A Year of Gratefulness

2020 has been a year of chaos, trials and tribulations. Like every year we've all had our problems. Unlike most years our world faced a virus that shut down the global economy. No one living has ever seen anything like what COVID-19 has put our world through this year. With the pandemic came fear and confusion, public and personal crises as countries, companies and individuals faced unexpected times of unemployment, loss of income, medical bills and having to adapt to a world we didn't recognize. With all of that, this New Year might be the most anticipated that I can remember. Everyone is ready to put 2020 behind us and pray that 2021 will be a better year.

This year has brought a lot of personal challenges for me as well. There's also been a lot of really wonderful things that have happened. I started the year without a job, I'm ending it at a job I enjoy with people I love. I left a church but I also had to challenge my own beliefs and my faith was made stronger. In addition to that I've had the opportunity to listen to other churches and pastors from around the country and that's been wonderful. I've met new friends, spent time with family and got to be in one of my best friend's wedding. Being a part of her special day was definitely a highlight of my year. I started doing weekly check in's with my goddaughter and that's become something I always look forward to. Hearing about her week at school, the friends she's playing with and the things she's learning is delightful. And I know that it's building the foundation of a relationship that will get stronger with time.

Just before Christmas my grandpa wrote a Christmas letter that he sent out to a lot of friends and family. It included a list of a few things that he's grateful for. Let me share his words with you today.

"#1 Sixty-five years of marriage to my wife, Virginia. I tell people that I have married many beautiful girls, but I have only kept one."

In case you've missed previous posts Grandpa was a pastor for over sixty years. In that time he performed countless weddings so that joke has long been one of his favorites. It never fails to make me smile.

"#2 We have been blessed with five daughters who love us..."

He also listed the names of his daughters and where they all live.

"#3 We are blessed with 18 grandchildren plus 18 great-grandchildren and number 19 on its way, making a total of 36 with number 37 due in June."

I'm #12 of the grandchildren, and I'm so excited to meet my cousin's baby boy who is due in June 2021.

Grandpa went on in his letter to say that time won't permit him to list the number of ways that God has led and blessed their lives. He also encouraged others to list a few things they're grateful for.

My three for this year are simple but sincere.

#1 I'm grateful for my family. My parents are always there for me and I wouldn't know what to do without them. My grandparents are such a blessing to me and I'm grateful for the time that I get to spend with them. My sibling are people that I can be proud of. My nieces and nephews are absolutely delightful. I've been very blessed.

#2 My friends. I have a lot of friends which is a blessing in and of itself. This year I've met new friends, I've reconnected with old friends and I've been blessed with those who have known me for a long time and have always been there. They each bring something unique and wonderful to my life and I'm so grateful for them.

#3 My writing. Although both my blog and my books can inspire a great deal of frustration they also provide a creative outlet that I desperately need. Releasing my first book this year was incredibly terrifying but also rewarding. My favorite part is when people tell me it made them think about their own lives or their faith. Through my writing I can share what the Lord is teaching me, by doing so it makes those same lessons really sink into my heart and life.

So that's the last post for 2020. And for the last challenge of the year I would encourage you to write a list of at least a few things that you are grateful for. 

Also, due to some things that are coming up I'm going to take the month of January off. You know that I've been working on book #2 of the Yagos series and I need some time to focus on that. I'm hoping that 2021 will get off to a better start and I'll be back to share some things at the beginning of February. I have lots of ideas but need a time of rest before I try to write them. Until then, have a happy New Year friends!

Weary or Merry Christmas

 his morning I listened to a wonderful sermon on a live stream. Before I get into this post I just want to say how grateful I am for the gifts of technology that God has blessed us with. Although I'd really prefer to be meeting in person, the fact that I haven't found a place to call my church home has led me to listen to sermons from churches across the country. It's been amazing to hear God's word coming from different churches and pastors around the nation. It's been such a unexpected blessing!

Back to today's topic. One of the points the pastor was talking about was weariness. It's been a year where people have just felt broken down, defeated, exhausted and yes, emotionally and spiritually weary. (There's been plenty of physical weariness too but that's not what I'm talking about today.) That's made this Christmas season a very difficult time to choose joy. And yet it's a joyful season. It's the season of celebrating God's gift to us, His Son. How can we not be joyful?

The fact is that we have a choice. No matter what year it is, or day it is, or what our circumstances or what's going on in the world we are given a choice. Choose to be broken down by a world that is not our home and become weary, or choose to follow our Savior, walk in His footsteps and choose an everlasting joy.

Please understand, I'm not saying it's an easy thing to do. The decision is easy, the actions are harder. Matthew 11:29 says "Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Learning to follow in Jesus's footsteps and how to choose joy is a learning process. We have to let Him teach us. The first time you saw a long division problem in math class did you have any idea how to solve it? Probably not! You had to learn. You had to let someone teach you the step by step process and then practice it until it became a learned skill. This is a similar concept. I don't think we'll every perfect this skill this side of heaven but it will get easier. And we are not alone! The Lord is there to help us every step of the way.

Isaiah 40:31 says "But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

And Philippians 4:13 says "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

One more, in the second half of Nehemiah 8:10, "This is a sacred day before the Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"

Now, I admit that I'm not sure the exact context of the verse in Nehemiah but it jumped out at me because it's a great reminder as we head into this Christmas week. This is a sacred, holy time that we are celebrating. So let's celebrate! The joy of the Lord is our strength and I don't want to be weary this Christmas. I want to choose joy and have a very Merry Christmas. How about you?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Carols

 Christmas music is one of my very favorite parts of the season. It's one thing that is still normal this year. Even though so much is different we're still able to enjoy Christmas music. I'm one of the annoying people who can listen to Christmas music at basically any time of the year. As I've gotten older I listen to it less then I used to but every Thanksgiving the music starts up again! The radio station gets changed to an all Christmas music station. My phone fills up with Christmas song downloads and I start humming time treasured carols everywhere I go. 

This year I have a few Christmas music highlights I thought I'd share.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Little Drummer Boy". I know that we have no knowledge of a drummer boy being at the manger but so what? Maybe he came along with the wise men. Or he was staying at the inn because he was training with the army but was sent to Bethlehem where his family was. Or maybe he's a fictional character that was made up just write the song. Who cares? The point is the song is wonderful and this year For King and Country did a rendition that has the sweetest music video ever. I absolutely love it!

Then there's a traditional Christmas song that I didn't really understand the significance of as a child is one that has come to mean a lot to me this year is "Go Tell it on the Mountain". I first started thinking about it when my roommate mentioned that it was one of her favorites. It made me really think about the words for the first time in years. As I started pondering it I realized what a power message it has as it tells us to share this wonderful news everywhere we go. If there's one thing we can use this year it's good news. And what better news is there then the reason for Christmas?

A new Christmas song was released this year by Rend Collective. "Christmas in Killarney" is fun and quirky and absolutely delightful. It's definitely going to end up on my most played list before too long. This song embodies the nature of the album name "A Jolly Irish Christmas (Vol. 2)". It's absolutely delightful and I'm becoming more and more certain that I'm going to end up putting it on a playlist to just cheer myself up all throughout the year.

One of my old favorites that has never gone out of style is "Mary Did You Know". This wonderful, thought provoking song never fails to send chills down my spine and make me wonder about the young girl who was chosen to be the mother of our Lord. What did she know? And how did she deal with it all? There's a conversation I look forward to having when I get to heaven one day!

Third Day released a song called "Manger Throne" that I heard on the radio the other day. It talks about the wonder of a King who gave up His throne, a Lord who leaves His home, all because of his love for us. It's a really beautiful tribute.

One more old favorite is "Silver Bells". I remember my sister teaching me this song when I was a kid and to this day I loving hearing bells chime every Christmas. Even the bell ringers for the Salvation Army are one of my favorite parts of the season!

I'll finish today with another one of my favorites. "Silent Night" is almost hauntingly beautiful. The second verse is my favorite as it paints the picture of the angels appearing before the shepherds that long ago night. It really would be terrifying but oh so incredible!

What are your favorite Christmas carols? I'd love for you to drop me a note in the comments or find my author page on Facebook, just search K. L. Kirk and my page should come right up. Leave me a note on my page and share what songs will be gracing the airways of your home this holiday season. 

This Strange Christmas

I know, this is not my normal day to post. You know that I missed posting on my normal day last week. We all know that it's 2020 and unexpected and strange things happen that throw a plan off course. And although COVID has nothing to do with why I didn't get a post written last week, let's just blame it on the virus and move on shall we?

Last Spring I remember writing a post called "Silent Saturday" about how Easter didn't look anything like what I was used to but it made me focus on what was really important about the holiday. At that time I never expected things to still look so strange at Christmas. Even as I write this I'm sitting on my couch, staring and my tree and all the lights and decorations I've put up, while knowing that, although my house may look like Christmas, this holiday isn't going to look like the last few years.

Part of that is what everyone's experiencing, it's 2020, COVID is still hanging over our heads, gatherings are limited and masks are mandated. Part of it is personal. One of my brothers is in the NAVY now so he won't be home for Christmas and sadly, neither will his wife. One of my roommates got married this year so I won't be able to spend Christmas Eve or Christmas with her as I have the last couple of years. For only the second time in my entire life I don't have a church I'm involved in right now so I won't be involved in any services at my home church. (I will be attending services at the church I grew up in where my family still attends though.)

Some things look normal, some look different. I'm not exactly sure how everything will play out but I know it's going to be a strange Christmas for a lot of people. So what do you do? 

Focus on what is happening. If you're at home with family then focus on them and take some extra time as you focus on the reason for the season. Make sure your kids really know the story, take time to discuss how Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, the wise men and the innkeeper may have been feeling. If you're by yourself then read the story with fresh eyes. Maybe even try a different Bible translation to help you see it differently.

If you're able to go somewhere for Christmas then be grateful for that. It's a blessing not everyone will have. If you're at home then find a way to make it cheery even it's just a few lights or candles placed in the windows. You might not think too much of it but it might cheer up a neighbor walking by. Or send out Christmas cards! That's something that I love to get in the mail!

Give generously. There are so many people hurting financially this year. If you're able to then donate toys, food or even money to families you know or organizations or who can make sure those gifts are going where there needed. And if you can't give, that's okay! But you can smile, or speak an encouraging or friendly word, and that's just as important this year!

Finally celebrate! Start with celebrating traditions, whether this is the year you resurrect an old tradition, carry on one that never died or create a new one, find a way to celebrate a tradition. Traditions can be serious or goofy but they have a way of helping us remember. Remember why we celebrate, remember who we celebrate with or just remember the fun times we've had in the past. And even if you skip the traditions phase then you can still celebrate. Even with everything that's gone on this year we can still celebrate Christmas! Jesus is the reason for the season and that will always be worth celebrating even on this strange Christmas!

Thankful for Prayers

The other day my Grandpa was talking to me about last weeks blog's post about God's plans for our lives. He said that when he was growing up his family was quite poor but his parents always made sure there was enough money to send the kids to church camp. One summer, I think Grandpa was in junior high, the speaker at the camp told them to take out a piece of paper and sign their names at the bottom. The paper was blank. The speaker told them that was their contract with God. When they gave their lives to Him they signed the contract, now He got to fill in the details. From that time on Grandpa knew that he was going to be a pastor. He built his life on that knowledge and straight from high school he headed into Bible college. God always had a plan for His life and although his years of ministry have been anything but easy He trusted in that plan and lived his life for the Lord.

However just living your life day by day with a vague plan in mind is exhausting. Sure there's a goal and a vague reason for your decisions but what happens when life gets hard? When you get a curveball thrown at you? You need something to rejuvenate you, to remind you of why you're living your life for the Lord. A vague concept of "because God has called me to this" isn't going to be enough for most people. It certainly wouldn't be for me.

That's why this week what I'm grateful for is what takes us from living out a set of guidelines or rules and makes our faith a relationship. Prayer. The ability and gift and commandment to communicate and commune with our Lord and Savior.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Prayer is one of the greatest tools we have in helping us live our lives for Christ. It's one of the best weapons we have in fighting against the enemy. It's the greatest medicine we can ask for in asking for healing for ourselves or others. 

We don't always get the answer we want when we pray. Sometimes it's no, or wait, or I'm going to give you what you want but not in the way you expected, or I'm going to give you what you need but not what you want, or sometimes it's just yes. 

Prayers is not a method of accessing God like a vending machine. We can't just send up a prayer like we would put in some cash and then expect God to drop down whatever we've asked for like a bag of Cheez-It's. Prayer is about communication. We use prayer to talk to God, to share with Him our fears and concerns and burdens. To thank Him for all He's given us. To rejoice about what He's doing and praise Him for His many wonderous blessings and for all of creation. We pray on behalf of others and intercede for them because God wants to hear from us. We pray because prayer has power and the more we pray and our faith is strengthened the less power the enemy has. We pray so we can hear what God has to say to us. And we pray because we are His children and talking to our loving Father is something we should delight in as much as He delights in hearing from us.

Prayer is a very mysterious thing to me most of the time. It's also very simple. We pray to talk to God. And we pray to hear from Him. Prayer is powerful. I may not understand how it all works but I've seen the effects. 

My great-grandparents prayed for their children to love the Lord. Four of their six children went into full time ministry. They prayed to have the money to provide for those kids and God always gave them enough to send their kids to camp. My grandpa prayed that God would use him and he spent over 60 years as a pastor. God answers prayers. Not always in the way we want or expect but He does answer. And our faith is strengthened by spending time with Him. 

I don't know what your praying for today but when you take time to speak to the Lord today I encourage you to thank Him for the power and the blessing of prayer. It's something we all have reason to be incredibly thankful for.

God's Plan

 This week the thing I'm most thankful for is that God has a plan for my life. Please believe me when I tell you that is not a statement that I take lightly, nor is it an easy one for me to say. There are days that I cannot even pretend to understand why He allows things to happen or why He doesn't cause other things to occur. There are prayers that go unanswered, sometimes I pray something that I'm sure will be granted and instead He says no. Other times there are prayers that go years and years before they come to fruition. And there's some that He answers in a way that I would never expect or even want. 

Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted verses today. And I can understand why, after all the words are very inspiring.

'"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."'

It sounds wonderful. Until you look at the context. This isn't just a wishy-washy, 'hey I want you all to be happy' type of verse. It so much more serious. Jeremiah is in middle of telling the people that the Babylonians will conquer their land and drag them all off into captivity. And not just them but their children and everyone they love. These Babylonians, the people's enemies, will take them away from everything they know and hold dear. Yet with that dire prophecy hanging over them Jeremiah also gives them this amazing promise from God. The prophet tells them that God will not abandon them in Babylon and He will not forget them. After 70 years God will bring them back. 

Sometimes I'll be praying something for a few months and then I get discouraged so I give up. I can't imagine heading into 70 YEARS of exile away from my home and trying to cling to this prophecy, can you? On the other hand, isn't this the same verse we cling to every time we face something difficult?

I do believe that this verse applies to us. God does know the plans that He has for each of us. And in Romans 8:28 Paul says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." 

So does God have plans for good? For our future if we are His children? Yes, of course! Does that make it easy believing in His plan? Not so much. However it does give me reason to be incredibly thankful that He has a plan for my life. It's probably not the plan that I expect, and maybe not the one I would hope for. It will also be far better then I can dream. 

When life gets troubled and things are hard let this be what we remember; God has a plan for our lives, it's a plan for good. He plans to give us hope and a future. That's what I'm incredibly thankful for this week.

Our Country

This week I want to really take a moment to reflect on how grateful I am for this country. The freedoms and liberties are some of the things I hold most dear in this world. So many men and women have fought, bled, and died for this great nation. Many of my ancestors were among them. In more recent history some who have signed up have been friends of mine, and family members. Just this week my brother joined those honored ranks. He follows in the footsteps of my dad before him. 

I'm so grateful for the sacrifices that they and their families have made to protect our freedoms. And today I want to take a moment to focus on some the freedoms that I'm most thankful for.

-Freedom of Speech: It is a rare and amazing privilege to live in a nation where we have freedom of speech. Yes, people abuse this all the time. However that's their right. And whereas in other nations telling someone about Jesus could be considered hate speech, here in America, even if others disagree, we still have the right to say it. That's a truly incredible gift and one I'm so thankful for. Without that gift I wouldn't be able to write about whatever I want; because of it, the things I write on my blog or in my books is protected by my constitutional right.

-The right to protect ourselves: The right to keep and bear arms is just as rare if not more so then the freedom of speech. This allows us to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our properties. Those things cannot just be taken away from us. They are ours and we have to right to defend them. Think about it. Without this right someone with power could come and take your children, or your house, and you wouldn't have any legal right to stop them. That's why this right is so significant and why we must fight to keep it.

-The right to worship: I'm sure that there's times we wish everyone worshiped the way we did but the right to worship or not worship, as we choose is one of the most amazing things about this country. It's the same choice that God has given us since the beginning. Obey Him or not. Our country gives us protection to make that choice. We can worship the Lord or not but the  government won't interfere with our decision. That's pretty incredible.

-To protest: This one's harder. I find that I disagree with a lot of the reasons people protest these days but I'm grateful they have the right to. Think for a moment what would happen if you decided to stage a protest in a communist country. Or one run by a dictator. 

. . .

Got that image in your head? Yeah. Now imagine what it's like when people protest here. They are given the right to meet and protest peacefully and our government protects that right. That's an incredible, sometimes unheard of, idea. Let's not take it for granted.

-The right to vote: The right to free and fair elections is one of the most crucial things in one allows our nation to be what it is today. This is not a political statement or a pitch for one side or the other. It is a reminder that this right, and all of these rights, bear with them an incredible responsibility. Please, do not take them lightly.

So that's it. This week I'm thankful for our nation, and I'm incredibly thankful for those who choose every day to defend it. I'm also honored that my brother has now become one of those serving but it's not without sacrifice. When my 7 year old niece learned he was leaving she started crying and asked him why he had to go. He told her that he was joining the Navy to protect the people of this great nation. She was just sad she won't get to see him for a long time and I understand, I'm sad about that too; but I'm so proud of the fact that she'll know her uncle was out there making sure she could grow up safe and free in this great nation.

Thank you to all who have served or are serving and thank you to the families who pay so many sacrifices and don't get the recognition you deserve.