Living in Expectation

Sadly, I'm not always like my dog.

Now before you go all crazy on me wondering why I'm disappointed to not be like my dog, let me explain.

Any scrape of a chair, any unusual squeaking sound, any gasp, any knocking, practically any breathing sound can, without a moment's notice, send my dog into a frenzied bark. Sounds of nails scraping against the slippery wooden floors will commence, along with a dog who seems to have gone insane. Running to our door, he will bark ferociously at our mail slot, sure that the mailman must have arrived. 49 out of 50 times it will be a false call, and he will settle down for a little bit, awaiting the next unknown sound that could possibly be this mysterious intruder.

My dog knows that the mailman is coming and he's waiting. He will be ready when the mailman comes--there's no chance my dog is going to miss him.

Now, let me back up to my first sentence. Sadly, I'm not always like my dog. I know for a fact that Jesus Christ is coming back. But I'm not always acting like I know that. I'm not always living how I should for someone who knows that Jesus could come back at any second. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 says, "Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."

 We're living in the knowledge that Jesus could come back any second, but are we living like we truly believe it? 

Kayla Joy

Teetering Through the Day?

I teetered back and forth, sure I was going to fall off. For the first time in horseback riding lessons, we had tried to ride without stirrups at a trot. If you've never ridden horses before, then you don't know how hard this is. If you've never ridden a horse at a trot without stirrups with a tilted saddle before, then you have no idea how nearly impossible this is!

My wonderful horse, Captain, is sweet and stubborn. He won't let anyone tighten his girth. And without tightening his girth enough, the saddle will be tilted. After a worker painstakingly managed to tighten his girth, she didn't tighten it enough.

Here I was, on a tilted, sliding saddle, going at a trot (with my horse begging to burst into a canter), without stirrups, and turning a corner. Everyone watching was sure I was going to fall off and, honestly, I have no clue how I was able to hold on long enough to slow him down.

Like me teetered back and forth on a saddle, it is possible to not read your Bible as you go through the day. Lots of people do. But I have honestly found that it makes the whole rest of my day go smoother if I take time to read my Bible in the mornings. Often time the passages I read that morning stick with me throughout the day, encouraging me. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." If Scripture is God-breathed, then it must be important to read.

Without reading my Bible daily, I find myself teetering through the day, worn out and down right grumpy. It's amazing the difference when I actually take the time to be in God's Word.

Kayla Joy

Lukewarm Love or Fire Love?

I forced a shoe on my foot, hopped over to the stairs, sat down, and put the other shoe on. The whole time I was hopping to the staircase I couldn't help but think, "That was pretty pointless. I should have just sat down first and then put the shoes on." What good was it to hop around with one shoe on? If I just sat down first, then put them on, I'd be fine. Or even if I put both of the shoes on at once and didn't bother to sit down, that would work as well. Instead, I chose to awkwardly hop to the stairs. I couldn't make up my mind--I was in the middle.

Sometimes, we're like that for Jesus. We certainly don't want to be on an extreme side of loving Jesus. I mean, loving Jesus, obeying everything He says, that sounds a little restricting, doesn't it? So what if we just remain in the middle? We can say we follow Jesus, and obey His command when it matches up with what we want to do anyways. That will work, right? Revelation 3:15-16 says, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." But, (there's always an but, isn't there?) the world isn't on fire for Jesus. If we were on fire for Jesus, we wouldn't fit in with the world. Better just to blend in, right?

No, we won't blend in with the world when we're on fire for Jesus. We'll stick out. When you're on fire for Jesus, people can't help but notice. Which are you going to do? Blend in with the world, or be on fire for Jesus, even when it means sticking out and standing up for Him?

Kayla Joy

I Remember

Below is something short I wrote for my parents. You aren't meant to understand everything in there (there's a few inside jokes you won't understand), but I thought I'd post it anyways. Something else I remember? My parents always check my blog. Therefore, I'm posting this on my blog and leaving them to discover it that way :)








                                                       Mom, I remember.

I remember crying in the middle of the night for you, instantly flooded with relief when I could hear the creaking of you going up the stairs.
I remember when I hid behind you, feigning shyness from people interacting with me. 

I remember when you gently bathed me, careful not to get any water in my eyes.
I remember when you put off the ever growing stack of dishes and laundry to cuddle with me.
I remember when you would let me come to the grocery store with you, even though you knew it would only take longer (especially with me putting kings on their thrones!).
I remember when you would push me on the swings.
I remember when you would come home early from work if I was sick.
I remember you coming straight home from work to teach me how to ride a bike.
I remember when you picked me up from every swim practice.

I remember when you cheered me on at every piano recital.
I remember you encouraging me to read my Bible.
I remember you leaving for work trips and always bringing us a special treat.



I remember. When my life leads me off on different adventures and you stay home, wondering if I’m even thinking about you, I will always remember to come home.



                                                    Dad, I remember


I remember you comforting me when I thought the world was going to be flooded by our overflowing toilet.
I remember you entertaining me when I wanted to school like my big sisters.
I remember you scooping me up on your shoulder when my little legs tired out on walks.
I remember my adrenaline pumping after leaping from couch to couch, avoiding you in a game of ‘Monster’.
I remember you wiping my tears away when I was upset about something.
I remember you cooking dinner for us every night.
I remember you taking me to the park to play.
I remember you kissing my ‘owie’ every time I stubbed my toe.
I remember you making lunch for me and letting us watch an episode of Gilligan’s Island while we ate.
I remember you patiently correcting me every time I missed a subtraction problem.
I remember you always being willing to drop your busy life to help me out with school.
I remember you going on a full fledged shopping trip to pick up ginger ale, 7-up, popsicles, and chicken noodle soup when I was sick.


I remember. When my life leads me off on different adventures and you stay home, wondering if I’m even thinking about you, I will always remember to come home.

Kayla Joy

Rejoice? Your choice!

 As most of you probably know by now, my middle name is Joy. All of my siblings have the middle name of Joy. My mom has the middle name of Joy. My Grandma's name is Joyce. You could say we have a lot of joy running through our household.

It's not always easy to rejoice constantly. Sometimes, it's a struggle. When money is sparse, when food is low, when evil seems to be winning over this world...it seems hopeless. Lost. Pointless. And that's when you have to decide if you're going to focus on everything God has given you and rejoice in that, or ignore God's blessings and, instead, focus on whining. Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Are you going to make the choice to rejoice? 

Kayla Joy

God's Little Ones

Her little hand reached out through a gate to me. Her other hand struggled with the latch on the gate as she earnestly tried to open it. Her brow furrowed in worry. There was one thing on her mind--one thing she wanted more than anything at that moment. Me.

In the spring and at the beginning of the summer, I would often go outside and play with this little girl. After being gone for a significant part of the summer, however, and not seeing her for about 3 months, she hadn't forgotten about me, like I had suspected. More than ever she wanted to play with me like we used to.

At the same time, I had to pack. I was leaving the next day to go on a week vacation, and I had plenty to do to get ready. For a split second, I was torn. I loved playing with this little girl but, I was only intending to go outside for a few minutes, and I knew it would turn into hours if I played with her. Yet I agreed to, giving her parents a chance to relax while I watched her for a bit.


Sometimes simply spending time with these little one's of God can make their day. You don't need to know what makes them laugh, you don't need to know their dislikes, you don't even need to know their interests. All you have to do is be willing to spend enough time with them to find out their likes, dislikes, and what makes them laugh. Matthew 19:14 says, "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." All throughout the Bible, you can see the love God has for His little ones. What's so special about His little ones? If you take the time to find out, you discover that they can bless you more than you could ever possibly bless them with your time.

Kayla Joy

Silent Encouragement

"Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 
 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners." Matthew 26:36-45

Here Jesus was, clearly troubled, hurting, and so overcome with sorrow. Jesus knows what's coming. He takes some of His friends with Him while He goes to pray. Yet three times, His friends fail Him. Three times they fall asleep while Jesus is on His knees praying, His heart filled with anguish.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be like Jesus' friends here. I want to be the one friend who would have stood by Jesus, not being able to fully comprehend the struggles He was about to face, yet still encouraging Him. And I don't always know how to encourage people like that. Sometimes I feel like I fail miserably when attempting that. When my friends are struggling, I listen to them, I pray with them, and I constantly pray for them, but often times, I don't have the right words of advice to offer them. Often times all I can do is be there for them, cry with them, and let them know that they're not alone. Recently, I've been realizing that you don't always have to have the right words to say to encourage them--sometimes it's more meaningful if you're right there alongside them, crying with them, praying with them, and showing them how much you care. After all--actions speak louder than words. 

Kayla Joy