanksgiving. It works for me.

       At times, my prayer will be like this; “God, I need your help. Your word says to give thanks in all things so I thank you for what I will learn in this situation. Thank you for the experience I will gain. Thank you for helping me through this.” God is faithful but often times we must wait on Him and trust Him.

    For example,  I do not believe God just gives us patience but He will help us to be patient and grow in this character trait.  As we grow in that character, we learn the benefit of trusting His timing. God does not just  give us long suffering, but He will help us endure difficult things if we look to him. I know this from personal experience as I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Anyone can quote a scripture or pass a written test, but character is developed in the soil of difficulties.

      Colossians 3:17 states how we are to conduct our lives. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  Thanks is an expression of gratitude and gratefulness. Thankful is an adjective that means pleased or relieved. How thankful are you? Do you have an overall feeling of being pleased and relieved? I personally could do better at being thankful.

      I know sometimes I have to simply pray, “God change my heart.” to develop an attitude of gratitude. According to this scripture, all our words,our job and actions should be done like we were doing it just for Jesus and with a beautiful attitude of thankfulness. 

           At the end of the day, all of us have plenty to be thankful for. James 1:17 says, 

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  All that we have that is good, is a gift from God. That is plenty to be thankful for.

     Thanksgiving is not just a season in November. God intends for it to be a lifestyle. He loves for His kids to be in His presence. Let’s start today. Will you join me in thanking Him more?

Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie is a native to the Texas Hill Country, a writer and speaker. She is passionate about helping people discover their value and worth and God’s love, You can reach her at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com or visit her blog at www.themaxwellminutes.blogspot.com

Need An Attitude Adjustment? Try Thankfulness

Need an attitude adjustment? Try thankfulness 

Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie

November 2015

With Thanksgiving approaching, November is a month when many focus on giving thanks. Why should we take time to be thankful? I believe there are several reasons. The Bible tells us to be thankful. The number one reason because God said so. That alone is reason to be thankful all the time, however, there is another reason. Thankfulness is good for us and good for those around us! There is power that comes into our lives when we are thankful. Power to adjust our attitude, power to focus on the good and the goodness of God and power to overcome difficult circumstances. 

As a little girl it would really make me mad when I would ask my dad why I needed to do something and his reply was, “because I said so.” Really what he meant to say was, “ because it is good for you.” I was one of those kids that wanted to understand things and I’m sure I annoyed my parents by asking why. I’m sure God sometimes wants to tell me, “because I said so or because it is good for you Kathleen.” After all, He is all knowing and our job is to trust him.

Psalm 100:4 encourages us to be thankful as it states, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” (NIV) Thankfulness opens our heart and gets brings our emotions and thinking into alignment. Think about it. How many people do you know that have said thank you with their arms folded? Not many...When we come to God with a thankful heart it opens us up to see all He has done for us that we might have missed. Thanksgiving makes God bigger than our problems or the things we face. It magnifies Him and His goodness.

Colossians 3:15 and 4:2 respectively state,“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (NIV)

I’ve seen the power of a thankful heart to change me personally. In my dark days of digging through grief, learning to live as a widow and caregiving for my ill, elderly parents, knowing their life span was short, it was easy to become weary and feel like life would always be painful. It was a difficult time, but God was also blessing me in some incredible ways. Realizing I needed to focus on the good in my life, I began to write down each evening something I was thankful for that day or had seen God do for me. In the beginning, I had to think about what to write but the more I looked for God’s goodness to me, the more I discovered. An attitude of gratitude began to change my heart and open my eyes. 

No, I did not thank God that I was living alone, was lonely and had a lot of responsibility, but I could thank him for holding my hand, leading me and comforting me as I cried. I could thank him that I still had my parents in my life and they called me each day. As my list of things that blessed my life each day grew, I began to see my heart change. Even though my circumstances did not change, life seemed easier.

Below is a psalm of thanksgiving I recently wrote:

Thank you Father for holding my right hand through the mountains and valleys of my life

Thank you God for being my constant friend and being with me all the time

Thank you for never leaving my side and comforting my heart

Thank you for helping me to see things from your perspective and the adventures we’ve shared

Thank you for your constant amazing love that provides such security

Thank you for the confidence that I have developed from this journey

Thank you that confidence and peace are established in my life and I now give those to others

I challenge you to develop a heart of thankfulness by either writing what you appreciate each day, verbally thanking God throughout the day and writing your own psalm of thanksgiving. Do it because He said so and you will empower yourself. I would love to see the hills alive with a community with a thankful heart!

Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie is a native to the Texas Hill Country, a writer and speaker. She is passionate about helping people discover their value and worth and God’s love, You can reach her at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com or visit her blog at www.themaxwellminutes.blogspot.com

Fear or Confidence-Which Will You Choose?

Fear of Confidence-Which Will You Choose?
Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie
Copyright
November 2015

Walking through my neighborhood this week, I noticed decorations for Halloween at various home. At one home, there were all these scary looking creatures. I began to think of how God wants us to be filled with faith and confidence, not fear as we walk through this world. 

     Fear is defined as: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. The feeling of anxiety about the outcome of something or the safety and well being of someone.  

     One thing is for sure, fear is tormenting. Fear is a thief and a robber of peace, joy and tranquility. I speak from experience and am thankful God has set me free from various fears and the bondage fear brings.

       There are many different kinds of fear. A few that I have struggled with in the past were a fear of death, fear of germs, fear of failure, and fear of the dark. I have found that many people struggle with the same fears that held me captive for years. I was good at justifying my fear, telling my self that one could never be too cautious. 

     One day I heard the words, “Fear is doubt  and unbelief and doubt and unbelief is not trusting God - that is sin.” At that moment, I knew I could no longer justify my fears. Whenever I was afraid, I began to acknowledge them as sin. God graciously began to set me free as I was faithful to repent and resist the temptation to walk in fear. Repentance is always our friend and is found on the path to freedom. 

     II Timothy 1:7 states, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” We can conclude from this passage that fear is a spirit and it is not from God; therefore, it is not our friend. There are times when I have simply said the words, “Fear go, you are not my friend.” As long as we coddle our fears, they will hang around. We must deal ruthlessly with them if we want to  get free. 

     I love Isaiah 41:10 which says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Many times I have pictured myself holding God’s hand and that gives me great courage. Dismayed means feelings of anxiety and consternation, usually by something unexpected. Have you ever had something unexpected happen? I have. 

     Proverbs 3:25 tells us, “Be not afraid of sudden fear....” Satan loves to make us feel scared because then we are intimidated. Intimidation has one goal; to scare us from even engaging in the battle. Goliath used intimidation on David but David did not bow to fear. He quickly strengthened himself by remembering how God helped him slay a bear and a lion. I love David’s faith in response to intimidation. He told the bellowing giant he would strike him down, cut off his head and give his carcasses to the birds! 

Now those are some faith filled words!

     Prior to a personal relationship with God I was terrified of dying. I had trouble sleeping at night for fear I might die. Once I accepted Jesus into my heart and repented of the fear, I was no longer afraid of dying. Knowing God personally, is the beginning of overcoming fear. Tell God you want a personal relationship with him. He will be delighted!

     The US Navy has a slogan that I think is a motto against any fears. “Life liberty and the pursuit of all who threaten it.” God wants us to enjoy life, our freedom and get rid of any fear that would threaten us. Fear is an enemy, not our friend. Do not let fear rob you anymore. There is power in your words, so tell fear to go.

     Freedom is waiting...what are you afraid of?

Kathleen Maxwell is a native of the Hill Country, educator, writer and speaker. She is passionate about helping others discover the joy of walking with God and their value. You can contact her at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com and on her blog www.themaxwellminutes.blogspot.com