I swung myself on to the mare’s saddle and slipped my feet in the metal stirrups. Running my hands through his long mane, I squeezed him forward. Talking gently to him, I watched his ears as he relaxed and dropped his head. A few years ago, this would have been a weekly occurrence for me. But now, after seven months of not riding, crutches, different doctors, and surgery, I was finally allowed to get on a horse again. I’d been anticipating and counting down to this day for weeks, and I wasn’t disappointed! While I am incredibly thankful to be healing and back to horseback riding, I’m also thankful to God for teaching me lessons throughout this time.
Throughout the whole hip journey, God’s shown me that He’s faithful. That He never gives up on us, and that He’s got a plan. He can use struggles, heartbreak, and pain to build character and, ultimately, bring Him glory. Romans 5:3-5 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” This has been one of the passages that’s really stood out to me lately, reminding me that through every struggle I go through, God’s love never fails. We can rejoice in our sufferings instead of turning bitter, knowing that God’s going to continue to mold our character even throughout the hard times.
Hard times doesn’t mean God’s forgotten or given up on you. He’ll be right alongside you no matter what, slowly shaping and molding you during the struggles. If you’re struggling with something in life right now, know that God can use even your current circumstances to grow you in Him.
Kayla Joy
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Treasure Matters
I sat on the picnic bench, coloring in an ocean and doodling fish in the blue waters. A little girl next to me chattered, happy to have someone coloring with her, as she told me one thing after another. Her curly brown hair bounced as she squirmed on the bench. She proceeded to tell me about a rich couple she knew, as she reached for a blue colored gel pen.
“So this couple I know,”, she continued, “they told me…” she paused here, looked both ways, and lowered her voice to a soft hush, “that they have a THOUSAND. DOLLARS. So they’re like. Really rich.” I smiled to myself as I listened, loving the perspective that little kids have on things. I could tell that she was imagining a pile of treasure sitting in their luxurious castle.
The word “treasure” means different things to different people. To one little girl, it means having a thousand dollars. The things you treasure change as you change throughout life, but ultimately, Christ should be our treasure, our focus in life. Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
I especially love the last verse. Where is the treasure in our life? If something as fragile and important as our own hearts’ are where our treasure is, shouldn’t we pick our treasure carefully?
Kayla Joy
“So this couple I know,”, she continued, “they told me…” she paused here, looked both ways, and lowered her voice to a soft hush, “that they have a THOUSAND. DOLLARS. So they’re like. Really rich.” I smiled to myself as I listened, loving the perspective that little kids have on things. I could tell that she was imagining a pile of treasure sitting in their luxurious castle.
The word “treasure” means different things to different people. To one little girl, it means having a thousand dollars. The things you treasure change as you change throughout life, but ultimately, Christ should be our treasure, our focus in life. Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
I especially love the last verse. Where is the treasure in our life? If something as fragile and important as our own hearts’ are where our treasure is, shouldn’t we pick our treasure carefully?
Kayla Joy
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Child Delight
I watched as the nine month old baby got placed in the baby saucer. Almost instantly, his face lit up. He squealed with excitement, and twirled in circles, looking at all the toys within his reach. His little legs moved fifty miles an hour, spinning him in all directions. He couldn’t get over how exciting this was, and for the next half hour, I could hear him squealing and giggling with pure joy.
This is one of the many, countless reasons I love kids. They have such genuine joy, over what seems like the smallest thing to us. They have a different perspective. Instead of tiring over seeing what they’ve seen a million times before, they react each time with newfound delight. When I see an old play house, they see as a castle, when I see a lego piece, they see a city of legos.
As adults, somewhere along the way, we seem to have lost this. We easily tire, and rarely find joy in the little things. Even things such as showing God’s love to people becomes wearisome. If we’ve showed His love to someone before, then we can just stop and be done with it, right? Galatians 6:9, however, doesn’t say that. It says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
No matter what age you are, no matter how many times you’ve shown God’s love to someone, no matter how weary you are of people rejecting God’s love, don’t give up. Remind yourself of how amazing God really is, what He gave up for you. Reminding yourself of this really gives you a new perspective again, and an excitement for sharing God’s love to everyone. And, finally, as Galatians says, don’t give up.
Kayla Joy
This is one of the many, countless reasons I love kids. They have such genuine joy, over what seems like the smallest thing to us. They have a different perspective. Instead of tiring over seeing what they’ve seen a million times before, they react each time with newfound delight. When I see an old play house, they see as a castle, when I see a lego piece, they see a city of legos.
As adults, somewhere along the way, we seem to have lost this. We easily tire, and rarely find joy in the little things. Even things such as showing God’s love to people becomes wearisome. If we’ve showed His love to someone before, then we can just stop and be done with it, right? Galatians 6:9, however, doesn’t say that. It says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
No matter what age you are, no matter how many times you’ve shown God’s love to someone, no matter how weary you are of people rejecting God’s love, don’t give up. Remind yourself of how amazing God really is, what He gave up for you. Reminding yourself of this really gives you a new perspective again, and an excitement for sharing God’s love to everyone. And, finally, as Galatians says, don’t give up.
Kayla Joy
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
I Can't See Nothing!
“Miss Kayla, close your eyes!” the little girl said, waiting expectantly. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and smiled. She smiled back, her shoulder length brown hair bobbing as she wiggled about.
“What did you see?” She inquired curiously. I told her it was just dark, and then told her to close her eyes. She obediently closed her eyes, then exclaimed, “I can’t see nothing!” Though that double negative would normally bug a grammar lover like myself, I simply love how little kids put things. But more than that, I love how she noticed such a stark difference that we take so often for granted. The difference between opening and closing your eyes is huge, yet we don’t give it much thought—at least I know I don’t!
When I really sit down and think about it, the passage in Matthew 5:14-16 comes to mind, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Similarly to the contrast of opening your eyes versus keeping them closed, we have a choice. We are the light of the world, and we can chose to hide that light. We can close our eyes and pretend as if there is no light. Or, we can shine our light, which points to Christ. We can give hope to people. We can show them God’s love for them. We can live our lives for Him, and bring glory to Him with our lives.
The choice is up to us. Close your eyes, or open them. Hide your light, or shine it.
“What did you see?” She inquired curiously. I told her it was just dark, and then told her to close her eyes. She obediently closed her eyes, then exclaimed, “I can’t see nothing!” Though that double negative would normally bug a grammar lover like myself, I simply love how little kids put things. But more than that, I love how she noticed such a stark difference that we take so often for granted. The difference between opening and closing your eyes is huge, yet we don’t give it much thought—at least I know I don’t!
When I really sit down and think about it, the passage in Matthew 5:14-16 comes to mind, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Similarly to the contrast of opening your eyes versus keeping them closed, we have a choice. We are the light of the world, and we can chose to hide that light. We can close our eyes and pretend as if there is no light. Or, we can shine our light, which points to Christ. We can give hope to people. We can show them God’s love for them. We can live our lives for Him, and bring glory to Him with our lives.
The choice is up to us. Close your eyes, or open them. Hide your light, or shine it.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Clean Snow
Snow. Snow, snow, snow. What can I say about the past month, other than snow? I dislike the cold that comes along with the snow, and usually I find myself wishing I lived somewhere else—perhaps Florida—and didn’t have to bear through the cold. Thankfully, I can console myself that we’ve made it to March already, and that means that spring is definitely on its way!
But through this past snow-y winter, I’ve taken the time to look at the freshly fallen snow. I love the parts with no footprints yet, no dents. A white blanket of cotton, it seems to calm the surroundings and freeze nature in place. Some days, the snow is so white you feel the need for sunglasses. Yet through the brightness, I can’t help but notice the beauty of freshly fallen snow.
This reminds me of the picture with sin our lives. Our sins cause ugly dents, and end up staining what could have been so beautiful. It started out so wonderfully—until sin entered the picture.
But that’s when Jesus comes in. He washes our sins away, removes the stain, fixes the dents, and suddenly, our sins are as white as snow again. 1 John 1:9 says, “ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. “ After we sin, we’re not stuck being dented and stained. When we confess our sins, when we turn away from them, He will cleanse us. He’s waiting for us to turn to Him, to acknowledge that we don’t want to remain stained and dented any longer. But ultimately, the choice is left to you. Do you want to turn from the sin that you’ve been holding on to, or do you want Him to wash you white as snow?
Kayla Joy
But through this past snow-y winter, I’ve taken the time to look at the freshly fallen snow. I love the parts with no footprints yet, no dents. A white blanket of cotton, it seems to calm the surroundings and freeze nature in place. Some days, the snow is so white you feel the need for sunglasses. Yet through the brightness, I can’t help but notice the beauty of freshly fallen snow.
This reminds me of the picture with sin our lives. Our sins cause ugly dents, and end up staining what could have been so beautiful. It started out so wonderfully—until sin entered the picture.
But that’s when Jesus comes in. He washes our sins away, removes the stain, fixes the dents, and suddenly, our sins are as white as snow again. 1 John 1:9 says, “ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. “ After we sin, we’re not stuck being dented and stained. When we confess our sins, when we turn away from them, He will cleanse us. He’s waiting for us to turn to Him, to acknowledge that we don’t want to remain stained and dented any longer. But ultimately, the choice is left to you. Do you want to turn from the sin that you’ve been holding on to, or do you want Him to wash you white as snow?
Kayla Joy
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Messy Moments
As I sat down in the chair, I balanced two children on my lap, each toddler fighting to have me to themselves. Soon enough, a much needed distraction came—cupcakes. The chocolate cupcakes were in celebration of Jesus’ birthday; a birthday party for the toddlers, in order to help them understand the birth of Jesus. One of the girls on my lap was especially delighted about her cupcake, squishing the soft cake between her fingers, stuffing it in her mouth with delight. I smiled as chocolate crumbs fell on the floor, knowing the floor would definitely have to be cleaned. I couldn’t help but laugh when I looked at her face and realized that she was wearing more of this dessert than she was eating. Her mouth was smudged with icing, with even a few dabs of chocolate on her nose. Her short golden hair had some crumbs hiding in it. But beneath all of that mess, her smile was huge. She was having a blast, and she definitely wasn’t afraid to get dirty! As I wiped the mess off her mouth, I couldn’t help but wonder at how she wasn’t afraid to get messy. She knew she would be taken care of. She didn’t worry about getting messy, but instead she delighted in it.
Sometimes, God calls us to get messy for His sake. Maybe it doesn’t look quite the same—it probably won’t involve wearing chocolate cake on your face—but it often involves tasks that aren’t so pleasant. An example of this that Jesus gave us? One that instantly comes to my mind is Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. A nice, relaxing, clean job… or maybe the complete opposite. Jesus humbled Himself to take on a lowly job—scrubbing the dirt off feet. It isn’t exactly a job most people scramble to do, but Jesus willingly did it, leaving a beautiful example for us. After washing their feet, Jesus says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15). Washing their feet is one of the best examples of being willing to humble yourself and get messy for God’s glory, but it doesn’t always come in the form of feet washing. Whether it’s changing a dirty diaper, sweeping the floor, or taking the time to serve the needy, it can be done for His glory.
The real question is—are you willing to get messy for His sake? As He showed us through His example, following Jesus is often messy. Much like the little girl, however, even through the messy moments, He’ll take care of you. He’ll be right there beside you, as you go through messy moments for His sake.
Kayla Joy
Sometimes, God calls us to get messy for His sake. Maybe it doesn’t look quite the same—it probably won’t involve wearing chocolate cake on your face—but it often involves tasks that aren’t so pleasant. An example of this that Jesus gave us? One that instantly comes to my mind is Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. A nice, relaxing, clean job… or maybe the complete opposite. Jesus humbled Himself to take on a lowly job—scrubbing the dirt off feet. It isn’t exactly a job most people scramble to do, but Jesus willingly did it, leaving a beautiful example for us. After washing their feet, Jesus says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15). Washing their feet is one of the best examples of being willing to humble yourself and get messy for God’s glory, but it doesn’t always come in the form of feet washing. Whether it’s changing a dirty diaper, sweeping the floor, or taking the time to serve the needy, it can be done for His glory.
The real question is—are you willing to get messy for His sake? As He showed us through His example, following Jesus is often messy. Much like the little girl, however, even through the messy moments, He’ll take care of you. He’ll be right there beside you, as you go through messy moments for His sake.
Kayla Joy
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Secret Sins
I sat on the heater on a particularly cold day, trapped behind the pages of a book I was reading. My dog, Sammy, had been wandering in and out of the room, as if he was bored and looking for something to do. At a breaking point in my book, I looked up for a moment, and heard an unusual crinkling sound. I instantly wondered where Sammy was, knowing it was never a good sign to ask that question. Getting up from my comfy spot, I quickly spotted him in the bathroom, unrolling a toilet paper and stuffing it in his mouth hungrily.
As soon as he looked up, he knew he was in trouble. He ran from the room and stared at the mess he made, looking at me as if asking, “Why whoever made that mess??” His guilty eyes and licking lips told me the true story, however.
Instead of instantly being sorry, he first tried to escape from being scolded. He knew he was going to be in trouble if he was caught, so he thought he could hide his bad boy acts.
Isn’t this how we act around God a lot of the time? It’s certainly not something we want to admit, but we really don’t want to give Him all parts of our lives. We’d rather give Him only the good parts, and attempt to hide the rest from Him.
But God doesn’t want us coming to him displaying our best parts and disguising our sins as something else. He wants us to come as we are—even when that means broken and hurting. Thankfully, we have an amazing, merciful God who forgives us time and time again. You don’t have to fear telling Him of your sins and broken pieces, He already knows. He’s just waiting for you to hand over all of yourself to Him.
Kayla Joy
As soon as he looked up, he knew he was in trouble. He ran from the room and stared at the mess he made, looking at me as if asking, “Why whoever made that mess??” His guilty eyes and licking lips told me the true story, however.
Instead of instantly being sorry, he first tried to escape from being scolded. He knew he was going to be in trouble if he was caught, so he thought he could hide his bad boy acts.
Isn’t this how we act around God a lot of the time? It’s certainly not something we want to admit, but we really don’t want to give Him all parts of our lives. We’d rather give Him only the good parts, and attempt to hide the rest from Him.
But God doesn’t want us coming to him displaying our best parts and disguising our sins as something else. He wants us to come as we are—even when that means broken and hurting. Thankfully, we have an amazing, merciful God who forgives us time and time again. You don’t have to fear telling Him of your sins and broken pieces, He already knows. He’s just waiting for you to hand over all of yourself to Him.
Kayla Joy
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