What is Propel?

Many people are asking what Propel is all about? And it's actually hard to put into words. Is it a women's group? Yes, we are all ladies. Is it a Bible study? Kind of because everything we talk about is grounded in scripture. Do we chat in small groups and have food? Most definitely! Think taco bar :) But these descriptions skim the surface because they don't adequately give the full picture of what happens, what goes on, or what you feel when you leave...........Propel is just MORE!!!

Propel is a community that becomes stronger and stronger over time. 

You never leave the night thinking, "What a complete waste of time!" 

It's worth the 45 minute drive

leaving the dinner on the stove

the laundry undone

the family complaining

It's time for you to recharge

to just be you

to breathe

to be seen!

Propel is friendships 

sharing laughter and tears 

heartache and fears

letting go of the hurts and holding tight to the truths

Propel is being a part of something bigger than yourself

It's watching women transform in front of your eyes

Bursting out of cocoons into beautiful butterflies 

Spreading their wings

some flying for the first time

Propel is encouragement from others that you are enough

That you were created for a purpose to be lived

Have a passion within you waiting to be unleashed

A potential for you to possess, new mountains to climb

Propel is a hug that makes you know you are not alone

That you will always have a tribe, a herd of females

Making a circle around you when you are wounded

Stomping their feet in warning 

against those who would attack

Propel is different

we fight against the norms

Women can get along

cheer each other on

Complete not compete!

Propel is love

It is hope

It is possibilities

It is a home away from home! 

"I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!" 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (The Message)

About Last Night....

How can I describe last night? Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes and leaves me at a loss for words that would adequately paint the picture for those that were not there. But I have to try...because last night DEMANDS A RESPONSE!

On Tuesdays our Propel Women Tucson Group meets to encourage, uplift, and empower each other. We gather to eat, laugh, pray, share, and yes even cry, as we prove that women CAN get along, woman can be each other's cheerleaders and we are better together!

Last night, I had asked my new friend Marina Holland to share part of her journey with us. If you know her, she can be shy, quiet, and definitely not the one in the room that likes any attention. But last night, all eyes were on her as her story unfolded.

This is where my words fail me...I cannot give justice to what we experienced. From the moment Marina opened her mouth we were all captivated! Her breathtaking transparency and stark honesty seeped into our souls as she shared an unimaginable tragedy of pain and loss. There was an awe-inspiring beauty in her bravery and strength to relive even a small part of her darkest hours. The love on her face when she mentioned her only son Manny shined brightly through her eyes and smile! But the JOY that radiated from depths of her heart came out when she gave God ALL THE glory in the midst of circumstances that would slay the mightiest mama! No one should ever have to bury their child!

When she finished, the silence in the room was reverent. Our emotions were all over the place. Because her story was our worst fears played out but she also gave us an extraordinary HOPE of the unfailing and never-ending promises of our Savior. But....

Imagine if........ Marina didn't have a tribe to surround and help her through her grief? The loneliness and despair could have crushed her.

Imagine if......... Marina didn't push through being uncomfortable and terrified of speaking in front of people to share her son's story and legacy? We would not know that over 100 people were saved at his funeral!!!!

Imagine if........ her son didn't know Jesus? There would not be the blessed assurance of getting to see each other again!

Imagine if.........YOU never knew that God loves you so much that He wants to see you dancing and singing in heaven with Him, your family and friends for all of eternity!!

Last night was supernatural. It could only be described as an encounter with Jesus!! We are definitely better together and we are unstoppable with GOD!

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor 4:16-18

Daughter, Don't Compare!

My 17 year old daughter is sharing her testimony. On her public high school campus. For the first time ever. Tomorrow. Of course I am proud of her. And yes this is amazing for so many reasons. One being she has been terrified most of her life with speaking in front of people to the point she would almost make herself sick at just the thought. So this is HUGE!

But more importantly, how about the fact that she will be taking a stand for her faith in the midst of her peer group! For her to have the courage to not be ashamed of loving Jesus even though it is not popular blows my mind. Because at her age, I was more into what I wore to school, who I was dating, and did I fit in!

As she is writing out what she is going to say, she turns to me, "Mom, I am starting to have doubts because my story isn't as 'loud' as some of the other students. Theirs is more dramatic. I know I am not supposed to compare but it's hard not to. I have to go last and what if nobody listens"

My precious, precious daughter how do I tell you with words that you are enough! Your journey with Jesus is unique and beautiful and YOURS! Don't listen to the lies of the enemy that your story is small. Don't get trapped in the cycle of comparison that you don't measure up. Start with the blessings of having a stable family. Tell them that you have known God all your life. Tell them that your life verse is 2 Timothy 1:7.  

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

Tell them your faith was tested in a big way, January 31, 2017 when you entered the hospital and didn't come out for 3 days after you were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Tell them that this verse is imprinted on your heart and you live by it daily because you are thankful that you woke up! Tell them that the reason you are up here in front of them is because your faith is now stronger than your fear!!! 

Lakin, remember you are talking to an audience of ONE! God doesn't care if your story is loud or if there is only 3 people in the crowd. It matters more that you are sharing it and giving Him the glory! Keep saying YES to Him daughter! Keep trusting Him with all your heart, mind, and soul! The power doesn't come in the drama it comes in His never-ending, extravagant LOVE FOR YOU!

3 Teenagers in the House! Be Alert!

I have three teenagers in the house! Three. Although I love that they can all bathe themselves, don't use diapers anymore, and can get dressed independently, being a mom of teenagers brings a whole different set of issues. When they were younger, I considered the day a WIN if they were alive, somewhat clean, and ate more than chicken nuggets for food! Now, the worries seem so much more serious, with life-changing consequences. From driving a 6,000 lb vehicle safely to making good grades for college applications, having a healthy self-esteem so they don't make bad choices, or choosing good friends who will have a positive influence on them, the minefields to help them navigate through are formidable. One wrong step, especially with saying NO to a 16 year-old girl during her period, can have our family reach the level of DEFCON 1 Status where nuclear war is imminent!

The last few weeks Bryan and I had noticed more than the normal bickering, arguing, back talk, and separation from each other. Sunday morning we all went to breakfast to spend time together and "chat"! We knew we needed to rally as a family. Get on the same page. Re-align ourselves to our values. Stay connected. This is not an easy feat with everybody going different directions and having 5 people's schedules to manage. 

I wanted them to look up 1 Peter 5:8 in the Bible. 

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:8-9

If we believe in God we have to believe in the enemy. Acknowledge that there is an enemy that comes to seek and destroy. He loves to wheedle his way into the weak spots, cause dissension, and confusion. The goal is to literally tear down families, marriages, relationships, children, teenagers, churches, communities, cities, and countries. It's not normally a drastic break off, but little by little side steps taken, until you are so off track, going in the opposite direction of where you want to be, and not knowing how you got there. 

My heart is heavy for my kids. For all teenagers. These next few years are a crucial and often a painful transition into adulthood. They are at the prime age to be attacked, to feel isolated, left out, rejected, and fearful. Their thoughts can become so twisted and manipulated, giving into pride because they think they know everything or doubting the truths and people they grew up with. 

NOT ON MY WATCH! It says, "Resist him and stand firm!" So if I have to I will say no to that party. Unplug the video gaming system. Take away the phone. Be an active part of their life even when they try to push me away. Listen and not try to fix everything. Encourage them to dig deeper into their faith, serve  others, go to church, read their Bible, and stay connected even though they are resisting. I will not give into my feelings of being liked, being popular, cool, or being their friend. I will deal with my own issues of trying to fit in or striving for the mom-of-the-year award or the prefect-put-together-do-it-all-Pinteresty, everybody envies me on Facebook mom. 

Most importantly I will pray! And PRAY some more for protection of their heart, mind, and soul. The battle is not with our kids but with the spiritual battle going on for their future!!! I will put up a fight of epic proportions, with the God of the Universe on my side, for my family to STAY CONNECTED and Stand Firm! 

Mercy Me!

Last night we went to the Mercy Me concert as a family. The kids were not super excited, "Mom, they are like 40 year old men!" I almost gave in and sold their tickets, but I just had a feeling we were supposed to go together. Doubt crept in again as we argued about taking a picture with all of us and everyone was complaining about how hungry they were. As we settled down and the music started, all three seem to be enjoying themselves and at least were nodding their heads. They even got up, clapped their hands, and danced around laughing. Towards the end, I began to worry about the time, how late it was, what our crazy week looked like coming up, and questioned whether we should leave early.

The lead singer, Bart Millard, was talking and letting us know the "curse" of a songwriter was that usually songs were written out of a painful experience he had just gone through. The last one he was introducing was called, "Even If". This song was THE ONE I had been waiting for! We couldn't leave until I heard it! The words have really spoken to me during this whole journey with Lakin. I have wept many times, cried out to God, and worshiped Him while listening to it. 

Bart explained that this song came out of frustration when he knows God can heal, he knows God can fix something...but doesn't. It was written after he had a really bad day, because he just had gotten done at the doctor's office with his son who has Type 1 Diabetes!!! He was upset about how all-encompassing his son's chronic illness is and how it touches every part of their lives. 

Type 1 Diabetes? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is what he just came out of his mouth? That song, my song, came from this guy's struggles with his son's T1D? I snapped my head around and looked at Lakin, she said, "Can you believe it?" I leaned over into Bryan's arm and just started sobbing. Not necessarily tears of sadness but overwhelmingly filled with so many emotions. THIS is the reason we are here tonight! We are NOT alone. She is not alone! She had to hear from the stage, surrounded by thousands of other people, that her fight will be alongside MANY others. This disease does not care how much money you have, what color your skin is, how old you are, or who your dad is! It is relentless. But it doesn't mean the God who controls the universe and created you doesn't care or has left you behind. 

Thank you God for reminding me that there are no such things as coincidences and Team Lee was right where they should have been last night!

Even If (parts of) by Mercy Me

"You've been faithful, You've been good

All of my days

Jesus, I will cling to You

Come what may

‘Cause I know You're able

I know You can

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

I know the sorrow, I know the hurt

Would all go away if You'd just say the word

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

It is well with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul" 

Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson

I was driving my kids with me to the DMV and the song Piece by Piece by Kelly Clarkson came on the radio. I had heard the song before and thought it was good. But for some reason, that day, I listened to the words a little more closely. They destroyed me!

Flashbacks of my childhood and experiences with ex-boyfriends slammed into me and caught me off guard! It was like a movie reel flipping through a horror film or at minimum a bad drama! Growing up I felt so many times like I was falling apart. Piece by piece. The lies. The hurt. The fear. The abandonment. The loneliness. The pain. The words in the song pierced my heart. It was like they were meant for me....

"But piece by piece he collected me

Up off the ground where you abandoned things, yeah

Piece by piece he filled the holes

That you burned in me at six years old

And you know,

He never walks away

He never asks for money,

He takes care of me

He loves me

Piece by piece he restored my faith

That a man can be kind and a father could... stay"

"Piece by piece I fell far from the tree

I will never leave her like you left me

And she will never have to wonder her worth

Because unlike you I'm going to put her first

And you know,

He'll never walk away,

He'll never break her heart

He'll take care of things,

He'll love her

And piece by piece he'll restore my faith

That a man can be kind and a father should be great"

Of course, I started crying, as I'm trying to drive. I think, "Oh no my kids are going to think I'm weird. Again. The tears keep falling. 

But my tears were not ones of sadness! Sounds crazy right? I was crying because I was overwhelmed with LOVE! Yes, seeing those past images was hard but the stronger feeling that pushed all that away was this song, these words, described my husband! He helped collect the pieces. He never walked away. He takes care of me and loves me. He restored my faith that a man could be kind and a father could stay and be great. My children will never know what it is like for their dad to turn his back on them or wonder about their worth because he left them."

I am crying because deeper than the love of Bryan is the love of my Savior!  My worth does not come from my family, my past, or even my husband. Who I am is a Child of God! He determined how much I am worth by putting His son on the cross. Jesus took my brokenness and put all the pieces back together again. He healed the wounds that were so deep. Burned in my soul. He restored my faith by showing me His perfect love. That I didn't have to earn or doubt. 

My daughter thought I was upset and started rubbing my shoulder. I stared her in the eyes and said, "I am crying tears of joy because your dad is all of those things! More importantly God is the one who guides your dad and loves us beyond anything we can ever imagine!"

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3: 17-19

Good News At Last!!

Lawson has been seeing an eye doctor since he was a year old. He has gone through patches, prisms, eye drops, therapy, and even surgery! He got his first pair of glasses at 14 months and we just replaced his frames last week which pushed his number of glasses to 41 pairs! Today we went to get his eyes checked because he was having trouble seeing out if his left one. This kid rarely complains so my first thought was not another issue with his vision :( We sat in the doctor's office and I waited, holding my breath, praying, trying not to show my worry to my son. I flashed back to all the things this third child of mine has had to overcome and was gearing up for the next hurdle.

The doctor asked Lawson a bunch of questions and to read the letters on the wall. When he kept missing them I started to panic. (No Bryan was not around to give me the calm down face) I wanted him to pass so bad I almost felt like giving him the answers!! Just a whisper here and there if you will. What's the big deal? Kimberley, get a hold of yourself! What kind of mom wants to help their son cheat on his eye exam?? (Again Bryan was not there to give me the," Are you crazy, pull it together!" look). But we have been here so many times before and I just didn't want him to have to deal with one more thing!

Finally, after what seemed like forever (we had been there over 2 hours) the doctor turns to me and says, "The reason Lawson can't see is.......his prescription is too powerful! His eyes have gotten better and these glasses are just too strong now."

What? What does that even mean? He has had trouble seeing since birth. I am expecting bad news again. I just know you are going to tell me he is going to need surgery a second time. Is this good? Why am I having trouble intaking this positive news?

"No, I do not think Lawson will need surgery as a teenager. His eyes are correcting themselves with his glasses on to almost 20/20. Everything looks great. In fact, he was not a candidate for soft contact lens because his eyes were so bad but because of the improvement he can wear them anytime he is ready. Bad news, he is going to need a new pair of glasses because his prescription HAS changed. "

Doctor that is not bad news that is an answer to prayer! An answer to prayer from a very weak momma who sometimes doubts the BIGNESS of God. It is one more example of God's glory no matter how small my faith seems at times. Even if the outcome would have gone the other way, God has THIS! Lawson is a gift from Him no matter what and a blessing to us! So he is worth the extra $350 dollars they will cost. Bring on the 42nd pair of glasses!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Piles of "Crap"!

I am semi-organized...in my house everything has its place but the things I don't want to deal with especially paperwork to file, bills to be paid, mail to sort through, taxes to figure out, goes into a pile. Now they ARE organized piles. Piles with a purpose. Neat piles if you will. Sometimes I actually move them around, shuffle them a bit to make myself feel accomplished but rarely do I go through them except in a panic to find something. I don't actually "deal" with them on a regular basis.

Yesterday, I was FORCING myself to tackle one of the piles because we are getting our floor done and it must be gone. I DREADED going through it! I might even have been feeling some anxiety about how overwhelming the task was going to be and I didn't know where to start!

As I was procrastinating by painting the baseboards, because yeah that makes sense in the big scheme of things, it hit me! That the way I feel about those dumb piles is the way I feel about some of my issues! You know the issues we all have that we just don't want to take care of so we put them off. Maybe walk around them, act like they aren't there because thinking about them causes angst, apprehension, or fear. The conversations we might be avoiding, the sin we keep not confessing, the anger we let explode, the pride that halts our growth, the negative thoughts that make us critical, the perfectionism that makes us controlling......those issues that have been moving around in our life for a very long time.

Funny thing though even if I pretend my piles aren't there or flat out ignore them doesn't mean they go away by themselves. There is no magic fairy waving a wand or a genie twitching her nose that will make it all disappear. To clear those piles will take work, fortitude, the willingness to get to the bottom no matter what comes up, the courage to face the truth no matter how painful, the perseverance to not quit when it gets tough, and the humbleness to ask for help even if you are embarrassed. Some of those piles or issues seem like mountains too high to climb. It probably will get really messy before any progress is made. Why not leave them alone? What is it really hurting? My piles, my issues, are just who I AM!

"The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." John 10:10 

Sometimes we wait too long and our marriages crumble, relationships drift apart, debt mounts, bitterness sets in, procrastination happens, certain sins become way too comfortable. We justify that others are worse or we outright deny that we have any issues at all. We settle for less than. We agree to "this is it". We don't claim the mighty promises of our generous God. We stick our head in the sand like an ostrich and let our "piles" accumulate, hinder, and stop us from living an awesome life!

But God created us to be free of all the stuff that trap us and keep us just going through the motions. "There is a true peace and satisfaction that comes from being completely submitted to God's will—knowing you are living in the manner He wants you to live. Then you are free to live the joyful life, the complete life, the free life—the life Jesus describes as "more abundant." (Yohn) 

Which pile do you want to tackle first? One paper, one issue at a time! It's about progress, not perfection!

Stain Remover

My husband had this lime green shirt that looked great on him! The other day, I took it out of the dryer and it had stains all over it. He had forgotten to take out his chapstick from his jeans and I didn't check his pockets. So when I dried the clothes the chapstick had melted all over the whole load! I was beyond bummed!

I was determined to try to do anything I could to get these stains out! But no matter what I tried; Spray and Wash, soaking, rewashing, the oils had seeped in and they were just not coming off. As I looked down at the now ruined shirt, I paused. This reminds me of when I first became a Christian. There were a couple of things that I did not think even God could forgive me, some "stains" in my past that no matter what I did; get baptized, volunteer, cook for the homeless, go to church, teach bible study, give money..certain stains were just not going to come out. They were permanent, soaked into my soul, so deeply ingrained into the fabric of my past that no amount of effort in trying to remove them would be successful. I always felt like I was and would always be irreversibly stained. 

Until I came across this verse. 

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us." 

Ephesians 1:7-8. 

I was floored; these words came off the page and pierced my heart! You see, the word redemption means atonement, deliverance, rescued, repurchased! 

'Kimberley, understand this my daughter. The sacrifice of my son, removed those "stains". There is NOTHING in your past that is not covered by the blood of my son. Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18). You are set free, forgiven and not just a little, but abundantly! My grace is extravagantly and generously poured out onto you! I purchased those sins....all of them!" 

"...and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7 

Jesus.....BUT?

A sorry doesn't mean as much when it is followed by a but...the but word some how takes away from the apology. "I'm sorry but I am really tired after work." "I'm sorry but you just made me so mad." "I'm sorry but I had a bad day." It gives the person a way out, a reason to not really be responsible. 

Often times we use this word in our relationship with Jesus, intentionally or unspoken.  "I will follow Jesus BUT I am not willing to commit too much. I love Jesus BUT I'm not willing to give up "fill in the blank".  I would share Jesus with others BUT I am too shy. I will go to church once a week BUT I'm too busy the other days to fit Him into my schedule." But, But, But.....

We feel better because at least we do something or follow part of the time or love mostly. We can still check off the boxes right? It's better than nothing? "But" is such a tiny word how much does it really matter?

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." Matthew 22:37

The "buts" stop us from giving our all. The "buts" give us the excuse to only meet Him halfway, to put up walls that cause barriers in our relationship with Him. We hold on so tight to parts of our lives in the end we lose because we miss the power of the Gospel!

"If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." Matthew 16:24-25

So, how do you get rid of the "buts"? The answer is the cross. When we truly understand and rejoice in the work of Jesus on the cross we are not motivated by guilt or shame or have to. He said, "It is finished" and that's were our lives truly begin, standing in His grace and mercy and ultimate sacrifice. He doesn't need us to do anything, but because of the cross we should WANT to!

"Dear God, help me to know and see the "buts" in my life that are keeping me from loving you with all my heart, all my mind and all my soul. I don't want to hold anything back from you. It is hard, to give certain things up. Give me the wisdom to see the beauty of the cross and the courage to respond to it."

UnStuck?

Yesterday I wrote about the reasons we might become stuck in our spiritual walk or our relationship with God; We don't trust God, Our Past, Our Feelings, and/or Our Sin can all keep us from moving forward.

So the next question is, "How do we unstick?"

1. Get to know God and trust him more.

You have to know who God is, what is the truth, and his character. The enemy is the master deceiver and he wants to get you all messed up and confused about your relationship with God. He constantly mocks you and tries to get you to believe lies. The enemy loves to stir the pot and convince you that God is a killjoy or worse not to be counted on. You have to ground yourself in God’s promises and trust him to be who he says he is.

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end; he is the King of Kings, who created the heavens and the earth. His love is so complete and powerful he put his son on the cross to die for our sins. He promises to never leave or forsake us and that he knows our name! Our faith, our steadfastness, and our trust in Him help us not be so easily swayed or deceived.

Then you have to really, not kind-of-sort-of, trust him!

• trust him to show up
• to keep his promises
• give you the strength when you feel like you can’t go on
• trust in his grace and mercy
• trust he has a plan for your life
• trust that you will have consequences if you go against him

You have to trust him and his word to become unstuck, to move closer to him. If you put your trust in anything else it will always return void.

2. Choose to take the next steps. “Knowing God’s word doesn't cause me to grow. But doing it does.” (Donna Jones)

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE. DO IT. APPLY IT. THINK about things that are pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy, and true.  Get your mind on those things in the world not all the other garbage we fill our heads with. You can know God’s word inside and out, be a theologian that can argue with the best of them, but if you don't apply anything you know, hear, or learn you will remain stuck!

I can get a master's degree in exercise and nutrition and have my shelves lined with how to get healthy books. But if I never go to the gym or stop eating cookies all the knowledge in the world is not going to help me get healthy. It’s the same with God’s word. You can know it and stay the same, but you have to do it and apply it to change.

But the other part is progress. Progress means movement towards something. You have to take the next step. Might be a baby step, it might only be a shuffle but the cross, the sacrifice of the cross, DEMANDS a response!!! Maybe it is time to do more than just show up for church, sing a few songs, nod your head at a few things said from the stage and walk out of church really NO different. Maybe it’s time to stop making excuses. God doesn't want our excuses he wants our heart!

Maybe it’s time to take your foot off the brakes, and say, “I am ready to move forward. Take the next step!”

What is the Next Step?

• Maybe find one verse in the Bible you claim as yours and memorize it. One of mine is Ephesians 1:7-8 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”

When I first became a Christian and my past kept trying to keep me chained this verse got me through. It told me God bought me with the blood of his son, forgave me of my sins because he is full of grace and mercy which he poured out onto me!

• Have a tough conversation with someone you have been putting off
• Get the courage to share Jesus with that person he has put in your life no matter how awkward or uncomfortable.
• Stop isolating. Get connected to a community. Join a small group. Go on a mission trip. Join a team and volunteer. You can’t unstick yourself.  You need help, people alongside you on this journey.
• Maybe God wants you to confess a sin and get help to stop it. Stop sleeping with the person you are not married to, stop gossiping behind other people’s backs, stop bad mouthing the church when things don't go your way, control your temper, stop pursuing the love of money or material things.
• Maybe he wants you to break you free from an addiction of porn, drugs, alcohol, buying…. whatever it is SIN WILL KEEP YOU STUCK!
• Maybe it is surrendering your finances and being more generous.
• Look at how you are spending your time, what are you thinking about and focusing on most of the time? Is it stuff that has no eternal value?
• Go to counseling and really deal with some of that baggage you have been carrying around that it just too heavy.
• It could be as simple as a prayer or a conversation that you need to begin with God.

Ask yourself: Am I willing to do what is necessary to become unstuck? Will I get to the end of my life and be okay with where I am at right now?

Let me tell you about some people here at Elements City Church that are choosing to take the next steps to move closer to God. I want to share these stories because they are some of my heroes. They are choosing that no matter how crappy their past was, how awful they have acted, how unfair life has been to them, they are choosing to take the next steps, some of them drastic steps toward Jesus.

There is a guy that grew up on the streets of Philadelphia to teenage parents who couldn't overcome their drug addictions and never really parented him. He saw a verse on our whiteboard at home and asked a few questions. His next steps: he went to church the next day, got baptized, starting going to counseling, and comes every Sunday night without really knowing anybody but us.

A young female who sat across the table from me at coffee and said, “Kimberley, I am not a good person. I don't like who I am and if you look at my past it is awful and I am so ashamed. But I want to change!”  This girl is beautiful, smart, and successful and could get by on life just because of this. But she made the step to talk to someone. She is being open and honest about the sin in her life, she is trusting wise counsel on how to deal with it, and she joined a bible study. She also chose to stop drinking not because she thinks it’s wrong but because she looked at her past and figured out that most of her bad decisions came when she was drinking so it wasn't worth it.

A single mom with 5 kids who took the steps to protect her kids by having the courage to get them all out of an unsafe situation. She is scared and fearful about going at it alone, with very little resources, but taking the next steps to give her children a different life!

Or the mom who had a baby as a teenager and just got baptized 15 years later because she has recommitted her life to Jesus and wants something different for her family. She is not letting her past stop her from becoming part of leadership here at Elements. She knows she has been redeemed. Her next step was saying yes to be a team leader. Her past will not keep her chained.

Another young man who left a very strict religious home to find the Jesus of the bible not the Jesus used for control. His step out was filled with fear and anxiety but he knew he had to move. He found a church and community who could show him the love and compassion of Jesus.

One 20 year old female took a next step when she decided that Facebook was causing her too much of a distraction so she disabled her account, so she can spend more time listening to podcasts and worship music.

What is so different about these people? They are moving towards Jesus no matter what they have been through. They are ordinary people showing up and taking the next step.

Now I can almost hear some of your thoughts from here, “I can’t do this! It’s too hard. I am not disciplined enough. I am too young, too old. I am scared. I’m too hurt. You don't know what I have done. I am not ready. I will wait until I am older or get myself together more…..

And I say to you, The resurrected son of God lives inside us. The cross is ENOUGH! You can't stay the same and follow Jesus.  He said come follow me. He is going somewhere. Jesus never meant for us stand still and be stagnant.

“Being a Christian is about surrendering to Jesus and then submitting to him on a daily basis one step at a time and KNOWING that he is going to make us into who we need to be.” Perry Noble 

Stuck!

When I was eight years old my parents took me on a scary carnival ride. It had one long steel pole with cages at each end that rotated around and around as the pole swung us through the air. All of a sudden, as we were at the highest rotation point, the ride lurched to a halt and we stopped. Hanging upside down, squished between my parents, I thought I was going to die. We were stuck!

Have you ever been stuck? Stuck in traffic? Stuck in a line? In an elevator? At a family or work event? Have you ever had gum stuck on your shoe or in your hair? What feelings come with being stuck? Anger, frustration, exhaustion, fear, bitterness towards others, maybe even loss of hope, or wanting to just give up?

The definition of stuck: unable to move forward, trapped, unable to set oneself free.

It happens to us in our spiritual walk too. It doesn’t matter where you are with your relationship with God, whether you are a brand new Christian, not a Christian at all, or you have been walking with God for years. We all get stuck!

Why do we get stuck?

1. We Don’t Trust God

• We don’t believe He is who He says He
• that He is going to show up
• that He is listening
• That He will keep his promises or his word. 
• that HE created us for a purpose and has a plan for our lives
• We don't believe He tries to protect us by telling us not to do certain things. 
• how much He loves us
• that we are his precious children who He relentlessly pursues no matter what we have done
• We don't believe God won’t quit on us.

How can we mature in Christ if we don't trust God is who he says He is and will do what He promises? We will remain stuck.

2. Our Past

It’s a powerful thing that can get us trapped, entrenched. The wounds are deep binding us in chains. The hurt, the shame, the bitterness, the anger all goes down to our soul. But you cannot become unstuck if you don't free yourselves from your past.

I know some of you are thinking, “You have no idea what I have been through or what I have done!” You are right I don't. I know that some of you have been abused, misused, violated or you some of you have done those things to others. Many of you have secrets that you think are so ugly that you can never truly get over them.

BUT Your past does not define you. THE CROSS DOES!

Your identity is not found in your past. Satan uses our past to defeat us because we focus so much on his lies that we don't believe we can ever get over our past.

“If you don’t let your past die, then it wont let you live.” Perry Noble

You will always remain trapped. Are you going to live in self-pity or triumph? Are you going to remain a victim or are you going to claim the victory of the cross? 

Don't get stuck in your past so you can’t claim the future God has for you!

3. Our Feelings

Sometimes we are stuck because of our feelings. Anger, bitterness, selfishness, or maybe we are disillusioned. We don't feel close to God, we don't feel joyful, we are angry because someone in the church has disappointed us, so we don’t feel like going to church. We don't feel called to volunteer. We don't feel like forgiving. Our feelings can get in the way of moving forward. We focus so much on how we feel and our emotions. Let's be honest here, feelings can’t always be trusted. They can be all over the place, up and down like a roller coaster. Do you tell your teenagers to trust all their thinking when they are going through those years? No way. Teenage filters can be way off. Think of girls who one minute they are BFFs forever and the next minute they are done. Sometimes we have to look past our feelings, look at the bigger picture. Look at God’s viewpoint rather than through our filters.

As we mature in following Christ we begin to believe what God’s word says over the way we feel.” Perry Noble

God’s word is true and trustworthy. Our feelings and emotions can sometimes be cloudy and confused.

4. Our Sin- Sin is anything that breaks the relationship between you and God.

“It's impossible to experience spiritual maturity while hanging on to an area of sin in our lives. Sometimes when we don’t want to give up our sin so we try to immerse ourselves in some sort of Christian activity believing that maybe we will appease God and he won’t notice this other little sin part over here. Just like if you go to McDonalds and order a big mac, large fries, an apple pie and a diet coke. The diet coke doesn't cancel out all the other garbage you just bought.” (Paraphrased from Perry Noble) The same with sin.

The consequence of sin is separation from God. When you don't deal with the sin in your life it moves you farther and farther away from Him. Often you start becoming pretty comfortable with sin as your sidekick that your life is no different than the worlds. Sin will keep you stuck. It will stop you from moving forward. It will stop you from maturing in your spiritual walk.

If I were to ask many of you where are you right now with your walk with Jesus or this season in your life, many would say, “I’m stuck. I don’t feel like I am making any progress. Or I feel like I am backsliding. I am discouraged because I keep doing the same things over and over again. Or some of you may be near the breaking point, I am quitting this is too hard I don’t see enough change.”

Stop and ask yourself; Am I letting my feelings rule my thoughts? Not trusting the one who created me? Playing the tapes of my past over and over?  Making choices that will keep me in destructive patterns? The One that lives in You is GREATER than all of these things!

"But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Tomorrow: How to Get Unstuck