Contemplating Life

  Living this life as a redeemed spirit can be really weird. (How’s that for an opening line?) Let me explain: Because of Jesus Christ and what He has done, my spirit has been redeemed and His Holy Spirit is living within me as a guarantee.  My spirit is no longer a captive to the darkness- rather it has been ‘born again’ into the Light. AND because of God’s great love, it continues to be transformed daily as He works both His Will and His Good Pleasure within me. (This year, especially, I see differently, live differently, love differently.) Therefore, every day I carry within me a God-given joy and peace that the world cannot manufacture. I awake with joy; I eat with joy; I walk with joy; I write with joy. It is just there – put there by a loving God. Regardless of the chaos and the pain around me, I also carry an indescribable peace now. It, too, is something I cannot manufacture or pretend– it is the product of my relationship with God. However….. I still live in broken sinful

  I fell again recently – a really bad fall. Once again I seriously traumatized my husband who watched it, and for the first few minutes we thought maybe I had broken my arm. It was after the six inch snow fall. We were bundled up and on a walk, and I was doing everything right. I was carefully watching and stepping in looser snow, staying out of the car tracks where the snow had hardened into ice in places. I even had a walking stick to help me with my balance on the uneven ground. But…..for just a few seconds I looked away from the path in front of me…..and stepped on a small patch of ice. I fell really hard. After careful manipulation and feeling the length of my arm and elbow, I was certain that it wasn’t broken. There was a LOT of pain (all the way up through my neck), but I was sure I wasn’t ‘broken’. I will admit, however, that I shed a few tears and I DO NOT cry at physical pain. This one hurt. But being a Kelley, I finished the walk, then carefully texted a few of my faithful

  I was reading Mark 9:2-8 this morning (in the New Living Translation). It is the story of Jesus taking Peter, James, and John up the mountain, and Jesus is transformed in their sight. Not only is He transformed, but Moses and Elijah appear to talk to Him. These verses raise so many thoughts and questions in my mind. But then there is verse 6, which makes me laugh. During the transformation, instead of just watching and taking it all in, Peter has to talk. He ends up saying something kind of self-aggrandizing. Scripture then explains, “He [Peter] said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, because they were all terrified.” That’s when I chuckled and said to myself “You really have to love Peter.” You Just Have To Love Peter Jesus climbed the mountain Taking only Peter, James, and John, And then something bizarre happened We call it “The Transformation”. The Lord’s appearance was transformed And His clothing became whiter than white And soon He was joi