by Kay Simpson | Jan 14, 2020 | blog, encouragement, Uncategorized
Here is a fresh year. A fresh chance to get it right? Or perhaps a fresh chance to extend love and grace even to ourselves. To embrace that the journey has been for us. That the road was just as it needed to be and every lesson was required to walk us closer to Jesus. Closer to resembling Him. That there is nothing to fix and we are exactly where and how we should be.
The one who created us and walks beside us, loves us. We have nothing to prove. He isn’t waiting for us to get it right to love us. Bless us. Accept us. His love doesn’t have conditions. He will leave the ninety nine for us. So if we are in a rough or stuck place, we can stand tall knowing He loves us too much to leave us there and wait expectantly for a way out. Look for the door to walk through. In the kingdom there is no shame or guilt required. There is a loving Father running to welcome us home.
Perhaps the biggest gift of the new year would be to live in His lavish love. That what we have to “get right” is simply letting Him love us and live like we believe it. Focus on Him and not what our neighbor has or what they are doing or how they are living.
He loves us with mistakes, mess ups, and flaws. He wants what is best for us & believes in us. He is for us, not against us.
He’s so trustworthy and will send others across our path to guide us if we are open. He knows us, all of us, our thoughts and feelings and unhealthy addictions. He knows we need Him. It’s a gift to Him when we acknowledge our dependence on Him and walk in the light of His love.
Let’s Be Loved. Let’s give up focusing on getting it right and fixing our lives and soak in love. Every cell of our body needs it, craves it, and lives for it. Let’s live loved. Accept His love. Being loved is all that is required. ❤️
by Kay Simpson | Nov 4, 2019 | blog, encouragement, Uncategorized
1 Peter 2:9
But… You (WE) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you (we) may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Recently the staff, leaders, volunteers of Cheerful Hearts retreated to Christ Walk in the Valley together. We were all asked to bring a ministry offering for just one chosen hour. Because…we are all priests. God has chosen us to share and proclaim to one another the goodness of God. Because He is God, there was a thread throughout the weekend. Stones…. Cornerstones and living stones. Spiritual markers. We asked God to walk us through the significant times in our lives where we saw Him show up and deliver us, save us from ourselves, times we knew He was working in our lives and things changed. We could look and see the before and after affects of the movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The word but is a transitional word in scripture. These spiritual markers are when we knew we had arrived at a crossroads of significance. But God…decisions were made with His direction and His hand guided us through water, desert, or however the trial looked in our lives. Maybe now is a good time to review the spiritual markers in all our lives. A new year is approaching and there is no better time to look back and take inventory and offer thanks for His marvelous light as we wait with heart felt anticipation for His new move, free to be future focused.
We were called to anoint our lips with Frankincense, knowing as priests our words have the power of life and death. We found ourselves with sparkly black rocks from the woods as a reminder of the coal used in Isaiah 6. “Look this coal has touched your lips. Gone your guilt, your sins wiped out” And then I heard the voice of the Master: Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” I spoke up, “I’ll go. Send me!” We shared the need to open our lips and speak our words and share our stories. Be encouraged by this-They triumphed over (the accuser) him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. Revelation 12:11
The wrap around presence of God was there. A new concept to many. His shield protects us and envelops us and His mighty arms are over us. The passion translation of the Bible uses this reference over and over with such tender sweetness. Go and explore for yourself. He is everywhere around us. Take some time to sense His presence.
Sisters, we are His mighty oaks of righteousness. There may be seasons of interior growth that cannot be observed in the tiny acorn. But…don’t think for a minute that it’s not happening. …Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display His glory. Isaiah 61:3. We are called to stand tall in whatever season we find ourselves in knowing that He already has the answers.
We hope and pray that Cheerful Hearts will always be all the above in the community where the Lord has seen fit to plant the ministry.
by Kay Simpson | Jul 1, 2019 | blog, encouragement
Have you ever searched the scriptures for all the “but God” verses? Depending on the translation, you will find about 43 of them. You and I know when God repeats himself He is definitely speaking for a purpose and He is serious! I say that 43 repeats is worth paying attention to. I think He means business! I have themes and patterns in my life that catch my eyes and these two words kept popping up. Even today as I write this post. Now that you have read this you will also be more aware of the But Gods in your life as well. 
Do we hear ourselves approaching our days and our problems? “But this is wrong, but that is a disaster, but they never. Oh the dreaded never, it’s a tricky one, I don’t know, I don’t know how or I have never” are jewels as well. Our words, language, and mindset matter.
The world may be telling you all is lost, cancer, divorce, trauma, loss, addiction, and unforgiveness. Here is a good reminder friends, we are powerless but God has power and He gives it to us through His Holy Spirit. We are weak but He is strong (yes Jesus loves me, remember) We are human but God is not. We can stop giving Him human attributes that we are familiar with. He is mysterious and supernatural and we are not meant to know and understand it all. God is not bound by earthly knowledge and our past choices and experiences, .
The world is all about holding grudges, isolation, self focus, unmet expectations, judgement, offense, disobedience, anger, works, death, and distrust. BUT GOD…is forgiveness, healing, reconciliation, community, God focus, dropping expectations, not looking for offenses, mercy, love, grace, trust, belief, life, and joy. What would happen if we showed all our “buts” to our God? This may make you giggle and I didn’t think of this as I wrote it, but you seriously get the picture right?
Let us go read Ephesians 2:1-9 for starts. WE used to be dead in sin, But GOD, who loved us so much, gave us life in Christ and He seated us with Him. Friends, He is right there in all of our doubts and circumstances. He is real and kind and can be trusted to work something out in ways we could not even have imagined. Are you looking for Him to move? Are you waiting expectantly for the gift? He has a plan and it’s time to be about the Father’s business. Go start your own scripture search and be encouraged.
by Kay Simpson | May 2, 2019 | blog, encouragement
As I looked out from the screened porch today the ground was dry! I felt so perplexed in my soul because there had been an abundance of rain over the last year. Go build a house and see how much it actually has rained. Maybe it was just me. So I thought, how long had it been since it rained? I could not remember. It had slipped my attention. All the plants looked dry and limp and the earth was dusty. I had not been focused on this because in my mind the abundance of rain should have it covered.
.
So here is where this led. The earth needs rain on a regular basis. Most plants need watering daily. They were not made to hold all the water they would ever need from one heavy downpour. Plants, trees, and crops have a continual dependence on the sky to open up and provide the moisture they need to grow and mature and bear fruit. Same for us right?
I can’t soak up all I need to know about Jesus and work on that relationship once in my lifetime or once a year and pretend that I will be sustained on my journey with Him. What does the bible say…all who are thirsty. We have a physical thirst to quench as well as a spiritual thirst to nurture and satisfy with the living water. Our spirits forget over time and life provides so many distractions of problems and busyness. The things we thought we held dear and would never let fall away, drift further and further from our conscious thought.
Our falling in love with God takes daily, or better yet hourly and moment by moment, priority. Our body, soul, and spirit need tending and reminder of His word to prevent the dust to take over. After making this a goal in my life, I now look forward to and get excited by opening up the scriptures and listening to the rain! Some days it is just a slow, gentle trickle like our bubbling fountain, sweet and refreshing. Others its like standing under a fire hose and getting soaked in the splendor, unable to take it all in at once. Don’t miss a single drop meant for you friends. Prepare to jump in the puddles if you must. And once you have drunk your fill, go and share with others who are parched in their very own dessert!
by Kay Simpson | Apr 4, 2019 | blog, encouragement, Uncategorized
Who is your guide?
My husband recently went on a fly fishing trip with his work group. This was uncharted territory for him as he had never had this experience. Come to find out you can’t just plop down in the river somewhere and throw out a line. You need all the right equipment and skilled guides. So it’s going to cost you some things. Time. Planning. Money. Pride. There is a method to the madness.
God has recently wooed me back to more dependency on His word. I need some semblance of a plan for my life and there should be order to my days. I’m to seek Him first. So He can guide my day. My guide book is His word. All instruction I need is available there.
Who is your guide? Who leads your day and agenda? Does your day just happen to you or is it laid at the feet of Jesus each morning. I used to balk at the “first thing in the morning” idea. No hard and fast rules for me, the renegade. But if we don’t first drink from the cup, the direction of our day is unsure. Blown by the wind perhaps wherever circumstances take us. But if we center first, then no matter the circumstances our compass is set and we can rise above what is presented. The guide knows the way.
So my encouragement to each of us, always myself included, is to set a plan in motion of sitting with your daily guide, each morning upon rising. No matter how simple or complicated that needs to look. Start with a small devotion book if needed but never hesitate to actually open His Word and give Him your day!! See what and difference your day holds. Happy Fishing.
by Kay Simpson | Mar 6, 2019 | blog, encouragement
Inspiration over Aspiration. What comes more naturally to you? For awhile now I have been working in my own strength, my own power, in a sense striving! Trusting only myself. I was struggling with panic and anxiety . I came across these two words in a devotion book.
Inspiration. Aspiration. They struck me!
I started searching for meaning in them. One meaning of each word is very similar. Inspiration- the drawing in of breath, plus divine influence, mentally stimulated to do or feel something creative. Aspiration- The action of drawing breath plus strong desire to achieve. What struck me and what I believe God is trying to teach me in many different ways is this: Although they may seem similar there is a subtle difference. One seems more of a natural step that happens without much effort on our part. The drawing in of breath. It’s natural and vital for life. The other is an action we perform. It requires effort we sometimes don’t have to give.
I am exhausted from performing. After a recent session with a counselor of sorts, she spoke to me about trust and being still. Letting God handle what I had been trying to shoulder. To not keep forcing and pushing because I indeed can’t do it all. Pushing through is not a healthy coping mechanism. Feelings need to be felt and processed. I have a limited amount of energy. I am a human being and I need to learn to be. Be still. Soak in peace. Deep breath and inhale the good and breath out the bad. I need to just believe and trust that God is who He says He is. He brings Peace. I learned I am in fact mistreating my body by lack of sleep, pushing myself, punishing my being: causing chaos and confusion in the process of being overwhelmed and resisting what comes naturally. Holding my own breath in fact. Or breathing so fast and shallow that nothing is served. Panic prevails.
I was instructed to think of tending a garden. Sometimes it needs pruning, sometimes water is required, there are dormant
seasons and fertilizer needed for healthy fruit and flowers in due time.It can’t be rushed. It must be a natural process. We need to save our strength at times to weed, to harvest, to be able to pick up the trowel and plant. Sunday Pastor even shared Proverbs 5:15- Drink water from your own well, The Holy Spirit in us. Not looking at others to be wells for us. Not in our own power or might but the indwelling we have available to us. At times it may look like we are trusting God but unconsciously picking up the things we had once laid down and trying to tote them again.
I am learning to trust Jehovah Jireh- God will provide. When I look back, He has proven faithful again and again. How easily we get distracted and forget! I am making a goal to invite God in. He wants to handle our stuff. He wants us to have hope and joy in our circumstances. He is the source of power. Favorite word today from Pastor- Don’t let the presence of the battle make us question the presence of God. I am desiring His presence and inspiration over any of my aspirations. Have you ever tried to do life in your own power, rushing ahead of God our creator. Then asking for Him to bless our crazy mess? Maybe I am the only one, but I sure have stuck my fingers in my own ears many times. So I am counseling myself that now I know better and I wish and pray to do life His way. Hope this encourages someone in some small way! Rest, Peace, and Presence to you all.
Big Hugs Beloved,
Kay Simpson
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