Have you ever gotten whiplash from all the twists and turns and unexpected detours in life? I have. I've also felt like a kite flying around in the wind unsure if God had the other end of the string.  But this is what I know: God is good, and He can be trusted. Even when we are scratching our heads and not understanding what He's doing, God has plans and purposes we can't always see at first.  If we shift our eyes just a little, we will be able to see God if we look for Him. Listen in to this episode as Leah Lively shares her twists and turns and how she saw God through it all. Leah Lively is a wife and mother of four living in central Virginia. Through writing and speaking opportunities, she is passionate about encouraging others in learning more about the Bible and maturing in their faith. Leah writes on her blog at leahlivelyblog.com and just released her second Bible study, “30 Days in Acts – A Journey: Igniting the Flame of the Early Church”.  Her first study was released in 2019 “30 Days with John – A Journey with Jesus’ Most Beloved Disciple”.  Connect with Leah on Facebook and Instagram: @leahlivelyblog

Kairos Moments

18. Seeing God in Life's Twists and Turns

Brian Walrond and his wife lead a ministry called RS1 Motivational Media. Their mission is to: Ignite Passion, Unlock Potential, Unleash Creativity, and Inspire Purpose With their passion and conviction, their message inspires people of all ages to step out of their comfort zones, pursue their Creator, and to engage this world with the love and power of Jesus Christ. QUOTES: "It’s not about man or a formula. It’s about people engaging God and God engaging people and people submitting their hearts and wills to the plans and purposes God’s given them and being courageous to step forward." "A divine appointment is a situation that comes about in our lies that wasn’t planned or premeditated. There’s a divine exchange — either for prayer, encouragement, salvation or something else that was not orchestrated by you, and both parties understand that it was something that was more than coincidence. It was something God put together. We aren’t always privy to the end result of our obedience. Brian says, “I’m of the opinion that we are on a need to know basis. We don’t need to know, and God’s not obligated to give us the whole story.” CONNECT: Websites: 2MuchtoLive4.com rs1motivationalmedia.com   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrianWalrondRS1

Being Spirit Led for Kingdom Impact

Kicking the Confidence Killers to the Curb You were created on purpose for a purpose and that was for an intimate relationship with your Creator God. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that God prepared good works in advance for us to do. It takes courage and confidence to do those good works. John 10:10 tells us that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He doesn’t want you walking confidently in life or your calling. He much prefers you to be hesitant, doubting and paralyzed from fear. Was Jesus confident? Yes, and we can be, too! Merriam-Webster defines confidence as “great faith in one’s self or abilities.” I don’t really like that particular definition. I know my strengths and weaknesses, but I only have great faith in God accomplishing His purposes in and through me. He gives me the grace, strength, skill and ability to do His good work. I much prefer the second definition: a state of mind in which one is free from doubt.” God wants us to walk in confidence WITH Him.  You can be humble and confident at the same time! It’s walking WITH Him that allows us to be both humble and confident. Galatians 6:4-5 says, “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” (The Message) Make a careful exploration of who you are. Make a careful exploration of the work you have been given. Sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What are my strengths and weaknesses? What are my skills and talents? What is my spiritual gift? What has God placed on my heart to do? Do I know what my calling is? Where am I not walking confidently in my life and in my calling? What blinders do I need to put on in order to not be distracted with comparison (eliminate social media, etc.)? What is one thing I can do this week to kick the 6 Confidence Killers to the Curb? 

How to Be Confident in Your Life and Calling

Confidence plays an important role in our lives and our calling. Misplaced confidence is pride and will only destroy us. True confidence comes from our right standing with God, our ability to hear Him, and to respond to what He's saying. Satan knows the enormity of what happens when a believer confidently walks in the good works God prepared in advance for them to do. He is threatened when we realize the high value of our calling (Philippians). There are 6 Confidence Killers I've seen the enemy use in my own life. They are: Comparison Perfectionism A Wounded Heart Fear of Man People Pleasing Our Thoughts and Words In the next episode, we talk about how to be confident in life and in our calling. Tell me what stood out to you in this episode. Maybe you have another Confidence Killer you would add to the list. Email me at julie@stuffofheaven.com.  

6 Confidence Killers in Life and Our Calling

"You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully" (2 Co 9:7). There's a lot of vitriol surrounding what's going on right now in our world, especially as it pertains to the mistreatment and suffering of our black brothers and sisters. Our response should not be coerced but informed and from a heart of love -- His heart. I want to encourage you to listen to His voice and do what He says. He'll tell you. It's very much on His heart and mind.

Do This, Not That!

Jenny Randle is my guest today. She went from a career in the heart of Hollywood to a faith-based author, national speaker, and chart-topping podcaster. Her search for meaning in the everyday moments of life has led her to write her newest book Getting to Know God's Voice: Discover the Holy Spirit in Your Everyday Life (A 31-Day Interactive Journey). In this book, Jenny encourages readers to discover how God designed them on purpose. Getting to Know God's Voice came about as Jenny wanted to know what it looked like to know God biblically, fully, and authentically. That started her on a journey of learning the giftings that Jenny has in her life and how they fit into the world around her and into the Church and Church culture. Getting to Know God's Voice is a guide for those in the Church who want to learn how to fully and authentically embrace the Holy Spirit with safeguards and boundaries in place so it's not manipulative but a really beautiful way to experience the Holy Spirit in our everyday and mundane moments. WE DISCUSSED: Intimacy with God (what it is and what it looks like) Spiritual Gifts (Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12). Power/Revelatory Gifts Her newest book is an interaction journey. In it, Jenny talks about the 8 different ways God speaks to us. A couple of them are: God's Word. She has the readers read a passage, work through some questions and write down what they feel God is saying. People. Jenny asks the readers to prayerfully ask God to put a person on their hearts and to ask God how they can encourage them. If it is an encouraging and comforting word, she asks them share it with that person and write down how they responded. It's not enough to RECOGNIZE the Kairos Moments and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We have to RESPOND to them, and that's when EVERYTHING changes. CHALLENGE: God may give you a single sentence for someone that might not make any sense, but it might be a moment where they feel seen and known by a God Who loves them. They might want to develop a relationship with THAT God. God is inviting you to participate in what He's doing in the world! You are gifted. Don't let the enemy steal that from you. CONNECT WITH JENNY: Website: www.jennyrandle.com Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/FreedomCreatives Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenny.randle ORDER JENNY'S BOOKS HERE: You can preorder Getting to Know God's Voice here. You can order her previous book Courageous Creative here.  JOIN KAIROS MOMENTS FACEBOOK GROUP: We have a growing Facebook Group ("Kairos Moments"), and there are some pretty cool things that we will be announcing very soon. Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/582220752595603/    

Getting to Know God's Voice and His Gifts

Feeling stuck in life? There are 5 things God wants to do during this season. In Episode 11, we talk about how He wants to: 1. TEACH US ABOUT REST. 2. Help us TEND TO OUR HEARTS. In this episode, we will talk about how He wants to: 3. TRAIN US IN OUR WAITING SEASON. 4. UNTANGLE THE LIES WE BELIEVE so we can be free. 5. POSITION and PREPARE us for what's next. Join our growing Facebook Community here.

5 Things God Does When We're Stuck (Part 2)

Have you ever felt stuck in life? Maybe you feel stuck right now. There are two kinds of seasons of being stuck: A God-Ordained Season of Being Stuck An Appointed Season of Growth in Being Stuck Sometimes when we feel stuck in life, it is actually God trying to get our attention. It is a God-Ordained Season.  God’s plan is NEVER to leave us in those places of feeling stuck. But by acknowledging them, we will be able to move forward in what His plan is for our lives. There are things He wants to do when we are feeling this way. He wants to: TEACH US ABOUT REST. Help us TEND TO OUR HEARTS. TRAIN US IN OUR WAITING SEASON. Waiting on the Lord is actively anticipating what He will do in and through our lives. The more we try to get unstuck in our own strength, the deeper and more entrenched we get. UNTANGLE THE LIES WE BELIEVE so we can be free. POSITION and PREPARE us for what’s next.       In this episode, I talk about the first two: Teaching us about rest and help us tend to our hearts. 1. TEACH US ABOUT REST We see this emphasis on rest everywhere in the physical world:   In writing, we pause at the commas and stop at the periods. In music, the rest note is just as important as the other notes. Without it, the music would be chaotic, blurred and unstructured noise. In farming, the farmer intentionally lets a piece of land lie unplanted for a season. He rests his land so the soil is replenished with nutrients and able to sustain future planting. 2. TENDING TO OUR HEARTS Just like idolatrous Israel was prone to wander and lose her way as she chased after anything and anyone but God to fill her, we too chase after other things–lesser loves. Lesser loves are those temporary things upon which we have set our affections.  They are anything we look to fill a hole in our hearts that only God can fill. Next episode we talk about the remaining 3 things God wants to do when we are feeling stuck. JOIN THE KAIROS MOMENTS FACEBOOK GROUP HERE!      

5 Things God Does When We're Stuck (Part 1)

It’s Part of the Process When God gives us a dream or a vision of what our lives will look like and the impact we will have on the world for Him, we go through a process before it becomes reality. The bad news is that process is not fun. Matter of fact, it can be a painful one, but God is all about the process. There is purpose in the process! The good news is God does so much more than we could ask or even think when we submit ourselves to that process. In this episode, I'm going to share the 3 Step Process I've seen God take someone through as their dream becomes a reality. QUOTES: “Why...would God go to the trouble to plant a garden that is forced to sprout rather than commanding it into existence?” She came to understand that “God delights in watching things grow.” (Beth Moore, “Chasing Vines” 2020) To connect with me: Website: https://www.stuffofheaven.com I'd love to hear from you! Tell me about your God-given dream!  

It's Part of the Process

God's promises to us in Psalm 91: He will rescue. He will protect. He will answer. He will be with us in trouble. He will deliver us. He will honor us. He will satisfy us with long life. He will show us His salvation. ************************************ Psalm 91 as read by my 11-year-old son! To me, there is just something really powerful when I hear a child read a portion of Scripture. Hope this ministers hope, encouragement and faith to you! "For the word of God is alive and active." (Hebrews 4:12) "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11).

Psalm 91 (as read by Logan)

Where are fear and doubt holding you back? Are you self-sabotaging the plans God has for you? God is inviting you to step out of that fear and to walk in faith toward His plans for you. It really is simple, but it isn’t easy. It takes courage. Don’t you want to leave the gray and dreary confining life of a fearful existence and step into the bright and exciting adventurous life God has planned? J.J. Gutierrez talks about her KAIROS MOMENT that came when God used her 6-year-old daughter to speak truth to her. She could have easily dismissed it, especially coming from such a young girl. But she RECOGNIZED it as coming from God and RESPONDED to it. From that moment on, J.J. knew what she had to do. It CHANGED everything. JJ Gutierrez is a corporate career woman turned homeschool mom, writer, speaker and soon to be podcaster. Married for 24 years with three girls...two adults daughters and 10-year-old Hope, the mastermind behind Chickening IN. JJ has a passion for seeing women grow in courage and faith, and often you can find her starting new small group ministries. Some groups include mother-daughter bible studies, workplace Bible studies, homeschool groups, and goal planning groups. JJ loves her German Shepherd- Bella and most days you'll find her sipping a glass of fresh brewed iced tea. To connect with J.J.:   Website:  http://www.chickeningin.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/chickening_in/  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/chickeningin/    

Is Fear Causing You to Self-Sabotage?

What do you do when fear is staring at you in the face? What is your go-to response when unimaginable tragedy strikes? Tiffany Johnson shares her story of when she was attacked by a shark while she and her husband were vacationing in the Bahamas. TODAY'S TAKEAWAYS MEMORABLE QUOTES: What you put in comes out! Even though they (God's promises) may not be for us today, we don't know what we're going to face in the future. You always want to think you have a strong faith, but honestly, you don't know until it's tested. The times I spent with the Lord before the attack, cultivated this closeness with Him that sustained me when I needed it the most. Tiffany has had the opportunity to share her testimony on many media outlets, including Animal Planet, CNN's Vital Signs, The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, The Today Show, Inside Edition and the 700 Club. One man accused her of fabricating her story after seeing her picture the day she was released. She and her husband radiated the peace and joy of the Lord. He said the only reason why he even considered it a fake news story was because of the smiles on their faces. Tiffany was able to share with him the reason for her joy. She said, "The awesome thing about God's joy is that it is not dependent upon our circumstance. We can have joy despite the lowest of lows that we're in because that's what God's promises are to us." PRACTICAL WAYS TO TRUST THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF DIFFICULTIES: Spend time communicating with God daily. Journal. We can look back and see God's faithfulness in answering our prayers. Be intentional with our relationship with God. Build a history with Him. As we begin to know God's character through reading His Word, we have to tear down any false ideas of God our experiences might have told us. When you are able to grasp more of the truth of Who He is, we can start to see ourselves as He sees us. Our thoughts are extremely powerful! She shares how she's discovered this truth with the use of her new prosthetic. CONNECTING WITH TIFFANY and BE AN OVERCOMER MINISTRIES: Go to her website and then scroll to the bottom for social media platforms. http://www.beanovercomerministries.com

Peace That Overcomes Fear w/ Tiffany Johnson

We are changing to a bi-weekly format, and here's why: Many of you have told me my podcasts are too short. It seems like we just get to the good stuff...and then it ends. That's a good problem to have. Am I right?! Going to a bi-weekly format will allow me to dive deeper in my interviews and pull more from my guests and to create richer content for you. This podcast is all about YOU! Subscribe to Kairos Moments so you don't miss a single episode!  

Bonus Episode: Announcing...

Which tree are you living in within your relationships? The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil Sin-conscious ONLY looks at the actions of others (and not their heart) Seeks to EXPOSE sin and wrongdoing  in others Speaks truth in harsh, judgmental way "My RIGHTS!" The Tree of Life Love-conscious Looks at actions AND their intentions Seeks LOVE which covers over a multitude of sins Speaks truth in humility and love "Our RELATIONSHIP!" 

What Can Kill a Relationship?

What do you do when you are unable to change the difficult situation you’re in? Even if you can’t change the circumstance, you are not a victim. Instead, you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be victorious in the midst of your hard season. Karen Harmon  Karen’s Kairos Moment: Karen’s pastor CHALLENGED her to praise God FOR the hard season she was in. It felt like lip service, and it felt ridiculous to say out loud; however, the more she did, the more it took root and became her reality.  If we truly believe what Romans 8:28 says about all things working together for our good, then we can praise Him FOR the hardship and not just praise Him for the victory coming on the other side. God will use the situation as one of the steps to get you to the ultimate victory. She began to declare, “God, I praise you for this hip fracture! I know at the end of this, it will be for Your glory and for my good. I may not see it now, but I know You have victory on the other side of this obedience.” QUOTE: “The chains started to break when I started to praise.” Karen’s perspective changed as she began to see who God is instead of focusing on her pain. She decided to do what she could instead of focusing on what she couldn’t (mentoring, writing, etc). So often, we want a quick fix or a checklist, but Karen says we put so much value in the final destination, but the beauty lies in the journey. I despise the message, “You are enough.” Because YOU’RE NOT, but He is MORE THAN ENOUGH. By aligning ourselves with that mantra, when we go through these hardships, we beat ourselves up. “If I’m enough, then why can’t I do this? Why can’t I conquer this? QUOTE: “YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO! He was meant to do that IN you, FOR you, and THROUGH you.” Shift your focus from wanting to be enough to: “God, you are more than enough!”

Wrestling with God (Part 2) with Karen Harmon

Kairos Moments -- a place where we talk about the significant moments in life that have the potential to change everything. A Kairos Moment is when: * God moves. * We respond. * Everything changes.

hubhopper

Kairos Moments

hubhopper