In memory of Joe - A man that loved life.
Born February 22, 1957

Are You Waiting For The Clouds To Break Or The Sun To Shine

Kerrville Daily Times

February 17th, 2012

Kathleen Maxwell

 Where are you right now in your life? Are you in a difficult situation or a low spot? Are you trying to just keep your head above the water as the storm rages? Do you feel all alone and caught in the waves? You are not alone, trust me. I am 52 and don’t know much, but know there are seasons in all our lives that challenge us. It is just part of life here on earth.

     I recently came across a passage I memorized years ago when I was waiting for God to bring sunshine into my life again. The clouds seemed dark at the time and the storm seemed to rage for a while. Psalms 130 was chapter I hung on to  while I waited for the waves to subside. The good news is that  the sun did shine again in my life but it took a while for the clouds to break and dawn to come. In the time in between  was waiting...

     Psalms 130 begins with, “Out of the depths I cry to you O Lord; O Lord hear my voice. Let your ear be attentive to my cry for mercy.” (NIV) The Psalmist was in a dark place and I believe was verbally processing where he was, reminding God of his plight; like Almighty God didn’t know.  I am a verbal processor so I understand the conversation. He was reminding God that he was in a dark place and was waiting to see the kindness of God. I have had some of those same conversations with God myself; I just said it a little differently. My version went something like, “Seriously God, I don’t think I can make it much longer. I know you love me and are kind but I am tired.” I believe God loves it when we are honest with our feelings and tell him. He loves relationship with us just like I do with my three adult children. I love it when they share their hearts on a matter and tell me how they see things.

     Often times in adversity, people blame God or feel he is punishing them. Psalms130:3 is a reminder that God doesn’t hold our sins against us  when we confess them. I love The Message interruption of Psalms 130:3-4, “If you God kept records of wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshipped.” (The Message Bible) When I read this passage, I had to ask myself if I had a good habit of forgiving people. It was a good reminder to make it a habit, not an occasional event. Right there is the reason we all need to worship God more; simply because he does not hold our past against us. Whooo whoo! Do you daily thank God that He doesn’t hold your past against you? How do you treat those that have wronged you? Do you treat them with kindness or contempt? Do you hold the past against them?

     Psalms 130: 6 states, “My wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”  I feel the Psalmist is preaching to himself here. I do that a lot. In the stormy times we have the word to hang on to and we need to remind ourselves of the truth.  Wait in this passage is translated “to bind, to twist, to expect, to collect.”  In the waiting time we have the opportunity to bind ourselves to God, to develop faith as we we put our expectation in Him and collect things necessary for the next part of the journey. Waiting is a gathering time.

     Then the writer of Psalms reminds us to put our hope in the Lord for with Him is unfailing love and FULL redemption. What a promise to hang on to! Redemption means recovery, saving, or honoring. Sometimes the salvation in the storm comes as God guides us through the rain. Other times He rescues us. One thing is for sure, He is always loving us and right there. 

     The longer I walk with God, the more I am aware of His presence with me. His presence has become my security blanket and gives me confidence to step out and walk on the water. An awareness of God’s presence didn’t just come from reading the scripture. I had done that for years. It didn’t come from listening to a good sermon. I knew the verses and had them memorized. An awareness of His presence came as I waited on God, looked to Him to guide me through the storms of heartache, betrayal, disappointments. It came as I faced life altering illnesses with loved ones and as I put my hope in Him. An awareness of His unfailing love came as I poured out my heart in anguish in the depths of despair and wondering if I could survive. Sermons, memorizing, reading often don’t change us. It is as we take the word and apply it and develop an experience with God that the word becomes life and truth to us. Experience makes us rich when we learn from it. Our experience is invaluable. It makes us who we are and gives us authority.

     Isaiah 30:18 sums things up and declares that we are blessed when we wait on God. It says, “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion, For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!” ( NIV)

     Crying out to God, hanging on when we want to give up, reminding ourselves of truth , waiting on God’s redemption and putting our hope in Him is good for us. It strengthens us and enlarges us; therefore, our challenges become our opportunities to grow. The growth is often not easy but one day we will experience His full redemption of the situation. What do you need to do? Cry out, wait, make forgiveness a habit, preach to yourself or hope? Pick one and get started! Just do it... He is waiting on you. Are you just waiting or are you waiting on Him?

     

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

     

     

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait On God's Plan

Kerrville Daily Times Article

February 3rd, 2012

     For the last several months, my dad has asked me to write about waiting on God. Perhaps he thinks I will learn something new if I study the subject or thinks I need to practice waiting. I haven’t asked him but I decided I would embark on the subject. In some ways I don’t feel qualified to write about the subject although in other ways I feel l have much experience.

     I remember hearing that waiting is the condition that God allows  to prepare us for what He has to give us. It is also defined as the act of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens. Waiting is confident expectation of good. 

     Here in America we live in an instant microwave society. Most people don’t like waiting and yet I find in scripture God values patience and waiting. We look for the shortest line to get into at the store and frequently get upset if we have to wait longer than expected. God on the other hand, finds value in waiting. 

     Look at Abraham and Sarah. They waited many years for a son. I have to believe that Abraham developed into a mighty man of God in the waiting. God is too good to make Abraham wait for no reason. Abraham was noted as a man of great faith in Hebrews 11. 

      One might ask the question, “why on earth would God have us wait?” I believe the answer is found in Isaiah 40:31. It says, “But they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk, and will not faint.” The word wait is translated a little different than one might expect. Wait in this passage means to bind or twist; to stretch to be strong. Wow! When we wait on God, not just wait, we bind ourselves closer to him. Waiting stretches us to be stronger in our faith. Waiting produces endurance.

      There is a big difference in just  waiting and waiting on God. When our lives are committed to Him, waiting has a different meaning. The waiting has purpose and isn’t wasted time. That is good news for someone like me who hates to waste time.

     About twenty years ago, my late husband and I had been through a difficult time in our relationship. Working thru the obstacles took time, a lot of work and dedication to make our marriage work. I remember driving past a billboard during that season. The billboard said, “Good things come to those who wait.” I impatiently muttered to God, “I am tired of waiting.”  Months went by and my husband and I decided to renew our wedding vows. It was a sweet time of committing ourselves to one another again. As we traveled to another city for a honeymoon weekend we went past the billboard that I didn’t like. Instead of, “Good things come to those who wait” it said, “Wait no more.” I knew it was a new beginning for us and God was sending me a new message honoring the waiting time. 

     The time of waiting for God to heal our marriage strengthened our relationship. It was hard but it helped us work thru some things that hindered the closeness we longed for. The waiting time also made both of us cling to God or bind to him more. Delays are not denials. They are God’s way of developing determination or endurance. Psalms 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he will strengthen your heart. Wait, I say on the Lord.” (KJV) God would never tell us to do something if it wasn’t good for us. Waiting on God is good for us! 

      Waiting on God allows us the opportunity to rest.  Rest and waiting are not inactivity. Resting and waiting allows confidence to come. Rest provides strength and enables us to endure.Endurance is key in any race. Anyone can start a race but not as many finish strong.  Psalms 37:7 says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” God tells us how to wait...patiently. He desires that we develop patience because he is extremely patient. Far too many Christians focus on the power of God verses the character of God. He desires us to be like Him but often times that character is developed in the soil of adversity. How patient are you? Are you resting or fretting? Are you impatient in your waiting?

     David talked to himself in Psalms 62:5. “My soul, wait thou only upon
God; for my expectation is from him.” (KJV) How many times do we put our expectation in others or things? I know I am guilty of putting my expectation in others verses putting my expectation in God.

     God promises rewards when we wait on him. I love Isaiah 64:4 which says, “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear perceived or eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” We have promises waiting for us when we wait on God. Good things come to those who wait! We are in a win win situation when we wait. The question we all face is “who do you wait on and how do you wait?” Will you join me in waiting on God with confident expectation? I can’t wait to hear how you will be strengthened and what He will do for you! Let me know!

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

Who Will Catch You When You Take A Leap Of Faith?

Kathleen Maxwell

Kerrville Daily Times Article

Have you ever done something crazy? I recently got myself into a situation that made me wonder if I had lost my mind. My work colleagues and I went to a local camp for an afternoon of team building activities. After a few simple things, we went to a secluded spot to do the high ropes course. I am adventurous and a risk taker, but as I got to the top of a 30-foot pole and attempted to stand on a small platform, I began to wonder if I left my brain on the ground below. 

I had to remind myself this was one more thing I could check off my bucket list, and the worst that could happen is I could die and be with Jesus. Once I stood on the 2- by 4-foot platform, the next thing to do was to jump and catch a swinging bar. This part of the ropes course was called the Leap of Faith, and I concurred that it was appropriately named.

I am not afraid of much, but this was a stretch for this old girl. Attempting this was a real leap of faith for me in more ways than one and made me question my sanity. 

Shaking, I finally gathered the courage I needed to jump and reach for the swinging bar that was about 6 feet away. With a yellow helmet on and all this protective gear, my feet left the small platform, and my hands tried to grab the bar. … I missed it. Thankfully, only my pride was hurt. The ropes instructor and the rope kept me safe as I took this leap of faith, and I was slowly lowered to safety. 

The key here is I took the leap of faith.

As I stood on the ground, looked up and reflected on what I had just attempted, I was reminded of the scripture in Hebrews 11:6 which says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God …” (NIV) 

God clearly states that faith is a vital part of the life with God. Faith is defined as belief that does not rest on proof, complete trust or confidence in someone or God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (NIV)

I think God knew there would be very little in this world that we could count on. He knew we would need someone we could believe in and someone whose character would never change. God knew we would need someone secure to hang on to when nothing else made sense. The reality of life on earth is that there is risk in almost anything; therefore, we must be a people of faith. God highlighted people who trusted God in-spite of the odds that were against them. Hebrews 11 lists many people of faith. Some of these individuals faced incredible things but kept believing God no matter what. They believed in what they could not see, and God honored them.

Hebrews 11:13 says, “And these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised. They only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.”

We can conclude that real people of faith do not 

always get to see in this life the things they believe for. 

The key is that they keep trusting God and hang on to faith no matter what happens.

I know a woman whose grandson has been very ill for a long time. I know this family has been praying for healing for a long time and yet it hasn’t come yet. I recently told this woman how much I admired her because it is easy to believe when our prayers are answered and miracles happen. I honored her because I know, as a young widow, what it is like to fight with faith for those we love and still watch them suffer. Our faith is tested when we believe and prayers are not answered. Yet God still catches us and helps us when we take those leaps of faith, and it looks like we or God failed.  Again, faith is defined as belief that does not rest on proof. 

We often look for the end result of what we are praying for, and I believe we often miss what God is trying to teach us in the process. I know I have learned so much about God’s faithfulness and His ability to walk me through deep and dark valleys of watching those I love suffer and die. I don’t like hard times anymore than the next person, but I do know that my intimacy and dependency on God has increased as my faith has been tested. 

Faith makes us reach beyond our own ability. Faith pleases God. Faith makes life exciting, and I have yet to meet a person full of faith and full of fear. Fearful people need a serious upgrade in their faith because faith and fear are opposites. Fear intimidates and looks at what will not happen while faith looks for what can happen. 

Hope is a feeling of expectation while faith rests in complete confidence and trust. II Corinthians 1:24 says, “...for it is by faith you stand firm.” Our faith, complete confidence and trust, must be in the character of God. He always is faithful  and loving us. He will catch us, help us through our circumstances, as we look in faith to Him.

I love walking with God through life. Not all circumstances are joyful, but walking with Him is full of adventure. I never know what is around the corner, but I know He is with me. (Psalms 73:23) My faith rests in his faithfulness to see me through whatever is ahead. 

As crazy as it was to climb a 30 foot pole, stand on a very small platform and jump to a swinging bar, God reminded me that afternoon to simply take the next leap of faith. I might miss, but that is OK. I don’t know much, but I know Him and he will catch me. 

Where does your faith rest? Were your prayers not answered as you wanted but you are still walking with God and trusting in his faithfulness? If so, your faith pleases Him and He delights in you.

Family Pic last week

     The past several weeks have been filled with kids, dogs, fun, work and family. Laura, my sweet daughter-in-law lost her father. It was sudden and Bob Parsons will certainly be missed. It is hard to believe that both Austin and Laura have lost their dad's at such an early age. I have no doubt that God will use them in the days ahead to help others who have lost loved ones as they both have compassionate hearts.

     I loved having all  5 of my kids in for a few days. It was an incredible gift to me and I am so thankful. It was fun hearing them laugh, chat, and just being together. We shared a few breakfasts together and late night chats by the fire. For the time being, I have grand dogs instead of grandkids. I will wait patiently but in the mean time, it seemed like a zoo around here. Austin and Laura have a new Golden Retriever puppy named Finley and Mal and Rob have Jonah.
     Work has kept me quite busy recently as I am preparing my students for the workforce. Some days I feel I make great progress an other days I wonder. It is a very busy job. My 27 students and coworkers make it very interesting. I have had to work a lot of overtime recently. Pioneering something new isn't easy.

     Price is back at college and this is his "last first day of school picture." For years I made the kids pose for the first day of school pictures. This is the end of an era. I am so proud of Price as he will graduate in May. He has worked hard and done well. He is 6'4 and quite big. He hunted a good bit on his Christmas break and my freezer is full of deer.
          God continues to show me how dearly loved I am by Him and his faithfulness.   He is my security, my strength, the one who holds my hand as I step out daily and try to figure out how to live life alone. It has certainly been an adventure lately.

This is a strengthening season in my life and I have felt the Lord say "Dance with me thru the valley." Isaiah 42:1 and 16 have spoken to me lately. "Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen one in whom I delight....I will lead the blind by ways they have not known. Along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These things I will do. I will not forsake them." Yea God!

   Thirty one years ago today, I was in labor. Austin Maxwell entered the world on January 25, 1981. What a gift his life has been to me as well as many. Happy Happy Birthday Austin!

     I continue to work with helping Brad McCullough in his race for District 198 District Attorney. He is a great man and will represent our district well. Go Brad Go!

   

Are You Your Worst Enemy?

Kerrville Daily Times


January 5th,2012


Kathleen Maxwell


Faith Section Article 

Are You Your Worst Enemy?

 The year 2012 is here and with it comes a chance for new beginnings for each of us. What do you want to start fresh this year? I am very happy to see a new year with new opportunities.

Maybe you need to start over this year with a new attitude toward someone, or you need to start exercising more. Perhaps you need to be more disciplined in an area or quit complaining so much. Establishing anything new takes patience because there is a learning curve with new ways of living or establishing new habits. I have discovered there are a few components that help make starting over successful: Patience with oneself and others, a determination to press on, forgiving and forgetting.

To be successful at anything takes determination. I remember talking to my grandfather years ago, he had been married to my grandmother for more than 65 years. I asked him what their secret was to staying married so long. He said, “Just never quit.” That was simple but good advice. Most people fail at things because they quit too soon or get discouraged. Winners don’t quit and often times have to encourage themselves to press through. The book of Psalms is full of David encouraging himself as he attempts to battle discouragement. Psalms 42:5 says, “Why so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God.” David encouraged himself on days when you could tell he was tempted to quit.

Abraham Lincoln failed at a number of things before he was successful. He failed as a farmer, a shopkeeper, his first attempt at political office, a business man, his first attempt at Congress and the U.S. Senate. That could be a little discouraging, but our famous president was determined. He didn’t quit and pressed on with the things he knew he was meant to do. He also lost two children at young ages. That is a lot to overcome, but he kept pressing on.

Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. Beginning new habits or beginning again in anything, we need to face the reality that we are on a learning curve, which means we are likely to make some mistakes or even fail at our first attempt at something new. Sometimes we can get frustrated and mad at ourselves when we fail. This only leads to more turmoil within ourselves and robs us of peace. Jesus paid a great price for us to have peace but we often ignore the peace we could enjoy. We all want to do well in life, and many times I have seen in my own life I have a greater expectations of myself than I do others. 

One time, I remember someone saying to me, “Kathleen, the devil doesn’t have to bother attacking you, you attack yourself.” At first, I got mad at the statement and the person who said it, but it made me think. There was an element of truth to the words, and I had to admit it. Any time someone makes us mad, we need to ask ourselves if there is any element of truth in what they have said. It might not be “the truth,” but there might be an element of truth in their statement, otherwise we wouldn’t get mad. Pride often gets in the way.

I have seen many people act as judge and jury and punish themselves far worse than anyone else would, especially God. Scripture says, “When we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” 

God is not a God that keeps making us pay for our mistakes. Yes, there are consequences to our sin, but God is quick to forgive and forget when we come to Him with repentant hearts. If God forgives us, why do so many people refuse to forgive themselves and therefore, keep punishing themselves? There is rest for our souls and peace when we simply accept His gift of forgiveness. If you are lacking in rest and peace, you might consider forgiving others or yourself.

The beauty of a relationship with God is that His love and mercy are new every morning.  Fresh love and brand new mercy each day. What more could we want? 

Psalms 86 says, “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”(NIV)

Mercy is defined as a compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or someone subject to one’s power. How much mercy do you show yourself? Do you keep punishing yourself for your failures? What often happens is when we don’t like ourselves and don’t admit it and release ourselves from mistakes made, we often don’t extend mercy to others and are quick to find fault with them. To give mercy to others, first we have to receive it ourselves. 

Pressing on in establishing new things often begins with changing our mindset about the past. Way too many times we rehash and dwell on things in our past. Dwelling on negative things in our past keeps us stuck.

Philippians 3:13 says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

It is hard to put things behind us, to press on, and I find I sometimes have to ask God for help to do this. Philippians 4:8 is quick to say that we must keep our minds fixed on what is true, honorable, just, pure, winsome and gracious. These are all positive things, not negative. 

Philippians 4:9 says, “Practice what you have learned, and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living it, and the God of peace (of undisturbed well being) will be with you.” (AMP) 

We choose what our mind dwells on. Can you choose to forget the negative of last year? Can you choose to forget your failures? Can you forgive yourself as well as others? These are questions we must ask ourselves in order to embrace new opportunities and discover the wonderful things God has for us in 2012. Will you join me?

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