October 27th Stephen and Kathleen's Wedding

The Great Exchange-Redemption

     One of the things I have discovered that God loves to do is redeem things in our lives. No matter what mess you have made, how bad things look, or how much you have lost, God is standing right beside you orchestrating redemption just for you.

     What is redemption or what does it mean to redeem something? The dictionary definition states, “to compensate for the faults or bad aspects of something, to save from evil or error, to gain or regain possession of something, to exchange something.” Our society does not use the word redeem much unless we are talking about coupons, but uses ‘exchange” instead. 

     What is it that you need for God to exchange for you? Think about it for a moment. What matters to you, matters to God. We live in a fallen world where life interrupts; sometimes suddenly, occasionally tragically, often times unexpectedly. I think that is why God is in the business of redeeming things just for us. He loves us too much to leave us in the place life drops us. Redemption is actually what he specializes in.

      So what do we do when life interrupts our plans and dreams? I have found by experience that we simply hang on to God. We wait for Him to work in our lives to redeem. This often times rubs the impatient the wrong way. As Americans, we are not good at even waiting in the line at the grocery store. But it is in those times of waiting that we get to experience the joy of holding His hand. Psalms 73:23 states, “Nevertheless, I will be with you, I hold you by the right hand.” (NIV) It is in that journey that we get to know Him better if we choose to not blame him.

     I have a personal story of redemption. A little over three years ago, I sat on the deck with my late husband, The conversation began with, “Kathleen, sit down, we need to talk.” I knew we needed to discuss some things neither one of us wanted to talk about but we had to. I sat at the end of the table, where he usually sat and took a deep breath.  Even in his physical weakness, due to a rare cancer,Joe was leading his family. “Things are not going the way we want them to. My life insurance policy is in the front desk in the file. When I am gone, call USAA and they will walk you thru the whole process,” he said. “You won’t have to worry about a thing.”  “They will help you,” he continued. My mind and body exhausted from caregiving and fighting for his life, was swimming with questions. I suddenly felt like I was in very deep water and the waves were way over my head. I found it hard to even breathe as my eyes filled with tears.

  Then he continued, “You are not made to live alone.” His eyes filled with tears and his voice began to crack. “I love you but want you to know, you have my permission to go on with your life and find someone else,” he struggled to say. I had to turn my face away. I did not want to hear those words anymore than he wanted to say them. We had  been friends, lovers, parents, and partners for 30 years. I could not imagine life with out him. I knew out of his great love for me, he was saying the words he never thought he would have to say but he wanted what was best for me. Joe took his last breath a few days later.

     Three very long and lonely years rolled by as I struggled to discover life without him. “How do you live when half of you is gone and your heart is broken,” I often thought. I have discovered, you live one day at a time holding his hand in the journey. Sometimes holding his hand for comfort, other times when fear knocks on the door and many times holding tight trying to find the joy in living again.

     So what does this have to do with redemption? This past weekend, I sat on the very same deck again, except with another man. We were laughing and enjoying the beautiful weather and both working on our wedding vows. As we finished writing we shared with each other the promises we were going to make to each other. All of a sudden, I remembered the day three years ago I sat in the very same spot in tears feeling like my life was over. The very place that had been so painful, was now a place of redemption. I thought how kind God was to redeem the place that had been so painful was now my place of new beginnings. 

     The journey has been a long and difficult one but my heart has expanded, gotten stronger and actually thrived holding His hand. God gave me a chance to experience His redemption. He has exchanged the thing I feared most as I have let go of my past life, for something new, good and full of fun and adventure.

My redheaded sons with their mom before the wedding-they walked me down the aile

      Psalms 107:1 states, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” Psalms 107:6-8 says, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.” I am not quoting this scripture. I have lived and experienced it and the experience has made me rich.

     Where are you right now in your life? Are you hanging on by a thread? Are you mad at God because of where this world has tossed you and you are blaming Him? Perhaps you just need your knees strengthened to stand and wait for Him to redeem. He will. I promise because He is faithful and good. Psalms 130 tells us to wait for him to exchange things for us and verse 7 states, “hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is FULL redemption.” (NIV)

     Life is not perfect for me still. In the 2 1/2 months I’ve been engaged, my dad has been hospitalized twice, a deer came out of no where and hit my car causing a wreck, work deadlines, wedding planning and a few hours ago I found out my aunt passed away. Life in this world continues to throw me curve balls but I am learning to hit the ball out of the park as I hold his hand to swing the bat. I have grown in my love for my redeemer, my friend Jesus. He is faithful. He is good and he is with me, helping me dance thru the valley into new life.

      Will you join me in moving to the rhythm of his song of redemption for your life? Listen, look and wait as he orchestrates your shattered dreams and interruptions. And as Jesus said in Luke 21:28, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (NIV)

     

Celebrating with my daughter

Kathleen is a native of the Hill Country and is a writer and speaker. She is passionate about helping people discover their value and worth. She can be heard on Sunday mornings from 8:00 am to 9:00 am on The REV FM, 94.3. Contact her at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com or visit her blog on www.themaxwellminutes.blogspot.com

Two Sides of the Coin of Grace

Two Sides of the Coin of Grace

Kerrville Daily Times Article

Kathleen Maxwell

October 23, 2012

God’s grace is something that has helped me thru many a hard days in my life. His grace is never rationed, in short supply or earned. It is always hanging around but sometimes it is hidden in plain sight because we do not understand it. Grace enables in a good way, anyone that will let it. So what is grace?

I think of grace like a coin. There are two sides to grace. It is a word that is often thrown around casually in many Christian circles but I have to wonder how many people that are Christians really understand it or access it. John 1:17 says, “ But the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth were given by Jesus Christ.” (NIV)

One side of the coin is defined as the free and unmerited favor of God on the undeserving or unmerited blessings. Grace is free and it is a gift from God. The truth is none of us deserve anything good, therefore, every good thing in our lives is simply a gift of grace. James 1:7 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father...” All that we have in our lives that is good is from God. That is really pretty humbling. As talented as some people are, at the end of the day, the talent comes from God’s favor in their lives. 

The other side of the coin can also be described as the desire and power to do what is right or what God tells us to do. It is the power to do something in and of ourselves we cannot do. God’s grace helps us.

Recently, I was reading in the book of Jonah and a scripture stood out to me. It says, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be their.” (NIV) When I read it, I had to reread it again and again. What a powerful and pointed scripture!  I had to ask myself, “What am I clinging to that is worthless? Am I forfeiting God’s grace in my life in anyway?” Then I had to ask myself, “do I have any worthless things I am hanging on to that I need to let go of?” I have had to chew on this and be honest with myself. The answer to these questions is unfortunately yes.

Idols are not just wooden or metal objects. I would call an idol something that we put before our love for God. It can be a person, relationship or even a spouse or child. Another idol can be a job or hobby. It can be an addiction, money or even a house or car. All of these things are good, but become an idol when we put them before our love and worship of God. An idol is anything that occupies our focus and keeps us stuck. Often times idols are deceptive. We do not realize something has become an idol until God reveals it to us. Jesus came to give us grace and truth. Ask him to reveal truth to you and show you any idols you may have. 

In my early years of marriage, I loved God, went to church, did what I thought was right and loved my husband. All of those things are good but I became deceived. I began to look to my husband to make me happy instead of God. A good day or bad day was determined by if we got along, he told me he loved me, told me I was pretty and gave me enough attention. Thankfully, God began to reveal to me that I had made my husband an idol and I repented. Scripture is clear that we are to find our joy and satisfaction in God. The beauty of the story was when I repented, made my relationship with God my focus instead of my husband, my marriage was better.

 “I just do not have grace for that,”  was a frequent comment I could be heard saying when I did not want to do something. The truth was, I did not access the grace I needed because I either did not have the faith or wanted my way instead of God’s way. 

I recently talked to a young man that was recovering from an  alcohol addiction. As he shared his story with me, I told him about the scripture in Jonah. He wholeheartedly agreed that alcohol and drugs were his idol and that he spent too much time forfeiting God’s grace to quit his addiction. 

When I think of the word forfeit, I think of not even showing up to play the game. Forfeit means we do not even try. Are you resisting the grace that could be yours? Are you not even showing up and asking God for his grace?

Another way we forfeit grace is in the area of forgiveness. I remember the fall day over twenty years ago that I showed up to the soccer field with my son to practice. Standing on my son’s practice field, was someone who had hurt me a great deal. I could not believe our kids were on the same team! I went back to my car muttering to myself, “I know there is grace for this, I just have to find it!” As I sat in the car and vented to God, I finally surrendered to him, began to remove my idol of unforgiveness and hurt and ask him to give me the grace (power) to forgive my offender. Notice that at that point I could not even forgive, but I began by choosing God’s ways removing my idol by asking him for the power to do something that I knew I could not do by myself. The good news is that today I am friends with my offender. His grace was sufficient when I was obedient.

 II Corinthians 12:9. It says, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in your weakness.”  It constantly reminds me that no matter what I face, His grace (power) is all I need. His grace walks with me and is like a shadow, it is always beside me. His grace grows in my weakness, therefore, my weakness is a good thing when I draw on Him.

I Peter 5:5 says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” This indicates that we need to humble ourselves instead of trying to do everything in our own strength. The next time you are challenged by a circumstance, do not forfeit the grace of God. Show up on his door step and ask for his help to lay down your idol. Do not let pride be your idol. I find that people that are not transparent with their lives and cannot admit when they are wrong have pride as an idol. Sometimes the most freeing words spoken are, “ I was wrong.” Too many times people are held captive by the thought that they are a mistake, instead of the fact that they are simply human and made a mistake. Do you need to say the freeing words, “I was wrong?” It does not indicate weakness but strength under control

God’s grace is waiting for you and me. His power to do what we cannot do ourselves is a tremendous gift. Do not waste the grace of God or forfeit His grace. His favor rises up to meet us daily and I am thankful that he is so good he does not give me what I deserve. Look at both sides of the coin of grace and spend it daily. Will you join me on the treasure hunt of discovering his incredible grace? Let me know what you find! I’d love to hear about your discovery.

Kathleen Maxwell is a native of the Hill Country, a social worker, 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

Birthdays, Wedding Countdown and a Wreck

What an amazing time the last few weeks have been. God has been teaching me much about hanging on to the grace he provides. There have been many opportunities I have had to seize His grace.

Work has been extremely demanding creating long hours. I enjoy helping others and believe in the project I am working on. I have had several speaking engagements as well as presentations for work so the schedule is challenging.

My dad had to go the the emergency room again last week with chest pains. He was sent home but nevertheless, it was another trip to the hospital. I think it is the 13th time in the last years. She and dad have been more dependent on me recently. Mom's illness if progressively affecting her mind. I have been over there several times a week in the evenings helping with various things.

Wedding planning has kept me quite busy. Stephen has a hunting business and dove season has kept me traveling to Uvalde to see him and riding in a pickup truck. If someone would have told me last year that I would be wedding planning in the hospital and in a pickup truck I would have wondered about them. It is coming together but it has been very busy. From planning table decorations to finding shoes it has been fun and has made my days long.
Stephen had a birthday on October 7th and I gave him a surprise birthday party. It was the first surprise birthday party he had ever had. I loved making his day special. Mallory turned 28 years old on the 7th too. She spent it with friends.

October 8th was the 3 year anniversary of losing Joe. This year was easier that the previous two years but there there were still waves reminding me of the loss. I couldn't help but think about God's faithfulness and how far he had brought all of us. That morning a deer ran out and hit me and did $3,000.00 damage to my car. I didn't even see it! The day wiped me...but I was over another hurdle!

Another door has opened for me to be on radio. I appear on a soft rock show on Sunday mornings at REV FM 94.3 The show is called "A Dose of the Ghost" and I was asked to share "A Maxwell Minute" several times in the hour.

You Are Called to a Supernatural Lifestyle Above the Clouds (c)
 by Kathleen Maxwell

You and I are called and equipped to live a  supernatural lifestyle. Yes, believe it or not, we are not to lead normal lives. Normal is gone when you walk with God. I’ve learned that I have traded normal for supernatural. I did not just wake up one morning and discover that. I’ve discovered the supernatural life I am to lead as I have faced difficult circumstances, trials, conflict, misunderstanding, disappointments and being determined to discover what God is up to in those situations. How about you? Have you encountered any of the above mentioned things lately? How did you handle them? Did you waste the opportunity  to grow?

The word supernatural is defined as -above our circumstances, above natural or to exist above and beyond nature. We have a God given right to  rise above our circumstances and paint a picture above the clouds or storms of life. Jesus rose above the storm in Matthew 14 and even called Peter, an average guy, to do the impossible. What are you facing right now that seems impossible? Perhaps it is staying with in a difficult marriage. Maybe it is dealing with a difficult coworker. It could be letting go of a love one. I know at times I have said to myself or someone else, “I just can’t do this.” The truth is, I can’t but when there is a greater dependency on God, I can. The key is dependency.

It has been my experience that God doesn’t ask us to do things we can do, he usually requires us to do something beyond ourselves so we develop a dependance on him. It is a dependance that turns us to a better outcome that we have the privilege of experiencing with Him than without Him. Often times in our society, dependance has a bad connotation. Dependance also  means a resting with reliance and trust. I like that definition. When life happens, who do  you depend on? If our dependance is rooted in anything but God, we will always live life under the cloud and be tossed by our circumstances. Stress and anxiety will dominate our life. Do you rest with reliance and trust? Why would God want our dependency and trust?When I was raising my children, they were dependent on my late husband and me for what they needed. This dependency created numerous conversations with us. The conversation usually started with, “I need money, I need new tennis shoes, I need you to take me here, I need you to do this for me.” This created questions on our part. “What do you need the money for, how much do you need, will that be enough, or you need to consider something else son.” Or maybe the conversation sounded like this, “Why do you need me to do this for you? You can do it! I know you can and I will be right here with you cheering you on.” Their dependency created conversation and usually more questions. 

Throughout the Bible there are numerous questions Jesus asked his disciples and those he walked with. He loves our questions and loves relationship with us. He is never too busy to listen but  as in any healthy relationship, our conversation needs to go both ways. Sometimes we listen, sometimes we talk. Do you listen or just talk to God? He loves your heart and loves to share his with you.The key is learning to listen for his voice.

In early July, I was in church one Sunday and I felt the Lord speak to me in quite way. I felt him say, “Kathleen, things are going to happen fast, but I am in them.” I wrote those words in my journal. About 15 minutes later, someone spoke in our church and said, “God is doing some things and is doing them fast. Be prepared.”Sometimes he speaks in a whisper and other times he speaks a little louder. I began to ask God questions about what he meant. I make time to sit and just be with him. It was a discipline at first but now I can’t do without just simply sitting and listening. I would wager to say, this is not normal for a Type A personality. But those conversations with him, steady my heart and help me to be supernatural or live life above the stress or clouds of life. Things have happened at a fast pace in numerous ways for me but because of those words, I can rest knowing God is with me and is developing me when life seems uncertain, stressful or fast.

I was talking to someone the other day, and the woman made the comment that she was so stressed out. I have had my share of stressful situations and life will be stressful if we live in our circumstances. God sent Jesus so we can find joy in life not matter what is thrown at us. The Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6: 10 says, “On earth as it is in heaven.” There is no stress in heaven, therefore, when we walk to the rhythm of thanking him, praying and then resting because we have left our problems with him, we learn to live life above the cloud. We live a supernatural life. 

I John 4:17 says, “ ...as he is, so are we in this world.” There are plenty of people that lead stressed out lives. They are everywhere. I want to be someone that is known for living a life of joy and peace. Jesus paid a great price for me to do that. I owe it to him to be responsible for my own development in not letting circumstances steal my joy and peace. This means I have to discipline myself to step back and live from the inside out. What about you? Do you need to discipline yourself a little more? Do you live in your circumstances preoccupied with the problem or step back into Christ in you and be at peace?

You and I are called to reveal to those around us who God really is. Our actions should speak even louder than our words. We are are not called to lead normal lives but supernatural lives. His promises, words, and our confidence in who God is should lift us above the clouds of life. Too many times, crisis happens and we are reacting and calling his promises down into our circumstances instead of living in the promises, living the Word of God and standing in confidence because we know Him well. 

Have you ever even asked Christ to come into your heart and forgive you? It is the beginning of relationship with Him. Do you need to get to know him better? Do you need to walk with Him more and listen intently? He adores you just the way you are! Will you join me in painting a beautiful picture above the clouds of your life? 

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.

     

What Happened to Normal and Goodness?

What Happened to Normal and Goodness?

Kerrville Daily Times Article

September 6,2012

    

  My last few years as a widow, I have had to find a new normal. Normal as I knew it left my life the day my husband was diagnosed with a rare cancer. I would not even begin to say that my life is normal now that almost three years have gone by, but I will say I am discovering that a life with God is not really normal as we define it either. God marches to the beat of his own drum and that melody is found in scripture. Normal for him is to pour out goodness on the biggest sinner. Normal for him is to always love no matter what. Abundant goodness and rich in love are part of his everyday life on heaven and on earth. That lets me know, I need to adjust my thinking and trade what pieces of normal I have, and make it my new normal.

Our last family picture- 3 years ago

      God does not ration his goodness. He is not reluctant to bless you. Over and over again in scripture it states that He is good and his goodness will follow us all the days of my life. For me that means I need to look for His goodness. Psalms 118:29 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his loves endures forever.” Psalms 119:68 says, “ You are good and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.” Sometimes those words are hard to swallow as we try to make sense of life’s difficulties and disappointments. What I find is, the jewels are found in the waiting and persevering. We can give thanks because we know that no matter what, we are loved and valued. We can give thanks because he will work it together for our good. It may not always feel like it in the midsts of life’s turmoil, but we must keep looking for the silver lining and trust God. I find that too many people, quit trusting and quit looking for how God is going to work things together for their good. I know I have struggled with this personally in several situation and have had to discipline myself to hang in there. Good things come to those who wait.

   

     One of my favorite scriptures is Romans 2:4  “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness (goodness), tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? Think about that for a minute...Normally in our society, when someone does something wrong and needs to repent of their wrong, we normally do not think of how good we can be to them. God says, let’s pour out more goodness and let that convict them, leading them to wanting to repent. I will have to say, I have not always felt like being good and kind to those that are not that way to me. If I live in those feelings, they can lead me on a wrong path. God’s ways are so much higher than mine and his work. My ways do not always work, and therefore, I must submit to his ways. Normal to pour out kindness and goodness? It’s normal for God so I guess we need to learn a new normal.

    What do we do when someone takes advantage of us? Normal to God is found in Romans 12: 19-21. “Do not take revenge, my friends but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, say the Lord, On the contrary, “ If our enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this,will  heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (NIV) 

We frequently have seen in our society, evil ways and evil things invading our nation’s families, politics, businesses, and even churches. Evil is around us, like it or not.What if that is because we really believe God is on a budget and we keep His goodness for ourselves instead of giving it away? God pours out his goodness on us all the time. I believe we often just don’t realize it. Often times we feel that God is reluctant to bless us and that is just not true. What if we became a community that poured out our financial resources, our time, our energy to help those that have broken the law, have unkept neighborhoods, are irresponsible and don’t know God? Normal in our society is to criticize and judge those that have messed up in life. I know because I have been guilty of judgement and have had to repent. I believe we are called to live above the norm and bless and bless again those that struggle in life. We really are not called to live a normal life when we walk with God.

     There was a time in my life when I really felt misunderstood by someone. They totally misinterpreted my actions and words. It hurt my heart that their communication was harsh, judgmental, and that they withdrew their love and support in a time I needed it the most. My challenge was/is how am I going to respond? Withdraw myself? Continue being kind and walk in love? Love is a choice,so is kindness and forgiveness. I have to believe that God is working it for my good, teaching me many things, and I am growing to become like Him. Has it been easy? No. Will I one day see his goodness to me in this situation? Yes, I have and will continue to  believe his word and hold on to the promise.

Dove Hunting- my new normal

     I think we have a world around us that is longing to see God as he really is. He is good, he is for us, he is with us and therefore, we can be full of joy, peace, kindness, and his goodness. What if God wants to use you and me to reveal his mercy and love to another? Can you say yes even when it is hard?

       In crisis, the most important thing people look for is love. Think about how much hugging there is at funerals. Remember when you’ve met a friend at the hospital after an accident. In our society, we usually hug the person to affirm our love and that we care. We need the goodness, understanding and compassion to help us thru the crisis. When we don’t see that or experience it, the lack of goodness, compassion and love makes the crisis harder to go thru.  God always is abundant in goodness towards  us. That is the very reason he sent Jesus. To pour out His goodness upon mankind and bring restoration. Goodness is at the core of who God is. If you haven’t asked God to come into your life  and forgive you, you can do so right now. He is waiting to pour out his goodness on you.

     Will you join me in letting God mold you and shape you? Will you be the one to pour out a kind word or goodness to someone who has not valued you or dishonored you? All of mankind is waiting for the sons and daughters of God to be revealed. You could be the next one God wants to use!

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