Guard Your Heart!!

"Above all else, Guard your heart 

for it is the well spring of life." 

{Proverbs 4:23} 

 

Your heart is the most important leadership tool you have. 

It is not your experience, knowledge, or skills.

 It is your heart that matters most of all.

The fragility of our heart should not be taken lightly.

(even though that sometimes is the case)

If your heart is the only connection to God, what kind of relationship will you have if your heart starts to fail? 

If we allow all the unkind forces and spirits in the world pull us away from God, our heart becomes very unhealthy.

If we only feed our heart, junk from the World, our heart stops working the way God fully created it. 

Just like our physical health, our spiritual health can fail if we don't take good care of it. When we let down our guard and forget the things that God tells us through the Bible and through prayer, 

we do damage to our hearts and our relationships with God. 

That is why we are told so many times, to faithfully be on guard for the protection of our hearts.

What is the reason we 'have' to Guard our hearts?! 

Because your heart is extremely valuable!! We don’t guard worthless items do we?! (At least I don't) 

I take my garbage to the street every Wednesday night. 

It is picked up on Thursday morning. 

It sits on the sidewalk for everyone to see all night, 

completely unguarded. 

Why?? Because it is worthless. 

Not so at ALL with your heart!! 

Your Heart is the essence of who you are.

It is your authentic self...

the core of your very being. 

It is where all your dreams, your desires, and your passions come alive within you. It is that part of you that connects intimately with God and with other people.

Do we actually grasp the fact, 

that our hearts are under constant attack...?? 

When Solomon says to guard your heart, he implies that you need to be living your life, in a 'protected zone' with God. 

Many of us are so oblivious to the fact and reality of this constant warrior-battle. 

We have an enemy who is bent on our destruction. He not only opposes God, but he opposes everything that is aligned with Him... including us.

Satan uses all kinds of weapons 

to attack our hearts. 

That is why if we are going to succeed as Followers of Christ 

& survive as individuals. 

We NEED to faithfully be guarding our hearts in His Word, and in daily prayer. It is more important than we can possibly imagine.

 

If we lose heart, we have lost everything.

So begin to be more on Guard for your heart. Dig deep into his word frequently, and be in a constant prayer mode!!

God will be with you, as you guard your heart

through those moments of Battle. 

He will be guarding your heart, 

just as you are!! 

Until Next time, 

~Kerrington 

The Journey of 'Singleness'

Today I am going to talk about something, that is so very near and dear to my heart, and that is the topic of 'Singleness' 

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

{Jeremiah 29:11}

What messes up most of our lives, 

is the picture we have in our heads of how our lives
are supposed to be. 

If that snapshot in your dream-scrapbook includes a handsome hubby by your side, you’re probably wondering about now where he is. 

Yeah, I thought he’d be here by now.  

Plenty of other godly, single women in every age range are thinking the same thing. Me included... 

But my heart breaks and aches, 

for the many women I have met 

who have settled for less than their

God-given best. 

Women who didn’t believe that they were worth the fight, magnificent, extravagant, and crazy amazing...

I’m saddened by how easy it is for us women to give our hearts away, sometimes to the most undeserving of men. 

Women will only be choosy when they believe that they are worth choosing. When we begin to believe we are treasures worth finding 

and precious gems worth keeping 

our mindsets instantly start to change. 

Choosing to wait for our future spouses'
goes beyond a boundary, 

it goes beyond any rules. 

It is overflowing in love, purity, 

and true desires. 

I choose to wait for whoever God has for me because, I believe that this season of waiting will help mold me into the Woman of God, 

He has called me to be. 

I think part of our problem as Christian women lies in, our fear of unconditionally trusting God. 

Deep down, we want to fully trust Him, but we wonder if we really truly can. We wonder if He will really follow through. We wonder if He knows us, as well as we think we know ourselves. 

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" 

{Proverbs 3:5}

I believe waiting will teach us to trust God with everything...

Even in our 'love lives' ;)

The purpose of waiting is NOT because we are waiting for God to ‘hurry up and finally bring the guy’. 

Keeping this in mind, 

God isn’t keeping that wonderful man from you. 

Nor has He forgotten that you’re over there waiting. You’re not on your own. You don’t have to invest all your energy looking right, or being in the right place, at the right time to find God’s match for you. 

Instead, our energies are better spent growing every day into amazing women of God, who will recognize God’s man when he shows up in our lives. 

We are being shaped and formed each day, into the image of Christ. 

There are things God is working out of us, and into us. 

God created us with one sole purpose of knowing Him and making Him known. Your singleness is God’s perfect place for you to thrive. 

You don’t have to wait for your "knight-in-shining-armour"

 to start living. 

You can know the Lord fully and serve Him wholly right here, 

right now.

The purpose I believe, in our singleness is to take everyday and glorify Jesus in everything we do. 

From saying hello to people, 

to serving those who need help. 

It is an incredible opportunity to be able to spend hours with God in prayer, in fasting, and in worship. 

It is an opportunity to let our lives 

be true living sacrifices. 

My desire for my life is to be a reminder to the world that singleness does not mean you are “stuck”. Remember, waiting is not always a bad thing, ladies!! 

Waiting is an opportunity for God to purify and perfect His will in our lives. The longer we wait, the more time we can invest in becoming more Christ-like, as Single Ladies :) 

 

Everyday is an opportunity to be 

refined in God's fiery love. 

Everyday is an oppurtunity to say yes to love and no to fear. 

Everyday is an opportunity to open locked doors in our hearts and to discover hidden talents and desires. 

Everyday is an opportunity to go deeper in God's love. 

When we begin looking at this season of waiting as an opportunity to be purified and refined for a possible spouse, it most definitely becomes more of an adventure!! 

Instead of dreading each new day, wondering if every person we see is “the one." 

We can start living right now, 

we now can choose to see the beauty in each and everyday, knowing that it is shaping us to be who He called us to be. 

(First and foremost a Lover of God)

 "Trust in the LORD forever..."

{Isaiah 26:4} 

The journey to one day become a 

Wife starts now. Today matters.

How we respond to the things of today, will determine how our tomorrow goes. 

Though the Battle may get tough... 

Seek your strength from prayer, 

not people. Be open, and trustworthy, live in full communion, 

with our Heavenly Father. 

 

Love waits...patiently.

 

So today, if you are single will you make the choice to wait patiently and proactively?!? 

We all have a choice in how we can Live your lives. Looking forward to what God has for us today and everyday to come, or impatiently waiting for the day we will meet 

"the one" and possibly missing out on opportunities today. 

So, as much as we want to plan out our picture-perfect lives...we unfortunately can't, but on the brighter side of that, Life always has a way of surprising you with unexpected things that will make you even happier than you originally planned, so that's always
something to look forward to ❤️

Ladies, in closing I would like to say, 

like I have said before in many previous posts...
Never be ashamed of your Singleness!
Just because you are the only girl you know who isn't dating, doesn't mean you are not worth waiting for...
There is a man out there waiting just as patiently as you are, 

we just have to TRUST God! 

Never forget that you are worth the wait!! 

Until next time, 

~Kerrington 

....Distractions

Oh ladies, those days where we find

ourselves drooling over that 

"one guy!" 

Yes, the guy that makes your heart skip a beat, the guy that let's hundreds of tiny butterflies fly happily in your stomach, the guy that makes you feel like a million dollars, the guy that smiles at you from across the room, the guy that makes you feel like a princess, the guy that holds the door,

& says "ladies first", 

the guy that is devoted to God in everything he does. 

While you just read that last part 

you totally thought of a guy in your life, didn't you?...

Ya, I'm not gunna lie, so did I.

Sometimes, Don't you wish You could just tell him your feelings, because it's just bubbling inside your heart,

like a kettle getting ready to blow it's top. 

 

But then here's the tricky part... 

You already know deep down 

in your heart that

 You are in a 'Season of waiting' 

for your Prince Charming, 

& you are totally committed to that &

Are willing to wait for that man You will

one day love as your husband. 

But then there are so many distractions, distractions, distractions, & then more distractions. 

I then am reminded of this verse in the Bible... 

"Consider it pure joy my {sisters}, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." 

(James 1:2-3) 

My heart pulling one way 

& reality the other. 

What do I do with myself in these situations when the emotions just wanna get the best of me?! 

Do I give into these so called 'distractions' for a little bit of self pleasure or Do I continue to take a stand & say you know what, 

this may be the hardest thing I will ever do. He may look like the perfect guy for me, he looks as if he was totally like,

made for me :) 

(You know what I'm sayin?) 

But ladies!! Did you ever think that this could very easily be an attack scheme from Satan trying to screw up your plans & commitments to this Season of waiting that you are in??

Just like Eve in the Garden. 

Satan tempted her & she gave in. 

Genesis 3:1-6 says: 

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" 

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, 

she took of its fruit and ate. 

She also gave to her husband 

with her, and he ate.

So are we going to follow in 

Eve's footsteps & give in?! 

Or are we going to take our own steps & take a stand in this 

crazy fast-paced world & say that

I am willing to wait no matter the pain,

no matter the cost, I will wait!!

I will NOT be overcome by the temptations of this world. 

I will not sell-out, just to get the 

next-to-best-guy, I am willing

to wait for the God-given best for me. 

Think about this though,

Do you ever doubt the goodness of God?

Do you ever have the fear tucked away,

 deep in your heart, that you will be in a 

'season of waiting' for the rest of your life?! 

In those low moments, when we question things like that, 

It is so very easy for Satan to twist with our minds

& fiddle with our trust in the Goodness of God. 

 

We then have to stand up.

Tell Satan to get lost, shake it off, grab a tea & say God, 

I know that you have put me in a 'season of waiting' for a purpose & I stand knowing that one day you will have that Prince that will be rightfully mine, because I have waited & trusted through those long Lonely nights. God I give you all the thoughts that may tempt my mind while I'm waiting.

 

 Take every part of my thought life.

God take my earthly emotions 

& that eager want to have a man at my side,

God you & you alone, 

are all I need :) 

Until next time, 

~Kerrington 

Kindred Spirits

Proverbs 17:17 

"A friend loves at all times..." 

I have had many good friends, 

but these two special,

Young Women of God have been there through the thick 

& through the thin! 

They both have been there to pray & encourage me in my walk with Jesus Christ on a daily basis & support my crazy (sometimes unrealistic) dreams.

They have been there when I just need a hug, a shoulder to cry on, or just a really good laugh.

They have been a place of refuge & comfort when I needed someone to confide in. They will always be my 

Lauren & Kalista :) 

Proverbs 27:17

"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."

Lauren 

Lauren is a sweet, quiet, book-loving, helpful, giving, beautiful young lady I have the absolute pleasure of calling my Best Friend & sweet sister in the Lord!

I have known Lauren since 2004 when we met at Home-school Co-op, where we became good friends & then just about 4-5 years ago our friendship started to blossom

& we became best friends :) 

Lauren & I share a passionate love for "Anthem Lights" our favourite Christian band, Which we just recently

(back in December) had the pleasure of meeting in Florida!! In our free-time together we usually fill it up with, making stop-motion videos, watching hall-mark movies, soaking in our hot-tubs & making any food which involves some Nutella!! Yum! 

Kalista

Kalista is a spunk, hilarious, generous, crazy, actress-in-the-making, out-going kinda gal! I have had the pleasure of knowing & calling her my best friend for about... 

umm my whole life haha! 

We have wrote 2 books together, started a talk show at the age of 12 & even started a small catering

business for our families on the side ;)

Kalista & I share a sincere love for shopping!

"Shop till you seriously drop" 

is our motto, we love finding great deals & we both are extreme couponers in the making as well! 

We met at, our home-church about 14 years ago & have been Best of Friends ever since! We have had our rough spots & our differences, but I wouldn't trade her for the world! 

As you can see, 

I have been friends with these beauties for quite some time now ;) 

 & I can honestly say they have

been some of the best years of my entire life. 

 I am truly blessed! 

Dear Heavenly Father, 

I thank you for Lauren & Kalista. 

I thank you from the bottom of

my heart for sending me these sweet 'sisters' into my life! 

I have sure needed them over the years :)

 I am SO grateful for each of them 

& there very unique personalities! 

Jesus, I pray that the people reading

this also have a 'sister' or 'brother' 

to confide in, but Lord if they don't please comfort them during this time & remind them that they are NOT alone in this world & that they always have you to confide in & that they always will have a place of refuge in your arms, Jesus! 

I pray today for Lauren & Kalista that you would strengthen them, fill them up full of you, & bless them Lord, Jesus! :) 

In your Precious name, 

Amen! 

Until next time, 

~Kerrington 

Abandonment

Experiencing the true, pure love life of Jesus Christ

requires a little more than just

prayer and Scripture studying.

It calls for a total abandonment to Him. 

Sometimes, the word "Abandonment" can be a very frightening word for some. 

It's likely a fear of losing all the little control they have over their life to a God, they don't even know if he actually exists. These attacks go on over, over, & over again in their minds as they contemplate how free they would actually feel, if they could just let go of the pain & the trials that have held them back from 

that total surrender & abandonment to our King of kings. 

 

 

Abandon- 

to leave and never return to. 

Awhile back, maybe a year ago 

I was at a girls church group 

& I decided to make a public,

permanent decision for the rest of my life on earth. 

(I know...scary thought eh?!)

A Decision, that would never be regretted or taken back. 

A decision, that I would one day look back on

& be so grateful for. 

That Decision was, 

From that day forward...  

That I would Abandon my heart & 

my earthly "Love life" to God! 

Until he wanted to open that door. 

I was to leave it completely at the foot of the cross

& to not return to that area of my heart,

until God said so. 

I did this not at all out of a want or need of gratification, or applause or even the little-silliest thing of, attention.

(Because I know we all love the spot light...) 

I did this as an act of obedience to

my Precious, Heavenly Father.

I did it out of a step in faith, 

believing that God would one day

open that door in my heart,

all in his perfect timing. 

I like to be referred to as an "Abandoned Believer". 

Being abandoned doesn't mean

I'm more Holy or even remotely

at all closer to God. 

Because I still make mistakes, 

I still have trials, 

I still have those very messy-emotional moments, 

I am still human, 

but at least this time, 

I got God on my side cheering 

me on! 

Now that you have read about this sweet

Freedom that comes from total Abandonment, 

Are you ready to experience it in your own life?! 

All it takes is a simple prayer & a step in Faith!! 

Ready. Set. Abandon. 

Let's Pray this over our lives together:

Dear Heavenly Father, 

We just simply say, Thank you so much for

the ability of being able to Abandon ourselves in you.  

God, thank you for that sweet Freedom

we receive when we give our everything to you.

God we look to you in this very moment,

because you are where our help comes from. 

Our Arms are high & our hearts are totally abandoned.

We stand in awe of you, the one who truly gave it all. 

Our souls, Jesus to you we surrender. 

For you are our everything! 

In your precious name, 

Amen!! 

 

Until next time, 

~Kerrington 

Our Love Story!

 

In honor of February, being the month-of-love!  

I thought you would like to read

How my Mom & Dad met.

Story originally published: May 19th, 2011

On my Mom's Blog!

Enjoy!!

 

 

www.clickingusclose.blogspot.ca

 

Written by: Joceline 

 

 

Seventeen years ago today, 

I met my soul-mate.

My life was forever changed.

Let me take you down memory lane.

I was just about to graduate high school and we were off to a convention,

for private schools.

The convention was a three day competition of various events, from singing to sports to be held
in the state of New York.

The school I attended was requiring we do at least two sporting events.

Since I was already doing volleyball, I thought I'd sign up for something easy, like running long jump.

That's where my first encounter with arrogant
boy comes into play.

My turn had come up and I didn't have a chance to practice but really I thought
"How hard can this be?"

So a running I went, mentally preparing
to hurl my body forward.

I  apparently am an over achiever,
because I lunged myself forward
so hard I couldn't stop.

I landed flat on my face in the sand.

Wow!!! Did that ever hurt!

Arrogant boy laughed at me.

Here he was standing there,
when I was devastated because
I had dirtied my new sweater  and was in great pain...
and he laughed.

I had thought he was cute, but not now.

Rude, just rude!

The teasing continued throughout
that day from arrogant boy, 

and my annoyance was mounting.
( I guess the saying is true,
 boys really do tease girls they like.)
 

After some time of harassment, a friend told arrogant boy that my feelings were possibly becoming hurt and that he should apologize.

Out with arrogant boy... 

enter Prince Charming.

After a lovely apology, things began to change.

I found myself looking to find him at each new event and have some exchange of a look or words.
 

That was by far the fastest three days of my life,
before I knew it, it was our last night and we were leaving.

I had resigned myself that this had been a wonderful,
fun time, but that was it.

Until, a slip of paper was handed
to me by Prince Charming.

I held it in my hand and
wondered if it was
what I was hoping it was.

A phone number
and an address.

Yes!

An exchange of information was made.

Thus beginning a wonderful, 

long-distance relationship.

Our phone bills were quite high, 

but we couldn't help ourselves.

We were falling in love and the sound of each others voice was all we had.

Until Mark, my soul mate moved, 

so we could be closer to each other.

We were engaged after 8 months of knowing each other.

We were quite young, but I knew this was the man I was supposed to marry.

When I was younger I had spent a lot of time thinking and praying as to what I wanted in a husband.

I had even written a list of things I had asked God for in a mate.

What is completely God, 

is that Mark was my list.

Everything I had asked God for, things only He and I knew.

He gave them to me in Mark.

Neither of us were planning to go to convention that year,
 but God had already planned we would.

Isn't He Amazing!

  Until next time,  
 

~Joceline