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kmcooley — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:09:08 +0000

Good evening. God wants character that can have lengthy stays in lonely places.” – Pastor Michael Exum

When these words were spoken today, I was literally done. Pastor Exum spoke what I haven’t shared with anyone, ever. For a little while now, I’ve been struggling with relationships. Relationships, period. If someone wasn’t annoying me, they were boring me. If I reached out to someone, they pulled back in the opposite direction. Just problems with relationships all the way around. At some point, and though I can’t say when, I realized that I was indeed lonely. Lonely in a sense of being physically around people but not connecting with anyone on any level. I mean, I’ve shut down and shut out people before, but this was different. Countless of times in prayer, I’ve asked God, “What is it? What am I doing wrong?” Well, today, the answer was confirmed in more ways than I can count. – its not what I’m doing but rather it’s what God is doing in me.

Sometimes God just needs to get us alone. Sometimes, he just needs to get us in a place of no influence and little to no “noise” even if it means standing at the door alone in a crowed place or driving the distance without a single phone conversation. Regardless, the human loneliness is spiritually worth it.

Now, I know in Genesis 2, The Bible says, its not good for man to be alone. But I also know that there is clarity and insight and creativity comes with being alone, so there’s a balance. Besides…most humans don’t want to know half of the things about you that God already does!

Peace – Kimberly

Sounds

kmcooley — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:48:13 +0000

Good afternoon. How do you define or determine the measure of your faith? Is it based on what you do? How you live? How you act? The company you keep? Sorry, but faith isn’t defined nor measured by any of the above. Faith is biblically defined as the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things unseen. (Hebrews 11:1) Faith is also defined as, “a strong belief in a supernatural power that control human destiny.” Neither definition mentions our jobs, our houses, our cars, or social statuses. But instead, both definitions deal with our inner being – our spiritual makeup.

Inner being – a side that no one truly sees for what it really is but God. A side that man can merely glimpse at in the form of an action that may or may not have been spiritually led. So, how is it that people so easily pass judgment on who you are and what your spiritual life is all about based solely on what they can see? That’s not human emotion or divine intervention. That’s what you call clockwork. You see something, therefore it is….NOT.

Many times, we as a people can get so caught up in appearing to be righteous that we forget to be righteous. By this I mean, we play gospel music so we can be perceived as religious. We disrespect and downplay the “small” (genuine) people in our lives so that we can be perceived as important or dominant? When its all said and done and behind closed doors, reality is the direct opposite. Faith deals with those things that cannot be seen by man. It deals with those things of God. So how can a person’s faith be analyzed and judged because they are inspired more by Mary J. Blidge over Chris Tomlin on any given day? How can a persons faith be measured because he/she decides to wear jeans to church as opposed to a power suit? How can a persons lifestyle be concluded because he/she has lunch with a homosexual friend? It CAN’T. Its all stereotypical clockwork.

Our spiritual alignment is the only thing on this God given earth that matters. When we are solid in our faith, faith in God that is…we don’t have to try to look holy or sound holy or portray a holy image.

When you are sure of your faith, you can be inspired by the works of Michael Jackson or Mihalia Jackson. Remember that God speaks through whatever channel He needs to in order to get the Word to us. Whether it’s John Mayer performing ‘Gravity’ or CeCe Winans performing ‘Alasbaster Box,’ the message intended and the inspiration given both still has the same purpose….to inspire, to quicken, and to contribute to the wellness of our spiritual being.

I’m going to close with this. In John 17:15, Jesus prayed a very specific prayer for his decisciples. It wasn’t for their healing or their prosperity. He prayed that God not take them out of the world but instead protect them in a world in which they HAD to dwell in. In other words, it’s okay to simply live. It’s not okay to live in such a way that what we consume shifts our belief, shifts are faith….. Living and engaging among a people that’s just like you, limits you. It increases the chances of your Kingdom business going undone. It limits those that you can reach. In 1 Corinthians 9:19, Jesus said, “though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to win as many souls as possible.” What are you doing to win?

Peace – Kimberly

Up Close

kmcooley — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:52:21 +0000

Good evening. All you can be is you. The world can take it or leave it. If you truly know who you are, you already know that the world isn’t worth changing for anyway. What you (we) possess is SO much greater.

Peace – Kimberly

Uncomfortable Truth

kmcooley — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:38:11 +0000

Good evening. When you can’t fully be yourself in a relationship in an effort to maintain that relationship, that relationship will never reach its fullest potential. Love isn’t about adapting to the person that you love. Its about adapting your lifestyle to be tolerant and understanding of the person you love in spite of the differences. Besides, presenting yourself one way just to please someone else deprives them of the possibility of getting to know the real you.

Just be real.

Peace – Kimberly

How Do I Know?

kmcooley — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:06:09 +0000

Good evening. The more you listen, the less you speak. Knowledge is found in books, but wisdom, my friend…comes directly from the mouths of those that lived it, experienced it, conquered it, and lived to tell YOU about it!

Peace – Kimberly

Intrigued

kmcooley — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:21:00 +0000

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” – Dale Carnegie

Don’t Think That…

kmcooley — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Good evening. Being saved doesn't make our problems go away…it just causes them to make more sense and make us more appreciative of their purpose.

Peace – kimberly

K.M. Cooley

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Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone

Identify Me

kmcooley — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:58:00 +0000

"When God strips you of everything (jobs, status, fame) you better know where your identity lies." – Prophetess Bridgett Barnes/ Inside Out Ministries/ www.isoministries.org

K.M. Cooley

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Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone

The First Time

kmcooley — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 01:50:00 +0000

Good evening. Ever wondered why you're in "this" place in your life? I mean like do you ever wonder "just what if I'd…" How would your life have been? Its something to think about. OR maybe it isn't!

That bad decision you made in college may have had consequences then, BUT now because of it, your in a better place than you would have been if you went the other way. That relationship that tore you a apart shred by shred may have hurt you to your core, BUT now you have found "you" and know how to love better. That expensive gadget that you bought may have set you back financially, BUT now it makes more money for you than you could ever make alone!

See, my point is that we sure, maybe we've made some bad decisions before or maybe even recently, but that doesn't make us bad people. Acknowledged mistakes breathes lessons learned. Rather than hating or resenting our past, maybe we should consider where we are now and embrace the change that it brought upon or lives.

We love more because we once loved someone else less; we give more because we once took from someone else. Out of the bad, we learned to be good….not to mention, we were brought into a place in which we can reverse the hurt! Who cares if we didn't get it right the first time…just maybe – God didn't intend for us to!

Peace – Kimberly

K.M. Cooley

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Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone

Like what?

kmcooley — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:04:00 +0000

Good evening. Someone said yesterday that I act like a celebrity. Yeah that's what I said???? Okay! A celebrity is defined as a widely recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention. If you know the slightest thing about me, you'd know that that isn't me. However, if the character I possess and the life that I live exemplifies that of a celebrity through someone's eyes, so be it! Otherwise. I'm just me. I know who I am in God; I have standards, and they will not be lowered! Call it diva-ish, stuck up, or celeb style if you want to. I call it, "ME."

One love – Kimberly

K.M. Cooley

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Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone