Who is Your Expert?

That awkward moment. I was sitting in the pedicure chair reading a fashion magazine. Under the Do's and Don'ts section, the first DON'T the Fashion Expert said was, "Never, unless you are heading to or from the gym, never wear black yoga pants, a fleece jacket and white cross trainers in public."  I glanced down over my outfit. Other than the white cross trainers, that was exactly what I was wearing. The cross trainers, which I wasn't exactly wearing, were sitting in the floor next to me, as I had my toe nails painted.  Oh, the awkward moment.

That awkward moment. I was at a speaking seminar and the Marketing Expert was sharing the Do's and Don'ts of marketing your blog.  The first Don't, the Marketing Expert said, "Never pose in a photo with you hand beside your face. We don't want to see your knuckle." I cringed as I thought of my blog photo, the photo I used for all my publicity.  This is the photo. 

Oh the awkward moment!

Reading what the experts say, and getting it wrong can be, well, awkward!  But I had a light bulb moment the other day.  I receive several emails from writing experts, to help me work on my craft. I received an email that said, "Say 'no' often. If you said yes too much, you will become overwhelmed and if you don't meet deadlines you will ruin your reputation in the industry."  Sounded reasonable to me.

But then I received an email from another "expert."  His email said, "Say yes more than you think you should. This will challenge you to work harder and do more. You won't know what you're capable of if you don't push yourself."

Both comments from the so-called experts seemed legit, but they were in complete opposition to one another. Which one was correct?  I guess the one that works best for you.

There are plenty of experts out there in every field, all doling out advice at record pace. The thing is, however, while their ideas may be good, the aren't the gospel. Just read health magazines. One expert extols the virtues of a juice fast, while the next extols the dangers! What works for some, doesn't work for all. 

The only place I've found that has the correct advice all the time is, in fact, the Gospel, that is the good news of Jesus Christ.  The Bible.  Packed with the "Do's and Don'ts of Life," it shares consistently accurate information. Yes, there are some awkward moments when I realize I've been living in contradiction to God's will, but he is a forgiving God! And his lessons won't go out of style. They haven't in over 2,000 years. Can you say that for your skinny jeans? Or your marketing plan?

While I may not look my best in my yoga pants, I do feel pretty good in them. So I keep wearing them to the grocery or the salon. Because while it's fun to get advice from the experts, they don't know everything. The only Expert who does is Jesus. And His plan says not to worry about what we wear or how we look. It's what is inside that counts. 

Where are you getting your "expert" advice?

Kelly Combs is a Christian wife, mom, writer and speaker. You can learn about Kelly by visiting her website at www.kellycombs.com

My Favorite Bible Verse

To me, choosing your favorite Bible verse is a lot like choosing your favorite child.  You love all of them, but for different reasons. And yes, sometimes some of them get on your nerves.

I grew up in a church where we memorized creeds, not scripture, read our prayers out of the book of prayer.  I was in my early 20’s when I joined my first Bible study. There one of the members asked for prayer to find a babysitter, as she was returning to work after the birth of her child.  Feeling certain that there is no prayer for a baby sitter in the book of prayers, I asked her, “Are you sure we allowed to pray for that?”  She shared with me what became my favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:6 which says, “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

As I learned more about God as the parent I never had, I came to love 1 Peter 5:7, which clearly states, “he cares for you.”  I finally had a parent that really cared about me, and a new favorite verse.

Life continued, and with it many trails associated dealing with a mentally-ill, alcoholic mother, but I was still felt the joy of the Lord.  When people asked me how I did it, I shared my new favorite verse, Phil 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.”

When I felt distressed, Psalm 31 became a favorite, reminding me to trust in God even in my distress. When I struggled with guilt over my past, I clung to 2 Cor 5:17, which says I am a new creation. It seemed no matter what was happening in my life, I always had a favorite verse to mirror it. That’s because (as Hebrews 4:12 notes) “the word of God is alive and active.”

The Word of God is living, and He has a verse for us, wherever we are in our life.  Whether we are rejoicing or mourning, there is a verse for u;. (and there is a verse for that actually in Ecc… a time to mourn and a time to dance…)

So whether you have 1 favorite verse, or 100; Whether you always keep the same favorite verse, or like me your favorite verse changes regularly, remember that God gave us His word, because he loves us and wants to be there for us no matter what we are going through.  

What’s your favorite verse?

Kelly Combs is a Christian wife, mom, writer and speaker. You can learn about Kelly by visiting her website at www.kellycombs.com

Be God's Valentine

Do you get any Valentines yesterday? Valentine's Day is a great day to write and receive love notes. There is nothing sweeter than having the one you love share their feelings with you.  Getting love notes from your kids is especially sweet. Reading "You are the best mom ever" is a wonderful feeling.

But what if you are alone on Valentine's Day? Or if even with your family around, you weren't feeling the love?  Remember that God is love. (1 John 4:8) And God wrote a love letter to us. It's called the Bible, and here are some excerpts from that love letter.

I love you. (John 3:16)

There is nothing you can do that will make me stop loving you. (Romans 5:8)

I will never leave you. (Joshua 1:5)

You are valuable to me. (1 Cor 6:20)

I rejoice over you with singing. (Zeph 3:17)

I will do more for you than you can ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20)

I want to encourage you and give you hope. (2 Thess 2:16-17)

There is nothing than can separate me from you. (Romans 8:38-39)

Be Mine. (1 Cor 6:19-20)

Hallmark holidays can be hard when you aren't in the perfect relationship. But then no relationship is perfect...except the one between you and God.  Won't you be His Valentine?

Kelly Combs is a Christian wife, mom, writer and speaker. You can learn about Kelly by visiting her website at www.kellycombs.com

Blow Gently

I was blowing bubbles with my daughter the other night. As we took turns, I noticed that when I blew, lots of bubbles would come out of the wand. Yet on her turn it seemed only a few bubbles would come out. Each time I heard her "Pffffft" as she blew with all her might with little results. Then I let her in on a little secret. You get more bubbles if you blow gently, than if you blow hard.

It reminded me of the Biblical principal, evangelism. Evangelism is the preaching of the Gospel. It is telling people about Jesus. But over the years, I've learned that if you "blow gently" you get more interest than if you "blow hard."

This principal is clearly stated in 1 Peter 3:15b, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." We are called to be prepared to give an answer to everyone, (blowing). We are to make sure that we keep ourselves filled with the "bubble juice" of Gospel so we are ready to blow. But we are cautioned to do this with gentleness. Blow gently.

There are people out there just waiting to learn about Jesus. It's our job to share the message! But we don't force it on people; we gently share it and let the Holy Spirit do His work in them. We don't convert people. We simply share the message, and the Holy Spirit does the rest. So remember, blow gently. Because nobody likes a blow hard!

Kelly Combs is a Christian wife, mom, writer and speaker. You can learn about Kelly by visiting her website at www.kellycombs.com

Seeds of Encouragement - Book Review

Seeds of Encouragement is a series of stories by Andrea Sharp of SharpWomen.com. Each chapter tells a story taken from circumstances in Andrea's personal life. Andrea shares her short stories of love, faith, and holidays, to provide life lessons that we can incorporate into our own lives to grow closer with, and strengthen our connection to God.

Following each chapter is a "Seed of Encouragement" or application lesson from the story which point the reader to the direction of God.  Following the "seed" is a quote from a famous person that also applies to the essay. I enjoyed the way she included the seeds and quotes to turn each essay into a package.

Andrea's love for the Lord is clear in her stories. I enjoyed the way she keeps her eyes to God whatever the circumstance and did find that encouraging.  

The reader should take note that each chapter is independent of the others—similar to a Chicken Soup for the Soul book.The book also contains a multitude of topics including faith, parenting, care giving and more, all with the inspiration to draw the reader closer to God. 

Andrea is an inspirational speaker and author. You may purchase her book here. Please also visit her blog: http://sharpwomen.com/blog/ 

I was provided a copy of this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When Life Gives You Avocados...

“Whatcha doing?” my sister asked, her standard phone greeting.

“Just making some guacamole.” I answered.

“What? Why?” Her surprise was natural. 

Growing up with a mentally ill mother, dinner was often McDonalds...when we were lucky.  Other times it was a cold hotdog.  I remember the night my mom made macaroni and cheese.  It was the standard blue box variety, but she had forgotten to cook the noodles.  As she stirred the sauce into the crunchy uncooked noodles, she realized her mistake and said, “I messed up the dinner, you’ll have to make yourself something to eat.” She then went to bed.  I was left staring into a nearly empty refrigerator, and eating yet another cold hotdog for dinner. 

Consequently, I've never been good at "domestic" stuff like cooking, cleaning, decorating, and crafting. Without training, I was challenged in these areas. But then something changed.

I joined a cooking co-op. If I would cook dinner just 1 night a week, for myself & three other families, then 3 nights a week I would have dinner delivered to me by another family. To someone who hated (aka can't!) cook this was a dream come true. What happened next was truly a surprise.

I had to meal plan. Once the calendar was set, grocery shopping was easier. And once I started putting some real effort into my cooking, the compliments (from my own family AND the other three families) started coming in! Soon I was buying fun kitchen gadgets (did I say fun and kitchen in the same sentence?)

Now, I can honestly say now I am a good cook. I can meal plan. I just had to learn how. Titus 2:3-5 says we older women are to teach the younger women to be "busy at home." That means cooking, cleaning, meal planning, decorating. I was never taught. But rather than carry on this omission, I am now teaching my children the joys of things like cooking.

When I received a co-op meal that included salad items including onions, tomatoes, cilantro and an avocado, I decided to use the leftovers to make some home-made guacamole.  That’s when my sister called.

“We may not have had the best childhood,” I told her, “But I don’t have to hold onto those years as an excuse not to learn basic domestic skills.  I am no longer stunted by those years.”

“I’m really proud of you,” she said.  I smiled at her encouragement, then held back my laughter as I told her, “When life gives you avocados, make guacamole!”

What challenges are you working to overcome in your life?

Using Your Special Gifts with Your Unique Quirks

"Mom, look what I can do!" my 7 yr old exclaimed as she sniffed hard, pulling both of her nostrils closed.
"Wow, impressive!" I responded enthusiastically, as any mom would.
"It's my special gift from God," she told me.

We all have special gifts. God gives each of us gifts according to his purpose. But we also have quirks. We can mistake our quirks for gifts.  (Watch any episode of America's Got Talent, and you will see examples of this.)  But sometimes we can combine our quirks with our gifts, to create our own unique ministry.

I believe that my writing is a gift. I also have the uncanny ability to remember song lyrics. This leads me to break out into song in almost every conversation, because a single word or phrase can bring an entire song to mind.

I used this "quirk" with my gift of writing, to create Musical Mondays here on the blog. I combined my quirk with my gift and incorporated it into my blog. While it may have seemed clever at the time (okay, I still think it was clever!) it never grew into what I expected, which was a devotional book based on the premise.  But it did create my own unique devotional style.

You are unique too!  God made you special with gifts to use for his glory, and quirks that make you you! It's our job to figure out our gifts and use them for God's design. And if you're a little quirky too, just go for it. It's what puts that unique spin on your gift.

Finally, don't compare your gifts with others!  In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul spells out how we are all uniquely gifted, like different parts of a body. Foot, ear, eye...all are needed for a unique purpose! None are better than the others. So then are our unique gifts.

Use your gifts, embrace your quirks, and don't compare! After all, we can't all sniff hard enough to close our nose! But we can all use our gifts (and quirks!) to glorify God.

What are you gifts? What are you quirks? How can you combine them to create your own unique ministry?