Month: November 2021

Home for the Holidays

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This time of year, a lot of people are thinking about going home for the holidays…others of us are busy preparing to host family or friends in our own homes.

My parents, on the other hand, are just waiting for the construction on their new home to be completed, so they can actually have a home of their own again for the holidays.

It’s been a long time coming for them and I know they are just dreaming of the day when they can have a chance to host Thanksgiving again.

If I think back to holidays past…I can see it now, my mom in the kitchen making her melt-in-your-mouth meatballs, yeast rolls that are as big as your head, and of course her famous cherry cheesecake — basically a feast fit for a king! (with enough left overs to feed an entire royal army…😂). Her philosophy? You have to “cook with love.” 💕

All the while, every year my dad is busy incessantly refilling everyone’s glass of sweet tea (especially his own, ahem 🙄) and simultaneously adding in corny dad-jokes like, “I’m a heavy drinker” and “I’ll eat you all.” (It’s a long story, but yes that last one actually happened 😂). I think that’s why it took so long for my sister and me to find a steady boyfriend growing up — or at least that’s what I’ll blame it on. 🤣

Most people, myself included, think of hospitality as having people into their homes. But the other day, the preacher at our church explained what the Biblical view of hospitality really means based on the original Greek word…and it actually made a whole lot of sense.

He explained that the Greek word for hospitality is actually a compound word, “philio-xenia” (hope I spelled that right, Brother Bill🤞).

“Philio” simply means “love” — Not a romantic kind of love, but more of a brotherly love. That word may sound familiar, since one of our American cities is actually named for it: Philadelphia…the city of brotherly love. ❤️

The second half of the word, “xenia” may not sound quite as familiar to you (actually, to me it sounds like a Japanese brand of TVs or something, but google says otherwise…🤷‍♀️). Anyway, this Greek word actually means “stranger.”

🤔 Aha! Just as I suspected…it turns out my parents have had this whole hospitality thing down pat all along! — Mom’s in the kitchen cooking with love, while Dad’s in the living room saying stranger things than any of the guests have ever heard. What more could be more hospitable than that??? 😂😂😂

😉 But seriously…by putting “brotherly love” and “stranger” together, you get the true meaning of hospitality — showing love to strangers.

The word “philioxenia” is used many times in the Bible and the sentiment of showing love to strangers is echoed even more frequently:

In Matthew 5:43-47 Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”

Wow! The whole idea of hospitality really gets turned on it’s head when you start to think of it as more than just inviting friends and family over to show them a good time.

In fact, the true meaning of hospitality was perfectly demonstrated in the love Christ showed for us on the cross —in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8-11) A sinner is not just a stranger in God’s eyes, as these verses go on to say — a sinner is actually an enemy of God himself. 😱

And yet Christ died for sinners…for strangers…for enemies…in what was the ultimate act of love and hospitality.

So this Thanksgiving, let’s remember that hospitality means so much more than a beautifully set table and a perfectly roasted Turkey (and sides😋).

Opening your home is one way to show love to strangers (I Peter 4:9), but it’s certainly not the only way.

We don’t even need a physical home to be hospitable…we just need to have humble, loving hearts that are willing to invite people into them — showing them the same kind of love, mercy, and grace that Christ has so graciously shown to us.

Because…as forgiving as your favorite stretchy pants are after Thanksgiving dinner — they can never compare to the forgiveness found in the blood of Jesus Christ.

Praise God for that. 🙏❤️🙏

Until next time…

-PWAP

Thumbs Up

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This week, I did a thing…

Actually it really all started last month…after I made a suggestion to our church that we should try utilizing a virtual meal sign-up list for sick/needy members. The idea came from a website that my boys’ school uses to allow parents to sign up for different volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Well, this week I got a call from one of our ladies asking me to implement this suggestion.

Wow, a golden opportunity to use my time and talents for the work of the Lord’s church!!! — I was excited and a little nervous at the same time…I’d never headed up something like this before and I didn’t know how many kinks I might run into or how it would all go.

To most, creating and managing a meal sign-up list may seem like a small endeavor (I know, I know, it’s not rocket science, right?), but let me tell you —for me, moving forward with this task meant getting out of my comfort zone BIG TIME and it felt like nothing short of “one small step for man, one giant leap for Kaylakind.” 😳😳😳🙏🙏🙏

The main reason for my trepidation was (and this may sound totally weird) talking to people over the phone is a HUGE anxiety trigger for me – like, I don’t even like calling in a pizza order unless I absolutely HAVE to. How did I even function before Papa Johns had an app?!!? 😱😂🤣

If you’re a member of the “thumb tribe,” I’m guessing you can relate…(and if you don’t know what that means, you’re probably not a millennial 😂)…according to Wikipedia, the term “Thumb Tribe” is a slang phrase that refers to “the younger generation…who are more adept at texting using their thumbs than talking on the phone.”

While my phone-a-phobia started way before texting was ever invented, the modern advent of apps that allow you to communicate without dialing a single digit or uttering even a word has certainly enabled me to remain the absolute basket case I am today. 🤣

But this week, I fought back those demons and I made several phone calls to members of our church to get this thing coordinated — it wasn’t easy, but it’s true, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

And in doing so, I actually feel I became a member of a completely different kind of “Thumb Tribe” this week — the “All Thumbs” Tribe. Let me explain…

You see…although things seemed to go pretty smoothly with the meal-list this week, inside I still felt like I was “all thumbs” with this thing. It was new, it was scary, and I just felt awkward and clunky at moments…and as I was trying to coordinate all the pieces, it kind of made me wonder, can I really do this?

But then I thought about how the Bible refers to the members of the church as the very body of Christ; Christ being the head of the church and the church is the body, with each of us individually being members of it. (I Corinthians 12:27)

So figuratively speaking, we are each the hands and feet of Christ — and that’s when it dawned on me.

Of course! Every body has a hand…and every hand has a thumb…👍

So maybe it’s no accident that I’ve been feeling “all thumbs”…maybe that’s exactly what I am supposed to be…I’m a just a big thumb!

And as awkward as it feels sometimes, maybe Christ needs me to keep being the thumb for the sake of the rest of the body…honestly, where would any of us be without an opposable thumb? 😉

And that’s where I’m leaving it tonight folks — whatever part of the body you are, embrace it, give the glory to God for it, and most of all…use it!

Because you know what happens when we don’t use our body parts on a regular basis? A contracture happens. A contracture is a medical term that refers to the permanent tightening of the muscles, tendons, skin, and nearby tissues that causes the joints to shorten and become very stiff, preventing normal movement of a joint or other body part. Contractures may be caused by injury, scarring, and nerve damage, or by not using the muscles. (Definition from cancer.org)

So there you go, like they say —if you don’t use it, you lose it.

And as awkward as it may feel – I’d much rather use it than lose it —especially when it comes to my soul. It’s of no use just sitting around twiddling your thumbs anyway.

Until next time…

-PWAP

Rainbow Road

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A few weeks ago, on my way home from dropping the boys off at school, I was blessed to see the biggest, brightest rainbow 🌈I think I’ve ever seen. The contrast between the sunny and stormy skies was striking! And I’ll tell you why…

It was all because of the the road I was on.

The long, straight, 2-lane country road that I was driving home on, was positioned so perfectly between the two sets of skies that it seemed as if the road itself was some sort of dividing line between the light that was on my right side and the darkness on my left.

🤔🤔🤔And then I was like, wait…I’m on this scarcely populated…straight and narrow…road…that leads to my home…with light and darkness on either side of me…and there’s a rainbow that represents one of God’s promises shining bigger and brighter than I’ve ever seen before?!?!…😲😲😲 Is it just me or am I pretty much driving through every Bible verse I’ve ever read right now!?!?! It was such an awesome moment – I felt like Carrie Underwood when she sang, “Jesus, Take the Wheel!” 🤣

Obviously, I’m only kidding, Jesus did not actually take the wheel…I DID keep driving…but as I drove, so many Bible verses came to mind…I thought about how Jesus in Matthew 7 describes the spiritual road that leads to an eternal home in Heaven as one that is straight and narrow and traveled by few!

The skies also reminded me of the way light and darkness are used in the Bible to contrast good and evil (John 3:19-21), and how throughout our lives, we will absolutely be surrounded by both! It’s easy sometimes when we become tired or distracted to end up swerving between the two (PSA: never text and drive!). But if we heed the guidance God gives us (His “rules of the road” can be found in the Bible), we can correct our steering and keep our lives on the straight and narrow instead of in the ditch.

And ultimately, I thought about the rainbow. On my left, amidst a background of darkness, there it was. A physical symbol of the spiritual promise God gave to never destroy all life with flood waters again. I wanted to just stop and stare at it in awe and wonder, but I knew I couldn’t completely take my eyes off of the road, so I just kept driving yet looking up at it from time to time, thanking God for letting me catch a glimpse of it’s magnificent beauty.

As I continued to drive and think about these things, I came upon a group of workers doing road construction. One man was flagging cars, telling them when to stop/slow down, a hindrance I could’ve avoided by taking a short cut/detour down one of the side roads on the “dark side,” but I instead I chose to wait it out and stayed on the straight and narrow…wow, another life lesson.

Then the rain began to sprinkle, just a little at first…and then harder…so I turned on my wipers (thank you God for blessings even/especially on “rainy” days!)…thanks to the wipers, I could still see the rainbow…which also reminded me of how it important it is to keep sight of God’s promises, even during during the hard or sad times.

But sometimes that’s easier said than done…because as I drove down a little further, the trees began to close in on either side of me, completely blocking my view of the rainbow…but I didn’t stop, I just kept going…and after a while, the trees tapered off and I could see that rainbow again…it was there…even when I couldn’t see it, it was always there…and you know what? It followed me all the way home.

I know God associated the rainbow with a specific promise to never destroy the whole of mankind with flood waters again, but to me it also serves as a reminder that if God is faithful to keep that promise, I should trust Him to be faithful to keep His other promises as well. Most importantly, the promise of salvation to all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and obey His commands.

Needless to say, it was quite a drive today…maybe Robert Frost was right after all…I think the road less traveled does make all the difference. ❤️

What road are you on?

“13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy1 that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and hthe way is hard that leads to life, and ithose who find it are few.” – Matthew 7:13-14

“13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” – Genesis 6:13-16

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” -John 3:16-21

Until next time…

-PWAP

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick

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Wasn’t it Theodore Roosevelt who once said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”?— According to Scholastic’s book Everything You Need to Know About the Presidents, indeed it was. I should know because back in fourth grade, I would comb through that book every night looking for more fascinating facts about America’s great leaders. (Please tell me I’m not the only weirdo who did this as a kid?…🤓🤷‍♀️🤣)

The chapters on Lincoln and Washington were obviously two of my favorites❤️ …but in the spirit of fairness, I also read the sections dedicated to the “Grover Clevelands” and the “Millard Fillmores” of the Oval Office, too. 😉

But then there was Theodore Roosevelt…

There’s always been something endearing to me about that big lug — a man who by all accounts was a leader with a heart that was both soft and strong (…the likes of which could rival Charmin and Cottonelle hands down, if you know what I mean…🤭😂).

…But seriously, his reputation for strength and compassion lives on to this day and explains why his likeness is not only permanently chiseled into a mountainside monument — but why he is also immortalized as the namesake of one of the softest, cuddliest, and most beloved children’s toys of all time, the “Teddy Bear.”

Despite all of his Presidential accolades, by far the most compelling story I remember reading about Teddy Roosevelt happened long before he stepped foot in the White House. It is that of the tragic passing of both his mother and his young wife, who died within hours of each other…on the same day, in the same house…(on Valentine’s Day no less! 🥺)

His mother was only 48 and his wife a mere 22 — she had just given birth to their first daughter only two days prior. 💔😭 On that tragic day in 1884, the future president wrote in his diary, “The light has gone out of my life.”

I can’t begin to imagine the enormous weight of shock, pain, grief, and confusion he must have carried during those dark days. It’s moments like these that can either make or break a person — When the waters are deep, they say you either sink or you swim.

Or…if you’re Teddy Roosevelt…you run.

And I don’t mean for office…I mean he like literally ran away 😱 —abandoning both his political career and his newborn daughter to become a cattle rancher out west for the next 2 years. Not the kind of “pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps” reaction you’d expect from a “Rough Rider” like Roosevelt — who at one point in his life even took a bullet to the chest mid-speech without flinching (and kept on talkin’). 😳😳😳

But hey, cut the guy some slack…it’s not like he’s the first great leader to ever run from his problems. Nosirree…in fact, his story reminds me a lot of another great leader who, coincidentally, also believed in speaking softly and carrying a big stick — literally.

If you remember the story of Moses, before God used that big stick of his to part the waters of the Red Sea, he had a few setbacks of his own…abandonment, adoption, and murder were all a part of his story…leading him to run away to Midian when God’s people needed him most. But after 40 years of self-imposed exile, with God’s guidance and power, he went on to lead an entire nation to the promised land…turns out the speaking softly and carrying a big stick thing really works when God’s on your side. ❤️

Teddy Roosevelt eventually came to his senses as well and coincidentally would later go on to lead an entire nation, with a similar philosophy. 🇺🇸

I love stories about people who make comebacks — ordinary humans with messy stories who are ultimately overcomers. People who make mistakes, but then make things right — stories of their triumph against the odds. Reminds me there is hope for the rest of us.

And I don’t think my affinity for these accounts is simply by happenstance —Rather, I would argue it is all by Devine design. God gave us the ability to feel and think for a reason…and the Bible says He has set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). I think we’re meant to be moved by these types of stories, because they really are microcosms that point to what our hearts are really searching for…the ultimate story of triumph and overcoming – Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection!

Christ made the ultimate comeback when he arose from the grave and came to life after death. And through Him, his followers are also over-comers (Romans 8:37).

Turns out, we’re all living a comeback story…Ever read Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son? (Luke 15:11-32) It’s the one about the son who ran away from the comforts of his Father’s home to live a wasteful and wanton lifestyle until he had nothing left to his name. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. Eventually, the prodigal son humbly comes home to his father who is waiting for him with open arms.

Friends, this isn’t just a story about a prodigal son. This story represents us and our relationship with God. We have all run away from God at some point (Romans 3:23-24)…we’ve made a mess of our lives, but it’s never too late to come back. In fact, it’s the most important comeback you’ll ever make. And just like the gracious father in the parable, God is waiting patiently with open arms for your return.

As Christian, you don’t have to worry about whether you’ll sink or swim when times get rough and the waters are deep. Putting our faith in Christ and keeping our eyes on Him, we can walk on water.

Until next time…

-PWAP

Leaky Pipes

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A few months ago, my husband and I discovered that we had a slow leak in one of our pipes. Thankfully, we were still under our new home warranty, so we called our contractor and asked if he could send someone out to repair it. We were expecting him to send the plumber, but because of the urgency of the situation, we got a message from the contractor the next morning saying he would be coming out to take a look himself.

In one way this was great news (because we were starting to get nervous about potential water damage!) — however, knowing the contractor would be at the house in only a matter of hours, we started scrambling to clean the place up! 😱😬

It’s one thing when you think it’s just a random plumber coming (who could probably care less about the state of your house 😂)…but since it was the contractor himself, out of respect we wanted to make sure we were showcasing his team’s handiwork in the best light possible.

The Bible tells us that one day, we will have an ultimate day of visitation with our Creator as well, the Almighty craftsman whose handiwork we are. I thought about how we should all be doing our best to prepare for His visit —much more than we were for our builder’s!

But just like brand new houses are not perfect, neither are people…

No matter how “presentable” we try to make ourselves, we all have our “leaky pipes” too…and we need to call for help! God offers a warranty that doesn’t expire – if we are baptized and living for Him, our leaky pipes will always be covered.

But He can’t fix them unless you let Him in… Just like our builder asked before he came over today, “Are you going to be there to let me in?” JESUS is saying the same thing!

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

He can’t fix it until we let Him in. ❤️

Until next time…

-PWAP

Keepin’ it Real

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Happy Fall, Ya’ll! 🍁🍁🍁 Autumn is here…which means “sweatah weathah,” falling leaves, and pumpkin spice everything, right??? 🤗🤗🤗

Sooooo…….in that case, you may be wondering why the picture accompanying this post looks more like a snapshot of spring than the apex of autumn. 🤔

Well…folks, I hate to burst your bubble, but this is what fall looks like here in the subtropics 😕😔😩😒😭 …a pretty “anti-climate-tic” time of year around here, I know…🤣.

While so many of you are posting gorgeous photos of leaves changing into brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange, here in the sunshine state the flowers are still in bloom. 🌸

Especially…the fake ones.

If you look closely, you can probably tell that the flowers in this picture aren’t real —they’re silk. I bought them during a 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby last summer and used them as a low-maintenance filler for the window boxes on the front of my house. One time, I even posted a picture of my landscaping after it was all finished and you know what? The fake flowers garnered the most compliments, by far. 🤫😂

Hey, but don’t feel bad if you mistook my faux flowers for the genuine article…turns out you’re not alone. Over the course of recent months, it has become apparent that the wasps in our neighborhood have also been duped by the sham that I’ve been trying to pull off.

Every day, I watch as one by one, the bees and wasps take turns hovering outside my window in vain attempts at pollinating this faux foliage. From a distance, the flowers look believable even to an insect. But upon closer examination they all eventually come to the same discerning conclusion: It ain’t real! And then just as quickly as they came, the wasps fly off in search of real plants, realizing there’s no gratification to be found amongst impostors.

It’s like that old saying, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

I’m not the first to substitute a cheap imitation for the real thing though. Satan’s oldest trick in the book is making a knock-off seem as good as the real thing. Ever since his days in the Garden of Eden, he’s been trying to make sin look as good or better than God’s Holy Way.

-He tries to make a forbidden fruit look like just another apple… “What’s the big deal?? Just take a bite…”

– He tries to make living together look as good as marriage… “Why commit when there’s so many fish in the sea?”

– He tries to make stealing look as good as an honest day’s work… “Who doesn’t want to get rich quick???”

-He tries to make lies sound as good as the truth… “What they don’t know won’t hurt them, right?”

-He tries to make murder sound like a woman’s right… “My body, my choice.”

-He tries to make revenge sound like justice… “An eye for and eye…”

The list could go on and on…

Satan may try to fool us, but one thing is for sure…God cannot and will not be fooled. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” —Galatians 6:7-8

God’s ways are always better and higher than anything that Satan can tempt us with. Don’t be fooled into settling for substitutions. Even Motown agrees, “Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby…” And who could argue with a voice like Marvin Gaye???? 😇

Until next time…

-PWAP

Prayers and Healing

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I rolled up next to this little black sign at a stoplight the other day. I kid you not, at first glance I thought it said “Prayers and Healing” not “Pavers and Sealing” 🤣🤣🤣!!!! Either I’ve been spending way too much time in the Word lately (which of course is not humanly possible) or it’s time to get my eyes checked again… I’m leaning toward the latter. 🤣

It’s a small but perfect example of how what goes into your heart and your mind is sure to come out. It’s like that old saying, “You are what you eat.” The Bible says we should hunger and thirst after righteousness! How can we expect to be Christ-like unless we fill our spiritual tanks with Christ teachings daily?

The truth is, we are more than just what we eat…we are also what we watch, what we listen to, who we hang out with, etc. Whatever we choose to habitually surround ourselves with eventually penetrates our hearts and shapes who we become. The good news is, for the most part, we get to choose what goes in and therefore what comes out. God’s Word, the Bible, can penetrate our hearts too, if we will only let it. ❤️

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Until next time…

-PWAP