You Are Special -You Are Important and You Are Loved

Community Journal Article

February 12th 2014

Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie

Working from my computer trying to finish a grant, Becca, a three year old, came and stood right beside me. I was working from home, due to the ice, and the bright eyed little girl came with her mom, who was working on a project at my house. As she stood there watching me, I stopped and hugged her and said, “Always remember Becca, you are special, you are important and you are loved. Can you say that?” I asked. She repeated with me as best she could but some of those words were hard to get out, “I am special, I am important and I am loved.” She beamed as she finished. 

I wanted to seize the moment with her and plant some seeds of truth in her life about how God feels about her. Actually, that is how he feels about each one of us. Deuteronomy 7:6 states, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” (NIV) You are special, do not ever forget it! Each of us can choose to believe this but we need to take the next step and act like we are special to the Lord. Our belief system shapes our actions. Acting like we are special to the Lord shows that we really understand God’s love for us. Do you see yourself as special to the Lord?

Your life matters to others and the kingdom of God. Each of us has a responsibility to keep growing in our character and understanding of the important role God has called us to. Everyone matters and no one is discounted. I Corinthians 12: 18 tells us, “ But God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He has desired.” (NIV) Each of us has important talents. Do not try to be like someone else; be who God made you to be. You are shaped and designed by Him for important purposes. Do you see yourself as important and live your life like you are important? 

When Becca began to say, “I am loved,” she stumbled over the words. They were hard to get out of her mouth. Becca is not alone. For a long time in my life, I struggled with feeling loved by God. Believing God loves us is an act of faith. Galatians 5: 6 says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (NIV). God has demonstrated His love for us in so many different ways. By faith, each of us must receive that love from Him. Once we believe we are loved by Him, just the way we are, regardless of our faults, then we need to take the step of  truly living our lives as His much loved children. There are other ways to see this scripture and often times we have people in our lives that are difficult to love and it takes faith in God to love them.

Jeremiah 31:3 states, “I have loved you with an everlasting love and with loving kindness I have drawn you.” (NIV)  God’s love is built to last, will not give up on you and will continue to draw you. Ask Him to show you that love.

In John 15:9  Jesus shows us His love and challenges us. “ As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”  We are told to live as His much loved kids. We are commanded to remain  or sit and stay in His love. That means to me we are to constantly move throughout our day in an awareness of His love for us.

I challenge you to repeat these words to yourself this week. You are special, you are important and you are loved.

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

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Flu, Sinus and Loving Life

Between the flu and then a sinus infection, blogging has not been tops on my list...I have only had the flu twice in my life and this year was one of the years. On the heels of that, cedar fever has his hit hard, especially for Stephen. We have retreated to Uvalde often to escape the cedar in the Hill Country.

Enjoying a walk in the park

This year my focus at work has switched from Kerrville to our transition centers in Lubbock and Abilene. This means I will travel some for work but will base out of Kerrville. I am looking forward to the challenge of exploring new territory and seeing what is in God's heart for my life and connecting with people in new areas. I continue to enjoy His love and favor in my life and love seeking Him and His plan for my life. I love bringing His peace into situations where there is stress. The past five years of my life have taught me to be at peace no matter what. I am so grateful for the lessons learned in the valleys of my life. No matter what the stress, I always seem to ask myself, "is this as bad as watching tumors grow?" The answer is always no.

Our little Collins at 6 months

Truett earned his wings

The highlight of the week is to facetime with our kids each Saturday and getting to see our grand babies and what they are up to. Collins had her first food as she is now six months. She is a little girl only weighing 12 lbs and 9 oz. Truett is sitting up by himself and made his first plane trip. Mallory said she thought of staying in Denver until he was six and could play with an ipad to entertain himself . He was a trooper and earned his wings after his plane ride back to Houston.

Five years ago today, I made my first trip to MD Anderson, one year ago, I walked into Peterson Memorial Hospital Emergency Room and was greeted with the news that my dad only had days to live.  A lot of water has gone under the bridge since that time. Most of all I've grown in walking with God in the valleys of life. Those days have shaped me into knowing who God wants to be for me in the valley and resting in His love. Those are priceless treasures.

Stephen and I recently attended Snowball, a local fundraising event for local nonprofits. We love dancing together had a blast at the event.

Loving God and loving the Life He gives,

The Great Value of Patient Endurance

 Sitting on my back, porch enjoying the sunshine of New Years Day 2014, I reflected on t 2013. It was a year of  great changes for me and life happening pretty fast. It was a year of finishing a long long journey down the road  that I had been on since 2003.

Mom and Dad dancing in 2010 

In 2003, my mom was diagnosed with a rare disease. Her medical condition was too difficult for my dad to manage, so for years, I had gone to numerous doctor’s appointments, arranged caregivers, managed care while she was hospitalized and made more trips to the pharmacy than I care to remember...they know me by first name. Slowly watching the vibrant life being sucked from my precious mother was difficult emotionally. There were many days I was not sure I would be able to take another step as I juggled work, motherhood, being  a wife, becoming a widow, living single and being determined to have fun and discover new life.

My Mom in 2011

Then my father became ill with heart disease and bone cancer...There were days I would just have to breath deep, ask God for strength to serve and honor them and often feeling like I had two special needs children. Unless you have been the child in town responsible for your aging sick parents, I do not think you can really comprehend how challenging this can be. 

2013 began with just loosing my sweet mom, doing major repairs to our home from a house fire in December and realizing my dad only had months to live due to his declining physical condition. I was determined to finish this journey strong and all I knew was to just take the next step. I was also determined to not waste the suffering on this bumpy road knowing God makes all things work together for good.

My sweet daddy left this earth February 5th, not even two months after losing mother. Then the trip down memory lane began as my siblings and I began to sort through their personal belongings and putting their home, my childhood home, on the market.

Reading II Corinthians 1:3-6 and could see some of the bigger picture. It says, “... the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” I Corinthians 1: 6 says, “...if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in patient endurance of the same suffering we suffer.”  (NIV) I began to see as this 10 year journey, God was working in me was patient endurance. This unexpected trip down a long dusty and bumpy road had produced something in me that I did not even see. Often times we simply move through the motions of life and don’t see the bigger picture. 

Beauty in the valley 

Patience and endurance are greatly valued character qualities and mentioned numerous times in scripture. Colossians 1:11 states, “...being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience...” Too many people quit instead of hanging on to God when things don’t go our way. 

1 Thessalonians 1:3 says, “ 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. Endurance produces faith and hope.

I Peter 1:6 & 7 tells us, “...though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold...” 

I still look around and wonder how I made it through and am grateful for the joy God brought in spite of the difficulty. My new husband, I think is the funniest and most steady man alive and has kept me laughing. I am overjoyed with both my new grandchildren that arrived in August of 2013 and am looking for those around me that need encouragement and comfort because I have a lot to give away in 2014. 

Austin holding my Truett and Collins

Whatever road you find yourself on, do not quit or lose hope. God is working in ways you cannot see and I am confident you will emerge with patient endurance and pass the test.

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

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Holiday Highlights with the Family- 2013

What a wonderful and fun holiday! The kids arrived the Thursday and Friday before Christmas. Life was filled with babies, target practice, hunting, laughter, food, presents and more food and laughter. Such an awesome week full of family and fun.

Proud Mama Max and Pops

My pretty daughter-in-law and daughter with their babies.

 Laura, Austin and Collins-Truett, Mallory and Rob

The girls are learning that babies have a mind of their own!

 Christmas day with my kids. Poor Price had to work...

Uncle Price Maxwell holding his niece Collins and nephew Truett!

Proud daddies holding their babies! Rob and Austin

It was fun to see both babies and how different they are. Collins is all girl, a little girl, dainty and only weighing 11.5 lbs at 4 1/2 months. Truett is all boy, very vocal, constantly moving around.

Uncle Price loves the new additions to the family!

Truett enjoying his Exersaucer!

What else do you do with a mule deer?
The boys went hunting and killed 5 deer and a hog!

Exhausted parents...

I'd rather be with my uncle Price...

Packing up and heading to Uvalde!

Collins and Mama Max

Whitney Rambie and Javi-

What a joyous Christmas with these two!

 A handfull even for a Lt. Commander

Christmas in Uvalde

Uncle Barrett Rambie with Collins

Nephews and grand kids!

Sisters

Wishing all a wonderful and joyous 2014 full of His grace and filled with His love.

Pulling Grace to Your Heart

Mama Max with grand daughter Collins

Playing with Mama Max

Working diligently in my office, I began to sing the Christmas carol that played on the radio. “

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

As I sang the words, to the last verse, “He rules the world with truth and grace,” I suddenly stopped, as the phrase came to life. I pondered the words, and began to think that if Jesus rules the world with truth and grace, what would it be like if all of us ruled our lives with truth and grace.? I knew God was speaking something to me that wanted me to discover what was in His heart. It was the beginning of a Holy Spirit adventure. God loves us so much and wants us to seek Him. This was my invitation to an adventure with Him and I knew it.

I have sung and thought often of the words to that song and asked the Lord to show me what he wanted me to discover about the gift of His grace.   John 1:17 says “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The provision for me has been made because of Jesus. His grace and truth will make a way for me in every situation. John 1: 14 states, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

Collins Maxwell

One definition of grace is the divine influence on our heart and the reflection in our lives, liberty, highly favored, and joy. Jesus was full of grace and truth, and since we are made in His image, we can be full of grace and truth too. But how does that happen in our everyday lives? For me, it began by realizing this was His desire for me and asking God to fill me each day full of His truth and grace and access this wonderful gift, especially when I needed an extra dose.

Then the test came...something that hurt me some time ago, resurfaced. As the tears rolled down my cheeks from the residual pain and grief, I saw a picture of me holding grace in my hands and God saying, “pull grace to your heart to cover the the pain.  I felt the Lord say, “each time something hurts, pull my grace to your heart to heal it.” Such a hope and freedom came to me, and the hurt dissipated. His grace engulfed me and I felt love for the those that caused much pain.

 My nephews and two grand babies

Sometimes we need His grace to help us embrace a truth because sometimes the truth hurts. When we pull grace to the pain, we can then see God’s truth about the situation.  To illustrate this, let me tell of you of a recent event. A woman came to me asking for prayer because she had discovered that her husband was having an affair. She was feeling lonely, rejected, abandoned and unloved. Embracing the truth of her husbands actions and her feelings was hard. As I prayed for her, I asked God to reveal His truth to her. She was loved by God, she was accepted  and precious to Him, God would never leave her and abandon her and He would give her grace and wisdom to know what to do in the situation. 

Perhaps this holiday season, you have to be around that relative that has been unkind to you and rejected you and caused you pain. I challenge you to pick up the grace Jesus has give each of us and pull it to your heart.  I ask Him to fill you full of His grace and His truth about the situation and pour His love into your heart. How exciting to discover that we can be full of His grace and truth. May it be your best Christmas ever as you discover Jesus- full of grace and truth.

Last Christmas...missing my parents this Christmas