A smile goes a long way

December 1st.....Christmas will be here before you know it. Black Friday is over and now the countdown begins, which means there are a lot of people who are grumpy, tired, aggravated, frustrated and annoyed. I'm not saying this is true of everyone and even at this exact moment but it will come as Christmas draws near. People start stressing out and panicking and their emotions take over. It can happen very easily around the holidays. BUT this year lets take a step back and relax. Lets remember the REASON for the SEASON.

I was at the post office today and when it was my turn I said hello and smiled to the gentleman helping me. He responded back with "A smile, don't see too many of those." Which doesn't surprise me. The guy in front of me had complained about the service. And its not that the service is bad but that there is only two people working. The post office has lost millions for quite awhile and obviously they have to cut labor. The two that were working today are always nice and friendly and helpful. So please when you are out in public don't take out your bad emotions are those trying to help. It's the holidays which means lines will be longer and traffic will be busier and people can be ruder than usual. Lets amaze people with our kindness, compassion and love. A smile goes a long way and a kind word can make a persons day.

M-O-M

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the fabulous, loving, kind, supporting moms out there! What would we do without you????

Today our pastor talked about mother's reflecting who God is and His love for us. He said everytime we look at our moms to be reminded of God and his love for us. Nathan also said that without moms our world would go into disarray and I have to agree;-) Dads are awesome but usually have the opposite qualities of a mom.

I know without my mom, my life definitely wouldn't be as complete or happy. I count and depend on her for so much. She is always there, always loving me. Everyone in the world can be mad at you and discount you, but not moms. Moms are right there supporting you and loving you and not giving up.

My life has been so blessed, not because I'm rich and have everything I've ever wanted (which I'm not and don't) but because I had a home full of love and support from two fabulous parents. I don't know what it's like to be from a home where there is abuse of any kind or parents who aren't around or don't support you. I had and still do have a home where I'm always welcomed, where I feel safe and where I can go anytime. That is huge in this world! This world can become very lonely. One of the greatest joys in this world is to love and to BE LOVED. Who doesn't want to be loved?

I've watched my sister and my friends become mothers and it's such an amazing transformation. Instantly there's a new love, like no other for that new baby in their arms. I haven't experienced it but I can definitely see it.

I know mother's aren't perfect and there's some not so great ones but mother's have a tough job and I have a lot of respect for them. I don't know how they do it all!

To my Mom THANKS for:

• putting me in dance and coming to my dress rehearsals and recitals
• letting me play sports and coming to all my games or meets
• coming to all my colorguard events and football games
• new clothes every school year
• supplying for all my needs
• helping me feed my barbie addiction as a kid
• getting me addicted to books
• the awesome bunk bed thing and tent bed we had as kids
• teaching me to give people the benefit of the doubt
• giving me a safe and loving home
• being my professional cleaner when I need you
• helping us with our laundry
• giving us memorable holidays and easter eggs with clues =)
• making me responsible and dependable
• showing us that we can be happy as long as we have health and family
• showing us hard work
• support and encouragement during the important times like college, traveling, moving and my wedding
• plus the hundred other things you have done and still do for me!

A Much Needed Heart Transplant

If someone asked me why she should believe in Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit, I would say.......because you get a much needed heart transplant! That's right a heart transplant. Your heart of stone will be changed into a heart of flesh. 


I'm sure many of us know people who are unforgiving, selfish, egotistical, arrogant, unkind, unloving and all those other "fabulous" traits. It's kind of hard to be around them, huh........or love them.....or care about them. Or how about the people who are just negative, pessimistic and down in the mouth. Are they any more fun? Is it easy to change those attitudes, thoughts and perspectives? Not usually. BUT with God all things are possible.

God is the God of love. He is love. It is truly an amazing transformation that takes place when the Holy Spirit is dwelling inside you and you have Jesus to turn too. I've always been a sunshine kind of person, glass half full and so on. However having God inside me makes me a much better person. I've always been a sarcastic one. The words would fly out of my mouth before I could even think about it. I could be competitive and jealous at times. I hated to lose (and to a point I still do but I'm getting much better). My insecurities would make me judge people before I even knew them. I liked to gossip and get the latest scoop. Have you noticed I'm writing in past tense? My attitude and most importantly my HEART have changed. I'm not that girl anymore. I see things through God's eyes (not all the time yet, though. still working on that). My heart of flesh has love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and no judging or criticizing (well very little compared to before). I see the best in people and look past their attitudes because we all come from different backgrounds and were raised differently. You have to give people the benefit of the doubt. No one is perfect. Only Jesus.

A friend of mine is really upset at his boss right now and said some things that were just mean and unnecessary. I couldn't believe he was saying the things he was about something that was so minor in life. Whatever was happening at work did not justify his attitude and words. So I prayed that God would intervene and work on his heart. That is the only thing that will change my friend. God is the only one that can change his heart of stone into a heart of flesh. I feel bad for my friend to have all that anger and rage and not know what to do with it or where to turn. I know we all get mad from time to time and unfair things happen but having God on your side to turn to is a tremendous help and encouragement. When you know that God is leading you and directing you and loving you, you can relax and trust. It won't be easy but you can have more peace of mind than if you didn't.

So what is so great about this "heart transplant?" I just told you=)

L-O-V-E

L-O-V-E such a small word but so powerful! How so? Well lets see....


Love can make you act in a way you never would before. Love can make you do things you never would before. Love can make you sacrifice for someone in a way you never would have before. Love is powerful. 


I recently saw the new movie Beastly, a modern take on Beauty and the Beast. The main star in the movie was always told by his father that looks matter and if your looks aren't top notch then you have nothing and no one will like you. This attitude turned Kyle into a beast on the inside. He was cruel and ruthless. As penalty for this attitude he was turned just as ugly on the outside as he is on the inside. His father hid him in a house and hired a blind tutor and then never came to visit him. The only way for him to be turned back into himself was to fall in love and have another person say to him "I love you." I'm sure we all know how it turns out since it's a movie but when he finally started thinking about someone else and caring for her, he changed. Kyle's love for her and her love for him, changed him for the better. 


Have you ever loved someone that is hard to love? Or didn't want to be loved? Its not easy. But did your love break down barriers? Did it change someone for the better? If you haven't received love, it would be very hard to show it. But if you have received love isn't it hard not to show it? All the love I receive from family, friends and definitely God make me a better person. Because of their love, I can give it away to others. For me personally, when I receive love I want to return the favor, whether it's right back to that person or passing in on to others. Another person's love validates you. It makes you feel like you are something and someone. 


There's all kinds of love. A mother's love for her child. A husband's love for his wife. A sister's love for her brother. An uncle's love for his nephew. And God's love for his people.


God is the ultimate LOVE. John 3:16 "For God so LOVED the world, that he GAVE his only son...." God created the world and us. He created us in his image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). When we couldn't do anything to save ourselves from sin, God gave us his son to be crucified and to take the penalty for our sins. Jesus didn't deserve what happened to him. He was perfect and blameless but because God loves us and wants a relationship with us and to have eternal life with him, he gave us Jesus. Can you imagine that kind of love? Would you sacrifice YOUR child to save many or even someone? Can you imagine the pain God was in? God loves us more than anyone will or ever could; so how do you think he felt about his only son being crucified on a cross?


L-O-V-E is powerful and changes people for the better. How can your love change someone? How can you help someone who needs your love today?

New Project! Need Help!

Okay I am ready to start my new project and I can't wait!!! On March 5th and 8th (so if you haven't watched them yet, PLEASE do) I posted videos of World Vision and Africa and the caregivers who take care of those infected with AIDS. The videos showed how the kits help those affected. Without these kits the people who are infected would be even more miserable. These caregivers not only help them by keeping them clean and treated but also by their love and compassion. By the touch of another human being. By helping with the children. Their role is vital in the fight against AIDS. 


But the unfortunate thing is the most basic things these caregivers need, they can't obtain! I'm talking about soap, petroleum jelly, gloves, cotton balls, pens, paper, flashlight and batteries, and towels. We take all these things for granted in the U.S. 


By now I'm sure you're asking yourself "How can I help?" Excellent question! World Vision will help us obtain all the supplies and kits for about $28/kit. Then all we have to do with a team of helpers is put these kits together with an encouraging note and off they go to Africa, Asia or Latin America. It's that easy and it makes a huge difference in this world=) Now all I need to start is your donations or time or craftiness or all the above!


Feel free to email me at kellinhobbs@yahoo.com if you're interested in helping in some way or another or have questions. I am going to do some kind of fundraising so any ideas are helpful! To check the info out on World Vision go to: http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/getinvolved/caregiver-kits-church-volunteer-activity?Open&lpos=btn-churchKits

The Need

• Who's in need? 33 million people living with HIV and AIDS
• Where are they? Africa, Asia, and Latin America
• Who's helping them? World Vision-trained volunteer caregivers
• What can you do? Build Caregiver Kits filled with basic supplies!

one kit + 4 refill packs = one caregiver equipped for an entire year

The opportunity

Assembling Caregiver Kits is an effective, hands-on way to:

• Show Christ's unconditional love to those suffering from AIDS
• Equip caregivers with a year's worth of the practical materials they need
• Encourage caregivers to continue caring selflessly for their neighbors
• Draw your church closer together by serving those in need

Love your Enemies

Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that is was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

There is no doubt it can be extremely hard to love your enemies. People who have said rude things or done mean things or just aren't nice people. Why in the world would you want to love them? Do they deserve it? Do you "owe" it to them? Probably not BUT does two wrongs make a right? Life is hard and some people have had very tough lives. Some people have never experienced love and forgiveness before so they have no idea. Think about it, if you never experienced love would you know what love is? Would you know how to show it or what it looked like? If you never experienced forgiveness could you forgive someone? Would you know how or what it looked like? If no one ever said to you "Hey no big deal man, it's in the past" but instead said "You owe me for this and that and until you pay me back your life is going to be hell" what would your life be like? How would you treat others? Would you think someone always owed you something? Wouldn't it be wonderful if by showing someone love and forgiveness over and over again even when they didn't deserve it, it helped that person to become a more loving and forgiving person. You changed that person's life because you chose to help the situation instead of keeping the cycle going.

God's word tells us to love our neighbors and our enemies. He says that even pagans love those that love them. To be Christians then we need love those that don't love us. Examples; when someone is rude to you for no reason, don't be rude back, instead be the bigger person and show kindness. Or if someone isn't a team worker at work, help him anyway. When someone does something that isn't right, don't retaliate. Repaying evil for evil won't make our world any better. God's advice is great because if we can follow it, it could lead to world peace and a much more loving and kind world.