31 Days of Hindsight: Day 8

Welcome to day 8 on my hindsight journey! I hope you read yesterday’s post to understand the significance of Dec. 7th in my life, but the short version is that Dec. 7, 2007 marks the anniversary of my “all-in” moment with Christ.

I love numbers and symbolism. It just hit me that 8 is the number of new beginnings.  If the 7th (*7 represents completeness) was the completion of my “bondage” years, then December 8th marks day 1 in a new direction, a new beginning! TRULY, there are no coincidences in God’s economy!  God gave us our love languages and our quirky details; so it should not surprise me that HE speaks to me in “Katie” ways:) If numbers are not your jam, it probably makes sense that HE will not speak to you that way.

What is your language; what are your quirky details?

What gets you excited, stirs your passion, makes you curious, or prompts you to ponder?

(HINT: God will more than likely speak to you in those areas, in those ways, not in mine:)

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31 Days of Hindsight: Day 8

As I move along in my journals, I am moved into March 2016, completely immersed in the Book of Ruth.  I have pages of notes on this LOYAL LADY, as God allowed her life to fall fresh on me once again.   I have read Ruth countless times but she stepped off the pages like never before last spring!

Ruth was no stranger to NEW BEGINNINGS; therefore, I am guessing the number 8 would have been significant to her as well.   Famine is a cruel dictator. When there is famine, families usually move to find food.  The Book of Ruth opens with Naomi and her family on the move in search of just that.

They settle in a foreign land ,where Naomi loses all the men in her life; however, she gains 2 daughter-in-laws.  Over time she hears that the Lord has provided in Judah and she makes preparations to return home.

When we hear where God is on the move, do we move toward HIM, stay away or take HIM out of the equation altogether?

Naomi gave her daughter-in-laws permission to stay behind.  She did not want to force them to follow her.  Christ, being the gentleman that HE is, does not force us to go with HIM either.

This RUTH adventure is going to be at least 2 to 3 days worth of gold.  I am going to wrap it up here for today:

Ruth 1:14 says, “…Ruth clung to Naomi.” And Ruth 1:18 & 19 goes on to say, “When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

So the two of them continued on their journey…”

RUTH was persistent in LOYALTY! She was steadfast at the crossroad.

Are we?

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31 Days of Hindsight: Day 8

My 17-year-old chose to be baptized smack dab in the middle of my “RUTH digging” last spring, and it took my breath away to recognize Virginia’s steadfastness at the crossroad. She was persistent in her LOYALTY, like RUTH, and she chose to make an outward declaration through baptism of an inward heart, clinging to Jesus!

I was not that girl at 17.  When we named Virginia, Virginia Kathryn, we were not aware of her name meaning, with is basically “pure purity.” I am also a Kathryn.  I sure wish I had known what my name meant as a teenager and maybe I would have stepped into my destiny sooner. But…

I am walking in those royal shoes now, marked as HIS, and Christ has a pair for you as well, if you want them!

I am amazed by grace and in awe of the ONE who saved me, made me new and continues to make me new. Dressed in the righteous robes of Christ, I am most definitely a “Kathryn”(pure) in God’s eyes, because of Jesus, not me, that is for sure!

It does not go unnoticed that God would give me a “double portion” (Virginia Kathryn, “pure purity”) in the places I thought were broken beyond repair. My daughter chose to go “all-in” with Christ at the same age I thought I had gone beyond the grasp of Grace!

And

HE wants to give you a double portion in WHATEVER you think is irredemable!

“For God so loved…” that HE came to redeem ANY AND ALL who want redemption!!!

Hear my heart and please know that in no way, shape or form am I bragging on myself or any person!

For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do…It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are …his chosen people…  Gal. 6:14-16 MSG

I am boasting in the Name-JESUS, and what a beautiful, wonderful, powerful Name it is!

What A Beautiful Name (Hillsong)

I pray you take the time to listent to the song above.  It will give you HOLY GOOSIES in the best Jesus-arrow kinda way!

See you tomorrow on day 9, as we continue in 31 Days of Hindsight and in the Book of Ruth!