Beyond the Celestial View

Gazing upon a clear starry night
when all is calm except for croaking frogs
and singing crickets
from where we stand,
how far do the heavens go?
Do they reach beyond the sky’s edge
further away than we can humanly grasp?
Is the view from up there
as intriguing as the view from down here?
This panoramic sculpture of the mystical heavens
not knowing if other life forms exist
beyond this celestial environment
we simply marvel at the awesome wonders of God.

Lights in the firmament
dividing night from day
signs for seasons, days and years
casting light upon the earth
light governing the darkness
shining, twinkling, showers of heavenly bodies
wondering how they got positioned.
When you see a shooting star
do you wonder where it goes?

Under this dome of night lights
watching life forever evolve
when on the fourth day of creation
God saw that this was good
a sacred gift to sit back and enjoy.
Not to tire oneself of questioning the how’s,
when’s or why’s
just accept this for what it is
for many questions will always be asked.

When life ends for us on earth as we know it
our souls will be whisked away
to an eternal resting place
infinity beyond our inconceivable comprehension.
Maybe then, we will be able to touch the face
of these heavenly bodies in the distance
or reach beyond this celestial view
to meet our Creator from where we are.

Poem published by Kym Gordon Moore in Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit, 2009

What Keeps You Grounded?

At the beginning of this year, I made a commitment to do something each day to remind myself that I must stay grounded as much as possible, if not at all times. My goal was to make a gratitude journal that only included the things I am grateful for each day. That’s it, plain and simple. Nothing complex.

My main challenge was to be committed each day to write an entry of gratitude, regardless of how my day went. God used this task to remind me of how humble and grateful I must remain. On some days, I was simply grateful that God’s wrath did not rain down on me due to an un-Godly thought, un-Godly speech or my behavior. On days like that, I have to thank God that I recognized my shortcomings and asked His forgiveness. As of this day, I have to say that since January 1, 2011, I made an entry into my Gratitude Journal every single day. Sometimes I am reminded to do it before I go to bed and on other days, I make an entry earlier in the day. This daily task was a little difficult at times, but more often than not, it was the one thing that helped me to be reminded of how awesome God is.

With the help of The Lord, I try to not become entrapped with me, myself and I, which could lead to the hazards of making unwise decisions that will catapult into mass destruction. I think when you recognize and acknowledge your spiritual groundedness, your spiritual senses are awakened with a renewed sense of purpose, awareness and direction. When I rest in assurance that God is in control, then I will find contentment in His perpetual love, peace, joy and blessings.

So in the midst of things going right or awry, what keeps you grounded every single day?

My Spiritual Moment in 3-D!

This morning as I walked outside to breathe in the crisp autumn air, I looked up and thanked God for allowing me to witness a new day that I will never see again. I am so grateful for this moment of tranquility to worship, rejoice and be grateful.

As I gazed at the beautiful morning sky, I had a spiritual “a-ha” moment. The cool breeze was gently blowing as the sun began to rise. The rays from the sun cast a creamy beige hue over billows of clouds drifting overhead. Simply breathtaking! What was so striking to me was at that moment I could look beyond these drifting fluffy clouds and the sky was a beautiful marine blue with milk white brush strokes of clouds that accented the heavens.

In this moment, I felt like I was watching a movie in 3-D, but this view was not generated through cinematography effects. I felt I could reach up and touch each layer of this panoramic presentation. I was literally mesmerized by this ethereal 3-Dimensional snapshot of the heavens that made me stand in silence and simply say “Wow!”

My Flowers Taught Me a Lesson about Life

My Golden Shrimp Plant

I am always excited when spring rolls around, because I get to play in the dirt and watch miracles happen. One of the most relaxing things I enjoy doing outdoors during those warm months is working in the yard, planting flowers and trees. I consider myself one of the caretakers in God’s earthly garden. I love watching seeds sprout and tender young plantings expand their root system and begin to grow.

As my flowers mature, there is one thing that happens to those beautiful blossoms in all of their grandeur, which makes me sad. They start to wither and die. By pulling those dying blooms off, however, it allows more blossoms to multiply and the plant begins to grow faster. The dying flowers retard the growth potential of the plant and other flower buds.



My Magenta Petunia Blossom

When I reflect on life, the things that are lifeless and dead that we tend to hold on to hinder our personal growth and development. Such dead things could include a dead or dying relationship, a dead-end job, being in an organization where there are dead members who do not want to grow and remain stagnant, a dead attitude or even a dead spirit. To grow, you have to let those dead things go! You won’t believe how you will slowly begin to die too. Sometimes you lose your creativity, you can’t focus, you find yourself anxious or depressed, you get trapped in negativity, you may become paranoid or you find yourself in shackles that you can’t shake off.

I found that when I fall to my knees and pray about those circumstances that stress me out, as long as I sit still and listen to God, I find that He has a plan to fix it beyond my understanding. The one thing God instructs me to do is to let those dead weights go. Release them. When I do, I find that I focus on things that are more positive, I have more energy and I am more productive. Those circumstances have a solution, but I would screw it up if I did it my way.



My Chinese Red Hibiscus

 So when I find that life has me caught up in its ugly whirlwind of chaos, I not only stop and smell the roses, but I take a good long look at the blossoms too. I refuse to own the chaos and confusion, because that belongs to someone else. Watching a new bloom face the rising son and burst in its awesome brilliance, makes me realize that when I face the rising “Son” my spiritual bouquet will flourish too.



How Do You Weather Your Storm?

“Storms are inevitable; our anchor is immovable.”
- Dr. Charles Stanley

There never seems to be a shortage of people going through some turbulent times in their lives or hearing about tragedy and challenges through the media. As long as you live, you will have to weather storms that may come in the form of sickness, grief, losing a job, a situation we created, a situation someone else created or a storm that God needs for us to go through in order to fulfill His purpose in our lives. Our personal storms are akin to our weather related storms (i.e. Thunderstorms, tornados, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis just to name a few). They come is so many manifestations.

How we respond to our challenges and storms will determine whether we survive it or succumb to it. It can either develop us or destroy us. Our anchor is embedded in the Word of God, and whether you believe that or not is a completely up to you. The Word is not complicated, but is defined to help us live the very best life God has in store for us. This is not to say that we will not go through some unpleasant situations, but we will survive them if our anchor is fixed on what God has to say about our situation and His revelation will help us to get through it.

King David found comfort through the Psalms in the Bible and the first three verses in Psalm 57 gives comfort in weathering the storm.

1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me—God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

- Psalm 57:1-3 (NIV)

Texas Valedictorian Was Willing to Go to Jail for Praying During Her Graduation Speech

A graduating high school senior boldly proclaimed that she was willing to go to jail if she was not allowed to thank Jesus as her Lord and Savior during her valedictorian speech over the weekend. A prayer ban at her graduation in a San Antonio suburb went into effect after an agnostic family and their graduating senior filed a lawsuit last week. A judge granted their injunction banning any prayer at the graduation.

However, Angela Hildrenbrand, valedictorian for the class of 2011 asked the appeals court to block a judge’s ruling that she could not utter words like God, prayer or Amen during her commencement address. Whether or not the appellate court would rule in her favor, she was still adamant about praying anyway and paying the consequences.

In an amazing last minute decision, three federal judges reversed a ban that would have blocked Angela Hildrenbrand from thanking Jesus as her Lord and Savior during her graduation ceremonies in Texas.

Read more about Angela’s courageous feat: http://blog.beliefnet.com/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/06/astonishing-last-minute-victory-for-angela.html#ixzz1OXSVFjyD

Angela we applaud you for standing on the foundation of your conviction in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. When we listen to the song written by Irving Berlin “God Bless America” we remember that this country was based on God's blessings and peace for our nation. It is unfortunate that the spiritual foundation in which our country stood on is now becoming diluted and offensive to some people. Our voices must continue to praise God our Father and not be silent due to fear. May God continue to bless you and your family.

Preparing For Judgment Day?

We are on the heels of yet another prediction about the world coming to an end. It is no doubt that these are indeed turbulent times we are living in. There are wars occurring all around the world, debts are high, suffering surrounds us and natural disasters are appearing to be more violent than ever before. We watch the aftermath of lives shattered, homes lost and the interruption of life as we once knew it forever changed. We pray for the victims as well as the survivors. If we read, study the Word of God and strive to live obediently however, we will understand the lessons Jesus taught His Disciples. These are lessons that we need to learn in order to survive today.

If we would meditate on the 13th chapter of Mark in the New Testament for example, Jesus made some distinctive points about the Great Tribulation. Beginning in the 5th verse, He told His Disciples to be careful because many shall come in His name and deceive numerous people by leading them astray. There will be wars and rumors of wars, but the end shall not yet be, although these things exist. However, even more significantly are the words echoed in the 32nd and 33rd verses: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” (KJV)

We are witnessing a dangerous display of extremism in so many facets of life and the religious sector is not immune to it. Many who flank top leadership roles in our churches, cathedrals and synagogues are manipulating the Word of God by preaching it to those who will listen, but do not understand the oracles of truth. Such leaders who lead others astray will be held accountable for their actions. Should we take the end times lightly? Absolutely not! We do not know when “our” personal end times will occur, but it behooves us to live righteously, heed the warnings, watch and pray at all times.

People often scratch their heads in bewilderment, not fully understanding how those in the midst of losing all of their earthly possessions, while standing in the rubble of what appears to be a hopeless situation, proclaim to be blessed. Yet, we fail to recognize that we are blessed in so many ways, but do not thank God as sufficiently and as often as we should. We tend to take people and things for granted until something tragic happens when these things are gone forever.

Will there be more predictions of the rapture, Judgment Day and the end of time? Most certainly. However, we must remember that we are not the authors of this book, but participators with a divine purpose. We must put our focus on living and giving, instead of manipulating and using scare tactics to flex our “know it all” muscles. We must pray for those who are held captive by putting their faith and trust in a counterfeit man, instead of choosing to be free by trusting, obeying and embracing the Word of the LORD.

 

Celebrating National Day of Prayer

We cannot ask God to bless America if we do not acknowledge and allow God in. Today, we celebrate National Day of Prayer. Although I will be among the thousands of people engaging in a day of prayer, we must not resolve to celebrate this day only on one day of the year. Can you imagine if the hundreds of thousands of people who are participating in some type of service, ceremony or event on today commit to seeking God’s guidance and obeying His statues every single day of the year, I truly believe that our country would be able to overcome many of our trials and tribulations that we are facing today.

Here is a little bit of history behind this designated National Day of Prayer:

Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.

As a child of God, and believer in Jesus Christ, prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Let us pray for all of our leaders from the President of the United States to the pulpit. Let us pray for our children, families and friends. Let us pray for our local, state and global neighbors. Let us pray for the homeless and destitute. Let us pray for the abused, falsely accused and the wayward. Let us even pray for our enemies and believe that God will have mercy on them and that they will convert to doing the will of God Almighty. There are many who do not believe that there is a God of Creation and of this Universe. For these individuals, we will pray for you too.

The National Day of Prayer belongs to of us. It is a day that transcends differences, bringing together American citizens from all backgrounds. There will be those who will protest against this day of observance, but those of us who commit to daily prayer must make our voices resound even louder. Make every day a National Day of Prayer! God Bless!

My Personal Embrace of Easter

Easter holds two personal significances for me. First, it is a constant reminder that Jesus Christ made a major sacrifice on our behalf that resonates long after His Resurrection from His death on the cross. After countless times of reading about the passion of Jesus Christ and the horrific brutality he endured, it still saddens me when I try to “humanly” comprehend how people could mistreat others with unthinkable cruelty and feel no remorse. I understand the spiritual purpose why Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb, but amid my humbleness and gratefulness, playing out this scene during Holy Week is still very painful to me.

My second reason is that my mother passed away on Easter Sunday 2003. The way I manage to find peace with her passing, especially on this Holy Day, is knowing that she became a part of the Renaissance, the Rebirth, a new beginning and a greater Divine purpose in a different realm. Although I still experience periodical moments of sadness pierced by a maternal void that runs so deep, I am reminded that the life I live, the work I do and the heart I have will speak for me one day. When that day of my transition arrives, I want to be certain that I did not waste precious moments on frivolousness, foolishness and selfishness.

Yet, in my moments of sadness over these personal significant Easter Holy Day meanings, I find an unbelievable amount of joy, peace, happiness, gentleness and love that keeps me pressing forward to my higher calling; to be the servant that God purposed me to be and not what man thinks I should be.

I realize that many people perceive, embrace and celebrate Easter quite differently than I do. For me, Easter is not a matter of a basket, bunny or an egg, but a matter of the heart…my heart. So, in celebration of this worthy, historical and sacred commemoration, I wish all of you a very Happy Easter!

http://www.kymgmoore.com/

Something Worth Fighting For!

I can’t begin to reiterate how truly blessed we are to live in a country where we have the freedom of religion regardless of your denomination. I read many stories where Christians around the world are being brutally persecuted and ostracized for practicing their Christianity. While there will always be some type of disagreement about individual belief systems and what doctrine people follow, we still have a variety of freedoms in this country that we take too loosely and for granted.

I came across a couple of stories I want to share with you about the persecution of Christians around the world. After reading books like “Tortured for Christ” by Richard Wurmbrand, one could not possibly fathom the terrorization that so many people endured for their faith. Let us remain diligent in praying for the continued encouragement and strength exhibited by some of these sisters and brothers in the following stories:

HEADLINE: Giving away free Bibles riskier than 17 Ethiopian college students expected

Thinking they couldn't get into much trouble just giving away Bibles, 17 Christian college students from Meda Welabu University in Ethiopia thought they would go into the rural countryside and share the Gospel. The native Ethiopian students didn't know what kind of reception they would get. Read more…

HEADLINE: China celebrates Lent with new crackdown on Christians

The Chinese government has begun its annual observation of Lent - what has become a yearly wave of repression against Christians. Read more…

HEADLINE: 23-year-old faces death penalty for accepting Jesus

Twenty-three-year-old Christian convert Shoaib Assadullah asks your prayers. Jailed in Afghanistan since last year, his crime is that he converted to Christianity, then shared his newfound faith with friends. Read more…

After reading stories like these, it makes you appreciate the martyrs who sacrifice their lives and do not intentionally harm or destroy people just because they think they are justified by doing so. These are Christian soldiers are standing against the diabolical forces trying to seek, kill and destroy. Are we truly in step with God as we should be? Are you willing to be in covenant with God through Jesus Christ, by standing for something worth fighting for?

http://www.kymgmoore.com/

My Challenge To You On This 2010 Independence Day!

As we embark on this traditional day in July when we celebrate our independence, let’s take a brief trip down memory lane about the real story behind our 4th of July celebration.

Independence Day, or the 4th of July as we refer to it here in the United States, is a federal holiday that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, on July 4, 1776. The Declaration announced that the 13 American Colonies (Maine - then part of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, Georgia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island), were no longer a part of the British Empire and are now independent states.

There is so much to be proud of in this great country of ours and we must be ever so mindful to never take our freedom, which so many fought and died for, for granted. With that in mind, it is very painful to realize that so many Americans do not know some of the basic allegiances and tributes to our country. On this day, if you do not know any of the following, I urge all of you to learn these and many other historical facts that shaped the United States into the great country it is today.

Pledge of Allegience (an oath of loyalty to the national flag and the republic of the United States of America, originally composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892. It should be recited while standing at attention with the right hand over the heart; military personnel must salute.) http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm.

My Country Tis of Thee (Song) http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh697.sht.

Oh Beautiful (Song) http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/b/obfsskis.htm.

The Star Spangled Banner (Song) http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/spangle.htm.

How can we expect others to respect our country if we don’t know it’s history and respect it ourselves! So today, empower yourself! Stand tall and be proud!

May God continue to strengthen us as a united people and may we continue to pray for the truths that united us as a Christian-founded nation, based on strong Biblical principles that we need to get back on track with today! God bless all of you!

HAPPY 4th of JULY Everyone!

http://www.kymgmoore.com/