Mixed Up

My 8 year old made this bracelet for me. She strung each bead and presented it to me with pride. Of course, I love it! 

My 13 year old however later whispered to me, "Some of the letters are mixed up. You should take it apart after she goes to sleep and redo it." The funny thing about her comment, is that I too suffer from perfectionism and not too long ago may have entertained that same thought.

But not anymore. My younger daughter worked very hard on this gift for me. It is not perfect, but it is by her own hands. And when I see it, I am filled with love and I smile at her imperfections, because I know how hard she worked and that she did this for me. Even with the mix ups, you can clearly see what it was meant to be. "Kelly."

I believe that is how my Heavenly Father sees me. I try to do things for Him, but more often that not I end up mixed up. I might submit a devotional for publication that is rejected. I might tell someone the gospel, but they reject it. I might try to be godly, but gossip. I'm not perfect.

But because of Jesus, God knows I work very hard on my gifts for Him. They are not perfect, but they are by my own hands. And I believe, when He sees them, He is filled with love for me and smiles, because He knows I work for Him.

What failures are holding you back from working for God's glory today? He loves you even with your imperfections. You are more special to Him, that this bracelet is to me. You are His, and He made you! He forgives our mixed up messes, and sees what we were meant to be.

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

I Am...Gabriel - Movie Review

From the DVD: "Promise, Texas is no place to raise a family: the fields are dry, businesses are failing, and kids can't wait to grow up and move away. Some folks say the town is cursed. Just when things are at their darkest, a mysterious boy wanders out of the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on his back and a strange mat tucked under his arm. He has a message of hope for the people of Promise, but it's hard for some to receive. The slow death of this small town reflects the condition of their own parches souls. When the boy demonstrates the love of God through signs and wonders, they begin to discover the power of prayer. Still, not everyone in town sees his presence as a gift, and the Sheriff is on a mission to expose who the boy really is. In the end, with his back against the wall - surrounded by skeptics - the boy is forced to reveal his true identity."

My review: I was excited to watch I Am...Gabriel,  produced by EchoLight Studies, if for no other reason that the star power attached to it. Directed by Mike Norris (Walker Texas Ranger - his dad is Chuck Norris), and starring John Schneider (the movie credits him with Smallville, but he will forever be known to me as Bo Duke from Dukes of Hazzard,) and Dean Cain (Superman in Lois & Clark), the movie has recognizable names that you often don't find in Christian productions. The movie and star power didn't disappoint! I Am...Gabriel makes several important points. 

First, "if you lose hope, you lose everything." The town is hopeless, filled with brokenness, emptiness, guilt, anger and sadness. The young boy, "Gabe," has the ability to speak truth to the town people's heart and give them hope.

Second, prayer is critically important. When Gabe asks a woman, "Do you talk to God?" she answers, "I go to church." "But do you talk to God?" he presses. The woman admits she really doesn't. He encourages her to pray, and make a prayer mat like his, not only for herself but for everyone in the town of Promise. Like many "good Christians," she sets to work making the mats and shares with Gabe in great excitement the number of mats the women in town have made. He gently reminders her, "Making the prayer mats is one thing. Using them is the most important."  As a Christian who often gets wrapped up in "works" and misses the relationship with God, I related to this interaction.

The Dove Foundation gave this movie a 5 out of 5 rating, and I couldn't agree more. If you are looking for an uplifting, inspiring, feel good movie for the entire family, I highly recommend I Am...Gabriel. It will become a family favorite that you're sure to watch again and again.

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Here is a video trailer for the movie. (If you are receiving this post via email, you may have to visit my blog to see the trailer.

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

I received a free copy of this movie to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. 

Sometimes Being Stuck is a Good Thing

It started off simply enough. We were sitting around the restaurant table, the evening of our first full day of vacation, sharing about our favorite parts of the day. My husband, ever the diplomat, shared 2 things, one about each specific daughter.

"I enjoyed biking with G, and jumping the waves with C." Then as an afterthought he added, "And of course I enjoyed spending time with mom." How my 8 year old responded was the thing, "Well you might as well," she said. "You're stuck with her."

Stuck with me. In an 8 year old's mind we were married, that was it. Stuck together. And you know, that may not be a bad thing.

As a formerly divorced woman, I know that there are some big problems in marriage. But I also know that we sometimes make little problems big. What would happened if we lived our married lives as people who "might as well enjoy it, we're stuck together." What would happened if we quickly forgave the little things and worked hard to fix the big things. Would the big things become smaller if we let them go?

Not all of them. My first marriage contained some "big things,"and I'm glad I'm not stuck there . But the words of an 8 year  old can give all of us some thing to think about. Marriage is hard. But you might as well enjoy it...and stick it out.

Marriage should be honored by all. Hebrews 13:4

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

Children's Book Review - Rosie and Scamper

Rosie and Scamper is the first book in the four book series "Sonrise Stable," by Vicki Watson. It is a sweet series that, in the words of the author, are "stories about family, friendship, horses, and a great God who works all things in our lives for good." 

While learning to ride at Sonrise Stable, eight-year-old Rosie dreams of the horse shows she will win with her pony, Jet. Two years later, nothing is exactly the way Rosie planned it -- she's riding a new pony, Scamper, and learning that life isn't always easy. But it's as Rosie reaches out to the new girl next door that she truly begins to see that God works all things together for good in our lives.

Sonrise Stable is owned by Rosie's Grandma, (and names Sonrise - not Sunrise - to give "Grandma" a chance to share her faith.). Grandma is a strong horsewoman who loves God. Rosie loves to visit Grandma and learn about horses, but her adventures also give Grandma lots of opportunities to teach Rosie about Jesus. 

This series would be wonderful for any young girl who loves horses, adventure, or reading about other girls. The main character in the series is 8, but the book is written at higher reading level. I would recommend this book for 9-12 year olds, or for the advanced younger reader. If you have a hard time finding reading material for your advanced reader that is appropriate for her age, this would be the perfect book. It is also great if you are a parent or grandparent who likes to read chapter books to your younger kids.

My daughter enjoyed Rosie and her adventures, and I think the young girl in your life would too.

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

I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Are You a Singing Hypocrite?

Has this every happened to you? You're at church, singing a praise song, and suddenly as you really pay attention to the words, you realize they don't reflect your personal life at all. You realize that you have become a singing hypocrite.

This happened to me a few Sundays ago. We were singing "As the Deer," and as we sang I realized that what I was saying didn't match my life.

"You alone are my strength, my shield." God ALONE, my strength? I am most likely to pull myself up by my won boot straps, than to lean heavily on God to be my strength.  My shield? Do I allow God to protect me? Or do a live a calculated and careful life, trying hard to keep out of harms way, protecting myself. I live a safe life. Do I trust God...alone...to be my strength and shield?

"To You alone may my spirit yield." Yielding to God alone? I think I'm more like the Apostle Paul who said, "I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate."  It seems I yield to the things I shouldn't, yet when God tells me to do something - my stop sign comes out. I lack the trust to truly yield to God.

"You alone are my heart's desire." God alone as my heart's desire? Then why I am running to the coffee and dark chocolate all the time? If you were to ask me my heart's desire I might say being a mom, writing a book or seeing my future grandchildren grow up as heart's desires. God, ALONE, as my heart's desire? I've got some work to do.

So that was when I realized I was a singing hypocrite. Or am I? Maybe that was a divine moment with the Holy Spirit to change me. Maybe that was the moment where I stopped being a hypocrite, and started focusing on God, alone. Maybe that was the moment where I stopped singing a song, and started singing a prayer. How about you? Are you ready to stop singing about it, and start living it?

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

Rules and Laws

My kids have lots of different rules they must follow. They also must distringuish the implication behind the rules. For instance, some rules are non-negotiable. "No R-rated movies." My 12 yr old knows that this rule is not only in place at our home, but even if she goes to a friend's home, she still may not watch an R movie, even if her friend is allowed too.

Then there are negotiable rules. An example is our livestyle of moderation. But my kids know that if they are at the grandparents house - anything goes! They can watch more TV and eat more dessert than usual, realizing that when they come home the moderation rules come back into play.

Finally there are rules where the meaning can change. Playing outside until dark may mean coming in at 4:30 in the winter, and 8:30 in the summer. Yet, my kids do a great job of understanding what the different rules mean and which are negotiable.

I've recently been studying God's rules...his "laws." Did you know that there are civil, ceremonial, and moral laws in the Bible? Civil laws were the laws of that day to maintain order in society. An example is Gen 9:6, "Who ever kills a human being will be killed by a human being." That isn't a requirement. It is a civil law, like today we have the death penalty. "Drive 55" is an example of civil law. We have our own civil laws today, and are not bound to the civil laws of Israel's Biblical era.

Next are ceremonial laws.Ceremonial laws include the animal sacrifices and atonement. They were required before Jesus came as the last blood sacrifice to pay the price for our sins. We are no longer bound to ceremonial laws because Jesus fulfilled those laws.

Finally, there are moral laws. The moral laws are still in effect today. They show us our wickedness, because we cannot keep them perfectly. They show us our need for Jesus, and they show how we should act and treat each other. The moral law keeps it's followers from being perverse.

It can be confusing negotiating all the laws. But I'm glad to have discovered the different types of laws, as I try to learn more about what God calls me to do. I don't have it all together, but this is what I am understanding thus far. 

My kids do a great job keeping up with my rules, and they know they are in place because I love them and care for their safety. I'm thankful for my heavenly Father who has his rules and laws in place for us, for the same reason.

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

What Would You Give Up to Win?

The Olympics have started. I love watching the events, the feel good vignettes, and even the Olympic commercials. While the Visa commercials have been my favorite Olympic commercials through the years, this year Citi has some great ones.

My favorite commercial is here. (If you are reading my blog via email, you may have to visit my blog at www.chattykelly.com to see the actual commercial.) 

Some of the lines from the commercial include "I haven't ordered dessert in two years." and "I haven't watched TV since last summer." When you think about the time spent training, and all the items that these athletes give up, it's staggering. Yet, I'm sure none of them say, "Boy, I wish I would have watched more TV and eaten more dessert" when standing on the medal stand.

As followers of Christ, there are some things that we must give up. Some of the things may seem pleasurable,  like dessert to an Olympic athlete. Yet, when we are disciplined and obedient to God's word, we will succeed.

The Apostle Paul said, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." (1 Cor. 9:24-25)

I am thankful for grace and mercy. But I can't just lay on the couch and expect to get a medal. I must run in a such a way to get the prize. I must live my life actively for Christ.

Are you living in such a way to win the race? It takes hard work and dedication. And yes, we have to give up some worldly things. But at the end of our race, we won't just get a gold medal. We'll spend eternity on the streets of gold, with our heavenly Father; a crown that will last forever. Run to win.

Question: The Olympic athletes all have trainers and coaching. Are you keeping godly people in your life to train, coach and hold you accountable to walk the Christian walk, and run to get the prize?

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